And I Owe It All to a Boy Wizard

This has been a difficult post to write. I wanted my sparks to be inspirational while being books that not a lot of people had heard of. That way, they'd be inspired to try something new and moderately obscure. I didn't want to talk about Harry Potter, because at this point, everyone and their mother has read it and probably has something to say on the subject. But I really can't finish out Sparkfest without paying tribute to the Boy Who Lived. He was (and still is) such an integral part of my life, and I owe a lot of things to him and his universe.

I started reading Harry Potter with the first book. We got it out of a Scholastic book order for less than five bucks. I didn't think I was going to fall in love with it, since I was already 11 and beyond most of the middle grade stuff (read my earlier post on Dr. Seuss for info on how accelerated my reading was). Much to my own surprise, I was sucked into the magic of the story. Harry was 11 too, and he got a letter to Hogwarts. He got to experience all these things that I desperately wanted to experience: magic, adventure, and boarding school (yeah, I was weird). He also met some really funny kids, studied subjects that were way more interesting than pre-algebra and world history, and found a place where he belonged. I was desperate for more.

As Harry grew up, so did I, and I learned a lot of really important lessons from him. I learned that standing up to your friends is a lot harder than facing your enemies. I learned that the right thing to do is often the hardest. I learned that you choose your own family by surrounding yourself with people who matter, and that blood ties are not always the strongest. I learned a lot about self-discovery, and that being a teenager was hard, with a lot of complicated emotions. But through all the difficulty of adolescence, I always had Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

I learned a lot about writing from Harry as well. I learned that the best characters are real ones, with wants and needs and feelings. I learned that the best stories have lots of adventure and mystery and intrigue, but underneath it all they have love and relationships, because that's what makes the world go round. I learned that you don't have to go to a whole alternate universe to find magic. You can find it right in your backyard.

Last month, the Harry Potter franchise finally ended. It was bittersweet for me, as I sat there in the theater with tears streaming down my face. In the last thirty minutes of the final movie, all I could think about was the end. It was the end of 13 years of my youth, the end of one of the greatest book series of all time, the end of Harry. But really, it was only the beginning. Harry Potter gave me the tools I needed to not only be a successful writer, but a successful person. He taught me the value of good friendships, how to listen to my elders and be respectful, and the benefits of hard work.

I think of my books as close friends. They were the constants in a childhood filled with change. We moved every two to three years, and even though I lost touch with a lot of childhood friends, my books have always remained. I don't know the influence Harry Potter has had on all of you, but for me he's been one of the very best friends I've had. Even though there probably won't be any new material from Harry's universe, I fully plan on introducing my children to him at some point in the future. After all, you'd be hard pressed to find anyone else who can play Quidditch like a pro at the ripe old age of 11. ;)

J

For the Love of Fantasy!

It's the second-to-last day of Sparkfest! You can still join in the fun by heading over to Christine's blog. :) Today, I'm paying homage to my favorite fantasy author in my childhood, and one of my favorites of all time: Tamora Pierce.

She's the first author that made me think, "Hey, I could do this!" Her Tortall books were constant fixtures in my backpack, regardless of what book I was reading at the time, and they influenced a lot of the short stories in my freshman creative writing class in high school. Alanna was the first female character I remember thinking was kick-ass (I didn't realize until researching for this post, but the Alanna books were published before I was even born! I thought they were new when I discovered them at the age of 12), and I had a monstrous crush on Prince Jonathan for a long time. Probably because he looked like Prince Eric from the Little Mermaid... *sigh*

Anyway, when I was 16 I decided that I was going to write Tamora Pierce an e-mail. I wanted to thank her for writing the books that defined a portion of my childhood, and ask if she'd be making an appearance in my hometown in the near future. And guess what, guys? She e-mailed me back! It was the first time I identified authors as real people and not as faceless beings that cranked out amazing works of literature in mythical caves (ok, I didn't really think that, but it's pretty close to what I thought...). She encouraged me to pursue my dream of being an author, and while she wasn't coming to my hometown any time soon, she did tell me how to research such events so that I could see other authors in my area. She sparked my interest in the publishing world, and made it all real for me.

