This Is My Secret: The Blog and Website of Writer Kristin Cashore

Hi guys. Sorry for the recent radio silence on the blog; I'm traveling. But I wanted to pop in about something that might intrigue those of you with an interest in indie music and how it's made.

Sometime ago, I blogged about a stupendous cover of "Norwegian Wood" and "Kashmir" performed by the Aaron English Band. I've kept track of Aaron English's musical doings since then, and now he and the talented, ukulele-playing, singing, songwriting Victoria Vox have a new side collaboration called Boombox Séance. It's "uketronica": indie-folk and dance-floor electronica. From their own site: "Their sound features a baritone ukulele played through a loop pedal, driving kick drum, keyboards and the acrobatic vocal harmonies" of Victoria and Aaron.AND, they're recording their debut album -- with your participation, if you're interested -- check out their pledge drive at Pledge Music. They're offering some pretty fun stuff to …

At 32,000 feet, there are ice crystals on my window and we're flying above snow-covered peaks. Yet the sun through my window is so relentlessly hot and strong that I have to keep the shade down, and when I touch it, it burns me.

I usually take the position of the sun into consideration when choosing my plane seat, but this time, common sense eluded me! I feel like a rotisserie chicken.

I would like a poster of today's xkcd to hang on my wall: Diagram of the Up Goer Five.

Also, I like this (surreal!) video about Finnish ice fisherpeople.

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Okay. Here's my public events schedule for NCTE-ALAN in Vegas next weekend. Location of all events: The MGM Grand Hotel & Casino | 3799 Las Vegas Boulevard South | Las Vegas, NV 89109. Which is just WEIRD.

Sunday, November 18th

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Signing in the Penguin Booth, #101-105.

12:00 PM – 12:30 PM: Signing at Anderson’s Bookshop, Booth #147.

Monday, November 19th

8:40 AM – 9:15 AM: ALAN Workshop -- Fantasy Panel. With Rae Carson, Shannon Hale, and Maggie Stiefvater. MGM Grand | Level Three | Premier Ballroom | Rooms 309-311.

9:15 AM – 10:15 AM: (silent) ALAN Book Signing.

I... cannot explain why that last book signing is silent. But I will try to find out.

ETA: Ha! Okay, regarding the silent signing: ALAN takes place in one big ballroom, and the next panel will be going on during the signing. So we will ha…

The new movie of the musical Les Miserables, coming out this winter, is live sung -- the actors are singing each take live, instead of miming to a recording. This video explains how and why, and I think it's pretty interesting. (H/t, B!)

Here are a few spotted in Jamaica Plain...




Gloucester...

Cambridge...









Somerville...

Swampscott...


and Austin.

As we move nervously toward election Tuesday, I've got no juice for the post I would like to write.  Chances are, a lot of you have no juice to read it, so maybe it's for the best.

Here's what I do have: a beautiful photo of the recent Hunter's Moon rising above the Alps.

And, ala author Cindy Pon (thanks, Cindy!), this article: "Skeleton of hero World War II carrier pigeon found in chimney with a secret message still attached to its leg (and now Bletchley Park are trying to crack the code)." 

Also, I'm very grateful that Bitterblue is a Publisher's Weekly Best Book of 2012 -- along with esteemed company.  Thank you, PW!

I seem unable to stop listening to Led Zeppelin's "The Battle of Evermore." I think the mandolin has ensorcelled me. Send help.

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The Cambridge Public Library recently changed their lending policies. Instead of a three-week lending period with the possibility of three renewals (12 weeks total), now they've got a four-week lending period with the possibility of two renewals (also 12 weeks total). It's a disaster. I never know when anything is due, I never turn anything in on time, and I never read anything. It turns out that apparently I need more, and more frequent, reminders that my time is nearly up in order to read. Today I'm returning nine library books. I've only read two, all of them are late, and I owe almost $10. So much for my spotless library record. Thank goodness codename: Cordelia doesn't read my blog; otherwise, I'd never hear the end of it.

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You may have heard by now about the proposed merger of Random House and Penguin.…