Why I love Young Adult novels

Today I was talking with my assistant Michele. I don’t remember what we were talking about or even the context in which our conversation took place, but at one point I said, “Well, C’mon I’m twenty… Wait, I’m thirty.” I’m thirty. I’m a wife, and I’m a mom (of two nonetheless, which really means you are a MOM. Don’t even get me started what happens when you have three or more). Anyway, I’m getting old, and when you get old, you start becoming very introspective. You become extrospective (new word) too because you are constantly checking for wrinkles and gray hairs, but that had nothing to do with this particular moment. In this introspective moment, I realized that although I’m getting older and momier (I may or may not have a pair of mom jeans and white sneakers), I still love my young adult novels.

Let me tell you youngins out there what young adult novels were in my day. They were Judy Blume’s Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret, in which Margaret was so obsessed with getting her period and her boobs that she would do exercises while chanting, “I must, I must, I must increase my bust.” This chanting does not work, just in case you were wondering. Today’s teens have it so lucky. They have books like Twilight, The Hunger Games, The Uglies, and The Hate List. They have books that actually discuss issues that teens deal with, and they do so without any shame. I, meanwhile, read adult books in high school, such as Like Water for Chocolate, and had to cover up what I was reading, so afraid that my mom would find out the lusty material that my pages held.

However, teens should love young adult books, after all, they are young adults. I think I love them for entirely different reasons:

·         Young adult books make me realize that although a teenager may never admit it, they are in fact extremely vulnerable. Yes, the books may be purely works of fiction; however, teens relate to them for a reason.

·         Young adult authors write some awesome fantasy and Science Fiction storylines. I mean who hasn’t read Stephanie Myers, J.K. Rowling, or Suzanne Collins, and those are just the popular authors.

·         Young adult storylines make me feel like my life is A-MAZING! They are filled with death, and break-ups, and pregnancies, and awful parents. Whenever I’m finished I hug my loved ones, and just thank God that I’m not living in a young adult novel.

·         Young adult novels make me realize how fun being a teenager is, and the kissing in a young adult novel is probably the best kissing I’ve ever read. I hope that I will always kiss like I’m in a young adult novel.

·         Young adult novels make me so happy to not be a teenager. Thank goodness I know longer have to deal with teen angst (at least until my own daughters are teenagers).

So, yes, I love great adult novels like The Help and Water for Elephants, but I also love the emotions that come through in a great young adult novel. While I may be thirty (or having the second anniversary of my twenty ninth birthday), I will never be too old for a fantastically written young adult novel.

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

It’s been way too long since I’ve gotten to write. I’ve read books and I’ve thought about books, and I’ve even started writing about some of the books, but I’ve just been too busy to actually follow through. When life gets crazy, something has to go. Before I took my library job this year, I signed up to be a Gateway selector. This means I am reading 26 amazing young adult novels by December 1. While at times it feels very overwhelming, these books have been selected because they are of such a high caliber and I feel lucky that my job is to read. I have finished two of the books, but I really felt compelled to write about this book.

It is about a sixteen year old girl named Lennon whose sister, Bailey, is her most trusted confidant and best friend; however, Bailey has suddenly and tragically died, leaving Lennie with only her grandmother and uncle. Her mother abandoned the two girls when they were very young and she has no idea who either of their fathers may be. Bailey’s star was the brightest in Lennie’s sky, and now that star has suddenly fallen, leaving Lennie in an ever present darkness. As Lennie struggles with the death of her sister, she finds solace in two young men; Toby, her sister’s ex-boyfriend and Joe, a new boy with amazing lashes. She is conflicted because in Toby she finds someone who understands her grief better than anyone. In Toby she finds her sister’s heart. Yet, in Joe she finds someone who never knew her sister, someone who will let her fly, and someone who fills her home with sunlight. Lennie deals with the guilt of moving on and the pain of letting go, but through her sister’s death she realizes her star can also shine just as bright. 

