Current Reads

I'm always asked what I'm reading, so I thought I'd list some of my favorite just read books.

Books I've Loved: Young Adult

Clueless Goes to Arkansas

Before I go on, I should make the disclaimer that Julie Linker is one of my closest friends and I love her. But even if I thought she sucked, I'd love her book Disenchanted Princess. Really. I'm not just saying that.

Disenchanted Princess is about a Hollywood princess (West) who finds herself banished to live with her aunt in Arkansas when her dad is sent to prison. People may assume West is going to follow in the supermodel footsteps of her late mother, but West has greater ambitions: to become a fashion designer. And she has a plan, only it depends on her being in LA, not Arkansas.

Young Adult

I picked up Spy Goddess by Michael Spradlin randomly.

Okay, you broke me. I admit it—it wasn't random. I snuck downstairs to the kids section of my local bookstore (whenever anyone asks me, I'm buying for my niece—no need for them to know she's only seven months old). I was looking for something different—something fun—and I saw the cover on Spy Goddess. Who could resist a girl doing a side kick? Certainly not I.

So I bought it.

It didn't disappoint. About a girl who gets into trouble and is sent to a special school, it delivered fun. Being into martial arts myself, I really enjoyed the Tae Kwon Do tidbits I learned. And the characters were intriguing. I can't wait to pick up the next in the series.

Royally Fun

Royally Jacked by Niki Burnham was so unexpected. I'm ashamed to say I'd put off reading it until I was desperate for something different to read. Shame on me. I should know better than to make judgments. I ended up truly enjoying it. In fact, I can't wait to read the next one in the series.

The details... Royally Jacked is a young adult novel about a girl (Valerie) whose parents announce their divorce because her mom has decided to move in with her new girlfriend. The reprecussion: her dad, who works for the White House, is exiled to work for the king of a tiny country in Europe (it's election year, and the prez can't afford a scandal). Valerie decides to go along because she can't bear to let her friends find out her mom is a lesbian. Plus, she gets to live in a castle with a hot young prince.

Witchy YA

In paranormal young adult books, you know how it's usually the protagonist who discovers she's got special powers? In Bras and Broomsticks by Sarah Mlynowski it's the heroine's younger sister that discovers she's a witch, and oh does it cause conflict at home.

Maybe I liked this book because there were lots of crazy hijinks similar to what I like to write. In any case, the characters are colorful, especially Rachel, the heroine who digs herself deeper and deeper into trouble with her sister's witchcraft.

A Blast from the Past

While I was in Arkansas, I was in one of the best used bookstores I've ever seen and found a couple books by Lois Duncan that I hadn't read. Do you remember Lois Duncan? She thrilled me with her stories when I was a kid—absolutely loved them. (She wrote I Know What You Did Last Summer if you need a frame of reference.) I wanted to be a witch because of her.

Anyway, my friend Julie bought the two books for me (long story) and I read Gallows Hill on the way home. Just as good as I remembered her stories being when I was nine.

Quick synopsis: Sarah moves from California to a small Mideast town. Why? Because her mom's fallen in love with a guy she met at a conference. Sarah doesn't fit in and doesn't particularly want to. But then the boy she likes gives her the opportunity to pose as a fortuneteller for a fair. Only the crystal ball she uses as part of her costume shows her things she doesn't want to see.

Young Adult

Meg Cabot's sixth book in the Mediator series just came out in paperback, and to prep for the final book in the saga I reread the series.

Have you ever read a book and then wished you'd written it? I totally felt that way about the Mediator series. Suze, an ordinary teenager except for the fact that she can see and touch ghosts, moves to Carmel to join her mom, her new stepdad, and her three stepbrothers. The only problem: she's got a hunky ghost of a roommate. I loved the character interaction through the entire series, and the final ending was greatly satisfying.

Une Aventure Incroyable

Nate's mom Joy and I were talking about reading French to the kid, aka Sidney Jane Aurelia Perry-Thistle, my almost eleven-month-old niece. Ma thought it'd be nice to read the kid Le Petit Prince. No problem—I even had two copies of it in my library.

So I got one out and, before I sent it off, I opened it to the first page. Gosh darn, it's a great book. I always forget how great it really is. So clever and funny but poignant as well. So I read it all again. I love the part where he talks about getting to know people and how grown ups never ask interesting questions. Oh—and the part where the Prince asks him to draw a sheep.

I've got to admit, I've never read Le Petit Prince in English, so I don't know how the translations are. In French: très charmant.

Jinxed

The first time I opened Jinx, I wasn't sure about the book. It's all in verse, and I'm not big into poetry. Last week I opened it again and loved it. Margaret Wild made all the characters come alive with such concise language. The story is about a girl whose first and second boyfriends both die, and she begins a downward spiral, believing she's cursed. A great set of characters, and the verses are in first and third person points of view.

Romeo and Juliet, 90210 Style

I didn't think I was going to like Scribbler of Dreams. A Romeo and Juliet story? Been there, read that. How was this one going to be any different? But my friend (who is, oddly enough, nicknamed Scrib) gave it to me so I thought I should at least try it.

Totally hooked in the first chapter. Scribbler of Dreams is about a girl who finds herself in enemy territory and falls in love with the one ally she makes—who turns out to be the son of the man her father killed. My favorite thing about the book is Mary Pearson's writing: lyrical, simple, and unpretentious. Absolutely lovely.

Colorful YA

Erik, my sister's boyfriend, gave me A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass for Christmas (it was on my Christmas list). Like all books I really want to read, I sent it aside so I could savor the anticipation.

Well, I read it, and it was way worth the wait. The language of A Mango-Shaped Space is simple but so beautifully conveys all the senses. All the characters were colorful, but especially check out the main character's little brother.

Vampy in Seattle

Okay, Twilight doesn't actually take place in Seattle but in a small town nearby. However, I didn't lie about the vampires—there really are some in the book, but what's nice is the vampires aren't your typical bloodsucking, rise-at-night fiends.

So we have Bella, who moves to this gloomy Northwest town to live with her father. She's always been an outsider and is dreading starting a new high school but she finds herself pretty popular—except with Edward who seems to hate her inexplicably. The problem: she's totally drawn to him. Only he saves her life and she finds out he isn't quite what he seems.

The thing I liked most about Twilight was the longing between Edward and Bella. Ah the impossibility of first love. Anyway, I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series—the teaser first chapter I read was quite compelling.