But he’s home now so maybe now things will get back to normal.

HWSNBNITB is a little upset though because he bought The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo audio book to listen to while driving back from Indiana. He overheard me discussing it with friends and came away with the impression that it was a very sexy read (I guess can see how I might have made it sound this way, given the points I may have highlighted within his hearing).

(If you want Mia Thermopolis’s full review—plus the rest of her Summer Reading List and an update on what’s been going on in her crazy life—click here.)

So poor HWSNBNITB didn’t know what he was letting himself into. Midway through Tennessee he called me and was like, “I’m going to drive off the side of the road because I’m falling asleep. ALL THEY DO IN THIS BOOK IS DRINK COFFEE AND TALK ON SOME ISLAND!”

Oops. I assured him things get exciting around page 300 (but on an audio book, that’s like ten hours in).

Summer is made for reading (or listening to) fun books. It’s hot, everyone is on vacation, everything on TV is a rerun. It’s the perfect time to settle in with a good, fun read.

That’s partly how I discovered the exciting world of fiction, because it was SO hot during the summer where I grew up in Indiana (we didn’t have air conditioning in my house for many years, because it was my parents’ dream to “fix up an old house,” just like Allie’s parents in the Allie Finkle books).

It was at the Monroe County Public Library in Bloomington, Indiana, that I whiled away most of my summers, reading every “beach read” I could find (although we had no beach), and where I also read the entire Harlequin Presents line—primarily anything by Penny Jordan involving sheiks and virgins.

Why romances? Maybe because when it gets hot out, the minds of teenagers (and even some adults) begin to turn to thoughts of love. As in, a summer romance.

This might be why Insatiable is on so many Summer Beach (and blogger’s Must) Read lists right now. We’ve even updated the home page to reflect some of these fabulous reviews and accolades. It’s so sweet of all you (like Snarkyspace and Fangirlsview, just to name a few). Thanks for supporting it. You’re the BEST!

Anyway, this morning I was kind of thinking about summer reading and summer love, and all of a sudden this piece came on, about how TODAY is the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of To Kill a Mockingbird. FUN! This is one of my favorite books of all time.

People like to say that the message of To Kill A Mockingbird—that we shouldn’t judge people before we get to know them, especially based on things like the color of their skin, or where they’re from, or what kind of names they have—is kind of outdated, because nobody does this anymore. We’re all one big happy family now. Prejudice no longer exists. I mean, look, we have an African American president!

I would love to think that’s true. Except when I was back in Indiana during the last election, I saw some “Nigger Go Home” signs in people’s yards when Obama came to my town to campaign. And given the fact that I keep getting phone calls from politicians asking me to support that law they have in Arizona (because they want to have it here in Florida, too)—you know, the one where you have to show ID to prove you’re a citizen, but they only ask to see it if you look like you’re from Mexico—I’m not so sure this is true.

A lot of people from Arizona (and here in Florida, too, believe me) say, “You just don’t understand.” But the fact is, my white brother (I have two. One is biological and one, who is African American, is adopted) is a police sergeant in Denver. I understand. I do.

Because it turns out books and air conditioning are not all you can find at the library. I found love there one summer, too.

Just not with my community’s sole white breakdancer, whose attention I’d inadvertently attracted one evening by exiting the library in front of the unfolded cardboard box on which he liked to practice his moves.

The reason why this relationship did not work for me is not because I disparage breakdancing. As we all know from Step Up, Step Up 2, and of course, the upcoming Step Up 3D (due in theaters this August), breakdancing is a legitimate form of artistic expression.

And I TOTALLY know what it’s like to love something that is often ridiculed by others. My friends made ENDLESS fun of me for reading so many books with the words “sheik” and “virgin” in the title.

What did I like so much about these books? Well, among other things, the heroes did not spin on their heads on unfolded cardboard boxes in order to try to impress the heroine. Unlike the girl in the movie poster below, I felt really stupid just standing there while B-Boy (his real name was Troy) was “breaking.”

Picture me as the girl in this poster. Only not smiling.

It was just that despite being urged by Troy (and many of my friends) to “break it,” I was not in the mood to “break it” (at least, not with Troy). Troy did not stir in me even one iota of an urge to “break it.”

But there’s a happy ending to this story (at least for me). Can you guess what it is? No, it’s not that I found my inner b-girl. It’s that I did have a secret crush on someone (not Troy) . . .

. . . and it turned out he liked me back. I just had to jettison my breakdancing baggage.

Because I’d read so many of “those cheesy books” (as my friends called them) while hiding from Troy (and the heat, and my friends) in the library, I figured out EXACTLY how to “break it down” for Troy when it came time “break it off:”

“Troy,” I said. “You are like the Prince of Q’Tar. You are too much of a man for me, a simple virgin. Love between us is just not meant to be. Good bye, Hassan–I mean, Troy–forever!”

(OK. I left out the part about the Prince of Q’Tar. But the rest is verbatim.)

It worked like a charm! Troy was out of there. He did NOT want anything to do with a simple virgin. Thanks, Penny Jordan!

Here’s the good part:

As soon as Troy took his cardboard box and left me forever, and everyone knew he and I weren’t actually an “item,” things began to heat up with the boy from school that I actually really did like. His name was . . . wait for it . . . .

KARIM! Yes, that’s pronounced Kareem, you infidels.

He wasn’t really a sheik, of course. But his mom really did move here from Egypt. And he had a moped. Even better than a camel to a teenage girl!

Readers, you can guess what happened to that moped. I broke it down.

Possessed by the sheik? Sounds great!

This is where the To Kill a Mockingbird stuff comes in. Oh, there’d been some hints before (guys who had the hoods of their pickup trucks painted with the Confederate flag used to call Karim “sand-nigger” in the hallway. Classy).

But when Karim and I moved to New York together—wait . . . what? Obviously YEARS later. There were a lot of ups and downs on that moped. Post-college we were on an up, so we moved to New York together—we had a lot of trouble finding an apartment. It was right during the beginning of the first Gulf War and many landlords, it seemed, were reluctant to rent to an Arab-American. This was not very classy OR Penny Jordan of them, as we were dangerously close to being kicked out of our sublet and onto the streets.

