This particular books to read list features forthcoming young adult and juvenile titles. If I read and review an advanced copy, I link the title to my review. At the close of every month, I move that month's remaining titles from this list to my backlist of books to read.

May 2008
Airhead by Meg Cabot (read)
Alive and Well in Prague, New York by Daphne Grab
Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman
Death By Bikini by Linda Gerber
The Debutante by Kathryn Williams
Ever by Gail Carson Levine
Fact of Life #31 by Denise Vega (read, review to come)
Geek Magnet by Kieran Scott (read, review to come)
Generation Dead by Daniel Waters
Hershey Herself by Cecilia Galante
How I Found the Perfect Dress by Maryrose Wood (sequel to Why I Let My Hair Grow Out)
How to Be Bad by E. Lockhart, Sarah Mlynowski, and Lauren Myracle
How to Build a House by Dana Reinhardt (read, review to come)
A Kiss Before the Apocalypse by Thomas E. Sniegoski
A Likely Story by David Van Etten (Chris Van Etten, David Ozanich, and David Levithan)
Love in the Corner Pocket by Marlene Perez (read)
Madapple by Christina Meldrum (read)
Maggie Bean Stays Afloat by Tricia Rayburn
Mind the Gap: A Novel of the Hidden Cities by Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon
Moon & Sun: Ruby Key by Holly Lisle
Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs (read, review and interview to come)
Penelope by Megan Shull
Picture Perfect by Catherine Clark
Pretty Little Liars #4: Unbelievable by Sara Shepard
Princess Ben by Catherine Murdock
Savvy by Ingrid Law (interview to come)
Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed. by Patrick McDonnell
Shift by Jennifer Bradbury (read, interview to come)
Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott
Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson
Take Me There by Susane Colasanti (read, interview to come)
The Temptress Four by Gaby Triana
Twice Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris
What Happens Here by Tara Altebrando

( Read more... )

The Second Virginity of Suzy Green is a novel for teens set in Australia, written by a British author, and released by an American publisher. Some people may balk at the title while others will dive into it, both parties expecting something racy. The story is far more tame than those people assume, as Suzy tries to reinvent herself at a new school and be a model daughter at home. In this exclusive interview, author Sara Hantz talks about her writing career, her travels, and her teen years.

Do you recall the title and plot of the first story you ever wrote?

The first book I finished was about 4 years ago, called Virgin on the Ridiculous. ( Read more... )

Visit Sara's website.

When practicing or performing with her high school's marching band, Ellie feels comfortable, happy, and respected. She cannot wait to perform the big trumpet solo at Homecoming. She's been waiting for this moment since freshman year. Now a senior, she's also the director of her section.

When a new kid named Conner waltzes onto the field and into her section, he throws the usual steady Ellie for a loop. She finds herself crushing on him, even though he's only a sophomore, and even though she's sworn off dating because of something that happened during her freshman year. Soon, though, the two start seeing each other outside of school.

Ellie asks Conner not to tell anyone that they're dating. She even keeps the relationship a secret from Jake and Kristen, her best friends, who are also in band. Jake is the drum major, while Kristen rocks the alto sax. Jake and Ellie have always been close, even after his older brother Nathan humiliated Ellie three years earlier. Now Nathan's back in town, and Ellie's feeling all jumbled up. Meanwhile, Conner wants to tell everyone that they're dating, but won't tell Ellie about his family or his home life. In order to clear her head and knock 'em dead at the big Homecoming performance, Ellie will have to play the different movements of her personal symphony very carefully.

A quick read, Band Geek Love hits all of the right notes. If you like clean romantic comedies, then Josie Bloss's debut novel will be music to your ears.

Band Geek Love is due out in July 2008, making it a fun summer read as well.

Recommended Reading

Read my interview with Josie Bloss.

If you like Band Geek Love, you'll also like Major Crush by Jennifer Echols.

Before the Parade Passes By

I played flute in my elementary and middle school classes, but neither institution had a marching band. I did march in a parade once as part of a community band, but that's another story. (Come to think of it, I have a wacky story for almost every one of my parade experiences.) After reading this book and writing this review, I felt the need to break out my shiny silver flute and play.

Flux publishes teen fiction. Most of their releases are contemporary, dramatic, and realistic, but they also publish fantasy/sci-fi and some dramedies. Here are snapshot specs of the imprint's major releases, in order of publication. If a title is bold, I've read it. Links when applicable: Click a title to read my review and click an author's name to read my exclusive interview.

The Shalamar Code Mary Louise Clifford - Drama - Pakistan post-9/11 - September 2006
How It's Done by Christine Kole MacLean - Drama - A teenager gets involved with an older man - September 2006 - PG-13/R
How to Ruin a Summer Vacation by Simone Elkeles - Dramedy - A summer spent in Israel with an estranged father - September 2006 - PG-13
Derailed by Jon Ripslinger - Drama - A high school football player is tutored by a teen mother - September 2006 - PG-13
Dream Spinner by Bonnie Dobkin - Fantasy - Nightmares and fears come to life - September 2006 - PG
Homefree by Nina Wright - Sci-fi/fantasy - Teens at risk are surprised by newfound powers - September 2006 - PG
The Other Sister by S. T. Underdahl - Drama - Family secrets revealed - March 2007 - G
Hoops of Steel by John Foley - Drama - Basketball and senior year - March 2007
Fat Girl by Marilyn Sachs - Drama - A dark, modern retelling of Pygmalion - Reprint - April 2007 - PG
Starcrossed by Mark Schreiber - Romantic dramedy - A relationship between college students - April 2007
Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles - Drama - The consequences of a car accident - May 2007 - PG
Tips on Having a Gay (Ex) Boyfriend by Carrie Jones - Drama - When her boyfriend reveals that he's gay, one girl's life turns upside-down - May 2007 - PG-13
How to Ruin My Teenage Life by Simone Elkeles - Dramedy - Sequel to How to Ruin a Summer Vacation - June 2007 - PG-13
Wonders of the World by Brian Yansky - Drama - Runaways and street life - June 2007 - PG-13
Back Talk by Alex Richards - Drama - Backstage at a TV talk show - July 2007 - PG-13
Epoch by Timothy Carter - Satirical fantasy - Apocalypse and demons - July 2007 - PG
Running with the Wind by John Foley - Drama - Sequel to Hoops of Steel - August 2007
...Or Not? by Brian Mandabach - Drama - A non-conformist dares to be herself - August 2007
The Second Virginity of Suzy Green by Sara Hantz - Drama - New town, new school, new life - September 2007 - PG-13
Snapshots by Paul W. Buchanan - Drama - The disappearance of a friend - October 2007
Sensitive by Nina Wright - Sci-Fi/Fantasy - Sequel to Homefree - October 2007
Last Kiss by Jon Ripslinger - Drama - Murder and mystery - October 2007
My Life as a Rhombus by Varian Johnson - Drama - Tutors and teenage pregnancy - January 2008
Jump the Cracks by Stacy DeKeyser - Drama - A teenager, a toddler, a kidnapping - March 2008 - G/PG
Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape) by Carrie Jones - Drama - Sequel to Tips on Having a Gay (Ex) Boyfriend - March 2008 - PG-13
Everything You Want by Barbara Shoup - Drama - Winning the lottery isn't all fun and games - April 2008 - PG-13
Wish You Were Here by Barbara Shoup - Drama - Stepfamilies and other changes - May 2008
The Shape of Water by Anne Spollen - Drama - Loss and imagination - April 2008
Band Geek Love by Josie Bloss - Romantic dramedy - A senior trumpet player falls for a new-to-school sophomore - July 2008 - PG
Nothing by Robin Friedman - Drama - A teenage boy battles bulimia - August 2008
Girl, Hero by Carrie Jones - Drama - Social status at school, musicals, and family issues - August 2008
Remember This by S. T. Underdahl - Drama - Connecting with an ailing grandmother - September 2008
Swimming with the Sharks by Debbie Reed Fischer - Comedy/Drama - Cheerleading and backstabbing - September 2008
At Face Value by Emily Franklin - Drama - A modern-day female Cyrano - October 2008
Lament by Maggie Stiefvater - Fantasy - Faerie sight and faerie assassins - October 2008
Busted: Confessions of an Accidental Player - Comedy/Drama - High school reputations - October 2008
The Way He Lived by Emily Wing Smith - Six people describe their connections to a boy who died young - October 2008

Series:

The Blue is for Nightmares Collection by Laurie Faria Stolarz - Fantasy - Witchery and prophecy - PG-13
- Blue is or Nightmares
- White is for Magic
- Silver is for Secrets
- Red is for Remembrance

The DragonSpawn Cycle by Terie Garrison - Fantasy - Humans, dragons, and maejic - PG
- AutumnQuest
- WinterMaejic
- SpringFire
- SummerDanse

