December Check In

Heyo! I hope everyone is having a fantastic holiday season. There's nothing more exciting than all the frenzy and finality December can bring. 

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving at home in Baltimore with my family. Not only did I spend lots of time with my favorite cousin, Sara and her new husband, but we threw her a baby shower (in which I promised her a blog mention). Our cousin Crystal made all the food, which included bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese, meatballs cooked in grape jelly (is this a Maryland thing or does everyone make this?) and a pretty epic cake. 

My reading has slowed down considerably, only because things have been so busy. However, if you're looking for something new to pick up, consider:

ALL AMERICAN BOYS, by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Keily. A duel-narrative of two American teenagers--one white and one black--and how police brutality affects their lives.

THE BOSTON GIRL, by Anita Diamant. Follows the life of a young woman born in 1900 to Jewish immigrants in Boston and touches on pieces of history I hadn't read much about before: World War I, the flu of 1918, and the Minnesota orphan train.

THE SACRED LIES OF MINNOW BLY, by Stephanie Oakes. A story about a girl who escapes from her Kevinian cult at the price of both her hands.

Lastly, and most sadly, we lost our sweet pup this month. Nelly was my trusted cocker spaniel for the last fourteen years. I've owned her my entire adult life and she's spent many nights sleeping under my desk while I wrote stories and blog posts and query letters. To be honest, I'm not sure what to do with the hole she's left by my side. While I figure it out, I hope this year brings a bit of peace and some healing. And I hope it brings you joy and love.

What I've Been Reading - September 2015

 

Last month, I finally finished my Summer Reading Challenge, which focused on reading books that had been gathering dust on my shelves. During that time, there were so many ARCs and recommendations for books I could not WAIT to read.

Hello, Goodbye, And Everything In Between by Jennifer E Smith

I love Jennifer E Smith, and even had the awesome privilege to interview her on my blog. I admire her writing style, which is 3rd person, present tense--an extremely hard combo to write in! Her stories are always fun and swooney. Hello, Goodbye, And Everything In Between follows the last night Clare and Aidan have together before they leave for college. Jennifer did such an excellent job capturing the last minute doubts and nerves before leaving for college, while also showing the strains the college process can take on families and friends, as well as the teen. I finished this book with a heavy heart and a goofy smile. I'd love to put this in the hands of every graduating high school senior. Hello, Goodbye, And Everything In Between is out now.

The Shadow Queen by C. J. Redwine

I've also had the opportunity to interview C.J. Redwine on my blog and was really excited for this ARC (which I stole from Jodi Meadows when I went to stay with her a few weeks ago). Going in, all I knew was that there were dragons and it was a Snow White retelling. 

What I was not expecting was for this to be such a high-energy, thrilling story. Lorelai was a brave and fearless main character, who took on her evil stepmother's magic with the powerful force of her own.

What really made this book exciting was Kole, a reluctant king who needs help in protecting his half-dragon, half-human kingdom from ogres. I loved the descriptions of his two hearts (one human and one dragon), and how one overpowered the other.

I'm excited for this series, which is several retellings that stand alone. The Shadow Queen comes out in February 2016.

I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

You know it's a good book when you mention that you're reading it, and you get this reaction on Twitter.

I'll Meet You There combined some of my favorite things: a wounded Marine, a feisty girl, a lower-middle class setting, and blue collared jobs.

I'm not sure what there is to say that most haven't already. It's become a favorite with many readers in my circle, so I'm late to the party with this one. It came out in February 2015.

What's Up Next

Una LaMache is one of my favorite authors. I loved Like No Other, and was super excited about Don't Fail Me Now, which is about two teens who live in Maryland (my home state) and go searching for their dying father.

Also highly recommended has been A Million Miles Away, which is an Alloy-developed romance about a twin girl stepping into her deceased sister's shoes when her sister's boyfriend comes home from Afghanistan. 

Top 5 Beach Reads - July 2015

The beach has always been my number-one, favorite place to read. I've never gone on vacation without an armload of books. While I was packing for a quick day trip to the Shore last week, I thought about what made a great beach read. It doesn't have to be a book that takes place at the beach, necessarily.

Here's a Top 5 List for great beach reads for Summer 2015. Let me know what you're reading--especially while you're on vacation!

How to Be a Grown-Up 

by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

These are the authors who wrote one of my favorite contemporaries, The Nanny Diaries, so I was thrilled to see they had a new book out this summer. Rory, a set designer and single mom, takes a job with a start up digital media site led by two twenty-somethings right out of B-school. This book is hilarious in how it points out the absurd job market and how it values experience over technology and functionality. 

If The Nanny Diaries was an eye-opening take on high-power Manhattan moms, How to Be a Grown-Up looks at the women who are still struggling to make the leap into grown-upness well after their thirties. 

