Looking for a book to read? Voila!
Indie Kids
- A Thirty-Something Girl, by L.M. Stull (a realistic novel about real-life issues. The emotions are written so well.)
- A Walk in the Snark, by Rachel Thompson (essay collection, both hilarious and poignant. So good)
- The Healer, by Sabrina Furminger (sci-fi chick lit, and I have a low sci-fi tolerance)
- Telesa, by Lani Wendt Young (difficult to describe, since it doesn’t fit in a particular category. But it’s great. Just go look it up.)
- Aurora Undefined, by Kate Hinderer (lovely YA. All about love and loss, but not in an angsty, overly emotional kind of way. Also her vocabulary is aces.)
- The Devil and Preston Black, by Jason Jack Miller (Mr. Miller is the coolest. And his writing is fantastic–vivid and evocative. This might be weird, but Preston Black is, to me anyway, a manic pixie dream man. If that makes any sense.)
- Insomniatic Dreams, by S.J.D. Howson (a young adult who writes metered verse? You better believe it. Plath, Dickinson, Millay, and Poe come to mind as influences. Available only in print, though.)
- Super, by Mari Stroud (superheroes, sassy heroines, and–finally!–an unconventional romance. We need more writers like Ms. Stroud. We just do.)
Genre-Defyers
- Anna and the French Kiss, by Stephanie Perkins (Smart kids in Paris doing smart things. And kissing.)
- Violet Midnight, by Allie Burke (the first in a wonderful fantasy series, and I can’t stand fantasy books. Ms. Burke is also an indie kid)
- Sloppy Firsts, by Megan McCafferty (dry, intelligent humor; the first installment in a coming of age series)
- Paint it Black, by Janet Fitch (Very poetic prose. I met Ms. Fitch at the L.A. Times Book Fair. She’s a cool cat.)
- Boy Meets Boy, by David Levithan (the sweetest story ever. Like, EVER.)
- The Family Man, by Elinor Lipman (Austen 2.0. Modern comedy of manners.)
Oldies But Goodies
- The Maltese Falcon, by Dashiell Hammett (a film noir in book form. Smoky and mysterious and dark and perfect.)
- Rebecca, by Daphne DuMaurier (THE Gothic novel. Also a fantastic Hitchcock film.)
- Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson (not exactly old, but definitely a classic! If you write YA, Halse Anderson is a must-read.)
- The Code of the Woosters, by P.G. Wodehouse (so sophisticated and smooth. And very, very funny.)
(Feel free to check back often; the list just keeps on growing. And if you’re a cool cat with a small press/self-published book, hit me up with an e-mail: alejandra (at) alejandraaponte (dot) com. I’d be happy to check out your work and add you to the list!)
