A couple more links

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Excellent EXCELLENT discussion of ACoK, continued from a previous post on the School Library Journal Mock Newbery blog.  I heart Jonathan Hunt.  Seriously, I will *sounishuggle* him if I am fortunate enough to meet him one day.  He won't know What Hit Him.  I especially love this comment from Nina Lindsay:

"THE SHOT THAT MADE THE KING. I cheered like a teenage boy at an action movie. I don’t think any author has ever made me do that."

And from author Lisa Yee's recent blog post about the recent National Council of Teachers of English conference in Orlando.  MWT and Peepy.  Cute.

Comments

[beth-shulman.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link, Checkers! I LOVE THIS.

The reader gradually and patiently comes to appreciate the complex, intricate plot of A CONSPIRACY OF KINGS

This is so true. I didn't like the book much after the first read; I like it way better now, after rereading it.

But, again, Turner gives you the tip and makes you find the damn iceberg yourself. She is the queen of subtext. OH YES.

And I have to say, my favorite moment of the book is the amphitheater moment - well, all of the moments there. The one where that awful ambassador finds out about the amphitheater design, and when he shoots Hanaktos (I think? spelling?) (although I felt awful about liking that moment), and the second vote...

But I *still* don't think it's a Newbery qualifier, although I definitely won't mind if it wins the Medal.

[tiegirl.livejournal.com]

OH! Sounishuggle indeed! Let me in on that!

[emerald-happy.livejournal.com]

HEY HEY

I just came online to tell you about a book review/analysis for Cryoburn and to ask whether you'd read it or not.

Most excellent discussion! *adds to huggles with cookies*

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Ok! SounisGroupHuggle. Even better.

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

I'm on page 109! I got an autographed copy! Link me! Though I won't peek at it until I'm finished. Had to reread a few of her books before I'd let myself start.

[thesehnsucht.livejournal.com]

Huh... I never thought the names were confusing.
Good to be back at good ol' Sounis. Just read Mockingjay and I have to say, Not cool Collins.

[emerald-happy.livejournal.com]

Oh Checkers, we so have to have a conversation about it when you've read it! Lucky lucky you with your shiny autographed copy.

http://www.roycemcdaniels158.com/thewalrussays/?p=13

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

We will! So far--creepy, yet so plausible.

[emerald-happy.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I started reading it on Halloween! So appropriate!

[beth-shulman.livejournal.com]

oh thank you another person who didn't love it/isn't obsessed...

[doreenahk.livejournal.com]

Another review of ACoK:

http://tinyurl.com/26sfapd

On social networking:

http://tinyurl.com/2e3wm5j

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Great links, thanks! From the first review:

Killing an unarmed man at a sacred truce, however justified for the greater good, is certainly morally dubious. But when Gen pushed Sophos into it and then assured him that he had no other choice, and Eddis pointed out that the Gods weren’t offended, and everyone kept going on about how kings must make difficult choices that cause other people’s deaths, it came across that rulers can do whatever they want and it’s justified because of their position.

...

So when you think about it, no, it’s not actually a clever plan – it worked in the short term, but realistically would be catastrophic in the longer term, unless Sophos plans to just keep on ruling by means of summary execution and total war. This is what the entire book of Queen argued will make your heart turn to stone, until you become indistinguishable from your enemies and destroy the things you love – the amphora, broken, and the oil spilled. It’s particularly sad because Eddis was the queen and country that did things differently – and now it seems that the country will be destroyed regardless of what anyone does.

I thought that Gen knew all this, Eddis, too. They know that this will cost Sophos in the long term, and they are couching it in "you had no choice" terms but it still falls under that heart-turning-to-stone area. And it will have a serious effect on Sophos and his way of ruling his people. Once he turned to violence, his people will expect it just as they expected it of his uncle. He didn't want to be his uncle, but he just might end up that way anyhow. What a price to pay to hang on to your country. As Attolia, too, knows.

Anyway, a very smart post and comments.

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

But I *still* don't think it's a Newbery qualifier

There are a lot of misconceptions about what is "qualified" to be eligible for the Newbery. You might want to go back and read the criteria

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberyterms/newberyterms.cfm

and this explanation

http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/heavymedal/2010/11/13/conspiracy-revisited-part-one/

Anyway, it IS "qualified," in that it meets the eligibility requirements. Whether or not you think it might, or should, win is another thing. But there's nothing to keep it from being considered by the committee.

[tiegirl.livejournal.com]

Enjoy! I loved it.

[stubefied-by-gd.livejournal.com]

Me three! Mockingjay even ruined the previous two books for me. Maybe it's not a coincidence that the two friends who first made me read The Thief thought Mockingjay was horrible, too.

[beth-shulman.livejournal.com]

Same! I actually remember, pre-reading Mockingjay, wondering if it was going to be an improvement over Catching Fire the way Catching Fire was over The Hunger Games (it was more original, better-written and -paced, I thought). And it was such a disappointment.

[ballerina-222.livejournal.com]

Thought I'd drop in another link: Shannon Hale mentions the books on her blog. She's had some really interesting blog posts in the past, too, so you might want to give it a look.
http://oinks.squeetus.com/

[aged-crone.livejournal.com]

Hmmm - but we know that Sophos *isn't* like his uncle, although his barons now think he is. So he doesn't actually have to continue ruling by summary execution and so on, as long as his barons believe that he will if pressed. He can just be menacing and sneering (albeit involuntarily) and they will scare themselves.

And, unlike Attolia in QoA and previously - he's got backup. She was alone against the world and that stone heart/ mask / locked inside a wall with gate getting smaller was all that she could do.

(So Sophos can be menacing and sneering, *and* then invite Attolia and her king for a visit, and she will freeze their blood with terror and he will a)drive them mad and b)find out all their secrets and c)scare them in his own way by appearing unexpectedly, until, like Attolia's barons, they will welcome their own familiar cat.)

[filkferengi]

"a lively discussion group"

That's us, all right!

:)