My 14 favroite books of 2014

2014 was a good year for books. There were so many I read this year that stuck with me and touched my heart. This is my narrowed-down list of the 14 books of 2014 that will have a lasting impact on me and that I will remember long after 2014 is over.

Links take you to reviews I have written or someone else who reviewed/talked about the book better than I could.


Favorite Adult Novel

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
A love story to books, bookstores, and book people. I can't stress enough that this book is an absolute must-read, even if adult fiction is not your usual fare


Favorite Young Adult Novels

When I was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds
A wonderful testament to family, friendship, and counter-narratives. A lovely tribute to Reynolds' neighborhood of Bed Stuy in Brooklyn and the people who live there.


The Summer of Letting Go by Gae Polisner
A perfect, beautiful summer read. But instead of mindless fluff that perhaps most people equate with beach reads, this one has soul. The characters Gae Polisner has created in this book are so loveable despite their flaws. Francesca and Frankie Sky will stay with me for a long time.


Noggin by John Corey Whaley
Despite the ridiculous, somewhat gimmicky premise of this book, it is surprisingly poignant and universally relateable. I'm grateful I was able to hear Whaley talk about this book personally, otherwise I'm not sure I would have ever read it. 


Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith
I don't even know how to describe this book. It defies labels. Andrew Smith has created something provocative and discussion-worthy with Grasshopper Jungle. While this is not a book I would have read on my own -- I chose to read it due to the number of people who are talking about it -- I'm really glad I picked it up. You are definitely missing out on a cultural conversation by not reading it. 


Favorite Middle Grade Novels:

A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd
I've staked my claim that this is the book I will be rooting for to win the Newbery in early February. Newbery or not, A Snicker of Magic will undoubtedly be a children's classic. The link above takes you to my Nerdy Book Club review. I also interviewed Natalie here on the blog.


The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm
That sneaky Jenni Holm. She always writes novels that I initially think I'm not going to like and then every time manages to make me fall in love with them. Not only will kids love this book, but there is a lot of worthwhile discussion to have about what it means to grow old and what a privilege it is to do so.


The Battle of Darcy Lane by Tara Altebrando
This book kind of snuck up on me. I was expecting this to be a light, fluffy read but what I actually discovered is that Tara Altebrando has written a novel about middle school mean girl behavior so spot-on, that it took me back to a place I didn't want to go to. But it is for that reason that books like The Battle of Darcy Lane are important. They show kids and remind adults just how hard it is to survive this time in your life -- and that it does get better.


Favorite Picture Books:

Extraordinary Jane by Hannah E. Harrison
An ordinary little dog lives at the circus among extraodinary, talented animals, and yet everyone loves Jane just the way she is. The illustrations in Extraordinary Jane are some of the most endearing I have ever laid eyes on and they tell more of the story than the words do. By the time I got to the last page I was weeping. I have such a soft spot for dogs, what can I say, and Hannah Harrison just knows how to illustrate love into her paintings.  


The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat
After I finished The Adventures of Beekle, I just had to sit and let it linger for a while before I could do anything else. The illustrations are bright and vibrant and the story will warm your heart and tickle the back of your throat as you choke back a few tears.



Rex Wrecks It! by Ben Clanton
Sometimes wrecking things is fun. Most of the time it will get people mad at you. I think we've all known some Rexes in our lives, which is why this book rings so true despite the fantastical characters contained inside its pages.


Edgar's Second Word by Audrey Vernick, illustrated by Priscilla Burris
Hazel can't wait for her baby brother to arrive. She practices reading aloud with her stuffed bunny Rodrigo, anticipating the day when she and her brother can read and discuss books together. When Edgar does finally say his first word, both Hazel and her mother are elated. But they soon find out that Edgar's first word causes more trouble than they anticipated. Lovers of Mo Willems's Knuffle Bunny books will undoubtedly fall in love with Hazel and Edgar.


Viva Frida by Yuyi Morales
This book gave me the feels. Despite not being a true biography of Frida Kahlo's life, this book is so much bigger that. It felt like a living, breathing poem and was simply enchanting. 


