Bibliophilia - Maggie's Bookshelf

In need of life advice, part the first

2012-01-25T21:57:00.000-06:00

You may have noticed I haven't posted here in, oh...six days.

This may have made you sad. Maybe not.

(Have I told you lately that I love you, dear followers?)

There's actually a very good reason for this. Two, in fact: the first is that I've started my fourth (and final) semester at my esteemed two year institution.

The second is that I am officially living away from home, for at least five days a week, every week, till May.

I KNOW. I'm excited. Also terrified, and a little homesick, and stranded in a basement without wireless internet. But the family I'm living with is lovely, I live closer to my friends, the commute to school is much shorter (which of course means more time to read books).

But also there's the internet thing, which means less blogging. But also there's the living away from home thing.

Which is where all of you come in.

Older folks: what advice would you give your own YA self as you were taking your first steps into the big wide world?

Folks in my age bracket: what are your favorite YA dreams?

Long, short, whatever, I want your answers. Send them my way with an alias, your real name, or whatever you'd like me to publish it under, and I'll run the post at some future date when I get enough submissions.

(There might be a giveaway in the works, too.)

So what are you waiting for? Have at it, and keep partying down with your big bad YA selves without me. I should be getting wireless sometime next week, so hope to see you around here more soon.

Review: Dead to You

2012-01-19T12:00:00.000-06:00

Dead to You by Lisa McMann
Goodreads | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble
YA, Contemporary, 256 pages, Simon Pulse

Series: 1st in Dead to You series
Pub date: February 7th 2012
Why I read it: Author I love, mystery, kidnapped
Disclosure: Received an ARC from the Red Balloon Bookstore. Thanks!

Judged by its cover: Another mediocre one. It's not terrible, but it doesn't have much to do with the story, and close-up shots of eyelashes kind of freak me out.

Goodreads blurb:

Ethan was abducted from his front yard when he was just seven years old. Now, at sixteen, he has returned to his family. It's a miracle... at first. Then the tensions start to build. His reintroduction to his old life isn't going smoothly, and his family is tearing apart all over again. If only Ethan could remember something, anything, about his life before, he'd be able to put the pieces back together. But there's something that's keeping his memory blocked. Something unspeakable...

The Long...

Readers who've stuck around the Bookshelf for awhile might remember my undying love for Lisa McMann's Wake trilogy, and my passionate open letter in its defense last January, and thus understand how excited I was for Dead to You. Those who haven't been around that long? Suffice to say I was excited. Really excited. Unfortunately, though, it didn't quite live up to expectations.

It's not that Ethan isn't a sympathetic character, or that his voice didn't ring true: he is, and it did. In fact, Ethan's voice was in many ways more distinctive than Janie's in Wake. It's not that the story wasn't interesting, or that there wasn't enough tension, or that it didn't keep me guessing till the very end. It's just that it felt...well, empty, like eating popcorn on an empty stomach. I put it down in a daze, and then didn't let it cross my mind for weeks.

The ending, in particular, felt like a sucker punch. Sick as I am of cliffhanger endings, I can't exactly hold it against McMann for trying to pull it off: they definitely sell books, and can even work as part of the story when done right. It's just that in a story already full of suspension of belief--a childhood kidnapping AND amnesia AND a girl-next-door romance AND family drama, and, and, and--one more gimmick was not what the story needed.

It's still a badass book from a badass writer. I just can't help thinking it could have been something more.

...and the Short:

McMann has the teen voice down pat, but the story left me wanting something...more. Worth reading, but maybe not pre-ordering.

The Final Word: Liked It.

Dead to You will be available February 2nd, 2012.

Review: Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey

2012-01-18T11:15:00.000-06:00

Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey
Goodreads | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble
YA, Paranormal Romance/Fantasy, 332 pages, Flux

Series: 1st in Witch Eyes series
Pub date: September 8th 2011
Why I read it: Action, small town secrets, witches, LGBTQ
Disclosure: Received an ARC from the Red Balloon Bookstore. Thanks!

Judged by its cover: Just okay. It certainly works with the story, but it's not really my thing.

Goodreads blurb:

Braden was born with witch eyes: the ability to see the world as it truly is: a blinding explosion of memories, darkness, and magic. The power enables Braden to see through spells and lies, but at the cost of horrible pain.
After a terrifying vision reveals imminent danger for the uncle who raised and instructed him, Braden retreats to Belle Dam, an old city divided by two feuding witch dynasties. As rival family heads Catherine Lansing and Jason Thorpe desperately try to use Braden's powers to unlock Belle Dam's secrets, Braden vows never to become their sacrificial pawn. But everything changes when Braden learns that Jason is his father--and Trey, the enigmatic guy he's falling for, is Catherine's son.
To stop an insidious dark magic from consuming the town, Braden must master his gift—and risk losing the one he loves.

The Long...

When I wrote about this book for my Best of Paranormal Romance 2011 post, I said it had a cinematic quality, punctuated by (and I quote):

"There's action! Explosions! Crazy powers! Sunglasses! Romance!"

And really, I can't think of a better way to open this review. Witch Eyes is, in short, the perfect corny, silly, romantic, crazy, action-filled sort of read for a rainy day. It's a cult classic B-movie in the making. It's terrific. And I couldn't get enough.

The aspect of the book that has gotten it the most press--its gay hero--was actually one of the least "interesting" aspects of Braden's character, exactly as it should be. There are no soul-wrecking coming-out stories to be found here. Sure, there's a little angst, but in fact it all adds up to less than most straight paranormal romances I can think of. It's a Romeo and Juliet story in pure form, with the warring families of Belle Dam keeping Braden and Trey apart more than any blatant homophobia.

In fact, returning to the cult classic theme, Belle Dam is almost a character of itself; oozing with magic and secrets buried deep. Sure, I would liked to have seen it sketched out in a little more depth, but what we got was so fantastically against the typical YA grain that I can't really complain. Think Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but a little less high school and a little more old money gothic.

My biggest complaint, frankly, was the twists. They weren't exactly a big mystery, and the tension wasn't wound quite tight enough to make up for it. Still, Witch Eyes was easily one of my most entertaining reads of 2011, and it's a great example of what paranormal romance can be when it steps off the beaten path.

...and the Short:

A terrific, cult-classic sort of read that had me cheering all the way. Bring on book 2!

The Final Word: Loved it!

Happy MLK Day, or, whatever happened to the melting pot?

2012-01-16T13:03:00.000-06:00

If you didn't know, hey! It's Martin Luther King Day! And if you're wondering why it's still necessary to celebrate one of the greatest civil rights leaders (and true-blue Americans) of all time, I present the news story I woke up to as evidence:

"Tuscon schools ban books by Chicano and Native American authors." (The Narcosphere.)

Read it? Angry yet? Good. Some highlights in case you missed them:

"Students said the banned books were seized from their classrooms and out of their hands, after Tucson schools banned Mexican American Studies, including a book of photos of Mexico. Crying, students said it was like Nazi Germany, and they were unable to sleep since it happened."
"Biggers said Shakespeare’s play 'The Tempest,' was also banned during the meeting this week. Administrators told Mexican-American studies teachers to stay away from any class units where 'race, ethnicity and oppression are central themes.'"
"The reading list includes world acclaimed Chicano and Latino authors, along with Native American authors. The list includes books by Corky Gonzales, along with Sandra Cisneros’ 'The House on Mango Street;' Jimmy Santiago Baca’s 'Black Mesa Poems,' and L.A. Urreas’ 'The Devil’s Highway.' The authors include Henry David Thoreau and the popular book 'Like Water for Chocolate.'

Also worth reading is this Salon article on the topic, quoted in The Narcosphere's piece. A particularly memorable line for me:

"...[books were singled out by] Arizona state superintendent of public instruction John Huppenthal, who campaigned in 2010 on the promise to 'stop la raza.' Huppenthal, who once lectured state educators that he based his own school principles for children on corporate management schemes of the Fortune 500, compared Mexican-American studies to Hitler Jugend indoctrination last fall."

I'm not going to touch the Nazi accusations being slung on both sides, since Hitler has a tendency to quickly derail even the most logical of arguments. I'd just like to point something out:

This is censorship.

I frankly don't care what your political leanings are. I frankly don't care how you feel about ethnic studies being taught as a distinct subject in schools. And as stupid as I think it is to ban what is widely regarded as one of the most revolutionary and excellent textbooks in America, that's not what the core issue is for me here.

The core issue is that we're keeping kids from reading books they clearly adore; books that resonate.

The core issue is that we're banning stories and authors so firmly entrenched in American culture--Like Water for Chocolate, The House on Mango Street, Thoreau, goddamn William Shakespeare--in the name of, and forgive me if I misunderstand, allowing kids to think for themselves.

This isn't just the systematic erasure of cultures and peoples. It's the systematic erasure of thought.

Like I said, I don't care if you're a Democrat or a Republican or a blend of both or neither. I smell a rat. I smell a heap of rats.

And I'm sad.

When I went to go see Winona LaDuke--an Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) activist, former vice-presidential candidate, and one of the writers on the banned list--speak last year, she said something that resonated with me deeply. I don't remember the exact words, and I'm fairly certain she was quoting someone else (attribute away in the comments section), but the gist of it was this:

If we're not at the table, we're on it. If we're not a part of the discussion, we're no longer human.

If talk of race is no longer allowed at the table, if talk of ethnicity is no longer allowed at the table, if talk of oppression is no longer allowed at the table: where are we? Where is the challenge? How do we grow? How do kids learn what's beyond their horizons?

The question of whether or not we should have classes on Mexican-American studies is a complex one that I can't answer in a blog post. The question of whether or not it's okay to censor the authors, art, and literature of a culture--any culture--is a little simpler: it's not.

Whatever happened to the melting pot?

If Martin Luther King were alive today, that's what I think he'd be asking: if the color of our skin doesn't matter, what are schools afraid of? Why are we banning books? Why aren't we letting kids make up their own damn minds?

I still don't know the answer. I just know there are still so many questions to ask.

Updates to my review policy

2012-01-14T11:42:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to direct any newcomers to the blog to some pertinent changes in my review policy. A couple of new highlights:

My professional email address is no longer mdesmondobrien@yahoo.com. It is now mdesmondobrien@gmail.com. I will do my best to stay on top of the trickle of Yahoo! emails still coming, but if you want a guarantee that I'll get back to you, please direct all emails to the Gmail address.
The Middle Grade Monday feature has been officially discontinued. Unfortunately my darling 11-year-old sister Ellie has decided that, while she loves reading, blogging and reviewing is just not for her. This means that I am no longer accepting middle grade books for review, unless they have significant teen and adult crossover appeal.

A couple of old highlights that still bear repeating:

I am still open to teen books in any genre as long as they capture my attention. Yes, even romance, though your chances are better with a contemporary or sci-fi title. I'm a fairly open and voracious reader, so give it a shot! The worst I can do is say no.
I am still open to indie books in any genre as long as they capture my attention. My experiences with indie authors have been among the best I've had here at Maggie's Bookshelf, and despite some frustrations with the self-publishing machine, that's not likely to change anytime soon.
I am still open to adult books, but I am more discriminating than I am with my teen choices and would prefer to receive requests for titles with teen crossover appeal (please, no more war hero biographies).

Thanks to all, and please keep the review requests coming! They make this bibliophile's day every time, even when I say no.

Review: Stick by Andrew Smith

2012-01-13T20:01:00.001-06:00

Stick by Andrew Smith
Goodreads | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble
YA, Contemporary, 292 pages, Feiwel & Friends

Series: stand-alone
Pub date: October 11th 2011
Why I read it: Brothers, LGBTQ, gritty stuff
Disclosure: Received an ARC from the Red Balloon Bookstore. Thanks!

Judged by its cover: Just okay. It does a decent job of conveying the story, but it screams I AM READING AN ISSUE BOOK OF GREAT IMPORTANCE rather loudly (and not in a good way). It is also a rather excellent example of why stock photos aren't the best idea for YA covers: see Harmonic Feedback.

Goodreads blurb:

Fourteen-year-old Stark McClellan (nicknamed Stick because he’s tall and thin) is bullied for being “deformed” – he was born with only one ear. His older brother Bosten is always there to defend Stick. But the boys can’t defend one another from their abusive parents.
When Stick realizes Bosten is gay, he knows that to survive his father's anger, Bosten must leave home. Stick has to find his brother, or he will never feel whole again. In his search, he will encounter good people, bad people, and people who are simply indifferent to kids from the wrong side of the tracks. But he never loses hope of finding love – and his brother.

The Long...

From the minute I read the summary for Andrew Smith's previous release, The Marbury Lens, I knew he was an author I had to try. When I got the opportunity to check out The Marbury Lens from the library and get my hands on an ARC of Stick in the same week this summer, I jumped on it. The problem? I'm still reeling.

Of all the words you could use to describe Andrew Smith's writing, "easy" is not one of them. The Marbury Lens was easily the most intense YA book I have ever read, and while Stick was slightly less brutal, it's still a white-knuckler the whole way through. Every time something goes right, you know something's about to go wrong in a big way, and while I couldn't tear my eyes away, it sometimes felt more like rubber-necking than reading.

Still, there's no denying that Smith's writing is as affecting as it is difficult, and Stick's voice--words skipping around the page as we imagine he hears them--was distinctive and excellent. Stick's connection to his brother Bosten, even as it tears him apart from everything he knows and loves, was my favorite part of the book, especially since I've always wanted a big brother. And while, as with The Marbury Lens, Smith's treatment of his gay characters is less than consistent as the book goes on, it's less an issue of content than of genre: the book feels more like literary adult fiction than YA.

All that is to say nothing of the conclusion, which was easily the most devastating (while hopeful) I've read in a long time. I was ready to leave the characters behind, but they weren't ready to leave me, and I still catch myself thinking about it in odd moments. I'm still not sure I can be entirely coherent about this book. I'm sure it will be as polarizing as it is thought-provoking, and it's certainly worth a read, if only to set your head spinning for awhile.

...and the Short:

Brutal, visceral, intense: love it or hate it, this book will stick with you for a long time.

The Final Word: Liked it.

YA and music: Call for submissions!

2012-01-12T17:14:00.000-06:00

Back from the brink of No-Internet-Landia, I finally have the chance to bring my desperate shout-out for YA playlists to a place beyond Twitter: to make a series of long, boring tweets short, I'm looking for submissions of playlists or even single songs that make you think of particular YA novels or authors.

Basically, I love YA, and I love music, but I'm terrible at making playlists. So please, help me out.

If you feel like making a few (or have some already made!), please drop me a line at mdesmondobrien@gmail.com, and I'll repost them with your permission ASAP. Or, if you have particularly good YA playlist links to share, whether author- or reader-created, I'm happy to re-post those, as well.

Or guest posts. Or anything related to both music and YA, really.

For example, see this awesome playlist author Steve Brezenoff made for his book, Brooklyn, Burning, which you can find my review for here.

If you are so inclined, some books I would particularly love to see playlists for:

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King (Goodreads/my review)
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart (Goodreads/review forthcoming)
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (Goodreads/my review)
Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion (Goodreads/my review)
Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves (Goodreads/my review)
And Then Things Fall Apart by Arlaina Tibensky (Goodreads/review forthcoming)

I hope I've gotten your creative (musical) juices flowing. Submit away!

Review: Chime by Franny Billingsley

2012-01-11T11:52:00.000-06:00

Chime by Franny Billingsley
Goodreads | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble
YA, Fantasy, 361 pages, Dial

Series: stand-alone
Pub date: March 17th 2011
Why I read it: unreliable narrator, swamp wolves, historical fantasy
Disclosure: Checked out a copy from my local library.

Judged by its cover: Just okay. I like the font and the tree roots around her shoulder--a cover that actually has something to do with the story, huzzah!--but yet again we have a doe-eyed girl staring out at the world as I read. And that's awkward.

Goodreads blurb:

Before Briony's stepmother died, she made sure Briony blamed herself for all the family's hardships. Now Briony has worn her guilt for so long it's become a second skin. She often escapes to the swamp, where she tells stories to the Old Ones, the spirits who haunt the marshes. But only witches can see the Old Ones, and in her village, witches are sentenced to death. Briony lives in fear her secret will be found out, even as she believes she deserves the worst kind of punishment.
Then Eldric comes along with his golden lion eyes and mane of tawny hair. He's as natural as the sun, and treats her as if she's extraordinary. And everything starts to change. As many secrets as Briony has been holding, there are secrets even she doesn't know.

The Long...

Franny Billingsley knows what she's doing. Exhibit A: I guessed every twist Chime had to offer pages and pages before the big reveal, which is normally a deal-breaker, but in Chime was a deal-maker. Exhibit B: protagonist Briony, consumed by self-hatred, doubt, and guilt, should have by rights been insufferable, but was instead the most distinctive and enjoyable protagonist I read all year. Exhibit C: I couldn't put it down. At all. Ever.

Put it this way: I don't tie just any book with Daughter of Smoke and Bone for my Best Fantasy of 2011, folks.

With the rise of steampunk, especially Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan trilogy (continued in Behemoth and Goliath), I'm seeing more alternative history than I ever have before. Still, the "alternative" part usually has more of a sci-fi bent than did Chime, with its hanging of witches that turn to dust if they're real (and stay a corpse if they were just human after all) and the Boggy Mun taken as everyday life. Briony's love of the swamp (and her wolves) was the closest I've felt to Gemma Doyle and her Realms in Libba Bray's A Great and Terrible Beauty since...well, A Great and Terrible Beauty.

Speaking of Libba Bray, it all just drives home how sad this year's National Book Awards debacle was, since Chime has certainly received a large portion of the fallout after Lauren Myracle's exclusion with Shine. Both Chime and Shine are terrifically deserving books, and terrifically different.

In the end, what makes Chime so memorable is its mood: utterly different from the steaminess, grittiness, seediness, and danger that have dominated so much of YA this year. Chime can be shocking and terrifying, certainly, but it does it in such a childlike way you hardly believe you're reading a novel and not a fairytale you grew up with. It seeps in and becomes a part of you, and isn't that all we ask of our books, anyway?

...and the Short:

A charming, complex fairytale with protagonist and world you'll never forget.

The Final Word: Loved it!

Happy birthday to me!

2012-01-06T19:39:00.001-06:00

Just wanted to say a huge thank you for all of the lovely birthday wishes I received today, and to announce a blog vacation while I get settled in for spring semester. I'll be living away from home for the next five months, and while I'm excited about living closer to school, hanging out with friends, having a shorter commute, etc., I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little terrified, too.

This truly has been the most fantastic of birthdays (and years), so thanks again for being awesome, everybody. See you Monday!

Review: The Mumbo Jumbo Circus by Jane George

2012-01-04T22:47:00.000-06:00

The Mumbo Jumbo Circus by Jane George
Goodreads | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble
YA, Contemporary/Magical Realism, 336 pages, Red Willow Publishing

Series: stand-alone
Pub date: April 5th 2011
Why I read it: Circus freaks, pretty illustrations
Disclosure: Received a review copy from the author. Thanks!

Judged by its cover: Beautiful illustrations that convey the story perfectly. Well done, indies.

Goodreads blurb:

Magic. Mystery. Mayhem. The MUMBO JUMBO CIRCUS...
When the enigmatic Ringmaster asks 15-year-old Evanja (Evan) Leane to run away and join the circus, she says yes. Anywhere’s got to be better than foster home Number Eight. Evan learns that this ragtag circus, a haven for throwaway teens, relies on more than spectacle and illusion. This circus is built on magic. Each of the teens possesses a donvrai, a true gift, that manifests only in the presence of the Ringmaster’s mysterious Ju-Ju. Unlike many of the other teens who must wait for their donvrai to emerge, Evan’s gift surfaces on her first night: she can read horses’ minds. This would be totally awesome except she has been deathly afraid of horses since foster home Number Three. But circus is a dying art. If Evan wants to save her beloved new-found home, she must concoct a brilliant horse act that will bring in the crowds. And she’d better get over herself and get on with it fast; there’s a traitor close to the Ringmaster who will stop at nothing to make sure she doesn’t succeed.

The Long...

It's been an awfully long time since I've been charmed by a book. Enthralled, sure. Disappointed, of course. And there hasn't been much in between. Sometimes it's just as lovely to read a book for fun--adventures, magic, and kissing galore--as it is to read it because you can't even imagine breathing without finishing. I doubt The Mumbo Jumbo Circus will compel many to burn the midnight oil, but it has a whole lot of heart. And sometimes, that's all a book needs.

