Omnivoracious

YA Wednesday: Best of the Month in "Scarlet"

Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles are like Grimm's Fairy Tales meets Blade Runner--action-packed sci-fi/fantasy with romance and intrigue.  Meyer's writing projects the stories beautifully on the big screen in your mind and begs for an actual movie version which would be amazing--who would you pick to play the bad-ass cyborg Cinderella? 

In Scarlet, Book 2 of the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder's story intersects with that of Scarlet Benoit and a streetfighter named Wolf. Freedom is just out of reach, one mystery leads to another, and Lunar Queen Levana still has her eye on the prince...what's a girl to do? There is no second book slump here--we think Scarlet is one of the best YA books of February.

While Blade Runner has it's own soundtrack, Marissa Meyer has one of her own, followed by a little Cinder/Scarlet trivia quiz.

The Scarlet Playlist by Marissa Meyer

Although I’m not a writer who typically listens to music while writing, I’ve been making inspirational playlists for years now. I love to listen to them in between writing times, particularly if I’m stuck in promo- or travel-mode and know I won’t be getting much writing done anytime soon. Choosing the right songs can keep me in the mood of the story, and sometimes a song will attach itself to a particular scene or moment of the work-in-progress and call to mind those same emotions every time I listen to it.

Here are some of the songs from my SCARLET playlist and why, in my mind, they fit the story.

 “Li’l Red Riding Hood” by Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs

Little Red Riding Hood,

I'd like to hold you if I could,

But you might think I'm a big, bad wolf, so I won't.

Is it predictable for a Little Red retelling? Definitely. Do I still sing it at the top of my lungs every time it comes up on the iPod? Oh yes. This song is just a little bit sweet, a little bit sexy, and a little bit kooky. It also happens to be about a Big Bad Wolf trying to convince Little Red that his intentions toward her are honorable. Sound familiar?

“Werewolves of London” by Warren Zevon

I saw a werewolf drinking a piña colada at Trader Vic's,

And his hair was perfect.

This song always puts me in a good mood when I hear it, which is one reason it exists on the playlist. But what I love about it for SCARLET specifically is that the song portrays these werewolves that are brutal, feral, and dangerous… and also ridiculously suave and well-dressed. Now there’s an intriguing notion…

(In my head, it’s become “Werewolves of Paris,” given that the book takes place in France.)

“Howlin’ for You” by The Black Keys

 I must admit , I can’t explain

Any of these thoughts racing through my brain.

It’s true. Baby, I’m howlin’ for you.

You might be noticing a theme with these songs. Namely, howls. Because, you know… wolves? What I love about “Howlin’ for You” is that, as opposed to the Sam the Sham song in which the Big Bad Wolf knows he’s a goner, in this song the singer seems much more surprised by it. He’s unable to account for these peculiar new feelings, but he does seem to realize this girl is driving him mad. Pretty much sounds like Wolf in a nutshell.

“Animal” by The Neon Trees

I do it every time—you’re killin’ me now.

And I won't be denied by you,

The animal inside of you.

This song is so feisty and passionate and I always think of Scarlet when I hear it. When she figures out what she wants, she has no qualms going after it… even if she has to nudge someone’s primal instincts a little bit to get it. (Rawr.)

“Feeling Good” by Muse (cover)

It's a new dawn,

It's a new day,

It's a new life for me…

And I'm feeling good.

Changing gears a little bit. Obviously, Scarlet and Wolf’s story is a huge part of this book, but Cinder has a big role in it, too. This is one of the songs that I would listen to when I was working through her plotline, because it has a lot to do with freedom, which is a big theme for Cinder. All she’s ever wanted was freedom and now she finally has it within her grasp… but it’s brought some pretty big decisions along with it.

Plus, I just really love Matt Bellamy’s voice.

“A Comet Appears” by The Shins

Still to come,

The worst part and you know it.

There is a numbness

In your heart and it’s growing. 

 I love, love, love The Shins and will listen to this entire album on repeat when I get burned out on my writing playlists. Their music has a poetic quality that turns each song into a mini-movie in my head… even if I have no idea what half of the lyrics are saying.

