My summer started with a bang last week. The Florida mid-year SCBWI conference was at the Disney Dolphin Resort, and I knew my kids would never forgive me if I went to Orlando without them. But with more than a few Disney trips under our belts, this time we went to Universal Studios, and a place I'd been dreaming of for years, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

I've had a few days to reflect on our week, and it was an all-around amazing experience. At the conference, I learned about writing fantasy and sci-fi with Matthew Kirby and Joe Monti. Matthew is the author of The Clockwork Three and Icefall, and a thoughtful instructor whose lessons really click with me. (I took one of his classes at the LA conference last year.) Joe is an agent with Barry Goldblatt Literary, whose humor and industry knowledge made the day memorable and informative. My favorite take-away from the session: fantasy creations work well when they combine the unique and new with something familiar. Something that gives the reader a framework to understand the shiny new thing.

This concept came to life for me at The Wizarding World. I loved every moment, even waiting in line at Hogwarts, spending too much at Honeydukes, and sweating for an hour outside of Ollivanders. And with each exciting slice of the Potter pie, I saw how it became meaningful because the reader can relate to it. We understand what it's like to cheer for a Quidditch match because we've cheered for our school's football team. We relate to picking the perfect wand because we've tried to pick the perfect book bag or shoes or notebook for the first day of school. We love Dumbledore because we've had a teacher whose wise advice has influenced our lives. My only regret is that too many kids will come to love these things through movies instead of where they were truly born, on the page.

The one downside of our trip? Now the rest of the summer will have a hard time living up to this first magical week.

Music for this week: Stay Young and Go Dancing by Death Cab for Cutie

I can't believe I'll be at the SCBWI conference in Los Angeles by the end of this week. This has been one of my busiest summers ever, with ups and downs more powerful than the Atlantic waves my kids love to ride. I feel excited, nervous, and under-prepared. I can't wait to learn and grow as a writer, to pick up a suitcase full of new books to read, and to meet the smiling faces of this generous writing community in person.

A dear friend of mine came to visit this weekend. She loves to read as much as I do, and she's also one of my beta readers for my current manuscript. As we talked about great books, I gave her a list of the YA titles that she should definitely read when she gets the chance. So many amazing books wait on the bookshelves, ripe and ready to be devoured, and you never know who has found the same treasures as you. Here is my list of gems that my friend hadn't yet discovered:

Bitterblue (Kristin Cashore)
Divergent (Veronica Roth)
Shadow and Bone (Leigh Bardugo)
Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Laini Taylor)
White Cat (Holly Black)
Matched (Ally Condie)

How about you? When you think back over the last year or so, what books would you say are absolutely must reads? And if you happen to be going to SCBWI, let me know so we can chat about it in person!

Music for today: Jigsaw Falling into Place by Radiohead

YA Highway RTW: The Best Book in May

May is always a huge month for new releases, and this year all the titles I'd been waiting for lived up to the hype. I read the 5 YA titles above and a few adult books as well. You can check out my reviews of Bitterblue, Insurgent, and Reunited for more info. I'd have to pick Insurgent as the best book of the month, which is really saying something for the middle child of a trilogy. City of Lost Souls was every bit as steamy as I'd expected, though I'll be glad to get a more finite conclusion in book 6. And The Serpent's Shadow was an excellent end to the series. I highly recommend The Kane Chronicles if you're looking for a good MG adventure.

In other news, I'm tacking on a belated response to last week's RTW. Thanks to skymiles and a very supportive husband, I am going to SCBWI in LA! I am equal parts excited and nervous, and I'd love some suggestions on how to make the most of it. I've been to smaller state conferences over the past few years, but nothing like SCBWI. Are any of you blogger-type-people going? I'd love to chat about plans for the conference, and it would be awesome to meet you in person!

Music for today: Not a song, but a very cool trailer for Muse's upcoming album.