Best Books That I Read in 2010

I didn't read a lot of books by any means, and hardly any debut novels, which is lame. But anyway, here are my favorites..

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli - Wonderful book about being true to one self. Stargirl is a character that I aspire to be. 

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin (review to come) - Told from the view of a girl that is dead is always interesting. Definitely a book that makes you think about the afterlife, I know I did! 

Nothing Like You by Lauren Strasnick - I read this in one setting. Short but very amazing. I'm sad that I didn't get my hands on Strasnick 2010 book! 

Viola In Reel Life by Adriana Trigiani - Boarding school at its best. Lots of film and theatre aspects! I can't wait to read the sequel!! 

The Summer series by Jenny Han  (reviews to come) - Great characters and even though it's a summer read it still has lots of depth. I can't wait to get my hands on the final book!          

                       

Perfect Chemistry and Rules of Attractions by Simone Elkeles - HOT!! I can not wait for the third book! 

My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, and Fenway Park - GLBT, BOSTON RED SOX, BROADWAY. Could this book get any better?!

The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins (reviews to come) - You've seen all the wonderful reviews of this book; they are absolutely right! Because of this series (which I just ate up and even got to go to Chicago and see Collins) I now have a craving for dystopian novels! Thankfully, there will be a few of these coming out this year! 

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart - E. Lockhart is fabulous! This book features FEMINISM (I'm a feminist, obviously) and BOARDING SCHOOLs AND SERCET SOCIETY. I am in love. One of my favorite books ever. 

Graphic Novels Challenge 2010

I wasn't going to join anymore challenges at least until I've got halfway through the ones I'm already doing...but I have never, ever read a graphic novel before. One of my closest friends loves graphic novels (and is currently writing/drawing one) and I have to see why they're so popular! To sign up GO HERE!

Rules/Guidelines:

• The challenge starts on January 1st 2010 and ends on December 31st (but we don't mind you starting early.)
• You don't have to make a list beforehand (but you can, of course! Lists are great because they give ideas to people who aren't sure what to read. And if you do make one, don't feel forced to stick to it!)
• We simplified the levels of participation: you can be a Beginner (3 Comics or Graphic Novels), Intermediate(3-10) or an Expert (10+). You're more than free to adjust your level of participation after the challenge has begun.
• There will be mini-challenges! Look for a post with more info on that soon.
• Overlaps with other challenges are totally fine.

I'm actually going for the Expert level! I actually want to try for at least 15. Below are the books I plan on reading for this challenge. I will link back as soon as I review them!

Graphic Novels:

1. Steady Beat, Volume 1 by Rivkah

2. Steady Beat, Volume 2 by Rivkah

3. A Mess of Everything by Miss Lasko-Gross

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Allison Bechdel

Impostor's Daughter, The by Laurie Sandell

Plain Janes, The by Cecil Castellucci

Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Vol. 1 by Stephenie Meyer, Young Kim

Hogwarts Reading Challenge

The moment I saw about this challenge (a couple minutes ago) I could not resist doing it! Anyone who knows me knows that I'm obsessed with Harry Potter and this is a wicked cool challenge! CLICK HERE to sign up.

The challenge started on March 8 and will be going on until December 13, 2010. First and foremost you must take the Sorting Hat quiz to determine which house you'll be in. The Hat has spoken and I have been put into.......

Ravenclaw! (I'm actually a bit surprised. I thought for sure I would've been put into Slytherin...you know because of my wicked and cunning ways!) :)

"Each book you read must fit in to the subject of one the classes. You do not have to read books that fit all the subjects. Each book equals one point (toward the house cup)." If you read a Harry Potter book that is worth 25 pts.

