Shaken & Stirred: What a Grand Party

And so the Summer Blog Blast Tour (SBBT) ends today with Justina Chen Headley at Finding Wonderland. Colleen has posted her own thoughts on what turned out to be a fabulous success, with more than 50 author interviews at 15 blogs (okay, I can't count good, so if that's wrong someone correct me).

I want to say something about how much I enjoyed all this, how gobsmackingly well it went off (hitchless, as they say), and with what goodwill and good intentions motivating it. How inspirational (oh, terrible, despicable, airy word) and helpful I found the interviews themselves. Some of these thoughts are wrapped up in a post that's been percolating for a long while about where I believe the idea of the gift economy and blogging intersect. But I find that right this second I'm more interest in pointing you to all the interviews, in case you missed any. The larger stuff can wait a tiny bit longer, can't it? And, anyway, I'm finally reading Spaceman Blues, and I want to get back to that.

The best thing? Is there's more to come. There's exciting stuff in the works. The children's lit quarter of the litblog world, or the kidlit-o-sphere, or whatever you want to call it, fully rocks, guys. Anyway...

Behind the cut, I'm posting the full tour schedule with direct links to all the interviews, by both schedule and alphabetized by author, compiled by the wondrous Hip Writer Mama and Kimberly at lectitans. Do make sure you didn't miss anything.

The entire SBBT schedule:

Sunday, June 17th
Gene Yang at Finding Wonderland

Monday, June 18th
Tom & Dorothy Hoobler at Chasing Ray
Mitali Perkins at Big A little a
Sara Zarr at Interactive Reader
Justina Chen Headley at Hip Writer Mama
Justine Larbalestier at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
Dana Reinhardt at lectitans
Brent Hartinger at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
Laura Ruby at Writing and Ruminating
Jordan Sonnenblick by Bildungsroman
Ysabeau Wilce at Finding Wonderland

Tuesday, June 19th
Laura Ruby at Miss Erin
Bennett Madison at Shaken & Stirred
Shaun Tan at A Fuse #8 Production (Parts One, Two, and Three)
Chris Crutcher at Bookshelves of Doom
Holly Black at The YA YA YAs
Kazu Kibuishi at Finding Wonderland
Christopher Golden at Bildungsroman
David Brin at Chasing Ray
Kirsten Miller at Jen Robinson's Book Page
Sara Zarr at Big A, little a
Sonya Hartnett at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Wednesday, June 20th
Mitali Perkins at Hip Writer Mama
Svetlana Chmakova at Finding Wonderland
Dana Reinhardt at Interactive Reader
Laura Ruby at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
Holly Black at Shaken & Stirred
Hilary McKay at Bookshelves of Doom
Kirsten Miller at Miss Erin
Julie Anne Peters at A Fuse #8 Production (Part Two)
Carolyn Mackler at The YA YA YAs
Jordan Sonnenblick at Writing and Ruminating

Thursday, June 21st
Eddie Campbell at Chasing Ray
Sara Zarr at Writing and Ruminating
Brent Hartinger at Interactive Reader
Justine Larbalestier at Big A, little a
Cecil Castellucci at Shaken & Stirred
Ysabeau Wilce at Bildungsroman
Jordan Sonnenblick at Jen Robinson's Book Page
Chris Crutcher at Finding Wonderland
Kazu Kibuishi at lectitans
Mitali Perkins at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
Laura Ruby at The YA YA YAs

Friday, June 22nd
Tim Tharp at Chasing Ray
Justina Chen Headley at Big A, little a
Ysabeau Wilce at Shaken & Stirred
Dana Reinhardt at Bildungsroman
Julie Anne Peters at Finding Wonderland
Cecil Castellucci at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
Bennett Madison at Bookshelves of Doom
Holly Black at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
Justine Larbalestier at Hip Writer Mama
Kirsten Miller at A Fuse #8 Production (Parts One and Two)

Saturday, June 23rd
Justina Chen Headley at Finding Wonderland

All SBBT interviews, alphabetical by author:

Holly Black at The YA YA YAs
Holly Black at Shaken & Stirred
Holly Black at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

David Brin at Chasing Ray

Eddie Campbell at Chasing Ray

Cecil Castellucci at Shaken & Stirred
Cecil Castellucci at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy

Svetlana Chmakova at Finding Wonderland

Chris Crutcher at Bookshelves of Doom
Chris Crutcher at Finding Wonderland

Christopher Golden at Bildungsroman

Brent Hartinger at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
Brent Hartinger at Interactive Reader

Sonya Hartnett at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Justina Chen Headley at HipWriterMama
Justina Chen Headley at Big A, little a
Justina Chen Headley at Finding Wonderland

