Meeting Idols

Last Monday, as some of you will know from my over enthusiastic tweeting, I went to an once in a lifetime event with two of my favourite illustrators, Shaun Tan and Quentin Blake.  I was surprised and oddly, slightly outraged that the event wasn't heavily advertised.  I mean, it's Shaun Tan and Quentin Blake.  Two titans of the illustration world whose work I've admired and ravenously clamoured after for years.  If my wonderful boyfriend hadn't found out about the event by sheer luck, I would have been devastated at the missed opportunity to meet them both.  If both names are unfamiliar to you (I really, really hope not) here's a bit of basic information.

Shaun Tan in his studio

Shaun Tan is an Australian author and illustrator. While best known for his meticulously detailed and beautifully rendered wordless graphic novel, The Arrival, Shaun has also gained recognition from winning an Oscar last year for the fantastic animated short "The Lost Thing" which was adapted from his picture book of the same name.  I fell in love with Shaun's work after being introduced to his books by a lovely fellow bookseller 6 years ago and have been an obsessive fan ever since.  "The Arrival" is my favourite work and has been a reliable source of comfort every time I feel a little twinge of homesickness.    

Quentin Blake is renowned for his illustrations of Roald Dahl’s much-loved stories, but has collaborated with many other notable authors over the years such as Michael Rosen (The Sad Book) and most recently David Walliams (Billionaire Boy, Gangsta Granny, etc). So far, Quentin has illustrated over 300 books, including 32 of his own works.  While I love his solo works, his illustrations and name will always be inextricably linked to my childhood memories of reading Dahl's stories.  His drawings brought to life some of my most feared villains and beloved heroes and heroines.

The event itself was a rather intimate, informal chat between the two illustrators as they observed slides of each others' works and differing approaches to illustration.  The absolute highlight of the evening was watching both Shaun and Quentin engaged in some impromptu sketching using themes suggested by the audience.

Can someone let me know what the proper grown up etiquette is when meeting someone you spent years admiring?  I'm assuming squealing, jumping up and down and pointing frantically while asking the inane question "Do you know who you are?" isn't the right thing to do. While I did manage to refrain from turning into the scary fan girl that every semi famous male is terrified of encountering, I wouldn't say that I left with my dignity completely intact.  I think at one point while talking to Shaun Tan, I lost the ability to communicate properly, blanked on the word "bookplate" and for what seemed like the longest 5 seconds of my life, frantically racked my brain for the right word while making charade like hand gestures to try to jerk my brain into some sort of glimmer of recognizable association with the image in my head.  I managed to not make a complete babbling idiot out of myself long enough to get my books signed.

Signed Copies of "The Arrival", "Tales from Outer Suburbia" and "Eric"

It was a tough choice choosing which three books to bring with me for the signing.  I'm extremely glad I brought my Canadian edition of "Tales From Outer Suburbia" since Shaun actually noticed the edition and had a bit of a longer chat with me!  It was quite amazing watching him draw little illustrations in each of the books.  

Signed copy of "Matilda"

I was a bit disappointed that I could only get 1 item signed by Quentin.  I felt a little bit bad about not getting "Clown" signed, but "Matilda" just means so much to me that it couldn't have been any other book.

Originally, I mainly thought of this trip as an fantastic chance to meet two of my favourite artists, but as I read and re-read through the collection of books John and I brought to be signed, I realized I forgotten that I'm not only meeting world renowned illustrators, but world renowned storytellers.  Sometimes it's nice to just settle down and take the time to slowly re-read an old favourite rather than flip nonchalantly through familiar pages and images.          

Decisions, Decisions....

A few days ago I posted my first book review on this site and to be honest, I was terrified.  Not because I've never done a review before, I've done many over the last 12 years, but the bulk of them were written on tiny throw away review cards, temporary dumpbin or table headers or posted on our ever changing website.  Nothing seemed very permanent and while I do see many people squinting to read through my tiny bite sized reviews each day and pick up the corresponding titles to purchase, I never felt like I've ever said enough to do justice to the wonderful stories that sometimes need that extra push into willing hands.

