And so it begins.  Welcome to the first post of “Tales of the Marvelous.”  This blog is–or will be–based around a passion for books, writing, and discussions about both.  So if you’re looking for suggestions for good books, or just like talking about them, you’re in the right place!

On Mondays and Wednesdays, I plan to post reviews of marvelous (and not so marvelous) tales I’ve read.  Young adult fantasy is a major focus, but not an exclusive one.  I’ll try to point you–or a YA reader you know–to some good books, and warn you about some not so good ones.  If you’ve read a book I’m writing about, I hope you’ll tell me what you think too–and feel free to give me suggestions on books to review.

On Fridays, I’ll share my own tales, which I hope you’ll find marvelous!  Even if you don’t, feedback (constructive, please!) is always welcome.

In between, I’ll share anything else that seems of interest, be it favorite quotes or ruminations on life.

You might wonder why I choose to focus mainly on juvenile and young adult.  For one thing, I’d like to note that I do read books for “grown-ups” too.  And I’m selective in my J and YA reading–some really are juvenile in every sense of the word.  I try to find the ones that have cross-age appeal, and the best do.  The best J and YA books are really not that different in most ways from grown-up books–except they’re cleaner, and they’re more likely to have happy endings.  Because I’m a clean humor, happy ending kind of girl, I like that.

I’m also an aspiring novelist, writing YA, so in a way it’s like research too…

So that you’ll have some idea what kind of books I’ll be recommending…I like books with strong heroines, with humor, and with at least a little romance.  I have a weakness for cocky heroes who can pull off impossible stunts.  I like a little mystery and suspense, but I don’t like anything too horrifying.  I don’t like what I call “troubled teen” books, with a few exceptions; I’m sure they have their purpose, but I’m not a fan.  I like books that tell a good story and also have a point, without letting either one get in the way of the other.  I like stories about chasing dreams.  I like that in J and YA books, you can have pirates and dragons and noble virtues, and that things tend to work out in the end.

Thanks for joining me, here at the beginning of the blog.  Whatever brought you here, welcome.  Stay a while, and I’ll try to find you a tale…