Roundtable: Suite Scarlett and Scarlett Fever

Last month, I posted an open invitation to the Hopewell Hotel, asking if anyone was interested in participating in a roundtable discussion of September's picks, Suite Scarlett and Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson. Before I knew it, I had a number of volunteers, ready and willing to talk about hotel life, New York City, Law & Order, and unicycling actors - not necessarily in that order.

(Psst....If you want to be a part of the October roundtable, where we'll discuss Lips Touch by Laini Taylor, please leave a comment below with your email address!)

Little Willow: Let's jump right in. What was your favorite part of Suite Scarlett?

Melissa Walker: Being introduced to the Martin family was sheer delight. I've never met characters whom I wanted to know in real life so quickly. I think my favorite parts were the intros to each of them -- I was so excited to hang out with them for a while!

Lindsay F: When Spencer punched Eric. Big brother to the rescue!

Marjolein: I loved that there was a big piece for theater,(I think Suite Scarlett itself would be a perfect story to turned into a play!) the long gone glory of the Hopewell and the mysterious Mrs.Amberson with her even more eccentric demands.

Little Willow: What was your favorite scene in Scarlett Fever?

SamanthaRowan: When Max muscles Dakota out of being Scarlett's lab partner. It's a good piece of foreshadowing and it reaches all of us on a deep level. We all remember the pressure of finding a lab partner or being picked for the dodge ball team.

Melissa Walker: I loved it when Scarlett met Lola for lunch and they finally talked openly about things with Chip. It felt so real and sisterly, especially for these two girls who love each other but don't always communicate well. Fantastic moment.

Lindsay F: When Scarlett pushed Max off his stool. ...I think I just may like violence in MJ's books.

Mariah: When Spencer got pelted with doughnuts!

Little Willow: Do you think Suite Scarlett warranted a sequel? Why or why not?

Micol Ostow: Definitely! Scarlett and her world are so colorful that I think there must be infinite sequels and stories to tell!

Mariah: Yes, because the characters could never stop giving wonderful stories and making messes of things!

Thank you, Maureen Johnson!

Here's a big merci to the awesome Maureen Johnson for joining us at readergirlz this month!

We loved hearing more about the Martin family's antics and schemes in the Scarlett series.

Some highlights:

The Live Twitter Chat!

Maureen wonders if she got "siblings" right... you did!

Maureen on the "boy lit crisis."

We've so loved hosting you this month. Thank you, MJ!

September: Roundup of Discussions

Did you miss any chit chat with Maureen and rgz this month? Check out these links if so!

Discussions with Maureen
Having less money than your friends
Hiding Hamlet

Sibling issues

Little sisters

The Mrs. mystery

Obsessing over a guy

Good guy or bad boy?

Dogs who tinkle
Lola's choice

Extras
Welcome, Maureen!

Things to know about Maureen Johnson

Postergirlz recommended reads

Soundtrack to the Scarlett books

Party It Up ideas

Maureen speaks out on the "boy lit crisis"

September: Lola's choice

Maureen says, "Lola makes a very big decision at the end of Scarlett Fever. Do you think this was a good or bad move?"

(Avoid the comments in case of spoilers if you haven't read it yet!)

September: Dogs who tinkle

Maureen says, "How do you stop a little dog from getting the tinkles?" (Totally relevant to Suite Scarlett, in case you haven't read it... Ha!)

September: Maureen Speaks Out

Over at her blog, Maureen Johnson gives her thoughts regarding the current "boys' crisis" in YA lit. Here's an excerpt, but check out the entire entry. Spot on, Maureen!

"I’m not saying that we shouldn’t be working harder to improve boys’ literacy. Quite the opposite. I’m suggesting that in doing so, consider the many female authors and readers of today, and think about how we grew up—and frankly, how female readers are still growing up. You can’t turn a blind eye to the basic reality that 50% (or more) of the school population is still getting a steady diet of male authors, even though an astounding variety of women are writing books of extraordinary quality. And it is certainly not the case that we are running out of male authors. That concept is demeaning to everyone."

rgz LIVE twitter chat with Maureen Johnson tonight!

Join readergirlz and me for a Twitter chat tonight with Suite Scarlett and Scarlett Fever author Mareen Johnson!

***sounds of cheering***

It all starts at 6pm PST/9pm EST - search for the #rgz discussion and follow @readergirlz and @maureenjohnson.

Don't have a Twitter account? It's fast and easy to set one up!

At http://twitter.com/, just click on the yellow "Give it a try" button to get started. All you will need is your name, a unique user name, and an email address. Add a password, and you're now on Twitter!

Search for readergirlz to begin following us and our tweets.

