What YA book are you reading RIGHT NOW?

After reading about it in this thread, I picked up The Demon's Lexicon. Although Nick tends to get on my nerves a bit, I'm enjoying it a lot!
(Plus, it's a finished trilogy! There are way too many first-in-a-trilogy-books coming out right now and if I keep picking these up, I'll never be reading the end of a series again ...)

So I finished DIE F0R ME. The one part I loved and admired (fun, flirty party girl portrayed affectionately as a person of strength) was cruelly undone at the end (party girl punished for her party ways). And the climax featured my absolute least favourite trope ever, the supposed heroine whose only action during the climax is to be possessed by her boyfriend so that he can save the day. She has no other value except to be a literal vessel to be literally possessed by a man.

I don't even know where to start with critiquing this trope. You may remember it from HU$H HUSH (honorary mention for problematic heroine uselessness during climax: FALL3N). What is the appeal? Surely the climax is the moment where your heroine gets to be the biggest badass in the world. It's the big opportunity to kick ass, save lives and/or make history. So why are these heroines only allowed to be saved?

YA, you do these things to hurt me.

While I'm on the subject, Suzann3 Young's A N33D SO BEAUTIFUL is... actually kind of fun so far. The protagonist is already in a healthy, loving relationship with a wonderful guy and they're planning their future together. (I expect this to be cruelly subverted in 0.2 seconds. He'll be hit by a meteor or something.)

Okay, this is riveting. Must keep turning pages. Mussst.

I have finished it and I can now report that it is a work of beautiful genius. Read it. Reeeeead it.

Parametric said:

I don't even know where to start with critiquing this trope. You may remember it from HU$H HUSH (honorary mention for problematic heroine uselessness during climax: FALL3N). What is the appeal? Surely the climax is the moment where your heroine gets to be the biggest badass in the world. It's the big opportunity to kick ass, save lives and/or make history. So why are these heroines only allowed to be saved?

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Oh, yes. So much fail here for me-reader, but the readers in general must be satisfied, since no editor seems to suggest otherwise. I've read a book recently where the day was saved by a secondary character in an even more distant way: the MC kept thinking, plz don't make me the one who has to deal with it... and magically some other person came up and dealt with it. So we have the climax going at full tilt and the heroine sort of stands to a side mulling over her sucky life.

Lol, you make me laugh, Parametric!

Windcutter said:

Oh, yes. So much fail here for me-reader, but the readers in general must be satisfied, since no editor seems to suggest otherwise. I've read a book recently where the day was saved by a secondary character in an even more distant way: the MC kept thinking, plz don't make me the one who has to deal with it... and magically some other person came up and dealt with it. So we have the climax going at full tilt and the heroine sort of stands to a side mulling over her sucky life.

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Wow. To me that sounds like the author picked the wrong character's story to tell from word go. That's pretty scary.

I see nothing wrong with more then one person being involved in what happens at the end of a book. But if someone has been having their life story told and they get to The Moment and just stand there going "huh?" while someone else does everything..? I have to wonder why telling Their story was actually important.

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

Smish said:

I've only read The Truth About Forever, which a lot of people seem to love (and many people recommended it to me as "Sarah Dessen's best book"), but I didn't really like it. It wasn't awful, but it was too slow for me and the characters weren't memorable. I doubt I'll read any more of her novels.

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It is one of her better ones But if you were to try another ... I would recommend 'This Lullaby' as it is another very loved one of hers and the most opposite in tone/voice to 'The Truth About Forever', IMO

vfury said:

Just finished AUGUST by Bernard Beckett, who also wrote GENESIS. I'm not entirely sure what I think of it yet. It wasn't anything like I thought it would be, yet I'm finding it difficult to let it go. It's powerful and very well written.

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I only recently read 'Genesis' and really got into it. So now I am pumped to check out 'August'. I am not entirely sure why 'Genesis' is marked as YA though, despite having a teen protag, it's not necessarily YA in themes, and would def have appeal in the adult market, IMO.

adktd2bks said:

Almost done with Revolution. It's LONG, but it's very good. Prose is well done (as well as the history) and there have been a number of times that I got all teary.

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I have 'Revolution' Got it last week in a trade. And you cried (!) ~ (although I have the impression you are a teary reader, haha). I will bump it up the TBR

I am reading 'but i love him' by Amanda Grace (pseudonym [or whatever] for mandy hubbard). it has some great lines in it, but it almost feels as if i am reading little vignettes about their lives rather than being submerged into a complete story. i love the concept though and it's an incredibly easy read (not topic-wise, just in pages-flying-smoothly-wise

I recently finished reading BUT I LOVE HIM by Amanda Grace. It was really well-written, made me cry a couple if times, but it really was a good read. It's way darker than all of Mandy Hubbard's novels.

Re-reading THE BOOK THIEF again.

I still like it a lot, but I think I AM THE MESSENGER has swapped places with TBT as my favorite Zusak book. Weird how my reading tastes keep changing...

DrummerGirl said:

It is one of her better ones But if you were to try another ... I would recommend 'This Lullaby' as it is another very loved one of hers and the most opposite in tone/voice to 'The Truth About Forever', IMO


I have 'Revolution' Got it last week in a trade. And you cried (!) ~ (although I have the impression you are a teary reader, haha). I will bump it up the TBR

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Haha, see This Lullabye is probably my least favorite Dessen Book. I liked Just Listen best. From previous conversations it seems like no one can agree on which is the best Dessen book.

