Provo Library Happenings

I'm not sure if many of you know this, but the Provo City Library has some of the best events of any library I've ever seen! You all know that I've attended many of the Children's Book Festivals, Teen Book Fairs, and author events (to name a few), and now is your chance to go too!

The biggest and closest event is happening August 2nd, with author Kiersten White coming to visit! White is the author of Paranormalcy and Supernaturally, two books I haven't read yet, though I currently have checked out from the library (hello weekend reading!), but from what I hear, they're amazing and full of supernatural fun!

Tickets go up for grabs TOMORROW July 23rd at the librarian's reference desk at the Provo Library at 9am, so stop by and pick them up! I know where I'll be tomorrow morning!

Check out this link to find out more info: http://www.provolibrary.com/authorlink/576

Hope to see you there!

Provo Children's Library Book Festival

As I was going through my list of posts that have been sitting on the back-burner as I awaited finishing school, graduating, moving, etc., I realized that I completely forgot to create a post about the Provo Children's Library Book Festival from this past May. Wow. Talk about a brain lapse. And this year it was PHENOMENAL! One of the main reasons for it's elevated status is because I got to meet Jennifer Holm, author of the Boston Jane series (one of my favorites), as well as the author of the ever popular Baby Mouse comics. Though she was the keynote author, I was surprised at how little attended her line was for signings, but I got over the shock once I started talking to her and realized that I could have a 10 minute conversation with her, which is what I did. Definitely the highlight of my day, and year.

After chatting with the hilarity that is Holm, I quickly jumped into the Shannon Hale author signing line with a friend because she had some new books of Hale's that she wanted to get signed for herself and her family. Once we got to the table and started talking with her, we realized that she was pregnant with twins, which promptly became the subject of our conversation. What was she going to name them? Did they know the sex of the babies? Had they considered naming them after famous Superhero duos? Our little chat was probably the best of the day, which was greater intensified because of our super long wait, but most definitely worth it.

Although I didn't spend as much time as I have in the past at the book festival because I've already had the pleasure of meeting several of the authors, I was glad that I made the festival a "must" on my summer "to-do" list. I just can't wait for what next year has to bring!

Richard Peck at the Provo City Library

Last night I had the chance to meet Richard Peck. I'm sad to say that I've never read any of his books, but after listening to him talk for an hour, I'm sold. To my defense, I have checked many of his books out several times, though have never had the "time" to read them. His book A Long Way From Chicago was this year's pick of the ProvoReads organization to be read by the Provo school district and the Provo City Library (for more info, click here). I knew this was going to be a good event because there were only a limited amount of tickets, I was too excited to write a paper (story of my life), and Barnes and Noble was there to sell books ( Yes, I did help stimulate our economy last night).
They had a Q&A session that had some interesting questions- I didn't get a chance to ask any questions, but here's what I would have asked, given the chance:

• Was the food they offered at the Newbery dinner worth winning the Newbery?
• Why would you have a cat with you- if you're getting secluded on this make believe desert island, why not have a dog that walks itself?

This author-attending was definitely one of the best I've been to. Although I haven't had much exposure to Peck's work, I fell in love with his love for the English language, his ability to weave a hilarious and engaging story, and his overall charisma and personality. I'm glad that I had the opportunity to not only meet Peck, but that I was able to spend an hour or so with him. It was definitely the perfect evening out, and I'm excited for the next ProvoReads event!

Mackey Hedges

The one and only Mackey Hedges

Last night, and today, I had the opportunity to spend some time with Mackey Hedges, author of The Last Buckaroo. Many of you know that I am in a class at BYU called Literature of the American West, which is how I ended up meeting Hedges. My professor, being a professor, has influence and connections to the world of celebrities, and so through the powers of his connections was able to get Hedges to come out for a day or two.

In honor of his arrival, my classmates and I were able to meet Hedges at our professor's house for dinner and an evening of chatting. Though I have met several authors prior to meeting Hedges, this was definitely one author meeting that I'm not likely to forget anytime soon. Although Hedges may not be a big author in the popular literature circle, or even the New York Times Bestsellers circle, he is widely known and read among the cowboys and buckaroos. There seemed to be no end to his stories and anecdotes, that the hours flew by as he spun his tales for us. Like I said, I've met many authors, but this meeting was so personal and intimate, that it was by far the best author experience I've had.

