As promised in my bookish resolutions video, so begins the From the Notebook feature on this blog! This week I’m talking about my most disappointing books from 2015, since I didn’t do a lot of reviewing this year!
I promised myself a while ago–like, when I started this blog ago–that I would never write a response blog post. I have never wanted to get caught up in any drama. Lord, the drama on the internet, am I right? But two things have happened in such quick succession that I am finally using this blog to say some things.
The first was during the episode of my book club, Bibliomancy for Beginners, that aired last Tuesday. Head over to this link and watch the last six minutes or so. Starting at about 1:04:00 I just … blow up. Seriously. I scare my co-Bibliomancers. Because enough of them have taken enough jabs at the YA genre over the three years that we’ve been doing this that I just broke. (Warning: I say some choice things about John Green. While I stand by my opinion, I recognize that this is my opinion and not some cosmic rule.) So I start shouting in defense of it. Enjoy.
This week is my pick and I’m super excited about it! Watch this episode to listen to me staunchly defend the YA industry against my fellow Bibliomancers. Was this book perfect? No. But I will stand up for deserving YA debuts until I die, and An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir is one of them. ONCE MORE UNTO THE BREACH DEAR FRIENDS!
I am the worst. Why? I apparently never got this post up when we actually DID this episode last week. Like you, I guess the fact that we were starting SEASON THREE of Bibliomancy for Beginners snuck up on me.
What is Bibliomancy for Beginners, you ask? Well, if you’re new around here, it’s the book club I run with two of my college friends. This season we’re doing a lot of fun, new stuff that front-runner Michaela has lovingly detailed in this here blog post, but I would like to quote her on one of the most exciting things:
“The next change is that we will be following a theme this summer. The internet has blown up with the need for #diversebooks and we want to promote that as well. We hope to read books that will cover a variety of genres, languages, genders, sexualities, and ethnicities. We all benefit from more and varied stories so let’s show our support for the authors who break the parade of dead white men!”
Are you excited? Be excited. In the bottom of this post is the video for our first episode, 2AM in the Cat’s Pajamas by Marie-Helene Bertino. Don’t forget to tune in with us on June 23rd for MY PICK, An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir! For more info: