March 13, 2014

How To: Read Sarah Dessen

Okay. So in case you missed it, I love Sarah Dessen. (See this week's Top Ten Tuesday post for reference - it's actually the last thing I posted before this so it shouldn't be hard to find.) She is wonderful, her books are wonderful and... well... I just want everyone to read them all.

I know that's not a particularly realistic desire because not every plot is for every person and I would never expect everyone to love all of them the way I do. But these books are my YA life. Actually. My friend Danna handed me This Lullaby one day back in 10th grade or so and 16 year old Gaby knew that she'd found the greatest realistic fiction thing she would ever find.

Which isn't to say I don't still read lots of other realistic fiction I love very much, but Sarah Dessen was first. Or, not the first realistic fiction I've ever read, but the first non-school-pushed realistic fiction that really grabbed me, shook me up, and then somehow hugged me back together, all before the last page.

So as a thank you to Sarah (because in my wildest dreams she actually see this) and a gentle push (JK a giant shove) in the right direction, I've made up and infographic of how I would like everyone to read Sarah Dessen books. In chronological order. Obviously this is information you Wikipedia clever cats can look up, but I like infographics (and I hope you do too), so this happened...

I have to thank a few people, of course.

First: Piktochart.com. I didn't do a ton (read: any) research before signing up for an infographic-making site, but I like this one A LOT, so go at it.

Second: Jen (@JenEllision), Sharon (@starsaloft) and Racquel (@purplebull) for this infographic would have fewer facts and more copy editing mistakes without them.

Third: Is thanking Sarah Dessen again too much? Because I think she deserves it. So thanks, Sarah!

Oh! And feel free to use this infographic wherever, whenever, but I do ask you credit me/not cut out that little thing on the bottom left that says "Made by Queen Ella Bee Reads" because creating this took quite a bit of time.

So that's it. This is what's been keeping me up late the last two nights. I hope you guys like it and if you have ideas for other author infographics you'd like to see, let me know in the comments below!