Firebird by Misty Copeland, illustrated by Christopher Myers
I know I'm a crier by nature so perhaps telling you that I was tearing up by page one doesn't hold much weight, but I generally don't cry at the beginning of a book. Firebird is the story of a young girl of color who aspires to be a ballerina someday, but sees only the obstacles before her. You get the sense that Copeland is writing this story not only to all the African American girls who dream of being dancers, but also looking back at herself when she first started out.


Narrowing this list down was hard. I probably could have done my 20 favorite books of 2014, but I figured I'd keep it at 14. What were your favorite books this year?

Novels Read in 2011

 I actually read almost 350 books in 2011, but I only count novels as part of my goal-fulfillment (at least 100 books) which I made my goal this year. YAY!

107. Pie by Sarah Weeks
106. The Kitchen Counter Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn
105. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi*
104. Zebrafish by Peter H. Reynolds
103. A Pug's Tale by Alison Pace
102. Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorensen*
101. Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan*
100. The Time-Traveling Fashionista by Bianca Turetsky
99. Divergent by Veronica Roth*
98. Joy for Beginners by Erica Bauermeister*
97. Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock*
96. Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge
95. Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker
94. The Future of Us by Jay Asher of Carolyn Mackler
93. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney
92. Hound Dog True by Linda Urban
91. The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes
90. Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson*
89. Nim's Island by Wendy Orr*
88. Fever by Lauren DeStefano
87. Knucklehead by Jon Scieszka
86. Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver
85. Sisters of Glass by Stephanie Hemphill
84. The Fox Inheritance by Mary E. Pearson*
83. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
82. Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu*
81. Dreamland by Alyson Noel*
80. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern*
79. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
78. All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin*
77. Bake Sale by Sara Varon
76. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray*
75. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness*
74. Dear Bully by Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones
73. Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard
72. The Fast and the Furriest by Andy Behrens*
71. Princess Academy by Shannon Hale*
70. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver*
69. Trash by Andy Mulligan*
68. Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr*
67. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente
66. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen*
65. After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson*
64. The Book of Awesome by Neil Pasricha
63. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt*
62. The Sweetest Thing by Christina Mandelski
61. Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard
60. Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
59. Die for Me by Amy Plum*
58. Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris
57. Absurdistan by Shteyngart*
56. Forever by Maggie Stiefvater
55. Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez
54. Dragonbreath by Ursula Vernon
53. Linger by Maggie Stiefvater*
52. Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher
51. Moonglass by Jessi Kirby
50. Don't Stop Now by Julie Halpern
49. Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin*
48. Ready or Not by Meg Cabot*
47. The Revision Toolbox by Georgia Heard
46. Strings Attached by Judy Blundell
45. Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes*
44. Bloomability by Sharon Creech*
43. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
42. What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones*
41. Readicide by Kelly Gallagher
40. The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson*
39. You Had Me at Woof by Julie Klam*
38. Sahara Special by Esme Raji Codell*
37. Songs for a Teenage Nomad by Kim Culbertson
36. Wings by Aprilynne Pike
35. All-American Girl by Meg Cabot*
34. Shimmer by Alyson Noel
33. Mechanically Inclined: Building Grammar, Usage, and Style into Writer's Workshop by Jeff Anderson
32. Missing May by Cynthia Rylant*
31. Bumped by Megan McCafferty
30. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly*
29. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
28. The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci & Jim Rugg
27. Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
26. Decoded by Jay-Z
25. Pug Hill by Alison Pace
24. Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer
23. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater*
22. Shine by Lauren Myracle
21. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Hidden Gallery by Maryrose Wood*
20. Wither by Lauren DeStefano
19. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson*
18. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray*
17. Where She Went by Gayle Forman
16. Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L. Going*
15. Hole in My Life by Jack Gantos*
14. Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love by Larry Levin*
13. Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell*
12. This Girl is Different by JJ Johnson
11. The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex*
10. The Fourth Stall by Chris Rylander
9. Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah
8. A Woman's Guide to a Healthy Stomach by Jacqueline Wolf
7. Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison
6. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin*
5. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury*
4. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
3. The Crepe Makers' Bond by Julie Crabtree
2. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
1. Airborn by Kenneth Oppel*

*indicates audibook

2011: A Retrospective

2011 has been a rewarding year, personally and professionally. I can't wait to see what 2012 holds for me.

