My Top 5 YA Books of 2011

This is a Top 5 list I did for The Nightstand blog, but seeing as it’s almost the end of the year, I thought I’d repost it here. This was an exciting year for YA, full of controversy, innovation, and reinvention. Angels and mermaids charged into the paranormal fray, contemporaries made their mark in the wake of Stephanie Perkins's delightful Anna and Lola, and dystopians of all shapes and sizes took the literary world by storm. Here are my stand-out choices for 2011:

5. We’ll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

What a wonderful end to a wonderful trilogy. It took me a while to warm up to Belly and her agonizing love triangle, but by the third book, I was completely caught up in the angst, the dizzying romance, and the pitch-perfect voice of this entire series. I was sad to see summer end.

4. Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

Oh, Sophie, you make me laugh, and your potential suitors make me swoon. Hawkins manipulated my emotions so masterfully that I’m completely torn between Archer and Cal—the true sign of a well-executed love triangle. The storyline is so engaging and the dialogue so sparkling that I defy you to read it in more than one sitting. Pure fun from beginning to end.

3. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Unearthly really threw me. I was growing tired of paranormals with their impossibly beautiful love interests, and then came Unearthly with a completely new angel mythology wrapped up in an engaging contemporary package. Clara seemed so real to me, flawed and lovable, and the Wyoming setting was so original and grounded that the paranormal elements never stretched credibility. And then there's Tucker. Where have all the cowboys gone? Wyoming, apparently. An excellent start to a new series.

2. Divergent by Veronica Roth

This book was probably THE phenomenon of 2011. And it totally lived up to the hype. Compulsively readable, complex, and full of wicked twists and turns, this was a dystopian with bite. I loved that Tris was no Mary Sue; she’s feisty, proud, and stubborn with a pretty big chip on her shoulder. But she's also brave and selfless. And Four—what to say about Four? Strong, sexy, and brooding, he makes Tris earn his respect. Possibly my favorite love interest of 2011.

1. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Beautifully written, haunting, and original, Daughter of Smoke and Bone blew me away. While the higher fantasy of the last section lost me a little, for most of the book, I was completely swept up in Taylor’s prose and in the world she created. The lush descriptions of Prague had me itching to wander medieval streets and linger in dark cafes. The Marrakesh scenes are so vivid I could practically taste the dust in my mouth. And the forbidden romance between Karou and Akiva is full of such crackling tension and aching sweetness you don't want the book to end. Simply gorgeous writing and brilliant storytelling.

What was your favorite read of 2011?

YA Books up for Grabs!

This week was all about starting over—cleaning up after Hurricane Irene, heading back to school after a summer spent writing, and thinking about all the changes this year will bring. And with change comes both excitement and stress. One of the ways I deal with stress is by trying to streamline my life, so this past week I gathered up a number of used books to send out to a library struck down by Irene. If you're looking to donate some of your own books, please check out Kate Messner's blog post below about an Adirondack library that lost almost everything to the floods. They are especially in need of children's picture books.

http://kmessner.livejournal.com/207580.html?style=mine&nc=20#


Although the bulk of my books will go to charity, I have a few recent releases that I wanted to give away here on my blog! All you have to do is comment below with your first choice. If more than one person requests a title, I will select a winner at random.

Here are the titles (and by the way, they were all great reads!):

Suzanne Young’s A Need so Beautiful

Jeri Smith-Ready’s Shade

Jessi Kirby’s Moonglass

Alexandra Monir’s Timeless

Kiersten White’s Paranormalcy

If any of the titles aren't requested, I'll send them on to the library. Unfortunately due to shipping costs, I can only mail within the US. Please request by Tuesday, 9/6. Have a safe and relaxing Labor Day weekend, and happy reading!

Trilogy Trauma

 

A friend of mine recently noticed that I’d been describing my upcoming book as “the first in a planned trilogy,” so she asked me, “How does one plan a trilogy?” Funny question…

First off, I will admit that I wrote A BREATH OF EYRE as “a stand-alone novel with series potential.” That basically means that while the first book leaves some plot threads unresolved, the story is self-contained with no cliffhangers. However, when I finished writing the book and began thinking about what my next project would be, I realized I hadn’t let go of those characters yet. They were still knocking around in my head, begging for their story to be continued. After all, my protagonist, Emma, is only 16 at the end of the first book, in which she “travels” into her favorite novel, Jane Eyre. I started wondering how Emma’s love of escaping into books might both cause her problems and continue her growth as a character over the next two years of high school.