This was just like all the times when my family was the last to be served—and sometimes our food never came at all—in restaurants because of the color of my adopted little brother’s skin.

Things like this just make me want to cry. And made me want to become a writer, so I could write books where people like those landlords and the people who worked in those kitchens got what was coming to them.

Anyway, Karim and I finally did get an apartment. The landlords were Chinese-American. And although Karim can’t breakdance, he does speak Chinese, among many other languages. This came in handy for the job he’d come to New York to do . . . at the UN.

After a couple of years, Karim decided to leave New York City. He wanted to use those language skills to do something more. He applied to, and got into, an out-of-state grad school. I, however, wanted to stay in my new adopted city, which I’d come to love. We decided it was best to get off the moped permanently. We have always stayed in touch ever since, though, because of our secret baby.

HA HA HA! Kidding.

No, we stay in touch because of the friend from whom we got that first NYC sublet: He Who Shall Not Be Named In This Blog. He was Karim’s roommate on the program where he learned Chinese. I met him at a party at Karim’s house when I was 16. He asked what I was doing out so late on a school night and suggested I run along home, as it was past my bedtime.

Obviously because of this, he was not one of my favorite of Karim’s friends (HWSNBNITB is Hungarian. Is anyone really interested in Hungarians? No. They are very boring compared to sheiks). It wasn’t until many, MANY years later that HWSNBNITB eventually began to grow on me. The moment I realized I was in love with him, I almost threw up. The only person who could have been worse was Troy, the breakdancer.

Hi. I’m back. I heard you’ve been writing about me on your blog. Facebook me.

But because of my copious romance reading, I knew exactly how to handle the situation. He still doesn’t know what hit him. I told my friend Beth, “Oh my God, I’m going to throw up, I think I’m in love with HWSNBNITB,” and she said, “Well, he’s OBVIOUSLY in love with you.”

So I informed HWSNBNITB (he was sitting right there, not even paying attention. They never are) that he was taking me out on a proper date the following day. And so he did. The end.

Now that I think about it, everything that’s happened in my entire life can be blamed, in a way, on summer reads: When HWSNBNITB and I eloped when I was 26, we did it in Italy, because we’d both read and loved so many books set there. Karim and his mom came to the party my mom threw for us later in the backyard. I could not go to Karim’s wedding a few years later (to a lovely girl he met in grad school) because I had a big summer book due (and a book tour for another one). But HWSNBNITB went, of course.

And now today, I have another big summer book out . . . and another one due!

And it’s the 50th year anniversary of To Kill a Mockingbird, a book that was a big summer read—and a big influence on a lot of people, including me—in its day.

And every time one of those politicians calls to ask for my support on their new law, I mention what Atticus Finch said:

That you can’t know what it’s like for a person until you’ve walked around in his (or her) shoes. Have THEY walked around in MY shoes? Because if they had, I don’t think they’d be asking for my support on this bill.

I’m more than happy to break this down for them, since they can never understand what I mean. Did you know, I ask them, that my last name isn’t really Cabot (pronounced Cabbitt)? It used to be Caputo, but my grandfather had to change it because there was a lot of anti-Italian sentiment at one time in this country, and he could never get a job. How different, I ask them, is that from Mexicans today? Or Arab-Americans?

It starts with requiring people with brown skin to carry proof of citizenship. Then it moves on to people with funny-sounding names. Where does it go from there? Detainment camps, maybe?

I think we’ve made a LOT of progress since To Kill A Mockingbird first came out. There’s a lot to celebrate.

Unfortunately, there’s still a lot more work to do, too.

But that’s OK. Whatever happens, if we work together, we can break it down.

And of course: we’ll always have Troy.

More later.

Much love,

Meg

To my surprise, I left the movies feeling less horrible, which means Killers did its job.

I was even more surprised when we walked past our local coffeehouse and found it packed (at 10PM at night).

Then I saw the sign:

Keys Oil Spill Crisis Response Task Force

I peeked in and realized that, as usual, everyone had forgotten about a VERY powerful group of people who don’t speak up very often (except when you forget to call).

A group who, like Andy Rooney on 60 Minutes, think “Gaga” is just something babies say, and that Justin Beiber would be so much better looking if he just got his hair out of his eyes.

The Grandmas!

Did any of us think the grandmas were just going to sit idly by and do nothing while tarballs coat the beaches their GRANDKIDS play on?

NO WAY!

The Grandmas have taken charge!

BP just spent 50 million dollars on a new PR campaign, but our local fishing boat captains are having to shut down their businesses because so many tourists have canceled on them. Really, BP?

Now that I know the Grandmas are on the case, lots of things are making me smile again.

Like that MARIE CLAIRE Magazine called INSATIABLE (which comes out June 8 . . . that’s this Tuesday! Can you believe it???) one of ‘the best of the season’s beach-friendly releases,’ in their July issue!

Even more amazing, the LA Times chose INSATIABLE as one of their Editor’s Picks for Summer!

I KNOW.

Then the girls on Go Fug Yourself, which is one of my all time favorite websites, said this made them want to read it!

Oh, and INSATIABLE is a Seventeen Magazine Beach Read, too!

(Causing HWSNBNITB to ask if seventeen-year-olds are even old enough to read Insatiable, since it’s an adult book. THIS WAS INCREDIBLE! I mean, HWSNBNITB knows it’s an adult book! He never pays any attention to anything non-college basketball related! He wouldn’t even watch the Insatiable book trailers because he thought they might “too girlie.” Although it’s probably a good thing he never saw the one where I got tackled by that guy.)

These ladies know. You have to celebrate the little things, right?

Here’s another thing worth celebrating:

I’m finally allowed to say I was given the 2010 YA Career Achievement Award (which honor authors for their entire body of work throughout their career) by RT Magazine!

(They asked me to keep it a secret until June. This was extremely difficult since I’m a huge blabbermouth, but somehow I managed!)

The winners and nominees were selected by RT’s staff of over 50 reviewers representing the readers’ voice in the women’s fiction industry.

Thank you so much, RT! This is the hugest honor!

