BBAW 2010 Unexpected Treasures
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I want to thank everyone who has stopped by to check out the giveaway by making their own poem and those that read and commented on my interview with Book Harbinger.
Today's topic is to discuss an unexpected treasure -- a book or genre I've tried because of a blogger's recommendation. I cannot tell you how many times bloggers have influenced my reading choices.
Dewey began it when she recommended the novella The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett. I miss her dearly -- her reading and her enthusiasm for books was infectious.
In the last year, I've read Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane on audio book because Sandy at You've Gotta Read This!!! was blown away by the audio. Her thoughts on the audio were infectious, and I had to check if my library had a copy of this audio. I got it on playaway, and while the narration was eerie and engaging, the story itself didn't affect me the way that it affected her, but I was OK with that.
On the other hand, My Friend Amy and Things Mean A Lot reviewed Nothing But Ghosts by Beth Kephart and I knew it was a book I had to read. As a poet, I knew the lyrical and descriptive language would be right up my alley and I was not disappointed. Kephart's writing is something I had been searching for in young adult literature. Her novels deal with universal themes of grief, death, sibling rivalry, love, and coming of age, but her writing pulls you in and will not let you go.
I was so enthralled by this writer and her novel that I've read two others since. I really enjoyed Undercover, which spoke to my inner teenager who wrote in secret and was often on the outside of the social circles in my junior and senior high school years. Kephart captured a time in my life that I thought no one could possibly understand. Her latest book, Dangerous Neighbors, is a different young adult novel that is set in 1876 Philadelphia. Many of the YA novels I've read are contemporary, and it was a real treat to read a novel set in the past.
For my second GLOBAL BBAW giveaway, all you have to do is answer one of the following questions.
What bloggers have influenced you this year? And what books have they encouraged you to read?
or
What book do you think readers have been influenced to read by your own blog?
Deadline is Sept. 19, 2010, at 11:59 PM EST
What's up for grabs: (click the links for my reviews)
1. The Widow's Season by Laura Brodie
2. Short Girls by Bich Minh Nguyen
3. A Dangerous Affair by Caro Peacock
Stay tuned for more giveaways this week!