“A Comet Appears,” specifically, always felt like the “soundtrack” song to the very last chapter of the book, in which Cinder has to make some of those tough decisions I mentioned above. Long before I had ANY idea what was going to happen in that chapter, I knew this song captured the feel I wanted it to have. For me, it carries this idea that times are bad—and they’re probably going to get worse—but at some point you have to take responsibility for what’s gone wrong in your life and do something about it.

So there are some top choices from my SCARLET playlist. Happy listening—and reading!

And now for a little Scarlet/Cinder trivia with Marissa Meyer:

Q: Cinder and Scarlet are meeting for dinner. Where (anywhere in the world) will they go and what will they order?

Okay, okay . . . Scarlet’s a small-town girl who’s madly in love with her grandmother’s farm in southern France, where she was raised. So, I can see her inviting Cinder over to her place and whipping up something fresh from the garden, maybe a vegetable soup or some croque-monsieur sandwiches, which I’ve learned is a classic French comfort food, kind of like grilled cheese sandwiches, but with ham and fancy-schmancy cheese. Yum!

Q: You’re going to a black-tie ball and can choose your date: Wolf or Thorne?

I’m going to go with Thorne because (spoiler alert!) you’ll get to see Wolf in black-tie wear later in the series. Think on that for a moment, Wolf fans! But so far, I haven’t found an excuse to get Thorne all dressed up in the books, so this excuse will work as good as any. Also, I think he’d be a very amusing date.

Q: Cinder is a mechanic, and Scarlet is a farmer. Which do you think you’d be better at?

Farming, especially if I could hire some handy android helpers to tend to the crops, while I sat back and enjoyed the fruits of their labors.

Q: Match the character to the reality show: Cinder, Scarlet, Kai, Levana, Wolf, Thorne.

Cinder – Say Yes to the Dress. The poor girl had to suffer through that stained, damp, and wrinkled thing at the ball, so she deserves a chance to really shine.

Scarlet – Intervention. She’d be the one staging the intervention, though, for a rather hopeless family member (I won’t say who). Scarlet would love the chance to give them a piece of her mind . . . in a loving way. Sort of.

Kai – Dancing with the Stars. He’s already a good dancer (there are just some skills that come with being a prince), and he’s a star, and . . . ah! How much would you love to see him do the tango? *melts*

Levana – The Real Housewives of . . . somewhere. I’ve never actually seen any of these shows, but from the commercials, it seems that there’s not a single likeable person on them. Therefore, Levana would fit right in.

Wolf – Survivor. He’s strong, resourceful, has crazy good reflexes and keen senses, and can hunt. You’d want him on your team.

Thorne – America’s Most Wanted. Yeah, he has something of a past.

Get Smitten With Zombie Romance

It took a while, but ultimately Beauty saw something special in the Beast. Then there's Bella, who just couldn't help but chase after that centuries-old vampiric hearthtrob Edward.

Let's face it: ladies like a little ... okay, a lot of challenge in their loving. And with the adaptation of Isaac Marion's Warm Bodies hitting theaters, we might just be witnessing the beginning of a whole new Hollywood epidemic of cinematic monster crushes.

Of course, the film world will find no shortage of material from which to choose; the popularity of zombie romance has been spreading like a virus among young adult readers for quite some time as quirky one-offs and entire series base themselves on these brain-eaters.

For genre purists, the story involves at least one undead protaganist. Marion, for example tells his story in first person from the zombie's point of view, allowing us to experience his emotional reanimation as he falls in love. For the more lenient, a zombie romance can be any love story told in post-apocalyptic setting.

Intrigued? Sink your teeth into some of these:

YA Wednesday: 2013 Printz Award

I don't know about the rest of you, but this year's Michael L. Printz picks were a bit of a surprise to me.  Don't get me wrong--the winner, In Darkness by Nick Lake, is a book to rave about (one reviewer even compared it to The Wire) and I'm really happy for the author to receive this show of book love. Lake's raw narrative tells a story of brutality and courage, and in his hands a Haitian boy trapped in the wreckage of an earthquake captures universal experiences of teens (or adults, for that matter), be it love, loss, or hope against all odds. Winning the Printz award will hopefully bring In Darkness the attention and readership it deserves.

