From sci-fi and Russian horror, to Sherlock Holmes fan fic and tear-jerkers: a lady writer reading list
Darlings, as usual, my reading list for 2013 is a study in contradictions. Four Horsemen smut, to Man Booker Nominee. Magnum opi, to video game popular fiction. But as I review my Goodreads list, I see that 2013 was really the year of the ladieeeez.
Reviving my adolescent terrors: the Fear Street books are coming back
I just read that R.L. Stine plans to revive his Fear Street series next year and holy shit you guys: I don’t think I’ve recovered from my first go around with the books back in the day.
Becoming an indie publishing house is effing amazing, and not as hard as it looks
Did you work on your novel this NaNoWriMo? Wondering what to do with your masterpiece now? I teamed up with my author-husband as his editor and publisher on his first novel and I’m ready to share everything we learned along the way with my fellow Offbeat Homies. Whether you’ve just finished your opus or just got a really good start, here’s how to take the next steps and publish your own novel.
Hit up libraries for old books for your book-killing craft projects
Love all the book craft projects that are out there (like these GORGEOUS centerpieces featured on Offbeat Bride) but can’t handle the idea of being a book killer? Don’t fret, my pets!
A non-parent’s holiday guide to picking out offbeat children’s gifts
I love everything to do with gifting: giving them, receiving them, scheming them, you name it. Since I have a kid a lot of my non-parent friends and family members will often ask me what kind of fun, kind of weird, somewhat non-traditional gifts they should give their nephews, nieces, family friends (and so on..) and I’ve decided I should just compile a list to make it easy on everyone.
Where can I find children’s books about LGBT adoptive families?
My wife and I are currently in the middle of adopting! I keep on looking for adoption books to collect and share with our future wee ones, but all of the adoption kid’s books I find always have a mommy and daddy on them. Where oh where can I find the unicorns that are two-mom adoption books?
The Good Mother Myth: redefining motherhood to fit reality
Her kids have always slept through the night, and even if they don’t, she still manages to look like she has had eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. There is always a well-balanced, home-cooked meal on her dinner table. She either happily stays at home or holds down a fulfilling job while still finding time to join the PTA, run the school’s book sale, and makes it to every single soccer game. She is usually white, middle to upper class, heterosexual, and neither too young nor too old. But above all… she’s a myth. And it’s this myth that divides women and pits mothers against each other while fueling the flames of the manufactured “mommy wars.”
What Makes a Baby and 5 other books that explain the different ways families are made
Based on how many of you have told us about it, we know a bunch of you are big fans of What Makes a Baby, one of the newer kids books out that explain conception, gestation, and birth to the 3 to 8-year-old crowd. While this book is a good one, there are a whole bevy of books out there that explain the different ways families are formed and exist.