And thus, “series potential” was born! I quickly wrote up a brief synopsis for two more books that would continue Emma’s literary adventures, choosing The Scarlet Letter and The Phantom of the Opera as the books Emma would travel into in the sequels. My agent sent the first book out on submission to publishers with synopses of the sequels attached, and the trilogy sold to Kensington/KTeen last November!

Since I hadn’t written a word of the sequel back then, I always referred to A BREATH OF EYRE as the first in a “planned trilogy,” as planning was all I had done to that point. Now, I am about twenty thousand words into the sequel, and I’m beginning to realize sequels are particularly nasty beasts. Here are a few reasons why:

1.     A sequel should have the same “feel” as the first book, but it should be significantly different to offer readers a new reading experience.

2.     New characters should be introduced, but you must also continue to focus on the characters from the first book.

3.     Resolve most story threads from book one, but introduce a boatload of new conflicts to drive the third book.

4.     Your protagonist must continue the character growth initiated in the first book, but leave some room for growth in the final installment.

5.     Try not to let your sequel fall into “sagging middle book” syndrome. Keep the energy and action high!

Phew! I don’t know how J.K. Rowling did all this over SEVEN books! (Possibly because she’s a genius?)

While I am definitely in the writing stages of the sequel now, I find I am still planning as I go, taking a look back at events from the first book, analyzing character motivations, anticipating major plot points that will happen in the third book, and trying to incorporate all of this into my outline for the second book, tentatively called A TOUCH OF SCARLET. For anyone who had to endure reading The Scarlet Letter in high school, you’ll probably remember that underneath Hawthorne’s laborious prose is a pretty gripping story about sex and sin and shame, but also about pride. I hope it promises to be a fun adventure for both my characters and for me!

White Water Rafting or Tubing: Which Reader Experience Do You Prefer?

I just finished Veronica Roth’s stellar debut, Divergent, about a young girl who shocks her family and herself when she becomes part of a societal faction that emphasizes bravery and action above all other traits. The plot is a breakneck succession of twists, turns, thrills, reversals, and near misses. You don’t linger in this book; you plow through it breathlessly trying to reach the end. That’s not to say it doesn’t have an emotional arc or that it doesn’t have something serious to say about society—it absolutely has both. But reading it is kind of like white water rafting—you don’t experience it so much as crash wildly through it. You are constantly on your guard, pulse pounding as you wait for the next life-or-death decision, the next training sequence, the next dangerous person hovering around the corner. Like a rafting excursion, it’s exhilarating, unpredictable, and oh so entertaining. And when it’s over, you can’t quite remember how you reached the end, only that it was an amazing ride.

Then there are the slow meandering stories, full of languorous scenes that don’t seem to know where they’re going but move along so very prettily. This reading experience is more like tubing—you lean back and let your face feel the sun, dip your feet and hands in the water which feels like silk, study the river bank to see what kinds of trees are growing there, and look ahead for the little tumbles of water that will somehow manage to thrill. Sometimes it seems as though you’re not moving forward at all or that nothing’s really happening, and yet the whole experience is so pleasurable you don’t really care. Think Sarah Addison Allen’s Garden Spells or Sarah Dessen’s The Truth About Forever. These books lull and seduce us to the end, whispering, we’ll get there when we get there; just enjoy the ride.

 

As a reader, I thoroughly enjoy both kinds of books, bouncing back and forth between the two as my mood and schedule dictate. The first kind of book lasts only a night. A wild, passionate one-night stand. The second kind I like to make last, spreading it out over a week or more so I can linger in its world. A long, beautiful picnic of a date that ends with moonlit kisses and secrets divulged under the stars. As a writer, I’m constantly trying to figure out what kind of books I want to write. Perhaps it doesn’t have to be an either-or; perhaps I can write the same way I read, seeking out adventure and danger in scenes as brisk and intoxicating as the river rapids, then retreating to the comfort of passages as slow and sultry as a summer afternoon.

In your book choices, are you a thrill-seeker or a basker? Any great reading suggestions for either?

Cover Lust (and Longing...)

I’m going to use today’s post as an excuse to:

1.     talk about the importance of book covers; and

2.     reveal the gorgeous cover for fellow Apocalypsie Leanna Renee Hieber's DARKER STILL, which releases 11/11 from Sourcebooks Fire

ISN’T IT STUNNING???

