Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books That Celebrate Diversity

Okay. I know I've been bad in terms of keeping up with Top Ten Tuesday this year.

But how could I not toss together a post for this topic?

I know, for many, diversity seems like a fraught subject, riddled with potholes in the form of titles that you thought were good and turned out to be problematic or stereotypical and made you feel as though you offered other people a bowl of sweet-looking grapes that had moldy undersides.

I know. It happens to everyone. I checked and double-checked all the titles that popped into my mind, trying to figure out if I'd seen anything contradicting their status as a positive, encouraging YA title. If this is happening to you, too, please remember two things:

A. It's good to be able to discuss these titles, because - as a marginalized voice myself - I like being able to let people know what bothered me, so they can know to look out for and challenge those topics themselves,

and

B. It's okay to like and consume problematic media. The problems happen when you make it your business to deny their being problematic, or police other people's reactions or pain from their being problematic.

(Also, when you push forward that problematic media as representation or an educational resource, especially as someone outside of the marginalized group being problematically represented.)

Kudos to you for broadening your reading horizons and doing your best to be conscious and sincere and engaging. Here's a fist bump for you. And a piece of chocolate. And so ends my likely unwanted PSA.

Anyway. Today, I'm doing something different. Even though I signed up for a diverse reading challenge this year, I haven't been doing my best of logging my progress or even recapping what titles I planned to cover this year.

Since we're already headway into summer, I thought you might like to see five diverse titles I already enjoyed earlier this year (or am currently reading), plus five titles I haven't read yet and should for the sake of keeping up with said challenge. Sounds good? I thought so.

Of note, I did my best to focus on authors with marginalized identities and backgrounds, as well as 

(Click links to visit GoodReads and read the relevant summaries.)


What I've Read

1. This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp (arc preview here)

10:00 a.m.
The principal of Opportunity, Alabama's high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.

10:02 a.m.
The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.

10:03
The auditorium doors won't open.

10:05
Someone starts shooting.

Told over the span of 54 harrowing minutes from four different perspectives, terror reigns as one student's calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival.

Casual diversity central. It's also heart-wrenching, requires a full box of Kleenex to get through and made me scream incoherently into my pillow several times, but that's neither here or there.



2. Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton

Gigi, Bette, and June, three top students at an exclusive Manhattan ballet school, have seen their fair share of drama.

Free-spirited new girl Gigi just wants to dance—but the very act might kill her. Privileged New Yorker Bette's desire to escape the shadow of her ballet star sister brings out a dangerous edge in her. And perfectionist June needs to land a lead role this year or her controlling mother will put an end to her dancing dreams forever.

When every dancer is both friend and foe, the girls will sacrifice, manipulate, and backstab to be the best of the best.

Juicy, juicy scandals, gossip and cutthroat dancers - with an added helping of diversity! What more could you ask for? (And, like I've said before, I'm not usually the girl who likes juice outside of a cup - preferably orange, or else, strawberry kiwi.)



3. Dirty Wings by Sarah McCarry (currently reading!)

A gorgeous retelling of the Persephone myth, Sarah McCarry brings us the story of Cass and Maia--the mothers from All Our Pretty Songs--and how their fates became intertwined.

Maia is a teenage piano prodigy and dutiful daughter, imprisoned in the oppressive silence of her adoptive parents' house like a princess in an ivory tower. Cass is a street rat, witch, and runaway, scraping by with her wits and her knack for a five-fingered discount. When a chance encounter brings the two girls together, an unlikely friendship blossoms that will soon change the course of both their lives. Cass springs Maia from the jail of the only world she's ever known, and Maia's only too happy to make a break for it. But Cass didn't reckon on Jason, the hypnotic blue-eyed rocker who'd capture Maia's heart as soon as Cass set her free--and Cass isn't the only one who's noticed Maia's extraordinary gifts. Is Cass strong enough to battle the ancient evil she's unwittingly awakened--or has she walked into a trap that will destroy everything she cares about? In this time, like in any time, love is a dangerous game.

Please see my post on jewel-toned books as a genre on why I think Sarah McCarry is the best thing since apple pie. Read everything by her. Everything is a gift to diverse YA as we know it. Please and thank you.

(I'm also reading About A Girl. All the Sarah books!)

4. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon (currently reading!)

