2011 Reads

January

1. The Metropolis Case- Matthew Gallaway (January 4 2011) + Author Interview
2. The Memory Palace- Mira Bartok (January 6 2011)
3. The Lotus Eaters- Tatjana Soli (January 8 2011) + Author Guest Post
4. The Mother Who Stayed- Laura Furman (January 9 2011)
5. XVI- Julia Karr (January 10 2011)
6. Henry's Demons- Patrick Cockburn and Henry Cockburn (January 12 2011)
7. The Girl in The Green Raincoat- Laura Lippman (January 12 2011)
8. Crazy Beautiful- Lauren Bartaz-Logsted (January 13 2011)
9. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand- Helen Simonson (January 13 2011)
10. Twelve- Nick McDonell (January 14 2011)
11. An Exclusive Love- Johanna Adorjan (January 15 2011)
12. Angry Young Man- Chris Lynch (January 15 2011)
13. Cryer's Cross- Lisa McMann (January 16 2011)
14. The Woman in White- Wilkie Collins (January 17 2011)
15. Once Dead, Twice Shy- Kim Harrison (January 18 2011) Audiobook
    
16. Super Sad True Love Story- Gary Shteyngart (January 19 2011)
17. Cloaked- Alex Flinn (January 19 2011)
18. Under the Mercy Trees- Heather Newton (January 20 2011) + Author Interview
19. Darkness Becomes Her- Kelly Keaton (January 21 2011)
20. Small Wars- Sadie Jones (January 23 2011)
21. Bride of New France- Suzanne Desrochers (January 24 2011) 
22. Early to Death, Early to Rise- Kim Harrison (January 26 2011) Audiobook
23. History of a Suicide: My Sister's Unfinished Life- Jill Bialosky (January 26 2011)
24. Wench- Dolen Perkins-Valdez (January 27 2011) 
25. Lonely: Learning to Live with Solitude- Emily White (January 29 2011) + Author Guest Post
26. Revolution: The Year I Fell in Love and Went to Join The War- Deb Olin Unferth (January 30 2011)

February

1. So Much Pretty- Cara Hoffman (February 1 2011)
2. What I Talk About When I Talk About Running- Haruki Murakami (February 2 2011) Audiobook
3. Half in Love: Surviving the Legacy of Suicide- Linda Gray Sexton (February 2 2011) + Author Guest Post
4. Beatrice & Virgil- Yann Martel (February 3 2011) 
5. The Lover's Dictionary- David Levithan (February 3 2011) 
6. The Tempest- William Shakespeare (February 4 2011) 
7. Shadow Tag- Louise Erdrich (February 5 2011) 
8. What We Talk About When We Talk About Love- Raymond Carver (February 5 2011)
9. The Dream of Perpetual Motion- Dexter Palmer (February 6 2011)
10. Delirium- Lauren Oliver (February 8 2011) 
11. The Properties of Water- Hannah Roberts McKinnon (February 9 2011) 
12. The Paris Wife- Paula McLain (February 12 2011)
13. Beastly- Alex Flinn (February 13 2011)
14. Where She Went- Gayle Forman (February 15 2011)  
15. I Am The Messenger- Markus Zusak (February 17 2011) Audiobook
16. The Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus- Margaret Atwood (February 18 2011) Audiobook
17. The Fifth Servant- Kenneth Wishnia (February 19 2011)
18. Oliver Twist- Charles Dickens (February 20 2011)
19. The Other Life- Ellen Meister (February 20 2011) + Author Interview
20. Between Shades of Gray- Ruta Sepetys (February 21 2011)
21. What Comes After- Steve Watkins (February 22 2011) 
22. The Source of All Things- Tracy Ross (February 23 2011)
23. The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus- Sonya Sones (February 24 2011)
24. Bumped- Megan McCafferty (February 25 2011)
25. So Much For That- Lionel Shriver (February 26 2011)
26. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother- Amy Chua (February 28 2011)

March

1. The Postmistress- Sarah Blake (March 1 2011)
2. Die for Me- Amy Plum (March 2 2011) 
3. Wither- Lauren DeStefano (March 4 2011)
4. Lysistrata- Aristophanes (March 5 2011) 
5. The Raising- Laura Kasischke (March 5 2011) + Author Guest Post
6. The House on Salt Hay Road- Carin Clevidence (March 8 2011)
7. The Uncoupling- Meg Wolitzer (March 10 2011) 
8. This Gorgeous Game- Donna Freitas (March 11 2011) 
9. The Unbearable Lightness of Being- Milan Kundera (March 12 2011) 
10. As Long as the Rivers Flow- James Bartleman (March 13 2011) 
11. Imaginary Logic- Rodney Jones (March 15 2011)
12. The Needle- Jennifer Grotz (March 16 2011) 
13. Is- Anne Simpson (March 17 2011) 
14. Boyfriends with Girlfriends- Alex Sanchez (March 18 2011)
15. The Long Goodbye- Meghan O'Rourke (March 18 2011) 
16. A Day in the Life of a Smiling Woman- Margaret Drabble (March 19 2011)
17. New Selected Poems: 1984-2004- Carol Ann Duffy (March 20 2011)  
18. The Beauty of Humanity Movement- Camilla Gibb (March 22 2011)
19. The Running Dream- Wendelin Van Draanen (March 23 2011)
20. The Gathering- Kelley Armstrong (March 25 2011) 
21. Hotel Iris- Yoko Ogawa (March 26 2011) 
22. Blood Magic- Tessa Gratton (March 27 2011) 
23. Nobel Genes- Rune Michaels (March 27 2011)
24. House Rules- Jodi Picoult (March 29 2011) Audiobook
25. A Fierce Radiance- Lauren Belfer (March 29 2011)  
26. The Adults: A Novel- Alison Espach (March 31 2011)