In June I said goodbye to my best year of teaching yet and it was all thanks to the passion of Donalyn Miller. After reading The Book Whisperer, I completely changed the way to structure my literature classroom. I grew leaps and bounds in my teaching, and my students showed so much passion and progress in their reading.

Then, in November, thanks to the suggestion of my Uncle Tom, I attended NCTE and actually got to meet Donalyn in person. This conference was one of the most rewarding experiences of my teaching career thus far. Not only did I learn so much, but I got to meet so many amazing teachers, mentors, and authors.

Speaking of authors this year I went to my first author signing - Maggie Stiefvater in July - and then I went to a few more after I realized that there was an amazing independent bookstore near me in Ann Arbor. I met Carrie Harris, author of Bad Taste in Boys and Laini Taylor, author of Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

In Cesky Krumlov

Also during the summer my husband was able to return to Germany for a month-long business trip and since this trip happened during the summer, I was able to accompany him for a week. It was so good to be able to go back and travel around Europe. When we lived in Germany we traveled somewhere new at least once a month, so that's where the "wanderlust" part of my blog came from. During the trip we visited Salzburg and Hallstatt in Austria, Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic, and our old home town of Schweinfurt in Germany. I also had the pleasure of meeting Lenore Appelhans and her husband Daniel Jennewein in Frankfurt the night before I flew home. I continue to marvel at both Daniel and Lenore's generosity and talent. I am waiting with bated breath for Lenore's novel Level Two to come out in 2012!

With Daniel and Lenore my last night in Germany

And continuing with Daniel and Lenore's generosity, Daniel was nice enough to be my guinea pig to be my very first classroom Skype visit in December. Despite a rocky start when my Smartboard speakers wouldn't work, the rest of the visit went beautifully. And he was even nice enough to draw pictures for my students and then mail them to us. I have one more Skype visit already scheduled with author Audrey Vernick in January, but I hope to have more scheduled before the end of the school year. This is such a new and exciting way to learn about and through authors.

Oh, and unrelated to books and teaching, over the summer I bought my husband tickets to the U of M/Ohio State football game for his birthday. Seeing that my husband and I are both big U of M fans, we were elated to be in  attendance when they finally beat OSU for the first time in seven years. The joy in the stadium was palpable. We are looking forward to more great things from the Brady Hoke era at U of M.

Go Blue!

Then, a little over a week ago, my husband decided to drop a bomb on me that he'd been doing some "research" and that he wanted to finally fulfill his dream of owning a Mustang. Since we could afford the payment, I decided to be the good wife and tell him to go for it. It certainly looks pretty sitting in our driveway.

So maybe 2012 will be the year to fulfill my dream of one day owning a Bösendorfer:

Me playing a Bösendorfer in Vienna, October 2003

(Considering this piano costs DOUBLE what my husband's car costs, I have a feeling that is a dream that will remain unfulfilled).

What are your dreams for 2012? I hope you all had a wonderful 2011 and wish you a happy, healthy 2012!

Favorite Books Read (Not Published) in 2010

A few days ago, I posted my favorite books of 2010, but now I'd like to recognize my favorite books that I read this year that weren't published in 2010. I would be remiss if I didn't mention some of the great books I read that were published in years previous to this one.


#10
Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer

Joan Bauer has a knack for writing lovely, accessible, coming-of-age stories. This is one such story. The main character, Jenna Boller, is commissioned to drive the owner of Gladstone's Shoes on a six-week tour of all of her stores as she prepares to retire and pass the reins to her son. As the story progresses, you soon come to realize that Mrs. Gladstone, while well past retirement age, still has some fight in her and is only retiring because her greedy son wants to sell the company to a big-time shoe mogul.

As with any great story, Rules of the Road succeeds on the merit of the characters. Road trip stories very rarely disappoint, and this one is no exception.

