So for the last month or so this blog has been all me, me, me! That’s the way things go when you have a new book out.
But yesterday the nominees for the National Book Awards were announced. As you may remember, I’ve been on the jury this summer, furiously reading about 250 books in a mere four months.
Argh. I now know the true meaning of the word “reluctant reader.”
I’ll have some reflections on the 250-books-in-one-summer experience later, when I have some time to, you know, reflect on it. But today let us honor the five awesome books chosen for the young people’s shortlist:
Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
The story of a Spokane Indian kid who leaves the reservation to attend a relatively wealthy white school. Funny and full of charm.
Kathleen Duey, Skin Hunger: A Resurrection of Magic, Book One
Two stories, set decades apart, intertwine to show how magic reenters the world. Dark and fascinating.
M. Sindy Felin, Touching Snow
A teenage girl in a Hatian family in the US tells how she killed her abusive step father. A surprisingly funny glimpse into a brutal immigrant experience. A first novel!
Brian Selznick, The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Told half in pictures and half in text, a young boy discovers mechanical secrets inside the walls of the Paris train station. Magical storytelling.
Sara Zarr, Story of a Girl
A seventeen-year-old girl in a small town has lived with a bad reputation for years. Pitch perfect realism. Another first novel! (Damn, us jurors were good.)
We haven’t chosen the winner yet, so I can’t say too much more publicly about the books, but click here for a collection of reviews of the five nominees in Horn Book Review.
Thanks to my fellow judges, Elizabeth Partridge, Pete Hautman, James Howe, and Patricia McCormick, who were awesome and smart and a blast to read WAY too many books with. See you all at the ceremony.
Going briefly back to ME, I’m in Seattle tonight and tomorrow:
Thursday, Oct 11
7:00pm
Shorecrest Performing Arts Center
15343 25th Avenue NE
Shoreline, WA 98155
Books will be sold by Third Place Books
Public presentation and signing.
Friday, Oct 12
4:00pm
Edmonds Branch Library
650 Main St.
Edmonds, WA 98020
Books will be sold onsite by Barnes & Noble
Can’t wait to see all you Seattlites!
October 12th, 2007 10:46
More books to read! Yay!
October 12th, 2007 10:47
=D First?
October 12th, 2007 10:47
Wow, this is the 2nd time I’ve had the first comment.
October 12th, 2007 10:49
Man I haven’t read any of the nominees for the National book awards
October 12th, 2007 10:53
Yay, 5th comment? Well, I haven’t read any of those books, but they sound good. just more books i’ll have to add to my list to read!
Kadie-Wa
October 12th, 2007 10:58
thats alot to read scott-la, love your blog but try not to make it so long o ya and chapter 5 on midnighters
October 12th, 2007 10:59
Those all sound really intesting, especially Touching Snow and The Invention of Hugo Cabret. I’ll have to check them out!
October 12th, 2007 11:02
Wow, he posted twenty minutes ago, and look at all the posts…wow
Kadie-Wa
)))))))))))))))))))))))))
)
SUMOS UNITE!
(Still, anyone remember that?!?1
October 12th, 2007 11:31
Ha ha I said the books look intesting instead of interesting. Sorry. Anyway, whenever there are these award things, the book that wins is one I’ve never heard of before. So obviously I get some pretty good reading suggestions from them.
October 12th, 2007 11:35
Dude, The Invention of Hugo Cabret is up there? I personally thought it was so-so.. but I guess it’s wrong to influense a vote, so Okay.
October 12th, 2007 11:38
Looks icy, Scott-la. Thanks much.
October 12th, 2007 11:39
so0o0o0o0o cool! i wish i lived in a town you are visiting. well, i have to do homework. grrr…
October 12th, 2007 11:56
13th post!
How bubbly!
October 12th, 2007 12:59
wow 250 books?!?!?! that is like more than ive read in life maybe idk since i dont keep track but im sure that is way more than i would read in a summer thats impressive and must make reading list even longer (which means christmas list much longer)
October 12th, 2007 13:09
i read skin hunger!
