The Contempo-May Manifesto

Hey you guys!

So I’ve been pretty lax on my blogging efforts. This is because I have been really busy writing my own manuscript, so I’m not able to read as quickly as I normally can. But now I am wrapping that little project up I thought I would give my frazzled brain a break and focus on the other stuff I love: other people’s books!

I don’t know if you noticed a certain film rocking the box office over the past month... featuring someone called Katniss?! Yeah, that. It’s amazing working in a big bookshop, and thinking that everyone has read the Hunger Games by now, surely? Well sales are still pretty cray cray on that front, which means dystopia/science-fiction is still most definitely hot, and is likely to be hot for quite some time to come. 

Sometimes I feel that every other proof and advance reader copy I read is another wedge in the giant sci-fi pie, and mostly that’s ok, but sometimes I feel overwhelmed by all the different future perspectives. Sometimes a girl just wants something REAL. This has inspired me to rename the next month Contempo-May! A month of celebrating the best old, new and upcoming contemporary YA literature. 

So here’s the plan:

• During the month of May I will only be reviewing YA literature set in the right here and right now.
• There will be absolutely no vampires, ghosts, angels or other supernatural beasties involved.
• No fantasy worlds, no alternate worlds and no future worlds.
• I want Real stories, Real heart-break and Real emotions. 

I’ve already got some pretty cool stories marked up for review for the next couple of weeks, but if you are a publisher and would like me to highlight or feature something of yours, then please get in touch. Likewise I’m totally open to suggestions and recommends, so keep them coming too! 

So are we ready for a month of high-school and heart-break guys? 

Bring on Contempo-May!