The Faire Folk Trilogy by Gillian Summers - Fantasy - Elves, humans, and hybrids
- The Tree Shepherd's Daughter
- Into the Wildewood

Dead Girl by Linda Joy Singleton - Fantasy/Comedy - Near-death experiences lead to body-switching (think Freaky Friday)
- Dead Girl Walking - September 2008
- Dead Girl Gone Wild - 2009

Josie Bloss and I have some common interests, such as writing, acting, and playing instruments. While discussing these jobs and hobbies, we discovered that we also have some of the same favorite books, many of which happen to feature characters named after objects and places, like Turtle, Alaska, and Door. The main characters in Josie's debut novel Band Geek Love are immediately likable, but none of them are have noun-names. Josie's own experiences in marching band led her to this novel idea. Please take a listen to today's performance.

While performing in the band, Ellie feels comfortable, happy, and respected. What makes you feel like that?

When I was in high school and college, I was a lot like Ellie. I found refuge in the organized and predictable nature of band amidst the occasional chaos of adolescence and young adulthood. As an alleged grown-up, finding myself without any marching band options, I am most content and comfortable when I'm engrossed in writing. I probably feel most respected playing Wii boxing - I'm kind of awesome at it.

( Read more... )

Read my review of Band Geek Love.

Visit Josie's official website.

In Tips for Having a Gay (Ex) Boyfriend, Carrie Jones introduces readers to Belle, a high school senior who is fairly content with her life. She has a wonderful boyfriend, a loving (though slightly wacky) mother, a loyal best friend, and a beautiful guitar she calls Gabriel. The book begins when Dylan breaks up with her and Belle's world stops. Theirs has never been an on-again, off-again relationship, and this isn't a typical high school break-up. He's ending things because he loves her, but no longer in that way; because he's come to terms with who he is, and he's gay.

Positively heartbroken, Belle gives herself a week to wallow in self-pity. In that week, she learns more about herself and her loved ones than she ever thought possible. She oscillates between shock and acceptance, hurt and understanding, as she tries to figure out what their relationship really meant.

When Dylan starts dating another boy, he is ridiculed by some classmates and accepted by others. Though she's still hurting, Belle supports him. She herself is shaken up multiple times: when there's a physical assault on campus, and again and again when her seizures strike.

Belle is a great leading character. She's the quiet type but true to herself and to her loved ones. She's initially confused by Dylan's confession and it makes her re-evaluate their history together, but she's never whiny nor close-minded about the situation. She finds solace in her music and strength in herself. Once Belle realizes Dylan is still the same sweet guy he's always been, just not the love of her life, she's able to start healing her broken heart - part of which will always belong to him.

All of the book's characters are subtly quirky and believable. Best friends Emily and Belle are extremely comfortable around each other, making for candid, realistic dialogue. Belle's mom happily sings around the house, always mangling song lyrics. Then there's Tom, a nice boy fond of making random objects out of duct tape who also makes his way into Belle's life.

From start to finish, Tips for Having a Gay (Ex) Boyfriend is a delightful read - and Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape) picks up right where Tips left off.

As they approach the end of their senior year, Belle and her best friend Emily talk about their future lives more than ever. When Em needs her more than ever, Belle is right there for her, but Em's secret noticeably weighs them both down.

Belle struggles with a lot in this book. It's weird for her to see her mother dating. It's difficult for her to share her music with others. At times, she feels undeserving of Tom's attention; other times, she wishes she knew if their relationship means as much to him as it does to her. When her seizures return, she doesn't want to tell anyone else about her condition, but she accidentally confides in someone who may not be trustworthy.

This book has plenty of love to go around: Belle, her best friend, her ex-boyfriend, and her mother all have boyfriends. Thankfully, this is not a story about people revolving their lives around their relationships and defining themselves in terms of their significant others. Instead, the story mixes the happy with the sad, the good with the bad, as Belle and her buddies try to balance schoolwork and homework with everything else that's going on.

Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape) is on my list of Best Books of 2008 (So Far). It is just as good if not better than its predecessor. Carrie Jones allows her characters to mess up and learn from their mistakes rather than condemning them. There's beauty in flaws, and considerant, observant Belle is just the person to see that beauty - in others, in her world, in herself.

Belle's music and lyrics are almost everpresent in this book. My favorite piece is Em's Song, Take Two.

Also noteworthy: a quick exchange between two characters about another remarkable novel, Looking for Alaska by John Green.

Tips for Having a Gay (Ex) Boyfriend was released in May 2007. Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape) was released in March 2008. Carrie's next book, Girl, Hero, will be released in July 2008. Girl, Hero is a stand-alone novel and is not related to Belle's stories.

Visit Carrie's website and LiveJournal. (Special thanks to Carrie for this sweet post. I think we have a mutual admiration society going on.)

Read my interview with Carrie.

My newest webdesign client is Laurie Faria Stolarz, the author of haunting and magical books such as the Blue is For Nightmares series and the December release Project 17. Please note that the website was initially designed by Chloe Weil. Laurie asked me to take over the job of maintaining her site.

www.lauriestolarz.com has a ton of new content. Check out the updated information about her books and short stories, plus new spells and other extras.

Laurie also has a LiveJournal and a newly acquired MySpace page. Add her to your list of friends!

In How to Ruin a Summer Vacation, the first novel by Simone Elkeles, 16-year-old American teenager Amy takes an unexpected trip to Israel when her grandmother becomes ill. She didn't know her grandmother and barely knew her father, much less their culture and religion. Amy's story continues in How to Ruin my Teenage Life, which was released this year. Like its predecessor, Life mixes the funny with the serious. More serious is Elkeles' other 2007 release, Leaving Paradise, which deals with the aftermath of a hit-and-run car accident. A girl is critically injured by a boy her age - someone she knows, in fact - and their lives are forever changed.

Before diving into the deep waters of the interview, I dipped my toe in the shallow end of the pool and asked Simone how to pronounce her last name. "Elka-less," she replied, "I always tell people it's not Elka-more, it's Elka-less." I think I heard a little bit of Amy in that, so we went right into:

What do you think are some common misconceptions that today's teens have about Israel? What do you hope they learn from reading your books?

Gosh, there's so much about Israel and Israelis I want people to know. What you see on television news channels is just one little part of Israel. If the news channels only showed to the world the south side of Chicago, you'd get a very skewed view of what Chicago is. In my book, I wanted to show the parts of Israel people might not know about (and in a hilarious way). ( Read more... )

Pull up a chair at Simone's cozy site.

How to Ruin My Summer Vacation was selected as a Readergirlz Recommended Read for July 2007.

Back Talk by Alex Richards takes a teen girl out of a small town and puts her in posh Manhattan brownstone with two sophisticated socialites. When Gemma comes to New York for an internship at a popular daytime talk show, she has no idea how much drama happens behind the scenes. As she learns about the city and its social scene from her roommates, she also deals with backstabbing and lies at her workplace and learns how to stand up for herself.

In a matter of days, Alex Richards will be a newlywed. In a matter of months, she will be a published author. While preparing for one live-changing event, she found the time to talk about another.

How long have you been writing stories?

I've been writing YA novels since I was about 10, but back then I didn't have enough life experience to follow through with any of them. I've probably started 8 novels, but lost interest or focus. One time, I even left my half-finished manuscript on a plane, and it was gone forever! I'm still mad about that.

When I wrote the last sentence of Back Talk, I practically flew out of my chair. I was so excited to finally have a completed book. And then selling it -- fuggedaboutit.

( Read more... )

Talk with Alex Richards at her website + blog.

(1) Rom-com: romantic comedy

Carrie Jones is an author, a cat owner, and a fan of fudgsicles. Her debut novel, TIPS ON HAVING A GAY (EX) BOYFRIEND, was released in May 2007. After coming to terms with who he is and who he loves, high school senior Dylan breaks up with his girlfriend. Positively heartbroken, Belle gives herself a week to wallow in self-pity - and learns more about herself and her loved ones in that week than she ever thought possible. (Read my book review.)

Carrie spoke with me at length about epilepsy, singing, her book, and other books. Here's what she and I had to say.

TIPS ON HAVING A GAY (EX) BOYFRIEND is a title that will certainly turn heads, and the story itself will have readers turning pages.

You are making me blush. It's my worst fear that someone gets to page four and says, "Ack! Enough with this crud, already!" Then, of course, not only do they stop reading, they'll then throw the book in the toilet and try to flush it down, and then, of course, the toilet blocks up the plumbing system for their entire apartment building and I get sued for a lot of money I do not have.

( Read more... )

Visit Carrie's official website, LiveJournal, and MySpace.

Read my reviews of Tips on Having a Gay (Ex) Boyfriend and Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape).