Liz Moore's Blog

Just a note to say:

Thank you, wonderful Goodreads community, for your support of The Unseen World and my other books as well. It's been so nice to hear from you and get to know some of you.

I hope you find some time to relax amidst the end-of-year chaos.

As for me: I'm hard at work on my next project, and I can't wait to share it soon.

Best wishes, Happy New Year, goodbye 2017.

Liz

Hi everyone,

Today is paperback publication day for The Unseen World: A Novel.

In celebration, I did two things that mildly terrify me:

1. I filmed myself talking
2. I posted it online.

You can see the evidence here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arTVB...

If you like puzzles, contests, or both, watch and possibly win a prize, mailed to you by me.

Thank you. I'm sorry.

Liz

Dear all:

One of the themes of The Unseen World is the idea of human error. I've always been puzzled by films and literature that treat intelligent machines as an inevitable evil that's headed our way....I have no reason to think that truly intelligent machines, when they finally arrive, won't be either neutral or benevolent. And that, as I wrote in the book, it's actually human beings who "hurt one another...only humans [who] falter and betray one another with a stunning, fearsome frequency."

Well, what follows is a good example of a human being faltering. (Read: me.)

Shortly after The Unseen World was published, a reader wrote to me to ask about the riddle that ends the first chapter. She couldn't figure it out--she thought the answer Liston gave was incorrect. With a sinking feeling, I opened the book, and I found that she was correct. Throughout the entire answer Liston gives, the words "East" and "West" should be swapped.

Here's what I wrote in response to her: "I thought about coming up with an answer to this question that made it seem as if I'd done that on purpose...something along the lines of testing the reader...but that would be dishonest! The truth is that, yes, it's a mix-up. The riddle is actually one my family has always told, but we've always told it using 'red tribe' and 'green tribe' rather than 'the village of East' and "the village of West.' Therefore, the answer to the riddle didn't roll quite as effortlessly off my tongue (or onto the page) as it otherwise might have. And I didn't check myself carefully enough, clearly. There you go--you win the prize!

What do you think I should do about this conundrum? Maybe a real prize would be in order....hmmm...."

Since that first e-mail, I've received several more...and then several more...and now I receive them regularly. (I see there are many of you who have asked the question on the Goodreads page for the book, too.)

So I thought I'd answer the question in one central location--here. That way I'll have someplace to refer people when they ask.

I'm upset about this error, of course. It's fixed in the paperback, which will be available on June 13.

The one positive? If you can get your hands on a hardcover before the paperback comes out, maybe it will be worth something someday...a first-edition with a glaring error included. (In my dreams.)

Hope this clears a few things up. And thank you, as always, for your wonderful support and readership.

Liz

Here's what I'm thinking about today: what are your personal ethics regarding reviewing books?

It might be specific to being an author, but I have a very, very hard time giving a book fewer than five stars, even when I don't personally know its author.

For this reason--like a lot of authors on Goodreads--I've decided to only post my reviews of books I can legitimately give five stars to. The others....well, I'll never tell : )

I know this is kind of a cop-out, but what can I say....I'm letting myself off the hook here.

I do recognize that honest reviews on Goodreads are an essential part of how it functions, and I commend you for your honesty! Otherwise, how would your friends know what you really liked and didn't like?

My question to you: what are your ethics regarding reviewing books? Do you have any compunction about ripping a book completely, or do you kind of relish it? (You can be honest.) I will confess--some of the most entertaining reading I've done on Goodreads has consisted of total rants by Goodreads users about often beloved books...

I am so impressed with you all. I look at the long lists of books you're reading and feel ashamed! There have been three periods in my life when I've read more than any other:

1. Ages 5-18 (I think I will never again read the same number of pages I read in this period of my life...I was crazed and addicted...maybe retirement?)

2. Ages 24-26/Grad school (I had assigned reading for class and I also just read constantly for inspiration)

3. 2014-15 (Enough with the ages): I lived in Rome for a year, and had nothing to do but read and write, and it was heaven

Now I find I'm busier than ever with writing, teaching, and parenting. For about six months after my daughter was born, I think I read three books. Maybe. Now I've decided to more actively build reading back into my life.