Here’s their fabulous review for Insatiable:

The incomparable Cabot gives her own twist to the Dracula legend with a quirky and humorous tale that both skewers and embraces vampire fiction. Cabot takes a heroine with her own paranormal issues and gives her a vampire headache, which will delight readers. There’s also a dash of poignancy in this tale of star-crossed lovers. Irresistible as always!

Awwww! So sweet!

Like Grandma’s cookies. Mmmmm, cookies.

More little things to celebrate:

Did you know June is audio book month? (I didn’t.)

You can find most, if not all of my books available as audio books here (just scroll down for the links).

In honor of Audio Book Month, I’m having a contest to give away an audio book of Insatiable!

Grandmas (like my mom) love audio books because they listen to them as they are gardening (or scooping up tarballs on the beach)! Just an idea, if you feel like doing something nice for Grandma.

This week I did a whole bunch of satellite video interviews (like this one for Blogher). It was so fun! I got to speak to people from as far away as Australia! And they all wanted to know one thing (besides What’s the deal with the vampires?):

How could they help?

Well, here’s how:

Click here for sites my TV boyfriend Brian Williams (not a vampire) recommends.

Help the Birds and Animals:
International Bird Rescue Research Center
National Wildlife Federation
Seabird Sanctuary

Click here to help in Florida.
Don’t forget the Keys Oil Spill Crisis Response Task Force!

Look, I know we all felt scared for a while. And we still have a long way to go. But the Grandmas are here now.

They can’t do it by themselves, though. Help them clean up the beaches, save the birds, AND make Justin Beiber get that hair out of his eyes (come on, Justin. Do it for Grandma).

Don’t let the vampires win!

More later.

Much love,

Meg

So here’s an all Question and Answer post to answer everyone at once!

Q: Is it true that blond girl from Life Unexpected is going to star in the Disney Channel movie of Avalon High?

A: Yes, it’s true! You can read about it here.

A few readers have pointed out that Britt is blonde, and that Ellie (in the book) is brunette.

Some of you may remember almost ten years ago the ruckus that was stirred when it was announced that a brunette would be playing the part of Mia (a character who is a blonde in the book version of The Princess Diaries).

Back then I was like, “You know what you guys? It’s not going to be EXACTLY like the book because it’s a movie and no movie can ever be EXACTLY like the book because they have to smush 300 pages of text into 90 pages (that’s one minute of screen time per page). Also, it’s someone else’s imagining of the story, not yours or mine. Let’s see how she can act. Give it a chance!”

And you did! And look how well that turned out (even if I’m still waiting for that Princess Diaries DVD and merchandising money. Oh, well).

So, thanks for looking out for me (and my characters). You guys completely rock my world.

But I think we should remember the message of Avalon High (and Runaway, and Princess Diaries, and uh, all my books, I guess), after all:

Never judge people by their looks. It’s who we are on the inside that matters!

Q: Should I go to Prom? The guy I liked asked someone else. Isn’t it going to suck if I don’t go with someone I like?

A: Yes, you should go to Prom! Prom would suck even if you went with the guy you liked. BECAUSE THE PROM SUCKS!

But it’s that very suckiness that’s going to be so hilarious when you go! It’s going to help you bond with your friends and come to terms with the fact that you’re all moving on with your lives (even if you’re not graduating).

BECAUSE THE PROM BY ITS VERY NATURE IS LAME.

That’s why you have to go. Making fun of the prom while you’re there is what makes it so fun.

Going to the prom with someone with whom you’re romantically involved really only works out in books and movies (in my experience). Because in reality, your date will (most likely) only do something to disappoint you, such as throw up, pass out, or (in my case) announce that he has to go home to paint his dad’s ceiling (do not even ask).

But twenty years later you will still be emailing your friends going, “OMG remember Prom? It was so funny.”

Trust me.

Q: Will there be a sequel to Runaway?

A: A lot of you have been asking this! Right now there’s no new book with those characters planned. I’m already deep into my new YA series, Abandon, the first book of which will be out next spring.

Reading between the lines, I kind of wonder if it isn’t a sequel to Runaway some of you want, since all of the plot lines got resolved at the end, as much as more sexy stuff between some of the characters?

It’s kind of hard to do that in YA.

Which leads me to:

Q: When will there be another Insatiable excerpt released?

A: If you’ve signed up for my Author Tracker, today! There’s some awesome new desktop wallpaper, too. Click here if you didn’t receive it yet.

And check the Insatiable page for a major makeover, coming soon!

Q: What are you watching on TV now?

A: Oh, wow, so much. Nurse Jackie, Justified (so glad it got renewed for another season), Modern Family, 30 Rock, Parks and Rec (I LOVE this show), Jimmy Fallon, Sex and the City re-runs on TBS (can’t wait for the movie. Does Carrie get kidnapped by Aidan in the desert? Because that’s what it looks like judging by the trailer), How I Met Your Mother, 24 (I seriously don’t know why I watch this show. I don’t want to. But it’s like I have to. I wanted Jack Bauer to put that vibrating underwear from The Ugly Truth on Dana Walsh so badly), The Middle, Glee (obviously), Ruby (shut up, I love Ruby), and this show called Jerseylicious on Style that’s become my new ‘Oh, no, she did not’ train wreck show (I’m not alone. The New York Times has declared that America is fascinated with New Jersey).

No, this isn’t Snooki from Jersey Shore! This is Tracy and Olivia, they’re on Jerseylicious! Tracy and Olivia actually work for a living. Well, maybe not Tracy anymore.

I gave up on the New York City Housewives when it became clear Jill and Bethenny were never going to stop fighting. This just makes me too sad. I know it’s a “reality show” so they can’t MAKE these women be friends, but I’m already sad enough as it is about the giant oil slick coming to kill all the sea turtles and dolphins in Key West. I don’t need a reality show adding to my grief.

DO YOU HEAR THAT, YOU HOUSEWIFE BYOTCHES? STOP FIGHTING. THINK ABOUT THE SEA TURTLES!

Q: When will the Mediator books be re-released with those new covers in the US?

A: Sorry, they won’t! The Mediator series isn’t being re-released in the US. This is just a UK thing from my UK publisher.

