Teenreads.com Blog

Sometimes, it's so easy to get distracted by the little things that we forget to "live in the Now", and live it to the fullest --- an idea captured perfectly in Susane Colasanti's latest novel, WAITING FOR YOU. Below, she reminds us how important it is to not only be fully present in each moment, but also to take the good with the bad and make the best of both. If you'd like to read a sampler of all of Susane's works, click here.


There’s this Zen concept that says in order to achieve the highest state of being, you must be fully present in every moment of your life. If you can attain this state of self-actualization, you will know what pure happiness is. For me, pure happiness usually involves several eps of "The Office", a John Mayer CD, and some kind of cupcake-type situation. Of course, I can improve. I’m always trying to be a better person so I can contribute to society in a more meaningful way. And that’s why living in the Now is so important.

If you’re anything like me, being entirely present in any given moment is a challenge. I’m sending angry vibes to my neighbor who insists on running the air conditioner when it’s not even hot out. Or I haven’t wished my happy birthdays on Facebook yet today. Or a good segment might be starting on NPR. Or I’m trying to remember the lyrics to that song. There are always seventy-three reasons to not be concentrating on what you’re doing. But the only way to live in the Now is to fully experience the moment you’re in with no distractions.

In my latest book, WAITING FOR YOU, Marisa struggles with living in the Now. She loves photography because her photos can preserve a moment forever. But that moment never looks exactly the same in a photo as it did when she first experienced it. A lot is taken away from an experience when it’s captured on film. People can get so distracted by taking pictures that they never really stop to just be one with the world, to absorb everything without looking at it through a lens. Being more present in the moment allows you to involve yourself in a more meaningful way. Living in the Now allows you to be quiet with yourself. When you are at peace, only then can you hear your deepest heart’s desires. It’s only when you know yourself that you can most effectively help others to improve their own lives.

This is your life, right now, whether you feel like being a part of it or not. You don’t get a do-over. So respect what you have. Even if it sucks, even if you’re depressed and hate everything and can’t imagine surviving another day, respect it anyway. It gets better. And when it does, time will slip away from you more quickly and the Now will be harder to grasp. I wish someone would have told me this when I was a teen, which is why I’m telling you. Do the best you can with what you have. The bad parts make you stronger, while the good parts are times you’ll never want to forget. When you get to the good parts, savor them for as long as you possibly can. Take everything in, right then, the way it never will be again. The Now is the everything.

-- Susane Colasanti

Labels: Susane Colasanti, Waiting For You

Though Jenny Han is hard at work on the sequel to her newly released novel, THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY, she's still taking advantage of the summer downtime to catch up on a little reading. Below, she shares the top five books on her list.


When I’m not writing books, I’m working part time at a school library on the Upper West Side. Well, school’s finally out, and I have to say, one of the best things about summer vacation is all the reading I get to catch up on. Although, truth be told, with a July deadline for the sequel to THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY, I shouldn’t be doing anything extracurricular at all. But you still can! And I can too, after I turn in my revision…

Without further adieu, I present to you, my five YA must-reads this summer.

1. THE CHOSEN ONE by Carol Lynch Williams
I am a sucker for a haunting cover, and this one sure looks haunting --- a girl with long blond braid that is just starting to unravel. The story’s about a girl named Kyra, who lives on a polygamist compound with her father, three mothers, and twenty siblings. She’s just been betrothed to her 60-year-old uncle. Now what? I’m hoping she’ll be as gutsy and spirited as Nikki from “Big Love,” and bust out of that compound, come hell or high water.

2. MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD by Francisco X. Stork
Everywhere I go, I hear rave reviews about this book. It's about a 17-year-old boy with Aspergers who takes care of ponies and listens to music in his head. Oh, Marcelo, I think I love you already. Marcelo is given the choice to continue to live in his own private world or to join “the real world” of lawyer fathers and corporations.

3. WINTERGIRLS by Laurie Halse Anderson
Laurie Halse Anderson is like Steve Martin. I once read a review that said , when Steve Martin comes out with a new comedy, no matter what it is, you stand up and pay attention. When Laurie Halse Anderson comes out with a new book, you stand up and pay attention. She’s just that good. This one is about a girl named Lia who is struggling with many different problems, chief among them being anorexia.

