Armchair BEA: Young Adult Science Fiction

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Today is a combination of free day and talking about middle grade and YA fiction.  I decided to split the difference and talk about YA science fiction!  I think YA is well suited to science fiction.  Teens tend to be early adopters of technology, and they might be a bit more culturally flexible when running into aliens.

Here are some upcoming (or recent) titles I'm excited about:

CATALYST by S.J. Kincaid
This is the final book in the Insignia trilogy, which is one of my favorite things ever.  Main character Tom is a smart mouth, a bit of a con man, and very talented with video games.  He's training to be a child soldier, but his personality is holding him back.  Plus he falls for Medusa, a talented girl fighting for the other side.  Kincaid knows just when to twist the knife, too.

OTHERBOUND by Corinne Duyvis
I won a copy of this from Duyvis on Tumblr, and I'm saving it for 48HBC.  The summary, about a boy named Nolan who closes his eyes and sees the life of a girl named Amara, reminds me of the classic BEING OF TWO MINDS by Pamela F. Service.  That alone is enough to make me pick it up.

SCAN by Walter Jury and Sarah Fine
This book actually came out earlier this month; I just haven't read it yet.  This book promises lots of suspense, with aliens that have infiltrated the human race and an invention everybody once.  I love stories where anybody could be the enemy.  It really ratchets up the tension.

LOVE IS THE DRUG by Alaya Dawn Johnson
Honestly, I tend to hate books about viruses because the biology is always so, so bad.  (Alexandra Bracken's THE DARKEST MINDS is a rare one that I like, even if the disease doesn't make any sense.)  At the same time, I really liked THE SUMMER PRINCE and lots of other things Johnson has written.  Therefore, it all add up to me being excited.

GOLDEN SON by Pierce Brown
RED RISING is one of my favorite reads of the year.  It sets the stage for an epic series, and I am eager to see where Brown takes his protagonist Darrow next.  Darrow has successfully hidden himself among the elite he once slaved for, and now it is time for him to start taking them down.  But he'll have to be careful in a brutal society that sacrifices their own children to rise to the top.

TAKE BACK THE SKIES by Lucy Saxon
This book has a cross-dressing heroine and smugglers on an air ship.  I don't care about anything else, I want to read it.  It is the first in a planned six-book series, so Bloomsbury must have some confidence in debut author Lucy Saxon.

Check out the YA science fiction novels I recommend.

Armchair BEA: Beyond the Borders

#WeNeedDiverseBooks has been gaining traction across the 'net, and Armchair BEA is no exception.

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Over the years I've blogged, I've become more aware of what I'm reading.  Who is the author?  Who were the main characters?  Are they just like me, or are they different?  Were they based on a real culture?  Was that culture researched and treated respectfully?

I've found resources like Diversity in YA and American Indians in Children's Literature.  I've tried to maintain my own resource through my QUILTBAG YA list.

Probably the biggest change is that I've imposed a quota on myself.  I try to review at least one book a week by a diverse author or with a diverse main character.  I don't always manage it, but it's been a much easier goal to meet than I first expected.

Some diverse reviews this month include:

• THIS ONE SUMMER by Jillian and Mariko Tamaki
• THE SUMMER I WASN'T ME by Jessica Verdi
• ONE MAN GUY by Michael Barakiva
• ADAPTATION by Malinda Lo
• THE QUICK by Lauren Owen

It has been an extremely rewarding project.  I try to be an attentive reader, and doing this has not only made me more attentive, but more knowledgeable.  I don't always get it right, but with practice I'm getting it better.

Please note that next weekend, June 6-8, is the 48 Hour Book Challenge, hosted by Mother Reader.  This readathon is so much fun, and this year the focus is diverse books.  You read at least 12 hours in a 48 hour period, raise money for charity, and get the chance to win prizes!  Check out my posts from the two times I've participated.

Armchair BEA: Expanding Blogging Horizons and Short Stories/Novellas

Welcome to day three of Armchair BEA.  There are two more great topics to discuss.

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Expanding Blogging Horizons

This one isn't really me.  I mean, I've redesigned my blog periodically, but not expertly (as you can probably tell).  No freelance writing based on the blog, nor podcasting.  I suppose you might count the judging I've done for the CYBILS as branching out . . . I don't, not really.  But honestly, I like sticking to my blog.  What about you?  Have you ventured out?  Do you want to venture out?

