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The heart of Young Adult Fiction descended into picturesque Charleston, SC on November 7, 2014 as 60 Young Adult authors, including 37 New York Times bestsellers, joined together for the 4th Annual Charleston Young Adult Book Festival ("YALLFest").Add a Comment
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Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Events, Teens: Young Adults, Aaron Hartzler, Adam Gidwitz, Ally Condie, Blue Bicycle Books, Brendan Reichs, Charleston, Disney-Hyperion, Epic Reads, featured, Gayle Forman, James Dashner, Jonathan Sanchez, Kathy Reichs, Libba Bray, Little Brown Books for Young Readers, Margaret Stohl, Melissa de la Cruz, Nikki Grimes, Penguin Teen, Pseudonymous Bosch, Rainbow Rowell, Random House Children's Books, Sara Zarr, Sarah Dessen, Stephanie Perkins, Veronica Roth, YALLFest, YALLFest14, Young Adult Fiction, Add a tag
Blog: A Fuse #8 Production (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Videos, 90 Second Newbery, Amy Ignatow, author videos, book trailers, Brian Biggs, CBC, Children's Literary Salon, David Wiesner, Dia, illustrator videos, James Kennedy, John Newbery, Jon Scieszka, Libba Bray, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Video Sunday, Add a tag
Here we are in the glory of spring. With all the beauty just ah-popping outdoors, what better time to sequester ourselves inside to watch mad videos about children's literature related affairs?
So first and foremost, you may have seen me make mention of the fact that I had a podcasting-related Children's Literary Salon last weekend. My Lit Salons are monthly gatherings of children's literature enthusiasts who come to the main branch of NYPL to watch me finagle different topics out of incredibly interesting people. People often ask me to record these, but at this time there is no place online for such talks to live. Happily, that problem was solved recently when Katie Davis (Brain Burps About Books) , John Sellers (PW KidsCast), and Matthew Winner (Let's Get Busy) came over and Matthew recorded the whole dang thing. This is, insofar as I know, the very FIRST time a moderated event has covered this particular topic (children's literature podcasts). With that in mind, enjoy!
"John Newbery ate every single book he ever read". That was going to be my subtitle for today's blog post. I may still have to use it at some point because it's one of the highlights of this James Kennedy / Libba Bray interaction at the recent 90-Second Newbery show here in NYC. For years, I've been sitting on my laurels with my Randolph Caldecott music video. Now I've been royally trumped and it's all thanks to the song "What Would John Newbery Do?" I can't top this.
And now, with the approach of the Children's Book Week Awards, time to break out the big guns. And these, ladies and gents, are some SERIOUSLY big guns!
Turns out the CBC collected a whole CHUNK of these videos and they're just out there! Like this one starring two of my favorite author/illustrators, Amy Ignatow and Brian Biggs. You must be SURE to stick around for the ghost of David Wiesner. And it backs up my theory that every person in my generation has one rap song memorized. Mine's "Shoop".
Nice use of "Rock Lobster" too.
We're about three days away from El día del niño, otherwise known as the day of the child. Unfamiliar with Dia? Not anymore. Here's a quickie recap for those of you who are curious:
Día means "day" in Spanish. In 1996, author Pat Mora learned about the Mexican tradition of celebrating April 30th as El día del niño, the day of the child. Pat thought, "We have Mother's Day and Father's Day. Yes! We need kids' day too, but I want to connect all children with bookjoy, the pleasure of reading." Pat was enthusiastically assisted to start this community-based, family literacy initiative by REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library & Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking. El día de los niños, El día de los libros/Children's Day, Book Day, also known as Día, is a daily commitment to link all children to books, languages and cultures, day by day, día por día. Many resources and an annual registry are available at the Association for Library Services to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). Every year, across the country, libraries, schools, and community organizations, etc. plan culminating book fiestas creating April Children's Day, Book Day celebrations that unite communities.
Join us!
Interested in participating? It's not too late. Best of all, here's a video from previous years of what folks have done in their libraries. Viva Dia!
We've sort of an embarrassment of riches this year in terms of trans boy picture books (see the 7-Imp recap of this very thing here). Now one of those books, Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress, has a book trailer that hits on the tone about right. Let's put it up on the big board!
Thanks to Fred Horler for the link.
This next one is a fictional tie-in to a nonfiction subject. Which is to say, a CCSS dream. I'm not usually on board with rhyming picture books, but this one actually gets away with it!
And for the off-topic video of the day, we all love Neil deGrasse Tyson. This is the video of him slowed down ever so slightly. He loves it. Shows it at his talks sometimes.
And for fun, you can watch the original here:
Blog: Galley Cat (Mediabistro) (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Awards, Mixtapes, Alethea Kontis, Aliette de Bodard, Andy Duncan, Brit Mandelo, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Cat Rambo, Catherine Asaro, Catherynne M. Valente, China Mieville, David Levithan, E.C. Myers, Guadalupe Garcia McCall, Helena Bell, Holly Black, Jay Lake, Jenn Reese, Kelly Barnhill, Ken Liu, Kim Stanley Robinson, Lawrence M. Schoen, Leah Bobet, Leah Cypess, Libba Bray, Maria Dahvana Headley, Mary Robinette Kowal, Meghan McCarron, N.K. Jemisin, Nancy Kress, Rachel Hartman, Rachel Swirsky, Robert Reed, Saladin Ahmed, Sarah Beth Durst, Tina Connolly, Tom Crosshill, Add a tag
The nominees for this year's Nebula Awards have been revealed, and we've collected free samples of all the nominees below–the best science fiction books of 2012.
Many of these stories are available to read for free online. These are marked "COMPLETE" among the links. Here's more about the awards:
The Nebula Awards are voted on, and presented by, active members of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. Founded as the Science Fiction Writers of America in 1965 by Damon Knight, the organization began with a charter membership of 78 writers; it now has over 1,500 members, among them many of the leading writers of science fiction and fantasy.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.Add a Comment
Blog: PowellsBooks.BLOG (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Shelf Talkers, Staff Pick, Children's Young Adult, Libba Bray, Add a tag
The Diviners is a deliciously creepy supernatural thriller set in 1920s New York. Bray does a masterful job creating memorable characters and setting the stage for the second book in the series. An impressive amount of research went into this novel, but Bray never overwhelms the reader with historical detail. Fifty pages in, I was [...]
Blog: The Librarian Writer (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Reader's Corner, Libba Bray, Beauty Queens, reading, book trailer, Add a tag
"I'd make a kick-ass beauty queen." November was a good reading month for graphic novels. I read Cardboard by Doug TenNapel, and a review is forthcoming, but let me tell you now, it is fantastic! I also read Tune: Vanishing Point by Derek Kirk Kim. Another review forthcoming, and again, it's fantastic. (But a head's up, it is for older teens and adults.) In audiobook news, I listened to
Blog: Galley Cat (Mediabistro) (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Authors, Writer Resources, Young Adult Books, Alan Moore, Barry Lyga, Dan Poblocki, Libba Bray, Stephen King, Add a tag
Have you ever written a scary story? In honor of the Halloween season, we are interviewing horror writers to learn about the craft of scaring readers. Recently, we spoke with author Barry Lyga.
Lyga (pictured) started off writing novels for an adult audience. When those particular manuscripts did not sell, he began penning stories for a teen audience. He established his publishing career with the release of his hit young adult novel, The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl. Check out the highlights from our interview below…
Q: How did you land your first book deal?
A: I had written a couple of adult-ish novels that no one seemed to want to publish. It's not they were bad — plenty of people liked them — they just weren't sparking anyone's interest. But a bunch of editors and agents who read them said, "Not yet — show me the next one." The next one was completely different from those adult books — a YA novel about a bullied, comic book-obsessed dreamer. But I proudly showed it off to every agent and editor I could, and this time the reaction was pretty astounding. Within a few months of finishing the book, I met my agent at a writers' conference. Within six months, she'd sold The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy & Goth Girl. It was sort of a whirlwind.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.Add a Comment
Blog: Biblio File (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Horror, Libba Bray, YA, historical fiction, paranormal, Fiction, Add a tag
The Diviners Libba Bray
At a party gone boring, restless flappers unknowingly raise a once-buried evil. In Ohio, a careless Evie reveals something she shouldn't and is sent to live with her Uncle Will in New York City until the scandal dies down. In New York, Memphis runs numbers by day and writes poetry by night. He used to be a healer, but lost the ability when it mattered most of all. Theta is a glamourous Ziegfried girl just trying to forget. Mabel's parents are communist organizers but all she wants is to catch the eye of Jericho, Uncle Will's assistant at the Museum of American Folklore, Superstition and the Occult, aka the Museum of the Creepy Crawlies.
It's 1926 and their stories collide as a gruesome serial murder strikes the city. Uncle Will is called in to aid the investigation as the murders are steeped in the occult. Evie knows her supernatural powers can help, but she'd rather drink and party to forget that she even has them. The investigation leads them to the Great Awakening, WWI, and beyond our world as commets and dreams are portents of things to come...
Sprawling and epic, this is paranormal/horror/historical fiction. It lacks the zany humor of Going Bovine or Beauty Queens but that's ok, because it would be really out of place here! The action and focus frequently shifts between characters and storylines, interspersed with set and mood pieces to paint a picture of the city, the country, and the time period. It's dark and atmospheric. I love how even though it's historical fiction, it's also haunted (literally and metaphorially) by history, especially Sprititualism and the Great Awakening movements, both of which appear in US history classes but can be hard to make sense of in a broad survey class setting. I loved the miltary mesting aspect. We tend to see army conspiracies and top secret projects taking place in WWII, but not WWI.*
Now the immediate storyline wraps up by the end of the book, but it's also very very very much the first in a series. Lots of smaller plots become larger questions that are no where near answered by the end. In the hands of a less skilled author, this entire project would be a hot mess, but Libba Bray makes it brilliant and spooky.
