Erin Jade Lange Guest Post for BUTTER Blog Tour

Erin Jade Lange's debut novel, BUTTER, was released last month from Bloomsbury. Here's what it's about:

A lonely obese boy everyone calls "Butter" is about to make history. He is going to eat himself to death--live on the Internet--and everyone is invited to watch.

When he first makes the announcement online to his classmates, Butter expects pity, insults, and possibly sheer indifference. What he gets are morbid cheerleaders rallying around his deadly plan. Yet as their dark encouragement grows, it begins to feel a lot like popularity. And that feels good. But what happens when Butter reaches his suicide deadline? Can he live with the fallout if he doesn't go through with his plans?

With a deft hand, E.J. Lange allows readers to identify with both the bullies and the bullied in this all-consuming look at one teen's battle with himself.

And here's Erin with a guest post as part of the BUTTER blog tour!

BUTTER's Scottsdale setting is vibrantly alive with "Arizonian" elements of high school girls with fake tans and fake blond hair, bright 7am sunshine waking Butter up, and mountains on which Butter can get lost playing his saxophone to the coyotes. It's hard to imagine BUTTER set anywhere else. What is your own relationship with Arizona's culture? What do you like and/or dislike about it?

I first fell in love with the desert as a kid, on a road trip out west. My introduction to this half of the country was Monument Valley. It was so bare and vast and nothing like the crowded landscape of trees and hills that I’d grown up with. I was fascinated by it, and to this day, I think it’s one of those most striking places I’ve ever been.

But I knew I couldn’t live in that kind of landscape all day every day. I needed a little more variety… which is why Arizona is so great. I am a desert dweller, but I can be snowboarding in the mountains in 2 hours, swimming at the beach in 6 hours, floating down a river in 30 minutes and shopping in an entirely different country in less than 4 hours. Also, other than a few brutal months in the summer, I can’t complain about the weather!

Aside from the scenery, I often have a love-hate relationship with Arizona.

tourwestamerica.com

It’s good to live in an area where so many people are active and healthy, but I feel there is less empathy here when it comes to weight. I grew up in the Midwest, where we hibernate in the winter, hunkering down with rich warm comfort foods and generally spending a little less time in bathing suits and a lot less time looking in the mirror. It’s one thing to take care of yourself, but I sometimes feel parts of the southwest, Arizona included, put a little too much emphasis on physical image. That’s part of why I set BUTTER in Scottsdale, AZ – to position this character who is struggling with obesity against that backdrop.

Unrelated to the book, one problem I have with living in Arizona is the negative national attention we sometimes get. It’s disappointing to see our state so often the butt of a late-night comedian’s joke or in the news for all the wrong reasons. But as a journalist, it certainly makes Arizona an interesting place to work!

Like anywhere else, Arizona has its pros and cons, but one absolutely WONDERFUL thing about living here is being able to sit OUTSIDE and write almost year-round.

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Thanks, Erin! Check out BUTTER, now available in stores and online. And visit Erin's author website and Twitter for more information.

The Traitor in the Tunnel Blog Tour!

If you haven't read Y. S. Lee's The Agency series yet--well, I don't know what to say to you, except that you are missing out on one of the greatest mystery series set in Victorian England that's available today for YA (you can read my reviews of Book One, A Spy in the House, and Book Two, The Body at the Tower). To celebrate the upcoming release of The Traitor in the Tunnel, the third book in the series, Ying, who has a PhD in Victorian literature and culture, is here to talk to my blog readers about a Victorian obsession. Welcome, Ying, to Steph Su Reads!

Victorian Obsession: Purity (of Food)

Hello! The blog tour makes two stops today, so I wrote a double-header of an essay. The Victorian Obsession of the day is Purity, and I’ll be talking here about Pure Food and over at The Bookmonsters about Pure Women.

What’s the most disgusting thing you’ve ever eaten? Liver? Slimy, overcooked pasta? Great Aunt Gwendolen’s jello-cabbage salad? I’m here to report that all these things are utterly delicious compared to what poor Victorians ate on a daily basis. In the nineteenth century, milk was frequently diluted with (dirty) water. Bakers mixed wheat flour with cheaper alum powder to bulk out their bread. Meat was often diseased or rancid by the time it reached markets where poor people could afford the prices. Even luxury goods sold on the open market were “adulterated” (the Victorian term). Tea leaves were often mixed with bits of other leaves and twigs, and recycled several times. Candies were brightly coloured with poisonous, lead-based dyes. Is it any wonder that people were suspicious of what they ate?

Makers and sellers of these foods got away with food adulteration, in part because there were very few regulations about what food was: when it was fit to sell, what a recipe – bread, for example - could include, and what additives – like food colouring – were legal. Instead, it was the buyer’s responsibility to recognize what she was getting and not let herself be cheated.

That’s why the purity of food was such a hot topic in the nineteenth century. People now debate the politics of local vs. organic food. But can you imagine the anxiety of trying to figure out whether the jug of milk you just bought is a) fresh, b) from a healthy (undiseased) cow, and c) actually milk?

It’s easy to shudder. But although we now have laws governing food production, there are still tainted-food tragedies. We’re mostly disconnected from where our food grows and how it gets to our plates. And the least nutritious food is still bought by our poorest citizens. Maybe we’re closer to the Victorians than we think.

P. S. The most appalling thing I’ve ever eaten was a banana-flavoured jelly candy. (I like bananas, but can’t stand banana-flavoured things.) What’s the most repulsive thing you’ve ever eaten?

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The most appalling thing I've ever eaten was probably durian. Which I know some people love, but I simply could not force myself to eat very much of the vomit-flavored, custard-textured fruit. Victorian food purity sounds similar to some of what is going on here in China versus food quality control (i.e. it is practically nonexistent). Which is why you get things such as rubber eggs, transparent strawberries, flies vacuum-sealed in with dried meat, and condoms in yogurt. Yum!

The Traitor in the Tunnel is out in hardcover from Candlewick Press today!

Book summary (no spoilers!):

Get steeped in suspense, romance, and high Victorian intrigue as Mary goes undercover at Buckingham Palace - and learns a startling secret at the Tower of London.

Queen Victoria has a little problem: there's a petty thief at work in Buckingham Palace. Charged with discretion, the Agency puts quickwitted Mary Quinn on the case, where she must pose as a domestic while fending off the attentions of a feckless Prince of Wales. But when the prince witnesses the murder of one of his friends in an opium den, the potential for scandal looms large. And Mary faces an even more unsettling possibility: the accused killer, a Chinese sailor imprisoned in the Tower of London, shares a name with her long-lost father.

