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Ship Breaker and Bacigalupi

I just finished a great book by author Paolo Bacigalupi called Ship Breaker. My son (9) read it first (and that’s only because he stole it from me when I wasn’t looking – seriously he did – and then told his mother that I said it was all right to read it. For the record I told him it was all right to read the first chapter because he had no other book to read at that time and he had fifteen minutes to kill and who am I to stop a boy from reading? Seriously. I’d already read the first 8 pages and he doesn’t read that fast and I figured how bad could it be…)

So my son read it first. He loved it. He’s getting into sci-fi and this was a deep sci-fi experience in world building. I finally got my hands on it and finished it yesterday. If you haven’t read it yet, got out and get it. It’s for the 13 and up crowd for the violence and deeper themes of loyalty, family, and what it means to maintain your humanity in a world that has gone over to the dark side with global warming. This is the best kind of science fiction – thought provoking with an eye for the larger epic picture yet solidly focused on character – on the lives of only a few characters, one main and several minor. My only complaint is that, like many good books, it ended too soon and I was left with the wonderful question of what happens next?

The follow-up to Ship Breaker is coming out in the spring called Drowned Cities following the tale of the half-man, Tool, one of my favorite secondary characters from Ship Breaker and whose fate is not known… I can’t wait. Neither can my son.

Here’s the link for the book: Ship Breaker

February 28, 2012 | Categories: Blog, Book Reviews, Science Fiction | 4 Comments

Leave it to Beaver

I don’t know how this happened but it has. Cid Wymann, the protagonist in my book Open Wounds, has been compared to Leave it To Beaver. He’s a “Jewish Leave it to Beaver,” the reviewer wrote. I don’t know what to think about that. The Beaver didn’t really get into fights, or try to kill anyone, or get beaten by his father, or have his mother die in child-birth, or learn how to duel with a sword. Can you imagine Beaver dealing with Lefty, Cid’s WWI mustard gassed, one-eyed, one-armed, one-legged, cousin from England? The pristine world of the 1950’s black and white, father reading the paper, mother cooking, house neat and suburban, just doesn’t seem to fit.

There were a number of nice things said by The Write Girl in her review not the least of which is a comparison to Return to Exile (the Hunter Chronicles #1) by EJ Patten. I loved that book. And she says, It’s one of her favorite books about a boy growing up. But I can’t get past the Beaver. On the other hand the Beaver’s last name is Cleaver. That sounds Cid-ish. Cleaver. No elegance like the word épée or even foil or sabre. More thuggish, Cleaver. More like Cid’s father or Scarps, one of Cid’s antagonists.

Say, no more about the Beave. Thanks to The Write Girl for reading and reviewing and adding her review to Goodreads.

Here’s the link to her review: The Write Girl

February 27, 2012 | Categories: Blog, Goodreads, Open Wounds, Review Open Wounds | 3 Comments

The Nose Knows

St. Armands in Sarasota.

The Circle Book Store – the only independent book store in the area.

I stopped in with Max and Karen, looked at the YA section – searched for Michael Grant’s Gone (it’s next on my list) and finally, when the register was clear, wandered over to say hello to the bookseller in charge.

I had brought a copy of my book and surreptitiously signed it. I was ready.

I chatted a bit about the book, gave her my pitch and all the usual accompanying information about availability at Ingrams and Baker & Taylor. She smiled at me and seemed interested then said, “It sounds good. I think I’ll read it first myself.”

My job was done.

I walked over to where Karen was looking at a book and gave her the thumbs up. She stopped for a second and looked at me. She stared at my face.

“What?” I said, leaning in close.

“What’s that big pen mark down the middle of your nose?”

“What pen mark?”

“You had that on when you talked to her, didn’t you?” she asked.

I nodded and wiped the mark off. “It’s off now?”

“Yes.”

And so it goes…

February 19, 2012 | Categories: Blog, Bookstores, Publicity & Marketing, Travel | 6 Comments

Prussian Gulf or Sarasota Maul

We’re on vacation at a friend’s family condo in Sarasota, Florida – two families, one of my son’s friends. The two boys are laughing and giggling all the time (except when they are mad at each other which is not often). If I open the window I can hear the waves breaking on the beach. The balcony overlooks the Gulf of Mexico. I love the Gulf of Mexico. I don’t know why. The waves are small but the water is a different color than I’m used to. Long Island water is dark and cloudy and cold cold cold. The water here is lighter in color, turquoise, and chilly but swimable. It is beautiful.

I’ve slept until almost nine two mornings in a row. Normally I am up at 5:30am. The dogs are back home being boarded for the week playing with other dogs and wondering if we’ll come back for them (well one isn’t wondering – he’s probably too busy playing, but the younger one probably is). I miss those mongrels but I’m also glad I can sleep late.

It’s 70’s with a breeze and the sun just came out. It might have hit 81 but I’m not sure. I’m not wearing my watch.

This is my vacation. I’ve had a cold since the day before we left but it’s getting better. The sea air is doing it. That and some sleep.

I’ve been exhausted from my day job.

I’ve written two for two days of vacation – continuing my streak of three months. It is lovely writing from the balcony, listening to the ocean. We’re going to Disney one day, but only one day. Every other day is the pool, the beach, or the pool (there are two).

Here’s three words I wrote today: