2010 Reading

I got to thinking today about how much I read. Some books take me a while to work my way through and others I finish in one reading. Either way, I go through a lot of books. In the past, I have tried to keep track of what I read, but I have never been very good at doing that. So, really this post is only for my benefit.

In this post I am going to list all the books I have read since the start of 2010. Each book I read will be added to the list. Then, at the end of the the year I can have a little party (with myself, of course) and look back on all the books I read. Fun times.

So…

Books read in 2010

+Reread

1. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (January)

I really enjoyed this one. The story is compelling and the writing is crisp. I do have to admit though: I didn’t like this book as much as I thought I would, and it didn’t grab me like it did a lot of my friends. Maybe my expectations were too high.

2. After by Amy Efaw (January)

The whole time I was reading this, I couldn’t decide whether I liked it or not. I still don’t know. But, I do know that I find myself thinking about it quite regularly, so I know it had quite a bit of impact. This probably is not one I will reread, but I am glad I read it once. Also, it has a great cover.

3. Duma Key by Stephen King (February)

Except for On Writing, which I devoured and will read again and again, I have never read much of Uncle Stevie’s stuff. I read Pet Sematary (and, um, the movie still freaks me out) and Thinner when I was in middle school, and a ton of his short stories towards the end of elementary school and into middle school, but that is the extent of my Stephen King reading. Mom gave me this one for Christmas because it is one of her favorites. And, holy canole!!! this book is good. I love it!

4. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr (February)

I wanted to read this one when it first came out, but didn’t. The stack of books at home was big enough without adding another. Now it already has two sequels (and a third on the way). I finally picked it up because the YA bookclub in town is reading it for their February book. Why did I wait so long?! Wicked Lovely pulled me in immediately and I didn’t want to put it down ever. I love, love, loved this book and will have to devour the sequels soon. Also, I usually don’t like piercing on guys, but Seth is hot.

5. The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg (February)

A book about a girl named Penny Lane who is obsessed with the Beatles and creates a non-dating girls club? The Beatles freak and teenage girl in me had to read this one. The story is fun. I didn’t like it as much as I had hoped to (mostly because some of it seemed like Eulberg way trying to sound too teenager), but I enjoyed reading it.

6. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (February)

I had a nightmare about zombie cats after reading this book. No, there are no zombie cats in FHT (non-human animals are immune to the infection), but I am sure the book inspired the dream. This book was intense and scary and beautifully written. I can’t wait for the next one!

7. The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard (March)

This is one of those books that gives you a little slice of someone’s life. Yes, there is an overarching plot, and the main character goes through some changes and learns about himself, but really I just felt like I was along for the ride observing Colt’s life for a while. This was a quick read and I really enjoyed it.

8. The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst (March)

This book was quite bizarre, what with the main character trying to teach his dog to speak English and all. The writing style was very unique, and it drew me in. While the overarching plot was pretty sad, it definitely had its funny moments. Also it’s moments where it scared me a little, as I saw a lot of Lexy in myself.

9. The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan (March)

Holy crow, this book is amazing. I don’t think my heart slowed to below 160 beats per minute the whole time I was reading it. The romantic tension is just as high as the fear. I love The Forest of Hands and Teeth, but I think I love this one even more.

10. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (March)

Shiver was on my to-be-read list for a long, long time. I thought the concept was intriguing and was curious to see how Maggie executed it. I really enjoyed this book and think it is wonderfully written. However; I liked it but just didn’t love it. I didn’t get that rush of emotion that I tend to get so easily when I am reading. This might be no fault of Shiver’s though…it might have just been my mood when reading. Either way, I am excited to read the sequel, Linger, when it comes out.

11. The Last Summer (of You & Me) by Ann Brashares (March)

I found myself hating and loving this book all at the same time. I loved the setting and how vividly and beautifully Fire Island came to life in my mind. I hated how Paul treats Alice even though (and partly because) he loves her. I loved that the characters felt real and that I could understand their actions, even when I hated what their actions were. I hated that the way two characters related to each other was uncomfortably similar to a past relationship I had. I loved this book. I hated that it ended.

12. The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson (March)

A lot of people classify this as an “issue book” since it deals with a girl coming out as a lesbian. But this book is so much more than that. It is an honest look at relationships and why they often don’t last. It is funny and clever and honest. I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to read more of Maureen’s stuff.

14. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen (March)

I have loved Sarah Dessen in theory for a long, long time. When I lived in Hawai’i during the summer of 2003, I picked up the How to Deal movie tie-in (That Summer and Someone Like You) because I thought it would be a nice summer-time read. I really enjoyed it and have thought ever since that I should get more of hers. I finally took the plunge with this book and holy crap I loved it!  I am an official Sarah Dessen convert–I will read them all now!

15. Heaven’s Shadow by Jeff Downs (March)

Um. I don’t really know what to say about this one. I really enjoyed the story. It has a strong plot and just enough romance, but it almost seemed like everything was just too easy for the characters. Sure, they had opposition and rough times, but on the large scale, things just fell into place with very little obstacle or repercussion. That said, I still really enjoyed the book.

16. Generation Dead by Daniel Waters (April)

To be honest, I was hesitant to read this. I have seen it on the shelves quite a few times, and my reaction was always akin to “meh.” But, this is what they picked for YA book club this month, so I went ahead and read it. I was really pleasantly surprised. The story is fun and the characters are memorable. And Daniel Waters’s mockery of PC culture in America was brilliant! I will definitely read the rest of this series.

17. This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen (April)

Amazing. Absolutely amazing. How on Earth did I let seven years pass in between discovering Sarah Dessen and reading more of her stuff? I love, love, love her writing! This is the fourth book of hers I have read, and it just might be my favorite. Of course, I might say that about all of them right after I read them. I will read this one again!

+18. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling (April)

It’s Harry Potter. ‘Nuff said.

19. Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway (April)

The narrative voice of this book is SO great! As I was reading it, I just kept thinking someday I will write something with this great a voice. The premise reminds me a lot of an old episode of Boy Meets World, but the execution is wholly original. This is a great read for music lovers!

+20. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling (April)

Again: what can I say about Harry Potter? I love it. Every time I read this book, I think of Rex Manning.

+21. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling (April)

See #18 and #20. Minus the Rex Manning thing, of course.

22. Evernight by Claudia Gray (May)

When we decided to read this book for YA Book Club this month, I was really excited. I have heard so many great things about the Evernight Series. I have to say: I was quite disappointed. The story itself was fun, and for the most part the writing was strong. But Claudia Gray kept her big reveal a secret for half of the book. Which would be fine–I am all for keeping the audience guessing–except her first-person narrator knew the secret the whole time. It was a betrayal of her narration to keep it a secret so long. So, yes, it had the impact she intended. Also yes: I felt like it was just really sloppy writing. Even so, I wouldn’t be opposed to reading the other books in the series (though I don’t know that I will).

+23. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling (May)

This was always my favorite HP book. I don’t really know why, but I have always just loved this one the most. We will see if that holds up when I finish rereading them all.

24. IRL by Jamie Harrington (May)(beta-read)

I can’t say much about this one since I was just beta-reading it, but I can say this: I LOVED IT!

25. The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller (May)(ARC)

I got this one from Traveling ARC Tours. When I read the first page, I wasn’t sure I would like it (there was a very specific reason – that went away  very quickly). Once I got into the reading groove, though, I ended up reading it in one sitting. Sure, there are things about the main character that really annoy me, but the story was AWESOME. I definitely recommend getting it when it comes out (end of August).

26. A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn (June)

This was our June selection for YA book club, which we picked because we thought the modern retelling of Sleeping Beauty was a neat idea. The first few chapters I didn’t think I would like it much – the two narrators both drove me batty. She was a spoiled brat, and he was an ungrateful punk. But the more I read, the more I came to enjoy this book. Both characters grow up a lot throughout the course of their story, and by the end I actually liked them!

27. Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce (June)

Words could not describe how excited I was for this one, and now words cannot describe how much I love it. It was every bit as good as I expected it to be – maybe better.

28. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer (June)

While I really enjoyed this one–it was great seeing the other side to the events in Eclipse–I wasn’t able to be completed pulled into this one the way I have been all of Meyer’s other books. Maybe it’s because I knew how it was going to end, so there wasn’t a ton of suspense leading up to the climax.