Don't get me wrong, there is an art to writing review cards.  Making them interesting enough to engage and hold the reader's attention, reveal a bit about the book or what to expect while reading the book and then the ability to comprise it in a way that sounds passionate;  not gimmicky and a sincere recommendation; not a sales pitch.  All that in 4 sentences or less, depending on how small you can write and if you're using a biro vs a sharpie.  No small feat.  

And while I do make that extra effort to put my honest opinion of the book on the every card I write, I am constantly aware that I am a bookSELLER.  It's my job to sell books and being positive about the books I'm promoting is a key factor in being a good bookseller.  I try never lying about liking or having read a book to a customer, because I'd like to think that most people can see through those type of insincere comments, but I won't intentionally rip apart a book when I think a customer might honestly enjoy reading it.  Maybe I'm an idealist, but I think every book has its audience. Big or small, niche or mainstream, serious or smut, literary or silly throwaway holiday read, they all have their place in our shop and who am I to judge? At least people are reading. That's what matters. 

I think that was part of the problem I was confronted with while writing my review for 'Days of Blood and Starlight'.  I think too much like a bookseller.  Even though I absolutely adored the novel, I was constantly nagged by the fact that the publication date is a few months off and I didn't want to give away too much of the plot beforehand.  If I had summarized too much of the previous book it would have spoiled the devastating revelations that are revealed in the closing moments of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone and that contributes so much to the absolute brilliance of it and the compulsive need for the next instalment.  It's the difference between a day one must have hardback and a wait for paperback release and I'm aware of that fact. I want the book to do well on its initial hardback release, because I believe it's one that deserves to do so, but I know in reality that paperbacks tend to be the easier sell when it comes to hand selling unknown/ unestablished authors.  

So what is a reputable reviewer to do then?  Be good and wait until the book is nearly or already released before reviewing it thoroughly and honestly?  Spoilers and all? And what's the etiquette regarding sequels?  Pretend that the readers have already read the previous titles in the series and jump right into the review without the added history? Or do you have to give the necessary background information just in case and then keep calm and carry on with the awareness that new and old fans might be reading your words?       

  

Maybe I'm putting too much thought into all of this.  This is after all something new I'm trying out and hopefully as I gain a bit more experience I'll come up with a style or set of guidelines that I'm comfortable with.  My own code of book reviewing conduct.  Right now I'll settle for rambling away my exhausting thoughts on such matters to whoever will listen to or willingly read them and write up another more extensive review for 'Days of Blood and Starlight' for posting on its November release date.  I'll post a link back to the original review for those who don't want too know too much about the plot, but hopefully this new critique will give me free reign to gush about all the lush things I had to skimp out on previously like character development, the dynamics of the parallel world Eretz and my hopes for what may lie in the upcoming final chapter of this enchanting trilogy.  I'm not sure if I want to carry on with writing one non-spoilerific review and a spoiler laden one for each book I come across in the future, but I think I owe it to this book.

What are your thoughts on the matter?  Have any of my fellow booksellers or blog reviewers tackled this conundrum before and have any advice to pass on? Or am I asking too much since this is my fourth post on an otherwise relatively unread blog?

So here I am... left here eagerly awaiting some kind of response, but expecting none.  A good excuse to do some reading. :)     

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

ISBN: 9781444722673

Format: Hardback

Pages: 516

Genre: Fantasy

Publication Date: November 8, 2012

Please note that this review refers to an uncorrected advanced proof edition and the listed details above are for the upcoming hardback edition out this autumn.  

SYNOPSIS

Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a new way of living.

One without massacres and torn throats and bonfires of the fallen, without revenants or bastard armies or children ripped from their mother's arms to take their turn in the killing and dying. 

