Whistle in the Dark by Susan Hill Long

Last Thursday I went to the debut book opening of Whistle in the Dark. It was held at the Cedar Hills Powell's Books.

This is a fictionalized historical novel about a young boy who wants a dog but gets a miner's cap instead.

I haven't read it yet but I have started it.

It was a fun evening listening to Susan Hill Long talk about her journey as a writer.

I'll post more when I finish the story. . . but for now, you just might want to run out and get your own copy. 

DIVERSE ENERGIES

I even love the name of this book and two of the authors were at the book signing panel, which took place Sunday, October 14th at Powell's Books in Beaverton: Malinda Lo and Cindy Pon.
But the full panel included: Mette Ivie Harrison, Cindy Pon, Janni Lee Simner, Sarah Rees Brennan and Malinda Lo. And all of these women write about strong female characters!!! and if that's not cool, I don't know what is. Plus, Sarah Rees Brennan kept me laughing while she talked about her new book Unspoken. So, now I have another book on my TBR list.

This great panel of speakers had just come from the Sirens Conference, which now I want to go to next year and was sorry I missed it this year because these speakers were funtabulous. Between skits and humorous anctedotes all of these women told powerful stories about writing, their characters and they even shared part of there lives, like the fact that Mette Harrison is an Iron Man Athlete! Crazy strong female character herself. They also talked about speculative fiction and writing in that field: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and/or Horror.

I bought a copy of Diverse Energies because Cindy Pon is one of the authors and after Silver Phoenix and Fury of the Phoenix, you have to have something else of hers to read...right? It also didn't hurt that Malinda Lo has one of her stories in the book. Plus I think anthologies are always fun and diverse... ;D because you have different authors with different stories to tell from different perspectives.And Cindy and Malinda both signed the copy for me :D

Tea for Tuesday

Actually I thought I'd share Three Cups of Tea By Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin sponsored by The Literary Arts and Powell's Books

"The first time you share tea with a Balti, you are a stranger," a villager tells ... "The second time, you are an honored guest. The third time you become family and for our family, we are prepared to do anything, even die."

I went to hear Greg Mortenson speak at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall Monday night and he is an inspiration. He's one man promoting peace with education, especially for girls, in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Using Pennies for Peace to fund his projects of building schools in war-torn Pakistan and Afghanistan, he is proving that one person can make a difference in the world--and it can be a dramatic one.

He says "I've learned that terror doesn't happen because some group of people somewhere like Pakistan or Afghanistan simply decide to hate us. It happens because children aren't being offered a bright enough future that they have a reason to choose life over death."

How is this related to the upcoming holiday season? I would say when we think of "Peace on Earth" we can think of Greg's mission to promote peace through education. The pen truly is mightier than the sword.

Plus, this lecture reminded me of my favorite show of all time, "It's a Wonderful Life"

George Bailey--just like Greg Mortenson--proves that one life can make a tremendous difference in the world.

So Merry Christmas You Good Ole' Savings & Loan!

GLOOM AND DOOM - In the Same Sentence as POWELL'S BOOKS???

Here's an article in the New York Times that talks all gloom and doom but I couldn't help but love it anyway--why? Because it talks about Powell's Books, which just happens to be one of my favorite hangouts and Portland too. Plus it plugs Intel and Nike. And, okay, Nike is in a suburb of Portland but close enough.