As some of you know, I started off summer by breaking my left arm at the top of the radius: two places. I was out for a morning run on Memorial Day and was surprised by an aggressive dog. As I whirled around to confront him, I fell. He ran away happy. The bone was set and put in a cast but two weeks later it had shifted and surgery was needed. I am now five weeks post surgery and can now type for short periods of time. Needless to say, much of my day is spent with therapy exercises. I also know a few more things about pain than I knew before. One surprising tidbit is when my life partner was driving me to the E-room, I lost my vision for a brief amount of time. Everything went white, not black. It was an eerie sensation. My writing is somewhat stalled although I have managed to plug away at book three of my trilogy. I need a few good things to happen to get cranked up again. I have placed all my eggs in the basket of a top agent who has my entire manuscript for book one, entitled Cross Over. He's the one, I am sure, but he's going to have to find time to read my story before he knows this. I also hope to hear some good news from Florida Writers RPLA competition. I entered three full novels: one Middle Grade and two Young Adult. I'd love to hear one or all three are designated finalists for this year's awards in October.
Here are some great YA books that have kept me happy and inspired.
Blood Red Road by Moira Young
I love a good story and this one has climbed to the top of my list. In a dystopian future eighteen-year-old Saba is on a quest to find her twin brother Lugh. He has been kidnapped, their father killed. Emmi, their nine-year-old sister complicates her search when she disobeys and follows Saba after being stowed at a friend's place. Emmi is unloved and resented by Saba whose only thought is to reunite with her beloved twin. I
loved all the characters, especially Saba and her sister Emmi. The
action was compelling and fast-paced. Also loved the first person voice
that Moira Young gave Saba. Best book this summer!
Nation by Terry Pratchett
This
story gripped me from beginning to end. So much so that I woke in the
morning thinking about it! All of Terry Pratchett's books are wonderful
reading and now, for me, NATION is one of his best. I loved the
"almost realistic" setting, the growing love story, the jump into
"today" at the end. When God gave out imagination Terry Pratchett must
have been at the head of the line. More than just a fantastic story,
NATION is a beautifully written and supremely well-executed tale.
On Little Wings by Regina
Sirois is a sensitive and truly lovely literary novel for YA. If ratings on Goodreads could
go above five stars, this intriguing and heartwarming story is a full
"10" in my judgement. Growing up surrounded by Nebraska wheat fields,
sixteen-year-old Jennifer finds an old photo of a young woman hidden in a
book in her parents library. The woman is her Aunt Sarah, her mother's
older sister, a woman Jennifer did not know existed. Angry at the lies
that have been told by both her mother and father, Jennifer contacts the
aunt she so resembles, then insists her parents allow her to visit the
tiny town of Smithport, Maine. Once there, Jennifer unearths the secret
that her mother had buried. I found the story interesting but the
exquisite writing, the real and appealing characters, the subtle love
story were threads that wove this story into my heart.
No comments:
Post a Comment