Cybils 2015

September 21, 2015 |

I’m thrilled that I’m helping to judge the Cybils Awards again this year. This will be my fifth year as a participant, my fourth in the YA speculative fiction category, and my second on Round 1. This means I’m going to be reading a heck of a lot of YA SFF and then writing about it here – the good, the bad, and the ugly (but hopefully mostly good).

Nominations open October 1, but I’m already eager to get a jump on my reading. To that end, I’m anticipating what might get nominated, and trying to scope out the best title for me to throw in the ring myself. Here’s a list of books I hope I get to read and discuss this season, all books I haven’t yet read – won’t you consider nominating one of them?

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
An Inheritance of Ashes by Leah Bobet
Need by Joelle Charbonneau
Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell
Sound by Alexandra Duncan
Silver in the Blood by Jessica Day George
The Shadow Behind the Stars by Rebecca Hahn
Hunter by Mercedes Lackey
Zeroboxer by Fonda Lee
Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older
Ash and Bramble by Sarah Prineas
Lizard Radio by Pat Schmatz
Dreamstrider by Lindsay Smith
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Vacation Reading

September 17, 2015 |

I’m on vacation for the next few days. It’s my first grown-up vacation that has nothing to do with work or books or librarianship in quite a while. I’m taking the opportunity to indulge and relax, since these are things I so rarely get to do.

Of course, one of the things I always angst over when it comes to traveling is picking the right books to take with me. I know my habits quite well, but since it’s been so long since I’ve traveled for myself, I’m a little rusty. Without fail, I pack too many books, with the intent of doing a ton of reading while in flight, but when I get to the airport, I end up picking up a copy of Entertainment Weekly and reading that instead. But…now I get EW delivered to my house and I read it every week, so that option is off the table.

So my packing strategy has to be a little more thoughtful, since I know whatever it is I pack will be what I have with me at the airport and at the condo I’m renting (and you bet I’ll be scoping out what books, if any, are in that condo). I want to read only things that are enjoyable, and I don’t want to pack a single thing with the thought of it being something I feel compelled to talk about — unless I really, really want to. More, I don’t want to pack something that takes up space that doesn’t earn its keep, so I’m leaning toward one print book and then going with my nook/phone for the rest of the books.

And these are the books that I think have made the cut.

I may have found Mindy Kaling’s Why Not Me? out early at a bookstore last weekend and made a pretty ridiculous noise when I did. I picked it up and walked out, intending to read it over the weekend. But then I thought it would be a far better read while on vacation, so this print book — which is hardcover, but not particularly heavy — will be getting some precious space in my carryon. I can see this being a perfect in-flight read. I really liked Kaling’s previous memoir, with the right blend of humor and seriousness, and I just like Kaling herself.

Lauren Groff’s Fates and Furies has gotten so much positive buzz around Book Riot, and generally, when an adult literary novel does, I tend to like it (that’s how I picked up Station Eleven last year and it was totally up my alley). But the thing that really made me want to pick up this book was this post about how it’s a great read for fans of Lana Del Rey. I gave up my print ARC of this at BEA to a coworker, but I snagged a digital galley. It’s a novel about a doomed marriage, told through both members of the couple, and it has a bit of a mythological thread to it.

I’ve been told about E. Katherine Kottaras’s How To Be Brave (November) for a while now — it’s a story with a fat main character where weight isn’t her story. It’s a book about grief and how one can choose to really live life, even when one’s life has been permanently altered. I’m hopeful it’s a solid rendering of a fat girl with a full life, so as much as it’s the kind of book that could be a little heavy for vacation reading, it sounds like the kind that once I’m hooked, I won’t want to put down. This one I’ve got loaded on my nook, so it won’t take up luggage space, which I appreciate.

Okay, I’m probably a liar about “light” reading, since I’ve also loaded E. K. Johnston’s Exit, Pursued By A Bear (March 2016) on my nook too, and it’s a story about rape and rape culture. The pitch is that it’s Veronica Mars meets William Shakespeare. I’ve probably consumed more books on this topic this year than is healthy (and indeed, also ordered Louise O’Neill’s Asking for It from the UK to read after vacation) but I’ve been thinking about writing something relating to these books, and I’ve heard positive things about Johnston’s take. The cover of this one reminds me of Queen of Secrets from a few years ago. I know this will be a tough read, but, like I said above, as long as I can get into it pretty quickly, I find tough reads are fine for “relaxing” reading.

