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neverwhere · 2 years

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I’m sure you’ve heard about the new book buying policy at Barnes and Noble, and how marginalised authors are rightly concerned about how this will affect their future. Booksellers are worried too, and unfortunately we have every right to be - it was already difficult working within a large corporation dictating what we receive in store, but we could usually request titles we wanted to highlight, authors we wanted to champion, to share our passion and knowledge and make our shops as unique and diverse as we could, as much as corporate would allow. Already the new policy of only ordering ‘corporate curated titles’ is making our jobs impossible, and I feel sick about it.

Some examples of what’s been happening, with recent and upcoming books:

Daughter of the Moon Goddess, a Chinese mythological fantasy I personally handsold two dozen copies of in hardcover, before reorders stopped ‘because the paperback edition will be out soon’ (in four months) - currently on order: One.

Nona the Ninth, a book I don’t need to tell you is the next in a wildly popular, bestselling series that BN itself championed as a book of the month and is guaranteed to be another bestselling title - currently on order: One.

A Marvellous Light, a queer historical fantasy we originally received only one of, but was able to sell 13 more copies before they once again disallowed reorders - PBs currently on order: One. Upcoming HC sequel: None.

A Taste of Gold and Iron, a queer historical fantasy with massive online buzz I’ve been requesting for the shop for months and published yesterday - we received none at all

And these are for popular books, books that shouldn’t need booksellers to beg for more, to receive any copies of at all. I shouldn’t have had to wait for Iron Widow to win awards to be allowed to order their MG Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor for the shop. I shouldn’t have to tell our book buyer to do their damn job when a book already has an excellent sales history and we could sell more if they would just send it to us. I shouldn’t have to describe in minute detail, on every request for anyone who isn’t a white cishet author, why a book is worthy and will sell, as 30 copies of JK’s latest performative garbage that no one asked for (and will probably barely sell half of) arrives in store.

Trying to order books for debut authors, especially authors of colour, from smaller publishers, from anyone without incredible marketing and Booktok word of mouth behind it - and sometimes even when they do have them! - is like banging against an impenetrable wall, desperately hoping someone will let you in so you can share this book with the world. What makes this all the more upsetting is the new CEO’s supposed edict that ‘booksellers are the heart of our stores’, and we’re meant to use our expertise to select titles that create a unique experience for every shop, so it doesn’t feel like they’re all interchangeable anymore. This is the exact opposite of that, and I don’t know how they expect us to do it. I was a manager at Waterstones for a long time, both before and after James Daunt bought the company, and for the most part the changes he imparted upon taking over were (eventually) positive, so I foolishly believed he’d be doing the same when he bought B&N. I could not have been more wrong.

I’ve been a bookseller for almost 15 years, there are few things I love more than sharing bookish joy with others, and while there’s always been corporate obstacles to overcome and the publishing industry itself remains a problematic pain in the ass, I’ve rarely felt so overwhelmed by the futility of it all until now. I just feel so discouraged, defeated, utterly disheartened and frustrated beyond measure to be so unable to help uplift the voices and words that need it most :(

#publishing #books #bookselling #this is barely scratching the surface of how mindblowingly frustrating it is in store now #i'll get 10 copies of the latest manga in a series that's never even sold one copy #and 1 of the next in a bestselling series that sold 40 #its inexplicable #the obvious way queer & poc authors are being shafted is infuriating #we're *trying* to get these books in our shops we promise #my recommends always sell but even that isn't enough to get orders anymore #i hate it here #when i should love it the most #adventures in bookselling

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lunarsilkscreen · 4 months

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"How do I know the Slap heard round the Academy Awards wasn't scripted?"

I never talked to those two directly, never met 'em. How could I know what really happened?

That's true. I can't know for certain. Not at all.

But I know those two's careers. Will Smith especially. Growing up on Fresh Prince reruns and Independence Day marathons. Which, you might think as just loser behavior and a parasocial relationship*at* most.

I was the kind of weird kid who consumed art in all its forms. I studied actors and animation and game development voraciously. I even read books. Entertainment was always more than *just entertainment* to me.

And as you start to look at entertainment closer to how you would school homework, or job studies. It becomes closer to a studying a worker in the same field. Like a quarterback or team manager studying the other team for strengths and weaknesses.

And Will Smith, in his entire storied career, has never broken publicly in any facet. He's the type of person that curates his public appearance, possibly because of his race; he wasn't allowed to be a certain way. Which goes doubley because he became a.sort of Hollywood "golden child" walking mg a wire.

Knowing any step might be his last, but simultaneously, in a position where he couldn't possibly fail. Racism had done it's part from both sides.

I don't know his private life, or altercations he may have gotten with coworkers and other cast members. Especially since I'm an industry outsider; but there always seemed to be a vested interest to keep Will Smith's appearance clean.

Chris Rock probably knows this feeling very well as a fellow black performer. And even harbors resentment and jealousy towards Smith, specifically because of the differences in their trajectories.

Whether that played a part; who knows. I could be imagining things.

And that leads to the slap;

The kind of school-yard altercation nearly every person has had in their youth at some point or another. This guy said exactly the wrong thing, to exactly the wrong person, at exactly the wrong time, in exactly the right place.

I can see playing out as if it were in a cafeteria. Some class clown telling jokes that hurt, too many, back to back, targeted one way. And some kid having to stand up for himself. Because it'll just keep happening if it doesn't.

Although, these are two grown men. You'd think they'd be past that.

Not Will Smith specifically though. See, he probably has never been in that exact position before. Not with his family feeling like it's falling apart, the stress of never having been able to express his youth in such a fashion before, having to embody the "Golden Child" aesthetic. The Captain America boycout.

Chris Rock, on the other hand... Judging by his own TV show about his own life... Was used to that just being the norm. Talk shit. If you go too far; they'll let you know. And maybe even let you host the Oscars.

I don't think he intended to piss Will off, but I'm not sure that he didn't know the opportunity was there. Maybe, he saw the sour mood and wanted to lighten the air around the two. Will Smith of course; was up for a F* Oscar.

