A debut novel that pulls no punches

If you like great gritty and realistic fiction, get your hands on a copy of Split by 2010 debut author Swati Avasthi.

This YA novel tells the story Jace Witherspoon, who flees an abusive father to try and start a new life with the older brother who escaped years before. But for Jace escaping from his past will take more than a long road trip and some new friends.

Split has some scenes that had my heart racing, including a few where I was so worried about what would happen that I wanted to do what I do while watching a horror movie – close my eyes. Problem is, it’s hard to read with your eyes closed. Thankfully, I was brave and kept my eyes open and was able to enjoy of Swati’s novel.

For fans of realistic fiction, I highly recommend Split.

Post Apocalyptic Reading

What is it about the end of the world that makes for such good reading?

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan was recommended to me by a few different people whose book opinions I value, so I was pretty sure I was going to like this book even before I read the first page.

I hesitate to describe this YA novel as a “zombie” book even though it is set in a post apocalyptic world filled with zombies, because the style of the book is so different from more traditional zombie books. It’s more of a really good post-apocalyptic novel that happens to have zombies in it. Okay, that description isn’t any good either. What it is is a really good book. Read it.

I came a bit late to Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games series, and only just read Catching Fire. Post apocalyptic purists are probably having a heart attack right now. The problem was that The Hunger Games was such a dark and heavy (but good!) book that I needed a little break before diving into the next book in the series.

Now my problem is that I may not have waited long enough. Now, that I’ve read Catching Fire, I can’t wait to read Mockingjay, the next book in the series to find out what happens. Unfortunately, it isn’t due out until August.

Take your favorite post-apocalyptic tale add reality television and a love triangle to the mix and you have an idea of what the Hunger Games series is all about. If that’s not intriguing enough I’ll add that Katniss Everdeen is one of my favorite literary heroines ever. This is a great YA series, but if you don’t like waiting to find out what happens you might want to wait a little closer to August before you read these books.

Having trouble getting motivated to do some spring cleaning? Read Dirty Little Secrets

When I finished reading Dirty Little Secrets by C. J. Omololu, I had the overwhelming desire to help my mom cut down on some of her clutter. As much as I complain about my mother’s tendency to hang onto things that she doesn’t need, she’s got nothing on Lucy’s mom in Dirty Little Secrets.

This YA novel takes a look at the serious issue of hoarding. It was a powerful novel that pulled no punches. A warning to those who like me have a tendency to read while eating, you might want to avoid eating while reading this one as some of details get a bit graphic.

This is a great novel that tackles a serious subject that hasn’t had much, if any, literary coverage.

A lost YA classic?

The book Uncle Silas by J. S. Le Fanu has been on my to-read list for awhile after reading about in some magazine article I have long since forgotten. My Dover Publications copy has a line at the top of the cover that describes it as “A Victorian Gothic Novel of Mystery.”

It’s sort of like Pride and Prejudice with a thriller element thrown in, and a tad less romance. It tells the story of Maud Ruthyn who lives a sheltered childhood with her somewhat eccentric father, and upon his death finds herself going to live with her mysterious, at times frightening Uncle Silas.

I was quickly drawn into the book, and despite its age, the novel didn’t have that dated quality to it. It still seems fresh. By the end when things get really exciting, I could not put the book down.

Technically, there was no such thing as YA fiction when Le Fanu wrote Uncle Silas, but were this book to be published today it would most certainly do so under a young adult imprint. I recommend this book for anyone looking for a dash of excitement with their classics.

What I’ve read over the past 2 weeks

For awhile now,  I’ve been trying to keep up with participating in a weekly group blog in which we all share what we’ve read over the past week. Well, being busy I missed last week’s blog, and then today turned out to be pretty busy as well. So, I am just now getting around to getting something posted.

In light of this, I think instead of trying to post a weekly summary, going forward I’ll just try to highlight what I’ve been reading one book at a time.

In the past two weeks I’ve read . . .

two very different graphic novels: French Milk by Lucy Kinsley which is a sort of travelogue done as a graphic novel and (Tammy Pierce is) Unlovable by Esther Pearl Watson which was based on a teenager’s diary from the 1980s that was found in a gas station bathroom, and that description alone was enough to make me pick this one up – I was glad I did;

two very different young adult novels Stop in the Name of Pants by Louise Rennison part of the ongoing Georgia Nicolson series which is loaded with hilariosity and Handcuffs by Bethany Griffin which is a much more serious novel about love and obsession that would make for a great book discussion. I also thought the bit about the blogger who bullies her classmate was very topical and lends itself to additional discussion questions.

Right now, I am in the midst of reading a short story anthology filled with post-apocalyptic stories, Wastelands edited by John Joseph Adams and listening to the audio book of Zeitoun by Dave Eggers.

It’s Monday, What are You Reading?

It’s group blog time once again, but starting this week It’s Monday What Are You Reading? is being hosted by Sheila at One Person’s Journey Through a World of Books.

This week I read the awesome Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. I also read The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon. At the moment I’m reading the very hard to put down Bad Things Happen by Harry Dolan and An Abundance of Katherines by John Green.

Beautiful Creatures

This YA novel by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl is described as Southern Gothic. Take everything you love about To Kill a Mockingbird stick the characters in a modern high school, then throw in some dark supernatural elements and you get a pretty good feel for Beautiful Creatures. It’s one of those books you just want to curl up on the couch with and lose yourself in its pages for a couple of hours. This book was recommended by several people, and I was not disappointed. If you haven’t yet done so, you need to read this book.

The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation

I remember when the original 9/11 Report came out being curious, but not curious enough to wade through the dense 600 and some pages of that book. Thankfully Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon came up with the brilliant idea of creating a much abridged graphic novel style adaptation of the report that presents all the essential points of the original report in a very accessible format. It’s still weighty stuff, and full of depressing information, not just the sad terrorist attacks that happened more than 8 years ago now, but the fact that it’s very likely our government hasn’t really learned from the mistakes that allowed the 9/11 attacks to occur. A report card at the end of the book asks the 9/11 commission to judge the country in how well they have followed through with the suggestions made by the commission, and it is pretty bleak.

What’s next

I’m nearly done with both of the books I am currently reading. After that it’s on to Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr and Squirrel Mother by Megan Kelso.

What about you? What books have been keeping you company this week?

Big thanks to Jennifer at Old People Writing For Teens

Yesterday I got something other than bills and junk mail in the mail, which is always cause for celebration, and this was an extra special day because I received an awesome prize from Jennifer Wood at the very awesome blog Old People Writing For Teens. The prize included a copy of the YA novel Handcuffs by Bethany Griffin, which I can’t wait to read, a very cool journal for those mindless ramblings of mine and a pretty butterfly bookmark. Thanks, Jennifer and OPWFT!