I’m one of those people who utterly detests Valentine’s day.  Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had a wonderful valentine in my life for going on ten years now, so it’s not out of bitterness that I dislike this holiday so much.  Mostly it’s because of logistics; this grotesque little holiday falls two days before my birthday.  Every year.  I also have serious issues with a holiday that encourages numerous affronts to the English language in the form of cheesy song lyrics, sappy monologues and bad poetry.

Someone needs to do something to improve the overall literary quality of Valentine’s day and I’ve come to the conclusion that the best way to accomplish this is by having a CONTEST!!!

What you need to do:  Write a valentine from one literary character to another and post it in the comments.  Easy right?  Here are a few more details:

• Contest is Open Until: Precisely 11:59pm EST on Feb. 16 at which time I will close comments on this post.
• Finalists:  Will be selected by moi, and will be announced on Saturday, Feb 19.  Once I announce the finalists, I’ll set up a poll so everyone can vote for the Grand Poobah of Valentine Literary Awesome.  I will post to let you know when the poll opens.
• Prize:  $15 Amazon.com Gift Card to the Grand Prize Winner!

• Use characters from children’s literature or teen literature.
• Pair two unlikely valentines in such a way that it goes from bizarre to deliciously ridiculous!
• Make me laugh so hard I snort milk out of my nose.
• Make me sob so much I think my heart might break.
• (But really, I like laughing better than sobbing.  Just FYI.)

Ready… Set… Write!

Just a short post to let you all know that there’s a Literary Valentine Contest coming on Monday here at iggi&gabi!  Get your writing chops ready because it’s going to be super-fun.

Prepare yourselves…

…it’s going to be AWESOME!

Welcome to YA Cafe, a place where book lovers can gather and chat about teen literature.  I’ll be your barista, along with Ghenet from All About Them Words.  Each Friday we’ll pick from a menu of topics and share our thoughts on our respective blogs.


The fun won’t stop there, though.  We’ve got plans brewing for interviews, events and even some exciting giveaways!  Join the discussion by sharing your thoughts in the comments, on your own blogs or on twitter using the hash tag #yacafe.

Today’s Special: Why do we love teen literature?

The easy answer would be to say “um, because teen literature is AWESOME” and leave it at that.  But the point of these YA Cafe discussions is to move past these easy answers and dig deep into what’s really important.  The truth is, I owe that classic The Catcher in the Rye* for my love of teen literature.  This book sparked my love affair with YA, not because I loved it, but because was the first book I ever read that made me truly angry.

*Note: Technically, Salinger’s novel is not YA because it was originally written for adults, but it captures the teen voice so well that it has been adopted as part of teen literature.

When I finally read this book in eleventh grade, I was just about the last person in my grade–no, the whole planet–who hadn’t read it already.  Everyone raved about how amazing it was and how they either wanted to marry Holden Caulfield or be him.  I’ll admit, I enjoyed the first paragraph or so, but right around page two I started hating Holden.  Yes, you heard me right: I hated him.  It was a visceral hatred, an emotion that had hitherto been reserved for only the worst things in my life: Phys Ed, my arch-nemesis and cooked carrots.  But now, here was this fictional character–this whiny little pissant–lodged firmly in that category of all-that-is-evil-in-Gabi’s-world.

The more I read, the more I wanted to slam the book shut and use it to smack Holden Caulfield upside the head.  And yet I kept reading.  Secretly, I hoped somewhere along the story, Holden would get run over by a cement mixer.  (Spoiler Alert: He doesn’t.  I was gravely disappointed.)

But what does this have to do with why I care about teen literature?  While other types of books might transport me somewhere magical or teach me something valuable, teen literature is the only type of book that can elicit this level of emotion.  Reading Cather in the Rye and hating Holden made me realize what amount of a character’s crap I’m willing to forgive, and what crosses the line to something I will not tolerate.  There are two types of people in the world: those who think Holden Caulfield is awesome and those who hate his guts.  I’m one of the latter.

Hi, my name is Gabi and I love teen literature.

Fellow barista, Ghenet at All About Them Words, shares her thoughts on her blog.  Check it out, then tell us why you love teen literature.

Dear Facebook,

I’m sorry, but this thing we have just isn’t working out.  I know you’re trying to bring people together, but really you’re nothing more than a college alumni magazine on crack and I just can’t deal with all your TMI anymore.  No, I don’t need to know how many hairballs your cat spat-up today.  No, I don’t care what you had for breakfast.  And no, I really don’t need to see photos of the four orphan goldfish you rescued from a third-world country.  You need to learn some boundaries, Facebook.  Seriously.

Your obsession with reciprocation irks me.  I can only be friends with someone if they friend me back.  But what if I want to follow the goings-on of someone so supremely awesome that I don’t care if they want to friend me back?  Sometimes, like any good fan-girl, all I want is to bask in the glow, and there’s nothing wrong with that except that you won’t let me.

And then, of course, there’s the issue of dear Great-Aunt Sally, who friended me yesterday, bless her heart.  I knew our days together were numbered, Facebook, the minute all my relatives over retirement age decided to jump on your little bandwagon.  I do not need to be poked by Grandpa Harold.  (Did I mention that this “poking” feature seriously freaks me out?  You couldn’t think of a better word than “poke” could you, Facebook?)

Still, I must admit that we did have our good times, though can’t think of any at the moment.  Don’t worry, Facebook.  I’m not leaving you entirely; I’ll still use you when it’s convenient, but ditch you as soon as you start acting stupid.  I hope that’s alright.

See, it all comes down to this: I’ve found someone new.  It’s name is Twitter.  And it seriously rocks.

BTW–here’s one of those little heartbreak icons just for you.  Enjoy.