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

This book has everything: an utterly delightful and believable narrator (who is biracial!), delicate, heartfelt prose and a wonderful author who it is an absolute pleasure to cheer for. Also, this is another of those ARCs that Mom totally stole off me and devoured and then refused to give back. If that means anything.


5. The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey (currently reading!)

Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she's ever known.

Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she's fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it's time to act.

Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, though if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it's how to hunt down what she wants . . . and how to take it.

But some jobs aren't as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire.

This totally gives me Daughter of Smoke and Bones feels, but without a lot of the problematic aspects that (though you know I adore Laini Taylor) I couldn't reconcile myself with. Also, as I mentioned before earlier this year, Melissa is a real-life heroine and maybe that will rub off on me if I keep reading her awesome words.


Coming Up Soon

1. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.

She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.

Yes, I haven't read this yet. Still. Yes, I know I am an awful friend. Yes, I know that this is a gorgeous, sumptuous debut (so many people who are beautiful, timely souls and have already read it gladly offer up their testimonials, in order to rub my sins further in my face). Yes, I have no excuses.

Arthur's done with me now.

2. This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki

Every summer, Rose goes with her mom and dad to a lake house in Awago Beach. It's their getaway, their refuge. Rosie's friend Windy is always there, too, like the little sister she never had. But this summer is different. Rose's mom and dad won't stop fighting, and when Rose and Windy seek a distraction from the drama, they find themselves with a whole new set of problems. It's a summer of secrets and sorrow and growing up, and it's a good thing Rose and Windy have each other.

In This One Summer two stellar creators redefine the teen graphic novel. Cousins Mariko and Jillian Tamaki, the team behind Skim, have collaborated on this gorgeous, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful story about a girl on the cusp of her teen age—a story of renewal and revelation.

This summer seems to be the summer of epic graphic novels for me. They are gorgeous, colorful and often quick but fulfilling reads and I'm not sure why I lapsed out of them. I've heard a lot of great things about this title in particular. And it even has summer in the title!

Me when I realized our library does, in face, have a copy of this. You don't know how much of a miracle this is.

3. Pointe by Brandy Colbert

Theo is better now.

She's eating again, dating guys who are almost appropriate, and well on her way to becoming an elite ballet dancer. But when her oldest friend, Donovan, returns home after spending four long years with his kidnapper, Theo starts reliving memories about his abduction—and his abductor.

Donovan isn't talking about what happened, and even though Theo knows she didn't do anything wrong, telling the truth would put everything she's been living for at risk. But keeping quiet might be worse.

I am so, so behind on reading this. I know it. You can fuss at me about it if you've already read it, if you want to. I won't mind.

 

4. The Last Leaves Falling by Sarah Benwell

Japanese teenager, Sora, is diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). Lonely and isolated, Sora turns to the ancient wisdom of the samurai for guidance and comfort. But he also finds hope in the present; through the internet he finds friends that see him, not just his illness. This is a story of friendship and acceptance, and testing strength in an uncertain future.

Do you know how much it pleases me to be able to mention both Marieke and Sarah in a list?

My precioussssessss.

In a totally platonic, devoted, non-creepy Gollum way, of course.

(I love you guys. Don't run away.)

Anyway, I do have this sitting right here and even my picky sister said the cover is a dream and she wants to read it when I'm done. So there you have it.

This is what I should have told my sister and taken advantage of the situation. She doesn't respect my YA taste enough.

5. A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman

Veda, a classical dance prodigy in India, lives and breathes dance—so when an accident leaves her a below-knee amputee, her dreams are shattered. For a girl who’s grown used to receiving applause for her dance prowess and flexibility, adjusting to a prosthetic leg is painful and humbling. But Veda refuses to let her disability rob her of her dreams, and she starts all over again, taking beginner classes with the youngest dancers. 

Then Veda meets Govinda, a young man who approaches dance as a spiritual pursuit. As their relationship deepens, Veda reconnects with the world around her, and begins to discover who she is and what dance truly means to her. 

This looks absolutely lovely and elegant. And yes, I'm totally judging by the cover, but it's a novel in verse about a dancer! I honestly don't know why I've put this one off so much, particularly since I know so many who love this, particularly among my Desi writer friends.

Top Ten Tuesday [1]: Top Ten 2015 Debuts

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*rubs hands together evilly*

Oh, yes. I've been looking forward to this list since September 2014. You know what the best thing is about a fresh, hopeful new year? 

(Besides, you know, kicking the door shut on 2014 and all its awfulness.)