Transfiguration - read any book that has trans or figure in its title, is about shape shifting, has a shape shifter in it, or is about anything having to do with changing one thing into another

Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow

Defence Against the Dark Arts - read any book that has defence(defense), dark and/or art(s) in its title, read any book that is about self defense, war, history of war/marital arts, murder mysteries

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

Charms - read any book that has charm in its title, any book that deals with gives something or someone a new aspect (for example the nerdy guy become a handsome doctor)

Potions - read any book that has potion in its title, cookbooks count but you must cook at least one recipe out of the book

Astronomy - read any book that has astronomy in its title, books about planets, stars, etc, sci-fi

History of Magic - read any book that has history or magic in its title, books about magic, witches, etc

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Herbology - read any book that has herb in its title, again cookbooks count and again you must cook at least one recipe out of the book

Arithmancy - read any book that has arithmancy in its title, any book with a number in its title, any book that deal with numbers or math

Numbers by Rachel Ward

Ancient Runes - read any book that has ancient or runes in its title, books about historical places like the pyramids, Stonehenge, great wall of china, or any book about symbols

Divination - read any book that has divine in its title, any book about psychics or psychic abilities, tarot reading etc

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Care of Magical Creatures - read any book that has magical or creatures in its title, about supernatural beings

Beautiful Creatures by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia

Muggle Studies - nearly any book works here, what better why to understand Muggle than to read what they read

I plan on reading a book for each category! I will be adding titles to this post as time goes on. Any suggestions for the categories I don't already have would be awesome! Especially for the potions and herbology one. I don't know any titles with herb or potion in it and I don't want to use a cookbook...

SEA ARC GIVEAWAY!

SEA by Heidi R. Kling--Available Bookstores everywhere June 10, 2010! And pre-order now!

Haunted by recurring nightmares since her mother's accidental disappearance over the Indian ocean three years before, fifteen year old California girl Sienna "Sea" Jones reluctantly travels with her father's volunteer team to six months post-tsunami Indonesia. During her stay at the orphanage, she meets scarred and soulful Deni who is more like Sea than anyone she has ever met. She knows they can't be together, so why can't she stay away from him? And what about her old-best-friend-turned-suddenly-hot Spider who may or may not be waiting for her back home? And why is her psychiatrist father so secretive about her mother's plane crash? The farther she gets from home, the closer she comes to the truth. And Sea's real adventure begins.

Here are so nice words about SEA.

"Heidi R. Kling takes us on a journey to an unfamiliar geography, but where we all recognize the emotional vocabulary of loss and grief, of attraction and love. And we long to speak the language." --Vivian Leal, Kepler’s Books

"Heartbreaking but always hopeful; achingly romantic but never sappy-- SEA is simply luminous. What a remarkable debut!" -- Jennifer Laughran, "Not Your Mother's Book Club" Books Inc., San Francisco

"SEA is a richly woven story as turbulent and beautiful as the sea itself, plunging us headlong into the depths of loss, devastation, compassion, and hope. A touching and romantic debut about the redemptive power of altruism and the heart's capacity for love."Sarah Ockler, author of TWENTY BOY SUMMER

Heidi R. Kling is giving away 2 signed ARCs of SEA! To enter GO TO HEIDI'S LIVEJOURNAL!

GLBT Mini Challenge for February

The February mini-challenge for The GLBT Challenge is to read a GLBT book, short story, poem(s), or essay by or about a person of color.

I was actually planning on reading Ash for this challenge as it follows under POC and GLBT, but the book has been checked out of my school's library so instead I'll be sharing an article that I found on African American Literature: Lesbian.

Here is one section of it..

"The Harlem Renaissance

Although African-American lesbian literature could be said to have its beginnings in the lesbian, gay, and bisexual culture that flourished during the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and early 1930s, black lesbians' self-naming process occurred only in an ambivalent, highly coded fashion. The increased sexual freedom and openness that made it possible for black gay and bisexual male writers like Richard Bruce Nugent, Wallace Thurman, and Claude McKay to produce gay-identified texts had a less obvious impact on women.

Although a number of lesbian and bisexual blues singers--including Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, Josephine Baker, and Ethel Waters--attained a level of sexual openness in their music, these women generally hid their same-sex relationships behind a public guise of heterosexuality. Only rarely did their lyrics even allude to their sexual desire for other women, and generally all such allusions were tinged with an ambivalence suggesting an elusive sexuality. In "Prove It on Me Blues," for instance, Ma Rainey simultaneously celebrates and denies her sexual preference by daring her listeners to "prove it" on her.

This ambivalence is even more pronounced in texts by middle-class Harlem Renaissance lesbian and bisexual women writers. In addition to the sexism that made it difficult for early twentieth-century women of any color to adopt openly lesbian lifestyles and identities, the highly sexualized images of black women that developed during slavery to justify the institutionalized rape of enslaved women made it even less likely that African-American bisexual and lesbian writers would risk inadvertently confirming these stereotypes by depicting their sexuality in print.

