Twin Cities Book Festival

Twin Cities Book Festival

Saturday, Oct 15th was the annual Twin Cities Book Festival organized by Rain Taxi Review of Books. I went with a plan of action and my main goal was to meet and listen to A.S. King, who happens to be one of my favorite authors. Throughout the day I made a lot of author connections and added a bunch of titles to my TBR pile.

Here is an accounting of my day at the Twin Cities Book Fest.

10 am;  Arrival.  Filled out my contest form, got my schedule of events.

10:15 to 11:  Meet and mingle with Minnesota Authors.  I talked to Krista Tippett, Kelly Barnhill, Allen Eskins, Peter Geye, John Coy, Wing Young Huie and Su Smallen.  It was a busy and crowded space. It was nice to mingle and talk with these awesome Minnesota authors.

11 to 11:30:  Shop for books.  Went and bought books from several of the bookstores.  I bought 7 brand new graphic novels for 3-5 dollars each. A huge deal I couldn't pass up. Then I found 4 brand new children's books from 2-4 dollars each for my godson and nephews.  Then I bought two fiction books for my daughter and I to read. After I did this my bag was heavy so I had to walk a few blocks back to my car and drop them off.

Here is the list of titles.

Fiction:
Rooms by Lauren Oliver
13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl by Mona Awad

Children's Books:
Peck, Peck, Peck by Lucy Cousins
I Love Hockey board book
Good Dog Carl and the Baby Elephant by Alexandra Day
Old MacDonald had a Truck by Steve Goetz

Graphic novels and Manga:
The Inflatable Woman by Rachel Ball
Red. A Haida Manga by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas
Ghetto Brothers. Warrior to Peacemaker by Julian Voloj
Tonoharu. Part One by Lars Martinson
Time Killers. Short story collection by Kazue Kato
Gangsta by Kohske
Tokyo Ghost. The Atomic Garden by Rick Remender

11:45- 12:15:  Walked back to the festival and ran into my friend Pamela. She said I had to see the Midwestern Panel with Mary Mack, Stephanie Wilbur Ash and Geoff Herbach.  Each author read from their latest work. It was hilarious and the whole audience was laughing.

12:15:  I ran into my friend and fellow book blogger Linda White and her son.  Linda blogs at BookManiaLife.  We visited and then I was off to buy 3 new books and to get through all the displays on floor in an hour. This was super ambitious of me since there was over 100 exhibitors.

I bought a copy of The Association of Small Bombs by Karen Majajan, from Magers and Quinn and Then I bought a copy of Still Life with Tornados by A.S. King and Glory O'Brien's History of the Future from The Red Balloon bookstore.  Now I had to wait for their presentations and then I could get in line to meet them.

1:10-1:20:  I met Beth Dooley at the Milkweed Press booth and asked her to be my featured author for November.  I got a review copy of her book: In Winter's Garden.  Growing Roots and Breaking Bread in the Northern Heartland.

Then I ran into one of my favorite spoken word poets, Guante and he was there with his new book of poems, lyrics and essays and squee, I was super excited to meet him.  I am going to feature him on my blog in April, 2017.  His new book is called A Love Song, A Death Rattle, A Battle Cry.  You need to check this book out!!

At 1:30 I went to The Personal and Political author Panel.  This was a great panel, with National Book Award Finalist, Karan Majajan, and Lidija Dimkovska and Derek Palacio.  This panel was excellent. Each author read from their books and answered questions about the political nature of their books.  I was really impressed and learned a lot from Lidija Dimkovska who lives in Slovenia and is Macedonian. Her novel, A Spare Life chronicles conjoined twins who are separated as Yugoslavia goes through their bloody and difficult separation. I definitely want to read her book.  Derek and Karan were awesome too, talking about Cuba and India and the problems these countries are currently facing.

At 2:30 I got in line to meet and get Karan Mahajan to sign my book and to talk to Lidija and Derek.  I wanted a picture with all of them but the table didn't really make this possible so I left without a pic.

