Links of Note, 1/26/13

January 26, 2013 |

While you’re reading these interesting links from the last couple of weeks, I’m in the midst of ALA. I’m writing this out beforehand, meaning it’s likely I’ve missed some good reading from the last few days. If you’ve seen something worthwhile, please feel free to drop a comment and let me know so I can catch up!

I’m in love with Marc Johns‘s “Objects Reading Books” drawings.

There has been a lot of talk about brick and mortar bookstores in the last couple of weeks. First, it was the discussion about how Barnes and Noble has been quietly closing its doors over the last couple of years (I don’t have the exact article, but here’s a less well-written one over at the Daily Beast). Then there was an interesting post by Sarah over at YA Librarian Tales about how she doesn’t care if book stores close because she doesn’t use them. Some of what she says I take issue with because, well, I’m rural, too, and I don’t have a bookstore within 50 miles and yet, what I love about the book store experience isn’t the immediacy. It’s the serendipity of browsing, of discovery, and of the fact I don’t need immediate gratification therein. But I hear and get the argument about the ease of ereading and ability to download ebooks when you want them. Here’s a nice guide to supporting your local indies through your ereading habits. You can have it both ways.

Sort of going hand in hand with that are the stories of the bookless libraries popping up. First, it was Bexar (pronounced “Bear” for anyone who hasn’t spent time in Texas) County declaring their brilliant idea for an all-digital library to reach their county/rural residents. Then it was a school in Philadelphia which is going to whittle their 47,000 some collection down to a mere 1,000 books. Why is no one calling shenanigans on either of these? Come on. The first is the grand idea of a judge — A JUDGE, not a LIBRARIAN or EDUCATOR with actual experience and knowledge about literacy — and the second is the grand scheme of an administrator in a library where there is no librarian (she’s retired!). Do we not see the problem here? Going bookless is a privilege, and even if the grand idea is access, how does giving access help literacy? It doesn’t. It’s simply ACCESS. Yes, these get me incredibly riled up because it undermines all of the work people with actual skills and knowledge in this arena have in favor of something that’s “sexy” and “cutting edge.” We’re doing the future huge disservices when we do this. But maybe I shouldn’t say “we,” because in every instance, it’s someone who is not an expert in literacy pushing for this. In light of all these (crazy) stories is the opening of the Antelope Lending Library in Iowa City. Take a step back and just think about these stories in conjunction with one another. Oh, also, this PEW study said that 80% of Americans say borrowing books is a very important service of libraries.

And then this about what and how libraries are purchasing materials for their collections. Of note is the line that libraries do a LOUSY job with self-published materials (no kidding? We don’t have review sources for them, for one) and that all of those surveyed are in larger libraries or systems with central purchasing.

This is my dream reading and writing space. But I think rural Canada might be pushing it for me.

I don’t hide how much my own experiences give me bias when it comes to books about body image and weight. So here’s a thoughtful piece over at School Library Journal about books tackling these issues. Even if I disagree with much of what they say, I see the value that these books can have for other readers.

Remember the big plagiarism story last year in the YA blogging community? One of the ladies who was plagiarized has blogged again, talking about how that incident impacted her ability to write and keep her own voice. It’s thought provoking, for sure.

Earlier this week, I talked about how critical reviews are a means of reader advocacy. It was sparked when Sarah asked about resources for those interested in writing critical reviews. Sarah’s since rounded up her resources in one place — so if you’ve ever wondered about writing critical reviews, here’s a great place to find some answers (and not just because she links to me).

Only 7% of frequent book buyers find their titles online. This is a really interesting piece on online book discovery and how it’s broken. I think the simple answer is that it’s not quite human. There is some fodder in the piece about online book reviews worth thinking about.

Speaking of book reviews, now you can use them to ruin a book, if you want to. A fascinating piece — though not entirely surprising given what’s gone down in the blogosphere — about how fans can “swarm” a book on Amazon (and other outlets).

A couple of weeks ago, I started ranting to Liz about the believability factors in YA books — especially those which aren’t realistic. And while obviously fantasy/scifi books have no obligation to be realistic, there are things I wonder about. We then got on to talking about how female leads deal with things like their periods. So then she blogged about this, and the response has been fantastic. Let’s talk about that time of the month and books that bring it up when necessary.

