Guest Posting on Ingrid Law’s Blog

I’m a big fan of Ingrid Law, author of Savvy (read my review). So I was thrilled when she agreed to feature a guest post I wrote for her blog about some of the major benefits of being in a mother-daughter book club. I read Savvy with my daughter Catherine when she was 14, and we both liked it a lot.

Savvy has been named a Newbery Honor book, and it was chosen as the October read for Al Roker’s Book Club on the Today Show. It’s a wonderful coming of age story about  a girl discovering her special talent. I highly recommend it for readers aged 9 to 13.

Check out my post on Ingrid’s blog, and visit her website too, where you can find more information about Ingrid, Savvy, and her new book due out next year, Scumble. I can’t wait to read it.

Photos from My Talk at Barnes and Noble

Didn’t Barnes and Noble put together a nice poster for my talk at their Clackamas Town Center store Tuesday night? I have to admit, it took me aback for a second when I walked in and saw my photo and book cover so prominently displayed at the door. What a thrill! It was so kind of the Fantasy Firsts Book Group, which meets at the store regularly, to invite me to speak at one of their monthly meetings. They also opened the door for anyone else who wanted to sit in and hear my talk about mother-daughter book clubs.

And the chairs were so nice and comfy I could have settled in for the night. Especially with so many books just steps from my itching fingertips. It was difficult to practice self control. Here’s a shot of our comfortable gathering:

The Fantasy Firsts group has been together for almost a year, and while not officially a mother-daughter book club, there are several moms in the group along with their high school daughters. Charlene Williams at Barnes and Noble leads the group, and her daughter is a member, too. Charlene promises to email me the club’s reading list for the last year, which has some great titles for lovers of fantasy.

While I was at the store I took the opportunity to pick up a copy of WordPress for Dummies. For the last two months I’ve been working up to an overhaul of this blog and my website, combining the two for more efficient browsing. WordPress for Dummies is not exactly great bed-time reading, but with any luck, I’ll be able to figure a few things out and get the redesign in the works. Wish me luck!

Kindle versus Printed Book?

Monday I attended a panel discussion sponsored by the University of Oregon’s Journalism program on the future of publishing in a digital world. The line-up of speakers was great: Katherine Dunn, author of Geek Love, Vailey Oehlke, head of the Multnomah County Library system (one of the largest in circulation in the country), and Dennis Stovall, who coordinates the publishing program at Portland State University, Oooligan Press.

While passions in the room were definitely pro-printed book, there was general recognition from everyone around that digital readers are here to stay. The question then becomes how will they evolve to find a place in libraries and other places where they may not require much investment to readers. Author Sherman Alexie has called Kindles elitist, as they can only be owned by people who have discretionary money to spend on reading as a pastime. I buy books, but they tend to be books I have already checked out of the library and read, so I know I’m interested in owning a copy for re-reading in the future. Sometimes I buy used books, other times I buy new, hardcover editions as gifts. As it stands, none of that is currently possible with digital readers.

Here are some of the points worth considering brought up by the speakers.

Katherine Dunn

• Books have many advantages over electronic readers, but despite that, they are not worth worshiping
• While new technology tends to take over old technology, it also has a way of evolving and coming back to create similar usage. The example Dunn used was the telephone replacing widespread letter writing. She said email has brought it full circle so people communicate widely through written words again.
• If books evolve to be produced digitally only, will there be a hard copy somewhere just in case digital copies disappear?
• How will digital production affect an author’s copyright and his ability to be paid for his creation?
• Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader…all the available readers now are probably just a “rough draft” of what they will become.

Vailey Oehlke

• Let’s not forget that many people don’t even know what a Kindle is. Oehlke cited a recent example where she asked a checkout clerk what she thought of the Kindle, and the clerk had never heard of it. We’re still in the early stages of this technology and change will happen slowly.
• Content can be liberated by being digitized. Audio, video and other applications can be added to the written word.
• Libraries will continue to provide services for people who either don’t have the resources to buy books and digital readers, or who choose to spend their resources differently. Libraries are constantly watching new technology with an eye toward evolving along with it.

Dennis Stovall

• Digital publishing has opened up new opportunities for edgy literature that may find it difficult to attract the attention of traditional publishing houses.
• Future devices will need to be standardized in their reading capabilities if they want to find widespread public acceptance. Digital books will need to be portable across operating systems.
• Youth often change societies, and youth today has grown up reading screens. They are comfortable with it.

The application that seems to have the most pressing need to digital readers currently is textbooks. College textbooks are incredibly expensive and unwieldly, and current editions are changed frequently. Dunn referred to it as a case of long-standing extortion and fraud. I have a daughter who is a freshman in college, and I was shocked at what she paid for books in one term. She wasn’t always able to buy used, and she won’t get much for reselling when the term is over. Plus she has a desk full of bulky, heavy books that are difficult to carry to class.

Don’t even get me started on high school textbooks. Both of my daughters are small people. My high school sophomore carries about 25 lbs. of books in her backpack every day. Medical advice says not to carry so much weight on a small frame, but when rolling backpacks are not an option, there’s not much choice. In my opinion, textbooks should be available digitally now.

To sum up, the panelists all seemed to say, “change is coming, but there’s no need to panic because it’s not coming fast. Technology will evolve, and there are many good reasons for it to do so. In the meantime, it should be an interesting process to be a part of.”

What do you think?

Laura Whitcomb’s Blog

Today Book by Book: The Complete Guide to Creating Mother-Daughter Book Clubs is featured on author Laura Whitcomb’s blog. I’m fortunate to live in the same area as Laura, and she was the first author my mother-daughter book club connected with. We invited her to our meeting where we would discuss her book, A Certain Slant of Light, and she accepted the invitation. It just blew us all away that an author was actually going to be at our meeting. Then we got nervous. Would she think we didn’t know what we were talking about when we said what we thought of her book? What if we didn’t like it? Would there be awkward silence as we thought of questions to ask her?

There was no need to worry at all. Laura joined us for dinner before the discussion, and by the time we settled down to discuss the book we had gotten over our pre-meeting jitters.We did like A Certain Slant of Light, and Laura was able to answer several questions the moms and girls had about what we had read. We also talked to her about the process of writing a book and getting it published. It was a memorable evening that we wish we could have repeated more often. Here’s an interview with Laura I scheduled after we met: http://motherdaughterbookclub.wordpress.com/2007/02/22/interview-with-laura-whitcomb/.

I recently learned that Laura has written a sequel to A Certain Slant of Light, which I can’t wait to read as soon as it’s in print. You may also be interested in checking out another book she’s published called The Fetch, which I’ve previously reviewed here.

She Writes Day of Action—Favorite Books Written by Women in 2009

Today I’m participating in the She Writes Day of Action. She Writes is a community that gives female authors a place to showcase their work, voice concerns, further their writing skills and more. This Day of Action was conceived as a response to a list that Publisher’s Weekly posted of what it considers to be the best books of 2009. Not one woman, and only one person of color, is included in the top 10. Although the list expands out to 100, and books by women obviously make that list, it seems incredible that not one book written by a woman was considered good enough for the best of the best.

I’ve had no such difficulty finding excellent books written by women this year that are great for mother-daughter book clubs. In fact, most of the books I have reviewed and recommended this year are written by women. Here’s my Top 10:

Al Capone Shines My Shoes—Gennifer Choldenko

Autumn Winifred Oliver Does Things Different—Kristin Tubb

Dear Big V—Ellen Leroe

Dear Pen Pal—Heather Vogel Frederick

Flash Burnout—L. K. Madigan

The Last Will of Moira Leahy—Therese Walsh

North of Beautiful—Justina Chen Headley

Operation Redwood—S. Terrell French

Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning—Danette Haworth

Water Steps—A. LaFaye

This doesn’t mean that men are not writing books that appeal to mothers and daughters, because they do. And in fact, my list of favorite authors for mother-daughter book clubs includes a healthy mix of both genders. I’ve always stressed to my daughters that gender shouldn’t be a consideration for competence, and that they should form opinions of others by their actions.

Even so, some days prompt a sense of solidarity with certain groups and today is the day for women writers. I’m headed to Powell’s this afternoon to drop off a few brochures about mother-daughter book clubs. I’ll just have to pick up a book written by a woman while I’m there. The difficulty will be in limiting myself to just one.

If you’d like to find out about books written by members of She Writes, click on over and peruse the images on the banner. My book, Book by Book: The Complete Guide to Creating Mother-Daughter Book Clubs is there, along with many other excellent selections.

A Mother-Daughter Book Club Conversation at A Children’s Place

Last night I had the privilege of appearing with Heather Vogel Frederick at A Children’s Place bookstore in Portland to talk about mother-daughter book clubs. Heather is the author of the novels, The Mother-Daughter Book Club, Much Ado About Anne and the recently released Dear Pen Pal.

I’ve only spoken at a couple of bookstores before now, and this was the first time appearing with another author. What a treat it was. Of course, Heather’s an old pro at speaking, since she’s been on speaking tours in different parts of the country. So she made it easy for the newbie to feel comfortable. And it helps to have a receptive audience, which we did.

We talked about some of the ways fiction and non-fiction can enhance each other. For instance, in Heather’s book Dear Pen Pal, the girls in her mother-daughter book club (who live in Concord, Massachusetts) become Pen Pals with another group in Wyoming.  What a great idea for real life book clubs! After reading Heather’s book I started a Pen Pal exchange at MotherDaughterBookClub.com that now has clubs from different parts of the country, and even one international group, making connections.

