STACKED

books

In my suitcase: ALA edition

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I’m not going to talk about the things I’ve already talked about. Instead, I’m going to talk about the books I picked up at ALA Midwinter. Organized by publisher and publication date, along with links to GoodReads and any other relevant information. If you’ve read any of these, I’d love your thoughts on where I should start.

Bloomsbury Walker


Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby (February 28, 2012): This book looks like it’ll fit perfectly into a book list on photography.  
The Mapmaker and the Ghost by Sarvenaz Tash (April 24, 2012): Sarvenaz has stopped by STACKED before to talk about this middle grade novel, so I was really excited I could pick it up.
Small Medium at Large by Joanne Levy (July 3, 2012): Another debut middle grade. 
Candlewick
Ruby Redfort: Look into My Eyes by Lauren Child (March 2012): This one’s by the author of Charlie and Lola (the books which inspired the tv series). 
Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta (March 2012): Marchetta and I have an interesting relationship. One that can get a little violent maybe. But I liked Finnikin of the Rock enough I am eager to dive into the second installment of the series. I’m not a big fantasy reader, but Finnikin worked for me, and I’m eager to see what Froi does.
Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough (July 2012): The publicist sold me on this one with the words “Do not read this at night.” It’s a horror novel and looks completely up my alley.

Disney Hyperion

From What I Remember . . . by Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas (May 2012):  If I’m remembering right, this one was kind of compared to The Hangover but for teens. Which doesn’t mean much to me, since I wasn’t a huge fan of that movie.

Sway by Amber McRee Turner (May 2012): Another middle grade debut. I saw this one buzzed by a number of teachers I respect.

Rebel McKenzie by Candice Ransom (June 2012)

Lucky Fools by Coert Voorhees (July 2012): This one’s by the same author as The Brothers Torres, for those of you who know that one!

Flux

In Too Deep by Amanda Grace (available now)

Mercy Lily by Lisa Albert (available now): I’ve been curious about this one for a while not just topically, but because Lisa’s a local author to me.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Illuminate by Aimee Agresti (March 2012): This one’s a debut and the start of a series.

Radiate by Marley Gibson (April 2012): I don’t know why I pick up cancer books, knowing how much I don’t care for them. But this one sounds like it offers a bit more than the cancer plot. This is the author of the Ghost Huntress series, for those familiar with that one!

The Springsweet by Saundra Mitchell (April 2012): I really liked the first book in this series, The Vespertine. It’s historical and magical with great writing.

First Comes Love by Katie Kacvinsky (May 2012): I feel like there’s a post coming soon about 2012 covers featuring the almost-kiss.

Invincible Microbe by Jim Murphy (July 2012): So where I can’t handle cancer stories, apparently I’m a fan of tuberculosis stories. This non-fiction work looks like a winner.

Harper Collins

Kiss Crush Collide by Christina Meredith (available now): This one’s gotten comparisons to Simone Elkeles, who writes the kind of romantic tension I really like. Not to mention those books are impossible to keep on the shelf. This is a debut novel.

Black Boy, White School by Brian F. Walker (available now): Another debut novel. I talked about this one over at The Hub last month, and I was excited to see it at ALA.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth (February 7, 2012): This is another debut, and I just finished reading it this morning. It’s a story of grief and sexual awakening. Longer review to come. This is a tome at nearly 500 pages.

Cruising Attitude by Heather Poole (March 6, 2012): This is an adult non-fiction about life as an airline attendant. I love these kinds of books, and as someone who prides myself on being an easy airline passenger, I’ve got a perverted curiosity about those who just aren’t.

Jake and Lily by Jerry Spinelli (May 5, 2012): It’s Jerry Spinelli, middle grade staple.

Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick (May 8, 2012)

Macmillan (imprints)

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda (May 2012): This one was sold to me at the book battle between Sterling and St. Martin’s Press. Looks like an adventure. 

The Year of the Beasts by Cecil Castellucci and Nate Powell (May 2012): I think this book is near the top of my most-excited-about pile. It’s part prose and part graphic novel.

Penguin

The Catastrophic History of You & Me by Jess Rothenberg (available now): Another debut author!

