Ten Cent Notes

TGIF: Required Reading

2012-02-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

Today's TGIF question from GReads is:

Which book from your school days do you remember reading and enjoying? Is there a book published today that you'd like to see in today's curriculum for kids?

Mostly I wasn't ever a fan of required reading in school and I missed out on being forced to read the typical books -- I never read Romeo & Juliet and when I read To Kill A Mockingbird it was just for fun. That said, there were a few "required reading" books I really loved.

The Chosen, by Chaim Potok - I read this one in ninth grade and while I don't remember much of it, I remember absolutely loving the complexity of the relationships portrayed in this book.

Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury - Honestly I don't remember when I read this one, but just, how can you not think it's awesome? You can't.

As for current books that I think should be required reading, one of the main ones that comes to mind is The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta. I'm not entirely sure why except that the writing here is so good and the story encompasses so many characters, relationships, and points of view.

Review: Adios, Nirvana

2012-02-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

ADIOS, NIRVANA
Conrad Wesselhoeft
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

In the year since his twin brother's (Telemachus') death, brilliant teenage poet Jonathan has lost a bit of himself. He doesn't sleep, he rarely attends classes, and when he jumps off a bridge in a snow storm his best friends -- his thicks -- get even more worried about him. When it becomes clear that Jonathan's recent lack of dedication to school means he might get held back a grade, the only chance he has to make things right is an unusual job writing the biography and war memories of a blind and dying man.

Though there's a lot happening in this book, the narration is told so solidly from Jonathan's viewpoint that there's a huge distance between the reader and the action. This is because Jonathan himself is quite a bit removed from things. This is a 200-ish page book, and every page is very much set in the recesses of Jonathan's mind. It's a book that demands the reader be on board with the character above all else.

Luckily, Jonathan's a pretty awesome character. Though it took me longer than I would have liked to really be invested in this book, I think a lot of that was due to the fact that I expected more action and less inner monologuing from Jonathan. This is a character reeling from the death of his twin brother and best friend, whose only family left is his likewise dysfunctional mother, and who is very obviously in a place of desperation. Though we never see Telemachus alive, he is such an integral part of the story, and such a huge part of Jonathan, that he becomes a very real character. Somehow while reading this, I missed him as a character even though I only knew him through his brother Jonathan's memories and thoughts. This alone shows what a powerful character Jonathan is: he carries not only the entire story, mostly devoid of action and very very emotional/mental, but also manages to bring to life characters that the reader has otherwise no reason to care about. Jonathan, who never sleeps and runs on a steady diet of Red Bull and No-Doz, is the heart and soul of Adios, Nirvana, and aside from him there's honestly not a whole lot to talk about.

Sure, there's the plot -- the dying man whose memoirs Jonathan is writing, the deal he makes with the principal so that he doesn't get held back a grade, and the girl he finds himself drawn to, but those are more like sidenotes here. The book is all Jonathan and though his relationships with others, especially his best friends (his "thicks") are sparsely written, they're done so incredibly well. This book is the written equivalent of a simple painting that, with only a few brush strokes, manages to be strikingly vivid. While it took me a while to get into the book, by halfway through I was absolutely caught up in Jonathan's story. The themes this book tackles: life, death, art, what it means to care for another person and to be there for them, never felt overwrought or tacked-on. They were handled deftly and truly, making for a heart-touching sort of read.

Currently, Again...

2012-02-22T00:01:00.000-08:00

I did this same meme/post nearly a year ago and since I'm bored for something to post today, here it is again. Enjoy!

Current Book: Terra Elan McVoy's The Summer of Firsts and Lasts. I really loved the first book of hers I read (After the Kiss) and have had this one sitting on my shelves for months and months, just waiting until I wasn't working on my own novel about sisters so I could finally read it. It's one I've sort of been saving just because I've been looking forward to it so much and a little over 50 pages in it's totally living up to my hopes. Fingers crossed that this continues.

Current Playlist: At this exact moment I'm listening to the new Ingrid Michaelson album, Human Again (specific song? "Always You"). I've also been listening to 21 a lot (mostly "I'll Be Waiting") and my playlist(s) for my current WIP.

Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure: I don't like the idea of guilty pleasures. If something makes you guilty either you shouldn't be doing it or you're just being silly. So yeah, I don't have one.

Current Color: Purple!

Current Drink: I'm not drinking anything at the moment. I meant to have a Ginger Ale but I don't feel like going downstairs to grab one.

Current Food: None, but the last thing I ate was a chicken sandwich and pepperocinis. Delicious!

Current Favorite Show: Downton Abbey, which as we all know JUST ENDED. (Look for me to go into DA withdrawals any day now. THAT SHOW!! Also that ending. Just so... sigh.) And also Cougar Town, which just came back on the air and is not at all about what you think it's about.

Current Wishlist: Secret big things, of course.

Current Needs: I don't know, maybe sleep?

Current Bane of My Existence: Thinking about having to go to the dentist. Even just typing the words makes me want to hide and never come out of hiding ever ever ever.

Current Celebrity Girl-Crush: Ugh, celebrities. I LIKE FICTIONAL PEOPLE BETTER THAN FAMOUS ONES, MOSTLY.

Tuesday Ten: Novels I'd Save In Case of Fire, Etc.

2012-02-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

This week's Tuesday topic from The Broke and the Bookish is books we'd save in case of some sort of disaster (you know, like fire, or alien invasion... whatever). To make things easier on myself I'm limiting my list to novels -- no nonfiction, no short stories, no essays. With a lot of these books the specific copy I own has some sort of value to me so it's not just about the story within it.

1. Shatter Me

Tahereh Mafi

For starters, I love this book. Love. Somehow it just really struck a chord with me. But also my copy is signed from when I met Tahereh at her book launch, which makes it extra-special. Yes, yes, yes.

2. Before I Fall

Lauren Oliver

I remember so clearly the day I read this book. It started with a somewhat-scary doctor visit and ended with an eight-hour blackout of the whole city. It was a weird, surreal sort of day and this was the perfect book for me to be reading at the time. It's catapulted to being one of my all-time favorite reads -- both the book and the experience behind it.

3. Sweethearts

Sara Zarr

Another of my all-time favorites, this is a book I've read multiple times. The book jacket is bent (boo) and I have some messy notes inside, passages highlighted. In some ways I feel like this book was made just for me it feels so personal.

4. Anna and the French Kiss

Stephanie Perkins

Another book I've written and highlighted in, this is without a doubt one of the sweetest books out there. Total flailing awesomness. (You know, flailing... like when you can't really explain it in words, so you just sort of fling your arms about and shout "IT'S SO GOOD!" Which is sort of how I tried to explain Downton Abbey to my sister this morning.)

5. serafina67: *urgently requires life*

Susie Day

There are so many great things about this book and this copy of the book in particular. The book itself is like if you took me and shrunk me down into book format: I'd be this book. Serafina and I are the same person, I'm convinced of it. But also! I very, very randomly found an ARC of this at one of the book readings I did for Red years ago. I had no idea what it was about but was lucky enough to get to take it and keep it and OMG MORE FLAILING IT'S SO GOOD!!!

6. If I Stay

Gayle Forman

I could (and would) quickly acquire another copy of this book if something ever ever happened to my hardcover. But nothing better happen to this hardcover because not only is it one of my favorite books, but what Gayle Forman wrote when she signed it is one of the best things any author has written to me.

7. Hold Still

Nina LaCour

Sometimes the best books are ones that are a surprise, that you haven't heard much (or anything) about before reading, and that's definitely this book for me. I was sent an ARC, I read it, and I love it so much. One of the best "grief YA" novels for sure for sure for sure. Plus, I really love the ARC for some reason.

8. Bittersweet

Sarah Ockler

So many reasons for this book being on this list, but the biggest has got to be that, like with If I Stay, what Sarah Ockler wrote inside to me is one of my favorite author signings ever. Sarah Ockler has been such an inspiration and so helpful to me that I wish I could include more than just this book of hers on the list.

9. Some Girls Are

Courtney Summers

Another signed book! This one has a picture of a werewolf with its head on fire that Courtney Summers drew inside of it. And you just don't get any more crazy awesome than that, really.

10. ALL THE BOOKS!!

Just Kidding

But really, I have a huge list here of books I'd like to be on this list and I just can't choose only one, so we'll leave this at nine with an empty space to represent all our unfulfilled hopes and dreams. (Or just more books.) (Yes, NAME THAT REFERENCE, which I may have used before.)

Review: Cinder

2012-02-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

CINDER
Marissa Meyer
Feiwel and Friends

Cinder is a teenage girl and the best mechanic in New Beijing. She's also a Cyborg -- 32.68% robotics. With the "blue plague" plaguing Earth's society and the threat of war (or worse...) from Lunars, the advanced, human-like creatures who live on the moon. When Cinder's step-sister, the only human who cares for her, is taken ill by the blue plague, Cinder's evil stepmother offers her as a test subject for an antidote -- something no Cyborg has survived -- only for Cinder to discover she's immune to the disease that's killing her world. Of course, this discovery just leads to more discoveries, most of them surrounding the Lunars, their evil queen, and the fate of Earth.

Full disclosure: I've never liked the Cinderella story. Even as a kid I thought it was pretty stupid that Cinderella did absolutely nothing for herself and was basically handed her happily-ever-after thanks to a fairy godmother. Thankfully, this isn't the case here. Though a retelling of the more traditional Cinderella tale, Cinder uses the elements of the story very creatively and, best of all, gives Cinder actual backbone. She's smart and resourceful, sure, but more than that she insists on standing up for herself, which was refreshing.

This is a solidly sci-fi retelling of the tale and I loved every element of it -- the Cyborgs, Androids, and Lunars as well as the hints of fairytale -- so it's surprising and a little sad that I didn't altogether love it. My thoughts on this book are a little bit conflicted and at least some of that has to do with my own personal tastes as a reader. I like character-driven books. And, in plot-driven stories like this one, I like well-developed characters who can carry the plot, who make me care about it. While Cinder, Prince Kaito, and the rest of the characters were good, there was something missing. The book was so plot-driven and so full of nearly nonstop action that it was difficult to really get to know these characters beyond the part they played in the story. I'm sorry to say that it's a good bet none of these characters will make a huge impression on me or linger in my mind for days the way the best characters always do. The emotional scenes didn't have the impact on me that I would have expected or liked them to, and I think this is probably due to the fact that though I liked the characters, I didn't really really care about them the way you need to for emotional heft.

The book as a whole felt almost like a prequel to the story's progression in the next three books of the series, but I found myself confused about certain fairly important points regarding Cinder's world. I wanted to know why Cyborgs are considered less than human -- how much robot are they? We know Cinder's percentage, but what's the difference between the Cyborgs of New Beijing and people today who have prosthetic limbs or rebuilt joints? More explanation on points like this, which would be obvious to the characters and the writer, but not to readers, would have been nice.

However, though I was confused about some of the world-building things, the "twists" in the book were obvious from the get-go. Nothing here surprised me and on the one hand this means that Cinder's discoveries were foreshadowed well, but on the other hand... I wanted to be surprised. For as awesomely action-packed as this book was, it was also predictable to the point of almost being boring -- like I said, it feels like a prequel or prologue to the rest of the story that this series will cover.

I don't want this review to sound like I didn't like the book because despite all my issues with it, it was an enjoyable read for me. Meyer has turned the traditional Cinderella story into something fantastic and made her futuristic world completely original. Despite the predictability, it was fun noticing all the fairy tale elements that are in play and Cinder's journey is such a departure from what you'd expect from a fairy tale retelling. I'm a reader who goes for characters and their relationships above all else; the fact that I didn't really connect to any of these characters hampered my connection to the book, but definitely doesn't take away from the fact that the story is pretty incredible. It's an original world and an original concept. As with Across the Universe, I'm more excited about the full series than book one and I just hope that by the time the second book comes out my enthusiasm for the series hasn't faded away.

In My Mailbox: So Many Books!

2012-02-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

BOOKS.

Gifted: Ahh, such lovely books from my mother and sister! All of these are books I've been wanting and while Save as Draft didn't live up to expectations, I'm completely invested in Cinder at this point and excited to read Shug, which I've heard good things about. (And also! It's by Jenny Han, author of the fantastic Summer series!)

For Review: These two books came super-unexpectedly and I'm so glad they did! I had literally been thinking about how I excited I was for Wicked Jealous that very day and then -- boom! It showed up! And I'm also anxious to read Keep Holding On.

Brand Authors vs. Everything Authors

2012-02-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

I'm not the sort of reader who will read absolutely everything by my favorite authors. I mean, yeah, I've read every Dessen novel, but it's because I enjoy her type of stories. They're character-driven contemporary novels -- right up my alley. If tomorrow she started a series about a zombie-killing werewolf girl (you know, just for instance) I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be rushing out to buy it.

The truth is: I like how, with some authors, I know what I'm getting. I wouldn't call Sarah Dessen formulaic exactly, but there's definitely a certain comfort in knowing what "type" of novel you're guaranteed to be reading. She's an incredible author whose ability to write complex characters and realistic relationships is pretty much unparalleled in my mind. And I love that.

But then on the other side there are authors like Maureen Johnson, who write a bit of everything YA-wise. I haven't read all of her books. I haven't loved every book of hers that I have read. But she's still another of my most favorite authors and (maybe ironically) a big reason for this is how diverse her books are. Even in her contemporary novels there's a good mix of varying types of POV, series and non-series, and character- and plot-driven stories. She's an author who is so far from being "boxed in" to a certain genre or "type" of novel, and that's a little bit of what I aspire to be as a writer.

All of this makes me wonder: is it better to be an author with a strong "brand," like Sarah Dessen? Or is it better to be an author who writes a bit of everything, like Maureen Johnson? Is there even a "best" here, or is it all so unique to the individual writer? So, my question for you - as a reader, what type of authors do you prefer reading? And for any other writers/authors out there, what type of writer would you rather be?

Both of these questions are still things I'm thinking over for myself and I'd love to see what others think.

TGIF: Book Blogger Pride

2012-02-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

This week's TGIF question from GReads is this:

What do you take pride in when it comes to blogging?

Honestly what I'm most proud of are the books that I read, love, and talk about. One of my big goals when I started blogging was to highlight books I'm passionate about -- contemporary, underrated books that maybe most people haven't heard of or read. A lot of my favorite books have always been the underdogs, books that never hit the bestseller list, aren't face out in bookstores, and are a little quieter than others might be, and I'm so thrilled to have a platform -- even a small one -- to highlight those books. Because I want the authors of the books I love to be able to keep writing for an audience. I want to be able to be a part of that audience.

I Resolve to Finish Less Books

2012-02-16T00:01:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been noticing just how many books I read in their entirety and don't really care for. Of the 13 books I've read so far this year, I didn't actually like three of them - these were 1- and 2-star reads for me, but I kept reading and kept reading, in most cases hoping the book would get better.

Because sometimes books do that. You hit the 70 or 100 or 120 page mark and suddenly, boom, everything falls into place. Like magic! Sometimes this happens. Usually though, it doesn't.

And honestly, I love books. I love stories. I eat fiction for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Which is part of the reason why I hate so much to find a book that I don't like: there are so many books I like or love that it seems a little ridiculous to finish books I don't care for.

My goal for the rest of February and also March is to not finish any books that are 1-star reads for me. Ideally I'd like to cut out 2-star reads as well, but ONE STEP AT A TIME. So, what about you? Do you finish books you don't like? What about ones you're just a bit ambivalent about?

Tuesday Ten: The Sad Books

2012-02-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

I'm a little distracted at the moment, so forgive me for the fact that this Tuesday Ten post doesn't have the usual pictures/links/descriptions. The theme this week is "books that broke your heart a little," and this week I'm going super-simple with just the title/author and the briefest of descriptions.

1. Splendor, by Anna Godberson - EVERYTHING WENT HORRIBLE OMG THIS ENDING. *dies*
2. Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Patterson - This might have been the first book that really truly wrecked me. Prior to reading it I had no idea what it was about and those two chapters about the fastest kid in fifth grade? SO SAD.
3. Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver - I just kept hoping for a different outcome.
4. Gone With the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell - When certain people in this book died, there were many tears.
5. Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott - BETH!!!
6. Hold Still, by Nina LaCour - Oh goodness. This book just had so much emotion in it; the desperate feelings of Ingrid come through so clearly.
7. Leverage, by Joshua C. Cohen - Brutal.
8. Shine, Lauren Myracle - Drug use!! Horrible, horrible horrible drugs!
9. Twenty Boy Summer, by Sarah Ockler - I realize the awful sadness comes at the beginning of this book, but it hit me really, really hard. Poor Matt.
10. THIS SPACE RESERVED FOR SOME FUTURE TITLE, OR ELSE MAYBE THERE ARE JUST SO MANY BOOKS I CAN'T CHOOSE.

Review: The Six Rules of Maybe

2012-02-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

THE SIX RULES OF MAYBE
Deb Caletti
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Scarlet's a Nice Person. The sort of girl who looks out for not only her family and friends, but also her neighbors and strangers. She's constantly doing good deeds to try and brighten other people's days, whether that means encouraging her best friend's crush on a guy she's never spoken to or warning her older neighbors about email scams. When her older sister, Juliet, comes home pregnant and married, Scarlet's way of living for everybody else is put to the test as she finds herself developing feelings for Juliet's husband Hayden, who is, like Scarlet herself, a Nice Person.

Upfront I should say that I'm a sucker for stories about sisters, so I was a bit predisposed to like this one. Scarlet and Juliet are, like many sisters, different in some important ways. Though they shared the same upbringing (single mother, absentee father), their mother has always been closer to Juliet, the star. While Scarlet's quiet, nice, and unselfish above all else, her older sister is a little bit rebellious and a lot selfish. When she enters a room, things quickly become all about her. Despite this, Juliet's husband is surprisingly solid and kind - more like Scarlet than Juliet. He, too, is incredibly unselfish and it's easy to see that he loves Juliet completely even while she holds him at arm's length.

At times The Six Rules of Maybe can be a difficult read to get through, no matter how wonderfully it's done. This is because Scarlet is such an insular character; she exists so deep in her own head that the distance between this character (who, yes, is narrating the book) and the actual events sometimes feels enormous and foggy. There were a few scenes where I honestly wasn't sure what had just happened until one of the other, more plain-spoken characters, mentioned something about it. This can be annoying and I'd guess even more annoying if you're not one for character-driven, literary, or slow-going stories, but it fits well with Scarlet's introspective and meek personality.

Scarlet wants to save everyone around her. She wants to save Juliet; she wants to save Hayden. She wants their baby to have an unbroken family. But she also wants to be with Hayden and is getting a little tired of constantly being the good one, the nice one. This book is a little heartbreaking sometimes; Scarlet, despite her feelings for Hayden, mostly does everything she can to help everyone around her. Yet when her good intentions have unintended consequences, the people she's tried to help turn on her - in some cases suddenly and meanly. The story here, the slow change in how Scarlet sees things and her journey over the course of the novel, is written so, so well, and so realistically. Scarlet, Hayden, Juliet, and the rest of the characters are complex; nobody in this novel is one-note. Juliet comes the closest, with her selfishness and the way she so obviously takes all the attention away from Scarlet, but the love between these two sister comes through loud and clear and, like Scarlet, Juliet has her own hidden scars to deal with.

There's some very interesting stuff here dealing with love, especially different types of romantic love both requited and unrequited. The story deals nicely with who these characters love, and why, and what happens when it isn't perfect. In the extended cast of characters (which includes Scarlet's friends and neighbors as well as her family) there are many relationships and almost-relationships, all of which are unique.

Caletti has a literary writing style and her imagery is often breathtakingly beautiful. This is an incredibly well-crafted book with complex characters and relationships. It's not for everyone, but it's definitely worth checking out if you're a contemporary YA fan.

Such Interesting Questions, Young Reader!

2012-02-11T00:43:00.000-08:00

In reading reviews for a certain YA book I came across one Goodreads reviewer who, though they didn't particularly care for the book itself, thought that it brought up some good questions to discuss with young adults. My first thought in reading this was something along the lines of, well, that's kind of crap. I mean, are the teenagers supposed to read this book that isn't very good just because there are some good questions for them in it?

Then I thought: self, hold up a second.

