Author Event: Harper Ross

Last week, I attended an author event with Harper Ross. She wrote this amazing book. Check out the fun cover:

Harper Ross was in conversation with Kristan Higgins

They talked about how this book came to be.

Harper wanted to write magical realism. The seed for the magical element (the typewriter) began because writing is the only thing Harper can control in her life. You can write everything on paper as you wish it to happen. Therefore, Emerson was a writer. I like that she became a ghost writer (and no she's not based on anyone nor is the romance author whose books she's writing). 

The typewriter:

The typewriter became the tool because it's something a writer would use.

When Emerson takes the typewriter from her father's study after his death, she doesn't understand the rules. This is where the title comes in. And actually, it's the title that Harper Ross came up with and it stuck. Not all titles stick. It's a very tricky process.

The typewriter works went you type out a wish. But it works in mysterious ways, ways you never imagined.

A wish:

What would you wish for?

Harper and Kristan talked about complicated relationships. This book has some difficult mother-daughter relationship, but also a hard relationship between Emerson and her father. Emerson and her father never made up before his death. To be honest, the mother-daughter relationships in this book reminded me of The Gilmore Girls.

Harper and Kristan talked about her next book, a book about truth and journalism. This book has a prickly character. Harper had a great quote here: Women writers are often told that their female characters have to be likeable, but she wonders if anyone ever says that to make authors. I would bet money that's true too. There were some unlikable characters mentioned. To be honest, I don't mind unlikable characters, but I do have to feel a connection to them in order to read the book. 

The conversation between Kristan and Harper was great - lots of laughs, lots of insightful moments, and the whole evening was great fun.

Two mother-daughter relationships, a magical typewriter, and a question about how far is too far to control the lives of the people around you and give yourself a moment of peace?

Doesn't the book sound great?

I was lucky enough to review it for Fresh Fiction:

Plant a Seed: Teen Summer Reading (1)

 

We did a few weeks of different kid program ideas, now it's time for some teen craft ideas.

These are taken from Pinterest.

Flower Crafts:

Beaded Flowers

Tissue paper roses

Button Flower Bouquet

Flower Suncatchers

Nail Polish Flowers

Perler Bead Flowers

3D tulips

Flower collage

Flower bookmarks

Button Flower Art

Come back next week for some more ideas.

Review: Love Me Tomorrow

 

Imagine getting an email from someone in the future. They can't tell you much, but they can encourage you to make life choices.

Do you:

A) Believe them

B) Write back

C) Follow their advice

D) Try to figure out who they are

E) Laugh at the idea of it.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. As someone who had a wonderful grandfather, I loved the grandfather. He was charming and sweet and resourceful. I would love to know more about his secret life! I love how Emma reacts to the letters and tries to figure out who sent them. I felt bad for her and her younger self as her parents divorced and it broke her heart. I like how Emma stood up for herself with her clients when they were pushing the boundaries. The class moments were interesting and telling of character. I love how Emma gets lost in her music and how she feels when she plays. 

Cover Thoughts: Cute, I love all the pieces

Source: ARC sent for review

Library Recommendation: Highly recommended for your school and library collection.

* Did you see the author interview from yesterday? There's a secret about the book in the last question...

Author Interview: Emiko Jean

Today I'm chatting with Ekimo Jean about her new book: Love Me Tomorrow which came out on Tuesday.

  If you could time travel anywhere - where would you go?

Regency-era England, without question. I grew up obsessed with Pride and Prejudice—the wit, the longing glances, the slow-burn romance unfolding in drawing rooms and across rain-soaked fields. There's something about that period that feels impossibly romantic to me. Though I'll admit, I'd probably last about three days before desperately missing indoor plumbing and my phone. The corsets alone might do me in. But for those three days? I'd be taking notes on everything—the candlelit ballrooms, the letter-writing, the way love had to be spoken in stolen moments and careful glances.

 Honestly, same! 

    What advice would you give to your younger self?

I'd tell her: that thing you think is standing in your way? Take it apart. Examine it. Because it's probably not as solid as it seems. 

I didn't write seriously for a long time because I convinced myself there wasn't a place for my stories. Growing up Japanese American, I didn't see myself reflected in the books I loved, and I internalized that absence as evidence that my voice didn't belong. It took years to understand that the barrier I saw wasn't a wall, it was a door no one had opened yet. And sometimes you have to be the one to open it. 

That's great advice! 

  Do you play an instrument? If so, which one. If not, which would you pick if you had to choose?

I played violin in elementary school (very briefly and very badly). My teacher was patient; my parents were saints. But even in that short time, I understood something about music that stayed with me: the hours of solitary practice, the vulnerability of performance, the way you pour yourself into something that might not land the way you hoped. 

That's why I gave Emma the violin. The life of a musician mirrors the life of a writer in so many ways—the discipline, the doubt, the moments when art feels like the only language that makes sense. Emma's relationship with her instrument is really about her relationship with herself: what she's willing to risk, what she's afraid to feel, and what happens when she finally lets the music speak.

     I love the grandfather in this book; did you have a special relationship with your grandfather that influenced this relationship?

Jiji was such a joy to write. He's one of those characters who arrived fully formed—his dry humor, his mysterious past, his ability to say everything in a single "eh." I could have written scenes with him all day.

He's loosely inspired by both of my grandfathers, on my mom's and dad's sides. Neither was a former government operative (as far as I know), but they both had that quality Jiji has—a quietness that holds volumes, a way of showing love through presence rather than words. Writing him was my way of honoring them and the particular tenderness of grandparent relationships, especially across cultures and generations.

I would read so much more about him!

 Anything else you'd like to share that I didn't ask?

 Book 2 is in the works. The letters aren't finished with her yet.

Oh, I didn't realize there's a second book in the story, I'm looking forward to it!  

Board Books: Valentine's Day

Just a few board books for Valentine's Day

Just a few Valentine Board Books new to my library:

10 little cupids make matches all along the way with animals. I love the last page where everyone is together. This might be my favorite one of the series. 

Love is in the air, but dog isn't sure what Love IS. Dog asks a lot of questions. This book ends on such a sweet note. 

This is a sweet story with love between parent and child and full of puns. It's perfect for Valentine's Day!

And some not Valentine books, but they are about love:

This is an adorable book - a mix of pictures and illustrations. The message about love is sweet. 

A pun filled story about love between a parent and child - super cute! 

Another sweet story about love between a parent and child - no puns here, just a lot of love and warmth. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Cool Fonts

 This week's topic is all about typography. These are books I'm looking forward to reading that don't have your average font/style. Also the placement matters. 

Bonus: I read these already

Review: Let's Get Together

 

Liberty Perry is in a new foster home and will be attending a new school. When she arrives, everyone seems overly friendly. When she arrives in the office, she's called by a different name. 

Kenya can't wait for the new school year and for outdoor club. Maybe this is finally the year something with happen with the boy she's been crushing over. She's stunned to learn there's a new girl in school that everyone is telling her about. Everyone wants her to know the new girl looks exactly like Kenya. How can that be?

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book; although I did find the ending a little rushed. Both girls have their lives unended by this news. There's a nasty trick between them that does sort itself out. I can't imagine what they must be going through, especially Liberty who found a foster home that she enjoys. I loved the moments of friendship between Liberty and Carrie-Anne (even the tough conversation). If you have a reader who loves The Parent Trap, this book is for them!

Cover Thoughts: Cute

Source: My Library

Why I Read This: I'm a huge fan of the Parent Trap

Library Recommendation: Highly recommended for your school and public library.