Wands and Worlds

Book Review: Grave Mercy

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:18:44 PDT

Grave Mercy

by Robin LaFevers

Plot: Ismae Rienne still bears the scars of the poison her mother took in an attempt to abort her. Her survival from that, and the scars from the incident, prove that she was sired by the god of Death. At seventeen, when her abusive father sells her to an equally abusive husband, she is spirited away by secret followers of the old gods to the convent of St. Mortain, the god of Death. The convent takes her in, gives her a home, and trains her in all the skills necessary to serve St. Mortain, from poison and weapons training, to history and "feminine artistry."

The convent is loyal to Brittany, and to its young Duchess Anne, who is fighting to retain Brittany's independence from France. When word reaches the convent that there may be a traitor in Anne's court, Ismae is sent on a mission to Anne's court, disguised as the mistress to the nobleman Gavriel Duval. Her instructions are to search for information on the traitor, assassinate anyone marqued for death by St. Mortain (or that she is ordered to assassinate by the convent), and to watch Duval, who may be the traitor. But when her instructions come into conflict with her heart. Ismae must make some difficult decisions.

Notable Characters:

Ismae Rienne. Ismae is the kind of character I love. Equally adept with poisons and the crossbow, this girl can kick some serious butt. She's not so adept at playing Duval's mistress, however, having skipped many of the lessons in the feminine arts for more time in the poison room. Ismae is a well-rounded and fully developed character who has to make some difficult decisions as the book progresses. The convent took her in and essentially saved her life, and she is sworn to serve them, but her instincts increasingly come into conflict with her instructions from the convent, and she has to choose between honoring her commitment to the convent, and doing what she thinks is right.
Sybella. Sybella is a novitiate who starts at the convent at the same time as Ismae. Sybella seems quite mad when she is brought to the convent, but Ismae befriends her and she eventually becomes one of the convent's strongest novitiates. We don't learn much about Sybella; there's hints of a tragic past, and she plays a key role in a few places later in the book, but she's an intriguing character. I was happy to learn that the second book in this series, Dark Triumph, tells Sybella's story, and I'm looking forward to reading it.
Annith. Annith is another novitiate who was already at the convent when Ismae joins. Annith and Ismae become good friends, but there are hints that there are some weaknesses in Annith's character. Perhaps we'll learn more about Annith in the third book.
Gavriel Duval. Gavriel is a nobleman, although a bastard, and appears to be fiercely loyal to Duchess Anne. Initially he dislikes Ismae as much as she dislikes him, but it probably will not surprise anyone that eventually the sparks fly between these two.
Anne, Duchess of Brittany. Although very young at the time of this story, (13, I think?) Anne is already a determined young ruler playing the political game and dealing with issues that would intimidate even older and more experienced leaders, including the fact that her father promised her in marriage to half a dozen different European nobles and that, as a woman, she had no right to rule. Anne is a historical figure, and her life makes interesting reading (see the link above to the historical note on the author's website for starters).

Worldbuilding: Because Grave Mercy is set in a historical time and place, in many ways the worldbuilding is more about creating a sense of place and bringing to life 15th Century Brittany. This LaFevers does excellently.

Things I liked:

See my discussion of Ismae's character above.
Lots of court intrigue! In fact, as complex as the intrigue is and as numerous the betrayals, LaFevers says in her historical note, "Suffice it to say there were about twice as many schemes going on in real life as I used in the book, including additional suitors, competing claims for the throne, and additional double crossing."
The romance is credible and manages to be both sweet and hot.
For a book about assassins serving the god of Death, surprisingly Grace Mercy doesn't glorify death. Ismae discovers that sometimes death can be a mercy, and that redemption is possible.

Issues:

I can't think of any issues I had with this book, except perhaps that a few threads were left hanging, presumably for the sequels.

Who would like this book:

In many ways, Grave Mercy is historical fiction, and would appeal to readers who enjoy historical fiction. However, the court intrigue gives it a fantasy feel, and with the addition of fantasy elements (primarily relating to the god of Death), it would also appeal to readers of traditional fantasy, especially those who like both strong female protagonists and a little romance.

Get it from:

FTC required disclosure: Review copy sent by the publisher for Cybils Awards judging. The bookstore links above are affiliate links, and I earn a very small percentage of any sales made through the links. Neither of these things influenced my review.

Book Review: Throne of Glass

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:38:47 PDT

Throne of Glass

by Sarah J. Maas

Plot: 18-year old Celaena Sardothien was an assassin with a feared reputation, until she was sentenced to hard labor in the death camp of Endovier. After she has suffered a year of torture in Endovier, Crown Prince Dorian visits her in the prison to make an offer: fight in a competition his father is having to select the next King's Champion, and if she wins the competition, serve his father for four years in exchange for her freedom.

Notable Characters:

Celaena Sardothien aka Lillian Gordaina. Kick-butt heroine who also loves books and beautiful gowns.
Prince Dorian. Bookish crown prince with a good heart. Nothing like his evil father.
Captain Chaol Westfall. Strong but gruff Captain of the Guard. Charged with guarding Celaena.
Princess Nehemia Ytger. Princess of the subject nation of Eyllwe. Ostensibly visiting Adarlan to learn the language and ways of the country that conquered her own. Rumored to be working with the rebels.

Strengths and Issues:

This was a book that had a lot of potential, but unfortunately fell just short of the mark. The plot, the world, and the characters were all interesting, but not sufficiently developed to really work. In addition, I had some credibility issues.

Celaena is a strong female protagonist, and her character caught my attention from the first page. Ultimately, though, it left my expectations unfulfilled. She just didn't seem credible as a hardened assassin who spent a year in a death camp. Most of the time she just seemed like a regular teenager who happened to be good at fighting. I would have expected her to be smarter, better at subterfuge, and more disciplined after the intense training that she supposedly was put through as a child being trained to be an assassin. She is put out at being asked to hide her real identity; she wants the recognition of being the famous Adarlan's Assassin. Yet I would have expected an assassin to want to remain anonymous. And while it might be understandable for someone just out of prison to indulge in sleeping late, indulging in fine meals, losing her temper and wishing she could go to the ball, I just expected to see more discipline and focus in her character.

All of the characters had promise, but ultimately seemed to be too much cobbled together from tropes to be real people. The book is written with a more omniscient point of view than one usually sees in young adult fiction. Although there's nothing wrong with that, I felt that it contributed to a feeling of detachment from the characters. Knowing exactly what the Prince and the Captain and ~~the mean girl~~ Lady Kaltain are thinking reduces the suspense in Celaena's interactions with them.

Likewise, the worldbuilding almost, but doesn't quite, hit the mark. There are some intriguing features to the world, such as a castle made of glass, and an ancient religion based on outlawed magic. However, none of it was very well developed or explained. Why would someone build a castle of glass, for example? What did the King do banish magic? (The why of that is sort of explained in the end.) The idea of magic banished by an evil king was much better developed and much more credible in Shadowfell by Juliet Marillier.

There's a lot of telling going on when there should be showing. The king is supposed to be evil, for example, and yet we really don't see much to make that credible, other than Celaena's experiences in prison, and one massacre that happens off-screen. We mostly have Celaena's internal description of him as evil to go on. Other elements are similarly described rather than shown.

The setup for the competition to select a King's Champion was interesting, but halfway through the book the plot suddenly takes a turn and becomes more about the evil in the castle, a plot thread that was hinted at in a few places earlier, but for the most part seems to come out of the blue. The two plots threads are tied in together, though, and the plot is one of the stronger elements of this book.

In general, Throne of Glass just seemed to have too much of a modern point of view to be credible as a court story. Reading romance novels before bed, playing pool with the ~~hot guy~~ Prince, and solving crimes CSI style just seemed out of place for a pseudo-medieval setting. All of the elements combined together give Throne of Glass more of a feeling of being a wish-fulfillment story than a fully fleshed out and developed one.

