Children’s Book Recommendation

The Summer of Bitter and Sweet by Jen Ferguson

Lou spends her last summer before university working at her family’s ice cream shack with her ex-boyfriend and her best friend who has just returned to their prairie town after he took off without a word three years earlier. This awkward situation isn’t her worst problem, though, when she receives a letter from her biological father, who has been in jail her entire life. This is a sophisticated young adult novel which deals with some heavy topics, including sexual assault, institutional racism and violence. Having said that, I loved it and thought the issues were dealt with in a way that was age and emotionally appropriate for late high school. The characters are deeply complex and I was completely immersed in the location.

Adult Book Recommendation

The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

This graphic memoir of a young woman growing up during the Islamic Revolution in Iran is funny, sad, informative and beautifully told. It was published in 2002, but is a timely read given what is happening in Iran right now.

Behind the Scenes

I’m often asked which of my books was the easiest to write. I wrote Warm Up very quickly because my publisher asked for a chapter by chapter summary prior to signing a contract—a different process than for my other books which were accepted for publication after I wrote them. Since I had the whole book plotted out I knew exactly what I had to write next and the whole thing came together quickly. You’d think I’d do the same for each subsequent book since it was so easy, but somehow I’ve never managed to be so organized since!