Nelson’s writing is poetic. Not only are her descriptions beautiful, but the story is peppered with Lennie’s poems, touching and filled with grief, anger, and confusion. This story, while touching and often sad, is also peppered with laughs (at one point Lennie discusses boners, yes boners, and how happy she is that she doesn’t have one!) I’m so jealous I cannot write in this way. This story also hits very close to home for me. As a mother of two young girls, who hopes and prays her own children become thick as thieves and closer than any friends, losing that person would be a grief I could never comprehend. Nelson captures the read and never lets go. 

Insatiable by Meg Cabot

I really enjoy going to hear authors speak. I’ve only been to two author talks, but I have liked both, so, yes, I think they are a fun thing to do. It might not be a glass of wine and a good book while everyone in the house is sleeping, but I get to dress up and usually I get to go dinner and, most importantly, I get out of the house. So, when I found out Meg Cabot was speaking, I jumped at the chance to see her.

I liked Meg Cabot immediately. She was energetic and funny, and kind of looked like Tina Fey (she did have short brown hair and glasses, but I also just read Bossypants, so I may just have Tina Fey on my brain). The reason Meg Cabot decided to visit our little city is to promote her newest books Insatiable and its sequel Overbite. Because she told us all about the books and their storylines, and this cute little dog she named Jack Bauer, I had to buy Insatiable. Just a little side note here: Jim did take my credit card away, so when I spent my money on the book all I could think was, “Okay Cabot, this book better be freaking good or you are going to get an angry email from me.” Sixteen dollars is a lot for a girl on a budget.

Now, I have definitely read my fair share of vampire books. I had to read the Twilight series because my friends and students were so into Twilight that I had to see what the buzz was about. I will not tell you what I thought about the books because this is supposed to be a review of Insatiable (if you would like to know, you can ask my fourth hour AP class from last year. I think we talked about the book for an entire hour).  I have also read the Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse books as seen previously on this blog. Naturally, I was a little skeptical of yet another vampire book, let alone a book I bought with my budgeted cash for the week. But, I loved it.

The main character Meena is a type of psychic, but she can only see how and when a person will die. I think most of us would really like a psychic power, but I’m not sure I would enjoy having this particular type of psychic ability, yet this fits the darker tone of this book. She meets a mysterious dark and handsome man and they fall instantly in love, only he’s a vampire. So, there are a lot of similarities between this book and the two previous books. However, Cabot did something different. She weaves in historical facts into her storyline: Back, way before you were born, St. George slayed a dragon, but dragon means Dracul in Romanian and Dracul stands for Dracula and voila, a story is born. Insatiable really is soft core Da Vinci Code for vampires. I actually wanted more vampire conspiracy theories and historical facts thrown in, but this might also be because I’m a huge nerd. Back to the storyline,  Meena’s mysterious dark man is not only a vampire, but he is Dracula’s son, so he is the most wanted vampire of all vampires, Lucien. He is sought after by the Pope’s (yes I did say Pope) own vampire fighting forces, and they will stop at nothing until all vampires are eradicated. The book was entertaining and suspenseful, and even when Ava walked past me with a super stinky poop diaper, I ignored her for a few minutes (go ahead and vote for me as mother of the year). I HAD to finish the book. I will definitely be picking up Overbite from the library… in a few weeks. I’m number eight on the reserve list, so until then, I can reread Insatiable because I own it and even has my name in it signed by Ms. Meg Cabot.

Can You Make a Scary Face by Jan Thomas

Alright mommies, daddies, aunts, uncles, grandmas, grandpas, nanas, and papas, or anyone who has a child they love to read to, this book is one of Ava's favorites.
"Stand up!" "No, I changed my mind, sit down." These are some of the first lines in Can You Make a Scary Face. This is an interactive book, so it is especially great for kids who can follow directions (I would say around 2 and up). Ava loves pretending she has a bug on her nose and has to wiggle it off, she loves to do the pretend that bug has flown in her mouth, and even more, she loves to make a scary face and growl. Her face is more smiles than truly scary, but it's so cute when she acts out the book. I love that it is simple and fun and that Jim will act out the book too, which makes for a really funny video and great blackmailing. Yes, my husband will do the chicken dance to get the bug out of his shirt, but I think he would let Ava paint his toenails pink if she wanted to; she has him so wrapped around her little finger.
We don't own this book, so I have to check it out from the library nearly every time we go. In fact, we read it so often that she has the book nearly memorized and can say it anytime she wants. Maybe I should just buck up and buy the book (because we don't have enough strewn throughout our house). Now go make a scary face... "Aaaaah Not that scary!"