Isn't it true that sometimes the books that have good questions in them, interesting things to think about, aren't necessarily the ones we five-star and rave about? Take The Future of Us for instance: I liked that book. Liked, but didn't love. I thought there were some big flaws and it often came across as unintentionally funny; as if I were laughing at the book instead of with it. Still, I couldn't help but think that wow, the book was bringing up some really interesting topics. In my review I mentioned the questions of changing your future.

Like I said, The Future of Us was a good book and I enjoyed it, but what if you don't enjoy a book? Is it worth reading a book with plot, characters, or both that you don't like, if it raises interesting questions? And if so, is this more important as a teenager than a grown person?

As far as fiction is concerned we read (or at least, I read) for the stories. But should we sometimes be reading for the questions/topics instead? What are your thoughts on this?

Review: She's So Money

2012-02-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

SHE'S SO MONEY
Cherry Cheva
HarperTeen

Maya, straight-A student and good-girl extraordinaire, runs into a bit of trouble when her parents leave her in charge of the family restaurant while they're out of town. Maya's used to her life revolving around school and the restaurant so running the place for a few days should be no problem. Unfortunately a run-in with a couple of rude customers quickly turns into a much bigger problem when Maya gets herself slapped with a huge fine that - if she can't come up with the money quickly - could put her family's restaurant out of business. This leads to an ill-advised partnership with the hottest, most egotistical boy in school, and a cheating ring that starts small but soon becomes more than Maya can handle.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this book. The premise seemed so outlandish, but I was happy to discover that this crazy premise is handled really well. This book fits squarely into the "comedy of errors" camp and benefits hugely from the fact that it never takes itself too seriously. This is a funny book - a YA comedy, dare I say? - and realizing this makes it easier to accept the crazy plot.

Maya and the rest of the characters (especially her partner-in-crime, Camden) aren't always likable, but it doesn't matter as much as you'd expect. It's clear from the outset that Maya's a well-intentioned girl who, under extreme pressure, panics and goes along with the first hare-brained scheme she thinks up. It's her loyalty to this scheme that really makes things interesting and that, eventually, makes it difficult to like her. Because while it's easy to understand the beginning of the cheating ring, it's quite a bit harder to justify the continuation of it especially as things begin going out-of-control. Once again, this is where the book's commitment to comedy is such a good thing; it's hard to take too seriously a book that cracks jokes continually, even in the worst of times, and because of this She's So Money is operating on a slightly different level than many other, drama-heavy YA novels.

Maya and Camden's whip-smart and hilarious interactions are often laugh-in-public funny and I'd recommend this book for YA readers looking for a straight-up comedy.

Review: Sorta Like A Rock Star

2012-02-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

SORTA LIKE A ROCK STAR
Matthew Quick
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

The impossibly upbeat Amber Appleton has, by any standards, a hard life. Her and her mother are currently homeless and living on the school bus her mother drives after being kicked out of her most recent ex-boyfriend's apartment. Her alcoholic, anorexic, entirely dysfunctional mom is the only family Amber has, yet despite this Amber remains firm in her belief that things will work out for the best. She has strong faith in God, in her mother, and in the general goodwill of people. She spends her days doing good deeds for others despite her own situation.

I wanted to like this book. I really really did. It was recommended to me by quite a few fellow bloggers and reading about a relentlessly positive main character sounded awesome. Unfortunately, Amber Appleton's character and story never quite clicked for me. Though I loved (loved) her positivity and faith, her actual personality was a bit off-putting to me. It may be the fact that the voice of this narrator was just so out there, full of tons of slang that I found it difficult to get used to, or it might be that to be perfectly honest much of Amber's actions were inappropriate as were her reactions to other's actions. In the context of her life this made perfect sense, but I still found it hard to connect or empathize with her personally.

Aside from Amber, there was a cast of similarly unique-and-quirky characters, including a very zen Vietnam veteran and her "Freak Force Federation" friends. Sometimes quirky works. Sometimes it doesn't. For me, these characters were a bit over-the-top quirky and it was often difficult to see them as real when their personalities felt reduced to 2-D. This made the story (even more) unrealistic and difficult to buy into, which, depending on your reading tastes and what sort of book you're looking for, isn't always a bad thing. Unfortunately what I wanted and expected from this book was a realistic story of a modern-day Pollyanna type character: unrelenting optimism in the face of a crappy situation. What I got was a zany, quirk-filled adventure and a tragic story of how Amber's life goes from awful to more awful and then turns around again.

I didn't hate this book, but I didn't love it either. Many, many others laud its praises and I wish I could be among them, but sadly despite the book's occasional moments of real emotion and clarity, I found the characters too flat and the story too erratic to really keep me interested and invested in it.

If You Like... Well-Known YA Authors

2012-02-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

Part three of my If You Like series focuses on two well-known authors of contemporary YA -- the ones that I (and probably many other readers) consider a sort of "prom king and queen" of the genre.

If You Like

Sarah Dessen

Dessen's books feature female protagonists and a variety of real-life problems. Family, as well as romance, usually factors into the stories quite heavily and I'm constantly impressed with her depictions of the intricacies of sisterhood. For many YA readers she was one of their first introductions into the genre that has seen a lot of growth since the publication of her first novel, That Summer.

sarah ockler - Yeah, yeah, they have the same name. But more than that, Ockler's heavy focus on family and her ability to write real-life stories that are complex and relatable, puts her in the same category as Sarah Dessen. And much like Dessen has cornered the market on sisterly relationships, Ockler's uncanny ability for writing truly complicated and realistic female friendship subplots is unparalleled in YA.

bunheads, by sophie flack - This book, with a great protagonist and romance subplot, has much in common with a Dessen story and a similar sort of vibe, while not being too alike.

ann brashares - The writing of Brashares, though very different from Sarah Dessen, has the same ability to immerse the reader completely in the story and make you forget about reality for a while.

If You Like

John Green

His debut novel won the Printz Award and Green's ability to write smart, complex teen characters make his books stand out. Most of his books are narrated by male characters and heavily feature romance. Unlike Dessen, he focuses much more on peer relationships than family and his style is definitely literary-leaning.

hannah moskowitz - The differences between Green and Moskowitz are obvious: she's female, and had her first two books published while still a teenager. But writing-wise, their styles are not that far apart and the book that continued to come to mind while I was reading John Green's latest was Moskowitz's novel, Invincible Summer.

the book thief, by marcus zusak - Historical and complex, this book has the same literary writing and complexity that John Green's novels have and it's a safe bet that John Green superfans will probably also like this book.

the catcher in the rye, by j.d. salinger - Okay, so yeah, everyone's heard of this book. But not everyone has read it, and if you like Green's novels, especially his first two, this is a must-read as the main characters are similar as is the mood of the books.

TGIF: Book Appeal

2012-02-03T00:01:00.001-08:00

This week's TGIF question from GReads is on book appeal.

When you're browsing goodreads, the library, or another blogger's reviews, what grabs your attention to make you want to read it?

Ah, the question of appeal. It's pretty much impossible to answer, but I'll give it a try:

1. Personal recommendations from readers I trust. Buzz and/or hype doesn't do much for me, but when I fellow reader, especially one who knows me and whose opinion I trust, tells me I'll probably like a book, I pay attention. If not for Khy relentlessly recommending Anna and the French Kiss to me, I probably never would have given it a chance. Cindy Pon told me I'd like Hannah Moskowitz's first novel, Break, and she was so, so right. Quite a few people have recommended Melina Marchetta's contemporary novels to me and though I haven't yet read Jellicoe Road, it's due to them that I was so eager to read The Piper's Son for the Cybils and that I now have Saving Francesca on my bookshelf.

2. Cover. I know this is incredibly superficial and covers half the time have nothing to do with the story inside, but I can't help it: I'm so very influenced by covers. So much so that even if I read and hate a book, if it has a stunning cover I'll still want to reread it in case, by some miracle, the second read has me loving it. Covers played a huge role in me picking up both The Summer I Turned Pretty and The Kid Table. Their summaries helped, but it was the cover that really did it.

3. Any mention of my favorite topics. I think every reader has favorite/"pet" topics that they just love reading about. I have quite a few, but the ones that spring to mind right now are sisters (Imaginary Girls), friendship troubles (Rival), and complicated love stories that may or may not be romances (Vaclav & Lena).

Review: Chopsticks

2012-02-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

CHOPSTICKS
Jessica Anthony & Rodrigo Corral
Razorbill

Glory is an incredibly talented teenage pianist who, after a now-infamous (and disastrous) performance, has disappeared. This is, as the book says, the story of where she went. But it's also the story of her family, her descent into madness, and the boy-next-door she falls in love with. The story is told primarily through pictures with very little text and Chopsticks, which has a website and paid iPod/iPad apps is being called a "concept novel,"and it's definitely the first of its kind that I've read.

This book is, above all else, visually stunning. The pictures are beautiful and very effective at conveying the mood of the novel. It's a book that, regardless of story, is just so pretty and so atmospheric. Though pictures make up the majority of the book they're effective in setting not only the mood and setting of the story, but also establishing characters (and their pasts) and moving events forward. It's a quick read, but an engrossing one, and readers looking for something a little different will love it.

However there is, at least for me, something missing here. As great as the pictures are they also lead to ambiguity and I'm not entirely 100% sure what happens in this book, especially the latter half. I feel like I missed, somehow, the part where Glory and Francisco (the boy next door) met, and I'm not sure what prompted Glory's descent into madness. The ending, as well as events leading up to it, is a bit vague and I'm not sure if this is done intentionally -- to have the reader fill in the blanks and leave it open to interpretation -- or if I'm just not understanding this storytelling form well enough. This is definitely not your basic, straightforward storyline and while this will surely work for some readers, it didn't entirely work for me. I wanted more detail, more information about the characters and events, than this type of novel allowed. It's an interesting and beautiful work for sure, but very different (in both good and bad ways) from the typical novel.

Review: The Babysitter Murders

2012-02-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

THE BABYSITTER MURDERS
Janet Ruth Young
Atheneum

Dani's been having disturbing thoughts. The seventeen year old girl loves her best friend, her mother, and especially the little boy she babysits (Alex), but lately she's been having thoughts of hurting them -- anything ranging from the most hurtful insults to graphic murder -- and she doesn't know how to stop it. Confessing her unwanted thoughts leads to a media frenzy in her small town as everyone speculates on who the "nanny nutjob" might be and Dani becomes vilified as she tries to simultaneously keep herself safe while figuring out how to stop her thoughts.

This book was sort of terrifying. It's told in a disarming way -- third person present tense -- which distances the reader from Dani but also gives a more objective view of the events. It's a struggle to adjust to this sort of writing, but in the end it works well for the story. Dani is sort of an everygirl character (responsible, good friend, good daughter, good grades), but her terror at the thoughts she's been having is palpable. On more than one occasion she hides kitchen knives from herself just in case.

Let's be clear: Dani doesn't want to hurt anyone. Quite the opposite. These are people she loves and she consciously, actively wants to keep them safe, but she isn't sure how. When she can no longer handle the thoughts on her own she knows that she must do whatever she can to keep Alex, the boy she babysits, safe. This means confessing her horrible thoughts to his mother, who immediately calls the police. What follows is both the public outcry at the fact that Dani isn't arrested, and the private struggle Dani and her mother go through as they find help for her.

This is a very interesting (and scary, quite honestly) book about a very specific type of OCD. It's well-written and the subject matter is so captivating that the book is difficult to put down. However, many of the characters, especially a schoolmate who has a crush on Dani, feel two-dimensional: a little flat, as if their entire character is dictated by the role they play in the book's plot. The dialogue is sometimes a bit forced and cheesy, and the subplot involving Dani's best friend always seems to just take up space; next to Dani's very strange, very huge problems, everything else seems a little silly. All of these flaws only accentuate that, really and truly, this is a book about a premise, a subject matter. Everything -- characters, dialogue, relationships, subplots -- comes secondary to that.

And you know what? It's not bad. While this would really bother me in many books, here the flaws are more than forgivable for the simple fact that, next to Dani's problem, nothing else matters. Though the ending is a little odd, the story stops in the right place, bookending Dani's journey and leaving the reader satisfied with the story. It's a very complete picture of a very different sort of mental illness and it's troubling, difficult, to read. Despite that, this is a book (and a character) that, even in the direst of circumstances, never surrenders to the dark.

Tuesday Ten: Book Club Picks

2012-01-31T00:01:00.000-08:00

This week's topic from The Broke and Bookish is book club picks, and some of mine might be a bit odd, but here goes...

1. Peaches

Jodi Lynn Anderson

Honestly I'd love to include all three books in this series, but that would take up too many spaces on the list. This is just such a perfect discussion book to me, with its three very different main characters and the troubles they find themselves in. I love it, but I haven't had the chance to discuss it much with others (mostly because nobody else seems to have read it).

2. How I Live Now

Meg Rosoff

This is one of the weirdest books I've read and I'd love to get other people's takes on it. It's a little bit dystopian, little bit icky love story, little bit survivalist... I honestly don't know what to call it, but it's a powerful book that handles difficult subject matters really well.

3. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

E. Lockhart

This is sort of maybe my top book club pick; it's just so perfect. There's so much to talk about with this book, and it's funny and wondrous and well-written also. As great as it is reading this book on your own, I suspect it would be so much better reading and discussing with others.

4. Mockingjay

Suzanne Collins

Okay, yeah, this book can't really stand without the first two books. But that doesn't change the fact that it would make an awesome book club pick. As soon as I finished reading it I wanted to discuss it with everyone I could find, and people have such different opinions on this last HG installment that it makes talking about the book extra-interesting.

5. Bunheads

Sophie Flack

This is a really interesting book on a subject that I haven't often read about (the professional ballet world) and there's enough layers here to warrant some really good conversations.

6. Odd Girl Out

Rachel Simmons

I think you've probably gotten sick of hearing me talk about this book but honestly it's just so great, so needed, so important. There's a part of me that wishes it were required reading for every teacher and every parent of girls. And every girl, also. EVERYONE.

7. The Mockingbirds

Daisy Whitney

This is another book that (to my surprise), people had very different reactions to and I'd love to get to discuss that in a group setting. There really are some very very different interpretations.

8. The Future of Us

Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

While not as much a favorite of mine as many of these books are, this one brings up some really thought-provoking questions that I think would work well as discussion points.

9. The Fault In Our Stars

John Green

This is such a good book to talk about. And by "good" I mean "fun." Everyone has very solid opinions on it and bringing those opinions together would, I think, give readers a bigger-picture perspective on the book, its characters, and its events.

10. Columbine

Dave Cullen

An incredibly well-researched book, this is very different from anything else on my list, but even so it's one of those books that lends itself well to discussion, especially since the event the book is about has become such a big part of history.

If You Like... Contemporary YA Stand-Alones

2012-01-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

Phase two of my If You Like posts focuses on stand-alone contemporary YA titles.

If You Like

If I Stay, by Gayle Forman

Emotional, beautiful, and tragic, this story of a girl in a coma is one book that took the YA blogging community (and hopefully all other YA readers also, right???) by storm.

before i fall, by lauren oliver - This book has everything. It really does. Like If I Stay, it's emotional, beautiful, and tragic. And although in this case the ending appears predetermined, it leaves readers with many of the same questions that If I Stay brings up.

looking for alaska, by john green - Like the above book this also deals with life and death and choices in a very huge way. For the characters it's life-altering; for readers it's amazing.

sea, by heidi r. kling - Though both this book and If I Stay deal with death there's more than that connecting them, and it's difficult to say quite what it is but the feelings that both books evoke are strangely similar. They're both hopeful and, in many ways, comfortable, despite the tragedy of their storylines.

If You Like

Anna and the French Kiss, by Stephanie Perkins

Ah, the single best YA love story I've read so far, the story of an American girl and British-American boy who meet in France is all kinds of amazing and wonderful and refreshing.

i now pronounce you someone else, by erin mccahan - It's darker in tone than Anna, but the love story at the center is remarkably well done and the emotions, though different and sometimes more confusing, are just as raw. In addition to the romance aspect, this book also handles a difficult family relationship in a very, very good way.

scrambled eggs at midnight, by brad barkley & heather hepler - A love story told from both POVs, this is another one with a captivating, compelling romance. This time with additional helpings of quirkiness.

this lullaby, by sarah dessen - Completely different in tone, this is your basic Sarah Dessen novel, which is to say that it has great characters, great writing, and at the center of this one, a maybe-maybe-not couple that manages to be both jaded and entirely optimistic.

In My Mailbox: Swap!

2012-01-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

BOOKS.

Book Trade: I'm really happy about all of these books; two of them are by authors I want to read more from, and the third is a nonfiction book in the same vein as Odd Girl Out.

If You Like... Contemporary YA Series

2012-01-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

Though I like browsing the If You Like... (Sarah Dessen, The Hunger Games, Twilight) tables at Barnes & Noble, they often feel a little too general, a little too all-inclusive. The books recommended for fans of The Hunger Games seem to be, more than anything else, an introduction to YA dystopian for the casual reader. Same with books recommended to Sarah Dessen fans -- realistic, contemporary YA fiction. Aside from the genre there's not necessarily a lot of similarity between the books. And for those of us who are more avid readers, or just more interested in finding a more targeted book recommendation, it mostly seems to be hit-and-miss.

So here's my own list. My If You Like... table, if you will. The books I recommend aren't exactly the same, but there are specific reasons for me choosing them; they have common threads that I think readers will enjoy. This post will feature contemporary series; future posts will feature stand-alones, authors, and a couple of big non-contemporary YA titles.

If You Like

The Ruby Oliver series, by E. Lockhart

These books are funny with a "quirky" narrator and plenty of hysterical drama. Many of the comparison books I've chosen also bring the funny, and often the same zany drama and personality.

serafina67: urgently requires life, by susie day - First of all this book is incredibly funny. But more than that it has, much like the Ruby Oliver books, true heart. Serafina, though not a "deranged mental patient," is quirky and confused and wonderful, much like Roo.

the espressologist, by kristina springer - Like the above series, this book has plenty of romantic drama and is lighthearted in the best way. It's a quick, feel-good read with a protagonist who gets into plenty of trouble of her own, much like Roo does.

the year of secret assignments, by jaclyn moriarty - This book focuses on close friendships and the trials good friends tackle together. But it's not so series. It's got its own brand of humor and characters who make Roo and her friends look positively normal. Plus, hijinks!

If You Like

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, by Ann Brashares

This series focuses on a tight-knit quartet of friends whose summers introduce them to love, loss, and a bunch of other really cliche-sounding, but really emotional and incredibly well-written elements of life.

peaches, by jodi lynn anderson - This series, which came out around the same time as the Traveling Pants has much of the same elements but trades magic pants for a decidedly southern setting. I'm honestly not sure which series I love more, but I do know that anyone who loved the Traveling Pants should be introduced to the girls of Peaches.

a little friendly advice, by siobhan vivan - This stand-alone novel has the same emotional depths as the Traveling Pants though it focuses more squarely on one character and her reliance, during a particularly difficult time in her life, on her three best friends.

the lonely hearts club, by elizabeth eulberg - One of the best "female friendship" stories, this novel sets up a positive, sometimes heartfelt, sometimes humorous story of one girl and her quest to build better friendships with fellow females instead of concentrating on romance. It's refreshing, sweet, and utterly uplifting.

Review: Shatter Me

2012-01-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

SHATTER ME
Tahereh Mafi
Harper/HarperCollins

Juliette can kill people just by touching them. She's a menace to her crumbling society and for 264 days she's been locked away and hasn't touched anyone. And then she gets a cellmate, a guy named Adam who isn't afraid of her and looks incredibly familiar. Soon, Juliette discovers that the Reestablishment - the people ruining what's left of the world - have plans of their own, to use her as a weapon in their war. Struggling to keep what little humanity she has left, Juliette must find a way to resist the plans they have for her and find a way to escape and make her own choices.

There is so much I absolutely positively love about this book. The world these characters inhabit is bleak and unforgiving and just a little bit too real; the horror of the Reestablishment is terrifying and its leader, Warner, is despicable and disgusting. When this book goes bad, it goes all the way bad. And though it's more than a little uncomfortable, it makes the stakes of the story all the higher and ups the tension. But on the flipside of this is the fact that when it's good it's absolutely brilliantly bright and wonderful.