Meanwhile, engineer James Easton, Mary's onetime paramour, is at work shoring up the sewers beneath the palace, where an unexpected tunnel seems to be very much in use. Can Mary and James trust each other (and put their simmering feelings aside) long enough to solve the mystery and protect the Royal Family? Hoist on your waders for Mary's most personal case yet, where the stakes couldn't be higher - and she has everything to lose. [summary from Goodreads]

About the author:

Y. S. Lee was born in Singapore but brought up in Canada. She also lived briefly in the United Kingdom. An academic with a PhD in Victorian literature and culture, she wrote MASCULINITY AND THE ENGLISH WORKING CLASS IN VICTORIAN AUTOBIOGRAPHY AND FICTION. She lives in Ontario, Canada. Visit her at her author's website www.yslee.com.

The Traitor in the Tunnel blog tour schedule:

Monday, Feb 27 -- Phrenology @ I Swim for Oceans
Tuesday, Feb 28 -- Purity (2 parts) @ Steph Su Reads and The Bookmonsters
Wednesday, Feb 29 -- Death @ The Story Siren
Thursday, Mar 1 -- Technology @ The Booksmugglers
Friday, Mar 2 -- Opium @ Reading in Color

Author Guest Post: Charlie Higson!

Today, author Charlie Higson, author of the zombie horror YA novel The Enemy and its sequel, The Dead, is here to discuss the intriguing dilemma of fictional characters' understanding (or lack thereof) of their classical literary roots.

One of the biggest new drama hits of last year on UK TV was a modern reworking of Sherlock Holmes, starring Benedict Cumerbatch as Holmes and the soon-to-be-Bilbo-Baggins, Martin Freeman as Dr Watson. It was a lot of fun, very stylish, and managed to reinvent a lot of the stuff from the original books in a satisfyingly modern way – right down to Watson being a retired army medic freshly returned from Afghanistan. This was Sherlock Holmes with mobile phones, the internet and nicotine patches instead of a pipe (a really sticky case would be a ‘3 patch’ problem).

I always have a slight problem with projects like this, however. There’s an irritating little voice nagging away at the back of my mind. It goes something like this… How come nobody in the show says to Sherlock ‘Hey, you’re called Sherlock Holmes, just like the guy in the books, and you’ve got a friend called Doctor Watson! What are the chances of that?’ Sherlock Holmes, in any modern adaptation, has to live in a parallel universe where Conan Doyle never wrote the original books. It’s one of the suspensions of disbelief we are always faced with when engaging with fiction. It’s the same with soaps – why do none of the characters do what everybody else in the country does – i.e. watch soaps?

Benedict Cumberbatch as
Sherlock Holmes (digitalspy.com).

I just finished Jeffery Deever’s new James Bond novel – about a contemporary Bond starting his career in MI6. And I did sometimes wonder how come James Bond is the only person in the world who’s never heard of James Bond, or seen any of the old movies. Funnily enough, in the obituary of James Bond printed in Ian Fleming’s You Only Live Twice (supposedly written by M after he believes Bond to have been killed on a mission) Fleming attempts to integrate the ‘real’ world with the fictional world of the books. He claims rather clumsily that the books were fictionalized adventures from the life of the real James Bond, written by a friend. It’s fun, but doesn’t really work, and shows up the impossibility of fact and fiction existing side by side.

You are faced with the same problems if you put classical allusions in a story, or have echoes of classics from the past. No one, for instance, says in West Side Story (or indeed in any of the other countless retellings of Romeo and Juliet) “Hang on a minute, this is exactly like Romeo and Juliet. We’d better stop all this nonsense before someone gets hurt.” And I must confess I have never read James Joyce’s Ulysses, but perhaps one of you literary types reading this can confirm, it never strikes Leopold Bloom that in some weird way he is acting out the story of the Odyssey on the streets of Dublin.

I’ve always loved the Greek myths. I devoured them as a kid, studied them at school, and still go back to them for inspiration. They contain the templates for just about every modern story you can tell (I’m talking exclusively about western culture here, of course). Anything that involves a bunch of characters setting out on a quest has to be influenced by Jason and the Argonauts or the Odyssey. Any war story about a large bunch of heroes has to be influenced by the Iliad. Homer covered just about every variety of hero you can imagine, and set the mould. Be it pure, honest but doomed Hector, devious womanizing Paris, strong but stupid Ajax, vain but (nearly) invincible Achilles, wily Odysseus, Menelaus, fighting to get his kidnapped woman back…They are all there. I’ve put a few references in my Enemy series to the Trojan wars. I have also borrowed Homer’s tactic of using epithets - Quick shorthand descriptions of the characters so that you can keep track of who they are (red-haired Odysseus for example).

Don’t worry, you don’t have to have studied the classic to get any of this. It doesn’t take a modern day Sherlock Holmes to spot that one character – a vain but nearly invincible warrior – is conveniently called Achilleus, and reasonably bright kids should spot a clever red-haired character called Ollie. The problem is that I can’t pretend that the Greek myths don’t exist, and that some of the characters in the books might well be familiar with them. It’s the elephant in the living room. I’ll just have to front it out. I’m not going to go so far as having Achilleus killed by an arrow to the heel - I don’t think I can even risk giving him a sprained ankle - but there will be elements of his story that mirror the legendary Achilles.

I’m not too bothered how many of my readers spot the classical references. Some kids have noticed them and enjoyed them. I’ve mainly used them to make my life easier. The best writers steal ideas – but they only steal them from the greats. And, for me, Homer was the greatest.

Author Guest Post: Eden Unger Bowditch!

Eden Unger Bowditch is the author of The Atomic Weight of Secrets or the Arrival of the Men in Black, recently published by Bancroft Press. Eden has been a major label alternative rock band singer in the nineties, an editor and nonfiction writer in the early 2000s, and now a children's book author living in Cairo, Egypt. Welcome, Eden, to Steph Su Reads!

The World on a Page

Reading is one of the greatest pleasures in life. You get to run a visual scenario that weaves its way through the words on the page. For me, that’s pure magic, and it’s something you cannot get from a screen that offers you only someone else’s vision.

We’ve always had a rule in our house that the book must be read before the film can been seen. I find it disappointing much of the time when the film takes away my own imagination, which is linked to a story I’ve read. Lots of people feel the opposite—that seeing it on film somehow makes it more real. For me, unless the film is unbelievably fantastic, it steals from me. It takes away the magic I’ve created in my own brain.

In a weird way, the whole idea of what magic was a big inspiration for creating The Young Inventors Guild. At a time when every story had a magic wand or wizard holding one as its core element—not that I don’t love wizards and magic wands—I discovered a kind of disappointment. The magic we were all embracing must forever live in our imaginations, out of reach, out of reality. But magic is real! Look around at this amazing world with giant trees growing from tiny seeds and inventions that can make us fly or spin or float or stand on the moon. Magic is something within reach. And suddenly, like out of a weird haze, the children of The Young Inventors Guild began to appear . . . and then the whole story with it.

