Merry Wanderer of the Night:
guest

I am so excited to have a guest post today with Sarah Ockler! She has a really fun post today, in the spirit of love for all genres, which I totally adored and even though Contemporary is my favorite, I do read and love many other genres and I love this post talking about the common threads between all genres.

Contemporary Realism vs. Paranormal & Fantasy: Smackdown or Lovefest?

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As an author of contemporary realistic teen fiction, I'm often asked about the imbalance in the bookstores between contemporary titles and paranormals — yes, those sparkly black covers of awesome. Some have asked me why I write contemporary instead of chasing the fantasy "trend." Others want me to convince them to read one over the other, or defend my own favorites, or talk about why contemporary is so much better.

Some of this is in jest, of course. All in good fun. But sometimes it does feel like there's a bit of rivalry going on, doesn't it?

I'm not sure why. To me, fantasy isn't a "trend" anymore than realism *isn't*, and the only thing that's "so much better" is that teens and adults are reading tons of YA — way more than we used to. A big part of that is availability and choice. Even as recently as ten years ago, bookstores might've only had one YA shelf, or the teen fiction might've been mixed in with the younger children's stuff. Now, it's so popular that it usually has it's own section, and that section includes rows of ever-expanding shelves — plenty of room for magic *and* reality.

My favorite local indie, the Tattered Cover, just expanded its YA section, and they host young adult and middle grade authors almost every month — contemporary, fantasy, scifi, dystopian, romance, mystery — we're all represented, and we're all awesome.: -) Walking down those long shelves stuffed with sparkly black covers, pink ones, white ones, scenic ones, close up kissing ones, monster ones… it just makes me insanely happy to have so many choices for my ever-growing TBR list.

So what about the original question? Smackdown or lovefest?

I say lovefest. I love contemporary realism. I love fantasy, paranormal, and scifi. I love it all. Because in young adult fiction, contemporary realism and paranormal / fantasy are just two sides of the same coin. The difference is in the execution. Maybe your boyfriend broke up with you because the scent of your blood makes him want to tear you apart with his pointy little fangs. Or maybe he just likes another girl. Maybe your parents are getting divorced because Mom discovered that dad is a dark elf plotting to take over the world. Or maybe he just leaves the toilet seat up. These are silly examples, but the point is, the underlying emotional strife is the same. Both types of story explore complex emotions and issues like changing friendships, death, sexuality, sex, heartbreak, addiction, family problems, physical challenges, violence, and economic hardship, to name a few. Both feature multi-layered characters forced by difficult — sometimes life-threatening — external situations to dig deep to uncover their own hidden strengths. Both have the twists and turns and surprises that often come when teens experience new situations for the first time. And let's not overlook the best part — all the kissing. Sexy vampires, beautiful witches, six-pack-ab-rockin' shapeshifters, and plain old regular humans… there's plenty of romance to swoon over in most young adult fiction. Team Kissing, are you with me? Yes!

So whether you're typically into contemporary realism or paranormal, whether you like your boys human or bloodsucking, whether you go gaga for girls with wings or wands or just plain old pom poms, whether you're reading about transgender issues or trans-species ones, whether you like escaping to the beaches of California or the halls of Hogwarts, I encourage you to read a bit more of… well… everything. This is a lovefest, after all. Let's show some love!

Need a few recommendations? Check out the newly posted Best Teen Books of 2011 over at Kirkus. Editor Vicky Smith says, "With shelves fairly groaning under the weight of paranormal love triangles, it may be easy to think that books for teens are all the same these days. Not so, we are delighted to report. In sifting through the piles of great books published for teens this year, I was happy to discover soulful romance of the utterly normal kind, deliciously frothy historical novels, piercingly intelligent nonfiction, thrillingly inventive fantasy and science fiction and some great kickass horror, as well as some books that may leave you weeping with laughter."

Some of my faves from the list are Misfit, Winter Town, Virtuosity, Anna Dressed in Blood, and Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and many more are on my TBR list. There's something for everyone over there. Happy reading!
~ Sarah Ockler

Author of Twenty Boy Summer, Fixing Delilah, and the upcoming Bittersweet (which features the special magic of cupcakes and hockey boys… mmmmm...)

Thank you again Sarah, so very much! I love it!:)

And for all my awesome readers, Sarah has been generous enough to donate a signed paperback of Fixing Delilah to one luck winner! This is a phenomenal book, absolutely amazing, and I'm already excited for whoever wins this one!

Enter Below. Like all Just Contemporary Giveaways, it will end Dec 10th. This is also only open to US/CN.

My guest poster today is Jacinda, one of the sisters that runs the blog The Reading Housewives of Indiana. Jacinda is such a fun blogger to chat with and she's amazing. Seriously. She's pretty much amazing! I'm thrilled that she wanted to share a guest post, so here she is — talking about her favorite Contemporary novels EVER!

Picking my favorite contemporary novels of all time…that’s a difficult task. I decided to go with my
favorite contemporary novels I think aren’t as popular, at least at the moment…which pretty much
means I had to leave off Lola and Anna…I almost cried! Many of these might have been popular when
they were published, but they are somewhat new to me and aren’t talked about so much right now. Or
maybe I’m the only one who has one of these on my favorites list..I’m okay with that!
My Favorite Young Adult Contemporary Novels Which Need More Loving in 2011 and
Beyond!

Sea by Heidi R. Kling

I’d been wanting to
read this book for the longest time. My library didn’t have it and for some reason I’d never bought it.
As soon as someone offered this book up to me for trade I jumped at it! I’m so glad I did! As you can
tell it has become one of my favorites! I felt so many different emotions about this one! I love being
able to travel to foreign lands in books and Sea has that. I’m looking forward to reading anything Heidi
writes! I’m reviewing Sea sometime during Just Contemporary! I’ve been sitting on this review for a few months!

I Now
Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan
This is a contemporary book I don’t think has gotten enough buzz. I read this before I started reviewing
and before I started my blog. I wish I would have read it afterwards to push it at people! It’s been a very
long time since I’ve read it, but I remember wanting to hug this book after I read it! Just thinking about it
has me wanting to re-read it!

