Author Archives: Bethlylou

So What is New Adult?

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I just finished reading A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas and it was good but I’m holding off posting my review until closer to it’s May 5 released date as request of the publisher. (If anyone is interested in, you can download the first four chapters on your Nook, Kindle or other devices for free. I would recommend it) However, that hasn’t stopped me from reading what other people are saying about it.  In some of the few reviews I have read, I was surprised to read that many people are calling this book a New Adult title instead of Young Adult.  I mean what’s the difference. According to good old Wikipedia.

New Adult (NA) fiction is a developing genre of fiction with protagonists in the 18–25 age bracket. St. Martin’s Press first coined the term in 2009, when they held a special call for “…fiction similar to YA that can be published and marketed as adult—a sort of an ‘older YA’ or ‘new adult’.” New Adult fiction tends to focus on issues such as leaving home, developing sexuality, and negotiating education and career choices

Well that clears things up.  So, it’s YA but marketing to adults.  As for focus of issues of home, developing sexuality and education seem to be pretty normal topics for YA to me.  I’ll give them career choices though.  So is this a marketing ploy?  Is it an easier way for parents, librarians and booksellers to recommend books that are age appropriate?  For readers to find more books they like? Or just another way to put books into catergory?

As for A Court of Thorns and Roses the only difference between it and other YA fantasy novels is well sex.  This book contained some of the most detailed sex scenes I’ve read for a novel directed for young readers.  That being said, it also leaves a lot to the readers imagination but goes much farther then other authors have.  If I was still a bookseller, I wouldn’t recommend it for tweens or younger teens not because I don’t think they could handle it but I would be afraid of the parents reaction.  As for me, I’m also an adult who is not at least bit embarrassed to read YA or even children’s lit. It doesn’t bother me if people see me browsing the Teen aisle or reading Cassandra Clare on the train.  Let them think of me what they want.  I’ll read what I want, whether I was target audience or not. I guess that not many people feel the same about it as I do as there articles and articles about whether or not it’s ok for Adults to read YA or not.  I guess New Adult, might assuage some of the fears of people looking down on them because while New Adult may have my cover many of the same themes as YA is supposedly more sophisticated then YA.  RIght?

So I guess I go back to my original question, what really is New Adult Literature? Is it just YA for the college years and older? A new way for publishers to make money? A guilt free pass for adults to read YA? A legitimate new genre?  Sound off in the comments and tell me what you think.

I used to work in a Bookstore. I don’t anymore

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I’ve talked about my job as a bookseller.  Well, I don’t work for that bookstore anymore.  For the last three years, I had a second job at a museum as well.  New York City is an expensive city to live in, especially if you don’t make a livable wage.  A couple of weeks ago, I got a new job at the museum that made it possible for me to have one job.  So what does this all mean.  Well, I’m no longer going to be surrounded by books all the time.  Also, means, I’m going to have to buy more books and use my library card more too.  I already miss that employee discount and check out program.  Oh well.  That’s life.  I’ll definitely miss working there and all the great people I worked with.

A little history for you.  Kate was the first one to work for the bookstore.  She started working there her senior year in high school.  When she started college, they were opening a branch in her college’s town so she transferred and worked there during her college years.  Our Mom would often visit her at work and one day the manager asked if she wanted a job.  At the time, I was planning on going on a class trip to Europe so Mom decided she would work a couple of hours, so she could give me some more spending money for Europe.  Little did she know, she would eventually be promoted and start working there full time.  After I graduated high school and I also got a job there.  So there was a time that Mom, Kate and I all worked at the same store at the same time.  People joked it was the Family bookstore.  Over the last 17 years, Kate has come and gone and is now only works during the Holidays.  I transferred to a store here in New York but Mom has stayed at the same store.  You could say she has come full circle because she is back to only part time.

It’s weird not working there because it has been a huge part of my adult life but also my family’s life too.  I guess it still is since Mom still works there and Kate does occasionally too but I’m happy with my new job. I’ve been wanting something different for a while now and the two job thing was killing me.  So thank you to all my coworkers over the years.  Many are my friends and will remain so.  And Books will always be apart of my life, even if it is no longer my vocation.

What I’m Reading: Welcome to Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan

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Featured imageIn an older post, I talked about the trend of YA authors who write novellas as an add on to their series.  Last year Cassandra Clare took it to a whole another level with The Bane Chronicles. With the help of fellow authors Sarah Rees Brennan and Maureen Johnson. Clare wrote a series of ten novellas about everyone favorite Warlock of Brooklyn, Magnus Bane.  Over the 10 stories, they wrote about Magnus’ past that is often hinted out in both of Clare’s The Infernal Devices and The Mortal Instruments series.  It was fun to read about Magnus adventures before he met Tessa, Will, Jem and later Clary, Jace and Alec.  Of course the series also served as a introducing characters of upcoming series and fill in gaps between series as well.