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Dear library,

I don’t think you realize just how much I truly want Erik Larson’s, In the Garden of Beasts. I think that if you realized how much I enjoyed The Devil in the White City then you would know that I must read In the Garden of Beasts to really feel as though my life is complete.

Sincerely,

Brooke

 Review:

In case you haven’t heard of Erik Larson, his writing style is similar to In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, probably one of my favorite books of all time. Larson has the remarkable ability to weave in facts about history by telling a story, so instead of reading a reference book on facts about the Chicago World’s Fair, I’m actually reading the story of how the Chicago World’s Fair was created and how a serial killer was able to get away with killing numerous women during this time period.

Yes, I did say serial killer. Now I see that I’m peaking your interest instead of making you yawn. The only reason I stumbled upon Erik Larson and his vivid and amazing writing was because I was looking for some nonfiction pieces to share with my students. The library happened to have book discussion kits over this book, so I checked one out and started reading. And then I could not put the book down.

There were times when I would skim over chapters about the creation of the World’s Fair just so I could get to Dr. H. H. Holmes and his various ways of “taking care” of people. While reading this book, I actually started to question my own morality. Really, what kind of person am I to really want to get to the “good parts”, when in this instance, getting to the good parts meant reading about a serial killer’s escapades? However, I think it had more to do with Larson’s writing then my own morality, because I was so involved in Holmes’s morality or really immorality.

This book was written in 2003, so I’m sure I’m a little late to the game, but Larson’s new book In the Garden of Beasts has gotten a lot of hype this summer. Currently I’m number 47 on my library’s reserve list. Hopefully the library will come to its senses soon and I will be delving into the history of Germany during Hitler’s reign.  

Bossypants by Tina Fey

Okay, I know what you are thinking, “Finally, a book I actually want to read,” or you may be thinking, “I hate that little Sarah Palin Biznatch impersonator. Why the heck would Brooke ever want to read a book about her?” I’m kind of hoping you are thinking the first one. I actually love Tina Fey. I decided on my run this morning that she was my hero, right after my mom and dad, some political figures I won’t name (this is a book blog, not a political commentary on why or why corporate companies should never lame file any of their real estate taxes with money raised from shareholders’ pockets: side note, I totally made that up). Anyway, Tina Fey is probably in my top ten when it comes to my heroes. I wish I had as much wit and humor in my pinky finger as Ms. Fey has in her whole body. Okay, wait I totally got that wrong. See what I mean.

She gives some really great advice. Let me give you a little excerpt for your own reading pleasure, “Perhaps you are a parent and you bought this book to learn how to raise an achievement-oriented, drug free, adult virgin. You’ll find that too. The essential ingredients, I can tell you up front, are a strong father figure, bad skin, and child-sized colonial-lady outfit.” Yes, I did go out and buy colonial-sized lady outfits for both of my daughters that will fit them exactly when they turn 13.

Bossypants has something that I have always wanted in a book: cleverness, fun, and stories about buying that white denim suit you have always wanted for your senior awards night. I love that Tina Fey can make fun of herself for being a rather unfortunate looking (to use the words of Kelly Oliva) child and teenager. The book is also peppered with hilarious pictures of her upbringing. My favorite one happens to be on page 108. We all have this same picture hidden somewhere in a drawer at home. I know that now you probably want to go and find it or at least ask your mother to dig it out for you. I found mine, and I might even put it up here.

She talks about the extremely awesome parts of being a celebrity, like going to photo shoots where she is put in a sample size dress with her underwear hanging out of the back, and she talks about being a woman in a man’s world (I inserted a cliché her because I felt like it).

I think what I liked most of all about her book was her voice. It seemed very real, and by real I mean that I felt like I could really hear Tina Fey standing in my living room telling me about taping 30 Rock with Oprah, while playing Sarah Palin on SNL, while planning her daughter’s Peter Pan birthday party. However, it wasn’t all laughs. She wrote this hysterical chapter called, “The Mother’s Prayer for Its Daughter.” I was laughing really quietly throughout the whole thing, because for one it was really funny and two because Emma was sleeping on me and I didn’t want to wake her up. Then I got to the very end of it and just started bawling. It was something about how when her daughter gets older and has a baby and it was really touching and funny and I’m blaming Emma, that damn five month old that I have fallen head over heels for, for making me cry. You know what those annoying little loveable babies do, they make you cry at movies like Knocked Up and The Hangover (because the stripper’s baby was so darn cute, and they fell in love with him, but then had to give him back). And so Bossypants not only made me laugh quietly while my baby slept on me, but also made me cry. Note: if it doesn’t make you cry, remember I am blaming Emma.

I borrowed this book from the library, but now I think I’m going to have to save my nickels and dimes and go buy this book. I’m pretty sure I might not be able to live without it.

Some thoughts on To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

I was thinking about To Kill a Mockingbird last night. I was driving home right after the storm hit and I had the kids with me in the car. Emma was sleeping in her carseat, and Ava was so tired she might as well have been sleeping. I didn't have the radio on, there were very few cars on the road, and it was so quiet, a kind of quiet than I haven’t experienced in a very long time, still and comforting. I don't know if I was feeling nostalgic or comforted, but for some reason my thoughts drifted to Harper Lee's only novel. I was thinking about the characters, mainly Atticus, and how, even though I've read the book probably a hundred times, I always want Atticus to end up with Mrs. Maudie in the end. I'm not only one that wants this either. Many class discussions have ended or began or lasted an entire period on the discussion of why Mrs. Maudie and Atticus should get together. I was wondering why we want them, so badly, to end up together, because To Kill a Mockingbird really isn't a love story. I mean, it's a love story of sorts: Atticus loves his children, his children love Dill, but it isn't a romance novel. And yet, they are so perfect for each other that anyone who reads the book realizes this, but Harper Lee never lets on that Atticus and Mrs. Maudie know this.
I also started thinking about the end of the book. Right after Boo rescues the children and Scout walks Boo home, there is this perfect part where Scout finally stands in Boo Radley's shoes as she looks out onto the neighborhood and sees it as Boo must see it every day. I don't think anyone has ever or will ever write a more perfect scene in history. She looks out onto the neighborhood and details all that has happened in the book, and every time I have to hold back tears. Like I said above, I literally have read the book a hundred times, probably more than that, and every time it happens. I get to that part where Scout says Boo's children needed him, and I want to just start sobbing. Then she goes home and Atticus (who is probably the best father in all of literature) tucks her in and reads her a story and the book ends with Atticus saying, "Most people are Scout, when you finally see them," and again I feel those tears creeping in the corners of eyes.
Some of my students get angry and they want to know more about the characters. They want to know about Scout and Jem and Dill, the want to know if Mrs. Maudie and Atticus ever get together, but not me. I honestly think it is the best ending to a novel that I have ever read. It’s just that I know everyone will be fine, and even though Harper Lee doesn’t say, “and they all lived happily ever after,” I just know they will.

Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Given to me by Kelly (a surprise in my mailbox at work)... I'm a huge fan of the Shopaholic franchise, and at some point I have to start reading books off of my Freshman level English list, but I just wanted one more "fun" book.
I feel somewhat akin with Becky Bloomwood. I too shop like a holic, but instead of buying a 1500 dollar pair of shoes, I'm buying a 20 dollar dress at Target (in fact I think that most of us can admit that we can't get out of Target without spending a minimum of 100 dollars). Well, I've seen Becky fall in love, get married, find a long lost sister, and have a baby. Becky Bloomwood's little girl is now a toddler. I have two girls, so I can relate. She also buys her daughter pretty much anything she wants, so again I can kind of relate. However, the storyline mainly revolves around a party she is planning for her husband, and of course it is getting completely out of control. She wants to hire fire-eaters, jugglers, and anything else that will make it the most spectacular party of the century. This is where our connections kind of end. I do "love me some good parties," but at some point in your life you have to start being fiscally responsible. Yes, yes, I do know that this is fiction, and fiction does need some drama. However, fiction needs drama we can relate to on some level, and I found this over-the-top story a little hard to relate to.
This book was also pretty long, 418 pages long, and sometimes when I'm reading long books all I can think of is, "Seriously, do you not know how busy I am!" Between Ava begging to watch Toy Story "one more time," and Emma pooping all over herself, I find that the longer the book, the harder it is to read. This was one of those books. I would skip ahead to find out a part of the plot and then, when I had time, double back.
So, would I recommend this book to others? Yes, if you want something to read that is pretty easy and enjoyable, and Becky is humorous most of the time. However, I think I might be done with the Shopaholic series. But I still love Sophie Kinsella, and her quirky, entertaining characters never fail to please.

Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

To all the Trueblood fans out there... I love me some Trueblood and Sookie Stackhouse as much as anyone. In fact, I will have to thank Katie Simmons for introducing me to both the books (sookie bookies) and to the television show. I have read every one of the Sookie Stackhouse books, including this latest from Ms. Harris. I have loved each one of them, the first and the sixth (I think) being my favorite, but this one left me wanting more. In fact these last two, the tenth and eleventh, have made me feel this way. Harris seems to be keeping the story alive, but just barely. Sookie is kind of starting to get on my nerves and her indecision between who she loves, Eric or Bill or Sam or Alcide or someone else that could enter the scene at any minute. Also, there are so many magical creatures, that it is hard to keep them all straight: vampires, werepeople, fairies, goblins, demons, and others I'm sure I'm forgetting. At this point I'm not sure who is who or what is who or who is what.
I'm thinking that the series probably needs to end, and Sookie probably needs to make a few decisions. However, as long as the show is on, Harris will probably feel compelled to write more. After all, if you know how the book ends, will the show follow suit?
I will tell those of you who love the show, but have not read the books, the storylines are somewhat similar, but this last season of Trueblood went just barely along with the book. It's interesting because the series finale of Trueblood also made me mad because it just ended, much like the eleventh book of Harris's series. However, if you ask me if I will read the twelfth book or watch the fourth season of Trueblood, of course I will. I'm weirdly drawn in to Harris's world, so I guess I have no other choice if I want to know what happens. Also, I will miss hearing Bill's weird accent yell out, "Sookie" (use your imagination here.

My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands by Chelsea Handler

Last night was rough. Jim was gone, the girls were both sick, and I was tired from staying up late the night before. All I wanted was a nice glass of wine, any kind, and something to make me laugh. While I thought about turning on The Real Housewives of Orange County, I thought that I had had enough drama for the day. Chelsea Handler's book, well all of her books, is like a nice glass of wine (and I don't think she would mind me saying that). It calms me down, relaxes me, and makes everything seem funny. This book is one that I picked up after watching a few Chelsea Latelys, another thing that is like a good glass of wine. This book is not for the faint of heart. She curses, talks about drinking and drugs, and of course describes her sexcapades. And, although she reveals a lot, she does leave out some of the sordid details.

 Another reason I like this book is because it truly is a collection of stories, independent from each other, so I can read one or two and put the book down without feeling as though I MUST know more. In fact, my book has been read so many times that my favorite stories are marked. I especially like her story about dressing up as an M&M for Halloween. Somehow she manages to end up naked and stuck attempting to crawl through her window. Yes, I did laugh out loud. I would recommend this book to everyone, well everyone who enjoys hearing about other people's funny drama. Even my husband, yes the book thrower awayer himself, enjoys this one.

While a glass of Pinot would really have hit the spot, we were out, and I was alone with two sleeping babies, Chelsea Handler's book did the trick. In no time I felt refreshed and ready for the midnight wake-ups that were to come.

The Lace Makers of Glenmara by Heather Barbieri

Honestly, this is a book I picked up myself. I liked the title and I wondered just what those lace makers were doing; they had to be doing more than making lace in a small village in Ireland (one of my favorite settings for a novel). I think the book caught me off guard. While the premise of the book is very similar to other books I’ve read: girl is sad because boyfriend has broken up with her, girl leaves city (in this instance it’s Seattle) and travels to a distant place to run away from her problems (in this instance it’s Ireland), girl meets handsome man and falls in love, and so on and so forth. However, I truly enjoyed the book. I like Kate’s character, although at times I found her harsh, but that may be because her heart was broken by both a man and the fact that her mother lost her battle with cancer before said man broke her heart, a double-whammy. And although Kate is the main character, I most enjoyed the other women in the novel. The ones who take her in, care for her and inspire her: Bernie, who treats Kate like the daughter she was never able to have; Aileen who is attempting to deal with her rebellious, rude daughter; Moira who is caught up in her own family drama; and Colleen, a cancer survivor with a great heart. 

The love story in the book takes a backseat to the friendships these women build throughout the novel, and the story is really about women connecting with one another. At times the book seems a bit whimsical, but that was another thing I enjoyed. Sorry, this is another “chic lit” type book, but I can’t stay away from them. I will say that I stayed up until about 1:30 this morning reading the book. Luckily, my husband wasn’t home, so there was no threatening to throw the book away. Am I tired today, yes, but it was worth it. 

The Pout Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen and illustrated by Dan Hanna

For all the mommies in my life and because my kids are such an important part of my life, why not review a few children's books that Ava and Emma just love. This particular book I have to thank Kelly Oliva for showing me while watching her amazing little kindergarteners in the library. Not only did they love the book with its beautiful illustrations, but the storyline is to die for. A little fish with a pout-pout face that spreads the weary drearies all over the place. Everyone tries to cheer him up and it isn't until he is kissed that he realizes what his little pout-pout face is for.

Ava loves singing the phrase, "I'm pout-pout fish with a pout-pout face..." every time we read this. The sequel Pout-Pout Fish in the Big-Big Dark is equally adorable and really fun to act out. A favorite every night at our house and Ava has too many books to count!

Anybody Out There? by Marian Keyes

I always recommend books to my students, so when a student recommends a book to me, I always read it. This one surprised me because it would definitely be considered "chic lit," my favorite of all genres, and it was given to me by a fourteen year old.
When we first meet Anna Walsh, she is living with her parents in her native Ireland. Her body is broken and her face disfigured, and she is being taken care of by her humorous and slightly overbearing mother. The first part of the book is told in a series of flashbacks: why she moved to New York; how she got the greatest job ever; and how she met Aiden, her husband who won't call her or email her back. Although the story is told in first-person, we do not know what has happened to Anna Walsh, and as the story unfolds we learn the tragic events that have interrupted and nearly shattered her life.
This book was probably one of the best chic lit books I have read. I hate putting it in that category, because I feel as though the storyline is so much more than that. It's not only a book about overcoming tragic circumstances that are thrown at us so often in life, but it is also a book about friendships and relationships, and the need that all of us have to be surrounded by people we love. I cried and laughed frequently while reading the book because Keyes is able to make Anna so relatable. Her reactions to those she is with and her emotions as she deals with the events in her life seem so real. The ending was wonderfully written; however, because I liked Anna so much, I didn't want the book to end. Definitely an amazing read.

Matched by Ally Condie

This is the newest book in dystopian literature. When I told my students about it, they connected a lot of the plot with The Giver, but it reads more like The Hunger Games with love being even more at the center of the plot. Cassia, the protagonist, lives in a world where she does not have to make any choices. The society chooses how much food she eats, what types of exercise she is allowed to do, how her free time is spent, and most of all who she will marry when she turns 21. Cassia is seventeen and on the night of her matching ceremony she discovers she has been matched with her best friend, Xander. However, when she gets home and put Xander's microcard into the computer, to faces appear. One is Xander's and the other is a boy she also knows, Ky. Cassia starts to wonder what her life would be like if she lived it not with Xander, but with Ky. She starts to question the "perfect" society she lives in and rebelling against those that run it.

Condie's novel questions a future in which everything is chosen for us; when does society go too far? Does it go so far as to say that all people should die at the age of eighty, and if so, how will they die? This book is one that you won't want to put down, and in fact I was reading it so much that my husband threatened to "throw the book in the trash" or "hide it somewhere I would never find it again." What can I say, he likes my attention. The book does not have as much action as other dystopian novels, but it definitely makes us question and root for Cassia along the way. This is the first book in a trilogy, the second one coming out November of this year.

Check out the book trailer below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaeNWL8rlBI