BBAW Interview with Marjorie of PaperTigers

I was paired with Marjorie of PaperTigers.  I’ll let her tell you a little about herself and her blog, but I think you’ll really enjoy stopping by the PaperTigers blog.  It is fun and easy to use for recommendations and fun features.  Here’s Marjorie…

1.  How did your blog get its start and focus?

PaperTigers is part of Pacific Rim Voices, which aims to promote tolerance and multi-cultural understanding through books.  PaperTigers focuses on children’s and YA books and we publish a web-based magazine, with regular issues on a given theme throughout the year.  The blog, which we started in May 2007, was and is a great way to complement the website by expanding on current features there, as well as providing space to go beyond it!  It also means we can draw together news and events from around the world and take an active part in the vibrant Kidlitosphere.

2.  Can you tell us a little about the contributors?

There are currently four of us: Aline in San Francisco, Corinne in Vancouver, Sally in Winnipeg and me in a rural corner of the UK.  We are all parents with, needless to say, a passion for books  We haven’t all met each other in person yet – so this November will be very special, as the whole PaperTigers team is meeting up for a few days in San Francisco… You can find out more about us here… http://www.papertigers.org/wordpress/about-us/

3. What is your favorite feature of the blog?

Yikes – that’s really hard to answer!  But I think what I love most is that our blog brings together so many different voices – not just in what we write ourselves but by focusing on the riches on offer from such a diverse range of writers and illustrators, and indeed those elsewhere who write about them.  I am forever having to add another book to my To Be Read list – and Corinne’s monthly ‘Calendar of Events’ http://www.papertigers.org/wordpress/category/calendar-of-events/  is a veritable mine of information!

Of our own regular features, I love our Around the World in 100 Bookshelves, (http://www.papertigers.org/wordpress/category/reading-the-world/around-the-world-in-100-bookshelves/ )where parents send in photographs of their children’s bookshelves.  We’re at Number 13 so far and they’ve come from Canada, Hong Kong, India, the Philippines, Sweden, and the UK… Our second bimonthly draw takes place TODAY! (ie Sept. 15^th!)

4. With the focus on children and young adult books, what are a few of your favorites so far this year?

Sticking to books that were actually published this year, three of my favorite picture-books have been Allen Say’s Erika-San (Houghton Mifflin, 2009), Etsuko Watanabe’s My Japan (Kane/Miller, 2009) and Ambellin Kwaymullina’s Caterpillar and Butterfly (Fremantle Press, 2009).  Then there’s Grace Lin’s beautifully illustrated middle-reader, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (Little, Brown and Company, 2009); and I was bowled over by the YA-adult The Holy Tortilla and a Pot of Beans: A Feast of Short Fictionby Carmen Tafolla (Wings Press, 2009).

5. What is the best part of the book blogging community?

There are just so many fabulous book blogs out there – and it really is a community, sharing ideas, pooling resources.  I love the way we come together for regular features like Poetry Friday.  There are some very generous people putting a lot of energy into initiatives like Carnivals, Literacy Roundups, the Cybils – and indeed BBAW.  It is so easy to get drawn into following link after link, from blog to blog – and that To Be Read list is constantly being replenished!

6.  Have you always loved reading?  Have a favorite book growing up?

Yes, I was a total bookworm and read everywhere.  My bedroom was in our attic and I had a great system of juuuuustholding down my light switch without it clicking so that my Mum would think I was asleep when she turned off the stair nightlight to check on me – then I’d carry on reading until 2 or 3 in the morning… I can’t do that anymore!

Hmmm, favorites… I swallowed Enid Blyton whole then went on to the Anne books – and once I start Anne of Green Gables I still just have to carry on until I’ve read them all; the same with Little Women and the Little House… books.  As I got older, I started going back in time so that by the time I was 14, I was revelling in Walter Scott.  My friends thought I was very strange!  But my Mum gave me a key piece of advice, which was to skip the first couple of chapters and go back to them later… I recommend it!

7. Are you a book buyer, downloader, or borrower?

A buyer and a borrower – we’re lucky in our very small town that we have a library and a bookshop!  And I love second-hand bookshops – I never know what I’m going to find and I can’t help it, I always come out with something…

8.  I love quotes.  Do you have a favorite?

 My current favorite, which I came across when researching my article (http://www.papertigers.org/personalViews/archiveViews/MCoughlan3.html)for our current issue of PaperTigers, was said by a six-year-old child in Hong Kong: “When I hear some lovely music, I feel that I can fly”.

And one I have above my desk:  “Things are getting bad – please send chocolate!”

9.  If you were trapped in the life of one fictional character who would you choose?

Elizabeth Bennet…

I’m so glad that I was paired with such a wonderful blogger.  Thanks, Marjorie!

MY BBAW Shortlist

For the first day BBAW we are asked to highlight a few blogs that did not make a shortlist for the big awards.  It is hard because I have close to 100 blogs in my Google Reader and they are all there because I like reading them!  But, it’s always nice to give a shout out to other bloggers who are extra special to me.  I have a 9 in ‘09 feature and my interview partner for tomorrow answered 9 questions, so I think I’ll pick 9 blogs. 

Margot at Joyfully Retired – Her blog makes me feel right at home.  If you haven’t stopped by, you are missing out on a great blog and a great lady

Molly and Andy at The Bumbles – Fun and fresh these two always have something interesting going on.

Trupti at Violet Crush – Creative and a good mix of books.

Heather at Book Addiction - Her reviews are top notch.

Staci at Life in the Thumb- She’s a fellow midwesterner with a cool name   and her blog is a must read.

Wendy at Musings of a Bookish Kitty – She’s got a little of everything and it’s all good.

