TBR 2014: Book No. 16

Lavinia by Ursula K. Le Guin (Harcourt, 2008) tells the story of Vergil's Aeneid from the point of view of--yep--Lavinia, who's given no voice whatsoever in the epic poem. The daughter of a king, Lavinia is pressured to choose one of several suitors when she turns 18. And, as usual, "none of them" isn't one of the choices. *SIGH* What fun to be a woman in ancient Italy--or, really, anywhere.

Le Guin is another author that everyone else has read and I haven't, so I'd best get started. Is this fantasy? Well, more myth, I guess, but Le Guin is generally considered a fantasy writer, and there are oracles and stuff in the book. Cut me a little slack. I'm trying to make this a Fantasy for All Ages month.

"A novel that deserves to be ranked with Robert Graves's I, Claudius."  --Publishers Weekly (starred)

"A thoughtful, moving tale of prophecy, myth, and self-fulfillment."  --School Library Journal

Full disclosure: I'm thinking of Lavinia as a novel for adults, but SLJ seems to categorize it as YA. Lavinia is 18, and the novel is a first-person POV, but to me, it reads as an adult novel. Take your pick. So far it's wonderful, so grab a copy and read along!


That's right: I've committed to reading all the books on my TBR Shelf this year--and blogging them! Click here to read the reviews I've posted so far.

Fun Friday: #BookadayUK No. 13

It's Friday the 13th, friends! And what better day to laugh at the darkness than today? I'm participating in the superfun #bookadayUK hashtag event only on Fridays because, well, I have other things to do. Frankly.

But here it is--Friday--so let the hilarity begin!

Oh ... and before you jump all over me about the scandal known as bookaday-gate, read the note at the end of this post. I'm just trying to fill my blog here, people. Honest.

BOOK A DAY No. 13: Books That Made Me Laugh

I could go on and on about Tim Federle and his books Better Nate Than Ever and Five, Six, Seven, Nate! But you can read about them in the links I just snuck into the last sentence. They are books to make you snort your milk out your nose, but then, so are these:

King of the Mild Frontier: An Ill-Advised Autobiography
by Chris Crutcher
Greenwillow Books, 2004
YA/adult memoir

Told in the spirit of A Christmas Story, Crutcher's memories of boyhood in the 1950s are hilariously told in this short memoir. Read my Goodreads review here for more, then go buy this. Chris is an amazing writer whose YA titles include the fantastic novel Deadline (Greenwillow, 2007) and Period 8 (Greenwillow, 2013), among many others.

The Code of the Woosters
by P.G. Wodehouse
W.W. Norton, 2011 (originally pubbed in 1938)
adult fiction

When I'm down, or sick, or just want to laugh until my stomach begs me to stop, I reach for Wodehouse. He's been lauded as the funniest writer in history, and while I love Mark Twain and so many others, I have to concur. Hapless Bertie Wooster, who has too much money and time on his hands, would be in desperate straits were it not for his faithful valet (a "gentleman's gentleman"), Jeeves. Bertie is happily forever lost in 1920s Britain, before the war, when the most anyone had to worry about was a missing cow-creamer. This is Jeeves & Wooster at their hilarious best.



Note: Borough Press, which sponsors this fun idea, lately realized that there was already a #bookaday hashtag out there. So ... sorry for the confusion. Borough Press has changed their hashtag to #bookadayUK. The original Book a Day campaign is going strong! It's an annual summertime challenge hosted by The Nerdy Book Club here. So go do that. I would, but I have other things to do too. Frankly.

Next Friday: The book that wears my favorite cover. Check out more #bookadayuk fun here, on Twitter.

Fun Friday: #BookadayUK No. 6

Yeah, I'm late again to the party. Didn't even know about @BoroughPress's cool #bookadayUK hashtag. (In a nutshell: Every day in June is devoted to a different book in your collection or your general experience.) So I'll play along anyway.

