December Highlights: SKYPE-tacular!

Sarah Maas with the German cover for Throne of Glass!  Celaena's wearing some sweet threads, no?  Photo credit: magazin.dtv.de

So last weekend's weather was a little bit incredibly intense (Winter-pocalypse 2013!)...

Fortunately, Skype still works in bad weather, so we still got to talk with Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight author Sarah Maas during our meeting last Thursday (the weather was fine in California, apparently)!

In case the ice kept you away from the library, here are some highlights from our conversation with Sarah:

• She started out writing fanfiction: Sarah didn't start out writing bestselling books.  Back in the day, she wrote fanfiction for fun - even mash-up fanfiction about, for example, Harry Potter with Sailor Moon!  "It was terrible!" she says.  Read some fanfiction on the site Sarah used to post hers:  Fanfiction.net

• She started writing Throne of Glass at 16!: She had the idea while watching Cinderella - the music was so dramatic when Cinderella runs away from the ball, it sounded almost as if she had done something criminal.  "So I started thinking, 'What could she have actually done that would deserve being chased from the ball like that?'"  Like... try to assassinate someone?  Hm... 

• Throne of Glass had tons of fans before it was even published:  Before it was called Throne of Glass, Celaena's story was titled Queen of Glass and was posted on a website called Fictionpress.com, where people can publish original works of fiction online.  At one point, Queen of Glass was the most read story on the website!  "It was my refuge," says Sarah.

Unofficial cover art.

• Cool background info on the Crown of Midnight cover art:  Sarah says that Celaena was originally illustrated as being craaaaazy thin on the cover art for Crown of Midnight, and Sarah took a stand to have her illustrated at a healthier weight (is Sarah awesome or what?!).  Besides being an unhealthy image for teens, she says, it's also untrue to Celaena's character*!  

• She's working on a new series: Aside from working the Throne of Glass series, Sarah's working on a new series called A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES.  It's a retelling of Beauty and the Beast in which the character Beauty is a huntress.  It's for an age group a little older than teens called "New Adult", and it'll be out in Winter 2015!  For more info on the story, click here; for more info on this series, click here; to read a snippet, click here.

• Check out her new online project, The Starkillers Cycle!:  After some vacation-fueled brainstorming, Sarah and her BFF, Susan Dennard (author of the Something Strange and Deadly YA series - visit Susan's website here), have started a collaborative work of fiction that will live online and can be read on the series' tumblr.  Titled The Starkillers Cycle, it's a type of sci-fi called a space opera (think Star Wars, kinda); read the authors' intro and disclaimer about content, then read the first chapter (also this hilarious interview with the two of them).

• WE GOT SOME INFO ON Throne of Glass BOOK #3!!:  ... very little info, though.  No, she didn't tell us the title of Book #3, but we now know that it will have three narratives following three different storylines: one for Celaena, one for Chaol and Dorian, and one for a new character - someone who is connected with the Iron Witch Clan of the Western Wastes.  Remember Yellowlegs, the witch with iron teeth in Crown of Midnight?  Oh yeah.  THOSE Iron Witches.

• She's got some book recommendations: Looking for something to read until Sarah's next book is out?  She's got some suggestions:  Sabriel by Garth Nix, Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta (Sarah told us the hilarious story of when she met the author... and got a little too excited: "I was crying hysterically"), Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, and, of course, the Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien (she went to all see all the movies at midnight when they came out - and dressed up. As who?  "Eowyn!").

A ginormous THANK YOU to Sarah for skyping with us!!  We got so much good info and insight into her inspirations, being a writer and her new projects (I'm definitely checking out both of them)! ... although I'm such a fan of this series that she could have just read aloud from the phone book and I'd still call the meeting a win.

Did you enjoy Crown of Midnight, and are you looking forward to Sarah's next projects?  Are you a fan of fanfiction, or a writer yourself?  Let us know in the comments!

* So why wouldn't Celaena be super-skinny, as she was first illustrated for the Crown of Midnight cover art?  Celaena was malnourished as a slave in Endovier in Throne of Glass, and if there's something Celaena DOES NOT LIKE, it's slavery.  Being skinny was a reminder of her time as a slave, so she's unlikely to have stayed that way on purpose once she was freed!