Even if cowboy lit isn't your "cup of tea", Hedges' writings are definitely entertaining and full of sarcastic humor that appeals to most. His book The Last Buckaroo isn't something I would ever willingly pick up on my own, but give it a try--it definitely gives a good look into the life of a cowboy.

Falling Angels

So by now you should have read my blog post spotlighting Tracy Chevalier, and why she's amazing. Obviously, this is going to be a positive review. So I'm jumping right into things.

This book is set during the end of the Victorian era, at the cusp of the new century, and opens up with the death of Queen Victoria. Kitty Coleman is a Victorian housewife who has nothing to fill her days, and obviously feels like her life lacks purpose. As Kitty, her husband, and their daughter Maude attend a memorial service at their local graveyard for the Queen, the Coleman's run into their graveyard next door neighbors, the Waterhouse's. Their daughter Lavinia is Maude's age, who through the story's development, becomes Maude's best friend. Though this book is told through the viewpoints of (roughly) 10 or so character's points of view, the main focus of the book is of the growing up of both girls. We see them caught up in the melodrama of being a girl on the throes of becoming a young woman in Victorian society, deal with loss and sorrow in a hypocritical age, reliving Suffragette marches, riding the waves of scandal, and understanding what it means to be a friend. The book is full of double standards, hypocrisy, melodrama, real drama and nostalgia, and should be read immediately. The genius of writing the story from several character's viewpoints only shows how capable Chevalier is at mastering the art of storytelling.

Not only is the story original and beautiful, but the writing itself is passionate and full of intrigue and romance that can only be found in one of Chevalier's books. I definitely recommend this book and advise you to read it tonight, cuddled up in piles of blankets. Chevalier's books have always left me wanting more, and this one was nothing different; after you finish this book, I'm sure you'll want to go and pick up a couple more of her books. My advice: give into the urge!

Tracy Chevalier

This post is hereby entitled "Why I love Tracy Chevalier". I should call it with the better title ( I suppose) of "Why I Don't Love Tracy Chevalier", which would be a shorter post and would allow me to get back to my pile of homework, but this defeats the purpose of why I'm even writing the post to begin with. So, here launches my post of why Tracy Chevalier is a FABULOUS author, and why you should like her too.

Tracy Chevalier

Website: www.tchevalier.com
Books Written: Girl with a Pearl Earring, Falling Angels, The Virgin Blue, The Lady and the Unicorn, Burning Bright, Remarkable Creatures (comes out in the US in January 2010)
Notable Awards: Barnes and Noble "Discover Great Authors" Award; plus she's always on the New York Times Bestseller list whenever one of her new books comes out
Books Adapted into Films: Girl with a Pearl Earring starring Scarlett Johansen and Colin Firth, which was nominated for Academy Awards
Her Niche: Historical fiction. She does a great job of throwing you into the time period that she's writing about. I love how real her characters seem to be, and how vivid and earthy her descriptions are. Nothing is lost through Chevalier's tellings.
Why I like her (a lot) and why you should too: You know that you've found a good book when you find yourself flipping pages without even realizing it. You know you've found a good author when you find yourself flipping pages without even knowing it in every book that you've read by said author. Chevalier is such an author. Half the time I'm reading her works, I don't even realize I'm flying through the pages. Her books are just THAT good.
Which of her books I've read: Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Virgin Blue, Falling Angels, Remarkable Creatures, The Lady and the Unicorn
On a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being "This book was sent from the gods for us mere mortals to read" and 1 being "This book wouldn't even make good toilet paper") here's how they rate:
Girl with a Pearl Earring: 5
The Virgin Blue: 5
Falling Angels: 5
Remarkable Creatures: 3
The Lady and the Unicorn: 4
Need I say more? The scores speak for themselves. Her writing has never let me down.

