Everything I've read so far this year

It's about halfway through 2005 so I'm taking count. Where applicable I tried to link reviews as well.

1. Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer Chrissy's Review
   
2. Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block Chrissy's Review
   
3. Forever : a novel by Judy Blume
4. Here's to You, Rachel Robinson by Judy Blume
5. Running with Scissors : a memoir by Augusten Burroughs Chrissy's Review Leila's Review
   
6. Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko Leila's Review
   
7. Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Buce Coville
8. The Sledding Hill by Chris Crutcher Leila's Review
   
9. The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman
10. Boy : Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl
11. Going Solo : [the thrilling sequel to Boy] by Roald Dahl
12. Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo Chrissy's Review
    
13. Kick Me : Adventures in Adolescence by Paul Feig Chrissy's Review Leila's Review
    
14. The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman Chrissy's Review
    
15. The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox
16. Head Games by Mariah Fredricks Chrissy's Review Leila's Review
    
17. Hole in My Life by Jack Gantos
18. Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos Chrissy's Review
    
19. Playing in Traffic by Gail Giles Chrissy's Review
    
20. Stroke of Midnight by Laurell K. Hamilton
21. Geography Club by Brent Hartinger Chrissy's Review Leila's Review
    
22. The Order of the Poison Oak by Brent Hartinger
23. Margaux with an X by Ron Koertge
24. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
25. A Summer to Die by Lois Lowry Chrissy's Review
26. Anastasia Again! by Lois Lowry
27. Anastasia at Your Service by Lois Lowry
28. Anastasia Krupnik by Lois Lowry
29. Taking Care of Terrific by Lois Lowry
30. The Year of Ice by Brian Malloy Chrissy's Review
    
31. The Year of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty Chrissy's Review
    
32. Saffy's Angel by Hilary McKay
33. Sunshine by Robin McKinley Chrissy's Review Leila's Review
    
34. Handbook for Boys by Walter Dean Myers
35. The Story of the Treasure Seekers by E. Nesbit
36. Drowned Wednesday by Garth Nix
37. The Other Side of Dark by Joan Lowery Nixon
38. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson Chrissy's Review
39. The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
40. Bill Peet : an Autobiography by Bill Peet
41. Sweet Miss Honeywell's revenge : a ghost story by Kathryn Reiss
42. Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez Chrissy's Review Leila's Review
    
43. Knights of the Kitchen Table by Jon Scieszka Chrissy's Review
    
44. Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolan
45. The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding Chrissy's Review
    

Running With Scissors - Augusten Burroughs

Ick, Ick, Just Ick.

Sorry, I guess I have a different sense of humor and we just have to accept that. This book was just highly disturbing, not funny to me.

Taking issue with Goths in YA lit

This really should be a rant about As Simple As Snow, but I'm not done with it yet, so it's not really fair to blast it yet.

I'm getting REALLY tired of the invisa-nice-guy hooking up with/being fascinated by the resident freaky goth girl plot line. No other sub culture is treated like this. (If it is and I'm just missing it PLEASE let me know.) It's like goth is the new, I don't know how to put this exactly, racial category. I can imagine to be edgy a YA author used to have interacial couple and have everyone freak out. (That's really not a perfect comparison, but imagine a ridiculous version of Guess Who's Coming To Dinner but substitute Sidney Poitier with a goth boy and you can sort of see what I mean) Now it seems like inter-gothal couples are the new thing. And the goth always has some dark secret that the 'norm' finds out about and makes him so understanding about why she's so freaky to begin with. And she's not really freaky, she's actually really deep and teaches the 'norm' about so many things he would never have experienced. And they have to struggle against people who just don't understand.

Sound cliche enough yet?

Part of me is going why the hell am I even defending this? But I really don't like stereotypes and this one's getting very overused. It just seems like way too easy of a plot device for authors and a hook for YA authors (look! I understand you gothic people. Buy my book) and I just want them to stop.