In case you were wondering how intellectually weighty those Austin Chronicle Book Club discussions get, the latest one ended by asking which of the young male heroes in James Dashner’s YA thriller The Maze Runner would make the best prom date.
Okay, so it’s not exactly a trenchant debate over Dostoyevsky’s critique of Russian social mores, but hey, it was fun hearing Chronicle Managing Editor Kimberley Jones declare Minho “pretty punk rock” and having @SparkerPants admit that Newt would be her pick “even if he might talk like an old prospector on occasion.” (Sadly, there was no love for the bristly bearded cook Frypan in this fantasy prom draft, though he received a shout-out in a sidebar discussion of the characters being named for scientists. When @SnackMantis wondered, “WHO IS FRYPAN NAMED FOR?,” @SparkerPants quipped: “The scientist who invented the frying pan, Dr. Frypangi.”
Prior to that incisive commentary, the discussion ranged over the book’s use of its sole female character, its Lord of the Flies vibe, and the prevalence of violence in contemporary YA books. The chatter is always lively, and you can follow the full conversation online at Twitter, #ACreads.
At the end of the hour, the selection for October was announced: Love Me Back by Texas author Merritt Tierce, who will be at BookPeople Monday, Sept. 29, and at the 2014 Texas Book Festival Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 25 & 26. Grab a copy now, read it, and join us Monday, Oct. 20, 7pm, to talk about the latest in Lone Star lit.
This article appears in September 26 • 2014.