Episode 026.3: Books that got us through 2017 part 2

One last episode for 2017. We finish recapping our favorite reading experiences of the year. We'll be back in 2018 with more in-depth discussions and author interviews.
Byeee

Episode: 026.2 Recapping the Books that Got us Through 2017

Join us as we say "Bye Felicia" to 2017 and ring in 2018. We decided to recount the books that got us through 2017. So the gang discusses their faves whether they were published this year or not.

Too long didn't listen? Well:

Amy in her Is It Teen Enough debut discusses Paper Girls by Brian K. Vaughn, Cliff Chiang, and Matt Wilson. (That new Archie Amy talks aobut is by Mark Waid—who did an awesome Daredevil Run—and Fiona Staples).

Katie discusses Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz.

Molly sent a recording and suggested a barrage of titles: Scythe by Neil Shusterman, The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, Real Friends by Shannon Hale, Tell Me How it Ends by Valeria Luiselli, The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli (which we totally did NOT discuss on the podcast; what were we thinking missing out on that one?), and Girl Mans Up by M-E Girard!

Kim's favorite of the year was The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (she also mentions The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue, which we'll discuss in a future episode, The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman (which I think she accidentally calls The Color of Magic because of her love of Terry Pratchett. R.I.P.), and Turtles all the Way Down by John Green.

Cash Money discusses the Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry.

Nate discusses You Don't Have to Say You Love Me by Sherman Alexie.

Lindsey discusses Far From the Tree by Robin Benway.

Nathan discusses All's Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson

Episode 026.1: Unbecoming by Jenny Downham

In one of our first recorded conversations, Lindsey and Nathan are joined by Angela and Karen to discuss Unbecoming by Jenny Downham. Back then we thought we'd be recording 5 to 15 minute episodes to serve as a companion to an unrealized local book award.

We suggest On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchett

Episode 025: Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner

In this episode we discuss the latest from Jeff Zentner and start praying for a sequel featuring Jesmyn playing keyboards for Dearly (Dillard, of The Serpent King).

Molly suggests 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher and Looking for Alaska by (some author named) John Green.

Nate suggests Sherman Alexie's You Don't Have to Say You Love Me and When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon.

Kim suggests The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner and Final Fantasy XV.

Katie suggests Stranger Things the Netflix series for the relationships, and two books by Caitlin Doughty: The Smoke Gets In Your Eyes and From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death.

Episode 024: Mindy McGinnis

We recorded our interview with Mindy McGinnis on October 16th.  We discuss the way McGinnis crafts full and complex characters, her use of frank and coarse language, that ending, and our ugly culture (in the person of Harvey Weinstein and other predators).

Episode 023: City of Saints and Thieves by Natalie C. Anderson

In this episode we discuss City of Saints and Thieves by Natalie C. Anderson.  Nate keeps trying to make the "Readalike Song" a thing. 

Lindsey suggests Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo.

Nathan suggests The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan.

Cash Money affirms that we are not sponsored by Crystal Pepsi (yet; if you know how we can get that Pepsi money please let us know).

Episode 022: Allegedly by Tiffany Jackson

In this episode we discuss Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson. A number of us were initially put off by the book's end, and the early part of our discussion reflects that. But as our conversation continues, many of us reevaluate our reactions. We hope you won't write off our conversation on first glance. Please hang in there for the whole thing.

Kim suggests My Sister Rosa by Justine Lararbalestier.

Cash Money suggests Law and Order SVU.

Nathan suggests The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.

Nate suggests Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis.

Molly suggests Monster by Walter Dean Myers.

Episode 021: Interview with Nina La Cour

In this episode we interview Nina La Cour. She gives some really wonderful insight into her writing process and talks about how a series of really intense personal experiences inspired We Are Okay. And we're all still swooning over how amazing the book was and how cool Nina La Cour is.

Episode 020: Dreadnought by April Daniels

We discuss Dreadnought by April Daniels, and Nate talks with food in his mouth (again).

Katie suggests Brian Selzick's The Marvels if you want to see a combination of text and illustrations.

Cash Money's coworker Lisa C suggests The Eight Worlds series by John Varley and Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin.