Tom & Dorothy Hoobler at Chasing Ray

Kazu Kibuishi at Finding Wonderland
Kazu Kibuishi at lectitans

Justine Larbalestier at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
Justine Larbalestier at Big A, little a
Justine Larbalestier at HipWriterMama

Carolyn Mackler at The YA YA YAs

Bennett Madison at Shaken & Stirred
Bennett Madison at Bookshelves of Doom

Hilary McKay at Bookshelves of Doom

Kirsten Miller at Jen Robinson's Book Page
Kirsten Miller at Miss Erin
Kirsten Miller at A Fuse #8 Production: Part One and Part Two

Mitali Perkins at Big A, little a
Mitali Perkins at HipWriterMama
Mitali Perkins at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Julie Anne Peters at A Fuse #8 Production: Part One & Part Two
Julie Anne Peters at Finding Wonderland

Dana Reinhardt at lectitans
Dana Reinhardt at Interactive Reader
Dana Reinhardt at Bildungsroman

Laura Ruby at Writing and Ruminating
Laura Ruby at Miss Erin
Laura Ruby at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
Laura Ruby at The YA YA YAs

Jordan Sonnenblick at Bildungsroman
Jordan Sonnenblick at Writing and Ruminating
Jordan Sonnenblick at Jen Robinson's Book Page

Shaun Tan at A Fuse #8 Production

Tim Tharp at Chasing Ray

Ysabeau Wilce at Finding Wonderland
Ysabeau Wilce at Bildungsroman
Ysabeau Wilce at Shaken & Stirred

Gene Yang at Finding Wonderland

Sara Zarr at Interactive Reader
Sara Zarr at Big A, little a
Sara Zarr at Writing and Ruminating

Read Read

Kathi Appelt: The Underneath
Appelt's first novel is a beautiful, magical fantasy for younger readers that will instantly become a classic. Seriously. I can imagine this book being in classrooms right alongside Charlotte's Web in a hundred years. The writing is poetic in the good way, and there's a lamia. Children are going to absolutely fall in love with Appelt's equally kind and brutal universe, where love conquers most, and it can take millenia to come to your senses.
Jincy Willett: The Writing Class
With her second novel, Willett matches the perfect pitch and execution of her brilliant short stories. Every writer will want to read this novel--very little wincing is involved, but expect a great deal of laughter. C and I found ourselves reading pieces aloud, after howling provoked the "what's so funny?" question. As with any good writing workshop or class, the characters become more appealing as you get to know them, and ultimately what she has pulled off is a satisfying mystery, and a satisfying exploration of humanity. Amy Gallup is a character to remember.
Karen Joy Fowler: Wit's End
A new novel by Karen Fowler really is something to be excited about, unlike many of the writers for whom such praise gets bandied about. (If you're smirking because you think you know something about her work from the title--not the book--The Jane Austen Book Club, please go sit in the corner and read any of her novels. You're welcome.) This is an unmystery-like mystery, concerned not so much with dead bodies--though there are plenty--as with the mysteries of healing and the heart, politics and people. How is it that a writer gets a lens on the present that's as revealing as the one she employs in historical fiction? Now that's a mystery. Highly recommended.
Steve Erickson: Zeroville
Steve Erickson novels are often like dreams, or revelations, or discovered artifacts, or written just for you. Zeroville's no different, although it is perhaps the most readily graspable example of his work to date. The Rosetta Stone is there; the secret decoder ring is a film projector. The dizzying Hollywood confidential stylings will make your inner film geek happy, but the uncovering of a truly mythic cinematic story--since cinema has existed forever--of sacrifice and redemption is even more memorable. See also: this review.
Ursula Dubosarsky: The Red Shoe (Neal Porter Books)
Set in Sydney during WWII, this wonderful novel travels between the view from inside each of three sisters. Dubosarsky perfectly captures the differences that come from being the younger, older, or middle child. Perfectly conjuring the period, and yet creating a completely accessible story, the narrative contrasts chapters focusing on the family with interstitials from the Sydney newspapers of the time, stories of polio, the H-bomb, and a defecting Russian spy (who happens to be in hiding next door). Nothing here is heavy-handed. Everything is perfectly balanced. It's a beautiful, beautiful novel. See my full take here.
Kara Jesella: How Sassy Changed My Life: A Love Letter to the Greatest Teen Magazine of All Time
So, I'll tell you up front that this book delivers the goods. You will wallow in your Sassy forever-love, and feel as if you've just binged on a lot of especially great issues when you finish it. As the ladies say, this was a magazine about hope. Hope that there was something out there, some Great Beyond better than your teenagedom. And, lo and behold, that promise was kept, even though Sassy got murdered. Added bonus? An excellent portrait of the beginning of Third Wave feminism. See my full take here.

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