Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor has been on my radar for a while. I follow various book blogs, shops and publishers on Facebook and Twitter. They’ve been posting about these books for a while now and with more vigour recently as the third instalment was imminent.
I always make a note of these books that get recommended and suggested to me and add them to my ever growing TBR list and continue with which ever book I’m reading at the time. The difference with Daughter of Smoke and Bone was I knew Laini Taylor was planning to embark on a UK book tour including a visit to a favourite place of mine, Waterstones Birmingham High Street branch.
With thoughts of Laini’s upcoming book signing in mind, I knew when I finished my previous and very different read about two weeks ago that it was the perfect time to properly start reading DOSAB. I’d started reading the opening chapters already.
As often is the case when a book comes highly recommended to me I tend to dive straight in without reading the sypnosis. DOSAB was one of those books I purchased and starting reading immediately. Right from the beginning I knew this was a different book to other YA books I’d read. The protagonist Karou was feisty, independent and instantly likeable.
I’d been aware of Laini’s signing for a number of weeks and was considering going if I could get at least the first book of the trilogy read in time. It was at the most recent fan party the team at Waterstones put on that I gave the idea much more serious thought after seeing the leaflets around the store advertising the signing.
It was at Waterstones Birmingham last month for another author event that I was convinced that I had to read this book. I trust book sellers’ opinions the most and Bex and Gemma couldn’t speak highly enough of it and as they’d already finished the book knew the things I only had a grasp of understanding about. I knew there was “something” more to Karou than I’d already learnt but I wasn’t sure what yet.
Within a few chapters I was completely immersed in this stunning world of beautiful settings and turns of phrase such as “ever unquiet” that I knew I had to meet the lady responsible for creating them.
After writing quite a lengthy blog post regarding the last book signing I attended I was asked by Bex if I felt I could write something about Laini’s signing for their blog and so here we are. I couldn’t be any more thrilled by the timing of this book signing. I already can’t believe I waited as long as I did to start reading these books. I intend to, now that I’ve read and adored the first book, to continue with not only the DOSAB trilogy but everything Laini has had published.
I arrived at Waterstones High Street branch (always important to get the right one) Thursday a little ahead of 7:30pm, the advertised time of the signing. As I was quite early the only people I expected to be in store were the book sellers obviously and general costumers.
When I headed up to the book garden, which is as lovely at it sounds, there were already a handful of people seated with books on laps. It was clear then that Laini was a lady people were keen to meet and wanted a prime spot amongst the rows of seating. Everything I’d seen, heard and read so far was convincing me I’d made the right decision to start reading Laini’s books when I did so I’d have the opportunity to meet her at this event!
Between 6:45pm and 7:30pm more and more people started to arrive, some purchasing books on their way in, from the absolutely stunning display the store had set up and others already carrying them and got settled into their seats. Once the room started to fill up there was a definite buzz of chatter and excitement about meeting Laini soon.
I chose to sit on the end of the row of seats closest to the stairs, as from previous experience of events in the book garden I knew that we’d see Laini as soon as she started to climb the stairs. Mind you Laini is easier to spot than most people as she has pink hair!
Just after 7:30pm Laini did indeed walk into the book garden with two ladies from her publishers. Once people realised Laini had arrived a hush slowly descended over the room, we were in the presence of someone really quite special now.
The first thing I noticed about Laini was what a fun, smiley person she was and this was before she’d even spoke. She was dressed all in black apart from this gorgeous multi patterned skirt, which several people sitting around me commented on and then of course there was her amazing hair which was even more stunning in real life than it appears in photographs!
This event was a little different to others I’ve attended and it was clear the team at Waterstones had worked hard behind the scenes to make it happen. At the front of the room a table, chairs and microphones were set up. Bex then took to the mic to introduce Laini to the room and thanked everyone for coming. Laini was full of smiles and waves as she made her way to the front of the room where there was a chair and microphone waiting for her.
A Q&A session between Bex and Laini then went on with some audience participation. Bex asked Laini to tell us about her Daughter of Smoke and Bone series. She said a girl with blue hair came in her thoughts and she took things from there. Laini went on to talk about the change in direction her studies took from an English related course to art college. She’s clearly artistic in a number of ways! One of the many things that stood out about Laini was how funny and witty she was. She raised lots of laughs from us all.