First and foremost, I absolutely love Juliette. Tahereh Mafi has written an original, unique, and thoroughly incredible character in Juliette, a girl whose strange power has caused so much misery for her and others. Her parents refused to help her and ultimately abandoned her; she's been locked away from society and deprived of any human interaction. More than this, she's a good-hearted person who wants to help others but only ends up hurting them... and she has no idea why. Juliette is a girl determined to keep her humanity in a world that insists she doesn't have any and her internal struggles are written so, so perfectly. Her romance with Adam became a love story I'm rooting for almost instantly and it's hard to pinpoint exactly why. This is definitely a case of YA insta-love, which I often dislike, but here it worked, and it worked incredibly well as Adam is the only person Juliette's ever known who treats her as a human being instead of a monster and the two have a connection that's impossible to deny. Juliette, who despite everything still believes in beauty and love and goodness, has found much of this in her relationship with Adam.

The writing in this book is wonderful. Though the constant metaphors and strike-outs will no doubt be a bit much for some readers, it suits Juliette's character and struggles perfectly. Mafi's writing is lyrical and beautiful, pages and pages and pages of absolutely stunning sentences, though I have a feeling that the polarizing effect of this book (everyone seems to either love it or hate it) is due to this writing. You'll either love it or hate it, and I love it. The writing in this book is amazing; I honestly can't say enough good things about it. Love, love, love.

And all of that being said, though for much of this book I loved it more than I could even comprehend, at some point in the second half of the story things took a turn. The feeling of the book changed. As more characters entered the story, along with new twists, some of the urgency and desperation that had been at the core of Juliette's story in the beginning, went away. It's hard to discuss what happens without spoiling the whole book, but I will say that it ended in a way I wasn't expecting, a way that, while I kind of liked it, didn't seem to fit with the rest of the book. Juliette's unique and strong personality seemed to get diluted in the mess of people and events that were so different from what had come before. Additionally, too many hormone-fueled scenes between her and Adam took the focus away from the more important parts of the story. While these scenes were well-written, they often felt inappropriate and gratuitous in the midst of everything else that was happening: it was as if Juliette's focus had shifted away from protecting herself and Adam and the larger issues she was grappling with earlier in the book and over to a complete preoccupation with sex. In a way this makes sense, considering that she hadn't touched anyone in nearly a year, but still it seemed like a lot of (fairly redundant) overkill that felt like way too much and also stalled the plot.

Still, despite my issues with the last quarter of this book, this is one story that completely captured my attention. It overwhelmed me with how beautifully it was written and how complex the characters are. The ending nicely sets up a second book and while I worry the feeling of this second book will be (judging by the ending) so different from what makes this first book incredible, I still love Shatter Me and am cautiously optimistic about book #2. There were so many huge passages from this book that were incredibly, searingly beautiful, and the character of Juliette has a place as one of the most original characters and a personal favorite of mine. Bottom line: I love this book. So much.

Review: You Are Not Here

2012-01-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

YOU ARE NOT HERE
Samantha Schutz
Scholastic, Inc.

When Brian - the boy she loved but wasn't quite dating - dies suddenly, Annaleah has no one to share in her grief. She never met his family or his friends, and he never met hers. And in the aftermath of their mostly-secret relationship she must somehow find a way to go on even as all her questions about life and death, him and her, are left unanswered.

Written in verse, You Are Not Here is, more than anything else, an exploration of grief. But it's also a story of imperfect romance and a love that may not have been reciprocated. Because Annaleah is so deep in her grief, so completely drowning in it for much of the book, and also because this is a story told in verse, it's hard to get a sense of who Annaleah is. She's isolated herself from her mother and friends, which is understandable but often makes it difficult to know who she is apart from Brian and her grief over him.

That said, this is an expertly-written novel in verse. As in her previous work (I Don't Want to be Crazy), it's obvious that Samantha Schutz has a gift for telling stories in such a non-traditional way and Annaleah's feelings, both emotional and physical, come through so clear through the poetry of this book.

There were times, sadly, when the events of Annaleah's story struck me as just a little bit too easy, especially toward the end of her journey. However, it's clear that these events are meant to show Annaleah just how much she'd isolated herself from others and buried herself in her grief. Despite my misgivings, this is a book I'd easily recommend for readers looking for a story of grief or a novel written in verse.

Revisiting the Issue of Reviewing and Writing

2012-01-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

Longtime readers of the blog know that I officially stopped blogging (for a little over a month, at least) almost exactly one year ago. The complicated reasons boil down to, essentially, it being pointed out to me that it might be very unwise to be on the reviewing/public reader side of things when I hope to have a career in publishing as an author.

Bittersweet, which I raved a bit about yesterday, is the first book I've elected not to review because of close ties to the author/book that might possibly be seen by some as influencing any review I might write. So I wanted to talk about that a little bit, about the larger issue and my stance on it.

Here's the thing: much as I want to be right now dangit, I am not an author. I don't have a book deal or an agent. I am purely aspiring. But the other thing is: everyone knows I'm aspiring. I'm not secret about my writing life. I openly talk about writing, editing, and my stories. And someday (confidence is key), it's going to happen.

Meanwhile, I am straddling the line of writer/aspiring author and reviewer/blogger. I try my very best to be kind, decent, and honest. I know a few authors. I wouldn't go so far as to say we're best buddies or anything, but I'm comfortable saying that there are a couple of published authors who I consider acquaintances. Many of the authors I know are incredibly supportive fellow writers, but until now there hasn't been a book published that made me feel like reviewing it might be taken the wrong way by some.

Inspired partly by the fact that now there is such a book out and partly by upcoming author and reviewer Phoebe North's Goodreads Pledge, I thought I should say some things of my own to reflect where I am in the stream of publishing (meaning: not-yet) and reviewing (meaning: still reviewing almost every YA I read).

1. There may be some books that I elect not to review and there are a variety of reasons for this, but know that if I do review a book the review will be absolutely honest. In fact, if I say anything about what I think of a book or my feelings toward it, I'm going to be honest. If I say I love a book, I love it. End of story.

2. I have no idea how far to go in disclosing any sort of relationship with authors when I review their books. There are many authors I talk to over Twitter, often about books and/or writing. Most of the time it doesn't seem relevant for me to mention it, but I know that others have differing viewpoints on this and I'd love to know where you stand on the issue. Here's my current decision, which will probably change as time goes on: if I'm actually friends (not just acquaintances) with an author, I'll state it upfront. If I beta read the book at any stage pre-ARC/publication, I'll say so. If the author beta read any of my writing, I'll mention that, too. And of course, if I think there's too much involvement, I won't review it.

3. Even if I don't review a book I'll probably still talk about it -- both here and on Twitter -- especially if it's a book I love.

4. If and when I mess up (because I probably will), either by offending or misleading others, or overstepping boundaries, I'll own up to it and try to make things right.

5. Last -- and most importantly -- I'm always going to conduct myself with honesty, integrity, and decency. Or, you know, try my very very best to live up to that.

Like I said, I'm not an author right now. When I ever get an agent and then beyond that as an author, my stance on these things will possibly/probably change to reflect that. It's all a process.

I Want to Hug This Book: Bittersweet

2012-01-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

For a couple of reasons*, I'm not going to be writing a review of Bittersweet. But I couldn't very well let its publication pass without some sort of fanfare, could I? No. No, I could not. Bittersweet is Sarah Ockler's third book and if you're an Ockler fan no doubt you already want to read it. If by some chance you've not read anything by this fantastic author yet though, let me suggest starting with Bittersweet. It's wonderful. It's beyond wonderful. This book is sweet, complicated, cozy... absolutely adorable and amazing. As much as I love Twenty Boy Summer -- which is a lot -- I think I might actually love Bittersweet even more, if it's possible. Hudson is the type of main character I want to be best friends with and her world is populated by incredible and unique characters I can't help but love.

Bittersweet is the best example of everything right with contemporary YA and I love it love it love it. I want to shove it in all of your hands and force you to read it. READ IT!!

*Full Disclaimer: Not only did I read this book back when it was in the manuscript stage, but Sarah Ockler also beta read my current novel. I love Bittersweet so incredibly much, but feel like there might be too much conflict of interest for me to feel okay about reviewing it.

Aussie YA

2012-01-16T00:01:00.000-08:00

A few months back my parents went to Australia and they brought me back the best Australian-type present of ever: Aussie YA! They managed to find all four the books on my list and I haven't had a chance to read or talk about these books until now but I am so excited about them. Not only because as a whole everything I've read from Australia has been really great, but also because I finally finally have Steph Bowe's book! Also, jeesh, I love Australian covers. They're so foreign-y.

In My Mailbox: Excellent Titles

2012-01-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

BOOKS

Bought: Both of these are books I pre-ordered and have been looking forward to for what feels like a very long time. They both have excellent titles and are about things I like reading about. My review of The Fault In Our Stars went up yesterday (go read it?) and I'm looking forward to reading The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight both because it sounds really great and because I've wanted to read one of the author's books for years. WIN.

Gift: AHHHHH I have a habit of doing a little dorky jumpy thing when I'm excited about something and I definitely did that when a signed copy of this book (courtesy of the awesome Sarah Ockler) showed up in my mailbox. Bittersweet is amazing. I'm so so so so happy I keep staring at it on my bookcase. Also, I bought a copy and that showed up on the same day so now I have two copies! Also, the cover of this book is all kinds of shiny-wonderful in real life.

Review: The Fault In Our Stars

2012-01-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS
John Green
Dutton Juvenile

My feelings and thoughts on this book are a bit all over the place, so bear with me. I loved it and also at the same time I didn't quite like it. It's complicated. The story, for those who don't know, is about 16 year old Hazel who has terminal cancer and the boy she meets and falls in love with at a support group meeting. It's a love story and it's a cancer story, but it's much more a cancer story, despite trying so desperately to buck the conventions of the genre (if you can even call "cancer story" a genre, which this book does).

Sarcastic, angry and sad Hazel is one of the most complex characters I've come across recently. The fact that her cancer is terminal informs so much, if not everything, about the way she sees herself, the world, and others. Her relationship with her supportive parents is incredibly honest and heartbreaking -- definitely one of the best parts of the book. There were times when I loved Hazel and thought she was the most awesome character ever, and then there were moments when she just annoyed me. This is a character who, similar to Colin in An Abundance of Katherines, spends a large amount of time contemplating some very abstract concepts and though I rarely agreed with her, I loved the honesty of it. Hazel is standing between life and death; contemplating big, abstract things is part of that.

And then there's Augustus Waters, the boy she meets and falls in love with. Augustus, though not terminal, is even more existential than Hazel is. Everything is a metaphor to him. He uses very big words very often and is obsessed with the idea of mattering -- of his death, if not his life, mattering. He wants to be a hero. He wants to leave a mark on the world. Though the story is narrated by Hazel at certain points it really seemed that Augustus was the real protagonist and, to be really really honest about it, I just didn't get him. He was overly pretentious, which is a quality I associate closely with arrogance, and for the most part I didn't see what ever it was Hazel saw in him. He was over-the-top in many ways and though his relationship with Hazel is supposed to be romantic and real ("not puppy love", as one of the adult characters puts it), I didn't quite see that either. For teenagers, even ones dealing with such a huge thing as cancer, Hazel and Augustus are both unbelievably mature. The things they say and the ways they act are a little too perfect, too rehearsed, and this gives their relationship the same quality: a lack of realism.

This book is trying hard (and succeeding, I think) to be Literature. Big. Important. Unfortunately in pursuit of this it loses quite a bit of reality, believability, and story. At a certain point it became, much like Augustus himself, annoyingly pretentious. But keep in mind that I have a low tolerance for pretentiousness and capital-L Literature. I don't care for symbols or metaphor, especially when they seem to overtake the novel; I just like stories. And somewhere along the way this book lost the story a little bit.

And then on the other hand... this book. Oh goodness this book. It's about cancer but I feel like just about anyone could find a way to relate to Hazel and Augustus; I know I did. This book is more honest about sickness, especially as a young person, than maybe any other book I've read. There were times when Hazel's thoughts just stopped me in my tracks because her experiences rang so incredibly true. In spite of my issues with it, The Fault In Our Stars instantly became a very personal book to me. I love it, even if I don't entirely like it.

This is a John Green book in all of the best ways, but all of the worst ways, too.

Books I Want to See on TV

2012-01-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

I haven't been doing a whole lot of reading lately. Not quite sure why. But what I have been doing is watching television and being so happy that my shows are coming back from the winter hiatus. And though I don't actually watch Gossip Girl, The Vampire Diaries, Pretty Little Liars, or The Lying Game, I absolutely love the idea of tv shows based on YA books. I like this even better than movies based on YA books! Because I like tv more than movies!

BOOKS I'D LOVE TO SEE AS TELEVISION SHOWS:

1. Hooked

Catherine Greenman

The fact that this book covers years of Thea's life and has plenty of family drama makes me think that it could be an awesome hour-long drama. It's the kind of show the WB used to make (remember the WB? Remember Gilmore Girls?) and now I feel like it might fit in ABC or ABCFamily.

2. Wither (Chemical Garden series)

Lauren DeStefano

Alright, granted only the first book in the series is out now (also, I'm envious of anyone who's already read Fever), but this is looking to be a great trilogy - and a great basis for a tv show. Futuristic sci-fi and drama centered around the sister wives of Linden Ashby? With luck this series would also give us the backstory on Rose. I'm not sure if this show would fit better on the CW or the old SciFi channel (you know, the good old days before it was SyFy), but just thinking about Wither as a television series is awesome.

3. The Summer I Turned Pretty (Summer series)

Jenny Han

Another trilogy that - thanks to its years-long arc, awesome characters, and incredible love triangle - would make a great drama. (Or, with some tweaking, a hilarious sitcom!) I really don't know where this show would fit, but I really love the idea of this series on the small screen.

4. Exclusively Chloe

J.A. Yang

Honestly not only would this make an awesome television show, but it would fit in perfectly with ABCFamily's current crop of hidden-identity shows (The Lying Game, Pretty Little Liars, Jane By Design ??) and teen family dramas (Switched at Birth). It's definitely been a while since I've read this book but it's stuck with me and it's so cute that I'm sure it would make an awesome feel-good show.

5. Luxe (Luxe series)

Anna Godberson

Dear CW (because, obviously), if you do make Luxe into a show, I beg you to change the ending. PLEASE PLEASE PRETTY PLEASE. I can only live through the end of this series in one form of art/entertainment. Seriously. Other than that though! I think this would make a really addicting and beautiful and so awesome series. Four seasons and you just stick to the books with that one little exception of the ending.

What books would you love to see as tv shows?

In My Mailbox: Bird by Bird

2012-01-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

I'm debating doing a huge IMM with all the books I have sitting on my shelves from the past few months (even though I've already featured some of them) and I may still do that, but for today a typical this-week-in-books In My Mailbox.

BOOKS

Bought: I've heard many authors talk about how great this book is and it's been recommended to me more than once. Today I was lucky enough to find it at the used bookstore and I'm so happy. I know I'm supposed to be reading (and am reading!) Gone With the Wind, but this is definitely calling my name.

Things of Note

2012-01-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

Some housekeeping-type things today.

NUMERO UNO: Have you seen the Cybils shortlists? Specifically the YA Fiction shortlist? I can't even say how proud I am of this list. A full four of those books are not only Cybils finalists but also personal favorites of mine for the year. As Kelly said in her awesome Cybils wrap-up post - this list has something for everyone. You probably won't love every book on the list, but I honestly feel like any YA fan will find at least one book among the seven to fall in love with. Seriously.

DOS! My review list is now up-to-date. So if you want to see if I've reviewed a book... check that out.

THREE AMIGOS!! I'm doing a readalong of Gone With the Wind this month (and stretching into next, I believe.) In the past I've read GWTW in a week or two, so I'm hoping this longer reading plan will allow for me to also read some other books in between and get some reviews up. I really do miss reviewing and blogging.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST... Bittersweet is out today. READ IT.

2012 Reading Goals

2012-01-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

I never do reading challenges. As tempting as it is to type a number into that little Goodreads box, the idea of forcing myself to read a certain number of books in a year just doesn't sit right with me. It takes away a little bit of the joy. Similarly, though I always tend to read a lot of debut novels, I never officially join any debut challenge, genre challenges, or any other sort of reading challenge. It just doesn't sit well with me.

That said, there are definitely some reading goals I want to set for myself this year. I'm not putting numbers to anything, but am instead leaving my goals a bit intentionally vague, to allow for whatever little reading surprises might lie ahead. So, here goes...

In 2012 I want to...

1. read more nonfiction. Specifically I want to read Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother and more books in the vein of Odd Girl Out. I want to read whatever memoirs (Mindy Kaling's book!) that catch my attention, but I also want to read some educational-but-not-dry books that catch my interest. However, I refuse to feel guilty about not finishing a nonfiction book, especially as so many that I start to read really, really bore me.

2. read more adult novels. Particularly I want to read Sisterhood Everlasting and The Weird Sisters. Other than that, I'm not sure, but please suggest novels you think I'd like. I tend to have a hard time finding really great adult novels a lot of the time. And I pretty much refuse to read books I don't like when there's so much out there that I do like. So, help me out?

3. make an effort to read YA sci-fi. Cinder and A Million Suns are at the top of this list, but I really do want to seek out YA sci-fi that's not necessarily dystopian. (I know, I know, the Across the Universe series is sort of considered a dystopian by some.)

4. look for sophomore novels. Somewhere out there there's a sophomore novels challenge and if I were going to join a challenge, it would probably be that one. I'm really looking forward to a lot of second books from great YA authors this year.

5. read debuts. Well, duh. (This one is always a focus of mine, but I thought I'd include it anyway.)

Tell me, what are your reading goals for 2012?

Ten: Favorite YA Reads of 2011

2011-12-31T12:48:00.000-08:00

Since I had my Best YA Books of 2011 post up on I Heart Daily, I debated not even doing this personal post. But in the end I couldn't not talk about my favorite YA books that I read this year, whether they were published in 2011 or not. The books are in the order that I read them in.

1. Anna and the French Kiss

Stephanie Perkins

I really worry I've over-hyped this book. I also worry I haven't hyped it enough. Is there any reader of this blog who hasn't read it yet? If so, FIX THAT RIGHT NOW. Seriously. I was late in reading this one because, well, I didn't believe the buzz surrounding it. That was stupid of me because I don't even have words enough for how much I love this book and how incredible amazing perfect I think it is.

2. Leverage

Joshua C. Cohen

This book is so raw and so brutal that, as much as I've talked it up, I'm not sure I've ever officially recommended it to anyone. This is because what happens here really is so, so horrible. But this horribleness is met by some of the strongest, best characters I've come across. Kurt Brodsky, I love you.

3. Where She Went (If I Stay #2)

Gayle Forman

I have a thing for sad, tragic stories and Where She Went completely fits the bill with a heartbroken, struggling protagonist and one magical New York night of what was and what could be and what is. I've said it before and I'll say it again -- I loved this second book even more than If I Stay. Gayle Forman is a master.

4. Rival

Sara Bennett Wealer

One of the absolute best debuts of this year, the story of friends-turned-enemies is an incredible, incredible portrayal of the complex emotions that go along with a friendship that falls apart. It's been recommended as a good read for those interested in the arts, since its main characters are aspiring professional singers, but honestly as someone who knows nothing about music, I love love loved this book and would love to have it see a wider readership.

5. Imaginary Girls

Nova Ren Suma

I've heard this book called creepy, weird, scary... all of which is, to varying degrees, true. It's creepy, but it's also really beautifully written and incredibly atmospheric. It walks the line between reality and fantasy, between commercially viable and literary, which I love. But my favorite thing about this book, by far, is the fact that at its core it's about the love and bonds of sisterhood. Definitely one of the best sister stories out there.

6. Summer Trilogy

Jenny Han

The cover of this book is a stand in for the entire Summer trilogy, two books of which I read in 2011. I can confidentaly say that this is the best written love triangle I've read. The emotions of this series are so incredible and so crisp that it became an instant favorite of mine. Add to this the fact that the ending is so, so perfect and it's a complicated love story I seriously, seriously recommend.

7. Before I Fall

Lauren Oliver

Much like Anna, this is another book I put off reading because I didn't believe the incredible buzz surrounding it. Sometimes, you guys, I'm really stupid when it comes to this stuff because Before I Fall is absolutely one of the most powerful books I've read. Bar none. Though living the same day seven times seems like it would give the story a repetitive feeling, in the hands of Lauren Oliver it's a true masterpiece of a story and one I highly recommend.