Maybe In Another Life 

by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Hannah is also another character struggling to settle and put down roots. Approaching thirty, Hannah moves home to Los Angeles to escape the aftermath of an affair with a married man in New York. On her first night home, she goes out with her best friend Gabby and runs into her old high school boyfriend Ethan. Who does she go home with? The novel splits into two concurrent stories based on Hannah's decision.

This is a great book for anyone who likes to play the What If game. The back-and-forth storyline isn't hard to follow and there are a lot of hints dropped between the two stories to put together a full picture of Hannah's missed opportunities. Plus, Hannah is HILARIOUS. Imagine a less aggressive Amy Shumer.

On the Island 

by Tracey Garvis-Graves

If you're looking for a half-survival story/half-taboo romance, grab On the Island. When their plane goes down in the Indian Ocean, teenager TJ and his summer tutor Anna are stranded on a deserted island. On the Island has plenty of suspense with Anna and TJ falling to illness, injuries, and sharks, but the romantic element is what most people talk about. With TJ maturing and aging into his early 20s, romance blooms between the two characters. It's definitely a guilty pleasure book that will have you turning the pages.

Saint Anything 

by Sarah Dessen

Sarah Dessen will always equal beach read for me, even when the story isn't set in her fictional beach town of Colby. Saint Anything is a darker book for Dessen, but will have the same engrossing cross-over appeal with teens and adults as her other books. When Sydney's brother is sent to jail for drunk driving, her parents put all the focus on him as he serves out his sentence. Sydney continues to feel like the invisible child until she befriends the Chathams, a family who owns a nearby pizza shop. Embraced by a new best friend who is obsessed with french fries and her cute, protective brother, Sydney finally feels seen. 

Second Star 
by Alyssa B. Sheinmel
Interview
In the search for her missing surfer brothers, Wendy Darling is caught up between the somewhat-childish, straight-laced Pete and drug dealer Jas and their turf war for the beach. This is a contemporary Peter Pan retelling with a touch of dark magic set on the California coast. Alyssa B. Sheinmel did a fantastic job capturing the magic and adventure of surf culture, and drew some pretty awesome comparisons between those who don't follow a traditional academic path to college, opting for adventure. In SECOND STAR's case, boys who want to follow the waves so they can catch the biggest ones.

SECOND STAR spins the story of Peter Pan on its ear, with appearances by Belle, Nanna, but leaves the crocodiles at home. Overall, a strong contemporary retelling full of romance, adventure and mystique, and perfect for the beach.

For Your TBR Pile - Paperweight

Paperweight
By Meg Haston

Published: July 7, HarperTeen

From GoodReads: Seventeen-year-old Stevie is trapped. In her life. In her body. And now in an eating-disorder treatment center on the dusty outskirts of the New Mexico desert.

Her dad has signed her up for sixty days of treatment. But what no one knows is that Stevie doesn't plan to stay that long. There are only twenty-seven days until the anniversary of her brother Josh’s death—the death she caused. And if Stevie gets her way, there are only twenty-seven days until she too will end her life.

Thank you Epic Reads for choosing me to be a part of the Early Readers Group!

My Thoughts:

There have been a lot of great issue books in the market recently, and Paperweight definitely makes the list. What I liked most about this book is how it handles such a serious topic like eating disorders and doesn't shy away from the parts that may be dark and scary.

While a lot of the eating disorder books I've read have focused on the character spiraling in their disease and struggling to seek help, Paperweight shows the recovery process. It was sad and a little fascinating to see the therapy these girls went through and the different struggles they faced both physically and mentally in their recoveries. I also loved that while the challenges they faced were dark (abuse, trauma, pain, death), there were plenty of good moments too, such as the scene where they break into the pool for a midnight dip.

The pacing was tight. The characters were really engaging and felt well-rounded and nuanced. I especially liked Stevie's roommate Ashley and the flashbacks of her brother. However, the only thing that didn't sit quite right with me was the cover design--which is no fault of the author. At first glance, I thought this would be a lighter contemporary along the lines of Sarah Dessen's early books. Once I started reading and was pulled into the story, it went to a much darker place than I had first been expecting.

Recommended for those who enjoy darker issue books such as Wintergirls, Stolen, and Live Through This, and fans of the show Red Band Society.

On Your Radar -- Court of FIves

On Your Radar
Court of Fives by Kate Elliott
Publishing August 18 by Little, Brown

When I thought of this new feature, all I could hear in my head was Britney Spears singing "on mai rayda." I wanted to retire my For Your TBR Pile posts because I'm always reviewing things ahead of schedule. Whenever I recommend books to people, I'm always saying, "Oh...but it doesn't come out for a few weeks/months."

So On Your Radar is just how it sounds. Put this book on your radar.

 And my very first On Your Radar pick is Court of Fives by Kate Elliott.

