Aw, man. It’s usually hard to choose a favorite book or two every quarter, but this time, it was really hard. (Do I say this every time? I probably say this every time. But it always seems to be the case.)
I think it was made worse this quarter though because I took the month of August as a vacation and was actually able to get some solid pleasure reading in, meaning I read lots more this quarter than I did the rest of the year. YAY for that!
For my top pick this time, I’m going to have to go with a middle grade title, which I do not read a whole lot of, but I adored THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN by Katherine Applegate. I think it may have won the Newbery? Is that true? Because it completely deserved to win if it didn’t.
AHA, yes, it did win the Newbery! Shiny sticker says so!
I am slightly biased toward this book, because it was inspired by a real gorilla named Ivan who lived in my hometown and I remember my grandpa taking me and my brother to see Ivan when we were kids, and how horribly sad he always seemed. So this book both brought back lots of memories, and made for a beautiful story at the same time.
On a completely separate note, my other fav read of the quarter was probably THE COLDEST GIRL IN COLDTOWN by the ever delightful Holly Black.
Holy schnikeys, have you guys all read this yet?! Hottest kiss of the year award, folks. Just sayin’. Loved this addition to the world of vampire lore. LOVED.
As always, my complete reading list is below…
1st Quarter
1. Style, by Lauren Conrad
2 Perfect Chemistry, by Simone Elkeles
3. The Archived, by Victoria Schwab
4. The Madman’s Daughter, by Megan Shepherd
5. For Darkness Shows the Stars, by Diana Peterfreund
6. Shades of Earth, by Beth Revis
7. Suite Scarlett, by Maureen Johnson
8. The Summer Prince, by Alaya Dawn Johnson
9. Fair Coin, by E.C. Myers
10. First Frost, by Liz DeJesus
11. Prodigy, by Marie Lu
2nd Quarter
12. Redshirts, by John Scalzi
13. Ashes, by Ilsa J. Bick
14. Article 5, by Kristen Simmons
15. Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality, by Elizabeth Eulberg
16. Drop Dead Healthy: One Man’s Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection, by A.J. Jacobs
17. Cinder, by Me!
18. Scarlet, by Me!
19. Don’t Expect Magic, by Kathy McCullough
20. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, by Jennifer E. Smith
21. Sailor Twain, or The Mermaid in the Hudson, by Mark Siegel (graphic novel)
22. A Midsummer’s Nightmare, by Kody Keplinger
23. The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
24. Antigoddess, by Kendare Blake
25. Texas Gothic, by Rosemary Clement-Moore
26. Spirit and Dust, by Rosemary Clement-Moore
Third Quarter
27. The Tao of Martha, by Jen Lancaster
28. The Know-it-all, by A.J. Jacobs
29. Book of a Thousand Days, by Shannon Hale
30. This Is What Happy Looks Like, by Jennifer E. Smith
31. Populazzi, by Elise Allen
32. A Week to be Wicked, by Tessa Dare
33. A Lady by Midnight, by Tessa Dare
34. The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern
35. Dead is a Killer Tune, by Marlene Perez
36. Pluto, by Urasawa Tezuka (graphic novel)
37. Clarity, by Kim Harrington
38. The One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate
39. Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong, by Prudence Shen and Faith Erin Hicks (graphic novel)
40. The Madness Underneath, by Maureen Johnson
41. Grave Mercy, by Robin LaFevers
42. Dark Triumph, by Robin LaFevers
43. This Song Will Save Your Life, by Leila Sales
44. Possess, by Gretchen McNeil
45. The Successful Novelist, by David Morrell
46. The Fallout, by S.A. Bodeen
47. Tumble & Fall, by Alexandra Coutts
48. Of Triton, by Anna Banks
49. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, by Holly Black