What's Up Wednesday

I found this awesome weekly meme, created by Jaime Morrow, called What's Up Wednesday that is specifically geared towards readers and writers. It's a great way to let you know what I'm up to this week and then, hopefully, you will do the same. The four headings in this meme are:

• What I'm Reading
• What I'm Writing
• What Else I've Been Up To
• What Inspires Me Right Now

If you have a blog of your own and you wish to participate, then head on over to this week's post on Jaime's blog to add your link to the widget in her post! Here's my update:

What I'm Reading

I'm all over the place on this one, so bear with me.

AUDIOBOOKS

 

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Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, read by Wil Wheaton. This book has been long recommended to me as "nerd canon" type of reading. However, it was very important to those who recommended it that I listen to it being read by Wil Wheaton, one of the great nerd gods. I downloaded it from the library, started listening this morning and I am a little disappointed that I had to stop it because my husband need quiet homework time.

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Gregor and the Curse of The Warmbloods by Suzanne Collins, read by Paul Boehmer. I wasn't planning on downloading this. I already had Ready PLayer One to move on to, but when I finished Gregor and the Prophecy of the Bane (Book 2 of The Underland Chronicles), I was ready for more. The Underland has been the place I have been going every night for about a month now before I go to sleep. I will NOT be happy when I am done with this series.

GRAPHIC NOVELS

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The Poor Bastard by Joe Matt. The Picturebooks Anonymous Club meeting at Comic Book Jones is this Monday and I NEED to finish this book before I get there. It's a quick read, but with this depressing protagonist I am dragging my feet.

BOOKS

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An Abundance of Katherines by John Green. It is crazy I haven't bought this book. I probably will when I finish it. For now, it is my "in-store read" every time I go to Barnes and Noble and I'm not writing. Sometimes, in fact, I go up to B&N for the sole purpose of finding out what is going on with Colin. I love this book. John Green is my hero.

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Multicultural Teaching by Tiedt and Tiedt. This is one of my husband's grad school books. For anyone interested in teaching literacy in a multicultural way, this book is an invaluable resource - it has page after page of books to share with your students, lesson plans and cool activities. Next chapter I'm reading is on Art History!

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The Fantastic Family Whipple by Matthew Ward. This is another BEA book. It is an ARC of a middle grades book that is coming out in August. It's a really fun premise of a family that constant breaks world records and the one kid in the family who doesn't fit in.

31 Days To Build A Better Blog by Darren Rowse. As part of the StoryDam.com relaunch in August, I will be bringing the 31DBBB challenge to the StoryDam community. This challenge is part challenge, part book club surrounding Darren Rowse's book. I am rereading it to refresh myself and get ready for the introduction.

What I'm Writing

Dear 302, a YA novel It's still CampNaNoWriMo, and even though I abandoned ship for awhile, I'm back on board and I am rewriting/editing Dear 302, the first novel I ever completed. I have finished seven chapters at over 11,000 words, so  hopefully I will make it to my 50K goal by the end of the week (miracle?).

My husband has made me vow that I be brave enough to just go ahead and do something with this once I am done with it. So that's happening. Time for me to put some big girl pants on and finish up and move forward! As soon as I am done with this post, I am diving right in again.

Trifecta I've been looking for weekly memes and hops to join in on to keep Rivera Runs Through It more active during the summer. One that I found that really intrigues me is Trifecta - a weekly writing prompt based on a word and one of its definitions. The writing is short (from 33 to 333 word limit), so I am going to participate. This week's word is "charm," as in charming an animal like a snake charmer does. Check out tomorrow's post to see how I did!

What Else I've Been Up To

Limping My back has been in a lot of pain this week, so mobility is sucky. I am actually propped up against my large heating pad while writing this.

Bike Reading This is where I go on my stationary bike and reading while I cycle. This is an incredibly important activity to do each day just to get my muscles unwound and at least partially mobile.

Writing outside my house. I have been basically living at the Barnes & Noble up the block from me. The baristas know my husband and I and they were actually shocked when we left the other night before closing. I am feeling a little bit of withdrawal since we didn't go yesterday (I was super symptom-y) and I am not sure we will make there today!

Reading "Poets & Writers" at the park while eating really bad stuff. The purple minion says it all. I was being crazy. I was being bad. But, in the end, I was having fun. It was an afternoon picnic with my husband while we watched the duck and turtles in the pond and read about writers. (I read about Neil Gaiman while my husband read about Joe Hill in Writer's Digest.

Prepping for The StoryDam Celebration As alluded to above, I am at least one part of the relaunch effort taking place next month. I'm doing everything I can during my good days, so that when the bad one comes in the middle of the relaunch (this is bound to happen, I am sure of it), I will not be leaving the rest of the team in the lurch.

Snapshots Birthday Bash I am still promoting my two posts from yesterday about the awesome YA LGBT scifi novel, Snapshots by Patricia Lynne. For some reason there are no entries in my giveaway which makes me sad, so I am trying to tell more people about it! Here's the Book Review and Author interview (Patricia Lynne is awesome) for you to learn about the book. But, if you just want to try to win it, the widget is at the end of this post!

Working Towards a Masters Degree in Literacy Education I joke. My husband is actually doing this, but since I have been helping him each weekend, I feel like I am back in grad school again. The sad part is that I am loving it. I love learning. I love talking about teaching and I find everything about it, but my husband's stress levels, to be so much fun!

What Inspires Me Right Now

The Online Community In preparing for the StoryDam relaunch, I have been exploring the online world again and it is just wonderful. The memes, writing prompts and celebrations have been very inspiring to me. Also, the CampNaNoWri community is second to none. I feel extremely guilty that my health didn't allow me to keep up this month, but I am extremely proud of the work my cabinmates have been doing.

My writing group This Saturday is my next writing group meeting. Hopefully I won't have to cancel like I did last time. Every time I leave a meeting, I come out completely recharged and ready to WRITE. I love it. I look forward to it and I am mad that August's first meeting lands on my anniversary.

What's going on in your week?

What are you reading?

What are you writing?

What's inspiring you?

____________________

Snapshots Giveaway!

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7 Big Take Aways From BEA Bloggers Conference 2013

I spent my entire day in the Jacob Javits Center for the BEA Bloggers Conference. I learned so much, met a bunch of super cool people and even brought home a nice stack of new reads. All that came from today can not be expressed in one post, but I thought I would do a quick, off the top of my head list of big take aways from the day. (I promise to expand upon these in the future!)

• "What are you reading?" is an important question that people have stopped asking each other for some reason. We should change that.
• It is important to develop relationships with our local book sellers and libraries.
• Love of books can be spread beyond your blog by getting involved in your community.
• Clear and conspicuous disclosure statements need to be written whenever on book reviews of books that are received for free. One disclosure statement in a sidebar of a blog will not suffice.
• The Vine APP is cool and I need to start using it.
• Triberr is another social media outlet to put on my "you need to check this out" list.

and, my personal favorite life lesson:

•  I SHOULD ALWAYS CARRY AN EXTRA PEN WITH ME. (I was seriously the most embarrassing writer on the face of this planet: my pen ran out of ink and I had NO REPLACEMENT!)

That's all for now. I have to get to bed to get ready for day two of my adventure. For your entertainment until my next post, don't forget to check into the BEA LIVESTREAM to see what's happening right now!

BookExpo America 2013 Livestream

The time has come. The big book party is here and just in case you can't make it out to the Jacob Javits Center on one or any of the days, we'll bring it to you. Watch the BEA Livestream to see the big author events and book reveals as they happen!

Wednesday (May 29, 2013) is just the BEA Bloggers Convention, so there won't be any new live materials until Thursday, but while you wait for that, check out the preloaded videos BEA has posted to get you ready for the main event!

I promise, if I see any of the cameras recording while I am there, I'll be sure to wave.

Free Reads from BEA

Last year was the first year I registered to attend the BookExpo America (BEA) held here in New York City at the Jacob Javits Center. It was the first time I was able to attend all of the panels and events held there and I must say that some of the most exciting information poured out of the "Book Buzz" panels.

What Is Book Buzz?

For the uninitiated, the Book Buzz events are panels where you get to hear about the most exciting books that will be making their way to bookstores this year. One of my favorite Book Buzz books from last year from the YA Book Buzz panel was Skinny by Donna Conner. There are numerous Book Buzz panels because they are separated by genres and also by those delivering their favorites (ie. Librarians' Book Buzz).  For those who can attend BEA, once you get out of a Book Buzz panel you essentially make it your life's mission to gather up as many of the Buzz-ed about books from the Exhibition floor so you can sink your teeth into them right away! But Thursday, BEA released a special surprise so we don't have to wait until the end of the month for our teasers.

Download Book Buzz 2013 for FREE!

BEA announced the digital release of Book Buzz 2013 Thursday morning on their Facebook page. What does this mean? Well, right now YOU can download a book full of exclusive excerpts from over 25 of this years biggest books to come (for readers outside of the US, it includes 11 of the titles)! The book is available for the Kindle, the Nook, Apple devices, Sony and Kobo. Here is the link to get you started: FREE Book Buzz 2013. I downloaded mine to my nook this morning and I am already excited by some of the author names I recognize (Michael Pollan, Joe Hill, Sarah Dessen) and by the debut authors I have yet to discover!