I am a total sucker for research. I love spending hours at the library, going through old dusty tomes and finding bits and pieces of history that become pieces of a puzzle I want to build. I love finding strange mysteries from the past that can lay the stage for stories. Writing fiction breaks the confines and limitations of reality, but historical fiction gives you a path along which you should be faithful. How you get there and what it means is all of your own invention. If I’m going to write about games played in 1903, it doesn’t matter if the characters are created on my page—the games need to be true to the age. When I am reading a story and the author clearly couldn’t be bothered to get the facts right, I feel cheated. It takes me out of that world and drops me back into this one, and it’s really hard to find the way back again. I feel like every tidbit I find in the past needs to be given a clean bill of truth before I offer it to readers. As a writer, I cannot imagine anything worse than walking through your world with your readers, and then looking over and realizing that you’ve lost them.

Getting to live in different cultures makes the world closer. I can bring aspects of those cultures into my writing, but I never do so lightly. It’s every writer’s responsibility, whether journalist, novelist, poet, or reviewer, to offer readers a chance to step into a fully formed world. That world might be war-torn Libya or a beach in Tahiti, a land of enchantment or a planet in a distant galaxy. You must have a clear understanding of that world, whether you’ve created it or simply learned to understand the world around you, because what you offer on the page will reflect the integrity you possess as a writer.

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Beautifull said, Eden! I absolutely agree that writing is magic and that it is the writer's responsibility to create that magic. Thank you for stopping by today!

Synopsis of The Atomic Weight of Secrets:

In 1903, five truly brilliant young inventors, the children of the world's most important scientists, went about their lives and their work as they always had.

But all that changed the day the men in black arrived.

They arrived to take twelve-year-old Jasper Modest and his six-year-old sister, Lucy he with his remarkable creations and she with her perfect memory from their London, England home to a place across the ocean they'd never seen before.

They arrived to take nine-year-old Wallace Banneker, last in a long line of Africa-descended scientists, from his chemistry, his father, and his New York home to a life he d never imagined.

Twelve-year-old Noah Canto-Sagas, already missing his world-famous and beloved mother, was taken from Toronto, Canada, carrying only his clothes, his violin, and his remarkable mind.

And thirteen-year-old Faye Vigyanveta, the genius daughter of India's wealthiest and most accomplished scientists, was removed by force from her life of luxury.

From all across the world, they've been taken to mysterious Sole Manner Farm, and a beautiful but isolated schoolhouse in Dayton, Ohio, without a word from their parents as to why. Not even the wonderful schoolteacher they find there, Miss Brett, can explain it. She can give them love and care, but she can't give them answers.

Things only get stranger from there. What is the book with no pages Jasper and Lucy find in their mother's underwear drawer, and why do the men in black want it so badly? How is it all the children have been taught the same bizarre poem and yet no other rhymes or stories their entire lives? And why haven't their parents tried to contact them?

Whatever the reasons, to brash, impetuous Faye, the situation is clear: They and their parents have been kidnapped by these terrible men in black, and the only way they're going to escape and rescue their parents is by completing the invention they didn't even know they were all working on an invention that will change the world forever.

But what if the men in black aren't trying to harm the children? What if they're trying to protect them?

And if they're trying to protect them, from what?

An amazing story about the wonders of science and the still greater wonders of friendship, The Atomic Weight of Secrets or The Mysterious Men in Black, the first book of the Young Inventors Guild trilogy, is a truly original novel. Young readers will forever treasure Eden Unger Bowditch's funny, inventive, poignant, and wonderfully fun fiction debut.

Guest Review: Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher

Today I have a guest review from Alexis Bonari, a blogger at College Scholarships, who will be reviewing Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher. Welcome, Alexis, to Steph Su Reads!

Summary

High school senior Logan, who lives in small-town Missouri, is on the rebound from some unsatisfying relationships and has sworn off dating until college. But since rules are made to be broken, especially personal ones, Logan finds himself irresistibly attracted to new girl Sage. There are a few strange things to deal with, such as Sage’s strictly limited dating and homeschool education, but Logan becomes more determined to explore his feelings for her.

After Logan and Sage’s first kiss, Sage tells Logan that she was born a male and is in the midst of becoming a female. Logan reacts with anger, disgust, doubts about his own sexuality, and remorse, but eventually recognizes that his attraction to Sage transcends sexuality. Sage and Logan make their way through personal tragedy, lack of acceptance in the community, soul-searching inquiry into their own feelings, and unrelenting awareness of their unconventional relationship.

Review

This book was the winner of the 2011 Stonewall Children’s and Young Adult Literature Award for good reason – several of them, actually. I expected it to be a preachy, didactic book trying to educate young people about transgender issues. While it does convey an accurate picture of the “taboo” topic, it is accessible and tastefully humorous while causing readers to reexamine their own positions on transgender issues. It is told from the perspective of Logan, who is straight. The book is relatable to a wide spectrum of readers, and the descriptions of Logan’s ubiquitous emotional reactions make this book hit home in both literary and personal ways.

I was surprised by how “clean” the book was even as it explored transsexual issues in depth and detail. With primarily emotional and logical appeals, Almost Perfect strikes a workable balance between familiar feelings and unfamiliar situations for young readers. The only drawback to this book is that, at times, the overarching desire to educate readers about transsexuality becomes transparent enough to detect. Fortunately, by the time the story starts to lose its subtlety, most readers will be fully engaged and willing to continue reading this excellent book. Almost Perfect should be an integral part of any young adult’s library.

Bio: Alexis Bonari is currently a resident blogger at College Scholarships, where recently she’s been researching golf scholarships as well as government scholarships. Whenever she gets some free time, she enjoys watching a funny movie or curling up with a good book.

In Which I Guest Post About YA and Feminism

In light of my end-of-college workload, I haven't been able to write discussion posts lately, which is a shame, because I keep on finding things I want to write about, but then not having time to write about them. And then I end up having nightmares about someone else beating me to writing about something (this is true! It happened last night! I woke up in a sweat!).

...In the meantime, however, you should check out the guest post I wrote titled "What YA Taught Me About Feminism and Femininity" on Kody Keplinger's blog. It should be intriguing and hopefully gets you talking.

Review + Guest Post: Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler

Today I am participating on a blog tour for Jackie Morse Kessler's latest book, Rage, the second book in her Horsemen of the Apocalypse series.

Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Book 2
(Book 1: Hunger review here)

The books are part of a series but need not be read in order. My review contains no spoilers for Hunger or Rage.

Tags: YA, magical realism, bullying, self-injury

Summary

Melissa “Missy” Miller feels like her life is spinning completely out of control as her boyfriend dumps her, then humiliates her in front of their entire class by showing the world her scars. To deal with the pain, she cuts more and more, until she cuts too deep and is offered an ultimatum by the Pale Rider, Death: die forever, or accept her new role as the new War, the Red Rider of the Apocalypse.

Missy’s new “job” puts her in contact with not only external battles but internal ones as well. For War is very persuasive and is always trying to convince Missy to let go and unleash her fury on all those who have hurt her and deserve to be hurt in return. To tame War and herself, Missy must come to terms with what is out of her control…and what is.

