Title: Fangirl
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Published: 2013
Source: Local Library
Summary: Cath is bewildered and intimidated by her first year of college. She's not rooming with her twin sister, as she'd assumed she would. Her classes are harder than she thought, a guy in her writing class seems to be using her ideas for his own project, her terrifying roommate keeps bringing her (possibly?) boyfriend around, who is equally terrifying because he actually seems interested in Cath.
The only touchstone is her ongoing epic fanfic, which she's hurrying to finish before the final book in the series comes out. In the world of Simon Snow, a world that's nurtured her and her sister since their mother left, she's in control. But it's the only place where she is.
First Impressions: Yikes did this cut close to the bone.
Later On: Rainbow Rowell has a reputation for RIP UR HEART OUT!! emotional stories, and since this is the first one I've read, I can see where she gets it. Cath is a raw nerve, and her emotions, not only around Levi but around everything are constantly close to the surface. I said it cut close to the bone because this was basically my college experience (except for the sweet boy who adored me, unfortunately). I think a lot of kids get in over their head and intimidated, and feel more isolated because they think that the nonstop party portrayed in TV and movies is what everyone else is experiencing. By contrast, this felt entirely real.
I have to mention how much I appreciated the respect that fandom got in this book. As a longtime fic writer in various fandoms (including, full disclosure, Harry Potter), I was prepared to see it mocked and belittled as an activity for children, or at least for people who couldn't handle the world. I also loved the way Cath's relationship to her own fic writing changed and grew as she did.
I wish that we'd gotten more acknowledgement from other characters of how profoundly Cath was freaking in, as much as Wren was freaking out. While writing and posting fic was a nurturing and supportive activity for her, she often used it to retreat from the world and escape her own fears as much as Wren was using drinking and partying to do the same.
Something in the back of my mind was the backlash against Rowell for her stereotyped portrayal of Asian characters in her previous novel, Eleanor & Park. This was a pretty white book (two fairly minor characters were Latino), so we didn't get any bad portrayals of POC, but we didn't get any fleshed-out good ones either. Do with that what you will.
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Blog: Confessions of a Bibliovore (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: book review, YA lit, Fangirl, Rainbow Rowell, Add a tag
By: Cynthia Leitich Smith,
on 4/21/2016
Blog: cynsations (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: J.K. Rowling, writing process, David Levithan, Jane Austen, Ernest Hemmingway, Barbara Kingsolver, Rainbow Rowell, craft advice, Laura Herrington, Add a tag
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@lashwatson
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations
As I finished writing my second YA novel, I worried that my writing was getting stagnant.
What if I was learning bad habits that I would repeat through all of my future novels?
In order to glean some knowledge about my writing, I completed grammatical analyses on the first chapters of works by some of my favorite authors (Jane Austen, Ernest Hemingway, Barbara Kingsolver, David Levithan, Rainbow Rowell, and J.K. Rowling), and on my own novel.
I calculated percentages of sentences that begin with a subject, adverb, etc. I also looked at percentages of sentence type used: fragments, complex sentences, etc.
Here’s what I learned:
When reading your manuscript straight through for errors, highlighting different parts of speech individually (nouns, verbs, adverbs…) is an excellent editing method. This is how I started the project, and while it didn’t teach me much about my writing, scanning it piecemeal made the text pop in a different way. I discovered a dozen small errors and typos that I and my writing group had not yet found (in the first 50 pages alone).
Levithan had the highest percentages of simple sentences and of sentences beginning with subjects (65%), but his writing is still some of the most poetic, jazzy, and prismatic writing I’ve read. Maybe this is because of the many gorgeous participial phrases in the middle or at the end of his sentences.
Similarly, Rowell’s writing gets more interesting (lots of fragments composed of participial phrases) whenever the protagonist waxes nostalgic about his girlfriend. Much like Levithan, her fragments make seemingly small, subtle emotional steps that work.
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Complexity is also okay. One myth among young writers is that long sentences are always run-on sentences. This is untrue.
Take Hemingway, who is surprisingly complex. Because of his reputation as a straightforward, clear writer, I expected him to score high in fragments, but he had the least of anyone: only 2.2%.
Use a range of tools. As far as sentence starters, Rowling definitely uses the widest range of tools. It’s probably not a coincidence that her varied writing has captivated children and adults alike.
Don’t focus too much on statistics. Initially, I thought that the best writing would have the greatest variation. But some sentence starters and structures work better depending on the author’s voice and the novel’s contents; Hemingway and Kingsolver, for example, punctuate their long, complex sentences with short, punchy ones. This may not make the most interesting graph, but it sets their voices apart and makes for great fiction.
My sample size is admittedly small. I’m only looking at first chapters, and there’s plenty more to learn. But my brain hurts from too much data entry, and the boarding school from my third novel beckons.
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Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Young Adult, Young Adult Fiction, Book Lists, Chapter Books, YA Books, The New York Times, HarperTeen, Best Sellers, Philomel Books, Ruta Sepetys, Teens: Young Adults, Leigh Bardugo, Rainbow Rowell, Best Kids Stories, Best Selling Books, Best YA, St. Martin's Griffin Books, Victoria Aveyard, Henry Holt & Co, Add a tag
This is a solid list that we're not budging on from last month! Our hand-picked list from the Best Selling Young Adult books listed on The New York Times includes both Glass Sword and Red Queen, by Victoria Aveyard.
