Links + posts + other stuff

Oy vey, people. OY. VEY.

What a week I’ve had. I wanted to write a real post for you, maybe a review or a well-thought out response to the National Book Award hubbub. But work and school and family have wrung my neck this week. And it’s only Thursday. So I’m going to just do a quick thing and let you get back to whatever it is you all do when you’re not hanging out with me here.

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I can’t NOT comment on the Lauren Myracle NBA fiasco though, because in my last post I mentioned that I was going to try to read that book BECAUSE it was nominated. I’m still going to read it, but I wanted to say something about it first. I know a few things:

1. If you’re announcing a major award, it’s probably a good idea to confirm both title and author if you’re keeping your finalist list confirmations only to conference calls. I know that “Shine” and “Chime” sound a lot alike, but “Lauren Myracle” sounds nothing like “Franny Billingsley.”
2. Lauren Myracle is the classiest person ever.
3. The NBF probably could’ve handled the snafu better – like not wait several days to fix the mistake and then not ask Myracle to withdraw “to preserve the integrity of the award and the judges’ work.” Using that kind of language implies that Myracle’s book isn’t worthy of the prize, which is just plain untrue (and mean). Also, by making the mistake, waiting to fix the issue and then using that language in their request, they shot their own integrity in the foot. Don’t use that as your excuse.
4. NBF’s saving grace? Donating $5,000 to the Matthew Shepard Foundation to raise awareness of issues raised in Shine. Props for that.
5. Upshot? Shine has been getting the kind of publicity you can’t buy and I’m sure her book’s sales have skyrocketed. Talk about a silver lining.

So suffice it say, I’m not sure what side I come down on – if there is even a side to be taken. But I will say I think it’s a shame that none of the major media outlets gave a crap about the awards until they messed up. That’s a sad commentary, unto itself.

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I posted a few times over at BookRiot.com.

(Non)Spooky Reads: Books For the Wimp in Us All

Beyond Awards Fodder: Literature for YA Snobs

Go check me out.

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WHO ELSE IS DOING THE READ-A-THON ON SATURDAY?!?

I’m more than a little excited. Can you tell? I’ve decided, thanks to a brilliant suggestion by Jenn at Jenn’s Bookshelves, that I’ll be tracking my progress over the 24-hours on Tumblr instead of here on the blog. I know that many of you use a Reader, and read-a-thon spam is never fun when you wake up in the morning. I will have a sticky post here though.

Also, one more shout-out to Kerry for matching my donations this year. If anyone else would like to donate to First Book or Reach Out and Read’s Military Initiative, please drop me an email (there’s an envelope up there on the right you can click). You don’t have to match me page-for-page, but any little bit helps! Or I encourage you to donate to any good reading charity if you can’t participate in the read-a-thon. OR if you are reading, are you contributing? Doesn’t have to be by page, it can be by book, by chapter, by number of hours, anything.

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And finally, I do have a ton of school-related reading to do Saturday, along with a boatload of other work to catch up on, on Sunday. I should be making a to-do list and mapping out my time for the weekend since it’s going to be crunch time from Friday night through Monday morning. But what am I doing? I’m making a list of snacks to buy and looking up meals to make for read-a-thon. #ProductivityFail.

I’m going to try to be somewhat healthy this weekend, and I’m planning on getting hummus, veggies and pitas; apples (I’m loving Cortlands right now) and peanut butter; whole wheat pasta and vodka sauce with sausage for dinner; zucchini and squash; and popcorn. I’m also on the lookout for good hot apple cider. I will probably also get either pistachios or sunflower seeds because I find that if I keep my hands busy cracking shells in the wee hours of the morning, I don’t get quite so sleepy.

What’s on your snack list? Any go-to suggestions?

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If I don’t make it back here tomorrow, have a great weekend and stop by this weekend for read-a-thon.