If you love Nick and Norah, you might also like...

As I'm sure most of you already know, the movie version of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist was
released last night. I'm waiting until next weekend to see it (while visiting Matt in New York), but in honor of this exciting occasion, I wanted to post some recommendations for other books you might like if you enjoyed Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.

The obvious first recommendations would be Rachel Cohn and David Levithan's other novels. They have collaborated on one other novel, Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List, and each has written several novels individually:

David Levithan	Rachel Cohn
Boy Meets Boy	Gingerbread
The Realm of Possibility	Shrimp
Are We There Yet?	Cupcake
Wide Awake	You Know Where to Find Me
Marly's Ghost	Pop Princess
How They Met and Other Stories	and The Steps and Two Steps Forward (for tweens)

---

But, some of you may have already read all of those, so I have a few other recommendations:

If you like the way the novel takes you on a virtual tour of New York City...

• Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson (midtown, around Fifth Ave.)
• Fly on the Wall by E. Lockhart (at a fictional High School for the arts in Manhattan)
• Things Hoped For by Andrew Clements (Upper West Side/Morningside Heights)
• Tyrell by Coe Booth (Brooklyn and the Bronx)
• It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini (Brooklyn)
• and there's always Gossip Girl (Upper East Side)

---

If you like the complex relationships between the characters (and not just the romantic relationship, but the friendships with secondary characters as well)...

Looking for Alaska by John Green
Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga
I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
and again, Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson

---

If you like the fact that Nick is in a band...

Born to Rock by Gordon Korman
King Dork by Frank Portman (Tom might never actually form a band... but he comes up with great band names and song lyrics)
The Last Days by Scott Westerfeld (a band and some vampires... lots of fun)

---

And last... since you all love them so much... a few more of my favorite quotes from the novel (first post of quotes can be found here):

"Things are going so well. We're volleying words back and forth. Everything she says, I have something I can say back. We're sparking, and part of me just wants to sit back and watch. We're clicking. Not because a part of me is fitting into a part of her. But because our words are clicking to form sentences and our sentences are clicking into each other to form dialogue and our dialogue is clicking together to form this scene from this ongoing movie that's as comfortable as it is unrehearsed" (Nick 75).

"Maybe that's it... With what you were talking about before. The world being broken. maybe it isn't that we're supposed to find the pieces and put them back together. Maybe we're the pieces" (Nick 145).

Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson

Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson

I've been reading Maureen Johnson's blog for ages  (especially enjoyed this post on the importance of sex education), and had read one of her books (Devilish ) which I enjoyed but didn't especially love, and I was beginning to worry that I might actually like her blog better than her books (gasp!). 

But, I checked out Suite Scarlett... and then it sat in my basket of books for months, waiting to be read. I was this close to returning it unread, but figured I should be a good sport and give it the first fifty pages.  I read the first chapter, and I was immediately drawn into Scarlett's world.

Scarlett, age 16, lives in a hotel, owned and run by her family, in New York City.  This may sound glamorous, but as is immediately evident, it is not. At all. The hotel's financial troubles are so bad that the only staff left is the family: Scarlett, perfect older sister Lola, actor-wannabe older brother Spencer, and cancer-survivor younger sister Marlene. 

When each sibling turns sixteen, they are given a particular suite in the hotel to care for -- and Scarlett's suite comes with an unusual guest -- Mrs. Amberson, a former actress, with a few tricks up her sleeve.

And then, there's Eric -- Spencer's new friend and fellow actor, who just happens to be very interested in Scarlett...

Johnson demonstrates a gift for bringing characters to life, and I found myself just as interested in the stories of the secondary characters as I was in Scarlett's*.  There were so many moments where the novel could have become predictable or cliche, but then something completely unexpected would happen instead.  Suite Scarlett is engrossing and original and highly recommended.

And, as if I needed one more reason to love the book, there was even a mention of Joe's Shanghai and their famous soup dumplings !**

Readers might also enjoy:
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks by E. Lockhart    (another strong female character and an unpredictable plot)
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List, both by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan    (life in New York City)
The Joys of Love by Madeleine L'Engle    (also centered around the  theater)

Also, completely unrelated, but I just realized this morning (thanks Josie!) that I forgot to restart the e-mail subscription, so those of you who read this via e-mail may have missed a few posts! So sorry!!!

