WORD for Teens

A summer vlogging experiment.

2013-05-17T09:00:00.000-04:00

This summer, I'm going to be experimenting with a little bit of multimedia and extending my blogs into a dual system of vlogs and blogs!

What this means is that the blogs will still be running here as normal, but every other week, one of the 'thoughts on' posts will also have an accompanying video -- usually explaining the topic in simpler terms and tackling one issue about it, whereas the blogs will explore multifaceted issues.

I already know I'll be making videos on whitewashing, representations of sexuality and a handful of various other things. I'd love to know what you guys want me to talk about as well! Leave a comment and let me know what you'd like to see - and don't forget to subscribe on YouTube!

Rae Carson's THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS

2013-05-14T09:00:00.000-04:00

Giving up reviews is much harder than I thought. My gosh. I have too many thoughts and not enough space to put them.

So while WORD will continue to be discussion-oriented, if I have things to say about the books I'm reading, I'll review them; if I don't, I won't. We'll see what happens. Unlike before, the reviews can appear or disappear at any given time depending on my life.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns
Author: Rae Carson
Series: Fire and Thorns (#1)
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
How Received: publisher ARC

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.
Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can't see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people's savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do.

I really loved the second half of The Girl of Fire and Thorns. The problem was getting to that second half.

See, a lot of Elisa's character development has to do with how she views herself and her own weight. In the beginning of the book, she views herself as a useless lump of lard. Literally. In the first eleven chapters, she out-rightly refers to her weight - "I'm a sausage, I'm fat" - 18 times. This isn't including the numerous mentions of eating, of other character's thinness, and of other characters calling her out on her weight. Carson hit us over the head repeatedly with it, and I wish she had lessened that blow a little, because the second half would have been as good without it. Between that and a Godstone located where you would normally find belly button lint, I had a hard time getting through to the second half of the book.

But the second half was great. Fantastic. Took Elisa's weaknesses and made them strengths; let her develop and learn and become strong in her own right, and I loved that. There were scenes where I basically fist-pumped the air because of how pleased I was by her development.

But the problem was still getting there.

If you're willing to wade through the thick and heavy-hitting first third of the book, I highly recommend The Girl of Fire and Thorns - but if you have little patience, it's not the book for you.

If this hadn't been a YAcker book - you can read our discussion here - I probably wouldn't have gotten through it.

What did you guys think?

Nicole's Five BookExpo America Tips

2013-05-10T09:00:00.000-04:00

Hello, lovely WORDites! As some of you are fellow bloggers, you might be heading off to BookExpo America at the end of this month!

I've gone to BookExpo America before - this is my third year - fourth year? Some number of years going, and there are plenty of other posts summarizing what everything is about and what to do and all that fun stuff. But I figured I'd reiterate the tips I find most helpful.

01. This is a professional conference. Be professional.
Professional.
Professional.
Professional.

You don't have to be perfect, but try not to look like a hobo, and in the name of cupcakes, please - please - please behave professionally. Be polite. Don't shove. Don't do stupid things. Bloggers have gotten bad names because of this in the past. (My post on professional BEA behavior.)

02. Sneakers are your friend.
Unless you have another pair of more comfortable shoes, just wear sneakers on the floor. Between walking the conference floor and walking around NYC, your feet will be exhausted - and if you wear sneakers, it'll at least be a little better later.

03. Pack snacks and water bottles.
Are you a millionaire? If the answer is no, you really don't want to be buying food at the center, and it's really inconvenient to have to leave the building during the day for food to come back later. I'm a big fan of the granola bars and water bottle strategy -- it always lasts me until dinner, and I'm so busy that I don't have time to do anything otherwise.

04. You don't need every book. Don't pick up every book.
Unless you want to exhaust yourself carrying things, don't pick up every book. It's also just rude to take things you don't need. And taking two copies of a popular book? Just... don't do it. Again, be professional; this is a conference, not a free-for-all giveaway. My rule is if you wouldn't buy it or check it out of the library, don't pick it up off the BEA floor.

05. Talk!
Okay, this seems obvious, but a lot of bloggers are afraid of networking and actually talking to the people around them. Shake it off! Relax! Go talk to your favorite author or that publicist you always work with or that blogger you always admired. They're gonna want to talk to you as well, and that experience is always nicer then book you got quietly.

I'll be floating around at some of the events and around the floor for most of the days. If you'll be there and want to chat in person, just shoot me a Tweet and we'll arrange something!

Who's going? What are you excited for?

The giant post about new adult literature.

2013-05-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

If anybody's been paying attention at all to my twitter feed over the past few weeks, you may have noticed that I occasionally go on rants about a certain age category that has recently been all over the place. Yes, "new adult" is the new big thing. It's even earned a spot in Publisher's Marketplace for new deals.

The problem is... well, a lot of things, actually.

What is new adult?
For those who don't know, new adult is a genre of literature that takes place once a character attends college and slightly after, roughly in the 20 - 26 range. So far, they've been coming of age stories that heavily feature sex and sexuality. I've discussed it before here and here.

New adult as a bildungsroman?
This image has been going around a lot lately.

Image by Dear Author.
There's a problem here. If you cross out new and replace it with young, it also works. New adult novels are not bildungromans. They are not coming of age novels.

This is how categories of books work.

Picture books tell a story to people in pictures made strictly to entertain. Children's literature tells a story that's often didactic - there's a point at the end. (Accept people for who they are, be creative, listen to your parents, etc.) Middle grade novels are the beginning of the coming of age story. By the end of the novel, the protaganist has usually learned something about themselves. Young adult novels are the bildungsroman, that full coming of age story - figuring out who you are and what you believe in.

If we're defining new adult as an older bildungsroman, it doesn't work, because the whole point of young adult literature is that bildungsroman arc. That's why adult high fantasy novels and sci-fi novels (Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey, for example) can have young protagonists and still be sliced into the adult genre because there isn't that bildungsroman. The story focuses on a character who already knows who they are.

I'd love to see new adult do that. What happens after the bildungsroman? What do you do once you know who you are? How do you handle that?

What does new adult mean for the adult genre?
If we're defining new adult by that definition, of course, what does that mean for the adult genre? How will that be defined now?

There's no strict definition for adult as a genre; it's just typically deemed that the characters know who they are and are exploring that in some way - which is the exact definition I described for new adult up above.

So... where does that leave adult fiction?

That's a question I don't have an answer to, but I've gotten some hilarious answers.

The confinement in genre.
Right now, I've seen all but one new adult book set in a contemporary time period. I've seen contemporary romances and paranormal romances and one - one - historical. And that's it, that's the genre.

A lot of people seem to be defining it as a novel that deals with the problems that arise in and after college. Finding yourself in college is something I've been dying to have young adult explore more, and figuring out who you are and then exploring that is something I would love new adult to do. But the current definition seems to fixate heavily on that college atmosphere and that age rather than the actual progression of character after the bildungsroman.

Part of this has to do with what has been published so far, part of it with the definition of the genre as we know it, and part of it has to do with sex. (See below.)