First, if you haven't signed up for TheNovl's newletter, do it! Every month you'll get puppy gifs, ARC sign ups and special sneak peeks. That's how I got my hands on Court of Fives (Eeee!).

So Court of Fives was amazing. Here's what GoodReads says: Jessamy's life is a balance between acting like an upper class Patron and dreaming of the freedom of the Commoners. But at night she can be whomever she wants when she sneaks out to train for The Fives, an intricate, multi-level athletic competition that offers a chance for glory to the kingdom's best competitors. Then Jes meets Kalliarkos, and an unlikely friendship between a girl of mixed race and a Patron boy causes heads to turn. When a scheming lord tears Jes's family apart, she'll have to test Kal's loyalty and risk the vengeance of a powerful clan to save her mother and sisters from certain death.

Here's what I say: The whole time I read about the Fives, I imagined it was an obstacle course right out of American Ninja Warrior (I have kind of a thing for that show). Court of Fives was really thrilling. Every time I got to the end of a chapter and tried to put the book down, Kate Elliott pulled out a new twist out of her bag of authory tricks. The plotting was so well-thought out and so smooth.

I loved Jes! She was such a strong main character. Brave and full of fight, her love for her family was so real. What I loved most though was that she wasn't afraid to talk about how much her family also angered her--her sisters' annoying habits, her father's decisions, even her mother's choices. Kate Elliott wasn't afraid to make them a not-perfect family and I thought that was an admirable choice.

Unfortunately, what I really want to talk about is that ending! (But don't worry, I won't spoil...I hope.)  I love realistic, complicated endings. I am so not a happily ever after girl, and this had me sitting up in bed late at night, shrieking into my palm.

Kate Elliott, you are my hero! Or maybe my American Ninja Warrior...

If you read this book, please come find me on Twitter or GoodReads so we can talk about it!

For Your TBR Pile - Reimagined Shakespeare

YOLO JULIET by Brett Wright
SRSLY HAMLET by Courtney Carbone
Published: May 26, Random House

My Thoughts:
These books are SO cool! I love reimagined classics, but have a hard time reading them because sometimes I never understood the source material.

I was really familiar with Romeo and Juliet, but had never read Hamlet before. Surprisingly, srsly Hamlet wasn't hard to follow as a first read.

These were so well done and flawlessly executed. Told in texts, voice memos, check ins and group chats, Shakespeare's work comes to life in a whole new way. They're the kind of books you want to shove into someone's hands and pass along right away. In fact, I'm sending my copies to a friend who works in a high school library. I can't wait to see how kids and Millennials respond to these books.

Recommended for those who love reimagined classics, such as Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and William Shakespeare’s Star Wars. I was actually quite surprised Random House snagged these books before Quirk Books. 

For Your TBR Pile - Every Last Word

Every Last Word
By Tamara Ireland Stone

Published: June 16, Disney Hyperion

From GoodReads: Samantha McAllister looks just like the rest of the popular girls in her junior class. But hidden beneath the straightened hair and expertly applied makeup is a secret that her friends would never understand: Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD and is consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can't turn off. 

Second-guessing every move, thought, and word makes daily life a struggle, and it doesn't help that her lifelong friends will turn toxic at the first sign of a wrong outfit, wrong lunch, or wrong crush. Yet Sam knows she'd be truly crazy to leave the protection of the most popular girls in school. So when Sam meets Caroline, she has to keep her new friend with a refreshing sense of humor and no style a secret, right up there with Sam's weekly visits to her psychiatrist.

Caroline introduces Sam to Poet's Corner, a hidden room and a tight-knit group of misfits who have been ignored by the school at large. Sam is drawn to them immediately, especially a guitar-playing guy with a talent for verse, and starts to discover a whole new side of herself. Slowly, she begins to feel more "normal" than she ever has as part of the popular crowd . . . until she finds a new reason to question her sanity and all she holds dear.

Thank you NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for the eARC!

My Thoughts:

Every Last Word cracks open the life of a teenager living with a very specific type of OCD. As Samantha tries to hide her condition from her friends, she wanders into a secret poetry club that meets in a hidden room underneath the school stage.

I enjoyed this book, and feel Stone portrayed the main character in a positive light--as a girl seeking help and actively attending therapy to find new coping mechanisms and make decisions about her relationships. When Sam attends Poet's Corner, a group of misfit characters with deep, emotional issues, they are able to vent their frustrations and share their fears with each other through their songs and poems.

Not only was the writing creative and fun, but the story's pacing was quick and plot twisted in all the right places. Not an issue book in the least, Every Last Word explores common teenage fears of being socially accepted and navigating toxic friendships. 

What The Kids Are Reading

Being on the writing/publishing side of the YA market, it’s hard not to get caught up in which books are topping charts, winning awards, and accumulating six figure deals. All young adult writers, agents, and editors want to know “what are the kids reading?” It’s the reason we stalk Barnes & Noble shelves, staying in earshot of teenagers. Why we scour reviews. Why we ask our younger nieces and nephews what they think of the books we pass along to them.

