The Bright Side of Book Blogging

A bunch of bloggers, organized by Sarah from Sarah's Random Musings, are participating in a meme. You can find out about it here. Adele also started a YA Community Thanksgiving, which is an awesome idea except there's no pumpkin pie. All the same, please, participate. Sarah and Adele are rockin' ladies and reasons themselves of why this community is so awesome. The basic idea is to explain why we love book blogging, so I'll apologize to you upfront on how long this post is going to be. Blame Sarah and Adele.

I can't even begin to describe how much blogging means to me. Before I started, I had no idea there were people as passionate about stories as I was and am. I first came to create a kind of paradise for myself. I liked writing and I liked reading, so writing about reading seemed natural. I didn't expect how much it would change my life.

Blogging ultimately pushed me to become a writer. I didn't know writers actually existed before I started The Page Flipper back in 2007. But when I started writing about books, books started writing back. Not literally, of course, but I never considered the fact that someone sat down in a chair and wrote these stories I was reading. At that time, the only writing I did was fan fiction* (yeah, shut up, you did it too) and I thought the books I based it on just wrote themselves.

(*Besides the time I wrote about the "dead" con artist who wasn't really dead (complete with gun action sequence!) and this one story about a blind girl who falls in love (which prompted me to walk around with my eyes closed for "research"), but we won't get into those because it's like nails on a chalkboard).

The first author I ever emailed (Laura Bowers, who wrote Beauty Shop for Rent, which is a beautiful book and still one of my favorite contemporary's) directly emailed me back. (It was through Myspace, but hey, it was cool back then.) I printed it out and ran around my house shouting "AN AUTHOR EMAILED ME!"

Now, I'm proud to call several authors and booklovers my friends. I've met so many enthusiastic, kindhearted people through blogging and I'd never had known them if it hadn't been for our shared love of books. I think readers are some of the most understanding and caring people in the world (probably because we've been in so many people's shoes before!)

The past three years have been a blur of words and people and laughs and coffee and A LOT of email. I've had giddiness and stress and ups and downs. I've given up and realized that I can't give up. I've grown.

There are a lot of people I want to thank for this - my growth - but I'll limit it to spare you. Kristi, who's basically my sister (just swap me out with that other Chels, k?) and Alicia, who is so much like me it's creepy. And Megan, for making me think about things more deeply. And Susan, for pushing me to start The Stick Bug Alliance. And you, you, you.

I'll quit the sappiness now, because I'm totally not a sappy person. I had to refrain myself from typing out retorts and witticisms throughout this post because I so don't DO sappy. But I'll swallow my pride for The Bright Side of Blogging because it's way too bright for sarcasm. Blogging has led me to pursue my passion. It's led me to write. It's led me to realize who I am and what I want to do with my life. It's led me to happiness.

To Nook or Not to Nook?

I want The Nook. I want it bad. It's pretty and sleek and holds books, books, books.

Many rooms in my house look like they belong on an episode of Hoarders. There are books everywhere. And I keep getting more. Because I have an addiction.

When ereaders first came out, I made one of those demon-warding symbols with my fingers. I thought digitlizing books was evil and icky because nothing beats the feel of a book in your hands. Except maybe oxygen. And considering the amount of trees that have died thanks to my book addiction (seriously, I could probably build a new Amazon forest with these suckers), I fear oxygen will become depleted. Which would be bad for the mortals, yah know?

The Nook is so slim. It's the size of ONE book. But I could store ALL of my books in that. The thought of all the space (and trees) that would save is pretty happymaking. I've been dreading The Move (as I'll be moving in the next couple years), which would include boxing up all my books, etc. This would involve A LOT of boxes. (But then again, on the bright side, it would probably also involve a lot of hunky moving men, right?)

I would hate to switch completely from physical books to digital books, because the thought of books becoming strictly digital is slightly horrifying. But it's so handy and dandy and, okay, the handiness isn't the only reason I want the Nook. It has games! And email! And I like new shiny toys. But do I NEED it?

Basically, I blogged to ask your advice...

$259. Is it worth it? And what are your thoughts on ereaders in general?

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

I was able to meet Lauren Oliver when she was on tour and I'm very, very glad I did (not only because Borders served awesome free orange coffee when I desparetely needed caffeine, but because Before I Fall was easily one of my favorite books of the past couple years.) It's easily one of my favorite books ever, actually. It mixes contemporary with a slightly paranormal twist and consequently makes itself an entirely unique genre. I don't think anyone can even begin to put a label on this one.

The main character, Samantha Kingston, is forced to relive the day of her death seven times. There are seven sections of the book (one for each day) and they get progressively better and better. I was worried it would be slightly repetitive, based on the synopsis, but every day was engrossingly different. Within those seven days, Samantha develops more character growth than I've ever witnessed in a book. She seemed unlikable on Day One, but by Day Seven you witness an entirely different character.

This book raises more questions than I can even begin to type out. It makes you think, wonder, ponder, consider, and rethink. It's written beautifully and has characters that I absolutely grew to love. If I had to spend 7 days considering my life and death, I'd spend at least one of them reading this book. It's one of those novels I wish I could bookpush on every single person out there because I feel like it could change lives. It's not just a book full of meaning, it's a book that's actually enjoyable to read. There are several books that manage both feats, but Before I Fall takes it to a completely different extent. Every single page was worth reading, which is really rare to find. I don't think even one word of this book can be considered filler. It was like a piece of well-orchestrated art, every word adjusted to create a piece of mastery.

Obviously, I absolutely loved this book. If you haven't already, please please please read it. I gave it to my stepmom, who rarely reads YA, because I had such faith in it. "Stick with it," I told her, because the first few pages don't show you how much depth it actually has. She did and she (obviously) loved it. So I'll give the same advice to you. Read this book. Stick with it. You'll fall just like Samantha does, but in love instead of in death.

And I can't wait for Oliver's next book, Delirium, which I'd probably kill small animals for. (This might be an exaggeration, because I'm a vegetarian and all yayanimals and stuff, but I seriously want this book. Watch out, squirrels.)

Susane Colasanti Fate Tour

Susane Colasanti is the author of several YA books, her most recent of which, Something Like Fate, comes out on May 4th. Susane's stopping by my blog to talk about fate and answer a few questions.

To check out all the online Fate Tour dates and stops, head here. You can also read three chapters of Something Like Fate by heading here.

Topic 5: Graphology
Graphology studies how handwriting reflects the writer’s personality and other inherent traits. Not all handwriting is obvious. True, the dreamy girl might dot her i’s with hearts and the loner boy might scratch out angry little letters. But the essence of handwriting is way more complicated than that. Analysts examine many different features of a person’s handwriting (e.g. spacing, pressure, slant, symmetry) to make inferences. I’m not sure how much validity this type of analysis has, but that doesn’t mean it’s less than fascinating

Q&A

1. All of your book titles have three words. Was that intentional, or is it something like fate? How do you come up with your titles, and do you think of them first, last, or somewhere mid-draft?

The three-word titles are totally intentional. However, it didn’t start out that way. When It Happens was originally called Trust. I was actually considering one-word titles at first. After a few revisions, it became obvious that Trust wasn’t the best title anymore. Plus, I liked the ambiguous nature of When It Happens. Just to clarify, “it” refers to true love, which I describe in the book as “something real.”

It's so much easier for me to write an entire book than to think of a good title. Strange, but true. The only exception was Something Like Fate. That title just hit me while I was in the early stages of writing my first draft. I immediately knew it was the best title for the book.

2. Since Something Like Fate is the story of three people, name three literary characters (apart from your own books) you'd love to meet.

Harriet M. Welsch from Harriet the Spy. I want to ask her about all of her spy route adventures that weren’t in the book. I’d love to meet her as a grownup - I really want to know how her life turned out. Meeting Andrea Marr from Girl would also rock. She knows all the best obscure music. And of course Ponyboy Curtis from The Outsiders. I think he’d be into a game of backgammon at Chat ‘n Chew.

3. What was the best thing that happened to you while writing Something Like Fate?

Hmm. First I have to remember when I wrote it! Okay, let me break this down. The main plot idea came to me in a dream I had on May 14, 2007. I started the first draft soon after, but then I had to put it aside to write Waiting for You. The manuscript was finalized last summer. So during that entire time period, I guess the best thing was realizing that switching careers to become a full-time author was actually working. I was worried at first. It’s hard to leave a steady paycheck and benefits behind for the Unknown. Fortunately, things are working out even better than I expected. Which is just further evidence that you should always follow your heart. The times in life when I’ve refused to let fear hold me back were the times when my life improved in unbelievable ways.

Website: http://www.susanecolasanti.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/susanecolasanti

Enter to win a copy of Something Like Fate by filling out the form below. You can earn an extra entry via Twitter, but pay close attention to the rules in the form!

The Time Traveler's Wife - Book VS Movie

While The Time Traveler's Wife isn't YA, it's a great book that was popularized, as is usual these days, by being made into a movie. My thoughts on books-into-movies is this: I love it. But I have to read the book first. It's awesome seeing characters and scenes I've read come to life, but reading scenes I've already watched isn't as intriguing.

So I quickly read The Time Traveler's Wife when the movie came out - I had already been planning on it, but the movielization (pretend that's a word, k?) pushed me to read it faster.