I was also thrilled to see a couple of my favorites of last year make the Honor list, including Code Name Verity and Dodger--my surprise came from the omission of a couple books that I was almost certain would make the cut and didn't (I'm thinking of Every Day and The Fault in Our Stars). 

What books on the list did you love?  Any you would have included in your own Printz line-up?

2013 Printz Winner and Honor books:

• In Darkness by Nick Lake--Winner!
• Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein--Honor
• Dodger by Terry Pratchett--Honor
• Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe--Honor
• The White Bicycle by Beverley Brenna--Honor

YA Wednesday: A Q&A with Gayle Forman

Do you believe in love at first sight?  In Gayle Forman's new young adult novel, Just One Day, predictable, reliable Allyson Healy meets free spirit Willem on the final stop of her Teen Tours! excursion and it turns her world upside down.  Allyson throws her usual caution to the wind and one day with Willem becomes the first day of life on her own terms.  One of our Best Teen Books of January, Just One Day is romantic, funny, and meaningful.  It is also only half of the story.  Like she did with If I Stay and Where She Went, Forman's next book, Just One Year, will be Willem's point of view.  I guess I'm back to waiting anxiously for the next Gayle Forman, but there are worse things...  I haven't had the chance to meet the author in person but I sent her some questions about Just One Day and her second two-book story arc--you can see her answers below.

Amazon: What was the inspiration for Just One Day?

Gayle Forman: There are two answers to that. The inspiration came, yes, in a dream. I dreamed a guy and a girl in an abandoned warehouse, recognized they were abroad somewhere and had just shared an intense day (and night) together. In a hazy, half-sleep state, I spun out the rest of the story. But the larger inspiration of the book is all the traveling I’ve done, starting when I was sixteen and was an exchange student and carrying on to the year I traveled around the world with my husband. Travel can be exhilarating and exhausting, romantic and harsh, but it’s almost always transformative.

Q: Paris is the perfect setting for both a whirlwind romance and self-discovery--does the city hold special meaning for you and if so, why?

A: Paris does hold special meaning for me, but not for any of the reasons you’d set a romance there. In fact, I was wary of setting the love story part of the novel in Paris because it’s become a bit of a cliché, and also hard to pull off because it’s been done so well so many times before (which is why it’s become a cliché). But Paris, which can have a reputation for, ahem, rudeness toward foreigners, has actually always been very kind to me. I’ve met open-hearted, generous people who are funny and interesting and it was almost automatic that the guy and the girl in my dream would be in Paris. But Paris can also be intimidating, and it needed to be for the sake of the story, for what happens to Allyson after she wakes up without Willem and what she faces when she goes back without him.

Q: What is your favorite Shakespeare play or character and why?

A: As You Like It, which I became very familiar with through the writing of Just One Day and its sequel Just One Year, is currently my favorite play. It’s so rich and resonant and romantic and funny and full of great lines about identity and masks. I’m quite fond of Rosalind (even if Jaques has all the best lines). I’m also a big fan of Kate from The Taming of The Shrew and Paulina in The Winter’s Tale.

Q: What is the most outside-your-comfort-zone thing you've ever done?

A: In 2002, my husband and I traveled around the world for a year; the first stop was the South Pacific island nation of Tonga, which we’d chosen as a first stop because it seemed like we were baby-stepping our way into the wilds—it was a tropical island; English was spoken. But there were so many intensely deep cultural divides, in ways I didn’t even begin to understand, that the place felt both familiar and so strange. Subsequent stops—from Cambodia to Uzbekistan to Malawi—never felt quite so strange to me, so fully outside my comfort zone so much as Tonga did. Then again, I’m a big believer that every time you push out of your comfort zone, you expand it, so perhaps Tonga felt so strange simply because it was the first stop.

