Please Don't Read This Book

So long, and thanks for all the fish!

After several wonderful years of recommending books to you all, we regret to inform you that we will be shutting down Please Don't Read This Book. In the last year, due to family responsibilities and increased workloads, it's become harder and harder for Julie and me to put together these blog posts.

So rather than leave this page up dormant for weeks/months we will be closing up shop.

Once again THANK YOU for joining us over these last years, and you can continue to follow us via our personal websites and blogs. 

You can follow Julie and all her publishing glory via JulieSternberg.com.

And you can follow Mia and all her Gif addictions via ThatsNotWhatIHeard.tumblr.com

Keep reading, 

M and J

Mia's Adventures at Comic-Con!

Mia’s Adventures at Comic-Con International

(in which Mia talks about Comic-Con in a weird stream of consciousness sort of way that possibly makes no sense, but go with it, OK? OK.)

As stated in my previous “Adventures at BEA” post, I love Comic-Con. I do. I love it as an exhibitor and as a … non-exhibitor (regular Joe?) And I also hate it. If you’ve been to Comic-Con (any Comic Convention really), you know what I mean. There’s just a little bit of hate in all that love. Either you hate the lines (lines to the bathroom, lines to get in a panel room, line to get stuff signed, lines to line up), the bumping up on sweaty people because there’s barely any room to move (imagine walking through Time Square on a daily basis with half the people there wearing costumes), the getting wacked in the face at least ten times a day by some dude’s poster tube (not a euphemism), the pain in your legs from standing all day… you get the idea.

 It’s perfectly normal to feel completely fatigued after just one day at Comic-Con. Yet, with all that, we love it don’t we? We wouldn’t put up with it if we didn’t.

Once again this year I attended Comic-Con as an exhibitor with Penguin books. What does it take to exhibit (and yes, being an exhibitor is VERY different than just attending) at the Con? Well, you definitely have to be a geek. No, really, planning Comic-Con is a very, VERY, long process. I start thinking about what authors/books/promotional material to bring at least 7-8 months before Comic-Con starts (while also planning New York Comic Con, because of course schedules overlap). Then there are the panel pitching, author wrangling, creating of promotional materials, finding hotel rooms, booking travel, training staff, handling schedules, freaking out about those things, catching typos in promotional materials, freaking out about that, working with publicity, labeling and shipping over 350 boxes of materials to the convention center… etc.

Then after I’m done with all the exhibitor stuff (which is never, really) I can finally look through the event guide and see what panels I’d like to attend! (Which is any panel not in Hall H or Ballroom 20, because who are we kidding, you aren’t getting in there unless you camp out days before.)

I think the only thing that kept me sane through all of it was, honestly, my love of the Con. My geekiness, if you will. It’s what got me the job in the first place and what’s gotten me through the craziness that is planning SDCC and NYCC (and soon C2E2) as well.

For example, my geekiness is what helps me get through 12-13 hour day at the booth (from set-up to take-down), standing on my feet, talking to person after person (rude and nice) about our books. About how much I love them, and how much they’ll love them, too. Which is amazing! Getting to talk to fellow geeks about the stuff that you love!

My geekiness is what convinces me that after these brutal shifts I should totally go Con after shows like W00stock (a geek music/comedy festival that goes to midnight), the Nerdist live podcast (where I saw Matt Smith) and a Nerd HQ panel with Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk. Because who needs sleep with all the geek stuff happening all around you? No one, that’s who. Certainly not me, I’ll sleep later.  And by later I mean after New York Comic Con (in October, and then it’s back to planning for C2E2 and Comic-Con International 2014!!)

 

Now we’ve gotten to the part of this blog post where I’m not sure what I’ve been talking about or where I’m going (has any of this made sense?) My fingers pause over the keys and my brain scurries to figure out what to write next. I can try to explain what it feels like to attend Comic-Con: the crowds, the pushing, the purchasing of anything  and everything (I totally needed those three issues of the Dark Phoenix saga – no, really, I did.), but I think I’ll fall short.

It’s awesome and intense and I’m quite happy it only happens once a year because you’ll need the rest of it to recuperate (and attend other Cons, of course). I will say this. You have to be a geek to enjoy it. You just do.

Mia goes to BEA...for like a bit.

