1 Month! 2 More Stars! Tons of Recs!
Dear Reader,
Just a quick message today. We're ONE MONTH from the release of A Thousand Steps into Night and I've got so many things cooking for you: podcasts, guest posts, videos, events, deadlines! If you haven't gotten the chance yet, my pre-order offer is still ongoing. When you submit your receipt (or proof of library request) to chee.preorders @ gmail.com (without the spaces), you can get six adorable chibi stickers, illustrated by Yutaan! (See all the cuteness below.) For signed copies, contact your local independent bookseller to see if they have signed copies available. Otherwise, you can order from such places as Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon. This post has all the details, so go there for more info!
Finally, I've got a ton of updates and recommendations for you below, so be sure to check those out!
–tc
WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
We Are Not Free at the ALA Youth Media Awards. When I try to explain the ALA awards, I always describe them as "the Oscars of children's publishing," so it's always this enormous celebratory event when the awards come around in late January. What was a HUGE surprise to me this year was that We Are Not Free was named an APALA Honor Book by the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association! (I guess their award year is September-August, so we juuuuust missed their cutoff in September 2020.) I'm so thankful to the committee for selecting this book, and I continue to be surprised and grateful by the readers continue to find it and share it with others. Check out all the ALAYMA honorees and winners here.
Starred Reviews from School Library Journal and Publishers Weekly. Trade reviews for A Thousand Steps into Night continue to roll in, and we've got two more stars! School Library Journal says, "Chee once again creates a lush fantasy world that revolves around a girl discovering her own power…[and] never takes the path that’s expected." Read the full review here. Then, Publishers Weekly calls it "Intricate... vivid... immersive" and "triumphant," noting the worldbuilding, the secondary characters, and the twists and turns! Read that review here!
Cosmopolitan's 100 Best YA Novels of All Time. Earlier this month, Cosmopolitan listed We Are Not Free among their 100 Best YA Books Everyone Should Read, Regardless of Their Age, and it's so cool to see my book among so many other great reads. Check out the full list to see all the recommendations!
WHAT I'M READING
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh. If A Thousand Steps into Night is something you're interested in, might I suggest you also check out this feminist Korean fairy tale retelling by Axie Oh? It's the story of a girl, Mina, who throws herself into the sea to confront the Sea God and save her people. I loved so much about this book, from Mina's courage to the folktale feel to the world of the Spirit Realm, teeming with gods, spirits, beasts, and mythical creatures, straight out of a Studio Ghibli film. And I think out of everything I've read lately, it pairs beautifully well with A Thousand Steps! The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea launches on February 22, but you can pre-order now and participate in Axie's pre-order campaign (check it out on her Instagram)!
WHAT I'M LISTENING TO
Dungeons & Daddies. I'm only a couple years into my podcast journey, and there are only a few that I really love, but near the end of last year, my friend and fellow author Tara Sim (pre-order her debut adult fantasy, The City of Dusk!) recommended that I check out this actual play comedy podcast about four dads who are flung from our world and into the Forgotten Realms in search of their lost children, and I have to say it is awesome. The dads are played, hilariously, by four friends who always seem to make each other laugh while they roleplay these inept father figures. The humor is, by their own admission, rowdy and horny, and so, so fun.
WHAT I'M WATCHING
Station Eleven on HBO. I've been a fan of Station Eleven since I read the book, written by Emily St. John Mandel, a few years back, and I have to say that after watching the series, I love both of them even more. The book and the series share the same starting point--the death of actor Arthur Leander on the eve of a pandemic that wipes out 99% of the human population--and they share some of the same characters and backstory, but they deviate wildly in plot so that watching the series is a constant surprise. At the same time, they both maintain the same artistic sensibilities. They're both subtle and beautiful. They're both slow and complex. They're both about art and human connection. Watching the series makes me think deeply about the book (and about our own world) in a new way, and I really love that in an adaptation.
WHAT I'M PLAYING
Wordle. This browser-based once-a-day word game is exactly my jam. Every day, you get six guesses to figure out one five-letter word. For each guess, Wordle tells you if you've got some letters right (but in the wrong place), some letters perfectly placed, or some letters that don't appear in the word at all. It's quick, simple, and thoughtfully designed for giving players a fun little brain break without getting them totally hooked on trying to solve word after word after word. Plus, no ads! For accessibility reasons, if you're going to share your results, I recommend taking a screenshot of the little colored square emojis and adding image descriptions for screen readers. Highly recommend checking this one out!
WHAT'S NEXT
1000 Steps Pre-order Campaign. There's still time to submit your pre-order receipts (or proof of library request) for six chibi stickers, illustrated by Yutaan! All the details + buy links are on my website, so just head over there to learn how to get your stickers! This offer is open internationally until March 1, 2022 at 11:59pm PT or while supplies last.
Meet the Authors: Misa Sugiura and Traci Chee. Virtual!
Saturday, February 12. 3-4pm PT.
Part of the Redwood City Public Library's "Confronting History: Stories of Internment" Event
Registration is required. Register here.
Check out all the events at the Redwood City Public Library website.
Virginia Festival of the Book. Charlottesville, VA.
Wednesday, March 16. 7-8pm ET. Irving Theater, CODE Building.
A Thousand Steps into Night with Traci Chee, in conversation with Emma Ito: Traci Chee (A Thousand Steps into Night) discusses her new YA fantasy novel, a Japanese-influenced fantasy brimming with demons, adventure, and plans gone awry. Book sales and signing will follow. Go here for full event information.
Free & open to the public! Masks & proof of vaccination (or negative COVID-19 test) required. See this page for details.
Thursday, March 17. 7-8pm ET. Irving Theater, CODE Building.
JMRL Same Page Community Read: We Are Not Free with Traci Chee: Traci Chee (We Are Not Free) discusses her acclaimed novel for young readers, the collective account of a tight-knit group of young Nisei, second-generation Japanese American citizens, whose lives are irrevocably changed by the mass U.S. incarcerations of World War II. In conversation with local children’s author, Amy Lee-Tai. Book sales and signing to follow. Find the full event information here.
Free & open to the public! Masks & proof of vaccination (or negative COVID-19 test) required. See this page for details.
TO BE CONTINUED . . .
A THOUSAND STEPS INTO NIGHT
Bookshop
Indie Bound
Barnes & Noble
Amazon
Goodreads
THE READER
Bookshop
Indie Bound
Barnes & Noble
Amazon
Goodreads
THE STORYTELLER
Bookshop
Indie Bound
Barnes & Noble
Amazon
Goodreads
WE ARE NOT FREE
Bookshop
Indie Bound
Barnes & Noble
Amazon
Goodreads