September Sum-Up: Bustin' Rhymes + Scary Stories!

Cora and Mimi be crazy rappin' fools, yo

So last Thursday was our first meeting of the year in which we talked about Long Lankin by Lindsey Barroclough.  If you weren't there, you missed out - the discussion was awesome! Convo went WIDE, from Slender Man to ancient Roman methods of execution, scary movies to the meanings of English slang words (non-profane ones, anyway), poverty in post-WWII England, and the real meaning of honor - and shame.  Also Doctor Who.  I know.  Whut.

Did we like Long Lankin? Consensus sez: it was a bit too long with the scenes in between the spooky bits, but YES, we liked it and would recommend it to our friends!  So if you haven't finished reading Long Lankin yet, get on it!  It might be hot outside, but it's cold and creepy inside that book. Then...

We also played a Long Lankin-y game at the meeting!! And if you missed the meeting, you can still play here on the blog!  

First, some back story:  so the premise of Long Lankin (the book) is based on this old English/Scottish legend, which you can read in the form of a ballad (look here for the whole thing).  In part of the ballad, the lord of the manor is warning his wife about the dangerous Long Lankin (this is the bit of the ballad that's printed on the front cover of your copy of Long Lankin):

Said my lord to my lady as he mounted his horse,
'Beware of Long Lankin that lives in the moss.'

Said my lord to my lady as he rode away,
'Beware of Long Lankin that lives in the hay.'

So here's the game: create new stanzas for the poem by re-writing the ends of the first and second lines of the stanzas above! Here's how to do it:

"Said my lord to my lady as he _____________,  {an action he might do - in 4-5 syllables, if you can!} 
'Beware of Long Lankin that lives in the _____.'" {a place that Long Lankin could live - it needs to
                                                                        RHYME with line 2(!) in 1-2 syllables}

Confused?  Here's an easy example: 

"Said my lord to my lady as he put on his shirt,
'Beware of Long Lankin that lives in the dirt."

You can also break the formula for the fourth line of the stanza if you want; instead of filling in a play that Long Lankin could live, just re-write the entire fourth line and replace it with some dangerous fact about Long Lankin - making sure it rhymes and that the line has about five (5) syllables, of course:

"Said my lord to my lady as he combed his moustache,
'Beware of Long Lankin - he'll steal all your cash!'"

We went back and forth in the meeting: one person would come up with something to fill in the first blank (the action in line 2), and then everyone else tried to come up with something that rhymed for line 4!  

CHECK OUT OUR SWEET RHYMEZ FROM THE MEETING! 

Said my lord to my lady as he put on his socks, 

'Beware of Long Lankin who lives in...

          «  ... a box

          «  ... a mosque(?)

Said my lord to my lady as he combed his hair,

'Beware of Long Lankin… 

          «  He lives at the fair!  (like, inside Big Tex or something?)

          «  ... hey, do you see my socks anywhere?

Said my lord to my lady as he ran down the street,
'Beware of Long Lankin -

          «  He's got stinky feet!

          «  He ain't got no beat!  (he's a terrible rapper, really)

          «  He ain't got no… beets?

Said my lord to my lady as he put on his pants,

'Beware of Long Lankin - 

          « I think I'll do a dance!' 

Srrsly, you guys are hilarious.  Now it’s your turn!  Try it out yourself – leave us a rhyme in the comments! If you can’t think of how to start, try completing the rhymes below and leave a comment with your answer (that means you too, library staff! I know you've been reading this - just comment anonymously!).  If you were at the meeting and want to take credit for one of the SWEET RHYMEZ above, email me or comment.  Thoughts on the book are welcome, too! 

And now, some RHYMES TO GET YOU STARTED:

Said my lord to my lady as he sipped up his tea

‘Beware of Long Lankin,   … ____________

Said my lord to my lady as he buttered some toast,

‘Beware of Long Lankin,  … ____________

      > BONUS POINT!:

Said my lord to my lady as he put on his dublet,

‘Beware of Long Lankin,  … ____________

Skyping with Hannah Barnaby, Part 2!

It's here - part 2 of our skype session with Wonder Show author Hannah Barnaby!  (If you missed part 1, click here.)  Keep reading - in part 2, Hannah talks about what's currently on her "must-read" list, favorite movies, and authors who inspire her.  Also, she answers juicy (spoilery!) questions about Wonder Show that you don't want to miss!

