This was an interesting Book vs. Movie comparison for me because I had watched both of these movies before ever reading the book.  (Click here for a great review of the book.)  I really loved the Swedish film, but I was underwhelmed by the American film which has the unnecessarily abbreviated title, Let Me In.  Would the book completely ruin the Swedish film for me?  Would I realize that it was a hollow piece of crap next to the book?  (Because that definitely happens.)

Well, I am here to report that I was very pleasantly surprised.  My love for the Swedish film remains intact - and actually, I feel like a traitor for saying this, but there are several aspects of the movie that I actually like more than the book.  The American film, on the other hand, became even more intolerable after I had read the book.  I could barely force myself to watch it a second time (I only succeeded in finishing it after several frustrating sittings).  It will be impossible to write this without spoilers, but I will make every attempt to warn you all before I give away anything really big.

Both movies, I think, did a great job with the cold, small-town atmosphere of Blackeburg: a small-minded place with almost no history.  I had to laugh at the American film for setting the story in Los Alamos, New Mexico though.  Is it really that cold and snowy in Los Alamos?  Who knew?

The Swedish film opens very similarly to the book, introducing the mysterious young Eli and her older companion (and blood supplier) Hakan.  Oskar is shown in class with more knowledge about police procedure than he should probably have (in the movie, he knows about forensic evidence at a murder scene; in the book he correctly identifies drugs).  There is a long scene in the book where Oskar is bullied that’s abbreviated down to one of the boys pushing against his nose in the hallway and saying, “oink” (in the book the bullies force him to squeal “like a pig”).   The bullies Micha and Jonny are condensed into one bully: Conny.

The American film opens with “the father’s” death many weeks later!  (In the American film, Hakan doesn’t have a name.)  I found this very odd, because it really places an emphasis on that event which I don’t think it deserves.  The opening scenes of the American film are all flash and screaming and death…which really shouldn’t surprise me but I was still disappointed.  The bullying is very much shown, with Owen getting a painful wedgie, wetting himself, and being tormented verbally.  In the American film they call him “little girl” instead of “piggy” which just makes me sad.  I guess in America, that really is more of an insult.  Boo.  Another major disappointment is that the main characters’ names are changed from Eli and Oskar to Abby and Owen.  Seriously?  I mean… I know it was changed to an American setting, but… would Ellie and Oscar have been too hard?  Come on.  The head bully’s name is also changed, to Kenny.

I like the casting of both films, but I really love the Swedish actress who plays Eli.  She’s just perfect, in my opinion.  She looks very androgynous and can appear young, old, sweet, and sinister.  She also more accurately resembles Eli of the book, who is described as having long dark hair.

In the book, Oskar is shown playing at murder by threatening and stabbing a tree and this scene is very brilliantly interwoven with the scene of Hakan murdering a boy in the woods (for blood).  Oskar also has a shoplifting habit and likes to collect newspaper articles about murders.  In both the Swedish and American films, the shoplifting is completely cut out.  But the Swedish film shows Oskar attacking a tree and collecting newspaper articles.  In the American film, they take Oskar’s tendencies a ridiculous step further by having him put on a crazy serial killer mask, watch people in his apartment complex through a telescope, and threaten himself with a knife in the mirror.  He also has an obsession with Now & Later.  Hooookay.

Another thing that both films eliminate completely is Hakan’s pedophilia.  In the book he’s shown with a young male prostitute (although he doesn’t go through with it) and stalking a young girl into the woods.  It is also made very clear that his relationship with Eli is a trade-off.  She is an ancient being, trapped in the body of a child, which is perfect for him.  He hates murdering people, but he does it so that he can have physical contact with Eli.  Their relationship is a very dysfunctional quid pro quo, with Hakan almost enthralled by her.

In both films, he is portrayed as more of a long-term companion and both films really play up the “affection” between Hakan and Eli.  The American film even goes so far as to insinuate that Abby and “The Father” have been together from the time he was a young boy, by showing old photographs of them.  Another American film fail: the murder scenes with “the father” are sensationalized to the max with plastic masks, car attacks, and cars flipping through the air.

Hakan doesn’t seem to enjoy murdering people in the films, but he seems to do it out of loyalty. Both films also paint his death as a very heartbreaking, almost loving scene which is quite different than the book.  To avoid major spoilers, let me just vaguely say that his death in the book involves weeks of surgery, a crazy re-animated killing machine, a dark basement, and the most horrific night in all of Blackeburg's limited history.

One thing that I did actually like in the American film was the playfulness between Abby and Owen.  In the book, Eli and Oskar have sweet inside jokes and secret codes.  They are very much children together, which becomes incredibly poignant when contrasted with Eli’s relationship with Hakan.  Oskar is not yet old enough to see Eli in a sexual way, and their relationship never feels sexualized.  Abby and Owen in the American film are shown in the arcade giggling and buying candy in the corner store.  Some of these scenes are in the Swedish film as well, but they feel much more sedate.  I never got that sense of childish fun.

However, I was very disappointed that the American film does seem to sexualize their relationship.  Owen is shown watching his neighbors make out and there’s a very important (to the book) scene where Oskar sees Eli undressed that’s similarly turned into blushing voyeurism, much to my dismay.

And I guess that brings me to one of the BIGGEST differences.  SPOILER ALERT!!!  AVERT YOUR EYES ALL YE WHO WISH TO REMAIN UNSPOILED!!!

Okay.  So in the book, it is revealed that Eli is actually Elias, a beautiful boy who was castrated at a very young age and turned into a vampire.  The Swedish film deals with this quite succinctly, by showing a close up of Eli’s nude pelvic region.  Talk about show, don’t tell!  In the American film, nothing is done and we are simply allowed to believe that Abby is and always has been a girl.  (Both films include Eli/Abby saying the line, "would you still like me if I weren't a girl?" but whether that refers to her gender or her non-human status isn't explained.)

OKAY SAFE TO COME BACK!

The Swedish film did a wonderful job portraying “the regulars” – a group of barflies who become a pool of victims for Eli.  Virginia takes center stage, as a woman who Eli drinks from but leaves alive, and who eventually begins to change into a vampire.  In the book, she realizes what’s happening and tries to stave off her urges by drinking her own blood (barf).  There’s also a crazy scene where she plans to kill a friend but is instead attacked by about a million cats!  And then throws herself down a flight of stairs whilst covered in enraged cats!!  When I first saw that in the Swedish film, I really wondered if that had been exaggerated but NO!  That really happens almost exactly in the book.

Virginia is described as a middle-aged grandmother and heavy drinker, so of course we in America went ahead and cast her as a young sultry twenty year old with a toy dog accessory.  All the other regulars are completely cut from the American film.  America also decided to cut out the attack of the cats, which is quite sad.  There really aren't enough crazy cat attack scenes in movies these days. 

Both films preserve the way that she finally dies: in a ball of flame ignited by sunshine.  However, the Swedish film stays faithful to the book and portrays her death as a peaceful suicide, whereas the American film shows her essentially dying by accident as someone opens a window.

There’s also some genuinely creepy stuff in the book about vampire physiology: Eli is shown growing claws, fangs, and wings and Virginia feels that her heart is growing an extra BRAIN.  (So that explains the whole stake through the heart thing.)  In both films, all of this is cut.  The only small references to it are when Eli scales the hospital wall to visit Hakan and when Oskar asks her how she got into his room, she says “I flew.”  In the book, Eli is also able to project her memories into Oskar’s mind by kissing him.  This is hinted at in the Swedish film, where Eli looks intently at Oskar and says, “be me for a little while.”  The American film cuts it completely.

Another MAJOR deletion in both films is Tommy, a high school boy who lives in Oskar's apartment complex.  Tommy and Oskar are both growing up without fathers, but Tommy's mom is dating an aggressive and boorish police officer.  Tommy gets into mischief, selling stolen items and sniffing glue in the basement.  And Tommy is a part of that certain basement scene that I'm not mentioning and don't ever want to think about again.  I can kind of see why they cut Tommy, as well as many of the over-the-top gruesome scenes.  The book has time to develop nuance and subtlety so it can afford a little horrific gore.  The movie only has two hours.  I think that by cutting the gore, the movie was able to achieve that same emotional, quiet tone.

The Swedish movie, I should say.  The American film achieves nothing of the sort.

In the book, Oskar struggles with the decision to stay with Eli or let her go.  A lot of pages are devoted to this: to Oskar realizing that he is alone and that not even his parents will ever get him.  And a lot of pages are devoted to Oskar coming to terms with the fact that Eli murders people. I think that the Swedish film did an excellent job showing this.  Eli challenges Oskar with his previous behavior, telling him that if given the chance, he would kill someone too (which is taken straight from the book).  This scene is left out of the American film.

In another major turning point, Oskar warns Eli of an intruder in her home.  When Virginia dies, her boyfriend (one of the regulars) decides to seek retribution by becoming a vampire killer.  He enters Eli's home and finds her sleeping in a bathtub...FILLED WITH BLOOD.  Both films altered this scene, instead showing Eli/Abby asleep nestled in blankets.  In the Swedish film (and the book) Oskar warns Eli, so that she can wake up and kill the intruder.  In the American film, the intruder is not Virginia's boyfriend, but a police officer and Abby is awakened by his uncovering of one of the windows and burning her face.  Owen is present, but it's definitely not as poignant.

THIS IS WHERE I SPOIL THE ENDING!!