Who would like this book:

I think that this book is being marketed as YA, however, I think that it would actually have more appeal for preteen girls than for teens. Many teen readers I know are even more critical of the literary merits of a book than I am, and would probably be bothered by some of the issues above. However, I think that preteen readers, coming at it from a fresher, less jaded perspective, would better enjoy the good aspects of this book - the interesting plot, the strong female protagonist, and even the wish-fulfillment/Cinderella-esque elements - without noticing the problems.

Other Reviews

For a very different perspective on this book, check out the review by my fellow Cybils panelist Tanita Davis. I have a huge respect for Tanita, so it's worth paying attention to her take on this book.

Get it from:

FTC required disclosure: Review copy received from the publisher for Cybils Awards judging. The bookstore links above are affiliate links, and I earn a very small percentage of any sales made through the links. Neither of these things influenced my review.

Book Review: Losers in Space

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 10:24:50 PDT

Losers in Space

by John Barnes

Plot: In a future where celebrity status is regulated by the government, a group of teen celebrity offspring stowaway on a ship to Mars in order to get media attention and boost their recognition scores enough to qualify for celebrity status. To the teens, it's just another party, until things go very, very wrong! Adrift in space with only their own skills to draw on and a sociopath on board, the teens must learn to rely on themselves and each other as they try to survive and find a way to get home.

Notable Characters:

Susan Tervaille. Protagonist and first-person narrator. Daughter of a classical actor, Susan was interested in science at a younger age, but gave it up when she realized that science was never going to achieve celebrity status for her. Now, she focuses on partying and "styling" for the camera, but as much as she tries to deny it, "Crazy Science Girl" still lives inside her.
Glisters. Initially portrayed as a fairly repulsive boy who makes porn videos, Glisters turns out to be one of the best characters in the book. He's incredibly intelligent, and really sweet in a bit of a geeky way.
Derlock Slabilis. Susan's almost-boyfriend and de facto leader of the little group. Arrogant and self-centered; if it weren't for the fact that Susan is using him as much as he's using her, it would be hard to understand what she sees in him.
Fleeta. Formerly Susan's best friend and another former science girl. Fleeta destroyed her brain taking the drug happistuff, and now she'll never be more than a child mentally.
Every character in this book is interesting, unique, and thoroughly developed.

Worldbuilding: A well fleshed-out dystopian future. Barnes developed the social aspects as thoroughly as the science, and did a great job of portraying the customs and language.

Things I liked:

The best thing about this book is watching the teens develop. They start the book as spoiled, self-centered teens who are only interested in partying and fame, but the crisis forces them to grow up. Most of them turn out to be quite exceptional and likable people; not only do they each grow individually, but they bond and develop real friendships in a way they never could when partying was their primary focus.
After the first hundred pages or so, the plot is also quite suspenseful and exciting.

Issues:

The first hundred pages were difficult to read, and honestly, I probably wouldn't have finished this book if it hadn't been so highly recommended by a fellow Cybils panelist. I'm truly glad that I did, because it turned out to be one of the best books I've read, but that first 100 pages makes it a difficult sell to teens. First, the characters are not very likable, not even Susan. This is intentional and necessary in order to see the dramatic growth that they experience over the course of the story, but reading about these self-centered and superficial teens partying and posing for the camera was difficult.
The other thing that made the first part of the book difficult is what Barnes calls the "Notes for the Interested." His intent was to segregate the difficult science and social concepts into separate notes, where anyone interested can read them and anyone not interested can skip them. I think that it doesn't work, though, because every time I hit one it yanked me out of the story. I'm actually interested in the science, but would rather see it incorporated as part of the story, as is usually done in science fiction.

Who would like this book:

This is difficult because of the first hundred pages problem. I actually think that a wide variety of readers would enjoy this, because it manages to be both hard SF and character-driven fiction. But the problem is, I think, that some of the people who would enjoy the hard SF aspect won't enjoy reading about the partying teens, and some of the people who would enjoy the social/character aspects of it might be put off by the science, even if it is in skippable notes.
In the end, I think both types of readers will enjoy it, so if you are a teacher or librarian, all I can say is recommend it highly to students, possibly with a caveat about the slow beginning, and hope for the best.

Get it from:

FTC required disclosure: Reviewed from library copy. The bookstore links above are affiliate links, and I earn a very small percentage of any sales made through the links. Neither of these things influenced my review.

Book Review: Planesrunner

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 08:34:53 PDT

Planesrunner

Everness, Book One
by Ian McDonald

I decided to try a new format for my reviews. I hope this is a useful format.

Plot: Everett Singh's dad, a quantum physicist, is kidnapped off the street in view of Everett by three men in a black car. Later that night, Everett gets a message from his father containing a mysterious app, with only the note "For you only, Everett." Turns out that his dad has been working on a scientific project seeking physical proof of parallel universes, and the app is a map of all the known universes, the only one of its kind in existence. Now Everett is on the run from agents of the Plenitude, an alliance of the known universes. They want the map, called the Infundibulum, and will stop at nothing to get it. But Everett has other plans, and he uses the Infundibulum to travel to an alternate London in a daring attempt to rescue his dad.

Notable Characters:

Everett Singh. Teen boy who is as good at cooking as he is at math, and not afraid to use either in pursuit of his goal. Punjabi, or at least half Punjabi (his dad is Punjabi, but I never figured out if his mom is). Authentic teen male voice.
Sen Sixsmyth. Fearless teen girl with an attitude and a love for "bona" tech. Airship pilot in an alternate London.
Captain Anastasia Sixsmyth. Sen's adoptive mother. No-nonsense airship captain. Strict but compassionate, not afraid of a fight.

Worldbuilding: Excellent! The second half of the book takes place in E3, an alternate universe in which oil-based technology was never developed and modern technology comes out of a coal-based heritage. More advanced than our universe in some ways - carbon nanotubes are used everwhere - but less advanced in some areas, like computing. Very steampunkish feel.

Things I liked:

The worldbuilding and the steampunkish feel to E3, as noted above.
Airships!
Hard science fiction that doesn't shy away from science and math.
Authentic teen boy voice. A boy who's good at math and soccer and cooking, and isn't afraid to use his culinary skills.
Sen Sixsmyth is just about the best thing about this book. She's a fantastic character. Her adoptive mother Captain Anastasia is pretty awesome, too.
The bond between Everett and his dad. Everett is a typical teen boy, and mentally rolls his eyes at some of the things his dad does, but it's clear that they are close, and Everett literally travels to another universe to rescue his dad.

Issues:

There's too much detail in the descriptions, and it bogs down the story in some places. In some ways the detail is good, as it contributes to the worldbuilding. It's also authentic to the protagonist, as we learn early on that he notices details and connections. However, in places there's so much detail that it almost seems to be stream of consciousness and it's hard to follow.
I think the cover really does the book a disservice, and probably deters a lot of teens from picking it up. The biggest problem with it is it's too busy. I think the picture of Everett coming through the gate would have made a better cover. Although I have a problem with that image as well, as he looks more like a caucasian with a tan than someone of Indian ancestry.

Who would like this book:

Math and science geeks
Steampunk fans
Boys and girls
Hard science fiction fans

Get it from:

FTC required disclosure: Copy received from the publisher for evaluation as a Cybils awards nominee. The bookstore links above are affiliate links, and I earn a very small percentage of any sales made through the links. Neither of these things influenced my review.

50 Essential Science Fiction Books, and my commentary

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 11:43:41 PST

Recently, AbeBooks posted a list by Richard Davies of 50 Essential Science Fiction Books. It's a pretty good list, and I agree with many of the choices, but there are some changes I would make, and some books that I think should have been included.

There were some constraints placed on the list that affected the books selected. Davies was trying for a diverse mix of subgenres and themes, so in some ways diversity overrode influence in making the selections. He also limited the list to no more than one book from each author, so highly influential authors are woefully underrepresented. (How can you choose only one book to represent the canon of authors such as Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke, or Bradbury?)

