Books read in 2010
Possible spoiler alert for anything.
january ;
1. The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
young adult | fantasy | 518 pages
January 12
Still very good, though now I can see why people criticize it, in some cases. (Plot-/writing style-wise, not about the religious themes, or whatever.)
2. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
young adult | future fiction/horror | 308 pages
January 15
It was a little slow in the beginning, but then I got into the story again and it was great. I'm excited for the sequel.
3. Zoey Fools Around by Katherine Applegate
young adult | realistic fiction | 261 pages
January 16
I read this because it's by K. A. Applegate and because I once saw a thing where people were comparing this and Animorphs. We'll see what happens. So far it's slightly deeper than teen!drama books. But only slightly.
4. The Waters & The Wild by Francesca Lia Block
young adult | realistic fiction/fantasy | 113 pages
January 16
This seemed like something I would like. Changelings are one of the topics that I'm most interested in. But I didn't feel invested in the story at all. At all. And the ending just fizzled. I sort of feel this way for all of Francesca Lia Block's stories.
5. The Kings Are Already Here by Garret Freymann-Weyr
young adult | realistic fiction | 149 pages
January 17
This had a lot of elements of the traditional YA ballet story, along with chess bits. But surprisingly I liked it better. Again, I think it's because Garret Freymann-Weyr writes books where adults take teenagers seriously.
6. Reincarnation by Suzanne Weyn
young adult | historical fiction/realistic fiction/fantasy | 293 pages
January 19
This was okay. More time in each time period would have been helpful. Also, I felt like a lot of the implications of reincarnation weren't focused on as much as they could have been. What about being reincarnated as the opposite gender? Does that make you gay? If not, why not?
7. A Time for Dancing by Davida Wills Hurwin
young adult | realistic fiction | 257 pages
January 19
I liked this for everything except (amusingly enough) the ballet. Sam definitely did not have the mind of a ballet dancer. She wasn't focused, she wasn't motivated, she didn't care. Or she cared, but she cared about other things. And their "Company" was sketchy at best. It made me wonder how much experience the author actually had with ballet.
8. The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecila Galante
young adult | realistic fiction | 292 pages
January 22
This is what I've been looking for when I read all those YA books about polygamy. Here's a tight story about a religious commune told in two viewpoints--one very much a part of the community, and one very much not. And the reader sympathizes with both.
9. Sharing Sam by Katherine Applegate
young adult | realistic fiction | 155 pages
January 23
I liked this, and I hope it wasn't just because KA wrote it. It explored the complexities of emotions well, especially on the part of Sam. It didn't go the way I thought it would, but that was okay. I just wish it had been a bit longer--then more could have been done with it.
10. Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr
young adult | realistic fiction | 217 pages
January 24
A YA book about religion? I'm there. And this wasn't just about religion; it was more about how religion is mixed up in everything else. Very nice.
11. Jake Finds Out by Katherine Applegate
young adult | realistic fiction | 212 pages
January 25
I didn't see that coming with Nina.
12. The Pretender by K. A. Applegate
juvenile | realistic fiction/science fiction
January 25
Hawkward.
13. Before I Die by Jenny Downham
young adult | realistic fiction | 327 pages
January 26
Don't ask me why I'm reading all these books about terminally ill teenagers. I don't know, either. And, believe it or not, I really didn't plan it this way.
14. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
young adult | realistic fiction | 196 pages
January 28
Pretty predictable, but an interesting concept. Basically an exploration of a life.
15. Gentlemen by Michael Northrop
young adult | realistic fiction | 234 pages
January 31
I liked this, like I like all crime/mystery/murder YA books. Here's the thing (and I can't believe I'm saying this): I wish that Tommy had had a different reason for disappearing. At this point, it seemed almost cliché. I know, I know. I really can't believe I said that.
february ;
16. Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink
young adult | historical fiction/fantasy | 343 pages
February 2
This was okay. It reminded me a lot of A Great and Terrible Beauty, minus the not-likable characters. Instead, there were completely blank characters. I guess we'll see what happens in the next one.
17. Wizards at War by Diane Duane
young adult | realistic fiction/fantasy | 551 pages
February 13
I read this to get more of a grip on Dairine's character. I'm not sure if that actually happened. However, I now know that I am so excited for the next book.
18. The Stowaway by R. A. Salvatore and Geno Salvatore
young adult | fantasy | 287 pages
February 28
I'd actually classify this as juvenile, but I suppose it can be right at the young edge of the YA spectrum. It felt a lot like the Deltora Quest books to me, for some reason. I guess it was the whole high-fantasy-not-written-very-well thing. And again we come back to the question of whether or not I'm actually cut out for high fantasy. Either way, I didn't really enjoy this one. It felt a little mindless and I didn't care about any of the characters, except for Drizzt who, it turns out, is actually a character from another series, and that's probably why he was so compelling.
march ;
19. Island by Gordon Korman
juvenile | realistic fiction | 129 pages
March 3
I love these books. I don't know why, but I really do. Not too much happens in this book until right at the end when there's the whole raft/shark bait deal, but it's still pretty fun.
20. The Attack by K. A. Applegate
juvenile | realistic fiction/science fiction
March 5
I've always liked this book. I mean, they go to Legoland with these crazy almost-Yeerks and Rachel sells her hair and Erek has moral dilemmas, and it's great. Except this time I realized how morally dubious what they do is. They just say, "Okay, yeah. We'll go kill these people for no reason except that the Ellimist asked." They justify it with other reasons, sure, but ultimately that's what they're doing. It's scary.
21. Survival by Gordon Korman
juvenile | realistic fiction | 138 pages
March 8
My favorite of the Island books, because it's all about man versus nature. I like the survival aspects of this series a lot. Ian is so much smarter than me. Also, durians.
22. The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
young adult | future fiction/horror
March 11
This was pretty good. The actions scenes were exciting, especially in the beginning and the end, and the expanded worldbuilding was really cool. The love triangle was not cool. I am completely unconvinced that Gabry will remain committed to Elias, especially now that it's just her and Catcher on their own. Also, I thought that Gabry was going to turn out to be Elias's sister throughout the whole thing, so that might be why I'm unable to ship them together. Even though I tend to ship incest if it's presented. Here it just felt too cliché, so it's good that it didn't happen that way. But I still haven't gotten over it yet.
23. Two-way Street by Lauren Barnholdt
young adult | realistic fiction | 288 pages
March 13
The usual teen drama that you'd expect, but I liked it. Also, it's really hard to write a story that's basically a car trip, but it was done really well here. The ending was a little abrupt, but I didn't really mind, either.
24. The Exposed by K. A. Applegate
juvenile | realistic fiction/science fiction
March 15
Yeerks deep under the ocean. No, not that one.
25. Escape by Gordon Korman
juvenile | realistic fiction
March 24
And JJ is redeemed, and all that fun stuff.
26. Bright Felon by Kazim Ali
adult | poetry/prose/whatever | 96 pages
March 27
I confess, I read this to understand more of the man, and it didn't really help. Ah, well. Perhaps that's the point.
27. Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novel by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin
young adult | graphic novel
March 28
I mean, it was the Artemis Fowl story over again. What more do you want me to say, other than I ship Artemis/Holly even more now?
28. Pastworld by Ian Beck
young adult | future fiction | 355 pages
March 28
I thought this was going to be like Running Out of Time. It wasn't. At all. Which I guess doesn't make it bad, but that's what I was looking for and that's definitely not what I got.
29. Song of the Magdalene by Donna Jo Napoli
young adult | historical fiction | 240 pages
March 29
What I learned from this book: Mary Magdalene has to go slightly crazy, no matter what else happens to her.
30. Keep Sweet by Michele Dominguez Greene
young adult | realistic fiction | 215 pages
March 29
This book was gutsier than the other recent releases in YA fiction about polygamy, if only because this wasn't set in some mysterious religious community, it was set in the FLDS church. It also went there in terms of marrying off the main character and making her escape pretty difficult, which was nice to see.
31. How to Ruin Your Boyfriend's Reputation by Simone Elkeles
young adult | realistic fiction | 257 pages
March 30
Short and not much depth, but an enjoyable read. I won't read it again, though.
32. Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Faria Stolarz
young adult | realistic fiction/fantasy | 252 pages
March 31
This was okay. I wish Ben hadn't been so obsessed with the I MIGHT HURT YOU stuff and I wish her boss had played a much smaller role, but other than that it was pretty cool.
april ;
33. They Never Came Back by Caroline B. Cooney
young adult | realistic fiction | 200 pages
April 1
I thought this was by Margaret Peterson Haddix, so I kept expecting clones. Eventually I figured out that she wasn't the one who'd written it, and I enjoyed it well enough. It was sad that Murielle was so willing to give up her foster family, though, especially right after the loss of Jamesy (who was my favorite character).
34. Mercy, Unbound by Kim Antieau
young adult | realistic fiction | 165 pages
April 1
This is about a girl with an eating disorder, and I thought that was done well, up until she got amnesia and was miraculously cured. That I didn't like so much.
