Armchair BEA Day 2: Blogger Developments & Genre Fiction

Welcome back to Armchair BEA! If you're not sure what it's all about be sure to visit the Armchair BEA headquarters.

Today we're focusing on how we develop ourselves as bloggers. Having blogged since July of 2009, I'd like to say I've seen a lot of things change over the years. I got into blogging right before it became the new way to advertise. I honestly have to say that my style & personality haven't changed much since I started.

This isn't a way for me to make additional income (at the moment) and it's not the most stress-reducing thing I do to relax. My blog is my outlet for my bookish thoughts. While I've tried participating in readalongs & reading challenges, for some reason my brain just felt like it was back in school being forced to read something; it took the joy out of the activity. So over the last four years I have come to figure out that I should read what's calling me at the moment & just express myself as openly as possible.

Once I was fairly well established, I started requesting ARCs and really trying to stay ahead of the game on what were the newest & greatest books. That started to feel like too much work and effort for so little return. I'm not saying I'm not grateful for those wonderful publishers who did send me books and for the struggling new authors who have sought me out as a venue. Words do not describe how incredibly humbled I have been to have people seek me out and choose me as a reader and reviewer. But at the same time there are so many larger bloggers and media outlets to choose from that I didn't feel like I could compete because, to be quite honest, I didn't really want to compete. Now I simply let the public library, Goodreads, & Twitter keep me up to date on what's coming up and currently available.

Another thing that hasn't changed is my stance on e-books & e-readers. I know that a lot of people nowadays work at a computer all day. I am one of those folks. As a cataloger I look from print to screen all day to do my job. At the end of the day my eyes are so tired from looking at a screen that I just want to focus on paper right in front of me. I have a NetGalley account & am participating in the NetGalley Wellness Challenge, aimed at helping some of us struggling users to optimize our accounts, but it still will be a very select few books that I choose to request electronically. One day in the nearish future I'll make the switch, but for right now, I am hooked on what I still call "real" books. ;)

Today's bookish focus is on genre fiction. As you can tell, this is a primarily Young Adult book review site, but that doesn't mean I don't read outside my preferred venue. As I continue to grow as a reader, I am finding myself pulled in multiple directions. Occasionally I will post "What Else Have I Been Reading" posts featuring the outside-my-reading-comfort-zone books that I've read (or at least attempted to read). For the most part though I stick to urban fantasy, paranormal romance, contemporary fiction, & issues books. My preference for realistic, believable characters is my driving force. If I can't get in with the characters or feel anything for them, it doesn't matter what genre they're in. I do love good recommendations both within & outside of the Young Adult parameters, so be sure to sound off in the comments with your recommendations.

March Genreflecting: Issues: The Basics

I wanted to do a reading challenge for the subject of Genreflecting, but I didn't get much feedback (maybe because it asked you to read 2 books for each genre and discuss them or because it's not really a "reading challenge" per se, but more an educational experiment), so I've turned it into a monthly feature! For each month of 2013, there will be a specific genre that will be analyzed. I'm planning to have author input and at least 2 reviews of books in the genre as well.

March's genre is Issues! Usually dubbed "problem novels" books about issues are just that, issue-driven books. A lot of times these can be considered the "harder" book and often find themselves being challenged for content. At the same time, they are likely to win awards for their handling of some very touchy subjects ranging from homosexuality to abuse to disabilities. Teens usually read these books to feel like they're not alone in their plight or to find solace in the fact that there are worse things to face in life. The issues faced in these books change over time based of what issues real-life teens are currently facing. (paraphrased from Teen Genreflecting 3, 2010)

A few of my favorite authors you may recognize in this genre are:
Ellen Hopkins Identical
Emily Murdoch If You Find Me
Nancy Werlin The Rules of Survival
Gayle Forman If I Stay
Laurie Halse Anderson Wintergirls

I'm excited to say that I've chosen my two books, one older and one newer, to read for this challenge. The older book is Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden (originally published in 1982) and I'll have a review and analysis up on Friday, March 22nd. The newer book is Thirteen Reason Why by Jay Asher (originally published in 2007) and I'll have a review and analysis up on Friday, March 29th. I'll be giving away my copy of Thirteen Reasons Why during the week following it's review post so stay tuned!

February Genreflecting: Romance: The Basics

I wanted to do a reading challenge for the subject of Genreflecting, but I didn't get much feedback (maybe because it asked you to read 2 books for each genre and discuss them or because it's not really a "reading challenge" per se, but more an educational experiment), so I've turned it into a monthly feature! For each month of 2013, there will be a specific genre that will be analyzed. I'm planning to have author input and at least 2 reviews of books in the genre as well.

February's genre is Romance! While many if not most YA books have some romance in them, the books in that fit in this genre revolve around the romantic elements. Rather than focusing on the experiences of life, these books focus on the emotions and what is more emotional than young love? A key difference between YA and adult romance though is that in YA books, it's not all about the happily ever after or the hot & heavy action. These books handle the emotional build-up to creating a romance more than the outcome of said romance. (paraphrased from Teen Genreflecting 3, 2010)

A few of my favorite authors you may recognize in this genre are:
Meg Cabot (The Princess Diaries)
Anna Godbersen (The Luxe)
Simone Elkeles (Perfect Chemistry)
Jandy Nelson (The Sky is Everywhere) (Interview)

I'm excited to say that I've chosen my two books, one older and one newer, to read for this challenge. The older book is Forever by Judy Blume (originally published in 1999) and I'll have a review and analysis up on Friday, February 15th. The newer book is Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway (originally published in 2008) and I'll have a review and analysis up on Friday, February 22nd. I'll also be hosting a giveaway, so stay tuned!

January Genreflecting: Contemporary Life: The Details

Based on the Collins English Dictionary, a subgenre is "a category that is a subdivision of a larger genre." (Source) While "contemporary life" may sound like a rather boring genre, it does have a sense of flair. Just a few of the subgenres contained under the larger umbrella genre of contemporary life relate are: identity (ethnicity and race, gender and sexual identity), coming-of-age, relationships, passions, and humor.

Now any good book has elements of these incorporated in it, but for the book to be truly situated in one of these subgenres, these subjects have to play a large role in the protagonist's personal journey. Remember, the primary focus of these books is the life of the protagonist and these subgenres just provide an extra outlet for the reader to experience the character's life.

I took the liberty of visiting two of the previously mentioned author's sites to see if they had anything to say about why they write in this particular genre. Here's what I found.

Sarah Dessen "In high school, I was lucky enough to have a big group of girlfriends that have really inspired a lot of the stories in my books. I’m still close with my friends from that time, so it’s never very hard to put myself back into that place, that voice. Also it doesn’t hurt to still be living in my hometown, where it’s a given that I’ll bump into people I had homeroom with, or guys I had big crushes on, while I’m pumping gas or buying stamps. It makes it hard to leave high school behind entirely, which is a good or bad thing depending on what day you ask me." Sarah Dessen's Press Kit

I think it's safe to say that if we were placing her books in subgenres, based on this snippet, I'd say we were looking at primarily relationships and coming-of-age stories. Sarah draws on her own experiences to re-create (or completely fabricate) the situations and relationships she had in high school.

John Green"Well, it’s a lot easier than writing about, like, vampires, because I used to be an adolescent. But in truth all fiction is an attempt at empathy: When I write, I’m trying to imagine what it’s like to be someone else more than I’m trying to express what it’s like to be me. So in that sense, it’s very helpful for me to write from the perspectives of characters who are at least a little different from me. Of course, I’m a writer of limited talents, and I don’t feel that I can stray too far from myself."John Green's FAQ section

John is definitely tapping in to a whole other concept. He's not just writing from his own personal experiences, but he's also writing those of others. I would say that his books fall into several different sub-genres, including identity and passions. His characters often times feature some sort of obsession or hobby that is usually fundamental to the story's progress.

Who else can you think of that belongs in some of these subgenres? I know they can be nit-picky, but I think that they allow for reader specification that a lot of other types of books don't necessarily represent. Sound off in the comments with your recommendations of subgenre representations. Also, be sure to check back next week when I discuss the older representative of this genre, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.

January Genreflecting: Contemporary Life: The Basics

I wanted to do a reading challenge for the subject of Genreflecting, but I didn't get much feedback (maybe because it asked you to read 2 books for each genre and discuss them or because it's not really a "reading challenge" per se, but more an educational experiment), so I've turned it into a monthly feature! For each month of 2013, there will be a specific genre that will be analyzed. I'm planning to have author input and at least 2 reviews of books in the genre as well.

January's genre is contemporary life. Contemporary life books are real-life or reality based books. These books are placed in a contemporary setting that readers can relate to in real time. Usually the reader is following a teen protagonist as they work through their daily lives. While there can be a science-fiction (or other) slight twist in the story, that is not the primary focus. The primary focus of these books is the life of the protagonist and his/her cohorts, not necessarily the issues that they face in that life. (paraphrased from Teen Genreflecting 3, 2010)

Just a few authors you may recognize who often write in this genre are:
Sarah Dessen (Along for the Ride)
John Green (Paper Towns)
Deb Caletti (Stay)
Jennifer Echols (Going Too Far)

While there are many more, these are some of my favorites. I'm excited to say that I've chosen my two books, one older and one newer, to read for this challenge. The older book is The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (originally published in 1999) and I'll have a review and analysis up on Friday, January 18th. The newer book is The Brothers Torres by Coert Voorhees (originally published in 2008) and I'll have a review and analysis up on Friday, January 25th. I'll also be hosting a giveaway, so stay tuned!

Be sure to check back each week for the next installment in this exciting and fun new feature!

Opinion Poll! Would you participate in a Genreflecting reading challenge?

I'm sure most of you are wondering what the heck Genreflecting is exactly. Genreflecting is a wonderful book used to help YA librarians (and readers in general) find more books in a particular genre they like. It also explores what it means to be in the genre, how it has changed, and what some of the challenges/situations that might appear within the specified genre.

I love this book so much because it helped me to discuss so many more books that I had not considered reading. It really opened my eyes to several more choices that I had ruled out because I "didn't like it" or "that's just not my preferred style." Needless to say, I have expanded some since the beginning of this blog and while I haven't enjoyed everything I've read, I have enjoyed the experience of saying "I tried and will continue trying."

So back to the question at hand. I have this idea rolling around in my head about doing a challenge surrounding the chapters in the latest Genreflecting book (c2011). This is the rough breakdown I currently have ready:

For each month of 2013, there will be a specific genre that will be analyzed. Each week there will be a post about the specific genre of the month on Friday. The schedule will be as follows:


Week 1 Monday: Definition of genre with example of subgenres. There will also be a quote from an author (or authors) in the genre or one of its subgenres. This will be the day that the book choices will be unveiled. The goal is not only to understand the genre, but to see how the genre has changed over the years. In order to do this, TWO books will be selected from a list of at least six books. Three choices will represent older books and three choices will represent newer books; you will need to choose ONE from each set. While not absolutely required, it would make the discussion of the genre easier if we’ve all read the same books. If you’ve already read the listed books or you have difficulty finding them, simply choose something more accessible.

Week 1 Friday: A link up post will be generated so that you can share your book selection choices. If you have chosen to participate and do not have a blog, simply leave a comment with your selections. We will read the older book first and the newer book second.

Week 2 Friday: This day we will discuss some of the common elements of books in this genre and explore the subgenres that fall under the larger genre heading. There will be examples and a discussion about the subgenres.

Week 3 Friday: This is the day we’ll discuss the older book and how well it fits into/represents the genre.

Week 4 Friday: This is the day we’ll discuss the newer book and how well it represents the genre and how it compares to the older book.

The genres of the month will be as follows:

January- Contemporary life
February- Romance
March- Issues
April- Adventure/Thrillers
May- Mystery & Suspense
June- Fantasy
July- Science Fiction
August- Multicultural Fiction
September- Historical Novels
October- Paranormal & Horror
November- Alternate Formats (verse, diaries, etc)
December- Christian Fiction

By the end of the challenge you will have read 24 books in 12 different genres and have attained a clearer understanding of your reading choices! 

So how does that sound? Does it sound like too much? Is there a better way to present the material? Would participation levels (Newbie 1-3 genres, Intermediate 4-6 genres, etc) affect people joining up?
I was planning to work on this over the majority of my Christmas break (lining up authors, gathering materials, etc) but I don't want to do all that without some hope that there will at least be a few people playing along.

Sound off in the comments to let me know how you feel!

2011 Teens' Top Ten Reading Challenge!

The Teen's Top Ten nominees have been announced & there are some very exciting nominees this year. First, a little history. Every year, YALSA (the Young Adult Library Services Association) polls 16 book clubs around the country about what books they think should make the list of the best teen books published in the last year. The nominees are announced on Support Teen Literature Day during National Library Week in April & the voting takes from late August to early September. The winners are announced during Teen Read Week, which will be October 16-22 this year & have the theme Picture It @ your library.

