Best of the Best

Some pretty amazing books have hit the shelves this year. There are seriously too many good books and not enough time to read them all! I tried, really I did. I've read almost 100 books this year, and if you count the beta reads I did, the number goes over 100!

My definition of a good book? One that either I can't put down and/or the story stays with me for days. Here are some of the books that I'm still thinking about and highly recommend (in no particular order). Some of the titles link you to my reviews either on this blog or at Goodreads. Note: Not all of these were released this year, but they're on the list because I read them this year. 

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins dystopian YA
Yeah, you knew this one would be on the list.

Across the Universe by Beth Revis dystopian YA
This book releases on January 11. Buy a copy. A stunning debut.

Unwind by Neal Schusterman  dystopian YA
Horrific, disturbing, poetic in its justice. I still can't get this out of my head! The link goes to my Goodreads review.

Matched by Ally Condie dystopian YA
This just came out last month. If you like dystopian (which apparently I do!), don't miss this one.

Marcello in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork  realistic YA
Not the type of book I usually read, but I love this story. One of my favorite books ever.

Tentacles by Roland Smith  fantasy MG
My son got me hooked on this series (the first book is Cryptid Hunters). Full of fast-paced action.

The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman  fantasy MG
A fun story about a New York library that houses artifacts from the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm.

Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick  realistic MG/YA
Love, love, love this book.

Hero by Perry Moore  fantasy YA
I love the way this story explores the father/son relationship, the fact that they're both superheroes (and one of them is gay) just adds more delicious layers

The Deathday Letter by Shaun Hutchinson  YA
The link will take you to a fabulous review my critique partner Lori did of this book.

Food, Girls & Other Things I Can't Have  realistic YA
Poignant and hilarious. The link will take you to my Goodreads review.

Losing Faith by Denise Jaden  realistic YA
The characters in this beautifully written debut novel pulled me in from page one.

And because he has good taste in books, here are a couple recommendations from my 11-year-old:

FABLEHAVEN: GRIP OF THE SHADOW PLAGUE
My #1 favorite book that I read in the glorious year of 2010 was GRIP OF THE SHADOW PLAGUE. It has an amazing plot, with enough excitement to keep you on the edge of your seat. I’ve always loved books with big battles at the end, and guess what the second to last chapter is about? A BIG BATTLE!!! The action is so satisfying, so nail-biting, when the part was over you couldn’t help but get your lazy butt off your chair and cheer. My favorite character is Graulas the demon, #1 because he has a cool name, and #2 he’s the only person who really knows anything!!! Without him, Fablehaven would be obliterated! I would rate this book an 8 out of 10.

SASQUATCH
SASQUATCH is Roland Smith’s best work so far (except for the Cryptid books). Amazing plot, believable characters, and a nice twist at the end. It's one of those books that you think you'd never want to read, but when you pick it up, it's exceedingly good. Unfortunately, there isn’t a big battle, but there is a giant explosion from Mount St. Helens that almost killed Sasquatch, so that might be just as good. My favorite character is the old man Buck. He’s gruff and grumpy most of the time, but he’s a good person and helps Sasquatch. I’d say this is an 8 out of 10 book.

Happy reading!