Below are the most recent 25 friends' journal entries.

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Friday, January 8th, 2010
slayground	8:05a	Poetry Friday: As if some little Arctic flower by Emily Dickinson As if some little Arctic flower, Upon the polar hem, Went wandering down the latitudes, Until it puzzled came To continents of summer, To firmaments of sun, To strange, bright crowds of flowers, And birds of foreign tongue! I say, as if this little flower To Eden wandered in- What then? Why, nothing, only Your inference therefrom! - Emily Dickinson View all posts tagged as Emily Dickinson at Bildungsroman. View all posts tagged as Poetry Friday at Bildungsroman. Consult the Poetry Friday roundup schedule at Big A, little a. Learn more about Poetry Friday. Current Mood: thirsty Current Music: Edge of the Ocean by Ivy (Comment on this)
badlydrawnjeff	7:30a	Video of the Day, Possibly NSFW Edition Absolutely PG-13, but still. (Comment on this)
badlydrawnjeff	3:01a	Tweets I Have Known... 07:56 I think I'm likely to sleep until 3pm on Saturday at this rate. # 16:33 RT @amazonmp3 1/7 Daily Deal: Manchester Orchestra's Mean Everything to Nothing. $2.99 today: bit.ly/4xSWmg <-solid album, grab this. # 21:14 explained the internet to people tonight. # 21:57 I am furious at Google Sync/Blackberry right now. Sync my calendar! Do it! Sync the calendar! SYNC IT. # Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter (Comment on this)
Thursday, January 7th, 2010
badlydrawnjeff	4:47p	30 Day Meme: Day 7 Day 7: A Photo That Makes You Happy This was a no-brainer for me: No image better captures our wedding day, or our relationship in a nutshell, more than this picture does. Ann & I have a fun relationship, and this picture reminds me of how lucky I was to find Ann. Y'all should be so lucky. Of course, this picture also makes me happy, but for completely unrelated reasons: ( 30 Day Meme ) (6 Comments |Comment on this)
bethanygriffin	3:49p	SNOW DAY!!!!!!!!!!! Next week I'm getting back to posting about writing and about being an anthropologist in teenworld and all that. This week, I'm totally inundated with stuff that I have to do. How do you get out from a mountain of to do lists? You get a snow day!!!!! And that's what happened today. Exactly what I needed. And one last shot...the obligatory me taking a picture of the cat through the window shot And you know what? It's COLD out there. We could be out again tomorrow. Current Mood: thankful Current Music: the falling of snowflakes outside my window. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
seaheidi	8:16a	Author Chat with The Secret Year's Jennifer R. Hubbard I'm thrilled to have fellow 10_ers Jennifer R. Hubbard of Author Chat this morning. I devoured her dark and lovely debut The Secret Year last month and needed to find out more. So here goes! What is the basic premise of THE SECRET YEAR? After his secret girlfriend's death, seventeen-year-old Colt finds the notebook she left behind, but he is unprepared for the truths he discovers about their intense relationship. I've had the good fortune of reading this book and was amazed how well you (a woman) wrote your MC's voice (a teenaged boy.) It was totally believable and consistent. Did you grow up with brothers? Otherwise, how...? I grew up reading the work of male as well as female writers, having male friends and teachers and co-workers and boyfriends. I have a father, a husband, and a stepson. So a male narrator’s voice doesn’t seem that foreign to me. Also, I don’t think of “male” and “female” as rigid roles with mutually exclusive experiences and characteristics. There is a whole spectrum of male experience and a whole spectrum of female experience, and the spectra overlap. I love the whole "wrong side of the tracks" concept--I'd always been drawn to stories like that (The Outsiders/West Side Story etc.) I assume you have too? The characters in The Secret Year are certainly familiar with that storyline and those roles, and they play up their differences to enhance the excitement of their relationship. They deliberately exaggerate the divide, making a sort of game out of it—but at the same time, they deceive themselves about what effect it really has on them. And that comes back to bite them, I think. Did you grow up in a small town where there was such a rich/poor divide? How did that help you write this book? All my life, I’ve observed the transition of farmlands to suburbs. I’ve seen small towns that were traditionally centered around industries such as mines or quarries or mills, but where the industries have faded and wealthier