One he maybe should've won a decade ago.

MAYBE Will Smith went; knowing that he'd be another runner up. Like every single time before then. And just thought "you know; at least I'll get some press out of this."

And nobody gave him the heads-up that "hey you're the front runner. For real this time."

Just, all insults 24/7. Maybe Willard should've taken the hint that Chris *knew* he was about to win the award, and that's why he was poking him to begin with.

"They shouldn't know at those functions" they say. But in this case; this is one of those things you can't keep under wraps.

It took Willard Caroll Smith II, an entire lifetime (mine specifically) in acting to break where your average person breaks at *that* level in high school sometime.

You know; I'm not sure it's that bad of a capstone either. For him *or* Christopher Julius Rock.

Maybe it *was* planned.

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nanowrimo · 2 years

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Inspiring Hope in Youth Through Stories: An Interview with Author Rose Brock

Every author hopes to inspire and impact their audiences. Author, editor and NaNoWriMo Board Member, Rose Brock, shares about her new anthology, Hope Wins, which strives to inspire hope in kids through inspiring stories.

Reports of youth depression, anxiety, and general struggles with mental health are devastating. Dr. Rose Brock, Ph.D, an educator, author, editor, and literary organizer, set out to put together a collection of stories about hope in order to uplift and inspire the youth.

This collection, Hope Wins, pulls "personal stories and essays, award-winning and bestselling artists from Matt de la Peña and Veera Hiranandani to Max Brallier and R.L. Stine write about how hope always wins, even in the darkest of times." Read this inspiring interview about the book, and the motivations behind its creation.

Q: Tell us about the background of the book. Why did you put together Hope Wins? Why does the world need this book?

A: For the two decades I worked as an 8th grade ELA teacher and a middle school librarian, there were so many times I wanted to find a way to help my students feel connected to others and less alone because life can be really hard and isolating at times. Because it’s what worked for me, I tried to do that through books. I don’t necessarily believe a novel will solve all the world’s ills, but I do know that through the sharing of stories, we have the ability to help readers see others and to be seen in return; I can’t think of a better way to capture and share the human condition.

Fiction often does for us organically, and it’s where I’m regularly drawn as a reader, but from those twenty years working in public schools, I also learned the power of sharing non-fiction with young people. In addition to the many celebrated novels in both my classroom library and school library, sometimes my students were looking for inspiring stories that were true. In the earlier years of my career, I often turned to books like Chicken Soup for the Soul to encourage them. While I’m still not sure just how “real” those books were, they were important and inspirational to many. What I learned from those collections was that books that are filled with real life experiences and shared lessons have an opportunity to profound difference to a young person.

Since the publication of my YA hope focused first anthology, Hope Nation, teachers and librarians have generously told me how much they personally loved that first collection, but how they wished there was one for the younger students with whom they work. Between these requests and knowing the difficulties faced by young people these past two+ years due to the pandemic (and let’s face it—just life), this seemed to be the right time to collect more hopeful stories by authors young people admire.

Hope Wins is technically a collection of inspiring stories for young readers, but I would argue it’s a book for all readers who need a shot of hope, regardless of age. It’s my hope it will do just that—make a profound difference to any reader that needs a shot of hope. My Hope Wins (and Hope Nation) anthologies are also what I call “Projects for Good” because besides sharing personal stories from beloved MG and YA writers, they benefit organizations and charities that I believe matter. As an educator, Hope Wins is the book I wish had existed over the years to give to the young people in my life that were struggling to say, “You can do this. You are strong. You can capable. You are enough. You can hang your heart on hope”.

Q: Can you tell us about your background and what role hope has played in what you do—as a librarian, the founder of a book festival, and a NaNoWriMo board member?

A: I’ve been an educator for all of my professional life. As I mentioned, I was a classroom teacher and school librarian for two decades. After finishing my Ph.D., I transitioned to academia. In all of these places, sharing stories have always been the foundation for my personal hope, and I believe they can work magic in and build hope in others. I believe the quest for hope is both active and at times, an act of resistance—choosing where you focus your efforts and being intentional with what you do. Whether it is teaching, my service to NTTBF (the North Texas Teen Book Festival), or NaNoWriMo, I’m always guided by the knowledge that passion and service lead me to hope.

Q: We're just now seeing devastating reports about how much kids have suffered and are suffering mentally. Depression, self-harm and suicide are rising at alarming rates among American adolescents, spanning racial and ethnic groups, urban and rural areas and the socioeconomic divide. Does hope play a different role for a middle-grade child than it might an adult? Is hope a scarce resource these days?

A: Even those the world often feels overwhelming, I don’t think it’s hopeless. I think the reason I’m so passionate about promoting literacy with and for young people is because I absolutely know stories can change lives (they certainly changed mine). In all my years of working with kids, I repeatedly saw it happen first-hand. No matter a child’s background or even the obstacles they face, books have the power to help readers escape, grow, think, care, connect, and see more for themselves than their current circumstances. It may seem cliched, but I genuinely believe books have the ability to nurture and grow hope in young people (really in all of us), and I also think all people (especially young people) can become better, kinder people by engaging with stories—they feed our humanity and help us feel hopeful so I’m not really use if it plays a different role; I just know it’s vital to us all.

Q: How did you go about choosing the contributors?

A: If I’d had my way, there would have been at least twice as many authors in this collection, but the reality of such a collection requires a limited number so I started by really thinking about who are the authors I knew kids genuinely love (as is the nature of such projects, a few got away due to their other deadlines). It was also essential to me that the collection was inclusive because I needed any kid reading the collection to be able to find someone that reminded them of themselves. From there, I invited folks to participate, and I worked with each of my contributors (or Team Hope as I call them) individually to help them decide what they wanted to focus on in their story. In some cases, the participating authors had a keen sense of what personal experiences they wanted to hone in on; in others, I worked more closely by asking questions that made them really open their memory chests and search for moments that might be ripe for hope harvesting.

