I am super excited to be sharing this guest post with you today. Amber runs The Mile Long Bookshelf which is one of my favourite blogs. I’ve assured her that this guest post is brilliant and I’m sure you’ll all think the same; it’s her first guest post!
I know a lot of people are firmly against books with difficult subjects, for example books that may revolve around cancer, bereavement, mental illness or abuse. But I would really like to see more of these subjects in UKYA books!
Reading them can help you to relate to people you know who might be going through similar things, and understand what might be happening to them/how they may be feeling. These are subjects that are difficult to talk about, so having them covered in books that are easy to access for young people is really important.
I have read a few articles that refer to these books as ‘sick-lit’, which is quite a horrible derogatory term in my opinion. People think that reading about these subjects encourages us to do things like self harm, when that really isn’t the case at all. If these subjects aren’t written about, how will young adults ever learn to be comfortable with them?
Some amazing UKYA books I’ve read that touch on these subjects are Anthem for Jackson Dawes by Celia Bryce, Pretty Little Thirteen by Liz Coley and….I can’t think of any others. Just goes to show that there really aren’t that many books out there that deal with these things.
What are everyone else’s thoughts on this?
Amber is the 14 year old book blogger behind The Mile Long Bookshelf. She enjoys reading, writing, drawing and basically anything creative! When she is older she wants to be a freelance journalist. She loves YA books and her favourite authors include Suzanne Collins, J.K. Rowling, Luisa Plaja and Cat Patrick.
I’m really happy to welcome Clover to the blog today. Clover runs Fluttering Butterflies, one of my favourite book blogs. Although American in origin, Clover puts a big focus on UKYA on her blog and I love reading all of her features.
This is my UKYA TBR bookshelf. Isn’t it pretty? I recently had two bookshelves put up just over my bedside table and they are almost always overflowing with books. The top bookshelf are for other review books and books I’d like to read soon, but this bottom shelf contains only books by British authors that have been sent for review or that I have bought myself. I like to separate the UKYA from the rest of my books to read so that they are given more priority. These are the books that I look at to read first and hopefully soon these books will be read and others will take their place.
Looking at this bookshelf, I’ve noticed that I’ve kept the books together by publisher! How funny is that? That isn’t intentional, but if you squint hard enough, you can probably see the six books by Random House clumped together, the four Walker books and two Electric Monkey books all sharing the same space together. How cosy!
I’m also incredibly lucky that five of these books are signed by the authors (The Screaming Staircase, The Oathbreaker’s Shadow, The Last Minute, The Savages and Diary of a Mall Girl). I’m really quite happy with my budding collection of signed books and I really urge you all to keep an eye out for events locally with British authors.
(And for those of you who are curious, the two manuscripts are Blood Family by Anne Fine and Witchfall by Victoria Lamb.)
Thank you Lucy, for having me here!
My name is Clover and I’m the blogger behind the YA book blog, Fluttering Butterflies. I spend my days looking after two beautiful boys and studying part time for a degree in Psychology. I’m an American expat, a collector of donkeys, a lover of jelly beans.
A month or two ago, I asked bloggers to send me a short paragraph about why they read UKYA, and this post is the result of those emails. Thank you to everyone who sent something!
We have something special in UKYA that sets up apart from YA anywhere else in the world: the combination of insane talent, brave authors and a small community. Our authors tackle subjects and break down boundaries that would make the Americans cringe! We’re known for our girtty realism and sharp, succinct prose and there aren’t many books like that outside of the UK.
Since becoming a book blogger, I’ve been reading a lot more UKYA than I ever even knew existed. Heck, I didn’t even know that it did exist before I became a blogger! I was so caught up with the hype of all these American books, and while American books are great, UKYA has a special place in my heart. It just feels so much more real and relatable, and no offense, but I think that overall British books are funnier too. But that might just be my sense of humour… It’s such a varied genre and maybe because I am British it strikes more of a chord with me, but I feel that even in the UK, UKYA isn’t publicised as much as American books which saddens me. More UKYA, I say! 🙂
The reason I enjoy UKYA books is because I find that I can visualise a setting better and find that I can relate more to the main character. Also if I think about some of my favourite UKYA books being set outside of the UK I just don’t think they would work (using Hollow Pike by James Dawson as an example I don’t think I could of got as lost into the creepiness of the woods and the story if it hadn’t been set in the UK)
One of the reasons that I really appreciate UKYA is because, as a UK citizen it gives me a chance to understand where the writer comes from. The humour is easily recognisable and I can easily imagine the places that the authors are talking about. In a way, it roots me to the book in a different way than the books from authors overseas and I find myself enjoying not just the characters, but also the location as well. It also allows me to enjoy certain UK mannerisms – such as mentions of a “good cup of tea” or other less popular British traditions. But I also think that UKYA authors do, somehow, have a different tone and style to their writing as well, a perhaps less “Hollywood” style – not that all other countries books have a Hollywood feel, but UKYA books just seem to be richer and more raw, if that makes sense. We’re not afraid to write about the real nitty gritty parts of life because we know that it would be unrealistic to paint over them.
