Best of 2013 and Year-End Summary

I finally put together my Best of 2013 Lists - whew, it was a hard choice! I read so many great books this past year.

All together, I read 79 books last year (that's 15 more than in 2013). Here's the break-down:

• 32 were adult fiction
• 23 were teen/YA fiction 
• 16 were middle-grade fiction
• 4 were memoirs
• 4 were nonfiction but not memoirs

Of the 79 books, I listened to 12 of them on audio.

So, that's 39 books for kids/teens/YA in 2013!

As always, I had a hard time choosing my favorites! In no particular order, here are my Top Ten of 2013 (you can check out my top ten list of adult books read in 2013 at Book By Book).

• The Thirteenth Child/Across the Great Barrier/The Far West by Patricia C. Wrede
• Trapped by Michael Northrop
• Ruins by Orson Scott Card
• The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
• The Knife of Never Letting Go/The Ask and theAnswer/Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
• Hold Fast by Blue Balliet
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
• UnWholly by Neal Schusterman
• Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
• TheBoy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

And, for a little extra fun, here are a few superlatives:

Best Kids/Teen/YA Book of the Year and Best Book by a New-to-Me Author:

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

 

Best Kids/Teen/YA Book from an Old Favorite Author:

UnWholly by Neal Schusterman

Best Audio Book of the Year:  

  The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne  

(I counted it as best audio for both adults and teen/YA...though The One and Only Ivan is a close second)

 Best Middle-Grade Novel of the Year:

Hold Fast by Blue Balliet

 

You can also check out how I did on my 2013 Reading Challenges.

What were YOUR favorite books read in 2013?

Top Ten New To Me Kids/Teen/YA Authors

It's Tuesday and that means it's Top Ten Tuesday over at The Broke and the Bookish. Head over there and check out all the top ten lists! Today's topic is Top Ten New To Me Authors Read in 2013. I had a tough time coming up with 10 at first because I have some favorite kid/teen/YA authors I tend to return to, but I ended up finding plenty of new-to-me authors I tried for the first time this year.

So, here is my list of Top Ten New-To-Me Kid/Teen/YA Authors Read in 2013:
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• Patricia C. Wrede – I read the Frontier Magic trilogy and loved it: The ThirteenthChild, Across the Great Barrier, The Far West.
• Patrick Ness – Chaos Walking trilogy, starting with  The Knife of Never Letting Go and TheAsk and the Answer (and I am now reading Monsters of Men).
• Blue Balliet - Hold Fast – how did I never read any of her novels before?
• Amber Kizer – A Matter of Days – a post-apocalyptic road trip
• Ruta Sepetys – Between Shades of Gray – blew me away! Can’t wait to read her latest, Out of the Easy.
• Lucy Christopher – I read both Flyaway, a middle-grade novel, and Stolen, a teen/YA novel, this year and can’t wait to read more.
• Shaun Tan – Tales of Outer Suburbia – I’d heard so much about this author’s unique books and would love to read more.
• Stephen Chobsky – The Perks of Being a Wallflower – I can’t believe I missed this classic for so many years!
• Michael Northrup – Trapped – excellent suspense for teens.
• Audrey Couloumbis - Not Exactly a Love Story, listened to on audio.

Lots of great books in that list! If you are also interested in my list of new-to-me adult authors, check out my list at Book By Book.

What were your favorite new-to-you authors this year?

Top Ten Sequels I Can't Wait to Read

It's Tuesday and that means it's Top Ten Tuesday over at The Broke and the Bookish. Head over there and check out all the top ten lists! Today's topic is Top Ten Sequels I Can't Wait to Read. At first, I was going to skip this topic because I don't read a lot of series, but in looking through my reading journal, I realized there are some series and trilogies that I do want to finish. I still couldn't come up with ten, but I got close.

So, without further ado, here are Top Ten (er, Nine) Sequels I Can't Wait to Read:
 
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1. UnSouled by Neal Schusterman, follow-up to Unwind and UnWholly (just finished last week!)
2. In the End, sequel to In the After by Demitria Lunetta, an audio I just finished last month.
3. Infinity Ring Book 3 - The Trap Door by Lisa McMann - I probably won't read the entire series, but McMann is one of my favorite authors, and I enjoyed Books 1 & 2.
4. Book 3, end of the trilogy starting with The Pathfinder and Ruins by Orson Scott Card
5. Dustlands, Book 2 - Rebel Heart by Moira Young, sequel to Blood Red Road
6. Insurgent and Allegiant, sequels to Divergent by Veronica Roth (I have some catching up to do!)
7. The rest of the series that follows Dicey’s Song by Cynthia Voight
8. The Blood, Book 3 of Morpheus Road, sequel to The Light and The Black by D.J. MacHale 
9. Monsters of Men, Book 3 of the Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness - I loved The Knifeof Never Letting Go and The Ask and the Answer.

Some of these are already sitting on my shelf, waiting patiently! There is just never enough time to read all the books I want to read. If you are also interested in the grown-up sequels I am looking forward to, check out my list at Book By Book.

What middle-grade or teen/YA sequels are you looking forward to?

Top Ten Kids/Teen Books on My Spring TBR List

It's Tuesday and that means it's Top Ten day over at The Broke and the Bookish. Today's topic? Top Ten Books on my Spring TBR List! I actually made two Top Ten lists, one here and one for grown-up books over at Book By Book. I probably won't manage to read all 20 this spring, but it gives me something to shoot for! These were easy lists to make because I have soooo many books waiting to be read on TBR shelves, in piles, and in baskets!

Top Ten Kids/Teen Books on My Spring TBR List:

• The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann, a middle-grade novel by one of my favorite authors. This one has been on my TBR pile for a looong time!
• Ruins by Orson Scott Card, sequel to Pathfinder, our whole family is loving this series!
• The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm by Nancy Farmer, another favorite author at our house.
• Turnabout by Margaret Peterson Haddix, one of several of hers in my TBR pile.
• Flyaway by Lucy Christopher, another long-time resident of the TBR pile.
• The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, because I loved her Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy.
• Infinity Ring, Book 1 - A Mutiny in Time by James Dashner, a new series I keep meaning to try.
• Lucky for Good by Susan Patron, because I loved the rest of the series.
• The Danger Box by Blue Balliett, another one I've been meaning to read for a while.
• The Romeo and Juliet Code by Phoebe Stone, patiently waiting to be read...

What books are you looking forward to reading this spring?

Top Ten New To Me Authors I Read in 2012

It's Tuesday and this week's Top Ten list at The Broke and the Bookish sounded like one I could manage: Top Ten New To Me Authors I Read in 2012: 

• Veronica Roth - Divergent
• Brian Selznick - Wonderstruck
• Erin Saldin - The Girls of No Return
• John Green (yes, finally!) - An Abundance of Katherines
• Augusta Scattergood - Glory Be
• Paolo Bacigalupi - Ship Breaker
• Cynthia Voight - Dicey's Song
• Moira Young - Blood Red Road
• Lauren Oliver  - Leisl and Po
• Julie Schumacher - The Unbearable Book Club for Unsinkable Girls 

Some of these were first-time authors; others very well-known authors I'd just never read before. I enjoyed all ten of these very much and would certainly be interested in reading another book by any of these authors.
How about you?

What new-to-you authors did YOU try in 2012?

(I focused this list in authors of kids/teen/YA books. For my list of new-to-me grown-up authors, check out my list at Book By Book).

Top Ten Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Bringing Me

I haven't had the time to participate in The Broke and The Bookish's Top Ten Tuesday meme in quite a while, but I couldn't resist this week's topic: the Top Ten Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Bringing Me.  I thought I would have trouble coming up with 10 because I already have so many books waiting to be read here, but I came up with so many that I needed two lists!  So check out Book By Book for my Top Ten wish list for grown-up books.  And here are my Top Ten choices for kids/teen/YA books:

• Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead - because I loved When You Reach Me.
• Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein - because it sounds fascinating and I keep hearing rave reviews.
• Son by Lois Lowry (and also Gathering Blue and Messenger) - because I really liked The Giver.
• Every Day by David Levithan - because it sounds completely unique.
• The Paladin Prophecy by Mark Frost - because I just read a review and it sounds great.
• My Family for the War by Anne C. Voorheeve - because it is about an aspect of WWII I know little about (the kindertransport).
• Paper Towns or Looking for Alaska by John Green - because he is one of the top authors in the world now, and I've only read 1 of his novels (and The Fault in Our Stars is already on my shelf witing!).
• Safekeeping by Karen Hesse - because it sounds like a different, more introspective kind of post-apocalyptic novel.
• Shadow on the Mountain by Margi Preus - because it looks at WWII from childrens' perspectives.
• Ruins by Orson Scott Card - this one is kind of a cheat because we already have it, but I am dying to read this sequel to Pathfinder!

How about you?  What books do you want Santa to bring this year?

Top Ten Posts That Provide a Glimpse of Me

Today is Tuesday, and that means Top Ten Day over at The Broke and the Bookish.  Head on over there to check out all the links to great blogs!  I love making lists, but I haven't had the time to participate in this favorite meme all summer.  Today's topic is Top Ten Posts That I Think Give You the Best Glimpse of Me.  This is an interesting one because most of my posts are either book reviews or Monday What Are You Reading? updates, but I will try to select a nice assortment to give you a better idea of who I am, both personally and as a reader (and writer), and I will include a variety of different types of book reviews.  (NOTE: This blog is just for kids/teen/YA books, so if you are more interested in grown-up books, then head over to my other book blog, Book By Book.)

• Review: The Underland Chronicles - this was one of the first reviews I posted here, back in 2009, but it remains one of my family's favorite series.  We loved these books long before Suzanne Collins became a household name for The Hunger Games!
• Review: Three Little Words - one of my few reviews of a teen/YA memoir, this book was powerful and has stuck with me.
• Review: Alabama Moon - a middle-grade book review and another family favorite!
• Teen Book Meme - this post - a list of beloved teen books - gives you an overview of what I have read and what I have missed.
• Review: Prism - a review of both an audio book (which we often enjoy) and a teen/YA novel.  I wrote the review after listening to it on my own but later our whole family listened and loved it!
• Top Ten Fantasy Series - part of my own Ten for Tuesday feature (before I discovered this one!), this particular Top Ten list was created by my teen son who is an avid reader and often provides input for this blog.
• Top Ten Books of My Childhood - another of my Ten for Tuesday lists, this one provides some insight into my childhood reading habits.
• Best Kids/Ten Books Read in 2011 - provides an overview of what I read last year and which books were my favorites.
• Happy Anniversary to My Favorite Book - a little more insight into favorite childhood books - do you know which iconic kids' book celebrated its 50th anniversary this year?
• It's Monday 8/6/12! What Are You Reading? - yeah, I know just about everyone writes some sort of weekly wrap-up post, but I think mine is a bit unique because I include what everyone in my family is reading, including the kids.

Oh, shoot, I can only pick 10?  Well, I think those provide a good overview of who I am and what this book blog is all about.

Top Ten Kids/Teen Books I'd Play Hooky With

It's Tuesday and that means it's Top Ten day over at The Broke and the Bookish.  Stop by their blog to read all of the great lists this week!

Today's topic is Top Ten Books On My Shelf I'd Like to Play Hooky With.  This is an easy one for me!  My TBR shelves are always overflowing.  And the thought of it - an entire day with nothing to do but read! - just makes my heart go pitter-patter.  Maybe someday...

