Not Quite A Review: Murder is Bad Manners

This year, for me, reading- and other-wise, has not been great. Is it time for us to light 2016 on fire and wave goodbye just yet? No? Okay. A few more weeks.

Well. In the midst of this year where I read a whole ten books, oh my god, try to hold back your applause for that ASTOUNDING NUMBER (yeah, sorry, the sarcasm is heavy tonight) -- anyway. In the midst of this year, I did discover a little beauty. A gem in the middle of all this madness.

Murder is Bad Manners, the first in a middle grade cosy mystery series by Robin Stevens. On a whim I found and bought this and the second book in the series earlier this year. Now, as with so many wonderful books, these seem to be originally published overseas, which means I don't know if I can actually find the remaining however-many in the series here in the United States. (If anyone knows, LET ME KNOW, although I'm sure finding out online shouldn't be too goshdarn difficult.)

Anyway, back to the book. It's cute. It's charming. It's slightly-creepy. It's murderous. It's lovable. Set in a British boarding school, I wish I could leap RIGHT INTO this book. Yes, even with that nasty business about the murder happening. The second in the series (Poison is Not Polite) is sitting on my shelf right now, just waiting for the perfect moment to be read. I'm thinking later in the winter, during a snowstorm hopefully.

Giveaway: Walk Two Moons (US ONLY)

I don't know how it happened that I never read Walk Two Moons, by Sharon Creech, as a child. I read many of her other books but somehow completely bypassed the one that won the Newbery. However, I picked up a copy at ALA recently and sat down to read it, a little worried that, because it's not a book full of childhood nostalgia, I might not love it the way I love other Creech novels such as Bloomability or The Wanderer.

I shouldn't have worried. At all. Walk Two Moons completely, utterly blew me away. It's the kind of children's (MG?) book that everyone should read. Sharon Creech has a way of writing messy, realistic human beings with such love. She tackles profound truths about life and people, family and love, with such simplicity and leaves you feeling so very, very alive.

I finished this book at midnight, tears falling down my face, and so full of good feelings. Like love, understanding, forgiveness, and hope. I totally get it now. I totally get why this is the book that won the Newbery; it's beautiful and so hugely affecting in the best sort of way. Walk Two Moons is the type of book that reminds me things, even very difficult things, are possible. It's possible to go through hard things and come out okay. It's possible to make a mistake and not let it ruin you. It's possible to become a better person, the kind of person you really wish you were.

I know this is a lot for a story, but it's how it made me feel and it's such a huge reason that I love stories so much: they can affect you. They can change you. It's why I'm picky about what I read and crazy for the books I love; I want to be affected by stories, but I want to be affected in good ways and by good stories.

Today I found an older copy of Walk Two Moons at the used bookstore and I'd love to give it away here.

Giveaway Rules:

US Only

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Deadline July 13th, 2012

Review: Shug

SHUG
Jenny Han
Aladdin

Annemarie Wilcox, or "Shug" (as in Sugar) as her mom calls her, is twelve years old and in love with her oldest friend (Mark) the boy she's grown up riding bikes with and whose mother she often wishes were her own. But when junior high starts her new feelings toward Mark, as well as the new social structure that comes with her new school, makes things so much more complicated than they used to be. With her mom's drinking, her parents' fighting, nothing is as easy as it used to be.

It's been a while since I've read a really good middle grade novel and Shug reminded me of all the things I love about the genre. The book is not about just one thing. It's not Annemarie's crush on Mark or her struggle with the popular girls or her relationship with her mother or the faultlines that have begun to show in her family. This book is about all of that, along with Annemarie's insecurity -- the kind that often comes when you're on the brink of teenagedom and everything is changing. Set in a small, Southern town, the setting gives Annemarie's story a more old-fashioned feel, as if it could be taking place decades ago instead of in the 21st century. This, I liked. It may just be me, but middle grade is one genre where I love when it seems a bit older, a bit timeless. Most of my favorite MG books have been unmoored in this way.

Annemarie is an authentic pre-teen whose struggles with herself and those around her ring true. This book takes a simple approach to some serious subjects such as family dysfunction and alcoholism. There were some heartbreaking moments that, because of how they were written, felt neither heavy nor trite. They fit.

For many of the storylines in this book, there's no neatly wrapped-up ending. There's a sense of moving on, but nothing that you'd traditionally think of as closure, but that works here because the problems Annemarie is facing are life's problems and they aren't ones that are resolved yet. This is a book I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to young readers.

Review: Okay For Now

OKAY FOR NOW
Gary D. Schmidt
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Set in 1968, Okay for Now is the story of junior high student Doug Swieteck, whose move to a tiny town shakes up his world. With an abusive father and a brother who steals his most prized possession, Doug looks to spend his time outside of the home. This is how he ends up with a job as a delivery boy for the local deli and bird-drawing lessons inspired by the Audubon book he finds in the library. 

