young adult

Friday Links: October Goodies Suitable for Fall

Nephele Tempest

Apologies to the Southern Hemisphere, but it’s autumn now here in the northern half, no matter the temperature. It’s in the 90s here today, but I’m ignoring that. Pumpkins and maple flavoring exploded all over Trader Joe’s in the last few weeks, people have pulled out sweaters; it’s fall. This means I can add fall reads to my TBR, and I plan to enable you to do the same.

What sort of books do you gravitate toward at this time of year? Halloween-y choices are obvious. Witches, vampires, ghosts. But I love a big fat novel that might carry my into winter, and I miss having the time to indulge. Academic settings also push my buttons; it’s the back-to-school vibe. I want books set at universities to go with a pile of new notebooks and pens.

I can’t swear all the book recs in this week’s links have autumn leanings, but there are a ton of them to sort through. I hope you find something to inspire and entertain you. Per usual, there are some random other links included. Enjoy, and have a wonderful weekend!

This week’s links:

Fall Books 2021. – The New York Times has a list of lists to make your fall TBR overflow, including fiction, nonfiction, memoir, books for younger readers, and so on. Be sure to check it out.

The Coolest Literary Tattoos on the Internet. – A fun peek at the art bookish folks have been putting on their bodies.

Buckle Up, Me Hearties: Best YA Pirate Stories. – I love a good pirate tale, and this list offers up a bunch of them.

It’s Time to Put Down the Beach Read and Pick Up a Crunchy Autumnal Novel. – A look at what makes a great autumn read, with a particular eye toward SFF.

7 Indian Women Writers You Should Be Reading. – For anyone looking to read more diversely or do a bit of armchair traveling, some wonderful authors to check out.

Yiyun Li on Starting a Virtual Book Club During the Pandemic. – Some of you might recall the read-along of War and Peace early on in the pandemic. This interview with the author who kicked it off gives an inside look at why she started the project and what it meant to her during such a period of isolation.

This Year’s MacArthur ‘Genius Grants’ Were Just Announced–Here’s the Full Winners List. – I’m always interested to see who makes this list each year, not just for the writers but for the overall creativity it displays.

Friday Links: The Public Face of Writing

Nephele Tempest

Happy Friday! It’s been a very busy week around here and it promises to continue right through the weekend. I’ve got back-to-back writers’ events, serving on the faculty for the Los Angeles SCBWI Writer’s Day tomorrow, and then speaking to LARA, the local chapter of RWA, on Sunday. Sunday afternoon I plan to curl up with some client manuscripts, so it’s safe to say my weekend has a theme. Though given that we’re setting the clocks an hour ahead this weekend (Spring forward!), there might end up being some nap time in there, too.

Have you got your weekend all mapped out or are you going to take it easy and wing it? Whatever your plans, I hope some reading/writing figures into them. Time keeps galloping along, so think about your goals and try to do at least one thing this weekend that helps you progress with your plans.

Now to this week’s links. They feel a little bit all over the place, but I think if there’s a unifying concept it’s that many deal with the appearance of things in the writing world: publicity, trends, social concerns, etc. Writers start off in their little bubbles, but it’s no longer possible to stay there. So take a look and I hope you find something edifying, inspiring, or just plain entertaining. Happy writing!

The Things We Do to Promote the Books We Write – A look at the lengths writers go to in order to get the word out on their books. Creativity isn’t limited to the writing, after all.

“Women Built This Castle:” An In-depth Look at Sexism in YA – About attitudes in the industry, among writers, and within the books themselves.

26 Bookshelves that Will Give You Serious Goals – Basically bookshelf porn for the book lover, but so much fun.

The Fandom Flurry: A YA Reading List – A look at the trend in YA toward books that have characters immersed in fandom, with a list of upcoming titles.

A Former Book Publicist’s Advice to Traditionally Published Authors – Some excellent information.

6 Ways to Spring Clean Your Writing – Tips on how to get organized.

OTHERPPL with Brad Listi – Fabulous podcast with long, in-depth interviews with writers. Most recent 50 interviews are free at all times; for a small subscription fee you can gain access to the entire archive (more than 400 total at this time).

B&N Nukes the Nook with a 15 March Deadline for Customers to Save Content – Heads up if you own a Nook.