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Robbie Couch photo: Anita Lashey |
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Robbie Couch is the author of YA novels If I See You Again Tomorrow, Blaine for the Win, The Sky Blues, and Another First Chance. He is also the author of the adult novel Bloom. Originally from small-town Michigan, Couch now lives in Los Angeles. Just the Good Parts (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, September 29) is a romantic, speculative novel about a teen searching for his missing father, who keeps getting pulled into others’ memories and crossing paths with a handsome stranger who also doesn’t belong there.
Handsell readers your book:
A teen boy looking for his missing dad keeps getting pulled into other people's memories. Are they clues to nudge him toward the truth?
On your nightstand now:
I was fortunate enough to get an advance copy of Zachary Sergi's YA novel So Superb It's Killing Me, and it's so good it's killing me. Zach does a brilliant job folding queer narratives into contemporary fantasy for young readers. Check it out if it seems up your alley.
Favorite book when you were a child:
Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis quickly became my favorite book when I read it in middle school, and it remains my favorite to this day.
Favorite book to read to a child:
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown has to be up there. What a fun (and perfectly tear-jerky!) ride.
Your top five authors:
This is tough! It's definitely a mixed bag. I'll go with: David Levithan, Gabrielle Zevin, John Green, David Sedaris, and Roxane Gay. Every one of them has produced work that challenges and inspires me in myriad ways.
Book you've faked reading:
Every book in my 10th grade lit class, to be honest. High school lit curricula needs a modern upgrade that speaks to today's generations, in my honest opinion!
Book you're an evangelist for:
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews. It's such a lovely blend of heart and hilarity, and the story really resonated with me when I was at a crossroads in my life. It's also a perfect example of showing how tough topics can be accessible to young readers when the perspective, story, and balance are done right.
Book you've bought for the cover:
All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson. Fortunately, you can judge this book by its cover, because both are beautiful and very well done.
Best book an adult handed to you when you were a child:
I remember my fifth-grade teacher recommending The Curse of Camp Cold Lake by the iconic R.L. Stine. It had such a creepy, vivid cover. I devoured the story and then promptly read about a dozen other Goosebumps books.
Book that changed your life:
I hate to say it because She Who Must Not Be Named has since devolved into a disappointing bigot and praising her work feels gross. But I'd be lying if I said any other book besides Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. That series sparked my love of reading and storytelling in a way no other novel has.
Favorite line from a book:
"Life is a banquet and most poor s.o.b.'s are starving to death." --Auntie Mame in Patrick Dennis's Auntie Mame
Five books you'll never part with:
More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
Love You Forever by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Sheila McGraw
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
The thought of donating or--gasp--throwing away my original copies of any of those books sends a chill down my spine.
Book you most want to read again for the first time:
I'd have to say The Hobbit. J.R.R. Tolkien pulled me into Middle Earth, and I couldn't come up for air until the last word on the last page. I'm not sure any other author's world-building skills have captivated me as much as his in that novel!