The debuts. And this year in particular, there are so many rocking Fifteeners that even with ten slots to fill, I'm sure I'm going to look back, hit my forehead and groan that I missed someone super important. 

So, just know that I love them all and it's worth a Google or a trip to the Fearless Fifteeners' webpage or GoodReads to catch them all. 

Now, let's get down to the list, in no particular order...

Top Ten! My Reading Wishlist (Calling All YA and Middle Grade Authors)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the lovelies over at The Broke and Bookish. For more information on how to participate, please check them out!

 

 

 

 

 

 

So maybe some of you remember last year, when the talented Shae started up the blogger/reader counterpart to MSWL (Manuscript Wish List). I happily rolled up my sleeves and entered the fray, even though I wasn't completely sure what I had to offer to the great ideas already pouring in.

I don't know if it's just me, but usually, if I feel there's a lack of a book I'd like to read, I set about developing an idea so I can write it one day myself. Thus, whenever I'd try to write up an idea, I'd realize that I wanted to keep it for the good ol' idea jar, and ended back up at square one.

However, there's only so many ideas that you can stash away for later, and I'm very sure that there are authors out there better than me who would probably have some really awesome spin-offs on the thoughts roaming through my head.

That being said...

How about some more dark magical realism? I am always, always a fantasy fangirl at heart. But I adore Nova Ren Suma, and I'd like to see some other titles out there keeping Imaginary Girls snug and warm on the shelf. 

Something along the lines of The Secret Garden wouldn't go wrong. I seem to be the only person who has watched and loved the Hallmark adaptation of this classic. There was just this classically pensive air about it, and it really made me fall head over heels for the dark, brooding moors of Gothic literature - but beyond the gloom and the haunted past of the lord of the house and his poor, invalid son, there was also hope sprouting through.

I think we often forget that life is not entirely cynical. We do find happiness. We do find reasons to hope.

And, that being said, more fantasy along the lines of Howl's Moving Castle. It doesn't have to be all love triangles (please, no more) or epic quests. It can also be biting humor and witches and wizards who aren't as grand as they might appear from afar, and a heroine who could be everygirl.

Steampunk that goes beyond Victorian America or England would be grand as well, please and thank you. I mean, surely there were other countries that existed in pre-modern times, right? Frankly, I'm getting tired of gaslamps and clockwork cogs.

I know someone else said this during the hashtag last year, but more cool homeschoolers. Please. If you are writing a homeschooler that is a total dork, cannot socialize, or begs their parents to send them to "regular school with the cool kids," I have to tell you...you are talking out of your hat, sir (or madam). And you can take my word for it. I've been there. Not everyone is miserable, or clinically insane.

How about a cozy YA mystery, too? I grew up on the black-and-white version of Miss Marple, and I have to say, she was a feisty one. Why couldn't that translate to a YA heroine, or even a hero?

More diversity - and more interracial couples that are ACTUALLY interracial wouldn't go wrong, either. During the whole Frozen controversy, someone pointed out how every interracial couple has to involve a Caucasian person. Why can't we think out of the box and open up new horizons? That goes for diversity, too.

Also, stories set in other countries that involve protagonists FROM that country. See above.

More spies. More spies. More spies.

Something else along the lines of The Queen's Thief by Megan Whalen Turner would be really awesome. Please? Anyone? Anyone?

A few complex horror stories - along the lines of anime horror. I am a big fan of series such as Shiki, Psycho-Pass and Another - stories that genuinely make you think over the situation and analyze the characters' motivations, while gasping and clutching at your pearls every few minutes.

Are any of my wishlist items on your list? Any ideas you'd want to add?

Top Ten! 2014 Debuts I'm Totally There For

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the lovelies over at The Broke and Bookish. For more information on how to participate, please check them out!

If there's something good I have to say about 2013, it was the authors. I grew ridiculously fond of the Thirteeners, one and all, and I'm looking forward to the talent that is unfolding in 2014!

I tried to steer toward the must-haves that already had covers, which is why a few of my favorite titles are not on the list. Not to worry - they'll get their day pretty soon!

The Murder Complex (The Murder Complex #1) by Lindsay Cummings

An action-packed, blood-soaked, futuristic debut thriller set in a world where the murder rate is higher than the birthrate. For fans of Moira Young’s Dust Lands series, La Femme Nikita, and the movie Hanna.