Review

I was really impressed with Hunger, the first book in this new series that combines mythological influences with serious modern issues. However, I have to be honest and say that the second book, RAGE, didn’t work for me quite as much.

I cannot say anything bad about this series’ intentions. These issues—anorexia and self-injury, body image and bullying—should be taken with the utmost seriousness, and yet Kessler uses such a wonderfully unique way to talk about these issues, which might have been beaten to death in more academic or psychological fields. The idea of these new Riders having to overcome their own issue in order to fully embrace their role and help out others is wonderful. Throw in some persnickety steeds and a wry-voiced Death, and you’ve got an utterly cool blend of the magical and the all-too-real.

RAGE didn’t quite fulfill its mission for me, though. For some reason, I found it really hard to connect with Missy. Not that her situation does not provoke sympathy, for it does, oh it does. But she was so defined by her pain, by her humiliation, that she felt less like a real person and more like a literal “poster girl” one holds up to a crowd of bored “at risk” high school students and says regarding her, “YOU SEE WHAT CAN HAPPEN? YOU DON’T WANT THINGS TO TURN OUT LIKE THIS.” Not a very effective teaching strategy by any means.

RAGE felt, to me, like it was concentrating much more on the message it was trying to send and less on developing unique characters or a compelling plot. Supporting characters were flat and not very convincing: for example, I knew I was supposed to feel angry at Missy’s bullying classmates’ words and actions, but at the same time I felt it was more for show—kind of a “this is what bullies are supposed to do and sound like” act. The message got in the way of the story, I guess.

If you read and enjoyed Hunger, I encourage you to give RAGE a try. Perhaps it’s been a while since I’ve read Hunger; perhaps you will find less issue with RAGE than I did.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt - Graphia / April 4, 2011 / Paperback / 228pp. / $8.99

Sent for review by Blue Slip Media.

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Jackie's author guest post:

Stories and Actions

Stories can be powerful. And at their best, stories can help change the world.

If there's a unifying theme in the Riders of the Apocalypse books, it's how we choose to destroy ourselves -- and how we choose to save ourselves as well. That's where charities come in.

When I was writing HUNGER, my goal was to get people to start thinking about eating disorders. I used to be bulimic, and I still have self-image issues, so this was a very personal issue for me. By the time I was done writing the book, I decided that I would donate a portion of proceeds to the National Eating Disorders Association, a terrific organization that provides support for those affected by eating disorders. (For more about what NEDA does, check out the organization's website.)

Then I started working on RAGE, which looks at self-injury. This was a completely new topic for me; while I've experienced emotional overload, I haven't self-injured (well, other than the bulimia, but that was about food and control, whereas self-injury is more about emotional control). After doing a lot of research, I started writing the book -- and I thought about donating some of the proceeds to a different charity. The problem was, I had no idea which charity to consider.

outsidervocals.com

And then, serendipity: my critique partner mentioned the organization To Write Love On Her Arms. So I checked out the website and I was amazed by what I saw. TWLOHA helps provide support for people who are wrestling with self-injury, addiction, depression, and suicidal thoughts. And that's when I decided that part of RAGE proceeds would go to TWLOHA.

If you've bought HUNGER or RAGE, thank you so much for helping to make a difference. Because it's not just stories that can help change the world; actions do too.

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Thank you for the guest post, Jackie! TWLOHA is an organization that has personal meaning for me and some of my friends. If you haven't heard of them and what they do, I encourage you to check them out. It might bring tears to your eyes.

And if you're still with me...

Riders of the Apocalypse giveaway!

Three lucky winners will receive one copy each of HUNGER and RAGE along with postcards and a mini-poster! To enter, send an e-mail to RageGiveaway@gmail.com. In the body of the e-mail, include your name and e-mail address (if you're under 13, submit a parent's name and e-mail address). One entry per person and prizes will only be shipped to US or Canadian addresses. Entries must be received by midnight (PDT) on 4/30/11. Winners will be selected in a random drawing on 5/1/11 and notified via email.

Jackie's next stop is Mundie Moms at http://mundiemoms.blogspot.com/.

Author Guest Post: Sherry Shahan

Today I have on my blog Sherry Shahan, who is guest posting about her new book, Purple Daze, and celebrating the power of poetry, as April is National Poetry Month. Welcome, Sherry, to Steph Su Reads!

It’s 1965: Do You Know Where Your Country Is? 

“Talk About a Revolution” The Beatles 

While cleaning out my office one day, I found an old shoe box filled with letters. Most of them were written by a friend who was in Vietnam during the late 1960s. I’d kept his letters nearly 50 years, carting them with me every time I moved.

I spent hours rereading Bill’s (Phil in the novel) gut-wrenching account of his daily hell. I began to reminisce about my wild high school days.

Don't tell my two daughters, but like the character Cheryl, I used to sneak out in the middle of the night to meet friends. There’s a poem early on where the characters drive to downtown Los Angeles during the Watts Riots. They’re searching for a break in the National Guard barrier, hoping to experience things firsthand. In another poem, the characters head to Skid Row at 3 a.m. That’s the kind of crazy stuff we did!

“A Change is Gonna Come” Sam Cooke

People often ask my why I decided to tell this story in verse. I wanted to be inside the heads of each character to explore their innermost thoughts and feelings -- I used journal entries, letters, free verse and traditional poetry. To me, verse mirrors the pulse of adolescent life. Teens are emotional and self-absorbed. Condensed metaphoric language on a single page reflects their dramatic, tightly-
packed world.

Here’s a piece from the viewpoint of Ziggy. She’s one of the most troubled characters.

Fat tits + quick wit
does not = stupidity
if that’s what you think.

I think this three line poem sums up her emotional state better than if I’d written a full paragraph in margin-to-margin prose.

The following two-line poem is written from the point of view of Phil. At this point in the story, he’s been in Vietnam nearly a year:

Pages of the new testament fill my pillow,
gospels on a recon in search of a soul.

“California Dreamin’” Mamas & Papas

Once I began writing, memories assaulted me twenty-four-seven. It wasn't until a later draft that I began adding descriptive accounts of historical events, such as the Students for a Democratic Society’s (SDS) first antiwar demonstration and the FBI’s all-out war to discredit Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. These entries are juxtaposed against narrative pieces about sixties rock music.

This entry was added during a late draft:

Norman Morrison
(December 29, 1933 -- November 2, 1965)

A devout Quaker and father of three young children pours kerosene over his head and sets himself on fire outside Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara’s office at the Pentagon in an act of self-sacrifice to protest United States involvement in the Vietnam War.

I’m still so very sad when I think about Norman Morrison -- that he chose to give up his life, thus abandoning his children to protest the war. The raw facts say so much about the state of our country at the time. I didn’t have to do any more than set them down on paper. Simplicity can sometimes say volumes.

Writing in this form made me aware of ‘white space’ and its importance in theme and subtext. That’s something I never thought about before. Most of my poems in Purple Daze have more white space than text. Negative space plays an important role in other art forms as well. Isn’t that what makes an object in a picture more prominent? The more negative space, the more the object stands out. A ballerina’s breathing is her white space. It’s the same way with poetry.

