After devouring THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO by Patrick Ness, I held off reading the next book in the Chaos Walking series, THE ASK AND THE ANSWER because, well, you know…I knew it was going to be good and wanted to wait the proper time to savor it.

Recently, it was that time.

And it did not disappoint.

Here’s the blub from the author’s website:

Fleeing before a relentless army, Todd has carried a desperately wounded Viola right into the hands of their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss. Immediately separated from Viola and imprisoned, Todd is forced to learn the ways of the Mayor's new order.

But what secrets are hiding just outside of town? And where is Viola? Is she even still alive? And who are the mysterious Answer? 

And then, one day, the bombs begin to explode...

The Ask and the Answer is a tense, shocking and deeply moving novel of resistance under the most extreme pressure.

In this story, Ness continues his storytelling mastery by raising the stakes, deepening the characters, and enriching his already rich world. While it posses the same page turning intensity, THE ASK is not a rehash of THE KNIFE, but it’s own tale. In fact, it’s own two tales…since the reader also follows in Viola’s POV.

There’s one last book in the series, MONSTERS OF MEN, and it’s loaded – unopened – on my Kindle. And it’ll remain that way until the next rainy day.

Are there books you’ve waited to read for just the proper moment? Or am I nuts? (wait, don’t answer that). 

You can lose yourself in repetition--quiet your thoughts; I learned the value of this at a very young age.

Basketball has always been an escape for Finley. He lives in broken-down Bellmont, a town ruled by the Irish mob, drugs, violence, and racially charged rivalries. At home, his dad works nights, and Finley is left to take care of his disabled grandfather alone. He's always dreamed of getting out someday, but until he can, putting on that number 21 jersey makes everything seem okay.

Russ has just moved to the neighborhood, and the life of this teen basketball phenom has been turned upside down by tragedy. Cut off from everyone he knows, he won't pick up a basketball, but answers only to the name Boy21--taken from his former jersey number.

As their final year of high school brings these two boys together, a unique friendship may turn out to be the answer they both need.

I was searching for something new and fresh in the YA Genre when I picked this up. I'm so glad I did.

This is an incredible story that's surprising, heart-warming and funny. Quick's prose is smooth, spare and beautiful, and I'm not kidding when I say that there's something a little magical about this unique tale that blends friendship, the Irish mob, and basketball.

This isn't the kind of read you recommend to people. This is the kind of author you recommend.

Read this. Read all of Quick's books. Quickly. (hee)

I have. Then you can join me in stalking Matthew Quick on twitter.

Now, off with you. To the bookstore!

I've been waiting for a while to tell you about this book by Corrine Jackson.  It comes out August 28 and it's one of my favorite books of the year, so I finally get to talk about it.

Here is the summary from Goodreads:

A powerful debut novel about the gray space between truth and perception.

Quinn’s done the unthinkable: she kissed a guy who is not Carey, her boyfriend. And she got caught. Being branded a cheater would be bad enough, but Quinn is deemed a traitor, and shunned by all of her friends. Because Carey’s not just any guy—he’s serving in Afghanistan and revered by everyone in their small, military town.

Quinn could clear her name, but that would mean revealing secrets that she’s vowed to keep—secrets that aren’t hers to share. And when Carey goes MIA, Quinn must decide how far she’ll go to protect her boyfriend…and her promise.

This book! I read this book in one sitting. This is the kind of book that takes hold of your emotions and won't let go. I cried, I laughed, I cried some more, and in the end, I was just in awe.

Sophie Topper Quinn is easy to love. Branded the town slut after she is caught cheating on her war hero boyfriend, Sophie can clear her name, but doing so would mean betraying her boyfriend whose secret is not hers to tell. Doing the honorable thing comes at a huge price, as Sophie is bullied, ostracized and made to suffer alone.

The relationships in this book are complex, believable and completely real. Sophie and Carey- the love between these too is so genuine, and even when you want to bean Carey over the head for putting Sophie in the position he does, you feel the genuine affection between them. Sophie and Blake- These two love each other in a way that is both warm and heartbreaking. There is a true triangle here, as Blake and Sophie's mutual love for Carey always hangs above them. Sophie's relationships with her former friends, her single father, the mother who abandoned her and a grizzled veteran who gives her the unconditional love she craves are layered, and you really care what happens between them.

The writing is gorgeous.  There were times I wanted to pause and just soak it in, but the story wouldn't let me pause for long, compelling me to keep turning the page until I knew whether Sophie was going to be okay. LOVE!

I first heard about CODE NAME VERITY by Elizabeth Wein back in March when I was in England. I had just been dragged invited to yet another airplane museum by my aircraft-crazy family.  I bypassed the nosecones and tailgun turrets and technical details and went straight to the tiny section of the museum dedicated to stories.  More specifically, to the stories of women agents who parachuted into occupied France during World War II.  And I had thought - why doesn't someone write a YA book about these women?  And then I thought - why don't I?

The answer came to me the very next day in the form of a book review in The Guardian (hands down my favorite broadsheet newspaper in the world).  I went out that afternoon and bought CODE NAME VERITY (lucky me! it wasn't published in the US until May).

The story follows two girls - Maddie is a pilot and Queenie is...a chameleon.  Which sets her up nicely to be dropped behind enemy lines.  Except things don't quite go as planned.

This novel is unlike any YA I've read in recent years.  It is full of twists and turns and has to be read carefully or you (literally) start to lose the plot.  Each anecdote has a purpose and each phrase a reason and even the way the book is printed comes into play.  But ultimately, this is a story of friendship and one which can't be broken by Nazis or war or doubt or bloodshed.  It is the story I wanted to read as I stood in that little air museum on the English coast.

I have a confession.   I don't completely comprehend the steampunk genre.  I find it fun and fascinating, but in a recent conversation with another author, I quickly realized I was sorely lacking in the required elements and details.  What I do understand, however, is a great story and that's why I selected THE DARK UNWINDING to feature today.

Overview from Barnes and Noble:

A spine-tingling tale of steampunk and spies, intrigue and heart-racing romance!When Katharine Tulman's inheritance is called into question by the rumor that her eccentric uncle is squandering away the family fortune, she is sent to his estate to have him committed to an asylum. But instead of a lunatic, Katharine discovers a genius inventor with his own set of rules, who employs a village of nine hundred people rescued from the workhouses of London.

Katharine is now torn between protecting her own inheritance and preserving the peculiar community she grows to care for deeply. ...

Sharon Cameron does an amazing job of world building in her debut novel. The main character is spunky, opinionated and completely adorable, but the setting steals the show.  Sharon's meticulous attention to detail paints a creepy picture of a mysterious world that is absolutely captivating.  A fellow Scholastic debut author, I met Sharon recently at BEA when we laughed our way through a delightful reader's theater event for book bloggers.  If you get a chance to meet her at SCBWI in LA or at another event, please say hello.  I know you will find her warm and welcoming. Most of all, look for THE DARK UNWINDING when it comes out on September 1, 2012.  You will love it!



P.S.  Love my new UK cover of SKINNY.  If you want a peek, check it out here.