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By: Martha Brockenbrough,
on 2/13/2016
Blog: The Official SCBWI 10th Annual New York Conference Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Rainbow Rowell, #NY16SCBWI, Add a tag
Rainbow Rowell (rhymes with towel) is the beloved bestselling author of books for adults and teens.
SCBWI executive director Lin Oliver, herself a bestselling author, conducted a warm fireside chat with Rainbow about her books and her life. And yeah, there really was a fireplace projected on the screen, because the SCBWI does things right.
Here are some of the highlights:
Rainbow started her career as a journalist and columnist for the Omaha World-Herald. There were some useful things. For example, she didn't get writers block. "At a newspaper, writer's block means tomorrow you're fired." There were also some downsides—working as a journalist was hard on her writerly voice.
During that time, someone asked her what sort of writing she was doing for herself, and after a while, she realized the only writing she'd done for herself was love letters—that may or may not have been read. ("Mine were too long. They needed editing.")
She started writing THE ATTACHMENTS to do something for herself. She wrote that in third person past tense.
CARRY ON, though, was written in first person."I think when you're writing first person, you're really writing monologues," she said.
Her characters have little pieces of her in them. "Human beings are more complicated than fictional characters, and there's enough of you to split into seeds (which become the characters of your books)."
As she writes, she doesn't think about how they're being marketed. ELEANOR & PARK was released as an adult title in the UK, where it "bombed," as hard as it is to believe that. St. Martins Press published it as YA in the states—and Rainbow says they were the only publisher who wanted it. It might have been different had they taken it to YA publishers instead of adult. St. Martins does both.
Her agent describes her work as "funny/sad," which means it's sad but still makes you laugh a lot. "It's so much harder to be funny than it is to be sad," she said. "You can read the newspaper if it's sad. I personally like things better if they're both."
"Sometimes the pressure of writing makes you want to sound official, so you aspire toward something that's not you because it sounds more professional," she said. When she was a journalist, she used to imagine telling the stories she was writing to her husband or her mom.
When writing fiction, she gave herself permission just to write—not to go back in and edit and change things. If it made her laugh, it was good enough.
Lin observed that many of Rainbow's characters seem to be outsiders. But to Rainbow, more people feel like the outside than feel on the inside, especially young people. It wouldn't have occurred to her to write people who don't feel this way. "It's who we are."
Rainbow likes to talk about her characters with her agent. The characters appear to her pretty well formed and compelling. But talking to good listeners who don't try to build on her characters, and instead just let her develop them, is helpful. She adds details as she's talking about it. She also builds playlists that help her fill her characters out a bit.
Sometimes her characters don't do what she expected them to do in scenes. She gets to know them better as she writes.
CARRY ON has Star Wars, Superman, Harry Potter and Twilight references. It's a book she wrote for people who had some of the same pop culture references as she does. This meant she didn't have to explain a lot of references, but that she could also play against people's expectations.
Rainbow has a lovely and resonant philosophy about her characters and their stories (and about human beings in the real world too): We're all good people trying hard. And there is value in trying hard.
She shared so much advice and insight for us and really showed us where her magical books come from: her generous heart. Her voice on the page is her voice in real life. If you haven't read her books, you're in for an extraordinary experience. Move them to the top of your pile.
Rainbow's website
Rainbow on Twitter
Rainbow on Facebook
By: Lee Wind, M.Ed.,
on 2/13/2016
Blog: The Official SCBWI 10th Annual New York Conference Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: young adult, craft, Martha Brockenbrough, Rainbow Rowell, #NY16SCBWI, Add a tag
I'm so excited about this session! Rainbow Rowell is the New York Times bestselling author of the Young Adult novels Eleanor & Park and Fangirl and Carry On. She's even received a Printz Honor for Eleanor & Park!*
They're talking about Creating Teen Characters, and you'd think it would feel like this:
But it really felt like this:
Rainbow and Martha had great, in-depth discussion and we were right there. They spoke about the shift that happens for writing a teen's perspective, and the shift that happens for a teen reader (versus an adult.) Rainbow said,
"I don't think about audience... I can get stalled."
They both worked as journalists, and Rainbow spoke of the good training that was (like how it was great for dialog and made her not so precious about her writing) and the challenges that same background created (her voice got "slammed out.") Rainbow joked about her contemporary realistic novels,
"What I'm doing is journalism, but lying."
Martha played the song "Hast Thou Considered The Tetrapod" by The Mountain Goats so we could all hear a bit of it. Rainbow then told us about how the song (and the whole album) inspired her novel Eleanor & Park, and "how it unlocked me." They spoke about different tools they use to get into the writing. Martha used period photos for The Game of Love and Death. Rainbow uses music as a "shortcut to get back to the emotion of that scene," describing a particular scene from Eleanor & Park and how it had a specific song.