people are now building homes or second homes. Seeing these transitions, and seeing such vast differences between the older and newer homes in such places, gave me the idea for the setting of The Secret Year. Did you journal as a teen? Sporadically. I could never keep it up regularly—I was more interested in fiction. If you could cast this movie with current actors, who would you choose? I’m not up on current actors at all. I see very few movies, and I don’t watch much TV, because I’d rather spend the time reading or writing. (Author note: Because I like Jenn so much I'm going to forgive her this flaw ;) ) If you could live on a desert island with ANY character from YA, who would you pick and why? Hmm ... I’m torn between looking to the dystopian/survival novels for characters who would know how to fish and crack open coconuts, and humorous novels for someone who could keep me entertained. I might go with Connor from Neal Shusterman’s Unwind, because he learned how to live in many different environments, and he grew up a lot over the course of the book. Who are some of your favorite authors? In YA right now, I like Sara Zarr, Brent Hartinger, Laurie Halse Anderson, and Neal Shusterman, among many many others. What is up next for you? I plan to stay with realistic, contemporary YA novels for the foreseeable future. I can’t name specific projects yet. Where can my readers find out more about you and most importantly buy this awesome book? My website is http://www.jenniferhubbard.com/ and my blog is at http://writerjenn.livejournal.com/; I have a blog post that gives all the ordering information for The Secret Year at http://writerjenn.livejournal.com/112201.html. Thanks! Thank you, Jenn! Best of luck with your novel! Check out the FIVE star review here too: http://www.thestorysiren.com/2010/01/secret-year-by-jennifer-hubbard.html Folks: She's running a contest with a giveaway on her blog now, so run! Also, forgive me for referring to you as "folks." Haven't head my coffee yet. :) (9 Comments |Comment on this)
badlydrawnjeff	7:49a	Video of the Day (2 Comments |Comment on this)
badlydrawnjeff	3:01a	Tweets I Have Known... 17:02 On the way to Watertown for Mage so my character can be on his way to Transylvania. #fb # Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter (Comment on this)
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010
seaheidi	11:19a	Book Birthdays Galore! Just a sampling of the Tenners out this week 10_ers For a fantastic interview with Irene head over to the Elevensies http://community.livejournal.com/2011debuts/31061.html And non-Tenners, but awesome authors: And coming tomorrow an interview with fellow Tenner and author of this fantastic book: Whew. Did I forget anybody? If so, apologies and congrats to you too! In other news, I'm announcing the WINNER OF THE UK VERSION OF BEAUTIFUL CREATURES that I have in my hot little hands on Friday! The winner also receives a whole slew of awesome swag courtesy of the authors, so stay tuned! (5 Comments |Comment on this)
badlydrawnjeff	12:57p	Video of the Day, Midday Edition (1 Comment |Comment on this)
slayground	7:41a	Readergirlz Chat with Beth Kephart Tonight! Beth Kephart will be chatting live at the readergirlz blog TONIGHT, Wednesday, January 6th. The chat will begin at 6 PM PST/9 PM EST and last for about an hour. Please join us in thanking Beth for her work as our first ever readergirlz author-in-residence! Current Mood: thirsty Current Music: Grateful by Marla Sokoloff (2 Comments |Comment on this)
badlydrawnjeff	7:28a	30 Day Meme: Day 6 (Book/Movie Update) Since today is "whatever tickles my fancy," I'll do my overdue book/movie update: Books: Ayn Rand and the World She Made - Anne C. Heller: While I read Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead back in college and appreciated them more for the ideas than the writing, I never knew much about the person who wrote them. This is a book that attempts to fill that gap and while the author clearly holds no love for the subject, the idea that Ayn Rand was actually quite a horrid human being is something that I pulled from this, and that wasn't really what I was epxecting. I knew, at this point, that she was eccentric and polarizing, but yikes. I plan to read the other biography that came out about Rand soon, but yikes. Boneshaker - Cherie Priest: Zombie steampunk with airships! A great concept with a fun story that wasn't quite written in a way that engaged me in any significant way. I can recommend it, but not before a lot of other stuff. How I Became Stupid - Martin Page: It's like a sitcom in book form