If you want to grab copies of the Mediator with the new covers across the pond, you can easily do so by jumping over to Amazon UK here!

The US publisher of my 1-800-Where-R-You books is giving those a rebranding, though, and they’ll be available here in the US in September under the new title of Vanished!

Cool, huh?

Q: I like Taylor Swift, but all these websites say I shouldn’t, because she’s anti-feminist. I want to be a feminist, but not if it means I have to stop liking Taylor Swift. What should I do?

A: It’s getting harder and harder to be a feminist these days. Every time you turn around, someone somewhere is saying something you like is “anti-feminist”: Romances! High heels! Lipstick! Shaving! Sex and the City! Boys! Taylor Swift! Tacos!

But don’t worry. Part of being a feminist is doing what you believe in your heart is right (like Lucy Burns, who suffered hunger strikes, imprisonment, and the force feeding of worms just so we girls could have the right to vote).

And sometimes doing what you believe is right means liking something (or someone) and not caring what anyone else has to say about it.

Lucy in her prison cell, where the police hung her for days by her arms so people like you and me and Snooki could dance around in our underwear to Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga after a hard day of being the primary breadwinner (even though we still earn only 78 cents for every dollar a man earns) without being arrested.

Feminists, can we please, for this new decade, focus on what’s important? The definition of the word feminist is someone who believes women should have the same social, economic, and political rights as men.

I fail to see how Taylor Swift is actively working to undermine legislation in these areas.

Q: Where can I get an Advanced Reader Copy of Insatiable to review on my site?

A: If you have a book review site and haven’t yet received a copy of Insatiable but want one, we have a VERY limited quantity left. Email me with your snail mail address and a link to your site, and we’ll try to get back to you.

Now watch this. Then go dance with your friends at Prom to Taylor Swift:

More later.

Much love,

Meg

But today was the first day of the LA Times Book Festival . . . and it was warm enough for kids to sprawl on the green grass of the UCLA campus and lose themselves in a good book (which I saw kids doing everywhere I looked)!

Heavenly.

Here’s a photo recap of my stay in LA so far:

OK, so I had a great time at my Twitter Party, even though I didn’t know what a Twitter Party was until right before it happened.

Special thanks to the lovely staff of the Mission Viejo library, who were extremely helpful in setting up an amazing signing—Mission Viejo rocks!

Thanks too to my tirelessly enthusiastic Scholastic publicist Charisse “Tweet This” Melotto; my hilarious editor Abby “Really?” McAden; and Diana “Hashtags” Faust, the media escort who drove us the FOUR HOURS and back (with a special stop at In-n-Out) from our hotel.

EXTRA special thanks to all the teachers and librarians Tweeters who were in attendance, including Stiletto Storytime, who just posted this tribute I wrote to my all-time favorite school librarian!

(With so many school budget cuts, I think it’s especially important to remember and pay tribute to our school librarians! Even if we can’t remember their names.)

Anyway, everyone keeps asking to see the Precious (my new bag), who was at the Twitter Party, too:

The Precious is 100% polyester (and metal). She’s by Stella McCartney. Mom says: “Well, I wouldn’t take her to the grocery store.” True.

Anyway, I met the cutest readers in Mission Viejo, including (but in no way limited to):

Cute!

So cute!

I like to take pictures of the crowd, because one of the things I talk about during my presentation is that if you feel pretty on the inside, you’ll always project that confidence on the outside. My readers really are the prettiest, though:

Another thing I talk about is how if you want to be a writer, you have to read a lot. This little girl was already practicing in line:

Too cute!

Last night was my signing at Huntington Beach and it was SO FUN!

Besides the fact that I got to wear the Betsey Johnson shoes that were featured in the blog tour about my closet . . .

(I know, hot.)

. . . I had the best surprise ever when TMZ showed up in Huntington Beach!

(You can see I “enhanced” this photo quite a bit, but I still look stupid.)

Just so you don’t get the wrong impression, TMZ wasn’t exactly there to cover my misdeeds (I wish): No. A lovely reader named Shevonne was outbid on my Significant Object . . . by my mom (who technically shouldn’t have even been bidding since she’s a relative. But then, you know Moms.)

Later we learned that even though she hadn’t won, Shevonne had donated the money she would have spent on the object to the Heifer Project anyway (where I had promised to donate, and match, any winning bid. So the Heifer Project got three times what the Significant Object ended up selling for).

We were so touched by Shevonne’s gesture that my mom sent the object to Shevonne, along with a little Mom-like note. Later I also sent Shevonne a signed book.

I had almost completely forgotten about the whole thing until this cute girl showed up at the signing last night and plunked down this funny looking cow thing in front of me.

I was like, “Wha . . . ?”

And she was all, “I’m Shevonne!” And then she handed me all those goodies from TMZ, where she works!

Of course then I remembered!

Shevonne (the cute girl in purple in the middle)!

So, we love Shevonne, all her friends, and TMZ . . . who do good things for good causes!

Now every time you click on TMZ.com, you can think of sweet Shevonne and her adorable friends!

I was still coming down off that high when suddenly . . . it was morning! Time for the LA Times Festival of Books!

I did a presentation first thing with the amazing Cecil Castelucci, who writes fabulous books like Beige and The Plain Janes (just two of my favorites of hers).

Me and Cecil. You can’t see it here but Cecil has purple hair. It’s so great!

One thing we talked about is how moms should always tell their daughters that they’re the prettiest girls in the whole school.

Here’s a photo of the crowd (the prettiest crowd, as usual):

Hint: This is why even though my manuscripts got rejected hundreds of times, I knew the right agent/publisher would come along eventually, just like the right boy came along eventually. Those agent/publishers who rejected me were just intimidated by how pretty my manuscripts were, just like all those boys who never asked me out in high school were intimidated by how pretty I was.

At least, this is what my mom always told me. Yeah, she was totally lying, but it was nice to hear! So, thanks, Mom!

Me telling a reporter from Italy: Please tell your viewers to tell their daughters that they’re pretty (this is a big issue in Runaway)!

Here’s a review of the presentation from a writer who was in the crowd. I like knowing that my talks help people, especially people who are going through the same struggles I went through trying to get published!