Summer Sisters by Judy
Blume
Summer Sisters was one of the first contemporary books I’ve ever read. It was a book club pick and I was
pleasantly surprised by it! I HATED a few different characters in this one. I was screaming at them on the
inside that they were acting stupid and being totally selfish. I loved following these characters through
numerous years because you get to see so much growth and change.
You should also check out Forever by Judy Blume

Sign Language by Amy Ackley

This book set a record for me. I cried the most during Sign Language than any other book I’ve ever
read. Prior to this one, The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa held that title because of the brutal ending to
the story that had me crying for about the last ten percent. Sign Language had me using tissues during
the entire first half. It was a horrible feeling having to cry that often while reading it, but it shows how
well the author told the story. I normally shy away from stories having main characters in the 12-15
year-old range, but I’m so happy I didn’t pass this one up! Sign Language has a certain quote/life lesson
that will always stick with me and it is one of only a few books I can remember quotes from.

Rich and Mad by William
Nicholson
I think many people didn’t like this one. I completely fell in love with it! I want to re-read it one of these
days to see if my love for it is still there and I really hope it is! I will probably cry if I feel different about it
the second time. It’s a story about a guy and girl chasing and looking for the wrong person to fall in love
with. I don’t remember exactly what had me falling all over this one, I just know I felt wonderful while
reading it. There is a point/part in this book people hated, I seemed to not care or I overlooked it, either
way, I loved this one! For some reason, I see myself constantly defending my love for this one…maybe
that’s because I’ve seen a couple of people tear it apart. Oh well, I loved it!

Sixteenth Summer by
Michelle Dalton

Sixteenth Summer is the cutest and most adorable book I’ve ever read! I catch myself thinking about
it on occasion! This book had me craving ice cream and sweet tea! If you need a book to put you in a
good mood or to read in the summertime, Sixteenth Summer is the book for you! It will give you warm
fuzzies!

My Ridiculous, Romantic Obsesessions by Becca Wilhite
Ever have a perfect book come to you at the perfect time?! My Ridiculous, Romantic Obsessions
was that book for me. I remember feeling down about everything, but after reading this, I felt 100%
better…even though I cried a bit. The protagonist is college-aged which I love in young adult! She’s
obsessed with romance novels and refers to them in every aspect of her life. Such a great fast read
which will always be a favorite of mine!

The North of Beautiful
by Justina Chen Headley
The theme for many favorites of mine is my lack for reasons as to why I love them…my memory is
horrible! North of Beautiful is one of those books! It’s a book teaching us to look inside of ourselves for
beauty because beauty isn’t on the outside. I just remember enjoying the struggle the main character
has with herself and the general theme of the book is unique and it stands out.

The Disreputable History of Frankie
Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
I’m thankful for the Award Winning Reads Challenge Ashley hosted with me because I might not
have picked this one up! Frankie was so strong! I loved her! It was a book based not on romance, but
Frankie’s struggle with wanting to be accepted in something she feels like she has a right to be a part
of and challenging it. I love romance in my books and this one has a bit, but I found myself not
caring if the romance was there or not…that means this book is fantastic coming from me!

The Chosen One by Carol
Lynch Williams
This is one of those “tough issues” books. Kyra is one of 21 children of her father’s from his three wives.
Kyra lives in a very religious community. She decides after she is to be wed to her uncle that she needs
to get away. I loved getting a glimpse, even if fictional, into a community like this especially from a 13
year-olds point of view. The ending of this one is very fitting for the story.

I’m a 26 year-old Hoosier. Currently I’m a SAHM to a 4 year-old boy
and a 3 year-old girl. I’ve been married to my hubby, Seth, for 6 years and I’ve known him since I was
senior in high school. I have two dogs and a cat which I love dearly even though they can make my
life more hectic than it needs to be. Besides my love of reading which is obvious, I love my Keurig,
crafting, and football. I’m afraid of heights to the point where I will not stay in a hotel

room above the 7^{th floor or drive in mountains unless it’s at night. I dislike milk and anything banana or coconut
flavored, so I’m limited on my cocktail choices. I’m a big young adult reader, but I do read an occasional
adult book. My favorite types of books would have to be contemporary and historical fiction, but it used
to be paranormal before I became more of an avid reader.}

Shannon is another of my favorite blogging buddies. She blogs over at Books Devoured and her blog makes me happy. She has two kids and they contribute to the blog sometimes too! I love that she includes her kids! And she is also one of my very most favorite people to talk to!! She is just super awesome and amazing, and she doesn't judge Mean Ashley... :) She has put together an awesome top ten list for you today!

Top Ten Quotes:

This week topic was Top Ten Lists and I tried to think a little outside the box. Here are my top 10 favorite quotes from Contemporary Novels. Though the quotes I have chosen are from books that were not released this year, they are all ones that I have read for the first time this year. My top 3 all happen to be from Looking for Alaska by John Green!

10. “Moments, when lost, can't be found again. They're just gone.”
― Jenny Han, The Summer I Turned Pretty

9. “Is it possible for home to be a person and not a place?”
― Stephanie Perkins, Anna and the French Kiss

8. “Every story is part of a whole, entire life, you know? Happy and sad and tragic and whatever, but an entire life. And books let you know them.”
― Sarah Ockler, Twenty Boy Summer

7. “When people don't express themselves, they die one piece at a time.”
― Laurie Halse Anderson, Speak

6. “I mean, really. Who sends their kid to boarding school? It's so Hogwarts. Only mine doesn't have cute boy wizards or magic candy or flying lessons.”
― Stephanie Perkins, Anna and the French Kiss

5. “You should never be surprised when someone treats you with respect, you should expect it.”
― Sarah Dessen, Keeping the Moon

4. “You have to know what you stand for, not just what you stand against.”
― Laurie Halse Anderson, Speak

3. “I wanted to be one of those people who have streaks to maintain, who scorch the ground with their intensity. But for now, at least I knew such people, and they needed me, just like comets need tails.”
― John Green, Looking for Alaska

2. “Thomas Edison's last words were 'It's very beautiful over there'. I don't know where there is, but I believe it's somewhere, and I hope it's beautiful.”
― John Green, Looking for Alaska

1. “So I walked back to my room and collapsed on the bottom bunk, thinking that if people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane.”
― John Green, Looking for Alaska

I love this post Shannon! I do wish that I paid more attention to specific quotes within books, but I totally agree that these are amazing quotes, definitely ones that I love as well!

