Alexander Davidson's Blog - Posts Tagged "books"
2013 Reading in Retrospect: Book Survey
End of the Year Book Survey
This year has been a great year for reading. I saw my friend categorize all of her reading in a fun blog, so I am doing the same. Enjoy!
1. Best book read in 2013.
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks. This is a great story told by one of the most original narrators. Budo, an imaginary friend of an autistic child Max, tells an excellent story of him and his partner in a moment of crisis.
2. Book you were excited about & thought you were going to love more, but didn’t:
The Biology of Luck by Jacob M. Appel. Great premise for a story: Larry Bloom experiences a day in New York City leading up to his date with Starshine. Intermixed is the imagined story of Starshine as part of Larry's novel. Sadly, too much narration and not enough action.
In the Woods by Tana French. Great mystery set up: a detective must investigate the murder of a young girl outside the same woods where his childhood friends disappeared years earlier. A bit of a let down towards the end.
3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013.
The Magician King by Lev Grossman. I wasn't sure what to expect from a sequel from an awesomely original book. It was great, though! Grossman totally lived up to the expectations and beyond. Quentin's continued adventures after Brakebills magic school now mix with Julia's back story and journey in the magical underbelly for those not accepted to the prestigious school.
4. Book you read in 2013 that you recommended the most?
To youths and teachers: An Abundance of Katherines by John Green. So funny and entertaining, it definitely keeps you reading.
To adults: Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan. Great story combined with great storytelling. Who knew the secret world of books/bookstores could be so intriguing!
5. Best series you discovered in 2013.
The Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan. The first Percy Jackson series was great. This second series is an excellent extension. These books are a great combination of mythology, history and geography into an action packed series. I've read: The Lost Hero(1), The Son of Neptune(2), and The Mark of Athena(3), but need to read The House of Hades.
6. Favorite new author discovered in 2013.
James Dashner and Robin Sloan
7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone.
Not sure I read anything that fits this description.
8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book of 2013.
Heroes of Olympus series (#1-3)
9. Book read in 2013 that you are most likely to reread.
Red by John Logan. Great play about two artists (painter [Mark Rothko] and apprentice [Ken]) working together to create a series of murals for the Four Seasons restaurant.
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2013.
Seemingly simple when you look at it until you wake up in the middle of the night to find out it glows in the dark. Mind=blown!
11. Most memorable character of 2013.
Zits from Flight by Sherman Alexie. Zits is a violent, foster-home-jumping, Native American teenager who starts to time travel through history. His real name isn't revealed until the last line of the book.
Margo from Paper Towns by John Green. I hate this girl! So. Much.
12. Most beautifully written book of 2013.
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks. Budo's descriptions of life from his eyes are wonderful. He is imagined as intelligent, so he is, but he is also limited to the world of an autistic first-grader, unless he is wondering the world after dark while Max is asleep. It's a great inside/outside look at family troubles, similar to that of the dog Enzo in The Art of Racing in the Rain.
13. Book that had the greatest impact on you.
Rick Riordan's writing is an influence in how I want to keep my own young readers hooked. His writing definitely makes you want to keep turning the page. The beginning of my novel is modeled after James Dashner's The Maze Runner. Dashner starts the story right in the thick of things, which definitely hooks you from page one.
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2013 to read.
The Book of Lost Things: A Novel by John Connolly. I've owned this book for years, but finally got down to reading it! Can't believe it took me almost 4 years to get around to it.
15. Favorite passage/quote.
"Like having a great idea, life comes at you fast. It hits you and tries to escape and be expressed in any way possible. In a way, it's a lot like lightning... I was reading that lightning is a negative charge that comes from the friction clouds carry. Since opposites attract, I would like to think that he was so positive the moment he died-so happy, he pulled that bolt right out of the sky. I don't know if that's possible, but that's what I believe." -Chris Colfer, Struck By Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal
"The right book exactly, at exactly the right time... And there are still so many mysteries to solve." -Robin Sloan, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore
"In the center of the clearing stood a single enormous oak tree with a large round clock set in its trunk. The clock-trees were the legacy of the Watcherwoman, the legendary--but quite real-- time-traveling witch of Fillory...It must have been a hundred feet tall, and it was massively thick, at least fifteen yards around at its base. Its clock was stupendous...The trunk erupted out of the green grass and burst into a mass of wiggly branches, like a kraken sculpted in wood. And it was moving. The tree seemed to be caught up in the grip of a storm, but Quentin couldn't feel or hear any wind." -Lev Grossman, The Magician King
16. Shortest and longest books read in 2013.
Shortest: Red (43 pages)
Longest: The Mark of Athena (574 pages)
17. Book that had a scene in it that had you reeling and dying to talk to someone about it.
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend for so many scenes about life as an imaginary friend. Some with spoilers, so I'll leave you to it.
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie. Did you know these fairies have an orgy in this book?
18. Favorite relationship in a book read in 2013 (romance, friendship, etc.)
Colin and Lindsey from An Abundance of Katherines by John Green. (romantic)
Mark Rothko and Ken from Red by John Logan. (working, bromance)
19. Favorite book you read in 2013 from an author you read previously.
Definitely a tough choice! The Magician King by Lev Grossman.
20. Best book you read in 2013 based solely on a recommendation.
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan. The school librarian wouldn't stop telling to me read it, and I'm so glad she didn't let it go.
21. Genre you read the most in 2013.
Young adult definitely. And drama.
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2013.
My relationship with literary characters is purely platonic.
23. Best 2013 debut.
Robin Sloan with Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore.
24. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2013.
The Magician King by Lev Grossman. Great many locations created including the fantastic land of Fillory and the Netherworlds that connects all worlds together.
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia. Good magic and flashback scenes.
25. Book that was the most fun to read.
Struck By Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal by Chris Colfer. I kept imagining what it would be like to have my student editors on the school's literary magazine blackmail other students for submissions.
26. Book that made you cry.
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks.
27. Best book you read that you think got overlooked this year or when it came out.
The Maze Runner by James Dashner. Such an amazing book that fits in with the Hunger Games mentality, but I had never heard of it before I saw they were making it a movie. And there is a whole series! Going to need to get on that.
This year has been a great year for reading. I saw my friend categorize all of her reading in a fun blog, so I am doing the same. Enjoy!
1. Best book read in 2013.
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks. This is a great story told by one of the most original narrators. Budo, an imaginary friend of an autistic child Max, tells an excellent story of him and his partner in a moment of crisis.
2. Book you were excited about & thought you were going to love more, but didn’t:
The Biology of Luck by Jacob M. Appel. Great premise for a story: Larry Bloom experiences a day in New York City leading up to his date with Starshine. Intermixed is the imagined story of Starshine as part of Larry's novel. Sadly, too much narration and not enough action.
In the Woods by Tana French. Great mystery set up: a detective must investigate the murder of a young girl outside the same woods where his childhood friends disappeared years earlier. A bit of a let down towards the end.
3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013.
The Magician King by Lev Grossman. I wasn't sure what to expect from a sequel from an awesomely original book. It was great, though! Grossman totally lived up to the expectations and beyond. Quentin's continued adventures after Brakebills magic school now mix with Julia's back story and journey in the magical underbelly for those not accepted to the prestigious school.
4. Book you read in 2013 that you recommended the most?
To youths and teachers: An Abundance of Katherines by John Green. So funny and entertaining, it definitely keeps you reading.
To adults: Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan. Great story combined with great storytelling. Who knew the secret world of books/bookstores could be so intriguing!
5. Best series you discovered in 2013.
The Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan. The first Percy Jackson series was great. This second series is an excellent extension. These books are a great combination of mythology, history and geography into an action packed series. I've read: The Lost Hero(1), The Son of Neptune(2), and The Mark of Athena(3), but need to read The House of Hades.
6. Favorite new author discovered in 2013.
James Dashner and Robin Sloan
7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone.
Not sure I read anything that fits this description.
8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book of 2013.
Heroes of Olympus series (#1-3)
9. Book read in 2013 that you are most likely to reread.
Red by John Logan. Great play about two artists (painter [Mark Rothko] and apprentice [Ken]) working together to create a series of murals for the Four Seasons restaurant.
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2013.
Seemingly simple when you look at it until you wake up in the middle of the night to find out it glows in the dark. Mind=blown!
11. Most memorable character of 2013.
Zits from Flight by Sherman Alexie. Zits is a violent, foster-home-jumping, Native American teenager who starts to time travel through history. His real name isn't revealed until the last line of the book.
Margo from Paper Towns by John Green. I hate this girl! So. Much.
12. Most beautifully written book of 2013.
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks. Budo's descriptions of life from his eyes are wonderful. He is imagined as intelligent, so he is, but he is also limited to the world of an autistic first-grader, unless he is wondering the world after dark while Max is asleep. It's a great inside/outside look at family troubles, similar to that of the dog Enzo in The Art of Racing in the Rain.
13. Book that had the greatest impact on you.
Rick Riordan's writing is an influence in how I want to keep my own young readers hooked. His writing definitely makes you want to keep turning the page. The beginning of my novel is modeled after James Dashner's The Maze Runner. Dashner starts the story right in the thick of things, which definitely hooks you from page one.
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2013 to read.
The Book of Lost Things: A Novel by John Connolly. I've owned this book for years, but finally got down to reading it! Can't believe it took me almost 4 years to get around to it.
15. Favorite passage/quote.
"Like having a great idea, life comes at you fast. It hits you and tries to escape and be expressed in any way possible. In a way, it's a lot like lightning... I was reading that lightning is a negative charge that comes from the friction clouds carry. Since opposites attract, I would like to think that he was so positive the moment he died-so happy, he pulled that bolt right out of the sky. I don't know if that's possible, but that's what I believe." -Chris Colfer, Struck By Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal
"The right book exactly, at exactly the right time... And there are still so many mysteries to solve." -Robin Sloan, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore
"In the center of the clearing stood a single enormous oak tree with a large round clock set in its trunk. The clock-trees were the legacy of the Watcherwoman, the legendary--but quite real-- time-traveling witch of Fillory...It must have been a hundred feet tall, and it was massively thick, at least fifteen yards around at its base. Its clock was stupendous...The trunk erupted out of the green grass and burst into a mass of wiggly branches, like a kraken sculpted in wood. And it was moving. The tree seemed to be caught up in the grip of a storm, but Quentin couldn't feel or hear any wind." -Lev Grossman, The Magician King
16. Shortest and longest books read in 2013.
Shortest: Red (43 pages)
Longest: The Mark of Athena (574 pages)
17. Book that had a scene in it that had you reeling and dying to talk to someone about it.
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend for so many scenes about life as an imaginary friend. Some with spoilers, so I'll leave you to it.
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie. Did you know these fairies have an orgy in this book?
18. Favorite relationship in a book read in 2013 (romance, friendship, etc.)
Colin and Lindsey from An Abundance of Katherines by John Green. (romantic)
Mark Rothko and Ken from Red by John Logan. (working, bromance)
19. Favorite book you read in 2013 from an author you read previously.
Definitely a tough choice! The Magician King by Lev Grossman.
20. Best book you read in 2013 based solely on a recommendation.
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan. The school librarian wouldn't stop telling to me read it, and I'm so glad she didn't let it go.
21. Genre you read the most in 2013.
Young adult definitely. And drama.
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2013.
My relationship with literary characters is purely platonic.
23. Best 2013 debut.
Robin Sloan with Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore.
24. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2013.
The Magician King by Lev Grossman. Great many locations created including the fantastic land of Fillory and the Netherworlds that connects all worlds together.
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia. Good magic and flashback scenes.
25. Book that was the most fun to read.
Struck By Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal by Chris Colfer. I kept imagining what it would be like to have my student editors on the school's literary magazine blackmail other students for submissions.
26. Book that made you cry.
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks.
27. Best book you read that you think got overlooked this year or when it came out.
The Maze Runner by James Dashner. Such an amazing book that fits in with the Hunger Games mentality, but I had never heard of it before I saw they were making it a movie. And there is a whole series! Going to need to get on that.
2014 Reading in Retrospective: Book Survey
End of the Year Book Survey
This year, I didn't quite meet my reading goal, but I did get to read 32 titles for a total of 9,739 pages (6 more titles and 2,716 more pages than 2013). Here are the results!
1. Best book read in 2014.
Unwind by Neal Shusterman. This book is an exciting tale of kids who are going to be legally turned into organ donors and "unwound". As they run from the law and find sanctuary, readers get the story from multiple characters' perspectives which really adds to the suspense.
2. Book you were excited about & thought you were going to love more, but didn’t:
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. Everyone was loving this love story, but honestly nothing happened until the last fifty pages or so. Teenage romance is annoying.
Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris. Everyone was praising this book of essays and stories as perfect fuel for forensics competitions, but as a coach, none of these really work.
The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. by Adelle Waldman. This book was also getting a lot of online praise. A book about modern dating from the male perspective, it was about a guy who liked certain girls until he randomly didn't and doesn't know why. Then he finds someone random to stay with so the book can end. Not very profound or authentic. The book's goal of showing how pretentious that group of people is was successful however.
3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2014.
The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau. Just another dystopian young adult novel about kids competing against each other? That's what I thought, but it was actually still unique and a really good read. I'm looking forward to the sequel.
4. Book you read in 2014 that you recommended the most?
Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan. Willow Chance is a child genius with a hard time relating to people. After the death of her adoptive parents, she creates a rag-tag surrogate family.
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. An epic tale of Theo Decker and his life after his mother dies in an art museum bombing and he steals a painting. Going from different home lives in different cities and different continents, I loved following Theo's story in this Pulitizer Prize-winning novel.
5. Best series you discovered in 2014.
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. I owned these books for more than a decade, but it wasn't until recently that I devoured my way through them. And it was totally worth it. Great stories! Now, I understand the hype.
6. Favorite new author discovered in 2014.
I read a few new authors this year, but it's hard to pick one that is my favorite. Maybe Donna Tartt.
7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone.
What We See When We Read by Peter Mendelsund. I don't typically read non-fiction, and this one is pretty out there with formatting; however it was very interesting, and the graphics made it engaging.
8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book of 2014.
Unwind by Neal Shusterman. Great storytelling and lots of action.
The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau. Super intriguing plot with a lot of suspense, problem-solving and possible backstabbing.
9. Book read in 2014 that you are most likely to reread.
Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King. Vera struggles after the death of her friend Charlie. She keeps his secret while dealing with her father and the glamorous life of pizza delivery. I think I might teach this to my students, which would give it a reread.
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2014.
Wonder by R.J. Palacio. This cover puts a great face to the story.
Honorable Mention:
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. A great peak at Theo's stolen painting.
11. Most memorable character of 2014.
Auggie Pullman from Wonder by R.J. Palacio. Auggie makes for a great narrator. He's an ordinary kid transferring from home school to middle school, except not all ordinary kids have a facial abnormality that sends kids away crying.
Lev from Unwind by Neal Shusterman. It's normal to expect a bunch of kids to rebel after their parents sign up to have them turned into organ donors. What's different and interesting about Lev is that he has been raised as a tithe and actually wants to be unwound for the most part and struggles with his beliefs.
Boris from The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. The truant escapades this Russian emigrant has with the main character during Theo's stay in Las Vegas are truly wild. Then it's interesting to see Theo reconnect with his as an adult. Boris, what a character!
12. Most beautifully written book of 2014.
The Magician's Land by Lev Grossman. With the final installment of the Magician's triology, Grossman proves again that he is an excellent writer, from his creative worlds to his wonderful turns of phrase.
13. Book that had the greatest impact on you.
About the Author by John Colapinto. This book definitely taught me how NOT to become a best-selling author.
Readicide: How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It by Kelly Gallagher. While much of the material is known to those with an education degree, there are some very helpful tips about teaching reading that I will be using in my classroom.
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2014 to read.
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, more specifically The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (#3), The Silver Chair (#4), The Horse and His Boy (#5), The Magician's Nephew (#6), and The Last Battle (#7). It took me over a decade to finish the series after reading the first two in middle school.
15. Favorite passages/quotes.
"It didn't matter where you were, if you were in a room full of books you were at least halfway home."
"A few books in some of the more obscure corners of the stacks retained some autonomy, dating back to an infamous early experiment with flying books, and lately they'd begun to breed. Shocked undergraduates had stumbled on books in the very act. Which sounded interesting, but so far the resulting offspring had been either predictably derivative (in fiction) or stunningly boring (nonfiction); hybrid pairings between fiction and nonfiction were the most vital. The librarian thought the problem was just that the right books weren't breeding with each other and proposed a forced mating program. The library committee had an epic secret meeting about the ethics of literary eugenics which ended in a furious deadlock."
- Lev Grossman, The Magician's Land
"When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind."
"There are more good people on this earth than bad people, and the good people watch out for each other."
- R.J. Palacio, Wonder
“If there is anything I’ve figured out in the last months it’s that you can find labels to organize living things, but you can’t put people in any kind of group or order. It just doesn’t work that way.”
- Holly Goldberg Sloan, Counting by 7s
16. Shortest and longest books read in 2014.
Shortest: The Last Battle, 184 pages
Longest: The Goldfinch, 771 pages
17. Book that had a scene in it that had you reeling and dying to talk to someone about it.
Divergent by Veronica Roth. I wanted to talk about how the movie actually did things better during the trials.
The Scorch Trials and The Death Cure by James Dashner. My sister and mom started reading the Maze Runner series after, so we had plenty to talk about.
Also The Giver by Lois Lowry. That bath scene my friend mentioned in seventh grade was actually not as attractive as I imagined it would be. It was a boy washing an old woman at a nursing home. He could have been a more descriptive twelve-year-old.
18. Favorite relationship in a book read in 2014 (romance, friendship, etc.)
Vera and Ken Dietz from Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King. (father/daughter)
Theodore "Theo" Decker and James "Hobie" Hobart from The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. (mentor/mentee in the antique business)
Ivan and Ruby from The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. (circus mall animals, specifically the gorilla who tries to get the baby elephant a new and better life)
19. Favorite book you read in 2014 from an author you read previously.
The Magician's Land by Lev Grossman.
Honorable Mention: The Giver by Lois Lowry
20. Best book you read in 2014 based solely on a recommendation.
Unwind by Neal Shusterman. I knew absolutely nothing about this book and never heard anything about it. I am very happy a student suggested it to me. (Thanks, Maxim!)
21. Genre you read the most in 2014.
Young adult.
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2014.
A year later, and this question is still weird. I do think Jonas from The Giver is pretty cool though.
23. Best 2014 debut.
All of the 2014 debuts I want to read are still sitting in my "to-read" pile. The only debut book from an author in 2014 that I read would be What We See When We Read by Peter Mendelsund.
24. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2014.
The Magician's Land by Lev Grossman. Grossman's world of magic is great, from Brakebills (college for magicians), to the transitional world of the Neitherlands and both sides of the fantastic Fillory.
A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass. It was definitely new and interesting to see the world from a narrator who can see the color of numbers and taste sounds with her synesthesia.
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. Not only did C.S. Lewis create an entire world with its own countries, languages, islands, monsters, creatures, and worlds-within-worlds, but he also fully described Narnia's creation and destruction. That's detail!
25. Book that was the most fun to read.
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library byChris Grabenstein. Kids are locked in a library and have to find their way out in order to win a reading and board game based scavenger hunt to win the grand prize. It's like Willy Wonka for book and game nerds. It's a wonderful read and a wonderful puzzle.
26. Book that made you cry.
No tears this year. Sorry.
27. Best book you read that you think got overlooked this year or when it came out.
The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau. Maybe it's because there are too many similar titles already out there, but this book is just as good as the others out there in this (dystopian) genre.
This year, I didn't quite meet my reading goal, but I did get to read 32 titles for a total of 9,739 pages (6 more titles and 2,716 more pages than 2013). Here are the results!
1. Best book read in 2014.
Unwind by Neal Shusterman. This book is an exciting tale of kids who are going to be legally turned into organ donors and "unwound". As they run from the law and find sanctuary, readers get the story from multiple characters' perspectives which really adds to the suspense.
2. Book you were excited about & thought you were going to love more, but didn’t:
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. Everyone was loving this love story, but honestly nothing happened until the last fifty pages or so. Teenage romance is annoying.
Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris. Everyone was praising this book of essays and stories as perfect fuel for forensics competitions, but as a coach, none of these really work.
The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. by Adelle Waldman. This book was also getting a lot of online praise. A book about modern dating from the male perspective, it was about a guy who liked certain girls until he randomly didn't and doesn't know why. Then he finds someone random to stay with so the book can end. Not very profound or authentic. The book's goal of showing how pretentious that group of people is was successful however.
3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2014.
The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau. Just another dystopian young adult novel about kids competing against each other? That's what I thought, but it was actually still unique and a really good read. I'm looking forward to the sequel.
4. Book you read in 2014 that you recommended the most?
Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan. Willow Chance is a child genius with a hard time relating to people. After the death of her adoptive parents, she creates a rag-tag surrogate family.
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. An epic tale of Theo Decker and his life after his mother dies in an art museum bombing and he steals a painting. Going from different home lives in different cities and different continents, I loved following Theo's story in this Pulitizer Prize-winning novel.
5. Best series you discovered in 2014.
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. I owned these books for more than a decade, but it wasn't until recently that I devoured my way through them. And it was totally worth it. Great stories! Now, I understand the hype.
6. Favorite new author discovered in 2014.
I read a few new authors this year, but it's hard to pick one that is my favorite. Maybe Donna Tartt.
7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone.
What We See When We Read by Peter Mendelsund. I don't typically read non-fiction, and this one is pretty out there with formatting; however it was very interesting, and the graphics made it engaging.
8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book of 2014.
Unwind by Neal Shusterman. Great storytelling and lots of action.
The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau. Super intriguing plot with a lot of suspense, problem-solving and possible backstabbing.
9. Book read in 2014 that you are most likely to reread.
Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King. Vera struggles after the death of her friend Charlie. She keeps his secret while dealing with her father and the glamorous life of pizza delivery. I think I might teach this to my students, which would give it a reread.
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2014.
Wonder by R.J. Palacio. This cover puts a great face to the story.
Honorable Mention:
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. A great peak at Theo's stolen painting.
11. Most memorable character of 2014.
Auggie Pullman from Wonder by R.J. Palacio. Auggie makes for a great narrator. He's an ordinary kid transferring from home school to middle school, except not all ordinary kids have a facial abnormality that sends kids away crying.
Lev from Unwind by Neal Shusterman. It's normal to expect a bunch of kids to rebel after their parents sign up to have them turned into organ donors. What's different and interesting about Lev is that he has been raised as a tithe and actually wants to be unwound for the most part and struggles with his beliefs.
Boris from The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. The truant escapades this Russian emigrant has with the main character during Theo's stay in Las Vegas are truly wild. Then it's interesting to see Theo reconnect with his as an adult. Boris, what a character!
12. Most beautifully written book of 2014.
The Magician's Land by Lev Grossman. With the final installment of the Magician's triology, Grossman proves again that he is an excellent writer, from his creative worlds to his wonderful turns of phrase.
13. Book that had the greatest impact on you.
About the Author by John Colapinto. This book definitely taught me how NOT to become a best-selling author.
Readicide: How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It by Kelly Gallagher. While much of the material is known to those with an education degree, there are some very helpful tips about teaching reading that I will be using in my classroom.
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2014 to read.
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, more specifically The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (#3), The Silver Chair (#4), The Horse and His Boy (#5), The Magician's Nephew (#6), and The Last Battle (#7). It took me over a decade to finish the series after reading the first two in middle school.
15. Favorite passages/quotes.
"It didn't matter where you were, if you were in a room full of books you were at least halfway home."
"A few books in some of the more obscure corners of the stacks retained some autonomy, dating back to an infamous early experiment with flying books, and lately they'd begun to breed. Shocked undergraduates had stumbled on books in the very act. Which sounded interesting, but so far the resulting offspring had been either predictably derivative (in fiction) or stunningly boring (nonfiction); hybrid pairings between fiction and nonfiction were the most vital. The librarian thought the problem was just that the right books weren't breeding with each other and proposed a forced mating program. The library committee had an epic secret meeting about the ethics of literary eugenics which ended in a furious deadlock."
- Lev Grossman, The Magician's Land
"When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind."
"There are more good people on this earth than bad people, and the good people watch out for each other."
- R.J. Palacio, Wonder
“If there is anything I’ve figured out in the last months it’s that you can find labels to organize living things, but you can’t put people in any kind of group or order. It just doesn’t work that way.”
- Holly Goldberg Sloan, Counting by 7s
16. Shortest and longest books read in 2014.
Shortest: The Last Battle, 184 pages
Longest: The Goldfinch, 771 pages
17. Book that had a scene in it that had you reeling and dying to talk to someone about it.
Divergent by Veronica Roth. I wanted to talk about how the movie actually did things better during the trials.
The Scorch Trials and The Death Cure by James Dashner. My sister and mom started reading the Maze Runner series after, so we had plenty to talk about.
Also The Giver by Lois Lowry. That bath scene my friend mentioned in seventh grade was actually not as attractive as I imagined it would be. It was a boy washing an old woman at a nursing home. He could have been a more descriptive twelve-year-old.
18. Favorite relationship in a book read in 2014 (romance, friendship, etc.)
Vera and Ken Dietz from Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King. (father/daughter)
Theodore "Theo" Decker and James "Hobie" Hobart from The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. (mentor/mentee in the antique business)
Ivan and Ruby from The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. (circus mall animals, specifically the gorilla who tries to get the baby elephant a new and better life)
19. Favorite book you read in 2014 from an author you read previously.
The Magician's Land by Lev Grossman.
Honorable Mention: The Giver by Lois Lowry
20. Best book you read in 2014 based solely on a recommendation.
Unwind by Neal Shusterman. I knew absolutely nothing about this book and never heard anything about it. I am very happy a student suggested it to me. (Thanks, Maxim!)
21. Genre you read the most in 2014.
Young adult.
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2014.
A year later, and this question is still weird. I do think Jonas from The Giver is pretty cool though.
23. Best 2014 debut.
All of the 2014 debuts I want to read are still sitting in my "to-read" pile. The only debut book from an author in 2014 that I read would be What We See When We Read by Peter Mendelsund.
24. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2014.
The Magician's Land by Lev Grossman. Grossman's world of magic is great, from Brakebills (college for magicians), to the transitional world of the Neitherlands and both sides of the fantastic Fillory.
A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass. It was definitely new and interesting to see the world from a narrator who can see the color of numbers and taste sounds with her synesthesia.
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. Not only did C.S. Lewis create an entire world with its own countries, languages, islands, monsters, creatures, and worlds-within-worlds, but he also fully described Narnia's creation and destruction. That's detail!
25. Book that was the most fun to read.
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library byChris Grabenstein. Kids are locked in a library and have to find their way out in order to win a reading and board game based scavenger hunt to win the grand prize. It's like Willy Wonka for book and game nerds. It's a wonderful read and a wonderful puzzle.
26. Book that made you cry.
No tears this year. Sorry.
27. Best book you read that you think got overlooked this year or when it came out.
The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau. Maybe it's because there are too many similar titles already out there, but this book is just as good as the others out there in this (dystopian) genre.
2016 Reading in Retrospect: Book Survey
End of the Year Book Survey
This year, I set a goal to read 45 books, and I achieved this goal by reading 53 titles. This year has been the year of the Audible account. I got really hooked on audiobooks while driving in the car, so much so that the radio is now annoying to me because I’m not being productive. I read 34 print titles for a total of roughly 10,176 pages. I listened to 17 audio titles for a total of 400 hours and 30 minutes. Here are this year’s results!
1. Best book read in 2016?
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. I don’t know if this is because it is the most recent novel I read, if recently winning the National Book Award for Fiction affected my decision making, or if it really is that good, but I picked it. Cora and Caesar run away from their plantation in Georgia and try to find freedom in the north with the help of the Underground Railroad, which in this historical fiction novel actually is an underground system of tracks and trains.
Honor Books:
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. Jason Dessen has been kidnapped and thrown into a parallel universe. The culprit? The other Jason Dessen, the one who chose career and success over a family and now wants to trade places. Now, the original Jason needs to find a way home to his family and his universe.
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman. Caden is living two lives, one at home as a brilliant student with odd behavior and one on a ship at sea as the artist in residence on his was to explore the deepest part of the ocean, only which one is real?
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. Told from two characters perspectives – one black, one white – from two different authors, Rashad and Quinn experience two sides of racism and police brutality. Rashad has been attacked when suspected of shoplifting and is now in the hospital as a symbol on the news of racial injustice. Quinn witnessed the event, but the cop in question is his best friend’s older brother and isn’t sure of what he actually saw.
2. Book you were excited about & thought you were going to love more, but didn’t?
The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum. I’m in love with the movies, and I was excited to start the series on audio, but then I realized the series is way older than and not as high tech as the more modern version. It took forever to get to the main plot frame and wasn’t as adrenaline pumping as when Matt Damon is around.
Honor Books:
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson. I was excited about the sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but it was a lot of build up with nothing actually happening. Books 2 and 3 should have just been one book, but instead you get The Girl Who Played with Fire as a flop.
Allegiant by Veronica Roth. The third book in this installment tried to make the book’s world way too complicated and simplified at the same time. Nothing was really making sense, and then the ending was just bad. Thank goodness the movies are better.
After Alice by Gregory Maguire. I’m a big fan of Maguire’s twisted takes on famous stories, my favorite being Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. However, this Alice in Wonderland adaptation focusing on Alice’s friend Ada who follows her to Wonderland afterward is just a repeat of Carroll with different names. Meanwhile up in the real world, there is a somewhat interested romance plot with Ada’s sister and a visitor, but nothing happens there either.
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. There was lots of hype around this mystery, but it’s disappointing when you can figure it out in the first few chapters and your prediction is correct.
3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2016?
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman. I’m used to young adult books being a little childish, but this one was deep, intense, highly developed, and entertaining.
Honor Books:
Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel. Ancient parts of a giant alien robot are being discovered around the world, and it’s now a race to be the first with all the pieces without causing World War III. I was surprised to see that this entire story is told in the form of field reports and interviews and other documents. It was a creative way to tell the story while still keeping the excitement and action of the genre.
4. Book you read in 2016 that you recommended the most?
The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness. Sure, we are all familiar with the indie-kids who become the chosen ones and save the world. However, what about the rest of the students who are just living life while all of the world-saving goes on around them? That’s what Mikey and his friends are dealing with, and all he really wants to do is deal with his politician mother, hide elements of his mental disorder, and ask his best friend to prom before the high school blows up… again.
Honor Books:
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. This is a great science fiction novel without being too out there or overly sciency.
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. Great novel for social justice, and because it is told from two perspectives, there is something for everyone to learn through reading this.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2 by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne. This two part play is a must-read for any fan of the Harry Potter wizarding world.
5. Best series you discovered in 2016? Best sequel of 2016?
Series:
A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. (This year I started and finished all five on audiobook: A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, A Dance with Dragons.) I loved the epic tales, the fantasy world that’s not too fantastic to be cheesy, the calculations of feuding houses and fights for the throne. It’s awesome and the characters are all amazing.
Honor Books:
The Millennium series by Stieg Larsson. (I also started and finished all four of these on audio: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, The Girl in the Spider's Web [[author:David Lagercrantz|242659]]) Some books were better than others, but I’m glad I experienced the series this year.
Sequel:
UnWholly by Neal Shusterman (Unwind, #2). Connor, Lev and Risa were successful in defeating the harvest camp last time, but the whole war on unwinding children is still going on, and it is their job to help all runaways. But when a new human has been created completely made out of parts of other children, the question of life and souls gets even more difficult to answer. There was a decent chance that this Unwind sequel could have just been exactly like the first installment, but it was so much more. The characters got more complicated, the world was more dangerous, and the action was still top-notch.
Honor Books:
Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau (The Testing, #2). Cia Vale has passed the Hunger Games-style application process to get into the Commonwealth’s top-notch institution, but her memory was wiped. All she has left is a voice recording of herself telling her who she can and cannot trust. Is this to be believed? Decisions need to happen fast because the testing is still continuing when classes start and flunking out means death.
Winter of the World by Ken Follett (The Century Trilogy, #2). The families of the original Fall of Giants now have children who are out around the world experiencing World War II and the Spanish Civil War. It’s another great sweeping epic with overlapping character plots and interactions that I love.
A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire, #3). So much happens. It’s awesome.
6. Favorite new author discovered in 2016?
Patrick Ness.
7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone?
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson. I don’t normally read non-fiction, so this memoir about a black lawyer defending clients on death row in a racially prejudiced south in the 1980s and 1990s is definitely outside of my niche. It was good, though. It still felt like a story was being told instead of history being taught like some non-fiction can be.
8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book of 2016?
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2 by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne. Harry Potter and his friends have grown up, and now it is time for their children to attend Hogwarts. Being the son of a world-famous wizard is one thing, but when Albus gets sorted into Slytherin and starts making friends with the Malfoy boy, then it gets a little more complicated. So much so that Albus decides to try messing with time to free himself from this life. However, when meddling with time results in different scenarios including a Voldemort controlled Ministry of Magic, Albus might be in a bit over his head. I read this in a day.
Honor Books:
Morning Star by Pierce Brown. Continuing with Darrow’s fight for freedom and equality, this final installment of the trilogy has the whole galaxy at war, both sides fighting to keep power or remove the status quo.
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. Definitely keeps you reading to find out if Jason can make it back to his family.
Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau. So many new challenges from the Commonwealth put Cia and her fellow students’ lives in danger, especially when Cia is trying to pass college and overthrow the government at the same time.
9. Book read in 2016 that you are most likely to re-read?
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. I can see myself adding this novel to my Contemporary Literature course next year.
If my new English elective course gets approved, I also will be re-reading The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead, Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson, and All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely.
10. Best book re-read in 2016 from a previous year?
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Two dueling magicians compete in a magical contest in one of the most beautifully described settings I’ve ever read only to eventually fall in love with each other. And the two timelines in the storytelling make it an extra awesome experience.
I also re-read Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan, The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, and Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King.
11. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2016?
How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon.
Honor Books:
The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness. (Glows in the dark.)
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon.
The Haters by Jesse Andrews.
12. Most memorable character of 2016?
Tyrion Lannister from A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. A drunken and unloved sibling of a powerful house eventually rises to recognize his self-worth, save a city, break free from his family chains, and be an amazingly witty man who throws serious shade.
Honor Books:
Emilio Sandoz from The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. A religious linguist on the first Jesuit mission to space, Emilio is the only survivor who returns to earth and is being questioned about his time on the planet of Rakhat. Not only do two storylines play out nicely, but they end up revealing some awesome truths and horrors about this man.
13. Best hero/protagonist of 2016?
Jon Snow from A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. Bastard turned Lord Commander of Castle Black and the Night’s Watch, Jon’s character is still full of future potential and surprises.
Honor Books:
Daenerys Targaryen from A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. Exiled princess turned khaleesi and then to breaker of chains, it’s been fun watching this girl grow into power and overcome obstacles in her fight to reclaim her kingdom.
14. Best villain/antagonist of 2016?
Adrius au Augustus (the Jackal) from Morning Star by Pierce Brown. Just finding out in the first few chapters that this guy has been having dinners and meetings with Darrow locked underneath the table for months is enough to show you how cruel and dark this arch governor of Mars can truly be, even to his own family and former friends.
Honor Books:
Arnold Ridgeway from The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. This slave catcher will stop at nothing to bring Cora back to the south, no matter what.
Cersei Lannister from A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. Completely manipulating and conniving and perfectly brilliant in how she plans to stay in power and protect her children. She’s so good at being bad that you end up liking her a little anyway.
Aaron from The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. Crazy preacher in a world where men’s thoughts can be heard by everyone. This crazy man tries to stop Todd from helping the only female Viola in order to sacrifice her to his god, even after getting half-eaten by a crocodile, he’s still going.
15. Most beautifully written book of 2016?
Dear Mr. You by Mary-Louise Parker. This book/memoir is written in a series of letters to the men – both real and imagined – who have made an impact on the life of the author. It’s a wonderfully creative way to pay tribute to these people while still telling her life’s story.
Honor Books:
Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel. I’m giving this one an honorable mention because of it being written in interviews and field reports and still being exciting and action-packed.
16. Book that had the greatest impact on you?
S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders adapted to the stage by Christopher Sergel. This was our school’s fall play this year, and the two months we spent putting it on were simply amazing.
17. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2016 to read?
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I am in love with all three movie adaptations – the Winona Ryder one is the best – and I can’t believe it took me forever to actually get to the novel.
Honor Books:
Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau. The Testing was my first book of 2015, and it took me until the summer of 2016 to finally get around to its sequel.
The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan. I read The House of Hades also way back in 2015, and I didn’t get to this final installment of the series until this year.
The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum. Again, huge fan of the movies and it took me forever to get here.
18. Favorite passages/quotes?
"But she was the matador, and she skewered me every time." – Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick
“…as useless as nipples on a breastplate.” – George R.R. Martin, almost every book in the series
“Although Ridgeway’s father scorned religious talk, Tom Bird’s testimony on the Great Spirit reminded him of how he felt about iron. He bent to no god save the glowing iron he tended in his forge. He’d read about the great volcanoes, the lost city of Pompeii destroyed by fire that poured out of mountains from deep below. Liquid fire was the very blood of the earth. It was his mission to upset, mash, and draw out the metal into the useful things that made society operate: nails, horseshoes, plows, knives, guns. Chains. Working the spirit, he called it.” – The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
19. Shortest and longest books read (listened to) in 2016?
Print
Longest: Allegiant by Veronica RothVeronica Roth (526 pages)
Shortest: Choir Boy by Tarell Alvin McCraney (60 pages)
Audio
Longest: A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin (Unabridged, 49:00)
Shortest: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (Abridged, 6:00)
20. Book that had a scene in it that had you reeling and dying to talk to someone about it?
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. I needed to talk about how I predicted the ending and was right.