Published: May 1998 by Putnam
Audience: Young adult/middle grade


#9
Prada and Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard

On a class trip in England, Callie finds herself surrounded by popular girls from her school who shun her or don't even acknowledge her existence. In an attempt to try to fit in, she goes and buys a pair of real Prada heels and no sooner does she put them on when she falls and klunks herself on the head, transporting her to the year 1815.

I started off reading this book wondering if I was going to finish. It seemed too superficial and lacking of substance for my liking. But the more I read, the more I got sucked into Callie's dilemma and appreciated how the time period changed her and how she had an impact on the people she encountered.

Was it believable? Not in the slightest. Was it a fun, feel-good read? You betcha. In fact, this would be the perfect story for Disney to snatch up and make into the next great romantic comedy, in the same vein of Enchanted.

Published: June 2009 by Razorbill
Audience: Young adult


#8
Beastly by Alex Flinn

In this modern re-telling of Beauty and the Beast, Alex Flinn manages to write a story that speaks to young adults and possesses enough literary merit to be taught in high school classrooms. Not only does this book teach studendts the same literary elements as those dusty classics, but it's also a great talking point for high school kids who think that books aren't written for them.

This is one of those rare books that appeals to both genders equally. Girls like it because it's the re-telling of a fairy-tale, but boys can enjoy it because it's being narrated by a high school boy who doesn't sugar-coat or make the language overly-sappy.

Published: October 2007 by Harper Teen
Audience: young adult


#7
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

Jenna Fox doesn't remember the accident. All she knows is that her family is keeping a very big secret from her and she's determined to reveal the truth.

This book delves into the world of bioethics and the lengths parents will go to save their child's life. It is gripping, page-turning, and full of questions humans today must answer in this brave new world of genetic engineering and biotechnology.

Published: April 2008 by Henry Holt & Co.
Audience: young adult


#6
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Science fiction is generally so serious and abstruse. Douglas Adams subverts the science fiction stereotype in this hilarious novel about what happens when a human makes it off the earth moments before the entire planet is destroyed. Since science fiction is generally not my preferred genre (unless it's dystopian), I was pleasantly surprised at how entertaining this book was.

Published: October 1979
Audience: adults


#5
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

I'm pleased that this year's Newbery winner is a book that kids will actually enjoy reading. Too many Newberys in the past years I think have been too literary for kids to enjoy. This one is written simply enough for kids to understand, yet complex enough for it to be considered the cream of the crop in children's literature.

I loved that the plot keeps you thinking (it even hurts your head a little) and that you don't really know what happens until the last few pages. It's a little realistic fiction, a little mystery, and a little science fiction. This is one book that isn't easy to categorize by genre.

Published: July 2009 by Wendy Lamb Books
Audience: middle grade


#4
Monsoon Summer by Mitali Perkins

When Jasmine "Jazz" Gardener learns that she'll be spending the entire summer in India with her family, she is less than thrilled at the idea. Her mother, the exuberant do-gooder, wants to return to the orphanage where she was adopted to help set up a clinic for the poverty-stricken women and children in the area. Jazz, who still can't shake her own charitable failures, decides to stay as far away from the orphanage as possible. This plan backfires when she meets Danita, the young girl the Gardeners have hired to cook for the family during their stay. Danita has a dilemma that only Jazz can help her resolve, and she slowly begins to let herself be open to the beautiful people who are a part of the Asha Bari orphanage.

The writing in this book is full of so much sensory language that you can feel the rain falling on you, can taste the tantalizing flavors of the Indian cuisine, and you can feel the warmth of the people. It's a book that makes you realize, if you hadn't before, that despite the abject poverty, so much of India's beauty is its people.

Published: April 2006 by Laurel Leaf
Audience: young adult/middle grade


#3
360 Degrees Longitude: One Family's Journey Around the World by John Higham

This is the true story of John & September Higham packing up their lives, their jobs, their responsibilities, and setting off for an around the world adventure with their two kids for an entire year.

Not only was this book entertaining, but it reinforced the importance of travel to learn tolerance and understanding. It forces you to set aside your preconceived notions of culture and actually learn the truth beyond the propaganda.

I especially loved the Google Earth feature that lets you travel along with the family while you're reading the story.

