Kelly Jensen's Blog, page 91

The Girl in the Book: Two Snappy Reviews

Girl on a Wire by Gwenda Bond

Jules is a wire-walker, trained by her father (the best in the business) and passionate about her craft. When her family is invited to join a prominent, up and coming circus, Jules persuades them to agree, even though it means performing with their long-established enemies. Many years ago, mysterious deaths occurred, and Jules' grandmother - suspected to be able to administer curses - was blamed. Now, strange accidents are happening again, and Jules teams up with the teenage boy from the other family to try and unravel what really happened all those years ago - whether it really was magic, whether her grandmother really was responsible, and how it all ties into to what's going on now.



This book could be called magical realism. It's never established 100% whether the curses are really magic, though Jules comes to believe they are by the end of the book (and I believed it as well). This aspect is the weakest part of the book. The performers are a superstitious lot and the curses all come down to an exploitation of those superstitions (an unlucky color sneaked onto a costume, for instance). Where the novel shines is in Jules' performances on the wire, which are exciting and full of tension. She's even better than her father, but the psychological effect of the curses is such that she wobbles. While balancing on a wire strung between buildings. With nothing to catch her below. Yikes. Off the wire, Jules wanders around playing detective, trying to solve the mystery of the past, and it's not terribly interesting. It makes the book seem pretty episodic: a wire walk (fascinating!), then a clue-gathering mission (snooze), then another performance (nail-biting), and more sleuthing (zzzzzz). While I wouldn't recommend the book to someone wanting a magical fantasy or a scintillating mystery, it should appeal to readers interested in the circus or high-risk professions.



Finished copy provided by the publisher.



The Girl From the Well by Rin Chupeco

This is solid horror with some creative storytelling choices. It's told from the point of view of Okiku, the subject of the well-known Japanese ghost story The Ring, but her perspective is fragmented, and her story is really a frame for the story of a modern-day boy named Tark. Tark himself is haunted, not only by Okiku, but also by something much more malevolent. Okiku is initially passive in Tark's story, but she's drawn further into his life as she observes more of it - as she learns that Tark can sense her, too, and that she has a reason for being there with him. This ghost story is more unsettling than it is scary. It should appeal to fans of Japanese horror, though I thought it dragged a bit. It's a debut, and I find that pacing is often a weakness in first novels. Still, it's got a great (creepy!) ending and I appreciated the fresh perspective.



Book borrowed from my library.


            Related StoriesNo Parking at the End Times by Bryan BlissPrincess Decompsia and Count Spatular by Andi Watson + A Special Bonus Comic!Graphic Novel Roundup 

Graphic Novel Roundup

El Deafo by Cece Bell

I don't read a lot of nonfiction, but I do have a weakness for graphic memoirs. This one is superb - perfect for middle grade readers, with vibrant cartoon-like art (that reminds me a little of the Arthur cartoons) and a winning story. It's a great read for deaf and hearing readers alike, giving mirrors to the former and windows to the latter. Even aside from that aspect of the book, it's just a great story about growing up, about the vagaries of childhood friendships (I think we have each had or been a Laura, a Ginny, or a Martha) and the challenges we all face as we navigate adolescence. The way the story is presented is what elevates the book above some other memoirs. The representation of the kids as long-eared rabbits is a genius idea, and Cece's imagination of herself as a superhero looking for a sidekick is such a great parallel to the real challenges she faces. What kid hasn't dreamed up something like this?



The Red Shoes and Other Tales by Metaphrog

This is a really slim collection of three stories by Metaphrog, two of them retellings of Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales and one original. The titular story involves a girl named Karen who is given some very fancy red shoes and finds herself unable to stop dancing while wearing them. The other Andersen tale is The Little Match Girl, and the original story is called The Glass Case, which has a similar feel to the others (un-Disneyfied and somewhat gruesome, depressing, or both). I love the rich colors on the cover, but I found the art to be mostly uninspired. Faces aren't terribly expressive (they're either neutral or shocked) and the colors are much more muted on the inside. (To be fair, this was a review copy; it's possible the look will change in the final version.) The re-tellings themselves are simply done, like the original fairy tales but lacking the depth I find simple language often gives. I'm always eager for fairy tale interpretations, but this one fell short.



