Thursday, November 29, 2012
Now that the holiday season is upon us, it’s the perfect time to curl up next to the twinkling lights of a Christmas tree and enjoy some good books—or maybe keep one tucked in your purse so you can sneak in some quality reading while waiting in those long shopping lines! Whenever you find the time, here are a few good YA titles you may want to check out…
MY LIFE NEXT DOOR – Huntley Fitzpatrick
From the jacket: The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, messy, affectionate. And every day from her rooftop perch, Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them... until one summer night Jase Garrett climbs up next to her and changes everything.
This book is wonderfully refreshing. In addition to making me smile and laugh out loud at times, Fitzpatrick perfectly captures the complexity of large families and sibling relationships. A novel about family loyalty, true love, and tough choices, it is filled with characters that seem like people you would know in real life.
BEFORE I DIE -- Jenny Downham
Premise: Sixteen-year-old Tessa
is dying. But instead of shivering in bed scratching sad words onto her wall,
she decides to get busy living, which means checking off every item on her
bucket list before it’s too late...
I haven’t highlighted so many lines in a book since college.
Downham's writing is intense and poetic, and the story itself is enough to make you
weep. This novel puts you through the ringer, but leaves you thinking hard about
living in the present. (Before I Die is currently being adapted into a movie titled "Now is Good" starring Dakota Fanning and Jeremy Irvine--check out the trailer here!)
JELLICOE ROAD – Melina Marchetta
From Amazon: Abandoned by her mother on Jellicoe Road when she was eleven, Taylor Markham, now seventeen, is finally being confronted with her past. But as the reluctant leader of her boarding school dorm, there isn't a lot of time for introspection. And while Hannah, the closest adult Taylor has to family, has disappeared, Jonah Griggs is back in town, moody stares and all.
This is the first book I’ve ever read twice in the same month. It's that good. Because I’m not typically a
mystery reader, I did find the beginning a bit confusing / frustrating. However, the rest of the book was so amazing that I had to read the whole thing again just so I could catch the nuances I missed the first time around. Also, I couldn't stop thinking about these awesome characters! The three WHYA ladies who've read the book wholeheartedly agree: Jellicoe Road is an all-time favorite!
So, what's on your literary wish list? Have you read any good books lately?
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Stephanie, Ingrid, Sarah & Kristan — we read, write, discuss and celebrate Young Adult lit.
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7 comments:
SUCH good reads. So awesome to profile those that might get overlooked or aren't brand new releases.
These look interesting and I'm not familiar with any of them. Thanks for sharing!
Just finished MY LIFE NEXT DOOR a few minutes ago. MAN. Can't wait to read her next one!
*heads to add other books to goodreads...*
I definitely want to check out MY LIFE NEXT DOOR, but fortunately I've already enjoyed the other two. ;)
On my literary wishlist is EBON by Robin McKinley (I feel like we need a lot of holiday wishing to get that published... come on, McKinley!) as well as QUINTANA OF CHARYN by Melina Marchetta.
JELLICOE ROAD is definitely a little confusing at first, but, man, is it worth the effort! Great book.
Mary - Yes, there are SO many great books that don't get enough hype.
Stephanie - Awesome! Let us know what you think when you read them.
Jessica - Me too...will definitely pick up whatever Huntley Fitzpatrick writes next.
Kristan - I'm with you on wishing for EBON under my tree :)
Susan- yup, JELLICOE is so worth the effort. I might even read it a third time b/c I love it that much.
Great picks!!! I have MY LIFE NEXT DOOR and should really get to reading it :D
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