Anu Recommends #47
Anu Recommends #47
A chat with fantasy author Elizabeth Lim, a football article, and a reading update
Dear reader,
Hope this issue finds you at a time when you can grab a cuppa and settle in, because I’ve got a lovely interview, among other tidbits, to share with everyone today. So let’s dive in!
Martin Ødegaard and Arsenal: a perfect fit
This latest football piece of mine was written just after the Arsenal-Sheffield game.
Artwork: Shivani Khot
Read here: https://www.footballparadise.com/martin-odegaard-and-arsenal-a-perfect-fit
Five Books I’ve Read Recently
…and loved
Colton Gentry’s Third Act by Jeff Zentner (ARC): this is out at the end of April and I will be posting a proper review about it then, but there’s so much to love in Jeff’s adult debut about third chances, redemption, love, loss, and family (and so much delicious food, I’m not even exaggerating).
Here After by Amy Lin (ARC): this debut grief memoir of young, sudden widowhood and what comes after is since out in the world and I cannot wait to share my chat with Amy for Write or Die Magazine soon. Similarly to above, a full review to follow accompanying the interview, but I know that this is already one of the most powerful and affecting books I’ve read in 2024.
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang: I’ve had this book and the other two in the trilogy on my physical shelves for almost two years now, and I can say that this was absolutely the right time to pick them up. Gripping, brutal, brilliant. Even more so considering the author was only 21 when she wrote it—the rough edges can be fairly easily overlooked because of how engaging the rest of it is.
The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love by India Holton (ARC): I cannot deny that this has been yet another excellent year when it comes to being able to read advance review copies of books by some of my favourite authors. This historical fantasy romance ranks at the very top of that 2024 list and it’s a book I’m going to writing more about closer to its June pub date because it’s all kinds of delightful, inventive, swoony, and hilarious in this intelligent yet rompy manner unique to the author.
Tin Man by Sarah Winman: you know how much I loved Still Life, the only other book I’ve read by the author. Well, this one didn’t topple that from its well-earned throne, but it held my attention and, in fleeting, searing flashes, my heart. Published four years prior to the former, this is a sparse, sensitive, elegiac “almost a love story but it’s not as simple as that” tale spanning decades and places in just over 200 pages that doesn’t quite pull off its ambitious narrative or fully achieve its potential, but leaves firm footprints.
The Storyteller’s Creative Chats: Elizabeth Lim
Alright, time for today’s guest.
If you were around here in September of last year, you may remember me gushing about this book—what’s not to like about bewitched cranes and exiled princesses and curses and dragons? For those who need a refresher, here you go!
Six Crimson Cranes is an East-Asian-inspired fantasy starring a female protagonist who comes into her own and is relatable with her flaws and her insecurities but also her compassion and her determination. This is that rare hyped new release which deserves every bit of its acclaim and then some. It's original, imaginative, exciting, funny, and emotional.
Elizabeth’s newest book, Her Radiant Curse is a prequel set in the same world.
Publisher’s blurb:
From the New York Times bestselling author of SIX CRIMSON CRANES comes a tale of two sisters—one as beautiful as the other is monstrous—who must fight to save each other when a betrothal contest gone wrong unleashes an evil that could sever their bond forever.
One sister must fall for the other to rise.
Channi was not born a monster. But when her own father offers her in sacrifice to the Demon Witch, she is forever changed. Cursed with a serpent’s face, Channi is the exact opposite of her beautiful sister, Vanna—the only person in the village who looks at Channi and doesn’t see a monster. The only person she loves and trusts.
Now seventeen, Vanna is to be married off in a vulgar contest that will enrich the coffers of the village leaders. Only Channi, who’s had to rely on her strength and cunning all these years, can defend her sister against the cruelest of the suitors. But in doing so, she becomes the target of his wrath—launching a grisly battle royale, a quest over land and sea, a romance between sworn enemies, and a choice that will strain Channi’s heart to its breaking point.
Weaving together elements of The Selection and Ember in the Ashes with classic tales like Beauty and the Beast, Helen of Troy, and Asian folklore, Elizabeth Lim is at the absolute top of her game in this thrilling yet heart-wrenching fantasy that explores the dark side of beauty and the deepest bonds of sisterhood.
About Elizabeth:
According to her website—
Elizabeth Lim is the New York Times, Sunday Times, USA TODAY, and indie bestselling author of the Six Crimson Cranes duology (Six Crimson Cranes and The Dragon's Promise), Her Radiant Curse, The Blood of Stars duology (Spin the Dawn and Unravel the Dusk), as well as the Disney Twisted Tales When You Wish Upon a Star, So This is Love, Reflection, and A Twisted Tales Anthology.
Elizabeth grew up on a hearty staple of fairy tales, myths, and songs. Her passion for storytelling began around age 10, when she started writing fanfics for Sailor Moon, Sweet Valley, and Star Wars, and posted them online to discover, "Wow, people actually read my stuff. And that's kinda cool!" But after one of her teachers told her she had "too much voice" in her essays, Elizabeth took a break from creative writing to focus on not flunking English.
Over the years, Elizabeth became a film and video game composer, and even went so far as to get a doctorate in music composition. But she always missed writing, and she turned to penning stories when she needed a breather from grad school. One day, she decided to write and finish a novel—for kicks, at first, then things became serious—and she hasn't looked back since.