This One Summer by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki

I have some prejudices when it comes to graphic novels, the biggest of which is I don't really care for black and white art. This One Summer isn't precisely black and white (it has a purplish/bluish tinge to it), but it basically is, and that's the main reason I passed it by when it was first published. (I pretty much read every single full-color graphic novel First Second produces.) And then it won a Caldecott Honor and a Printz Honor, so I re-evaluated. The art really is very good. With black and white art, I always have to force myself to stop and peruse it rather than breezing by it, taking it in simply as a part of the story. Some of the spreads are even quite lovely, though I'd say Jillian Tamaki's style is more interesting than beautiful. Her characters are expressive and diverse, and her backdrops are wonderfully detailed.



Books borrowed from my local library, except for The Red Shoes, which was provided by the publisher.


            Related StoriesPrincess Decompsia and Count Spatular by Andi Watson + A Special Bonus Comic!No Parking at the End Times by Bryan BlissA Pair of Audiobook Reviews 

No Parking at the End Times by Bryan Bliss

When Abigail's father loses his job, things in her household change. Her father becomes fascinated with Brother John, and soon, he's convinced her mother to follow the word of Brother John as well. He promises a better afterlife, and it's one that's coming soon.



It takes little time for Abigail's father to begin selling their earthly possessions. Despite not being on board, Abigail and her twin brother Aaron are pulled into this world, forced to climb into the traveling van and leave their home town in North Carolina for San Francisco, where Brother John would be waiting with the rest of his followers for the rapture.



But when they arrive in San Francisco, homeless and mostly possession-less, the rapture doesn't come. And rather than turn back or give up, Abigail and Aaron's father decides they have to stick it out. They have to have faith that Brother John knows what's happening.



They have to have faith that God has a reason for things not to come to an end, even on the date Brother John believed it would happen.



No Parking at the End Times is Bryan Bliss's debut novel, and it's a knock out. Where many stories of the rapture in YA happen prior to it, this takes place after the failed event. But this isn't really a story about the rapture. It's much more a story about family and togetherness, with a unique take on homelessness.



Throughout the story, we're shown an angry, frustrated character in Aaron. As much as Abigail tries to break through to him and tries to get him to talk with her, he won't. Instead, he's sneaking out of the van at night. It's not until Abigail threatens to follow him that she finds out his nightly trips are his way of making friends and connections in San Francisco; he's become friends with a group of homeless teens.



Despite finding a sort of community, being in San Francisco is the last thing Aaron wants. He's eager to get out, and he's upfront with Abigail about how they need to figure out how to get away. When they make a plan that seems achievable and make strides toward getting out, though, he becomes unable to follow through because of some of the people with whom he'd been associating at night.



From the start, neither Abigail nor Aaron are on board with their father and mother's devotion to Brother John. As readers, we're also exceptionally frustrated -- why would a father do this to his family? He's sold their lives away, and he willingly sacrifices security and safety in the name of faith in this system. He hands over money, and he at times cheats the system. Mother follows along, mostly, her voice and story a far smaller part of the story than the father's until the end.



But there are cracks.



As much as we're left to be angry at both mom and dad for how selfish and self-serving they're being, we're also allowed to see they truly believe that having faith -- that believing good things will happen -- will get them through this tough situation. They've found places to get free meals, and they've learned where they can park at night to keep their family safe. They continue attending church services, as well as offering money to Brother John, believing with their whole hearts that this is the right thing to do. That it is what will solve their problems and make a better life for their children. Though they want their kids to follow Brother John and his word, they don't force them to attend services or counseling with him.



It's blind faith, of course, and it's the kind of faith that overruns practicality and sufficiency. But it's done out of utter love for their children, even if their children are the ones who suffer the consequences of these decisions.