35. Poisoned Honey by Beatrice Gormley
young adult | historical fiction | 302 pages
April 1
Another Mary Magdalene book. This one was heavy on the magic/demon thing, but still left that open to being explained away by a lot of coincidences. Also, this was scary. Really, really scary. Probably the scariest book I've read in a while. I guess there's something about being trapped in your mind and not being in control that freaks me out. (Too much Animorphs?) And Jesus? He was adorable. I loved him. I sat there grinning madly whenever he made an appearance. He was really well-written and really awesome.
36. Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines
young adult | realistic fiction/future fiction | 324 pages
April 3
This was a bit like The Hunger Games, in that it dealt with a culture's obsession with violence. However, I thought it was even better than The Hunger Games. It felt more mature, and it was set in a society so close to our own that its message was much more chilling.
37. A Wizard of Mars by Diane Duane
young adult | realistic fiction/science fiction/fantasy | 550 pages
April 25
Peach! ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ But the timeline, the timeline! Dairine is so young! Also, there were tripods. Freaking tripods. And a great reference to 2001: A Space Odyssey.
38. The Other Side of Dawn by John Marsden
young adult | realistic fiction
April 27
A great conclusion to a great series. Lots of stuff happened, and we got to see new aspects of the war, and it was great. Overall, my only issue with this series is that Ellie seemed way too cold, or something like that. Very analytical, not a lot of feelings, or if there were feelings, she was just analyzing them in (again) a very analytical way. Which I guess was sort of the point. But I don't know. It's interesting.
39. This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer
young adult | realistic fiction/future fiction | 239 pages
April 30
I didn't like this one as much as the first two. The world-building stuff was still great, but I thought that the relationship between Alex and Miranda didn't seem plausible. I guess that was probably the point--that common human interactions had changed so much--but I just couldn't buy it.
40. The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson
young adult | realistic fiction | 370 pages
April 28
Still like it. Still find it applicable. Good times.
may ;
41. The Journey by K. A. Applegate
juvenile | realistic fiction/science fiction | 139 pages
May 12
Interestingly, this is very Rachel/Marco shippy. I don't know why. But it totally is. And there's barely any Rachel/Tobias.
42. Melusine by Lynne Reid Banks
young adult | realistic fiction/fantasy | 248 pages
May 21
I LOVE THIS BOOK. SO MUCH. WHY HAS NO ONE READ IT????
43. Madapple by Christina Meldrum
young adult | realistic fiction | 404 pages
May 27
I really, really liked this. Lots of disparate but interesting themes were all tied up together, and the plot was complex and interesting. I don't believe the court case would actually have ended the way it did, because I was pretty convinced by the evidence presented, but I guess the author wanted to tie everything up prettily.
june ;
44. Lies by Michael Grant
young adult | realistic fiction/science fiction | 447 pages
June 1
Dear Michael Grant and KA,
You guys are the best. Never change.
Love, Me
Also, Caine and Diana! I LOVE THEM WITH ALL MY HEART.
45. The Enemy by Charlie Higson
young adult | realistic fiction/horror | 440 pages
June 1
A zombie book in which only the adults become zombiefied. Frankly, a great idea, because it leaves me to focus freely on the only people I care about--the kids.
46. Leap of Faith by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
young adult | realistic fiction | 286 pages
June 2
If this hadn't been a religion book, I would have stopped reading, because it's basically middle grade fiction, and I like to pretend I have standards. However, nothing excites me like reading religion books aimed at teens, so I read this anyway. It was actually very good. Positive, but not all the protagonist's problems were fixed.
47. No Place Like Home by K. A. Applegate
young adult | science fiction
June 2
Look at that, I'm just classifying it as science fiction now. That means it's really gone off the deep end as far as crazy is concerned. And I'm sorry, but I just cannot ship 2Face/Billy.
48. The Good Man Jesus an the Scoundrel Christ by Philip Pullman
adult | historical fiction/folktale
June 2
This was shockingly bad. I really like Philip Pullman, but this story was just not told in a very classy way. I mean, I know he wrote it this way on purpose and that he's not as boring a writer as this, but...holy cow. The only reason I finished this book was because he wrote it.
49. The River by Mary Jane Beaufrand
young adult | realistic fiction | 215 pages
June 2
Very good. Even believable, despite all that happens.
50. The God Box by Alex Sanchez
young adult | realistic fiction | 248 pages
June 3
Being gay and being Christian and how it's possible. Nice. I would have liked the main character not to be gay, because I think that would have been an interesting transition to see, but it was still good.
51. Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty
young adult | realistic fiction | 280 pages
June 4
I really, really enjoyed this. It was trashy teen fiction, but with brains!
52. Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty
young adult | realistic fiction | 349 pages
June 5
Still liking it.
53. Charmed Thirds by Megan McCafferty
young adult | realistic fiction | 359 pages
June 6
Still liking it.
54. Fourth Comings by Megan McCafferty
young adult | realistic fiction | 307 pages
June 7
I don't really quite understand why Jessica's acting so neurotic this time around, but I'm still really liking it. This one in particular was oddly like creative nonfiction. It was very cool.
55. Zombies Calling by Faith Erin Hicks
young adult | graphic novel/horror
June 7
Fairly cool idea, not so cool in the execution. Too short, no development.
56. Lost and Found by K. A. Applegate
young adult | science fiction | 133 pages
June 7
The names! The ages! The aliens! The strangeness!
57. Dream Storm by K. A. Applegate
young adult | science fiction | 146 pages
June 7
Ooh, people still alive on Earth. In a funky dystopian society. Nice, KA, nice.
58. Illyria by Elizabeth Hand
young adult | realistic fiction | 135 pages
June 7
This could have been really cool. The potential was there. It felt like it could have been cool. It felt like there were things about to happen. But then nothing ever did. This definitely should have been longer so that there was actually some plot development.
59. Fire Will Fall by Carol Plum-Ucci
young adult | realistic fiction | 485 pages
June 11
I didn't expect a sequel, so this was a surprise. I'm not sure if a sequel was really necessary. The way the characters were fleshed out in this one didn't always work for me, especially in the relationships area of things. I do like the two hacker boys a lot, though.
60. All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab
young adult | realistic fiction | 337 pages
June 13
This was surprisingly good. Complex, interesting relationships. It was particularly interesting how Neily turned out in the end.
61. After the Moment by Garret Freymann-Weyr
young adult | realistic fiction | 328 pages
June 15
Not as helpful the second time through. But I'll take what I can get.
62. And Another Thing... by Eoin Colfer
adult | science fiction | 273 pages
June 17
This was understandably different from anything Douglas Adams would have written. It was still funny, but it was funny in a different way. I won't lie; I enjoyed it. But you need to approach it as something different.
63. Forever Princess Meg Cabot
young adult | realistic fiction | 383 pages
June 18
Ah, yes. The conclusion.
64. Birthmarked by Caragh M O'Brien
young adult | future fiction | 261 pages
June 19
This was so good. So much more than I expected! There were awesome characters! There was an intense but believable plot! I don't know if there will be a sequel, but I hope so. I'd like to see where this could go.
65. Voices of Dragons by Carrie Vaughn
young adult | realistic fiction/fantasy | 309 pages
June 19
The plot was a good one, but the narration! It was like this was written for third graders, except for the subject matter. I mean, it talked about sex, and yet the main character's parents were referred to as "Mom" and "Dad" in the third person? Not working for me.
66. Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin, translated by James E Falen
adult | classics, baby! | 212 pages
June 20
I really liked this. It was funny and depressing and Russian. A good combination, if you ask me.
67. Perfect Fifths by Megan McCafferty
young adult | realistic fiction | 255 pages
June 21
Quite the satisfying conclusion. I love Megan McCafferty's writing style. It's so...easy, so readable. It's been a pleasure.
68. The Line by Teri Hall
young adult | future fiction | 219 pages
June 22
A bit young, and the plot was pretty obvious. I won't be reading the next one, but it was okay while it lasted.
69. The Six Rules of Maybe by Deb Caletti
young adult | realistic fiction | 321 pages
June 22
This was a well-told story. Lots of characters, lots of plot-lines, but it all worked well together.
70. A Golden Web by Barbara Quick
young adult | historical fiction | 254 pages
June 23
Okay, so what happens if you're a guy and you fall in love with another guy and then that guy turns out to be a girl? That's what this book should have addressed. But it didn't. Ah, well.
71. Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix
young adult | realistic fiction/science fiction | 314 pages
June 23
I'll admit it, I read this for the Virginia Dare reference, which was brief and anticlimatic. But it was still a good story and the time travel was well-done.
72. Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr
young adult | realistic fiction/fantasy | 340 pages
June 24
I'm getting sort of tired of this series. I feel like it's going downhill in quality. And Seth is turning into quite the Mary Sue.
73. Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
young adult | future fiction | 323 pages
June 27
Really good. This is a really realistic look at a world that's run out of oil. It shows the same problems that occur today, along with the problems that we're going to have to be dealing with very soon.
74. The Harmony Silk Factory by Tash Aw
adult | historical fiction | 416 pages
June 29
This was not as good as I'd hoped. It seemed to be a lot of dithering about pretty much nothing. And I can in no way accept that one man was responsible for bringing down most of the leaders of the MPAJA. I don't care if this is fiction. I still can't buy it.
july ;
75. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
young adult | future fiction | 374 pages
July 1
This was really good. This is why I read YA fiction. Stuff happens. It's not just dribble like the previous book that I read. I can't wait for the sequel
76. Aftermath by K. A. Applegate
young adult | science fiction/future fiction
July 1
I still can't get into these books. Not really. Only two left, and then I'll be done with the series for good.
77. Search for Senna by K. A. Applegate
young adult | realistic fiction/fantasy | 208 pages
July 1
I love the Everworld books. Not as much as Animorphs, because they didn't go on for as long and the ending was horrible, but I love the concept. I love what they were, and what they could have been.
78. Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter
young adult | realistic fiction | 265 pages
July 2
I read these books solely for the Joe Solomon/Rachel Morgan. Things might severely start complicating this ship and if that happens I will be very disturbed.
79. Land of Loss by K. A. Applegate
young adult | realistic fiction/fantasy | 185 pages
July 3
Ah, yes, the Aztecs.
80. Enter the Enchanted by K. A. Applegate
young adult | realistic fiction/fantasy | 169 pages
July 3
I love Galahad. I forget which of these books he shows up in, but I love him. The blood transfusion, and all that. It's awesome.
81. Realm of the Reaper by K. A. Applegate
young adult | realistic fiction/fantasy | 173 pages
July 4
This one is creepy. The creepiest of any of the books, by far. I remember the first time I read it--the sense of dread was palpable. Really freaky.
81. Discover the Destroyer by K. A. Applegate
young adult | realistic fiction/fantasy | 171 pages
July 6
Oh man, this one is where we start to see how much the gang can do. They go to the real world, do research, come back, and wreak havoc.
82. Fear the Fantastic by K. A. Applegate
young adult | realistic fiction/fantasy | 186 pages
July 9
I forgot pretty much everything that happens in this one. But now I remember. And here's proof that Christopher's change starts early. Christopher's journey has always been my favorite of them all, hopefully not just because it's so in-your-face.
83. The Blazing Air by Oswald Wynd
adult | historical fiction | 311 pages
July 9
This was so good. This is one of the few books where I wasn't really feeling it until the last few pages, and then suddenly everything clicks and I love it. I think it's not just because I like the subject matter--I think it's also that this tells a fantastic story. It's not about war. It's about more than that.
84. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
young adult | realistic fiction | 470 pages
July 10
This was really good. The days were all different enough that it never got boring, and at the same time the people still remained consistent. The whole thing was done quite well.
85. The Goodbye Season by Marian Hale
young adult | historical fiction | 271 pages
July 12
This was okay. I thought the main character's bit inner conflict was rather lame, but the bits about the influenza epidemic were interesting.
86. Ostrich Boys by Keith Gray
young adult | realistic fiction | 295 pages
July 14
Another one of those books about someone dying and everyone else trying to figure it out and deal with it. It was done pretty well, if you ask me.
87. Alice in Charge by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
young adult | realistic fiction | 321 pages
July 16
I get that these books present a great role model for girls. And I appreciate that Phyllis Reynolds Naylor tackles a lot of subjects in them so that there’s a lot for people to relate to. I also appreciate that she has a lesbian couple present in several of her books. I’d like to see her do more with that, though. I feel like her portrayal of them right now is currently rather stereotypical. In this book, one of the girls talks about how she played with trucks as a kid and never wanted to wear dresses. I know that this is indeed the experience of many lesbians, but it’s also not the experience of many others, and you see a lot less of them in YA literature. I’d like to see more of them, and I think Phyllis Reynolds Naylor has the chops to do it.
88. The Secret Year by Jennifer R. Hubbard
young adult | realistic fiction | 192 pages
July 18
This was okay. I kept waiting for something to happen, but it never really did, possibly because so much of the book was retrospective. A one time read, in my opinion.
89. Jumping off Swings by Jo Knowles
young adult | realistic fiction | 230 pages
July 19
This book, while it was about pretty touch subject matter, was not very engaging at all. I would have stopped reading, except that it was so short that I kept saying, “I can make it till the end!” It was told in four different viewpoints, which was three too many. There wasn’t a lot to distinguish between them, and it took a while for me to even learn which person was which.
90. Anxious Hearts by Tucker Shaw
young adult | realistic fiction/historical fiction | 242 pages
July 19
The concept of this book really intrigued me, but the actual execution did not follow through at all. So much of the story was told that it was hard for me to feel an investment in any of the characters. I wasn’t even able to buy into the modern day pairing’s deep connection, and I thought their actions were completely unbelievable.
91. Gateway to the Gods by K. A. Applegate
young adult | realistic fiction/fantasy | 176 pages
July 20
Ah, yes, April’s religious conflict intensifies. Honestly, that’s one of my favorite parts of the whole series-how she tries to square her belief in God with her experiences in Everworld. And the moment when she calls out for Athena…that really struck me this time.
92. The Andalite Chronicles by K. A. Applegate
juvenile | science fiction | 326 pages
July 21
I’m doing a chronological re-read in honor of the re-release, starting here. And what a start. This book is epic. Epic beyond belief.
93. The Invasion by K. A. Applegate
juvenile | realistic fiction/science fiction | 184 pages
July 23
The beginning of it all. Or, god, those kids are lucky.
94. Vegemorphs by Leif E. Green
juvenile | realistic fiction/science fiction/humor
July 23
This wasn’t quite as funny as I thought it would be, but it certainly had its moments. The fact that the broccoli Prince didn’t die bothered me a bit, though. It sort of changed the whole plot.
95. The Gospel of Mary Magdalene by Jean-Yves Leloup
adult | nonfiction | 178 pages
July 23
The translation was not as good as it could have been. I would have liked some helpful footnotes about the choices made in translation. And the explanatory notes/interpretations were clearly slanted in one direction. That passage from the Gospel of Philip about the whole kissing on the lips was quoted as being Full of Meaning, but there’s a debate about that, too, that wasn’t touched on at all.
96. The Gospel of Judas edited by Rodolphe Kasser, Marvin Meyer, and Gregor Wurst
adult | nonfiction | 169 pages
July 24
This was a much better translation than the previously mentioned book. Or, at least, there were footnotes, and that made it feel like a much better translation. Clearly, though, I'm going to need a lot more background knowledge before I can understand any of this.
97. Mad Mary by Liz Curtis Higgs
adult | nonfiction | 271 pages
July 25
The story in the beginning had its moments (mainly involving Mary, the mother of Jesus), but overall was pretty simple. There were no interesting turns that could have been possible when putting Mary's story in modern times. The analysis in the second half was pretty simple and was comprised of things that I had already learned from surfing the internet. Also, the colloquial tone that it was written in, while cute at first, got to be really, really annoying. More than that, it even felt condescending. I can take "girlfriend" thrown at me, even if I don't really like. I can't really take "beloved."
98. The Book of Dreams by O. R. Melling
young adult | fantasy/realistic fiction | 680 pages
July 29
The books in this series always say that they don't have to be read in order, but I think that would help a lot. I did read them in order, but that was a while ago, and I couldn't remember a lot of what happened, so I occasionally felt in the dark. I enjoyed this, though. The flights of fancy, which seem (when I think about them) like they would bother me, really didn't. Actually, when I read this, I kept feeling like it was a Young Wizards book, minus some of the edge that those have. It was pretty good, though if I do re-read it, I think I'll only be reading the Georgia scenes.
august ;
99. Mary Called Magdalene by Margaret George
adult | historical fiction | 625 pages
August 6
I was disappointed with this one. We had the usual crazy!Mary that I've come to know and love, and I liked that whole portrayal. But then she started hanging out with Jesus, and things got really, really boring. I suppose if you're not familiar with the Gospels, then it would be new, but otherwise you have to wade through word-for-word accounts of the famous moments of Jesus's life. The author says that she read (among other things) the Nag Hammadi texts before writing this novel, but I didn't see any scenes from them that I recognized. She did, however, have an interesting take on the whole fig tree story, and of that I highly approve.
100. Nightlight by The Harvard Lampoon
young adult | humor | 154 pages
August 6
This was funny. There were moments when I laughed out loud. But here's the scary thing: there was more character development and more character depth than the original. Having Bella just be delusional and able to twist everything around her in her own perspective was a fantastic move. The book itself is mad expensive, though. I have no idea why.
101. Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer
young adult | realistic fiction/fantasy | 357 pages
August 8
This felt...short. I enjoyed it as much as I enjoy any Artemis Fowl book, but it did strike me as short. There are a good number of pages, but it felt like not a lot happened. I've heard rumors that the next book will be the last, which is sad, but I can see why, given how this one ended. And, as usual, Eoin Colfer never ceases to amaze me by how he GOES THERE and then backs away. I have no idea what his endgame is, but I'm just excited to be along for the ride.
102. Sphinx's Princess by Esther Friesner
young adult | historical fiction | 365 pages
August 11
I was originally quite worried that this was a stand-alone novel, but luckily it's going to be followed up by at least one more, so I can forgive the ending. (Not that the ending was bad, but an epilogue would have been nice.) Overall, I liked it. The portrayal of Nefertiti as vaguely spoiled, was good. I'd like to see more of that. Also (and this isn't really a criticism of the book, just an observation in general), for once I'd like to read a historical fiction book with a plucky female protagonist who isn't literate. But maybe that's just me.
103. Sent by Margaret Peterson Haddix
young adult | realistic fiction/historical fiction/science fiction | 308 pages
August 13
Much better than the first book. And guess what? The next one is all about Virginia Dare! Yes!
104. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
young adult | realistic fiction | 276 pages
August 16
My YA librarian recommended this, and for that reason, I really wanted to like it. But I just couldn't get into it. I never liked Belly, or even connected with her, and I didn't see what she why she was attracted to Conrad, except that he was mysterious and brooding. Which really doesn't do it for me. And I thought that Cam was the best of the three boys, but he was just waltzed in and waltzed right back out without much fanfare. Too bad. He was the only one I really liked. Everyone else seemed like a cliché.
105. It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han
young adult | realistic fiction | 276 pages
August 20
I didn't like this any better than the first book. In fact, considering the lack of Cam, I liked it even less. Belly continues to treat her best friend horribly, even though Taylor's just trying to help (and has a much better head on her shoulders than Belly). Belly pines over Conrad the whole time, and then suddenly decides that Jeremiah is the one for her. And the chapters from Jeremiah's point of view? They added nothing.
106. The Education of Bet by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
young adult | historical fiction | 186 pages
August 22
This was okay. Overall, pretty predictable. I'd have liked to see more drama over the eventual reveal, but oh well. The one thing it did pretty well was address the 'are you attracted to the person or the gender?' question. At least a little bit. In one paragraph. But, in the end, I was just left wanting to read the Song of the Lioness quartet over again.
107. Visser by K. A. Applegate
juvenile | science fiction/realistic fiction | 192 pages
August 24
SO GOOD.
108. The Last Temptation of Christ by Nikos Kazantzakis
adult | historical fiction | 496 pages
August 24
I thought this would be one big AU with an ending of "Just kidding! It was all a dream!" And I was looking forward to that. It, however, was not. Instead, it was a re-telling of the whole Jesus story, with the AU right at the end. And it wasn't that great of an AU, since it was done so quickly. It was a good book, though. It was a good take on Jesus. Still, I'm sad about the AU. I barely even got any Mary Magdalene/Jesus.
109. Living Hell by Catherine Jinks
young adult | science fiction | 256 pages
August 26
This was a lot like another book I read, probably about a year ago. The whole giant-immune-system-attacking-humans deal.
110. Sea by Heidi R. Kling
young adult | realistic fiction | 323 pages
August 27
This was okay. I read it to learn a little bit about Indonesia from a YA book, and I got that. The romance stuff could have been stronger. The bit with Spider was not as fully developed as it should have been in order to carry the ending.
111. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
young adult | future fiction
August 27
This was good, as it was going to be. There were some problems I had with it--especially in the love triangle area of things--and my favorite book is still the first one, but it was good.
112. Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore
young adult | fantasy | 225 pages
August 28
Okay, so I want to like this. A lot of the elements are things that really appeal to me. But here's the thing. The book included a Jane-Eyre-mad-wife-in-the-attic subplot, and that was not necessary at all. It would also have been an interesting subplot, if it hadn't already been done so famously. But that little bit of the book just killed it for me. I'll read the second one, but I don't know how much I can respect the author. Or the editor.
september ;
113. Pod by Stephen Wallenfels
young adult | realistic fiction/science fiction | 212 pages
September 4
This was okay. I definitely liked seeing all the psychological aspects. But, unfortunately, the aliens felt really contrived. And then it ends. And you're like, "...What?"
114. Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce
young adult | fantasy | 231 pages
September 5
Haha, it's so funny reading these books after reading Tamora Pierce's later stuff. She gets a lot better as a writer.
115. In the Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce
young adult | fantasy | 232 pages
September 13
Yup, let's count the tropes that are present in this series.
october ;
116. Rhythm Science by Paul D. Miller
adult | nonfiction | 125 pages
October 2
See, he wrote so much, but it meant nothing to me.
117. The Woman Who Rides Like a Man by Tamora Pierce
young adult | fantasy | 253 pages
October 3
Okay, so I won't lie. I like the Bhazir a lot. I freaking love the kids she takes on as shamans-in-training.
118. Zong! by M. Nourbese Philip
adult | poetry | 125 pages
October
Not my sort of thing. Maybe I'm just not cut out for poetry.
119. Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn
juvenile | horror | 184 pages
October 13
My mother was right not to let me read this book when I was seven or eight. I would have freaked out. As it was, reading it at three in the morning while most of the lights were out and my housemates were all asleep was also not that healthy of a decision.
120. Forever... by Judy Blume
young adult | realistic fiction | 220 pages
October 18
This book in one sentence: "Seven weeks may not be a lot to you but to me it's forever!"
121. Anatomy of a Boyfriend by Daria Snadowsky
young adult | realistic fiction | 264 pages
October 22
Four years ago, this book would have been greedily devoured by me. Now, it was greedily devoured by me for a very different reason. Honestly, though, I liked this better than Forever. The stuff with the other guy at the end was cliché, but all right, and overall it just seemed a lot more realistic. The stance on STD's and safe sex was a little confusing for me at times, though.
122. Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
young adult | science fiction
The conclusion that I finally, finally procured. It was great.
123. Innocents by Cathy Coote
young adult | realistic fiction | 248 pages
October 24
This was freaky. This was really, really freaky. It was also written by a nineteen-year-old, and at twenty-one, I'm not sure I feel qualified to write about the psychological aspects of people that she did. But at the same time, I totally bought it. The whole time, though, I had this unsettled feeling that never went away. It was done really well. Even the very end left me freaked out and unsettled. I thought she was going to get pregnant, though, I really did. They had a ton of unprotected sex.
november ;
124. Perfect Fifths by Megan McCafferty
young adult | realistic fiction | 255 pages
November 19
Oh man, I really like this series. A lot.
125. Lioness Rampant by Tamora Pierce
young adult | fantasy | 384 pages
November 24
Oh, this series.
126. Epitaph Road by David Patneaude
young adult | future fiction | 266 pages
November 29
I was really looking forward to this, but I think it was written with too young of an audience in mind. It had the potential to go really dark and get really edgy, but it didn't. Maybe I'm finally growing out of the YA section? But I doubt it. I wanted to see more of the social issues--girls experimenting with girls, women mad that there aren't a lot of men to go around, weird platonic but sexual relationships between formed between women just to fill ~needs. But that sort of stuff wouldn't go down in a book aimed at this age group.
december ;
127. The Solution by K. A. Applegate
juvenile | realistic fiction/science fiction
December 4
Raaaachelllll.
128. The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
young adult | future fiction | 360 pages
December 9
This book freaked me out for most of the time that I was reading it. I'd walk home in the dark and think about it and be terrified. I'm also really impressed by James Dashner's ability to keep the reader completely in the dark about what's actually going on and yet also keep the reader engaged.
129. The Girl Next Door by Selen Castrovilla
young adult | realistic fiction | 237 pages
December 20
Apparently I haven't quite gotten over my teens-with-terminal-illnesses kick. Unfortunately, I must say that this was not one of the better ones. The main character was down-right irritating. I understood to a certain extent her insecurities, but it got annoying. Also, the whole marriage thing was overboard. Way, way overboard.
130. How It's Done by Christine Kole MacLean
young adult | realistic fiction | 324 pages
December 22
This was okay. I have no strong feelings either way. The relationship seemed to progress pretty easily, though. The guy certainly had no qualms, which freaked me out a little bit.
131. The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
young adult | realistic fiction/fantasy | 343 pages
December 24
I loved this. This had what all other Faerie books that I've read thus far lack--a whole lot of darkness. Being a changeling was freaky. Faerie was freaky. Things were dark. I loved it. Also, the Morrigan was creepy and weird.
132. Her and Me and You by Lauren Strasnick
young adult | realistic fiction | 171 pages
December 29
This had so much potential. Unfortunately, absolutely nothing was developed. That's what happens when you have a book this short.
133. Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
young adult | realistic fiction
December 30
This was so good. When I was done, I was emotionally drained and exhausted. I'd been thrust into this intense world of secrets and hidden things and....argh. It was so well done!
post for 2009
goodreads account
january ;
1. The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
young adult | fantasy | 518 pages
January 12
Still very good, though now I can see why people criticize it, in some cases. (Plot-/writing style-wise, not about the religious themes, or whatever.)
2. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
young adult | future fiction/horror | 308 pages
January 15
It was a little slow in the beginning, but then I got into the story again and it was great. I'm excited for the sequel.
3. Zoey Fools Around by Katherine Applegate
young adult | realistic fiction | 261 pages
January 16
I read this because it's by K. A. Applegate and because I once saw a thing where people were comparing this and Animorphs. We'll see what happens. So far it's slightly deeper than teen!drama books. But only slightly.
4. The Waters & The Wild by Francesca Lia Block
young adult | realistic fiction/fantasy | 113 pages
January 16
This seemed like something I would like. Changelings are one of the topics that I'm most interested in. But I didn't feel invested in the story at all. At all. And the ending just fizzled. I sort of feel this way for all of Francesca Lia Block's stories.
5. The Kings Are Already Here by Garret Freymann-Weyr
young adult | realistic fiction | 149 pages
January 17
This had a lot of elements of the traditional YA ballet story, along with chess bits. But surprisingly I liked it better. Again, I think it's because Garret Freymann-Weyr writes books where adults take teenagers seriously.
6. Reincarnation by Suzanne Weyn
young adult | historical fiction/realistic fiction/fantasy | 293 pages
January 19
This was okay. More time in each time period would have been helpful. Also, I felt like a lot of the implications of reincarnation weren't focused on as much as they could have been. What about being reincarnated as the opposite gender? Does that make you gay? If not, why not?
7. A Time for Dancing by Davida Wills Hurwin
young adult | realistic fiction | 257 pages
January 19
I liked this for everything except (amusingly enough) the ballet. Sam definitely did not have the mind of a ballet dancer. She wasn't focused, she wasn't motivated, she didn't care. Or she cared, but she cared about other things. And their "Company" was sketchy at best. It made me wonder how much experience the author actually had with ballet.
8. The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecila Galante
young adult | realistic fiction | 292 pages
January 22
This is what I've been looking for when I read all those YA books about polygamy. Here's a tight story about a religious commune told in two viewpoints--one very much a part of the community, and one very much not. And the reader sympathizes with both.
9. Sharing Sam by Katherine Applegate
young adult | realistic fiction | 155 pages
January 23
I liked this, and I hope it wasn't just because KA wrote it. It explored the complexities of emotions well, especially on the part of Sam. It didn't go the way I thought it would, but that was okay. I just wish it had been a bit longer--then more could have been done with it.
10. Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr
young adult | realistic fiction | 217 pages
January 24
A YA book about religion? I'm there. And this wasn't just about religion; it was more about how religion is mixed up in everything else. Very nice.
11. Jake Finds Out by Katherine Applegate
young adult | realistic fiction | 212 pages
January 25
I didn't see that coming with Nina.
12. The Pretender by K. A. Applegate
juvenile | realistic fiction/science fiction
January 25
Hawkward.
13. Before I Die by Jenny Downham
young adult | realistic fiction | 327 pages
January 26
Don't ask me why I'm reading all these books about terminally ill teenagers. I don't know, either. And, believe it or not, I really didn't plan it this way.
14. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
young adult | realistic fiction | 196 pages
January 28
Pretty predictable, but an interesting concept. Basically an exploration of a life.
15. Gentlemen by Michael Northrop
young adult | realistic fiction | 234 pages
January 31
I liked this, like I like all crime/mystery/murder YA books. Here's the thing (and I can't believe I'm saying this): I wish that Tommy had had a different reason for disappearing. At this point, it seemed almost cliché. I know, I know. I really can't believe I said that.
february ;
16. Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink
young adult | historical fiction/fantasy | 343 pages
February 2
This was okay. It reminded me a lot of A Great and Terrible Beauty, minus the not-likable characters. Instead, there were completely blank characters. I guess we'll see what happens in the next one.
17. Wizards at War by Diane Duane
young adult | realistic fiction/fantasy | 551 pages
February 13
I read this to get more of a grip on Dairine's character. I'm not sure if that actually happened. However, I now know that I am so excited for the next book.
18. The Stowaway by R. A. Salvatore and Geno Salvatore
young adult | fantasy | 287 pages
February 28
I'd actually classify this as juvenile, but I suppose it can be right at the young edge of the YA spectrum. It felt a lot like the Deltora Quest books to me, for some reason. I guess it was the whole high-fantasy-not-written-very-well thing. And again we come back to the question of whether or not I'm actually cut out for high fantasy. Either way, I didn't really enjoy this one. It felt a little mindless and I didn't care about any of the characters, except for Drizzt who, it turns out, is actually a character from another series, and that's probably why he was so compelling.
march ;
19. Island by Gordon Korman
juvenile | realistic fiction | 129 pages
March 3
I love these books. I don't know why, but I really do. Not too much happens in this book until right at the end when there's the whole raft/shark bait deal, but it's still pretty fun.
20. The Attack by K. A. Applegate
juvenile | realistic fiction/science fiction
March 5
I've always liked this book. I mean, they go to Legoland with these crazy almost-Yeerks and Rachel sells her hair and Erek has moral dilemmas, and it's great. Except this time I realized how morally dubious what they do is. They just say, "Okay, yeah. We'll go kill these people for no reason except that the Ellimist asked." They justify it with other reasons, sure, but ultimately that's what they're doing. It's scary.
21. Survival by Gordon Korman
juvenile | realistic fiction | 138 pages
March 8
My favorite of the Island books, because it's all about man versus nature. I like the survival aspects of this series a lot. Ian is so much smarter than me. Also, durians.
22. The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
young adult | future fiction/horror
March 11
This was pretty good. The actions scenes were exciting, especially in the beginning and the end, and the expanded worldbuilding was really cool. The love triangle was not cool. I am completely unconvinced that Gabry will remain committed to Elias, especially now that it's just her and Catcher on their own. Also, I thought that Gabry was going to turn out to be Elias's sister throughout the whole thing, so that might be why I'm unable to ship them together. Even though I tend to ship incest if it's presented. Here it just felt too cliché, so it's good that it didn't happen that way. But I still haven't gotten over it yet.
23. Two-way Street by Lauren Barnholdt
young adult | realistic fiction | 288 pages
March 13
The usual teen drama that you'd expect, but I liked it. Also, it's really hard to write a story that's basically a car trip, but it was done really well here. The ending was a little abrupt, but I didn't really mind, either.
24. The Exposed by K. A. Applegate
juvenile | realistic fiction/science fiction
March 15
Yeerks deep under the ocean. No, not that one.
25. Escape by Gordon Korman
juvenile | realistic fiction
March 24
And JJ is redeemed, and all that fun stuff.
26. Bright Felon by Kazim Ali
adult | poetry/prose/whatever | 96 pages
March 27
I confess, I read this to understand more of the man, and it didn't really help. Ah, well. Perhaps that's the point.
27. Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novel by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin
young adult | graphic novel
March 28
I mean, it was the Artemis Fowl story over again. What more do you want me to say, other than I ship Artemis/Holly even more now?
28. Pastworld by Ian Beck
young adult | future fiction | 355 pages
March 28
I thought this was going to be like Running Out of Time. It wasn't. At all. Which I guess doesn't make it bad, but that's what I was looking for and that's definitely not what I got.
29. Song of the Magdalene by Donna Jo Napoli
young adult | historical fiction | 240 pages
March 29
What I learned from this book: Mary Magdalene has to go slightly crazy, no matter what else happens to her.
30. Keep Sweet by Michele Dominguez Greene
young adult | realistic fiction | 215 pages
March 29
This book was gutsier than the other recent releases in YA fiction about polygamy, if only because this wasn't set in some mysterious religious community, it was set in the FLDS church. It also went there in terms of marrying off the main character and making her escape pretty difficult, which was nice to see.
31. How to Ruin Your Boyfriend's Reputation by Simone Elkeles
young adult | realistic fiction | 257 pages
March 30
Short and not much depth, but an enjoyable read. I won't read it again, though.
32. Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Faria Stolarz
young adult | realistic fiction/fantasy | 252 pages
March 31
This was okay. I wish Ben hadn't been so obsessed with the I MIGHT HURT YOU stuff and I wish her boss had played a much smaller role, but other than that it was pretty cool.
april ;
33. They Never Came Back by Caroline B. Cooney
young adult | realistic fiction | 200 pages
April 1
I thought this was by Margaret Peterson Haddix, so I kept expecting clones. Eventually I figured out that she wasn't the one who'd written it, and I enjoyed it well enough. It was sad that Murielle was so willing to give up her foster family, though, especially right after the loss of Jamesy (who was my favorite character).
34. Mercy, Unbound by Kim Antieau
young adult | realistic fiction | 165 pages
April 1
This is about a girl with an eating disorder, and I thought that was done well, up until she got amnesia and was miraculously cured. That I didn't like so much.
