What I'm Reading

We are having a freak snow day here in the Northeast, which makes for a great day to curl up and read. I found another YA in my TBR pile and it was so good I just flew through reading it. One of the things about Leap Day by Wendy Mass was that the book reminded me of the movies Love Actually and Valentine's Day. Though the story is about one character's leap day birthday, you get the sense of an ensemble story with alternating chapters devoted to the characters' internal thoughts. I liked the perspective these chapters gave. It's different and effective. I am so glad I found this book!

xoxo,
bex

What I'm Reading

As a librarian, I couldn't resist picking up Brad Meltzer's book, The Inner Circle, during my recent travels through the Denver airport. I was so afraid I'd run out of reading material so I picked up this extra book at Hudson News (so glad book stores still at least exist in these places!).

I love a good thriller as well as books set in Washington with some political intrigue, and this book has all of that PLUS a lot of the action takes place in the National Archives AND the main protagonist is an archivist! There are some unexpected twists that keep you turning the pages, so if you're a fan of all those things I mentioned you'll want to head out and get this book.

xoxo,

bex

What I'm Reading

A long plane ride is a great time to curl up with a book so for my recent trip to Colorado I made sure to pack a book for my return trip. Of course, I started When Good Wishes Go Bad by Mindy Klasky before my time in Boulder ended, and I was so happy I'd have such a good read to finish on my trip home. The book made me wish I had a genie and some fairy godmothers of my own!

xoxo,

bex

What I'm Reading

In writing YA, I am always contemplating the things that cause rifts between teens, but in the book, A Most Uncommon Degree of Popularity, Kathleen Gilles Seidel explores what happens when the teens' parents are also close, inseparable friends. When one daughter is on the outs with the other girls in the group, how does one mom's friendships suffer, too? I thought the story idea was a brilliant one. Plus the book is set against the tony backdrop of one of Washington DC's most affluent neighborhoods, which is a setting I am absolutely obsessed with. I love getting glimpses into how the other half lives!

xoxo,

bex

What I'm Reading

I read a lot of fiction but always try to make room for some self-help books along the way. I bought Bethenny Frankel's, A Place of Yes: 10 Rules for Getting Everything You Want Out of Life as a gift for my sister but I was eager to read it, too. Whether you like Bethenny or not, the advice in her book is actually quite practical and helpful. I liked the book a lot, and have found myself thinking back on it and trying to use some of the rules she imparts. Lord knows I have yet to get everything out of life that I want, so I am willing to try new things to bring about the positive change I seek.

The other great thing about Bethenny's advice? The tips are all things we change within ourselves. I like that she encourages you to be the best self you can be. Her stories are a little crazy, but they are her stories. Take the best of what she has to say and make it work for you. What have you got to lose?

xoxo,

bex

What I'm Reading

I love reading a wide variety of books because I think all writers can learn lots of things by applying breadth to our reading choices. Having said that, it has been too long since I have immersed myself in YA literature so I am trying to get back to it (despite the fact that the Barnes and Noble I recently visited near my workplace offered less than half the romance and YA selection that my beloved Borders, formerly across the street, used to offer). I need to stock up on recent releases and look forward to a big book shopping trip, if not in a local brick and mortar store then it will be off to Amazon for me. But I digress...

That convenient Barnes and Noble had just one book on my list of possibilities, so when I saw Love Story by Jennifer Echols I grabbed it straight away. I had looked forward to reading this new release as I had really enjoyed one of her previous titles, Going Too Far. I write contemporary YA romance, but I was intrigued with the notion of romantic drama, which Jennifer does so well. I liked Love Story and I do recommend it, but it was a different kind of book from GTF.

I look forward to my big shop and getting some more new YA for my TBR shelves, after all, it may be reading but it's still considered "research."

xoxo,

bex

What I'm Reading

The writing isn't going so hot for me right now and all I want to do is lose myself in reading for as long as I can. I know I will have to come out of my reading hiding place at some point, but for now I am trying to enjoy this departure for as long as it can last.

I have been reading all kinds of things and the latest is a work of fiction by Andrew Wilson called The Lying Tongue. It is a freaky and interesting read. One character is hurt, bitter, and mentally unwell and the other is a sociopath. But the interesting thing is that you truly don't know which one is which until the very end. It was a twist I did not expect and I am still processing the ending. It's a creepy book, which makes it all the more successful of a story.

xoxo,

bex

What I'm Reading

I am a book buyer and my budget is super tight right now so I have not been able to load up on my YA purchases in a long time. So I was super psyched to find Waiting for You by Susane Colasanti waiting for me in my TBR pile.

As librarians we try to recommend books for readers based on the authors we know they like. So, if one of my patrons likes Gossip Girl, I might recommend they try the Private series by Kate Brian. In this case, if a reader likes books by Sarah Dessen, she might also want to try books by Susane Colasanti. At least, that's what I was told and I was not disappointed! And now I am excited to have another author whose work I know I will like, simply because of the kinds of stories she tells.

What about you? Have you found other authors based on recommendations from librarians or booksellers -- if you like X AUTHOR, you should try Y AUTHOR? Inquiring minds want to know!

xoxo,

bex