This book is brilliant and impossible to explain. The book covers a year in Doug's life and there's a lot that happens in Doug's life. Between storylines involving his brothers (one a supposed delinquent, the other a soldier), his abusive father, a growing romance with his boss' daughter, drawing lessons, school, and his adoration of baseball player Joe Pepitone there's a lot to focus on. In some books the plethora of plots could be distracting or confusing, but this book is written so well that everything works together. This is about a year in Doug's life -- an important year, but still a whole, complete year when lots of things happen for him. His search for missing pages of the Audubon book unifies the book as does the look forward to sending a man to the moon in 1969. While this book is set in history, I'm hesitant to really call it "historical fiction" because it's not about history, it's just set there. And set there beautifully. The old-fashioned setting works perfectly as Doug, in ways that would never happen in 2011, is able to really get to know his neighbors and become a part of their lives in a very organic way.

There's so much I loved about this book: the setting, Doug's relationship with his brothers and mother, as well as the growing romance with Lil Spicer. Though I wouldn't categorize this book as a romance, it's definitely a love story and this becomes more and more apparent as the book continues. I loved this, though I know that some readers may feel cheated by the events that happen near the end of Doug's story. 

Unfortunately, amidst the huge amount of storylines there are a few in Okay for Now that just didn't work for me. A plotline involving a Broadway play seemed to play a much bigger role than it should have; it felt unrealistic and a little tacked-on. Additionally the resolution between Doug and his father wasn't quite enough for me; if there's anything that really disappointed me with the book, it was this too-easy family resolution. That said, the book as a whole is one I most definitely recommend, especially if you're looking to travel back in time with a book or wanting a really sweet, simple (in the best possible way) love story.

Tuesday Ten: Books I Want to Reread

1. Before I Fall

Lauren Oliver

It hasn't been long since I read this the first time but it's the sort of book I wish I were always reading because it's just that good, that amazing, that breathtaking. I think it needs to be a yearly reread.

2. Imaginary Girls

Nova Ren Suma

Another amazing book and one that delves so deeply into sister relationships. Though Ruby had a creepy hold on her younger sister and there's a lot of fantastical-ness, there's also a lot of emotions and dynamics between the sisters that ring incredibly true.

3. I Now Pronounce You Someone Else

Erin McCahan

At this point Bronwen is like an old friend and I miss her. I want to jump into her story, her journey, all over again.

4. serafina67

Susie Day

Like with Before I Fall, this is a book I wish I could always be reading. It's one of the few books (maybe the ONLY book) that I will sometimes pull from the shelf just to open to a random page and start reading. It's my go-to book and I really wish I could read this for the first time again. I love it so much.

5. Mockingjay

Susanne Collins

I guess if you're going to read Mockingjay over, you should probably read the first two as well. But as much as I love the trilogy as a whole and the first two books in the series, this is the one that really really really captured me. It's just amazing, pretty much perfect as a story in its own right as well as the ending to the Hunger Games series.

6. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

E. Lockhart

I don't even have to explain this one, do I?

7. Bloomability

Sharon Creech

One of my favorite books ever, I always have the fear that reading this again won't be the same as it was when I was younger. Honestly I think that's a huge part of the reason that, while I've been wanting to read it for months, I haven't yet. Sad, right?

8. How I Live Now

Meg Rosoff

This book both fascinated and freaked me out. It's definitely one of my favorites and I want to reread it to see if I have the same sorts of reactions that I had the first time around.

9. The Great Good Thing

Roderick Townley

Everyone who hasn't read this incredible book, GO DO IT NOW. NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW!!!

10. Leverage

Joshua C. Cohen

This book is so disturbing. And while part of me (a large part) wants to read it over again, another part of me is afraid to. I had such a visceral reaction the first time around (curled up, wincing, reading through squinted eyes the way you'd watch a scary movie). But KURT BRODSKY IS AMAZING. And just for him alone, if nothing else, I want to reread it.

Review: Restoring Harmony

RESTORING HARMONY
Joelle Anthony
Putnam Juvenille

In the year 2041, the world's economy has collapsed and the United States, in part due to its reliance on oil for so long, has fared even worst than most. Sixteen year old Molly McClure lives in a farming community in British Columbia, but when her pregnant mother gets sick and needs a doctor, Molly has to travel to the United States in order to bring her grandfather -- a doctor -- to the farm to help. A bit of bad luck in the beginning of her journey quickly leaves her with almost no money and even less understanding of how things work in the crumbling city. Adding to this is the fact that her grandfather doesn't want to go to Canada and the resourceful Molly has a struggle on her hands.

Though set in a bleak world where organized crime has more power than the citizens or government, Restoring Harmony has a plucky, almost cheery feeling to it thanks in part to the Pollyanna-esque Molly who finds a way to solve most of her problems by playing the fiddle. She's a resourceful and determined girl, yet in spite of this it was difficult to connect with her. Like many of the other characters, she lacked spark. Much of the cast populating this book felt a bit flat, as if their personality was entirely determined by the role they played in Molly's journey.