A (half) day at BEA (Book Expo America)

Marirosa Mia:  I’m going to be honest. I’m not a huge BEA fan. This doesn’t mean I dislike it; it just doesn’t cause the same happy thoughts that Comic-Con International and New York Comic Con cause. It’s probably because I’m not very involved in the planning of BEA, unlike SDCC and NYCC. Usually I pop in at BEA for an hour and I pop out, which you can’t really do at NYCC because of the dangerous number of people.

So this year I was happy to tag along with my good friend Colleen and see what BEA had to offer to those of us who didn’t wait in line at 9 am and instead sauntered in around, say, 1-ish.

First off, how fantastic is the Penguin-branded book mobile and cart?

    
I love how they don’t actually say “Penguin” anywhere, but the brand speaks for itself! So adorable and classic. Gah. Love it.  Colleen and I mused about driving it all the way down to Chicago Comic Con and taking pictures with the world’s biggest ball of twine, but I doubt they’ll let us steal it!

Then I was walking down some aisles and saw this little guy!!!! (Please note that I just got back from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, so I’m freshly obsessed with HP.)

 

I think it was a display copy and not for sale, which is sad because what a great addition it would make to any library!

And of course it wouldn’t be BEA without people signing books. Got to see Paula Deen signing new copies of her next cookbook and the lovely Anna Jarzab signing ARCs of Tandem, her book coming out in October of this year!

  

And I used my super secret ‘work in publishing’ super powers to score some ARCs from my publisher friends! Super excited to read the new Nancy Farmer and Holly Black’s new book, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown. And my friend at S&S assured me that Ghost Hawk was a great read, so I can’t wait to dive in. 

And possibly the best present for the expectant geek in your life: Superhero board books!!!!!! How perfect are these?

So while it hasn’t wedged itself into my heart like the Cons, BEA was pleasantly civilized and a lovely way to spend the afternoon! Plus there was air conditioning, and they were giving out cupcakes!

What about you guys? Anyone go to BEA? What did you think? What did you snag? 

Oh, the possibilities!

Julie:  It can take a while for Mia and me to find a book we both love.  This is an obvious downside of our dialogue format for recommendations.  (A huge upside, for me anyway, is that it's far more fun to talk about a good book with a friend than to ramble on all by my lonesome.  But I digress.)  To fill those quiet intervals, we thought we might start sharing a bit of our process for identifying the books that we think have potential.  And so, here are some of my recent thoughts.  

I suggested HOKEY POKEY, by Jerry Spinelli, after reading this review by celebrity librarian Betsy Bird:  http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2013/01/14/review-of-the-day-hokey-pokey-by-jerry-spinelli/.  Bird admits that Spinelli's prior books have left her cold, then says that HOKEY POKEY is "one of the strongest works of children’s fiction I have ever had the sheer joy to encounter."  Surely that's worth a read!  So it's now on our list.

I also like teacher Monica Edinger's blog, "Educating Alice."  She recently posted this rave preview of an upcoming fantasy novel for young adults: "Even though MORTAL FIRE isn’t out till June I want to write about it now to get the word out as it is simply spectacular.  And to encourage those fantasy fans among you unfamiliar with Elizabeth Knox to go and read her two other also fabulous young adult books, DREAMHUNTER and DREAMQUAKE, the latter a Printz honor book."  http://medinger.wordpress.com/2013/01/22/coming-soonish-elizabeth-knoxs-mortal-fire/  And so I'm proposing to Mia, at this very moment, that we take a look at DREAMHUNTER.  Mia, what do you think?  

Finally, my younger daughter, Isabel, recently devoured the middle-grade novel SEE YOU AT HARRY'S, by Jo Knowles.  Maybe we should add that to our middle-grade list, Mia? Also, any suggestions to add?

Julie again:  Wait!  I've found more possibilities, before you've even had the chance to respond!  Take a look at this fabulous list from husband-wife uber-talents Philip and Erin Stead (seriously, those author-illustrators are jaw-droppingly good.  They’ve chosen "the books [from 2012] that meant something special to us at this point in our lives. These are books that challenged us to be better writers and illustrators."  Here's the link:  http://philipstead.com/2013/01/22/announcing-the-4th-annual-phildecott-and-steadbery-awards.   And here are some of the picture books from this list that intrigue me:  STEPHEN AND THE BEETLE, by Jorge Lujan; A TRIP TO THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD WITH MOUSE, by Frank Viva; and BONE DOG.  Note, too, that Steve Sheinkin's BOMB (middle grade non-fiction) is showing up everywhere as a 2012 favorite, including this list.  Hmm.