Sherry Shahan is the author of more than 30 books, including adventure novels “Frozen Stiff” and “Death Mountain.” When not snorkeling with penguins in the Galápagos, or riding horseback with
zebras in Africa, she can be found studying ballet at a local dance studio.

Purple Daze (Running Press Teens) is her first verse novel. Set in 1965, Purple Daze is a story about a volatile cultural revolution -- war, riots, feminism, racism, rock ‘n’ roll, love and friendship -- as experienced by six high school students. The themes are as relevant today as they were 50 years ago.

Visit www.SherryShahan.com.

Advance praise for Purple Daze:

"Shahan's Purple Daze puts us on the front lines of funky times, from Los Angeles to Da-Nang. A far out, implosive, psychedelic trip that ends in indictment. This is spectacular." -- Rita Williams-Garcia, author of One Crazy Summer, National Book Award Finalist, Newbery Honor, Scott O'Dell Historical Award, Coretta Scott King Author

"A raw and stunning portrait of the 60’s. For those who lived them, Purple Daze will bring your past to life. For those who didn't, this story will make you feel as though you did." -- Catherine Ryan Hyde, author of 14 novels, including Pay It Forward

Guest Book List #7: Forever Young Adult on Gateway Books

This year's last guest blogger book list comes from the stupendously fabulous and indispensable group of ladies who blog at Forever Young Adult. Read it, please, and weep at their genius.

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At Forever Young Adult, our top priority is the zealous preaching and dissemination of the gospel of young adult literature, also known as YAngelism. As preachers of the Word, our most powerful weapons are YA books that appeal to adults, thereby luring them deeper and deeper into the teen genre. Before they know it, these unsuspecting "grown-ups" are hooked for life, and that's why we call these novels Gateway Books.

BEST GATEWAY BOOKS OF 2010

(in no particular order)

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
This is a book you don't have to feel embarrassed to read on the subway. Its cover is gorgeous, its weight is heavy enough to scream "THIS IS LITERATURE" to any snobs sitting beside you, and if I see anyone reading it, I'll automatically approach them and we'll drink champagne as we discuss Sam and Kent and death and redemption. And don't you want free champagne? Of course you do.

Prisoner in the Palace by Michaela MacColl
Do you love intrigue?! Scandal?! Corset suspense? (i.e. romantical suspense, and the pins and needles of waiting to find out WHAT the eff is going to happen!!! Even though it's not an action book.) Then this is the historical account of a young Queen Victoria for you! And come on, who doesn't love Queen Victoria?

Monsters of Men (Chaos Walking, Book 3) by Patrick Ness
In terms of gateway books, this is the one that will get you the MOST effed up. Seriously, kids, this ain't yr momma's Mary Jane. The last installment in the Chaos Walking trilogy concludes the gut-wrenching story of Todd and Viola as they struggle against an impending Spackle war and the machinations of the deliciously evil Mayor. This novel is perfect for adults who think YA is simply "kid stuff" because HOW ABOUT SOME DEATH AND TERRORISM, HUH? Ness is one sadistic mothercusser, and even adults might not be able to handle the intensity, pain and serious awesomeness he inflicts.

Rosebush by Michele Jaffe
A hot mystery, this suspenseful latecomer to 2010 will hook readers faster than black tar heroin. Jane's enough of a teenager to bring out those warm fuzzy nostalgic feelings, but sophisticated enough to keep you from shouting, "Don't roll yr eyes at me, young lady!"

Flyaway by Lucy Christopher
This story of family, illness, coming of age, and swans- yes, swans!- will have children and adults alike sobbing into their whiskey. (just kidding. Don't drink, kids. Go mix mommy a martini..) It's a tale that harkens to the likes of Anne of Green Gables, surpassing its genre to become an instaclassic!

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan
Do you enjoy being awesome? Do you wish you were more awesome, but don't know how to be? Have no fear! Just pick up Will Grayson, Will Grayson and learn every life lesson you ever need from the world's greatest non-superhero, Tiny Cooper. There's also some stuff about these guys named Will Grayson, who find love and salvation and horrible best friends, but TINY COOPER is its own reason for being.

The Patterns of Paper Monsters by Emma Rathbone
Not only does the cover look like some hard hitting journalistic shizz, the pages inside are brimming with the heartbreaking and gorgeously written story of Jacob, a dude locked up in juvie and struggling to escape before his entire soul is sucked completely dry. This novel can lead to many Serious Adult Conversations on the state of our country's educational and prison systems, but most importantly, you'll be left saying, "I had no idea YA could be THIS GOOD."

The Morgue and Me by John C. Ford
Ford's Chandler-esque noir is the perfect antidote to gossipy girlie crush books - like chasing your strawberry daiquiri with a stiff bourbon on the rocks. A murder victim in the morgue, a coverup at city hall, a sexy older woman, cute girl next door and a couple of homicidal lunatics set this YA debut apart.

Plain Kate by Erin Bow
Just as Harry Potter made it okay for adults to love wizards and witches, Plain Kate makes it okay to love fantasy. In her quest to reclaim her shadow, she weaves through Roma and witches and misogyny and suspicious townfolk, and does it all with a heart of gold and a steel of spine. Plus, I dare you to remain immune to Taggle's charms. It can't be done. That cat is a thinner, smarter Winston. Then again, almost all cats are thinner and smarter than Winston.

Not That Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivian
Sure, you'll have to remove the book jacket before going out in public, but that's a small price to pay for such an entertaining and inspiring read. Even the most snobby adults won't be able to tear themselves away from the story of Natalie Sterling, because they're likely to see glimmers of themselves in her uptight, student council president ways. This book is a wonderful exploration of feminism, and did I mention the super hot sexy times?! IN A CHRISTMAS TREE FARM? Yeah, consider yourself hooked.

Insatiable by Meg Cabot
Ok, technically this isn't a YA book, but once you read it you'll start searching out everything you can get your hands on by Meg Cabot, aka her excellency, the queen empress ruler of the YA universe. And before you look at the blurb and say, "Blech, I'm not reading a freaking vampire book," you should know that's EXACTLY what Meena, this book's heroine, would have said. before she MET ONE. Bonus: since it's not a teen book, there are no limits to the sexy times!

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Okay, you're gonna have to get me a defibrillator because I was laughing so hard while reading that list. Thank you, ladies! Be sure to check them out at Forever Young Adult.

Back to: Master List | Pt. 1 | Pt. 2 | Guest List #1 | Pt. 3 | Guest List #2 | Pt. 4 | Guest List #3 | Pt. 5 | Guest List #4 | Pt. 6 | Pt. 7 | Guest List #5 | Pt. 8 | Guest List #6 | Pt. 9 | Guest List #7

Guest Book List #6: Kristi of The Story Siren on Overlooked Books

This next blogger needs no introduction, so I'll just let her take the floor!

