Strengthening the Spirit: Jared Thomas’ 'Songs That Sound Like Blood'

Hello Darling Readers,

Just a note to say that I'm back at my favourite - Kill Your Darlings online - for a special feature on Indigenous OzYA (good timing!) and specifically discussing Jared Thomas' latest, Songs That Sound Like Blood!

Enjoy :) 

#LoveOzYA

I have a new article up on the Kill Your Darlings blog;

#LoveOzYA

and it's all about what I've been discussing recently, which is the global YA market undercutting Aussie YA. 

'Agent Carter' and the future of the female superhero

I'm back at Kill Your Darlings today, with a piece on Agent Carter and the future of all female-led superhero franchises:

The future of female-led superhero franchises should not come down to whether or not Agent Carter succeeds commercially, or how successfully Peggy battles sexism in her workplace (leave that to Peggy Olson).

Young Adult literature: genre is not readership

My new column for Kill Your Darlings, and it's a doozy ... I question this frustrating bookish pet-peeve that has me grinding my teeth in frustration:

Young Adult literature: genre is not readership

This is my last regular column for Kill Your Darlings - and I just want to give a big shout-out THANK YOU to that fabulous journal for giving me a little corner of the internet to speak my mind these last few years. 

Kill Your Darlings Literary Journal is a really wonderful place to read about the world around us - so if you're stuck for any gift-giving ideas this Christmas, please consider a subscription :)

Disability or superpower? Deaf identity in YA

My new post for Kill Your Darlings is all about Deaf identity in youth literature. Featuring interviews with Christine Keighery and Chief Executive of Deaf Australia Kyle Miers, and discussions of Cece Bell's incredible graphic-novel memoir 'El Deafo'!

Disability or superpower? 

Deaf identity in YA

Books that take you there: YA literary tourism

My new Kill Your Darlings column - 

Books that take you there: 

YA literary tourism

From Prince Edward Island to Forks, Washington! 

Mean girls, bullies and private school privilege: Alice Pung’s Laurinda

My latest column for Kill Your Darlings is an interview with the wonderful Alice Pung

Mean girls, bullies and private school privilege: 

Alice Pung’s Laurinda

P.S. - Laurinda is amazing, and everyone should read it! 

Nepotism, bullying and stalking: When online reviews go bad

New column up on Kill Your Darlings today:

Nepotism, bullying and stalking: 

When online reviews go bad

Yes, it's about Kathleen Hale's Guardian piece. 

Sorry. 

Full disclosure: I am a book blogger and Goodreads member - the latter I admit in the piece, the former is in my byline.  

And another great post on this topic is 'Hale vs Harris and the breach of online ethics' by Alex Hurst - which came out after I'd submitted this for edits but is well worth a read! 

Race, growing up and 'Nona and Me'

My new column for Kill Your Darlings is an interview with Clare Atkins, author of new YA book 'Nona and Me': 

Race, growing up and 'Nona and Me' 

‘YA-bashing’: sexism meets elitism

‘YA-bashing’: sexism meets elitism

*drops mic*

Beyond ableism and ignorance: disability and fiction

My new column for Kill Your Darlings is up:

Beyond ableism and ignorance: 

disability and fiction

I interview Kayla Whaley from the wonderful Disability in KidLit blog - and if you haven't already, please do visit.

They do amazing work, and are such an important part of the youth literature community! 

By teens, for teens: the Inky Awards

My new Kill Your Darlings column is all about the fabulous Inky Awards from Inside A Dog! 

By teens, for teens: the Inky Awards

Jacob (15) from Queensland, is also an Inkys judge this year. ‘Teens are clearly the right choice to judge young adult book awards because these books were written for them,’ he says. ‘Adults judge adult book awards, so it only seems fair and logical for young adults to judge young adult book awards.' 

Voting is now open for the 2014 Inky Awards until 5 October. 

Vote here: http://insideadog.com.au/vote  

The winners of the 2014 Inky Awards will be announced on 21 October.

Review: 'The Boy’s Own Manual to Being a Proper Jew'

My review of Eli Glasman's The Boy’s Own Manual to Being a Proper Jew is over at Kill Your Darlings today 

How to buy books for young adults

'"Excuse me, where are the boys’ books? I’m looking to buy for a 16-year-old." 

This is what sparked my idea for the latest 

Kill Your Darlings column. 

How to buy books for young adults

Fan-Girling Over Super Heroines

My new column for Kill Your Darlings is all about a recent obsession of mine, the wonderful world of comics!

Fan-Girling Over Super Heroines

With big thanks to the awesome team at All Star Comics for providing some reading recommendations. 

Australia Needs Diverse Books

In my new column for Kill Your Darlings, I again tackle the topic of 'We Need Diverse Books' by talking to beloved Australian young adult and children's author, Gabrielle Wang.

Australia Needs Diverse Books 

Enjoy! 

'We Read To Know We Are Not Alone: Examining the Lack of LGBTQI Characters in Australian Youth Literature'

'We Read To Know We Are Not Alone: Examining the Lack of LGBTQI Characters in Australian Youth Literature'

This is my first article to appear in the print edition of literary journal Kill Your Darlings - and it's free to view online!

I examine Australia's lack of LGBTQI focus in youth literature, some possible literary remedies to address this lack and I interview wonderful Aussie YA authors like Eli Glasman (The Boy’s Own Manual To Being a Proper Jew, out now) and Erin Gough (The Flywheel, coming 2015).

I hope you like it. 

YA is the New Black

Another Kill Your Darlings column went up while I was away. 

In this piece I defend adult readers of YA, while praising Orange is the New Black. 

Hope you like it - 

"YA is the New Black"

Who run the book world? GIRLS!

My new Kill Your Darlings column is up -

 Who run the book world? GIRLS!

Prompted by Jonathan Emmett's article ‘It’s no wonder boys aren’t reading – the children’s book market is run by women,' I delve into discussions around gender-specific books and the women who helped shaped modern children's literature. 

Enjoy! 

The Fault in the Cult of John Green

New column up on Kill Your Darlings

The Fault in the Cult of John Green

Nerdfighters, stop looking at me like that! 

I love John Green. I love Hazel Grace and Augustus. I'm just eye-rolling over the media's adoration of him as the saviour of YA (because - hey! - we don't need saving)