Just like with part 1, be sure to leave a comment to take credit for a question you asked (include your name and your question's number in the comment), and when you see words in brackets like [these], it's extra info or something that I've added that wasn't in the original question/answer.  Also, all spoilery questions are at the end of the interview, so if you don't want the end of Wonder Show spoiled for you, stop reading when it says "SPOILERS!" below.

Now for the interview!...

Q&A with Hannah Barnaby, Part 2!

19.       SMITH PUBLIC LIBRARY: What book is currently on your must-read list?

Wolverine: the early years.

HANNAH BARNABY: I'm currently re-reading I Capture the Castle for about the 9th time.  I also want to read more current YA fiction, especially the other Morris Award finalists [the William C. Morris YA Debut Award, for which Wonder Show was nominated – click the link for more info and to see the other nominees].

20.       SPL: What was your biggest inspiration to become an author?

HANNAH: I was actually in denial about wanting to be a writer for a long time, because I didn't think it could really happen.  But I had some really great teachers in college and graduate school who encouraged me.  And then my boss at Houghton Mifflin when I was an editor sent me to the Vermont College writing program, and that's where I couldn't deny it anymore.  What I love about writing is that there's no right or wrong way to do it; it's all about finding your own path. 

21.       SPL: Is there a movie that you like that is about your favorite book? Also where are you from?

HANNAH: I love the movie Big Fish, which is also about story-telling and larger-than-life people.  As for where I'm from, I grew up all over New York State, mostly in the Albany area.

22.       SPL: What's your favorite book?

HANNAH: I don't know if I can pick just one!  I love APrayer for Owen Meany and Cider HouseRules by John Irving.  I also love John Green's books and Han Nolan's. Both excellent YA writers.

23.       SPL: Are there any authors who inspire you?

A "giant" holding a "human torso" in a
wonder show, back-in-the-day.

HANNAH: Some of my teachers at Vermont College were amazing writers and mentors. Books by M.T. Anderson, Carolyn Coman, MartineLeavitt, and Norma Fox Mazer are all MUST READS if you haven't read them yet.

24.       SPL: What would you like to tell people about following their dreams?

HANNAH: Just because you are meant to do something doesn't mean it will be easy.  Nothing worth having comes without a struggle.  It's the struggle that teaches you who YOU are.

25.       SPL: Which character are you most like?

HANNAH: Probably Portia.  But also a little bit like Gideon, and a little bit like Jimmy, and almost all of them. They came from me so we must share some things, right?  I just hope I'm not too much like Mister [also see question #6 in part 1 for more info on this answer].

______________________________________________________________________

The following questions contain Wonder Show SPOILERS!

_______________________________________________________________________

This girl was advertised as being "four-legged"
... yeah, probably not really four-legged.

26.       SPL: Can you give us an idea about Portia’s life 10 years after Wonder Show ends (even if you have to make it up!)?

HANNAH: I think she and Gideon are running a bed and breakfast for freaks in Florida. [LOL.]

27.       SPL: What made you think of Portia’s aunt not watching over her [and leaving her at the orphanage]?

HANNAH: Part of it was needing certain things for the plot. I needed to get Portia to a place where she was on her own.  And I needed her to want to leave that place and get even further away.

28.   SPL: What is your favorite chapter and why?

HANNAH: The chapter in which Caroline dies was really hard to write, but also kind of fun because I'd never written a murder/death scene before. I had to research poisons and how they were used and what they did to people, which probably worried my family a little bit.

29.   SPL: What chapter is the murder/death scene?

HANNAH: When Caroline dies. It's not technically murder, but Portia feels responsible because she gave Caroline the poison.

30.   SPL: Why did you want Caroline to die?

HANNAH: I didn't want her to at all! But sometimes authors have to do terrible things to their characters in order to move the story along. I felt so guilty for the longest time.

31.   SPL: What’s the turning point in the story?

HANNAH: I think it's when Portia realizes that she is not going to find Max and she decides to go back to Mister's and take charge of finding her file there. It's the point at which she knows that she has to see things through in the "bad place."

32.   SPL:  Are Portia's parents REALLY dead?  And what about the rest of her family?  I'm nursing a pet theory that Jackal is secretly Portia's uncle and just won't tell her.

HANNAH: Oh, I love that idea!  I think her parents are really gone. She lived at a time when people vanished and were not heard from again. There was no internet, no way to track people down. But I tried to give her a new family that seemed unstable but actually turned out to be the best group of people for her to continue with.

33.   SPL: Can you please write more novellas, possibly about the Wonder Show entertainers?  I wanted more of their stories!

HANNAH: I would love to. You never know what the future will bring.

* * * * * * * * * *

Ooooo, I like the idea of Wonder Show novellas.  I'm looking forward to Hannah's next book, too - she told us about this, but since I don't have her answer in writing, here's a quote from another interview where she describes her next book:

"Another young adult novel, with a contemporary setting. It’s the story of a girl who’s been in a car accident which her brother didn’t survive, and her quest to track down the recipients of his organs…with a dark purpose."

Sounds subtly creepy... and if Wonder Show is any indication, "subtly creepy" is something Hannah does well.

Dont' forget to comment below to take credit for the questions you asked - and to thank Hannah!  She's been super nice and generous for taking time to skype with us and answer all our questions!  If you have another question for her, comment or email us (soon!).  And keep your eyes on the blog - on Saturday (that's March 23) I'll post an announcement about an extra-special something we'll be doing at our April meeting!!

Skype with Hannah Barnaby, Part 1!

Hannah Barnaby's fancy author pic.

In case you missed it, we actually got to skype with author Hannah Barnaby (author of Wonder Show)  at our last meeting! Ms. Barnaby was incredible - she has a great sense of humor, she'd answer any question we could think to ask, and she was really generous to skype with us anyway - maybe we should send her a big THANK YOU?  CommentsectionGO!

The interview's pretty long, though, and I know if I'm too ADD to read the whole thing at once, some of you will be too, so I'm posting the interview in two parts.  Check out Part 1 after the jump (click the link that says "Ready more" at the bottom) for Hannah's thoughts on Wonder Show and its characters, how she cures herself of writer's block, and what she'd do for an act if she was in a circus sideshow.

Before the interview, though, THREE THINGS:

• I have no idea who asked which questions, so take to the comments and take credit for your question!  
• This interview is SPOILER FREE, which means that if you haven't read Wonder Show, any questions that could give away parts of the story have been moved to the end of Part 2.
• Whenever you see words inside brackets like [these], that's something that wasn't in the original question or answer that I've added as helpful info and etc.

And noowwwww (drumroll on your laptop, please)... 

Q&A with Hannah Barnaby, Part 1!

Back in the day, being a strongman meant
wearing a ladies swimsuit. 

1.       SMITH PUBLIC LIBRARY: How did you come up with the idea of the book?

HANNAH BARNABY: I have always loved circus history, and I had a dream about a girl running away from home on a bicycle. When I woke up, I couldn't stop thinking about her and wondering where she was going and who she was trying to get away from.  So I sent her to the carnival and made up the rest as I went along.

2.       SPL: Do you have any plans for a second book?

HANNAH: Yes, but not a sequel to Wonder Show. I'm currently working on another YA novel, about a girl who is tracking down the people who received her brother's organs after he died in a car accident.

3.       SPL: Did the stories that Portia [the main character of Wonder Show] hears as a child come from real gypsy stories or where they made up?

HANNAH: No, I made them up. I have Italian relatives on my husband's side, and I've heard many stories about them.  The stories that Portia's family tells are what I imagine my husband's ancestors sounded like.  In fact, the name of Portia's mother, Quintillia, is taken from my father-in-law's family.

4.       SPL: Can you say one word that describes the whole story?

HANNAH: “Powerful”. And “hopeful”.  I guess that’s two words!

Daisy and Violet Hilton, the conjoined twin
sisters on which Pippa and Polly were based.

5.       SPL: Do you have a favorite character, and why?

HANNAH: I love Polly and Pippa (they count as one, right?) because they are based on a real-life pair of sisters [also conjoined twins] who worked the vaudeville circuit and were movie stars.  They ended up working at a grocery store in North Carolina, bagging groceries.