Cash Money suggests Luna by Julie Ann Peters and Magnus Chase The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan.

Kim suggests Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona and Marie Lu's Young Elites.

Lindsey suggests the Runaways by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona.

Molly suggests Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire.

Nate suggests the CW's The 100 and I am Princess X by Cherie Priest and the Conqueror Saga (And I Darken & Now I Rise) by Kiersten White.

Episode 019: The Leaving by Tara Altebrando

In this episode we salvage an old discussion of The Leaving by Tara Altebrando. (Don't worry, it sounds totally natural—and theme appropriate— when Kim and Molly suddenly disappear during our Random Comments from the Internet segment, are replaced by Katie, and then suddenly reappear for Read-a-likes. Don't worry; they were not kidnapped, and their memories were not erased by morally flexible scientists.)

Kim suggests We Were Liars by E. Lockhart.

Nate suggests The Dead Zone by Stephen King. (Then after the end credits roll, Nate also suggests the film I Know What You Did Last Summer, the actor Ryan Phillipe, and the alternative rock band Bush.)

Nathan suggests Bone Gap by Laura Ruby.

Lindsey suggests Emmy and Oliver by Laura Benway and Picture Me Gone by Meg Rosoff.

Cash Money suggests the television program The Leftovers.

Molly suggests The Cellar by Natasha Preston and The Bunker Diaries by Kevin Brooks.

We've included a clip of LilyCReads' review of The Leaving in our Random Comments from the Internet segment (hope that's cool, Lily). Check out  her full review here.

Episode 018: The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis

In this episode we discuss the Female of the Species and read a note from an actual listener!

Kim suggests My Sister Rosa by Justine Larbalestier and Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson.

Cash Money seconds Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson and suggests White Oleander by Janet Fitch.

Katie seconds My Sister Rosa by Justine Larbalestier.

Molly suggests Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson and the Gillian Anderson show The Fall.

Nathan suggests Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Veronica Mars, and iZombie as watch-a-likes.  He also suggests Stephen King books.

Nate suggests books by Carrie Mesrobian (Perfectly Good White Boy and Sex & Violence).

Lindsey suggests The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Episode 017: Interview with Julie Berry

After some technical difficulties (i.e. Nathan forgot to push record), we conduct an amazing interview with Julie Berry, author of The Passion of Dolssa. We talk character development, research, writing for teen audiences, and more.

Episode 016: American Street by Ibi Zoboi

In this episode we discuss American Street by Ibi Zoboi. Tiffany Crawford joins us to provide some background on Haiti and the practice of Vodou.

Kim suggests In The Country that We Love by Diane Guerrero.

Nathan suggests Beloved by Toni Morrison, and records by J Dilla (especially Donuts).

Molly suggests The Posionwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver and books by Francesca Lia Block.

Lindsey suggests The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, and sparks a conversation about In Darkness by Nick Lake (we discuss representation and authenticity). So, maybe not a recommendation? Read it and tell us what you think: isitteenenoughforyounow@gmail.com

Episode 015: Interview with M-E Girard

We interview M-E Girard author of Girl Mans Up (it was nominated for the Morris award and won a Lambda Literary Award). We talk about made up video games, a blonde Amy Lee, and how much different the book's original plot was.

Episode 014: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Apparently, The Hate U Give turned us into a bunch of swear bears. I would love if a dedicated listener would tally the number of f-bombs dropped in this episode and help us quantify just how inappropriate we got. Also please write to explain to Nate why dance floors clear every time he puts on the 2 Pac Shakur song "Hit 'Em Up."

Nate suggests If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson.

Kim and Cash Money suggest All American Boys by Brendan Kiely and Jason Reynolds.

Kim suggests the March Trilogy by John Lewis & Andrew Aydin and American Street by Ibi Zoboi.

Nathan suggests We Are Okay by Nina La Cour.

 Katie suggests The Freedom Writers Diary by Erin Gruwell.

 Cash Money suggests 2 Pac's Greatest Hits & Kim suggests the Hamilton soundtrack.

Episode 013: We Are Okay by Nina La Cour

We discuss We Are Okay by Nina La Cour.

Cash Money suggests Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson and the Cat Power song "Colors and the Kids."

