Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler

So I finished my first non-YA book. Somehow, when I picked up Fledgling, I didn't expect a vampire novel. I'm not sure why it surprised me, after all Butler's done aliens and time travel so vampires fit right in.

Generally there are two camps with vampire books. 1: vampires are evil festering undead and the stuff of nightmares. 2: vampires are sparkly and sexy. In either case, what makes a vampire a vampire is something mystical or magical. Fledgling took a different approach. Butler's vampires are explained as a separate and symbiotic species to humans. There is a sexual component to them but they are far more alien than human, so they end up somewhere between the two camps.

The book opens when Shori wakes up in a cave in incredible pain and without any memory of who or what she is. At first she simply tries to heal and survive. Soon though she begins looking for people and crosses paths with Wright and binds him to her without really meaning to. It soon becomes apparent what she is, and despite looking about 11, she's actually 53 years old.

The rest of the book is a slow discovery of what Shori is and what has happened to her. In many ways, aside from the whole vampire thing, this is just a really well written mystery.

I have to admit that I found the sexual aspects somewhat off putting. It reminded me very much of my experience of the Xenogenesis trilogy. I don't tend to think of myself as being a prude, but there is something kind of creepy about a being who looks to be a bout 10 years old having intimate relations with adult humans even if she is, in fact, over twice the age of the humans in question. I got used to it quickly and Butler did a good job of creating an alternate sense of normal, but still. . . disturbing.

Excellent book, but obviously it's not one I can recommend to my students as a general rule. Everyone else should read it though.

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

I don't usually pick up romances. I have nothing against them except that I often find them rather boring. It is probably a deficiency in me. I have a student, Bella, who likes them though, and she told me to read Everything, Everything.

Everything, Everything is a book about Madeline Whittier, a girl whose lived in the same white room breathing filtered air her whole life. She never leaves because she was diagnosed with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) when she was a baby. She takes classes online and reads. If you think about narrative as a move from order (the status quo) to disorder (conflict), Madeline's life is very ordered.

Enter Olly. Olly is the mysterious boy literally next door. If Madeline's life is controlled and contained, Olly's is chaotic. He practices parkour and scales walls, sits on roofs and lives in the room with a window facing Madeline's. But this is the relationship that cannot be. They can never touch, even being in the same room with each other involves a decontamination process.

So being teenagers, they of course take the prudent course... yeah right. But I will say that Yoon gets mad props for most interesting use of a bundt cake in a narrative.

So, clearly Yoon has seen John Travolta in The Boy in a Plastic Bubble. While the premise is similar, the execution takes a hard shift about two thirds of the way through that I wasn't expecting. Overall, this was a good quick read. It features short chapters intermixed with illustration and graphic elements. The narrative is in the first person, from Madeline's point of view.

A pleasent way to spend an evening all told.

The List as a Beginning

This is a list of the pile of the books that surrounds me while I type and gives me anxiety attacks. So I pulled it apart and organized it.

In general, I'm trying to get away from these massive lists at the beginning of each month. However, in this case, I think it illustrates the challenge I face with the reading. Notice that there are 71 books on my YA list but only a handful -less than 10- on the other two lists. There's a couple of reasons for this. First, I'm doing a lot of buying for my classroom library and I choose those titles based on a couple of guidelines, but primarily because they look good or because someone has asked for them. Obviously, I therefore want to read them.

The other thing going on here is that there are several books on the YA list that I'm not sure are really YA. I've placed them there because the publisher either calls them YA or because they are published under an imprint that caters to teens. I think though that because YA can be such a lucrative area of publishing, the publishers are pushing the definition somewhat and putting things in there that might otherwise appeal to a fully adult audience.

Now, I do have plenty of non-YA on other stacks, but it is heavily weighted towards fantasy and science fiction. I'll find things to read, never fear. I just find it perturbing the absolute glut of YA I am swimming through.

Adult & Mainstream Fiction

1. The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
2. Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler
3.  Wizards: Magical Tales From the Masters of Modern Fantasy edited by Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois 
4. The Coyote Road: Trickster Tales edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling
5.  Fantasy Stories Edited by Diana Wynne Jones
6.  Rags & Bones: New Twists on Timeless Tales edited by Melissa Marr & Tim Pratt

Nonfiction & Professional Reading

1. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote 
2. "Reading Don't Fix No Chevys" by Michael Smith & Jeffry Wilhelm (Professional Library)
3. "You Gotta Be the Book" by Jeffrey D. Wilhelm (Professional Library)

YA shelf of DOOM!

1. Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
2. Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson
3. Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson
4. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
5. Stand Tall by Joan Bauer 
6. Tithe by Holly Black
7. Valiant by Holly Black
8. Ironside by Holly Black 
9. Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci
10. Roses & Bones by Francesca Lia Block
11. Story Time by Edward Bloor
12. Bad Unicorn by Platte F. Clark (Sasha)
13. Fade by Robert Cormier
14. The Secret Country by Pamela Dean
15. The Hidden Land by Pamela Dean
16.  The Riddle of the Wren by Charles De Lint
17. Little (Grrl) Lost by Charles De Lint 
18. Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano
19. Wither by Lauren DeStefano
20. Fever by Lauren DeStefano
21. Runner Carl Deuker
22. Gym Candy by Carl Deuker (Library) 
23. The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
24. Girls Like Us by Gail Giles
25. Twerp by Mark Goldblatt
26. Paper Towns by John Green (Library)
27. 172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad (Library)
28. The Returning by Christine Hinwood 
29. Green Angel by Alice Hoffman (published in collection as Green Heart)
30. Green Witch by Alice Hoffman (published in collection as Green Heart)
31. The Summer Prince by Alay Dawn Johnson
32. Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link
33. The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore (Student Waiting)
34. The Fall of Five by Pittacus Lore (Student Waiting)
35. The Revenge of Seven by Pittacus Lore (Student Waiting)
36. The Fate of Ten by Pittacus Lore (Student Waiting)
37. United as One by Pittacus Lore (Student Waiting)
38. Legend by Marie Lu
39. Sold by Patricia McCormick (Jessica)
40. The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann
41. A Step From Heaven by An Na 
42. Bound by Donna Jo Napoli
43. Sirena by Donna Jo Napoli
44. I'll Give you the Sun by Jandy Nelson (Library)
45. Shade's Children by Garth Nix
46. The Vault of Dreamers by Caragh M. O'Brien
47. Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce (Jessica)
48. Tricksters Queen by Tamora Pierce (Jessica)
49. Boy 21 by Matthew Quick
50. Black City by Elizabeth Richards 
51. Story Thieves by James Riley
52. There is No Dog by Meg Rosoff
53. Downsiders by Neal Shusterman
54. Everlost by Neal Shusterman
55. EverWild by Neal Shusterman
56. Full Tilt by Neal Shusterman 
57. UnWholly by Neal Shusterman
58. Elephant Run by Roland Smith
59. Tentacles by Roland Smith
60. Zach's Lie by Roland Smith
61. Fly Girl by Sherri L. Smith
62. Lament by Maggie Stiefvater
63. Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater
64. The Swan Maiden by Heather Tomlinson
65. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke
66. The Final Four by Paul Volponi
67. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
68. Peeps by Scott Westerfeld
69. So Yesterday by Scott Westerfeld
70. Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson (poetry)
71. Every Thing, Every Thing by Nicola Yoon (Bella)

Resolutions 2018

Last year's resolutions was a classic example of my tendency to over engineer. I walked into it knowing that it was all probably too much, but really it was a beautiful arrangement of category and subcategory. I find that kind of organization very appealing, but it's difficult to follow through on something like that. So, this year is hopefully going to be a simplification:

1. Reading Goal: 150 total books, 50 of which need to not be YA. I'm still trying to read 100 YA books a year, but let's face it that's just going to happen. The bigger issue is getting in the other stuff. So, I'm going to read the YA, but my focus is going to be getting in the nonfiction, professional reading, and non-YA fiction.

2. Apply to Grad School. 'Nuff said. I got my certification renewed which was the project for 2017, so it's time to work on the grad school thing.

3. Eliminate Kitchen Waste By Spoilage. Sources vary somewhat, but the average American family wastes about $1,500 of food a year. (The estimates range from about $1300 - $2100) While I suspect that my family is probably a bit under the average for food waste, I know that we do waste food and it's mainly through bad planning and laziness. So for a year, my focus is going to be on cleaning up those habits. No ordering takeout when there's food at home that needs cooking and no ignoring leftovers because I don't feel like eating it. As a sub issue, it's probably past time that I set up my composter. We are a veggie heavy family and those trimmings could be put to better use.

4. Writing. This is the one area where I'm going to let myself get a little complicated because it is important to me.:

• The Blog - 1 post every day and every book I read gets a post. I got pretty sloppy with it last year and I'd like to avoid a repeat.
• School Blog - Launch and maintain the school focused version of the blog.
• Daily Writing Habit - Write every day and begin working on creative writing projects. I'm not sure how to organize this yet, but I am stating it as a goal.

It's still a lot to work on, but it's less rigid. Wish me luck.

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

I have to admit, I've been lusting after this book since I saw the cover art a year ago. Books shouldn't be about good cover design but sometimes the right cover art does half the work of promoting. What can I say, sometimes I can be a little shallow. My usual modus operandi is to wait for a used copy to come along, but when it won a Printz Award Honor, I knew my wait was going to be a long one. Eventually, I caved and bought a new copy when I saw it on sale.