+29. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling (June)

Ugh, Harry is SO frustrating in this book, but that is really what makes it so great to me. He is arrogant and attitudinal and everything else that a fifteen-year-0ld boy is. Rowling did a superb job capturing her characters.

+30. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling (June)

I had forgotten a lot of the details of this book, so it was a joy reading it again. I love that Rowling takes her readers deeper into Voldemort’s past in this book so, while we still don’t know exactly what makes him tick, we get an idea of where he came from and how he became who he is now.

+31. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling (June)

If I had forgotten a lot about book 6, I remembered almost nothing about this book. I knew the basics of how things turned out, but I remembered so little of the story, it was like it was unfolding for me for the first time. I got so caught up in it that all I could do was read. I gasped and groaned and laughed and cried. I LOVED this book.

32. Beautiful Malice by Rebecca James (June)(ARC)

I got this on a Traveling ARC basis. From the very first line, I was totally hooked. The story was so intense and so heartbreaking, and the characters written so well that I wanted to reach in the pages and strangle one of them. It is no surprise that this has already sold in 33 territories; Beautiful Malice is amazing.

33. Spells by Aprilynne Pike (June)

I loved Wings when I read it last year, and I was really excited to read this one when it came out. Still, for some reason, I waited for a while after getting it before cracking it open. I don’t know why, as I loved this book just as much as the first. I liked seeing more into the faerie world and getting to see more of the relationships between Laurel & David & Tamani. I also like the way the “love triangle” was handled–way better than in most books.

34. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen (June)

It’s no secret that I have a crush on Sarah Dessen and love everything she writes. Also, I know that very time I read a book of hers, it becomes my new favorite Dessen book. So, I can’t help but to say it again. This book dealt with some very serious issues, but in a great way. While the issues were always there, they were there not to make this an “issue book” but because they were part of who these characters are.

35. Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan (June)

I liked this book, I really did. But I didn’t love it like I thought it would. I think it is because I expected so much out of it. After all, when YA Highway did the RTW about what our favorite April book was a TON of people said Will Grayson. They raved about it. So I expected to love it. But I just liked it. A lot, but still not as much as I thought I would.

36. Impossible by Nancy Werlin (June)

I got this a long time ago because I loved the cover. Bubba read it right away and really, really enjoyed it, so when I told him to pick me out a new book, he picked this one. I loved it! It was so intriguing and I loved the way she worked Scarborough Fair into a puzzle for the book. Also, the love story was way different from what I usually see in YA, which was REALLY refreshing.

37. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer (June)(ARC)

Oy. The problem with reading an ARC is that, if it leaves you hanging at the end, you have even longer to wait for the sequel than if you would have waited for the book to be released. This is where I am at right now with Nightshade. I really, really enjoyed it. However, I see the love story taking the typical route instead of doing something unique and long overdue in the YA world. Maybe Andrea will prove me wrong on this one though!

38. Firelight by Sophie Jordan (July)(ARC)

I really, really enjoyed this book. I loved the narrative style, and the story. It was a fairly simple story, but it had good heart to it, so it filled the pages without ever lagging. At first I was frustrated over the narrator being drawn to the person who is so dangerous for her (I am SICK of reading that in YA), but the further I read, I got past that and ended up really enjoying it.

39. Looking for Alaska by John Green (July)

Um, why did I wait so long to read this? Seriously, I think everyone should go ahead and pick this up–it is just that good. The funny thing is that whenever anyone wanted a good book suggestion, I would say Looking for Alaska…for years before I even read it. Somehow I knew it was good enough to recommend.

40. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (July)(ARC)

I haven’t read the Mortal Instruments series yet, but I really enjoyed this one. It did irritate me that the main character was more drawn to the boy who didn’t treat her as well as the other did (I am really sick of seeing this in YA), but the story was good enough that I could look past that.

41. Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen (July)

Sarah Dessen does it again! I loved this book. This might be the first time I read a book of hers, however, that I didn’t say immediately after that it was my favorite of hers. Though I think it was partly because I didn’t let myself get so immersed in it that I finished it in 2 sittings like I tend to do. Either way, I really, really enjoyed this book. Have I mentioned that I love Sarah Dessen yet?

42. Graceling by Kristin Cashore (July)