*This makes sens because WWII saw things like the Holocaust, Unit 731, Enigma, and the Manhattan Project. Also, the post-WWII era saw the space age and TV and was such a period of massive change that military secrets in the recent war made more sense, storytelling wise. It was tapping into a different psyche.)
ARC Provided by... the publisher, at ALA.
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Blog: readergirlz (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Whatcha Reading, Lorie Ann Grover, libba bray, Beauty Queens, Kindle, M.T. Anderson, Feed, Add a tag
Now that I'm back home, the top of my to-read stack is Libba Bray's Beauty Queens and a celebration release of M.T. Anderson's Feed. Can't wait to get to both! What's on your stack this last month of summer?
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Blog: JACKET KNACK (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Libba Bray, book cover design, M.T. Anderson, Add a tag
Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to another round of Jacket Knack's Face Off. This month, we've pitted two well known, award winning authors with mixed portfolios against each other. Both Libbra Bray and M. T. Anderson write historical and contemporary fiction for young adults, and short stories too. And they've both won distinguished literary awards and honors for their works.
Let's inspect their YA covers (first edition, hardcover publication) and see what faces show up.
By Libba Bray:
Published December 9th 2003 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Published August 23rd 2005 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Published December 26th 2007 by Random House Children's Books
Published September 22nd 2009 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Published May 24th 2011 by Scholastic Press
Now Anderson's covers:
Published March 3rd 1997 by Candlewick
Published August 4th 1999 by Candlewick
0 Comments on Face Off, Round Two: Bray v. Anderson as of 4/2/2012 9:44:00 AM
Blog: Paranormal Point of View (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Leslie Rose, Libba Bray, book review, Julie Musil, Contest, Beauty Queens, Add a tag
Me: So what did you think of the book?
Me: *Cringes away from blinding reflection off teeth* How did the story makeyou feel?
Sounds awesome! I know I've read several books by her already... can't wait for this one.
Yup, I looked her up. I read the trilogy! Picked up the first book at the bookstore, and bought the other two as soon as they were out. Can't believe I didn't remember that! My mind must be going.
Whoa! Lisa, are you psychic? I JUST started reading this book last night. I only got through the first chapter before I passed out from exhaustion, but I can't wait to dive back in.
I'd LOVE an autographed copy, so here's a fun fact about me: I have moved 26 times in my life. Yep.
What a fun idea! Beauty Queens is at my library and is on my list to read, so no need to enter me in the contest. :)
Awesome review! And as I definitely want to continue to be your friend, is now a must read!! :-)
Fun fact about me -- I have a star named after me. Actually, it's named after my family, Sipal. I won the Spacecoast Author's of Romance Launching a Star contest a while back and this was the prize. But my kids thought it was so cool that I had the star named simply Sipal rather than my full name to include them as well! (As they are now teens, they've probably decided it's an embarrassment! :-)
He he. Since I live in Canada, I don't have to strain my brain for the answer. I want to read this book once my TBR pile is slightly smaller. :D
I've heard so much about this story!
Fun fact: I'm relentless in a car - I sing and wave at people. Yeah, it's a great way to irritate my kiddos. :) Payback...
Ooh, I've been wanting to read this! Fun fact--my hair is naturally curly.
Miss Writer's Block!!! I love that!!! It's so fun to read these fun facts, and I'm so excited about our contest. You diva, you!
LIBBA BRAY, WE'RE CALLING YOU!!!!!! (stalking, obsessing, whatever)
Oh I loved Going Bovine, and that's why I wanted to read Beauty Queens too. I'm glad to know you loved it!
I'm not going to participate because you know, I don't live in the U.S.
But I think it's a great idea! Good luck! :D
Oh, crap, I forgot the fun fact! I'm a Zumba instructor. When I'm not chained to my laptop writing, I'm bouncing all over everywhere, shaking my hips.
I'm also married to a college president... makes me a first lady. Not too many first ladies are also Zumba instructors, I'd wager.
What an awesome contest! Libba Bray's my favorite author; 'A Great and Terrible Beauty' is actually the book that got me to start reading. So I can't even imagine getting the chance to have a book that's been signed by her!
My fun fact: I can not listen to "Dancing Queen" by Abba without crying.
I really have to get this book! Sounds like a blast - and you've definitely got great taste in authors! :)
I have the book and look forward to reading it. Good luck to the entrants. :)
What fun!
I'm in Australia so I can't enter, but I do have a fun fact:
I can get the lids off jars.
With my bare hands.
(Sometimes I scare myself.)
Oh gosh. *fangirl squeal* I loved the Gemma Doyle trilogy! I can't wait to read Beauty Queens! Um, talk about myself? Okay! Sometimes, when I get mad? I swear in French so no one else knows what I'm saying. *shrug*
Fab picture of you and the AMAZING Libba Bray, LIsa. Can I photoshop myself in? Fun Fact - I have no clue how to use Photoshop. Oh, wait I can't enter, I'm one of the pretty blogs giving away the prize. Oops.
I can tickle myself. Now I really want to know how that works. :)
Fun Fact: I'm severely directionally handicapped and get lost several times a year. My husband gets worried everytime I travel outside our hometown and insists I take the GPS, so I can at least get back home.
I've been wondering about this book, now I'm really curious and really want to read it! And seriously, you can tickle yourself? That is awesome.
Fun Fact: I start conversations in the middle of sentences. Even Funner: some of my closest friends can still follow the conversation. ;)
I rarely read YA (so immersed in MG usually) but this one has such a great sense of humor, judging by the cover photo. So I could certainly be tempted...
You don't have to enter me into the contest because I already have a signed copy. :) I'm excited to read it! This post was hilarious.
Oh, I loved this novel! It is hilarious. And Libba Bray's keynote was so awesome at SCBWI LA. Someone will be a very lucky winner indeed.
Sounds like an awesome read! Great fun facts :)
Uh, my answers so far on Julie's and Leslie's really have NOT been appropriate for Miss Teen contest. So for your post, I'm actually digging back into my teen years. No wait, that fact is too embarrassing. Okay, here's a safer one. Fun fact about teenage Margo: she used to bring lizards to school with her and sometimes let them run loose in class. Amazingly, my teachers maintained a high level of tolerance toward this behavior.
Blog: Blue Rose Girls (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: You Will Be My Friend, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, alvina, The Diviners, Libba Bray, Land of Stories, Laini Taylor, Chris Colfer, Peter Brown, books alvina has edited, book trailer, Add a tag
I'm in the throes of editing hell...actually, I'll rephrase that--I'm in editing HEAVEN! Just a whole lot of it at once, is all. But the books are SO GOOD, and this is the meaty part of my job that I love the most. Speaking of, I've been meaning to update my "How I Edit" post from almost exactly five years ago, as technology has changed my process somewhat. Perhaps that will be for next week.
What I was working on this past weekend specifically was finishing up an editorial letter for the first book in Libba Bray's new four-book series, The Diviners. It's a YA historical paranormal with hints of horror (okay, more than just hints) set in New York City in the 1920s. Flappers, Ziegfeld's Follies, speakeasies, political protests, secret government experiments, cults, ghosts, supernatural powers, and oh yes, a serial killer. It's magnificent, and coming out next Fall.
This past weekend I've also been working on Chris Colfer's middle grade novel The Land of Stories, coming out next August. It's a fantastical adventure to a fairytale land, and it's a page-turner, with unexpected twists and turns, a lot of heart, and best of all it's funny. I was reading it on the subway and found myself chuckling out loud at the dialogue. I'm excited for the world to see that this kid can write as well as he can sing. And boy, do I love his voice (I can listen to his version of Blackbird all day).
So, while I keep editing, I wanted to share with you two trailers that were released recently. The first is for Peter Brown's hilarious new picture book You Will Be My Friend!, starring Lucille Beatrice Bear, who some of you might remember from his last book, Children Make Terrible Pets. You Will Be My Friend launched earlier this month, and on Saturday I attended his book launch party at Powerhouse Studio in DUMBO. And as Lucy would say, OH! MY! GOSH! This is the cutest trailer EVER!
This second trailer is for Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone which officially pubs tomorrow! Happy early book birthday! There's been an incredible amount of excitement and buzz for this book, and the love, especially from bloggers, has been tremendous (and well-deserved, although I may be biased...).
Isn't that cool?
Okay, back to work!
Blog: readergirlz (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: steampunk, Cory Doctorow, cassandra clare, Garth Nix, Scott Westerfeld, libba bray, Holly Black, Kelly Link, M.T. Anderson, Candlewick, Add a tag
You know we love steampunk at readergirlz. We had a blast with Scott Westerfeld, right? Well, how about a collection of steampunk short stories by some more of our favorite, favorite YA authors? You'll recognize many from our rgz Circle of Stars, past guests and contributors. Grab your goggles, because this collection by Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant delivers!
So, what will you find in Steampunk: An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories? How about mystery, murders, and machines? Worlds of gears and steam in amazing new locations from the minds of 14 writers: M. T. Anderson, Holly Black, Libba Bray, Shawn Cheng, Cassandra Clare, Cory Doctorow, Dylan Horrocks, Kathleen Jennings, Elizabeth Knox, Kelly Link, Garth Nix, Christopher Rowe, Delia Sherman, and Ysabeau S. Wilce.
How fun to find new authors I hadn't discovered before among old friends, all writing speculative fiction which often left me with chills. This quote from Cory's short story "Clockwork Fagin" really captures the collective atmosphere of Steampunk!:
"For machines may be balky and they may destroy us with their terrible appetite for oil, blood, and flesh, but they behave according to fixed rules and can be understood by anyone with the cunning to look upon them and winkle out their secrets. Children are ever so much more complicated."
Perfect, right? With three starred reviews already, look for this release October 11th!
