Totally Raddest ’80s Book Ever!

Last week, I was wasting time between appointments. I was hungry, but I hate eating at restaurants alone with nothing to do (other than eating, of course), so I popped into a pop-culture giftshop to see if they had any fun books to read while I ate.

They had a book called Just Can’t Get Enough: Toys, Games and Other Stuff from the ’80s that Rocked. I’ve always been a sucker for gimmicks and the cover of J.C.G.E. was designed to resemble a Trapper Keeper (including the Vecro flap!) so I had to get it.
I love fun books like this, but they’re often horribly written. Usually someone just comes up with an idea for a novelty book, figures they can trick some rather peculiar people into an impulse-buy (yes, I know what I just said), and they make a few bucks. But not this book! Along with great pictures, the writing is both hilarious and insightful about being a child in that most awesome of decades.

It’s nice to know we live in a world where someone can be in a business meeting, pitch “a ball with a face that’s got snot and pus pouring out of it,” and have someone respond with a resounding, “Yes!”

Almost every time I read a chapter, the authors basically summed up my experience with that toy or book.

Let’s be honest here. We all played with the game Crossbows and Catapults, but nobody actually played the game as it was meant to be played.

The book also includes many interesting tid-bits about where the products came from.

Regarding the creators of Garbage Pail Kids trading cards: While Spiegelman is best known for Maus, his critically acclaimed graphic novel about his parents’ true life experience during the Holocaust, his day job involved deciding whether Richie Retch or Luke Puke was a better name for a green-faced child vomiting up his guts.

I also learned about a game which I never played and which, apparently, none of the girls at school filled me in on. But now that I know about it, it makes me wonder how any girl made it out of the ’80s without being crushingly self-conscious (oh right, very few did).

Regarding Girl Talk: If you chose not to do a dare or answer a question, the punishment was to stick a little red zit sticker on your face and leave it there for the duration of the game. A zit sticker. On your face. As punishment. Hooray for the ’80s!

Yes, I have great memories from the ’80s. That’s where I spent my life between the ages 4 and 13 (with a few months of 14 thrown in). In fact, when I turned 23, JoanMarie threw me a surprise party with an ’80s theme. Everyone showed up downtown at Farmer’s Market all dressed up. Since it was a surprise party, I didn’t think I’d have to wear anything funny because I didn’t know about it ahead of time. But JM brought enough goodies to transform me into…Michael Jackson.

Two Insanely Cool Schools

It began when students at Shorecrest High School made the following video:



Shorecrest then threw down a challenge to nearby Shorewood High School to top them, so Shorewood created this:

(Yes, they filmed the entire thing backwards!)

This is one school rivalry I enthusiastically support!


Check out what the Shorewood clip looked like as it was being filmed by clicking here.

It Is What They Is

So? Whaddaya think of this Peanuts strip?

If you saw it in the newspaper, would you eagerly await the next installment of what happens between Linus and his blanket-hating grandma? Or would you think it was a waste of ink and paper?

Maybe you didn’t like it because you thought comic strips were supposed to make you laugh and this strip didn’t even make you chuckle. Or maybe you did chuckle, but the four panels also spoke to you on a personal level deeper than a punchline.

Maybe you’ve never liked Peanuts so you began reading this one expecting not to like it, and you were right…again. Or maybe this wasn’t your favorite Peanuts strip, but it reminded you of your childhood so you clipped it out and hung it on the fridge.

Personally, I love Peanuts. I love the way it’s drawn. I love the sometimes gentle, sometimes brutal, sometimes joyful, sometimes heartbreaking humor. I love the choice of words. I just love it!

But I also understand why some people don’t love it.

So here’s where I’m going to help some of you authors who’ve asked me for advice on how to deal with “stumbling across” negative things said about your book online. Even though many people love your book, the words of those who don’t are tearing you up inside.

After Thirteen Reasons Why came out, it took me a looooong time to get comfortable with the idea that not everyone was going to appreciate my book the way I thought it should be appreciated. One person may call it “quite possibly the best book I have ever read” and someone else may call it “a waste of my time.” One person may claim the book made her “treat people better and have more respect for myself” while someone else thinks it contains “no moral value whatsoever.” One person may say her “heart goes out” to Hannah while another person owns a heart which “could not feel any empathy towards her.”