That’s why I like to ask my high school librarian friend, Allegra D'Ambruoso, what her students are reading. I want to know what actually ends up in the hands of the audience I’m writing for, and what they’re clambering to read more of.

Here are her top 10 circulations from March.

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
VC: Sarah Dessen is always a favorite among writers and agents. With Saint Anything coming out next month, I’m delighted to see this particular title has so much demand. This Lullaby has been out for over ten years now. Why the sudden interest?

AD: Sarah Dessen is always huge with my teen romance fans. I think This Lullaby was particularly popular this month because I did get new copies of it. Whenever I get new copies of books, I put them on display and remind my romance fans that I have a new title. The cover is attractive, with a guitar on the front, so that drew in my readers.

VC: Are the Bluford High readers the same ones checking out Sarah Dessen?

AD: The Bluford High readers may delve into Dessen, but they generally aren't the same readers. Bluford High readers want real urban lit; stuff like Kimani Tru, Urban Underground, Push, anything that relates to their life. The Dessen readers tend to read other romance, including paranormal romance, like Vampire Academy/Bloodlines.

VC: Do you have/are your students checking out LGBTQ books? If so, which titles are popular?

AD: I have an LGBTQ section, but I think it gets ignored. Perks of Being a Wallflower has been popular over the past year, as has Hero [by Perry Moore]. Loveless​ is an LGBTQ manga, and that's popular too. It verges on yaoi, but seems to be mostly PG.

Bad Seeds: Evil Progeny edited by Steve Berman
VC: With the rising popularity of Stephanie Perkins’ My True Love Gave to Me and Shaun Hutchinson’s forthcoming Violent Ends, I was wondering if teen audiences read anthologies.

AD: Normally, I've found that my students snub my “story collections” section. Whatever librarian before me had pulled out anthologies into a separate section of fiction and I've moved the shelves to try to make them more appealing. This one came in April and hasn't been shelved yet. It’s one of those titles that makes it as far as my “to be shelved” cart and gets checked out again. 

The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Ninth Grade Slays by Heather Brewer
VC: I’m actually surprised and delighted that vampires stories are still being read. After so many years of hearing “no more vampires” by the publishing industry, I thought maybe the genre wasn't being consumed any longer.

AD: Vampires are still huge in my library. Vladimir Tod is one series that I've tried myself and couldn't get into, but it is a set of five, starting with poor Vlad in 8th grade, and following him through high school. I think the combination of vampires and high school make this one appealing.

Descendants of Darkness #1 by Yoko Matsushita (manga)
AD: Manga is always popular, but I have a weird selection of it, so students just grab whatever they haven't read yet.

VC: Are there any anime/manga clubs at your school? Do the kids have any series they want or tell you they wished you had?

AD: I co-advise both the game club and the anime club. There's a lot of cross-over between the two. The mangas that the kids all clamor for are Naruto (which I have 1-4 of and am trying to not buy the rest; there are 60+ books), Black Butler (which I have 1-4 and the rest on order), and Fruits Basket (which is impossible to get though my vendors since it is out of print). I'm getting Attack on Titan and Say I Love You ​soon, both of which were student recommendations.

I honestly can't keep track of all the manga out there. I take suggestions, I order when I can, but with such a limited budget, it is hard to prioritize getting new titles or getting later volumes in series that I already have. Whenever I get any sort of money from the school or district, I order manga alongside updated nonfiction. It's that important, since it is what the kids read. In fact, Descendants of Darkness​ is a series that I picked up at a used book store out-of-pocket (really cheap, so no big deal).

A Matter of Trust by Anne Schraff (Bluford High series)
AD: Bluford High is one very popular urban lit series. They’re very short, quick reads, and my students connect with them easily. I think the fact that there are so many of them in the series makes it more accessible to students who don’t want to read every single one, or who want to just read one book and don’t need to know whatever backstory may have been created in previous books.

VC: Does your library have any of the urban lit that's been growing popular in the publishing industry and/or winning awards like Jason Reynolds' Boy in the Black Suit, Kekla Magoon's How It Went Down, or Kwame Alexander's The Crossover? 

AD: I have Boy in the Black Suit, but it hasn't gone out yet (I've only had it for a month). How It Went Down is checked out currently (also relatively new). I don't have The Crossover. One of my JLG [Junior Library Guild] lists is City Teen, so that's generally how I get the new urban lit. I've found that the cooler the cover, the more likely it is to go out, unless it is a kid who is a serious reader already, then they go based on recommendations from me or from friends.

VC: Generally, do your students read books that win awards, like the Printz, National Book Award, etc.? Does literary merit matter to them?

