Best of 2011 - The Second Half

There are not too many books that I read that I do not thoughly enjoy. So for this posting, I am going to list the top 10 books I enjoyed the second half of 2011.

• Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare (Infernal Devices book 2)
• Stephanie Perkins. I adored both Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door. I cannot wait to see what she does with Isla in 2012!
• The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima. Han and Raisa, enough said.
• Eve by Anna Carey. I really hope this one becomes a television show.
• The Pledge by Kimberly Derting. Excellent start to a new trilogy.
• Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendrae Blake. Horror at it's best and a BIG thanks to Shelburne for turning me on to it.
• Crave by Melissa Darnell. Love the Romeo and Juliet forbidden romance.
• The Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel. Hope to see this one on the Big Screen.
• Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer. Desperately hanging on the cliff for Bloodrose in January. Team Ren all the way!

And watch for these in 2012 that I have already got a sneak peak at.

• Cinder by Marissa Meyer
• Everneath by Brodi Ashton
• Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

What CHS is Reading!

A listing of the top circulating books at Christiansburg High School for the 2010 - 2011 school year. I was definitely surprised by some of the titles and the number of times they checked out.

1. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (It seemed everyone had their own copy!)
2. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (Took this series awhile to be loved as much as I love it)
3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Because if you hadn't read it, I made you!)
   Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
4. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
5. The Replacement by Brenna Yonavoff
   Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
6. Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien
7. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
   City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
   The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott
8. City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
   Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
9. Girlfriend Material by Melissa Kantor
   Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
10. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
    The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
    I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
    Beastly by Alex Flinn

Best Books So Far in 2011

It seems everyone does a top 10 or best books list. So here is mine in the order that I read them throughout the first part of the year. Keep in mind, not all were recently published in . As usual, I had a hard time determining my top pick.

• Matched  by Ally Condie (Waited a looooong time to read this one!)
• Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly (Historical fiction at its best!)
• Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr (Liked how each book focused on a different character)
• Across the Universe by Beth Revis (Loved the last two lines in the book)
• Delirium by Lauren Oliver (Just love her writing style)
• Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima (Cannot believe I hadn't discovered this author sooner)
• Divergent by Veronica Roth (Ranks up there with Matched)
• If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman (Loved Mia & Adam's relationship)
• Body Finder series (Violet & Jay)
• Hourglass by Myra McEntire (This one has it all!)

And I am eagerly awaiting the publication of the following:

• Forever by Maggie Stiefvater (End of the Wolves of Mercy Falls series)
• Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer (Team Ren!)
• The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima (Han & Raisa)
• Entralled a short story collection
• Eve by Anna Carey (Lots of pre-pub buzz on the blogosphere)
• The Death Cure by James Dashner (Where Thomas figures it all out)
• Beautiful Chaos by Garcia and Stohl
• Crossed (Xander or Kye, haven't decided yet)
• Prized by Caragh O'Brien (continuation of Gaia's story)
• Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare (Looking to put more pieces of the puzzle together)

Books Coming to the Big Screen in 2011

Feb. 18 - I Am Number Four by Pitticus Lore

March 4
Beastly by Alex Flinn

March 11
Jane Eyre
Little Red Riding Hood

July 15 -  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two

Oct. 14 - The Three Musketeers

Nov. 19 - The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part One

Dec. 16 - Sherlock Holmes 2

Dec. 21 - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Book movies in production in 2011

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher (Starring Taylor Lautner as Finn)
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Titles Eagerly Awaiting in 2011

Notice that a lot of these titles are sequels.

Feb. 1 - Delirium by Lauren Oliver

March 1 - Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins (Hex Hall book 2)
March 22 - The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan

April 5 - A BIG Reading Day, what to read first?
Plague by Michael Grant (Gone book 4)
City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare (Mortal Instruments book 4)
Red Glove by Holly Black (Curse Workers book 2)

May 31 - What Ever Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

June 14 - Passion by Lauren Kate (Fallen book 3)

July 12 - Forever by Maggie Stiefvater (Linger book 3)

August 23 - Sweetly by Jackson Pearce (Sisters Red book 2)
August 30 - Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare (Infernal devices book 2)

Dates To Be Announced

Beautiful Creatures book 4 by Kami Garcis and Margaret Stohl
Crossed by Ally Condie (Matched book 2)

Best Books I Have Read in 2010

It seems everyone does a top 10 or best books list. So here is mine in the order that I read them throughout the year. Keep in mine, not all were published in 2010. As usual, I had a hard time determining my top pick.

• Graceling by Kristen Cashore
• Shiver and Linger by Maggie Stiefvater (First two books in the Linger trilogy)
• The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare(City of Bones, City of Ashes & City of Glass)
• The Maze Runner trilogy. Only two so far: The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials
• Unwind by Neal Shusterman
• Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
• White Cat by Holly Black (First in the Curse Workers series)
• Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien
• Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (First in the Infernal Devices series and a prequel to her Mortal Instruments series)
• Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi (National Book Award finalist)
• The Replacement by Breanna Yovanoff
• Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta
• Beautiful Creatures and Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (Books one & two in the Caster Chronicles)
• Nightshade by Andrea Cremer (First in the Nightshade trilogy)
• I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore (Cannot wait for the movie!)