2:40:  I saw Mary Casanova at the University of Minnesota Press and talked to her about featuring her on my blog.  I have been wanting to read her books for a long time.  She gave me a review copy of her newest title, Ice Out. Looks super good.  Hoping to review the book in November/December.

2:50- I went in to the Teen area to wait for A.S. King and I pretty much thought it would be standing room only because the whole world should know how awesome her books are and want to meet her right?  Dang, I was wrong and this made me kinda sad but I took a front row seat next to a woman named Jolene Wilson whom I would later learn is a book blogger. She drove over 3 hours to get to the Twin Cities Book Festival and blogs at https://jolenewilsonblog.wordpress.com/

3pm.  The Books for Thought Author Panel

This panel was lead by Shannon Gibney, author of the MN Book Award for her novel, See No Color.  Lara Avery (The Memory Book), Kathleen Glasgow (Girl in Pieces) and A.S. King (Still Life with Tornado) were all present on the panel.  I think this was the best author panel I have ever seen.  All of these woman authors are amazing and I wish it would have been standing room only because many of the points they made about young women and the problems that we are facing as a society were profound.  They discussed the lack of diversity in publishing, in author panels, the anxiety and sexism girls face on a daily basis, and so much more.  I decided I need to read all of their books.  I'm planning to feature Shannon Gibney on my blog in May and Kathleen'Glasgow's Girl in Pieces in June.  You all need to read a least one of the authors on this panel.  I'm serious.

4 pm:  I got my picture taken with A.S. King and all my books signed. Talked to all the authors and lined them up to be featured on my blog.

4:15pm  Decided it was time to go home. I had a horrible headache and was exhausted and hungry and my book bag was heavy with awesome books.  Lucky for me I ran into my friend Pamela Klinger-Horn who works the Festival and is a prolific reader.  She gave me a bag of books to take home for me or my high school students to read.  There were 5 books in the bag.

The Memory Book by Lara Avery  (Yes!)
The Heavens May Fall by Allen Eskens (another Yes!)
Children of the World by Alexander Weinstein.  (signed copy of short stories)
An ARC of History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund
Luck, Love & Lemon Pie by Amy E. Reichert

Oh my gosh, I had a great, wonderful, busy day.  Thank you Rain Taxi.
Can't wait for next year.

My First Book of the Year 2016

My First Book of the Year 2016

Happy New Year Everyone!!

I have been wanting to read Big Magic since it was released this Fall.  I listened to Elizabeth Gilbert's podcast called Magic Lessons and adored it and since I got this book for Christmas from my mom and my husband (yes I got two copies), I figured I should dive into Big Magic.  Plus I love the title and I hope I experience some Big Magic in 2016.

My first Big Magic creative living announcement is that one of my poems is going to be published through The Fem, an online literary magazine.  I'm so excited.

I'm ready to start living a creative life.

Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:

Readers of all ages and walks of life have drawn inspiration and empowerment from Elizabeth Gilbert’s books for years. Now this beloved author digs deep into her own generative process to share her wisdom and unique perspective about creativity. With profound empathy and radiant generosity, she offers potent insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear. She discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives. Balancing between soulful spirituality and cheerful pragmatism, Gilbert encourages us to uncover the “strange jewels” that are hidden within each of us. Whether we are looking to write a book, make art, find new ways to address challenges in our work,  embark on a dream long deferred, or simply infuse our everyday lives with more mindfulness and passion, Big Magic cracks open a world of wonder and joy.

Sheila over at BookJouney is holding an event regarding the first book of the year.  She has created a book collage and a linky for everyone to hop around and see who is reading what. Visit her at www.bookjourney.net 

What is the first book you are reading this year?

Twin Cities Book Festival 2015

Twin Cities Book Festival 2015

The Twin Cities Book Festival took place on Saturday, Oct 17th at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds.  It was a beautiful sunny, albeit a bit chilly, Fall day.  I was so happy to be there.  This year was full of so many great authors, panels and activities. I couldn't really fit everything in I wanted to do. I really wish there was two versions of me on occasions like this.

I started my day by meeting my friend Pamela and receiving four books to read and share.  The one that intrigues me the most is Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica.

Then I made my way to the Rain Taxi table and bought a large stack of Literary Magazine back issues for $1.00 each.  These I will use for research to determine what Lit Mags would be most likely to publish my poems and stories.  And I can also use them in the classroom.  This stack will keep me busy all year.

Then I went to listen to the Novels of the Midwest Author Panel where Lin Enger, Lauren Fox and Faith Sullivan answered questions from a moderator.  Enger and Fox are authors I have not read before.  Faith Sullivan is a favorite and I have read most of her novels.  I took home copies of Good Night, Mr. Wodehouse by Faith Sullivan and The Great Divide by Lin Enger.  I'm excited to read Enger.  I have read and loved his brother, Leif Enger's books and am thinking great authors must run in their family.

Next I walked around the booths and visited with exhibitors on the floor.  There were a lot of independent authors there and it was great to see the vast diversity of titles and topics.  I counted something like 43 authors selling their books.  I met author, John B. Goodman on Opening Night when I sat down at his table to eat dinner.  He gifted me with a review copy of both of his books, The Road to Self and Moments Matter, Everyday Inspiration from a Soulful CEO.

I entered contests, and talked with exhibitors from Literary magazines, like the Water Stone Review and Conduit and North American Review.

Next I went and listened to 4 authors/poets read their work.
Jabari Asim read from his book, Only the Strong.  This talk was amazing.

Then 3 poets read from their newest books.  Brian Henry
read from Static and Snow, Jennifer L. Knox read from her book, Days of Shame and Failure and Rachel Moritz read from her new poetry collection, Borrowed Wave.  I love, love, love poetry and it was nice to listen to some wonderful poetry.

At 1pm three lovely authors were signing books and meeting fans and I definitely one of their biggest fans.  Nicole Helget is the author of Stillwater, Ava Finch whose new book, Fishing with Rayanne, comes out in two weeks and Young Adult author, Katie Pierson whose new book is '89 Walls.  Katie made me answer some 80's trivia and I won a can of Tab.

Then my husband and son met me for lunch and we raced off to hear Craig Thompson speak about his graphic novels.  His newest book is Space Dumplins and I ended up standing in line for a SUPER long time waiting to get my copy signed for my teens.  So I missed the Crime author panel and Nina Revoyr (although I still bought a copy of her book, Lost Canyon and had her sign it)  When I was talking to Nina Revoyr, I noticed Craig was actually drawing in everyone's books.  Very cool.  No wonder the line was moving sooooo slow.  I guess it was worth it and it made my kids happy.

The last author I met was Pamela Carter Joern.  Her newest book is called, In Reach.  I have read one of her older titles, The Floor in the Sky.  It was excellent and I really wanted to meet her.  By this time is was 4:30 or so and the book festival was done around 5pm.  So I sat down and ate a delicious  coconut macaroon and read for a little bit.  

Thanks to Rain Taxi and all the wonderful authors and book people I met.  I have enough to read, until next year.  Happy 20 year Anniversary Rain Taxi.  Thanks for another great Book Festival.
See you next year.

Twin Cities Book Festival Opening Night 2015

Twin Cities Book Festival Opening Night 2015

Every year I eagerly anticipate the Twin Cities Book Festival and this year is no exception.  I decided to attend the opening night festivities on Friday night, Oct 16th, 2015 and celebrate Rain Taxi's 20th year.  So I bought a ticket, got semi-dressed up or as dressed up as you can be when your going to be in a building with no heat and you need to stay warm, and went all by myself to the fairgrounds.  I have to say I was a little nervous attending the event by myself but I met some other ladies who also went solo (Gail and Lacey) and had a blast.

The food was great, the wine was great and the company was awesome.  I met some new authors and got to talk with one of my favorite authors Faith Sullivan (she wrote The Cape Ann).  Craig Thompson was there (although I didn't get to talk to him) and many others.