I love the humour in UKYA, it’s so typically British, and never fails to bring a smile to my face. I love how the authors manage to keep their books funny without the humour feeling forced or just simply not funny. Plus, I just adore the writing style of UKYA authors, it’s so easy to read and enjoy, and I find the characters and the situations they find themselves in a lot more easier to believe. A lot of the books tackle difficult topics, and they don’t shy away from reality, and I have a lot of respect for the authors who write those books.
For me, the concept of UKYA is quite new. It wasn’t something I was aware of until it started popping up more and more on blogs that I went to. I became more interested in UKYA as it seemed to take a more serious approach to its context, really hitting home to UK Teens, which I think they all need. It’s nice that UKYA has provided this opportunity but it still so diverse. I’ve started to really focus on that at work and especially new UKYA talent such as The Poison Boys by Fletcher Moss (Who is also a Manchester teacher so very close to home for me!) It’s nice that we can really get behind these fantastic writers!
I’m pretty sure the first UKYA novel I read was Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses. I was 12, maybe 13, years old, and just picked it up off the bookshelf at Waterstones. Black and white, it just looked so adult compared to the brightly coloured children’s books of the past. And it completely blew my literary mind. Alternate universes, racism, and love were all dealt with between two covers. It was the first time I had read about real young love, violence, and sex. And looking back, I can safely say Noughts and Crosses encompasses everything I love about UKYA. The authors never talk down to you, they say what is true and they hit home on their themes. In a world filled with slick (usually American) lit, UK YA is refreshing. That’s not to say UKYA cannot be funny. Louise Rennison’s Georgia Nicholson series is another great example. It is simply side-splitting hilarious and deals with a lot of issues teenage girls have. And that’s because it is true. That’s the one thing I can rely on UKYA to be: honest. UKYA is true to its name, it never fails to really truly portray what it’s like to be a young adult.
Why do YOU read UKYA?
I received so many paragraphs that I couldn’t add everyone’s, so I’m very sorry if yours wasn’t included! All were absolutely brilliant! Thank you!
To start the blogger half of the fortnight, I’ve compiled a list of my ten favourite UKYA novels, all of which can be found on my UKYA bookshelf. Look out for my recommendations throughout the week!
Kiss, Date, Love, Hate by Luisa Plaja- I’ve chosen to include this because I’m totally in love with the idea of a computer programme that makes situations programmed into it come true. I loved every thing about this novel and so it was an obvious choice.
The Other Countess by Eve Edwards and The Girl in the Mask by Marie-Louise Jensen. Britain has such a rich history and, being the huge history nerd that I am, I love reading historical fiction. These are two of my favourite UK novels. The Other Countess because it’s set in my favourite time period, and The Girl in the Mask because I really connected with it.
Undone by Cat Clarke and Skin Deep by Laura Jarratt were two books that made me feel so emotional. Undone had me in tears, and Skin Deep had such a strong message. I loved them both!
Rockoholic by C.J. Skuse and Geek Girl by Holly Smale may be two of the funniest books I’ve ever read. One of the things I love the most about UKYA is that the humour is a lot more easier to understand to someone who lives in the country
Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman is a really good book dealing with big issues and it’s something that can really open your eyes. I loved it!
The Dark Heroine: Dinner With a Vampire by Abigail Gibbs is probably my favourite vampire novel of all time, and that’s coming from someone who doesn’t enjoy the majority on the market.
ACID by Emma Pass is only a book that I’ve read recently but it’s one of my favourite dystopian novels and has a very unique voice compared to other novels I’ve read. And it’s set in the UK. Bonus!
Today, I’m giving away a signed copy of The Girl in the Mask by Marie-Louise Jensen. I loved this book so much and can’t wait to share it with one of you, either.
Set in Georgian England, fifteen-year-old Sophia is trapped by the limitations of living in a man’s world. Forced by her father to give up everything she loves, Sophia is ordered to make a new life in Bath. By day, she is trapped in the social whirl of balls and masquerades. By night, she secretly swaps her ball gowns for breeches, and turns to highway robbery to get her revenge . . . When one man begins to take a keen interest in her, Sophia must keep her distance, or risk unmasking her secret life.
