A Jenny by any other name...

To me, Jane Austen is a tragic figure. Save William Shakespeare, she is perhaps the best-loved author in the English Language. She got there by penning sweet, funny, romantic tales that tell of Regency life with a astute eye. Sweet, ROMANTIC tales. sigh. But she totally died without ever marrying. Which, like, to my unmarried self, is SUCH the tragedy! We're fascinated - enamored, even - of her heroines and her life. This is the 2nd book I've read inspired by her this year, and the fourth in two years - not counting the movies. If it's inspired by Jane or her books, it's the dark chocolate of women's (and teen) lit. Tasty, and with antioxidants.

Cassandra's Sister (other than being a 2007 Cybil nominee) was recommended to me by blogger/author Colleen Mondor. In person. Over munchies at a Barnes & Noble cafe (Yes, I DO feel special! Thanks for asking!). So, it was sorta a must read. And so:

Cassandra Austen's little sister, Jenny, was always scribbling away, creating stories for her friends' and family's amusement. It wasn't terribly serious, as all young women were merely waiting to get married. She was a bit shy about it, but all who learned of her stories loved them. This is Jenny Austen becoming the woman Jane. This is her, with her optimism, her shyness, and her everyday struggles.

Curiously, the novel starts out with the French Revolution during the Reign of Terror. Execution via guillotine certainly gets my attention, but it is an odd entrance into a life that, while it may have coincided with the events, did not much engage with them (well, as far as I know, and as is revealed in the text). Aside: The intersections of history fascinate me. One forgets amid the pastoral calm of Austen that merely a few hundred miles away chaos reigned in France. Yes, there's an acknowledgment of war with the constant parade of soldiers, but it is at a distance in her work, at least from my perspective (yeah. I'm saying this without ever have read any of her books. Just watched the movies. Yes, yes, bad librarian. Miss Erin intends to rectify the situation with her Christmas present to me. She's a doll. Again, special. I'm a lucky girl.).

The author accounts a bit for this: "Revolution and war, two such vivid players on the stage of history might seem far away from her quiet family in their rectory in the Hampshire countryside. But they were not" (p 10). It's meant to connect the beheading with Jane's life, and it does, but I don't really feel that the incident is quite large enough to warrant the opening scene of the book. However, it does, as I said, effectively get the reader's attention. And that is SUCH a large percentage of the battle.

Other wee bits I noticed: The passage of time is a bit uncomfortable. Suddenly, a year or two, or ten have past. Nothing has really changed. Some people have died, or been born. Jenny becomes Jane and loses interest in playing cards. Nothing truly momentous, and that's... just life. Jane Austen's life. In fiction by Veronica Bennett. There were, especially in the beginning, slightly annoying expository sections that reveal the social constraints of the time. The explanation was necessary, but inelegantly done. Bennett seems to have nicely mimicked the tone, pace and style of Austen, which is a double edged sword; great for those who are looking for things to extend their love for Austen, but a barrier for those (like me), who sometimes need something rather faster. All flaws were forgotten about half-way through the book, and I sunk into that world.

This will most likely appeal to readers who are already in love with Austen. This sounds like a negative review, but I really don't view the book that way. It took me some time to get into it, after that opening salvo wore off, but I did grow to care about the characters. I just found it difficult, since I knew that she doesn't find her love. It's just so sad to me that the woman who gave the world the ideal of romance...didn't find it herself. I liked the book. I'll stop talking now.

My Bff

My Bff. I'm so proud of her.

Isn't she a good writer?

I feel a wee bit bad about this one...

I should have written about it...months ago (sadly, many months). We (the Poster Girlz) requested copies from the publisher because we were considering it as a featured book for Reader Girlz. Successfully, I might add, as Miss Spitfire is December's featured book for their theme of GIVE. In fact, early readers of this post would be well off to notice that Sarah Miller will be at the Reader Girlz Myspace Forum tonight chatting about her novel and about being a writer in general (and hopefully about novel #2). I plan on being there; 7pm PST/ 10pm EST. I've a couple questions for her that I'm DYING to ask... :) It'll be fun, you should totally come!

ANYWAY. Clearly, I liked the title as I nominated it for the Middle Grade Cybil Award. It is to me 2007's Hattie Big Sky. Furthermore, I've made my mother read it and buy it for her libraries. Always a sign of quality. Supposedly. At least, I like to think it is...just my word, though. Miss Spitfire is beautiful historical fiction that works for all ages. I feel confident giving it to kids and adults alike. In fact, I was recommending the book before I was done reading it, I liked it so much!

Enough babbling. I'll get to the point.

You know the story of Helen Keller learning to communicate from Annie Sullivan. You guys are so savvy, you probably knew more than I did going in. What Miller does here is tell this familiar tale from a perspective far more novel: Annie's. Relying on impeccable research, and starting each chapter out with a relevant quote from actual Sullivan correspondence, Miller imagines what this most famous teacher went through to communicate with her pupil. It's an engrossing read that honestly evokes the frustrations and triumphs of the heroine. You just can't help but feel connected to Annie while reading.

Funny/embarrassing story (depending on who you are. Namely, not me): I was so enamored upon starting Miss Spitfire I quickly and effusively emailed the author saying how amazed I was that the same author who wrote Inside the Mind of Gideon Rayburn wrote the lovely gem that is Miss Spitfire. About a half hour later... I wrote back apologizing for being a bad librarian and not checking my facts before emailing, as that book was written by an entirely different Sarah Miller... She seemed to take it well...I was, as you can imagine, rather mortified...It was the first time I'd ever written an author just to say how much I liked their book. Not a great start.

Oh, and just so you know, I'm only a little biased about Michigan writers. ;) There's another I'm going to join the choirs to praise soon. I bet you can guess who... lol

More than TWICE as many votes.

I don't know if it's just the virtual circles I run in, but it seemed to me that few books this year were met with the anticipation that Jay Asher's debut effort drummed up prior to its publication. Now, partially, I'm sure, this is because Asher is One Of Us out here in the kidlitosphere, but not entirely. Not entirely at all. Thirteen Reasons Why is, like Chris Crutcher said in his cover blurb, clever and suspenseful.

The basic (remember, clever) premise is that a teen boy receives a package containing cassette tapes from a classmate. The catch is that this classmate? She committed suicide and these tapes contain 13 reasons why she ended her life. One side per person who did her wrong.

Um. Holy crap, right? Like, can you just imagine? And here we've got poor, bewildered Clay frantically trying to figure out how he could possibly have ended up on the tapes when all he did was have a huge crush on Hannah and make out with her the one time. Meanwhile, Hannah's life unravels via audio diary as she enumerates each step, each person, each painful misconception.

And we get to go along on the... kind of appalling ride.

The funny thing is that really? Hannah isn't that likable a person. She's CLEARLY been wronged. The people on those tapes were not nice or fair to her. But Hannah, in what amounts to her revenge, doesn't really come off any better. It's painful, really painful to read. You have to love the sass and spunk of the girl, but you have to question her desire for spite; her need to give back the pain she receive; the compulsion to make sure the people she blames for her suicide know that they had a hand in it. Wow. Heavy stuff. And yet Asher is able to bring into Hannah's voice a wryness that amuses as it shocks.

Hannah actually kinda hijacks the novel. Ostensibly, it's about Clay, it's through his experience that we see Hannah, outside from her own presentation, but it's her novel, her story. Clay's just the vehicle. She's driving the car, and she's running over a lot of people on her way off the bridge. Clay is able to tell us how much debris is left behind.

This would be a great title for book clubs. Lots and lots to talk about, and such a quick read - if only because like Clay, who can't stop listening, we just can't stop reading.

Other thoughts:
Tea Cozy
Outside a Cat
Jen Robinson

*drags feet*

Vhat? You vant I should blog?

Did you see that list? That's 123 titles! Do you think I have time to blog?

ok. fine. you win. but it won't be tonight.

sigh.

