Last week I was emailed by Kelly, from YAnnabe, asking for my help in a Secret Blogger project. I’m always in for anything excititing! Her goal, and now the goal of nearly 40 other bloggers including myself, is to shed some light on the YA books that we love, that aren’t sitting on the Target Bookshelves, or bestsellers. We’re trying to give the little guys (the lesser known books) a chance in this YA reading world.

For my part, I checked books that did not have as many users owning and reviewing them on Librarything.com and looked at books mostly from 2008 and earlier. Things that may have slipped through the cracks, or books you saw, meant to read, but forgot when a Twlight book or something sucked up your time (Vampires suck blood, Twilight sucks time. I like my Vampires snarky, not sparkly but that’s my own vampire opinion lol)

(If you want to read  more listsof great YA books you may have missed, please check out Kelly’s list and the links to other blogger’s lists here.)

HERE We Go…EDITED POST filled with random notes about my reading habits, haha, sorry.

Audrey, Wait! Robin Benway
Fun Fun Fun! Usually I stay away from YA books that aren’t paranormal, fantasy or mysteries….straight on teen life things bore me. This very well could be because I’m 10 years past being 17…but I was the same way in High School, but this one was faboo for sure. It’s a bit over the top, with all the sort of FACE PALM moments, but that’s what makes it GREAT! I actually liked reading about someone who had worse luck than I do haha. The relationship parts were cute, and were paced throughout the book, not just slapped in, and the entire book left me with the “I feel SO BAD for her RIGHT NOW…BUT I ALSO WANT TO LAUGH” feeling. ;)

Chalice by Robin McKinley
I wasn’t a reader in elementary school, not from the start at least. I was the I WILL TAKE EVERY KITTEN BOOK AND READ IT OVER AND OVER kid. I think I finally got hooked on fiction in 4-6th grade thanks to the trade books we did in class. In 6thgrade my teacher gave us a copy of “The Hero and the Crown” as the trade book…which he stopped reading less than halfway through, because, um high fantasy with 6th graders who are used reading books like “Sixth Grade can really kill you” (books about kids our age, in a school setting) doesn’t quite work if you just throw it out there. I was hooked though, I kept my copy, and read it over and over again, and it is officially my favorite book…the book I have parts memorized to. Um Edward Cullen, no Thanks, I’ll take Luthe, because Mages are far more awesome than Vampires :P I love Robin’s Fairy Tale retellings, but not as much as her Damar books….and I have to admit I didn’t read SUNSHINE or those Dragon Training ones. But I kept missing that vintage McKinley style of writing. The sense of wonder you get from reading her world building, and most importantly THE CHARACTERS, their interactions. CHALICE was a return back to that style. It’s not in my heart like her earlier works, but it is a satisfying read, that will suck you in with its magic, and beauty and the beast motif (less direct than her 2 retellings of Beauty and the Beast, but it is still there.)

Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George
I’m a fairy tale and fantasy girl, my entire high school reading was actually high fantasy and star wars books, back then being a geek wasn’t in style like now haha so if you give me a dragon book, I’m still so there. This great little number I found in my own school library, though it’s readers can range from 11 or so to 27, and beyond. I just say 27 for a fact because I have a 5th grader reading it now after 27 year old me recommended it. It’s clear that Jessica Day George read and loved many of the same books as me, Robin McKinley, Patricia C. Wrede, Gail Carson Levine, as this book matches up with them in both style and substance. While not as light as something by Wrede’s Enchanted forest, it also shows a great relationship between a girl and her unlikely friend, a dragon. I know my higher level readers love this one so please don’t let the fact that I picked this book from an Elementary Library scare you away, this is a great read for YA fantasy readers.

Devilish by Maureen Johnson
I love cupcakes. I love supernatural books. I love something written with a sense of humor, books that don’t take themselves that seriously. Maureen Johnson wrote this book, because it amused her, plain and simple…and it sure as heck amused me too.  The main character jumps off the page for you, I can totally see myself hanging out with her and rolling our eyes at the whole teen scene life of High School. I’ve seen many attempts at the whole HIGH SCHOOL IS HELL or SELLING YOUR SOUL concept, but Maureen does it so well in this book. It also…made me really really really hungry.

Enchanted, Inc. Shanna Swendson
Not labeled as YA as it is about  a 20 something in New York City, but I love this book and I know many teens, and YA readers would too… actually I think this series would have worked really well if it had been targeted for the YA audience. It’s about a normal texas girl who gets a job in NYC because she is just that, normal, regular, boring…. It makes her immune to magic, so she can work with wizards and other spell casting types and folks from fairy tales without having spells work on her. There are so many fractured fairy inspired books in YA right now, which makes me soooooo happy, that this cute series would be interesting to those readers. If you are the type of person who wishes Hogwarts was real, or that you could snag a prince after kissing a frog, grab this series! So cute and funny!!

