I am a lover of books. I love to read. I love to write.
I’ll often be found curled up in my chair with a cup of hot cocoa engulfed deeply in a book or typing away at my laptop. As a child I would hide under my bed covers and read by flashlight when the lights were turned off. As a teenager I would read anywhere- car, bed, bathroom, walking to and from the dinner table. Now I just try to read anywhere, but it is a bit more difficult to do with six kids. Thus I have books stashed in the bathroom, in the kitchen (while I’m waiting for the pot to boil), etc.
I read mainly children’s lit and YA – I write mainly children’s lit and YA. It’s fun, and I’m really just a big kid anyway. Besides, it’s a great way to keep tabs on what my kids are reading, and there’s nothing more fun than discussing a great book with your kids.
So, what is the point to all this you ask? Well, I am going to start compiling a list of books as I read them, this year, and whether or not I liked it. I’ll gladly take suggestions (of all types of books), but please none with vulgar language, graphic violence or sex, please.
Currently Reading:
Have Read (in 2012)
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin [278pgs] This book is wonderful! I absolutely love, love, love it and I hope my kids read and love it too 🙂 It’s a Newbery Honor book and well deserves it!
The Outcasts (Brotherband Chronicles) by John Flanagan [434pgs] It was fun, but I didn’t like it as well as his Ranger’s Apprentice books – this one started really, really slow, but took off eventually.
Princess for Hire by Lindsey Leavitt [240 pgs] Cute fun read, got this because I thought my girls would enjoy it, and I think they will. 🙂
Fame, Glory, and Other Things on My To Do List by Janette Rallison [192 pgs] Cute Tween book. The story behind it…. Janette Rallison participates in the same writing group I do (American Night Writer’s Association) and heard about Lizy. She emailed me and asked if she could donate a collection of her books in honor of Lizy to her & Dot’s school library. I said I thought that would be awesome. When the books came in, the let Dot choose one book to keep – she chose this one which was previously owned by Lizy (and an absolute favorite of hers) but lost. Dot was thrilled – and she can’t wait to read all the other books. (and neither can I!)
Keys to the Demon Prison (Fablehaven #5) by Brandon Mull [593pgs] Great end to a great series!
Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary (Fablehaven #4) by Brandon Mull [535pgs] Just as good and fun as the rest of the series!
A Weekend with Mr. Darcy by Victoria Connely [345pgs] After I read Midnight in Austenland I was craving more Austenlandish type books and found this – it was fun too 🙂 And clean
Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale [277pgs] I just loved this book – even more than Hale’s first Austenland book. Just a fun, clean, delightful read.
Graceling by Kristin Cashore 471 pgs] I really enjoyed this, I would love to read the others in the series – I would recommend for older teens there is one “scene” – it’s tastefully done I suppose, but not something I would want my young teen to read – it’d be easy enough for them to skip over too.
The Heroe’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy [419 pgs] Oh my goodness! This was so much fun – tongue in cheek, and laugh out loud funny. I hope he writes more, because I love how the characters have been developed so far. My 10-year-old is reading it and she just loves it and is laughing up a storm.
Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier [352pgs] So I picked this up on a whim, hoping it would be good and it was so fun! I am looking forward to reading the others in the series.
Parnormalcy by Kiersten White [368pgs] I wan’t too sure about this at first – a friend recommended it and it took me forever to get around to reading it (I was dreading yet more vampires and such) But I was pleasantly surprised and it was fast and fun – even funny! It was fresh too – way different from all the other paranormal romances flooding the teen market. For once I felt like I found a book that didn’t feel like a copycat.
The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, & Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins [374, 391, & 390 pgs] Ok, I’m going to get eaten alive for this. I wasn’t a huge fan of the series. (dodge rotten tomato) I hate present tense first of all. WITH A PASSION. Secondly it felt quite repetitive. (dodge rotten squash) Maybe this dystopian genre thing isn’t my cup of tea – or maybe I just like happy endings – Mockingjay just killed the whole series for me.
Silence (Hush, Hush #3) by Becca Fitzpatrick [448pgs] Eh – not any more impressed than when I read the last book. In fact I’m typing this some months after I read it and I vaguely remembered reading it, not much more than that. I also remember not having a desire to finish the series in general (I think there is supposed to be a 4th book)
Crescendo (Hush, Hush #2) by Becca Fitzpatrick [427pgs] eh. I’d read the first one some time ago and I suppose I remembered it as being better than it was. It’s not awful. I was intrigued by the story. But I was SO sick of the main character and her constant inability to actually make a single unselfish or good decision. It’s like Bella all over again, only worse. I wouldn’t recommend the series to younger teens at all – it’s pretty much a how to of all the things NOT to do in a relationship. And the main character just makes one bad choice after another. I want to like my main characters not be tempted to help the antagonist do them in! sigh. I really wanted to like it – but it flopped on SO many levels – it’s not cool to make your readers hate your main character and be totally annoyed with her – yes, they need their flaws, but they need to be likable too. I finished this book with a love hate relationship – I hated most of it, but loved the idea of it (in general) and hate the fact that I want to read the 3rd (and hopefully) last book.
Entwined by Heather Dixon [472pgs] Based on the fairytale 12 Dancing Princesses – wonderful version of the story and thoroughly enjoyable. I know my girls will love this one.
Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare [498pgs] SO good. One rather inappropriate spot, but other than that it is an excellent read.
Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1) by Cassandra Clare [476pgs] Oooh I liked this book – I liked it more than her first series – The Immortal Instruments
Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock [344pgs] Very nice story. My daughter and I both enjoyed it.
Beastly by Alex Flinn [304pgs] eh it was ok – a few of spots I found rather inappropriate. I will say there are versions of Beauty and the Beast that I loved SO much more than this.
Must Reads (Recommendations from Friends)
Death Comes to Pemberly by P.D. James [304pgs] I saw this in the bookstore with a good friend and it looks too fun to pass up (hopefully I’m not disappointed)!
Fun and Flawed 
Yay! Another person with a book list! Feel free to borrow from mine…
I started keeping track of the books I read last year. I love it and only wish I had started sooner.
I’ll definitely pass your kid list to my sister who has 5 between the ages of 2 & 11. They love to read too. 🙂
i love reading children’s books too. some of my all-time favourites are danny champion of the world by roald dahl, the outsiders by s. e. hinton and i am david by anne holm. i love children lit authors like roald dahl and enid blyton.
http://sulz.daria.be
I, too, love children’s lit! This past month I have read two of Patricia MacLachlin’s, Baby and Journey (sorry, don’t know how to bold or underline in comments). I also read Cynthia Voigt’s Homecoming. It’s the first in the Tillerman series…I can’t wait to read more of the series. I also read Bridge to Terabithia, as I make it a rule to not let any of my children see a movie without reading it first. That is why none of us has seen Lord of the Rings yet! Enjoyed the list!
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Hey, I just popped over from ANWA (new member). I just picked up my copy of Red Riding Hood from the Library and thus far haven’t been impressed. For a YA book I thought it spent too much time on poetic-like prose instead of getting to the point. Also, the first line (or paragraph for that matter) didn’t hook me like a published YA book ought to. Not being thrilled with the writing and now knowing there is dirtiness in it makes me glad to return the book and not waste my time.
Rachel – I agree completely – though I thought some of her descriptions were quite beautiful – that was it. And I was disapointed by the content – I know the big thing right now in YA is to push edgy topics and such, but it is not something I will ever cave for. 🙂
I have less of a booklist, and more of a bookpile! Or several piles spread around the house
Julia your experiences have and will inspire many. Keep writing. 🙂 While reading your blog I found myself thinking of all of the rag tag kids and families (Fox, Price, Konchar, Erdman, George, Cratty..) of Slippery Rock Branch: so few families-so little money- so many kids- so much fun. Good memories. My heart is sad for you and your family. But we know that time is fleeting- you will see your Lizy in a blink of an eye.