Provo Library Children's Book Festival

So yesterday I attended the Provo City Library's Children's Literature Festival which was a ton of fun. The library has had this event for two years now (I believe), and each year has been a smashing success. I had a blast meeting lots of new authors, yet I still didn't have enough time to go to the selected readings and forums that some of the authors were giving, which was disheartening. Hopefully there's next year, right? Anyway, I got these authors to sign my books (among my friends' relatives' and co-workers'):
Shannon Hale
Brandon Mull
Brandon Sanderson
Mette Ivie Harrison
Jessica Day George
I had met Shannon and both Brandon's from last year's event, but Jessica and Mette were new. I had thought of meeting them both last year but thought I should have actually read both of their books prior to getting them signed. I still didn't have time to read Mette's book, but I have the ambition to read it! I swear! Hopefully next year I can meet James Dashner and let him know that I actually have read his books and enjoyed them. All in all, it was a successful event with tons of crazy and hyper children running about with loud ear-piercing cries (which we all know equals a hit).
It was cute though-- Darcie and I met these two kids, a brother and sister ages 13 and 16ish, who were excited to meet Brandon Mull. The boy was so excited to meet him, and was asking aloud whether Brian Jacques was going to be here, and even Tolkien. We sadly had to tell him that we were pretty sure Jacques lives in Scotland and that Tolkien was signing books for fans on the other side. We let him know that this event was for local authors; his sister was slightly embarrassed, but we reassured them both. They were both adorable, and hopefully we run into them both next year.
Oh, this is totally random, but while I was in line waiting to meet Jessica Day George, there was a woman behind me that looked really familiar. I was trying to remember where I remember seeing her and after I second of contemplation realized that she was the one to host Rick Riordan here last February ('08). (Her name is Mrs. Moody from Dixon Middle School). I told her that I was so thankful that she was able to get him out here and that his presence in the greater Wasatch area seriously made my life. She then told me the story of how she got him to come out here: she randomly sent him an email asking if he would be at all available to visit her school/area to do a book signing and presentation for her school because her kids love him and would love the chance to meet him. He wrote back saying he would be available at such and such a time and gave her the price of what it would cost to host him. She responded and said there would be no way she could afford him but he said that yes she could. He asked her what she could afford to spend to have him out for 3 days, she let him know, and he said that he would love to come- he said he was excited to come-he had never been to Utah before.
I was floored when I heard her story- it was seriously a fluke that I ended up seeing a flier that told of his coming to the Barnes and Noble in Orem. I was volunteering for one day at Dixon Middle School for my American Heritage class and while I was waiting for an assignment I was examining my surroundings in a classroom and saw the flier for his book signing. I seriously started jumping with joy (on the inside). I couldn't believe my luck. If I had not signed up for volunteering that day I would never have met him. It was fate, I swear. It was awesome. And I love Mrs. Moody from Dixon Middle. She has some great ideas for her students- she was getting a ton of hardback books signed by authors there at the event because if her kids meet their reading goals by the end of the year she would try and get a signed copy of one of their favorite books, or give them a book of their choosing. That's dedication right there.

Sharon Creech

Sharon Creech

Website: www.sharoncreech.com
Books Written: Absolutely Normal Chaos, Bloomability, The Castle Corona, Chasing Redbird, Granny Torrelli Makes Soup, Hate that Cat, Heartbeat, Love that Dog, Pleasing the Ghost, Replay, Ruby Holler, Walk Two Moons, The Wanderer
Notable Awards:
For Absolutely Normal Chaos: 100 Best Books for Reading and Sharing in 1995 (New York Public Library), YALSA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults in 2001
For Bloomability: Parenting Magazine Reading Magic Award in 1998, Chicago Public Library Best Books in 1998
For Chasing Redbird: ALA Best Books in 1997, Finalist for the Parent's Choice Award Silver Honor in 1997
For Love that Dog: Christopher Award, Claudia Lewis Poetry Award
For Ruby Holler: Carnegie Medal in 2002
For Walk Two Moons: Newbery Medal, Children's Book Award in 1995, UK Reading Association Award in 1995
For The Wanderer: Newbery Honor Award in 2001, ALA Notable Book in 2001, Christopher Award in 2001, Parent's Choice Award in 2000, Child Magazine Best Book of the Year 2000
Her Niche: A lot (if not all) of her stories deal with the coming of age of her main characters. Usually there is a big adventure for the main character that propels them into knowledge, or to say it differently, into a more enlightened and wise-end state.
Why I like her (a lot) and why I think you should too: I just love her books. They're refreshing and highly enjoyable to read. I know that whenever I read one of her books I'll be settling down for the afternoon- the sunlight will stream through my window, I'll be perfectly comfortable in my chair, and I'll think to myself, "If only my childhood was like this...". It's interesting, but every time I read something by her I'm always reminded on my childhood and early adolescent years because her books produce a form of nostalgia that is hard to beat with any other author.
Which of her books I've read: Bloomability, Chasing Redbird, Heartbeat, The Wanderer. On a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being "This book was sent from the gods for us mere mortals to read" and 1 being "This book wouldn't even make good toilet paper") here's how they rate:
Bloomability: 5
Chasing Redbird: 5
Heartbeat: 4
The Wanderer: 4

