Pandemonium Books Trip Report

Pandemonium Books is a bookstore that specializes in science fiction and fantasy books. It has pretty much every book in the genre that exists (plus a few that were brought in by time-travelers and interdimensional beings). Great place for seeing what's new, old, and in-between in the genre. Also, a great place for getting recommendations, since Tyler Stewart and his staff are all very nice and very knowledgeable.

When I lived near Boston, I used to stop there at least once a week. Even after I moved to Connecticut and then New York, I used to stop there every time I came back to visit -- my brother and I used to meet there before heading out to our usual Sarah-is-in-town-so-let's-eat dinner.

I also used to attend author signings there, and every time I went to one, I'd think, "When I'm published, I'll do a signing at Pandemonium."

And last Friday, I got to do exactly that! Here's photographic proof:


It went GREAT! Despite the ridiculous Massachusetts heat (to quote "Biloxi Blues": it was hot, Africa hot, Tarzan couldn't take this kind of hot...), people came, and I had a fabulous time. I did a reading, and signed copies of Into the Wild, and loved every second of it.

And so concluded my fourth trip to Massachusetts this month! And now I'm home, and writing, which is where a Sarah is meant to be.

Pandemonium, Podcast, Interviews, and Reviews

Pandemonium Books

The weekend approaches, and you know what that means... Yep, I'm headed back to Massachusetts! Again. Fourth trip this month! This time, I'm going to Boston (or, more accurately, Cambridge) to do a reading/signing at Pandemonium Books in Central Square. Pandemonium is an amazing bookstore that specializes in fantasy and science fiction. I lived in Cambridge for five years after college. And while I did, I spent lots of time perusing the shelves at Pandemonium, and more often than not, buying more books than I could afford. It's such a rush to be able to go back and do a book event there and know that INTO THE WILD will be on those shelves. I know I say this a lot, but I'm really excited. Here's the info:

FRIDAY, JULY 27 at 6pm
Pandemonium Books
4 Pleasant Street, Cambridge, MA (in Central Square)

If you'll be in the Boston area this Friday, stop by and say hi!


Podcast

A week or so ago, I recorded my first podcast! I was interviewed by Shaun Farrell for Adventures in SciFi Publishing. I was soooo worried that I'd say something stupid or forget my name or cluck like a chicken, but Shaun was really great, and I think it went well.

It's now live, so you can be the judge. Click here to listen. My interview occupies the middle third of the episode.


Interviews

Also this past week, two more interviews with yours truly graced the pages of the world wide web. Check 'em out:

Interview on YA (& Kids) Books Central by Alyssa Feller

Interview on Projecting A by April Erwin

Lots of great questions from both interviewers.


Reviews

And lastly, INTO THE WILD got some more nice reviews this week via the blogosphere:

"So, in case I hadn't mentioned it yet, Into the Wild just plain rocks. Like the best books for young readers, it works on many levels. It's fun and the characters are believable and engaging. It's also very original. As much as I love retold fairy tales, this isn't one of them. This is fairy tale land completely re-imagined - but with a great number of familiar characters. On top of all that you get all the nice layers that make for the kinds of "oh. oh! OH!" moments that come only when you re-read at age sixteen the book you loved at age eleven. It's one of those books that's both enjoyable and easy to read, but still makes you want to pick it apart into tiny pieces and then put in back together again." -- The True Confessions of an Hourly Bookseller (Read full review)

"Once upon a time, fairy tale characters were the prisoners of a being called The Wild... Fans of the Grimm brothers and Hans Christian Andersen will enjoy this book, which references tales popular and obscure. It is the most recent of many young adult novels based on fairy tales, and is one of the best and least predictable." -- The Places You Will Go (Read full review)

"The cleverness of both Durst's story telling and her character Julie's actions, is in their breadth of knowledge about fairy tales. They know them all, and use each one to maximum impact." -- Projecting A (Read full review)

Save Pandemonium!

Just heard the news that one of the best independent bookstores in the country, Pandemonium Books, is in danger of closing. Pandemonium is a fantasy and science fiction bookstore located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. There aren't many of them out there any more, and this one is absolutely fabulous.

The owner, Tyler Stewart, has issued a call for 1,000 people to pre-order a Pandemonium T-shirt as both a show of support and as a fundraiser so that Pandemonium can pay its taxes. If you're interested, click here to pre-order a shirt.

Save Pandemonium!