The story itself has an old-timey feeling to it, which could be confusing but was also kind of charming as it's easy to imagine Molly's world as a sort of post-apocalyptic Little House on the Prairie. The economy is mostly reliant on bartering and the technology, a little more advanced than our current technology, took a backseat to Molly's farm-girl inginuity. The world Joelle Anthony has written is easy to imagine as the trajectory of our own world and while this should be chilling, there's a certain comfort in the story, brought on by the old-fashioned feeling as well as the fact that none of the trouble Molly finds herself in ends up being that big of a deal. At no point in the story did I have any doubts that Molly would succeed. The trouble she finds herself in, even with a few bad guys in a Mafia-like criminal organization, is often hardly a stumbling block. Part of this is that Molly's a smart girl, but mostly she ends up being lucky as there always seems to be someone nearby to save her or, as happens once or twice, she's easily let off the hook. This gave the realistic world a very unrealistic story and, in spite of how hard Molly worked, gave the impression of her as a very naive and lucky heroine.

The relationship between Molly and "Spill," the guy who repeatedly helped her and her family also gave a different vibe than I think it was supposed to. It's quite a while before we know how old Spill is (20) and though Molly is 16, both her naivety and personality (as well as the book's writing) made her seem a lot younger. If I hadn't known her age I would have thought she was somewhere between 12 and 14, which gave the relationship with Spill more of a little sister-big brother feeling than anything romantic. The very young feeling, as well as the adventure aspect, made the book feel more suited to MG than YA. Though the book wasn't one I strongly connected to myself, I'd recommend it to fans of adventuresome Middle Grade novels as well as those who want a quieter type of post-apocalyptic fiction.

Review: Chasing Redbird

CHASING REDBIRD
Sharon Creech
Macmillan Children's Books

As with Sarah Dessen's novels, I find it difficult to review a Sharon Creech book. There are some books I want to read, dissect, and puzzle out, and there are others I just want to enjoy. Creech's books fall under that second category; they're so wonderful and also so much a part of my childhood that reviewing them seems entirely foreign to me. That said, I think that reviews can help highlight books and even though this is an older book, I really want to talk about it and highlight it.

Zinnia is a thirteen-year-old girl in a family of seven children. Her cousin, who was the same age as her and who she thought of as a sister, died when they were only four years old and now her incredible Aunt Jessie has died, too. Zinny has always been closer to her aunt and uncle than her own parents and now she finds solace in the trail starting in her backyard. She makes it a personal mission to clear the trail by the end of the summer, a project that is complicated both by the length of the trail and the fact that her family doesn't think she'll be able to accomplish it. But for Zinny, this is more than just a project -- finding and clearing the trail feels essential for some reason and she is determined to succeed.

Creech has a knack for spirited, adventurous heroines, and Zinny is no exception. She takes on the project of clearing the trail wholeheartedly, hiking miles there and back in order to work on it. And while this part of the story is incredibly transportive and imaginative, the real heart lies in Zinny's complicated emotions regarding her self, her family, and the older boy who keeps giving her gifts. The portrayal of a large family and one child who feels left out is done so incredibly well, most notably in the moments where, noting Zinny standing up for what she wants more often, the people around her ask, "aren't you supposed to be the quiet one?" Zinny's journey from quiet, unassuming younger sister to confident and adventurous explorer is an unlikely and welcome story.

The farm Zinny lives on, along with her large family, makes for a quirky and almost timeless setting. Though this book was published in the 90s and there are references to computers in the novel, many of the references and language are a quite a bit older. Instead of being alienating, this gives the story a timeless sort of feeling that works so much better in middle grade than, I think, probably any other genre. In fact, this book is the best sort of middle grade novel -- a tale of growing up and discovering yourself, with a nice bit of adventure as well. Definitely recommended for middle grade readers of all ages.

Review: BFF Breakup

BFF BREAKUP
Taylor Morris
Aladdin

Brooke and Madeline have been best friends since the first day they met and they take their BFF status very seriously, sure that nothing will ever tear them apart. At least, until they start middle school and Madeline makes a few new friends -- girls that don't get along with Brooke. And when her new friend Susanna understands the drama in Madeline's family so much better than Brooke ever could, the BFFs find themselves in a fight that threatens to tear their best-friendship in two. This book is told through the POVs of both girls, making it easy to empathize with both of them and difficult to choose sides. Madeline is the more girly of the two and quickly makes popular friends in middle school while tomboy-ish Brooke finds these new friends insipid and annoying. Added to this is the fact that while Brooke has a Leave-It-to-Beaver-esque nuclear family, Madeline's parents fight constantly. While Brooke wants to help her best friend, especially when the fighting in Madeline's house reaches a head, she isn't quite sure how to -- and with Susanna around she really isn't given the chance.

While I was expecting the fight between Brooke and Madeline to be something concrete, over something specific, it's much more of a slow boil that starts at the end of the summer, when Madeline is grounded and can't spend as much time with Brooke. Things get worse after she meets Susanna and when it becomes clear that Brooke doesn't like the new friends, but it's hard to point to one clear incident as a reason for the rift that forms between the two. There are reasons (multiple), but they take place over such a long span of time and increasingly build on one another. Brooke is insulted when Madeline calls her out on being sarcastic while Madeline refuses to stick up for Brooke when Susanna makes fun of her. The fact that Susanna is better able to understand Madeline's home life only adds to her feeling that Brooke isn't the best friend anymore.