The author of the evening was Laila Lalami.  Laila's newest book, The Moor's Account was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.  She talked in length about why she wrote the novel about the first black explorer of America, Mustafa al-Zamori, called Estebanico, who was a slave of a Spanish conquistador.  The story she told was absolutely fascinating.
I cannot wait to read The Moor's Account. Oh how I love historical fiction.  I thought she would talk for about 30 minutes and then after Laila signed my book and as I was leaving the building I noticed how late it was.  She talked for over an hour to the rapt audience.

I had an awesome Opening Night at the Best Book Festival in town.  Thanks Rain Taxi for 20 great years.  Keep up the good work!

Time for Summer Reading-What to Read Next

Time for Summer Reading and What to Read Next

The Last day of school is tomorrow and then I have to work on Monday to finish grades, clean my classroom and interview for a new Social Studies teacher. Then it is time for summer reading.  OMG, I cannot wait.

On May 9th, I presented a list of what to read next at the YA Lit conference in Minnesota.  I wasn't sure what to expect but there were over 100 people there for my 45 minute session.  I wanted to post my list right away on BooksSnob but I have been busy with the end of the school year and a trip to Berlin.  So now I am going to publish my list of what to read next.  Finally.

The first book I talked about was How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon.  This is the best YA book I have read so far this year and I believe it will make my top ten reads of 2015.  So good.

I haven't read all the books on this list but many I have.  The ones I haven't read are getting rave reviews.



Here is a list of all the titles I handed out after my book talk session that is contained in the Google slide presentation.

2014 - 2015 Young Adult Titles (some adult titles thrown in)

*How it Went Down by Kekla Magoon
X. A Novel by Ilyasah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon
*Eden West by Pete Hautman
*The Inventor’s Secret by Andrea Cremer
*Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
*The Tusk That Did the Damage by Tamia James
Ms. Marvel, No Normal by Alphona Wilson
Lumberjanes Vol 1 by Noelle Stephenson and Grace Ellis
Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee
Mosquitoland. A Novel by David Arnold
Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
None of the Above by I.W. Gregario
The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski
The Alex Crow by Andrew Smith
Read Between the Lines by Jo Knowles
Love is the Drug by Alaya Dawn Johnson
Ghettoside. A True story of Murder in America by Jill Leovy
I will Always Write Back.  How One Letter Changed Two Lives by Caitlin Alifirenka & Martin
Ganda
*The Martian by Andy Weir
*The 5Th Wave by Rick Yancey
The Last Leaving Falling by Sarah Benwell
Ink and Ashes by Valynne E. Maetani
Audacity by Melanie Crowder
The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough
Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed
The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma
Hold Tight, Don’t Let go. A novel of Haiti by Laura Rose Wagner
We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach

*Books I have read and recommend.

Which books have you read?
What books do you recommend for summer reading?

The Best License Plate Ever.

                                                The Best License Plate Ever!

I just returned from a week long vacation in Arizona with my family.  We went to a Spring Training game, played in the pool and went on a road trip to the Grand Canyon passing through Sedona, the historic Route 66 and the Navajo Rez.

It was an amazing trip minus the horrible allergies I had to the Juniper or the Palo Verde.  Arizona is beautiful and I want to return someday and tour the Southern half of the state.

I saw this car at the Grand Canyon at Lipan Point. (I am including several picture from this Point) This spot was my favorite stop along Desert Drive near the East Entrance.  Of course I had to take a picture because it is the best license plate ever!

The Grand Canyon is indescribable.  The natural beauty is amazing and cannot be captured on camera.  My wish is that everyone can make the journey there someday.

Where did you go for Spring Break?  Where did you travel in your armchair?

Happy Easter.

National Readathon Day is January 24th, 2015

                    National Readathon Day is January 24th, 2015

Tomorrow is the first National Readathon Day!

The plan is to get the whole Nation reading from Noon to 4 pm.

I'm so excited to have four hours of uninterrupted reading time on a Saturday afternoon.  I never read on a Saturday afternoon.  So this is a welcome pleasure.

Have you decided what you are going to read?

I am reading The Life We Bury by Allen Eskins

Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:

College student Joe Talbert has the modest goal of completing a writing assignment for an English class. His task is to interview a stranger and write a brief biography of the person. With deadlines looming, Joe heads to a nearby nursing home to find a willing subject. There he meets Carl Iverson, and soon nothing in Joe's life is ever the same.

Iverson is a dying Vietnam veteran--and a convicted murderer. With only a few months to live, he has been medically paroled to a nursing home, after spending thirty years in prison for the crimes of rape and murder.

As Joe writes about Carl's life, especially Carl's valor in Vietnam, he cannot reconcile the heroism of the soldier with the despicable acts of the convict. Joe, along with his skeptical female neighbor, throws himself into uncovering the truth, but he is hamstrung in his efforts by having to deal with his dangerously dysfunctional mother, the guilt of leaving his autistic brother vulnerable, and a haunting childhood memory. 

Thread by thread, Joe unravels the tapestry of Carl’s conviction. But as he and Lila dig deeper into the circumstances of the crime, the stakes grow higher. Will Joe discover the truth before it’s too late to escape the fallout?

So tell me, what you are going to read?

Twin Cities Book Festival 2014

Twin Cities Book Festival 2014

Saturday was the annual Book Festival here in the Twin Cities, sponsored by Rain Taxi.  Every year the event gets better and better.  This year was the best so far in the 5 years I have attended.

I arrived at the State Fairgrounds at 10:10.  I had just a little bit of time to walk around and check out the vendors before I went to see Ann Hood and Laird Hunt speak about their new books.

Laird Hunt spoke first about his novel Neverhome.  It took him 15 years to write this story about a woman who fights in the Civil War.  He was inspired by this book by Sarah Wakeman; An Uncommon Soldier: The Civil War Letters of Sarah Rosetta Wakeman, Alias Pvt. Lyons Wakeman, 153rd Regiment, New York State Volunteers, 1862-1864

Then Ann Hood spoke about her book, The Italian Wife and growing up in a
large Italian-American family with an outhouse in the backyard and the only coal stove in her neighborhood.  She grew up with hardly any books in the house but her family was rich with stories.  It took Ann 15 years to write her novel The Italian Wife.

Next I ran, literally hurried over to the author hub to meet Allen Eskens because I am super excited to read his new book The Life We Bury.  I signed him up to be an author "featured"on Booksnob next year!

Next I met up with my reading and bookish friend, Pamela, and she gave me two recently released books that look spectacular.  One is by Garth Stein, author of The Art of Racing in the Rain (my daughter's favorite book) called A Sudden Light.  It is a ghost story and I LOVE ghost stories.

The other book Pamela gave me is The Accidental Highwayman by Ben Tripp.  This is the first I have heard of this book but it looks like it will be a fun and entertaining read.

For the next hour, I walked the floor and visited with authors and publishers and picked up a few more books.  I met Matt Rasmussen, author of an award winning book of poetry called Black Aperture and got a copy of his book to review.

I also picked up a advanced copy of Bloodrealms by Aurora Whittet and a copy of Festival of Crime, Nineteen Tales of Murder and Suspense by Twin Cities Sisters in Crime by Nodin Press.

Then I went to the Teen Tent where I heard authors Stephanie Perkins and Morgan Matson speak.  It was standing room only.  The authors were personable and talked about all kinds of teen related things.  I bought a copy of Perkins book, Anna and the French Kiss and waited in line 45 minutes for her to sign it for my daughter!  By this time my foot (formerly broken foot) was in major pain from standing too long.

I really, really, really wanted to hear Andrea Cremer and Marie Lu speak but I couldn't stand anymore.  So I missed this event in the Teen Tent but I did spend a few minutes talking with Andrea Cremer.  She's awesome.

