What YA book are you reading RIGHT NOW?

I'm about half-way through THE STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT by Jennifer E. Smith, which I'm enjoying. It's a romance but the romance isn't cloying and I like the way it's developing through two people talking to each other (instead of the time-honoured one person thinking the other is teh hawt and them magically thinking the same) and it's told in a distant third person voice, which is quite interesting from a technical POV.

My next book's going to be the middle grade MUNCLE TROGG AND THE FLYING DONKEY by Janet Foxley.

MM

Just finished The Marbury Lens and besides some stylistic quibbles, I pretty much loved it.

Now I'm on A Great and Terrible Beauty - Libba Bray.

Just started reading Loving Emily by Anne Pfeffer and just finished Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford, which is the funniest book I have ever read. Loved it!

Just finished The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer and Divergent. Both were very good. But Divergent was amazing. I didn't think it would live up to everything I've read--I was wrong.

Whoa, I also JUST finished Divergent and The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. Crazy! Had some minor issues with Divergent, but I find myself thinking about it a lot, which says a lot.

Niiicola,

I want to read A Million Suns next. But I don't have it yet. Have you read it?

I just spent an hour in the gym locker room (it was deserted), reading just... one... more... page of Dearly, Departed

Yes, it's that good (so far.)

Recently finished Anna Dressed in Blood. It was a good read, but I had a couple issues with it. Made a cupcake about it that I love.

TEMPEST by Julie Cross

Marika said:

Niiicola,

I want to read A Million Suns next. But I don't have it yet. Have you read it?

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No, and I haven't heard of it. But it sounds like we have similar taste, so I'll look it up!

Meg Rosoff's There is No Dog, a very funny satire on religion where God is an sexually-obsessed teenage boy called Bob. I have to admire Rosoff for producing five YA novels which are all very different to each other, though this one reminded me most of Just in Case, with its chapters in the voice of the Embodiment of Fate. While I enjoyed it, it's a little overextended (it's around 60k words while Rosoff's previous ones are in the 45k to 50k range). As Momento Mori did before, I also wonder at its YA-ness: Bob is the only teenager in the novel. I guess it's YA because Rosoff is a YA writer and it's probably too short for an adult novel.

The Carnegie Medal shortlist is due in March. I wouldn't be surprised to see this one on it.

Next up, Hannah Moskowitz's MG novel Zombie Tag, which I started today, though as I left my copy at work I'll have to find something else to read this evening.

eyeblink said:

Next up, Hannah Moskowitz's MG novel Zombie Tag, which I started today, though as I left my copy at work I'll have to find something else to read this evening.

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I'm SOOOO envious. I want to have not read it yet! I LOVED LOVED LOVED it! Here's my review.

KTC said:

I'm SOOOO envious. I want to have not read it yet! I LOVED LOVED LOVED it! Here's my review.

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Title: Zombie Tag

Author: Hannah Moskowitz
Release Date: December 20, 2012

Was that a typo?

Bing Zabriskie said:

Title: Zombie Tag

Author: Hannah Moskowitz
Release Date: December 20, 2012

Was that a typo?

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Yes. The book is available now.

Right now I adore CINDER. It's exactly the way I like my stories, a mix of fantasy and high-tech, princes and viruses, scary and cute, romance and danger and adventure and intrigue. It also has a very strong feel of anime or manga. Not just because of the setting, it's something that's like a special atmosphere, hard to describe. Blending cuteness with tragedy.

A partial spoiler (in white font) follows: when a certain missing person who was also missing her body parts got mentioned, did you also have a feeling that it had to be Cinder? END OF POSSIBLE SPOILER.

Bing Zabriskie said:

Title: Zombie Tag

Author: Hannah Moskowitz
Release Date: December 20, 2012

Was that a typo?

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lol...yep! Thanks. (;

Bing Zabriskie said:

Title: Zombie Tag

Author: Hannah Moskowitz
Release Date: December 20, 2012

Was that a typo?

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Fixed! Thanks again. I must have been experiencing a slight case of time travel at the time.

Windcutter said:

Right now I adore CINDER. It's exactly the way I like my stories, a mix of fantasy and high-tech, princes and viruses, scary and cute, romance and danger and adventure and intrigue. It also has a very strong feel of anime or manga. Not just because of the setting, it's something that's like a special atmosphere, hard to describe. Blending cuteness with tragedy.

A partial spoiler (in white font) follows: when a certain missing person who was also missing her body parts got mentioned, did you also have a feeling that it had to be Cinder? END OF POSSIBLE SPOILER.

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Ditto all of this! I loved Cinder. So did my YA-reading husband. Though we're both a little upset that we have to wait a year for the next one.

Also, a well done cliffhanger. Unlike most of the cliffhangers these days.

(And yeah, I saw it coming. It's ok though, I liked the dramatic irony it created. Pretty sure it was telegraphed on purpose.)

Anyway, on to A Million Suns. I'm hoping some of the issues with the first book are ironed out because there's so much potential there for greatness.

KateSmash said:

Ditto all of this! I loved Cinder. So did my YA-reading husband. Though we're both a little upset that we have to wait a year for the next one.

Also, a well done cliffhanger. Unlike most of the cliffhangers these days.

(And yeah, I saw it coming. It's ok though, I liked the dramatic irony it created. Pretty sure it was telegraphed on purpose.)

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Ditto to all of this, and everything in the other quote that's not showing up. I'm even urging my hubby to read it, too.

That book could very well end up being my favorite of the year.

I tried SHIVER by Maggie Stiefvater again - this time I finished it, and actually enjoyed it (I liked the idea, loved Sam (swoon), but found Grace annoying).

Aaaaand... HUSHED arrived in the post! Yayyyy! I've started to read it, and it's really good so far.

LOVETORN by Kavita Daswani

I'm a sucker for non-American cultures. Loving this one so far.

Joining in on The Fault in the Stars - really liking it so far, great voice.

Reading 'Destiny's Fire' by Trisha Wolfe. Really enjoying it so far.

KateSmash said:

Ditto all of this! I loved Cinder. So did my YA-reading husband. Though we're both a little upset that we have to wait a year for the next one.

Also, a well done cliffhanger. Unlike most of the cliffhangers these days.

(And yeah, I saw it coming. It's ok though, I liked the dramatic irony it created. Pretty sure it was telegraphed on purpose.)

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One more cliffhanger in a debut novel--makes me feel better about mine.

I liked the irony, too, and the twisted fairytale aspect. The whole thing with Cinderella--shoe--ashes--spoiler. Oh yes.
* * *
I also got another YA steampunk anthology even though I haven't finished the first one. This one is titled STEAMPUNK! Fantastically Rich And Strange Stories. Cassandra Clare's "Some Fortunate Future Day" blew my mind. It was the best YA short story I've ever read. Okay, I've only read a few YA anthologies but still.

Finished Sh@tter M3... I really liked her prose, and I think that she's a talented writer, but I'm not sure she's found the right balance yet... There were a lot of action scenes which would turn into flowery prose, which detracts from the tension that was building before that. And I think someone else on here mentioned all the eyebrow-raising/jaw-dropping? Omgosh, yeah, that needs to be cut waaay back. One or two instances would've been alright, but when her jaw is hitting her lap/knees/floor and her eyebrows rising to her hairline/above her head/hitting the ceiling all the time, I just picture a giant anime cartoon with its eyes popping out of its head and its mouth all huge. Usually during a tense, serious scene. And then I start giggling. Sooo problem. Lol.

But those were minor complaints! Overall I liked it