Tag: Sarah Dessen

Favorite Reads of 2024

~ The Regal Writer ~ Leave a comment
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Before we get too far into 2025, I’d like to take one final look back at the year that was and the books I most enjoyed reading. Below were my favorite reads of 2024 as well as a list of honorable mentions.

Have you read any of the following books? What were your favorite reads from 2024?

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey (magic realism). Imagine leaving behind the world you know  and making your home in the isolated wilderness of Alaska in the 1920s to explore new opportunities and make a fresh start. Jack and Mabel don’t know what awaits them when they make the move across country. Childless, they struggle as homesteaders. After making a snow child from freshly fallen snow, they awake the following morning to find the snowman gone, but a young girl running around their property. Faina is the child they wish they had, except when the winter snows end and it gets warm, she disappears into the woods. I thought I would be bored by the lengthy descriptions of snow and ice in the Alaskan wilderness, but Ivey does a great job keeping reader interest as the story unfolds and we’re brought into Jack and Mabel’s life.

The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen (YA romance). I think I found a new favorite author in Sarah Dessen. While this book is written for young adults, I didn’t find it juvenile in any way. Written in first person POV, I was immediately drawn into Macy’s world and the way she experiences the changes in her life. Macy’s internal dialogue is especially poignant at times, revealing a maturity far behind her teenage years. All the characters were drawn with depth and thoughtfulness. They were fun and interesting, especially when they interacted with each other as a group. I’m looking forward to reading more of Dessen’s books.

The Flight Girls by Noelle Salazar (historical fiction). This story is about a group of women pilots who became involved in the war effort during World War II. Known as the Flight Girls, their role was to support the U.S. military by delivering supplies and personnel across the U.S. One of the most intense scenes was the day that Pearl Harbor was attacked as our primary character gets caught in the middle of a mid-air battle with the Japanese fighter plane. It’s a fascinating look at a little known conclave of brave women who risked their lives with very little reward and recognition.

The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn (historical fiction). While Quinn is better known for her earlier work The Alice Network, I thought The Diamond Eye was a more compelling story based on the real life of Mila Pavlichenko, a bookish history student from Kyiv turned deadly sniper in World War II. It’s well-written and well researched, providing a fascinating character study into the life, love and military career of a single mother who became Lady Death. The extensive author’s note provides some additional backstory that gives an added layer to the story.

Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult (women’s fiction). I can always count on Picoult to write a story that challenges my heart and soul. This one is no different about a mother who goes to great lengths to protect her youngest daughter who is diagnosed with a rare condition called osteogenesis imperfecta, sometimes known as brittle bone disease, in which the girl’s bones break easily. I always appreciate how Picoult looks at the conflict from multiple perspectives so readers see the complexity of the story.

Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid (upmarket fiction). I wasn’t a huge fan of Malibu Rising, an earlier work of Reid’s. But as a tennis fan, I was intrigued by this story. In an interview with Reid, she admitted that she knew nothing about tennis when she wrote this book about a self-absorbed fast-rising tennis star. But as a former amateur player, I think she did a fine job capturing the details of the game. Carrie Soto isn’t an easy character to like, but underneath her harsh, brittle exterior was a vulnerable human being who didn’t understand how to connect with others. That’s what makes this story so appealing to me. It’s a great character study.

The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison-Allen (magic realism/YA)
I read Addison-Allen’s debut Garden Spells several years ago, and I was immediately captivated by her imagination and storytelling. The Sugar Queen is a charming tale about 27-year-old Josey who still lives at home with her mother and feels she’s destined to live a life of disappointment and limitation in her mother’s household. Josey compensates by hiding out in her closet to eat sweets and read paperback romances. Until she meets tough-talking Della Lee who takes over the closet and the secret stash of sweets. Della Lee acts as both nemesis and fairy godmother to guide Josey out of the closet and into the real world.

Almost Home by Joan Bauer (young adult). Like The Truth about Forever, this young adult story reveals an emotional depth far beyond the young protagonist’s years. In this story, after her grandfather dies and her gambling father takes off again, 12-year-old Sugar and her mother must abandon their home in Missouri. They make their way to Chicago to make a new life and make new friends. As she learns to navigate her new world, she still harbors hope that she and her mother will return to their home in Missouri.