Meadow Woodson, a fifteen-year-old girl who has been trained by her father to fight, to kill, and to survive in any situation, lives with her family on a houseboat in Florida. The state is controlled by The Murder Complex, an organization that tracks the population with precision.

The plot starts to thicken when Meadow meets Zephyr James, who is—although he doesn’t know it—one of the MC’s programmed assassins. Is their meeting a coincidence? Destiny? Or part of a terrifying strategy? And will Zephyr keep Meadow from discovering the haunting truth about her family?

I've been waiting for this one since before it had a cover. I personally love Moira Young's Dust Lands and anything involving a girl who knows how to be strong and tough and defend her family. The cover just adds to the gritty feel of the blurb and the author's world.


add on goodreads | releasing june 10 2014

Dorothy Must Die (Dorothy Must Die #1) by Danielle Paige

I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.
But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still the yellow brick road, though—but even that's crumbling.

What happened?
Dorothy. They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm—and I'm the other girl from Kansas.
I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.
I've been trained to fight.
And I have a mission:
Remove the Tin Woodman's heart.
Steal the Scarecrow's brain.
Take the Lion's courage.
Then and only then—Dorothy must die!

I grew up in Oz. Even as a little girl curled up on the couch with my nose buried in a book full of words written before I was born, I could feel the inherent girl power within it: princesses ruled, a man who was a false wizard and an usurper of the throne was removed by a said princess, and little girls defeated foes twice their size. 

That being said, I have mixed feelings about Dorothy - the traditional protagonist - being the bad guy, but I'm also all for stories being turned on their heads. It'll be interesting to see how this one turns out!

add on goodreads | releasing april 1 2014

The Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco 

A dead girl walks the streets.

She hunts murderers. Child killers, much like the man who threw her body down a well three hundred years ago.

And when a strange boy bearing stranger tattoos moves into the neighborhood so, she discovers, does something else. And soon both will be drawn into the world of eerie doll rituals and dark Shinto exorcisms that will take them from American suburbia to the remote valleys and shrines of Aomori, Japan.

Because the boy has a terrifying secret - one that would just kill to get out. 

This is probably my most wanted title of the year. You probably already know about my obsession with Japan, right? And last year, though I've always been crazy about anime, I went on a dark, horrorish-specific binge - that in spite of me being a total, blood-hating baby, so I ended up having to press mute and squeeze my eyes shut quite a few times.

That being said, this is most definitely up my alley. I've been following Rin's blog since she announced her book deal, and I can't wait to see how it turns out!

add on goodreads | releasing august 5 2014

Falls the Shadow by Stefanie Gaither 

When Cate Benson was twelve, her sister died.

Two hours after the funeral, they picked up Violet’s replacement, and it was like nothing had ever happened. Because Cate’s parents are among those who decided to grant their children a sort of immortality—by cloning them at birth. So this new Violet has the same smile. The same laugh. That same perfect face. Thanks to advancements in mind-uploading technology, she even has all the same memories as the girl she replaced.

She also might have murdered the most popular girl in school.

Or at least, that’s what the paparazzi and crazy anti-cloning protesters want everyone to think: that clones are violent, unpredictable monsters. Cate is used to hearing all that, though. She’s used to standing up for her sister too, and she’s determined to prove her innocence now—at whatever the cost. But the deeper she digs for the truth, the further Cate's carefully-constructed life begins to unravel, unveiling a world filled with copies and lies, where nothing and no one—not even her sister— is completely what they seem.

In a pulse pounding debut, Stefanie Gaither takes readers on a nail-biting ride through a future that looks frighteningly similar to our own time and asks: how far are you willing to go to keep your family together?

I don't think I need to really say anything about this one. I mean, the summary says it all, right? Would you honestly turn down something this heart-pounding? Clones, murder and manipulation, oh, my! 

add on goodreads | releasing september 16 2014

Blackfin Sky by Kat Ellis 

When Sky falls from Blackfin Pier and drowns on her sixteenth birthday, the whole town goes into mourning – until she shows up three months later like nothing happened.

Unravelling the mystery of those missing months takes Sky to the burned-out circus in the woods, where whispers of murder and kidnapping begin to reveal the town’s secrets. But Sky’s not the only one digging up the past – the old mime from the circus knows what happened to her, and he has more than one reason for keeping quiet about it.

