"Teardrop" by Lauren Kate

I've polishing off tons of digital advance copies from publishers, and there's so much great stuff, I've take to jotting notes on mini index cards I stick in my e-reader cover so I don't get overwhelmed by trying to write down EVERYTHING.

So here's the mini take on Teardrop, Lauren Kate's exciting entry in a genre I don't want to state because I'm afraid it may be a spoiler...  but go to the jump if you want to see anyway.

Teardrop is the first in a trilogy and goes on sale October 22, 2013. You can preorder a copy with the bookstore where I work (yippee!) or your local independent bookstore. (Sure, you can order other places, too, but I think they don't need the plug on my little blog.)

This is a romantic, exciting, and mystical story set in contemporary Louisiana.

Eureka was saved from the rogue wave that killed her mom as they drove over a bridge together. Survivor's guilt and grief for her mother change Eureka, but despite her depression, she doesn't cry. She hasn't cried since she was a very little girl and her mother told her never, ever to cry again. Time for therapy, right? Yes, but there's more to it than bottled up emotions...

With her friends Cat and Brooks, Eureka starts to piece together clues her mother left behind-- about Eureka's powers, about her mother's work, and about mysteries that could change the world.

I really enjoyed this! The pacing, the characters, and the specifics of the mysterious magic were all very well done. I'll definitely put #2 on my reading pile when it comes out.

The Summer Prince

I used to be a die-hard read-to-the-end reader. Maybe it was Puritan work ethic from growing up in New England; maybe it was optimism; maybe I had too much time on my hands? Over the years as a bookseller, my willingness to put a book down developed to what I imagine as near the decisiveness editors and agents must have. Unless someone I know and trust has recommended something, if a book doesn't grab me right away, I often put it down and move right on the the next in my overflowing to-read pile.
When I picked up The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson and read the first page, for some reason I wasn't hooked. Carnivale and an execution? Nah. I pushed it aside. But the next morning, the book called to me from my discard pile. I tried again. After several chapters, I came up for air--briefly-- then dove right back in.
This unique and fascinating teen novel is like Margaret Atwood with a samba beat. Once I let the language and the future-foreignness absorb me, I was completely hooked.
Wakas are the young people and grandes are the mature ruling class of Palmares Tres, a tenuous paradise city built of interconnected glass bubbles, floating on the ocean and ruled by a matriarchy of Aunties and the Queen-- a government that is cyclically blood-thirsty, requiring the sacrifice of a chosen Summer King every five years to sanctify the reign of the Queen.
June is an aspiring artist and the stepdaughter of one of the Aunties. June and her best friend, Gil, a dancer, are prone to large gestures and devotion to Art. When Enki, a dancer who came up from the lower class in the verde, the bottom level of the pyramid and society, is chosen as the Summer King, both June and Gil are attracted to Enki's charisma, elegance, power, and message. What could have been a traditional love triangle (albeit with one couple a same-sex couple) becomes a much more complicated dance when not just sex but art causes passions to flame.
Over the whole book lies the knowledge of Enki's impending sacrifice.
Suspense, drama, love, steamy sensuality, justice, art-- to think I might have missed all that on a snap judgment! I'm so glad I picked this back up. Let me be the one to tell you--give The Summer Prince at least a chapter. And if you're not into it by then, just set it aside and wait for a day you're feeling adventurous and willing to go out on a reading limb. It's strange and satisfying, fresh and fascinating.

Top Teen books of 2011

Here we go! I compiled a Top 10 list of books for teens for the store, but my personal list has a few differences...


I'm going to go ahead and use my commentary from the store lists when applicable, though.


TEGAN'S FAVORITE TEEN READS FROM 2011


Putting Makeup on Dead People by Jen Violi.  The title/subject may seem offputting, but it's one of the most beautiful (and funny) books about grief I've read. Violi nailed it.


Legend by Marie Lu. Dystopian thrills abound as June, the government's prodigy, is pitted against Day, its Enemy #1.