AD: Awards don't seem to matter to them. Some students have noticed the shiny gold JLG stickers on spines and gravitate to those (which is great, and many of those books are winners or become winners). Maybe if I put shiny silver stickers on spines for award winners, they'd notice that...

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
VC: I wasn't surprised to see Red Queen on the list. Victoria Aveyard has been making the rounds touring and signing, and recently hit the NYT Bestseller List. Red Queen has a lot of commercial appeal, and is a nice blend of elements familiar in the Hunger Games, Divergent, and X-men.

AD: Sadly, my students didn't get to go to the book signing [in our area]. I tried to get it as a field trip, but I couldn't get approval. I got to see Victoria speak at Odyssey Books in South Hadley. She’s very nice and I’ll be keeping an eye out for the Red Queen sequel.

VC: Also, how do you discover new, emerging authors like Victoria Aveyard? Are publishers reaching out to you? Do you get ARCs?

AD: I discovered Red Queen when Junior Library Guild sent it over with my monthly subscription. I try to read School Library Journal and Kirkus reviews when I can, but I also get recommendations from students (one recommended Dorothy Must Die​, which I've now ordered).

And yes, omg, I want ARCs. I don't get any currently, but I wish I did. Most libraries won't accept ARCs for collections, as far as I know, but I think they're really cool and I have no problem adding them to the collection (when I'm done...depending on the book!).

Soulless #1 by Gail Carriger (manga)
VC: I love seeing manga on the circulation list. I picked this title up on my last bookstore trip because of Allegra’s recommendation. It’s one of the top 2 picks of her students’ March Reading Madness Finals.

AD: So much love for this series. I’ve read the novels, and a few of my students have read the novel of Soulless as well. I have the rest of the novel series on order. I’m sad that the novel series is five novels, but the manga ended after three. For March Reading Madness, I had students arguing over Soulless vs. Naruto or Soulless vs. Deadpool, just based on my lists, and I was amazed to see my gaming club boys arguing FOR Soulless over the more mainstream manga and graphic lit. I figured that Soulless would appeal to girls more than boys, but it is appealing to boys more so. Werewolves will do that!

Soulless #3 by Gail Carriger (manga)

Angel Sanctuary #1 by Kaori Yuki (manga)

Allegiant by Veronica Roth 

VC: With Insurgent hitting the theaters this month, I’m not surprised to hear teens are still checking out Roth’s wildly popular series. I’d love to know if teens are digging the ending, since there was a wild outpouring of dissatisfaction among bloggers.

AD: Students are checking this out because they've seen Insurgent and need to know how it all ends. I love when that happens. It happened with Maze Runner too.

Join our convo in the comments. 
Have you read any of these books on Allegra’s circulation list? 
Are you surprised by what you see?

The High School of Commerce is in Springfield, MA, with about 1,300 students. The library sees 150+ students per day. Allegra is a Simmons GSLIS 2013 grad and is in her 2nd year at HSC. She loves to read YA Novels, which is part of why she can recommend books to teens. Visit her librarian blog here and her school blog there.

For Your TBR Pile - Watch the Sky

Watch the Sky
By Kirsten Hubbard

Published: April 7, Disney Hyperion

From GoodReads: The signs are everywhere, Jory's stepfather, Caleb, says. Red leaves in the springtime. Pages torn from a library book. All the fish in the aquarium facing the same way. A cracked egg with twin yolks. Everywhere and anywhere. And because of them Jory's life is far from ordinary. He must follow a very specific set of rules: don't trust anyone outside the family, have your works at the ready just in case, and always, always watch out for the signs. The end is coming, and they must be prepared.

They begin an exhausting schedule digging a mysterious tunnel in anticipation of the disaster. But as the hold gets deeper, so does the family's doubt about whether Caleb's prophecy is true. When the stark reality of his stepfather's plans becomes clear, Jory must choose between living his own life or following Caleb, shutting his eyes to the bright world he's just begun to see.

Thank you NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for the eARC!

My Thoughts:

Watch the Sky hooked me immediately. Jory's family is fascinating in how they blindly trust Caleb, Jory's stepfather, whose former military experience has influenced his paranoid prophecies. In her middle grade novel debut, Hubbard explores how Jory trusts in what he's been told from his parents, teachers, and friends, and how he begins to think for himself.

Hubbard does a great job exploring how trust can be rooted in a family, how scary the world can be outside that trust, and how hard it is to break away from the things you're told to explore the world you want to know. I was fascinated with Jory's mother, who was scared to be alone and was the most extreme example of trusting blindly. Also, Kit, Jory's near-mute sister, was an amazing character whose inability to speak although she knew the truth was a great contrast to Jory's emotional arc.

I'd put this book in the hand of any middle grade reader, and can see it being a big hit with educators and librarians. 

