NPRs List of Best-Ever YA Novels

It's time to vote for your favorite YA novels!

Last month on NPR, they asked people to nominate their favorite YA novels of all time. Yesterday they posted a list of 235 finalists. The panelists that narrowed down the nominations included a teacher librarian, the children's book editor at the New York Times Book Review, the children's book editor at Publishers Weekly, and the book editor from The Onion.

There are quite a few classics sprinkled in with new titles, and some series' that haven't even finished being written yet. And yes, this is VERY unscientific, but it was cool to see how many bloggers and new authors made the list, some of which have been interviewed right here on this blog :-)  Everyone gets to pick their top ten. Voting is open for a few weeks.

Here's the list, along with my highlights and comments:
(Blue books I've read and recommend, starred books I love, my personal top 20 from this list)

13 Little Blue Envelopes, by Maureen Johnson
Abhorsen Trilogy / Old Kingdom Trilogy (series), by Garth Nix
**The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
An Abundance of Katherines, by John Green
**Across the Universe, by Beth Revis (read my interview with Beth Revis)
Airborn, by Kenneth Oppel
Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars, by Daniel Pinkwater
Along for the Ride, by Sarah Dessen
American Born Chinese, by Gene Luen Yang
Anna and the French Kiss, by Stephanie Perkins
Anne of Green Gables (series), by Lucy Maud Montgomery (I read this in middle school; doesn't seem YA, but that's just my opinion)
Annie on My Mind, by Nancy Garden
Ash, by Malinda Lo
**Ashfall, by Mike Mullin  (Read my review on Shelf Awareness)
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing (series), by M.T. Anderson
The Bartimaeus Trilogy (series), by Jonathan Stroud
Beauty Queens, by Libba Bray
Before I Die, by Jenny Downham
Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver
Betsy-Tacy Books (series), by Maud Hart Lovelace
Between Shades of Gray, by Ruta Sepetys  (Another one I want to read)
Blood Red Road, by Moira Young
Bloodlines (series), by Richelle Mead
Bloody Jack Adventures (series), by L.A. Meyer
The Blue Sword, by Robin McKinley
The Book of Blood and Shadow, by Robin Wasserman
The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak
Boy Meets Boy, by David Levithan
Brooklyn, Burning, by Steve Brezenoff
Bruiser, by Neal Shusterman
The Call of the Wild, by Jack London
**The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
Chaos Walking (series), by Patrick Ness
The Chemical Garden Trilogy (series), by Lauren DeStefano (I've only read the first book; is book three even out yet?)
Chime, by Franny Billingsley
The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier (I could NOT finish this book!)
The Chronicles of Chrestomanci (series), by Diana Wynne Jones
The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica (series), by James A. Owen
**Cinder, by Marissa Meyer
Circle of Magic (series), by Tamora Pierce
Code Name Verity, by Elizabeth Wein
Confessions of Georgia Nicolson (series), by Louise Rennison
Copper Sun, by Sharon M. Draper
Crank (series), by Ellen Hopkins
Criss Cross, by Lynne Rae Perkins
Crown Duel, by Sherwood Smith
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon
The Curse Workers (series), by Holly Black
Dairy Queen, by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
The Dark is Rising (series), by Susan Cooper
Darkest Powers (series), by Kelley Armstrong
Daughter of Smoke & Bone, by Laini Taylor
Daughter of the Lioness / Tricksters (series), by Tamora Pierce
Delirium (series), by Lauren Oliver
The Demon's Lexicon (series), by Sarah Rees Brennan
Discworld / Tiffany Aching (series), by Terry Pratchett
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, by E. Lockhart
Divergent (series), by Veronica Roth
Dolphin Sky, by Ginny Rorby
Dreamland, by Sarah Dessen
**Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie, by Jordan Sonnenblick (read my interview with Jordan Sonnenblick)
Dune, by Frank Herbert
Earthsea (series), by Ursula K. Le Guin
**East, by Edith Pattou
**Elsewhere, by Gabrielle Zevin
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles (series), by Patricia C. Wrede
Everybody Sees the Ants, by A.S. King (On my nightstand to read)

Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury  (On my nightstand to read)
Fallen (series), by Lauren Kate
**The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green
Feed, by M.T. Anderson
Fire and Hemlock, by Diana Wynne Jones
The First Part Last, by Angela Johnson
Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes
The Forest of Hands and Teeth, by Carrie Ryan
**Forever..., by Judy Blume
Gallagher Girls (series), by Ally Carter (Book one was cute but I haven't read the rest)
The Gemma Doyle Trilogy (series), by Libba Bray
The Girl of Fire and Thorns, by Rae Carson
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, by Catherynne M. Valente
The Giver (series), by Lois Lowry
Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous
Going Bovine, by Libba Bray
Gone (series), by Michael Grant
The Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale
Graceling (series), by Kristin Cashore
Graffiti Moon, by Cath Crowley
Grave Mercy, by Robin LaFevers  (Read my interview with Robin LaFevers)
The Green Glass Sea, by Ellen Klages
Haroun and the Sea of Stories, by Salman Rushdie
Harper Hall Trilogy (series), by Anne McCaffrey
**Harry Potter (series), by J.K. Rowling
Hate List, by Jennifer Brown
The Hero and the Crown, by Robin McKinley
Hex Hall (series), by Rachel Hawkins
His Dark Materials (series), by Philip Pullman
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (series), by Douglas Adams
The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien
Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, by Lish McBride
Hold Still, by Nina LaCour
House of Night (series), by P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast
The House of the Scorpion, by Nancy Farmer
The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros
How I Live Now, by Meg Rosoff
How to Save a Life, by Sara Zarr
Howl's Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne Jones
**The Hunger Games (series), by Suzanne Collins
Hurt Go Happy, by Ginny Rorby
Hush, Hush Saga (series), by Becca Fitzpatrick
I Am the Cheese, by Robert Cormier
I Am the Messenger, by Markus Zusak
I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith
If I Stay, by Gayle Forman
Immortal Beloved (series), by Cate Tiernan
The Immortal Rules, by Julie Kagawa
The Immortals (series), by Tamora Pierce
Impossible, by Nancy Werlin
The Infernal Devices (series), by Cassandra Clare
Inheritance Cycle (series), by Christopher Paolini (I liked the first two, but haven't read them all.)
The Iron Fey (series), by Julie Kagawa
It's Kind of a Funny Story, by Ned Vizzini
Jasper Jones, by Craig Silvey
Jellicoe Road, by Melina Marchetta (Interesting, but not one of my favorites)
Jessica Darling (series), by Megan McCafferty
Just Listen, by Sarah Dessen
The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle
The Legend of Beka Cooper (series), by Tamora Pierce
Leverage, by Joshua Cohen
Leviathan (series), by Scott Westerfeld (I only read book 1)
Life As We Knew It, by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Little Brother, by Cory Doctorow
Lola and the Boy Next Door, by Stephanie Perkins
Looking for Alaska, by John Green
Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
The Lord of the Rings (series), by J.R.R. Tolkien
Lost in the River of Grass, by Ginny Rorby
The Lumatere Chronicles (series), by Melina Marchetta
Lux (series), by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Make Lemonade, by Virginia Euwer Wolff
A Mango-Shaped Space, by Wendy Mass
The Marbury Lens, by Andrew Smith
**Marcelo in the Real World, by Francisco X. Stork  (LOVE this book!!! Read my glowing review.)
**Matched (series), by Ally Condie (another one where the series isn't even finished yet!)
The Maze Runner Trilogy (series), by James Dashner
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, by Jesse Andrews
**Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs (LOVE this book!!!)
Monster, by Walter Dean Myers
A Monster Calls, by Patrick Ness
The Monstrumologist (series), by Rick Yancey
The Mortal Instruments (series), by Cassandra Clare
My Most Excellent Year, by Steve Kluger
My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picoult (I never even thought of this as YA)
The Name of the Star, by Maureen Johnson
Nation, by Terry Pratchett
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, by Rachel Cohn, David Levithan
North of Beautiful, by Justina Chen Headley
A Northern Light, by Jennifer Donnelly
The Only Alien on the Planet, by Kristen D. Randle
The Outside of a Horse, by Ginny Rorby
The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton  (This is on my nightstand to read)
Outtakes of a Walking Mistake, by Anthony Paull
The Oz Chronicles (series), by R.W. Ridley
Paper Towns, by John Green
**Perfect Chemistry, by Simone Elkeles
The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
The Pigman, by Paul Zindel
The Piper's Son, by Melina Marchetta
Please Ignore Vera Dietz, by A.S. King
Postcards from No Man's Land, by Aidan Chambers
The Princess Bride, by William Goldman (Love this movie; just bought the book yesterday!)
The Princess Diaries (series), by Meg Cabot
The Princesses of Iowa, by M. Molly Backes
Private Peaceful, by Michael Morpurgo
Protector of the Small (series), by Tamora Pierce

