Are you looking for a contemporary romance with cute boys and great storytelling? Look no further than Sarah Dessen. Ms. Dessen has published 10 books, 9 of which I've read, and her 11th book,
, will be published June 2013.
Here are a few of my favorites featuring the all new covers:
(I listed original pub dates with updated imprint buying information also I didn't include How to Deal since that's a movie tie-in which was based on two previous books)
Trailer
Blog - Sarah Dessen - here you can find a newsletter signup and book excerpts and read the story behind each book.
Twitter - Sarah Dessen - she loves Good Morning America and you know, other stuff
Sarah Dessen Book Signing at Anderson's - blogger photo
This post covers two weeks. I'm living for August 10th, when things will get back on schedule!
Last week The Amazing Dancer and I went to Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville, IL to meet Sarah Dessen and Laurie Halse Anderson. We had Along for the Ride and Wintergirls signed by them. We listened to them talk about why they wrote these specific books (paraphrased):
Sarah Dessen on Along For the Ride - "I hadn't planned on writing another book a year after Lock and Key. Being home with the baby and watching my husband and his friends on the bike jump in our backyard inspired me." This has to be Dessen's best work so far, the inspiration she feels is evident.
Laurie Halse Anderson on Wintergirls - "I didn't want to write a book about eating disorders. Women already have too many hangups about their weight. I have my own body image issues. But, I received many letters and emails requesting a book on the subject so after extensive research, here it is." The realism is Wintergirls was very emotionally draining!
The ladies also talked about their writing processes, what's a good age to get published, and which of their books they would like to make into a sequel. Very good talk.
This past week I got together with some students to trade books and talk about Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev. 6 people showed up but only 4 wanted to be in the picture!
We all walked out with "new" books and the Chicas also received some swag from @LisaMantchev! They signed up to read @MichelleZink's Prophecy of the Sisters and can't wait to get together again!
PPS - our visit to Anderson's was not as much fun as the last time. We brought our own book and showed up early to get our book signing number. The clerk told us we couldn't have one because we didn't buy the books from Anderson's. In a very rude, snotty manner she told us we could wait but she doubted if there would be time for the ladies to sign our books. We went for dinner and hoped that by the time we returned, she wouldn't be there. She was. They also didn't set up any chairs bcuz they were expecting lots of people. What? Makes no sense. Anyway, in the end, a short lady with dark hair over-rode the clerk and told us to get a number. It still took a long time! We even saw a girl get about 32 books signed even though she'd only bought 1 at Anderson's!! How do they know we weren't going to buy a book later? We had over an hour to wait until the signing! Bcuz of the rudeness, we didn't! I hesitate to go again even though the first time was a great visit.
Normally I post this over at Book Blather but I've decided I want to do it here instead. Each week bloggers review what books they've finished, started, and what their reading plans are for the upcoming week. I do this because it helps me to see I'm not very good at planning my reading! J/K! If you want to play along, sign up at J. Kaye's Book Blog.
Finished
Lost and Found by Andrew Clements (161) - Great book about twins. One brother's file gets misplaced at school and they decide to take this time to pretend there's only one person not two. Not only does it give them a chance to feel what's it's like NOT being mistaken for someone else but 1/2 the time they don't go to school! Win-win right? Definite school purchase.
Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen (383)- Another Dessen romantic hit. It was awesome. Read my review here. Definite school purchase.
As you see, I didn't finish a single book that was on my original plan list.
Started
Being Nikki by Meg Cabot (124/336) - good but not keeping my interest as well as Airhead.
The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand (248/359) - really enjoying this one! If only I didn't have to work!
The Vanishing Sculptor by Donita K. Paul (210/390) - good but not engrossing. I wrote about it on Sunday Salon.
Upcoming
Well, I feel better when I look at my page count - 1,126! I'm not slacking after all! I'm reading more than my avg 240pg - 4 books per week. I think I'll continue listing page count as it gives me a different perspective.