8. Bunheads

Sophie Flack

I don't even know what to say about this book. It's stuck in my head as something very different from many of the other books I've read this year. Romance takes second place to a girl's struggle to become a soloist in the Manhattan Ballet Company and her struggle to define and redefine her dreams and what success means. The big issues of passion and life choices are set against a brilliant backdrop here and the in-depth look at life as a ballet dancer is fascinating. And aside from that I just love it.

9. Stupid Fast

Geoff Herbach

What could be a dark and depressing tale of misery and woe is instead hilarious and wonderful here. A summer of changes, of secrets uncovered, of love and running and football and growing up. Though I hate to call it a boy book I will say that, male or female, Felton Reinstein has one of the strongest, best voices of any main character this year. Read this book for the story, the characters, or the funnies, but just read it.

10.

Okay, I know this is supposed to be a top 10 list, but honestly there are so many books I've read this year that deserve a spot on the list. It's hard to choose. I loved all of these books and more, so I'm leaving this tenth spot open to interpretation.

Five: Favorite Non-YA Reads of 2011

2011-12-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

As far as reading non-YA (especially nonfiction) goes, this year was a total bust for me. I read very few nonfiction books and the ones I did read were mostly memoirs -- no Freakonomics or Malcolm Gladwell reads this year. Likewise most of the mainstream (read: adult) fiction that I read was lackluster. Still, I've managed to come up with five knock-your-socks-off great non-YA reads from the past year.

1. The Scene Book

Sandra Scofield

I'm super picky about what writing books I pick up, mostly because I'd like to read them all but I know all the how-to books in the world won't actually write my novel for me. But this one was recommended to me by Sarah Ockler and it was exactly what I needed. This book is an in-depth look at scenes -- their purpose as well as the smaller elements of them -- and as someone who struggles with even understanding what a scene is (no, really), it was huge. I read this one with a highlighter and pen. I'm still not an expert, but I kind of sort of understand it now. Sort of.

2. Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America

Leslie Knope (haha)

I was (what felt like) deathly ill for two weeks this year. It was the kind of sick where just moving seems like a really big deal and though it was right in the middle of the Cybils the last thing I wanted to do was actually concentrate on words. Still, somehow I got it into my mind that I had to go to Barnes & Noble and I had to get this book, which I'd heard was hilarious. At the time the fictional history of a fictional town from a television show was about as deep as I wanted to read. As advertisted, this book was awesome. Laugh all you want but for any Parks & Recreation fan, this book is awesome.

3. Don't Kill the Birthday Girl: Tales from an Allergic Life

Sandra Beasley

This funny and sad memoir of growing up with lifelong food allergies is not only hilarious but also entertaining and informative. I've never had food allergies but could still relate to a childhood lived with major health issues. Really, really interesting.

4. A Friday Night Lights Companion

Leah Wilson

Yeah, okay, there are two books on this list that are tv-related. Whatever. This is one of the best anthologies I've ever read, which makes sense because its subject matter is the best drama to ever grace our television screens. From insights on sports and community to family and the show's low ratings, every essay in this collection brings something new -- and so interesting -- to the table. I can't recommend it enough for FNL fans.

5. Sleepwalk With Me: and Other Painfully True Stories

Mike Birbiglia

As a reader (and listener of his stand-up comedy), I think Mike Birbiglia is snort-milk-out-your-nose hilarious. He's a gifted storyteller with a knack for bringing out the funny in what are really very serious, painful stories. As a writer I'm impressed by his ability and willingness to share so many of his very personal stories. This book is funny and sad and awkward and then funny again. Love it.

Five: Favorite YA Duos and Couples

2011-12-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

This year I'm listing my five favorite YA couples as well as five favorite non-romantic duos (friends, siblings, whatever) from books I've read this year. Some you've probably heard of and the rest you should definitely read.

TOP YA DUOS

1. Violet & Katie

Mostly Good Girls

Leila Sales

The humor and realism of Violet and Katie's faltering best-ever friendship is insanely well-written. These are both well-developed characters with personalities and wants that often clash, which is handled so, so well. An excellent friendship without veering into the annoying our-friendship-is-perfect-we-have-no-problems territory.

2. Cisco & the Bean (Isabelle & Annie)

Flirt Club

Cathleen Daly

Another awesome best friends duo are the girls from Flirt Club who remind me so much of my own middle school friends. They're funny, awkward, geeky, and awesome.

3. Ruby & Chloe

Imaginary Girls

Nova Ren Suma

Honestly the sisters from Imaginary Girls are the whole reason I decided to do a top-five of awesome YA non-couple duos. Their relationship -- loving, confusing, weird -- has a layer of hard-to-describe creepy and yet, at the same time, is remarkably relatable and realistic. The bond of sisterhood is shown so well in Chloe and her charismatic older sister, Ruby, that I couldn't do my end-of-the-year posts without mentioning them.

4. Kurt & Danny

Leverage

Joshua C. Cohen

One of the rare male friendships in YA, Kurt and Danny are an unlikely duo brought together in spite of the bitter rivalry between their teams. As the rivalry escalates their friendship becomes more difficult, but when the boys are witness to horrific bullying, they must come together to survive and end the war that's overtaken their teams.

5. Becca & Camille

After the Kiss

Terra Elan McVoy

This one's a bit of a cheat. Becca and Camille aren't exactly friends. For much of the novel they don't even know each other and when they do it's in a very casual, superficial way. And yet in spite of that this story, told from both girls' perspectives, highlights how similar and different the two girls are. They deserve a spot on this list because throughout the book I desperately wanted Becca and Camille to become friends. Their story, both sides of the same coin, makes them a strange but great duo.

TOP YA COUPLES

1. Doug & Lil

Okay For Now

Gary D. Schmidt

Romance isn't at the center of Okay for Now and yet in spite of that the slow-moving and so sweet love story between Doug and Lil, the first girl he meets in his new town, was one of my favorite parts of the entire novel. it's a very simple and sweet relationship that doesn't overpower the story.

2. Belly & The Boy

We'll Always Have Summer (Summer #3)

Jenny Han

Alright, I was going to totally ruin the ending of this series, but then I decided not to. And since I can't ruin it, I can't say much about why I love this couple so much. I will say: it wasn't the ending I was expecting and yet, when it happened I thought oh, this is perfect. They belong together. And really, isn't that the best?

3. Lacey Anne & Ty

Small Town Sinners

Melissa Walker

I'm surprised at just how much I loved Lacey Anne and Ty, but their relationship is really one of the most interesting I've seen in YA and Ty is one of the more compelling love interests. The two care about and are attracted to each other, but they also challenge each other and help each other to grow. It's not an easy relationship, but it's one that really obviously works and is important to them.

4. Adam & Mia

Where She Went (If I Stay #2)

Gayle Forman

Oh, Adam. Oh, Mia. A heartbreaking love story if there ever was one and yet... and yet it's so great. So great I don't even really have words for how much I love the love story of these two.

5. Anna & St. Claire

Anna & the French Kiss

Stephanie Perkins

If I had to choose a favorite contemporary YA couple, it would be, hands down, Anna and St. Claire. Their romance is sweet and confusing and awkward and, for lack of better words, meant to be. I don't normally say that but Anna and St. Claire honestly are soulmates and I love them so, so, so much. LOVE! SO MUCH LOVE! <3 <3 <3

Five: Favorite Characters From 2011

2011-12-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

1. Kurt Brodsky

Leverage

Joshua C. Cohen

KURT BRODSKY!!!!! This is a football-playing character wonderful and complex enough to rival the guys of Friday Night Lights, which just shows how amazing this character is. Not only is he one of my favorite characters of 2011, but he's an all-time favorite character of mine.

2. Eleanor Crowe

Pregnant Pause

Han Nolan

Eleanor, the pregnant, married, confused, and rebellious girl from Pregnant Pause is up there with Courtney Summers' protagonists in possible unlikability. Never mind that I love her. She is, at least in the beginning, as flawed and messed-up as they come, but her personal journey as the book progresses is such a great one as she tries to become a better person, figure out what she wants, and figure out if there's any way to make a few of her mistakes right. Awesome, awesome character.

3. Ari Mitchell

Other Words for Love

Lorraine Zago Rosenthal

On the other side of the spectrum from Eleanor is Ari Mitchell, a good girl who does exactly what her family expects of her, even when she feels like it's too much. She's a multi-dimensional, well-written character who's easy to relate to.

4. Adam Wilde

Where She Went (If I Stay #2)

Gayle Forman

I've talked to plenty of people who didn't like getting the story in Where She Went from Adam, who at times seems like whatever the male equivalent of a diva is. Some found him completely unlikable, but I didn't have that problem. Adam is one of the more complex and interesting characters out there, one who in dealing with the aftermath of the events of If I Stay becomes a person he and those around him don't recognize anymore... and then can't quite figure out how to get back to himself. My heart breaks for this character.

5. Deb

What Happened to Goodbye

Sarah Dessen

It's rare for a secondary, almost background, character to become one of my favorites, but here it is. Deb, who is underestimated and overlooked many times throughout this book is nevertheless the most interesting, likable, and compelling characters in it. I'd happily read a whole novel about Deb.

Five: Books I Didn't Expect

2011-12-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

I can usually tell, at least to a degree, what books I'm going to like. But there are always surprises -- books I like more or less than expected as well as books that are just different from expected. With that in mind here are the most pleasantly surprising books I read in 2011, regardless of when they were published.

1. Sequins, Secrets, and Silver Linings (Threads #1)

Sophia Bennett

This Cybils nominee was not appealing to me. I didn't like the cover, the title, or the fact that it's all about fashion. But I had it laying around and, hey, someone on the YA panel had to read it. So I picked it up, not expecting to even make it through (I'm being very honest here, as you can tell) and was so surprised to find out that I actually... liked it. It was cute. It was funny. I cared about the characters and their story. I read the whole thing. I went online to see when the next books in this series are going to be published in the US (answer: not soon enough!) I liked - loved - this book so much that it made my I Heart Daily list of the best YA of 2011. I sincerely recommend it to anyone wanting a cute and funny story that's full of heart. Liking or understanding the fashion world is not required, thank goodness.

2. Shine

Lauren Myracle

(Warning: this bit includes a possible spoiler.) This was another Cybils nominee and all I knew going into it was that it was supposed to be about a hate crime in a small town. I hadn't enjoyed Lauren Myracle's TTYL series and went into this one very ambivalently, but it was so incredibly different from what I was expecting. This book was not nearly so much about homosexuality, hate crimes, and acceptance (though there was that) as it was about (POSSIBLE SPOILER!!) meth use in a small town. The ways this subject was explored was fascinating and really really devastating. One of the most powerful, and definitely brutal books, I've read. It's a very real topic that's not tackled much (or at all?) in YA and I was not expecting this sort of read from Myracle. I'm wary to recommend this because it does handle some very touchy topics, but for those interested and who think they can handle it, it's a worthwhile read for sure.

3. Anna and the French Kiss

Stephanie Perkins

This book had so much buzz behind it. Every blogger I talked to absolutely L-O-V-E-D loved it. Everyone wanted to live in Paris. Everyone wanted to marry St. Claire. Everyone went gaga over the writing. People called it perfect. It's fairly often that I just don't get the books that everyone else seems to adore, so I was super-wary of this one. I waited to buy it until I could get it for $5, which shows how I felt about reading it. I was pretty sure I wouldn't like it. I was pretty sure it would, at the very very best, fail to live up to the buzz. In a crazy twist: the book was good. The book was awesome. The book was, somehow, EVEN BETTER THAN EVERYONE KEPT TELLING ME. I freakin love this book. LOVE!! It's brilliant! It's amazing! I'm not even exaggerating. I know I shouldn't hype it so much but I just can't help myself. I was surprised to realize that this book is, yes, perfect.

4. Small Town Sinners

Melissa Walker

It's not that I didn't think I'd like this one, but there were certain things I expected to happen. I expected the protagonist to fall in love with a bad boy. I expected her to do a 180 on her faith. I expected her best friend to be the typical rebellious YA "best friend" who mocks the main character for her good-girl ways. NONE OF THAT HAPPENED. And I was thrilled. Instead of being stereotypes or even just types, the characters in this book are realistic and fully developed. They weren't what I thought they'd be. And besides that (maybe because of that?) I liked the book so much more than I thought I would.

5. Okay For Now

Gary D. Schmidt

Another book I read for the Cybils and another one where I really didn't know what to expect. I know that I had a feeling I would like it, but like it in that sort of bland, it's-okay sort of way. But this book. OMG. I hesitate to call it beautiful, because the writing isn't really that pretty. It's a slow-moving story with tons of characters and storylines. But somehow it just worked. I fell into Doug's 1960's world and the small town his story takes place in. It surprised me with one of the sweetest love stories I've read yet, especially in a younger YA book with a male protagonist. I didn't expect to love this book, but I did.

So, what books surprised you (in a good way) this year? & what do you think of my picks?

Five: Favorite YA-ish Blogs of 2011

2011-12-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

Quite a bit has changed in the blogging world (and my blog-reading habits) since I made last year's list of five amazing YA bloggers. My picks are a bit different this time around... here are my top five great YA blogs/bloggers of this year.

1. Forever Young Adult (various bloggers)
This is a YA blog aimed at those of us who are, shall we say, reading below our grade level. The adults who love YA. It's funny and smart and snarky and covers not only books but also tv shows (mostly not ones I watch, but whatever) and movies. Their reviews are among my favorite reviews to read, whether or not I agree and whether or not I've even read the book. It's entertainment all on its own.

2. that cover girl (Capillya)
Here's a blog that focuses on the shiny outsides of a book. Yep, a blog devoted almost entirely to YA book covers. It has interviews with designers and authors, analysis of book covers, and plenty and plenty of pretty pictures. If you're someone who pays as much attention to book covers as I do (um, a lot!), this is definitely a blog worth checking out.

3. Early Nerd Special (Clementine Bojangles)
This is one that isn't entirely YA but more of a mix of everything: television shows, movies, music, books of all sorts. Her reviews are in-depth and interesting and, of course, I love blogs with a television-as-well-as-books focus.

4. hitting on girls in bookstores (Adam)
I just recently started reading this blog but OMG. It's awesome. Again, not strictly YA but at least mostly. The reviews are a bit non-traditional and often bullet-pointed, which I really really like. (I love lists. Can you tell?) Very funny. Very good.

5. incrush (Nomes)
This Aussie-located blog is just... ahhh, just so good. I don't even have that much to say about it except that it's awesome and one of my favorite blogs to read. Also? Check it out because the layout/theme is so goshdarn pretty.

Five: Books I Can't Wait For in 2012

2011-12-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

Please remember: these books aren't in any sort of order. I'm looking forward to all of them so, so much.

1. The Disenchantments

Nina LaCour

(February)

I love love loved Nina LaCour's debut novel, Hold Still, and this one sounds similarly awesome with a music-and-roadtrip premise and, of course, LaCour's stellar writing. Here's hoping it lives up to expectations.

2. Something Like Normal

Trish Doller

(June)

I can't even tell you guys how long I've been waiting for a book of Trish Doller's to be published. When I heard she'd gotten a book deal for Something Like Normal I did a little happy dance. Every excerpt she shares of her WIPs are awesome and I cannot wait to read Travis' story.

3. Cinder

Marissa Meyer

(January)

A space book! A space book! *flails about* Despite not exactly loving the traditional Cinderella story, this one sounds crazy awesome and I've already heard plenty of good things about it. Yayayayayayayyyyy!!!!!

4. The List

Siobhan Vivian

(April)

Everyone please go read the description of this book and then tell me if that doesn't sound like the best story ever. I love that there are so many main characters and that it takes on the subject of body image - how the girls see themselves as well as how others see them.

5. Bittersweet

Sarah Ockler

(January)

This one is a bit of a cheat since I've actually already read it (but I don't own a copy yet and it's not published yet so it still counts, right?), but I couldn't help myself. It's just so good. It has winter! And snow! WINTER!!! Also cupcakes and skating and a dreams and family and friendships and boys. It's battling Twenty Boy Summer for my favorite Sarah Ockler book. I suggest you read it.

Review: Crossed

2011-12-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

CROSSED
Ally Condie
Dutton Juvenile

Since this is a review of a sequel (Crossed), there may be slight spoilers for the first book in the series, Matched.

The second book in the Matched trilogy, Crossed is told from both Cassia and Ky's perspectives as Cassia, having left the Society, travels through the wilderness to search for Ky. Along the way she discovers more about the Society and those who rebel against it.

I loved Matched. Loved it. It wasn't the most action-packed dystopian novel, but it was beautifully-written with a kind and compassionate protagonist. I was looking forward to the continuation of Cassia's story, but I have to admit - Crossed was a disappointment. A large part of this, I suspect, is that half of the book is from Ky's POV and I just don't get him. I don't see the big deal. His personality mostly seems to be an extension of Cassia's. In the first book it was fine that there wasn't much to him because we got to view him through Cassia's love-colored glasses, but getting his first hand account slowed the book for me.

This book suffers from the worst type of middle-book syndrome in that there's a lot of set-up for the next book and plenty of things carried over from the first book, but just on its own there's not much there. Despite Cassia finding out about some fairly big revelations about the Society, Ky, and what lies ahead, it always felt like there was nothing happening. Cassia and Ky are, aside from a few travel companions, mostly cut off from other people - Cassia's family isn't part of this book and though Xander is still important to Cassia he's not much a part of the story this time around. And whereas in the first book the obsession with words and art was meaningful as it showed the choices that Cassia wanted but didn't currently have, here it slows the book even more as, apart from the Society, it was harder to see the poetry and art as forms of rebellion.

One of the things I loved so much about Cassia in Matched was her devotion and loyalty to her family. And while this is still a part of her character it's fairly unimportant here as her family isn't around. With all of her emotions and attention focused on finding Ky and on how much she loves him and how much she's willing to risk to be with him, she started to feel like a one-note character. If I liked Ky, of course I would probably feel differently about it.

This was an extremely slow read. Yet in spite of that I kept reading. Partly because I felt invested in the story after liking Matched so, so much, and partly because there are just enough seeds planted for the next book in the series that I didn't want to give up on it. Though Crossed was ultimately a disappointment I still have hope that the series, as a whole, won't be.

Five: Best YA Debuts of 2011

2011-12-21T03:40:00.000-08:00

Last year I did Persnickety Snark's end-of-year top five lists. Though I don't think she's doing it this year and I haven't heard of any other bloggers doing it either, I still really want to do an end-of-year-best-books-most-favorites tribute sort of thing. Today I'm focusing on (in no particular order), my top five YA debut novels from 2011.

1. Where Things Come Back

John Corey Whaley

The greatness of this book is in large part due to its incredible setting. It's a lazy, slow-moving story in the best possible way. The main story of the disappearance of Cullen's younger brother is interspersed with a very different narrative that while at first confusing eventually ties together so perfectly. It's about no-longer-extinct birds, a nothing little town, best friends, and brothers. It's highly literary and one of the best comfort reads I've read in a while.

2. Rival

Sara Bennett Wealer

You might know I absolutely eat up stories about friendship gone wrong, and this is one of the better ones. It's not about mean girls or stereotypes, but instead an honest look at two girls whose close friendship falls apart in hurtful and complicated ways. Years later the girls face off as competitors in an already highly-competitive singing competition and their unresolved feelings must finally come to a head. One of the books I feel most confident in recommending to others, especially if you already enjoy contemporary YA or stories centered around music/performing.

3. Flirt Club

Cathleen Daly

If Rival is about friendship falling apart then Flirt Club is the exact opposite as Isabelle and Annie have a rock-solid, thoroughly geektastic best-friendship. This book walks the line between YA and MG. It's written as notes between the two girls (both of whom are a bit way nerdy) and is one of the few books to have me laughing out loud at it.

4. Leverage

Joshua C. Cohen

Ack. This book is brutal. Definitely one of the most brutal books I've ever read. It's characters are a mix of the worst and the best possible (KURT BRODSKY FTW) and though I'd love to reread it I'm a bit scared to if you want to know the truth. Still, if you want an amazing, if horrifying, story with awesome protagonists, this is your book.