Published: July 2009 by Alyson Books
Audience: adults


#2
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

A wonderful children's classic, The Phantom Tollbooth transports lazy, reluctant Milo to magical lands full of adventure and linguistic hurdles. The perfect story for any word lover.

Published: 1961
Audience: middle grade


#1
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink

If you are in the business or education world, or you are a manager of employees, you MUST read this book. The old model of external motivation that Pink refers to as "If/then Rewards" ("If you do this, then you'll get this...") is found consistently again and again to subvert motivation and actually prevents us from doing our best work.

Yet businesses, employers, and schools across America continue to use this old model of motivation (Motivation 2.0 as Pink likes to call it... Motivation 1.0 is merely cave-man survival) in an attempt to keep us compliant.

Compliance will no longer get the job done. We must do better. We must create autonomy in our work environments rather than managerial control over minions. Drive gives us the knowledge and tools to make that happen. To paraphrase Maya Angelou, when you know better, you do better. Let's hope everyone who reads this book strives to do better.

Published: December 2009
Audience: adults

Best Books of 2010

As I look back on 2010, I read a lot of great books of all different genres and age ranges. These are my top 10 favorite books published in 2010.

#10
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood

This book is absolutely adorable and captivating. I think the audiobook, narrated by Katherine Kellgren, made it even more entertaining.

This is the story of three children found running wild in the forest and the 15-year old governess charged to take care of them. There's mystery, there's fantasy, and there's tons of humor.

Audience: middle grade


#9
Guinea Dog by Patrick Jennings

All Rufus has ever wanted is a dog of his own. Since his father will never allow that to happen, his mother tries to appease him by getting him a guinea pig. Rufus soon discovers that this is no ordinary guinea pig. This rotund little rodent runs, fetches, rolls over, and even barks! This book is full of nonstop smiles and even makes you wish for a guinea dog of your very own.

Audience: middle grade


#8
Smile by Raina Telgemeier

This charming graphic novel was inspired by the author's own middle school and high school dental trauma. The story and adorable drawings will make you laugh, smile, and wince all at the same time.

Audience: middle grade



#7
Real Food Has Curves: How to Get Off Processed Foods, Lose Weight, and Love What You Eat by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough

This is not a diet book. It is a paradigm shift in the way you should look at food. Somehow Americans have lost their way in regards to the food we put in our bodies. Convenience has won out over nutrition and pleasure. Not only that, but we've fooled ourselves into thinking those convenience items taste good, when they really have very little complexity and are just pumped full of preservatives, salt, or sweeteners.

This book gives you a step-by-step process of how to rid yourself of those processed foods, and has some great recipes as well.

Audience: adults


#6
The Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood, Illustrated by Renata Liwska

With writing that fills you with serenity and illustrations that will calm the savage beast, I have never seen anyone endear children to quiet the way Deborah Underwood and Renata Liwska have been able to do. Your little one will undoubtedly be ready for their indoor voices and a nap after reading this book.

Audience: primary


#5
It's a Book by Lane Smith

Technophiles beware: Lane Smith wants to warn you of the sometimes misbegotten ridiculousness of the digital age with this comical, verbal romp between a monkey and a jackass. Now some readers were (and will be) inevitably outraged at the fact that Smith had the audacity to use the word jackass instead of donkey, and even more angered at the way it was used at the very end of the book. I agree that it might not be best to read to little ones, and is more appropriate for middle grade and older, but you have got to give Lane Smith his due credit for his pitch perfect comic timing - controversial or not.

Audience: ??? (Depends on who you ask)


#4
The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

This book looks at rape from a different perspective than what most of us envision in our minds. What if there was no violence? What if the boy assumed that because you didn't say "no", that meant you were saying "yes." Daisy Whitney explores a different, less dramatic rape story, yet no less important to tell.

This book would be perfect to teach alongside Speak in high school classrooms.

Audience: young adult


#3
Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

Vera Dietz is beside herself when her estranged best friend Charlie dies before they have a chance to make amends. Now she has a difficult decision to make: does she clear his name of a crime that people think he committed or does she allow her own anger and fear to keep her silent?

