Goodreads description (x):
Maggie Duprès, recently "involuntarily separated from payroll" at a Silicon Valley start-up, is whiling away her days in The Dragonfly's Used Books, a Mountain View institution, waiting for the Next Big Thing to come along. When the opportunity arises for her to network at a Bay Area book club, she jumps at the chance -- even if it means having to read Lady Chatterley's Lover, a book she hasn't encountered since college, in an evening. But the edition she finds at the bookstore is no Penguin Classics Chatterley -- it's an ancient hardcover with notes in the margins between two besotted lovers of long ago. What Maggie finds in her search for the lovers and their fate, and what she learns about herself in the process, will surprise and move readers.My rating: 5 out of 5 hoots
There is usually some off-the-wall thing that comes to mind with a novel that I can express how much I disliked. Even if just a little. The Moment of Everything surprised me when, writing this review, I just could not come up with anything. That's saying something, folks. And you know what it's saying? "Read me."
Shelly King has drawn up an exceptionally well-written book that has so much heart to it.
All of the characters are strikingly well-rounded with each having their own unique, endearing, and often geeky dialogue. So often I find myself reading dialogue that is just filling up space or is way too awkward, but in The Moment of Everything, it seemed completely natural...which is a wonderful thing!
Geek references seem to dominate in a lot of places. But, that's another thing I loved about it. The titles of the chapters even reminded me of the titles of video game quests you would go on with such distinctiveness as "The Silver Needle," "The Venus Glove," and "Fortunes and Foils." Do I think some audience members are going to understand bits of that or like it necessarily? Probably not. But what I do think is that it added a great deal of charm to the book, especially to the character of Maggie, who we focus on.
Following the main character, who seems so unsure of her life and herself, I was a little caught up in my emotions. I did not expect this book to be so emotional. There is a certain part of the book that just destroyed me--was it my hormones or was it just the fact that this book did such a good job of expressing love?
Before my emotions got the best of me, I was just trying my hardest not to rip my hair out, completely in suspense. I'm usually able to pat myself on the back when it comes to guessing what is about to happen next in a novel or what the entire plot is about, even. No no no. Shelly King put a blind fold on me, pushed me into a dark bookstore, and made me shuffle about to try to find the light switch. There are enough twists and turns to keep you in suspense (and still in the dark) that you have to keep reading, telling yourself another 20 pages won't hurt as long as you figure out what this Avi character is about or what it really means when someone gives you a bike.
I've been so horrified by endings lately that I literally started grimacing towards the end. Please don't let it suck, please don't let it suck. I was almost praying. But King delivered. The ending is reflective but not overly sentimental, it's not rushed, and for once in a long time, I actually liked it. (Collective gasp.)
The Moment of Everything is to be released in September!
*Thanks NetGalley for the free copy of this book.
NOW,
I managed to get in touch with the author of this beloved book for a Q&A; she was a total sweetheart about everything. So, dear folks, enjoy my nice little back-and-forth with Shelly King about her first novel, The Moment of Everything.
Author Q&A with Shelly King:
Jumping straight into your writing, are you more likely to make outlines and plan chapter-by-chapter or just try to, you know, let the words flow, man?
Definitely let-the-words-flow! The first draft is always just a crazy circus of what's in my head. I try to be a little more structured during revision, but it's never worked very well.
What's your experience with geek culture? I mean...World of Warcraft, Battlestar Galactica, Dungeons and Dragons? Are you a geek or did you do some serious research for this book?
This is a great question. First, let me say how I define "geek." I think of a geek as anyone who finds passion and joy in something, usually something on the periphery of the main stream. That can be gamers or it can be the lady obsessed with 19th century buttons. (Don't laugh, one of those cornered me at a party once.) So from that stand point, I don't think of myself as a geek because my interests are very broad. I've dipped my toe into a lot of ponds with friends to try out things they geek out on, but other than writing, I've never found my inner geek. But I love so many things that are a part of what you'd probably call geek culture. I'm a HUGE Joss Whedon fan, so I love Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Dr. Horrible, just about anything he's done. I like a lot of Sci/Fi like Battlestar Galactica and Fantasy like Lord of the Rings. Basically, if it's good writing with strong characters, I'm there. But for the finer details of geekery, I really did have to rely on my friends for the novel. The thing is, I adore geeks of all kinds and envy them. I wish I loved something as much as a geek loves what he/she loves. In a way, The Moment of Everything is my love letter to geeks everywhere.
What specific audience do you expect will enjoy this book?
I think anyone who has ever felt a little lost in their world will appreciate The Moment of Everything. I tried to capture that sense of knowing you needed to take a step forward, but not sure what it should be.
If Maggie was a dog, what breed would she be? (I just can't see her as a cat.)
You're right! I never thought of it, but Maggie is definitely a dog. I'd say, and this isn't a cop out, that Maggie is a mutt. I think there's an intense sense of survival that a mutt has that's also in Maggie.
As a native Southerner, what's your favorite dish from down South?
BBQ, BBQ, and BBQ. And not from the hipster BBQ places here in the Bay Area. I'm talking old school, hole-in-the-wall, no frills, mustard sauce BBQ. I grew up in Orangeburg, SC, and there's a place everyone goes to there, Dukes. A friend from way back posted a picture of his plate of Q from Dukes on Facebook the other day. Now I haven't been to Dukes in 25 years, but my mouth started watering and I got teary-eyed just looking at that picture.
Tell me a book you think I must read. I'm already praising The Moment of Everything, so no, your book cannot be an answer, ha!
Ha! Well, if you haven't read it, A Prayer for Owen Meany. One of the greatest novels ever written in my opinion. The first time I read it, I finished on a Sunday night and called in sick the next day so I could stay home and read it again.
Thanks for having me on your blog! This was fun!
There's a few things I'd love for people to know about. I've started a Tumblr with pictures of things people have written in books: whatwewriteinbooks.tumblr.com. Please send me anything you've found in a book. I'd love to add it to my Tumblr! Also, after you've read The Moment of Everything, check out my website (www.shellyking.com). I'll be posting lots of book extras there that readers may enjoy like Hugo's favorite recipes and how Dizzy got his name. And I'm also available to visit book clubs! Just contact me on my website and we'll set something up on Skype or Google Hangout or whatever works.
Thanks Shelly for being on the blog today!
To my readers--were those answers not awesome? I fell in love with Shelly's answer to my question about "geek culture." And that Tumblr is so COOL. Definitely checking that out all day today.
A few more things to know:
The Moment of Everything is up for grabs on one of Goodread's giveaways until July 23. Hurry up!
And remember, the official release of the book is in September of this year, so be on the lookout!
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