What YA book are you reading RIGHT NOW?
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I've almost finished BEING BILLY by Phil Earle, which is one of my picks for best YA book of 2011. It's about a 14 year old boy who's spent most of his life in a care home after his mum developed substance abuse problems. Angry, bitter, confused and unable to articulate it except through violence, he's saved only by the knowledge that he has to care for his younger twin brother and sister (who've been in care with him). But when his mum gets her act together and wants the twins back to live with her, Billy's life begins to spiral out of control ...
I went into this a bit skeptical about the good reviews that I'd read, but it is honestly one of the most powerful, heartbreaking and true books I've read this year. It isn't an easy read, but it isn't a bleak one either. It lets you see Billy for who and why he is and I think that's a remarkably brave thing for any writer to do.
There's a sequel out in the beginning of 2012 entitled SAVING DAISY, which has immediately gone onto my Wish List.
Next up is probably going to be CLOCKWORK PRINCE by Cassandra Clare, but I've seen a number of bad reviews for it (and I'm really not a fan of love triangles, which is where the book is firmly headed) so am toying with picking up BEASTLY by Alex Flinn instead.
MM
I went into this a bit skeptical about the good reviews that I'd read, but it is honestly one of the most powerful, heartbreaking and true books I've read this year. It isn't an easy read, but it isn't a bleak one either. It lets you see Billy for who and why he is and I think that's a remarkably brave thing for any writer to do.
There's a sequel out in the beginning of 2012 entitled SAVING DAISY, which has immediately gone onto my Wish List.
Next up is probably going to be CLOCKWORK PRINCE by Cassandra Clare, but I've seen a number of bad reviews for it (and I'm really not a fan of love triangles, which is where the book is firmly headed) so am toying with picking up BEASTLY by Alex Flinn instead.
MM
I'm reading Forever, the final book in the Maggie Stiefvater series. I'm REALLY loving it. Loved the first one. Liked the second. Loving the third. But, I'll wait to see how it ends before I give my final opinion
Me too, on all points!
I can't wait for The Hunger Games movie, I just saw the trailer and it looks so, so good.
Reading the latest Blue Bloods book, Lost in Time. It seems like the most cheesy book of the series, yet I cannot stop reading it. I kind of liked how Mimi was always an archetypal bitchy mean girl, yet not an outright villain, but now she seems like she's crossed the moral event horizon and become evil. Angels! Vampires! Witches! Norse deities! Trifling shallow uber-rich childish teenagers who are also vampires and angels at the same time!
ETA WHUT DAVID LEVITHAN HAS A NEW BOOK OUT WHY WASN'T I TOLD!!!
ETA WHUT DAVID LEVITHAN HAS A NEW BOOK OUT WHY WASN'T I TOLD!!!
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Finally reading Bloodlines by Richelle Mead. It's okay, not as good as the Vampire Academy series.
Finished Forever and WOW. LOVED it. hard. I think I will sleep with the book tonight, cuddling and curling up with it. I thought it was the best book in the series. I love her writing, and the story was just fantastic. Great characters, great love stories. I is in lurvvvv w/this series.
Now reading Hush, Hush. Somehow I feel like I should be Hush, Hush about it, but I will read it for myself and if I like it, I like it. So be it.
Still trudging through Mar1e Lu's LEG3ND. Every time I'm reminded that the protagonists are the smartest people to have ever been born, I roll my eyes. Hard. I'm not as smart as that, but I'm pretty sure a military prodigy hacker supergenius would have noticed that her army buddies kill people before now. Also, the male protagonist is ridiculously sanitised - he seems to be living in a Disney film. Not really enthused at all.
edit: In addition to being highly trained supergeniuses in perfect physical condition, both protagonists are also stunningly attractive and their beauty is commented on at length. Hmmmmm.
edit: In addition to being highly trained supergeniuses in perfect physical condition, both protagonists are also stunningly attractive and their beauty is commented on at length. Hmmmmm.
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bahahaha perfectly described. It gets better...no actually it doesn't.
Read the first chapter of The Maze Runner last night. Not sure about it yet. I might come back to it at a later date so I can read something not SF or YA.
This is why it's impossible to accept that these two 15-year-olds are the most genius geniuses of all time: One of the protagonists is locked in a cell. His genius strategy is to pretend to be sick so he can take a guard hostage when the guard approaches. And it works. Audiences were already rolling their eyes at that trick in the 1990s when the Evil Overlord List was first compiled (check out #95).
Seriously, people. Prodigies.
Seriously, people. Prodigies.
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This.
I love the idea of dystopia stories, but I have yet to read one, other than The Hunger Games, that drew me in completely. Matched was ok, but it never had me dying to know what happened next.
I think for me, with dystopians, I feel like I'm drowning in them. Every other book coming out with buzz is some kind of dystopian/apocalyptic setting with these 'high concepts' but most other things are lacking. Once it cools down a bit, I might feel differently.
You're making me want to read Forever now. I told myself I wouldn't buy it, but maybe I can borrow it from the library. If it's better than the 2nd, I have to give it a try.
Also, fingers crossed for HH!
I just got into dystopians this past year...so I'm not quite ready to give up on it yet. It's like I have had my eyes open to a new 'like', actually. Enjoying discovering the back titles. (-:
Sturgeon's Law applies - 90% of the books in any given genre are bad. You just have to keep reading until you find a good one. That's what I tell myself when I'm trudging through yet another YA paranormal looking for one that lights my fire. 
Sturgeon's Law applies - 90% of the books in any given genre are bad. You just have to keep reading until you find a good one. That's what I tell myself when I'm trudging through yet another YA paranormal looking for one that lights my fire.
Have you read The Near Witch. It has a gothic feeling to it. Quite a lovely read. I actually called it my favourite book of 2011 on my blog. Not really paranormal??? I never know how to classify now. So many witches this year!!!
you know, i really loved the first one, and then the second one I REALLY liked, but for me wasn't as good as the first. BUT. I have to say I love the second book and appreciate and respect it so much more after reading the final book. It is a perfect transition book in the series and w/the new characters that were introduced and had a bigger part in the second, i'm amazed how well she was able to pull the entire series together with that third book. I do recommend it. Especially if you really enjoyed Shiver and even if you only liked Linger, i think you will appreciate Forever.
And you totes know i will message you about Hush, Hush when I'm done
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Exactly. It's frustrating but I know I'll keep reading them, hopeful of something good, just because I love SF so much.
I wouldn't call The Near Witch paranormal, I would call it folklore/fairytale fantasy or... something like that. I don't know. It's definitely not paranormal, but it's not really classic fantasy either.
And that's awesome that you named it your favorite of 2011! Gah. I have to choose my favorite soon. Putting it off... I just can't decide. I read a lot of crappers this year, but I also read more REALLY EXCELLENT books this year than I have in a while.
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do you ever envy an author and yet love them at the same time for the work they have written? Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi is just beautiful! I love it.
I understand what you mean. I had an idea a few months ago for a book that became dystopian. I don't know why. I didn't intend to write a dystopian, but that's the character that came to me. I know I'm too late in writing it to catch this fad, but it's probably just a practice book anyway. After finishing that first draft, I decided to read what's out there to see how terrible my draft is by comparison, so the past several YA books I've read are dystopians. They all had some value, and I'm not sad that I read them, but I didn't love them (aside from the first Hunger Games book). Of course, I'm biased because Anthem and Brave New World are among my all-time favorites.
Then again, a lot of the books I read and loved as a teenager are not exactly great books either.
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