Trish Doller is the critically-acclaimed author of Something Like Normal. Something Like Normal was chosen for the YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults list in 2013, as well named as an NPR Top 100 Teen Books finalist and 2012 Goodreads Choice nominee. Trish's second novel, Where the Stars Still Shine, was longlisted for the 2014 Australian Silver Inky Awards and was a Winter 2013-14 Indie Next List pick. Printz Award-winning author Melina Marchetta calls Where the Stars Still Shine"heartbreaking and powerful". Her third novel, The Devil You Know, will be released June 2, 2015 and she is currently writing her first novel for adults. Trish lives in Florida with her two dogs, two mostly-grown children, and a pirate. For more information visit Trish at: trishdoller.com.

Why do you read young adult fiction?
There are so many elements of YA Lit that appeal to me, but the strongest is the voice -- that raw, honest, and vulnerable voice of an adolescent wading through an experience, or series of experiences, after which their world will never be the same. It's the sound of the characters that draw me to the work, the way they unpack their emotions on the page. My favorite YA books are hinged by a strong narrative voice, typically a first person point of view. Of course the story and setting matter a great deal as well, the structure and subplots and sidekicks, but it always comes back to a strong authentic voice. 

What YA book are you reading now? 
I'm currently reading an ARC of the YA novel Fig (forthcoming April 2015) by Sarah Elizabeth Schantz; she's a Simon & Schuster author, too, and the story is one I haven't heard yet in the YA world, so I'm planning to blurb the book. In terms of other YA books sharing the nightstand with Fig, the new issue of One Teen Story and E. Lockhart's We Were Liars are currently in the stack.

When and where do you read?
If truth be told, I'm mostly reading board books to my son these days, so we read on the floor, on the couch, and in the cozy chair in his bedroom. He's ten months old, and reading has become one of his favorite activities. But when I can find the time to read for myself, it is often on the back deck, curled up on the couch, at my desk in my office before beginning my writing for the day, or in bed. I also read in airports, in parking lots, in coffee shops, in classrooms before my students arrive, at dog parks, standing up in the kitchen, and in doctor's office waiting rooms. I try to sneak it in when ever and where ever I can! And I can't fall asleep without reading for at least half an hour. It's my way of unwinding and closing up shop for the day.

What draws you to a book? 
I rely heavily on word of mouth and recommendations from friends and other authors. When I was on book tour for Fingerprints of You, I collected books based off the suggestions of booksellers, and never left an event empty handed. 

Do you ever reread books? 
I absolutely do. One of the most wonderful things about reading is seeing a book in a new way depending on what you're bringing to the page at that time. For me, a book changes each time I read it, so I often return to my stack of favorites for inspiration, particularly when I'm struggling with something in my own work. 

You may also like...