10 Stages of Bookshopping

A few weeks ago, whilst sorting through the assortment of A4 paper decorating the kitchen table, I unearthed a sheet where I had scribbled-down the heading '8 Stages of Bookshopping'. Having managed to now finish that draft, a little while later, I've now realised it takes more energy - and effort - than I first thought to take a trip to Waterstones! And I've also managed to find a few new stages whilst thinking about my own - regular - visits...

 

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STEP 1 - ATTEMPTING TO RESIST

 

The point in which, when walking down the street, your local bookstore appears up-ahead. With it's window-display decorated with new releases and the tables stacked high with bestsellers visible inside, it's a challenge to resist running straight through the doors and to the YA section. You stand outside for a while, attempting to move on, telling yourself that - under no circumstances - you're going to enter.

 

 You can't resist the temptation.

 

STEP 2 - SETTING THE BOUNDARIES

At this point, all readers tend to lay down the law of the trip inside, repeating a mantra over in their heads.

 

"Only for a few minutes..."

 

"Just to see whether they have the final book in that series..."

 

"No more than one..."

 

"As long as I have enough for everything else I'm meant to buy..."

 

Sound familiar? But, you never listen.

 

STEP 3 - TAKE IT ALL IN

 

The rows after rows of shelving that line the wall; the colourful covers that decorate the children's section; the collection of paperbacks and hardbacks. The scent of the coffee that drifts down from the café; the freshly printed-pages waiting to be turned; the air tainted by the leather-bound covers. The recommendations that are shared amongst friends; the discussions over series endings; the excited squeals as a much-anticipated sequel is found.

 

You are reminded of home.

STEP 4 - LET'S BE FRIENDS
 

Who can help but listen to the other conversations taking place? You catch snippets of sentences where your favourite books are mentioned, discussions about movie castings taking place between a group of friends friends, and it takes all of your self-perseverance to not interrupt. A stranger approaching would scare them. You hear mentions of a book you are yet to read, attempting to block out the conversation, not wanting the book to be ruined.  All you can do is pretend the art of distraction, listening from a distance, seemingly admiring a randomly-selected fantasy.

You want to ask whether you can be friends.

STEP 5 - IT'S A BALANCING ACT

Attempting to carry the choices you have made so far, that Game of Thrones box set threatening to break your back, still adding to your stack of books as you attempt to navigate the store. By this point, it's becoming a struggle to see where you are going. It's a form of weightlifting.

You agree that this counts as your workout for the day.
 

STEP 6- MAKING THE CUT

Somehow, the selection of a dozen novels you have made whilst browsing the store needs to be narrowed down to fit within your budget(which will never be enough to cover your book-buying obsession). You spend the time re-reading the blurbs, opening the books to random pages, admiring the covers. It's almost too painful to watch as you place those that are on your wish-list back on the shelves.

You recall it's similar to choosing a favourite child.

STEP 7 - FINAL DECISIONS

Avoiding the awkward glances from those around you, it is time to search through the stacks like some feral-animal on the hunt for the most 'perfect' copy to add to your collection. There can no broken spines; no bent pages; no marks on the cover. The book(s) you buy need to be spotless.

You can't help but be a perfectionist.

STEP 8 - OVERCOME WITH REGRET

Let's admit it: the promises that were made when walking through the doors are rarely kept. The likelihood is more time has been spent inside than anticipated, and there are a considerable number of books tucked under your arm - not just one. When you're head stops spinning from the excitement of all the book-buying, you come to terms with the amount of money that has been spent.

You realise your purse is almost empty - and are overcome with guilt.

STEP 9 - NEED TO RE-ENGERGISE

There's no excuse to not grab a brownie from the bookstore café on the way out. Or to collapse into one of the comfy seats for a while and read your new buys.

You are exhausted.

STEP 10 - PRIDE IN PURCHASES

Pictured: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn | We Are All Completely Beside
Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler

Would there be any extra 'stages' to your own - unplanned - bookstore visit?

Tell me in the comments!

Sophie
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Sharing the Sin Eater's Daughter Love: Q&A with Melinda Salisbury

You're not the only one wondering how Melinda Salisbury is my Valentine this year. In fact, I feel like I should be baking a batch of heart-shaped biscuits in the kitchen or re-writing lines of prose in a homemade card at the moment. Instead, I'm hosting the blog tour for Mel's debut, The Sin Eater's Daughter (better than cramming a box of chocolates on my own!) which was released last week. Even before publication, comparisons were made between Salisbury's new series and the likes of Throne of Glass and Shadow and Bone, and it's not disappointed! After meeting Mel at the Scholastic Bloggers' Brunch a few weeks ago, having just sent the questions, I loved that her personality shone through in the answers I received!