The biggest delight, to me, was George's vivid portrayal of circus life, and its hodgepodge mythology that felt as silly--in a good way--as it did real. From the perfect, tiny, acrobatic twins who are as vicious as they are beautiful, to the mime who refuses to say a word even outside of his act, to the gypsy with a British accent, to the goth boy Evanja Leane falls for, George's characters are goofy, bouncy caricatures of themselves, and I don't even mind. It takes me back to the Big Top I loved as a kid, popcorn, cotton candy, circus peanuts, and all.

Where George stumbles is in her "typical-teen" talk. While there's nary a morality tale in sight, thank goodness, the profanity and the cutting and the trailer parks and the sex talks get to be a little much. Still, George has more of a knack for the teen voice than most, and it was never enough to take me too far out of the magic.

All in all, The Mumbo Jumbo Circus was a great, sweet read that perfectly crystallized what being a teenager means: wanting to both go back to being a kid and metamorphose into a grown-up so very badly it feels like you might be ripped in two. Anyone looking for a childhood nostalgia trip could do much worse than this. It's even illustrated, in a quirky style I didn't love but certainly liked a lot, and George's descriptions function almost as illustrations themselves. I can't wait to see what she does next, and have to hope a little bit that it will mean a return to the characters and world she handles so well here.

...and the Short:

A sweet childhood nostalgia trip with a lot of heart. Anyone for a trip to the circus?

The Final Word: Liked it.

Must Read Now: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

2012-01-03T19:55:00.000-06:00

Must Read Now is a semi-regular feature here at the Bookshelf, where I spotlight books that, while they're too old and too popular already for me to consider doing a full review on, I just can't stop talking about and feel the need to share. The last time I wrote one of these, I wrote about the Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness. Today, I'm writing about a book I loved even more:

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Goodreads | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

In his first book for young adults, bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings by acclaimed artist Ellen Forney, that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live.

Never had a book made me laugh, cry, grin, melt, and cringe all on the same page...until The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Never had I been so emotionally affected by a book I found myself cry-laughing about it a week later...until The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Sherman Alexie hasn't just written a book, he's written a life, because Junior is hands down the most vivid character I've ever read in fiction. Writers, don't miss it. Also notable is the art, which is so perfect for the story I can't begin to imagine the book without it.

In short, I can't believe I waited this long to read this book. If you're waiting...QUIT. Just read it, and thank me later.

Now excuse me while I go re-read it.

Review: Guantanamo Boy by Anna Perera

2012-01-02T12:51:00.000-06:00

Guantanamo Boy by Anna Perera
Goodreads | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble
YA, Contemporary, 352 pages, Puffin

Series: Stand-alone
Pub date: February 5 2009
Why I read it: Hype, cover love, current events
Disclosure: Received a review copy from the publisher via NetGalley. Thanks!

Judged by its cover: Amazing. Gritty and relevant to the story, love the font, and perfectly suitable to read in public so that everyone knows that you are Highly Intelligent and care a lot about Issues...if you, erm, care about that sort of thing.

Goodreads blurb:

Khalid, a 15-year-old Muslim boy from Rochdale, is abducted from Pakistan while on holiday with his family. He is taken to Guantanamo Bay and held without charge. An innocent denied his freedom at a time when Western boys are finding theirs, Khalid tries and fails to understand what's happening to him and cannot fail to be a changed young man.

The Long...

I came into this book fully prepared for loving and was left disappointed. I do not take kindly to be disappointed. So I'm sorry if my bitterness shines through.

We start in the UK, where every effort is made to portray Khalid as an ordinary boy, with ordinary friends, who likes to play not-so-ordinary video games. Very elaborate misunderstandings with certain governments ensue, and already the reader is a little dazed by the backstory Perera throws at them. There are endless prison transfers and endless other prisoners and endless prison guards, portrayed always, always in black and white instead of the shades of gray that always dominate shady politics. Khalid is obsessed with the beautiful girl he left back home; she pulls him through. There is a drawn-out ending that beats the reader with its lofty messages until we feel black and blue.

Roll credits.

I tried to love this one. I really did. Like I said, I came into it with exceptionally high hopes. A teen novel about Guantanamo Bay, one of the most disturbing and riveting human rights incidents in my country's history? What could go wrong?

Unfortunately, what always seems to go wrong when authors set out to tell a Message instead of a Story: constant nobility and morality gets boring. There's no authenticity. And the book drags on.

There are a number of excellent moments, such as when Khalid realizes that your ideas of people rarely match up to your realities, especially when it comes to the people you think you're in love with. But they hardly outweigh the bloated and frustrating wasted potential of the rest of the book.

...and the Short:

The author seems to have set out to tell a Message instead of a Story, and in so doing wasted a lot of narrative potential. Still a few moments worth reading, but mostly it's a frustrating mess.

The Final Word: Meh.

Read in 2012

2012-01-01T12:59:00.005-06:00

Another year, another ongoing list of what I've read which I will continue to update throughout the year. This year I'm adding dates so I can keep better track. Happy 2012!

The Off Season by Catherine Gilbert Murdock (01/01)
Stardust by Neil Gaiman (01/01)
Palo Alto by James Franco (01/02)
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (01/03)
The Mumbo Jumbo Circus by Jane George (01/04)
The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell (01/05)
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (01/06)
Paradise of the Blind by Duong Thu Huong (01/06)
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides (01/09)
Bloodchild by Octavia Butler (01/10)
The Knife and the Butterfly by Ashley Hope Perez (01/11)
The Center Cannot Hold by Elyn Saks (01/14)
What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen (01/17)

A Very Happy (Challenge-Free) 2012

2011-12-31T10:30:00.000-06:00

This year I made a capital-D blogging Decision: I will be participating in exactly zero reading challenges for 2012.

Not the Debut Author Challenge. Nor the POC Reading Challenge. Nor any of the other challenges I attempted this year, even though they were great and I do encourage you to try them and will be cheering you on from the sidelines.

I realized that I'm lazy. That I'm worn out. And that constantly worrying about meeting challenge goals takes the fun out of reading for me. I'll be reading and reviewing what I want and am able to in 2012, and we'll see how that works out.

I want to thank you all for a truly spectacular blogging year: the wonderful community I stumbled into when I started this blog is the only reason I didn't quit right after I started. Bloggers, authors, editors, agents, bookish people all, you rock. Happy New Year, and may 2012 be even better than we hope.

Winners of the Catching Jordan swag giveaway!

2011-12-30T12:45:00.000-06:00

I'm a lazy blogger. See: every single contest I've ever run. Anyway, I finally tallied up the entries for my swag giveaway for Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally, and the results are in:

Lauren and A.J.!

Congratulations! You were entries 13 and 6, respectively, and so you each win a bookmark, a sticker, and a postcard. I've sent you both emails, and if I don't get a reply within a week, I'll go ahead and pick another winner.

For all of you who didn't win, be sure to check out the blurb for Catching Jordan:

What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though - she leads them as the captain and quarterback on her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starring position on the team... and has her suddenly wishing to be seen as more than just a teammate.

And also to follow Miranda on Twitter, because, you know, she's awesome. Happy New Year!

Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

2011-12-29T16:17:00.000-06:00

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Goodreads | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble
YA, Fantasy/Paranormal Romance, 418 pages, Little, Brown & Company

Series: 1st in Daughter of Smoke and Bone series
Pub date: September 27 2011
Why I read it: Artsy girls are artsy, old fairy tales and new stories, the dark side of angels
Disclosure: Won a copy from Forever Young Adult. Thanks!

Goodreads blurb:

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.
When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

The Long...

Looking over my to-review list, I feel like I've tackled a lot of books I hated lately, or at least ones I wasn't crazy about. And I've got a few more negative reviews to come. It's times like these where I turn to reviewing the books that knocked my socks off for comfort, and it's hard to imagine a book that better fits the description of knocker-offer-of-socks than Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

(Sometimes I'm really happy I'm a book blogger and can describe books as knocker-offers-of-socks without a trace of irony.)

To put it in other terms? This book is the most imaginative, atmospheric, and gorgeous story I've read all year; exactly the qualities that put it at the top of my best-of fantasy list. From the streets of Prague where the story opens, to Marrakesh, to the otherworld of angels and demons, to the dozens of other places Karou travels without batting an eyelash, the word that comes to mind is luscious.

Taylor doesn't skimp on her character development or plotting either, with every twist evolving so naturally from every moment before it that once you've read it, it feels like the only logical place the story could have gone. Karou is an unusual YA heroine in that, even as she quests for her identity, she never seems to angst or dither about it: she is as much of an enigma to us as she is to those around her. She is competent, talented, envied, beautiful, and knows it, and yet we see just enough vulnerability in her to keep us reading. Her love for her demon family is heartrending, and her relationship with Akiva is by turns fiery and tender.

The last thing of note is its mythology, which is complex and real and difficult to trace to any real world myths. Sure, it's an angels-and-demons story, but it has a much wilder, pagan feel than you might think. The war is brutal, yet the moments between the war are delicate and beautiful. Taylor has a keen sense of the pointlessness of the labels of "good" and "evil," and at times, we're as much on the side of the villains as the heroes.

I could gush on, but that would be boring. Suffice to say that it was easily in my top three reads of 2011, and that I'm breathless for the sequel.

...and the Short:

Gorgeous, wild, and mysterious, Daughter of Smoke and Bone left me breathless. A sequel, please!

The Final Word: Loved it!

Book-to-movie adaptations: some thoughts

2011-12-28T17:41:00.000-06:00

If you follow me on Twitter (and check on it often), then you might have already seen this article from Salon: "And the next 'Tintin' is..." It's chockablock with opinions from all-star YA authors from Sherman Alexie to Maggie Stiefvater to Patrick Ness on book-to-movie adaptations; on which movies they'd like to see made, and which movies should never have been made. It's a great piece, and I'll still be here when you all finish reading it.

Finished? Okay? Okay.

It left me thinking which books were released this year that I'd love to see adapted for the big screen: Scott Westerfeld's excellent Leviathan trilogy that concluded with Goliath this October, Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, Holly Black's Curseworkers trilogy, Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey, If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman, Divergent by Veronica Roth, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs, and--while I doubt it would transfer to screen well--Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King.

It also got me to thinking about which movie adaptations never, ever should have been made: Eragon, The Golden Compass, and, while Anne Hathaway was cute, Ella Enchanted.

So what say you, fellow bibliophiles? What book-to-movie adaptations would you most like to see, and which do you most wish you could un-see?

Review: Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson

2011-12-28T11:49:00.000-06:00

Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson
Goodreads | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble
YA, Sci-Fi/Thriller, 410 pages, Orchard

Series: 1st in the Ultraviolet series
Pub date: June 2 2011
Why I read it: Girls with superpowers, mystery, mental hospitals
Disclosure: Received a review copy from the publisher via NetGalley. Thanks!

Judged by its cover: Surprisingly good. Hate the title font and the tagline, but the image is interesting and artsy and would definitely catch my eye on a shelf.

Goodreads blurb:

Once upon a time there was a girl who was special.
This is not her story.
Unless you count the part where I killed her.
Sixteen-year-old Alison has been sectioned in a mental institute for teens, having murdered the most perfect and popular girl at school. But the case is a mystery: no body has been found, and Alison's condition is proving difficult to diagnose. Alison herself can't explain what happened: one minute she was fighting with Tori -- the next she disintegrated. Into nothing. But that's impossible. Right?

The Long...

It's been about five months since I've read this book. I've tried writing three drafts of this review. And none of them has come out quite right. Many aspects of Ultraviolet are exactly what I'd like to see more of in YA: a heroine who is as gutsy as she is broken and who has to put the pieces together on her own to face her own demons; an intriguing sci-fi twist; a mystery that genuinely kept me on my toes. What about those things didn't add up for me? I'm not sure, and I'm trying to figure it out.

It's difficult to explain what's irking me, too, when so much of the narrative tension of Ultraviolet rests on its twists. There's little I can say that won't crack this story wide open, and that's the last thing I want to do when I'm writing a review.

I'll give it my best shot anyway.

We're introduced the Alison at the height of her panic. She doesn't know what's wrong with her, and no one else seems to know, either. We're thrown into the middle of her psychotic breaks again and again, and this is where Anderson's writing shines: we feel for Alison, and we're scared of her, too.

Then there is the charismatic doctor who offers to give Alison her answers. There's something off about him, and we don't know what until about three twists later. Then there is the girl Alison thinks she killed. And then. And then.

Maybe that's what's bothering me: it's a fun little roller coaster ride that throws you for a loop again and again, but once you climb off, you look back and realize it wasn't that great after all. There isn't a lingering feeling of...well, anything, other than faint disappointment. You thought you were going somewhere, and it turns out there's nowhere to go: just confusion and a half-hearted cliffhanger ending. Anderson crams so much into her third act that it left me breathless, but once I had the time to take a step back, it felt wrong.

It's not bad, is what I'm saying. In fact, it's pretty good, and I can think of a whole slew of people who might enjoy it. It just wasn't as great as it could have been, and the disappointment is swallowing everything else.

...and the Short:

It's an intriguing roller coaster ride, but the third act fails to deliver upon the slow-moving promise of the first two. Worth reading, but perhaps not reading again.

The Final Word: Meh.

Review, and a rant: The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegen

2011-12-27T18:32:00.001-06:00

The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegen
Goodreads | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble
YA, Paranormal Romance, 439 pages, EgmontUSA

Series: 1st in The Mephisto Covenant series
Pub date: September 27 2011
Why I read it: I'm...not really sure.
Disclosure: Received an ARC from The Red Balloon Bookstore in St. Paul. Thanks!

Judged by its cover: Terrible. Enough with the skinny blonde white girls in pretty dresses that have exactly ZERO to do with the story. The night sky is pretty, though.

Goodreads blurb:

Sasha is desperate to find out who murdered her father. When getting the answer means pledging her soul to Eryx, she unlocks a secret that puts her in grave danger—Sasha is Anabo, a daughter of Eve, and Eryx’s biggest threat.
A son of Hell, immortal, and bound to Earth forever, Jax looks for redemption in the Mephisto Covenant—God’s promise he will find peace in the love of an Anabo. After a thousand years, he’s finally found the girl he’s been searching for: Sasha.
With the threat of Eryx looming, Jax has to keep Sasha safe and win her over. But can he? Will Sasha love him and give up her mortal life?

The Long...

Let's play Things-Maggie-Hates-in-YA bingo, shall we? Pretty vapid white girl in pretty dress on cover? Check! Insta-romance between an ancient, hunky guy and a young, bland, holier-than-thou girl? Pretty much! Heavy-handed religious references and an obsession with chastity? Yep! Aforementioned young, bland, holier-than-thou girl has appropriately feminine superpowers directly tied to said chastity? You got it! Big secretive family who lives in gorgeous, remote location and also happens to have more money than god? BINGO!

I'll admit freely, I am not the target audience here. The target audience are girls who love Twilight, Starcrossed, and hunky angel romances like Hush, Hush and the Fallen series (which, in the interest of full disclosure, I have never read), and are dying for something, anything, like them. I am not these girls. I do not have a problem with these girls.

I do have a problem with the writers, editors, publishers, and everyone else in the publishing industry who has a hand in continuing to shove this sexist drivel down all our throats.

If The Mephisto Covenant was simply a bad book, I might write something a little snarky, as I am wont to do, and then forget about it. Contrary to what those who write me hate mail seem to believe, I do not set out to write nasty reviews, and would much rather spend hours promoting the crap out of a book I loved than disparaging one I didn't like. If The Mephisto Covenant was an isolated incident, I wouldn't be writing this, either.

But it's not an isolated incident. It is, in fact, the prevailing incident in paranormal YA, which is why I so rarely read it. There's something nefarious about it all: the constant Madonna/Whore complex of the heroines; the hunky guys who so often stalk them, beat them, nearly kill them, bully them, coerce them, mock them, and destroy their dreams in the name of true love; the endless weakness of girls when it comes to boys, and the awful co-dependence of it all. I don't know much about true love, but I do know that this endless, endless ideal that's pushed in so much YA isn't it.

I haven't said much about The Mephisto Covenant in this review, and that's because I'm still seething too much to even think about it. I won't take pot shots at the writing, or specific incidents, because they're not what's got me all riled up. Just know that it's the most perfectly crystallized example of everything I just ranted about that I have ever, ever read. I hated it, full stop, and worse, I'm spectacularly disappointed that a genre that can claim such spectacular releases as the ones on my best-of list can also claim such ugly misogyny.

Yes, this is mean, and maybe a little unprofessional. Deal with it, and better yet, FIX IT. I can't embrace Paranormal YA until it figures out where exactly it stands with the demons this book so nicely exposed.

...and the Short:

Any redeeming features this book has are utterly obscured by its ugly, sexist, formulaic plot. "Not for me" doesn't even begin to cover it.

The Final Word: Not for me.

**EDIT** Something I would like to add that I'm not sure I made clear enough: I'm not disparaging paranormal YA as a genre, nor, inherently, the tropes I describe. I'm disparaging the fact that this combination of tropes seems to comprise most of YA, without any balance of strong heroines and heroes.

I'd also like to point out that The Mephisto Covenant just plain sucked, aside from its tropes, and that it was a bit of a low blow to use it as the jumping-off point for this discussion.

Finally, in saying that these books are marketed towards girls (and boys) who want books like Twilight, Starcrossed, etc.: I'm not even placing these books in the same category as The Mephisto Covenant. I actually enjoyed Twilight a lot, despite its messages, and while I didn't like Starcrossed, it was worlds better than this book. I'm just saying that publishers are marketing Mephisto-style YA to that audience.

I apologize if any of my points are misunderstood. This post was written in the heat of the moment, and while I stand by the heart of what I'm saying, I said it a little more harshly than I intended.**/EDIT**

Writing for Today's Savvy Teens: Guest Post from Wanda Ernstberger

2011-12-27T11:26:00.000-06:00

Talk about a long time coming: this post has been half-written on the back burner for six months! What better way to get my feet back under me after a sleepy holiday season?

When Wanda Ernstberger contacted me her short story "The Next Shakespeare," I was dubious: I'm not a particular fan of YA short fiction, as you may remember. "The Next Shakespeare," though, was a pleasant surprise, and I think it would be perfect for the crowd just transitioning from middle grade to YA. You can find it for sale on Barnes & Noble and on Amazon, but I don't think I need to tell you how I feel about Amazon, either.

As part of her promotion efforts, Wanda was also kind enough to write a guest post on writing for today's teens. Take it away, Wanda!

---

*Writing for Today’s Savvy Teens

J.K. Rowling and Stephenie Meyer proved young people like to read, so it’s no secret YA is today’s hot genre. But, how does a writer break into this lucrative market?

First of all, forget they are a “market.” They’re teens. Today’s teens are mature, articulate and have powerful radars to detect whatever is “phoney,” so don’t reach for their wallets, reach for their hearts. Here are some tips for connecting with today’s savvy teen readers:

1. Be authentic

The characters have to be real. Their relationships, worries and hobbies have to reflect who they are, and their problems have to be believable. To gain these insights, observe how teens interact with their friends, siblings and adults. Listen to them on the street, on the bus, at the mall (but don’t be a stalker. Making your audience run away won’t do anything your career. Or your reputation).

2. Don’t follow trends

What’s hot today might not be popular tomorrow. Sadly, it takes less time for an elephant to give birth than for a book to be released. If you write whatever is trendy today, the audience might have moved on by the time your book is out. In the same vein, (no vampire pun intended), use slang sparingly. Slang changes every few months and nothing dates a book more than using language no one has spoken for five years. Gee whiz!

3. Don’t talk down to them

Teens are young, they’re not stupid. Don't assume they all curse, use drugs, swear, or have sex on the brain all the time. Don’t think they’ll love a character because he dresses and acts like the latest pop star. Don’t veil a preachy agenda with cardboard cut-out characters and a just-add-water storyline. Insulting the audience does not bode well for a writing career.

4. Tell a good story

This applies to writing for all genres, but especially for the YA market. First of all, don’t bore them with useless dialogue and pages of description. Keep it moving. Next, create characters that are believable and sympathetic. Lastly, don’t worry too much about the type of story you want to write. YA readers are open to stories which range from earnest and heartbroken, to witty and hilarious. Most importantly, tell a story that comes from the heart. That’s the magic which resonates with any audience.

All in all, when writing for teens, keep in mind they are people, and as people they want to be moved, inspired and entertained. So don’t worry about how to reach that “market,” just write the best story you can, one that can only come from you. Your audience will follow.