Here’s another funny write up of the same presentation from the LA Times’s point of view. I wish I could take credit for the word “smizing.” But that’s Tyra Banks, of course!

I also like inventing new genres, like sci-fi-rom-com-mystery and Girl Gothic. Girl Gothic comes from my take on the “vampire” thing: I’m not wild about vampires . . . but I love pop culture. Vampire stories have been around (and part of popular culture) for centuries. They’re not a trend . . . they’re a tradition, one that started in ancient times, that flares up again and again.

Dracula (the most famous vampire story) is a gothic novel. I write books about girl empowerment. So, combine the two, and you get: Girl Gothic!

I can’t think of any other sci-fi-rom-com-mysteries, but other examples of Girl Gothic besides my upcoming releases Insatiable and Abandon are: Jane Eyre, Practical Magic, and Buffy: empowered heroines who stand up for themselves and have goals outside of snagging a man (but still love men, exasperating though they can be at times).

Charisse took this picture of the littlest princess at the Festival. She’s totally Girl Gothic. Love her!

Now I have to go eat some protein or I’m going to pass out. See you at the fair tomorrow for

“The Kids Are All Right”
11:00 AM – 12 PM
Panel Event: Moore Hall
Other Panelists:
Robin Benway
(I loved Audrey, Wait and can’t wait to meet Robin!)
Rosalind Wiseman
(I love Rosalind and her books. PLEASE watch the video up on her site right now about texting boys pictures of yourself in your bra. It’s great advice.)
Don Calame
(Oh my God, I’m reading Swim The Fly now, it’s so good! I can’t wait to meet Don!)
Amy Goldman Koss
(Amy will be moderating . . . she’s so funny online, I can’t wait to meet her in person!)

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Book Signing Session at Moore Hall signing booth

I had to sign 1350 books in like ½ an hour today, which meant I kind of had to rush with people, and I felt bad—no photos or chit-chat! But it wasn’t because I don’t love you . . . it was because I had to leave to let the next author sit in my chair so he/she could sign! There are a lot of authors at this Festival, and only a few booths, so we can’t stick around in the booth past our time slot, no matter how much we love you! So please forgive us!

I love SoCal and the LA Times Festival of Books . . . even if I haven’t gotten a chance to wear any of my three swimsuits.

But I have gotten to hang out with some of the coolest authors–and readers–in the world.

And that’s better than a fancy hotel pool and a swimsuit (and even a fantastic Stella McCartney bag) any day!

More later.

Much love,

Meg

Well, our shoes do, anyway.

Check out Hero In Heels to find out if YOUR favorite author/celebrity is auctioning off her shoes to help raise money to fight breast cancer! (OMG, hi, Bethenny Frankel!)

Mine aren’t up yet, and we’re checking to see when they will be, but to give you a sneak peek . . . .

They’re these Giuseppe Zanotti’s black suede leopard-print wedges ($600 when I bought them new)!

I swear I only wore mine once (to a chic party given in Brazil for the Rio Bienal!) As soon as I know when mine are up, I’ll let you know!

This is especially meaningful to me since yesterday my mom just got her 6 month cancer-free bill of health. YAY!

(She had uterine, not breast, cancer. But any kind of cancer is bad! Let’s fight to eradicate it ALL)!

Anyway, speaking of shoes, I had a blast hanging out with Teenfashionista.com this week. I know, I TOTALLY need to wear those shoes from Betsey Johnson, which I just bought in NYC, but haven’t had an occasion to wear yet (maybe at the end of the month on my mini-tour in Los Angeles?).

The other big news this week is that today the latest Stark Video went up at Luxury Reading (this is NOT the same video that went up on the Runaway page at BN.com. Same outfit, two different videos)!

I’m very proud of this ensemble though . . . everything is from Banana Republic. That crazy necklace broke immediately following the video shoot, though. I’m still mad about that, BR!

All of this fashion craziness kind of reminds me of Jessica Simpson’s new show, The Price of Beauty, which I can’t stop watching.

As Jessica is finding out, women all around the world, in all different cultures, do crazy things in an effort to look “beautiful,” only to discover in the end it really is what’s inside that matters. You can be the prettiest person in the room, but if you don’t believe in yourself, no one else is going to, either.

This is kind of the theme of the Airhead series. I mean, Em Watts doesn’t care about her looks, but she does think the guy she likes will finally notice her once she’s beautiful (thanks to the mysterious accident, courtesy of Stark Enterprises, that ends up with her getting her brain transplanted into a teen supermodel’s body. Uh, the science for this is closer than you think, you guys).

Then she discovers it was just her lack of confidence in herself that kept Christopher from noticing her in the first place . . . and in Runaway, this lack of confidence in herself is what may keep her and Christopher apart forever (oh, and end up getting her killed).

That’s the thing I think Jessica is trying to point out with her show (and I’m definitely pointing out with these books).

Also, what about corporations like Stark? They make so much money off us and our insecurities about the way we look. Is anyone holding them accountable?

(PS: I love this reader-made Stark video!)

I like how Jessica is making us think about pretty, what pretty means in different cultures, and how much we’re willing to pay for pretty.

I also like how Jessica posed (almost) without makeup for this magazine cover. She claims it wasn’t photoshopped, and it does look like her, back in her Newlyweds, just-got-up days!:

Anyway, be sure not to miss the cast of Glee on Oprah this week . . . not just because it’s the cast of Glee, and they’re on Oprah, but because one of my readers won tickets to the show and GOT TO SEE THEM LIVE!

Nicole wrote in to say: “If you DIDN’T see the episode, you should go watch! Mr. Shu does a dance off with Mike Chang and it’s amazing! ”

She’s even in The Question and Answer segment, and gets to ask a question! She’s the super cute girl in pink who asks the “Puckleberry” question at around 8:25!

Finally, in the world of tabloids, while the story of Tiger’s comeback and how a few of his mistresses are going to be stripping at a club nearby AND plan on going to the Masters to watch him play (this is always the best way to get your married professional athlete lover to take you back: Keep on keeping it classy, ladies) is pretty sensational, this is my favorite breaking gossip of the week:

YES! You go, In Touch! What year is this? Who cares? I’m glad I’m not the only one still holding out hope for that Brad and Jen reunion!