If you want others to see your posts ("tweets") during the chat, make sure the "Protect my tweets" box is not checked on the Accounts tab. If you want to get fancy, you can add a picture and customize your page in the Design tab.

Protect your privacy! No one can see your email address on twitter, but it's a good idea to choose a user name that doesn't give away your real name or location (especially if you are not an adult).


To join the Maureen Johnson chat:

Click on the "Home" page and enter #rgz in the Search box. Our chat will come up, and you can jump right in! Be sure to include #rgz in your chat posts so that everyone else can see them and respond.

We'll see you there tonight!

Guest Blog: Lisa Shanahan

One of the books we postergirlz recommended this month is Lisa Shanahan's wonderful novel My Big Birkett, which was published in the USA as The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely Lost It. (Make sure you look it up both ways when you visit your local bookstore or library!) Lisa recently shared the backstory of this book with us here at readergirlz:

I first began writing my novel The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely Lost It during a heartbreakingly difficult time in my own family. In the late nineties, my older sister gave birth to triplets, only to be diagnosed days later with cancer. Months after that, my dad was also diagnosed with cancer too. Then followed this extraordinary year, where we had the intense pleasure of watching the triplets who were so little, grow fatter and funnier and more content - saying first words, eating their first solids, taking their first steps, embracing life - but also the agony of watching my dad and sister get sicker and sicker. One of the hardest things about that time was coping with the extreme, sudden swings between joy and sadness, nearly every single day.

Although none of these actual events appear in my novel, in some strange way, the emotional texture of that time - the tenderness, the fear, the confusion and even the happiness got woven into a story about a girl called Gemma Stone, who is in the middle of one of the most difficult years of her life too. She is the one trying to find the courage to say the big 'I do' to everything this life offers; her wacky, eccentric family, the charismatic Raven De Head, her sister's bizarre fiancé, bridesmaids and in-laws, school, drama, Nick Lloyd - the whole bittersweet glory of loving people up close.

I hoped to write Gemma's story in a way that would make a reader both laugh and cry, sometimes almost in the same breath because this was something I experienced in my own family. Emma Quay, an Australian illustrator that I often work with, once said to me about my books, "You have a whole gallery of flawed, imperfect families." To which I could only laugh and agree because this is the place from which I write.

- Lisa Shanahan

September: The quest for fame

Maureen says, "Chelsea has been chasing fame all her life. Why do you think people want to be famous? Why do you think Chelsea's brother Max rejects the quest for fame?"

September: Good Guy or Bad Boy?

Maureen asks, "Eric or Max?"

In other words: Sunny, funny, outgoing boy OR dark, brooding boy with biting wit?

Guest Blog: Buzzy Jackson

Have you checked out our postergirlz recommended reads for September? Our non-fiction pick is Shaking the Family Tree: Blue Bloods, Black Sheep, and Other Obsessions of an Accidental Genealogist by Buzzy Jackson. She offered up these words of wisdom for you aspiring writers lurking here at readergirlz:

How to Write

Sure we all know how to write: a series of letters forming words, forming sentences, forming paragraphs... et cetera. So why is it so difficult to write in a way that expresses who we are inside and what we feel? For most of us there’s one big reason: fear of the less-than-perfect.

It took me two books and hundreds of pages to get over my own fears of not writing well enough. Well enough for... what, exactly? Ah, there’s never a good answer to that question.

Most of us can come up with a cool idea for a poem, a story, or even a Facebook post, but when it comes time to put the words down on the screen, we’re suddenly faced with the fact that what we’re feeling doesn’t quite match what we’re writing. It’s just not good enough – that’s what we tell ourselves, anyway.

Stop telling yourself that! I’m serious: Just stop it. The very first step to writing well is to learn to make that inner “it’s-not-good-enough” voice shut up. We all hear it, but the folks who learn to ignore it are the ones who end up making things: books, songs, fashion, films… You must start ignoring the critic inside your head.

Will ignoring the critic make you a good writer? Not by itself, but it will allow you to do one of the two things good writing requires: practice writing. Just like dancing or biking or drawing, the more you write, the better you get at it.

The second thing every good writer does is read – a lot. Read as much as you can and read everything you can. Try to mix your genres: science fiction one week, Joseph Conrad the next. Personally I find that good books fall into two categories: those that are so good they intimidate you and make you afraid to even attempt your own writing, and those that are so good they inspire you to sit down and write your own great book.

The next time you get a good idea, take one of those inspiring books with you for courage, sit down, and just start writing. Tell the inner critic to shut up, and just write. No matter what the result, know this: you’ve just overcome something most people can’t: fear of not being good enough. You’re good enough. And the more you write, the better you’re going to be at it.