---

As a savvy teen myself, I can personally attest to the value of that advice, aspiring YA writers! If you'd like to read more from Wanda Ernstberger, you can find her at her blog, on Twitter, or on Facebook.

Thanks, Wanda!

Best of 2011 Post Roundup

2011-12-24T09:55:00.001-06:00

Just in time for your last-minute Christmas shopping, here's a round-up of all my best-of posts and the titles in every category. Enjoy. And Happy Holidays.

Best Indie/Small-Press

Outspoken by James Vachowski

Best Coming of Age

Bluefish by Pat Schmatz
Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O'Roark Dowell

Best Sequel

Where She Went by Gayle Forman
Red Glove by Holly Black

Best Sci-Fi

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Best Dystopia

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
Divergent by Veronica Roth

Best Fantasy

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Chime by Franny Billingsley
Red Glove by Holly Black
Huntress by Malinda Lo

Best Paranormal Romance

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater
Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey
Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton

Best Contemporary Romance

Jazz in Love by Neesha Meminger

Best Contemporary

Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King
And Then Things Fall Apart by Arlaina Tibensky
What Can(t) Wait by Ashley Hope Perez
Amplified by Tara Kelly
Stick by Andrew Smith
Brooklyn, Burning by Steve Brezenoff

It's been a kickass year for books, everyone. Hope you love these picks as much as I did!

Best of 2011: Best Contemporary

2011-12-24T09:43:00.000-06:00

I am sorry. I fail at best-of lists. I have come to terms with it now. And that means: I'm eliminating four categories and this is your last post. FINALLY.

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First pick: Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King
Not yet reviewed | Goodreads
YA, Contemporary, 282 pages, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Release date: October 3rd 2011
Where to find it: IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Goodreads blurb:

Lucky Linderman didn't ask for his life. He didn't ask his grandfather not to come home from the Vietnam War. He didn't ask for a father who never got over it. He didn't ask for a mother who keeps pretending their family is fine. And he certainly didn't ask to be the recipient of Nadar McMillan's relentless bullying, which has finally gone too far.
Lucky has a secret—one that helps him wade through the daily dysfunction of his life. Grandad Harry, trapped in the jungles of Laos, has been visiting Lucky in his dreams—and the dreams just might be real: an alternate reality where he can be whoever he wants to be and his life might still be worth living. But how long can Lucky remain in hiding there before reality forces its way inside?
Printz Honor recipient A. S. King's distinctive, smart, and accessible writing shines in this powerful novel about learning to cope with the shrapnel life throws at you, and then taking a stand against it.

Why it's the best:

I'm only bowled over by The Dust of 100 Dogs in hindsight, but truly, after the terrific and heartwrenching and original and incredible sophomore release that was Please Ignore Vera Dietz, King could write horrible hack novels for the rest of her career, and I'd still be back for more. Thankfully, Everybody Sees the Ants is not a horrible hack novel. It's another masterpiece that transcends genre; that I want to recommend to absolutely everybody because it's just. that. good. Not at all what I was expecting, hugely different in tone and subject matter from both her previous works (mostly because our narrator is a boy), but still keeping King's trademark blend of contemporary grit with a magical realism twist, Everybody Sees the Ants is far and away my favorite release of the year, period. Read it!

Who will love it:

Anyone who's ever seen their own ants, which is to say, everybody.

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First runner-up: And Then Things Fall Apart by Arlaina Tibensky

Not yet reviewed | Goodreads

YA, Contemporary, 254 pages, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Release date: July 26th 2011
Where to find it: IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Goodreads blurb:

Keek’s life was totally perfect.Keek and her boyfriend just had their Worst Fight Ever, her best friend heinously betrayed her, her parents are divorcing, and her mom’s across the country caring for her newborn cousin, who may or may not make it home from the hospital. To top it all off, Keek’s got the plague. (Well, the chicken pox.) Now she’s holed up at her grandmother’s technologically-barren house until further notice. Not quite the summer vacation Keek had in mind.
With only an old typewriter and Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar for solace and guidance, Keek’s alone with her swirling thoughts. But one thing’s clear through her feverish haze—she’s got to figure out why things went wrong so she can put them right.

Why it's the best:

I'm not sure I'll look back on this one as an adult and think it was as gorgeous and great as I think it is now. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'll roll my eyes at my own teen angst. But that's precisely why And Then Things Fall Apart is so good: it's less of a novel and more a piece of journalism on the teen experience. Sure, Keek's experiences are fictional, but her voice and dilemmas are not. I confess that I've never read The Bell Jar, but I adore Plath's poetry, and while most authors working references and quotes in at every turn would pale in comparison, Tibensky holds her own with this story that is by turns hilarious and heartbreaking. If Tibensky can keep this up, she deserves to be a voice in YA on par with Sara Zarr.

Who will love it:

Teenagers, OR anyone who got the chicken pox when they were old enough to remember it.

---

Second runner-up: What Can(t) Wait by Ashley Hope Perez

My review | Goodreads

YA, Contemporary,

Release date: April 27th 2011
Where to find it: IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Goodreads blurb:

"Another day finished, gracias a Dios." Seventeen-year-old Marisa's mother has been saying this for as long as Marisa can remember. Her parents came to Houston from Mexico. They work hard, and they expect Marisa to help her familia. An ordinary life--marrying a neighborhood guy, working, having babies--ought to be good enough for her. Marisa hears something else from her calc teacher. She should study harder, ace the AP test, and get into engineering school in Austin. Some days, it all seems possible. On others, she's not even sure what she wants. When her life at home becomes unbearable, Marisa seeks comfort elsewhere--and suddenly neither her best friend nor boyfriend can get through to her. Caught between the expectations of two different worlds, Marisa isn't sure what she wants--other than a life where she doesn't end each day thanking God it's over. But some things just can't wait...

Why it's the best:

Like And Then Things Fall Apart, What Can(t) Wait often feels more like journalism than a novel. Ashley Hope Perez enters so thoroughly into Marisa's head that we can't help but love and hurt for Marisa, but she also balances the difficulties of Marisa's life with hope and humor that are a delight to read. Marisa's boyfriend, also, is a particular joy: as I wrote in my review, he is neither a token bad boy nor good guy, but exist in the gray area between most real life boyfriends fall into. Perez's career promises a lot, and I'm so excited to see where she goes with her next release, The Knife and the Butterfly.

Who will love it:

College-bound teens who think they have it rough, OR those who aren't college-bound in need of a little inspiration.

---

Contemporary is amazing and I read a lot of great stuff I have to give a shout-out to here. More titles I loved:

Amplified by Tara Kelly (my review/Goodreads)
Stick by Andrew Smith (Goodreads)
Brooklyn, Burning by (my review/Goodreads)

Best of 2011: Contemporary Romance

2011-12-19T20:50:00.000-06:00

For my penultimate best-of post of the evening, I have my contemporary romance category with just one pick--but it happens to be a really, really awesome pick. So there.

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Jazz in Love by Neesha Meminger

My review | Goodreads

YA, Contemporary Romance, 260 pages, Ignite Books

Release date: January 3rd 2011
Where to find it: IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Goodreads blurb:

Jasbir, a.k.a. Jazz, has always been a stellar student and an obedient, albeit wise-cracking, daughter. Everything has gone along just fine--she has good friends in the "genius" program she's been in since kindergarten, her teachers and principal adore her, and her parents dote on her. But now, in her junior year of high school, her mother hears that Jazz was seen hugging a boy on the street and goes ballistic. Mom immediately implements the Guided Dating Plan, which includes setting up blind dates with "suitable," pre-screened Indian candidates. The boy her mother sets her up with, however, is not at all what anyone expects; and the new boy at school, the very UNsuitable hottie, is the one who sets Jazz's blood boiling. When Jazz makes a few out-of-the-ordinary decisions, everything explodes, and she realizes she'll need a lot more than her genius education to get out of the huge mess she's in. Can Jazz find a way to follow her own heart, and still stay in the good graces of her parents?

Why it's the best:

To be fair, I didn't read a lot of contemporary romance released this year. (Hey, I never said these best-of posts were perfect.) But even if I had, I think it would be hard to beat Jazz in Love for sheer sass and fun, as well as originality. Not since Tanuja Desai Hidier wrote Born Confused has such an awesome culture clash romance been told, and despite a little sagging in the middle, Jazz in Love is an utter delight. The best part? Jazz's voice, which is one of the most true-to-teenager I've read all year.

Who will love it:

Anyone who's ever clashed with their parents, which is to say, everyone.

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Last post of the night (which I may or may not get to before midnight, oh, THE SUSPENSE) will be Best Debuts of 2011. Keep sitting pretty!

Best of 2011: Paranormal Romance

2011-12-19T18:02:00.000-06:00

Continuing today's four-post marathon, we have my picks for best paranormal romance of 2011. And for all of my griping about the tropes of the genre--Greek mythology, vampires, and werewolves galore--it's a long list.

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First pick: Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

My review | Goodreads

YA, Paranormal Romance, 390 pages, Scholastic Inc.

Release date: July 12th 2011
Where to find it: IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Goodreads blurb:

The thrilling conclusion to #1 bestselling Shiver trilogy from Maggie Stievater
In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. In Linger, they fought to be together. Now, in Forever, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing in.

Why it's the best:

I seriously debated including this one on my Best Sequels list, but decided against it. Stiefvater's writing as the trilogy has progressed--and along with it, my undying and somewhat counter-intuitive love for it--has matured and strengthened so vastly that it's hard to even think of Shiver, Linger, and Forever as the same series, much less Forever as a sequel. Forever has all the bittersweet angst and tension of a contemporary novel, and while Stiefvater's werewolf mythology doesn't quite add up, it's also refreshingly different and concludes beautifully. It's a book to read for atmosphere and to remember what it was like to be a teenager (or to wallow in your teenager-ness if you still are a teenager, like me), and for that, I adore it.

This novel will also have my eternal love because it's set in northern Minnesota, based on a town (Ely) about an hour away from where I live. REPRESENT, Y'ALL.

Who will love it:

Believers in young love, OR those wolf-crazy girls who wear wolf T-shirts and have posters of wolves plastered all over their walls. We all know at least one of them.

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First runner-up: Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey

Not yet reviewed | Goodreads

YA, Paranormal Romance/Fantasy, 332 pages, Flux

Release date: September 8th 2011
Where to find it: IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Goodreads blurb:

Braden was born with witch eyes: the ability to see the world as it truly is: a blinding explosion of memories, darkness, and magic. The power enables Braden to see through spells and lies, but at the cost of horrible pain.
After a terrifying vision reveals imminent danger for the uncle who raised and instructed him, Braden retreats to Belle Dam, an old city divided by two feuding witch dynasties. As rival family heads Catherine Lansing and Jason Thorpe desperately try to use Braden's powers to unlock Belle Dam's secrets, Braden vows never to become their sacrificial pawn. But everything changes when Braden learns that Jason is his father--and Trey, the enigmatic guy he's falling for, is Catherine's son.
To stop an insidious dark magic from consuming the town, Braden must master his gift—and risk losing the one he loves.

Why it's the best:

Think Beautiful Creatures, but with more oomph. I hate comparing YA books to other YA books, but that's the only way I can think of to convey the experience of this book, and how thoroughly I enjoyed it. There's action! Explosions! Crazy powers! Sunglasses! Romance! When I wrote my review of Divergent, I called it cinematic, and there's no denying that Divergent's got the goods in the film rights department. Witch Eyes, though, has the atmosphere and drama to nearly match it, and I'd love to see it hit the silver screen.

The best part, for me personally? It's a *gay* book without being an *issue* book. The romance is no more tortured than in any other paranormal romance you read these days, and the sexy and sweet far outweigh the angst. That, my friends, is a rare and fantastic thing.

Who will love it:

Anyone who loves a good dose of kickassery along with their romance, OR fans of family secrets stories.

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Second runner-up: Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton
My review | Goodreads

YA, Paranormal Romance, 405 pages, Random House Books for Young Readers

Release date: May 24th 2011
Where to find it: IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Goodreads blurb:

It starts off simply.
Draw a circle ... place a dead leaf in the center ... sprinkle some salt ... recite a little Latin ... add a drop of blood ...
Maybe that last part isn't exactly simple. Yet somehow it feels right to Silla Kennicott. And nothing in her life has felt remotely right since her parents' horrific deaths. She's willing to do anything to uncover the truth about her family—even try a few spells from the mysterious book that arrived on her doorstep ... and spill some blood.
The book isn't the only recent arrival in Silla's life. There's Nick Pardee, the new guy next door who may have seen Silla casting a spell. She's not sure what he saw and is afraid to find out. But as they spend more time together, Silla realizes this may not be Nick's first encounter with Blood Magic. Brought together by a combination of fate and chemistry, Silla and Nick can't deny their attraction. And they can't ignore the dark presence lurking nearby—waiting to reclaim the book and all its power.
Tessa Gratton's intoxicating first novel will keep pulses racing, minds reeling, and pages turning right up to the very last drop of blood.

Why it's the best:

Creepy as hell, it's hard to beat a love story with this much Nancy-Drew-esque scrappiness, and also Latin incantations. It's geeky the-world-doesn't-get-me romantic mystery all grown up, and I can't think of anything else I've read this year like it. Silla and Nick's romance is less a love-me-love-me-not tease and more of a partnership against the forces of evil: a surefire way to have me cheering the whole way through. It's a terrific and offbeat debut effort, and I can't wait to read more from Gratton!

(Maggie Stiefvater fans should note that it has a great Wolves of Mercy Falls easter egg, too.)

Who will love it:

Latin geeks, OR hopeless romantic emo mystery lovers. They're out there. Somewhere.

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Later still this evening: best romance. Stay tuned!

Best of 2011: Best Fantasy

2011-12-19T17:21:00.000-06:00

Due to a four-day break in best-of coverage due to being sick as a dog, angsty, and ZOMG FINALS--devastating, I'm sure, to your weekend--today you all get treated to my favorite fantasy, paranormal romance, romance, and debuts of 2011! I'm tackling fantasy first. Hang tight.

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Tied for first pick: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor.

Not yet reviewed | Goodreads

YA, Fantasy/Paranormal, 418 pages, Little, Brown & Company

Release date: September 27th 2011
Where to find it: IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Goodreads blurb:

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.
When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Why it's the best:

If I wasn't so behind on my reviews, you would already know: this book knocked my socks off. There is no word but gorgeous for Taylor's writing, story, and world; unique doesn't even begin to cover it. It's urban and modern enough that I was tempted to put it in the paranormal romance category, but the mythology felt too complex for paranormal, and the connections to the real world too tenuous. This book rewrote what fantasy means to me. And I can count on one hand the stories that have done that.

This book is also one of the few this year I actually WANT to see as a graphic novel. Get on it, publishers.

Who will love it:

Freaking everybody. Trust me.

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Tied for first pick: Chime by Franny Billingsley

Not yet reviewed | Goodreads

YA, Fantasy, 361 pages, Dial.

Release date: March 17th 2011
Where to find it: IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Goodreads blurb:

Before Briony's stepmother died, she made sure Briony blamed herself for all the family's hardships. Now Briony has worn her guilt for so long it's become a second skin. She often escapes to the swamp, where she tells stories to the Old Ones, the spirits who haunt the marshes. But only witches can see the Old Ones, and in her village, witches are sentenced to death. Briony lives in fear her secret will be found out, even as she believes she deserves the worst kind of punishment.
Then Eldric comes along with his golden lion eyes and mane of tawny hair. He's as natural as the sun, and treats her as if she's extraordinary. And everything starts to change. As many secrets as Briony has been holding, there are secrets even she doesn't know.

Why it's the best:

The buzz about this book had been building all year, but after the unfortunate Shine/Chime National Book Award debacle, I knew it was time to read it. And after I did, I wished even more that the National Book Award committee had had more class and sense, because it's a terrific shame that such a no-holds-barred fantastic book had to be a part of that mess. Chime has one of the best examples of an unreliable narrator that I've ever read, and a world that reads part-steampunk, part-Salem Witch Trials, part-straight historical fiction. Where Daughter of Smoke and Bone smolders, Chime gleams, despite its dark subject material. I can't imagine choosing a favorite of the two!

Who will love it:

Also freaking everybody, though as Chime moves more slowly than Daughter of Smoke and Bone, it's probably a better pick for those already on the historical fantasy bandwagon. (Think A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray.)

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First runner-up: Red Glove by Holly Black.

Why it's the best:

As I already wrote about this one in my Best Sequel post, I'll keep this brief. Suffice to say that Red Glove's film noir fantasy world is as deliciously thick with intrigue as you could wish for, and that you should read it, okay?

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Second runner-up: Huntress by Malinda Lo.

My review | Goodreads

Release date: April 5th 2011
Where to find it: IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Goodreads blurb:

Nature is out of balance in the human world. The sun hasn't shone in years, and crops are failing. Worse yet, strange and hostile creatures have begun to appear. The people's survival hangs in the balance.
To solve the crisis, the oracle stones are cast, and Kaede and Taisin, two seventeen-year-old girls, are picked to go on a dangerous and unheard-of journey to Tanlili, the city of the Fairy Queen. Taisin is a sage, thrumming with magic, and Kaede is of the earth, without a speck of the otherworldly. And yet the two girls' destinies are drawn together during the mission. As members of their party succumb to unearthly attacks and fairy tricks, the two come to rely on each other and even begin to fall in love. But the Kingdom needs only one huntress to save it, and what it takes could tear Kaede and Taisin apart forever.
The exciting adventure prequel to Malinda Lo's highly acclaimed novel Ash is overflowing with lush Chinese influences and details inspired by the I Ching, and is filled with action and romance.

Why it's the best:

Rounding out my books-released-on-April-5th-are-awesome picks, when talking fantasy, it would be impossible not to include the literary and lovely work of Malinda Lo. Set in what is by far the most traditional fantasy world of any on this list--faeries, princes, quests, and arranged marriages abound--Lo nevertheless puts her own unique twist on her universe, the same one we visited in her debut effort, Ash. Huntress is a heady fusion of Eastern and Western mythology, and, if you hadn't gathered from the blurb, a lesbian romance as well as a kickass adventure story. Huntress felt like the only real return to the fantasy worlds of my childhood--a la Tolkien, Pierce, and Paolini--since Graceling was released back in 2008. As always, I'm a huge fan of Lo's work, and can't wait for her next release!

Who will love it:

The feminist high fantasy fans in your life, OR anyone looking for fantasy with a literary twist.

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Check back later tonight for my paranormal romance picks! (Brace yourselves. It's a surprisingly long list.)

Best of 2011: Best Dystopia

2011-12-15T07:57:00.001-06:00

Winter break is so close I can taste it. *tastes it* What better reason to celebrate books than a three-week period when I'm obligated to do sweet, sweet nothing? It's with this anticipated laziness in mind that I bring you today's picks: Best Dystopia!

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First pick: Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
My review | Goodreads
YA, Dystopia/Sci-Fi/Fantasy, 241 pages, Atria

Release date: April 26th 2011
Where to find it: IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Goodreads blurb:

A zombie who yearns for a better life ends up falling in love—with a human—in this astonishingly original debut novel.
R is a zombie. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams. He doesn’t enjoy killing people; he enjoys riding escalators and listening to Frank Sinatra. He is a little different from his fellow Dead.
Not just another zombie novel, Warm Bodies is funny, scary, and deeply moving.

Why it's the best:

I almost considered placing this one in its own category of best surprise, it captured me so much. A sentient zombie love story? Really, I thought. Truly, though, Warm Bodies is as sweet, funny, literary, and gorgeous as it is disgusting, and while as with all dystopias the metaphor gets a little heavy at the end, I cared about R and Julie as real people, too.

Marion would also probably capture the prize of best atmosphere of the year, because again--like all good dystopias--his many microcosms, from the airport to the sports stadium, are improbable and also beautiful. Any dystopia, zombie (or Nick Hoult) fan shouldn't miss.

Who will love it:

Shaun of the Dead fans, OR those with literary pretentions.

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Runner-up: Divergent by Veronica Roth
My review | Goodreads
YA, Dystopia/Sci-Fi, 489 pages, Katherine Tegen Books

Release date: May 3rd 2011
Where to find it: IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Goodreads blurb:

Beatrice "Tris" Prior has reached the fateful age of sixteen, the stage at which teenagers in Veronica Roth's dystopian Chicago must select which of five factions to join for life. Each faction represents a virtue: Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, and Erudite. To the surprise of herself and her selfless Abnegation family, she chooses Dauntless, the path of courage. Her choice exposes her to the demanding, violent initiation rites of this group, but it also threatens to expose a personal secret that could place her in mortal danger. Veronica Roth's young adult Divergent trilogy launches with a captivating adventure about love and loyalty playing out under most extreme circumstances.