Steampunk!: An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories
edited by Kelly Link and Gary J. Gavin
Candlewick Press, 2011
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Blog: Creative Chaos II (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: libba bray, book review wednesday, Add a tag
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I am a note taker. The fact that I took absolutely no notes during Libba Bray's recent speech at SCBWI's 40th Anniversary Conference in LA has nothing to do with a lack of content and everything to do with the fact that I was laughing hysterically. When I started reading her most recent young adult release, Beauty Queens, I knew I could expect more laughs. How could you not when the author started with the premise, "A plane full of beauty queens crashes on a deserted island." What Ms. Bray has ended up with (in addition to marvelous humor and witty satire) is a smart and biting commentary on feminism, beauty, motherhood, and commercialization in our modern world.
Now before you groan and go get a cheese sandwich let me say that what is masterful about this book is how none of this is shoved down your throat. There are wonderful, imaginative, quirky characters here. Through tight and realistic dialogue and a fresh structure, Ms. Bray takes readers behind the stereotypes, behind the masks of her main characters allowing us to glimpse their heart and soul, their fears and vulnerabilities.
There is no "message" here, but there is theme. Theme comes after the book is written. Theme is the questions that the text forces each reader to ask but leaves each reader to answer. "Can girls (and boys) be themselves in our current culture?" "Has corporate greed corrupted the media?" "What is beauty?" "Has the beauty industry run amok?" "What are we doing to empower girls and boys in our current commercial culture?" "How do our parents shape us? Can we be us- apart from them?" "How does our sexual schizophrenia (American puritanical/commercialized) effect our sexuality and health?" "What is the responsibility of our elected officials in all of this?"
If you are teaching Lord of the Flies this year, I highly recommend that you included Beauty Queens, as a comp lit piece. The discussion opportunities would be endless. And while you're at it, add in Golden Kite Winner Tanya Lee Stone's The Good, The Bad and The Barbie. By the way, I was so engrossed in Beauty Queens that again I failed to take notes. However I did underline a favorite quote on page 177:
"Maybe girls need an island to find themselves. Maybe they need a place where no one's watching them so they can be who they really are."
Ah, yes, Libba. An island-- or a room of one's own.
Blog: Adventures in Children's Publishing (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Libba Bray, Writers' Book Talk, Add a tag
Today marks the first of our Writers' Book Talks, and the first book we're going to do is
Libba Bray's Going Bovine. Here's what Goodreads has about it:
Going Bovine by Libba Bray
All 16-year-old Cameron wants is to get through high school—and life in general—with a minimum of effort. It's not a lot to ask. But that's before he's given some bad news: he's sick and he's going to die. Which totally sucks. Hope arrives in the winged form of Dulcie, a loopy punk angel/possible hallucination with a bad sugar habit. She tells Cam there is a cure—if he's willing to go in search of it. With the help of a death-obsessed, video-gaming dwarf and a yard gnome, Cam sets off on the mother of all road trips through a twisted America into the heart of what matters most.
On a slightly unrelated note, the above paragraph, would make a great query letter, wouldn't it? It sets up the plot, the inciting incident, and the main characters, and it even gives you a good idea of the voice in which the story is told.
What the summary above doesn't set us up for is that the story tips its hat to Cervantes' Don Quixote de La Mancha, but twists that around to very overtly give us a microcosm of some issues facing kids today. In the Cervantes story, the antihero, Don Quixote, read too many novels and overdosed on chivalry, honor, glory, and knights errant much the way kids (and many adults) today overdose on video games or movies. Convinced the real world sucks because it doesn't live up to his expectations, Don Quixote sets off to win some glory of his own in honor of the fair peasant maiden Dulcinea. Accompanied and constantly berated by his skewed perception of the world and his trusty "squire" Pancho, Don Quixote creates nothing but disaster for everyone he tries to help at first. All the while that he battles through his adventures, we see Don Quixote's madness. Even he seems dimly aware of it in brief glimpses of sanity, until eventually, he comes to see the world more realistically at the end and, declaring himself sane, makes us wonder if he ever was crazy or only faking. Cervantes pulls off a masterpiece of slight-of-hand, leaving the reader constantly questioning.
Libba Bray achieves a similar bit of trickery. We're never quite sure whether her stoner antihero, Cameron, is lying in a hospital bed slowly having his brain eaten away by mad cow disease, or if he is in fact running around saving the world. The closer he comes to death, the more he becomes engaged in life, in his family, and in the love he starts to feel for Dulcie, the angel who guides him, watches him, and ultimately needs saving herself. But as with Don Quixote's Dulcinea, we're never completely sure if Dulcie or anything Cameron sees is real. There are glimpses of events in the hospital that break through into the quest action (hero's journey) throughout the book, but then there are several places, the phone calls to the parents, for example, where reality and quest intersect in ways that can't be explained. In the same way that Cervantes u
I've heard so much about this book, and I think you've convinced me to move it up my TBR list. Sounds really amazing!
Loathed the idea of the book, the execution and the content. This is one of those books that gets a reputation for being deep or meaningful not because of its own merit, but rather because someone decided that anything this convoluted and "edgy" (as in needlessly vile) must be beyond the comprehension of your average reader. It's not.
Have to say I loathe anonymous comments. If you don't have the courage to say what you have to say and be open about it, not sure it needs saying here. But that said (sorry, couldn't resist) I do understand your point, and I'm not ordinarily a fan of those kind of books either. But I wouldn't lump Going Bovine in with those. It's too tongue-in-cheek, and too much just plain fun. From the first line to the end of the book, there are just too many laugh-out-loud moments, too many brilliant lines pointing out the absurdity of the world around us and the things that we (humans collectively) have done to ourselves and each other.
I will confess that I loved the first line, read the first few chapters then put it down for a LONG time. The first chapters are kind of slow, and Cameron is definitely an antihero. I kept waiting for things to happen, not realizing until later what Libba Bray was doing within those opening chapters. Once I picked it up again and settled in for the ride, I loved it.
I didn't read this because it parallels Don Quixote, or because it's a great, wacky example of how to twist a hero's journey, or any other erudite, high-brow reasons. I loved it because Libba Bray is wickedly funny, because I can't resist the idea of a Norse god trapped in the body of a garden gnome, and Emily Dickenson's idea of angels as hope. I love the thought that we trap ourselves in snowglobe vignettes. And for so many more reasons I can't name them all.
Sure, there are some things that make you question. One I didn't bring up earlier and I'm sure someone else will point out, was the idea that a bunch of physicists would let Cameron do what they did let him do. (Remind me to tell you all the story of my dad, the nuclear physicist, letting my then 5-year-old daughter ride her bike to her friend's house 1 mile away while he was babysitting.) Or any of the other things that Libba put in there. Are these deliberate nudges to let us know that we aren't really along on a physical journey? That's part of the fun.
No one, least of all Libba Bray, I suspect, is suggesting that this is beyond the average reader. She wrote a story and invited us with a wink, a nudge, and a shove, to look around at where we are. Monty Python does the same thing. I think they are both brilliant. If we can't laugh at ourselves, we need to pack up our toys and go home.
Humm sounds like a good read! Thanks.
I agree: the paragraph has the makings of a great query. It's hooked me into wanting to read more, which is the whole point.
-- Tom
Libba reminds me of a YA John Irving. The characters are off the wall but with very real elements, fears, situations. It's enough out there to be very funny and there is a deeper meaning underlying it all.
I find the surrealism to be refreshing and engaging. Maybe not everyone's cuppa, but, then again, what is?
I already have and read Beauty Queens. Loved it even more. It's the feminist in me, I suppose.
Sarah Laurenson
(P.S. Sorry to be Anonymous. Blogger isn't liking me this morning)
That's a great point about the real elements and fears of the characters grounding the surreal and fantastical elements of the plot. I think most truly successful fantasies have characters who are more "real" and relatable even than many contemporary characters.
What do you all think? Is this an important element of fantasy?
I've heard so many great things about this book - and it's been on my wishlist for ages. I've got to get to it! :)
Ooo! I'd love to read BEAUTY QUEENS. :) What a cool opportunity!
I hadn't read GOING BOVINE yet so Friday I ran around looking for it in local bookstores (gah! southern Oregon is a dearth of bookstores, but I digress) as well as the library. The ONLY copy for the entire county was checked out at the library, as was the e-copy. Sigh.
So I did the next best thing--Amazon! They actually have the first 100 pages there under "Look Inside" with a page missing every 7 pages or so (not a big deal). Thus, I didn't get to read the entirety, or the end, but I read up to the point where Cameron's in the hospital and the dwarf kid is his roomie.
Anyway, when I first started reading the book, I remembered I'd read the first 2 chapters once, and had enjoyed Libba Bray's IMMENSELY creative writing style. Ho!--so funny and what a wicked wit she has. She has an imagination and a half. But I remember not liking the language and off-color stuff; I tend to be less enthusiastic about books that constantly drop F-bombs and make references to a guy's physical reactions to seeing a hot girl. I just don't see it as necessary in YA--but then, others may argue that it makes it more realistic. *shrug* Just my personal preference. This is probably what the first Anonymous was referring too--trying to be "edgy" and hip while really just being crass. I'd rather read and create literature without being crass (tho yes, it can be humorous, along the lines of Monty Python and Austin Powers).
Fascinating, about the journey and how it was dreamlike, and might not have happened. I don't think I would've minded that in THIS novel; I wouldn't have felt "cheated" or tricked. So Libba did that well. I still REALLY wanted to know how Cameron got the mad cow disease, even though I know it's not the point of the story! ;o)
I'd agree that truly successful fantasies have very REAL characters. The world is ultra real, and the characters too. That's related to the skill of the writer, to bring it all to life in colorful 3D!
Okay, I've blathered on enough. :)
Loved Going Bovine. Love Libba Bray. She does YA voice like nobody's business!
I'm actually surprised by the amount of negativity in the negative reviews I've read on the book. I thought it was wonderful. I think Libba Bray has a wicked sense of humor that shines through in her characters.
