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Category Archives: Young Adult

Top 10 of 2020: YA fiction edition

26 Dec

There’s nothing like the end of the year lists, pictures, and stories to review the year. If you’re not a fan, then you might as well stop reading now and ignore the next few days worth of posts. First up, my top 10 of young adult fiction, tomorrow is nonfiction that spans all levels, and last will be my “extra edition”. As always, my top 10 lists are not what I read (which was a lot) in 2020 and finding my top 10, this is a true top 10 in which all of the books published were published in 2020. Though the order is not noteworthy. You’re already asking me to pick from the multitudes, I simply can’t also then rank them.

  • More Than Just a Pretty Face by Masood
    • This was my book of the month in June. There’s just something about this hard-hitting story with loveable leads.
  • Fighting Words by Bradley
    • Gut-wrenching situation in which two sisters are feeling their way through the foster care system after experiencing trauma. 
  • Punching the Air by Zoboi and Salaam
    • Captivating drama that could be ripped from the headlines with discussable elements about the prison system and juvenile justice.  
  • Every Body Looking by Iloh
    • Iloh heavily borrows from her own upbringing for this verse novel about religion, family, and growing up and into yourself. 
  • Watch Over Me by LaCour
    • The magical realism coupled with the main character’s loneliness is a whole mood. 
  • Show Me A Sign  by LeZotte
    • Historical fiction? Sounds like the kind of thing more people should know about and that’s why LeZotte works an unimaginable story based on true events. 
  • Crownchasers by Coffindaffer
    • The first in a planned duology, I’m not always the first one to pick up science fiction but the action and a sassy female lead makes it a must. 
  • Cinderella is Dead by Byron
    • This was my book of the month in July. Retellings are imaginative and this one makes sure to infuse fantasy and dystopia. 
  • Darius the Great Deserves Better by Khorram
    • It’s even stronger than Khorram’s introduction of Darius to readers because of the liveliness of Darius’ internal dialogue. 
  • Verona Comics by Duggan
    • An underrated author in YA fiction, this salty/sweet play on Romeo and Juliet delights. 
 
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Posted by on December 26, 2020 in Blogging, Cover Love, Fiction, Young Adult

 

Outstanding book of the month for November 2020

30 Nov

Is it already the end of November? Didn’t that seem to go by fast? Yet I’m just as excited to share my outstanding book of the month! 

That Way Madness Lies: 15 of Shakespeare’s Most Notable Works Reimagined edited by Dahlia Adler which will hit shelves in 2021. Why am I choosing a book that’s not even out yet for the outstanding book? Well obviously because it needs to be pre-ordered so that you can get it in your hot little hands unless you’re the kind that uses sites like Edelweiss and Netgalley to get a jump on great literature. 

I’ll share that the book was on my TBR list on Goodreads well in advance of the publication and even before it had an actual cover. I exclaimed with glee seeing it hit Edelweiss and read it pretty quickly thereafter devouring each short story contribution. 

YA short story collections have been my jam and with the uptick in anthologies published, I’m always in the market to read more. But it’s a dangerous proposition since each must carry the weight of the theme of the anthology so that even a dud here and there don’t dissuade the appreciation for the whole collection. Then you find the rare anthology where each short story shines individually and collectively. This was that kind of anthology. Each includes a few lines from the Shakespeare work (including one that’s a sonnet!) and the reimagined story with a few author’s notes depending on the story. It’s a thing of beauty. It can inspire reading Shakespeare’s original work or not because the story itself is cleverly plotted. 

Get thee to the local, independent bookstore nearest you to preorder! 

 
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Posted by on November 30, 2020 in Book of the Month, Short Story, Upcoming Releases, Young Adult

 

Outstanding book of the month for September 2020

30 Sep

It’s the end of September so that means I’m ready to announce the outstanding book of the month for September based on what I’ve read this month– it doesn’t mean that they were published this month or even this year– but it does mean that out of  the dozens of books I’ve read (at least one a day) that it had an impact on me as a reader and a librarian. 

Without waiting, here is September’s book! 

Poisoned Water: How the Citizens of Flint, Michigan Fought for Their Lives and Warned the Nation by Candy J. Cooper with Marc Aronson

And boy, what a book! A nonfiction accounting of the water crisis in Flint, Michigan is both well-written and cringe-worthy. The multiple failures that maintained the secrecy and then the continued ignorance of the problem is explained in great detail by highlighting the citizen activists who took charge of holding people accountable. Poisoned Water gets the prize for encompassing all aspects of the story for a teen audience which includes STEM and citizenship, advocacy and politics. And Cooper also includes well-placed pictures to show how the water affected the skin simply from using the water to bathe but also showing what the brown liquid looked like in a bottle that would be unsuitable for drinking. 