Bliss does an excellent job in his portrayal of homelessness. In multiple instances throughout the story, Abigail has a painful realization that what she believed homelessness looked like isn't always what homelessness is. The people Aaron hangs out with are homeless, and even though they fit what she thought homelessness would look like, she's surprised to see how human and how relatable and likable some of those people are. When Abigail is confronted with the reality that, despite her internal protests, she and her family are homeless, too, it's tough for her to swallow. She isn't like the them of her imagined state of homeless people. Her family didn't choose to become homeless. And yet, this is still homelessness and it's still the situation her family is in. More, she comes to the realization that adults can be wrong and make poor choices that do indeed change the lives of those for whom they're entrusted to care. It's because of her parents choosing to give all of their money to Brother John that she has a limited selection of things to wear and can't get her clothing dirty. It's because of her parents selling everything for this trip to San Francisco that they're brushing their teeth in public restrooms.



Abigail's voice in this book is what stands out most -- she is straightforward in how she feels, even if she doesn't always act upon her intuitions when she thinks she should. She's full of love and full of want, despite the set backs in her life and despite the fact she's learning that her situation is worse than she thought. It's in the moments when reality hits perception that readers see how desperate her and her family's situation really is.



No Parking at the End Times is a respectful story. This isn't about bashing faith or God or belief in any way, despite the premise being about parents who are devoted to a religious cult-like leader. It's an entire story about the limits of faith. Have it, use it, believe in it, but don't let it be the only currency in your life.



The ending of this book is a little tidy, but it doesn't feel undeserved. In fact, it's that final chapter, where Abigail has to face God and faith again where we see that this isn't a story that decries religion but instead, seeks to talk about how it's a deeply personal and sometimes extremely challenging experience.



This is a tightly-written, engaging read and would make for an excellent next read for those who love Sara Zarr, especially Once Was Lost. Pass this along, too, to those readers who loved Blake Nelson's The Prince of Venice Beach -- the depictions of homelessness are worth looking at together -- and/or Melissa Walker's Small Town Sinners. Bliss is an author to keep an eye on, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what a sophomore novel will look like, after this powerful debut.





Review copy received from the publisher. No Parking at the End Times publishes tomorrow, February 24. 


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This Week at Book Riot

Here's a look at what I wrote about this week over at Book Riot:

I opened up about having depression and how getting treatment for it changed my reading life. 

For this week's "3 On A YA Theme," I talked about 3 YA stories I'd love to read based on teens from the movies. And it includes some opinions about Chrissy from Now & Then, as well as how I envision Tracy Flick from Election growing up into Leslie Knope. 



I've spent the last couple of weeks putting together the contents for the first Book Riot YA Quarterly Box and I'm so excited about how it's shaping up. This is going to be fun. If you have been thinking about subscribing, here's how you can.


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February Debut YA Novels

For what's usually a fairly quiet month in publishing, February is heavy on debut YA titles this year. Like always, this round up includes debut novels with "debut" 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. Where we've reviewed books, I've included links.



All descriptions are from WorldCat, unless otherwise noted. If I'm missing any debuts out in February from traditional publishers, let me know in the comments!  











One of the Guys by Lisa Aldin: Tomboy to the core, Toni Valentine understands guys. She'll take horror movies, monster hunts and burping contests over manicures. So Toni is horrified when she's sent to the Winston Academy for Girls, where she has to wear a skirt and learn to be a "lady" while the guys move on without her. Then Toni meets Emma Elizabeth, a girl at school with boy troubles, and she volunteers one of her friends as a pretend date. Word spreads of Toni's connections with boys, and she discovers that her new wealthy female classmates will pay big money for fake dates. Looking for a way to connect her old best friends with her new life at school, Toni and Emma start up Toni Valentine's Rent-A-Gent Service. But the business meets a scandal when Toni falls for one of her friends--the same guy who happens to be the most sought-after date. With everything she's built on the line, Toni has to decide if she wants to save the business and her old life, or let go of being one of the guys for a chance at love.



My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga: Seventeen-year-old Aysel's hobby--planning her own death--take a new path when she meets a boy who has similar plan of his own.



When Reason Breaks by Cindy L. Rodriguez: Elizabeth Davis and Emily Delgado seem to have little in common except Ms. Diaz's English class and the solace they find in the words of Emily Dickinson, but both are struggling to cope with monumental secrets and tumultuous emotions that will lead one to attempt suicide.











The Distance Between Lost and Found by Kathryn Holmes: Sophomore Hallie Calhoun, her former friend Jonah, and new friend Rachel leave a church youth group hike in the Great Smoky Mountains and become lost for five days, struggling to survive as Hallie finally speaks about the incident that made her a social pariah and Jonah admits why it hurt him so much.



