Over the weekend I visited Chicago with a girl friend, and we popped into the Chicago Cultural Center on Michigan Ave. I had been in this building before to admire the two gorgeous domes (one done by Tiffany's!) but somehow I had missed these wonderful bookish quotes. Apparently the CCC was originally a library. It makes me smile to imagine such a beautiful space filled with rows and rows of books...

Sometimes when I'm on Twitter, I think, "People sure do love books!" And then I remember that 2/3 of my follow list works in publishing.

— Rainbow Rowell (@rainbowrowell) June 4, 2015

Those of us who are part of the YA blogosphere tend to live in a bubble. Our Twitter streams, Facebook feeds, and blog readers are filled with books books books! Most of the time, that's a wonderful thing. We have made so many friends through YA literature, and it is nourishing to be part of a community that shares interests and places value on the same things that we do.

But it can also be insular at times. An echo chamber of opinions, ideas, and concerns. Every week, it seems, there is some new incident that takes over the discussion. We'll see one message that we don't quite understand, click to follow the trail, and suddenly there are all these angry voices riling us up. Or we'll hear about a new book coming out, how amazing it is and how desperately everyone wants to read it. Even if it doesn't sound like our kind of story, we might find ourselves itching to get our hands on it too.

Being part of a group is great, but sometimes it can overshadow being an individual. The key is to find a healthy balance between the two.

We find that it's good to step away from the blogosphere from time to time. To step outside it, and see what non-like-minded folks are thinking about, talking about, worrying about, and getting excited about. Doing so allows us to see the bigger picture. We can better understand the role and scope of YA literature by putting it into a larger context. This perspective also helps to keep us from getting too worked up (in either a good way or a bad way), and to separate our own thoughts and feelings from the exciting energy of everyone else's.

The YA blogosphere is an awesome place. We wouldn't want to live anywhere else. But we also appreciate that most of our family and friends have no idea who John Green is, have never read fanfic, and have no desire to win a Printz. Even family and friends who love books as much as we do.

Last week I started a new day job as a secondary school librarian (in England, that typically means ages 11-16). It is just as cool as it sounds working with students, surrounded by literature, having my own office, being the boss of my own bookish domain.

I've tidied and cleaned and made everything just so. I've become acquainted with the stacks and found the best covers to turn out for discovery. I have organised and made signs and posters. I have built something...

...but the readers have not come.

In two weeks, the library has lent out six books.

see Goodreads

As a small, rural school of roughly 240 students, this isn't terribly surprising (technically there are 45 books in the overdues list so closet readers there be). There just isn't the volume of people going into and out of the library for reading material. I have seen the same faces every day, but they're in the library to do their homework or research on the computer. I put out some board games for the vulnerable, who use the library to hide out, or the bored who spend break time wandering the grounds. Even they need coaxing toward the fiction shelves which are only an arm-stretch away.

It baffles me, but there are a lot of people that don't like reading. Like, that is a thing that exists.

see Goodreads

Some people are choosing to wander around aimlessly rather than discover the portals to Eretz or roam the secret passageways to the tomb of Elena. Some people would rather spin a piece of paper on the table than be transported to Paris and fall in love with a boy called Etienne and some would rather sit in a circle with their friends and stare at their thumbs than discuss the heartwrenching loss of Prim.

This is a thing!!

So, I'm doing the only thing a respectable librarian can do. I'm going to bribe them.

From November to March there is an event being organised by the School Library Service called the Essex Book Awards (Essex being the county the school is located). I have to somehow get a group of readers together, read some books, vote on our favourite and write reviews for the SLS blog. I am going to need a lot of bribes (sweets). Good thing Halloween is next week!

Watch this space for how I'm getting on. And if you were choosing from these books, which would you read first? I've only read SHE IS NOT INVISIBLE and thorougly enjoyed it. I think the students would as well if they could just quit their thing of not reading.

Others shortlisted for the award: I Predict a Riot by Catherine Bruton, Never Ending by Martin Bedford and The Middle of Nowhere by Geraldine McCaughrean.

It's back-to-school time! And while kiddos across the land lament, I find myself excited for that fresh start... that new-year feeling when schedules change and ideas bubble and anything seems possible.

This post may not seem strictly YA-related, but bear with me.

One of the first movies I have a distinct memory of watching is Toys. To be honest, I remember very little of the plot. Just fuzzy impressions of LL Cool J (handsome) and Robin Williams (funny) and a big crazy battle in a toy factory (awesome). These are small sparks -- but so often, that's all it takes for an imagination to start lighting fires.

Then there was Aladdin. Oh how that Genie made me laugh! With his vocal impressions, his bad advice, his lame jokes, his exaggerated faces. But the Genie's sense of humor and sharp wit weren't just lights in the dark for a certain struggling street urchin -- they actually helped defeat the villain and save the kingdom. What a beautiful lesson for a kid to learn.

Between movie days at school and random reruns on TV, I must have watched Jumani and Hook a hundred times each. How amazing, for a character to fall into another world. To be a normal person, swept away on a fantastical journey. Even now, that remains one of my favorite story mechanisms.


Then there are the "serious" works. Mrs. Doubtfire. Patch Adams. Good Will Hunting. What Dreams May Come. I put "serious" in quotes, because what Robin Williams always brought to his roles was that perfect balance of levity and gravity. You can't properly understand light without dark, nor flying without falling. Joy and sorrow are two sides of the same coin; they both pull at our emotional cores. They both can lead to tears.


I've cried quite a bit, reading about and remembering Robin Williams. I didn't know him as a person, but as an artist? I feel so fortunate to have been shaped by his work. To have grown up with his smile, his energy, and his heart. Robin Williams nurtured and inspired a generation of young adults. I don't know anything more beautiful or noble than that.

Believe it or not, one of the most famous Robin Williams movies is one that I have never seen. Forgive me. I will remedy this as soon as possible. As soon as I think I can handle it without an entire truckload of tissues.

Every so often the girls and I at We Heart YA get an email that's a bit strange. A bit otherworldly. A bit surreal, I guess you could say. You see, we read so many books and discuss about stories so much that sometimes the lines get blurred between what's fact and fiction.

You know what I'm talking about, right? Sometimes you're in a Harry situation where the only way to fix things is with a bit of luck and magic, and you're thinking: What would Hermione do?

But what do you do when Hermione messages you for advice?

Although we have no explanation for it... sometimes we get letters from fictional characters. Possibly because our initials spell out WHY, which IS the universal question uttered by anyone real or not since the beginning of time. Maybe these figments of our imaginations are just looking for answers and who are we to ignore them, right?

Take Exhibit A: a recent email from Karou -- the blue-haired chimaera from DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE -- asking for advice... from us?!

"Fauxto" by Margot Wood

Dear WHYA,

I bumped into this guy named Jazz* the other day while I was out on a job and he said you might be able to give me some advice. I'm just going to come right out and say it: I'm starting to think there's something a bit off about me. Like, I don't feel like myself. 

My best friend, Zuze, would laugh at me if she heard me say that. I'm always really tough and secretive around her -- for her own good, I might add! -- but I'm not sure I can hold all of these feelings inside anymore. I have to tell someone.

For instance, I have these tattoos on my hands that were given to me when I was born, made, whatever. Some kids get circumcised, some kids get their ears pierced... I never thought anything of it until now.

You are going to think this is crazy, but they're magic. Magic tattoos. (I'll wait while you just take that in for a moment.) They keep my enemy subdued, and maybe even kill. I haven't tested it that far yet. 

But the reason I know they're magic and the reason that I'm writing to you is because this angel abomination keeps popping up out of nowhere ruining my perfectly good day. And the only way to get him to take me seriously is to tell him to "talk to the hand." Literally.