If I ever get the chance to meet Tamora Pierce, I'll probably tear up a little. She's been a very influential part of my life, and even though it's been a mostly indirect influence (I don't know her personally, after all), I still owe a lot of my drive and passion for writing to her. She's one of my biggest sparks, and I hope someday I get to shake her hand and tell her so. :)

Which author was the biggest spark for you?

J



Shapeshifters of the World, Unite!

It took me a long time to decide what to write about for my third Sparkfest entry (which, if you still don't have the information, started here). There are so many books that have been sparks for me and my writing, and a lot of my childhood memories involve the novels I was reading at the time. If there's one series that made a huge impact on my fifth-grade self, it was Animorphs.

A lot of people thought those books were hokey, and I moved on to bigger and better things before they went out of print, but I loved them fiercely when I first discovered them. Who doesn't love the idea of being able to change into any animal you want? Granted, they had to physically touch said animal and acquire it's DNA before they could morph into it, which was interesting when they needed to be more exotic animals, but still. It would be pretty awesome to try on a different animal's skin for a day, don't you think?

There were frequent trips to the bookstore when the Animorphs franchise was booming. When my parents had to make a trip to the store, I clamored for books the way other children beg for toys or candy. Luckily for me, I had parents who supported my book habit, and my mom was happy to supply me with every new Animorphs book as it hit the shelves.

About three years ago, I sold my extensive Animorphs collection to a woman with three boys. The books had been out of print for years (up until a few months ago...they're rereleasing them now, much to my delight), and her sons were unable to find more than the first three at their local library. Looking back on that decision, I sometimes worry that I made a huge mistake selling my books to this complete stranger. After all, those books hold a special place in my heart and it would be amazing to share them with my children someday. But when I really think about it, I helped those boys immensely. I supplied them with books that were otherwise unattainable, and who knows? Maybe I helped spark something in them. :)

J

The Eternal Sunshine of the Imaginative Mind

Wait, that's not the title of that movie...oh well. I like my title better. :P Today, we're continuing Sparkfest (which can be found at Christine's blog). As I mentioned before, my obssession with books began at a very young age. I was reading well above my grade level, so I encountered most books before my friends, a fact which was completely illustrated by my play.

I read a lot of adventure stories as a kid. My dad was in the military, so we moved around a lot and got to see lots of new places. I guess I always identified more with the adventurer types for that reason, even though I was incredibly shy and not particularly brave. My parents could always tell what I'd been reading by how I played.

The year that Island of the Blue Dolphins became my favorite, my brothers and I spent a lot of time climbing trees and hoarding the rocks from the little rock garden under our backyard hose (I didn't know what abalone looked like, but I thought the rocks were pretty close, and that was all we could eat when playing Island of the Blue Dolphins).

The year I read Treasure Island, we drew our own maps and hid "treasures" in the giant dirt pile in our backyard. I even insisted that we include a treasure hunt in the activities for my birthday party that year (much to the delight of all my friends).

As I got a little older, I started reading Harry Potter and Tamora Pierce's Tortall books. I still loved adventure, but fantasy was taking over my imagination. I started telling my brothers that I could do magic (which they believed in their little brother naivete), and spent a lot of time having conversations with myself in an English accent. Don't judge me. ;)

The moral of this story? Imagination is a very powerful thing, and the books we read as children have a huge impact on the kinds of stories we imagine. Most of the stories I write include a considerable amount of both magic and adventure, both of which I absorbed like a sponge in my formative years. Don't be afraid to play, even as an adult. Just look at it this way: you're building a life skill. :)

Happy writing!

J

Orange Belts, Sparks, and Campaigns, Oh My!

