Have you met Twilight Guy ?
Most important question I think is; do you even know what Twilight is ?
If you do you’re probably a teenage girl with an infatuation for Edward. Or a Twilight Mom happy to swoon back to her younger days…
I am in the second category.
Twilight Guy is Kaleb Nation. College undergrad, radio show host, writer, but most importantly a guy. A guy who at college was intrigued by the fact that all the girls seemed to hunger after Edward, whoever he may be. Every girl seemed to be convinced that boys like Edward aren’t made anymore and that their next boyfriend’d better sparkle.
Twilight Guy soon discovered the source of all the commotion, Twilight. Now he proclaims;
Attention: This is not really a Twilight fansite.
I cannot honestly be called a Twilighter yet. This site is about me reading the books for the first time. I am not a ‘Twi-hard’ or any other name for the fans of Stephenie Meyer. However, I am a reader. And I am a guy. I may be one of the first guys to read Twilight and actually admit it. But I’m only doing it as research and not because I’m curious.
At least, that’s my alibi.
- Kaleb
Well… we’ll see about that !
No, seriously. Kaleb has been sucked into the whole Twilight scene. He started in Twilight and is publicly reading the series for the first time. While he reads chapter by chapter and posts his (more often than not hilarious, due to his photoshop-ed commentary,) research conclusions on his blog, Kaleb also provides a soap box to other guys to proclaim their Twilight fandom. Naturally the soap box comes with option for anonymity if desired. And believe me there are some endearing stories of reluctant guys out there.
Kaleb would have held onto his credibility as an objective researcher if he’d stopped after Twilight. But no, he’s onto New Moon now.
What can we say…. I wish my guy was a Twilight Guy !
Now go read his blog, really…
it’s hilarious….
Now !
Yesterday I received this word from No To Age Banding;
“The Society of Authors has added an extra session at their Cambridge Children’s Writers & Illustrators Conference, 29-31 August, to include a discussion on age guidance. They are keen to air all views.
The session will be chaired by R4’s Libby Purves and will include Philip Pullman and Anne Fine, prime movers behind the No to Age Banding appeal, Graham Marks from Publishing News and Becky Stradwick UKHQ Children’s Buyer from Borders. Publishers have also been invited to take part. “
I’m looking forward to the outcome.
The guys at podiobooks.com have posted a masterly opinion piece on why they think the publishing industry is broken. Most of you know that I am a fervent audiobook listener and would like to have a dead-tree as well as a audio version of just about any book.
So steal yourself a moment and take the time to discover the medium of audiobook, podcast and podiobook, you will be amazed.
Luna recommends;
LibriVox
Podiobooks
Luna’s reading list update
Have just finished (so expect a review on these soon);
- Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend (Vamp-lit)
- Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series (Vamp-lit, just read it for the third time running)
Currently reading;
- Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles
- Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time
- Nathan Lowell’s Double Share (fourth installment of the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper, see the blogroll for Durandus)
Prospective reads;
- P.C. Cast’s House of Night series (Harry Potter meets Twilight in this Vamp finishing school series)
- Elizabeth Kostova’s The Historian (also in keeping with the Vamp-lit, but might have to wait until Dearest One returns, ’cause he has the hard copy)
- Stephenie Meyer’s Breaking Dawn (fourth and final installment of the Twilight series out in the US August 2nd, 2008, Europe August 4th, 2008. Eighteen days and counting !)
A while ago some nitwit in the United Kingdom had thought up that it would be a good plan to sell publishers on the idea of Age Banding of books.
The idea was born of the notion that it would be easier for the publishers to sell to supermarkets. As we all know supermarkets are nothing more than stocking piles of random products and the sales people often know as much about their goods as they can read off of the product label while their customers are waiting. So if books were to have an age indication on books, publishers would have no problem getting supermarkets to stock a lot more books than they are doing now since their employees can just shelve them according to age.
Fortunately, even with the push on Age Banding by the Publishers Association, there are people out there that possess the art of reasoning. A joint effort has been mustered in the form of NoToAgeBanding.com with author Philip Pullman spear-heading the campaign. Over 3000 signatories have undersigned the campaign and these people include writers, illustrators, librarians, teachers, booksellers, publishers, educationalists, psychologists, readers, parents and grandparents. The signatory authors include Philip Pullman, Jonathan Stroud, Neil Gaiman, Nigella Lawson, Anthony Horowitz, Terry Pratchett and J.K. Rowling. And yours truly, of course.
The situation at the moment is divided amongst publishers;
Walker Books: not age banding any titles
Bloomsbury: not age banding any titles
David Fickling Books: not age banding any titles
Usborne: not age banding any titles
Barn Owl Books: not age banding any titles
Orion will apparently be offering authors a choice.
OUP are clearly offering authors a choice.
The Chicken House will be offering authors a choice.
HarperCollins: certain authors know they will not be age banded.
Macmillan: evidence of a choice offered here.
Puffin: at least one author has been assured banding will not take place without express permission
Random House Children’s Books: it is hard to believe that although some of their high-profile authors have made their positions crystal clear both privately and in the press, will be age banded by this publisher.
There have been meetings between representatives of publishers and the Publishers Association and the representatives of the Society of Authors to discuss the matter.