Breaking Up Reading Week: Boys.Girls.Love. Oh My!

Last but not least, we have the awesome Kari from A Good Addiction (who is also my last critique partner :P) and she's here to talk about........

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Harmony was crazy, err... kind... enough to let me take over her blog today. As if that wasn't weird enough, she's letting me talk about romance and relationships in YA. I considered doing a soapbox but... I'm trying to behave. So, maybe YA relationships are flawed. Maybe real boys can't live up to YA boys. But frankly, I don't read to find a boyfriend. I read because it's fun. So on the idea of couples... I am here to bring you my top ten YA couples. And why they are hot. Or perfect for each other. Or whatever other criteria I deem awesome enough for them to make my list. Keep in mind, this is based off books I've read so if you want to bash my head in for not adding someone, maybe I haven't read that book yet. Also... I am limiting myself to actual couples, not I think this person should actually be with this person (sorry, not touching the Team Edward/Jacob OR Peeta/Gale debates).


1.Caleb and Kate (Caleb + Kate by Cindy Martinusin-Coloma): I admit, the Romeo and Juliet aspect of this book did help with the appeal but most notable is how simple this pair is together. Yes, the hormones and attraction are there but they don't jump in bed at first sight. It's tough, and they face plenty of obstacles, but they ignore what their parents' say.

2.Doug and Zoey (Forget You by Jennifer Echols): This is a pair that just melds together. They need each other. They are a good match. The main problems in their way are their own. Not to mention, there might be some steam and spice any time they are next to each other.

3.Meredith and Andy (Such A Pretty Girl by Laura Wiess): This one is hard to explain but given their histories and the way their lives are intertwined... it is almost a heartbreaking relationship. There are feelings there but it's coming from a different direction. But at its core, these two need each other.

4.Michael and Regina (Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers): They shouldn't even be friends. The circumstances that push them together stink. But something comes out of it is that is fantastic and more than superficial looks. Something builds between these two. They are a real couple that has their battles, that struggles, and that has to learn to open up to the other one.

5.Alex and Brittany (Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles): The spark and fire between these two stands out the most. There is a chemistry there that drives them but underneath the hormones and lust is a strong bond. They're meant to be together. They fill in the gaps for the other. And they just might make pretty babies one day.

6.Lend and Evie (Paranormalcy by Kiersten White): There is an attraction between these two but what I like the most about this relationship is how simple and grounded it is. They don't jump right into 'I love you,' they don't think sex means love... they don't even think kisses mean nothing. They are awkward. They are unsure. They shift between being relaxed teenagers to stumbling over words and blushing. Maybe they're not "normal" but they're still teenagers. And still great together.

7.Jesse and Sam (The Girl Next Door by Selena Castrovilla): These two are facing things no one, regardless of age, should have to. Chances are, Jesse is not going to live. But Sam loves him. She has for a long time. They push the envelope with their relationship- at least for anyone that isn't in this situation. But what do you do when you're 17 and dying? This is a couple potentially bound for heartbreak but trying to ignore it. Trying to still live and experience budding romance. This is one of the most memorable couples I've read.

8.Ethan and Lena (Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl): Ethan is quiet. Keeps mostly to himself. Maybe even has a few issues of his own. But he isn't the kind to go with the crowd, particularly when Lena shows up. The start of their relationship is volatile but it smooths into something good. Something that fits them. I can't imagine them with anyone else because they work together. When one is weak, the other is strong- at least on the outside. They are facing some huge things but figure out early on with that easy clarity teens have that if they just try it together, they'll maybe make it through.

9.Cameron and Savannah (Delinquents by Suzanne Young): I know basically all of you haven't read this one yet. I know it doesn't come out until fall 2011 or later. But I've read a draft and this couple is something. Yes, Cameron is hot. Yes, he's rich. Yes, he is mysterious. But he's kind and sweet and a genuinely good guy. He isn't interested in Savannah to get her in bed or to string her along and embarass her. And Savannah... she doesn't spend time with him just for kicks. They have something undeniable, even in the face of everything else. They are dealing with their own things, trying to figure out each other, and trying to figure out themselves. And they are absolutely perfect for each other.

10.Adam and Mia (If I Stay by Gayle Forman): What better way to test a teenage love than put one of them in a coma? Will Mia stay or pass on is the central question of this book. And sitting there, hoping she does stay, is Adam. Maybe they had some rough parts in their relationship. Maybe things weren't going completely like they should. But maybe love really is the most important thing. And maybe Adam won't be the same if he loses her. This relationship is one of the most raw ones I've read and absolutely realistic and gripping.

(I butt in for a moment: How are Sam and Grace from Shiver not on this list? *tsk tsk*)

Those are my top couples, for various reasons... thanks, Harmony, for letting me take over for awhile. And thank you to her readers for actually reading!

-Kari

Love is a temple, Love is the higher law: 'Breaking Up Reading Week'

The lovely Julie from Blogger Hearts Books (also a critique partner, fellow blogger, and awesome friend!) is here as part of
Breaking Up Reading Week
to talk about.....


A cliché is a trite or overused expression or idea. Clichés are in every book we read, but sometimes we don’t mind them. It all comes down to two factors.

A cliché is a cliché for a reason, we all know that. At one point it was an original idea and became popular and everyone loved seeing it. But today we see it and go “…Really? Really, AGAIN?” Other times, we don’t even notice it.

We could look at Twilight for example. It’s not an original idea, yet Stephenie did take a unique twist with it. I mean, who had ever seen a sparkling vampire? Now any vampire book is considered over done and worn out. But this process didn’t happen overnight. Several vampire books came out around the same time and also became extremely popular. But the vampire books I’ve read since Twilight, I don’t consider cliché because they were all well written and had very different plots (Vampire Academy, Blue Bloods, etc.). Not everyone feels the same way.

Then there’s the whole romance aspect. The supernatural creature that can’t be with their human lover but they do it anyway. It’s a plot some people complain about. It’s a cliché. Yet, there have been a couple books recently where I look at them and think “This is Twilight if Twilight had been written better.” And we come back to the execution completely changing my thoughts on a cliché. But not everyone feels the same way I do about them.

Yet other times, it doesn’t work. Another book I read recently had the book as a manwhore and the girl who just moved and they have an instant attraction but she doesn’t want to date a player and the mean girls convince her to play him. It worked in John Tucker Must Die. But the characters and writing just annoyed me to the point where I couldn’t even finish the book. Yet others loved this book.

A cliché is a cliché for a reason, yes. But whether it’s a good cliché or not depends on both the execution and the reader of the book.

-Julie *hides*

'Breaking Up Reading Week' Things that go bump in the night

Today, we have the lovely, the wonderful, the insanely sweet Melina from Reading Vacation! She's here to talk to you guys about......

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Creatures have always been a part of my reading experience. I would even go so far as to say that they may actually be following me.
I can remember my parents reading fairy tales to me when I was younger. Magical stories of fairies, dragons, mermaids, giants, and unicorns. I would try to picture myself in the imaginary world of the good creatures. It was like a beautiful dream. But then, I would picture myself in the mysterious world of the eerie creatures. I usually ended up having a nightmare involving some sort of monster chasing me.
When I started to read books on my own, the creatures were still all around me. I discovered a world of happy fairies and sprites in the Rainbow Magic chapter books. As my taste evolved, I was drawn to the Harry Potter series because it brought a slew of frightening creatures to life. The stories were suspenseful and I lived for all those dreadful monsters.
No longer afraid, I now find myself seeking out stories with all sorts of creatures. Best of all, these creatures have many different interactions with humans and each other. For instance….

The Lightning Thief pits mythical creatures against the demigods.

The fey in The Iron King series seem almost mortal in their feelings.

Monster High centers on the children of monsters living in fear of their “normie” classmates.

Friendly mermaids live under the sea in Forgive my Fins.

In Spell Hunter, the fairies have lost their magic and they turn to a human for help.

I now welcome the mysterious creatures who are following me. They add the spice that makes a ho-hum story fascinating. And if I do end up a little scared, that’s okay too because I have a night light….just in case.

Thanks for having me and Happy Reading!
-Melina

Something you just can't read without: Breaking Up Reading Week '

Next up we have the lovely Bianca Nadine from Nyxen's Adventures (who is also my critique partner) and shall be talking about........

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Plots.