This year she is doing the same thing but with another fan favorite, Simon Lewis in the Tales from Shadowhunter Academy. This time she is joined again by Breenan and Johnson and also Robin Wasserman. Now the following is sort of a spoiler to those who have not finished City of Heavenly Fire, the last book in the The Mortal Instruments series.  Simon is attending the newly reopened Shadowhunter Academy as the Clave tries to add new Shadowhunters to their numbers after the loss of life in the last war.  Those who have finished City of Heavenly Fire will know why Simon can attend the academy in hopes of becoming a Shadowhunter himself and for those who haven’t finished will want to before reading.  Personally, I thought the last three books of The Mortal Instruments were three too many but I am looking forward to several Simon centric stories since he was easily my favorite character from that series.  Also it gives us something to read while we wait for Clare’s next shadowhunter series, The Dark Artifaces about Shadowhunters in LA.

Review: All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

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Featured imageThis is a beautiful book.It really is.  I guess that should be surprised since it has got nothing but good reviews all over the place. It was all *THE* book of the holiday season, as my bookstore I worked at kept running out of it.  Despite all of this, I really didn’t have much of an interest in reading it. It doesn’t fall into my normal fantasy/teen genres but it was the pick of my friend Katy’s book club so I read, I did.  I’m glad I did because it’s beautiful.

It’s about Marie-Laure, a blind French girl and Werner, a German orphan.  That first sounded a little cheesy at first, especially when since the narratives goes back in forth with their childhoods before World War Two and the lives during the war but it isn’t cheesy.  Their stories are intertwined as we watch them grow and at time mirroring each others experiences. In between their stories is the Heart of Flames, a diamond that is housed in the Natural History Museum in France, where Marie-Laure works. The diamond has a curse, the owner will liver forever but their love ones will end in tragedy.  As the Germans take over Paris, the museum intrusts the diamond with her father for safe keeping.  Soon a German Major Sargent, who’s job is to find treasures the the Third Reich becomes obsessed with the Diamond and tries to track it down.

I’ll try my best to spoil but there may be some spoilers behind the cut. Continue reading →

Sometimes the Internet is Awesome!

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I do love reading YA dystopian novels.  The Hunger Games and Divergent are probably the most well known books in the genre but may I also suggest The Dustlands series by Moira Young and The Hunt Trilogy by Andrew Fukuda.  Knowing my love for the genre, on our Facebook page, my friend Jack alerted us to this awesome twitter account. Dystopian YA Novel is a parody twitter account, telling a Dystopian YA novel one tweet at a time.  It’s kind of brilliant.  So far the author has already hit on several themes.  She has already established a heroine, Valentine, who sees herself as nothing special but obvisously is.  There is a love triangle.  A sorting of teenagers into groups that will determine where they belong or what they will do for the rest of their lives.  A threat of being ostracized if one does not conform and even a possible fight to death.  So far, I don’t think she has left anything out.  Here’s a sample.

Those are just the beginning.  If you’re on twitter and like me loved the The Hunger Games I suggest you follow because it’s great!. And if will indulge me in a little self promotion, follow us on Facebook, as well.  There’s been a lot of great conversations going on there that I don’t think you want to miss.

Dear Stackologist: Life is Full of Tough Choices

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Dear Stackologist,

I am married. I thought I would be happy to be married to my husband.  He is exactly the type of man I should be married to as we come from the same background and status but he isn’t my true love.  That belongs to my father’s ward.  He would be unsuitable to marry, I know but we are kindred spirits.  We used to run all over the moors together.  I think what makes me the most unhappy is that my love has ran off with my husband’s sister and married her.  I think I was much happier when he was mine and mine alone.  Am I wrong to be so down?  I just might die if I can’t have him.

Lonely on the Moors.

Dear Moors,

First of all, I feel like you got married for the wrong reasons.  While it might be important to please your family, this is your life and not theirs so if you are not happy with your husband then maybe it’s time for a divorce.  Chances are, if you are not happy neither is he.  As for your other issue, I’m not sure you really love him but want to possess him.  That’s not exactly healthy.  If he has gotten married, you should respect his decision but again I do worry about his reasons for marriage too but that’s for another letter.  Also I’m a little worried about you saying you will die without him.  No man is worth dying for.  Life is full disappointments and you must learn to live with them.  Nor can you expect someone to stay single just because you want them too.  You moved on, you have to allow that they will move on, too.