Book covers have been on my mind lately, particularly as it’s about a year before my book releases, right around the time when the art department should be sitting down to discuss possible concepts and design ideas. And these days, it seems so important to have a knock-out cover, particularly in the genre of young adult fiction. Why? you ask.

To be honest, I’m not sure. In this world of electronic everything, with e-books on the rise and Kindles and Nooks ending up in the hands of even former Luddites, the aspects of a physical book seem like they should matter less and less. And yet, covers still seem to possess a cult-like power over readers. There’s even a category on GoodReads called “Waiting-on-Cover,” almost as if to say, if the cover doesn’t excite, the consumer might not buy the book. For authors, cover reveals can be moments of true celebration or profound disappointment. Even in this age of abstraction, covers still seem to matter.

Having not yet crossed over the digital book divide myself, I still adore holding a real book in my hands, feeling the glossy cover and embossed title, studying the typeset, reading the synopsis and blurbs on the back. As I read the book, I like knowing that the cover is always there as a reference point, contributing to the overall mood of the novel. I know a cover shouldn’t have that much sway, but for me it does. And sometimes that’s a bad thing.

There have been books where I’ve longed to get sucked into the story and create my own versions of the characters and settings, but because of a heavy-handed design or a too-literal interpretation of story elements, the cover leaves nothing to my imagination. Try as might, I’m unable to get the cover image out of my head, and it almost spoils the experience, kind of like seeing a movie before reading the book (Horrors!). It’s awful when you can’t imagine the characters as anyone other than the actors who play them on the big screen.

Then there are just bad covers, full of poor color choices or strange and off-putting images, or the covers that are just bland, fading into a background of blah. I’m thankful that YA covers have stepped it up in recent years because when I was a pre-teen digging into my first YA titles, the predominant covers were cheesy and cartoonish. Take the cover for one of my all-time favorite YA books, Lois Duncan’s Stranger with My Face.

 

The book is so creepy and atmospheric and unique, and yet the cover is just so… ugh. Thankfully, the book got a makeover sometime during the 90’s.

Better, for sure, but  it got revamped once again in 2011 with a far more stylized design.

Today’s YA covers tend to be sophisticated, going for an audience beyond tweens and teens, hoping for the elusive crossover success of the Twilight and Hunger Games books. The best covers, in my opinion, are ones that don’t necessarily have much to do with the plot itself but are evocative, giving a sense of the type of reading experience this is going to be without giving away specific details. Here are some recent covers that have made me swoon:

So what do you think? What do you like in a cover? How important are covers to your book choices? Is it more important when you’re in an actual bookstore than online? Tell us, do you judge a book by its cover?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHARLOTTE BRONTË!

When I first read Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre in my junior year of high school, I thought it was the most passionate book I’d ever read. And when I considered that it had been written 140 years ago when women were discouraged from expressing even their tamest emotions, let alone their most ardent passions, it made Brontë’s achievement all the more stunning. From a 21^st century perspective, there are definitely some thorny little problems such as the mad wife in the attic and perhaps even the poignant yet slightly anti-feminist ending; however, the romance between the shy yet resolute Jane and her gruff, wounded Rochester is so intimate and real that it has stood the test of time. No matter how often I read the novel, the slow burn of feelings between Jane and Rochester never fails to move me. Each time, I sit with Jane in the firelight, studying Rochester’s rugged face until I grow to love it. And each time, I listen--rapt with longing--as Jane and Rochester’s relationship grows from a tentative friendship simmering with tension to a deep and abiding love.

 

It is this restrained but fiery romance that probably accounts for Jane Eyre’s timeless appeal and its recent revival in modern literature and pop culture. In 2010, April Lindner’s Jane retold the classic love story with Jane as a modern-day nanny for her rock star Rochester. Sherri Browning Erwin’s campy Jane Slayre transformed Jane into a feisty orphan pitted against zombies, vampires, and one pissed off werewolf. This spring also saw the release of Cary Fukunaga’s moody and lush adaptation of Jane Eyre for the big screen (although the 2006 BBC version still holds my heart). And this time next year, I'll throw my hat into the ring with my first young adult novel, A Breath of Eyre.

