#BookADay: THE GAME OF LOVE AND DEATH by Martha Brockenbrough

Holy cow, did I love THE GAME OF LOVE AND DEATH by Martha Brockenbrough (Arthur Levin Books, 2015). I found myself slowing down my reading about 3/4 way through because I DIDN'T WANT IT TO END. And I was inspired to do some fan art (see image). The romance was so original and genuinely moving. Love the premise and also the twist on the usual character portrayal of Love and Death. This is definitely going on my "books I look forward to rereading many times" shelf.

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More info: Donalyn Miller's Summer Book-A-Day Challenge | Archives of my #BookADay posts. 

How I'm Finding Ways To Read More Books This Summer

One of the reasons I love Donalyn Miller's Annual Summer #BookADay Challenge is because it always forces me to reevaluate my reading habits. I love to read but sometimes I find that reading gets put on the back burner more often while other activities take priority. Sometimes these activities, especially family-related and work-related, NEED to take priority, but I find there are still ways to find more time to read. I'm sharing these here in case one or more might help others.

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#BookADay: DAUGHTER OF SMOKE & BONE by Laini Taylor

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More info: Donalyn Miller's Summer Book-A-Day Challenge | Archives of my #BookADay posts. 

#BookADay and *Giveaway*: DRAW THE LINE by Laurent Linn (Simon & Schuster, 2016)

#BookADay: DRAW THE LINE by Laurent Linn (Simon & Schuster, 2016). An amazing debut YA novel that handles difficult issues (including hate crimes, bullying) with sensitivity and authenticity. Loved the geeky humor throughout! Loved the main character's superhero comics, and that the superhero refuses to fight hatred with hatred. Loved how the friendships progress throughout the book, and how the main character develops. Just LOVED.

I have an extra copy of the book, so am having a GIVEAWAY. To enter, just post a comment at the end of this blog post or on Facebook in response to my giveaway post. I'll choose a random commenter next week. Open to anyone in Canada or the U.S.

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#BookADay: MY LIFE BEFORE ME by Norah McClintock (Orca)

Just finished MY LIFE BEFORE ME by Norah McClintock (Orca Book Publishers, 2015). Inspired by a talk at CANSCAIP by Norah and some of the other SECRETS authors, I bought the whole set of SECRETS books last year. I was intrigued by the premise and also liked the fact that each of these YA books is standalone. I was also inspired to do a bit of fan art (see attached image).

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#BookADay: I LOVE CAKE by Tammi Sauer and Angie Rozelaar

‪#‎BookADay‬: I LOVE CAKE: Starring Rabbit, Porcupine and Moose by Tammi Kippes Sauer and Angela Rozelaar (Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins). Now that I've had the privilege of meeting Tammi in person, I can see her joyous personality throughout this story, and I love Angela's adorable characters. This is such a fun story, and now I am desperately craving CAKE. :-)

More info about I LOVE CAKE on the HarperCollins website.

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More info: Donalyn Miller's Summer Book-A-Day Challenge | Archives of my #BookADay posts. 

#BookADay: BASEBALLOGY by Kevin Sylvester (Annick Press)

BASEBALLOGY and Kevin are responsible for turning me into a baseball fan (especially a Toronto Blue Jays fan). Even if you're not a fan of baseball, you will find these facts fascinating....and who knows? This book might convert you. And if you ARE a fan, you NEED TO READ THIS BOOK.

More about the book on the Annick Press website.

You can find out more about Kevin on his website and Twtter.

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More info: Donalyn Miller's Summer Book-A-Day Challenge | Archives of my #BookADay posts. 

#BookADay: OH NO, ASTRO! by Matt Roeser and Brad Woodard

#BookADay: OH NO, ASTRO by Matt Roeser and Bradley Woodard (Simon & Schuster BFYR, 2016). Just read this for the first time, laughed out loud. This would make such a great gift for budding young astronomers and scientists. Not only does it have great info but it is SO FUN to read aloud, packed with action and adventure and clever humor.

One of the best first lines ever: "Everyone knows that asteroids are a rather rambunctious group." :-D

Lovelovelove Brad Woodard's retro-looking art style.

This is Matt's first book, and I can't wait to see what he writes next!

More info about OH NO, ASTRO! on the publisher website.

p.s. A great companion middle grade book (or when your young space fan seeks MG): Kevin Sylvester's excellent MiNRs series. The second MiNRs book comes out this fall.

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More info: Donalyn Miller's Summer Book-A-Day Challenge | Archives of my #BookADay posts. 

#BookADay: THE WILD ROBOT by Peter Brown

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More info: Donalyn Miller's Summer Book-A-Day Challenge | Archives of my #BookADay posts. 

ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES by Jennifer Niven: funny, sweet and heartbreaking

I finished reading Jennifer Niven's ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES on the flight home from Chattanooga. Tears were involved. Such amazing writing, so many truths, humor and heartbreak. The characters and story still haunt me, but in a good way. Highly recommended.

