Tag: young adult literature

2014 48 Hour Book Challenge Finish Line

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photo (7)Another 48 Hour Book Challenge completed and another wonderful weekend of reading. I went into the weekend without major plans for joining the challenge, but I’m so glad I did. I got to try out our porch (a great reading spot, if coated in pollen), check out some new series and authors, and take a few more books off my “to read” list. The final stats:

  • 12.5 hours read
  • 1556 pages read
  • 5 books finished
  • 2 cups of iced coffee consumed

So overall less than last year’s totals, but I’m still calling it a success.

The Books

Books veered more toward the unreal this year–three were some kind of fantasy (Linger, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and September Girls) and one was sci-fi (Adaptation). A Crooked Kind of Perfect was the only realistic book I read. The last few books I’d read were realistic, so this was a nice change of pace. And three (Linger, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and Adaptation) are part of a trilogy, so I have even more of those characters and worlds to look forward to.

I think a weekend of reading was just what I needed. Things have been kind of hectic and stressful lately, so it was nice to take some time to focus on something I really love and something that (unfortunately) can easily get put on the back burner.

Thanks to Mother Reader for hosting such a great event and to Hannah for inspiring me to join this year’s challenge!

Update #5: 48 Hour Book Challenge of 2014

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Finished one more book for the challenge.

photo (5)Update #5:

  • 2 hours reading time (12.5 total)
  • 240 pages read (1556 total)

The Books

Review #5:

I’d started September Girls by Bennett Madison a little while ago and figured that, since I didn’t have a lot of time left in the challenge, I might as well use my time to finish it up. It feels like Madison took Catcher in the Rye, “America’s Next Top Model,” and Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid, put them in a blender, and the result was September Girls. And that’s a pretty interesting smoothie right there. At time I really dug the voice and sense of sadness and desperation. At other points it kind of dragged, and I never really connected with Sam. But I think this is less of it not being a good book than it is it not being the book for me.

Update #4: 48 Hour Book Challenge of 2014

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Another book down for the challenge.

photo (4)Update #4:

  • 3.5 hours reading time (10.5 total)
  • 402 pages read (1316 pages total)
  • 1 iced coffee (2 total)

The Books

Review #4:

After Daughter of Smoke and Bone, I was in the mood for something similarly exciting but outside the fantasy realm. Adaptation by Melinda Lo was always on my radar, but for some reason I hadn’t checked it out yet. Definitely glad I did! I was hooked immediately–planes crashing, government cover-ups, weird genetic experiments–and enjoyed that Lo also focused on the characters themselves. Lo handles Reese’s feelings toward both Amber and David with sensitivity, and I appreciated a cast of supporting characters (like Julian and her mom) who felt real as well. Another book in a trilogy (that seems to be the theme for my 48 hour book challenge), I’m interested to see where this story goes.

Note: this one I got as a library download this morning. Holla to electronic library resources!

Update #3: 48 Hour Book Challenge of 2014

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An afternoon of reading on the porch was the perfect way to spend a Saturday.

photo (5)Update #3:

  • 4 hours reading time (7 hours total)
  • 418 pages read (914 pages total)
  • 1 break for sushi

The Books

Review #3:

This morning at writing group, Tara lent me Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. Even though Tara and others had told me it was awesome and that I had to read it, I didn’t know much about it. Which ended up being a huge benefit to my reading experience, because I got to dive into a wild world and enjoy it without any preconceived notions. I loved the lushness of the story and the mythology, the beauty of the setting, and the expansive cast of awesome and memorable characters. (A blue-haired heroine was kind of made for me.) I would have been ob-freakin’-sessed with this book as a teen. Can’t wait to get Days of Blood & Starlight!

Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen, to the 48 Hour Book Challenge!

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Because I don’t tend to plan stuff and life’s been busy lately, I forgot about the 48 Hour Book Challenge until I saw Hannah’s post about it this morning. It got me thinking about what a great reading weekend it was last year and how I haven’t devoted that length of time to reading in a while. So I decided to jump in with the 2014 48 Hour Book Challenge. Here we go, readers!

