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Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Authors in the Corner: Melissa Walker

Today we have with us Melissa Walker, author of the amazing Violet series. The next novel in the series, Violet in Private, comes out on August 5. You can visit Melissa on her own blog.

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I just finished a really great book, and it made me want to write about when I know that I l-o-v-e something Iʼm reading.

I know I love a book if its world completely overtakes me. This has happened with a range of authors, from William Faulkner to Mo Willems (he writes awesome picture books that are totally set in my Brooklyn neighborhood).

Just this weekend, as I was reading John Greenʼs Looking for Alaska, I got so involved in the story that even when I took a break to take a walk, I didnʼt really want to talk to my boyfriend. I just wanted to stay silent in my own mind and ponder Alaskaʼs past and The Colonelʼs present and Milesʼs future. (If you donʼt know who Iʼm talking about, that means you havenʼt read Looking for Alaska, and you really, really should. I know what Iʼm talking about here. The book is GOOD.)

Of course, John Green won a Printz Award, which is all gold-foil-literary, but thatʼs not what makes the book good. Itʼs the voice and the way a reader can get entrenched in the main characterʼs world. I like a lot of books, but I love the ones that completely overtake me and make my own reality a little hazy.

Some others that have done that for me recently include Elizabeth Scottʼs Bloom (with riveting romantic chemistry) and Sarah Mlynowskiʼs Bras & Broomsticks (with total hilarious energy).

So what books have you used the L-word to describe? Iʼd love to know.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed reading Looking for Alaska too.

There are so many books I love like The Chocolate War - Robert Cormier, Full Service - Will Weaver, Evolution, Me, and Other Freaks of Nature - Robin Brande, and Franny and Zooey - J.D. Salinger to name a few.

Liviania said...

Looking for Alaska is definitely up there . . . it's hard to choose the L word books.

Street Magic by Tamora Pierce
The China Garden by Liz Berry
Watership Down by Richard Adams
Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison
Nightlife by Rob Thurman
Angel Sanctuary by Kaori Yuki

Liv said...

Looking for Alaska is a seriously amazing book and is definitely among my favorites. I also would say that I love Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer, Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr, and Model by Cheryl Diamond. I'm sure there're a ton more, but that's what I've come up with off the top of my head. Books have to be good in order to be labeled with the L-word. :D

Alea said...

I really need to read this book.

Jessica Burkhart said...

I recently read STEALING HEAVEN and I love it. :) Absolutely.

Shooting Stars Mag said...

Definitely love Looking for Alaska as well. It's super super amazing for sure.

Oh gosh, what books do I LOVE? I'm not really sure. Looking for Alaska definitely...but what else?!

I love this book called No Easy Answers: The Truth Behind Death at Columbine by Brooks Brown and Rob Merritt. Very interesting, intense read all about the Columbine shootings....and Brooks Brown was friends with the two boys, Eric and Dylan, so it's a more personal account.

-Lauren