The Queen's Thief (series), by Megan Whalen Turner (I don't think book three is out yet)

Raw Blue, by Kirsty Eagar
Revolution, by Jennifer Donnelly
A Ring of Endless Light, by Madeleine L'Engle
Ruby Blue, by Julie Cassar
Ruby Oliver Quartet (series), by E. Lockhart
Ruby Red, by Kerstin Gier
The Rules of Survival, by Nancy Werlin
Saving Francesca, by Melina Marchetta
The Scorpio Races, by Maggie Stiefvater  (Read my interview with Maggie Stiefvater)
The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel (series), by Michael Scott
A Separate Peace, by John Knowles
Seven Realms (series), by Cinda Williams Chima
Shatter Me, by Tahereh Mafi
**Shine, by Lauren Myracle
Ship Breaker, by Paolo Bacigalupis
**The Shiver Trilogy, by Maggie Stiefvater  (Read my interview with Maggie Stiefvater)
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (series), by Ann Brashares (I only read book one.)
**The Sky Is Everywhere, by Jandy Nelson
Sold, by Patricia McCormick
Something Like Normal, by Trish Doller
Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury
The Song of the Lioness (series), by Tamora Pierce
Soul Screamers (series), by Rachel Vincent
Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson
Split, by Swati Avasthi
Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, by Chris Crutcher (On my nightstand to read)
Stolen, by Lucy Christopher
Story of a Girl, by Sara Zarr
The Summer I Turned Pretty, by Jenny Han
Sweep (series), by Cate Tiernan
Sweethearts, by Sara Zarr
Teach Me, by R.A. Nelson
Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher
This Lullaby, by Sarah Dessen
Tiger Eyes, by Judy Blume (Another book I read in junior high)
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
Trash, by Andy Mulligan
Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Truth About Forever, by Sarah Dessen
Tuck Everlasting, by Natalie Babbitt
Twenty Boy Summer, by Sarah Ockler
Twilight (series), by Stephenie Meyer
Twisted, by Laurie Halse Anderson
Uglies (series), by Scott Westerfeld
Under the Never Sky, by Veronica Rossi
**Unwind, by Neal Shusterman
Vampire Academy (series), by Richelle Mead
Wake (series), by Lisa McMann
The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic, by Allan Wolf
Weetzie Bat (series), by Francesca Lia Block
Whale Talk, by Chris Crutcher
Where She Went, by Gayle Forman
Where Things Come Back, by John Corey Whaley
Why We Broke Up, by Daniel Handler (Reading now)
Wide Awake, by David Levithan
Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by John Green, David Levithan
Willow, by Julia Hoban
Wintergirls, by Laurie Halse Anderson
The Year of Secret Assignments, by Jaclyn Moriarty

What are some of your favorites from this list? What books would you add?

Get out and vote!!!

Audio Book Review: The Indian in the Cupboard

Confession time: I've never actually read this book. Mainly because the audiobook is SO very good!

A few years ago when we were going on a long road trip, we borrowed this tape from the library. (Yes, it was so long ago that we still had a cassette player in the car!) I'm not always a fan of audio books. Many times a perfectly good story can become annoying with the wrong reader. (The guy who read the Percy Jackson books totally grated on my nerves. If I hadn't already read and loved those books, I doubt I could have listened to a single cd.)