Lots of news today! First off, I'm officially part of a three-person critique group, which means...ORANGE BELT! That's probably the quickest I'll ever move up in this writing ninja thing, since I think I have to finish revising my current WIP to get my first stripe, which means finishing the first draft of my current WIP, which means...a long wait. Oh well, one step at a time, right?

In other news, SparkFest started today. I'm just going to share a little story with you about the books that got me into reading. Pull up your computer chair, throw pillow, couch cushion, etc! I started reading when I was two and a half. Yes, you read that right. My grandma was very encouraging when it came to reading, and explained the mechanics of it to my tiny 18-month-old self. I figured it out about a year later. My parents also encouraged this great love of reading, my mom being a bookworm herself, so it wasn't that surprising that I caught on quick.

The books that made the hugest difference in sparking my interest? Dr. Seuss of course. :) Hop on Pop was the first book I ever read on my own, and Green Eggs and Ham was the book that proved to my uncles that I wasn't just memorizing (I had never read it before they showed it to me). Those books taught me so many things, from The Lorax and his love of the environment, to Oh, The Places You'll Go and the value of hard work and big dreams. I loved every tongue-twisting story in the Fox in Socks, and giggled like a fool at the antics of Horton and Yertle the Turtle. I think a lot of people are forgetting those books now. They're always on the shelf at the library when I go with F and A (the kids I nanny), which is sad because they're amazing. I recently introduced F to Horton the Elephant, and nothing has made me happier than hearing him giggle, just like I did, at the very same story. I encourage everyone to keep a little love for good old Dr. Seuss in their hearts, and pass his messages on to your own children. :)

To wrap it up, Rachel over at Rach Writes is starting her third Writing Campaign, which allows you to network and make friends within this lovely blogosphere. I'm signing up today, so hopefully I'll see you all there! Happy writing!

J

Hiatus

Just wanted to let you all know that I won't be posting for a little while. The new George R.R. Martin book just came out, so I'm rereading his series so I can devour it. If you haven't read those books yet, what are you waiting for?! Go buy them now! :)

See you all soon!

J

Luminous



As reality slips and time stands still, Consuela finds herself thrust into the world of the Flow. Removed from all she loves into this shifting world overlapping our own, Consuela quickly discovers she has the power to step out of her earthly skin and cloak herself in new ones-skins made from the world around her, crafted from water, fire, air. She is joined by other teens with extraordinary abilities, bound together to safeguard a world they can affect, but where they no longer belong.
When murder threatens to undo the Flow, the Watcher charges Consuela and elusive, attractive V to stop the killer. But the psychopath who threatens her new world may also hold the only key to Consuela's way home.

Oh. My. Goodness. This book may be one of my favorites of the year, hands down. Metcalf's debut novel is unbelievably unique, and the prose is achingly beautiful. I think the reason it took me longer to finish was because I got caught up in the imagery and reread passages numerous times. I've got a little bit of jealousy going on right now...

There's not really a lot I can say without gushing, and I'd just be repeating myself after a little while. All I can say is this: go buy it! You certainly won't be disappointed. :)

J

Anna and the French Kiss

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.
As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?

I've been following Stephanie Perkins on Twitter for a while now, and after reading her tweets as well as those of her fans, I decided I needed to check Anna out for myself. I was definitely not disappointed. Anna's story was at times deliciously funny, but heart-wrenchingly sad at others. As someone who has lived in Europe (and is dying to go back as soon as humanly possible), I appreciated the exotic flair of the setting. The book also reignited my interest in the French language (I really need to brush up on that...like, now).

One of my favorite parts of the book by far was Etienne. I loved that he was short! Most YA books have cookie cutter guys in them. They're always tall, with dark hair and piercing eyes and perfect teeth, and honestly, it's frustrating. There's such a wide range of people on this earth! Make use of them! Etienne is unique because he's short, and has crooked teeth, and bites his nails. He's a real guy, brought to life by Perkins' writing. I loved watching him evolve as he explored his relationships with Anna and his friends.

