6 Young Adult Novels to Read This Spring

This week is the 98th annual Children's Book Week, and I'm celebrating the event by featuring books geared to young adult and middle grade readers that were (or will be) published in March, April, and May of 2017. Last week, I recommended 8 books that included a little magic or fantasy, and on Monday I featured 6 contemporary novels for young readers. Today, I finish up with 6 more novels set in the modern world.

• The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Saenz (Clarion; March): A young teen who's always been content with his lot in life--white boy adopted by a gay Mexican American man and loved by his extended family--reaches the age of wanting to know his biological history and questioning who he really is. Everyone has loved this sensitively written novel that explores self-identity, family, friendship, and LGBTQ issues.
• Kill All Happies by Rachel Cohn (Disney Hyperion; May): This novel, set in a small desert town in California, takes young readers on a crazy two-day graduation party to end all graduation parties. A diverse cast of characters indulge in teen antics; expect mildly mature content.
• Piper Perish by Kayla Cagan (Chronicle; March): An artistic high schooler dreams of leaving Texas for New York City, but as senior year comes to an end will she be brave enough to follow her passion? This book contains themes of family, ambition, friendship, sexual identity, mental illness, and independence.

• Enemy Exposure by Meghan Rogers (Philomel; March): Fans of action-packed thrillers starring tough young women will like this story about a Korean teen who is acting as a double agent for the United States. In this second installment in the Raven Files series, our hero, Jocelyn, must rescue an old friend, but can she save herself as well?
• Get It Together, Delilah! by Erin Gough (Chronicle; April): Set in Australia, this is the story of a teen who juggles school, work, and social pressures while dreaming of the girl she hopes will like her back. This award-winning novel presents an authentic, nonstereotypical look at teen relationships and family issues and will appeal to a diverse range of readers.
• Big & Little Questions (According to Wren Jo Byrd) by Julie Bowe (Kathy Dawson Books; March): The protagonist in this book for middle grade readers is Wren Jo Byrd, who is having trouble adjusting to her parents' divorce and idea of shared custody. After befriending the new girl at school, Wren learns she isn't the only one who's had to get used to a new life because of family problems.

Note: Books featured for Children's Book Week represent only those titles that came to my attention through a variety of avenues. They are also books I've had a chance to look through or read (print, audio, or ebook). I'm grateful to the publishers and other agencies that provided copies of these books for my honest opinion in a review or feature.

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Wordless Wednesday 444

Violet, 2017

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Today's Read: Mr. Rochester by Sarah Shoemaker

Do you ever wonder about how the secondary characters in a novel see events unfolding? I do. What was Edward Fairfax Rochester thinking when he proposed to Jane Eyre, knowing all too well that there was a madwoman in his attic?

I know little of my birth, for my mother died long before she could tell me--before I ever heard her voice or gazed at her face--and my father banished the woman who helped deliver me, blaming her for my mother's death. Of course, my father himself had no interest in telling me the least part of it, even if he did remember, which he almost certainly did not. There was no room for sentiment in my father's existence. Although my mother had proved her worth by providing him with two healthy boys, he would still have considered it a waste to lose a good broodmare.

—Mr. Rochester by Sarah Shoemaker (Grand Central Publishing, 2017, p. 3)

Quick Facts

• Setting: Early 1800s, England
• Circumstances: A retelling of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre through Mr. Rochester's eyes. From what I can tell so far, the novel is set up in a similar fashion to the classic: we learn of Rochester's childhood and coming of age, his travels, the story of his first marriage, and how he became guardian for Adele, which ultimately leads him to hire Jane Eyre. From there, this novel and the original mostly overlap.
• Why I want to read the novel: As I mentioned, I enjoy retellings from new perspectives (see, for example, my review of Longbourn, a Pride & Prejudice retelling). I also enjoyed Jean Rhys's Wide Saragossa Sea, which enlarges the story of Bertha, the Jamaican woman Rochester married in his youth. I've read other retellings of Jane Eyre and novels inspired by Jane Eyre (see Jane Steele) including one set in more modern times, The Flight of Gemma Hardy, and liked them all.
• Reviews: I've read mixed reviews, but none of the negative thoughts has turned me off from reading this novel for myself.
• More information: Visit author Sarah Shoemaker's website and watch the following video in which she talks about why she wrote Mr. Rochester.

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6 Contemporary Novels for Young Readers

This week is the 98th annual Children's Book Week, and I'm celebrating the event by featuring books geared to young adult and middle grade readers that were (or will be) published in March, April, and May of 2017. Last week, I recommended 8 books that included a little magic or fantasy. Today, I recommend 6 books set in the real world and focusing on contemporary themes that concern young readers.

