B: Beyond The Blog
It’s been a busy first week back! Firstly, thank you all so much for your lovely congratulations on my last post. It’s a very exciting time, and I’ve got words and tracked changes flying in every direction. I’m having a ball and keeping very busy.
I’ve finally kicked the jetlag, and it’s been great to catch up with friends and get back to work. Melbourne’s in the middle of a cold snap, with wind and rain and darkness falling before I get home from work. I’m used to it being light until 10pm! The temperature change has been pretty considerable, and I’m now wearing more clothes than I even took to Europe.
Next week will hold many more words, dinner with one of my favourite babies (oh, and you know, her parents) and of course, Harry Potter! Are you going?
T: Things I Like
This chance to win the book of your choice from the lovely Meg Spooner. Recommend a book to buy with her birthday book money, and if you win, she’ll buy you the book of your choice! She’ll ship internationally, too!
This competition from Rebecca Behrens to win an ARC of LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR, by Stephanie Perkins.
Finally, the launch of BESTEST. RAMADAN. EVER. by the lovely Medeia Sharif! Go congratulate her, quick!
This post from one of my favourite authors, Laurel Snyder, on the recent debate about “darkness” in YA literature.
W: What I’m Reading
THE DARK IS RISING by Susan Cooper. When I was in sixth grade, our school librarian told me that THE DARK IS RISING SEQUENCE (which comprises five books) was her desert island book. She had a big omnibus edition and that’s what she’d take if she knew she was going to be marooned. About a month later I got my first ever gift voucher for a bookstore, and off I trekked to buy my own copy. It was a big, thick volume with incredibly thin pages. It had a navy blue cover (which has torn off these days) and a fantastic cover illustration that made me wonder about all the things inside. I remember looking at it and thrilling at all the possibilities. You know that moment, before you read something you know will be wonderful? Rooted in English and Arthurian myth, the books tell the story of a centuries old battle between good and evil, light and dark, with children at the forefront. To this day, Susan Cooper’s writing is in the throw-my-laptop-off-a-bridge category for me, and you know what? THE DARK IS RISING SEQUENCE is my desert island book too.
What’s your desert island book? And no, you can’t take SURVIVING A DESERT ISLAND FOR DUMMIES. Have a great weekend!
So excited for so many things in this post! Definitely going to Harry Potter on release night; my little sister is in town visiting so it will be extra special to go with her as she is the one who introduced me to Harry Potter 10+ years ago! Good luck with all your revisions! I’ve just taken the WIP back to the index card stage which is why you haven’t seen any pages from me. A hard pill to swallow, but SAVE THE CAT just saved my plot so I’m feeling rather optimistic for the weekend! Anywho, have a good one!
Why haven’t I read this book yet? It sounds like it is right up my alley. My desert island would be The Dark Tower series.
Thank you for the mention!
My desert island book would be Flowers in the Attic. I read it many times when I was young and I wouldn’t mind reading it again.
The Dark is Rising looks interesting. I haven’t read it yet.
Sounds like you’re having a great time!
I love The Dark is Rising Series so much, it along with His Dark Materials influenced our son’s name:-)
Oh desert island book probably I Capture the Castle.
Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter OMG I’m so scared for when it’ll be over D: On that note, the whole series will probably be my desert island book(s). I can take a whole series, right? It’s not cheating. C’mon. Not at all.
I *love* that moment when you know something’s going to be wonderful before you even start reading.
)
The Dark Is Rising is a great choice. But I’d probably go with The Lord of the Rings (and all of Tolkien’s other writing. It all counts as one great big fat episode – I mean book
I stopped by your blog today.
Ann
First off – CONGRATS!!!!! Wow. Sorry I’m so late to the party.
Second – fun stuff! My favorite desert island book is a new one! Libba Bray’s (my hero) BEAUTY QUEENS.
Oh I love those books, the ones that really stick with you. I have a number of them–Jane Eyre was one of my first loves.
Thanks for the heads up to these great books. I’ve been to Meagan’s and recommended couple of books!
Congrats to Medeia!
I think, I’ll take Stephen King’s horror stories for desert reading.
My desert island book is Anne of Green Gables. As old as I am, it is still a book I like to read about once a year. The book certainly looks old and used, like me. Ha.
Ah, I loved I Capture the CasTle and Jane Eyre too. along with the whole Susan Cooper series. Oh, so many! I’d have to have a desert island truckload.
I wouldn’t miss Harry Potter for anything. We’ll be pre-purchasing tickets for the whole family (including my mother)!
My oldest daughter, who is 16, is still crazy about the Susan Cooper books. There’s something special about the books we read when we’re young. I’m not sure what my desert island book would be, but it might be one by L.M. Montgomery (like your previous commenter) – maybe Blue Castle or a Tangled Web. Now you know I’m going to be thinking about this all evening!
Glad to hear from you… I wish you the best.
I wouldn’t miss Harry Potter #7 part 2 for anything!!
If I could take just one book: Brandon Sanderson’s: The Way of King
If I could take a series: Harry potter 1-7 without a doubt!!!
I LOVE The Dark is Rising. I can’t even count the number of times I have read them
I have The Dark is Rising series in my classroom but I haven’t read it myself yet! I think my desert island book would be Lord of the Rings.
So excited for Medeia!
Can you believe I haven’t read any of these books? I must get going!
Sneaking in…..no, I won’t be seeing Harry Potter. I haven’t watched any of the movies; I just can’t. The movie in my head of all the books is too good. Does that make any sense?
I’ve never read The Dark is Rising Sequence. This may need to be ammended.
By desert island book would probably be the Westmark trylogy. Which may actually be a bad idea becasue it would make me broody and philisophical when I was already at risk of depression on acount of being alone and surounded by nothing but ocean, but nonetheless.
Welcome home to the cold…hehehe Sydney isn’t much better weather-wise.
The Dark is Rising is one of the few books I’ve read more than once. It’s a great read (along with the other books in the series). I was recently thinking of reading it a third time.
Sorry to hear it’s so cold there. It’s pretty cold here in the UK too but we’re in the middle of summer! I’ve not read The Dark is Riding. Thanks for the recommendation.
Can I take a series? … probably Anne of Green Gables… the whole series
Off to check out your recommendations
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