Despite a big focus on Madeline's parents, none of the characters aside from Brooke, Madeline, and a few school friends are very fleshed out. Their parents and siblings have a big effect on them, but reading this book I felt like I didn't know Madeline's parents well enough to really have an opinion or feel what she was going through and how their fighting hurt her. While I usually love a family focus in books, for this one it fell flat and when the book really came alive was during the conversations between Brooke and Madeline. The two (at least pre-fight) have the sort of relationship and language that only best friends have; one-word conversations, shared inside jokes and secrets. This makes it easy to root for them and to wish that they would just talk to each other throughout the better part of this book. Because, unfortunately, this was a story (and a fight) that could have been solved so easily with just a little communication on the part of the characters. It was easy to understand why they couldn't or wouldn't just talk to each other, but this didn't make it any less agonizing or annoying to read their many miscommunications. I liked these girls and wanted to see them work things out; honestly I wasn't prepared for the ending. This is to say that in this sweet, cute middle grade novel, I fully expected a happy ending and what I got was bittersweet, an ending almost as full of loss and regret as the rest of the novel. Or at least, that's how it felt to me.

On the whole, this was a cute novel that reminded me somewhat, at least in the basic premise and the way the story was told, of Rival. The minor characters weren't as strong as I wanted and the ending left me sad, but I have a sense that that's more my fault than the book's. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to junior high girls, especially since I feel like so many might be able to relate to the story.

Review: The Detention Club

THE DETENTION CLUB
David Yoo
Balzner + Bray

For Peter and his best friend, making the switch from elementary to middle school means going from popular to being seen as losers. When it becomes obvious that everyone else in the sixth grade has moved on from collecting mica and started going to parties on the weekends, Peter relies on his "out of the box" thinking to come up with scheme after scheme to become popular. Finally he lands on a "detention club," which involves framing influential students so that they can be in detention with him and become friends with him. The problem with this plot is that it takes such a long time to really come together*. Though the title of the book comes directly from Peter's detention plot, a good deal of the book follows Peter as he explores other ways to become popular as well as works on an idea for an invention for a competition. I'm definitely the type of reader who prefers plots to be focused, without a lot of wandering or subplots that often overpower the main plot, and in this regard The Detention Club disappointed me. The various subplots -- involving not only Peter's inventions but also a school thief, his overachieving sister, and his best friend -- often seemed to be fighting for my attention and a few of them seemed very underdeveloped until coming together in the book's conclusion.

Peter himself was a character I wasn't quite sure how to feel about. He was annoyingly arrogant and self-absorbed, but in a way that's completely realistic to the type of kid he was. Having easily sailed through his elementary years, Peter regards himself as much smarter than his fellow students and enters middle school thinking he doesn't need to study or try because things come so naturally to him. He finds out, of course, that middle school is not as easy as elementary school was, but it took quite a while to get there and in the meantime his superiority complex grated on me. While normally I'd dislike this type of character, Peter's age (he's in the sixth grade) gave it a different twist because I recognized bits of my former fellow classmates -- and maybe even myself -- in him and his predicament. It didn't make me enjoy his character exactly, but it did make for a better understanding of him. However, the extent that Peter's arrogance overshadowed his relationship with his best friend felt excessive, especially when it became clear that the best friend considered himself stupid next to Peter. In this area there was definitely relationship growth, but compounded with the other part of the novel that didn't work quite right together, it made for an iffy read. The book is definitely funny; many of Peter's conversations with his best friend seem to be an exchange of witty and weird thoughts. It made me laugh, but it also felt incredibly forced and took me out of the story.

All of that said, though I didn't love The Detention Club, it did have its moments. It's a funny book with offbeat characters, and while I admit I'm a sucker for family dynamics, the role Peter's sister played in the story was very interesting; I only wish it had been a larger part of the book.

*Like a few other middle grade novels I've read recently, this one took a while to really get going, so I'm wondering if this is less a flaw and more just a function of the genre. Maybe MG is a slower read than YA and because YA is what I primarily read I'm more sensitive to stories that take quite a while to get going. Thoughts?

Review - Mission Unpopular

MISSION UNPOPULAR
Anna Humphrey
Hyperion Books CH

Seventh grader Margot Button has enough problems fitting in as-is, what with her tarot-card-reading mother, the popular girl who hates her, and the fact that she looks different from the rest of her all-American family and most of her schoolmates. But when her best friend has to transfer to a different school (because her mother thinks Margot is a bad influence), life gets even harder. Things start to look up when the new girl at school, a super-confident girl from New York City, takes Margot under her wing.

This is a difficult book for me to review. Clocking in at 400 pages it's much longer than any other MG I've read and for a good portion of the novel the story seems to move incredibly slowly. At first, thanks to the length and pacing, I wasn't sure I'd even finish the book. And then, as I got nearer the end, I wasn't sure I'd review it. Generally, I'm able to go into a book without bias, but it wasn't the case with Mission Unpopular. Margot's relationship with her new friend, the seemingly carefree and sophisticated Em, reminded me so much of a friendship I used to have (unfortunately I was much older than Margot) and this made it difficult to sympathize with Em's character. It also made me sad that Margot continually made excuses for her. I say this not to whine about my own issues, but just so you know that there's a bit of bias in this review that I wish weren't there.