I do a little work for Panels, which means reading a lot about comics. While I’m not a huge superhero comics reader, I’ve found myself pushing beyond my comfort reads when it comes to comics. I loved Black Widow, and I have been loving Ms. Marvel. So when Panels writers were raving about Squirrel Girl, I had to snag some single issues to see what it was all about. Now that they’ve been sitting on my shelf for a few months, perhaps it’s time to actually read them. The nice thing about single issues is that while I have to pack the physical copies with me to go on my trip, I don’t have any attachment strong enough to feel I need to bring them home when I’m done. They can be recycled.

Now that I’ve meticulously planned my reading to be packed . . . I bet I end up hitting a bookstore or two and buying entirely different things to not read while I’m actually doing vacation-y things.

The Detour by S. A. Bodeen

September 16, 2015 |

S. A. Bodeen can usually be relied upon to write a solid thriller. I enjoyed both The Compound and its sequel as well as The Raft. She writes books with great hooks and fast-moving plots that pull you in immediately. Her latest, The Detour, doesn’t quite measure up, I think – but it should still satisfy readers looking for some thrills.

Livvy Flynn is a teenage phenomenon. She published her first book while in high school and it was a huge hit. It’s earned her buckets of money and lots of fame, but she’s totally oblivious to how unusual this is. In fact, she looks down on other aspiring writers – especially those older than her, so basically all of them – and generally thinks they’re total failures. She’s the unlikable protagonist in a nutshell. When she’s invited to a writer’s conference to speak, she accepts and figures it will be a breeze. On her way, though, she’s in a car wreck. And when she wakes up, she’s not in the hospital – she’s in some strange woman’s house, tied to a bed. It quickly becomes clear that this woman has it in for Livvy Flynn.

There’s more than a passing resemblance of Stephen King’s Misery in The Detour, though the woman’s reasons for keeping Livvy captive are somewhat different. Bodeen acknowledges the similarity, since Livvy herself is familiar with King’s book. Like in Misery, the woman in The Detour does all sorts of horrible things to Livvy. She also has a daughter who may be even worse.

So, why is this one not as strong as Bodeen’s others? It’s not the unlikability of the protagonist, which I’m sure some reviewers will point to. In fact, Livvy does experience some growth as a person, and her ordeal brings out some buried insecurities that shed a lot of light on why she is the way she is. Instead, I had problems with the way some of the events played out; it was difficult to understand why Livvy didn’t figure some things out much, much sooner. There’s a secret with a boyfriend that’s glaringly obvious but isn’t revealed to Livvy herself until the last chapter. Bodeen doesn’t seem to expect that her readers can connect the dots unless they’re hinted at quite forcefully, and the plot suffers. Suspension of disbelief is also a problem. At one point, a police officer stumbles into the house but doesn’t do anything about the girl who has clearly been kidnapped and tortured – and Livvy is completely understanding of it in the end (there is no good explanation for his behavior). I don’t know which part of that I had a harder time believing, that he did nothing or that Livvy was fine with it.

Despite the flaws, this may be a good one to hand to teens who just can’t get enough of thrillers, particularly those that don’t veer into mystery territory. It’s also interesting if you don’t know much about the publishing industry, since things like average amounts of advances and sales figures are discussed a bit (and by extension just how unusual Livvy’s situation is).

Review copy received from the publisher. The Detour will be published October 6.

Arabian Nights

September 15, 2015 |

I’ve noticed an uptick in the number of stories being published that are related in some way to the Arabian Nights. Re-workings of Aladdin seem to be gaining traction, and at least two books published this year are re-tellings of the Scheherazade frame story, which should have huge pull for writers. I’m kind of surprised we haven’t seen more re-tellings of it sooner. Fairy tale re-tellings are perennially popular, though, and now that we’ve exhausted vampires, werewolves, and mermaids, genies are the next logical step – in fact, genies have been trending quietly for a couple of years now, though they’re not exclusive to the Arabian Nights.