Sincerely,

Stackologist

Dear Stackologist,

I really like this guy but we sort of met under unusual situation.  He’s funny, and charming and also an addict.  He traded in doing drugs and alcohol for another vice, so to speak, but he still partakes in self destructive behavior.  I couldn’t take it. I could not stay and watch him destroy himself. So, I left. I moved to California with my Mom.  I have my own problems to deal with like my brother’s death and my parent marital problems (they’re divorcing).  I don’t need to his on top of that.  I thought I was getting over him when one day he showed up at my job.  Now all the feelings I had for him are back but I’m not sure I can trust him. He says he is no longer doing what he was doing but I just don’t know.  I’m not sure I can let him back into my life.

Ugh. I can’t believe I’m one of those letter-writing girls

Dear Letter-Writer,

I think it’s brave that you saw that you were in a bad situation and you took yourself out of it.  It’s not easy, especially when it involves someone that you care about. It sounds like you are going through a difficult time right now and by taking him out of the equation you are on the right path.  I think this is one of those cases where the only person that can truly help them is them.  It’s obviously difficult now that he is back in your life.  You want to believe he is better and maybe he is but more importantly, how are you?  Who is supporting you? Who is helping you cope with your brother’s death and your parents’ separation?  I think you need to deal with you first before him.  If he cares for you, then he will wait for to get yourself back together.

-Stackologist

What I’m Reading Now: All The Light You Can Not See by Anthony Doerr

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Our friend Katy started an online book club and this is the first selection.  I know this book got great reviews but I’m not sure I would have picked up on my own. So far so good. That’s what’s so great about book clubs, is they often challenge you to read books that you normally never think of.  (Also gives you an excuse to hang out with friends and get drunk.) Anyway, back to Marie-Laure and Werner.

I/

Series You Should Check Out: Shades of London by Maureen Johnson

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Maureen Johnson is very active on social media.  If you don’t follow her on twitter, I recommend you do because she’s kinda hilarious.  Anyway, because of her internet celebrity, her books are not exactly unknown but for whatever reason, she’s not a big seller as some of her author friends like Cassandra Clare and John Green.  I’ll admit that I haven’t read her other books.  Yes, they are in my stacks and I will get to them but I do adore this series.  The Name of the Star, and the Madness Underneath are the first two books.  The Shadow Cabinet is being released in the US today.  The fourth book doesn’t have a title yet.  I haven’t had a chance to read The Shadow Cabinet yet because I thought I would wait until the actually release date.  Also I couldn’t get a hold of an ARC.  That’s ok, it has given my time to reread the first two.

The Shades of London is about Rory, a girl from Louisiana who’s parents have decided to do a work sabbatical in England so she decides to go to school at Wexford College in London.  She arrives in just as London is swept under Ripper Fever.  A copycat killer has taken to recreating the Jack the Rippers murders in the East End, which just happens to be the same place that Wexford is located.  Through a series of events, Rory gets swept into the Jack the Ripper investigation.  She soon discovers that the world is far more complicated than she ever thought.  That ghosts exist and only a few can see them and she is one of them.

What I love about this series is the humor in it.  I find Rory to be hilarious.  It’s a sort of a dry sense of humor that I appreciate.  Despite the fact that they are in a middle of a pretty gruesome murder investigation, Miss Johnson keeps things light.  The supporting characters are great.  Jazza, Rory’s roommate, is sweet but I think also keeps the story in reality.  Boo, Callum and Stephen, the other Shades of London may hunt down Ghosts but keep the good sense of humor about it.  I also like the mystery side of the story.  Who is the Jack the Ripper wannabe?  Is he alive or dead?  Rory may not be a detective and may be new to this whole seeing ghosts thing but she’s smart and pretty quick on the uptake.  She may need rescue from time to time but she’s also not weak either.

So far the series has tackled what is death, person-hood and dealing with PTSD.  The last one is important issue to tackle.  Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is not new to YA literature.  Katniss Everdeen and Tris Prior have both suffered PTSD but they never really dealt with it.  In the Madness Underneath, Rory has troubles dealing with the events of the Name of the Stars.  Without going into what, I will say that Rory does seek therapy.  First her parents have her in counseling and then she seeks other counseling.  To say more will spoil the book so I will leave it at that but at least Rory is getting treatment for PTSD which is more then Katniss or Tris ever did.

So go read the Shades of London and fall in love with Rory and Stephen and Jazza and Boo.  I think you all will like it.