Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Top Ten of 2013

Top Ten Tuesday
Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  Head on over to see more Top Ten lists!

This is the first time I am participating in Top Ten Tuesday, though I have read and enjoyed many of the blog posts in the past.  I was going to do a Favorites of 2013 list anyway, so I figured I would link up today!

My Top Ten of 2013

Winger by Andrew Smith

Winger
Even though it's hard to pick a TOP book of the year...I think this one does it for me.  Any book that can make me laugh and cry and then punch me in the gut is a sure-fire winner!

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor & Park

Two of the best, most memorable characters ever!

Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo

Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures

I just love the voice in this book.  I reviewed it here.

The Real Boy by Anne Ursu

The Real Boy

While Breadcrumbs is still my favorite, this one was amazing as well.  I reviewed it here.

The Thing About Luck by Cynthia Kadahota

The Thing About Luck

This is another book with very memorable characters.  I reviewed it here.

Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller

Where the Stars Still Shine

Callie has spent her life running from town to town with her mother who kidnapped her as a child.  When she is caught, she is sent to live with the father she barely knew.  Callie is one of my favorite characters of the year.  

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

The Testing (The Testing, #1)

I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series that comes out in January!

This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

This Is What Happy Looks Like

Considering You've Got Mail is one of my favorite movies ever, it's no surprise that I loved this book.

Counting By 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Counting by 7s

I'd love for this book to get some Newbery love in January!

Jinx by Sage Blackwood

Jinx

Looking forward to this sequel, Jinx's Magic, coming out next week!

Happy Reading!



Monday, December 30, 2013

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?


I'm joining Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers in sharing my reading this week.  Head on over to their blogs to see what others are reading and link up your own post!

I haven't posted an IMWAYR post in quite awhile.  But since I am once again attempting a winter break book-a-day, I thought I'd recap my reading so far.  I've been in quite a reading rut, I think that between Thanksgiving and winter break, I only read picture books, not one complete novel to be found.  Thankfully, having time to travel and rest over the last week has brought me back to my usual reading habits!

YA Books

Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

Not a Drop to Drink

I gave this book 5 stars on Goodreads.  A different take on the usual dystopian novel.  Water has become extremely scarce, and therefore, extremely valuable.  Lynn and her mother have lived alone for her entire 16 years, their main goal for survival is keeping their water supply safe from others.  This is the book that brought me out of my reading rut...it's fantastic!  I'm really looking forward to anything this author writes in the future!

Let It Snow by John Green, Lauren Myracle, and Maureen Johnson

Let it Snow: Three Holiday Romances

I think someone recommended this on their blog, so I checked it out as a quick, Christmas-themed, read.  It's a collection of 3 short stories that have intertwining characters and events.  I enjoyed reading the first story and getting a glimpse of a character, then reading the next two to see how their story fit in with the others.  

If I Stay by Gayle Forman
If I Stay (If I Stay, #1)

This book starts out with a seemingly perfect-for-each-other family spending an unexpected snow day together.  Quickly, things turn to tragedy and Mia is fighting for her life.  It kind of reminded me of Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, which I also loved.  There is a sequel to this book, Where She Went, which I have requested at the library and will hopefully be reading soon.

Absent by Katie Williams

Absent

I would actually kind-of put this book in a category with the above book, and the Lauren Oliver book.  Paige has recently died as a result of falling off the roof of school during physics class.  She and her fellow ghosts, two other kids who also died at school, are bound to the school grounds.  As she listens to her fellow classmates deal with her death, she starts hearing awful rumors about herself and sets out to set the record straight.  This was a really short book and I loved it!

Middle Grade Books

The Wells Bequest by Polly Shulman

The Wells Bequest (The Grimm Legacy, #2)

I loved this companion book to The Grimm Legacy.  The whole premise is so intriguing - a mysterious library in the middle of New York City where guests can borrow objects from history - including magical items from fairy tales and science-fiction.  I think I'm going to do a blog post about this one later this week.  

The Hidden Summer by Gin Phillips

The Hidden Summer

Nell and Lydia have been best friends for ages.  However, their mothers do not get along, and Lydia's mom has forbidden her to see Nell all summer.  Nell comes up with a plan for them to be able to spend the long summer days together because she can't bear to be in her house with her unpredictable mother.  This is a book where I felt like nothing much happened, but it was beautifully written.  Here's an example from the beginning where Nell describes her mother:

"I am an expert when it comes to reading my mother, but that doesn't mean I don't make mistakes.  The trick is to tell when she's in a carnivore mood or a herbivore mood.  (Carnivores have sharp teeth for biting.  You shouldn't get too close.  But herbivores never attack.)" p. 8

I really felt bad for Nell and wanted everything to change for her in this book.  But as she says at the beginning, "Don't go thinking that this story will end with my mother coming to her senses and realizing her mistakes and begging me to forgive her." p. 16

Picture Book

LMNO Peas by Keith Baker

LMNO Peas

I read this one to my sweet little niece...she's not quite 1, so I don't know what she thought of it.  But I think it's cute!

Currently Reading

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

Orphan Train

Possible Reads This Week

The Twistrose Key          Cinder (Lunar Chronicles, #1)          The Screaming Staircase (Lockwood & Co., #1)



HAPPY WINTER-BREAK READING!