Why it's the best:

Like I said when I reviewed this yesterday, I'm not raving about Divergent because it's gritty, gorgeous, or has something particularly relevant about the world to say. I'm raving about it because it reads like a teen movie in book form, all over-the-top drama and angst and kickassery and cute boys. It's the first dystopia I've read that seems determined to have fun rather than make you emo with your hatred of the world, and for that, it deserves prizes.

Who will love it:

Dystopia fans who are sick of the do-or-die, OR...well, other dystopia fans. Fun as it is, I struggle to see this converting anyone else to the genre a la The Hunger Games.

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Miss yesterday's pick? Check out the my favorite sci-fi of 2011. And be sure to stop back for tomorrow's category, best fantasy!

Review: Divergent

2011-12-14T19:44:00.000-06:00

Divergent by Vernoica Roth
Goodreads | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble
YA, Dystopia, 489 pages, Katherine Tegen Books

Series: Divergent, Book 1. (Book 2: Insurgent, 2012.)
Why I read it:
Disclosure: Received a copy in my super-giant ALAN box of books. Awesome!

Goodreads blurb:

Beatrice "Tris" Prior has reached the fateful age of sixteen, the stage at which teenagers in Veronica Roth's dystopian Chicago must select which of five factions to join for life. Each faction represents a virtue: Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, and Erudite. To the surprise of herself and her selfless Abnegation family, she chooses Dauntless, the path of courage. Her choice exposes her to the demanding, violent initiation rites of this group, but it also threatens to expose a personal secret that could place her in mortal danger. Veronica Roth's young adult Divergent trilogy launches with a captivating adventure about love and loyalty playing out under most extreme circumstances.

The Long...

No bones about it: I am sick to death of dystopia, which is depressing, seeing as, done right, it's one of my favorite genres. (See: Brave New World, Who Fears Death, every Margaret Atwood novel ever.) Ever since The Hunger Games, though, it's become YA's newest cash cow instead of a place to tell good stories. Call me naive about how the world works, but I'd still like to think of books as a place to tell good stories as well as a place to make money, and that's exactly why I'm thrilled that Divergent manages to do both. Bravo, Ms. Roth, for you have accomplished that rare and lovely thing: the deserving blockbuster.

Call Divergent popcorny, a little silly, ridiculous and bizarre as a face-value dystopia. It is. Look at nearly every dystopia released in recent years, including The Hunger Games and with the notable exception of the excellent and all-too-real Ship Breaker, and you could apply the same criticism. A society that divides itself so rigidly, that so blatantly prides itself on conformity, that so single-mindedly upholds five traits? Please. If Roth had given it to us straight, this would be yet another disappointed review instead of an admiring one. Where Roth succeeds is in not playing it straight; in writing thinly veiled teen allegory instead, and pulse-pounding spectacular entertainment, at that.

All the adult characters are painted in bold, high-school-teacher-esque strokes. The five factions play double as high school cliques; nerds, jocks, goths, the after-school church group kids, and the vaguely friendly, popular ones that don't fit in any particular place are all in attendance. Roth's world is bold and gorgeous, but hardly holds up to intense scrutiny: it's all a cinematic backdrop for the angst and drama, and frankly, I prefer it that way.

This, mind you, is not to imply that Divergent doesn't pack a punch. One scene in particular involving an eye and a butter knife had my stomach turning over nicely. It is to imply that Divergent, even at Tris's darkest hours, never takes itself too seriously. And in the glut of do-or-die out there, what a fantastic relief.

Even the romance felt funny and self-aware: teacher-student pairings I do not 'ship, but for Tris and Four I might make an exception. No love triangles. No silly, contrived "We just can't BE together," though tension the relationship does not lack. No, it's just perfect, old-fashioned undercover romance, and I sincerely enjoyed every minute.

Flaws it has. Roth's writing is at times just a little too descriptive, especially of her characters of color, and sometimes the ridiculousness just gets a little too...ridiculous. Honestly, though, I was too delighted by this sort of action-adventure take on dystopia to care. How I wish more authors would go this route over the Katniss-wannabe-life-sucks-love-triangle.

and the Short:

Glorying in its campy, silly social commentary, Divergent is too entertaining and fantastically cinematic to miss. I'm excited for Insurgent!

The Final Word: Loved it!

Divergent is available now.

Best of 2011: Best Sci-Fi

2011-12-14T07:35:00.000-06:00

Taking two finals today. I'd say shoot me now but I actually STUDIED for BOTH (amazing, I know), so rather I ask you to simply appreciate, if you are not a student, your finals-less life. Appreciate it a lot. For me.

And on that note, we proceed from yesterday's Best Sequel picks to a category most near and dear to me: best sci-fi! Unfortunately, there's only one pick in this category, and even then it's closer to fantasy than sci-fi. Better luck next year for me? I sure do hope.

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Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

My review | Goodreads

YA, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, 352 pages, Quirk Books

Pub date: June 7th 2011
Where to find it: IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Goodreads blurb

A mysterious island.
An abandoned orphanage.
A strange collection of very curious photographs.
It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.
A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

Why it's the best:

It's difficult to understand the sheer genius and inventiveness of Ransom Riggs until you read this book. It exists in that brackish zone between sci-fi, fantasy, and horror that's so hard to do right, and excels. It scares the pants off of you. It includes some of the most extraordinary vintage photographs I've ever seen, and never once makes them feel gimmicky: they are 100% a natural part of the story.

While I could have done without the cliffhanger ending, seeing as the sequel probably won't hit shelves until 2013, this book was an easy and beloved favorite this year that everyone should read.

Who will love it:

Cynics (again) who will love pointing out how the photographs were doctored, OR anyone with an active imagination.

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Tomorrow's category is Best Dystopia, so stay tuned!

Best of 2011: Best Sequel

2011-12-13T11:04:00.000-06:00

In today's installment of Best of 2011, I tackle one of the most elusive categories in YA: the best sequel. While most series feel bloated and dragged out, here are two releases that I thought were pitch-perfect and that I may have liked even more than the original. (And, due to some freakish magic, were both released April 5th. It was a good day for books, my friends.)

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First choice: Where She Went by Gayle Forman
My review | Goodreads
YA, Contemporary, 260 pages, Dutton Juvenile

Pub date: April 5th 2011
Where to find it: IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Goodreads blurb:

It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.
Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future - and each other.
Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

Why it's the best:

Yes, ye who doubt. I, too, wondered where Gayle Forman could possibly go after the tears-n'-snotfest that was If I Stay, and also how she could possibly turn a blurb like that into a story that didn't feel like it should be a Lifetime movie. Also, I hated the cover, and you all know that my withered cynical little book blogger heart relishes judging books by their covers.

But believe me when I say: Gayle Forman has magical powers, because this book knocked my socks off.

The LONGING. The music. THE LONGING. Musings on the nature of celebrity in today's world. THE MOTHEREFFING LONGING. It's also one of the few YAs that has college-age protagonists, which I loved, and would make it the perfect choice for the YA-haters in your life. Also, have I mentioned the longing? Just read it. If you loved If I Stay. If you hated it. This book is a whole new animal.

Who will love it:

The cynics in your life, because everyone needs a dose of cry-laugh-love now and then, OR the unabashed romantics. Both will come away happy.

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Runner-up: Red Glove by Holly Black

My review | Goodreads

YA, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, 325 pages, Margaret K. McElderry

Pub date: April 5th 2011
Where to find it: IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Goodreads blurb:

Curses and cons. Magic and the mob. In Cassel Sharpe's world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth—he’s the most powerful curse worker around. A touch of his hand can transform anything—or anyone—into something else.
That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Cassel was tricked into thinking he killed her, when actually he tried to save her. Now that she's human again, he should be overjoyed. Trouble is, Lila's been cursed to love him, a little gift from his emotion worker mom. And if Lila's love is as phony as Cassel's made-up memories, then he can't believe anything she says or does.
When Cassel's oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help make sense of the only clue—crime-scene images of a woman in red gloves. But the mob is after Cassel too—they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. But where can he turn when he can't trust anyone—least of all, himself?
Love is a curse and the con is the only answer in a game too dangerous to lose.

Why it's the best:

I've said it before and I'll say it again: this series is my special YA drug. I was in love from the get-go with White Cat, and Red Glove only cemented my belief in Holly Black's magical powers being on par with Gayle Forman's. It's a film noir teen angst sci-fi mystery social commentary love story, and if that doesn't pique your interest, I don't know what will. It's smart, angsty, and scary. What's not to love?

Also, Cassel and Lila are sexy. Start 'shipping. Natch.

Who will love it:

Aspiring gumshoes, OR anyone with a flair for drama and magic off the beaten path.

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Tomorrow's category: Best sci-fi!

Best of 2011: Best Coming of Age

2011-12-12T11:00:00.086-06:00

For Day 2 of my two weeks of best-of lists this year, I'm featuring the best coming-of-age novels! These are the books that, to me, fit right in that niche between middle grade and teen, that showcased growing up in all its prickly glory, and that I most wanted to share with my younger siblings as they grew up.

And, of course, because YA is awesome, I had two favorites in this category. Enjoy.

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First choice: Bluefish by Pat Schmatz
My review | Goodreads
YA, Contemporary, 240 pages, Candlewick Press

Pub date: September 13th 2011
Where to find it: IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Goodreads blurb:

Travis is missing his old home in the country, and he’s missing his old hound, Rosco. Now there’s just the cramped place he shares with his alcoholic grandpa, a new school, and the dreaded routine of school. But that’s before Travis meets Mr. McQueen, who doesn’t take "pass" for an answer—a rare teacher whose savvy persistence has Travis slowly unlocking a book on the natural world. And it’s before Travis is noticed by Velveeta, a girl whose wry banter and colorful scarves belie some hard secrets of her own. With sympathy, humor, and disarming honesty, Pat Schmatz brings to life a cast of utterly believable characters—and captures the moments of trust and connection that make all the difference.

Why it's the best:

This is the only book I've read this year that made me think of classic middle grade and YA greats like Jerry Spinelli, Louis Sachar, Judy Blume, and Beverly Cleary. It's that good, and I laughed and cried right along with Travis and Velveeta the whole way through. It's hard to imagine a better book to give to any kid who feels like they don't fit in, and especially for those kids just discovering that reading is fun. (The cover's beautiful, too.)

Who will love it:

Any kid who's ever been lonely, OR grown-ups looking for a nostalgia kick.

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Runner-up: Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O'Roark Dowell
My review | Goodreads
YA, Contemporary, 211 pages, Atheneum

Pub date: March 22nd 2011
Where to find it: IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Goodreads blurb:

Janie Gorman wants to be normal. The problem with that: she’s not. She’s smart and creative and a little bit funky. She’s also an unwilling player in her parents’ modern-hippy, let’s-live-on-a-goat-farm experiment (regretfully, instigated by a younger, much more enthusiastic Janie). This, to put it simply, is not helping Janie reach that “normal target.” She has to milk goats every day…and endure her mother’s pseudo celebrity in the homemade-life, crunchy mom blogosphere. Goodbye the days of frozen lasagna and suburban living, hello crazy long bus ride to high school and total isolation—and hovering embarrassments of all kinds. The fresh baked bread is good…the threat of homemade jeans, not so much.
It would be nice to go back to that old suburban life…or some grown up, high school version of it, complete with nice, normal boyfriends who wear crew neck sweaters and like social studies. So, what’s wrong with normal? Well, kind of everything. She knows that, of course, why else would she learn bass and join Jam Band, how else would she know to idolize infamous wild-child and high school senior Emma (her best friend Sarah’s older sister), why else would she get arrested while doing a school project on a local freedom school (jail was not part of the assignment). And, why else would she kind of be falling in "like" with a boy named Monster—yes, that is his real name. Janie was going for normal, but she missed her mark by about ten miles…and we mean that as a compliment.
Frances O’Roark Dowell’s fierce humor and keen eye make her YA debut literary and wise. In the spirit of John Green and E. Lockhart, Dowell’s relatable, quirky characters and clever, fluid writing prove that growing up gets complicated…and normal is WAY overrated.

Why it's the best:

Because Janie lives on a goat farm, of course! This book has two of my insta-love factors: farm life and great music. In addition, Janie's heartfelt journey towards growing up was sweet and the perfect thing to share with a middle grade sister smack in the middle of her awkward phase. Dowell walks the fine line between "fluff" and "fun," and walks it well. There's just enough grit and spice here to keep older readers interested, but it's fun and fast-paced and has nothing too dark or scary. (Ellie and I even got to interview Frances O'Roark Dowell back in October, and needless to say, the author is as wonderful as her book!)

Who will love it:

Older middle graders figuring themselves (and high school) out, OR farm kids and farm-kid-wannabes.

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Tomorrow's category? Best sequel! Stay tuned.

Kickin' off two weeks of best-of lists! Best Indie/Small Press

2011-12-11T11:11:00.000-06:00

It's that time of year again. The time I dread. The time when I must decide...which books truly were the best of 2011. My best of 2011 so far, back in June? Ffftt. Child's play. In December, the stakes are raised. Mostly because of frantic holiday shopping, crazy discounts, and for those who celebrate Christmas, Secret Santas. Mostly because it's...my seventeenth birthday next month. (That last one really has no bearing on anything. I just like to think it does.)

From today until December 24th, then, I'll be posting my favorite releases in fourteen categories, one each day, for anyone who needs to find the perfect bookish gift for loved ones for the holidays. Or, if you celebrate no holidays, or celebrate the holidays like I do, these make the perfect gifts to celebrate the awesomeness of YOU anytime. (It's my...seventeenth birthday next month. Allow me my inflated self-interest.)

I'll also be trying desperately to catch up with my review lag before the New Year. Also allow me a few minutes while my brain explodes.

And so, without further ado, to kick off TWO WHOLE WEEKS of best-of: the Best Indie/Small Press read of 2011!

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Outspoken by James Vachowski.
My review | Goodreads
YA, Contemporary, pagecount unavailable (novella length), Vagabondage Press.

Pub date: February 5th 2011

Where to find it: Available for $2.99 from the publisher's website. Also available on Amazon, but n case you weren't aware, Amazon sucks.

Goodreads blurb:

Abraham Lincoln Jenkins is a teenage vandal, social activist, and aspiring revolutionary, but with only four months left until his high school graduation Abraham’s lifelong dream of attending Harvard College is put in jeopardy when he learns that he is still in need of two core credit hours in Physical Education. Unfortunately for Abraham, the only available spaces in a P.E. class are as a cadet in the Army’s JROTC program!
Told almost exclusively through Abraham’s one-sided complaint letters, OUTSPOKEN is the natural result when the War on Terror collides with the War on Christmas. OUTSPOKEN is a digital short at >18,000 and is a fast and funny read for both teens and adults.

Why it's the best:

Despite my low expectations right off the bat, Outspoken proved to be a bitingly funny and self-aware novella that was head and shoulders above its indie/small press brethren. Its unusual format (in letters) made it a quick and interesting read, and Abraham Lincoln Jenkins' voice--simultaneously vulnerable and that-kid-in-high-school-you-always-wanted-to-smack--was hilarious and unforgettable.

Who will love it:

Politically aware would-be revolutionaries (as long as they have e-readers) who aren't afraid to laugh at themselves, OR the favorite know-it-all teen in your life. It might teach us them to lighten up a little!

Review: Amplified by Tara Kelly

2011-12-10T17:05:00.000-06:00

Amplified by Tara Kelly
Goodreads | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble
YA, Contemporary, 304 pages, Henry Holt & Co.

Series: Stand-alone.
Why I read it: Because this girl wishes she could hack it, too.
Disclosure: Received ARC from The Red Balloon Bookstore. Thanks!

Goodreads blurb:

When privileged 17-year-old Jasmine gets kicked out of her house, she takes what is left of her savings and flees to Santa Cruz to pursue her dream of becoming a musician. Jasmine finds the ideal room in an oceanfront house, but she needs to convince the three guys living there that she's the perfect roommate and lead guitarist for their band, C-Side. Too bad she has major stage fright and the cute bassist doesn't think a spoiled girl from over the hill can hack it. . .
In this fresh new novel by critically acclaimed author Tara Kelly, Jasmine finds out what happens when her life gets Amplified.

The Long...

When I reviewed Tara Kelly's debut, Harmonic Feedback, back in September, I noted its bravery, its heart, and, of course, its music. Its beloved and lovely Manic Pixie Dream Girls (and Boys). Its street cred. I also noted its unfortunate earnestness and clumsy debut tone; wrinkles that I was sure would be ironed out in Kelly's sophomore release, Amplified.

And were they. Oh, ever were they. In Amplified, Kelly brings us a spunky, brash, and wonderful YA whose author has wised up as much as her characters, and which will retain its beloved place on my wannabe riot grrrl bookshelf pretty much forever.

It wasn't until I read Harmonic Feedback that I began to notice what a dearth of teen girl musicians there were in YA. Sure, every guy love interest and his uncle plays an instrument (often guitar) and usually has a husky, sex-on-a-stick singing voice, too (see: Shiver, The Sky is Everywhere, Everneath), and that's great. Guy musicians are sexy. But where are the future Amanda Palmers, the Chrissie Hyndes, the Kim Gordons, and, for better or worse, the Courtney Loves? Where are the girls who have musical talent beyond just an angelic choir voice? Where are the girls with grit and fire, who can bring it just as well as any guy?

Answer: in Amplified, of course. From fabulous, gritty-voiced out-and-proud lesbian Veta, to enigmatic local celebrity Zia, to our heroine, curvy, naive, angry, desperate-to-prove herself Jasmine, the musically talented gals fairly fly off the page here. Everything about the Santa Cruz music scene crackles with energy and exuberance, and it made me want to pick up my poor battered keyboard all over again.

I could complain that the writing still stumbles, that the ending dragged on a little too long, that a few characters fell just a hair into trope territory. But frankly, they're inconsequential complaints when a writer is forging into such new and awesome territory in YA. Bravo, Tara Kelly, for giving us a heroine who hacks it just as well as her boyfriend, for whom music is a matter of exchange and not just vapid enjoyment. Bravo.

...and the Short:

Spunky, sassy, brash, and wonderful, Tara Kelly's electric sophomore novel is sure to appeal to those charmed by Harmonic Feedback and win her legions of well-deserved new fans. Music-lovers won't want to miss it!

The Final Word: Loved it!

Amplified is available now!

5 reasons you should be listening to Florence + the Machine

2011-12-08T19:14:00.001-06:00

I don't like blogging about music much. My own tastes are so peculiar and specific to me that I feel a lot more self-conscious writing about them than, say, books; also, I have the annoying habit of jumping on a bandwagon many, many years after everyone else. (See: Nirvana, The Raincoats, Sufjan Stevens, The Dresden Dolls, every riot grrrl band ever).

But--and I know I am late to this bandwagon, too--Florence + the Machine is too literary and beautiful not to blog about. Five reasons why you should be listening (if you aren't already):

"What the Water Gave Me," a.k.a. "That Song I Can't Stop Listening To," is about Virginia Woolf. Because Ceremonials couldn't get any more awesome. And speaking of Woolf, if you haven't read her essay "Death of the Moth" (my favorite of hers), you should.
In my humble opinion, Florence Welch puts more thought into her lyrics than any other pop singer of the moment out there. She's in for the artsy long haul, and that's something this writer can appreciate.
Her music is joyful. And I mean really, truly joyful, and not just obnoxiously, aggressively cheerful. For someone who spends most of her devoted music time listening to angsty grunge, punk, emo, and alt rock and weeping into her pillow (sue me), it's refreshing and gorgeous.
Her music sounds like a good book feels. And you all know how I feel about good books.
Because it's available legally and for free on Spotify and you can't even pull the budget excuse, of course. Also because I told you so. JUST LISTEN.

In other news, fellow music lovers should stay tuned for my review of the fabu-wonderful Amplified by Tara Kelly! That should be coming sometime next week, as long as finals don't kill me.

Gah. Finals. HELP.

(And finally, for all kind enough to wonder--thank you!--the hospital visit on Tuesday went fine. Sounds like we've got at least one problem worked out, which is fantastic news.)

The most epic get-well-soon card of all time

2011-12-05T22:43:00.001-06:00

I felt 100% get-up-and-go better for the last week and a half. Yesterday and today I have felt exhausted, dizzy, queasy, faint, achey, and feverish; I'm stuttering, clumsy, forgetful, distracted, angry, depressed, manic, trembly, and cranky; I'm as ill as I've ever been in my life. There are a few things in life I believe you could call me graceful and glorious at. Unfortunately, being sick for six months is not one of them.

Fortunately, there are an awful lot of graceful and glorious people out there to help me out.

And be forewarned, I am going to name-drop those people like crazy in this post, so that I can pretend I got to hang out with them for two days at ALAN 2011. I didn't actually. But they are too graceful and glorious not to pretend.

This was once an ordinary Hallmark get-well-soon card. Thanks to my (exceptionally graceful and glorious) co-panelists at ALAN 2011, it is now a Hallmark get-well-soon card with superpowers.

Oh yes. Bookish superpowers. As in, a whole bunch of people at ALAN 2011 signed my get-well-soon card. As in, in this particular corner, M.T. Anderson (!!!), John Green (!!!), Pat Mora (!!!), and Joan Kaywell (membership secretary of ALAN!!!) told me to get well soon, and Matt de la Pena (!!!) told me to try drugs. (The legal kind.)

I think the doctors have me covered on that front.

Pictured: What happens when you have 99 problems and a bitch ain't one, but a concussion, severe vitamin D deficiency, Lyme disease, possible anemia, unidentified stomach pain, and a terminal case of slob-itis are most certainly like six.

Then Kate Messner, Sharon Draper, Rita Williams-Garcia, and my co-panelist-bloggers Ari and Edi signed this corner, because I am somewhat egotistically convinced that these people are on a mission to make my life amazing.

J.L. (Jessica) Powers and Lyn Miller-Lachmann (who made this all happen!) signed this corner (and many, many apologies for the crappy webcam photography):

Then they got Lauren-freakin'-Myracle to sign, because Lauren-freakin'-Myracle is amazing. In case you are wondering, it says: "Oh, Maggie, be well! Here's an idea: snuggle up & READ A YUMMY BOOK! <3" Do you know why it says that? Because Lauren Myracle is amazing. Also wise, with her priorities in order, because reading yummy books sounds like exactly the cure for me.

Then there is the back, which, not to play favorites, is probably my favorite part.

That would be signatures from Francisco X. Stork, Sarah Dessen, Simone Elkeles, and Sharon and Sasha, who both made good use of my ticket so that it didn't go to waste, and were kind enough to mail me the giant box of books you saw last week.

That signature at the very top in blue ink, you ask? That would be A.S.-freaking-King.

I'm not gonna lie, my peeps. I cried. A lot.

Because YA authors are the most graceful and glorious people on Planet Earth. Because I really hope, someday, that I can be as awesome as they are. Because, when Meghan Cox Gurdon talks about the darkness too visible in YA, she can, pardon my French, suck it.

There's really nothing left to say but thank you. So: thank you. You've just made this girl's trip to the hospital (again) tomorrow so much more wonderful.

In My Mailbox: Maggie Goes Nuts at the Library Edition

2011-12-04T06:00:00.003-06:00

In My Mailbox is a meme about books bought, borrowed, and otherwise (legally) received graciously hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren.

This week, despite having piles of thrift story literary novels and nonfiction plus everything Bill Bryson has ever written fifty or so deep scattered around my bedroom, plus last week's super giant box, I...walked into the library. I know. I know. DSM-5 psychologists and also those Big Pharma people that made erectile dysfunction officially a thing, you should know that a love of books is an addiction. A disease.

One of these days my stacks will mutiny and bury me, and I will die a very happy girl-woman. Mark my words.

Anyway, here's a recap of this week's damage:

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The Shadow Speaker by Nnedi Okorafor (credited as Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu) (Goodreads)
Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness (Goodreads)
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart (Goodreads)
Chime by Franny Billingsley (Goodreads)
---

All of these have been on my to-read list for what feels like forever, and as the two I've finished already were insanely amazing (Monsters of Men and Chime, of course), I think it's safe to say they were on that list for a reason. YA authors and libraries, you rock.

I also picked up a book called Mastering Finnish from the thrift store we visited after the bookstore, because I am a geek. Do with that information what you will.

Must Read Now: Chaos Walking trilogy

2011-12-02T22:46:00.000-06:00

In my last installment of Must Read Now, I wrote about A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly, which was exactly the sort of YA historical fiction I wanted to see more of. This time, I tackle my favorite series in another subgenre of YA I dearly love: Patrick Ness's Chaos Walking trilogy, simply the best there is out there in recent memory, no reservations.

Put it this way: these books are so much better than The Hunger Games, they're in another league. Hold on to your butts. (I'm only going to post the summary to the first book to avoid spoilers, but you can find all three on Goodreads.)

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Goodreads | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Prentisstown isn't like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts in an overwhelming, never-ending stream of Noise. Just a month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd and his dog, Manchee -- whose thoughts Todd can hear too, whether he wants to or not -- stumble upon an area of complete silence. They find that in a town where privacy is impossible, something terrible has been hidden -- a secret so awful that Todd and Manchee must run for their lives.
But how do you escape when your pursuers can hear your every thought?

First of all: the cover. Illustrations (!!!) and design that perfectly conveys the book? Good work, publishers. I approve. Now start making more like it.

Second of all: sweet mother of god, are these books amazing. Have I conveyed that yet? Have I? Because it's really important that I do. If you like sci-fi and YA or sci-fi or YA, these books are earth-shattering. Even if you like nothing less than brave, beautiful writing that knocks your socks off, these books will change your life. Trust me on this.

The blurb is awfully light on the details, and I don't want to reveal too much more, since part of the gut-wrenching appeal of the trilogy is the constant reveal of Ness's world. (Kind of like what growing up in our world is like.) But what I will say is that this is a space colonization story and not a dystopia; that it is a story of the clash between settlers and natives like James Cameron's Avatar could have been had Avatar put more money towards its writing and less towards fantastic explosions.

In short, it's awesome, and I mean that in every possible sense of the word. (But mostly in the jaw-hanging-open-on-the-floor way.)

And then there are our characters: Todd, Viola, and as many dozens in between as you'd find in a fantasy epic, to the point where I have no idea how Ness kept them straight. They are smart. They are loyal. They are brave. Some of them are evil. All of them are flawed, and I don't mean that in the "just make 'em clumsy and forget about it because it worked for Bella" or "just shoehorn a love triangle in there somewhere because it worked for Katniss" sense. I mean it in the real, impossible dilemma sort of way like how people are flawed in real life, and sometimes they make the wrong choices and I yell out loud at the characters and then have to stare at the ceiling for awhile until my heart rate slows down and I can read again.

And I love every minute of it.

I cannot say enough good about these books. Read them. Now.

And if you'll excuse me, I have to go finish Monsters of Men (book 3) before my brain explodes.

CLOSED Catching Jordan swag giveaway! CLOSED

2011-12-02T06:55:00.002-06:00

**GIVEAWAY CLOSED**

Two things happened yesterday. One: I lost NaNoWriMo with a wordcount of about 15,000. (Which I had sort of figured on and am not overly upset about.) Two: Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally was released! Check out the Goodreads blurb:

What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though - she leads them as the captain and quarterback on her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starring position on the team... and has her suddenly wishing to be seen as more than just a teammate.

It's not at all what I normally read, but it sounds sweet and funny (and Miranda is awesome on Twitter). Plus, I'm delighted to announce that I have awesome swag to give away!

*cue confetti*

I've got two bookmarks, two stickers, and two postcards from Miranda, so two lucky winners will each receive a swag set. If I get fifty entries or more? Well...you might convince me to add another prize or two. Just fill out the Google Docs form below, and don't forget to pick up your copy of Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally!

*Edit* This contest will run through December 21st and I'll get the prizes mailed out over winter break! */Edit*

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

Middle Grade Monday: Blowout

2011-11-28T19:30:00.001-06:00

Middle Grade Monday is an on-again, off-again weekly feature in which I bring in a real-live middle grader--in this case my younger sister, Ellie--to discuss the books the younger crowd is reading. This week, although she didn't like Taylor Morris's book BFF Breakup so much, Ellie tackles a title by the same author that she enjoyed more: Blowout.

---

Blowout by Taylor Morris
Goodreads | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble
Middle Grade, Contemporary, 224 pages, Grosset & Dunlap

Series: Hello, Gorgeous!
Disclosure: Received review copy from the author. Thanks!

Goodreads blurb:

Now that she's had her thirteenth birthday, Mickey's finally old enough to work at her mother's super glam hair salon--Hello, Gorgeous! And true to the old cliche about people confiding in their hair stylists, Mickey starts getting an earful right off the bat. Customers love talking to her because she's so empathetic, but what happens when she starts getting overly involved in their dramas?

Review:
This book was OK……Some parts of it I liked and others I did not, and the drama was a bit over done but other then that I liked it. The characters were explained well and Morris’s writing is not half bad. And instead of this just happing Morris went into detail about why they happened. And it turned out the way I wanted it to.

The Final Grade: B

---

Thanks, Ellie, and we hope to see you around here soon!

In My Mailbox: Super Giant ALAN Box of Books edition!

2011-11-27T08:25:00.000-06:00

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren about books bought, borrowed, and otherwise (legally) received.

On Thanksgiving (or actually the day before Thanksgiving), I showed you a picture of the Super Giant ALAN Box of Awesome. And now. Drumroll. It is actually time to look INSIDE the box, which had the awesome books to go along with its Box of Awesome promise! As follows:

Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King (Goodreads)
And Then Things Fall Apart by Arlaina Tibensky (Goodreads)
Divergent by Veronica Roth (Goodreads)
Monster by Walter Dean Myers (Goodreads)
Dope Sick by Walter Dean Myers (Goodreads)
Carmen by Walter Dean Myers (Goodreads)
The Comet's Curse by Dom Testa (Goodreads)
Pie by Sarah Weeks (Goodreads)
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams Garcia (Goodreads)
Jumped by Rita Williams Garcia (Goodreads)
Girls Acting Catty by Leslie Margolis (Goodreads)
Every You, Every Me by David Levithan (Goodreads)
Everfound by Neal Shusterman (Goodreads)
What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen (Goodreads)
Feed by M.T. Anderson (Goodreads)
The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson (Goodreads)
I Will Save You by Matt de la Pena (Goodreads)
After the Snow by S.D. Crockett (Goodreads)
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen (Goodreads)
Girl Meets Boy anthology edited by Kelly Milner Halls (Goodreads)
Reel Life Starring Us by Lisa Greenwald (Goodreads)
Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip by Jordan Sonnenblick (Goodreads)
Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott (Goodreads)
Bronxwood by Coe Booth (Goodreads)
Irises by Francisco X. Stork (Goodreads)
Money Boy by Paul Yee (Goodreads)
The Memory Palace by Mira Bartok (Goodreads)

I'm loving the mix of big releases and indie names, as well as the multicultural aspect to a lot of them. The Comet's Curse even has an Asian half-face on the cover! So now everyone can take part in the YA cover crappiness! LOOK!

In all seriousness, it makes me so happy to see a PoC face on the cover, especially on a cover that isn't for a gritty contemp story. (Nothing against gritty contemps, in fact I LOVE gritty contemps, but it's the only book we ever seem to see PoCs in). In a PoC vein, I'm also excited for the Dean Myers and Williams Garcia books in the bunch. I've already read Monster, but the rest are all new to me. One Crazy Summer looks especially fantastic.

Other excitements: Divergent, Between Here and Forever, Pie, Feed, and What Happened to Goodbye, especially since the latter two are signed! *happy dance*

Ones I've already finished and loved: Everybody Sees the Ants and And Then Things Fall Apart. Rush-out-and-buy-right-now picks, to be sure.

What's in your mailbox this week? As always, please share in the comments!

Things to be thankful for.

2011-11-23T19:09:00.000-06:00

It's Thanksgiving. I can't think of anything profound to write about. Sue me. Also have a lovely weekend.

Silly bookish things I am thankful for: the giant box of books from ALAN that showed up on my doorstep this morning.

(Also my backpack and my messy room.)

Also the fact that in that box are signed books from none other than Sarah Dessen, M.T. Anderson, and Rita Williams Garcia, which my co-panelists were kind enough to acquire for me.

Also the news that Maggie Stiefvater is finally writing the sequel to Ballad and Lament, both of which I reviewed last week. As a Stiefvater fangrrl, this obviously induced some squealing.

Also just being alive and able to read and enjoy books. Contrary to popular belief, book blogging is not easy. And the *free books* are not sufficient motivation. The books are. I love books.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

RIP, Anne McCaffrey: Why women belong in sci-fi

2011-11-22T17:56:00.000-06:00

From GalleyCat: Anne McCaffrey has died.

I am dumbfounded. There are certain people in literature that seem as if they should live forever; Anne McCaffrey was one of them. Anne McCaffrey is one of the first reasons that comes to mind when I wonder why I love science fiction. I don't think it's exaggerating to say that Anne McCaffrey is the reason I am who I am today.

I was thirteen when I first read The Dragonriders of Pern series. I giggled at the first read-through of her dragon sex scenes and got sort of confused by her prose and the names that to me looked like a whole lot of apostrophes and not much else. I then proceeded to re-read it a half-dozen times in quick succession.

In her short story collection Get Off the Unicorn, which I devoured shortly after, I was astonished at the sheer variety within, from soft porn to soft, silly sci-fi, to psychological musings worthy of an Orson Scott Card novel (minus the ugly bigotry).

And in her novel The Rowan--actually a series of novellas and an extension of a story contained within Get Off the Unicorn--my love for Anne McCaffrey was sealed. I loved her ideas. I loved her writing. I loved her world. This was science fiction as I'd never read it. This was science fiction by...a woman.

Hear me out. Unlike certain Nobel Prize winners, I doubt you could tell blindly tell a woman's writing from a man's. We're not talking a difference in quality, or even in style. What we are talking about is a difference in perspective; what we are talking about, especially in sci-fi, is treating women as objects versus treating them like real people who can do anything. Anne McCaffrey fell into the latter category, and thus shaped a genre forever.

Even YA fans who have never touched adult sci-fi should recognize that, along with Ursula K. Le Guin and Diana Wynne Jones, it would be hard to point to an influence more singular in shaping what YA looks like today. Imagine a YA world without women speculative fiction writers--without Tamora Pierce, J.K. Rowling, Holly Black, Justine Larbalestier, Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Malinda Lo, Laini Taylor, Maggie Stiefvater, Dia Reeves, Suzanne Collins, Cindy Pon, and yes, even Stephenie Meyer; along with so many, many more--and you're imagining a sad world indeed. Anne McCaffrey was one of the trailblazers. If (when) I have a writing career in speculative fiction, I can probably thank Anne McCaffrey.

So I hope you'll forgive me for waxing eloquent, but the world is just a little bit sadder without Anne McCaffrey in it. Pick up one of her books to celebrate the life of this fantastically wonderful writer. Pick up one of her books to celebrate women in sci-fi and fantasy everywhere.

And write on.

In brief other news: In conjunction with the ALAN panel I participated in remotely today, I had the pleasure of being interviewed over at The Pirate Tree: Social Justice & Children's Literature. Check it out! And if you did attend our panel (session 2.02, 2:55-3:55, Teen Book Blogger Forge a New Reviewing Model), please let me know how it went. Wish I could have been there in person!

Double Review, sort of: Lament and Ballad

2011-11-17T17:27:00.000-06:00

Lament by Maggie Stiefvater
Goodreads | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble
YA, Paranormal Romance, 325 pages, Flux

Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater
Goodreads | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble
YA, Paranormal Romance, 352 pages, Flux

Why I read them: Homicidal faeries, Celtic music, swoon, kilts!
Disclosure: Checked out both from my local library. (Huzzah!)

I can't even give either of these a proper review, my thoughts are so complicated. Bear with me. I am subjecting you to my ramblings anyway.

YA writers everywhere: are you thinking of writing a sort-of creepy faerie romance where the faerie in the relationship is hundreds of years older than the human and also falls in love with them instantly and also stalks them while they sleep? Don't, please, because there is only one author, ever, who can write this kind of story and still have my undying swimfan devotion.

Maggie Stiefvater's prose--on the purple side, sweet nearly to sickly--should not win me over, but it does. Her stories--sweet again, where love is instant and deep and just works--should have me with my guard up. But they don't. I am, in fact, always surprised at how much I love her prose and stories, and Lament and Ballad are no exception.

Lament is far rougher than Ballad around the edges--Luke is a lot more hollowly hunky than any faerie assassin should be, because I want more tension, dammit, and Deidre is a sap, despite grrrl's badass harp and singing skills--and is unabashedly an insta-love story a la Twilight. I could see all these things, but it didn't stop me from being utterly sucked in, and not putting the book down until 1:00 am on a school night.

I enjoyed Ballad, told from the perspective of Deidre's best friend James, even more. It's so rare to see a love triangle between a guy and two girls in YA, and I was rooting for James the whole way through (who, incidentally, was easily the sexiest guy in either book, mostly due to gratuitous kilt-wearing and bagpipe-playing). Nuala was sweet and dangerous all at the same time; clearly the precursor to Isabel in the Shiver trilogy. Also there is a fabulous English teacher. I like fabulous English teachers. I have had three.

In short, I liked these just as much as I have liked all of Stiefvater's work, which is to say a lot. She captures the savage edge of Faerie perfectly while telling sweet and shivery romances besides. I'd recommend them, but they won't exactly make converts of non-Stiefvater fans as The Scorpio Races is reportedly doing all over the damn place. (Christmas and its recursive bookshop gift cards can't come soon enough, folks.)

Seriously, though, YA writers? Don't get any ideas. Insta-romance will still make me hate you forever, unless your name is Maggie. Because Maggies are magical.

Lament and Ballad are available now.

Waiting on Wednesday: Black Heart

2011-11-16T15:22:00.001-06:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme I participate in on-and-off about books we just can't wait for, hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine. Don't forget to comment and link your post to this week's Mr. Linky!

This week I'm waiting on...

Black Heart by Holly Black. (Link to Goodreads.)

What can I say? I just re-watched Rian Johnson's neo-noir Brick for the 234587098th time. I love the idea of a high school noir, and this series feels like my own special YA drug. (Check out my rave reviews of series predecessors White Cat and Red Glove if you don't believe me.)

Even better news? Rumor has it that Black Heart got a cover redesign from this, which I find frankly awful:

To this, which looks a little Beautiful Creatures but is a significant improvement:

Maybe that's just the Canadian cover? I'm not sure. (I got the news from this post on Midnight Bloom Reads.) Either way, it's still a far cry from the UK covers for this series, which are beyond beautiful:

Publishers, make the amazing happen on my US shelves. PRETTY PLEASE.

Anyway, check out the Goodreads summary for Black Heart:

Cassel Sharpe knows he’s been used as an assassin, but he’s trying to put all that behind him. He’s trying to be good, even though he grew up in a family of con artists and cheating comes as easily as breathing to him. He’s trying to do the right thing, even though the girl he loves is inextricably connected with crime. And he’s trying to convince himself that working for the Feds is smart, even though he’s been raised to believe the government is the enemy.
But with a mother on the lam, the girl he loves about to take her place in the Mob, and new secrets coming to light, the line between what’s right and what’s wrong becomes increasingly blurred. When the Feds ask Cassel to do the one thing he said he would never do again, he needs to sort out what’s a con and what’s truth. In a dangerous game and with his life on the line, Cassel may have to make his biggest gamble yet—this time on love.

Can you believe we have to wait till April???

ALAN 2011: Disappointing news for me.

2011-11-15T10:35:00.000-06:00

First, look at this schedule. Scroll down most of the way to the bottom, to Session 2.02: Teen book bloggers forge a new reviewing model. Look at the names of the presenters: Lyn Miller-Lachmann (author of Gringolandia and also one of my favorite guests posts to ever go live on the blog), Ari Valderrama (of Reading in Color, one of my favorite book blogs), and Edi Campbell (of the blog Crazy Quilts, who is also a pretty fantastic librarian).

Also Maggie Desmond-O'Brien. Of Bibliophilia - Maggie's Bookshelf. Me. Here. Writing this now.

Unfortunately, in the latest installment of getting-sick-sucks-guys that is my life, I am no longer a presenter on that panel. In light of a joint decision by parents, doctors, and myself, I will not be attending ALAN 2011 in Chicago at all.

Yes. Getting sick sucks. Call me melodramatic (and I am), but I feel like my heart is breaking a little. A lot. Read that schedule again. Look at the line-up. I can't believe I'm missing this.

There is a bright side, though, namely that the panel is sure to be fantastic. You should go. I will be answering some questions by email, and Lyn has graciously included some screenshots of my blog and some info about my background in the presentation.

My fellow panelists have also agreed (very graciously) to pick up some signed books for me, which is wonderful. I have the best fellow panelists in the world.

None of that quite makes up for not attending an event that has been a year in the planning for me. I'm really, really devastated and sad. But I know I've made the right decision so I can get back to normal health-wise as quickly as possible, as much as this sucks.

I also know - pssssst - that an NYC trip may be in the works come May. I'd love to finally make it back to the Book Blogger Convention, as well as attend Teen Author Carnival and Book Expo America for the first time. So, I'm looking up, and hope to meet all of the lovely authors, bloggers, and writerly folks I'd made plans with at ALAN sometime soon.

Now, would that make a fantastic graduation present or what?

Middle Grade Monday: BFF Breakup

2011-11-14T19:11:00.001-06:00

BFF Breakup by Taylor Morris
Middle Grade, Contemporary, 240 pages, Aladdin
Goodreads | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Best friends forever? Well... Brooke and Madeline have been best friends since they first met. Nothing could possibly change that, right? Except maybe middle school. As Brooke and Madeline encounter new challenges, suddenly their friendship isn't looking so good.

This is not my kind of book at all, shallow, young girls being mean to each other. I had to many time tell my self to NOT put the book down, I am amazed that I got through it. The characters were really very shallow and downright mean. I will not be rereading this book again. Do I need to say any more?

Final Grade: D-

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Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy it, Ellie, and hope to see you next week!

P.S. from Maggie: Why is it middle grade books always get the best sweet and quirky illustrated covers, publishers? Inquiring YA minds want to know!

Review: Corsets and Clockwork

2011-11-12T11:01:00.000-06:00

Corsets and Clockwork: 13 Steampunk Romances anthology edited by Trisha Telep with stories by:

Ann Aguirre
Jaclyn Dolamore
Tessa Gratton
Frewin Jones
Caitlin Kittredge
Adrienne Kress
Lesley Livingston
Dru Pagliassotti
Dia Reeves
Michael Scott
Maria V. Snyder
Tiffany Trent
Kiersten White

YA, Romance, Steampunk (Paranormal/Fantasy/Sci-Fi), 400 pages, Running Press Kids

Why I read it: Steampunk, authors I love
Disclosure: From my local library. Woot!

Goodreads blurb:

Dark, urban fantasies come to life in the newest collection of Steampunk stories, Corsets & Clockwork. Young heroes and heroines battle evils with the help of supernatural or super-technological powers, each individual story perfectly balancing historical and fantastical elements. Throw in epic romances that transcend time, and this trendy, engrossing anthology is sure to become another hit for the fast-growing Steampunk genre!
This collection features some of the hottest writers in the teen genre, including: Ann Aguirre, Jaclyn Dolamore, Tessa Gratton, Frewin Jones, Caitlin Kittredge, Adrienne Kress, Lesley Livingston, Dru Pagliassotti, Dia Reeves, Michael Scott, Maria V. Snyder, Tiffany Trent, and Kiersten White.

Judged by its cover: Awful. My parents asked me if it was a Harlequin romance. If anything calls for a quirky illustrated cover, it's a quirky steampunk anthology. PUBLISHERS, I AM IRKED.

Anthology review:

Geek that I am, you have probably assumed all this time that I love steampunk. In this assumption you would be 100%. The problem? I am sadly undereducated. Beyond the already-classics like Philip Pullman's His Dark Material trilogy and Joss Whedon's TV show Firefly, I have yet to venture far into the steampunk genre. So I picked up this anthology in my library. What could possibly go wrong?

A lot, unfortunately. Despite a few standout stories, I was decidedly underwhelmed by this anthology, which felt more like an attempt to cash in on a trend than a genuine bringing-together of YA greats. I was especially disappointed considering the strength of the names of this anthology, many of whom I love when writing in novel-length but didn't enjoy in their short stories here. Still, standout stories by Dia Reeves, Jaclyn Dolamore, and Maria V. Snyder made it well worth picking up.

Of course, no anthology review would be complete without breaking it down story by story, so here goes:

Story-by-story reviews:

"Rude Mechanicals" by Lesley Livingston: Cool concept, but an obnoxious narrator I couldn't relate to at all. Not for me.

"The Cannibal Fiend of Rotherhithe" by Frewin Jones: Slow to start, but exactly the sort of narrator and writing I like to see in steampunk. Gave me the chills! Liked it.

"Wild Magic" by Ann Aguirre: Again, cool concept, but a contrived romance and an ending I saw coming from a mile away. Meh.

"Deadwood" by Michael Scott: A witty and wonderful Wild West story I didn't want to end. Speaking of endings, the twist was fantastic! This should be a novel. Loved it.

"Code of Blood" by Dru Pagliassotti: One of the most fantastic worlds in the anthology, it reminded me a lot of City of Masks by Mary Hoffman. The writing didn't quite deliver (which was a recurring theme here), but it definitely made for fun reading. Liked it.

"The Clockwork Corset" by Adrienne Kress: Sweet, but too formulaic. It felt like the author looked up everything that should be in a steampunk romance and wrote it instead of following her story. Not for me.

"The Airship Gemini" by Jaclyn Dolamore: Such a brave and bizarre mix of breezy and creepy I couldn't help but love it. Loved it.

"Under Amber Skies" by Maria V. Snyder: I love the idea of a WWII steampunk. I also love how Snyder doesn't pull any punches, leaving me breathless by the end. Loved it.

"King of the Greenlight City" by Tessa Gratton: Another writer that doesn't pull any punches in an unusual world, but the writing was painfully stiff. Liked it.

"The Emperor's Man" by Tiffany Trent: Kept me guessing the whole way through with a fantastic world that reminded me, no joke, of Philip Pullman. It didn't quite capture me, but I think at this point that was more my disappointment in the anthology as a whole than a problem with the story itself. Liked it.

"Chickie Hill's Badass Ride" by Dia Reeves: Unsurprisingly, Reeves' '60s era steampunk Portero story is the best in the collection. If you loved Bleeding Violet and Slice of Cherry, Corsets and Clockwork is worth picking up for this story alone. Loved it.

"The Vast Machinery of Dreams" by Caitlin Kittredge: I saw what the writer was trying to do--steampunk Inception meets homicidal fairies--I just wish she had executed it a little better. Meh.

"Tick, Tick, Boom" by Kiersten White: So silly and flirty that I didn't really mind that I could see the end coming a mile off. This has definitely convinced me to try White's other work. Liked it.

Corsets and Clockwork is available now.

Sick again, well again. Plus, more opinions!

2011-11-10T21:21:00.000-06:00

As you may have gathered from my somewhat frantic and painkiller-laced tweets in the past week, I've been sick. Again. In the ER. Again. And they're not exactly sure why. Again. I'm feeling better today. But what about tomorrow?

I would make a joke about this but really I am so sad and frustrated I could cry. You know why? Because I am sick and tired of not being able to do the things I love. Go hiking. Go horseback riding. Hang out with my friends. Be able to stand up without worrying I'll fall.

Also blog. Especially blog. I am drowning in emails and books that I have literally not been able to sit up in bed long enough to read, much less reply to or review. And it's eating at me that I have to back out of so many commitments, turn down so many blog tours, that basically I have to be a quitter. I am not a quitter. I am going to make this work.

So this is where the opinions come in: what makes my blog worth reading to you? What posts do you like to see? What effort do I need to make to make Maggie's Bookshelf tick? Please leave your thoughts in the comments!

And, you know, answer that shiny new poll in my sidebar, too. That would be awesome. <3

New Hunger Games Character Posters! Or, Maggie is still a fangrrl despite her better judgment.

2011-11-02T21:49:00.003-05:00

Tonight was originally going to be post-less in the midst of school and NaNo madness, but when I saw these photos hit the web I just couldn't resist. Disappointed as I was in Mockingjay, bitter as I am about The Hunger Games movie, I can't quite squelch my fangrrling. Case in point: JLAW LOOKIN' LIKE A HELLA BADASS AND BEAUTIFUL KATNISS, Y'ALL.

There are not even words for how happy this makes me. Would be perfect is she looked a little more pissed off.

Amandla Stenberg as Rue is sad and gorgeous and conveys the character perfectly.

Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket brings the crazy to the party.

And even Josh Hutcherson as Peeta, who in previous promo photos has not impressed me at all, is looking just like how I always wanted my boy with the bread to look. D'awwww.

You can see the rest of the photos here, reblogged on Jessica of Shut Up I'm Reading!'s Tumblr. (Which, by the way, makes for excellent procrastination reading for us bookish folk.)

The tiny spark of hope I have for the movie is starting to win against m cynicism. I am head over heels. I WANT THESE ON MY WALL. So while I wait impatiently for the full-length trailer to air/re-read The Hunger Games for the 7344399th time, what do you guys think? Not how you pictured? Or perfect? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

NaNoWriMo rolls around again...

2011-11-01T16:31:00.000-05:00

...and for the first time ever, I signed up!

Not that I have a prayer of succeeding between school, work, family, more doctor's visits than I have ever had in my life, and life in general, but I figured if I was ever going to get a damn draft finished now was the time to try. Who knows? Maybe a kick in the pants was all I ever really needed.

I'm not devoting my precious 50k to any one novel project in particular, but rather to a few short story, essay, and novella projects I've had bouncing around for a long time. (I suppose this makes it just plain NaWriMo for me.) This was really a spur of the moment decision so wish me luck!

Helpful links and other things:

If you don't know what NaNoWriMo is, check out their website here.
If you want a wordcount bar like the one I just put in my sidebar, I got it here. (I'm sure there are many fancier, prettier ones out there, though.)
My NaNo username on the site is Mdesmondobrien. Still figuring out how the site works, and I don't plan on spending too much time on it (I'd rather spend that time writing!), but feel free to look me up or add me as a writing buddy if you so desire.

Best of luck to all my fellow NaNoers! I'm pretty excited to be taking the plunge.

In My Mailbox: End of October

2011-10-30T13:50:00.000-05:00

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren about books bought, borrowed, and otherwise (legally) received. These past weeks have been something of a Rocky Horror/haunted house/homework daze, but I did pick up some fantastic library books (and win a few in contests) that I thought I should share!

From the library:

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan (Goodreads)
The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness (Goodreads)

Contests:

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (Goodreads)
Yossarian Slept Here by Erica Heller (Goodreads)

And yes, you read that right: I won Daughter of Smoke and Bone from Forever Young Adult! I'm excited for all of them, but most especially that one.

What's in your mailbox this week? Please feel free to leave titles and links in the comments!

Must Read Now: A Northern Light

2011-10-28T20:17:00.000-05:00

The time is ripe for a new feature, isn't it? And so, due to a glut of YA oldies-but-goodies I've found at my local library lately that don't exactly need reviews or even mini-reviews but that I can't resist getting my two cents in on anyway, I have Must Read Now. Will probably be evolving somewhat so please leave thoughts in the comments! And now, for my inaugural feature...

...A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly. (Goodreads)

Sixteen-year-old Mattie Gokey has big dreams but little hope of seeing them come true. Desperate for money, she takes a job at the Glenmore, where hotel guest Grace Brown asks her to burn a bundle of secret letters. But when Grace's drowned body is fished from the lake, Mattie discovers the letters reveal the grim truth behind a murder.
Set in 1906 against a backdrop of the murder that inspired Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy, this astonishing novel weaves romance, history, and a murder mystery into something moving, real, and wholly original.

Historical fiction is my special literary drug whether good, bad, or ugly, but sometimes I find a book so fantastically good it crosses all genre boundaries, whether you love historical fiction or hate it. A Northern Light is that book. Donnelly takes a story that could have gone so badly wrong - a mystery historical - and does it so incredibly right, keeping within the time period while still making it a modern story riveting to modern teens.

After reading this, Donnelly's first YA book, I can see why there was so much dismay when Revolution was released. I loved that book with a burning passion in its own right, but it can't touch A Northern Light for depth, honesty, or sheer beauty.

In short, I can't imagine a better pick for my first Must Read Now, and if you haven't read it, you should!

Science Fiction Double Feature!

2011-10-27T21:04:00.001-05:00

Halloween's coming up, and to me that can mean only one thing: it's time to show The Rocky Horror Picture Show!

This year I went to both a live theater production in Minneapolis-St. Paul AND helped organize a showing of the original 1975 film at my college. Both were amazing, and I even went in full costume as Janet!

As with most obsessions in my life, this one actually started in YA when I read one of The Princess Diaries books by Meg Cabot (I can't remember which one) and was confused (to say the least) when Mia went to a midnight showing in New York City. Curious, I looked it up, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Midnight showings of cult movies (Rocky Horror or otherwise) are a pretty YA-fabulous experience, so now I want to know: what memories do you have to share? How about other YA-inspired obsessions? Please share in the comments!

Review: When the Stars Go Blue

2011-10-26T20:06:00.000-05:00

When the Stars Go Blue by Caridad Ferrer
YA, Romance, 336 pages, St. Martin's Griffin
Goodreads | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Why I read it: Dancing queen, operas, melodrama, Cuba, swoony boys
Disclosure: Borrowed a copy from my local library. FTW.

Goodreads blurb:

A dancer driven to succeed.
A musical prodigy attempting to escape his past.
The summer they share.
And the moment it all goes wrong.
Dance is Soledad Reyes’s life. About to graduate from Miami’s Biscayne High School for the Performing Arts, she plans on spending her last summer at home teaching in a dance studio, saving money, and eventually auditioning for dance companies. That is, until fate intervenes in the form of fellow student Jonathan Crandall who has what sounds like an outrageous proposition: Forget teaching. Why not spend the summer performing in the intense environment of the competitive drum and bugle corps? The corps is going to be performing Carmen, and the opportunity to portray the character of the sultry gypsy proves too tempting for Soledad to pass up, as well as the opportunity to spend more time with Jonathan, who intrigues her in a way no boy ever has before.
But in an uncanny echo of the story they perform every evening, an unexpected competitor for Soledad's affections appears: Taz, a member of an all-star Spanish soccer team. One explosive encounter later Soledad finds not only her relationship with Jonathan threatened, but her entire future as a professional dancer.

Judged by its cover: Amazing. The cover was a huge part of the reason I picked up this book in the first place. It's simple, striking, and conveys the story perfectly; no headless skinny whitewashed girls in frilly dresses required.

The Long...

I can say, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that there has never been a contemporary romance I enjoyed more than When the Stars Go Blue. Coming from someone who reads so little romance to begin with, perhaps that is an uninformed compliment. Maybe it was just that this book was perfect for me. But considering how smart, sassy, and just plain brilliant it was, I'm fairly certain I'm not wrong.

Three things that made this book above and beyond for me? One, the fact that Soledad isn't a tortured eating-disordered dancer, but rather a healthy and powerful one. She had her insecurities, but they never overwhelmed her life. Two, the fact that her relationship with Jonathan is passionate, by turns sweet and steamy, and all-consuming, but that we also are told that she has had relationships (involving sexytimes, of course) in the past, and she never loses sight of herself. And third, the fact that chica has got the best sense of humor of any heroine I've read in recent memory.

Put it this way: the thing I loved about this book was Soledad, and how her strength seemed to evolve naturally from her character instead of being foisted upon her by a self-conscious author. Speaking of characters, something must also be said for Soledad's grandmother, whom I loved. Another smart and strong character that rang true instead of ringing like a mouthpiece for all the wisdom the author wanted to interject into the story (which the plague of all literary grandmothers, especially YA ones).

While I've never read any of Caridad Ferrer's other work, I can't imagine her being anything other than at the top of her game here. Stars is a fantastic balancing act of characters and story and beautiful writing, and I am so happy to have let this book be a part of me.

I really have no criticism. At all. I need more Caridad Ferrer in my life!

...and the Short:

By turns sweet, funny, honest, sexy, fiery, and heartbreaking, this book captured me from the very first page and never let me go. A must-read for YA contemporary romance fans and soon to be YA contemporary romance fans alike!

The Final Word: Loved it!

When the Stars Go Blue is available now.

White Cat is a free (and completely legal) audio download!

2011-10-25T08:00:00.022-05:00

Too exciting not to share on a Tuesday morning: you can now download a copy of White Cat by Holly Black, narrated from Jesse Eisenberg (!!!), legally and for free from the Random House Audio website. (Check out my very gushy review here, or find it on Goodreads here.) Not sure how long this is going to last, so if you've always been meaning to try this series (and you really, really should try this series), you should seize the opportunity.

It's times like these when I really wish I had a Tumblr because that's about all I have to say. But I'm pretty sure the extra procrastination that would generate would cause my head (not to mention my report card) to explode.

See you all tonight with my review of When the Stars Go Blue by Caridad Ferrer!

Middle Grade Monday: Interview with Frances O'Roark Dowell!

2011-10-24T19:34:00.000-05:00

Remember that book? You know? With farmgirls and goat poop and awesome bass-playing and such? That Ellie and I both loved? Of course you do. It's Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O'Roark Dowell! (Check out our joint review here.)

Lucky for us, Ellie and I both got the chance to email Frances some questions, which she very graciously replied to.

Take it away!

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Ellie's questions:

Have you ever lived on a hobby farm?

No, though we have about an acre of land, and we grow a lot of vegetables. I hope we’ll get chickens one of these days soon.

I have some chickens I could lend you!

If you were in the shoes of Janie what would you have done different?

That’s a tough question! In some ways, I’m a lot like Janie, so I would have done a lot of the things she did, mistakes and all. I’d like to say I would have embraced farm life a lot more quickly than she did, but I’m not sure that’s really true. When you’re Janie’s age, a lot of life is about figuring stuff out—what you really believe, who the right friends for you really are, what’s the best way to spend your time, etc.—and in the process of figuring that stuff out, you tend to make mistakes and travel some wrong roads.

What was you favorite book growing up?

Harriet the Spy when I was in elementary school; A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and To Kill a Mockingbird when I got to middle school. I pretty much read everything, though, including Strange but True Football Stories and True Confessions magazine. I didn’t discriminate.

Ten Miles Past Normal is pretty high up on my list!

When did you start writing?

I started writing poetry when I was in first or second grade. I started writing novels when I was 27. I always loved writing. The only things I didn’t like to write were books reports and research papers. The rest of it I loved. I really loved writing letters, and I’m nostalgic for the days when I used to correspond with twenty or so friends on a pretty regular basis. Email’s not the same.

27? I haven't ever finished writing a novel, but you give me hope!

Which character are you most like?

I’m probably most like Janie; the character I’d like to be most like is Monster. Monster’s very sure of what he wants and what he believes. Sometimes teens who’ve gone through a lot as kids, but who’ve had a lot of support, mature faster. Monster’s a pretty independent guy. All my girlfriends are in love with him.

I think I'm most like Verbena. I loved how crazy she was. :D

Did the book end the way you always thought it would?

I never know how my books will end. I like to surprise myself!

The end really surprised me, too!

Maggie's questions:

One of my favorite things about Janie was that she wasn't afraid to be quirky! (Especially when it came to playing the bass in a band!) How much of that came from personal experience, and how much of it was pure yarn-spinning on your part?

Growing up, I was a lot quirkier than I wanted to be, actually. I tried hard to fit in at school (and often succeeded), but at home I was writing poetry and teaching myself to play guitar and listening to all kinds of music. It wasn’t really until I got to college that I found people who were interested in stuff that I was interested in and could let my quirky flag fly.

As I am also a college student learning to let my quirky flag fly, I salute you!

I also loved how the civil rights story was woven in with Janie's story. How much research did it take to get that right?

I’ve spent the last four or five years as an informal student of the Civil Rights Movement and so, for instance, knew a lot about freedom schools when I started writing Ten Miles. I had to do some research on literacy laws in North Carolina, to make sure I had my facts straight.

Awesome!

Any advice to aspiring farm girls and writers?

Read all the time! Write all the time! Learn to can your homegrown vegetables!

I think my mom would agree with you on the learning to can part!

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Thank you so much for your time, Frances! And as always, see you next week, Ellie!

Come see me speak at the Grand Rapids Public Library!