BOOK A DAY No. 6: The one I always give as a gift

Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2002
319 pages

Young Pi Patel survives a shipwreck along with Richard Parker, a tiger lately of the Patel's family-owned zoo in India. While deftly negotiating a balance of power with Richard Parker, Pi examines life, faith, and survival.










It's not as if I've given this book to a hundred people, but it is so close to my heart that after I read it, I wanted everyone else on earth to read it. I looked in the bookstore for a copy to give my niece, and when I couldn't find one, I gave her my own. (And then bought another one for myself, later.)

Put down your joysticks, people, and read this book. If you've seen the movie, congrats--it was great--but the book is deeper, richer, and kinder. It's a life changer. Absolutely amazing.

June Giveaway

Okay, loyal blogfrogs, I realize I haven't posted in over a week, and also that I haven't reviewed any books for the entirety of May. There was good reason for this, as I was hip-deep in revisions of The Wand & the Sea (sequel to The Key & the Flame). I had planned on May being the Fantasy for All Ages month, but I'll move that to next month (giveaway date: July 7). In the meantime, for this month, I'll let you choose whatever book your dear heart desires, within reason. (Please don't ask for the unabridged Oxford English Dictionary; be kind.)

So, ready? Here goes:



GIVEAWAY RULES:
1. U.S. entrants only, please.
2. Be sure to note the book (with author) you want to win AND WHY. The book must be available from Amazon.com and must be priced at $30 or less. Because I'm not made of money.
3. If you prefer a Kindle edition, that's cool too!
4. Giveaway prizes will be brand-new books delivered to you via Amazon.com. They will be paperback editions unless the book is still available only in hardcover. 
5.  This giveaway ends 12:01 AM JUNE 10.
6. There's a new giveaway every month! CLICK HERE to receive a brief email every time a new giveaway is posted on the blog. 


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image by Woomiusee courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and reprinted under this Creative Commons license. 

Fun Friday: Russell Brand as Pied Piper

Russell Brand is at times the funniest man on the planet. Other times he just makes you shake your head. Is he serious about writing children's books? They could be brilliant. Here's hoping.

Introducing LANDRY PARK

 Landry Park by Bethany Hagen
Dial, 2014
YA dystopia/sci-fi
374 pp














For those of you who don't know, I'm a member of a group called The Lucky 13s. We're authors who were lucky enough to have our debut kidlit novels published in 2013. It's a fantastic community of writers who share wisdom, tears, and occasionally taxicabs and barstools.

Only one other Lucky 13 lives in my hometown--Bethany Hagen, author of the brand-new YA sci-fi novel Landry Park. Bethany's pub date was nudged along in 2013 until finally it fell over into 2014. (Yeah, it happens. Quite a bit, in fact.) But she's still a Lucky 13 in my eyes, and last night I attended her fabulous launch party at the Johnson County Central Resource Library.

There Bethany answered a host of questions posed to her by one of the library staff, including a personality quiz (Which Disney Character Are You Most Like?) that revealed Bethany's main character to be most similar to Belle from Disney's Beauty & the Beast. We also learned that Bethany loves the Myers-Briggs Personality Test and that with her dreamy, intuitive nature, she's lucky to be married to someone who remembers to feed the children.

About the Book
Bethany says she was inspired to write Landry Park while working at the Johnson County Museum, where she saw exhibits from the Edwardian era juxtaposed with those from the nuclear age. Her vision of a future with the technology of the nuclear age meshed with the strictures of Downton Abbey society makes for a fascinating tale of romance and rebellion.

The Goodreads summary:

In a fragmented future United States ruled by the lavish gentry, seventeen-year-old Madeline Landry dreams of going to the university. Unfortunately, gentry decorum and her domineering father won't allow that. Madeline must marry, like a good Landry woman, and run the family estate. But her world is turned upside down when she discovers the devastating consequences her lifestyle is having on those less fortunate. As Madeline begins to question everything she has ever learned, she finds herself increasingly drawn to handsome, beguiling David Dana. Soon, rumors of war and rebellion start to spread, and Madeline finds herself and David at the center of it all. Ultimately, she must make a choice between duty--her family and the estate she loves dearly--and desire.