Beauty Queens by Libba Bray. A planeful of teen pageant contestants gets stranded on a desert island-- "Miss Congeniality" crossed with Lord of the Flies, with a healthy dose of fierce feminism.


Divergent by Veronica Roth. In this page-turner dystopian thriller set in Chicago of the future, the city is divided into five factions, with each valuing one trait above all else. Beatrice's choice to give up the gentleness of Abnegation for the power of Dauntless is riveting, and the romance made my heart race, too.


To Timbuktu by Casey Scieszka and Steven Weinberg. I'm always on the lookout for great non-fiction for teens, and this memoir (written and drawn by recent college grads) about travelling the world is fantastic: inspiring and entertaining.


Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy. I still think about Zulaikha, the rural Afghan girl in this story. Hope and perseverance make this a rewarding read.


Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma. The modern gothic atmosphere and mysterious characters make this contemporary story of two sisters so fascinating.


The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson. Need a stay-up-late-then-sleep-with-the-lights on read? Jack the Ripper stalks the streets of modern London in this first of a series.


Hourglass by Myra McEntire. I thought I was done with any paranormal romance, but this was fresh and oh-so-readable. Think teens with super-powers instead of vampires/werewolves/zombies etc. More! More!


Enclave by Ann Aguirre.  A vivid post-apocalyptic world, a tougher than nails protagonist, and the battles for survival left me breathless. The surprise bonus? A character named Tegan! 


Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton. This was creepy and suspenseful, and I just couldn't stop reading, even though I wanted to shake the characters and force them to make better choices. It's my surprise compulsion title of the year.


Wherever You Go by Heather Davis. This heartfelt contemporary novel about a teen who has to grow up too fast to care for her little sister and her grandfather with Alzheimer's, all while dealing with grief from her boyfriend's death, is powerful, and thanks to some beyond-the-grave communication, wonderfully healing.


Finally, an adult book I'd recommend to teens, or to adults who are feeling in that escapist, easy-to-get-lost-in kind of mood: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Atmospheric and engrossing, this is a grown-up Harry Potter fanatic kind of book, where magic feels real. The story, about two young magicians who are raised to fight a lifelong battle in an enchanted circus on behalf of their teachers, is really just an excuse for amazing images and flights of incredible imaginative fantasy. Don't worry about how it all works; if you're in the right frame of mind, just let yourself just get swept away. There's nothing to make this inappropriate for teens (except, perhaps, for the higher hardcover price of an adult title).

"Putting Makeup on Dead People"

That title got your attention, right? Mine, too, but maybe not for the same reasons (unless you are my sister!) You see, our maternal grandfather owned and ran a funeral home, and our uncle now owns and runs it, so a book about a teenager who wants to be a mortician is right up my alley.

True tale:

Before my grandparents went out for a big night on the town while my mom was growing up, my grandmother would lie down on the kitchen table so my grandfather could apply her party makeup. He couldn't do it unless she was very still and prone (a.k.a. pretending to be dead). So I knew I had to read Putting Makeup on Dead People by Jen Violi from the title alone.

Here's why YOU have to read this book, too (whether your my sister or anyone else):

This is a hilarious, beautiful, meaningful coming of age story. The main character, Donna, lost her father several years ago. Her brother has been away at college, her mother doesn't understand her, and she feels invisible at school. During her senior year, she realizes that the only place she really feels comfortable, the only place she really connects with people, is at the local funeral home. So she approaches the owners and asks what it takes to be a mortician.

One of the brothers who runs the funeral home explains that the main qualification for the job is "loving the whole person." This really resonated with me. It's a perfect lesson for a teenage girl who is trying to learn to love herself, but it's also such a comforting thought to anyone who is grieving. You can interpret the whole person as the good and the bad, the living and the dead. It reminds me of a meaningful zen story Richard Farr told me about Buddhist appreciation: that when we love someone, we love them partly for their beautiful fragility, that when we love someone completely, we love who they are, who they were, and who they will (or will not) be, like appreciating the teacup as something crafted by someone, as a lovely object to hold, and as something which will break some day and no longer exist except in our memories. (Apologies to everyone for my mangling in the retelling.)