Should I ask Brimstone what's up with the tattoos he gave me? Or do I keep experimenting until I kill someone? I mean, it's just a stuck-up, demon-killing angel, right?

Karou x


Dear Karou,

Do NOT kill the angel. Believe us, you will regret it. You are on the tip of the penguin's beak, on the tip of an iceberg, on the vast frozen ocean of discovery. By the time this chapter in your life ends, your mind will stretch to universes. But before that, you will find yourself. All of yourself and your lives and it is beautiful.

We repeat: Do NOT kill the angel. Even though you will want to many, many... many times.

p.s. Ask Brimstone about the tattoos. In fact, spend as much time with Brimstone as you can.

Peace.

WHYA xx


*Jazz from I HUNT KILLERS wrote in frantically asking if he was going to turn out like his dad. He was all like, "What if the world's worst serial killer was your father?" and we were all like, "Dude, that sucks." Not sure that qualifies for good advice, but we're here for you Jazz!

So how did we do? What advice would you have for Karou or Jazz?

There are a couple Big Book Things happening this week and next. We'll let Auntie MJ explain the first one:

It's #rockthedrop day! Gonna scatter some of my books around NYC if youz wants them.
— Maureen Johnson (@maureenjohnson) April 17, 2014

If you don't know what #rockthedrop is, THIS IS WHAT IT IS--> http://t.co/x2PJkSxEpG
— Maureen Johnson (@maureenjohnson) April 17, 2014

Stephen and Matt can take the second:

Pls become a Community Book Giver on next Wednesday's World Book Night. I have signed up. It's simple & important. https://t.co/nofk55irtY
— Stephen Fry (@stephenfry) April 16, 2014

Still time to be a community book giver on @WorldBookNight. Anyone can take part, giving ANY book they choose. Give! http://t.co/ytv6Zq2z2k
— Matt Haig (@matthaig1) April 15, 2014

Are you participating in either Rock the Drop or World Book Night?



Oh, speaking of books around the world... I was recently on vacation in Italy, and I found their book stores to be fascinating. First of all, there were so many of them! I bumped into book stores inside train stations, on the corner of major plazas, facing beautiful river banks, even outdoors under ancient porticos...

I guess online stores and e-readers haven't taken over everywhere.


I also found the book covers pretty interesting. They were SO different from their American counterparts. There was a lot of photography, and a lot of white. (Sort of evident in the blurry photo.)

Here are a couple YA favorites as examples...

Pretty, no?

Then there are the covers that are sort of different, but sort of the same...



Isn't it interesting how Suzanne Collins' MG series was given a cover that looks so much like the Hunger Games' mockingjay symbol?

Speaking of which, there are some covers that apparently need no translation:



What do you think about foreign edition covers? Do you like them better? Do you collect them? Do you think books should have the same covers everywhere?

In case you didn't know, yesterday March 6 was that special day when all people literary come together to celebrate all things books! Okay, we kinda do that everyday online... but this is different. And super cool. World Book Day was designated by UNESCO 17 years ago as a worldwide celebration of books, authors and reading, and is now celebrated in over 100 countries.

(Note: We had planned to post this on March 6, but Blogger did not cooperate.)

In the UK and Ireland, especially, WBD is a really big deal. More than 14 million children will receive book tokens that they can trade in for specific books or for a discount at bookstores. Schoolkids are encouraged to dress up as their favorite book characters. Folks will gather for all kinds of WBD festivals and fun. The whole idea is to encourage reading and instill a love of literature in today's young'uns.

There's been a whole lot of good stuff going on in the blogoshphere, too. If you're on twitter, check out #worldbookday and you might just disappear down the rabbit hole. So much to read and share!

We WHYA gals are joining in the festivities by giving away two books of our own:

NOT A DROP TO DRINK by Mindy McGinnis

THE DEMON'S LEXICON by Sarah Rees Brennan

To be eligible for our WHYA World Book Day Giveaway, you must leave a comment on this post answering the following three questions:

1) What was your favorite book when you were a child?

