Friday Fifteen

May 26, 2017Leave a comment

Happy Friday, guys! This week has felt like nine weeks long, so I’m super excited to be heading into a long weekend of fun with some great friends. Let’s head into the weekend with a couple of fifteen-word (or fewer) book reviews.

Ana of California by Andi Teran
My favorite kind of adaptation–gets the spirit of the original, but expands the world.

My Age of Anxiety: Fear, Hope, Dread, and the Search for Peace of Mind by Scott Stossel
Felt like it went off on a lot of tangents; too personal to be helpful.

Friday Fifteen

May 12, 2017Leave a comment

Happy Friday, guys! It’s been a week of ups and downs, but I’m trying to keep the good stuff in mind–like flower-y raincoats and good friends and long walks and pups and, of course, books. Let’s head into the weekend with a few book reviews in fifteen words or fewer.

The Light Fantastic by Sarah Combs
Aka “Writing So Beautiful It Makes Annie Cry in Panera.” Combs = contemp YA feels.

The Shepherd’s Crown by Terry Pratchett
A lovely send-off to Tiffany Aching books. Terry Pratchett, I wish I’d known you sooner.

Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall
A touching novel in verse about family and art and grief and home.

Kidlit for Cancer Research

April 10, 2017Leave a comment

This time next week, I’ll be running the Boston Marathon with the Dana-Farber team. I ran with Dana-Farner last year, too, and it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.

But for charity team runners like me, fundraising for a great cause is even more important than the race itself. On the Dana-Farber team, we raise money for innovative cancer research at the Claudia Adams Barr Program, where scientists use this seed money to fund creative and dynamic projects that could make major lifesaving changes for patients and families. I know way too many people whose lives have been affected by cancer in some way, and I’m so honored to be part of these efforts to support science and fight cancer.

Right now, you can help support science and fight cancer AND win some awesome writerly items. What more could you want? Check out Kidlit for Cancer Research, in which some fantastic writers and agents have donated signed books and query/first page critiques! There’s some seriously awesome stuff like:

The auction closes tonight, so get your bids in now! 100% of funds raised go to groundbreaking research at the Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Friday Fifteen

March 31, 2017Leave a comment

Happy Friday, everybody! It’s been a week, and for some reason it’s snowing again, but that’s a good excuse to stay inside and talk about what I’ve been reading in fifteen words or fewer.

Irises by Francisco X. Stork
Touching story about sisters, sacrifice, grief, and moving on.

I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett
Another fantastic Tiffany Aching book; excellent look at fear and violence.

Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly
Powerful and moving account of the amazing black women who got us to the stars.

Links Galore

March 23, 2017Leave a comment

Lots of links I’ve been saving:

Librarians resist. And now libraries matter more than ever.
I am so excited about another book in the His Dark Materials universe.
Ian McKellen, Shakespeare, and immigration.
One of my favorite college professors on turning to poetry in times when words otherwise fail us.
Gender identity and sexuality and the next generation.
A win for Team Oxford Comma.
But sometimes it’s okay to bend the grammar rules.
Death and Jane Austen’s unfinished novel.
And then the murders began.
They’re making the future.
Pixar, tell me your secrets.
Why we need national support for the arts and humanities.
Great list of YA books about refugees.
Maybe it’s time to break up with your agent.
Parsing the helpful feedback from the not-so-helpful.
What it actually looks like to write (and finish) a novel.
Great suggestions for writing through the middle.

Friday Fifteen

March 17, 2017Leave a comment

Happy Friday, guys! Or more accurately, OH THANK GOD IT’S FRIDAY WILL THIS WEEK NEVER END?! This week was cold and snowy and I want to curl up in a comforter with a giant cup of tea until it’s actually spring out there. Who’s with me?

In the meantime, here are a couple of book reviews in fifteen words or fewer:

Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett
Puberty’s hard when you also have to fight endless winter. Continue to love Tiffany Aching.

Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson
Beautiful writing and atmosphere, but not sure it ultimately left me satisfied in Ruth’s story.

Friday Fifteen

March 3, 2017Leave a comment

Happy Friday, guys! It’s been a week, so let’s head into the weekend with some book reviews in fifteen words or fewer:

George by Alex Gino
Hopeful story of a trans girl longing to play Charlotte in Charlotte’s Web class production.

Pieces of You and Me by Erin Fletcher
Charming story of a second-chance romance; Rylee and Chase’s chemistry feels so real. So needed this!

A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett
Full-steam-ahead on the Tiffany Aching books. Witchcraft, hard work, common sense and community!

YA Passport at Trident Booksellers with Lauren McLaughlin and Annie Cardi

February 28, 2017Leave a comment

capture Hey there, Boston-area YA fans! This Thursday, I’m going to be at Trident Booksellers & Cafe with fellow YA writer Lauren McLaughlin for a conversation about books, writing, and probably how great the sweet potato fries are at Trident. Lauren’s launching her new book, The Free, and I’m so excited to be part of the festivities.

The details:

YA Passport with Lauren McLaughlin and Annie Cardi
March 2, 2017, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Trident Booksellers & Cafe
338 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02115

Come say hi, get some tasty food/a refreshing beverage, snag a book, and take part in a fantastic YA conversation!

This One’s for the Girls

February 13, 2017Leave a comment

Parks and Recreation gave us so many great TV moments, and Galentine’s Day (aka February 13, when we celebrate the great women in our lives) is one of the best.

Although I can’t be brunching with my favorite ladies today, it’s a great excuse to share some of my favorite female non-romantic bookish relationships. My criteria: all members of the relationship have to be well-developed characters with their own stories and motivations (ie, no friends who basically be taken out of the story without it affecting the plot to much). In no particular order:

Maddie and Julie from Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
The most powerful story of friendship and sacrifice in YA. Or literature. COME AT ME.

The Penderwicks sisters from The Penderwicks series by Jeanne Birdsall
The Penderwicks girls are smart and thoughtful and supportive. Part of why I love this series is just getting to spend time with all of them.

Hermione and Polly from Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnston
Even in the truly worst of experiences, Hermione and Polly’s supportive friendship shines through. I don’t have the upper body strength to be part of their cheerleading team, but I would totally hang out with them after practice.

Nikki and Maya from This Side of Home by Renée Watson
Genuine and thoughtful look at two twin sisters who are growing up and growing apart, but always have each other’s backs.

Mary, Scarlett, Tansey, and Emer from A Greyhound of a Girl by Roddy Doyle
Touching story about a girl, a mother, a grandmother, and a great-grandmother as they deal with life and death.

Elizabeth and Christina from Feeling Sorry for Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty
This was one of my favorites as a teen reader. I love how Elizabeth and Christina get to be friends through their schools’ pen pal program. Great story showing how friendships can evolve over time.

Other suggestions for great Galentine’s Day reads? Share them in the comments!

Friday Fifteen

February 10, 2017Leave a comment

Happy Friday, everybody! We’re digging out of a snowstorm here in the Boston area, which means all I want to do this weekend is curl up with a lot of books and baked goods. (Gotta get a run in there, too.) In the meantime, let’s kick things off with a couple of book reviews in fifteen words or fewer.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
A beautiful story about family and kindness and the power of stories.

The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Epic and engaging look at the history of cancer. Literally cried at some parts.

If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson
Whether it’s poetry or books for adults or YA, Woodson more than delivers.