Gail Carson Levine

Gail Carson Levine

Website: http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/harperchildrens/kids/gamesandcontests/features/fairest/

Books Written: Ella Enchanted, Dave at Night, The Fairy's Mistake, The Princess Test, Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep, The Wish, The Two Princess of Bamarre, Cinderellis and the Glass Hill, The Fairy's Return, For Biddle's Sake, Betsy Who Cried Wolf, Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg, Fairest, Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly, Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Wand, Ever
Notable Awards:
For Ella Enchanted (there are a lot so I listed some of the more "well-known"): Newberry Honor Book, California Young Reader Medal, ALA Notable Children's book, ALA Best Book for Young Adults, ALA Booklist Editors' Choice, Publisher's Weekly Best Book
Dave at Night: School Library Journal Best Book, ALA Notable Children's Book, ALA Best Book for Young Adults, Publisher's Weekly Best Book, Book Sense Pick
For Fairest: School Library Journal Best Book, New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age, Publishers Weekly Best Book
For Writing Magic: Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts
For The Two Princesses of Bamarre: VOYA Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror, New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age, Beehive Award
Books Adapted into Films: Ella Enchanted, starring Anne Hathaway
Her Niche: She is a fairytale re-teller. She takes the basic fairytales and spins them into something even more lovable and fun to read. Every time I've picked up one of her books, I've entered into a land of fun and adventure. Levine does a great job taking the reader into a faraway land, and paving the way for a fun, lighthearted journey.
Why I like her (a lot) and why I think you should too: Almost every book I've read by Levine, I've loved. I always know that if I'm looking for a good an enjoyable, quick read, she's the one I turn to. Even if you don't like retold fairytales, her stories morph more into tales about princesses and true love. Her books may be girly, but they are lots of fun.
Which of her books I've read: Ella Enchanted, The Fairy's Mistake, The Princess Test, Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep, The Two Princess of Bamarre, Cinderellis and the Glass Hill, The Fairy's Return, For Biddle's Sake, Fairest, Ever. On a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being "This book was sent by the gods for us mere mortals to read" and 1 being "This book wouldn't even make good toilet paper") here's how they rate:
Ella Enchanted: 4
The Fairy's Mistake: 4
The Princess Test: 4
Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep: 4
The Two Princess of Bamarre: 4.5
Cinderellis and the Glass Hill: 4
The Fairy's Return: 4
For Biddle's Sake: 4
Fairest: 4.5
Ever: 2.5

Laurie Halse Anderson is so COOL!

Me and Laurie Halse Anderson

So this past Thursday evening I had the opportunity to meet Laurie Halse Anderson at the King's English Bookstore in Salt Lake City. It was so much fun! It's a really tiny bookstore in a residential area (which was a little hard to find), and the store had just enough people to be cozy enough; I was surprised to see that not that many people were there. I guess I can't blame anyone for not following author's book tours like I do.

So I was in line, anxiously waiting to get my books signed (I bought Wintergirls while I was there, and I brought Speak from home) when finally, it was my turn. She signed my books, and I told her how I saw that on her book tour dates she went to San Francisco the Sunday previous, and I started cursing myself that I didn't live at home, when I saw that she was coming to Salt Lake, and I jumped for joy. I told her that I drove up from Provo to see her, and she got so excited and grateful that I came. I couldn't believe how genuine and honest she was! (Not like I think authors are selfish and are lying to me when they say they're glad I came to see them, but she was truly sincere).