Q: What are some of the sources of hope in the book that you found particularly powerful?

A: I genuinely love all of the contributions to the collection, but one of the things I genuinely am happiest with is that in regard to “topics”, the contributions are quite varied, yet they still feel familiar (that’s where the hope comes in). Newbery Honor winner Christina Soontornvat’s piece “Everything I Need to Know I Learned in a Thai Restaurant” shares the many hopeful lessons she learned from working from a very young age in her family’s restaurant in rural Texas. It's so heartfelt and even humorous. Speaking of funny, Max Brallier, author of the middle grade bestselling The Last Kids on Earth series shares his touching and hilarious antics of being a new kid at school and trying to fly under the radar until the day his father (an author of a series of unusual cookbooks) arrived to pick him up in an actual Oscar Meyer Hot Dog car (which makes invisibility pretty much impossible). Beyond these two selections, the other contributions inspire me in so many ways. Some of the other selections share universal experiences of how to work through feeling like an outcast, how to survive loss, how to choose your how you want to be known, even how to find your life’s inspiration, and more. While each story is unique, they all are earnest, touching, and true.

Q: What's your favorite reader response?

A: I don’t that I have one favorite yet but here are some that touched my heart.

“If ever there was a ‘right book at the right time’ . . . this collection of stories around the theme of hope is it. . . .” - Blogger ProseandKahn

"An absolute gift to middle grade readers. . . . I love this anthology because it inspires hope in the face of struggles that are relatable to this age group - insecurity, bullies, feeling different, rejection, loss - while legitimizing how hard this time of life can be. ~Instragramer WeReadLikeThat

“The success of this collection lies in its breadth and depth of understanding, as the personalities and writing styles of the included authors envelop the reader. With contributors ranging from Tom Angleberger and Gordon Korman to Veera Hiranandani and Matt de la Peña, the collection's chapters comprise a diversity of backgrounds and styles while bringing home the reality that though hard times and circumstances challenge everyone, hope can be nurtured in all hearts. Bibliotherapy in small doses.” ~Beth Rosania for Booklist

Rose Brock, Ph.D. is a veteran educator and specialist in literature for young people who spent twenty years as a public school educator working as a language arts teacher and a school librarian. She now works as an associate professor in the Department of Library Science and Technology at Sam Houston State University. As a classroom teacher, Rose was selected by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as a Mandel fellow, and as a school librarian, she was awarded the Siddie Joe Johnson Award for Outstanding Service to Youth by the Texas Library Association. She is the author of the textbook, Young Adult Literature in Action: A Librarian’s Guide, and editor of the young adult anthology, Hope Nation: Young Adult Authors Share Personal Moments of Inspiration.

Rose is also the co-founder of the ALA award-winning North Texas Teen Book Festival. In addition to her work on NTTBF, Rose has been a tireless advocate for using audiobooks as tools for literacy and is co-founder of the national literacy initiative Guys Listen, a part of the Guys Read literacy national program. Rose’s publications Hope Wins: A Collection of Inspiring Stories for Young Readers and Sound Advice: An Audiobook Selection Handbook for Library Collections is currently available. For more information, please visit https://www.drrosebrock.com/.

#nanowrimo #writing #amwriting #author interview #by nano guest #rose brock

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gamexchange · 6 months

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Snake? Snake?! SNAKE! New release this week - Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol.1 on All major platforms The origin of stealth action returns. METAL GEAR SOLID: MASTER COLLECTION Vol. 1 unifies the beginning of the METAL GEAR gameplay experience in one single package. Infiltrate enemy fortresses all over the globe, complete your missions with stealth and experience the thrilling cinematic story of the METAL GEAR series. Volume 1 line-up features the original titles and beginning of the METAL GEAR series: Metal Gear, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, Metal Gear Solid (Including VR Missions/Special Missions), Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (HD Collection version), Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (HD Collection version), and much more bonus content! This collection includes the classic versions of the games, complete with minimal edits to copyrighted contents. Regional versions of the titles are available as additional downloads. Bonus content includes the first title in the METAL GEAR series, a Screenplay Book containing in-game text of each title and a Master Book detailing the story and characters. Also included in the bonus content of the METAL GEAR SOLID: MASTER COLLECTION Vol. 1 will be two digital graphic novels created by award-winning illustrator Ashley Wood. The Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel is a fully voiced, digital comic depicting the events of Metal Gear Solid through beautifully dynamic animated panels, followed by Metal Gear Solid 2: Digital Graphic Novel that expands on the events of the sequel. Buy Now - http://dlvr.it/Sy67WD Trade in at GameXchange to get more money off this and thousands of other games and Funko POPs in stock now. #MetalGear #MGS #MetalGearSolid #Nintendo #NintendoSwitch #Gaming #Xbox #Playstation5 #XboxSeriesX #Playstation #PS5

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rosemariecawkwell · 1 year

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Book Review: Witchstorm by Tim Tilley

Information about the BookTitle: WitchstormAuthors: Tim TilleyPublisher: UsborneRelease Date: 29th September 2022Genre: MG (8 – 12 year olds) Summary Join a hunt for lost witch treasure, in an enchanting adventure story of storms, spells, and the magic of the natural world, from bestselling and award-winning Tim Tilley. Will believes in witches and the stories he’s grown up with – of mythical…

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#Witchstorm #@KaleidoscopicBT #@usborne #blog tour #in @timbertilley

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dellanio · 2 years

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Join us next Wednesday, May 25 4-6 PM EST for What's Write for Me. Guests are Amanda Thrasher, Darrell Bartell and Jodi Lea Stewart!

Jodi Lea Stewart is a fiction author who believes in and writes about the triumph of the human spirit in overcoming adversity, whether it is by grit, humor, or hard-rock tenacity. Her lifelong friendship with all races, cowpunchers, southern belles, and outlaws allows Jodi to write comfortably on all aspects of the Southwest, the South, and beyond.