Vendetta by Catherine Doyle: When five brothers move into the abandoned mansion next door, Sophie Gracewell's life changes forever. Irresistibly drawn to bad boy Nic Falcone, Sophie finds herself falling into an underworld governed by powerful families. When Sophie's own family skeletons come to life, she must choose between two warring dynasties--the one she was born into, and the one she is falling in love with.



Scripted by Maya Rock: Nettie Starling has spent all her life on the set of a reality show, but as her friends mysteriously get cut, she learns that her seemingly-perfect world hides some dangerous secrets. 













Dove Arising by Karen Bao: On a lunar colony, fifteen-year-old Phaet Theta does the unthinkable and joins the Militia when her mother is imprisoned by the Moon's oppressive government.



Shutter by Courtney Alameda: Seventeen-year-old Micheline Helsing is a tetrachromat, able to see ghosts in color and capture them on film, but when a routine hunt goes awry, Micheline's infected with a curse known as a soulchain and if she's unable to exorcise the entity in seven days, she'll be destroyed, body and soul.



When My Heart Was Wicked by Tricia Stirling: After her father dies, leaving sixteen-year-old Lacy with her much-loved stepmother, Lacy's birth mother suddenly shows up wanting Lacy back--and she will stop at nothing, not even dark magic, to control her daughter and draw her into her own twisted life.









No Parking At The End Times by Bryan Bliss: Abigail's parents, believing the end of the world is near, sell their house, give the money to an end-of-times preacher, and drive from North Carolina to San Francisco where they remain homeless and destitute, as Abigail fights to keep her parents, her twin brother, and herself united against all odds.



The Sin-Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury: For four years sixteen-year-old Twylla has lived in the castle of Lormere, the goddess-embodied, whose touch can poison and kill, and hence the Queen's executioner--but when Prince Merek, her betrothed, who is immune to her touch returns to the kingdom she finds herself caught up in palace intrigues, unsure if she can trust him or the bodyguard who claims to love her.















A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas: One hundred years after falling asleep, Aurora wakes to the kiss of a handsome prince and a kingdom that has dreamed of her return, but her happily-ever-after seems unlikely as she faces grief over the loss of everything she knew and a cruel new king.



The Boy Next Door by Katie Van Ark: Neighbors and figure skating partners since preschool, Gabe and Maddy tell, in their separate voices, of changes on and off the ice when they are assigned a new, romantic program, raising Maddy's hopes of her love being returned and Gabe's fears that romance will break up their partnership.


            Related StoriesJanuary Debut YA NovelsOld Books, New Titles: Cynthia Voigt's (Tales of the) Kingdom SeriesThe Law of Loving Others by Kate Axelrod 

Old Books, New Titles: Cynthia Voigt's (Tales of the) Kingdom Series

One of my most favorite books from when I was a child is On Fortune's Wheel by Cynthia Voigt, the second book in a loosely-connected non-magical fantasy series called the Kingdom. The other books in the series are Jackaroo , Wings of a Falcon , and Elske . While they're all fantastic, On Fortune's Wheel occupies a special place in my heart - it was the first I read and it fundamentally changed my idea of what a book could be. It was set in a made-up land, but it didn't have any magic. It dealt with slavery in a way that seemed very frank to me at the time. I learned what an amanuensis was and how to pronounce it. It made me see personal identity in new ways (I read certain sections of the book centering around this idea so often I have them committed to memory). The protagonist had sex (the fade-to-black kind, but it was there). And it ended with the girl deciding what was best for her, what she really wanted, and then doing it. And she was happy. I was in middle school when I read it, and I think these books are just right for that age group.



Voigt has always garnered much (deserved) recognition for the Tillerman cycle (Homecoming won a National Book Honor, Dicey's Song the Newbery Medal, and A Solitary Blue a Newbery Honor), and those books tend to eclipse a lot of her other work. I always wished that her fantasy books were discussed a bit more, which is why I was so pleased to see that Atheneum is re-releasing the Kingdom books with a new look and new titles in May of this year.