Your part of the author/reader conversation ended the moment you turned in your edits. From then on, the only thing that will change about your story will be the people reading it. Their prejudices, their life experiences, and their understanding of the world will frame every single page they read. Every word! As they read each line of your story, that line essentially disappears from your book and moves into their head. (Scary, I know.) Your brain may have written the story, but their brain is going to interpret it based on however their brain is wired at the moment.

And there’s nothing you can do about it.

When you create a piece of art (a book, a painting, a song), not even one person will grasp exactly what you were trying to say. Art is way too personal for that. But when someone really doesn’t grasp what you were trying to say, well, that wasn’t really the person you created it for in the first place. And those people are out there. And they are going to judge your creation. You don’t have to like that fact, but you’ll be much happier if you get comfortable with it. Trust me!

Good reviews and good press are like security blankets. We shouldn’t really need those pieces of cloth to feel secure. The art is done. It is what it is. It is what everyone else thinks it is. Yes, it’s fine and wonderful to cuddle up with a security blanket sometimes. But this is a yin and yang world. The blanket-haters need to be out there, too. For some reason, taking your blanket makes them feel like they accomplished something.

But they didn’t. You did.

Discuss Amongst Yourselves (and I'll listen in)

On Thursday, I attended the monthly book discussion hosted by the Friends of Los Osos Library. In the past, they've discussed the likes of Shakespeare and Dickens. This time, they discussed...me!

For an hour-and-a-half, I listened in on some great analysis of scenes and characters from Thirteen Reasons Why. They also discussed the issue of suicide from teen versus adult perspectives. It was fun to hear their answers to questions asked by the moderator, and then get to chat about where certain ideas came from.

The moderator, Sue McGinty, is sitting closest to the camera.
She was a member of S.L.O.W. for Children,
mentioned in my acknowledgments page,
and helped critique an early draft of the beginning of my book.

If you haven't read 13RW and don't want a couple of important scenes spoiled, turn away right now!!! Better yet, go buy yourself a copy (and one for a friend), read it, then come back and read what I'm about to say.

The group was discussing the scene between Clay and Hannah in the bedroom. Was there anything Clay could have done differently, or would Hannah just keep insisting that he leave the room? If he had stayed, would Hannah still be alive?

Then one member of the discussion pointed something out. If Clay had stayed, and if the stop sign still got knocked down, Clay may not have been there when the elderly man needed help after the car crash. Maybe no one would have run to the man's house to tell his wife, who had a bad heart, that he was okay. If Clay had stayed in the bedroom, the elderly woman may have had a heart attack. So there were possibly two lives in the balance at that moment.

"Everything...affects everything."

In a book with so many what-ifs, that's definitely not one I had considered.

But from here on out, I'm telling everyone I did it on purpose!

I Can Almost Smell The Buttered Popcorn

This latest collection of fan-made trailers for Thirteen Reasons Why is one of my faves. Each trailer is very well done, but gets their vision across with very different types of video storytelling. We've got the Sims, a great mix of graphics and text, some wonderful original footage, then a mash-up of previously shot clips.









And I can't wait to see what these 13RW fans have cooked up.

One More State!

Thirteen Reasons Why recently won New Jersey's Garden State Book Award in the teen (grades 9-12) category. These state awards are my favorite because they're voted on by actual teens.

So let's tally this up. New Jersey holds 15 electoral college votes. Thirteen Reasons Why previously won teen book awards in Florida, Kansas, and Kentucky (27, 6, and 8 votes). In 2012, I'll be old enough to run for President...finally! If I can keep the teens in that state on my side just a couple more years, and since many of them will be able to cast their first votes by then, I could potentially have a chance at 56 electoral votes. Then I'd only need 214 more to win.

Thank you, New Jersey!!!

Okay, time to start preparing my campaign slogan.

We All Scream for...FREE BOOKS

The winner of Suzanne Young's The Naughty List and Lauren Oliver's Before I Fall is...

Missy Brewer

(her favorite ice cream is strawberry cheesecake)

You were chosen, thanks to the good people at random.org, to receive Advance Reader's Copies of these two books--plus a TNL postcard, bookmark, and sticker, as well as Ms. Oliver's autograph.

Congratulations, Missy!!! And don't be surprised if you find a few Thirteen Reasons Why bookmarks coming your way, too.

