Writer's Block

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “those who can’t do, teach”. Well for me it is “those who can’t write, sell”. Like many booksellers, as a child I dreamed of becoming an author. I would imagine stories so clear they couldn’t be ignored. Actually, I still do. The difference is, as an adult, I’ve come to realize a certain amount of talent is required to write an entire novel.

Stories are still my life as a bookseller and I love sharing my favorites with my customers. My desire to write stays hidden, but will always be with me. In the store we have a very creative and talented teen writers group which meets once a month. This allows the teens to not only express themselves, but also to boost their confidence by reading their work out loud. Each month they have a writing assignment, which they select since it is their group. Last month they wrote letters to their favorite author. The goal was to express why they liked the book and how it made them feel, but not to explain what happened in the book since the author obviously knows. It amazes me how fluently these kids write in comparison to the way they speak. I actually understood every word!

For one member’s selection, however, rushing out to purchase a book by her favorite author would be impossible at this time. This member wrote a letter from a fan to herself as the author. Talk about creativity! Was this fair to the other members who actually read a book and wrote about that? Hey, this is purely for enjoyment. No grades here! Creativity is the name of the game when it comes to writing fiction. Isn’t it? I’m just a lowly little bookseller encouraging these kids to follow their dreams. What do all of you authors think? What is your best advice for teen writers?


As a side note: For all of you aspiring writers out there, check out NaNoWriMo which is the largest writing contest in the world and is going on right now!

Horror Close to Home

The haunting season is here. For some that means curling up with a good vampire novel, but others prefer real life horror. For those brave souls who are curious about phantoms closer to home, Haunted Wisconsin by Michael Norman and Beth Scott features more than 70 true tales of terror throughout Wisconsin. With an assortment of ghosts, apparitions and other supernatural occurrences, Wisconsin could easily be called the most haunted state in America.

“….On a crisp, fall night in 1962, Pat Orcutt, of Whiting, Wisconsin, curled up in bed with the novel she was reading. About 10:00 p.m. she happened to glance up from the pages. Her grandmother was standing beside the bed. Nothing odd about that, except that Grandma Mamie had been dead for years and was buried in Elmira, New York.”
From There Goes Mamie in Haunted Wisconsin.

For anyone interested in peering into the edge of mystery, Ghost Stories of Wisconsin by A.S. Mott is sure to provide a chilling and unforgettable treat. If Ghost Ship gave you nightmares, beware of The Griffon!

In 1679 using the fortune he had amassed trading furs, French adventurer, Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, built a 60-foot-long sailing ship that weighed 45 tons and came equipped with five guns. The Griffon was the first of its kind to sail on the upper Great Lakes. The large ship launched from the Niagara River, sailed across lakes Erie, Huron and Michigan before arriving in Green Bay Harbor, where it docked at Washington Island. From there La Salle continued on a canoeing expedition, leaving six men on the Griffon with orders to leave Green Bay Harbor. Neither those men nor the Griffon were ever seen again. Five years later the ship, in a ghostly form, became a frequent sight on the waters of Green Bay.

Have you experienced a real life haunting or do you prefer fiction? What do you recommend this Halloween?

Vampires for Love or Terror

Tonight is opening night of Oconto’s very own Trail of Terror. All month long fearless thrill seekers will be testing their courage in haunted houses and spooky trails just to prove their bravery. For those of us who refuse to submit ourselves to the embarrassment of shrieking in terror past a group of giggling thirteen year olds, a quiet night at home curled in bed with the lights down low and an open vampire book in our lap is just the ticket.

Bitten by the Vampire Craze from the Contra Costa Times discusses Americans’ fascination with vampires, which has lasted through decades of Halloweens. Vampires are hotter than ever. Stephenie Meyer, I’m sure, played a hand in their popularity, as did Kerrelyn Sparks' Love at Stake series. For those of you who are more into graphic novels than paranormal romance, there are three series that come to mind: Vampire Knight by Matsuri Hino, Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber, and if you would rather destroy a vampire than marry one, Hellsing by Kohta Hirano. If you just want to learn more about vampires, you don’t want to miss Vampyre: The Terrifying Lost Journal of Dr. Cornelius Van Helsing. This highly interactive and terrifying book features enough information about vampires to keep you awake and trembling long into the night.

Who needs to stand in line for three hours in the blistering cold to test their courage? October is a long month, so I will need enough books on vampires, werewolves and other tales of horror to send shivers down my spine. What books can you suggest I add to my pile?

Choose One

Next week celebrates the tenth annual Teen Read Week. Today’s teens are so active, getting every teen in America to read one book during that week would be a dream come true. This thought caused me to ponder the question, if I could read only one book a year, which would I choose? An impossible feat! Of course, there are the obvious – the Bible, a dictionary or thesaurus (is it possible to write an email much less a BLOG without checking a dictionary or thesaurus even once?) or the phone book (believe it or not I still can’t order a pizza from memory).