Nate suggests Just Listen by Sarah Dessen and the song "My Love For You Is Real" by Ryan Adams and the Cardinals.

Kim suggests If I Stay by Gayle Forman.

Nathan suggests The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.

Lindsey suggests I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson.

Katie suggests "Brian and Stewie" the seventeenth episode of the eighth season of the animated television show Family Guy.

Episode 012: Interview With Meg Medina

Meg Medina was gracious enough to join us in the kitchen (via Facetime), and we had a wide ranging discussion: we talked about Burn Baby Burn, disco, Soul Train, baseball, and the women's movement. We hope you absolutely love this episode!

Episode 011: My Sister Rosa by Justine Larbalestier

In between fighting the urge to talk about how creepy Dexter is and how disappointed we were with the 4th season of Sherlock, we discuss Justine Larbalestier's My Sister Rosa.

Katie suggests I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga, Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis (which we'll discuss in a future episode), and Law & Order SVU.

Lindsey suggests Dexter.

Cash Money suggests the Elijah Wood movie The Good Son and Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson.

Nate suggests Misery (both the movie and the Stephen King novel).

Nathan jokingly suggested The B in Apartment 23, but edited it out of the episode in a rare moment of clarity (wait, why is it in the show notes, then?)

Episode 010: The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

We add a new segment in which we respond to random comments Nate finds on the Internet, Nathan argues that the Weeknd is not as forlorn as Kurt Cobain, and we discuss Nicola Yoon's The Sun is Also a Star.

Lindsey suggests A.S. King's Ask the Passengers and Please Ignore Vera Dietz.

Katie suggests Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell & The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.

Kim suggests Something in Between by Melissa de la Cruz Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist and Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn.

Nathan also puts in a plug (sort of) for Nick and Nora.

Nate suggests The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds.

Ca$h Money suggests Before Sunrise.

Episode 009: The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner

The panel discusses The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner.

Ca$h Money (aka Amanda) suggests I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga.

Nathan and Katie suggest The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.

Nate suggests Friday Night Lights (but only the television program), The Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson and Looking for Alaska by John Green.

Kim suggests Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell, the opening scenes of the Hunger Games, The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness, Wolfhollow by Lauren Wolk, and Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruits by Jayne Robbin Brown.

Episode 008: Scythe by Neal Shusterman

In our discussion of Neal Shusterman's Scythe, Nate muses, "are we off the rails?" Maybe we are: Nathan suggests a twitter feed as a readalike, and Molly and Nathan complain about the editing standards at Simon & Schuster.

Lindsey suggest The Giver by Lois Lowry and Croak by Gina Damico (and the show Dead Like Me).

Cash Money suggests the film Serenity and the episode "Nose Dive" (Season 3; episode 1) of Black Mirror.

Nathan suggests Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Little Brother by Cory Doctorow (esp. the back matter), The Rebel and Resistance, Rebellion, and Death by Albert Camus, and the AltUsNatParkService twitter feed.

Kim suggests The Expanse (on SyFy)and Hogfather by Terry Pratchett.

Katie suggests The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau.

Episode 007: The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry

In this episode we discuss The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry.

Molly suggests A Northern Light or Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly.

Nathan suggests Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood.

And Kim suggests books by Elizabeth Wein (Rose Under Fire, Codename Verity, or Black Dove, White Raven.

Episode 006: Away We Go by Emil Ostrovski

In this episode we discuss Away We Go by Emil Ostrovski.

Cash Money suggests the Lars von Trier film Melancholia and Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.

Nate suggests More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera.

Kim suggests Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.

Nathan suggests Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis and Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block.

Lindsey suggests The Stranger by Camus.

Molly suggests John Green and Andrew Smith.

Episode 005: Girl Mans Up by M-E Girard

In this episode we discuss M-E Girard's great debut novel Girl Mans Up.

Ca$h Money drops a bombshell of a theory about Pen's parentage.

Molly suggests Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan, anything by Brent Hartinger, Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour, and You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour and David Levithan.
Nate suggests Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli.

Kim suggests Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnston (after you read it, go back and listen to episode 001!).

Amanda suggests Xena Warrior Princess and Urban Fiction (as a genre).

Nathan mentions, but forgets to suggest, Unbecoming by Jenny Downham.

Lindsey suggests None of the Above by I. W. Gregorio and Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin (Nathan concurs).

Also we'd love to hear from you: agree with us, disagree with us, suggest a book, or anything else at isitteenenoughforyounow@gmail.com or @isitteenenough on Twitter

Episode 004.5 And I Darken: A Reconsideration by Nathan

I feel as though our discussion of And I Darken by Kiersten White may have missed something important: that while the novel is forcing us to reexamine Vlad the Impaler, it's also forcing us to reconsider Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.

Full disclosure: if you follow us on Twitter, you'll know that Nate and I have never actually read Twilight.  This leaves me open to completely valid criticism, so if you disagree, please tell me.  On the other hand, Twilight was also an inescapable cultural phenomenon, so I think I have the basics down.

Again, correct me if I'm wrong, but Bella falls for a vampire who continually protects her.  She falls into a kind of love triangle with Jacob and Edward.  She frequently seems to have less agency than those around her (she's saved by Edward, saved by Jacob, told that she must become a vampire, and eventually turned by Edward).

And I Darken performs a pretty elegant subterfuge.  It alludes to dragons and vampires, but also shows us that those things aren't real.  Vlad the Impaler was not a vampire.  The west's transformation of him into one can be read as a means of discrediting him.  Readers of And I Darken are likely to want a vampire.  But we don't get one.

Granted this trilogy isn't over, but here are some pretty sharp contrasts to the land of sparkly vampires.

1) Lada rejects love and the potential of a love triangle (or quadrangle or octagon: Mehmed has many concubines).
2) Lada's agency is never in question: she is the one doing and acting.  And it's always on her own terms.
3) Lada avoids sex with Mehmed (no chance of a potentially immortal baby here).
4) Lada is not a vampire and presumably never will be.  She becomes Dracul at the story's end, but that's a position that feels even more powerful than a vampire.

There's probably a lot more, and I'd love to hear details you have that corroborate my theory or that completely reject it.

Also get reading: Episode 005: Girl Mans Up by M-E Girard is due out on February 27th.

Episode 004: And I Darken by Kiersten White

In this episode we discuss And I Darken by Kiersten White (the first book in the Conqueror's Saga).  We talk a lot about The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry (read ahead; it'll be featured in a future episode).

Molly suggests the Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry and anything by Donna Jo Napoli.

Nathan suggests Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman.

Nate suggests the Gilmore Girls: A Year In the Life.

Kim totally does not suggest Twilight by Stephenie Meyer or A Song of Fire and Ice by George R. R. Martin (*wink*), but does suggest Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard.

Amanda aka Ca$h Money suggests Outlander by Diana Gabaldon and The Winter's Curse by April L. Wood.

Episode 003: Burn Baby Burn by Meg Medina

In this episode, which we recorded before the National Book Award Winners were announced (we were all on board Ms. Medina!), we discuss Burn Baby Burn by Meg Medina.

Nate reveals his crush on super librarian Nancy Pearl.

Molly suggests books by Walter Dean Myers and The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart. Nate suggests Full Cicada Moon by Marilyn Hilton and If I Ever Get Out Of Here by Eric Gansworth. Lindsey suggests Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds, More Happy than Not by Adam Silvera, and American Girls by Alison Umminger. Kim highly (!) suggests Gabi A Girl In Pieces by Isabel Quintero.  Nathan mentions, but forgets to suggest Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older, but you should go read it!

Episode 002: Highly Illogical Behavior

In this episode we discuss John Corey Whaley's Highly Illogical Behavior.

We also learn that Amanda's real name is Ca$h Money.

Ca$h Money (aka Amanda Money) suggests Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.
Molly suggests Ann Brashares' books (in particular the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) and Lauren Myracle's Internet Girls Series (start with ttyl).
Lindsey suggests Fans of the Impossible Life by Kate Scelsa and Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan.
Nate and Kim suggest 100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith.
Nate suggests Porcupine of Truth by Bill Konigsberg, Scarboys by Len Vlahos, and Marcello and the Real World by Francisco X. Stork.