Where does that leave fantasy and sci-fi settings that don't have college? With the current definition of it, it's very hard to escape and make new adult make sense in something that isn't contemporary - because those definitions already are categorized. High fantasy and sci-fi in the adult section often feature what I've described as new adult, and high fantasy and sci-fi in the young adult section often feature what other people have described as new adult. Unless the definition of the genre changes, it's going to end up taking away from another genre or dying quickly because of the fact that it already exists.

Sex?!
And, of course, the biggest thing we've seen in new adult so far is sex. It's been described as YA erotica - and, let's be fair, that is where it started to get big. St. Martin's may have been using the term earlier to court books with the 20 - 26 age range, but it's more frequently associated now with young people having sex. It ties into the Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon.

I have no problem with sex in novels where it's relevant to the plot. (This post sums it up nicely, but I have several posts about sex and sexuality on my discussions page.)

In that case, there's two halves to this:
- young people having erotic sex with no point to the plot
- young people having sex with a point to the plot

If the first, well, the books should just be shelved in the erotica section. The characters are older than 18, so it's legal by adult standards, and I have no qualms with people reading about sex and enjoying it.

If the second, it's being argued that having sex in the plot is exclusive to NA. And, uh, it's not. It happens frequently in a young adult setting. It's been argued that it's a common experience for people in college, but I know plenty of people who haven't had sex in college - and plenty who did in high school. It's a weird sort of thing to argue and takes away from both genres.

Authors focusing on sex only solidifies the stereotype that college is the place for sex and parties and nothing else, which I don't think is the case. - @notsnow_white

If there does need to be a focus on sex in the NA genre, it needs to be handled differently - not sex for the sake of romance and newness, but actually exploring sexuality. If you're discovering your sexuality in YA, you should be figuring out how to handle it in NA. Figure out you're bisexual in a young adult novel? Deal with the stigmas with it in NA! Discover asexuality and find a partner who you have to explain it to. Hell, track the experience of a demisexual with a partner who isn't demisexual and see how that works! If YA is finding what you are, and coming of age, and understanding that, NA needs to be about how you handle your coming of age and how you deal with the world around you.

I think new adult has a lot of potential if handled as I wish it would be, and while I worry about how that will reshape the adult genre, I'm curious to see where it goes. But a lot of what's happening right now is problematic and worrisome in regards to its own creation and to its affect on YA lit.

What do you guys think of new adult so far, for those who have seen it?

The Wish List (2)

2013-05-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

The first day of every month will now feature The Wish List, which is a list of books on my wish list. It's like Waiting on Wednesday but, you know, all at one shot.

Curtsies and Conspiracies
Author: Gail Carriger
Series: Finishing School (#2)
Release Date: 5 November 2013

Does one need four fully grown foxgloves for decorating a dinner table for six guests? Or is it six foxgloves to kill four fully grown guests?

Sophronia's first year at Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality has certainly been rousing! For one thing, finishing school is training her to be a spy (won't Mumsy be surprised?). Furthermore, Sophronia got mixed up in an intrigue over a stolen device and had a cheese pie thrown at her in a most horrid display of poor manners.

Now, as she sneaks around the dirigible school, eavesdropping on the teachers' quarters and making clandestine climbs to the ship's boiler room, she learns that there may be more to a school trip to London than is apparent at first. A conspiracy is afoot--one with dire implications for both supernaturals and humans. Sophronia must rely on her training to discover who is behind the dangerous plot-and survive the London Season with a full dance card.

The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two
Author: Catherynne M. Valente
Series: Fairyland (#3)
Release Date: 8 October 2013

September misses Fairyland and her friends Ell, the Wyverary, and the boy Saturday. She longs to leave the routines of home, and embark on a new adventure. Little does she know that this time, she will be spirited away to the moon, reunited with her friends, and find herself faced with saving Fairyland from a moon-Yeti with great and mysterious powers.

Conjured
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Series: ---
Release Date: 3 September 2013

Eve has a new home, a new face, and a new name—but no memories of her past. She’s been told that she's in a witness protection program. That she escaped a dangerous magic-wielding serial killer who still hunts her. The only thing she knows for sure is that there is something horrifying in her memories the people hiding her want to access—and there is nothing they won’t say—or do—to her to get her to remember.

At night she dreams of a tattered carnival tent and buttons being sewn into her skin. But during the day, she shelves books at the local library, trying to not let anyone know that she can do things—things like change the color of her eyes or walk through walls. When she does use her strange powers, she blacks out and is drawn into terrifying visions, returning to find that days or weeks have passed—and she’s lost all short-term memories. Eve must find out who and what she really is before the killer finds her—but the truth may be more dangerous than anyone could have ever imagined.

What do you think of these bad boys? What books should I be adding to my list?

Top Ten Words That Instantly Make Me Want A Book

2013-04-30T09:00:00.000-04:00

Today's Top Ten Tuesday post is ten words that instantly make me want to pick up a book. Considering that two sprang to mind immediately, I thought - well, why not make this a thing?

Dragon.
(noun) a mythical monster generally represented as a huge, winged reptile with crested head and enormous claws and teeth, and often spouting fire.

I love dragon stories. There's basically nothing I won't read if it has the word 'dragon' in it somewhere. They're my favorite mythological creature and honestly, I've never been truly disappointed by a dragon story. (Maybe once, but I can't even remember the title.)

Cannibalism.
(noun) the ceremonial eating of human flesh or parts of the human body for magical or religious purposes, as to acquire the power or skill of a person recently killed.

Cannibalism fascinates me in some weird and strange way, and I've only ever managed to see one book successfully integrate it into the story. (The Inferior, if you're wondering.) But if another book involving cannibalism, particularly a young adult one - maybe a young sleuth trying to solve a murder? - were to appear, I would probably read it. I know, it's weird.

High fantasy.
(noun) imagination, especially when extravagant and unrestrained.

I love high fantasy stories. I'm easily fascinated by new worlds. Seeing what people have created from the back of their imagination is really fun for me. It's why I can get tired of contemporary but never of fantasy. The same story may be told in fantasy, but the world is always different. Contemporary - well, it's this world. How boring is that?

Assassin.
(noun) a murderer, especially one who kills a politically prominent person for fanatical or monetary reasons.

I think assassins are fascinating; lady assassins are some of my favorite things. I need to read a few YA books recently that have come out with assassin characters. Besides, assassins are just fun in worlds in general. You never know what's going to happen.

Thief.
(noun) a person who steals, especially secretly or without open force.

In the same way that I love assassins, I love thieves; Thief's Covenant is one of my favorite books. I love characters who are beneath the law but not amoral, and thieves are excellent at portraying that. They're also just fun characters.

Queen.
(noun) a woman considered the best or most important of her kind.

I love royalty. I love queens, especially power-hungry ones. (Combine them with the words above and I get deliriously happy - hence why I love Daenerys Targaryen!)

Jane Austen.
(noun) 1775–1817, English novelist.

I love Austen and I love Austen retellings; if her name is plastered on it, there's a good chance that I'll pick it up to see how good it is. And usually, it's not any good. But I still pick them up anyway.

