Lauren Baratz-Logsted : One-Q Tour

Lauren Baratz-Logsted, author of Crazy Beautiful, Secrets of My Suburban Life, and her latest, The Education of Bet (July 2010, about a "16-year-old girl in Victorian England who impersonates a boy in order to get a proper education."), is here as part of her One-Q Tour. Victorian England is one of my favorite time settings, so check out my question and Lauren's answer below to find out more about it.

In The Education of Bet, Victorian England is your setting. What made you want to set your book in that time period?

I've always loved books set in England. Growing up, I loved the biting wit of Austen and the moody romance of the Bronte sisters. I love contemporary novels set in England as well which no doubt explains why I set my debut adult novel there, The Thin Pink Line, a dark comedy about an Englishwoman who fakes an entire pregancy. But if I had to narrow my love of British literature down to one time period, it would have to be the Victorian era. It must be the Masterpiece Theatre influence. All those great clothes, all those opportunities for social drama and conflict - probably the only thing I don't like about the time period is the challenge in terms of indoor plumbing.

As an author, I love setting books in that era because it has so much to offer atmospherically while at the same time being the perfect time period to explore certain issues because certain social attitudes existed then or because certain technological advances had yet to occur. I had one adult novel set there, Vertigo, about a woman who decides the only way to be happy is for her husband to die. That story would never work if set in the present day because readers would be quite reasonable to wonder, "Why doesn't she just get divorced or leave him and get a job?" I also have another YA novel set to come out on August 31, The Twin's Daughter, that is about a Victorian teen who discovers her mother has an identical twin who was raised in the workhouse. There's a violent crime in the book that would never work in an era that has DNA evidence nor would other elements of the story work in modern times in terms of recordkeeping and medical evidence.

And now we finally come around full circle to The Education of Bet. Of course in Victorian times girls could and many did go to school, but it certainly wasn't a priority for female children and definitely not for the dead maid's orphan, which is what Bet is. Could I have set the book in a different time and place? Sure. I could have even set it in contemporary times and in a country where women are still downtrodden, but that, I think, would be different than the seriocomic story that is Bet's. And I wouldn't get to use all that Masterpiece Theatre training.

You can check out more One-Qs at her other stops:

May 26: Shon Bacon: How do your roles as woman, wife, mother affect what and how you write? http://chicklitgurrl.blogspot.com/

May 28: Taschima: I am a fan of the visuals. And for that my question is, if you were to cast your characters with current actors and/or actresses which would you cast and why?http://bloodybookaholic.blogspot.com/

BEA

The reason I've been so MIA lately is because I've been getting ready for BEA (Book Expo America.) I hadn't thought it would take THAT much planning, but I was definitely wrong. My schedule is completely chaotic and I'm leaving in 4 hours and I haven't slept yet. But even though my brain is shutting down, I'm completely ecstatic.

Here are some of the books and people I'm looking forward to snatching and meeting (snatching the books, not the people, because that's kind of creepy.)

Books:
Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Grace by Elizabeth Scott
Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick
Zombies vs Unicorns
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto
Pegasus by Robin McKinley

Authors:
Sarah Darer Littman
Elizabeth Scott
Melissa Walker
Heidi R Kling
Gayle Forman
Chelsea Campbell
Lauren Oliver

And, of course, a million others. But I'm really, really excited about these ones.

What about you? Are you going, and if so who are you looking forward to meeting and what are you looking forward to reading? Hope to see you there!

I'll probably be quiet for the next week, too, but expect me to come back SWINGING when I get home (and particularly in June.)

Boy Proof by Cecil Castelucci

Boy Proof was expectedly quirky. The summary alone amped me up for that - it describes a girl who calls herself Egg, after her favorite movie character, and who is (as the title suggests) "boy proof." She has walls, which she acknowledges, and doesn't allow anyone past them. Except maybe the new kid.

The book had a pretty standard message: be yourself. But when I read a book, I'm not out to learn a message. Yes, I like meaning in my books. I like depth. But I don't read books solely for that purpose. I want a story. I want lives. I want characters that shout hello to me. The point, in this book, seemed a little more obvious than I would have liked, but I think the characters definitely shouted hello.

"There is more to life than just the movies," claims part of the synopsis. Despite the fact that I found the point blatant, Max (the new kid) opens up Egg's eyes to this, and I really enjoyed their friendship and relationship. It was interesting to see such a real, honest interaction. Max is an interesting person himself, but I think Egg takes the medal on that front: she wears a white cloak every day and shaves her head bald. She also declares herself a cinephile, which I love (because not only do I love movies myself, I love to see a character who does). While I could relate to Egg on some fronts - which is actually the reason I picked this book up in the first place - I often got extremely annoyed with her (to the point where I wanted to punch her bald head). She basically claimed to be her own person while simaltaneously being someone else.

But things work out nicely in the end. Maybe a little TOO nicely, as I pointed out earlier with the obvious-message thing, but at least the main character grew and came to a realization. I think the reason I thought the message so blatant was because this book was so quirky and non-cliche that the normalcy and obviousness stuck out to me even more.