In honor of Charlotte Brontë’s birthday and the genius that is Jane Eyre, here is one of my favorite passages from the novel:

“My master's colorless, olive face, square, massive brow, broad and jetty eyebrows, deep eyes, strong features, firm, grim mouth,--all energy, decision, will,--were not beautiful, according to rule; but they were more than beautiful to me: they were full of an interest, an influence that quite mastered me,--that took my feelings from my own power and fettered them in his. I had not intended to love him: the reader knows I had wrought hard to extirpate from my soul the germs of love there detected; and now, at the first renewed view of him, they spontaneously revived, green and strong! He made me love him without looking at me."

Sigh, and swoon… 

Best Reads of 2010

I read a lot of Young Adult books this year because: 1) I’m trying to get inspired to write the next book in my YA Gothic Revival trilogy; and 2) I’ve been enjoying YA more than adult literature lately. Only two of my favorite titles this year were adult fiction. The YA books I’ve loved have been plot-driven, romantic, emotional, and extremely well written. The line between adult and young adult literature has been blurring of late, and in my opinion, that’s a good thing! Here are my top 8 picks for 2010:

1. Matched by Allie Condie—great dystopian novel about a society in which adolescents are matched with their future spouses, and all life decisions are strictly controlled by “The Society” until one girl decides to question the life that’s been chosen for her. Beautifully written and compelling. The first in a trilogy.

2. Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You by Peter Cameron—quiet, introspective novel about a disaffected teen coming to terms with his depression; reminiscent of The Catcher in the Rye with wonderful writing and a smart, ironic sense of humor.

3. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver—YA novel about a young girl who gets into a car accident and must relive her last day over and over again until she figures out where she went wrong—the book was plugged as Mean Girls meets Groundhog Day, but that doesn’t do it justice. The writing is beautiful, and the storyline is an emotional roller coaster. The protagonist is unlikable at first, but she goes on a journey of self-discovery and takes the reader with her.

4. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins—I was hesitant to select this as one of my top reads in 2010, only because I was disappointed with some of the ways Collins wraps up the loose ends of this amazing series. While reading the book, I couldn’t do anything else; it has the same level of tension and suspense as the previous books, but I felt the characters regressed a bit in this one, and some rushed scenes toward the climax made me feel even more disconnected from the characters. Even though my emotional response wasn’t what I’d hoped it would be, the book was still a brilliant feat of storytelling.

5. The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen—escapist women’s fiction about some broken souls in a small town who use a bit of magic to heal each other. Magical realism with a dash of romance. Sweet and ethereal, like cotton candy. (And isn't that cover gorgeous?)

6. Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey—a smart spoof on the vampire novel, but one that actually has strong writing and characterizations; Jessica is a sympathetic and plucky narrator, and the vampire hero, Lucius, is extremely funny and sexy. There is a free sequel of sorts on the author’s website: http://www.bethfantaskey.com/.

7. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand—an unexpected YA find about a girl who is part angel and must discover her purpose on earth, which puts her between two very appealing but different love interests. Beautiful descriptions of Wyoming scenery, a likeable heroine, and a fast-paced and romantic plot. The first in a trilogy. (I read this on NetGalley, but it officially comes out January 4. I think you’ll be hearing a lot more about this book in the near future.)

8. Little Bee by Chris Cleave—the most serious and literary of my choices; told in the dual perspectives of a young African refugee named Little Bee and the middle class woman whose life is forever changed by a chance encounter with Little Bee and her sister; a very surprising, disturbing, and emotional book. Great book club selection.

Happy New Year, everyone, and happy reading in 2011!

GOTHIC OCTOBER VIRTUAL BOOK CLUB!!

Okay, so school started a few weeks ago, and consequently, I skipped right over September’s Young Adult book club selection. For those who participated in August, I hope you enjoyed On Folly Beach as much as I did. Several people emailed me to say they were reading the book, but didn’t have a chance to finish in time to participate in the online forum. As long as people are finding good books to read, I’m happy.

While we didn’t have a huge turnout for On Folly Beach, I decided I’m going to keep at the virtual book club, if only to encourage myself to keep reading for pleasure during the school year. Anyone who’d like to read along with me is welcome, and I’ll post some discussion questions at the end of the month in case people want to chime in.

For October’s Gothic novel month, I’ve chosen a few contemporary Gothic novels that have been getting good buzz. Our good friend Wikipedia defines Gothic fiction as “a genre of literature that combines elements of both horror and romance… the effect of Gothic fiction feeds on a pleasing sort of terror, an extension of Romantic literary pleasures.” Sounds like fun, doesn’t it? Instead of selecting classic Gothic novels like Jane Eyre, Dracula, or Frankenstein, I assembled a collection of modern interpretations of the Gothic formula, some based on the classics themselves.

