This Week in Reading: Volume IX
I'm heading to Toronto this coming week for the INSPIRE!: Toronto International Book Fair. I've got a post set up for later this week talking a bit more about the trip and what I'm looking forward to seeing. Before that, though, here's a look at this week in reading.
For review:
Love & Profanity edited by Nick Healy (March 1): Carrie Mesrobian gave this to me, and it's an anthology of real life stories from a wide variety of YA authors about being teenagers. It looks really great.
Gone Too Far by Natalie D. Richards (January 6): This mystery looks pretty good! A viral sex tape and a burn book? Sign me up. Breaking Sky by Cory McCarthy (March 3): They're selling this as a "debut thriller." It's not McCarthy's debut novel nor her first YA. But it's her first thriller. That "debut" word needs to stop.
Undertow by Michael Buckley (May 5)A List of Things That Didn't Kill Me by Jason Schmidt (January 6): "Debut memoir." This looks pretty interesting. I'm not sure about likening it to The Glass Castle, though.
Read this week/currently reading:
As Red As Blood by Salla Simukka: This YA novel in translation is quite similar in tone and execution as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which it was compared to. I mean this in a good way. I quite liked it, and more, I liked that it's part of a series, but the entire story was self-contained. There's a lot going on in the main character's backstory we don't get to know . . . but that leaves those sequels an opportunity to give us more about Lumikki. I will definitely pick up book two. I plan to write more about this book soon.
The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy by Kate Hattemer: I thought the voice was funny, but then I didn't find myself caring about any of the characters. I quit this one half-way through. It felt a little like the author's voice came through too much and that got in the way of some authenticity.
The Good Sister by Jamie Kain: I'm reading this one right now and am being optimistic that some of the things I don't like -- the magical dead sister who knows everything and the two other sisters who feel a little cardboard -- end up changing and surprising me. I'm enjoying the story itself. The writing is nice and tight, which I appreciate.
Around the web:
A great round-up of YA novels that have POC-centric romancesSarah Rees Brennan talks about the risk involved in writing girls' stories, and Malinda Lo notes that same risk exists in telling lesbian story lines. I love this short interview with Amy Poehler, where she's asked if she's a feminist and what she thinks about the feminist question more broadly. So good. Since I'll be traveling next weekend, I can't take part in the 24 in 48 Read-a-Thon, but you should. Leila at Bookshelves of Doom highlights 7 YA books featuring the suffragist movement.
I debated for a long time whether or not I'd do another contemporary YA week this year -- putting the series together takes a lot of work and energy, and I wasn't sure I had it in me -- but it will be happening. December 1-5, it'll be all contemporary YA here at Stacked, featuring 5 really exciting guest posts from voices who we've never had here before. In addition, there will be a big series of book lists, interesting discussions, and more.
Related StoriesThis Week in Reading: Volume VIIIThis Week in Reading: Volume VIIThis Week in Reading: Volume VI
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For review:
Love & Profanity edited by Nick Healy (March 1): Carrie Mesrobian gave this to me, and it's an anthology of real life stories from a wide variety of YA authors about being teenagers. It looks really great.
Gone Too Far by Natalie D. Richards (January 6): This mystery looks pretty good! A viral sex tape and a burn book? Sign me up. Breaking Sky by Cory McCarthy (March 3): They're selling this as a "debut thriller." It's not McCarthy's debut novel nor her first YA. But it's her first thriller. That "debut" word needs to stop.
Undertow by Michael Buckley (May 5)A List of Things That Didn't Kill Me by Jason Schmidt (January 6): "Debut memoir." This looks pretty interesting. I'm not sure about likening it to The Glass Castle, though.
Read this week/currently reading:
As Red As Blood by Salla Simukka: This YA novel in translation is quite similar in tone and execution as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which it was compared to. I mean this in a good way. I quite liked it, and more, I liked that it's part of a series, but the entire story was self-contained. There's a lot going on in the main character's backstory we don't get to know . . . but that leaves those sequels an opportunity to give us more about Lumikki. I will definitely pick up book two. I plan to write more about this book soon.
The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy by Kate Hattemer: I thought the voice was funny, but then I didn't find myself caring about any of the characters. I quit this one half-way through. It felt a little like the author's voice came through too much and that got in the way of some authenticity.
The Good Sister by Jamie Kain: I'm reading this one right now and am being optimistic that some of the things I don't like -- the magical dead sister who knows everything and the two other sisters who feel a little cardboard -- end up changing and surprising me. I'm enjoying the story itself. The writing is nice and tight, which I appreciate.
Around the web:
A great round-up of YA novels that have POC-centric romancesSarah Rees Brennan talks about the risk involved in writing girls' stories, and Malinda Lo notes that same risk exists in telling lesbian story lines. I love this short interview with Amy Poehler, where she's asked if she's a feminist and what she thinks about the feminist question more broadly. So good. Since I'll be traveling next weekend, I can't take part in the 24 in 48 Read-a-Thon, but you should. Leila at Bookshelves of Doom highlights 7 YA books featuring the suffragist movement.
I debated for a long time whether or not I'd do another contemporary YA week this year -- putting the series together takes a lot of work and energy, and I wasn't sure I had it in me -- but it will be happening. December 1-5, it'll be all contemporary YA here at Stacked, featuring 5 really exciting guest posts from voices who we've never had here before. In addition, there will be a big series of book lists, interesting discussions, and more.
Related StoriesThis Week in Reading: Volume VIIIThis Week in Reading: Volume VIIThis Week in Reading: Volume VI
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