4. SAVVY by Ingrid Law
This is one I’ve been meaning to get to for some time. It’s about a 12-year-old girl named Mississippi who is waiting for her “savvy.” In Mississippi’s family, when a kid turns thirteen, he or she gets his or her very own supernatural ability. For instance, her brother Rocket can create electricity. I wonder what Mississippi’s savvy will be?

5. ALONG FOR THE RIDE by Sarah Dessen
I’ve been waiting for this one for months! It has all of the elements I love --- thinking girl with a thinking-girl name, a sleepy beach town, a new boy. Auden is leaving for college in the fall, her mom’s a control freak, her dad’s just had a new baby, and she doesn’t know how to ride a bike. Sarah Dessen is at the top of her game, and I can’t wait to see what she’s come up with this time.

Happy reading, y’all!

-- Jenny Han

Labels: Jenny Han, Summer Reading, The Summer I Turned Pretty

Most of us would love it if our favorite characters could live forever in sequels and series, but doing so is a lot harder than it looks. Today's guest blogger, Denise Vega, sheds light on just how hard it can be to write a sequel, and shares some of the fears she experienced while attempting to write ACCESS DENIED, the followup to CLICK HERE.


When readers love a book, they want more. They want a sequel, a series, anything that enables them to continue on a path with the characters they have come to know and love. I’ve felt this way myself after reading a good book. I’m not ready to let go. I want to know what happens next. And for an author, this sounds like a dream come true. My readers love my book! My readers want more!

But then the fear creeps in because we know that we can never replicate the experience the reader had, and that’s what they are looking for. Nothing can match the joy and satisfaction of finishing a book that truly captivated a reader. She or he thinks they want more, but maybe they want more of what they want to happen to the characters after the book ends, not necessarily where the author might take those characters in a follow-up book.

So what’s an author to do?

When I finished my book, CLICK HERE (to find out how i survived seventh grade), I already had something in mind for a sequel because I wasn’t finished with Erin’s story. I jumped in with both feet, excited to keep going with these characters. But as readers continued to write in about how much they loved CLICK HERE, I started having some anxiety. Could anything I wrote truly match the enthusiasm they were expressing about the first book? Would they toss the new book across the room in disgust? What was I thinking?

And what about new readers? Someone who stumbled across the sequel and was meeting Erin, Jilly, Rosie, Mark, and Tyler for the first time? They deserved to read a story they could follow and enjoy, even if they hadn’t read CLICK HERE. I knew I had to continue Erin’s story, but also make the book fresh and new.

Bingo. It was then that I realized that even if my readers wanted me to replicate their CLICK HERE experience, I couldn’t. It was impossible. But what I could do was give them a new one, while still providing familiar elements so readers of the first book could make those connections and feel as if they’d come back to visit old friends.

I started mapping out how I could take Erin to another level, really push her out of her comfort zone and make her grow further than she had in CLICK HERE --- because that’s the other challenge of a sequel. In any character-driven book, you want the character to grow or change in some way, be different at the end of the story than she was in the beginning. I had to take my already-changed Erin and make her change again. I had to give her new problems and new challenges to overcome.

As of this writing, ACCESS DENIED (and other eighth grade error messages) is not out yet so I don’t know how my readers feel about it. But, I think I did provide a new story --- a new experience --- for any reader who picks up the book. I introduced a new character, Reede Harper, who challenges and tests Erin in ways I think many eighth graders on the brink of high school might be challenged and tested.

So for everyone who wants to continue on a journey with a beloved character, be kind to the author who gives you what you think you want and be open to what you actually get!

-- Denise Vega

Labels: Access Denied, Click Here, Denise Vega

Deborah Lytton is an actress, singer and author whose debut novel, JANE IN BLOOM, hit stores in March. In today's guest blog, she explains why summer is the best time of year for soul searching and self-discovery, and invites you to share what you learn about yourself in the process.


Summer is here! School is out, and you finally have time to relax and just breathe. Summer is my favorite season because it always makes me feel like anything is possible. There’s something about the long golden days stretching before me that makes me feel free. Free to try something new, to explore, to reinvent myself. I think that’s why the majority of my novel, JANE IN BLOOM, takes place during the summer. I wanted to give my main character, Jane, the time to find out who she really is. Jane has entire days with absolutely nothing to do. And it is during those days that she has the freedom to just be.

