Millions and Billions of Books

For everyone out there wondering, this isn't a book review, it's pre- and post-book excitement. There are so many books that have come out recently and many more soon to come out, and I wanted to whet everyone's appetite by talking about them a little bit.

One book that has come out recently is Handle with Care, the latest addition to Jodi Picoult's abundance of captivating books. I am on the waiting list for it at the library, and I am so excited! Jodi Picoult has long been an author that digs up the dirt on all those unspeakable topics, and her writing is incredible. I advise everyone to check this book out, and I will make sure to let everyone know how it is after I've finished it!

 

Did everyone hear the exciting news about Fablehaven 4? Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary came out on March 25th! I am waiting to read it bcause I want to read the first three Fablehaven books again before I pick up the fourth, but I am really looking forward to it! Go Kendra and Seth!

And then we can't forget Starclimber! The third book in the Airborn series, Starclimber   came out early this year. I absolutely LOVED it! All Kenneth Oppel fans, rejoice at this amazing sequel to Skybreaker. 

There are so many books that will be coming out this year... Along for the Ride, for one. This is Sarah Dessen's newest book, and it will be coming out on June 16, 2009! As an avid Sarah Dessen fan, I am very enthusiastic for her new book. Here is a video on it:

Yet another book to look forward to: Being Nikki by Meg Cabot. Being Nikki is the sequel to her cute and sweet Airhead, and it will be released in 16 days! (May 5, 2009!)

Eeek!

Last of all, of course there is Catching Fire, the eagerly awaited sequel to the intense and moving book by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games. There is no set date for the release of this book, but we know it will come out sometime this year in September. I know I can speak for many others when I say we are all very, very excited for this book!

Anyhoo, I just wanted to let you all in on the book news! :) Please let me know if you have information any recently released or soon-to-be-released books! 

Bird By Bird

As many others, I have found that my love of reading has flourished into a want to write. I love putting my pen to the page and spinning a story from my imagination. However, as a young writer, my love of writing is not enough to get me published. I need skill, and for my skills to develop, I need guidance. 

It is not often that you find a book that is not only funny and inspirational, but also honest. By all means, Anne Lamott has created one! Beautifully written and amusing, Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life is a touching and honest book that gives good, raw advice to aspiring writers. 

From chapter to chapter, Lamott dishes out useful writing instruction and spices each with humorous anecdotes. She tells of how difficult it was to start writing, and each struggle she goes through to publish a new story. There are stories about her third grade lunchroom, her son, and her crazy friends. In Bird by Bird, there is a chapter entitled Broccoli and a chapter entitled Plot. Bird by Bird, although a slender book, is wonderfully broad in its content. 

I especially liked the honesty of this book. There are authors and books out there that may tell me that I will get published in an instant, but I'd rather hear the truth. Lamott describes how hard it is to get published, but why you should continue to write through the difficulty of it all. She explains that it is no easy feat to write an entire book, much less a book that will sell well. Her candor was both funny and truthful, an uncommon combination, and her writing style was fluid and well organized. 

I recommend this book for all young writers, and I would rate it a 9.9 on a 10-point scale. Although it is a nonfiction book, it is nonetheless captivating, and I stayed up terribly late to finish it!