This is the archive for 03 March 2010
Amy Koss is the author
of Side Effects and other
novels for young adults.
Los Angeles Times (MCT)
As a novelist, I am used to having complete control over the world on my computer screen. Life, death, sin, redemption: My characters' lives are in my hands. But last week, I got yet another reminder of my utter powerlessness once the book leaves home. Amazon.com took away my "buy" button.
I'm not the only author I know who obsessively checks her Amazon rankings. It's not that I have any real idea what they mean: how they translate into how many books have sold or what kind of royalties I can expect. Nevertheless, I compare my numbers with those of my friends and enemies, charting the ups and downs and drinking accordingly.
Evernight by Claudia Gray
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen (May 27, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061284394
ISBN-13: 978-0061284397,
Courier Books Editor
Fire. The old, dry wood of the meetinghouse ignited in an instant. Dark, oily smoke filled the air, scratching my lungs and making me choke. Around me, my new friends cried out in shock before grabbing weapons, preparing to fight for their lives. This is because of me. Arrow after arrow sliced through the air, stoking the flames higher. Through the haze of ash, I desperately sought Lucas's eyes. I knew he would protect me no matter what, but he was in danger, too. If something happened to Lucas while he was trying to rescue me, I could never forgive myself. Coughing from the soot-thick air, I grabbed Lucas's hand and ran with him toward the door. But they were ready for us. Silhouetted against the flames, a dark, forbidding line of figures stood just beyond the edge of the meetinghouse. None of them brandished weapons; they didn't have to in order to make their threat clear. They had come for me. They had come to punish Lucas for breaking their rules. They had come to kill. This is all happening because of me. If Lucas dies, it will be my fault. There was nowhere to go, no place to run. We couldn't remain here, not with the blaze around us roaring, already so hot that it stung my skin. Soon the ceiling would collapse and crush us all. Outside, the vampires waited."
I know I put in a long quote this time, but that is only because this book has so much in it and everything written is just so empowering. This book, the first in a series, is truly spectacular. I could easily see this being just as big as
Twilight if more people hear about it.
Posted by courier at 05:59 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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MISCELLANEOUS
P.E. Clothes and BART tickets will only be sold after school from 3:30 to 4:00 p.m. No exceptions! Plan ahead! Check or EXACT CHANGE ONLY.
Attention TAs – Most TA passes are ready to be picked up from Mrs. Whitaker in the main office.
Attention AP Students: Time to sign up for AP testing. Come to the main office between February 22 and March 12. See Sarah Muse to pay for your exams at lunch or after school until 4:15. Your AP teacher has detailed information.
Posted by courier at 12:23 PM. Filed under: Daily Bulletin
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By Rick La Plante, New Haven Schools Public Information Officer
Forced because of the ongoing state financial crisis to make another round of drastic budget cuts, the Board of Education on Tuesday night accepted a recommendation that will save – for only one year, unless a new revenue stream is identified – the co-curricular and extra-curricular activities that are so vital to the New Haven community.
The Board approved staff recommendations totaling $3.6 million in new reductions for 2010-11, on top of $1.6 million in reductions previously approved for next year. As a result, class sizes will be larger in kindergarten through third grade in 2010-11, and the District no longer will offer transportation for elementary and middle school students.
Posted by courier at 09:08 AM. Filed under: News
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Adapted from wikipedia:
Margaret Allison Bonds (March 3,1913 – April 26,1972) was an American composer and pianist. One of the first black composers and performers to gain recognition in the United States, she is best remembered today for her frequent collaborations with Langston Hughes.
A native of Chicago, Bonds grew up in a home visited by many of the leading black intellectuals of the era; among houseguests were soprano Abbie Mitchell and composers Florence Price and Will Marion Cook. Bonds showed an early aptitude for composition, writing her first work, Marquette Street Blues, at the age of five. Her first study in music came when she took piano lessons from her mother. While still in school, she studied composition with Price and with William Dawson. Bonds worked as an accompanist for dances and singers in various shows and supper clubs around Chicago; she also copied music parts for other composers, and became involved with the National Association of Negro Musicians.
Listen to a sample of Margaret Allison Bonds performing.
Posted by courier at 12:24 AM. Filed under: In Quotes
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