To be clear, I'm a fan of people buying new books. Really, I am. That's how authors make their livings, however new books are often priced in such a way that it simply isn't feasible to buy my reading load new, which is a shame. Assume that I read 120 books. If each book costs a minimum of $10 on average new (most are much more), than I'm looking at a minimum of $1,200 a year. That's a lot of money. Now granted, I'm in the top few percentiles for books read in a year, but it still makes me wonder at the cost of the books themselves especially in the case of digital media which is not resalable. I wonder if the cost of new books were less, would people read (or at least buy) more of them? It's not a question I have an answer for, but I do think digital copies should cost less than they do.

Anyway, I digress.

Scythe is about a far future where humanity has solved most of it's social ills. No poverty or starvation. There is no war because there are no national governments and everything is controlled and maintained by an AI. There is very little crime and no sickness or, in fact, naturally caused death. The biggest problem humanity has is stagnation, and they are stagnating.

This world still has problems, of course. In order to stem the explosion of population and fight against some of the stagnation, there are a group of people called scythes who deal out death to the otherwise immortal. While they are terrifying figures, they are also highly regarded. In some ways it feels reminiscent of the medieval orders of knights. All high ideals and susceptible to corruption.

Two youths, Citra and Rowan, are chosen to be apprentice Scythes and quickly get wrapped up in events bigger than themselves.

This was a quick read appropriate for High School. There are a lot of philosophical ideas hidden in here about the nature of mortality and its influence on human creativity. Also, big themes on the nature of power to corrupt.

Books for the Break

So, since these breaks are some of my most solid times for reading, let's do a list. ( I love lists) Specifically, I have a lot of other people's books at the moment and I really should get them back. I also have gotten in the way of several of my students by accidentally holding books hostage.

1. Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler (Dad)
2. Bad Unicorn by Platte F. Clark (Sasha)
3. Gym Candy by Carl Deuker (Library)
4. Paper Towns by John Green (Library)
5. The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore (Student Waiting)
6. The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore (Student Waiting)
7. The Fall of Five by Pittacus Lore (Student Waiting)
8. The Revenge of Seven by Pittacus Lore (Student Waiting)
9. The Fate of Ten by Pittacus Lore (Student Waiting)
10. United as One by Pittacus Lore (Student Waiting)
11. Sold by Patricia McCormick (Jessica)
12. I'll Give you the Sun by Jandy Nelson (Library)
13. Protector of the Small: First Test by Tamora Pierce (Jessica)
14. Protector of the Small: Page by Tamora Pierce  (Jessica)
15. Protector of the Small: Squire by Tamora Pierce (Jessica)
16. Protector of the Small: Lady Knight by Tamora Pierce (Jessica)
17. Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce (Jessica)
18. Tricksters Queen by Tamora Pierce (Jessica)
19. "Reading Don't Fix No Chevys" by Michael Smith & Jeffry Wilhelm (Professional Library)
20.  "You Gotta Be the Book" by Jeffrey D. Wilhelm (Professional Library)
21. Every Thing, Every Thing by Nicola Yoon (Bella)

These are the books that I really should get through for one reason or another, but even if I read a book a day, I'll still be working on them into January.

A Reflection

As we close into the end of the year, I can  safely say that I failed every single one of my 2017 goals save one. I did read over 100 YA novels. (yay me!) Overall though, I will probably finish up somewhere around 123 books (give or take a couple), almost all of them YA, only one nonfiction and about five or so books of poetry....specifically novels in verse. Sometime around August the blog started to seriously lapse, and I had a hard time starting back up, though I did try several times. Any other sort of writing went right off the table almost from the word go. So yeah, that adds up to a hard fail on stated goals.

In the past, when something like this has happened I've restarted the blog and wiped the slate clean. I have been seriously considering doing that again, but in the end I think I will hold on to the tainted past and forge ahead. We are, after all, ultimately defined by our pasts and I don't want to be the kind of person who shies away from looking at where I've been.

So here I am.

Some years, I think, we change more than in others. We do more growing and more reflecting. I feel like this has been one of those years for me. (Which is probably why I failed so many of my stated goals lol) I've really grown into the sense of myself as a mother even though there are still times I find it overwhelming and alien. I've also really started to feel like a teacher in the core of my being. The transition to department head has been a bit fraught more in the sense of identity than anything else. It was rather alarming to discover how little it actually felt like a change. It's like I grew up sometime when I wasn't looking and had to get to know the adult me.

I think my mother would say I was always the adult me, even when I was a kid.

So, looking forward. I'm in the process of formulating goals for 2018. My priorities have shifted, no doubt, but I suspect they will still have many similarities to previous years. I believe I am going to create an offshoot of this blog that is mostly crosspostings of the book reviews/reflections that I can post directly to my classroom pages for the use of my students.  I don't know how that will evolve, but I don't intend to post anything there that hasn't been posted here.

Thus ends "The State of the Lydia" for 2017