Hello all! I have been woefully offline for awhile. Why? Well, there is the bit about me being in southern California, and visiting Yosemite, land of limited cellphone reception and even less Twitter. Primarily, though, I have been hard at work on my Super Secret New Novel, of which I have written 20-30 pages, longhand. I don’t usually do first drafts the old-fashioned way, but let’s just say this is an old-fashioned kind of novel. Also, research is kicking my butt.
Anyway, lots of potential good news simmers on the back burners right now. I will let you know soonest if something spectacular occurs… and you probably already know that I should see a cover for Other within a few months, which probably will be spectacular, knowing Flux. Some current good news: Other has been featured for a Waiting on Wednesday over at the blog of The Book Cellar. This is WoW number 7, if you’ve been keeping track. All of my precious, delicious WoWs may be viewed here. Pressssshious! Ahem. Excuse the lapse into a Gollum voice.
P.S. Your dose of silly for the day: Werewolf Danger Advisory.
Where to begin with my review? For me, reading The Sky Always Hears Me was like eating a delicious new flavor of cake: you know you love it, but you’re not quite sure which ingredients were used. After some savoring of the writing, I believe these are key to the recipe:
-Morgan’s voice, which hooked me as soon as I read the first chapter on the author’s website. Smart, sarcastic, and saturated with a restless yearning for something more than a tiny little town in Nebraska she calls Central Nowhere. John Green hasn’t written from the point of view of a girl yet, so far as I know, but if he did, I have a feeling it might sound like Morgan… full of wit, angst, and longings that so powerfully evoke what it means to be a teen.
-The people in Morgan’s life: her alcoholic dad, the grandma she loves, the girl who kisses her, the coworker guy she has a crush on. All of these characters grow and reveal their many facets, complicating Morgan’s life and making for an intertwined story firmly rooted in deep, scream-at-the-hills emotions.
-The setting of Central Nowhere. This book is best read outside, in the grass, on a windy day, where you can imagine Morgan venting her frustrations and desires. That’s how I did it, anyway, and it made the experience all the more vivid. I also love the descriptions of the grocery store where Morgan works. I don’t know why, but I’ve always had this strange fascination with expertly described details of everyday life that usually escape the eye of the author.
Disclaimer: I am a fellow Flux author, though my book won’t be out until 2010. I am also, however, a choosy reader. There’s no way I would actually go out and buy a book unless I thought I’d devour it, and I try my best to be an honest reviewer. So, honestly, I am recommending that you read The Sky Always Hears Me: And the Hills Don’t Mind, in the hopes that you find it just as good.
(X-posted from the official site of 2010: A Book Odyssey – comment there to enter)
Because you love books as much as we do.
Because you are honest, but kind.
Because you discover great books and inspire people to read.
Because your blogs make us laugh and connect and think.
Because you help us learn to be better at what we do.
In honor of the upcoming Book Blogger Appreciation Week, we’ve put together the first ever giveaway of Tenner swag including signed bookmarks, book plates, buttons, locker poster, and book-related goodies from Hush, Hush, Scones & Sensibility, The Dark Divine (nailpolish, too!), The Secret Year, Leaving Gee’s Bend, The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin, The Mark, The Iron King, The Body Finder, The Cinderella Society, Princess For Hire, Forget-Her-Nots, and more…all packaged with the sincere thanks and appreciation of ALL Tenners.
To enter, just leave a comment with your blog address (so we can check out our regular haunts AND find new ones!) now through Sunday, September 13. On Monday, September 14, the official start of Book Blogger Appreciation Week, we’ll draw one winner of the stash (enough to keep some and give some away).
Congratulations to the nominated and short-listed bloggers – don’t forget to vote for your favorites here, starting today!
And a big thank you to all book bloggers, nominated for an award this year or not. We apprecate all you do for writers and readers everywhere!