At 2:45, I literally ran back to the author hub to meet Nancy Horan, author of Loving Frank and Under the Wide and Starry Sky.  I quickly snapped this awesome picture of her and then I was off to sit down and listen to some more author presentations.

Stephan Eirik Clark, author of Sweetness #9, and Julie Schumacher, author of Dear Committee Members, spoke together.  They had us laughing out loud as they read parts of their books.  Both of their books are getting rave reviews.

Next up, were two graphic novelists and comic artists, Anders Nilsen and Zak Sally.  They had a great presentation on their latest project called Conversation Gardening.  Really interesting talk.  I love graphic novels and can't wait to read some of their work.

I ended my day with my friend Barbara, at 4:30 at the author hub, talking to Benjamin Percy, author of Red Moon.

Phew!  Busy, Wonderful, Fun, Amazing day talking to awesome authors!
Thanks Rain Taxi!

Magers and Quinn Present Emily St. John Mandel and Heather A. Slomski

Magers and Quinn Present Emily St. John Mandel and Heather A. Slomski

I attended my first literary event in three months yesterday at Magers and Quinn in Minneapolis.  I broke my foot in May and was physically limited all summer but now I'm getting my strength back and heading out to meet authors and attend literary events around town.  Yes.

Last night at Magers and Quinn, I ran into author and friend, Peter Geye, who wrote, Safe from the Sea and The Lighthouse Road. Both books are awesome, by the way.  Peter Geye introduced both authors last night.

First up was Heather A. Slomski, whose new book of short stories, The Lovers Set Down Their Spoons was the winner of the 2014 Iowa Short Fiction Award.  Heather is from Minnesota and attended graduate school with Peter Geye.  I plan to feature Heather on BookSnob later this year.  I'm looking forward to reading this collection of stories.

Next Peter Geye introduced Emily St. John Mandel.  Her book Station Eleven is getting tons of praise and is the talk of the book world lately.  I was one of 3 people in the audience who has NOT read the book yet.  Everyone there was gushing about it.  Peter was an early reader and editor of Station Eleven.  Emily read from her book and there was a short Q & A with both authors.  Fun Fact:  Emily used to be a professional dancer.

It was great to hang out with friend Pamela and browse the bookshelves.  My other option would have been the Ed Sheeran concert at the Target center.  Emily, Heather, Peter and Magers and Quinn rock my world and I made the right choice.  Although I think it would have been totally cool if they broke out in a dance and sang a tune.

In the picture.  Heather is on the left, Emily is on the right and I'm the lucky reader in the middle.  Their books are on the table.

Add these books to your reading list.
Seriously.

Outlander Fans, Get Ready!

Outlander Fans, Get Ready!

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Audio Book
33 hours and 8 minutes
Narrated by Davina Porter

Outlander is set to be a new series on Starz and the first episode airs on Saturday!!

Are you as excited as I am for this series?  I recently listened to Outlander on audio during my long commute home and it was a fun book to listen to.  Porter has an excellent Scottish accent and she makes me feel as if I'm sitting in Scotland at Castle Leoch.  Loved this listen so much I bought the next two books in the series, there are 8 to be exact, and then I discovered it was being made into a TV series.  Yes!

If you have never heard of the Outlander series, I would describe it in this way;  It is similar to Game of Thrones but Game of Thrones for women.  OK guys will like it too but women will adore it.  It is a time traveling, man mesmerizing, female empowering, kick ass story.  It is about a WWII nurse named Claire Randall who inadvertently time travels back in Scotland during the time of the Clan wars against the British Crown in the year of our Lord 1743.  She lands in the hands of Black Jack Randall and is rescued by Clan McKenzie and is trying to survive in this cruel world.

This book series and TV show is multi-genred and includes within its many talents, romance, history, science fiction, fantasy and adventure and so much more.  It's epic! Hang on for one wild ride.

My suggestion is to read the books and/or watch the series!!
Here is the link to watch the first episode on Starz for free
http://www.starz.com/originals/outlander

Here is the trailer:



Let me know if you are planning to watch the series.  I am super excited about it.