Reading Challenges and Non-Challenges

Lately I've seen a bunch of great-sounding reading challenges crop up in the book blogging community. The Historical Fiction Challenge and Debut Authors Challenge are two that have caught my eye as sounding really great. But I didn't join either, though I definitely thought about it, and the reason for that is tied up in my opinions/feelings on reading challenges.

For me, reading challenges are kind of like NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) -- a great, fabulous, wonderful idea that I absolutely love but that doesn't work for me personally. Years ago when I first started book blogging (a blog that is now dead dead dead), I joined one or two challenges. I made a list of the books I was going to read and then... only read about half of them.

Not because I didn't want to, but because it just didn't happen. I ended up interested in books, authors, or genres that I hadn't expected when I joined the challenges. What I wanted to read changed and I found myself less interested in some of the books that were a part of the challenge.

The best part of reading is finding something you love.

The worst part of reading is being forced into it. Now, I realize that a reading challenge isn't exactly the required reading list for a lit class, but sometimes it has that same feel: I have to read something. I have to read a certain amount of something. 

I wish they worked for me, but they just don't. Instead, my reading goals are non-challenges. Vague reading hopes for the future.

I want to read and review debut authors. I absolutely love debut novels and a big part of this is the fact that I know every debut I read is going to be completely different. Every new author brings a fresh perspective and a different style of writing to the table. I love finding new books and authors.

I want to read more dystopian. I wasn't a super-huge dystopian fan, but over this past year I have found a few books that have made me fall in love with the genre. Candor. The Hunger Games. Fahrenheit 451, which I reread this year. I have Matched on my shelf right now and have a few more dystopian series I'd love to get my hands on. I'd also like to discover some new ones that I maybe haven't heard of or been interested in yet.

I want to find some YA (or MG) science fiction. Yes, please. I've been fangirl-style excited about Beth Revis' debut novel Across the Universe ever since I heard about it. I'm a sci-fi fan when it comes to movies and television, but I'm a tad bit (read: extremely) picky about the genre and have had a hard time finding sci-fi books that I'm really interested in and love. I'm hoping that changes soon because I have a serious fascination and love for the genre, even if I am picky about it.

I want to read more internet-style books. Especially ones that are text- or Twitter-based.

If you have any suggestions of books that fit into any of my non-challenge categories, let me know. Also: what's your opinion on reading challenges?

Writing: Super-Snazzy New Idea

(via we(heart)it.)

From the results of my oh-so-scientific poll over there on the side, it looks like most of you would be cool with a few writing-related posts here on Ten Cent Notes. So I'm making Mondays my talk-about-writing day, though I might not post on it every week as I really don't want this to turn into a writing blog.

The idea came out of nothing. That's how it happens; I'll be driving (as i was with this one) or eating or talking to someone and then --  boom! Idea. Right there. I keep a list of the ideas in a sticky note on my computer and they range from a thought-out premise to just a few words that shouldn't make any sense at all. Usually I can put the idea up for later. I made it a habit to finish the drafts I start a long time ago, so there's not a lot of leeway to hop around from project to project. Plus, it might sound crazy, but it actually takes a really long time for an idea to sit in my brain long enough to actually be ready to write. Sometimes this is only a week or so and sometimes - usually - it's much longer. Months. Years. 

So I made a little note to myself about this idea and went tralalala over to work on my current WIP (work-in-progress), Apollo.

Except that this idea will not go away. The main character refuses to shut up, the first line is just sitting there and it is so good. I can't stop thinking about it. I've gone looking for visual inspiration on we heart it, I've heard songs playing and thought that completely fits this story! Except, it's not a story. It's only an idea and the logical, rational side of my brain knows this. It is a premise, a first line, an imaginary protagonist that I want to be best friends with. (And yes, I fully realize that all protags are imaginary. But I mean even more imaginary. Like, she doesn't even have a name yet.)

I want to work on Apollo, I really do. But this idea has just swooped in like SUPERMAN TO THE RESCUE!! and will not leave me be. I don't know how to get rid of it. I like it so much I'm starting to hate it for distracting me. And I can't get rid of it which means I don't know what to do. I have to finish this draft of Apollo before I work on anything else. So I'm thinking of making the new idea (which really needs a working title) my new side project. Although making it a side project means that it won't be given the forethought and (most likely) editing that my main projects get. So I have a DECISION TO MAKE.