They spoke about diversity of characters, aspirational characters versus real characters, and Rainbow's breakthrough in writing fantasy. It was a great story, about research and tropes (and playing with tropes) and how Rainbow ultimately realized that for fantasy, "I've read enough to find my own voice in it."
There was so much more, and Rainbow also answered questions from the rapt audience.
Two final bits of wisdom:
Speaking about today's teens versus the teens of the 1980s, Martha Brockenbrough said,
"We've been this age, we know what we need to know."
Telling us of a particular character she found challenging to write, (Agatha in Carry On), Rainbow said,
"As an author, you need to find your way in."
And then she explained how she found her way into Agatha... So fascinating!
Useful. Inspiring. Very special.
What a breakout session!
*Check out all of Rainbow's titles here.
**Check out all of Martha's titles here.
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Book Lists, Chapter Books, HarperTeen, Best Sellers, Delacorte Press, Teens: Young Adults, Leigh Bardugo, Rainbow Rowell, Best Kids Stories, St. Martin's Griffin Books, Henry Holt and Co. books, Victoria Aveyard, Nicola Yoon, Add a tag
Our hand-picked list from the Best Selling Young Adult list from The New York Times includes a revisit of Red Queen, by Victoria Aveyard. The best selling young adult titles include books by super-talent Rainbow Rowell.
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By: Roger Sutton,
on 1/5/2016
Blog: Read Roger - The Horn Book editor's rants and raves (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Reviews of the Week, hbmjan16, hbmjan16revs, YA, Reviews, fiction, high school, Recommended Books, Horn Book Magazine, rainbow rowell, Add a tag
Carry On: The Rise and Fall of Simon Snow
by Rainbow Rowell
High School St. Martin’s Griffin 522 pp.
10/15 978-1-250-04955-1 $19.99
e-book ed. 978-1-4668-5054-5 $9.99
In Fangirl (rev. 11/13), protagonist Cath wrote fanfiction for the fictitious “Simon Snow” fantasy series. Now Rowell has written a novel set in Simon Snow’s universe and using many conventions of fanfiction, most notably “slash” (in this case non-graphic), usually defined as a wish-fulfilling relationship between two characters of the same sex who, in the original work, are not a romantic couple. Simon, the most powerful mage in centuries, uncovers secrets during his final year at Watford School of Magicks that call into question his long-held beliefs about sharp lines between good and evil. He also begins to realize that his obsession with his probably-a-vampire roommate Baz may not be purely antagonistic. The novel is longer than it needs to be — just kiss already, Simon and Baz — and the many alternating narrators are a little dense when it comes to solving several related mysteries. But there’s plenty to enjoy along the way, including clever names for spells (“These aren’t the droids you’re looking for” makes oddities like dragon parts on a human unnoticeable) and plenty of wit. Reading Fangirl first isn’t strictly necessary — the brief author’s note covers the basics — and the metatextual concept is somewhere on the spectrum between confusing and fascinating, depending on one’s perspective. A working knowledge of the Harry Potter books and other popular fandoms isn’t absolutely essential either, but it makes this send-up a lot more fun.
From the January/February 2016 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.
The post Review of Carry On: The Rise and Fall of Simon Snow appeared first on The Horn Book.
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Chapter Books, featured, HarperTeen, Best Sellers, Delacorte Press, Jay Kristoff, Teens: Young Adults, Leigh Bardugo, Amie Kaufman, Rainbow Rowell, Best Kids Stories, Henry Holt and Co. books, Victoria Aveyard, Nicola Yoon, St. Martin’s Griffin, Book Lists, Add a tag
Our hand-picked list from the Best Selling Young Adult list from The New York Times includes a revisit of Red Queen, by Victoria Aveyard.
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By: Maryann Yin,
on 12/11/2015
Blog: Galley Cat (Mediabistro) (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Rainbow Rowell, Elena Ferrante, Helen MacDonald, J..K. Rowling, Awards, Add a tag
TIME has revealed its “Top 10 Everything of 2015″ lists. Four of the lists focus on literary-themed topics: Top 10 Fiction Books, Top 10 Nonfiction Books, Top 10 YA & Children’s Books, and J.K. Rowling’s 10 Biggest Harry Potter Revelations.
The books that claimed the number one spots include The Story of the Lost Child by Elena Ferrante, H Is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald, and Carry On by Rainbow Rowell. Below, we’ve collected free samples of these books for your reading pleasure.
Free Samples of TIME’s Top Books
Top Fiction Book: The Story of the Lost Child by Elena Ferrante
Top Nonfiction Book: H Is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald
Top Children’s Book: Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
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JacketFlap tags: Young Adult Fiction, Book Lists, Chapter Books, The New York Times, Best Sellers, Delacorte Press, Knopf Books for Young Readers, Henry Holt and Co., Jay Kristoff, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, Marie Lu, Teens: Young Adults, Leigh Bardugo, Amie Kaufman, Rainbow Rowell, Best Kids Stories, Best Selling Books, Best YA, Nicola Yoon, St. Martin’s Griffin, Add a tag
Our hand-picked list from the Best Selling Young Adult list from The New York Times remains the same this month. The best selling young adult titles include books by super-talents Rainbow Rowell and Marie Lu.
