@fiercereadsya / fiercereadsya.tumblr.com
Happy first day of Spring, friend! We’re celebrating the occasion the same way we celebrate every occasion: By starting a new book!
Maybe you feel like you already know about me all you need to know. Maybe you feel like, “Leila, we get it, you write books, and I guess that’s reasonably cool, but really what more is there to say about it.”
I get that. Enough about me. Let’s talk about my pets instead.
This big one is named Luna:
Luna is the boss. Everyone has a hearty respect for Luna’s preferences at all times. Luna never has to fight; she just lounges wherever she pleases, taking up whatever floor space you were maybe hoping to walk across, and lets treats and cuddles be delivered to her.
Nothing excites Luna. She naps for like 90% of the day, most of the time on my shoes. It is exhausting work, being Luna.
This one is Luna’s sister, Lux:
Lux has been described as “the most pathetic” of our cats. She weighs about half as much as Luna, probably because she is allowed to eat only once Luna feels like she is done. There are whole rooms that Lux is not allowed to go into, which is challenging, because my apartment has only three rooms, total.
Lux likes to hang out directly behind you and claw pitifully at your arm until you pet her. But if you move her to a more convenient petting position (i.e. in front of you) she will mew desperately, her eyes wide with terror as she contemplates her own mortality.
Lux has tried to escape on multiple occasions. She imagines that she could be happier out there in the wide world. I think she’s wrong, though. I think this is as happy as Lux gets.
This baby one is Graham:
We found her abandoned and starving on Graham Avenue two and a half years ago, so we gave her a home. For a few weeks she was the sweetest, most docile cat I’d ever met. Then it turned out that she’d gotten some parasite on the street which was stealing every nutrient she swallowed. Once she got better and regained her energy, she became a holy terror.
Graham likes to chase around everything, including her tail and Lux. She does not walk anywhere: she only runs. If there is an obstacle in her path, she will vault over it. This works well when the obstacle is Luna. It is more absurd when the obstacle is a human, and Graham vaults straight into your knees.
This one is Fluffy Ruffles:
We got Fluffy Ruffles at IKEA. We did not give him his name. That’s IKEA’s name. We did decide that he was a he, though, because between three girl cats and me, I felt like we had enough females living here.
When I leave for work in the morning, I say, “Graham, you’re the man of the house while I’m gone.” Then I’ll remember about Fluffy Ruffles and say, “Actually, Fluffy Ruffles, you are the man of the house.” Then my boyfriend will pipe up from the other room, “Can I be the man of the house?” And then I’m like, “You know what, I am late for work.”
The pets have all watched me write this blog post. (Except Lux, who obviously is not allowed to be in the same room where the rest of us are.) They give their approval.
I hate getting bored, so I fill my space with art so that I always have something to look at. Here’s a tour of the walls of the room where I write:
For many years I competed in and then judged the world’s largest annual scavenger hunt (http://scavhunt.uchicago.edu). A couple years ago The New Yorker ran a story about the scavenger hunt, and I was so proud that I bought a print of the art accompanying the article.
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My friend Emily used to live in Japan, and she studied calligraphy while she was there. I don’t read Japanese characters, but she tells me that these say “writer.”
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This was a poster for one of my favorite dance parties: Klub Kute, in Bristol, England.
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The two posters on the left are from Guy Fawkes parties that I threw at a local bar. My friend Allie Smith designed them (http://www.jeepsterdesign.com/). The two posters on the right are from Halloween parties at my company. My company throws epically good Halloween parties.
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My friend Katie Gastley painted this (https://idlewildco.com/). I have a bunch of her pieces around my house, and this one I’d intended to give away as a gift. But then I couldn’t part with it!
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My friend and writing partner Rebecca Serle got this for me to mark the publication of one of my novels. It’s the lyrics from an MGMT song that means a lot to both of us.
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Because I’m from Boston, and it’s good to have reminders of home.
Leila Sales is taking over our snapchat this week! Follow us @FierceReads!
Recklessly loyal. That's how seventeen-year-old Arden Huntley has always thought of herself. Taking care of her loved ones is what gives Arden purpose in her life and makes her feel like she matters. But lately she's grown resentful of everyone--including her needy best friend and her absent mom--taking her loyalty for granted.
Then Arden stumbles upon a website called Tonight the Streets Are Ours, the musings of a young New York City writer named Peter, who gives voice to feelings that Arden has never known how to express. He seems to get her in a way that no one else does, and he hasn't even met her. Until Arden sets out on a road trip to find him.
During one crazy night out in New York City filled with parties, dancing, and music--the type of night when anything can happen, and nearly everything does--Arden discovers that Peter isn't exactly who she thought he was. And maybe she isn't exactly who she thought she was, either.
Check out the TONIGHT THE STREETS ARE OURS Blog Tour for author interviews, giveaways, and more!
1-Sep: Reader of Fictions
2-Sep: Forever Young Adult
3-Sep: Ticket to Anywhere
4-Sep: Alexa Loves Books
5-Sep: The Book Cellar
6-Sep: The Irish Banana
7-Sep: Adventures of a Book Junkie
8-Sep: Supernatural Snark
9-Sep: The Compulsive Reader
10-Sep: Miss Print
11-Sep: Book Rock Betty
12-Sep: Reading Teen
13-Sep: Ageless Pages Reviews
14-Sep: Perpetual Page Turner
15-Sep: Books and Whimsy
16-Sep: Fierce Reads
Huge E-Book sale this month! Get your hands on these amazing reads for only $2.99 while you can.
"A Must Read Romance. This is one of the best books I've read this year. It has everything a book should have: action, adventure, violence, a butt-kicking heroine and one hot hero." --USA Today
This world is trying to kill Lily Proctor. Her life-threatening allergiesmake it increasingly difficult to live a normal life, and after a completely humiliating incident ruins her first (and perhaps only) real party, she's ready to disappear.
"Come and be the most powerful person in the world." Suddenly, Lily finds herself in a different Salem. One overrun with horrifying creatures and ruled by powerful women--including Lillian, this world's version of Lily.
"It will be terrifying. It was for me." What made Lily weak at home, makes her extraordinary here. It also puts her in terrible danger. Faced with new responsibilites she can barely understand and a love she never expeceted, Lily is left with one question: How can she be the savior of this world when she is literally her own worst enemy?
On the mysterious island of Nil, the rules are set. You have exactly 365 days to escape--or you die.
Seventeen-year-old Charley doesn't know the rules. She doesn't even know where she is. The last thing she remembers is blacking out, and when she wakes up, she's naked in an empty rock field.
Lost and alone, Charley finds no sign of other people until she meets Thad, the gorgeous leader of a clan of teenage refugees. Soon Charley learns that leaving the island is harder than she thought . . . and so is falling in love. With Thad's time running out, Charley realizes that she has to find a way to beat the clock, and quickly, in this thrilling debut novel by Lynne Matson.
Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski's strong suit. All throughout her life, she's been the butt of every joke and the outsider in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, Elise nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where she meets Vicky, a girl in a band who accepts her; Char, a cute, yet mysterious disc jockey; Pippa, a carefree spirit from England; and most importantly, a love for DJing. Told in a refreshingly genuine and laugh-out-loud funny voice, Leila Sales' THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE is an exuberant novel about identity, friendship, and the power of music to bring people together.
Sixteen year-old Cheyenne Wilder is sleeping in the back of a car while her mom fills her prescription at the pharmacy. Before Cheyenne realizes what's happening, their car is being stolen--with her inside! Griffin hadn't meant to kidnap Cheyenne, all he needed to do was steal a car for the others. But once Griffin's dad finds out that Cheyenne's father is the president of a powerful corporation, everything changes--now there's a reason to keep her. What Griffin doesn't know is that Cheyenne is not only sick with pneumonia, she is blind. How will Cheyenne survive this nightmare, and if she does, at what price?
Eric is the new kid in seventh grade. Griffin wants to be his friend. When you're new in town, it's hard to know who to hang out with--and who to avoid. Griffin seems cool, confident, and popular.
But something isn't right about Griffin. He always seems to be in the middle of bad things. And if Griffin doesn't like you, you'd better watch your back. There might be a target on it.
As Eric gets drawn deeper into Griffin's dark world, he begins to see the truth about Griffin: he's a liar, a bully, a thief. Eric wants to break away, do the right thing. But in one shocking moment, he goes from being a bystander . . . to the bully's next victim.
What song has saved your life? On the THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE blog tour we’ve collected some songs that readers say saved their lives. Listen to them here.
Look what we’ve got!! ARCs for TONIGHT THE STREETS ARE OURS by Leila Sales have come into the office!!
Hardcover and paperback for THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE. Which one do you like more?
Black Friday and Cyber Monday might be over but that doesn't mean these deals have ended, but they will soon! Get them now to prepare for your holiday break!
All of these amazing books are on downprice for only $2.99!!
In honor of Leila Sales' THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE book-aniversary, Leila created a playlist of songs that have saved her fans' lives.
Cover Reveal!! Head on over the The Perpetual Page Turner to hear her thoughts on THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE cover!
Our friends over at epic reads created this nice little flow chart of books to read if you like IF I STAY! Check out some of the MacTeenBooks titles on there! http://www.epicreads.com/blog/25-ya-books-for-fans-of-if-i-stay/
Leila Sales, This Song Will Save Your Life
Here’s one super swoonworthy (and important) quote.
We LOVE this quote from THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE by Leila Sales!