"An exciting YA debut with an intricately built dystopian world inhabited by a set of highly opposed characters which are complex and well-drawn."      --Challenging Reads blog

You can get your very own copy of Landry Park at chain and indie bookshops everywhere as well as these online outlets:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Connect with Bethany online at her website and on Twitter.

Why I'm Nice on Goodreads

I admit, blogfrogs, that I really do like Goodreads. I say "admit" because a lot of authors are fed up with the Wild West atmosphere of backbiting and cruel reviews and way-too-personal contact with readers. But I choose to participate mostly as a reader, not a writer, and I like seeing the pretty covers of all the books I'm reading and setting goals to read more.

 

But.

I also must admit that I'm not entirely up front on Goodreads. You'll notice that I don't rate any books below 3 stars. I don't love everything I read, but as a writer, I don't want to trash someone's average rating by throwing a bitter one or two stars their way. If I truly dislike something, I don't rate it, because a rating of 0 won't throw off the average. And I won't trash a book with a cutting review, either. The transparency of the medium makes that seem, well, mean.

So I talk about the books I like--the good reads, if you will.

And this blog isn't really an objective reviewing medium, either. I have a tag called Recommended Reading, and it's just that--books that I recommend. For my own purposes, and to catalog my library, I use LibraryThing, which you might consider checking out for similar uses. I think of it as more of a database than a review site. (It also isn't owned by Amazon. It's nice that something isn't.) I use it to catalogue all my books and to pen scathing reviews of books I hate. But you'll never know, because my shelves are private (sorry). Nothing I say there is going to hurt anyone's feelings.

That said, because I'm going to try to chronicle my 2014 To Read Goal on this blog, I will tell you here if I think a book is worth your time. But I won't get snarky, and I won't apply any ratings.

That's me being nice. Take note.

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A Lofty Goal

So, it's 2014. You may think I'm a bit late to the New Year's party, but do consider that I was madly preparing for three author presentations that I gave on January 10-11, and then collapsed with a cold that had been barking up my shins for some time. But hey, I'm here now, and who hid the champagne?

Anyway, for the past few years, I've set reading goals, thanks to Goodreads and their niggling little, "Don't you want to set a reading goal?" question. Last year, I exceeded my goal--not 75 books, but 81 books!--so I know that giving myself a challenge does work.

(Yes, I know that some of you breeze through 200 books a year without even blinking. Goody for you. I'm a slow reader.)

But alongside my shiny new 82-book goal, I've decided to set a secondary goal: Read all the books on my To Be Read shelf this year.

Now, I'm not talking about the Goodreads "To Read" list, because that would be insane--I drop books onto that list a half dozen at a time. I'm talking about the shelf(ves) in my home office that contain the 50-some-odd books in my library that I haven't read. Physical books. Sitting there, staring me in the face each day, taunting me with, "Thought you were gonna read me. Someday."

So my stated public goal here is to read every book on that shelf--or at least, give every book a decent shot. Let's say 50 pages. If I can't get into the book after 50 pages, I'm donating it. Why keep a book that I will clearly never read? And since it's very hard for me to admit defeat to a book ("confound it, I will read you, I WILL, even if it's torture!"), I expect that the vast majority of these will get read. (And yeah, they count toward my 82 books. Sheesh.)

If you'd like to look at my 2014 TBR Shelf, it's right here. And here's another, perhaps less attainable goal: I'll blog each book I read off that list. I know. Wow.

First book off the shelf that I'm reading: Stefan Bachmann's The Peculiar. So far, I love it.

BLOGFROGS: What are YOUR reading goals for the year?

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November and December Luckies

I can't believe we're finally coming to the end of a spectacular year for all of us Lucky 13 debut authors. It is my great honor and pleasure to introduce the caboose--the final debuts to come out this year. So, with no further ado, here they are. Pre-order these YA sci-fi beauties!