For the rest of you, thanks for entering. You've given me many new types of ice cream to try, and I'm sure they'll all be delicious. Except for vanilla ice cream mixed with...raw green onions???

Naughty Before I Fall

Raise your hand if you'd like to win some free books?

Wow! Okay, I didn't expect everyone to raise a hand, but that's great! I love enthusiasm.

This is a contest to win Advance Reader's Copies of two new books which have been getting a lot of buzz. The contest entry info is at the end of this post, but first, here's what you'll be winning:

Suzanne Young's The Naughty List was released last week and is the first in an extremely fun series. Not only will you receive the ARC (which is a collector's item now that the book is out), you'll also get three rare Naughty List items: a postcard, a bookmark, and a sticker. Yes, a sticker! After you read the ARC, you may still want to buy an official copy of the book so you can check out the acknowledgments page. There, you'll notice that a very recognizable name has been mentioned (at least, it's recognizable if you've ever checked out this blog).

Description of The Naughty List:

As if being a purrfect cheerleader isn’t enough responsibility! Tessa Crimson’s the sweet and spunky leader of the SOS (Society of Smitten Kittens), a cheer squad-turned-spy society dedicated to bringing dastardly boyfriends to justice, one cheater at a time. Boyfriend-busting wouldn’t be so bad . . . except that so far, every suspect on the Naughty List has been proven 100% guilty!

When Tessa’s own boyfriend shows up on the List, she turns her sleuthing skills on him. Is Aiden just as naughty as all the rest, or will Tessa’s sneaky ways end in catastrophe?

The Naughty List. Is your boyfriend on it?

Lauren Oliver's Before I Fall comes out March 2nd and is going to make my life so much easier. When people say they liked my book and are looking for a similar reading experience, I always toss out way too many ideas. Now I can just say, "If you liked Thirteen Reasons Why, you definitely have to check out Before I Fall." Your free ARC, should you win it, comes signed by Ms. Oliver!

Description of Before I Fall:

What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last.

Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

To enter this contest, simply leave your name and your favorite type of ice cream in the comments section of this post by Wednesday, February 10 at 11:59pm PST. One name will be chosen at random, so check back on Thursday to see if you've won! (If you don't like ice cream, just pretend you love Ben & Jerry's Chubby Hubby and you'll stay on my good side.)

UPDATE
***THE CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED***

I'm Still Here

Forgive me, it's been a little over a week since my last post. Do I have a good reason for such tardiness?

Of course I do!

Let's see...

Well, I did spend the weekend at a men's retreat. That was a very inspirational couple of days and accounts for about forty-eight hours of my time. I met some great people there, went on some nice hikes, and...oh!...I got to sleep on top of a bunkbed for the first time in probably 25 years!!!

I watched the two-part season premiere of Lost, so that's where another three hours went. It would've been just two hours, but they started with a one hour special to remind everyone of what occurred the previous five seasons. And since this is Lost we're talking about, the refresher was a good idea since there's always so much going on and it's easy to get...well...lost. (The title of that show works on so many levels!)

What else...what else...

I made it to the gym a few times. Had the neighbors over for dinner (finally). Did the dishes. Did some laundry. Cleaned the toilets. Wait, no, I haven't cleaned the toilets yet.

Oops.

Okay, I'm out of excuses. I should've posted something by now and I'm sorry.

But stay tuned, because there's a lot coming up!

I'll tell you about a non-literary side-project that's all finished and ready to rock! I'll hold a contest to give away some great reading material. And if I get around to cleaning the toilets, I will probably just keep it to myself.

All About Me...at 9 1/2

While cleaning out my writing room today, I came across a Creative Writing assignment...from 1985!


For this fourth grade assignment, Mrs. Pryor assigned each letter a word, and then we wrote something about ourselves based on each word.


I obviously had a crush on her.


I still hate going to bed. In fact, I think I'll stay up and post this at 10:30pm...on a weeknight!


In a few years, he's going to love loud & screeching rock & roll noise.


Notice that the apostrophe is right above the S. I still do that!


Just yesterday, I was looking at the bright green hills and thick clouds, wishing I could fly around them.


And now, I'm posting an assignment from that year on my blog.

9 1/2 year old me: "What in the world is a blog???"