Once, the lovers lay entwined in the moon's secret temple and dreamed of a world that was like a jewel-box without a jewel - a paradise waiting for them to find it and fill it with their happiness.

This was not that world.

REVIEW

I thought it would be a long well drawn out contest to see which book would be the first one I reviewed for my brand new blog, but as soon as I opened my delightful puffy blue parcel bag from Hodder, I knew there wasn't anything else I could consider reading or writing about. 

Days of Blood and Starlight is the sequel to Laini Taylor's refreshing novel Daughter of Smoke and Bone.  I deliberately chose the word "refreshing", because when I first requested a copy of the book I had no knowledge that angels would make an appearance between its pages and after my first encounter with the Seraphim I approached the book with a new, extremely wary outlook.  The Young Adult and Dark Fantasy markets are now flooded with stories of doe-eyed vampires, frolicking fairies and romantic angels interested in more than just merely saving your everlasting soul, so it's hard to approach a book containing one of those archetypes without some preconceived prejudice or preference for them.  But I was extremely pleased to discover that it was a book with a lot of depth to it: fantastic well rounded characters, interesting storyline that flowed seamlessly from one chapter to the next and a slyly hinted hidden realm whose full history is yet unexplained.  If you haven't read the Daughter of Smoke and Bone, I strongly recommend you do.  It's a rare gem of a book that accomplishes something unique within its genre and hopefully it will inspire both readers and writers to try something a bit different in the future.

Laini Taylor's follow up novel not only lives up to the high expectations her previous book demanded of it, but outshines it in almost every possible way. It's almost a shame that it cannot be read as a standalone novel since there is little to no summarization of the events from the previous book, but because the author assumes that the reader has the much needed background information the novel starts straight into the narrative without the burden of long drawn out exposition.

What you get instead is a fiercely addictive read that is incredibly hard to put down due to its cunningly scripted chapter endings that tease the reader into reading "just one more chapter". It's "stay up into the wee hours with a pot of coffee and a pillow" good.    

While it does read like an compulsive, mesmerizing modern fable, Taylor takes the time to lovingly create characters that are so well fleshed out that readers can't help but become emotionally invested in them. It's a rare treat to come across an author that takes such care to render her characters in such exquisite detail that you come to care about even the most minor of players in this epic struggle between Seraphim and Chimera.  There were times when I felt every betrayal like a slap to my own face and there were some unjust events that brought a dark flush to my face and a tiny angry fist shake in the air.

Days of Blood and Starlight is a devastatingly beautiful and remarkable read.  Highly imaginative and beautifully written, I would gladly trade a bag full of teeth just to get my hands on the last book in this so far outstanding trilogy.

5 out of 5 Stars

(I will hopefully sort out the stars next time around! *smiles*)

Short and Sweet: The Twitter Review

A compulsive and mesmerizing modern fable that breathes new life into old legends while weaving its own captivating tale.

Beautiful Book of the Month: August

It's a well known fact among my friends, family, colleagues and regular customers that I have a borderline unhealthy obsession with beautiful books.  I even implemented a book case full of them in the shop with a bay header proclaiming them as "Beautiful Books" for all to see.  

This is why I can never bring myself to buy an e-reader. I have nothing against the electronic format. I understand its place in our industry and its usefulness with regards to travelling, student textbooks and the practicality of it when it comes to lack of shelf space in homes, but I love the printed word on tangible paper.

There's something special about a well designed cover, beautiful illustrations, surprisingly uncommonplace end papers and unique title pages that give books an added splendour over their cold, soulless electronic counterparts.  Okay, I might be a little bit against e-books... but the absolute pleasure I get from gazing across my heaving bookshelves and running my fingers along their spines until I can no longer resist the pull from one of my beloved tomes and take it out to read. That's priceless. That's magic.  I've never felt the same thing scrolling through a list of titles on a screen or even flicking through rows and rows of book covers displayed on a virtual beige bookshelf.

I'm a bit off topic now. My Beautiful Book of the Month feature will be a celebration of the finely crafted literary treasures I've had the honour of purchasing or pining hopelessly over the years.

Sherlock Holmes By Arthur Conan Doyle

Published October 2009
ISBN:  9780955881879
White's Books LTD
http://www.whitesbooks.com/

Despite being one of the most recent additions to my book collection, this lovely series of books is one I've admired and coveted as a bookseller and book lover over the past few years.  Its my first purchase from this fantastic collection, but I'm sure it won't be my last.

This stunning clothbound edition of Sherlock Holmes is part of the 'Fine Edition' series of books created by a small publishing house called White's Books founded by former Penguin Books designer David Pearson.

Front Cover and Spine

Instead of the traditional dust jacket found on other hardbacks, the distinctive wrap around cloth cover is printed using brass printing blocks and the fantastic image is designed by celebrated illustrator, Michael Kirkham.  Combine that with decorative endpapers, elegant typesetting printed on thick luxurious acid-free paper and this is a something that must be held between your fingers to truly appreciate it.

Endpaper Design

Who, What and Why...

I never really know where to start off with a blog. There's a lot of underlying pressure to come across as interesting and funny in the hope that people will come back to read the following posts or a faint hope that in a few years time, newcomers will stumble across this site and inexplicably feel the need to go back and read the first entry.  I think I'll attempt to ignore all that and just get right to the basics of a good introduction. The Who, What and Why...

I had to start off with the most difficult of the three. Who am I? A question pondered by countless generations of philosophers and hormone raging teenagers. While most people assume that everyone's favourite topic is themselves, I always find it awkward to chat about myself in an introductory fashion.  Basically, I've been a bookseller 12 years and counting, an avid reader, lover and rabid collector of beautiful books, but also an artist, a gamer and all round geek.  I don't like telling people what to think, so I'll show bits and pieces of myself along the way and you can decide for yourself who I am. *smiles*

What is all this?  This is something I've always wanted to do, but have put off for various reasons.  Honestly, I think EVERY bookseller at some point in their bookselling career has toyed with the idea of starting a book review or book related blog.  I've never been brave enough to take the plunge before this.  This will be a site for me to express my opinions on books, old and new and comment on anything and everything book related.  

So why now? Recently, I've been pushing myself quite hard at work. My shop has just undergone a large refit that overhauled the entire layout and look of our store in just under a month.  Its been an endless series of stress filled days and honestly I don't see my working days getting any easier in the near future, but just before the renovations I promised myself that I would take some more time for myself and enjoy my working life more.  I would make the time to read and engage in more conversations about the one constant love in my life.

I absolutely adore books.  From my very first vague memories of flipping through picture books to finding an understanding voice to soothe my turbulent teenage angst to my current need to seek out new worlds to explore and friends to cheer on.

I'm count myself extremely lucky to work in a profession that allows me to be surrounded by books. To work with something I feel so passionately about.  I not only have the opportunity to pass on my own favourites to other enthusiastic readers, but I get the chance to discover lovely new stories I can't wait to read on a daily basis.  Also, if I ask really, really nicely, there are occasions when amazing publishers and reps pass on advanced reading copies for me to review.  I've tried my best to recommend these books to customers, write review cards for the bookshelves and tweet my views on these titles, but it can be frustrating being aware of having to make a sale, the confinements of  the small company issued cards to write in or the restrictiveness of only having 140 characters to express my views in.

While it's rare that I come across a book that I despise and feel the need to rant to the world about its perceived horribleness, I've also rarely come across a book that I can say is without its faults or weaknesses. Normally, it has no huge impact on how enjoyable the overall read is, but I would love to undertake the challenge of writing a comprehensive review.  I might be getting a bit ahead of myself.  I will be experimenting over the next few months with different ideas and layouts I have in my head for these reviews before settling on something that works for me.

So bear with me, stay tuned and maybe you'll discover your next must read.