More later.

Much love,

Meg

I’ve seen nine out of ten (that’s because I belong to the Screenwriters Guild, so I get sent some of the DVDs for the best original and adapted screenplay category).

Which movies did I vote for? Well…

I can’t tell you!

But I can tell you that there’s another reason I watch so many movies (besides the fact that it’s part of my job):

Movies (and TV shows) tell a story. And obviously, I love stories, and am fascinated by the way other people tell their stories. I feel like novelists can learn a lot about story telling from scriptwriters.

Each of the Best Picture nominees had something cool to teach us about ways to tell a story (at least, in my opinion):

The Blind Side (which is based on an amazing book) begins with Sandra Bullock (as Leigh Anne Tuohy) explaining to us why offensive tackles (a position in football) are important:

They guard the quarterback’s blind side. If the quarterback’s blind side isn’t guarded . . . boom! Something terrible happens.

Even as we’re trying to absorb the horror of what we’ve just seen on screen as Sandra was talking, boom:

Another terrible thing is happening to a teenage boy in a conference room. We don’t know who Michael Oher is, but we can tell that he’s special. And we’re afraid for him.

All of this happens in under a minute or so.

You can’t convey that information in as short a time in a book.

Or can you?

Up In The Air

A story isn’t a story if your hero hasn’t learned something about himself by the end of it, like the character George Clooney plays in this movie based on the book of the same name. “What does my character want?” is the first question you should ask yourself when you start your story. What George Clooney thinks he wants at the beginning of this film and what he ends up wanting at the end are two totally different things. A great lesson in writing.

Up

Even crabby grown-ups who didn’t want to watch a movie for kids enjoyed this movie. Why? Because it worked on multiple levels, combining hilarity with serious themes of love and loss. So it appeals to both children and adults. Only the most sophisticated stories do this. It’s really hard to pull off, and why this film won Best Animated Feature.

A Serious Man

Black comedies are always a tough sell with audiences, and aren’t everyone’s cup of tea because readers want a character they can like and relate to. If you then torture that character relentlessly, it’s tough to keep most readers interested. How do the Coen brothers do it? A good lesson!

Precious

The amazing fantasy sequences and the funny banter of Precious’ school friends made what could have been an unbearably sad film seem much less so. If you’re telling a sorrowful story, sprinkle in a little levity. Your audience will thank you.

An Education

Everyone says this movie was amazing but I’ll be honest: I totally missed it. Which makes me mad because it looks great. It’s on my list!

Inglorious Bastards

When Eli Roth came out of the train tunnel in his role as the terrifying Bear Jew in this movie, I could not stop laughing.

That’s because Eli was an RA at NYU when I worked there! He would make very realistic fake neck wounds on himself and come into my office pretending to be mortally wounded, or do imitations of his mother dropping off all the kids at Hebrew School.

I’m not surprised at Eli’s success. The crazier your ideas are, and the more you believe in them, the more likely someone else is going to believe in them as much as you do (but, you know, hard work has a lot to do with it, too. Eli goofed around a little, but worked hard, too).

Also, if you hated Benjamin Button (which I did), Brad Pitt completely redeems himself here.

The Hurt Locker

Five minutes into the DVD of this movie I was so freaked out I had to turn it off. That’s how much I cared about the characters: I couldn’t stand the thought of them dying (and during this movie they’re in constant peril)!

Now that’s some fine storytelling. . . making us care that much about your characters in such a short time.

We should all aspire to write something that compelling. That’s why this movie won Best Picture.

(PS My friend Beth told me to stop being such a big baby and turn the movie back on, and I did. It was so worth it.)

District 9

How can you take a story that’s been told a million times (aliens from space arrive on earth), but tell it in a different way (documentary style), with a twist that isn’t entirely new (we treat the aliens like dirt), but that still surprises? Well, I won’t spoil it for you, but it’s worth seeing.

Avatar

How can you take a story that’s been told a million times (humans from space arrive on an alien planet), but tell it in a different way (3-D), with a twist that isn’t entirely new (we treat the aliens like dirt), but that still surprises? The special effects were dazzling. I can’t wait until they make the Dragons of Pern books with this technology (please tell me they’re doing this)!

So pretty!

See? Writers can learn a lot from movies.

And popcorn doesn’t make a bad lunch, either.

More later.

Much love,

Meg

And obviously, we’ve seen on Intervention what drugs and alcohol can do to you. So those are out.

So what’s left?

And even though I’ve been freaking out a little ever since

A) I saw Amanda Seyfried naked on Big Love last Sunday night, and then

B) I heard Snooki and The Situation hooked up on the final episode of Jersey Shore

(the first was like seeing an angel, it was so unbearably beautiful and awe-inspiring. The second was like one of those crossover episodes of Scooby Doo where Josie and the Pussycats come on as special guest stars: it was just WRONG)

I don’t care what anyone says:

TV is my drug.

Although I agree with author Jen Weiner (who has a TV pilot in the running right now):

We need more lady centric shows!

For instance, watching everything Principal Tami Taylor is going through this season on Friday Night Lights really puts MY problems in perspective: Coach and Tami Taylor really are “the only living grown-ups on television” (according to New York Magazine).

Tami Taylor, wearing an expression a lot of you might recognize. I call it the: “Did he really just say that?” expression.

There aren’t a lot of working ladies portrayed on TV (who also wear clothes I could actually see myself in. Yeah, I just bought Tami’s boots—or at least some boots I think Tami might wear…These cowboy boots! They’re great! They were in Oprah Magazine) who aren’t hookers or “Real” Housewives or have jobs with initials in the title such as CSI, CTU, or SVU.

Tami Taylor may be the last one. She actually cares about academics, her kids, AND her husband (who seems like he would be hard to live with. If Coach Taylor ever got a kidney stone I would run far, far away).

And this season—I won’t put any spoilers here about what’s happening to Tami OR Coach on FNL, but trust me, it’s up there with The Wire as far as amazing TV—she’s really got her work cut out for her. I hope they don’t cut it when FNLcomes to NBC (it’s on DirecTV right now), because it’s a bit controversial…just like life.

