Malinda Lo

May in News

Just a few pieces of news this month:

• I was interviewed for a Publishers Weekly article about The Letter Q.
• I will be joining a few other contributors to The Letter Q for a bookstore event in San Francisco on June 28 at 7:30 at Books Inc’s Castro location.
• And I started an official newsletter! Well, I started a mailing list for an official newsletter, and the very first issue will be coming to your email boxes on June 1 (hopefully). So if you haven’t signed up yet and want to get this special missive, sign up here.

May in Writing

This month I spent some time working on a New Secret Story. It’s been a lot of fun so far. I can’t tell you much about it but so far, it involves geology, camping, and probably my favorite character I’ve ever written. (Sorry, other characters. I can’t lie. Then again, my other characters probably know and are rolling their eyes at me. I realize this sounds crazy.)

May in Reading

This month I read Black Heart by Holly Black, the third and final (sob!) installment in her Curse Workers trilogy. This trilogy has been such a thrill to read. Every single character is fascinating, and the plot is so mind-blowingly elegant. The thing about the Curse Workers books is that they are about cons, and part of the con is on the reader. You read it thinking the story is going in one direction, only to discover, at a key moment, that OMG it’s not really going there, it’s going here, and it’s even cooler. Anybody who appreciates a meticulously crafted plot should read these books.

I think that sometimes plot gets short shrift, especially when it comes to literary criticism. But it shouldn’t. A finely crafted plot is every bit as difficult as a beautifully turned sentence; it just takes a different skill set. It takes a lot of talent to craft a plot that is so twisty and yet so invisible.

But there’s more to appreciate in these books than the (dare I say flawless) plot. The characters are truly interesting: every single one of them, even the most minor of minor characters has something that hooks you. So, if you like smart mysteries with smart, sexy, flawed-in-the-best-tricksy-ways characters, you should read the Curse Workers trilogy. They’re all out now. What are you waiting for?

May in Photos

Sometimes I joke that I live in the middle of the woods. Except it’s not a joke! Here’s one of my neighbors I ran into recently:

Encountered in my neighborhood earlier in May

Sometimes animals are hilariously smart. Here’s what my dog does when her toes are cold (also, she totally arranges the pillows on her own, I swear!):

This is what my dog likes to do in the morning.

Over Memorial Day weekend I went to my first WisCon, which was a fabulous experience! I met so many readers who had read my books, it was a little surreal. It was wonderful to meet you all! Here are some photos from My First WisCon:

Forward! This statue is the Wisconsin Women's Memorial of the Columbian Exposition of 1893, pointing the way in front of the capitol building.

Inside, looking up at the gorgeous dome of the state capitol.

Me, author Katharine Beutner (who wrote "Alcestis," a great book), and author Neesha Meminger (her latest YA fantasy, "Into the Wise Dark," just came out).

At the Sign-Out (where they bring you tea!) with Delia Sherman, author of "The Freedom Maze," which just won the Andre Norton Award!

Once you’ve read the opening chapters of my next novel, Adaptation, you’ll understand why I now have a weird fascination with airports. While I was waiting for my plane to depart Madison on Monday, a giant storm hit the city. Outside there was a huge downpour, and I snapped this photo through the windows. I really like the way the overhead lights were reflected in the glass, giving a kind of parallel-dimension quality to the photo.

At the Madison airport

That’s all for now. I have lots of fun stuff coming up in June, including a trip to BEA next week, the paperback release of Huntress, and many cool posts planned. Don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter if you want to receive the premiere issue on June 1!