Describing the plot of this story is very simple. Describing the emotional impact this story will have on you is more difficult. You just need to read it. That's all there is to it.

And an added bonus to this story is that even though the narrator and main character of this book is female, it is by no means chick lit. Vera is hard-edged and will be enjoyed by girls and guys alike.

Audience: young adult


#2
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

I am still going back and forth between my #1 and #2 book. They were both my favorite books of the year but for different reasons. I gave my #1 the edge for reasons I'll explain shortly.

Anna and the French Kiss has been a hugely hyped book in the blogging world this year. I was worried it wouldn't live up to the hype, but I was proven wrong. Stephanie Perkins has managed to write a romance that won't make romance-haters gag. Triteness and cliches are nowhere to be found, and the characters feel like real people rather than caricatures. It is a book that will still make teenage girls swoon, yet it is written in such an accessible style, that it will be loved by a variety of readers, not just the teeny-boppers.

audience: young adult


#1
Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel

Half Brother was not hyped the way my #2 pick was, and I suppose that's part of my reason for choosing it as my #1: I like to root for the underdog.

But that's not the only reason I chose this as my #1 pick of 2010. I have never read such an unusual, emotionally heart-wrenching story before. Oppel poses so many questions about animal experimentation and makes us re-think our positions on this issue. But he does it in such a masterful way that the reader never feels like he is being preached to. The story tells itself and you can't help but question everything just by simply reading it.

audience: young adult


And there you have it. My Top 10 of 2010. Now I recognize that there were many, many great books written this year and I probably left some books off the list that should have been on here, had I read them in 2010. But this is my top 10 of the books that I was actually able to read. So you tell me: which books should I have added to this list if I had read them?

Best Books of 2009

Here is a rundown of my favorite books read in 2009:

Young Adult and Intermediate Favorites:

The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

I was bound and determined I was not going to read this series. The gory description of the plot on the back of the book made me say, "Are you kidding? This sounds awful!" But after hearing so many people talk about how wonderful the writing was and being nudged by a librarian friend, I finally caved and listened to the audiobook over the summer. Am I ever glad I did! Catching Fire was not nearly as suspenseful as the first one, but oh boy did the last line of this book give me chills all over my body.



Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

As a dog-lover, I can't resist books about dogs. Not only is this a heartwarming, feel-good book, but it's nice to read a dog book that has a happy ending for a change. Most dog books require a pile of tissues by the time you make it to the last chapter.



Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer

Such a simple story about a teenage waitress, but beautifully written.





Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Not a shred of humor or lightheartedness can be found in this story about a girl struggling with anorexia, but the writing is haunting and lyrical.




Paper Towns by John Green

This was by far my favorite of John Green's books. The story and the characters were a perfect blend of mystery, humor, and teen-angst.




If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Told as the narrator looks over her body in ICU after she loses her parents in a car accident. Keep your tissues handy with this one. Despite the tears, it is so worth the read.



Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

A teenage girl leaves tapes behind for the people who drove her to kill herself. A heavy, yet beautifully penned story.




Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

Vivid and exotic. This book whisks you away to another land and time. Not only was this one of my favorite books of the year, it was probably my favorite audiobook I've ever listened to.




Adult Favorites:

Columbine by Dave Cullen

Ten years after the tragedy, Cullen sets the record straight about what really happened that day in April of 1999. Just don't read this book before bed -- it will give you nightmares!



Finn by Jon Clinch

Throw away all you thought you knew about Huck and Pap Finn when you pick up this book. Jon Clinch weaves a new tale that will have you questioning everything you learned in tenth grade English.



My Life in France by Julia Child

Hunger pangs abound when you read this sumptuous tale of Child's life in Paris.




The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Stockett creates a story that sticks in your mind well after you put it down. I often found myself in the kitchen making dinner thinking about these characters as if they were real people.



The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

A wonderful, feel-good book that just makes you want to sigh and smile at the same time. The only word that keeps repeating in my head over and over again when thinking about this book is just "beautiful."


Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution -- And How it Can Renew America by Thomas Friedman

We can't deny it anymore. Going green is not just helping the earth, it's going to help business in the long run and Thomas Friedman lays out an excellent case for why it needs to happen.