What are you reading in June?

JF: The Pursuit of Happyness
CR: Stardust by Neil Gaiman
OA: Crossing the Wire by Will Hobbs
LF2: AThousand Splendid Suns

I finally have some free time to read! I have literally only 25 pages left of Looking for Alaska, and then I'm hoping to finish a few of the books that I'm halfway through, including Voices from Chernobyl, King John of Canada, and The Prestige.

I've finished Wind Tamer by P. R. Morrison, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, and Softwire: Virus on Orbit 1 by PJ Haarsma. I'm trying to get through my library books that aren't renewing before I must return them.

I'm in the middle of Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy (which is great!), and I have Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin and Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin from the library so they're next on the list. I have a few more coming from inter-library loan so it should be a good couple of weeks for reading books I've wanted to read for a while!

I picked up a thrift store copy of The Runner by Cynthia Voigt, which I just finished -- I loved all of Voigt's books when I was a YA, so I pick them up and reread them now and again.

On audio, I listened to The Thief Lord for the tweens/young teens discussion group I help moderate.

Next up: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, which I plan to start this evening.

Just a reminder to you...The June discussion is Looking for Alaska, tell everyone what you think!

http://www.librarything.com/talktopic.php?topic=13761

>5 foggidawn: Foggidawn: I just finished listening to The Thief Lord a couple of weeks ago and really enjoyed it (especially the voice the reader used for Riccio (sp?), hehe). How did you like it?

Keturah and Lord Death. I'm enjoying it.

Do the Newbery Award books count as YA? I think they fall under the Juvenile category. Anyway, I'm participating in the Newbery Challenge in the Children's group so I'm planning on reading as many as I can in June. Of course Looking for Alaska is on my list as well ;)

Personally I think the Newbery Award sometimes falls into that gray area. I think some Newbery winners are definitely YA while others are definitely not, on these threads I think people share whatever they are reading even if it is not YA--at least I do , I just don't discuss them in as much depth as other YA titles I might be reading or have read.

I'm reading a classic: Anne of green gables
It's such a favourite with so many people that I had to.

Just finished: Saffy's Angel by Hilary Mckay -- I liked it, but not enough to go out and buy the sequels.

Up next: finish rereading the Harry Potter series -- I got as far as Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and then I needed a break, so I have Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince left to read this month.

>7 becbart: becbart: I had read The Thief Lord a couple years ago, and I think I enjoyed listening to it more than I enjoyed reading it. I agree that the narrator did a great job with the voices.

I've read Coralineby Neil Gaiman, The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson, and The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan. Now I'm going through The Underland Chronicles (Gregor the Overlander, Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane, Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods, Gregor and the Marks of Secret, and Gregor and the Code of Claw) by Suzanne Collins.

In the last few days I've managed to finish:
Billie Standish Was Here, by Nancy Crocker
The Lacemaker and the Princess, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

I recommend both of them.

Next on the list is The Rising Star of Rusty Nail, by Leslie M. M. Blume.

I'm also dipping into an advance copy of A.J. Jacobs's The Year of Living Biblically from time to time.

I just finished Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports and now I'm onto Rebel Angels.

Finished: Rising Star of Rusty Nail

In the middle of: Billy Creekmore

Next on the list: The Aurora County All-Stars

I'm reading the Bartimaeus trilogy by Jonathan Stroud. They're awesome! I just finished the 2nd one, The Golem's Eye.

I just finished Teach Me by R.A. Nelson and am just starting Crushed by Laura and Tom McNeal.

Trying to read Stardust--someone convince me to continue. At first I was really into it, but then I seem to have lost interest.

Finished: Bud, Not Buddy (loved it!), The Witch of Blackbird Pond (loved it!), Riding Freedom (I love Pam Munoz Ryan!), Number the Stars (very good), The Good Husband of Zebra Drive (a small detour to adult lit).

Reading Now: A Wrinkle in Time (it's interesting)

Up Next: A Great and Terrible Beauty (for the July discussion)

brecahalley: I LOVE the Bartimaeus Trilogy. Love love love love love. Hope you enjoy them too!!

I'm now reading Valiant.

Finished: The Book Thief & Wildwood Dancing - both really good!