Sarah at Clear Eyes, Full Shelves wrote a great piece about difficult to like characters. I’m a huge fan of seeing both Courtney Summers’s girls (though I liked Sloane) and Simmone Howell’s Riley Rose on this list.

Maggie Stiefvater wrote a blog post this week about the use of rape in books to create a tragic backstory. It’s a worthwhile read, but I do take a few issues with it. First, not knowing the books, it’s impossible to know whether part of the commentary in the books is that this sort of abuse and violence towards women is sickening and disgusting. Likewise, she points out something about rape being the worst thing that can happen to a woman but not a man (she words it better than I’m paraphrasing) but I think in light of current politics, her comments here actually make me more curious about how the rape is being used in these books because it may in fact be commentary on that very thing. Either way, this is a must-read piece.

More on ereading. Do boys gravitate toward ebooks more than girls? Or should I say, do they SAY they’d be more inclined to read ebooks than girls would say they’re inclined to? Publishers Weekly also talks about how the children’s ebook market is open territory.

Lenore Appelhans shares her top ten books featuring flashbacks for The Guardian.

Who doesn’t love a good James Frey article? Here’s more about his fiction factory.

The Edgar Award Nominees are fascinating this year, especially for YA. I don’t think I’d consider the Wein a mystery, but there it is. This is discussed quite a bit over at Mark & Sarah Flowers’s blog, Crossreferencing, which is well worth reading.

Does YA Lit rely on sexist and misogynistic language too much? A thoughtful post over at crunchings and munchings. My thoughts: sometimes — and I think especially in the case of the McCafferty book discussed — it’s meant to be there AS a discussion point. But maybe I’m a bit privileged knowing that because I’ve read everything McCafferty’s written and get what she’s doing with her writing (which isn’t to say that this blog post is wrong, but rather, I don’t know if that’s the strongest example).

One of my all-time favorite library stories is this one: a branch of the NYPL lends out their American Girls doll. As a kid who grew up envious of my friends who had them (we couldn’t afford one!), this is the kind of thing I would have loved. And it’s so, so nice to see a librarian getting recognition for doing something so simple and yet so community-minded. Huge kudos to her and to the NYT for writing this up.

Does anyone else read My Milk Toof? I know I‘ve reviewed the book here before, but this week’s entry was so cute (and reading related) that I can’t NOT share it.

All You Never Wanted by Adele Griffin

January 25, 2013 |

Alex and Thea look like they have everything they could possibly need at their disposal. After all, they live in Camelot, thanks to Prince Arthur, their mother’s new husband. He oozes money. But money doesn’t buy everything and money maybe doesn’t buy anything in Adele Griffin’s All You Never Wanted.

Alex always had popularity. She was the IT girl. She was the older sister. The one who always succeeded without trying. But now that she’s been thrust into this new life with a new step father and money, she doesn’t feel happy. In fact, she feels like she’s losing a huge grip on reality. Even though she’s privileged to have everything handed to her, she doesn’t like it. Her father’s connections enabled Alex to take on an amazing internship at a well-known magazine. It bores her to some extent, so when she’s given a huge opportunity to do something big at the magazine, she’s almost excited. She’d, in a way, earned that opportunity herself.

Except — and this paragraph is spoiler — Alex ruins it all when she finds herself so nervous and overwhelmed that she pees herself, right there, in front of so many people. It’s a mortifying moment to her, and it’s a mortifying moment to readers as they realize how horrifying and painful something like that could be for someone, especially a teenager. More than that, though, to Alex this is somehow proof that she doesn’t deserve this internship and that indeed, it is only her stepfather’s connections that got it for her. Her own body rejects this. It’s after this moment when Alex changes significantly as a person. She becomes very removed from her own life, and she instead fixates her control over her own body’s functions by not eating.

