Superlatives Blogfest 2013: Best in Show
It’s time for the 3rd Annual YA Superlative Blogfest! Jessica Love, Tracey Neithercott, Alison Miller, and Katy Upperman host this blogfest, which highlights favorite YA novels, covers, characters, and story elements. It’s fun to go through the list of 2013 YA releases I’ve read, and it’s even more fun to get a bunch of new titles to add to my TBR list. Today wraps up the blogfest with Best in Show.
Best in Show
Favorite Cover: I loved the cover for The Art of Wishing–it was dreamy but grounded, and it had a lovely script-inspired font.
Most Likely to Make You Miss Your Bedtime (Book you couldn’t put down): The 5th Wave, definitely. Once I started reading, I should’ve cleared my calendar. It was truly unputdownable.
Best Repeat Performance (Favorite sequel or follow-up): This feels like a cheat, but Just One Year. Both books were their own stories within a closely tied pair. I suppose Just One Year could’ve felt redundant, but instead it built on the story in Just One Day, beautifully.
Best Old-Timer (Your favorite read of the year published BEFORE 2013): I finally read Code Name Verity this year, which was worth the wait. (Or maybe I shouldn’t have waited, because it’s a really excellent, powerful book.)
Book Most Likely to Make a Grown Man Cry: Probably Second Chance Summer, which is such a tearjerker that the book should be shrink-wrapped with a big box of Kleenex.
Most Pleasant Surprise (Book you didn’t think you’d like, but totally did): I’m going to have to give this one to The 5th Wave, too–I don’t like aliens, and sci fi/dystopians are not usually my thing. But I really enjoyed this one.
Favorite Outlier (Favorite picture, middle grade, or adult 2013 book): A favorite MG of this year was Tim Federle’s Better Nate Than Ever, which is hilarious and heartwarming, and should be required reading for mildly disgruntled New Yorkers. It made me want to go kick up my heels in Times Square–and that’s saying something!
My superlative: Best Friendship: And that goes to Red. I love reading about strong, honest, and supportive female friendships, and that’s exactly what Felicity’s trio is!
What were your picks for Head of the Class? I skipped over a few categories, so I’d love to hear your picks for those!
Reviews!
In the December 15th issue, Kirkus reviewed When Audrey Met Alice–and they liked it!
“This charming debut brings Alice Roosevelt to life when 13-year-old ‘first daughter’ Audrey finds Alice’s century-old diary and turns to it for advice . . . Behrens invents a fictional Alice, as she reveals in her author’s note, and writes the diary entries in credible period prose that’s still accessible to modern readers. Audrey knows that she’s just a normal girl for all that she lives in the White House, making Audrey and the story nicely accessible.
An appealing journey and a fascinating life.”
The full Kirkus review is here: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/rebecca-behrens/when-audrey-met-alice/
And Publishers Weekly called When Audrey Met Alice an “entertaining debut” and said, “Alice’s (invented) journal entries appear throughout and offer a window into the life of this fearless historical figure though, as Behrens notes, ‘when it came to good fiction versus factual accuracy, fiction won.’ Details of life in the White House, combined with Audrey’s more ordinary struggles (including the potential for a first boyfriend), will keep readers hooked.” The full PW review is here: http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-4022-8642-1.
It’s pretty surreal to see my book in Kirkus and PW, and I couldn’t be happier with what the reviewers have said. 🙂
Superlatives Blogfest 2013: Head of the Class
It’s time for the 3rd Annual YA Superlative Blogfest! Jessica Love, Tracey Neithercott, Alison Miller, and Katy Upperman host this blogfest, which highlights favorite YA novels, covers, characters, and story elements. It’s fun to go through the list of 2013 YA releases I’ve read, and it’s even more fun to get a bunch of new titles to add to my TBR list. Today kicks off the blogfest with Head of the Class, and I’ll be posting again on Thursday for Best in Show.
Head of the Class
Favorite Science Fiction: I was a little iffy on how to categorize The 5th Wave, but I’m pretty sure it fits best as Science Fiction. This book is riveting, and I can’t wait for the sequel, out this spring. Coming from someone who regularly has nightmares about alien invasions, that says a lot.
Favorite Contemporary: Sure, Just One Day/Just One Year are technically romances. But what I loved about this contemporary duo was how the very romantic story was about self-discovery (for both characters!) as it was about love and passion. The journey, both literal and figurative, that we went on with Allyson and Willem was as sweetly compelling as the romance.
Favorite Historical Fiction: Out of the Easy is full of secrets and strong women and a really great setting (the French Quarter of New Orleans in the 1950s). Ruta Sepetys again has created characters and places that you can’t soon forget.
Favorite Comedy: Alison Cherry’s Red is technically a satire–and it’s a wickedly funny one. IMHO, the best humor is smart humor, and the pageant shenanigans in Scarletville are full of that.
Favorite Paranormal: Speaking of funny, The Art of Wishing is also hilarious–and full of action and romance. Margo is a relatable, funny, and smart narrator, and I adored her passion for music. I’m excited for The Fourth Wish this spring, so I can figure out what happens next with gender-bendy genies.
Favorite Family Drama: Bring your tissues for the family drama in Second Chance Summer, which tackles very tough subject matter with grace, empathy, love, and just the right amount of humor. This one is moving and memorable.
What were your picks for Head of the Class? I skipped over a few categories (Favorite Dystopian, Favorite Fantasy, Favorite Action/Adventure, Favorite Mystery, Favorite Romance, Favorite Genre Bender), so I’d love to hear your picks for those!
Bookanista Rec: The Desperate Adventures of Zeno & Alya
It’s time for another Bookanista recommendation: Jane Kelley’s heartwarming and hopeful MG The Desperate Adventures of Zeno & Alya.
Here’s the summary from Goodreads:
An orphaned African grey parrot who can speak 127 words. A girl so sick, she has forgotten what it means to try. Fate––and a banana nut muffin––bring them together. Will their shared encounter help them journey through storms inside and out? Will they lose their way, or will they find what really matters?
Here is a story that will remind readers how navigating so many of life’s desperate adventures requires friendship and, above all, hope.
I totally fell in love with Zeno, the “booful, briyant bird” at the heart of this story—and I’m slightly in awe of the incredible voice Jane Kelley created for the feathered characters in this story, from parrots to pigeons to hawks. I knew a little about the intelligence of African grey parrots before reading this book; now I’m fascinated by them. (Kelley drew from Dr. Irene Pepperberg’s research on parrots to write the book—read this article on the famously intelligent real bird Alex to learn more about them.)
But The Desperate Adventures of Zeno & Alya isn’t only an animal story; it’s also a book about a young girl struggling to fight a devastating illness. I enjoyed the realistic depiction of Alya’s loving family (particularly her supportive older brother), who all work so hard to take care of her during her cancer treatment. But I loved that it was through Alya’s serendipitous relationship with Zeno that she gained hope and strength.
Without a doubt, this is one of my favorite MG reads of the year: for its richly drawn and relatable characters, skilled writing, and uplifting powerful message.
I’ll never eat another banana nut muffin without smiling and thinking fondly of the most brilliant bird in Brooklyn.
See what my fellow Bookanistas are recommending today:
What’s Up Wednesday, 12/4
What’s Up Wednesday is a weekly meme that helps readers and writers touch base with blog friends. If you’d like to join in, you can find the link widget on Jaime’s and Erin’s blog posts. I love this idea because it gives a structured, easy way for me to keep up with blogging. Also, the buttons are cute (especially this winter scene). Thanks for the idea, Jaime and Erin!
What I’m Reading
All the ARCs. Right now, I have copies of Open Road Summer, All Four Stars, What the Moon Said, and Ask Again Later on my desk or en route to me. It’s a smorgasbord of 2014 debuts!
What I’m Writing
So, November is over. The status of the project I was kinda sorta NaNoing? Done! I definitely limped to the finish line, but as of Friday, November 29 I have a completed first draft. I wound up writing about 42,000 words in November, which I’m really proud of. It was fun to try to write without a filter and kick out a fast first draft. This WIP is one I wanted to write just for my own enjoyment and creativity–it’s not something I’m going to work actively toward publishing anytime soon. For that reason, I didn’t want to take too much time to write the first draft. I started writing it in early October, making this the fastest I’ve ever completed a draft–70,000 words in a little less than 2 months. And I’m usually a fairly slow writer!
That said, I’ve realized that for me to be happy with my writing and the overall process, I should allow myself a little more time in the future, or at least do a better job of outlining before diving in. (This was also my first largely pantsed project.) I’m glad I did my pseudo NaNo, though, and I’m looking forward to sometime revisiting this WIP in between other projects. I also believe that it’s never a bad thing to try a new way of working–even if it ends up not being your thing, it can teach you a lot about your process and preferences.
What I’m writing now (and for the rest of the month): Nada. It’s time for a break and IRL holiday stuff.
What Inspires Me Right Now
Holiday stuff: I held off until the day after Thanksgiving to get out decorations and fire up my playlists, but from now until the 26th, it’s Christmastime.
I’m also inspired by all the people who shopped at their local indie bookstores on Small Business Saturday. Particularly these shoppers! http://whitehouse.tumblr.com/post/68607360338/president-obama-sasha-and-malia-shop-for-books
What Else I’ve Been Up To
Listening to my nephew coo and gurgle in the background when I call my sister. He’s pretty adorable; I’m a happy aunt.
And eating pie. Lots and lots of pie.
So what have you been up to lately?
Thankful for Booksellers, Teachers, and Librarians
When I was growing up in Madison, WI, there was a wonderful children’s bookstore on Monroe Street called Pooh Corner. It’s been gone for decades, sadly, but I still can remember the way it felt to grab a book and plop down on the carpet to read it. When I was little, the real bear doll that A.A. Milne’s son Christopher owned was on display in the store (and secured in a bank vault at night). Pooh Corner wasn’t just a store but both a second home and a wonderland for book-loving kids like me. I would beg my mom to stop the car and let us go in whenever we drove past.
In fifth grade, I loved to write and illustrate stories. (A lot of them were about opinionated bunnies, for some reason.) Sometimes these stories probably distracted me from whatever the actual lesson was. But my fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Gerlach, always encouraged my creativity. Sometimes she’d ask for more, telling me that she loved to read what I came up with. It made me feel so proud of myself, and it spurred me to keep creating. I still have an assignment from that class on which we had to write our goals–I wrote that when I grow up, I wanted to publish a book. Mrs. Gerlach made me feel like that was totally something I should do, and she’d be cheering for me as I tried.
Like a lot of shy and bookish kids, middle school was a place where I rarely felt comfortable. One big exception was my middle school’s library. I knew that whenever I walked in, I would get both a hug and a new book to read from Mrs. Holt. She always had something waiting behind the desk for me, and she every book she put in my hands was curated especially for my reading tastes. She would even order certain books for the library because she thought I (or my best friend, Megan) would like to read them, which made us feel like Very Important Readers. Even if I dreaded going back to school in the fall, I couldn’t wait to get back to the library and see which books Mrs. Holt had found for us over the summer.
So among the many things I’m grateful for this time of year, I’m thankful for booksellers, teachers, and librarians. Partly for how they support authors like me now, but mostly for how they use literacy as a tool for compassion, acceptance, creativity, and growth. Turning kids into readers is a great thing.
I’m posting this as part of the Class of 2K14’s Thanksgiving blogfest. Check out what other debut authors are giving thanks for on our website: www.classof2k14.com
What’s Up Wednesday, 11/13
What’s Up Wednesday is a weekly meme that helps readers and writers touch base with blog friends. If you’d like to join in, you can find the link widget on Jaime’s and Erin’s blog posts. I love this idea because it gives a structured, easy way for me to keep up with blogging. Also, the buttons are cute. Thanks for the idea, Jaime and Erin!
What I’m Reading
I just finished two great MG reads, Rachel Searles’s The Lost Planet and Jane Kelley’s The Desperate Adventures of Zeno & Alya. Now I’m reading South of Superior–I loved the author’s MG book, Prairie Evers, so I hope I’ll love this, too!
What I’m Writing
See yesterday’s post about the project I’m kinda sorta NaNoing.
What Inspires Me Right Now
This post from Natalia Sylvester on revising her approach to NaNo, and this one from Leila Austin at YA Highway about what isn’t failure. They’re great perspective for the craziness that is writing in November.
I was also super excited to read the Kirkus review for my friend Michelle’s debut, I Heart Band. They loved it!
What Else I’ve Been Up To
Well, mostly writing and working. But I’m excited to head back to the Midwest to meet my new nephew this weekend.
So what have you been up to lately?
On NaNo, ten days in
In the past, I’ve used the NaNo energy and camaraderie to write lots–I think last year I did about 30K in November of the project I was working on. But I’ve never done NaNo “for real” before. Truthfully, I’m not even doing that now–I had 28,000 words of the project I’m working on written before the month began. But I did decide that I wanted to NaNo to finish or hit 50K, whichever comes first. And so ever since the clock struck midnight on November 1, I’ve been working for my average of 1,667 words a day, with the 50K goal in mind. (I think finishing this project will take about that many words.)
How’s it going so far? I want to travel back in time and throw a parade for everyone who has finished NaNo in the past because WOW is this hard. When I am drafting, I typically average about 1,000 words a day–but I am not usually able to write every single day. Maybe I do 2,400 on a great Sunday and the following Monday through Wednesday I write nothing. Regardless of how often I write, the 7,000-8,000 words/week average seems to really work for me. At that pace, I’m writing fast enough that my first-draft antsiness isn’t a problem, but not so fast that I get burnt out.
Naively, I thought that upping my average to 1,667 would not be so bad. And while it isn’t terrible–I’m not crying into my pillow every night, and so far I’ve been keeping up with that pace–I’m learning a lot about what makes me a happy writer and a successful drafter, namely: This is too fast for me.* I need a little more time to think things through and to let myself recharge. Of course, there are benefits to the NaNo pace, too–when I hit the middle of my story, I didn’t have the option of muddling in it. I got creative and kept going. The choices I made in forging ahead might have created a hot plot mess, but at least I’m moving forward instead of stalling and starting to second-guess myself, which has been a problem for me in the past.
Because I’m a perfectionist type who loves goals and deadlines, I’m going to keep trying for the 50K goal (also because I want to take December off from writing to read and do holiday things). Even if I don’t make it–and some upcoming travel might derail my plans a bit–I’m proud of how much I’ve already done, and happy with what the NaNo experience is teaching me about my sweet-spot for a writing pace as well showing me how I can use goal-setting to boost creativity.
If you’re doing NaNo, how’s it going? If you’ve done it in the past, how was your experience?
*Duh, right?
What’s Up Wednesday, 10/30
What’s Up Wednesday is a weekly meme that helps readers and writers touch base with blog friends. If you’d like to join in, you can find the link widget on Jaime’s and Erin’s blog posts. I love this idea because it gives a structured, easy way for me to keep up with blogging. Also, the buttons are cute. Thanks for the idea, Jaime and Erin!
What I’m Reading
Last week I read Steve Martin’s An Object of Beauty, which was a story of high art, love, money, and ambition–told in a very readable Steve Martin-y voice. Now I’m finally reading Alison Cherry’s Red! Truth: It’s making me want to dye my hair.
A photo from Alison’s Red launch party, taken by Ghenet! (l to r, Michelle Schusterman, Lauren Magaziner, Emery Lord, me, and Kim Liggett)
What I’m Writing
I’ve decided to work on a “palate cleanser” project–something just for fun, and for me–and I think I might try to NaNo to finish it. Which definitely makes me an unofficial NaNoer. But I’m excited to try to push myself to write as close to 50K words as I can next month!
What Inspires Me Right Now
Still loving the Halloween time of year. Last weekend I went on a Ghost Tour of Greenwich Village, and it was super fun. (Super touristy, yes, but I strongly believe that sometimes tourists know how to have a really good time, and there is no shame in joining them.) The stories the guide told as we scuffed through leaves on the quiet, dark Village streets were fascinating–and inspiring. Not only did I have a total “I heart NY” night, but it gave me lots of ideas. (Okay, some of those ideas might have made me afraid of my basement. And convinced that the sound of a trailing vine scritch-scratching the window at night is actually a skeleton’s hand. I love ghost stories, but I also scare ridiculously easily.)
What Else I’ve Been Up To
Becoming an aunt! My nephew was born in the wee hours on Monday morning. He’s adorable, and I am counting the days until I hop a plane to meet him.
So what have you been up to lately?
What’s Up Wednesday 10/16
What’s Up Wednesday is a weekly meme that helps readers and writers touch base with blog friends. If you’d like to join in, you can find the link widget on Jaime’s and Erin’s blog posts. I love this idea because it gives a structured, easy way for me to keep up with blogging. Also, the buttons are cute. Thanks for the idea, Jaime and Erin!
What I’m Reading
Last week I read Just One Year in just one day. I loved getting to see the other side of the story; I’ll say nothing else because I don’t want to spoil anything. Then I lucked into an ARC of Nikki Loftin’s Nightingale’s Nest. It’s beautiful and unique and haunting, and I’m savoring every word.
What I’m Writing
Still doing odds and ends for the business side of writing. When I’m not doing that, I am playing around with a new idea. This is a project I’d maybe like to work on for NaNo in some form. I guess for now I’m treating it more like a writing exercise and less like a WIP, if that makes sense. Sometimes you need space to play with words in order to work with them.
What Inspires Me Right Now
I had the day off on Monday, so I went up to the Bronx Zoo. A lot of little kids were running around in their adorable Halloween costumes. Dime-store capes and some face paint are all it takes to let them create adventures for themselves. It’s always fun to see children being imaginative and playful, and I find the creativity surrounding Halloween really inspiring–that’s probably why it’s one of my favorite holidays. (Also the candy. Mmm, candy. I think I might actually get trick-or-treaters this year, so I have an excuse to stock up.)
What Else I’ve Been Up To
Last Friday I went to Alison Cherry’s launch party for her debut, Red! It was at the lovely BookCourt in Brooklyn, and it was a fabulous time.
And in other news, there’s a Goodreads ARC giveaway for When Audrey Met Alice going on right now. You can sign up here!
So what have you been up to lately?
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