Thursday, October 4, 2012
A lot of you probably know about and watch the Lizzie Bennet Diaries, right? It's the modern day YouTube version of Pride & Prejudice, produced by Hank Green. Well, if you like that -- and particularly if you like Lydia -- you should definitely check out the series Squaresville. It's "a show about growing up and burning brightly."
(If you don't like the LB Diaries… well, you should still check this out. It's awesome!)
Here's the latest episode, which might be my favorite one so far (and it's only 2 min long, so don't even pretend that you don't have the time):
(That question at the end just slays me.)
What you see is what you get: two teenage best friends, snippets of everyday life, and a healthy sense of humor layered on top of real problems and uncertainties.
These are the building blocks of every Squaresville episode. They're also the building blocks of many great YA books...
(And romance lovers, don't worry: there are cute boys in Squaresville too.)
So yeah, consider this a Public Service Announcement: WATCH SQUARESVILLE! (And also, read the books above if you haven't already.) You're welcome.
KH
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
We interrupt our usual Tuesday Twitter review to announce that Sarah and Kristan (photographer) have officially met Lish McBride--author of HOLD ME CLOSER, NECROMANCER and NECROMANCING THE STONE. If you haven't read anything by this Morris finalist, you're missing out. Urban Fantasy is not usually my first pick for genre, but these books remind me of the best of Buffy with the humor, smarts, variety of supernatural creatures, and great characters. So good, wish I'd written them!! (There are some rumors about that the series has been optioned for television, which would be perfect, but I'm trying not to get my hopes up.)
Other authors on the tour stop included (r. to l.) Ann Aguirre (ENCLAVE, OUTPOST), Elizabeth Fama (MONSTROUS BEAUTY), and the lovely Marissa Meyer (CINDER) whose very first reading was here in Cincy (yeah, we were there.)
On with the tweets!
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| It's hopeless |
Oh, you funny, funny people:
This time of year, you get tweets like this:
Our favorite tweet this week:
Ever borrowed a book that you "forgot" to give back? Do you lend out your books? Have a great week!
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Sometimes chapter titles work really, really well. They can pique
your interest about what’s to come. They
can tie themes together. They can make you laugh. They can play on words or have hidden meanings that you don't figure out until later.
And like anything else, some
authors are more skilled at crafting chapter titles than others. The best
example I can think of is Harry Potter. Who doesn’t
remember the first chapter title of the first book?
It’s iconic. Then there's "The Journey from Platform Nine and Three-quarters" and "The Weighing of the Wands." Brilliant! Some of J.K. Rowling’s other chapter titles are a bit more straightforward (The Sorting Hat, Quidditch, and Diagon Alley, for example). But because these things are so unique to the world of Hogwarts, they still rouse a reader’s curiosity.
Another author who excels at chapter titles is Sherman Alexie. Here are some of my favorites from The Absolutely
True Diary of a Part-Time Indian:
- Because Geometry is Not a Country Somewhere Near France
- Don’t Trust your Computer
- Because Russian Guys are Not always Geniuses
Some readers find chapter titles distracting. Others simply ignore them. Many like them only if they are unique, interesting or humorous.For me, chapter titles are not going to make or break a
novel. They usually aren’t necessary, but when done well, they’re thoroughly
enjoyable.
Do you think certain subgenres of YA use
chapter titles more than others? As a reader, do you prefer them? As a writer, do you include them? What about books that use symbols in place of chapter titles?
Finally, what’s your vote overall—love 'em, hate 'em, or just don’t read 'em?
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Well, the Solstice has passed and the Autumn weather is taking hold (unless you're in Minnesota and you're getting snow?!?). We must admit this is our favorite time of the year (the fact that three of us have birthdays now and coming up might have something to do with it). We hope you're taking advantage of the early-to-dim nights and are getting lots of reading and writing squeezed into your day.
Gather Ye Rosebuds!
Best Hashtag of the Week goes to #TeenNitpick:
This Writing Life:
Readers Make the World Go Round:
Everyone on Twitter's a Comic:
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| And we're inclined to agree |
What Can We Say About These People? There's No Excuse For Them, They're Just Essential:
What was the last song you screamed at the top of your lungs?
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about us
Stephanie, Ingrid, Sarah & Kristan — we read, write, discuss and celebrate Young Adult lit.
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