Jane is a modern retelling of Charlotte Brönte’s Jane Eyre. As jealous as I am (my agent is currently trying to sell my second manuscript, a Young Adult book inspired by Jane Eyre), I’ve been dying to read this adaptation, which updates the star-crossed lovers Jane and Rochester as a penniless nanny and a troubled rock star. It doesn’t come out until October 11th, but it might be worth the wait.

 Jane

The second book, The Forgotten Garden, sounds like a cross between Wuthering Heights and The Secret Garden, complete with an orphan, a wind-whipped Cornwall setting, lots of family secrets, and a mysterious garden shrouded by a thicket. Gothic bliss!

The Forgotten Garden

The final option, Out of the Shadows, follows a modern woman, Clara, who finds she is related to Frankenstein author, Mary Shelley. Told alternately through Clara’s narration and Mary Shelley’s letters, the book seems like it might be built around psychological tension rather than genuine suspense, but it sounds intriguing nonetheless.

Out of the Shadows

If any of these sound like winners, leave me a comment with your vote. I’ll be making my decision by the end of September. Hope you’ll join us for a spooky, Gothic October!!

Virtual Book Club Officially Open: On Folly Beach!!

Are you ready for Virtual Book Club? (By the way, I just saw a mash-up of Jane Austen’s books and the movie, Fight Club, called Jane Austen's Fight Club. Pretty hilarious if you want to take a look.)

August is Beach Book Month, and for anyone new, we’re going to be discussing On Folly Beach. I’ll start us off with a few big ideas from the Discussion Guide, but please feel free to comment on any aspect of the book you choose.

Also, I’m looking ahead to September as possible Young Adult Month, so if you have any suggestions or recommendations for YA reads, I’d love to hear them! A few I had in mind are Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games and Gayle Forman's If I Stay.

Okay, shall we get started with our On Folly Beach discussion? Some ideas to talk about:

1.    Setting: What did you think of Folly Beach as a setting? The author’s descriptions? The name “Folly Beach” and its significance?

2.    Characters: Who was your favorite? Anyone you didn’t like? Why? Anyone you had trouble wrapping your head around?

3.    Perspectives: Did you like that the story was told from the third person, but switched back and forth between WWII era and present day? Did you find yourself looking forward to reading one part over the other? Why?

4.    Mystery: If you’re finished, you know there’s quite a shocker toward the end. Did you see it coming? Feelings about it?

5.    Romance: There are several romantic relationships described in the book. Did one ring more true than another? Were they satisfying?

6.    English teacher question: Comment on a symbol, such as the bottle trees.

Remember, you don’t have to answer all questions, and you can talk about whatever you like. The discussion will no doubt be more lively if you read other people's comments first and respond to what’s already been said, as well as provide your own insights. We hope to hear from you soon!!

My Premature Summer Reading List

With longer, sunnier days and temperatures creeping into the high sixties, I am happy to say that summer is finally in sight. For me, that means a chance to do one of my favorite things in the world: read good books. I know it may seem a little premature, but I am already hording up books for all the idle, sunny days I’m imagining. The reality is, I probably won’t get to all of them, but just thinking about reading gives me a thrill. The books on my “To Be Read” list seem to fall into two major categories: escapist women’s fiction and dark, apocalyptic YA fiction—go figure. One thing that occurs to me is how many of these books have what I would call a “high concept,” some intriguing and original idea or twist that makes for a compelling premise. Many of the books have been getting great buzz, others are from my favorite authors, and still others are sequels to books I read this year and adored. So here it is, my premature summer reading list for summer, 2010:

1.    Elizabeth Berg The Last Time I Saw You—Who doesn’t love a high school reunion? This one is about several people preparing to attend their 40th reunion and trying to reconcile who they used to be with who they are now, if they even know.
2.    Claire Cook Seven Year Switch—Pure escapist fun about a mother starting over in mid-life, only to have her ex-husband return to complicate matters. Releases June 1.
3.    Alicia Bessette Simply From Scratch (debut coming August 2010)—A widow and young girl bond through baking—sounds heavenly!
4.    Allison Winn Scotch The One That I Want—Intriguing plot about a woman who is able to see her own future… can’t wait for this one!
5.    Sarah Pekkanen The Opposite of Me—Sibling rivalry, weddings, reinvention, and perhaps the redeeming message that you can go home again.
6.    Marilyn Brant, According to Jane—YA-Adult crossover book about a girl who has the voice of Jane Austen whispering romantic advice in her ear.
7.    Rebecca Stead, When You Reach Me—Coming of age mystery about a girl who receives some enigmatic notes from a stranger who wants to save her best friend's life.
8.    Suzanne Collins Mockingjay—You either know about this one and can’t wait for it, or you haven’t read The Hunger Games and Catching Fire yet.
9.    Joelle Anthony Restoring Harmony—YA dystopian, coming of age novel about a girl who must use her wits to survive after an economic collapse in the future.
10.    Carrie Ryan The Dead-Tossed Waves—Sequel to The Forest of Hands and Teeth, the only romantic zombie book I’ve ever read—the first book was a stunner!
11.    Gayle Forman If I Stay—Introspective YA about a girl who gets into a car accident and finds herself stuck between life and death.
12.    Lesley Livingston Wondrous Strange—An updated YA adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Jumping on the YA Bandwagon

It’s January, and the holidays are over. While that makes me sad, I did get to spend some quality time with my family, snuck in a bit of writing, and did a lot of pleasure reading, which always feeds my soul. For some reason, lately I’ve been drawn to YA fiction. Maybe it’s because YA is trendy now (thanks in part to Stephenie Meyer), but I don’t think that’s the reason. I think the reason is that today’s YA fiction is so darn good! My favorites tend to be well-written, plot driven and thoughtful fiction that’s not just for teenagers.

I’ll begin with Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, which obviously needs no endorsement from me. But this is a book that truly lives up to its hype. Here are the ingredients that make me adore it and its sequel Catching Fire: a strong female heroine names Katniss, a thoroughly believable dystopian world, a fast-moving and thrilling plot relating to the most extreme form of reality entertainment, characters who stay with you long after you’ve closed the book, spare but lyrical prose, and a compulsively readable storyline. I read both books in the series over the course of three days, then went into work and recommended them to my colleagues, many of whom went home and had the same response I did. These are, simply put, fantastic stories for almost any age. I cannot wait for the third book to be released this summer.

The Hunger Games

Also a stand-out is Carrie Ryan’s The Forest of Hands and Teeth, another dystopian story that gets it just right. If you’re spotting a trend in my picks, you’re also spotting a trend in literature right now: for some reason, readers seem to be craving bleak yet gripping stories of people facing the worst in humanity but using strength and love to guide them through unimaginable circumstances. Perhaps this trend was inspired by the success of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, one of my top ten books of all time. Or maybe collectively, the country is feeling pessimistic and longing for everyday heroes. The Forest of Hands and Teeth delivers that AND one of the most unique and horrific storylines I’ve read in a long time. Without giving too much away, Mary lives in a village that has isolated itself behind metal fences, protecting itself from the hordes of Unconsecrated that lay beyond in the Forest of Hands and Teeth. The Unconsecrated are zombie-like creatures spawned many generations ago during an infectious epidemic now referred to as the Return. While life inside the walls is orderly, peaceful, and strictly regimented by the Sisterhood, Mary is not content to accept the rules of her society, getting herself into a heap of trouble by being too curious. Scratch the surface of this placid community, and you’re going to find secrets that may make it impossible to stay. After the incredible set up, the book is a nonstop roller coaster ride of riveting action, suspense, and heartwrenching scenes of love and despair. I have been very sick over the past few days and in desperate need of sleep, but last night, I stayed up until 2 A.M. to finish the book because I absolutely could not put it down. And then, once I finished, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It is haunting in the very best way. And, it has a sequel, The Dead-Tossed Waves, coming out in March!

The Forest of Hands and Teeth

If you haven’t given the new YA a try, I highly recommend the books I've just mentioned, along with several others I’ve read this year: Susan Beth Pfeffer’s Life As We Knew It, Mary Pearson’s The Adoration of Jenna Fox, and Libba Bray’s A Great and Terrible Beauty series. There are many, many more out there; these are just a few I’ve really enjoyed!

Summer Reading

“No more pencils, no more books, no more teachers’ dirty looks.” Wait a minute. No more books? I’ll be happy to lay down the pencil and stop giving my students dirty looks, but books are one of the highlights of my summer. So I’ve compiled a list of 10 books I’ve read recently that I think would make excellent summer reads. To me, these books represent what summer is all about — fun, family, the sun, the ocean, humor, escapism, characters, relationships, and the possibility for love.

Eve’s Summer Reads:
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows –an engaging, romantic story told through diary entries and letters about a journalist researching a piece about a tiny island occupied by the Germans during WWII
• The Highest Tide, Jim Lynch – beautifully written coming-of-age story set on Puget Sound with a memorable child narrator and evocative descriptions of ocean life
• The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman – not exactly beachy, but an awful lot of fun about a boy who lives in a graveyard with ghosts for adoptive parents
• Home Safe, Elizabeth Berg —I love everything by her, but this is her latest book about women’s lives, loves, and choices
• Laura Rider’s Masterpiece, Jane Hamilton –funny, extremely well-written satire with characters you will recognize all too well
• The Wildwater Walking Club, Claire Cook – Witty, breezy, and heartwarming story about the importance of friendship
• Everything Changes, Jonathan Tropper—hilarious story about a man coming of age late in life, told with charm, humor, and lots of warmth
• The Beach House, Jane Green—set on Nantucket Island, the novel deals with likeable characters who are all facing transitions in their lives
• Garden Spells, Sarah Addison Allen – Leisurely-paced and seductive southern story about two sisters with special gifts
• Love the One You’re With, Emily Giffin – Mature and wry women’s fiction exploring the allure of “the one who got away”

My Wish List (Books I hope to read this summer):
• Best Friends Forever, Jennifer Weiner
• That Old Cape Magic, Richard Russo
• Sag Harbor, Colson Whitehead
• Real Life and Liars, Kristina Riggle
• Catching Genius, Kristy Kiernan
• Olive Kitteridge, Elizabeth Strout
• The Art of Racing in the Rain, Garth Stein
• The Way Life Should Be, Christina Baker Kline
• Twenties Girl, Sophie Kinsella
• Border Songs, Jim Lynch
• The Only True Genius in the Family, Jennie Nash
• Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously, Julie Powell

Writer's Guilt

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Art is a jealous mistress.” For me, writing is more like my dog after I’ve come home from vacation. Whenever my husband and I are away from Maggie for more than two days, she gives us a guilt trip for a good forty-eight hours after we return. Eventually she reverts back to her usual, devoted self, following us around the house, sprawling on our laps, and giving us long, adoring glances. But on those days when she’s giving us the cold shoulder, it’s hard to have faith that she’ll come back to us.

Writing is the same for me. If I skip more than two days, it takes me so long to get back into my groove. The laptop screen stares blankly at me, as if to say, “What have you done for me lately?” At that moment, I think to myself, “That’s it. It’s over. I’ve lost the ability to write. Might as well close the laptop forever and take up decoupage.”

For the first two weeks of summer vacation, I was very loyal to my laptop, writing almost every day and averaging about six pages a day. Then I hit a wall. Every writer does eventually, sometimes in the form of a stumbling block, a hiccough in our plot line or a character we can’t quite wrap our head around. I’ve hit that kind of wall, too, but this one was more just a function of life getting the best of me.

Two days ago, I went for a long walk with my husband, did some homework for a course I’m taking, and sat in the yard with a book (Claire Cook’s Life’s a Beach, to mirror my wishful thinking). Yesterday I went out to lunch with a dear friend and thought I’d be home in time to get a few hours of writing in, but ended up having such a good time that I stayed out all afternoon. Today I went food shopping and cleaned the house for a Fourth of July party we’re hosting.

I know when I try to write tomorrow, I will stare forlornly at the screen for an hour, trying to recapture that writing energy of three days ago. I might write a pitiful paragraph or two that I’ll end up scrapping, and maybe, if I’m lucky, by the end of the day I’ll have written one page worth keeping. But the ideas will come back eventually; the words will return.

Now, I am sitting on my front stoop, listening to the competing stereos of my neighbors, smelling grills warm up all over town. I don’t hear a single lawnmower or see a single jogger on the road. People have taken the day off. Some time this summer, consider giving yourself a day off, too. From writing, or exercising, or whatever it is that you love, but tends to give you a guilt trip when it’s been neglected. It’ll still be there for you the next day; you might just have to work a little harder at winning back its devotion. But the dog will forgive you, the treadmill will get easier again, and your inspiration will return.

For today, throw that second hot dog on the grill. Put whipped cream on your strawberry and blueberry pound cake. (It would be un-American not to.) Enjoy the day, guilt-free. And have a safe and happy Fourth!