book blogger appreciation week – read this book!

Book Blogger Appreciation Week is currently dominating my blog, and I am okay with that.  I’ve had a lot of fun talking about blogs I appreciate, participating in the interview swap, and writing an ode to book blogging.  Today’s topic is a little bit different – the idea is to talk up a book that needs more attention.

I can’t think of a more deserving title than Sean Griswold’s Head by Lindsey Leavitt – it is sweet, sincere, and has emotional depth that will surprise the reader (in a good way). I found it funny and adorable last summer, and then NO ONE commented on the review.  I was shocked.  What had I done/not done?   And then it occurred to me...it was probably the cover art (or i'm not good at explaining why contemporary YA = fun.) (i'll take that, i guess.).  Problem solved in paperback!

According to her guidance counselor, fifteen-year-old Payton Gritas needs a focus object – an item to concentrate her emotions on. It's supposed to be something inanimate, but Payton decides to use the thing she stares at during class: Sean Griswold's head. They've been linked since third grade (Griswold-Gritas-it's an alphabetical order thing), but she's never really known him.

The focus object is intended to help Payton deal with her father's newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis. And it's working. With the help of her boy-crazy best friend Jac, Payton starts stalking-er, focusing on-Sean Griswold…all of him! He's cute, he shares her Seinfeld obsession (nobody else gets it!) and he may have a secret or two of his own.

In this sweet story of first love, Lindsey Leavitt seamlessly balances heartfelt family moments, spot-on sarcastic humor, and a budding young romance.

Recommended for: tweens and teens (nothing in this one will set off warning bells), fans of sports in lit, those who appreciate emotional complexity in their YA, and anyone in the mood for an innocent coming-of-age story with a romance perfectly defined by the word ‘delightful.’

what does blogging mean to you? (#bbaw topic of the day)

Blogging has turned me into a writer.  I have put meaningful thoughts and words in the public sphere on a regular basis for more than three and a half years.  I have come to cherish the exercise of writing, to thrill at the challenge of finding the perfect synonym to describe that sublime reading experience, to understand that sometimes no sense of guilt, frustration or need is strong enough to break through a block.

Blogging, and the discipline of writing and critical thinking each week, is self-improvement.

Blogging is the discovery of a community of like-minded individuals all over the world.  Those of us who grew up as bookworms often felt isolated by our passion.  Finding others with the same interest is like finding a little piece of home, and blogging has given me many, many pieces of home.

Blogging is also sharing my love of reading in a tangible way.  Reviews and giveaways are notes of caring making their way into the lives of others.

And finally, blogging is discovering the next story that will change my life, widen my horizons, and alter my future.  It is therapy and magic. 

Book Blogger Appreciation Week is a chance to celebrate what we love about this corner of the internet.  If you’re interested in participating, check out the daily blogging topics.  I’ve written about appreciation and participated in the interview swap.

So, what does blogging mean to you?

bbaw 2012 interview swap (+ giveaway) – as usual, i need more bookshelves

Here we are, on my favorite day of Book Blogger Appreciation Week – interview swap day!  Allow me to introduce Elizabeth, of As Usual, I Need More Bookshelves.  Isn’t that blog name genius?  I think that exact thing to myself every couple of months.  Elizabeth has kindly answered my questions (and if you read through to the end, you’ll find a giveaway!).  You can check out my answers to Elizabeth’s interview here.

What's your story, in three sentences?

I'm a wife, mom, sister, daughter, friend, and avid reader. I don't feel like I have time to be any of them enough. My life tends to be completely crazy, and yet it's the best life I could ask for.

Five favorite books?

(note - this list is subject to change based on my current emotional state, and the reliability of my memory. *grin*)

The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

The Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd

The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Are there any genres you refuse to read?

Self-help. I can't stand them. Those types of books make my teeth grate. And I don't technically REFUSE to read westerns, but I honestly can't remember the last time I did.

Do you have any hidden (or not-so-hidden) superpowers?

I think carrying two two-year-olds up and down a flight of stairs without dropping them counts as a superpower, right??

If you could invite any literary characters to a dinner party, who would you invite, and what would be the party theme?

Two of my favorite heroines are Anne from the Anne of Green Gables series, and Katniss from the Hunger Games trilogy. I'd love to have them both together for an evening - Anne is all hopes and dreams, and Katniss is all down-to-earth practicality. I don't know if they would love each other or detest each other, but I'd love to get them together. We could have an "Iron Chef" party - the secret ingredients could be rabbits and brown sugar, and I bet the results would be hilarious!

You're trapped on a desert island. Which books do you NOT want with you?

Huckleberry Finn. Ulysses. The Five Agreements.

Give me your best: one book I must read, one book blog I must visit, and one thing I should never say to strangers.

You MUST read The Lions of Al-Rassan. It's fantasy wrapped in history wrapped in an incredible love story. My mom (who doesn't read fantasy)  even liked it, and it's the novel I want to read over and over again.

You MUST visit BookLust - http://www.aartichapati.com/. Aarti is constantly reading something that sounds interesting, and I've read some fantastic books by following her recommendations. I don't have time to read nearly as many blogs as I'd like, but hers is one I keep up with whenever possible.

One thing you should NEVER say to strangers - So, what do you think about the current vampire situation in Congress?

---------

Thanks Elizbeth!  I think your superpower definitely counts, and wouldn’t you know it, I hate self-help books too.  I haven’t read The Lions of Al-Rassan, but I’m convinced I should give it a try – and so should everyone visiting! 

Hauntingly evocative of medieval Spain, The Lions of Al-Rassan is both a brilliant adventure and a deeply compelling story of love, divided loyalties, and what happens to men and women when hardening beliefs begin to remake — or destroy — a world.

If you’d like to win one paperback or ebook copy of Guy Gavriel Kay’s The Lions of Al-Rassan, simply fill out the FORM.  Giveaway open internationally, will end on September 15, 2012 at 11:59pm EST.  Winner will be selected randomly and notified via email.  Good luck!

book blogger appreciation week 2012 – blog love

Each year for Book Blogger Appreciation Week (BBAW), I am reminded that my fellow bloggers are the best thing about this strange hobby.  I spend hours each week putting together blog posts, stressing about a reading schedule, finding new content and ways to motivate myself… for what?  In part, it’s for that moment of agreement, that ‘I thought so too!’  There are a couple of special blogs that I’d like to highlight today for their consistent encouragement, content and exquisite taste.  Check out other posts on the day’s topic (Appreciation) here.

bookshelves of doom – Leila stays on top of publishing news and trends like a master, and her blog updates are always short, sweet, and interesting.  Plus, she reviews for Kirkus, so her recommendations are usually impeccable.  I found Erin Bow’s fantastic Plain Kate this year through Leila (wow, that was a good book!).

Steph Su Reads – Steph is (in my opinion) one of the best YA lit bloggers, period.  She has exacting standards, great taste, and always has an interesting perspective on the latest ‘to do’ in the blogging.  In other words, she’s awesome.  You should go follow her.

Charlotte’s Library – Charlotte is the queen of Middle Grade fantasy and sci-fi.  At least in my world, she is.  She does weekly round-up posts of MG sci-fi/fantasy reviews, and always links to events related to that interest area.  And since I’m fast becoming a MG lit junkie, these connections are indispensable.

Beth Fish Reads – Beth Fish (as she’s known on the internet) blogs primarily about books, but my new favorite thing is her weekly Weekend Cooking meme.  Every Saturday she posts a recipe or on a ‘foodie’ topic and encourages others to do so, too.  This has become a fixture in my blogging week, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the active participants and responses.

In Bed With Books – Liviania is always quick with a comment, and she keeps me on my reviewing toes by mentioning things I missed and coming in with a unique viewpoint (often she puts into words what didn’t feel ‘right’ about a book when I can’t put a finger on the problem).  Her reviews also give me an VERY accurate idea of whether or not I’ll like the book, so that's awesome.

Of course, there are many, many bloggers and comments over time that have made me smile on a bad day, cry over beautiful writing, and served as a reminder that book people are the best people (really).  Thanks for your kindness, and keep it up!

If you’re interested, I mentioned other blogs that make this community special for me for BBAW 2011.  Oh, and tell me about some of the blogs you appreciate, please!

september is for book events

Somehow, September has become the month of everything bookish.  I mean, I knew it was popular with publishers (big title releases coming right up!), but everything else seems to be converging on the month, too!  If I list it all out here, I’ll definitely get to it, right?!  And I’m sure this sense of panic will turn itself into anticipation if I just wait long enough…

Okay, so I’m not actually going to stress about the first event, because Book Blogger Appreciation Week (from the 10th to the 14th) is all about appreciating the book blogging community.  It’s great for finding new blogs, discussing what we love about this little corner of the internet, and counting our blessings.  My favorite part is always the interview swap.  Take a look at the daily blogging topics when you have a moment.

Steampunk Week in September is an event I’m hosting here at Adventures of Cecelia Bedelia from the 16th through the 22nd.  I’ll be reviewing one steampunk book each day, with a couple of other fun things (and giveaways!) thrown in.  If you have any interest in the genre, check it out!

On September 20th, Libba Bray is doing a book signing for her newest release, The Diviners, at Politics & Prose, a sweet bookshop in DC.  I will be there with bells on (not really with bells)(but it’s a great phrase, no?).

Then it’s time for the National Book Festival (22nd and 23rd), which is held on the Mall.  The Mall, if you were wondering, is that green strip of grass that stretches between the U.S. Capitol building and the Washington Monument.  When they have a book festival on that, you know it’s serious.  I love the event each year, and the lineup of authors and speakers is pretty fabulous.

I participated in Bloggiesta (28th to the 30th) for the very first time this spring, and I loved it.  Ergo, I am doing it again.  Sort of.  I have a couple of other commitments that weekend, but in between times, I will definitely try to improve my blog through mini-challenges.  It’s fun to do ‘work’ in community and share in the fellow-feeling of ‘I can do this!’

One of the events that will interrupt Bloggiesta weekend is KidLitCon (29th), which I’ll attend for the first time this year.  Charlotte of Charlotte’s Library asked me at BEA in June if I planned on going, and I had to admit that I didn’t really know what she was talking about.  Good news: it’s bloggers who love kiddie lit talking about blogging and kiddie lit, and it’s happening not so far away.  I plan to take a train up to NYC and make a day trip of it (a blissful, book-friendly day!).

Tell me, what events are you looking forward to in September?  Is your month as full as mine?

book blogger appreciation week 2011 - interview swap

My favorite part of BBAW is the interview swap. True story. It’s always fascinating to see how a complete stranger (but are they really strange if they love books?!) answers the questions you have formulated. My lucky victim…err… blogger this year is Tony, the titular man behind Tony’s Reading List. Enjoy!

What's your story, in three sentences?

I was born and raised in England, before the completion of a degree in foreign languages enabled me to escape. After stints teaching English in France, Germany and Japan, I eventually ended up in Australia, where I now live with my wife and my two young daughters. I still have no real idea how I landed here...

Five favo(u)rite books?

That's a horrible, nasty question to ask someone at this time of the morning... Let's see - I might cheat a little (a lot) here.

Anthony Trollope's The Barchester Chronicles

Haruki Murakami's The Rat Trilogy novels (all four of them...)

Steven Carroll's Glenroy trilogy (The Art of the Engine Driver, The Gift of Speed and The Time We Have Taken)

Thomas Mann's Buddenbrooks

...and, and, and... the collected Victorian/Russian/German/Japanese classic literature compendium. If it existed.

Are there any genres you refuse to read?

It's not so much that I refuse to read genres, more that I have so much to read within a few favourite niches that I am loath to venture outside my wonderfully snug rut. Having said that, I very much doubt that either vampires or werewolves will feature in any of my reviews in the near future (and by near future, I mean until hell freezes over, and Lucifer himself stars in Twilight on Ice).

Do you have any hidden (or not-so-hidden) superpowers?

I have the ability to spend days writing a highly-polished, thousand-word review of an obscure foreign-language book which nobody has ever heard of and then bitch and whine because I haven't got any comments on it. Is that a superpower?

If you could invite any literary characters to a dinner party, who would you invite, and what would be the party theme?

For one, the witch from Hansel and Gretel because she could obviously cook (and I can't). The whole Pickwick club from Dickens' The Pickwick Papers, both for their obvious ability to enjoy life and to make me look relatively slim. Harry Potter, obviously (free entertainment - I've heard he does some fancy things with rabbits and doves). Oh, and Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye - so that the rest of us could give him something to really complain about...

You're trapped on a desert island. Which books do you NOT want with you?

The Catcher in the Rye (see above), anything by Henry James (although a few years on a desert island might give me the chance to finish off one of his sentences), any books which mention the words sand, thirst and certain death on a regular basis, and anything written in a language which I don't understand...