Jane Eyre.
(noun) a novel (1847) by Charlotte Brontë.

I also love Jane Eyre; if a character loves her, I'll pick it up. If it's a retelling, I'll pick it up. If the character magically gets dropped into the world, I'll pick it up. I just really love Jane Eyre.

Steampunk.
(noun) a subgenre of science fiction and fantasy featuring advanced machines and other technology based on steam power of the 19th century and taking place in a recognizable historical period or a fantasy world.

While steampunk isn't enough to make me pick up a book and buy it, it's definitely enough to make me pick it up and look at it. I love the genre, so even though I don't love every book in it, it's interesting.

Beauty and the Beast.
(noun) the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind.
(noun) the crude animal nature common to humans and the lower animals.

I love retellings of Beauty and the Beast; if it's slathered over the front in some way to make me know that it's a retelling, I'll pick it up.

Do any of these make you want to pick up a book?

Giveaway: THE 5TH WAVE by Rick Yancey

2013-04-24T09:00:00.000-04:00

This giveaway is over.

Penguin's being awesome, and they had some extra ARC copies of The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey - so they gave me one to give away to you lovely WORDites!

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

Quick Recap:
[1] ARC of The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey up for grabs
[1] winner in the U.S. only
ends May 1

How To Win:
[mandatory] follow this blog on some medium
[+1] for every additional medium

LEVEL 2's new cover, new name, and why it's not a bad thing.

2013-04-22T09:00:00.000-04:00

Recently Level 2 was announced that it was getting a new cover and a new name for the paperback release.

I don't remember who I was talking to about this, but somebody was complaining that it was unnecessary and silly; that it was the publishing house admitting that they've messed up.

That's exactly what they're doing. And that's okay.

I've spoken out against some cover changes in the past - they don't suit the book, which just annoys me, or they change the type of cover mid-series, which is just annoying - but I'm not against them as a whole. I've even called for them when it comes to whitewashing characters. (I'm sure nobody has forgotten my numerous posts on The Immortal Rules cover.)

I will give Simon & Schuster this -- they handled this cover change perfectly. They came out and admitted why they were changing it, and then they gave it a cover that could match the original cover without being the same. The new cover is more elegant, but the photo is actually from the same photoshoot.

I love both covers, and I like both names.

Changing covers IS helpful to getting attention drawn to the book, and that's an important thing. If the cover didn't do it the first time, they do get a second chance. (That's another reason I don't like changing mid-series; it's not going to draw people to the first book, which is what they need to do!) But changing for paperbacks, and still making it beautiful and story relevant, is a good thing. It means more people will be drawn to the book.

And if they're drawn to it, they'll read it.

And I always want more readers.

What do you guys think of the new Level 2 - er, The Memory of After cover?

Alpha-male syndrome & YA lit.

2013-04-15T09:00:00.000-04:00

The alpha male is a very prevalent trope in YA lit. I don't just mean this literally because of the paranormal craze, but in books in general.

The alpha male is a character who usually heads his group. He's manly and macho, ready to jump to a fight at the first scent of it. He's physically powerful and emotionally closed off; he has a need to be in control of everything.

A lot of times, the lady lead sweeps in to try to change the alpha male. She wants him to be more emotionally connected, less volatile; he wants to control her, for her to love him. Many times they end up together, and the woman's always in a position of less power. They're not equals.

And that's why I don't like the trope.

See, I like alpha males; I don't mind characters like this. They have their place in books, and they have their place as romantic leads. (Hello, Soulless.) But it has to be handled in such a way that it works for both characters, not just the alpha male.

There needs to be an alpha female. (Or, you know, another alpha male.)

The thing about alpha males is that, yes, they can be more in tune to their emotion; somebody coming along and wanting to change them isn't going to do that. They need somebody who is their equal to challenge them, to bring out the best, to make them want to showcase their emotion, not to try to force it out of them.

That's why, in a lot of traditional alpha-male YA novels, it doesn't work. Bella isn't on the same level as Edward at all; she's even inferior to Jacob, both of who have alpha-male complexes in Twilight. She's more prey than predator, more pet than partner. And how is that kind of relationship supposed to work?

Power balances have to be equal for a relationship to work, and that's not something often portrayed in YA because of the alpha-male type. They're writing to change the person, not to balance what he already is. You can make him better and be his equal without trying to change what he is.

What are some examples of alpha males in YA lit that you can think of? Do they keep the power balance in their relationship or is it wrecked?

Love triangles and external vs. inner turmoil

2013-04-09T09:00:00.000-04:00

I've talked about love triangles before. There's no secret that I don't like it.

And I was dwelling on it again the other day and I was trying to figure out why.

It's because love triangles create an external turmoil in the relationship, where the decisions aren't about working problems out between two people within the relationship, but with letting outside factors carry the relationship.

It's a hard thing to describe. I like relationships and relationship troubles where the conflicts are internal: figuring out how to work with different opinions and different lifestyles. One person adamantly believes that this is right when the other person believes in something else; can you live with that? Compromise? Will it all work out?

But with external relationship troubles, there's nothing wrong with the actual relationship except for the things people shove between them to create drama. If the two were left on their own, they'd be fine, but she might love this other person, so there's suddenly drama!

Notice how there's never any problems in love triangles with the relationships besides that she might love somebody else? They're just perfect, besides, you know, that third person.

(There are, of course, exceptions to this rule and it's why I like the Theatre Illuminata series by Lisa Mantchev so much. Bertie loves both Nate and Ariel, but even on their own, there are problems: Nate doesn't like Bertie's strongheadness, Ariel just wants to be free despite his ties to Bertie... oh, it's a beautiful series.)

But I think that's why love triangles always let me down: the relationships themselves let me down. I like relationships that have to fix themselves and work past problems (besides another person) and becoming stronger for it, not just oh my oz, she loves this other dude despite our perfect relationship!

What do you think?

A Natural History of Dragons

2013-04-05T09:00:00.000-04:00

A Natural History of Dragons
Author: Marie Brennan
Series: ---
Publisher: Tor
How Received: gift

Read an excerpt here.

You, dear reader, continue at your own risk. It is not for the faint of heart—no more so than the study of dragons itself. But such study offers rewards beyond compare: to stand in a dragon’s presence, even for the briefest of moments—even at the risk of one’s life—is a delight that, once experienced, can never be forgotten...

All the world, from Scirland to the farthest reaches of Eriga, know Isabella, Lady Trent, to be the world’s preeminent dragon naturalist. She is the remarkable woman who brought the study of dragons out of the misty shadows of myth and misunderstanding into the clear light of modern science. But before she became the illustrious figure we know today, there was a bookish young woman whose passion for learning, natural history, and, yes, dragons defied the stifling conventions of her day.

Here at last, in her own words, is the true story of a pioneering spirit who risked her reputation, her prospects, and her fragile flesh and bone to satisfy her scientific curiosity; of how she sought true love and happiness despite her lamentable eccentricities; and of her thrilling expedition to the perilous mountains of Vystrana, where she made the first of many historic discoveries that would change the world forever.