And one more option!  I never read Nancy Farmer's HOUSE OF THE SCORPION, a 2004 science fiction novel for young teens, which won (get this!  how often does this happen?!) the National Book Award and the Newbery Honor and the Printz Honor.  Wow.  Seems worth reading, right?  Especially because the sequel is due out in September.  

That's it!  I think.  I make no promises.   

Marirosa Mia: Am I good to go? You sure? (waits a few minutes just in case)  I'm all for reading HOUSE OF THE SCORPION! I've been meaning to read it for a while. And I already have my copy of HOKEY POKEY on the way.  I'll make sure to add DREAMHUNTER to that mix, Julie!

Let's see. On my end I’m interested in reading TO SAY NOTHING OF THE DOG, which I looked up after a friend recommended it. The description is quite intriguing in that it doesn't say much! "Ned Henry shuttles between the 1940s and the 21st century while researching Coventry Cathedral for a patron interested in rebuilding it until the time continuum is disrupted." Time continuum disrupted? I'M THERE. Plus it feels a bit Terry Pratchett-like, so I'm intrigued.

I just got my copy of TELL THE WOLVES I'M HOME, and I can't wait to devour it soon. A few others I'm looking forward to are OUT OF THE EASY, by Ruta Sepetys, and PAPER VALENTINE, by Brenna Yovanoff.  I'm a fan of both of these ladies' work, so I can't wait for their latest.

J:  We're so set!  But, just because it’s raining children's book reading ideas right now, let me close by noting that School Library Journal's annual Battle of the Kids Books has begun!  Here's their list; we can check it against ours:  http://battleofthebooks.slj.com.  Oh, and by the way, my copy of DREAMHUNTER has arrived!  (Boy, was that fast.)  I might have to start with it, since Isabel has stolen HOKEY POKEY. 

So many books, so little time!

Marirosa Mia: There are thousands of books published each year, which makes me both incredibly happy and incredibly sad, because there’s simply not enough time to read every single one of them! 2012 was another great year for books in all genres and for all ages. Though I can say that I probably read close to 60 books in 2012 (half of which aren’t coming out until THIS year!), there are still many 2012 books I need to get to. Like:

LIAR & SPY – Rebecca Stead:  WHEN YOU REACH ME was the first book Julie and I reviewed on this blog and one of the reasons I wanted to start a blog in the first place, so I can’t wait to read Stead's new novel!

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS – John Green:  Please don’t yell at me because I haven’t read it yet. YES, I know, I know, but I guess I’m waiting for when I want to die in a puddle of my own tears to read it, OK?

TELL THE WOLVES I'M HOME – Carol Rifka Brunt:  An amazing title. Gorgeous cover. Gut-wrenching plotline: 1987. There’s only one person who has ever truly understood fourteen-year-old June Elbus, and that’s her uncle, the renowned painter Finn Weiss. Shy at school and distant from her older sister, June can only be herself in Finn’s company; he is her godfather, confidant, and best friend. So when he dies, far too young, of a mysterious illness her mother can barely speak about, June’s world is turned upside down. But Finn’s death brings a surprise acquaintance into June’s life—someone who will help her to heal, and to question what she thinks she knows about Finn, her family, and even her own heart.

Julie:  I also need to read LIAR & SPY, but I've beat you to THE FAULT IN OUR STARS and TELL THE WOLVES I'M HOME.  I loved TELL THE WOVLES I'M HOME, and I'm apparently the only reader on the planet who found THE FAULT IN OUR STARS ultimately tiresome.  I suspect if I'd loved it, then you would've read it too by now, for a possible blog review.  Sorry about that!

I'm intrigued by BUILDING STORIES, by Chris Ware, in which stories are presented in a host of different formats.  I've never seen a better reviewed book. Check out these review excerpts: http://www.amazon.com/Building-Stories-Chris-Ware/dp/product-description/0375424334/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books.   It's certainly not a book for younger kids, though. Maybe young adults. 