At least you know I'm alive. Prove that you are:

And the Nominees Are:

Here they are. One hundred and twenty three titles. Your YA Cybils nominees:

68 Knots
written by Evans, Michael Robert
Tanglewood Press
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


A is for Angst
written by Haworth-Attard, Barbara
Harper Collins Canada
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


A Swift Pure Cry
written by Dowd, Siobhan
David Fickling
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Stacy, Anne


Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, The
written by Alexie, Sherman
Little, Brown
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Becky, Stacy, Jackie's Interview

Angels on Sunset Boulevard
written by de la Cruz, Melissa
Simon & Schuster
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Another Kind of Cowboy
written by Juby, Susan
HarperTeen
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Back Talk
written by Richards, Alex
Flux
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Bad Girls Club
written by Gregerson, Judy
Blooming Tree Press
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Beauty Shop for Rent
written by Bowers, Laura
Harcourt
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Jackie, Becky


Before I Die
written by Downham, Jenny
David Fickling
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Becky


Before, After, and Somebody In Between
written by Garsee, Jeannine
Bloomsbury
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Becky


Beige
written by Castellucci, Cecil
Candlewick
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Becky, Stacy


Big Slick
written by Luper, Eric
FSG
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Billie Standish Was Here
written by Crocker, Nancy
Simon & Schuster
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Blood Brothers
written by Harazin, S.A.
Delacorte
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Charlotte


Bloom
written by Scott, Elizabeth
Simon Pulse
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Becky, Becky's Interview


Boy Toy
written by Lyga, Barry
Houghton Mifflin
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Becky


Boys Next Door, The
written by Echols, Jennifer
Simon Pulse
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Brothers, Boyfriends & Other Criminal Minds
written by Lurie, April
Delacorte
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Candy in Action
written by Roth, Matthue
SoftSkull Press
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Carpe Diem
written by Cornwell, Autumn
Feiwel and Friends
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Trisha, Trisha's Interview


Cassandra's Sister
written by Bennett, Veronica
Candlewick
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Circle the Truth
written by Schmatz, Pat
Carolrhoda
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Converting Kate
written by Weinheimer, Beckie
Viking
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Crazy In Love
written by Mackall, Dandi Daley
Dutton
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Becky


Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy
written by Carter, Ally
Hyperion
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Cupcake
written by Cohn, Rachel
Simon & Schuster
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Cures for Heartbreak
written by Rabb, Margo
Delacorte
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Jackie's Interview, Becky


Dawn and Dusk
written by Mead, Alice
FSG
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Deadline
written by Crutcher, Chris
HarperTeen
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Jackie


Diamonds in the Shadow
written by Cooney, Caroline B
Delacorte
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Does My Head Look Big In This?
written by Abdel-Fattah, Randa
Orchard Books
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Jackie, Becky


Don't Get it Twisted
written by Chase, Paula
Dafina
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Dramarama
written by Lockhart, E.
Hyperion
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Jackie, Becky, Charlotte


Enter Three Witches
written by Cooney, Caroline B
Scholastic
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Becky


Ethan, Suspended
written by Ehrenberg, Pamela
Eerdmans
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reveiws: Charlotte


Evil Genius
written by Jinks, Catherine
Harcourt
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Becky


Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature
written by Brande, Robin
Knopf
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Finch Goes Wild
written by Janet Gingold
Windstorm Creative, Blue Works Division
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Freak Show
written by St. James, James
Dutton
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Freshman Focus
written by Sarratt, Carla
Outskirts
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Friends Unlikely
written by Alvis, Susan Smith
Amira Press
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Fringe Girl in Love
written by Frankel, Valerie
NAL Trade
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Get Well Soon
written by Halpern, Julie
Feiwel & Friends
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Eisha


Girl At Sea
written by Johnson, Maureen
HarperTeen
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Glass
written by Hopkins, Ellen
Margaret K. McElderry
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Graffiti Girl
written by Parra, Kelly
MTV
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


grl2grl: Short Fictions
written by Peters, Julie Anne
Little, Brown
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Becky