With the re-release, the titles have been homogenized and simplified greatly. Jackaroo is now The Tale of Gwyn, On Fortune's Wheel is The Tale of Birle, Wings of a Falcon is The Tale of Oriel, and Elske is The Tale of Elske. The entire series has been renamed The Tales of the Kingdom to match. I'm of two minds about the title changes. On the one hand, I like that they match each other, that it's immediately apparent they belong in the same series. I also like the legend-like feel they give to the stories. This works especially well for Jackaroo, which is about a Robin Hood type of figure and the legends told about him. It also works well for the series as a whole: the books are loosely connected not by re-use of characters, but by stories - legends - passed down about these characters generations later.



On the other hand, the titles are a bit boring. Voigt's fantasy character names aren't terribly original (they're kind of cliche, actually, but I forgive her) and so I don't think they feature all that well in the titles. I think the original titles are more interesting and - with the exception of Elske - better reflect the meaning of the stories themselves.



I actually really loved some of the older covers for the books. At one point, they featured Vermeer paintings, which I found terribly romantic. Vermeer is one of my favorite painters and a big reason is because he is forever connected to these books in my mind. Here are three of the Vermeer covers (I don't think Wings of a Falcon ever had one):





The 2015 releases aren't the first time the covers have been redesigned. Simon Pulse published some paperbacks in 2003 that still look pretty modern to me, in that a lot of current fantasy novels feature an object central to the story on the cover. Again, Wings of a Falcon seems to have been left out.





I like the new designs, pictured at the top of this post, though I think they're pretty generic (much like the titles). They skew a little more middle-grade for me, probably because they're illustrated. On Edelweiss these books are listed as YA - grades 7 and up. When I read them, the books were located in the J section (though to be fair, YA sections weren't really around much then), and I'd say the writing is more of a middle school YA than a high school YA. The cover for the Tale of Elske is the most interesting by far. Frustratingly, Edelweiss doesn't have the cover for the Tale of Birle up yet. Don't they realize that's the one I'm most interested in?



Have you read these books? What's your take on the new titles and new designs?


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What I'm Reading Now

The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King

One of the singular pleasures of having a book-lover as a significant other is the fact that often, he will want to read to you. Our reading tastes don't overlap a whole lot, but this book seems to merge them pretty well. It's Stephen King (my boyfriend's favorite author) writing what appears to be a fairly traditional high fantasy story (my favorite thing). Every time I read something by King, I'm struck immediately by his talent with words. The man can write. And when he's not writing horror with a few hundred more pages than necessary, I can get behind his books quite well. He wrote this one in the 80s (that original cover is delightfully retro-80s-fantasy) and I've often heard it called an adult book with crossover YA appeal. I'm not very far into it yet, but I am enjoying it.



The other three books I'm currently working on are all part of what I'm calling "The Great Sequel Read of 2015."





Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers

This one came out just past the Cybils deadline, which means I put it off in favor of eligible Cybils books. And then I got into a romance kick and my eyes felt tired all the time and all I wanted to do was sit with my eyes closed and let someone else narrate a story for me (I've read more audiobooks this year than print books). But I am working my way through this one, and it is good. It features Annith, who fears she is being groomed to be the new seeress and thus will never get a chance to go on missions like her sisters. She decides she will not let that stand. I appreciate this book so far for showing us a new depth to Annith, which was missing a bit from the previous two books. LaFevers immediately brings the reader into her head and lets us see just how much is simmering below the surface.



The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski

This book is killing my heart and I'm barely 50 pages in. I don't feel like I can say anything more right now.



The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson

See above.


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Princess Decompsia and Count Spatula by Andi Watson + A Special Bonus Comic!

I never quite realized how much I enjoy a graphic novel where food plays a central part in the story.



Or maybe I did -- I love Sara Varon's Bake Sale and Lucy Knisley's Relish and I dug Bryan Lee O'Malley's Seconds -- and I never quite put all of the pieces together that stories revolving around food or cooking done in a visual format tick all of my boxes.



Although Andi Watson's latest Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula won't go down on my all-time favorites list, this is a weirdly charming and enjoyable read, perfect for middle grade readers through adults. "Weirdly charming" is a compliment, not a criticism.