There is No Dog by Meg Rosoff (available now): The publicist at Penguin, who was so eager to talk books with me, said this was one of her favorites of the season. And it looks totally up my alley.

Beneath a Meth Moon by Jacqueline Woodson (February 2012): I heard Woodston read a bit from this at Anderson’s in September, and I’m eager to have a copy of it now.

The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour (February 2012): I’ve read this one already, and it’s an interesting story told from a male point of view. It reminded me a little of Gayle Forman’s Where She Went.

Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone by Kat Rosenfield (July 2012): Of all the books I’ve picked up, I think this is the one I’m most looking forward to. It’s a contemporary mystery/thriller of sorts. This is Rosenfield’s debut novel.

Random House

The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis (available now)

Sisters of Glass by Stephanie Hemphill (March 27, 2012): This one’s by the author of Your Own, Sylvia, and it’s a novel in verse.

Happy Families by Tanita Davis (May 8, 2012): Siblings are THE trend this year, if you read through the descriptions of the books I’ve linked to. But this one looks at coming to terms with a family member’s life choices and how they impact you as a teen.

Scholastic

Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip by Jordan Sonnenblick (March 2012): I really like Sonnenblick’s writing, and after hearing him perform this one at the Scholastic preview, I’m even more excited for it.

Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg (April 2012): Eulberg’s third novel will be the third novel by her I read. It’s also one about the performing arts.

Simon and Schuster

The Pregnancy Project by Gaby Rodriguez: This one’s out already and it was the story which inspired the Lifetime film.

Waiting by Carol Lynch Williams (May 2012): Williams’s Glimpse was her first novel in verse, and I really loved how her writing worked with the format. I’m looking forward to seeing her do this again.

When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle (May 2012): This was a direct sell from the publicist. It’s a twist on Romeo and Juliet.

A Certain October by Angela Johnson (August 2012): This looks heartbreaking and I trust Johnson will do it very well.

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A non-related update I thought I’d throw out just because. Kim, Jen, and I have been working really hard on a feature that we’ll begin posting once a week starting in April. Part of me wants to keep it very quiet and let it be a surprise, but I can’t. 
Over the last few months (years, really, but months in particular), I’ve been asked repeatedly by people where to begin when it comes to reading YA fiction. I have my go-to lists, but it’s a question that can be interpreted a million different ways, and so I thought I’d reach out to a variety of folks in the ya world to weigh in on. We’ve got not only our posts, but we’re collecting posts from other bloggers, librarians, teachers, authors, and editors in the field, in hopes of offering a really diverse and interesting look at the question of where to begin reading YA fiction. The response has been overwhelming, and the posts we’ve already seen have been outstanding. Keep your eyes peeled.

Exciting News

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It’s always weird to think about myself as knowledgeable about anything in particular. I write things down to think through them, to consider them, to speculate about them. That’s what got me interested in blogging about books in the first place.

But yesterday I got some news that made me feel like maybe — just maybe — I am actually pretty knowledgeable about something in particular.

I’ll be presenting at this year’s YALSA YA Lit Symposium in St Louis, Missouri on the topic of contemporary YA fiction and why it’s going to continue to be the future of young adult lit. It’s the second time I’ve been selected to talk about this topic on a national conference stage. As thrilling as it was the first time, the time frame for the presentation was only 15 minutes. It’s challenging to cram everything important, everything you’re passionate about, in such a small window of time.

At the Symposium, I’m not only getting an hour of time, but I’m getting to split that time with colleagues I admire. Sharing my passion for contemporary ya lit along with Angie, Katie, and Abby is something I never really envisioned, something I never thought could or would happen. Sharing my passion with other fervent fans of young adult literature at a conference ALL ABOUT young adult literature — it’s mind-blowing, really. But here it is.

Looking through the roster of other presenters fills me with an unmatched sort of excitement. That I get the chance to be talking at the same conference as people I’ve admired in the field for so long is thrilling. More, though, is the knowledge I’ll get to take away from listening to what they have to say on topics ranging from transmedia to dystopia to genre bending. I can only hope people walk away from my contemporary session with a morsel of what I suspect I’ll walk away with from their sessions.