I think expressing ourselves creatively is the key to unlocking our souls. Maybe you already know what feeds you creatively. For me, it’s writing. Writing is my escape. I love telling a story and choosing each word to evoke an emotion. I actually lose track of time when I am writing. There is this incredible sense of freedom because there are no rules, and I can write about anything I want. But, writing also teaches me about myself. Each character I create carries a little piece of me. My main character, Jane, has lots of little pieces of me in her, but one of the biggest things we share is a love of photography. I love shooting photographs. It’s exciting to choose a subject and to find the exact right way to convey the emotion and composition I picture in my mind. Jane finds herself by looking at the world through a camera lens. Maybe you can draw or paint (I have to admit I envy you, I can only draw one thing --- a really pathetic frog. I know!) Or maybe you can dance or sing. Maybe you bake or write or play an instrument. Design fashion. Arrange flowers. There are so many ways to express yourself.

If you haven’t discovered your creative outlet, this is the time to do it. If you already know how to do something well, maybe now is the time to try something new. This summer, I challenge you to express yourself creatively --- and learn something about yourself. What is it that you secretly wish you could do? Go out and try it. How does it make you feel? Does it make you lose track of time? And finally, what does it teach you about yourself that you never knew before?

If you get a chance, write to me at www.deborahlytton.com and tell me about what you’ve discovered. Have fun creating! I can’t wait to hear about your summer.

-- Deborah Lytton

Labels: Deborah Lytton, Jane in Bloom

Lauren Strasnick's debut novel, NOTHING LIKE YOU, is set to hit stores this fall. Below, she takes us on the roller coaster of emotions she's experienced on the road to getting her first book published.


This is the first blog entry I’ve ever written. First blog, first book --- this past year has been chock full o’ firsts. I’ve sold one book, am midway through writing another, and am slowly starting to understand how to balance writing --- actual writing --- with the businessy side of publishing. I’ve learned print jargon (ARC! STET! Subrights!). I’ve learned that a book goes through many incarnations before it reaches readers (edits, line edits, copyedits, typeset changes). Armed with so much new wisdom, you’d think I’d be prepped for what comes next: The big debut. My baby book in the hands of family, friends, reviewers, old crushes --- you’d think I’d be out of mind, crazy with glee. And I am. But also, I’m petrified. Reader response. Sales. Reviews. Yikes.

I have one trick (i.e. compulsion) I turn to when trying to squelch anxiety. I read. And reread. And reread my manuscript. On good days I skim portions from the book and think, “Huh, not so bad,” all while eating piles of salad and watching the bumblebees dance outside my big bay window. On bad days I reread the exact same passage and think, “No. Please, no! Stop the presses!”

I turn to writer friends for comfort: “What have I done? Real people are going to read this! I have no control over their thoughts!” I am met, always, with empathy, with understanding, with, “Me too, friend. I feel the exact same way.”

So, okay --- I relax. I let go. I work on understanding that what I’m feeling in those hysterical moments is not unique to me; that most writers feel some sort of similar paranoia in the pre-publication stage of each book. I try to remember that a year ago, having just sold this book, my world was rosy and fear-free --- that I felt only pure, untainted joy.

These days I abstain from compulsive rereading (okay, half lie --- I don’t reread as much), and ponder my good fortune. I look forward. To October. To my book’s big debut. And sure, there’s some fear. But mostly I’m just pleased pleased pleased as pie that I get to live my dream come true.

-- Lauren Strasnick

Labels: Lauren Strasnick, Nothing Like You

Below, Jennifer E. Smith --- author of THE COMEBACK SEASON and YOU ARE HERE --- recalls childhood memories of her travels from the back seat of the family car and reminds us about the one thing we shouldn't forget to pack on our next road trip.


My newest novel, YOU ARE HERE, is a road trip story. And I’ve found that when you write one of these, you get a lot of people asking the obvious question: what’s your own favorite road trip story?

I have to say, I’ve taken a lot of really great road trips. My family was pretty big on these growing up, and I’ve been to 46 of the 50 states, many of them in the back seat of the Smith family minivan. When I was a kid, we’d take a few weeks each summer to travel around a region of the country, never staying in one place for more than a night, always on the road for long hours in between national parks or monuments.