 

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Q) What was it that made you want to write Fantasy novels in particular?

A) They're my favourite kinds of stories, so it was a natural fit for me. I'm an escapist reader - books, to me, are a passport to another place, and I want to visit places unlike anything I've ever known. Plus, a lot of my other interests fit into that fantasy box - I love medieval history, and magic, and fairytales, all things that also mesh well with fantasy worlds. I think I'd struggle to write a contemporary novel, because I'm not a very grounded person.

Q) What was the writing process like for The Sin Eater's Daughter? Did you have a certain writing spot or snack that helped you through?

A) It was strange, because I wasn't writing it really with the intention of getting it published. Whilst I was writing it I actually had another story on submission with agents, and I started writing The Sin Eater's Daughter a chapter or two a day, just to keep myself occupied. I was sending it to my friend Liv every time I finished a chapter, and she kept asking what happened next, so I'd write another. It was only really at the end I realised I had a book, and it was way better than the one I was submitting. Luckily, the woman who became my agent agreed. I like to drink tea while I'm writing. I switch to coffee when I'm editing. I also have a thing about Cadbury Twirls. No idea why.

Q) Despite being set in a fictional world, are there any aspects of your debut that were inspired by your own experiences?

A) Yes  - many. Twylla's struggles with the life she has have been mine, in the past. I've been in that place where you're going through the motions of doing what you're told you should do, ticking boxes and not really living. Obviously, our actual experiences are very different, but her sleepwalking through her life, shying away from confronting the problems with it have been my struggles too. I suspect there are a lot of people living the lives they think they ought to, instead of the ones they want to. I had everything you're supposed to want and it wasn't enough and it made me hate myself, just as she does. And like her, I was shaken out of it.

I also travel a lot, and that's really influenced the novel. The mirror maze in the book is based on a real one I visited in Prague, the food and geography and climate is stolen from places I've visited. The world of The Sin Eater's Daughter was basically mined from my life, and honed, and made into a thing entirely of its own.

Q) For The Sin Eater's Daughter, you had to imagine the entire Kingdom of Lorene. If you could explore another alternate Fantasy world for a day, which would it be?

A) The wizarding world of Harry Potter. Hands down. I'd want to go to The Three Broomsticks and The Leaky Cauldron and eat Pumpkin Pasties and bow to Hippogriff and see it if bowed back. I'd like to be flummoxed by a moving staircase at Hogwarts, and watch a Quidditch match. But I wouldn't leave at the end of the day. I'd see if I could get a job as Hagrid's assistant, or a Muggle Liaison officer.

Doesn't this dress - worn at the recent
 Vanity Fair Oscar Party match The Sin Eater's
Daughter perfectly?

Q) Multiple Young Adult novels have received a movie adaptation recently. Who would you dream cast if a film of The Sin Eater's Daughter was going to be made?

A) I really don't know! Friends have asked me this, and it's really hard for me to cast people, because obviously in my head I can see exactly what all of the characters look like and they just look like themselves. I can think of some actors that resemble the images in my head, for example Aneurin Barnard in The White Queen was very close to my Merek, and Saoirse Ronan has the wistful sadness of Twylla in her looks, but I think it's something I'd rather leave to readers, or casting agents to decide on.

Q) Was there a playlist that you wrote your novel to? If not, what songs would be a part of it?

A) I don't write to music at all. I need silence when I'm writing, and it's not something I draw inspiration from. I get all of my outside input from travelling and nature. Having said that, I was listening to the radio in the kitchen one night on a break from editing and I heard Broken Crown by Mumford and Sons and thought, "Oh my God, that's the theme song of the book." The same thing happened when I was writing the second one, I heard London Grammar's Sights and it was the song. I'm so excited to see what song encapsulates book three.

Q) So far, what has been the highlight of your publication journey?

A) I know it might sound a little trite, but it's been all of the people I've met. The people I've worked with at Scholastic, my agent, other authors, bloggers, fans, booksellers. The YA scene in the UK is just so incredibly supportive and friendly and I've made so many friends along the way. Seeing a copy of the book for the first time was incredible but seeing my ne friends being just as excited, and proud, as I am is beyond amazing. That so many people are embracing my dream, and talking about it, is humbling and incredible.

