Sarah's Top Ten Reads for 2008...
I read. A lot. Much of what I read is YA and romance but these are the top ten books that stand out for me in 2008, for one reason or another. I haven't tallied up my 2008 total reads yet since December is not over yet but I know I have read well over 200 books this year. Not surprisingly, most of them were forgettable but these ten were ones I still want to re-read and recommend. So without further ado...
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.
Probably the first genre sci-fi book I've ever read and I really, really enjoyed it. Way more than I expected! There is just something about Ender and his struggle to make friends and have some sense of normalcy in a totally war driven school that makes you want to share his adventure. At least for me. I want to read the other books in the series at some point but for now, I'm happy enough to say that I really enjoyed this book.
Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas.
What can I say? I love romance and I absolutely adore Lisa Kleypas. Haven's story of abuse and struggle to find herself, all the while falling in love again was just... purely romantic. Lisa Kleypas can pull me into her stories no matter what the focus or plot may be. Those who scoff at romance should definitely give her stories a try. This book in particular has a very difficult to read rape scene but it really set the tone for Haven's emotional strengthening.
The Explosionist by Jenny Davidison.
Alternate history stories, what can I say, I love them! In this version, Napoleon defeated Wellington at Waterloo and it sets the tone for the rest of the story which is set in Scotland in the 1930s. There are machines on the streets that anyone can walk into and commit suicide. There are psychic societies, there are mysterious explosions. It's a real page-turner and highly fascinating reading for people who enjoy history.
Feed by M.T. Anderson.
Definitely a stunning and sad look at what the earth could become. It's definitely dystopian fiction and perhaps a tad too dire and "world will end soon!" in places but it is startling in its truth too. The language takes awhile to get used to but that's part of its depth and sadness.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
Twelve kids have to fight to the death to survive in order to provide food for their territory. Katniss is one of the best female characters I've read all year. This book is also a dystopian fiction and a stunning look at what could happen in the future. I'm not saying anything this extreme will happen but Collins makes a good case for it. The violence is inherent in this story and it makes it that much more believable because violence is such a part of our culture already. This is just taking it one step farther. More stories to come in this series.
Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott.
Elizabeth Scott is probably one of my favorite YA writers right now and Perfect You is just so unperfect and charming. It's a boy meets girl kind of story but there is so much more to it including a father who unexpectedly quits his job to sell vitamins, a family falling apart, and a boy. A boy! I love the romance.
The Mammy by Brendan O'Carroll.
Funny, charming, sad, amusing, and just a good page-turner. If you need a pick-me up type story, this is it.
A Rake's Guide to Pleasure by Victoria Dahl.
Yes, I know the title is snark-worthy but Dahl does such great things to her characters in this story! Seriously, she circumvents many of the stereotypical romance based character archetypes and makes her hero and heroine interesting, unpleasant, and so enjoyable to watch verbally spar. It is a historical story and one of my favorites of this year.
Wake by Lisa McMann.
Janie can enter people's dreams. It is bizarre and unreal and so interesting to see how she comes to understand her "talent." There is also a very sexy male character! But seriously, I really enjoyed the concept of this book. While it isn't a perfect story by any means, it has stayed with me all year enough to want to see what happens in the sequel in February.
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer.
I read this for my Readers' Advisory class and was hooked on Chris McCandless's journey. It is riveting. He did some stupid things but left this world with an interesting story to tell. The movie version is also very well done but I highly recommend the book.
So there you have it! What about you, flist? Any book that you read in 2008 that you would highly recommend?
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.
Probably the first genre sci-fi book I've ever read and I really, really enjoyed it. Way more than I expected! There is just something about Ender and his struggle to make friends and have some sense of normalcy in a totally war driven school that makes you want to share his adventure. At least for me. I want to read the other books in the series at some point but for now, I'm happy enough to say that I really enjoyed this book.
Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas.
What can I say? I love romance and I absolutely adore Lisa Kleypas. Haven's story of abuse and struggle to find herself, all the while falling in love again was just... purely romantic. Lisa Kleypas can pull me into her stories no matter what the focus or plot may be. Those who scoff at romance should definitely give her stories a try. This book in particular has a very difficult to read rape scene but it really set the tone for Haven's emotional strengthening.
The Explosionist by Jenny Davidison.
Alternate history stories, what can I say, I love them! In this version, Napoleon defeated Wellington at Waterloo and it sets the tone for the rest of the story which is set in Scotland in the 1930s. There are machines on the streets that anyone can walk into and commit suicide. There are psychic societies, there are mysterious explosions. It's a real page-turner and highly fascinating reading for people who enjoy history.
Feed by M.T. Anderson.
Definitely a stunning and sad look at what the earth could become. It's definitely dystopian fiction and perhaps a tad too dire and "world will end soon!" in places but it is startling in its truth too. The language takes awhile to get used to but that's part of its depth and sadness.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
Twelve kids have to fight to the death to survive in order to provide food for their territory. Katniss is one of the best female characters I've read all year. This book is also a dystopian fiction and a stunning look at what could happen in the future. I'm not saying anything this extreme will happen but Collins makes a good case for it. The violence is inherent in this story and it makes it that much more believable because violence is such a part of our culture already. This is just taking it one step farther. More stories to come in this series.
Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott.
Elizabeth Scott is probably one of my favorite YA writers right now and Perfect You is just so unperfect and charming. It's a boy meets girl kind of story but there is so much more to it including a father who unexpectedly quits his job to sell vitamins, a family falling apart, and a boy. A boy! I love the romance.
The Mammy by Brendan O'Carroll.
Funny, charming, sad, amusing, and just a good page-turner. If you need a pick-me up type story, this is it.
A Rake's Guide to Pleasure by Victoria Dahl.
Yes, I know the title is snark-worthy but Dahl does such great things to her characters in this story! Seriously, she circumvents many of the stereotypical romance based character archetypes and makes her hero and heroine interesting, unpleasant, and so enjoyable to watch verbally spar. It is a historical story and one of my favorites of this year.
Wake by Lisa McMann.
Janie can enter people's dreams. It is bizarre and unreal and so interesting to see how she comes to understand her "talent." There is also a very sexy male character! But seriously, I really enjoyed the concept of this book. While it isn't a perfect story by any means, it has stayed with me all year enough to want to see what happens in the sequel in February.
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer.
I read this for my Readers' Advisory class and was hooked on Chris McCandless's journey. It is riveting. He did some stupid things but left this world with an interesting story to tell. The movie version is also very well done but I highly recommend the book.
So there you have it! What about you, flist? Any book that you read in 2008 that you would highly recommend?