Best Books of 2017

What an amazing year this has been for YA books. I know I probably say something like this each year, but this was a tough year limiting my favorite books to 10. There were so many great books this year. So many brave, political, diverse, and thought-provoking books too. Let’s keep this up, YA book world. 

My rules for this list are how they have always been:

1) Each book listed has come out this past year.
2) Each book is YA or Middle Grade
3) I have read the book in 2017
.

I am going to start at the top with number 1, and make my way down to my number 10 book of the year. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! May 2018 bring just as many, if not more wonderful books into the world.

1) In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan (Review / Rating: 10/10)

This book seriously does not have enough love. It didn’t make it to the Goodreads awards or the Book Shimmy Awards. And not enough people seem to know about it. I’ve already re-read it since my first reading. I loved it. It had the best ship in it, ever. It’s fantasy at its best, with killer characters, loads of sarcasm and wit, a bisexual main character, feminist elves, and lots of magic and mayhem. Seriously, if you read my blog and trust my judgment at all, please read this.

2) The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (Review / Rating: 10/10)

This was probably the most political and thought provoking read I’ve had in years. And it’s certainly up there as being one of my all time favorite YA books. I have a crazy itch to re-read it now as I’m talking about it. I couldn’t put this story down. It’s important, timely, and honest. And it’s also just a super addicting story.

3) Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu (Review / Rating: 10/10)

I’m taking this from my review: I love that this book focused so highly on friendship. It didn’t matter what social circle, racial group, or religion these girls belonged to. They all could relate to what Viv was angry about. All girls can relate. And watching all these different girls from various backgrounds come together, stand together, was such a powerful thing. And it was probably the strongest message from this book overall: the power of girls working together is mind blowing and fierce.

We’re finally at a point in time where YA literature is reflecting the current political atmosphere. People want to read books where the little guy wins, where women can start a revolution and succeed, and where small successes can mean the world. Sure, we will always need distraction and YA generates some of my all time favorite distraction. But, lately, I’ve been feeling this mass need of something else: hope. Hope for a future with less sexism, racism, and hatred. This book is powerful, and I think all girls (and guys too) should read it.

4) Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk (Review / Rating: 10/10)

This was another beautiful story written by the wonderful Lauren Wolk, one of my new favorite middle grade writers. She’s up there for me with Kate DiCamillo and Katherine Applegate. She just has a way with words. Her books are unique and beautiful. I want to re-read this one too! I guess you know a book is good, when I want to go back to it so quickly. This is a book for people who love good writing, and love a good mystery. It’s also good for the historical fiction fans and those who love a good ocean setting.

5) The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee (Review / Rating: 10/10)

It’s weird that I have not just one, but two historical fiction books on this list! I’m not generally a huge fan of historical fiction, but wow, was this a good one. It was loaded with great characters, plenty of wit and snark, lots of adventures, and an amazing European backdrop. I also had the pleasure of meeting the author in Boston this past year, and she seems like such a cool person. The sequel is one of my most highly anticipated books of 2018.

6) The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo (Review / Rating: 10/10)

This was another beautifully written book. It’s also a book of several stories (redone fairy tales), and it was a pleasant surprise for me to fall so in love with each dark retelling. It may seem like a weird book to read around the holidays, but it’s actually perfect for that –not to mention the retelling of the nutcracker story. I’ve given this book as a gift to someone already. It’s also filled with beautiful correlating illustrations. It’s just a pure, magical book to read and look at.

7) Turtles All the Way Down by John Green (Review / Rating: 10/10)

Ahhh. I missed John Green. His books always give me the feels, and this one didn’t disappoint. I loved his depiction of mental illness. I loved his characters and I loved the super strange mystery in the backdrop of it all. I devoured this book, and I know I will have to read it again soon.  And here’s a lovely quote from it: “You remember your first love because they show you, prove to you, that you can love and be loved, that nothing in this world is deserved except for love, that love is both how you become a person, and why” (285).

8) Before the Devil Breaks You by Libba Bray (Review / Rating: 10/10)

You didn’t think I’d pass up on mentioning my favorite author during a year she came out with a book, did you? She’s the best. Again, here’s a book with phenomenal writing. Her writing is probably the best of any of the books on this list. When I described it to someone at work, I explained it as a mixture of X-Men, Downton Abbey, NYC flappers, murder mysteries, ghost stories, and Harlem poetry. Weird list there, I know. But it seriously is all these things and more…And it’s written like a piece of classic literature. And to top it all off, there was a major plot twist to end all plot twists. I’m still in shock, and dying for the next book.

9) Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare (Review / Rating: 10/10)

I’ve been a big fan of this author since I was an actual young adult. And the thing about Clare is that her writing improves with each new book she writes. I will never tire of the world of the shadowhunters. And these new books and characters are just spectacular. As I mentioned in my review, “All in all, I was impressed with this volume. I loved the politics. I loved the character growth. I loved re-visiting old friends. I loved getting to know new friends. The action, especially at the end, was beyond crazy. There’s also this depth to the characters and sadness to them that wasn’t there with the generation before them. These main characters are already survivors of so much war and loss. And knowing more is coming for them, is just so intense and hard to read, but also addicting.”

10) Foolish Hearts by Emma Mills (Review / Rating :10/10)

As I said on Goodreads recently, “Emma Mills is Magic. Like if Sarah Dessen and Stephanie Perkins had a YA love child, it would be her. My heart melts just remembering what I put down." I loved this book. This book is YA contemporary at its finest. There’s just something about it that un-put-down-able. This is another author that gets nowhere near enough praise. I hope more people give her books a go. They are all good.

Waiting on Wednesday (249)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that allows bloggers to share which books we are most anticipating.

This week I am waiting on The Spill Zone 2:The Broken Vow by Scott Westerfeld and Alex Puvilland (7/10/18):

Description on Goodreads:

All hell breaks loose in the second volume of New York Times–bestselling author Scott Westerfeld's visionary graphic novel duology.

Three years ago an event destroyed the small city of Poughkeepsie, forever changing reality within its borders. Strange manifestations and lethal dangers now await anyone who enters the Spill Zone. Addison got close enough to the Spill Zone to touch it, literally. She survived the encounter, but came back changed.

It turns out she's not alone. North Korea has its own Spill Zone, and a young man named Don Jae is the only one who made it out alive. Alive, but changed. Now Addison, Don Jae, and, curiously, a rag doll named Vespertine, share an unholy bond and uncanny powers.

From Scott Westerfeld, the inspired imagination behind the New York Times bestsellers Uglies and Leviathan, comes The Broken Vow, the second volume of our highly anticipated new graphic novel series.

Why I’m Waiting:

I recently finished the first book in the series, and it was awesome! It was one spooky, fun, suspenseful graphic novel. And I cannot wait to see where things go in book 2. I have so many unanswered questions. I need to know things!

What are you waiting on this week?

Love Bomb by Jenny McLachlan

Summary from Goodreads:

Betty Plum has never been in love. She's never even kissed a boy. But when Toby starts school it's like Betty has been hit with a thousand of Cupid's arrows. A bomb has exploded—a love bomb.

More than ever Betty wishes her mom didn't die when Betty was a baby. She really needs her mom here to ask her advice. And just when she misses her most, that's when she finds hidden letters for just these moments. Letters about what your first kiss should feel like and what real love truly is. Although her mom isn't really there, Betty feels closer to her more than ever.

Jenny McLachlan's follow-up to Flirty Dancing will have you in both fits of laughter and tears.

Review:

Okay, so I’ve become a little obsessed with this series. After finishing the first book, I knew I’d get to the next one rather quickly. I have all three that are out so far. One more comes out in April (I just checked). I only read one book between the first in the series and this one (the second). And I might jump into book 3 later tonight…

There’s nothing totally unique about these books. Like the first one, this follows a familiar YA storyline. But, it happens to be one of my favorite storylines –realizing you’re in love with your best friend. I also love that Betty’s first love/crush is someone else and I found everything with boy number 1 (Toby) to be totally believable. He was pretty much a jerk and it took Betty a while to see it

I also absolutely adored the letters from her mother. Her mother died of cancer when she was really little, but she left behind letters for Betty’s father to give her on each of her birthdays. And well, she has her 15^th birthday in this book with the special present of her last letter. Her last letter though, did tell her about a few more secret letters to look for…I loved how Betty took these letters to heart and used them as guidance for her romantic life. I got a little teary eyed at some of these letters. It felt a bit like the book/movie: P.S. I Love You.

So mix in a little bit of sappiness and wisdom from some great mom letters with new and first love, and some friendship bickering, oh and a dad who starts dating someone seriously for the first time (since his wife died), and you get this book. Like I said before, nothing about this is totally unique. It has the feel of a rom com. But, that’s what I was expecting and wanting after book 1. I loved getting this character’s perspective. And I think I might have enjoyed it a tiny bit more that the first book. I give it a 9/10. Bring on book 3.

