I'm trying something new with my end of year post this year! I'm going to list a few little stats at the beginning of the post, then I'm going to list a bunch of the books I enjoyed this year, and write a little about each one! I'm also going to be doing a separate post for Graphic Novels! :)
How Many YA and Middle Grade Books Did I Read? 87
How Many Adult Books Did I Read? 2
How Many Picture Books Did I Read? 73
How Many Picture Books Did I Read? 73
How Many Rereads? About 3 YA & Middle Grade books, and about 10 of the Picture Books were rereads.
Did I Meet My Reading Goal? Yes! I always set a goal of 25 books and 25 Graphic Novels, which I surpassed. And a pleasant surprise for me, was that if you add the GN's I read (I'll be talking about them Monday!) into the total above, I actually read more this year than I have in years. I'm pretty happy about that! :)
These books aren't listed in any particular order other than genre.
My Favorite YA Books of 2017:
Fantasy:
Beauty by Robin McKinley
This was a beautiful retelling of Beauty & the Beast! I find it hard to believe I waited this long to read it!
The Magician's Ward by Patricia C. Wrede
Beauty by Robin McKinley
This was a beautiful retelling of Beauty & the Beast! I find it hard to believe I waited this long to read it!
The Magician's Ward by Patricia C. Wrede
I really like this book, and the romance in it!
Contemporary:
P.S. I Like You by Kasie West
This is a perfect book to read if you're in the mood for a fun romance. It's now tied with The Distance Between Us for my favorite book by her! Another winner from Kasie West!
One Paris Summer by Denise Grover Swank
So much love for this book! And it takes place mostly in Paris, which automatically set me up to like it!
Asking for Trouble by Sandra Byrd
A fun book! And this one takes place in England, which is probably the place I most want to visit.
Wicked Jealous by Robin Palmer
A really funny retelling of Snow White! (Which is probably my least liked fairytale, so actually liking a retelling of it is a big deal.)
Geek Girl: Picture Perfect by Holly Smale
I expected to love this book, and I did!
(Just to note, the reason the cover above looks so different from the next two books in the series I mention in this post, is because that's the US cover of the book which is the one I read, and the ones below are the UK covers, which I started ordering from The Book Depository so I could keep reading the series because I didn't want to wait for them to be published in the US.)
All Wrapped Up by Holly Smale
So. Cute. This was a really fun Geek Girl novella that takes place at Christmas, and I loved it!
All That Glitters by Holly Smale
Again, I expected to like this book, and I did! I relate so much to Harriet, and I just love seeing her grow in these books. Also, they make me laugh so hard, which is a bonus!
The Trouble With Destiny by Lauren Morrill
Really fun!
My Unscripted Life by Lauren Morrill
This is my favorite book I've read by Lauren Morrill (so far)! I related a lot to Dee, and the romance was fun!
What You Always Wanted by Kristin Rae
The romance in this book was so darling! And I loved that the main character loves old movies!
Hearts, Fingers, and Other Things to Cross by Katie Finn
A fun ending to a fun trilogy! These books just scream summer!
The Flip Side by Shawn Johnson
P.S. I Like You by Kasie West
This is a perfect book to read if you're in the mood for a fun romance. It's now tied with The Distance Between Us for my favorite book by her! Another winner from Kasie West!
One Paris Summer by Denise Grover Swank
So much love for this book! And it takes place mostly in Paris, which automatically set me up to like it!
Asking for Trouble by Sandra Byrd
A fun book! And this one takes place in England, which is probably the place I most want to visit.
Wicked Jealous by Robin Palmer
A really funny retelling of Snow White! (Which is probably my least liked fairytale, so actually liking a retelling of it is a big deal.)
Geek Girl: Picture Perfect by Holly Smale
I expected to love this book, and I did!
(Just to note, the reason the cover above looks so different from the next two books in the series I mention in this post, is because that's the US cover of the book which is the one I read, and the ones below are the UK covers, which I started ordering from The Book Depository so I could keep reading the series because I didn't want to wait for them to be published in the US.)
All Wrapped Up by Holly Smale
So. Cute. This was a really fun Geek Girl novella that takes place at Christmas, and I loved it!
All That Glitters by Holly Smale
Again, I expected to like this book, and I did! I relate so much to Harriet, and I just love seeing her grow in these books. Also, they make me laugh so hard, which is a bonus!
The Trouble With Destiny by Lauren Morrill
Really fun!
My Unscripted Life by Lauren Morrill
This is my favorite book I've read by Lauren Morrill (so far)! I related a lot to Dee, and the romance was fun!
What You Always Wanted by Kristin Rae
The romance in this book was so darling! And I loved that the main character loves old movies!
Hearts, Fingers, and Other Things to Cross by Katie Finn
A fun ending to a fun trilogy! These books just scream summer!
The Flip Side by Shawn Johnson
I love gymnastics, and this was a really good read about a character striving to reach the Olympics!
Historical:
Poppy by Mary Hooper
I went into this not knowing all that much about it, and I really enjoyed it!
The Golden Braid by Melanie Dickerson
Rapunzel is my favorite fairytale, and this was an excellent retelling of it!
Love, Lies and Spies by Cindy Anstey
Poppy by Mary Hooper
I went into this not knowing all that much about it, and I really enjoyed it!
The Golden Braid by Melanie Dickerson
Rapunzel is my favorite fairytale, and this was an excellent retelling of it!
Love, Lies and Spies by Cindy Anstey
Funny, and the romance was darling!
My Favorite Middle Grade Books of 2017:
Fantasy:
Fridays With the Wizards by Jessica Day George
So. Good. This is one of my favorite series ever, and this newest book did not disappoint! Loved it!
Lodestar by Shannon Messenger
The same for this one as Fridays With the Wizards. It's one of my favorite series, and I loved this book!
Baker's Magic by Diane Zahler
This is now my favorite book from Diane Zahler! A very good book!
The Key to Extraordinary by Natalie Lloyd
This is a beautiful book, and the writing is so quotable!
If the Magic Fits by Susan Maupin Schmid
I really like the premise of this one! A delightful read!
The Rat Prince by Bridget Hodder
An excellent and creative retelling of Cinderella!
Disney Frozen: A Year With Elsa & Anna (And Olaf, Too!) by Erica David
If you love Frozen, I highly recommend this book! It's a fun look at Arendelle outside the world of the movie.
Fridays With the Wizards by Jessica Day George
So. Good. This is one of my favorite series ever, and this newest book did not disappoint! Loved it!
Lodestar by Shannon Messenger
The same for this one as Fridays With the Wizards. It's one of my favorite series, and I loved this book!
Baker's Magic by Diane Zahler
This is now my favorite book from Diane Zahler! A very good book!
The Key to Extraordinary by Natalie Lloyd
This is a beautiful book, and the writing is so quotable!
If the Magic Fits by Susan Maupin Schmid
I really like the premise of this one! A delightful read!
The Rat Prince by Bridget Hodder
An excellent and creative retelling of Cinderella!
Disney Frozen: A Year With Elsa & Anna (And Olaf, Too!) by Erica David
If you love Frozen, I highly recommend this book! It's a fun look at Arendelle outside the world of the movie.
The Magnificent Lizzie Brown and the Mysterious Phantom by Vicki Lockwood
A fun series that I began this year!
Wonder Woman at Superhero High by Lisa Yee
I love superheroes, and this was a fun beginning to a new series about a bunch of them as high school students!
A fun series that I began this year!
Wonder Woman at Superhero High by Lisa Yee
I love superheroes, and this was a fun beginning to a new series about a bunch of them as high school students!
Contemporary:
Out of Tune by Gail Nall
This was a fun book about a girl who dreams of being a country singer traveling with her family (unwillingly) in an RV around the US. I really liked it!
The Sleepover by Jen Malone
A funny, entertaining book that will have you trying to figure out until the end of it what really happened the night of the sleepover!
Pilfer Academy by Lauren Magaziner
Another funny, entertaining, and delightful book from Lauren Magaziner!
VIP: I'm With the Band by Jen Calonita
A fun read for a boy band fan!
Just Like Me by Nancy J. Cavanaugh
A good book, perfect for summer!
Summer of Lost and Found by Rebecca Behrens
The lost colony of Roanoke has always fascinated me, and this was a neat book about it!
The Ghost of Grey Fox Inn by Carolyn Keene
I read a lot of Nancy Drew books this year, but I think this was probably my favorite of the bunch!
This was a fun book about a girl who dreams of being a country singer traveling with her family (unwillingly) in an RV around the US. I really liked it!
The Sleepover by Jen Malone
A funny, entertaining book that will have you trying to figure out until the end of it what really happened the night of the sleepover!
Pilfer Academy by Lauren Magaziner
Another funny, entertaining, and delightful book from Lauren Magaziner!
VIP: I'm With the Band by Jen Calonita
A fun read for a boy band fan!
Just Like Me by Nancy J. Cavanaugh
A good book, perfect for summer!
Summer of Lost and Found by Rebecca Behrens
The lost colony of Roanoke has always fascinated me, and this was a neat book about it!
The Ghost of Grey Fox Inn by Carolyn Keene
I read a lot of Nancy Drew books this year, but I think this was probably my favorite of the bunch!
Historical:
This is quite possibly my favorite Historical book I read this year!
My Favorite Adult Books of 2017:
Twelve Days of Christmas by Debbie Macomber
A really fun book that both my Mom and I read, that was perfect for Christmas!
A really fun book that both my Mom and I read, that was perfect for Christmas!
My Favorite Picture Books of 2017:
(My Mom and I read Picture Books together, and she helped me narrow down this list down to five, because I was having trouble deciding what ones to list!)
(My Mom and I read Picture Books together, and she helped me narrow down this list down to five, because I was having trouble deciding what ones to list!)
Pink is for Blobfish by Jess Keating
I love animals, the color pink, and learning new things. This book incorporated all of these things, and was a fun read!
I love animals, the color pink, and learning new things. This book incorporated all of these things, and was a fun read!
Snappsy the Alligator by Julie Falatko
So funny!
The Thank You Book by Mo Willems
We both love Elephant & Piggie, and this final book in the series didn't disappoint us! Just as fun as the rest of them!
Star Wars: ABC-3PO by Calliope Glass and Caitlin Kennedy, illustrated by Katie Cook
I think if you're both a Star Wars fan, and a Picture Book fan, this is a must read! And it rhymes, which I love! Also, I'm happy that it mentions characters from Star Wars Rebels in it!
Extremley Cute Animals Operating Heavy Machinery by David Gordon
I love the title alone! The book is extremely cute, and the animals are extremely talented! (See what I did there? Though, I highly doubt I'm the first to make that pun.) :)
A Few Observations About My 2016 Reading Year:
I think it's interesting that when it comes to YA, my favorite genres leaned far more to contemporary than anything else, while with MG it was much more even between contemporary and fantasy.
I feel like I reread less this year than previous years, but I also read more new-to-me books this year than I had in a long time.
Looking at this post makes me realize I want to try and read more historical fiction in 2017, I apparently didn't find many that I loved this year.
So funny!
The Thank You Book by Mo Willems
We both love Elephant & Piggie, and this final book in the series didn't disappoint us! Just as fun as the rest of them!
Star Wars: ABC-3PO by Calliope Glass and Caitlin Kennedy, illustrated by Katie Cook
I think if you're both a Star Wars fan, and a Picture Book fan, this is a must read! And it rhymes, which I love! Also, I'm happy that it mentions characters from Star Wars Rebels in it!
Extremley Cute Animals Operating Heavy Machinery by David Gordon
I love the title alone! The book is extremely cute, and the animals are extremely talented! (See what I did there? Though, I highly doubt I'm the first to make that pun.) :)
A Few Observations About My 2016 Reading Year:
I think it's interesting that when it comes to YA, my favorite genres leaned far more to contemporary than anything else, while with MG it was much more even between contemporary and fantasy.
I feel like I reread less this year than previous years, but I also read more new-to-me books this year than I had in a long time.
Looking at this post makes me realize I want to try and read more historical fiction in 2017, I apparently didn't find many that I loved this year.
What was your 2016 reading year like? What were your favorite books? And stayed tuned next week for when I post about my favorite Graphic Novels, and favorite Movies, TV Shows, and Music of 2016! :)