Elizabeth graduated from Harvard College with an A.B. in music and a secondary in East Asian Studies, and she completed her graduate degrees at The Juilliard School. She grew up in Northern California and Tokyo, Japan, and now resides in New York City with her husband and daughters.
Her books have been translated into over twenty languages and are represented by Gina Maccoby of the Gina Maccoby Literary Agency.
Anu: Welcome to the Storyteller, Elizabeth! Let’s talk a bit about your journey to the written word (it’s so cool that you’ve worked as a film and video game composer and have a doctorate in music composition!)—did you always want to write/be a writer? And if you have a day job, how do you juggle that and the writing?
Elizabeth: I love this question! I actually did not want to become a writer when I was growing up. I was a very serious musician from age four, and my dream was to become a composer, specifically a film composer. While I was on that journey, I did a lot of reading and writing because I wanted to improve my understanding of narrative—I wrote a lot of fanfiction during this period, and I credit that to helping me hone my writing skills and gain confidence. While I was in grad school for music, I was working on some original opera scenes and decided to write my own libretto for them, and that experience reminded me how much I loved creative writing. After that, I couldn’t stop. I worked on my first novel, tried to get published, got rejected, and kept rinsing and repeating until I got my first book contract!
Anu: Your stories are fantastical and magical, with plenty of fairytale/folktale/mythical as well as cultural influences (I particularly love how you blend the Western and the East Asian so seamlessly). We are all products of our upbringing and roots, our heritage—how would you say that all of yours has fed into your writing, whether in style, narrative outlook, or even just the stories you write? What motivates or draws you to write and tell the stories that you do? And what would you like your readers to take away from them?
Elizabeth: Thank you! Honestly, it took me a while to find my narrative outlook and write the stories that spoke to me—in the beginning I was trying too hard to write to the current market and write to trends. After I gave up on that, I simply decided to write the books I wished I’d had growing up. As a kid I was obsessed with fairytales, but having grown up in America, I realised that many of the characters in these stories didn’t share my culture and didn’t even look like me. I was lucky enough that my parents exposed me to a lot of East Asian folklore and mythology while I was young, but I just wished there were stories that connected both parts of my upbringing so I decided to make my own!
Anu: All of your non-Disney books are set in the same universe. Was this planned? And why young adult (YA) as opposed to adult fiction?
Elizabeth: Honestly, when I first wrote Spin the Dawn, I desperately wanted to write more stories in the universe, but I knew I also had to be realistic. If the book didn’t sell well, then I’d likely have to try something new. I’ve been lucky enough that the books have done decently, and my publisher is very supportive of more books in the universe so I will keep them coming until another idea grabs me and won’t let go!
Anu: Are you a detailed plotter? Of course, every story has its own needs and demands, but has your general writing process changed/differed from each book, have some been easier or harder?
Elizabeth: I’ve become a much more detailed plotter over time! I usually write an outline and a synopsis before I get too involved in a story, and I find that helps me understand the overall arc of a story. Of course, things change as I write and edit, but I like having the map!
Anu: Your stories have very vivid characters that feel real. Do you first envision them and then build the story around them, or does the story idea come first?
Elizabeth: I tend to think of the story first, then build the characters around it. But if the characters come out flat, and there’s no voice in the opening pages, then the story is a no go and I have to start over. I absolutely will not force a character into a story if the two have no chemistry.
Anu: Is there any advice you wish you’d gotten when you first started out? Or any advice for aspiring authors from your own experience, something that’s really helped you in your writing and publishing journey so far?
Elizabeth: I wish I’d known to be more patient. I wrote so many manuscripts that were rejected, which made me very dejected, but with hindsight, I’m grateful that none of those early works were published because frankly, they weren’t ready. And I wasn’t ready! I also think it’s helpful to grow a thicker skin early, and recognize that there’s no way you can please everyone. I always tell myself that so long as there’s one other reader out there who gets what I’m doing and likes it, then I’ve done my job.
Anu: What would you like the readers of this newsletter to know about Her Radiant Curse, and about your other books set in this world? (I’ve enjoyed them all, but Six Crimson Cranes holds a special place in my heart!)
Elizabeth: Thank you! Her Radiant Curse is the prequel to Six Crimson Cranes, and it’s a book very dear to me because I actually started writing it first! Her Radiant Curse is the beginning of a fairytale, a book of prophecies and the fight to defy them, of dragons and talking snakes, and the making of a queen. At its core, though, it’s the story of the incredible love between two sisters. I personally think it’s my best book, along with Six Crimson Cranes 😊
Anu: What’s in the works going forward? If you’re allowed to share!
Elizabeth: I have another fairytale reimagining in the works, set in the same world. Then maybe something totally different…!
Thank you so much, Elizabeth for an enjoyable and insightful chat! 💜
You can read more about her work or keep in touch at website | instagram | twitter - all of which have buy links for her books.
That’s it for issue #47, hope you enjoyed spending time here today!
Please feel free send in recommendations—books, movie, TV shows, authors to interview, what you’re currently reading and watching, ideas of what you’d like me to write on, rants/ramblings/excited monologues, GIFs and memes (especially them) and more. Just drop me a line and turn this into a conversation, even if just to say hi and let me know what you thought of the latest issue. Or share this with someone you think might enjoy it. I always enjoy hearing from you 😊
Take care and I’ll see you next on March 31!
Anu
You can find me on Twitter at @AnuNande (follow for all the football chatter) and on Instagram at @booksinboston.