For Your TBR Pile - Devoted

Devoted
By Jennifer Mathieu

Published: June 2, Roaring Brook Press

From GoodReads: Rachel Walker is devoted to God. She prays every day, attends Calvary Christian Church with her family, helps care for her five younger siblings, dresses modestly, and prepares herself to be a wife and mother who serves the Lord with joy. But Rachel is curious about the world her family has turned away from, and increasingly finds that neither the church nor her homeschool education has the answers she craves. Rachel has always found solace in her beliefs, but now she can’t shake the feeling that her devotion might destroy her soul.

Thank you NetGalley and Roaring Brook Press for the eARC!

My Thoughts:

Devoted is a story about a teenage girl born into the Quiverfull movement among evangelical Protestant groups. Known for their modest dress, large families, and patriarchal obedience to God, most look at this group as a cult.

In Devoted, the main character isn't questioning her faith in God, which I think is really important to know. In fact, this book is about faith and finding it within yourself. When Rachel begins questioning her father and the community's rules, she feels guilty and blames herself. It's not until she befriends a girl, Lauren, who escaped the community and is living in a town nearby that she hears that the people around her have been abusive and controlling. Her faith in God, though, never wavers. In fact, it's interesting to see her relationship with her beliefs open up as she begins to see the world around her.

This was beautifully written and so well done. It's a quiet book, that has a lot to say. 

For Your TBR Pile - Inside the O'Briens

Inside the O'Briens
By Lisa Genova

Published: April 7, Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster

From GoodReads: Joe O’Brien is a forty-four-year-old police officer from the Irish Catholic neighborhood of Charlestown, Massachusetts. A devoted husband, proud father of four children in their twenties, and respected officer, Joe begins experiencing bouts of disorganized thinking, uncharacteristic temper outbursts, and strange, involuntary movements. He initially attributes these episodes to the stress of his job, but as these symptoms worsen, he agrees to see a neurologist and is handed a diagnosis that will change his and his family’s lives forever: Huntington’s Disease.
Huntington’s is a lethal neurodegenerative disease with no treatment and no cure. Each of Joe’s four children has a 50 percent chance of inheriting their father’s disease, and a simple blood test can reveal their genetic fate. While watching her potential future in her father’s escalating symptoms, twenty-one-year-old daughter Katie struggles with the questions this test imposes on her young adult life. Does she want to know? What if she’s gene positive? Can she live with the constant anxiety of not knowing?

As Joe’s symptoms worsen and he’s eventually stripped of his badge and more, Joe struggles to maintain hope and a sense of purpose, while Katie and her siblings must find the courage to either live a life “at risk” or learn their fate.

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for the eARC!

My Thoughts:

This tweet sums up all my thoughts about this book:

I hadn't read Still Alice, but was aware of it once it started to appearing on all the movie award nominations lists (Currently, I am number 98 on my library's waiting list for the book).

So when there was an opportunity to read Inside the O'Briens, I snatched it up like the last cupcake at a bake sale. I love patient stories--especially ones that bring to life what it's like to live with illness. My love for medical writing and patient education goes way back to my earlier writing days. Inside the O'Briens takes a look at how a disease can disrupt an entire family and make them question their places in their family structure.

Watching Huntington’s Disease change Joe from being a protective and strong-willed father of four to the unstable patient was heartbreaking. His Boston pride beamed from this book. I loved not only the way Lisa Genova portrayed the city, but the working class, as well. Joe's role as a police officer was firmly rooted in his identity within the social structure of his family, but also his town.

Even more so, Katie's journey from flakey youngest sibling to firmly standing up for herself and her future was heartbreaking and awe-inspiring. I love that she wrote positive affirmations on her walls with a black sharpie. My favorite scene was when she decided to paint over them after having a very emotional breakdown, only to discover her family rewrite each one for her. 

The O'Briens were a very loving family, strongly rooted in their religious believes and blue-collared upbringing, but they weren't perfect. It was interesting not only to learn more about this incredibly debilitating disease, but to watch how the threat of it challenged each one of characters' futures. 

For Your TBR Pile - My Best Everything

My Best Everything
By Sarah Tomp

Published: March 3, Little, Brown For Young Readers

From GoodReads: Luisa “Lulu” Mendez has just finished her final year of high school in a small Virginia town, determined to move on and leave her job at the local junkyard behind. So when her father loses her college tuition money, Lulu needs a new ticket out.

Desperate for funds, she cooks up the (definitely illegal) plan to make and sell moonshine with her friends, Roni and Bucky. Quickly realizing they’re out of their depth, Lulu turns to Mason: a local boy who’s always seemed like a dead end. As Mason guides Lulu through the secret world of moonshine, it looks like her plan might actually work. But can she leave town before she loses everything – including her heart?

Thank you GoodReads and LBKids for the eARC!

My Thoughts:

I've wanted to read this book forever! I remember reading the PW announcement when it sold and thinking that I hadn't ever thought about moonshining as a hook for a YA. I was so excited to see how this book pulled it off.