Two Happy Clips (totally unrelated)

Earlier this week, as I hope you all know, the ALA gave out its book awards. I woke up at 4am to hear the winners announced live and was very pleased by the selections. As far as the books I'd never heard about (which always happens with these things), I am now happy to know about them!

I didn't post anything on my blog following the announcements because I didn't feel there was anything I could add to the conversation...and I was just too dang busy reading what everyone else had to say!

But today I found this clip, and I wanted to share it with any of you who haven't seen it. I was just so moved by how happy (and maybe slightly dazed by the whirlwind) Rebecca Stead and Jerry Pinkney looked during their Today Show visit. This was taped just one day after they received The Big News. Be prepared to share in their joy!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

And now, just because this trailer for an upcoming movie has my still hyperactive inner '80s-child flipping out, I present to you...

THE A-TEAM

King o' The Road

Today I finished reading the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly. Later in the day, while reading The New York Times, something odd caught my eye...

As mentioned in a previous post, I absolutely love Stephen King’s EW column, “The Pop of King”. His latest column is called Decoding Movie Blurbs. He translates what it really means when an ad claims a movie is “Delightfully funny!” or “Fun for the whole family!”

Uncle Stevie also offers this translation:

“One of the best films of the year!” This is the Mother of All Blurbs, most commonly sighted on TV and in newspapers around awards season. TRANSLATION: “It’s not.”

Got it!

But now check out this ad from The New York Times:

(Yes, it is awards season.)

Several times, I have purchased c.d.s, read books, and seen movies based on Mr. King’s recommendations. And he’s been right every time!

But now...which Uncle Stevie do I believe?

Worth 3,000 Words...At Least!

Eventually, a paperback edition of Thirteen Reasons Why will come out. One day. At least, that's what I'm told. I just don't know when. But when it does, it'll include a brand new author photo!

Now, I love my previous author photo. It has served me well. But I don't have hairs on my chinny-chin-chin anymore (there are also a few less on my scalpy-scalp-scalp), and I don't want to be one of those authors who makes an appearance and you immediately see everyone turn to the author photo in their book. You know they're thinking, "When was this photo taken?"

Several months ago, I went down to the UCLA campus with my friend, Rita Crayon Huang. Rita is a photographer as well as an up-and-coming children's book star, which is why I thought it'd be cool to ask her to take my photos. So we wandered around the campus looking for nice settings with good lighting. Apparently, it's all about the lighting! We took hundreds of pics and I chose three that I liked, each to be used for various functions.

The first photo below will appear in black-and-white, taking up the entire inside of the back cover in the paperback...when there is a paperback. The other photos will be used for interviews and to promote author appearances.

So? Whatcha think?






Thanks for the great photos, Rita! I am very proud to have them out there representing me.

And for any of you California authors or illustrators looking to have some photos taken, definitely contact Rita. She comes highly recommended.

UniBro

This is way too awesome to not tell you about.

Last week, my bro-in-law was in New Zealand attending Unicon XV -- the Unicycle World Championships and Convention. Corbin is now the unicycle marathon world champion!

Congratulations, Corbin!!!

He was much more than a little green slab of clay

Gumby!
He was once a little green slab of clay.
Gumby!
You should see what Gumby can do today.
Gumby!
He can walk into any book, with his pony pal Pokey, too.
If you've got a heart then Gumby's a part of you.

In case you haven't heard, Art Clokey died Friday morning. Mr. Clokey created Gumby, one of my favorite childhood cartoons. His animation style had such an influence on me, I wanted to be a claymation animator for a while. In fact, for a seventh grade art project, I created a short claymation cartoon featuring a magician who pulled a rabbit out of his hat then turned the wand on himself to make himself disappear. One day I'll digitize that film and show it you. (Yes, I used old school 8mm film, which you edited by splicing the film apart and then taping it back together. Very awesome!)

Several years ago, I had the chance to meet Mr. Clokey in person because he was a friend of a friend. I was so nervous -- starstruck! -- that I couldn't find the courage to ask for a photo.

But I did bring my Gumby for him to sign.


My signed Gumby is a permanent fixture on my writing desk, leaning against the foreign editions of Thirteen Reasons Why, with his arm around the topper of my wedding cake.

Who Will be Tangled Everafter?

The winner of Carolyn Mackler's Tangled, Amy Huntley's The Everafter, and a signed copy of Thirteen Reasons Why is...

