Saturday, September 26, 2015

#ReadingList for October!

To read:
 
1. Two Years Eight Months and Twenty Eight Nights, by Salman Rushdie

Is this magical realism from Salman Rushdie? FINALLY.

2. Six of Crows, by Leigh Bardugo

If you haven't read the Grisha trilogy by this amazing author, do yourself a favour and pick it up from the bookstore today. Aside from Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy, it was one of the most richly imagined, vividly narrated YA fantasy stories I have ever read.

Needless to say, as soon as I heard of this spinoff set in the Grishaverse, I wasted no time in adding it to my to-read list. High-stakes heist? Sign me on! Plus, I read the sneak preview chapters of the book the Leigh shared, and it was everything I expected AND MORE. It's just mind-blowing, how she manages to come up with such intricate plots supported by stellar writing.

3. The Demon in the Wood, by Leigh Bardugo


Speaking of the Grisha trilogy, here's another story set in the Grishaverse. This prequel reveals the Darkling's past - back when Grishas were reviled and persecuted - that shaped him into the misunderstood villain he later became.

I can't say I have a soft spot for the Darkling, unlike a lot of other fans of the series (the cocky but charming Nikolai is more my cup of tea, along with sweet romantic Mal). But the Darkling isn't evil for the sake of being evil. He believed in his cause, and for that his backstory is worth reading. Besides, more from the Grishaverse - what's not to like?


4. Glass Sword, by Victoria Aveyard


HAVE YOU READ RED QUEEN. Go read it. Now.

While I wouldn't say I was completely, incorrigibly and incoherently smitten with it like I was with the Grisha trilogy of the DOSAB one (Laini Taylor is indomitable), this series by Victoria Aveyard is definitely a masterfully written piece of work. I'm not a fan of dystopian fiction by any stretch (which is why I'm not on the Hunger Games or Divergent bandwagon, sorry!), but this one drew me in with its high-stakes plot and unusual premise. All those twists! Be prepared to have the rug pulled from under you at any time.

So yes, sign me up for the sequel.


Currently reading: 

Magonia, by Maria Dahvana Headley


I've always been entranced by stories set in the sky, among the clouds. It's why I love Studio Ghibli's Castle in the Sky and Howl's Moving Castle (the latter a movie adaptation of Diana Wynne Jones's book) so much. And how dreamy does Magonia seem! Can I sail away to that kingdom in the sky already?


And speaking of books in general, here's the loot from the National Library book sale today!


I know, I know. As an author myself, I should be supporting other writers by buying their book first-hand and not at these secondhand book sales because none of the proceeds go to the writers for all their efforts. But in my defence, some of these, like Silksinger by Laini Taylor, are already out of print (trust me, I've looked everywhere for it).

And, you know, as long as people are reading and getting to know new authors, this is not an entirely bad thing. Right??

So Round Two tomorrow! Hope your weekend is a bountiful one too! :0)


Were you at the NLB book sale today? What titles did you get? Share your loot here - I'd love to hear from you!

Sunday, September 13, 2015

It's time for #PitMad again!

Image from Middle Grade Mafia

It's harder than you'd expect, writing pitches no longer than 140 characters that are supposed to summarise your stories and entice agents to ask to read the full manuscript. But here's the final product for BLOOD PROMISE, NO ROOM IN NEVERLAND, and UNTIL MORNING:

 















Just a couple of hours into PitMad (it started at 8pm and ended at 8am for me because time difference is not on my side) and there were already more than 400 tweet pitches. Can you imagine the total number of tweets in 12 hours?? How is an agent supposed to sieve through all that? The odds are high, but good thing there are some agents who tweet the following:



So writer friends, did you #PitMad? :0)

Saturday, September 05, 2015

Will I see you at Singapore Writers Festival 2015?

Back in late July, I received this lovely email from the National Arts Council (organisers of Singapore Writers Festival):



Upon which I proceeded to squeal, do a celebratory dance, and share the news on Facebook (thank you all for your kind words!).

I'm not allowed to disclose the full details yet, but I've just got the date, time, and venue confirmed! It sounds a bit obnoxious to say this, but mark your calendars for 8 November, 4.30pm to 5.30pm at the Asian Civilisations Museum, because that's where I'll be speaking with other celebrated writers (can't reveal whom yet, but I promise you'll love them!).

Watch this space for the full disclosure of details! I'm so crazy nervous but excited to see you guys there!! :0)