ten authors who deserve a shout-out

Hi!

Today, I am participating in The Broke and the Bookish’s weekly Top Ten Tuesday to discuss authors that deserve more recognition! While I am all for authors reaching the popularity that only few have ever achieved {like J.K. Rowling and Suzanne Collins}, there are a LOT of other authors that need and deserve a little shout-out! :) I adored all of the following authors’ books, and I encourage you to check them out. Who do you think deserves some more recognition?

Jessica Day George

I had never heard of Jessica Day George until my sister got me hooked! In all seriousness, though, she is an amazing fantasy writer, and I am surprised that she is not mentioned more often, especially for fans of E.D. Baker or Shannon Hale.

Susan Runholt

Susan Runholt hasn’t released a book in a while, but I don’t think that diminishes what good reads her other novels are! I love the entire Kari and Lucas series, and I wish other middle grade mystery fans would check her out.

Liz Kessler

I read Emily Windsnap so much as a little kid, and Kessler’s books continue to impress me. They are really good choices to help anyone get into the fantasy genre, due to the vivid descriptions and engaging plots. Give it to any elementary school girl, and they will love you forever :)

Bianca Turetsky

Despite the amazing idea for a series and the gorgeous execution of both writing and illustration, The Time Traveling Fashionista series is one that not many have heard about. I love the two books, and I’m trying to get others to like it as well.

Elise Broach

One of the best authors for the elementary school audience, hands down. I don’t know if it is just that she hasn’t written a new novel in a while, or something else, but I don’t hear of Broach very often. Let’s change that!

Kristin Levine

I honestly don’t think I can rave any more about Levine’s books, but I feel like I am one of the select few that have actually read them. I am not sure about the library front, but her books are not mentioned in the blog world usually.

Alison McGhee

I specifically chose Alison McGhee because I feel like her Julia Gillian trilogy is looked over time after time. The books are adorable, and McGhee is a pretty fantastic author, so what are we all waiting for?!

Jennifer Donnelly

Jennifer Donnelly has only written two YA books, but both are outstanding reads. If you haven’t read them already, I urge you to take a peek!

Erin Cashman

Cashman entered the YA world a little over a year ago, and her debut novel was amazing. I don’t recall hearing or seeing about it anywhere {I found it randomly at my library!} but don’t let that stop you! :)

Michael D. Beil

Finally, Michael D. Beil deserves a huge shout-out because he is the author the Red Blazer Girls books. Don’t know what those are? You are truly missing out on a fabulous middle grade series!

Have a lovely night!

Bella

The Exceptionals: A Book Review

Hello!

The Exceptionals by Erin Cashman

Summary: Claire is constantly surrounded by exceptional people. Whether it’s the ability to move objects by mind, to predict the future, or to talk to ghosts, her entire family and the students at Cambial, the nearby school, {where, surprise, surprise, her family all boards/works at.} all have a “special.” These specials make the exceptionals different from the common folk. The only thing? Claire is pretty ordinary. She attends the local high school and hides her embarrassing special from everyone. Claire can communicate with animals, but her family never showed any interest in her special, and actually seemed ashamed of it. But, when her mother forces her to transfer to Cambial, Claire comes to realize that maybe her power isn’t something to be embarrassed of. With an evil man trying to take over, Claire might be the only one who can stop him…

My Thoughts: *Spoilers below! LOVED this one! It was a terrific debut novel, and guessing from the ending, I’m hoping that there will be a sequel. Reeeeeaaaaallllly hoping :) Anyhoo, what I loved the most was that although this was a fantasy/science-fiction {?} there was no vampires, angels, or werewolves. The kids were different, yes, but they didn’t have to be a “creature” to be unique. Claire was lovely! She was quite refreshing from the past few books I’ve read because she actually held her own as main character. I loved her connection with both hawks, and she had a wonderful relationship with her siblings. She was kind of lovestruck, but I think that obsession with Dylan {we’ll get to him later} was needed for the storyline. I do wish though that she was in love with Henry. He was awfully nice :) Dylan worked with that evil man, named Timothy Wilder. He was on Wilder’s side at first, but his love for Claire influenced him to go to the good side. I still don’t trust him fully, but since Claire likes him… His actions near the end were quite noble, but I’m still taking in the fact that he was going to kidnap her! I liked Henry more, just saying. Billy, Claire’s older brother, was so cool, and real older brothers should take hint from him. Charlotte was a tad annoying, but I loved how clueless she could be sometimes! Hehe. Winny was a sweetie, and could quite possibly make my favorite characters list. She was just so fun! Ally was awesome, and a terrific friend to Claire. I hope that she does something with her healing powers, because, come on, how cool is that!? And, although she was barely there, I loved Maggie. Her accent was too cool :) I think what could have made this even better was if the pace of the story was a bit faster. I read for a good amount of time, yet I only read around twenty to thirty pages. I think it moved too slow. On the plus side, Erin Cashman write SUPERB dialogue. With so much information and the amount of characters in a certain time, the dialogue was crucial for understanding. Thankfully, it was clear and easy to follow. I can wait to see what else Erin Cashman might have in store!

Pros: Developed characters, though-out plot, and terrific dialogue.

Cons: The story moved slowly.

Heads Up: Ehh, nothing, really…

Overall: I was all ready to give this 5 stars, but because of the pacing, it deserves 4 1/2 stars. {**** 1/2} I recommend it for ages 11 and up.

Bella :)