Short Stories/Novellas

I think short stories and novellas are great.  (You can also check out my anthologies tag.)  I like that the internet has led to more support of publishers specializing in shorter fiction, like Nouvella and Shebooks.  It's also led to Harlequin and Tor.com and such selling short stories designed to capture lunch break readers and such.  It's a real boon to me.  A good short story or novella is all killer, no filler.  You get all the satisfaction of a completed character arc and/or resolved conflict, and you can read it in a shorter time.  They're the perfect form for the busy reader.

Speaking of Shebooks, they've just launched a Kickstarter for their Equal Writes Campaign.

Armchair BEA: Author Interaction & More Than Just Words

Armchair BEA, Day Two

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Author Interaction

My number one tip for author interaction through your blog is to not seek an author out if you're giving their book a bad review.  For example, if you tweet every review you write, don't automatically tag the author.  I don't think of this as a malicious mistake, but avoiding it makes everything work easier.

As for real life, I love going to book readings and signings.  I've never failed to be entertained and to learn something new about the work.  Some authors are better oral readers than others, of course.  Some, like Kathi Appelt, will even sing a song for you.  And every single author I've met has been very nice about even the most ridiculously fannish things I've said.  (R.L. Stine was simply excited to see someone carrying around THE BEAST, one of his older works.)  My pieces of advice don't have much to do with the actual interaction.

1) Buy one of the author's books from the store hosting the event.  It supports everyone involved and helps guarantee that there will be future similar events in your area.

2) Be mindful of the audience.  For instance, I've been to events geared toward teens and events geared toward librarians, of which I am neither.  In that case, it's polite to take a step back.  Ask a question if things are getting quiet, but don't ask the first question.

Also, if you live in Texas, Jen Bigheart keeps a great list of YA and MG author events.

More Than Just Words

I love graphic novels.  I've served on the CYBILS Graphic Novels panel, and it was great fun.  You can check out my graphic novels tag for specific reviews and a few manga primers.

I've been enjoying the new trend of hybrid graphic and prose novels, such as IN THE SHADOWS by Jim Di Bartolo and Kiersten White and CHASING SHADOWS by Swati Avasthi and Craig Phillips.  They provide the best of both worlds!  Stacked has a great primer on these hybrids.

But I've pretty much always been a fan of comics, from days of picking up Sabrina the Teenage Witch at the local newsstand.  What I am new too, thanks to blogging, is audiobooks.  I originally didn't like them because they took so much longer than just reading the book.  But other bloggers have convinced me to give them another chance. 

I listened to THE DUFF while I had an hour commute to and from work, and it was pretty entertaining.  Listening to audiobooks on my drive also helped me get through my CYBILS MG Speculative Fiction reading faster! 

If you want to give audiobooks a try yourself, Sync is giving away two free audiobooks a week for the rest of the summer.  Today is the last day to get CRUEL BEAUTY and OEDIPUS THE KING.

Armchair BEA: Introductions and Literature

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It's that time of year again!  Those of us who can't make it to the Javits Center celebrate BEA from the comfort of our own homes.  This is my third year participating in Armchair BEA, and it is loads of fun.  Today is a get-to-know-you day, along with some discussion of literature.

1. Describe your blog in just one sentence. Then, list your social details -- Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. -- so we can connect more online. 
My blog has changed over the years, but its a nice capsule of my reading tastes.  I am on Twitter as @wearedevilcow, Instagram as @wearedevilcow, Facebook, and Tumblr.  If you want to follow me on social media, I recommend my Tumblr.

2. What genre do you read the most? I love to read because ___________________ . 
I read fantasy the most, I believe. I love to read because I like stories and the way they unlock my imagination.

3. What was your favorite book read last year? What’s your favorite book so far this year? 

My favorite book last year was probably JINX by Sage Blackwood.  This year, so far, it is BLACK DOG by Rachel Neumeier.  

4. What is your favorite blogging resource? 
Other bloggers.  If I don't know how to do something, there's probably someone else who has done it before and has either written a tutorial or will talk about it.  Plus, bloggers have their ears to the ground about all the best books.

5. What book would you love to see as a movie? 
I would love to see a SCORPIO RACES movie, especially one done with mostly practical special effects.

Let's discuss the literature questions in the comments!
Literature 
What do you think of when you think of literature? Classics, contemporary, genre, or something else entirely? We are leaving this one up to you to come up with and share the literature that you want to chat about the most. Feel free to share a list of your favorites, break down your favorite genre, feature your favorite authors, and be creative about all things literature in general.