Working within the constraints as defined, in some cases, I would have chosen a different book to represent some of these authors.

For Robert A. Heinlein, I think I would have selected Stranger in a Strange Land for sheer influence, rather than Starship Troopers. However, my favorite Heinlein book has always been The Door Into Summer, which has been a favorite of mine since about fourth grade.

For John Christoper, my choice would have been the first book in his young adult Tripods series, The White Mountains, over Davies' selection of The Death of Grass or No Blade of Grass. The White Mountains has been very influential in introducing generations of new young fans to the science fiction genre. Read my review of The White Mountains.

I enjoyed Rendezvous with Rama quite a bit, but I agree with commenters who said that Childhood's End would have been a better selection to represent Arthur C. Clarke.

Additions to the List

There are some books and authors that I was surprised to find weren't represented on the list. A list that excludes Andre Norton, E.E. Doc Smith, and A.E. van Vogt can't really be considered representative of the greatest works of science fiction.

Andre Norton is probably best known for her Witch World fantasy series, but she was also well known for her adventure science fiction for young adults. Storm Over Warlock was significant as an early science fiction adventure novel with a female protagonist.

E.E. "Doc" Smith's Lensman series is probably the foundation on which all other space opera is based. Although some of the societal aspects of the story are pretty cringeworthy by todays standards (ie., racist and sexist) it's still a shining example of what space opera could be. As a teen I loved the sweeping story that traveled through time, space, and history. Although Triplanetary is listed as the first book in the series, I believe that First Lensman was originally the first book and Triplanetary was added later as a prequel (similar to what John Christopher did with When the Tripods Came).

Slan is another book that was a big influence on my younger self. It's been a long time since I read it, but from what I remember of it, it would have a lot of appeal for today's fans of dystopian literature.

Modern SFF

Some of the modern selections seem odd to me. Although I respect that it's sometimes difficult to identify which of the newer books will have lasting value, I disagree with more of his modern selections than the classic ones. I've never been able to get more than a few chapters into a China Miélville book; I just don't enjoy them and don't see the appeal. And while I loved Cory Doctorow's Little Brother, it's very much a product of its time, and I'm not sure it will have the lasting value to be included on a list like this.

What are your thoughts, fellow SFF fans? What science fiction (not fantasy) would you include on a list of essential science fiction books?

My Favorite Books that Didn't Make the Shortlist

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 14:30:14 PST

I used to think that the job of a book awards committee was to pick the best books of the year. After six years of serving on the Cybils Awards panel choosing the shortlist for science fiction & fantasy, I know differently. The truth is that there are any number of books in any given year good enough to be award winners, and no matter what criteria or metrics a committee works with, in the end, there is a subjective factor that plays a role. Any two different panels of judges will choose two different slates of books. Sure, there may be some overlap, but probably less than you think.

It's often a heartbreaking experience. You read and read and read some more, and you come to the table with your perfect, beautiful choices. These are the best books of the year, you're sure of it. Then, the real work begins. Because your fellow judges will have their perfect, beautiful choices that may or may not be the same as yours. Some of your choices will elicit a "meh" reaction from your fellow judges, and a few may even meet with outright opposition. You argue and you compromise, and you come up with a list that everyone can be satisfied with, but it's almost guaranteed that no one will love all the books on the list.

As painful as the process is, I really believe that we end up with a shortlist that is stronger, more diverse, and overall better than a list created by any one of us would be. Every year there are at least a couple of books on the shortlist that I wouldn't have picked, but taken together I've been very happy with the list for every panel I've served on.

The other painful part of the process is that there are inevitably books that have to be sacrificed to the gods of compromise. Every judge had books that they loved with burning passion, but had to give up because there wasn't enough support from the other panelists. We like to say that after the final discussion, we can all go in a corner and cry for the ones we lost.

Here are my favorite books of the year that didn't make the shortlist:

Erebos
by Ursula Poznanski

This book was a lot different than I expected. Although the plot revolves around an online videogame, it's more of a mystery and a compelling, suspenseful psychological thriller.

Dodger
by Terry Pratchett

This was initially placed in the fantasy/sci-fi category, but after reading it we realized that it was more historical fiction, so moved it to the YA Fiction category. Anyone who loves Terry Pratchett's distinctive humor and keen observation of human nature will enjoy this rollicking story of a young man named Dodger who meets everyone from Charlie Dickens and Sweeney Todd to the Queen herself as he seeks to protect a young lady from sinister forces.

Bitterblue
by Kristin Cashore

I felt that this third book in the Graceling series was the best one yet. Read my review of Bitterblue.

The Crown of Embers
by Rae Carson

Sequel to The Girl of Fire and Thorns, this was another sequel that I thought surpassed its predecessor. As much as I loved The Girl of Fire and Thorns, I thought this second book was even better. I thought that Elisa's character arc had reached a nice resolution by the end of the first book, and I wasn't sure what else Carson could do with her, but Carson surprised me by how much more Elisa's character developed in this book and how much more the plot advanced from the first book. At one point I was ready to give up in disgust when it looked like the book was going to take the easy and obvious way out of a situation, and then Carson surprised me yet again.

Pirate Cinema
by Cory Doctorow

Doctorow's books tend to defy the rules about what makes a "good" book -- too much exposition, too political -- and yet they are compelling books with loads of teen appeal. Pirate Cinema is no exception. Doctorow really "gets" the things that are important to teens, and writes about them with respect. Pirate Cinema will appeal to anyone of any gender growing up in the Internet age.

The Girl with the Borrowed Wings
by Rinsai Rossetti

I loved this heartbreakingly beautiful story of a victim of emotional abuse finding herself through her interactions with a shape-changing young man, but sadly I couldn't convince my fellow judges. This is one that sticks with you and keeps you thinking long after you finish reading it.

Shadowfell
by Juliet Marillier

Shadowfell is a strong, character-driven fantasy about a girl who can see the Fey in a world where any hint of interaction with them is punishable by death -- or worse. The worldbuilding is lush and the Good Folk are real characters, and interesting ones at that. Neryn is a strong character to begin with -- traveling with a gambling addict father, she's the one who has to try to keep them alive -- but as someone who has had to hide her secrets carefully, her character arc is more about learning who, and when, to trust.

Ratha's Creature Graphic Novel

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 12:02:23 PST

Ratha's Creature Graphic Novel Sample Page

I'm excited to announce that, after months of planning, we've launched a Kickstarter project to fund a graphic novel version of Ratha's Creature. My company, Imaginator Press, is the current publisher of the Ratha series, and last year author Clare Bell and I started discussing the possibility of creating a graphic novel version, both as a gift to the loyal fans, and as a way to bring Ratha to a new generation of fans. We put out a call for art submissions and selected a fantastic art team, who have been working to develop characters and create samples. But to make this dream a reality, additional funding is needed, so we turned to Kickstarter.

The Kickstarter project launched yesterday, and significant momentum is building. Already, on the second day, we are 16% funded, and today we were delighted to discover that Kickstarter selected our project as a Staff Pick for the Comics category! Ratha friends and fans have heard the call, and helped to spread the word, on social media, on DeviantArt, and elsewhere around the Interwebs. On Ratha fan, Jessica Alvis (*seasaidh on DeviantArt) issued a challenge to Ratha fans: post a drawing every day the Kickstarter project is running and include a link to the project.

We're off to a great start, but we need all the support we can get if we want to reach our funding goals. (On Kickstarter, projects are only funded if they reach their goal. If the amount pledged by backers falls even a dollar short of the goal, the project creators get nothing.)

Check out the project, watch the video, read about the great rewards, then please consider backing this project, and helping us to spread the word. We have some great rewards for backers, but the biggest reward is knowing that you helped to make this project a reality.

Cybils 2012 Finalists Announced!

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 10:45:12 PST

It's Cybils Finalist Day! The Cybils shortlists have been announced, and what a fabulous group of books! Go check them out!

Here's a list of the Fantasy/Science Fiction finalists:

Fantasy & Science Fiction (Young Adult)

And All the Stars
by Andrea K Höst

Every Day
by David Levithan

Planesrunner (Everness, Book One)
by Ian McDonald

Seraphina
by Rachel Hartman

The Curiosities: A Collection of Stories
by Brenna Yovanoff, Tessa Gratton, and Maggie Stiefvater

The Drowned Cities
by Paolo Bacigalupi

Vessel
by Sarah Beth Durst

Click here for Fantasy & Science Fiction (Young Adult) shortlist with blurbs and links

Fantasy & Science Fiction (Middle Grade)

Beswitched

by Kate Saunders

Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities

by Mike Jung

The Cabinet of Earths

by Anne Nesbet

The False Prince: Book 1 of the Ascendance Trilogy

by Jennifer A. Nielsen

The Last Dragonslayer (The Chronicles of Kazam)

by Jasper Fforde

The One and Only Ivan

by Katherine Applegate

The Peculiar

by Stefan Bachmann

Click here for Fantasy & Science Fiction (Middle Grade) shortlist with blurbs and links

View all 2012 Cybils Finalists

I was honored to serve again on the Fantasy/Science Fiction (Young Adult) panel. There were so many good books that choosing only seven finalists was HARD! A big shoutout to my fellow panelists. They're all smart, interesting folks who know their SFF! I loved working with them and will miss our discussions. Go follow their blogs:

Kim Baccellia, Si, se puede and contributor, Young Adult Books Central
Aurora Celeste, Young Adult Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog
Flannery Carlos, The Readventurer
Tanita Davis, Finding Wonderland
Karen Jensen, Teen Librarian's Toolbox
Hallie Tibbetts, Undusty New Books

A big shoutout also to the terrific Fantasy & Science Fiction (Middle Grade) panelists! This was one of the most active and dedicated panels I've ever worked with. They generated hundreds and hundreds of messages discussing the books over the course of the three months, and had two separate chat sessions during the holidays, lasting several hours each. Their discussions ranged far and wide, and covered everything from middle-grade appeal to internal consistency. If you want to know more about middle-grade fantasy & science fiction, you couldn't do better than to follow these folks:

Anamaria Anderson, Books Together
Sherry Early, Semicolon
Sondy Eklund, Sonderbooks
Melissa Fox, Book Nut
Jessalyn Gale, Garish & Tweed
Charlotte Taylor, Charlotte's Library
Cheryl Vanatti, Reading Rumpus

Twas the night before the Cybils shortlist announcements!

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 11:27:29 PST

Happy New Year, everyone! But more importantly, New Years Day is one of the Kidlit world's most important holidays, with the announcement of the Cybils Awards finalists! I was the Fantasy & Science Fiction Chair, and a judge in the Fantasy/Science Fiction: Teen category, as I have been most years. There were 205 books nominated in Fantasy/Science Fiction: Teen and 151 nominated in Fantasy/Science Fiction: Middle/Elementary, and narrowing each of those down to seven finalists was not an easy task. There were so many excellent books this year! But in the end each group selected an outstanding shortlist of finalists, and I can't wait to share them with the world! Tune in tomorrow, January 1, at www.cybils.com for the announcement!

Between reading Cybils nominees and my Cybils administrative tasks, I haven't had much time to post recently. Starting next week, I'm going to start posting about some of the terrific Cybils books I've been reading!

Game of Books on Kickstarter

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 12:15:58 PST

Lately I've been interested in Kickstarter, and I keep finding interesting Kickstarter projects to back. This is my second Kickstarter post recently, and I don't want to turn this into a Kickstarter blog, because that would change the purpose of the blog. So instead, I decided to start a new Tumblr called Kickstarter Addicts to post those projects I find interesting.

To kick things off, I wrote about a really exciting project called The Game of Books. It sounds like a fun game that both kids and adults would enjoy, and I want to play it! The picture above is my game card from the demo of the game. If I remember right, I entered Ratha’s Creature, Dune, Dust & Decay, and The Hobbit. I may also have entered The Hunger Games but I can’t remember for sure.

Read more about it on my Kickstarter Addicts post!

While you're there, I hope you'll follow my new Tumblr!

Maelorum Gamebook on Kickstarter

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 09:35:18 PST

I remember the old Choose Your Own Adventure -type gamebooks. I always thought they were fun, although usually the story was light and character development almost non-existent. William Fincher has spent ten years creating something new: a gamebook which looks like it will be much richer and more complex than any created previously. I haven't seen it, other than the few samples posted on the Kickstarter page, so I can't vouch for the quality, but it looks intriguing. William claims to have focused on aspects of storytelling including character development, and there are detailed illustrations throughout. You can play as one of three different characters, each with their own strengths and flaws. He even created a Tabletop RPG-like combat system which is incorporated into the story at various points!

The book is almost done, but William is running a Kickstarter campaign to raise the funds to get it published, including professional editing, game testing, printing, and digital conversion. The project has reached its initial funding goal of $5000, but it's not too late to become a backer and earn rewards ranging from a copy of the book to signed original art.

There are additional goals and levels of funding, so backing this project could still make a big difference. If it reaches $8000, an app will be created in addition to the book. There are only three days left to become a backer, so don't delay.

Click here to read more about the Maelorum Kickstarter project and become a backer.

Note: I don't know William and am not connected to this project in any way. He emailed me about it through the blog, and I just thought it looked interesting. I backed it at the $28 level to get a print copy of the book and a pin of the cool-looking logo above.

Last chance for Cybils nominations, and some suggestions!

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 12:46:26 PDT

Today is the last day to nominate for the Cybils Awards, the annual award for children's and young adult literature given by the children's book blogging community. You have until 11:59pm PST tonight to get your nominations in. There are ten categories, from Easy Readers to YA, and Book Apps to Poetry.

More information and the nomination form

If you're looking for books to nominate, here's a few suggestions of books I thought looked interesting for the science fiction/fantasy categories. I haven't read any of these, but if you have and think they're nomination worthy, head on over to www.cybils.com and nominate!

Dodger by Terry Pratchett
The Magisterium by Jeff Hirsch
Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr
Joshua Dread by Lee Bacon (Middle-Grade SFF)
Mystic City by Theo Lawrence

Cybils Awards Call for Judges

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 13:00:01 PDT

The Cybils Awards, given each year by the Kidlit blogging community for the best children's and young adult books of the year, have put out the call for judges. If you haven't heard of the Cybils, we seek to honor books that have both literary merit and kid (or teen) appeal.

Cybils 2012 will be starting soon, and we're seeking a few good people to be judges! There are eleven judging panels over ten categories (Fantasy/Science Fiction has separate panels for young adult and middle grade, due to the number of nominations):

Book Apps
Easy Readers/Short Chapter Books
Fantasy & Science Fiction
Fiction Picture Books
Graphic Novels
Middle Grade Fiction
Non-Fiction Picture Books
Non-Fiction: Middle Grade & Young Adult
Poetry
Young Adult Fiction

If you are an active Kidlit/YAlit blogger, have experience and interest in any of these categories, and are willing to give up your life for a couple of months in exchange for a chance to do something fun and meaningful, please consider applying.

I've been involved with the Cybils in one role or another since they were founded in 2006, and have been a judging panelist for most of those years. It's a huge amount of work, but a lot of fun, and one of the most rewarding things I've done. If you're thinking about applying, plan to spend a significant amount of time reading and discussing during your chosen round (October - December for Round 1, and January-February for Round 2).

The deadline to apply is August 31. Here is the information and link to the application form:

http://bit.ly/NOh8Bo

Please don't think that you have to be a big, known blogger to apply! We try to choose a variety of bloggers for all the panels.

