After nearly a week of meetings in sunny and gorgeous San Diego, we hemmed and hawed and ultimately, committed to a list of 99 titles in the first ever YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults list. And here it is!
I'm so happy with our list and the diversity of titles recognized. There were some personal favorites that didn't quite make the cut (okay, and some that weren't even close) but that's all part of the pleasure of working with 14 individuals from around the country, bringing such a variety of tastes and experiences to the table.
Our work does not resume until February 1, so I am rewarding myself for all that reading with, okay, a bit more reading, but also some serious indulging in the things I have missed for the past several months. I am sorely behind in watching Oscar-worthy performances. My to-watch list is nearly matching my to-read list. Okay, that's not exactly true. My to-read piles are still rather impressive, in that they span about 5 shelves. But I'm trying to mix in some fabulous grown-up books with the must-read ARCs picked up at Midwinter. Just finished Rhoda Janzen's Mennonite In A Little Black Dress, a delightfully funny and surprisingly profound memoir. Next up: ARC of Sarah Dessen's forthcoming What Happened to Goodbye and the Newbery winner, Moon Over Manifest. Also, must finish Gary D. Schmidt's Okay for Now. I've historically never been one to read multiple books at once, but I think I'm embracing this new reality.
Senin, 17 Januari 2011
Minggu, 26 Desember 2010
Holiday reading update
Nothing says the Holidays quite like doing something you don't want to. Wait. That didn't used to be true! Well, this year, like it or not, that is my reality. Yesterday was all about spending time with family (including my hyped up 3 year old nephew who was still so excited about Christmas that he was playing with his fire engine in bed at 11:30 p.m.), eating lots of delicious food, and opening presents. Today is about hunkering down in the much-anticipated blizzard and reading.
Last night I treated myself to the last book of the remaining 10 that I actually had an interest in reading: Adele Griffin's Picture the Dead. It's my second Adele Griffin book this year, having read and reviewed The Julian Game for School Library Journal. While Julian didn't really do it for me on a personal level, I quite enjoyed Picture the Dead. I can't think of too many Civil War historical fiction titles that take place in Brookline, Mass., and I enjoyed the local connection. I must admit, I also enjoyed the really short chapters, as my attention span was limited due to frequent interruptions by my nephew. The packaging on this one is absolutely gorgeous -- no wonder Bryan Selznick blurbed it -- and I will be keeping it, since I allowed my nephew to color all over the inside of it during the Christmas Eve Mass.
I'm taking a little break from Lish McBride's Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, my second book in a row about the dead (actually, I think a good percentage of my remaining to-reads are about the dead or the undead). I just read the most startling scene out of this entire year's worth of reading. Which is kind of weird because until that point, the book had been pretty funny with hints of weird stuff under the surface. Only 8 5/6 books to go!
Last night I treated myself to the last book of the remaining 10 that I actually had an interest in reading: Adele Griffin's Picture the Dead. It's my second Adele Griffin book this year, having read and reviewed The Julian Game for School Library Journal. While Julian didn't really do it for me on a personal level, I quite enjoyed Picture the Dead. I can't think of too many Civil War historical fiction titles that take place in Brookline, Mass., and I enjoyed the local connection. I must admit, I also enjoyed the really short chapters, as my attention span was limited due to frequent interruptions by my nephew. The packaging on this one is absolutely gorgeous -- no wonder Bryan Selznick blurbed it -- and I will be keeping it, since I allowed my nephew to color all over the inside of it during the Christmas Eve Mass.
I'm taking a little break from Lish McBride's Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, my second book in a row about the dead (actually, I think a good percentage of my remaining to-reads are about the dead or the undead). I just read the most startling scene out of this entire year's worth of reading. Which is kind of weird because until that point, the book had been pretty funny with hints of weird stuff under the surface. Only 8 5/6 books to go!
Senin, 13 Desember 2010
The one's I've been putting off
That said, I would be lying if I said that I was really excited about any of these books. A quick glance shows that there are no contemporary coming of age stories left. They were gobbled up nearly instantaneously. What remains are the ones I've been squeamish about, and for a wide variety of very random reasons. One of them uses a very small font; I don't care much for very small fonts. One that didn't make it into this photograph is about a pegasus. I've never been a big fan of, umm, pegasi? Needless to say, when I look at this pile and I have to choose what to read next, there's a big of cringing and trepidation. Sort of like when Buddy the Elf decides to ride the escalator. It's like, do I really have to? And yes, I do. I really have to. I'm soooooo close to having read all 191 nominations. The clock is ticking.
Let's see if there are some hidden gems here. I'll be posting my reactions over the next few weeks. In the meantime, a clip from Elf:
Senin, 01 November 2010
Back from my hiatus
I received some exciting news these past few days. One, I have the right connections (one of the perks of dating someone in the physics world) to attend a taping of The Big Bang Theory. Anyone who knows me well knows that I have an affinity for Sheldon Cooper. Well, once I can find some room in my schedule to get to Los Angeles, I can make this dream a reality. This dream: meeting SHELDON. I mean, Jim Parsons.
