Georgia Peach Book Award Nominations 2015-2016

They're in! We threw it down at the Throwdown yesterday and the books battled it out. More than 80 were recommended by the committee, but after intense deliberation only 20 stand. These are the best of the year's YA titles and include a diverse selection (I'm happy to say) or romance, contemporary fiction, sci-fi, fantasy and everything in between with characters that are Black, LGBT, Nuero-diverse and reflective of the kids who read actually read books from all walks of life. Check them out!

Say What You Will (Review) #diversebooks

Amy and Matthew have an unconventional relationship, and this goes beyond him being a little country and her being a little rock and roll. Amy has cerebral palsy and Matthew has a slight touch (well, more than a touch) of OCD, and then there's the little bit about Amy's Mom paying Matthew to hang out with her too. It's complicated. Complicated and sweet and heartbreaking and raw.

I feel like we don't often get to see into the lives of people with disabilities in media, and when we do it's through rose colored glasses. They are too often set up to be pitied or to be golden-hearted and sexless so that they are infantilized. Cammie McGovern doesn't do this. In her hands, Amy is witty and smart and full of questions and insight and desire for everything. Matthew isn't the knight in shining armor. He isn't the high school jock with a heart two sizes too big who doesn't care that Amy can't speak. While that would be okay it's not realistic. He's got his own issues and instead of him rescuing Amy they get to rescue each other.

While I won't give the plot away, I will say that sex, consent, growing up and growing out are all tucked beautifully into the pages of this amazing novel. Go pick it up!

Diversity During Award Season

It's award season! As a culture we'll ooh and aah over celebrities in gorgeous dresses and ghastly tuxedos as they climb the steps of polished stages to accept awards for Best Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Album and more. In the book world, there are a number of awesome awards out there too, though they get considerably less fan fare. For some, it's there favorite season for television watching.
But the tea (as they kids say) or scandal for you old folks is that this year's Academy Awards are the whitest awards in a very, very long time in terms of nominations.

What does this mean? Is it discrimination or something else?

I'm not sure, but it's highlighting a lack of diversity in the film world, a lack of good roles and a lack of recognition for the contributions of people of color. We can say the same for book awards, though there are a growing number of awards that target specific demographics I worry about the ghettoization of the award world where the Coretta Scott King award has to exist because otherwise there would be no recognition for books featuring kids of color, or worse no incentive for the publishing industry to produce these titles.

I think the publishing world suffers from the same malady as the Academy in that the voting body is not at all reflective of the viewing/reading body. As in the advertising world, the deciding figures are still older, male and white. Editors in the book industry tend to be young, female and white and the business is largely subjective. Those editors pick books that they like and speak to them. If there is to be real change in the industry then there has to be a change in who the gatekeepers are. Publishing houses are going to have to diversify their editors and agencies will have to do the same.

Publishers can:

• Look at HBCU's and public colleges that aren't Division I. Recruit from smaller liberal arts schools and see what those students have to offer.
• Offer "paid" internships over the Summer or for shorter periods of time. Non-paid internships ensures that you will receive students in a certain income bracket, and cuts yourself off from the perspectives of a large part of your reading body.
• Do short-term "open calls". I know it's a lot of work, but  agents will only pitch what they think you'll buy. 
• Fire all of your cover artists. You guys just really need to re-evaluate how you package books for YA. I mean, that's a post in itself.

Genrefying Your Library is Racist...Maybe

A lot has been said about the new direction of libraries. Whispers and shouts from all walks of the media have been decrying the death of our beloved repositories and many of us are scrambling to compete with the attention of young readers. The library has to compete with television, radio, the internet and social media, so the temptation is to make things easy. What could be easier than the bookstore format? Surely, millions of dollars have gone into corporate marketing studies to suss out the best way to get customers to find what they like and then buy it. Why not apply this golden knowledge to the library?

I'll tell you, good friend. Because it isn't a science. Book publishers pay a lot of money for premium placement in book displays and certain sections. They are the ones who identify the genre for the bookstore and place it on the back of the book. Suddenly, Jodi Piccoult's latest title goes from Contemporary Fiction to Chick-Lit. This wouldn't matter if certain sections/genres didn't have stereotypes and connotations associated with them.

Is Beloved by Toni Morrison classic literature or African-American fiction? One would have her shelved with Flannery O'Connor and Faulkner, the other would have her next to Eric Jerome Dickey and Zane.

When genre placement is left up to the librarian or bookstore owner the opportunity for book ghettos emerge. These make it easier for some people to narrow their search to only those books for gay people or black people or whomever people, but it also creates a barrier for those outside of these narrow markers. If I were to browse the fiction section I may pick up a book and stumble upon a great title that just happens to have a gay main character. With genrefied shelves I'd never stumble upon anything, I'd have to seek it out.

The Dewey Decimal System we all learned in elementary school may be boring, but it is the great equalizer-- democracy for information. Giving it up leaves far too many opportunities to marginalize, overshadow and subvert great books.

January is the Best Month of the Year

So, last year was pretty awesome. I pitched a book (didn't sell it), had a baby (totally, unexpected) and joined the committee for the Georgia Peach Book Award. It was a pretty good year, but this year will be even better. I love January, because it is an arbitrary reset button. I can reevaluate my life and get things back on track that have gone hopelessly off the rails, but I'm going to be better this year than last.I usually make a laundry list of resolutions that are hopelessly impossible to keep, but I think I've found a formula that works.