There are so many memories from these trips, so many sights seen and pictures taken, but the one thread that seems to run through each and every one of them is the sound of my parents yelling at me from the front seat to put down my book and look out the window.

Now, this isn't to say I didn't appreciate the mountains and the rivers and the trees. Because I did. They were beautiful. But, man, there were a lot of them. And one tree is sort of like the next one after awhile. They all start to blend together.

It wasn’t that the rest of my family didn’t like to read or anything. It was just that none of them could understand how I could sit in the back of the van with my nose in a book while we drove past some of America's most beautiful scenery.

To me, it seemed a natural choice. When else were you lucky enough to have so many uninterrupted hours of reading time? Besides, it wasn't like I didn't glance up every now and then. And each time we pulled into another scenic overlook to read some roadside plaque about rainfall statistics or erosion, I'd dog-ear my page and file out of the car along with the others. But deep down, I was always more interested in returning to another kind of scenery, the landscapes in my books, which were every inch as real to me as the ones scrolling by out the window.

I probably missed a few mountains along the way, it's true. And maybe even a landmark or two. But I think what I got was even better. I didn't just see the Rocky Mountains; I also saw the Ozarks along with Billy in WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS. And I didn't just peer down at the moon-like rocks of the Badlands; I took in the entire prairie alongside Laura Ingalls Wilder. Books are a kind of journey in and of themselves, and rather than take away from my travels, they've always enhanced them.

So, if you’re ever on your way to the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone, be sure to bring along a good book or two. And if someone tells you to look out the window, make sure you do. But also be sure to hold your place on the page. You wouldn’t want to miss anything.

-- Jennifer E. Smith

Labels: Jennifer E. Smith, The Comeback Season, You Are Here

Today's guest blogger is Lee Bantle, a lawyer from New York who has also written two novels for middle-grade and YA readers. Below, he discusses characters from his latest book, DAVID INSIDE OUT, and shares his thoughts on the very timely subject of gay marriage.


In DAVID INSIDE OUT, the title character and his teammate, Sean, feel a powerful sexual attraction to one another. Confronted with their unwanted gay feelings, they handle the conflict very differently. What is it about David that allows him to integrate being gay into his identity while Sean fights and denies it?

Even though it’s 2009 and the school that David and Sean go to has a Gay/Straight Alliance, Sean is bombarded with messages that discourage him from accepting his identity. He has internalized these messages which come from society, his parents, and his peers. You can still be fired in 30 states because you’re gay and you can be drummed out of the military if you dare mention that fact. When his parents find out Sean is messing around with David, they send Sean to a shrink and make him cut off his ties with David. Sean knows that guys are still called faggot as an insult and that some on the cross-country team would not be happy about having any gays in their midst.

Sean wants no part of any of this. He quite honestly tells David he’s not going to be part of his “faggy life.”

Even though Sean is not a profile in courage, I still cared about him while writing this book. He may not be making the best decisions for himself, but it is understandable. Ideally, the reader has compassion for Sean, while realizing that he is a cautionary tale.

In contrast, David, while at first fighting his gay feelings, comes to accept them and lets other people know who he really is. I think there are a number of things that account for this. One of these is his mother. She’ll love him no matter who he is. David also discovers happily that there is a healthy gay community out there. His visit to the gay and lesbian bookstore and some chats on the GLBTQ hotline give him support and hope. But in the end, I suppose the most important factor is that David is someone who wants to know who he is. And he has the guts to go for it.

Although the question of gay marriage does not come up in the book, I think it is interesting to contemplate how the pitched battle over this issue may be affecting gay teens who are struggling with their sexual identity.

To me, I believe it has a profound effect. This fight is over a basic and essential human right --- who can we love, and what role the people we love can have in our lives.

In 44 states, gays and lesbians cannot get married even though under the Constitution, marriage is a fundamental right. By popular vote, California recently took away the right to marry and the state’s highest court upheld the vote. In my opinion, this sends a very powerful message that there is something wrong with gay relationships. And even if any given teenager might be thinking, “why worry about marriage now?” it’s really not that simple. I feel that the path to acceptance for gay and lesbian teens will be a challenge until people can love and marry whomever they want --- in all 50 states.