with multiple episodes that are hit or miss. Rose Sees Red - Cecil Castelluci: I got in on an ARC rotation she put up in her blog (I think) and it's really probably her best work yet. I've always liked, but never loved, her books, but this was one I can firmly get behind as a fun look at kids during the Cold War. Very, very fun, and very interesting. The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks - Max Brooks: I figured this would be an unnecessary expansion of his already-perfect World War Z, but it turns out that this was a great zombie graphic novel that puts zombies in the middle of major historical events. Better than you think. Religious Literacy - Stephen Prothero: I'm more religiously literate than I thought. This is a book that should be given to every adult of voting age, though. The title says it all, and I still learned something even though a lot of this was rehash for me. Alphabet Soup - Roy Blount Jr: Think AJ Jacobs's tour through the encyclopedia, but with an NPR commentator's appreciation for the English language and a dictionary. It was fun, but a little too pretentious at times. Movies: Sherlock Holmes: I'm sure there could be a lot to quibble about regarding its accuracy to the classic Holmes, or the story itself. I'll say this much - it felt like a Guy Ritchie movie with a budget, and it was an enjoyable romp, especially for a mainstream blockbuster-type film. I really enjoyed it, and I think it's worth everyone seeing. Up in the Air: That Jason Reitman's worst movie to this point is still better than most people's best movie says a lot. Best picture of 2009? Doubtful, but some great performances and what was really just a pitch-perfect, unpredictable couple of hours. See this. ( 30 Day Meme ) (2 Comments |Comment on this)
badlydrawnjeff	3:01a	Tweets I Have Known... 07:54 Tuesday. That is all. # 17:40 Currently drooling over the Nexus One Google phone. The delay onto Verizon will help quell my tech lust, though... # 18:02 Oh geez: Best unintentionally funny parody ever: the Westboro Baptist Church does Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" goo.gl/aeRk # 20:08 So, Brown within 9 of Coakley and she can only afford $260k in ads? I'm trying *so* hard to keep my expectations low right now... #masen # 22:24 It figures that I make it to the final boss in Dragon Age at 10pm on a work night when I won't get to play again until maybe Friday. Sigh. # Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter (Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 5th, 2010
badlydrawnjeff	8:18p	30 Day Meme: Day 5 Day 5: Your Favorite Quote: "The surest way to make a monkey of a man is to quote him" - Robert Benchley One thing I'm not a big fan of these days are inspirational quotes or quotes that mean something, creeds to live by, etc. Don't get me wrong - I love quotes when they explain something, or can be applied to a current situation or event, as some on my userinfo do or as I have used them in the past. But I ultimately feel that quotes are, too often, used by people in ways that really aren't great, or (perhaps more to the point) distort the intent. I could be doing that right now, who knows. But anyway, the Benchley quote above is, by far, my favorite quote. It so succinctly lampoons the concept of those sorts of quotes to begin with, it (for me) perfectly encapsulates Benchley's attitude and sense of humor, and serves as a great introduction to a man who is becoming too forgotten in modern times. Of all the things Chelsea has done for me over the years, introducing me to the work of Benchley has been one that's paid dividends over the years. If you can grab one of his collections, do so - you won't be sorry. ( 30 Day Meme ) (Comment on this)
carriejones	2:42p	CAPTIVATE RELEASE BOOK BIRTHDAY VIDEO  Today is my book's official birthday! Happy birthday book, you pretty much killed me but I am so glad you are here even if you did (ahem) go a little crazy. *Note my voice is NOT as dorky as it sounds in these videos I swear. Something strange happens.  (48 Comments |Comment on this)
badlydrawnjeff	7:37a	Video of the Day (2 Comments |Comment on this)
badlydrawnjeff	3:01a	Tweets I Have Known... 07:54 I've had more ridiculously vivid dreams in the last week than I've had in months, if not years. Very strange. # 21:39 RT @CenterOfMassPod: Episode 8 is released! bit.ly/7P8lKR <---I contributed to this! It's a good atheist/humanist podcast! Listen! # Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter (Comment on this)
Monday, January 4th, 2010