Q: Your next book, Just One Year, is Willem's side of the story--did you write them at the same time or one after the other?  Did you know after writing If I Stay  and Where She Went that you wanted to write another set of novels in the same style?

A: For about the first week, I envisioned Just One Day as a standalone, and then I was in the shower—otherwise known as The Place Where All Writerly Breakthroughs Happen—and I realized that it was actually two books. And by making it two books, the whole task became infinitely more complicated and challenging because I had to plot them together, intertwine so much, so subtly, within each book and also between the two. Plus, I had to fully understand both characters before I began writing the first book, so I didn’t have that luxury of figuring out Willem as I wrote his story. I was excited when I had that revelation in the shower, but there were many times when the writing was so challenging, I sort of wished I’d just stayed dirty that day.

Q: What is it about telling a story from both sides in separate books, versus a dual narrative in a single novel that appeals to you?  Do you have any interest in writing a series or trilogy?

A: If I Stay was not planned as a series. I decided to write Where She Went after the characters kept waking me up in the middle of the night, almost screaming at me because of where I’d left them. So I started thinking about their futures and it started to come into focus and it was Adam’s story, skipping ahead several years.

With Just One Day and Just One Year, it’s different; the books intertwine, the narrative of one really weaves into the other. All that said, I think the appeal is the same. You have two novels, with different narrators, different gendered narrators, and each novel having its own arc, because each narrator has his or her own journey. But taken together the two books tell a larger story. I like that If I Stay and Where She Went can be read separately and I expect Just One Day and Just One Year will be the same. But the hope is, that read together, readers will come away with a richer, deeper experience. I suppose that if I needed a trilogy to do this kind of storytelling, I would, but I can’t see wanting to write a story in three parts, from one character’s point of view.

Q: What's the best book you read in 2012?

A: What is it with all this favorites? It’s impossible for me. So I’ll give two.  Best YA read was Elizabeth Wein’s Code Name Verity. Best adult fiction was Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake. Speaking of an amazing series. I read In The Year of the Flood first (also terrific) although it’s the second book and loved it for its own story. Then I read Oryx and Crake and had my mind fully blown and understood the world in a far richer way. I can’t wait for the third book in her Mad Adam trilogy.

John Green, Live at Carnegie Hall

Hank and John Green at Carnegie Hall. GIFs courtesy of supcake.

You'd think we were seeing the Beatles, from the fanatical screaming coming from the ground floor of Carnegie Hall. On stage weren't rock stars per se, but two bookish brothers from the Midwest: John Green, the critically adored young adult novelist, and Hank Green, best known for singing songs about Harry Potter on YouTube. (Perhaps they complement each other like John and Paul, too—John being better with words, Hank with the ear for melody.)

I've attended a number of literary events since I moved to New York in September--all enjoyable evenings, with free white wine and polite conversation. But the Greens' sold-out event, hyperbolically called “An Evening of Awesome,” was the first book thing that truly felt like a celebration.

And the Green brothers have a lot to celebrate: the first anniversary of John Green's The Fault in Our Stars (in the top 3 of our Best of the Year list, among many other year-end lists); the success of their online community, driven by the Greens' hyper-popular VlogBrothers YouTube channel; but most importantly, it was an appreciation of their fans, affectionately dubbed the Nerdfighters, who in turn returned that affection by screaming and hooting and clapping with the sort of youthful enthusiasm that was as endearing as it was loud.

YA Wednesday - Favorite Book Covers

Don't judge a book by its cover...blah, blah, blah.  I may not judge the book, but I absolutely judge the cover (how can you not?) and this month there are a couple really cool YA book jackets that caught my eye.  Below are the hot January covers and a couple faves from last year. What is your favorite YA cover?  Tell us here on Omni or add a link to your book of choice in a comment on our Facebook page so we can check 'em out.

 

   Crash by Lisa McMann--the first in a new 4-book series, Jules is having a recurring vision that she can't get away from and it's not pretty...

