Last week was full of drama and heartbreak because Zayn Malik quit One Direction
to lead a
normal life. The all caps texting started early, the denial, the tears, the
tweets of love
and support. It was a long, long weekend at my house. My daughter is truly
heartbroken,
and as much as I would love to say that life will get better and she'll find
another band
who will make her dance and laugh and give her cute boys to crush on, I know she
doesn't
want to hear me say it. It is too soon. I also know how devastated I would have
been if
Jordan Knight had quit New Kids on the Block (talk about dating myself, but I
have no
shame for my love of New Kids).
All this made me think back to my teenage crushes, especially my literary
crushes. I can't
remember the first time I read Pride and Prejudice. It feels likes it's
been part
of my life forever. I really can't remember a time when I didn't have a crush on
Mr.
Darcy. I wanted to find my Mr. Darcy, that absolutely perfect-for-me person who
would look
at me the way Darcy looked at Elizabeth. I also fell in love with reading
historical
romances because I wanted all men to be like Mr. Darcy. I would read any historical
romance I could get my hands on; some where good, some where ridiculous because
the women
couldn't speak without breathy pauses...oh, the overuse of the ellipse to
indicate an
emotional female who needs a man to protect and speak for her. For the racier
romances my
mom paperclipped the sex scenes together so I wouldn't read those parts (Her
trust in me
was misplaced. Sorry, Mom!).
My views of romance and relationships were shaped by this idea of finding my Mr.
Darcy,
but somewhere along the line, I realized I couldn't find Mr. Darcy because I wasn't
looking in the right place. Jane Austen wrote wonderful, contemporary romances
and social
commentary for her time. She saw her world and wrote about it with wit, humor,
and depth.
Mr. Darcy was a contemporary man, and while I still crush on him hard, he is not my
contemporary man. Sigh.
What romance is and what it should be has greatly changed in the 200 years since
Jane
Austen's time. That's why this week's picks are contemporary YA romances that
show how
romance is in our world, and they do it with wit, intelligence, and compassion.
WHERE THE ROAD TAKES ME by Jay McLean
WHERE THE ROAD TAKES ME
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A perfect boy...an invisible girl. It's a
romance I can
never get enough of.
About:
Chloe has
one plan for the future, and one plan only: the road. She’s made a promise to
herself:
don’t let anyone in, and don’t let anyone love her. She’s learned the hard way what
happens if she breaks her rules. So she’s focused on being invisible and waiting
until she
can set out on the road—her dream of freedom, at least for a little while.
Blake Hunter is a basketball star who has it all—everything about him looks
perfect to
those on the other side of his protective walls. He can’t let anyone see the
shattered
pieces behind the flawless facade or else all his hopes and dreams will
disappear.
One dark night throws Chloe and Blake together, changing everything for Blake.
For Chloe,
nothing changes: she has the road, and she’s focused on it. But when the
so-called perfect
boy starts to notice the invisible girl, they discover that sometimes with love,
no one
knows where the road may lead.
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STEERING THE STARS by Autumn Doughton and Erica Cope
STEERING THE STARS
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One of my favorite aspects of Jane Austen's
writing is in
her portrayal of families and friendships. What would Pride and Prejudice be
without
Elizabeth and Jane's sisterly love. STEERING THE STARS delves into the bond
between best
friends who are separated by an ocean
About:
Two girls.
Two stories. One journey.
Be careful what you wish for...
Aspiring writer Hannah Vaughn worries that she is doomed to live out the rest of
her
existence in a sleepy Oklahoma town. For as long as she can remember, she's
dreamed of
something more - adventure, excitement, intrigue. When her sister invites her to
London
and she's accepted to a prestigious writing program at The Warriner School, she
jumps at
the chance. But will it be epic or an epic fail?
You'll never know if you don't try... Nothing ever happens to straight-A student
Caroline
McKain and that's exactly the way she likes it. With her best friend in London
and junior
year looming on the horizon, all she wants is to remain invisible. So when she
is suddenly
thrust into the spotlight, she must ask herself: Can an invisible girl really
take center
stage?
Follow Hannah and Caroline as they navigate the complexities of first love,
family and
growing up. As their bond is tested, the girls will learn that being apart can
ultimately
bring you together. Steering the Stars is a fresh, heartfelt story about fate,
discovery,
and the magic of friendship.
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NOTHING LIKE LOOKING by Chris Van Hakes
NOTHING LIKE LOOKING
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I have a soft spot for YA journal novels. I love
how we're
immediately drawn into the character's world.
About:
Reed Larson
was just expelled from her old school. Do you want to know why? Me too. But she
won’t say.
Ask her about the book her brother gave her instead, The Hobbit.
Or the beautiful boy named Mason.
Or her new school, Fancy Snob School for Rich Kids That Want to be Fancy
(FSSFRKTWTBF for
short).
Or how she’s hiding everything about herself.
Actually, scratch that. Just ask her why J.R.R. Tolkien has too many initials.
She can’t
talk about the rest.
Yet.
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