This will find a home in our library but I know it won’t sit on the shelf for long because I have plans to share this book widely be it in booktalks but certainly during our social justice unit working with the English department. It’s a deeply affecting book and one that everyone should read. 

 
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Posted by on September 30, 2020 in Blogging, Book of the Month, Nonfiction, Young Adult

 

Grab bag of books

28 Sep

These last few weeks have far and away been the hardest of my school librarian career but one thing has remained steady and that’s the challenge I gave myself once COVID closed the doors to our school building and that was to read at least a book a day. Yes, I’m back in school, but we’re teaching our kids virtually which is a blog post for another day. And I’ve still been able to maintain a book a day so far. Here were some of the books I’ve read recently:

  • Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 6
    • Pre-order and purchased in print because I will own every book in this series
  • The Bird Way audiobook
    • I’m a nut for nonfiction animal books
  • Hello, Neighbor!
    • I’ve been diving into the world of Fred Rogers and this picture book by Matthew Cordell was delightful
  • Every Body Looking
    • Verse novels are more commonplace formats but Iloh chose this format wisely for this heavily biographical story
  • Flyy Girls, books one and two
    • A series by Woodfolk that are neatly-packed and easily accessible titles with realistic characters who work through their problems with the help of friends
  • Poisoned Water: How the Citizens of Flint, Michigan Fought for their Lives and Warned a Nation
    • It’s as riveting as it is upsetting to read
 
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Posted by on September 28, 2020 in Childrens, Fiction, Manga, Middle grade, Nonfiction, Verse, Young Adult

 

Just add popcorn

10 Sep

There’s no hiding my respect for the writing abilities of Ruta Sepetys. Every book she publishes is one to be cherished. And as much as I try to go slow, they always end too soon. 

Her first book was Between Shades of Gray, published in 2011 and seven years later, a movie was released based on the book though using a different name, Ashes in the Snow. 

I’ll say that I’m not an avid moviegoer. The last few movies I’ve seen in the theater were accompanying my young sons’ to LEGO movie releases and watching movies at home are often what’s available on streaming services while I’m working out. However, I made an exception for Ashes in the Snow when I discovered it was on Hoopla. In the two years since it’s release, I haven’t sought it out because I generally try not to watch the movies based on beloved books. Yet I’m not against it especially after a tweet by Angie Thomas years ago that compared a book to its movie as twins: genetic makeup may be the same but they are distinct and individual entities. 

Needless to say, I was finally ready to sit by myself in the dark and watch the movie based on Sepetys’ book directed by Marius Markevicius featuring Bel Powley as Lina with a bevy of superbly cast actors for the full character list. Five minutes in I knew that this movie would move me. And every last moment did because the cinematography captured the mood as well as Sepetys words do on the page. It’s pacing with plenty of quiet played against the starkness of the situation. The motifs reappeared at opportune moments. And the ending. I was breathless. 

But once I caught it, I texted a fellow book lover, Sepetys fan, and friend that she needed to watch it with her mother who was suffering from a bout of drought of Sepetys material. We’re all pre-orderers of her books and it’s been almost a year since the release of The Fountains of Silence rocked us to our core. 

For others who have seen it, what did you think?

 
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Posted by on September 10, 2020 in Authors, Miscellaneous, Young Adult

 

In celebration

06 Sep

Today is National Read a Book Day, but let’s be real, every day should be national read a book day. If you follow “national day” celebrations, it’s also coffee ice cream day. Ironically, yesterday I bought a half gallon of Stewarts’ cream and coffee fudge ice cream. So, I’m all set for this Labor Day weekend Sunday.

Today I’m finishing up the audiobook for The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky which is a second read (well, listen) because I’ll be joining a “Forever YA” book discussion and this is September’s book. The things you forget after five years!

When I take my reading outside with a drink (ice cream will be for later), I’ll also finish up The Brave by James Bird before diving in to Erik Larson’s In the Garden of Beasts.

What are you reading on National Read a Book Day?

 
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Posted by on September 6, 2020 in Events, Nonfiction, Upcoming Releases, Young Adult

 

Books with a side of food appreciation

04 Sep

The other day I was with a friend who has a deep love for good food as do I. She chose a perfect place to go and we shared plates and mmm-ed our way through the brunch. Not only do I love the act of eating good food, I love reading about food too– fiction, nonfiction, essays, you name it. Here is a roundup of some recently-read favorites in no specific order. 