I LOVED Revolution!! Yes, bump it up!

I just finished On the Bright Side I am Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God, #2 of the Georgia Nicolson diary. Gosh, so funny. I was reading parts to my 10 yr old son (er, the appropriate ones) and he was laughing with me. And I love all the British slang - and her made up ones too! Looking forward to the third one soon.

I started Psych Major Syndrome last night on Nomes' recommendation. Not too far into it yet, but I'm liking the voice. And I have 15 books on my bedstand now - I went raiding HPB and Amazon for cheap books so now I have to avoid the library if I can. Gonna be hard though.

Katallina said:

I see nothing wrong with more then one person being involved in what happens at the end of a book. But if someone has been having their life story told and they get to The Moment and just stand there going "huh?" while someone else does everything..? I have to wonder why telling Their story was actually important.

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Me, too, though I think maybe the author wanted to do a twist this way? Like "in every book the princess heroine becomes a queen, but this time, nope, she won't." Still, it broke the flow.

Reading Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers. I found it much more engaging than I thought it would be. I'm usually not much into angels vs demons, but I was curious how the author handled the situation. It has the kind of voice that pulls you in, and it reads easily in a good way--very smooth. That said, I vote for the angel boy, but I know my hope is vain (not a spoiler, since I haven't finished it yet).

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

I've finished LIBERATOR by Richard Harland and quite enjoyed it. The world building is great and there's plenty of action and conflict and I love the backdrop of a revolution having gone horribly wrong. My only 2 complaints were that I found the MC a little too passive during key scenes (particularly those where his relationship is at stake) and some of the plot developments were a little too obvious. Otherwise, I think it's a steam punk book that's worth a look and I'm going to check out the first book.

I'm about to start THE TRUTH ABOUT CELIA FROST by Paula Rawsthorne, which isn't out until August but I've heard good things about it.

MM

adktd2bks said:

I just finished On the Bright Side I am Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God, #2 of the Georgia Nicolson diary. Gosh, so funny. I was reading parts to my 10 yr old son (er, the appropriate ones) and he was laughing with me. And I love all the British slang - and her made up ones too! Looking forward to the third one soon.

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AHHHH!!! I love love LOVE these books!!! Read them all! The third one was by far the funniest so far imo (I'm on number 4).

pixydust said:

AHHHH!!! I love love LOVE these books!!! Read them all! The third one was by far the funniest so far imo (I'm on number 4).

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Amazon has #7,8 and 9 on sale. I'm resisting the urge to buy them now.

I read THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE and then I died. What and AMAZING book!!!! I'm just floored. Gack! Must read again and study the amazingness!

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS (amazing, major book love)

UNNATURAL (uhg) The one about the fallen angle school, just to clarify. Another "academy" type book.

I'm also reading The 1ron King....meh... It's not bad, but it's not anything to write home about.

And I'm half way through A CLASH OF KINGS--YAY! I am loving it as much as book one--maybe even better.

Also about to finish the first 1-800-WHERE-R-YOU? Very cute!

adktd2bks said:

Amazon has #7,8 and 9 on sale. I'm resisting the urge to buy them now.

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Resist no more...

adktd2bks said:

Haha, see This Lullabye is probably my least favorite Dessen Book. I liked Just Listen best. From previous conversations it seems like no one can agree on which is the best Dessen book.

I LOVED Revolution!! Yes, bump it up!

I just finished On the Bright Side I am Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God, #2 of the Georgia Nicolson diary. Gosh, so funny. I was reading parts to my 10 yr old son (er, the appropriate ones) and he was laughing with me. And I love all the British slang - and her made up ones too! Looking forward to the third one soon.

I started Psych Major Syndrome last night on Nomes' recommendation. Not too far into it yet, but I'm liking the voice. And I have 15 books on my bedstand now - I went raiding HPB and Amazon for cheap books so now I have to avoid the library if I can. Gonna be hard though.

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'this lullaby' isn't my fave either, but i do think it is the most opposite to 'the truth about forever' in terms of vibe or whatever (which the lovely smish didn't think much of )

i just got the #2 Georgia Nicholson from my lib today (wOOT!). so much goodness ahead of me

i hope you LOVE 'psych major syndrome' it is one of my all time faves, but it's a very "me book" ~ i just completely related to Leigh. also, Nathan is not bad

pixydust said:

Resist no more...

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seconded

FEED by M.T. Anderson.

DrummerGirl said:

i hope you LOVE 'psych major syndrome' it is one of my all time faves, but it's a very "me book" ~ i just completely related to Leigh. also, Nathan is not bad Loving it so far.



seconded

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You guys are making it tempting, but I bought about 10 books over the past two weeks. True they were all cheap, but I still gotta make that pile go down before I get any more.

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

Just finished The Tree Shepherd's Daughter by Gillian Summers, which I enjoyed a lot. It's nice to read about someone who discovers she is a magical girl and does not respond to this new found power/responsibility by spending every waking moment trying to decide who should be her boyfriend. It was funny too, set amongst sekritly magical folks who work at a Renaissance Faire and pretend to be normal folks pretending to be magical folks.

Now working on reading Everlost by Neal Shusterman!