Ordinarily my “Focus On:” series centers around genres or key elements within books, but I’ve been loving one author so much this month that I thought she deserved a whole post.

Firstly, you’ve heard me talk about The Scorpio Races before. It is one of the most masterfully done YA novels that I have read in recent years. The book follows a young girl who wants to enter a dangerous water horse race traditionally reserved for boys. Wholly new and innovative, the concept grabs you from the first page and doesn’t let go.

Good news for all fans – it’s being made into a movie! Though adaptations are always tricky, particularly for books with “far out” conceptions, I am hopeful for this one. You still have plenty of time to read the book before the movie is released so pick it up next time you are at the store!

In other Maggie Stiefvater news, the third book in her Raven Cycle trilogy was recently released. Though I read and loved The Scorpio Races, until I was sent a copy of Blue Lily, Lily Blue I had not picked up any of the Raven Cycle books. Wanting to take full advantage, I started from the beginning. I picked up the first book and suddenly my whole weekend was gone, devoted to reading the whole series. Now THAT’S the hallmark of a good series!