We were pleasantly surprised when we listened to THE INDIAN IN THE CUPBOARD. None of us were familiar with the book. But the British author, Lynne Reid Banks, did a wonderful job of bringing her story to life. Her voicing, especially for the Indian and the cowboy, Boone, matched the personality of the characters so perfectly. In fact, when we watched the movie some time later, the guy playing the Indian seemed like such a wimp compared to the voice and personality the author had given him.

The story blends magic and history with an exploration of family, friendship and growing older. Not only do we watch the Indian and cowboy try to forge a friendship, despite their stereotypes of one another, we also see how the friendship between Omri and Patrick is challenged as they fight over how to take care of the Indian and cowboy they have brought to life. Banks subtly weaves in some very grown up themes of racism, responsibility, love and honor, but she never loses sight of the fun in the story of magically bringing a toy to life.

Because it was so good, we ended up downloading our own copy of the audio book. I've listened to this story now three times with my kids and every time I find new things to enjoy. Even if you've read the printed book before, I would absolutely recommend listening to Lynne Reid Banks read her classic story to you. It'll make your next four-hour drive in the car much more enjoyable :-)

Looking for more Marvelous Middle Grade Books? Check out these bloggers:
Shannon Whitney Messenger
Shannon O'Donnell
Joanne Fritz
Brooke Favero
Barbara Watson
Natalie Aguirre
Anita Laydon Miller
Sheri Larson
Middle Grade Mafioso

Agent Spotlight on: Michelle Humphrey

I’m thrilled to welcome the wonderful Michelle Humphrey to my blog today. Most of you know that she signed me back in December (yay!) so today you're getting a peek into her job as an agent at ICM. 

Michelle has been working at agencies since 2007. Her latest deal, just announced last week, is for debut author Joanne Levy, whose middle grade novel, SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE, sold to Bloomsbury Children's. (Congratulations again, Joanne and Michelle!!)

So, first off, what did you do before you were an agent?  

I was a kindergarten teacher, and a substitute for elementary and high school. 

No wonder we have such a connection! It's the teacher thing :)  What made you leave the classroom behind to become an agent?  

As much as I enjoyed teaching, I wanted to work in publishing. I worked at Art in America for a while, and then started interning at an agency.

How many queries do you read a month?  
About a hundred. 

Wow, my eyeballs hurt just thinking about it! 
What piques your interest in a query?
 I like them short and sweet: a quick teaser, a quick bio. I like queries that give me a sense of the writer's personality and style.  I think it's a great idea for writers to workshop queries with their writer groups. 

I totally agree with that. (I would also recommend Elana Johnson's blog for some good query writing tips.)
How many clients do you have right now?  
Fifteen or so -- they write young adult, middle grade, picture books, and literary fiction.  

Can I just say how happy I am to be one of the 15?  So. Very. HAPPY :) 

As you go through those queries, what are you hoping to find right now? 

I'd love a middle grade or YA that takes place in turn-of-the-century France. I'd love an alternate history, or a steampunk. I'd really dig a retelling of Shakespeare.

Hmmm....*jotting down ideas...*

When we spoke on the phone, you mentioned that your authors all have a certain way of treating their characters that really spoke to you. Could you explain that more?  
I am really drawn to characters who are self-aware and emotionally smart. Characters -- antagonists included -- who, in spite of themselves, care for each other, and want to connect with each other. I like villains that I empathize with, and heroes that are sometimes their own worst enemy. I like characters who are trying to figure out what it means to live a meaningful life. I love it when the battle between good and evil is blurred somehow. Kekla Magoon's CAMO GIRL is a perfect example. So is Denise Jaden's LOSING FAITH which has so many great human moments.

I know a lot of people worry about their web presence and whether they should be blogging, Twittering, Facebooking, etc. What’s your view on that?  
So much marketing hinges on online presence. Do it all -- blog, twitter, facebook. Or...do what you can. (You still need time to write your story, after all. :) 

Have you ever not worked with someone based on a lackluster blog or lack of web presence?  
No. You can certainly develop that once you have a agent, or a book deal.