Amanda M. Thrasher was born in England, moved to Texas and resides there still. She’s the award-winning author of YA, General Fiction, MG, Early Reader Chapter, and Picture books. Amanda is a multiple Gold Recipient of The Mom’s Choice Awards® (MCA), earning the award in multiple categories including.

Darrell Bartell—actor, playwright, short writer, author, former cab driver, security officer, stage magician, future radio broadcaster, and cancer survivor—completed his MA in drama at Texas Woman’s University.

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piemels · 3 years

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mondays am i right

#my friend’s cat is illegally small and cute #his name is Tibbe #he is named after award winning dutch children’s book writer Annie MG (Machine Gun) Schmidt’s famous novel Minoes

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pleasereadmeok · 3 years

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This ‘Wonderland’ Interview to promote A Single Man is a gem. Matthew Goode is a bit of a handful and swears his way through this interview with his mate Nic Hoult. It’s very funny. It’s often quoted (including his description of Colin Firth’s kissing technique!) but it’s difficult to find a clean scan of the whole interview. This scan (from Natalie/ Fairchilds on ohnotheydidnt) isn’t very clear to read so I did a transcript several years ago - here:-

Wonderland Interview

Based on the 1964 novel by Christopher Isherwood, A Single Man marks the screenwriting and directing debut of fashion icon, Tom Ford. Having debuted earlier this year at the Venice Film Festival to a standing ovation, the film has continued to impress audiences during screening at the Toronto and London Film Festivals.

Joining lead actor, Colin Firth, on screen are fellow Brits Matthew Goode and Nicholas Hoult who discuss the film, Tom Ford and being British in LA.

ON A SINGLE MAN

Nicholas Hoult: The only time I saw Matthew was when we were getting our spray tans.

Matthew Goode: Which were more regular than we were expecting. I got on a plane with Colin [Firth] and then literally the moment we arrived, got in the car together, went to the hotel and suddenly – it’s like ten thirty at night – we have to go to Colin’s room where we’re having our spray tans . Colin Firth is in his pants, I’m in my pants and it stays that way for an hour whilst we wait for this stuff to set. He’s fucking great. I love Colin.

We [Nic’ and he] never had a scene together but we were there the whole time. I was only really fitting in around these guys. Nic had a damn sight more to do than I did.

NH: No I just did more.

MG: [Laughs] It was a really fun shoot. I mean, maybe I’m looking back with rose tinted spectacles, but …

NH: It was a good fun shoot. Everyone enjoyed it. I remember the night in Venice after seeing it in front of all those people and just lying in bed thinking ‘that’s something I’m proud of’.

MG: It’s seriously impressive. You watch it and you care and, it doesn’t happen to me a lot, but I watched it and thought ‘I’m in something that doesn’t stink!’. I’m proud of that.

NH: That’s a nice feeling when you’ve done something and you can say ‘yeah, proud of that’.

MG: Fucking hell – sorry to interrupt – but I was reading a magazine or a paper or something the other day and it said “A Single Man obviously being screened and whenever Nic Hoult was on screen there were gasps over his beauty” [laughs]. And I was thinking, fucking Hoult is going to LA and get so laid! [Laughs]. He is going to be turning bush away left right and centre!

NH: It’s all down to the fake tan again. That’s where the performance stems for me.

MG: That is a review!

NH: Nothing about the acting, right?

MG: They didn’t review the film. It just said “I saw it. I’m going to be reviewing it at some point, but let me tell you there were gasps over Nick Hoult’s beauty!”

ON TOM FORD

MG: Tom is immediately interesting. If it’s all about someone’s cannon of work then most of the time you wouldn’t work with a first ime director, but if the script is good and you have a chat with them and they know which end is up and which is down, then great.

NH: I didn’t know who Tom was when I met him.

MG: Nick “fashion forward” Hoult!

NH: I’d gone over to LA got off a plane and had dinner with him. And I asked him how he’d got into directing and why he was doing this!

MG: I love that. Isn’t that great? And that’s also like Tom. He’s not the sort of person who is like, ‘well fuck you!’.

NH: He explained very humbly what he had done and I thought OK. And then I looked him up after dinner and was ‘oh jesus! He’s actually accomplished quite a lot’ so probably quite a stupid question, but he was very honest and modest and made a great director.

MG: It’s so good. And so good for Colin. And Julianne [Moore] is bloody great in it as well. But the real star of it, it has to be said, is Tom. It silences immediately the people who were going ‘you self indulgent cunt.’ It’s like two massive fingers up to them as it is very, very accomplished.

NH: It’s very personal to him as well.

MG: Hugely personal as the main story sort of mirror images the relationship between him and Richard. There’s a similar age gap.

NH: He would always say my character is him when he was 18. He’s connected to every character and he knows them.

MG: And he wrote the screenplay and it’s starkly different from the book.

NH: Matthew’s read the book, so –

MG: That’s right! I have. It is different. I am always about the script, really. But one of the really nice things about being involved is that it is a love poem to Tom’s partner, Richard.

NH: Tom is very good in the sense that he is an actor’s director and knows what he wants you to do but is very giving to let you go off and explore things and try stuff out. And you don’t feel too much pressure of failure.

MG: That’s very true.

NH: ‘Cause the second you’re on set – especially when there’s only 20 days to shoot – to not feel the pressure, that’s a good atmosphere he created. Something his assistant was saying the other day was that he’s very good at holding his hands up and would admit when he wasn’t sure what he was doing and kept everyone on side and made it a really great team effort.

MG: I love it when someone’s like that. It’s so far away from self indulgent as well when someone’s shooting into the 19th hour of the day and the ship isn’t sinking, but there’s a leak and it’s far better to say we do have a leak and I’m trying to sort it out rather than leaning on one side and saying everything is fine. He is fucking great.

ON COLIN FIRTH

MG: Colin was great. I knew he was going to be good. The moment I read the script, I was like, ‘this is something you haven’t done in a long time’ – just something he could really get his teeth into. He’s such a subtle actor and it’s been a long time since I can remember him having something that central and serious.

NH: It was a great moment when we went to the Venice Film Festival and got the message Colin was winning the best actor award.