6.       SPL: Is there a character who you are like in the story?

HANNAH: I am a lot like Portia in some ways, but not in other ways. I try to give each of my main characters one trait that we share, so I can relate to them, and one thing that's very different, so I don't forget that I'm not writing about myself.  Portia and I are both very stubborn and we don't always let people help us.  [Also, see question #26 for a little more on this answer.]

7.       SPL: Have you ever had writer’s block? And if so, what’s the craziest thing you have done to get out of it?

HANNAH: I have had periods of what I called "writer's block" but were probably just laziness.  One thing I do to get myself started when I sit down to write after not writing for a while is listen to a certain song that I associate with the story. I make a playlist for every project.

8.       SPL: What's the playlist for Wonder Show?

A wonder show's "Bearded Lady",
 plus a bearded someone-else!

HANNAH: I think it's on my website, but I'll have to check [It’s not on the website, Hannah! Put it up, pretty please?]. It was a very odd combination of songs, many from the 1930s and 40s.

9.       SPL: What made you want to write Wonder Show?

HANNAH: I had always wondered if I could write a novel, and then I heard about a grant from the Boston Public Library.  I applied with a proposal to write what became Wonder Show, and I won the grant.  So I got to spend 20 hours a week for 9 months working on the book.  And I still didn't finish!  From the time I started the book to when it was published, it was SEVEN YEARS.

10.   SPL: What was your biggest inspiration while you were writing the book?

HANNAH: I had all kinds of inspiration, from the work of other writers to photographs from old carnival shows to music that I loved.  It all created an atmosphere in my head that transferred into my writing.

11.   SPL: Are you planning to write any other books for younger kids and adults?

HANNAH: I have a few ideas for picture books, but they are really hard to write because every single word has to be perfect.  I don't know if I'll ever write a book for adults. I just don't find most adults as interesting as I find young adults. Maybe I'm stuck on my high school self.

12.   SPL: How old were you when you started righting Wonder Show?

HANNAH: I was 30.  I really thought I'd publish a book before that.

Um, OUCH?!

13.   SPL: What do you do when you're not writing?

HANNAH: I have kids, so they keep me busy most of the time.  I love to knit, I love photography, and I love to cook.  And bake! I bake a LOT.

14.   SPL: Since you have kids, is it hard to write new books?

HANNAH: Yes! But next year, they will all be in school at least a few days a week so I'll have more time.  Sometimes I feel bad when I work - my son just wants me to play blocks!  And I think if you really love to write, you can't ignore it. You find a way.

15.   SPL: Are there any of your family members that are like the characters in Wonder Show?

HANNAH: Most of the characters are different from the people I actually know.  They are more based on actual carnival performers that I found out about during my research.  I probably include things in my characters that are based on people I know, but I don't always realize it.  And that way, I can deny it if they ask. *laughs*

16.   SPL: Has someone ever recognized you in public for your writing?

HANNAH: Like, recognized me on the street?  No, not yet!  My picture isn’t actually on the back flap of the book jacket with my bio, so probably makes people recognizing me less likely.

Signs for a wonder show, plus the "bally", a stage where
someone would shout out things to entice people to come in.

17.   SPL: Is there anyone in your family who is interested in writing books like you?

HANNAH: My dad loves to tell stories, and I think he would have been a writer if he didn't have to support a family.  My mother-in-law was a teacher, and she wrote some picture books when she was younger but they were never published.  One was about what all the animals do in the zoo when it rains.

18.   SPL: Can you imagine yourself traveling with the wonder show like Portia? If so, what would you do?

HANNAH: I probably don't have any talents they could use.  Maybe I could learn to throw knives if I had Marie to teach me.  There weren't many good jobs for people who weren't special in some way.

* * * * * * * * * *

She loves books, knitting and baking?  Three of my favorite things!  She definitely makes my list of authors I'd want to be friends with if they weren't busy writing AMAZING books (and, you know, if they lived around here).

Stay tuned for Part 2 - if you asked a question and don't see it here, look for it in the Q&A's Part 2 (coming on Thursday)! Leave a comment to:

1. Tell us which question is yours!
2. Ask Hannah one last question - we'll send her an email with the questions and post her answers here on the blog!

December After-Meeting Mint: Heads Will Roll! ... Maybe!