5. Other Words for Love

Lorraine Zago Rosenthal

This is one of those complicated books where my feelings on it aren't so clear-cut right away. It's been almost an entire year since I read it though, and this is still a book I find myself thinking about every so often. Ari is one of the more realistic and well-written characters I've come across and her story is one I absolutely love.

Review: Everybody Sees the Ants

2011-12-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

EVERYBODY SEES THE ANTS
A.S. King
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Lucky Linderman is anything but. His dad hardly talks to him, his mother is addicted to swimming, his school thinks he's depressed, and Nadar McMillan has been bullying him for seven years. When his mother finally notices that the bullying has gone too far, she packs up Lucky and herself to stay a few weeks with her brother in Arizona, where Lucky's uncle proves to be more of a father than his actual dad and where his aunt is convinced he's going to kill himself. Meanwhile, in his dreams, Lucky is searching for his grandpa who went MIA during the Vietnam War and whose absence casts a long shadow over his family.

This is the first A.S. King book I've read and to be perfectly honest I wasn't sure what to expect. There's some question over whether Lucky's dreams are dreams or reality (they seem to hang somewhere in the in-between), so it's not entirely contemporary but the more fantastical elements never affect the plot. This is a book of family, of growing up, of bullying, and of making peace with the past, and it a lot of ways it walks the line. The characters were weirdly realistic and though I found it hard to really root for any of them I also found it difficult to dislike them. Individually the members of Lucky's family are crazy, but together they're some kind of normal, which is a strange line to walk.

In Arizona, Lucky meets a gorgeous, older girl named Ginny, who is, sadly exactly what you'd expect from that statement: beautiful, experienced, entirely out of his league though after a few hours with her he's hopelessly in love. It's worth stating that in most cases I don't have a problem with Manic Pixie Dream Girl characters, but in this book I found that Ginny was more of a trope than a character. She was a perfect cut-out of the MPDG; her being a part of Lucky's journey felt a bit obvious to me and because of this that aspect of the book fell flat.

Despite the fact that the fantastical elements and his relationship with Ginny didn't work, I loved Lucky's voice and the realizations he comes to through the course of the book. The dynamics between him, his parents, and his aunt and uncle are the strongest aspects of this book. The adults in his life are, in many instances, pretty useless in helping Lucky with his problems in school and with Nadar, yet despite that the book never vilifies them but instead show the realistic struggles each character is dealing with. The bullying aspect of this book was incredibly well-done -- so much so that for a good part of the book I felt like oh, this is too much. This is too sad. WHY IS NOBODY DOING ANYTHING!? Fortunately this hopeless attitude does not permeate the entire book and I'm so glad I kept reading.

It's interesting to note a few things that seemed "off" in this book. The fantastic elements, as I've said, felt out of place in the book. Lucky's MIA grandfather is a strong force in the novel, but I often felt like Lucky's "dreams" weren't exactly necessary in order for this to be the case, as his grandpa's influence was obvious in the way Lucky's home life was. Additionally, the novel switches back and forth from freshman year to the summer after, when Lucky is in Arizona with his mother. The chronology of the dual-stories confused me, though admittedly that might just be my problem and nothing with the book. Strangely, I don't have many books to compare this to, but if you like more experimental stories/writing, this might be right up your alley. I'd also recommend it to those looking for a book that handles the topic of bullying really well.

Review: Legend

2011-11-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

LEGEND
Marie Lu
Putnam Juvenile

What was once the western part of the United States is now the Republic, ruled by the Elector Primo. The plague sweeps the nation every year, with the poorer citizens dying while the rich are able to afford vaccinations. Futures are decided by an exam (the Trial) taken at ten years old. Fifteen-year old June is a military prodigy and the only person to even get a perfect Trial score of 1500. Day failed his Trial and is now the Republic's most wanted criminal. When June's older brother - a high-ranking military official - is killed on the job, Day is the primary suspect and when June chases after him to avenge her brother's death, both of them discover more about their world than they bargained for.

June and Day, though they're the same in many ways, lead wildly different lives and have entirely different perspectives on the Republic and the book's split-POV narration portrays this so well. Because of getting both perspectives there's a big difference between what the reader knows and what the main characters know; this makes the story even more tense, which is definitely a good thing as certain big plot points in the book are fairly easy to predict, which means that a lot of the story's strength has to lie in other aspects: the characters, pacing, setting, and stakes.

It's often difficult for me to become emotionally invested in a dystopian novel - with the notable exception of The Hunger Games trilogy, not many in the genre have been able to tug at my heart. This book is the exception. The love between June and her older brother, as well as her profound sadness at losing him and her need to bring justice, is not only seen but felt. At one point early on I almost thought I'd have to quit reading because her emotions were so sharp and the story so sad. The fact that Day's story was just as touching only made the tension between them, between his wants and hers, even stronger.

As far as plot goes, though the smaller plots flowed great, with pacing that added plenty of tension, the larger plot points, mostly involving the nefarious activities of the Republic, were easy to predict. While this was a definite problem in the book, the slow world-building and questions about how the Republic came to be ultimately overwhelms the predictability. With characters that are easy to connect to (not only Day and June), true emotional content, and high stakes, this is a book I'd definitely recommend.

Mini-Reviews: Deadly Cool, And Then Things Fall Apart, Paradise, and Pregnant Pause

2011-11-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

I haven't been reviewing regularly, which makes me sort of forget how to review a book, but I have read SO MUCH lately. SO MUCH! I read a book today! And a book yesterday! And soon I will start another one! So much reading! I think I could just read and read and read forever and as long as I could also write and drink iced tea and maybe watch television, I would be happy. I don't know if that's really nice or really pathetic. Also I would need country music though, of course.

ANYWAY.

Some super-short reviews of the books I've read lately. And by super-short I mean super super short. Also, unlike most of my reviews, these are more just my opinions than a real, critical look at the books.

Deadly Cool, by Gemma Halliday -- Quick, frothy murder mystery (ex-boyfriend accused of killing the girl he was cheating with) that did not hook me, though it might you. Recommended if you like series, mysteries, and pop-noir, if that's even a thing.

And Then Things Fall Apart, by Arliana Tibensky -- Plath-obsessed teen writes the story of how her life fell apart (parents' divorce, best friend's betrayal, major fight with boyfriend) while she's sick with the chicken pox. Very poetic-like, lots of musings about life and Bell Jar comparisons. Having never read Plath I really enjoyed it and can only assume you'd like it even more having read Plath.

Paradise, by Jill S. Alexander -- Defying her mother, Paisley joins a country-rock band and falls in love with their new lead singer. Though there are some parts I really enjoyed, on the whole it was mostly forgettable and the ending threw me for a loop.

Pregnant Pause, by Han Nolan -- Teen gets pregnant, marries her boyfriend, and works for the summer at his parents' fat camp while her own missionary parents are in Africa. A few subplots felt a little contrived, but protagonist Eleanor is one I totally love and her journey is as great as she is -- or at least, as great as she wants to be.

Review: Okay For Now

2011-11-22T00:01:00.000-08:00

OKAY FOR NOW
Gary D. Schmidt
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Set in 1968, Okay for Now is the story of junior high student Doug Swieteck, whose move to a tiny town shakes up his world. With an abusive father and a brother who steals his most prized possession, Doug looks to spend his time outside of the home. This is how he ends up with a job as a delivery boy for the local deli and bird-drawing lessons inspired by the Audubon book he finds in the library.

This book is brilliant and impossible to explain. The book covers a year in Doug's life and there's a lot that happens in Doug's life. Between storylines involving his brothers (one a supposed delinquent, the other a soldier), his abusive father, a growing romance with his boss' daughter, drawing lessons, school, and his adoration of baseball player Joe Pepitone there's a lot to focus on. In some books the plethora of plots could be distracting or confusing, but this book is written so well that everything works together. This is about a year in Doug's life -- an important year, but still a whole, complete year when lots of things happen for him. His search for missing pages of the Audubon book unifies the book as does the look forward to sending a man to the moon in 1969. While this book is set in history, I'm hesitant to really call it "historical fiction" because it's not about history, it's just set there. And set there beautifully. The old-fashioned setting works perfectly as Doug, in ways that would never happen in 2011, is able to really get to know his neighbors and become a part of their lives in a very organic way.

There's so much I loved about this book: the setting, Doug's relationship with his brothers and mother, as well as the growing romance with Lil Spicer. Though I wouldn't categorize this book as a romance, it's definitely a love story and this becomes more and more apparent as the book continues. I loved this, though I know that some readers may feel cheated by the events that happen near the end of Doug's story.

Unfortunately, amidst the huge amount of storylines there are a few in Okay for Now that just didn't work for me. A plotline involving a Broadway play seemed to play a much bigger role than it should have; it felt unrealistic and a little tacked-on. Additionally the resolution between Doug and his father wasn't quite enough for me; if there's anything that really disappointed me with the book, it was this too-easy family resolution. That said, the book as a whole is one I most definitely recommend, especially if you're looking to travel back in time with a book or wanting a really sweet, simple (in the best possible way) love story.

I've Been Gone

2011-11-21T20:01:00.001-08:00

Contrary to what you might think judging from the state of this blog, I actually haven't given up blogging and I actually am still around. So instead of blogging, here's what I have been doing lately...

Reading Cybils nominees, which I actually need to be doing more of. I think maybe I read so many books in October (30, I think? Or really close to it) that it burnt me out on reading and now I'm slacking a bit and yet still I sort of feel like I'm reading all the time. Which is GOOD and I love it except for the fact that I sort of never feel like blogging, which is a problem.
Writing. I'm in the middle of working on a new first draft which is in the very-very-very early stages, and jumping BACK into edits/revisions/rewritings of Sing Me Away as I get feedback from my beta readers. Writing always takes precedence over blogging, which is another reason my blogging has been sort of horrible lately.
COOKING. Not real cooking, not like fancy fancy people real cook cooking. But I have been making lots of macaroni and cheese from scratch, chicken pot pies, and I also made banana bread. It was all very yummy.
Watching Friends. I don't know why, but I've been watching this show over again. Except that I skipped the first season, I don't know why. But it's so funny, right!?

ANYWAY.

I'm trying to get back into blogging. I miss it. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT ALL THE BOOKS AGAIN.

PS. I also went to the launch party for Shatter Me. I know! WIN. I now have a shiny signed copy.

In My Mailbox: Firsts!

2011-11-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

BOOKS.

Bought: Ahhh I feel like I've been waiting for this ebook (by a bunch of '09 Debs) to come out FOR-EVER. But now it's finally here!!! The only sad thing is that cover is WAY TOO PRETTY to be relegated to an ebook, right? That font! Love it. Can't wait to read.

I've also gotten a bunch of Cybils books this week, but I'm not including them as lately IMM has started doing double-duty as not only a record of my books, but also a list of things I can't wait to read after Cybils season. That said, I'm excited to read The Anti-Prom.

Parents, Teens, and Inappropriate Reading Material

2011-11-10T07:58:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I saw this article about the banning of Nina LaCour's amazing debut novel Hold Still (among others) from a Kansas City high school library. To be honest, it annoyed me beyond belief. (The whole ongoing incident, not the article itself.) It's so clear to me that this is not the way to handle your son or daughter reading a book that you find inappropriate. But maybe it's not so clear to everybody, and definitely I think that there are solid, legitimate reasons to not want your child to be reading something. Books, like any other form of media, aren't all good for all people.

And I fully realize that most people who will read this post either already know all this stuff or don't have children anyway or would never have a problem with anything their kid wants to read, but still I want to post it. It's easy to say that censorship is wrong and banning is bad, but it's also important to discuss how the issues that parents have with books can be handled in a beneficial way and mature way.

So You Don't Like Your Child/Teenager Reading That Book

Step One: Know what it is in the book that you think is inappropriate. Is it cussing? Drugs? Sex? The overall theme?

Step Two: Why do you not want your teen reading the book? Is it that you have value-based (religious/ethical) objections to it? Do you think your son or daughter isn't old enough or mature enough to handle the content? If it's drugs, sex, or cussing (three big topics) that are making you uncomfortable -- is it just that it makes you uncomfortable to know that your teen is reading something with that sort of content?

If your objection is based on a feeling of uncomfortableness, step back for a minute. Look at your teenager's environment and look outside of your own home: think about the school they go to, the friends they hang out with, extended family influences, etc etc. And then ask yourself if you're uncomfortable because you really think they'll be harmed by reading that book or if you're uncomfortable because you're just uncomfortable. Is it really an issue with the book? (Hint: probably not. Probably it has more to do with not wanting your teen to be subjected to unpleasant parts of life or not wanting them to grow up too fast or or or... anything else that doesn't really have to do with the story or how it's written.)

If, however, your objection is based on something more -- the overall content of the book or the values/actions portrayed, then...

Step Three: Know what you're talking about. Ideally this would mean reading the book, but if you don't feel comfortable reading the book at least some good, in-depth reviews of it. You may have misinterpreted what you think it's about or, then again, maybe you didn't. Either way, it's good to know.

Step Four: Talk to your teen. Wait, let me repeat that again. TALK. TO. YOUR. TEEN. Tell them your objections. Have a conversation about why this book is unacceptable or inappropriate or whatever word you want to use. Decide together if the book is one that shouldn't be read in your family. If the book is one that your teen is reading for enjoyment, this is where it ends. Don't try to get the book banned from the school, please. If this is an assigned reading book that you have some real objections to then...

Step Five: Talk to your teen's teacher. Set up a meeting where you can discuss your concerns and decide on a course of action; maybe there's a substitute book that could be read instead.

A parent's course of action should not be to try and get the book in question taken out of school. What's too mature or inappropriate for one student is right for another student. Teenagers are people. They do not all come from the same environments or have the same maturity level or the same interests. Blocking a book from other students because you don't want your teenager reading it or you don't think any teenagers - or even any people, really - should read it is harmful to those teens who, maybe, would benefit from reading it. Sure, there are exceptions, but these exceptions are probably books like A How-To Guide for Killers or something like that. They're not the books on your ninth grader's extra credit reading list.

A Blogger Pet Peeve

2011-11-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

For a while there I was reviewing every single title I read for the Cybils. It completely wore me out -- I've read over 20 books since Oct. 1st and as much as I want to I just can't put my usual amount of time, thought, and energy into writing the reviews as I normally do. At least, not if I also want to do everything else in life. You can tell from the weird lack of posts on my blog that it was wearing me out. I'm going to continue reviewing Cybils books, but it'll likely just be the ones that really speak to me or that I really want to share with you guys.

In non-Cybils, non-review news, I do have so many posts I want to write and lately I just haven't found the energy to write them. So, my apologies. Today I really do have a post to write though! I've had a few slightly strange review pitches come to me in the past few weeks and I kind of want to comment on them because this particular thing is starting to be a Blogger Pet Peeve of mine.

Please please please don't say you're a fan of my blog if you're not. Authors and publicists, when you email saying that you love my blog I think it's awesome. When you go on to pitch your fantasy epic/paranormal romance trilogy/historical memoir, I can't help but think you're lying to me just a little bit. Maybe you're not lying, maybe you do read my blog but just haven't checked my review guidelines.

In any case, let me say: if you're pitching your book to me please read my guidelines. I don't read paranormal. I don't read fantasy. This is a blog of YA (and sometimes MG), which means that I'm not going to review mainstream (adult) fiction, memoirs, or nonfiction aimed at adult readers. It's just because I've chosen to give this blog a narrow focus that works well for me and -- I hope -- my readers.

Review: Ten Miles Past Normal

2011-11-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

TEN MILES PAST NORMAL
Frances O'Roark Dowell
Atheneum

When she was nine years old, Janie Gorman thought it would be awesome to live on a farm. Five years later she's beginning high school and realizing firsthand the havoc that actually living on a farm will play with her social life. Separated from her friends from middle school she spends most lunchtimes in the library and though she longs to be normal it's not until she starts to find some decidedly not-normal friends that she thinks there might be something better than that.

It's been a while since I've read a book I've just flat out liked as much as this one. It's easy to slip into Janie's crazy, goat-milking life, and despite her protests that she just wants to be normal it's clear that "normal" is one thing Janie will never be. And that's a good thing. While her best friend Sarah is on a tirade against cocoa (yeah), Janie finds herself doing things she never imagined. Joining the Jam Band, for instance, making friends with a boy named Monster, and discovering the bravery of those in her town.

This book has great characters, not least of whom is Sarah's older, wilder sister, Emma. I want to be best friends with Emma. Scratch that, I want to be Emma. She's freakin' awesome. So is Monster. So is Janie, and her mom, and her sister, and her dad, and her new friend Verbena. This book is full of the kind of characters that are both awesome and realistic, and a lot of this is due to the amazing dialogue. From the very start the dialogue in this book captured me -- way before I knew how awesome the rest of it is. Dialogue is one of those things I often overlook in my reviews, in favor of discussing the plot or characters or setting, but when it's really great, dialogue definitely makes an impact.

Despite the fact that Janie lives on a farm, the setting is not the strongest part of this book. It's not weak by any means, but the amazing characters and Janie's journey from surly to powerful takes over anything else the book has to offer. Despite the offbeatness of it, Janie's personal journey is one we can all relate to and it's a book I'd feel more than comfortable recommending to just about anybody. Authentic, sweet, and with a surprisingly powerful heart.

Why I Love Contemporary YA, by Cara from Chasing Words

2011-11-03T00:01:00.001-07:00

I'm participating in Just Contemporary Month, hosted by the blogs Chick Loves Lit and Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing. My first blog swap is with Cara, from Chasing Words, who writes about why she loves contemporary YA. You can head over to her site if you want to read my post on the same topic.

I love reading contemporary YA because there are no wizards in my high school.

I love reading contemporary YA because I can't sic my dragon on mean girls in the halls.

I love reading contemporary YA because I don't know any ninjas who can save me from tripping in front of a crowd.

I love reading contemporary YA because it helps me live vicariously through others while not going into an entirely fictionalized world.

I love reading contemporary YA because the boys aren't always bad.

I love reading contemporary YA because the word "swoon" is almost never used when describing said boys.

I love reading contemporary YA because it includes awkward characters in awkward situations sometimes. Not everyone is built like Fabio or that wolf from Twilight.

I love reading contemporary YA because sometimes I feel as though I'm the only one experiencing something and contemp. YA reminds me that I'm not alone, ever.

I love reading contemporary YA because it's exciting and moving and emotional and hysterical. Because it's brilliant and corny and interesting and eye-roll inducing. Because it's real.

I love reading contemporary YA.

Review: The Future of Us

2011-11-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

THE FUTURE OF US
Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler
Razorbill

It's 1996 and Emma's friend Josh has just given her an AOL CD-ROM to go with the computer her dad bought her. When she creates an email address, she accidentally stumbles fifteen years into the future -- onto her future self's Facebook page. Once they get past thinking the page is an elaborate practical joke, Emma and Josh realize that they can see their futures -- and what they see isn't what they're expecting. As Emma tries to change the future and Josh tries to hang on to it, each of them must take a step towards what they want now.

I'm just old enough to be totally spazzing out about a book set in the 90s. All the references! The sly future in-jokes! I'm old enough to remember 1996, in a very child-like way (because, um, I was SIX) but honestly I don't think the time period is going to throw off a lot of teen readers the way you might expect. Even if someone doesn't remember the particular reference or year, they'll easily find their footing amidst all the music references and VHS-talk. This book has a cool mix of being slightly old-school and offering up Back-to-the-Future-style shenanigans; this is where it's true appeal lies. The premise is pure AWESOME.

Beyond the premise, I didn't always love the two main characters, Emma and Josh. Emma, who goes a bit crazy with trying to change her future, is a bit prickly. She seems to know exactly who she doesn't want to be, but has no idea who she does want to be and there were many points in the book where I just got irritated with her as I felt like she kept missing the point. She could be a little dense. Josh, on the other hand, is the ultimate Nice Guy. He's got a crush on Emma (or did, at least) and finds it easy to go along with what she and her other friends suggest without making many decisions for himself. If the book had been reliant on the characters alone, it would have been an okay-but-bland read. Luckily, this wasn't the case. Some readers might not love that the future world Emma and Josh discover can be changed by the decisions they make in 1996, but I thought this was a great part of the book and brought into play some incredibly interesting themes having to do with happiness, personal responsibility, and the ripples that seemingly small changes can create in the future. Though I sometimes felt like Emma went too far in her small-changes-big-ripples idea, I liked that this part of time-bending-warping stuff (whatever you call it) was brought up.