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First off I want to thank Steph for having me. Steph is one of the few bloggers that I absolutely have the upmost respect for as a blogger and more importantly a person. So, I am honored that she would invite me to be a part of her blog.

I loved the lists that Steph did last year and I was ecstatic that she invited me to stop by and share a list of my own! (I usually do a "Top Ten" list of my favorite books for the year on The Story Siren, which I will probably do again this year. Just in case... these lists aren't enough for you!) For my guest list here at Steph's I'm going to highlight the top five Young Adult titles that I think were overlooked. The books are ones that totally "rocked my socks" off, but I don't really feel that they had the exposure that they deserved. Add these to your reading piles, I promise you won't be disappointed! These books are in no particular order.

Overlooked YA

Split by Swati Avasthi
This novel tackles a very serious subject matter marvelously. It’s very emotional and very well written.

Not that Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivian
A contemporary fiction with a very memorable main character and an atypical romance.

A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler
This novel was hauntingly beautiful. I was even more impressed because it was a debut novel. If you read one novel on this list, read this one.

A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker
This one isn’t as serious as some of the other titles on the list, but that’s what makes it so great. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much reading a novel. Hilarious.

The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez
This is a historical fiction. I learned so much reading this novel, but I never felt like I receiving a lecture. It was a beautiful story.

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Thanks, Kristi! Be sure to head over to Kristi's blog at The Story Siren.

Back to: Master List | Pt. 1 | Pt. 2 | Guest List #1 | Pt. 3 | Guest List #2 | Pt. 4 | Guest List #3 | Pt. 5 | Guest List #4 | Pt. 6 | Pt. 7 | Guest List #5 | Pt. 8 | Guest List #6

Guest Book List #5: Ari of Reading in Color on Kick-Butt Protagonists

Today I have the magnificent Ari from Reading in Color, here to talk about something she is passionate about...awesome female characters!

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Top Ten Kick-Butt Protagonists

In 2010, I seemed to read a lot of books with strong female main characters. This is more than just a trend and it makes me happy. Some of them were strong in the obvious sense of the word, bold and ready to do and try anything, regardless of what anyone said.. Others possessed a quiet inner strength, and rose to the occasion. I thoroughly enjoyed (even loved) each and every one of these books. Some of the girls whine, some are frustratingly stubborn and some remain composed when all you want is for them to finally open up. I wish I had a little bit of each of these girls' personalities in me, how FIERCE would any girl then be? But the diversity of the strength of the main characters show that being strong doesn't just mean one thing and (as cliche as it sounds) we all have strength within us, it's just a matter of finding and harnessing that strength.

1. Hanna from Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves
Hanna is bipolar and her actions may seem crazy to us, but I envy her freedom and complete happiness with herself. She freely admits that she's beautiful and that she likes sex. She does not lack in any way for self confidence and while I couldn't relate to that, I could admire her for that self confidence. She also rolls with the punches and absolutely nothing seems to faze her.

2. Ruthie from 8th Grade Superzero by Olugbemisola Rhuday Perkovich
Ruthie is bossy and proud of her Jamaican heritage. she doesn't care if she sticks out, all she cares about is making the world a better difference, one person at a time. She's devoted to social justice and she's also committed to her faith. I don't read many books in which faith is mentioned so this was a nice change, especially because the book is never preachy. I got such a kick out of Ruthie, she describes herself as "a strong black woman." and it's so awesome to see such a compassionate 8th grader. I want to see more teens and kids doing good in literature. Most of us do want to make a difference in some way.

3. Mary Quinn from The Agency series by Y.S. Lee
The fact that Mary is able to be such a good spy while mostly being a "proper" Victorian lady is qutite admirable (as long as she avoids wardrobes and a certain young man's company ;) She's witty, smart and fearless. She can take care of herself and she does not appreciate people who get in her way and try to hold her back (or "protect" her). If I ever have a mystery that needs solving, I would call up Mary Quinn. I love how Mary is such a great actress, she can immerse herself fully in a role and do a great job in it, but she does have some fears and that makes her even more admirable.

4. Billi SanGreal from the Devil's Kiss series by Sarwat Chadda
As a Templar Knight, Bliquis SanGreal must kill demons. The first book, Devil's Kiss, starts off with her killing a child. Even though she knows the child is evil, she still struggles with her duty. This is a constant theme throughout the books, hurting someone for the greater good of all. Billi tries to be a detached killer, but she can't seem to keep herself from caring about the other Templars or wanting a more "normal" life. Billi is independent and she hates feeling like the fate of the world is on her shoulders and she shows it through a bit of whining. She's stubborn and can make (in retrospective) foolish mistakes. She's an everyday teenager who knows how to kill and has studied various religions. She is capable of every task assigned to her, but she struggles to complete them and following her journey is such a treat.

5. Soledad from When the Stars Go Blue by Barbara Caridad Ferrer
If you look up Ambition in the dictionary, you will see a picture of Soledad and this book. Soledad knows EXACTLY what she wants (to dance professionally) and she's already figured out how she's going to achieve her goal. If there is a change in plans, Soledad does not roll with it. She makes the change completely her own and you wouldn't know at all that the change ruffled her in the slightest. She is remarkably self-assured in her dancing skills, but she has vulnerable moments about her body, her beauty.

6. Asha from Secret Keeper by Mitali Perkins
Asha is yet another very determined main character. She is probably the character on this list I could absolutely never be like because of her decision at the end of the book. It was so....jaw dropping. I'm too selfish to do what she did. Asha is very impulsive. But once she comes up with her random idea, she sees it through. Honestly there's nothing else to say about her. If you read the book and experience the ending for yourself, you will totally understand why she is so fierce.

7. Lanesha from Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes
At one point in the book, Lanesha talks about how she doesn't mind sitting by herself at the lunch table because "I'm not ashamed of me." She's twelve years old. What twleve year old do you know would say such a thing? Sure she would like to have friends, but she's not going to settle for people who don't treat her right just so that she won't be alone at lunch. I totally teared up at that statement because I don't think to this day, I have that kind of confidence. Lanesha's story takes place during Hurricane Katrina and she is one of the pluckiest (always wanted to use that word!) characters out there.

8. Syrah from Girl Overboard by Justina Chen Headley
Syrah is stand-offish and she has such a dry sense of humor. If she would let me, I would be her friend in a heartbeat, and not because she's rich. This book does start off very slowly but it mirrors Syrah the wine and Syrah the person's growth. S-L-O-W-L-Y but surely, Syrah comes out of her shell and becomes a steadfast character. There is a great scene in which Syrah tells off her 'sort-of-ex-boyfriend.' It's pretty great. I also liked that Syrah is another teenager who is working to make a difference in the world. She certainly didn't start out that way, but that's how it is for most people. It doesn't matter how long it takes you to make a difference, all that matters it that you do it.