Anna herself was a wonderfully witty young woman, and her story was a delight to read. I recommend this book to any and all of you looking for a light read at any time of the year. If nothing else, it'll allow you to pretend like you're getting away to beautiful Paree. :P

J



Darkest Powers Trilogy

I won't post a picture or a synopsis for this one, since I'm reviewing the trilogy as a whole. I'll sum it up myself! :P Basically, the books revolve around a 15-year-old necromancer named Chloe. She's sent to live in this group home for crazy kids, but finds out that there are others with supernatural powers (there are several different types of supernaturals, including sorcerors, witches, and werewolves). Chloe and her friends discover some pretty shocking truths about their caregivers and the adventure rolls in pretty quickly.

I LOVED these books. Seriously, I could not put them down. There are three books in the series, and I blew through them in two days. They're light and clever reads, and they're so fast-paced that it doesn't even feel like you're reading at all. Now that you know how I feel about the plot (so spectacularly done it's disgusting)... :P

The characters were interesting as well. Chloe's voice was convincing and quirky. She was an incredibly lovable character that I found myself attached to right away. Her supporting cast was just as well developed. All four of the main kids go through major changes over the course of the series, and while Tori was a girl I loved to hate in the beginning of the series, she was actually one of my favorite characters by the end of it.

I can't believe I waited so long to pick these books up. If you haven't read them, please, do yourself a favor and dive right in. I promise you won't regret it. :)

J

PS As an after thought... I probably wouldn't let a sensitive child read these books. There's a substantial creep factor that I thought added a little extra awesome to the story, but some younger readers may not be ready for it. Necromancers do raise the dead, after all.

Awaken



Maddie lives in a world where everything is done on the computer. Whether it’s to go to school or on a date, people don’t venture out of their home. There’s really no need. For the most part, Maddie’s okay with the solitary, digital life—until she meets Justin. Justin likes being with people. He enjoys the physical closeness of face-to-face interactions. People aren’t meant to be alone, he tells her.
Suddenly, Maddie feels something awakening inside her—a feeling that maybe there is a different, better way to live. But with society and her parents telling her otherwise, Maddie is going to have to learn to stand up for herself if she wants to change the path her life is taking.
In this not-so-brave new world, two young people struggle to carve out their own space.

This is the most difficult book I've had to review in a while. Normally, I either liked it or I didn't. However, in the case of Katie Kacvinsky's debut novel, I had mixed emotions upon finishing it. I've been on a bit of a dystopian kick lately, so it could have been due to the fact that I've been reading so many of them, but I found Awaken hard to get into at first. It has an interesting premise, one that I could definitely see happening with the way the world is going, but there was nothing about it that really grabbed me and held my interest. In fact, I started this book before Wintergirls, but had to take a break because I was 50 pages in and still didn't feel like it was going anywhere.

The action picked up in the last third of the book. I read the last 75 pages faster than I'd read the first 170 (I had the Nook version), and I enjoyed the direction the story took. I just wish it had been that exhilerating the whole way through. I will say though, the blossoming relationship between Maddie and Justin was wonderful to read. The characters were well-developed, and the struggles they faced when trying to decide whether or not to be together were realistic and believable.

Overall, I would recommend this book to those who are just entering a dystopian phase. It's well-crafted and interesting, but falls short if you've been reading other dystopian novels for months. The ending set it up for a sequel, so I'll be interested to see how the second book compares.

J

Wintergirls

Oh boy...I've been absentee again, haven't I? The good news is: I've finished my reviews for Absolute Forest of Words (check out the blog if you want to see them), I've been spending a lot more time with my lovely fiance as he just started a new job ten minutes away from mine (we carpool and eat lunch together now), and I worked out a major plot point in my WIP. Now if only I could finish the scene...

