In the past year I have read some majorly awesome books, ones that blew me away with the story and the writing.
THE MARBURY LENS by Andrew Smith: A totally screwed up and scary read – but I could not put it down. My heart raced. Seriously, I couldn’t read it at night. But, the imagery and description, tension and pacing in this book is absolutely incredible.
ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins: What can I say? This is a sweet romance of Anna finding herself and the love of her life. Beautiful.
PERFECT CHEMISTRY by Simone Elkeles: A modern day West Side Story that I fell in love with. If you want an example of how to write 3D characters – read this. When a character is willing to make a sacrifice for love – I’m hooked.
THE STRANGE CASE OF ORIGAMI YODA by Tom Angleberger: Such an original premise. Kids taking advice from a finger puppet in the shape of Yoda – and is it real? I loved this story from the first page. And the sequel is Darth Paper Strikes Back. LOL
CRANK by Ellen Hopkins: A verse novel about a girl’s downward spiral with drug addiction, with words that will grip your heart. I loved it.
Wow, my time is up. But there are so many more books that I loved. THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z. by Kate Messner, CHAINS by Laurie Halse Anderson, HEIST SOCIETY by Ally Carter – ack, okay, the music is cueing and I’m getting pushed off the stage.
What are some of your favorite reads and why?
I still haven’t read Perfect Chemistry. I want to even more, now. I have read some awesome books, recently. Right now, I’m finishing up the ARC, Abandon by Meg Cabot. Seriously…I just love it!
I loved Anna, too. So well done. I’ve got such a stack of books to read! Like the librarians are fond of saying–so many books, so little time.
My stack is down to 4 on my hardcover list and about 2 on my Kindle. And I have 3 arriving in the mail. Can’t wait. They will be read. I hope to find more to add to my favorites list.
You’ve always got a way of mentioning books I haven’t read! Or even heard of! Sounds like a great list. 🙂
I want to read Perfect Chemistry. 🙂
I really ejoyed Hex Hall (it was such a page turner! She left great chapter hooks)
and Too Good to Be True by Kristan Higgins because it was SO funny and heartwarming.
Anna’s waiting on my bedside table for me to have the time to read her–can’t wait! Marbury Lens has been on the list for ages. My best books of the last year… big call. WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON gets a mention for sure.
Will Grayson, Will Grayson is at my library. I will get to it. Someday! Someday, I want to read more of Simon Elkeles too. I’m sure I’d love all her books that come after Perfect Chemistry. Which I bought used for like a penny on Amazon. 🙂
I’ve read two of those five. Now I need to go out and get me some more of those books.
I loved before i fall by Lauren Oliver, which is not usually a book I’d pick up, but she hooked me with her first paragraph and didn’t let go! I’m waiting to pick up her next, Delirium at the library.
I like Kate Messener’s The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z, too, and Sugar and Ice. She does such a great job of crafting characters I really root for.
Harry POtter (ofcourse) I could read over and over again.
Anna and the French Kiss was awesome. I also really really enjoyed ‘Shade’ by Jeri Smith Ready and can’t wait to read the sequel. Just One of the Guys by Kristan Higgins makes it onto my favorites list too. Um… I also read a couple by Hailey Abbott this year that I really enjoyed.
Oh, Marbury Lens is waiting for me on my IPad…I think I’ve been a bit afraid to start it though.
I used to love scary things but I’ve become a bit of a baby over the years.
Thanks for all the rec’s – I’m glad I at least know about these books, even if I haven’t had a chance to read them yet. 🙂
I loved GIANNA Z. and ORIGAMI YODA! Just finished Adam Gidwitz’s A TALE DARK & GRIMM; wonderful action and MG voice.
I LOVE that you have such eclectic tastes. 😀 My son loved Origami Yoda, and I loved CRANK. 😀 Plus many, many others as well.
I must read that Yoda book! Sounds very clever.
I haven’t read any of these books, sound like I am missing out! Right now my favorite reads are Sue Grafton alphabet series. Love love love them!
Just a note: The Marbury Lens might not be for everyone but it’s not horror. Yes, it’s tense and my heart rate increased. But it is powerful. The imagery and description was incredible. I had no idea how it was going to end until the end came.
I LOVED Perfect Chemistry. Loved it. I just read Anna and it’s really good too. My son read Yoda to us from the back seat as we drove through South Carolina and he’d be laughing so hard as he read it to us, so for that alone I love it 🙂 I don’t know if you’ve read Matched, but omigosh, the subtlety she uses to ratchet up the tension in that story is just mind blowing. Such an amazing book.
In the last year…hmmm…I liked HUNGER GAMES and THE GRAVEYARD BOOK because they’re so unique…interesting premises.
Great recommendations, I’ll have to look into them. My all-time favorite book is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. My husband and I agree, once you’ve read it, everything pales in comparison. I’m currently reading Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. It is excellent.
Like Mandarin, The Liar Society, Across the Universe, The Scorch Trials, Behemoth… I’ve read a lot of good ones this year!
I’ve heard some really great things about THE MABURY LENS. I have to put this on my TBR list.
Two books that I’ve enjoyed recently are THE DARK AND HOLLOW PLACES by Carie Ryan and CLARITY by Kim Harrison.
I found Anna and the French Kiss at the library last week and snatched it up. It’s waiting on the end table. I loved PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ (I hope I have the title right.) It’s one of my favorite reads so far this year.
I’ve been reading so many debut authors this year, that I am discovering a whole new world out there beyond the bestseller list. There really are some remarkable indies out there!
I hate playing favourites with books. They get so jealous.
Great Book Choices! My book pile is on hold. I am reading a great beat read. Totally into it.
My most agonizing problem is that I get to buy almost everything that gets published each year for my library. I get to see the books come in. I get to read the reviews and the covers and fall in love with them … but now that I am (finally) committed to my writing in my “free time” (15 hours/week), there is no longer any time to read. I was reading until about six months ago, and hope to read again in about three months, when I finish the revision on my WIP.
I’ve only read Heist Society, which would make it one my favorite list too.
too many to put here, but I’ve been hearing great things about TML from bloggie buddies! Must pick it up. And I also read Anna and Chemistry and I did like both. You are very right.
but I’m a sucker for romance~ :o) <3
When I sit back to think of my favorite books, I remember so many for so many different reasons…excellent post topic for F.
Thanks for the recommendations! I’ve read ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS, CRANK and CHAINED (and enjoyed them all, especially ANNA). I haven’t read the rest so I’ll have to check them out.