Jam-packed
This was a pretty jam-packed weekend, I cannot lie.
On Friday evening, my friend and I went out to an art hop, each having a cocktail and walking through various shops and galleries. We met her husband for dinner and each had a raspberry margarita, which I hadn't had in ages and which was the most delicious thing I have ever tasted. My crawfish burrito wasn't bad, either.
The next morning, I got up early and dropped off a bunch of giveaway stuff to a local charity, got a frozen coffee, stopped at the spa to buy my mom a pedicure gift card, and got my hair cut. That afternoon, I babysat for my friend's three-year-old and six-week-old, which was fairly uneventful except for the three-year-old's hiding under a blanket during the prologue of Beauty and the Beast and announcing loudly, "I DO NOT LIKE THIS MOVIE." She later explained that the part that sent her over the edge was when the Beast scratches the picture of him as the prince with his claws. We then watched part of Toy Story 2, The Velveteen Rabbit, and Lady and the Tramp. The newborn was pretty sedate and chilled out except during her diaper change, when she screamed so loudly I thought the windows might shatter. She immediately went into a blissful swing-induced nap after that.
That evening, I took my mom out for a Mother's Day dinner. We had a nice and fairly intense talk. Somehow we got onto the subject of how one of my deepest sources of anxiety and grief is thinking that my parents are worried about me, worried about their kids, and I felt compelled to assure her that no matter what happens to us, we will all be okay. We have each other, and we have them, and they made us strong. She said that was the best Mother's Day gift she could ask for. She shared how it is easy for parents to become obsessed with their kids' choices and become convinced that what they wanted for their own lives and what they need to be happy is also with their kids will need, but that she has learned gradually that what they need is not necessarily what we need and that they have no control over their children's choices. Like I said, it was intense. But good, ultimately, I think. Our waitress, I swear to God, was on speed and that was kind of nerve-wracking, but our food was excellent.
On Mother's Day morning, we ended up going to three different restaurants for lunch because wait times were so insane. My dad said, "Why don't we just drive up to New York and have lunch with your sister? It'd be faster." (My sister moved to New York yesterday; wow.) We also celebrated my dad's birthday, and I gave him some of these coasters, which he really liked. We settled in for a Greek and Lebanese feast, where my dad amusingly ordered a cheeseburger on whole wheat pita bread.
On Friday evening, my friend and I went out to an art hop, each having a cocktail and walking through various shops and galleries. We met her husband for dinner and each had a raspberry margarita, which I hadn't had in ages and which was the most delicious thing I have ever tasted. My crawfish burrito wasn't bad, either.
The next morning, I got up early and dropped off a bunch of giveaway stuff to a local charity, got a frozen coffee, stopped at the spa to buy my mom a pedicure gift card, and got my hair cut. That afternoon, I babysat for my friend's three-year-old and six-week-old, which was fairly uneventful except for the three-year-old's hiding under a blanket during the prologue of Beauty and the Beast and announcing loudly, "I DO NOT LIKE THIS MOVIE." She later explained that the part that sent her over the edge was when the Beast scratches the picture of him as the prince with his claws. We then watched part of Toy Story 2, The Velveteen Rabbit, and Lady and the Tramp. The newborn was pretty sedate and chilled out except during her diaper change, when she screamed so loudly I thought the windows might shatter. She immediately went into a blissful swing-induced nap after that.
That evening, I took my mom out for a Mother's Day dinner. We had a nice and fairly intense talk. Somehow we got onto the subject of how one of my deepest sources of anxiety and grief is thinking that my parents are worried about me, worried about their kids, and I felt compelled to assure her that no matter what happens to us, we will all be okay. We have each other, and we have them, and they made us strong. She said that was the best Mother's Day gift she could ask for. She shared how it is easy for parents to become obsessed with their kids' choices and become convinced that what they wanted for their own lives and what they need to be happy is also with their kids will need, but that she has learned gradually that what they need is not necessarily what we need and that they have no control over their children's choices. Like I said, it was intense. But good, ultimately, I think. Our waitress, I swear to God, was on speed and that was kind of nerve-wracking, but our food was excellent.
On Mother's Day morning, we ended up going to three different restaurants for lunch because wait times were so insane. My dad said, "Why don't we just drive up to New York and have lunch with your sister? It'd be faster." (My sister moved to New York yesterday; wow.) We also celebrated my dad's birthday, and I gave him some of these coasters, which he really liked. We settled in for a Greek and Lebanese feast, where my dad amusingly ordered a cheeseburger on whole wheat pita bread.