My goal for this weekend is to get myself in a more writer-friendly environment so that I can produce lots of wordage next week. I've found that I dread closeting myself in my room for hours, since my time with my family is so limited. I'm going to try and work out a system so that I can get writing time AND family time, and maybe not feel so darn guilty.

Anyway, I finished Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson yesterday. Here's the review!

Lia and Cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in fragile bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the thinnest. But then Cassie suffers the ultimate loss-her life-and Lia is left behind, haunted by her friend's memory and racked with guilt for not being able to help save her. In her most powerfully moving novel since Speak, award-winning author Laurie Halse Anderson explores Lia's struggle, her painful path to recovery, and her desperate attempts to hold on to the most important thing of all-hope.

This is one of those books that leaves you feeling a little hollow when it's over, like all the emotion has been sucked right out of you. It's about eating disorders, and while I've never been a sufferer, I can definitely relate to the self-esteem issues Lia and Cassie had. I struggled with my weight all through high school, after going through a (very) early puberty and being made fun of for my developing body. I didn't want people to laugh, so I retreated into a shell, abandoning sports and clubs and friends for the safety of home and the television. It took college and a major lifestyle change to bring me out of the shell and get rid of 60 pounds of excess weight. I've still got about 20 to go before I reach my goal, but I'm in a much better place now than I ever was in high school.

Anderson's writing style is unique. She has this way of sounding lyrical, yet still somehow capturing the voice of a teenager. It's a skill that I'm insanely jealous of, and hope to someday incorporate into my writing. I was moved to tears many times throughout the course of the novel, not just because of the subject matter, but because the words were so beautiful they took my breath away. It took me all of one day to finish the 278-page novel, simply because I was so captivated by the writing.

I hope that more people will pick up this book and read it. Whether you suffer from an eating disorder yourself, know someone that does, or are just someone who can identify with feelings of self-doubt, it's a truly moving and inspirational read.

J


Moonglass

When Anna was little, she and her mother used to search for sea glass, but since they looked at night, they called it moonglass. Now, ten years after her mother's mysterious death, her father is working as head lifeguard on the same beach where her mother grew up and her parents first met and fell in love.

Reluctant to get close to anyone (including her father) and not pleased about having to start at a new school, Anna begins to spend more time alone, running the length of the beach and wondering about who her mother really was. After meeting a lifeguard named Tyler, she slowly lets her guard down and together they start exploring the abandoned houses that dot the beach.
But when learning more about her mother's past leads to a painful discovery, Anna must reconcile her desire for solitude with ultimately accepting the love of her family and friends.



This book was not at all what I thought it was going to be. For some reason, I thought I had read somewhere that it was going to be about mermaids, which wasn't true at all. Mermaids influenced the story, but they weren't a major part of it. That being said, I definitely wasn't disappointed with Kirby's debut.

Anna's story was beautiful, and a perfect read for the beginning of summer. The whole thing centered around Anna's love for the beach, and, being a San Diego native myself, I was sucked in by the descriptions of the ocean. You forget how much you've missed something until it's right there in front of you (figuratively, if not literally).

The characters in the novel were pretty well-developed. At times, they seemed a little flat, but for the most part they were well-rounded three-dimensional characters. I feel like Anna successfully completed her journey as the main character, and there were visible changes in her by the end of the novel. Tyler was the only one who wasn't all that complex (in my opinion), but he was still a likeable guy and a joy to read.

Overall, I enjoyed Moonglass. I would definitely read other books by Jessi Kirby, and I'm hoping that she's got something else in the works. It was refreshing to read a book that's not part of a series for once, but I'm a little sad at the fact that contemporary seems to be the only YA genre that can put out a singleton these days. I'm anxious to see what's in store for this author's career at any rate. Check it out for yourself!