*If I might make a request -- maybe a sequel about Lola?  or Marlene? (maybe about when Marlene gets her suite at sixteen? Pretty please?)

** These dumplings are the real reason I go to New York City -- even if I tell Matt otherwise ;)

Airhead by Meg Cabot

Airhead by Meg Cabot

Now you all know I love Meg Cabot (wait, seriously? I've only reviewed one of her books? This is a travesty that I must remedy posthaste!) But I do.

I just don't know how she does it. I read once that she can write a first draft in two weeks, which is absolutely incredible. But what makes it even more incredible is that despite that grueling pace, the writing just doesn't show that at all (unlike *cough*James Patterson*cough*)

I started listening to Airhead a couple weeks ago on the way to work, but found that I kept wanting to listen to music in the car, and so ended up checking out the book and finishing it by the light of the window while our power was out on Saturday (thanks to Tropical Storm Hanna)

And I can't tell you much about the plot, since half the fun is figuring out what one earth is going on. But, 17-year-old Em Watts is totally not interested in fashion or celebrities. She spends most of her time playing Journeyquest (an online role-playing game) with her best friend Christopher (who she might have a tiny bit of a crush on). While accompanying her sister to the grand opening of a huge department store, she is the victim of a freak plasma-screen tv accident, and when she wakes up in the hospital a month later, she finds that her life has been strangely intertwined with that of supermodel Nikki Howard.

Like all of Cabot's novels, Airhead is funny and fluffy, but it is also somehow a bit darker. The situation that Em finds herself in is a bit more complicated than, say, finding out that you're the heir to the throne of a small European principality. The stakes in this case are just a little bit higher, and readers may find themselves thinking about profound questions about the meaning of life (and then, a few pages later, laughing out loud at the antics of Lulu Collinsworth -- Nikki's best friend)

One warning... the ending is definitely a cliff-hanger, so do yourself a favor and wait until the sequel comes out!

Readers may also enjoy:
Anything else by Meg Cabot (obviously)
Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

Around the blogs: Librarilly Blonde, And Another Book Read, YA New York, The Ravenous Reader, The Book Muncher, The Compulsive Reader, Em's Bookshelf, The YA YA YAs, The Book Vault, Reader Rabbit, Liv's Book Reviews,

Beastly by Alex Flinn

Beastly by Alex Flinn
I'm baaaaack! (and it is technically still the beginning of May, right?). I'm going to try to keep the next couple reviews short and to-the-point, so, here goes it:

Kyle Kingsbury is a jerk. He is superficial, mean, and messes with people for the fun of it. And, you can't really blame him, since he has clearly inherited these traits from his father. After playing a trick on goth-classmate- Kendra and pretending to invite her to a school dance, he finds himself turned into a beast. Literally. Hair, claws, the whole works. The catch? He has two years to find (and kiss) his true love.

Set in New York City, this modernized version of Beauty and the Beast plays with the conventions of the fairy tale (Kyle planting roses, having a magic mirror, etc), while also poking fun at society today. For example, in one of the most humorous scenes of the novel, Kyle is trying to find his "true love" by browsing on my-space, and starts using his magic mirror to spy on some of the "teenage girls" that he finds, only to find that one is a 10 year old girl, one a 40 year old man, and so on. At the same time, Flinn accurately portrays Kyle's coming-of-age and his developing friendships.

While I would definitely recommend this novel to fans of fairy-tale re-tellings (and I'm beginning to get the sense that there are a lot of us out there), I think that it could potentially appeal to fans of urban YA romantic titles, such as Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. Other blog reviews: The YA YA YAs, Cysnations (author interview), YA Authors Cafe (author interview), YA@heart, Mrs. Hill's Book Blog, Read, Read, Read, The Book Muncher

Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix

You know how, when your friends find out that you're a bookworm,* they start telling you about all of their favorite books, and how awesome they are, and how you should definitely read them immediately. And, of course, you're sitting there, smiling and nodding, and thinking about your overflowing bookshelves.

A couple years ago, my boyfriend recommended Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix, and handed me a copy of the book** He's lucky (or perhaps I am), because I happened to be early for work, and it happened to be the only book I had with me, and so, sitting in my car, in the parking lot, I picked it up and read the first 50 pages. After finishing it, I immediately had to read everything else that Margaret Peterson Haddix had ever written, and I devoured the Shadow Children series.

Obviously, then, I was very excited when Uprising appeared on my shelf.

In this novel, Haddix tells the story of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire from the perspective of three teenage girls: Bella, an Italian immigrant, and Yetta, a Russian Jewish immigrant, who both work at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, and Jane, an upper-class American girl who meets them when she becomes involved in the fight for women's rights. We know from the prologue that only one of the three will survive the fire, but not which one, and this way, the reader still becomes attached to all of the characters***.

Readers will learn about both the tragic fire, and the union strikes that took place several months earlier, and Haddix brings this time period to life through these three characters. There is a bit too much foreshadowing, early on, with fire imagery, and discussions about fire escapes (as if the reader hadn't noticed that there were flames on the cover), but I would still recommend it to fans of historical fiction, and of Haddix's other works.

And the best part.... Margaret Peterson Haddix has three more books coming out this year!!

*Don't deny it. You're reading this. So you must be!

** Don't do this to a bookworm. Especially not one who works in a library. I almost always read library books first, because I have to return them -- so friendly book loans always go to the bottom of the pile.

***I don't know about you, but I don't let myself get attached if I know a specific character is going to die.

Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

First, we interrupt this not-so-regularly-scheduled broadcast for a quick newsflash:

I know most of you have probably already heard this, but Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is going to be a movie!!!! (follow the link for more information on the actors, director, etc.) I'm not really sure how a movie could possibly be as good as the book, but I'm optimistic.

But enough about Nick and Norah...

---

I had been reluctant to read Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List, for fear that it wouldn't live up to my expectations. And the truth is, it's not Nick and Norah, and I didn't love it in the same way, but it is still an enjoyable read in its own right.

The basic premise: Naomi and Ely, both freshmen at NYU, have been friends almost since birth. After the fallout from Naomi's father's affair with one of Ely's moms (yes, Ely does have two moms), they create the "No Kiss List," a list of boys who are off-limits to both of them, to protect their friendship. But then, Ely kisses Naomi's boyfriend, Bruce the Second, and their friendship begins to unravel.

This may sound complicated, and it is. And that is the problem. To compare with Cohn and Levithan's other work, N&N was essentially a simple story of two teenagers meeting and starting to fall in love. The characters themselves were wonderfully complicated, but the premise was not. In N&E, we again have interestingly complex characters, but there is just too much going on around them, too many different plot lines to follow, and I did not really feel a connection to any of the characters.

But there are a lot of really good things about the novel as well. The first one, which jumped out at me immediately, is that the main characters are college students. There's this trend in YA to make every protagonist 16 and a junior in high school, and there don't seem to be many novels that really reflect the college experience** Actually, one of my favorite lines in the novel takes place when Gabriel, the 20 year old, incredibly hot doorman, is hanging out with Naomi and one of her friends in the NYU dorm room, and he describes the scene around him:

"Robin-guy went to find his Super 8, but he found his water bong instead and then we forgot about the trial."
My dad thinks I'm missing out on a great growing experience by not going to college, but I suspect he's mistaken. (Gabriel 168).

As someone who didn't particularly enjoy the social scene in college, I can completely relate.

And, the language. Cohn and Levithan are both masters of describing emotions in completely original ways. An example:

"And that's when it turns into a musical. I mean, not literally. It's not like an orchestra starts playing or Bruce and I start singing. But I recognize this moment: It's the moment in the musical when the traveling salesman proclaims his love for the shy librarian. She doesn't believe it. He has to let her know. They're meant for each other -- they both feel it -- but only one of them believes it. It's time to take action, even if it's not easy. It's time to use the truth as a form of persuasion. I realize that" (Ely 225)

Oh, and they mentioned Marian the Librarian -- only the most famous fictional librarian ever!

And I'm convinced that they wrote the following just for the amusement of kidlit bloggers everywhere:

"Since when do you chew Orbit"....
"Since Madonna started writing children's books. Why do you care?" (Ely 45)

If you've liked anything else by Cohn and Levithan, definitely check this one out -- just don't expect another Nick and Norah.

*Though, please, if you know of any other examples, please, post titles in the comments!

Spells and Sleeping Bags by Sarah Mlynowski

Well, you see, my copy of Lean Mean Thirteen just happened to appear on my shelf at the library... and then that little movie about our favorite boy wizard* was showing in the theater, so my plan to get caught up sort of went out the window.

I read the first book in Sarah Mlynowski's Magic in Manhattan trilogy while I was in college. I'm not sure how I heard about it, but I remember staying up way later than I should have because I just couldn't put it down. I wasn't especially impressed by the writing, but I just couldn't wait to see how it would end.

So, when I got Spells and Sleeping Bags from the library, it jumped to the top of my ever-growing to-be-read pile. I actually ended up reading it all afternoon on the 4th (so patriotic, I know), and completely ignoring my boyfriend (though I found him a book to read**, so he didn't seem to mind). And I enjoyed this third entry in the series just as much as the first two.

WARNING: If you haven't read the first two, stop reading immediately and head to your local library. This may contain SPOILERS!

Okay, so Rachel, who has finally gotten her powers, and Miri, her little sister who is also a witch, are headed off to Camp Wood Lake. Rachel is very excited; after all, this is the camp that Raf (her crush) has been attending for years. But of course, things are not exactly smooth-sailing for Rachel (or Miri). She can barely swim, her bunk-mate Liana seems to be trying to steal both her crush and her little sister. Not to mention that her mother, her father, and her new stepmother are all coming for visitors day.

I think I may have actually enjoyed this a little more than the last two, and I was definitely laughing out loud at times. For example, when the campers have movie night, they watch the newest Harry Potter movie, and Rachel says something about how she was hoping for a romantic comedy, not the story of her life. (I was going to include the actual quote, but I already returned my copy to the library, and all the copies are now checked out). And the banter between Rachel and Miri reminds me so much of my own conversations with my younger step-sister.

My only complaint is that this seems to be the last book in the series (the author's website does refer to it as a trilogy after all). But the ending seems to leave it open enough for more (or maybe a series about Miri... please!!). A perfect beach read for younger readers (I know my middle-school self would have adored these books), this is a fun antidote to all the heaviness of Harry Potter (and all the other young-hero-has-to-save-the-world fantasies).

*Loved it, by the way.

**Epic by Conor Kostick -- I'm working on convincing him to guest-review for me

It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

Arg, this review has been sitting in my drafts folder for almost a month, and there are so many things I want to say about this book, but I just can’t quite figure out how to put them all together. The problem is, my enjoyment of it is so completely wrapped up in where I was when I read it, that it's hard to separate the two.

As I was planning my trip to New York, I happened to find out (via E. Lockhart’s blog ) about a Reading at Books of Wonder. I had only read E. Lockhart’s books before, but I had a review copy of It’s Kind of a Funny Story, so I decided to take it with me and read it on the plane. Which normally doesn't really work out for me.* Usually, I'm too excited to be able to concentrate, so I end up buying a magazine to browse on the plane.**

But Vizzini's writing completely grabbed my attention, and by the time we landed at LaGuardia, I had somehow read 350 pages***. And I have to say, there's something pretty awesome about being several thousand feet in the air, sipping apple juice, listening to one of my favorite CDs (Imogen Heap) on my iPod, and reading a really good book.

It’s Kind of a Funny Story is the story of Craig Gilner, a fifteen-year-old who has a breakdown and ends up in a mental hospital. The novel begins in the present, with Craig finishing (or not finishing) his freshman year at a prestigious high school, and then jumps back two years to describe the relentless studying he did to get into said high school. When it jumps back into the present again, Craig is seriously considering suicide. After a call to the suicide hot-line, he checks himself into a hospital, where he ends up in the psychiatric ward for adults (the juvenile wing is being remodeled).

While that may sound rather dark, it's not. Vizzini manages to keep the writing light and humorous even when the themes are definitely not. For example, the other patients in the mental hospital are, well, different, and some of the things they do seem absolutely ridiculous, but they still seem like people rather than simple caricatures.

And there were times when I just had to laugh out loud (though, being on a plane, I tried to control myself). Like the following example from when Craig is in the hospital:

"'I'm Dr. Data.'

'Dr. Data?'

'Yes'

Huh. I want to ask her is she's an android, but that wouldn't be very respectful" (163).

or this one about his childhood love of drawing maps:

"...and then you were in Harlem, where Manhattan effectively ended for little white boys who made forts under encyclopedias and studied maps" (22).

Okay, I'll stop with the gratuitous quoting. (Trust me, I could keep going).

It's Kind of a Funny Story is a great read for anyone dealing with depression or mental health issues (their own or those of someone close to them), or simply, for anyone dealing with the stresses that come with growing up and having to make life decisions (which would be basically everyone). Oh, and it's out in paperback now, so go read it!

If all you were looking for was a review, you can stop reading now, because I'm about to go on a bit of a digression...

---

As I've mentioned before, my boyfriend and I have this ongoing debate about our reading habits, but I begged, and he agreed to go to the reading at Books of Wonder with me. So, as we’re walking towards the subway station, he’s carrying the book for me (since I was carrying my purse and my camera), and jokingly holding his hand over the spine so no one can see that it’s a teen book.

We get on the downtown 1 train, and he opens the book, just to see what it's all about. He reads the first page, then keeps going. The subway gets stopped (stuck behind several other downtown trains), and he keeps reading. After the first chapter, he turns to me: “I could actually read this,” he says, sounding a little surprised. I just smile and nod, having already decided that somehow or other, he was going to read it.

*After reading the first two Wheel of Time books, I took the third one on the flight to Spain (summer 2004), and I still haven't gotten through the prologue.

**I love going into airport newsstands, buying Cosmo en Español and watching the reactions of the sales clerks, which are generally some variation on "Does the little white girl realize that magazine isn't in English?" (For those new to this blog... I majored in Spanish. I'm pretty sure I can read Cosmo.)

*** We did spend about 45 minutes just sitting on the runway in Norfolk waiting to take off.

Magic's Child by Justine Larbalestier

I am such a library geek: Do you know what made me read this series? Not the fact that it's fantasy, not the fact that the author is married to one of my other favorite authors, but this:

"Apparently, calling my first novel, Magic or Madness was a big fat mistake. It’s the “or” that’s the problem, with certain searches it brings up lots of results that get in between you and finding my book. That can’t be good. And of course no one can spell my surname . . . " (From the author's blog)

There are certain authors whose books automatically jump to the top of my "to be read" pile, and Justine Larbalestier is definitely one of them.

Am I a horrible person if I tell you absolutely nothing about the plot? The thing is -- I really can't tell you anything about the plot of the third book without spoiling the first two completely and you absolutely must read those first (Though there may end up beings spoilers in the comments).

However, the general premise of the MorM world is this: Like all fantasy novels, some people are born with magical abilities. But there's a twist, they only have so much magic, and when they use it up, they die. There's an alternative, but it's not much better: if they don't use their magic, they'll go insane. (Thus the title). Reason, our 15-year-old heroine, has lived her whole life with her mother, who chose the second option. But when her mother tries to kill herself and is therefore institutionalized, Reason is sent to live with her grandmother, who at 45, is nearing the end of her magical life. The magical abilities are also not what one expects -- Reason has an amazing aptitude for math and patterns. Her friend Tom can create magical clothing, and Jay-Tee's magic is in movement -- like running and dancing. (None of this, ooh-look-at-me-I can-fly-or-read-minds... etc.)

Magic or Madness is hands-down one of the most original fantasy trilogies I've read in a very long time. I'll admit, I've gotten a little tired of the whole, hero-finds-out-that-he-has-magical-powers-and-must-go-on-a-very-long-quest-to-save-the-world type novels, so this series is a breath of fresh air.

If you haven't read this trilogy yet, run (do not walk, do not pass go, do not collect $200) to your nearest library and read it now.

And definitely check out the author's website and blog for all kinds of interesting things, like the very first draft of the first chapter of Magic or Madness, and this adorable story of her romance with her husband, Scott Westerfeld

Things Hoped For by Andrew Clements

As you might recall, one of the very first books I reviewed on this blog was Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements (and wow, my reviews were a lot shorter back then). So, today, I finally had a chance to read the sequel -- Things Hoped For.