After lunch, my mom suggested that I come over to watch The Heart of the Game with her and I said sure. It was just as good the second time around, and she loved it. During the movie, we passed back and forth my dad's giant plastic bubblegum tub that he filled with chocolates for the class he teaches in wrappers in the school colors, which was enjoyable.
I spent the rest of the afternoon watching Music and Lyrics ... it was pretty dumb, but it had its cute moments, and I actually liked the music a lot. Seeing Jason Street as Hugh Grant's partner in the Wham-like 80s group was admittedly hilarious. (You can watch the video here.)
The bulk of the rest of the weekend was spent reading Ellen Emerson White's new book, Long May She Reign (the galley). All 708 pages of it, thanks to Melissa and her connections. I will save my "review"-like comments for when the actual book comes out in October, but I will say now that I never thought that I would see these characters in a new book, and the mere fact that one was written is thrilling. It was great to see Meg and the rest of the Powers family again, and Preston and Beth. I could say a lot more about it, but like I said, I think I should wait until the finished version is released.
Last night my boyfriend arrived safe and sound from his backpacking trip in the Smokies. He did not see any shooting stars, but he saw fireflies. Also, bears.
I wish I could tell you the story of my little brother in Vegas, but I don't think I can. Suffice it to say that it left my entire family in an ecstatic frenzy of text messaging, phone calls riddled with guffaws and screams, and hysteria.
posted by eliza @ 6:30 PM
14 Comments:
I am so jealous you read EEW's newest book. SO JEALOUS that right now I feel dizzy. Tell me Beth was on fire. TELL ME. I loved her the most, I think.
Also, my parents honeymooned in the Smokies, and there is a hilarious picture of my dad standing with his hands on his hips starting down a bear...just like the way he'd stand to stare us down when we didn't do the dishes.
Beth was completely and utterly on fire and utterly Beth-like. I want to talk about the book badly, but I don't want to (a) spoil it for anyone or (b) comment on it because, though I don't know much about publishing, I don't think the galley is the finished version.
That photo of your dad sounds fantastic.
is he getting married????
Can you at least tell us if you liked it? Will we be disappointed? Is it true that it picks up where the last one left off, except it's set in the present and written for adults? Blink one for yes, twice for no? :)
I'm pretty sure that the galley is the practically final version. Sometimes it needs to be copy edited for grammar and spelling, but once they're being sent out as advance copies, that's pretty much it, I think.
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Yeah, at least spill about whether you liked it. (Unless you hated it, in which case, maybe silence is the better part of virtue. Or else warn me b/c that you hated it, so I can avoid reading the hard-core truth in detail; I am going out of my way to avoid reviews, for fear of universal criticism) I've had almost no feedback--except everyone at the publishing house who has read the book comes up with me with a big grin, and says, "_Boy_, is Meg a jerk!" Even my agent reacted that way. Sadly, they are probably right.
I like to think they say it with love. I am probably incorrect.
How did you score a galley? Hell, I'm having trouble getting any, although I was able to send one to my parents, at least.
There are no significant changes between the galley and the final book, unfortunately. They had to take it away from me, or I would have rewritten for years. I made about 60 tiny changes in the galley--a word here and there, trying to improve bad writing in other spots, fixing a few typos, that kind of thing. Nothing anyone would notice, probably.
>>Is it true that it picks up where the last one left off, except it's set in the present and written for adults? <<
All of these things are, indeed, true. For what it's worth.
Ellen Emerson White
Hi EEW! Great to hear from you again.
I liked the book very much. I'm thrilled that you wrote it. I don't think that any fans of the previous books in the series will be disappointed. I really like the tie-in with Susan, and I loved that she called Beverly and asked about Derek. LOVED THAT. I definitely think that those who haven't read Friends for Life and Life without Friends should because knowing Susan in advance will really deepen this reading expedrience. It's not necessary, but it'd be good.
I was sent a galley by a friend who works in a bookstore in Pennsylvania.
The main surprise in the book for me, character-wise, was that Preston is straight! All my life, I thought Preston was gay. I am not even clear why. Either way, my love for him remains strong and true, as does my love for all of the rest of the characters. This book is definitely true to all of their spirits, from the family to Preston to Beth, all the way down the line.
Whew. Glad you liked it. Worked hard on this book--to put it mildly. In fact, I don't think it would be humanly possible for me to work harder.
Others have thought Preston was gay, too, but no, he's just dapper. And very private. (and certain things which happen in this book--I guess I don't want to spoil anything, either--make it pretty clear where certain aspects of a sequel might very much want to go.)
A pleasant surprise for me was that Neal became interesting in this book. From my perspective, anyway.