The Secret Lives of Dresses, Erin McKean (literary fiction). This surprising read is a coming-of-age story about Dora who has a job she hates but sticks around because she’s in love with a man who barely notices her. When her grandmother has a stroke, Dora returns to the small town where she grew up and helps out in the family’s vintage clothing shop. There, she discovers notes written by her grandmother describing the legacy and history of some of the dresses. A fun and entertaining read with interesting characters.

Honorable Mentions:
Every Note Played, Lisa Genova
One Italian Summer, Rebecca Serle
Open House, Elizabeth Berg
The Library of Lost and Found, Phaedra Patrick 
Stealing Home, Sherryl Woods
The Beach at Painter’s Cove, Shelley Noble

Making an Emotional Impact on Readers

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When I think back to the best books I’ve ever read, the ones that stand out most have made an emotional impact on me. They have made me feel something that I didn’t feel before. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s magic. And isn’t that what we want to create with our writing? Magic. Wouldn’t it be nice to make readers feel something when they read your work?

That something can be anything—joy, anger, surprise. Some books I’ve read have put a huge smile on my face, like The Messy Lives of Book People by Phaedra Patrick. Others have left me feeling sad but hopeful, like The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton and The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. Yet others leave me feeling introspective, like The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen. 

While each of these books represent different genres, the one thing they have in common is the presence of empathy. Some would call that heart. Without heart, without empathy, what kind of story do you have? A story that isn’t memorable.

How do these authors create this literary magic? Why do their books touch my heart and soul when so many others don’t? There are five things that these stories have in common.

They craft an engaging plot. Not only do these best stories begin with a compelling premise, they take me on a journey with more twists and turns than a roller coaster ride.  Note how many twists occurred toward the end of The Nightingale that, at times, shocked and saddened me (and many other readers, I’m sure). Those plot twists were even more dramatic to me because I bought into the story from the very beginning. I had connected with the characters, and I saw what was at stake for them. With rising stakes, the story built momentum toward a dramatic conclusion.

They create relatable main characters. If I can’t connect with the main character, I’m not likely to follow along on their journey. Creating meaningful and relatable characters takes skill. Authors need to understand everything about them—what they look like, what they think, their habits and hobbies. Even if they aren’t the most likeable people, there is something about them that makes me want to root for them, like Ruth in The Book of Ruth, who was smarter and more observant than people in her life gave her credit for. There is usually something they desire, something they feel is lacking in their lives, like love, success, respect, or wealth. Put them into difficult situations with rising stakes, and I can’t help but follow them on their journey. When I can see the complexity of a character’s personality, complete with their strengths, flaws and desires, I can relate to them more easily

They bring us inside the character’s world view. There are moments when the lead character pauses to reflect on the world around them and what they have experienced. Through their thoughts, I’m able to see how the character was changing and growing. Dessen is especially adept at this, often bringing me inside her character’s head so I could see the world through her eyes, often written with an emotional depth and empathy far beyond her character’s teen years.  

They provide vivid sensory details and imagery.  Through vivid sensory details and imagery, these authors created a world for me to experience along with their characters. I saw what they saw, whether that’s the deep blue of the ocean or the various shades of green in the forest. I could taste the crispness of the apple, smell the sweetness of freshly baked cookies just out of the oven, or hear the roar and whistle of the wind during a storm. These details, gave me a sense of place as if I was there with the characters. It’s another way I connected with the characters.

They provide a satisfactory ending. There is nothing more disheartening than to spend hours reading a book that doesn’t resolve all the conflicts to the readers’ satisfaction. When I’ve spent so much time with a story, I want to see the pay off at the end. When it doesn’t come, I feel cheated. In the best books I’ve read, the author tied up loose ends in a way that made sense to the story. It may not have been the happiest of endings, but at least, it provided some hope for the characters’ future. And that makes reading the story worthwhile.

