I guess staying home sick is as good a time as any to write a blog post.  It’s miserable and rainy outside and Peanut’s going crazy because she’s desperate for a walk, but I’m pretty sure once she gets out there she’s going to change her mind.  She’s a prissy girl and doesn’t like getting her feet wet.  If I was feeling better, I wouldn’t actually mind being out there in the rain.  I’m from Seattle after all, and it really does rain there as much as people say it does, and I find it kind of comforting.  I’m going to be a rain snob and say it’s comical what people call a “storm” here.  It rains more than an inch and everybody’s on red alert, the city of Berkeley floods, and people stay home from work.  I wish I wasn’t sick so I could trudge through the rain and show everyone how a real woman does it–without an umbrella, holding a cup of coffee and a leash  and talking on the phone at the same time.

Did I really just write that long ass paragraph about the weather?  I must really be bored.

In other news, I have way too many books piled up on my bedside table waiting to be read.  A few of them have already been read, but I’ve been too lazy to move them back to the bookshelf.  Here’s a sample: Youth in Revolt, by C.D. Page (I’ve never read this but apparently it’s a classic.  And anything’s that’s been made into a movie starring Michael Cera definitely deserves my time); The Scientific American Day in the Life of Your Brain: A 24-Hour Journal of What’s Happening to Your Brain as You Sleep, Dream, Wake Up, Eat, Work, Play, Fight, Love, Worry, Compete, Hope, Make Important Decisions, Age, and Change (I’m reading this for my work’s book club.  I usually don’t participate because they usually read business books, but I’m a sucker for anything that’ll help me understand that squishy gray mass of crazy in my head–and for subtitles that barely fit on the cover); and Some Girls Are, by Courtney Summers (which I’ve been wanting to read ever since I heard about it months ago, plus Courtney is rad and we share the same rad agent and the same rad haircut, and as soon as I finish it, she’s agreed to do a rad interview for this silly little blog, so I almost want to skip what I’m currently reading–Cavedweller, by one of my all-time favorite writers Dorothy Allison–but I can’t quit now because it’s too freakin’ good.)

So now what should I do?  I’ve written two incredibly long paragraphs about weather and books, my dog needs a walk but is distracted for the time being by a chewing on a rawhide, I’m craving a cheeseburger and fries (which is definitely not allowed on my no-carb, no-dairy diet), I’m still in my pajamas and my hair’s sticking up all over the place, I have a million books I want to read (but I also have cable TV), my body aches, my throat is sore, my head hurts, I’m bored, and do I even need to mention that new novel that needs to be written?

Hmm…. I think I’ll take a nap. Good night everyone (well, good afternoon really).

2009 was a great year for reading.  But as always, I bought way more books than I was actually able to get through.  They’re still sitting on my shelves all shiny and unbent and beautiful.  I stare at them longingly, but first I must finish the amazing book I’m reading now, Slanted and Enchanted: The Evolution of Indie Culture by my friend Kaya Oakes.  If you have ever attached the word “indie” or “alternative” or “punk” or “DIY” or “counterculture” to yourself or something you’ve loved, you MUST read this book to understand where it all came from.

Hopefully I’ll get to all my gorgeous books this year, but the truth is I’ll probably buy more to add to the unread piles, and the vicious cycle will continue.  Book buying (and hoarding) is like an addiction, but I don’t feel too bad about it.  As far as addictions go, it could be much worse, and someone needs to keep the publishing industry alive.

With no further ado, here’s my list of the best books I read in 2009.  They’re in no particular order, except for the top two which are tied for the number one spot.

• The Book Thief, by Marcus Zuzak
• The Road, by Cormac McCarthy
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
• The Adderall Diaries, by Stephen Elliott
• Wintergirls, by Laurie Halse Anderson
• To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
• King Dork, by Frank Portman
• Geek Love, by Katherine Dunn
• Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer, by Novella Carpenter
• Bridge of Sighs, by Richard Russo

What are the best books you read in 2009?

Well, today’s the last day of 2009 and I couldn’t be more ready for it to be over.  Not that 2009 wasn’t a great year, but a lot of huge things happened, and even though most of them were good, it was still pretty stressful. My first novel was published, I turned thirty, I got a dog, I made major life changes for my health, and now it’s December 31 and I’m ready for a nap.

I’m hoping 2010 will also be full of joy and adventures, but maybe the more soothing kind would be nice.  Like maybe I’ll get to sleep in on weekends a little more often, and maybe I’ll get to cook more and work out in the garden.  Maybe I’ll get at least seven hours of sleep every night, and exercise every morning, and take my dog on more walks.  These may seem like pretty boring wishes, but they sound like heaven to me.  Because I’ve found that the quieter my life is, the more I’m able to fully appreciate all the amazing things I have to be grateful for.  When I’m running around all the time, I can forget to stop and look around and see all the blessings in my life, and there are so many.

On this last day of 2009, I’d like to take a moment to appreciate all of the things that make my life so wonderful:

My husband Brian, for being my best friend and soul mate and partner in crime.

My fabulous, loyal, loving friends–the old ones who have put up with my antics over the years, and the new ones who don’t know what they’re in for.

