my picks for YA books you may have missed

I am participating in one-day blog post blitz titled "The Best YA Books You Haven't Read" started by a blogger & wannabe YA writer: http://yannabe.com/2010/01/21/best-books-not-read/

Here are my choices

--Mal Peet's Exposure (2009 Guardian Children's Fiction Prize)
--F.E. Higgins series: Black Book of Secrets, The Bone Magician and The Eyeball Collector
--Blake Nelson's Destroy All Cars
--Blake Nelson's Girl

I think a lot of people missed out on this when it first came out 1994 and the latest editions seem to not be so successful either. I gave this to my 16 year old cousin last year and she loved it. So although some of the music scene references are a little dated, this book can still be relevant to teens today. For me, this book meant so much to me and while I grew up on the other side of the country, I related so much to this story and the whole scene.

Check out my Author Sheet for Blake Nelson on my online portfolio.

Can you tell I'm a fan?

--and finally....C.D. Payne's Youth in Revolt

This book is getting some attention now because of the film starring Michael Cera but I have a feeling more people will just see the movie than read the book at this point. I have not seen the movie yet but I almost guarantee that you will enjoy the book so much more. Sorry no summary here on my blog but will post in the coming months, I promise. I read it so long ago and want to re-read/flip through before I post.

So, go forth and read!

Plans for (the brief) Winter Break

Some books I hope to read before the Spring semester starts…in no particular order...

1. The Grounding of Group Six by Julian F. Thompson, c.1983 (finishing this up…)

2. To Hellholes and Back: Bribes, Lies, and the Art of Extreme Tourism by Chuck Thompson, c.2009 (from my LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers, review to follow…)

3. Daughters of Eve by Lois Duncan, c. 1979

4. American Gods by Neil Gaiman, c. 2001 (seems to be many people’s favorite..)

5. Happy Endings are All Alike by Sandra Scoppettone, c. 1978 (one of the first/the few novels about teen lesbians…in the 70s)

6. My Darling, My Hamburger by Paul Zindel, c.1969

7. Youth in Revolt: The Journals of Nick Twisp by C.D. Payne, c1993 (had meant to read this so long ago, now the movie is about to come out…yikes! Have to read before that…)

I may be a little ambitious……