Nobody’s Princess by Esther Friesner
I’m confused on why this did not show up on more Librarything lists, as I see this book, and it’s sequels displayed when I go to Borders, and I think I recall seeing it at Target too. Basically if you give me a retelling (fairy tale, historical based, anything) and mix it with a headstrong female main character, I am so there. This one is the story of Helen of Troy as a teenager…a really feisty teenager.

Ophelia by Lisa Klein
English major here…who was one class away from a Theater Minor in Undergrad…I’ll take any and all Shakespearian Revampings you want to send my way. I always felt poor Ophelia got the short end of the character stick…no boy is worth drowning for ;) But this reworking gives us a fleshed out Ophelia…we see what she feeling with the loss of her father, and what she actually liked in Hamlet, and what happened leading up to…and after the whole pond incident. Very interesting read.

Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon Hale
I really love Shannon Hale’s books….”The Goose Girl” is my favorite by her, and on my list of favorite books in general. You probably have gotten the idea by now that if something is fairy tale based (or has snarky supernatural fun) that it will be a Melissa kind of book. I met Shannon Hale at ALA right after I first became a Librarian, and she told me such nice things about how I will change people’s lives and affect so many people. So maybe I am bias when I say you should read RAPUNZEL’S REVENGE….but so what, it’s awesome! A graphic novel that takes the familiar  Rapuzel story and sets it in the Wild West, Rapunzel’s Revenge is a wild ride, and great fun!

Story Time by Edward Bloor
As a teacher I have to tell you, I think Standardized Testing is evil, so, while this book is a satirical look at the American Education system and it’s testing pressure, I don’t think it would take much to convince me all those state tests went hand to hand with real Demons. I actually read this on the Beach in NJ a few years back, and while it’s no beach read (Girl and her similarly aged genius uncle get shipped off to a fancy school, where they are trained physically, and mentally for tests tests tests tests. The teachers and staff start to get possessed by a Demon, and all Hell Breaks loose as they say) It reminded me a bit of reading “The Book of Lost things” (WHICH I LOVE) as it reads on the surface as a basic children’s scary story, but is so much more.

Such a Pretty Girl by Laura Wiess
As a teenager I wasn’t a YA reader, I mentioned that before, I don’t think it was as big then (late 90’s) or  maybe my library just wasn’t stocked up “(which is VERY possible, as I seemed to be the only one there to TAKE OUT BOOKS. Everyone else was trying to get out of study hall and wanted to play mine sweeper on a computer or the Oregon Trail.) But when I was in college I read “Speak” for the first time, it turned me on to the YA thing. “Such a Pretty Girl” is very speak-like in nature, as it deals with a girl trying to find strength after being abused (in this case by her father (who was just released from prison and is coming home.) I felt it was a very honest, an emotional look inside the mind of a broken girl.

Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

Prophecy of the Sisters from Vania S on Vimeo.

I feel rather special, as this book is being released in…oh -3mins, so I guess I’m early, haha. The Library called and I went to pick up four books this week, Michelle Zink’s Debut YA novel being one of them, I had heard good chatter from the Book Blogger crowd, and Michelle Zink is sweet as anything, you can follow her on twitter like I do @michellezink Not sure why this book moved so quickly from being ON ORDER and PROCESSING to my hand, but I’m all for it :D and ready with my review as I finished it up this evening

I may be bias on this one, as anything that is a Gothic style Historical Fiction with supernatural elements is automatically a “Melissa” book,” Michelle Zink mixed magic, mystery and mythology to craft this wonderful new addition to the Paranormal YA Genre. I have a review where someone labeled  this book as slow moving, does that have to be a bad thing? I personally loved the sense of foreboding and suspense that was built throughout the book, and, as this clearly will not be stand-alone book, why rush things?

This first book focused mostly on the puzzle that is the Prophecy, readers being introduced to, and learning more about it as Lia, the main character does as well. I enjoy trying to work out puzzles and reading about complex and well thought out mythologies, so it didn’t bother me that there wasn’t a monster attacking on every other page. This book is very deliberate on revealing its secrets in a balanced way. Even on the last few places we are still gathering more information and tucking it away for the next book.

The Mystery does not simply revolve around the mythology though; there are also wonderful shades of gray in the relations of the characters, Lia and her twin sister Alice, one sister born to protect and another to destroy. The sisters are not your standard GOOD VS. EVIL however, while Lia is questioning her own role in the prophecy, readers are left to question Alice. Alice as a character is unique, she is written into a position of being the villain, but there seems to be a disconnect between her words and actions at times, and certainly between her given role and desires, giving the reader the sense that things really may not be as they seem, and we will have to keep reading to see where Alice, and even Lia land on the Good vs. Evil scale in the end. The relationship between the two sisters is central to Michelle Zink’s entire plot and it seems we have only had a glimpse of what is to come.

I consider this book to be an excellent example of story crafting, with it’s focus on exposition, and Lia’s own self questioning and discovery, I’m only guessing, but I think, as Michelle fleshes out her continuing story the focus will move away from information sharing, and more on the relationships in the story, Lia and Alice especially but I also see interesting directions for Lia and her friends, and don’t forget there is pretty boy in the mix! You know James, if Lia doesn’t make it, I know someone who loves books just as much as you….is 27 too old for you?

The Library called again, another book for me to pick up, yesterday I picked up three, and I renewed another, pretty soon my collection of books from the Library will  topple off my book shelf and kill me in my sleep. Fitting way to go, as I am a librarian :)

BUT before I can dive in, I needed to finish the book I was reading before my two weeks o’doom, an ARC of a fun little retelling of the Trojan War set on the High School Football Field :

Troy High
by Shana Norris

When I was at BEA, I picked up the ARC of Troy High, which looked cute and fluffy, I finished it last night, and I have to say, while it was both cute and fluffy, it was also smart, and well written. The allusions to the Trojan War were done perfectly, it was a pretty straight on retelling, but the connection didn’t overpower the story, I KNOW the story of the Trojan War, but I still wanted to know what happened in this story, I didn’t assume that since I knew a bit of the Iliad that this one could be written off as predictable.

The character of Cassie was well developed and while there were the stereotypical HS characters (pretty cheerleader, jealous football player, outcast…) it’s interesting to think of how these stereotypes can be applied to historical and literacy works like the Iliad, if Helen of Troy was alive now it’s not a big leap to assume she would be a popular cheerleader.

It was a good read for the mood I have been in, dealing with a Death in the family, my brain couldn’t handle anything too intense or drama filled, but I also can’t read something that is completely devoid of intelligence. This was a perfect fit, a smart, fun, quick read that shows that High School isn’t all that different than War at times…

So that Blog every day in April thing, not really working for me I guess. But I am READING at least one blog every day in April, that’s another way to look at the situation, don’t you agree? Yes, I am pushing it. My big order of Library books is in, so you should expect my Library Log to start fill up with Upper Elementary Books that I want to read in order to book talk them to the kids (lie! it will fill up with upper elementary books because I WANT to read them.) I finally got my hands on “Rapunzel’s Revenge” by one of my favorite Upper Elem/YA writers, Shannon Hale. It was really funny, and well drawn. I think I should focus more on Graphic Novels, I am only starting to get into that, which is odd since I love online comics so much. So any recommendations for Graphic Novel Reading will be greatly appreciated. I think I want to try out “Fables” next, as I keep hearing good things about that, and we all know I love my twisted fairy tales, be they twisted in fluffy funny ways, or twisted…as in twisted.
I very happily read “Wintergirls” the new book by Laurie Halse Anderson. I was talking to my friend, a fellow YCP English major, her being a HS English Teacher, and me taking the Librarian route, who told me she loves Anderson’s books that are…not…”Speak-like” like Prom, which I did read, and “Twisted” (didn’t get to yet) but didn’t really like “Speak”, and would not be very interested in “Wintergirls.” I am the opposite type of reader. I don’t mind the dark, uncomfortable, the misery. “Speak” was one of my favorite books, not one of my favorite YA books, favorite books overall. I think it is because it didn’t just tell a story, it took you somewhere authentic, and really awful, but left you with hope.

“Wintergirls” does the same thing. It wasn’t “Speak” for me, as the ending just came together too well, but overall, watching the downward spiral of this young girl, and to see through her own eyes and her warped perceptions about her weight, you can see why so many young girls get “Eating Disorders.” Often we look at them from our end and think “Can’t they see how insane it is, How can they think that 80lbs looks good? I just don’t get how you could force yourself to not eat…” But being inside Lia’s head makes you understand things from their point of view. The sense of power and well being she gets from seeing the scale go down, or putting things past her family. You have to catch yourself at times, and remember that Lia’s trumphs are actually distructive, the power of Anderson’s writing makes you almost believe Lia’s twisted view of the situation.

I did some things with my eating that, while not anything that would kil me like Lia, bordered on the unhealthy. I have been told by several people that they thought I was EDNOS due to my inconsistant eating, and how I dropped 30lbs in not the best way. I did see myself in Lia to a lesser extent, I could see what I was doing at that time, but only now looking back do I realise that my lack of eating, and exercising multiple times a day, and my pattern eating of only rice kripsies and mandrine oranges for a year, and getting dizzy at work because I had not eaten anything other than a rice cake for a couple days…was…bad. At the time I was so thrilled by seeing the scale drop, that nothing else really mattered. I’m just lucky that I got so stressed by senior year of college and lost the willpower to get skinny, which counteracted the 3 years of unhealthy near disordered eating.   I still lack eating skills, not eating all day then eating Jelly Beans for dinner or something strange. I think I need a nutrionist actually…

Laurie talking about what a “Wintergirl” is:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/mBR84KI4N5BRO