Show us the book you're reading right now.
Submitted by Strive2Be.
It is an Australian Young Adult novel and quite good so far. It is about a girl called Rosie who gets to borrow her grandfather's black Mercedes while her grandfather in gaol. Unfortunately the keys to the car come with all sorts of other responsibilities and problems (including operating a taxi service for the local geriatrics).
I really liked his other book, Lost Property, which I posted about previously.
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This is a futuristic fantasy for young adult readers. I am not very far into it but really enjoying it so far - much more so than this other one that I read recently. Fearless had similar themes (ie, about girls in a brave new world where things not as they seem) but was more allegorical so I found it harder to relate to and sympathise with the characters.
I will write a more detailed review of Uglies when I have finished it. I think it has interesting potential to explore body image issues and other concerns facing young women today.
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I am not very far into this but finding it quite interesting so far. It is very reminiscent of Orwell's 1984 (a fact that is noted in the blurb) but centred around a kind of workhouse for young girls. It seems quite allegorical and probably quite suited to older juvenile or younger young adult readers. It also gets an endorsement from Jacqueline Wilson which is also a good sign. Will post more when I have finised it.
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Decided to use this blog mainly to keep a record of my reading as I often forget what I have and haven't read. Started reading a lot of 'young adult' fiction a few years ago when I was doing my English teaching course and was overwhelmed at what a rich, untapped (by me) source of great books this part of the library was. Have continued to read my way through this section of the library since then. Find this genre particularly good when I am in the mood for something not too taxing but not insulting and simplistic either.
Latest YA reads include:
which I didn't enjoy as much as other (more 'boyish') Gary Crew books such as:
and
Another Australian novel which I really did enjoy was 'Joel and Cat set the Record Straight' by Nick Hornby and Rebecca Sparrow. The focus of this novel is a tandem story writing exercise which the two title characters are forced (very much against their will) to cooperate on. Would be interested to find out more about how the two novel writers worked together on this project and how much the process resembles the tandem story exercise within the larger story.
Have also read a few UK YA novels recently including:
Paralysed was great. It explored the relationships between a group of friends when one becomes severely injured in a sporting accident.
The Passion Flower Massacre was also interesting - about a troubled girl who takes a job fruitpicking in the English country side only to find herself mixed up in a cult. Also uses a 'story within a story' device but this done a bit clunkily. Read on the cover that this writer mostly does more science fiction/fantasy type books (this one partly futuristic as the bracketing story set 25 years into the future) so maybe this is something new for her.
The fruitpicking theme has lead nicely onto a very different (and non-YA) book, Two Caravans, by the author of A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian (which I have not read). Finding Two Caravans a nice change of pace. Only a short way in but enjoying the interactions between the characters who are mostly fruit pickers from Eastern Europe earning some quick money on a 'sweat shop' type farm in rural England.
Judith Ridge's New Misrule Blog celebrating children's and young adult literature.
For those not in Australia, Misrule refers to a place in the Seven Little Australians series:
http://www.misrule.com.au/s9y/
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