 The jacket has this great pearly-foil treatment and the eye filled with a city on fire (remember that recurring vision?) looks incredible.  Here is a close-up of the eye:

 

 

One of our Best YA books of January--I think I would have had to pick this up no matter what because the cover is both beautiful and haunting. I say nicely done for giving a little hint about the fabulously creepy story inside:

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff--it's one of the hottest summers on record and Hannah has a lot going on between the constant presence of her best friend--who died six months before, a bad boy with a heart of gold who sets off sparks when they meet, and The Valentine Killer who has started murdering young girls in their town. Again.

 

 

 

 

 Cinder by Marissa Meyer was a Best Teen Books pick when it came out a year ago and for a cyborg Cinderella story I think the red stiletto with that tattoo make this one of the most memorable covers (and books) of 2012.

 The next book from Marissa Meyer, Scarlett is coming in February--can you guess which fairy tale this one is about?

  

 If there were a prize for best trilogy covers I would give it to the Matched series :

                          

YA Wednesday: Reaching out to Ally Condie

Utah has great skiing, a fascinating history, and an abundance of marquee YA authors including Stephenie Meyer, James Dashner, Shannon Hale, and Ally Condie. 

Condie's amazing Matched trilogy wrapped up recently with Reached--one of our Best YA books of the year and also a customer favorite for 2012.  The series is smart and exciting, the romance feels authentic and each book adds another layer and voice.  In Reached we finally get to see inside the heads of all three members of the love triangle, and things really heat up.  Forget Peeta and Gale, the question these days is will Cassia choose Ky or Xander??

In this video interview, Condie talked to Amazon's Mari Malcolm about the inspiration for the series (I'll just say her husband provided the light bulb), the YA writers community in Utah, and what she reads while writing her own novels (love her taste in books!).

If you need a good book to start over the holidays and haven't read Reached or maybe are new to this series, Condie's world goes great with a warm living room, a comfy couch, and a few hours to lose yourself.

Most Read by Facebookers in 2012

If you've got a Facebook profile, you may have noticed a new link: "See Your 2012 Year in Review." The roundup goes beyond your own pictures, new friends, and how many pages you liked, though. Facebook Trends from 2012 includes quite an interesting feature revealing the books that were most read by Facebook users in 2012. And, unlike our own Best Books of the Year list (which focuses on books published in 2012), this list ranges from an entire modern series to decades-old classics.

Topping the list in positions 1, 2, and 3 is Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy in sequential order. At least among Facebook users, the beginning of the Harry Potter saga continues to attract new readers and re-readers. Classics To Kill a Mockingbird (which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year)and The Great Gatsby (soon to star Leonardo DiCaprio in the big screen remake) add a little canon to the mix, while Fifty Shades of Grey stands out as an R-rated anomaly on an otherwise PG-13 list.

Here, in order, is what Facebook users read in 2012:

 

YA Wednesday: What to Get the Teens on Your List

I think teenagers are the hardest to buy for, for the same reasons that YA authors like to write for them--a teen reader has no qualms about telling you they love a book or can't stand it and they are passionate either way. 

Luckily, this holiday season there are some really great choices in books so I thought I'd share a handful of editor's picks for the best gift ideas--as you'll see, I love a box set (especially when the price is right) and, in fact, I still have a couple battered box sets that I received many years ago (Little House, Narnia--though my set looks like this).  And why limit these gift ideas to just teens? I would recommend them for adults who read YA or popular fiction as well. You can find more editor's picks in gifts for kids & teens here.  What books are on your wish list?

Matched Trilogy Box Set: This is a series tailor-made for Hunger Games readers. Romance and action in a Big Brother society, and I'm not giving anything away to tell you that it starts with a teen girl, Cassia, who is shown her expected marriage match--but for a brief second another boy's face appears on the screen.  Hmmm... The story builds from there, each book adding a new layer and new voices to the narrative.  Addictive reading.

John Green Box Set: Oh, John Green, how do I love thee...The Fault in Our Stars is our #1 pick for the Best Teen books of 2012 and he hasn't won the Printz award and Honor for nothin'.  If you are the one to introduce Green's books to someone who has never read him they will thank you later and I bet you'll get a really good gift from that person next year.  Funny and smart with characters you fall in love with, Green's books are memorable and relatable. The set includes updated hardcover editions of four favorites: Looking for Alaska (Printz Award winner), An Abundance of Katherines (Printz Honor winner), Paper Towns, and The Fault in Our Stars.