Debbie at Wrighty Reads – For some reason I am obsessed with her hammock, oh, and her other posts

Jenny at Jenny Loves to Read – I feel right at home at Jenny’s and you will too.

Michael at A Few Minutes with Michael – Wonderful new blogger who jumped right to the crazy blogging community.

Don’t see your blog on here?  You might have been next.  I started typing  and then I realized I had 9, but I’ve still got lots of very cool and awesome blogs I want to include.  But I can’t.  When I get some time I need to update my blogroll which I haven’t done for ages.  I guess the blogroll has my nominations, these 9 are the shortlist, and the winner is me because I get to interact with these great bloggers everyday.

Title Meme

This has been going around the blogs and thought I’d give it a try.  Using only the titles of books you’ve read this year answer the following questions…

Describe Yourself…The Angel (that was almost too easy, LOL)

How do you feel…Salty Like Blood

Describe where you currently live…House of Many Shadows

If you could go anywhere, where would you go…The Inn at Eagle Creek

Your favorite transportation…The Time Machine

Your best friend is…Comfort & Joy

You & your friends are…Smart Women

What’s the weather like…Yesterday I Saw the Sun

Favorite time of day…Shoot the Moon

If your life was a…Pot of Gold

What is life to you…What I Did For Love

Your Fear…The Pigman

What is the best advice you have to give…Dreamers of the Day

Thought for the day…A Body to Die For

How would I like to die…Dead Sleep

My soul’s present condition…7th Heaven

Go ahead and give it a go.

Southern Reading Challenge

Maggie is hosting this challenge for the third time, although I’m a first-timer.

I have from May 15th (I’m late, of course!) to August 15th to read three books set in the south.  I’ve always lived up north, but am charmed by the stories set  in the south, so I’ve looked at my shelves and chosen three that fit the challenge.  I suppose I could change my choices later, but I’m starting with these…

Sights Unseen by Kaye Gibbons - set in North Carolina

Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil by John Berendt – set in Savannah

The Little Friend by Donna Tartt – set in Mississippi

Now all I have to do is get reading!

Mexican Author survey

 

I’m in Mexico, soaking up the sun!  I have never really read Mexican literature.  So, I’m hoping that you will leave me a comment suggesting your favorite Mexican authors or books.

I’ll pick one to read when I get home   I’m looking forward to your recommendations.

Book Title Help

I’m hoping that one of my book loving blog friends can help Mary figure out what this book is.  She has already won $10 because I don’t know it, but now I want to know!  Does anyone know the title of this book? 

I’m trying to remember the name of a book I read over and over again when I was younger. It is about a homeless girl that befriends a wolf and they end up taking a train somewhere. For the life of me I can’t remember any more details although I know I read the thing about 20 times.

Time Traveling

Since we jumped ahead in time this morning I thought I’d talk about some of my favorite time travel novels. 

My favorite time travel series is by far the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon.  A WWII nurse walks through magical stones and finds herself in Scotland 200 years earlier.  This book has it all – love, war, death, hatred, jelousy, political intrigue…and yes, time travel.

I just read this book in January and loved it.  The narrator jumped ahead and saw what the world would become.  My review is here.

This book, and series, is a childhood favorite.  The world of Meg, Charles, Calvin, and Mrs. Whatsit had me reading this book more than once as a kid.

I loved this outrageous book.  Arthur  and Ford’s galaxy tour was a laugh out loud riot.  I read the first few books of the series, but never finished it.  Maybe I should.

 

What are your favorite time travel novels?

Teaser Tuesdays

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
• Please avoid spoilers

 

“He used to have a habit of tinkering around with my sheila (my car), even as I’d tried to tempt him into tinkering with something else (me).  Strangely enough, he had a habit of popping up at just the right minute whenever I needed help.  Something that didn’t sit well with me because I liked to think I could take care of myself.”

Working Stiff by Tori Carrington, page 61

Come on, tease me with your current read!

Teaser Tuesdays-A Gentle Rain

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
• Please avoid spoilers!

I had found my birth parents and their protective mentor.  He seemed a fine man, albeit brusque and sardonic.  Their lives with him appeared stable, productive and content.  Thanks to quirky coincidence, I had won the opportunity to be part of their lives.

A Gentle Rain by Deborah Smith, page 71

Yes, I cheated a little by including a few extra sentences, but I couldn’t help myself!  Let me know what your teaser is.  I look forward to getting some new book ideas.

Rumpleville Chronicles presents The Bomb That Followed Me Home

Author-Cevin Soling  Illustrator-Steve Kille

The Rumpleville series are contemporary fables that are replete with social commentary…The fairy tale format highlights the perverse morality of contemporary culture and foiled promised of “happily ever after” endings. 

This was from the press release I received with the book.  I requested the book because I thought it was a children’s book.  I still thought that when I took it out of the mailing envelope and saw a children’s book.  It wasn’t until a few pages into the book that I realized this is not  for kids.  So, of we completely take that off the table I can review it as a book for more mature readers, let’s say teenagers or older.

A boy realizes he is being followed home by a bomb (that hides in the landfills).  As he walks by his neighbors house (the only part of the book I truly enjoyed) he remembers all of the reasons he dislikes them.  Once home there is this

“Suddenly something chafed against my leg.  I glanced down, and there at my feet was the cutest bomb I had ever seen.”

The boy wants to keep it, but his parents won’t let him, relating it to having a dog.  I won’t spoil the end, but really it just made an absurd book bad.  My husband disliked it more than I did.  The illustrations were okay and I suppose kids would enjoy the art.  You would have to make up your own story.

This is book three in the Rumpleville Chronicles.

This was not to my sense of humor (except the neighbor gibberish part), but it would probably appeal to someone with a more twisted sense of humor.  If that person might be you, leave a comment and I’ll mail the book on to you, free of charge.