What happens when you select a dozen of the greatest YA writers, ask each of them to compose a holiday short story, and turn their results over to 12 talented narrators? Lots of YA listening pleasure! Dustin Rubin energetically recounts David Levithan’s comedic tale of a young, gay Jewish teen whose lover asks him to pose as Santa Claus to fool his kid sister. Julia Whelan embraces Holly Black’s wit and intensity in a fantasy view of the little known December holiday in “Krampulslauf.” Abby Craden’s sarcastic tones speak up for Gayle Forman’s jaded Jewish scholarship student, who gets a wider view of stereotyping in “What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth?” This holiday anthology celebrates myriad themes, diverse tones, and a host of engaging characters and intriguing settings. S.W. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine
There are important books—books everyone should read because of what they teach us about ourselves and others. There are entertaining books—books we delight in reading because they’re so compelling and fun. And then there are books that somehow manage to be both important and entertaining, books like those written by David Levithan. Through his own writing and […]
As a primarily contemporary reader, nothing excites me on the eve of a new year like the promise of new stories of brutal realism, light romance, psychological thrill rides, and everything in between. Being that contemporary is my absolute favorite genre, my “must-read” list is far longer than this, but apparently it’s frowned upon to […]
No one romantic comedy can give you the truth about love. They all follow formulas to some degree: the meet-cute, the inevitable misunderstandings that sabotage a fledgling love, the cheesy love song soundtrack. But looking at the genre—which has been parodied and celebrated—as a whole, you get something more valuable: a multifaceted look at how we talk […]
The short story can be a tricky art. With a limited word court, the author has less space to get you invested in the characters, yet still must craft a compelling story from start to finish. But when it’s done right, it’s oh, so right. Short story collections allow for the exploration of multiple new worlds […]
The holidays go by way too fast—you’re so busy shopping, traveling, and baking cookies that it’s sometimes hard to live in the moment and enjoy the spirit of the season. That’s why we go totally nuts with all that garlanding. We only have a few weeks to do this right! Even though you’re busy, don’t […]