A Good Week in Books (176) The Christmas Edition

Merry Christmas, everyone!

It’s my first time really celebrating the holiday for real. I’m Jewish and I did go to Chicago to celebrate Chanukah with my family. But, we came back a few days ago, in time to celebrate Christmas at home (my boyfriend and I). And since I’m living with my Christian boyfriend (neither of us are religious really), we have a tree, stockings, and all of it this year. And I have to say the more holidays, the better. More family time, more dessert, more gifts, and of course more books.  I feel incredibly lucky this year to have so much holiday time.

I haven’t done one of these posts in a couple weeks because I knew I’d be getting some books over the holidays, and I was right. I got two signed books from the boyfriend! I bought two books for myself. And I got a Gilmore Girls cookbook from my mom! I’ve also been on a reading frenzy and have read a lot of books (I read a lot when traveling).

The books:

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman (signed!!!!!!)
The Book of Dust by Philip Pullman (also signed!!! Good job, boyfriend)
P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han
Always and Forever by Jenny Han
Eat Like a Gilmore: The Unofficial Cookbook for Fans of Gilmore Girls by Krsiti Carlson

I also received yummy goodies, earrings, a scarf, and some checks from family. And Nick got an air fryer. We also still have one more Christmas party to attend later today. All in all, I really have so much to be thankful for. And I sincerely hope if you’re reading this, that you have a lot to be thankful for too. Happy holidays! And happy reading!

Spill Zone by Scott Westerfeld and Alex Puvillano

Summary from Goodreads:

Nobody's ever really explained the Spill. Was it an angelic visitation? A nanotech accident? A porthole opening from another world? Whatever it was, no one's allowed in the Spill Zone these days except government scientists and hazmat teams. But a few intrepid explorers know how to sneak through the patrols and steer clear of the dangers inside the Zone. Addison Merrick is one such explorer, dedicated to finding out what happened that night, and to unraveling the events that took her parents and left her little sister mute and disconnected from the world.

Review:

This was a fun surprise! Also, it’s the perfect gift book for fans of Stranger Things. It has a serious Stranger Things vibe. There’s this kind of sci-fi/other world type element to it all.  It’s dark, suspenseful, mysterious, and fun. I loved the main character. She’s a bit like Katniss in the fact that she’s doing everything to protect her little sister.

I also love that the story doesn’t only center on the main character. There are scenes with the clueless police department. Also, there are scenes with another character from Korea (home of another “spill”). And there are scenes with the little sister and her super creepy, talking doll that gets “re-charged” on trips to the spill zone with big sister.

And the spill zone is beyond creepy. There are floating dead people (very zombie-like) with the possible ability to speak. There are frozen tornados and vicious monsters that look like they are part wolf/part jellyfish.  There are giant rats and frozen swing sets. And the main character makes enough money to support herself and her little sister by taking photos of it all and sending the pictures to wealthy collectors. Their parents were trapped in the middle of the spill zone when all the weirdness began.

And you’d think that the creepiest parts for me would be the terrifying hybrid animals or creepy floating dead people. But nope, the creepiest parts are the scenes with the little sister and her doll. So creepy!

There’s so much I still need to know after finishing the book. This book felt like a major setup for the rest of the series. Not enough happened in it for me. I kept waiting for some bigger surprise or action that never really came. That being said, I know a lot will go down I the next book with the character from Korea. Still, though, I wanted a little more in this first installment.

The art and the world it takes place in is beyond cool though. And it mostly made up for my lack of answers. Mostly. I also loved the characters. I can’t wait to see where all this is going. I give it an 8/10.

Flirty Dancing by Jenny McLachlan

Summary From Goodreads:

Bea Hogg is shy but fiery inside. When national dance competition Starwars comes to her school looking for talent, she wants to sign up. It's just a shame her best friend agreed to enter with school super-cow Pearl Harris. Bea will fight back! But when school hottie, Ollie Matthews, who also happens to be Pearl’s boyfriend, decides to enter the competition with Bea, she will have more than a fight on her hands.

This warm, nuanced, hilarious story about friendship, fortitude . . . and dancing is impossible not to fall in love with. Jenny’s voice is fresh and convincing, and she handles both darker and lighter elements of the story with equal panache.