That went on a long tangent, but suffice to say that this book has it all: Donna's hilarious and honest voice, tender flashbacks, wacky relatives, pagan rituals, great friendships, and even sexy romances! It's a teen read, but I think it would also make a good summer read for adults.

Summer reading recommendations for middle schoolers

This week I had the great pleasure of speaking about some of my favorite books to try to help the middle school students at St. Anne School get even more excited about summer vacation. I know some of the students there-- and I know they are voracious readers. (Shout out to Max M. and Sam M., if you ever find this blog!) The challenge for me was to find a mix of books that would be pure pleasure, appropriate for really smart middle schoolers, sophisticated enough for the students but not horrifying to the parents.

To start off, I asked how many had read The Hunger Games. As I suspected, the majority raised their hands. So my first grouping of books was for readers who loved that series. They're dystopian books with plenty of action but also heart-pounding relationships.

Enclave by Anne Aguirre

Divergent by Veronica Roth

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve

Dark Life by Kat Falls

Then I said, "If you like all that and a side of fantasy..."

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Eon by Alison Goodman

Mistwood by Leah Cypess (especially if readers liked Graceling)

(bonus: all these books already have sequels published!)

Next, I asked who was traveling internationally over the summer. I suggested that one way to travel the world without needing a passport or having to pack was to pick up some realistic books about other cultures:

To Timbuktu by Casey Scieszka and Steven Weinberg (nine countries including Morocco, China, and Mali)

Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy (Afghanistan)

Tall Story by Candy Gourlay (London, the Philippines)

If, like me, you like a clever con:

Heist Society by Ally Carter (I tried to convince them that, despite the cover, it's fiendishly clever fun that boys-- especially ones who've seen Leverage-- would love, too. I don't know if I convinced...)

If you like historical fiction with loads of action (and some big, out-there twists):

Death Cloud: Young Sherlock Holmes by Andrew Lane

The Wild: Secret Journeys of Jack London by Christopher Golden

And finally, a straight historical fiction novel that was so vivid I felt like I was near the front of the Crimean War with Florence Nightingale:

The Shadow of the Lamp by Suzanne Dunlap

Never Sit Down in a Hoopskirt

Today's fun teen read surprise:

Never Sit Down in a Hoopskirt-- and Other Things I Learned in Southern Belle Hell by Crickett Rumley.

Sakes alive, this chatty, sassy first-person narrative about an Alabama teen-come-home who finds herself a part of the esteemed tradition of Magnolia Maids is a hoot! Jane escaped from the humid, close world of Bienville (and away from painful memories of her mom's death), but after she gets kicked out of the latest boarding school, it's back to the land of sweet tea, gossip, big hair, and frenemies like you wouldn't believe.

The novel will be a paperback original coming out from Egmont USA in June. It is a perfect beach/bus/hammock read.

In the meantime, if this sounds good, be sure to check out my friend Kim's hilarious blog: Stuff Southern People Like.

Turmeric ginger carrot and garbanzo soup

Inspired by Liz of DishingWell's recent shout out to turmeric and its healthful properties, I served a tasty bright orange soup tonight. (A jolt of color that was very welcome after a very rainy day.)

Turmeric Ginger Carrot and Garbanzo Soup

1/2 onion, chopped

1 shallot, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped

small hunk of ginger root, peeled and cut in slivers

1 package of peeled baby carrots

water (about 4 cups)

turmeric (about 1 tsp?)

cumin (about the same)

ground cardamom (about 1/4 tsp)

a handful of frozen peas

salt

pepper

I sauteed the onions, garlic, and shallots in a pan with a touch of canola oil.