I'd never read a book quite like this one so in my review on Goodreads I compared it to a couple of movies it reminded me of, Big Fish and Oh Brother, Where Art Thou. Both of which are a bit mystical and handle some difficult subjects with humor.
I run a Not-So-Young Adult Book Club at the library I work at, and used this book for my first meeting! We had a ton to talk about it...lots of issues are brought up in this novel, and I found it to be a great one for a book club for adults and teens.
Lisa, That is a great comment. It did have that kind of strong energy, didn't it? Thanks for making me start thinking about it that way.
Anne, I completely agree. She is among the most creative, imaginative writers working today, mind-boggling really. And she "gets" voice in a way that leaves me awed.
libguru, it's fantastic that you have a group that can talk about a book like this. I'm jealous! :D
Blog: Kristi Helvig YA Author (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: libba bray, kristi, Add a tag
Fun Summer Pick #2: As I said last week, I thought I'd give a run down of my favorite reads from this summer. What makes this week's pick a perfect beach read is that the majority of the book takes place on a beach--not the kind of beach I'd want to inhabit, but a beach nonetheless. I give you my second summer pick: BEAUTY QUEENS by the uber-talented Libba Bray.
The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras. But sadly, their airplane had another idea crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner.
What's a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program--or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan--or learn to run wild? And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up?
Kristi's take: This was my first book by Libba Bray, although her others are all on my TBR list. I'll admit that I picked this book up and put it down again several times before deciding to go with it. The premise seemed so over-the-top and wacky that I wasn't sure it was for me. I'm SO glad I gave this book a shot. The characters, plot, and setting are completely over the top, but that's sort of the point of satire. I laughed out loud throughout the entire book, and especially loved her footnotes and contestant profiles inserted in the chapters. Issues such as consumerism, commercialism, feminism, terrorism and some other "isms" I probably missed are addressed, but with a witty and hilarious vibe. If you like your sarcasm sharp and your humor intelligent, this book is for you. I loved it and will be moving her other books to the top of my list.
Blog: Paranormal Point of View (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Donna Jo Napoli, Judy Blume, SCBWI LA, Laurie Halse Anderson, Libba Bray, Norton Juster, Add a tag
First things first! The winner of the DAMNED ARC is Margo! I'll be emailing you with details...
Now, I've had several people ask me to give my thoughts about the conference. I know there is already so much out there about the phenomenal speakers and content. 40 years! Just look at that dessert above from the Golden Kite luncheon. It was truly an amazing time. The sheer number of icons had me absolutely dazzled and in awe. So I'm going to share a few of these people with you and what they mean to me.
- Judy Blume. How can I even begin to describe what it was like to be so close to THE Judy Blume? The woman was so gracious, so kind, so intelligent, and so very REAL. The first novel I think I ever read was Are You There God? It's me, Margaret. I remember that special feeling of being entirely wrapped up in Margaret's world. I loved it. I loved it so much that I never stopped reading and seeking new worlds with new characters. Hearing about Judy's process and journey was inspiring beyond belief.
- Norton Juster. The first fantasy book I ever read was The Phantom Tollbooth. It was also the first book I ever read more than once. I had the opportunity to tell Norton Juster that, to which he looked me dead in the face and replied, "Fantasy? That's my life." How can I not love him? How can I not love a book that's remained AMAZING after 50 years, and that my own son loves just as much as I did? I think I might have to go read it again...
- Laurie Halse Anderson. Speak. She gave voice to difficult subject matter that may make some uncomfortable, but saves lives on a daily basis. At the conference, she taught me to embrace my creative need for self-expression, and to nurture the "seed" in my soul.
- Donna Jo Napoli. Her speech was possibly my favorite. And that's really saying something as I gave more standing ovations than I have in my life. It was titled: How Writing About Terrible Things Makes Your Reader a Better Person. And she spoke to not just those who need to see others who've gone through similar things, but to the sheltered who benefit from exposure to truths beyond their own.
- Libba Bray. I saved my favorite for last of course. My hero. Her speech was just as amazing as I hoped and so was she. Funny, intelligent, friendly, and talented. Libba - I would have voted you Prom Queen in high school. I'm just sayin'. She let us know that even the super stars go through rough times, and are plagued by self-doubt.
Gah, that's awesome! One of these days I want to make it to the NY or LA conference. One day ...
Oh that sounds so cool! And the dessert looks DELICIOUS!
I'm so glad you decided to do a post on this, Lisa. I loved experiencing these fabulous authors from your POV. It's been a couple of years (or more) since I've been to a pure writer's conference, but I felt that same rush and inspiration reading along here! :-)
So cool! I can't wait until I get to go to conferences, but right now school's just too oppressive. Yes, that's my word. Oppressive. :)
That sounds amazing. I'm with Bethany Elizabeth; I can't wait to go to one!
Meredith - at least the Florida regional conferences sound like a lot of fun! I have a good time at ours too.
Jess - IT WAS, I dipped the berries in the cream inside the book... YUM
Susan - :D I'm so glad!!
Bethany - Oppressive! How sad. :( I recall school for the most part being fun. :(
Kelley - You should! It's a great experience if you can manage it. I know it's pricey though.
You're such a Diva! <3 (loved that story)
It sounds like the whole event was amazing, inspirational, crazy, fun.....
Wow, that's some lineup! I wish I could have been there with you!
WOWWWW!!! that was one seriously star-studded conference. I am going out today and rectifying a huge lack in my life: the Phantom Tollbooth. It's been on my TBR list for a while, but shame on me for not getting to it yet.
Excited about winning the book! Thanks for hosting that giveaway!
Julie - YES I too love that story. AHEM. :D
Heather - Sometime maybe!
Margo - You can't go wrong by reading Phantom Tollbooth.
Wow, what an amazing time! Just being in a room with all of those incredible writers...the creative energy must have been bursting out of the window cracks :)
Am jealous...so happy for you.
Absolutely fantastic.
Judy Blume and Laurie Halse Anderson under the one roof? I would have exploded with joy.
Conferences are wonderful. listening to the speakers and attending workshops always sets off lightbulbs in my brain.
Jess - It really did feel that way!
Dean - you should go sometime.
Ebony - That would have been messy. :D
I had original planned to go to LA this year, but ended up going to NYC for the RWA. Sounds like I missed a great conference. :(
Sometimes with so many terrific authors it's too hard to write a post on highlights!
It was a constant state of being in the presence of greatness at the conference. The writing bar is raised and inspiration abounds.
I love, love, love that connection with accomplished writers, to see that they struggle just like we do. So inspiring.
And that DESSERT?? Seriously, I had to stare it a while to realize it was really an edible thing, not just a work of art.
Sigh. Maybe next year...
Stina - And yet I missed RWA, so I guess we're even!
Laura - It IS hard, that's why it took so long.
Leslie - I'll keep jumping, until my knee gives out anyway. Then I'll crawl over and drag a ladder...
Susan - I KNOW I felt guilty taking a bite of it. The coolest part was that it opened like a book. Do you think the whipped cream inside was a statement about my writing? LOL!
Thanks a bunch for sharing!!! I'm glad I didn't miss this post.
oh and that desert... :D
Blog: The Official SCBWI 10th Annual New York Conference Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Libba Bray, LA11, Add a tag
Libba Bray (BEAUTY QUEENS, A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY, Printz Award winner GOING BOVINE, and more) sets the scene...
You spend several hours writing, you hold off on the M&Ms, your poetic ovaries shutter with creative life. Then next day you open up that same manuscript...and the characters have all the depth of a Colorforms sticky. Your plot twist is pedestrian. You despair. You think there's just one way out of this: fake your own death.
I'm here to be bring you good news, (just like Jesus), Libba says: your novel probably does suck. It's OK--embrace the suck. Gettting it wrong is a necessary part of getting it right.
Libba talks about spending all day every day writing a novel that was ALL WRONG. She turned it in six months late and then got a 12 page, single spaced editorial letter calling out the wrong. She revised for months. And months. 12 or 13 hours a day. She gained 20 lbs. The novel had also put on weight--ballooning to 900 pages. And it still was not right, she says. But she soldiered on. And after more painful revision and bouts of self-doubth, she eventually got it right.
Here are some of Libba's suggestions on getting through getting it wrong:
- Gather your tools for survival. Your book is in there, buried under the book you hate. Find the tricks that help you dig it out (play lists, writing groups, Pop-tarts...)
- Ignore external voices. That thing you are writing it awesome--it's the only thing that matters. What's hot doesn't matter.
- Lower your standards. Your writing will never be perfect. If you strive for perfection, you're setting yourself up for failure. Don't stive for perfect; strive for better.
- Be open to changing format. Maybe you need to change your point of view. Or write in verse. Or change tense. Find what works for your story.
Blog: The Official SCBWI 10th Annual New York Conference Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Libba Bray, lady stache off, LA11, Add a tag
Blog: The Official SCBWI 10th Annual New York Conference Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: jim benton, conference goers, NY10, autograph party, Libba Bray, Jacqueline Woodson, Jane Yolen, Suzanne Young, Add a tag
A couple shots of the Autograph Party winding down.
Blog: Biblio File (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Libba Bray, YA, Printz, Fiction, Add a tag
Going Bovine Libba Bray
I wasn't expecting to like this one. I wasn't a huge fan of A Great and Terrible Beauty, which is the other Bray I've read. Some people I know loved Going Bovine, and some didn't. Most of the criticisms were things where I thought "ok, that's also stuff that bugs me in a book." So, I figured this one wasn't for me. And then it won the Printz, so I felt obligated to read it.
And! Yay! I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed it!