As Chair of the Fantasy/Science Fiction category, I'll be selecting the two panels for that category, one for young adult and one for middle grade. I'll consider any applications through the deadline of August 31, but I'm especially in need of people who are passionate and knowledgeable about middle grade for the Middle Grade SFF panel. We always get many more applications for YA SFF than for MG SFF, and while many of the YA applicants say that they'll be happy with middle grade, and I appreciate that, I'd love to fill the middle grade panel with judges who love middle grade and put it as their first choice.

I'm also interested in applicants for either panel who have an interest or specialization in books for under-represented groups.

Book Review: Bitterblue

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 10:51:52 PDT

Bitterblue

Sequel to Graceling; Companion to Fire
by Kristin Cashore

Bitterblue is that rare sequel that not only lives up to expectations set by the first book, but exceeds them by quite a bit. Each book in this series is better than the previous one, and Bitterblue is an exceptional book: heartbreaking, deep, and beautiful. Kristin Cashore has managed an amazing and unusual feat: she created a genre story whose primary theme is healing, that is as mesmerizing and page-turning as any epic good vs. evil battle.

Because of the nature of this book, I'm going to have to give some spoilers for Graceling and Fire to be able to adequately discuss Bitterblue. If you haven't read those two books, I highly recommend you read them before continuing with this review. Before you stop reading, however, I wanted to take a minute to give a content advisory. Bitterblue contains some highly disturbing elements, and is probably not a good fit for most middle-grade readers. There are references to rape and torture that happened in the past, and although they are not explicitly described, there is enough implied to make them disturbing. Some of the things that were done to characters, or that they were forced to do, are truly horrific. Some of the characters don't deal well with this past: both suicide and cutting happen during the course of the book, for example. These things are handled sensitively and responsibly, but even so, some readers will not be ready for such heavy themes.

Spoilers for Graceling and Fire Below

Bitterblue is now 18 and has taken her place as Queen of Monsea, with the help of four advisors who had served under her father and who were selected to aid her by uncle, King Ror of Lienid. Things are not well in the kingdom of Monsea. Bitterblue's father, King Leck, may be dead, but the shadow of his reign and his atrocities still looms over the kingdom. Essentially, the entire kingdom is suffering from a kind of PTSD.

Somehow, Bitterblue must find a way to heal Monsea and its people. But like everyone else in the kingdom, her memories are fuzzy from Leck's mind manipulations, and she is so busy with paperwork and administrative tasks that she doesn't have time to learn more about the kingdom. Desperate to understand her kingdom and her people, Bitterblue takes to sneaking out of the castle at night, disguised as a man. She discovers that things are even worse than she suspected. The city is falling apart and people are being killed, apparently to suppress the truth about Leck's reign.

Bitterblue is a deeply emotional book that deals with some difficult topics. Leck did things, horrible things, and it's fair to say that, even dead, he is the primary villain of this story. It's rare to see a genre book delve so deeply into the realm of the psyche and the theme of healing; topics such as cutting and suicide are more common in contemporary teen fiction. Kashore handles these themes and topics brilliantly and sensitively.

Bitterblue is a wonderful character. Much of the book is also a journey of self-discovery for her, as she moves out of the shadow of her father, finds herself, and learns how to be a queen.

All of the other characters are equally fascinating and well-developed, from Bitterblue's tormented advisors, who were hurt at least as much as anyone during Leck's reign, to the dashing sailor Sapphire and his printer friend Teddy, whom she meets in the city. My favorite new character has to be Death (pronounced Deeth), the gruff librarian who loves cats. In addition to the new characters, Katsa and Po from Graceling play a significant role, along with Giddon, Raffin, and Bann, and even Lady Fire makes an appearance.

Those who like romance in their fantasy won't be disappointed. There is at least one, and possibly a second, romantic interest for Bitterblue. Katsa and Po show that even two people who love each other deeply can fight passionately. And there are two same-sex couples: Raffin and Bann, and two women in the city. Raffin in particular struggles with what it means to be gay in a land where same sex marriage is not accepted; among other things, as a prince, his father expects him to marry and produce heirs.

I wanted to take a moment to express how much I admire Cashore. Before reading Bitterblue, I had read an article in PW about the birth of the book. Cashore struggled to write it, taking three years to write an 800 page manuscript. Her editor at Dial, Kathy Dawson, told her that she had to cut 300 pages and start from scratch. I can't imagine how discouraging this must have been for Cashore, but she rallied, and after extensive discussions with Dawson, went back to the drawing board. I don't know how it compares to the first draft, but the result is truly a masterpiece, and I'm glad Kashore put in the time and effort to do the rewrite. I admire anyone who writes a book—to me, it seems like a heroic endeavor. But to then go back and rewrite something that you've already put so much time and effort into—that's truly Herculean.

Buy Bitterblue from:
Your local independent bookseller through IndieBound
Amazon.com
Barnes & Noble

FTC required disclosure: Autographed copy received from the publisher at BookExpo America to enable me to write this review. The bookstore links above are affiliate links, and I earn a very small percentage of any sales made through the links. Neither of these things influenced my review.

Book Review: Redshirts

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 08:10:21 PDT

Redshirts

by John Scalzi

As a newly-minted Ensign on the Universal Union flagship Intrepid, Andrew Dahl expects to be gopher and coffee-fetcher for his senior co-workers. What he doesn't expect is that being the newest crew member will also make him most likely to die. Something strange is happening on the Intrepid: low-level crew members die at an alarming rate, especially on Away missions, decks six through twelve always take significant damage during space battles, and unexplained alien technology can find a cure for anything, usually in the most dramatic way possible.

With help from a crazed crew member who took to living in the cargo tunnels after his wife died, Dahl and his friends, other crew members newly assigned to the Intrepid, are determined to figure out what's going on. It's worth any risk to stop it, because if they don't, they face certain death anyway.

Redshirts is a fantastic book that manages to be simultaneously a hugely entertaining parody, a deeply philosophical existential exploration, and a rollicking good story. As you might expect from a book like this, it gets pretty meta. I'm not usually a fan of metafiction, because when I read fiction, I like to lose myself in the story, and don't want to be constantly reminded that I'm in a story. However, Scalzi manages the impossible: he incorporates the metafiction in such a way that it doesn't yank you out of the story. In fact, I think we get several layers of meta deep here, making this perhaps the Inception of metafiction.

This is a book which has something for everyone. Science fiction fans will love the parodies of beloved SF tropes, but I don't think you have to be a science fiction fan to enjoy this. I think that even literary fiction readers will enjoy Redshirts, both for its metafiction, and because it gives them an opportunity to laugh at us science fiction geeks (perhaps not realizing how much love of the genre is imbued in Scalzi's gentle parodies).

Redshirts is published as an adult book, but I think that teens will enjoy it as well. There are a few crude slang terms for sexual acts, used in a way that you might expect in any military setting, and some implications of off-screen sex. People die in horrific ways, but that's part of the parody. Most high school age teens will not find it shocking.

Buy Redshirts from:
Your local independent bookseller through IndieBound
Amazon.com
Barnes & Noble

FTC required disclosure: Autographed copy received from the publisher at BookExpo America to enable me to write this review. The bookstore links above are affiliate links, and I earn a very small percentage of any sales made through the links. Neither of these things influenced my review.

Post-BEA Blues: A Book Blogger's Lament

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 11:30:29 PDT

I'm not much of a poet, but this came to me as I was walking up 37th Street from the Javits Center at the end of BEA on Thursday, carrying my heavy bags of books:

Post-BEA Blues: A Book Blogger's Lament

Books
are heavy
on my shoulders.
Sore back, sore feet.
Ouch.

Books
are heavy
on my soul.
I took too many.
Again.

Do non-interactive books do a better job of encouraging literacy than interactive books?

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Wed, 30 May 2012 09:30:03 PDT

A recent study by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center seems to indicate that they do. The study found that when parents and children read together, children recall significantly more details when reading print books or regular, non-enhanced ebooks than they do when reading interactive ebooks. In addition, children engage with the content more when reading non-interactive books, with actions such as pointing and talking about the story.

So what does this mean? Are interactive books a dead end? I personally don't think so. We live in an era of options, and while all those options sometimes make it difficult to choose, in the long run this is a good thing, because there is no one right option for everyone and every situation. There are many ways to read and many ways to publish, and we can pick and choose as the situation requires. The key, as with everything, is balance.

For Parents

The old advice is still the best: read to your child early and often. We started reading to our son the day we brought him home from the hospital, and read to him almost every day after that until he was a teen. Even then, we sometimes read books together as a family, taking turns reading. We spent a glorious weekend reading the last Harry Potter book together the weekend it was released. I don't think it's unrelated that, at age 16, my son just finished his first year of college, living in the dorm, earning excellent grades and fitting in well with the other students. Reading to him was certainly not solely responsible--he's his own person and in large measure responsible for his own success--but it certainly helped.

But interactive books have their place as well. They may not be as good at developing traditional literacy skills, but computer literacy skills are just as important in today's world, and interactive books do help with those. In addition, the study also showed that interactive books have a lot of appeal for children, and can help encourage an interest in books, especially for reluctant readers. And in some cases, interactive eBooks can teach things that are difficult to teach using traditional books, or provide additional experiences and information about a particular topic. So the key, as it always has been, is in providing a variety of experiences for your child: books, ebooks, apps, not to mention "real life" experiences.

For Publishers, Self-Publishers, App Developers, and Authors

Parents will need books in a variety of formats, which is good news for everyone involved in creating books for children. Publishers can choose to provide their content in a variety of formats, or focus on just one or two. Print, Kindle, ePub, iOS, Android, computer: it's all good and all will be needed. Publishers need to keep aware of the changes in the industry and be prepared to act accordingly. Read industry newsletters and learn as much as you can about the different options, so you can make appropriate choices. Print is not dead, and I don't believe it will go away any time soon, but there's no denying that print markets are shrinking, so publishers need to think carefully about what formats to publish in, and run the numbers to see what makes sense and what will be profitable.

Some projects will be ideally suited to interactive ebooks, others will be a good fit with print and traditional ebooks, while still others will make sense to do in both formats. Any absolute statements about what publishers "must" be doing should be viewed with caution and evaluated carefully. There is no one right solution, and thank goodness we live in an exciting time of options.

Print Books, Basic Ebooks may Top Enhanced Ebooks at Fostering Literacy, Says Study — The Digital Shift

Book Review: Black Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Mon, 21 May 2012 10:00:08 PDT

Black Heart
The Curse Workers, book 3
by Holly Black

Take The Godfather, mix in a little bit of The Sting, and add some magic, and you have a recipe for a great series. That alone would be enough, but Holly Black didn't stop there. The Curse Workers is also a great character driven story, a tightly plotted page turner, and one of the most original fantasies I've read in a long time.

When you read as much fantasy as I do, sometimes it starts to run together. Not so with the Curse Workers series; it's unique and memorable.

Cassel Sharpe comes from a crime family, but with a difference: in this mafia, people have the ability to curse other people with their hands. Curses are like a very specific, very limited magic. Curse workers might be able to cause luck, alter memories, break (or heal) bones, or, in rare cases, kill. Much of the tension in the first book, White Cat, comes from the fact that while Cassel comes from a talented curse worker family, he himself has no curse abilities.

If you haven't read this series, I urge you to stop here and read White Cat, and the second book, Red Glove. You could probably read Black Heart without having read those, but you'll appreciate it much more for having read the whole series. The rest of this review may contain spoilers for the first two books.

There's a reason why there are so many examples of cons in literature and television and movies. There's something fascinating about confidence men. They're smart, charismatic and they have a freedom from the constraints of society that we envy, if we can admit it. But Cassel is not free. He is trapped by the expectations of everyone in his life: his family, the Feds, Zacharov, the Dean of the school, Lila, and even his friends Daneca and Sam. Everyone has expectations, and everyone wants something from him, and there's no way that Cassel can live up to those expectations.

Cassel is such a great character. In spite of his background, or maybe because of it, Cassel tries so hard to be good, but with all these conflicting expectations, how can he possibly figure out what's right? But he is smart and he is charismatic, and you can't help but cheer for him as he navigates the shark-infested waters of his life.

One of the best things about this series is that there are no clear divisions between good and evil. It's hard to even tell who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. Instead, we have complex characters who have conflicting interests and make choices and take action based on those interests. Is it any wonder that Cassel has trouble figuring out the right thing to do?

If you enjoyed the first two books in this series, you won't be disappointed in this one. It's a great story that builds to a surprise (at least to me) climax. I think Holly Black has some talent as a con artist, because even after reading all three books, I didn't see the climax coming, and afterwards it was so obvious I don't know how I didn't anticipate it.

My only problem was one of the subplots that seemed a little too tangential and didn't seem to fit in very well with the main plot. I'm not sure what purpose it served, but it's possible it was a distraction or a red herring.

Buy Black Heart from:
Your local independent bookseller through IndieBound
Amazon.com
Barnes & Noble

FTC required disclosure: Reviewed from purchased copy. The bookstore links above are affiliate links, and I earn a very small percentage of any sales made through the links. Neither of these things influenced my review.

Book Review: The Girl of Fire and Thorns

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:39:13 PDT

The Girl of Fire and Thorns
by Rae Carson

Once every generation, God chooses someone to bear the Godstone, a mark which indicates that person is selected to perform an act of service sometime in his or her lifetime. Lucero-Elisa de Riqueza, the younger daughter of the King of Oraville, is the current bearer of the Godstone, but she doesn't feel worthy. She's not thin, beautiful, or adept at court politics like her older sister, and she worries that when the time comes, she won't have the courage to perform her act of service.

When Elisa is wed to Alejandro de Vega, the King of neighboring Joya d'Arena, she is thrust into a world of intrigue and danger. Joya d'Arena is on the verge of war, and the Godstone makes Elisa a target. Between the people who expect her to save them, and those who want to kill her, Elisa isn't sure that she'll even survive long enough to perform her act of service, if she could even figure out what she is supposed to do.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns is a well-built fantasy with a kick-ass heroine, rich worldbuilding and themes, and enough excitement and intrigue to keep the pages turning. I first read it for the 2011 Cybils Awards, then read it again—twice—before reviewing it, and each time I got more out of it.

The worldbuilding is excellent, with a Spanish influence that made a refreshing change from the standard fantasy setting. The major religion is thoughtfully developed, with some superficial resemblance to the Catholic church, but with its own unique beliefs and rituals. In spite of the resemblance, it isn't a Christian religion, but one that fits into the world Carson developed. Religion plays an important role in the story, but not in a dogmatic way. Instead, questions of faith are explored without finding easy answers. The Godstone gives Elisa a connection to God, and she prays often, yet her prayers are not always answered; loved ones die, and Elisa battles doubts about herself and about God. When person after person claims their actions are the will of God, Elisa asks why it is that she seems to be the only one who doesn't know the will of God! Elisa even questions several times whether some bearers of the Godstone could have been selected from among the enemy, something that has never occurred to anyone else. (Not all the bearers are known).

Elisa is a terrific protagonist who ranks right up there with the best literary heroines. She may be overweight and self-doubting, but she kicks ass in every way. Some reviewers objected to the fact that Elisa loses weight as a result of the privations and trauma she experiences. They worry that the book sends the wrong message about weight, that the outward change reflects an inner change from lazy to strong, and that weight is something to be ashamed of. I didn't get that on my first read-through, however the idea troubled me and I paid close attention to it on my second and third read.