April

1. Underground: A Novel- Antanas Sileika (April 2 2011)
2. Double Shadow- Carl Phillips (April 3 2011)
3. Better Living Through Plastic Explosives- Zsuzsi Gartner (April 4 2011)
4. The Summoning- Kelley Armstrong (April 4 2011) 
5. Stay- Deb Caletti (April 5 2011)
6. The Awakening- Kelley Armstrong (April 6 2011)  
7. Wake- Lisa McMann (April 7 2011) Audiobook
8. The Reckoning- Kelley Armstrong (April 7 2011)
9. The Lipstick Laws- Amy Holder (April 8 2011) 
10. The Pun Also Rises- John Pollack (April 9 2011) + Author Guest Post
11. Fade- Lisa McMann (April 10 2011) Audiobook
12. Small Mechanics- Lorna Crozier (April 11 2011)  
13. Separate Kingdoms- Valerie Laken (April 11 2011)
14. Small Memories- José Saramago (April 13 2011) 
15. Bees: Nature's Little Wonders- Candace Savage (April 16 2011)
16. Wrecker- Summer Wood (April 18 2011) + Author Interview
17. Folk- Jacob McArthur Mooney (April 19 2011)
18. The Sky is Everywhere- Jandy Nelson (April 22 2011) 
19. Bird in a Box- Andrea Davis Pinkney (April 22 2011)  
20. Two Kisses for Maddy- Matthew Logelin (April 24 2011)
21. Anatomy of a Disappearance- Hisham Matar (April 25 2011) 
22. Promise Not To Tell- Jennifer McMahon (April 25 2011)
23. Russian Winter- Daphne Kalotay (April 28 2011)  
24. Origami Dove- Susan Musgrave (April 28 2011) 
25. The Peach Keeper- Sarah Addison Allen (April 29 2011) 
26. Far To Go- Alison Pick (April 30 2011)

May

1. Island of Lost Girls- Jennifer McMahon (May 1 2011)
2. Between Here and Forever- Elizabeth Scott (May 2 2011)
3. Skinny- Diana Spechler (May 3 2011) 
4. Gone- Lisa McMann (May 4 2011) 
5. Abandon- Meg Cabot (May 5 2011)
6. Long Drive Home- Will Allison (May 6 2011)  
7. Mom: A Celebration of Mothers from StoryCorps- Dave Isay (May 8 2011)
8. Don't Breathe a Word- Jennifer McMahon (May 10 2011)
9. Paper Garden- Molly Peacock (May 14 2011) 
10. The Council of Dads- Bruce Feiler (May 23 2011) 
11. The Violets of March- Sarah Jio (May 24 2011) 
12. Divergent- Veronica Roth (May 24 2011)
13. Something Deadly This Way Comes- Kim Harrison (May 31 2011)

June

1. The Filter Bubble- Eli Pariser (June 1 2011)
2. With or Without You- Brian Farrey (June 4 2011)
3. I Wore the Ocean in the Shape of a Girl- Kelle Groom (June 5 2011)
4. The Day Before- Lisa Schroeder (June 14 2011) 
5. Sometimes It Happens- Lauren Barnholdt (June 15 2011) 
6. When God Was a Rabbit- Sarah Winman (June 16 2011) + Author Guest Post
7. Creep- Jennifer Hillier (June 16 2011)
8. Ashes, Ashes- Jo Treggiari (June 19 2011) + Author Guest Post
9. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants- Ann Brashares (June 19 2011)
10. The Second Summer of the Sisterhood- Ann Brashares (June 20 2011) 
11. Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood- Ann Brashares (June 21 2011) 
12. Once Every Never- Lesley Livingston (June 23 2011)
13. Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood- Ann Brashares (June 24 2011)
14. Sisterhood Everlasting- Ann Brashares (June 25 2011) 
15. The Lying Game- Sara Shepard (June 27 2011) Audiobook
16. Thoughts Without Cigarettes- Oscar Hijuelos (June 27 2011)