2011-10-18T19:13:00.000-05:00

To shamelessly self-promote: I'm running a teen program on digital photography, photo editing, social media, and more at my local library this Thursday from 1-2 pm! If any of my followers are going to be anywhere near Grand Rapids, Minnesota (not Michigan) this MEA weekend, stop by and see me. I'd love to meet you! (You can find more details on the library website.)

And because I feel terrible about my neglect of this blog of late, I thought I'd share part of my presentation with those of you who can't make it (which I'd imagine constitutes about 99.9% of you): my favorite YA books featuring photography and photographers! Links go to Goodreads or to my review.

Flash Burnout by L.K. Madigan:

Nice guy Blake struggles to balance his girlfriend, best-friend-who’s-a-girl, and photography class.

Jumpstart the World by Catherine Ryan Hyde:

Lonely aspiring photographer Elle crushes on Frank, the guy next door, only to discover a secret that turns her world upside-down.

Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier:

Indian and American cultures clash in Dimple’s darkroom as she falls for the “suitable boy” her parents picked out for her.

Fall for Anything by Courtney Summers:

After Eddie’s father, brilliant teacher and photographer, commits suicide, she searches for the answers to the mysteries behind his death.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs:

Jacob explores a remote island to find the truth of the “peculiar” children in his grandfather’s creepy collection of trick photography.

Anyone else work with teens at their local library? I'd be happy to email you the handouts and presentation outline I'm pulling together. Just drop me a line at mdesmondobrien@yahoo.com. Hope to see you there!

In My Mailbox: Halfway Through October Edition

2011-10-15T23:23:00.000-05:00

It's been an eventful couple of weeks, to put it lightly, and looks like an eventful few to come, which is why you won't be seeing me around the internetz very much. I couldn't resist sharing a few reads I'm excited for, though!

In My Mailbox is a meme for sharing books bought, borrowed, or otherwise (legally) received hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren.

E-galleys for review:

Skeleton Lake by Angela Kulig (Goodreads)

Unsure if she's drowning or being saved, all Marlow wants to do is run away. Ensnared in a haunting love triangle, she realizes both boys have holes in their hearts; gaping spaces she can never hope to fill.
Scars from loving the same girl, a girl who managed to stay dead.
Now she is being hunted, for what she has become and what she never asked to be. Even as a Skeleton Marlow isn’t the worst thing in the night—she isn’t even close.

Not at all sure about this one, but I was in the mood for something new. Looks like it will either be horrible or amazing. Stay tuned!

From the library:

Corsets & Clockwork: 13 Steampunk Romances (anthology) (Goodreads)

Dark, urban fantasies come to life in the newest collection of Steampunk stories, Corsets & Clockwork. Young heroes and heroines battle evils with the help of supernatural or super-technological powers, each individual story perfectly balancing historical and fantastical elements. Throw in epic romances that transcend time, and this trendy, engrossing anthology is sure to become another hit for the fast-growing Steampunk genre!
This collection features some of the hottest writers in the teen genre, including: Ann Aguirre, Jaclyn Dolamore, Tessa Gratton, Frewin Jones, Caitlin Kittredge, Adrienne Kress, Lesley Livingston, Dru Pagliassotti, Dia Reeves, Michael Scott, Maria V. Snyder, Tiffany Trent, and Kiersten White.

I'm of a very mixed mind about most YA short fiction, and especially of YA anthologies, and I have no idea why. Maybe it's because I love literary short fiction so much - I find it far more enjoyable and readable than literary novels - and YA is so vastly different. Maybe it's because it's just very hard to find a single moment in a teen's life to write about when a teen's life feels inherently so big and messy. So I came in to this one (I'm about halfway through) with pretty low expectations, and some of the stories have indeed been terrible. Most of them are sweet, funny, and thought-provoking, though, and when I saw the authors included, I couldn't pass it up. Review to come!

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.
Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously - and at great risk - documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives. Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart.

Picked this one up casually from the YA section when I was studying in the library and finished it in one sitting. There are no words. Well, actually, I'm sure I will find words when the time comes, as I did have a few gripes with the writing; the story, on the other hand, was one of the most powerful I've ever read and I still can't get it out of my head. I know I'm pretty much the last one to read this, but if you haven't, YOU MUST. My heart still pounds when I think about it!

So that's my mailbox of the past couple of weeks; how about yours? Feel free to leave links and titles in the comments!

My favorite LGBTQ books for National Coming Out Day!

2011-10-11T19:08:00.000-05:00

Hey, everybody! The Human Rights Commission in my county was just disbanded despite my very vehement argument in its favor to the board of commissioners. Forgive me while I ~~go cry in the corner~~ sigh heavily and get down to the nuts and bolts of this post, which is actually pretty exciting, because hey: it's National Coming Out Day!

This year has been a spectacular identity crisis for me from start to finish, from going to college for the first time to now facing the prospect of graduating from my alma mater with an A.A. degree this spring, to dropping my reasonably comfortable suburban life to go live on a farm in the middle of nowhere (both of which being pretty wonderful transitions, if you ask me), but one crisis in particular stands out: the queer thing, and whether or not I am

The gory, personal, and painful details on that are a post for another day (or probably never), but suffice to say that I have reached the conclusion that if by "queer," or "bi," or "freak," people mean that I love people for who they are and not their genitalia, then I am proud to identify as any of those things. Born this way and proud!

And now that my personal out is out of the way, I'd also like to "out" some of my favorite LGBTQ YA of all time! This is by no means a conclusive list because I am sadly, sadly under-read in this area, so please feel free to out your own in the comments!

Ash and Huntress by Malinda Lo

Okay, okay, so these are obvious picks as they've gone the most mainstream of any LGBTQ YA I know (with the exception of Will Grayson, Will Grayson, which I haven't read). They've gone mainstream because they are completely and totally freaking beautiful. Trust me on this one. A fabulous high fantasy style meets a literary voice meets a wonderfully fresh world, and if you haven't read them (or Lo's terrific blog), then you're missing out!

Jumpstart the World by Catherine Ryan Hyde

The T (transsexual) in LGBTQ is probably the least represented of any part of the spectrum, so I was delighted to read such an honest portrayal here. Of course, I was also delighted by Hyde's incredible storytelling and wonderful characters and by the fact that she made me cry (numerous times). And the cover. Also by how fabulous she is on Twitter. And really, just by ALL THE THINGS about this book. Read it!

The Dark Wife by Sarah Diemer

It's short and sweet with writing somewhat in the vein of Malinda Lo's, but also in a style entirely its own. With the exception of the Percy Jackson series, it's far and away the best of the Greek mythology trend: plus, what's not to love about a lesbian twist?

Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey

Read this one so recently that the link goes to the Goodreads page instead of to my review, but it's easily launched its way onto this favorites list. I described it to John at Dreaming in Books (aka one of the most fabulous book bloggers you will ever meet) as Beautiful Creatures but more my thing, and I can't think of a better way to describe it. Witches! Magic! Family secrets! A mysterious and swoony romance (between two guys!) that never takes away from all the action. It's really just a wonderful book, and I think you should read it, okay? Okay. Now that we're clear.

So what are your favorite LGBTQ reads? Any coming out stories (of any kind) to share? Leave them in the comments, folks! (And, for the love of YA, if you are under 35, get involved in county politics so that I am not the youngest person at meetings by, at minimum, twenty years. Please?)

Review: Red Glove

2011-10-07T17:00:00.000-05:00

Red Glove by Holly Black
YA, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, 325 pages, Margaret K. McElderry
Goodreads | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Why I read it: series I love, mobsters, film noir, a world I can't get enough of
Disclosure: Checked out a copy from my local library. Yay!

Spoiler alert! Nothing major, but the blurb assumes you're already aware of the twist from the first book in the series, White Cat. If you haven't, get on it! You can find my review here.

Goodreads blurb:

Curses and cons. Magic and the mob. In Cassel Sharpe's world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth—he’s the most powerful curse worker around. A touch of his hand can transform anything—or anyone—into something else.
That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Cassel was tricked into thinking he killed her, when actually he tried to save her. Now that she's human again, he should be overjoyed. Trouble is, Lila's been cursed to love him, a little gift from his emotion worker mom. And if Lila's love is as phony as Cassel's made-up memories, then he can't believe anything she says or does.
When Cassel's oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help make sense of the only clue—crime-scene images of a woman in red gloves. But the mob is after Cassel too—they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. But where can he turn when he can't trust anyone—least of all, himself?
Love is a curse and the con is the only answer in a game too dangerous to lose.

Judged by its cover: Aww, come on, publishers. Why is it so hard to avoid the crappy photoshoots and give us cool illustrated covers like the UK editions get? Pretty please? If I hadn't known how awesome this series was from the get-go, there's no way in hell I would have picked this up.

The Long...

If White Cat was last year's spring fling, then Red Glove and I are going all the way. Believe me when I say that I have never, ever read a YA series with a concept this original and yet mindbogglingly simple: the ability to work curses as a heritable condition. Black takes every ramification of this ability to its logical conclusion, from associations for worker rights (not unlike gay-straight alliances, inadvertent "outings" and all), to an ungloved hand being treated as more dangerous than a gun.

With its mobsters, constant double-crosses, and good old-fashioned gumshoe-style mysteries, this is the series that jumpstarted my recent addiction to film noir and especially neo-noir; Rian Johnson's Brick in particular. There's something terrifically thrilling about teens solving crimes, not in a campy Scooby Doo way, but in a deadly serious one. When characters feel like artful archetypes instead of three-dimensional people, when high school is a battleground and no one can be trusted, you end up with a pretty decent metaphor for non-curse-working teen years, too.

The relationship between our conflicted, double-crossing detective hero Cassel and our hard-as-nails femme fatale, Lila, stands out as one of the strongest parts of the book, mostly because it's content to lurk as driving background tension instead of stealing center stage. Every time you think the stakes couldn't possibly get any higher, they do, and I found myself literally in white-knuckled fists as I read (especially at the ending). It's difficult to watch two beloved characters come into their own and grow so far apart at the same time, and kudos to Black for not hitting a single false note between them.

We get to know the supporting characters better in this installment, too, and as I mentioned earlier, the noir archetypes are artful. Noir is the only genre I can think of where deeply nuanced and original character studies actually detract from the story instead of adding to it, and Black takes full advantage of this by giving us just enough conflict and depth to fall in love with the characters without ever overcomplicating things. There are an awful lot of tricky dames and feds with an agenda and back-stabbing mob bosses to be found here, and that's exactly as it should be.

I really can't say enough good about this series, and especially this book. Holly Black is a treasure, and I'm on tenterhooks waiting for Black Heart!

...and the Short.

A stunningly unique noir novel that kept me guessing till the very end; a solid installment in one of my favorite YA series of all time. Not to be missed!

The Final Word: Loved it!

Red Glove is available now.

Review: Dreamwalk

2011-10-06T17:00:00.001-05:00

Dreamwalk by Sarah MacManus
YA/Adult crossover, Paranormal Romance, pagecount n/a (ebook only), Young Rebel Publications
Goodreads | Barnes & Noble | Author's website

Why I read it: time travel, you just got incepted, hot musicians
Disclosure: Received a review copy from the author. Thanks!

Goodreads blurb:

DREAMWALK is a romantic mixed beat of time travel and mythology for both teens and adults. After the death of her mother, Chloe Hawthorn is haunted by terrifying nighttime hallucinations. Determined to take control of her dreams, she uses them to find Shane Anderson, a charming and troubled musician whose online videos have been holding her in thrall. She finds him in the Dreamtime, sweating out heroin detox in a run-down rehab center. Chloe sets out to find Shane in the waking world and discovers her dreams have been taking her into the past. Horrified, Chloe realizes Shane doesn't survive his addictions. In order to save him, Chloe must master her Australian mother's legacy — the secret of walking the Dreaming through time. But what price will Chloe pay for this Dreamwalk and will she save Shane only to lose him forever?

Judged by its Cover: Interesting concept, but the fonts are terrible. It's an ebook on a shoestring budget, though, so I guess it's forgiven.

The Long...

Sometimes the mythology in paranormal romance makes me want to bash my head against the nearest hard surface, repeatedly, until it makes sense and/or goes away. Dreamwalk would be one of those times. On one hand, I was thrilled to see an indie author tackle a paranormal romance that involved supernatural powers instead of the same old tired supernatural creatures. On the other hand, a painfully Magical Aborigine (link to Nnedi Okorafor's excellent essay) approach to the concept of Dreamtime was enough to ruin what was otherwise an interesting, suspenseful romance. What to do?

Much like S.M. Reine's Six Moon Summer, the story opened with a rich white spoiled brat of a protagonist who finds romance in a beautiful, mysterious boy no one else knows about whom she must fight to save. Unlike in Six Moon Summer, though, Dreamwalk never developed in a story I cared about beyond chapter-to-chapter cliffhangers. Sure, Shane is actually dead right now and Chloe has to go back and keep him from overdosing and blah blah blah. Sure, Chloe's mother was actually a Mystical White Woman entrusted by the Aborigines with the secret of Dreamtime. What's it to me?

Also memorably discomfiting was the character of Shane, who as a hot and troubled musician along the lines of Cole St. Clair from the Shiver trilogy should have been seriously swoony, but was in fact a "meh" the whole way through. One line I remember in particular from my Goodreads notes: "Not sure if I enjoy reading a guy described as having the 'raw angles of a roller coaster hipbone and a softly furred belly' or if it just grosses me out." And as I mentioned in another note further in, he's also a chauvinistic asshat. Not exactly a dreamboat, and Chloe wasn't a heroine I could root for beyond a few particularly suspenseful scenes, either.

Most frustrating of all, those suspenseful scenes were almost enough to make up for the rest of the book. Had MacManus stuck to a straighter suspense sort of story - had Chloe saving a family member or friend instead of a boyfriend, maybe - I could see this being a story I could get behind. Instead, there's a lot of muddled-up romance and after-school-special drug problems and nigh intolerable cultural appropriation, and that doesn't go down easy no matter how much of an adrenaline rush it is.

...and the Short.

Insufferable characters + insufferable romance + insufferable cultural appropriation = a pretty much insufferable novel all around, despite the author's knack for keeping the pages turning.

The Final Word: Not for me.

Dreamwalk is available now!

Vampires: some scattered thoughts

2011-10-05T17:44:00.000-05:00

I'm reading Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler for the first time. This means two things:

I'm saddened once again that such a brilliant writer was taken from us so soon (I am very selfishly dreading the day I run out of new work of hers to read), and
I'm thinking about vampires. A lot.

Here's the summary:

Fledgling, Octavia Butler's new novel after a seven year break, is the story of an apparently young, amnesiac girl whose alarmingly inhuman needs and abilities lead her to a startling conclusion: She is in fact a genetically modified, 53-year-old vampire. Forced to discover what she can about her stolen former life, she must at the same time learn who wanted--and still wants--to destroy her and those she cares for and how she can save herself. Fledgling is a captivating novel that tests the limits of "otherness" and questions what it means to be truly human.

It's so interesting to read an adult sci-fi novel released about the same time as Twilight (and thus could not possibly have intentionally intersected with Twilight in mythology) and is also so much more well-thought-out than Twilight and to notice the parallels between the two.

Like the Cullens and the rest of Meyer's "good" vampires, Butler's Ina (vampires) live in family clans. Also like the Cullens, they have developed consciences, though Ina feed themselves through relationships with symbionts instead of by hunting animals. They both also have their own archaic judicial systems.

They both ask me different questions: Butler's Ina on race, polyamorous relationships, slavery, and age; Meyer's vampires on feminism, marriage, religion, and domestic abuse. And in the back of my ill, ill brain I've been wondering what it is about vampires that makes them so conducive to discussions of the big questions; YA, romance, sci-fi or anywhere in between.

What do you think? Please sound off in the comments!

Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

2011-10-03T15:02:00.000-05:00

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
YA, Horror, 352 pages, Quirk Publishing
Goodreads | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Why I read it: Creepy crawly, little kids that freak me out, WWII, let's do the Time Warp again
Disclosure: Received a review copy from the publisher. Thanks!

Goodreads blurb:

A mysterious island.An abandoned orphanage.
A strange collection of very curious photographs.
It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.
A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography,Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

Judged by its Cover: Definitely a favorite of mine. It's weird, creepy, and eye-catching - perfect for the book!

The Long...

When I first received the review request for this book, I turned it down. Then I saw a glowing blurb from John Green. And while usually a blurb is not enough to sway me, this time it was just enough to make me change my mind and give this one a chance; a chance which it immediately took advantage of by grabbing me by the throat and never letting go. So thank you, John Green, because without your expert guidance I almost certainly would have missed out on one of my favorite releases of 2011!

If anyone wants an example of small press done right, then this book is it. It combines all of the advantages of small press publishing - unusual formats, off-trend stories, bizarre or creepy content that mainstream publishers might not be willing to risk - with meticulous editing and beautiful writing that made this story shine to the very best of my potential. My biggest complaint with small press and indie publishing is that the books often fall just short of what they could have been. Miss Peregrine's, however? Pitch-perfect in every way.

The text itself, full of lovable and freaky characters, a riveting mystery, and a time traveling twist reminiscent of the Wyrd Museum trilogy I read and re-read maybe a dozen times between grades four and six, would have been more than enough for a glowing review from me. It's the antique photos, though, that really sent shivers down my spine, and made this book not just a good debut, but a great one. It's thrilling to see an author with this much vision show up on the YA scene, and while I know I say I'll keep tabs on maybe dozens of debut authors, Ransom Riggs is one that I will really be keeping my eye on.

My biggest complaint is, as usual, the cliffhanger ending. It's such an insecure way to try and keep a reader interested, in my opinion - create a world I want to live in, and I'll be happy to keep reading your series, cliffhanger or no cliffhanger - and it's showed up in YA way too often post-Hunger Games. Still, this felt like a cliffhanger a la the class YA adventure books I grew up with (the Inkheart books by Cornelia Funke come to mind), so I can forgive it - mostly. It's going to be a long wait until the sequel releases in Spring 2013.

Besides the pictures (and mostly because of them), what stands out to me about this book most of all is that it wasn't afraid to be leave-the-light-on-before-bed-dive-under-the-covers scary. Polish grandpa suffers a gory death by nightmarish monsters within the first 50 pages? F*^&ing terrifying, and I don't mean that sarcastically. I can't think of a novel I've read this year that scared me more, in a good way. Horror is probably the most neglected of all the YA subgenres, and if that means I'm missing out on stories like this, then that's pretty depressing.

...and the Short.

Genuinely terrifying and full of lovable and freaky characters, Miss Peregrine's makes for a terrific time traveling mystery not to be missed.

The Final Word: Loved it!

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is available now!

In My Mailbox, super-duper September edition!

2011-10-02T07:00:00.001-05:00

In My Mailbox is a meme about books bought, borrowed, and otherwise (legally) received hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren.

The past month or so has been a pretty fantastic one for this bibliophile! Not only did I get to go see Scott Westerfeld talk and sign books last Saturday, I also got to pay a visit to The Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul. It recently changed hands and the new owners are very interested in teen outreach and expanding their YA section, so I'll be helping out by reviewing some of their ARCs whenever I'm in the Twin Cities area, and even writing up shelf talker sheets for some of my favorites! (So if you ever want to catch a glimpse of my crappy handwriting in person, now you know where to go.)

Yep. Indie bookstores pretty much make my life. Be sure to keep supporting yours!

Bought (finished copies):

Goliath by Scott Westerfeld (Goodreads)

From the Red Balloon Bookstore (ARCs):

Amplified by Tara Kelly (Goodreads)
The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegen (Goodreads)
Stick by Andrew Smith (Goodreads)
Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey (Goodreads)
Dead to You by Lisa McMann (Goodreads)
Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs (Goodreads)
Everneath by Brodi Ashton (Goodreads)
Unraveling Isobel by Eileen Cook (Goodreads)
My Name is Mina by David Almond (Goodreads)
Wintertown by Stephen Emond (Goodreads)
Chasing the Nightbird by Krista Russell (Goodreads)

From the library:

The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith (Goodreads)
Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler (Goodreads)

What was in your mailbox this week? Feel free to leave your links in the comments!

Review: The Dark Wife

2011-10-01T10:49:00.000-05:00

The Dark Wife by Sarah Diemer
YA/Adult crossover, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, 264 pages, Createspace
Goodreads | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Why I read it: old myth new twist, Persephone, LGBTQ
Disclosure: Received a review copy from the author. Thanks!