The girl before me had asked Anderson what her tattoo stood for (it's a tattoo on the inside of her right wrist of the word "Hwaet" which is the first word from the first line of Beowulf). She told them this explanation, and that when it was spoken by the storyteller, it was a calling to others to listen- she said it was really painful to put it on so that way she won't forget it and will continue telling stories. After hearing her tattoo story I told her that I am currently in a Medieval lit. class and so recognized the meaning of her tattoo prior to her explaining it (because I'm just that big of a nerd).

We took a picture together, and then I went on my merry way (after telling her that her books are totally amazing!). I hung around the bookstore for a while more because I heard that she would be speaking a little bit later, and as I was waiting I started chatting with Sara Zarr (author of Sweethearts- which I've read- and Story of a Girl) and James Dashner (author of The 13th Reality series as well as the Jimmy Fincher series). It was a lot of fun, and the info that I gleaned from our conversations are thus:

• Sara Zarr really likes Friday Night Lights
• She's super excited when fans recognize her and start telling her how wonderful and amazing she (and her books) is (are)
• James Dashner always meets his deadlines, and wouldn't dream of missing them
• He tries to write 1500 words a day
• He doesn't edit his writing as he goes along
• As of Thursday night at the book signing, he had never read any of Anderson's books, though he planned on starting with Twisted and then planned on moving to Speak

I promise I'm not a stalker, and don't want you to think that I am by putting these facts up as potential stalker material, but I thought these tidbits would be fun to know, and would make the authors seem more personable.

E.L. (Elaine Lobl) Konigsburg

E.L. Konigsburg

Website: I can't find an author website for her, but this is a link to her main publisher's website: http://www.eduplace.com/kids/tnc/mtai/konigsburg.html
Books Written: Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth (all one book), From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, About the B'nai Bagels, George, All Together, One at a Time (all one book), A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver, The Second Mrs. Giaconda, Father's Arcane Daughter, Throwing Shadows, Journey to an 800 Number, Up from Jericho Tel, T-Backs, T-Shirts, Coat, and Suit (all one book), Talk Talk, The View from Saturday, Silent to the Bone, The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place, The Myterious Edge of the Heroic World, My Father's Daughter
Notable Awards:For Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth: Newbery Honor Book
For From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler: Newbery Medal, Lewis Carrol Shelf Award, William Allen White Children's Book Award
For The View from Saturday: Newbery Medal
Other Awards: Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award from Carnegie Mellon University
Her Niche: It's been a while since I've read her books, but from what I can remember, she writes about younger children facing their own personal problems, whether big or small. She does write for a younger audience (elementary-middle school) but I still enjoy reading her books today. I remember reading four of her books in one summer because they were so good (and seeing as she's won the Newbery twice, it's a no-brainer that her books are amazing).
Why I like her (a lot) and why I think you should too: Konigsburg has a way of capturing her audience within the first couple pages. Her characters go through personal adventures that ultimately help them grow up a little in the process. For myself, I attribute her books to summer reading because of two different reasons: first, I would walk to the library and read her books in the nice air conditioning before the walk home, and second, a lot of the time her books are focused in the summer months because she writes about a younger audience and that's the prime time for them to go on adventures.
The funny thing about my relationship with E.L. Konigsburg is that I never meant to pick up any of her books. My mom and I went to Barnes and Noble to get some books one evening; I wanted the Chronicles of Narnia books but my mom was hesitant due to the covers (go figure). She then had a sales associate help us find more "suitable" books for me and he suggested From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. I never thought his suggestion would actually be worthwhile, but here I am, years later, and in love with her writing.
Which of her books I've read: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, The Second Mrs. Giaconda, T-Backs, T-Shirts, Coat, and Suit, The View from Saturday (twice). On a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being "This book was sent by the gods for us mere mortals to read" and 1 being "This book wouldn't even make good toilet paper") here's how they rate:
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler: 5
The Second Mrs. Giaconda: 4
T-Backs, T-Shirts, Coat, and Suit: 4.5
The View from Saturday: 5
Obviously, Konigsburg's books don't disappoint.