I've come to the conclusion that I disagree with this view. First, Elisa is not lazy and self-absorbed, not at the beginning, and not ever. Early in the book, King Alejandro's personal guard observes that she has steel in her, and she does. By the third chapter, she has saved her ladies during a battle, pulling one of them to safety, and killed a man to save someone else. Even as she runs into the battle she feels her stomach and breasts bouncing, but she acts without thinking and without worrying about the consequences. These are not the actions of a lazy, self-absorbed person.

Even before that, she is not a spoiled, lazy princess; she is, in essence, a prisoner. A prisoner in a gilded cage, but a prisoner nonetheless. In order to protect the bearer of the Godstone, she is not allowed to take any risks, to do anything, or even to know anything about the Godstone that she bears. Elisa is interested in war and strategy, but all she can do is read about it; she is never allowed anywhere near danger. She does clearly have an eating disorder, but given the suffocating life she has lived, is it any wonder? And an eating disorder is not gluttony; it's trauma.

Even when she loses weight, it's made clear that she isn't thin. She has lost weight, a significant amount of weight, as anyone would who lives through the experiences she does, but she is "not even close to thin." And time and time again, the people who matter most to her, including a certain romantic interest, make it clear through words and actions that her weight never mattered to them, that she was always beautiful. Here's some thoughts from Rae Carson about weight and judging people by appearances.

I think I've made it clear how much I loved this book. It was definitely one of my favorite books of the year, and I'm really looking forward to the release of The Crown of Embers in September.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns was a 2011 Cybils Awards Finalist.

Buy The Girl of Fire and Thorns from:
Amazon.com
Your local independent bookseller through IndieBound
Barnes & Noble

FTC required disclosure: Review copy provided by the publisher to enable me to write this review. The bookstore links above are affiliate links, and I earn a very small percentage of any sales made through the links. Neither of these things influenced my review.

Charlie Kaufman to adapt The Knife of Never Letting Go

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:25:00 PDT

Charlie Kaufman to adapt The Knife of Never Letting Go

Lionsgate has selected Charlie Kaufman to adapt the first book in Patrick Ness' Chaos Walking trilogy for film. Whenever I hear that a favorite book is being made into a film, I am simultaneously excited for the film, and worried that it won't do the book justice, or worse, will ruin my vision of it.

I'm more worried than usual for this one, because according to the article, Kaufman is known for taking adaptations into "all kinds of imaginative directions not found in the pages of those books."

Now, I'm not a person that believes that movies need to adhere exactly to the book. Rather the opposite: sometimes when a film tries to stick too closely to the book, it ends up stilted. Books and movies are two different media, requiring different storytelling techniques. For example, I was pretty happy with the Hunger Games movie and felt that most of the changes made it a stronger film.

However, when I hear that a screenwriter may take a favorite book in imaginative directions, I have to ask "Why?" Patrick Ness' masterpiece is already imaginative enough. I can't imagine that Kaufman, or anyone else, could improve on it.

On the other hand, Apocalypse Now and Blade Runner are two excellent films that are hugely different from their literary sources. (I studied both of those in a "Books to Film" literature class I took in college). So even a drastically changed story can be good. But when the story is a favorite, as this one is for me, it can be hard to swallow.

Right now, it's hard to say what will happen. Perhaps Kaufman won't make imaginative changes. Or perhaps he will, and they will make a better film. For now, I'll wait and keep an open mind, although I can't help a feeling of dread as well.

In the mean time, if you haven't read this excellent series, I suggest you read it.

My review of The Knife of Never Letting Go

My review of The Ask and the Answer (with guest post from my son)

My review of Monsters of Men

"Charlie Kaufman To Adapt ‘Chaos Walking,’ Lionsgate’s Next Franchise Play"

Buy The Knife of Never Letting Go from your local independent bookstore

Buy The Knife of Never Letting Go from Amazon.com

Buy The Knife of Never Letting Go from Barnes & Noble:

Disclosure: The links above are affiliate links, and I earn a very small percentage of any sales made through the links.

A plea to indie authors and publishers

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Tue, 08 May 2012 20:16:25 PDT

I've long been an advocate for indie authors and indie publishers. As a former president and current member of the MidAtlantic Book Publishers Association, I have worked to help improve both the quality of indie publishing and the recognition for those involved. As an organizer of the Cybils awards, I argue vehemently each year to continue to allow self-published books to be eligible. There are excellent self-published books, I argue, and we need to continue to allow them to be eligible to find the hidden gems. And indeed books like Angelfall, an excellent self-published ebook which was one of the finalists this year, prove the point.

But for every Angelfall, there are a hundred, maybe a thousand, substandard books that opponents of self-publishing can hold up as examples. As a blogger/reviewer I receive submissions of many interesting-sounding indie books, only to be disappointed when I try to read them. I want to like your book. I really do. I'm starting from a perspective of hoping to find good indie books. But I'm disappointed more often than I'm satisfied.

This is a plea to all the indie authors and publishers, and those thinking of publishing. With ebooks and POD, it's so easy today to make a book available to the public, but that's not the same thing as publishing. Publishing is hard work and time consuming, and includes the myriad of details necessary to produce a quality book. Before you jump into publishing your book, please consider the following:

1. Read, read, read.

Have you read widely in the genre you are planning to write & publish in? Each genre has its own requirements and conventions, and you need to understand them. For example, YA books are usually tightly plotted, have strong voice, appeal to teens without talking down to them, and use tightly controlled point of view. In addition to reading widely, it helps to participate in discussion groups (Goodreads is one place to do that) or to start a blog and review books, and read reviews by other bloggers, because you can learn a lot from the comments of other people.

I can't tell you how many times I receive a publicity email saying, "So and so wrote this book because there were no good books for children about..." and I think, "What about this book, or that book? Have they read any books in the children's/YA genre at all?"

2. Learn the craft.

Writing is a craft, and like any craft, it requires training and practice. Most traditionally published writers I know spent years learning their craft before they ever had a book published. On the other hand, I have met many indie authors who decided to write a book and then published it, with little forethought or training. Just because you can string sentences together, doesn't mean you can write a book. At least not yet.

I believe that writing is a skill that can be learned, and that most people are capable of becoming good writers, but it takes time and it takes work. This is not an indictment of all indie authors, because I do know some who have put in the time and work. But for anyone who hasn't, please don't skip this important step.

Do you understand point of view, how it affects a story and how to control it? Do you know what voice is and how to use it? Do you know how to write believable dialog? Do you understand the "Show, don't tell" rule?

Take writing classes if you can, and read books about the craft, particularly as it relates to your chosen genre. Join a critique group and learn both from others critiquing your work, and from the opportunity to critique others. Write many things, and understand that the first book you write may not be publishable. As with anything, you will improve with practice.

3. Produce a quality product

Once you have a book that is good enough to be published, it will still need work and money before it is a product ready for the public. No matter how good a writer you are, the book should be professionally edited by someone familiar with the genre. Really, there are multiple levels of editing, and ideally they should be done by different people, because someone can get too close to a book to be able to see the errors anymore.

Cover design is crucial and should be done by a professional cover designer. Just because someone is a graphic designer doesn't mean that they can design a cover. Cover design is a specialty with unique needs and requirements that not all graphic designers necessarily know. For a book that will be printed (even print on demand), plan to spend $500-$2000 for a professional quality cover. Books which will only be ebooks may be a little less expensive. Yes, that's a lot of money, but after you put all the work and time into writing your book, do you really want to wrap your baby in a substandard cover?

I highly recommend 1106 Design who did the cover design (but not the illustrations) for the Ratha series books. Here's an interesting post on their blog about the choices made in designing Clan Ground.

For printed books, interior design is also important. Microsoft Word is not a typesetting tool. Although I know people who use it, in my opinion it's not capable of producing professional quality typesetting. If you don't understand typography, find someone who does (or take the time and put in the work to learn it, just as you did for writing). For ebooks, interior design is not as much of a consideration, because ebooks are designed to be adapted to the device and preferences of the reader. However, even for ebooks, you want to make sure to have a good conversion.

