“Teaser Tuesdays” is a weekly meme run by MizB over at Should Be Reading have fun with us and play along.

Here’s how it works:

1. Get the book you’re currently reading
2. Open it to any random page
3. Share 2 “teaser” sentences from anywhere on that page (Be courteous of your readers — DO NOT INCLUDE SPOILERS!)
4. List the title & author of the book so people can add it to any future reading lists

This week I’m pulling teasers from One Reckless Summer by Toni Blake.

“Why do you seem so calm about this? Normally, you’d be yelling at me anyway, telling me I’d better not tell him.”

Do you want to tease?  If so post one of your own. 

Happy Sunday all!  As we prepare for work and such to commence next week here is a review of this past week in the blogosphere.

Who’s Your Target
I tossed out some comments of my own on the “great debate” this week.

**ding ding** Book bloggers vs. Literary Critics – roundgoodnessknowswhat

All joking aside, it really is an interesting subject and fascinating to watch as it all unfolds.   Some of the best debate I’ve seen on bookish blogs since I started my own several months ago has been spurned from it.  If you haven’t heard anything about what I’m talking about (which I’d be shocked if you haven’t at this point) there was a disagreement about the BEA Book Blogger panel some weeks back that started a conversation about the validity of different types of publishing/book related blogs.

If you want some history it all started with this post at Chasing Ray “BEA Notes From Everyone Else”.  The discussion there led to more on Twitter then subsequent postings by both the original source and other bloggers and now The Horn Book blog and, on a much smaller scale, myself have jumped into the fray.

It is a polarizing issue but one that is worthy of discussion.  I’m certainly intrigued and compelled by it.  Check it out.

Ole
Break out your chips and salsa people because the Bloggiesta is scheduled and barreling its way towards us.

I’ve never participated in a challenge or event of this nature but I have to say I’m tremendously excited for this one.   I always feel productive when I read and review and blog but this particular event will give me the opportunity to focus a bit less on that and more on my blog.

So.very.excited!

If you’re not sure what exactly the Bloggiesta is go check out Maw Books Blog to hear about it directly from the hostess with the mostess.  It’s going to be fabulously fun!

I’ll be putting up a dedicated post later this week that will outline my intentions for the time I’ll be spending.  So keep your feed readers on the ready!

Hi, My Name is Michelle and I’m
Jean Hannah Edelstein posted an interesting article about bookaholism as a promotional tool.  Check it out here.

I don’t know if I’m contributing to any marketing or promotion endeavor but I sure am addicted!

Exhibit A:  Last week’s purchases
April & Oliver – Callahan
Kiss & Hell – Cassidy
If I Stay – Forman
Mercury in Retrograde – Froelich
Skylight Confessions – Hoffman
Miranda’s Big Mistake – Mansell
The Host – Meyer
Twenty Boy Summer – Ockler
The Accidental Bestseller – Wax
The Book Theif – Zusak

Exhibit B:  This week’s purchases
Two Way Street Barnholdt
One Reckless Summer – Blake
Jinx – Cabot
North of Beautiful – Headley
The Corinthian – Heyer
Nearlyweds – Kendrick
The Last Thing I Remember – Klavan
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks – Lockhart
The Turnaround – Pelecanos
Something Maybe – Scott
Love You, Hate You, Miss You – Scott
Cracked Up To Be – Summers

I won’t even get 1/16th of the way through this pile before next weekend when I will inevitably buy another stack.  UGH, I have a real problem.

Bookish Stats

Currently Reading:
If I Stay – Forman

Last Week I Reviewed:
Misery Loves Cabernet – Gruenenfelder
The Forest of Hands and Teeth – Ryan

Last Week I Read:
The Truth Lies in the Dark – Callender
Girls in Trucks – Crouch
The Forest of Hands and Teeth – Ryan
Twenty Boy Summer – Ockler

I Need to Review:
The Truth Lies in the Dark – Callender
Girls in Trucks – Crouch
Souvenir – Fowler
Do Over – Hemley
Twenty Boy Summer – Ockler

Have a great week all! Say hi on Twitter or comment on a post here or there

The debate as to what/who constitutes a book review(er) raged on this week when Roger Sutton at The Horn Book commented about the debate on blogging and literary criticism.  In his post he summarized  a comment Times movie critic A. O. Scott made:

“He means, I think, that as more people are embracing criticism as valuable, the notion that particular people can have expertise (worth paying for) becomes devalued: all opinions become equal.”

What I found myself thinking, once I got over the initial [insert head bob here] “oh no he di’int” response, was why is it so bad that all opinions become equal?

Now let me step back and say I don’t think that all opinions actually *are* equal.  I think there are long experienced professional critics and then there is the collective “us”.  The hobbyists, the common-folk who just happen to put our thoughts out there too.  Yes, yes….I know my sarcasm just goes to show how unprofessional I really am but you know what, I’m a-ok with that!

Here’s what it all boils down to, for me anyway, (1) there is plenty of room out there in the great big world of books for the lot of us and (2) my target audience is vastly different than that of Mr. Sutton.  I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that literary criticism and critics are taking a much more analytical perspective than I am in the thoughts I share.  More than that I believe lit critics are trying to influence industry in a way that I’m not.  As a book blogger (and I can only speak for myself) am I truly trying to make that kind of impact my number one goal?  No I’m not.

