FFFT: It's been too long

1. If you're into lists or looking for books beyond my blog to read, here's a few more BEST BOOKS lists:
The Teens Are All Right: 2011's Top 5 YA Novels from NPR
100 Titles for Reading and Sharing: Children's Books 2011! from the New York Public Library
2012 Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults from the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)

So many books, so little time! Some of books listed on the above lists have been reviewed on the blog- check them out!

2. From the wonderful Cassandra Clare's blog (if you like the Mortal Instruments or Infernal Devices series, you'll love this blog), a definition of YA:

For adults who read YA

“To my mind, YA is a subset of adult fiction, not of children’s fiction, and should be considered as having an entry reading age rather than an age *range*. The entry level is probably 13 or 14, but there is no upper level because the books are also for adults. Saying YA is 13-21, or 13-18 or whatever misses the point, because it suggests that the books are not for older adults, whereas I would say that in fact the core audience of people reading YA (and YA SFF in particular) are in fact 16-35. But this is only the core and the readership extends more broadly upward in age and down as well.” [From Podcast Coode Street Episode 20, second comment]
— Definition by Garth Nix. Love it!
Cassandra, I love it, and I love you!

3. SECRET WORLDS!! What all my favorite books are about. Read about the connection between Narnia, Hogwarts, and more! Quote: "It’s no wonder that these stories don’t just draw teens in droves, they draw adults, too." Brilliance written, of course, by Cassandra Clare.


4. Wonder what goes on behind the publishing curtain? Another favorite author of mine, Veronica Roth, reveals all!

5. Still wondering why George is curious or what the Brown Bear actually sees? Check out this funny article debunking famous children's books! 

Emily’s Best Books of 2011

My top five (where I cheat and make it a top seven by including the first in certain series) Click on the title to see my review:

1.      Divergent: Dystopia set in futuristic Chicago that involves bravery, love, and self-discovery.

2.      Clockwork Prince (Clockwork Angel): Tessa, paired with two handsome and confusing demon-slayers, finds herself in a battle against evil in Victorian England.

3.      Crossed (Matched): Dystopia in which Cassia must decide between safety and freedom.

4.      Unearthly: Clara is part-angel with a mission to save a boy. But what if she likes a different boy?

5.      Epic Fail: Modern-day Pride and Prejudice mixed with your favorite CW show.   

Not actually published in 2011 but some top picks from books I read this year:

6.      Going TooFar: Jennifer Echols at her finest with this love story between a good boy and a rebellious girl.

7.      The HungerGames (Catching Fire and Mockingjay): Dystopia where kids are set against each other on live television.

There are so many great books I haven’t yet gotten a chance to read, so look for more great reviews of 2011 books in the new year. Special thanks to all my blog readers thus far- Happy New Year!

FFFT 11/11/11

I have oodles of things to share with you on this Friday!

Put all of these on the TO-READ list: Publisher's Weekly and Amazon have both released their top YA books for 2011 lists.

Ever wonder how a book cover is created? See a sample of the process through Blood by K. J. Wignall. (This book will be reviewed on the blog soon. I mean, just look at the picture below!).

We all do it. We think, do teens actually act this way? Here about the "believability factor" from a YA author. 

Remember my obsession with Divergent (still the best book I've read all year)? If you loved it as I did, you might be interested to hear how Veronica Roth was inspired to write it.

And while I'm aware that it's no longer October, I found these pumpkin carving ideas and just had to share!

CONTESTS! I love them, you love them. Here's one to win free YA ARC's from The Young Adult Literature Review.

Okay finally, this is hilarious: Is YA Lit RUINING Our Children?? Mad-lib style.