July

1. Breaking Up With God- Sarah Sentilles (July 1 2011)
2. Noah Barleywater Runs Away- John Boyne (July 3 2011) 
3. Down From Cascom Mountain- Ann Joslin Williams (July 8 2011)
4. The London Train- Tessa Hadley (July 10 2011) 
5. Stone Arabia- Dana Spiotta (July 10 2011) 
6. The Secret Lives of the Four Wives- Lola Shuneyin (July 11 2011) 
7. Blood and Flowers- Penny Blubaugh (July 13 2011) 
8. Before I Go To Sleep- S.J. Watson (July 13 2011) 
9. Everything We Ever Wanted- Sara Shepard (July 14 2011) 
10. Love Begins in Winter- Simon Van Booy (July 15 2011) 
11. Holy Ghost Girl- Donna Johnson (July 15 2011) 
12. Close Your Eyes- Amanda Eyre Ward (July 16 2011)
13. The Rules of the Tunnel- Ned Zeman (July 18 2011)
14. Want To Go Private?- Sarah Darrer Littman (July 19 2011)
15. Across the Universe- Beth Revis (July 19 2011)
16. Forgotten- Cat Patrick (July 20 2011)
17. Vaclav and Lena- Haley Tanner (July 20 2011) 
18. Subject Seven- James A. Moore (July 23 2011) 
19. Unearthly- Cynthia Hand (July 25 2011) Audiobook 
20. Blood Red Road- Moira Young (July 26 2011) 
21. Tunnel Vision- Susan Shaw (July 26 2011)

August

1. Centuries of June- Keith Donohue (August 1 2011)
2. What Language Is- John McWhorter (August 6 2011) 
3. The Book of Lies- Mary Horlock (August 7 2011)
4. The Secret Lives of People in Love- Simon Van Booy (August 8 2011)
5. Beauty Queens- Libba Bray (August 9 2011) Audiobook 
6. Possession- Elana Johnson (August 9 2011) 
7. Everything Beautiful Began After- Simon Van Booy (August 11 2011) 
8. Gluten-Free, Hassle Free- Marlisa Brown (August 11 2011)
9. Paramita, Little Black- Suzanne Robertson (August 12 2011)
10. Don't Kill the Birthday Girl- Sandra Beasley (August 13 2011)
11. The Zoo in Winter- Polina Barskova (August 14 2011)
12. The Diviner's Tale- Bradford Morrow (August 15 2011) Audiobook
13. Addicted: Notes From the Belly of the Beast- edited by Lorna Crozier and Patrick Lane (August 16 2011) 
14. Lost Voices- Sarah Porter (August 17 2011) Audiobook 
15. Vital Signs- Tessa McWatt (August 18 2011) 
16. Ripple- Mandy Hubbard (August 18 2011) 
17. Forgive My Fins- Tera Lynn Childs (August 19 2011) 
18. Stork- Wendy Delsol (August 19 2011) Audiobook 
19. Once a Witch- Carolyn MacCullough (August 21 2011) Audiobook
20. Fins Are Forever- Tera Lynn Childs (August 21 2011)
21. Hereafter- Tara Hudson (August 22 2011) Audiobook
22. Always a Witch- Carolyn MacCullough (August 23 2011) 
23. Sharks in the Rivers- Ada Limón (August 23 2011)
24. Will Grayson, Will Grayson- John Green and David Levithan (August 24 2011) Audiobook 
25. Life as We Knew It- Susan Beth Pfeffer (August  25 2011) Audiobook 
26. The Dead and the Gone- Susan Beth Pfeffer (August 26 2011) Audiobook
27. This World We Live In- Susan Beth Pfeffer (August 26 2011) Audiobook
28. Wherever You Go- Joan Leegant (August 27 2011) + Author Guest Post
29. Along For The Ride- Sarah Dessen (August 29 2011) Audiobook 
30. Insatiable- Meg Cabot (August 31 2011) Audiobook

September

1. Overbite- Meg Cabot (September 3 2011) Audiobook
2. Irma Voth- Miriam Toews (September 4 2011)
3. The Accident- Linwood Barclay (September 5 2011) 
4. Exposed- Kimberly Marcus (September 5 2011) 
5. Cold Kiss- Amy Garvey (September 6 2011) 
6. The Secret Hour- Scott Westerfeld (September 8 2011) Audiobook 
7. Frost- Wendy Delsol (September 9 2011) 
8. Touching Darkness- Scott Westerfeld (September 10 2011) Audiobook 
9. Blue Noon- Scott Westerfeld (September 13 2011) Audiobook 
10. Uglies- Scott Westerfeld (September 15 2011) Audiobook 
11. Swing Low- Miriam Toews (September 18 2011)
12. Pretties- Scott Westerfeld (September 19 2011) Audiobook
13. Specials- Scott Westerfeld (September 23 2011) Audiobook

October

1. Extras- Scott Westerfeld (October 3 2011) Audiobook 
2. A Long, Long Sleep- Anna Sheehan (October 5 2011) Audiobook 
3. The Grief of Others- Leah Hager Cohen (October 9 2011) 
4. Half-Blood Blues- Esi Edugyan (October 12 2011) 
5. Mr. Fox- Helen Oyeyemi (October 16 2011) Audiobook
6. Waiting For Robert Capa- Susana Fortes (October 20 2011) 
7. Prized- Caragh M. O'Brien (October 22 2011) 
8. Practical Jean- Trevor Cole (October 22 2011) 
9. TruthBeauty- Alison Nordstrom (October 23 2011)
10. Liesl & Po- Lauren Oliver (October 27 2011) 
11. Lark- Tracey Porter (October 28 2011) 
12. Love Alone- Emmanuel Kattan (October 30 2011)

