Some retellings are made for fans, some are best appreciated by those unfamiliar with the original or only marginally interested. Great by Sara Benincasa, a contemporary youngadult retelling of The Great Gatsby, is the latter. Great could have interesting on its own without comparison to Fitzgerald’s novel. Great by Sara Benincasa Published: April 8, 2014 by… Continue reading Book Review: Great by Sara Benincasa
Category: reading life
Social Media and Readers’ Advisory: Tumblr
Today I’m in Kansas City at a MALA workshop talking about my favorite things: cats, books, libraries, and tumblr. You can find the slides and additional information from the half day workshop at Kaite Stover’s wiki, but here’s the outline and lots of links to accompany my talk. You can also view my slides in… Continue reading Social Media and Readers’ Advisory: Tumblr
5 Under-Appreciated Contemporary Young Adult Novels
There are so many great contemporary and realistic young adult novels. So many, in fact, that there are some books I just don’t get to talk up enough. These are five young adult novels I think deserve more attention and discussion. Not only did they really resonate with me, I think they will have a… Continue reading 5 Under-Appreciated Contemporary Young Adult Novels
Book Review: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
I tend to be pretty jaded when it comes to book recommendations or rave reviews. This is partly because I read so many reviews of so many books. I can spend an entire eight hour day each week reading reviews of books in professional journals at work. (Then I go home and read blogs.). And… Continue reading Book Review: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Book Review: The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
A fantasy novel about a reluctant monarch ascending the throne after years in hiding, who inherits a struggling kingdom threatened by the mad queen of a neighboring land isn’t exactly a revolutionary concept. Quite the opposite—it’s cliché. Yet The Queen of the Tearling is getting a lot of pre-publication buzz, due to a big advance… Continue reading Book Review: The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
wrapped up in books 