In the end scene, Oskar is rescued by Eli from a group of his bullies.  He's in the school gymnasium, doing water aerobics (or practicing freestyle in the American version = much more manly) when a group of his bullies come in and basically attempt to murder him by drowning.  Eli raps at the window and one of the boys, nervous about what's happening to Oskar, tells her that she can come in.  The Swedish film shows the entire scene from Oskar's POV underwater, and I thought that was a nice way of getting around it.  Eli could have asked to come in; we just didn't hear it.  The American film just shows her busting in.  Both films show Oskar underwater during the attack, but in the Swedish film his eyes are closed (as detached hands float by).  When he's released, he surfaces and sees Eli, then smiles sweetly at her.

In the American film, his eyes are OPEN as several body parts plus a couple of detached HEADS float by!  He pops up, sees Abby, and does a little wobbly nervous smile.  It feels like every ounce of meaning is just drained from that scene.  In the book, there is one surviving boy, who is also shown in the Swedish film.  In the American film, they all die.

One thing that I really missed from the ending of both films is that the one remaining boy (RIP American film's one remaining boy) later goes on to tell the police that Oskar was saved by "an angel."  I loved that!  I think that it really illustrates what Lindqvist was trying to say, about how morally grey we all are, and how much of our "goodness" is just based on perception.  It would have been hard to show this in either movie, and would probably have dragged out the ending, but I still missed it.

However, both films include an end scene where Oskar and Eli communicate using Morse code through the walls of the steamer trunk she's stashed in as they run away together on a train.  I loved that little addition in both and was surprised that that didn't come from the book.

So in conclusion, I rate the Swedish film:

And I rate the American film:

Dead End in Norvelt
Author: Jack Gantos
Publication Date: 9/13/11
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
[Goodreads | Amazon | Audible]
Audio Sample

Blurb (GR):  Dead End in Norvelt is the winner of the 2012 Newbery Medal for the year's best contribution to children's literature and the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction!
 
Melding the entirely true and the wildly fictional, Dead End in Norvelt is a novel about an incredible two months for a kid named Jack Gantos, whose plans for vacation excitement are shot down when he is "grounded for life" by his feuding parents, and whose nose spews bad blood at every little shock he gets. But plenty of excitement (and shocks) are coming Jack's way once his mom loans him out to help a fiesty old neighbor with a most unusual chore—typewriting obituaries filled with stories about the people who founded his utopian town. As one obituary leads to another, Jack is launced on a strange adventure involving molten wax, Eleanor Roosevelt, twisted promises, a homemade airplane, Girl Scout cookies, a man on a trike, a dancing plague, voices from the past, Hells Angels . . . and possibly murder. Endlessly surprising, this sly, sharp-edged narrative is the author at his very best, making readers laugh out loud at the most unexpected things in a dead-funny depiction of growing up in a slightly off-kilter place where the past is present, the present is confusing, and the future is completely up in the air.

Review:

Jack Gantos is the perfect narrator for his own work. This book is partly autobiographical, partly fiction, and totally wacky. We received a review copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio and from the onset, I knew only that it was a Newbery Award winner and that Norvelt was the name of the town in which the main character lived, so basically nothing. (It also won the Scott O'Dell Award For Historical Fiction) I enjoyed Gantos' voice acting but I couldn't put my finger on what it was about his voice that kept making me say to myself, "I've never heard anyone with a voice like his read an audiobook. What is it about his voice?" And then it came to me like a brick to my head--my extremely embarrassed head, that is. He's from western Pennsylvania! He totally sounds like my childhood and relatives. I am seriously so embarrassed about my lack of pickup on this one. I sauntered up to my parents and said, "So, have you two ever heard of Norvelt?" and they both were like, "Of course! That's right near Mt. Pleasant!" *facepalm* Long story only semi-shortened, my father grew up at the same time as Jack Gantos in a town twenty minutes north of Norvelt. (Greensburg) My mother, same deal but half an hour northwest. (Irwin) Even if the historical facts in this book are only partially true, I still wish I knew about the history of Norvelt when I lived in Pittsburgh so I could go check it out. As it is, I'll do that next time I'm in PA. After I figured out why I was enjoying Gantos' narration so much, I became even more attached to the story because I imagined the streets near my grandparents' house, the geographic area, the coal miner historical feeling in western Pennsylvania, and what it might've been like for my dad growing up around the same time. (Let's hear it for the western PA tradition of getting the first day of hunting season off of school!)