The writings of Alice Dunbar-Nelson, Angelina Weld Grimké, and Nella Larsen illustrate the effects of this culturally imposed self-silencing. Although Gloria Hull has uncovered journal evidence indicating that Alice Dunbar-Nelson was romantically involved with both women and men and that Angelina Weld Grimké had at least one woman lover, these signs of bisexual and lesbian desire appear only in highly veiled form in Dunbar-Nelson's and Grimké's published works.

A similar type of sexual encoding can be found in Nella Larsen's Passing (1929). Ostensibly an exploration of racial passing, this novella can also be read as an account of the growing sexual attraction between its two protagonists, Irene Redfield and Clare Kendry. As Debra McDowell notes in her 1986 introduction to Passing, the title has more than one meaning: Just as Clare Kendry passes as white, Passingitself passes as heterosexual, hiding its homoerotic subtext beneath the more obvious racialized theme."

I found this section on the Harlem Renaissance very interesting. I didn't even know this part about it and I will definitely be looking more into this!

*Click here to see what books I'll be reading for the GLBT challenge.

POC Reading Challenge

I love reading books that feature POC! So, I definitely was already going to be doing this challenge, but I decided to go ahead and make it official! You can click the button at the top of this post or just click HERE to sign up!

*I will be participating in Level 5. Which is reading 16-25 POC books!

1. Life of Pi by Yann Martel

2. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

3. My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins and Fenway Park by Steve Kluger

4. Rules of Attractions by Simone Elkeles

5. Riot by Walter Dean Myers

6. Push by Sapphire

Here are some books I hope to read:

8th Grade Superzero by Olugbemisola Rhuday Perkovich

Ash by Malinda Lo

Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

Conception by Kalisha Buckhanon

The First Part last by Angela Johnson

The God Box by Alex Sanchez

Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Out of my Mind by Sharon M. Draper

She's So Money by Cherry Cheva

Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon

Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher

GLBT Mini Challenge for January

The January mini-challenge at the Challenge That Dare Not Speak Its Name is to write a paragraph or so about why the GLBT challenge/or issue is important to you.

WHY the GLBT challenge is important to me: I have always been a very open minded person. I do not care one bit if you are gay, straight, bi, transgendered or whatever. The world is filled with so many problems and I hate that people think that being gay is one of them; it definitely isn't.

Last year, my freshmen year of HS, I joined the GSA club, which is Gay Straight Alliance. It was such a different experience from what I'm used to. There weren't many regular members only around 10. Sometime in February we hosted an event where other high school students that were members of GSA or whatever came. Although, I'm sure I was one of the few straight people there, it was a pretty awesome experience. There were workshops like Gays in history, a senator of Missouri (Kansas City) who is openly gay came, and lots of other cool things. This year, I'm not in GSA. Mainly because I have sports and theatre and stuff. I have absolutely no time for it. Also, ever since the woman who sponsored us last year went to another school and someone else took over, I don't think anyone really goes to it anymore.

I think it is wicked important that GLBT in literature. There aren't that many books out there that include GLBT characters. You love who you love and you are who you are. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

*If you want to check out what books I'll be reading for the GLBT Challenge.

The 10 in '10 Chick Lit Challenge

The 10 in '10 Teen Chick Lit Challenge! Co-hosted by teen book blogger Jessica (www.chicklitteens.com) and YA author Kay Cassidy (www.kaycassidy.com), the 10 in '10 Teen Chick Lit Challenge is your chance to read some fabulous teen chick lit books with other chick lit fans. The challenge runs from January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2010.

To check out the challenge CLICK HERE!

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison

Boys, Girls and Other Hazardous Materials by Rosalind Wiseman

The Cupcake Queen by Heather Hepler

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

For Keeps by Natasha Friend

Gossip Girl #1 by Cecily Von Ziegesar

The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker

The Naughty List by Suzanne Young

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Rules of Attractions by Simone Elkeles

Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson

Scones and Sensibility by Lindsey Eland

The Six Rules of Maybe by Deb Caletti

Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

2010 Challenges

• Summer Break Reading Challenge

• GLBT Challenge

• Debut Author Challenge

• POC Challenge

• Gilmore Girls Challenge

• 3 4 5 Reading Challenge

• Hogwarts Reading Challenge

• Graphic Novels Challenge

• 100+ Challenge

• 10 in '10 Chick Lit Challenge

Another year down...

The start of a New Year is always good. When you go back to school you have an A in all of your classes. You're getting a fresh start and what could be better than that? I know there are people that don't believe that people are actually going to change their ways just because there's a new year. I don't believe that you can change over night but if you're willing to put effort into keeping your resolutions or whatnot, then, yes. I believe you can change what you want.

My blog/book goals:

• Post at least 3-4 times a week. MORE reviews!!!

• More interviews!

• More contests! I really want to but I don't have a lot of money, but hopefully I can save up and give them.

• Get better rating system.

• Follow through with my challenges

My personal goals/resolutions for myself:

• STUDY STUDY STUDY. I want to get really good grades for this semester. The hardest class for me is Algebra II Honors; I'm not passing as of late. I need to focus more and come to tutoring every morning. English 10 Honors, Health, Theatre Arts and French 2 are most likely going to be an A. Biology Honors I can do if I study for the tests and pick good partners for the projects. I need to get at least a B for the year so I can take AP bio my senior year. AP US History. If I do my DBQs and essays then I can pass the class with a C or B. Math...*sigh* I don't think I'll be taking precalc next year....

• Get my drivers permit/license. My mother won't take me to get my permit but I turn 16 in May and I need to learn how to drive.

• Work harder at sports. I want to finish swimming season with lots of seconds of my events. I want to score some goals and hopefully make the varsity soccer team. Of all the sports, I think I have the best chance with soccer. I want to run until my legs give out and then some more. I want to do at least 2 running events during the summer (I know I'll do Race For The Cure again) and by the time cross country starts back up, I want run a 5k in 24 minutes.

• Write every single day. I have a lot of story ideas and all I need now is to get the words onto paper.

• Get better at piano. My lessons on Saturday, but if it isn't a swimming meet, I have set construction or cross country meet. I need to go every single week.

• Be nicer. Now, I'm not too mean or anything, but I could be so much nicer. A lot of people say I'm too nice, but I feel as if I could do more. This year I've met a few people (2 people jump right up in my mind) who have inspired me with their kindness. Never in my life I have met anyone as nice as them.

• Get a job. I'll probably have to settle for summer only or babysitting but I need money!!!

• Have more confidence and be happy!

I can't say I'm even going to miss 2009. Nothing too great has happened. However, I'm sad that my 2009 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince wall calendar and Boston Red Sox flip calendar will be gone.

Here's to a new decade! Thank you for all of you who follow me!

Oh and here's a song for ya!

100+ Reading Challenge

If school, sports, and all the other things in my life will let me, I am going to try and read 100+ books in 2010!

Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010. Books started before the 1st do not count.

To sign up and learn more about this challenge go HERE.

___________________________________________________________

BOOKS READ IN 2010.

1. Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers

2. Viola In Reel Life by Adriana Trigiani

3. Nothing Like You by Lauren Strasnick

4. Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott

5. Life of Pi by Yann Martel

6. The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

7. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

8. House Rules by Jodi Picoult

9. Gone by Lisa McMann

10. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

11. Steady Beat, Volume 1 by Rivkah

12. Steady Beat, Volume 2 by Rivkah

13. A Mess of Everything by Miss Lasko-Gross

14. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

15. My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, and Fenway Park by Steve Kluger

16. Boys, Girls, and Other Hazardous Materials by Rosalind Wiseman

17. Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott

18. Rules of Attractions by Simone Elkeles

19. David Inside Out by Lee Bantle

20. Kiss It by Erin Downing

21. Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

22. Riot by Walter Dean Myers

23. Push by Sapphire

24. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

25. Unexpected Development by Marlene Perez
26. Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols
27. Dramacon, Volume 1 by Svetlana Chmakova
28. Dramacon, Volume 2 by Svetlana Chmakova
29. Dramacon, Volume 3 by Svetlana Chmakova
30. Psych Major Syndrome by Alicia Thompson
31. Memoirs of an Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
32. The Crucible by Arthur Miller
33. Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
34. Fat Cat by Robin Brande
35. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
36. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
37. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
38. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
39. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
40. It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han
41. Shug by Jenny Han
42. I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan

:)

Gilmore Girls Reading Challenge

There's this really awesome contest that I just had to join! It's the Gilmore Girls Reading Challenge. I watch the show whenever I can, I haven't seen all the episodes or anything, but I definitely enjoy it. Here is some info on this challenge:

There are three levels of participation:

• Emily: Read 5 books from at least two different categories.
• Lorelai: Read 10 books from at least three different categories.
• Rory: Read 20 books from at least four different categories.

Right now, I'm going to stick with the Lorelai level. Here are some of my choices:

Classics

The Sonnets by William Shakespeare

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Children/Young Adult

The Outsiders by S.E. Hilton

Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers

Stuart Little E.B. White

Modern Classics

The Crucible by Arthur Miller

1984 by George Orwell

Nonfiction

On The Road by Jack Kerouac

Other

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugenides

High Fidelity by Nick Hornsby

Girl, Interrupted by Susan Kaysen

Letter's to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke

Sophie's Choice by William Styron

*To sign up go HERE

GLBT Challenge 2010

I just saw this challenge over at GLBT Reading Blog and thought it would be great! I love reading GLBT books, especially those that fall under YA category.

Rules/Guidelines:

The basic idea of this challenge is to read books about GLBT topics and/or by GLBT authors. The challenge runs year-round, and there will be three levels of participation:

• Lambda Level: Read 4 books.
• Pink Triangle Level: Read 8 books.
• Rainbow Level: Read 12 or more books.

My goal is to read at least 8 for now, but hopefully I'll get to the Rainbow level. Please leave suggestions for (YA) GLBT books that I could read. I don't know very many. If you know of any GLBT books that are coming out this year, that are also debut books let me know!

1. Steady Beat, Volume 1 by Rivkah

2. Steady Beat, Volume 2 by Rivkah

3. My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, and Fenway Park by Steve Kluger

4. David Inside Out by Lee Bantle

My list:

Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher

Ash by Malinda Lo

The God Box by Alex Sanchez

Hero by Perry Moore

Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Peters

Kissing Kate by Lauren Myracle

My Invented Life by Lauren Bjorkman

Parrotfish by Ellen Wittlinger

Sprout by Dale Peck

Mini challenges:

January

February

March

April

I found a really awesome list on goodreads that helped me to choose some books: Best YA Fiction with GLBTQQI theams/characters

Another EXCELLENT LIST!

To sign up for this challenge go HERE.

2010 Debut Author Challenge

I am wicked excited to join the 2010 Debut Author Challenge, which is my first book challenge! C:

This challenge is being hosted by Kristi from THE STORY SIREN.

INFO from Kristi:

What is the 2010 Debut Author Challenge?

• The objective is to read a set number of YA (Young Adult) or MG (Middle Grade) novels from debut authors published this year.* I'm going to challenge everyone to read at least 12 debut novels! I’m hoping to read at least 30! You don’t have to list your choices right away, but if you do feel free to change them throughout the year. I will also be focusing on mostly Young Adult novels.
• Anyone can join, you don’t need a blog to participate. If you don’t have a blog you can always share your views by posting a review on Amazon.com/BarnesandNoble.com/GoodReads/Shelfari, or any other bookish site.
• The challenge will run from January 1, 2010- December 31, 2010. You can join at anytime!

Here are some of the books that I plan on reading. My goal is to read and review at least 20.

1. The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

8th Grade Superzero by Olugbemisola Rhuday Perkovich

13 To Life: A Werewolf's Tale by Shannon Delany

All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab

Anna and the Boy Masterpiece (Anna and the French Kiss) by Stephanie Perkins

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy

The Deathday Letter by Shaun Hutchinson

Explorer X-Alpha by LM. Preston

Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White

Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

A Love Story: Starring My Dead Best Friend by Emily Horner

The Mark by Jen Nadol

A Match Made In High School by Kristin Walker

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

The Naughty List by Suzanne Young

Palace Beautiful by Sarah Dedford Williams

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard

The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

The Snowball Effect by Holly Nicole Hoxter

The Vinyl Princess by Yvonne Prinz

Wish by Alexandra Bullen

*To sign up go HERE.