What I am reading

Contrary to my previous posts, I do actually get a chance to read books every once in a while.  Of course, I suffer from the horrific problem of not finishing most of what I read.  Especially with non-fiction, I often start books, get into the middle, and then drop off.  The following are 3 books that I am reading and am damn close to making it all the way to the end of.  In order of pages read…

Moose: A Memoir of Fat Camp by Stephanie Klein.  So I’m a little late to the party on this one.  I read her first book, Straight Up and Dirty, and am a reader of her blog.  This one seemed to hit a bit too close to home to pick up.  I had to weight wait until I was down 2 stone (figure it out for yourself, non-Anglophiles) to pick it up.  I’m glad I did.  It’s funny in parts, and terribly touching in others, without making the reader feel like it’s needlessly playing with your emotions.  Yes, I can totally relate with some of the things that she relays in the book, but thankfully I am far enough from them that I can look back without too much angst.  I’m 2 chapters from the end, so this one is totally in the bag for me. 

I’m also reading The Mind of Boysby Michael Gurian.  It’s published by Wiley, so I’ve known about this book for a while.  It wasn’t until I walked into Boy’s preschool and saw that the place was full of boys that I reached for it.  What, I wondered, is going on in the world that a school for kids with speech and developmental delays is populated almost solely with boys?  While what they talk about in the book isn’t necessarily for his age group, it is a great way to prepare for elementary school and beyond.  It makes the point that boys learn differently from girls, and that our educational systems are most often geared toward the learning styles of girls.  I’m about half-way through, and it really is enlightening.  If you are the parent of a boy, you owe it to your child to read this book. 

Finally, the book that I really need to sit down and take the time to read properly, not in between bites of frozen pizza.  The 3 Big Questions For A Frantic Family is the latest from our powerhouse business author Pat Lencioni.  His other books have been for the business shelf.  This is his first book that takes a look at business principles to family life.  In a way, this is something that the IT family needs desperately.  When I started reading bits of “Theresa’s” story, I saw a lot of myself in it.  Too much even.  From the little I have read, it’s already caused me to think of things in a new way.  I’m still in the process of digesting the first question, that is defining what makes your family unique.  As I get through this one, and questions 2 & 3, I will be continuing the discussion here.  Once I find the time, that is, to learn about why I never seem to have any time.  Ah paradoxes.

Happy Banned Books Week!

Yesterday marked the start of Banned Books Week 2008.  And what better way to celebrate than to remove books you find questionable from a library in a small Alaskan town pick up a book from the ALA’s list of most challenged of 2007.  Thankfully, two books (”Beloved”, “The Bluest Eye”) from one of my favorite authors, Toni Morrison, were off the list.  But Ms. Morrison is still on the top 10 most challenged author list.   Seriously people, what up with that? 

I didn’t see Judy Blume on the list, but she has been there before.  I don’t know how I could have gotten through adolescence without her. 

Why not stop into your local library, and find out how they respond to people who want books removed?  I talked to my local librarian who all but laughed at me when I inquired as to whether she or the library board bans books.  But I don’t exactly live in the kind of place that does that.  If you live in a “red state”, have the conversation.  Understand what goes on, so you can be informed.  This video from the American Library Association could be your reality.  

Remember, if you don’t like it, don’t read it.  If you don’t want your kids reading it, don’t let them.  But you don’t have the right to make that decision for me or anyone else.

Blood Lust for Books

When I was at BEA earlier this summer, I picked up a few galleys and books to read. 

OK, if you were with me or saw me at the show, you are falling over laughing right now.  I’m well known as someone who cannot pass by a free book.  I have been known to resort to crawling through the show floor while I carry 30 or so new books on my back like a literary sherpa.  This year, I had so many, I had to have them sent back with the convention shipment.  I heard it was, ahem, a large box.  A Very Large Box.  All caps.

Anyhow, among the galleys were a bunch of teenage vampire books.  I had no idea this was a whole genre in the teen book market.   I’ve always said I’m a sucker for a good gothic novel (sucker…get it?).  Apparently, the craze was started by the Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” books.  I hadn’t heard of her or the books before, but those were the first ones I picked up.  I really liked them, and was excited to see the 4th book was coming out this month.  Sure, they’re “teen” books, but it’s not like I get a lot of free reading time these days for the deep stuff, and these were entertaining and fun.

The 4th and final book in the series, “Breaking Dawn” publishes tomorrow, but many bookstores are having midnight release parties in an effort to capture some of the Harry Potter mojo.  Today I read in PWthat ebook customers won’t be able to have their own midnight madness parties - the publisher, Little Brown, is delaying release of the ebook version to 24 hours after the print edition has dropped.  The reasoning they give is a little lame - they want to make sure that everyone has equal access to the book.  If the ebook released at midnight, someone on the West coast could get a jump on reading it online early than someone in the same time zone could get the print copy.

Seriously?  That’s the best they could come up with?  That’s beyond ridiculous.  Why should ebook customers be penalized for being adopters of technology?  Shouldn’t they be able to sit at home and download their hot new book at the time others have access to it?  Even my West coast peeps would agree wtih that one.  Not only should they have not done that, they should, in my opinion, have given ebook customers a 24 hour or more ADVANCE on purchasing.  Why not?  Don’t we want to encourage sales of ebooks and purchases of ebook readers?  Hachette, incidentally my least favorite employer ever, did say that they would try to manage these situations more efficiently in the future, but you have to wonder why they overthought this and managed to piss of all the Kindle, Sony eReader and other customers out there. 

Me, I’ve got a copy coming to me from my local non-chain bookstore.  Just hope I can find some spare time this weekend to read it.

OMG OMG OMG

Being on the Blog to Book panel was more amazing than I could imagine. I was so nervous, but it seemed to go well. I’m writing this from the closing keynote where I’m half listening, half reading Tweets about what people thought of the session. The response was amazing, overwhelming, and most humbling.

For those who could not attend, you were missed. But you can view the transcript thanks to a very thoughtful live blogger.

For those visiting my site after the session, welcome.  This is a rather eclectic blog that isn’t necessarily all things to all people, but if you look at the tag cloud and the blog roll, you’ll probably find something that you’re looking for.  If you have a question I didn’t answer, ASK IT IN THE COMMENTS SESSION!  75 minutes have never went by so quickly, and I know we didn’t cover half of what we wanted to.  We did get some really good questions so I hope people found it useful.

calling all wiley authors attending blogher 08

We’re doing our book display list for Wiley’s BlogHer 08 table right this very moment.  If you are a Wiley author, past, present or future, and are attending, PLEASE let me know so we can make sure your book is there for display.  I usually know all the tech authors who are there, but I am not as in touch with folks on the consumer and business side.  Err on the side of caution either way and make yourself known to me!  Thanks, and look forward to seeing you in San Fran!

Blast from the past

Ridden “Spaceship Earth” at EPCOT recently?  You might be surprised, as I was, to see a Wiley book in one of the scenes.  You can’t see it from this video, but the desk next to the most groovy woman has a copy of Brown/System/360 Job Control Language from Wiley. 

 

It’s the book in green - blow up the picture for a better view.  You can run, but you cannot escape the COBOL dinosaurs!

BookExpo Day 1

It’s one for the books.  Day one at BookExpo was pretty great.  The crowd was just about what we expected, it being LA and a Friday.  I think traffic will be heavier today, but hopefully as manageable as it was yesterday.

We had many, MANY blogtalkradio interviews, and all went smashingly.   There were all great - Mike Robbins, of “Focus on the Good Stuff” was charming and gave a really good interview.  It was very exciting to have David Iglesias sit down and chat as well.   Marsha Collier was a total pro, as always.  Dr. Ruth, celebrating her 80th birthday shortly, also gave a really fun interview.  You can catch all of these at Blogtalkradio.com.

Erin Manning was a total rock star.  She gave a really amazing demo on how to take better pictures, which attracted a crowd of people hanging on her every word.  Seriously, the woman knows how to work a crowd.  I even learned a thing or two from her, and plan on experimenting on IT Boy when I get back. 

I also had many celebrity sightings outside of the Wiley booth.  Slash, Mario Lopez, Barbara Walters, and Jackie Collins were all seen out and about.  I also got a wonderful photo of Marsha with George Hamilton that I will post later.  You’d think she was at Madame Tussauds, but, no, he was real.

The Digital Lifestyle concept has been interesting.  The BTR interviews are going great.  Erin was super, and I love having digital photo frames on the wall to upload pictures that we’re taking real time.  No one is using the laptop for a demo area, so I have been tweeting there, but mostly, it’s not being used.  But it’s giving us a lot of ideas for what to do next year (did I really say next year?)

All in all, I don’t think I have ever worked as hard at a BEA as I did yesterday.  I did find some time to snag a few galleys, including the new Philippa Gregory book (I love me some historical fiction) and will be sharing my ill-gotten gains with my friends when I return home. 

Today, Don Felder and Hugh Hefner will be in the booth.  I predict a madhouse, even if the Girls Next Door don’t show up.  I’m off to day 2 - talk to you on the other side!

 

IT Girl Goes to the Gala

Wanted to follow up with the details of the Poets & Writers “In Celebration of Writers” gala that I attended last night.  Because it’s not every day we attend a “gala”, now is it?

 Here’s what transpired, in a nutshell:

• Before Eileen asks, I wore a new black jacket with black pants and a tank top.  Kitt, who is my at work fashion consultant, approved of the outfit and I had to concur.  I felt very comfortable in it.  She came in a gorgeous purple velvet pantsuit.  Only Kitt can rock a purple velvet pantsuit.  Kitt is an IT Girl in my book any day.   
• As predicted, the Wiley folks did tend to congregate in a corner of the room.  Why?  Because this is POETS and WRITERS, a celebration, for the most part of fiction.  And Wiley doesn’t publish any fiction.  But we support P&W, so we were there giving out big Haiku Hi-fives. 
• That’s not to say that I didn’t recognize anyone.  On the elevator up to the ballroom, a woman with a baby got on, followed by a man.  I looked at her and said to myself, that’s Lili Taylor, I had no idea she was even pregnant much less a mom.  Other Wiley folks (hello Morgan!) doubted me, but thanks to Twitter, @treepusher was able to let me know that according to wikipedia, she was due to give birth to a baby girl in January of this year.  When I asked how old the girl was, she said she was 7 weeks, and couldn’t wait to make her debut at the dinner.  I congratulated them, and later saw her nursing her in the middle of the ballroom.  Way to go, sister.  Power to the leche people. 
• I also recognized Mary Higgens Clark and her daughter Carol at the cocktail hour.  The same cocktail hour where I ate my weight in little Reuben sandwiches.  Yum!
• Poets!  We had perhaps the coolest poet in the history of poets at our table.  Cornelius Eady - check out the hotlink, his hair is longer and even cooler now.   Let’s just say that if Sally Ride made physics cool for me, this guy could make poetry cool for anyone.  I ended up ordering one of his anthologies off Amazon because I thought he would be a good read for me and Little IT.  His wife was way cool too - she’s a SF/fantasy geek.  I felt so at home with her.
• Walking into the main room, I saw a guy who looked so familiar.  Morgan said, “That’s Imapeecee.”  After I made her repeat that 3 times, I realized it was the guy from the “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC commercials.”  Did you know PC is an author?  Who knew that?
• Other authors that had me in fangirl mode were Erica Jong (I was in the ladies room with her - my mom would have fainted); Michael Cunningham (I mouthed I LOVE YOU as I walked by, but he probably 1. didn’t see it, and 2. doesn’t care about the love of a Hetero woman); Susan Isaacs (I used to read her when I first started working and someone left one of her books on the train); Andy Borowitz (he’s very funny) and some others I cannot remember.  But trust me, I was impressed. 
• Peter Straub, one of the nights honorees, is someone I have read previously.  OK, so I read him because he wrote with Stephen King, but still, give me that, will you?
• The food was a bit lame, but dessert was served in the hallway - o strange chocolate things coated in gold, we had a special night, didn’t we?

 All in all, it was fun.  And since the grown ups will probably end up going next year, I can say that my one visit to Poets & Writers was pretty cool.  I felt like a geeky little Cinderella at the ball.  What more could an IT Girl want?

BTR and Andy Beal

Andy Beal, the author of “Radically Tranparent“ was interviewed here at SXSW by John Havens of BlogTalkRadio.  You can listen to the interview here. 

I also attended Andy’s book reading at SXSW and it was great.  I have to admit, if I didn’t work for the company, he would have convinced me that I need this book.  Not just for reputation monitoring and personal brand management, but to learn the best ways to communicate with my customers and figure out what we as a company can do better.  He made a very sweet plea at the end to attendees to help insure he was not the only author at the end of a session with no one to sign for, but that was not the case.  Even though I was questioning the book stage venue, it brought out the book buyers, so something is working!

Facebook For Dummies LIVE

Tonight was author Carolyn Abram’s signing at the White Plains NY Barnes & Noble.  It wasn’t an ordinary evening for me for many reasons.  First, we don’t do many book signings in tech.  For the most part, outside of celebrity authors like a Kevin Mitnick or key locations like Seattle and Silicon Valley, tech books tend not to draw a crowd.  However, Carolyn pulled a nice group of people, and she wasn’t related to all of them.  Second, due to many difficulties with NYC transit, Mr IT was detoured and I had to bring Little IT and IT Boy to the signing.  I kept asking where that whiny kid came from, only to be told he belonged to me.  Oh well, it was late for him to be out, and he really was a trouper. 

I was thrilled to meet Carolyn.  She’s got a great rep among the editorial staff in Indy.  She was pleasant and very thrilled to be a first time author.  Her family in attendance was just beaming with pride, as cliched as that sounds.   She was quite gracious with Little IT, who was so thrilled to meet an author who used to go to her school.  I think she got that she had the opportunity to be a role model for a little girl, and she ran with it.  For that, I am so grateful.  After that, Little IT kept asking how she could be an author someday.  All in all, it was a great night and I hope Carolyn enjoys every moment of being a published author!

Oh, and if you want to see pictures, you’re going to have to go to Facebook.  Normally, I would double post on smugmug, but this time, it only seems right to house them there.