Books and Sensibility

We're an Open Book

A Matter of Fate: If I Stay by Gayle Foreman & Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

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At first these two books seem worlds away, one a much-praised modern literary classic the other a backlist YA contemporary climbing its way up the NYT bestsellers list with a film release weeks away.  

I found myself reading both books at around the same time and the more I thought about writing the individual reviews, the more I realized these books have a lot in common. Both main characters, Kathy  H. in Never Let Me Go and Mia in If I Stay, are young women trying to figure out their future. While Kathy’s path has been laid out  since  birth Mia gets the opportunity to decide hers.

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At first these two books seem worlds away, one a much-praised modern literary classic the other a backlist YA contemporary climbing its way up the NYT bestsellers list with a film release weeks away.  

I found myself reading both books at around the same time and the more I thought about writing the individual reviews, the more I realized these books have a lot in common. Both main characters, Kathy  H. in Never Let Me Go and Mia in If I Stay, are young women trying to figure out their future. While Kathy’s path has been laid out  since  birth Mia gets the opportunity to decide hers.

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The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson

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  • Release Date: March 1, 2013
  • Pages: 289
  • Genre: Science Fiction
  • Publisher: Arthur A. Levine (Scholastic)

June Costa is the best artist in Palmares Três, the lush futuristic pyramid city built a midst a post post-apocalyptic South America. June’s art has always been about expressing herself and the things she loves, but her street art takes on new heights when she teams up with Enki, the 17-year-old reigning summer king of Palarmes Três who, as dictated by tradition, will be sacrificed at the end of the year. 

The Summer Prince is a fairly complex novel, there is just so much going on in this world and society I don’t even know where to begin. The world building can be a bit tough to get into, especially for someone like me coming from a Western world. Johnson’s  world  is so far from anything analogous to American society. The driving force of this novel is the tradition of the summer king; Palmares Três matriarchal society elects one boy to serve as the summer king alongside the Queen and he is sacrificed at the end of the year. The reasoning behind this tradition is a little fuzzy in the book, but this is based on some ancient South American traditions.

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Dispatches From BookCon: #WeNeeDiverseBooks

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Last weekend Kat and I made the trip to attend the inaugural BookCon . The one day event  offered panels, autographing and chances for fans to connect. We had to see it for ourselves so here is our account of BookCon 2014

For the uninitiated,  #WeNeedDiverseBook is a movement that refuses to be a trend. In response to the disparity of minorities in children’s and YA literature, Ellen Oh and 21 other authors worked together to create the #WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign that ran for 3 days in May.

We participated here on Books and Sensibility and the fact that there was going to be a panel at BookCon was one of the reasons we wanted to attend BookCon.

So many phones went up !

We arrived 30 minutes early and the room was already  packed. It was  great to see so many people excited about diversity and books. For me it was so cool to see a panel full of authors of color. Seeing so many different people really shows how problematic representation is in YA and children’s fiction.

As the authors talked about how they dealt with identity in their reading lives, I found myself nodding along to some of their experiences.

Ellen Oh announced the future of the #WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign and she is in it for the long haul. Here are some of the highlights :

  • #WeNeedDiverseBooks will work with NEA’s Read Across America to promote diverse books and authors.
  • WNDB is developing a 2016 Diversity In Children’s book Festival in Washington, D.C.

Can I say how excited I am about the book festival ? D.C is in my backyard so I hope I can attend/volunteer.

If you missed the panel you canread the transcript here orlisten to the audio !

Dispatches From BookCon, The Bright Spots

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Last weekend Kat and I attend the first ever BookCon in NYC.  The one day event offered panels, autographing and chances for fans to connect with publishers. We had to see it for ourselves, so here is our account of BookCon 2014. Based on my experiences here is who I think shined at BookCon.

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Our YA Genre Kryptonite

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GENRE KRYPTONITE [zhahn-ruh kryptonite]

noun

1. That moment when your TBR pile is overflowing, your to-read list on Goodreads is overwhelming, and then  you see THIS TYPE OF BOOK it makes it’s way on to your pile, no excuses needed. 

Origin: http://bookriot.com/category/genre-kryptonite/

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We’re Going To BookCon 2014

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On May 31st you can find Kat and I at BookCon 2014  in New York City!

We’ve had our ups and downs about going but it is now a go. At the beginning of the year I immediately signed up for Power Readers day since I knew I couldn’t swing all three days of  BEA  due to another big trip.  So, when I got the e-mail  that Power Reader’s Day was now BookCon I was. . . skeptical

At first, I didn’t understand their focus on combining pop culture with books. I liked to think BookCon exists because of the popularity of Power Reader’s Day, and those who came to Power Reader’s day came with just the lure of books and reading.

BookCon’s lack of diversity in  programming also didn’t help. However, when #WeNeedDiverseBooksstarted their campaign, I was amazed by their accomplishments and how  BookCon got its act together and included more diversity plus a  #WeNeedDiverseBooks panel. 

We will be writing up our experiences and hopefully BookCon will grow into an event that stays after BEA leaves NYC and maybe even branch out to other cities. 

Let’s not forget to mention all the Virginia YA authors who will be in the house (Ellen Oh, Maggie Stiefvater, Lamar Giles) . If you live in the New York Area, tickets may still be available for $30.

Find Us At These Panels

10am- 11 am 

The World Agrees: #WeNeedDiverseBooks

11am-11:30 pm

MacMillian Reading Groups Editor’s Pick Panel

12:30pm – 1:30 pm

BookTuber On-site  Meet up

3:00 -3:45

The Evolution of A Book Cover

Book Blogger Happy Hour

 

 

We are also going to try and stop by the Book Blogger Happy Hour. #BEABloggermeetandDrink

You may also find us noming on a slice of NYC pizza, visiting theE.L.F Store  and The Warby Parker Shop