Via Deborah: Stacy Whitman, freelance editor and Simmons Center for the Study of Children's Literature grad, is trying to start a new publishing company. Tu Publishing will be "a small, independent multicultural SFF press for children and YA." A small press devoted to multicultural fantasy/SF -- good idea! But -- it will only get off the ground if it gets enough funding. Care to help? There are benefits to pledging, and you'll only pay your pledge amount if the project actually launches. Go here for more info. You can give as little as $5, and you can do it using your Amazon account, if you have one. If Tu Publishing can raise $10,000 by December 14th, they'll start accepting manuscripts in January.******
I know that some of you will have fun trying to recognizing books without their dust jackets on the blog of Sarah Miller, author of the marvelous Miss Spitfire. (Who knew so many books had such cool undercover decorations?)
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To those who've been wondering: the Kindle edition of Fire is now available.
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Over the weekend, I found myself having a small freakout about my To Be Read pile. (Well, it used to be a pile; recently it's evolved into a series of shelves.) At first I thought it must be because the pile was full of books that I didn't actually want to read, pressuring me. "Read me, read me, even though I suck!" But then I went through all the books and realized that that wasn't it; they're all books I'm excited about; the problem is, very simply, volume. I counted them: 96. Now, everyone has different TBR methods, so I'm sure that's a perfectly normal number of unread books for some people to have sitting on their shelves, watching jealously with beady book-eyes as their humans wander around doing non-reading things like watch TV or water the plants... but for me, that's a LOT of unread books. These days, if I read one book a week, I'm doing fabulously well, and -- 96 books! HELP! That's enough books to last me until I'm 35!
*.....*
Hang on.
Guys? Suddenly I find myself seeing this from a different angle.
I have enough books to last me until I'm 35!
*is happy*
:o)
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To those embarking on National Novel Writing Month: Godspeed. Breathe. And DON'T FREAK OUT!
30 comments:
96 unread books? If I were you, I'd be overjoyed. =)For me, it's getting harder finding books I actually want to read by the week. May be cause I read a book in about 4 hours and I'm kinda broke^^
First, that is a truly amazing TBR list. I now don't feel so bad with my list of 42. I'm afraid some of mine may be crap books, too, in which case I will try to make myself STOP READING if I discover that is the case. Because of my compulsive tendencies, this may be difficult to actually put into practice.
Second, let us know if you discover some really awesome books. I'm always trying to read BETTER.
Third, (forgive me for doing this, but) OMG!!! I didn't know that there was such a thing as National Novel Writing Month!! I'm going to consider doing this next year. If I started now, I would be cheating because I'm already currently writing something and I don't want to get distracted with anything else. But November 2010 will be my day to attempt something crazy! I love it!
P.S. It's so cool to me how creative minds are drawn to music. I enjoyed reading about your musical background in your response to my comment the other day. I'm a music/literary kind of person myself and even tried double majoring in college until I realized that I couldn't live on 3 hours of sleep per night and produce good work. I chose the music, but am having a lot of fun with the literary these days. :o)
Holy hell, batman! That is A LOT of books! I'm doing about a book a week right now, myself. (Does that make it sound like a drug habit?) I have considerably less in my TBR pile. 35. Still a big number of unread books. But I know the feeling...they are watching me, begging me to hurry up and read them. There just arent enough hours in the day.
How do you decide what to read next? That is usually a difficult task.
PS, have you been told lately that you are a book writing rockstar? thought I'd remind you just in case...
I'm doing NANOWRIMO this year, and thanks for the advice, breathe is something that I need to do right now. There is so much going on I odn't know when I'm going to get the time to write! Arrgg My freak out has already begun and its only the second day. *takes a breath*
I envy your TBR pile(or shelves) mine is only like thirteen books long but it's enough to have me banging my head on a desk because there is so much to do. :P
-Ash (this is Awriter by the way, I just didn't log in, plus I'm at school and it wont let me log in ^_^)
thanks for the link to stacy's new project. i've fallen out of touch with her since school but am excited to read more about what she's doing now. cool!
You're doing pretty well! I have boxes and boxes of books that are TBR! And I'm in a temporary home so I can't even take them out of their boxes and start reading them, instead I keep buying more! lol. I can't wait until I can display my shelves and shelves of books and finally begin tackling TBRs. I'm trying to break out one box at a time and go through and read but then I have books that are the first in a series and I like to own the rest before reading just one...so I need a lot of help. lol.
I'm a little jealous that you have that many TBR books... I go through fits and starts on reading, depending on what I'm writing and how the two might clash inside my head.
Recently I finished Alvor by Laura Bingham. It was a great departure from what I usually read although had to struggle a bit to stay engaged because life was out pacing the book as far as crazy things going on.
I'm into Girl the the Arena now. I love the way it's written, though I don't actually understand the format.
It's first person, but there are no quotations. A sentence might go like this: -I'm going out, I say. -Did you here me? I'm going out. I don't wait for an answer.