Then I added the rest of the ingredients (except the peas, salt, pepper) and simmered it up for a while. ("A while" translates to an hour plus-- I kind of lost track of time, but it was the time it took to read about 1/3 of the upcoming teen novel The Implosion of Aggie Winchester by Laura Zielin-- a fun goth girl/bass master prom romp.)

I added some salt and pepper. I checked to make sure all the sweet potato and carrots were smooshy. Then I used my wonder immersion blender-- but left a few hunks in the now brilliant orange bisque-like soup.

Then I added a handful of frozen peas because I wanted the color contrast of the bright green against the intense orange.

I served it with mini-ciabatta rolls stuffed with spinach leaves (tucked in while the rolls were still hot, so it wilted nicely) and slices of avocado with just a hint of salt.

(To be honest, I also gave us each a little serving of Jordy's leftover Mexican Mac & Cheese from dinner at the 5 Spot's vegetarian Wednesday last night, too. But if you were being all vegan-strict, you wouldn't have that in the house anyway, right?)

Mockingjay

"Mockingjay" was the first of the Hunger Games trilogy that we read aloud. (It was the first that we didn't have an ARC of, so this was the first time Jordan and I were both racing to read Collins before someone at work let something slip.)

I don't want to give anything away, but I do want to say I thought this was a satisfying end to a beloved trilogy. Yes, I did want a little more interaction between two specific characters... ask me if you want to know more. And yes, Katniss did seem a little more whine-y than in the previous books, but the poor girl has been through so much, I think she earned the right to whine some!

Also, thank you to the gods of read-aloud and my dear husband for giving me the chapter with my favorite line in the whole book... I was super-pumped to get to pretend to be Katniss declaring, "IF WE BURN, YOU BURN WITH US!" I flexed and showed my Mockingjay fake tattoo. Then I spent the rest of the week wanting to say things like, "If I do dishes, YOU DO DISHES WITH ME!" "If I go to hear a DJ, YOU GO TO HEAR A DJ WITH ME!" "If I dust the biography section, YOU DUST THE BIOGRAPHY SECTION WITH ME!"

Thanks, everyone in my life, for indulging me while I savored the book and all the high-energy empowerment that came with it.

For more about "Mockingjay" and the trilogy, I highly Katie Roiphe's essay from The New York Times Book Review.

Heist Society: superfun

It may look like I haven't been reading or eating much, but au contraire! I've just been so busy doing both, plus working, that I haven't posted much. Sorry, my three faithful followers. I'll try to be better.

I zipped through teen novel Heist Society by Ally Carter. Delightful con romp. I do love a great art heist! This feels like "The Thomas Crown Affair" meets STORM meets "Ocean's Eleven" with teenagers. Kat comes from a family of cons and thieves-- the classy, awe-inspiring kind. Her billionaire friend/ accomplice Hale frames her to get her kicked out of her first attempt at normal life, Colgan boarding school, but that's nothing compared to the frame job someone has done of her father: a seriously evil man is convinced that Kat's dad stole priceless (Nazi-tainted) masterpieces from his undermoat secure art lair, and Kat has two weeks to return the paintings before dire consequences ensue. Yes, I did write "undermoat secure art lair." There was a mini-sub involved. It's that kind of book-- LOVED it!

My favorite thing about the book was Kat's crew and their clockwork precise planning. I cracked up as the kids threw out ideas of different cons to try, all with hilariously evocative names: "the Ben Franklin," "the Princess Bride" ("But where would we get a six-fingered man on such short notice?"), "Dog in a Bar..." Most of them go unexplained, which makes it even funnier to me.

The globe-trotting adventure is dizzying, the teens are full of hijinks and even some romance, and the whole idea of kids as pros in the heist underworld was just delightful. I hope Carter writes more about Kat and her crew. Kat, don't just go back to Colgan yet, I beg!

Finished "Family Man"

Lipman's latest turned out just as fun and entertaining as it started. I enjoyed it and recommend it for a good light read.