Head Case
written by Aronson, Sarah
Roaring Brook
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall
written by Mass, Wendy
Little, Brown
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


High Spirits
written by Salerni, Dianne
iUniverse
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Holdup
written by Fields, Terri
Roaring Brook
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


How to Get Suspended and Influence People
written by Selzer, Adam
Delacorte
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Anne


How to Ruin My Teenage Life
written by Elkeles, Simone
Flux
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Hunter's Heart
written by Green, Julia
Carolrhoda Books
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


In Search of Mockingbird
written by Ellsworth, Loretta
Henry Holt
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Becky


In the Name of God
written by Jolin, Paula
Roaring Brook
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Inner Circle
written by Brian, Kate
Simon Pulse
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


It's Not About the Accent
written by Ferrer, Caridad
MTV
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Kiss & Blog
written by Noel, Alyson
St. Martin's
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Charlotte


Leaving Paradise
written by Elkeles, Simone
Flux
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Trisha


Lemonade Mouth
written by Hughes, Mark Peter
Delacorte
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Charlotte


Lessons from a Dead Girl
written by Knowles, Jo
Candlewick
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Lion Hunter
written by Wein, Elizabeth
Viking
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Long May She Reign
written by White, Ellen Emerson
Feiwel & Friends
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Trisha


Love, Stargirl
written by Spinelli, Jerry
Knopf
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac
written by Zevin, Gabrielle
FSG
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Eisha


Mistik Lake
written by Brooks, Martha
FSG
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Naomi & Ely's No Kiss List
written by Cohn, Rachel & David Levithan
Knopf
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Anne


Nature of Jade, The
written by Caletti, Deb
Simon & Schuster
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Notes on a Near-Life Experience
written by Olivia Birdsall
Delacorte
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Becky


Off Season, The
written by Murdock, Catherine Gilbert
Houghton Mifflin
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Becky


One Day this Pain Will Be Useful to You
written by Cameron, Peter
FSG
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Or Not
written by Mandabach, Brian
Flux
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Other Half of Me, The
written by Franklin, Emily
Random House
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Outside the Box
written by Allosso, Dan
iUniverse
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Pants on Fire
written by Cabot, Meg
HarperTeen
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Parrotfish
written by Wittlinger, Ellen
Simon & Schuster
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reveiws: Stacy


Peak
written by Smith, Roland
Harcourt
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Charlotte


Poison Apples, The
written by Archer, Lily
Feiwel and Friends
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Porcupine
written by Tilly, Meg
Tundra
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Prime Choice
written by Moore, Stephanie Perry
Dafina
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Princess on the Brink
written by Cabot, Meg
HarperTeen
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Quad
written by Watson, Carrie Gordon
Razorbill
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Becky, Becky's Interview


Quaking
written by Erskine, Kathryn
Philomel
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Rat Life
written by Arnold, Tedd
Dial (Penguin)
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Anne


Red Glass
written by Resau, Laura
Random
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Charlotte


Red Moon at Sharpsburg
written by Wells, Rosemary
Viking
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Remembering Raquel
written by Vande Velde, Vivian
Harcourt
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Charlotte


Revenge of the Homecoming Queen
written by Hale, Stephanie
Berkley Trade
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Trisha


Revolution is Not a Dinner Party
written by Compestine, Ying Chang
Henry Holt
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Right Behind You
written by Giles, Gail
Little, Brown
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Rubber Houses
written by Yeomans, Ellen
Little, Brown
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Saving Zoe
written by Noel, Alyson
St. Martin's Griffin
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Shark Girl
written by Bingham, Kelly
Candlewick
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Slam
written by Hornby, Nick
Putnam
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Anne


Snitch
written by van Diepen, Allison
Simon Pulse
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


So Not the Drama
written by Chase, Paula
Dafina
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You
written by Cameron, Peter
FSG
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Eisha


Something Rotten
written by Gratz, Alan
Dial
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Jackie, Jackie's Interview


Song of the Sparrow
written by Sandell, Lisa Ann
Scholastic
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Becky, Jackie's Interview


