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I don't understand March Madness. That is not to say that I don't understand the madness that hits one in March as they wish the weather would decide it it's spring or winter (that I totally get) but the one where people talk about regions and pools and brackets and all has something to with basketball. The same madness has infected the literary world. The Dear Author and Smart Bitches have just opened up voting on the second annual "Dear Author Bitchery Writing Award for Hellagood Authors", or DA BWAHA. Books pitting off against each other and I have a say in how it turns out? Now that's something I can get behind.
Last year I entered my picks and quickly lost. There was a plus side though and I don't think I've ever been so happy to lose. The big surprise winner of last year's DA BWAHA was author and blogger Colleen Gleason. I'd been reading her blog since before her first book was released and was thrilled when her The Rest Falls Away the first novel in her Gardella Vampire series walked away the winner. In order to win she had to beat out Nora Roberts in the final round! Gleason's books are a ton of fun - imagine a Georgette Heyer regency romance meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer and that's what you've got with the Gardella series.
The Thrifty Reader just reread The Rest Falls Away and enjoyed it just as much the second time around.
I love a kick ass heroine, and Victoria is that. Yeah she’s busy falling in love, but she doesn’t get stupid about it. She keeps a cool head and can still kill some vampires while getting proposed to. LOL Also, in a time period where women are restricted to stays and bonnets and corsets, Victoria goes around in men’s clothing and she doesn’t exactly fit the mold of a young deb.
I filled out my bracket for this year's tournament and I'm have no grand illusions of winning this year. I'm not familiar with many of 64 books that are vying for the prize but not many people will have. Avid Book Reader hasn't. She does share (some) of her strategies though.
I know one thing that helped me last year for the first couple of rounds before I fell to the bottom was knowing what books readers are squeeing about on their blogs or on other people’s blogs. Hey, these are the same people who will be voting for or against your pick.
What books are have squee factors? Definitely, absolutely top of the squee factor list is Hunger Games in the YA category. Honestly, I'll be stunned if it doesn't sweep the whole thing. That being said, remember I lost horribly last year by hedging my picks with another YA novel, Wicked Lovely so, you know, I clearly have no idea what I'm talking about. But I've read nothing for the past few months except how totally awesome it is, which does nothing to quell the gnashing of my teeth as I wait for my turn for it at the library. Here's a brief description of it from a much longer post at Book Muncher.
The Hunger Games contains a shockingly disturbing view of the future in which humanity has progressed backward even if civilization and technology continues. It is a completely dystopian future where wealth is unevenly distributed to an extreme degree, starvation is commonplace, and fear rules people’s lives. Yet, in the midst of this harsh and unforgiving atmosphere, small amounts of humanity to persevere, especially in the form of spunky heroine Katniss.
You have until 11pm EST March 18 to register and fill out your bracket. Go on, get DA BWAHA'ed.
Contributing Editor Sassymonkey also blogs at Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.
