In which I get a sign from my dinner

So, okay, I am a school librarian, as such, I have the summers off. (If you say something douchey like "Must be nice" I will bust through your screen and punch your mouth off - every job has pros and cons!) Anywho, as a result, I make summer goals much like most people make New Year's Resolutions. Every summer I work on writing pretty much like it's a full time job, either writing a draft of a new project, or editing. (More on this summer's new project to come.)

Anyway, the product of the last two summers (and of course, all the months in between) is a YA novel that I'm trying to find an agent for. I have queried agents before, but now, I have heavily edited both my manuscript and my query and am making a clean new go at it. I plan on sharing the process (in convenient, sexy blog form - now with more snark!) as I go. My current goal is to send an even 100 query letters before school lets out. So far I have sent...13.

I know, that kinda sucks, but I'm working on it. Anyway, I sent out the first batch yesterday morning, then later, Boyfriend and I went to dinner at a Chinese restaurant where we chatted about my ideas for my upcoming Summer First Draft and my Querying Process. Then the bill came and...

 So, I'm gonna go ahead and assume that's a good sign. Wish me luck!

My name is bee, and I'm a Constant Reader

Kayso, when I was about 11 or so, I started stealing my sister's Stephen King books off of her shelf and reading them in frantic, stolen snatches. I didn't understand a lot of what I was reading, probably, and I think it began as me looking for another book like Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Boy, did I find ever so much more than that. I don't know when I started to get it, when I became what King calls a "constant reader," but every summer from the time I was 13 til the time I was in my 20's I reread IT. I still vividly remember the first time reading a book gave me honest to Jesus, actual chills. I was laying around on a hot summer day reading instead of being outside making friends, and I was reading Pet Sematary. I think one of the best books about writing is King's On Writing. Speaking of his writing advice, please enjoy these 20 quotes (you know I love quotes too!).

True Story

Anyway, I'm telling you this because this summer there's a lot to look forward to as a King fan. Under the Dome is gonna be a tv show, which I sincerely hope doesn't suck.
Also, he's got a new book: Joyland. This one is from the Hard Case Crime publishers and is supposed to be a good pulpy old-school creeper - review coming some time this summer, I'm sure.

Oh, and by the freaking way - he has a musical!? (We'll talk about my need for an interobang key another time) Yeah... you heard that right, and yeah, it's making my 15 year old cast geek self all aflutter. Seriously, kids, I love some musically goodness. (I am like freaking Florence + Motley Crue + Idina Menzel in my car/shower.) Anyway, he cowrote this with John Cougar Mellencamp (yeah, I know he dropped the "Cougar" but a heart doesn't forget, John) And you can check it out/gleek out over it here.

Anywho - King was recently on the Today Show talking about the new book and musical and his general awesomeness. He also gives recommendations for summer - which include his sons' works. I haven't read any Owen King yet, but I am reading Nos4a2u right now and it will be my next review. (You can read my review of Hill's Heart Shaped Box here).
Enjoy the video here:

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So, that's all happening. Also, what the hell, here's a picture of me in my "MidWorld Lanes" t-shirt - a reference to the Dark Tower series.

Oh! And when you have a pal who's a photoshop god, you occasionally get things in your inbox like this, unbidden, and awesome (Thanks JK!):

So, yeah, I know I seem a little Annie Wilkes right now, but you know, I'm just an enthusiastic kinda gal.

Book Review: Misfit by Jon Skovron

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Amulet Books (August 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1419700219
• ISBN-13: 978-1419700217
• List Price: $16.96
• I finished this book on February 22

Okay, so I picked this one up because I really like Skovron's last effort, Struts and Frets. I saw Skovron speak last year at the Rochester Teen Book Festival, and saw on his website then that we was writing a book about a demon girl, quite a departure from his last book (a realistic fiction about a teen boy in a crappy band). You know I hear demon and I'm in, so...

Jael, our heroine, is a half demon. That's right, her priest dad and a cool demon chick got it on and she was the result. Don't worry, it's cool though, cause he left the church and married the demon. (Romance!) Unfortunately, her mum died and Jael has grown up with her strict father and pretty much no understanding of her demon side. On her 16th birthday her father gives her a gift that allows her to reconnect with her demon side. Unfortunately her new demony goodness also sicks blood hungry racists demons on her, bent on keeping the race clean by destroying halfbreeds.