This is classy monocle cat.  He would never be
 late with a blog post. Sorry, classy monocle  cat. 

Remember reading Throne of Glass?  Yeah, I know, that was a while ago (SO last month).  Sorry.  See the previous blog post for my reason for putting off this post (it's actually a pretty cool reason).  But if you still want to talk about Throne of Glass, here's a summary of December's meeting for Throne of Glass and your opportunity to sound off in the comments.

Apparently, like me, most of you liked Throne of Glass - yayforbooks. But a lot of you had trouble getting into the story because of the crazy, hard-to-read names (note to the publishers:  include a pronunciation guide with the book).  Also, this was the second book we've read that's an adaptation of the story of Cinderella, though most of the club didn't realize this about Throne of Glass; anybody spotted similarities between Cinderella and this book since the meeting? (Comments!)

Celeana, an assassin, was the heroine of Throne of Glass.  Most of us liked Celeana - she's fierce and independent like Katniss from The Hunger Games and isn't whiny and insecure like Bella from Twilight.  And despite being REALLY fat-headed, she's just so likable: she's fashionable, she's cool, she's super deadly - basically, she's a female Han Solo.

Speaking of Celeana being deadly: even though we're used to NOT rooting for assassins - they're usually villains - the club didn't have a problem with an assassin as a heroine, as long as she only killed the bad guys.  What we DID have a problem with was an assassin who didn't do any assassinating.  Seriously, I think Celeana's kill record for this book was something like "mythical creatures: 1, humans: 0".

The club didn't really mind that there was a love triangle, or how that story played out.  Celeana is in a relationship with another character for only a short time in the book before dumping the guy; most of us thought that this was a pretty accurate picture of real-life teen relationships.  Bigger question, though: Prince Dorian vs. Chaol, Captain of the Guard? Most of the club turned out to be Team Chaol: he's flawed, he's gruff-with-a-gooey-nice-guy-center, he's swoon-worthy - basically, he's totes dreamy. 

So what did YOU think?  Did you love or hate Throne of Glass, and will you be looking out for the sequel?  Are you Team Dorian or Team Chaol (quick, make your t-shirts NOW!)?  How to feel about the whole assassin-who-doesn't-assassinate thing?  Is Celeana your new literary BFF, or did she totally get on your nerves?  Sound off in the comments!

And keep watching this space - a summary of our January meeting for A.C. Gaughen's book Scarlet is coming soon!

November After-Meeting Mint: Ballgown [Not] Required

She's good with a wrench? Seriously?
NEVER saw that coming.

Thanks to everyone who came to the meeting to discuss Cinder last Thursday - my sources say the convo was excellent!  If you couldn't make the meeting, keep reading to catch up on the club's take on Cinder:

This book is set in the future, but it's set in future China, which is unexpected but works really well - a change of scenery did us good? - and it had some cool future tech, both good and bad; Cinder's cyborg abilities (lie detection) and the "portscreen" devices are great, but the ID chips that were implanted in everyone are way creepy, seeing as the government could always know where you were and what you were doing and everything else in your life, ew.  

And speaking of technology, the whole prejudice-against-cyborgs thing was no good; the reason behind this wasn't clear either, but we all agreed that it's not surprising that prejudice could exist in the super-future as much as now.  It's pretty hard to define what it means to be "human", though.  And as cyborgs are defined in Cinder, "cyborgs" probably already exist today (nerds, rejoice! Your sci-fi dreams are coming true!), so we could face this ourselves someday.

Everyone seemed to really like this book because it so unusual - even people who don't like to read loved this book!  If teens spread the word, the book could be pretty popular  - really, it's that different from other dystopian novels.  But we mostly thought that this book would be more popular with girls than guys, even though the main character, Cinder, is a mechanic (the luuuvvv aspect of the book was a hit). 

So if you still can't get enough of Cinder  - the sequel's not out for A.  WHILE.  - then keep talking in the comments.  Tell us what you thought about the cyborg-superpowers, the ID  chips, the  cyborg hatefest and prejudice in general, whether or not cyborgs already exist (!), or just what you thought of the book in general.  Or tell us something else random - it's a free country, do what you want.

And get ready for next month's book, Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (more on that later)...