9. Kambili from Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
At first, I thought Kambili and her mother were some of the meekest characters I've ever encountered. She is abused by her fanatically religious father but she still loves him and admires him. Gradually, I came to understand why it's so hard to leave someone who keeps hurting you, her father had moments in which he truly seemed to repent. Kambili never has a big "AHA!" moment, she never yells at her father and vents. There are a few key scenes in which she quietly but resolutely shows how formidable she has become. A beautiful change to witness.

10. Prunella from The Magical Misadventures of Prunella Bogthistle by Deva Fagan
Prunella is a quirky character. She wants to be a witch, but she's not "evil" enough, so her family is disappointed, she needs to be meaner and uglier, instead of her cheerful, good, pretty (meaning wart-free) self. Pruenlla tries to always be tough which helps her out and severely backfires. She's also terrible at reading people, I couldn't believe how many misunderstandings she got her herself into! It's always nice to have a main character whose not perfect.

There are lots of other strong heroines that I've read about, but these ten are really stuck out to me. Tell me, whose missing from this list, who would be in your top ten?

Thanks so much for having me Steph! And everyone have a happy holidays!

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Thank YOU, Ari! Don't forget to stop by and check out Ari's blog at Reading in Color.

Back to: Master List | Pt. 1 | Pt. 2 | Guest List #1 | Pt. 3 | Guest List #2 | Pt. 4 | Guest List #3 | Pt. 5 | Guest List #4 | Pt. 6

Guest Book List #4: Jenny of Wondrous Reads on British Books

When Steph asked me to take part in her Best Books of 2010 feature, I had a bit of trouble deciding what to write about. I didn't want it to overlap with my own end-of-year blog lists, and being British myself, I eventually settled on the theme of British books. Every year piles of brilliant books are published by UK authors, and unfortunately some fly under the radar and never quite get the recognition they deserve. Of course, some win well-deserved and coveted awards, which always makes me proud to be so involved with British publishing.

Here is a list of my personal favourite British books of 2010. I hope you might find something new to read, or an exciting title to add to your wishlist.

Merry Christmas, fellow bloggers!

- Jenny / Wondrous Reads

My Top 10 British Books of 2010

10. You Against Me by Jenny Downham
This book explores important themes and issues, and shows how much rape can tear a family apart. Jenny Downham's writing is almost perfect, and the overall outcome is a thought-provoking read that I'm sure will be shortlisted for upcoming awards.

9. Pretty Bad Things by C. J. Skuse
This is a UK debut from Chicken House, one of my favourite publishers. Pretty Bad Things is random, edgy and snarky, and highlights the many ups and downs of family relationships. Also, it's set in Vegas. So cool.

8. Dark Goddess by Sarwat Chadda
Sarwat Chadda restored my faith in werewolf fiction. Most of you know I'm a vampire girl at heart, but Dark Goddess reminded me that, yes, werewolves can be brutal and not the fluffy romantics I've become accustomed to. This book literally had me on the edge of my seat, and features fascinating Russian lore. Win!

7. When I Was Joe by Keren David
This book was one of the first I read in 2010, and has stuck with me throughout the year. It's powerful and incredibly realistic, and features another problem in today's society: knife crime. If you haven't yet read this one, put it on your wishlists. I think it will appeal to everyone, and is an important story that needs to be read.

6. Drawing with Light by Julia Green
Whenever I talk about this book, I say, "It's like a British Sarah Dessen". I think that's pretty much all I need to say here!

5. Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper
Mary Hooper is like the British Queen of historical fiction. Fallen Grace is absolutely brilliant, and re-introduced me to a genre I'd forgotten I loved. I was transported back in time as soon as I started reading and, given the setting, I think that's quite an accomplishment.

4. The Thirteen Curses by Michelle Harrison
I love Michelle Harrison and the 13 series. In my opinion, she writes the best faerie books out there, and her writing is fantastic. If you read these books, prepare for an unforgettable magical experience!

3. Out of Shadows by Jason Wallace
Out of Shadows is my UK debut of the year. It's utterly brilliant. It's set in 1983, a few years after the Zimbabwe War of Liberation, and is one of those books that moved me to tears. Very highly recommended.

2. Flyaway by Lucy Christopher
I'll admit it, I'm a Lucy Christopher fangirl. Flyaway didn't disappoint and, in my opinion, it surpassed Lucy's debut novel Stolen. This is another one that had me in tears, and one that I will definitely reread in the future. Fantastic stuff.

1. The Legacy by Gemma Malley
The Legacy is the last book in the Declaration trilogy, which is basically just awesome dystopian YA. I have a somewhat bad track record with final books in a series, but Gemma Malley never let me down. It is AMAZING. Never mind best British book of the year, it's the best book of the year. No contest.

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Thank you, Jenny! Be sure to visit her blog at Wondrous Reads.

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Guest Book List #3: Khy of Frenetic Reader on Best Contemporary

Khy of Frenetic Reader is one of my favorite teen bloggers. Her blog is honest, humorous, and heartfelt. She's here to tell you about--what else?--all things contemporary!

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My Favorite Contemporary of the Year

When I sat down to write this post, I couldn't decide whether I wanted to dedicate my list to my new YA best friends, the books that made me cry, or the books that made me laugh. However, I quickly realized that every single book I would put in those categories was a contemporary/realistic fiction novel. It was then that I knew that I had to combine all three categories to come up with My Favorite Contemporary Fiction of 2010. Dystopia and paranormal are the hottest genres in YA fiction right now, but I'm a contemporary fan through and through because of their more realistic, less melodramatic, and easy-to-relate-to stories and narrators.

In no particular order, my favorite contemporary of the year:

The Naughty List by Suzanne Young
I'm sure that this book's bright pink cover and cheerleaders have scared away more than one reader, but those readers sure are missing out. This book is a blast to read-- it's fun, it's fast, and it's unbearably cute. Plus, it has spies.

A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker
It's like a novelization of a John Hughes movie, but funnier. I read this book over a year ago but can still remember most of it, which is rare for me. Fiona's hilarious voice and pranks definitely left an impression.

Mostly Good Girls by Leila Sales
I'm not usually a fan of vignette-style novels, but this book is so realistic that I didn't mind. I loved reading about Violet's junior year antics because they are much, much more hilarious than my own, and yet I can still relate to them so much that it's sad.

Real Live Boyfriends by E. Lockhart
The fourth (and final?) book in the Ruby Oliver does not disappoint. Seeing Roo finally figure things out and grow up made me cry, cry, cry. One of my absolute favorite series. (If you haven't read book one, The Boyfriend List, do it!)

Sea by Heidi R. Kling
Another book that made me cry, but more because it was actually sad and not because I had spent so long with the main character, like Ruby Oliver. This is a beautiful book inside and out, with a swoon-worthy romance and heart-wrenching ending.

Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler
This book's manages to be both sad and hopeful, much like Ockler's debut novel Twenty Boy Summer. It also portrays family much more accurately than I've seen many YA novels do.