Joan Bauer

Joan Bauer

Website: http://www.joanbauer.com/
Books Written: Squashed, Rules of the Road, Stand Tall, Thwonk, Peeled, Best Foot Forward, Hope Was Here, Backwater, Sticks
Notable Awards:
For Squashed: Delacorte Prize for First Young Adult Novel
For Rules of the Road: American Library Association (ALA) Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults selection
For Hope Was Here: Newbery Honor Book

Other Awards and Honors: LA Times Book Prize, Christopher Award, Golden Kite Award, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Honor, Michigan Thumbs-Up! Award for Children's Literature, New England Bookseller's Award, Literary Light Award, Boston Public Library Honor.
Her Niche: Bauer does a great job writing about small town rural life. She is a great teen author that shows the "prettier" side of growing up in high school and coming of age for her characters. Every time I've read one of her books I've felt as if there's much greater hope in the teen world than I think there is. Not to be taken in a bad way, but her books could be described as "cute" and leave you with "warm fuzzies".
Why I like her ( a lot) and why I think you should too: Like I said, Bauer does an excellent job of writing about the small town rural and creating a great story. Her ideas are simplistic and basic, though don’t think that her story will be boring at all- her stories are full of depth and “life lessons” and are a lesser dose of a coming of age story. Bauer does a great job of connecting her main characters with a parental figure- most times it is a parent or relative that they end up connecting with, but occasionally the connection is with a figure that becomes a mentor throughout the story. Something interesting about her that kind of tells a little background of her stories: if she wasn't a writer she would like to either own a restaurant, make independent films, or be a pastor.
Which of her books I've read: Squashed, and Peeled. Though I've only read two of her books, I do own Rules of the Road and Thwonk, and I do plan on reading them in the near future. On a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being "This book was sent by the gods for us mere mortals to read" and 1 being "This book wouldn't even make good toilet paper") here's how they rate:
Squashed- 3.5
Peeled- 4.5

Authors I'm Obsessing Over

So lately I've been obsessed with young adult literature ever since I took a YA lit class at BYU. There are a couple authors that have impressed me enough to read more of their works, even if there may or may not be a sequel to the book I read. With this new blog category I wanted to kind of spotlight the author and write a little something about them, why I like them so much, and what I've read by them. I hope you enjoy!

Laurie Halse Anderson

Laurie Halse Anderson

Website: http://www.writerlady.com/
Books Written:Twisted, Prom, Catalyst, Speak, Fever 1793, Chains, Wintergirls - she also has some picture books and juvenile books

Notable Awards:
For her book Speak: The Printz Honor Award (which is the teen lit Newbery award), National Book Award Finalist, Edgar Allen Poe Award, LA Times Book Prize, as well as many others
For Fever, 1793: American Library Association (ALA) Best Book for Young Adults selection, and a Junior Library Guild selection.
For Chains: National Book Award Finalist, Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
Books Adapted into Films: Speak, starring Kristen Stewart- the same girl who plays Bella in Twilight
Her Niche: She usually writes about high school and the teenagers who end up being left out of a stereotypical category. She does an excellent job of capturing the essence of a teenager's life and the somewhat painful and awkward experiences that come with high school. In between times of writing teenage high school lit, she's written a variety of historical fiction that is almost as popular as her teen lit.
Why I like her (a lot) and why I think you should too: My first encounter with Laurie was her award winning novel Speak. This book is on my all-time favorites list and I have re-read it countless times because it's just that good. Laurie has a way of channeling and expressing the thoughts of teens during the most awkward and, one could argue, "defining" points of their lives. Her stories have a way of bringing the characters to life; you can't help letting your thoughts drift to the situations and people she's created once you're finished reading her novels. Upon reading her books for the first time, you can see that she writes more than just about a girl or a boy in high school- she sells you their story and their pain. I don't think I've "met" any other YA author quite like her.
Which of her books I've read: Speak, Twisted, Catalyst, and Wintergirls. On a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being "This book was sent by the gods for us mere mortals to read" and 1 being "This book wouldn't even make good toilet paper") here's how they rate:
Speak- 5
Twisted- 4
Catalyst- 2.5
Wintergirls- 3