I do this in two ways:

1. Audiobooks while driving! Why didn't I do this before? (With some NPR time thrown in there too.)

2. I read while feeding my daughter.

3. I used to be very guilty of lingering on my phone as I was falling asleep in bed, or if I woke up overnight. To combat this, I've downloaded some e-books right onto my phone--sacrilege, I know--and have made the rule for myself that if I'm on my phone in bed, I have to be reading a book.

These three things have let me make more headway in the last month than I have for a while.

I've just finished Brit Bennett's The Mothers, Rivka Galchen's Little Labors, and George Hodgman's Bettyville--all HIGHLY recommended.

How do you build reading into your day? When and where do you read?

Hi friends.

I logged onto Goodreads this morning to find that the number of reviews/ratings for The Unseen World has increased dramatically in recent weeks. Specifically, as of right now, there are 2017 ratings**...in November I think it was just over 1000. The book came out in July. You all must have been doing a lot of reading over the holidays.

The fact that there are 2017 ratings in January of 2017 feels auspicious.**

I can't tell you how grateful I am for the support the Goodreads community has given this book. I have been using Goodreads more recently too, and through it I've chosen some books to read that I'm currently enjoying very much. (They are Rivka Galchen's Little Labors and Brit Bennett's The Mothers, if anyone's curious...)

Anyway...thanks for the support, and Happy 2017, and tell me what you did on New Year's Eve!

Here's what I did: my husband--whose birthday also happens to be New Year's Eve--and I went to dinner at the same restaurant we always go to with a big group of friends. My very gracious in-laws very graciously offered to host our daughter for her first sleepover, so I had a Very Important Decision to make: do I stay up late making the most of New Year's Eve, or do I take this golden opportunity to get some serious sleep?

Anyone who knows me would guess I chose the latter.

However, I surprised myself and others by staying up until about 3 a.m., enjoying Philadelphia, my husband, our friends, and the end of 2016....

What did you all do?


**Aaaaaaand, after writing this whole post, I realized that I read too fast and the number is 2007. 2007, not 2017. I experienced a fleeting moment in which I contemplated sitting on this post and watching Goodreads obsessively until the number crept up to 2017, and then thought: meh. 2007 is close enough. This is a metaphor for something. I'm not sure what yet. The end.

One of the highlights of this year has been hearing from readers of The Unseen World.

In gratitude, I'd love to send signed nameplates to anyone making a holiday gift of The Unseen World.

Full details here: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?stor...

Send a message here, on Facebook, or through my website by Dec. 14 if you're interested. And thank you for your support!

Liz
Www.lizmoore.net

I started a tradition, several years ago, of choosing an independent bookstore and ordering all (OK, many) of my Christmas presents through its website or over the phone. Then, a couple of days before Christmas, I go to the bookstore in person and pick up my haul. (And usually throw in a few more gifts....sometimes for myself....as well.)

It's partly out of wanting to support indie bookstores and partly out of sheer laziness. One-stop holiday shopping.

This year, I'm excited to give a bunch of books that I won't name here for fear that my gift-ees might read this.

But I'm curious: what books are you giving for holiday presents this year?

It is a wonderful thing as a writer to get a nice review in a newspaper. It helps move copies, of course, and it feels somehow "official."

But there is something more special about individual endorsements--like hearing directly from readers themselves.

That's why it was so nice to be sent this video review of The Unseen World by Rincey Abraham of Book Riot:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Sddp...

It still, after years of writing, feels somehow surreal to see someone I don't know talking about my books on the internet.

Thank you, Rincey!

For Heft, I had some wonderful experiences meeting with and Skyping with book clubs all over the country.

I've done several for The Unseen World so far and am still available to do so. If your book club is reading The Unseen World and you're interested in having me Skype with you, let me know! I bet we can work something out. The best way to get in touch with me is to send me a message on Goodreads or go through the contact form on my website: www.lizmoore.net/contact/

Thanks, and best, and happy reading.

Liz