This book reminded me in so many was of the incredible nonfiction book Odd Girl Out as it was essentially all about junior high female friendships and changing peer groups. Margot, whose wish to be a part of the popular crowd has led her to make some at-best questionable decisions (like stealing a ham, for instance), is devastated when her best friend Erika has to switch schools. She's not sure how she's going to handle mean/popular girl Sarah J. without her best friend at her side. The mortification Margot feels over everything from her hair to her clothes was palpable and brought me right back to my own junior high days and how confidence-crushing the smallest thing can be. When full-of-confidence Em comes along, boasting good clothes and the fact that she's from New York, Margot latches on to her -- especially after she sees her standing up to Sarah J., something Margot herself is to terrified to do.

While it made sense why Margot wanted so badly to become friends with Em, it was almost painful to read as Em continually lied to the people around her, including Margot, and used made a lot of excuses for the ways she treated others. There's a definite atmosphere of mean girls here, between Margot and Em vs. the more popular girls, especially Sarah J., who Em vows to make cry. This is definitely a very true-to-life book, which is why I think Margot's transformation from unpopular-but-sweet into Em's right-hand girl was a little unsettling. There are a few events toward the end of the book -- one in particular -- that I almost couldn't believe I was reading. While these events made sense in the scope of the story, I had a hard time making them fit with Margot's character.

Subplots in this book include Margot's relationship with her mother, who remarried years earlier and now has toddler triplets that Margot often has to babysit. As you might expect, I absolutely loved this family aspect of the book. Margot's complicated feelings toward her sisters and stepdad were right on target and there was the added element of her dealing with looking different from the rest of her family since she's half-Indian on her dad's side. I think that this part of the book was balanced really well with the real heft of the plot: Margot's friendship problems.

Mission Unpopular is definitely a well-written and true-to-life novel, but the length and pacing (especially in the beginning) made it difficult to keep my interest. There are a few extremely attention-getting things that happen in this book, but many of them are in the last fourth of the novel. If I were younger (the books target demographic), I don't think I would have kept reading long enough for it to get interesting. As it is I almost didn't finish the book.

Review - The Time-Traveling Fashionista

THE TIME-TRAVELING FASHIONIST
Bianca Turetsky
Poppy

To the chagrin of her mom and best friend, 12 year old Louise would rather wear "old" vintage clothes than shop at the mall. When she attends a vintage clothing sale hosted by two eccentric women, she finds a beautiful dress that she thinks will be perfect for an upcoming school dance. She tries it on, against the advice of the sellers, and is instantly transported to the early 20th century. In the body of a famous actress and on board a dazzling cruise ship, Louise is determined to enjoy being someone else for a while until she finds out that the ship she's on board is the Titanic and she has to find a way to get back to her real life before the shipwreck.

Louise is a likable main character and her story is an enjoyable one. The history theme is interesting, especially as Louise's interest in the history of the Titanic grows, though I'm not sure how accurate many of the scenes set aboard the ship are in terms of societal norms and dialogue. Louise's growing relationships on board the ship, especially with her maid, are interesting and fun to read about but because Louise is from 2011 and the other characters are stuck permanently in 1912, there is a necessary distance between them that will probably keep readers from getting too emotionally invested in anyone other than Louise. One of the most fun parts of the book was seeing Louise's thoughts while on board the Titanic -- she was humorous and somewhat believable in her reactions to finding herself trapped in the past.

Fashion and the history of fashion really is a huge part of this book and while I'm overwhelmingly fashion illiterate (that's a thing, right?), the story is great for girls who love vintage clothing and are interested in its history. There are quotes from iconic designers, descriptions of clothing that goes deeper than merely stating the brand, and pictures that in the final edition will be full color.

Though from everything I've read this book is being marketed as YA, the writing style and the 12 year old protagonist both seem a bit young and personally I think the book will appeal much more to pre-teens and younger teen girls than it will older teens.

*Recieved ARC at ALA.

Contemporary Trends of the Spring

One of the really cool things about being at ALA's Midwinter Meeting was seeing all the upcoming books for spring and summer. In seeing all the books I noticed some definite trends in contemporary YA, some that I'm really jazzed about.

Sports Fiction!

There are a few books coming out that focus on very sports-driven characters who end up getting injured or "losing" the sport in another way. I'm definitely not an athlete and there are very few sports I even slightly follow, but I definitely have a fascination with football (high school football? even better.) and am interested in the whole allure of sports. These books look absolutely great, even for a non-jock like myself.

Foreign Fiction.

I saw tons of MG and YA books themed around immigrants and heritage. I haven't read much of this sub-genre so there are definitely a few books here I'm excited to read and interested to see what I think of them. I'm so glad to see this theme emerging because it's just so different and there are so many different directions for it to go.

Friendship & Betrayal Stories.

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG.