November

1. Fracture- Megan Miranda (November 9 2011) 
2. Tankborn- Karen Sandler (November 11 2011) 
3. The Wild Book-  Margarita Engle (November 12 2011)
4. Hallowed- Cynthia Hand (November 14 2011) 
5. The Night Circus- Erin Morgenstern (November 18 2011) Audiobook 
6. Audition- Stasia Ward Kehoe (November 19 2011) 
7. Every You, Every Me- David Levithan (November 19 2011) 
8. Tortured- Caragh M. O'Brien (November 21 2011)
9. May B.- Caroline Starr Rose (November 23 2011)

December
N/A

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Feel As Though Everyone Has Read But Me

Hosted at The Broke and the Bookish

I'm procrastinating and I decided to use it as an excuse to do my first Top Ten Tuesday. I've only included books that I actually want to read- there are plenty that it feels like everyone else has read (*cough* vampires *cough*) that don't interest me. But these do, and I've heard great things about them, so why are they still on my TBR list? Who knows...

1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (Millennium Trilogy)
   I've purchased all of them... but haven't even read a single page yet. I keep meaning to on one of these vacations I don't have where I have hours to devour page after page of thriller. Sigh. Someday, hopefully before the Fincher films are released since I love him so much and will end up watching them and spoiling the books.
2. The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
   I'm about halfway done this one and have been for over a year. I'm not sure what my excuse is, I've read Krauss' other two books and wasn't blown away but this is supposed to be her best, and I loved what I did read. I just need to pick it up again from page one and give it my full attention.
3. Anything by Jonathan Safran Foer (especially Everything Is Illuminated)
   Since Krauss is on this list I figured her husband should be as well, considering I haven't read anything at all by him! He's been recommended to me more times than I can count, and I even borrowed Everything Is Illuminated for about a year from my stepmom, and yet other than ten or fifteen pages I haven't read anything by Foer.
4. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
   This is one of those books I have no idea really what it's about (and please don't tell me!) but I really want to read and even my non-reading friends have told me how great it is. Not sure what my excuse is on this one either.
5. Anything by Jonathan Franzen (especially The Corrections and Freedom)
   Maybe this is so last year since Freedom has been out quite awhile now but with all the hype and rave reviews it feels like everyone else in the world is more familiar with Franzen than I am... someday....
   
   and the YA:
   
6. Matched by Ally Condie
   It seemed as if every book blogger and their mother was raving about Matched last winter, but I only gave it a short try before getting distracted elsewhere (maybe I should call this list "books I want to read but have been distracted from" instead?) Monday an ARC of it's sequel Crossed arrived in my mailbox, so I really have no excuse not to pick this dystopia back up soon.
7. Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
   The fact that this one shows up on so many banned books list might be why I feel like everyone else must have read it, but I finally purchased my own copy (and shipped it to be stored for the next eight months... but progress still!) and I am definitely intrigued to try it eventually.
8. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
   Who doesn't love this book? Nobody, that's who I thought. Recently, Ambur raved to me about it and that triggered me actually purchasing the book (and again shipping it far away for the next eight months) so that I am one step closer to actually reading it.
9. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
   Another universally loved contemporary novel, I'm at least as intrigued by the premise of the book as I am by the author's awesome blue hair. But seriously, I want to read this, I really do. And I should have a copy coming my way soon... so hopefully I'll get a chance before 2011 is over. That way I can find out if it really is that adorable.
10. Anything by Holly Black
    An author with plenty to choose from, all of her books sounds interesting, as do the anthologies she's edited (I recently bought Geektastic but Zombies Vs. Unicorns sounds great as well) but somehow I haven't read any of them. I plan to start with Tithe as I prefer completed series, and I even took it out from the library (at least once...) but so far she's still an author I'm completely unacquainted with.

What books does it feel like everyone else has read but you? Are there any of these you feel I should move to a particularly high place in my TBR pile? Also, how do you feel about Top Ten Tuesday? Too many memes, or something you'd like to see more of?

1st in a Series Challenge 2011

As I plan to be beginning quite a few series this year anyway I figured I might as well join the 1st in a Series Challenge hosted over at A Few More Pages. 

What: Reading the first book in a series

When: January 1st 2011-December 31st 2011

Level: Series Fanatic: Read 20 books that are the first in any series.

