If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan

Sahar and Nasrin have been best friends since they were little girls, and they've been in love with each other for almost as long. Sahar dreams of a life with Nasrin, unrestricted by the laws that forbid them from being together. Then Nasrin's parents arrange for her to be married to a rich doctor, and Sahar is devastated. When Sahar discovers that a sex reassignment surgery is possible, and legal, she thinks she has found a perfect solution…but it might not be enough to be with Nasrin.

Sara Farizan's If You Could Be Mine is an intense book, full of equal parts danger and love. Each sentence is emotionally loaded and tantalizing, and Farizan writes so convincingly about an intense love that must be hidden in a dangerous environment. The relationship between the two girls isn't always very even, and Sahar struggles with seeing the flaws in her romance even as she desperately works to save it. Farizan does an excellent job at discussing the difference between being gay and transsexual, addressing important issues about body image and gender, and how they factor into sexuality. The setting is frightening and complex, but also completely fascinating in its seemingly contradictory laws and customs. Subplots that center around Sahar’s family and their own challenges in connecting with each other add to Sahar’s struggles in determining her own identity, but ultimately provide her with the support she desperately needs. The conclusion of this novel is painful and gut-wrenching, but ultimately hopeful as Sahar discovers her identity and the depth of her own strength. If You Could Be Mine is an excellent debut novel.

Cover Comments: I like the simplicity of those cover, and the attempt at hand-holding (the only legal form of affection that the girls can show towards each other). The design is very understated and pretty!

If You Could Be Mine will be out on August 20th, 2013!

ARC picked up at BEA.

Why I Love C.S. Lewis

Some true words from C.S. Lewis:

"You could never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me."

Reading Rants: YA Dads

It's Father's Day, and to celebrate on the blog, I thought I'd spotlight the YA books that showcase some memorable YA dads and just how complicated and wonderful relationships with your dad can be.

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

This book has a lot going on in it, but I really love how King addresses the idea of how people assume that children are fated to end up like their parents, and how Vera struggled to open up to her father. 

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

Emmaline has a complicated relationship with her real father, and a not-so-complicated relationship with her step-father, whom she considers a "dad." When her biological father wants to become more involved in her life, Emmaline will have to make some important decisions about where she wants to go after high school.

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

This book features a heartfelt and heartbreaking relationship between the protagonist Taylor and her father, who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Make sure you have tissues on hand.

The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti

The father in this book won't be winning any Dad of the Year awards, but I like this book because Caletti explores how fathers, even absent ones, can have a large impact on your life. And in this case, the protagonist's father leads her to a sister she's never known.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Besides having a great title and a wonderful romance, this book is about a father-daughter relationship that has been rocky ever since the protagonist's father left her mother and moved to England. The book picks up with her father getting remarried, and deals with all of the emotional tumult that hasn't been addressed.

Girl Overboard by Justina Chen

This is arguably one of my favorite books by Chen, and I love how protagonist Syrah is forced to confront her parent's expectations and figure out her own needs and desires in a family that leaves little room for deviation. She ultimately finds a way to connect with her father (and mother) and make him proud while still staying true to herself.

What are some of your favorite books that have great dad relationships? (And go give your dad a hug!)

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

I'm pretty sure I'm the last person in the universe to get to this book, but it is AMAZING, so read it if you haven't already, okay?  It really does live up to the hype! (And so does Rainbow's next book, Fangirl...)

When Eleanor gets on the school bus her first day in a new school, no one wants to let her sit down. No one, that is, except Park, but he's not exactly happy about gaining a seat partner. They don't touch, they don't talk, and they hardly even look at each other at first...but then slowly they open up. They connect over comics and music, and begin to fall in love, despite all of the odds against them.

Eleanor & Park is one of the best YA romances I've read in ages, although defining the story as a "YA romance" seems awfully limiting. It's difficult to define just what this book is. It's a story about first love and misfits, about being brave and being afraid, about holding on and knowing when you have to let go. Eleanor is such a strong character, and is easily admired for her wit, integrity, and her resolve. Park is just as wonderful, with his capacity to love, his courage to stand up for Eleanor and their relationship, and his never-ending attempts to make sense out of a very messed up world. The chemistry between these two characters is incredible as they fall in love—Rowell makes hand holding and late-night conversations incredibly hot. Everything about this story is so magnetic, with an appropriate balance of life's harsh realities and all of the wonder and excitement of love. This near-perfect YA book will resonate with readers of all ages.

Cover Comments: I love the simplicity of this cover. It's pretty and eye-catching, but not overly girly. Perfect.

Book purchased at my local indie!

Reading Rants: Tears Keep Falling

This is going to sound weird and backward and perhaps even slightly messed up, but I LOVE books that make me cry. If I start tearing up while reading, there is a little voice in the back of my head saying, "Good! This is good! I am crying! What an excellent book!" 

Yeah.