35. Poisoned Honey by Beatrice Gormley
young adult | historical fiction | 302 pages
April 1
Another Mary Magdalene book. This one was heavy on the magic/demon thing, but still left that open to being explained away by a lot of coincidences. Also, this was scary. Really, really scary. Probably the scariest book I've read in a while. I guess there's something about being trapped in your mind and not being in control that freaks me out. (Too much Animorphs?) And Jesus? He was adorable. I loved him. I sat there grinning madly whenever he made an appearance. He was really well-written and really awesome.
36. Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines
young adult | realistic fiction/future fiction | 324 pages
April 3
This was a bit like The Hunger Games, in that it dealt with a culture's obsession with violence. However, I thought it was even better than The Hunger Games. It felt more mature, and it was set in a society so close to our own that its message was much more chilling.
37. A Wizard of Mars by Diane Duane
young adult | realistic fiction/science fiction/fantasy | 550 pages
April 25
Peach! ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ But the timeline, the timeline! Dairine is so young! Also, there were tripods. Freaking tripods. And a great reference to 2001: A Space Odyssey.
38. The Other Side of Dawn by John Marsden
young adult | realistic fiction
April 27
A great conclusion to a great series. Lots of stuff happened, and we got to see new aspects of the war, and it was great. Overall, my only issue with this series is that Ellie seemed way too cold, or something like that. Very analytical, not a lot of feelings, or if there were feelings, she was just analyzing them in (again) a very analytical way. Which I guess was sort of the point. But I don't know. It's interesting.
39. This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer
young adult | realistic fiction/future fiction | 239 pages
April 30
I didn't like this one as much as the first two. The world-building stuff was still great, but I thought that the relationship between Alex and Miranda didn't seem plausible. I guess that was probably the point--that common human interactions had changed so much--but I just couldn't buy it.
40. The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson
young adult | realistic fiction | 370 pages
April 28
Still like it. Still find it applicable. Good times.
may ;
41. The Journey by K. A. Applegate
juvenile | realistic fiction/science fiction | 139 pages
May 12
Interestingly, this is very Rachel/Marco shippy. I don't know why. But it totally is. And there's barely any Rachel/Tobias.
42. Melusine by Lynne Reid Banks
young adult | realistic fiction/fantasy | 248 pages
May 21
I LOVE THIS BOOK. SO MUCH. WHY HAS NO ONE READ IT????
43. Madapple by Christina Meldrum
young adult | realistic fiction | 404 pages
May 27
I really, really liked this. Lots of disparate but interesting themes were all tied up together, and the plot was complex and interesting. I don't believe the court case would actually have ended the way it did, because I was pretty convinced by the evidence presented, but I guess the author wanted to tie everything up prettily.
june ;
44. Lies by Michael Grant
young adult | realistic fiction/science fiction | 447 pages
June 1
Dear Michael Grant and KA,
You guys are the best. Never change.
Love, Me
Also, Caine and Diana! I LOVE THEM WITH ALL MY HEART.
45. The Enemy by Charlie Higson
young adult | realistic fiction/horror | 440 pages
June 1
A zombie book in which only the adults become zombiefied. Frankly, a great idea, because it leaves me to focus freely on the only people I care about--the kids.
46. Leap of Faith by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
young adult | realistic fiction | 286 pages
June 2
If this hadn't been a religion book, I would have stopped reading, because it's basically middle grade fiction, and I like to pretend I have standards. However, nothing excites me like reading religion books aimed at teens, so I read this anyway. It was actually very good. Positive, but not all the protagonist's problems were fixed.
47. No Place Like Home by K. A. Applegate
young adult | science fiction
June 2
Look at that, I'm just classifying it as science fiction now. That means it's really gone off the deep end as far as crazy is concerned. And I'm sorry, but I just cannot ship 2Face/Billy.
48. The Good Man Jesus an the Scoundrel Christ by Philip Pullman
adult | historical fiction/folktale
June 2
This was shockingly bad. I really like Philip Pullman, but this story was just not told in a very classy way. I mean, I know he wrote it this way on purpose and that he's not as boring a writer as this, but...holy cow. The only reason I finished this book was because he wrote it.
49. The River by Mary Jane Beaufrand
young adult | realistic fiction | 215 pages
June 2
Very good. Even believable, despite all that happens.
50. The God Box by Alex Sanchez
young adult | realistic fiction | 248 pages
June 3
Being gay and being Christian and how it's possible. Nice. I would have liked the main character not to be gay, because I think that would have been an interesting transition to see, but it was still good.
51. Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty
young adult | realistic fiction | 280 pages
June 4
I really, really enjoyed this. It was trashy teen fiction, but with brains!
52. Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty
young adult | realistic fiction | 349 pages
June 5
Still liking it.
53. Charmed Thirds by Megan McCafferty
young adult | realistic fiction | 359 pages
June 6
Still liking it.
54. Fourth Comings by Megan McCafferty
young adult | realistic fiction | 307 pages
June 7
I don't really quite understand why Jessica's acting so neurotic this time around, but I'm still really liking it. This one in particular was oddly like creative nonfiction. It was very cool.
55. Zombies Calling by Faith Erin Hicks
young adult | graphic novel/horror
June 7
Fairly cool idea, not so cool in the execution. Too short, no development.
56. Lost and Found by K. A. Applegate
young adult | science fiction | 133 pages
June 7
The names! The ages! The aliens! The strangeness!
57. Dream Storm by K. A. Applegate
young adult | science fiction | 146 pages
June 7
Ooh, people still alive on Earth. In a funky dystopian society. Nice, KA, nice.
58. Illyria by Elizabeth Hand
young adult | realistic fiction | 135 pages
June 7
This could have been really cool. The potential was there. It felt like it could have been cool. It felt like there were things about to happen. But then nothing ever did. This definitely should have been longer so that there was actually some plot development.
59. Fire Will Fall by Carol Plum-Ucci
young adult | realistic fiction | 485 pages
June 11
I didn't expect a sequel, so this was a surprise. I'm not sure if a sequel was really necessary. The way the characters were fleshed out in this one didn't always work for me, especially in the relationships area of things. I do like the two hacker boys a lot, though.
60. All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab
young adult | realistic fiction | 337 pages
June 13
This was surprisingly good. Complex, interesting relationships. It was particularly interesting how Neily turned out in the end.
61. After the Moment by Garret Freymann-Weyr
young adult | realistic fiction | 328 pages
June 15
Not as helpful the second time through. But I'll take what I can get.
62. And Another Thing... by Eoin Colfer
adult | science fiction | 273 pages
June 17
This was understandably different from anything Douglas Adams would have written. It was still funny, but it was funny in a different way. I won't lie; I enjoyed it. But you need to approach it as something different.
63. Forever Princess Meg Cabot
young adult | realistic fiction | 383 pages
June 18
Ah, yes. The conclusion.
64. Birthmarked by Caragh M O'Brien
young adult | future fiction | 261 pages
June 19
This was so good. So much more than I expected! There were awesome characters! There was an intense but believable plot! I don't know if there will be a sequel, but I hope so. I'd like to see where this could go.
65. Voices of Dragons by Carrie Vaughn
young adult | realistic fiction/fantasy | 309 pages
June 19
The plot was a good one, but the narration! It was like this was written for third graders, except for the subject matter. I mean, it talked about sex, and yet the main character's parents were referred to as "Mom" and "Dad" in the third person? Not working for me.
66. Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin, translated by James E Falen
adult | classics, baby! | 212 pages
June 20
I really liked this. It was funny and depressing and Russian. A good combination, if you ask me.
67. Perfect Fifths by Megan McCafferty
young adult | realistic fiction | 255 pages
June 21
Quite the satisfying conclusion. I love Megan McCafferty's writing style. It's so...easy, so readable. It's been a pleasure.
68. The Line by Teri Hall
young adult | future fiction | 219 pages
June 22
A bit young, and the plot was pretty obvious. I won't be reading the next one, but it was okay while it lasted.
69. The Six Rules of Maybe by Deb Caletti
young adult | realistic fiction | 321 pages
June 22
This was a well-told story. Lots of characters, lots of plot-lines, but it all worked well together.
70. A Golden Web by Barbara Quick
young adult | historical fiction | 254 pages
June 23
Okay, so what happens if you're a guy and you fall in love with another guy and then that guy turns out to be a girl? That's what this book should have addressed. But it didn't. Ah, well.
71. Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix
young adult | realistic fiction/science fiction | 314 pages
June 23
I'll admit it, I read this for the Virginia Dare reference, which was brief and anticlimatic. But it was still a good story and the time travel was well-done.
72. Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr
young adult | realistic fiction/fantasy | 340 pages
June 24
I'm getting sort of tired of this series. I feel like it's going downhill in quality. And Seth is turning into quite the Mary Sue.
73. Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
young adult | future fiction | 323 pages
June 27
Really good. This is a really realistic look at a world that's run out of oil. It shows the same problems that occur today, along with the problems that we're going to have to be dealing with very soon.
74. The Harmony Silk Factory by Tash Aw
adult | historical fiction | 416 pages
June 29
This was not as good as I'd hoped. It seemed to be a lot of dithering about pretty much nothing. And I can in no way accept that one man was responsible for bringing down most of the leaders of the MPAJA. I don't care if this is fiction. I still can't buy it.
july ;
75. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
young adult | future fiction | 374 pages
July 1
This was really good. This is why I read YA fiction. Stuff happens. It's not just dribble like the previous book that I read. I can't wait for the sequel
76. Aftermath by K. A. Applegate
young adult | science fiction/future fiction
July 1
I still can't get into these books. Not really. Only two left, and then I'll be done with the series for good.
77. Search for Senna by K. A. Applegate
young adult | realistic fiction/fantasy | 208 pages
July 1
I love the Everworld books. Not as much as Animorphs, because they didn't go on for as long and the ending was horrible, but I love the concept. I love what they were, and what they could have been.
78. Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter
young adult | realistic fiction | 265 pages
July 2
I read these books solely for the Joe Solomon/Rachel Morgan. Things might severely start complicating this ship and if that happens I will be very disturbed.
79. Land of Loss by K. A. Applegate
young adult | realistic fiction/fantasy | 185 pages
July 3
Ah, yes, the Aztecs.
80. Enter the Enchanted by K. A. Applegate
young adult | realistic fiction/fantasy | 169 pages
July 3
I love Galahad. I forget which of these books he shows up in, but I love him. The blood transfusion, and all that. It's awesome.
81. Realm of the Reaper by K. A. Applegate
young adult | realistic fiction/fantasy | 173 pages
July 4
This one is creepy. The creepiest of any of the books, by far. I remember the first time I read it--the sense of dread was palpable. Really freaky.
81. Discover the Destroyer by K. A. Applegate
young adult | realistic fiction/fantasy | 171 pages
July 6
Oh man, this one is where we start to see how much the gang can do. They go to the real world, do research, come back, and wreak havoc.
82. Fear the Fantastic by K. A. Applegate
young adult | realistic fiction/fantasy | 186 pages
July 9
I forgot pretty much everything that happens in this one. But now I remember. And here's proof that Christopher's change starts early. Christopher's journey has always been my favorite of them all, hopefully not just because it's so in-your-face.
83. The Blazing Air by Oswald Wynd
adult | historical fiction | 311 pages
July 9
This was so good. This is one of the few books where I wasn't really feeling it until the last few pages, and then suddenly everything clicks and I love it. I think it's not just because I like the subject matter--I think it's also that this tells a fantastic story. It's not about war. It's about more than that.
84. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
young adult | realistic fiction | 470 pages
July 10
This was really good. The days were all different enough that it never got boring, and at the same time the people still remained consistent. The whole thing was done quite well.
85. The Goodbye Season by Marian Hale
young adult | historical fiction | 271 pages
July 12
This was okay. I thought the main character's bit inner conflict was rather lame, but the bits about the influenza epidemic were interesting.
86. Ostrich Boys by Keith Gray
young adult | realistic fiction | 295 pages
July 14
Another one of those books about someone dying and everyone else trying to figure it out and deal with it. It was done pretty well, if you ask me.
87. Alice in Charge by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
young adult | realistic fiction | 321 pages
July 16
I get that these books present a great role model for girls. And I appreciate that Phyllis Reynolds Naylor tackles a lot of subjects in them so that there’s a lot for people to relate to. I also appreciate that she has a lesbian couple present in several of her books. I’d like to see her do more with that, though. I feel like her portrayal of them right now is currently rather stereotypical. In this book, one of the girls talks about how she played with trucks as a kid and never wanted to wear dresses. I know that this is indeed the experience of many lesbians, but it’s also not the experience of many others, and you see a lot less of them in YA literature. I’d like to see more of them, and I think Phyllis Reynolds Naylor has the chops to do it.
88. The Secret Year by Jennifer R. Hubbard
young adult | realistic fiction | 192 pages
July 18
This was okay. I kept waiting for something to happen, but it never really did, possibly because so much of the book was retrospective. A one time read, in my opinion.
89. Jumping off Swings by Jo Knowles
young adult | realistic fiction | 230 pages
July 19
This book, while it was about pretty touch subject matter, was not very engaging at all. I would have stopped reading, except that it was so short that I kept saying, “I can make it till the end!” It was told in four different viewpoints, which was three too many. There wasn’t a lot to distinguish between them, and it took a while for me to even learn which person was which.
90. Anxious Hearts by Tucker Shaw
young adult | realistic fiction/historical fiction | 242 pages
July 19
The concept of this book really intrigued me, but the actual execution did not follow through at all. So much of the story was told that it was hard for me to feel an investment in any of the characters. I wasn’t even able to buy into the modern day pairing’s deep connection, and I thought their actions were completely unbelievable.
91. Gateway to the Gods by K. A. Applegate
young adult | realistic fiction/fantasy | 176 pages
July 20
Ah, yes, April’s religious conflict intensifies. Honestly, that’s one of my favorite parts of the whole series-how she tries to square her belief in God with her experiences in Everworld. And the moment when she calls out for Athena…that really struck me this time.
92. The Andalite Chronicles by K. A. Applegate
juvenile | science fiction | 326 pages
July 21
I’m doing a chronological re-read in honor of the re-release, starting here. And what a start. This book is epic. Epic beyond belief.
93. The Invasion by K. A. Applegate
juvenile | realistic fiction/science fiction | 184 pages
July 23
The beginning of it all. Or, god, those kids are lucky.
94. Vegemorphs by Leif E. Green
juvenile | realistic fiction/science fiction/humor
July 23
This wasn’t quite as funny as I thought it would be, but it certainly had its moments. The fact that the broccoli Prince didn’t die bothered me a bit, though. It sort of changed the whole plot.
95. The Gospel of Mary Magdalene by Jean-Yves Leloup
adult | nonfiction | 178 pages
July 23
The translation was not as good as it could have been. I would have liked some helpful footnotes about the choices made in translation. And the explanatory notes/interpretations were clearly slanted in one direction. That passage from the Gospel of Philip about the whole kissing on the lips was quoted as being Full of Meaning, but there’s a debate about that, too, that wasn’t touched on at all.
96. The Gospel of Judas edited by Rodolphe Kasser, Marvin Meyer, and Gregor Wurst
adult | nonfiction | 169 pages
July 24
This was a much better translation than the previously mentioned book. Or, at least, there were footnotes, and that made it feel like a much better translation. Clearly, though, I'm going to need a lot more background knowledge before I can understand any of this.
97. Mad Mary by Liz Curtis Higgs
adult | nonfiction | 271 pages
July 25
The story in the beginning had its moments (mainly involving Mary, the mother of Jesus), but overall was pretty simple. There were no interesting turns that could have been possible when putting Mary's story in modern times. The analysis in the second half was pretty simple and was comprised of things that I had already learned from surfing the internet. Also, the colloquial tone that it was written in, while cute at first, got to be really, really annoying. More than that, it even felt condescending. I can take "girlfriend" thrown at me, even if I don't really like. I can't really take "beloved."
98. The Book of Dreams by O. R. Melling
young adult | fantasy/realistic fiction | 680 pages
July 29
The books in this series always say that they don't have to be read in order, but I think that would help a lot. I did read them in order, but that was a while ago, and I couldn't remember a lot of what happened, so I occasionally felt in the dark. I enjoyed this, though. The flights of fancy, which seem (when I think about them) like they would bother me, really didn't. Actually, when I read this, I kept feeling like it was a Young Wizards book, minus some of the edge that those have. It was pretty good, though if I do re-read it, I think I'll only be reading the Georgia scenes.
august ;
99. Mary Called Magdalene by Margaret George
adult | historical fiction | 625 pages
August 6
I was disappointed with this one. We had the usual crazy!Mary that I've come to know and love, and I liked that whole portrayal. But then she started hanging out with Jesus, and things got really, really boring. I suppose if you're not familiar with the Gospels, then it would be new, but otherwise you have to wade through word-for-word accounts of the famous moments of Jesus's life. The author says that she read (among other things) the Nag Hammadi texts before writing this novel, but I didn't see any scenes from them that I recognized. She did, however, have an interesting take on the whole fig tree story, and of that I highly approve.
100. Nightlight by The Harvard Lampoon
young adult | humor | 154 pages
August 6
This was funny. There were moments when I laughed out loud. But here's the scary thing: there was more character development and more character depth than the original. Having Bella just be delusional and able to twist everything around her in her own perspective was a fantastic move. The book itself is mad expensive, though. I have no idea why.
101. Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer
young adult | realistic fiction/fantasy | 357 pages
August 8
This felt...short. I enjoyed it as much as I enjoy any Artemis Fowl book, but it did strike me as short. There are a good number of pages, but it felt like not a lot happened. I've heard rumors that the next book will be the last, which is sad, but I can see why, given how this one ended. And, as usual, Eoin Colfer never ceases to amaze me by how he GOES THERE and then backs away. I have no idea what his endgame is, but I'm just excited to be along for the ride.
102. Sphinx's Princess by Esther Friesner
young adult | historical fiction | 365 pages
August 11
I was originally quite worried that this was a stand-alone novel, but luckily it's going to be followed up by at least one more, so I can forgive the ending. (Not that the ending was bad, but an epilogue would have been nice.) Overall, I liked it. The portrayal of Nefertiti as vaguely spoiled, was good. I'd like to see more of that. Also (and this isn't really a criticism of the book, just an observation in general), for once I'd like to read a historical fiction book with a plucky female protagonist who isn't literate. But maybe that's just me.
103. Sent by Margaret Peterson Haddix
young adult | realistic fiction/historical fiction/science fiction | 308 pages
August 13
Much better than the first book. And guess what? The next one is all about Virginia Dare! Yes!
104. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
young adult | realistic fiction | 276 pages
August 16
My YA librarian recommended this, and for that reason, I really wanted to like it. But I just couldn't get into it. I never liked Belly, or even connected with her, and I didn't see what she why she was attracted to Conrad, except that he was mysterious and brooding. Which really doesn't do it for me. And I thought that Cam was the best of the three boys, but he was just waltzed in and waltzed right back out without much fanfare. Too bad. He was the only one I really liked. Everyone else seemed like a cliché.
105. It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han
young adult | realistic fiction | 276 pages
August 20
I didn't like this any better than the first book. In fact, considering the lack of Cam, I liked it even less. Belly continues to treat her best friend horribly, even though Taylor's just trying to help (and has a much better head on her shoulders than Belly). Belly pines over Conrad the whole time, and then suddenly decides that Jeremiah is the one for her. And the chapters from Jeremiah's point of view? They added nothing.
106. The Education of Bet by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
young adult | historical fiction | 186 pages
August 22
This was okay. Overall, pretty predictable. I'd have liked to see more drama over the eventual reveal, but oh well. The one thing it did pretty well was address the 'are you attracted to the person or the gender?' question. At least a little bit. In one paragraph. But, in the end, I was just left wanting to read the Song of the Lioness quartet over again.
107. Visser by K. A. Applegate
juvenile | science fiction/realistic fiction | 192 pages
August 24
SO GOOD.
108. The Last Temptation of Christ by Nikos Kazantzakis
adult | historical fiction | 496 pages
August 24
I thought this would be one big AU with an ending of "Just kidding! It was all a dream!" And I was looking forward to that. It, however, was not. Instead, it was a re-telling of the whole Jesus story, with the AU right at the end. And it wasn't that great of an AU, since it was done so quickly. It was a good book, though. It was a good take on Jesus. Still, I'm sad about the AU. I barely even got any Mary Magdalene/Jesus.
109. Living Hell by Catherine Jinks
young adult | science fiction | 256 pages
August 26
This was a lot like another book I read, probably about a year ago. The whole giant-immune-system-attacking-humans deal.
110. Sea by Heidi R. Kling
young adult | realistic fiction | 323 pages
August 27
This was okay. I read it to learn a little bit about Indonesia from a YA book, and I got that. The romance stuff could have been stronger. The bit with Spider was not as fully developed as it should have been in order to carry the ending.
111. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
young adult | future fiction
August 27
This was good, as it was going to be. There were some problems I had with it--especially in the love triangle area of things--and my favorite book is still the first one, but it was good.
112. Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore
young adult | fantasy | 225 pages
August 28
Okay, so I want to like this. A lot of the elements are things that really appeal to me. But here's the thing. The book included a Jane-Eyre-mad-wife-in-the-attic subplot, and that was not necessary at all. It would also have been an interesting subplot, if it hadn't already been done so famously. But that little bit of the book just killed it for me. I'll read the second one, but I don't know how much I can respect the author. Or the editor.
september ;
113. Pod by Stephen Wallenfels
young adult | realistic fiction/science fiction | 212 pages
September 4
This was okay. I definitely liked seeing all the psychological aspects. But, unfortunately, the aliens felt really contrived. And then it ends. And you're like, "...What?"
114. Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce
young adult | fantasy | 231 pages
September 5
Haha, it's so funny reading these books after reading Tamora Pierce's later stuff. She gets a lot better as a writer.
115. In the Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce
young adult | fantasy | 232 pages
September 13
Yup, let's count the tropes that are present in this series.
october ;
116. Rhythm Science by Paul D. Miller
adult | nonfiction | 125 pages
October 2
See, he wrote so much, but it meant nothing to me.
117. The Woman Who Rides Like a Man by Tamora Pierce
young adult | fantasy | 253 pages
October 3
Okay, so I won't lie. I like the Bhazir a lot. I freaking love the kids she takes on as shamans-in-training.
118. Zong! by M. Nourbese Philip
adult | poetry | 125 pages
October
Not my sort of thing. Maybe I'm just not cut out for poetry.
119. Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn
juvenile | horror | 184 pages
October 13
My mother was right not to let me read this book when I was seven or eight. I would have freaked out. As it was, reading it at three in the morning while most of the lights were out and my housemates were all asleep was also not that healthy of a decision.
120. Forever... by Judy Blume
young adult | realistic fiction | 220 pages
October 18
This book in one sentence: "Seven weeks may not be a lot to you but to me it's forever!"
121. Anatomy of a Boyfriend by Daria Snadowsky
young adult | realistic fiction | 264 pages
October 22
Four years ago, this book would have been greedily devoured by me. Now, it was greedily devoured by me for a very different reason. Honestly, though, I liked this better than Forever. The stuff with the other guy at the end was cliché, but all right, and overall it just seemed a lot more realistic. The stance on STD's and safe sex was a little confusing for me at times, though.
122. Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
young adult | science fiction
The conclusion that I finally, finally procured. It was great.
123. Innocents by Cathy Coote
young adult | realistic fiction | 248 pages
October 24
This was freaky. This was really, really freaky. It was also written by a nineteen-year-old, and at twenty-one, I'm not sure I feel qualified to write about the psychological aspects of people that she did. But at the same time, I totally bought it. The whole time, though, I had this unsettled feeling that never went away. It was done really well. Even the very end left me freaked out and unsettled. I thought she was going to get pregnant, though, I really did. They had a ton of unprotected sex.
november ;
124. Perfect Fifths by Megan McCafferty
young adult | realistic fiction | 255 pages
November 19
Oh man, I really like this series. A lot.
125. Lioness Rampant by Tamora Pierce
young adult | fantasy | 384 pages
November 24
Oh, this series.
126. Epitaph Road by David Patneaude
young adult | future fiction | 266 pages
November 29
I was really looking forward to this, but I think it was written with too young of an audience in mind. It had the potential to go really dark and get really edgy, but it didn't. Maybe I'm finally growing out of the YA section? But I doubt it. I wanted to see more of the social issues--girls experimenting with girls, women mad that there aren't a lot of men to go around, weird platonic but sexual relationships between formed between women just to fill ~needs. But that sort of stuff wouldn't go down in a book aimed at this age group.
december ;
127. The Solution by K. A. Applegate
juvenile | realistic fiction/science fiction
December 4
Raaaachelllll.
128. The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
young adult | future fiction | 360 pages
December 9
This book freaked me out for most of the time that I was reading it. I'd walk home in the dark and think about it and be terrified. I'm also really impressed by James Dashner's ability to keep the reader completely in the dark about what's actually going on and yet also keep the reader engaged.
129. The Girl Next Door by Selen Castrovilla
young adult | realistic fiction | 237 pages
December 20
Apparently I haven't quite gotten over my teens-with-terminal-illnesses kick. Unfortunately, I must say that this was not one of the better ones. The main character was down-right irritating. I understood to a certain extent her insecurities, but it got annoying. Also, the whole marriage thing was overboard. Way, way overboard.
130. How It's Done by Christine Kole MacLean
young adult | realistic fiction | 324 pages
December 22
This was okay. I have no strong feelings either way. The relationship seemed to progress pretty easily, though. The guy certainly had no qualms, which freaked me out a little bit.
131. The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
young adult | realistic fiction/fantasy | 343 pages
December 24
I loved this. This had what all other Faerie books that I've read thus far lack--a whole lot of darkness. Being a changeling was freaky. Faerie was freaky. Things were dark. I loved it. Also, the Morrigan was creepy and weird.
132. Her and Me and You by Lauren Strasnick
young adult | realistic fiction | 171 pages
December 29
This had so much potential. Unfortunately, absolutely nothing was developed. That's what happens when you have a book this short.
133. Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
young adult | realistic fiction
December 30
This was so good. When I was done, I was emotionally drained and exhausted. I'd been thrust into this intense world of secrets and hidden things and....argh. It was so well done!
post for 2009
goodreads account