I’m doing something I love (reading) and trying to share my thoughts and ideas about it in through an open forum in the hopes that there is a community of people out there that want to discuss and debate.  Does this ultimately impact and influence the industry, I’d think so, but do I find myself going into this with that outcome in mind?  No, I don’t.

I love to read.  I love to talk about what I read.  Reviewing books on my blog allows for me to do that.

Mr. Sutton’s comments, and those made by others before him, can’t help but instill in me the feeling that some established literary critics feel threatened by the doors opened through use of technology like blogs and Twitter.  I’m not sure that is truly the case but I still come back to the question why?  Why, if there is no threat or concern about the upswing in book blogs, is it still being brought up?

I ask this especially since it seems that we are targeting different audiences.  Sure, there will likely be some overlap here and there but I imagine that the person who reads my blog is significantly different than the person who reads what Mr. Sutton has to share.  Moreover, my comments and thoughts certainly don’t devalue his, the thought that they do is absolutely absurd to me.  The thought that anyone believes they could even more so.

Ultimately what I’m saying is that I think there is plenty of room for everyone.  The pros are still gonna get paid and the hobbyists are still going to have an open forum.  Even so, I’ll still toss a question out to the great big scary Internet:

Who’s your target audience?

Dangle your piñata, mash those avocados, and salt up some fabulous glassware because it’s going to be the type of party that legends are made of.  Blog legends that is!   What’s the legendary party?  Why that would be the hottest new challenge on the Internets since Al Gore invented it.  **smirks**

So what is this amazing challenge you ask?

Drum roll pleeeasasseeee…

That would be The Bloggiesta!

**sings**

La cucaracha, La cucaracha…..

Ok, ok….I know time to get serious.

So I’ve joined in on the challenge and starting Friday, June 19th I’ll be hanging out with other bloggers from near and far when we’ll all converge on our masterpieces and well, um….make them more masterpiecy.  How so you wonder?  Well by rockin’ out a whole 12, 24, or 48 hours straight we’ll be makin’ things more purdy or organized or even more chock full of great bookish info.

Here’s the deets:  the wonderful Natasha of Maw Books Blog fame has graciously  taken on the duty of being hostess with the mostess so be sure to go hook the girl up with some love by subscribing to her blog or following her on Twitter at @mawbooks.  Then once you do that check out the rules of the game by visiting her Bloggiesta announcement post.

What do you think?  Are you interested in grabbing some maracas of your own and joining in on the salsa and merengue?  Then link up an introductory post at Natasha’s blog and sign up to play!

Title: The Forest of Hands and Teeth
Author: Carrie Ryan
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Delacorte Press

Summary:
Surrounded by the Unconsecrated Mary and her fellow villagers live every day in fear for their existence.  Afraid that the undead rising from among their fallen friends and family will breach the barricades they protect their tiny town in the hopes that they too will not be infected and cast out to live in the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

Protected from their aggressors in both body and soul villagers rely on two safeguards for a sense of normalcy, community and stability.  The first, a group called the Guardians, are the security force responsible for the physical safety of the village.  They maintain the barricade standing as a fortress between citizens and their hunters.

The second, a group of nun-like women called the Sisterhood, hold the key to spiritual health, maintenance of tradition and community building.  It is at the behest of these powerful ladies that villagers are bred to live a life of slightly puritan values.  More importantly they are encouraged to let go of history and forget the time before the Unconsecrated roamed outside their gates.

As part of village custom expectations of women are very strict.  They are expected to select of one of three options (1) to live with a family member; (2) marry men they may not love in the fulfillment of keeping the human race alive; or (3) join The Sisterhood.  In most cases women are betrothed, married and have children as duty assigns.  Very few choose to join the cloistered life of The Sisterhood.

Given the very specific lifestyle of a woman villager Mary is marked a troublemaker.  Her head already filled with anecdotes from a time long since past that her mother fed her Mary’s insatiable desire to learn more about what is beyond the forest of Hands and Teeth instigate a chain of events that affect the lives of everyone she knows.

Opinion:
Ryan has crafted a darkly imaginative novel in which she’s showcased themes that focus on core issues many of today’s young adults commonly face.  Sacrifice, obligation, individuality, love, and betrayal are all explored as Mary interacts with members of her family, an array of villagers and fights against the Unconsecrated. Making it all that much more intense Ryan weaves in the constant threat of death without being gratuitously violent.  Above all she focuses on the above issues in a unique way that draws the reader in and allows them to relate to the story despite living in a different time and place.

Most impressive is the author’s ability to build complex characters with impressive strength that remain intriguing throughout a variety of trying circumstances.  Characters readers root for and want to see happily successful in the end.  As one would expect the main character, Mary, is most compelling as she is the central focus throughout the story.   She is a strong willed, inquisitive, though quiet character.  Profoundly affected by her circumstances she strives for individuality in a place where such endeavors are unwelcome.  More than anything she wants love, happiness and above all freedom from the bindings of her surroundings.  Most notably she wants to explore the history of the world her mother shared with her; a history of life before the Unconsecrated rose and became captors of the human race.  It is her captivating presence throughout the novel that drives the story and grabs hold of readers from the very first chapter.

If you are a reader who enjoys a complex story that keeps you guessing The Forest of Hands and Teeth is definitely a book to add to your list of must reads.