Spell Book of Listen Taylor
written by Moriarty, Jaclyn
Arthur A. Levine
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Jackie


Split Screen
written by Hartinger, Brent
HarperTeen
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Jackie's Interview


Story of a Girl
written by Zarr, Sara
Little, Brown
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Jackie's Interview


Strange Relations
written by Levitin, Sonia
Knopf
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Such a Pretty Girl
written by Wiess, Laura
MTV
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Jackie


Tamar
written by Peet, Mal
Candlewick
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Jackie, Becky


Thirteen Reasons Why
written by Asher, Jay
Razorbill
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Becky


This is What I Did
written by Ellis, Ann Dee
Little, Brown
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Tin Angel
written by Cowan, Shannon
Lobster Press
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Tips on Having a Gay (ex)Boyfriend
written by Jones, Carrie
Flux
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Charlotte, Becky


Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress
written by Ferraro, Tina
Delacorte
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Becky, Trisha

Total Constant Order
written by Chappell, Crissa-jean
HarperTeen
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Touching Snow
written by Felin, M. Sindy
Atheneum
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Twisted
written by Anderson, Laurie Halse
Viking
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Jackie


Under the Banyan Tree
written by De Palma, Toni
Holiday House
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Undercover
written by Kephart, Beth
HarperTeen
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Walking on Glass
written by Fullerton, Alma
HarperTeen
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Charlotte


We are SO Crashing Your Bar Mitzvah
written by Rosenbloom, Fiona
Hyperion
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)


Wednesday Wars, The
written by Schmidt, Gary D.
Clarion
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Becky, Stacy


White Darkness, The
written by Mccaughrean, Geraldine
HarperTeen
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Becky


Wonders of the World
written by Yansky, Brian
Flux
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)



Zen and the Art of Faking It
written by Sonnenblick, Jordan
Scholastic
Buy from Amazon Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Becky


Check out full lists of the nominees in other categories:

Fantasy & Science Fiction
Graphic Novels
Middle Grade Fiction
MG/YA Non-Fiction
Fiction Picture Books
Poetry
Non-Fiction Picture Books (link coming!)

You Can't Stay Here!

This is it, guys. The end of the road. You need to get over to that Cybils Blog and nominate your favorite 2007 books, like, now. Dithering is done. You haven't any more time to dawdle. Check the YA list (here or here) and find those fab books that haven't gotten the nom. I can think of several - but I can only submit one... But so can you... And you've got until Midnight Central Time to do it. SO GO NOMINATE!!

Books For Your BFF

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Give the World, Gift a Book: Readergirlz Celebrates the Holidays with Best Books for Your BFF


In celebration of the holidays and girlfriends, the critically-acclaimed online book community, readergirlz, has launched a collection of sassy shopping lists of YA literature for teen readers and their best friends.

Seattle, WA – November 23, 2007 – Give your girlfriends the world this holiday season; give them a book chosen especially for them. Readergirlz—the pre-eminent book community for teen girls—has literally bookmarked those exact books to make holiday shopping easy and soulful this year.

Readergirlz has partnered with one of America’s leading children’s bookstores and its own advisory council of children’s lit bloggers, the postergirlz, to create ten sassy shopping lists for avid teen readers: Best Books for Your BFF. The ten collectible bookmarks feature YA novels both to encourage teens to give books to their best friends this holiday season and to read beyond the bestseller lists.

“Why give a book for a gift?” asks René Kirkpatrick, book buyer for the acclaimed All for Kids Books in Seattle. “Whole worlds are held in a pair of hands: a flat package filled with lives and words, bursting with surprise and ideas. That’s why a book will always be the perfect gift. And these readergirlz bookmarks will be immensely helpful for teens who might not know which book to choose.”

Each of the bookmarks is designed for a specific personality, making Best Books for Your BFF an easy way for book-loving teens to find the perfect novel for even their most well-read friends on their holiday list. For The Girl Who Saves Her Neck for Edward, Jackie Parker, the prominent blogger of interactivereader.blogspot.com and a member of the postergirlz, selected of A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb, Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr, and Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause. For The Girl Who Dances in Glass Slippers, readergirlz diva and author Dia Calhoun chose Spindle’s End by Robin McKinley, The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale, and Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier.