MG: I know. The previous evening we had sat there and we knew it had gone down well because there was a NINE minute standing ovation. And particularly when you’re not in the film as much as I am, then I feel like a fucking charlatan. I stood there and am looking down and smiling and embarrassed. Colin’s quite emotional and I tell you what – four minutes of a standing ovation gets a bit uncomfortable, but NINE? ‘OK, Colin… fucking move. Let’s go. Let’s leave.’ And he couldn’t tell us that he had won and so he was being shy about it.

NH: Yeah, he kept it very quiet.

MG: The moment we found out and we were on the boat we were like ‘What the fuck? You’ve won and you didn’t tell us!? And he was like ‘ I know, I didn’t wanna.’ He was humble.

NH: It was great. It was a bit of an odd first day like you had in the sense that I had to strip off in front of Colin on my first day. It sounds a bit seedy when I say ‘strip off in front of him’.

MG: It does!

NH: It’s part of the film, I swear! And it’s handled a lot more tastefully that that might seem, but yeah it was a bit of an odd first day.

MG: Everyone is going to say ‘oh it’s a gay movie’ which we then counteract with ‘no it’s not, it’s a film about love.’ But there is nudity and a bit of man kissing. Frankly Colin kisses like a nymphomaniac on death row, but it was a real pleasure!

NH: He’s got a lot of love!

ON JULIANNE MOORE

MG: She’s a fucking hero. She’s lovely. I didn’t have any scenes with her. I mean I’m only in flashback, so all my stuff was with Colin.

NH: All my stuff is with Colin as well. The first time I met Julianne was in Venice.

MG: Yeah, she was probably in the middle of juggling six projects or something, you know, she never stops working. She came in and shot two scenes, which were about 20 odd minutes of the film, and they did that in two evenings so she was in and out. I never got a chance to meet her until I was at some party in LA and she is just fantastic. And she’s married to a guy called Bart Freadlich who is a director in his own right.

NH: He’s a hero.

MG: He is actually fabulous! My girlfriend spent the whole evening calling him Bert instead of Bart and he was like ‘you know, actually I prefer Bert! Don’t worry about it’. He’s lovely. They could throw their weight around, but they are actually family people and live in New York – they’re kind of anti Hollywood.

ON THE LIFE OF AN ACTOR

MG: There are a lot of Brits and Aussies at the moment who are working. I don’t know what that means. But we never think of ourselves. When you get off the plane and you’re in America they ask ‘what’s the best thing about being a movie star?’ I am a jobbing actor, they have no idea! They make it sound like I get 500 scripts and am sitting there going through them all. If something comes up and they are stupid enough to give it to us or you love the script and audition but someone of a huge stature can come in and take it like Brad Pitt. Or Judi [Dench] – we’ve been up against each other a couple of times.

NH: I’ve never lost out to Judi yet.

MG: Only in a drinking contest! The vicious alcoholic that she is!

NH: Sam Worthington was telling me when he was in LA someone asked him why there were so many Aussies over there doing so well and his response was that it’s an awful long way to go to fail and not give it your best shot, basically.

MG: Oh. I was expecting some sort of knob gag in there, but yeah.

NH: It’s very true. I just got back from LA and every TV series has an English guy in the lead. Joseph Fiennes, Matthew Reece [RHYS]

MG: We’re good. We’re quite good…

N H: I can’t say it’s the training, because I don’t have any.

MG: You’re doing well! You make people gasp! You complete cunt. I hate that!

NH: You’re coming across very eloquent.

MG: That’s very nice of you. OK, who used to live with Ewan McGregor and Jude Law and he has a TV show? You’re right about that. Though it makes it sound like ‘Oh you’re English. Have a TV show’. I’m sure they all have about ten auditions.

NH: I had an interesting day recently when I was at a BBQ and Jimmy Page and Roger Daltrey were there.

MG: Wow!

NH: I sat there and was very quiet because I thought if I speak to them I’ll make a fool of myself so it’s best to keep out of the way and then they can’t have any bad thoughts although they probably didn’t know I was there. But I knew they were there so it was a good BBQ for me.

MG: I’d love to learn guitar. It’s one of those things I’d love to do. Though it’s not like I don’t have the time…

NH: [Laughs]

MG: I’d like to know all the chords.

NH: It’s difficult to get the fingering right… That’s what she said.

MG: And back to Dame Judi!

NH: [Laughs]

MG: It depends if you have a high action or a low action in terms of the strings. It hurts. You’ve got to build up the calluses. If you get a low action one that would be easier.

NH: Are we still talking about women?

MG: Yes! [Laughs] I remember Billy Crudup got the part in Almost Famous and he had lessons with Peter Frampton but had to have lessons on the side because Peter was like ‘you are fucking terrible’. But that’s one of the nice accidents of the job is you can get training in things. And random travel.

NH: I got to do archery.

MG: You did! That was The Weatherman!

NH: No, for Clash of the Titans. I didn’t use it once.

MG: Oh yes, it was the daughter in The Weatherman.

NH: Yeah man, keep up.

MG: Sorry mate. That’s how pretty you are. I confused you with the female lead.

NH: He’s seen all my work.

MG: I have! I’ve got to learn how to do it. You are a master. I did a Spanish film and it was all in Spanish [!] – I learnt it phonetically. Jesus, that’s my only skill. The major skill I picked up is I can pay my rent. The older you get the more you realize there are a lot of people who hate their jobs. I’m so glad I’m not – ha! Famous last words! – it does seem to be going OK for now. But bringing it back to what do you like about acting – to be honest, everything.

ON BRITISH TALENT

MG: I think there is an element that we’re just so happy to work. Certainly as for getting into film it was such an accident because I hadn’t worked in front of a camera. For a while it was like what is the secret code to working on screen? I have no idea what it is… but even ten films in I’m still sitting here renting and not owning a house. I think that keeps you grounded. As opposed to some American actors who are on a hundred thousand dollars doing some TV.

NH: You don’t get comfortable so you feel you’ve got to keep on striving.