So many stories about friendships that don't seem right!! It's sad how excited I am about this but I can't help it. I've talked about friendship and especially toxic/unhealthy friendships before on this blog and I definitely have a very personal and intense interest in this. I love that YA is getting away from the theme of "perfect" best friends but at the same time this is a very tricky theme to tackle and it can seem really unrealistic or cliche if not done right. 

What trends have you seen emerging lately? Which are you most excited about?

FIVE: Great Rereads of 2010

1. Gone With the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell - I read this for the first time in eighth grade and for years after I would read it every. single. year. And then I racked up library fines and didn't own a copy and somehow or other three or four years went by without me getting to read it again. This year though, my mom made good on her promise to buy me a copy and I read it again. It's my favorite novel and every time I read it I notice something different, something more, which makes it one of the most dynamic reading experiences I've ever had.

2. serafina67, by Susie Day - I love this book so much. It's the You've Got Mail of books, meaning that I'll read it (or even just some of it) when I'm not feeling well and don't have anything else to read or I just want a comfortable, familiar, friendly book to read. The protagonist reminds me a lot of myself (almost too much) and how the book is written is pretty much how things go on in my mind: ie. completely crazy. 

3. Twenty Boy Summer, by Sarah Ockler - So beautiful, so heartbreaking, so amazing. I had to read it again.

4. The Truth About Forever, by Sarah Dessen - This is not only the first YA book I read, but also the one that made me realize this is the genre I want to write in. Dessen is a master of PUTTING WORDS TOGETHER IN NICE WAYS and this is her best work in my opinion. The story, characters, and language is so great.

5. Criss Cross, by Lynne Rae Perkins - I hadn't read this one in quite a while, but decided to read it again this year after making my list of favorite Newbery winners. It's a strange, slow-moving story, but absolutely wonderfully written and beautiful. It tells the story of that awkward place between childhood and adolescence better than any other book I've read and (at least for me) this awkwardness carries on way past the particular age. 

Now, five books I want to reread this coming year, though I don't know if I actually will or not:

Paper Towns, by John Green

Sweethearts, by Sara Zarr

The First Part Last, by Angela Johnson

Wintergirls, by Laurie Halse Anderson

Snap, by Alison McGhee

Fantastic Underrated Reads

Last week I asked what books you think haven't gotten the attention they deserve here on the blogosphere (and also from other reviewers and readers). A few of you answered and mentioned:

straight-to-paperback books in general, Dani Noir (by Nova Ren Suma), which I reviewed here, A Little Wanting Song (by Cath Crowley), Restoring Harmony (by Joelle Anthony), Harmonic Feedback (by Tara Kelly), and Jaclyn Moriarty's novels. It's easy, especially as someone who reads a lot of book, publishing, and author blogs, to become really interested in the books that already have a lot of interest. Matched. Bright Young Things. Anna and the French Kiss. Bestsellers and sure-to-be-bestsellers.

But what about the other books I've discovered and loved that aren't getting that attention? That maybe people would read, if only they heard about them or knew some about them? I love those books.

So today here are a handful of books I've read this year that are so much better than the attention they didn't get. Seriously. AMAZING.

The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, and June, by Robin Benway

Benway's debut novel, Audrey, Wait! got tons of attention when it came out. People loved it. Her second book, however, seemed to fly in a little under the radar, which is a shame because it's just so good. For me this story of sisters with superpowers (I KNOW!) was even better than her previous novel. It was adorable and funny, told in rotating POVs from each of the three sisters, and instantly became the sort of book I just wanted to gush over like crazy. I definitely recommend it.






I Now Pronounce You Someone Else, by Erin McCahan

This debut novel, which I saw very few reviews or posts about, is brilliant. I loved it. It's a love story in which a girl gets engaged while still in high school, sure, but it's not just about that. There's just as much here about family ties, who we want to be vs. who we are, and the missteps we all make. Once again: it's brilliant. Sweet and smart and heart-touching and I hope you all read it.








The Lonely Hearts Club, by Elizabeth Eulberg

This debut was actually published in 2009, but it took a while for me to read it. Still, I'm so glad I did because this book? Is. So. Awesome. Full of Beatles-references, positive-but-not-unrealistic depictions of friendship, and a feisty kick-butt heroine it's impossible not to root for. It's cute and memorable and deserves to be read. And then read again, just for the fun of it.








My Fake Boyfriend is Better Than Yours, by Kristina Springer

Okay, sure, it looks like a cute and fluffy tween read. And to a certain degree it is. But Springer's Middle Grade debut is so much more than that. It's about what happens when a best-friendship changes and the lengths we'll go through to "keep up" with friends who seem to be racing ahead of us. Unlike so many other YA/MG books, there's a very realistic and awesome relationship between the protagonist and her parents, who though being divorced are both involved in her life. In nearly every way this is not only an adorable read, but also a truly great one.






Have you read any of these books? What are your under-rated books that you'd like to recommend?

My Favorite Newberries

Last night I dreamt I got in a fight with someone because they called Children's/YA books "trite." What they actually said was, "touche," but you know how sometimes in dreams things mean something else and you know it even though it doesn't make any sense? It was like that.