(after seeing it on justine’s site with a mega-glowing review, actually)
it was pretty awesome. dark and sort of reminded me of the Truth-teller’s Tale/Safe-Keeper’s Secret books
haven’t read any of the others though. heard of most of them though. i think the part-time indian one is sitting out from the library somewhere downstairs, actually.
i read a lot.
a lot.
still, i only read like 50-something books this summer.
or more.
i lost count.
October 12th, 2007 13:12
haha I love how like 4 people think they got first
October 12th, 2007 13:47
Huh.
I didn’t notice that intel you pointed it out.
I have never had 1st comment.
3rd– thats the best I have had.
October 12th, 2007 14:01
i’ve had first a couple times—mostly from jumping the gun and commenting at school. and i just got 300th on the spoiler thread.
funny how face-rank we get about the sort of things, even when there isn’t a contest to be first going on anymore
October 12th, 2007 14:05
I’ve never read any of those books. sad-making.
Ooh Serafina I love the Safe-Keeper’s Secret I just read it last month. Do people tell the author of a book if their book is a state award nominee because Uglies is a South Carolina Junior book award nominee. It should totally win.
October 12th, 2007 14:07
i read it a while ago so i don’t remember that much. have u read Truth-Teller’s Tale? it’s sorta in the same world with cameos from old book people.
and go awards for books that deserve them!
okay, i’m going to sleep now.
October 12th, 2007 14:11
No, I haven’t read it. I didn’t even know about it so thanks for telling me.
October 12th, 2007 14:27
hehe
seatlites sounds like satalites
^-^
and hooray for new books…
i would LOVE to be forced to read 250 books in 4 months, cause then i would have a legitimate excuse to forget the world for a while…
October 12th, 2007 15:08
It’s funny. Every one uses themed nick names. I just use my name. ^_^ haha.
October 12th, 2007 16:02
HORAY! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! i just met Scott-la! it was FAWESOME! i also talked to Justine-la! it was FAWESOME! they both recognized my name from here. it was FAWESOME! Scott-las funny. hehe. it was fool. except he kept talkin about this dentist gal. and some five year plan thing. overzealously wierd.
about the books. that one with the bunch of pictures looks REALLY good. i saw it at the library, but i coudn’t get it. first i have to finish EXTRAS, and then i have to read Justine’s books. then she told me tonite that i should read DEVILISH by Moureen. i hope thats how you spell it. THEN ill read that book. and maybe the others.
-Lizzy-wa OUT!
October 12th, 2007 16:05
sory. dont clik on last posts name. i put it in rong. now its rite tho.
-Lizzy-wa OUT!
October 12th, 2007 16:29
Scott, it was really great to see you in person. Thanks for putting up with all of us librarians in your signing line. You really made my year!
I am looking forward to seeing who you (and the rest of the jury) chose for the National Book Award.
October 12th, 2007 18:28
sadly, I don’t read any of the books in the list. It’s really cloudy here now…looks like its going to rain soon! Hmm~~one more subject before finishing my end of year exams! What a pity that I don’t have the chance to let Mr Westerfeld bring my books for him to sign!
October 12th, 2007 22:05
it’s pouring rain here right now.
and Devilish is a really good book too, co-prez.
but u know wat ppl should read? the morganville vampires books. no one’s read them and they’re fun and angsty and awesome. the vampires in them are the good kind….by which i mean they eat people.
and if anyone on earth hasnt, GO READ CITY OF BONES BY CASSANDRA CLARE. it is, like, the best book ever. or more precisely one of my six best books ever, which include midnighters, tithe, ironside, and CoB.
it is an AWESOME book. AWESOME. jace wayland ROCKS. i can’t wait for City of Ashes.
lemme check….
164 days, 18 hours and 55 minutes til March 25th.
i am *not* obsessed.
October 12th, 2007 22:07
read it….it’s awesome.
as are tithe and ironside, and valiant. go read them too if u haven’t.
i’m very demanding in my book recs, aren’t i?
