If you read my other blog, you may have read this post last week, in which I announce that I'm joining the #RebelliousWriting movement, which is all about encouraging writers to create clean fiction for teens and younger readers. I'll be posting more about this in the future, like when the official website launches on August 9.
For the past few years, I've been putting a movie-style rating on the books I review here, and mentioning what kind of content the book has so that my blog readers will know if they'll be comfortable reading it.
Today, I'm debuting a brand new page for this blog! If you look up at the top of the page, you'll see a page marked "#RebelliousWriting Reading List." That is exactly what it sounds like -- my suggestions of clean, enjoyable books that I think teens (and adults) would enjoy. Some of them are classics. Some of them are brand-new. Some of them fall in between the two. But every book on it would NEVER receive a rating higher than PG-13 if it were a movie. I will add new books to that list as I encounter them, so whenever you're looking for something new to read, that list might give you some ideas.
Thanks for doing this!
ReplyDelete-Gray Marie
graymariewrites.blogspot.com
Oh, and also, once the official website opens for Rebellious Writing, we're going to be reviewing and recommending good books for teens, so if you're ever interested in that, contact us through our blog opening on August ninth!
DeleteGray Marie, I would totally be up for that. I'll definitely be contacting you!
DeleteWhat a good idea! Thank you again so much for joining this movement! It is so great to have published authors joining!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, MC! I thought having them in one spot might be helpful.
DeleteI've been reading your blog for a bit, and I love the movie style ratings. They've been really helpful for me to decide whether or not to check out the book.
ReplyDeleteI've checked out your book list, and it is awesome!
Catherine
catherinesrebellingmuse.blogspot.com
Thanks, Catherine! I like having the ratings too because they help me remember a book's content long after my memories have become vague.
DeleteGlad you like the book list!
I would join, but I don't really aim my stuff at teens. I suppose it COULD be YA because a lot of it is about teenage protagonists (alongside older ones) and I don't write anything I'd be uncomfortable with my mother reading, but... I dunno. I've got some dark ideas that could be really profound, and I'm not sure I could pull them off without more adult elements.
ReplyDeleteEven so, I'll never be explicit. That's just not me. :P
Charity, yeah, I get that. I'm currently writing YA, but my previous writings aimed at adults are... more adult. Not explicit, but darker, for sure.
DeleteThe only thing I've read of yours is I, Claudia so far, and I don't think that's YA. All the demon possession and the more provocative moments made me leave it off this list. Doesn't mean I didn't dig it! Just means yeah... not for teens.
I wouldn't think so either. :P
DeleteI have other books, but while all of them include magic, their themes are dark: one is a pacifist thrown into an assassin's school, there's the girl who discovers her magical powers and must fight to regain the northern woods, another is a fake psychic who gets caught up in a curse, etc.
I really don't belong anywhere which probably should not make me proud. ;)
Charity, you're a rebel and you'll never, ever be any good. I like you.
DeleteGood for you! I've been appalled at alot of the YA garbage out there.
ReplyDeleteI don't know whether you've seen this site, but I get most of my YA from there: http://www.classical-homeschooling.org/celoop/1000.html Click on the blue title on the left to get into the book lists.
I started my children's blog to try to get some of these more wholesome YA books more exposure but sadly I've only had time to keep up with my main blog. I hope to have more time soon to get back to it: http://cleoclassicalchildrens.blogspot.ca
In any case, rebels unite! ;-)
Thanks, Cleopatra! There really is -- I've been appalled by some things I read in YA books.
DeleteI hadn't seen that list before, so thanks! I might find some things on there for my kids.
I do remember that blog of yours. Hope you have time eventually to return to it!
YAYQ!!!! I'm always looking for recommendations. I've got tons of nonfiction. but I need to pair each with at least a couple fiction options. And my 100+ list looked too small to last to me. I'm crazy. But anyway.
ReplyDeleteLivia, I haven't counted lately, but last time I did, my TBR list was approaching 300. I'm in despair. That does included fiction and non, tho. Hope you find some things you like on my list, or through the official site for the movement, which is now open!
DeleteI love this idea! I'm so glad someone thought of this. I was recently talking about this with my sister and it really is a marvel how there are so few clean YA books. I'll definitely be checking out that website when it comes up... thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteFawnabelle, I know. I am just so pleased with this whole idea, and eager to see it continue. Website is up now -- visit it over here.
DeleteThis is wonderful! When I write stories like for teens, I make sure that they are clean. My "rule" for writing is never to write something I would be ashamed to show my parents or ashamed if one of my future descendants read.
ReplyDeleteAlso, very very random, when I saw the title of your post, I couldn't help but think of the Veggie Tales song "Where have all the staplers gone?"
Cecilia, that's a good "rule"! I feel quite similarly. My parents always want to read what I write, and in fact, my mom helped proofread my new book. Though I don't feel constrained to write things they'll *like* necessarily, I do want them to feel comfortable reading what I write. And my kids too, though they're a bit young to read some of what I've written about WWII and such.
DeleteI do like that VeggieTales song! Though I named this title after a different song, the war-protest classic "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?"