For a long time, I thought that this was messed up and I probably should have something checked because really, who likes to cry? A lot of people, apparently...at least where stories are concerned. So, inspired by a Twitter conversation about sad books, here is a list of my favorite (i.e. most tear-inducing) sad but not all sad books:

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

I was crying by the first chapter. Actually, I was crying by the first page. The first paragraph, I felt the tears welling up. It's just that good. But all crying and tears aside, I love this book because of Marchetta's use of language (she understands the duality of meanings and she can manipulate words like no other), and the amazing plot. It may take twenty or so pages to get into, but once you do...magic. And tears.

The Summer Trilogy by Jenny Han

The books include: The Summer I Turned Pretty, It's Not Summer Without You, and We'll Always Have Summer. This trilogy is beautiful. Imagine all of the coming of age and growing up feelings, and then add in a perfect beach setting, family and relationship complexities, and then...a character you love dies. And it kills you in every book, but the story is so beautiful, you can't help but keep reading, and then re-reading. This is the power Jenny Han wields.

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Morgan Matson completely stole my heart with Amy & Roger's Epic Detour (and yeah, that one will make you cry baby tears, too), but Second Chance Summer...whoa. It's not that it deals with loss and grief and second chances, but also with finding your place and connecting (or reconnecting) with people in your life, and Matson writes it all so well.

How It Ends by Laura Wiess

I have never cried as hard as I did when I read the ending of this book. Not just tears, but huge, hacking sobs and then at one point, a huge gasp/cry/sob  of shock. Just, be warned.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

This book is an intense read about two friends caught up in World War II. It is extremely tough to read about the torture and misery of this book, but at the heart of it is this amazing friendship between two girls, and the lengths at which they will go for each other. And it broke my heart and gave me hope at the same time. I sobbed.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

This book. I have never cried and laughed so much in one book. Equal parts funny, equal parts heartbreaking, and a great story on top of it all. 

What books have reduced you to tears?

The Whole Stupid Way We Are by N. Griffin

Dinah and Skint are close friends and they know a lot about each other. But lately it seems as if their friendship is slowly falling apart by all the things left unsaid. Skint can't tell Dinah about the anger that he is trying to contain over his father's illness, and Dinah just wants to help Skint, even if her methods don't always seem that effective. In Dinah and Skint's lives, it's hard to know when helping is hurting, and the consequences are devastating.

N. Griffin's novel is quirky and quick-witted, full of humor and heartbreak. Dinah is an energetic and passionate character, brimming with ideas and eagerness to help those in her community, and loyal to Skint and the Girls Friendly, an apathetic church group with dwindling members. Skint is just as passionate, but he is more reserved, choosing to keep quiet about his own troubles and to focus on helping others, no matter the means and consequences. Through Dinah and Skint's haphazard attempts to do right in their community, Griffin asks big questions such as, why do we ignore the problems in our own communities? Why do we allow ourselves to be so easily distracted from all of the need in our lives and our world? With sliding perspectives and a constant push and pull between Dinah and Skint, Griffin keeps readers wondering what will happen to these lovable and flawed characters in the end. The writing is unique and magnetic, and the conclusion haunting.

Cover Comments: This is one of the prettiest book packages I've seen in a long time. I love the partial dust jacket of the hardcover and the image on the cover. It fits the story so well!

Review copy provided by publisher.

Video Events with Your Favorite Simon & Schuster Authors!

If you're looking for something fun to do over summer break (and don't have the means to get to book events near you), then check out this cool series of events at Shindig featuring your favorite Simon & Schuster authors! Every Tuesday in June and July will bring a new author and a new event!

It starts tonight with Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian (authors of Burn for Burn and Fire with Fire) so RSVP here! But check out the cool line-up of authors for the rest of the month and next!

June 18 – Lisa McMann, author of Crash

(RSVP Here: http://www.shindig.com/event/crash)

June 25 – Andrew Smith, author of Winger

(RSVP Here: http://www.shindig.com/event/winger)

July 2 – Corey Ann Haydu, author of OCD Love Story

(RSVP Here: http://www.shindig.com/event/ocdlove)

July 9 – John Corey Whaley, author of Where Things Come Back

(RSVP Here: http://www.shindig.com/event/wherethingscomeback)

July 16 – Abbi Glines, author of Because of Low

(RSVP Here: http://www.shindig.com/event/becauseoflow)

July 23 – Neal Schusterman, author of Unwholly

(RSVP Here: http://www.shindig.com/event/unwholly)

July 30 – Carmen Rodrigues, author of 34 Pieces of You

(RSVP Here: http://www.shindig.com/event/34pieces)

Entangled by Amy Rose Capetta

Cade has always been alone in the universe, save for her guitar and the noise in her head. When she plays, she can almost forget the cacophony and her intense loneliness. Then a stranger named Mr. Niven tells Cade that she has been entangled at a sub-atomic level with another boy, Xan, and Cade experiences a special sort of connection she never thought possible. Determined to save Xan from those who would harm them both, Cade sets out to find him, and discovers that true connection is something far more exhilarating than she ever imagined.

