GreenBeanTeenQueen

I love watching trends in YA. The Girls in Sports trend has been around for awhile-there's always been some books out there featuring female athletes. But it seems like this year there are even more girls in sports novels being released-or maybe I'm just noticing them more. After Catherine Gilbert Murdock's Dairy Queen Series, Miranda Kenneally is becoming my go-to author for books that feature female athletes. She's also gaining quite a fan base with the teens at my library. Ms. Kenneally has written previous novels that feature girls playing sports and her upcoming novel, out in December, features a girl  training to become a jockey: Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally Girls and horses go together! This novel features a girl who wants to become a Catch Rider (show rider) and works training horses: Catch Rider by Jennifer H. Lyne After horses, tennis seems to be a popular sport this year: The Academy: Game On by Monica Seles   (This one...

Greek Mythology related YA stories have always been, but since the rise of Percy Jackson, it feels like we're seeing more and more Mythology make it's way into YA novels. But there's one myth that seems to cropping up more than others: retellings of Persephone and Hades. Maybe because there's an element of star-crossed romance, maybe it lends itself to angsty romantic plots, but whatever it is, Persephone is a popular character right now. The first Persephone book I really noticed was back in 2009. I remember reading about this one on Betsy Bird's HarperCollins preview and I knew I wanted to read it based on the cover: Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman But then the Persephone stories kept coming: The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter Abandon by Meg Cabot Everneath by Brodi Ashton Coming out this year is a dystopian take on Persephone: Solstice by P. J. Hoover And Leila at Bookshelves of Doom posted about another Perse...

There have been a lot of circus themed or books with circus elements to them coming out lately in the YA world. I tend to think this trend has something to do with this little title that was published a couple of years ago: I think The Night Circus made the circus cool and marketable and put it on everyone's publishing radar. Here are some YA circus themed books: Wonder Show by Hannah Barnaby -A traveling wonder show that travels from circus to circus to attract attendees into their human curiosities show.  That Time I Joined the Circus by J.J. Howard -A girl joins a circus in search of her mother  Freaks by Kieran Larwood -A group of misfits are trapped in a Victorian sideshow Pantomime by Laura Lam -Features a circus of magic and a character who joins the circus and becomes its rising star. Have you noticed any other circus themes showing up in books?

So I normally post about trends I see happening in YA, but here's a trend that is happening across the board:  bird watching. It took me by surprise-who knew bird watching would become so book trendy? But check it out: Childrens : Robin, Where Are You? by Harriet Ziefert, Illustrated by Noah Woods Middle Grade: Look Up! Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard by Annette LeBlanc Cate Here Where the Sunbeams are Green by Helen Phillips  (not totally about bird watching, but features bird watching characters) Bird Nerd by Tracy Edward Wymer (This one appears to be self published, which I don't typically include,but I thought it was interesting how it fit the theme) Young Adult:  Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley  Adult : Snapper by Brian Kimberling Have you noticed birds in your books lately?

Trends are a funny thing. Some come all at once and others seem to slowly creep up on you as you read. I feel like in the dystopian genre there more books coming out that take a fairy twist in a dystopian world. Fairy tales are always popular, but the dystopian twist seems to be taking off. Here are a few I've noticed: A Long Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan -This was the first dystopian fairy tale I noticed. I listened to it on audiobook when it came out in 2011 and really enjoyed it. It's a dystopian/future/scifi take on Sleeping Beauty. From Goodreads:   Rosalinda Fitzroy has been asleep for sixty-two years when she is woken by a kiss. Locked away in the chemically induced slumber of a stasis tube in a forgotten subbasement, sixteen-year-old Rose slept straight through the Dark Times that killed millions and utterly changed the world she knew. Now, her parents and her first love are long gone, and Rose-- hailed upon her awakening as the long-lost heir to an interpl...

I've been talking about Trends In YA this year and it's time for another edition! This time, it's books about being trapped in a building! This trend freaks me out-it's so easy for that plot to become very creepy. I first noticed this in YA with last year's book  Trapped  (and yes, I know, it came out last year and I'm trying to focus my trends on 2012 titles, but stick with me, OK?) Trapped by Michael Northrop -How would you like to be trapped in school during a blizzard? With the rise of the dystopia genre, more novels that have freakish accidents, strange diseases and getting trapped are becoming more popular. No Safety in Numbers by Dayna Lorentz -A biological bomb in the air ducts of the mall leads to a quarantine. Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne -Disasters outside and teens trapped inside a superstore. Quarantine: The Loners by Lex Thomas -An explosion at school, a deadly virus and students quarantined inside....

I got this book in my mailbox this week: Sirens by Janet Fox Looks like the perfect addition to the Gossipy Historical Trend, don't you think?

As I read a lot this year, I've been posting about the various trends I've seen popping up in YA. Check out the previous trends: Italy is Awesome, Glass Blowing, One Crazy Night, Game of Thrones for Teens,  and Gossipy Historical ala Downton Abbey . I think that because of the rise in dystopian lit, we're also seeing a rise in survival stories. And one of the survival storylines that is making it's way into YA lit is stories based on plane crashes. This isn't new- Hatchet is a plane crash survival story that was first published in 1987. In fact, the first book in this trend has even been compared to Hatchet:   Survive by Alex Morel -I've seen the tagline Hatchet meets Lost for this one. A girl is on her way home, and she's actually planning on killing herself, when the plane she's on crashes and she and boy are the only survivors.     The Raft by S. A. Bodeen Robie decides to unexpectedly  take a cargo plane back home to the ...

Reading a lot this year I'm noticing lots of trends in YA. So far I've seen Italy, Glass Blowing , One Crazy Night, and what got the most comments, the Game of Thrones for YA trend. Now, the gossipy historical trend isn't new. The Luxe came out in 2007. But this year I've nocticed a rise in the gossipy historicals being published. I think it's partly due to Downton Abbey's popularity that is making this trend rise, especially give the this book:   Wentworth Hall by Abby Graham -This one is a pretty obvious Downton Abbey readalike     Keeping the Castle by Patrice Kindl -Austenesque historical that I think fans of Downton Abbey would love!   It doesn't have the be the same time period as these. There is gossip in historical fiction to be had even further back!     Ladies in Waiting by Laura L. Sullivan -Gossipy historical set in the 1600s     Gilt by Katherine Longshore -Gossipy historical set in the Tudor Age   Have you se...

I've mentioned how much I love Game of Thrones here on the blog. Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan had read the whole series and couldn't wait for the TV Show. I was quickly hooked on the TV Show and am now working my way through the books. Of course, the YA world took note and now a big trend of books being marketed as " Game of Thrones for Teens" are coming out. And even those that might not have that tagline are appearing this year and I think they could have the same thing said about them. I'm really hoping this means a rise in epic fantasy in YA! Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes -This was the first book I heard as described with the Game of Thrones for Teens tagline when it was announced in Publisher's Weekly . It's been on my radar ever since because, that simple sell totally works for me! Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas -Another one I heard mentioned with the "for Game of Thrones fans" tagline Defiance by C.J. Re...

The more you read, the more you notice certain trends in books. With as much reading as I have to do this year, I've noticed A LOT of trends in YA. So far I've pointed out the Glass Blowing Trend and The Hangover for Teens (aka One Crazy Night) Trend . So where's the popular setting for YA books this year? Italy is the place to be apparently! Just take a look: Sisters of Glass by Stephanie Hemphill -It has one trend already-glass blowing-and where does it take place? Italy! Cross My Heart by Sasha Gould -Historical secret society-in Italy! Venom by Fiona Paul -This novel is out in October and takes place in Italy! Cross My Heart and Venom also have a mini trend of masks on the cover. Changeling by Philppa Gregory -Another historical-with ties to Italy Flirting In Italian by Lauren Henderson -It's not just historical fiction that's set in Italy-we've got contemporary fiction there too! Have you noticed ...

When you read a lot of books, you start to notice trends. So I decided I would start posting about the trends I've seen so far this year. Last week, I posted about one trend: "One Crazy Night aka The Hangover for Teens"  Now for trend number two: Glass Blowing in YA. This is an odd trend I think. Who would have thought glass blowing would be making an appearance in a lot of YA lit? I guess I think it's funny because it always makes me think of my childhood vacation days to Silver Dollar City and watching the glass blowers. I never thought it would be a trend in YA! It's showing up in historical and contemporary books. First up, a book that meets one trend already (The One Crazy Night Trend) and adds the Glass Blowing Trend: Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley Trend Note: Lucy is a talented glass artist who is studying the art in a studio and making her own pieces. Happy Families by Tanita S. Davis Trend Note: Ysabel is another talented teen...