1. SUGAR AND ICE has made an appearance on a Best of 2010 list (other than my mom’s…my books are always popular there!)
2. I’m guest blogging today with Carol Rasco, the CEO of Reading Is Fundamental, an amazing organization that puts books into the hands of kids. The post is about literacy and student athletes, like my main character Claire in SUGAR AND ICE. You can read it here.
3. I’m reading two books right now because they’re both so good I can’t commit to one, so I keep juggling back and forth. This one…
…is about a Texas teenager who meets Christa McAuliffe in the days leading up to the Challenger space shuttle disaster. And isn’t that a gorgeous cover? TAKING OFF is by my friend Jenny Moss, whose characters are so real my heart aches for them. Beautiful, beautiful writing – and due out from Walker in January ’11.
4. I’m also reading this book…
SEAN GRISWOLD’S HEAD by Lindsey Leavitt (Bloomsbury – March ’11). I’m only a few pages in, but already, it’s fantastic. It’s funny and poignant and about a girl who discovers her true love sitting in front of her in science class the same week she learns her father has MS. I can already tell it’s going to make me laugh and cry in that way that only special books do. Lindsey is going to be Skyping with my creative writing class in a couple weeks, and I’m so excited to share this book with them!
5. This is our new bedtime read-aloud at at the Messner house.
My daughter and I are loving Jennifer Choldenko’s latest, NO PASSENGERS BEYOND THIS POINT (Dial, February ’11). It’s full of characters that we’re already in love with, twists that have us perplexed and guessing, and magical realism that’s filling us with smiles and a sense of wonder. It’s a keeper, for sure.
What about you? Any bookish updates this Friday, either on the writing front or the reading front? Share away in comments!