Come To BEA

After you've read the excerpts and got yourself really excited for all of the new titles heading to your bookshelves, why not come on down to the biggest book party New York has to offer? If you are going to be in the New York area on June 1st, BEA opens its doors to the public with what they call the Power Reader ticket. Here's what BEA has to say about the offer:

With a Power Reader ticket to BEA 2013, available for only $49, you will…

• Discover new and upcoming books before they hit the stands
• See and meet the hottest authors
• Talk to publishers about favorite books
• Mix and mingle with other book lovers and share your passion for reading
• Get autographs and advanced reads of unique books (quantities limited)
• Get tons of giveaways from exhibitors
• Enjoy a day in New York City!

And if you can get a group of 3 or more to join you, BEA is offering a special discount for you if you register before May 17th:

Grab your book-loving friends and head over to BEA as Power Readers. The more friends you invite, the bigger the savings! Bring your book club or just make it a girls day out in New York City!
Receive the following discounts on your group of at least 3 or more: 10% OFF groups of 3 or more, 15% OFF groups of 5 or more, and 20% OFF groups of 10 or more.
Group discounts will expire on May 17. Don’t miss out on these great savings—Order your tickets today! To purchase your discounted group tickets, please contact Diana Press at dpress@reedexpo.com.

I highly recommend this event to all book lovers and, to my writer friends out there, I shouldn't have to tell you why you should be there: books are your business!

So, if you have the date available, and you can afford the admission, let me know when you'll be there. I plan to be there for the entire event providing my Rivera Runs Through It readers with all of the latest Buzz and news straight from the floor!

 Thanks for reading!

Do you have a favorite local book event you like to attend?

Do you enjoy reading the "buzzed about" books each year, or do you prefer making your own discoveries?

  For those who have been to BEA before, what tips to you having for maximizing one's enjoyment of the event?

Book Spine Poetry

Book lovers, I know you adore seeing all your books on your shelves. I know you love looking at those book spines reminding you of your flights of fiction and fantasy. But how do you arrange them?
                          Alphabetically?
                                                      In size order?
                                                                               Organized by "read" and "not read"?

Take them down and let's get creative!

It's time for some book spine poetry! I first heard about this on Twitter from the fabulously creative Tui Snider (@mentalmosaic). Ever since, I've been meaning to drag my own books off the shelf and have some fun with it. Today I finally did.

What is Book Spine Poetry?

While I think the name is self explanatory, I don't like to make assumptions. Book spine poetry is the art of piling up your books one on top of another, with all of their spines facing the same way, creating a poem of sorts using the titles. Take a picture of your poem and you are done! Check out the 2012 Book Spine Poem Gallery from 100 Scope Notes for some fun examples.And then, here is mine:

Imagine

Stress Pandemic

Falling Kingdoms

The End Of Men

The Last Policeman

The Last Man

In Disguise

Endangered

Cursed

Performance Art

And, finally, I wanted to read my poem to you. I hope you enjoy my dramatic delivery:

What do you think?

Have you created any book spine poetry?

Is there another arrangement of these books that you think could be just as poetic?

Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!

10 Books That Made Me Think

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. There's a new book-related top ten list every single week and it is a great way to get to know other book-loving bloggers! Everyone is welcome to join in the weekly linky party, even if you can't think of TEN for a certain Tuesday (just think of as many as you can!), just make sure you link back to The Broke and the Bookish if you do!

This week's topic is:
TEN BOOKS THAT MAKE YOU THINK

 

In between my flights of fancy into fictional realms I often seek out non-fiction books with the intent to make me think deeply, so there are many books which yield this result. However, this does not mean that only nonfiction reads have such an effect. All books make me think! This list is limited to the first ten that popped into my head - either fiction or non - perhaps if I wrote this list on another day I would have a completely different list.

 

1. Hiroshima by John Hershy I challenge anyone to read this book and not be left in a place of deep thought and reflection upon their place in the world and what humanity is capable of. It is a short book and quick read, but it's impact is as great as the horrible weapon it charges us with remembering.

 

2. Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer Long before I was writing here on Rivera Runs Through It, I had a blog called Searching for Sustenance which focused all on the food movement and making the right food choices for a healthy body, environment and society. Reading this book led to many blog posts and reflection upon whether or not I should eat meat at all. It inspired me to take on the challenge of Meatless Mondays among other longer lasting changes in my home. Here's a post I wrote right after finishing the book, just to give you an idea of the things it got me thinking about: Maybe Mom Was Right.