Katelyn is for serious one of my favorite blogger/twitter friends and she's just pretty much awesome. For realz people. If you don't know her already, you really should fix that. I've loved a lot of our conversations and gotten more than a few book recommendations from her. So I'm really excited that she agreed to write a guest review for me for Just Contemporary! So here is her review:

Going Too Far is a wonderful story that has yet again, confirmed my total love for Jennifer Echols. She has this incredible ability to create deep, multi-layered characters, a story line that sucks you in, and a romance that just comes alive with every passing page. This is most definitely the case with Going Too Far!

When we first meet Meg, the main character, we can tell that she has a tough exterior. She acts like a total nutcase. She has blue hair, she rebels against all authority figures, and she has an attitude to go along with it. While it may seem like she could be a pretty easy character to hate, I in fact loved her. Meg will always hold a special place in my heart because no matter how hard she tried to be tough, you could tell that she was hurting on the inside.

While reading the story it was easy to see that she does this to keep people at a distance. No attachments means she can get out of her small town as soon as possible. The more she gets in trouble, the angrier her parents get which in turn means they will be happy to let her go. The more she hangs out with losers like Eric who only use her for booty calls means she won’t have a boyfriend to keep her tied to her small town. The more she ignores her only friend, Tiffany, the fewer goodbyes she’ll have to say when she finally leaves. Meg’s whole scheme works out perfectly until one fateful night on the railroad tracks.

One of Meg’s rebellious acts leads to a ruined spring break that she now gets to spend with Officer After. It is at this point in the story, ladies and gentleman, which my heart started to melt. John goes against everything that Meg stands for. He is straight-edge, follows the rules, and always thinks ahead. Even though their personalities couldn’t be further apart, there is a chemistry that sizzles beneath the surface every single time they are together. I flipped page after page wondering when their feelings for each other would ignite the whole book.

John and Meg are one of the greatest matches I have ever seen in a Y.A. Contemporary book. They like to push each other’s buttons. Meg says little comments that she knows will grate on John’s nerves. John does things just to tick Meg off. They do all these things to each other just to see how far they can go but at the end of the day, you could see the chemistry continually build between the two of them. John secretly loves Meg’s harsh personality and blue hair. Meg secretly loves John’s devotion to his job. Together they are an unlikely couple but they just work.

Another reason I love the two of these two, they were both devastated by something in the past and it is this similarity between the two of them that eventually becomes one of the main driving points behind the story. For Meg it is an illness that struck her years ago. This sickness affected her more than she lets on and it really controls a lot of what she does. For John, it is more complex. For most of the book he seems calm, cool, and collected but near the end you can definitely sense that something heartbreaking happened in his past. The book would have been good without this element but when you add this to the already GREAT aspects of the book, it is pure genius.

Looking back on this book there is not a whole lot of negatives to say about it. I was in love with Meg and John from the very first chapter. Their constant bickering and obvious chemistry kept me interested throughout the whole book. I turned page after page hoping they would be able to work out their differences. I hoped so desperately that they could face the ghosts of their pasts so they could finally see what needed to be done to make the other happy. As I stated earlier, this is another book that proves just how great of a writer Jennifer Echols is. It is because of this book (and all her others) that I will be a total fan-girl for the rest of my life!

Thank you so much Katelyn! This is an awesome review, one that would make even me want to run out and grab a copy, if I hadn't already read it! Thank you again!!:)

Today, as a guest, I have Kate from Literary Explorations. She was awesome enough to agree to writing a post when school wasn't quite so busy for her, and she read a book I also loved! See what she thinks!!

Rating: ★★★★★ Review: Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala was the first audiobook I'd picked up in years, and I'm so glad that I gave it a fair chance. Jenna Lamia's narration was flawless and in my mind she perfectly captured Rand's voice. Since I downloaded this to my iPod I was able to take it anywhere and found myself listening to it whenever I had a spare moment.

Rand was a great character and she definitely grew-up throughout the novel. Her pregnancy was scary and I couldn't believe how heartless her friends and family were. I also wanted to punch Kamran in the face many times because he was such a jerk to Rand. Her so-called friends weren't any better, especially Delaney who spread rumors about her, which idiot Kamran believed to be true. My favorite character was Shelly, for awesome reasons that I can't go into without spoiling the book, but just trust me, she is amazing.
Tell Me a Secret totally changed my mind about audiobooks and now I listen to them all the time. This was a wonderful contemporary read that drew me in and left me in tears once it was all over. I will now listen to anything that Jenna Lamia narrates and cannot wait to read Holly's second book, Don't Breathe a Word, that is due out in January.
Check out these fantastic reviews:

Ashley @ Basically Amazing Books
April @ Good Books and Good Wine

Today on the blog, I have Asheley from Into the Hall of Books. Asheley is seriously one of my favorite people right now and I absolutely love chatting with her on Twitter and her blog makes me happy. For realz guys, if you don't know her, you definitely should. I was absolutely thrilled when Asheley agreed to write this guest post for me. I LOVED it and you totally will too!:)

Why I (am learning to) Love Contemporary
I shrugged off the YA Contemporary genre for years... both young adult and adult fiction. Why? Because I have a mortgage. I have bills and children and friends that have crumbling marriages.
Also, I've been through high school and never cared to read about backstabbing, teen pregnancy, drug abuse, rape, or any of those other awful things that I remember about my younger days. After all, who wants to revisit high school? Not me.
When I graduated, I wanted to try and walk away from that stuff forever. I never imagined that I would want to voluntarily read about it.
More importantly, I HAVE TWO DAUGHTERS and A SON. When I think about some of the subject matter of the YA Contemps, I absolutely panic and freak out for their future. I don't want to go there. (But I need to get over that.)
A few things have happened recently that have caused me to rethink my "No-Contemp" personal policy!