-- Lee Bantle

Labels: David Inside Out, Lee Bantle

If you could go on a fantasy road trip with a character (or characters!) from your favorite series, where would you go? What would you do along the way? How would you travel? Answer these questions by creating a video starring characters from series by Libba Bray, Tamora Piece or Rick Riordan, and you could be chosen by Random House Audio/Listening Library to win an 8 gb iPod and a collection of signed audiobooks!

Click here for more information, or to enter the contest. Good luck!

Labels: Fantasy Road Trip Contest, Libba Bray, Random House Audio Listening Library, Rick Riordan, Tamora Pierce

For a writer, finding the perfect title can be tricky. Today's guest blogger, sci-fi fantasy author, Hilari Bell, shares some of her own hits and misses throughout the years.


Some writers are brilliant at coming up with titles --- I'm not one of them. My current work in progress is a two-book, near-future SF/fantasy, in which the Native American trickster spirit, Raven, is a major character. I'm using the tentative series title The Raven Duet, which I'm pretty happy with. (I say tentative series title, because there's at least an even chance that my editor, or the marketing committee, will change it. But I'm happy with it.) The books themselves, however, are currently creatively titled Book 1 and Book 2, and I'm begging my critique group, which is now reading Book 1, to come up with a good title for me. Or decent title. Or just one that I won't be embarrassed to submit to my editor for her to change.

With me, titles work one of two ways. Either I know the perfect title from the beginning, when I first start playing with the story idea; or, it never comes to me, so my critique group gives me a title, then my editor changes it, and then the marketing committee changes her title...and I'm usually still not crazy about it, but you have to call the book something after all. The first book I ever published was one of the perfect ones. SONGS OF POWER was exactly the right title for that book, and no one even hinted at changing it. SHIELD OF STARS, SWORD OF WATERS and CROWN OF EARTH (CROWN is coming out this fall) all fall into the perfect title category.

In the not-so-perfect category... THE LAST KNIGHT was originally titled Chains of Air, which was a lousy title and I knew it. My editor changed it to Knight's Folly, which I actually liked pretty well, particularly if I could add the subtitle I wanted --- Knight's Folly: this being the first of the magical misadventures of Michael and Fisk. Perhaps it's as well that my editor talked me out of that. I also liked One Knight's Folly. But maybe it's for the best that my editor talked me out of that one too, as it really isn't a pun book. The final title, THE LAST KNIGHT, I agreed to on the sole, absolute condition that they give the book a humorous cover. To me, the title implies a story about a last survivor's stand against some overwhelming evil. Which might be a great book, but the reason the main character, Michael, is the last knight is that he's taken up a profession that's 200 years out of date. It's like you're talking to someone at a party, and when you ask what they do for a living, they tell you in all seriousness, "I'm a gunslinger." Everyone thinks Michael is crazy. In fact, Michael is kind of crazy, but it's that kind of book, not a heroic stand against final evil.

"It will have a humorous cover, right?"

"Absolutely," my editor promised.

"Because if it's a serious cover, the people who want light fantasy won't pick it up, and the people who want heroic, epic fantasy will pick it up, read the flap copy, and put it down again."

"We want to attract readers who'll like it," my editor said soothingly. "We'll have a cover that accurately conveys the mood of the book. I promise."

THE LAST KNIGHT's cover is posted above; it's a good cover, but it's a cover that says "serious epic fantasy" instead the light-hearted comedy of errors that this book really is. But, the marketing committee really liked this cover. At least the flap copy works. And the titles of the next two books, ROGUE'S HOME and PLAYER'S RUSE (also coming out this fall), sound a bit lighter.

But at this point, you can see why I'm really hoping my critique group comes through for me.

So what do you think makes for a good title? Or a bad one? My second novel, my only adult SF novel, is titled NAVOHAR, which is the name of the planet. I think that titling an SF novel with the name of the planet is the same kind of cop-out as titling a romance with the heroine's name. Belinda, Johanna etc. But my editor said that The Singing Camels of Navohar gave her an irresistible image of a camel singing opera, so maybe it's just as well that she talked me out of that too. Remember when I said I wasn't good at titles? I wasn't kidding. Are you good at titles? And if so, can you give me some tips?