Amanda Hewer

You were chosen, thanks to the good people at random.org, to receive these three books. Congratulations, Amanda!!! (I sent a message to your MySpace account to get some shipping info from you.)

For the rest of you almost-winners, there will be more giveaways in the near future. Now go buy yourselves a copy of those Mackler and Huntley books immediately!

Tangled Everafter

Here’s all you’ve gotta do: Leave your name in the comments section by 11:59pm on Friday night. One name will be chosen at random to win three free books, so check back on Saturday to see if the chosen name is yours.

Yes, it’s that easy!

So which three books are you hoping to win? One is an autographed copy of Thirteen Reasons Why (I’ve got connections). The other books, Tangled and The Everafter, weren’t written by me, but I loved reading them both and would love to share those reading experiences with you. In fact, I enjoyed the books so much that their jackets contain miniature fan letters written by me (otherwise known as blurbs).

The first book, The Everafter, was written by debut author Amy Huntley. I first cracked open this book on a cross-country flight and was instantly intrigued by the concept. But I felt there was no way the originality of the premise would hold up through an entire novel. I was totally wrong! It’s a very creative and satisfying book and I stayed on the plane a few minutes after it landed and everyone else got off just so I could finish it.

Jacketflap copy for Amy Huntley’s The Everafter:

Madison Stanton doesn’t know where she is or how she got there. But she does know this—she is dead. And alone, in a vast, dark space. The only company she has in this place are luminescent objects that turn out to be all the things Maddy lost while she was alive. And soon she discovers that with these artifacts, she can re-experience—and sometimes even change—moments from her life.

Her first kiss.

A trip to Disney World.

Her sister’s wedding.

A disastrous sleepover.

In reliving these moments, Maddy learns illuminating and sometimes frightening truths about her life—and death.

This is a haunting and ultimately hopeful novel about the beauty of even the most insignificant moments—and the strength of true love even beyond death.

I began reading Tangled, by Printz-honor winning Carolyn Mackler, while aboard a plane, as well. But that flight was a shorter one and they wouldn’t let me stay in my seat after we landed to keep reading, so when I got to my hotel I immediately ordered room service and stayed up until I finished the book. Ms. Mackler is the Queen of Characters. I would read one of her books simply to fall in love with the people she writes about, and the four stories tangled together in her latest book are just as real and captivating as the characters who inhabit them.

Jacketflap copy for Carolyn Mackler’s Tangled:

Paradise wasn’t supposed to suck.

Not the state of being, but a resort in the Caribbean.

Jena, Dakota, Skye, and Owen are all there for different reasons, but at Paradise their lives become tangled together in ways none of them can predict. Paradise will change them all.

It will change Jena, whose first brush with romance takes her that much closer to having a life, and not just reading about those infinitely cooler and more exciting.

It will change Dakota, who needs the devastating truth about his past to make him realize that he doesn’t have to be a jerk just because people think he’s one.

It will change Skye, a heartbreakingly beautiful actress, who must come to terms with the fact that for once she has to stop playing a role or face the consequences.

And it will change Owen, who has never risked anything before and who will take the leap from his online life to a real one all because of a girl he met at Paradise….

From confused to confident and back again, one thing’s certain: Four months after it all begins, none of them will ever be the same.

Free books! Free books! Free books!


(Notice: Don't worry if your comment doesn't appear right away, it will go up. I just have to approve it manually. That's why a couple of the people who've already left comments thought they were the first. When they left their comments, I hadn't approved any yet. Oops!)

The Book Drop

Since mid-November, my writing room has been stuffed with presents, wrapping paper, luggage, and furniture (temporarily stored here to accommodate a tree in the living room). But all of that stuff is finally gone!

So why does it still look so messy in here?

As many people have told me, "It's the books!"

On my desk, I've got my inspirational writing books, like Stephen King's On Writing and Ray Bradbury's Zen in the Art of Writing, as well as the foreign editions of Thirteen Reasons Why. On a stand to the right of my desk are my Harry Potters. On a shelf beside the stand are a whole bunch of advance reader copies for upcoming teen novels (a few of which are going to be huge hits).

On the floor to the left are our yearbooks. Beside the yearbooks is a bookcase with five shelves packed tight with autographed children's books. It's hard to pull out one book without a few more falling to the floor. The top shelf has pop-up and picture books. The next two shelves are hardcover novels, followed by two shelves of paperbacks.

The bookcase on the opposite wall has eight shelves. Four shelves contain unsigned children's books, and the rest hold various adult fiction and non-fiction titles.

And then there's the closet. Inside, two shelves hold books two layers deep.

And then there are the scattered piles in front of the bookcases, near the desk, and beside the guest bed. Those piles are made up of books I've read parts of and plan to get back to, just bought and haven't had time to crack open, or need to return to the library. I'm pretty sure it's the piles on the floor that are causing the problem, but I simply have nowhere to put them!

So...

I've decided it's time to do something drastic. It's time to get rid of some of them. I'll donate some to the library, some to the homeless shelter, and take some to a used book store. Getting rid of books is something I've never done before.

What if I suddenly find time to read The Historian?

What if I want to read All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten again?

What if someone comes over who's never read Growing Up Brady?

But it's time. Yes, it's time. It's time! (Sorry, sometimes I have to say it over and over because I start to rationalize why I need to keep every single one.)

It'll probably take me the rest of the month to slowly weed through the books. I'm guessing thirty minutes a day is all I'll be able to handle emotionally. How do you tell a book that it's wisdom will never be needed again...ever!

So wish me luck.

Oh! I almost forgot to tell you about the six boxes of books my mom and dad were storing in their attic. Yep, I'm going through those, too.

Welcome to Whatever-you-call-it!

We just got home from ringing in the new year at Yosemite National Park. The big question at the New Years bash regarded how to pronounce the brand spankin' new calendar year.

Two-thousand ten?

Twenty ten?

What are you calling it?

JoanMarie and I honeymooned at Yosemite seven years ago, and we'd always wanted to go back during the winter. Of course, that meant putting chains on the tires of our car, which is something I wasn't totally excited about since I'd never done it and it's kind of an important task that you want to do correctly. The second tire was a lot easier than the first.


If you've ever been to Yosemite, you know how breathtaking that first view is when you come out of the tunnel. If you've never been, this photo does not do it justice. Please do yourself a favor and check it out in person!


The snow covering the ground and accenting the trees and valley walls was absolutely beautiful and magical. That's El Capitan, the world's largest granite monolith, behind the trees.


The view in the summer is just as inspiring, and you can't climb Half Dome in the winter (which is something we did on our honeymoon).


I almost bought a hat featuring Half Dome from the gift shop, but my self-conscious side wouldn't let me open my wallet. See, if your hairline is receding and you own a Half Dome hat, it just seems like you're begging for someone to crack a joke.

Anyway...

Bridalveil Fall is the first waterfall we came to, and I used that stop to fill up my canteen.


JoanMarie decided to drink straight from the source.


Any guesses what this spot, where JoanMarie is taking a timeout for some yoga, is called?


Answer: Mirror Lake. Betcha can guess why!

After a timeout to just admire the beauty, then it's appropriate to have an all out snowball fight...but be sure your camera's waterproof first.


I have no idea why, but neither of us got the hang of cross-country skiing. Going uphill, for some odd reason, is easier than going down. Were we doing something wrong?


At least I never fell while ice skating. And skating outdoors at Yosemite, I'm sure, has ruined all other outdoor skating sessions for me. Especially when the full moon lights up the gigantic rock walls all around.


The main reason we went to Yosemite this particular week was to welcome the new year. The big gala took place two floors below our room at the Ahwahnee Hotel, which is almost as impressive as the God-created architecture around it.

Almost.


But before I show you the photos of our costumes...I mean, our formal wear...does anyone know how to use soap like this? It's a lot more difficult than I assume the designer intended. It almost makes as much sense as cross-country skiing.


And here we are, heading into dinner, feeling like we finally got to go to prom together.


One moment which made me feel like a total rock star was when, upon giving my name to the photographer, the woman behind me asked, "Are you Jay Asher the author?"

JoanMarie thought it was just as cool as I did!

Then we ate. We danced. We ate. Then we danced. And then we did all of that a few more times.


When midnight came, confetti rained down, and an ice sculpture was illuminated outside.


And just to be a rebel, I've decided to call this year Two-hundred-one zero.

Ringing in 2010 as a Penguin

As the clock counts down to the end of what's been an exciting and crazy year, I'll be with JoanMarie in Yosemite National Park. We wanted to attend their New Year's Eve celebration last year, but tickets sold out extremely fast. So this year, the very day they went on sale in March, I woke up early and got 'em!