But FNL isn’t the only lady-centric show I watch. There’s lighter stuff, too! Like Julia Louis-Dreyfuss as a single mom in love with her therapist (played by Will and Grace’s Eric McCormack) on The New Adventures of Old Christine.

I used to never watch this show because I thought it was just silly. But now I realize it’s silly with a message…like Wanda Sykes and Julia got married (long story), and then their “Curves”-like business almost got taken away from them because Corporate frowned on same-sex marriages. It was hilarious…but serious at the same time.

Wow. Who knew?

This is kind of like Amy Poehler’s Parks and Rec. This show is so funny (Chris Pratt, who is married to Anna Faris in real life, is so perfect in it, as are Aubrey Plaza as a slacker intern, and Nick Offerman as Amy’s boss. But …Aziz Ansari? My friend Beth gave me his stand-up DVD for my birthday–OH MY GOD. The bits with Harris, his cousin? I cried).

Every week Amy tries to “do good.” And is almost always thwarted (in a hilarious way). Genius.

All of these are completely my favorite shows now.

Oh, okay. I still watch Mercy, too. Those nurses are crazy! And as a friend pointed out, Emily Gilmore is guest-starring as an imperious blue blood heroin snorter.

And now James van der Beek is ALSO guest starring as a hot shot surgeon all the nurses want to punch in the face. Or make out with. They can’t decide.

(My friend Kady, who is a REAL nurse, says this show is just like real life…NOT).

(FYI, when I’m on airplanes and my seatmates ask what I do, I always say I’m Kady the ER nurse, and then I tell them the grossest story I’ve seen Mystery Diagnosis. And when they ask me about the mole on their finger—and they always do—I tell them it’s cancerous and they need to go the ER as soon as we land. STAT.)

You have to keep yourself entertained when times are tough, people. It’s true: Barney Stinson said so How I Met Your Mother.

And that guy’s awesome.

More later.

Much love,

Meg

Or maybe—like me—you have a winter birthday, and are going to be getting even MORE gift certificates soon (hint).

In any case, here’s a book that you’ll want to add to your keeper shelf (in between the Agatha Christies, the Chick Lits, and the paranormals, because it’s a little bit of all three):

Dream Life by Lauren Mechling

(I know, pretty cover, right?)

From Booklist:

Picking up where Dream Girl (2008) left off, Claire is learning to command her ability to see into the future through her dreams. In addition to figuring out how to decipher her psychic gift, Claire is secretly dating her best friend Becca’s brother. Turns out that Becca belongs to a secret society of do-good teen philanthropists whose mission is to spruce up the city anonymously–but someone is out to expose the group, and it’s up to Claire to thwart the plot. Teen girls looking for a light read with elements of mystery, adventure, romance, and life in high society will appreciate this satisfying stand-alone sequel.

(Dream Life is the follow up to Dream Girl, out in paperback now. But you don’t need to have read Dream Girl to enjoy Dream Life!)

I was lucky enough to receive an email from Claire Voyant herself (I know!). Claire is actually trying her hand at writing an advice column! The questions come from fans of the Claire Voyant series. The answers come from Claire’s heart. Claire warns that she doesn’t have a degree in psychotherapy—so use at your own risk!

Dear Claire,

I’m going on a date next week and I’m totally excited except for one thing: I don’t know what to order. I can be a messy eater (okay, a really messy eater) and I would die if the guy got the impression I am as disgusting as. . . well, as me. But I also don’t want to just order a dry bagel and make him worry I’m on some Gwyneth Paltrow detox diet.

What to do?!

Sincerely,
Karlyn Who Wants To Strike The Right Balance Between Lady And Pig, San Diego

Dear KWWTSTRBBLAP,

Wow. You really are between a rock and a hard place. (Or should I say an arugula leaf and a spaghetti sauce beard?)

You definitely don’t want to order like some ninny who’s terrified of dinner. And you don’t want to waste the whole date worrying about what’s dribbling down your chin either.

But lo! This is precisely what sandwiches were invented for. And lucky for you, sandwiches are no longer the stuff of 4th grade lunchboxes and McDonald’s visits. All sorts of fun restaurants are serving cool variations on the sandwich, like the Cuban, Vietnamese, or, my favorite, the kati roll (it’s a burrito filled with Indian food).

The magic thing about bread is it keeps everything in place. One last note: I’d lay off the ketchup. Hard, but totally worth it.

Bon appetit!

Claire

Here’s the awesome book trailer to Dream Life. I’m a little addicted to the music in it:

Dream Life by Lauren Mechling -- Trailer from Richie Williams on Vimeo.

I can’t wait to read this book!

It seems like lots of people, from Claire in Dream Girl to real life authors, are solving mysteries and fighting crime! I just read about this in Jennifer Weiner’s blog!

Wow. I myself have never stopped a robbery—although I’ve helped catch a couple of perps!

That’s because I’ve been inside houses while they were being broken into. Rather than taking the robbers out myself, however, my first instinct was to hide.

I find closets work well as a last resort. So does simply leaving the house (if you can do so safely). In both cases, the police caught the gentlemen involved (one got tasered right in front of me)!

Once, I even got to go to a line up. Just like on Law and Order!

And I picked the right guy. He confessed, but kept saying, “No way could there be a witness. There was no one in that house.”

That is what an awesome hider I am.

Since his own grandmother later testified against him, and he turned out to have a history of violence, the police officer told me it was a REALLY good thing I hid.

So: Although kicking butt like Katherine Dunn is amazing, if your first instinct is to run and hide, FOLLOW IT. Because that’s OK, too. And it could save your life.

Now, let’s look at that Dream Life cover again, shall we?

Hmmmm. Pretty.

More later.

Much love,

Meg

But you already know this, of course!

And if you read this blog regularly, you’ve already bought all the books I’ve recommended throughout the year, and wrapped them up to give to others.

So now I’m going to recommend that you get everyone (in addition to books) something I know they’ll love:

A magazine subscription!

There is NOTHING I love more than magazines. Well, besides books. And food.