For those who don't know, Cam is an apathetic teen who gets mad cow disease. He embarks on a road trip with his friend Gonzo and a yard gnome who's really a Norse God. Along the way he's helped by a punk rock angel. Cam is not the most likable of characters, but that doesn't mean he's not believable as a character. He's selfish before he finds out he's dying, and when he gets sick, he doesn't see it as an experience to turn his life around. Instead, he gets pissed off. Which, while not likable and not what we tend to see in books, is frankly, the same thing I would do.
I didn't like Cam in the beginning, but I loved his voice, so I didn't mind that I didn't like him. I really liked Cam by the end.
I most loved the happiness cult and what the snow globe company does to protect people. (Yeah, that's vague, but I don't want to spoil it.)
This draws a lot of inspiration from Don Quixote, which I haven't read (but I have read a few plot summaries, and seen the Animaniacs version). Bray's not shy about the Don Quixote connections (Cam's reading it for school) and c'mon! The angel is named Dulcie!
My one complaint is that much of the tension comes from wondering if Cam's adventures real or a hallucination brought on by his brain's disintegration. The truth is too obvious too early. I wanted her to stretch that out further. While I knew what was what, I didn't want my feelings to be confirmed that early...
The other was the end, which I'll talk about here, because MAJOR SPOILAGE.
But overall? A really great book that's really enjoyable on the surface, but underneath lurks an homage to great literature and lots of other little things that make it secretly amazing.
Book Provided by... my local library
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I've been curious about this one for a while but tended to not pick it up because, as you mention, I wasn't a huge fan of Bray's A Great And Terrible Beauty. I fully expected to love that novel and I just... didn't. Still, this sounds interesting -- and I like the Quixote parallels! Might look into it! :)
I wasn't a fan of Great and Terrible Beauty, but this one hit me just right at exactly the right time: I thought it was hilarious, touching, and plain weird and couldn't put it down.
Blog: Beth Kephart Books (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: YALSA, Libba Bray, Going Bovine, 2010 Printz Award, Add a tag
utterly remarkable talk by Libba Bray on the occasion of her Printz Award win (for Going Bovine). I had met her, but only briefly, at ALA, and been utterly charmed. But one must listen to this entire talk to get a full sense of who Libba Bray is—gracious and wickedly funny, spontaneous and utterly prepared, entirely human and extra-stellar, a writer and a performer.
This is speaking at its best and joy at its utmost.
Thanks for sharing it -- it sounds wonderful, so I'll definitely have to go check it out.
I really enjoy her books, too. Going Bovine is wild, crazy, hilarious, and thought-provoking.
Blog: Beth Kephart Books (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: YA novels, Looking for Alaska, Libba Bray, ReaderGirlz, John Green, Add a tag
I believe it. Like Libba Bray, John Green emanates a good Bigness, not just of talent, but of spirit. Travels to his web site yield a glimpse of a guy whose humor, occasional gentle self-mockery, and unabashed love for World Cup Soccer have remained intact, through the tsunami of his success. If you had a chance to visit readergirlz during their John Green month, you'd find the man waving with both hands, talking up playlists, and jiving his way through his infamous tweets (he hates the term social media, apparently, but he's textbook good at it). If you've read any of his books, or even just the acknowledgments in his books, or maybe the extras in his books, you get the aforementioned good Bigness.
This morning I've been reading the book that launched Green's career, Looking for Alaska, because it is a good thing, I think, to go back to the beginning with authors, to remember what was first for them, the platform that they built from. Everything is right about this book—the tone, the relationships, the slow build of tension and mystery (slow, or fast, depending on how you take to the chapter "titles' which are all variations of "fifty-eight days before" or "one-day after"). Alaska has the intelligence of A Separate Peace and the wit of a Salinger. It has something only this former hospital chaplain might have written about The Meaning of it All.
Green's work will, I'm certain, be around for a long time. He is an author who makes me proud to be counted among the YA writers of right now. Because Green's work is first-rate no matter what genre label you give it, and that's what YA books must be, first and foremost—well-written, thoughtful, funny if the author can swing it, capable of leaving readers psychically richer than they were.
I loved Looking for Alaska, for all these reasons.
Okay, that's it. I've been saying I'm going to read some John Green and now you've convinced me. He's going straight to the top of my pile.
I saw John Green when he came to Austin with David Levithan for WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON. It was extremely memorable.
I forgot about Austin traffic and showed up fifteen minutes later than I meant to. This meant I was standing in the stairwell since the event was so packed.
But even only being able to hear what was going on, I could imagine their expressions since both of them had such forceful personalities.
Also, John Green whipped out the c-word while discussing censorship in YA, which is definitely out of the ordinary for a YA book signing.
Like you, so proud to have him in our YA world. Absolutely.
John Green is a gifted author, fabulous speaker, and I really love how he's used his success to reach teens (and adults) in a meaningful way. His work with the Harry Potter Alliance is truly heartwarming.
LOOKING FOR ALASKA is a favorite! I finally met John Green at ALA this year--total fun. And I've just started AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES. Yay!
Alaska is one of my favorites.
Argh. I have every one of his books in my house and I haven't yet read one word. Sigh.
Blog: Stacy A. Nyikos (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Book Review Club, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Libba Bray, Going Bovine, Barrie Summy, One Hundred Years of Solitude, mad cow, Add a tag
Libba Bray
young adult
Bray knows her characters. The medley of sixteen year old underachiever/loser guy to talking garden gnome cast she creates is a fun romp to read through. Which is good because this is a looooooooooooong book. Very long. 480 pages long.
I know. I know. I sound like a griping teenager. The target audience. I wonder if the story has enough to keep them reading. I had a hard time remaining engaged.
While I enjoyed the imagination, the characters, the dialogue, the constantly changing setting, it was, ultimately, the leap of faith I was unable to take. At about the end of the first third of the book, when Cameron has already been hospitalized and is degenerating quickly - he's suffering from Creutzfeldt-Jacob (mad cow) disease, which is incurable and deadly. He sees an angel. Not just any angel. A punker angel. Okay, I'm still with you. The weird angel has appeared before in the distance. This might work. A punker angel named Dulcie.
Lost me.
We, as readers, sign a contract to take the leap of faith. To believe in the parameters of the story. Cameron's reality. It seems to incredible to be real. Sure enough, we come to discover in a 100 Years of Solitude sort of way toward the very end (and there are hints throughout that this might indeed be the case) that Cameron's been hallucinating/dreaming the last two weeks of his life. In other words, everything, including Dulcie, is a figment of his imagination. Yet his imagined life is far more alive and real than the 16 years of his life he more or less drifted through.
It's a great ending. Gabriel Garcia Marquez genius type of ending. But will the reader get there? We aren't in Latin American mysticism but modern day Texas. Realistic setting makes the leap hard. Dulcie makes the leap even harder. Granted, we're not supposed to take the leap in the end, we realize. It was a fantastical leap to begin with. One Cameron dreamed up. But because we do not know that right away, and because the fantastical keeps getting further and further out there, it's really hard to stay engaged, leaving the reader wondering, huh? What's the point? And, um, is it coming soon?
I hate not liking a book. I hate finding stuff wrong with the writing. There is no pleasure in it for me, especially with a book so close to greatness. Ultimately, it feels as though this piece lacked a stronger editorial pen. The right external input could have turned unbelievable into fantastical genius marvelous. We authors need editors. We really really do. No matter what stage of writing we are at. And we should never forget that. Because when we do, we are doomed to repeat our own mistakes without correction over and over and over again.
Read Going Bovine for its characters. For its Garcia Marquez crafty twist on reality. But also to notice where the editorial pen would have helped. Could have tightened, condensed and lifted such promise to the next level of greatness.
For other great reads, hop over to our fearless leader's blog - Barrie Summy Blog.
Happy reading! Add a Comment
Blog: Books, Boys, Buzz (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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After having it gaze longingly at me from the to-be-read pile, The Sweet Far Thing finally made it into my hands.
For me, if I'm going to read an 800+ page book, I need solid blocks of reading time. That's why, this book, which I purchased in hardcover when it first came out (a long while ago!) has been languishing. Also, it's the third book of a trilogy, so it's hard for me to let the series go. Maybe that accounts for the delay, too...
As I hoped, it was an awesome read and a great wrap up to Libba Bray's Gemma Doyle series. I highly recommend it.
So, I'm curious --
How many of you will wait to start a bigger book like I did? Do you save books for a big reading weekend, or do you nibble away over weeks and weeks? What is next in your stack for a pleasure reading weekend?
Wherever You Go - Harcourt November 2011
The Clearing - HMH
Never Cry Werewolf - HarperTeen
I definitely put special books aside for special times--airplane flights, long weekends, that kind of thing. I am hoping to soon find time to catch up on Jennifer Echol's books!
I don't save books to read unless I buy them for a specific purpose like an airplane or car trip. As soon as I buy a new book I have to read it right then and preferably in one sitting so I usually just do with less sleep or wait until I have a day off.
that's an interesting question and to be honest, I'm not sure if size has anything to do with it. I guess on some level it probably does.
I think I only put off larger (500+) page books if I have a bunch of smaller ones I'm more interested in reading. If it's one I'm dying for, I tend to make the time. It may take me four or five days to finish it (at lunch, before bed, etc.) but I'll make it work!
Blog: Not Just for Kids (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Meg Cabot, this is teen, Maggie Stiefvater, Libba Bray, Gene Luen Yang, literary lunches, Add a tag
Last Friday I was privileged to be included in a luncheon hosted by Scholastic Books and the New England Booksellers Association for YA writing sensations and all around awesome-women Libba Bray, Meg Cabot, and Maggie Stiefvater. The ladies were in town to visit the Wellesley Booksmith and to promote This is Teen, Scholastic's integrated teen community initiative, which works to unite teen
So wonderful to finally meet you!!!