Anyway, in honor of "touche" children's literature, a list of my five favorite Newbery Winners.

1. Bridge to Terabithia 

Katherine Paterson

I swear, this book ends up on every "favorites" or "top 10" list I make that it's eligible for. I love it so much. If you haven't read it yet, buy yourself a box of tissues and sit down and read it. Because it's amazing. And the movie is pretty good too, actually.

2. Criss Cross

Lynne Rae Perkins

One of the more recent winners (2006), this book seriously deserved it. Perkins is a master of words and this book, like her earlier All Alone in the Universe completely resonated with me. It's a very character-driven story that sometimes seems to be lacking in plot, but all the different threads of this book come together so perfectly. It's incredible.

3. The View from Saturday

E. L. Konigsburg

Please don't ambush me for thinking this is better than the formidable The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Because it really is the best.

4. The Higher Power of Lucky

Susan Patron

There's just something wonderful about this book. Probably, um, the whole entire thing, actually.

5. Ginger Pye

Eleanor Estes

This book is definitely the oldest on my list -- it won in 1952 -- and I haven't read it in ages, but I remember absolutely loving it.

What are your favorite Newberries?

Review: Every Soul A Star

EVERY SOUL A STAR
Wendy Mass

This book has one of the most unique premises I've come across lately. The story follows three young teens during their stay at a stargazing camp called Moon Shadow as eclipse-chasers from around the world prepare for a total eclipse of the sun. The book is told in first person, from three different characters: Ally, whose family has run the campground for longer than she can remember; Bree, a wannabe model who's mortified to learn that her family will be taking over care of the camp after the eclipse; and Jack, a loner on the trip with a tour group headed by his science teacher. The story follows these three teens from a little over a week before the eclipse right up to the big event. Bree's trying to come to grips with being exiled out in the middle of nowhere for the next three years while Ally has to deal with leaving the place she loves for the dullness of civilization, where she'll have to navigate the complexities of public school and peers.

This book had tons of potential but, unfortunately, failed to live up to it. While the premise is amazing, the plot meanders along at a snail's pace; it takes until nearly a third of the way through before the story really begins, and even then it goes incredibly slow as I kept waiting for something to happen. There was a lot of science here, which would have been really interesting and good if it had been better integrated instead of ending up as long-winded, academia-heavy speeches from the more knowledgeable characters. As it was it felt far too easy to get lost - or bored - during the explanations of eclipses, space junk, and dark matter. I found myself wishing that this book were told from just one character's POV as all three narratives had very similar voices, enough that I often forgot whose chapter I was reading and had to double check. The characters themselves  are sometimes complex and well-developed (Jack and Ryan, who was one of the most interesting characters) and sometimes flat and stereotypical (Bree and Ally).

Jack, the loner of the group, is the only one of the three main characters with any real dimension to him - he's interested in science fiction but failed his actual science class, he has no friends back home but quickly finds his place among the eclipse-chasers, and though he can sometimes be boring, he's a very kindhearted character. Ally, the "astrodork," has grown up completely isolated from anything resembling civilization - no internet, no television, no texting, no music - and this makes her interesting, but dull as I sometimes found myself wondering how she could be that out of the loop. Bree on the other hand, is beautiful, popular, and completely vapid. She wants to be a model, has a grading system for other people's appearances, and starts the book one hundred percent annoying though she definitely grows as a person through the course of her narrative. The relationships here are fairly predictable - sweet, but predictable as middle-school-style romances form, new friendships are born, and everyone learns to get along with people who are nothing like them. It's good, but it mostly feels boring, which is the biggest problem with this book.

I continued reading this book in the hopes that it would pick up, that something would happen, that there would be a big payoff at the end and, unfortunately, there wasn't. It was a decent book with an interesting subject, but the plot was too slow and the writing was too dull to really hold my attention.

Top 10: Books That Made Me Cry

I really wanted to put this list in order like I did with these lists, but it's proving too difficult so instead I'm listing them by genre. 

1. Gone With the Wind

Margaret Mitchell

There are plenty of times in the course of this book that I have cried (or nearly cried), but **spoiler alert** Melanie's death definitely takes the cake. The first time I read it I experienced a brief, all-encompassing hatred for a book and author that would do that to such an incredible character. It's a testament to the writing here that I always feel like the characters on the pages are real people.

2. Little Women

Louisa May Alcott

The best way I can describe how I felt reading a certain part of this book is to simply tell you that it belongs in the freezer. Hopefully you all get the reference.

3. For One More Day

Mitch Albom

This book, about a man who tries to kill himself and instead finds himself face-to-face with his mother (who died years earlier) is heartbreaking. Truly Mitch Albom's entire goal in life is to make people CRY LIKE BABIES, and out of all of his books this is the one that's made me cry the most, especially when I got to the end and found out who the story was being told to. 

4. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

John Boyne

The ending. Oh, the ending! 

5. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Ann Brashares

Every book in this series has its heartbreaking moments, but I think the first book takes the cake. To be honest, I didn't cry the first time I read this. I sniffled a little maybe, but the true impact of this book and of Bailey's death didn't come until the second time I read it, maybe because by then I'd read all of the other books also. In any case, the character of Bailey and her story throughout this first book is incredible and heartbreaking and so many tears my goodness I am incapable of doing anything but crying.