The book was fantastic. The writing was beautiful, the emotions intense, and the plot interesting. I generally hate time traveling, as a whole, because it's confusing and never, ever ends well. (The Butterfly Effect, anyone?) But this version of time-traveling was explained almost perfectly. It wasn't glorified as magical or unexplainable. It kind of...sucked. I mean, there were some serious downsides. It made me question myself and my opinion. Is knowing your future worth it if you lose part of yourself along the way?

The novel is told in altering point of views - Henry's and Claire's, Claire's and Henry's. I found myself almost detesting Claire's POV for half of the novel, although it bettered in the latter half. Through Henry's eyes, she seemed charming and witty and fun, and through Claire's eyes she seemed frivilous and annoying. She gets more depth much later, but I found myself wishing to stay in Henry's POV more and more often.

The way the plot was played out was awesomely intelligent. You get clues dropped, here and there, as to who Future Henry and Past Henry is, and as the book (and future) develops, both versions of Henry come together and more answers are revealed.

The movie, I found, is far more confusing than the book. If I hadn't read the book first, I wouldn't have understand a lot of the time-travelin' logistics. My movie companion had to ask me, several times, what the hell was going on. Have any of my readers seen the movie and not read the book? I'm curious as to non-readers opinion. It seems like I would have quit midway through if I hadn't already known the details.

That said, the actors were perfect for their parts. The scenes in the book held more power to me, but it was fascinating seeing them acted out. The detail in the book couldn't be translated to film, which made for some lack in substance, but it was worth watching.

If you have to choose one of the two, as usual, read the book. The only movie I've found that even comes close to the book is Pride and Prejudice. Have you ever seen one that rivals the written version?

Arthurian Legend

I have a massive addiction to the show Merlin. It's about, obviously, Merlin, but in this tale he's a teenager and the servant of Prince Arthur (who, holycrap, is gorgeous). Their friendship is hilarious and the show is witty and smart. Once you get over the horrible CGI, it's amazing.

So, of course, I took my addiction to Twitter. I asked for some Arthurian Legend books, and got a few responses. I want these books. So. Bad. What I find is interesting is how varying and different these stories are - the same legend has many different views and perspectives, so diving into each of them will lead to many different accounts.

I am Mordred and I am Morgan Le Fay by Nancy Springer tell the tales through the eyes of villains. I love villains. They're so...entertaining.

Queen of Camelot by Nancy McKenzie is the story of Guinevere and the prophecy that befalls her. Also, hunky King Arthur is obviously in it.

The Once and Future King by T.H. White was first published in 1958 and tells the tale of King Arthur as well as his Queen Guinevere and the romance she has with his best knight, Sir Lancelot. TRIANGLES.

The Mists of Avalon - Camelot politics, through the eyes of women. "It's the legendary saga of King Arthur and his companions at Camelot, their battles, love, and devotion, told this time from the perspective of the women involved."

Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy - "The Merlin Trilogy is Mary Stewart's take on the Arthurian legend in three books: The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, and The Last Enchantment. These books have Merlin, Arthur's wizard mentor, as their focal point, and the result is a charming, engrossing tale providing a unique perspective on a familiar tale."

Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve - This has an awesome cover. It's a darker, grittier King Arthur tale.

I think it's incredibly interesting how different these books seem to be. Some tell the story as if some of the characters are cruel, while another version will show them as kindhearted. One romance will be stronger than the other, only to prove false somewhere else. That's why I'm dying to get my hands on as many Arthurian Legend books as I possibly can.

Anyone have any other recommendations? Let's take this convo to the comments.

How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford

I. Love. Quirky. And this book definitely fills my quirky quota.

Bea's new to town and instantly befriends Jonas, AKA Ghost Boy, because she's assigned to sit next to him in Assembly. Jonas is a loner, prefering solitude over human contact (a boy I can relate to), and Bea's the first person he's connected with in a long, long time. They listen to the radio and go to time-traveling parties and talk and don't talk and just be people together. It's heartbreaking and beautiful, their friendship. And, ultimately, real.

Bea and Jonah both listen to Night Lights, this late-night radio show which, for some reason, I'm completely in love with. Radio shows just work. Like in Pump Up the Volume with Christian Slater. Bea and Jonah listen to these almost-anonymous people talk about their lives on the radio night after night, hour after hour, and there's just something extremely lovable and enchanting about the closeness the callers have despite the anonymity.

The main reason I love this book is because of the main character. Bea's voice is so incredibly distinct and pitch-perfect and likable and honest and weird and awesome. She describes herself as "Robot Girl", which was inspired by her mother's insistance for her lack of feelings. As if that weren't heart-wrenching enough, the rest of the book decides to throw your emotions around like a toddler wielding a piñata stick. It's cute and uncute and real and unreal and this and that and that and this. There's a lot of things I can say and can't say about this book, but it full-heartedly earns the title "unique." It's a love-or-hate type of book, and it's definitely not for everyone, but I found myself kind of adoring it.

