Friday Links: Thoughtful Posts, Stupid Posts, and Posts I Just Don't Agree With

Happy Friday all!

Start with the good:  Ever called a book trashy?  Well, what makes a book trashy?  Do you read trashy books or do you apply the term only to genres that you don't read?  Persephone Reads has a great post about the use of the word Trashy.

The Stupid:  No need to edit when you write young adult novels, folks!  This was just an oddly insulting post to young adult writers from a young adult writer.  Guess whose books I won't be reading?

Posts I just don't agree with:  An independent bookstore in Seattle is refusing to host an author or carry books from an author who is using Amazon's publishing services because Amazon pulls away from his business and is not a friend to the independent bookseller.  I find the most maddening part of the post to be the line:  "Neither of us will change our minds. I'm the owner of the Bailey Brothers Building and Loan. You are working for Mr. Potter. And Mr. Potter is always buying."  Don't do that.  Don't cast yourself as good and the other person as evil and refuse to allow that there is any grey in the situation.

I'm not saying that Amazon is all good and light.  Far from it.  However, I think Amazon does a lot of things right.  It does things that make me want to buy more books than I previously did.  It makes it possible for me to buy more books than I previously did by offering up books I can't find in bookstores.  Refusing to stock books they publish is simply spiting your own customers.  Are your customers going to look at the spine of the book and see Amazon and think to themselves, "What is this Amazon thing?  Maybe I should check it out!"  No.  More likely they'll think to themselves, "I want that book that my local bookstore is not selling, well, I'll buy it at Amazon."

Friday Links: Birthday Parties

You probably are not aware, but two different people (the most important people) in my life had birthdays this week.  While one of them was too old to have a themed party (perhaps) and the other wanted a fireman themed party (with a dose of soccer), I got to thinking of book themed parties this week. 

Some of my favorite are this baby shower party with a book theme, the idea for a girl's party based on Madeline, and the best, a Mad Hatter tea party.  Have you ever thrown a book themed party?  If so, which book and how did you go about it?  Books for young boys seem to be a bit sparser than those aimed at girls, so what books would be best for them?

Friday Links: Joined a Read A Long

Well, I decided to do it.  I've been working a this blog pretty steadily over the last month.  I've read a lot, created a Twitter account, reviewed a lot, and it's been during the busiest time of the year for me.  So, I joined a read-a-long.  Specifically, the Read-A-Myth Challenge.  I'm starting at the wimpiest level of Athena which means I need to read two books which are either retellings of myths or non-fiction works on mythology.

I mean, I've already read The Goddess Test and I'm pondering my thoughts on that one and I should have a review for it up within the month.  That means all I need to do is read one other book about myths and post a review on it in the next six months.  Considering mythology is one of my favorite subjects (c'mon, you all read encyclopedia articles about mythological figures too, happily cross referencing until every encyclopedia was open around you, right?!) I think I should be able to handle this challenge.

Abandoned is probably going to be the next one I attempt since I don't know when The Goddess Test's sequel is coming out.  Unless I should give Percy Jackson another go.  Any suggestions?!

Friday Links: I WANTS!

Truth time -- I love childhood classics. I'm obsessed with them. I reread them when I'm a little sad, or a little happy, or when it's a special occasion. I used to read Little Women, Heidi, and Swiss Family Robinson annually. The sad part of this is the classics my mom bought me were clunky, ugly, hefty things.

But... what if my mother had bought me some of these?




Anthropologie is selling super sweet little canvas bound copies of the classics. They only have six, but at least three are regular reads still in my life.

What do you do once you have the sweetest classics ever? Put a bookplate on them so everyone knows they are yours and if they attempt to keep them while they are on loan, you'll attack. But, wait! Don't get an ugly bookplate to go with your super cute book. Get a cute bookplate from Sarah Jane Studios.



If you love to write as well as read, you might want to pick up one of her pretty little journals too.

Happy Friday!

Friday Links: For The Children

I appreciate it when bloggers post links to articles and interesting finds on Friday because so many other bloggers just don't post on Fridays. I think I'm going to be following that format, such that when I do have links, I'll mention them on Fridays! Since this is an inaugural post for such a Friday, let's start it off small.

Many people I know who have read The Giving Tree tell me it is a hideous book. In this, a mom tries to convince her daughter of this fact with little success. This is great for the punchline at the end!

Want your child to read comics, but have no idea where to start? Put Down the Book has their girl review her favorites! I think my favorite part of it is the child's plaintive complaint, "Dad, this is like homework!"