Aaaaaaaaaand we're back with our favorite tweets. How did the week go for authors and writers and readers last week? Missed Twitter because you were too busy watching the NEVERLAND special on SyFy? (Okay, we love Anna Friel and Rhys Ifans, but the dude playing Peter was stupendously sensational. Wish I knew his name... And not to anger Daniel Radcliffe fans, but Peter would have made a stupendously sensational Harry Potter. Just sayin'.)

*Also, please bear with me on the small sized tweets. I figured out how to make them bigger, but only after copying/pasting the majority of these... So next week should be easier on the eyes.*

Authors are so funny:


And so smart:


Truth:


Would make a really good story:


Pay attention, readers make the world go round:


YES! We want to read this one too:


Considering a new feature called, "What's Saundra Mitchell talking about now?":


Seriously, though, we LOVE her. Steph's reading THE VESPERTINE and I'm patiently waiting for my turn. :)


Note: Don't forget to enter our Holly Jolly Giveaway. SHATTER ME, DASH & LILY'S BOOK OF DARES, or THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE could be yours!

With jingling bells, twinkling lights, and pine-scented candles, the holiday season has come upon us full force. It's a fun time of year, and celebrating with friends and family should put everyone in a good mood. But before you can relax with your fuzzy slippers and mug of cider, you might have to deal with the stress of final exams, traveling, or gift shopping.

Unfortunately, we're not elves, and we can't make any of those hassles go away. We can, however, try to brighten your day the best way we know how: with books! Whether you need a light at the end of the studying tunnel, or something to read while you're waiting for your flight, or a little self-indulgence after racking your brain thinking of what to get other people -- here's a little something for YOU.

We want to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving.

We're thankful for writers that capture our imaginations, stories that touch our hearts, and a YA community that makes reading such a fun way of connecting with people. You're the best.

We hope everyone's enjoying the food, football, and napping.

Love,
The WHYA girls

Flashbacks, dreams sequences, tangents. For the most part, these are things that authors should avoid -- or so we are told -- because they stop the flow of the story. They pull readers out of the action, divert our attention elsewhere. And when they're over, we find ourselves lost, adrift, searching for a trail of breadcrumbs to lead us back home.

But what about when they work?

A couple of my favorite books feature stories within stories -- otherwise known as back story, or tangents. Maybe they weren't strictly necessary, but for me, these “extras” really enriched the larger narrative. And they illustrated that, like all rules, this one can be broken as long as it is broken well.


In Eclipse, Stephenie Meyer shares the story of a brave Quileute woman who sacrificed her own life in order to save those she cared about. Not only is this tale compelling in and of itself, but it also parallels a decision that Bella makes in the heat of the battle between Edward and Victoria.

In The Host, Meyer again digresses for several pages, when Wanda hosts a “storytime” of some of the most exciting and unique memories of her past lives. Each anecdote fascinated me with its originality, and I found myself not caring that the main story had been put on pause. In fact, like Wanda's audience, I wanted to hear more.

In Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Laini Taylor spends several chapters explaining what led up to the incredible heartbreak that Karou and Akiva now face. I think she gets away with this in part because it happens so late in the book -- over three quarters of the way through. But honestly, I could've spent a lifetime in Elsewhere with Madrigal and Brimstone. Reading their history was like finding a diamond inside a bar of gold.

So tell me: do you like stories within stories (or flashbacks or dream sequences)? Why or why not? Which ones stick out in your mind?

KH

PS: Interestingly, in the world of capital L literary fiction, these sort of techniques are not as frowned upon. In fact, I think you would be hard-pressed to find a work in that genre that didn't include at least one of these elements. I wonder why the rule doesn't apply to them... Perhaps because commercial fiction (which includes most of YA) is “supposed” to be fast-paced and un-put-down-able?

We have loved seeing everyone's "Top YA Books for Halloween" lists this week. There are a lot of creepy reads we need to check out -- like The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs, or even The Stand by Stephen King.

While we work on getting our hands on those books, we wanted to get YOUR hands on THESE books!

Artwork by MShah123

When I open a book and read about a character described as "perfect" or "ordinary", I have to roll my eyes. We see it all the time: Perfect Girl that no one understands, Ordinary Girl that Perfect Boy just so happens to fall for. In reality, very few people fall into those catagories. Most us of are somewhere between ordinary and perfect.

When I come across a story that goes against this cliché, I get excited. It's refreshing. So I thought I would take a couple blog posts and discuss two different types of protagonists that I can never get enough of.

Part 1: The Protagonist that is too busy saving the world to care about appearances

Katniss Everdeen is no stranger to dirt and grime. She appreciates a pretty dress when she's at the Capitol, but when it's time to get down to business, her mind is in the arena. She has no problem roughing it to survive. And no one has to tell us that Katniss is attractive, her strength and cleverness show us that.

While Harry Potter's friends are worrying about hand-me-down robes and ten-second pimple vanisher, Harry just wants to make it through the school year alive. He never frets about his glasses and untidy hair. In fact, he makes us love those qualities about him, just because of who he is.

Claudia Arlexa lives in a world that prioritizes appearances above everything else. Futuristic technology and conspiracy are hidden beneath an 18th-century mask, creating a picturesque kingdom. But Claudia is determined to strip away all that beauty to show everyone the world as it really is, because the suffering in Incarceron is too high a price to pay for castles and beautiful gowns.

What are some characters that you think fall into this category? How do you think we can learn from people like Katniss, Harry, and Claudia?

Click here to read Part 2.

♥Steph