As a thank you, I wish I could send some Red Velvet Valentine's Day cupcakes your way!

Have you picked up a copy of The Sin Eater's Daughter yet?
Anticipating the rest of the series?
 

Tell me in the comments!

Thank you to Rachel from Scholastic for asking me to host and Mel for answering my questions!

 

Sophie

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Apple and Rain Blog Tour: Inspiring Teachers

There were two reasons for why, when I was asked to participate in the blog tour for the Apple and Rain paperback, I replied within moments of seeing the email.

 The first: I absolutely adore Crossan's writing. No matter how much time I had spent staring at the white hardback edition in the bookstore, I hadn't yet managed to pick up Apple and Rain, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. Whilst I still like the simplicity of the hardback, I can't help but prefer the bold colour of the new edition; not many people have missed it when I've been reading in class! It's no surprise that, since receiving the copy, I've spent the nights curled up reading it. I've been willing to read anything Sarah has written from the time I discovered Breathe!

Second: I saw a suggestion for what the post could be about - inspiring teachers - and knew it couldn't have fit better with my own experiences at school. I'll admit that I almost live in the English Department, in my own seat beside the radiator, and it's been the teachers there that have inspired me to pick up a pen. It's those that will spend the extra hour after class talking about daily life - what happens outside those four walls - or those that will lend you a copy of a John Green novel they enjoyed, that make an impact. I was introduced to the quote that has shaped the past two years by my English teacher, and been inspired by her support to want to do the same. I guess I've had my own Mr Gaydon! You can see when a teacher cares about what they are teacher, and like Sarah, I can't contemplate why we're still holding back creativity.*

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Have you seen the new ad on TV with that guy from Educating Yorkshire in it? The ad encouraging people to train as teachers? It’s fabulous. It makes me want to get back into the classroom and inspire a whole generation of young people to be their very best selves, to live fully, to dream bravely. And yet, I’m not sure the ad tells the truth about what it means to be a teacher in this country at the moment. I’m not sure it reflects what the government wants from teachers and students. I’m not sure how easy it is these days to be an inspiring teacher.

In my latest novel, Apple and Rain, a teacher called Mr Gaydon promotes poetry in his classroom in a way that’s fun and exciting and completely non-threatening. He gets his students interested and makes them see that poetry belongs to them. My protagonist is transformed by this process. So why did I include Mr Gaydon in my book? Well, I created this impassioned teacher because that’s how I feel poetry should be taught – as something which appeals to our emotions first and intellects second. We allow students to enjoy music before studying it, to ponder paintings before explaining the symbolism, but poetry is taught backwards – it begins as something to be puzzled over and examined, something to feel frightened of, and then we ask students whether or not they enjoyed the poems we’ve taught. And I don’t blame the teachers for this.

As I intimated, I was a teacher myself for ten years, and I know how hard it is to be penned in by a curriculum that leaves very little space for fun. Everything that’s taught is then tested, so how can teachers feel free to let students love poems before understanding them? To feel their musicality before examining the structure of the language? There simply isn’t the time.

And this is where the government comes in. Change the way we teach students and test them. Give teachers time to inspire. Leave space in the curriculum for fun and laughter. Maybe that sounds frightening. What about the unruly teachers, won’t they waste this time, fail to teach young people anything useful? There is that risk. Obviously. But I’d say a very low percentage of teachers would abuse a system that asked them to teach what they love.

When I lived in New Jersey I taught at an amazingly progressive school founded by a smart, warm woman called Suellen Newman where the teachers were encouraged to write their own curriculums and teach their passions, which we all did. The result? Mayhem! No, that's a joke. It was amazing! Teachers were happy and students thrived. Grades soared and the young people were roused to set up their own clubs, societies and interest groups, everyone taking responsibility for his or her own learning. The motivation stopped coming from the teacher and started coming from the students themselves who simply wanted to learn for learning's sake. And what more can we ask of young people than they take ownership of their own educations. Is it a fantasy? I don't think so. I've seen it happen. And maybe if the government eased up just a tiny little bit on teachers, it could happen in the UK too

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It's the Apple and Rain paperback's book-birthday today(February 12th)! Make sure to pick up a copy - if only to be able to own that cover on your shelves!

 

Any memories of an inspiring teacher?