My family, for supporting and accepting me through both difficult and joyous times.

My health, for coming back to me.

My home, for being sturdy and warm.

My job, for surrounding me with amazing people and supporting me in this difficult economy.

Oakland, for being quirky and full of stories and a great place to call home.

The Book Thief, for being the best book I read all year.

Amy Tipton, Anica Rissi, and everyone at Simon Pulse for giving me the opportunity to share Beautiful with the world.

And finally, everyone who has read Beautiful, especially those of you who have shared your thoughts with me.  I write to share my soul with you.  That you accept it is the greatest gift I could ask for.

Have a happy, healthy, and safe New Year!

Love,

Amy

It seems like I’ve been making slightly different versions of the same New Year’s resolutions every year for my whole life.  The top one usually involves some kind of diet, which lasts for a week or two if I’m lucky.  Then I happen to catch a whiff of something delicious and fattening like fresh pizza out of the oven, and, simple as that, the diet is over.  Same goes with exercise.  I’ll be good and get up early for a few days to go running, then one morning I’ll be tired, and then the next, then I’m hitting snooze again and dreaming of donuts.  Why the need for this depressing ritual?

Well, I’m doing it again.  My husband and I are planning to do a one-month cleanse to start off the New Year.  We did it a couple years ago with amazing results, but didn’t quite last the whole month.  No dairy, no sugar, no wheat, no processed foods, and yes, our skin was glowing and we lost lots of weight.  But it was mildly painful to feel deprived of so many delicious things.  So we cheated.  And cheated some more.  Then it was back to normal in no time.

This year, instead of focusing on what we can’t have, I want to focus on what we can.  Instead of the no’s, I want to focus on the yes’s of the cleanse: all the beautiful and energy-packed organic fruits and vegetables, and….well, I guess that’s it.  But I’m going to feel and look great! I also want to think of my other resolutions as gifts to myself.  Like making more time to write–that’s a GET to do, not a HAVE to do.  Funny how easy it is to turn something you love into a chore.  Let’s see, what else…Getting more sleep–that will be enjoyable and make me feel good.

This year has gone so well, I’m excited for the next one.  Bring it on!

What are some of your New Year’s resolutions?

I got really nostalgic the other day listening to an Ani Difranco cassette tape in my car.  I haven’t listened to her in years, but I still remember every single word, every inflection of her voice, every little warble and giggle.  I found myself singing at the top of my lungs with a big grin on my face, my voice cracking, on the verge of sentimental tears.  I remembered the concerts, being surrounded by hundreds of singing women, feeling that surge of energy and love and pride in my chest, feeling like anything was possible.

It was so easy to fall in love with things back then.  Not that I don’t any more–I’m reading Cormac McCarthy’s The Road right now, and I can’t stop gasping out loud while reading it on the train to work, and I can’t stop telling people how in love I am with it.  But it seemed like I fell in love so much more often when I was younger.  Was I just easier to impress?  Was I less jaded and cynical?  Were things really that much better?  I don’t know.  All I know is I’m glad I had a little Ani blast from the past in my car the other day, and I’m grateful for all the amazing stuff I got to discover as a teen.  I know I meant it every time I exclaimed “This is the best _____ ever!”  And I’m positive all my little obsessions back then have a great deal to do with who I am and what I love today.

In no particular order, here’s some stuff I know I called “The best ____ ever” at some point during my teens and early twenties.

• Ani Difranco
• Tom Robbins
• Anne Sexton
• Elliott Smith
• wearing jeans under dresses
• My So Called Life
• The Grateful Dead
• Girl, Interrupted
  
• Heathers
• Pump of the Volume
• The Pump of the Volume soundtrack
• Gregg Araki
• the album Hips and Makers, by Kristen Hirsh
• the album Black Eyed Man, by Cowboy Junkies
• Dan Savage
• Harmony Korine
• PJ Harvey
• Brave New World
• Atlas Shrugged (I’m sorry!)
• sloths
• Pablo Neruda
• coffee

What’s on your list?

I often find the need to defend myself when I tell people I write Young Adult fiction.  Not that anyone’s ever been openly rude to me–it’s more of a self-imposed inferiority complex.  I just feel like some kind of pre-emptive strike is necessary to ensure that new acquaintances understand that I’m a real writer.

I need you to understand that Twilight is not representative of the entire genre, that there is more to YA than the Gossip Girl series, that I keep company with phenomenal writers who in no way resemble Lauren Conrad.  Please, I beg you.  You must believe me!

Or maybe I should just let the books speak for themselves.  Here’s a short list of titles that I feel are superb examples of why Young Adult literature deserves to be taken seriously, and why YA writers are indeed real writers.

• The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
• Luna, by Julie Ann Peters
• Dream Boy, by Jim Grimsley
• Wintergirls, by Laurie Halse Anderson
• King Dork, by Frank Portman
• The Chosen One, by Carol Lynch Williams
• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie

While I’m at it, I think I’ll throw in another list.  Here are some classics that, if published today, would most definitely be categorized as YA:

• The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
• The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
• Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
• The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton
• To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

Do you have any titles you think should be added to these lists?