Day 5 - Crewel Pre-BEA Buzz & Swag Tour

When I received an invitation from Gennifer Albin to participate in this buzz tour, there was much celebrating in my house.  Okay, okay.  By "celebrating" I mean that I made some rather high-pitched noises (my high school choir teacher would be proud) after I managed to pick my jaw up off the floor.  I had been ogling Crewel for several weeks and was dying to read it, so such an email was received with scads of excitement!  I was even more pleased to learn that being a Gilmore Girls fan means I'm "good people."  When I learned that Gennifer is a Gilmore Girls fan, as well, the hills might as well have been alive with the sound of music.  Now this is an author of my own heart.  HOW COULD I SAY NO!?

Crewel has been chosen as a BEA Buzz pick this year.  I have to say, they definitely picked right!  If you're headed to BEA, you should definitely be on the look out for this book.  It is a must-read of epic proportions and you definitely won't be sorry! 

I can't say a lot about the finer details of Crewel yet (you'll have to wait until closer to release date for the full review), but I was able to read it, love it, gush over it to my long-suffering husband, and write up a buzz review.  For my buzz review, I thought, why not run with the Gilmore Girls angle?  To help me share my reading experience, I've compiled a list of Gilmore Girls quotes that match up very well with my thoughts while reading Crewel.  It's my way of talking up a fantastic book and incorporating something we both enjoy.

Crewel by Gennifer Albin

Coming October 16, 2012 from Farrar, Straus, & Giroux BFYR

Add Crewel on Goodreads! 

Incapable. Awkward. Artless.

That’s what the other girls whisper behind her back. But sixteen year-old Adelice Lewys has a secret: she wants to fail.

Gifted with the ability to weave time with matter, she’s exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in the world of Arras, being chosen as a Spinster is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to embroider the very fabric of life. But if controlling what people eat, where they live and how many children they have is the price of having it all, Adelice isn’t interested.

Not that her feelings matter, because she slipped and wove a moment at testing, and they’re coming for her—tonight.

Now she has one hour to eat her mom’s overcooked pot roast. One hour to listen to her sister’s academy gossip and laugh at her Dad’s stupid jokes. One hour to pretend everything’s okay. And one hour to escape.

Because once you become a Spinster, there’s no turning back.

I adored Adelice!  She is one of my favorite female main characters of all the books I have read this year.  You have to admire her spunk and she doesn't take anything lying down.  Her abilities are, simply put, intriguing and astounding.

"She’s the essence of cool. Cool’s her street name. She’s got it monogrammed on her towels and everything."

from Gilmore Girls, season 5, episode 20 - "How Many Kropogs to Cape Cod"

The lengths the Guild will go to to get their way is chilling.  There are some serious "Big Brother is watching you" vibes that makes Crewel all the more riveting. 

"RORY: You were watching me.
LORELAI: I created you. It’s biologically predetermined that I watch you."

from Gilmore Girls, season 3, episode 9 - "A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving"

The conflicts are brutal and, let me tell you, Maela is a scary, scary woman.  Never fear, though!  Adelice is no punching bag.  This girl can definitely stand up for herself.

"It’s getting a little West Side Story here, Dean, and I gotta warn you, my dancing skills are not up to snuff."

from Gilmore Girls, season 3, episode 9 - "A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving"

I spent a great deal of time mentally cheering on Adelice as she (figuratively) gave the Guild the finger.  She makes for a canny opponent for this organization of megalomaniacs.

"LORELAI: Okay, maybe, maybe it is. But just once, just once, I want you to get exactly what you want, and me to get exactly what I want, and them to get nothing.
RORY: Well, we’ll see if we can’t arrange that sometime."

from Gilmore Girls, season 3, episode 22 - "Those are Strings, Pinnochio"

When Adelice makes quite possibly the biggest revelations in the book, I definitely took notice and the pages flew by even faster!  I'm pretty sure the words, "No way!" were exclaimed pretty often (you'll have to verify that with my husband, though; he tends to say, "What!?" a lot while I'm reading).

"RORY: The right moment arrived in a big pink hat full of feathers screaming, “Notice me because I am here!”
LORELAI: Oh, well, if it was wearing a hat"

from Gilmore Girls, season 4, episode 3 - "The Hobbit, the Sofa, and Digger Stiles"

And that ending!  Oh, my goodness, that ending!  You could have knocked me over after that culmination!

"PARIS: How shocked are you?
RORY: Do you have a resuscitator?"

Gilmore Girls, season 4, episode 2 - "The Lorelais' First Day at Yale"

So, was Crewel good?  Yes!  It was beyond awesome and I can't say enough about it!  Perhaps I should try interpretive dance to fully express the love I have for this book.

"I’m not just saying that. I can also sign it, mime it, Morse code it, and do an interpretive dance to it."

from Gilmore Girls, season 3, episode 6 - "Take the Deviled Eggs"

Gennifer Answers a Question!

I was able to ask Gennifer a question for this buzz event that is in keeping with the theme du jour.  I asked:

From one Gilmore Girls fan to another, which character do you most relate to and why?

Here is Gennifer's answer:

I think I relate most to Lorelei, because I talk too fast, have a crazy mom, and love coffee.  But seriously, Lorelei's take charge attitude and ability to pick herself back up always resonated with me, and I really hope that I have a great relationship with my own daughter.  I like to think that some of her witty, fast-paced repartee made it into Crewel!

I certainly think so!  Adelice is a card!

 

The Giveaway

Macmillan and Gennifer have a whole lot of awesomeness up for grabs for you all!  There are 3 prizes that you can enter for the chance to win via the Rafflecopter widget below.

The Prizes

The Grand Prize

A Macmillan Anniversary Package!  Macmillan has provided the grand prize in this giveaway.  In celebration of the one year anniversary of Crewel's book deal, they have provided some truly awesome swag as a prize, including an impressive stack of books and a 50th Anniversary Wrinkle in Time tote and t-shirt!

Second Prize

 A SIGNED ARC and bookmark of Crewel!

Third & Fourth Prize

SIGNED Crewel bookmarks and buttons!


a Rafflecopter giveaway