Give me your best: one book I must read, one book blog I must visit, and one thing I should never say to strangers.

One book you must read: Haruki Murakami's Norwegian Wood - the words poignant, nostalgic and heart-rending were made for this novel.

One book blog you must visit: I suppose I can't say mine? Oh, alright, how about Tanabata's In Spring It Is The Dawn - a feast for Japanophiles everywhere.

One thing you should never say to strangers: Do you want to come back to my place? I could show you the new features on my blog...

----

Thank you, Tony, for putting up with my silly questions and offering witty and wise responses. If you’d like to see how I answered Tony’s questions, follow this link.

Would you like to read Murakami’s Norwegian Wood? I know Tony convinced me to give it a try. I’ll give away a copy to one person who fills out this FORM. Giveaway open internationally, will end 9/16 at 11:59pm EST. Winner will be chosen randomly and notified via email. Happy Book Blogger Appreciation Week!

book blogger appreciation week 2011 - community

Book Blogger Appreciation Week 2011 is here! During this week the book blogging world acknowledges the wonderful community we have online. We do this by handing out awards (congratulations to all those nominated!), and by following daily blogging prompts. Today the focus is community.

My contribution for the day will be to shout out to a few blogs that have enriched my blogging experience. These people are lovely – genuinely nice people. And they love books. Go visit, and tell them I sent you!

Rhiannon Hart at Dangers Untold and Hardships Unnumbered

Rhiannon is the first blogger I actually wanted to be. She’s a talented writer (she’s just been published! her book is on its way to me from Australia as we speak!), and she has impeccable taste in books. Also: I think she probably knows everything EVER about dystopian lit.

Juju at Tales of Whimsy

My most faithful commenter award goes to Juju. I don’t know how this lady does it, but she juggles real life, keeps up a beautiful blog, and comments (almost) instantaneously whenever I publish a post. She’s fantastic.

Alyce at At Home with Books

Alyce ran one of my all-time favorite features – My Favorite Reads (now retired), and is very sweet in person. She also has fantastic taste in science fiction, and her picks challenge me to read beyond my comfort zone.

Ryan at Wordsmithonia

Ryan is proof that sometimes you don’t have to share tastes beyond for a love of reading to become great friends and supporters. Luckily, we’ve discovered that both have a thing for Mercedes Lackey’s books. Ryan is consistently encouraging – and a great part of my blogging experience.

Kristen M. at We Be Reading

Kristen and I have been lucky enough to meet in person a couple of times, and each time I’ve been impressed by her kindness and humor. She’s smart, she reviews fun kid lit – what’s not to love?

Velvet at vvb32reads

Velvet is an active blogger year-round – she shares awesome steampunk and zombie events (check out September Zombies!). She’s engaged and engaging, and her programming has provided much-needed structure in my reading world.

Of course, these aren’t the only bloggers I appreciate. I find myself grateful and humbled when I think of all the help and fun that I’ve had with you over the years. Thank you, and please, keep it up!

september is for zombies (and book blogger appreciation week)

For the last couple of years I’ve participated in Velvet’s September Zombies celebration for the month of September, and this year it’s no different. It’ll really pick up towards the end of the month, so watch out for some zombie-related content here at Adventures of Cecelia Bedelia and at vvb32reads from September 20th-30th (including a giveaway opportunity!).

Also in the near future: BBAW, or Book Blogger Appreciation Week. BBAW is in its fourth year in the book blogging world. On my blog this year’s event will feature an interview swap, daily blogging topics (if I get around to them) and a giveaway. The official dates for BBAW are September 12-16. Check in for the interview swap on September 13th!

Tell me: are you participating in September Zombies and/or Book Blogger Appreciation Week?

bbaw interview exchange – meet little red reviewer

And now, a break from our usual programming…it’s the second day of BBAW, or Book Blogger Appreciation Week. For one week each September, book bloggers celebrate what is awesome about the book blogging community. In case you are wondering, those awesome things include giveaways. So you should totally check it out.

Today is the day dedicated to (you guessed it!) interviews. Please welcome Andrea, the Little Red Reviewer, to my blog! Andrea is a fellow foodie with a great attitude and REALLY great taste in fantasy novels. Her blog is mostly dedicated to sci-fi, fantasy, graphic novels and manga. She used to run read.eat.rinse.repeat, but has since switched directions. Go check out Little Red Reviewer for more of Andrea!