Here's the thing about A Natural History of Dragons: it's a young adult crossover; it can be classified as either adult fantasy or young adult fantasy and it would fit right in. Honestly, it's what I think the new adult genre could be: a story where somebody has come of age and knows who they are and is now struggling with what to do with that.

And it was good.

There's a few little things, of course, that matter in the long run. The book, divided into several mini-Books, let its pacing slow considerably after book two, and that is in part to the focus on non-dragon related activities. (I do wish that dragons had been featured more in the book, but I loved how they were handled when they were there.)

It's also told in a biographical style, meaning it has the tone of an older woman reflecting on her younger stuff -- lots of heavy foreshadowing on what will occur, mentions of other adventures, and reflections on the fact that she made some stupid decisions. A lot of people don't like that kind of style, but I found that it worked rather well for this story.

And that leads me to the most important point:
I, Nicole, am in love with Isabella Trent.

Not the romantic kind of love, of course, but the kind of love that you find in a kindred spirit; it's as if the character was written for me. With the exception of her being much more scientific than I am, I understood her and loved her and her story. Her excitement was mine, her discoveries mine, her pain, her love.

I wanted both to see dragons, and to understand them. I wanted to stretch the wings of my mind and see how far I could fly.

Needless to say, I love this book because of her character. Her own obsession with dragons, of course, is tied inherently to my own, but I loved everything about her: her humour, her intelligence, and how she refused to be trapped within the box of her time. Even her taste in husband - who I also adored - was impeccable.

I liked the setting as well -- the alternate world to ours suited me quite well, though I know there have been complaints about renaming everything. Why not just do it AU-style, like His Majesty's Dragon? But I understood it well enough, so I didn't mind. This, of course, could also have to do with my blind love for Isabella; I highly suggest reading The Book Smuggler's review of this on Kirkus for a more objective opinion.

But as far as I'm concerned - oh, I loved it, and yes, I will be reading it - or at least the first two-thirds! - again.

Overall Rating & Final Comments: 8/10. For all my blind love, it has its faults, especially in the slowed-down pacing of the last third -- but I love Isabella all the same.

Have any of you read this yet? What did you think?

What is a likable main character?

2013-04-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

Sara from The Page Sage swung by here to talk about likable protagonists a few months ago and Wordchasing was talking about what we talk about when we say we like something and it got me thinking.

Likable characters are great.

But my favorite characters I like... and I wouldn't want to be friends with most of them. They'd get me in trouble or rub me the wrong way or I'd be yelling at them all the time for some terrible decisions they'd make.

Why do we describe characters as likable?

What does that mean?

Are likable characters are nice? Do we like them because they're generic? Do they fit the mold of a person we like: cordial, sweet, tries to make the right decisions, has a relatable experience?

Whenever I hear a character described as likable, they fit the above description.

But those aren't the characters I like.

I like characters that interest me. Widdershins fascinates me, but I'm certain that not everybody would like her. People would undoubtedly be frustrated by Bertie, but I love her stubbornness and her ability to persevere. Lessa is not traditionally likable by far, but she shapes herself to be a queen, and I love reading stories like that.

I feel like saying a character is likable is much like saying a person is likable -- you're not against them, but there's no other way to describe them. "Oh, yes, they're nice. I like them." You don't say they're interesting because of this or that, or that they're funny, or they make you laugh.

They're nice. They're likable.

To hell with likable characters, I think. I much prefer characters I can describe, who interest me because they're fascinating or clever or stubborn or strong. Nice is good, but I want more than nice, more than likable.

What do you think?

The Wish List (1)

2013-04-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

You might have noticed that I decided to phase out my Waiting on Wednesday posts last month; I'm slowly slipping WORD into discussion-only mode. That doesn't mean I'm not going to share books I'm looking forward to! The first day of every month will now feature The Wish List, which is a list of books on my wish list. It's like Waiting on Wednesday but, you know, all at one shot.

A Wounded Name
Author: Dot Hutchinson
Series: ---
Release Date: 1 September 2013

There's a girl who could throw herself head first into life and forge an unbreakable name, an identity that stands on its own without fathers or brothers or lovers who devour and shatter.

I'VE NEVER BEEN THAT GIRL.

Sixteen-year-old Ophelia Castellan will never be just another girl at Elsinore Academy. Seeing ghosts is not a skill prized in future society wives. Even when she takes her pills, the bean sidhe beckon, reminding her of a promise to her dead mother.

Now, in the wake of the Headmaster's sudden death, the whole academy is in turmoil, and Ophelia can no longer ignore the fae. Especially once she starts seeing the Headmaster's ghosts- two of them- on the school grounds.

At the center of her crumbling world is Dane, the Headmaster's grieving son. He, too, understands the power of a promise to a parent- even a dead one. To him, Ophelia is the only person not tainted by deceit and hypocrisy, a mirror of his own broken soul. And to Ophelia, Dane quickly becomes everything. Yet even as she gives more of herself to him, Dane slips away. Consumed by suspicion, rage, and madness, he spirals towards his tragic fate- dragging Ophelia, and the rest of Elsinore, with him.

YOU KNOW HOW THIS STORY ENDS.

Yet even in the face of certain death, Ophelia has a choice to make- and a promise to keep. She is not the girl others want her to be. But in Dot Hutchison's dark and sensuous debut novel, the name "Ophelia" is as deeply, painfully, tragically real as "Hamlet".

Sorrow's Knot
Author: Erin Bow
Series: ---
Release Date: 2013

In the world of Sorrow’s Knot, the dead do not rest easy. Every patch of shadow might be home to something hungry and nearly invisible, something deadly. The dead can only be repelled or destroyed with magically knotted cords and yarns. The women who tie these knots are called binders.

Otter is the daughter of Willow, a binder of great power. She’s a proud and privileged girl who takes it for granted that she will be a binder some day herself. But when Willow’s power begins to turn inward and tear her apart, Otter finds herself trapped with a responsibility she’s not ready for, and a power she no longer wants

The Falconer
Author: Elizabeth May
Series: The Falconer (#1)
Release Date: 19 September 2013

Edinburgh, Scotland, 1844

18-year-old Lady Aileana Kameron, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, was destined to a life carefully planned around Edinburgh’s social events – right up until a faery kills her mother.

Now it’s the 1844 winter season. Between a seeming endless number of parties, Aileana slaughters faeries in secret. Armed with modified percussion pistols and explosives, every night she sheds her aristocratic facade and goes hunting. She’s determined to track down the faery who murdered her mother, and to destroy any who prey on humans in the city’s many dark alleyways.

But she never even considered that she might become attracted to one. To the magnetic Kiaran MacKay, the faery who trained her to kill his own kind. Nor is she at all prepared for the revelation he’s going to bring. Because Midwinter is approaching, and with it an eclipse that has the ability to unlock a Fae prison and begin the Wild Hunt.

A battle looms, and Aileana is going to have to decide how much she’s willing to lose – and just how far she’ll go to avenge her mother’s murder.