3. Animals Make Us Human by Temple Grandin If you are unfamiliar with the amazing Temple Grandin, then I highly recommend you take some time to learn about this fantastic role model. Her understanding of animals and how to provide them with stress-free living is just a piece of that which makes people sit up and notice her. The other notable fact is that Temple, in all of her brilliance, is a very successful woman on the autism spectrum. She is fascinating. This book is fascinating. If you are animal lover, this is must-read. If you know anyone on the autism spectrum, then you need to learn about Temple Grandin.

4. Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser I blame this book for my obsession with the food industry. Many people have watched the movie that is associated with this book, which shares the same message, but I felt the true impact when I read this book first. The book caused me to question everything in our global society and what kind of impact my country is actually having on the world around us.

5. Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer and After the Bomb by Gloria D. Miklowitz Each of these books caused me to question my own ability to survive after a lifestyle of convenience is somehow ripped from my grasp. I read After the Bomb when I was probably around ten years old and the Cold War was still going strong. The book was the first ever that made me think about how I got my food, water and all the basic things I needed to live my day to day life. Throughout my life I have have always thought it was one of the most important reads of my life as it led me to not take these things for granted in a way nothing else ever did. When I found the Life As We Knew It series more recently, I was happy to see that there was a more current book delivering this same kind of message to kids today. Rather than having the basics ripped away as a result of war, Pfeffer's series brings to light a threat that is more relevant in these days: natural disaster.

    

6. Magician's Nephew and The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis I enjoyed the entire Narnia series and could not ignore the religious messages embedded throughout, but the first and last books in the series made me think the most. In book one Lewis presents the creation of the universe and in the last we see his interpretation of the Rapture and end of that world. As a catholic myself, it was interesting to see what part of this story I felt uneasy with as they presented to me in this format.

7. Little Brother by Cory Doctorow In this post 9/11 novel I found myself questioning my own feelings about privacy, security and terrorism. In my review of Little Brother on this blog I noted that I was lucky I found this book at the right time. Had I read this book any earlier, I believe I would have been offended by its message and tale. Therefore, this book made me think on many levels - not just about the content within, but also about how fear affected me and perception of the world around me.

8. Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli This book was a brilliant read. It is one of my favorite graphic novels because of its ability to use the media so well in telling its story. Asterios is an interesting, sad character that spends the entire book looking at the duality of life and assessing what is ultimately most important to him.

9. All of my books on the craft of writing. In my current life as a writer and wannabe published author, it probably goes without saying that any book I read about the craft of writing is going to lead to some pretty deep thought on my part. Whether I am reflecting on my own process, my current WIP or my future, whenever I get my hands on a book about the craft of writing it is going to be a serious read.

10. The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien My husband actually reminded me about this one. I'm not sure which part of the book it is in specifically, but there is one point in The Lord if the Rings where Gandalf makes a statement calling in to question the idea of the death penalty. Of course, he was not speaking politically, but, instead, reminding a fellow character that death as a punishment was not their responsibility to dole out. At the time I had counted myself as a supporter of the death penalty, but for some reason Gandalf's words, more than any political argument had shown me all I needed to reconsider my stance. 

YOUR TURN!

Which books are on your list? Are they non-fiction, or did you have a character show you the light of your reality within the binds of their fictional universe?

10 Bookish Confessions

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. There's a new book-related top ten list every single week and it is a great way to get to know other book-loving bloggers! Everyone is welcome to join in the weekly linky party, even if you can't think of TEN for a certain Tuesday (just think of as many as you can!), just make sure you link back to The Broke and the Bookish if you do!

This week's topic is:

TEN BOOKISH CONFESSIONS

Are these secrets? Some of them, for sure. Others are just me being me and those who are close to me would expect nothing else. Either way, I have not professed them all in such a public fashion as this week's list implores me to do so. So, before I even get started I'm going to ask you for forgiveness just in case anything that follows offends your bookish sensibilities. 

1. I currently owe the library just under $30 and three books! Who knows what the heck happened there. I have the NYPL iPhone app which allows me to renew my books from home, but I kept missing the date. Also, why haven't I finished reading The Maze Runner yet, anyway?! On Saturday, I decided I should just sit down, read it cover to cover and head back over to my library on Sunday. I'd been telling myself this ALL summer, but when I saw that I had to confess this week I gav myself the Sunday deadline. I didn't make it. I'm up to Chapter 21 in The Maze Runner and I had to return it! I think, by the end of this week, I'll probably break down and go take it out AGAIN!

