I Survived Summer School

I hate to be such a drama queen, but I did, in fact, survive summer school. Good to hear, right?

Although the reading and writing seemed tortuous at times, I actually enjoyed my classes and especially enjoyed the company. I'm on a break now until Aug. 30, but a break from school is not a break from work.

In the fall, I have an amazing opportunity waiting for me. I will be the graduate assistant to Dr. Lynne Alvine who teaches a Literature for Adolescents course. My assignment will be to read YA literature and discuss it with the students in the class among other duties assisting Dr. Alvine. I've already started reading the books on the list.

The first was Chris Lynch's Inexcusable in which a teenage girl makes an allegation against a teenage boy. Unlike so many YA books on the shelves, this story is told through the perspective of the boy. His view of the world could be considered naive and/or twisted. I won't divulge the surprises, but I would recommend the book. I think it will make for some great class discussion this fall.

Now, I'm rereading Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak. It's been years since I read it the first time. The voice is surprisingly funny, especially the way Melinda names the people around her. The voice is so candid and surprisingly aware. This book is one of the top recommendations in YA literature. If you haven't read it, you really should.

Other than reading ahead for the Literature for Adolescents course, I am back to revising my manuscript, THESE WALLS CAN TALK. I've been hoping to submit it to agents since July, but it's not ready. I want to send them my best work, so I've found a way to be patient. Hopefully, I will have it ready soon.

Hope everyone's enjoying the last days of summer...

War, pirates, reincarnation, and dogs make for a great read

The past few days have been busy with boring duties like laundry, cleaning, and grocery shopping, so I haven't been able to do what I want to do most: sit down and read A.S. King's The Dust of 100 Dogs.

The author, Amy Sarig King, is a fellow Pennsylvania resident who spent some time close to my second home (Scotland). For years, King wrote and taught literacy in Ireland. This debut novel of hers is marketed as young adult fiction, which I'm an avid reader of since I write in the genre, but I have to say it will appeal to a much wider audience.

The book tells the story of Emer Morrisey, a brave and innovative Irish girl who watches her family destroyed at the hands of Cromwell's army. She's taken in by a brutish uncle who ultimately sells her to be the wife of an old, unattractive French man, tearing Emer away from her true love.

But Emer's too strong to let someone else control her life.

While we're learning about Emer's challenges and successes in the 17th century, we're also learning about her life in the 21st century. The jacket copy does a great job of explaining why that is:

In the late seventeenth century, famed teenage pirate Emer Morrisey was on the cusp of escaping the pirate life with her one true love and unfathomable riches when she was slain and cursed with the dust of one hundred dogs, dooming her to one hundred lives as a dog before returning to a human body - with her memories intact.

Now, she's a contemporary American teenager, and all she needs is a shovel and a ride to Jamaica.

I wish I had a few hours to sit alone with King's incredibly-woven, rich story of the past, the present, and the intricate workings of canine minds. Until then, I'll be enjoying the book bit by bit when I have a few moments, and I would strongly encourage you to do the same.