I recently read and enjoyed Louise Erdich's THE PLAGUE OF DOVES (written for adults) and liked it enough to order CHICKADEE, her 2012 middle-grade novel about twin brothers who somehow become separated.  (Erdich's THE ROUND HOUSE, a sister book to THE PLAGUE OF DOVES, won the National Book Award this year.)

And I became fascinated by Lisa O'Donnell's THE DEATH OF BEES after hearing an interview with her on NPR this weekend.  I'm cheating a little with this one, since it's technically a 2013 release.  But it fascinates me because the synopsis of the plot is so similar to that of THE SUMMER OF THE GYPSY MOTHS, a 2012 middle-grade novel by Sara Pennypacker.  Both books involve two girls trying to hide the death of the grownups in their household.  Pennypacker also wrote the CLEMENTINE books, which I wholeheartedly love; but I was disappointed by THE SUMMER OF THE GYPSY MOTHS.  I have a hunch that THE DEATH OF BEES will compare favorably--and that comparing the two will yield interesting writing tips.  We'll see!    

M: Those all sounds great! How about our readers out there? Any 2012 books you haven't gotten to? What 2013 reads are you dying to sink your teeth into? As for us, Julie, we better start reading.

Blog Hop!

Hey Everyone! Today Julie and I are part of a Blog Hop called “The Next Big Thing,” a way for writers to speak about their works-in-progress and spread the word about their fellow writers. Julie and I were tagged a couple of weeks ago by the lovely Jackie Resnick (you can read her post here) and were going to place our post up on Halloween, but Hurricane Sandy put a bit of a damper on our blogging. But now we are BACK and ready to answer questions.

Here we go:

What is the working title of your book?



Marirosa Mia: STONE GIRL is my working title at the moment, but I am TERRIBLE at thinking up titles. I thought of doing a little poetry/song research for some inspiration but have yet to find anything.

Julie:  LIKE BUG JUICE ON A BURGER, the sequel to my first book, LIKE PICKLE JUICE ON A COOKIE, is due out in April. 

Where did the idea come from for the book?



 M: Oh gosh. I started writing the piece about 3 years ago and put it away to continue working on another novel for my thesis, then a few months ago it found its way to me again. The idea first came to me like all my others:  A scene plays in my head over and over again like a movie. For this particular novel it was a house, decaying, and the lost girl inside it. I simply couldn’t get her and the house out of my head. 

J:  My first book, LIKE PICKLE JUICE ON A COOKIE, tells the story of a girl, Eleanor, whose longtime, beloved babysitter moves away.  For the first time, Eleanor is left by someone she loves.  For the sequel, I thought I’d write about Eleanor herself leaving loved ones (temporarily) for the first time.  LIKE BUG JUICE ON A BURGER thus tells the story of Eleanor’s first experience at sleepaway camp.

    

What genre does your book fall under?



M: Fantasy

J:  Realistic Fiction, for young middle-grade readers

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

 M: Uh. Ada is a strong, athletic, 20-something woman. She’s a bit like an owl, watching patterns and behavior; she trusts few but loyal to those she loves. She’s a bit like Jennifer Garner when she played Sidney Bristow in ALIAS. So maybe an unknown who shares that same strength.

J:  Bailee Madison might make a great Eleanor.  Should I confess that I’m most familiar with her work as a guest star on Wizards of Waverly Place?  (I have daughters!  Disney shows are unavoidable!)

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?



 M: Cursed by a witch, a young girl is unable to step outside the confines of her home without turning to stone; her relationships, her loves exists through the bars of her confinement.

J:  Nine-year-old Eleanor attends sleepaway camp for the first time and is not a happy camper.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?



 M: Once it’s finished I hope to send out query letters to agents.

J:  I’m represented by Rosemary Stimola of the Stimola Literary Studio; Abrams Books will publish BUG JUICE.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?


 M: Still writing it. And I just joined NaNoWriMo (friend me if you are doing it as well) so I’m hoping it will help me finished a good full rough draft of it.

J:  The first draft took about three months.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

 M: It definitely has a fairytale vibe. A bit of Robin McKinley perhaps. Clearly I’m terrible at this.