Who are some of your favorite authors?

Scott Lynch, China Meiville, Neal Gaiman, Cory Doctorow, Robin Hobb, Sheri S Tepper, Steven Brust, Stephen Lawhead, Patrick Rothfuss. I like weird, I like off kilter, I like melancholy.

Are there any genres that you refuse to read?

Refuse, no. Avoid? Yes. I tend to avoid self-help books and paranormal romance…but that doesn't mean I haven't read any enjoyed a few of them.

Do you have any hidden (or not-so-hidden) superpowers?

I always know the right thing to say. And the right moment to say it… to make you snort beer out your nose.

I don’t collect cookbooks the way I do fiction, but I do have a couple of go-to picks. Do you have a favorite cookbook?

My favorite cookbook is Claudia Roden's The Book of Jewish Food. It's split up into parts of the world where Jews ended up and adopted many of the local food customs. The chapters on India and North Africa are my favorites, and the photos of Jewish families from around the world are wonderful. I plan to take to the Sunday School class I teach just to show the kids the photos. It's gotten to the point where if I see Claudia Roden's name on a cookbook (ethnic or not), I buy it.

What’s the best book you've read in the last month?

As much as I loved Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb, I think "book of the month" needs to go to For the Win by Cory Doctorow.

If you could invite literary characters to a dinner party, who would be at the table, and what would you serve?

Oooh, I like this question! It's like planning my fantasy party! Food would be a middle eastern feast - stuffed grape leaves, kibbeh, grilled lamb, rice salads, stuffed dates, baklava, warm pita, pickles, lots of hummus. My dinner guests would include Locke Lamora, Kvothe, George Koizumi and Caroline, Ed and Alphonse Elric, Vlad Taltos, Howl (cheat: I want the movie version!) Jon Snow, FitzChivalry, and Uther Doul. Yikes, that's quite the group of melancholies! We better have a case or two of good wine! And poor Caroline, she'd just be totally freaked out the whole time, but somehow I think George and Doul would get along famously.

Also…Locke Lamora and I need to have a private dinner. Involving sushi.

If you were trapped on a desert island, which books would you not take with you?

Who Moved My Cheese would totally be staying home, along with Shardik by Richard Adams. Richard Adams, I love you, but did you really have to torture me with Shardik? Yes, I know that was the point, but really?? The Chronicles of Thomas Covenent would probably stay home too.

What does your TBR pile look like right now?

It looks much like an exploding volcano. But with less boiling magma and more books.

One of the things I love about blogging is that I can recommend books to total strangers and not feel awkward or shy about it. Have you ever recommended a book to a stranger in real life?

I like going to garage sales and estate sales, and one moment you're digging through boxes and boxes of old books with a complete stranger, then next thing you're talking books and making recommendations…she said she liked Stephen King but was looking for something a little weirder, so I recommended Neil Gaiman, and then she asked if I'd read any Catholic Lesbian fiction (nothing against that genre, it just caught me completely off guard), and I quickly said umm no I'm Jewish. I still talk to complete strangers at estate sales while we're digging through the book boxes.

If you had to own a cow, what color would you choose?

Chocolate milk comes from brown cows, right? So yeah, brown.

Alright, last question, so be sure to press all your favorite things on me. Give me one book I absolutely have to read, one book blog I have to visit, and one fashion trend I have to avoid at all costs.

China Mieville's The Scar, Elitist Book Reviews, and skinny jeans *shudder*.

[photo found here]

Thanks for having me, and thanks for the great questions…especially the dinner party one!

Thank YOU, Andrea! Did you see how cool she is? She likes Neil Gaiman! And China Mieville! And FOOD! So obviously we were meant to be friends. Yay! If you want to check out Andrea's interview of ME, go HERE. You know you want to...

a taste of cecelia bedelia

While at this point it’s still a couple of months away, it’s never too early to start thinking of BBAW, or Book Blogger Appreciation Week. This event is scheduled for September 13-17, 2010, and it will be filled with bloggers (and others!) celebrating bloggers, books, and the best of everything. Even though I didn't consider my blog book-focused at the time, I took part with an exchange-type interview last year and discovered a lot of sweet stuff around the blogosphere. I plan to participate again this year.

The format has changed a little this time, so part of BBAW includes registering your blog. I wasn’t convinced that I should ‘nominate myself’ for a category, but it’s being touted as a good way to network. So this post should give you a little taste of what my blog is about (or what I think it’s about…correct me if I’m wrong!).

I review books a lot. Sometimes I fall hard in love with a book and can’t contain myself, as with The Knife of Never Letting Go (1) by Patrick Ness or I Am The Messenger (2) by Markus Zusack.

Sometimes a book is flawed but still worth the read. I found that to be the case with Alex Bracken’s Brightly Woven (3). Other times? The book and I just don’t click.

I also found my name in literature (4) and uncovered an auto trend in YA lit (5).

And that’s not even mentioning my baking obsession. But what I'm trying to do here is to just make people laugh and enjoy myself at the same time. I heart you, blogging!

sarah dessen giveaway winner

Last week during all of the BBAW festivities I offered a giveaway for a Sarah Dessen book. I’m happy to say that the winner is:

Trish

of Trish’s Reading Nook!

She’ll receive a copy of Just Listen from The Book Depository.

Thank you all for participating, and don’t forget to enter the giveaway for Alex Bell’s Jasmyn! Also, check back later this week for a new giveaway. Best!

a day late and a dollar short

As far as I can tell, this BBAW thing is a big love-fest. And I like it! But I’ve fallen slightly behind on the daily topics, and WOEFULLY behind on reading everyone else’s wonderful posts. Forgive? Sweet.

So the ‘Thursday’ challenge was to write about a book that you discovered through another book blog. Great reading experiences preferred. Also, perhaps a little something about the blog that facilitated said discovery. My pick: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.

First of all, may I say that the best/worst thing about book blogging is that my To Be Read pile has grown to previously unknown, gigantic, and in-danger-of-flooding-my-entire-house-like proportions. Mostly I’m impressed and pleased by the recommendations I get from this crowd, but I’ve been disappointed a time or two as well. This time, I was really glad I finally gave this 2007 National Book Award winner a try.

The Absolutely True Diary is an instant classic. It’s funny, it’s clever, it’s culturally informative, it’s really horrific and sad (in parts), and most importantly, seriously well-written. The story follows Junior, aka Arnold Spirit, through his freshman year of high school, when he decides to pursue education off the reservation. I don’t think I can give a description that would do the story justice and not give anything away, so there’ll be a canned summary at the end. Suffice it to say, this story is beautiful. A total must-read.

Alexie always gets me. I felt emotionally unraveled while I read this book. I think it’s a combination of identifying with regional identity and the way his characters reach through the pages and grab your heart and just don’t let go. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest. I also went to a tiny high school, like Arnold did. We played a Bureau of Indian Affairs school in sports. All of that offers a connection, but even if I was living in a different land and had no idea who the Spokane indigenous people were, I could find a connection, and love this book for its heart.

That’s the beauty of it…because I did find this book through someone in a different land. I first saw it mentioned on the 10 Best Books for YA list compiled by the American Library Association, but the only reason I actually read it was on Steph Bowe’s (of Hey! Teenager of the Year) recommendation. Steph is an Australian aspiring author, and her blog is genius. I faithfully check her updates and always learn something. Add to that that I only heard of Sherman Alexie to begin with on Leila’s blog (of the awesome Bookshelves of Doom), and you’ve got book blogging makes my life amazing.

Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot.

Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he thought he was destined to live.

And on a fun note, I may get to hear Mr. Alexie speak in early October - he's giving a talk as part of a Seattle Town Hall Event schedule!

keep those answers short!

Challenge: try to answer all the questions in five words or less. Brevity is the goal of today! (and boy, was it hard! I’m a word-happy blogger…)

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?


No snacks. Icky residue. COFFEE.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of
writing in books horrify you?


Academic books get penciled in.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears?
Laying the book flat open?


Bookmarks rule! (or my memory)

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?


Mostly fiction with some exceptions.

Hard copy or audiobooks?


Hard copy, but e-books, too.

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you
able to put a book down at any point?


End of the sentence.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?


No. Context helps me understand.

What are you currently reading?

Prada and Prejudice, Only Milo and Half Moon.


What is the last book you bought?


Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters.

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can
you read more than one at a time?


Several at a time.

Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read? 


Red armchair in early evening.

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books? 


Either, but well-written and long!

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?


Neil Gaiman is made of awesome.

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)

Haphazardly. Only organization by size.