After Eden by Helen Douglas
November 5 (Bloomsbury Children's USA)
YA science fiction

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
December 10 (Disney Hyperion)
YA science fiction

Control by Lydia Kang
December 26 (Dial Books for Young Readers)
YA science fiction/dystopia














* What's a Lucky 13? An author lucky enough to be publishing his or her very first book for kids or teens in 2013! Each month of this year, I've introduced e a new crop of fabulous debut fiction. Search for the tag 2013 debuts to see more, and read the Lucky 13 blog right here.

Here Come the October Books!

As we wind down the Lucky 13s* year of publication, our numbers get lower, but the quality stays high. This month we have one fabulous middle-grade read and one juicy YA read. Ready? Get out your credit cards ...

Sunny Sweet Is So Not Sorry by Jennifer Ann Mann
October 1 (Bloomsbury USA)
MG contemporary

Red by Alison Cherry
October 8 (Delacorte Books for Young Readers)
YA contemporary
















* What's a Lucky 13? An author lucky enough to be publishing his or her very first book for kids or teens in 2013! Each month, I'll introduce a new crop of fabulous debut fiction. Search for the tag 2013 debuts to see more, and read the Lucky 13 blog right here.

Fabulous New YA Books!

I've already beaten myself silly for being a blogging slug all summer, so let's send that poor horse back to his stall for a nice rubdown. Meanwhile, you can take a look at all the cool YA books that have recently come out. Links go to Kirkus Reviews unless otherwise noted (PW = Publishers Weekly).

 Contemporary

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West
OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu
Riptide by Lindsey Scheibe  (The Reader's Den)
The S-Word by Chelsea Pitcher (Rebecca-Books)

How My Summer Went Up in Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski (Tabitha's Book Blog)
45 Pounds (More or Less) by K.A. Barson
Since You Asked by Maureen Goo (School Library Journal)
Gated by Amy Christine Parker
Taste Test by Kelly Fiore


Paranormal & Fantasy

Between the Devil & the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke (Pretty Deadly Reviews)
Some Quiet Place by Kelsey Sutton

Insomnia by J. R. Johansson
Charm & Strange by Stephanie Kuehn (School Library Journal)


Thrillers / Mystery

Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston
Truth or Dare by Jacqueline Green
Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn (Xpresso Reads)
Find Me by Romily Bernard (Sept 24)

Prep School Confidential by Kara Taylor

Science Fiction, Dystopia, & Horror

 










Reboot by Amy Tintera
Starglass by Phoebe North (Book Smugglers)
Linked by Imogen Howson

Rush by Eve Silver
In the After by Demitria Lunetta 
The End Games by T. Michael Martin (Reading Teen)
Coda by Emma Trevayne

Historical

Belle Epoque by Elizabeth Ross 
Maid of Secrets by Jennifer McGowan

Did you catch yesterday's post, which featured new middle-grade releases? Check it out here.

Fabulous New Middle Grade Books!

A ton of great middle-grade and picture books have come out the past couple of months, and I've not posted about them because it's been, well, summer and everything. But anyway. Back to it! Click on the title to read reviews, which are pulled from Kirkus Reviews unless otherwise noted. (PW = Publishers Weekly)

Picture Books

Sophie's Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller & Anne Wilsdorf
Chick-o-Saurus Rex by Lenore & Daniel Jennewein (PW)
The Monstore by Tara Lazar & James Burks (Picture Book Academy)
Year of the Jungle by Suzanne Collins (for somewhat older readers)

MIDDLE GRADE BOOKS

Dystopia/Science Fiction

The Neptune Project by Polly Holyoke

Parched  by Melanie Crowder (dystopia) (Wall St Journal)

Sky Jumpers by Peggy Eddleman (dystopia/sci fi, coming Sept 24) (rev by The Moonlight Library)

Wake Up Missing by Kate Messner (sci fi)

Contemporary

Golden Boy by Tara Sullivan

Sure Signs of Crazy by Karen Harrington

Trash Can Days: A Middle School Saga by Teddy Steinkellner (PW)

Mystery, Adventure, & Magic

The Path of Names by Ari Goelman (mystery/ghost story) (rev by KidsReads)

The Wig in the Window by Kristen Kittscher(contemporary mystery)

Magic Marks the Spot by Caroline Carlson (fantasy adventure) (rev by PW)

The Book of Lost Things by Cynthia Voigt (mystery/adventure)

The Glitter Trap by Barbara Brauner & James Iver Mattson (magic/paranormal)

Fallout by Todd Strasser (thriller)

Historical

Every Day After by Laura Golden (1930s)

Brotherhood by A.B. Westrick (Civil War)

Giveaway: 1 Week Only!
I know they ALL look fantastic, but you can win only one! Enter the Rafflecopter below and tell which book you want AND WHY.  U.S. entrants only, please.

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Come back tomorrow for a roundup of recently released YA books. There are a ton! 

The July Books!

I know a lot of you blogfrogs are packing for vacation right now (or you will be, after you read this post). Don't forget to take along some fab reading material! Check out this month's crop of Lucky 13* releases:

Since You Asked by Maureen Goo
July 1 (Scholastic)
YA contemporary

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

July 2 (HarperTeen)
YA contemporary 

Some Quiet Place by Kelsey Sutton
July 8 (Flux)
YA paranormal

45 Pounds (More or Less) by K.A. Barson
July 11 (Viking Juvenile)
YA contemporary

Chick-o-Saurus Rex by Lenore Jennewein; illus. by Daniel Jennewein
July 23 (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)
picture book

OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu
July 23 (Simon Pulse)
YA contemporary romance

Starglass by Phoebe North
July 23 (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)
YA sci-fi

Prep School Confidential by Kara Taylor
July 30 (St. Martin's Griffin)
YA contemporary








* What's a Lucky 13? An author lucky enough to be publishing his or her very first book for kids or teens in 2013! Each month, I'll introduce a new crop of fabulous debut fiction. Search for the tag 2013 debuts to see more, and read the Lucky 13 blog right here. And hey, if you love BOOK TRAILERS, head over to my Pinterest board, where I'm putting up Lucky 13 trailers as they become available!

Middle Grade Mania!

I missed Marvelous Middle Grade Monday this week--well, okay, I've missed it most weeks, sorry--but it wasn't until yesterday that I had full details on this cool event coming up in just over a week:

That's right, six authors will be signing books at Anderson's Two Doors East in Naperville, IL (just outside Chicago) at 4:30 pm, June 29 (including me)! It's all part of the author-packed weekend that comes from having the American Library Association Conference in town. Check out these events! Click on the links for more details:

Venues:
Anderson's Bookshop Naperville: 123 W. Jefferson Ave., Naperville, IL |  (630) 355-2665
Anderson's Two Doors East: (2 doors down from the Naperville store): 111 W. Jefferson Ave., Naperville, IL |  (630) 355-2665
Anderson's Bookshop Downer's Grove:  5112 Main St, Downers Grove, IL | (630) 963-2665
The Book Cellar: 4736 N Lincoln Ave #1,  Chicago | (773) 293-2665

FRIDAY, JUNE 28

4:00 pm: 2k13 Middle Grade Writers (Reading & Book Signing) featuring Liesl Shurtliff (Rump: The True Story of Rumplestiltskin), Tamera Will Wissinger (Gone Fishing), Polly Holyoke (The Neptune Project), & Tara Sullivan (Golden Boy). Event held at The Book Cellar.

5:00 pm: 2k13 YA Authors (Reading & Book Signing) featuring Debra Driza (MILA 2.0), Caela Carter (Me, Him, Them, & It), Kate Karyus Quinn (Another Little Piece), Jennifer McGowan (Maid of Secrets), Nicole McInnes (Brianna on the Brink), & Demitria Lunetta (In the After). Event held at The Book Cellar.