So that's where I'll be at the beginning of 2010, wearing a tuxedo for only the second time in my life. The first was at my senior prom almost 17 years ago...


I'll see you in 2010 with more posts about whatever I feel like postin' at the time, more contests (including a giveaway of two very special books during the first week of the new year), and hopefully something really exciting will happen so I can uncross my fingers and tell you all about it!

Thank you all for making 2009 a year which I'll never forget.

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

(Just in case your Christmas card got lost in the mail!)

Fun With Christmas Decorations

Ordinary:


Extraordinary:

Michelle Does Well

A few weeks after JoanMarie and I married, we moved to Wyoming for six months so she could complete a college internship. Although I didn't know it at the time, if not for that move, I probably never would have written Thirteen Reasons Why.

While there, I worked part-time as a bookseller at an indie bookstore and part-time as an assistant children's librarian. Because of that library job, I first began reading teen novels. It was on my way to that job that I first came up with the idea for my own teen novel. Of course, it was also at that job that I led my very first children's storytime...and only one child showed up. Reading a story to one child is fine, but leading one child in movement-oriented songs is extremely embarrassing, especially when the mom is watching and you know she can tell you have no idea what you're doing.

But anyway...

I just found out that Michelle Havenga, the head children's librarian (and my boss), recently won the Wyoming Library Association's 2009 Distinguished Service Award!

Yay, Michelle!!!

William “Bill” Woollen

JoanMarie’s stepfather, my stepfather-in-law, passed away early this week. We’re in Mount Shasta right now, along with JoanMarie’s youngest sister, staying with their mother. The other two sisters were in town a couple of days ago.

Bill was born in 1922. He served in the U.S. Combat Infantry 103rd Division in World War II and was a prisoner of war survivor. He worked as a drafter and a church pastor, which is where he met DonnaJo, the church organist (JoanMarie’s mom). I always loved that the church pastor married the organist!

I will always remember Bill as a great storyteller and, over the past several days, have enjoyed recalling many of my conversations with him.

God bless, Bill.

(For your consideration this holiday season, here’s a link to Bill’s favorite charity: ChildFund International)


Other notable events from 1922:

• The Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution passed, giving women the right to vote.
• King Tutankhamen’s tomb was discovered.
• Reader’s Digest debuted.
  
• A man in Minnesota became the first person to ski on water.
• Judy Garland was born.
• Nosferatu the Vampire was released.
• The first Newbery Award was given to The Story of Mankind. Honor books: The Great Quest, Cedric the Forester, The Old Tobacco Shop: A True Account of What Befell a Little Boy in Search of Adventure, The Golden Fleece and The Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles, The Windy Hill

Extra butter on the popcorn, please

Original shots, borrowed clips, great music...and anime!











Psst! Hey, Hollywood. Are ya payin' attention?

"Thank You, Cleveland!"

For my final book-related outing of the year, Cleveland was a great note to end on. Sure, it was bone-chilling outside. Sure, I should've listened to JoanMarie and packed warmer clothes. But it was still a wonderful visit!

The first school I spoke at was Brush High School. Two other schools sent students to hear my presentation, and another six watched live through a distance learning program. So how many total students was I speaking to? I have no idea!


A lot of people ask if I ever get writer's cramp from signing books. Well, I don't believe in writer's cramp! Signing books is just way too much fun to let hand muscles get in the way. It's mind over matter, baby.

Then I spoke at Independence High School. They welcomed me with shiny red glitter, which is my absolute favorite color of glitter. (I lied. I don't really have a favorite color of glitter. But red glitter does look nice!)


Okay, has anyone heard of Front Row Joe? The girls in the front row at IHS kept insisting they were Front Row Joes, to which I could only say, "That's really nice." But apparently F.R. Joe is the feline mascot for Cinemark Theaters and he sits in the front row at their theaters. (I know. What???)


For dinner, I had a great meal with three students from both schools, along with their school librarians, at The Bistro. That's the restaurant inside Joseph-Beth Booksellers, and it is yummy! (In fact, I had three meals there the past couple of days. All delicious!)


Finally, to end my first trip to Ohio, I had a booksigning at the bookstore.

Oh...

I also got to see the house from A Christmas Story!!!