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JacketFlap tags: Fantasy: Supernatural Fiction, Teens: Young Adults, Rainbow Rowell, Best YA, St. Martin’s Press, Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Chapter Books, Best Sellers, Add a tag
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: HarperCollins, Neil Gaiman, Young Adult, Young Adult Fiction, Book Lists, Chapter Books, Jenny Han, YA Books, The New York Times, featured, Sarah Dessen, Best Sellers, Delacorte Press, Chris Riddell, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Teens: Young Adults, Rainbow Rowell, Best Kids Stories, Best Selling Books, Best YA, St. Martin's Griffin Books, HarperTeen Books, Victoria Aveyard, Viking Books for Young Readers, Nicola Yoon, Add a tag
This month, the best selling young adult titles include books by super-talents Neil Gaiman, Chris Riddell, Rainbow Rowell and Sarah Dessen.
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By: The PubCrawl Crew,
on 10/2/2015
Blog: Pub(lishing) Crawl (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Rick Riordan, Patrick Ness, Carry On, Alexandra Bracken, Jay Kristoff, Pharrell Williams, Marie Lu, Amie Kaufman, Upcoming Titles, Rainbow Rowell, Emma Mills, Cassandra Rose Clarke, Happy!, Mindy McGinnis, E. K. Johnston, Robert Galbraith, Robin Talley, Ann Leckie, The Sword of Summer, A Madness So Discreet, A Thousand Nights, Against a Brightening Sky, Amy Ewing, Ancillary Mercy, Career of Evil, Emiko Jean, First & Then, Illuminae, Jaime Lee Moyer, Our Lady of the Ice, The Rest of Us Just Live Here, The Rose Society, The White Rose, Through the Dark, We'll Never Be Apart, What We Left Behind, Add a tag
Hello, readers! Once again, we’ve brought out the Upcoming Titles feature. This month we’re focusing a bit on spooky reads as October is HALLOWEEN MONTH! (Or at least that’s what all the stores tell us.) As always, this is by no means a comprehensive list of forthcoming releases, just a compilation of titles we think our readers (and our contributors!) would enjoy.
Without further ado:
October 6th
- Through the Dark (A Darkest Minds novella compilation) by Alexandra Bracken**
- Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
- The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness
- Happy! by Pharrell Williams
- The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan
- Against a Brightening Sky by Jaime Lee Moyer
- Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie
- The White Rose by Amy Ewing
- We’ll Never Be Apart by Emiko Jean
- A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis
- A Thousand Nights by E. K. Johnston
October 13th
- The Rose Society by Marie Lu**
- First & Then by Emma Mills
October 20th
- Illuminae by Amie Kaufman** and Jay Kristoff
- Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith1
October 27th
- Our Lady of the Ice by Cassandra Rose Clarke
- What We Left Behind by Robin Talley
** Distinguished PubCrawl alumni
- The pseudonym of J.K. Rowling ↩
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: St. Martin's Griffin Books, Best New Kids Books, Johanna Basford, Lindsay Mattick, Joseph Kuefler, Mark Zug, Shadow Mountain Publishing, HarperCollins, Mo willems, Ages 0-3, Ages 4-8, Ages 9-12, Book Lists, Angie Sage, Candlewick Press, featured, Sophie Blackall, Rick Riordan, DK Publishing, Knopf Books for Young Readers, Brandon Mull, Patrick McDonnell, Tony DiTerlizzi, Katherine Tegen Books, Little Brown Books for Young Readers, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Penguin Books, Patrick Ness, John Flanagan, Kenneth Oppel, Jon Klassen, Philomel Books, Balzer + Bray, Sara Raasch, Pamela Zagarenski, James Dean, Stephan Pastis, Jay Kristoff, Philip C. Stead, Erin E. Stead, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, Marie Lu, Teens: Young Adults, Best Books for Kids, Daniel Lipkowitz, Amie Kaufman, Rainbow Rowell, Best Kids Stories, HMH Books for Young Readers, Add a tag
Hot New Releases & Popular Kids Stories We think our list of the best new kids books for October is sensational! It highlights some amazing books from many different genres: non-fiction, reality fiction, and fantasy. Take a gander and let us know which titles and covers catch your eye ... Read the rest of this post
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Check out our hand-picked list from the Best Selling Young Adult list from The New York Times.
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By: Monica Zepeda,
on 6/21/2015
Blog: The Librarian Writer (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: audiobook, Landline, Rainbow Rowell, Add a tag
Title: Landline Author: Rainbow Rowell Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman Publisher: Macmillan Audio Publication Date: July 8, 2014 ISBN-13: 978-1427239327 Listening copy via public library Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor & Park is still crazy popular, and maybe one day it'll be in the library long enough for me to check it out. In the meantime, I listened to the audiobook of Landline. Landline isn't YA,
By: Samantha McGinnis,
on 5/21/2015
Blog: First Book (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: book list, Book lists, Books & Reading, Authors & Illustrators, Grace Lin, book recommendation, children’s literature, children's book recommendations, Books for Kids, Meghan McCarthy, Summer reading for kids, Eleanor & Park, Rainbow Rowell, Marc Barnett, Mike Curato, Little Elliot Big City, First Book Favorites, The Terrible Two, Ling and Ting: Not Exactly the Same!, Strong Man: The Story of Charles Atlas, Add a tag
Our May book list includes fun, magical books featuring adventures with an adorable elephant, funny stories about sisters for young readers, the story of strong man Charles Atlas, a laugh-out-loud tale about pranksters and one of the best teen romances ever written.
