Guest blog from Megan Whalen Turner

In September, the postergirlz included Megan Whalen Turner's Attolia books on their list of books to recommend alongside Graceling by Kristin Cashore. Megan graced (no pun intended!) us with her presence at Kristin's chat, then wrote up this guest post:

Yikes, the round-up posts at readergirlz reminded me that it was the end of September (where did it go?) and I hadn't collected my thoughts into a blog post about Graceling.

I've been thinking about the question from the live chat: What's your favorite scene?

My pick is the fight between Katsa and Po when she realized that he reads minds. It's so important to the plot and yet so very far from being a plot-coupon because it rings true - Katsa has a good reason to be angry and Po has a good reason to have deceived her - but also because it is so carefully layered. Katsa is angry because Po lied, but also because he has escaped her fate of being wholly defined by her Grace. The cause of the anger is also the seed for the reconciliation when Katsa realizes she too can assert her own identity.

On top of all that, and maybe the reason I like it best . . . Katsa showed that she may be completely clueless about interpersonal relationships, but she's a smart cookie. Po doesn't have to confess, she figures him out.

-- Megan Whalen Turner

rgz LIVE! with Janet Lee Carey

Welcome everyone to an hour of fantasy and enchantment with author Janet Lee Carey and her new book STEALING DEATH. The chat will go magically live at 6:00 Pacific Time.

September: Roundup for Graceling

And here's the roundup of Hot Topics, all things Kristin!

September Newsflash
Welcome, Kristin!
postergirlz' recommended reads
Our thanks!

Discussions:

Identity Crisis
Heterochromia
Breaking the rules
Mind readers
Things you can't control
Fantasy Worlds
Secondary Characters
Which character would you be?
Final thoughts

Have you weighed in? We'd love to hear your thoughts. Thank you, Kristin!

Thank you, Kristin Cashore!

Here's a big MERCI to the amazing Kristin Cashore for joining us at readergirlz this month! Things we learned about Kristin include:

1. She did a LOT of martial arts research to write the fighting sequences in her books, and it shows (they're great!!).
2. Of her characters, Kristin relates most to Bitterblue, a real girl. Well, a Princess too. :)
3. She's touring soon! Find the info here.

We had so much fun this month! And we cannot wait for FIRE and the upcoming BITTERBLUE!

Thank you, Kristin!!!

Final Thoughts on Graceling?

We've had such fun with the discussion questions this month! Find them all in the sidebar on the right. Any final thoughts on Graceling? Dreams for Katsa, Poe or Bitterblue?

Graceling: The Book Party!

Planning your own book group/get-together for Graceling? Here are some party ideas from author Kristin Cashore.

Invite: Design something that incorporate swords, daggers, and two-colored eyes.

Food: Hm. Go out and catch your own mountain lion? No? How about homemade bread, cheese, and fresh fruit.

Décor: Two-colored eyeshadow and medieval garb.

Movies: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Buffy the Vampire Slayer (okay, I'm cheating, that’s a TV show, not a movie - but it is disturbingly hard to find movie girls who are both kick-ass and self-reliant!); Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (an anime movie by Hayao Miyazaki)

September: Which Character Would You Be?

Which character in Graceling would you most like to be, and why?

Or, is there a character from another novel that you really identify with? Whom, and why?

Things to Know About Featured Author Kristin Cashore

We learned a few things about September's featured author Kristin Cashore, and here are some of the juiciest tidbits! (Read the full list on readergirlz.com)

On the nightstand: A teetering pile of books; post-it notes; earplugs; one of those relaxing eye pillows; my Swiss Army knife

Favorite library: That's easy! The beautiful main branch of the Jacksonville Public Library.

Pets: I'm currently petless, but dream of the perfect cat.

Dream book tour: How about a tour in which I stay in one city for about two weeks? How about if the city is Rome? How about if my hotel is right next to the Pantheon?

Cure for writer's block: I don't know if I get writer's block, exactly, but I do have trouble writing sometimes because I'm pushing too hard and need a daydreaming/resting break. The cure at those times is to STOP WRITING.

Favorite outfit: Oh, that's easy: flannel PJs.

Stilettos or Uggs? The only thing I would ever use a stiletto for is self-defense.

Our kind of woman! Also, check out her blog for big bestseller news! Hooray, Kristin!!!

September: Secondary Characters

Secondary characters are often such rich additions to novels. Which of the secondary characters in Graceling - characters other than, say, Katsa, Po, Bitterblue, or Leck - would you most like to know personally? Why?

Or, what secondary characters from other novels would you most like to befriend?

September: Fantasy Worlds

Do you like Katsa's fantasy world? If you lived in your own fantasy world, what would it look like? What would your job be?

rgz LIVE! with Kristin Cashore

Welcome readergirlz everywhere to an hour of grace and wit during our live chat with Kristin Cashore, our featured rgz author this month with GRACELING.

Reminder: Tonight's rgz LIVE! chat with Kristin Cashore!

Kristin will be here tonight at 6pm Pacific/9pm Eastern for a rgz LIVE! chat about Graceling - see you here!

The Graceling Trailer

Just to get everyone psyched for the chat tomorrow night:

September: Things You Can't Control

Katsa comes to realize that even with all her power, there are things in life she can't control. Is this something you've encountered in your own life? Does it upset you, too?

Coming up: rgz LIVE! chat with Kristin Cashore!

We have a live chat coming up this Wednesday with Kristin - don't miss it! September 16th at 6pm Pacific/9pm Eastern. See you here!

September: Mind readers

Katsa has to deal with Po reading her mind. What do you think it would be like if someone you loved could read your mind? Eek! (That last bit is me, Lorie Ann. :~)

September: postergirlz' recommended reads

Let's hear it for the postergirlz' recommended reads this month! They are perfect companions to Graceling. What have you read? What's in your stack to read?

Fiction
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Princess Ben by Catherine Murdock
The Attolia books by Meghan Whalen Turner
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
Magic or Madness by Justine Larbalestier

Non-Fiction
In Their Shoes: Extraordinary Women Describe Their Amazing Careers by Deborah Reber and Lisa Fyfe

September: Breaking the Rules

Katsa breaks a lot of rules about how girls in society "should" behave. Are there rules in our society you'd like to break?

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month.

From http://www.ovariancancerawareness.org -

Ovarian Cancer is one of the most deadly of women's cancers. Each year, approximately 21,500 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer. In 2008, approximately 15,500 women will die in the United States from ovarian cancer. Many women don't seek help until the disease has begun to spread, but if detected at its earliest stage, the five-year survival rate is more than 93%.

Wear teal today for Ovarian Cancer Awareness.

Visit websites such as ovariancancerawareness.org and ovariancancercalifornia.com to make yourself more aware of the facts and to get involved in educational and/or fundraising events.

September: Heterochromia

Do you know what it's called when someone has eyes of two different colors, like Kat and the others who are Graced? Heterochromia - in this case, heterochromia of the eye. From Wikipedia:

"Heterochromia of the eye (heterochromia iridis or heterochromia iridum) is of two kinds. In complete heterochromia, one iris is a different color from the other. In partial heterochromia or sectoral heterochromia, part of one iris is a different color from its remainder."

You may be familiar with some well-known people with heterochromia, such as Jane Seymour and Kiefer Sutherland. Here's a fun fact: Anastasius I had one black eye and one blue eye, so his nickname was Dicorus, which means "two-pupiled."

Do you know anyone with two differently-colored eyes? What color are your eyes?

~Little Willow