Completed:

1. XVI by Julia Karr (XVI, #1) (Review)
2. Once Dead Twice Shy by Kim Harrison (Madison Avery, #1) (Review)
3. Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton (Gods & Monsters, #1) (Review) 
4. Delirium by Lauren Oliver (Delirium, #1) (Review) 
5. Bumped by Megan McCafferty (Bumped, #1) (Review)
6. Die for Me by Amy Plum (Revenants, #1) (Review)
7. Wither by Lauren DeStefano (Chemical Garden, #1) (Review)
8. The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong (Darkness Rising, #1)  (Review)
9. Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton (The Blood Journals, #1) (Review) 
10. The Summoning by Kelly Armstrong (Darkest Powers, #1) (Review)  
11. Wake by Lisa McMann (Dream Catcher, #1) (Review)  
12. Abandon by Meg Cabot (Abandon Trilogy, #1) (Review)
13. Divergent by Veronica Roth (Divergent, #1) (Review)
14. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, #1) (Review) 
15. Once Every Never by Lesley Livingston (Once Every Never, #1) (Review)
16. The Lying Game by Sara Shepard (The Lying Game, #1) (Review)
17. Across the Universe by Beth Revis (Across the Universe, #1) (Review)
18. Subject Seven by James A. Moore (Subject Seven #1) (Review)
19. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand (Unearthly, #1) (Review)
20. Blood Red Road by Moira Young (Dustlands, #1) (Review)
21. Possession by Elana Johnson (Possession, #1) (Review)
22. Lost Voices by Sarah Porter (Lost Voices, #1) (Review)
23. Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs (Fins, #1) (Review)
24. Stork by Wendy Delsol (Stork, #1) (Review)
25. Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough (Witch #1) (Review) 
26. Hereafter by Tara Hudson (Hereafter #1) (Review) 
27. Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer (Last Survivors #1) (Review) 
28. Insatiable by Meg Cabot (Insatiable #1) (Review) 
29. The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld (Midnighters #1) (Review) 
30. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (Uglies, #1) (Review)

 Tentative List:  

1. Sweet Venom by Terra Lynn Childs (Medusa Girls, #1)
2. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Sieg Larsson * (Millennium, #1) 
3. Stray by Rachel Vincent (Shifters, #1)
4. The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter * (Goddess Test, #1)
5. Peeps by Scott Westerfeld * (Peeps, #1)
6. Wings by Aprilynne Pike (Wings, #1)
7. Need by Carrie Jones (Need, #1)
8. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins (Hex Hall, #1)
9. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray (Gemma Doyle, #1)
10. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa * (Iron Fey, #1)
11. Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Faria Stolarz (Touch, #1)
12. Tithe by Holly Black (The Modern Faerie Tales, #1)
13. Matched by Ally Condie (Matched, #1) 
14. Wonderous Strange by Lesley Livingston (Wonderous Strange, #1) 
15. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr (Wicked Lovely, #1)
16. Glimmerglass by Jenna Black (Faeriewalker, #1) 

*Already own either an egalley or a hard copy

Completed: August 9th 2011

2010 Reads

Considering I read 14 books in 2009, making it to 150 in 2010 was a pretty big accomplishment. I also started In The Next Room which has been a great experience. A few of these books still need reviews which will be posted over the next couple weeks and the list will be updated but I figured I would share in the meantime.

In addition, you can read about:
-My favourite adult books
-My favourite poetry books
-My favourite young adult books
-My least favourite adult books
-My least favourite young adult books

Star (*) indicates a reread. AB indicates an Audio Book.