This has a very Imaginary Girls feel to me, and since that is one of my favorites, I'm hoping this will strike a chord in me as well!

add on goodreads | releasing may 14 2014

Sekret (Sekret #1) by Lindsay Smith

Yulia’s father always taught her that an empty mind is a safe mind. She has to hide her thoughts and control her emotions to survive in Communist Russia, especially because she seems to be able to read the minds of the people she touches. When she’s captured by the KGB and forced to work as a psychic spy with a mission to undermine the U.S. space program, she’s thrust into a world of suspicion, deceit, and horrifying power where she can trust no one.

She certainly can’t trust Rostov, the cruel KGB operative running the psychic program. Or handsome Sergei who encourages her to cooperate with the KGB. Or brooding Valentin who tells her to rebel against them. And not the CIA, who have a psychic so powerful he can erase a person’s mind with his own thoughts. Yulia quickly learns she must rely on her own wits and power to survive in this world where no SEKRET can stay hidden for long.

I've gotten to know Lindsay through Twitter the past year. She's sweet, knowledgeable and enthusiastic - and so is the summary for her debut. I used to be obsessed with Russian history back in middle school, particularly the tragically doomed Romanov family. But espionage, history and dystopia blended with it? Dream come true.

add on goodreads | releasing april 1 2014

Extraction (Extraction #1) by Stephanie Diaz

Clementine has spent her whole life preparing for her sixteenth birthday, when she’ll be tested for Extraction in the hopes of being sent from the planet Kiel’s toxic Surface to the much safer Core, where people live without fear or starvation. When she proves Promising enough to be “Extracted,” she must leave without Logan, the boy she loves. Torn apart from her only sense of family, Clem promises to come back and save him from brutal Surface life.

What she finds initially in the Core is a utopia compared to the Surface—it’s free of hard labor, gun-wielding officials, and the moon's lethal acid. But life is anything but safe, and Clementine learns that the planet's leaders are planning to exterminate Surface dwellers—and that means Logan, too.

Trapped by the steel walls of the underground and the lies that keep her safe, Clementine must find a way to escape and rescue Logan and the rest of the planet. But the planet leaders don't want her running—they want her subdued.

Yes, yes, yes! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the debut that will rock your shelves this year. I had the pleasure of pre-reading a draft of this for Stephanie, and it is definitely all that the summary promises and then some. 

add on goodreads | releasing july 22 2014

Half Bad (Half Life Trilogy #1) by Sally Green

In modern-day England, witches live alongside humans: White witches, who are good; Black witches, who are evil; and fifteen-year-old Nathan, who is both. Nathan’s father is the world’s most powerful and cruel Black witch, and his mother is dead. He is hunted from all sides. Trapped in a cage, beaten and handcuffed, Nathan must escape before his sixteenth birthday, at which point he will receive three gifts from his father and come into his own as a witch—or else he will die. But how can Nathan find his father when his every action is tracked, when there is no one safe to trust—not even family, not even the girl he loves?

This is really, really my cup of tea: spicy (witches, witches and more witches!), flavorful (a modern-day London with a fantastic twist) and obviously willing to leave a haunting aftertaste. Can we forward-fast to March already?

add on goodreads | releasing march 4 2014

Stolen Songbird (The Malediction Trilogy #1) by Danielle L. Jensen 

For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the ruins of Forsaken Mountain. Time enough for their dark and nefarious magic to fade from human memory and into myth. But a prophesy has been spoken of a union with the power to set the trolls free, and when Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she learns there is far more to the myth of the trolls than she could have imagined.

Cécile has only one thing on her mind after she is brought to Trollus: escape. Only the trolls are clever, fast, and inhumanly strong. She will have to bide her time, wait for the perfect opportunity.

But something unexpected happens while she’s waiting – she begins to fall for the enigmatic troll prince to whom she has been bonded and married. She begins to make friends. And she begins to see that she may be the only hope for the half-bloods – part troll, part human creatures who are slaves to the full-blooded trolls. There is a rebellion brewing. And her prince, Tristan, the future king, is its secret leader.

As Cécile becomes involved in the intricate political games of Trollus, she becomes more than a farmer’s daughter. She becomes a princess, the hope of a people, and a witch with magic powerful enough to change Trollus forever.