2) If you could be a fairytale character for a day, who would it be?

3) What is your all-time favorite book line OR all-time favorite book?

Bonus: If you include a photo of yourself dressed up like a book character, we'll enter your name twice!

Please leave your comment by next Tuesday, March 11. Be sure to mention which book you'd like to win, if you have a preference. Winners will be announced on Thursday, March 13th.

(US mailing addresses only-- sorry, international friends!)

Happy WBD reading!

Today the spotlight is on Kristan Hoffman. Why? It's her birthday, which means we get to gush with no limits, no excuse. And that's really important because Kristan Hoffman isn't just your average human. She's the "heart" behind We Heart YA. She's the Gansey to our motley crew with the promise of Glendower in our sights. We simply could not do this writing thing without her. And our reads would be less satisfying without her insight, enthusiasm, and good taste.

Yes, we're saying a good book isn't as good until after you've discussed it with Kristan Hoffman.

Luckily, most of you bloggers out there get a little bit of Kristan whenever our avatar shows up in your comments. We're quite happy to take the credit, but are coming clean to let you know that all of those AWESOME, thoughtful comments on your blog are pretty much Kristan Hoffman in disguise. She cares so much about this brilliant community of readers and writers of YA that she takes the time to read and comment on so many posts. Likewise, on twitter and Tumblr, she's manning our feed like a boss.

Kristan Hoffman, we love your guts!! Have the happiest birthday--you babe of long nights and short days, of wet autumn leaves on the path, cups of tea in hand, of first frosts, roast dinners, and warm fires. You are the change in the world, you make it move that much more efficiently. Your mind is the best adventure!
Love,
Sarah, Ingrid, and Stephanie  xx

*cue Beatles music

So, you're here, right?  At least you think you are.  It's Friday, and We Heart YA usually has a new post at the end of the week and you're thinking we're going to start your day off right like a bowl of Count Chocula...

...we can only wish...

But chances are you started off somewhere way, way out there in the Interverse.  It's funny how large and multitudinous the YA community is, and yet how small.  No?  Sooner or later, you bump into someone you know or have at least heard of.   Readers get around.  :)

This week I received an email from our lovely Steph about this...

We HEART This

...and I realized I hadn't read Laini's blog in ages.  So many ages that I wasn't entirely sure of her blog address and googled it (drgh, it's lainitaylor.com).  Up popped her blog address on google, but also lots and lots of images of pink hair.  So much so that I couldn't resist clicking on the images and perusing through each one.  Saints, I have so much time to waste!  There's Laini with fans, Laini reading her books, being interviewed, on holiday with her family, with so many versions of her little lady Clementine as she's grown.

Such a wonderful story in pictures.  A COLLAGE of Laini's Literary Life.

So of course I wondered what my Google Collage said about me.  I jumped down the rabbit hole and googled my name and all sorts of wondrous wonder came up.  Images that weren't just pics of me (which I'm not to partial to, I might add), but pictures of friends, pictures I've posted, tweeted, images that are ME but not literally.  Also, it seems I wear white to every author event I ever attended.  Zoinks.



Bet you're curious now what your Google Collage would be.  I'll wait while you google yourself.

Cool, right?  Also good to note:  it's not all there is to you.  It's like the crusty epidermis that is you.  Some cracks show through, and you can see deeper.  But even google doesn't go to those places.

For now, I'm happy to just be a conglomerate of book covers, tweets, and pictures with people that hug me and love me.  Not a bad life, eh?

What's your story?  Don't make me google you!  What's the craziest Internetting you've gotten up to lately?

I don't know about the rest of the country, but it's been raining in our parts for what feels like weeks. So I thought I'd spread some visual literary cheer to brighten everyone's day. Stay safe and enjoy!