Reading: Slaughterboy by Odo Hirsch (i thought it was slightly disturbing at first, but i am now enjoying it)

Up Next: Twilight (when my librarian tells me it has come in)

I'm on Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper. It's ggod, but not quite fantasy yet, so I'm feeling a bit cheated by the blurb on the back.

Think I'll read Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince next, cause I can't remember what the heck happened, and I'll be lost when the next one comes out.

It'll be time to revisit Ark Angel soon, ahead of the next Alex Rider book in September.

YA Lit reading in June
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night finished it within a couple of hours. A valuable read, life seen thru' the eyes of a boy with Asperger's Disorder or high functioning Autism.
Unfortunately, while the book is classed YA lit my children refuse to read it, and I cant help thinking that it is more appealing to adult audience.
The carpet people is the next YA Lit on my list and I think I'll have to either hid it from my 12yrs old son to read it or give up and let him have it first.

Just finished My Lost and Found Life by Melodie Bowsher and loved it....teenage girl finds herself on her own after her mother disappears after embezzling a million dollars from her employer. Also finished Journey to the Bottomless Pit by Elizabeth Mitchell...very interesting story about the early tours of Mammoth Cave...had not idea it was so enormous.

I just finished R. A. Nelson 's Teach Me which was both very annoying and quite good. The narrator is not a sympathetic figure--she is arrogant, obsessive, and treats her best friend incredibly badly. Not to mention becoming a stalker--but that's the interesting thing about the book. Haven't you sometimes wondered what goes on inside the heads of such people? Now I feel, a bit, as if I know how it could happen.

BTW, I'm a teacher myself and have colleagues who've been stalked by students--although not for the same reason as in this book!

Rather remarkably, I also found the character of the teacher credible and three-dimensional. Remarkably because he's seem through the eyes of a student who is obsessed with him, first romantically and then vengefully. He has this ridiculous affair with her and you actually understand why. And you understand it in a layered, complicated way. He too is an unsympathetic figure. Yet in the end there is some sort of redemption for both characters, and some hope for them as discrete individuals.

I was impressed that Nelson could pull this off. The book is far from flawless. It is often horribly over-written, even given that the narratiing main character is a self- obsessive teen-ager. But it's pretty good. In this sense it reminds me of Dave Eggers, skating close to the edge of excessive hyperbole and sometimes sliding right off it. It won't work for everyone but it did intrigue me; I won't forget this book soon.

Now for a change of pace: in my project of rereading all of Antonia Forest, I'm on to End of Term. It's my favorite book and I've practically got it memorized, but I'm going to reread it anyway.

#25 I'm planning on hitting Over Sea, Under Stone soon too. I just finished The Dark is Rising and enjoyed it. For some reason I read Susan Cooper's books out of order. I started with Silver on the Tree, when I was in high school, then read The Grey King and now I'm moving backwards.

I'm still working painfully through The Blue Sword. I did not enjoy the book so far. I'm not sure why. I remember really enjoying The Hero and the Crown when I was younger but this book just doesn't appeal to me for some reason. It's made reading a chore for the last week. Being a stubborn person I have refused to start another book until I finish it though. Hopefully tonight.

Well, now I'm on Sleeper Code. Valiant : a modern faerie tale was really good.

Coincidentally, I am also reading Sleeper Code. :) I am really enjoying it so far - it's not exactly what I was expecting, and most of the time I really enjoy being surprised. This book is no exception thus far.

Next on the list? Either Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin or The Rules of Surival by Nancy Werlin.

Just started an advance copy of Castle Corona by Sharon Creech

KimB-- IIRC, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night time was originally published as an adult novel and then also marketed to YAs after coming out in paperback...

So far, I've read...
What my Girlfriend Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
The Year the Gypsies Came by Linzi Glass
Mates, Dates Guide to Life, Love, and Looking Luscious by Cathy Hopkins Heart and Salsa by Suzanne Nelson
Now and Zen by Linda Gerber
Spain or Shine by Michelle Jellen
In the Cards: Love by Mariah Fredericks
Salem Witch Tryouts by Kelly McClymer
Gossip Girl: All I Want is Everything by Cecily von Ziegesar
Leap by Jane Breskin Zalben
Miki Falls: Spring by Mike Crilley

It's been a busy month...