So all of this is to say — if you’re able to go to St Louis for this event, come! This is a conference all about young adult literature. It’s a professional event meant to education and enlighten about nothing BUT ya lit.

November feels very far away, but I suspect spending these next months diving wholly into contemporary ya lit will make the wait a little bit easier.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

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Recently, my librarian friends and acquaintances have made me think seriously about children’s book award winners. More specifically, I’ve been thinking about how the Newbery winners and honors appeal to kids. The general consensus seems to be that they don’t. But of course that’s not entirely true – different books appeal to different readers. And I believe that this year’s crop of Newbery winners and honors, while not particularly appealing to me, are well-crafted books that will find an audience among kids who appreciate that craft.
I decided to go take a trip down memory lane and see which winners and honors I loved as a kid. I was surprised by how many there were. Of course, many of them were required reading in school, but many I picked up on my own and loved without any pushing from an adult. Below is just a smattering of those, in chronological order. Warning: You won’t find Charlotte’s Web on the list. Sorry.
Please feel free to weigh in and tell me which Newberys you loved as a kid, and which get appreciation from kids (or just one kid!) at your library.

Honor, 1942
I got this one at a Scholastic book fair in 6th grade. My mother told me I could choose a book and she’d buy it for me. I couldn’t decide between this one and another book about a disappearing bike shop (I’m pretty sure it was this one). Happy ending: she bought me both, and I loved them both, and I didn’t even know Indian Captive was a Newbery until I was an adult.
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
Winner, 1959
I was one of those kids who loved historical fiction. (When I found Ann Rinaldi in middle school, I was in book heaven.) I was especially fascinated by the Salem witch trials, so this was a natural draw for me.
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
Winner, 1961
Before I read this one, my only experience with survival stories was Hatchet, which I nearly loathed. Island of the Blue Dolphins saved the genre for me. I loved stories about resourceful girls and O’Dell’s writing seemed so beautiful to me at the time.

Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt
Winner, 1967
Historical fiction! Romance! A stern but loving aunt! Relateable problems! This was an all-around winner, and I read it at the perfect time in my life for it.
The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
Honor, 1968
My fascination with ancient Egypt as a tween knew no bounds. This was a natural fit.
The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper
Honor, 1974
I don’t think I know a single person who loves fantasy who does not love this series. At the time, it seemed really similar to the Narnia books, which I also loved. (As an adult, I prefer Cooper.) Mention should also be made of The Grey King, the winner from 1976.
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Winner, 1979
I loved everything about this book – Raskin’s quirky writing, the very clever mystery, the fascinating characters. I read it aloud to my mother, and we kept a notebook so we could decipher the mystery as we read. It is far and away one of my best memories of my reading childhood. (It seems like this is out of print, which makes my heart break.)
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Winner, 1990
Historical fiction about the Holocaust was something I was just beginning to be interested in, and this book was a perfect fit. 

Honor, 1991
Historical fiction, adventure, a strong girl heroine. This had my name written all over it.

The Giver by Lois Lowry
Winner, 1994
This is a cheat, since this one is almost universally beloved. But it’s also very deserving of the award.
Honor, 1995
This book was so awesomely strange to me as a tween, and I loved every page of it. It holds up well on re-read, I think.
The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman
Winner, 1996
Historical fiction, a mouthy girl protagonist, lots of talk about poop, some mild language that seemed incredibly scandalous to me at the time, plus the topic of midwifery (which also seemed pretty scandalous) all made this a winner. Mention should also be made of Catherine Called Birdy, an Honor book from 1995 – even better “swear words” in that one!

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
Honor, 1997
This book holds the honor of making me love it despite the fact that it has a male protagonist (something I avoided like the plague as a kid, usually). Great voice, fascinating fantasy story, and a hell of an ending.
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Honor, 1998
I’m pretty sure there is nothing not to love about this first (and still the very best) Cinderella re-telling I ever read.
 
This isn’t even all of them. Would I have been exposed to these wonderful books if it weren’t for the Newbery medal? Some of them, probably. But not all.