slayground	7:48p	Beth Kephart readergirlz chat on Wednesday Beth Kephart will be chatting live at the readergirlz blog Wednesday, January 6th. The chat will begin at 6 PM PST/9 PM EST and last for about an hour. Please join us in thanking Beth for her work as our first ever readergirlz author-in-residence! Current Mood: thirsty Current Music: Golden Boy score music (2 Comments |Comment on this)
jenlyn_b	10:26p	My Family, in Action This is the last week of my winter break, and I'm having some quality times at home with my family. For example, consider the following scene, starring my older brother. SCENE: Older brother (known as DOCTOR BROTHER, since he just got his PhD) and I are trying out Super Mario Brothers on the Wii. Me: Wow, I can't believe this! It's just like Super Mario 3, except we can both play at the same time. Doctor Brother: Try to go down that pipe. Me: *gets eaten by pipe-pant and dies* Me: You see what you just happened? You did that. It is ALL YOUR FAULT. Doctor Brother: I am overcome with shame. Only not really. Me: *appears in a magical bubble over Doctor Brother's head in the game.* Pop me! Pop me! Doctor Brother: *pop* Me: *falls in lava* Doctor Brother: *dies laughing* Hey, this is fun. Me: YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE! Doctor Brother: Quiet, or next time, I'll leave you in the bubble. *Doctor Brother and I both acquire a Yoshi to ride around on. His is green. Mine is yellow. He loses his yoshi.* Me: Ha! Now you don't have a Yoshi, and I do. I have a pretty, pretty yellow yoshi. I love that he's yellow. He's a girl yoshi. Doctor Brother: *hits a block, and out pops a Yoshi egg. It is pink.* Me: OHMIGOSH! Is that a PINK Yoshi? *Pink Yoshi hatches* Me: *dives off of yellow Yoshi, abandoning him forever* Hello, Pink Yoshi! You are my FAVORITE THING EVER. Doctor Brother: *getting on yellow Yoshi* You are totally ruining this game. You know that, right? END SCENE Or alternatively, take the following scene, which happened at a sandwich shop tonight. SCENE: My MOM, DAD, and I are eating at our favorite sandwich shop. We are the only ones in the store. Halfway through dinner, someone else walks in- both parents notice, but being a teensy bit oblivious, I do not. Dad: Say, Jennifer, would you mind getting me a refill of Coke Zero? Me: Sure, no problem. *walks directly by the other occupant of the restaurant on the way to get a refill, but does not notice his existence.* Dad and Mom: Whisper, whisper, whisper. Me: Here's your Coke, Dad. Hey, what are you two whispering about? Mom and Dad (in unison): Nothing. FIVE MINUTES LATER Mom: Could you get me some more water? Me: Gee, you guys sure are thirsty tonight. *goes to get refill, comes back to more whispering.* TWO MINUTES LATER Dad: Could you go get me a To Go box? Me: Sure, no problem, Daddy. *goes to get To Go box* Mom and Dad: Riotous Laughter. Me:*comes back with box* What's so funny? Are you guys making fun of me? Dad: No, we're not making fun of you. But we are doing something to you and you won't be happy about it when you figure it out. Me: What? Dad: Never mind. THIRTY SECONDS LATER Mom: Here, could you go throw this away? Me: Sure. *goes to throw our trash away; accidentally drops an empty bag of chips halfway there* Extremely Hot Guy, About My Age: *bends down to pick up chips, hands them to me and smiles.* Me: *smiles back, a little bit dizzy from HOTNESS* *realizes that my parents have been parading me back and forth in front of this guy all night, and I never even realized he was there, even though he was the only other person in the restaurant* *sits back down* Me: I think I know why you're laughing at me. Mom: You realize, of course, that we're never, ever going to believe you again when you claim there's no one to date at school. Me: *glances back at super hot and also very polite guy who smiles at me again* Fair enough. END SCENE (8 Comments |Comment on this)
badlydrawnjeff	4:42p	30 Day Meme: Day 4 Day 4: Your Favorite Book: Asking a former librarian what his favorite book is sounds a lot like asking a parent who his/her favorite child is, or something. There's no way I can narrow it down to just one, so I'm just going to narrow it down to certain types: Favorite Adult Fiction Book: Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert Heinlein: I understand that it's somewhat dated these days, and the social mores that were prevalent at the time of its writing can turn than a few people off, but the impact this book had on me was pretty seismic at the time, and it's often my go-to book for a lot of people. Now that I think about it, I'm long overdue for a re-read of this one... Favorite