All the titles below have some sort of link to the Arabian Nights or Arabic lore in general. All descriptions are from Worldcat except where noted. What others have I missed? Which ones have you read already?

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

In this reimagining of The Arabian Nights, Shahrzad plans to avenge the death of her dearest friend by volunteering to marry the murderous boy-king of Khorasan but discovers not all is as it seems within the palace.

A Whole New World by Liz Braswell

Aladdin is a street rat. There’s really no getting around that. Like most, he’s just trying to survive another day in impoverished Agrabah. Jasmine is a princess, one who is about to enter into an arranged marriage. All she wants is to escape her fate, to see what lies beyond the palace walls. But everything changes when the sultan’s trusted advisor, Jafar, suddenly rises to power. With the help of an ancient lamp, Jafar becomes determined to break the laws of magic and gain control over love and death. Soon Aladdin and the deposed princess Jasmine must unite the people of Agrabah in rebellion to stop the power-mad ruler. But their fight for freedom grows costly when it threatens to tear the kingdom apart.

Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios (sequel: Blood Passage, March 2016)

Nalia, a gorgeous, fierce eighteen-year-old jinni, is pitted against two magnetic adversaries, both of whom want her–and need her–to make their wishes come true.

Becoming Jinn by Lori Goldstein (sequel: Circle of Jinn, May 2016)

Behind closed doors, sixteen-year-old Azra is learning how to harness her powers and fulfill the obligations of her destiny. Mentored by her mother and her Zar “sisters,” Azra discovers she may not be quite like the rest of her circle of female Jinn … and that her powers could endanger them all.

A Thousand Nights by E. K. Johnston (October 2015)

Lo-Melkhiin killed three hundred girls before he came to her village, so when she is taken to the king’s dangerous court she believes death will soon follow, but night after night Lo-Melkhiin comes to her and listens to the stories she tells, leading her to unlocking years of fear that have tormented and silenced the kingdom, and soon she is dreaming of bigger, more terrible magic, power enough to save a king, if she can put an end to rule of a monster.

The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury (February 2016)

When Aladdin discovers Zahra’s jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn’t seen in hundreds of years — a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra’s very existence is illegal. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes. But when the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp forever, she seizes the opportunity—only to discover she is falling in love with Aladdin. [Goodreads]

The Fire Wish by Amber Lough (sequel: The Blind Wish)

When a princess captures a jinn and makes a wish, she is transported to the fiery world of the jinn, while the jinn must take her place in the royal court of Baghdad.

September Debut YA Novels

September 14, 2015 |

It’s time for another round-up of debut YA novels of the month.

Like always, this round-up includes debut novels, where “debut” is in its purest definition. These are first-time books by first-time authors. I’m not including books by authors who are using or have used a pseudonym in the past or those who have written in other categories (adult, middle grade, etc.) in the past.

All descriptions are from WorldCat, unless otherwise noted. If I’m missing any debuts out in September from traditional publishers — and I should clarify that indie presses are okay — let me know in the comments. As always, not all noted titles included here are necessarily endorsements for those titles.

A 52-Hertz Whale by Bill Sommer and Natalie Tilghman: Reveals, through emails from various people, the growing connection between sixteen-year-old James, who is obsessed with the fate of a juvenile humpback whale he adopted, and Darren, a would-be filmmaker who once did community service in James’s Special Education classroom.

Becoming Darkness by Lindsay Francis Brambles: Toward the end of World War Two Hitler unleashed the Gomorrah virus, which wiped out most of humanity and turned the rest into vampires, except for those like seventeen-year-old Sophie Harkness, who carry a genetic mutation that makes them immune–but when her best friend is murdered and attempts are made on her life, Sophie sets out to discover the dark secrets that lie at the heart of Haven, the last refuge of the immunes.

Blood and Salt by Kim Liggett: Seventeen-year-old Ash Larkin finds out her family is involved in a centuries-old saga of love and murder, alchemy and immortality when she follows her mother to an isolated settlement in the cornfields of Kansas. Included in our big round-up of YA horror.