But I think the President pretty much walks off with the whole thing. Not sure others will agree, but I really think she carries the day.
Bernhardt's publisher never contacted me, or my agent. Did you ever hear back? My agent has heard from a couple of other people who noticed the literary pilfering, but apparently, his publisher does not feel the need to intercede.
I will go away now, so that people will feel free to be brutally critical, if so inclined. ;-)
Ellen
SEQUEL YES! pretty please!
I grabbed a copy at bookexpo on Friday (the first thing I did when I walked in the door at 9am friday was beeline to the Feiwel booth), and am halfway through it. (trying to ration it a bit and not just race through.) I'll do a more detailed (but spoiler free) post later, when I've finished, and a proper review elsewhere for a books site, but I just wanted to drop a note saying that I can't imagine fans being disappointed with this. it's honestly one of the best sequels I've ever read. one of the things I love about this series is that each book has been even better than its predecessor -- it's the opposite of the 'series rot' problem you usually encounter. So far, this sucker is *dark*, but it's fascinating, complex, and pitch-perfectly written. I've been coveting this thing for more than a decade, and it's exceeding my expectations, which is a hell of a high bar to sail over.
so what are my grips? the jacket copy is enh and the cover art sucks :( it's frustrating. the galley looks way better than the actual book. I gather Feiwel is a YA imprint, and this is being packaged like a YA book, but it's not at all one. Which is not to say it's inappropriate for kids -- it's marked "12-up," and it would be fine for a mature young teen -- but it's a book that deserves an adult audience as well, and I'm afraid the current packaging makes it unlikely to find one. Grrr.
Stacy, what does the cover art look like? The galley I read had a plain, purple cover. Does this one have actual art? I'm scared.
no, the galleys are all that plain purple, but the booth had one actual finished book on display -- and the cover is of someone who looks a few years younger than Meg's 18, in a williams sweatshirt, from the waist-up, kind of sitting and looking beautific. I didn't look at it too long (crowded booth, and it was too ugly to dwell on!), but it seemed very tangential to the book. it seemed either like an odd attempt to draw in younger readers, or like the designer just had no clue what to do fot this book.
The cover is actually a Mona Lisa riff, mostly because they're actually specifically going to try and target adults, particularly women. When I heard the logic behind it, I liked it.
Yeah, the book is technically being issued YA, but they're planning to cross-market it, to whatever degree possible. The adult publishers to whom the manuscript was submitted were frightened by the length of the book, the fact that it isn't in any way chick-lit, and because Meg is 18, which they felt wasn't "adult". (the five main characters are 48, 47, 31, 20, and 18--which sounds pretty damn adult to me, but I digress) It was clear that it would be a disaster to sign on with any of those houses. The publisher who bought it, though, is the best damn editor (she is also the actual publisher)I've ever met, and she _really_ wanted the book. Plus, I knew if I went with her, the book itself would be better, which is all that matters to me, in the
end--although I would not cry in my latte if it sold well, too. The revisions I made in the original manuscript were minimal--and yet, also profound. It's very hard to find an editor with whom you're in sync, especially if you're, you know, um, a head-case.
If anyone has some thought about how to help the book cross over to the adult audience where it belongs, I would definitely send them along to the publishing house.
Thanks!
Ellen
Definitely sounds a good plan to stick with the editor and publisher who loves the work. Stupid genre divisions. Having read the last half, though, I'm now curious about whether it's going to be *okay* in the YA market. I mean, again, it's nothing I wouldn't let my hypothetical teenage kid read, and YA literature has gotten way bolder than it was even a decade ago (every year, I notice 'best of the year' choices on all sorts of inflammatory subjects like suicide, alternative sexuality, abuse and so on) ... but I can also see the book being a target of protests over its Adult Themes if it's stocked in school libraries.
But I will trust that the publisher knows what she's up to and will do a kickass job marketing Long May She Reign :) And while I may quibble with the packaging, I'm *very* grateful to her for putting it into print!
oh and that's interesting to hear that Preston is 31. I was guesstimating his age around there, but wasn't totally sure ... and his age does seem to be something that could become, er, relevant. for one so young, he's doing well on the DC power hierarchy ;)
and hee, I understand that 'boy is Meg a jerk!' reaction because man, she *is* totally being a jerk quite often. I wonder how the character comes off if you *don't* know the earlier books week. In the larger context of the series, it's very believable and wrenching to see how much all the bad stuff that's happened has changed her -- and also easier to see the old personality kind of simmering beneath the jerky exterior and getting smothered by the fear and guilt.
Anyway, will pipe down, but it'll be fun to talk about the book once it's actually published and everyone has a chance to read it!
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