There are quite a few subplots in this book - most of which would be spoilers to talk about - and I did find myself wishing the book had dealt with them better in the end. While some were things that really didn't need to be resolved, the ending seemed to come too suddenly and there were loose ends that I wish had been tied up a bit neater.

But The Future of Us isn't about it's subplots, or it's ending, or even Emma and Josh, really. It's about seeing your future and figuring out what to do if you don't like it - or if you do - and it's about remembering the now even as you're focused on what comes next. This is a quick, immensely fun read, and though it feels lighthearted, it will leave you thinking.

The Future of Us comes out Nov. 21st.

In My Mailbox: Favorite Authors

2011-10-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

BOOKS.

Bought: I don't often buy finished copies of ARCs unless I really really really love the book. And I really really really really love Gayle Forman's Where She Went. I can't wait to reread it. And How to Save A Life is by one of my favorite authors. It sounds like something right up my alley and I'm eager to get the chance to read it.

Library: I don't list my library books on here, but it's worth mentioning that I currently have over ten books out from libraries. It's kind of awesome, and also a little intimidating.

Review: Don't Stop Now

2011-10-29T15:56:00.000-07:00

DON'T STOP NOW
Julie Halpern
Feiwel & Friends

When Lillian thinks that her friend has faked her own kidnapping, her and her best friend Josh set off on a road trip to track her down all while Lillian tries to figure out the relationship between the two of them. She's had a crush on Josh forever, but his feelings for her seem to lie in the land of purely platonic, despite the fact that they always seem to be holding hands and cuddling together.

This book, despite the whole kidnapping storyline, is very obviously about the relationship between Lillian and Josh. Friends. Best friends, but nothing more, it seems, no matter how much Lillian is in love with him. It's been a while, I think, since I've read a road trip book and this features a couple of the best parts of road trip books: kitschy tourist destinations and solid bonds of friendship. Unfortunately as far as the road trip goes, there were some logistical things I couldn't quite overlook. The parents here are out of the picture despite the fact that Josh's dad's credit card is paying for the entire trip. And despite the fact that it's mentioned quite a few times that Lillian and her mom are very close, her mom doesn't have a problem (like, at all) with the sudden road trip to who-knows-where. Let's be clear: there are some YA books, quite a few actually, that work without much mention of parents. But sometimes, like in this book, the lack of adults goes from "understandable" to "unbelievable." There was a suspension of disbelief required to accept what was happening.

Character-wise, Lillian is ambitious and creative while Josh has no direction in life. The two of them are almost textbook opposites and as the story continues this starts to work really well, especially as it becomes more pronounced and Lillian starts to realize that maybe Josh isn't the perfect boy she wants him to be. The flip side of this, however, is that Josh isn't really that great of a guy. Some readers might like him, but mostly he just got on my nerves. I had the urge to shake both of the characters -- to tell Josh to quit leading Lillian on and tell Lillian that ohmygod this boy is not worth it. That said, in a book about relationships there was also their friend, Penny, who they seem to have kept as a sort of pity-friend. Throughout the book she's portayed as a loner, kind of pathetic, and entirely too hung up on her own overbearing boyfriend. But the few glimpses there are of Penny's side of the story made me more interested in what was going on in her life than the other characters'. Her family is crazy, her boyfriend is scary, and she's just trying to get by: that was the girl I wanted to know more about, and it's unfortunate that the very serious things going on with her seemed so disconnected from the rest of the story.

Review: Perfect

2011-10-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

PERFECT
Ellen Hopkins
Margaret K. McElderry

In Perfect, four teenagers struggle to embody the word and what it means to them. For Kendra, this means being beautiful, which means being thin. For Sean it's succeeding at sports no matter the cost. For others, like Andre and Cara, it simply means forging their own path instead of the one their parents are pushing them toward.

Usually when I read a novel in verse, the first question I ask myself is: did the verse help or hurt the book? Was it the right decision for this story? In this case, I'm not quite sure. Verse tends to highlight the emotions of a novel while, just by the nature of it, skimming over many details of plot and, sometimes, characterization. And sometimes this works really well in Perfect while other times I wanted more information. There are a lot of very serious things that happen in this book - not only the obvious issues of the characters, but also the ways these issues show themselves. There were moments where the verse alone left me wondering about details that hadn't been explained fully.

Like I said, there's a lot to this book. A lot of events, a lot of characters, a lot of everything. And it's a big book, so it carries it well, but sometimes I just wanted to settle into one story. POV tended to change at pivotal moments, just as something big was about to happen, and it left me feeling restless. Though each character's journey covers some huge issues and the idea of perfection in different ways, the story I kept coming back to was Cara's family's story. With a twin brother, Conner, who has ended up in a psych hospital after a suicide attempt, Cara finds herself stepping out of what is expected of her more and more, daring to defy her strongwilled mother who cares only how things will appear to others. Cara and Conner's mother is a huge force in their stories (and Conner himself is a big force in every character's story) and because of these things I really wanted the book to go into the family's dysfunction in-depth, but it never did that. Strangely the most compelling characters were the ones who didn't get to narrate their stories. Andre's girlfriend and Conner are the two most interesting characters. While the things the main characters do and the ways they explain them seem almost textbook, there's a complexity and very real emotion when it comes to these two.

The relationships and ways the four characters are related are done very well, as is much of the dialogue, which makes me wish there was more dialogue and that it didn't have to be told in verse. As this is my first book by Ellen Hopkins, I don't have much of a reference point to jump from. It was just as dark as I was expecting, while not quite having the impact I was hoping for except in small doses. This is definitely going to be the exact right book for some readers, such as those dealing with figuring out their own idea of strength and perfection, but for me it didn't quite deliver as strongly as other books more narrowly focused on these topics have.

Review: Withering Tights

2011-10-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

WITHERING TIGHTS
Louise Rennison
HarperTeen

Tallulah would much rather go to the Performing Arts College for the summer than spend time at camp with her brother, and when she arrives at the college the quirky misfit quickly makes friends with other quirky misfits. She determines that this will be the summer she meets a boy, discovers her artistic talent, and finally grows up.

Set in the UK, there was much of this book I didn't quite understand in terms of terminology and the places the characters talked about. Really though, I think that probably just made this already-funny book that much funnier. This is the start of a new series (and I'm guessing quite a bit longer than the typical 3-book series in YA) and there's not a ton of wrap-up in the end. Enough to close this particular chapter of Tallulah's story in a nice way, but not enough to tie down the loose ends involving certain boys and Tallulah's new friends.

I'm the only person I know who wasn't a fan of the Georgia Nicolson books so I was honestly worried about enjoying this one, but I shouldn't have worried: Tallulah's just as quirky and about a million times more likeable than her older cousin and I found myself rooting for her right away as she dives into a whole new environment and quickly discovers that while her new friends are mega-talented, she isn't quite, though she still loves the Performing Arts College and hopes to stay on beyond the summer. The friendships she develops with her fellow students are sweet and funny, though it was sometimes hard to keep the characters in her group of friends straight in my head. Compared to the rest of the book, her relationships with the boys seemed a bit lackluster and definitely not the best part of the book. For me, that was probably the thing that seemed most like the first Georgia Nicolson book, so I'm sure others will love it much more than I did. I'd definitely recommend this to fans of the author's previous series, but even broader I'd recommend it to anyone who wants a seriously funny book with a really amusing narrator.

Review: The Big Crunch

2011-10-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

THE BIG CRUNCH
Pete Hautman
Scholastic Press

June and Wes' love story does not go the way love stories are supposed to go. When they meet, there's nothing, and it's not until later that they feel a spark. By then June is dating one of Wes' friends and even after realizing they like each other, there's a lot of ambiguity in their relationship and where they want it to go.

This book captured me. June's always-on-the-move family made me feel for her even as it was clear she wasn't great at letting people in and this made her personality hard to really see. In fact, this was - let's just get it out of the way now - a problem with both characters, throughout the book. While a few of the peripheral characters had lively personalities, it was really hard to tell who June and Wes were sometimes. Their emotions were clear and I found it easy to relate to them, but even after reading the book I don't think I could tell you what sort of characters they were as far as hobbies, passions, or personality traits. However, even if their personalities aren't always clear, the story itself, which takes place throughout an entire year, gives a clear glimpse of their lives and the relationships they have to others which, in a strange way, makes the characters clear in a different sort of way.

Strangely though, that didn't end up mattering to me, and I think the reason it didn't was because this book was just so well done. At its core this is a teenage love story and the emotions are sharp and poignant. It's obvious throughout the book that June and Wes have something special between them and this never seems forced. We know the characters' lives apart before we ever know them together, and the fact that neither one is actively looking to fall in love or really has great expectations for whatever does happen lends an air of unexpectedness to the story, even though you can easily guess a few of the things that end up happening. At times June and Wes - especially Wes - are impetuous at times, to the point of stupidity. It feels realistic while at the same time a few of the events of the book seem to illustrate the whole love is blind idea.

And this is why the ending seemed, compared to the rest of the book, a bit lackluster as far as the emotion goes. While emotion played a huge part in the rest of the book, near the end it seemed to dissipate, which no doubt some will enjoy but I didn't quite enjoy or buy it, not for these characters. As a whole, the writing style of the book reminded me quite a bit of Lynne Rae Perkin's middle grade novel, Criss Cross -- I'd recommend it to fans of that book, as well as readers who want a different, more uncertain sort of love story.

Writing: New.

2011-10-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

(via weheartit.)

Sometime last week (you may know this if you ~~stalk~~ follow me on Twitter) I finished that rewrite I was working on. And all along I'd been thinking that I knew exactly what I'd be writing when I was done.

But then I finished.

And I realized that idea I had, the one I'd been holding up so loftily in my head, didn't exactly have what it needed. It was only part of an idea. A baby idea. I had this vague feeling that I wanted the book to sort of, kind of, be based around this, but I couldn't figure out the rest of it. I mean, I couldn't even figure out if there were three main characters or just one. I thought about going back and revising one of the gazillion (2... maybe 3) novels I have to revise, but I've been wanting to write a first draft for so long.

But when an idea doesn't want to work I kill it by forcing it. This is part of the reason NaNoWriMo never works for me and pretty much the whole reason that novel about the stalker is still just sitting there. (It's not nearly as dark as it sounds, promise.)

ANYWAY.

All of this is to say that I've landed on a different idea, one that has been working as a side project for a while. Of course, bringing it to the forefront means erasing everything I'd written as a side project because everything's changed now, but that's okay. I think this one might work out. Not to jinx it or anything, but right now it really does feel solid.

This in spite of the fact that there are five main characters. And it's in past tense. Third person. And there are elements that, though I don't mean for them to be, are sort of dragged from a previous novel. But these elements are small, things like the fact that my characters sit on rooftops and live in the same neighborhood. Not, I hope, huge things.

I'm excited about this story. I'm excited about these characters. The working title is sidekicks and I cannot stop thinking about how great it all is in my head. IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THIS CRASHES AND BURNS AND I REALIZE THAT IN WORDS IT IS NOT NEARLY AS GOOD AS IN FEELINGS. But that comes later.

In My Mailbox: Playing Catch Up

2011-10-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

I've skipped out on In My Mailbox the last couple of weeks, so I'm taking this as my opportunity to play catch-up for the books I've gotten the last two or three weeks.

BOOKS.

Bought: Yes, I bought the fake Pawnee book. But why not? It's hilarious and totally kept me entertained while I was holed up in bed being sick. And I bought the Kim Culbertson book (review here) both because it was on the Cybils list and I'd been wanting to read one of her books for a while. I still need to get my hands on a copy of Songs for a Teenage Nomad.

Book Trade: I'm a sucker for books written in verse and considering how much I loved Samantha Schutz' first book, this novel seemed like a good idea. I can't wait to read it.

Won: Thanks so much to Jessica for this book! I'm so interested in the unique way it's written and I love the cover. Another one I can't wait to read.

John Green Covers

2011-10-20T16:26:00.000-07:00

I have a few reviews to write for you guys, as well as a discussion/opinion post that's been on my mindgrapes for a while, but right now I'm too immersed in writing and Cybils reading to do much of the blogging, which is a shame. I always feel bad when I don't have a post up daily. Not because I think I need something up every day, but because if I skip a day or two it's too easy to skip a month or two. At least, for me it is.

So anyway, what do we think of the cover of John Green's upcoming book? I think it feels a bit too cheery for me, and simplistic in a kindergarten-classroom sort of way instead of a minimalist way. I like it, but I don't like it nearly as much as I'd like to. If I'm being totally honest, I like quite a few of the fan-made covers more than this actual cover.

Also, are any of you going to submit covers for the contest to design the next Abundance of Katherines paperback cover? I HOPE YOU DO. If I had any cover skills at all, I would.

Review: The Liar Society

2011-10-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

THE LIAR SOCIETY
Lisa & Laura Roecker
Sourcebooks Fire

Kate is convinced that the death of her best friend Grace was more than just a freak accident. After a year of therapy and medicine, she still doesn't believe it was an accident and when she starts getting cryptic emails from Grace, leading her to clues about what really happened, she sets off to solve the mystery, Nancy-Drew-style. With her lovestruck and conspiracy-crazed neighbor (Seth) by her side, each clue seems to lead to even more mystery and it becomes obvious that their elite prep school is housing more secrets than just the answer to Grace's death.

I have to start with the absolute best thing about this book, which is the fact that it's like a modern version of Nancy Drew. Though Kate's sarcastic exterior (not to mention the way she used Seth) was more than a little annoying in the beginning, these things led to her being incredibly determined to solve the mystery and an honest friendship growing between her and Seth. The plot was refreshingly unpredictable and made for a page-turner of a book.

In addition to Kate's tenacity and the comic relief Seth brought to the book, the setting of Pemberly Brown, their elite prep school where Grace died, was incredible. Richly detailed, with exactly the sort of creepy history you'd expect, it not only added to the "Nancy Drew" feeling, but also grounded the mystery in reality thanks to how real the school itself seemed. Though Kate's search veers to the outrageous at times, the just-as-outrageous setting makes it seem more realistic.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Liar Society, and then the end came. And it was, at least for me, unsatisfying. I like my books, even as a part of a series and especially as the first book in a series, to house a complete story beginning to end, and in some ways this book didn't live up to that. The last few chapter dragged on, but never gave the resolution I was hoping for and expecting. I'd recommend for fans of mysteries and series, especially if they don't mind non-conclusive endings.

Tuesday Ten: Books I Read Because of Their Cover or Title

2011-10-18T00:36:00.000-07:00

I rarely read books solely based on the cover or title, if I'm being honest. Especially as I've started reviewing and just by osmosis seem to know so much more about what books are coming out and what they're about. But for this week's Broke and Bookish Top Ten Tuesday, here are ten books where the title/cover played a huge role, even if it wasn't the only thing.

1. After the Kiss

Terra Elan McVoy

That cover. So, so, so good. I just love it.

2. Sweethearts

Sara Zarr

Alright, I admit, the flap copy played a part in me buying this book - the story interested me. But without that adorable and slightly-sad cover I never would have picked the book up. Plus, can we mention how great the title is? LOVE. (It should be noted that this is one of my all-time favorite books.)

3. The Summer I Turned Pretty

Jenny Han

Yes, the covers of the books in this series are beautiful. But what really caught me was this title. I adore it. I'm not sure I can think of a title that's captured my attention more than this one.

4. The Lonely Hearts Club

Elizabeth Eulberg

YOU SEE THIS COVER? Adore.

5. The Geek Girl's Guide to Cheerleading

Charity Tahmaseb & Darcy Vance

Okay, okay, another brilliant title. Just the perfect amount of geeky and quirky here. And who doesn't love a good fish-out-of-water tale?

6. Some Girls Are

Courtney Summers

Another great title. Dang, they're more plentiful than I thought apparently. And I could talk about this one for ages. And yeah, I knew it was about girls bullying each other and that was definitely a big part of the reason I read the book, but the title helped tons.

7. Scrambled Eggs at Midnight

Heather Hepler & Brad Barkley

WIN WIN WIN. So many wins for this title/cover combo. And the book also is great.

8. Tweet Heart

Elizabeth Rudnick

This one's a bit of a cheat: if I'm being honest I bought the book 100% because it was written in tweets. (Tweets!) But I figure it sort of works because I could tell that from the title. Right?

9. An Abundance of Katherines

John Green

I know a lot of people didn't love the hardcover cover of An Abundance of Katherines, but I must be in the minority here because this cover was THE ENTIRE REASON I picked up the book. I absolutely love it and am sad that I now have the paperback version. (Thank you to my dad for LOSING THE BOOK. Or giving it away. Or whatever my dad does to the books I let him borrow that makes them disappear.)

10. A Little Friendly Advice

Siobhan Vivian

Again, the cover, so adorable. So perfect.

Review: Shine

2011-10-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

SHINE
Lauren Myracle
Amulet Books

When Cat's best friend is viciously beaten and left with hateful words written on him, the town and police blame it on gay-bashing out-of-towners. But Cat knows that there is badness inside the confines of her small town (Black Creek) and she thinks she knows who's to blame. However, as she sets off to find her best friend's attacker, she discovers that there's much more lurking under the surface of her town and succeeding in finding the attacker will mean going further into the darkness than she ever considered.

At the outset this book seems, while horrific, fairly straightforward: gay teen gets beat up in a backwater town. And while this was the catalyst for everything else, the story quickly becomes bigger and more complicated. Cat discovers, along with the reader, that nothing about the attack is as simple as it appears. Cat, who is dealing with her own trauma that happened years earlier, takes on the case of the attack when no one else will. Her dad is a shut-in, the aunt raising her prefers to brush anything bad or ugly under the rug and forget about it, while her brother let her down the moment she most needed him and she hasn't been able to look at him the same since. The police, stifled by the town's most powerful family, have virtually given up on solving the case, and when Cat starts asking questions the whole town knows it. She's poking her nose in where it doesn't belong.

What Cat does - the choices the makes, the people she seeks out - wouldn't work in other books. On more than one occasion she puts herself in harms way, seeks out danger in order to get closer to the truth of what happened that night, and in any other book I'd be thinking what are you doing? This will not end well! The difference is that here, in Shine, Cat's doing what she has to do. What nobody else will.

This is an extremely dark, disturbing book, but it has to be. There are parts of the story that I really would like to talk about. Shine blew me away with how well and how realistically it handled certain topics, ones that I haven't read in other books. One subject in particular left me stunned by not only how well it was handled, but the fact that it was handled at all. This book goes where others don't, tackles incredibly difficult but all-too-real issues of Black Creek and towns like it. And it does it in a way that left me stunned.

Unfortunately, not all of this book was done so well. The romance aspect, while a small part of the book, seemed out-of-place and very shallow compared with the rest of the story and Cat's trauma in particular seemed to be given the same shallow treatment in the end. Because the book is written with such depth in aspects of setting, characters, themes, and plot, the parts where it falters stand out all the more.

Writing: HELLO, END

2011-10-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

(via awesomepictures.)

I'm coming up on the end of the novel I'm currently revising. And by "coming up" I mean that I have about 6,000 words until I make my deadline. If I stay up all hours tonight, there's the possibility that I COULD FINISH IT. (Of course, if I sleep then that's ruined and still, hopefully, I'll finish it this weekend sometime.)

I hope I hope I hope.

And after this is finished -- the revision (which is really a rewrite, whatever, I don't know the difference) and polishing and everything else, I'm not sure what I'll be working on. There's a part of me that wants to get going on the next draft of my sister story, but then there's another part of me that really wants to write a FIRST DRAFT of something. Maybe, say, that idea that's been waiting ever-so-patiently? I DON'T KNOW.

Update: It is 3 am. I have finished. In a related news story, guess who's tired!!??

Review: Instructions for a Broken Heart

2011-10-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

INSTRUCTIONS FOR A BROKEN HEART
Kim Culbertson
Sourcebooks Fire

When Jessa finds her boyfriend making out with another girl just before their drama club's trip to Italy, she has no idea what to do. But her best friend does; she gives Jessa twenty envelopes, each with a different reason that Sean (the now-ex-boyfriend) is a jerk, along with instructions to help heal her broken heart. However, when Jessa gets to Italy and starts following her friend's meticulously thought-out reasons and instructions, she realizes that in some ways they're causing more harm than good and maybe she has to find her own way to figure things out.