Thea, on the other hand, is the younger sister. She’s always looked up to Alex, and she’s always yearned for part of what Alex has had in terms of popularity. So when her mother and stepdad are out of town, Thea wants to throw the biggest, most talked about party in Greenwich and invite everyone she wants to be friends with to it. This will ensure her a place on the popularity ladder, of course, especially because now that she’s rich, she’s earned it. Thea also has a little bit of a lying habit. Or maybe lying isn’t the right word for it. She’s a story teller, and she loves the way that embellishing a tale gets her more attention, even if it’s not necessarily for the right reasons. Because, see, money. It will solve anything for her if it has to. But in the midst of this, there’s also the boy Thea wants. It’s not just any boy, though. It happens to be Josh.

And he’s Alex’s boyfriend.

All You Never Wanted is told through both Alex’s perspective and Thea’s. But it’s not exactly that straightforward, either. Thea’s story is told through first person. We know exactly what she’s thinking and what her motivations are. In fact, it’s pretty clear the entire reason that Thea’s story is in first person is because of how much she is dying to be First Person. Alex’s perspective in the story, though, is not told the same way Thea’s is. Hers is told through a third person limited point of view, so we actually get very little insight into her. It feels as though Alex’s story is removed from the reader’s mind all together, and this, too, makes perfect sense. With how much Alex is removed from her own life, it is only natural she’s also removed from Thea’s and from the reader’s. This shift in perspective and point of view is jarring to read, and it takes quite a while to sink into the writing because of this, but Griffin is masterful in what she does on a grander level by choosing this style of story telling.

What looks like a story about power and money and sibling rivalry is even deeper than that, though, which is why I think this book has the potential to get some serious attention — there’s a great post over at the Someday My Printz blog to talk a little more in depth about that. This is a relatively short book, clocking in at about 220 pages, but it is packed. And the longer I let this book settle in my mind, the more there is to unravel.

Thea is a thoroughly unlikable character, but that doesn’t mean she’s not sympathetic. In fact, I think her unlikable factors are what make her sympathetic all together: she wants what she cannot have, and it comes from being the younger sister to a girl who has always had it. The money factor, for Thea, is the key to overcoming this. Except, we know it’s not from the outside and Thea herself seems to know this, too, which is why she develops a story telling alter ego named Gia. I don’t toss the word around lightly, but Thea is a bit of a pathetic character, and it’s obvious to everyone, including herself and the reader.

Alex, on the other hand, despite being so hard to read, is easier to like. Beyond the fact she rejects the privilege and beyond the fact she’s carrying this horrifically embarrassing secret as her shame, Alex is a volunteer for a local organization that helps other people get through tough times. It’s here she meets Xander, a boy who shows her that she can enjoy herself (and her body) for no other reason than it’s what she’s allowed to do as a person. As good as Xander is for Alex on that level, he shows her something else, too: that sometimes people are just jerks and that’s how it goes. See, Alex has been mentoring someone at the organization whose dream is to become a weatherman. All she wants to do is let this boy meet his hero, the local weatherman. But despite how much Alex tries to get in touch with this guy, he keeps rejecting her. And Alex refuses to pull her connections to make this meeting happen, knowing that those connections left her feeling empty herself. She wants so much to help another person and to make them happy for no other reason than she wants to do it.

I haven’t talked much about Josh and his role in the sibling rivalry because for me, it was one of the less interesting elements of the story. Griffin’s book is really a study in character, and while he’s an impetus for this, there’s not really a romantic flavor to the story as a whole. Rather, he’s a tool to see how far Thea will go to get what she wants and he’s a tool for Alex to realize that there are better people out there who will love her for her and her flaws. I also have talked a whole lot about the ways that Alex and Thea work through their own challenges with one another. That’s because, well, it’s a sibling story and the way it’s resolved is, I think, very smart. One of these girls is driving the car and the other isn’t, but it’s not necessarily the way it’s written down in the book (oh the metaphor of the car and the driver and the five minutes here and afar here are so, so smart).