In the meantime I can dream.  Here are the Top Ten Kids/Teen/YA Books On My Shelf I'd Like to Play Hooky With:

• Blood Red Road by Moira Young - a recent dystopian novel
• Crispin by Avi - my husband and son have been telling me for years how great this book is
• Nation by Terry Pratchett - another one that's been languishing on my shelf for ages
• Sharp North by Patrick Cave - my son loved this one
• The Ear, the Eye and the Arm by Nancy Farmer - a recently re-released award-winner
• The Knife of Never Letting Go (Book 1 of the Chaos Walking trilogy) by Patrick Ness
• Dead to You by Lisa McMann - a recent release by a favorite author
• Good Fortune by Noni Carter - this one has been sitting in my "to review" basket for far too many months
• The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater - ditto
• Strings Attached by Judy Blundell - I enjoyed What I Saw and How I Lied and look forward to this novel

How about you?  What kids/teen/YA book(s) would you grab if you could play hooky for a day and do nothing but read?


(If you'd like to see my list of Top Ten Grown-up Books I Want to Play Hooky With, check out Book By Book.)

Top Ten Kids/Teen/YA Books That Broke My Heart

Happy Valentine's Day!  It's Tuesday and that means it's Top Ten day over at The Broke and the Bookish.  Today's very appropriate topic is Top Ten Books That Broke My Heart.

Ah, I love a book that can make me cry. I think that is a sign of a good book - one that can make you feel something, a book where you come to care about the characters so much that it breaks your heart when something bad happens to them.  A kids' or teen book that can wring out such emotion is a special treasure. You can also check out my grown-up list of Top Ten Books That Broke My Heart.


So, in honor of Valentine's Day, here are my Top Ten Kids/Teen/YA Books That Broke My Heart:

• Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White - probably the first book to break every child's heart, right?
• The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings and Coleen Degnen-Veness - I remember sobbing as I read this for my 7th grade English class.
• Go Ask Alice by Anonymous - I only read this in recent years, but Alice's inability to stop her downward spiral is heartbreaking.
• Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor - I cried so hard listening to this audio book that I almost drove off the road searching for the Kleenex box!
• Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott - every page of this disturbing, haunting novel of a girl who's been kidnapped is heartbreaking.
• The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo - how can a story about a stuffed bunny be filled with so much love and loss?
• Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson - a real tear-jerker.  My sons hated this beloved children's book because they don't like sad stories!
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - a book about a little girl during the Holocaust, narrated by Death, is sure to involve some heartbreak, though books save the day.
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowlings - the death of a main character broke the hearts of children and adults everywhere.
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowlings - the unexpected death of a minor character is even more heartbreaking.

Which children's/teen books have broken your heart?
 

Top Ten Books for Reluctant Readers

Today is Tuesday and that means it's Top Ten day over at The Broke and the Bookish!  Head on over there to check out all the amazing top ten lists.  Today's topic is Top Ten Books I’d Hand To Someone Who Says They Don’t Like to Read.  I think this is especially relevant for kids/teens because there are plenty of young people who haven't yet discovered how magical reading can be because they associate it with the drudgery of school work.  Here are some books to change their minds:

• Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick – because it is so unique and easily read in a short time, with more than half of its pages illustrations.
• Icecore by Matt Whyman - for reluctant teen male readers, with lots of fast-paced action.
• Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater – for fans of the Twilight movies, with plenty of romance and a plot that pulls you in.
• Alibi Junior High by Greg Logsted – action, suspense, real-life middle school, plus a nice dose of humor.
• Amy & Rogers Epic Detour by Morgan Matson – for teen girls, with romance, a good story, plus a travelogue-type scrapbook to keep things interesting.
• Wake by Lisa McMann – for teens who like a dose of the supernatural, a quick read with short, easy-to-read chapters and plenty of suspense.
• Unwind by Neal Schusterman – a gripping novel about a creepy future, with likable characters and lots of action.
• Boom! By Mark Haddon – for reluctant male middle-grade readers who like action, outrageous silliness, and plenty of humor.
• The Shadow Thieves by Anne Ursu – for kids who liked The Lightning Thief movie.
• Charlie Bone series by Jenny Nimmo – for fans of the Harry Potter movies; all I can say is that my own reluctant middle-grade reader read the entire series!

So, those are my choices.  What are your top picks for kids or teens who consider themselves non-readers?

Best Kids/Teen Books Read in 2011

I went back through my reading journal yesterday and found that I read a total of 68 books in 2011.  Thirty-two of those books were for kids, teens, and YAs, and 36 were adult books (for a tally of the grown-up books, check out my year-end post at Book By Book).  Of the 32 kid/teen books:

• 2 were picture books
• 11 were middle-grade novels
• 19 were teen/YA novels
• 6 of the kid/teen/YA books I read were audios

I read so many good books this past year - it is always hard to choose favorites - but after much deliberation, these are my Top Ten Kids/Teen/YA Books Read in 2011:

• Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card (can't wait for the sequel!)
• The Roar by Emma Clayton
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (just as good the second time around)
• Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork
• Thunder Over Kandahar by Sharon E. McKay (audio)
• Shiver, Linger and Forever by Maggie Stiefvater (I know it's cheating to lump all 3 together!)
• Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
• Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly (audio)
• Alibi Junior High by Greg Logsted
• Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu (audio)

All in all, a very good year!

What were your favorite books read in 2011?

Top Ten Unread Kids/Teen Books on My Shelf

It's Tuesday, and that means it's Top Ten day over at The Broke and the Bookish.  Head on over there to link to lots of great blogs and lots of fun lists.

Today's topic is Top Ten Unread Books On My Shelf.  This was a very easy list for me - I could have listed 20 or 30 Unread Books on My Shelf easily!   Not only on my shelf, but in baskets, in piles on the floor...you get the idea.  Although I have an overflowing bookcase of grown-up books waiting to be read (see my list over at Book By Book), there are even more kids', teen, and YA books stacked up around our house because those are the ones I accept for review.  And, many of the books in this list are ones my son, Jamie, has told me I have to read, but it's hard to find time for all of them!

• Sharp North by Patrick Cave - recommended by Jamie.
• Nation by Terry Pratchett - another Jamie recommendation, plus I've never read a Pratchett novel.
• The Search for the Red Dragon (book 2) and all the rest of the Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica series by James A. Owen - I read the first one and loved it but never seem to find the time for the rest of them!
• The rest of the Tunnels series by Gordon Williams - ditto.
• Inkspell and Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke - ditto!
• The Thirteenth Child by Patricia Wrede - another one Jamie loved.
• The Mortals Instruments series by Cassandra Clare - Jamie says, "Mom, you HAVE to read this series!"
• Goldstrike by Matt Whyman - sequel to Icecore
• Fly By Night by Frances Hardinge - this one has been on the shelf for maybe 5 years!
• The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni - another one that's been sitting her for years - I keep considering finally getting rid of it but then I read the cover again, and it sounds interesting!

How about you?  Which unread books are haunting your shelves?

PW's Best Children's Books of 2011

Well, it seems a bit early to me, but Publisher's Weekly just released its list of Best Children's Books of 2011.  It includes picture books, as well as both fiction and nonfiction for older kids and teens/YA.

The only problem is that I haven't read a single book on the list yet!!  Yikes, I better get busy.  I do have Divergent and Wonderstruck both here waiting to be read.

Check out the list and let me know what you think.  Have you read any of these?  Do you agree with the list?  What do YOU think were the best books of the past year?

Top Ten Kid/Teen Books That Took Me Out of My Comfort Zone

It's Tuesday, and that means it's Top Ten day over at The Broke and the Bookish.  Head on over there to link to lots of great blogs and lots of fun lists.

Today's topic is Top Ten Books That Took Me Out of My Comfort Zone.  I had an easy time making a list of adult books in this category (check it out at Book By Book), due to my many book groups, but it was tougher to make this list of kids/teen/YA books, just because I generally choose what I read...most of these pleasant surprises were due to recommendations.


Here are the Top Ten Kids/Teen/YA Books That Took Me Out of My Comfort Zone:

Shiver, Linger, and Forever by Maggie Stiefvater – I don’t normally read paranormal romance genre; in my reading journal I wrote, “I hate to admit it, but I loved it, just like everyone said I would!”

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick – ditto, but the audio was sent to me for review, and I felt obligated to read it.  I enjoyed it, though I didn’t feel compelled to read the rest of the series.

Gregor the Overlander series by Suzanne Collins (author of The Hunger Games) – it sounded gross to me, but I began reading it aloud to my kids, and our family ended up LOVING the entire series!

Tunnel in the Sky by Robert Heinlein – an old sci fi novel (probably not officially teen/YA) that my husband left in the bathroom – I started it and couldn’t put it down!

The Warriors series by Erin Hunter - reading about tribes of wild cats just wasn’t my thing, but my son loved the series, so I read the first one at his urging…and ended up reading six in a row!

Magic Street by Orson Scott Card – though I LOVE this author, this particular book didn’t sound like my kind of thing – a mix of fantasy and reality set in urban LA loosely following the story of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (see what I mean?) but Jamie recommended it, and Card’s excellent writing won me over.

20 Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler – it sounded like the sort of light teen romance I usually avoid, but I agreed to review it and found it had surprising depth and was about a lot more than just girl meets boy.

Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott – this book defines “out of my comfort zone,” from the perspective of a young girl who has been kidnapped and is being held captive and raped repeatedly – yes, it was horribly disturbing, but also very well-written and compelling.

Keeper by Kathi Appelt - a sort of magic realism (not a favorite genre for me) for kids; not my usual sort of book but the audio was sent to me for review.  I enjoyed some of it but didn’t love it.

A Million Shades of Gray by  Cynthia Kadohata- a difficult topic with some disturbing scenes, about a young boy living in the jungles of Vietnam during the war, but our whole family enjoyed the audio.

How about you?  What kid or teen/YA books took you out of your comfort zone?

Top Ten Kids/Teen Books I Want to Reread

It's Tuesday and that means Top Ten day over at The Broke and the Bookish!  Head over there and check out all the links.  You can also see my grown-up list of Top Ten Books I Want to Reread over at Book By Book.

Today's list was a fun one.  My list is a mix of older classics I read years ago and newer favorites.  So, here are my Top Ten Kids/Teen Books I Want to Reread:

1. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling - I bet everyone has this one their list - it's just so good!
2. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger - not technically a teen/YA book but it's about teens/YA - I read it in high school and would like to read it as an adult.
3. The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins - so good and so much to think about.
4. Everlost/Everwild by Neal Schusterman - love this series!
5. The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer - fabulous book I would gladly reread.
6. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle - even though I've read it a half dozen times - it was my childhood favorite.
7. Any Nancy Drew books by Carolyn Keene - I keep meaning to revisit my other childhood favorites.
8. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card - already read twice but such an amazing book.
9. Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card - his latest and well-worth a reread, especially given its complexity.
10. The Secret Garden by Frances Burnett - haven't read it since I was a kid.

 What favorite kids and teen/YA books would you like to reread?

Top Ten Kids/Teen Books Everyone Has Read But Me

It's Tuesday and that means Top Ten day over at The Broke and the Bookish!  Head over there and check out all the links.  You can also see my list of Top Ten Books Everyone Has Read But Me (grown-up books) over at Book By Book.

Today's topic is Top Ten Kids/Teen Books It Seems Everyone Has Read But Me:

1. The Twilight series…and I don’t intend to.  Just not that into it.
2. Linger and Forever – I did finally read Shiver and loved it! Now I need to find time to finish the series.
3. Anything by Roald Dahl – can you believe it?
4. The Invention of Hugo Cabret – I still hope to read this one!
5. Where the Red Fern Grows
6. Anne of Green Gables
7. I Am Number Four – but we just watched the movie and loved it!
8. Anything by Sarah Dessen – just haven’t gotten around to it.
9. Anything by John Green, though I really, really want to.
10. The Outsiders – how’d I grow up in the 70’s without reading this?

How about you?