BookBoy, YALit 101 And Other Happenings (Nov./Dec. News)

It’s almost Thanksgiving! This is not good, because I’m actually still surprised that it’s 2018… It’ll take me at least until March next year, again, to get the year right on anything I fill out.

That said, I’ve had a pretty good 2018 so far. Lots of school and Skype visits and conference talks, and I got to talk to lots of kids, which is my favorite part of the job. I’ve also been writing a lot: a new MG mystery, a few short stories, and now I’m outlining a new, ambitious YA that’s close to my heart. More about that in 2019 (gasp! See how hard this is going to be?) 

Mystery TV

We like our TV here at the Bradley house, mostly from Netflix and Prime anymore, but there are still a few network shows we watch. Surprisingly good mystery this fall: The Rookie, with Nathan Fillion in it. I was expecting a show like Castle, but this one is more complex than that, with a few darker moments. I like it, and so does my better half, which doesn’t happen often.

            Along with the rest of America (and the world, it seems), we also watched The House on Haunted Hill—very cool and spooky, but with an ending that didn’t quite fit. Still, highly recommended.

Mystery Books

I’ve been reading up a storm—no surprise to you fellow writers, I’m sure. During my school visits, I often tell kids that I read about ten times more than I write, which is no exaggeration. 

Of note this fall (titles for adults this time): Fugitive Red by Jason Starr (juicy, like watching a very bad train wreck, but you can’t look away), and Elevation by Stephen King. I’ve been enamored by the novella lately, and Mr. King masters this length beautifully (despite his usual inclination to write those giant tombs).

Where You Can Find Me

The year is almost over, but I still have a few more events on the calendar:

Nov 25^th: BookBoy, Bookbar’s father-son book club. I'll be talking about Double Vision, of course. If you are a father or a son, come over to Denver’s Bookbar. Or if you’re not, come anyway: this store and the little pocket neighborhood around it is a must-visit. They have wine, and books. It’s brilliant marketing to people like me, plus the staff are really great at recommending books.

Dec. 10^th-24^th: YALit 101. If you’re like me and would rather stay away from the shops this December, join me for a YALit 101: Writing For Teens workshop over at Savvy Authors. It’s all online, which is pretty awesome if you ask me. You bring the hot beverage and wear your best comfortable clothing, I’ll tell you need to know about writing YA. It’ll be the perfect thing to do in December.

I hope you’re having a great last few weeks of 2018, and I hope to catch up with you again in 2019. Until then… Do you have any book or TV recommendations to share?

August Is For Reading

It’s August, and Summer is still kind of lingering for me. I’ve been reading lots, going on hikes, and I even tried fishing. I caught nothing, so don’t expect me to bring dinner…

August usually means back to school here in Colorado (kids start early in my neighborhood), but I’m resisting like a rebellious twelve-year-old. I’d rather be reading and taking naps.

Speaking of reading, here are some notables to share this month:

Books

In middle-grade, I’ve been reading lots of chapter books, and picked up the Greetings from Nowhere series by Harper Paris. 

Such a fun travel-focused chapter book series—recommended for your early reader.

A lucky find at ALA in Denver earlier this year, I finally got around to reading Copyboy by Vince Vawter. This might be one of the best books I've read this year, about a young man traveling to the Gulf Coast to spread his mentor’s ashes. A great coming-of-age story that defies age classification. Plus, it was a nice trip down memory lane, as we lived down south for a few years.

I ended up reading Paperboy first, which is another awesome read that precedes Copyboy. Go read both, you won’t regret it.

For adults, I read Paul Tremblay’s Cabin at the End of the World, which is super creepy and suspenseful horror. A great book, though I wonder if it would’ve been even better as a novella. 

Or maybe that’s the impatient reader in me talking…

I've been finding myself skipping past large passages in longer books lately, preferring shorter works, short stories and novellas. 

In any case: I recommend this book by Paul Tremblay. Horror at its best.

Where to Find Me

On the web, I wrote a post for Career Authors on the difference between MG and YA, in case you’re interested in learning more. 

And I’ll be hitting the road. going to BookBar on August 11th, for their mother-daughterbook club. If you’re in Denver, come join us!

To close, here’s a picture of Apollo, who really knows how to get the most out of a good nap...