All You Never Wanted is not necessarily a fast-paced read, despite being short. The changing in perspective and the writing itself are literary markers. But, being literary doesn’t detract from how much teen appeal there is in this title. What Griffin does that few seem to be doing anymore is posing this novel around really teen problems. There’s nothing huge that happens, nothing superbly earth-shattering. There is a shift in family. There is a gain of status through wealth. But this story isn’t necessarily about that. It’s about sisters and about popularity and about what it means when you don’t feel like you fit in anymore. More than that, the way this book zooms in on a one-time embarrassing moment like Alex’s at the internship is absolutely authentic and realistic to the teen experience. This is Alex’s biggest shame in her life — as adults, we look at something like this and think shake it off, but for a teenager, it’s absolutely the worst thing in the world that could happen to them. And that it’s then wrapped up in the privilege, in the way your body can betray you and at times feel like a foreign object. Then there is the entire party subplot and what Thea does that sends Alex reeling. Again, it’s a small detail but it has huge consequences for the story and their relationship on a grander level.

This is a smart little book. I’m disappointed it hasn’t gotten more attention because this is one that will stick with readers long past its conclusion.

Pass All You Never Wanted off to readers who like stories of power and privilege, but who are looking for something literary and thought-provoking. The patience pays off in this read. Readers who love Sara Zarr or Siobhan Vivian’s complex and challenging characters will be rewarded here.

All You Never Wanted is available now. Reviewed from a library copy.

A Million Suns by Beth Revis

January 24, 2013 |

I am on a roll with second books in a trilogy! First Asunder and now A Million Suns have surprised me with their superior plotting and characterization, far surpassing their predecessors. (OK, perhaps two examples don’t constitute being on a roll, but it is nice nonetheless.)

A Million Suns brings us a chaotic society on the ship. The inhabitants have been brought off phydus, the drug that kept them placated and mindless. Many people have fallen into deep depression, others are refusing to work, others are declaring that those who don’t work shouldn’t be fed. And almost everyone looks on Amy as a freak, some even making her fear for her safety. Under it all, rebellion simmers, and it’s all Elder (who has refused to take the title of Eldest) can do to keep everything under control. And of course, he has to try and find a way to get the ship to Centauri-Earth before it all boils over.

Meanwhile, Amy has discovered a message from Orion, left for her before he was frozen for his crimes. It starts her on a trail of clues that lead to single shocking revelation near the end of the story. And of course, Amy is also reeling from the events of the first book, fearing for her life among a hostile society, and visiting her parents every day, coming closer and closer to waking them up each time.

Chapters alternate between Amy and Elder, but I found Elder to be a much more interesting character here than in the first installment. We get a much better sense of his personality and his struggles to make a unique identity for himself with the knowledge that he’s a genetic clone of Eldest and Orion, men whom he both admired and despised. And because Elder’s character is better developed, the romance between Amy and Elder works better, too.

I found the writing a bit smoother, too, with fewer choppy sentences and better transitions from one perspective to another. What really made me enjoy this book so much, though, was the plot. The twists were more unpredictable, and I really loved the puzzle aspect – Amy and Elder working together to figure out Orion’s clues and what they mean, with a terrific payoff at the end. And I have to admit that I am very, very excited to dive into Shades of Earth, since it means we’ll be reading about *SPOILER* the people landing on the new planet! I am excited to see what Revis imagines for this planet. What will the aliens (if any) be like? What about the plants and animals? The climate? What surprises will Revis throw at her characters that I never could have seen coming? I love stories about people from our Earth landing on a new, unfamiliar but life-supporting planet, because the possibilities are so broad and exciting. *END SPOILER*

If you were tepid about the first book for any of the same reasons as me, I think you’ll enjoy A Million Suns far more. It’s more exciting, better written, and a great read for those of us who enjoy a killer plot. Readers who have enjoyed other recently-published accessible science fiction, such as Marissa Meyer’s Cinder or Amy Kathleen Ryan’s Glow (another space opera), should find this very much to their liking.

Book borrowed from my local library.

Cinders and Sapphires by Leila Rasheed

January 23, 2013 |

It’s 1910, and the aristocratic Averleys have just returned to England from many years in India, fleeing scandal. They’ve come home to magnificent Somerton, their ancestral estate, bringing with them a new set of family members, thanks to Lord Averley’s sudden marriage. The arrival of not one, but TWO families has thrown the house’s servants into a tizzy, too, and the whole place is rife with gossip about what happened in India, what the grown-up children will look like, and whether the new additions to the Averley family will be cruel or kind.

