YA Book Club: February Reading

So I’m lying on the bed with my laptop propped up on blankets and my neck bent at an angle I’m pretty sure necks shouldn’t bend because no matter how hard I try to sit up to write I somehow end up in a serious slouch with a numb butt. Then it hits me: It’s February.

And I think I’ve slipped into another realm or the earth has sped up rotation. A moment ago it was New Year’s Day and I was staring down some white chocolate–covered peppermint pretzels that I couldn’t eat even though I knew polishing off the whole bag would be better than being stranded on a deserted island with all of the provisions I needed and this guy. (On second thought…)

Now it’s February and it’s about time for the ridiculous holiday that is Groundhog’s Day, and I sort of can’t believe time moved so fast. This is all relevant to you because February marks the return of the YA Book Club, and if I wait any longer to reveal the book you’ll all chop me up and serve me as sushi.

(Or something less disgusting. I don’t know. It’s hard to determine your creep factor from the other side of the computer.)

Anyhow, instead of doing a poll this time, I picked a book from your suggestions. I don’t intend on being the Supreme Ruler of the Book Club every month, but this decision seemed pretty easy considering most of you suggested it. So, here’s your assignment:

Yes, that book. I’m sorry that I’m too poor to overnight all book club members a box of Kleenex, but I think in this case your shirtsleeves will do. I’m super excited, not to bawl my eyes out like the emotional wimp that I am, but because this will be the book club’s first contemporary YA novel.

I feel like we should be celebrating that fact. I’d suggest Champagne but I don’t need to see the future to know that alcohol + super sad book = a tearfest of epic proportions. Let’s spare our spouses, children, roommates, and neighbors that disaster and drown our sorrows in sugary cereal eaten from the box. Or whatever.

And now I’m going to slowly back away as you all realize I’ve picked a book that, while it has the potential to completely rock your world, is more than likely to make you feel like a crap writer. That’s a natural reaction to John Green’s books, and I think we can take comfort in the fact that he was clearly abducted by aliens as a child, during which time his brain was tampered with. So you see, it’s not you. It’s the fact that John Green is a souped-up cyborg with mad brainpower.

We will blog about the book on February 24. Come ready to chat.

(Need a refresher on how this book club thing works? Click here.)

So, who’s in for this month?