6. Splendor

Anna Godberson

This book is in a different category than the others on this list. While most books that make me cry are beautiful and have incredible stories that stay with me and characters that grow and make me proud to know them and authors I admire, this one... isn't that. Despite my everlasting love for the Luxe series and its characters, the ending here threw me for a loop and when I cried it was because I was completely heartbroken and angry at the way the author left things with her characters. I finished this book and then proceeded to, in a rare moment of anger, throw it across my room and sob for, like, ever. So much unhappiness here.

7. Twenty Boy Summer

Sarah Ockler

In this story of grief, it was the fact that Matt died of a heart condition that got me. Unlike other deaths, in other books, this one seemed incredibly personal.

8. Stop  Pretending

Sonya Sones

This book about a family dealing with mental illness is... well, it's amazing is what it is. There were so many little moments here that were tear-inducing, not to mention the subject matter itself.

9. Bridge to Terabithia

Katherine Paterson

I know I've talked about this book before in other Top 10 lists, but it really is one of the most amazing, sad, and beautiful novels I've read. For such a slim book, it really packs a punch.

10. Kira-Kira

Cynthia Kadohata

Something about this book - maybe the sisters' relationship - made it incredibly sad for me, possibly even sadder than it was "supposed" to be. When I finished reading it I just remember thinking this book is amazing, now where are the Kleenex? I have to stop crying. This is actually one of the few books that I absolutely love but have only read once because I'm a little afraid of how sad it would make me to reread it.

Tween Tuesday: My Fake Boyfriend is Better Than Yours

MY FAKE BOYFRIEND IS BETTER THAN YOURS
Kristina Springer

This book is friggin' cute. When Tori's (newly rich) best friend, Sienna, comes back from her fabulous summer vacation with highlights, low lights, french-tipped nails, and a too-good-to-be-true long-distance boyfriend named Antonio, Tori misses the old Sea. The girl who was seriously shy and unabashedly dorky. Tori knows the boyfriend is a lie and, unsure of how to deal with her "new" old friend, she makes up a fake boyfriend of her own. Sebastian Colander, who's everything Antonio is and even more. As awesome as this premise is, the book is even awesomer. More awesome. Whatever. Tori, Sienna, and their new, popular friends are fully-fleshed out characters. For once the popular girls aren't mean or snobby -- just well-liked. And though Sienna's transformation is sudden and extensive, she doesn't turn into a snotty brat who forgets all about her best friend just because her family has some money now. Tori's (divorced) parents are also well-developed and the adorable relationship she shares with her father is definitely one of the best I've seen in a YA or MG book. He's actively involved in her life despite her not living with him. I get so used to (and sometimes bothered by) YA books where the protagonist is like so totally annoyed and embarrassed by her parents that it was refreshing to read a book where that wasn't the case. Tori's younger than the average YA protagonist and this is a middle grade novel, but even so, not all teenagers hate their parents.

The setting here, aside from one memorable scene, is fairly forgettable and non-important. And as much as I would have loved an incredibly vivid setting, it really didn't impact the book very much. More important is the plot, which turns in unexpected and wonderful ways as Tori's "boyfriend" becomes more and more impressive and Tori herself becomes more and more confused and lost next to her dazzling and transformed best friend. There's a great subplot here with two of the popular girls who suddenly befriend Tori and this is honestly one of the best parts of the book -- watching Tori's friendships apart from Sienna. My only real complaint here is that I wished the ending had a bit more to it and that everything wasn't tied up so neatly because I was left feeling like there should have been more.

All in all though, this is a great YA/MG book. (I believe they're "officially" calling it YA, but it's much more in the MG age range to me, so that's what I'm going with.) It's awesome and adorable without being cliche, fun and quirky without falling into predictable territory. A fast, fun, all-out awesome read.

In My Mailbox: Fake Boyfriends, Road Trips, and Sisters

I'm finally finally finally participating in IMM. This might become a weekly thing or I might decide I don't like it but WE'LL SEE. I do love talking about the books I have to look forward to though.

Bought: I found both of these at the cute little Friends-of-the-Library used bookstore I go to. They're both mainstream (ie. "adult") novels and I actually went in looking for something - anything - by Jennifer Weiner, but since I couldn't find anything I grabbed these. The first I bought because I've read another of Nick Hornby's books and absolutely loved it, and the second because I have a soft spot for stories about sisters. I'm in the middle of reading it though, and it's not quite what I was expecting/hoping for.

Bookswap/Bookmooch: Geek Charming is something I've been eyeing with interest for a while and I'm a big Daniel Ehrenhaft fan. What I really want to read is his new one, Friend is Not A Verb, but this one also looks super-good. (Uhm, they all look super-good and if you haven't read Tell It to Naomi then you really should.)

   

Won: From Free Book Friday Teens, this looks like an incredibly awesome and cute middle grade. Plus, LOOKIT THAT COVER, YOU GUYS!!