 Lauren Conrad Beauty:  Lauren Conrad has managed to maintain her popularity in the fickle teen world. Her new book of beauty tips isn't going to have anyone heading to school looking like Lady Gaga, but rather like a well-coiffed and skillfully made-up version of themselves.  I'm happy to report that I tried her methods for glamorous (but not ridiculous) eyeliner and hair curling and met with success.

Not Exactly a Love Story: My top pick for December in YA. A loner boy in love with Miss Popular who happens to live next door might sound cliché, but this is funny and sincere with a lot of heart.  Vinnie's parents have recently divorced and his mom quickly re-married--of all people--the gym teacher at Vinnie's new high school. The perfect anecdote for teen girls suffering teen boy angst and a reminder that some of the best guys in high school (and beyond) might be the nice one right under your nose. 

The Hobbit (Deluxe Collector's Edition): The big movie of the holiday season, The Hobbit film should have people of all ages reading or re-reading the Tolkien classic.  This edition is gorgeous and unique, besides the swanky cover there is a map and text pages printed in black with green accents (!)--it will make a beautiful gift for any bookshelf and especially so for the Tolkien obsessed.

Star Wars: A Galactic Pop-up Adventure:  Who doesn't love a cool pop-up book?  This would be a good one for those tough tween boys and Matthew Reinhart is the paper genius behind the best-selling Star Wars Pop Up Guide to the Galaxy.  The new book is elaborate, with small pop-ups off pages with big ones and even a lightsaber that lights up when you open the page.  There is an awesome customer review video on the page that can show you more than I could ever hope to explain. May the force be with you this holiday season.

YA Wednesday: The Inspirations of Laini Taylor

Last year Laini Taylor's The Daughter of Smoke and Bone was our #1 pick of the Best Teen Books of 2011 and we all waited (and waited..) for a chance to read the follow-up.  It's always a bit of a dice roll, reading a second book when you really love the first, but Days of Blood and Starlight delivered everything I'd hoped for, and more.  Days is on our 2012 list of Best Teen Books, and right from the beginning it engulfs you in a story rich with emotion, brutality, and breath-taking twists.  Like the first book, Days also takes you to exotic, faraway lands--lands Taylor visited and photographed.  In an Amazon exclusive, Taylor shared some photographs from her trip to Morocco after she finished The Daughter of Smoke and Bone--she's an amazing photographer and the places that inspired Days are even more beautiful than I imagined.  Note to self: go to Morocco and pack Daughter of Smoke and Bone and Days of Blood and Starlight for re-reading.

 

When I wrote DAUGHTER, I had been to Prague but not Morocco, but it was the source of my travel lust at the time, so I did the best research I could, including watching videos, and created a sense of place that way. Then, going to Morocco was my reward for finishing the book. I did not know at that time that the trip would inspire book 2 in such a major way, but it did. Whereas Marrakesh features in DAUGHTER, the action of DAYS (well, some of it) has moved on to the land of kasbahs and palm oases in southern Morocco. My husband Jim and I came *this close* to abandoning this portion of our trip as a result of the driving time. Clementine was 16 months old and hated her car seat with a burning passion, so that drive over the Atlas Mountains was ... blood-pressure raising. We actually stopped at one point and seriously considered turning back to Marrakesh. But I'm so glad we didn't.

 Here is a glimpse of the world that inspired my "land of dust and starlight"--Laini Taylor

 

kasbah of Telouet, which was the real inspiration for the primary setting of DAYS:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ait Benhaddou, the most famous kasbah in Morocco; it is where Zuzana and Mik are when "it" begins: "It. The thing that would never be eclipsed, that would own the third-person neuter pronoun "it" forever. Where were you the day it began?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Agdz, where Karou goes to buy supplies:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Imagine Karou standing here, and that blue robe as a flash of her blue hair: