Waiting on Wednesday

I know. I know.

I usually reserve Wednesdays for book crushes. I feel like I'm totally cheating.*

BUT I really want to talk about Bumped by Megan McCafferty, because, well...just read the synopsis:

“When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents are forced to pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society.

Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and had never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Until now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend Zen, who is way too short for the job.

Harmony has spent her whole life in religious Goodside, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to bring Melody back to Goodside and convince her that “pregging” for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from.

When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls’ lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.”

Yeah. The awesome. It will be brought. Especially because Publishers Marketplace describes the book as "sharply funny and provocative," and Megan herself describes it as a cross between The Handmaid's Tale and Heathers (that's me!! And also a fan-freaking-TASTIC movie.).


As you all know, I'm a big fan of Megan McCafferty's first series, the Jessica Darling books. And if Bumped is even half as good (and I suspect it will be even better...I mean, it's dystopia! And the cover has pink on it!) we're all in for a treat.

Bumped will be released way too late for my lack of patience on April 26. I'm definitely counting down the days... 


*Full disclosure: By blogging about this, I'm entering for a chance to win an ARC. And I am so freaking PUMPED for this book I couldn't turn this chance down. I mean it doesn't come out until APRIL. That's like 6 months away!! Way, way too long. So that's really the reason why you don't get a Book-Crush post today. Because I'm greedy and want an ARC. Also, hopefully Megan is reading this RIGHT NOW and can feel my enthusiasm, but I didn't link it on her Facebook because I know she Google-blogs herself. Because she's awesome. So, i just want to say, "Hi Megan! You rock my face off."

Book-Crush Wednesday (10)

Only six words need to be used to explain why this book-crush Wednesday is truly a book-CRUSH Wednesday:

MarcusFlutieMarcusFlutieMarcusFlutie

If you don't know who I'm talking about, then you need to drop whatever book you're reading and hie thee to your local bookstore to pick up a copy of Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty. While you're there, you should go ahead and grab Second Helpings (because you'll definitely want them), Charmed Thirds (which will definitely leave you charmed), Fourth Comings (er...OK, I can't think of a good pun for this one...uhm, it will have you coming back for more?) and Perfect Fifths (SO FREAKING PERFECT U GUISE.) Because you'll want to read them right away.

I'll admit that this series was one of my first forays into YA in my own post-adolescent years. And it's a damn good thing it's so awesome, otherwise I may never have picked up another YA book, and I might be a very different writer today.

The main character in this series is Jessica Darling. But she's not really darling, she's more...sarcastic. And witty. And wonderful. I'm pretty sure we'd be BFFs, except probably not if we met in high school because even then I wouldn't have been cool enough for her. Jessica did a lot of things I never would have had the guts to do, such as THE CUP INCIDENT which I won't talk about much here for spoilers, but it's safe to say if I were in her situation, the next four novels would have gone a lot differently.

What's even better than Jessica, though, is the supporting cast. All of her high school friends, enemies, and frenemies are so well developed, each with their own little quirks and flaws and issues. Some characters just captured my heart, and others made me laugh because they were just so out there - but in a good, real way.

But although these books are so much about Jessica and her growing pains, they're really about the growing pains between Jessica and Marcus. Throughout the books, you really see the ups and downs and ins and outs of their relationship. Marcus reminds me SO MUCH of the hubs that I'm pretty sure Megan McCafferty was channeling him at one point to write him into the book. There are words that Marcus says (or doesn't say) that could have come right out of my husband's mouth.

And then...there's book five. OK, so the writing in the first four books is great. But the writing in Perfect Fifths KNOCKED ME OUT. The narrative structure is totally different, and it's perfect and amazing, and I love the alternate chapters because as a writer I know things like that are SO hard to do, and I think McCafferty did them just beautifully. The book is nearly flawless and the absolutely perfect ending to their story.

OK, so hopefully I have you convinced. It's really hard talking about five books in one post. But, just know they are amazing, funny, insightful, smart, and just good, and everyone - everyone - should read them.

It's Library Appreciation Day!

This week is National Library Week, and to honor the occasion, the blogosphere has decided to declare today (Monday) Library Appreciation Day! Woot! This is excellent news because I definitely appreciate my library. It is gorgeous, and right on the water! (Though I loved it even when it was a hot mess. You can probably tell it was renovated within the last ten years.) Check it out:

Ah, the library. Calmer of my soul. Keeper of an awesome YA collection. Saver of my book budget. (In more ways than one...that Friends of the Library store has books in near-perfect condition, and none for more than $2!)