Princess Decomposia is a busy and overworked princess of the underworld. She's constantly being called on to take care of tasks, as her father, the king, is weak and ill. He's not just weak and ill; he's also particular and picky. When he decides it's time to fire the chef, he puts it upon Princess Decomposia to hire a replacement. And, of course, this replacement has to be good. Or at least, the replacement has to be good enough to make Qwik Soup, which is the meals served to the king each day. He's a health nut, following the latest fads, but he doesn't seem to eat anything except that soup.



That is clue number one something is strange about this guy.



After a round of interviews and taste tests, Princess Decomposia hires Count Spatula to be the kingdom's chef. He's well versed in all manner of cooking, though he has a fondness and particular strength for baking sweets. That makes perfect sense for a vampire, of course. Where he hopes he showcase his talents, he's met with resistance from Clove, one of the assistants; she tells him regularly that he doesn't need to be doing more than making soup since the king doesn't want anything more than that. Count Spatula doesn't listen, though, and instead, he continues to tinker with ideas in the kitchen. He's even brought out his special baking talents at important dinners.



This isn't a story about his cooking, though. This is instead a story about the relationship that develops between Count Spatula and Princess Decomposia. She's extremely overworked and over-pressured, and as he watches her stress out and take on more than her fair share, Count Spatula begins to wonder why she's working so hard. What's in it for her? More, as he watches the closeness of Clove and her family -- depicted in extremely sweet images -- Count begins to pry into Princess Decomposia's life. Is she happy? Why does she feel like she has to take on all of this work, especially as her father isn't keeping a close eye on her? As the princess and count grow closer, she begins to see the value in taking time for herself and exploring the passions she has.



In fact, she may even try to do something on her very own for herself and no one else. Perhaps she'll even do a little delegation of responsibility.



It's not going to be that easy though, and that's because the king isn't as sick as he's making himself out to be. When he gets a whiff of what his daughter is talking about with Count Spatula and when he begins to suspect that things aren't being done according to his orders, suddenly, there's a very different king around. One who isn't sick. One who wants to bring his daughter back under his total and complete control.



Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula does contain romance, and it's done in a sweet way. I did stop and pause for a moment at the end of the book, wondering what the ages of these characters were, despite the fact they're not rendered as humans. Decomposia feels very young, while Count Spatula feels much older -- he is a chef, after all. But in the end, this budding romance didn't run into any ick factors at all and since this is a graphic novel perfectly appropriate for younger readers, it'll feel like a nice payoff, rather than a plot element shoe horned in to give the book more strength. There's enough relationship development as is, and the romance itself doesn't become apparent for a long time. Instead, it's a sweet connection that circles the themes of growing up and understanding what independence and choice really are. There's also a thought-provoking and rarely-explored look at the importance of not taking on too much work and using delegation skills to manage your time and energy. I can't name a graphic novel that's done that before nor done it in a way that doesn't feel over-the-top or overwhelming. It's not didactic at all. Parents don't always know best, and Watson scratches at that topic while offering a why -- however good it is -- behind the king's behavior and actions.



It's the descriptions and depictions of food in this graphic novel that were the most enjoyable for me. The sweets are rendered as things bigger than what they are -- the mud cake is depicted as a Mud Monster Cake, and Princess and her dinner guests have to "attack" it to enjoy. These creations are fun and silly, which enhances the story's charm. The storytelling outshines the illustrations for me in this book, except in the food department. That's where Watson's creativity shines, with the story and the illustrations marrying together nicely.



Pass along Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula to readers who like off-beat stories, brimming with fun, eccentric characters. This is a very British comic, so be prepared to encounter some less-familiar food and language choices. Readers who have been charmed by Sara Varon's work in the past will find this to be a good next read.





***









As part of the blog tour for Andi Watson's Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula, he created a series of brand-new, never-before-shared illustrations. We're really excited to share this one, which is perfectly representative of the strengths of this graphic novel. You can see exactly what I mean by the creative spin on dessert creation and how these foods come alive on the page and in the story. (I won't lie -- the hipster joke is my favorite part). 

Enjoy! Make sure you check out all of the stops for this tour to see even more of Watson's delicious comics. 










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This Week in Reading: Volume 12

It's been more than one or two weeks since I did a round-up of recently-received books and links I've been reading and thinking about around the web.