First of all, I should point out that Things Hoped For isn't really a sequel to Things Not Seen, but more of a companion volume, so they can be enjoyed separately (though there's one little plot line that makes more sense if you've read the first book)

Things Hoped For is the story of Gwen, a young violinist who is preparing for her college auditions (for Julliard and the Manhattan School of Music). She has been living with her grandfather in Manhattan for the past two years, when one day (only a week before her audition!), she comes home to find a note from her grandfather, saying only that he has gone away for a little while and that she should take care of the house while he is gone.

Luckily for her, she happens to meet up with Bobby (from Things Not Seen and who is now going by Robert to sound more professional), who offers to help her with the whole "taking care of the house thing" (her uncle wants her grandfather to sell the house because he needs the money... etc...).

What I loved about the novel was how well Clements paints a picture of the musical world. It's a world I've grown up in: My mom is a piano teacher, my boyfriend is an amazing flutist (and he rarely reads this blog and therefore has no idea that I like to brag about him), and I have always been sort of on the fringe of that world*, so I know when the descriptions are inaccurate**. And Clements clearly knows what he's talking about.

I did feel however, that there was a little too much going on in this novel; there's a little side plot about invisibility (that follows from Things Not Seen) and it detracts from the main focus of the novel (Gwen and her grandfather and her auditions), but not too much. I'd still highly recommend this to fans of Things Not Seen, and to those who like books about musicians (I think I might have to make a list of some of those titles sometime soon).

*I played violin for 10 years, but it has been sitting under my bed since high school graduation. And I sang in a few children's choirs -- but books and reading and foreign languages have always been my true loves.

** I started reading Pop by Aury Wallington and had to put it down about 15 pages in because she described fourth-grade strings students playing Chopin. Which is completely wrong because 1)Beginners, not matter how good they are, would still be playing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" and 2) because Chopin wrote mainly for piano (or a piano with an orchestra in the background), so if your fourth graders were really that amazing that they were ready for classical music, they would probably be playing Bach or Vivaldi, or some other Baroque composer. Granted, it's probably a perfectly good book, but I just can't stand that kind of inaccuracy. I mean, if you're going to write a book, do your research! (or get a librarian to do it for you!)

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Let me just start by saying that I am absolutely, positively, head-over-heals, in love with this book.

Last weekend, a couple of friends and I took a little road trip, and I took it with me. I read for an hour or two on the road. Then, after going to bed at 3 in the morning, I actually woke up early Sunday morning to finish it by the light of my lightwedge (yes, I am a dork), while all my friends were still sleeping!

I normally return books to the library as soon as I'm finished reading them -- but this one is still sitting in my drawer in the back of the library as I type this.

Of course, I kept it out (supposedly), so I could share some quotes -- so I could share with you the brilliance of Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, but then I realized I would have to read it again -- which while enjoyable would kind of get in the way of all the reading I'm going to have to do for the Cybils

But I was just so impressed. So many books for teenagers have their protagonists falling in love for the first time, which really isn't that realistic when we're talking about 17 and 18 year olds, so I was surprised to read a novel where the main characters have been in relationships before, and where those previous relationships weren't completely horrible or completely wonderful, but complex and real, like human relationships. And really, that is what Cohn and Levithan did so well; they created living, breathing, imperfect characters.

And the best news of all -- they're collaborating on another novel, due out August of 2007!

Added later: I've noticed that many people are finding this post by searching for "Nick and Norah's Quotes" and other such things, so if that's what you're looking for, check out my later post with some of my favorite quotes.
Updated again (10/4/08): more quotes and some recommended reads

The Last Days by Scott Westerfeld

So by now, you, my loyal (and possibly non-existent) readers, know that I have a thing for princess books, and for books about books, but I've also been reading quite a few books about musicians, or specifically music students. (Perhaps I should blame my boyfriend for this -- as he is in music school).

Of course, The Last Days by Scott Westerfeld, is about more than just musicians. It is a companion to his earlier Peeps (note: companion -- NOT sequel, as it unfortunately says on the cover), and it is the story of five teenagers who form a band in a New York City that is being taken over by a parasite that turns its victims into vampires.

The story is told from the perspective of all 5 of the main characters, and while that definitely took some getting used to, it made it so the band was more of a main character, rather than each separate band member as a main character.

I've read all of Westerfeld's YA novels, and this was one of my favorites, so far. I'll definitely read whatever he comes out with next (I've heard some rumors about something about a zeppelin?)