• I realized that John Green writes contemporary. As I am one of his biggest fans, I stand in violation of my "no-contemp" rule!
• I traded recommendations with Ashley and read my first verse novel, which also happened to be contemporary: Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder. And I fell in love... beautiful, twirling, dancing-on-clouds love...
• I started actually reading the blogposts/reviews of trusted bloggers who love the contemps and you know what? Some of their recommendations kinda-sorta interested me a little bit.
• I realized that as a reader of plenty of adult fiction, I already do read some contemporary.
• Not all contemporary is sad or hard-to-read, right?

Today I have a special guest post. Misty from The Book Rat is pretty much one of my favorite blogging people. Misty hosts a weekly book chat over on her site, where she talks about different trends, genres, topics, characters etc and etc in books and it's a pretty awesome feature. She has a linky set up on her blog, so that if you participate in the chats, you can link up your post and bounce around to all the other awesome people.:) (And, you don't have to do it as a vlog either, it can be a normal post too. Whatever you are most comfortable with.:) in my blog TO BE TAKEN TO HER LINKY POST!:)

I asked Misty if she'd be interested in guest posting for me for Just Contemporary, even though she isn't a huge Contemporary reader and she suggested giving me this weeks Book Chat. That makes her awesome!

The topic this week is Favorite Contemporary Reads and it's AWESOME. (Oh ya, and she starts with Jellicoe Road, which I love and it was totally me that 'made' her read it... I win.)

And, if you want to participate in the chat next week, the topic is going to be Most anticipated Contemporary reads!! How awesome is that?!

Oh I love them all!! Seriously — Those are some legitimately amazing books! Everyone watching this should most definitely go out and read them all!!:)

Today's guest post is from one of my favorite author people. Lisa Schroeder is seriously one of the nicest authors I've ever spoken to and the fact that I love her writing just makes it all better. She was one of the first authors I thought about when thinking about who to invite for Just Contemporary and I was thrilled when she said yes! So here are her thoughts on Contemporary fiction, why she reads it, and why she writes it.

Why Contemporary:
If you were to ask me my favorite authors, most of them would be contemporary authors. John Green, Sara Zarr, Stephanie Perkins, Sonya Sones, and more. Of course, I love other genres too. Laini Taylor is one of the best authors of our time, and I will read everything she writes because she takes me to amazing places I didn't even know I wanted to go.
But why contemporary? Why am I primarily drawn to the stories about real people dealing with real issues?
I think it's because life can be hard. Like, really freaking hard. And usually, in a contemporary YA novel, we find a character who is struggling with something. And I love watching them go through whatever painful thing it is they're going through, and coming out the other side okay. Maybe even better than okay.
From a young age, I learned life doesn't always go the way you want it to go. People hurt you. People leave you. People tell you one thing, and do another. Contemporary fiction reminds us we aren't alone in dealing with the crap life hands us. Not only that, it shows us that it's possible to make it through, despite the fear and pain and sadness.
My YA novels are very much about teens who have had something bad happen to them.
In I Heart You, You Haunt Me, Ava's boyfriend has been killed in a tragic accident. In Far From You, Alice's mom has died from cancer. In The Day Before, Amber has discovered the family she loves isn't her biological family, and now she has to go and live with people she's never even met.
I've been told my books make people cry. That is probably because life makes me cry. And so, what do I do with that pain? I put it into my stories. I put it there, for other people to experience along with me. But I do it with a purpose. Every character, at the end of my books, has hope.
Because you guys, for me, it's all about that wonderful, beautiful thing called hope.
Isn't it hope that keeps us going? The hope that things will get better. That the pain won't last forever. That a day will come when we look outside and we see more beauty than heartache.
Adult books don't always end on a hopeful note. But books for kids and teens pretty much always do.
That's why I love them. And that's why I'll keep writing them.
***
Lisa Schroeder is the author of numerous books for kids and teens, including her lastest YA novel The Day Before (Simon Pulse) and the MG novel Sprinkles and Secrets (Aladdin). She lives with her husband, two teenage sons, and the cutest pets you've ever seen just outside Portland, Oregon. You can visit her on the web at www.lisaschroederbooks.com.

Beautiful post Lisa! And SO well worded!! Guys!! Do you SEE why I love her?! I mean, really!:) And to further prove her awesome, Lisa has been generous to donate a signed copy of Far From You, one of her amazingly beautiful verse novels. Enter below! Ends December 10th US Only MUST leave a MEANINGFUL comment for Lisa, letting her know you read and appreciate her post.

Today is the first of a series of guest posts I asked some of my blogger friends to write for me about Contemporary and why it's awesome. This first one is actually written by my cousin (Ems of In Which Ems Reviews Books) , who has spent years and years telling me that she just didn't like Contemporary. I don't think it will take you long to see why I wanted Ems to write this post for me. (But I'll give you a hint, I am that little bird.:)

In Which Ems Reads Contemporary (and *shhhh* likes it)

In the past, I’ve shied away magnificently from anything contemporary that’s heavier than a Ramona book. I really had no urge whatsoever to read about suicide, cutting, alcoholism, drug abuse, bad relationships, etc. Because that’s what YA contemp was in my book. And besides, wasn't there enough of that in the real world? Why should I clutter my precious reading time with it? I’d stick with Beverly Cleary, thank you very much, when I wanted a dose of reality.

And then a little bird started talking to me *coughAshleycough* about how amazing and wonderful contemp was. I didn’t even bother trying to play along. Nah, I’d stick to my fabulous paranormal/fantasy/sci-fi and be perfectly happy with werewolf maulings, ghost hauntings, vampire bitings, etc. THAT was the reality I wanted in my reading life.