The best books are ones you want to keep reading, even after the story ends. The best ones touch you in some emotional way, and that’s what makes them memorable and shareable.

What about you? What books have left an emotional mark on you? How did the author accomplish that?

10 Signs Readers Connect with a Story

~ The Regal Writer ~ Leave a comment
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Over the weekend, I stayed up past my regular bed time to finish a book I’d been reading. That doesn’t happen often. Usually, after reading a chapter or two, I’m ready to hit the sack.

But this book, The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen, made me want to keep reading until the end. With about 40 pages left to read and the climax fast approaching, I didn’t want to wait until the morning to find out how the story ended. So I kept reading.

That experience made me wonder about reader engagement. Are there certain signs or behaviors that show readers are engaged with your story? I thought about my own reactions when I read. I started to notice the differences between how I feel about a story that truly engages my heart and mind and ones that fail to connect with me.

There’s a lesson to be learned here for aspiring writers. When writing your own stories, think about how you want your readers to react to them. What do you want them to remember about your story? How do you want them to feel when they finish reading it?  

So how do you know your story is connecting with readers? Here are the signs I’ve noticed in my reading experience. Which of these reactions resonate with you?

  • I keep turning the pages to find out what’s next. Sometimes that means staying up late past my bed time to finish reading a book. Especially if I’m getting close to the end of the book and I want to finish it. It’s that feeling of unfinished business that prevents me from turning off the light. So I keep turning the pages until I get to The End.
  • I mark the pages with memorable passages. Some of the books that are the most engaging tend to have moments of profound insight. When I find a passage that’s especially poetic and insightful, I use a post-it note to tab those sections, just in case I want to go back and read them. That way, I can find them more easily.
  • I want to find out more about the author. Where are they located? Did they obtain an MFA? How many other books did they write? After reading Dessen’s book, I did a Google search about her and read summaries of her other books, making note of which ones I want to read.
  • I refuse to give the book away—at least not right away. After I’ve read my favorite books, they tend to sit on my shelf for several years sometimes. A part of me wants to stay connected with the story for as long as possible. By giving the book away, I feel like I might forget the story. So I hold onto it until I’m ready to part with it, usually when I need to make space for other books.
  • I share my experience with other readers. I gladly refer the book to someone else who’s looking for an engaging read. I might even take a photo of the cover and share it with my friends on Facebook. Or I might write about it here on my blog. If the book is that good, it’s a shame to keep it to yourself. I have to let other people know about it.
  • I tell myself that this is the type of story I want to write. I observe how the writer has weaved the plot points, developed the characters and created suspense. There’s a lot I can learn from observing how they developed their story. Add to it some emotional insight or message that resonates with me, and I’ve found the formula for success. I know then that that’s the type of story I want to write.
  • I constantly think about the story and the characters when I’m not actively reading it. I could be doing some house cleaning or going for a walk, but I may still think about certain scenes that somehow stay with me.
  • I occasionally think about the book long after I’ve read it. It could be six months later or several years later, and I’m still thinking about the story. Perhaps that is the greatest level of engagement—longevity. I will always remember how I felt reading the ending of The Nightingale, even though I read it about five years ago. Some books simply have staying power.
  • The book touches my emotions in some way. When I get to the end of a story, I check in with myself. How do I feel about how the story ended? Satisfied? Surprised? Disbelieving? When I finished reading The Messy Lives of Book People by Phaedra Patrick (which is still sitting on my book shelf), I recall having a big smile on my face. The book gave me such joy, and the journey the author took me on was satisfying in so many ways. Patrick resolved all the plots in a way that not only made sense, but made me feel good. That’s a mark of a smart story teller.
  • I develop a relationship with the main character. When I can connect with the main character, I have more at stake in the story—the protagonist’s story. I’m a bit partial to first person POV, and Dessen used it effectively to bring emotional depth to her main character. I felt her pain and her joy. I saw what she saw and experienced what she did. When I connect with the main character, I want to keep reading to make sure they find their happily ever after.

    What about you? What signs do you see in your own reading experience that show you are truly engaged with the story?