...or.... In Which I Pass Out my Blog Business Cards to Them!!! A happening that I got such a kick out of I thought I better post about it!
So, the other day, we had an extended family dinner. (LDS General Conference equals the traditional Hawaiian Haystack gathering!) At this dinner, there were a couple of new-to-us faces, not family members. Now, normally when I'm with my family we do have a little bookish discussion, mostly it's "what are you reading now?", my answer, followed by blank stares. Often, I want to talk about blogging, (what I've learned, what I'm doing, how it's going etc.) but usually, that gets even more blank stares and glazed over eyes, so for the most part, it doesn't come up.
But this time, the bookish subject came up again and this is a vague, perhaps even a little (a lot?) exaggerated, reenactment of how it went down:
First the players:
Me
Mom
Sister#3
Brother#3
Sister#2
New Guy
New Girl
many onlookers
Brother#3: So, did you just recently go to an author thing?
Me: Yeah! Markus Zusak? Oh my gosh, it was SO AWESOME!!
Bro3: Who? No, I mean that one with the new kids book?
Me: Oh. Oh yeah. You mean Brandon Mull? Yes, I went to his launch party! So fun!
Bro3: Launch party?
Me: Yeah, so his new book Beyonders just came out, so they had a party. It was crazy!
Bro3: So, is it good? Better than his others?
Me: Yeah, I really liked it. I read it before it came out even you know. So I could tell him "awesome book" when I saw him at the signing.
Bro3: You already had it? How does that work?
Me: An ARC? Advanced Readers Copy? They sent me one. Cool, huh.
Sister#3: So, should I add that to my list of things to read?
Mom: I already gave you a book to read, you can't add more to the list!
Me: Whatever! She can make a reading list! Hello.
New Guy: So what do you like to read?
Me: Pretty much everything, but hey, I heard you are a writer...what are you writing?
NG: Oh, it's a science fiction thing. But I heard SF isn't really selling now, so I don't know...
Me: You could set in the Victorian era and call it Steam Punk! Everyone loves that these days!
NG: What? Really?
Mom: Steam what?
Me: Steam PUNK!
Mom: WHAT?
Me: S T E A M P U N K! You know... Steam..... PUNK!!!
NG: So what is that exactly?
Me: Mixing SF with the Victorian era, or at least set in the past. You know, like Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan? WWI and strange gizmos and gadgets too. Like a ship that's a whale. You know...
Everyone: (Blank stares......)
Mom: Steam WHAT?
Sis3: So what should I be reading?
Me: So, umm.... I have a blog, it has, like, tons of lists on there. YOU SHOULD LOOK AT IT!!!
Her: It makes my head spin.
Me: It has Top Tens, and all time favorites, tons of reviews, etc.
New Girl: Hey, I need ideas for what to read. I'll go look at it.
Me: Really?
NGirl: Yeah, how do I find it. (rips out paper.. starts to write)
Me: sueysbooks, dot
NGirl: What... Suey? Like how do you spell that?
Me: Ummm. actuallly, I have a card.....
NGirl: Well, it's okay, I've started writing this.
Me: sueysbooks.blogspot. com
NGirl: sueysbooks.... what?
Me: (getting cards): Here's my card....yeah.. .. so I made them for the blogger party, see...
Mom: WHAT? You've never given me a card!
Me: Here Mom... my card!
Me: (passing card to Sis3 and New Guy, and Bro3)
Me: (passing to Sis2)
Sister#2: Um... I know how to get there already!
Me: Yes! YOU comment!!! :)
Mom: So, what's this @sueysays thing?
Me: Yeah, so that's my Twitter....
Mom: Your WHAT? Oh brother....
Me: Um, Twitter?Yeah, so you have to Twitter if you want to stay in touch with the whole bookish/bloggish community you know.
Sis3: And besides, Josh Groban is on Twitter. Maybe I'll join and I can follow you and Josh.
Me: Do it!
Mom: (rolls eyes)
New Guy: (rolls eyes)
Everyone: (rolls eyes)
Me to New Guy: Yeah, if you become an author you WILL have to get one. And a blog. And a website. And then go do signings. And everyone will fall in love with you. And you'll have groupies, and stalkers! And it's going to be great!
New Guy: Hmmm... maybe I better re-think this whole author thing....
Sis3: So, does Markus Zusak have all that?
Me: Ummm... no actually. But... he's a unique case!
Mom: Markus who?
Me: Zusak... only the best author ever.
Mom: So, what did he write?
Me: The Book Thief of course... for one.
Mom: (with the golden question) So what's it about?
Me: (quoting Markus exactly!) It's set in Nazi Germany, narrated by Death, everyone dies, 560 pages long... YOU'RE GONNA LOVE IT!
All onlookers: (rolls eyes... except for)
Sis3: (whipping out phone and adding it to her ongoing Facebook wall list of books to read!)
