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Dandi Daley Mackall’s latest book for young adults, The Silence of Murder, takes the reader along on a slowly unraveling mystery about a beloved coach, murdered in cold blood; a mute, autistic teen, on trial for the crime; and a strong-willed young woman, determined to prove her older brother isn’t a killer.  Sixteen year old Hope is her 18 year old brother Jeremy’s protector, the only person who truly understands him and appreciates his unique way of being in the world.  Since  Jeremy stopped speaking at the age of 9, Hope has made it her mission in life to be the bridge between reserved, autistic, creative Jeremy andRead More →

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From Wired.com’s GeekDad (Oct. 1, 2011): This week I came across one of the scariest stories I’ve read in some time. It doesn’t have zombies or vampires or werewolves, dastardly masterminds or super-powered villains or even your guy-next-door-who-turns-out-to-be-evil. What makes it frightening to me, actually, is what it doesn’t have: books. Well, okay, that’s not technically true. “The Future of Books: A Dystopian Timeline” (posted this week on TechCrunch) paints a picture of the future of publishing, and in this world, digital publishing will supplant traditional publishing as soon as 2025, at which point people like me will be the last hold-outs, futilely clinging toRead More →

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Publisher’s Weekly (Oct. 3, 2011) reports: The young adult market these days is a bit like a nephew you haven’t seen in years: transformed from a little darling into a hulking almost-grownup who is maybe even a little scary. Teen titles dominate publishers’ fall lists, and those books overwhelmingly feature menacing creatures, forbidden romances, and apocalyptic versions of this and future Earth. “Blood” is a common word in titles, as is “dark,” “death,” “deadly,” and even “darker still.” Wait, that is an actual title. Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber (Sourcebooks, Nov.) “I don’t think the readership is tired of these types of stories,” saysRead More →

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Two or three times a year, PBC has the privilege to host a small dinner with a touring author and a group of Valley educators.  Jade & I look forward to the opportunity to bring some of our diverse, but like-minded (i.e. book-obsessed!), customers together for a relaxing evening, a good dinner, and interesting conversation featuring an author.  In the past we’ve welcomed Heather Brewer, James Dashner, Laurie Halse Anderson, David Levithan, and many others and it’s always been an experience to remember.  Last night, while on his nationwide tour for Goliath, the final book in the Leviathan Trilogy, best-selling author Scott Westerfeld  joined us for another great gathering. Read More →

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In: On the Edge, Realistic Fiction (YA), Romance (YA), Young Adult Book Reviews
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Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin deliver a hilarious, heartfelt concoction in Notes From the Blender.  I can’t count how many times I laughed out loud, smirked with understanding, and cringed with embarrassment throughout this book.    16 year old Declan (named after Elivs Costello, thank you very much) loves death metal, violent video games, and Neilly Foster.  He’s an outsider for sure, cloaking himself in black clothes, combat boots and an attitude that lets people know to keep their distance.  He’s learned to live with the pain and grief he’s carried since his mom was killed in a car accident when he was 9.  He and his dadRead More →