Final words

With friends like me, who needs enemies, right? I'm a friend of indie publishing, and if these are the things I see, just imagine what the opponents are saying. Please, let's all work to raise the bar on indie publishing and help change the perception by creating quality books that we can all be proud of.

I'm thinking of starting to ask anyone submitting a self-published or indie book for review to elaborate on the book's writing and editing process, in an attempt to weed out books that are poorly written and poorly edited. What do you think? I feel like I shouldn't have to ask, but I'm just tired of being disappointed.

Book Review: Ship of Souls

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:26:10 PDT

Ship of Souls
by Zetta Elliott

Dmitri, or D for short, never knew his father, so when he loses his mother to cancer, he is put into foster care. His new foster mother, Mrs. Martin, is nice enough, but she has her hands full with a crack -addicted baby and doesn't have much time for D.

One day in the park, D finds a wounded bird, and discovers it can talk. The bird tells him she is there to gather the dead from the African Burial Ground, who have been waiting for years to find peace. The bird, whose name is Nuru, has been held prisoner and prevented from accomplishing her mission, and she needs D's help.

But forces are determined to stop them, and D is in grave danger. Along with his new friends Hakeem and Nyla, D must battle dangers, from a monster made from paving stones, to hostile Revolutionary War ghosts, before he can reach the spirits who need his help.

Ship of Souls is a lovely and touching story. At its heart, it's a story of friendship, and it works best when D, Nyla and Keem are together. The friendship between these unlikely friends works, and even the slight tension between the two guys, both of whom like Nyla, makes the relationship seem genuine. Over the course of the story, Nyla and Keem become D's new family.

One of the things I found refreshing about this book is that most of the people (with the exception of the very angry and racist Revolutionary War ghosts) are really nice people. Often part of the tension in YA novels comes from the unpleasant people surrounding the protagonist, and it ends up giving a very negative view of the world. That wasn't the case here. When Mrs. Martin took D in, I was tense, expecting that she would seem like a nice old lady but turn out to be a nasty child abuser. But no, she really was a nice old lady, who just had more problems than she could deal with. When D was asked to tutor basketball jock Keem in math, I though, "Uh, oh. Keem is going to turn out to be a bully who torments him." But no. In spite of being a basketball star, Keem was really lonely because people tease him about being a Muslim, and after a little bit of initial tension, he and D hit it off almost right away. It made the book an enjoyable read.

The supernatural elements were not as well developed as I felt they could have been, and I ended up with too many unanswered questions about the dead and about Nuru, her role, her realm, and her mission. I just didn't feel that I got a very good picture of how it all fit together.

As with Elliott's first YA novel, A Wish After Midnight, there is a strong sense of place, and Elliott's love for her adopted city of New York, and in particular the Brooklyn borough, shines through. New York history also plays a role.

This would be a great book to read in a classroom setting, with its historic tie-ins and explorations of prejudice and tolerance. Elliott included several pages of discussion and writing topics at the end of the book.

Buy Ship of Souls from:
Amazon.com
Your local independent bookseller through IndieBound
Barnes & Noble

FTC required disclosure: Reviewed from ARC. Review copy provided by the publisher to enable me to write this review. The bookstore links above are affiliate links, and I earn a very small percentage of any sales made through the links. Neither of these things influenced my review.

Book People Unite: Take the Pledge and help RIF put books into the hands of kids in underserved communities

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 07:47:22 PDT

"...there’s only one book for every 300 kids living in underserved communities in the U.S." RIF has been putting books into the hands of kids for decades. Now, they've teamed up with some top recording artists and actors to create this music video to raise awareness and encourage people to join the cause. After you watch the video, please go to http://www.bookpeopleunite.org/ to learn more about the video and sign the pledge. It doesn't cost you anything.

RIF recently lost its federal funding, which represented 80% of its operating budget. But rather than give up, this loss seems to have infused RIF with new energy, new creativity, and new determination to accomplish their mission. But RIF needs our help. Visit http://www.rif.org/ for information on donating or volunteering in your community.

Books inspire, educate, inform, entertain, but most importantly they open minds to new ideas, new horizons. Imagine how much it benefits us as a society to put books in the hands of kids who don't have them. In the words of Grammy award-winning Hip-Hop band The Roots, who produced the video, ""Narrative is perhaps the most essential aspect of human culture." I would agree with that, and add that narrative is not "just" story; it helps us to make sense of the world around us.

Walking the Clouds: an Anthology of Indigenous Science Fictio

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 19:34:44 PDT

Walking the Clouds is an anthology of indigenous science fiction. The book sounds fascinating, and I'd love to read it, although I admit to being disappointed to discover that most of the stories are excerpts from longer works, and only a few are self-contained stories. This review contains a short but interesting interview with editor Grace Dillon: "Just as our science is not primitive, our storytelling has always contained the elements of science fiction that are considered forward-thinking, inventive and visionary today." Read the review & interview here.

Many thanks to +Biology in Science Fiction for sharing this gem.

Once Upon a Time

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 07:20:00 PDT

Snow White is so badass!

I don't often write about television, but I feel compelled to say something about what I feel is the best new show on television this season. Imagine what the creators of LOST could do if they took on fairy tales. Wait: you don't have to imagine! That's what really happened! Once Upon a Time is based on fairy tales, but it's so much more than just another fairy tale retelling.

The story takes place in two worlds. One is the fairy tale world, populated by the characters we know (or think we know) and love. The other is a town called Storybrooke, Maine, where those same characters are cursed by the evil queen to live ordinary lives in our world, with no memory of their fairy tale existence. The queen herself, played by Lana Parrilla, is the mayor of the town.

The first episode introduces the town and the characters, and shows the fairy tale backstory leading up to the curse. Then, in typical LOST fashion, the entire rest of the season proceeds to deconstruct the backstory, teasing out the "true story" in stunning reveals, episode by episode.

The acting is BRILLIANT, especially Ginnifer Goodwin as Mary Margaret Blanchard/Snow White, Lana Parrilla as Regina/Evil Queen, and Robert Carlyle as Mr. Gold/Rumplestiltskin. Most of the characters are very different in the two worlds, and the actors handle the double characterization beautifully. I can't say enough good things about the entire cast of this show.

I adore Red Riding Hood's cape!

The production values are very high; it's worth watching the show for the costumes alone! From the queen's elaborate costumes to Snow White's forest getup, from Emma Swan's boots to Ruby's cute modern costumes in Storybrooke, the attention to detail is amazing. I particularly love the costumes that give an ironic nod to some of the characters' Disney counterparts, such as Belle's dress in "Skin Deep."

If you haven't been watching this show, you should be. I recommend that you don't jump into the middle, though. As with LOST, you may be a bit confused if you haven't been watching along, and you'll definitely get a lot more enjoyment out of it if you watch from the beginning so that you can follow along with the development of the characters and the reveals. You can watch the episodes on the ABC website, or get them from Amazon Instant Video or iTunes. There is also a DVD of the first five episodes that ABC says is available exclusively from Target.

A heartbreaking performance by Lana Parrilla

For those who have been watching it: I thought last night's episode was the best yet! Lana Parrilla was absolutely brilliant, and the tragedy, and her transformation from an innocent teenager to the beginnings of the evil, manipulative character we know, were absolutely heartbreaking. Even though you pretty much knew what was going to happen after the initial setup was revealed, watching it unfold was horrifying. And the confrontation between Mary Margaret and Regina in the jail was incredibly moving, with terrific performances by both Lana Parrilla and Ginnifer Goodwin. (There must be something about that jail cell that inspires the best in the writers and actors! Some of the best scenes have been in that cell.) The talented girl (Bailee Madison) who played young Snow White not only looked a lot like Ginnifer Goodwin, but she nailed Snow White's mannerisms. And of course Barbara Hershey was perfect as the Queen's mother. What did you think?

Photos are from the ABC website.