Every so often I'll read a book that doesn't seem to match the back cover/inside flap pitch, and this is one such book. While the summary would have you believe it's a love story orchestrated (or at least helped) by the instructions from Jessa's best friend. This isn't quite true. Not only is it not a love story, but it quickly becomes clear that Jessa - and the friends around her - have some misgivings about the instructions. Instead, this is a story of Jessa trying to get over her heartbreak, sure, but also figure out why it happened and who, away from her everyday life, she really is and wants to be.

Jessa's pain, right from the outset, is huge and overwhelming. Unfortunately, these emotions are told more than shown -- I never truly felt Jessa's pain and maybe part of this is because while Sean is a huge force in Jessa's thoughts, he's really not very present in the book. We get her thoughts of him (sort of) and her best friend's angry thoughts, but I never felt that Sean's character or their relationship was very dimensional. He felt like a placeholder and their relationship felt, sadly, like a sort of stock "first love," which prevented it from having much depth or resonance. Her hurt just never clicked with me even as those around her echo how hard it must be for her to be on a school trip with her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend. I consistently felt like I was missing something.

The strength of this novel lies not in its emotions or the actual catalyst of Sean's betrayal, but in the setting of Italy and the group of people that Jessa is with. It's clear from the beginning that her drama club -- students and teachers -- act as something of a large family together. While Jessa has her friend Tyler by her side the entire time, there are also glimpses of her relationships with other students in the class as well as both teachers on the trip. This gives more insight into Jessa's character and life as we get snippets of what her classmates think of her and how they react to the various instructions she's following. In the end, this was more a story of Jessa finding out what, not who, she wanted. There were aspects of the book that felt underdeveloped; I would have liked more personality when it came to Sean and Jessa's best friend and, in many ways, Jessa herself. Many times during this book I wondered why Jessa continued following the instructions as they didn't seem to be helping as much as they were meant to and the extreme anger that they were written with did not endear me to her best friend. There were subplots, usually concerning Jessa and her best friend, that held so much promise and disappointed me when they seemed unresolved by the end.

There's a lot of beauty in this book; the Italian setting seems written so well for Jessa's personal journey, and the closeness of the drama club was refreshing. The characters kept me interested and I did enjoy the book, but many aspects didn't tie together so well, leaving the overall effect to feel somewhat frayed and scattered.

Review: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

2011-10-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

DASH & LILY'S BOOK OF DARES
Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Knopf Books for Young Readers

Despite never having met, a red notebook connects Dash and Lily, two teenagers in NYC who pass each other dares and messages by leaving the notebook at various locations. What starts as a way to pass the time becomes bigger as Lily and Dash's adventure starts to involve not only them, but also their friends and family members.

Full disclosure here: I've never been a huge fan of either Rachel Cohn or David Levitan. No particular reason, but I've never found a book of theirs that I really truly enjoyed, so I was a bit nervous about reading this one. Especially as, in the beginning, it's hard to deal with the unique personalities and quirks of the two protagonists. Dash is pretentious in that annoying, not-as-smart-as-he-thinks-he-is sort of way while sheltered Lily comes off as very, very young. The over-the-top-ness of these characters is annoying in the beginning, but the overall story is so cute and cheerful that it eventually overtakes the characters who, after time, become more relatable as they mature a bit. By the end of the book I really liked Lily and thought that she, even more than Dash, had grown up and became a more relatable and likable character.

There were definitely parts of this book that I found unrealistic - the lack of adult supervision for one, especially with Lily, whose entire extended family seemed to be focused on her at times. It required a bit of suspension of disbelief, but overwhelmingly, thanks to the adorable romantic-comedy adventure, this was a very cute love story. Even cute enough for me to overlook the fact of the ridiculous fake Pixar movie that was referenced. (Yes, I know this is a small thing. But, come on, it's Pixar.) I'm sure all David Levithan fans will love this book no matter what, but I'd also recommend it to anyone who loves a cute romance.

Review: Five Flavors of Dumb

2011-10-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB
Antony John
Dial

Piper has one month to get her school's best rock band - Dumb - a paying gig in order to earn a share of the profits and become the band's manager. But not only is the band a mess, Piper also knows nothing about music in the first place. And she's deaf. Still, determined to make some money to help restore her dwindling college fund, Piper quickly teaches herself the ropes in order to become the band manager that Dumb needs.

I'd heard plenty of good things about this book but, being completely honest, it didn't blow me away at first. There was a lot of suspension of disbelief needed in order for me to accept that not only was Dumb Seattle's best teen band, but that Piper, who had absolutely no interest or knowledge of music, would be their manager. Piper's home life is a mess thanks to a dad who, partly because he never learned ASL, has almost no relationship with her and a baby sister who's getting all the attention because with her cochlear implants, she can hear while Piper can't. Piper has a lot of anger, especially in the beginning, and a lot of it (mostly directed towards her father) makes perfect sense. However, while it made sense it also made the character a little difficult to relate to when many of her decisions were fueled by anger and resentment.

However, as the band and Piper's rock-music education became a bigger part of the book, things started coming together more smoothly in the story. While I at first found the deaf-band-manager plot to be unbelievable, the reality of Piper's emotions and reactions as she learns more about the band, music, and how to be a good manager, elevates the book. Through music, which her dad and brother both love, the different parts of Piper's story (family, band, school) come together into a unique and wonderful story.

The family subplot, though it felt weak at the start of the novel, wound up being one of the strongest parts of the book, especially as Piper's relationship with her father changed. I loved the family history and the complicated relationships Piper had with each of them. And while some of the secondary characters fell flat, a few of them, including band members Kallie and Ed, were well-developed characters who really shone. Though I had a few problems with the too-tidy ending and the ASL-written-with-English-grammar, this is one book I wouldn't hesitate to recommend, especially if you're looking for a music-based book.

In My Mailbox: SO MONEY

2011-10-09T00:01:00.000-07:00

BOOKS.

Bought: At the West Hollywood Book Fair I got to meet Cherry Cheva, who is seriously awesome and one of the few people I've met who seems to love television just as much as I do. So of course I had to buy one of her books and though I'm swamped with Cybils reading right now (again, yay!) I can't wait to read it.

PS. My dog is being really weird right now. If anyone was wondering.

Review: Forge

2011-10-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

FORGE
Laurie Halse Anderson
Atheneum

After having earned his freedom fighting in the Revolutionary War, slave-turned-soldier Curzon must enlist in the war once again because despite the freedom he's earned, his lack of papers makes him an escaped slave instead of a freed one. As he deals with the harsh conditions at Valley Forge, he tries not to dwell on Isabel, whose whereabouts are unknown. He focuses on America's fight for freedom even as his own freedom is not yet secure.

Not having read the first in this series, Chains, I started Forge playing catch-up. The book works as a stand-alone, but I suspect it would work a lot better as a sequel. Historical fiction is a hard sell with me and the Revolutionary War period is one that especially tends to bore me for some reason, so it took quite a while for me to find my footing in this book. Though Curzon and the secondary characters (especially Eben, who I loved) is written well the fact that I came into the story partway through was definitely a stumbling block I don't suggest.

This is the first historical book I've read by Laurie Halse Anderson, but I'm happy to report that her historical writing skills are every bit as good as her contemporary writing skills. Though there were points when the story seemed to drag on, I have a feeling that's more my fault than the books and about halfway in I was hooked. The focus on slaves in the war - the fight for the freedom of a country versus the freedom of a people - is an incredibly interesting subject and well-done here as Curzon's opinions on the matter don't always match up with the opinions of those he cares about (Eben and Isabel, for instance). The relationships between the characters, most notably Curzon and his fellow soldiers, is one of the strongest points of the novel. It's easy to get caught up in these characters and their lives. The perspective of an escaped slave also brings a new POV to a part of America's history that often seems boring and rote, especially to those readers (like myself) who have mostly learned about the war from textbooks.

This is the first book to get me interested in the Revolutionary War. With well-crafted characters, an interesting subject matter, and rich historical detail that adds to the story I definitely recommend it to historical fiction fans as well as readers who are a bit more lukewarm about the genre.

Cybils!!!!

2011-10-07T00:01:00.000-07:00

About a week-ish ago I applied to be a Cybils panelist in the YA Fiction category. For those who don't know, the Cybils is a book award given by bloggers for the best YA and children's books of the year. We all know how much I love YA, especially the contemporary sub-genre, and I've wanted to be a part of the Cybils for years.

Somewhat incredibly, I MADE THE CUT. Which means I'm actually a Cybils first-round judge for the YA Fiction category. AND I COULD NOT BE MORE JAZZED.

If you haven't nominated anything for the YA Fic category yet, I have some suggestions of books that haven't yet been nominated:

Popular, by Alissa Grosso
Other Words for Love, by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal
Stay, by Deb Caletti
Vaclav & Lena, by Haley Tanner (although honestly I can't tell if this one was published as YA or adult)

ANYWAY SO THAT'S HAPPENING.

40 Day Book Challenge - Favorite Crime Fiction (09)

2011-10-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

Day 09 - Favorite crime fiction book
I don't read crime fiction. Aside from Nancy Drew (does that even count?) I honestly can't think of anything I've read that qualifies as crime fiction, though there must be something, right?

No? Okay, I'm going with Nancy Drew. Any of the first 17 books, which are all smooshed up together in my head as one big awesome Nancy Drew mystery.

Fall TV - Pilots

2011-10-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

I know this is primarily a book blog, but with my unabashed enthusiasm for television I can't help but give you my opinions on the (many) shows I've seen so far this fall. First up: pilot episodes of brand-spanking-new shows. I ended up watching more pilots than I had planned on and might actually end up watching a couple more.

Here are two things I like and one thing I love: Christina Applegate, Will Arnett, and NBC. So of course I was going to tune into the new show Up All Night, in which the two portray new parents struggling to keep being the "cool kids" they used to be. Maya Rudolph, who plays Reagan (Christina Applegate)'s best friend/boss rounds out the main cast and while I don't care much for her character, this show is definitely a winner in my book. It's so much better than the new-parents premise makes it sound. Reagan and Chris are have a cute and hilarious relationship and though it wasn't nonstop laughs, there were more than enough genuinely funny moments (like Chris trying to find cheese "all I can find is the fancy salad bar cheese") and a whole lot of heart to keep me watching. Some of the plots are ridiculous, but also strangely real and believable. Plus, how much do I love that Nick Cannon is in the show? So much. This is the first time I've seen Will Arnett play a sort-of regular character and I'm definitely going to keep watching this show.

I really wasn't planning to watch this show, but iTunes had the pilot as a free download and I figured eh, why not? Plus it has that guy who played David on Friends. Not that I noticed -- my sister had to tell me. But still. ANYWAY. This show sort of flips the romantic comedy on its head with lead characters (one divorced, one whose fiance has died) who have already gotten together and then decided it was the worst idea ever, so of course they're just going to be friends. Because that's going to work! (No. It's not.) It was a lot funnier than I was expecting it to be, mostly because the leads are actually pretty funny together and the surrounding characters are equally as funny, but the romantic aspect seems forced. I'm sure these two will eventually get together, but the fact that they seem to work so good as friends and everything else seems forced makes me think that a lot of the show might seem forced. Still, it was a lot better than I was expecting and though I probably won't keep up with it, I still might watch it when I'm bored.

This seemed promising and I'd heard it was good, so I watched it. UM. I'm sure a lot of people are going to love this show. More than will love a lot of my favorite shows, surely, but it just isn't a show I'm going to be watching. This show relies a lot on crass and sexual humor, which is sometimes funny to me but an overwhelming amount of time it really isn't. I know there were some good jokes here, but I didn't find them funny and on top of that I can't suspend my disbelief enough to really buy into the character of Max (is that her name? The one Kat Dennings plays, with the brown hair). She's great at the role, but the character is hugely rude, sarcastic, and mean, to the point that it felt a bit offensive and I started thinking hey wait, there's no way she can talk like that at her job, to customers and more importantly how the heck do all these other people like her? I mean really. The scene with the hipsters was kind of funny, but more than anything I kept thinking OMG SHE'S SO MEAN!!! And unless there's a compelling reason, I don't like mean characters. And on a side note, there were way too many pop culture references that I just didn't get. So yeah. Not watching this one.

Is there anyone who actively dislikes Zooey Deschanel? No, probably not. I'm not as crazy about her as most seem to be, but the premise of a dorky-cute girl living with three guys was interesting enough to hook me. In most ways this is a typical sitcom, which is to say it's funny but not amazing, there are a few things that really stand out and will ensure I watch the next episode at least, if not the rest of the season. For one thing there are little moments that are just hilarious (the jar, for one). And in spite of the typical sitcom-y situations, the relationships between the characters seem like they're probably going to develop pretty well (or maybe that's me being hopeful). The New Girl's habit of singing her life also reminds me a lot of my sister, so that's cool.

First of all: my sister was right. She told me this show was going to be awful but, I don't know, I kind of thought it might not be? The commercials were funny to me. BUT OH MY GOODNESS, NO. Just, no. NBC, I love you, but this is a fail. As with 2 Broke Girls (also produced by Whitney Cummings), there was a lot of crass humor here. But more than that what put me off the show was the huge reliance on gender stereotypes and being unfunny. That's pretty bold for a sitcom: to rely on not being funny. Just kidding. It tries to be funny, but it just isn't. And as with 2 Broke Girls, the main character is pretty unlikeable. During her rant about how awful and terrible weddings and marriage are I couldn't help but wonder who is inviting this woman to their wedding? Because I sure wouldn't want her at mine. One of my Twitter friends called this show "offensively unfunny" and I kind of have to agree. And the thing is, while I don't think it's aiming for "unfunny," I do think it's aiming to "offensive." I get the feeling that this is the type of show that wants to be so edgy and so offensive because that kind of stuff is funny, but I just don't like shock-value humor and without characters I can relate to at least a little bit I don't stick around. So this is another I won't be watching a second episode of, even if it is on my favorite network.

Okay, I realize there's plenty of time for this show to go into a horrible downward spiral, but judging by the pilot episode it's fair to say that I love it. I mean, come on! It has aviation/flight and espionage. Plus, it's just so dang pretty. I mean that opening shot of the sky and then the airport with all the Pan Am jets sitting there? Awesome. Right now it looks like the show is probably going to concentrate on a core group of stewardesses and pilots, but there's a mystery aspect that I feel like might become a big thing. The show does a good job of setting up the backstories of the characters and I actually really like all of the characters, which is a major plus. It's definitely a show I'm going to keep watching.

What do you guys think of the new fall shows, if you watched any of them?

Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door

2011-10-04T00:01:00.001-07:00

LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR
Stephanie Perkins
Dutton

Lola Nolan's favorite things include: the elaborately designed costumes she wears daily, her best friend, her parents, and her older, rocker boyfriend. They do not include Cricket Bell, former boy-next-door who's just moved back in and who broke her heart years earlier. She'd rather ignore the fact that Cricket and his superstar twin sister, Calliope, have moved back to the neighborhood, but when Cricket crashes back into her life and things with her boyfriend Max get more complicated, Lola must confront the fact that her feelings for Cricket might not be entirely gone.

The most difficult thing about reviewing Lola and the Boy Next Door is that it becomes impossible not to compare the book to Stephanie Perkins' debut (and this book's companion novel), Anna and the French Kiss. I'll try to steer clear of that as much as I can though, and judge this book on its own merits.

First, Lola. She's a character with a bit personality and a lot of opinions, but unfortunately a lot of her personality seemed surface-level to me. The descriptions of her "costumes," probably because I find fashion mostly boring and can't get into it, gave me little insight into who she actually was. The backstory with Cricket, a boy who she had been in love with for years before he broke her heart, was definitely one of the best parts of the book and set up their relationship once he moves back to the neighborhood, quite nicely. Though she's in love with Max, her two strict dads disapprove of the age difference (she's 17; he's 22) and her confusion over Cricket isn't helped by the friction in her and Max's relationship. Meanwhile Cricket, tall and awkward, seems to have no confusion over Lola. He's a character who has trouble hiding his feelings or not saying what's on his mind, and I liked this. While Lola seemed to always be hiding behind her clothes and her loudness, Cricket never was; it was like he was incapable of it.

Perkins is so excellent at writing the very real emotions (awkwardness and angst especially) that come with falling for someone and that's definitely true here. The complicated and sometimes conflicting emotions between Lola and Max, and then Lola and Cricket, are honest and well-written. However, the fact that I found it difficult to really connect with Lola meant that sometimes it was easier for me to identify with Cricket's emotions than hers. Because while the feelings are incredible, the relationship itself isn't as well-developed as I wanted it to be.

The setting of San Francisco (and here's where I have to talk about Anna) was written in much the same way that Paris is in Anna and the French Kiss -- Lola is enamored with her city and seems to approach it more as a tourist than a girl who has grown up in the city. She loves the color, the diversity, the progressiveness, and this is where the book fell into a strange territory for me. Because no matter how "different" or "quirky" your hometown is, it's your hometown, which means you take it for granted. It's home, no matter how much you love it, and I didn't get that sense from Lola and it threw me off.

Writing-wise, this book was cute and sweet and quirky and well-done. Some of the information felt info-dumped in the beginning, but this fairly quickly faded as the story took off. I have a feeling that some of the things that bothered me about it (Lola's feelings on her birth mother, for instance) have more to do with me and less to do with the book itself. All in all, this was a cute, quirky, sweet book but the fact is that I find it impossible to not compare it to Perkins' first novel, and for me Anna and the French Kiss was the stronger read.

Review: Virtuosity

2011-10-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

VIRTUOSITY
Jessica Martinez
Simon Pulse

Carmen is a young violin virtuoso who already has a Grammy under her belt and a scholarship to Juliard, but for her that's not enough. Her career in music hinges on winning the prestigious Guarneri competition, which comes with a worldwide, year-long tour. She must win not only for herself, but also for her mother whose own career as an opera singer was cut short and has poured her love for music into her daughter. When Carmen begins to fall for her competition, Jeremy King, she finds that she also has to confront her reliance on the anti-anxiety pills she takes before every performance - and most of her lessons. Though her mother says that taking the pills is ethical and her doctor assures her you can't become addicted, Carmen has her doubts.

This book is brilliant. I know that. From the characters and plot to the sheer writing ability, there's genius at work here. And yet in spite of that something in this book didn't sit right with me. I didn't love it the way so many others have seemed to. Carmen is a sharp, smart, and sheltered teen who nevertheless seemed to me much older than her 17 years. She's naive, but has a sort of confidence that comes from not only being one of the best (if not the best), but also from being so incredibly comfortable in her world. Though the book's synopsis makes a point of Carmen's addiction to her anti-anxiety drugs, the fact is that very early on in the book she gives up the pills, knowing that there's something wrong in her taking them. As someone who admittedly knows absolutely nothing about the classical/competitive music worlds and is as tone-deaf as they come, the subtle comparisons between anti-anxiety medication and athletes taking steroids made me uneasy; it doesn't seem comparable to me, but again, I could be very wrong on this. Another thing that confused me was the fact that Carmen called her mother by her first name. It fit well with the formal and sometimes stiff feeling of their relationship, but I wish the reasons behind it had been explained.

Carmen's mother was a very shades-of-grey character; in the beginning she seemed strict and a bit overbearing, but not horrible. However, she got worse as the book went on and by the end I absolutely hated her. Jeremy King was a similarly confusing character, at least in some ways. He's introduced as Carmen's only "real" competition in the Guarneri and this puts their relationship in a weird spot: is he using her, or does he genuinely like her? The scenes between Carmen and Jeremy - especially their dialogue - was always brilliant. These two had moments that had me laughing out loud. Despite everything going on around them and the fact that their relationship seemed very sudden, I wanted these two to end up together and happy.

I can't quite pinpoint why I didn't love this book like I should have, but I suspect it might be a combination of the subject matter (competition-music stories are a hard sell with me) and Carmen's character. Though she was likeable and sympathetic, I didn't ever really feel her love for the music that would have carried me through the book. I felt her conflicting feelings when it came to her mother, the pills, and Jeremy. I knew that she loved her stepfather and that the competition was important to her, however her mother's overbearing need for her to be the best overshadowed whatever feelings Carmen may have had about the situation. I never felt like she really loved what she was doing and partly because of this I kept wondering why, when she had so much, the Guarneri was so important. Because Carmen isn't an unknown talent; she has multiple CDs out, a scholarship to Juliard, a Grammy win, and plenty of financial support. I suspect that my feelings on this could possibly be because I've never played an instrument myself (or at least, never played one well. or passably.) and that others, who have more musical experience, will be able to see Carmen's love for the music where I couldn't.

This book is brilliant and well-written, especially in terms of atmosphere, and has a captivating story. The fact that I didn't love it doesn't mean you won't.

Virtuosity hits shelves October 18th.

In My Mailbox: LOLA!!

2011-10-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

BOOKS.

Bought: Only one book this week but that's totally okay because it's my pre-order of Lola and the Boy Next Door!! SUPER SUPER SUPER EXCITING!! (Now, that girl on the cover totally looks like a robot, right?)

40 Day Book Challenge - Book That Blew Me Away (08)

2011-10-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

Day 08 - A book that blew me away
I wasn't expecting to like this book nearly as much as I did. In fact, if it weren't for reading the author's next book and seeing what a brilliant writer she is, I never would have picked it up in the first place. But having read it I can wholeheartedly agree with everyone who told me that Before I Fall was incredible. This book completely blew my mind.

September 2011 on the Blog

2011-09-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

This month I reviewed
The Best and Hardest Thing, by Pat Brisson
An Off Year, by Claire Zulkey
Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver
The Day Before, by Lisa Schroeder
Jessie <3 NYC, by Keris Stainton

I also talked about songs that could be YA novels and the books I want to reread, as well as giving a bunch of contemporary YA recommendations.

On Titles

2011-09-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

Whenever I try to do a post on titles it turns into a mess, but the truth is that titles intrigue me. Especially titles for books that aren't out yet and might not even have a title or synopsis. For those of us who follow our favorite authors on Twitter and their blogs, a title is often the first we find out about any upcoming books and I often find myself adding books to my wishlist based solely on the author and title. And then, once I read a book, the title often takes on a slightly new meaning. The book either lives down or lives up to its title, depending on how good the story and title are.

Here are some titles to a few books I've read somewhat recently.

Jessie <3 NYC - Honestly, even if I hadn't read Keris Stainton's previous novel and wasn't already a fan of her having talked to her a bit on Twitter, I still would have wanted to read this based on the title alone. It's so cute! So New-York-y and also a bit internet-y at the same time

The Day Before - I'm sure this title is probably one meant to provoke questions (the day before what, exactly?) but for me it just hit as a very bland title, similar to Sometimes It Happens. What drew me to this book instead was the fact that I like the author (are we sensing a trend here?) and the fact that the book is told in verse, which I love.

Before I Fall - You guys, it took way too long for me to actually "get" this title, but now that I do I absolutely love it and think it fits the book perfectly.

How to Say Goodbye in Robot - This is one of those titles that I completely love and it was a huge part of the reason I wanted to read the book in the first place. And it does fit the story, but I think the title is, overall, better than the book, which always leaves me with a strange feeling of unmet potential.

So what about you guys - do you pay attention to titles? And if so, how much? Does it affect your reading/buying habits? What are some of your favorite titles?

40 Day Book Challenge - Favorite YA (07)

2011-09-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

Day 07 - A favorite YA book
You'd think this would be crazy difficult for me to choose, but it's really not. There are tons of YA books I absolutely love, but at the top of the heap is this one, that I can reread over and over again and always makes me laugh and is incredibly relatable for me. I really do think you should read it. See if you love it as much as I do.

Tuesday Ten: Books I Want to Reread

2011-09-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

1. Before I Fall

Lauren Oliver

It hasn't been long since I read this the first time but it's the sort of book I wish I were always reading because it's just that good, that amazing, that breathtaking. I think it needs to be a yearly reread.

2. Imaginary Girls

Nova Ren Suma

Another amazing book and one that delves so deeply into sister relationships. Though Ruby had a creepy hold on her younger sister and there's a lot of fantastical-ness, there's also a lot of emotions and dynamics between the sisters that ring incredibly true.

3. I Now Pronounce You Someone Else

Erin McCahan

At this point Bronwen is like an old friend and I miss her. I want to jump into her story, her journey, all over again.

4. serafina67

Susie Day

Like with Before I Fall, this is a book I wish I could always be reading. It's one of the few books (maybe the ONLY book) that I will sometimes pull from the shelf just to open to a random page and start reading. It's my go-to book and I really wish I could read this for the first time again. I love it so much.

5. Mockingjay

Susanne Collins

I guess if you're going to read Mockingjay over, you should probably read the first two as well. But as much as I love the trilogy as a whole and the first two books in the series, this is the one that really really really captured me. It's just amazing, pretty much perfect as a story in its own right as well as the ending to the Hunger Games series.

6. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

E. Lockhart

I don't even have to explain this one, do I?

7. Bloomability

Sharon Creech

One of my favorite books ever, I always have the fear that reading this again won't be the same as it was when I was younger. Honestly I think that's a huge part of the reason that, while I've been wanting to read it for months, I haven't yet. Sad, right?

8. How I Live Now

Meg Rosoff

This book both fascinated and freaked me out. It's definitely one of my favorites and I want to reread it to see if I have the same sorts of reactions that I had the first time around.

9. The Great Good Thing

Roderick Townley

Everyone who hasn't read this incredible book, GO DO IT NOW. NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW!!!

10. Leverage

Joshua C. Cohen

This book is so disturbing. And while part of me (a large part) wants to read it over again, another part of me is afraid to. I had such a visceral reaction the first time around (curled up, wincing, reading through squinted eyes the way you'd watch a scary movie). But KURT BRODSKY IS AMAZING. And just for him alone, if nothing else, I want to reread it.

YA News: Jodi Picoult

2011-09-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

Alright, I know quite a few authors who traditionally write adult novels have tried their hand at YA lately. Those ladies who wrote The Magnolia League, Harlan Coban, and a few years ago Andrea Seigel with The Kid Table. The fact that these authors don't usually write YA isn't something I often know because to be honest I don't pay a whole ton of attention to adult publishing.

And all of this is to say that Jodi Picoult, one of the adult writers I do pay attention to, has a YA co-written with her daughter coming out next year. And I have to say, I'm pretty excited about it. Picoult's novels are kind of hit-and-miss with me but she's a stellar writer and Between the Lines sounds like it could be a really funny, really sweet book.

It also sounds, even aside from the genre change, a huge departure from the novels Picoult normally writes. Between the Lines is about a "prince who wants to break free from his fairy-tale existence, and the girl who falls for him while reading." A romance! About a prince stuck in a book! And I know that authors who write a book in a new genre (whether it's YA, paranormal, contemporary, crime, romance, fantasy, whatever) have a bit of an uphill battle, but I have to say: I'm psyched about this book. It sounds really good.

So what do you guys think about Jodi Picoult writing a YA novel?

Review: Jessie Hearts NYC

2011-09-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

JESSIE <3 NYC
Keris Stainton
Orchard

When Jessie travels from Manchester to New York City to stay with her mother for the summer, she has her sights on exploring the city she's long been obsessed with, forgetting her ex-boyfriend, and maybe dating the star of her mother's new Broadway play. Meanwhile NYC teen Finn is in love with his best friend's girl and trying to find a way to tell his strict family that he'd rather not major in business. These two just might be the right fit, but in a city the size of New York they keep just missing each other.

It's incredibly rare that I find a book and think man, I wish this were a movie, but Jessie <3 NYC definitely made me think that. The cute story is reminiscent of great NYC love stories -- You've Got Mail and Serendipity just to name two. With romantic leads that are often in the same place at the same (or almost same) time, who bump into each other on more than one occasion, there was a sense of happenstance here that works so well on screen. Unfortunately, it's harder to make this work on the page and many things that would seem surprising or quirky in a movie fell a little flat here.

The characters, especially Jessie, are likable and often in difficult situations. While Finn's wealthy, business-obsessed family would be disappointed to learn he hates the business world, Jessie's friction with her mother is the subplot that really shines. Jessie's mother, a playwright who has recently moved to New York along with her Broadway show, Small Changes, is, to Jessie's mind, distant, self-absorbed and obsessed with her work. She cares more about her writing than her daughter.

As a writer myself, this made me uncomfortable especially as, in some ways, I saw myself in some of the things Jessie's mother did, especially when it came to getting super-involved in her fictional world. However, this uncomfortableness is one of the best parts of the book, in my opinion. Instead of getting a one-dimensional mother-daughter relationship, the reader, along with Jessie, slowly learns the complexities and realities of her mother.

I liked the setting of New York City, especially seen through the eyes of two characters with very different perspectives (one from Europe and one raised in NYC). For those who love books set in NYC, this is definitely one I'd read. And while there were a few plot points that felt anticlimactic, over all this was a cute and sweet story, but for me the relationship between Jessie and her mother - especially as the story goes on - is what really made the book.

PS. DID I MENTION IT'S A UK NOVEL AND VERY FANCY BRITISH? It is.

Oh, hey there.

2011-09-23T18:16:00.000-07:00

Whenever I don't blog for a while I sort of forget how to. I start a new post and end up staring at the blank screen with no idea what to say.

But hello! I haven't meant to be gone, it's just happened that way. But I have so much I want to talk about: adult writers trying their hand at YA (Jodi Picoult is writing a YA book, didja hear?), reviews of books I've read lately, and, because there's more to life than books, also the fall TV shows I've seen.

So look forward to that soon.

Also: I definitely do not recommend "checking" tumblr when you're supposed to be writing. It's a black hole worse than tv tropes, I swear.

Ten Songs That Could Be YA Novels

2011-09-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

Tattoo, by Jordin Sparks
Boys With Girlfriends, by Meiko
Breakaway, by Kelly Clarkson
Crazy Summer Nights, by Hope Partlow
TiKToK, by Ke$ha
You Still Shake Me, by Deanna Carter
Big Girl (You Are Beautiful), by MIKA
If I Die Young, by The Band Perry
Bad Reputation, by Joan Jett
Better Than Revenge, by Taylor Swift (this is sort of horrible audio quality, SORRY)

These are all songs I think would make excellent inspirations for YA novels. At least three of them I've used in the playlists for my writing and sometimes I just think if someone took a song and put it in novel form it could be, depending on the song, the greatest. thing. ever.

What songs do you think would make great YA novels?

Review: The Day Before

2011-09-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

THE DAY BEFORE
Lisa Schroeder
Simon Pulse

With her life completely out of her control, Amber disappears to the beach for a day. Away from her family, away from her friends, and away from her problems. One perfect day. She doesn't expect to meet Cade, an interesting boy who seems to be escaping something just like she is. Together they agree to have the perfect day: no regrets, no problems, no questions. But of course, the more Amber gets to know Cade the more she cares about him and the more she wants to ask: what is he running from?

Told in verse (which I love), this book had unlimited potential. A perfect day, no regrets, like the angsty book version of Ferris Beuller's Day Off. And while in some ways the book more than lived up to this potential, in other ways it didn't. For starters, I love novels in verse and this one was written spectacularly. The beauty and simplicity of Lisa Schroeder's poems is so much more than I was expecting. However, because the subject of the book - the thing Amber's trying to escape - isn't revealed until over 75 pages in, the start of her story is confusing. It's clear that she loves her family and that she has amazing friends and without knowing what was going on in her life that was so horrible, it was difficult to connect with her. And the subject matter, once it's revealed, is one that I had many questions about and novels in verse make it difficult to answer a lot of these non-emotional questions, so I was left wanting more explanation for some things.

However, my biggest problem with the book, the main reason I didn't absolutely 100% love it, was because of the relationship between Amber and Cade. Her attraction to Cade is incredibly fast, especially considering how little they knew about each other. In her mind she connected with him on a deep and very real level, and though I saw this connection between them to a certain extent, it didn't come across as powerfully as Amber felt it and the character of Cade on his own was, while not unappealing, definitely more boring than I would have expected for the majority of the book. I wanted more focus on Amber's story and the book's huge focus on the romance between Amber and Cade never captivated me. Much of my ambivalence about Cade was redeemed in the book's ending, but I'd rather not say any more about that because I really, definitely don't want to spoil anything that happens.

That all said, can we please go back to the writing of this book? Because the straight-to-the-heart simplicity of the poems is the exact reason I love verse novels so much. They're emotionally charged without sidelining into wordiness and purple prose. At its best, a novel written in verse is relatable and heart-tugging even if, as in the case of this book, the characters and their problems are very different from your own. And The Day Before achieved that level of relatability. Amber's love for her mother, her confusion at the crazy way her life was spinning out of control, was written so well, as were the many little moments captured during her day with Cade. So while the romance may not have captivated me, the story and especially the writing definitely did.

Writing: The Quiet Ones

2011-09-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

(via tumblr.)

The book I'm working on is so quiet it's like a whisper in the wind. It's the kind of sneaky, calm book that I love reading and love writing, but that scares me to believe in. Because this book is all characters and emotion and journeys of life and even the more exciting scenes are coated with sadness and haze.

This is the type of book it is. And I am so close, have read it and reread and written and rewritten and edited so much that it's hard to tell if this is something really good or something really horrible.

Some days I think that this book is going to be great. That this is the sort of book that people will love and connect with and urge their friends to read. That is, if the book ever gets to be a book. And then other days I think what am I doing? This is a piece of junk. I think that I can't believe I'm wasting my time on this, that my writing is shoddy and the story is sad and I have no idea what I'm doing.

But I do want this to be better than good, better than great. I want it to be amazing. And mostly I think it will be, think that I can hammer it into being the book I imagine it to be. It's just that the getting-there is so difficult and being both my biggest fan and harshest critic - often in the span of a couple of hours - gets confusing.

40 Day Book Challenge - Book That Changed My Life (06)

2011-09-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

Day 06 - A book that changed my life
When I was sixteen I wrote an essay about my relationship with my mother. At the time our relationship was difficult to say the least. I wrote this essay to submit to a open call for "personal essays" from teenage girls for a future anthology, all the while thinking that really it would only be me and my best friend who would actually read it. Partly because of this, I was incredibly open and honest and very, very blunt.

If I had known the essay would actually get chosen as part of this anthology - that countless strangers and my mother would actually read it - I would have written on a different subject entirely. But amazingly, my essay was chosen and because of this so much has happened. It was the first piece of writing I got published and because of it I've been able to write on topics I'm passionate about on both the Huffington Post and I Heart Daily. I've met amazing people, including the editor of the anthology and a fellow Red author who is now one of my very best friends. When I look back now at what I wrote I feel like my writing since then has improved so much, but I'm also very proud of the essay. It was very honest and, at the time, the best writing I could do. There are lines that I love just like there are lines that make me cringe.

I don't know how much this essay has to do with the fact that four years after the book's publication, me and my mom have a very good relationship. Some of that, I know, is just the fact that I've grown up and matured, but I do think that some has to do with the fact that writing my essay forced us to have some very honest conversations. It forced us to confront (my) issues. There are definitely times since that I've wished I didn't write the essay - there's no way to know how much my words hurt my mother. But those times aren't often and I am overwhelmingly glad and grateful for that first "break" into published writing and all that it has led to both with my life and my writing.

Contemporary Recommendations

2011-09-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

I was talking to a fellow blogger recently who asked for some contemporary YA recommendations and after I sent her a big ole list, I decided to share some recommends with the blog. Because there are so many great books out there and while I'm sure you've read some of them, you probably haven't read all of them.

Feel-Good Stories for Happy, Sunshine-y Days

Geek Charming, by Robin Palmer
The Lonely Hearts Club, by Elizabeth Eulberg
serafina67 *urgently requires life*, by Susie Day
The Year of Secret Assignments, by Jaclyn Moriarty
Tweet Heart, by Elizabeth Rudnick

Only the Very Best Stories With Kick-A Protagonists

Leverage, by Joshua C. Cohen (Kurt Brodsky FOR THE WIN)
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, by E. Lockhart (Frankie Landau-Banks)

The Best Stories Featuring Fame and Celebrities

The Real Real, by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
Where She Went, by Gayle Forman
Exclusively Chloe, by J.A. Yang
Teen Idol, by Meg Cabot
Scarlett Fever, by Maureen Johnson

Inspirational, Awe-Inspiring Stories

Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver
Sea, by Heidi R. Kling
The First Part Last, by Angela Johnson
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things, by Carolyn Mackler
Deadline, by Chris Crutcher

I have a few other categories to do (and suggest any if you have suggestions), but those will have to wait for another post.

Review: Before I Fall

2011-09-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

BEFORE I FALL
Lauren Oliver
HarperCollins

Samantha Kingston is pretty, popular, and having the time of her life. And then her friend's car crashes with her in the passenger seat. When she wakes up it's February 12th -- again. All in all, Sam lives her last day seven times as she tries to figure out why she died, if she can save herself, and what sort of person she wants to be remembered as -- what sort of person she wants to be, even if it's too late.

When this book came out years ago, it seemed like all of my blogger friends were reading and raving over it, but the idea of reading variations on the same day seven times seemed like a story doomed to redundancy and boring-ness. However, after reading Lauren Oliver's dystopian -- Delirium -- and seeing how beautiful her writing is, I had to read Before I Fall. And you guys. It wasn't perfection, but it was close. Oliver's writing is detail-heavy and absolutely beautiful. Sam Kingston, with the popular friends and the popular boyfriend and the perfect life, is at first not a very nice person. Her actions and words, especially her thoughts about others, grated on me that first day.

But then she died.

And what follows that is six days of Sam trying to fix things. Trying to save herself -- if not her life, then at least her reputation. She doesn't want to be remembered as a mean girl, which is what she fears she is. Sam's foursome of friends are at first the typical group of popular girls, but as each day -- each moment -- passes, it gets easier to see them for the complex people they really are. Some, I wanted so badly to hate. These were, in many ways, the worst type of high school students: powerful, selfish, and mean. But there are layers here that Sam, as she wakes up on February 12th again and again, delves into. Nobody is quite as uncomplicated as they seem, least of all Sam herself.

The plot of Sam's story hinges on not just her last day, but specifically the party her and her friends attend that night. The party she dies on the way home from. As she tries to prevent and understand the crash, she ends up understanding herself, her life, and the lives of those around her so much better. This book goes into breathtaking detail, illuminating different people, different events, in each repeat of the day. She sets out to right her wrongs and make herself a better person, wanting to be remembered well, and in doing this she learns just how deep and complex the connections in people's lives are. She sees how spontaneous, unthinking action can hurt others, how deeply people are woven together, and how much good and bad is carried in each one of us. Her friends are far from perfect, especially best friend and It girl, Lindsey, but they are rarely shown as the "mean girls" it's so easy to peg them as. Sam manages to face the awful things they've done, the horrible ways they've mistreated others, while also remembering that they are more complex than that. They are better than that. Living February 12th over and over again allows her to see the people around her in all of their complexities. The themes here (how we treat others, how we live, as well as the fact that we are all responsible for our own actions and decisions) are so incredibly well done that it's difficult for me to wrap my brain around them. The story is brilliant, the characters are so complexly imagined, and the themes are brilliant. Other books have attempted similar stories, or similar themes, but none have tackled them nearly as well. Before I Fall is a book that makes others pale in comparison. It's a page-turner, a tearjerker, a masterpiece, and a must-read.

In My Mailbox: Books & Other Stuff

2011-09-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

BOOKS.

From Authors: You guys you guys you guys!!! This cover!!! It's so pretty! I mean, I know it looks nice here but in real life it is SO MUCH NICER. All shiny and gold-y and so pretty. I'm excited to read this book both because not only do I love the premise (and title!) and think Keris Stainton is awesome, but also it's a UK book. Fancy!

Bought: I've never read a Jennifer Weiner book before but I follow her on the Twitter machine and have been wanting to read this one for quite a while. I don't quite know exactly what it's about but it sounds like it might be exciting. I DON'T KNOW, but I want to read it.

Also, I know today is Sept. 11 and I do feel compelled to talk about that a bit, but honestly this day affected me not-so-much and others so much more in very huge, very real ways. I feel like anything I would have to say would take away from how important it truly is to others and how much it fully changed so much about our world and so many people's lives.