The story of Dead End in Norvelt is one we've heard before, but with a few twists. Eleven or twelve-year old Jack ends up grounded for the entire summer because he disobeys his mother by listening to his father. (I felt awful that he was grounded for the whole summer because of his parents' disagreement!) The only place Jack is allowed to go is his elderly neighbor's house to help her write obituaries for the town newspaper because her arthritic hands don't allow her to have a lot of mobility. Mrs. Volker, the old woman, is one crazy character in a cast so quirky that they must be based loosely on people Mr. Gantos has known throughout his life.  There is an old man who rides a huge adult tricycle around town, an ex-postmistress who plasters her walls with undeliverable mail, and even Jack himself, who gets a nosebleed every time he gets excited, scared, surprised, or, well, anything at all. (I read that the nosebleeds were a fact of young Gantos' life) While most of the story reads like an enjoyable middle-grade memoir, there is a potential murder mystery integrated into the book, as well as Hells Angels wreaking havoc at a few points, and some plot points about Girl Scouts. (I'm glad I had some Tagalongs to munch on during the week or so I listened to this book. All it takes is one mention of Girl Scout cookies and I get a craving. Side note: does anyone else wonder if the secret ingredient is cocaine? Juuuust kidding.)

I think I just love middle grade tales of everyday life. Movies like The Sandlot and My Girl, as well as books like When You Reach Me and The Wednesday Wars. Sure, there are other events occurring in the plots of those books and movies but they are basically just about what's going on in the life of one young person, or a group of young people. The slight difference in Dead End in Norvelt, and it is one I really enjoyed, was the injection of more history. Norvelt was its own character and it was so interesting to hear different characters weighing in on their feelings about the town fading away, people moving away or dying, and whether or not they should fight to continue the values on which the town was based. For those who never plan to read this book (or listen to it, which I recommend), Norvelt was built up by the federal government after the Depression to house out-of-work coal miners and their families. The town was/is named for EleaNOR RooseVELT and after listening to small tidbits peppered throughout the book, I went to read up more on the history of the town. As someone whose favorite time period in American history to learn about is the New Deal era, this book and the subsequent Wikipedia articles it inspired me to go and read were like a pleasant treat. 

This book isn't for everyone and I can understand why the ratings and reviews are all over the place. This is a book about a young boy--there is a gratuitously long section about farting while hunting. Necessary? Heck no, but definitely realistic for boys that age to be talking/thinking about. Sensational at parts? Again, yes, but that's part of the overall feeling of the novel. If even half of the events happened and even a quarter of those people existed, Jack Gantos had a hugely eventful childhood. Or at least one hilarious and memorable summer.

4/5 stars

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for providing us with a review copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Happy Saturday everyone and welcome back to Odds & Ends on the web!  We made it back for a second week!

Diving right in: the big news that you may have missed if you were living under a rock this week.  J.K. Rowling's forthcoming adult novel now has a title!  The Casual Vacancy will be published September 27th, 2012 from Little, Brown.  Here's the blurb:

"When Barry Fairweather dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock.  Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty facade is a town at war.  Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils...Pagford is not what it first seems.  And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?"

Oooookaayyy.  We wish J.K. Rowling the best of luck with this new venture, which seems to be quite a bit different than her fantasy novels.  It's getting quite a lot of hype (apparently thousands of people added it to their virtual shelves on the day it was released), but is that a good thing?  Our friend Chachic over at Chachic's Book Nook wrote a great post about the hype that many debut authors receive and why she chooses to read mainly older titles.

For the vast majority of debut authors who are not picked up by a major publishing house and hyped here, there, and everywhere - there's an interesting new(ish) way of getting your book published.  The website Kickstarter, which is known for allowing every day citizens to donate toward nonprofit, entrepreneurial, and creative causes now has unpublished novels on it, just waiting for backers.

And before you say that the internet has killed reading - check out this article from The Atlantic.  (Although - note that this chart says approximately nothing about the quality of literature being produced these days.)

Some of our favorite  authors were among the nominees of The Hugo Awards - announced this week, including Mira Grant, China Miéville, and Catherynne M. Valente. 

Catherynne M. Valente also got spit firin' mad about the state of affairs for women this week and wrote a blog post all about it, which of course we loved.  AND, she posted the long-anticipated cover for the sequel to The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, titled The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There.  (Last minute awesome addition - Amy over at Turn the Page has an interview with Ana Juan, the illustrator for these books, today!)

Huffington Post had a list of up-coming YA dystopian novels for 2012 (titled "Life After The Hunger Games" - as if) that looks sorta promising - we're hoping for a little more grit and a little less dystomance.  (Catie is very excited about For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund =  Persuasion in space!!*)

The ALA released its list of the most challenged books for 2011 this week and The Hunger Games was #3!  The book was challenged for, "Anti-ethnic; anti-family; insensitivity; offensive language; occult/satanic; violence."  We're really struggling with "occult/satanic." 

Barbie  got a little more badass this week, with a Katniss reboot.

