Today I am hosting author Katelyn Detweiler at Actin' Up with Books. Katelyn is the author of IMMACULATE and the recently published TRANSCENDENT. When I host authors, I love asking them to share books that made them fall in love with reading and writing. I'm always fascinated by the variety of books that open up their world.
Welcome Katelyn!
FIVE BOOKS THAT MADE ME FALL IN LOVE WITH READING
PIPPI LONGSTOCKING by Astrid Lindgren
Who couldn’t love Pippi?! She was weird and wonderful and fun and loving. She made it feel cool and okay to be totally quirky. Pippi walked to her own beat, always. Every book with her was a grand new adventure.
SWEET VALLEY TWINS by Francine Pasal
My very best friends growing up were twins, and I was obsessed with the idea of being a twin, too—I would wish for one every night before bed. That wish never came true, sadly, but reading about Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield was the next best thing. I was totally an Elizabeth, though I secretly wanted to be more of a Jessica.
ANNE OF GREEN GABLES by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Anne Shirley will forever hold a dear, dear place in my heart. Of all the many literary characters I’ve met, Anne is the one I would most want as a best friend. Life would never be boring with her at your side. Her whimsy, her bravery, her big heart –Anne is the girl you want in your corner, always.
MANDY by Julie Andrews
I read this book over and over (and over) again. For those who don’t know, Mandy was a lonely orphan who stumbled across a secret cottage in the woods that she claims as her own. This idea of a secret place, a secret garden, was so magical to me. I felt like I was right there in that garden. It was my happy place, too.
THE SECRET GARDEN by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Based on these last three picks, I clearly have a soft spot for orphan stories. And gardens. It’s hard to say what I loved more, the book or the spectacular 1993 movie edition. I loved how Mary turned a nightmare new world into a beautiful dream life with friends and family. Ah, makes me weepy just thinking about it!
TRANSCENDENT
by Katelyn Detweiler
Published October 4, 2016
Viking Books for Young Readers
ABOUT TRANSCENDENT
A beautiful work of magical realism, a story about a girl in the real world who is called upon to be a hero.
When terrorists bomb Disney World, seventeen-year-old Iris Spero is as horrified as anyone else. Then a stranger shows up on her stoop in Brooklyn, revealing a secret about the mysterious circumstances surrounding Iris’s birth, and throwing her entire identity into question. Everything she thought she knew about her parents, and about herself, is a lie.
Suddenly, the press is confronting Iris with the wild notion that she might be “special.” More than just special: she could be the miracle the world now so desperately needs. Families all across the grieving nation are pinning their hopes on Iris like she is some kind of saint or savior. She’s no longer sure whom she can trust—except for Zane, a homeless boy who long ago abandoned any kind of hope. She knows she can’t possibly be the glorified person everyone wants her to be… but she also can’t go back to being safe and anonymous. When nobody knows her but they all want a piece of her, who is Iris Spero now? And how can she—one teenage girl—possibly heal a broken world?
When terrorists bomb Disney World, seventeen-year-old Iris Spero is as horrified as anyone else. Then a stranger shows up on her stoop in Brooklyn, revealing a secret about the mysterious circumstances surrounding Iris’s birth, and throwing her entire identity into question. Everything she thought she knew about her parents, and about herself, is a lie.
Suddenly, the press is confronting Iris with the wild notion that she might be “special.” More than just special: she could be the miracle the world now so desperately needs. Families all across the grieving nation are pinning their hopes on Iris like she is some kind of saint or savior. She’s no longer sure whom she can trust—except for Zane, a homeless boy who long ago abandoned any kind of hope. She knows she can’t possibly be the glorified person everyone wants her to be… but she also can’t go back to being safe and anonymous. When nobody knows her but they all want a piece of her, who is Iris Spero now? And how can she—one teenage girl—possibly heal a broken world?
PRAISE FOR TRANSCENDENT
“An inspirational story about finding the strength to believe in oneself.” —School Library Journal
"The chilling plausibility of the actions and reactions of an America dealing with the murders of thousands of children... A fascinating answer to the '…but then what?' that lingers at the end of Immaculate." —Kirkus
“Transcendent is a beautiful and lovingly-written book about the power of hope. You’ll lose yourself in its pages. And when you emerge, you will see the miracles that surround you, and the ones you can create.”—Francisco X. Stork, author of The Memory of Light
"This uplifting book begins with a terrible tragedy and ends with a blessing. After Detweiler gracefully eases the reader into her astonishing “What if?” she explores the life-affirming power of hope and the soul-healing nature of forgiveness."—Todd Strasser, author of Give a Boy a Gun
"Iris's tale is one of faith, courage, and connection. But the miracle in Transcendent isn't just the miracle of Iris's birth. It's the everyday miracles we are all capable of performing—love, compassion, understanding. Ultimately it's a story about the miracle of humanity."—Jennifer Brown, author of Hate List
“Transcendent is a beautiful and lovingly-written book about the power of hope. You’ll lose yourself in its pages. And when you emerge, you will see the miracles that surround you, and the ones you can create.”—Francisco X. Stork, author of The Memory of Light
"This uplifting book begins with a terrible tragedy and ends with a blessing. After Detweiler gracefully eases the reader into her astonishing “What if?” she explores the life-affirming power of hope and the soul-healing nature of forgiveness."—Todd Strasser, author of Give a Boy a Gun
"Iris's tale is one of faith, courage, and connection. But the miracle in Transcendent isn't just the miracle of Iris's birth. It's the everyday miracles we are all capable of performing—love, compassion, understanding. Ultimately it's a story about the miracle of humanity."—Jennifer Brown, author of Hate List
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for stopping by my blog and taking the time to comment!