What I really loved most about this book was how it captured the panicked feel of being stuck in a small town. Tomp did a great job developing characters who had limited options outside of just poverty--because of their family ties, lack of drive or fear of change. I connected to Lulu right away once she found out her college fund was depleted and her dreams of leaving Dale, VA were squashed.

The book reads as a letter to Mason, which I really liked because I'm really into finding different structural ways to tell a story. My only note was that sometimes the tense slipped (because she's writing about past events through the present-tense letter) and it pulled me out of the story. This was something I could adjust to, but it might take some getting used to when you first start reading.

Mason was a fascinating love interest. I really loved the way Tomp wrote about his addiction, something we don't see enough of in YA, in my opinion. I thought his daily battle to stay sober--while making moonshine--and his deep love of his family's craft came through so well. His cousin, Seth, was a great villain and I wished he was around a little more.

Overall, though, I really liked this book and thought it was a fresh concept with an exciting hook. The ending (no spoilers) was just perfect for me. 

For Your TBR Pile - Kissing Ted Callahan (and other guys)

Kissind Ted Callahan (And Other Guys)
By Amy Spalding

Published: April 14th, Poppy/Little, Brown For Young Readers

From GoodReads: After catching their bandmates in a compromising position, sixteen-year-old Los Angelenos Riley and Reid become painfully aware of the romance missing from their own lives. And so a pact is formed: they'll both try to make something happen with their respective crushes and document the experiences in a shared notebook.

While Reid struggles with the moral dilemma of adopting a dog to win over someone's heart, Riley tries to make progress with Ted Callahan, who she's been obsessed with forever-His floppy hair! His undeniable intelligence! But suddenly cute guys are popping up everywhere. How did she never notice them before?! With their love lives going from 0 to 60 in the blink of an eye, Riley and Reid realize the results of their pact may be more than they bargained for.

Thank you NetGalley and LBKids for the eARC!

My Thoughts:

Kissing Ted Callahan was my first Amy Spalding novel--and I am a complete fan. Amy's characters came across real and hip and so, so funny. Can I be friends with these kids, please?

I love stories about pacts, and what made this story unique was the platonic friendship between Riley and Reid. What I found super interesting was how different their approaches were to dating. Riley ran into relationships without hesitation and with one thing on most teenage girls' minds (making out!). Reid, on the other hand, listed and plotted each relationship. I really enjoyed the non-stereotypical role reversal here.

As for Ted Callahan, I found him to be a little shy in the beginning, especially when paired with loud and colorful Riley. He was more of --what I like to call-- a come around character, who opens up and lets you in slowly, rather than throwing themselves at you from the beginning (like Riley). I found his home situation really fascinating, and actually wished there was just a bit more there so Riley's realization that maybe perfect Ted Callahan didn't have everything so wonderful was a little bigger and more powerful.

I also really enjoyed the friendship between Riley and Lucy, who have been friends forever and feeling the strain of what happens when one friend's relationship wedges between them. In this case, Riley felt inferior to Lucy, which isn't typically addressed in YA books. It usually comes across as bitterness or embarrassment. Riley's reaction was more realistic. She chose to avoid her friend and cut her off with no explanation.

Also, I thought Amy Spalding did a really nice job incorporating school, family, extra curricular activities, jobs, and all the things that fill a teen's life into this book. It reminded me how much teens have going on and how the pressure of grades and getting into programs and being on time to work is prominent in their lives. Best of all, all of these things weaved around the story to add a nice balance of chaos and missed encounters.

Overall, I really liked this book and I would definitely pass it on to my younger niece who loves realistic contemporary fiction.

For Your TBR Pile - The Walls Around Us

The Walls Around Us
By Nova Ren Suma

Published: March 25th, Algonquin Young Readers

From GoodReads: The Walls Around Us is a ghostly story of suspense told in two voices—one still living and one long dead. On the outside, there’s Violet, an eighteen-year-old dancer days away from the life of her dreams when something threatens to expose the shocking truth of her achievement. On the inside, within the walls of a girls’ juvenile detention center, there’s Amber, locked up for so long she can’t imagine freedom. Tying these two worlds together is Orianna, who holds the key to unlocking all the girls’ darkest mysteries.
We hear Amber’s story and Violet’s, and through them Orianna’s, first from one angle, then from another, until gradually we begin to get the whole picture—which is not necessarily the one that either Amber or Violet wants us to see.

Thank you Edelweiss and Algonquin for the eARC!

My Thoughts:

I read The Walls Around Us in one sitting, and the whole time I thought about how much I missed a Nova Ren Suma book and how the wait for this one was so worth it.

The Walls Around Us splits how Amber and Violet know Ori, the infamous ballerina killer, accused of murdering two fellow dancers. Each girl reveals a fuller picture of Ori than a guilty verdict. What I loved most about this book was how it questioned regret, and asked, not was your biggest regret, but what was your earliest?

