4 Stories to Binge until the Next Episode of THE BOLD TYPE!

The Bold Type image via Freeform.com.

Freeform’s The Bold Type has taken TV by storm. It’s my (and many many other women’s) current summer TV obsession, and if it’s not yours it totally should be. Go watch it! Oh so current, fun, and more important than ever, this show tackles topics young women in the professional workforce, and so much more.

So, if like me, 9PM on Tuesdays can’t come fast enough, or you’re just eager for more feel-good and real stories about today’s young women, look no further! I’ve got 4 stories to fill The Bold Type void until next week’s episode.

#YAStandsFor | I Read YA Week Recap

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Yesterday, I Read YA Week came to a close. This year’s theme was #YAStandsFor, celebrating all of the great things that YA has come to be a symbol of for its readers.

If you missed out on the fun, I encourage you to share the YA love! Post your own reasons why you love YA, and share what you think #YAStandsFor on your social media accounts! Check out I Read YA’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to see their exclusive videos and posts for the week!

Since I posted almost all of my daily challenges on Instagram or Twitter, I thought I’d recap them here on the blog for you to see as well!

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Day 1: Kickoff & What I believe YA stands for

Day 2: A book that helped me find my voice

"Tell us about the YA book that helped you find your voice" The Alchemyst by Michael Scott was one of the very first YA books that I ever read. I was a very shy (and sometimes still am) person when I was younger, but this book literally helped me "find my voice" and I had lots of conversations resulting from a shared love of this series. Those conversations turned into friendships, and after that I became more open to talking to others about my interests, and become more outgoing! #YAStandsFor #IReadYA @ireadya

A post shared by Emily (@bookscleverness) on Jul 11, 2017 at 5:44am PDT

What Does YA Stand For?

Not too long ago I got a very exciting email from Scholastic, letting me know all about the return of their I Read YA festivities again for a week this summer! It’s a week of fun challenges for us YA-lovers to celebrate the books we adore, taking place July 10th-17th. This year’s theme is #YAStandsFor, and they’re asking what YA means to us!

To kick off the week, today I’m discussing what I feel YA stands for, and what YA has meant to me throughout my time reading YA books!

Returning to the Wizarding World: My Thoughts on the CURSED CHILD and FANTASTIC BEASTS!

2016 was a pretty great year for Harry Potter fans, am I right?! From the amazing Pottermore updates that were a wealth of new information about the world to the release of the play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, to the amazing film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in November, this was the year we got to return to the Wizarding World! [This post on Pottermore actually sums up the year pretty well.]

I didn’t read a lot of what was published on Pottermore, but I did take the two quizzes that truly mattered to me: the Ilvermorny Sorting and the Patronus quiz.  Adding to my status as a Ravenclaw, I can say that in my home country, I would attend school at Ilvermorny as a Thunderbird! I was really surprised by my result, but deep down it’s true I love a good adventure! As for my Patronus, I was definitely let down. I got a weasel. Yes, a weasel.

But enough about me and my status in the Wizarding World, let’s talk about all of the wonderful official content we got to devour this year!

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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Unfortunately, because I don’t live in the UK, I wasn’t able to attend a performance of the play (maybe when it comes to Broadway in 2018!). So instead, a few friends and I went to our local Barnes & Noble for the midnight release party. This was the first ever Harry Potter-related release party I’ve ever gone to for a book, as I was a little late to join the fandom. It was a lot of fun! The store was all decorated, and there were events for each of the Hogwarts houses. It was solely child-oriented, though, which I found a bit frustrating.

Anyway, I had preordered so I got in line, we had the countdown, and before I knew it, I had the book in my hands and I was on my way home. As soon as I got home I got ready for bed, plopped down, and read for hours.

Who’d be on my Dream Author Panel?

Woah, it’s been a while. But that’s not what this post is about. Stay tuned for an update soon…

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I’m always looking forward to events when I get to hear authors speak and ask questions about their books, so I thought it’d be fun to come up with a list of authors who I’d put on my dream panel!

While these authors may not be the best on a panel together (fantasy and contemporary aren’t normally paired), I chose these authors based on who I’d love to hear speak the most!

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J.K. Rowling

I can’t have my dream author panel without the queen herself. She’s shared so much magic with me through her books, and I have so many questions STILL that I’d love to ask her. Plus, with the Cursed Child and Fantastic Beasts releases, my list of questions is growing exponentially!

Talking points I’d love to hear: Transitioning from writing novels (both children’s and adult) to screenplays and scripts, returning to the Wizarding World after quite a bit of time (were these storylines already happening in her head while writing Harry Potter and are just coming to fruition now?)

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Marie Rutkoski

If you’ve been following me at all, you’ll know that I LOVE this woman’s books. The Winner’s Curse trilogy was such a whirlwind of emotions. I’ve actually gotten the opportunity to meet her and hear her speak, but that was before I really dove into the trilogy and became a superfan. I have so many more questions now! Plus, listening to her share her travel stories and research is super interesting.

Talking points I’d love to hear: More about her research and travels around Europe, what it was like writing a story that developed such a large and fervent fanbase, what’s next?!

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Jenny Han

Ah, Jenny Han‘s contemporary books. They make me swoon. I would adore hearing how she got the inspiration for such swoony books and boys. Some must be based on real-life events, right?

Talking points I’d love to hear: Would she ever write something other than contemporary, a spin-off of either of the YA contemporary trilogies, any more stand-alones in the works?

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Jennifer E. Smith 

Another lady whose contemporaries I ADORE. I’d basically want to see her for the same reasons as Jenny Han, because everybody needs some cute romance in their lives! Also, she’s coming out with a new book in May 2017, Windfall, that I have in my hands and cannot wait to read!

Talking points I’d love to hear: Where did those long titles come from, how does she come up with such adorable and dare I say unrealistic scenarios for romance?

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Those are the first four authors that popped into my head, and whose books I’ve constantly loved for years. If I were putting together a panel, you bet these ladies would all be on it!

If you’re looking to find author panels or book conferences to attend, or even want to plan one of your own, Eventbrite is a great resource. You can check out their conference registration software to get started!

Who would be on your dream author panel?

 

*I was approached by Eventbrite for this post, but I was in no way sponsored by them.