The Moon and More in MA: a Reading with Sarah Dessen

Sarah Dessen and me!

Sarah Dessen and me!

Everyone has their suggestions for summer reading, but for my money, you can’t do much better than a Sarah Dessen novel. Most of her books are set during the summer, several of them in beach towns. (Basically, if you can’t actually escape to the beach for the summer, you might as well read about it.) But that doesn’t mean that her books are light, fluffy reading. Sure, there’s often fun and romance, but Dessen balances that out with family drama, struggles with friends, grief, and insecurity–everything that touches real teens.

Last night, I had the opportunity to see Sarah Dessen read at the Morse Institute Library, hosted by Wellesley Books, which always has fantastic children’s/YA author events. Dessen read a little from her latest book, The Moon and More, answered some excellent audience questions (seriously, local readers, way to bring your best Q to the Q&A), and did a trivia contest with t-shirt prizes (way to know your Dessen, guys).

A few other fun points:

  • In talking about a favorite writing experience, Dessen mentioned that she feels like she can write her best when no one knows she writing. I can relate–outside of my critique group, I don’t talk a lot about the details of a particular project while I’m working on it.
  • One audience member asked Dessen what YA novel she wishes had been published when she was a teen. Dessen went with Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (such a powerful book).
  • Dessen liked my dress and “tar heel blue” nails.
  • At the bookstore table, you could pick up a CBY stickers to celebrate fictional beach town Colby. What a fun idea!
  • I was sitting next to one woman, who mentioned she was there to get a book signed for her daughter, who’d been reading Sarah Dessen’s books for years and was now 22. Love hearing about teens who grow up with these books.
  • I started to read The Moon and More in line, and actually gasped when I got to one part early on in the book. Totally hooked!

Thanks to Sarah Dessen for sharing her work with us, and thanks to Wellesley Books and the Morse Institute Library for hosting such a great event!

7 thoughts on “The Moon and More in MA: a Reading with Sarah Dessen

  1. shenrydafrankmann says:

    I just sent a link to your blog to my seventeen year old daughter. Not only can I not tell you how times she has read every one of her Sarah Dessen books (she even wants her dad to read them), but she is a curly haired redhead who is crazy about writing and books. Her career goal is to be an english and literature teacher, most likely to high school or middle school age.

    Great blog and loved the excitement as I read this day’s blog.

  2. msyingling says:

    I was not approved for the ARC of this one, so will have to wait and get a copy from the public library. Book. How fun you got to meet her. Have fun with the 48HBC!

  3. ergomjmills says:

    No way, I was at the Wellesley signing too! She was fabulous! I’ve been reading her books since I was 12 (I’m now 20) and my past and present self were so happy to have met her. Glad you enjoyed yourself, too =)

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