This wasn't a great book. It was a good one, but not a great one. Cecil Castelucci, however, is a fantastic writer. I couldn't help but admire the details and attention she puts into her characters and their lives. She really, really gets in their (bald) heads. Like I said, the characters shout. Boy Proof was a short book, but Cecil Castelucci managed to master characterization within its pages. It was an average coming-of-age tale but with enough quirky additions to make it more than average.

Boy Proof was a good, short, solid read, but nothing jaw-dropping.

June

June is a few weeks away, but it's going to be a big one. Not only does it mark the middle of 2010 (how did that happen so fast??), but I've decided to make it a month dedicated to four of my favorite things:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
The Bloody Jack series by LA Meyer
Coffee (and coffee-related books)
Labyrinth, starring the infamous Goblin King.

It's going to be epic, basically, and I'm going to be giving out a TON of awesome prizes and having a ton of awesome guests and things are gonna get a little crazy and insane (but, hey, the best things are - right?).

And if you're not a fan of any of the above, don't worry. I'll convert you.

The reason I'm posting about this now, so far in advance, is because I need guest posters. If you're a fellow fan of any of the above (or know of any fellow fanatic fans), please email me at thepageflipper@yahoo.com and I'll give you more details.

Be prepared, people. It's going to be a whirlwind.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

I read Graceling several weeks ago and laxed on my review because of my aggravation. I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really loved the idea behind Graces. It's fairly simple - certain people are born with Graces, an intense ability at one certain skill. Katsa, the main character, is skilled at being hardcore. (Really, she's just incredibly good at kicking your ass. In the summary, they relate it to a Death Grace. She can very easily kill you.)

Do you understand how awesome that idea is?

Do you understand exactly how much spinoff potential that has?

Do you understand how infuriating this is to a writer?

I wish I could go back in time and physically pick the thought out of Kristin Cashore's brain and plant it in my own. The limitless ideas and potential this series has in mind-boggling. And I wish I had created it. Because it's like a playground.

This is one of the reason's I love fantasy so much. When a writer can create a believable world - one you want to live in, imagine yourself in, and create new stories in - gold is made. And I think - scratch that, know - Kristin Cashore achieved that.

However, that's my opinion on the physical idea. My opinion on the plot is entirely different. While I enjoyed Graceling (a lot) I think it lacked a step on a very tall staircase. I didn't connect with the characters to any great extent - I connected with their Graces and powers more than themselves, which is an immense fault. I can understand how easy it is for their Graces to overshadow them as characters, but as the main point of the story, I feel I should have connected with them more. Katsa rocks, but sometimes she also felt like a rock.

And there could have been more detail. For a main character who's main characteristic is an ability to fight, there was a very, very noticeable minimilization of fighting. The fight scenes that were present were very short and to-the-point (excepting one near the end), which I didn't expect. I would have liked a lot more action and gore and grit, which is what I had anticipated given the summary.

I didn't swoon over Po. I kept thinking about Telletubbies. It was horrendous.

So I found some faults in it. But I also found a crazy amount of greatness in it.

The politicized aspect of Graceling was interesting; I don't see a lot of politics in Young Adult, so it was surprising. Even more surprising was the fact that I liked it, despite my distaste for politics. It added a dark, sinister, realistic, and ancient side to the story, and it was one not widely noticed. In a world and plot incredibly focused on Graces, there was a lurking story in a subtle yet very visible power struggle between Katsa and her king, as well as the Graced and UnGraced society as a whole. It was a pretty bold and brassy undercurrent and led for a lot of thought.

I absolutely loved reading Graceling and I'm extremely excited to see where the rest of the series goes. It's one of those reads that stays in your mind and heart long after it's set back on your bookshelf. Kristin Cashore is a fantastic author and I was very enchanted by the world she created.

Strange Angels by Lilith St Crow

I love the show Supernatural - at least the first few seasons. It revolves around two brothers who hunt ghosts and demons and vampires; anything supernatural, they kill.

Strange Angels reminded me a lot of Supernatural, but it's told from a girl's POV. A badass one. Dru's pretty hardcore, shooting zombies with barely any hesitation and facing werewolves in shopping plazas. She really knows what's up. And I love when girl MCs are strong. I'm sick of wimpy heroines.

Ultimately, Strange Angels is a basic paranormal novel with a basic love triangle and basic plot. But I loved it anyway. There wasn't anything completely unique about it, but it was written in a way that wasn't glorifying to the situation, which I loved. Yes, Dru is awesome, but she also gets scared as hell, which is understandable when you're facing something that could very easily rip your throat out. She'll have a runny nose and muscle cramps when she's facing down a werewolf. You can't really get more realistic than that. I mean, it's cool to read about psycho daredevils with no will to live and swords filled with death notches, but realistically if something wanted to eat your brains, you'd be petrified. And I liked that this book took it to that understanding while still showing Dru's strength.

And there's a triangle. Isosceles, scalene, equilateral. Graves vs Christophe. I don't swoon over either of them, but I like Graves' personality more. Maybe I'll swoon in the sequel, Betrayals, because I've heard it's better than SA. But swooning was at it's minimal here for this reader. Girls, what did you think about the leading gentlemen?