MG: I think we’re overrated. [Laughs]. There is an element over there if you walk into a room of Americans that they’re suddenly like ‘oh fuck they’re British and we’re steeped in tradition.

NH: It’s odd that Tom got so many English actors for the film – we’re both playing American.

MG: And Julianne is playing English.

NH: it’s good he trusts in us to pull of the American accents.

MG: Yeah, I mean – idiot! In fairness you’ve done it before and I have done it a couple of times. But it is odd. If you think who he probably could have had –

NH: He probably could have done better than us!

MG: I’m sure he could have convinced someone with a much higher stature. I think it was just we were willing to work for free, effectively. And that’s also what makes Britain great. We want to work and we want to please the director and often at times, yes we might have strong thoughts on character and script, but we turn up and are like, this is your vision and you are the director and we know where we fit in. Certainly the Brits, I find, we want to be told what to do or how it’s going to work rather than, ‘I’m the fucking star!’ I tend to find we leave our ego at the door. We tend not to pussyfoot around. We all like a drink. We’re steeped in that tradition as well. There’s a certain forbidden thing in America if you drink you’re an alcoholic. No I’m not, and I generally wait until at least half past one.

NH: On weekends. Weekdays, 11.

MG: There is a reason pubs are opened at 11 and it’s because you are allowed to start drinking at that time. Otherwise, they wouldn’t do it! Christ, can you remember back to when – you might not remember, actually. I gasp at your beauty as I try to remember!

NH:[laughs] I’m never going to live this down!

MG:Do you remember when pubs shut on Sundays at, like, 1 for two or three hours? Maybe I’m showing my age now. That is fucking madness. There would be a riot now.

NH: So basically, we haven’t found a conclusion to what makes Britain great… You’re a big X Factor fan though, aren’t you?

MG: My girlfriend loves it. She’s got me into it. I mean it’s fucking hilarious. You literally sit there and you don’t know any of these people but the music comes up and they get selected and you can be in tears and so happy that these people have been selected for the live shows. I really like the over 25’s this year. They’re fucking great.

NH: Matthew Goode on The X Factor!

MG: ‘He’s very much into the over 25s and what is funny is they are all male’. But it is great. But then it’s such a machine. There is such a turn around. Sometimes the winner gets completely forgotten and they have no career and then, obviously, sometimes they go shooting up. But it is great telly! Saturday night, a couple of beers and The X Factor.

[Pics - My edit of Ben Rayner photos/scan by Natalie Fairchild.]

#matthew goode #nic hoult #a single man #a discovery of witches #adow #just in case ADOW fans are interested - it's a stretch I know.........

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jjspina · 2 years

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Award-Winning Books for MG/PT!

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#Abby & Holly School Dance #Abby & Holly Series #Abby & Holly Series Book 2 Unfortunate Events #Abby & Holly Series Book 3: Secrets of the Trunk #Abby & Holly Series Book 4; The Hidden Stairway #Abby & Holly Series Book 5: The Copper Key #Abby & Holly Series Book 6: Faulty Timelines #Award Winning Series #award-winning author #Award-winning MG books #Award-winning PT books #Books for MG/PT/YA #Reading for MG/PT/YA

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tam--lin · 3 years

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I am currently acquiring, from scratch, our summer camp library, and while I’m pretty solid on classic kid lit and award winning recent YA whose characters are not all cis white straight allo people, I’d love recs for

-books younger kids are in to these days (those dragon books, yes? Rick Riordan?)

-craft/resource/ttrpg books beyond the obvious (Klutz / Rise Up Singing / D&D handbooks)

-kids and MG nonfiction

-nature guides aimed at kids in the northeastern US (specifically upstate NY)

ETA: and kid’s graphic novels!

#I'm casting a wide net here #we have a huge range of kids and my budget is $100 my mom sent me to buy stuff on thriftbooks #so I'm trying to get a little bit of everything #tam.txt #thanks!

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literaticat · 1 month

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I know I've been told to set SMART goals.. but with agents' successes (book sales, finding clients, clients' works finding an audience) highly dependent on external and often unpredictable factors.. do you laugh at SMART goals?

I don't know if "SMART goals" are a new thing or what, I just started hearing about this concept recently -- so if anyone is in the dark here, SMART stands for goals that are "Specific - Measurable - Achievable - Relevant - Time-bound."

In other words, if you were using SMART goals for your New Years Resolution, "This year, I will win the lottery" would be, well, not-so-SMART -- you have no control over that, it's not achievable or measurable, etc. Whereas, "This year, I will buy a one-dollar scratcher every Monday and keep track of wins and losses" would be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Similarly, "Sell this book for six figures" or "top the NYT bestseller list" or "win the Newbery award" are not SMART goals. They can be dreams or aspirations or secret wishes -- but like, they aren't something you actually have a lot or any control over. But, much like the lottery one -- you CAN put yourself in the position where that even has the possiblity of coming true, however unlikely it might be in terms of odds, right?

So better goals for an AUTHOR would be, I'm going to finish my MG novel before the end of the year. Or, I'm going to send out 40 queries in the month of April. These are specific - measurable - achievable - relevant - time-bound.

For an agent, similar, I guess - I'm going to get to Inbox Zero. I'm going to finish everything on my to-do list. I'm going to catch up on the backlog of contracts. Etc. Like, I got plenty to keep me busy without worrying about UN-achievable goals!

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cover2covermom · 4 years

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Today I’m going to be sharing my favorite books that I’ve read in 2020 thus far…

» The Ruins of Gorlan (Ranger’s Apprentice #1) by John Flanagan

Genre: YA fantasy

They have always scared him in the past — the Rangers, with their dark cloaks and shadowy ways. The villagers believe the Rangers practice magic that makes them invisible to ordinary people. And now 15-year-old Will, always small for his age, has been chosen as a Ranger’s apprentice. What he doesn’t yet realize is that the Rangers are the protectors of the kingdom. Highly trained in the skills of battle and surveillance, they fight the battles before the battles reach the people. And as Will is about to learn, there is a large battle brewing. The exiled Morgarath, Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night, is gathering his forces for an attack on the kingdom. This time, he will not be denied….

