Me On the Shelves

What It Is: Through the Wardrobe: Your Favorite Authors on C.S. Lewis’s the Chronicles of Narnia.

Place You’re Likely to Find It: Border’s Book Stores (Exclusively), either in the YA or children’s sections, shelved with the other Narnia books, OR under B for Herbie Brennan (who edited the collection). Alternately, your local Borders may have a special display at the front of the store for the Narnia books and tie-ins in preparation for the movie. You are unlikely to get any help from the employees, as the book is NOT listed in the system, either by title or ISBN. This has been the case at several Borders I’ve visited in various states. The Borders in Boston where I most recently saw the book had it listed as being written by C.S. Lewis. If you have trouble finding it, try to get a hold of the YA or Children’s Books specialist in the store. I don’t think you can buy it online, either.

What It’s About: A bunch of YA and fantasy authors writing essays about the Narnia series. My essay is called “King Edmund the Cute” and talks about the character of Edmund Pevensie.

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What It Is: The paperback of Secret Society Girl, my first novel and the first book in the ongoing series.

Where You’ll Find It: Any bookstore, shelved in the literature/fiction section. The easiest way to find me is to look for the massive Jodi Picoult shelves and I’m usually right before it. I heart Jodi Picoult. Alternately, fine online retailers. And finally, I hear you can still find them in Target book sections.

What It’s About: Smart, sassy Ivy League co-ed Amy Haskel gets tapped into the previously all-male secret society Rose & Grave, and that’s just the start of her adventures.

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What It Is: Under the Rose, my second novel and the follow up to Secret Society Girl.

Where You’ll Find It: Right next to Secret Society Girl. You’ll be more likely to find it this summer, however, than you will now. Meanwhile, your best bet is fine online retailers. I’ve also heard people had good luck at Target.

What It’s About: From Publisher’s Weekly: “Picking up where last year’s Secret Society Girl left off, the novel follows the misadventures of Amy Haskel, who, having endured the initiation only to unravel a misogynistic plot set on destroying the first class of Diggers to include women, is looking forward to putting her troubles behind her. But things begin to sour when all the Diggirls receive a mysterious letter warning them of the society’s impending implosion. To make matters worse, Amy’s ex-boyfriend has a hot new girlfriend; her roommate starts dating a society member with commitment problems; another society member is dying to get under Amy’s ceremonial robe; and Amy’s senior thesis looms. When the Diggers realize they have a mole, Amy is intent on finding the culprit.”

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What it Is: The World of the Golden Compass, edited by Scott Westerfeld

Where You’ll Find It: In the YA or Children’s section of your local Borders (exclusively), with the Philip Pullman books. Alternately, in the YA section with the Scott Westerfeld books. Like the Narnia book, this book is not listed in the computer system in the store, so it is unlikely employees will be able to help. You used to be able to order it online, but the link appears to be broken now. (Seriously, this is the best picture I can find of it now!)

What It’s About: Another essay anthology. Mine is called “Ghost in the Machine” and is about the concept of daemons and why I named my laptop Pantalaimon.
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What It Is: Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume, edited by Jennifer O’Connell.

Where You’ll Find It: I know nothing about a paperback release for this book, so your best bet is fine online retailers. Or, you may get lucky in a store.

What It’s About: An essay anthology by women’s fiction writers (including Megan McCafferty and Meg Cabot) about what Judy Blume meant to us growing up. My essay is called “Brave New Kid” and it’s about how I identified with Sally J. Freedman.

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And, coming up:

What It Is: Rites of Spring (Break), the third book in the Secret Society Girl series.

Where You’ll Find It: Starting on June 24, 2008, you’ll find it in bookstores all over. Check the new release tables, and if that doesn’t work, check next to Jodi Picoult. You can also pre-order it now — today! — online at these fine online retailers and have a book delivered to your door the day it’s out!

What It’s About: For Amy, a week of R&R on her secret society’s private island should be all fun in the sun—and an escape from an on-campus feud with a rival society that’s turned disturbingly personal. But along with her SPF 30 and a bikini, Amy is bringing a suitcase full of issues to remote Cavador Key. Graduation from Eli University looms, not to mention buckets of unfinished business with a former flame and—most pressing of all—the sudden, startling transformation of a mysterious Rose & Grave patriarch from sheerly evil to utterly…appealing? Just when Amy thinks Spring Break can’t get any less relaxing, a wacky “accident” puts everyone on edge. And that’s only the beginning, as Amy starts to suspect that someone has infiltrated the island. With some major Rose & Grave secrets to be exposed, and the potential fallout enough to take down one of America’s most loathsome figureheads, what she can’t know is that the party crasher is deadly serious about making sure “Bugaboo” doesn’t get back to Eli alive….

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And, in 2009, at bookstores everywhere:

June: RAMPANT, a tale of killer unicorns
July: The fourth book in the Secret Society Girl series