Today I’m going to be showcasing a few upcoming titles that are going to be released. All titles were not released at the time of writing this post, and all publication dates are subject to change. Publication dates have been taken from Goodreads and so MAY be wrong. If this is the case, please do contact me and I’ll change it straight away.
Hundreds of years into the future, wars, riots, resource crises and rising sea-levels have destroyed the old civilisations. Only one city has survived: Neo-Babel, a city full of cultures – and racial tension.
Fifteen-year-old Silver is an Elite, a citizen of Neo-Babel chosen to guard the city due to her superior
DNA. She’d never dream of leaving – but then she fails to prevent the assassination of Neo Babel’s president, setting off a chain of events more shocking and devastating than she could ever have imagined. Forced to flee the city with her best friend Butterfly (a boy with genetically-enhanced wings), Silver will have to fight to find her family, uncover the truth about Neo-Babel and come to terms with her complicated feelings for Butterfly.
There is a world where gods you’ve never heard of have wound themselves into hearts, and choice has led its history down a different path.
This is a world where France made a small, downtrodden island called England part of its vast and bloated empire.
There are people here who can cross a thousand miles with their minds. There are rarer people still who can move between continents in the blink of an eye.
These people are dangerous.
And wanted. Desperately wanted.
Apprentice hedgewitch Vela Rue knows that she is destined for more. She knows being whisked off from a dull country life to a city full of mystery and intrigue is meant to be. She knows she has something her government wants, a talent so rare and precious and new that they will do anything to train her in it.But she doesn’t know that she is being lied to. She doesn’t know that the man teaching her about her talent is becoming obsessed by her, and considered by some to be the most dangerous man alive …
Every so often, two people are born who are the perfect matches for each other. Soulmates. But while the odds of this happening are about as likely as being struck by lightning, when these people do meet and fall in love…thunderstorms, lightning strikes and lashings of rain are only the beginning of their problems.
Enter Poppy, the 17-year-old cynic with a serious addiction to banana milk, and Noah, the heart-throb guitarist; residents of mediocre Middletown, sometime students, and…soulmates. After a chance meeting at a local band night, Poppy and Noah find themselves swept up in a whirlwind romance unlike anything they’ve ever experienced before. But with a secret international agency preparing to separate them, a trail of destruction rumbling in their wake, (and a looming psychology coursework deadline), they are left with an impossible choice between the end of the world, or a life without love…
“My name is Harriet Manners, and I am still a geek.”
Harriet knows that modelling won’t transform you. She knows that being as uniquely odd as a polar bear isn’t necessarily a bad thing (even in a rainforest). And that the average person eats a ton of food a year, though her pregnant stepmother is doing her best to beat this.
What Harriet doesn’t know is where she’s going to fit in once the new baby arrives.
With summer plans ruined, modelling in Japan seems the perfect chance to get as far away from home as possible. But nothing can prepare Harriet for the craziness of Tokyo, her competitive model flatmates and her errant grandmother’s ‘chaperoning’. Or seeing gorgeous Nick everywhere she goes.
Because, this time, Harriet knows what a broken heart feels like.
Can geek girl find her place on the other side of the world or is Harriet lost for good?
16-year-old Sia only has 15 days to live.
A New World has been created, a place that is highly selective of its citizens and welcomes only the most extraordinary people. Its creators believe they’re putting the world to rights and moving towards a perfect future. They’ve divided society into sectors, with a metal wall surrounding each one. There’s no way in, no way out. A clock tower ticks down the days until a cyborg army penetrates the sector walls, and when they do, nothing will remain of the sector and its citizens but blood, fire and ash.Sia and her family are far too ordinary to be chosen, so they’re left in their sector to die at the hands of machines. Sia accepts her fate, knowing she can’t escape it. Then she meets Mace, a dangerous and attractive boy, who refuses to give up life without a fight…
Sworn to protect, honour and slay. Because chaos won’t banish itself…
Kit is proud to be a Blackhart, now she’s encountered her unorthodox cousins and their strange lives. And her home-schooling now includes spells, fighting enemy fae and using ancient weapons. But it’s not until she rescues a rather handsome fae prince, fighting for his life on the edge of Blackhart Manor, that her training really kicks in. With her family away on various missions, Kit must protect Prince Thorn, rely on new friends and use her own unfamiliar magic to stay ahead of Thorn’s enemies. As things go from bad to apocalyptic, fae battle fae in a war that threatens to spill into the human world. Then Kit pits herself against the Elder Gods themselves – it’s that or lose everyone she’s learnt to love.
