RIASS stuff:
Book Review: The Mask of Ra by Paul Doherty'Rating: 
(an intriguing Ancient Egypt setting, but the writing in this one didnt work for me)
Book Review: A Brief History of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper'Rating: '(a book about a crumbling royal family set in a crumbly old castle. Reminds me that I need to read'I Capture the Castle)
Book Cover Trend: Gates in middle grade fiction
Giveaway: The Sea of Trolls by Nancy Farmer'(open to all)
Other bookish stuff:
Separate, not equal: the dangers of shelving PoC fiction separately'Author Coe Booth speaks of the ghettoisation of her work based on her book coverswhich feature PoC characters. These covers mean that Booths books are shelved not in the mainstream sections, but in the street lit/urban fiction sections. And while shes all for the books being shelved in'both, having them shelved in one or the other is less appealing. People wont find them unless theyre actively searching for street lit/urban fiction, which limits her readership and reach. Interestingly, she notes that this is more of a problem for YA authors than adult authors.
How do you prefer your romances? Insta-love or slow burn?'Each of Book Chick Citys reviewers chime in with their own preferences. Some interesting quotes: I adore that ultimate moment when the hero and heroine finally realise how totally in love they are with one another, says Laura; Now I am thinking about it though, do things start off as 'love at first sight', even though they turn out to be a slow burn? And at what point do you consider the relationship 'there'? says Vickie. Personally, Im more of a fan of the slow burnIm all for instant'attraction, but not so much instant love. And love/hate doesnt really do it for me.
How the economic situation has affected publishing in Greece''I feel unarmed against the crisis quite often these days,' says Anastasia Lambria, publisher of Potamos. 'Our country is without bookshops, the reading public is without money and crucially, without horizons.' It turns out that one of the only good things about the crisis is that its renewed interest in books about Greece.
Four months of Moby Dick in audio, anyone?'Tilda Swinton and an assortment of other actors are lending their voices to a four month long read-a-long of Mevilles classic. I love that Philip Hoare compares the book with a blog.
Adrienne Kress on anachronism in steampunk'I like Kresss thoughts on toying with voice: When we emulate the literature of the past in our own, we arent emulating how people actually spoke. We are emulating how the writers of the past represented how people of the past spoke.
Has Amazons 10% free preview approach affected your book buying?'The author notes that its led to an increase in cliff-hanger chapters designed to encourage people to buy the book, and also in highly polished first chaptersand less polished subsequent ones.
Sue Bursztynski on banned and challenged books in Australia and beyond:'I was once confronted by a teacher who objected to a fantasy novel whose cover featured one of those babes in a chain mail bikini. I agreed that the cover was woeful and the woman in the picture would be horribly uncomfortable, 'but the novel itself 'featured a woman warrior and it was rather absurd to object to it on the basis of equal opportunity. And no, she hadnt read it.
Six deadly dos and donts for dealing with editors'These include ensuring that youre communicative, and trying not to be too rigideven where your bookish baby is involved. An editor is an extraordinary reader'it's what they do for a living!'so if they are confused by something, chances are, your audience will be as well.
Mary Kole on impartial observers in fiction and why they dont work'Kole points out that its easy to let a character merely be an observer and remain distanced from the action. She points out that unless a character reaches out and participates, its difficult for a reader to get to know them.
A long lost essay by Agatha Christie has been published for the first time'The essay looks at the British detective mystery, and Christies opinions of other authors. Most get positive reviews, but Christies a good deal more humble about her own work, calling herself merely industriousand saying that shes sick to death of Poirot.
Kim Sabatini on opening the door to acceptance'The passage of moving from a writer to an author is never completely in your control. Do your best to grow your craft and always value your journey as much, if not more than, the prize of publication. That is what you can control. And when you do fly over that hurdle, remember what it felt like to need validation and what it means to receive it.
Coming of age: defining the YA novel'How can YA be properly defined? Is it books'about teens'for teens? Or is there something more?
Ooh, a pretty library
5 Mystery Book Series That Are Now TV Shows
Googles digital library efforts stymied by Authors Guild
Are you doing anything for The Hobbit Second Breakfast Event this Friday?