Honor Books:
A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin. (Basically, the whole series.) I was constantly talking to my friends who read the books and watch the shows to compare them back and forth.
21. Favorite relationships in a book read in 2016 (romance, friendship, etc.)?
Arya Stark and Sandor Clegane from A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin. Frenemies to the greatest degree. He hated her and was just kidnapping her for ransom, but there was a sense of protection over her for her well-being. She hated him and wanted to kill him, but there was also trust and learning that she gained from him during their time together.
Honor Books:
Albus Severus Potter and Scorpio Malfoy from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2 by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne. Classic buddy relationship of two feuding families that wanted to keep them apart, but their friendship was just too strong for even time travel to break.
Lizbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. These two made a perfect pair when they finally get together to solve the mystery of missing girls. One’s an old-timey reporter while another is a new age hacker. They make the perfect team.
Jo March and Theodore Laurence from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. They both should and should not be together romantically. It’s frustrating and wonderful.
Connor/Risa and Risa/Cam from UnWholly by Neal Shusterman. Connor and Risa are definitely working on their relationship in the aftermath of everything, but when Risa is taken and forced to pretend to be in a relationship with Cam, there is a little bit of a bud going there in this love triangle.
22. Favorite book you read in 2016 from an author you read previously?
Thanks for the Trouble by Tommy Wallach. I loved We All Looked Up, so I had to read this when I found out he had written another novel.
23. Best book you read in 2016 based solely on a recommendation?
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. My mom and sister really wanted me to start reading Moriarty’s novels. I started with this one, even though they both ruined the ending before I started. I’m looking forward to the HBO series based on this novel.
Honor Books:
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. I finally read it to connect with some juniors reading it in their theology classes, and it was totally worth it.
24. Genre you read the most in 2016?
Science Fiction
25. Best 2016 debut?
Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel.
26. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2016?
Westeros from A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. Amazingly intricate kingdoms, history, customs/traditions – everything about this world is so detailed and thought out. And it’s not just the current setting either but the entire history of everything as well.
Honor Books:
Rakhat from The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. Awesome creation of a new planet with an intricate description of the two sentient beings, their relationships, the balance for power, and the laws and customs in place to keep the status quo.
27. Book that was the most fun to read?
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman. Even though this is a tale about Caden’s mental illness, the overlap between worlds is fun to read. And it gets even more interesting when the symbolic overlaps start to have way more meaning for Caden’s story and recovery towards the end of the novel.
28. Book that made you cry?
No tears this year. Sorry.
29. Book that made you laugh/smile?
Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick. I love Anna Kendrick and have for a while. Getting to read her memoir was a great insight to her humanity and humor on a deeper level than just watching her films or listening to her sing.
30. Book that made you mad?
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. This is a great whodunit about an “accident” gone wrong at an elementary school trivia night parent fundraiser. However, the months building up to the night left me insanely frustrated (in a good way?) with all of these families falling into the trenches of school politics. And then remembering that these were parents of kindergartners going to such lengths? Well, this teacher just wanted to give everyone in the novel a good shake.
31. Book that made you bored?
The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. It’s just talking. It’s not even fun to act out because it is literally just sitting and talking the whole time. Boring.
32. Most forgettable book of 2016?
The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. Baby winds up on booksellers doorstep, he raises her, some more information about the baby is eventually found out at the end, and that’s it. I kept forgetting I read it because it was a pretty neutral book, not bad but not good either.
33. Best hidden gem (book you read that you think got overlooked this year or when it came out)?
The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness. I’m surprised I don’t hear more about him as I do with other authors.
Honor Books:
UnWholly by Neal Shusterman. I’m still fascinated that this Unwind series didn’t blow up like I think it should have. These are so good; how was it not more popular?
This year, I set a goal to read 45 books, and I achieved this goal by reading 53 titles. This year has been the year of the Audible account. I got really hooked on audiobooks while driving in the car, so much so that the radio is now annoying to me because I’m not being productive. I read 34 print titles for a total of roughly 10,176 pages. I listened to 17 audio titles for a total of 400 hours and 30 minutes. Here are this year’s results!
1. Best book read in 2016?
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. I don’t know if this is because it is the most recent novel I read, if recently winning the National Book Award for Fiction affected my decision making, or if it really is that good, but I picked it. Cora and Caesar run away from their plantation in Georgia and try to find freedom in the north with the help of the Underground Railroad, which in this historical fiction novel actually is an underground system of tracks and trains.
Honor Books:
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. Jason Dessen has been kidnapped and thrown into a parallel universe. The culprit? The other Jason Dessen, the one who chose career and success over a family and now wants to trade places. Now, the original Jason needs to find a way home to his family and his universe.
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman. Caden is living two lives, one at home as a brilliant student with odd behavior and one on a ship at sea as the artist in residence on his was to explore the deepest part of the ocean, only which one is real?
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. Told from two characters perspectives – one black, one white – from two different authors, Rashad and Quinn experience two sides of racism and police brutality. Rashad has been attacked when suspected of shoplifting and is now in the hospital as a symbol on the news of racial injustice. Quinn witnessed the event, but the cop in question is his best friend’s older brother and isn’t sure of what he actually saw.
2. Book you were excited about & thought you were going to love more, but didn’t?
The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum. I’m in love with the movies, and I was excited to start the series on audio, but then I realized the series is way older than and not as high tech as the more modern version. It took forever to get to the main plot frame and wasn’t as adrenaline pumping as when Matt Damon is around.
Honor Books:
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson. I was excited about the sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but it was a lot of build up with nothing actually happening. Books 2 and 3 should have just been one book, but instead you get The Girl Who Played with Fire as a flop.
Allegiant by Veronica Roth. The third book in this installment tried to make the book’s world way too complicated and simplified at the same time. Nothing was really making sense, and then the ending was just bad. Thank goodness the movies are better.
After Alice by Gregory Maguire. I’m a big fan of Maguire’s twisted takes on famous stories, my favorite being Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. However, this Alice in Wonderland adaptation focusing on Alice’s friend Ada who follows her to Wonderland afterward is just a repeat of Carroll with different names. Meanwhile up in the real world, there is a somewhat interested romance plot with Ada’s sister and a visitor, but nothing happens there either.
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. There was lots of hype around this mystery, but it’s disappointing when you can figure it out in the first few chapters and your prediction is correct.
3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2016?
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman. I’m used to young adult books being a little childish, but this one was deep, intense, highly developed, and entertaining.
Honor Books:
Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel. Ancient parts of a giant alien robot are being discovered around the world, and it’s now a race to be the first with all the pieces without causing World War III. I was surprised to see that this entire story is told in the form of field reports and interviews and other documents. It was a creative way to tell the story while still keeping the excitement and action of the genre.
4. Book you read in 2016 that you recommended the most?
The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness. Sure, we are all familiar with the indie-kids who become the chosen ones and save the world. However, what about the rest of the students who are just living life while all of the world-saving goes on around them? That’s what Mikey and his friends are dealing with, and all he really wants to do is deal with his politician mother, hide elements of his mental disorder, and ask his best friend to prom before the high school blows up… again.
Honor Books:
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. This is a great science fiction novel without being too out there or overly sciency.