1. Write the resolution down. I like the app Wunderlist because I can keep my list with me and break it down into action steps. Which brings me to...
2. Break goals down into action steps.
3. Schedule it. I've designated days for certain things so I can make sure they happen.
4. Organize. Get a template, a schedule, a plan. Whatever it is you want to do, someone else has done it so don't reinvent the wheel.

So....here are a few of mine.

• Lose 20lbs (hey, it's vain, but I just had a baby)
• Audition for ACX (I've done it before and should do again)
• Launch a small business (I'll clue you guys in once it's ready

So, Lovelies, what's your resolution?

When Publishers Go Bust (Review - The Almost Girl)

What happens when a publisher goes bust? As a writer, it seems like a nightmare come to life. Unfortunately, this is just what has happened with Strange Chemistry. This sucks on multiple levels, as I've just become aware of the imprint and their titles are very, very good. As a reader I'll know I won't be able to have a go-to for recommendations and as a media specialist I know that I won't be able to have a few best bets for purchase at the beginning of the year.

Angry Robot closes Exhibit A and Strange Chemistry imprints
23.06.14 | Joshua Farrington 184  0 

 

  539Sci-fi and fantasy publisher Angry Robot is closing its Exhibit A and Strange Chemistry imprints with immediate effect.
The publisher, part of the Osprey Group, said in a statement that the two imprints had been "unable to carve out their own niches".
Strange Chemistry focused on YA fiction, while Exhibit A released crime and mystery titles.
A statement from Angry Robot said: "Angry Robot Books has a history of innovation and we continue to go from strength to strength. We’re constantly trying out new concepts and new ideas, and we continue to publish popular and award-winning books. Our YA imprint Strange Chemistry and our crime/mystery imprint Exhibit A have – due mainly to market saturation – unfortunately been unable to carve out their own niches with as much success.
"We have therefore made the difficult decision to discontinue Strange Chemistry and Exhibit A, effective immediately, and no further titles will be published from these two imprints." More

The Almost Girl arrived in my mailbox as a submission for the GA Peach Award and I immediately tagged it as a great contender. This was before I found out that soon you won't be able to find the book. Again, that's sucky. Alas, the era of the ebook, makes solid what was once ephemeral. I'm assuming that the Kindle ebook will exist in perpetuity to pick it up.


The Almost Girl by Amalie Howard

Riven is a warrior refugee, well refugee is generous. Let's call her what she is, a possible kidnapper/assassin from a war-torn parallel universe where the android war is getting worse by the day. Her mission: to find the twin brother of the prince she's loyal to for more reasons than one. But what happens when her "mark" becomes more than an pawn in a brutal game but an actual person? What happens when the lines between us and them, allies and enemies becomes blurred?

The Almost Girl is fast-paced, kick-butt science fiction with alternate universes, robots, mind/body altering serums and all the stuff you love in the genre. I will say that I agree with other reviewers that there are some editing issues, but they are easily overlooked. It's a wild ride and one that's too much fun to turn down.

The Boys of Summer : YA Summer Reviews/Drift and Fake ID

Summer is the time where we have no excuse for not cracking open a book and getting lost in someone else's life. The days are longer and responsibilities are few. Here are two books that I won't categorize as beach reads (because, really, what does that even mean) but fun must-haves for July and August.

Most books feature young, heterosexual, thin, white girls, but sometimes, sometimes you get something a bit different and if you're a guy, or a girl who occasionally likes to read from the guy's perspective or even just a parent who is looking for some good reads to drop into your lazy kid's lap, you'll love these.

Drift by M.K. Hutchins

Inspired  by Maya mythology, Drift is set in a world where people live on an island that is set atop a massive turtle floating on top of "Hell". Sounds awesome, right? Well, it is. We follow that exploits of Tenjat, who as a farmer, is at the bottom of the class ladder as he strives to make a better life for himself as a Handler, essentially warrior/rulers who defend the island against the ravenous naga monsters who haunt the shores and waterways.

In Tenjat's world Handler's and Artisans are the people with power and money and prestige and he wants in. They are also celibate, which makes relationships....complicated. But what if there was another way of life? What if the myths about a life without fear of the nagas and a chance at love and children were real?

The world building in Drift is fantastical and lush and spiritual. The reader is drawn into, not just Tenjat's story, which is full of death and love and pain, but also the rules of the world and the very real danger that is as a part of their lives as the seasons.

I'm not sure if there is anyone who won't find something to love in this novel. Did I mention that the characters are of color? Yeah, that's a bonus. Pick it up!

Fake ID by Lamar Giles

Nick Pearson is on the run while standing in place. You see, Nick is really Tony, he's also a few other people. Nick is in the WitSec, the witness protection program, a result of his ne'er-do-well Dad's involvement with the mob and unfortunately, this is his last stop. After ruining their last few placements, Nick's family has to make this placement work. He's got to keep his head down and his profile low if he wants to stay under the radar and stay alive. Too bad his only friend at school is murdered less than a month after he arrives...and he's the one who finds the body.

Good YA mysteries don't come around to often, but this one is really top-tier and keeps the pages turning late into the night. Nick is a regular guy, he's not the hero with the good looks and girls at his feet, and he isn't the underdog. He's a kid who is trying to make the best of a bad situation that just keeps getting worse and worse. He's relatable and anyone who reads the book will be able to tap into that. He's also dealing with a situation that's new and exciting, being someone you're not while trying to stay true to yourself and what you believe. Well, what do you believe if you can't be yourself?

Full of political twists, murder, a dash a of romance and high school drama, Fake ID is an essential for the Summer.

Look out for more recommendations for me as I wade through my submissions for the GA Peach Award.