October 13th, 2007 00:37
The Shoreline signing was AWESOME! Wooh! Got to talk to both Scott and Justine and they were both really nice. (:
October 13th, 2007 01:45
I spent the last 30 or so minutes working on the uncropped Pretties cover (only the girl, tho) on Photoshop. much patience required…
October 13th, 2007 03:24
I still really wanna read *Skinhunger*!
October 13th, 2007 03:33
This is just my opinion:
The Pretty operation is like digital touch-up. Like that video on youtube…its like called Dove evolution or something.
October 13th, 2007 04:10
wat r u doing to the picture?
skinhunger was great. u should read it.
woo! i’m out of school! the power ttly died and they were just like, you can go home now. goodbye.
now to obsessively troll around the internet for several hours.
October 13th, 2007 04:41
Lizzy-wa and Capt Cockatiel: It was lovely getting to chat to you both! Thanks for coming.
October 13th, 2007 04:55
hi Justine-la! yeah it was fool. im ALMOST done with EXTRAS! only 87 more pages left. then i’ll read your books. already read the first chapter tho. i just hope i can finish all three before there due at the libary. (the 28) but i will. then i can go on your blog two! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
and by the way co-prez, that book on your site looks pretty fool. i just added it to my list. i now have 347 books on my NEED TO READ booklist. *scurries off to finish EXTRAS*
-Lizzy-wa OUT!
October 13th, 2007 05:51
On the picture, I dyed the right side of her hair red like the left side, made the eyes black like a Special’s, made the nose slightly smaller, and got rid of the minor hair frizz. I also changed the lighting. It still pretty much looks the same, tho.
October 13th, 2007 05:55
Oh, and by ‘lighting’ I mean the tints, hues and the like.
October 13th, 2007 05:56
And I thought I read a lot in the last few months.
Ive been meaning to read The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Ive also heard of Story of a Girl.
October 13th, 2007 06:07
hey. do ya think you could post it maybe?
-Lizzy-wa OUT!
October 13th, 2007 06:24
Serafina Zane: I forgot to say how happy I am that you liked Skin Hunger. Yay!
October 13th, 2007 06:28
R U GONNA COME NEWHERE IN LOWER NEW ENGLAND AT ALL BEFORE OR AFTER BEING IN MAINE?!?!?!!?!?!!?!?!?!!??!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
-Riderchild-wa
October 13th, 2007 06:29
Here it is:
I hope it shows the image, or more likely, the link.
October 13th, 2007 06:30
ok…
http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/ee259/Al-189/?action=view¤t=Pretties.jpg
that MIGHT work.
October 13th, 2007 06:55
that is fawesome..
i so need to go to the store soon on a book shopping spree..fizzy. but first i need to finish my english paper.. emm..maybe later
October 13th, 2007 07:31
im on Scott-la’s blog! i look like a dork. a fool dork! but anyway. love the pic Allie-wa! they should totlaly have done that instead. it looks soooooooo much better! im gonna put that on my blog if ya dont mind.
-Lizzy-wa OUT!
October 13th, 2007 07:51
Thanks! I really like your shirt, Lizzy-wa. And I don’t mind if you put the pic on your blog!
October 13th, 2007 08:28
very odd-looking. i like it though.
and thanks! skin hunger was cool. but when is book two coming!!! when??????? how dare the ending be so completely cliffy?! must. have. sequalage!
and yes! despite my (let me count) four honors classes, i have no homework because i only had like three classes today! woo!
and i read an inhuman amount. the last book i read was HOMEFREE by nina wright, which was great! very angsty teenage superpowers Heroes-esque. but i only finished that like 10 minutes ago…before that…..Beastly by Alex Flinn? or…lemme think….stupid homework taking away my time. oh, duh! Midnight Alley! which is part of another series everyone should read…and then EXTRAS!
i’m working through KIKI STRIKE 2, Seeing Redd, Missisippi Jack, Snow Fire Sword and The Dark Is Rising right now.
whoever said i read too much??? not me. or my librarian.
December 17th, 2007 09:36
You might enjoy this audio interview with “Story of a Girl” and “Sweethearts” author Sara Zarr.
Bob