Archive for September, 2011
Nauseated : To be feeling, or having been caused to feel nausea.
Do you see this?! That would be the autograph of the one and only Sarah Dessen. I stood in line for a little over an hour for this signature. Was it worth it? Heck yes! Not only did I get to watch her Q&A session, but I also MET her. We talked about the weather. Sounds funny, but it was still an amazing minute or so. (DC felt like it was 80 degrees, and the humidity was so bad that you just felt sticky and disgusting ALL DAY.) I also managed to get my picture taken with her, but I refuse to post it publicly because I look like I’m drowning in the humidity, and my hair was super frizzy at that point. But if it wasn’t already apparent, I was, and still am, totally excited about it! It was also my first author signing, so that made it even more special.
But really, it was fabulous. The National Book Festival in DC was jampacked with tons of book lovers, cool posters, book sales, book bags, and so much more.
The bonus? Toni Morrison’s signing tent was directly next to Dessen’s, so I got to see her, too! Talk about amazing.
In other fabulous news…
It’s a way for bloggers to celebrate the end of the week with a nice re-cap of their weekly posts and to answer a random question.
When sixteen-year-old Luke’s book, Hallelujah, becomes a national bestseller, his publishing house sends him on a cross-country book tour with his older brother, Matt, as chauffeur. But when irresponsible Matt offers to drive Luke’s ex–soul mate, Fran, across the country too, things get a little crazy. On the trip, Luke must loosen up, discover what it truly means to have faith, and do what it takes to get the girl he loves.
I liked John’s Five Flavors of Dumb (see my review here). It wasn’t the best read, but I’m willing to try another of his books. And this one’s clearly about a road trip, and I’m a total sucker for those kinds of stories.
The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. The blurbs just haven’t ever caught my interest, but I constantly see other bloggers swooning over some of the male characters. If they’re that good, I feel like I should check ‘em out. But then I see the summary again and turn away.
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins. Seriously, people. This one isn’t even out yet and I would need more than two hands to count the number of people I know that have already read this. Can I just say it’s driving me CRAZY? I cannot express how much I’m anticipating this one. Really, I can’t. MUST HAVE!
The Vampire Diaries series by L. J. Smith. I know absolutely nothing about these except, again, there are swoon-worthy male characters and everyone loves the TV show. Don’t get me wrong – I love vampires. I guess I just never saw the appeal.
Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. Do I really need to explain this one? (Please don’t advise me to try it; I couldn’t get past the first thirty pages.)
Perfect Chemistry series by Simone Elkeles. West Side Story meets Romeo and Juliet? Eh….. As “hot” as they may be, they just sound rather cliche.
I Am Number Four series by Pittacus Lore. I started this but never had the desire to finish it.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I’ve heard it’s incredible.
Crank series by Ellen Hopkins. I know, I know. They’re practically staples in a YA library. And as much as I love verse novels, these never caught my interest.
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White. Might as well throw in Supernaturally, too.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien. Never could get into this.
Remember when I said I was going to be busy with school in the upcoming weeks? Well, school’s about to become a bit more hectic for me. Paper due dates are looming, job interviews are right around the corner, studying cannot be put off, and summer work needs finishing.
I realize most people in my position would take a break from their blog, but I’m not willing to do that. So how am I going to keep The Grammarian’s Reviews running?
… Guest posts, of course!
It makes perfect sense to me. While I can still post some days, all of you fabulous bloggers can help me to fill in the rest (and gain more recognition, to boot!). I’m all for promoting other bloggers, and I have to admit that I do need a little help here.
You’re probably wondering how this works. Am I assigning topics or letting you run freely? Just imagine your lovely post sitting right here:
Are you imagining it? Good.
If you can see it, I will post it.
However, I do have just a few requests:
Keep it YA! – While I have talked about Adult fiction on this blog, it is primarily a YA haven. So please keep that in mind.
I love grammar. – If you haven’t yet noticed, I do a feature very near and dear to my heart, called Grammar Bit (link!). I haven’t had one in a while, but there are currently 13 bits available to help people with their grammar woes. My point: If you’d like to do any sort of post pertaining to grammar, I’d love you forever.
Please be respectful. – I’m more than willing to promote your blog on my own blog, but please be respectful of the books or authors or whatever mentioned in your posts.
Basically, anything goes. Have you been wanting to discuss your favorite cover but it won’t fit into your own blogging schedule? Do it here! Want to get the word out about a book you think deserves more recognition? Do it here! I’m open to your ideas – after all, it’s going to be your post!
It’s a way for bloggers to celebrate the end of the week with a nice re-cap of their weekly posts and to answer a random question.
National Book Festival
September 24, 25
On the National Mall, DC
Any and all info you could possibly want about it can be found here.
But, you should know right now that a few awesome people are going to be there: Sarah Dessen, Cassandra Clare, Toni Morrison…
I know I’m going to be there! Are you?
Meeting new people and coming to terms with her father’s death were not what Amy had planned on this trip. And traveling the Loneliest Road in America, seeing the Colorado mountains, crossing the Kansas plains, and visiting diners, dingy motels, and Graceland were definitely not on the itinerary. But as they drive, Amy finds that the people you least expected are the ones you may need the most — and that sometimes you have to get lost in order to find your way home.
Luckily the events make up for the pacing. This is one of the first road trip books I’ve read that actually, well, portrays a road trip. Sounds crazy, I know. But there are so many books out there about trips that don’t do so much with the detailing of said trips. But Amy & Roger’s definitely does. From eating out of the back of their car, to making up names, to driving on deserted roads, to coming upon a grand estate – you get it all. Even the trips to the mini-marts and gas stations. And I love that, because you actually feel as though you’re on the trip with them. The sense of winging it and taking chances is refreshing and invigorating.
The interactions between Roger and Amy are very real, and not at all how you’d expect a road trip novel to go. The story is still predictable, but it’s not unbelievable. It’s not The Greatest Trip of All Time right from the start. That being said, the predictability doesn’t really match up. The romance is … sudden and, again, although predictable, seems insufficient. And not treated very well. It feels like it’s thrown in purely because it’s a road trip novel, and what’s a road trip novel without newfound, budding romance between two unsuspecting strangers?
Nevertheless, Amy & Roger’s is definitely a cute, uplifting read. The inclusion of mixes, receipts, pictures, etc. is very cool.