This year there are 25 nominees that teens (12-18) can vote on between August 22nd and September 16th. If you want more information on any of these events, please visit the YALSA website.

The 2011 nominees are:

Angel: A Maximum Ride Novel by James Patterson
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld
Blessed by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick
Drought by Pam Bachorz
I Am J by Cris Beam
I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
Lies by Michael Grant
Love, Inc by Yvonne Collins
Matched by Ally Condie
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
Red Moon Rising by Peter Moore
Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
The False Princess by Ellis O'Neal
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
The Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card
The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
You Killed Wesley Payne by Sean Beaudoin
Zombies vs. Unicorns by Holly Black & Justine Larbalestier
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

See some familiar names up there? That's because in order to be nominated, the book has to have been released within the last year, so some of them have been out for a bit. Because I like to read as many of them as possible so that I can recommend them to my teens during the summer and fall to gear up for voting, I thought it would be fun to make it into a challenge to see who else would like to join me! Since I'm (sadly) over 18, I can't vote, but I still feel like a part of it all when I read the books. There are 3 different levels to the challenge.

Wallet: Reading 1-8 books

Frame: Reading 9-17 books

Canvas: Reading 18-26 books

Get it, "Picture It" & picture sizes? I'm a dork, I know.

The deadline is September 16th as that is the last day of voting. I will be giving away a prize pack of books to one lucky person in each category. Simply sign up using the Mister Linky below. Your post should contain a link back to the challenge, your level choice, and the books that you've read to complete the challenge. Since some of these books came out in 2010, if you have already read the book, you can still consider it in the challenge. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO REVIEW THE BOOKS IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED, you simply have to keep your post updated once you've read the book. Many of these books can fit into other challenges that are in the blogosphere like the Debut Authors Challenge hosted by The Story Siren or the 111 in '11 Reading Challenge hosted by Life is Short, Read Fast.

There will be book pack prizes for completion! If you complete the challenge by September 16th then you be entered to win a prize pack of books. There will be 1 winner in each category. Please let me know if you have any questions. Good luck!



P.S. No you don't have to leave a comment after linking, but they're always welcome!

My Reading Challenges: Updates & Future Challenges

So I think something has become abundantly clear to me: I start out strong & struggle to continue my efforts. I took on the 2010 Debut Author's Challenge & J.Kaye's 2010 YA Reading Challenge. I even posted my own reading challenge about the Teens' Top Ten. I am sad to report that I didn't finish as much of these challenges as I would have liked.

For the 2010 DAC I managed to read 19 titles. Technically I completed the minimum of 12, but there are so many more I just didn't manage to get my hands on. Here are the ones I did get read:

1. 13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison (Read review here)
   
2. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (Read review here)
3. Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey (Read review here)
4. Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey (Read review here)
   
5. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins (Read review here)
   
6. In a Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth (Read review here)
7. Lost for Words by Alice Kuipers (Read review here)
   
8. Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore (Read review here)
9. Of All The Stupid Things by Alexandra Diaz (Read review here)
10. Party by Tom Leveen (Read review here)
    
11. Restoring Harmony by Joëlle Anthony (Read review here)
12. The Beautiful Between by Alyssa B. Sheinmel (Read review here)
    
13. The Line by Teri Hall (Read review here)
    
14. The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg (Read review here)
15. The Mark by Jen Nadol (Read review here)
    
16. The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard (Read review here)
17. The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson (Read review here)
18. Three Rivers Rising by Jame Richards (Read)
    
19. Whisper by Phoebe Kitanidis (Read review here)

For J.Kaye's 2010 YA Reading Challenge I was going for reading 50 YA books this year. I'm coming in at 43 of the 50 I have read being YA. I'm quite pleased considering I thought I would have read more this year. I really wanted to read 150 books this year, but I didn't factor in how much reading I was doing at my 8-hour data entry job. :) Whoops.

For 2011 I am trying harder. I think that I bit off more than I chew based on my reality & the fact that my life kind of got flipped upside down in 2010. I am determined to make 2011 more productive in the reading realm! So I am going after the 2011 Debut Author Challenge & the 111 in 2011 challenge! So far there are only 12 books on my DAC challenge reading list, but I'm sure as more information is released on the later titles that I'll add several more. Here's hoping 2011 will be full of great books, great friends (online & off) & lots of love.