-- Hilari Bell

Labels: Crown of Earth, Hilari Bell, Shield of Stars, Songs of Power, Sword of Waters, The Last Knight, The Raven Duet

Is there any better way to spend your summer vacation than with a glass of lemonade in one hand and a great book in the other? Today, Cynthia Leitich Smith --- author of gothic fantasties TANTALIZE and ETERNAL --- shares what's on her list of summer reads and recommends a few titles to add to yours.


I'm not only a "champion" of summer reading, I've won an award to prove it.

When I was a very young reader, I won the summer reading challenge at my local public library in Grandview, Missouri. It took place between the summer of second and third grade. I read more books than anybody, even though the contest went up to grade six. I remember a ceremony and being presented a certificate by the mayor and getting my picture in the newspaper.

Back then, I loved any books that had to do with magic, especially those about putting on a magic show. I wanted to be a magician when I grew up.

By the time I was teen, my summer reading had shifted to realistic contemporary books like TIGER EYES by Judy Blume and creepy stories by Stephen King.

I also re-read Elizabeth George Speare’s THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND every summer from the time I was twelve. It was a combination of the romance and Kit's strength that kept drawing me back.

It's funny because now I'm back to magic again, as a writer and reader, though not so much with tricks but rather magic of a fictional kind.

I can't wait to read THE AMARANTH ENCHANTMENT by Julie Berry or SILVER PHOENIX: BEYOND THE KINGDOM OF XIA by Cindy Pon.

You may want to add a couple of my recent reads to your list: A KISS IN TIME by Alex Flinn and WATERSMEET by Ellen Jensen Abbott. Flinn's book is a fun, funny contemporary twist on Sleeping Beauty, and Abbott's is a dark, fierce fantasy with heart.

And if you haven’t already I hope you’ll look for my own Gothics --- TANTALIZE and ETERNAL. They’re companion books set in a multi-creature-verse that includes angels, vampires, ghosts, and shape-shifters.

You don’t have to read them in any particular order. But the two casts will crossover in BLESSED, which I’m working on now, and it picks up where TANTALIZE leaves off.

If you’re already a fan, don’t miss Deborah Noyes’s short story collection SIDESHOW: Ten Original Dark Tales of Freaks, Illusionists and Other Matters Odd and Magical, which will be out in July. My contribution is “Cat Calls,” which is set in my own monstrous and magical universe.

Happy summer reading!

-- Cynthia Leitich Smith

Labels: Cynthia Leitich Smith, Eternal, Summer Reading, Tantalize

Today's guest blogger, Michael Spradlin, is the author of several books for young readers, including the teen series Spy Goddess, as well as his current project, The Youngest Templar Trilogy. Below, he sets the record straight on his close personal ties with Harry Potter author, J. K. Rowling.


Like most YA authors, I do a lot of school visits. And like most of my writer friends, I always leave time for questions at the end of my presentations. Without a doubt, one of the most frequent questions I’m asked is: do you know J. K. Rowling?

My answer is “no, I do not know J. K. Rowling, and given the limits of the restraining order, am I likely to anytime soon. But we do have several things in common!” (By the way, I’m just kidding about that restraining order thing).

For example:

1. We both write books!
2. Together we have combined to sell millions of copies of our books around the world!
3. She is from England, and I have visited England once.
4. We both have an ‘lin’ in our last names!
5. The Harry Potter books are set somewhere in England. My novel THE YOUNGEST TEMPLAR: KEEPER OF THE GRAIL is set somewhere in England.
6. Her books have lots of action, humor, adventure, humor, suspense, humor, intrigue…and oh yes humor. So does THE YOUNGEST TEMPLAR: KEEPER OF THE GRAIL!
7. We both use punctuation!
8. All of her books have been made into blockbuster movies. I have seen all the movies!

So as you can see, that is almost nearly ten different things that I have in common with one of the best-selling writers in the world. Believe me if I ever do get a chance to meet J. K. I will be sure to point out to her all the things we already share. And I’m sure if we ever do meet, we will become fast friends.

One last thing, I like to point out to students when I’m visiting schools or guest-blogging and talking about not knowing my good almost friend J. K. Rowling is that the Harry Potter books are over. So you might as well read THE YOUNGEST TEMPLAR: KEEPER OF THE GRAIL!

I mean, what could it hurt?

-- Michael Spradlin

Labels: Michael Spradlin, Spy Goddess, The Young Templar Trilogy