And other signs that the world is ending:  Nicholas Sparks has started his own production company and already signed a deal with Warner Horizon to "develop and executive produce series projects with an eye toward the cable marketplace “that will bring to television many of the core elements of my books and films: romantic love, family bonds, and the universal human dramas that move us all.”

Perhaps sensing the coming apocalypse, google maps has handily provided the map of the dead - a tool for seeking out hospitals, food, and shelter during the zombie apocalypse.

And lastly, here's a hilarious list of "rejected young adult series" to keep you all laughing as the world ends (much thanks to the brilliant Rachel Hartman for posting this list). 

See you next week!

*Correction: For Darkness Shows the Stars is in fact NOT Persuasion in space but is actually "post-apocalyptic Persuasion."  We apologize! 

Preloved
Author: Shirley Marr
Publication Date: 4/1/12 (Aus)
Publisher: Walker Books Australia
[Goodreads | Fishpond]

Blurb (GR):If you had a second chance at love, would you do it all over again?

Amy has enough to deal with for one lifetime. A superstitious Chinese mother. A best friend whose mood changes as dramatically as her hair colour. A reputation for being strange. The last thing she needs is to be haunted by someone only she can see.

Logan is a ghost from the Eighties. He could be dangerous. He's certainly annoying.

He might also be Amy's dream boy.

Review:

When I found out that Preloved involved ghosts, I immediately wondered what I’d gotten myself into because ghosts and I just don’t get along. If a movie with ghosts is in the theaters and my friends want to go see it, my face starts to have this weird twitch and then my voice raises a few octaves. "Oh that one? Oh, I've heard it is, like, TERRIBLE. Like worse than that Adam Sandler movie where he plays a guy and a girl. Worse than the worst Lifetime movie ever was. No I'm not just saying that because it has ghosts in it!" (that last bit is because they know I am saying it solely because it has ghosts in it.) As it turns out, I will have to carve out an exception in section of my ghost hatred for Preloved. Here's a very scientific chart to explain my interest in literary and/or cinematic ghosts:

If I was being completely accurate, I'd add a few ghosts or pseudo-ghosts from history that I find marginally entertaining: Kevin Costner's dad in Field of Dreams, Marley & Marley from Muppet Christmas Carol (ONLY the Muppet one), Slimer from Ghostbusters, whatever it is going on in The Sixth Sense, and the ghosts from Heart and Souls with Robert Downey, Jr. And now I like them in Preloved. 

Whether or not you are familiar with Marr's debut novel, Fury, doesn't matter one iota going into this book because it reads in an entirely different way. Say Shirley Marr's books are Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Fury would be at the serious level of a big fight scene. Preloved is like reading a book about Willow meeting a ghost from the  1980s, if Willow were Chinese with a superstitious mother who ran an antique shop. Amy Lee, the protagonist, is someone who would be the "wacky best friend" or "forgotten girl" in most other stories and television shows. Her best friend is always overshadowing her, she isn't really exceptional in any way, and guys seem to look right through her. On a costume day at school, she finds a locket that makes Amy the only person able to see a boy from the 1980s. The plot follows Amy on her quest to figure out who Logan is and why she is the only person who can see him.

Overall, I liked the campy tone and the numerous pop culture references. I liked being reminded of just how far technology has come in such a short time. And honestly, I don't know if there is such a thing as too many movie references in a book for me, especially when it comes to The Princess Bride and Labyrinth. Another highlight throughout the book was Amy's mother, who peppered the story with her little anecdotes about ways to avoid ghosts or other superstitions. I wish Marr dug deeper into the emotional elements in the story--the moments with Amy and her mother were lovely, but I wish there was more development of their relationship. Preloved moved very quickly, which is fun, but it was to the detriment of the story. Near the end of the book, there is quite a surprise, at least it was surprise to me, and the book takes a more serious turn.  I'm not going to say I wish it hadn't done that. It was refreshing to be surprised, even if I felt a bit foolish to not see it earlier, but I still think the resolution was too hurried. All in all, the book could've used about twenty more pages of emotional depth. I have a lot of unanswered questions. 

I think readers who enjoy humorous YA will eat this one up. It is a fast read with entertaining characters and I learned a thing or two about Chinese culture. Don't forget to enter to win a copy from us (and Walker Books!) here and visit Shirley on her blog tour stops starting next week. There will be tons of fun information to be had, for sure. 

3.5/5 stars

We're all hopelessly addicted to books.  But how to feed that addiction without going broke?  Today we share with you the creative ways we've discovered to score books: whether it's from our favorite book stores, book exchanges, or the library.  And let's face it; we're not above begging. 

I have been acquiring and borrowing books since I can remember myself. My favorite childhood memories are those in which I walk to my local library and dig through shelves and bins of books. And also of staying home and "playing library" with the books I owned, arranging my favorite Sweet Valleys by color and whatnot. Decades later I still do all these things. Both going to the library and constantly rearranging my own bookshelves.

With book collecting comes book cluttering though. I imagine every book lover has a bit of a book hoarder in her (him), and I am no exception. Compulsive book buying has always been a problem for me. If you love books, you just can not walk away from any book sale. You buy books that you think you want and are going to read, you add them to your collection, rearrange your shelves again, and then those unread books are staring at you for years.

This is how it used to be. I have a new book philosophy now. Maybe it is because there is a limited space on my bookshelves and I want my bookies not to be crammed into small spaces anymore, or maybe those purchases of Oprah books and bodice-rippers I once loved seem like such a waste of money and space now, or maybe I just gotten a taste for decluttering. But most likely I have to credit discovering Goodreads and joining online book community about 3 years ago for my transformed view on reading. I read and appreciate books differently. Goodreads and my book friends exposed me to more books, better books, new free sources of books, and best ways of acquiring them. I now only own books that I love and am willing to read and reread over and over again. I no longer have books that look back at me with accusation, waiting for me to read them, but books that I can not wait to read again.

So, where and how do I get books these days?

There are two big categories I divide books in my life now: books I want to read and books I want to own. I hardly ever buy books without reading them first anymore, even the books by my favorite authors. God knows, they've let me down in the past.

NetGalley has been invaluable for supplying me with ARCs of new releases I am curious about. These days you can get access to almost any upcoming book you are interested in. Edelweiss is gaining momentum as well.

If I am unable to obtain advanced copies of books I want to read, my public library has been very generous with honoring almost every purchase request I have placed, that in addition to already offering thousands and thousands of paper, audio and ebooks. At each moment I probably have at least a dozen of books checked out.

Once I know a book is the one I want to own and keep and grant it a place on my valuable shelves, I follow one of these affordable avenues.

If the "approved" book was published a few years ago, chances are I can get it through swap within days. This is how I acquired my new collection of Jane Austen books just recently (had to replace my old Penguins). My favorite swap site is Paperbackswap. If you are savvy and keep track of all new releases, you might even be able to position yourself at the top of the line on new titles and get them swapped to you fairly quickly, but in that case you have to wishlist the books you are interested in months and months before their release dates. It can be tricky.

Another great source of getting older books is of course library book sales. Mine has them semi-annually. Like I said, I only buy what I plan on rereading, so I do not go wild anymore. During my last trip I ended up with some Margaret Atwood, Kazuo Ishiguro and Ian McEwan.

These two places are great for getting rid of your unwanted books as well. You can either offer them for swap and receive credits you can use later on the books you want. Or you can donate them and they will be sold at the next library sale. All my bodice rippers and Oprahs went directly to the library sale.

And, of course, the last resort - Amazon. It is very popular these days to hate on Amazon and campaign for supporting independent book stores, but the reality is, not everyone can afford the luxury of paying premium for the books just because they disagree with how Amazon handles its business dealings. New book releases and pre-orders are probably the cheapest on Amazon and I will continue using it.

About three years ago, I received my first ereader.  At the time, I was living in Phoenix, Arizona which has one of the largest digital libraries I’ve ever come across.  Suddenly I had 20,000 free ebooks available to me at any time of day, with the click of a button.  Before, I had been a pretty frequent customer at Amazon, pre-ordering all of my most anticipated reads to have delivered at my door on their various release days. But with the new potential of getting about 80% of my books through the library, I started thinking about what was possible.  I’ve always been an environmentally conscious person and suddenly it seemed like maybe I could survive without books in print.

I set a goal for myself: no more purchasing of brand new, print books.  This was a lot harder to stick to than I anticipated…but I actually managed to be 100% faithful to that goal for about two years and I still mostly avoid buying new books in print (I admit that my main breaking point is hard-to-get Australian books *cough* Froi of the Exiles *cough*.)  Limiting my book-buying that strictly wouldn’t have worked in the long term (because let’s face it…Quintana of Charyn is getting pre-ordered so hard) but I am still so glad that I did it, because it forced me to get creative.

This is National Library Week, so I really want to first highlight library systems all over the U.S.  Did you know that many libraries have extensive digital collections of ebooks (pdf, epub, and kindle books) and audiobooks?  Even if you live in a low-population area, there are several libraries that offer library cards to out of state residents for a small fee, like The Philadelphia Free Public Library or The District of Columbia Public Library.  Additionally, most counties will allow residents of neighboring counties/cities to obtain library cards for free.  I currently have library cards for Prince William County, Fairfax County, and The District of Columbia – all of which are extremely easy to use and have pretty much provided me with just about everything that I’ve been interested in for the past two years. 