This is only part of what I could remember showing up since the last round-up, and I know I'm missing a few things. Links go to Goodreads.



I Love, I Hate, I Miss My Sister by Amelie Sarn: This had been on my radar but I kind of forgot about it. Someone on Goodreads recommended it to me based on my tastes, and I'm excited to read it. It's surprisingly short. 



From Where I Watch You by Shannon Grognan (August 4): Shannon and I are part of a critique group and I read this book as a manuscript in a few different forms. Now it's in ARC form and I can't wait to see where it is. It's a mystery and there's loads of baking involved (the sweets it'll make you crave!).



Whippoorwill by Joseph Monninger (November): A dog story for YA readers! 



Lying Out Loud by Kody Keplinger (April 28): This is a companion to The DUFF. 



NEED by Joelle Charbonneau (November 3)



Because You'll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas (June 2)



Kissing in America by Margo Rabb (May 26)



Sophomore Year is Greek to Me by Meredith Zeitlin (April 21)



by Andrea Seigel and Brent Bradshaw (March 10)



I Am Her Revenge by Meredith Moore (April 7)



The Tenderness of Thieves by Donna Frietas (May 26): I'm really excited about a new Donna Frietas book! 



Kalahari by Jessica Khoury (February 24)



Immaculate by Katelyn Detweiler (May 26) & The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes (June 9): Both of these I'd picked up at ALA just days before. Both of which I'm really excited to read.







In the last couple of weeks, I've been tearing through books. I've read This Side of Home by Renee Watson, Challenger Deep by Neal Schusterman, El Deafo by Cece Bell, Razorhurst by Justine Larbalestier, and Read Between the Lines by Jo Knowles, among others. All of these were good reads, so they're all worth putting on your radars. I'll be reviewing many -- but probably not all -- of them in the next few weeks. 







Links Around the Web:





Here's a preview of the fall 2015 children's titles coming out. This isn't comprehensive, but it's a nice look at what's coming in the second half of the year. 



Leila talked about book reviews and criticism in a really great blog post this week. I'm going to talk more about this in the future, but her thoughts are outstanding and thoughtful. Once you read that post, go read part one and part two of Malinda Lo's analysis of book reviews for diverse titles in professional trade journals. There is a lot of great food for thought among these three blog posts. A Black Lives Matter reading list. I love everything about this interview between Faythe and Morris Award Winner Isabel Quintero. My favorite thing Isabel says comes near the end of the interview, about how she and Gabi are similar and different: "I wish that I had been less afraid to question the expectations that had been placed on me. That I had been brave enough to question the double standards and act on them-to not be afraid of boys. I was totally boy crazy in high school. I had a crush on so many boys but as soon as one showed interest I’d be scared shitless. I couldn’t believe that a boy would like Isabel, the fat girl. Why would he? It wasn’t until college that I realized it was okay to think about sex (I was normal!) or to like so many boys or that I was pretty awesome and guys were interested-for reals. So, to me it made sense to have a character who embodied this idea earlier on."Amy Koester asks where are the feminist contemporary realistic middle grade novels? Speaking of Amy Koester and about the Youth Media Awards, Amy wrote an out-of-this-world post about the privilege that comes with being a selector of materials at a library. This should be a must-read for collection development librarians or those who have any stake in getting books into the hands of readers. My friend Abby served on this year's Newbery and talks about what the experience was like. 



At Latin@s in Kid Lit, a round-up of YA and Middle Grade novels coming out this year that are written by or feature latino/as. Edi Campbell put together a nice list of 2015 debut novels by authors of color. 



This was announced a while ago, but if you missed it, here are the Edgar Award Finalists, which includes a nice selection of YA titles. 



Though this isn't book or reading related, this essay spoke to me so powerfully that I can't not include it. Sarah Hollowell wrote about being fat and getting laid. It's outstanding. 






            Related StoriesThis Week in Reading, Volume 11This Week in Reading: Volume XThis Week in Reading: Volume IX 

This Week at Book Riot

Over at Book Riot this week...


I talked about 3 YA books featuring girls of color who are dancers. In the comments, a few more ideas that fit the theme, too. 


            Related StoriesThis Week at Book Riot