This quick nonfiction book is just a little different in that it’s not really about celebrating food, but instead broadening the horizons of what can be used as food because of the changing climate. Specifically how insects are good protein sources and some weeds are actually great on a sandwich. Right before Thanksgiving I was treated to an insect quesadilla by our AP Environmental teacher who does “Bugsgiving” before the break for students to try alternative protein sources in food. I had recently recommended he read Messner’s Chirp and he sent me down that delightful treat. Food.

I’ve already blogged about this book and Danyal’s love of cooking even when it means his parents disapproval is heartwarming and fierce. Cooking and/or baking is many things to many people: let it be a career or let it be a hobby, but no one should tell you not to pursue a passion you have and this YA book sends that message. 

While not really centered on food, Mila moving to the farm in order to tutor and find respite does have more than one foray into the appreciation of farm-fresh food and flowers which helps her heal. The family sells flowers and food at the farmer’s market each week and the farmhouse table in which all of the adopted kids, “employees”, and adults sit for meals is cozy and heartfelt in how sharing both the ritual of making food and breaking bread is a healing balm. 

I never knew I needed a tea pet to keep me company while sipping tea until I read Teatime Around the World. It shares rituals and cultural ways to prepare tea around the world with brightly colored scenes and sparing narrative. I learned more about my lifeblood: tea and new ways to prepare and enjoy it.

What happens when there’s a friendly (not so friendly) food competition in school as a way to get back at your ex? That’s half of the story of The Secret Recipe for Moving On. Ellie has just had a hard breakup with her boyfriend who has moved on, but she needs a reason to do just that and putting her energy into the misfit group she’s assigned in Home Ec is just the recipe. 

Two girls come together in a shared mission to get their mothers together and create the best dish to enter into a competition even when their initial meeting was tepid at best. Sarah and Elizabeth are from two different cultures and if they place their trust in each other, the best kind of dish can emerge. It’s about friendship and food with the most romantic and delightful title. 

This is only a handful. I love how food seeps into many stories be it picture books or ones for adult audiences. Do you have a recent favorite that references food?

 
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Posted by on September 4, 2020 in Childrens, Cover Love, Fiction, Middle grade, Nonfiction, Young Adult

 

A readathon in pictures

09 Aug

I’m a shameless promoter for the Dewey’s 24-hour readathon because it’s a welcome break from other life activities in order to spend time doing something I love. 

Here is my readathon in pictures and narrative:

I always end the readathon by thanking my husband for tolerating being ignored for generally all of the event or hearing the echo of an audiobook wherever I’m moving in the house. He built the fire for ambience on a beautiful summer night when I enjoyed my amaretto cocktail at the 8pm end time in celebration. 

I also high-five my two boys who are now middle schoolers who participate– both for about 8 hours of the 24 hours. They packed it in around 12:28am for bed which I wasn’t expecting since they were at a sleepover the night before. 

There was the midnight-ish snack which has become a readathon tradition, having a hand-packed pint or pre-packed pint of ice cream from Stewart’s, which is totally an upstate New York thing. I picked a seasonal hand-packed pint called Mango Dragon Fruit Sherbet and it was stellar. It was a perfect pick for a blast of summer in a cup. 

Which if you can see the book pictured with the ice cream, it lent itself to the hour 7 Instagram challenge of matching your book cover- I think I nailed it. While I didn’t post the picture until later for the hour 13 challenge, when I’m munching and reading a print book, here is my favorite recent gift: a book weight. This has saved my reading life in so many ways. 

Another tradition is my bathtub reading. I’m of the same mind as Sylvia Plath who is quoted as saying

There must be quite a few things a hot bath won’t cure, but I don’t know many of them.

So a few book options came with me into the tub. I don’t have a fancy set up but I did throw in some bath salts. 

And even though the goal is 24 hours of reading, I also still have a household to keep running, so I spent a few of those hours still doing housework or cooking while listening to an audiobook. And I got my workout in too, which was a square on the BINGO card. I listened to The Feather Thief while hitting the elliptical. This audiobook is also another tradition for me for readathons, reading or listening to a book about animals, this one about a heist of bird feathers that is part of a larger ring of the illegal sales of banned bird species skins and feathers. While I did finish that one, I also rolled into the other audiobook about a girl growing up with her grandfather who was a beekeeper. 

I spent most of the day Saturday outdoors since the early morning thunder and lightning ushered in a cool but still warm weekend day where I also enjoyed some iced coffee. I don’t always drink coffee, but when I do, it’s iced. 

I take breaks throughout with my audiobook on, including eye breaks in general but also when I moderate a few hours of Goodreads discussions on the readathon page. In addition, I co-hosted hour 7’s post on their WordPress site. I love the connection to other readers and find it’s another way to do this and also show my appreciation for the organizers. 

Alas, I was getting close to the end and knew I had a blackout BINGO card which I shared along with my read stack when the clock struck 8pm. Needless to say, I slept well that night: a combination of sleep deprivation and a beautiful summertime fire.

Until October 24th, bookworms!

 
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Posted by on August 9, 2020 in Events, Fiction, Graphic novels, Miscellaneous, Nonfiction, Poetry, Quotes, Young Adult

 

Outstanding book of the month for July 2020

31 Jul

What I have enjoyed about starting this post at the end of each month is that it forces me to review what I’ve read and refile my thoughts about them and also rank them– not picking the top seven or top three, but really picking one that stuck out.

Behold, July’s outstanding book…. Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron.

There are plenty of fans of retellings out there and if you are one of them, then make sure this one is on your TBR. The book is built on strong, memorable characters and challenging society (in this fantasy novel and in real life). It’s hard to separate Sophia and Constance, one readers meet Constance. Both have their motivations, Constance several generations removed from the stepsisters of Cinderella’s story, but Sophia wants to challenge the status quo of this kingdom, lorded over by the prince. She sees her friends readying themselves for the ball where they will be selected by a man who can then do whatever he pleases with her. Not only does Sophia not want to marry, she doesn’t want a husband. Erin has been her love for quite some time but is reluctant to run away from the kingdom with Sophia and is instead resigned to a life similar to everyone else’s.

And it’s Sophia and Erin’s first ball, that is one of several scenes in the book that are memorable. The ballroom itself appears in climactic scenes in the story to anchor the fantasy that most readers have of the Cinderella narrative. And Bayron turns it on its head, especially when the united pair of Sophia and Constance along with the fairy godmother raise Cinderella from the dead in another scene. How else can you alter your view of the sparkling, glass-slippered Cinderella than to raid her tomb and use a potion to reinvigorate her for a few minutes? Just as your version of a fairy godmother changes when the girls go into the White Wood and find her too.

Because not all that glitters… and one of the memorable quotes is what Sophia knew in her gut from the start but is slowly revealed as she goes on her quest to take down the prince.

I think sometimes we make the mistake of thinking monsters are abhorrent aberrations, lurking in the darkest recesses, when the truth is far more disturbing. The most monstrous men are those who sit in plain sight, daring you to challenge them.

Yes, the entire book is that powerful with a few crazy happenings in between. The feminist perspective with intersectional characters and a challenge of stories we hold dear not only feels so right for 2020, but also for our teens.

If Bayron now decides to do some more retellings, I’ll be waiting over here with my cup of tea.

 
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Posted by on July 31, 2020 in Book of the Month, Cover Love, Fiction, Young Adult

 

Rewind: Recently-read graphic novel favorites

14 Jul

Today I’ll be co-presenting with Jack Phoenix, a public librarian who wrote a book called Maximizing the Impact of Comics in Your Library for School Library Connection (SLC) via webinar. We’re walking through five practices to transform your libraries as it relates to graphic novels, so it goes without saying that I’m going to share some recently-read favorites in no particular order.

  • Heavy Vinyl (Volumes 1 & 2) by Usdin
  • The Tea Dragon Festival (Tea Dragon #2) by O’Neill
  • Motor Crush #2 by Fletcher
  • Miles Morales: Spider-Man (Volumes 1 & 2) by Ahmed

Yes, all of these happen to be fiction and I’ve definitely read a handful of nonfiction titles too that you can check out on my Goodreads account. Suffice it to say, these were the ones that stuck out because of their story and their artwork.

I have a huge student fan of Motor Crush, so when I saw volume 2 was out via Hoopla, I pounced in reading it. And it was just how I remembered the world from volume 1, just like Tea Dragon.

As for Miles Morales, you can’t go wrong with the action and adventure in addition to the humor amidst the seriousness. It’s probably also while I was so caught up in Heavy Vinyl. A less sci-fi version of Paper Girls, these ladies who work at Vinyl Destination in the 90s moonlight as a fight club working to solve a mystery. The strength of their individuality is made stronger when they’re together.

There’s nothing better than feasting visually on well-made graphic novels when the story is as strong as the illustrations which I can say is why I’m advising everyone take a look at these.

 
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Posted by on July 14, 2020 in Fiction, Graphic novels, Young Adult

 
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