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. Great novel for social justice, and because it is told from two perspectives, there is something for everyone to learn through reading this.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2 by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne. This two part play is a must-read for any fan of the Harry Potter wizarding world.
5. Best series you discovered in 2016? Best sequel of 2016?
Series:
A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. (This year I started and finished all five on audiobook: A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, A Dance with Dragons.) I loved the epic tales, the fantasy world that’s not too fantastic to be cheesy, the calculations of feuding houses and fights for the throne. It’s awesome and the characters are all amazing.
Honor Books:
The Millennium series by Stieg Larsson. (I also started and finished all four of these on audio: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, The Girl in the Spider's Web [[author:David Lagercrantz|242659]]) Some books were better than others, but I’m glad I experienced the series this year.
Sequel:
UnWholly by Neal Shusterman (Unwind, #2). Connor, Lev and Risa were successful in defeating the harvest camp last time, but the whole war on unwinding children is still going on, and it is their job to help all runaways. But when a new human has been created completely made out of parts of other children, the question of life and souls gets even more difficult to answer. There was a decent chance that this Unwind sequel could have just been exactly like the first installment, but it was so much more. The characters got more complicated, the world was more dangerous, and the action was still top-notch.
Honor Books:
Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau (The Testing, #2). Cia Vale has passed the Hunger Games-style application process to get into the Commonwealth’s top-notch institution, but her memory was wiped. All she has left is a voice recording of herself telling her who she can and cannot trust. Is this to be believed? Decisions need to happen fast because the testing is still continuing when classes start and flunking out means death.
Winter of the World by Ken Follett (The Century Trilogy, #2). The families of the original Fall of Giants now have children who are out around the world experiencing World War II and the Spanish Civil War. It’s another great sweeping epic with overlapping character plots and interactions that I love.
A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire, #3). So much happens. It’s awesome.
6. Favorite new author discovered in 2016?
Patrick Ness.
7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone?
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson. I don’t normally read non-fiction, so this memoir about a black lawyer defending clients on death row in a racially prejudiced south in the 1980s and 1990s is definitely outside of my niche. It was good, though. It still felt like a story was being told instead of history being taught like some non-fiction can be.
8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book of 2016?
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2 by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne. Harry Potter and his friends have grown up, and now it is time for their children to attend Hogwarts. Being the son of a world-famous wizard is one thing, but when Albus gets sorted into Slytherin and starts making friends with the Malfoy boy, then it gets a little more complicated. So much so that Albus decides to try messing with time to free himself from this life. However, when meddling with time results in different scenarios including a Voldemort controlled Ministry of Magic, Albus might be in a bit over his head. I read this in a day.
Honor Books:
Morning Star by Pierce Brown. Continuing with Darrow’s fight for freedom and equality, this final installment of the trilogy has the whole galaxy at war, both sides fighting to keep power or remove the status quo.
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. Definitely keeps you reading to find out if Jason can make it back to his family.
Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau. So many new challenges from the Commonwealth put Cia and her fellow students’ lives in danger, especially when Cia is trying to pass college and overthrow the government at the same time.
9. Book read in 2016 that you are most likely to re-read?
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. I can see myself adding this novel to my Contemporary Literature course next year.
If my new English elective course gets approved, I also will be re-reading The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead, Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson, and All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely.
10. Best book re-read in 2016 from a previous year?
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Two dueling magicians compete in a magical contest in one of the most beautifully described settings I’ve ever read only to eventually fall in love with each other. And the two timelines in the storytelling make it an extra awesome experience.
I also re-read Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan, The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, and Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King.
11. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2016?
How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon.
Honor Books:
The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness. (Glows in the dark.)
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon.
The Haters by Jesse Andrews.
12. Most memorable character of 2016?
Tyrion Lannister from A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. A drunken and unloved sibling of a powerful house eventually rises to recognize his self-worth, save a city, break free from his family chains, and be an amazingly witty man who throws serious shade.
Honor Books:
Emilio Sandoz from The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. A religious linguist on the first Jesuit mission to space, Emilio is the only survivor who returns to earth and is being questioned about his time on the planet of Rakhat. Not only do two storylines play out nicely, but they end up revealing some awesome truths and horrors about this man.
13. Best hero/protagonist of 2016?
Jon Snow from A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. Bastard turned Lord Commander of Castle Black and the Night’s Watch, Jon’s character is still full of future potential and surprises.
Honor Books:
Daenerys Targaryen from A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. Exiled princess turned khaleesi and then to breaker of chains, it’s been fun watching this girl grow into power and overcome obstacles in her fight to reclaim her kingdom.
14. Best villain/antagonist of 2016?
Adrius au Augustus (the Jackal) from Morning Star by Pierce Brown. Just finding out in the first few chapters that this guy has been having dinners and meetings with Darrow locked underneath the table for months is enough to show you how cruel and dark this arch governor of Mars can truly be, even to his own family and former friends.
Honor Books:
Arnold Ridgeway from The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. This slave catcher will stop at nothing to bring Cora back to the south, no matter what.
Cersei Lannister from A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. Completely manipulating and conniving and perfectly brilliant in how she plans to stay in power and protect her children. She’s so good at being bad that you end up liking her a little anyway.
Aaron from The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. Crazy preacher in a world where men’s thoughts can be heard by everyone. This crazy man tries to stop Todd from helping the only female Viola in order to sacrifice her to his god, even after getting half-eaten by a crocodile, he’s still going.
15. Most beautifully written book of 2016?
Dear Mr. You by Mary-Louise Parker. This book/memoir is written in a series of letters to the men – both real and imagined – who have made an impact on the life of the author. It’s a wonderfully creative way to pay tribute to these people while still telling her life’s story.
Honor Books:
Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel. I’m giving this one an honorable mention because of it being written in interviews and field reports and still being exciting and action-packed.
16. Book that had the greatest impact on you?
S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders adapted to the stage by Christopher Sergel. This was our school’s fall play this year, and the two months we spent putting it on were simply amazing.
17. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2016 to read?
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I am in love with all three movie adaptations – the Winona Ryder one is the best – and I can’t believe it took me forever to actually get to the novel.
Honor Books:
Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau. The Testing was my first book of 2015, and it took me until the summer of 2016 to finally get around to its sequel.
The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan. I read The House of Hades also way back in 2015, and I didn’t get to this final installment of the series until this year.
The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum. Again, huge fan of the movies and it took me forever to get here.
18. Favorite passages/quotes?
"But she was the matador, and she skewered me every time." – Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick
“…as useless as nipples on a breastplate.” – George R.R. Martin, almost every book in the series
“Although Ridgeway’s father scorned religious talk, Tom Bird’s testimony on the Great Spirit reminded him of how he felt about iron. He bent to no god save the glowing iron he tended in his forge. He’d read about the great volcanoes, the lost city of Pompeii destroyed by fire that poured out of mountains from deep below. Liquid fire was the very blood of the earth. It was his mission to upset, mash, and draw out the metal into the useful things that made society operate: nails, horseshoes, plows, knives, guns. Chains. Working the spirit, he called it.” – The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
19. Shortest and longest books read (listened to) in 2016?
Longest: Allegiant by Veronica RothVeronica Roth (526 pages)
Shortest: Choir Boy by Tarell Alvin McCraney (60 pages)
Audio
Longest: A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin (Unabridged, 49:00)
Shortest: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (Abridged, 6:00)
20. Book that had a scene in it that had you reeling and dying to talk to someone about it?
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. I needed to talk about how I predicted the ending and was right.
Honor Books:
A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin. (Basically, the whole series.) I was constantly talking to my friends who read the books and watch the shows to compare them back and forth.