So many books to choose from! For our book club I was engrossed in The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier. Not once before this novel do I remember so fiercely desiring the death of the main character! If only Laura would freeze to death, fall through the ice, or be eaten by a waddle of penguins... (This is where the reference books come in handy – honestly, did you know what a group of penguins is called?) Twilight by Stephenie Meyer was our teen book club choice. Humorous, frustrating, romantic, thrilling? Yes. The only book I could read this year? Hmm…

There is a lot of great literature on my shelves and so many inspiring choices that have changed my life, but I can’t choose just one book for enjoyment. Can you?

If you could only read one book this year purely for enjoyment, what would you recommend?

To Read or Not To Read

When you browse through the bookstore or library, trying to decide if it will be a steamy romance or a heart pounding horror, have you ever considered not having the freedom to choose which books you can read? This week is Banned Books Week, which has been observed since 1982. It is a week to celebrate the freedom to read, the freedom to choose, the freedom to express our opinion, and the importance of our first amendment rights.

In 2006 the ten most challenged books seemed to share the same two themes. And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, Gossip Girls series by Cecily Von Ziegesar, Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky were all challenged due to homosexuality. While five others (Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler, The Bluest Eye and Beloved by Toni Morrison, and The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier) listed sexual content as a reason for the challenge. Scary Stories series by Alvin Schwartz made the list for occult/Satanism, unsuited to age group, violence, and insensitivity.

The truth is, books are usually challenged with the best intentions - mainly to protect children from difficult "inappropriate" material. Although this may seem like a realistic idea, parents and only parents actually have the right and the responsibility to restrict the access of their children to these resources.

As a bookseller, I have the pleasure of discussing books with many parents and grandparents who seem to fall into one of two categories. The first group encourages their children and grandchildren to read anything that may be of interest to them. They are thrilled that the kids are reading and are not about to discourage them. After all, anything they read in a book they have probably already seen at the movies, on TV or in a video game. The others are the exact opposite. They read everything before allowing their children to do so. Anything "inappropriate" the child is forbidden to read.

I have to admit, I fall into the first category. I feel that based on the child's background and experiences, that is how the text will be interpreted. For instance, a romance may have the sentence, "they fell into a passionate embrace". Based on what the reader may have experienced, that sentence may mean a big hug or to fall naked onto the bed.

So, what about you? Which of the two categories, if either, do you fall into and why?

New World of Words

Millions of children under the age of 2 watch TV and videos. A scary fact, especially for a bookstore owner whose purpose is to encourage children to read. However, believe it or not, this is not all bad news! What are these preschoolers watching? I’m sure if you are a parent or grandparent or if you have ever been a child yourself, you have some idea.

The first program that comes to mind is Sesame Street, of course, which was created 36 years ago as a positive learning tool for preschoolers. What book lover would not love a program which teaches letters and letter sounds, exposes children to new words, and brings books to life?

Last month Word World LLC, under a cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Education, brought a new world to PBS KIDS. WordWorld is a new concept in educational programming that makes getting ready to read enjoyable for preschoolers and their parents. This program brings a whole new group of friends, from hard working Ant to shy Sheep, to life. These characters may soon be as recognizable as the Muppets. What’s more, WordFriends, as they are known, are truly all about words. In fact, they are animals whose bodies are made up of the letters that spell the word they are. WordWorld may have been created as an educational program, but parents and preschoolers will be watching together for the adventure, humor, and to hear the “Build a Word” song at the end.

Young Adult

While flipping through a stack of books, I notice that many of them are listed as young adult books. What exactly is a young adult? Am I one? The last book I read was Perfect by Sara Shepard, thanks to my daughter. After finishing Pretty Little Liars, she proclaimed it to be the greatest book ever and said I just had to read it! Now after finishing the third book in the series, I have to admit, I despised this one as much as the first two. Not because it is a YA book or because of the way it is written or even because of the cover which depicts a too skinny, too pretty, too, well...too perfect girl. The reason I wish I never started this series is because I'm completely hooked! The first book left me hanging for six long months before Easter came and my daughter found an empty dust jacket in her basket. I didn't quite finish Flawless on time. Five months later she kept the third in the series hidden while she absorbed every word. Finally turning it over to me after declaring this the best yet. Now life will come to a standstill for another six months until the fourth and final, Unbelievable, is published. Who is "A"? Will Hanna survive? How can I, an intellectual woman, be hooked on a young adult series?

So, am I a young adult? I suppose I am, considering the oldest man in America lived until the age of 114. Others may say I crossed the threshold of middle age long ago. Either way, next on my list is Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, which is our teen book club selection.
I'm guessing, or hoping, I'm not the only adult reading young adult books. What about you? Have you read any good children or teen books lately? What got you interested in reading them in the first place? Please, let me know I'm not the only one!