The library is an amazing place. Where else can you get free books? True, you don't own them forever, but it's even better, because you get to share the books with the people who came before and after you. Because of this sharing aspect, I have found letters and bookmarks inside my library books, and once I left $10 inside a book I loved for the next patron to find (a random act of kindness inspired by Heather Zundel).

Most of the library workers are very good to me. (Though there is one not-so-nice lady at the main branch, but I won't tell her story today.) A guy at the check-out desk at the main branch adjusted the due date on my late books once even though I returned them a day late, and he knew that they wouldn't get to checking them in until the next day, so he didn't want to charge me extra late fees. At the East Branch (another, smaller branch which is also very close to my house), a woman at the check-out once charged me half price for a used book because I was friendly to her, and she said that the world needed more people like me. Because of the library, I discovered a love for Garth Stein, The Overlander Series (Suzanne Collins' must-read pre-HG MG novels), Rick Riordan, Jim Dale, Patricia C. Wrede, Megan McCafferty, and Neil Gaiman (who, consequently, is the honorary chair of ALA's National Library Week). The library is my happy place. I love it so.

But the library isn't just about great books! Most libraries have career seminars, movie nights, Internet access, various classes, and even (OMG!!!) author appearances! When I was in high school, I even went to a swing dance class at my library, and had a very awkward encounter with a boy...then again, about 95% of my encounters with boys in high school were very awkward. If you never have, you should definitely check out your local library to see what's coming up on the calendar. For example, at various branches in my area, upcoming events include a Sherlock Holmes film festival, a writer's support group (hey! I didn't know about that! I might check it out...it's at 1PM on Wednesday, but I could go during my lunch break!), various book clubs, Zumba at the library!, and classes teaching Microsoft programs, drawing, interview skills, and chess strategies for children. Wow! And it's all FREE!!!

Sadly, many libraries across the country are facing budget cuts, staffing shortages, and even threats of closing. All of this while usage is up, especially among job-seekers and children - if you're interested in seeing numbers, check out the ALA fact sheet. You should show your support for your library by using it, and maybe even go a step further by donating, and writing or calling your local representative about how important your library is to you and your community.

Now, you tell me...do you use your library? Why or why not? What do you use it for? Just books, or do you hang out there, take classes, go to events, etc.? Why not take just five minutes to visit your library's Web site and see what events they have to offer? You might find something new and exciting! (I did! And I'm on my library's Web site all the time!)

And while we're appreciating libraries, check out this post from Market My Words - tell her why you appreciate libraries, and enter for some fab prizes!

Sunday Funday!

Before I get started on Sunday Funday, I have two quick announcements:

1. I won the One-Minute Writing of the Day again! Hooray! I was going to wait and post the award in my sidebar permanently only if I ever won the Writing of the Week, but I really think Beth has a great thing going on over at OMW, and I want more people to know about it. Also I'm a show-off.

2. Apparently, tomorrow is some kind of awesome celebration of kissing day. It's the Official Kissing Day Blogfest, put on by Sherrinda at A Writer Wannabe. I'll be participating, which means you can stop be here tomorrow to read an awesome/awkward/awful kissing scene from my WIP! (I haven't decided which way to go yet.) It will probably be short, because my draft is still pretty rough, but I couldn't resist the urge to post about kissing. (Special thanks to Frankie for letting me know about it!) 

And now, for a few fun writerly links from around the Web!

Are you familiar with Savage Chickens? You should be. I love his Post-It cartoons, but this one is author-related. (Mine is definitely glam - it's from my wedding. But I would get something a little less head-over-the-shoulder for a professional Web site. I just don't have many pictures of me where I'm not, say, wearing a Sombraro or looking otherwise ridiculous.)

Fans of Harry Potter must watch this video, where Hermione becomes Michelle Pfeiffer and Coolio raps about wizards from the wrong side of the Hogwarts Express.

Fans of Megan McCafferty/Jessica Darling must read this rendition of 12 Days of Christmas, which my book club wrote as an ode to our favorite dreg. (You should also try to use the #lassodicking tag on Twitter whenever possible.) I know I linked to this in my questions post, but it is so fabulous it needed to be pointed out again.

Marybeth at Desperately Searching for My Inner Mary Poppins explains why editing is just like parenting. I'm not a parent yet, but I'm already up all night with my manuscript.

And would it really be Sunday Funday without a link to The Rejectionist? I don't think so. They make me laugh almost daily (and they don't even update daily!)

My author role model

When I'm alone in my car, my house, the shower, or my cubicle, I sometimes often pretend that I've achieved ridiculous fame thanks to my wildly successful novels. I hold interviews in my head with the press and my adoring fans about how I come up with my ideas, I plan what I'm going to wear to my movie premieres (not this, for sure), and I think about how I'd like to behave when I'm OMGTOTALLYRICHANDFAMOUS.

Is that crazy? Probably. But we've all done it, so I am totally cool with admitting my crazy. Plus it makes me all eccentric and writer-like.

Lately I've been trying to decide who I'd want to model my authorly behavior after, and it only took me about two seconds before I decided: Megan McCafferty.

Megan McCafferty is the author of the fabulous Jessica Darling series, and her next book, Bumped, is being written right now (I am so excited about the premise I can't stand it! It's future dystopian, in that only teenagers can get pregnant, but get this: it's funny! Future dystopia is one of my favorite topics to explore, but they're always such serious, depressing books with moral lessons. Maybe that's why I like them, but I can't wait to see how she handles it.)

Although I think McCafferty is a talented writer who captures teen drama with painful accuracy, and I definitely love how she's been able to touch the hearts of so many teens, young adults, and adults, that's not the reason I'm writing this post. Because if I'm telling the truth, I'd rather steal the masterful storytelling abilities of, say, J.K. Rowling. But I do think McCafferty excels tremendously at reaching out to her fans. She is one of the most accessible authors I know. You can friend her on Facebook (or just become a fan), follow her on Twitter, or read her blog (although that definitely isn't updated as much anymore, there are some very cool old entries from her journal).

You can also email her, which I did when I was first reading the Jessica Darling books. You see, Megan McCafferty and I have something in common (aside from the fact that we're both writers). We both went to the University of Richmond (we even both wrote for the school paper!), and we were both pretty miserable there. Although my teachers were awesome, the student body as a whole pretty much sucks. Everyone is totally full of themselves, stuck-up, and looks matter so much it makes you want to throw yourself into the lake. She only spent the first two years there, then transferred, while I braved the full four years with a small group of friends who got me through.

UR has some crazy traditions, like Proclamation Night, where all the Freshmen women wear white (although my first year they told us we were encouraged to wear "clothes that reflected our ethnic background," which is hilarious since the school is like 99% white. So you want us to wear...white? Got it.) and carry candles around campus or something. I'm not really sure what goes on, because I didn't go my freshman year (my mom died, so I went home), and I skipped it my senior year since I hadn't gone my freshman year and didn't really give a crap about it.

Well, in two of her books, McCafferty references events that could only be describing UR happenings. After a little digging, I discovered our shared alma mater, and shot her an email, assuming she wouldn't reply, and might not even read it. And she wrote back! Within three hours! And not just a lame, "thanks for being a fan" email, but an awesome, thoughtful response that really meant something. Do you have any idea how incredible this made me feel? (I'll gladly pull out the dancing banana again if you're not sure.)

To make things even more amazing, lately she's been giving away books like crazy. On Twitter and Facebook, several times a week she's been holding semi-spontaneous giveaways and just mailing signed books to people. Awesome! (I did finally manage to get one, thanks to a senryu I wrote about UR...hehe.)  I know people who've written to her or attended her signings, and their stories are the same: she's personable, funny, witty, honest, and charming. When my online book club did a poll which included naming five authors who you'd like to invite to dinner, she appeared on the list more than once.

My point is, when authors make a connection with their readers, it doesn't just boost sales (although that definitely helps; it's safe to say I will read pretty much anything Megan McCafferty writes, ever). It also makes the fan feel special. If you're a YA writer, that becomes even more important. Young adults are at a difficult time in their life. Avid readers see their favorite writers as celebrities. Who wouldn't love to hear from a huge celebrity?

When I become rich and famous, I vow to make the same effort to be accessible that Megan McCafferty has. College talks, random giveaways, and answering fan mail is all in the cards. Without readers, we wouldn't be able to survive. Truthfully, we need them more than they need us, so we should show them the same love right back. 

Edit: Did you need further proof that Megan McCafferty was awesome??? She read this blog (I have no idea how she got the link), then tweeted me about it. Yeah, she pretty much rules.