Another way that I love to support libraries (and get cheap cheap books of course) is through the friends of the library book sales.  Book  Sale Finder is a free service that will email you each week with a list of library book sales near your home.  (Be careful because this can become very addictive.)  Many libraries have a final “sale day” where everything left is priced super low – like $1 or $2 per bag.  The first time I went to one of those sales, I saw people lined up at the door with rolling suitcases and giant Tupperware bins and thought…these are my people.

And outside of the library, I have also fallen in love with book-swapping.  I am a frequent user of Paperbackswap which is a free book exchange website.  You can also find a ton of used books these days at thrift stores and charity shops (it’s sad but true – a ton of publisher overstock is ending up in bargain stores).  And there are many wonderful used book shops that allow trade-in.  One of my favorite used book stores of all time is Bookmans (with locations all over Arizona).  They have warehouse-sized stores and huge selections.  There’s nothing more fulfilling than carting in a few bags of books that you’d rather never see again and leaving with a ton of awesome finds – most of the time without spending a penny!  I’m still searching for an awesome used book store in the D.C. area but I haven’t found one.

And of course, here’s my most recent favorite way to get free books: become an amateur book reviewer. It can take up a lot of time (most of said time may or may not be spent on random and fruitless internet activities), and it’s not a paid job.  But for the chance to read amazing books before they’re even released?  Yeah…I think I can unearth a few creative impulses for that.

I've lived all over the country and fed my addiction wherever I went.  In Pittsburgh, I got tons of books at Half Price Books on McKnight Road and at the one in Robinson Town Center. (I still go to Half Price books in Seattle.) I loved walking around the Borders in downtown Boston and the one on Newbury Street before they closed.  This past year, I probably bought 30 books at the demise-of-Borders sales all over Seattle metro area. But when I think about the places I get books that make me the most happy, these are the ones that come to mind first: 

1. The Friends of the Seattle Public Library Book Sales: The first time I went to the FSPL sale, my eyes almost bugged out of my head. I read about it in the weekend newspaper and went by myself almost instantaneously after finishing the article. It is seriously amazing for several reasons. First, the people there are READERS. They bring or buy boxes and bags to fill with books and everyone is excited to be there. Second, there are thousands upon thousands of books. An entire hangar of them plus some extra rooms. The first time I went, I probably got about 30 books for $5. If you on on the Sunday, everything is half price. Some books are former library books but many are also donations and unmarked. Like Catie, I troll the SPL and KCLS sites for library sales and try to go to the $1 a bag sales.

2. Brookline Booksmith: The basement of this bookstore is like walking into a dream. The top floor of the store, which is in a neighborhood in Boston, is filled with new books and gifts. The basement is filled with magical unicorns and rainbows. Fine, not really, but it IS filled with used books. And it isn't just the also-rans and former bestsellers, it is a legitimately wonderful selection. I went there once with a printout of my Goodreads To-Be-Read list and probably found twenty of them--from The Magus to The Raw Shark Texts to The Power of One. The selection for children's and YA used books leaves a lot to be desired but the overall selection makes up for it.

3. The Boston Public Library: I miss the Boston Public Library. The main branch in Copley Square was a daily haunt for me during my grad school days. I'd stop there on my way to or from school and pick up some audiobooks for my commute. The building is old and the marble on the stairs is worn down in that way that only 100+ years of use can produce. (see also: Carnegie Library and the museum in Pittsburgh) I never really adventured to other branches of the system but the selection was amazing and the holds system (especially after they renovated and reorganized) was efficient.

4. The King County Library System: I seriously believe that KCLS should hire me as their mascot. I will tell anyone who will listen about how amazing my current library system is. I've probably been to at least 10 different branches of the system, which is the busiest in the nation, and each one has impressed me. Everything I put on hold is delivered quickly, everything is automated, and the selection can't be beat. I utilized their "Ask A Librarian" feature to find some space-related YA and emailed back and forth with wonderful results. (I'm still secretly wishing I could make friends with the librarian who helped me!) The only downside of the King County Library System isn't a downside at all--it is so busy! It makes me happy when I can't find somewhere to sit or park because it means people are utilizing the system. I'll just pick up my books and be on my way, thank you very much.

5. University Bookstore: I'm probably biased because I worked at a branch of this bookstore but I do love it. It always fascinated me to know that they will wrap and ship books for free nationwide. (call in your order from anywhere!) I recently went to the Mill Creek location for an author event (Marissa Meyer and Lissa Price) and that store has donuts. DONUTS, people. 

6. Third Place Books: My feelings about Third Place go back and forth. They have awesome book events. They have tons of people playing board games on the weekends. They have some (SOME) great used books. But they don't always have a great selection of backlist items nor do they carry all the books I think they should. For example, I went to purchase a new Sookie Stackhouse book and a new Chicagoland Vampires book on the day they came out. They had the Sookie book but not the CV book--and that series is pretty popular! I had to go to Barnes & Noble. But I'm including Third Place on my list because I am a frequent visitor.

