North Tonawanda Library

In MAYBE THIS TIME by Kasie West, Sophie works as a florist at every event in her hometown, arranging flowers at everything from weddings to funerals. But when a new boy enters the picture, her carefully-planned life gets complicated…

It’s the perfect rom-com to read this summer – and we can’t stop staring at the gorgeous cover!

Today we have Executive Art Director Yaffa Jaskoll joining us on the I read YA blog to tell us all about how this beautiful, summery cover came to life – and what it’s like behind-the-scenes on a cover shoot!

Yaffa Jaskoll, Executive Art Director

Hey! Our first step in creating a cover is coming up with the concept and getting it approved in-house before starting on anything else. We knew we wanted to feature flowers on the cover, and we thought having Sophie riding a bike would be a cute addition. We then work closely with the photography team, Michael Frost and Tanya Murray, who help transform our vision into a reality. They do everything from helping to find the models, getting the wardrobe/props, to scouting out for the perfect location. 

The model agencies send over a bunch of model options that match the characters’ descriptions and we narrow them down by looking at the models’ portfolios and even their Instagram accounts! Once we pick the perfect models, we move on to picking the wardrobe (my favorite part!)

We bring a variety of clothing for the model to try on once we get on set. We wanted to make sure that the dress really popped against the green background, so we thought red would be the perfect color. The shoot was held outside, so we used Michael and Tanya’s van as our home base. Hair and makeup (done by Jose Rosello) happened inside the van (to take advantage of the a/c in the summer heat), the wardrobe hung in the back (so it didn’t wrinkle) and the van even converted to a changing room (once we pulled down the window shades).

Next it was all hands-on deck to help carry everything down to our desired location spot. We made sure to take anything we would need for the day (especially the flower crown!). Once the flower crown was secured, we were ready to shoot!

It’s important to shoot as many different options as possible, including shots with the boy character, Andrew, in case we wanted to show both characters together (which we used for the back cover!). Even though the model looks somewhat serious on the final front cover, the models definitely had fun getting into character and joking around in between takes. 

Because we were shooting in a real park, there were people constantly walking through our shot (this makes shooting on location a little bit more challenging than shooting in a studio). We finally moved to a quieter spot in the park to avoid all the extra people around, which ended up producing the perfect cover!

everyone who has read this post, starting now:

Happy International Dog Day, everyone!

Those needles have barbs that catch and tangle the fibers of the roving (the term for that loose wool) together. The more you stab it the more tightly-packed and the more firm the object becomes. It takes a lot of little stabs to smooth out the texture on the surface and is best done with a single fine gauge needle.

Fun fact: the longer you use a felting needle the sharper it becomes, as the wool polishes the point.

Four out of five doctors agree: Laughter is the best medicine! So soothe your soul with our annual Summer Reader Poll – this year we’re celebrating your favorite funny books!

Check out the final list of 100 favorite funny reads, compiled from more than 7,000 of your votes, and curated by our awesomely cool judges Aparna Nancherla, Alexandra Petri, Samantha Irby and Guy Branum!

(Fact check: We did not actually ask five doctors)

Per PBS, “Written only months before Austen’s death in 1817, Sanditon tells the story of the joyously impulsive, spirited and unconventional Charlotte Heywood and her spiky relationship with the humorous, charming (and slightly wild!) Sidney Parker. After an accident transports her from her rural hometown of Willingden to Sanditon, an up-and-coming coastal resort, it exposes Charlotte to the intrigues and dalliances of a seaside town on the make, and the characters whose fortunes depend on its commercial success. From the West Indies to London, the story follows Charlotte’s search for love and self-discovery and the hidden agendas of those she comes across.

Screenwriter Andrew Davies (House of Cards, Bridget Jones’s Diary) will adapt the text. In case his more recent projects aren’t impressive enough, he’s already proven himself to be adept at handling Austen’s words. He’s responsible for the 1995 Pride and Prejudice miniseries starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle.

Sho and Arrietty´s secret garden

FALLing asleep…🍁🍂

“Young people don’t read anymore,” cries your local cynic. “They’re always on their phones.” Clearly, they’ve never met a YA reader.

YA readers use their spare time to write fan fiction, make GIF sets, and create blogs with the same fervor people have for pop stars and TV shows. So it’s no surprise that YA books have some of the most passionate fandoms.

The passion is contagious, but do you have to be 18 and under to enjoy it? Or are older YA readers doomed to live out this Steve Buscemi meme from 30 Rock whenever they encounter other fans?

For the record, you don’t have to be young to enjoy young adult books. You shouldn’t feel embarrassed about identifying with characters who may be half your age or more. Reading is reading—so read unapologetically. Yes, growing up often means moving on, but you don’t have to leave behind the stories that speak to you.

…

“He leant tensely against the corridor wall and frowned like a man trying to unbend a corkscrew by telekinesis.”

“Stones, then rocks, then boulders which pranced past him like clumsy puppies, only much, much bigger, much, much harder and heavier, and almost infinitely more likely to kill you if they fell on you.”

“He gazed keenly into the distance and looked as if he would quite like the wind to blow his hair back dramatically at that point, but the wind was busy fooling around with some leaves a little way off.”

“It looked only partly like a spaceship with guidance fins, rocket engines and escape hatches and so on, and a great deal like a small upended Italian bistro.”