Twitterview: Matthew Quick

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I am so, so excited to share today’s Twitterview with you — Matthew Quick has stopped by to talk about his phenomenal forthcoming title Boy21, as well as a host of other topics including writing, reading, ice cream, and more. For anyone who has had the emotional connection with Matthew’s stories and characters in the way I have, prepare yourself for this one.

And thanks to the generosity of Little, Brown, I also have a copy of Boy21 to giveaway at the end of the interview (US and Canadian residents only). Without further ado:

Pitch Boy21 in 140 characters.
It’s about the Irish mob, outer space, and basketball. (It’s also about friendship, love, choice, and the power to break a bad cycle.)

What inspired Boy21?
Playing street ball as a kid with brother-like friends. Losing touch with those people, because of the very different choices we made.

What should readers walk away with from Boy21?
I think all good stories help us to be better people. I hope (trust?) readers will find BOY21 to be a worthy story.

The stars play a big role in Boy21. Do you have a favorite constellation? Or maybe one that inspired your story a bit?
Used to look up at stars with a high school friend. Didn’t know the names of constellations back then. Didn’t matter, though. Helped a lot.

In Boy21 and Sorta Like a Rockstar, you write the voice of both genders authentically. Do you find one harder/easier/more interesting to write?
All characters–male and female–are hard to figure out. All people are complex. Writing in the female voice feels safer. Better mask.

I always ask this of male Twitterview victims — what’s your take on the notion that guys “don’t read?”
I read! I’m a guy! I read in high school too. And this former English teacher taught many girl non-readers. #GuyReadersRepresent

You wrote a novel for adults before SLARS and Boy21. Why did you shift focus?
My first adult novel has a YA feel. Most of my characters struggle with the inevitability of adulthood. I still struggle too.

Speaking of the Silver Linings Playbook, it’s being made into a film. What’s the experiencing of seeing your story on screen?
Surreal. Amazing. Mostly surreal. (Felt very unsexy standing on the movie set next to People’s Sexiest Man Alive Bradley Cooper.)

While it’s unfair to play favorites, I’m going to make you. Which character among all your books is the one who speaks to you most? Why?
1-3 Is it unfair to say all of them? 2-3 I’d like to do therapy with Dr. Cliff Patel, sip green tea with Private Jackson, and stargaze with Russ and Finley. 3-3 Sometimes I wish Amber Appleton were my daughter.

Who or what do you write for?
For who: My wife. For what: Hoping to be the man she admires.

What was your most influential read as a teenager?
THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA? (Maybe the first book I felt I ‘got’ completely.)

Who are your top three writing influences?
Vonnegut. Hemingway. Camus. (Gao Xingjian, Murakami, so many more.)

Who do you believe is breaking ground in YA right now?
I hope I am! (Sara Zarr and A.S. King are my Little, Brown buddies. I respect their work much.)

What’s the best writing advice you ever received?
Relax. Your best efforts can get in the way. Also, be the leaf in the stream.

What’s your best writing advice to give?
Be authentically you. Figure out who you are and then be that person on the page no matter what anyone says.

What is your writing routine?
It’s ever evolving. Work in progress. (Trying to get back to routine at the moment.) In two words: whatever works.

What gets you jazzed to write?
Whenever I can believe that writing truly makes a difference. That art saves the writer and the reader alike.

Do you have a writing soundtrack? Care to share a bit?
Can only write to instrumental. Paganini’s Violin Concertos, Keith Jarrett’s The Koln Concert, Yusef Lateef’s Eastern Sounds, and many more.

What’s next for you?
Just sold another (very different) (edgy) YA to my editor Alvina Ling at Little, Brown. I’m also writing an adult novel.

Favorite ice cream?
Ginger. (I like old-people ice cream. Pistachio. Coffee. Reminds me of eating dessert with my grandparents.)

Cinder Audiobook Winner!

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Random.org has spoken, and the winner of the Cinder audiobook is Rachel of Writing on the Wall. Congrats, Rachel! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Remember, you can still enter to win a copy of Audition by Stasia Ward Kehoe here. More giveaways are upcoming!

The winner of Audition is Kayla — you’ve been contacted.

Check back tomorrow for new giveaways soon and thanks to everyone who entered!