So Many (Great) Books...

...and I have no time. I have to confess that I usually only read for 20 minutes a night. I hear all the time about people who whipped through a 200 page book in one sitting and I'm awed. I can whip through a 200 page book in ...oh about a week. This has become problematic because there are so many GREAT books out there these days.

Attention YA writers - stop writing so many awesome books. This is making my to-be-read pile exceedingly tall and I'm in danger of being concussed should the pile topple over. Every week more and more great titles are released and try as I might, I just have to go out and buy them and add them to the pile. Here is the self-imposed book-read order:

1. Critique partner books (there is usually a time limit on these)
2. ARCs by fellow Tenners that need to be sent on.
3. Books by people I'm going to see in the near future (I hate having dinner with someone having not read their book).
4. Books by people I "know" either in person or online.
5. Books that have gotten great buzz.

This makes for a huge pile:



For those of you who read the blog and are not in the biz, the ALA Youth Media Awards were announced this morning. You can watch them live online starting at 4:45am Pacific time. At that hour, the only thing I was watching live was a great dream that I can't share here, but I did get a rundown of the winners and this year the ALA outdid themselves. Such great picks - I can't wait to read them all! In years past, kids were forced to read the Newbery winner in class which would cause eye-rolling and grumbling. Not anymore. These picks are books that any kid will love! Some highlights include:

Caldecott: The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney (well deserved! A big shout out to my agency-sister Liz Garton Scanlon whose All The World won a Caldecott Honor)

Newbery: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Printz: Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Morris Award: Flash Burnout by L.K. Madigan (yay!)

Coretta Scott King Author Award: Bad News for Outlaws by Vaunda Nelson

If you're looking for something to read, you can't go wrong with any of these. Of course, you could just come over and borrow something off the bottom of my pile. It's...um...going to be awhile.

On this date: In 1974, The Six Million Dollar Man debuted.