Our Annual Holiday Book List Compiled... and Can You Believe James Dashner asked me to "Fetch"?

OUR BLOG BOOK LIST

So, I put all of our suggested books and authors together in a nifty list. I was going to link to them and stuff, but just thinking about trying to accomplish such a task makes my lips itch, and I figured we live in a Google world.

Books:

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt

Archangel by Sharon Shinn

Fairies of Dreamdark books by Laini Taylor's

Attolia series by Megan Whalen Turner

Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Brigg

Alpha and Omega series

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede

Edgar Eager books

Lament by Maggie Stiefvater

Immortal: Love Stories with Bite by P.C. Cast

Intertwined by Gena Showalter

Wake, and Fade by Lisa McMann

The Mortal Instruments Trilogy

Invasive Procedures by Orson Scott Card

Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan

Firegirl by Tony Abbott

Savvy by Ingrid Law

Ida B. by Katherine Law

Alcatraz and the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson

His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman

Graceling and Fire by Kristin Cashore

When you Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Lips Touch by Laini Taylor

Impossible and Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society

The Princess Bride

My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters by Sydney Salter

Jungle Crossing by Sydney Salter

Austenland by Shannon Hale

Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind by Heidi Ashworth

Authors to Read:

Lisa Shearin

Tasha Alexander

Deanna Raybourn

Susan Wittig Albert/Robin Paige

Other shenanigans at the Author Palooza:

As my last post mentioned, I went to the Barnes and Noble Author Palooza a couple days ago and here's a rundown:

-My "Essence of Jacob" hand lotion was overpowering. I think it's to do with the musky, earthy, steel-abs scent.

-Bree Despain, not believing it was so strong, decided to snort some. Seriously, Valynne held out the tiny bottle of "Essence of Jacob" for all to smell, and Bree jerked her head forward and impaled her nose on the bottle.

-Bree learned the hard way that upon contact with nasal passages, "Essence of Jacob" burns. (As it should. You've seen those abs, right?)

-I like typing "Essence of Jacob" in every sentence.

-Moving on... Stevie Wonder took our picture:

(Me, Emily Wing Smith, Valynne)

-James Dashner asked me to "fetch" him some more copies of Maze Runner. Apparently he doesn't know me very well.

-Valynne told James to "Fetch Off."

(Me and Valynne. Valynne is Secretary of Defense - aka "Bouncer" - of our Writing Group)

-James offered me his Sharpie pen he'd used to sign all night to make up for the offense. I took it and used it to sign our peace treaty.

-One of Mette Ivie Harrison's books has the word "Princess" in the title, but no actual princess in the book. So she signs it with "There is no princess in this book. Mette Ivie Harrison." I bought one of them, and when she told me how she was going to sign it, I said she might as well include, "There is no Santa Claus either."

Apparently Mette can't tell when I'm being sarcastic:

Which would be fine if I hadn't told her I was giving the book away on my blog. So apparently, only those 12 years old and older will be eligble to win, because by the time you're 12, you should know the truth, right?

-James Dashner showed off the paperback version of The 13th Reality, featuring a new artistic rendering of the main character.

When I saw it, I meant to say, "I would totally root for that boy." But it came out as, "I could totally go for that boy."

Creepy. I guess the "Essence of Jacob" went all the way to my brain.

Blogging may be sporadic for the next week or two, but I'll try to be on time.  What's everyone doing for the Holidays?

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Free Book Friday, and a Recap of James Dashner's Launch Party

Good Morrow yon bloggerland. It's Free Book Friday! Find out how to enter at the bottom. They're just a bunch of questions again.

1. I went to James Dashner's launch party Tuesday night for The Maze Runner.

James spoke to a crowd of young fans. He talked about his own road to publication, and then he read an excerpt from the book.In the excerpt were the following words: bulbous creature, glistening flesh, buggin, instrument-tipped appendages protruded from its body... and undies.

If that doesn't make you want to read the book, I don't know what will. And that was only two pages.

Oh, and he also talked about two influential books from his childhood: Ender's Game and LOTF. (LOTR's lesser known cousin, Lord of the Flies). He also named a character "Newt", inspired by Aliens.

Congratulations, James! Go and be successful.

2. Afterward we went to The Dodo (I know, I'm totally boring and predictable) and that's where I found out Sara no longer tells her husband Ben what we talk about at these things. She just points him to my blog.

So, sorry if you're sick of the list of highlights, but Ben is desperate to know what went down, and Sara's not talkin'.

(Bree Despain, James, Me. I tried to make me skinnier, but then James disappeared, so I reverted to the original.)

Headlines:

*Emily Wing Smith talks about "chafing".

*The entire table can't believe Emily brought up the subject. They take a spontaneous vote as to who would be most likely to bring up the subject of "chafing" at the dinner table. The vote is unanimous, and it's not Emily.

*I demand a recount.

*Bree's husband Brick starts a sentence with the words, "According to the Gossip Girls..." Yes, he is a man.

*West Valley is dubbed "Jersey" to Salt Lake's "New York." I know, I don't understand it either. But apparently it's from the Tao of the Gossip Girls.

*James accuses me of buying too many copies of The Maze Runner. He tells management that if they run out, I should be forced to give up my copies.

*Nobody likes James.

*James admits he doesn't have a catchphrase to go along with his autograph. My suggestion of "Be a-MAZE-ing" is ignored.

*When I give the lady at the door my name Brodi Ashton (for the autograph), she says, "Okay. And would you like one for yourself?" Me: "Yes." Her: "And your name?" Me (thinking I must've gotten it wrong last time): "Umm... Brodi Ashton." Her: "Okay, and did you want one for yourself?" Me (looking around for the hidden camera): "Yes... for Brodi Ashton?" Her: "So you don't want one for yourself?" Yeah, it takes me that long to realize she doesn't get my name is Brodi.

*Douglas Cootey promises to paint his nails and squee in public for an Advanced Copy of Bree Despain's The Dark Divine. She agrees.

*I offer to do a jig for a copy. She declines.

*I tell Emily Wing Smith she has tiny ears. She replies: "You must have me confused with you." Yes, I get us mixed up all the time. We're like twins.

*There is a lengthy discussion of preferred underwear.

*Valynne suggests we bedazzle t-shirts. Sara suggests we stencil t-shirts. Hands down, these suggestions are the least likely to ever occur in the history of suggestions at our dinner table. Emily looks at them as if they are speaking Cantonese.

*I get a little angry when someone swipes the last two lemon bars out from under me.

*James promises he'll buy a bunch of copies of my book.

*Everybody likes James.

*Bree complains she never says anything that makes it to my blog. Can I help it if everything she says is always incredibly, over-the-top appropriate? And that would be so inappropriate for a blog such as this.

*Someone is called out for butting in line.

*Okay, it was me.

3. Check out Matt Kirby's blog for a very cool Carl Sagan video: Cosmos set to music. It's psychedelic. Upon first viewing, you think: "Oh. Sorta cool." But then you find excuses to watch it again, and again, and again, until the phrase "Not a sunrise, but a Universe rise" is running through your head like the ticker-tape on Wall Street, and then you find yourself craving the video, as if it were a Diet Coke on a Monday morning.

So, watch it with caution.

4. To enter this week's FBF (Free Book Friday) answer the following questions.

1. If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
2. If you could buy a second home, anywhere in the world, where would you buy it?
3. Do you have a "cause"? If so, what is it?
4. Thing that must go.

To be fair, I'll answer them too.

1. I'd change my last name to Capote. Brodi Capote.
2. London
3. Yes. To get more people to buy books... And... World Peace.
4. the lard in my butt.

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