My greatest fear right now is that with advertising sales down, my favorite magazines might cease to exist (at least in glossy paper form, like Gourmet Magazine), and only be available online.

So then how will I read them in the bathtub, my favorite activity?

To help keep this from happening, I’m asking everyone to give at least one subscription to a friend or relative this year. Magazine subscriptions are cheap AND easy to give.

Here are a few websites where you can find and subscribe to just about any kind of magazine you could ever dream of! And trust me, there are many, many more….

But to narrow it down a little, here in no particular order are just some of the magazines I read every month, or that I think would make a good gift for someone you know. Check them out, and give!

For her:

Does she love writing, crafting, and feminism?—Give her Bust or B*tch

Is she stylish?—Give her Elle (I love Ask E. Jean, whom I met because we both have lyme disease!) or Allure.

Is she a shopaholic?—Give her Lucky or In Style

Does she love do-gooding, but also makeup, dating, and clothes?—Give her Glamour or Marie Claire (Find out about rare diseases! How volunteers in Africa are helping women change their lives by teaching them to make and sell their own soap! AND how no one really looks good in khaki.)

Does she love reading about people who are richer than she is?—Give her Vogue or Harper’s Bazaar (I love reading about people who are richer than I am.)

Is she your homegirl? Give her Essence

Is she 12 or under?—Give her Ranger Rick, Highlights, Puffin, or the always adorable New Moon.

Is she having her quinceanera? Give her Quinceanera Magazine or Quince Girl (Shut up, yes, I have read these magazines. It was a long layover.)

Is she 12 or up (the age of the average subscriber to TeenVogue is actually 27)?—Give her TeenVogue or Seventeen.

Is she over 40 (like Julia! Sandra! Oprah! Jennifer!) or worried about her neck? Tell not to worry any More.

Does she care about eating right, exercise, health, and fitness?— Give her Women’s Health, Runners World, or Yoga Journal

Is she on a journey of self-discovery? Something in this magazine makes me cry every month!— O, Oprah’s Magazine

Now I know you’re all, “But what about the guys, Meg?”

Covered:

What does he like?

Fashion/Style/Entertainment? Give him Details or Maxim

Adventure? He’ll love Outside

Cars?—Give him Sportscar and Auto Market or Car and Driver (a bit fancy, but you want him to trade up, right?)

Psychoanalyzing you?—He needs Psychology Today.

Is he a brainiac?—Give him Mental Floss

A technology junky? He must have Wired

Can he not live without his stereo?—He needs Stereophile

Sports?—Give him Sports Illustrated or ESPN Insider

Science and nature? National Geographic or Scientific American

Music?—Every music lover needs: Rolling Stone or Spin or Blender or Vibe (or all four)

(Obviously, any of the above magazines would work for BOTH sexes! Well, except maybe Maxim. But I’ve read it myself and been plenty entertained.)

Is he (or she) starting his (or her) own company, or an entrepreneur?—Give Inc., Fast Company, Forbes

Can you not pry him (or her) from his/her joy stick?—EGM(No. 1 Videogame Magazine) is a must!

Is he (or she) gay? Give him or her The Advocate or Out Magazine

Mmmm, Neil Patrick Harris, dreamy….

What about….

The cooks in your life?—They’ll love Bon Apetit or Cook’s Illustrated (He Who Shall Not Be Named In This Blog gets both of these as gifts from my mother. He used to get Gourmet…sob!).

People who love home décor or design?—Give them Dwell, Martha Stewart or Elle Décor or the gorgeous Architectural Digest.

There are even magazines for your friends/family members who are always ranting about the zombies and how we’re all doomed!

Feed their paranoia with Harpers, The Nation, or Mother Jones (although they probably already get them, which is how they know we’re doomed).

And for people like me who don’t care that we’re all doomed, and just want to gossip about Tiger, here are my faves: Us Weekly or People Magazine.

Entertainment/media types love New York Magazine (or the less insidery Entertainment Weekly.)

And for all those book lovers you know who enjoy saying things like, “Oh, yeah, I already know all about that HBO bio-pic starring Claire Danes as Temple Grandin, the autistic lady who invented the cow-hugging machine for the meat industry, because I read the article about her by Oliver Sacks in The New Yorker ten years ago. That is how in-the-know I am.”— The New Yorker

Claire Danes as Temple Grandin.

Phew!

Okay, if you can’t find something for the person you’re shopping for from the above list, or from here, then he or she doesn’t deserve anything because he or she is boring.

Now I have to go….

…relax with a delicious magazine.

More later.

Much love,

Meg

Thanksgiving is nice and all—for those of you who went home for the holidays, here’s one of my favorite Liz Phair songs to cheer you up. See? It’s not just you—but let’s face it:

It’s really all about the shopping the day after.

See, retailers know you need an excuse to get out of the house and away from your loving family for a few hours of R & R: retail therapy and recovery.

So now is when they bring out the really good stuff they’ve been saving all year.

Such as my holiday favorite:

Personally, I’m going to kill myself if I don’t find this pencil dress from D&G in my size somewhere.

Except it isn’t available in my size anymore anywhere.

Also, it’s obscenely expensive and probably not worth it.

(Except it is! It is!)

Although it’s not quite the same thing, I tried on this dress today at Banana Republic, and for only $152.00 (compared to the dress above), it was quite cute:

It also comes in red:

Not bad!

And both these dresses would look super chic with any of these adorable “statement” necklaces at BR.

Of course, we should be thinking about shopping for others now. ‘Tis the season, blah blah blah.

Perhaps you know someone who loves board games and would adore the Game of Clue in 3-D. Who wouldn’t?

Maybe you know a Trekkie who has been longing for a realistic communicator.

Or maybe you know someone artsy who used up all her colored pencils (I know I have).

Or maybe she used up all the ones she uses on her eyelids (mine are also running dangerously low).

(No idea who would want red or yellow eyelids, but whatever.)

I personally would love ALL of these things. Even the communicator. So:

Done, and done.

Now it’s time to relax with another turkey sandwich. Good job, everyone!

But remember when you get home from the mall not to look at Uncle Alvarez.

More later.

Much love.

Meg