I heart Hyperion
I'm spoiled.
It's true. I've known it my whole life--I have many, many things that other people want and need. Loving parents: check. Health Insurance: double-check. Tivo: what else could a girl possibly ask for?
But the thing lately I'm most grateful for is simple: Hyperion Books for Children.
I love my publisher, and not just because they've been incredibly good to the Gallagher Girls and have believed in them and supported them and just, in general, given me the kind of publishing experience that most writers only dream of.
Nope, the reason I most love Hyperion is because they turn out great freaking books. They get me--like seriously get me--and I can't walk away from that.
Case in point: I was talking with my editor the other day and a very popular YA book by another author came up. Let's call this book The XYZ Chronicles (note: this is obviously a very made-up title, but now that I look at it I kind of like it as a title...)
Anyway, so she mentions The XYZ Chronicles and asks me if I've read it and I, very diplomatically, say that I started it but wasn't able to finish it but that I could tell it was very well written.
And she says something about the same.
And then I said a little more about why it didn't quite work for me.
And then she added on a few things about it that didn't work for her.
(Skip ahead three minutes)
Me: "I didn't like it at all!"
Her: "Neither did I!"
For months I've been reading rave reviews and hearing people wax poetic about The XYZ Chronicles and wondering what I was missing--what was wrong with me that I not only didn't love it, but I actually really disliked it--and then the one person in the industry whose opinion I most cherish told me she felt the exact same way.
And then I knew it--I was home.
I've never read a book from Hyperion that I didn't really like. Do you know how amazing that is? I am the world's pickiest reader--I always have been (you can ask my Mom).
But this weekend I absolutely devoured two amazing books, both of which (surprise, surprise) are from Hyperion.
The first was Rick Riordan's THE LIGHTNING THIEF, the first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series that has been on the NY Times Bestseller lists for a while now. It's not often that I read a "big buzz book" and am not disappointed. Well, this one was amazing--perfectly plotted and beautifully told. I'll be devouring books 2 and 3 (and no doubt begging for an Advanced Reading Copy of 4) just as soon as possible.
The second book of the weekend was one I started at midnight last night and I simply can't wait to pick up again and finish.
Sadly, the world at large will have to wait until next spring to read E. Lockhart's utterly brilliant THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU-BANKS. I'm only 100 pages in, but I can already tell you that if this book isn't short-listed for the Printz then there's something seriously wrong with the system.
So there you have it, guys. I heart Hyperion.
And I don't care who knows.
-Ally
ps...please note that I do, of course, enjoy books from other publishers and there are obviously a lot of great non-Hyperion books out there. But no one gets me like my publisher gets me. And that's the way it should be.
It's true. I've known it my whole life--I have many, many things that other people want and need. Loving parents: check. Health Insurance: double-check. Tivo: what else could a girl possibly ask for?
But the thing lately I'm most grateful for is simple: Hyperion Books for Children.
I love my publisher, and not just because they've been incredibly good to the Gallagher Girls and have believed in them and supported them and just, in general, given me the kind of publishing experience that most writers only dream of.
Nope, the reason I most love Hyperion is because they turn out great freaking books. They get me--like seriously get me--and I can't walk away from that.
Case in point: I was talking with my editor the other day and a very popular YA book by another author came up. Let's call this book The XYZ Chronicles (note: this is obviously a very made-up title, but now that I look at it I kind of like it as a title...)
Anyway, so she mentions The XYZ Chronicles and asks me if I've read it and I, very diplomatically, say that I started it but wasn't able to finish it but that I could tell it was very well written.
And she says something about the same.
And then I said a little more about why it didn't quite work for me.
And then she added on a few things about it that didn't work for her.
(Skip ahead three minutes)
Me: "I didn't like it at all!"
Her: "Neither did I!"
For months I've been reading rave reviews and hearing people wax poetic about The XYZ Chronicles and wondering what I was missing--what was wrong with me that I not only didn't love it, but I actually really disliked it--and then the one person in the industry whose opinion I most cherish told me she felt the exact same way.
And then I knew it--I was home.
I've never read a book from Hyperion that I didn't really like. Do you know how amazing that is? I am the world's pickiest reader--I always have been (you can ask my Mom).
But this weekend I absolutely devoured two amazing books, both of which (surprise, surprise) are from Hyperion.
The first was Rick Riordan's THE LIGHTNING THIEF, the first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series that has been on the NY Times Bestseller lists for a while now. It's not often that I read a "big buzz book" and am not disappointed. Well, this one was amazing--perfectly plotted and beautifully told. I'll be devouring books 2 and 3 (and no doubt begging for an Advanced Reading Copy of 4) just as soon as possible.
The second book of the weekend was one I started at midnight last night and I simply can't wait to pick up again and finish.Sadly, the world at large will have to wait until next spring to read E. Lockhart's utterly brilliant THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU-BANKS. I'm only 100 pages in, but I can already tell you that if this book isn't short-listed for the Printz then there's something seriously wrong with the system.
So there you have it, guys. I heart Hyperion.
And I don't care who knows.
-Ally
ps...please note that I do, of course, enjoy books from other publishers and there are obviously a lot of great non-Hyperion books out there. But no one gets me like my publisher gets me. And that's the way it should be.
posted by Ally Carter at Monday, August 20, 2007
5 Comments:
I'm kind of partial to Hyperion as well!
Me 2!!
yeah, I really like the lightning tehif, this year my school chose some books that were appeling to teens for each different age group because some of the books that are suppose to be great aren't that appealing to kids, Ally, if u liked the lightning theif I would suggest "Maximum Ride" and "The Pretties", both fantastic books that u will probably enjoy!!
I just want to say that last week i had an eye opening experience to how much of a book nerd i am. I was on vacation and my family decided to stop in at a book store i found like 5 books i wanted within the first like 3 minutes. it was a little sad that i spent the rest of my vacation reading not playing at the beach
Awesome. Your description of your conversation really amused me.
Book nerd - me too! when I'm reading a really good book (like LYKY), I just get sucked in and won't do like anything else even if I'm on vacation!!!!!!
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