If anyone knows what that format is called, please enlighten me. It's very, different. At times a bit hard to follow if you're reading quickly. Oh, and in case there's ever any question, that's not an actual line from the book, just one I made up for example.
But I digress. Yes, that is a lovely set of TBR shelves you have Kristin. A set to be proud of! And to savor.
I'm doing NaNoWriMo! 4,700 words so far. :) Wish me luck!
And for your next Q&A - How did you get your agent? Were you denied a few times?
I really wish I had a TBR list that would last me until I'm 35. That would be amazing. I only have four or five at the moment. I second the notion of telling us about awesome books, I'm always looking for more, and I love suggestions. Thanks!!
same issue. need to read a bunch of books, but i just found my graceling copy and NEED to reread it.
does that make you happy?
but homework is my killer. I HATE COLLEGE PREP SCHOOLS!!!!!!
My TBR pile is considerably shorter than most - I'm currently at 4. I hesitate to buy this time of year because of well, you know. Santa Claus is always good to me.
I am debating about asking Ole St. Nick for a Kindle. Anyone have any opinions? I'm afraid it won't hold my interest long term. I'm great with new technology/gadgets for awhile but then...and, I love the smell of books, the weight, the texture. I don't know if this old dog can handle this new trick. What do y'all think?
Artemis, I've seen that punctuation before in books translated from Romance languages. In fact -- hang on -- yes, my French and Spanish Gracelings both punctuate that way!
Andrewsmom, I'd recommend at least holding/trying a Kindle, if you can, beforehand. I've used one very briefly and was impressed with the weight/feel of it, but, of course, it's nothing like turning real pages. I can't ever imagine using one at home, but I can totally imagine using it on airplanes so your suitcase isn't so heavy.
I'd love to hear from some people who swear by them. There are actual, non-robotic people who love them, right? :o)
I probably have enough unread books to last me until I'm 35 as well (which makes your pile look small, as I am only 13 and have quite a ways to go). I've been in reread mode lately, however, so my TBR books have quite a wait to go; after I finish my 20th reread of the Harry Potter series, I have your books, then all of Tamora Pierce's books, and several other series. Those books about strong females who can beat up all the guys really draw my attention (which is why I'm not big on Twilight - not quite the heroine I wanna be like). Also - about your musical background - you're REALLY good at recognizing musical characteristics - right now my music theory teacher is attempting to hammer all that into our young and quite immature minds - the music animation REALLY helped!!!
I have a very small TBR pile and an enormous, neverending brain-clog of TBR titles.. Hopefully, swaptree will help me get my hands on some of the goodies. Also, I just realized that I have never actually seen or touched a kindle outside of the computer screen. Sheesh. This reminds me of my relationship with the east side of the country. I can only tell you what I've learned ;) Fooey. Can't wait to add to my TBR list from your TBR tackling adventures!
--candelion
I must buy more books, I have 2 sitting wtbr. A pathetic number compared to yours!
Thanks Kristin! I wondered if it was something along those lines.
You should have seen me trying to articulate what I wanted to know to the search engine. Google constantly asked me 'Did you mean (insert random topic totally unrelated to anything involving written word)' and showed me things I never wanted to see. The cursor was no help at all. It just sat blinking at me like 'WTF Mate?'
Now I'll have to go home and look in the book (finished it last night, and it was good) and see where it came out. The story is set in America and I would never have guessed that it was first published elsewhere. I'll have to see if I can research the story's story!
Kristin - I would love to know some of the titles in your TBR pile that are you excited about! I have no books in my pile and would LOVE to add some!! Could you list a couple you are super-exicited to read so that I can add them to my list as well? :) :) :)
P.S. - I bought Fire the day it came out and I LOVED it. Nicely done! Can't wait to read your next one. :)
I will never trade books in for an electronic reading machine. I love books too much! Literally turning the page is the best part! Might be good for not having to worry about ripping pages/covers/etc but still. I can't do it! lol. As much as I would love to compile all of my 100s of books onto a machine and then find the one I want to read with ease, I can't do it. lol. Plus, I can't wait to have my own little library! :) Have you read any Paulo Coelho?
A WRINKLE in TIME, A RING of ENDLESS LIGHT, and A SWIFTLY TILTING PLANET are some of my all time favorites. Enjoy Kristin.
FIRE ranks pretty high on my TBR list, and I think I'll buy it for my Kindle App on my Iphone.
I'm not a robot, and I really enjoy the kindle app on my phone, I can bust out a book and read, wherever I am. I like it especially for quick reads. It's frustrating when it takes me longer to buy/check out a book than it does to read it.
Oh and FYI, I just blogged about GRACELING, I loved it!
http://addictedtoheroines.blogspot.com/
Yay! A non-robotic pro-Kindle response! :o)
The comments are super sweet, everyone, thank you. Maverin, thanks for the chuckle (and I'm so glad the music post helped!).
I'm always blogging about what books I'm reading, so just read back or stay tuned.... :D
I have a confession to make..."Graceling" was on my TBR shelf for A YEAR (admittedly, there are at least 200 books on that shelf) and I just had the time to pick it up a few days ago. Let me just say that I am so entirely inspired by your writing! I'm sure you get that all the time, but really...whenever I read a fantastic book I always get a little depressed afterwards because I think to myself that never am I again going to come across a story that enthralls me so much. Which is exactly how I felt after finishing "Graceling".
...And then I rushed to my university's children's library section and found "Fire". My reaction is that I wish I hadn't finished it in two days because now it's over and it was absolutely a delight to read. Your books are definitely on my All-Time-Favorite-Books list. And trust me, there's a lot. I'm studying to become a children's librarian so I read long and often.
THANK YOU for your writing! It is so great to know there are people out there that love writing and have such an intense passion for it as much as I love reading!
Might I also add, I am devestated that I missed your Seattle tour stop. Blast me for not picking up your books only a week or two sooner! Hopefully I will get the chance to hear you speak on another tour at some point.
Kristin, I hope you will be at ALA and thought you might be interested in attending this function that Mitali Perkins has organized: http://www.mitaliblog.com/
I am looking forward to attending your signing in Cambridge later this month.
i have an actuall list of books to be read, on top of casual reccomondations, because i dont think there is any bookshelf big enough. im thirteen and at the time when im trying to read books which are well-written, so a list of 26 class recomandations really did not help. also i completely agree with maverin. twighlight was good and all, but when a character spends almost an entire book moaning about how much they want their ex back, my patience begins to wear thin. also well done terry pratchette for managing to write another book while he has alsymers! his books are amasing! everyone should at least try one. (does that make the books sound like chocolate?)
-rosanna
ps. i absolutely love your books. graceling is on my to be re-read list, but my brother has stolen it from my room.
Comment removed for spoilers; please don't take it personally.
I thought I was the only one! I have 75 books sitting on my shelf from the library to read - I can usually knock out one a day .. maybe one and a half.. so you do the math on how long it will take me!
Reading Fire now and loving it. Kudos to you on writing well-written, interesting YA fantasy.
By the way, I bought a Kindle (even though I prefer real books). I travel a bit, and go to the park and such and my kindle is perfect for those activities. It's not a replacement for books, by any means, but it's definitely a good supplement to them and I swear by it.
I'm only slightly kidding when I say my purpose on earth is to read. I always have a TBR stack waiting for me, and it is a joy and a necessity to feed the stack.
While I hunger for fiction, I also read biographies, histories, and health/nutrition books. I rotate the types of books I read, so I'll jump from a Thriller to Historical Fiction to a Biography. Some books in the TBR stack stay unread for quite some time; I have to be in the right mood for certain books or subjects.
And sometimes I like to dwell in familiarity and devour the entire works by an author in order of publication: Louisa May Alcott, Nevil Shute, Chaim Potok, Noel Streatfeild, Terry Brooks, David Baldacci, Diana Gabaldon, Stephen White, T.A. Barron, Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising series, Fiona McIntosh's The Quickening trilogy, Brandon Mull's Fablehaven books. These are part of my permanent library because I read them all again, and again.
When I come across an author new to me and find out not only do I love the book I've just read but there's more... what a joyous discovery! Graceling and Fire have been that for me; I await Bitterblue with great pleasure knowing I will be reacquainted with characters already dear to me. Meanwhile, back to the TBR stack...
I love my kindle. Whether I'm robotic or not, well, that's still open to debate. ;)
It'll never completely replace books, but... when my doctor is running *so* late and I've just finished the book I was reading, I can start browsing for another one, or read another one I've already downloaded. Or I can read a well-written pep talk from an author I hadn't heard of before, and download a sample of her book to read right now, or when I get around to it, no waiting until I get to a bookstore. (I'm disabled now, browsing in bookstores isn't as easy as it used to be.)
Enjoy your 96 books, and enjoy getting to 35. As my Mom says, no matter how old you are, in ten years, you'll wish you were this young again, so enjoy it while you are. :)
--Lauren (a.k.a. LaughSingLive at www.NaNoWriMo.org)
I own 759 books that I haven't read. And you think you have a problem?
These books could probably last me the rest of my life, not just to 35. Still, I think I'll buy a few more tomorrow....
I take consolation from the other obsessive bibliophiles at librarything.com. With company, it doesn't seem so bad.
That is not fair. Why don't I have 96 books that I'm excited to read? Oh, maybe it's because I read a book in 1-2 days. *sigh*
Yes, I'd say toy are very lucky to have them waiting! But, how could you possibly choose who to read first? ;)
Just wanted to stop by and say thanks for posting this. So many people, including you, helped to make the Kickstarter work. Now on to the real work! :)
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