J: IVY AND BEAN, by Annie Barrows; CLEMENTINE, by Sara Pennypacker

Who or what inspired you to write this book?



 M: You know how it is, when characters simply won’t leave your head until they are written down.

J:  My younger daughter suffered from intense homesickness during her first summer at sleepaway camp.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

M: There’s a bit of a tortured romance in there. John who has just came back from the war (World War I) and he can’t seem to connect with anything from his old life finds a flame of hope in Ada.

J:  The illustrator for PICKLE JUICE, Matthew Cordell, is also working on BUG JUICE and is doing a terrific job.  His sketches make me laugh every time I flip through them. 

 

Thank you so much for reading about our work! 

 

Kid Lit Con 2012

Marirosa Mia: This past weekend Julie and I had the honor of attending KidLitCon 2012! Julie attended the Pre-Conference on Friday, September 27th and I attended the Saturday events. And though I grumbled through my subway ride over (waking at 8 AM on a Saturday should not be allowed) to the New York Public Library (what a beaut!), once I was there I was in full swing. Particularly since I couldn't attend the full day's events due to prior commitments, I was determined to acquire all the information I could. Strangely enough the two panels I was slotted into discussed reader participation; what I learned most from those panels was that comments don't always signify participation. Meaning, just because only three people leave comments doesn't mean your readers aren't engaged. I'm afraid I'm guilty of this: I follow dozens of blogs and don't post a single comment! But that doesn't mean I'm not engaged by the content. What about you, Julie? What pearls of wisdom did you glean from the Con?

Julie:  I attended fabulous sessions at both Holiday House and Penguin Young Readers Group.  At Holiday House, among many other treats, we saw spreads from picture books coming out in the spring.  What terrifically talented illustrators they've lined up!  

The upcoming Holiday House picture book I'm most excited to read is THE FRAZZLE FAMILY FINDS A WAY, by Ann Bonwill, with illustrations by Stephen Gammell.  Here are my notes (please keep in mind that there was quite a lot of information flying at us, fast):  "Story of crazy family.  Mom forgets to comb her hair; Dad forgets to put on pants.  Energetic, very fun art."  A mom who neglects to comb her hair!  Can I ever relate!  Fortunately, I haven't yet forgotten to put on pants.  But I do fear it's within the realm of possibility.  Anyway, I'm keeping an eye out for that book.  We also heard from the lovely Betsy and Ted Lewin about their upcoming, beautiful and simply worded I Like to Read books. 

We had a guest author at Penguin as well:  the vivacious Gayle Forman, bestselling author of the young adult hits IF I STAY and WHERE SHE WENT.  It was immensely helpful to hear her tales of books she has written and then stored permanently away in a drawer.  It's easier to think about my drawered books, now knowing about hers.  She also has a new book on Penguin's list:  JUST ONE DAY.  Ruta Sepetys, author of BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY, which Mia reviewed for us, does as well:  OUT OF THE EASY.  I'm excited to read both.  

Penguin in fact has a slew of exciting books, much like Holiday House.  Mia, have you worked on any?  Would you like to put in a good word?  

M: I'm currently working on OUT OF THE EASY, which I hope you like, Julie! It's very different from BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY but still a fantastic read. Haven't read JUST ONE DAY yet, but I'm a big Gayle Forman fan so I can't wait to read it. Now a question to our lovely readers out there. Did any of you attend KidLitCon? What new books are you excited to finally get your hands on? 

Libba Bray recommends!

Julie:  Libba Bray, fantastically successful author of books for young adults, recently wrote this list for Publisher's Weekly of books she loves:  Books I love: Libba Bray.  So worth a look!  I've already ordered RATS SAW GOD and THE BOYS OF MY YOUTH.  Oh boy!  It's a little odd, how excited I get by promising book recommendations.  

The Veillee!

Marirosa Mia:  Hello everyone! The lovely writers over at The Veille (an online writing community for writers/painters/etc.) have been kind enough to feature an excerpt of my current novel On Duarte Street along with my sister's awesome illustrations! This is still a work in progress, so it's nice to get a little encouragement from my fellow writers.

Click here and take a look if you have a moment!

Sorry!

Sorry, neither of us can be reached right now.

Too engrossed in R J Palacio's terrific middle grade novel, WONDER.

Full review soon...