I am going to keep a list of books to read. This way I won’t forget the title/author of a book I want to read, and have to look it up based on keywords and just hope I happen to bump into it.

To start: Rules by Cynthia Lord. Why: It’s about a girl whose brother has autism. The Same Difference by Deborah Lynn Jacobs Why: It’s about a girl whose twin has autism. Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith Why: It’s a gothic YA fantasy that appeals to the Buffy audience. The Phoenix Dance by Dia Calhoun Why: It’s a fantasy novel with a protagonist who has bipolar illness. The Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series - ancient mythology!

From the Cybils: The Bartimaeus Series by Jonathan Stroud Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Today I dropped by the library and picked up the readergirlz pick for this month, Nothing but the Truth (and a few white lies).  I’m only a few pages in but I like it so far.  I’ve gotten away from YA lit and that’s a shame as it brings me fond memories and a lot of times it’s better than the other stuff.  In the past couple of years I’ve really enjoyed Rachel Cohn’s Gingerbread and Dyan Sheldon’s Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen.  Lola Cepp is my alter ego, you see.  (Even though her parents gave her my sister’s name, if a bit misspelled.)

I’ll be writing more about the book as I read and finish it.  My reading goals for 2006 were to read 26 books, which I surpassed, and to keep a list of them, which I did.  To keep up with that rate, I’m a bit behind.  I need to read 5 books in the next week to catch up.  That’s not going to happen.  Two might be achievable, though.

When I was at the library looking for Justina Chen Headley, I looked at the YA paperbacks.  G is right next to H, and so I stumbled on many, many books by Chris Golden, who is both an excellent author and a nice guy (and, for the record, should really not make phone calls while he’s driving - nor should anyone else).  I was tempted to snatch up as many of Chris’s books as I could carry but then I realized the library loan period is 3 weeks, and I’m just not going to finish all the books of his they had in that time.

So I said, “Self, it’s the library.  They’ll still be here.  You can read his books later.”  And believe me, I will.

And now it’s time for me to go to bed.  More soon!

Inspired by readergirlz, I’ve started this reading journal.

…

SEATTLE, March 1 – In honor of Women's History Month, four young adultauthors are launching readergirlz, a new online book salon celebrating gutsy girls in life and literature.

Starting on March 1, readergirlz founders Dia Calhoun, Janet Lee Carey, Lorie Ann Grover, and Justina Chen Headley will unveil a monthly book selection, featuring young adult novels with gutsy female characters.

More than just a book club, readergirlz aims to encourage teen girls to read and reach out with community service projects related to each featured novel. As well, readergirlz will host MySpace discussions with each book's author, include author interviews, and provide book party ideas, including playlists, menus, and decorations. All content will be available through the readergirlz website (www.readergirlz.com), MySpace (www.myspace.com/readergirlz and groups.myspace.com/readergirlz), and LiveJournal (readergirlz.livejournal.com).

"We want girls to be the best women they can be,' explains Headley. The inspiration for readergirlz came from Headley's book tour last spring where she made a special effort to visit urban communities that couldn't otherwise bring in authors. She recruited three critically-acclaimed novelists—Calhoun, Carey, and Grover—to start readergirlz as a way to talk to teens about reading and writing.

"Readergirlz is a way I can connect wonderful books to girls I'd never be able to meet otherwise,' agrees Calhoun.

The founders hope readergirlz will change the way girls experience literature and see themselves. "I want to challenge girls to go for their dreams,' says Carey. "I learned how brave girls can be through books, and I want to share the power of literature with girls, wherever they are.'

Using MySpace and a website, the readergirlz founders, dubbed the divas, plan to provide a rich literary experience for teen girls online. "We already have over 750 friends on MySpace. From surveys to playlists to author interviews, we'll provide young adult readers with fun, meaningful content," explains Grover. "Why not harness the powerof MySpace to get girls to think critically about what they want to bein the future?'

Each book selection will dovetail to a topic, identified by the readergirlz divas and prominent children's lit bloggers as topics teen girls should know about in this millennium.

The first topic is Tolerance, a theme explored in the kick-off book selection for readergirlz, Nothing but the Truth (and a few whitelies). As prominent blogger, Jennifer Robinson of [jkrbooks.typepad.com](http://jkrbooks.typepad.com), noted, teens "need to know that when they are mean or intolerant to other people, they're doing damage.'

In conjunction with the first novel, teen girls will be encouraged to visit www.tolerance.org to learn how to safely stop bullying and to apply for one of the organization's Mix It Up grants to break social and racial barriers within their schools.

ABOUT THE READERGIRLZ FOUNDERS

Dia Calhoun is the winner of the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature, and author of five young adult fantasies,including Avielle of Rhia and The Phoenix Dance.

Janet Lee Carey won the 2005 Mark Twain Award for Wenny Has Wings, and her forthcoming young adult fantasy, Dragon's Keep, has already received a starred review in Booklist.

Lorie Ann Grover is a former ballerina-turned-verse-novelist whose acclaimed work includes On Pointe and Loose Threads, a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age.

Justina Chen Headley sold her first two novels at auction, including her debut, Nothing but the Truth (and a few white lies), named Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best.

For more information about readergirlz, please visit their website (www.readergirlz.com), MySpace (www.myspace.com/readergirlz and groups.myspace.com/readergirlz), and LiveJournal (readergirlz.livejournal.com).

Contact: Justina Chen Headley at justina@justinachenheadley.com

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