Goodreads blurb:

Three thousand years ago, a god told a lie. Now, only a goddess can tell the truth.Persephone has everything a daughter of Zeus could want--except for freedom. She lives on the green earth with her mother, Demeter, growing up beneath the ever-watchful eyes of the gods and goddesses on Mount Olympus. But when Persephone meets the enigmatic Hades, she experiences something new: choice.Zeus calls Hades "lord" of the dead as a joke. In truth, Hades is the goddess of the underworld, and no friend of Zeus. She offers Persephone sanctuary in her land of the dead, so the young goddess may escape her Olympian destiny.But Persephone finds more than freedom in the underworld. She finds love, and herself.The Dark Wife is a YA novel, a lesbian revisionist retelling of the Persephone and Hades myth.

Judged by its Cover: Totally gorgeous! I'd kill to see more covers illustrated like this in YA. The red pomegranate really makes it pop, and I love both the title and author fonts.

The Long...

There are a lot of Persephone retellings cropping up nowadays, aren't there? First she got a cameo in the Percy Jackson series. Then The Goddess Test (link to my review) came along with its own version of the myth, plus a Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca sort of twist. And now I hear Meg Cabot put her spin on it in Abandon (link to Goodreads), which I have yet to read, but does in fact look pretty awesome. The story of Persephone is one of my favorite Greek myths of all time. I'm pretty psyched to see it get so much play in the YA world. And I'm especially psyched to see it get the sensitive, genuinely original and affecting treatment it receives in The Dark Wife.

It's incredible how well Diemer can take a fairly familiar myth and translate it to something entirely fresh and beautiful. Would I have envisioned the original, with all its undertones of rape and misogyny, as a girl power viva la revolution lesbian story? Not in a million years. Thankfully, Diemer has more imagination than I, because the world of Olympus, the Underworld, and Persephone's childhood is lush and unlike any other I've read.

I especially admire Diemer's courage in continuing in the footsteps of Malinda Lo's fantastic Ash in trailblazing lesbian YA. If you want to read some wonderfully honest thoughts on the difficulty and necessity of this, I couldn't recommend that you follow her blog Muse Rising more highly. There is a lot to be said for craft and technical mastery; in fact, we do not have a book worth reading without it. But there is also a lot to be said for sheer gutsyness and doing something new, both qualities I have found severely lacking in YA of late, and thankfully qualities Diemer has in spades.

Yes, there were some technical problems. Yes, the story moved a little faster and more confusingly than I thought it should. Yes, I wasn't as wholly absorbed as I thought I'd be. But Diemer's writing is lovely and nuanced enough that I can't wait to pick up more of her work in the future, and this novella is short enough that you really have no excuse not to give it a try. If this were the Sundance Film Festival, The Dark Wife would be my choice for the Originality of Vision prize.

...and the Short.

Lovely, unique, and brave, it's well-worth your time despite some technical troubles.

The Final Word: Liked It!

The Dark Wife is available now!

Mini-reviews: Finnikin of the Rock and Incarceron

2011-09-30T13:30:00.000-05:00

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta
YA, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, 416 pages, Candlewick Press
Goodreads | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Why I read it: Melina Marchetta fangrrl, swords and sorcery, nostalgia
Disclosure: Checked out a copy from my local library. Huzzah! Libraries are awesome.

Goodreads blurb:

At the age of nine, Finnikin is warned by the gods that he must sacrifice a pound of flesh to save his kingdom. He stands on the rock of the three wonders with his friend Prince Balthazar and Balthazar's cousin, Lucian, and together they mix their blood to safeguard Lumatere. But all safety is shattered during the five days of the unspeakable, when the king and queen and their children are brutally murdered in the palace. An impostor seizes the throne, a curse binds all who remain inside Lumatere's walls, and those who escape are left to roam the land as exiles, dying by the thousands in fever camps. Ten years later, Finnikin is summoned to another rock--to meet Evanjalin, a young novice with a startling claim: Balthazar, heir to the throne of Lumatere, is alive. This arrogant young woman claims she'll lead Finnikin and his mentor, Sir Topher, to the prince. Instead, her leadership points them perilously toward home. Does Finnikin dare believe that Lumatere might one day rise united? Evanjalin is not what she seems, and the startling truth will test Finnikin's faith not only in her but in all he knows to be true about himself and his destiny. In a bold departure from her acclaimed contemporary novels, Printz Medalist Melina Marchetta has crafted an epic fantasy of ancient magic, feudal intrigue, romance, and bloodshed that will rivet you from the first page.

Review:

When I found out Melina Marchetta had written a fantasy book, my reaction was similar to what I'm sure the reaction of 99% of YA fans was: a heady, heady blend of terror and anticipation. Because it was either going to be really, really awesome, or it was going to really, really suck. And thank goodness, it fell on the awesome side of the equation. How could I ever have doubted the genius of the author that brought us Jellicoe Road?

What makes it really special for fantasy and Marchetta fans alike is its mixture of fantasy conventions, like epic journeys, odd mythology, unpronounceable names, and bawdy humor, with things I wouldn't hardly associate with fantasy at all, like a genuinely kickass heroine, high diplomacy, and scorching sexiness. Scorching. Not in a smutty way, but in a hardcore Melina-Marchetta-ratchets-up-the-romantic-tension-till-you-can't-hardly-stand-it-a-la-Jellicoe sort of way. I was rooting for Finnikin and Evanjalin the whole way through, and the ending was so perfect there may have been happy tears. I honestly can't say if I'd rather Marchetta go back to contemporary or keep writing fantasy - she's obviously incredible at both. (What is it with all these Australian writers and amazing YA? I smell a conspiracy.)

The Final Word: Loved it!

***

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

YA, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, 458 pages, Hodder's Children's Books

Goodreads | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Why I read it: Hype, like clockwork, angsty boys with amnesia, arranged marriages
Disclosure: ALSO a copy from my local library. I <3 libraries!

Goodreads blurb:

Incarceron -- a futuristic prison, sealed from view, where the descendants of the original prisoners live in a dark world torn by rivalry and savagery. It is a terrifying mix of high technology -- a living building which pervades the novel as an ever-watchful, ever-vengeful character, and a typical medieval torture chamber -- chains, great halls, dungeons. A young prisoner, Finn, has haunting visions of an earlier life, and cannot believe he was born here and has always been here. In the outer world, Claudia, daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, is trapped in her own form of prison -- a futuristic world constructed beautifully to look like a past era, an imminent marriage she dreads. She knows nothing of Incarceron, except that it exists. But there comes a moment when Finn, inside Incarceron, and Claudia, outside, simultaneously find a device -- a crystal key, through which they can talk to each other. And so the plan for Finn's escape is born ...

Review:

Incarceron may not have knocked my socks off quite the way Finnikin of the Rock did - has Finn just been universally decided upon as a really excellent name for brooding fantasy heroes, by the way? - but that doesn't mean it wasn't a terrific fantasy read in its own right. While Marchetta seemed to focus more on her characters, Fisher set about creating a wholly unique and beautiful world instead, and that's what kept me racing through the pages until the very end. I'm not quite sure how to describe it. One part future technology and improvised scrappiness a la cyberpunk and steampunk, another part quaint historical in the Georgian era, and another part of sheer moxie on the author's part equal one very happy Maggie.

It's been a long time since I've read such a rip-roaring adventure story that, while slow-moving, kept me so wholly engaged. While I saw the big reveal coming at the end from a mile away, Fisher's writing is intricate enough and her characters likable enough to permit me to forgive just about anything. And while I was a little disappointed that Fisher resorted to a cliffhanger at the end - I would have been picking up the sequel, Sapphique, anyway - the ending still was enough to give me chills. A lovely throwback to the YA fantasy of Cornelia Funke and Philip Pullman that I can't wait to introduce to my younger brothers and sisters.

The Final Word: Loved it!

*A note on my new rating system: I am now using "Loved it," "Liked it," "Meh," and "Not for Me" in place of a star system. Please keep leaving feedback on my new review format in the comments while I work out the kinks!

Scott Westerfeld at the Wild Rumpus!

2011-09-29T20:23:00.001-05:00

YOU GUYS. You guys. Do you know who kind of sort of makes my science fiction fangrrl life? If you guessed Scott Westerfeld, author of Uglies, Pretties, Peeps, So Yesterday, Leviathan, Behemoth, and Goliath, better known as some of my favorite YA sci-fi of all time, then you would be ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.

Here you can see that Scott Westerfeld is signing my books. What you cannot see is me unequivocally freaking out.

I happened to be in the Twin Cities area last weekend for a Friday night performance of The Rocky Horror Show at The Lab Theater in Minneapolis (which was awesome; I highly recommend it), and when I found out that he would be signing at the Wild Rumpus bookstore that Saturday, I texted the friend that had introduced me to his books in the first place and made plans.

Commence freaking out.

I'm the short one on the left. No snarky caption necessary.

I'm not even sure how they fit all the fans in the bookstore. I'm no good with numbers, but there were at least 60 people crammed into the back of the shop where he was speaking, and there might have been more that came in towards the end for the signing. I was towards the front of the line, so I don't know.

Considering that at least 7-8 of those people were cosplaying as Alek, Deryn, Dr. Barlow, and even some Leviathan characters I couldn't identify at all, that's a lot of nerd shaming to be contained under one roof. Fellow Westerfeld Fan Friend of Mine and I thought about saying we were cosplaying as Pretties, but then decided that that would be more than a little obnoxious and settled for total reverence instead.

Not that total reverence was difficult. Not only did Scott speak for what felt like forever (in a good way), he also took tons of time to take fan questions (including mine). He made some fantastic points about illustrations in novels and the so-called death of imagination and was also funny as hell, and I can't emphasize enough that if you get the chance to go see him, you totally should. You can find his remaining tour dates here.

It should also go without saying that Goliath is even more awesome than Leviathan and Behemoth (links to my reviews), which I didn't even think was possible, and that you should run out and buy yourself a copy right now. That should be enough to distract you from my miserable lack of blogging until I can ~~stop being lazy~~ get my feet back under me, right? Right.

Happy reading, folks, and I hope to be back to a regular blogging schedule soon!

Can I haz opinions? New review format!

2011-09-20T10:46:00.001-05:00

After months of constant frustration with the star system - Why did I like some four-star books so much more than some other four-star books? Why were there five-star books I actually sort of hated and three-star books I loved? - I have decided it is time for something new. What this something new is, as you may have noticed in my wildly inconsistent review formats this week, is up for debate.

OPINION TIME, my lovely followers. Answer as few or as many of the following questions as you'd like in the comments.

First question: What information about the book would you like me to include in the review? I currently stick to title, author, cover, and blurb, with a link to the book's Goodreads page. I'm considering adding page number, genre, and publisher.

Second: What associate links would you like me to include in the review? As I mentioned, I already link to Goodreads, as well as IndieBound and Barnes & Noble. I'm a proud indie shopper and Nook owner myself, but I know that's not an option for everyone, so what other sites would you like to see?

Third: Should I get rid of my "why I read it" section? I've been doing this for awhile in various forms, and the things I write range from silly to serious and are also wildly inconsistent. I'm just not sure if it makes sense outside of my head. Any thoughts? (You can see an example in my Harmonic Feedback review.)

Fourth: Does a long review/short review format work? I experimented with this in my Harmonic Feedback review in the absence of a star rating and also did it in a slightly different form in my very early reviews. I write a few paragraphs of ramblings under the long review section, and then cut straight to the chase for my short review. Is this helpful?

Fifth: Any ideas for ratings systems outside of the star system? I'm a fan of both Forever Young Adult's grading breakdown and The Story Siren's shelfability, but obviously need to come up with something new that works for me. And I'm stumped. I've thought about doing categories like read it/skip it, ZOMFG/OMG/Meh, Loved/Liked/Not for Me, etcetera etcetera, but none of them have felt quite right and I'm just not sure what would be most helpful to readers. I'd love input!

Sixth: Any other feedback about my blog or reviews? I'm pretty sure this is self-explanatory.

Thank you so much for your input and time, and I hope I can make Maggie's Bookshelf a more user-friendly place to hang around in the future.

Your blatant book trailer pandering does not win me over...

2011-09-17T13:06:00.000-05:00

...except, actually, yeah it does. How I know publishers are out to break my bank account: they send me book trailers like this one.

Kind of hate the trailer itself, and also the Lady Antebellum soundtrack is laughable. But. Farm kids, you guys! I love farm kids. Mostly because I am a farm kid who wears flannel shirts and jeans and cowboy hats totally non-ironically while riding her totally non-ironic horse full pelt through pastures rounding up her goat herd totally non-ironically!

And...yeah, I kind of hate the summary from its Goodreads page, too:

Samantha was born on a full moon to a mother already dead. Revived by doctors and given to her unloving father, Samantha was raised a cursed child, her only friend the ghost of her mother who speaks to her through keys. From the inside out, Sam burned with life, a fire so vivid it kept her peers at a distance, all except one. Leith, a quiet farmboy with a broken heart and demons of his own, enjoys the seclusion his classmates grant him, but the seclusion is all too familiar to Sam.

When their worlds collide... fires burn.

But. FARM KIDS. This girl is totally sold.

And now it's discussion time, folks! Am I the only one with crazy compulsions? What factors make you want to run out and buy a book OMG RIGHT NOW? Leave 'em in the comments - I can't wait to hear from you!

Review: Harmonic Feedback

2011-09-16T21:58:00.000-05:00

Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly
Goodreads | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Why I read it: Music, on (not) fitting in, Manic Pixie Dream Girls
Disclosure: Won a copy from the author in a contest. Thank you!

Goodreads blurb:

Sixteen-year-old, music- and sound design-obsessed Drea doesn't have friends. She has, as she's often reminded, issues. Drea's mom and a rotating band of psychiatrists have settled on "a touch of Asperger's."
Having just moved to the latest in a string of new towns, Drea meets two other outsiders. And Naomi and Justin seem to actually like Drea. The three of them form a band after an impromptu, Portishead-comparison-worthy jam after school. Justin swiftly challenges not only Drea's preference for Poe over Black Lab but also her perceived inability to connect with another person. Justin, against all odds, may even like like Drea.
It's obvious that Drea can't hide behind her sound equipment anymore. But just when she's found not one but two true friends, can she stand to lose one of them?

The Long...

I know the Manic Pixie Dream Girl is an archetype I am supposed to despise. And, truly, I do see the problem with portraying anyone (of any gender, girl or boy) as a Manic Pixie Anything instead of as a three-dimensional person. But good lord (and may the feminist powers that be strike me down where for typing this) I love me some Manic Pixie Dream Girls (and Boys). Everything about this book reads like a Manic Pixie Dream, all musty basement bands and sleepovers and street racing and mysterious pasts. And that should sell you right there, right?

Well...maybe wrong, because it did get a little too heavy-handed, and the ending was make-my-teeth-hurt-saccharine-painful. Does that go with the debut territory? Absolutely. Does it spoil what is otherwise a terrific read? Definitely not.

Perhaps what captured me most about it was the author's bravery in taking a protagonist "with a touch of Asperger's" - who should, by publishing industry rights, belong in straight issue book territory - and making her, in the immortal words of Weetzie Bat, slinkster cool. I occasionally wanted to sit down for a nice chat with Drea and explain the facts of friendship and boys to her. But mostly, I just wanted to be her. Authors who want to write diverse characters in YA could do much, much worse than to take a leaf out of Kelly's book.

Of course, what made Drea so awesome was undoubtedly her love of music. Kelly's rendering of a bunch of kids hanging out in a basement making music is pitch-perfect (pun fully intended), and Drea and Justin's constant musical bickering was one of my favorite parts of the book. Music geek that I am, I'm now doubly excited for Kelly's next release, Amplified (to Goodreads), which looks like it follows a similar vein.

Finally, Drea's best friend Naomi. Where do I even begin? She's the one who made me think Manic Pixie Dream Girl in the first place (though the whole book had an oh-so-Zooey-Deschanel vibe from the start), and while she's far from perfectly drawn, she's also heartbreaking. I've known far too many Naomis in my life to deny that I cried at the end, despite the earnestness of it all. If watching Drea grow is the bones of the book, Naomi is its heart.

This book caught me completely and happily off guard, and while it wasn't perfect, I can't wait to see where Tara Kelly takes us next. Yay for contemporary YA!

...and the Short:

Harmonic Feedback is offbeat, romantic, funny and heartbreaking in equal measures; in short, a delight. It might come off a little too earnest for some, but awesome music references and some fantastic Pacific
Northwest street cred make it hard to beat for a sweet and sad rainy day read. Read it!*

*and yes, I know I promised you an explanation of my new ratings system last week. It's coming this Monday, I promise!

#YesGayYA: new sides to the story

2011-09-15T10:45:00.001-05:00

Remember that post I wrote a few days ago in response to this article? I certainly do. It was one of the most painful and personal things I've ever written for this blog, ever. And unfortunately, it turns out that the incident in question had a few more dimensions to it than we'd originally believed.

Check out this guest post from the agent in question at Colleen Lindsay's blog, with a note from the venerable Colleen Lindsay herself. *EDIT* As Colleen pointed out in the comments, this was not a post by the agent in question but rather a post by another agent defending her colleague. Sorry for the misunderstanding! */EDIT*

And then this rebuttal from the authors in question.

The internet can be an ugly thing, folks. But it can also be a beautiful one. Make up your own mind about what happened here (I know I'm waiting for the additional information that will inevitably come out), but in the end, I'm very glad I wrote that post anyway. Whether or not this incident is false, the systematic erasure of the LGBTQ community (and especially LGBTQ teens) is a very, very real issue I'd like to see addressed, in the publishing industry and beyond.

Bibliophilia - Maggie's Bookshelf

In need of life advice, part the first

Review: Dead to You

Review: Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey

Happy MLK Day, or, whatever happened to the melting pot?

Updates to my review policy

Review: Stick by Andrew Smith

YA and music: Call for submissions!

Review: Chime by Franny Billingsley

Happy birthday to me!

Review: The Mumbo Jumbo Circus by Jane George

Must Read Now: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Review: Guantanamo Boy by Anna Perera

Read in 2012

A Very Happy (Challenge-Free) 2012

Winners of the Catching Jordan swag giveaway!

Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Book-to-movie adaptations: some thoughts

Review: Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson

Review, and a rant: The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegen

Writing for Today's Savvy Teens: Guest Post from Wanda Ernstberger

Best of 2011 Post Roundup

Best of 2011: Best Contemporary

Best of 2011: Contemporary Romance

Best of 2011: Paranormal Romance

Best of 2011: Best Fantasy

Best of 2011: Best Dystopia

Review: Divergent

Best of 2011: Best Sci-Fi

Best of 2011: Best Sequel

Best of 2011: Best Coming of Age

Kickin' off two weeks of best-of lists! Best Indie/Small Press

Review: Amplified by Tara Kelly

5 reasons you should be listening to Florence + the Machine

The most epic get-well-soon card of all time

In My Mailbox: Maggie Goes Nuts at the Library Edition

Must Read Now: Chaos Walking trilogy

**CLOSED** Catching Jordan swag giveaway! **CLOSED**

Middle Grade Monday: Blowout

In My Mailbox: Super Giant ALAN Box of Books edition!

Things to be thankful for.

RIP, Anne McCaffrey: Why women belong in sci-fi

Double Review, sort of: Lament and Ballad

Waiting on Wednesday: Black Heart

ALAN 2011: Disappointing news for me.

Middle Grade Monday: BFF Breakup

Review: Corsets and Clockwork

Sick again, well again. Plus, more opinions!

New Hunger Games Character Posters! Or, Maggie is still a fangrrl despite her better judgment.

NaNoWriMo rolls around again...

In My Mailbox: End of October

Must Read Now: A Northern Light

Science Fiction Double Feature!

Review: When the Stars Go Blue

White Cat is a free (and completely legal) audio download!

Middle Grade Monday: Interview with Frances O'Roark Dowell!

Come see me speak at the Grand Rapids Public Library!

In My Mailbox: Halfway Through October Edition

My favorite LGBTQ books for National Coming Out Day!

Review: Red Glove

Review: Dreamwalk

Vampires: some scattered thoughts

Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

In My Mailbox, super-duper September edition!

Review: The Dark Wife

Mini-reviews: Finnikin of the Rock and Incarceron

Scott Westerfeld at the Wild Rumpus!

Can I haz opinions? New review format!

Your blatant book trailer pandering does not win me over...

Review: Harmonic Feedback

#YesGayYA: new sides to the story

CLOSED Catching Jordan swag giveaway! CLOSED