Truly, Madly, Deadly
Author: Hannah Jayne
Series: ---
Release Date: 16 July 2013

Sawyer Dodd has it all. She's a star track athlete, choir soloist, and A-student. And her boyfriend is the handsome all-star Kevin Anderson. But behind the medals, prom pictures, and perfect smiles, Sawyer finds herself trapped in a controlling, abusive relationship with Kevin. When he dies in a drunk-driving accident, Sawyer is secretly relieved. She's free. Until she opens her locker and finds a mysterious letter signed by "an admirer" and printed with two simple words: "You're welcome."

Not A Drop To Drink
Author: Mindy McGinnis
Series: ---
Release Date: 10 September 2013

Lynn knows every threat to her pond: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most importantly, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty, or doesn't leave at all.

Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. Having a life means dedicating it to survival, and the constant work of gathering wood and water. Having a pond requires the fortitude to protect it, something Mother taught her well during their quiet hours on the rooftop, rifles in hand.

But wisps of smoke on the horizon mean one thing: strangers. The mysterious footprints by the pond, nighttime threats, and gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won’t stop until they get it...

What are you guys looking forward to? Any books that I should add to this list?

Taking a week-long break!

2013-03-25T09:00:00.000-04:00

You'll notice that there's no posts this week! Don't worry -- it's my spring break, and instead of worrying about getting posts up, I want to delve into the giant stack of books I have waiting for me in my dorm!

I'll still be around on Twitter, and if you really need a YA kick, you can follow the Fuck Yeah! Young Adult Lit Tumblr.

See you in a week!

Blogging In Real Life (7)

2013-03-22T09:00:00.000-04:00

"One can never have enough bookish friends!"

I opened up questions on blogging in real life a few weeks ago -- if there were any questions at all relating to real life or blogging, people were welcome to ask. (And still are, if you want to ask something!)

Is maintaining a blog a necessary first step for someone who wants to break into publishing? If so, why?

The short answer is no, of course not! Publishing was around long before blogging started. While some bloggers are interested in going into publishing, not all are; just like non-bloggers are interested into going into publishing and some aren't. While it's a good way to understand the industry, there are plenty of other ways to get started!

But rather than rant myself about this topic, I decided to talk to Ksenia Winnicki about blogging, not-blogging and publishing!

You work in Macmillan as a Digital Marketing Associate. What does that mean? What do you do?
My primary role as Digital Marketing Associate is working on social media campaigns for our various books/series/brands. But my work also involves blogger outreach for all of our titles: picture books, middle-grade and teen titles.

How often do you work with bloggers? Do you read blogs regularly, or do you just work with them?
Pretty much every day: whether it’s by mailing out galleys, organizing blog tours, interacting with them on social media, or even just e-mailing them about special features and giveaways. I do try to read blogs regularly, because I’m curious to know what other bloggers are reading, and what books they find intriguing. It’s also a great form of market research, for me at least, because I get to see what books are being buzzed about. But I’ve also become good friends with a few of the bloggers, which is wonderful. One can never have enough bookish friends! But we also like/talk about other things, ie. Doctor Who and anything Whedon!

As somebody in the industry, do you think having blogging experience helps when you're trying to get into the industry?
I think it helps in a way, because, in my opinion, the book bloggers will know a bit more about the various publishing companies and what they publish. But at the same time, there are other ways to try to get into the industry (see my answer below). Keep in mind: We’ve had interns that were book bloggers, but we’ve also had interns that had no previous experience with publishing and they were equally wonderful. As long as you’re smart, savvy, and willing to learn, you’re ok. My love for publishing was sparked by an internship. Who knows? Maybe that could happen to someone else, who previously had no interest in publishing.

Do you have any tips for bloggers who are trying to get into the industry?
Read! It’s as simple as that. If you want to work for a children’s book publishing house, then you should have some knowledge of kids’ books. If see yourself at a romance publishing house, then have some working knowledge of romance books. For instance, even if your blog focuses on historical fiction, but you want to try working children’s book publishing, that’s ok. Again, have some sort of working knowledge of what is out there already.

For non-bloggers and bloggers alike, what can people do - besides blogging - to get their foot in the door?
Internships are the way to go! That’s how I got started, way back in college. I honestly had no idea what I would do with a degree in English, but when I went to an interview for an internship at a publishing company in Boston, I realized that publishing is where I wanted to spend my career. But you don’t necessarily need an internship at a publishing company: you could work/volunteer at a library, or work at a bookstore. I think if you do something with books, you can get your foot in the door. Also, anything that shows you have a love of books!

What do you do to keep up with news in the industry?
I definitely read Shelf Awareness, Publishers Weekly, Mediabistro’s Galleycat, but also Tor.com, io9, John Scalzi’s Whatever Blog, the various blogs run by School Library Journal, plus Robot 6 (for comics/graphic novel news). Sometimes, just going to the bookstore to see what books are on the “New Releases” wall/table helps me to see what the newest trends are.

The switch from Google Reader - or, where are you gonna go?

2013-03-21T09:00:00.000-04:00

By now you've heard of the very dramatic death of the Google Reader. The lovely little button on my sidebar that tracks how many of you follow me via Google Reader will disappear in July - because that subscription option will be disappearing!

"Oh no," you cry, tears welling in your eyes. "How can I subscribe to WORD now!?"

Do not fear, dear WORDite. There are other options!

I've always had a direct email subscription and a direct RSS feed via Feedburner available; you can continue to subscribe there, as well as following me on Twitter and Facebook and all that jazz.

"But - but I want your posts with everything else," you moan, clutching your e-reader to your chest.

It's okay!

My personal choice for those looking for a new place to change their reader is Feedly, a Firefox extension that's also available as an app. It will shift your Google list directly into their feed and it's also a really pretty app.

But if you're not interested in that, Parajunkee and Radiant Shadows have created lists of other alternatives, and Data Liberation teaches how to manually take all of your stuff off of Google Reader.

Let me know where you guys move to! I'm curious to see where everybody will be.

The Twisted Tragedy of Miss Natalie Stewart

2013-03-19T09:00:00.000-04:00

The Twisted Tragedy of Miss Natalie Stewart
Author: Leanna Renee Hieber
Series: Magic Most Foul (#2)
Publisher: Sourcebooks
How Received: publisher copy

My review of Darker Still.

I'm coming for you.

The whispers haunt her dreams and fill her waking hours with dread. Something odd is happening. Something...unnatural.

Possession of the living. Resurrection of the dead. And Natalie Stewart is caught right in the middle. Jonathon, the one person she thought she could trust, has become a double agent for the dark side. But he plays the part so well, Natalie has to wonder just how much he's really acting.

She can't even see what it is she's fighting. But the cost of losing her heart, her sanity...her soul.

The thing I loved best about Darker Still - besides the ever-increasing stakes and thrills - was the relationship between the characters. Jonathon and Natalie knew that this was instalove, knew it probably shouldn't be, and decided to screw social norms - but be careful about it. They poked fun at the trope that so irritates me and then managed to pull of their own in a way that I didn't feel screwed over.