Amy Rose Capetta's debut novel is intensely smart—full of heart-stopping action, a wide cast of eccentric and lovable characters, and plenty of sneaky humor. Cade's universe is vividly drawn through a fantastic use of language, rhythm, and beat and populated with a wide array of imaginative characters—human and otherwise. Cade is resourceful and a quick thinker, but interacting with others is not her strong suit, and her growth is sometimes awkward, but rewarding and triumphant as Cade ultimately discovers her purpose in the vast universe. The action and mystery of the novel are drawn out well, and balanced with each characters' own pasts and motivations, and readers will care about Rennik, Lee, Ayumi, and their living ship Renna as much as they care for Cade. Capetta throws in a few twists that leave readers with a nicely unexpected conclusion, thrumming with life and a universe full of possibility for every member of the unlikely and entertaining crew.

Cover Comments: This cover has changed a little bit since I revealed it earlier this year, but I really, really like the changes. The blue is a really cool shade, and I love the little details of the stars and the guitar in the title. The way that everything seems to be sucked into a black hole is also awesome, seeing as black holes are definitely important to the story. It's very cool and science fiction-esque--great cover!

Entangled will be available October 1st, 2013. A sequel is forthcoming!

ARC provided by author.

Tidal is Coming!

Who is getting excited for Amanda Hocking's next book? Keep checking back here for more fun surrounding the release of Tidal!

BEA 2013 Recap: The Books

Photo Credit: Amy Rose Capetta

It’s hard not to let yourself go wild with all of the great books that are available at BEA. My advice? Remember that for every single book you pick up that you have to carry it around all day, and back to wherever you’re staying. And then you either need to carry it home, or pay to ship it. With that mindset, it’s easier to resist the temptation to be greedy or pick up books you’re not all that interested in. I ended up with 28 books, which is about 5-8 more than I usually end up with, but I also picked up a lot of Middle Grade this year.

I broke down my haul in various categories:

YA Editor’s Buzz Panel

• Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
• If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan
• Entangled by Amy Rose Capetta
• All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill
• Tandem by Anna Jarzab

Penguin Luncheon Books 

• Frozen by Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnstone (Dragons! Frozen Vegas!) 
• The Indigo Spell (and we talked about The Fiery Heart, release day November 19th, 2013) by Richelle Mead 

Sequels/Second Novels I’m Excited About

Photo Credit: Amy Rose Capetta

• The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater (EEEEE! After the confusing/crazy ending of Raven Boys, I can’t wait for this one!) 
• The Shade of the Moon by Susan Beth Pfeffer (I had NO IDEA that she was continuing the Life As We Know It series! This book is from the perspective of Miranda’s little brother!) 
• What We Lost in the Dark by Jacquelyn Mitchard (The sequel to the unique thriller What We Saw at Night! Extreme sports + a nighttime killer + three friends allergic to sunlight = AMAZING.) 
• Hero by Alethea Kontis (I just read Alethea’s first book, Enchanted, which was a lot of fun! This one is about Sunday’s sister, Saturday! Stay tuned for my review of Enchanted!) 
• Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas (The sequel to Throne of Glass! I’m very excited to see where this one takes Celaena Sardothien!) 
• A Spark Unseen by Sharon Cameron (I really enjoyed The Dark Unwinding, a steampunk read I picked up at last year’s BEA!) 

VCFA Represent!

The following authors are either faculty members or graduates of my grad program at VCFA!

• The Color of Rain by Cori McCarthy (Read my review here! Cori is a VCFA grad!) 
• P.S. Be Eleven by Rita Williams-Garcia (Sequel to One Crazy Summer! Rita is a faculty member at VCFA!) 
• Entangled by Amy Rose Capetta (My review is coming soon, but trust me when I say that this book rocks! Amy Rose is a VCFA grad!) 
• All The Truth That’s In Me by Julie Berry (Julie is a VCFA grad!) 
• The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates: Magic Marks the Spot by Caroline Carlson (This middle grade book sounds fantastic! It was on the Middle Grade Editors Buzz Panel, and Caroline is a VCFA grad.) 
• Reality Boy by A.S. King (I LOVE LOVE LOVE A.S. King’s novels, and she’ll be a visiting faculty member at VCFA next month!) 

Middle Grade Books

Because I am going to have to start reading a LOT more Middle Grade soon…

• Seeing Red by Kathryn Erskine 
• Sorrow’s Knot by Erin Bow 
• Boy on the Porch by Sharon Creech 
• Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloane
• Twistrose Key by Tone Almhjell

YA Books Everyone was Talking About 

• The Nazi Hunters by Neal Bascomb (Nonfiction that actually sounds really fascinating to me!) 
• Dancer, Daughter, Traitor, Spy by Elizabeth Kiem (I LOVE the play on the title by John Le Carre, and this book sounds excellent!) 
• The Boy on the Bridge by Natalie Standiford (I love Natalie Standiford’s How to say Goodbye in Robot and The Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters, and I am so excited about this book!) 
• Just Like Fate by Suzanne Young  (Sliding Doors in a YA novel?) 
• Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer by Katie Alendar (How could you not love this mash up of genres? I love it.) 

I;m excited to immerse myself in many happy hours of reading! What are you excited about?