One of the first young adult books I read six years ago when I started reading YA seriously is THE BOOK THIEF. I was at my local toy & book store, Child’s Play, and the owner/bookseller Phyllis was raving about a book narrated by Death and written by a handsome Aussie. That book, of course,…
Books We Adore: The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson
We continue our blogging anniversary week with a review from one of our contributors, Sabre Spano. Sandie has known Sabre for years, so when she discovered they shared a love of YA, she invited Sabre to be part of the TLR team. There is no doubt that one of the best things about being a…
Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Will Make You Swoon
In honor of Valentine’s Day, this week’s Top Ten is “Books That Will Make You Swoon.” Here is a list that will be hard to narrow down because if there’s one thing YA authors know how to do is make us swoon. I know that Sandie and I will have a hard time coming up…
Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Make You Cry
This week’s Top Ten is “Top Ten Books That Will Make You Cry.” This list can be a little bit tricky because what makes me cry, might not necessarily make someone else cry. So our list is more about the books that made us cry when we read them, and we think they will probably…
Banned Books Week: Quotes From Our Banned Books
Since it’s Banned Books Week, we’re celebrating by sharing quotes from some of our most beloved “Banned” books. Diana and/or I own all of these books, and they’ve meant so much to us as lifelong readers. It’s astonishing to us that even now, in the 21st Century, we’re still dealing with communities that want to…
Teen Lit Rocks Turns Two: Giveaway of Our Favorite Discoveries
I wrote this last year, and I’ll share it again today: Today is a day of reflection. As a New Yorker who, along with the rest of the world, experienced tremendous sadness 12 years ago this morning, I think it’s important to think about not only the profound tragedy of that day but the way…
Read and See The Spectacular Now
Need a movie recommendation this month? Please go see the critically acclaimed indie coming-of-age drama “The Spectacular Now.” It’s funny, poignant, beautifully acted and will make you (well, if you’re over 35) remember those heartfelt high-school movies from your own youth. I loved it and hope you’ll both read the book and see the excellent…
Fan Art: Eleanor & Park by Simini Block
It’s been a busy week with deadlines and migraines and missed blogging opportunities, so I’m going to just share one of my all-time favorite Simini Blocker pieces — this kissing scene from “Eleanor & Park.” It lifts me up and brings a smile to my face and makes me think of how Eleanor thinks of…
Earth Day Celebration: YA Books That Celebrate Nature
In honor of Earth Day, I’m sharing some YA books that will make you feel connected to nature, the environment, and the Great Outdoors. These reads will make you want to run through a meadow, learn about wildlife, dive in sky-blue oceans, fall in love with a werewolf — oops, that last one isn’t very…
Editor’s Pick: You Are Not Here by Samantha Schutz
You Are Not Here by Samantha Schutz Publisher: Push | 292 pages | Oct. 1, 2010 | Buy it A startling novel about love and grief from the author of the acclaimed memoir I Don’t Want to Be Crazy. Annaleah and Brian shared something special – Annaleah is sure of it. When they were…