Pre-K – K (Ages 3-6):
Little Elliot, Big City By: Mike Curato
Elliot loves the adventure of living in the city but his size often gets in his way. Readers’ hearts will melt when Elliot meets an unlikely friend at just the right moment and the two take on the town together. A sweet, beautifully illustrated book!
For 1st & 2nd grade (Ages 6-8):
Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same! By: Grace Lin
Young readers will be utterly charmed by these funny stories about a delightful pair of sisters and their everyday adventures. Clever and funny, this series is great for kids who are ready for beginning books with chapters.
For 3rd & 4th grade (Ages 8-10):
Strong Man: The Story of Charles Atlas By: Meghan McCarthy
Who knew that Charles Atlas, the so-called “Strong Man” who once pulled a 145,000 pound train with his bare hands, was bullied as a kid? This inspirational picture book biography with playful cartoon illustrations is a great starting point for conversations about kindness, healthy eating, and healthy living.
5th & 6th grade (Ages 10-12):
The Terrible Two By: Marc Barnett
It’s prankster vs. prankster in this hugely appealing story, great for reluctant and eager readers alike. Get ready to laugh your pants off, read the funniest bits aloud to your friends, and even learn some very interesting facts about cows!
7th & up (Ages 13+):
Eleanor & Park By: Rainbow Rowell
Every so often a young adult novel comes along that is so remarkable you want to press it into the hands of everyone you meet. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE BOOKS! Pure magic, it might just be the best teen love story ever written.
The post Monthly Book List: Our Five Favorite Books for May appeared first on First Book Blog.
By: Maryann Yin,
on 4/24/2015
Blog: Galley Cat (Mediabistro) (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Authors, Publishing, Rainbow Rowell, Add a tag
The cover for Rainbow Rowell’s forthcoming young adult novel, Carry On, has been unveiled. We’ve embedded the full image above—what do you think?
Both the United States and United Kingdom editions will feature this jacket design. St. Martin’s Press has set the release date for October 6th.
BuzzFeed reports that this story follows two characters named Simon Snow and Baz Pitch. Rowell’s loyal fans might recognize that the protagonists of this story were first mentioned in her 2013 bestseller, Fangirl.
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By: Nina @ Death, Books, and Tea,
on 12/31/2014
Blog: Death Books and Tea (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: kim curran, rainbow rowell, end of year survey, robin stevens, joe hill, david levithan, marjane satrapi, patrick ness, malinda lo, end of year lists, cat clarke, james dawson, Add a tag
2014 Reading Stats
Number Of Books You Read: 110
Number of Re-Reads: 6 (Harry Potter & The Philosopher’s Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Frankenstein, The Huger Games, Mockingjay, and The Hobbit)
Genre You Read The Most From: I don’t know because I don’t keep track. I plan to work it out some day though, so watch this space.
Out of a shortlist of Adaptation, Delete, and this, my favourite this year was probably A Kiss in the Dark by Cat Clarke.
2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith. I’d heard many great things about it, but the writing style slowed it down and I couldn’t get into it as much as I wanted.
Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare. I knew it was bloody, but four deaths within a few lines... well.
Either This Book is Gay by James Dawson, or Persepolis by MarjaneSatrapi.
5. Best series you started in 2014? Best Sequel of 2014? Best Series Ender of 2014?Series: Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens. Sequel: Inheritance by Malinda Lo. Ender: Delete by Kim Curran.
6. Favourite new author you discovered in 2014?Joe Hill. I’d seen good things about him, but never bothered to read anything. Then I read Heart Shaped Box and really enjoyed it.
I read mostly within my comfort zone, but I think I’ll put down Phillip Larkin’s poetry from The Whitsun Weddings, which I read (and analysed) for school. initially thoroughly depressing, but it grew on me.
Delete by Kim Curran. Another of my “cannot put down” reads J
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley for school? Eh, I don’t know. Reread love comes and goes. But maybe Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, in preparation for Carry On.
This Book is Gay by James Dawson. It’s bold, eye catching, simple, and it works exceedingly well.
Laureth Peak from She Is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgewick. It’s such a good book and so much more than it seems and fuller explanation will follow.
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2014?Persepolis, again. Also, More than This by Patrick Ness, even if I really didn’t get on with the book as a whole.
Persepolis, again.
Persepolis, again *will try not to use this again* Also, The Princess Bride by William Golding.
15. Favourite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2014?From Fanny and Stella by Neil McKenna, “French male prostitutes in drag... wore false bosoms made from boiled sheep’s...lungs... “One of the prostitutes complained to me the other day” the Parisian doctor François-Auguste Veyne reported “that a cat had eaten one of his breasts which he had left to cool down in his attic.”
Shortest: The Card Sharp or The Snake Charm by Laura Lam. Longest: Winter of the Worlds by Ken Follett.