21. Favorite relationships in a book read in 2016 (romance, friendship, etc.)?
Arya Stark and Sandor Clegane from A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin. Frenemies to the greatest degree. He hated her and was just kidnapping her for ransom, but there was a sense of protection over her for her well-being. She hated him and wanted to kill him, but there was also trust and learning that she gained from him during their time together.
Honor Books:
Albus Severus Potter and Scorpio Malfoy from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2 by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne. Classic buddy relationship of two feuding families that wanted to keep them apart, but their friendship was just too strong for even time travel to break.
Lizbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. These two made a perfect pair when they finally get together to solve the mystery of missing girls. One’s an old-timey reporter while another is a new age hacker. They make the perfect team.
Jo March and Theodore Laurence from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. They both should and should not be together romantically. It’s frustrating and wonderful.
Connor/Risa and Risa/Cam from UnWholly by Neal Shusterman. Connor and Risa are definitely working on their relationship in the aftermath of everything, but when Risa is taken and forced to pretend to be in a relationship with Cam, there is a little bit of a bud going there in this love triangle.
22. Favorite book you read in 2016 from an author you read previously?
Thanks for the Trouble by Tommy Wallach. I loved We All Looked Up, so I had to read this when I found out he had written another novel.
23. Best book you read in 2016 based solely on a recommendation?
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. My mom and sister really wanted me to start reading Moriarty’s novels. I started with this one, even though they both ruined the ending before I started. I’m looking forward to the HBO series based on this novel.
Honor Books:
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. I finally read it to connect with some juniors reading it in their theology classes, and it was totally worth it.
24. Genre you read the most in 2016?
Science Fiction
25. Best 2016 debut?
Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel.
26. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2016?
Westeros from A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. Amazingly intricate kingdoms, history, customs/traditions – everything about this world is so detailed and thought out. And it’s not just the current setting either but the entire history of everything as well.
Honor Books:
Rakhat from The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. Awesome creation of a new planet with an intricate description of the two sentient beings, their relationships, the balance for power, and the laws and customs in place to keep the status quo.
27. Book that was the most fun to read?
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman. Even though this is a tale about Caden’s mental illness, the overlap between worlds is fun to read. And it gets even more interesting when the symbolic overlaps start to have way more meaning for Caden’s story and recovery towards the end of the novel.
28. Book that made you cry?
No tears this year. Sorry.
29. Book that made you laugh/smile?
Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick. I love Anna Kendrick and have for a while. Getting to read her memoir was a great insight to her humanity and humor on a deeper level than just watching her films or listening to her sing.
30. Book that made you mad?
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. This is a great whodunit about an “accident” gone wrong at an elementary school trivia night parent fundraiser. However, the months building up to the night left me insanely frustrated (in a good way?) with all of these families falling into the trenches of school politics. And then remembering that these were parents of kindergartners going to such lengths? Well, this teacher just wanted to give everyone in the novel a good shake.
31. Book that made you bored?
The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. It’s just talking. It’s not even fun to act out because it is literally just sitting and talking the whole time. Boring.
32. Most forgettable book of 2016?
The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. Baby winds up on booksellers doorstep, he raises her, some more information about the baby is eventually found out at the end, and that’s it. I kept forgetting I read it because it was a pretty neutral book, not bad but not good either.
33. Best hidden gem (book you read that you think got overlooked this year or when it came out)?
The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness. I’m surprised I don’t hear more about him as I do with other authors.
Honor Books:
UnWholly by Neal Shusterman. I’m still fascinated that this Unwind series didn’t blow up like I think it should have. These are so good; how was it not more popular?
2017 Reading in Retrospect: Book Survey
Due to confirmed technical issues from Goodreads, this year's current blog post can be accessed via the link below until the Goodreads support team has fixed the bug.
End of the Year Book Survey
This year, I set a goal to read 45 books, and I achieved this goal by reading 60 titles. I read 42 print titles (+8) for a total of roughly 11,554 pages (+1,267). I listened to 18 audio titles (+1) for a total of 301 hours and 21 minutes (-99:09).
Click here for this year’s results and reflections!
(Results are based on books read during 2017, not only those released in 2017.)
The full post will be updated to its normal format once everything is working properly again.
End of the Year Book Survey
This year, I set a goal to read 45 books, and I achieved this goal by reading 60 titles. I read 42 print titles (+8) for a total of roughly 11,554 pages (+1,267). I listened to 18 audio titles (+1) for a total of 301 hours and 21 minutes (-99:09).
Click here for this year’s results and reflections!
(Results are based on books read during 2017, not only those released in 2017.)
The full post will be updated to its normal format once everything is working properly again.
2018 Reading in Retrospect: Book Survey
Due to exceeding Goodreads's character limit, this year's reading reflection blog post can be accessed via the link below.
End of the Year Book Survey
This year, I set a goal to read 60 books, and I achieved this goal by reading 80 titles (133%). I read 57 print titles (+15) for a total of roughly 14,817 pages (+3,263). I listened to 23 audio titles (+5) for a total of 304 hours and 9 minutes (+2:48).
Click here for this year’s results and reflections!
(Results are based on books read during 2018, not only those released in 2018.)
End of the Year Book Survey
This year, I set a goal to read 60 books, and I achieved this goal by reading 80 titles (133%). I read 57 print titles (+15) for a total of roughly 14,817 pages (+3,263). I listened to 23 audio titles (+5) for a total of 304 hours and 9 minutes (+2:48).
Click here for this year’s results and reflections!
(Results are based on books read during 2018, not only those released in 2018.)
2019 Reading in Retrospect: Book Survey
Due to exceeding Goodreads's character limit, this year's reading reflection blog post can be accessed via the link below.
This year, I set a goal to read 60 books, and I achieved this goal by reading 82 titles (137%). While the number of titles increased, the actual amount of reading was not as much as 2018; 2019 was a busy year. I read 46 print titles (-11) for a total of roughly 11,269 pages (-3,548). It was a big year for audio titles. I listened to 37 audio titles (+14) for a total of 279 hours exactly (-25:09:00).
Click here for this year’s results and reflections!
(Results are based on books read during 2019, not only those released in 2019.)
This year, I set a goal to read 60 books, and I achieved this goal by reading 82 titles (137%). While the number of titles increased, the actual amount of reading was not as much as 2018; 2019 was a busy year. I read 46 print titles (-11) for a total of roughly 11,269 pages (-3,548). It was a big year for audio titles. I listened to 37 audio titles (+14) for a total of 279 hours exactly (-25:09:00).
Click here for this year’s results and reflections!
(Results are based on books read during 2019, not only those released in 2019.)
2020 Reading in Retrospect: Book Survey
Due to exceeding Goodreads's character limit, this year's reading reflection blog post can be accessed via the link below.
This year, I set a goal to read 75 books, and I achieved this goal by reading 82 titles (109%), tying last year’s total. While the number of titles remained the same, the actual amount of reading increased drastically. I read 54 print titles (+8) for a total of roughly 14,663 pages (+3,394). I listened to 27 audio titles (-10) but chose some longer titles for a total of 361 hours and 23 minutes (+82h23m). Here are this year’s results!
Click here for this year’s results and reflections!
(Results are based on books read during 2020, not only those released in 2020.)
This year, I set a goal to read 75 books, and I achieved this goal by reading 82 titles (109%), tying last year’s total. While the number of titles remained the same, the actual amount of reading increased drastically. I read 54 print titles (+8) for a total of roughly 14,663 pages (+3,394). I listened to 27 audio titles (-10) but chose some longer titles for a total of 361 hours and 23 minutes (+82h23m). Here are this year’s results!
Click here for this year’s results and reflections!
(Results are based on books read during 2020, not only those released in 2020.)