Now I'm finishing up the teen werewolf novel "Nightshade" by Andrea Cremer. It will be out in October, and it is a perfect blend of romance and paranormal. The main character, Calla, is the up-and-coming alpha to a to-be-formed pack of werewolves. She and her destined alpha male, Ren, are on track to be mated, take over a pack of their own, and continue their inherited role as Guardians... but then sweet, mysterious, gorgeous boy Shay comes into their lives. Confusion ensues. So far it's a page-turner, with some of the club-going exclusivity of the Bluebloods series or other popular elite urban teen series (Gossip Girl, A-List), but none of the random hook-ups or crass commercialism. I like that Calla is a warrior primarily, but her heart sure does go pitter-pat. The mythology might be a bit too intentionally enigmatic so far (Calla and the other Guardians only know the Keeper-approved stories of their origins and purpose), but I'm zipping through it and having a good time. I'm really looking forward to meeting the author later this month when she comes through Seattle for her pre-pub dinner tour, and I think this will be a great book to recommend to teens and others who enjoyed "Graceling," "Shiver," "Twilight," and "Rampant."

Wolves and Step-fathers and Sichuan Peppers, oh my!

Dinner Tuesday wound up being Greek pasta (garlic, olives, green peppers, onions, more garlic, some tomato, diced zucchini, lots of fresh oregano, white wine, and olive oil) served with whole wheat pita and spicy hummus, in case you were wondering.

Reading: I finished "Dust City" by Weston yesterday, and ooooh, it was so good! I really enjoyed the fairy tale connections (there was one that I didn't catch until a climatic scene-- smacking myself in the forehead for not catching on earlier!), but I think my favorite thing was the gritty noir atmosphere, and how it somehow worked perfectly with the dark fairy tale fantasy elements. I hope adults will give this a read, even though it's being published for teens. The novel is so smart and entertaining! I ordered a big pile for the store.

I also got a respectable length into "Family Man" by Lipman. It is fun! I've been trying to cast it in my head because it reads like a delightful movie. I haven't figured out who I see as the main character (Henry-- just realized both books I read yesterday have Henrys as protagonists!)yet, but his ex-wife, Denise, reminds me of the fabulous Jessica Walter (Lucille Bluth in "Arrested Development"), and I imagine funny, loveable step-daughter Thalia as Alexis Bledel (just a little older). The New York setting, likeable characters (and a few we can all agree to love to hate)and sweet, gentle tone have me reading along quite happily. I think this would be a great vacation book or what I call a "palate cleanser"-- the kind of book you turn to after something particularly momentous or challenging. You know, a "nice" book. (And I don't mean that in a snarky way or a belittling way... Can't we all use more "nice" in our lives?)

Eating: Yesterday was another oatmeal morning (with dried cherries and almonds, and plenty of cinnamon.
For lunch, I had leftovers of the greek pasta. I was considering using one of my stretch-the-leftover tricks of adding frozen green peas before reheating, but I still had so much leftovers that I didn't have to do any doctoring.
I only snacked on ONE piece of Colleen's toffee. I still can't believe I was that good.

Then we come to dinner! Big excitement: I tried out my sichuan cooking skills! When we were in Beijing recently, we did a cooking class in a hutong, and we made fabulous chicken with chiles and sichuan peppers. I used my newish wok, my new peanut oil, and my new straight-from-Chengdu sichuan peppers and some super-fiery dried peppers from the University District farmers market to make what we will call Dragon Breath Tofu.
DRAGON BREATH TOFU sounds kind of like a new form of kung fu, doesn't it?

I applied elements of our "Three Treasures" recipe from Beijing (cooking sliced potatoes in a wok in peanut oil, then splashing water on to cook them through), Chinese cooking ideas from the other dishes (heating the peppers in a hot wok with peanut oil, adding splashes of soy sauce with sugar and splashes of rice wine around the wok during cooking, and some of my own mad kitchen creativity (broccoli's great with sichuan peppers because those little suckers get stuck in the branches). It was tingly, spicy, and fun. I put ginger and garlic in for flavor. I think next time I would heat the peppers alone in oil for longer (these peppers tasted a little bitter), and I would add more water to the rice cooker so my rice would be stickier, but otherwise, things went well. J. brought added his own super-fiery pepper to his plate as needed throughout the meal so he could get it hiccuping hot(the Chinese "la" heat) while I enjoyed the tingle ("ma") and fragrant spice of the sichuan peppers.

Oatmeal again this morning, testing out an instant "Oats and flax" variety from Natural Directions. It was a little too sweet for my taste, so we just may bring the rice cooker to Canada as an oatmeal cooker for pre-marathon routine. We'll test that theory tomorrow.

I think it's time to finish up the Greek pasta leftovers for lunch. For tonight, I'm thinking quinoa.

Eat, Read, Sleep

The Indie Bound bags have one side with the slogan "Eat, Read, Sleep." That's the inspiration-- now, GO!

What I'm reading:

Family Man by Elinor Lipman (she's coming for an event May 8)-- literally just opened to the first page so far, but I have a feeling it's going to be a fun spring read.

Dust City by Robert Paul Weston (ARC-- publication date 11/10). Halfway into this (and several other teen or kids' books for the Penguin fall season, since I just had my rep meeting today) and I'm LOVING it! Weston's debut, Zorgamazoo, was my favorite kids' chapter book for 2008, and his second novel is blowing me away. This one is for teens (and adults), and it's a noir/fantasy/fairy tale, featuring Arthur Whelp, the teenaged son of Little Red Riding Hood's murderer, as the main character. It's not just a witty reimagining of fairy tales (although the kick-ass Snow White had me giggling out loud)-- it is a great, gritty coming of age story, a mystery, and even social commentary. Fantastic! I wish I could start selling it right now. Oh, wait-- PREORDERS! I guess I can!

What I'm eating:

Since New Year's, we've been vaguely vegan. After convincing arguments against animal protein from The China Study (and our annual post-holiday detox), we have been cooking vegan at home (mostly) and eating vegan or vegetarian/pescatarian for the most part. The reason is health-- personal health and environmental health. But we're staying flexible and listening to our bodies. (We were total omnivores during our China trip, and we will eat whatever our friends serve us!)

Today's menu thus far is a good example.

We started off with one of our favorite breakfasts: oatmeal! Yes, it warrants the exclamation point. Today's was a mix of steel cut oats and rolled oats because I was down to oat dregs since I need to go to the grocery store. No matter-- it cooked up tasty and delicious with dried dates, sliced almonds, cinnamon, a little bit of flax seed, and a splash of coconut milk. Banana on the side, and OJ, too.

Then I was feeling peckish and almost broke into some age-old graham crackers in the pantry. Instead, I made chamomile tea for myself and Colleen, my sales rep who was coming for our fall appointment. Lucky, lucky me, Colleen brought a bag of homemade amazing graham cracker toffee! She coated graham crackers in boiled brown sugar/butter toffee mixture and nuts (hazelnuts and pecans), then cooked all at 350 for about 8 minutes. When she took it out of the oven, she sprinkled chocolate chips on top. Then this morning, she brought some to me. It's like she read my craving mind! Not so vegan or so healthy, but that's OK-- it is so delicious, I'm sure the endorphins I got from the toffee must be beneficial.

Lunch was "raid the fridge while working," so it was a little weird, but still good. I had some leftover rice from Indian food, leftover sweet potato (with a hint of cardamom), and a fried egg. Yes, an egg. Again, not so vegan. But I had two eggs left over from baking for a store event, so I thought I might as well eat one. I probably should have had some more veggies, so I'm thinking about some broccoli or a carrot for snack when I get hungry later.

Who knows what dinner will hold? I'm thinking some sort of pasta, since Sunday is J's marathon, but I'm also in the mood to make some soup. Why not both?