I fell in love with Clare B. Dunkle's Hollow Kingdom series in 2012 - though I don't think I ever got around to reviewing it here, as with many things I loved in 2012. Ah, well. In any case, this sounds a lot like it - and trolls? Yes, please! I love faeries, but I think they are rather overdone at this point.

add on goodreads | releasing april 1 2014

The Story of Owen by E.K. Johnson 

Listen! For I sing of Owen Thorskard: valiant of heart, hopeless at algebra, last in a long line of legendary dragon slayers. Though he had few years and was not built for football, he stood between the town of Trondheim and creatures that threatened its survival. There have always been dragons. As far back as history is told, men and women have fought them, loyally defending their villages. Dragon slaying was a proud tradition. But dragons and humans have one thing in common: an insatiable appetite for fossil fuels. 

From the moment Henry Ford hired his first dragon slayer, no small town was safe. Dragon slayers flocked to cities, leaving more remote areas unprotected. Such was Trondheim's fate until Owen Thorskard arrived. At sixteen, with dragons advancing and his grades plummeting, Owen faced impossible oddsarmed only with a sword, his legacy, and the classmate who agreed to be his bard. Listen! I am Siobhan McQuaid. I alone know the story of Owen, the story that changes everything. Listen!

Dragons are a huge soft spot for me. My current WIP also is centered around them, so this must be the year of scaly, fire-breathing reptiles for me! The idea of a dragon epic in our present day is humorous and endearing. I can't wait to see how it turns out!


add on goodreads | releasing march 1 2014

Are any of my anticipated debuts on your list? Any that you think I should know about?

Top Ten Tuesday: 2013 Debutantes I Need in My Life

Hosted by The Broke and Bookish; see the site for past and future topics, and other info for jumping in!

 

 

Alright, so I haven't done this dance in a while, but the topic was so good today I couldn't resist, and I know you guys won't be able to either. Okay, ready? It's... Top Ten 2013 Debuts. Perfect, right? (Except for the problem that I'm pretty much psyched for every single title locked in for 2013, but you can't win them all.)

 

Today, however, I'm making my own rule for the post. Instead of ten, I chose thirteen of my favorite books. That way, I got to add on three more titles, and have a way of paying tribute to the awesome books we can look forward to this year.

 

Yes, I know. I'm a genius.

 

 

 

 

1. Dualed by Elsie Chapman - Okay, okay, I know I'm cheating with this one. I've read it, wrote the review, got the t-shirt...hey, wait, I didn't get a t-shirt. Must correct that. But anyway, I don't think it's completely cheating because I now consider Elsie a good friend and I adore her and her writing and I'm totally going to throw a party on her book birthday just because this book is so darn awesome.

 

Moving on...

 

2. The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shephard - Anyone willing to lend me an ARC? Because I can't seem to get my hands on this little gem anywhere *sobs* Ah, well, there's always the library.

 

3. Taken by Erin Bowman - Yay for Pub Crawl ladies! Seriously, that blog is manned with the stars of the publishing world. There's also the double-whammy of it having a male protagonist and a cool cover.

 

4. Ink by Amanda Sun - ...And you already probably knew I was going to somehow slip Japan in here somewhere. You guys are really smart, you know that? Or maybe, I'm just a little too predicable. Anyway, I've talked to Amanda a few times around these parts, and she seems really sweet, and of course, have you ever known me to resist a book that involved Japan?! Please.

 

5. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Tucholke - See, this book is mainly why this post is titled the 2013 Debutantes I NEED IN MY LIFE. The new pitch, as taken from Edelweiss, pretty much describes it as Fitzgerald with a dark side. I'm now picturing angsty jazz, dark secrets and possibly someone being hit with a car being driven by a reincarnated Lovecraft monster. (If I'm totally off the mark with this description, someone please go out and write this story.)

 

6. Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis - There isn't a cover for this one yet - at least not that can be found on GoodReads - so I have both that and the general anticipation for this title crushing my soul. Have you read the query letter on YA Highway? This, this is the type of stuff that deserves salvation from the slush pile and a position on my shelf ASAP.

 

7. City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster - Confession: I didn't really know what this book was about until like a few weeks of following Miriam, mainly because I was distracted by how funny and talented she is. But when I realized how much awesome girl-power potential it had, I was all over it. And have yet to get a hand on a copy of it. *growls*

 

8. The Falconer by Elizabeth May - I found out about her through WriteOnCon (she happens to be a success story). Definitely one author you need to keep an eye on: Steampunk Scotland? Forget England, people. This girl's setting out for the new frontier.

 

9. Splintered by A.G. Howard - It's about Alice in Wonderland, which means it's based off a classic, which means that I don't actually have to explain to you how awesome it is and convince you to pick it up. You just will.

 

10. Premeditated by Josein McQuein - Look up the query letter on Query Shark. That is all you need to know.

 

 

Bonus!

 

11. In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters - I love the cover for this one. I love the summary. I love the fact that it's coming out sooner rather than later, so I can actually read it without depending on NetGalley and their capricious way of picking reviewers. :(

 

12. Infinite Sky by C.J. Flood - It involves gypsies. It sounds very Diana Wynne Jones-eque blurb-wise. And it's from Britain. The Charlotte Bronte spirit within me swoons.

 

13. Transparent by Natalie Whipple - Natalie is one of those bloggers slash writers that I just kind of eye shyly and follow avidly. And trust me, you've always wanted to be invisible at some point or another, right? Now you get a look at what it might actually be like!

 

 

 

  

Are any of these on your list? Do you think I missed out on anyone? Let me know, and I wish you a happy 2013 full of rich, inspiring debuts!

Top Ten Tuesday: Authors at My Thanksgiving Feast

 
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish. It's like sitting in a waiting room with nothing more than a slip of paper and a pencil, and making a list of things about the receptionist's face that interests you - and then sharing it with every other poor, bored kid there and having them add on their observations. So, yeah, go join.

This week's list is authors you'd invite to your Thanksgiving feast. Whew. That would need to be a lot of food. Alright, so right off the cuff...

1. Maryrose Wood. She's awesome, I already know her, and she always has the right touch of wit and whimsy to liven up a dinner party. Especially when she starts howling. 

2. Maureen Johnson. Seriously? Who would not invite Maureen Johnson to a dinner party?! I mean, that's like the invitation move of a total social pariah. Really. (If you have no idea why you should want MJ to come to your Thanksgiving, just watch her on Twitter for an hour. Just an hour. You'll see.)

3. Ally Carter. For all I know, she'd probably come busting in the house with a guest party of retired CIA agents, ex-French war spies and a couple of random police officers wanting to know what the fuss is about. As long as she brings my Gallagher school application. I think it got lost in the mail.

4. Michelle Zink. She's sweet, and she seems like the type of person who would be the easy-going, "sit me next to anyone and we'll get along" guest that makes everything flow that much easier. (Another person you should follow on Twitter. She's awesome.)

5. Scott Westerfield. Because when you realize that there's a small fuzzy animal nibbling at the turkey, who's going to be able to identify it - and figure out the right way to duck as a giant whale ship comes crashing through the ceiling. Yep. You wish you were invited to my Thanksgiving bash.

6. Charlotte Bronte. ...No, she is not one of the undead. This is a hypothetical feast, right? So I can invite who I want. And I ADORE her. So she gets to come. You got a problem with that?

7. Lemony Snicket. But if you bring that horrible one-eyebrowed man along to poison the pumpkin pie like he did last year, I swear...

8. Victoria Schwab. She doesn't need an explanation. Or a written invitation.

9. Myra McEntire. Her bio says it all: she knows all the words to today's R&B songs. I mean, that's an awesome in-house concert right there!

10. Rick Riordan. If only to have someone to distract my little brother so that he doesn't complain about all the noise my little get-together is making. Well, I might be over there in the corner listening raptly to stories of Percy slaying things (well, after Annabeth saves him) and ugly Greek monsters - but hey, a hostess has got to sit and socialize with each of her guests, right?

Didn't get an invitation? It doesn't mean I love you any less. If you think I was mistaken and didn't add you on, please send me a Howler listing every single reason WHY you should have been on this list. Chances are you'll get to come merely because you have the ability to send a Howler. That's coolness right there.

Top Ten Tuesday: Authors I Would Love to Meet

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature brought to you by the creativity of The Broke and the Bookish.

Today's theme: Authors I Would Die to Meet

(I changed it to love, because, y'know, I'm not ready to die yet.) 

 

1. Charlotte Bronte

Jane Eyre is one of those classics that redefined my childhood. I can't tell you how many times I watched the 1983 BBC ministries (starring Timothy Dalton, or as my sister and I dubbed him, Horseface) before I finally managed to get my hands on one of our copies around sixth grade. Instant adoration. When I got into high school and I could finally dissect the storyline properly, I was amazed at how a woman could get away with writing such a strong, feminine novel in a man-dominated world. If it were ever possible, I would love to meet Charlotte Bronte simply to hug her and thank her for setting a new standard for a female heroine who's willing to fall in love but determined to keep her freedom.

2. Jane Austen

Yes, who's not surprised that Miss Austen is on my list? Show of hands? Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice and Little Women - the major three classics that shaped me as a reader and set my future standards up to this day (which is probably why I can barely tolerate contemporary romances sometimes). I would give anything just to be able to see her writing notebooks and hear about her creative process. 

3. Laini Taylor

She writes like a poet, she has a sweet smile and I just love her pink hair. It's the sign of an artist who knows herself and doesn't care what anyone else thinks about her style as long as she likes it. I'm hoping I can catch one of her book signings somewhere in this lifetime, or (even better) maybe she'll be at BEA again next year WHEN I CAN FINALLY FIND A WAY TO GET THERE.

4. Kate Milford

Have you read The Boneshaker yet? If not, you have no idea what you're missing out on. It's supposed to be a MG steampunk, but I'm pretty sure even the YA crowd will enjoy it. The rub of it is that Mrs. Milford lives forty-five minutes away in Brooklyn. I'm thinking to work our library into another author appearance pretty soon. 

5. Cornelia Funke

A couple of months ago, my best friend told me that I remind her of Mo - the type of person who needs to eventually own a book shop and surround herself with her best friends 24/7. For this brilliant imagery (and very well-thought out comparison) I will always be grateful to Cornelia Funke. Her stories really are the type that you can read aloud and actually imagine being sucked into. And, since she now lives in the US, there is a good chance that I might be able to meet her someday. Hopefully.

6. Gail Carson Levine

Alright, insert another rambling "this author redefined my life" right here and skip on, right? No, sorry. If you want your life to be easier, I'm not the person to depend on. I love Gail Carson Levine. I think she is one of the sweetest lady-authors (and no, still haven't met her - hence her being in this post) and Ella Enchanted was the catalyst to make me believe that anyone can have their happily ever after.

...Yeah, that was really cheesy, wasn't it? 'S the truth.

7. Maureen Johnson

She is hilarious. Like, hold your sides because this is the big one, make you laugh on a rainy day type of hilarious. I haven't even finished one of her books yet, and I'm trying to find excuses to crash one of her author signings. (Just check her out on Twitter and you'll see what I mean.)

8. Diana Wynne Jones

What really makes me sad/frustrated/disgusted with myself is that she only passed away this year. All that golden opportunity of sneaking aboard an airplane and flying to Britain, standing reverently outside her house in the middle of the night, dressing myself as Sophie and asking her to sign my large, floppy hat...

Yes. I'm kidding.

But I am still upset. God bless you, Mrs. Jones. You made a lot of kids happy while you were in this world,  and I hope you're having a good time in that Great Big Castle in the Sky.

9. Scott Westerfield

No matter what the post's theme is, it all comes back to Leviathan, doesn't it? Well. I think that Mr. Westerfield is an amazing author, especially when it comes to steampunk, and I would love to ask him about his inspiration, his research, what he eats to make his brain so incredibly versatile...you know, non-stalkerish stuff like that.

And finally, we make it to...

10. Jennifer Bradbury

Have you read Wrapped yet? If you haven't, totally missing out. She's one of those authors whose books I read and go, "Wow, I've been wanting to use an idea like that, but she took it and made it just as good."

Good, not better. I do have my pride.

Anyway, I'd love to meet a fellow Austen enthusiast, and SHE WAS ACTUALLY A JEOPARDY CHAMP. Have you any idea how long I've wanted to try out for Jeopardy?

*sighes* Maybe someday.

**Edited**

 BONUS AUTHORS (three people I can't believe I forgot!!!)

Ally Carter 

Girl power. Friendship. Just the right pinch of romance mixed in with kicking bad-guy behind and taking names. I'm not sure how I forgot to add her on that list up there, but if I ever met her, I'd totally squeeze her for creating the Gallagher Girls - and tell her that I think my school invitation got lost in the mail.

Louis Sachar

Lemony Snicket

Huh. I never noticed: two of my favorite authors from middle school both have the initials L.S. Anyway, Holes and A Series of Unfortunate Events are two literary creations that I am grateful for, because they brought me and my best friend so much closer together, and gave us something awesome to talk about when we saw each other. I'd love to see either or both of these authors just to thank them for making my life more amazing.