Most folks think spring is season of new love and blooming possibilities, but for me, there’s something romantic about fall. I love the quality of light and mix of warm and cool air, the floating and crunchy brightly colored leaves that make me aware of each step, along with the smells of the earth and pine cones. This mood and the turning of the leaves to red are exactly what inspired me to recommend some authors that will make you blush!
John Green’s Looking for Alaska (a 2006 Printz award winner) has a mature scene that has stirred up some controversy and discomfort with parents and educators more than teen readers…but embarrassment aside, what’s refreshing about this novel, and the author’s objective in writing this scene, is that it helps readers distinguish the difference between love (emotional, mental and spiritual closeness) and physical intimacy, which is not always linked to love. I question, however, if Miles’ infatuation with Alaska, or anyone, for that matter, is in fact real love. What do you think?
In Melissa Lander’s Alienated and Invaded, there is plenty of romance that might make you levitate. Cara and the intergalactic exchange student, Aelyx, fall head over heels for each other. Cara believes no human boy could ever be as gorgeous as him, but learns to appreciate more than his superficial beauty, thankfully. In the second novel, the two are separated and longing for every bit of each other—oh—and did I mention too that the future of the planet Earth is at stake?
Sarah Dessen has some serious talent when it comes to writing about romance. In her latest novel, Saint Anything, there is more than just romance, but grief, guilt and odd family dynamics. Sydney needs to learn to accept and love herself and her family before she can make room for Mac and his family in her heart.
I fell in love with Sarah Farizan’s character-driven novel, If You Could Be Mine, narrated by Sahar, a large-breasted tomboy who has been in love with her gorgeous best friend, Nasrin, since she was 6. Nasrin is a free spirit who wants to be a Bollywood star; she’s a flirt and careless about rules, as well as a little spoiled. Along with the love story of these two girls in Tehran, this novel offers a complex glimpse at Iranian class, culture and education issues as well as social customs. It also takes an honest look at homosexual and transsexual feelings and struggles. Be sure to check out the author’s latest novel, Tell Me Again How A Crush Should Feel!
Finally, Emma Mills has a brand-new novel on our shelves entitled First & Then, which she stated was inspired by her love of Jane Austen, who she discovered in high school. Her novel is a terrific sports story about a beloved dude and a prodigy star player who is the exact opposite—sullen, mushy and awkward—in fact, just like Mr. Darcy of Pride and Prejudice.
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