Share them in the comments!

 

*I was a Year Seven taught Harry Potter to a soundtrack of this parody. I know that was not on the syllabus!

Discussion: Is Mental Illness Becoming a Trend?

In the past, I've cheered-on authors for including the topic of mental illness in their novels, and even sat down to write a blog post about how I want to read about characters that suffer from the conditions we hardly hear about, to possibly challenge some of the stereotypes we - and society - have come to accept. We have all heard the comments made about the organisation-obsession those with OCD have, or how the person who is having a particularly bad day is deemed as 'depressed'. But, where are the books where main characters are struggling with eating-disorders? Battling against bulimia? I don't know.

 

When addressed with care, including mental illness in YA can have an undeniable impact on readers, offering them the chance to learn - through the characters - how to support a friend or recognise the symptoms of a condition.  Not only can it teach empathy skills to non-sufferers - and end the stigma that surrounds many of the most common conditions -  but a book that tackles mental illness can provide a safe-haven for a teenager in need. They have the comfort of knowing one of their favourite characters is in a similar situation - and is likely to survive it. I could write an almost endless list of all the positives that come from writing about mental illness - but that's for another time. What I wanted to discuss was the trend that is beginning to appear when it comes to tackling mental illness, and why I hope it comes to an end soon.

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Responses to the likes of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and The Silver Linings Playbook, which became well-known for breaking down the barriers of mental illness in fiction, have been overwhelming. Authors have followed their lead, penning their own tales about other 'taboo' topics of conversation, and YA sections have never been so diverse. And I do love this. Although, the success of those that are not sugar-coated seems to have set the precedent for some mistreatment of mental health issues within fiction. In fact, it is seemingly being used as the latest 'selling point' in the YA world; a trend reminiscent of the vampire take-over that followed the Twilight Saga, and the Dystopia-craze that we saw in the Hunger Games aftermath. I'm not the only one that complained about how every YA was centred on a sixteen year-old protagonist, who was likely to be facing a life-or-death scenario.

 

Lately, whilst in a bookstore, I've lost count of the number of novels I've come across that include a mentally ill main central character on the search of new beginnings, and who meets a friend that is described as being equally ''messed up". YA presents the idea that, in a crowded world, those with mental illnesses seem to gravitate towards each other. That, in doing so, they will probably develop a relationship - one that, by the end of the book, typically come to an end; the characters seemingly causing some form of self-destruction. Books need to show that those with a mental illness are not 'outsiders', but are capable of immersing themselves in our society.  Equally, the life of those with a mental illness should not be viewed as a fast-track to a dramatic storyline or heart-breaking ending that will have readers reaching for the Kleenex. Can we not just bring back the idea of a Happily Ever After?

The assumption also seems to have been made that, to score a few extra stars on rating systems, a YA book needs to include a mentally ill character. That it needs to embody a sense of diversity by forcing a condition upon a character or a more 'mature' subject matter onto the novel as a whole.  The same, though, can be said when it comes to including someone who is LGBT or disabled.  I've seen the half-hearted attempts by authors to feature a mentally-ill character, with very little thought for the subject matter itself, and it's no surprise that I've begun to feel hesitant. Mental illness is not a fast-track ticket to becoming the next critically-acclaimed novel. Including a character with a mental illness should be a decision that is thought-out and well-researched; handled with an emotional-depth and understanding that other topics don't call for. Remember: those with the conditions that are written about do read the novels, and they need to see themselves reflected in the tale.

 

At times, though, mental illness shouldn't be all a book is about, but simply mentioned consistently. I'd love to see a book written that features a mentally ill character, yet  isn't about the condition they have directly. I've never seen this done before. Use books to represent the fact that people of all ages live their daily lives with a mental illness, and it may only affect them in the most subtle ways. When authors decide to include mental illness, they do so in a way that means it dominates the whole storyline.  I would rather see a character whose illness has become part of them but who has a life outside the label of 'mentally ill'.

As more novels about mental illness crowd the shelves, and most lack the understanding of the last, I've resorted to wanting less novels about the subject matter. I'd rather read a few where the author has considered the feelings of those who do have a mental illness, than a lot where writers have simply followed the crowd.

 

Are issues like mental illness being used as a selling point?

Are they becoming the latest trend?

 

Tell me in the comments!
 

These discussion posts are never written with the intent to harm a reader. If you do find something that could be viewed as offensive in this post, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sophie
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