What YA book are you reading RIGHT NOW?

Courtney Summers THIS IS NOT A TEST. There are just no words to describe how painfully good this novel is. And I'm not even finished yet!

I LOVED This Is Not A Test. Then again, I kinda love all of Courtney Summers' novels.

I just read TWENTY BOY SUMMER by Sarah Ockler, which was fine.

But then I read THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU BANKS by E. Lockhart and loooooved it. Better than LOOKING FOR ALASKA, IMO, but similar with the boarding school pranks and deeper philosophical questions.

Arclight said:

I've given up on CROSSED - it just isn't holding my attention. I tried SWITCHED by Amanda Hocking, and while I normally love changeling stories, I can't stand Wendy - she's one of the most unlikeable MCs I've ever read. I'm wondering if she ever becomes more sympathetic, but at this point, I don't really care. I think I'll go on to DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE instead. I love Laini Taylor's style of writing. It's lush and descriptive and absolutely gorgeous.

I finished three YA books recently - BLOOD MAGIC, ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD, and THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS - and loved them. I wish all YA was as good.

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I found CROSSED easier to get through than MATCHED, although I didn't like either very much. As far as SWITCHED -- I agree with you 100%. Wendy was horrible. Actually, I thought all the characters were! Definitely won't be picking up any of the sequels...

I've been hearing a lot about this ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD novel, but they don't have it at my library I'm going to wait it out. Hopefully they'll get it in soon!

I read MATCHED and CROSSED. Got through both of them. MATCHED reminded me of THE GIVER at bit, and I really liked THE GIVER, so I liked it too. CROSSED...not so much. Not much seemed to happen in it other than them wandering around a lot and talking about poetry.

I'm about to start reading THE SUBTLE KNIFE by Philip Pullman. I loved the first book in the series, so I'm hoping this one will be just as good.

Oh yeah, the poetry in CROSSED was cringe-worthy. I mean there was a lot that was cringe-worthy, but overall I didn't have any trouble getting through it (with a few eye-rolls, sure, but what the hay )

I loooved Anna Dressed in Blood. Was fantastic.

Reading On The Island and I'm in love. Not even 1/4 way through and so addicted. No wonder it got picked up by Penguin!

The Subtle Knife is so, so good. So is the last one, Amber Spyglass. But then again I am a geekazoid and wrote my thesis on those books

I just finished the adult thriller,GONE GIRL and I am going to try to get back into ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD. I hateeeeed the audiobook narrator. Must read a print version.

Finished my reread of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire yesterday. I haven't read it in a few years and omg... it's so much more complicated and intricate than I remembered. The plot is probably one of the best of the series.

Moving on to Order of the Phoenix now. Also, I downloaded some free ebooks and I've gotten really, really sucked into The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I would have adored it if I had read it when I was eight, but even now it's fantastic.

Becca, The Secret Garden was one of my favourites as a kid! So mysterious and beautiful. I even started my own secret garden with a packet of "grow your own flowers from seed" in a corner of our yard at home. Wasn't as good I've had an obsession with locked gateways and walled gardens ever since.

I've started FIRE by Kristin Cashore. Wanted to read GRACELING first, but the library didn't have it.

rosiecotton said:

Becca, The Secret Garden was one of my favourites as a kid! So mysterious and beautiful. I even started my own secret garden with a packet of "grow your own flowers from seed" in a corner of our yard at home. Wasn't as good I've had an obsession with locked gateways and walled gardens ever since.

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Aww! I have a feeling I would've done the exact same thing. I loved secret places -- there was a tiny, forested island in a pond in a park I used to go to, and I was convinced unicorns lived there. I really, really want to write about that now.

The thing I love about The Secret Garden now is how much you see the MC grow! It's amazing. She morphs from this ugly, disagreeable, terrible brat into a curious, happy little girl and it's just so believable and heartwarming.

Sabriel by Garth Nix. I'm coming off a bit a of blitz of contemps, so this is nice.

Beautiful Creatures - I'm really enjoying it so far. I'd been ignoring it because the cover looked a bit paranormal/vampire romance but so far it has been more gothic. There is a stephen king feel - the small town thing. I like that.

Becca, one of my fave bits of the Secret Garden is when she goes exploring for the morning and comes back to this amazing breakfast - I remember it being described in delicious detail You will probably enjoy A Little Princess, which I think is even better than TSG.

Still reading SHATT$R ME. There is one plot development that's pretty obvious to me (as in, a logical chain) but the book isn't taking it there, I keep wondering whether that will happen earlier or later. It's interesting, though, different from what I thought it would be.

I wonder if anyone else thought Juliette was a bit of a drama queen. I know she's been through a lot, but each time she goes into hysterics in public, weeping and rolling around on the floor screaming and saying "ah all my bones broke and my heart rolled away and I'm dying 3 4 5 times", I find myself thinking, dammit girl get some backbone at least, if you don't have any pride left. I guess what gets to me is that she's got the power. She's not helpless. Pro soldiers are afraid of her. Yet she behaves as if she is an ordinary girl without any sort of powerful special ability. It's like a person with a machine gun crying "somebody help me"--well, you are the one with the weapon, what do you have it for then?

I started Blood Red Road last night and I'm really enjoying it. Saba is a gritty character with a lot of flaws - loving her!

I listened to Living Dead Girl and Keturah and Lord Death on audiobook. I loved Living Dead Girl, but couldn't stand Keturah. It can basically be summed up as "If you're beautiful, shallow, and selfish, you can defeat death."

Windcutter said:

I wonder if anyone else thought Juliette was a bit of a drama queen. I know she's been through a lot, but each time she goes into hysterics in public, weeping and rolling around on the floor screaming and saying "ah all my bones broke and my heart rolled away and I'm dying 3 4 5 times", I find myself thinking, dammit girl get some backbone at least, if you don't have any pride left. I guess what gets to me is that she's got the power. She's not helpless. Pro soldiers are afraid of her. Yet she behaves as if she is an ordinary girl without any sort of powerful special ability. It's like a person with a machine gun crying "somebody help me"--well, you are the one with the weapon, what do you have it for then?

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Ha. This. Also, I never understood her power. Granted I didn't finish the book, but I got to about 50%. When she touches people, do they instantly die? Or is there a delay? Do they die from her touch, or does she make them burst into flames or something? For such a crazy intense power, it was barely even spoken of.

I just finished two awesome beta reads, but now I'm ready to get back to my TBR pile.

I've got a ton of samples on my kindle, but I think I'm going to read A Long, Long Sleep because there are parts that seem achingly similar to my WIP. I don't know anything about it, but it sounds cool.

Just started Delirium by Lauren Oliver. Interesting premise and I can't wait to see what happens.

This is Not a Test is next on my list!

Just finished An Abundance of Katherines. Also Lola and the Boy Next Door. Not sure if I mentioned that before or not.

Still working on Code Name Verity.

Becca C. said:

Ha. This. Also, I never understood her power. Granted I didn't finish the book, but I got to about 50%. When she touches people, do they instantly die? Or is there a delay? Do they die from her touch, or does she make them burst into flames or something? For such a crazy intense power, it was barely even spoken of.

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From the descriptions, I thought she was pretty much like Rogue of X-Men. That is, she sort of absorbs life force with her touch. Which is why the few times she does it, she feels better, more alive, more intense, etc.

So far it's not just her power that's barely even spoken of. I have no idea of the world beyond the basic "it sucks to live there now", at all. Nothing but Juliette's feelings, but I think it's done on purpose, to make the reader feel just as claustrophobic and confused as she does. Clever.

What I'm really curious about is the query letter for this book. It's been more than 50% of the book and things just keep happening to MC without her participation, she's like a doll who only says something from time to time. She has no goals, no desires, pretty much no activity unless pushed by another character. Her circumstances are dramatic and engaging, but how does one write a successful query (and it was obviously a very successful one) without MC at least wanting something? Curious curious

I've read Unearthly by Cynthia Hand, and am now nearly through Hallowed, both of which I've enjoyed. One thing I noticed was that in the first book 'Mum' was used (which surprised me, as the MC is American and the setting's in America), but she's called 'Mom' in the second book. Bit of head scratching here as to why the change slipped through between books - the same editor worked on both (& isn't 'Mom' used more commonly in America?).

Netz said:

I've read Unearthly by Cynthia Hand, and am now nearly through Hallowed, both of which I've enjoyed. One thing I noticed was that in the first book 'Mum' was used (which surprised me, as the MC is American and the setting's in America), but she's called 'Mom' in the second book. Bit of head scratching here as to why the change slipped through between books - the same editor worked on both (& isn't 'Mom' used more commonly in America?).

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Huh. That's odd. I did know someone who used to call her mom 'mum' and she was from the New England area. Boston, I think. Not sure if that's a Massachusetts thing but other than that, it does seem odd that a American character would say 'mum' and not 'mom'. *shrugs*