Fall For Anything by Courtney Summers
Summers totally owes me some tissues, because this book messed with my emotions SO MUCH. It's sad, it's well-written, and, really, it's just plain spectacular.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
My absolute favorite of the year! I wish I was Anna, and not only because it means I would be friends with St. Clair. She's so normal but so not boring, and she manages to make even the most unassuming story amazing.

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Thanks, Khy! (And how did she get to read Real Live Boyfriends before its release date?! Lucky duck.) Be sure to visit her blog at Frenetic Reader.

Back to: Master List | Pt. 1 | Pt. 2 | Guest List #1 | Pt. 3 | Guest List #2 | Pt. 4

Guest Book List #2: Lauren of I Was a Teenage Book Geek on Winter WonderReads

I always love Lauren of UK-based I Was a Teenage Book Geek's thoughtful and intelligent reviews. Today she tells us about books to snuggle up with.

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Winter WonderReads

Lauren in a cold climate, but otherwise
probably enjoying Harry Potter World!

I don't know about you, but when it's cold outside I just want to curl up by the the fire with a mug of peppermint hot chocolate and a good book. Truth be told, I'd way rather read about snow crunching underfoot than actually pull my wellies on and traipse through the stuff. Luckily, there are plenty of titles that can give you that wintry feeling from the comfort of your own armchair. Here are some of my favourites.

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Let's face it, this timeless children's classic wouldn't be quite as spellbinding if Mr Tumnus and friends had been basking in an eternal summer for the last 100 years. Snow = magic.

Magic or Madness by Justine Larbalestier
In this contemporary fantasy, Aussie protagonist Reason opens a door and finds herself in a magical wintry New York City. Think Narnia, minus the talking animals and way more cosmopolitan.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Beautiful, lyrical novel where intense cold causes humans to shift into wolf form. Breathtaking.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Not wintry the entire way through, but this classic tale of four sisters during the American Civil War does feature some of the most wonderful holiday scenes ever written. Who doesn't love the part where the sisters give their Christmas breakfast away?

Sweet Valley High: Winter Carnival 'created by' Francine Pascal
Or, Special Christmas / A Deadly Christmas / any other holiday-themed special edition of whatever series you were utterly obessed with, back in the day. Because: festive nostalgia is the very best kind of all.

Ice by Sarah Beth Durst
This fairytale retelling is both elegant and fierce. A polar bear love interest, a castle made of ice, and Artic blizzards: this is one captivating journey.

Let It Snow by Maureen Johnson, John Green and Lauren Myracle
Three holiday romances unfold in the middle of an epic snowstorm. Think gingerbread latte in book form. Cran-awesomesauce.

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
One of my favourite novels of 2010, this romance illustrates exactly why New York City should be named the official home of the holiday season. And why you probably shouldn't throw snowballs at ten-year-olds.

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Thank you, Lauren! Don't forget to check out her blog at I Was a Teenage Book Geek.

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Guest Book List #1: Angie of Angieville on Retellings

Angie of Angieville should be, like, required reading for YA bloggers. Her reviews are the perfect blend of insight and friendly conversation, and I'm thrilled that she agreed to contribute a list to my feature!

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Best Retellings

Steph invited me to contribute a list this year to her fabulous compendium of top books in a wide variety of categories. Left to my own devices, I went with one of my particular weaknesses--retellings. I have a thing for a really well done retelling. And it can be of pretty much any kind of work: fairy tales, classics, myths, legends. You name it, I'm game. I read a lot of retellings and some of them are aces and some of them . . . not so awesome. So I decided to put together a list of my very favorite retellings in the hopes you might find something up your alley.


Beauty and Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley
My two favorite Beauty and the Beast retellings are actually by the same author! I'm fascinated when an author returns to a story she already told with an entirely fresh perspective. Written twenty years apart, these two versions of the same fairy tale are like night and day. Yet both retain those essential elements that make this beautiful fairy tale magic. She saves him. They triumph because they need each other, they see past the superficial, and meet on equal ground.

Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
A retelling of the Seven Swans fairy tale set in 9th century Ireland, this gorgeous historical fantasy shot right to the top of my comfort reads list the moment I closed the final page. I am continually foisting this book on unsuspecting friends and strangers and, in my experience, it has proved to be one of those books that binds people together. Another example of a young woman triumphing over evil through love, sacrifice, and unfathomable determination and a truly breathtaking bit of storytelling.


The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley and Lady of the Forest by Jennifer Roberson
Speaking of weaknesses, I have a big soft spot for a killer Robin Hood retelling and these two are the best ones I've read. Both set against the backdrop of a nation on crusade, they feature very different (but equally excellent) Robin Hoods and my favorite Maid Marians ever. McKinley's Robin is a reluctant hero at best and it's Marian who's the crack shot when it comes to archery. Roberson's Robin returns home from crusade broken and disillusioned and it is Marian who returns him to life and a cause truly worth fighting for. Finest kind, both of them.


A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce
Bunce's debut novel is an unlikely retelling of the Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale set in an England just on the cusp of the Industrial Revolution. I could not have been more taken by surprise by this book. It took an extremely problematic fairy tale and spun it into pure gold. I savored every aspect of it, from the beautiful names of the characters, to the details of life in a woolen mill, to the lovely themes of courage, ill luck, curses, and redemption. Not to be missed.


The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
This one is likely on everyone's list and with good reason. Hale's adaptation of the Goose Girl fairy tale is pitch perfect and guaranteed to capture any reader's imagination with its lyrical language and likable heroine who goes into hiding in order to save her life and her kingdom. It only improves upon rereading and is the start of an excellent series--the Books of Bayern.

Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell
Along the lines of Robin Hood, I am nothing if not up for a superb Arthurian redux. In this case it comes in the form of a retelling of Tennyson's Lady of Shallott poem. Written in verse, it is a marvelous revisionist take on Elaine of Ascolat, her magic web, and her love for Lancelot. What won me over is that this Elaine chooses to fight instead of die. Set amid Arthur's first few battles, all the principal players are there in both familiar and surprising roles. Truly a breathtaking read.

Valiant by Holly Black
Another Beauty and the Beast retelling. Modernized in every sense of the word, Black's version is urban fantasy featuring faeries, trolls, and the creatures of your nightmares. An angry, angsty girl faced with the ultimate betrayal, Val makes some pretty bad choices. But it's how she acts when a true friend is in need that shows her inner strength. Overcoming addiction, recognizing true beauty where it is least like to occur--I never tire of this darker take on the classic tale.

Jane by April Lindner
We'll end with the best retelling I read this year--April Lindner's modern version of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. Everything comes together shockingly well in this one, from the gorgeous cover to the choice to make Mr. Rochester a fading rock star, from the simple, clean writing to the brilliant little touches added here and there to update the original without taking away from its excellence. A superb crossover novel and one of my favorite novels of 2010.

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Thank you, Angie! Be sure to visit Angie at her blog, Angieville.

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