But this little bird WOULDN’T BE QUIET. Finally, in an attempt to, ahem, quiet this bird, I decided to read A contemp. That was going to be all. I picked up Dreamland by Sarah Dessen. And HAH! I was right!! Contemp was all about bad relationships and abuse. I’ve had bad relationships and NO THANK YOU. I definitely didn’t want to put the time in on those in literature. I didn’t like the book and thought I’d given contemp a shot, so I was happily going to be done with it FOREVER. (insert Sandlot ‘forevers’ here, because that’s totally how I was saying it in my mind. Maybe out loud too, but I’ll never admit to that.)

Well, then I was convinced to try one more book because after all, one book with a bad relationship wasn’t exactly a fair representation. So then I read The Truth About Forever, also by Sarah Dessen.

You guys.

I loved it. Seriously, truly loved it. Yes, there was drama. Yes, there were sad elements of real life. And yes, I loved it. It was SO well done. It examined these topics maturely and didn’t shy away from the dirty bits and try to gloss over them. I was floored. This was a contemp novel! I wasn’t supposed to like it even a little bit. I was sure it was an anomaly.

I was almost proven right too, when I read Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta, also on the suggestion of Ashley. I didn’t just dislike that book, I pretty much hated it. I couldn’t get into it and I couldn’t relate to a single thing (although, considering that I’m a huge paranormal fan, you wouldn’t think that would be a problem…). I just didn’t like it at all. I was convinced that TTAB was a fluke. Then I read Shine by Lauren Myracle and was blown away by it’s awesomeness.

(And speaking of Shine, can I just say that Ms. Myracle is a rock star and I’m so impressed by her graciousness in the light of the recent scandal?) Shine dealt with some seriously disturbing topics…hate crimes against gays, attempted murder, death, assault, rape, you name it and it’s pretty much there. And I couldn’t put it down.

Then I picked up If I Stay by Gayle Forman. Big mistake on my part, where I intended to lay contemp down into an early grave. I loved it even more than I loved TTAB, and then, I loved Where She Went even more than that. I even gave WSW an ‘incoherent’ rating on my blog, which is my highest honor. It’s reserved for books that are so good, they leave me feeling incoherent and unable to string a sentence together.

AND I GAVE IT TO A CONTEMP.

Where She Went was the first contemp to earn this honor, and you know what? I hope it’s not the last.

Yes, you heard that right. I am not giving up my newfound enjoyment of contemp. I’ve found that I actually really enjoy it, given the right book. I’m not a fan of all contemp, but I’m definitely a fan of more than I thought possible. I’ll keep reading the genre and find more books (hopefully) to add to my ‘incoherent’ shelf. I know they’re out there and I’m actually excited to plow through contemp in an effort to find them.

Surprised a bit? I know I was.

Hi.

My name is Ems, and I like contemp.

Author Janet Gurtler has helped us today get Jackson, one of the main secondary characters in her upcoming novel If I Tell, to stop by and answer some questions. He was genuinely one of my favorite characters in this book, so I was thrilled to get this chance to hear from him!

Jasmine is really shy and can be hard to talk to when you first meet her. What were your impressions or thoughts after that first time you spoke to her?

I had already noticed Jaz at school and knew she was shy. I thought it was amazingly cute how flustered she got when we spoke.

What do you think of Jasmine's decision not to tell her mom about what she saw? Do you
think it's right or okay to keep that kind of secret from someone?

It was her decision to make and she made it for the reasons she thought were right. I try not to judge. Secrets are hard. Sometimes they’re necessary. I believe that it’s okay to do things to protect the people you care about.

If you had the chance to meet Jasmine again for the first time, would you change anything
about that initial conversation? Would you do anything differently?

Nope. I’m pretty happy with the way things turned out, so why would I want to change anything and risk jinxing it!

If you were given the choice, would you pick to have your deepest wish come true? Or to beable to grant a wish for someone else?

Someone else.

What would your wish have been?

I would wish that my mom could have been a happier person. And that my grandma didn’t have to worry about me or money ever again in her life.

We know from reading the book that music is a huge part of your life, but what about reading? Any favorite books?

Books are cool. I have an eclectic taste in books. My favorite would have to be All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy.

Thanks so much for stopping by Jackson! It's been great to hear your thoughts!

Today's guest is Kelly, an author who I recently started chatting with some on Twitter. She's got a fun story to share about reading books that are way too old for your reading level!

Okay, this is so not Little House on the Prairie.

When I was bored as a kid, I read anything. The ingredients on the Count Chocula cereal box. (Sugar, corn syrup, chocolate.) Star magazine at the grocery store. (Fave: Stars Without Makeup.) I just read whatever was near.

I know you are smart ---because you are Ashley’s friends – so you know this is headed for a huge parental fail. (And no, Miss Nasty, it is not porn.)

So this woman moved in across the street from my family. She was young and had a baby and thought I might be a good babysitter until she realized I was only nine and just tall. But I couldn’t help noticing the floor-to-ceiling bookshelf in her living room. She caught me staring at it and told me I could borrow any book I wanted, anytime.

Any book. Any time. Yeah. This woman really needed a babysitter: She was issuing bribes to nine-year-olds.

So what made me choose what had to be the oldest, dustiest, least girly book on the shelf- — Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood? Sure it was a genius non-fiction account of a murder in a small town on a Kansas prairie, and I had just finished Little House on the Prairie. Coincidence? Capote wrote it with research help from Harper Lee, author of To Kill A Mockingbird. Some people even whispered that she wrote it for him, that’s how good reviewers thought it was.

But I learned that in college. That torn old cover didn’t have blurbs and stuff all over it like books do now. I remember choosing In Cold Blood because it was the thickest book on her shelf. I thought it would last the longest.

Oh please. I inhaled it. It was the most compelling book I had ever read. It scared the crap out of me, and I let it. I liked it.

So yeah, it was totally inappropriate and completely over my head and what was wrong with that neighbor– post-partum depression? Where was my freaking mother? Did she not vacuum under my bed?

But you don’t have to be an adult to know when you are in the grip of a good story. Your body will tell you. As you stay up late. As you keep running to the dictionary to look up words like “motivation” and “Death
Row.” As you fall asleep in your Count Chocola the next morning and dream not of counts or vampires, but of ropes and knives.