Today I have a lovely interview with Karen Saunders to share with you all. I would consider Me, Suzy P a brilliant example of UKYA fiction and so I’m really pleased to have her here on the blog today. Thank you, Karen!
1. Hi Karen! Welcome to Queen of Contemporary. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your novel, Me, Suzy P?
Hi, Lucy! Thanks for having me on your blog, I’m *very* excited to be here.
About me: I’m totally disaster prone. I like goats and guinea pigs. My favourite place to read is in the bath (with water in, obvs). If I could only eat one food forever it would be potatoes. I have brown hair and my eyes change colour.
About Me, Suzy P: The book’s about 14 year old Suzy Puttock, who’s always embarrassing herself and doing daft things. I wrote it to be a funny book that would make people smile, I hope I’ve succeeded. Suzy’s got a crazy family who drive her nuts, but luckily she’s got great mates and a fantastic boyfriend, Danny, who she’s been with forever. Suzy’s life gets a whole load more complicated when a gorgeous new guy, Zach, starts at her school. He starts showering her with attention, and Suzy’s seriously attracted to him. So now she’s in big fat trouble and has no idea what to do…
2. When writing, do you draw on any aspects of your own life or things you have experienced?
Yes, haha! I’m completely disaster prone, just like Suzy is, so I thought it would be funny to write about someone else who constantly embarrasses themselves. I’ve had my nose broken in a tickling fight, ended up with my arm in a plaster cast after opening a window and given myself concussion falling off a sofa!
I also use funny things that have happened to my friends. The scene where Suzy goes shopping for bridesmaid dresses in the book is based on a real shopping trip I took with one of my best mates. Real life is definitely the best source of novel inspiration, I’m always bugging people to tell me their embarrassing stories!
3. Can you name five of your favourite UKYA novels?
JK Rowling, Harry Potter
Louise Rennison, Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging
Marie-Louise Jensen, The Lady in the Tower
Alison Rattle, The Quietness
HM Castor, Henry VIII
4. In your opinion, how do you think UKYA novels differ from books written by foreign authors?
I enjoy a lot of historical novels, and I think UK authors do that particularly well as our countries have such a long, rich history of characters and events to draw upon. British humour is fantastic, we do funny books really well here.
Most of the YA novels I’ve read from other countries have been American, I guess the main thing that’s different is the school setting. I’ve read so many books with jocks, and cheerleaders, and a homecoming and important football matches which I don’t have any experience of. I think UKYA is more relevant to my own life and is easier for me to relate to.
5. Is there anything you’d like to see more of in UKYA fiction?
I’d like to see more contemporary stuff being picked up and enjoyed – it feels like the paranormal has dominated for a very long time! I’d also like to see UKYA authors continuing to get support from readers, bookshops and libraries. Considering how small the UK is, we have so much talent here.
6. If you could bring one of your characters to life, who would you choose and why?
Suzy’s best friend Millie, because she’s loads of fun, she’d dye my hair for me and she’s always got sweets with her. Win!
7. What’s next for you?
I’ve just finished writing the sequel to Me, Suzy P, which is planned for release in January 2014, and I’m shortly about to begin work on the third Suzy novel. I’m busily brewing ideas as we speak, so if anyone’s got any embarrassing stories they want to share…
Quick Fire Round
Favourite place to write? On the PC at my desk in my study. Favourite TV show? Just one?! I can’t. I can never pick one thing, I’ll warn you now. Friends. Grey’s Anatomy. Homeland. Modern Family. Scrubs. Favourite comfort food? Potatoes, with more potatoes on the side. Or a bag of Minstrels. Favourite non-UKYA novel? I loved The Hunger Games and The Princess Diaries. I’ve read Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin zillions of times. I also adored Judy Blume’s books when I was a teenager.
Thanks so much for inviting me onto your blog! If you’d like to find out more, do come visit me
online, at www.karensaunders.co.uk, ‘like’ me on Facebook at www.facebook/karensaunderswriter , or follow me on Twitter: @writingkaren. There are also tweets from Suzy Puttock @suzyputtock, so do follow her too. Look forward to seeing you around!
I have one of my favourite UKYA authors on the blog today with a fabbity fab interview: Holly Smale. Geek Girl is such a great representation of UKYA fiction and so I’m hoping that, if you haven’t already, you’ll all go out and buy copies of Geek Girl after reading this post.