Nova did a great job showing a slice of prison life, and the complicated relationships within the juvenile correctional system. This isn't a book that places blame on a broken system or unloving parents, but instead asks the girls to look within themselves for the responsibility of their crimes.

**SPOILER** I do wish there was a little more grounding toward the end. I found the climax to be tense and suspenseful, but was confused as to how all the poisoning happened. Especially how Amber was poisoned. Did she eat the food she prepared? How did the poisonous flower get into the kitchen? If an entire wing was in solitary, how would everyone be poisoned at the same exact time? **SPOILER END**

Those who loved the sisterly relationship of Imaginary Girls and the ghostly voice of 17 & Gone, will love The Walls Around Us.

Currently Reading - January 2015

Hello!

I hope everyone had an awesome New Year! I was in NYC again hanging out with BFF Kelly. We fondued and watched Dick Clark's Rocking New Years Eve on her couch. It's kinda crazy to watch everything going on in Times Square on TV from a few streets away. (Seriously, though. How was Taylor not cold as hell in that outfit? Also, did that make me sound old to ask that?)

On New Year's Eve, I got up early to finish my last book of 2014 (Deerskin by Robin McKinley, which was fantastic), which put my total at 130.

Since I'm spending the first part of 2015 finishing up a manuscript, I set my goal for 100 this year. I figured I'd slow my reading roll down so that I can tackle a new challenge. I'd love to read more non-fic, historical fic, and basically anything non-YA this year. So I have a few different titles lined up for January.

I also made a rule that I am NOT buying any new books until I get through my insane TBR pile. That means 2015 reads are going to be on the back burner for me (for a little while). I had the opportunity to read a lot of titles I was dying for this year (All The Bright Places, Under A Painted Sky, The Last Time We Say Goodbye), and am so grateful for the friends and publishers who allowed me access to their ARCs.

So this is how I'm starting off my New Year in reading. How about you?

2015 Reading Challenge

Valerie has read 2 books toward her goal of 100 books.

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2 of 100 (2%)

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My Most Anticipated Books in 2015

Hooray! A new pub year is upon us! Here are the books I can't wait to get my grubby hands on.

Skyscraping by Cordelia Jensen

The Devil You Know by Trish Doller

Violent Ends by Shaun Hutchinson

And here are the 2015 books that I can completely vouch for, because I've read the ARCs and they are amaaaazing!

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Review

The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand

Review

Under A Painted Sky by Stacey Lee

Review

Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows

My Favorite Books from 2014

Oooo...I love end of year lists! One of my favorite things to do is look back and read about all the great books and music and events from the last year.

This year, I've crushed my GoodReads reading challenge goal of 60 books. I'm currently sitting on 125 books read--the most I've ever read in my entire life. Of all those books, here are my favorites in 2014.

Second Star by Alyssa B. Sheinmel
GoodReads
My Review
Interview with Alyssa

I love Peter Pan retellings, and did not think anything could ever top Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson..until I read Second Star. Set on the coast of California with surfer kids fighting over beach turf, SECOND STAR spins the story of Peter Pan on its ear, with appearances by Belle, Nanna, but leaves the crocodiles at home. Overall, a strong contemporary retelling full of romance, adventure and mystique.

The Walled City by Ryan Graudin
GoodReads
My Review

After all the BEA buzz about this title, I was thrilled to get an eARC from LBKids! Based on the walled city of Kowloon Walled City in China, The Walled City delivered a heart breaking story about three teens entrapped within it. The pacing was fast, the characters so real, and the writing was beautiful.

Like No Other by Una LaMarche
GoodReads
My Review

I read Like No Other in one sitting. I picked it up at ALA Midwinter and couldn't wait to crack it open--and rightfully so. Publishers Weekly, Indie Next, the Junior Library Guild, Los Angeles Times and Entertainment Weekly all had Like No Other on their lists.

Star-crossed romances were kinda my thing this year, and this one was my favorite. I loved how Devorah and Jaxon met and the romance that blossomed between them. Think West Side Story in Brooklyn.

Plus One by Elizabeth Fama
GoodReads
Interview with Elizabeth

I admit that I fell in love with the cover first--and the story did not disappoint. When overpopulation becomes a problem, society's conclusion is to split society into shifts: those who live in the day (Rays) and those who live at night (Smudges). This was a star-crossed love story that trips into a government conspiracy.

Wildflower, by Alecia Whitaker

GoodReads

There's been a lot books out this year about celebrity main characters (or their friends), but this one was my favorite. Bird is young and a little naive, but full of talent and has a good heart. She balances her struggle to follow her dream with the responsibilities she feels for her friends and family. This one has a sequel out next year and I really want to continue reading Bird's journey.