It sure was, Jen--thanks for hooking me up with Nikki! And congratulations again for all your great recent news :)
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The trainers at The Boxing Gym help clients use their natural assets to get into shape: namely, two fists and a little bit of stress to take out on a punching bag. They splice their boxing and kickboxing lessons with calisthenics, push-ups, and jump roping, keeping the workout fast and varied, and always returning to combative techniques. Beyond the realm of fitness, they also help prepare fighters for the ring with MMA training in the form of submission-grappling lessons and full-speed, pad-assisted kickboxing.
Fitness and sport. McArther's Tae Kwon Do & Fitness focuses on both with traditional and sport tae kwon do classes. During those classes, students bust boards with fists of fury, master technique, and spar to enhance agility, strength, and balance. As they teach these skills, instructors also infuse students with the values of confidence and discipline. Similar benefits are bestowed during yoga and koryo gumdo—a martial art that employs the graceful use of the long sword.
SwaggHER Fitness's experienced instructors keep students motivated as they take the first step to a healthier lifestyle with boot camp sessions. The fun, high-energy classes last for one hour, and include interval training to boost heart rates and burn calories.
Our Health Club & Spa corrals a state-of-the-art fitness center and full-service day spa under one roof, helping clients radiate health from the inside out. Weight rooms, a swimming pool, saunas, and a juice bar comprise the physical-focused side of the center, where certified personal trainers monitor form and fitness trainers lead more than 30 classes per week. Pampering is the priority on the spa side, which offers everything from customized therapeutic massages and European facials to gentlemen's pedicures, which skip the polish in favor of a barely perceptible coat of Armor All.
Though the club's focus is mainly on adult activities, kids can flex their growing flippers in one-on-one swimming lessons or socialize with other tykes in a childcare center, where colorful toys spill out from rows of cubbyholes. Seniors will find themselves equally at home at Our Health Club & Spa with arthritis-focuses classes that provide an opportunity to stretch out aches and whirlpools that provide a perfect setting for stage readings of The Caine Mutiny.
When asked about their teaching qualifications, the instructors at Finney's HIT Squad?including Jesse Finney himself?all point to their win records. All of them have a competitive fighting history in their chosen disciplines, and several have earned championships or black belts. As full-time employees of the gyms, they school guests on MMA, kickboxing, boxing, Brazilian jujitsu, and wrestling. They also access their inside knowledge of the industry for fighter-development programs, which strive to transform beginners into professional combatants without stuffing them into hollowed-out punching-bag cocoons for 5 years. For amateurs and experts alike, they assert that "you fight how you train," and aim to simulate official rounds inside their onsite cages, boxing rings, and matted arenas. In 2011, their professional chops helped Finney's HIT Squad take the title of Best MMA Gym in the Riverfront Times Best of St Louis feature.
Despite their investment in competitions, however, the staffers view the two gyms as all-inclusive spaces. Whether they are instilling confidence in children through kids' jujitsu, orienting a new member to the fitness equipment, or leading a women-only martial-arts class, they mentor students of all backgrounds.
Longtime martial artist Val has shown her skills in national competitions, but in her kickboxing classes, the opponents aren't other fighters but rather calories and poor cardiovascular shape. At Body Fit Kickboxing, the full-body effects of the high-intensity workouts reveal themselves quickly, shaping the arms, core, butt, and legs. Mixed with interval training and plyometrics, fast-paced punches and kicks quickly boost the metabolism and boost aerobic fitness.

subset: commoncrawl


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Extreme Mustang Makeover
Professional horse trainer Cliff Schadt Jr., of Mattituck, has spent the last few months preparing Lost Cowboy, a 4-year-old wild mustang, for the Extreme Mustang Makeover challenge. Newsday followed him while he trained the wild horse for the August 22 competition. (Credit: Newsday / Jessica Rotkiewicz)
Car crashes through front door of house Algieri: 'Manny didn't give me a lot of holes' Driver seriously injured in Lindenhurst accident Chaminade 48, St. John the Baptist 29 Bellone: Suffolk County to help snow-battered Buffalo 3 arrested in Mastic standoff Man sentenced in fatal beating of 4-year-old Cops: Pedestrian hit, killed by truck on LIE Eastbound LIE reopened in Melville after traffic accident Cops: Drunk driver rear-ended box truck Northport leg lamp lighting 1 dead in wrong-way crash on Southern State Parkway


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Watch breaking news videos and read news updates about 401k on pionline.com
JM Family Enterprises' DC plan is big on alternatives
trueSeeking to reduce risk and volatility in the company's defined contribution plans, officials at JM Family Enterprises Inc. have been adding alternative investments ranging from commodities and hedge funds of funds to global tactical asset allocation and direct real estate.
Everyone is focusing on the wrong goal in retirement planning
trueRobert C. Merton, 1997 Nobel laureate, wrote in the July-August issue of Harvard Business Review: "The seeds of an investment crisis have been sown. The only way to avoid a catastrophe is for plan participants, professionals and regulators to shift the mindset and metrics from asset value to ...
Supreme Court declines stock-drop case
trueThe Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal by participants in a class-action lawsuit against Cleveland-based KeyCorp and fiduciaries of the firm's $1.5 billion 401(k) plan, alleging company stock was an imprudent investment.
Oregon utility fires up record-keeper search for 2 DC plans
trueCentral Lincoln People's Utility District is searching for a record keeper for its $13 million 457 plan and $1 million 401(k) plan.
Supreme Court won't review Tussey vs. ABB fiduciary breach case
trueThe U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined a petition that it review Tussey et al. vs. ABB Inc. et al., a fiduciary breach case that has been closely watched by the definehttp://edit.pionline.com/apps/pbcsedit.dll/redd contribution plan community.
P&I spotlights 5 who went extra mile for participants
true2014's five Innovator Award winners all sought to engage specific groups of participants who haven't taken full advantage of retirement savings programs or who have been underserved by their defined contribution plan.
Buck's Lowe setup a tool to get employees involved in their retirement
trueSavings InSight, the new feature in Buck Consultants' $150.7 million $401(k) plan, is "being insightful as well as providing insight to the future," said Jeannie Lowe, San Francisco-based administrator of the 401(k) plan and Innovator Award winner.
International Paper's Sung launched a program for everyone to stay in the plan
trueCarol Sung really wants participants — current employees, former employees and retirees — to keep their savings in International Paper Co.'s $5.1 billion 401(k) plan, and she continues to look for ways to encourage them to stay.
Target-date fund outcomes expose fiduciaries to risk
trueTDFs are often black boxes, so many fiduciaries don't realize they do not have a rigorous conceptual basis — as demonstrated by the dramatic variation in the returns and asset allocations of funds with the same target date.
North Carolina issues call for DC plan custodian
trueNorth Carolina Department of State Treasurer, Raleigh, is searching for a custodian for the state's 457 and 401(k) plans, which have combined assets of $8.6 billion.
Pep Boys 401(k) plan replaces PIMCO fund with MetWest
trueThe Pep Boys-Manny Moe and Jack, Philadelphia, is adding the Metropolitan West Total Return Bond Fund as an investment option in its 401(k) plan, said Jim Flanagan, senior vice president and chief human resources officer, in an e-mail.
Intuit taps Great-West as 401(k) record keeper, changes plan lineup
trueIntuit Inc., Mountain View, Calif., hired Great-West Financial as record keeper of its 401(k) plan.
Average 401(k) balance as of Sept. 30
trueThe average 401(k) balance as of Sept. 30 was $89,100. That figure -- based on the 21,300 corporate defined contribution plans for which Fidelity is record keeper -- was down 2% from June 30 but up 5.7% from Sept. 30, 2013.
Granite Services International adds BlackRock option to replace PIMCO Total Return
trueGranite Services International Inc. is adding the BlackRock Core Bond Fund as an investment option in its 401(k) plan.
Parsons Corp. picks Dodge & Cox to replace PIMCO fund in 401(k) plan
trueParsons Corp. is adding the Dodge & Cox Income Fund to the investment lineup of its 401(k) plan.


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Free Donald Berwick!
Come on, Democrats. What are you so afraid of? Earlier this month, President Obama circumvented the Senate and recess-appointed health care rationing champion Don Berwick to head the Medicaid and Medicare programs. Democrats on Capitol Hill refuse to bring Berwick out for public hearings. Which closet at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue have they locked Berwick in?
It's time to start a campaign: FREE DONALD BERWICK!
More hide-and-seek games from the most transparent Democrat reign ever. Steven Ertelt at Life News and Connie Hair at Human Events:
Like their counterparts in the Senate, House Democrats are refusing to hold a hearing on the recess appointment of rationing advocate Donald Berwick, whom President Barack Obama named to become the director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Obama appointed Berwick without a hearing or vote in the Senate and, even though he complained about that, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus will not put together a hearing.
Now, Connie Hair of the conservative newspaper Human Events reports House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Sander Levin won't hold one either.
Both top Democrats are denying public hearings on Berwick even though he will be charged with helping lead the implementation of the new national health care plan Obama signed into law that concerns pro-life groups on abortion and rationing issues.
Rep. Dave Camp, a pro-life Michigan lawmaker who is the leading Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee, responded to Levin's refusal to hold a hearing.
"Apparently, House Democrats are really taking Speaker Pelosi's 'we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it' style of governing to heart. Now, we have to hand the reins at CMS over to Dr. Berwick first so we can later find out what direction he will take Medicare and Medicaid," he said, according to HE.
"At a time when Democrats have implemented the most radical changes ever to the nation's health care system, they are refusing to conduct the proper and necessary oversight required by the Committee," Camp said.
Commenter Rogue Cheddar: "They're just rationing his public appear[a]nces, you know, to make the heart grow fonder."
Free Donald Berwick: A Disclose Act we can believe in!
Chuck Schumer, up for re-election in 2016, reads the Obamacare tea leaves
November 26, 2014 10:05 PM by Doug Powers
Jonathan Gruber agrees to lie to House panel about Obamacare honesty
November 25, 2014 10:11 PM by Doug Powers
Jonathan Gruber cashed in even more than previously thought; Update: And Obama JUST found out about all this
November 16, 2014 09:23 AM by Doug Powers
Nancy Pelosi was for Jonathan Gruber before she never heard of him
November 13, 2014 08:56 PM by Doug Powers
Will Jonathan Gruber return $400k in fees to 'stupid' voters now that a third video has surfaced?
November 12, 2014 09:19 PM by Doug Powers
Categories: Barack Obama, Corruption, Democrats, Health care


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Is This The Hardest Thing You've Ever Done?
Ok....another soul searching moment in the never ending saga....years ago, August of 2000, our home burned to the ground while we were...let me see....
I should probably start at the beginning. That day started when I fell at Walmart on my way home from a weeks stay at the Caron Foundation in Wernersville, PA. for "Food addiction"....My boys, who were 16 and 18 at the time, were at their Bio-dads house that whole week for a "group" graduation/reunion type party/gathering.
Having just spent a week in "in-patient" counseling I was low on everything, so I decided to swing into Walmart for the usual, deodorant, shampoo, etc....We had just had a downpour, but the sun was shinning, and it was a typical muggy August day. I was in a rush to get in and out, and finally home, so I wasn't paying much attention when I stepped on a wet spot on the sidewalk and BAM, all 240+pounds of me down on my arm, and sprawled across the handicapped ramp.
Shoppers immediately rushed to my aid, but oh how embarrassing! My elbow was bloody, red and on fire, it matched my face well. Soon several Walmart employees were on the scene with a wheelchair, and some big beefy guy picked me up,<<<really? and gently placed me in the chair. Once wheeled into the store, and my elbow neatly wrapped, they refused to let me leave. They said my two choices were either they call an ambulance, or I call my family doctor, and a family member for a ride straight to his office, and they had to get on the phone to verify that I was indeed speaking to my doctor....WOW! So I called my "husband", who isn't really my husband, (see previous blog), he was at his office, and there must have been people around he wanted to impress, because he said he would be "right there", not the typical response from my "husband". He was there within 30 minutes. DEFINITELY not the typical response! Remember this is the same man who left me laying on a kitchen floor for 5 hours in 1995 with a broken ankle because he had a "God-damn job to do"! Too bad there weren't any people around to impress that day!
So when he arrived at Walmart, the "all kind and concerned" husband, center stage, act one, scene two, wheeled me out, and said we would take my car, and leave his in the parking lot, but would have to come back to get it later because he didn't want it sitting in the city over-night. Several hours, X-rays, pain meds, and a broken bone diagnosis later we were home.
My little Shih-Tzu, Felix, was all over me, so glad to see his Mommy after a week of abandonment. He didn't need an audience to show he cared. After laying on the bed a few moments, and going through the stack of mail from the prior week, my husband announced he was going back to the city to get his car! Nothing like giving me a few minutes to breath! I didn't even get my luggage out of the trunk yet! But when Tom wants to do something, that's it! So I scooped up my little doggy, my arm, AND brain, was pretty numb at this point, and we went out to my car, I didn't routinely take my dog with me when I had to drive, but I just didn't have the heart to leave him after such a brief reunion. Once we got to Walmart Tom announced he had to go back to his office to get his briefcase and would meet me back at the house. So my medicated brain, little doggy, and broken elbow headed home.
We lived in a very pretty little rural community between two mountains, lots of Amish folks, horse drawn buggy's, farms, and wash hanging on the line. On this particular night the sun was setting, and the mountain was on fire with pinks and oranges, it could be blinding at times, but beautiful. As I made my way up the winding road I caught glimpses of a pick-up truck up ahead but the entire mountain is a series of twists and turns so you can never see very far beyond the hood of your car. My little Shih-tzu was exhausted with all the excitement in one day, Mommy was finally home, AND a long car ride! THIS was a great day in his little "doggy world", and so he was curled up on the passenger seat, sleeping peacefully.
All of the sudden there was a very loud thud, followed by the sound of glass cracking, slowly....and at the same time a spray of candy apple red splattered up my windshield like the shower scene from Psycho! I slammed on my brakes, and that is when I saw it, a huge Black Lab dog sliding down my windshield, across my hood, and onto the road in front of my car, leaving a trail of blood behind.
I tore off my seatbelt, through the shift into park, and jumped out of my car. My door hanging open, lights on, and that damned "dinging" noise your door makes when it's open and the motor's still running, ringing in me head as I looked down at this dog, it was pitiful, he was yelping, but couldn't even pick up his head. The tears were running down my cheeks as I stood in front of my car on this mountainside, shaking like a leaf, on the verge of hyperventilating, and helpless. About then is when I heard that distinct whirring sound a vehicle makes when it is being driven backwards, fast, and then? All hell broke loose!
This woman jumped out of the truck, cell-phone in hand, screaming at me, not mad, just upset. Trying to tell me that they were not from around here, up from Florida visiting family, something must have spooked the dog, how they travel with them on the truck all the time, and this never happened before. Asking for the name and number of a vet, as if I walk around with that information! I am crying, trying to tell her I'm sorry, I don't know, the husband is hunched down, cooing comforting sounds, cradling, and trying to calm his fatally injured dog. The traffic is backing up, the horns are blowing, it's then that I realize my car is just sitting in the middle of the road.
About that time a woman came running up to me, "hey lady, is that your car"? As she points in the general direction. "Do you own a little gray dog?, because one just jumped out of that car and took off down the mountain"!!!
OMG!!!! Felix!!!!....It was all I needed to hear, yeah I felt bad for the injured dog, but my precious Felix, my little 15 pound puppy, who has never been on a public road! I took off, running down the mountain, drugged up, broken elbow, blinded by the tears for that poor dog laying back there, and new ones for my little Felix! What would I tell the boys when they come home? OMG! What will my husband do when he finds out? That dog was the one thing he loved!
At the foot of the mountain there is a little family owned ice cream shop, as I ran into the parking lot there was a church youth group, probably 20 teenagers all sitting at the picnic tables eating ice cream. Several ran over to me yelling, "if you are looking for a little gray dog, he ran that way", as several others pointed towards the woods. I was beside myself, the woods!!! The sun was almost down, it would soon be pitch black, and no lights for miles. Peter's Mountain was a scary place after dark, even Pennsylvania's finest seasoned hunters avoided being trapped in those mountains come sundown. Immediately the teens, along with the owner of the ice cream shop rallied around me, "Don't worry Ms, we'll help you find your dog". The owner brought out several flash lights, and some of the kids ran to the mini bus, going through the glove box, looking for flashlights, lighters, flares, anything that would help. Before I knew it we had a regular search party in full swing, dozens and dozens of people walking around the woods, lights randomly flashing in your eyes, everyone calling, "Feeeeelixxxxx, here doggie, doggie, here boy".
By this time the pain had returned full force to my elbow, and a woman came over and asked me to sit in her car a minute, rest a while, get off my feet, "don't worry one of these kids will find your dog". Just about that time I heard Tom's voice, "where is she"? I looked across the parking lot, and there he was walking full steam ahead towards me. He didn't look mad, actually he looked…umm…. worried?
He made his way to the car I was sitting in, and asked what happened? When I began trying to tell him the dog was lost in the woods, he looked confused. After much back and forth I finally figured out his confusion. The gist of it is that he was making his way up the mountain after getting his briefcase at work, when the traffic came to a crawl. He assumed it was an accident, so he was just waiting it out. When the traffic began to move again he came up on my car, still running, windshield cracked, front-end caved in, and blood everywhere. By then the injured dog, and it's family was long gone. He didn't have a clue what happened, but assumed I was in an accident, and it was my blood.
Shortly after Tom got there, and the story of what really happened was sorted out, someone in the "search party" yelled out, "found him"! We went running behind the ice cream shop, and there he was, growling at this person who was shinning a flashlight in his face, my little pup was crouched in a corner, on a little side porch of someones home. All the years we passed by this place, I never realized there was a little cottage like house back there. He was wet, not sure how that happened, and scared to death. Once he saw me he came running.
We spent sometime profusely thanking the people who had tirelessly searched, and then we tracked down the owner of the ice cream shop to see if Tom could park his car there for the night, that poor car was destined to sit in a strange lot that night. I sat down with Felix, while Tom hoofed it up the mountain to my car, and drove it back down to where we were waiting. The windshield was shattered but not out of the frame, just cracked in a million places. We got some paper towels, and a cup of water from the owner, and Tom got as much of the blood off as possible, the windshield wipers were gone. Finally we settled in for the 4 mile ride home.
As we were going over the mountain Tom decided that we should pull into the McDonalds parking lot where it was well lit to get a good look at the damage. As he got out of the car a young girl from the McDonalds was coming out with the days trash, and heading to the dumpster. My younger son Cory had applied for a job there and she recognized me. "Hey Mrs. W, what the heck happened to your car"? She asked. After a brief description of the days events, she said, "Wow, well we had some excitement here too, earlier tonight there must have been a really big fire somewhere out near where you live", as she pointed down the road with her chin. She went on to describe the blast of alarms, and sirens, and how some of the older folks that liked to sit in McDonalds at night to chew the fat, all headed out to do a little ambulance chasing. Like I said, a small town…..So we talked a bit more, and then headed home. It never dawned on me that there was more excitement yet to come……
Until we rounded the corner and onto the road our home was on. WAS is a good word. The distinct smell of smoke, smoldering rubble, and a yellow "do not cross" tape now surrounded what WAS our home. I just sat there as Tom drove up. I was numb.