And like Darker Still, The Twisted Tragedy of Miss Natalie Stewart failed to disappoint in the area of relationships - and I don't just mean the one between Natalie and Jonathan. I loved the family dynamics of Evelyn and Natalie and her father and their adjustment to an ever-changing family life. I loved the friendship dynamics between Rachel and Natalie and Natalie and Maggie, and how each needed the other in different ways. I loved the relationship between Jonathan and Natalie and how Natalie worries about their relationship, questions it, questions them, and yet at the end of the day-

well, no spoilers. You'll have to see for yourself if they survive all of their trials and tribulations.

I loved the suspense throughout the story as well; I wasn't certain what was going to happen from moment to moment involving Jonathan's double agenting and Rachel's powers and Evelyn's actions. There was only one predictable occurrence, which is foreshadowed so heavily that even Natalie knows it (and yet she does nothing about it?), but it didn't take away from the rest of the story.

All in all, it was a fairly fast-paced paranormal romp that I rather enjoyed.

Overall Rating & Final Comments: 9/10. A few quirks here and there that irritated me, but an overall great book.

Have any of you read this or Darker Still?

Characterize: A Reflection

2013-03-18T09:00:00.000-04:00

A long time ago, I started a miniseries of posts called "Characterize," where we talked about strong characters and how they could subvert the norms - how 'strong female characters' is a silly phrase, how likability isn't a necessity, and a variety of other topics.

I figured I should write some sort of conclusion post for it, linking to all the posts - and yes, if that's all you want, just skim down and ignore the rest of this post.

But I think the best thing I got out of this, and the thing that's important to me, is that a well-developed character is the best thing you can have to read. Not in terms of if they're strong - because weak characters, and they they're weak, can be fascinating - and not in terms of if you like them - because if you don't like them, they're invoking a strong emotion. It's the ones that don't fall flat, who I don't forget when I turn the page.

Are there characters who stand out to you that don't fit the stereotype of "pretty, strong, likable?" Share in the comments, because that's a book I'll probably want to read!

The posts:
- Introduction
- Sean Ferrell on Neville Longbottom
- Nova Ren Suma on writing Ruby
- Sara from the Page Sage on likable protagonists.
- Julie Kagawa on writing strong characters.
- Donna from Bites on strong character arcs.
- Siobhan Vivian on strong female characters.
- Janice from Janicu Reads on emotionally strong characters.
- Jim Dean from YA Yeah Yeah on the Monstrumologist
- Nicole (me!) on the imaginary 'weak' female character

When bad covers happen to good books.

2013-03-15T09:00:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking a lot about book covers lately, especially bad covers.

This post is to honor those bad covers that happen to good books.

Enchanted Ivy:
I loved Enchanted Ivy, and the cover could have been really cool, even along the same lines with this one. But her legs. Where did they go?! There's not a place in the statue for them to disappear into, and... why? Why not have her stand next to the statue?

Mistwood:
Mistwood was a beautiful high fantasy novel and the cover makes it look like a weird paranormal romance; the fade-out girl, the weird texture of the trees on above the castle, none of it really works. I'd have loved to see a scene from the book mapped out, or something painted, something artistic - think of the stereotypical Tor cover.

Fat Cat:
The original Fat Cat cover was gorgeous and subtle, and this one just endorses every stereotype for covers of books with overweight protagonists. Bonus: it's not even a pretty stereotype!

The Nightshade series:
It pains me to talk about these covers because the original cover for Nightshade was a work of art on its own and this is just a faded out photoshopped mess. I don't know what they were thinking, but not only are they stereotypical, but they're hideous.

All of Simone Elkeles' books:
I've read a good handful of her work now and it's all fairly good. So why do they stick with this awkward-couple-on-a-black-photograph theme? I don't even know what to replace it with, but I know this is not a pretty thing!

The Hourglass series:
The covers for this series aren't terrible; visually, they're very pretty, as far as photographs go. But they don't line up with the book series very well, and the placement of the type and such on the cover seems weird to me. I get a very big Alice in Wonderland vibe from these covers, and while Hourglass was good, the book was nothing like that, despite the wonderland of time travel.

The Bloodlines series:
I was sticking to books that I had read up to this point, but I couldn't pass up the chance to complain about Richelle Mead's Bloodlines series. I'm a huge fan of her Vampire Academy series, and while the covers for those aren't perfect, they're better than this mess. I just have no idea what's going on - the colors are weird, the font is terrible, they're poorly Photoshopped... I don't know what they were thinking.

What books am I forgetting?

Interview: Nova Ren Suma (17 & GONE)

2013-03-14T09:00:00.000-04:00

Swinging by WORD today is Nova Ren Suma! Nova wrote Imaginary Girls and Dani Noir (aka Fade Out in paperback). Her newest novel, 17 & Gone, is coming from Dutton/Penguin on March 21 - and, if I may say so, it looks amazing!

Seventeen-year-old Lauren is having visions of girls who have gone missing. And all these girls have just one thing in common—they are 17 and gone without a trace. As Lauren struggles to shake these waking nightmares, impossible questions demand urgent answers: Why are the girls speaking to Lauren? How can she help them? And… is she next? As Lauren searches for clues, everything begins to unravel, and when a brush with death lands her in the hospital, a shocking truth emerges, changing everything.

Nicole: 17 & Gone looks amazing and slightly terrifying. What makes this different than your other books so far?
Nova Ren Suma: 17 & Gone is not what it seems. Maybe you could say the same about my last book, Imaginary Girls, but what feels different to me with this new one is how sneaky the disguise turned out to be. So sneaky, I myself didn’t realize until I was deep into writing and had one of those lightbulb epiphanies, changing everything. Talk about 17 & Gone being slightly terrifying!

N: I look forward to this twist! Spoiler free: who's your favorite character in 17 & Gone?
NRS: There’s an angry, volatile character in this story named Fiona Burke. She has dark hair dyed fire-red at the tips, and she despises pretty much everyone, which makes her kind of cathartic, even delightful, to write. When my narrator, Lauren, was a kid she witnessed her next-door neighbor Fiona run away from home under questionable circumstances. Fiona Burke was 17 years old, the same age Lauren is now. Since this is a novel about the missing, it’s no spoiler to say Fiona Burke’s whereabouts are a mystery that still haunt Lauren. And maybe still haunt me, too.

N: How hard is it for you to name characters?
NRS: I find boys harder to name than girls. Girls’ names I have bleeding out my ears; I collect them. It’s the boys who don’t want to be pinned down by a name. With 17 & Gone, I was having such trouble naming Lauren’s boyfriend—his name shifting every few days—that I finally gave up and chose the next thing that came to me. At the time I was writing this novel to an album playing on incessant repeat: xx by the xx. So that’s how Jamie found his name. He was named after one of the band members. Of course now I can’t imagine him being called anything else.