1. Hi Holly! Welcome to Queen of Contemporary. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your novel, Geek Girl?
I’m Holly Smale: writer, dreamer and pat-ter of other people’s kittens. GEEK GIRL was my debut novel, and featured my eponymous fifteen year old geek, Harriet Manners. She’s clumsy, socially challenged and extremely unpopular. When she’s unexpectedly spotted by a model agency on a school trip, she decides it’s her chance to transform herself and maybe make life a little easier while she’s at it. She doesn’t get quite the journey she’s expecting, because in real life we rarely do.
Can you name your five favourite UKYA novels?
The Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4 – Sue Townsend
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon
Lord of the Flies – William Golding
Infinite Sky – CJ Flood
Noughts and Crosses – Malorie Blackman
How do you think your main character, Harriet, represents the British youth of today?
I think young people today feel quite a lot of pressure to be the best at everything: the prettiest, the smartest, the funniest, the most popular, the bravest, the coolest, the cutest dressed. To some extent it’s always been like that, but for the last few years we’ve been surrounded by a plethora of uber-alpha heroes and heroines in fiction, film and media and I really wanted to move away from that with GEEK GIRL. I wanted to write a teenager I recognised, who was flawed and self-critical and massively imperfect and sometimes very irritating, and who struggled with that on a daily basis. I wanted to show young people that you don’t have to be the best to be worth something, and I guess I did that with Harriet.
I also wanted to write comedy, because… Well, we’re super funny in Britain, right? And I honestly think that people should laugh as much and as often as physically possible. It gives life light.
In your opinion, how do you think UKYA novels differ from novels written by foreign authors?
It’s hard to generalise as every book and author is different, but – using VERY broad strokes – Brits in general tend to have a very dry and self-effacing sense of humour: if you look at any of our big comedies and compare them to their foreign equivalents or remakes, we do tend to attack ourselves a lot more. The laughs generally come from pointing out the flaws and weaknesses in ourselves and encouraging other people to poke fun at us. Because we are so hard on ourselves, I think that often comes across in the characters we create and in the way we write our books. I personally love it: I think it makes the UKYA voice unique, even when it varies massively from author to author.
Why do you think it’s important to support the UKYA community and can you give a few tips on how people can help?
UKYA has produced some of the best ever books in the English language canon. The Lord of the Rings, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Lord of the Flies, Harry Potter… I could keep going. We have a unique literary history, and we should be proud of that. I think it’s also important to remember that although there are a handful of “Literary Rockstars” in YA (John Green, Stephanie Meyer, JK Rowling to name a few) there are great debuts from unknowns coming out all the time, so people should venture outside of their normal genres or favourites. You never know what you could end up connecting with, or what could have an unexpected impact.
If you could bring one of your characters to life for the day, who would you choose and why?
This feels like Sophie’s Choice: what happens to the characters I don’t choose? Where do they go? I’m not sure I can pick a favourite without hurting the others!
I love them all to pieces, but I’d probably choose Annabel. She’s so warm and strong and kind, and every chapter I write with her in it is so comforting: I can sort of hand it over to her and let her take control for me. I love her sense of humour too. Of the whole book, it’s probably the closest to mine in real life.
I’d also like to meet a (much) older version of Nick, but who on earth wouldn’t?!
What’s next for you?
I’m tying up Geek Girl: Model Misfit right now, (otherwise known as GG2), and then I’ll be starting on the plan and research for GG3. I “have” to travel abroad for it, which means: I have itchy feet so I’m going to whether or not it’s actually strictly necessary.
Quick Fire Round
Favourite place to write?A room with any kind of view and lots of cheese.
Favourite non-UKYA book?To Kill a Mockingbird. Favourite TV show?Peep Show. Favourite comfort food? Cheese. On anything, under anything. Or just cheese. I love cheese.
Holly fell in love with writing at five years old, when she realised that books didn’t grow on trees like apples. She completed her first rhyming couplet poem – “The Unicorn” – at the age of seven, and still brings it out at dinner parties. A passion for travel, adventure and wearing no shoes has since led her all over the world: she has visited 21 countries, spent two years working as an English teacher in Japan, volunteered in Nepal, been bartered for in Jamaica and had a number of ear-plugs stolen in Australia, Indonesia and India. As a teenager, she also did a little modelling in the hope that eventually she would be sent somewhere exciting. She wasn’t. Holly has a BA in English Literature, an MA in Shakespeare, and currently lives in London with a very chatty but totally imaginary cat.