Oh, by the way, super strong demons are out to get you...Happy Birthday!

As if it weren't tough enough to deal with new demon powers, Jael also has a skater/scientist love interest. Also...her uncle is a fish monster. Oh, and the whole demons trying to kill her thing. I like Jael because she's pretty tough and learns to stand up for herself. Also, the scenes where she uses demony magic are really cool.

The story is written in third person present tense, which is unusual but kind of cool. There are lots of flashbacks to Jael's father's life which might be jarring for some readers. Overall I thought it was a pretty neat take on demons, with lots of historical references. I could have used a little more resolution with Jael's relationship with her father, but you can't ask for everything!

If you want a lighter, more cupcake filled version of a demon in school story, you could try Maureen Johnson's Devilish. If you're into the whole teen girl finds her place amongst her people thing try Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klaus (but avoid the movie).

Holy hell that's a scary mask, or, Movie Trailer: John Dies at the End

Okay - so...I read this book over the summer and I'm super excited for the movie. I was very excited when I found out that Don Coscarelli was making it and Paul Giamatti is going to be in it. Thought there's no release date yet right now it's premiering at Sundance (read a review here)

The book is about a loser guy and his friend who ingest a trippy drug called Soy Sauce which gives them crazy abilities. You don't really need me to tell you any more that that because you should just that it's ridiculous and awesome. But here's some random words that relate to the film: Meat Monster, Televangelist, Bob Marley, Jennifer Lopez, girl with one hand.

Here's the website, the Facebook and the IMDb.

Two cool links:

Hi there. So, this week I found two different cool and bookish girl approved links I'd like to share.
The first is: Book Mooch
This is a site where you can send your unwanted books out into the world to people who really want them and get ones you do want from others. It's free to join and free to ask for books from others. The only costs for you is the shipping to send your books out. Each member has an account gets and spends points by completing actions on the site. You can read all about it before you sign up.
I've just signed up so I can't report too much more on it, but it seems really cool to me. Just because I didn't like a book doesn't mean that it isn't going to be great for someone else. And in theory, I can get stuff I want for free. So...if you got lots of books on your shelf that you don't need to hang on to, then consider signing up.

The next one is Chapter One through the Washington Post. This site allows you to read the first chapter of lots of new books. It's got a nice assortment of fiction and non-fiction. It's pretty cool to be able to check something out before committing.

Enjoy!

Quote of the day

“You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.”

~Ray Bradbury

Book Review: Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford

• Hardcover: 304 pages


• Publisher: Hyperion Books CH (April 7, 2009)


• ISBN: 1423112466


• List Price: $6.40


• I finished this book on January 17
  

Kayso, I'm giving this book as a selection for the Book Club I run at school because we will be meeting the author at the Teen Book Festival in May. I can't wait for them to read it because I know they will love it.
The story is about Carter, a brand new baby Freshman boy with ADD and a stutter. Our story starts during the summer right before school starts. Anyone who teaches high school knows that Freshmen are really 8th graders for a good portion of 9th grade. Carter, whose ADD makes it very hard to focus on anything, is definitely immature. He's part of the popular crew and he plays football, though he doesn't really like it. He goes to high school parties he doesn't really want to go to, and he tries like whoa to have sex with some girls. He makes a lot of mistakes. Many of them are embarrassing. He accidentally breaks some hearts and has his broken.
The book has many qualities you'd expect from a book told by a 14 year old boy. There are fart jokes (I don't care who you are, fart jokes are always hilarious) and many deep thoughts on the differences between girl boobs and lady boobs (boobs are pretty much the only thing Carter can focus on).
The author, Brent Crawford, also suffers from ADD. He presumably also once suffered from being a 14 year old boy. His writing style is real and engaging, even if the narrative seems on fast forward sometimes (much like the VHS tape that Carter buys in the book. Hint: it's porn). Crawford is also an actor, and apparently a jean aficionado - which is weird but kind of awesome.
The book goes from slapsticky to serious smoothly. The whole last fourth of it just tickled my high school nerd girl so hard, but I'll let you figure it out for yourself. I'll leave you with my favorite quote from Carter:

"I think when you tap into something that you really want to do, you have to fight for it, even if the fight is with yourself."

Soundtrack: Luck Be a Lady Tonight from Guys and Dolls
(You'll have to read the book to figure out why)