Laini also talked about the love she has for certain locations that she knew well in her books and other places she had an interest in and was able to visit after writing about such as Prague. She talked about how some aspects of the books were a certain degree of wish fulfilment. She told us how she started writing DOSAB in a bid to write something for fun again compared to what she was working on at the time. This also happened to coincide with National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) which is when writers attempt to write a certain number of words of a new novel throughout November.
Laini also talked about how the book is being adapted by Hollywood to become a film which is huge. While the final decisions are made by others involved Laini has ideas and some input. Naturally when a film is mentioned conversation turns to cast. Laini’s vision of an actress to play Karou is top secret to those who attended the event but was a very popular choice in the room.
When I read the book I found myself googling certain words which enhanced the story for me as I had a better understanding of the word. It was often another word for something, the whole book was full of really beautiful words, phrases and descriptions. By the end of the book I felt as if I’d travelled to the same places as Karou and all without leaving the house.
When Bex opened the questioning out to the room I used the opportunity to ask Laini if those words came naturally to her or did she herself have to research for another way to say something. She said that she’s always loved words and used words that were already at her disposal rather than words from a list in a thesaurus. The fact that such beautiful words were already in her vocabulary makes me like Laini and her books all the more. DOSAB really is unlike anything I’ve ever read before and I’m excited to see where the journey of the second book, Days of Blood and Starlight, will take me.
I’d arranged to collect my book on the day of the event as I hadn’t been able to get to the store before hand and there’s something quite lovely about buying a new book and getting it signed on the day. Shortly after Laini started talking Gemma handed me my rather beautiful hardback copy of Dreams of Gods and Monsters. Laini’s latest book and the third instalment of the DOSAB series. I just happened to look inside and Laini had already signed it for me.
After everyone that wanted to had asked their question it was time for Laini to settle in downstairs where she would begin signing her books for everyone. Yet more evidence of the planning and preparation that went into this event were the beautiful homemade by Amy, cakes and cake pops. There were even blue cakes with blue icing in honour of Karou’s hair!
One of the two ladies from the publishers that had joined Laini for the evening gave everyone in the queue a bookmark and temporary tattoos of eyes or hamsas that are a running theme through the book. While waiting in the book signing queue I got talking to a couple of the girls I was standing with. There was a real diversity to the people that had turned up. There were lots of teenagers but also people in their 20’s like myself, 30’s and older. There were moms and daughters, couples and people who had come alone. Of course there was somebody with blue hair.
As I already had my book signed my “signing” experience was just a chance to tell Laini how much I enjoyed her book and ask her my other burning question which was less about her books and more about Laini herself -the hair! I was desperate to know how long she’d had it pink. She told me seven years. We had a little chat about hair. I said it seams right that I should have pink in my hair seeing as my username across the internet has been pinkmad17 for a while now. Verdict after meeting and hearing her talk? What a lovely lady with a brilliant and beautiful mind and fabulous hair! I just can’t get past the hair. Can you tell?
When I was just a couple of people away from meeting Laini I spoke to the other lady from her publishers and said that as I’d already got my book signed I just wanted to say hello and maybe get a picture if it was ok. She said it was and even offered to take it for me. I’d been telling people I was going to meet an author with amazing pink hair. I wanted a picture to prove just how awesome she is.
While I was waiting I mentioned that I tend to write a blog post after something like a signing and I’d been asked if I could write something about this event with Laini. She asked me what my blog was called. She also asked me how I heard about the events. I told her I was fairly local to Birmingham and I follow the store on twitter etc and the team had been passionately promoting the event for a number of weeks as it was the biggest UK event outside of London. Plus there were the huge posters in store.
After myself and the girls I’d been talking to for a while about Laini amongst other things, had all met Laini and got our books signed and photos that we wanted we made our way out and away. I chatted a little more to Claire outside and we swopped Twitter names so we could keep in touch before we went our separate ways to start our journeys home.
Before I left I thanked Bex and the team for everything. I’m so glad I was asked to attend the event because not only have I discovered an amazing new series of books, met a super talented lady in form of Laini Taylor but I’ve also truly relished the opportunity of being able to write this piece for the YA Birmingham blog and having a project if you will to work on and towards again. I’m looking forward to the next Waterstones Birmingham event whatever it may be and hopefully being able to write about it.
