Since I've been in a reading rut lately, perhaps this isn't the best time to start a reading blog. Or, perhaps it's the best time - maybe it's what I need to get me reading again. I go through these phases occasionally, when I can't seem to get interested in anything, unless it's a TV show (which is evil - more on TV later, I'm sure).
I don't usually read two books at once, nor do I often start a book and not finish it. However, last week I gave up on Warrior Women: An Archaeologist's Search for History's Hidden Heroines by Jeannine Davis-Kimball for the second time. And right now I'm reading Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Kitchen by Julie Powell AND Size 12 Isn't Fat by Meg Cabot. Anyway, all this is a bad sign for my reading life. I probably need to just pull off one of the many, many young adult books stacked on my shelf and start reading. It's the inevitable and foolproof cure for this reading malaise, but occasionally I feel the need to read something for grown-ups.
However, since YA books are really where it's at for me, I really want to dwell on them. Amazon just came out with their Top 10 Editor's Picks for Teens, which is a pretty nice list. The reliablity of Amazon as a resource for reviews is largely questioned in the library world, but I can't argue too much with their top 10, especially since their number one pick, Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, is my #1 for 2005 as well. I think it should win the Printz Award, but I have a feeling it won't.
Speaking of the Printz, ALA's awards will be announced Monday morning. I have a whole list of "Possible Printz Contenders," mostly gathered from discussions on YALSA-BK (a list serve for those who want to discuss YA lit). I've read several, but there are so many I haven't gotten to yet. As I said, Twilight is my first pick for the Printz, but I don't think it will win - vampires don't get any respect. I think it might be Ball Don't Lie by Matt de la Pena, which I didn't love as I was reading it, but which stuck with me for a long time - the sign of a good book, I suppose. There's also a lot of talk about A Room on Lorelei Street by Mary Pearson (which was good, but didn't live up to the hype for me), and Looking for Alaska, which I loved and would be a great Printz winner, but I wonder if they'll give it to John Green for his debut book. Oh, and I also loved Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar. Funny books for teens are tough to find, and this is one of the best.
I don't usually read two books at once, nor do I often start a book and not finish it. However, last week I gave up on Warrior Women: An Archaeologist's Search for History's Hidden Heroines by Jeannine Davis-Kimball for the second time. And right now I'm reading Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Kitchen by Julie Powell AND Size 12 Isn't Fat by Meg Cabot. Anyway, all this is a bad sign for my reading life. I probably need to just pull off one of the many, many young adult books stacked on my shelf and start reading. It's the inevitable and foolproof cure for this reading malaise, but occasionally I feel the need to read something for grown-ups.
However, since YA books are really where it's at for me, I really want to dwell on them. Amazon just came out with their Top 10 Editor's Picks for Teens, which is a pretty nice list. The reliablity of Amazon as a resource for reviews is largely questioned in the library world, but I can't argue too much with their top 10, especially since their number one pick, Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, is my #1 for 2005 as well. I think it should win the Printz Award, but I have a feeling it won't.
Speaking of the Printz, ALA's awards will be announced Monday morning. I have a whole list of "Possible Printz Contenders," mostly gathered from discussions on YALSA-BK (a list serve for those who want to discuss YA lit). I've read several, but there are so many I haven't gotten to yet. As I said, Twilight is my first pick for the Printz, but I don't think it will win - vampires don't get any respect. I think it might be Ball Don't Lie by Matt de la Pena, which I didn't love as I was reading it, but which stuck with me for a long time - the sign of a good book, I suppose. There's also a lot of talk about A Room on Lorelei Street by Mary Pearson (which was good, but didn't live up to the hype for me), and Looking for Alaska, which I loved and would be a great Printz winner, but I wonder if they'll give it to John Green for his debut book. Oh, and I also loved Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar. Funny books for teens are tough to find, and this is one of the best.
posted by Anita Beaman at 18.1.06
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