Yeah, so that was sort of the feel of the thing. I thought it was funny, especially that my mom was all put out I'd never given her a card. And that I ended up passing out a whole bunch to everyone. And now I wonder if anybody came here to take a look around, and if it made their head spin? WAVE TO THE FAMILY. Family, you can comment. Use your Google account, you all have one! New people from the family dinner, you can comment too. It's allowed. Comments make bloggers happy, just so you know.
Maybe I'll have to start passing out my cards more often... even to the "obvious" people!
So, how do family bookish/bloggish discussions sound at your place?
That's hilarious! If you took out everyone but you and your mom it would sound like a conversation between me and my mom. She doesn't know what ANYTHING is. Too funny. Way to spread word about your blog, though!
ReplyDeletefantastic post! great laugh and so very endearing...what a marvelously humorous exchange. and good thinking on having the card handy.
ReplyDeleteBook talk with the greater family get-togethers varies because the half of us that read read different books. usually if they have heard of something bizarre they send it my way with "So I heard of this strange book, you might want to take a look." With my attempts to read more sci fi and fantasy of the grown up persuasion I think I should have more in common with a good portion of the table.
whenever conversation steers toward blogging i usually jump in with, could use a guest post now and then, and my daughter leads the charge in the eye rolling. but really the husband, brother-in-law Carl, and i are the only ones who follow blogs let alone write them so the conversation doesn't actually take very often.
~L
Ha ha! So funny. I always have book recommendations when I go to family gatherings. They know me as the "book girl". It's fun! :)
ReplyDeleteOh, that's hilarious. My whole family knows about my blog, but I don't think any of them actually reads it. Yesterday, I had a friend of the family say "So, you've been doing that reviewing thing for a while... you must have, what, 50 reviews?" And then I laughed and laughed, and then told him the actual number, and then laughed some more at his reaction.
ReplyDeleteThat's really funny! I mostly just send my family member's lists of books I think they'd like. I'd much rather send them to the blog and make them search, but being a librarian kind of hinders that. Way to spread the book love!
ReplyDelete"BLANK STARE" and "EYES ROLL" I thought I would join in since I wasn't at dinner. LOL
ReplyDeleteTG: Yes, but she DOES blog and she even rides ripsticks! :)
ReplyDeleteL: I still felt stupid hauling out the cards, but everyone seemed so...so... interested! Sounds like you have a fun bookish family!
Chantele: I'm the book girl too. Yep.
Fyrefly: Ha! That is funny. I showed my sister my list of reviews and she nearly died. Fifty... too funny.
Melissa: I should do that more often... just randomly send some lists out. That would be fun.
Jed: Wait, WHAT? You are commenting on my blog???? So THIS is what it takes, make fun of you guys a little and you'll start commenting? Would you like me to mail you a card since you missed the whole thing and all?
LOL Sounds like fun! Sorry I missed it. Darn Missouri. Looks like Brother#3 didn't watch the video you posted. And I read your blog, even if I don't comment on your posts!
ReplyDeleteThis was cute, Suey! My family doesn't talk about books much--we all read such different things. My mom and sister only read Christian Non-Fiction, and although I am very definitely a Christian, I read mostly fiction--and when I do wander into the non-fiction realm, it is usually memoirs. I am kind of known as the book girl, but mostly because they know I have a blog--go figure! It sounds like you have a really fun family.
ReplyDelete*smiles*
This was hysterical to read! It's really nice to know I am not alone with trying to explain these things to my family and friends!
ReplyDeleteLOL, seriously, so funny! Pretty darn accurate too. May be that is why it is so funny. :)
ReplyDeleteRachel: You do? You read this stuff here? Cool. You should say hi now and then so I don't forget you are reading and say something I shouldn't! :)
ReplyDeleteKim: Yes, they are fun. And I'm glad I can talk books with them now and then.
Amused: It's pretty funny to explain, isn't it? Makes me realize how totally nerdy I really truly am.
Bethany: Glad you liked it! I know you were talking more than that one comment, but I can't remember what now....
Haha! Thanks for this awesome post. That sure was hilarious. One of these days, I'll take a leaf out of your book and have THE TALK with my family too, haha!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, that is too funny. And also too believable!
ReplyDeleteI think I love that you were so "prepared"! It was very boy-scout of you - - to have cards ready to whip out at a moments notice. It's like you're a book blogging SUPER HERO!! You are awesome. Saving the unread in a single bound. Keep it up.
ReplyDeleteToo funny. I think I am adopted.
You weren't making fun of me, I wasn't even there. And I would love a card!! lol
ReplyDeleteSo I was reading your blogger challenge and clicked on this link since it was one of your 'best' posts and I just about died laughing! This sounds like every time I get together with friends and family!
ReplyDeleteHA - this makes me laugh! I love that they were so puzzled by Twitter. Sounds like my mom. She's so creeped out by the comments on my blog...she just doesn't get the whole internet thing in general.
ReplyDelete