Book Pimping 2010, Part I
So many books to read, so not enough time.
I’m aiming for 100 again this year. I just finished book 20. My favorites so far:
THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE by Jandy Nelson. I am crazy in love with this book. Nelson is such a wordsmith; each word seems handpicked with care, exactly-perfectly. You want to learn about voice? Read this book. The characters are eccentric but they don’t feel quirky for the sake of quirky; they feel real and flawed and heartbroken and hilarious. I cried and laughed and was inspired to go home and make out with my husband. (What? There are some great making-out scenes.) I fell in love with Lennie, the protagonist, and with her whole nutty family. In fact, for all the pain the characters were going through, I wanted to climb in through the pages and hang out with them. I was sad when the book was over; now I want to lend it to everyone I know so we can talk about it. I strongly suspect this will be one of my top 5 books of 2010.
THE DEAD-TOSSED WAVES by Carrie Ryan. I picked this one up and thought, oh, I’ll just read a little before bed. HA. I stayed up until 3 a.m. reading because I had to know what happened; the author had proven she wouldn’t hesitate to kill major characters. And then I immediately reread it to savor and shudder over. Seriously, that was two weeks ago and I can’t erase the image of the downed Mudo rising up through the sand to grab at Gabry. The descriptions in Ryan’s books are equal parts gorgeous and horrific and they will stay with you. This book also possesses one of the best opening paragraphs I’ve ever read, and the pacing throughout is fantastic. I will officially buy anything Carrie Ryan writes.
I already wrote about my other two favorites: SOME GIRLS ARE here, and BLEEDING VIOLET here.
I read THE BODY FINDER by Kimberly Derting and BEFORE I FALL by Lauren Oliver last December in ARC form, but they just came out in March. I loved both of them. THE BODY FINDER is about a girl who helps track down a serial killer using her unique gift, and the sections from the serial killer’s pov are shuddersome. It’s also about the girl’s evolving relationship with her best friend, Jay, which is both sweet and sexy. In BEFORE I FALL, the main character has to relive her last day over and over, rethinking her choices each day until she realizes what she needs to do differently. It’s thought-provoking and character-driven, but somehow self-absorbed, popular Sam’s evolution over those seven days becomes a total page-turner. Also, on a shallow note, the cover is gorgeous.
Tonight I bought Elizabeth Scott’s THE UNWRITTEN RULE as an Easter present for my sister and I am now thoughtfully pre-reading it for her. I also bought Sarah MacLean’s NINE RULES TO BREAK WHEN ROMANCING A RAKE, because I loved THE SEASON to bits. Also on my looming TBR pile: FORGET-HER-NOTS, HEX HALL, LIAR, FIRE, SPLENDOUR FALLS, RUINED, GIVING UP THE GHOST, LIPS TOUCH, ASH, THE MARK, THE LINE, THE AGENCY, and FLASH BURNOUT. Any recommendations?
What are you reading?