6:00 pm: 2k13 YA Authors Preview for Upcoming Releases featuring Mindy McGinnis (Not a Drop to Drink), Geoffrey Girard (Project Cain), K.A. Barson (45 Pounds More or Less), Lydia Kang (Control), & Cristin Terrill (All Our Yesterdays). Event held at The Book Cellar.

7:00 pm: YA Night featuring Sonia Manzano (The Evolution of Evelyn Serrano), Jacqueline Woodson (Beneath a Meth Moon), James Preller (A Pirate's Guide to Recess--children's, not YA), & Paul Rudnick (Gorgeous). Event held at Anderson's Two Doors East.

SATURDAY, JUNE 29

2:00 pm: Newbery winner Katherine Applegate (The One and Only Ivan). Event held at Anderson's Bookshop Naperville.

4:30 pm: Middle Grade Mania featuring Tim Federle (Better Nate Than Ever), yours truly--squee! (The Key & the Flame), Elisabeth Dahl (Genie Wishes), Lisa Greenwald (Reel Life Starring Us), Sarah Stewart Taylor (The Expeditioners and the Treasure), & Margaret McNamara (Sylva and the Fairy Ball). Event held at Anderson's Two Doors East.

4:30 pm: YA Afternoon featuring Hilary Smith (Wild Awake), Michael Grant (Fear: A Gone Novel), Ellen Hopkins (Tilt), Lauren Myracle (Shine), & A.G. Howard (Splintered). Event held at Anderson's Bookshop Naperville.    

SUNDAY, JUNE 30

1:00 pm: Picture Book Fun featuring Chris Raschka (Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bike) Loren Long (Otis and the Puppy), Molly Idle (Tea Rex), & Jesse Klausmeier (Open This Little Book)

3:00 pm: Even More YA! featuring Annabel Pitcher (My Sister Lives on the Mantlepiece), Marcus Sedgwick (Midwinter Blood), S.A. Bodeen (The Raft), Sara Zarr (Lucy Variations), Tara Sullivan (Golden Boy), and Matthew Quick (Boy 21). Event held at Anderson's Bookshop Naperville.

3:00 pm: Tom Angleburger (Art 2 D2’s Guide to Folding and Doodling). Event held at Anderson's Bookshop Downer's Grove.
 

The June Books!

Yeah, I know--we're halfway through the month already. I plead an insane May schedule due to my One & Only graduating high school and then spiriting me away to Florida. But however late I may be, I can't neglect showing off these fabulous debut kidlit authors' releases from the Lucky 13s!*

The Monstore by Tara Lazar; illus. by James Burks
June 4 (Aladdin)
picture book

Parched by Melanie Crowder
June 4 (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
MG near-future

The Oathbreaker's Shadow by Amy McCulloch
June 6 (Random House Children's Publishers--UK only)
YA fantasy

Insomnia by J.R. Johansson
June 8 (Flux)
YA paranormal

Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn
June 11 (HarperTeen)
YA thriller

Belle Epoque by Elizabeth Ross
June 11 (Delacorte Books for Young Readers)
YA historical

Charm & Strange by Stephanie Kuehn
June 11 (St. Martin's Griffin)
YA paranormal

Every Day After by Laura Golden
June 11 (Delacorte)
MG historical

Linked by Imogen Howson
June 11 (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)
YA sci-fi

Rush by Eve Silver
June 11 (Katherine Tegen Books)
YA sci-fi

The Wig in the Window by Kristen Kittscher
June 18 (HarperCollins Children's)
MG mystery

In the After by Demitria Lunetta
June 25 (HarperTeen)
YA sci-fi

Golden Boy by Tara Sullivan
June 27 (G.P. Putnam's Sons / Penguin)
MG contemporary









* What's a Lucky 13? An author lucky enough to be publishing his or her very first book for kids or teens in 2013! Each month, I'll introduce a new crop of fabulous debut fiction. Search for the tag 2013 debuts to see more, and read the Lucky 13 blog right here. And hey, if you love BOOK TRAILERS, head over to my Pinterest board, where I'm putting up Lucky 13 trailers as they become available!