2. I'm an "in-store" reader. I live down the block from a Barnes & Noble bookstore. Ever since the store opened my friends and family have come to know that if I am missing chances are you'll find me there. Due to this fact there are many books which I have read, cover to cover, while sitting in the store. I will hang out, read, take note of what page I'm on, and then pick it up on my next visit. Yes... it is like stealing, but very often I end up buying the book before I'm finished with it anyway. So far, I think I have only managed to complete an in-store read twice.

3. I like to write in my books. It was sophomore year of high school. I had purchased The Lord of the Flies to read in class and we had tons of notes to take on the story when it occurred to me: Why do I keep the notes in a separate notebook? Wouldn't it be easier to reference RIGHT HERE in my book? Well, that was it - I started taking notes in the book and LOVED the completed product. Not only was William Golding's entire tale held between the covers, but so was all that I had learned about it's symbolism, characterization, themes and author! I don't do this all of the time, but when I see a book as a learning experience I write ALL OVER IT. These days that happens in particular in books on the craft of writing like On Writing by Stephen King, Bird by Bird by Anne Lamont and The Memoir Project by Marion Roach Smith.

4. I prefer audiobooks to music. I don't know when this started exactly - probably when I first came home from the hospital after my diagnosis with Intracranial Hypertension. Audiobooks serve two purposes: they sweep me away to magnificent other worlds while calming me and resting my eyes. I am a super-fan of audiobooks when I am in the middle of doing chores I really want nothing to do with (ie. chances are if I am folding laundry, I am listening to a story!).

5. I just started re-reading. I have always been of the belief that there are far too many books in the universe for me to spend time re-read one that I have already experienced. However, I have spent a lifetime re-watching television shows and movies just for the sheer enjoyment - why didn't I understand that I deserved this same enjoyment in my reading life? I don't know why it took me so long to realize, but now that I have, I've been having a great time!

6. I love assigned reading. I enjoyed almost every single novel that was ever assigned to me to read in school. Therefore, after graduating high school and being freed from the lifestyle of assigned reading, I found myself at a loss for awhile as to what I should read next. It is for this reason that I find myself obsessed with reading lists of all kinds: from magazines, blogs and school. I collect these lists and perceive them as my own type of assigned reading. 

7. I loved the experience of reading the Twilight series. While the paranormal romance is not one of my favorite series that I ever read, the experience of reading the Twilight books is one that I look back on with nostalgia and hope to recapture again soon. I was teaching and noticed many students reading this book with an apple on the cover. I was excited they were reading at all and became curious myself. Then, a bunch of teachers decided to read the book all together. As I read the books and carried them with me, strangers would approach me discussing their own experience with the reading. It was something I had not experienced since reading Harry Potter and I thought it was magnificent: people were unified around reading! This is why I will always have fond memories of reading the entire Twilight series before the films came out.

8. I feel guilty when I don't want to read a book. Intellectually I know this is ridiculous. I have different tastes than others, different preferences and I should not have to read every book that is ever discussed in the public domain. However, I often feel guilty when I have no desire to read a book that is gaining popularity. This is, I believe, due to the joy I find in reading books with large groups of people (see #7 on this list), but I shouldn't have to convince myself to spend time reading a book I'm not interested in just to engage in literary conversations. Currently, I am having this issue with Fifty Shades of Grey, a book I have NO interest in reading that confuses my family because they are all enjoying it and I'm the one who "reads everything."

9. I'm a Disney kid. I grew up with Jimeny Cricket, Pinnocchio, Dumbo, Bambi and Cinderella in all of their animated glory. As the years passed I gobbled up more and more animated films from Disney Studios and never once questioned their interpretations. I know these stories as they were shown to me; it is only now, as an adult, that I am beginning to wonder how my worldview would have been affected had these stories been initially read to me. I have not read any of the Disney animated stories in the original form (except Winnie the Pooh and a bit of Alice In Wonderland). This is something I wish to rectify and perhaps will turn into a Rivera Runs Through It blog challenge now that I am thinking about it!

10. I judge books by their covers. I can't help myself, however, particularly when I am strolling around my Barnes and Noble, I get an impression when I see the cover of a book. Over the years I have stumbled upon some pretty awesome reads before they became super-popular just based on my own impression of their covers! Some examples I can remember are:  Life of Pi, The Lovely Bones, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in Night-Time. In each case, I saw the book, grabbed it and sat in a big comfy chair to start reading right away. I did not read the back cover, I just sat down and started reading page one (attempted "in-store" reads that were all purchased the day they were found) and couldn't stop!


That's it. Ten confessions from this book-chick. What about you? Are you ready to confess? Do you share some of my own weaknesses?! Share below in the comments!