The Vanishing Sculptor - Blog Tour and Giveaway - June 25
Ghostgirl (328) and Ghostgirl:Homecoming by TonyaHurley (285) - Author Interview - July 1 Contest Monday - June 29
The Castaways - Blog Tour - July 9 Contest Monday - July 13
Looks like a goal of 1,016 pgs. I should then have time to get caught up on reviews too!
Readin' Along for the Ride Sarah Dessen Viking/Penguin 383 pgs 4hrs
Writin' Auden is in between High School and "real life". She decides to take this time to go and visit her dad, stepmom, Heidi, and new baby sister, Thisbe, for the summer. Her hope is that she will have somehting to put into the tacky picture frame her brother sent her. The one that has a picture of him in front of the Taj Mahal and the words THE BEST OF TIMES underneath. She packs up the frame and her textbooks (gotta get a jump on those college classes) and heads to what she hopes will be her first "best of times".
'Rithmetic So many times I felt this was partially the story of my life, minus the cute boys and cute clothes! I spent a lot of time focused on my school work and then on my family and now my job. Like Auden, the simple act of friendship was very foreign to me.
"I mean, we just figured you thought you were better than us. But maybe you just didn't know how to hang out." (145)
I liked how Dessen had Auden grow, without losing who she was just more of an adding-on, becoming more 3-dimensional, but not someone else. My other favorite person was Maggie. Maggie works in Heidi's shop and is skilled at finding the right outfit for the right person.
"Finding those slim boot cuts for that woman was work. But it was so worth it. Her butt looked great when she left here." (208)
But like all of us, there's more to Maggie, she's going to the same brainiac genius college that Auden will attend. Dessen makes the point that you can be smart and pretty and whatever else you want. You decide.
The story of Eli fit in nicely with Auden's while his brother Jake could have been left out. The Bike Shop boys, Adam and Wallace, and the two other Clementine girls, Esther and Leah all had something to bring to the party.
The story moved at a steady pace and there were so many wonderful lines I had to stop myself from folding down all the pages. The incessant crying of the baby totally reminded me of The Amazing Dancer girl. She never liked sleep, still doesn't. I could relate. I enjoyed the new terminology: store-goers and snack-bang as well as the constant drinking of coffee! This story brought a smile to my face and led to many thoughtful pauses.
I only had one moment of conflict - SPOILER ALERT Auden's mom takes care of Heidi's baby so that Auden can go to the fake prom. Now, I'm amiable with my ex and his new wife and children but I draw the line at babysitting them!! Seems like too much especially when they are only a few months old...but that could just be me! END SPOILER ALERT
Overall, this book was Sarah Dessen's best so far. I recommend it for middle and high school libraries. I give it 4 copies and know they will always be checked out.
Along for The Ride Sarah Dessen Viking/Penguin pgs. 383
Yeah! It's finally here. This was one of my WoW posts back in February. I've enjoyed quite a few of @SarahDessen's books - Just Listen, Lock and Key, Someone Like You, Keeping The Moon, That Summer, This Lullaby and The Truth About Forever - and looked forward to this being released. And now it's here, and I can barely wait to dive into it!
Ah - books, books, books. I love them. And soon there will be more to love! This week I'm waiting on a new Sarah Dessen book:
Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen Publication date: June 16, 2009
I've read a few of Sarah Dessen's books including: Someone Like You, Keeping the Moon, This Lullaby, Just Listen, and Lock and Key. Her writing continues to get better. I like how some characters show up in other books. One new-agey thing I did was to get two rings, one for each hand, like Owen in Just Listen. I have something written on both and they serve as constant reminders for me because I wear them everyday! I read that book two years ago and it still inspires my life! That's good writing. If you want to know more about Along for the Ride - check out Sarah reading an excerpt on YouTube. Now I'm even more excited. I'm sure we'll be reading this in summer book club!