Real life mother-daughter book clubs also are increasingly making connections with the authors who write the books they read. Heather visits with clubs often, both electronically and in person when she can. Another author at the event, Rosanne Parry (Heart of a Shepherd) talked of her experience with a book club. Meeting with an author is a great way for the girls to feel truly connected with what they read.

After the reading I talked with a mom there who is considering starting a new club even though her daughter is only six. I’ve said before the ideal age—if there is one—to start a club is nine, but really if your daughter is motivated and you have friends who want to join with you, then it’s never really too early or too late to start. You may have to adjust your meetings for shorter attention spans if you start early, but it’s not too difficult to put together a format that will work.

Third Place Books in Seattle

Recently I traveled up just north of Seattle to visit Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park for a book signing. The moment I walked in I knew I was in a great bookstore (and it had nothing to do with the huge display of my books that greeted me near the entrance). Before my talk was scheduled to begin I had time to wander the aisles. I especially liked the store’s displays of all the current choices of the many book clubs registered there. I had to restrain myself from walking out with an armload of books. I was able to restrict myself to a few choices to take home.

After the book signing my mom and I had dinner just outside the stacks, next to a group of guys who were playing chess. The bookstore space incorporates food kiosks as well, so once you’ve sated yourself on books you can meander next door and grab a bite. And I can’t say enough about how welcoming Cheryl and Sarah made me feel while I was there. Thanks again to Third Place Books; next time I’m in the Seattle area I’ll be sure to stop by. Here are a few photos from the event:

Isn’t this a great display?

Signing books.

Me with Cheryl and Sarah.

Book Clubs Inspire Writing as well as Reading

Today I’m guest posting at Sage Cohen’s blog, Writing the Life Poetic. In my post I talk about how mother-daughter book clubs are inspiration for writing as well as reading. Read the post, then check out the rest of Sage’s great blog.

 

Party Celebrates Launch of Book by Book

I don’t talk about my husband much in this forum. Even though the focus is mother-daughter book clubs, he’s usually there in the background supporting what our daughters and I do in book club and cheering me on as I promote book by book. Well he absolutely outdid himself when putting together a book launch party with my dear friends Ellen and Margaret. Ellen was kind enough to offer her home for this event and invited people she thought would like to know about Book by Book. I invited old friends, neighbors, new friends, writing partners and of course, all my mother-daughter book club members.

The party was a chance for me to kick back and actually celebrate Book by Book. Most everything else around the book has been focused on writing it and now promoting it. But having an event totally focused on the fun aspect was a welcome diversion. But I was in for a surprise as well. Midway through the festivities everyone gathered around while my husband, Randy, gave a few opening comments. It was so gratifying to hear him say how important he thinks mother-daughter book clubs are and how proud he is of me for writing this guidebook. We talk about it everyday, and I think of him as my biggest cheerleader. But it wasn’t until I heard his words to everyone else in the room that I realized how much he supports what I’m doing, and I’m so grateful to have that.

The surprises weren’t over though. When everyone had said what they wanted to say, including my daughters, who talked about why book club was important to them too, Randy surprised me by bringing my mom out. I was floored! My mom lives in Louisiana, and she dropped everything to fly to Oregon and be at my party. It couldn’t have gotten any better. Needless to say I was on cloud nine for days after the event, and to some extent I still am. The launch party gave me a chance to have fun and get re-energized about mother-daughter book clubs.

Here are a few pictures from the event.

Wow! Can you believe Randy found someone who could actually get the image from the cover of my book onto a cake? It was a great tasting cake too.

Me with Christina Katz, the best writing coach in the world.

Mother-daughter book club novelist Heather Vogel Frederick was there too!

After the party. Ellen and her daughter Franny. My daughter Madeleine, my mom Catherine, me, and my daughter Catherine.

Three Great Authors to See at Once in Portland

Susan Fletcher, Pamela Smith Hill and Laura Whitcomb all together for a combined reading? That’s almost too good to be true, but sure enough I was lucky enough to be at that event last night at Annie Bloom’s bookstore in Multnomah Village. If you live in the Portland area, you should definitely mark their next joint appearance on your calendar. It’s this Saturday, October 31, 2009 at A Children’s Place, 4807 N.E. Fremont St. in Portland. (503) 284-8294.

This trio got together in honor of Halloween for a presentation entitled Dragons, Ghosts and Grails. They each read from their books: Fletcher from The Dragon Chronicles, Hill from The Last Grail Keeper and Whitcomb from A Certain Slant of Light and The Fetch. It was such a pleasure to hear each author read her words and talk about their upcoming books. They even had door prizes and Halloween candy to offer up to attendees. I was happy to get several books signed that I plan to offer as giveaways in the weeks to come. Stay tuned for more info on that.

Here’s a photo I took of the authors last night:

Authors Laura Whitcomb, Susan Fletcher and Pamela Smith Hill at Annie Bloom’s.