Many thank to all the cool folks who are contributing Coming-of-Age book titles to this year's round of the You Should Read This Awards. (They are really Non-Awards as the point is the list and no one wins or loses, but we are award happy this time of year, and so there you go.) Please go to the link and read the rules and add your voice!
A couple of observations on the nominations so far:
Lots of older books have made the list - much more than recent publications, so clearly readers never forget the books they connected with when younger.
Not one single graphic novel, which I will work on rectifying next week. I wonder if this is a sign that graphic novels are still not making it out to a larger non-comic book reading audience?
The list is very girl heavy - but getting much better with some recent boy additions. The Chocolate War and The Outsiders were added and I welcome them, although it seems beyond sad that books for boys must be so old. I have already added King Dork and An Abundance of Katherines but I know there must be many many more. What about science fiction coming-of-age? Any ideas for boys out there? (I also think The Geography Club belongs on the list - I'm surprised not to have seen it show up from anyone either.)
I was thrilled to see Connie Willis' Doomsday Book show up - that's one that I bet a ton of readers miss because it is SFF.
And finally some great folks have linked to the list and I appreciate that so much....but I have to wonder, why are they linking but not nominating themselves? Leila....Cecil....I know you must have opinons on this subject? Nominate ladies! Nominate!!!!!
