After working with teens for many years and being very involved in teen book selection committees, I always tend to look for teen books to occupy me during my very limited reading time. This summer, I decided to branch out a little and read some "Adult Books." I notice now, though, that I really haven't strayed too far from my comfort zone.
First, I read In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume. True, it is a book published for adults, but the author is best known for her children's and teen books. This book takes place in Elizabeth, NJ during the early 1950s when there were three plane crashes within the city limits over the course of just a few months. (I liked the book, but my favorite Blume book will always be Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret.)
Next, I read The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. I wasn't aware that Zevin had written anything for adults -- I knew her as the author of the teen books Elsewhere and Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac. A.J. Fikry is a cantankerous but somehow lovable bookstore owner whose life is changed forever when a series of events makes him an adoptive father, and later, a husband. It's a really fantastic book for bibliophiles.
And, right now, I'm reading The Ocean at the End of the Lane by the wonderful Neil Gaiman. I haven't read much of Gaiman's adult fiction (save Good Omens with Terry Pratchett and Stardust which are both wonderful) but I've loved his picture books (The Wolves in the Walls, for example) and his books for middle grade readers (Coraline and The Graveyard Book) and his graphic novels (The Sandman series)... His books are always creepy, but always well-written and they make you think long after you've turned the last page. I have to say that this one sort of crosses the boundaries -- it could be a teen book: the protagonist is young, there is magic and mystery -- but I'm only on page 50 so there may be more mayhem coming that pushes it more into the adult realm.
All of the books I mentioned above are available at MAPL (or easily requested from another library in LMxAC) if you're interested! Let me know what you've been reading lately -- share your faves in the comments.
Enjoy the rest of your summer!