We love the good ones, hate the bad ones, and sometimes –if you’re like me –you hate the good ones because they just keep you wanting more. (but in a good way). There are simple plots but then there are those abstract plots that keep you on your feet throughout the whole thing, whether it be reading a book or watching a movie. If there's one thing a good book HAS to have, it's a good plot. Plots are one of the reasons why I read novels. Plots are there, along with characters, to keep the story moving from one point to the other. Without plots nothing would happen! No one wants to read about that when that probably happens in your everyday life. I know that’s my life. So, that’s why I read novels with amazing plots. I love the complexity of some plots, the ones that get me thinking even after I have finished the novel and the ones that actually make me think. It’s good to get away from reality and succumb to something other than my life.

In a plot you always have the rising action, climax, and falling action. Successful plot needs to have all of those, plus amazing creativity. You read a novel from beginning to end to see what will happen to the characters. Without the rising action you wouldn’t have a climax. Without the climax you wouldn’t have a falling action and without a falling action you would most likely be screaming at an inanimate object, furious that the author left off at a horrible place (sort of like a cliff hanger but worse.) Even the simplest of plots have those elements. And as I said before, plots the key element to making a story successful along with well rounded, believable characters. Everything is just how it’s written. Authors will go to extreme lengths to write you a novel with amazing characters and an astonishing, bone-chilling plot. And good thing they do, because I love to read them!

That’s all I have to say. Thank you Harmony for having me on your blog!
Happy Reading!
-Bianca (Nyxen)

'Breaking Up Reading Week' But it GLITTERS...

Hey guys, it's Harmony! As I said in my In My Mailbox post, i'm out on vacation! I'll be back in a few days, so have no fear! Don't think you'll be without entertainment though, because you won't! Promise! I have a series of guest posts set up Monday-Thursday, with a finale of moi! I promised that every last week of a month, i'd do something special! So this month is:

BREAKING UP READING WEEK

This week, we're gonna break Reading for everything it is! Covers, plots, characters, cliches, and more! I have some fantastic bloggers all lined up for this week so may I introduce the first, Madeleine Rex! Maddy is awesome and one of my betas! And she's talking about........

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(For those of you who thought I was going to talk about vampires, you're probably going to be disappointed.)

“Don’t judge a book by its cover.”

Though this little nugget of wisdom might have been affective a century ago, when book covers were primarily cloth and had little design, it’s a piece of advice that is more smirked at now than followed.

Publishers spend hours of time and many other resources to create covers that are alluring. In some cases that means misleading covers that readers find have nothing to do with the book at all. Why? Because we’re easily sold by pretty colors/people/glitter/fancy fonts. The appeal of anything pretty or mystifying, anything that begs the question Why?, or simply snags our attention while we’re glancing over bookshelves will, most likely, encourage us to pick the book up.

One of the reasons I assume publishers are dedicating more time, energy, and man-power to cover design is the absolutely astounding and overwhelming amount of books out there. We don’t have time to pick up every single one and read the first chapter, or even the synopsis. We’re busy people who are struggling to find time to read at all.

Book covers hugely affect our book buying and reading. Their purpose isn’t to protect the book from coffee stains, it’s to draw our attention, grab us, and entice us to pick the book up and read. The higher number of times a book is picked up, the more likely it is to be bought and read.

Many of the blogs I’m subscribed to have cover-related posts. Every week, they compare newly released book covers or covers that have caught their eye recently. Covers are distracting. The font on them is probably the biggest in the book. The picture the only picture. The color the only color. We say we’re done with picture books, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t susceptible to magic of pretty pictures.

On the other hand, book covers also enhance the reading experience. They can be misleading, but they can also serve as “warnings.” With covers that are done well and do say something about the actual story, we can tell that a book is for us. It’s our color of sparkle. Covers can speak to us on a subconscious level, remind us of things we’ve done or seen, or things we’d like to do. They can speak wonders for a book, or they can be a visual poem. They’re an art form. Images resonate with people. The smoking, blown-out candle on the cover of Looking for Alaska directly serves the book, acting as a beautiful metaphor. You can look at the cover, wonder, and yet never know that a significant facet of the story is staring back at you.

Glitter sparkles, catches our eye, and pulls us in. The synopsis determines whether or not we sign the contract, but the publisher already has us holding the pen.

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Madeleine Rex
http://madeleinerex.com/