Title: An Abundance of Katherines
Author: John Green
Category: Fiction, Young Adult
Rating: 4/5
Why I Read It: I loved Paper Towns by this author, and I read some glowing reviews of this title.

Summary: Colin Singleton has just graduated from high school, only to be dumped by his girlfriend Katherine—the 19th time he’s been dumped by a girl named Katherine. To end his funk, Colin and his best friend go on a road trip. First stop: Gutshot, Tennessee.

Review: Do you like anagrams, math, random trivia, or let’s see…the kind of funny that makes you laugh out loud no matter if you happen to be reading next to your child who is finally, finally sleeping after a 2.25-hour-long struggle? Then you’ll love this book. And if your sense of humor hasn’t been supremely dulled due to parental sleep deprivation, just imagine how much MORE you will enjoy it.

At one point, I was laughing so hard I had to put the book down so as not to damage it. (The hog hunt scene, for those of you who’ve read it.)

I also loved how smart and genuine the main three characters were—Colin, his best friend Hassan, and the girl they meet in Gutshot. I was sad to have to stop listening in on their conversations.

This book will show you a good time. In fact, if one day I’m in a public restroom and I happen to glance up at the stall door to see

Call “An Abundance of Katherines” for a good time

followed by its Dewey Decimal Number, I wouldn’t be surprised, not at all.

Borrow: Your local library | Swap
Buy: Your local bookstore | Powell’s | Amazon

Title: Bloom
Author: Elizabeth Scott
Category: Fiction, Young Adult
Rating: 2.5/5
Why I Read It: A lot of YA readers love this author, but I didn’t love Something, Maybe. So I wanted to give another of her books a try.

Summary: Not-popular high school junior Lauren is dating uber-popular and gorgeous Dave. That’s enough to make any girl ecstatic. Only Lauren’s not.

Review: What’s wrong with me that I’m not loving Scott’s books? Like Something, Maybe, this one was just okay for me.

I did thoroughly enjoy the romantic scenes. Ahem.

But there was too much internal dialogue for my taste, and I thought the ending was a little melodramatic and bordering on cheesy.

Have I just not picked the best Scott books to start with? Am I alone in not falling in love with them?

Borrow: Your local library | Swap
Buy: Your local bookstore | Powell’s | Amazon

Grab a piece of scratch paper and see how you stack up when it comes to your to-be-read (TBR) books!

1. How do you keep track of the books you want to read?
   1. In a spreadsheet.
   2. Piled up by my bed in a Leaning Tower of Books that threatens to topple in the middle of the night and bludgeon me into a different sort of posthumous literary fame.
   3. On paper. Paper never killed anyone.
2. How long do books typically stay on your TBR list/pile?
   1. Are you asking for the mean or the mode? I can give you both.
   2. Um, until I read them?
   3. No more than a few months.
3. What sort of relationship do you have with your TBR list/pile?
   1. Pure unadulterated love—The only thing more fun than the upkeep of my list is actually reading.
   2. Overwhelming—I never leave food out after midnight, but I swear they multiply when I’m not looking.
   3. Love/hate—I love it until I accidentally return a library book with my list stuck in the middle of it.

Scoring: For each “a” answer, you get 3 points. Each “b” is 1 point, and each “c” 2 points.

4 Points or Less: Meg from Little Women
TBR the old-fashioned way has a certain charm. But before your spouse/roommate/cat gets fed up that your TBR piles have spread to the bed/bathroom floor/window ledge, and leaves your sorry, old-fashioned butt, maybe you oughta buy one more bookshelf to house your TBRness.

5–7 Points: Goldilocks
Most of the time, your TBR setup is juuust right. Sure, your dog might chew up your list every now and then, and you might have 17 different lists strewn about the house. But overall, you have a healthy, laidback relationship with your TBR. So just get back to reading, already.

8 Points or More: Hermione Granger
If TBR tracking were an Olympic sport, you would so totally medal. Just don’t admit to any of your bookish friends that sometimes, it’s more fun thinking about what you want to read than it is doing the actual reading.

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Photos by Evil Erin and basykes.

Title: Broken Soup
Author: Jenny Valentine
Category: Fiction, Young Adult
Rating: 5/5
Why I Read It: I enjoyed Me, the Missing, and the Dead by this author, and this is her latest novel released in the US.

Summary: Rowan’s older brother is dead. Her father has left. Her mother sleeps all day, leaving Rowan to take care of her little sister. So when a stranger at the store insists she dropped a photo negative, she doesn’t have the energy to argue with him. But then she can’t get that mystery photo out of her mind. And who was that boy anyway?

Review: I luuuuurve this book! The story unfolds a little at a time, luring you deeper and deeper into what Rowan is going through. I admire how the author strings you along and keeps creating mystery in your mind. Jenny Valentine, please hurry and write more!

This is the type of novel I would love to diagram or use to practice plot-boarding.

Here’s a little from the first page to whet your appetite:

It wasn’t mine.

I didn’t drop it but the boy in the line said I did.

It was a negative of a photograph, one on its own, all scratched and beaten up. I couldn’t even see what it was a negative of because his finger and thumb were blotting out most of it. He was holding it out to me like nothing else was going to happen until I took it, like he had nothing else to do but wait.

I didn’t want to take it. I said that. I said I didn’t own a camera even, but the boy just stood there with this “I know I’m right” look on his face.

He had a good face. Friendly eyes, wide mouth, all that. One of his top teeth was chipped; there was a bit missing. Still, a good face doesn’t equal a good person. If you catch yourself thinking that, you need to stop.

Now go and read the rest!

Borrow: Your local library | Swap
Buy: Your local bookstore | Powell’s | Amazon

We all know adults who read YA have nothing to be ashamed of. But I’m not content to read YA just for my happy little self. You see, I’m a pusher.

Back when I was a manager at my workplace, I asked two of my employees if they’d read Harry Potter. They laughed in my face. So I left the first 3 books on their desks and made it clear we’d discuss the books during their next performance review. Guess what? They loved them!

So obviously, I am an expert on how best to handle friends, family members, and co-workers who won’t read the YA you’re dying to share. But if you don’t happen to supervise the people you’re trying to convince, I put together a list of techniques that have worked for me.

1. Give the gift of YA—When you buy a present for someone, they feel loved. And also guilty, which they will want to alleviate by reading what you gave them. This works even better if you tell them the book made you think of them. (By the way: No need to mention you got the book as a free blog giveaway.)
2. Because I said so—There’s a reason parents say this. When you add the word “because” to your request, even if what comes after it means nada, people are more likely to do what you ask. Some options: Because I asked you to. Because I loved it and think you will to. Because I’m breaking up with you if you don’t.
3. Make a deal—Figure out what the other person loves, and use it. Maybe they keep raving about a TV show or a band or a wine bar. Say you’ll try their fave wine bar if they’ll try your fave YA. I know, I know, the sacrifices we make to spread our love of YA!
4. Everyone’s doing it—Call out any other YA lovers they might know. Talk about how you’re all going to the latest hot YA release party or book-to-movie opening. Your goal is to make them feel left out, and that’s your moment to swoop in for the kill.
5. Whine—If all else fails, channel your inner YA main character. Whine like you’re 16 and your crush since 6th grade is at the Party of the Year, but your mom won’t let you have the keys to the car.

Finally, a bonus not-a-tip: I once tried to convince a co-worker to read YA by telling him that if he didn’t, it would prove his inner child was dead. And here’s what I learned from that experience: People don’t generally like to be told that their inner child is dead. Go figure.

Your turn: How have you convinced your friends to give YA a whirl? Leave a comment with your tips!

Photo by wellohorld.