Why do we love books that scare us so much? Why do we love movies that make us cry? Why do we eat cereal full of chocolate and sugar?

I don’t know. But I think my neighbor did.

Kelly Simmons is the author of two novels from Simon & Schuster that are only a little scary: Standing Still and The Bird House. Her website & blog are at www.bykellysimmons.com. And she is grateful to have
cool twitter friends like Ashley.

Haha! That's ME!:) I'm a cool Twitter friend!:) If you want to experience some of the fun that is Kelly on Twitter, you can in my blog!

Read all about it: Why Ashley loves verse novels.

I'm a few days late with this, because life has been crazy, but a while ago, Alissa of The Grammarian's Reviews asked for people interested in guest posting on her blog and since I love having guest posts, and writing them can be a lot of fun, I was like — Dude! I'm all for that. And the two of us settled on a post about Why I LOVE verse novels since, well... I do.

So, I wrote this totally awesome post about it, and it is visible on her blog! I'd love it if you went and checke it out! Go see what I think of verse novels, why I think you should read them AND my top three recommendations for all those of you just waiting to be verse lovers too!:)

Today's Memory Monday guest is one of my favorite people to chat with! Katelyn is hilarious and fun and I always leave our conversations with a smile on my face. I'm so excited that she's my guest today, so let's show her lots of love!!

BIO

My name is Katelyn and I’m the crazy blogger behind Katelyn’s Blog (catchy title, huh?). When I’m not reading, my time is mostly taken up by my family (3 brother + 2 sisters + 3 dogs = LOTS of madness), college (hope to become a high school math/English teacher), and working (I’ve got to pay for my book/shoe/food addictions somehow).The only two things that keep sane during my crazy days are books and music. I love to read anything young adult but my heart beats a little stronger for contemporary fiction. I am a total fan-girl to Sarah Dessen, Melina Marchetta, Jennifer Echols, Simone Elkeles, We The Kings, Taylor Swift, and Augustana. You can always ask me for a book or music recommendations because I’m pretty awesome like that!

MEMORY POST

When Ashley first asked me if I wanted to do a Memory Monday post, I instantly said HECK YES! I love Ashley hard core so it was a no-brainer. However, when I got to thinking about what book-loving memory I would like to talk about, I drew a complete blank. My initial instinct was to make up a corny story of how my grandpa taught me to read (my grandpa teaching me to read is not made up but the books he used would have most likely been complete fibs because I can’t remember any of them! *insert sad Katelyn here*) but then my morals got the better of me and I decided to tell as much of a truthful memory as I could. I then proceeded to call up my best friend Kati. It was in the middle of dialing her number that I was struck with inspiration. Kati is my best friend. Kati loves to read much like myself. Kati and I have shared great memories with books. It was the biggest Ah-ha moment EVER!

Kati and I have been best friends since the sixth grade. That is nearly NINE years! Over the years we have shared a crazy amount of laughs, a few tears, and more than enough AWESOME memories to last a lifetime, and yes, many of those memories do stem around our book-loving nerdiness.

There have been many times where I’ve thrown books into Kati’s hands simply saying, “Read this now, you will love it,” and she has done the same for me. One book, or series in fact, is called The Secret Society Girl and it is written by an author I simply adore, Diana Peterfreund. Kati told me I would read the whole series within a few days, laugh my butt off, want to it be a movie, and then move to Hollywood because I’ll want to put my superb (HAHA!) acting skills to the test so I could play the main character, Amy. Well let me tell you, Kati couldn’t have been more right! This series is downright hilarious and I will recommend it time and time again to any person off the street.

In this series, we follow a young woman named Amy as she struggles through her last two years at a major university, Eli College. During the end of her senior year, Amy is “tapped” into a secret society that up until that point was an all male society. Throughout the course of the four book series, we see Amy as she tries to make it through her classes, her roles in the society, and her fair share of relationship issues. Amy’s outlook on life, her sense of humor, and the way she speaks her mind will have you rolling on the floor laughing. However, for Kati and I, this book has become so much more than just an enjoyable read, it has become a tradition for us!

Every year the two of us girls go on at least one trip together. A few years ago my family, along with Kati and I, went to Tennessee to stay in a log cabin. The year after that, Kati and I flew out to California to visit her aunt. Just this past spring, we took a trip to Myrtle Beach with Kati’s mom and her best friend. While all these trips were unique and special in their own way, there was one important constant between them and that is The Secret Society Girl series went wherever we went. Every time we would pack to leave for a trip we would make sure that Amy and all her society members were packed in the suitcase too. It always started off with Kati reading the first book while I read a different book I brought on the trip. After she was finished with the first book, she moved onto the second book while I started the first. By the end of our trip, we would both have the series read, and a whole slew of memories to remember years later.

Now when I re-read The Secret Society Girl series, I am reminded of all the fun times Kati and I shared on our trips together. I can think about the creepy caves we went to in Tennessee and our fun times at Dollywood. I remember nearly drowning TWICE in California and all of the great food we ate (yummmm!). And I can now look back on our trip to Myrtle Beach and think of the ducks we fed, the seagulls that tried to eat me, and the crazy sunburns we got in the most uncomfortable places.

During each trip, The Secret Society Girl series seemed almost like an afterthought but looking back now I can see that is not the case. By reading this book during each trip with Kati, I am able to easily recall all the awesome times we had together. Each time I read it I am reminded of something funny that happened, which with the two of us is quite frequent. I am reminded of just how lucky we are to be able to share so many amazing moments together. But most importantly I am also reminded of just how great my best friend is. (It is cheesy I know, but it is the truth!)

I’d like to thank Ashley for having me today! Let it be known that if Ashley were to live in Michigan with us, she would have no doubt been an exceedingly perfect addition to mine and Kati’s pack!

Katelyn, you are SO welcome! I loved this post and am once again reminded (that's what, 5 times now?) that I need to give this series a read! Thanks so much for sharing your crazy fun memories with us!:)

Today, I have J.L. Powers, author of This Thing Called the Future here to share with us to share the books her main character, Khosi would love. Who doesn't like talking about books right?! So here we go!

