I didn't set a reading goal on the number of books I wanted to read this year, nor will I this year. I just want to read and enjoy it and not worry about counting. Though I am happy that I read more books this year than since I was a teen! The last ten years of being a mom took me away from reading just for myself. Sure I read tons of board books and picture books (and I do loooooove picture books), but I never relaxed and read just for myself. 2009 changed all that. I enjoyed reading the Harry Potter series with my oldest, then went on to the Twilight series, and on and on. I loved reading recommendations from fellow bloggers, and I loved reading blueboarder's or blogger's very own books!So my total of MG/YA/adult books was just under 20, but that's 18 more than I read in years! :) I also read many, many early chapter books, picture books and books of poetry this year as well.
Here are some of my favorites from this year:
Fave book of the year: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (only book that made me cry while reading and also because the series was done)
Fave book of the Twilight Series: Eclipse (I did enjoy that series! Team Jacob!)
Picture book that made me giggle the most: Guess Again by Mac Barnett, illustrations by Adam Rex (Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich by Adam Rex is a close second)
Fave Picture book by a fellow blogger or blueboarder: A New Job for Dilly by Rena Jones
Most inspirational MG- Operation Yes! by Sara Lewis Holmes
Favorite chapter book series: Junie B. Jones (love her sassiness!)
Favorite book with sophomoric humor (which I enjoy very much): Sophomore Undercover by Ben Esch
YA Book that I could not put down: The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Fave book of poetry (my son loved it, too!): Dinothesaurus by Douglas Florian
Honorable mentions (books I just plain enjoyed reading): The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, The Emerald Tablet by PJ Hoover, Prada and Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard.
Some of these books I read were won on blog contests, so thank you again! And guess what....I just won another.
A big thank you to Myra McEntire . I won Beautiful Creatures on her blog! I am looking forward to reading it. Myra's debut YA novel, Hourglass, will be out in 2011!
Those are my good reads of the year. What's your favorite?
Do you want a fun challenge? Mother Reader and Lee Wind are presenting the Comment Challenge again this year! I participated last year, and this challenge helped me find new blogs and also got me into the habit of commenting regularly! The challenge begins Friday, January 8 (sign up Friday on Lee's or Mother Reader's blog) and runs to January 28. The challenge is to comment on five blogs daily. There are prizes too! If you forget to sign up on Friday, you can even sign up late and just up your daily average. See details here! This is a great way to communicate and network with new and current friendly bloggers and to get traffic to your own blog!
Speaking of challenges, did anyone else enter Nathan Bradsford's Dear Diary contest? I decided to late yesterday afternoon! Thanks to Sherrie and Anita for reminding me about it! I read both of yours in the comments, too, ladies. Intriguing, well written diary entries!! Alas, I didn't make it to be a finalist, but it was a great writing exercise. The finalists' entries were darn great.
Don't forget to check out Carrie Harris's contest to win a free critique! Her debut YA novel No Pain, No Brain comes out next year!
Also, happy birthday to my baby girl! My puppy, Daisy, just turned one! How long does puppyhood last? She definitely still acts like a crazy pup!
