Best of 2009
Whoo! I did it! One of my goals for 2009 was to read 100 books.
Out of the 100 books I read, I’d say 13 were not for me.
24 were okay/fun reads but didn’t necessarily stay with me.
I really enjoyed 35 and would recommend them.
And I loved these 28.
From Debut YA Authors
Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers (devastatingly honest with a dash of hope)
The Forest of Hands & Teeth by Carrie Ryan (eerie post-apocalyptic zombies; strong heroine)
Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell (atmospheric Southern ghost story)
The Season by Sarah MacLean (sweet, swoon-worthy historical romance)
I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder (heartbreaking verse novel)
Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter by R.J. Anderson (gorgeously-developed fantasy)
The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan (fun, sexy, dark)
Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev (hilarious; a must-read for theatre-lovers)
Hate List by Jennifer Brown (hard-hitting; aftermath of a school shooting)
Candor by Pam Bachorz (chilling dystopian with awesome, flawed hero)
The Dark Divine by Bree Despain (fun dark fantasy)
From Established Authors
The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart (book 1 in Ruby Oliver series; amazing voice)
The Treasure Map of Boys by E. Lockhart (book 3; I want to be BFF with Ruby)
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (if you haven’t read this yet, what are you waiting for?)
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson (lovely/horrible story of a girl’s battle with anorexia)
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld (incredible steampunk/alternate history with illustrations)
Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater (better than Shiver, imo; hero is lovable snarky musician)
Sea Change by Aimee Friedman (amazing specificity of description)
Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr (third in Wicked Lovely series; unflinchingly dark faeries; great characters and beautiful prose)
Looking for Alaska by John Green (witty, thought-provoking, bittersweet)
Fade by Lisa McMann (dark, page-turner of a paranormal)
Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist by David Leviathan and Rachel Cohn (hipster romance in NYC with spot-on voice)
2010 ARCs
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (this one is seriously amazing; I couldn’t put it down)
The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting (chilling, suspenseful, and great romantic tension)
Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson (hilarious; even better than Suite Scarlett)
Heist Society by Ally Carter (fun and glam)
Rereads
Northanger Abbey
To Kill a Mockingbird
Thanks so much to all the authors on my list! 2009 was an amazing year for books. I’ve learned lots about the YA market and craft from all of you, and enjoyed countless hours of entertainment and swoon-worthy heroes and escape into other lands besides.