N: You're an author that also blogs! How do you balance that? What are some of the challenges?
NRS: Yes, I’m a blogger, too! And I know that fellow bloggers will understand how, while it can be time-consuming and take a lot of energy to keep a blog running regularly, especially when it involves coordinating themed series and guest posts with other contributors, there’s something exhilarating about doing all the work, too. It feeds me and my love of books. It makes me feel like a true part of this community. Which is why, even when I’m burned out and beginning to feel like no one’s really listening, even when I have those moments when I consider maybe closing up my blog and taking a breather, I remember. It’s all about connection. It’s about keeping the conversation about books and writing going, however I can help contribute. That’s why I feel committed to making time for blogging. I kind of love it, if you can’t tell.

N: Where did you come up with the name for Distraction 99?
NRS: I started my blog distraction99.com in 2005, before I was a published author and before I’d even started writing for teens. I am an easily distracted person (and keep in mind, this was before Twitter… just imagine how distracted I am now!), and the name of the blog was kind of a dig at myself: I had so many distractions that kept me from writing, and blogging was just one more: number 99 on a long list. (By now, my distractions are definitely well into the triple digits.)

N: Do you have advice for aspiring authors who are also bloggers?
NRS: This is personal to me, but the one thing I don’t do is review other authors’ books. I know there are some writers who are able to balance being critical of their peers with also being an author, but I can’t find that balance. It’s a simple conflict of interest for me, and being an author and writing my own fiction has always come first. So I find other ways to talk about books without reviewing. I host guest posts on themed topics. I do interviews. I ask for recommendations of books that deserve more buzz. I feature authors in other ways. If you’re a blogger who aspires to one day be writing and publishing books, not reviewing them, it’s something to consider even now.

N: Who are some of your favorite authors?
NRS: In YA I love Libba Bray, Gayle Forman, Jo Knowles, Nina LaCour, Laura Ruby, and Sara Zarr. I wouldn’t be the writer I am today without discovering Jean Rhys and Angela Carter and Aimee Bender when I was first attempting fiction and discovering my voice. And the author that changed my world and inspired me to write YA is Laura Kasischke, though I love pretty much everything she writes, no matter the shelf or marketing label.

N: If you had to travel to any other world, where would you go and how would you survive?
NRS: I’m intrigued by other planets. At the Launch Pad Astronomy Workshop I took with a group of other writers this past summer, we learned viable ways of one day terraforming the moon, Mars, Venus, and even one of the moons of Jupiter. Survival may just be possible, and it’s not so far off—just look at Mars One, which is planning a human settlement on Mars by 2023. I don’t think I’d be approved for that mission, since I barely have the life skills to survive outside New York City, but if you want to go, they’re apparently conducting a global search for Mars astronauts this year. Just keep in mind: You could never come home to Earth. Ever. If you go to the Red Planet with Mars One, you’re there for good. I couldn’t do that… could you?

Waiting on Wednesday: The Chaos of Stars

2013-03-13T09:00:00.000-04:00

Because we all have something we're waiting for.

The Chaos of Stars
Author: Kiersten White
Series: ---
Release Date: 10 September 2013

Isadora’s family is seriously screwed up.

Of course, as the human daughter of Egyptian gods, that pretty much comes with the territory. She’s also stuck with parents who barely notice her, and a house full of relatives who can’t be bothered to remember her name. After all, they are going to be around forever—and she’s a mere mortal.

Isadora’s sick of living a life where she’s only worthy of a passing glance, and when she has the chance to move to San Diego with her brother, she jumps on it. But Isadora’s quickly finding that a “normal” life comes with plenty of its own epic complications—and that there’s no such thing as a clean break when it comes to family. Much as she wants to leave her past behind, she can’t shake the ominous dreams that foretell destruction for her entire family. When it turns out there may be truth in her nightmares, Isadora has to decide whether she can abandon her divine heritage after all.

Did anybody else notice that the past few weeks of Waiting on Wednesdays have been from HarperTeen?

Four for you, HarperTeen. You go, HarperTeen.

This one looks as good as the rest; White's reputation is amazing, even though I haven't read any of her work. And this one sounds awesome! I love mythology and characters who seem to be able to kick ass - and hey, while I'm sure it's there, there's no mention of a romance plot.

I like it.

And that cover, that cover, is gorgeous!

What do you guys think?

By the way, this is going to be my last Waiting on Wednesday post! Don't worry -- I'll still be posting about books I want, but I'm morphing them into a once-a-month giant post.

Blogging In Real Life (6) (Or, blogger layout tricks.)

2013-03-12T09:00:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, I mentioned how blogging can help teach you how to code, and I linked to a few places that can teach you how to code.

But perhaps you're not interested in coding anything. You're only interested in coding for blogs.

Knowing how to work Blogger and Wordpress is a helpful skill; many sites host websites on Wordpress or blogs on Blogger, and the coding is similar enough that, once you've mastered it, you can carry it over to other sites. You can help run a blog for your library, for a local bookstore, for your school, for your fansite - or, really, for anything you can think of.

So for those who know it, you know how to do that! But for those who want to teach themselves by practicing on your blogs, here are some posts from fellow bloggers that teach you how to do lots of cool layout things.

Oh, Chrys! teaches how to do an image rollover effect.

Icey Books is teaching how to make a blog button with grab code and how to create custom blockquotes, like the quotation marks I use.

Radiant Shadows has a whole bunch of blogging tips, including a post on html basics.

Pure Imagination has too many posts to list them all, but some of the most helpful include a customized link bar, adding social media icons and things that slow your blog down from loading.

The Book Monsters also has a great list of tricks, including how to create hyperlinked footnotes, how to create a progress bar and how to create a drop-down navigation bar.

[EDIT] Small Review has a really long list of tips and tricks.

If you have posts that you've seen that should be added to this list, link me to them in the comments or on Twitter!

---

Don't forget, if you have a question for Blogging In Real Life, there's still time to submit!

Why do people plagiarize?

2013-03-11T09:00:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, there was another case of one blogger plagiarizing another. The plagiarizer was a teenage girl. I've seen it all at this point - adults, teens, kids, respected bloggers, new bloggers.

As the blogosphere tends to do, it began to be talked about on Twitter - exasperated cries and jokes and discussion about the issue. Was it just the YA blogosphere? (Other book sites said yes.) Was it just teenage girls? (No.) Was there anything we could do about it? (Not really, not in the short run.)

But what I talked about - with Pam and Mundie Moms and Megan and a few others was why? Why do people plagiarize?

We came up with two reasons.

The feeling of a community has been lost.
People lose focus of blogging. This is a fact; we know this. We probably, have some time, have gone through that. There have been posts recently on jealousy in blogging, on losing your blog mojo, and Tweets up the wazzoo supporting bloggers who are feeling iffy about their blogging.

Plagiarism often comes with the idea that it's the books that matter, the ARCs, the amount of followers you have, and people are desperate for that. We've lost the feel of a tight knit community and have begun to become obsessed with the size of our readership.

"Losing the focus of promoting a book takes the fun out of blogging. When you lose focus, you get caught up with the not-so-important reasons for book blogging." - @MundieMoms

The idea of just talking about books and immersing yourself with people who love them like you do has been lost to the idea of making a profit - with ARCs, with people reading you, with Tweeting with the right authors and the right people.

And with that, it leads into the second problem.