- Buzzy Jackson

Reach Out: Friends of Esther, Vlog by John Green

This month's theme is Family. We recently lost a young member of our extended internet family. As posted by John Green on Vlog Brothers:

If you'd like to honor Esther's memory, please visit Friends of Esther, where donations will help Esther's family with expenses related to her care. Checks may be sent to:

Friends of Esther Earl
118 Billings Street
Quincy, MA 02171

You may also make donations in her name:
The HP Alliance
PO Box 441640
West Somerville, MA 02144

September: The Soundtrack to Suite Scarlett

Featured Author Maureen Johnson hand-picked songs for the playlist that accompanies Suite Scarlett and Scarlett Fever this month (take a sneak peek, left). Listen to the full soundtrack with the player in the right-hand sidebar or see the list of songs in the September issue!

September: Postergirlz Recommended Reads!

Did you love the Scarlett books? Are you looking for more standout family stories? Check out these additional postergirlz recommends. They are perfect companion reads!

Fiction
The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely Lost It by Lisa Shanahan (previously titled My Big Birkett)
Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman
Girl, 15, Charming But Insane by Sue Limb
The Possibilities of Sainthood by Donna Freitas
Blue Plate Special by Michelle D. Kwasney
Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

Non-Fiction
Shaking the Family Tree: Blue Bloods, Black Sheep, and Other Obsessions of an Accidental Genealogist by Buzzy Jackson

September: Obsessing Over a Guy

Maureen says, "Scarlett becomes obsessed with Eric, to the point where her friends want to sit on her and shake her to make her stop talking about him. Have you ever felt that way about someone, or have you had to sit on/shake any friends who were behaving like Scarlett?"

September: The Mrs. Mystery

Maureen says, "Mrs. Amberson, Scarlett's eccentric boss, never explains the 'Mrs.' part of her name. Any theories on who she might be married to, if she is married at all?"

Follow up: Have you ever known someone who went by a title (Captain John! Countess Elizabeth!) that didn't seem to have any official meaning?

September: Little Sisters

Maureen says, "Marlene, Scarlett's younger sister who once had cancer, gets away with a lot of bad behavior. Do you think she's entitled?"

Seeking Participants for Suite Scarlett / Scarlett Fever Roundtable

If you're digging this month's books, Suite Scarlett and Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson, we'd love for you to participate in an online roundtable discussion.

It's really easy to do. Just leave a comment below with your email address. Next week, I will send you an invite through Google Docs, where you may respond to some basic discussion questions to get things started. Then add in questions of your own, and check the document every couple of days throughout the month to respond to questions and comments from other readers. Google Docs is available 24/7, so you may keep adding to the discussion any time an idea strikes you until we wrap things up in late September. I'll post the complete roundtable at both the Bildungsroman and readergirlz blogs at the close of the month.

Check out previous roundtables to see how they work.

Check out the September issue of readergirlz for more about the books and their author.

September: Sibling Issues

Maureen says, "Spencer and his sister Scarlett are normally very close, but he gets very angry with her when he finds out about her dating his friend Eric. Why do you think this is?"

September: Things to Know about Maureen Johnson

Besides the fact that MJ is charming and hilarious and way entertaining on twitter, here are some other lovely facts:

On the nightstand: Large pile of books and an ABBA coaster.

Favorite drink while you write: As many as possible. I drink a lot. Hydration, hydration, hydration!

Pet: Sadly, I don't have one. I travel a lot. I WOULD LIKE to have about 17 pets and plan to at some point.

Dream book tour: We all go to the Caribbean together. Let's make this happen!

Writer buddies: Many. Scott Westerfeld, Justine Larbalestier, John Green, Libba Bray, Robin Wasserman, Cassie Clare, Holly Black, E. Lockhart, Lauren Myracle, Lauren McLaughlin, Ally Carter, Sarah Rees Brennan, David Levithan... I'm missing people. We all know each other. It's like HIGH SCHOOL, but more awesome.

Cure for writer's block: Deadlines, banging head on desk, snacks.

Favorite outfit: Just a simple ball gown. I'm not fancy.

Other YA novels: The Key to the Golden Firebird, The Bermudez Triangle, 13 Little Blue Envelopes, Devilish, Girl at Sea, Let it Snow (with John Green and Lauren Myracle)

Next up: I'll be in the Zombies vs. Unicorns collection coming out in September. The sequel to 13 Little Blue Envelopes, The Last Little Blue Envelope, is coming out next May. And next fall, I'm launching a NEW MYSTERY/PARANORMAL SERIES I am VERY excited about.

Also check out Maureen's vlog about Suite Scarlett!