Finished The Shadow Thieves by Anne Ursu, Dragonspell and DragonQuest by Donita K. Paul, Blaze of Silver by K. M. Grant, and The Web of Fire by Steve Voake. I also finally got around to reading American Born Chinese. Next up is Tiger's Blood and Tiger Magic by Laurence Yep, and Dragonknight as soon as it comes in from the library.

On the weekend I bought The Dark is Rising Sequence so I've started Over Sea, Under Stone. I'm enjoying it so far.

Having finished Fire Bringer and nearly finished Watership Down, the next books on my agenda are A Great And Terrible Beauty and Valley of the Moon.

Just started Inkspell by Cornelia Funke last night.

I just finished The Lovely Bones. It was a wonderful book, but it was very disturbing and heartbreaking at times. I couldn't put it down.

I am reading Here Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck. So far it is funny.

I will be reading 5,000 Miles to Freedom next.

I just finished reading Elsewhere a couple of days ago and was struck by its similarity to The Lovely Bones (which, admittedly, I read about 4 years ago). I think it would be interesting to compare and contrast the two. I for one would argue that Elsewhere has a more effective ending.

Has anyone else read both?

Over the weekend I read Flipped (correct touchstone won't load) by Wendelin Van Draanen which was a cute read. I absolutely love the cover for the book!!

Flipped is one of my favorites, and I love Wendelin Van Draanen's Sammy Keyes books, too.

Of the books I've recently read, I can recommend Plenty Porter by Brandon Noonan, a debut novel. You can tell it is written by a screenwriter-- there are flashback gimmicks and clues that aren't explained until later sprinkled through the story. But it works quite well, I think.

I'm halfway through Eggs by Jerry Spinelli. I struggled to get into it, but it's growing on me.

Just finished reading Elsewhere and read The Lovely Bones about two months ago. Now that you mention it, there are similarities beyond the obvious ones. I also liked the Elsewhere ending.

Books I've read recently include:

Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo by Obert Skye (great fantasy novel; can't wait for the sequel)

The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanaghan (one of my all time favourites)

Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles (I loved the twist and didn't see it coming at all)

The Crimes and Punishments of Miss Payne (I almost wet my pants I was laughing so hard at some parts!)

Right now I'm reading a fantasy called One Good Knight by Mercedes Lackey. Although the genre is fantasy (not YA) so far it reminds me a lot of the Robin McKinley books I've read in the past.

Up after this is a YA urban fantasy called The Black Tattoo by Sam Enthoven which looks really, really good. It was recommended to me over on the 50 book challenge and I'm very excited about it. Although I'm not quite half-way through the book I'm reading I keep lugging both books (both large hardcovers) with me from room to room in case I timewarp to the end of Knight LOL

JF: A Thousand Splendid Suns
L2: Airborn
CR: Prom Night from Hell
LF2: Chocolat and something off of my reading list for my online class

I've just finished One Whole and Perfect Day and Wildwood Dancing. One Whole and Perfect Day was really good, though the back made it sound like it was going to be a huge romancey thing, but it was more about the interactions of the family with other people (the love interest not making a huge appearance). I adored Wildwood Dancing. Then again, I enjoy fantasy more than realistic fiction, so it was kinda expected.

Next I'm reading Order of the Phoenix, for when the movie comes out.

I finished my fanatsy One Good Knight which was very good once it got going and have started The Black Tattoo which has been exciting so far.

After this I have a few romances to read and then a book by Charles de Lint called The Riddle of the Wren which looks intriguing.

I just read Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer, which just came out a few days ago. It's awesome. I like it a lot better than Holly Black's stuff, and I really liked her.

Faeries are awesome.

JF: Prom Nights from Hell
L2: Airborn
CR: Chocolat
LF2: Something off my reading list for the class I am taking in July--fortunately it is on Matching Teens with books so very appropriate for this group and will still be able to post.

What happened? Did everyone realize it was summer and decide to stop posting on a regular basis? Is there a new YA group that is better? I am missing the discussion and whitty banter...

I've finished Hex by Rhiannon Lassiter, The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima, Lady Friday by Garth Nix, Peter and the Starcatchers and Peter and the Shadow Thieves by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, Quantum Prophecy: The Awakening by Michael Carroll, Vampirates by Justin Somper, and Dragon's Keep by Janet Lee Carey.