Anyway. If anyone knows a good way to kill an idea or at better yet, cryogenically freeze it for the future, let me know. Also, fellow writers -- what do you do when hit with a shockingly good idea that just won't leave? Do you abandon your current project? Save it? Write both at the same time? Go insane?

In My Mailbox: Blog Tours

BOOKS.

From Publishers: Both of these books are for tours; I've never participated in a blog tour before, but now I have two scheduled in the next month, which I'm kind of excited about. I absolutely loved Anna Godberson's Luxe series so I'm really happy to get a chance to review the first book in her new series - Bright Young Things.

Bought: AHHHHH!! So so so excited about this one!!! Those extra exclamation points are NEEDED, guys. I've been wanting to read Matched like crazy for so long, practically before I even heard about it honestly. IT'S SO PRETTY! SHINY! I'm in love with the cover and really excited about reading it. (First though, I'm going to have to calm down.)

Also: I'm looking to find some more great YA book blogs to follow, so I'd love it if you guys could recommend some of your favorites to me and leave the links in the comments.

Best YA Couple of 2010

Alexa, over at Not Enough Bookshelves, is doing a countdown of the best couples in YA for 2010 and I thought I'd share my favorites. For her, it's a countdown to Christmas and for me it's just one Best-of-the-Year/End-of-the-Year post.

I thought I'd have a bunch of couples to choose from, but looking at my Goodreads shelves and the reviews I've written... there really aren't many romance stories on there. Sure, I read a few, but the ones I really loved weren't focused on romance and the most realistic, incredible characters had dynamic stories that don't fall under the category of romance. For the most part the best couples weren't even couples. Or they were, but not until the very end. Or they weren't, but I thought maybe sometime in the future they would be. Yes, I know this is fiction.

So with all of that said, the best YA couple of 2010? (Warning: spoilers for a certain book/series after the jump.)

I'm Asking YOU.

For starters: there is this snazzy little poll in the sidebar of my blog that I'd love for you guys to answer. I have a lot of writing-related thoughts bubbling up in my brain and I'm anxious to know if you guys want those THOUGHTS IN BLOG FORMAT FOR YOUR READING INFOTAINMENT.

Second: Beth Revis is having an amazingly epic contest of epic to celebrate her debut novel, Across the Universe.

Now, today I just have a quick question for you guys: what book(s) do you think haven't gotten the attention they deserve from readers/bloggers/reviewers/etc.? Oftentimes I feel like there's a sort of hive mindset to the blogging community and, for one reason or another, EVERYONE will be talking about the same book at the same time, heaping praise upon it and recommending it oh-so-highly while other deserving books sort of get forgotten. What do you guys think about this? (I would do a better/longer post on it and maybe soon I will, but right now I'd just like your reactions.)

Analysis of Some Girls Are

A semester or so ago, for a Child Development class I was taking, I had to write an analysis of a book that dealt with an issue we'd covered in class. I chose the issue of bullying and analyzed Courtney Summers' second novel, Some Girls Are, tying the bullying in the book into our class curriculum and my goals as a future teacher. I'm reposting my analysis here in honor of Courtney Summers' third novel (Fall For Anything) which is incredibly amazing and comes out December 21st -- be on the lookout for my review of that. 
This post includes spoilers for Some Girls Are.

I AM A BOOK MONSTER WHO WANTS BOOKS. NOM NOM NOM.

 I don't generally make lists of the books I want, because more often than not I never read most of them. BUT TODAY I AM MAKING AN EXCEPTION. Because guess what? There are some books I really really really really want and must find! Must not not read!

YA.

A Good Boy is Hard to Find, by Suzanne Young

(the third in her Naughty List series)

...because I love this series so so much.

It's Not Summer Without You, by Jenny Han

(the second book in her Summer series)

...gahhhhhh want.

Change of Heart, by Shari Maurer

...thank you to Jamie for recommending this one to  me. It sounds perfect.

Anna and the French Kiss, by Stephanie Perkins

...I've heard nothing but great things.

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares, by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

...WINTER!!!

How to Say Goodbye in Robot, by Natalie Standiford

...yeah, I know, it's been out forever. Still want.

Don't Judge A Girl by Her Cover and Only the Good Spy Young, by Ally Carter

(3 & 4 in her Gallagher Girls series)

...to feed my love for espionage!

MEMOIR.

Rae, by Chelsea Rae Swiggett

...which I really should have read by now.

Just Don't Fall, by Josh Sundquist

...which sounds funny and sad and so great.

Sleepwalk With Me, by Mike Birbiglia

...who is only the funniest funny guy of ever.