The Body Institute by Carol Riggs: To help out with her family’s financial situation, seventeen-year-old Morgan Dey begins working for the Body Institute, an organization that uses new technology to allow one person to take over another person’s body temporarily to return that body to the proper weight and physical condition. (Worth noting: the description of this one doesn’t pass much muster with Size Acceptance in YA)

Burn Girl by Mandy Mikulencak: When her mother dies of a drug overdose, sixteen-year-old Arlie must adjust to living with an uncle she has never met and going to school on a regular basis.

The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich: Told through journal entries, a psychotherapist’s notes, court records, and more, relates the tale of Carly, a teen who was institutionalized after her parents’ death but released to Elmbrige High School, where she is believed to have a second personality or soul named Kaitlyn, and/or be possessed by a demon. Included in our big round-up of YA horror.

Dream Things True by Marie Marquardt: Evan, the nephew of a conservative southern senator, and Alma, who lives with her large, warm Mexican family, fall in love, but when Immigration and Customs Enforcement begins raids on their town, Alma knows she needs to tell Evan her secrets, but how can she tell her country-club boyfriend that she is an undocumented immigrant?

Drowning is Inevitable by Shalanda Stanley: After seventeen-year-old Olivia and her friend Jamie accidentally kill Jamie’s abusive father, two other friends, Max and Maggie, join them in running away from St. Francisville, Louisiana, to hide out in New Orleans while they try to figure out what to do next.

Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon: The story of a teenage girl who’s literally allergic to the outside world. When a new family moves in next door, she begins a complicated romance that challenges everything she’s ever known. The narrative unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, texts, charts, lists, illustrations, and more.

Fans of the Impossible Life by Kate Scelsa: At Saint Francis Prep school in Mountain View, New Jersey, Mira, Jeremy, and Sebby come together as they struggle with romance, bullying, foster home and family problems, and mental health issues.

The Fix by Natasha Sinel: After becoming friends with Sebastian Ruiz, a recovering addict, seventeen-year-old Macy Lyons is forced to come to terms with her own secret.

Jillian Cade, Fake Paranormal Investigator by Jen Klein: A seventeen-year-old girl runs a fake paranormal detection agency, but when she takes a case involving a non-paranormal missing person, things start to get strange and her feelings for partner Sky Ramsey start to grow.

The One Thing by Marci Lyn Curtis: After losing her sight–and the future she dreamed of–seventeen-year-old Maggie meets the one person with the ability to help her see all the possibilities life still holds.

Lock & Mori by Heather W. Petty: In modern-day London, sixteen-year-old Miss James “Mori” Moriarty is looking for an escape from her recent past and spiraling home life when she takes classmate Sherlock Holmes up on his challenge to solve a murder mystery. Included in “3 On A YA Theme: Takes on Sherlock.”

Sanctuary by Jennifer McKissack: After the sudden death of her aunt, Cecilia Cross is forced to return to the old mansion on a remote island off the coast of Maine, ironically named Sanctuary, the place where her father and sister died, and from which her mother was committed to an insane asylum soon after–and it is also a place of dark secrets, haunted by the ghosts of its original owners, and inhabited by her vicious uncle. Included in our big round-up of YA horror.

This Monstrous Thing by Mackenzi Lee: When a talented mechanic in 1818 Geneva brings his brother back from the dead using clockwork parts, the citizens of Geneva think they may have inspired the recently published novel Frankenstein.

Truest by Jackie Lea Sommers: Westlin Beck’s summer is turned upside down when the Hart twins move to town: aggravating, intriguing, and quirky Silas and his mysteriously ill sister, Laurel.

The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore: Although Lace Paloma knows all about the feud between the Palomas and the Corbeaus, she finds herself falling for Cluck Corbeau when he saves her life while both families are performing in the same town.

The Unquiet by Mikaela Everett: For most of her life, Lirael has been training to kill–and replace–a duplicate version of herself on a parallel Earth. She is the perfect sleeper-soldier. But she’s beginning to suspect she is not a good person