Immediately our neighbor came running over. Explained how everyone was trying to find us, how another neighbor was out back in his yard working on his car, and noticed smoke over by our house. He assumed it was a cook-out. He went back inside for his own dinner, and when he came back out 20 minutes later the flames were shooting out of the roof and back windows, he called 911, but it was too late. Then she handed me a card, it said, "The Red Cross", and had a woman's name and number on it. The neighbor said that they were there, but it was getting late, and they had to go, so I was to call the number on the card, no matter how late it was. At this point we still did not own cell phones, so we used the neighbors and called. The woman was very helpful with advice, and told us there was a room reserved for us right up the street at the Red Rose Motel. "no need to pay", she said. "And in the morning I will come to the motel and meet with you, bring some food vouchers, grocery gift cards, and will assist you in any way I can".
That night we stayed at the Red Rose Motel, a 12 room strip of front doors. I had passed the place a million times. It was not the kind of place I could ever imagine spending a night. But that night I was so grateful for a place to lay my head.
The next day the room phone rang off the wall, by 10:00AM we had the car insurance, home owners insurance, our local agent, the Red Cross, the fire department, the fire marshall, the local newspaper, the ice cream shop, my sons step-mother, my husbands employees, and our neighbors, dropping in, checking up, bringing supplies, offering help, arranging meetings. It is all a blur.
At first the local paper reported it was from a cigarette, and started in the back bedroom. But that was impossible! No one had been smoking, or even home for that matter. Oh yeah we were there, but just that couple minutes before my husband announced he wanted to go back to the city for his car, but this was the story flying around in print on Monday morning. In the meantime the Fire Marshall had not even done his investigation or filed a report yet! I found out later that because there had been some local neighbor kids going into homes and riffling thru belongings, smoking cigarettes, eating food out of refrigerators, etc….that this was something some of the folks gathered at the scene had been speculating on the night of the fire. Evidently a reporter picked up on this, and ran with it. But in the end the Fire Marshal decided that the heat was most intense above the bed where the ceiling fan was, it was August, and hot. When we left to go get Tom's car the ceiling fan was definitely running. I ran them most of the time to keep the air circulating in the hot summer months. He told me that the way the metal brackets were drooping, and the pattern of the residue, and the "hot spot" in the center of the bed etc….he could almost paint a picture. He said a spark from the fan ignited the comforter, and just like that. Poof! Gone! I have to say that from then on the idea of a ceiling fan above my bed has caused more than one nightmare. I cannot think of a worse way to die….
We spent the next 2 months at my friends farm house. Her Grandfather had passed away the previous March, and she was the designated care-taker of this sprawling farmhouse on a hundred acres. It was serene, peaceful, and just what I needed.
I use to refer to that day as the "Trifecta of D-Day's". A day of death, damage, and destruction. But then again, looking back on this life, really it seems like it was just another "B" day……Beth Ann
This is how my chapter ends, but for this blog I want to explain the opening remark about the coming "soul searching" moment.
Anyone who read my last blog knows my husband recently lost his job, money is tight, and soon it will squeak! But my son needs to go to Pennsylvania on the 18th of December, in just 2 weeks. It's a long story involving a DUI hearing. He got out of the NAVY last year, and decided to go up to visit his friends shortly after. YES he got drunk, and yes he got behind the wheel of his car, and yes he totaled it by driving off the road and down an embankment. He has paid his fines, and done his community service. He has not drank while driving since, or to the best of my knowledge ever before then. AND hopefully he has learned his lesson. BUT on the 19th he has his final hearing in which he must relinquish his Pennsylvania's drivers license for several months. This means he can drive up there, and he can even drive home once he crosses the state line into Maryland. BUT he cannot drive in Pennsylvania. He asked me to go along, and he is paying for everything. BUT he isn't exactly rolling in dough either!
And so the RED Rose Motel, at a whopping $54 a night it is! I have not been past that hotel since 2007, I have not had to think of that "B" day in almost seven years.
Somehow in the midst of the emotional roller coaster ride I have been on this past few weeks, with the sudden loss of the job, and thoughts of losing the house, little sleep, and lots of worry, I have managed to keep the food plan in check. But I have to say that this trip to PA, the thought of driving back and forth over Peters Mountain to get to the motel, and the courthouse, UGH.... It all seems overwhelming.
And so I wanted to share this little story with my friends on MFP, it is a chapter out of the book I am working on so I will probably delete it shortly. But sometimes when, certain foods cross my path, I look back on some of the "noteworthy" days in this life, and I ask myself. "Is losing this weight the hardest thing I have ever done? No probably not". You've had your "D" days too! We all have. So the next time you reach for that piece of cake, stop….then think back to your "D" day, and ask yourself…."Is skipping this piece of cake the hardest thing I've ever done"? Probably not……
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A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: with Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects (Paperback)
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First published in 1792, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman was an instant success, turning its thirty-three-year-old author into a minor celebrity. A pioneering work of early feminism that extends to women the Enlightenment principle of "the rights of man," its argument remains as relevant today as it was for Woll-stonecraft's contemporaries. "Mary Wollstonecraft was not the first writer to call for women to receive a real, challenging education," writes Katha Pollitt in the new Introduction. "But she was the first to connect the education of women to the transformation of women's social position, of relations between the sexes, and even of society itself. She was the first to argue that women's intellectual equality would and should have actual consequences. The winds of change sweep through her pages."
This classic work of early feminism remains as relevant and passionate today as it was for Wollstonecraft's contemporaries. This edition includes new explanatory notes.
About the Author
Katha Pollitt is a poet, essayist, and columnist for The Nation. Author of the recently published Subject to Debate: Sense and Dissents on Women, Politics, and Culture, she lives in New York City.
Praise for A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: with Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects…
"We hear [Mary Wollstonecraft's] voice and trace her influence even now among the living."


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White Liliy Flour- quoth the Raven, nevermore
I live 16 miles from the mill and pass by it at least once a month. My dearest wish has been for someone to take over the site and start milling great regional flour.
Wishes seldom are fullfilled.
Now White Lily is going to be an apartment complex with loft apartments.
At the grocery store today, my local store had White Lily five pound bags on sale. Back when White Lily was milled just down the road, our grocery would sell out all their White Lily, anytime it went on sale. Today....the shelves didn't need to be restocked at all.
The Raven was right.
re: paulj
There's an active artisan movement over in North Carolina (google-able) and some of my neighbor farmers have grown wheat with success. In our immediate area, soybeans are easier, climate wise, because we've a ready local source for lime fertilizer from the tailings from our lead-zinc district.
The White Lily mill is/was right next to the main rail lines..easy delivery for many, many decades.
that would have made my mom very sad. it was her favorite for her wonderful fluffy biscuits.
re: ChefJune
from their website: " Where can I find the Formula L Biscuit Mix?
You will be happy to know that you should be able to find this product in any local Food Lion, Bi Lo, Ingles, Farm Fresh, IGA or Piggly Wiggly. Also, any Publix will have the capability to special order this for you. If these grocery stores are not an option, you can order this product online at www.goodnessfromnc.com
re: ChefJune
Since it was on sale, I thought I'd try something different - Bob's Red Mill whole wheat pastry flour. - made from soft white wheat. I don't know if it is really different from Trader Joes white whole wheat or King Arthurs; but since I mostly make biscuits and quick bread I though I'd check it out. It is still a far cry from the bleached white soft Southern flour.
So far I have only made one batch of biscuits. But since I used half oats, the lower gluten content of this flour probably didn't make much of a difference.
This is so sad. I have a 5-lb bag in my pantry that I hauled from my last trip to Florida. (I'm in the Adirondacks.) Can you order anywhere on-line?
I'm still buying White Lily. I know there is a difference, but other options are unthinkable. All of my pastry is still made with it and I'd not think of making a biscuit with outt it. What is available is better than not having it at all.


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CEO Larry Morse Departs American Hotel Register
Friday January 3rd, 2014 - 12:17PM 0
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VERNON HILLS, IL—Larry Morse, who was president and CEO of American Hotel Register Company, "is no longer with the company," according to Angela Korompilas, Executive VP & COO.
Morse was named president and COO of American Hotel Register (AHR) in 2008 and subsequently added the CEO title to his responsibilities. Prior to AHR, Morse served as president of Quill Corporation.
AHR was founded in 1865 and is the largest distributor of hospitality products, including more than 10 distribution centers throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. The company also offers a global supply chain solution through its acquisition of Intros Hotel Supplies—which covers Europe, the Middle East and Africa—as well as its strategic alliance with Ming Fail International Holdings of Hong Kong, a manufacturer of amenities in Asia Pacific.
Repeated calls to Morse were not returned.
Tags: Morse • American Hotel Register • Hospitality • Personnel •
For the past few years, the talk of The Lodging Conference in Phoenix had been focused on the economic recovery, solid industry projections and "cautious optimism." With the word cautious no longer necessary, the economic outlook took a backseat this year to the seemingly unending parade of new lifestyle brands.
Hampton by Hilton to Open in Gaziantep, Turkey »
Interval International Adds Fitzpatrick Castle Holiday Homes to Network
Baymont Inn & Suites Fargo Opens
Ascend Hotel Collection Welcomes the Bolling Wilson Hotel
Hokulani Waikiki Earns LEED-Certified Status
One&Only Reethi Rah Unveils Water Villas
MountainOne Bank to Provide Financing for Hotel on North in Pittsfield, MA
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When an EF2 tornado ripped through the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, university officials felt fortunate that no one was seriously injured.
Buying food for Thanksgiving dinner? Check out ways you can maximize your grocery store dollar.
From legendary actors to fashion designers, take a look at the most notable deaths of 2014.
Jim Young/Reuters
President Barack Obama announced an executive action Thursday that implements major changes to the country's immigration policies. Click on to find out more about the changes.
Both bucks were chasing same doe
Did you have a successful deer hunt? Check out our gallery and share a photo of your trophy deer for everyone else to see.
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Jordy's ready to play too!
Whether you're going to Lambeau Field or cheering on the Green and Gold from your couch, show us how you celebrate your favorite team.
Find out what's going on this weekend from Madison Magazine's Weekend 608 and Channel3000.com.
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