Start time: June 6, 7:00pm

unnamedUpdate #1:

  • 2 hours of reading time.
  • 285 pages read.
  • Outfit: Ogontz Camp hoodie and shorts

The Books

Review #1: I read Shiver for last year’s 48 Hour Book Challenge, so it seemed like a good choice to start this year’s challenge with the sequel, Linger. It was great to get to return to Mercy Falls and characters like Sam and Grace. Although I think Linger meandered a bit more than Shiver, it kept me intrigued both character-wise and plot-wise. I especially liked getting to see the POVs of Isabel and Cole. I also dug Cole’s theories about what exactly was going on medically with the wolf-shifts. Even though I would have accepted “so there are werewolves,” I like that Stiefvater is concerned about the logic of the world in which her characters exist. Also lots of great swoony bits. Looking forward to finishing up the trilogy–hopefully earlier than next year’s challenge!

Ten Reasons Why You Should Read…Open Road Summer

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Around this time of year, I start craving summer vacation, even though I’m way out of high school. Even if I can’t take a summer off, I can turn to some awesome summer vacation-y reading. One of my new favorites? Open Road Summer by Emery Lord. I’d been looking forward to this one for a while and it so delivered. Here are a few reasons to read Open Road Summer.

1. Not a Nice Girl
There are a lot of nice girls in YA–girls who are shy and do what they’re told and wish things could be different. Reagan O’Neill is not a nice girl and I love that. Don’t get me wrong–she’s loyal and funny and the kind of best friend you want around. But I love that she’s also bold and fierce and funny and flirty and makes mistakes. She’s the kind of girl I wouldn’t have expected to be friends with in high school, and would have found myself totally drawn to before realizing “Of course we’re friends!”

2. Nice Guys
Matt Finch, y’all. Meet your new YA crush. Matt’s a former child music star who’s trying to make it as an adult in the music industry. He’s talented and funny and and sweet and open. I just love his chemistry with Reagan.

3. Best Friends Forever
The romance in Open Road Summer is fantastic, but it’s just as much about friendship, which is so refreshing. Reagan and Dee feel like girls who have known each other forever and will always be in each other’s corners. Dee is such a fun character in her own right, too–she doesn’t exist just as a plot device for Reagan, which is how so many “best friend” characters end up feeling. She’s got her own stresses and struggles to deal with, like trying to figure out how to balance wanting a career as a musician with wanting a regular life at home with the guy she loves. (Okay, maybe I need a Dee sequel.)

4. Music and Lyrics
Emery Lord, are you secretly a country-pop-folk music guru? Music pervades Open Road Summer, which makes sense as the main characters are all on a cross-country music road tour. Usually I feel like music lyrics in books fall flat, but Emery seriously nails them. Whenever characters are singing/playing/listening to music, I felt like I could hear the song myself. The only other time I can really think of this happening was with The Commitments by Roddy Doyle. This is major praise coming from me, guys.

5. Road Trip
Reading Open Road Summer was like getting a mini-vacation. The characters cross the country, hitting Memphis and LA and Charlotte and Chicago and lots of stops in between. Even (especially?) if you’re not taking your own road trip this summer, this book will give you all those good travel vibes.

6. Behind the Scenes
Emery does a great job of looking at the life of a rising musician and what challenges, excitement, and stresses go along with that. We get to see the good things, like adorable fans who are just so freaking excited to hear their favorite songs, and the bad things, like pregnancy rumors and being trapped in a photoshoot without getting to eat any of the craft service food without risking makeup ruin. I love that Dee understands that this life has major ups and downs, and her frustrations never feel whiney.

7. Family Ties
For a book largely about friendship and relationships, there are also a lot of awesome family dynamics in here. From Reagan’s complicated family situation to Dee’s supportive family to Matt’s situation with his mom, there are a lot of interesting looks at what it means to be a family and how we connect when times get tough. A majorly pleasant surprise.

8. Photo Opp
Dee’s not the only talented friend in the relationship–Reagan’s a photographer who documents her time on the road. I loved this aspect of her personality, and also that Reagan mentions things like particular types of cameras and having taken classes at school and photo editing. It wasn’t a major plot issue, but it made Reagan feel that much more real.

9. YA/NA
“New Adult” has been a phrase that’s been batted around a lot over the last couple of years, and I feel like reading Open Road Summer made me think “oh, this is kind of what it is.” Dee and Matt are navigating their careers, and Reagan is figuring out where her life is going next. Although I’d still classify Open Road Summer as pretty clearly YA, I can see it having a lot of crossover appeal to slightly older fans, and I think it’s a good indication of what New Adult could be.

10. Emery Lord Is Awesome
Emery and I are agent-sisters (yay Taylor Martindale!) and she was one of the first people I interacted with post-signing. From the first email exchange, Emery has been one of the sweetest, funniest, most genuine people in the YA world. I’m so excited for readers to experience her lovely book and to see her career grow.

Open Road Summer is available now, so make sure to add it to your summer reading list!

Friday Fifteen

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Happy Friday, everyone! I’m psyched to head into the long weekend, and psyched to share this week’s book reviews in fifteen words or under.

1. King Rollo and the Bread by David McKee
The adorable, illustrated version of “let them eat cake.”

2. Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy
I like a girl with vengeance in her heart. Well crafted, lots of feels.

3. Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
Try not to fall in love with this one. A classic for so many reasons.

4. United States of Pie: Regional Favorites from East to West and North to South by Adrienne Kane
Fun to learn about lots of regional favorites–from shore to shore, pie’s a winner.

5. The Baby-Sitters Haunted House (Baby-Sitters Club Super Mystery, 1) by Ann M. Martin
What I think of every time I see/hear about a widow’s walk.

Friday Fifteen

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Hurray for Friday! Let’s head into the weekend with a few book reviews in fifteen words or less:

1. Wild Magic (The Immortals #1) by Tamora Pierce
I never got into the Daine books like I did with the Alannas, but fun.

2. My Family Plays Music by Judy Cox
Super cute way to introduce kids to many kinds of music.

3. Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild
Old-school charming–love the Fossil sisters and their many talents.

4. The Devil in the Shape of a Woman: Witchcraft in Colonial New England by Carol F. Karlsen
Being a woman in Salem was the worst.

5. Claudia and the Mystery at the Museum by Ann M. Martin
One of the few BSC mysteries I read. Really liked the idea of tactile art.

Wood Sculptures, Books That Make You Cry, and Writing Sympathetic Characters: A YA Panel in Barrington, RI

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photo 1 (1)

The Panel!

Last night I was part of my first YA author panel, hosted by the Barrington Bookstore and the Barrington Public Library. Having grown up in Rhode Island, this was a really fun and exciting opportunity for me.

On the panel with me were Tara Sullivan, author of Golden Boy, Katie Cotugno, author of How to Love, Bianca Turetsky, author of The Time-Traveling Fashionista series, and Katie Davis, author of Dancing with the Devil. Our moderator was the wonderful Alyisha Foley, librarian and blogger and kidlit enthusiast. Alyisha had great questions, and I loved hearing my fellow panelists talk about their own experiences writing books for teen readers and about their own young reading experiences.

A few favorite moments from the panel:

  • All of us agreeing that middle/high school are so freaking hard and basically when you need books the most.
  • Also agreeing that sometimes spoken communication is hard–long live the text/email!
  • Talking about what why flawed characters are compelling and real.
  • Tara Sullivan sharing an ebony wood sculpture. (Made me flash back to all those good Habo and Kweli moments!)
  • Bianca Turetsky’s shoutout to the Baby-Sitters’ Club.
  • Getting to sign The Chance You Won’t Return for RI family and friends, including the parents of some of my friends from high school.

photo 2Thanks so much to Anika Denise and Barrington Books for organizing such a great panel, to the Barrington Library for letting us use their wonderful space, and to everyone who came out on a Wednesday night to hear us talk about the awesomeness of YA!

Tonight! YA Authors at the Barrington Public Library

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My first panel event as an author is tonight in my very own home state of RI! I’ll be talking with fellow YA authors about how we became writers, what YA is for us, and more. The details:

Voice. Heart. Connection. An Evening with 5 Extraordinary Authors of YA Fiction
May 14th, 6pm at the Barrington Public Library
184 County Rd
Barrington, RI 02806

Thanks so much to Barrington Books for organizing this event and more as part of Children’s Book Week. If you’re in the RI area, make sure to check out this fantastic local bookstore. And come to the panel at the Barrington Library tonight!

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