I know some writers think going to a conference will give them an edge if they meet an agent in person. But have you signed more people from referrals, conferences or cold queries?  

Referrals and queries, largely. I would agree that it's great to meet an agent in person, but why not utilize everything: send queries, blog, go to book launch parties, go to writing workshops. There's so many ways to connect.

Besides books from your clients, what are some of your favorite books you've read in the last year? 
Most of the books I read are galleys in no particular pub-date order; I pick up whatever's on top of the pile :)

• Because I Am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas
• The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
• Skinned by Robin Wasserman
• The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet by Erin Donne
• A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend by Emily Horner
• Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore
• Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin

Next in my pile: Matched by Ally Condie and Across the Universe by Beth Revis.

Oooh, great books in that list. And the next two in your pile were a couple of my favorite reads for last year. (Go Beth!!)

What’s your best bit of advice for aspiring authors?  

I think one of the hardest parts of trying to get published is the amount of rejection a writer may experience before they break through. But -- at the risk of sounding cliche -- it's part of the business. A rejection could be an opportunity to learn something. Go forth with an attitude of "There's something positive in this -- this brings me a step closer to my goal." It's that kind of attitude that will keep you learning your craft, and sending out your queries -- and hopefully, connecting with the right agent and the right editor.

And it's exactly that kind of attitude that makes me proud to be one of her clients! 

Thanks so much for taking the time out for this interview, Michelle!

If you'd like to read more about Michelle, here is her spotlight from Casey McCormick's blog, Literary Rambles: Agent Spotlight: Michelle Humphrey

And some additional interviews from around the web:

Guide to Literary Agents, Agent Advice: Michelle Humphrey
Guide to Literary Agents, Successful Queries: Michelle Humphrey on "Losing Faith"
Class of 2K10, Agent Perspective: Michelle Humphrey from ICM!
All the Write Stuff: Meet Literary Agent Michelle Humphrey
Denise Jaden: Agent Interview with Michelle Humphrey

UPDATE 1 NOVEMBER 2011 : Michelle Humphrey has moved from ICM to the Martha Kaplan Agency, where she will be helping to develop a children's list for the boutique agency.
If you have a completed manuscript that you're ready to query, you can email  michelle@kaplanagency.net  Be sure to include the first chapter along with the query.

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!

A Matched Review

When Kathy at the Book Loft handed me this ARC I squealed. So very dignified. But I'd already seen bits about this book around the blogosphere and it was something I definitely wanted to read.

That can be dangerous. Authors can't always live up to our expectations, and I've been disappointed before.

Not this time.

Ally Condie is now right up there with my favorite authors Suzanne Collins and Maggie Stiefvater. She has created a chilling, dystopian world where the Society keeps everything perfect for people...as long as they toe the line.

In case you haven't heard about the book at all, here's the blurb from Amazon:
Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

The blurb makes it sound like this is just a love triangle, but it's so much more. Using language that is nearly as spare as the sterile environment of this future world, Condie pulled me in from page one. This is not an action-packed thriller, yet there is tension on every page, building so subtly with every chapter that you can't stop reading.

This is the first book in a planned trilogy (trilogies seem to be popular right now, don't they?), but the ending still manages to be satisfying and jaw dropping. My only warning: Wait until you have the time to read this book all at once because once you start, you will NOT want to put it down!

Six More Reasons...

...why I love The Book Loft. Who doesn't love going into a bookstore and leaving with free ARCs of some of the hottest upcoming titles? The first ARC they ever gave me was The Hunger Games. Yeah. I about died. This pile made me babble with incoherent joy. Now you understand why I feel guilty if I buy books at B&N or Amazon. I love my local Indie!

This time they gave me:

Matched by Ally Condie
Scumble by Ingrid Law (sequel to Savvy)
After the Wreck by Joyce Carol Oates
Sapphique by Catherine Fischer (sequel to Incarceron)
Crossing Over by Anna Kendall
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

What are you reading this summer?