I definitely enjoyed this book, but it isn't something I can discuss in length. It's definitely worth a read for paranormal fans, though, and I bought Betrayals right after reading it.

May Prize Pack

The April prize pack winner, Mandy, has been emailed. Once I hear back, I'm making a trip to the P.O. to ship both March's and April's packs. And they'll be the last prize packs I ship for a while. Why?

Because instead of picking five random books from my own shelves, I decided to let you guys decide what to win. Whoever wins this prize pack wins $40 worth of books of their choosing. If you win, you can pick whatever books from whatever online bookstore you want, BUT it can't go over $40 INCLUDING shipping (that's why Barnes and Noble is a good option, considering their free shipping.) This is awesome if you want to support your favorite indie, too, if they have an online ordering option.

I've been wanting to open up contests to foreign readers, too, and here's my chance. The Book Depository offers free shipping worldwide.

So, everyone, enter. If you win, I'll contact you regarding your book choices, order them straight away, and have them shipped directly to your house. Depending on your feedback, this may or may not be continuous. So, please, if you like or dislike the change, comment.

Just fill out the form below to enter.

RAE Bookmarks

Hey folks! May's prize pack will be coming later, since I'm trying something a little different for it (which I'm completely excited about).

But I just ordered a batch of bookmarks for RAE and if any of you want some, just fill out the form. Bloggers, if you want extras to give away in contests or to pass out to bookstores, libraries, etc, I'd be happy to send extras. Also, if you want a finished review copy (either in late July or August, when it's released), just let me know your blog name & info in an email (thepageflipper @ yahoo.com). I can't promise everyone a copy, but I'm making a list and if you want on it, just let me know!

The bookmarks were designed by the very talented Vania from VLC and look AWESOME. I can't wait to pass them out at BEA!

*ETA: If I get a lot of foreign requests, I probably can't send across seas (for budget reasons).

Kay Cassidy - Author Review (Three Favorite Books)

[I opened the card, my hands trembling in dread and the faint remnants of what I used to call hope, as a tiny silver high-heel pin bounced into my hand.

I juggled the pin for a second, barely managing to keep it from falling, and flipped open the note with my other hand. The words inside were not a message but an invitation that sent shivers down my spine:

Your presence is requested at The Grind.
Tonight, 7 p.m.
Wear the pin.
Discretion MANDATORY.]

That's an excerpt from The Cinderella Society, a really fun book that you should definitely read. It's in stores now.

Kay Cassidy is here to take part in my randomly-occuring Author Review in which (as the totally creative name suggests) authors review books. This is a stop on her official blog tour.

Everything below this linebreak are the words of Kay Cassidy.

~~~

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

This is hands down one of my favorite paranormals ever. I was lucky enough to read an ARC of it and it completely knocked my socks off. I'm not usually a big werewolf/wolf reader, but the mythos is so fresh and the characters so vibrant and compelling that it had me from the word Go. Calla is one of my all-time favorite heroines – smart, strong, independent… but with tremendous heart.

The only problem is that I can't decide if I'm Team Ren or Team Shay! I asked Andrea if she would be willing to clone Calla so she can have them both. So far, I've been unable to convince her, but I vow to keep on trying.

The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez

This is another one I read in ARC form and absolutely loved. It's the fictional account of how Castro coming into power in Cuba in the 60s affected the heroine, Lucia, and her family. Fearful of being held captive when Castro closed the borders, Lucia's parents send her and her younger brother to Miami as part of Operation Pedro Pan… a real-life mass exodus of Cuban children whose parents sent them to the United States with the hopes of joining them there later.

Unfortunately, many of the parents never did.

The children left in the US without adult family members were farmed out to families across the country who took them in to care for them. Christina's own parents came to the US as part of Operation Pedro Pan, so the historical elements ring true. But it's the plight of Lucia and her brother that makes this story so compelling, both when they learn they'll be leaving their parents and the only home they've ever known and when they arrive in the United States on their own, not knowing a soul.

I devoured it in one sitting and then hugged the book after I finished reading it. I hope this is shortlisted for at least one major award because it is so richly deserving.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

I just reread Graceling before finally reading Fire. This is highly unusual for me. I can count on one hand the number of books I've read more than once. Katsa is the strongest, smartest, toughest, most compelling YA heroine ever, in my humble opinion. Katsa has such a great heart beneath that tough exterior, even though she never lets people see that in the beginning.

I also love how compelling all of the other characters are: Po, Bitterblue, Oll, Raffin. (And King Leck gave me the heebies!) I got caught up in each of their lives, wondering how it would work out in the end. And after reading Fire, I'm even more eagerly anticipating the 3rd book in Cashore's world, Bitterblue. A definite auto-buy for me.

So there you go… three of my favorite reads of the last six months or so. Oh, how I adore them. :-) Thanks for having me on Author Reviews and for being an official stop on The Cinderella Society launch tour, Chelsea!