Welcome to the first annual Stand Out Books of the Year post!!!
As 2010 comes to a close today (by the way - Happy New Year!), it appears the final tally of how many books I've read for the year is: 95
Which is a total page count of: 28,727
Which leads to a daily page count of: 78
Among these are many, many, MANY books I have loved, liked a whole bunch, and overall enjoyed a ton. Not all of them are going to make this list. You may be surprised by some of the ones that are missing, but I can tell you right now that there are a number of titles that came really close to being on the list. This is not at all the only books I adored in 2010. Just the...
Stand Out Books of the Year!
First off, I need to make it clear that these books did not necessarily come out in 2010 - I just read them for the first time in 2010.
Second, I will not be listing them in any particular order.
Finally, this was a really, really good year for reading, so I decided not to limit my picks to any certain number. This is my honest-to-goodness, unrestrained WOWZA! books of the year - as perceived by me, your friendly, neighborhood Bibliophile Support Group leader.
So this year, that means a whopping 27 books made the list!!!
I think these books are a great shopping list for all of you luckies that got gift cards for Christmas! I have included an Amazon.com link for each one, for your easy shopping! ;)
Without further ado...
BirthMarked by Caragh O'Brien: An amazing YA novel that brings us a dystopia world where babies are taken from their mothers and brought to the society that lives well and the girl who does the taking. For more info read my review here, and buy the book at its Amazon.com page here.
Sea Change by Aimee Friedman: Perhaps simple tale of a teen girl that falls for a mysterious guy in this paranormal fantasy book. I can still smell the salty sea air when I think of it. For more info read my review here, and buy the book at its Amazon.com page here.
Golden Girl by Henry Melton: The first book I read by Henry Melton to really blow me away. An awesome new take on time travel in this YA science fiction book. For more info read my review here, and buy the book at its Amazon.com page here.
The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong: One of the saddest moments of the year for me, blog-wise, was when my praise-heaping review of this spectacular final novel in the Darkest Powers trilogy was lost in a suddenly dead PC. I never got a chance to go on and on about how much I loved it, which I did. I am so ready for The Gathering in April. To get an idea of how I couldn't get enough of this supernatural YA series, check out my reviews for the first two books - The Summoning, here - The Awakening, here - and check out the Amazon.com page for this thrilling final book here.
Perchance to Dream by Lisa Mantchev: Wow. One of most dreamy, perfect fantasy books out there. Exceeded my expectations from Eyes Like Stars. Speechless. For more info read my review of it here, and buy the book at its Amazon.com page here. You can also read my review of the first book, Eyes Like Stars, here.
Middleworld by Jon and Pamela Voelkel: A sparklingly refreshing middlegrade book that infuses Mayan myths and gods with a modern-day adventure. For all ages! For more info read my review here, and buy the book at its Amazon.com page here.
The End of the World Club by Jon and Pamela Voelkel: The sequel of the above novel, Middleworld, which just came out a few days ago. A wild ride of a follow-up, creepy and hilarious! For more info read my review here, and buy the book at its Amazon.com page here.
Still Sucks to be Me by Kimberley Pauley: The sequel to Sucks to be Me (read my review of that here), somehow is even better! A unique, angst-free, funny look at a vampire story. For more info read my review here, and buy the book at its Amazon.com page here.
The Host by Stephenie Meyer: Aliens will never be the same!!! If you thought the Twilight Saga was out of this world, check out this absolutely awe-inducing novel. Takes Invasion of the Body Snatchers (great movie, by the way) and mixes it with raw emotion, nail-biting suspense, and a fight to survive! For more info read my review here, and buy the book at its Amazon.com page here.
Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton: One of my absolute favorites among the fantasy genre of YA this year. I cannot wait for the sequel to come out!!! Everyone must read this!!! Takes Irish legends and creates a modern world of magic and truly scary stuff! For more info read my review here, and buy the book at its Amazon.com page here.
Follow that Mouse by Henry Melton: I honestly am a fan of almost every book I have read from Henry Melton. But this one had to make the list as well. Throws a bit of fantasy in his normally sci-fi only YA formula. Down to earth, smart fun. For more info read my review here, and buy the book at its Amazon.com page here.
Kiss Me Deadly: 13 Tales of Paranormal Love edited by Trisha Telep: Phenomenal collection of 13 unique, creepy, romantic, and full-out awesome YA short stories written by some of the biggest names out there! For more info read my review here, and buy the book at its Amazon.com page here.
Love's First Bloom by Delia Parr: Truly romantic historical novel that is enriching and inspiring! For more info read my review here, and buy the book at its Amazon.com page here.
Within My Heart by Tamera Alexander: Stunningly involving story taking place in the West back in historical times. Romantic and heartwarming beyond belief. For more info read my review here, and buy the book at its Amazon.com page here.
Courting Morrow Little by Laura Frantz: Visually dazzling historical Christian romance that mixes history with a lovely story. For more info read my review here, and buy the book at its Amazon.com page here.
Possessed by Kate Cann: Frightening. Scary. Awesome. For more info read my review here, and buy the book at its Amazon.com page here.
Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes: Werewolf novels can't get much better! Heart-stopping YA that thrills and chills! Holding my breath for the sequel in June. For more info read my review here, and buy the book at its Amazon.com page here.
Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson: Hilarious, irreverent breezy fun in a YA novel. For more info read my review here, and buy the book at its Amazon.com page here.
Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson: Entertaining, almost-better-than-the-first, laugh-out-loud Manhattan adventure, and sequel to the above Suite Scarlett. Plus, one hell of a cliffhanger end! For more info read my review here, and buy the book at its Amazon.com page here.
Rise of the Darklings by Paul Crilley: First in the brand-spankin'-new middlegrade Victoria-era fantasy trilogy, extraordinarily magical and cinematic!!! For more info read my review here, and buy the book at its Amazon.com page here.
The Butler Gets a Break by Kristin Clark Venuti: Flat out hilarious. Not just for the youngin's, bibliophiles! Insane family? Check. Crazy antics? Check. A proper English butler? Check. Lots of fun? Double check. For more info read my review here, and buy the book at its Amazon.com page here.
The Stowaway by R.A. and Geno Salvatore: The first in the Stone of Tymora trilogy. Need to read each one of this middlegrade/YA fantasy series to see why its so special and bewitching. For more info read my review here, and buy the book at its Amazon.com page here.
The Shadowmask by R.A. and Geno Salvatore: Second Stone of Tymora book. For more info read my review here, and buy the book at its Amazon.com page here.
The Sentinels by R.A. and Geno Salvatore: Epic-like finale to the Stone of Tymora trilogy! For more info read my review here, and buy the book at its Amazon.com page here.
Wish by Alexandra Bullen: Sweet, enchanting, touching tale of loss and healing. With a good splash of fairy-tale magic. For more info read my review here, and buy the book at its Amazon.com page here.
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater: A legend in modern-day times. A completely different kind of YA werewolf book. More of a tragic poem brought to life. Fantastic stuff. For more info read my review here, and buy the book at its Amazon.com page here.
Linger by Maggie Stiefvater: Sequel to the above Shiver. Even though I've read this awesome, tingle-inducing novel in 2010, there weren't enough Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to fit my review in this year. Look for my review on January 5th. In the meantime check out the Amazon.com page here, and read my review of Shiver (link above).
As you can see, it ain't a short list. They are all deserving of your attention and a place of honor on your bookshelf, in my opinion!
2010 has been a spectacular year of reading!!!
Bring on 2011!!!
See you all in the New Year, my dear book addict buds!
Comments
Bless you bunches! And happy reading for 2011!