Adult Nonfiction Book: The Vision of the Anointed, Thomas Sowell: No book has done more in terms of honing my political ideological affiliations, and no book has taught me more about the political landscape. It's still ridiculously relevant nearly 15 years after its initial publication. Sowell's getting up there in years, and I'd hope he'd update the book just to show how relevant it remains. Indispensable. Favorite young adult/chapter book: Stargirl, Jerry Spinelli: How important is this book to me? 1) One Christmas, everyone who received a Christmas present from me had a copy of this book to go along with it. 2) When I become Supreme Dictator of the Universe, every 12 year old boy will receive a copy of this and be forced to read it, as this is the book I needed and didn't have going into my middle/high school years. Favorite children's picture book: Arnie the Doughnut, Laurie Keller: The one thing I can say about this book is that it's fun the way children's books should be fun. The story of a doughnut that wants to be something more tickles my fancy, and his innocence and charm never fails to crack me up even today. I love this book, and you should, too. ( 30 Day Meme ) (3 Comments |Comment on this)
seaheidi	1:38p	The Vespertine Young Adult SHADOWED SUMMER author Saundra Mitchell’s THE VESPERTINE, a new take on Gothic romance about a Gilded-Age girl who stirs forbidden desires and long-hidden secrets with her new gift of prophecy- power she may share with an intriguing boy who seems to come and go with the mists, to Julie Tibbott at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s, by Sara Crowe at Harvey Klinger (world). I've read the first half of this dreamy, gothic masterpiece and I have to say I'm a MASSIVE fan. Saundra is one of the best writers around and I'm thrilled for her and The Vespertine! What a Welcome to 2010 gift! Go congratulate Saundra yourself whydontcha? http://saundramitchell.com/blog/ Current Mood: excited (2 Comments |Comment on this)
carriejones	12:21p	NERVES!  I always imagined that when I graduated college I would be: 1. A much calmer person 2. The type of person who NEVER puts her sweater on inside-out and backwards  Look! These people bought something that is actually like wearing a long, backwards sweater. Maybe I'm actually a trendsetter.... must ponder. But that magical change hasn't happened. I still mess up with the sweater thing and I am still a nervous wreck a lot of the time. I'm writing about this because I am a nervous wreck right now. Why? 1. Grover is missing still! 2. CAPTIVATE is coming out officially tomorrow. No, it was not in the closet. It was in a warehouse or back room of a bookstore or something. And I am freaking out that nobody will buy it even though it was ranked 396 at the Barnes and Noble site last night. I have a friend who monitors this and tells me because I'm too chicken to look. Hi friend! *waves* That above remark was not meant to disparage chickens in any way.  3. I turned in the very first draft of the next book in the NEED series and my first drafts tend to stink so now I'm worried that my editor of awesome will think - why did I ever sign her on - how do i get her to write a whole new book without making her suicidal - why am I am editor - i quit - i quit!  And I really don't want to be responsible for someone's mental demise?  So, wish me luck, but only if you want to. That's not a demand or anything!  *Shirks away* (64 Comments |Comment on this)
badlydrawnjeff	7:37a	Video of the Day (4 Comments |Comment on this)
badlydrawnjeff	3:01a	Tweets I Have Known... 11:29 DUDE SNOW JUST STOP ALREADY SERIOUSLY. # 16:02 off to Fitchburg to record an edition of the Center of Mass Podcast (www.centerofmass.org) # 22:35 Podcasting was fun! Back to the grind tomorrow, though... # Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter (Comment on this)
Sunday, January 3rd, 2010
slayground	7:07p	Best Books of 2009 Please note that a title's placement within a category is not an indication of rank of any sort. I've merely listed the titles in the order in which they were read. Total Number of Books Read in 2009: 416 For All Ages Guardians of Being words by Eckhart Tolle, art by Patrick McDonnell Wag by Patrick McDonnell Picture Books and Early Readers Various Charlie & Lola titles by Lauren Child and others (example: We Are Extremely Very Good Recyclers based on characters created by Lauren Child and a script by Bridget Hurst) Amanda Pig, First Grader by Jean Van Leeuwen, illustrated by Ann Schweninger The Little Red Elf by Barbara Barbieri McGrath, illustrated by Rosalinde Bonnet The Frogs and Toads All Sang by Arnold Lobel, illustrated by Arnold Lobel and Adrianne Lobel Juvenile Fiction Life, Starring Me! by Robin Wasserman Positively by Courtney Sheinmel Also Known As Harper by Ann Haywood Leal Anything but Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin Umbrella Summer by Lisa Graff Standing for Socks by Elissa Brent Weissman The Sisters Club: Rule of Three by Megan McDonald Judy Moody & Stink: The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Treasure Hunt by Megan McDonald, illustrated by Peter Reynolds The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. by Kate Messner Any Which Wall by Laurel Snyder The Importance of Wings by Robin Friedman Operation Yes by Sara Lewis Holmes Teen Fiction The Waking: Spirits of the Noh by Thomas Randall Legacy by Tom Sniegoski North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley Ten Things I Hate About Me by Randa Abdel-Fattah Same Difference by Siobhan Vivian Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott Band Geeked Out by Josie Bloss Purge by Sarah Darer Littman A Map of the Known World by Lisa Ann Sandell The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott You Are Here by Jennifer E. Smith The Miles Between by Mary E. Pearson Because I Am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas It's Not You, It's Me by Kerry Cohen Hoffmann Mare's War by Tanita S. Davis The Sweet Life of Stella Madison by Lara M. Zeises Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen Girl to the Core by Stacey Goldblatt The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams If I Stay by Gayle Forman Nothing but Ghosts by Beth Kephart Sleepaway Girls by Jen Calonita Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles The Indigo Notebook by Laura Resau Riding The Universe by Gaby Triana Hold Still by Nina LaCour Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern Peace, Love & Baby Ducks by Lauren Myracle Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr Fat Cat by Robin Brande Adult Fiction The Map of Moments by Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon Dancing on the Head of a Pin by Thomas E. Sniegoski Graphic Novels Babymouse: The Musical by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm The Storm in the Barn by Matt Phelan Knights of the Lunch Table #2: The Dragon Players by Frank Cammuso Black is for Beginnings by Laurie Stolarz, adapted by Barbara Randall Kesel, artwork by Janina Görrissen Wonderland by Tommy Kovac, illustrated by Sonny Liew (after portions were previously released as separate issues, I believe this was the first time the issues were bound together and released as a graphic novel) Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, retold by Martin Powell, illustrated by Daniel Perez Promising Starts to New Series - Juvenile Fiction Sassy: Little Sister is NOT My Name! by Sharon Draper Promising Starts to New Series - Teen Fiction The Waking: Spirits of the Noh by Thomas Randall The Indigo Notebook by Laura Resau Paisley Hanover Acts Out by Cameron Tuttle Sequels or Continuing Series - Juvenile Fiction From the Life Of Willa Havisham: Forget Me Not by Coleen Murtagh Paratore Julia Gillian (and the Quest for Joy) by Alison McGhee, with art by Drazen Kozjan Girls Acting Catty by Leslie Margolis (sequel to Boys Are Dogs) The Sisters Club: Rule of Three by Megan McDonald Judy Moody & Stink: The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Treasure Hunt by Megan McDonald, illustrated by Peter Reynolds Sequels or Continuing Series - Teen Fiction Goddess Boot Camp by Tera Lynn Childs (sequel to Oh. My. Gods.) Highway to H#!! by Rosemary Clement-Moore (third Maggie Quinn: Girl vs. Evil novel) Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter (third Gallagher Girls novel) The Treasure Map of Boys by E. Lockhart (third Ruby Oliver novel) Paparazzi Princess by Jen Calonita (fourth Secrets of My Hollywood Life novel) Crashed by Robin Wasserman (second in a trilogy) Sequels or Continuing Series - Adult Fiction The Map of Moments by Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon (the second novel of The Hidden Cities) Dancing on the Head of a Pin by Thomas E. Sniegoski (the second Remy Chandler novel) Notable Debuts Standing for Socks by Elissa Brent Weissman Because I Am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas Shine, Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger Breathing by Cheryl Renée Herbsman Skunk Girl by Sheba Karim Hold Still by Nina LaCour The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg Notable Second or Third Releases North of