Maw Books

Maw Books – book reviews, book recommendations, book lists, author interviews and more!

This week is Book Blogger Appreciation Week (BBAW)!

Book Blogger Appreciation was started by Amy Riley of My Friend Amy in an effort to recognize the hard work and contribution of book bloggers to the promotion and preservation of a literate culture actively engaged in discussing books, authors, and a lifestyle of reading.  The first Book Blogger Appreciation was observed in the fall of 2008 and occurs every September. The week spotlights and celebrates the work of active book bloggers through guest posts, awards, giveaways, and community activities.

Today, participating book bloggers are swapping interviews with each other.  It’s not only a great way to introduce readers to new book blogs, but to also learn more about each other.  So I’d like to introduce you to Melissa who blogs at YA Book Shelf who describes her blog as:

Whether you have a craving for werewolves, vampires or other Gothic tales or something realistic, the magic of a fairy tale or a contemporary glimpse into a teen’s life, YABookShelf will help you find that the books that generate a lot of buzz, some favorites that we can’t forget from our own YA years, and everything in between. From time to time, we also will bring you contests, interviews with both up and coming and established YA authors and news about what’s going in teen literature now.

Give a welcome to Melissa!

Maw Books:  You have not been blogging for that long.  What made you decide to start your book blog and what made you decide to focus on mainly Young Adult literature?

Melissa at YA Bookshelf: You mentioned blaming your sister for getting you to begin your book blog. My boyfriend helped push me in the direction of starting YA Book Shelf, but the desire started before he suggested it. I’d thought about reviewing books in the past since I do read a lot, but I didn’t really know much about blogging and wasn’t sure that I could commit the time required. However, my boyfriend had previously been writing a book blog about a subject he wasn’t passionate about. As he started losing interest, I was more and more compelled to try something similar in the YA genre. Like you, I didn’t read a lot of YA literature as I was growing up, but what I did, has stuck with me to this day. Not only did the books available in the YA section appeal to me, but also I felt that many of the subjects, in particular the contemporary YA ones, would make a real impact on their audience. If I could help get the message of these books to their intended audience when they needed them most, then I really wanted to be able to do so.

Maw Books:  After about five months of blogging, what have you learned along the way?  Is blogging about books what you expected or have you discovered that adjustments were needed along the way?

Melissa at  YA Bookshelf :  I have learned a lot in the last five months. Using WordPress as my blog platform has been a big learning experience whenever it came to wanting to make small adjustments to that layout of my site, like the header size, but I’m really glad that I now have accumulated this knowledge. I’ve also learned a lot about the publishing industry.

Blogging about books is both more challenging and rewarding than I expected. It’s challenging to have the blog schedule that I have and to balance it with other things I need to do in my life. I listen to my body, and if I need to take some time for myself, then I take it without question. Though I knew that I would be passionate about writing about books I loved, I couldn’t have anticipated how happy it would make me. I’ve said more than once that it seems all of my experiences with university and work (writing, editing, and marketing online properties) have led me to where I am now.

Maw Books:  If somebody was to read only three posts from your blog which three posts would you direct them too and why?

Melissa at YA Bookshelf: If I had to choose three posts for someone to check out on YA Book Shelf as a primer, then they’d definitely be my reviews of Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson, Stolen by Lucy Christopher, and Ghost Ride by Marina Cohen. I believe that these are not only some of my best-written reviews on the site, but also they show my main interest in both contemporary issue narratives and Gothic YA.  Although Anderson is really popular and Christopher is becoming more recognizable, I think that Cohen’s novel really hasn’t had as much exposure as it deserves.

Maw Books:  What role does having an M.A. in English Literature play in your reading choices and how you’ve chosen to review the books that you read?

Melissa at YA Bookshelf: I feel fortunate that completing my Master’s degree required passing a round of comprehensive exams because it forced me to read from literary periods and genres that I would’ve avoided otherwise, even though my primary interests were in the 19th century and Gothic literature. My background has made me particularly adept at reading YA historical novels of nearly any British period as well as various Gothic and horror stories. At the same time, I was also particularly interested in narratives about trauma (sometimes it’s related to Gothic plots as well), so many of the contemporary novels I’ve read for my site have an appeal to me from my academic days.

Occasionally my reviews focus on structural issues or use knowledge that I’ve acquired through reading literary theory, but they don’t all conform to this formula. Sometimes I’ll finish a book and just know that it requires a particular approach due to its content. For example, in an upcoming review for Confessions Of the Sullivan Sisters, I write a confession to my readers within the larger review because the book is a series of written confessions.

Maw Books:  You post a lot of book trailers, and so I assume that you enjoy them.  What in your opinion makes a good book trailer and what makes an awful one?

Melissa at YA Bookshelf: I like the idea of anything that helps promote new books, and I think that book trailers are an important part of the burgeoning web 2.0 publicity tools. I don’t really think that there are any truly awful trailers since all of them will get the message out in the open to some degree, but some that are more or less successful. The most successful ones at this moment have at least one of two things going for them: an aesthetically pleasing design and the ability to create interest in the book without giving away the entire story or merely reiterating the book jacket copy. (The ways in which one is judged aesthetically pleasing will definitely change as time goes on and as technology improves). Those that are less successful at this time often use static images and text superimposed on the screen, especially when the font selected is difficult to read. I’d say that they’re less successful currently because viewers are consistently expecting bigger and better things from trailers, and thus, static images seem dated.

Maw Books:  Whom would you consider your three top favorite authors and why? Is favoritism towards authors based solely on their books or does their online/offline persona play into that as well?

Melissa at YA Bookshelf: Selecting three is pretty tough, but I wouldn’t be disappointed with stating that my favorite authors are Charlotte Brontë, Anne-Marie MacDonald, and Laurie Halse Anderson. For both of the first two authors, I’ve re-read their coming-of-age novels a few times and have always gotten something more from them. I just discovered Laurie Halse Anderson this year and fell in love with two of her novels, Speak and Catalyst and am looking forward to reading the rest of her YA novels. While the online/offline personas have nothing to do with why I first was attracted and delighted by these writers, I’ll admit that some interviews I’ve read and watched with Anderson have made me admire her even more for her ability to speak her mind and advocate for today’s teens.

Maw Books:  What keywords could somebody give you to convince you to read a particular book? In other words, are there books about certain subjects that you just know you HAVE to read.

Melissa at YA Bookshelf: I read a lot of very emotionally heavy books with characters, who have a history or abuse, whether physical, emotional or sexual, who know someone who committed suicide, who have eating disorders, mental illness, etc, so when I hear of a new book along these lines, I HAVE to read it. I also like books where either there is a strong female lead or a dystopian world. I do read a lot of paranormal novels now for fun as well and to give myself a break from the more cathartic reads that fill my shelves.

Maw Books:  Who would be your ideal actress for Katniss in The Hunger Games?

Melissa at YA Bookshelf: Ideally, I think the role of Katniss should go to a virtually unknown actor, who has the ability to at once convincingly pull off the physical and dramatic requirements of the character. As well, I think that she should be close in age to the actual character, so no younger than 15 in case they decide to film the other two installments as well.

Maw Books:  And on any given night, where would we find you reading and what would you be eating?

Melissa at YA Bookshelf: At night, I often read in bed before I fall asleep and occasionally on the couch in the living room (wherever I can get comfy and not be disturbed by TV or music). When I can take some time for myself, however, and it’s during the spring or summer months, I’d prefer to read outdoors in the big park near my house.  As for eating, I don’t usually find myself eating and reading at the same time.

Maw Books:  Thanks Melissa!

Okay, sounds like Melissa and I are bookmates.  “Emotionally heavy books with characters, who have a history of abuse . . . “  Sound familiar?  People tell me that I love the most depressing books.  And it’s true.  I do. I look forward to seeing what Melissa recommends in the future.

Visit Melissa at YA Book Shelf and on Twitter!  While you are there, visit Melissa’s interview with me!

Hey you! Yes. You! I've noticed that you've stopped by to visit a few times! But I don't know who you are. Why don't you take a moment and introduce yourself. Don't be scared. I try not to bite. I know you're a lurker but I'd love to hear your thoughts about what's been bringing you here. And if you haven't done so already, don't forget to never miss a post by subscribing to my feed or receiving updates by email. Thanks for visiting!