Four blog posts in as many days? Seriously?? Am I out of my Ever-On-Word-bloggin’ mind?!
Well, yeah. But as regards my packed blogging schedule this week, I can explain myself.
It was gonna just be the Buccaneer Blogfest posts and my “Superhero” post that I was just too excited about to let sit in my queue any longer. But then came a pleasant surprise in the form of an award from fellow Buccaneer Kendra of the Flame Writer blog. And as both the award and this Buccaneer Blogfest week are totally book-related, it seemed meet to me that today be the day I formally accept…
(That’s “The {Booker} Award: For those who refuse to live in the real world”, in case the pic’s not showing up, for whatever Technology Fiend-instigated reason.)
Quoting Kendra on the rules: “To receive this award, the blog must be at least 50% about books (reading or writing is OK). Along with receiving this award, you must also share your top five favorite books. (More than five is OK.) You must give this award to 5-10 other lucky book blogs you adore.”
I mentioned the titles of several favorite books during Monday’s biblio-psych session. Here’s my chance to go into a bit more detail as to why those books are by m’self so much beloved.
“Montmorency” (and sequels) by Eleanore Updale – History YA fiction that actually doesn’t have many characters in the young-adult age range. When we first meet Montmorency, he’s just a young man, age unspecified. Old enough to serve a term in prison, evidently, and then go out and steal his way into an independent Victorian London gentleman’s lifestyle, with help from his scruffy alter-ego, Scarper. I love reliving his dual persona, public transformation, and adventures, and re-meeting his varied and interesting friends (including a kind doctor, a jovial spy, and a clever gal plucked from the gutter) and enemies (among them… well, a bunch of really dangerous people). I like these books more than words can satisfactorily convey. Hey, You Should Read Them.
“The Story Girl” by L.M. Montgomery – Kids being old-school kids on the picturesque Prince Edward Island (a locale which came to fictional prominence via another Montgomery work, “Anne of Green Gables”). The largely episodic escapades of Beverley (the narrator and, despite what the name may have had you first assume, a boy), his brother and cousins, and of course Sarah Stanley (a.k.a. the titular Story Girl, so called for her mad storytelling skillz) are all innocent hilarity. I loved the sequel, too, but for some reason, I don’t own it. I must remedy that.
“The Bonemender” (and sequels) by Holly Bennett – The term “bonemender” equating to “healer”, and referring to main heroine Gabrielle, daughter of monarchs, sister to one of my favorite literary princes (*takes a brief moment to sigh over Tristan*), and friend to a wonderful bunch of elves. (Significantly more than friends to one of them, actually.) Again, most of the characters are adults – which, according to the principles of biblio-psych, suggests that I like books by adults, about adults, that aren’t so much written to adults. (My “Ballad of Allyn-a-Dale” falls into that category.) So, yeah. A fantasy adventure with characters I adore. Good stuff.
“The Frog Princess” by E.D. Baker – The old “Frog Prince” fairytale gets an overhaul. Princess Emeralda of Greater Greensward kisses a frog claiming to be Prince Eadric of Upper Montevista, and… oops, now they’re both frogs. (If this sounds eerily similar to Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog” to you, nice call; the movie was loosely inspired by the book.) Magical mayhem ensues for several books to come. (The first three are my favorite, though I only own 1 and 4). I take multiple moments to grin goofily over Eadric. (Yeah, yeah, thieves and princes. Throw in a minstrel and a fox, and you’ve got me fourfold.) And Emma and Eadric are actually young adults, so ha! (Not sure who the laugh’s on, but ha anyway!)
And for my fifth, I select “The Outlaws of Sherwood” by Robin McKinley – …Which I totally talked about yesterday, so there you go.
And now for my Booker Award nominees!
Amanda Foody of It’s All in My Head
Amy of Chasing the Crazies
Ash Silverlock of Fabulous Realms
And Leigh Townsend of Butterflies and Dragons (whose name doesn’t start with my beautiful pattern letter “A”, so thank my obsessive-compulsive stars for “And”)
Congratulations, honored recipients! Thanks again, Kendra! Happy reading, booklovers everywhere, and may your lives be even booker than ever they were. (:
Ever On Word 
Whoo!! I love the A pattern! 😛 I’ve actually never heard of any of those books… but the most intriguing out of them to me would be The Bonemender. On the to-read list it shall go (: You’re welcome. 😀
Ashley: *Waving at Will ecstatically* I’m trespassing LOLOL
*Shoves her back toward FlameWriter* No you’re not, go away.
Yay! Hope you love it; then we can be Loving “Bonemender” Buddies!
“Trespassers, beware!” Will laughs. “Violators will be eagerly waved, smiled, and ‘hello!’-ed at to the full extent of the law!”
People, honestly??
“Aye, nanny — for honest and for true. Say, Ashley, have you got an e-mail? (…Or, well, has Kendra, I suppose I should ask, since how often do these stingy authors give us our own communicative outlets?) ‘Cause this poking our noses in blog comments only to get bashed over the head for it business is for the birds. Who can hold a proper conversation? Plus I could send you pictures of me and stuff! It’d be boss! Let me know, eh? Danielle e-addy’s around here somewhere. Think it’s there in her Gravatar, I’m not sure, I’ll take a look. What were talking about?”
You were saying goodbye.
“No, I don’t think that was it.”
And yet…
It may be my/Kendra’s email, but Ashley’s name inspired it…hehe!
Ashley rolls her eyes. “It’s not like I don’t get abused enough in MY book anyway,” she mutters. “No, I have to get abused for wanting to meet up with other characters too. Tyranny!”
No. Shush. You have another tyrant to worry about.
“Do not! Not here on this blog, the only tyrant is YOU!”
Kay, going to find your e-mail now… loldarnit this is so fun.
“I know, right? Authors and their god-play. What, just because they created a universe or two? I ask you! I say one of these days, we turn the tables. Characters writing books about their authors! Who’s who and what’s what NOW?!”
*shakes with laughter* In other news, private message received, torn up, and given to Will to eat.
“Nom, nom, nom,” he says cheerfully.
So much fun indeed. X)