And yes, they had a leg lamp in the window.


Thank you, Sharon, for getting me to all of my events on time...and indulging my cheesy tourist requests.

"Hello, Cleveland!"

I will try my absolute hardest not to shout the title of this post at the beginning of my presentations on Friday. (In case you're scratching your head, "Hello, Cleveland!" is one of many classic lines from the movie Spinal Tap.)

This will be my first trip to Ohio, and also my final book event of the year. After speaking at two high schools during the day, I'll sign books at Joseph-Beth Booksellers at 7pm. If you're around, please stop by!

But first, if there's time after my flight arrives on Thursday, I'm hoping to swing by the A Christmas Story house. I actually saw A Christmas Story this Tuesday night at the Fremont theater. (You may know that theater as the inspiration for the Crestmont theater in my book.) The older I get, I swear, the funnier that movie gets!

Speaking of Christmas houses...

I'm reading a non-fiction book right now by Hank Stuever called Tinsel: A Search for America's Christmas Present. One of the families Mr. Stuever follows for three Christmases in Frisco, Texas is the Trykoski family. Every holiday season, they set up an insane light display on their house and in their yard. When people drive by, they tune their radios to a certain station, and the lights put on a show to the music.

Check it out:

Where's the Messiah?

JoanMarie was raised on classical music. I was raised on classic rock. So she was excited to hear about a fundraising holiday concert which would include selections from Handel's Messiah (especially since that was something she performed in college).

The performance was set to take place in the partially restored Mission San Miguel.


Below is a photo "borrowed" from the Mission's website, and by the time we got to the place, almost all of the pews were filled. The musicians and choir were at the front of the church and it looked like it would be a beautiful performance. I was actually shocked to see so many people almost busting down the adobe walls of this minus-2000 population town.


The staff was very kind, setting up folding chairs to accommodate as many people as possible. Unfortunately, seven of us wouldn't fit. But they took pity on us and said that if we wanted to sit in a room off to the side, we would still hear the musicians, we just wouldn't be able to see them.

“Sure,” we said.

‘A room off to the side’ turned out to be ‘a room down the hall where we could kind of hear the concert through a tiny amplifier.’ (That's the amplifier beneath the table.)


A good attitude can make almost anything entertaining. But listening to a bunch of musicians and a choir filtered through one microphone and a small amplifier gets a little hard to listen to after a while.



So we left Mission San Miguel, stopped by Boo Boo Records, and picked up a version of Handel's Messiah as performed by The Philadelphia Orchestra and The Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

I must admit, that Handel was a talented guy!


Quick Tip o' the Day: If you're ever on your way to see Handel's Messiah and make a quick stop in a store along the way, and if the clerk asks if you've got any plans for the day, the correct answer is, “We're going to see Handel's Messiah.” If you simply say, “We're going to see the Messiah,” the clerk will probably give you a weird look, stop talking to you, and give the impression that she can't wait for you to get out of the store.

'Tis Better to Give...

Check out this article at ScienCentral.com: Joy of Giving

If you don't feel like reading the whole article, it's basically about a bunch of scientists who discovered that "donating to charities lit up the brain's reward circuits even more than receiving cash."

Sounds good to me. Count me in!

JoanMarie and I already have a few organizations we give to throughout the year. But because so many great charities are suffering this year, we're looking to donate to a few more...and that's where we'd like your help.

In the comments section, tell us about a charity you think should be remembered this season and include its website so everyone else can check it out. We'll pick at least one from your list to further light up the reward circuits in our brains.

As well, I'll link to your charities in the sidebar of my blog so anyone stopping by will have the same opportunities to light up their brains, too!

What the Dickens?

On Wednesday, I came across an article in the New York Times which I'm so excited to share with you!

Each holiday season, The Morgan Library and Museum in Manhattan displays the original handwritten manuscript of A Christmas Carol (in a sealed glass case, of course) for public viewing. Only one page can be seen each year, but it's fascinating to see the edits Mr. Dickens made on the page. For example, when Scrooge sees Marley's ghost, he tries to dismiss the apparition as brought about by something he ate. At some point during the writing of this classic, Dickens changed a "spot of mustard" to a "blot of mustard", I'm sure because it sounds a tad grosser.

I love that!

You can check out a few high-res pages of the manuscript by clicking here.

Enjoy!