Moderating a Panel at PLA (Public Library Association)

 Last month, I was excited to check off a huge item on my professional bucket list - be part of a presentation at a national conference. I'd requested to present at a YALSA conference before and was rejected, but this opportunity came to me.

The panel of authors was amazing. I loved all their books.

Marissa Meyer:

Review

Michelle Jabes Corpora:

Book 1 Review

Book 2 Review

And I'm waiting desperately for the last book in the trilogy

Randy Ribay

Review

Emiko Jean:

Review

Author Interview 

What a line up right?

And I was lucky enough to moderate the panel. 

We had a lightening round of getting to know you questions where we learned about the author's favorite writing snack, if they're a plotter or a panser, if they listen to music when they write, and a book they recently read and enjoyed.

I asked questions of each author. And then the crowd asked questions.

Emiko Jean has a fantastic secondary character in Jiji, the main character's grandfather. We talked about him. Marissa Meyer talked about the struggles of writing with someone else and what happens when you disagree. She also talked about her favorite types of escape rooms and tactile vs technological pieces. Michelle Jabes Corpora talked about how she writes the books as written and not each character's story first and then pieces together the story. She also talked about social media and using it as her real self - not always with make-up and not always polished. Because being real is important - especially for teens. There will be a snake with her on book tour and in some videos. Randy Ribay's book is about the possibility of death, so he talked about what he would do with his last days. He also talked about colonialism and how stories are erased from cultures. His story is steeped in Filipino mythology with his own twist.  

There was a lot of laughter. 

Of course, I was awkward, but I hope in the best way. I was a little nervous at the beginning, but I think it went well. And it would be fun to moderate more panels/author chats, so let me know if you need one!

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!  

Review: Tokyo Ever After

 

Izumi's never felt like she fits in. She's a Japanese American living in a small predominately white town. She doesn't know her father's identity. But she discovers a clue in her mother's bedroom.

Before she knows what's happening, she learns her father is a crown prince of Japan. Suddenly her life has been turned upside down. She's traveling to Japan to learn more about him and her new family. 

But it's not easy. In fact, she's floundering. One moment the press loves her, the next she messes everything up. It doesn't help that her cousins love feeding her to the sharks.

Can she find her footing or is she in way over her head?

My Thoughts: Think Princess Diaries crossed with What a Girl Wants. Seriously I needed this to read this book. I loved it. I loved watching Izumi become a member of the royal family. She struggles - greatly at times and soars at other times. I loved watching her get to know her family. I loved learning more about Japan. I love her moments with her bodyguard - the brooding Akio. I loved their banter. I also loved the moments between the Crown Prince and Izumi. As well as the moments between Izumi's parents - especially orchids. I would love to read more of Izumi and her story - and luckily there is more coming!

Cover Thoughts: So amazing! I love the details

Source: My library

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