The other exciting news came through over the past few days and this morning. Nominations for the Best Fiction for Young Adults 2011 list has closed as of midnight last night. There were 191 nominated titles, and I only have 35 left to read. Phew! Given that we have until January 7th to read them, this is a huge load off of my back. I mean, don't get me wrong, 35 books is a lot. But with a little more than 2 months, it is actually manageable. Heck, I might even have time to read some of the adult books I've been dreaming about reading. Like:
In the meantime, I've started the book with the dreamiest author photo ever. Also known as James Franco's Palo Alto: Stories. It's my current bedside book, which means I'm getting through it veerrryyyy sloooowwllly. Also, it means my dreams will probably be filled with violence and disaffected youth. Hooray!
Tonight's book: Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson. I looooved Chains. It's one of my favorite books to booktalk. So many gorgeous passages to from for read-alouds. So moving... but also so exciting. I can't wait to settle on the couch with my kitty and start reading.
The other exciting news came through over the past few days and this morning. Nominations for the Best Fiction for Young Adults 2011 list has closed as of midnight last night. There were 191 nominated titles, and I only have 35 left to read. Phew! Given that we have until January 7th to read them, this is a huge load off of my back. I mean, don't get me wrong, 35 books is a lot. But with a little more than 2 months, it is actually manageable. Heck, I might even have time to read some of the adult books I've been dreaming about reading. Like:
In the meantime, I've started the book with the dreamiest author photo ever. Also known as James Franco's Palo Alto: Stories. It's my current bedside book, which means I'm getting through it veerrryyyy sloooowwllly. Also, it means my dreams will probably be filled with violence and disaffected youth. Hooray!
Tonight's book: Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson. I looooved Chains. It's one of my favorite books to booktalk. So many gorgeous passages to from for read-alouds. So moving... but also so exciting. I can't wait to settle on the couch with my kitty and start reading.
Sabtu, 09 Oktober 2010
The end of the picture book? Hardly.
I heard the buzz surrounding the New York Times article "Picture Books No Longer A Staple For Children" on kidlit and library list-servs and now I've had a chance read it and think about it. And like most of my colleagues, I'm going to jump in and say, it's wrong. For one, the article seems to assume that the only place one might find a picture book for their child to read is a bookstore, a bookstore selling only brand new $16.99 picture books. Well, that was the author's first mistake.
Walk into any public library and talk to the people in the children's department or the circulation desk. Picture books circulate like crazy. After DVDs, they are usually one of the most highly circulating items. Picture books will always be purchased as gifts - I've certainly been purchasing 10+ a year for my 2 year old nephew - but when the economy goes south, I think most families of readers have looked at the price tag of picture books (and this is a case where the paperback versions do not stand the test of time and are hard to look through in any shelving unit) and decided they could go without buying them new. Also, half the time I head into a bookstore looking for a few titles that have been recommended by Horn Book or Booklist, I find they don't even have them and turn to Amazon (all the while wishing I still lived around the corner from the tremendous 57th Street Books).
I also don't buy the either/or argument, based off a few comments from individuals, that parents are en masse telling their kids not to read or look at picture books in favor of easy readers or beginner chapter books. Again, I think back to being at the library just the other day and checking out books to families with new readers. A young girl, about 5 or 6, handed me a stack of 8 books, 4 picture books, 3 easy readers. With no budget limiting them, the kids will choose as many as their little hands (or mom's tote bag) can hold.
Walk into any public library and talk to the people in the children's department or the circulation desk. Picture books circulate like crazy. After DVDs, they are usually one of the most highly circulating items. Picture books will always be purchased as gifts - I've certainly been purchasing 10+ a year for my 2 year old nephew - but when the economy goes south, I think most families of readers have looked at the price tag of picture books (and this is a case where the paperback versions do not stand the test of time and are hard to look through in any shelving unit) and decided they could go without buying them new. Also, half the time I head into a bookstore looking for a few titles that have been recommended by Horn Book or Booklist, I find they don't even have them and turn to Amazon (all the while wishing I still lived around the corner from the tremendous 57th Street Books).
I also don't buy the either/or argument, based off a few comments from individuals, that parents are en masse telling their kids not to read or look at picture books in favor of easy readers or beginner chapter books. Again, I think back to being at the library just the other day and checking out books to families with new readers. A young girl, about 5 or 6, handed me a stack of 8 books, 4 picture books, 3 easy readers. With no budget limiting them, the kids will choose as many as their little hands (or mom's tote bag) can hold.
Minggu, 03 Oktober 2010
The craziness of committee work
I spent a good chunk of this morning filling out nomination forms for Best Fiction for Young Adults. Four, in fact. It had been a while since I nominated some titles and I've had these on my mind. I was really tempted to nominate this one book (which shall not be named) because I'd been growing fonder and fonder of it in my memory. Thankfully, I went back and read my notes. In reading them, it became quiiiiite clear that I enjoyed the book, but did not at all think it was worthy of being nominated. Duly noted!
It's getting to that point in the cycle where I'm edging closer and closer to having read 300 books. It's kind of a marvelous achievement, you would think, but man, I am already thinking about the lovely break I am going to give myself when this year's term ends. I am going to not try to read a book a day. I'm not even going to try to read YA fiction. I'm going to read an adult book or two (Freedom by Jonathan Franzen, if I can stomach it!) and watch my TV shows and, oh yeah, spend time with friends and family. It's been so frantic here in the hours after work, where it's become apparent that my boyfriend and I basically never stop working. Yes, the day job ends, but it's like our day job has created a night job. I'm reading and writing notes, taking a quick break for dinner and a Colbert Report, he's rushing in and out of lab. It's kind of crazy to think how easy our lives were a year ago. When the question was not, Can we please add more hours to the day? but rather, What should we do now?
Before I started my new jobs, I was trying to find a way to fill the time, all the while hoping and wishing with every new day that it might bring the news I so want to hear: a call or email from an agent. Now, I haven't given up on that search, but it's something I approach with both excitement and trepidation. I cannot imagine adding editing or any other work to my already overflowing daily responsibilities! ::Gulp::
It's getting to that point in the cycle where I'm edging closer and closer to having read 300 books. It's kind of a marvelous achievement, you would think, but man, I am already thinking about the lovely break I am going to give myself when this year's term ends. I am going to not try to read a book a day. I'm not even going to try to read YA fiction. I'm going to read an adult book or two (Freedom by Jonathan Franzen, if I can stomach it!) and watch my TV shows and, oh yeah, spend time with friends and family. It's been so frantic here in the hours after work, where it's become apparent that my boyfriend and I basically never stop working. Yes, the day job ends, but it's like our day job has created a night job. I'm reading and writing notes, taking a quick break for dinner and a Colbert Report, he's rushing in and out of lab. It's kind of crazy to think how easy our lives were a year ago. When the question was not, Can we please add more hours to the day? but rather, What should we do now?
Before I started my new jobs, I was trying to find a way to fill the time, all the while hoping and wishing with every new day that it might bring the news I so want to hear: a call or email from an agent. Now, I haven't given up on that search, but it's something I approach with both excitement and trepidation. I cannot imagine adding editing or any other work to my already overflowing daily responsibilities! ::Gulp::
Sabtu, 11 September 2010
Where did she go?
I take a two week blogging hiatus and suddenly my blog has more hits than ever before (thanks to a certain photo of Tim Riggins, clearly, an in-demand kind of thing). I've found myself a bit overwhelmed with stuff to do after starting my new jobs. I had to run over to a delightful stationary store this morning in order to get more organized. My to-do lists scrawled in my too-small yearly organizer were too much to handle, so I've gone ahead and bought a much bigger organizer for 2011 and a supplementary, beautiful clairefontaine notebook to get me by until then.
The struggle has switched from finding a balance between writing (and everything that goes along that while trying to get published) and reading my committee work, to still trying to find time for those things now that I'm settling in at my two new jobs, which add up to 40 hours a week. A challenge indeed but one that I am up to!
Whenever I start to think about how it will be hard to find time for everything, I think about my alter-ego, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, who has managed to write many books while in college and graduate school. She makes me (and many other people) look like complete slackers.
Anyway, hoping to get some of the reading under control this weekend, taking advantage of the fact that the Red Sox are pretty much certainly out of the playoffs. Ideally, I'd like to finish 4 books this weekend, go apple picking, write at least 10 pages on my new WIP so I have SOMETHING for critique group next week, and watch Temple Grandin. Probably will need to back away from the computer to make it all happen.
The struggle has switched from finding a balance between writing (and everything that goes along that while trying to get published) and reading my committee work, to still trying to find time for those things now that I'm settling in at my two new jobs, which add up to 40 hours a week. A challenge indeed but one that I am up to!
Whenever I start to think about how it will be hard to find time for everything, I think about my alter-ego, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, who has managed to write many books while in college and graduate school. She makes me (and many other people) look like complete slackers.
Anyway, hoping to get some of the reading under control this weekend, taking advantage of the fact that the Red Sox are pretty much certainly out of the playoffs. Ideally, I'd like to finish 4 books this weekend, go apple picking, write at least 10 pages on my new WIP so I have SOMETHING for critique group next week, and watch Temple Grandin. Probably will need to back away from the computer to make it all happen.
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