Review;

This is another book that’s been on my radar for quite some time. I love dancing. And I love British books. And I saw some review a while back that compared this to one of my all time favorite authors: Louise Rennison. I decided this was going to be my travel back home book from Chicago. I read To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before on my way in. I read Fahrenheit 451 there. And I read this on my plan ride back to Boston.  It was too short though! I finished it with a whole other hour to spare on the plane –where I was jealously watching my boyfriend still reading his book.

Any way, I read it super fast because it’s short, but also because it’s fabulous. I knew I’d love it. It did remind me quite a bit of the Georgia Nicholson books, which, coming from me, is a major compliment. The little sister in this book had to be inspired from the little sister in the other series. She just had to. There can’t be two little sisters out there (fictional or not) that are this strange. No giant fat cat in this one though. I miss Angus.

This was a sweet romcom of a book. But, it also dealt with some serious bullying. There’s a lot out there now about bullying and about mean girls, but never have I felt the mean girl bullying to ring more true that I did in this book. It’s not just about mean girls, it’s about the girls who see the bullying and don’t do anything. It’s about how little kid friendships don’t last forever. It’s about realizing who your real friends are. This book just got so many things right. Things about bus rides, school lunches, crap friends, and loneliness.

I loved the grandma character. I loved the dance coaches. I loved the boy. I was so happy to find a boy who also hated the word “retard” as much I do. I loved him for not liking bullies. I loved his relationship with Bea. I loved the sense of humor to everything. And I super loved watching Bea come to her own and stand up to her bully. I can’t wait to get started on book 2, which I learned is about another character I loved from this book. All in all, I give book 1 an 8/10.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

Summary from Goodreads:

What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them… all at once?

Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

Review:

So, I know I’m super late in reading this, but wow, I loved it. I’m glad I’m reading it late because all the other books in the series are out. And I already ordered them on Amazon…I’m expecting that package tomorrow! It will be such a treat to come home to new books after working the Saturday before Christmas. It will get me through the day.

I’m also getting to the book now because I’ve changed up my reading routine significantly. I’m requesting less books for review. I’m reading less books for review. I’ve pretty much given up on eBooks entirely. And I’m just reading what I want to read, when I want to read them, and it seems so simple, but it’s everything. I have so many books on my TBR shelves that I’ve been holding out on for too long. This was one of those books. And I’m in such a better mood about everything.

I also just finished my reading goal of the year! Woohoo. I’ve read 90 books. Funny, how many more books a girl reads when there is less pressure to read them. I have a feeling I’ll surpass my goal by at least a few books… Any way, I’ve heard so many good things  about this book and I knew it would be a great plane read to take home with me to Chicago. I was right. I read more than half of it on the plane. (It’s only a 2 ½ hour ride). And I think I finished it that first night home.

It’s fluffy and fun. Reading it was like eating a giant bag of popcorn. I couldn’t stop even when I knew I should probably go to sleep. I can’t wait to see what happens in the rest of the series. I’m pretty sure though that I would not have been able to read this book as an actual young adult. As a teen, this would have been my worst nightmare: having all my crushes find out what I thought about them. And I tended to stay away from books and movies that involved topics this mortifying.

That being said, it was pure joy to read this now as an adult –knowing how silly and fleeting those crushes were. Also, this happening to Lara Jean made her come out of her shell so much faster than I ever did. I liked that she became braver because of these letters. And I guess in hindsight, it would have been nice to have something pushing me to be braver as a teen also.

What I loved more than anything though, was the family story here. I loved the relationship between the sisters. They were close, but they were also believable. They fought over stupid things (like getting a dog). They had the power to both make everything 100% right for each other and also to 100% upset everything. I love that things actually resolve with Lara Jean’s older sister, Margot. I kept picking up on a lot of problems and I’m glad a lot of that was handled when she returned for the holidays.

I loved the romance of it all. I loved seeing how guys responded to the letters. I feel a little disappointed that one was returned to sender because I wish I could see how all of them reacted.

Some of the book was very familiar. The whole “fake relationship” thing has been done before. Many times. Throughout so many teen movies and books. Yet, I was still pleasantly surprised by the outcome. I knew going in that Lara Jean would end up liking Peter by the end because that’s how it always works. I just wasn’t expecting to like Peter so much by the end too. I really did.

All in all, this was a super cute YA contemporary. I’m so glad I finally read it, and I cannot wait to get started on book 2. I give this one a 9/10.