My mother-in-law actually recommended this book for my son. After reading it for myself, I agree that this book would definitely appeal to boys. There are some wonderful themes like hard work, courage, friendship, etc. I would also consider this a wonderful gateway book into fantasy.

» Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in American by Ibi Zoboi

Genre: YA contemporary ((anthology))

Black Enough is a star-studded anthology edited by National Book Award finalist Ibi Zoboi that will delve into the closeted thoughts, hidden experiences, and daily struggles of black teens across the country. From a spectrum of backgrounds—urban and rural, wealthy and poor, mixed race, immigrants, and more—Black Enough showcases diversity within diversity.

Whether it’s New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds writing about #blackboyjoy or Newbery Honor-winning author Renee Watson talking about black girls at camp in Portland, or emerging author Jay Coles’s story about two cowboys kissing in the south—Black Enough is an essential collection full of captivating coming-of-age stories about what it’s like to be young and black in America.

Black Enough was a game changer for me. I don’t tend to read anthologies because I find that I tend to struggle to connect to short stories, but I loved this collection! What an excellent book to incorporate during #BlackHistoryMonth in February!

» Girls Like Us by Randi Pink

Genre: YA historical fiction

Set in the summer of 1972, this moving YA historical novel is narrated by teen girls from different backgrounds with one thing in common: Each girl is dealing with pregnancy. Four teenage girls. Four different stories. What they all have in common is that they’re dealing with unplanned pregnancies.

In rural Georgia, Izella is wise beyond her years, but burdened with the responsibility of her older sister, Ola, who has found out she’s pregnant. Their young neighbor, Missippi, is also pregnant, but doesn’t fully understand the extent of her predicament. When her father sends her to Chicago to give birth, she meets the final narrator, Susan, who is white and the daughter of an anti-choice senator.

Randi Pink masterfully weaves four lives into a larger story – as timely as ever – about a woman’s right to choose her future.

Wow! A book about teen pregnancy set in the 70s? Yes! I flew through this book. I was very invested in this story & the characters.

» Awkward (Berrybrook Middle School #1) & Crush (Berrybrook Middle School #3) by Svetlana Chmakova

Genre: MG contemporary ((graphic novels))

I’ve adored each graphic novel in this series. Chmakova captures the essence of middle school perfectly. She also does a wonderful job giving us a diverse cast of characters, and tackling relevant topics.

» On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

Genre: YA contemporary

Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least make it out of her neighborhood one day. As the daughter of an underground rap legend who died before he hit big, Bri’s got big shoes to fill. But now that her mom has unexpectedly lost her job, food banks and shutoff notices are as much a part of Bri’s life as beats and rhymes. With bills piling up and homelessness staring her family down, Bri no longer just wants to make it—she has to make it.

On the Come Up is Angie Thomas’s homage to hip-hop, the art that sparked her passion for storytelling and continues to inspire her to this day. It is the story of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you; of the struggle to become who you are and not who everyone expects you to be; and of the desperate realities of poor and working-class black families.

While this didn’t necessarily have as much as an impact on me as The Hate U Give, this book was amazing in its own right. I think Angie Thomas has a brilliant way of writing YA contemporary that is not only relevant & important, but also entertaining at the same time.

» The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

Genre: YA fantasy

Love speaks in flowers. Truth requires thorns.

Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid’s voice can summon deadly storms and where a river might do a lovestruck boy’s bidding but only for a terrible price.

Inspired by myth, fairy tale, and folklore, #1 New York Times–bestselling author Leigh Bardugo has crafted a deliciously atmospheric collection of short stories filled with betrayals, revenge, sacrifice, and love.

Perfect for new readers and dedicated fans, these tales will transport you to lands both familiar and strange—to a fully realized world of dangerous magic that millions have visited through the novels of the Grishaverse.

This collection of six stories includes three brand-new tales, all of them lavishly illustrated with art that changes with each turn of the page, culminating in six stunning full-spread illustrations as rich in detail as the stories themselves.

A collection of deliciously dark short stories are inspired by classic fairytales & folklore. I LOVED these stories! They gave me Neil Gaiman vibes, so if you are a NG fan, I’d recommend these stories to you. I also adored the illustrations throughout that really enhanced the story.

» Far From the Tree by Robin Benway

Genre: YA contemporary

Being the middle child has its ups and downs.

But for Grace, an only child who was adopted at birth, discovering that she is a middle child is a different ride altogether. After putting her own baby up for adoption, she goes looking for her biological family, including—

Maya, her loudmouthed younger bio sister, who has a lot to say about their newfound family ties. Having grown up the snarky brunette in a house full of chipper redheads, she’s quick to search for traces of herself among these not-quite-strangers. And when her adopted family’s long-buried problems begin to explode to the surface, Maya can’t help but wonder where exactly it is that she belongs.

And Joaquin, their stoic older bio brother, who has no interest in bonding over their shared biological mother. After seventeen years in the foster care system, he’s learned that there are no heroes, and secrets and fears are best kept close to the vest, where they can’t hurt anyone but him.

Far From the Tree is a beautiful YA contemporary about adoption, family, identity, and love. Told in 3 different perspectives, I enjoyed the journey & development of each of these characters.

» Keeper of Lost Cities (Keeper of the Lost Cities #1), Exile (Keeper of the Lost Cities #2), & Everblaze (Keeper of the Lost Cities #3) by Shannon Messenger

Genre: MG fantasy

Twelve-year-old Sophie Foster has a secret. She’s a Telepath—someone who hears the thoughts of everyone around her. It’s a talent she’s never known how to explain.

Everything changes the day she meets Fitz, a mysterious boy who appears out of nowhere and also reads minds. She discovers there’s a place she does belong, and that staying with her family will place her in grave danger. In the blink of an eye, Sophie is forced to leave behind everything and start a new life in a place that is vastly different from anything she has ever known.

