To Stay Alive -- Book Review

Thought for the Day:

"Don't just plan to write - write. It is only by writing, not dreaming about it,

that we develop our own style."

~ P. D. James ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

Janice Hardy always has something great to help us. The post HERE on Endings is no exception. 

Bobbi Miller wrote a wonderful post on the Teaching Authors blog HERE to remind us that Villains are People Too! 

If you are a pantser like me, you probably could use some help with plot. Margie Flinchum Atkins has a terrific post on plotting at the Group Blog. Check it out HERE. 

Sorry to have been gone so long. My husband's illness has been most difficult. He spent 20 days in the hospital, then was moved to a skilled nursing facility for rehab, but it hasn't gone really well. He has now been there 10 days, and I'm not sure when he will come home. He hasn't really been able to eat, and that has delayed his recovery. He is quite weak and has, at last count, lost over 65 pounds since November when he started having problems. Between trips to the hospital and rehab facility -- two or three a day -- I managed to get a moving company to bring our furniture to our new house (2 Men and a Truck were incredible!) and am still bringing small loads each day and sorting and unpacking. Worst surprise -- water damage behind the washer. Who ever looks back there unless you move, right? Ugh. Now I have to deal with the insurance company and start another construction project before I can sell the other house. The good news is I absolutely love our new house, and I get to see our daughter and grandchildren all the time. I think Dave will love it here when he comes home, hopefully this week. Fingers crossed!

When last I wrote, I promised a copy of Applesauce Weather by Helen Frost to one of you. (I think I actually know where it is!) The winner is Joanne Roberts. Congratulations, Joanne! If you don't know her, she is a children's illustrator and writer. You can find our more about her at her blog, Bookish Ambition, which you can find HERE. Joanne, I will get your book out to you soon. I won't be having a giveaway this week for two reasons -- I don't want to give up my copy, and I have no idea when I might get to the post office.

I was contacted by a publicist not long ago about review copies of several books. I chose a book in verse called To Stay Alive by Skila Brown. One of my favorite books of recent years was All We Left Behind by Nancy Herman which I reviewed HERE. It's a haunting historical novel about the Donner party, and the subject matter is difficult at best, but still fascinating. To Stay Alive is also a story of the Donner party. While All We Left Behind is the story of Virginia Reed, this book focuses on Mary Ann Graves, one of ten children of Franklin and Elizabeth Graves, a family who were part of the Donner party. It is Mary Ann's voice who tells the story of her family's journey with all the excitement, adventure, hardships, and, ultimately, pain and heartbreak she faces. She is brave, smart, and determined. Readers will cheer for her and suffer with her and hope with her even when all hope seems to be lost. 

I thought I would be able to whiz through this book as I often do with verse novels, but I was wrong. The poetry of this book is so rich and layered that it demands and deserves a slow, deliberate read. Sometimes when I read a novel in verse, I wonder what makes it verse and not just an interesting use of white space. I never wondered while reading this book. The writing is spectacular and

Skila Brown

lyrical, the story is powerful and heartbreaking, and the characters are well-rounded and engaging. I think this book will garner a very wide readership, from older, sophisticated middle-grade readers to adults and it deserves to. This book won't be out until October, but it is worth your time to pre-order lest you forget and miss out on this one. At least put it on your TBR list right now! 

I hope I will be back here next week, but who knows? Sometimes life gets in the way. Thanks for being patient with me through my crazy life.

Applesauce Weather -- Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

"So you're taking a few blows. That's the price for being in the arena

and not on the sidelines." 

~ The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

Janice Hardy again. This time she discusses Story Questions and it’s a good one. Click HERE to read it. 

Anything to make our characters richer is a good thing. Check out this post from Adventures in YA Publishing HERE for some great ideas on building rich characters. 

Writers Helping Writers has a great post HERE on using Twitter as a research resource. Who knew?

I may disappear for a bit. My husband's illness marches on. He had two surgeries last week -- Sunday night they tried to place a stent, but the colon was perforated and Monday morning at about 5:30 they called telling me they would have to operate again and remove his colon. It was not the outcome we hoped for, but we hope it will give him a chance for good health. His recovery is rough. He is still in the hospital, has had some setbacks this week, and when he is able to leave will have to go to a skilled nursing facility for rehab. Our remodel is a day or two from finished, and I need to get us moved to our new house and get this house on the market. So if I disappear for a couple weeks, don't be too surprised. On the other hand, writing this may be good therapy for me, so I might just show up.

This week I'd like to introduce you to a new middle-grade book written in verse. Here is the description for Applesauce Weather by Helen Frost from Goodreads: In a touching poetic novel, a fall apple ritual—along with some inventive storytelling—brings a family together as they grieve the loss of a beloved family member.

When the first apple falls from the tree, Faith and Peter know that it’s applesauce weather, even though Peter is getting a little old for such things. It also means Uncle Arthur should be here to tell his stories, with a twinkle in his eye as he spins tales about how he came to have a missing finger. But this is the first year without Aunt Lucy, and when Uncle Arthur arrives, there’s no twinkle to be found and no stories waiting to be told. Faith is certain, though, that with a little love and patience, she and Peter might finally learn the truth about that missing finger. Paired with warm, expressive illustrations by Amy June Bates, this heartfelt tale by award-winning poet Helen Frost highlights the strength of family and the power of a good story.

I love this little book. It's only 112 pages and you can read it in no time at all. It has quite a lot of illustrations, perfectly charming ones at that, and looks like a book for very early middle-grade readers, but the richness of the story and the complexities of the characters and the mature issues discussed along with the beautiful, lyrical writing may well garner some older readers as well. I particularly love the inclusion of a verse from Aunt Lucy, the great-aunt who has passed away and who was so important to the characters, at the beginning of each chapter. It really gives texture to the story to have some of her memories woven throughout. I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book won't be out until August, but you can surely pre-order it, and it's

Helen Frost

worth doing. Heck, the cover alone is worth it! This book is simply lovely. I have a gently-read ARC for one of you. To win, all you need do is have a US address, be a subscriber or follower, and tell me that in a comment you leave on this post. If you are reading this in your email, click HERE to go to the blog so you can leave a comment. If you would like extra chances, please spread the word by posting the link on a Tweet, blog post, Facebook, or any other way you like. Let me know what you have done in your comment, and I will put in extra chances for you for each that you do.

Don't forget to check out Shannon Messenger's wonderful blog HERE for many more Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday reviews and giveaways.