What books do my characters love?

In my recent novel, This Thing Called the Future, my main character Khosi is a fourteen year old citizen of South Africa, struggling with school, a boy she likes, and the conflict between her grandmother (who is a traditional Zulu) and her mother (who is very modern and wants Khosi to leave behind what she calls the “superstition of the old ways”). Khosi wants to please everybody in her life, but she also wants to be herself. At the beginning of the novel, the next-door neighbor accuses Khosi’s mother of stealing money; a witch
curses the family; and a drunk man with shape-shifting powers starts to stalk Khosi.

Khosi doesn’t have access to a lot of books, since her family struggles to survive and doesn't have extra money for books. And to be honest, she doesn't crack open a book during the entire novel. But she loves school and there is a library there. So what books would she check out and read in her spare time?

Khosi’s world is steeped in mystery and spiritual beings that talk to her, help her, and wreck havoc in her life. She would definitely be a fan of fantasy and would probably appreciate the Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien. Tolkien’s creation of evil beings, and the ability of goodness to stand up against evil power, would appeal to her. She would probably enjoy books by Janni Lee Simner. She would probably like the classic fantasy books by Madeleine L’Engle and would definitely identify with Nancy Farmer’s protagonist Nhamo in A Girl Named Disaster.

She would probably find the books by Gabriel Garcia Marqez to be set in a world that is familiar to her—the spiritual and the physical worlds meshed together, not kept distinct and separated the way they are in so many books written by American and European writers.

Khosi also loves loves loves science, so although it’s not sexy to say so, she would probably really like to read a biology textbook. Most of the herbal knowledge she will eventually learn and know will come to her through access to her ancestors, who have passed on to the other world, as well as from her mentor who ushers her into the secret knowledge of traditional healers. But still, she’d like a handbook on herbal lore, especially one that identified the herbs of South Africa. Perhaps she’d like Mad Apple by Christina Meldrum because of the plant and herbal lore in it.

And this might surprise people but, like many girls in South Africa today, she probably read the Twilight series and swooned over Jacob and Edward!

How fun! What a varied list!! Thanks so much for stopping by to share with us today J.L.!

Welcome to Robinson Wells today, author of Variant who is here to share with us some memories of the teenage years.:)

So, I’m not sure if I understand this correctly: If I was selling all of this stuff at a garage sale, that would mean that I don’t like it, right? If there was something I was selling as a teenager, then it wouldn’t matter much, so I’m going to change the rules: this isn’t a teenage garage sale; it’s a museum of my teenage years.

A collection of Supertramp CDs: No I’m not old enough that I was into Supertramp when they first came out (in the seventies), but for whatever reason I latched onto them as a teenager. I think it first was because of the kitsch of it—I mean, they have an album called “Breakfast In America”—but they started growing on me to the point where I owned all their albums and listened to them constantly. (I’m mostly over them now. Mostly.)

A fishing tackle box full of oil paints: Long before I ever thought about writing, my creative outlet was in the visual arts. My mom signed me up for an oil painting class when I was about eleven, and I really fell in love with it. (I don’t mean to brag, but I once took fourth place in the Utah State Fair. I’m kind of a big deal.) Sadly, writing has taken all my painting time away, and I haven’t done anything in years.

A road sign: In typical teenage fashion, my friends and I went through a phase when we would try to acquire (steal) the best signs we could find. We made a rule that we’d never do anything unsafe—no stealing STOP signs, or anything like that—but we got a lot of awesome ones. And, fortunately, one of our friends had a bus stop in front of his house, and we’d re-hang our stolen signs in front of his place: my favorite was a sign from the cemetery directing hearses toward the correct entrance. As you can imagine, my friend’s dad was not happy about this kind of thing.

A drafting table: In addition to painting, I briefly worked as a teenager drawing houses for real estate advertisements. I’m not great at drawing other things, but I can draw the heck out of a tract home.

My student government sweater: I think I ran for office every single year of junior high and high school, and never won, and then my senior year came around and I ran and lost AGAIN. But then they created a new position, held a special election, and I finally won! I was the Assembly Coordinator, which was a horrible job that I never would have taken had I not so desperately wanted to be in student government.

A 1972 Chevy Impala: This was my first car (and, since you don’t know how old I am, it was more than twenty years old when I had it). My dad bought it from someone for $300, and it ran about as well as you’d expect for a $300 car. The main benefit of the car was that it was indestructible—it was made of solid steel. More than once, as I was backing into the driveway, I hit the concrete side stairs and heard horrible scraping only to jump out and see the car was completely unscathed—not even a scratch in the paint.

Playbills from numerous shows: I came from a singing and dancing family, and we (all of us, Mom and Dad included) ended up heavily involved in community theater. Although I did my share of acting and singing (I could NEVER figure out how to dance), I ended up falling in love with the backstage stuff, and eventually worked for years doing set design.

How fun! I come from a theater family too! I love that you guys all got involved together. I can't tell you how many times I get that look when family members ask me why I'm not involved with a show.: P Thanks so much for stopping by today!!

Hey everyone! I have another guest post on Danya's blog for Psychtember!

Come check out what I thought of Sisters in Sanity by Gayle Forman!

I'm SO sorry! This was supposed to post on Friday, but apparently blogger's scheduling has failed me.: ( So, a few days late, here is a fun This or That questionnaire with the author of My Beating Teenage Heart (among with several others).

Spring or Fall

Spring because it means there are months and months of warm weather ahead of me whereas during fall I find it impossible forget winter’s right around the corner. My absolute favourite month is May.

Past or Future

Past. Not that I prefer it because who can say what the future will bring but I do tend to get very nostalgic about certain periods in my past, especially my years in Dublin in the 90s.

Marvel or DC Comics

I read more graphic novels than comic books and am a bigger fan of Drawn and Quarterly, Slave Labor and Fantagraphics than either Marvel or DC.

Legos or Lincoln Logs

We always had Lego at my house growing up so I have to go with them. I wasn’t sure what Lincoln logs were and Googled them and they look really cool too. I don’t know why I never had any of those!

Detailed planning or spontaneous decisions

Detailed planning, for sure. You should see all the research print-outs I amass when going on holiday.

Turkey or Ham

Turkey. I could practically have it every day for a week without getting tired of it. I don’t like ham but crispy bacon is yummy.

Sweet or Salty

Salty. I’m a potato chip fiend. I discovered Pop chips not long ago (they pop their chips rather than frying them so they’re healthier) and they’re amazing. When I was young I sometimes used to eat Oxo (bouillon) cubes on their own because I was crazy for the salt. Kinda gross, I know.

Ocean or Mountains

Ideally both like in Vancouver but if I had to choose I love being near the water so have to vote for ocean.

Hardcover or Paperback

Paperbacks because they’re lighter and more portable, though I’m not a fan of e-books (which are the ultimate in portability). I prefer reading a physical copy of a book, even if it’s one I borrowed from the library.

Truth or Dare

Truth, because I’m a chicken!

M&Ms — Peanut or Peanut Butter

Peanut butter. And now I’m craving some!

A one room library or Books in every room in your house

Ideally I’d prefer a library but since our apartment is small right now it’s more like books in every room.

Gum or Breath Mint

When I’m over in Ireland or England I go mental for spearmint Polo mints but normally I prefer a long lasting gum like Excel sweet mint.

Painting or Photograph

I like both a lot but I’m better at taking photos, when it comes to painting I’m purely a spectator.

Uncertain theory or Absolute fact

The detailed planner in me is drawn to absolute fact but my curious mind is pulled in the direction of uncertain theory. Ultimately curiosity wins here, I’m going with uncertain theory.

Thank you SO much for stopping by today! I seriously love your answers!:) PB M&Ms ftw dude, FTW!!

I have another Guest Review up on Danya's awesome blog! Go check out what I thought about Mockingbird by Katherine Erskine!

So head on over and check it out!!:)

Today's Memory Monday guest is Kate, who recently had her 1 year Blogversary over on her blog, Literary Explorations. We were initially going to swap guest posts and have them go live on the same day, but life gets crazy sometimes.:) So, here is a link to the guest post I wrote for her, about the amazingness that is Contemporary Fiction, and here is Kate, talking about one of her favorite books from childhood. And what do you know, it just so happens that this, is a book that's been banned/challenged numerous times over the years. Let's hear it for celebrating Banned Books Week!:)

Bio:

I'm Kate and I am currently working on my Master's degree in Middle Childhood Education. My favorite genres are historical and realistic fiction. Philippa Gregory, Sandra Gulland and Lauren Willig are just a few of my favorite authors. When I'm not reading or studying for class, I love watching classic films, discovering new wines, and swing-dancing.

Post:

I’ve always been an avid reader, but wasn’t often drawn to the classics. I felt forced to read them in school and even now I’m more likely to pick up the latest YA publication instead of a Jane Austen novel. Now I know there are some good classics out there and I have read my fair share of them, despite my initial hesitations. However most of the time I enjoyed the classics I stumbled on outside of class, the
only exception being To Kill A Mockingbird in 10th grade since I loved Gregory Peck’s role in the movie. Unfortunately this post is not about that novel, although it would have been very appropriate for Banned Books Week. Instead I’ll discuss the book that counted towards all my personal reading requirements in 8th grade English class, Gone With the Wind.

On a whim, I checked out this ginormous book from the library and had all 1,024 pages of it read within a few weeks. I can’t remember if I read the book first or saw the movie, but all I know is that it forever shaped my impression of what a historical novel should be. Rhett and Scarlett are still one of my favorite literary couples and I liked how the novel ended. I was horrified when the sequel Scarlett was published
because it just ruined a perfectly good story for me. The book has to end when Rhett says he doesn’t give a damn because that makes sense. Scarlett realized too late that she was in love with Rhett instead of Ashley and shouldn’t get a second chance to be with him in a sequel. I’m surprised that Margaret Mitchell’s estate
signed off on another book but I guess they just wanted the money from the book sales. Whenever I see Scarlett in stores I can’t help but point it out to whoever is with me just because it’s that horrible of a novel.

Even though the movie is 4 hours long, it still is a very condensed version of the novel. Rhett and Scarlett are the main focus and although it takes place during the Civil War, it’s more of a romantic drama than a war movie. If you’re looking for an accurate portrayal of the war, you won’t find it in Gone with the Wind. I signed up for a Civil War History class this quarter and so far neither Rhett nor Scarlett have shown up. In fact we have yet to study the actual war and it’s been three weeks, but that’s another story.

Gone with the Wind taught me a limited history of the Civil War, but most importantly I learned not to disregard certain books just because they were older and contained a ridiculous number of pages. The classics can be ok reads, but I still can’t help being picky about which ones I’ll give a chance. Since blogging I haven’t picked up any classic novels to read but I did buy a 1936 edition of Gone With the Wind at a used bookstore that I plan on re-reading and reviewing. I might even do a book to film comparison since I haven’t posted one in awhile and need to re-watch my Collectors Edition for my research paper about how the Civil War is portrayed through film.

Thank you so much Kate. I admit that I've never read Gone with the Wind, or seen all of the movie (although I have seen most of it). I started the book when I was around 12, and was shocked to read that Scarlet wasn't actually pretty, because I thought the actress in the movie was gorgeous! It's definitely a book that I've been meaning to actually read for a long time! Hopefully I'll be able to sneak it in soon!

Hey all! I have another guest post going up today over at A Tapestry of Words! Today, I'm sharing my thoughts on Blood Wounds by Susan Beth Pfeffer. And let me tell you, I've got some strong thoughts on this one...

So, head on over to Danya's blog and check out the review! Let me know what you think! This is one I'd love to see some feedback on, because I'd love to see who else agrees with me, and who thinks I'm completely off base. (Note, right now, the link will take you to Danya's blog, since I'll be at work. But it should be updated with a direct link after I get home)