Sophie has new rules to learn and new skills to master, and not everyone is thrilled that she has come “home.” There are secrets buried deep in Sophie’s memory—secrets about who she really is and why she was hidden among humans—that other people desperately want. Would even kill for.

In this page-turning debut, Shannon Messenger creates a riveting story where one girl must figure out why she is the key to her brand-new world, before the wrong person finds the answer first.

I am LOVING this MG fantasy series. While these books are a bit chunky, don’t let the page count deter you. I fly through these books. I’d recommend this series to fans of Harry Potter.

» SHOUT by Laurie Halse Anderson

Genre: YA memoir ((told in verse))

A searing poetic memoir and call to action from the bestselling and award-winning author of Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson!

Bestselling author Laurie Halse Anderson is known for the unflinching way she writes about, and advocates for, survivors of sexual assault. Now, inspired by her fans and enraged by how little in our culture has changed since her groundbreaking novel Speak was first published twenty years ago, she has written a poetry memoir that is as vulnerable as it is rallying, as timely as it is timeless. In free verse, Anderson shares reflections, rants, and calls to action woven between deeply personal stories from her life that she’s never written about before. Searing and soul-searching, this important memoir is a denouncement of our society’s failures and a love letter to all the people with the courage to say #metoo and #timesup, whether aloud, online, or only in their own hearts. Shout speaks truth to power in a loud, clear voice– and once you hear it, it is impossible to ignore.

This is a must read for fans of Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak. While you don’t HAVE to read Speak to read SHOUT, I feel like it makes a bigger impact if you read Speak prior to this. If you didn’t know, SHOUT is Anderson’s memoir told in verse.

» Loveboat, Taipei (Loveboat, Taipei #1) by Abigail Hing Wen

Genre: YA contemporary

When eighteen-year-old Ever Wong’s parents send her from Ohio to Taiwan to study Mandarin for the summer, she finds herself thrust among the very over-achieving kids her parents have always wanted her to be, including Rick Woo, the Yale-bound prodigy profiled in the Chinese newspapers since they were nine—and her parents’ yardstick for her never-measuring-up life.

Unbeknownst to her parents, however, the program is actually an infamous teen meet-market nicknamed Loveboat, where the kids are more into clubbing than calligraphy and drinking snake-blood sake than touring sacred shrines.

Free for the first time, Ever sets out to break all her parents’ uber-strict rules—but how far can she go before she breaks her own heart?

This is a guilty pleasure type of read. Actually, it reminded me a bit of Crazy Rich Asians a bit. It is a tad racy for a YA book… So I’d probably recommend for older YA readers that are 16+

» The Penderwicks (The Penderwicks #1) by Jeanne Birdsall

Genre: MG contemporary

The Penderwick sisters busily discover the summertime magic of Arundel estate’s sprawling gardens, treasure-filled attic, tame rabbits, and the cook who makes the best gingerbread in Massachusetts. Best of all is Jeffrey Tifton, son of Arundel’s owner, the perfect companion for their adventures. Icy-hearted Mrs. Tifton is less pleased with the Penderwicks than Jeffrey, and warns the new friends to stay out of trouble. Is that any fun? For sure the summer will be unforgettable.

This is the perfect book to pick up during the summer months. It really gave me modern Little Women crossed with The Secret Garden vibes. The ending was so heartwarming it almost brought me to tears.

» Becoming by Michelle Obama

Genre: Adult memoir

In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America—the first African American to serve in that role—she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. Along the way, she showed us a few dance moves, crushed Carpool Karaoke, and raised two down-to-earth daughters under an unforgiving media glare.

In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her—from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it—in her own words and on her own terms. Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations—and whose story inspires us to do the same.

Despite the fact that this memoir is LONG, I was interested from start to finish. I adore Michelle Obama and find her so inspiring.

» The Stonekeeper’s Curse (Amulet #2) & The Cloud Searchers (Amulet #3) by Kazu Kibuishi

Genre: MG fantasy ((graphic novel))

I enjoyed these subsequent installments even more than the first! The art style is absolutely stunning and I really enjoyed the story line. I can really see this as a TV series or movie.

» Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

Genre: YA contemporary

Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people…

In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal’s office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash.

Separated by distance – and Papi’s secrets – the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered. And then, when it seems like they’ve lost everything of their father, they learn of each other.

Papi’s death uncovers all the painful truths he kept hidden, and the love he divided across an ocean. And now, Camino and Yahaira are both left to grapple with what this new sister means to them, and what it will now take to keep their dreams alive.

In a dual narrative novel in verse that brims with both grief and love, award-winning and bestselling author Elizabeth Acevedo writes about the devastation of loss, the difficulty of forgiveness, and the bittersweet bonds that shape our lives.

Another 5-star read from Elizabeth Acevedo! Clap When You Land is a heart-wrenching book in verse about loss, betrayal, and forgiveness.

» All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson

Genre: YA memoir

In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson explores his childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia. From the memories of getting his teeth kicked out by bullies at age five, to flea marketing with his loving grandmother, to his first sexual relationships, this young-adult memoir weaves together the trials and triumphs faced by Black queer boys.

Both a primer for teens eager to be allies as well as a reassuring testimony for young queer men of color, All Boys Aren’t Blue covers topics such as gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, structural marginalization, consent, and Black joy. Johnson’s emotionally frank style of writing will appeal directly to young adults.

Johnson shares his experiences growing up as a queer black boy in this powerful memoir. I love that Johnson wrote his story for the teen audience. This is a must read!

What are some of your favorite books of 2020 thus far?

Have you read any of my favorites? If so, what did you think?

Comment below & let me know 🙂

Favorite Books of 2020 (January - June) #BookBlogger #Books #Reading #Bookworm #BookNerd #BookTalk Today I'm going to be sharing my favorite books that I've read in 2020 thus far...

#Am Reading #Bibliophile #book blog #book blogger #Book Chat #Book Nerd #Book Talk #Book Worm #Bookish #Books #Bookworm #Reading

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