literary junkies

1. What are you reading right now? Tell us about it.

I'm finally getting around to reading Graceling by Kristin Cashore and loving it - it's a great blend of Hunger Games style strong female MC and Narnia-like world building that reminds me of the Tamora Pierce's books I read as a teen. Cashore's mythology is really unique - in the books' world, certain people are born Graced - they have some specific skill that is amplified. It's obvious when a child's eyes settle into two different colors that he or she is Graced, but what talents he or she actually has isn't totally clear until adolescence. The main character, Katsa, inspires fear in those around her - after all, she can kill a man with her fingertip - until she gets entangled in another country's affairs and in the arms of a prince who believes there's more to her Grace than killing.

2. What are your top 3 reads for summer?


I can't wait to read Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my all-time favorite books and a huge influence on me as a writer. I think it will be fascinating to read the story she created before To Kill a Mockingbird, to find out what happened to Jean Louise Finch (obviously, grown-up Scout will be awesome, and I would bet money that she'll be a writer) and how the sleepy Southern town of Maycomb adjusts to the 1950s. Did Scout ever get out of Maycomb? Is Atticus still around? Is Jem married with six kids? Also, what happened to Dill? THESE ARE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS.



I want to read Sarah Dessen's new book Saint Anything because it sounds so different from her other work and she's always been one of my faves (as well as a super sweet person). The plot of Saint Anything includes some dark elements - drunk driving and a sibling's jail sentence - along Dessen's signature themes of belonging and finding self. Also, isn't that cover art gorgeous? I'll probably wait for the paperback so I can add this one to my classroom library - I always have one or two girls who get just as hooked on Sarah's tales as I was at their age.



Finally, I would like to finish reading Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone - I started leafing through it while we were killing time at Barnes and Noble and before I knew it I was 77 pages in! The main character, Alina, is so compelling - when her best friend is in danger, her apparent magical powers manifest, and she is taken away to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elites that rule her kingdom through fear. The tone is serious and full of mystery. It should be a good follow-up to Graceling.

3. Do you have a favorite book that you like to re-read?

The book I've probably read the most is Emma by Jane Austen - I used to reread it very purposefully every year but haven't done that in a while. I've reread some of my favorite books so many times they are falling apart - The Time Traveler's Wife (particularly Henry and Claire's date to a Velvet Underground concert and their wedding day), The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing (usually I skip to one of my favorite short stories from that book), and Speak (especially the scene where Melinda skips school and ends up spending the day just hanging out in the hospital) have all seen better days. I also get a Harry Potter hankering every once in a while, but I usually just revisit favorite chapters rather than the whole book.

4. Do you have a favorite reading spot?

I'm not picky, but I usually end up wrapped in a blanket on the end of our couch or outside on the patio.

5. Do you enjoy a sipping on a beverage while you read? If so, tell us your favorite drink pairing!!

Usually coffee or hot tea. I have to have a hot drink while I write, too - apparently there's some kind of connection in my brain.