7. Powell's: So I've been two Powell's locations in the Portland area and it is basically not kosher to make a list of kickass places to acquire books without listing it, so here it is! I LOVE prowling around Powell's when I'm down in Oregon. (I'm assuming The Strand is the Powell's equivalent for the east coast but I'm ashamed to say I've never made it there. I've spent all my time in New York causing ruckuses with my friends instead of buying books.) 

8. When I remember, I try to keep track of the Amazon daily discussion board on freebies. There are some seriously dedicated members of the Kindle forums over there who list every free book they find and there is a new thread every day. At this point, I have over 1,000 free books I've amassed solely from Amazon freebies. I've read several of them but I really had to stop hoarding because it was getting ridiculous. Nowadays, I only download about 5 or so per week.

How about you guys?  Do you have any favorite book suppliers?  Are there any rules that you follow when purchasing books?  And most importantly, do you have any other ways of scoring free books that we didn't mention?  (Don't hold out on us, damn it.)

We are so excited to be part of the blog tour for Shirley Marr's second novel, Preloved, which was released in Australia on April 1st. It isn't released in the US but you can get a copy with free shipping from Fishpond.

Here's the blurb:
If you had a second chance at love, would you do it all over again? 

Amy has enough to deal with for one lifetime. A superstitious Chinese mother. A best friend whose mood changes as dramatically as her hair colour. A reputation for being strange. The last thing she needs is to be haunted by someone only she can see. 

Logan is a ghost from the Eighties. He could be dangerous. He's certainly annoying. 

He might also be Amy's dream boy. 

One of our favorite Aussie bloggers, Mandee from VeganYANerds, already reviewed it and gave it high ranks. Click on her name to read her glowing review. Swoon, right? So far, we're (Flann & Catie) really enjoying it! Tons of eighties references, humor, and Amy's mom is cracking us up. Shirley's books are a hot commodity internationally. Go ahead and try to find a copy of her debut novel, Fury. I dare you.  (We will not be held responsible for any crazy circumstances that occur as a result.)

 
Here's the schedule of her upcoming blog tour:
16th April - Vegan YA Nerds
17th April - Literary Life
18th April - The Midnight Garden
19th April - The Tales Compendium
20th April - My Girl Friday
23rd April - Wear the Old Coat
24th April - The Readventurer 
25th April - Inkcrush
26th April - Hey! Teenager of the Year
27th April - The Nocturnal Library

Make sure you visit every site for the tour--there will be lots of fun interviews, guest posts, and giveaways! Speaking of giveaways, we're giving away a copy of Preloved to one lucky reader in the US/Canada. (with apologies to our international buddies this time.)   Good luck! And thanks to Walker Books Australia for the copy.

Today we are introducing our new feature - Odds & Ends on the Web (fingers crossed, it does stay regular and weekly, we shall try). In it we are planning to shower you with links to book-related news, interesting posts by our blogger friends and bloggers newly discovered, random finds, etc., basically, anything we think worthy and fun.

The biggest story of the past few days has been, of course, another article written by a white male who chides us for reading YA. Apparently, he has his own book to sell, so how else would he attract our attention if not by being condescending and smug, right? Our favorite responses are from Foz Meadow who calls him out on his sexist ways and Sarah who wisely asks Why the HELL do we even care what people do or do not read?

Goodreads announced the Independent Book Blogger Awards, which is, in theory, a fine idea, but Kelly over at Stacked argues it might not be so in reality.

You know how we sometimes wonder, what was the author thinking to have written a certain scene/character/event and didn't he/she understand how wrong it was? In this blog post Veronica Roth bravely admits her mistakes in how she portrayed sexual assault in her debut novel.

Carissa Taylor asks her fellow writers: Does Your YA Paranormal Romance have enough cliches? Hilarious, spot on and with a flowchart!

In this newly found blog, the anonymous Intern speculates that being active on the internet does not necessarily mean increase in sales for authors.

Coincidentally, Sara Zarr and Antony John come to the same conclusion in Sara's entertaining and informative 3rd episode of This Creative Life podcast (yes, we are still pushing podcasts).

Cracked dissects 6 famous children's books that teach horrible lessons. Creepy Love You Forever is among those 6.

Fan of Downton Abbey? You simply HAVE to pay a visit to Downton Arby's (you are welcome).

Melina Marchetta's The Piper's Son finally gets a decent US cover (as exhibited). Angsty Tom is so much better than the Jonas Brothers-like Tom of the hardback edition.

And, finally, if you are as much of a fan of E. Lockhart as Catie, you have to check out this merch inspired by her writing, such as “Ag. And more Ag" T-shirts.

That is all for this week's Odds & Ends on the Web!