Art has a very real place in COVID-19’s world, and it will have a very real place in the aftermath.
Read more6 Women Authors Who Shaped Me as a Reader, Writer, and Human Being
It hadn’t occurred to me before just how powerful women’s voices have been in shaping me as a reader, a writer, and a human being.
Read moreReview: Blanca & Roja
In Blanca & Roja, Anna-Marie McLemore blends familiar fairytales The Swan Princess and Snow White and Rose Red into a rich, luxurious story of friendship, love and self-acceptance that is told with her signature style of magical realism.
Read moreBehind the Scenes: I’m Not Missing, by Carrie Fountain
Last week, Carrie Fountain launched her new novel, I’m Not Missing, at Book People, here in Austin, and I couldn’t wait to hear her talk about her writing process. Fountain started as a poet, and I was particularly curious about how she thought the two disciplines—poetry and prose—worked together.
Read moreBook Review: I'm Not Missing
A debut novel from an award-winning poet, I’m Not Missing is a must-read for any teen who’s felt the pain of lost friendship and the challenge of finding herself.
Read moreBook Review: Summer of Salt
I loved Katrina Leno's Summer of Salt so much that, when I finished, I hustled to the library to check out all of her other work!
Read moreBook Review: Girl Made of Stars
Girl Made of Stars adds an important dimension to the discussions we’re having today, both in public and in private, and Blake’s deft handling of tough topics makes for an engaging and powerful read.
Read more4 YA Books I've Loved This Year
I write monthly YA reviews for BookPage, and I've been so lucky to receive a string of incredible novels over the past few months. In case you needed a reason to hightail it to your local independent bookstore, here are my 2018 reviews...so far.
Read moreExposition: How to Avoid the Info Dump
You’ve spent hours building the perfect world for your characters to move through. It’s got every imaginative element you’ve ever wanted, and it’s got the rules and the structure it needs to remain believable in all its fantasy and magic. But now you’re up against another challenge: How do you introduce the audience to your world without overwhelming them with exposition?
Read moreBook Review: They Both Die at the End
In an alternate present-day New York City, Mateo and Rufus both receive the same call from Death-Cast in the early morning hours, letting them know they’ll be dead by midnight. The two teens have never met, but when they connect on the Last Friend app, they set out to help each other pack the experiences of a lifetime into one last day and form a deep bond that soon goes beyond friendship.
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