2011 in Books

Even though it’s already two weeks into the new year, I still wanted to review my reading from 2011. It was my biggest reading year yet! Inspired by some other YA bloggers who read hundreds of books a year, I set my own reading goal at 150 — and I made it (just barely!). For my purposes, I don’t count picture books or easy reading books, but most other books add to the total. Let’s take a look at the breakdowns.

In 2011, I read:

• 94 YA books
• 35 adult books
• 21 kids/MG books
• 30 ebooks
• 15 audiobooks
• 13 graphic novels
• Average rating:3.6/5

Favorite 2011 Releases:
Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt
Hopefully a shoe-in for a Newbery Medal or Honor, Doug Swieteck’s sometimes humorous, sometimes heartbreaking, story got me right in the gut.

Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard
This debut novel about an intense friendship between two girls in rural Wyoming blew me away with lyrical prose that perfectly evoked its setting and made the characters come alive.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
An honest story about the hurt cancer wreaks on a family, from the perspective of a young boy, that expertly incorporates elements of magical realism.

I’ll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan
I adored this heart-wrenching novel about two homeless brothers and their journey to find a place for themselves.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
I didn’t know I could love a book about fallen angels, but I fell in love with this world with its fantastical creatures and its kick-ass, blue-haired heroine.

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
It’s safe to say that Stephanie Perkins has perfected the contemporary YA romance novel with her second installment about two quirky teens in San Francisco.

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan
This space-travel epic is filled with deceit, religious awakenings, coups, romance, and so much more, and is a thrilling, can’t-put-it-down read. Can’t wait for book two!

Pink by Lili Wilkinson
A contemporary novel set in Australia tells an endearing story about an offbeat girl coming to terms with her sexual orientation against a backdrop of theater shenanigans and other fun teen escapades.

Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King
It deals with some intense bullying and imagined Vietnam War scenes, but Lucky’s emotional journey over one summer vacation in Arizona is super compelling and ends optimistically. Lots of rich, well-developed characters here!

Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke
Zita and her best friend get transported to a fantastical planet and go on a grand adventure in this colorful, action-packed, funny graphic novel with an awesome girl protagonist for younger readers.

Non-2011 Releases That I Read and Loved in 2011:
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt
The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
Tales From Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan
Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

(To see all the books I read in 2011 including ratings, visit my LibraryThing page.)

Here’s to another great year of reading!

January 13th, 2012  ♥  Books  ♥  No Comments »