1. Specimen Days- Michael Cunningham (Jan 3 2010)
2. The Guernsey Literary and the Potato Peel Pie Society- Mary Ann Shaffer (Jan 7 2010)
3. Memory Keeper's Daughter- Kim Edwards (Jan 12 2010)
4. Howl and Other Poems- Allen Ginsberg (Feb 17 2010)
5. Push- Sapphire (Feb 18 2010)
6. Love Poems- Carol Ann Duffy (Feb 21 2010)
7. Biomimicry- Innovation Inspired by Nature- Janine M. Benyus (Feb 23 2010)
8. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier- Ishmael Beah (Feb 26 2010)
9. Dear Me: A Letter to My Sixteen-Year-Old-Self- Edited by Rolf Harris Foreward by: Sir Elton John (Feb 26 2010)
10. The Polysyllabic Spree- Nick Hornby (Feb 27 2010)
11. Housekeeping vs. the Dirt- Nick Hornby (Feb 27 2010)
12. Letters to a Young Poet- Rainer Maria Rilke (Feb 28 2010)
13. Ariel- Sylvia Plath* (March 11 2010)
14. Diving into the Wreck- Adrienne Rich (March 26 2010)
15. The Sea House- Esther Freud (April 24 2010)
16. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man- James Joyce (April 29 2010)
17. Satan Says- Sharon Olds (May 2 2010)
18. Night Train to Lisbon- Pascal Mercier (May 5 2010)
19. A Single Man- Christopher Isherwood (May 6 2010)
20. Snuff- Chuck Palahniuk (May 7 2010)
21. The Kite Runner- Khaled Hosseini (May 10 2010)
22. 31 Songs- Nick Hornby (May 13 2010)
23. Notes on a Scandal- Zoe Heller (May 18 2010)
24. The Bishop's Man- Linden MacIntyre (May 21 2010)
25. The Invisible Man- H.G. Wells (June 16th 2010)
26. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella- Stephanie Meyer (June 17 2010)
27. Pretty Dead- Francesca Lia Block (June 20 2010)
28. Dancing Naked: A Novel by Shelley Hrdlitschka (June 21 2010)
29. Standing Female Nude- Carol Ann Duffy (June 22 2010)
30. The Waters & The Wild- Francesca Lia Block (June 23 2010)
31. The Gargoyle- Andrew Davidson (June 26 2010)
32. Your Native Land, Your Life- Adrienne Rich (June 27 2010)
33. This Side of Brightness- Colum McCann (June 27 2010)
34. Shakespeare Wrote for Money- Nick Hornby (June 28 2010)
35. Blood Roses- Francesca Lia Block (June 29 2010)
36. After the Quake: Stories- Haruki Murakami (June 29 2010)
37. The Father- Sharon Olds (July 1 2010)
38. The Art of War- Sun Tzu (July 2 2010)
39. Sputnik Sweetheart- Haruki Murakami (July 3 2010)
40. An Atlas of the Difficult World- Adrienne Rich (July 3 2010)
41. Looking for Alaska- John Green (July 5 2010)
42. An Abundance of Katherines- John Green (July 6 2010)
43. Everything in this Country Must- Colum McCann (July 10 2010)
44. After Dark- Haruki Murakami (July 10 2010)
45. A Thousand Splendid Suns- Khaled Hosseini (July 11 2010)
46. Weight: The Myth of Atlas and Heracles- Jeanette Winterson (July 11 2010)
47. Boy Meets Boy- David Levithan (July 12 2010)
48. The Year of Magical Thinking- Joan Didion (July 13 2010)
49. The Time Machine- H.G. Wells (July 14 2010)
50. Ruby- Francesca Lia Block and Carmen Station (July 14 2010)
51. The Body- Stephen King (July 16 2010) - AB
52. The Graveyard Book- Neil Gaiman (July  20 2010)
53. Julie & Julia- Julie Powell (July 22 2010)
54. Secret Daughter- Shilpi Somaya Gowda (July 23 2010)
55. Harmless- Dana Reinhardt (July 26 2010)
56. What is the What- Dave Eggers (July 26 2010)
57. how to (un)cage a girl- Francesca Lia Block (July 26 2010)
58. Ignorance- Milan Kundera (July 29 2010)
59. Something Wicked This Way Comes- Ray Bradbury (July 30 2010) AB
60. Downtown Owl- Chuck Klosterman (July 31 2010)
61. So Many Ways To Begin- Jon McGregor (August 1 2010)
62. The Boy In The Striped Pajamas- John Boyne (August 3 2010)
63. Zoli- Colum McCann (August 3 2010)
64. Slam- Nick Hornby (August 5 2010)
65. Psyche in a Dress- Francesca Lia Block (August 5 2010)
66. Thirteen Reasons Why- Jay Asher (August 6 2010)
67. Half Broke Horses- Jeannette Walls (August 6 2010)
68. Cleaving- Julie Powell (August 8 2010)
69. Ash- Malinda Lo (August 9 2010)
70. Fahrenheit 451- Ray Bradbury (August 9 2010)- AB
71. Life is Elsewhere- Milan Kundera (August 9 2010)
72. The Two Kinds of Decay- Sarah Manguso (August 9 2010)
73. The Adventures of a Photographer in La Plata by Adolfo Bioy Casares (August 10 2010)
74. The Book Thief- Markus Zusak (August 11 2010)
75. Once Was Lost- Sara Zarr (August 12 2010)
76. Written on the Body- Jeanette Winterson (August 12 2010)
77. Wintergirls- Laurie Halse Anderson (August 13 2010)
78. Define Normal-Julie Anne Peters (August 13 2010)
79. Water For Elephants- Sara Gruen (August 16 2010)
80. After- Amy Efaw (August 18 2010)
81. Primavera- Francesca Lia Block (August 18 2010)
82. Identity- Milan Kundera (August 19 2010)
83. I Know Some Things- Edited by Lorrie Moore (August 22 2010)
84. Crank- Ellen Hopkins (August 23 2010)
85. Night- Elie Wiesel (August 25 2010) AB
86. Vanishing And Other Stories- Deborah Willis (August 25 2010)
87. Keeping the Moon- Sarah Dessen (August 26 2010)
88. Both Ways Is The Only Way I Want It- Maile Meloy (August 26 2010)
89. The Martian Chronicles- Ray Bradbury (August 30 2010) AB
90. If I Stay- Gayle Forman (September 2 2010)
91. Dancer- Colum McCann (September 4 2010)
92. I'd Know You Anywhere- Laura Lippman (September 5 2010)
93. How To Talk To A Widower- Jonathan Tropper (September 7 2010)
94. Identical- Ellen Hopkins (September 8 2010)
95. The Dream of a Common Language: Poems, 1974-1977- Adrienne Rich (September 9 2010)
96. Almost Perfect- Brian Katcher (September 10 2010)
97. The Lacuna- Barbara Kingsolver (September 14 2010)
98. Madness: A Bipolar Life- Marya Hornbacher (September 15 2010)
99. The Hunger Games- Suzanne Collins (September 17 2010)
100. My Name Is Memory- Ann Brashares (September 18 2010)
101. Tell All- Chuck Palahniuk (September 18 2010)
102. Ape House- Sara Gruen (September 20 2010)
103. This Is Where I Leave You- Jonathan Tropper (September 21 2010)
104. Burned- Ellen Hopkins (September 22 2010)
105. Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures: Stories- Vincent Lam (September 25 2010)
106. Serendipity Market- Penny Blubaugh (September 25 2010)
107. Prom Nights From Hell- Meg Cabot, Kim Harrison, Michele Jaffe, Stephanie Meyer and Lauren Myracle (September 27 2010)
108. Up From The Blue- Susan Henderson (October 2 2010)
109. Glass- Ellen Hopkins (October 3 2010)
110. The Recipe Club- Andrea Israel and Nancy Garfinkel (October 4 2010)
111. Birthday Letters- Ted Hughes (October 5 2010)
112. Twisted- Laurie Halse Anderson (October 6 2010)
113. Veronika Decides to Die- Paulo Coelho (October 8 2010)
114. The Next Queen of Heaven- Gregory Maguire (October 10 2010)
115. Fire in the Blood- Irène Némirovsky (October 11 2010)
116. Chains- Laurie Halse Anderson (October 12 2010)
117. Like a Man Gone Mad- Samuel Hazo (October 13 2010)
118. As the Sycamore Grows- Jennie Helderman (October 14 2010)
119. Ruby and the Stone Age Diet- Martin Millar (October 15 2010)
120. The Art of Disappearing- Ivy Pochoda (October 17 2010) + Author Interview
121. Stopping for Death- Selected by Carol Ann Duffy (October 17 2010)
122. The Mermaid's Pendant- LeAnn Neal Reilly (October 20 2010)
123. Dash and Lily's Book of Dares- Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (October 20 2010)
124. Great House- Nicole Krauss (October 22 2010)
125. Catalyst- Laurie Halse Anderson (October 30 2010)
126. Of Bees and Mist- Erick Setiawan (October 30 2010)
127. All I Ever Wanted- Kristin Higgins (November 3 2010)
128. Bones of Faerie- Janni Lee Simner (November 3 2010)
129. Arsenic and Clam Chowder: Murder in Gilded Age New York- James D. Livingston (November 5 2010)
130. Unstoppable in Stilettos- Lauren Ruotolo (November 6 2010)
131. By Nightfall- Michael Cunningham (November 7 2010)
132. Everything I Never Wanted To Be- Dina Kucera (November 7 2010)
133. The Everafter- Amy Huntley (November 8 2010)
134. Birthmarked- Caragh M. O'Brien (November 10 2010)
135. Catching Fire- Suzanne Collins (November 10 2010)
136. Mockingjay- Suzanne Collins (November 11 2010)
137. Outside the Ordinary World- Dori Ostermiller (November 20 2010)
138. Heidegger's Glasses- Thaisa Frank (November 28 2010)
139. Stay With Me- Sandra Barron Rodriguez (December 4 2010)
140. Choker- Elizabeth Woods (December 10 2010)
141. Salting Roses- Lorelle Marinello (December 11 2010)
142. The Alchemist: A Graphic Novel- Paulo Coelho (December 12 2010)
143. Every Riven Thing- Christian Wiman (December 13 2010)
144. Left Neglected- Lisa Genova (December 16 2010)
145. A Secret Gift- Ted Gup (December 18 2010)
146. Room- Emma Donoghue (December 23 2010)
147. Bending Toward the Sun- Leslie Gilbert-Lurie with Rita Lurie (December 24 2010)
148. Lost Lustre- Josh Karlen (December 26 2010)
149. Slice of Cherry- Dia Reeves (December 27 2010)
150. The Weird Sisters- Eleanor Brown (December 30 2010) + Author Interview

2011 Debut Author Challenge

Hosted by the Story Siren after contemplating it for awhile I have decided to join the Debut Author Challenge.

What: Reading young adult books by authors debuting in 2011

When: January 1st 2011-December 31st 2011

Level: Read at least twelve books by debut YA authors

Completed:

1. XVI by Julia Karr (Review) 
2. Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton (Review) 
3. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (Review)
4. Bumped by Megan McCafferty (Review) 
5. Die for Me by Amy Plum (Review)
6. Wither by Lauren DeStefano (Review)
7. Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton (Review) 
8. The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder (Review)
9. Divergent by Veronica Roth (Review)
10. With or Without You by Brian Farrey (Review) 
11. Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari (Review)
12. Across the Universe by Beth Revis (Review)
13. Forgotten by Cat Patrick (Review)
14. Vaclav and Lena by Haley Tanner (Review) 
15. Subject Seven by James A. Moore (Review)
16. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand (Review) 
17. Blood Red Road by Moira Young (Review) 
18. Possession by Elana Johnson (Review)
19. Lost Voices by Sarah Porter (Review) 
20. Hereafter by Tara Hudson (Review)
21. Exposed by Kimberly Marcus (Review)
22. Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey (Review) 
23. A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan (Review) 
24. Audition by Stasia Ward Kehoe (Review)

Already reviewed: Choker by Elizabeth Woods 

Completed: July 19 2011

Favourite Books of 2010- Adult

2010 was the year I got back into reading again, and I read a slew of incredible literature of which this list is just a taste. I fully recommend all these books (listed by preference) and I can only hope that 2011 is as amazing. 

Honorable Mentions:
-The Guernsey Literary and the Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
-The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
-After the Quake by Haruki Murakami
-Identity by Milan Kundera
-Written on the Body by Jeannette Winterson
-This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper
-Fire in the Blood by Irène Némirovsky
-Left Neglected by Lisa Genova

10. Zoli by Colum McCann (Review)

9. So Many Ways to Begin by Jon McGregor (Review)

8. Notes on a Scandal by Zoe Heller 

7. The Bishop's Man by Linden MacIntyre

6. Vanishing and Other Stories by Deborah Willis (Review)

5. A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood (Review)

4. By Nightfall by Michael Cunningham (Review)

3. The Art of Disappearing by Ivy Pochoda (Review)

2. Half-Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls (Review)

And the number one book I read in 2010 is..

1. The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson (Review)

Favourite Books of 2010- Young Adult

I rediscovered Young Adult literature this year after basically ignoring it since I was in the intended audience (ie: highschool) and I'm so glad I did. Although there were definitely some duds, there is also a whole wonderful world of YA novels out there that some many adults miss out on by thinking they've outgrown them. So I've decided to share my top nine favourite YA books of the year. I realize a top nine is a little funny, but I'd rather keep it at nine than add tenth book that doesn't deserve to be there.

These are books that I think transcend the young adult border and would be excellent for readers of any age, because really, you're never too old for a good book. I have tried to discriminate in the order I listed the books, but I definitely recommend all nine. I have decided not to include my own ramblings about these books as I have already reviewed eight of them and links are available beside the titles for those interested in learning more.  

9. 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher (Review)

8. The Waters and the Wild by Francesca Lia Block (Review)

7. Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (Review)

6. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Review)

5. Looking for Alaska by John Green

4. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (Review)

3. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Review)

2. Crank by Ellen Hopkins (Review)

Honorable mention: Glass by Ellen Hopkins, the follow up to Crank.

1. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson (Review)

Did you have any incredible young adult reading experiences in 2010? If so, definitely share them in the comments so I can make sure to pick up the books in 2011. 

Favourite Books of 2010- Poetry

I love poetry but I'm really picky about it. I have a fondness for vivid symbolism and bright metaphors, sharp language and confessional style-writing. In 2010 I read fifteen collections and of those four could be considered favourites- of which I only originally reviewed on, so I am sharing a small synopsis now. They are listed in no particular order, and they are all small collections worthwhile even if you consider yourself not a fan of poetry.

1. Love Poems by Carol Ann Duffy 

Love Poems was my first introduction to Carol Ann Duffy, and may have been a bit biased due to the fact that it's actually a selection from various other collections. This year I also read Standing Nude Female by Duffy, as well as a collection she edited, Stopping for Death. As evident from the title, Love Poems is a collection is full of poems about love. However Duffy doesn't rely on the obvious route and so instead of simply roses and candles her words are sharp with raw edges of emotion and beauty.

2. Diving Into The Wreck by Adrienne Rich

Following Diving Into The Wreck I read three other collections by Adrienne Rich including The Dream of a Common Language, but none of them measured up to my initial love, a fact which is especially impressive when you consider that Diving Into The Wreck (along with Satan Say and Ariel) was actually read for an English class I took and had to suffer through extensive analysis. In the collection Rich has an incredible ability to play with the idea of gender as well as language- challenging the reader's preconceptions about both. In Diving Into The Wreck Rich manages to combine the personal and the political in a way unlike any other poet I have read, and she does so with incredible power.

3. Satan Says by Sharon Olds (Review)

I don't have too much to say about Sharon Olds' incredible debut collection Satan Says that didn't make it into my initial review, except to note that although the shock associated with the graphic nature of her poetry- addressing topics like incest and abuse- as well as a significant amount of profanity, certainly lessens over time. What doesn't lessen is the mark that Satan Says carves into your mind, Olds' incredible ability to capture darkness and leave behind raw and unforgettable poems.

4. Ariel by Sylvia Plath (reread)

Along with Sylvia Plath's Collected Poems, Ariel was basically my poetry Bible in highschool and for that reason it is very difficult to review from any sort of critical perspective. What I did realize upon rereading Ariel this year though, is that the beauty and power of Plath's poetry is not restricted to bleeding heart teenagers. Reading the collection again as well as discussing it for my American Poetry class made me recognize that the power of Ariel is that there is something new to discover every time you read the book, and in Plath's metaphors and confessions each reader is able to find their own message.

Did you read any incredible poetry collections in 2010? I am definitely interested in new suggestions as I am fairly picky when it comes to poets and could always use an introduction to new ones.