Cinders and Sapphires touches on at least a dozen characters, but its main focal points are teenagers Lady Ada Averley, the aristocratic daughter about to make her society debut, and Rose Cliffe, her freshly-promoted lady’s maid with muddy parentage. Ada wants to go to Oxford and get an education, but her family expects her to marry well (meaning rich) instead. Rose is thrilled with her new position, but she dreams of more, even while worried that such dreams may make it look like she’s putting on airs.

The perspectives shift from character to character, the omniscient narrator giving us a little voyeuristic peek into nearly everyone on the page. The comparison to Downton Abbey is apt. It’s wonderfully soapy with a large cast of characters who all have a huge number of problems, making for some terrific melodrama. Great literature this is not, but it is certainly great fun, with terrific plotting and characters who have some interesting personality quirks.

Many of the plot twists are easy to see coming, but some aren’t, and even those telegraphed from a mile away are seriously fun to read. A fun game to play as you read is to think of everything that was majorly scandalous in 1910 and only minorly scandalous now (if at all), and see how many of those things you end up reading about in the pages of Cinders and Sapphires.

This is prime entertainment. There’s romance, intrigue, scandal, betrayal, secrets, shattered dreams – all the good stuff. There are also some fine historical details that ground the novel a bit and give the reader some idea of the relationship between Britain and India at this point in time. This is very accessible historical fiction, the kind that delivers a relatable story without being too anachronistic about it. I turned the last page and wished I had the sequel.

Review copy provided by the publisher. Cinders and Sapphires is available now.

ALA Midwinter Plans

January 22, 2013 |

Heading to ALA Midwinter in Seattle this week? I’m having a mild panic attack about how much I need to get done beforehand and how much I need to get organized before hopping on a plane super early on Thursday (yes, I am one of those people who takes the 6 am flight all the time). I’m really excited about going and I’m maybe more excited this year as I get to see how the committee I’m an admin to chooses their final list of best books.

Like one of my roommates, Liz, I’ve been planning out what it is I want to do with my somewhat limited free time. With as many meetings going on as there are, it’s hard to pick and choose. Maybe even harder is picking out just where to dine during free time, too. For someone who lives in a food desert, having access to a variety of really great-sounding eateries is beyond exciting (and a little overwhelming).

After an afternoon of committee meetings on Friday, I think I’ll brave the exhibit hall when it opens. In looking at my schedule, it appears the only real free time I have to do this is then. I’m not going to lie — this makes me nervous and anxious, but I do love the fact it is one of the few times at ALA where I get the chance to see people I want to see at the same time. After the exhibits close, of course I’ll be attending the YA Blogger Meetup I’m co-hosting with YA Highway.

Saturday is more meetings, but they’re all during the middle part of the day. I’m hoping to make it to a YALSA Board Meeting for a while. After reading the board docs, I’m especially interested in the discussion of the Mega Issue of renaming the organization, the idea of folding Fab Films and Reader’s Choice lists, and maybe even more than all else, I’m curious to see how YALSA’s Board addresses the issues raised in the member survey. Take a while to read those docs linked above because it’s fascinating, especially the member feedback regarding their locked down award and selection lists (the member survey allowed members to write in responses, and the bulk are about this issue). On deck for Saturday is a luncheon where Lenore is the guest of honor (!) and a dinner event.

I have a shorter committee meeting slot on Sunday morning, which is great because I think I’ll need the downtime before the BFYA Teen Feedback session. If you haven’t attended this but love YA books, I think it’s one of the most fascinating (and brutal) meetings. Local teens come and talk about the books being considered for this list — and they aren’t afraid to tell you what they really think. I didn’t get to attend in person at Annual, so I’m really excited I don’t have meetings and can go. The evening has an event I plan on attending, too.

Then Monday! My favorite day! At the bright hour of 8 am Pacific Time (which is great for my Central Time mind) are the Youth Media Awards. I got to attend last year in person for the first time and it was such a great event. I’m looking forward to it maybe even more this year knowing how hard some of my friends have worked on these award and selection committees. There’s something even more special about knowing the folks who are making these tough decisions through the year. And after that? I’m looking forward to a business lunch and then an afternoon of downtime. Downtime!

Are you heading to Seattle? What are your plans? Anything you’re looking forward to?