Added: Ooo, and Jennifer just gave a sneak peek of her new book, HOLDING UP THE UNIVERSE.

FIFTEEN LANES by S.J. Laidlaw (Tundra Books, launching April/2016)

Just finished FIFTEEN LANES by S.J. Laidlaw (a.k.a. Susan Laidlaw), which comes out from Tundra Books/Penguin Random House on April 5th, 2016.

An intense and compelling read, FIFTEEN LANES follows the lives of two teenage girls from very different backgrounds.

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Going undercover with CLAYTON STONE, AT YOUR SERVICE by Ena Jones (Holiday House)

As you can tell from the photo, I had fun going undercover with CLAYTON STONE, AT YOUR SERVICE (Holiday House Books for Young People), a debut novel from my Curtis Brown, Ltd. agency sister, Ena Jones. Looking forward to Clayton's second adventure in CLAYTON STONE, FACING OFF, coming fall 2016.

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THE NIGHT GARDENER: gorgeously illustrated debut picture book by The Fan Brothers

Love the utterly *gorgeous* art in THE NIGHT GARDENER, a debut picture book by Eric Fan and Terry Fan (Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers). Every time I read through it, I notice something new. Beautiful details (just noticed the lovely illustrations on the cover beneath the paper jacket!), stunning illustrations, magical atmosphere throughout. Highly recommended.

Find out more about The Night Gardener on the Simon & Schuster website.

Graphic novel love: SUNNY SIDE UP by Jennifer and Matthew Holm

Not only is SUNNY SIDE UP a wonderful graphic novel for middle grade, but you can also find out tons of behind-the-scenes info about how it was made in THE YARN. I met Jenni Holm at NerdCampMI earlier this year and found her super-friendly and down-to-earth. 

Found out more about Jenni at JenniferHolm.com, about Matthew at MatthewHolm.net and SUNNY SIDE UP at Scholastic.

THE SCORPION RULES by Erin Bow (Margaret K. McElderry/Simon & Schuster)

I've been a fan of dystopian YA long before it became a trend, and confess I had been turned off the genre because of so many jumping on the bandwagon. THE SCORPION RULES by Erin Bow (Margaret K. McElderry/Simon & Schuster) however, has such original and multi-layered world-building plus I find the main antagonist (Talis) so fascinating that I can't WAIT for the next book in the series. THE SCORPION RULES is a breath of fresh air for fans of dystopian YA.

Find out more about the book on the Simon & Schuster website and on Erin Bow's website.

Reading Journal: ROLLER GIRL by Victoria Jamieson

CRUSH. CANDY. CORPSE. by Sylvia McNicholl (Lorimer)

For more info about Sylvia McNicoll, see SylviaMcNicoll.com.

MY LIFE IS A ZOO series by Jess Keating (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky)

If you're looking for funny, smart middle grade books and lots of entertaining animal facts, you need to check out Jess Keating's "My Life Is A Zoo" series. I met Jess through Torkidlit and Nerd Camp. The third book in her series, HOW TO OUTFOX YOUR FRIENDS WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE A CLUE, comes out from Sourcebooks Jabberwocky on October 6th.

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What I'm having for breakfast: LADY PANCAKE & SIR FRENCH TOAST

Yay, my copy of LADY PANCAKE & SIR FRENCH TOAST by Josh Funk and Brendan Kearney (Sterling) just arrived! Such a delicious read, plus I love the surprise fold-out ending. This would make a great readaloud, with lots of potential discussion with young readers about the fun art details, food and friendship.

If you haven't already, do read my Three Questions interview with Josh Funk.

You can also find out more about the book (plus there's a free activity kit) on Josh's book page.

SIX by M.M. Vaughan

I cannot resist a middle grade novel with unique/cool technology as a hook, so was intrigued by the basic synopsis of SIX by M. M. Vaughan (Margaret K. McElderry, 2015): Parker and his sister Emma, with the help of secret advanced technology, can communicate between themselves through their thoughts. When their father is kidnapped a few years after their mom's death, Parker and his sister are determined to find him.

Loved the mystery and action in SIX, the unexpected plots twists, and especially liked Parker's sister Emma. While Emma's deafness plays a role in their mystery-solving (she's very good at lipreading, for instance), it's not an Issue. Also loved the humor.

I'd like a SEQUEL, please!

You can find M.M. Vaughan (a.k.a. Monica Meira Vaughan) at http://www.mmvaughan.com/, on Facebook and on Twitter at @NoSleepNeeded.

Monica shared some excellent advice in Chuck Sambuchino's "7 Things I've Learned So Far" blog series, including:

No news means...absolutely nothing.

Don't send your manuscript out to every agent at once.

Use your time well while you're waiting to hear back. Read the article to find out more.

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More info: Donalyn Miller's Summer Book-A-Day Challenge | Archives of my #BookADay posts.