Teens' Top Ten Voting & Challenge Update!

Some of you may remember back in May when I posted my own challenge based around YALSA's Teens' Top Ten voting and I'm here to update you!

Voting for the top ten books of 2010 is currently going on in libraries all over the country as well as online on the YALSA site. Voting started Monday Aug. 23rd and will continue through this Friday Sept. 17th. My challenge was broken into 3 different levels of participation based on the fact that there are 26 nominated books.

While I was hoping to get more of the books read, I think I only managed to read 12 of the 26 nominated titles. It's really hard to get all those book read, especially with all the other books that continue to be published in the meantime. I want to give a big thanks to the 6 people who accepted the challenge that I put out and I want to encourage them that it's not too late to try to squeeze in one more book on your list! Check back on Monday the 20th to see who wins in each category!

I'm still plugging away at the other challenges. I am sad to say I have only read 40 books this year, but since I've been working full-time at a job that doesn't allow reading, it's been difficult to match up to my reading pace last year. I am hoping to capitalize on my reading time to make 100 by the end of the year, but we'll have to see how that goes. I'd be content with 75. Hope your challenges are going well.

What reading challenges have you joined and which ones do you think I would like?

Party by Tom Leveen

This was a complicated, interwoven storyline. So that I don't giveaway too much, I'm using the book jacket summary.

It's Saturday night in Santa Barbara and school is done for the year. Everyone is headed to the same party. Or at least it seems that way. The place is packed. The beer is flowing. Simple, right? But for 11 different people the motives are way more complicated. As each character takes a turn and tells his or her story, the eleven individuals intersect, and reconnect, collide, and combine in ways that none of them ever saw coming.

From Goodreads

Whew, that was so much safer than what I originally had written. Party was a fascinating novel. It is told in first person, based on the chapter narrator. There are eleven narrators all giving partial glimpses at this one night. When you piece all their stories together you obtain one cohesive time line of events. Each of these kids represents almost the whole gamut of the teenage years. The parental arguments, the sense of loss, the shyness, the awkwardness, the break-ups, the make-ups, the hook-ups, and everything in between. These eleven kids experience it all in hyperdrive at this one party.

While each character only gets one chapter, I felt like they didn't waste any time getting to the heart of their personalities and issues. You knew from the beginning what was going on in their lives and what their personal focus would be. Even better, are the vignettes we glean from earlier chapters. By the final chapter we have come full circle and see the complete night as a whole.

I think most people can find at least one character they can relate to in this book, whether it's the loner girl with a secret, the uber-responsible friend, the devoutly spiritual, or the conflicted jock. There are attributes in each of them that appeal to the reader in some manner. I personally identified with the responsible friend, although I never attended a party in high school (lame, I know). While not a light, happy read, if you're a fan of no-holds-barred, realistic fiction (along the lines of Going Too Far) then this book is perfectly suited for your tastes.

This book was graciously provided by Around the World Tours.

Book Blogger Hop (4) & Follow My Book Blog (1)

Hello again from the Book Blogger Hop! This is a weekly get-together so that we can showcase our blogs and discover new ones! Also, new this week, is the Follow My Book Blog hop.

If you're stopping by because of the hops, WELCOME! My name is Laura and I work as a Young Adult programmer in a public library in North Carolina. I am planning to get my Master of Library Science sometime, as soon as I get settled in my new home.

I review mostly YA books with a focus on paranormal/fantasy & realistic fiction. Historical fiction & prose work occasionally pique my interest as well. This week I reviewed The Line & posted Memoirs of a Geisha in my Nostalgic Friday feature. Be sure to look around, follow if you like, check out my reading challenge or grab my button! Comments are a pleasure too, so fire away!!

The Line by Terri Hall

The Property, where sixteen-year-old Rachel and her mother live, and Away are just barely separated by The Line and everyone knows to stay out of Away. Sounds simple enough right? Rachel does as she's supposed to and follows all the rules to stay in Ms. Moore's good graces, as she is the owner of The Property.

Everything is as hunky-dory as it can be, until Rachel uncovers a mysterious recorded message. They're all alone on The Property, but given their proximity to Away, that's the only logical conclusion for the recording's origin. The message is dire though and asking for help. Rachel decides to heed that call and do the unthinkable. She's going to Away and her life will forever be altered.

Terri Hall's debut novel The Line is equal parts suspenseful mystery and dystopian fight for survival. Terri does a fabulous job outlining the changes the United States had to undergo in order to devolve into their current existence. Her detailing allowed the reader to glean a fuller understanding of the trials these people faced. Unfortunately it also made the book dull to start off. Although it became increasingly more interesting and fast-paced, the beginning really took some working to get through.

Rachel was a fun, spunky kind of girl. I really enjoyed reading about her growth under Ms. Moore's tutelage in the hot house. Her attitude could chafe sometimes, but it was certainly understandable. I really admired that fact that her character felt it imperative to help those in Away, despite everything she knew about those who inhabit Away.

While not the quickest read I've ever had, this was definitely an attention-grabber. It reminded me of Restoring Harmony in a way because it was slow to start-off, but really good once it gets going. Be on the lookout for Away, the second book in the series, in 2011!!

This book was graciously provided by Around the World Tours.

Book Blogger Hop (2)

Hello again from the Book Blogger Hop! This is a weekly get-together so that we can showcase our blogs and discover new ones!

If you're stopping by because of the hop, WELCOME! My name is Laura and I work as a Young Adult programmer in a public library in North Carolina. I am planning to get my Master of Library Science sometime, as soon as I get settled in my new home.

I review mostly YA books with a focus on paranormal/fantasy & realistic fiction. Historical fiction & prose work occasionally pique my interest as well. Be sure to look around, follow if you like, check out my reading challenge or grab my button! Comments are a pleasure too, so fire away!!

Teen's Top Ten Nominees & Challenge (with prizes)!

I don't know if you all noticed, but the Teen's Top Ten nominees have been announced. Every year, YALSA (the Young Adult Library Services Association) polls 15 book clubs around the country about what books they think should make the list of the best teen books published in the last year. This year there are 26 nominees that teens (12-18) can vote on between August 23rd and September 17th. The Teen's Top Ten choices are announced during Teen Read Week in October. This year's theme for Teen Read Week is "Books with Beat."If you want more information on any of these events, please visit the YALSA website.

The 2010 nominees are:

Abbott, Ellen Jensen. Watersmeet

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Wintergirls

Brown, Jennifer. Hate List

Carter, Ally. Heist Society

Cashore, Kristin. Fire

Clare, Cassandra. City of Glass

Clayton, Emma. The Roar

Collins, Suzanne. Catching Fire

Dessen, Sarah. Along for the Ride

Fisher, Catherine. Incarceron

Fitzpatrick, Becca. hush, hush

Forman, Gayle. If I Stay

Garcia, Kami and Margaret Stohl. Beautiful Creatures

Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd. Edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci.

Golding, Julia. Dragonfly

Jinks, Catherine. The Reformed Vampire Support Group

Lieb, Josh. I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President

Ockler, Sarah. Twenty Boy Summer

Patterson, James. Witch and Wizard

Peters, Julie Anne. By the Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead

Pierce, Tamora. Bloodhound

St. Crow, Lili. Strange Angels

Stiefvater, Maggie. Shiver

Tanigawa, Nagaru. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Westerfeld, Scott. Leviathan

Yep, Laurence. City of Fire

See some familiar names up there? If you've been reading my blog for a while you should, as I have read and reviewed a few of them. Because I like to read as many of them as possible so that I can recommend them to my teens during the summer and fall to gear up for voting, I thought it would be fun to make it into a challenge to see who else would like to join me! Since I'm (sadly) over 18, I can't vote, but I still feel like a part of it all when I read the books. There are 3 different levels to the challenge.

Solo: Duet: Three-Part Harmony:

Reading 1-8 books Reading 9-17 books Reading 18-26 books

The deadline is September 17th as that is the last day of voting. I will be giving away a prize pack of books to one lucky person in each category. Simply sign up using the Mister Linky below. Your post should contain a link back to the challenge, your level choice, and the books that you've read to complete the challenge. Since some of these books came out in 2009, if you have already read the book, you can still consider it in the challenge. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO REVIEW THE BOOKS IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED. Many of these books can fit into other challenges that are in the blogosphere like the Debut Authors Challenge hosted by The Story Siren or the 2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge hosted by J. Kaye. Please let me know if you have any questions. Good luck!

Example:

Laura (Tattooed Books) Solo

[link to blogpost about challenge choices]