17. Book That Shocked You The MostTwo Boys Kissing by David Levithan because it was SO MUCH BETTER than my expectations that were based on Boy Meets Boy. Does massive improvement count as shock? I don’t know, but it was definitely unexpected.
18. OTP OF THE YEARReese/David/Amber from Adaptation by Malinda Lo.
Daisy and Hazel from Murder Most Unladylike. So much love and fun.
Delete by Kim Curran.
Can’t think of one.
Amber from Adaptation.
Trouble by Non Pratt. Looking forwards to Remix!
24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?Best worldbuilding: The Wall by William Sutcliffe. Most vivid: The Mirror Empire by Kameron Hurley.
Fanny and Stella by Neil McKenna, or American Savage by Matt Whyman.
Can’t think of one. Sorry.
Or one for here.
28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan because COOPER.
Grasshopper Jungle by Alexander Smith.
More Than This by Patrick Ness. What feels like fifty pages of a character walking around and describing scenery with not much else happening just...ugh.
I’ve mostly been keeping in contact with bloggers via means other than their blogs, and the people who I love, I can’t think of people who I definitely discovered in 2014. But down the side, there’s links to bloggers! Go check them out!
None of my book reviews stand out for me. But I do quite like my theatre reviews, so if you’re interested, go have a look.
Mr. Gove, you are the UK's education secretary. Educate. #saveourbooks
With the help of Georgia’s graphics, there were many of us speaking about against Gove’s reforms to the GCSE and Alevel English syllabus.
Hmm... I loved the Ken Follett and Cat Clarke and David Levithan and James Dawson talks and signings. Honourable mention for best event goes to the Divergent premier!
Some of the many many conversations I’ve had with some people in the past year. You guys rock.
I think my post on my We Need Diverse Books display counts by views, if you take into account its tumblr notes, after being reblogged by authors and the WNDB team!
Ugh. Can’t think. Sorry.
No. *laughs* (goodreads doesn’t count becasue I’d adjusted it halfway through the year!)
The many on my ex-to read pile of doom. Especially Look Who’s Back by Tim Viernes.
Prudence by Gail Carriger because I can’t wait to go back and maybe get bits of Alexia and Maccon, as well as seeing the new things.
Tatum Flynn’s D’Evil Diaries. Looks funny, and has been compared to Good Omens, which I love.
Does Carry On count as a tie-in or sequel to Fangirl? It’s going here.
None.
Thank you so much for sticking with me, even though it’s been relatively quiet around here. That goes to all of you-readers, publishers, bloggers, authors, everyone. I hope be blogging more soon, and interact with blogs, not just the bloggers behind them, more. I also hope to pick up some failed projects from earlier on in the year- anyone still up for Bard to Bookshelf?
By: Nina @ Death, Books, and Tea,
on 12/29/2014
Blog: Death Books and Tea (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: rick riordan, gail carriger, cat clarke, james dawson, rainbow rowell, laura lam, lisa williamson, iw gregorio, abbie rushton, becky albertalli, francesca zappia, jennifer latham, n non pratt, tim clare, Add a tag
The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson (January) What: Two boys. Two secrets.David Piper has always been an outsider. His parents think he’s gay. The school bully thinks he’s a freak. Only his two best friends know the real truth – David wants to be a girl. On the first day at his new school Leo Denton has one goal – to be invisible. Attracting the attention of the most beautiful girl in year eleven is definitely not part of that plan. When Leo stands up for David in a fight, an unlikely friendship forms. But things are about to get messy. Because at Eden Park School secrets have a funny habit of not staying secret for long…
Why: You know I try and keep up with all the lgbtq fiction being published (and mostly fail, but hey). But lots of people whose taste in books I like have said it’s really good, so hopefully I’ll enjoy it too.
Unspeakable by Abbie Rushton (February)Pushing away the people she cares about is just a small price to pay. Because there are things locked inside Megan's head - things that are screaming to be heard - that she cannot, must not, let out.
Then Jasmine starts at school: bubbly, beautiful, talkative Jasmine. And for reasons Megan can't quite understand, life starts to look a bit brighter.
Megan would love to speak again, and it seems like Jasmine might be the answer. But if she finds her voice, will she lose everything else?
What: Does this not look adorable? And also maybe emotional? I want to know Megan’s secrets!
What: When Prudence Alessandra Maccon Akeldama (Rue to her friends) is given an unexpected dirigible, she does what any sensible female would under similar circumstances - names it the Spotted Crumpet and floats to India in pursuit of the perfect cup of tea. But India has more than just tea on offer. Rue stumbles upon a plot involving local dissidents, a kidnapped brigadier's wife, and some awfully familiar Scottish werewolves. Faced with a dire crisis and an embarrassing lack of bloomers, what else is a young lady of good breeding to do but turn metanatural and find out everyone's secrets, even thousand-year-old fuzzy ones?
Why: I absolutely love the Parasol Protectorate series, and Prudence, as a child, was pure comedy gold and wonderful to read about. I’m sure her grownup adventures will be similar!
