![\"sara](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/226\/2014\/12\/sara-zarr-at-casey.jpg\")
<\/a>2014 marked the tenth anniversary of my friendship with YA novelist Sara Zarr<\/a>.<\/p>\nIn the decade since we happened to sit down at the same table for a fiction workshop led by author Erin McGraw, Sara has written five of the\u00a0best-reviewed new YA novels. (She became a National Book Award finalist for her first. Not too shabby.) She\u2019s also collaborated on, or contributed to, a variety of multi-author books (Jesus Girls, <\/em>edited by poet and writer Hannah Faith Notess) and journals (including Image<\/em> and\u00a0Response<\/em>). She hosts an enlightening podcast called \u201cThis Creative Life,\u201d and she\u2019s\u00a0a member of the faculty of Lesley University\u2019s Low-Residency Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program.<\/p>\n In other words, she\u2019s had a pretty good decade.<\/p>\n And for all of her achievements, here\u2019s the best part: She\u2019s still one of the most compassionate, self-effacing, approachable, hard-working people I know. For all of the things I\u2019ve written and published in the last ten years, the book with my name on it that has sold the most is How to Save a Life \u2014 <\/em>because Sara wrote it; I\u2019m only credited in the fine print as her photographer. And that doesn\u2019t bother me at all. It was an honor.<\/p>\n As you can tell, I have become a rather evangelistic fan.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re thinking of giving Christmas presents to any young adults \u2014 or adults, for that matter \u2014 I recommend that you start here<\/a>.<\/p>\n (Filmmakers: This book is crying out to be adapted into a feature film \u2014 and an excellent opportunity for a young actress.)<\/p>\n But if you\u2019re thinking of listening to some Christmas music this weekend, consider adding Sara\u2019s recommendations to your playlist.<\/p>\n (In case you missed it, this is the third in my Christmas Party Playlist series, following contributions from two Grammy-winning musicians: Joe Henry<\/a> and Ashley Cleveland<\/a>.)<\/p>\n It\u2019s my pleasure to welcome Sara Zarr<\/strong> as our latest Christmas party playlist DJ.<\/p>\n \u2022<\/p>\n SARA ZARR:<\/strong><\/p>\n If my contribution to this blog series had a theme, I guess it would be \u201csemi-obscure original Christmas-ish songs.\u201d I can\u2019t narrow down to a favorite recording of Handel\u2019s Messiah<\/em>, a favorite recording of The Nutcracker<\/em>, or favorite version of my favorite carol\u00a0\u2014 \u201cHark! The Herald Angels Sing\u201d (or is my favorite \u201cLet All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence\u201d? or another of a dozen?). So, I\u2019m going to focus on introducing a few quiet little newer gems plus one bigger, older one that is not obscure but not as well known as I feel it should be.<\/p>\n Here we go:<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Fictionist\u00a0\u2014 \u201cThis Christmas\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Fictionist is a band out of Provo, which is close to the Salt Lake area where I live. They\u2019ve gone national now but I still think of them as belonging to us here in Utah. A few years ago they put out this very simple song featuring about one-fourth of the band, and I was going through some stuff and this was my official Crying Song of that year. It helped me get the tears out while also bringing me comfort. (\u201clet no one confound you \/ his loving arms surround you \/ this Christmas\u201d). It has remained one of my favorites.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/226\/2014\/12\/The-Lucy-Variations.jpg\")
<\/a>Her latest novel,\u00a0The Lucy Variations,\u00a0<\/em>demonstrates that she\u2019s just getting better. It\u2019s about a young piano prodigy who having all of the outward signs of a successful ascent to the spotlight, decides that she still hasn\u2019t found what she\u2019s looking for, and sets off to find it\u2026 much to the alarm of her supporters, especially over vindictive and controlling grandfather. It\u2019s a\u00a0novel of deep wisdom about the search for a meaningful life, and the confusion that comes when the path leads in away from what the rest of the world thinks is\u00a0best. Anne and I read the whole thing aloud to each other, enthralled.<\/p>\n