Ready to Become a Fan of... Jo Walton

Ready to Become a Fan of... focuses on those authors new and old whose works I have every intention of eventually reading, but haven't been able to devote the time to just yet. By discussing authors and their works that I'm sure I'll love, given the chance, hopefully I can be more easily compelled to take the next step in not simply acquiring one of their books, but actually take the time to read it.
 
This month I'm putting on record that I am ready to become a fan of Jo Walton.
 
About the author:
Jo Walton has published twelve novels, three poetry collections and an essay collection. She won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 2002, the World Fantasy Award in 2004 for Tooth and Claw, and the Hugo and Nebula awards in 2012 for Among Others. (Source)

Work I'm most looking forward to reading:

Among Others

Raised by a half-mad mother who dabbled in magic, Morwenna Phelps found refuge in two worlds. As a child growing up in Wales, she played among the spirits who made their homes in industrial ruins. But her mind found freedom and promise in the science fiction novels that were her closest companions. Then her mother tried to bend the spirits to dark ends, and Mori was forced to confront her in a magical battle that left her crippled--and her twin sister dead. (WorldCat)





Why This Author & This Work:
The short answer to this question is that I've heard good things about Walton, I own a Kindle edition of this book, and I want to make an effort to start reading more books on my Kindle. I recently decided to publicly shame myself into e-reading more by making a Goodreads list of all my purchased but unread ebooks, which helped me remember I had purchased Among Others.

The longer answer has to do with the fact that recently I've been craving more literary adult novels. I'm not quite at the point of YA or children's lit burnout (hopefully that never happens!), but I have been gravitating towards sophisticated books written for an older, more mature audience. I've decided that, as much as possible, I should embrace my cravings for specific types of stories. After all, I want view reading as both a hobby and a passion, but never as an obligation (with the exception of school and work books, of course).

I believe that Among Others is Walton's most well-known book, and certainly her most critically acclaimed, having won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards. And with the recent publication of The Just City, I figured it was time to finally familiarize myself with Walton's stories.

For those of you who've already read some of Jo Walton's works, I'd appreciate hearing what you think about them. For those who also haven't read her works yet, let me know what's been holding you back!

Ready to Become a Fan of... is an original feature of Late Nights with Good Books.

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Review: Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

Title: Nimona

Author: Noelle Stevenson

Published: 2015, HarperTeen

Genre: Fantasy

Audience: Young Adult

Source: Library
Find it: Goodreads

Lord Ballister Blackheart didn’t ask to become the villain of the kingdom, but he’s since accepted -- and even come to embrace -- his role. Neither did he ask for a sidekick -- and certainly not a sidekick quite like Nimona. When Nimona reveals her shape-shifting abilities, however, Blackheart realizes she may indeed become a valuable asset in his vendetta to prove that the ruling Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics -- and its star hero, Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin -- isn’t quite as heroic as it claims to be.

On the surface, Nimona appears to be more or less your typical good vs. evil story, albeit one that is told through the perspective of the villains. It isn’t long, however, before all conceptions of good and evil are turned on their head, transformed, and erased; Blackheart and Nimona perform undeniably evil acts, but so do Goldenloin and the agents of the Institution. The people of their quasi-medieval world suffer for the sake of keeping face, personal gain, and self-righteousness. Through the actions and beliefs of the “heroes” and “villains,” Stevenson spins a tale that intelligently examines the morality, responsibility, and culpability of all sides in this conflict.

In the midst of all the moral ambiguity stands Nimona herself, perhaps the greatest enigma of them all. She’s a shapeshifter and a bit too eager in her pronouncements for the destruction of everything. But who, exactly, is Nimona? And what benefit does she gain through an alliance with Blackheart? These questions are as central to the story as Blackheart and Goldenloin’s conflict (and their implied relationship).

From Nimona’s punk-inspired main form (which is wonderfully curvy), to the Inquisitor’s long, serpentine frame, Stevenson’s cartoonish, goofy illustrations generally work well with the text. At times the illustrations feel a bit too cartoony, however, and on occasion detract from the story’s intelligent, thoughtful examination of morality.

The format, illustrations, and emphasis on a heroes vs. villains conflict give Nimona an unsurprisingly comic-like feel, which may dissuade certain readers from this story. Those willing to look past the format, however, are in for a treat. Nimona is a story for those who like their morals gray, their rivalries bitter, and their resolutions open-ended.

Rating: 4 stars

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The Last Ten Books That Have Come Into My Possession

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week I'm taking a look at the last ten books that have recently come into my possession and noting where they came from and why.

Devoted by Jennifer Mathieu

Acquired from: Library

Reason: This is one of my summer TBR picks.

Foiled by Jane Yolen & Mike Cavallaro

Acquired from: Library

Reason: Pure curiosity! I fenced competitively in high school, but as far as high school sports go, fencing is definitely one of the least represented. So it was pretty cool to find this graphic novel. (If you know of other books that feature fencing, let me know!)

The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu

Acquired from: Library

Reason: This is one of my summer TBR picks.

The Royal We by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan

Acquired from: Library

Reason: This is one of my summer TBR picks. (Unfortunately, I already returned this one, so it's not pictured.)

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

Acquired from: Library

Reason: This is one of my summer TBR picks.

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

Acquired from: Barnes & Noble

Reason: I had a 15% off coupon and hadn't purchased anything from my local B&N in a while, so I felt like supporting it. Plus, I had read and loved this book years ago and had been looking for a copy to call my own. This edition is gorgeous.

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

Acquired from: My younger sister

Reason: I recently decided to start building some classics collections, and I love how affordable and adorable these Puffin Classics editions of children's literature are. My sister just had this book sitting around in her bedroom and so kindly allowed me to take it.

Cupcakes and Cashmere at Home by Emily Schuman

Acquired from: Library
Reason: I've recently become a big fan of Emily's blog, Cupcakes and Cashmere. She discusses everything from fashion, beauty, home decor, and more, and I've been gravitating towards those sorts of blogs in the past few months. Needless to say, I was very eager to get my hands on a copy of her new book.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

Acquired from: Library

Reason: Every since I gave my dad a copy of this a few years ago (which he loved, and subsequently pushed on others), I've had to listen to so many family members and friends rave about it. The audiobook was currently in at my library, so I decided to give it a try. (Not pictured because it's in my car.)

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman (trans. by Henning Koch)

Acquired from: Library

Reason: This is one of my summer TBR picks.

What books have you recently acquired?

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What I Learned from Taking a YA Literature Class

It was only a year and a half ago that I eagerly asked a friend for all the details of her YA lit class, down to the syllabus requirements and required reading. I was jealous that as an aspiring youth services librarian she got to take a class entirely devoted to YA literature. At the time, I was convinced that I would be working with adults -- or at least that my primary responsibilities wouldn’t include working with children, despite loving all forms of children’s literature.

Hindsight, as they say, is indeed 20/20. This past fall I realized that I did want to work with children, and this past spring saw me taking the same class I had been so envious of my friend for taking the year before.

Upon starting the class, I found myself in a rather unique position. Because I’d actively been part of the book blogosphere for the past few years and read almost exclusively YA literature, I think it’s fair to say that I was familiar with a lot of the current trends and more popular books being written for teens. Anything that I had learned about YA literature had essentially been self-taught, however, through observation and research and reading. I was curious to see what the class could teach me -- and I’ll admit that I enjoy learning and was looking forward to gaining some academic knowledge on this topic.

Perhaps the most valuable aspect of this class was how it contextualized YA literature both in terms of the general history and trends in literature, and also within the history of literature for children. For my undergraduate degrees in English and Spanish, I had mostly studied the classics and the history of literature in America and Britain, as well as a bit about Spain and Central/South America, and for my thesis I delved into the history of children’s literature; prior to this class, however, I had never looked into the specifics of literature for teens.

  

My class also discussed book reviews, and how to write the most valuable, professional reviews possible. We read from Kathleen Horning’s From Cover to Cover, which I highly recommend. Horning is the current director of the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC), which is kind of a big deal in the field of children’s lit. Her book is broken down into chapters on how to interact with different types of books for different age levels, as well as suggestions on the review-writing process and is definitely something I plan on referring back to for both blogging and professional development.

Each week of the class was broken up into a genre or theme, which was helpful for someone like me who has a few preferred genres. Because the book selections did skew a bit on the older side (in terms of publication date), I had the opportunity to read classics such as Judy Blume’s Forever… and Robert Cormier’s The Chocolate War. Weekly themes ranged from hi-lo lit (which I hadn’t known much about prior to this class), to nonfiction, to illustrated books (which are different from graphic novels), and more. Over the course of the class we also read a bit about adolescent development.

Of course, what I really enjoyed was the opportunity to become familiar with new authors and stories. Some of my favorites included M.T. Anderson’s The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Kingdom: The Pox Party, Markus Zusak’s I Am the Messenger, Gene Luen Yang’s Boxers & Saints duology, Rainbow Rowell’s Eleanor and Park, and Vera Brosgol’s Anya’s Ghost.

I definitely enjoyed having the opportunity to take this class, and to be able to take a more academic approach to a subject I already love so much. Many of the novels we read will stay with me, as will Horning’s book. Despite all that, there is something to be said about experiential learning and first-hand knowledge, and I have to say that I’ve probably learned just as much from reading and blogging about YA literature. It was nice to put everything into a bit more context, though, and I’m looking forward to taking a children’s literature class this fall.

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Top Ten Books on my Summer 2015 TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. 

A couple of weeks ago the topic was books that are on our Summer 2015 TBR (to be read) lists. Due to my blogging hiatus, I wasn't able to participate on the date this topic was originally scheduled, but I still wanted to have the opportunity to share my picks, so here's a rather belated list (which I may have already started, as summer itself started over 2 weeks ago now).

Adult Picks
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison — I bought this shortly after its publication, having read one rave review after another, and it's currently on the 2015 Hugo Awards shortlist for best novel. Plus, Sarah Monette (Addison's a pseudonym) actually works at the library I'm interning for this summer.
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman — I first learned about this book in an issue of BookList and promptly searched for more reviews and checked whether my library had a copy. (It does.) This magical realism tale sounds so charming and unique.
The Royal We by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan — This fluffy romance is supposedly based on/inspired by Prince William and Kate Middleton's real-life romance. I want to enjoy at least a little fluff this summer, and it can help me get in the wedding planning mood.
The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu — As with The Goblin Emperor, this is another fantasy I've heard nothing but praise for. I have a soft spot for sweeping, epic fantasy series, and this sounds like a promising start to a new one.
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin — Because Modern Mrs. Darcy told me to read this. It's her recommendation for those who identify as ISTJ according to the Myers-Briggs personality test. Color me intrigued!

Young Adult Picks
The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh — I love a solid fairy-tale/fable retelling almost as much as I love stories that focus on female agency. Ahdieh's debut sounds like it should have both in spades.
The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen — I didn't love Just Listen, but I do adore Dessen on Twitter and hope this one works out better for me. Plus, I've heard this is generally considered to be one of her best works.
These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly — I love historical fiction and really don't see/read enough of it for YA audiences. And this ARC is on loan from my internship library, so it needs to be read soon.
Devoted by Jennifer Mathieu — I enjoyed Mathieu's debut but didn't love it necessarily. At first I was planning on passing this one by, but the combination of such a timely topic and strong praise have made me curious.
Bone Gap by Laura Ruby — I was so excited to receive a review copy at ALA Midwinter, certain that I'd love this. For some reason or another, however, reading this just hasn't happened yet, but it will soon!

What books do you hope to read this summer?

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A Mid-Year Report

Why hello there.

It’s been a while.

While I didn’t necessarily intend to take an extended break from the blog, it ended up being a really good decision on my part. The confluence of so many life events and challenges made it very difficult for me to find time to blog, and I’ll admit that for quite a few months I simply had no desire to sit down and type up anything for this blog. It was the right break at the right time, but now I’m eager to ease my way back into blogging.

Although my posts have been rather limited all year so far, the first six months of 2015 have been fantastic in terms of reading. As of July 1, I’ve read 65 books -- I’m far above any previous mid-year reading marks I’ve set, and I’m excited to think that I most likely will surpass 100 books read in 2015.

A number of elements combined to help make this crazy reading productivity possible. First of all, this past spring I had a class on YA literature that required I read 2 books a week (stay tuned -- I will discuss the class in detail in an upcoming post). I also have embraced alternative forms of stories through reading graphic novels, nonfiction, and poetry, and by listening to audiobooks. The fact that I have longer commutes now (and that it is acceptable to read at work when I’m not busy) has also been tremendously helpful. And the lack of pressure to write reviews and keep a reading schedule has actually helped prevent me from entering into any reading slumps.

Of the 65 books I’ve read, 11 were for an adult audience, 44 for a young adult audience (unsurprising, given my class), and 10 for a middle grade/children’s audience. Of those 65 books, 9 were audiobooks and 13 more were not your traditional prose narratives.

What really satisfies me are the many books I’ve read that were outside of my comfort zone, or those that I never imagined I’d pick up, much less enjoy. My ratings for 2015 haven’t all been positive (they kind of follow a typical bell curve), but for me the experience of reading all these different books has been worth it.

No mention of reading stats would be complete without me listing some of my favorites. So without any further ado, here are the top books I read in the first half of 2015:

I don’t have much to say about them now, other than that they’re all very, very good and I highly recommend them. Hopefully I’ll have the chance to review each and every one of them.

Over the next six months, I’m hoping to better integrating my blog with my studies (I’m taking a children’s lit class in the fall) and my real-life work in the children’s department of two libraries. This summer I’m helping out with two different Summer Library Programs -- let’s just say by the end of August I’m going to be well versed in superhero books. And hopefully these experiences will help give me even more inspiration for blog posts.

In other news -- my boyfriend and I are engaged! We celebrated our sixth anniversary earlier this year (it really doesn’t feel like we’ve been together that long), and later that weekend he proposed. It’s been months now since his proposal, and it’s still all so exciting (and nerve-wracking). I don’t think I realized quite how many aspects go into wedding planning. I’m fortunate that my mom is just as excited (if not more so) and has been so instrumental thus far in figuring things out.

Between wedding planning, classes, work, and blogging, the near future looks pretty busy. But I couldn’t be more excited for any of it.

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Showcase Sunday #24

Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by Vicki at Books, Biscuits and Tea. Its aim is to showcase our newest books or book related swag and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed from libraries, bought in bookshops and downloaded onto eReaders this week.

Purchased:  
Shades of Milk and Honey (Glamourist Histories, #1) by Mary Robinette Kowal  
I heard this referred to as Jane Austen with magic. Enough said, am I right?
Shadow Scale (Seraphina, #2) by Rachel Hartman
So I mentioned that I received an eARC of this in my last Showcase Sunday, but I couldn't resist buying a pretty finished copy as well.
 
Borrowed:
Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol
Read for my YA Lit class. This reaffirmed my love of graphic novels.  
Boxers & Saints by Gene Luen Yang
Read for my YA Lit class. So, so good. I need to read more Yang stat.  
Texts from Jane Eyre by Mallory Ortberg
Very funny! Well, those stories/authors I was actually familiar with. The Little Women one was priceless.  
The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis
Read for my YA Lit class. Not much to say about this. An important story, but it is a picture book for teens told in a weird, cartoony style.  
The Invention of Hugo Cabaret by Brian Selznick
Read for my YA Lit class. An interesting combination of pictures and text, but ultimately not for me.  
The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming
And my interest in the Romanov family has been reignited. Overall, I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook.
Until We Meet Again (Bluford High, #7) by Anne Schraff
To read for my YA Lit class. I'm pretty sure this is an example of hi/lo fiction (high interest, low reading level).
 
What books have you recently acquired?

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