J

Divergent

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

I just found out about Divergent two weeks ago, which isn't surprising considering how out-of-the-loop I am on new releases (this has been a problem since I quit working at Barnes and Noble). When I started researching it, I was under the impression that I'd be getting a Hunger Games clone. That's not necessarily a bad thing, since that book is amazing, but after only a few pages of Divergent, I knew I was greatly mistaken.

While Divergent is also a dystopian novel, it focuses on personality traits and thought rather than just political oppression. People are placed into one of five factions at the age of 16, and each faction values a different quality. Not only did Roth create this unique system, she also created a believable culture for each faction. There is a reason behind the food, clothing, and customs that ties back to the core value of each faction, and it all made sense. I was completely fascinated by it.

The characters themselves also had me enthralled. Tris is a very strong young woman in the same vein as Katniss Everdeen. She doesn't let love cloud her judgment for the entire book, as in Twilight and other books of its genre. She makes decisions for herself, and takes responsibility for her mistakes. She's a true role model for young girls everywhere.

Four was a young man with dimension, adding so much more than eye candy to the story (thank goodness). There were multiple layers to his psyche, and I learned shocking things about him right along with Tris. Even Tris's friends were fully-fleshed supporting characters, a component that's been missing from a lot of the latest young adult literature.

Overall, this book was a fast-paced thrill ride that kept me turning pages long after my lights should have been out. The society was intriguing, and the characters were a breath of fresh air in a genre that has introduced us to so many flat, unrealistic people. I can't wait to see what else Veronica Roth has to offer, and I'm looking forward to reading about Tris's trials in the next installment.

J

Red Glove

Curses and cons. Magic and the mob. In Cassel Sharpe's world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth—he’s the most powerful curse worker around. A touch of his hand can transform anything—or anyone—into something else.
That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Cassel was tricked into thinking he killed her, when actually he tried to save her. Now that she's human again, he should be overjoyed. Trouble is, Lila's been cursed to love him, a little gift from his emotion worker mom. And if Lila's love is as phony as Cassel's made-up memories, then he can't believe anything she says or does.
When Cassel's oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help make sense of the only clue—crime-scene images of a woman in red gloves. But the mob is after Cassel too—they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. But where can he turn when he can't trust anyone—least of all, himself?
Love is a curse and the con is the only answer in a game too dangerous to lose.

Red Glove was a wonderful follow-up to White Cat. Sometimes a series can slow severely with the second book, as evidenced in the Twilight Saga, and lose numerous fans. Not so with Holly Black's Curse Worker series. The plot was just as engaging as it was in White Cat, while still building on the original story and bringing in new elements.

I'll admit, at first I almost gave up on Red Glove. I've got so many books on my "to read" list, and many of them have been calling to me in the last few days, but I wanted to read Red Glove while White Cat was still fresh in my mind. It only took 20 pages to suck me back into Cassel's mob world, and I loved every minute I spent there. Black's imagery is amazing, and I found myself noticing the little details in this book (more so than I did in the first). In one passage, Cassel is greeted by Chris (the young man living in Daneca's house) and notices a smudge of blue in his hair. Who would think to add such an insignificant detail? There were many instances of this throughout Red Glove, and these details made me love the story even more.

I think my favorite part of the series is by far the world building. I know everyone has already addressed this numerous times, but I just want to add my two cents. It's flawless. When building a world so similar to the one we live in, it has to be a seamless transition, so that it really feels like this alternate world is really a possibility. There was one passage, during the riot, when Cassel sees a girl's bare hands and comments on how strange it is to see them. I thought it was odd that he was so horrified by bare hands, but then I realized something. If you were living in a society where gloves were as common as t-shirts and pants, it would be bizarre to see someone without them. It would probably be just as shocking as that Erykah Badu video where she strips naked and runs down the street. In that instant, the whole world Black built clicked into place for me. She thought of everything, even the reactions characters would have to certain situations.

Holly Black's attention to detail is what makes the Curse Workers series so incredible. I'm anxiously awaiting the next installment!

J