- 42 Childrens or Middle Grade novels
- 31 Young Adult novels
- 20 Audiobooks (mixed; childrens, YA, adult fiction, nonfiction!)
- 16 Adult books
I take advantage of long weeks, breaks from teaching, and listening to audiobooks as I commute, walk the dog, and do chores, which really helped bump that # up! If you don't know me, you're probably thinking I don't do anything BUT read but I've had a busy year - not only with school (I had the huge honor of being the district Teacher of the Year so I did a lot of work on portfolios, etc), but I also have spent the year querying my first YA novel. More news on that in 2016 {I hope!} but between work demands, starting up 2 big projects with my partner-in-crime Tavia (QuickTechbyTM.com & #YearofYA on twitter), joining the North Carolina Digital Leaders Coaching Network, hosting lots of friends and family at our OBX home, traveling to Arizona, Minnesota, Disney, Vegas, AND achieving my goals of reading more than 85 books & querying my book... it's easy to see that reading was an escape more than a chore!
Mosquitoland - props to my friend Jodi for putting this in my hands. She gave me no option but to skip to the top of my TBR and it's clear why. I truly think this novel, a broken girl's journey to self-discovery, will be picking up more steam in 2016. Get ahead of the game and start reading NOW.
Every Last Word - wow this one blew me away. Was a fan of Tamara's earlier series about time travel, and this one is so different. An intimate look at mental health and the way teens cope with every day life. While the topic is serious, there's a lot of hope and great focus on how friendship makes a huge impact on dealing with challenges & recovery from trauma.
Finding Audrey - I've written about this book here, so all I'll say is: authentic & humor-touched look at anxiety disorder.
P.S. I Still Love You - Jenny Han has always been one of my faves with straight-forward storytelling that still pulls you in. In this sequel to "To All the Boys I Loved Before," Lara Jean faces some very authentic 2015 high school issues. I really loved how the impact of social media on teens' reputations was addressed. Definitely read "to all the boys" first, or check out my blog about both here.
Children's
Crenshaw- Katherine Applegate did it again! The one and only Ivan can hardly be beat, but Crenshaw is a great story about the challenges the children sometimes face, the adult stresses they're forced to carry, and how to overcome them.
Echo - this book looks beasty but once you start reading, you can't put it down! The sweet sound of a harmonica is what binds 3 kids during 3 periods of WWII, in 3 places around the world. Highly recommend for advanced 5th readers and up. Loved our chat w/ #2JennsBookClub about it. There's a storify in their season 1 schedule here.
The Marvels- another WHOA read. I've loved Selzink's ability to tell a story using words and illustrations, and The Marvels doesn't disappoint. He throws a wrench or 2 in your expectations, and by the end, you'll wish you could naively start all over.
Adult
Yes Please - I love Amy Poehler so this should surprise no one. What I loved about this book is that she's what my friend Jennifer LaGarde calls "an unapologetically smart girl."
I Am Malala - this is such an important read. Not only do you get a sense of the traumatic event that brought Malala international attention, there's much to be learned about Pakistan, her views on religion, and just how much we take education for granted. I wrote about it here.
The Storied Life of AJ Fikry - this was a "you have to read" book from my bookseller friend, Jamie at Downtown Books. A very touching story about how life doesn't always make sense, until you look at it retrospectively.
Audio
The Martian - there's a reason this novel was a total hit in 2015! I'm not a scifi girl, but Weir includes enough explanations, humor, and "real world problems" that anyone can relate. Definitely recommend the audio version - even my hubby listened to it! Seeing as he doesn't read much, this is very note-worthy :)
Bossypants - I've read this before, but listening to Tina read her own memoir is like having her tell you these funny stories and perspectives over a glass of wine. It's still on my phone for when I need a good laugh on my commute!
Harry Potter - I'm 4 books in to rereading my fave series. Yes I know them by heart, but the story is brought to life through Jim Dale's character voices. Even if you've heard them, I'd tell you to pick just 1 to listen to so you can experience the magic.
Honorable mentions...because it's hard to pick favorites among 109 books!
- Carry On - Rainbow Rowell's fantasy companion to FanGirl. So good
- Extraordinary Means - wrote about this great read here.
- All Fall Down - my 1st Ally Carter mystery & I loved it! Read more here.
- Lola and the Boy Next Door - I LOVE Stephanie Perkins and these quirky characters were perfect. If you've read Anna and the French Kiss, you'll recognize some characters :)
- Vanishing Girls - if you liked We Were Liars, you'll love Lauren Oliver's dark, contemporary novel.
- Penny from Heaven - another Jennifer L. Holm homerun. This is not her newest, but I loved the themes of Italian family, the 1950's, and the stories that define our family histories.
- Princess Academy series (great 4th-5th through HS) - wrote a short summary here.
- The Terrible Two - very funny, easy high interest, low level read about 2 boys trying to out prank each other.
- Under the Egg - loved this MG novel about a girl trying to uncover an art mystery