Beautiful by Justina Chen-Headley Ten Things I Hate About Me by Randa Abdel-Fattah Same Difference by Siobhan Vivian Band Geeked Out by Josie Bloss Broken by Alyxandra Harvey-Fitzhenry You Are Here by Jennifer E. Smith Goddess Boot Camp by Tera Lynn Childs Positively by Courtney Sheinmel Girl to the Core by Stacey Goldblatt Fat Cat by Robin Brande Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles Any Which Wall by Laurel Snyder Operation Yes by Sara Lewis Holmes New Territory - authors writing for new audiences The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han (teen fiction) Camille McPhee Fell Under the Bus by Kristen Tracy (juvenile fiction) Life, Starring Me! by Robin Wasserman (juvenile fiction; her previous novels for young readers had a sci-fi/action-adventure touch, while this book was realistic fiction) Notable Illustrations The Mutts books written and illustrated by Patrick McDonnell The Judy Moody & Stink books illustrated by Peter Reynolds, written by Megan McDonald (juvenile fiction) So Punk Rock (and Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother) by Micol Ostow, with art by David Ostow (teen fiction) Craft and How-To Books Paper Fashions: Fantasy by the editors of Klutz Adventures in Cartooning: How to Turn Your Doodles Into Comics by James Sturm, Andrew Arnold, Alexis Frederick-Frost All of the titles listed above were released in 2009. Below are the best backlist titles I read in 2009, meaning they were released prior to 2009. Backlist Picks Peg Leg Peke by Brie Spangler (picture book) The New Girl...and Me by Jacqui Robbins, illustrated by Matt Phelan (picture book) The Disney Bunnies books written by Laura Driscoll, illustrated by (but not limited to) Lori Tyminski, Giorgio Vallorani, Valeria Turati, Maria Elena Naggi & Charles Pickens (picture books) The Chaos King by Laura Ruby (juvenile fiction) Lulu Atlantis and the Quest for True Blue Love by Patricia Martin (juvenile fiction) The President's Daughter by Ellen Emerson White (teen fiction) The Kingdom of Strange by Shula Klinger (teen fiction) The Good Girl by Kerry Cohen Hoffmann (teen fiction) Red Glass by Laura Resau (teen fiction) Who Will Tell My Brother? by Marlene Carvell (teen fiction) Coraline, illustrated by P. Craig Russell, based on the novel by Neil Gaiman (graphic novel; I read the original novel when it first came out, years ago) Janes in Love by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg (graphic novel) Cool Jewels: Beading Projects for Teens by Naomi Fujimoto (non-fiction) National Geographic: How to Be an Egyptian Princess by Jacqueline Morley, illustrated by Nicholas J. Hewetson (non-fiction) Math Doesn't Suck: How to Survive Middle School Math Without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nail by Danica McKellar, illustrated by Mary Lynn Blasutta (non-fiction) Kiss My Math: Showing Pre-Algebra Who's Boss by Danica McKellar (non-fiction) The Complete Professional Audition: A Commonsense Guide To Auditioning For Musicals and Plays by Darren R. Cohen with Michael Perilstein, Foreword by Jason Robert Brown (non-fiction) In Their Shoes: Extraordinary Women Describe Their Amazing Careers by Deborah Reber (non-fiction) I also read various titles in 2009 which won't be released until 2010. Here are the best of them: Advance Picks Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers (teen fiction, coming out January 2010) The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place #1: The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood, illustrated by Jon Klassen (juvenile fiction, coming out February 2010) In a Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth (teen fiction, coming out February 2010) After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick (teen fiction, coming out February 2010) The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott (teen fiction, coming out April 2010) Cinderella Cleaners #1: Change of a Dress by Maya Gold (juvenile fiction, coming out April 2010) The Waking: Spirits of the Noh by Thomas Randall (teen fiction, coming out April/May 2010) A Field Guide for Heartbreakers by Kristen Tracy (teen fiction, coming out May 2010) Reality Check by Jen Calonita (teen fiction, coming out June 2010) Outside links: My select list of Best Books of 2009 on Amazon My select list of Best Books of 2010 (So Far) on Amazon From the Bildungsroman Archives: Best Books of 2008 Best Books of 2007 Best Books of 2006 Best Books of 2005 Current Mood: thirsty Current Music: House score music (26 Comments |Comment on this)

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