Posts Tagged ‘heroines’

Favorite book moment of the week: It’s a toss-up between being a fly on the wall for the many omgBorders conversations (what can I say, I’m fascinated by spectacular rises and falls) and, of course, witnessing the enormous outpouring of good cheer and support for February’s Heroine Love event, which will feature 12 of my favorite book bloggers, an ever-more-amazing prize pack, and lots of literary secret-telling and praise.  More and more I realize that community is the most incredible thing to come out of The Heroine’s Bookshelf…a community of writers and a community of readers who are so dear to me.

Review/testament of the week: I had the great pleasure of speaking to the first-ever Heroine’s Book Club at the Burke County Public Library in Morganton, NC on Saturday.  The topic was Louisa May Alcott, and one of the ladies had very nice things to say about how I addressed the author’s life along with that of her heroine.  Still beaming over here. *

Current favorite “customers who bought this item also bought” pairing on Amazon: Skippy Dies: A Novel, by Paul Murray.  I had the pleasure of hearing the Macmillan/Faber & Faber rep talk about this book at the Boulder Book Store’s book club event and it’s been inching its way up my crazy to-read list ever since.

This time two years ago: I was furiously working on the book proposal that would become The Heroine’s Bookshelf.  The more things change…

Current personal heroine: Tavia Gilbert!  You may know her as the incredible woman who voiced The Heroine’s Bookshelf in audio form for Blackstone (and what a job she did).  I had the privilege of meeting her on The Littlest Book Tour, and she is not only well-spoken, beautiful, and whip-smart, but she works on bettering herself and expressing herself every single day.  What more can you want in a real-life heroine, I ask?

*Wonder what the heck she’s talking about? Go to your local indie bookstore or buy The Heroine’s Bookshelf online and let me know what you think!

Okay, so I’d love to pretend that there were constant swirling rumors about The Heroine’s Bookshelf…but dare to dream.

However.

I am very pleased to officially announce February the month of Heroine Love. For many, it’s a bitter month, or a swoony one, or just a normal one, but just once, this once, I want it to be all about love of literature and, of course, love of literary heroines.

How will we celebrate?  With guests, lots of them.  In fact, no fewer than twelve of my favorite book bloggers will be joining the blog throughout the month of February to extol, praise, and ruminate on the literary ladies who made them who they are today.

Better yet?  The prize.  Yes, there will be a prize…and it will be big.  I’ll announce specifics of the prize pack later in the game, but suffice it to say that it is going to be awesome, and that its artistic, literary, and trinket-like contents were contributed by a diverse set of book lovers and a publisher who will go unnamed but can surely be guessed.  Yours for the winning February 18.

By my calculations, there are a whopping 19 days until Heroine Love kicks off on February 1.  That’s 19 days to spread the word, my loves…and to mull over heroic feats to come.

PS – While you’re at it, check out Beth’s wonderful post on just this topic on An Accomplished Young Lady!

Favorite book moment of the week: Being asked to do another blurb. There’s nothing more flattering than being let in on the fun (or more nervewracking than asking for one, for that matter). I was so lucky to have amazing blurbs on my book’s cover. (Go congratulate one of my blurbers, the amazing Kelly O’Connor McNees, whose The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott was just voted into the top three in Goodreads’ Historical Fiction category!)

Review of the week: How could I not love this one? “PLEASE, if I ever decide to write a book—let me write like Erin Blakemore!!” writes Oregon Kimm at Fall In Love With Books. “[It's] no deep commitment to read [the book] cover to cover-—just gems of wisdom tucked away, begging for discovery as the need arises.” Thanks for your kind words, Kimm.  I’m honored that you liked the book and will be sharing it with friends.*

Current favorite “customers who bought this item also bought” pairing on Amazon: I Judge You When You Use Poor Grammar. Looks like someone knows me too well.

This time last year: I was revising the book on a tight deadline, surrounded by piles of paper, mounds of Post-Its, and an economy-sized load of insecurity.

Current personal heroine: My business partner Juli, who balances big commitments with a commitment to herself…and looks damn good doing it.

*Wonder what the heck she’s talking about? Go to your local indie bookstore or buy The Heroine’s Bookshelf online and let me know what you think!

You know how sometimes all conversation, media consumption, and thought seems to coalesce into a Grand Theme for a moment?  Well, lately, a cool 69 days since The Heroine’s Bookshelf was released by Harper, the theme has been (im)perfection.

Like many of you, I enjoyed Black Swan and Tron: Legacy in movie theaters Christmas week, but I also had the pleasure of reading Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz’s new biography of Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Wild Unrest, and Daphne Kalotay’s exquisite Russian Winter.  Without spoiling any of them, I will say that each has something to say about the nature of perfection and the reality of imperfection.  Perfection lingers, tempts…imperfection stays, concrete and gritty, and colors all it touches.

With one of the most eventful years of my life coming to a close, I can’t help but see imperfection all around.  I’d wanted to finish another book by this time, somehow be a Much-Lauded Bestseller (!), lose a small person’s worth of weight, perfectly balance the demands of running my own business and being a working writer.  Yeah, not so much.  But there are still moments of perfection in there.  An exquisite tea to celebrate Jane Austen’s birthday.  A room full of seventh graders growing interested in reading.  A constant stream of conversation with other writers and readers who care about literary heroines as much as I do.  Reviews that are heartfelt and positive and that do justice to the time and heart I poured into my first book.  Stealing glances at a Christmas card that meant a lot to me.  Refining and finding my voice with every day of sloppy and imperfect writing.

I wrote The Heroine’s Bookshelf firm in the belief that we all need some heroines to get us through our days.  Luckily, they weren’t perfect and neither were their authors.  As I muse on my own heroically imperfect life these days, I have a feeling that’s exactly as it should be.

When people hear about the books in my book about books, they go one way or the other.  Either they’re neutral/excited, or their faces fall.  ”I haven’t read all of those,” they say, crestfallen.  Or they read the book and say “To my shame, I’d never read ____________. “

As literary, educated, even occasionally erudite people, there’s always a competitive urge.  We want to be able to check selections off a list, to be included.  It’s fun to be on the inside of a conversation.  It’s fun to be in the know.

Well, fellow bookworms.  I would like to suggest we call off all this shame around reading.

I don’t care if your favorite book is Flowers in the Attic or War and Peace.  I don’t care if you read the cereal box or The Atlantic.  I don’t care if you inhale books via ereader or ancient tome.  What I do care about is the love of reading and the joy that accompanies the discovery of amazing literary heroines.

If you’re anything like me, your to-read list is a mile long (and, if you’re an author, you may be surprised to find that other people are suddenly interested in your heretofore private reading habits).  If you’re anything like me, there are also days on which you blow off that “must-read” piece of literary fiction for an easy, trashy read.   And that is okay.

In conclusion…I would just hate if The Heroine’s Bookshelf were taken as a criticism of people who had not read the books it contains.  Rather, it’s a very personal exploration of heroines who have touched my life (and the lives of many others).  I bet there is lots of middle ground with most of my readers, but for me the interesting part of the conversation often lies in the places where we diverge.

So…tell me.  Who are you ashamed of not reading?  What author have you been wanting to get to know?  What’s the last book you put down in favor of an easier read?