My Legacy of Lying
I come from a long line of liars. My grandfather, a Russian potato farmer, was conscripted into the army in World War I to serve on the eastern front. Most of the soldiers couldn’t read or write, but my grandfather…
Category: Genre
YA Wednesday: World History Through YA, Alternate History, Political YA Reads, Is Political Dystopian YA Bad for Teens
With the political conventions going on this week and next week, social gatherings are a lot more complicated. Coupled with the humidity, heat, and a drink or two, differences of opinion can rapidly escalate into shouting matches. Personally, I’m searching…
Friday Feast: Why We Need More Novels About Work; Bookmobiles in Southern Appalachia; Gay book, Indian Book, or Diverse Book; Our New Librarian of Congress; and a New Documentary Explores the Billion-Dollar Romance Novel Industry
I’ve heard folk say work novels won’t sell because no one wants to read about the thing they’re trying to escape. Personally, I love to read about workplaces. The crazier the better. Without working lives depicted in narratives, I assume…
YA Wednesday: Matters of Race
After the horrific events of this past week, the blogosphere is buzzing with posts about race in America and the Black Lives Matter movement. When I was a kid, there weren’t a lot of books tackling issues of race, identity,…
We Each Have Our Own Yoknapatawpha
By Guest Contributor Virginia Pye We all know writers with unpublished manuscripts hidden in desk drawers. Successful authors often admit to a half dozen failed, boxed-away books. Emily Dickinson bundled her poems with string and placed them under her bed….
YA Wednesday: YA Villains, The Importance of Creepy Kids’ Books, Top 5 YA Crime Novels, YA Mysteries Agatha Christie Would Read
I’m on vacation, and it’s one of those damp sticky mornings when it’s so gloomy you have to put all the lights on at 9AM. The beach is out of the question. Instead I sweep some dead flies and spider…