"Every one of the recommenders of Best Books for Your BFF made a concerted effort to craft eclectic lists, featuring some underground and overlooked YA novels alongside classics and non-fiction work. Armed with these lists, not only will teens find that perfect read for their favorite reader, but they’ll learn about books they may never have heard about otherwise," says Dia.

To discover more about this literacy project or to download the readergirlz Best Books for Your BFF bookmarks, please check www.readergirlz.com.

About readergirlz: Started by four award-winning YA authors—Dia Calhoun (The Return of Light: A Christmas Tale), Janet Lee Carey (Dragon’s Keep), Lorie Ann Grover (On Pointe) and Justina Chen Headley (Girl Overboard)—readergirlz has quickly become one of the foremost online book communities for teen girls. To promote teen literacy and gutsiness in girls, readergirlz features a different YA novel and corresponding community service project every month as well as spearheads innovative literacy initiatives, such as October’s 31 Flavorite Authors for Teens. For more information about readergirlz, please visit www.readergirlz.com and www.myspace.com/readergirlz, or contact divas@readergirlz.com

Contact:
Justina Chen Headley, readergirlz co-founder and author
divas@readergirlz.com


http://www.readergirlz.com
http://www.myspace.com/readergirlz
http://groups.myspace.com/readergirlz

###

Um...am I prominent? When did I get prominent? *shrinks back slowly and darts furtive glances as though people are looking at her* Dia's right about the concerted effort though, I agonized over my selections. I hemmed... and I hawed... I waited, irritatingly, I'm sure, until the very last moment to turn them in. I mean? THREE? You limit me to THREE?! 'Sides, ain't nothin' gonna be loved as much as Stephenie Meyer. But hey, they have got to read something in the meantime, right?

Your YA Cybils Nominations Thus Far:

Hurry now. You've just got until Wednesday, November 21st at midnight, Central Time, to get your favorite 2007 titles nominated for The Cybils. If you don't see your favorite 2007 title for Young Adults on the list, hightail thyself over to the category and nominate it! Take a look at the other categories while you're at it!

I've linked to nominating panelist reviews, or interviews, as I had them. By no means are they exhaustive, and please remember that one panelist's opinion or review will not reflect deliberations (deliberations that haven't even begun yet, I might add) of the group. I'll update this periodically, as more reviews - AND TITLES - come in!

68 Knots
by Evans, Michael Robert
Publisher: Tanglewood Press
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Anne, Stacy

A is for Angst
by Haworth-Attard, Barbara
Publisher: Harper Collins Canada
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

A Swift Pure Cry
by Dowd, Siobhan
Publisher: David Fickling
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, The
by Alexie, Sherman
Publisher: Little, Brown
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Becky, Stacy, Jackie's Interview

Another Kind of Cowboy
by Juby, Susan
Publisher: HarperTeen
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Bad Girls Club
by Gregerson, Judy
Publisher: Blooming Tree Press
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Beauty Shop for Rent
by Bowers, Laura
Publisher: Harcourt
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Becky, Jackie

Before I Die
by Downham, Jenny
Publisher: David Fickling
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Becky


Before, After, and Somebody In Between
by Garsee, Jeannine
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Becky,

Beige
by Castellucci, Cecil
Publisher: Candlewick
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Stacy, Becky,

Big Slick
by Luper, Eric
Publisher: FSG
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Billie Standish Was Here
by Crocker, Nancy
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Blood Brothers
by Harazin, S.A.
Publisher: Delacorte
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Charlotte

Bloom
by Scott, Elizabeth
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Becky, Becky's Interview

Boy Toy
by Lyga, Barry
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Becky,

Boys Next Door, The
by Echols, Jennifer
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Brothers, Boyfriends & Other Criminal Minds
by Lurie, April
Publisher: Delacorte
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Candy in Action
by Roth, Matthue
Publisher: SoftSkull Press
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Carpe Diem
by Cornwell, Autumn
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Trisha, Trisha's Interview

Cassandra's Sister
by Bennett, Veronica
Publisher: Candlewick
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Circle the Truth
by Schmatz, Pat
Publisher: Carolrhoda
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Converting Kate
by Weinheimer, Beckie
Publisher: Viking
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Crazy In Love
by Mackall, Dandi Daley
Publisher: Dutton
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy
by Carter, Ally
Publisher: Hyperion
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Cupcake
by Cohn, Rachel
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Cures for Heartbreak
by Rabb, Margo
Publisher: Delacorte
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Dawn and Dusk
by Mead, Alice
Publisher: FSG
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Deadline
by Crutcher, Chris
Publisher: HarperTeen
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Diamonds in the Shadow
by Cooney, Caroline B
Publisher: Delacorte
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Does My Head Look Big In This?
by Abdel-Fattah, Randa
Publisher: Orchard Books
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Don't Get it Twisted
by Chase, Paula
Publisher: Dafina
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:



Dramarama
by Lockhart, E.
Publisher: Hyperion
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Jackie, Charlotte, Becky

Enter Three Witches
by Cooney, Caroline B
Publisher: Scholastic
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Becky

Ethan, Suspended
by Ehrenberg, Pamela
Publisher: Eerdmans
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Charlotte

Evil Genius
by Jinks, Catherine
Publisher: Harcourt
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Becky,

Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature
by Brande, Robin
Publisher: Knopf
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Finch Goes Wild
by Janet Gingold
Publisher: Windstorm Creative, Blue Works Division
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Freak Show
by St. James, James
Publisher: Dutton
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Freshman Focus
by Sarratt, Carla
Publisher: Outskirts
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Friends Unlikely
by Alvis, Susan Smith
Publisher: Amira Press
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Fringe Girl in Love
by Frankel, Valerie
Publisher: NAL Trade
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Get Well Soon
by Halpern, Julie
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Eisha

Girl At Sea
by Johnson, Maureen
Publisher: HarperTeen
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Glass
by Hopkins, Ellen
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Graffiti Girl
by Parra, Kelly
Publisher: MTV
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

grl2grl: Short Fictions
by Peters, Julie Anne
Publisher: Little, Brown
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Becky,

Head Case
by Aronson, Sarah
Publisher: Roaring Brook
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall
by Mass, Wendy
Publisher: Little, Brown
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

High Spirits
by Salerni, Dianne
Publisher: iUniverse
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

How to Get Suspended and Influence People
by Selzer, Adam
Publisher: Delacorte
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Anne

How to Ruin My Teenage Life
by Elkeles, Simone
Publisher: Flux
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:



Hunter's Heart
by Green, Julia
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

In Search of Mockingbird
by Ellsworth, Loretta
Publisher: Henry Holt
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Becky,

In the Name of God
by Jolin, Paula
Publisher: Roaring Brook
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Inner Circle
by Brian, Kate
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

It's Not About the Accent
by Ferrer, Caridad
Publisher: MTV
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Kiss & Blog
by Noel, Alyson
Publisher: St. Martin's
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Leaving Paradise
by Elkeles, Simone
Publisher: Flux
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Trisha

Lemonade Mouth
by Hughes, Mark Peter
Publisher: Delacorte
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Charlotte

Lessons from a Dead Girl
by Knowles, Jo
Publisher: Candlewick
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Lion Hunter
by Wein, Elizabeth
Publisher: Viking
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Long May She Reign
by White, Ellen Emerson
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Trisha

Love, Stargirl
by Spinelli, Jerry
Publisher: Knopf
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac
by Zevin, Gabrielle
Publisher: FSG
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Eisha

Naomi & Ely's No Kiss List
by Cohn, Rachel & David Levithan
Publisher: Knopf
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Anne

Nature of Jade, The
by Caletti, Deb
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Notes on a Near-Life Experience
by Olivia Birdsall
Publisher: Delacorte
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Becky,

One Day this Pain Will Be Useful to You
by Cameron, Peter
Publisher: FSG
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Or Not
by Mandabach, Brian
Publisher: Flux
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Other Half of Me, The
by Franklin, Emily
Publisher: Random House
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Outside the Box
by Allosso, Dan
Publisher: iUniverse
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Pants on Fire
by Cabot, Meg
Publisher: HarperTeen
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Parrotfish
by Wittlinger, Ellen
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Stacy

Peak
by Smith, Roland
Publisher: Harcourt
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Poison Apples, The
by Archer, Lily
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Porcupine
by Tilly, Meg
Publisher: Tundra
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:



Prime Choice
by Moore, Stephanie Perry
Publisher: Dafina
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Princess on the Brink
by Cabot, Meg
Publisher: HarperTeen
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Quad
by Watson, Carrie Gordon
Publisher: Razorbill
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Becky, Becky's Interview

Quaking
by Erskine, Kathryn
Publisher: Philomel
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Rat Life
by Arnold, Tedd
Publisher: Dial (Penguin)
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Anne

Red Glass
by Resau, Laura
Publisher: Random
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Charlotte

Red Moon at Sharpsburg
by Wells, Rosemary
Publisher: Viking
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Remembering Raquel
by Vande Velde, Vivian
Publisher: Harcourt
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Charlotte

Revenge of the Homecoming Queen
by Hale, Stephanie
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Trisha

Revolution is Not a Dinner Party
by Compestine, Ying Chang
Publisher: Henry Holt
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Rubber Houses
by Yeomans, Ellen
Publisher: Little, Brown
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Saving Zoe
by Noel, Alyson
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Shark Girl
by Bingham, Kelly
Publisher: Candlewick
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Slam
by Hornby, Nick
Publisher: Putnam
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Anne

So Not the Drama
by Chase, Paula
Publisher: Dafina
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Song of the Sparrow
by Sandell, Lisa Ann
Publisher: Scholastic
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Jackie's Interview, Becky,

Spell Book of Listen Taylor
by Moriarty, Jaclyn
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Jackie

Split Screen
by Hartinger, Brent
Publisher: HarperTeen
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Jackie's Interview

Story of a Girl
by Zarr, Sara
Publisher: Little, Brown
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Jackie's Interview

Strange Relations
by Levitin, Sonia
Publisher: Knopf
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Such a Pretty Girl
by Wiess, Laura
Publisher: MTV
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Jackie,

Tamar
by Peet, Mal
Publisher: Candlewick
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Jackie, Becky

Thirteen Reasons Why
by Asher, Jay
Publisher: Razorbill
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Becky

This is What I Did
by Ellis, Ann Dee
Publisher: Little, Brown
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Tin Angel
by Cowan, Shannon
Publisher: Lobster Press
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Tips on Having a Gay (ex)Boyfriend
by Jones, Carrie
Publisher: Flux
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Charlotte, Becky

Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress
by Ferraro, Tina
Publisher: Delacorte
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Becky, Trisha

Total Constant Order
by Chappell, Crissa-jean
Publisher: HarperTeen
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Touching Snow
by Felin, M. Sindy
Publisher: Atheneum
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Twisted
by Anderson, Laurie Halse
Publisher: Viking
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Jackie

Under the Banyan Tree
by De Palma, Toni
Publisher: Holiday House
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Undercover
by Kephart, Beth
Publisher: HarperTeen
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Walking on Glass
by Fullerton, Alma
Publisher: HarperTeen
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Charlotte

We are SO Crashing Your Bar Mitzvah
by Rosenbloom, Fiona
Publisher: Hyperion
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Wednesday Wars, The
by Schmidt, Gary D.
Publisher: Clarion
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

White Darkness, The
by Mccaughrean, Geraldine
Publisher: HarperTeen
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Wonders of the World
by Yansky, Brian
Publisher: Flux
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

Zen and the Art of Faking It
by Sonnenblick, Jordan
Publisher: Scholastic
Buy from: Amazon.com Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Becky


Thanks go to Sheila for the magic code generation.