Armchair BEA #5: Topic of Choice and YA

Design by Amber of Shelf Notes

Armchair BEA 

I can't believe today is the last day for Armchair BEA. It has been a lot of fun for me to write these posts. And you can't imagine how much you all have made me smile when I come back to see so many comments.

Thank you all for visiting my blog during Armchair BEA. And I know if I am still unable to go to BEA in 2015, I will definitely watch and participate in Armchair BEA again!

Topic of Choice

Today is the day to talk about something that you feel we have missed or that you want to spend a little extra time chatting about. Ideas include, but are not limited to: a genre that does not fit into those featured earlier this week; logistics, such as blogging resources, procedures, or advice; or something completely fun with book to movie adaptations or favorite blogging games, features, memes, events, and/or activities. It’s your freebie day to choose what you like!

For my topic of choice I want to go back to talking about features. And before I didn't share the few ideas that I have thought of, but I think now I am going to list them and what I would do. 

I would like any feedback. If you already know a blog doing this, please let me know. I did some Google searches, but I can't search every blog on the internet. 

Also, I am wondering if there is any interest in participation from fellow bloggers. 

Idea 1: "Blogger Collaborative Storytelling"

I know that like myself there are several bloggers (and bookish people) that I follow that enjoy writing stories/books. And I was thinking how much fun it could be for us to write a story together.

Each story would start with a given prompt. 

Then I would have open signups and anyone could participate. 

Once sign-ups are closed, I would post a list for the order (and a sense of when that blogger would post their part of the story). 

Each week the next blogger on the list would post their section of the story continuing on what has previously been written.

(Does this make sense?)

For example: 

This story's prompt is: One dark and stormy night, Mitchell was rushing home to his family when suddenly...

1. Blogger 1

2. Blogger 2

3. Blogger 3

Blogger 1 would then continue the story for a couple paragraphs (I'd say 1 or 2). Then they would email it to me and I would post it on that feature's day.

Blogger 2 would then have several days to then complete their section of the story to be emailed to me by the day before the feature's post date.

Then it would go to Blogger 3 and so on.

Then when we come to the end of the list, either the last person can finish the story or we could start a new list and continue it.

Does this idea make sense? Would anyone be interested in it?

Idea #2: "Undress the Book"

This feature would focus on looking at the book cover under the dust jacket. There are so many beautiful hardback covers that are under the dust jacket. One of the first things I do when I get a new hardcover book is to undress it and look at the book. 

And I thought it would be cool to spotlight these covers and the lettering on the spines. 

The feature would have pictures of the undressed book. And I would share why I like that certain undressed book. 

I also thought it would be cool to have other bloggers guest post and share some of their favorite undressed books.

Thanks for reading my ideas. I hope they made sense. 

Middle Grade/Young Adult

Our final genre of discussion is one that we know is a popular one these days: books for the younger crowd, from middle grade to young adult. If you do not normally talk about this genre on your site, maybe you want to feature books that you remember impacting you during this stage in your life. If this is where you tend to gravitate, maybe you want to list your favorites, make recommendations based on genres, or feature some titles that you are excited to read coming later this year.

I am a pretty avid YA reader. (Most of the books that I read are YA).

YA Dystopians:

1. The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
2. Under the Never Sky Trilogy by Veronica Rossi
3. Legend Trilogy by Marie Lu
4. Blood Red Road Trilogy by Moira Young
5. Uglies Series by Scott Westerfeld
6. Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth
7. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
8. Matched Trilogy by Ally Condie
9. Delirium Trilogy by Lauren Oliver
10. The Giver by Lois Lowry

YA Science Fiction and Fantasy:

1. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
2. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
3. Daughter of Smoke & Bone Trilogy by Laini Taylor
4. The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski
5. Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch (Release Date: October 2014)
6. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
7. NIL by Lynne Matson
8. Unremembered by Jessica Brody

YA Contemporary:

1. The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes
2. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
3. Faking Normal by Courtney C. Stevens
4. The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu (Release Date June 3, 2014)
5. Torn Away by Jennifer Brown

YA Retellings:

1. Cinder by Marissa Meyer (Cinderella Retelling)
2. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (Litter Red Riding Hood Retelling)
3. Cress by Marissa Meyer  (Rapunzel Retelling)
4. The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd (The Island of Dr. Moreau Retelling)
5. The Trouble With Flirting by Claire LaZebnik (Mansfield Park Retelling)