• When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon (Simon Pulse; May): This rom-com for teens explores the dilemma of respecting cultural tradition in a tech-filled twenty-first century. Now that young women fashion their own futures, are arranged relationships doomed before they even start? This is novel offers both great escape and a look at family, cultural expectations, and modern love.
• Antisocial by Jillian Blake (Delacorte Press; May): The social structure of a prep school is turned upside down when the cool kids' phones are hacked and photos, texts, and emails are made public. While the students are humiliated and relationships are shattered, one girl tries to bury her secrets while protecting her friends. This book asks, What are consequences of our always-online lives?
• Bodyguard: Recruit by Chris Bradford (Philomel Books; May): A teenage kickboxing champ is recruited by the government and trained to be the bodyguard for the president's fun-loving and sometimes reckless daughter. This action-packed story is the first in a new series and provides an accurate picture of what it's like to be a professional bodyguard.

• Speed of Life by Carol Weston (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky; April): When Sofia needed someone to talk to, she turned to teen advice columist "Dear Kate." Imagine her distress after she learns her widowed father started dating the very woman who knows all her secrets. This novel looks at families, grief, and trust.
• The End of Our Story by Meg Haston (HarperTeen; April): Set in Florida, this book explores what happens when two teens are reunited after a family crisis. Although they've changed over their year-long breakup, can Bridge and Wil once again find common ground? And if so, will they be friends or sweethearts?
• Lemons by Melissa Savage (Crown Books for Young Readers; May): Lemonade Liberty Witt has trouble seeing the positive when she moves in with her estranged grandfather after her mother's death. But then she meets 11-year-old Tobin, a Bigfoot nerd, who asks her to help with his investigations. Themes of friendship, grief, and family are lightened by a big dose of humor.

Note: Books featured for Children's Book Week represent only those titles that came to my attention through a variety of avenues. They are also books I've had a chance to look through or read (print, audio, or ebook). I'm grateful to the publishers and other agencies that provided copies of these books for my honest opinion in a review or feature.

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Weekend Cooking: Cork Dork by Bianca Bosker

When tech journalist Bianca Bosker set out to learn more about wine, sommeliers, and the art (or talent or genetic predisposition) of tasting, she didn't expect to be totally won over by the people and their world. Her book Cork Dork (Penguin Books) -- part memoir, part investigative journalism -- tells the story of her year of discovery and transformation.

Bosker started with the question of whether master sommeliers have an in-born ability to discern flavors and scents or whether they have skill that can be learned by pretty much anyone. To answer this question, she talked to wine experts, trailed professionals in the high-end restaurant business, joined tasting groups, traveled around the world to interview scientists, and studied for the sommelier certification test.

Cork Dork is not only informative but also a delight to read. Bosker describes her adventure from journalist to budding wine expert in a light tone, telling her story as if she were talking to a friend. We learn of her successes and failures in gaining entree into wine's inner circles and her investigation into the science of taste and smell. We meet professional sommeliers, wine snobs, and wine anti-snobs.

Bosker was fascinated by the experts who can blind taste a wine and tell you the grape, vintage, and origin. She met the woman who was instrumental in setting up the wheel of wine flavors (slate, mineral, tobacco, leather, herbs, fruits and so on; see scan at right, click to enlarge) and underwent MRIs to see what happened in her brain when she sipped wine.

I find it a little crazy that there are people out there who regularly spend hundreds of dollars per bottle of wine and buy several expensive wines over the course of single night. These are the restaurant diners sommeliers live for. On the other hand, I was relieved to learn that most sommeliers are happy to help us little people too and will do their best to suggest a decent wine within our much more limited budgets.

Recommendation: Bianca Bosker's Cork Dork will appeal to anyone interested in food-related memoir, wine, or the restaurant / sommelier business. Whether you're a "civilian" who enjoys commercial wine (like me) or are an expert or collector who is always searching for that elusive best wine ever, you'll relate to Bosker's journey from wine drinker to wine connoisseur. As much as I like wine, I can't imagine devoting my life to it, but I liked getting to know the people who do.

Audiobook: I listened to the unabridged audiobook (Penguin Audio; 12 hr, 17 min) read by Bosker. I usually shy away from author-read books, so I was pleasantly surprised by Bosker's performance. She was enthusiastic, expressive, and seemed to have a natural sense of pacing. Recommended listen. (Thanks to Penguin Audio for the review copy.)

Note: I'm in a lacemaking workshop all weekend, but will pop on over to read your posts as soon as I can. The wine aroma wheel shown here is in the public domain.

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Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.

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