Under My Skin by James Dawson (March)What: Seventeen-year-old Sally Feather is not exactly a rebel. Her super-conservative parents and her treatment at the hands of high school bullies means that Sally’s about as shy and retiring as they come – but all that’s about to change. Accidentally ending up in the seedier side of town one day, Sally finds herself mysteriously lured to an almost-hidden tattoo parlour – and once inside, Sally is quickly seduced by its charming owner, Rosita, and her talk of how having a secret tattoo can be as empowering as it is thrilling. Almost before she knows what she is doing, Sally selects sexy pin-up Molly Sue, and has her tattooed on her back – hoping that Molly Sue will inspire her to be as confident and popular as she is in her dreams.
But things quickly take a nightmareish turn. Almost immediately, Sally begins to hear voices in her head – or rather, one voice in particular: Molly Sue’s. And she has no interest in staying quiet and being a good girl – in fact, she’s mighty delighted to have a body to take charge of again. Sally slowly realises that she is unable to control Molly Sue… and before long she’s going to find out the hard way what it truly means to have somebody ‘under your skin’
Why: James Dawson is a generally brilliant author, and this looks like it’ll be another great read. Because tattoos and pinup girls and possibly horror and most likely humour in places. Also, the cover and pink page spray is gorgeous.
What: A groundbreaking story about a teenage girl who discovers she's intersex . . . and what happens when her secret is revealed to the entire school. Incredibly compelling and sensitively told, None of the Above is a thought-provoking novel that explores what it means to be a boy, a girl, or something in between.
What if everything you knew about yourself changed in an instant?
When Kristin Lattimer is voted homecoming queen, it seems like another piece of her ideal life has fallen into place. She's a champion hurdler with a full scholarship to college and she's madly in love with her boyfriend. In fact, she's decided that she's ready to take things to the next level with him.
But Kristin's first time isn't the perfect moment she's planned--something is very wrong. A visit to the doctor reveals the truth: Kristin is intersex, which means that though she outwardly looks like a girl, she has male chromosomes, not to mention boy "parts."
Dealing with her body is difficult enough, but when her diagnosis is leaked to the whole school, Kristin's entire identity is thrown into question. As her world unravels, can she come to terms with her new self
Why: The title was what caught my attention. Then finding out that it’s a contemporary about an intersex teen made me want to read it.
The Honours by Tim Clare (April)What:TRUE HONOUR IS ENDLESS. JOIN US. 1935. Norfolk. War is looming in Great Britain and the sprawling country estate of Alderberen Hall is shadowed by suspicion and paranoia. Thirteen-year-old Delphine Venner is determined to uncover the secrets of the Hall's elite society, which has taken in her gullible mother and unstable father. As she explores the house and discovers the secret network of hidden passages that thread through the estate, Delphine uncovers a world more dark and threatening than she ever imagined. With the help of head gamekeeper Mr Garforth, Delphine must learn the bloody lessons of war and find the soldier within herself in time to battle the deadly forces amassing in the woods . . .
The Honours is a dark, glittering and dangerously unputdownable novel which invites you to enter a thrilling and fantastical world unlike any other.
Why: After seeing his Be Kind to Yourself and Grave Invaders in Edinburgh, I have decided that Tim Clare is a wonderful poet and I’d be very interested in seeing whatever prose he put out. The fact that it’s historical and fantasy and mystery is a bonus.
Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (April)What: Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.
With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.
Why: Another lgbtq piece, which looks like it’ll be cute and funny and those who have already read it seem to love it.
Alex fights a daily battle to figure out the difference between reality and delusion. Armed with a take-no-prisoners attitude, her camera, a Magic 8-Ball, and her only ally (her little sister), Alex wages a war against her schizophrenia, determined to stay sane long enough to get into college. She’s pretty optimistic about her chances until classes begin, and she runs into Miles. Didn't she imagine him? Before she knows it, Alex is making friends, going to parties, falling in love, and experiencing all the usual rites of passage for teenagers. But Alex is used to being crazy. She’s not prepared for normal.
Funny, provoking, and ultimately moving, this debut novel featuring the quintessential unreliable narrator will have readers turning the pages and trying to figure out what is real and what is made up.
Why: I haven’t read many books dealing mostly with mental health an it’s a topic I’d like to be more informed about.
What: A taut psychological thriller...about a girl whose young sister was abducted and returns to the family as a teenager.
Why: Cat Clarke is one another one of those authors I will read anything by. Taut psychological thriller? Heck yes.
What: Meet Scarlett, a smart, sarcastic, kick-butt, Muslim American heroine, ready to take on crime in her hometown of Las Almas. When a new case finds the private eye caught up in a centuries-old battle of evil genies and ancient curses, Scarlett discovers that her own family secrets may have more to do with the situation than she thinks -- and that cracking the case could lead to solving her father's murder.
Jennifer Latham delivers a compelling story and a character to remember in this one-of-a-kind debut novel.
Why: Genies and curses and diversity. Need I say more?
What: I don’t know.
Why: Trouble was brilliant and I just want to read more of what Non writes.
What: Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother's mysterious death, he's lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers. One day, he's tracked down by an uncle he's never met—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. His uncle tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god. The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years. When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision. Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . .
Why: Percy Jackson is, I think, the second major series I ever got in to- I was in middle school when I read Lightning Thief and discovered it was pure perfection. Despite having gotten majorly behind with the many series, the fact there’s a new one still makes me excited. Plus, non classical gods!
What: Simon Snow just wants to relax and savor his last year at the Watford School of Magicks, but no one will let him. His girlfriend broke up with him, his best friend is a pest, and his mentor keeps trying to hide him away in the mountains where maybe he’ll be safe. Simon can’t even enjoy the fact that his roommate and longtime nemesis is missing, because he can’t stop worrying about the evil git. Plus there are ghosts. And vampires. And actual evil things trying to shut Simon down. When you’re the most powerful magician the world has ever known, you never get to relax and savor anything. Carry On is a ghost story, a love story, a mystery and a melodrama. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story — but far, far more monsters.
Why: Fangirl was adorable (review to come) and I loved the insight into fandom and dedication that I see from so many people on the internet and the complete Harry Potter parody that translated so well but had a spin so Rainbow made it her own. And the excerpts throughout Fangirl were very goo, so to see the whole the fic Cathy that was writing thoughout Fangirl will be very exciting.
What: Book 3 of the Micah Gray series.
Why: I love that series so much. It may or may not be released next year, but if it is, it makes this list (if not, it makes the list of books I want released one day).
By: Maryann Yin,
on 12/24/2014
Blog: Galley Cat (Mediabistro) (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: John Green, Michael Crichton, Thomas Harris, Rainbow Rowell, George Orwell, Twitter, J.D. Salinger, George R.R. Martin, Harper Lee, Gillian Flynn, Add a tag
BookVibe has examined 80 million Twitter posts from the past 12 months. Quartz reports that the data shows that the most popular book on the Twittersphere is The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.
Green’s hit young adult novel was mentioned in 1.2 million tweets. The books that made it onto the top 10 list are a mix of recently published hit titles and classic icons of literature; several of them have inspired highly successful film adaptations.
According to the article, “recent research suggests that film adaptations of books have the ability to influence people to read, so while critics may bemoan the latest adaptation of a book for the silver screen, the halo effect does increase the book’s readership which, at the end of it all, is exactly what the author wants.” Below, we’ve featured the full top 10 list—what do you think?
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
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By: Savita Kalhan,
on 12/4/2014
Blog: An Awfully Big Blog Adventure (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Neil Gaiman, Jonathan Stroud, Tanya Landman, Marie-Louise Jensen, Pat Walsh, Savita Kalhan, Helen Grant, Rainbow Rowell, teen/YA lit, Che Golden, Add a tag
Buffalo Soldier by Tanya Landman
Between Two Seas by Marie-Louise Jensen
The Unicorn Hunter by Che Golden 
By: Maryann Yin,
on 12/2/2014
Blog: Galley Cat (Mediabistro) (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Anthony Doerr, Helen Rappaport, Deborah Harkness, Marina Keegan, Rainbow Rowell, Andy Weir, Georges Jeanty, Esther Earl, Fábio Moon, Lang Leav, Lori Earl, Pierce Brown, Sophia Amoruso, Wayne Earl, Zack Whedon, Awards, Mo Willems, E. Lockhart, Stephen King, Goodreads, Cassandra Clare, Rick Riordan, Ina Garten, Amy Poehler, Diana Gabaldon, Anne Rice, Add a tag
Goodreads has announced the winners of this year’s Goodreads Choice Awards. With 46,154 votes, Landline by Rainbow Rowell has won in the Best Fiction category.
We’ve linked to samples of all the winning titles below. Did your favorite writer make it to the end?
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Add a CommentBlog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Sara Zarr, Libba Bray, Events, Young Adult Fiction, James Dashner, featured, Sarah Dessen, Nikki Grimes, Charleston, Melissa de la Cruz, Random House Children's Books, Little Brown Books for Young Readers, Gayle Forman, Aaron Hartzler, Stephanie Perkins, Margaret Stohl, Kathy Reichs, Disney-Hyperion, Veronica Roth, Ally Condie, Pseudonymous Bosch, Adam Gidwitz, Teens: Young Adults, Rainbow Rowell, Brendan Reichs, Epic Reads, Blue Bicycle Books, Jonathan Sanchez, Penguin Teen, YALLFest, YALLFest14, Add a tag
The heart of Young Adult Fiction descended into picturesque Charleston, SC on November 7, 2014 as 60 Young Adult authors, including 37 New York Times bestsellers, joined together for the 4th Annual Charleston Young Adult Book Festival (“YALLFest”).
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By: Roger Sutton,
on 10/21/2014
Blog: Read Roger - The Horn Book editor's rants and raves (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Oct 27 2014 readings, School, high school, rainbow rowell, Eleanor and Park, Lolly's Classroom, Add a tag
Rainbow Rowell’s nontraditional romance novel Eleanor and Park portrays a young love that is genuine in its intimacy and awkwardness, as well as the painful realities of life that are well beyond the control of the young protagonists. What are the entry points in the story for readers whose lives are very different from those of the two main characters, set in the 1980s? Why, do you think, has this book resonated so powerfully with young readers and critics alike?
The post Eleanor and Park appeared first on The Horn Book.
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