How to Say Goodbye in Robot wasn't an epic romance or a thrilling mystery or a fantastical fantasy. It was just a story about a girl and a boy who end up meeting and connecting.

What Grace Would You Have?

So, while in the middle of discussing Graceling (which I'll have a review for later), with Nicole from Word for Teens, we started chatting about Graces.

Nicole: I wonder what Grace I'd have. Probably a Reading Grace.
Me: Ooh, that'd be awesome! Like in Halloweentown #(?), when you find out the brother can read an entire book just by touching it?
Me (again): I'd want a Caffeine Grace. I'd never have to sleep. But then I'd miss coffee.
Me (again - shut up, Chelsea!): I think I should make a post about this!

So. Here I am. Asking you - what Grace would you have/want?

If you haven't read Graceling before, it's a book about this chick named Katsa who has a killing Grace - every person born with a Grace is skilled in a certain area to an extreme extent. You can be Graced in dancing or singing or, like Katsa, fighting or killing. You can be skilled at swimming or archery or mind-reading or cooking, but everybody's Grace is slightly different. Basically, if you have two different colored eyes (as the Graced do), you're gonna kick ass at SOMETHING. It's a really good book, but I'll save all of that chatter for my review.

But, dear readers, PICK A GRACE. Let me know in the comments your choice. The most creative answer wins...brownie points. And maybe a colored contact.

Fearless by Francine Pascal

Fearless is an older book, but I picked it up on the recommendation of a friend. I'm glad I did.

The concept of this book - a girl is born with an inability to fear, and therefore kicks ass - is pretty simple and basic but also entirely awesome. I mean, Gaia, the main character, is tough. She has spunk. I like her. Plus, she's named after my favorite Greek Titan, so she gets brownie points. She also has a blackbelt in karate and a tendency to beat people up. I'll stop raving, but seriously, this chick rocks.

I love finding older YA or obscure titles that I've never previously heard of. And I love it even more when they pleasantly surprise me. I expected Fearless to be good, because I trusted my friend's opinion, but it wasn't, really. It wasn't good. It was just hella enjoyable. It's the kind of series you can reread over and over again (although there are about a billion books in the series).

But what seriously irks me is the reprint of these books - they're in these bizarre bound versions. #3 and #42 of the series will be together in one book. (WHAT?) But I found old versions of 1-3 at Half Price Books (man, I love browsing that store), and will buy the rest of the series, but it'll be tricky. But, yeah, I like a challenge.

Basically, these books rock, and if you're lucky enough to find them at a used bookstore or something, pick them up. You won't be sorry.

April Prize Pack

The March Prize Pack winner is Angelique! Congrats, I've emailed you!

I'm giving away another five YA books for April. Remember, if you already have one or more of these books, enter anyway - I'll try and find a substitute prize if you happen to win (in the form of either different books or swag.)

For April, I'm giving away...

1 PB of Boy Proof by Cecil Castelucci
1 PB of I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You
1 HC of Two Moon Princess by Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban
1 PB of Dead is the New Black by Marlene Perez
1 PB of Break by Hannah Moskowitz

*Sorry, but this prize can only be shipped to those with a U.S. address. (This is because it's about $20 extra to send a prize overseas, FYI. I love foreign countries, but I can't afford it.)

*This contest ends on April 30th, and I'll notify the winner and post a new prize pack shortly after.

To enter, fill out the form below. Remember, following is NOT required but will earn you an extra entry.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

Happy Easter Weekend!

I just got over the flu (which, by the way, is contagious *cough*) so I'll be late posting the new prize pack for April. But I wanted to post about one of my favorite stories while I still have a seasonal advantage.

I got a chocolate bunny as a gift the other day, but it wasn't just any ol' bunny. It was Peter Rabbit. It came with the full text in a cute little booklet (complete with pictures!) for you to read before you...devour him? I thought that was kind of demented, so I just stole his candy carrot and left his body be. I might have nibbled on his ear a bit, but that's it. I promise. Because Peter Rabbit is pretty dear to my heart.

My mom used to read it to me over and over again when I was a kid and every single time, when he got trapped under the fence, I'd bite my nails and worry. When we got our own rabbit, I thought I could relate to him more because of Peter, even though I was disappointed he couldn't talk. And then one day he was gone and my mom told us he "went off to help the Easter Bunny." I'm sure he's busy painting eggs this weekend.

So, for Easter, be festive and visit Peter Rabbit.

Once upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were: Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail, and Peter.

They lived with their Mother in a sandbank, underneath the root of a very big fir tree.

You can read the rest of Peter Rabbit's tale here.

Have a Happy Easter!