We live in a society of 'be somebody' instead of 'do something.'
There is a generational gap in the blogosphere. You can see that from the conversation I was having above; I'm somebody who's halfway through college having a conversation with parents and people who live their lives in the 'real world.' They do blogging for fun, because they love it.

My generation blogs because we've been told we have to; we need a social media presence! We need a website that displays our ability to write-read-observe-create! We need we need we need we need.

We live in a society where you can name celebrities and never remember the movies they've done; we live in a society where reality television does better than shows that are well-written with beautiful social commentaries.

"I often wonder how the online culture is impacting younger generations self-worth and therefore actions." - @MeganHooverATX

Plagiarism is wrong. We're taught that from a young age. Of course, we're taught that doing a lot of things are wrong, but celebrities get away from them - and we're taught that we need to be somebody, not to do something. And if we are somebody, we get ARCs! We get followers!

We live in a culture where followers determine your worth.

It doesn't make plagiarism okay, by any means. But it's good to note where these things come from.

Let's start subverting these problems.
Obviously, plagiarism is terrible. I hate people who do it. The reasons I've listed above are not excuses. But they're reasons that I know a lot of bloggers struggle with without turning to plagiarism.

There is a problem in our community right now. We are disjointed and competitive instead of together and supportive. (It's one of the reasons I started Reader's Report.) Perhaps it's because we're influenced by our media and our society, or because we've begun gnashing our teeth at differentiating opinions, or perhaps it's because… I don't know. Things I haven't thought of, perhaps. (I'm not all knowing.)

"You can't worry about numbers and who likes you and how many ARCs you have." - @MeganHooverATX

But we can work against it.

Stop caring about numbers and ARCs.

I'm aware that it sounds weird, coming from me; I have a decent sized following, and I have more ARCs than I know what to do with. But isn't that the point? I'm still trying to figure things out, thinking I can do better, and I have those numbers. There are still books I want to read and I get ARCs.

We need to actively work against this mindset that we need these ARCs; that we need to have a certain number of followers. While following is required for my giveaways, I don't do giveaways when I hit a certain number of followers. I try not to post too many Stacking the Shelves post and avoid reading those done by other people. When I go to BEA, I only snag those things that I'm supremely interested in.

Stop caring about the numbers. Start loving the bloggers who comment, the posts that you had fun writing.

Let's be a community again. And maybe, just maybe, everybody will stop being so competitive and start smiling a little more instead.

Related posts:
- WORD for Teens on blogger entitlement.
- WORD for Teens on plagiarism.
- Book Brats on jealous blogging.
- Radiant Shadows on blog haul jealousy.
- Parajunkee on how to ruin your blogging career.

Friday Fronts - Orleans

2013-03-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

I'm on a roll with dystopian covers lately, but I really like the cover for Orleans.

It seems silly to like. It's the generic dystopian cover: protagonist looks down at ruined city, giant title in emphatic font. But I like this for two reasons.

The first is that if you take the text away, the image is gorgeous. I love the ruined city thing, and this is pretty enough that I'd love to have my artwork on the wall.

The second is that, despite that they've gone with the silhouette style on this gorgeous cover, is that the lady on the cover looks more like a person of color than a white person, and considering how rare those are, I'll snag the little I can get.

What do you guys think?

Blogging In Real Life (5)

2013-03-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

"I truly believe that bloggers have a firmer grasp of the market than people working in the industry."

Today, Pam from Bookalicious is stopping by to talk about how she went from a fan to a blogger to a literary agent - without ever really meaning to!

Interested in going into the literary agency world? Take a look at what Pam has to say.

[EDIT] Since this interview, Pam has moved forward and helped found the new Foreword Literary agency!

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Tell us a little about you and your blog, for those who don't know who you are.
I started Bookalicio.us five years ago. I was all over the place and my 'reviews' were basically spoilery point by point what happened in the book. Seriously, if you don't want to read Inkheart but want to know what it is about just check out my review. Later, after I learned to write a bit better I settled into YA and MG as my focus and later created Bookalicious.org as a place for my reviews and reviews from friends. It is a collaboration. I also have a kick ass romance blog now.

Why did you start blogging?
We had just moved to America and I was bored. My husband doesn't read and I wanted to talk about books. I found a great community on Twitter after I started my book blog.

Tell us about your life as a supah-glamourous lit agent! Are you part of a bigger agency or an individual or what?
Oh it is so super glamorous. Just last night as I was on the phone with Johnny Depp (he has a new imprint at Harper and I have just the book for him) I told him I was feeling super glamourous. He laughed in that I'm an intellectual sexy man way and...

Okay, so that was my dream. I was dead tired after a day of contract reading, negotiations, and manuscript editing. I also have two kids. The Johnny dream came after I fell into bed at 1am with macaroni in my hair. But I wouldn't change my job for ANYTHING. Being an agent is a natural extension from being a blogger. I'm just advocating books in a different way now.

I am part of the Larsen Pomada Literary Agents which is the oldest agency on the West Coast. Michael Larsen and Elizabeth Pomada are New York City transplants and have 40 years of experience that help me do my job every day. I am forever grateful to them for taking a chance on an upstart book blogger.

Did you ever intend to become a literary agent when you started your blog?
No, I wanted to talk about books with friends. Later I had the idea that I wanted to be a publicist, I love books so much and I wanted to promote them. But not living in NYC puts a damper on things. I was surprised when Julie Kagawa's agent asked me if I wanted to apprentice to her.

Some of Julie Kagawa's books.
Did your blog help shape your literary agency experience?
Yes! I knew editors already. I already know the market in my areas of expertise And I know how to pitch after five years of being pitched to by my publicity friends. Without my blog I wouldn't have been able to catch on so fast.

Does blogging change your perception of certain books?
I am still able to MOSTLY keep my inner editor out of my blog reading. Bookalicious has always been about less critical reviewing and more recommendation. Did I enjoy the book? For what reasons? Was it worth my entertainment dollars which are hard to come by?

How did blogging help learn the market, if it did?
Absolutely. I truly believe that bloggers have a firmer grasp of the market than people working in the industry even. I've lost some of that touch. We get ARCs, we are scouring catalogs for new reads, and we are voracious for years in advance. We are the market.

Have you had any opportunities that you wouldn't have had without your blog?
Yes! Partnering with my local independent bookstore for one. Going to dinners with fancy authors and helping organize my local IBA conference. I mean, going to BEA even! I would have never done that as just-your-average-reader.

What's your favorite part about blogging?
The books, the friends, the feeling that my in my supreme nerdiness I am never alone.

What's your least favorite part about blogging?
The drama, the book whoring, and plagiarism.

What advice do you have to new bloggers?
Find your voice. Do what you love. Never let your blog become a chore, you DON'T have to be on a schedule or blog every day. I never have. Have fun!

What advice do you have to bloggers who want to use their blog in 'real people' stuff?
Go to book signings, your local independent bookstores, conferences for professionals. Join networks like the ones I joined early on: Northern California Book Marketing and Professionals. Take online internships with agents and publishers like Entangled.

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Don't forget, if you have a question for Blogging In Real Life, there's still time to submit!