Kellee's Favorite Non-2012 Books Read in 2012

I don't know how many of you find yourself in the same boat as me: a year ends and I realize I had missed a bunch of great books from the year before (or other years before that) and I make sure to fit it into my bookstack for that year. This list is to celebrate the great non-2012 books that I read in 2012 because they deserve recognition as well. 

**All of these winners are based completely on my opinion and is only based on the books I read in 2012, not all books published in 2012.**

Favorite Young Adult Realistic Fiction Novels

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr, Bluefish by Pat Schmatz, 

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler, and Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach

Favorite YA Multicultural Novel

Queen of Water by Laura Resau & Maria Virginia Farinango

Favorite YA Sci-Fi Novels

The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe, Blood Red Road by Moira Young, Girl of Fire and Thorns 

by Rae Carson, and iBoy by Kevin Brooks

Favorite YA Fantasy Novels

Graceling & Fire by Kristin Cashore, Starclimber by Kenneth Oppel, and 

This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel

Favorite YA Non-Fiction Graphic Novels

Maus 1 & 2 by Art Spiegelman, Anne Frank: The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography 

by Sid Jacobson & Ernie Colon, and The 9/11 Report by Sid Jacobson et al. 

Favorite YA Graphic Novels

 

I Love Him to Pieces by Evonne Tsang, Brody's Ghost, Book 1 by Mark Crilley, 

and The Kite Runner: Graphic Novel by Khaled Hosseini

Favorite YA Historical Fiction Novels

(and includes 3 of my favorite books I read all year)

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys, Berlin Boxing Club by Robert Sharenow, 

Cleopatra's Moon by Vicky Alvear Schecter, and  Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel

Favorite YA Poetry Collection

Requiem: Poems of the Terezin Ghetto by Paul B. Janeczko

Favorite Middle Grade Realistic Fiction

 

The Summer of May by Cecelia Galante, Dolphin Sky by Ginny Rorby, Ghetto Cowboy by G. Neri, 

and Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf by Jennifer L. Holm

Favorite MG Sci-Fi Novels

Moonbase Crisis by Rebecca Moesta & Kevin J. Anderson and Dark Life by Kat Falls

Favorite MG Fantasy Novels

The Frog Princess by E.D. Baker, Lone Wolf by Kathryn Lasky, and Gossamer by Lois Lowry

Favorite MG Multicultural Novel

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

Favorite MG Mystery Novel

Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett

Favorite MG Novel-in-Verse

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai

Favorite MG Historical Fiction Novel

Our Only May Amelia & The Trouble with May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm, 

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos, and Athena's Son by Jeryl Schoenbeck

Favorite MG Non-Fiction Book

Chimpanzees I Love by Jane Goodall

Favorite MG Graphic Novels 

(like I said in my post for best 2012 books, this is category is really taking off!)

Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke, Sidekicks by Dan Santat, Jellaby by Kean Soo, 

Amulet (series) by Kazu Kibuishi, Mal & Chad: The Biggest, Bestest Time Ever! by Stephen McCranie, Media Meltdown by Liam O'Donnell, and Bad Island by Doug TenNapel

Favorite Children's Chapter Books

Captain Underpants (series) by Dav Pilkey, Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom by Eric Wight, 

and Lulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst

Favorite Children's Graphic Novels

Ook & Gluk by Dav Pilkey, Babymouse (series) by Jennifer L. & Matthew Holm,

and Lunch Lady (series) by Jarrett Krosoczka

Favorite Fiction Picture Books

Moonpowder by John Rocco, Linnea in Monet's Garden by Christina Bjork & Lena Anderson, 

I'm Here by Peter H. Reynolds, Cloudette by Tom Lichtenheld, Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse 

by Kevin Henkes, and Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell & David Catrow

Favorite Non-fiction Picture Books

Sit In by Andrea Davis & Brian Pinkney, When Bob Met Woody by Gary Golio & Marc Burckhardt, Me...Jane by Patrick McDonnell, A River of Words by Jennifer Fisher Bryant & Melissa Sweet, and Players in Pigtails by Shana Corey & Rebecca Gibbon

2013 Reading Challenges ACCEPTED - Bring It!

For 2013, we are going to try to push our reading even more than we did in 2012. We are truly looking forward to all the reading and book-related fun in store in 2013! The beginning of the new year always means new challenges to look forward to! Here's what we'll be up to in 2013!

Donalyn and other Twitter friends were recently talking about gaps in the reading - books that they haven't read that it seems like everyone else in the whole entire world has read. She proposed a Book Gap Challenge on Nerdy Book Club recently and we are totally on board with this challenge! 

Kellee:  Looking at my stats from last year, I definitely need to finish more professional books 

(I start many, but never make them through) and I, like Donalyn, 

need to commit to series and read more sequels. 

My goal for this year is to read more professional novels than last year. 

In 2012, I read only 2 complete books, so I hope to read more than that. 

For sequels, I want to read at least 20 off of my TBR list. 

As of right now, this is the 20 I plan to read though there can be alternates: 

1. Babymouse for President by Jennifer L. and Matthew Holm

2. Mira's Diary: Home Sweet Rome by Marissa Moss

3. Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant Vol. 2 (Manga) by Darren Shan

4. Eighth Grade is Making Me Sick by Jennifer L. Holm

5. In a Glass Grimmly by Adam Gidwitz

6. The Invasion of the Potty Snatchers by Dav Pilkey

7. Such Wicked Intent by Kenneth Oppel

8. Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale

9. Rebel Heart by Moira Young

10. Island of Silence by Lisa McMann

11. Trail of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz

12. The Kill Order and The Death Cure by James Dashner

13. Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

14. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

15. Fever by Lauren DeStefano

16. Outpost by Ann Aguirre

17. A Million Suns by Beth Revis

18. Unsung and Unwholly by Neal Shusterman

19. Ashen Winter by Mike Mullin

20. Crossed by Ally Carter

Jen: Here are books I'm challenging myself to read for the Book Gap Challenge:

(I'm kind of going for classics here...just because they were the ones that came to mind.)

1. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

2. Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

3. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

4. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

5. The Princess Bride by William Goldman

6. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

 We also are challenging ourselves to keep reading more non-fiction books. We joined Kid Lit Frenzy's Non-Fiction Picture Book Challenge in 2012 and have decided to carry this over into 2013. 

Our goal is to continue to review a non-fiction book every Wednesday. 

We also are going to partake in the 2013 Reading Challenge. 

Kellee: This last year I read 397 books (419 including rereads) and had only challenged myself to 300. This year I think I am going to challenge myself to 333 (a little less because I want to read more novels) and see how far I can get. Here's to hoping I hit and overtake it! 

Jen: I realize this might be crazy and far-fetched and hair-brained but a challenge is a challenge, right? Who said it's supposed to be easy? I'm going to challenge myself to read 365 picture books this year - one a day - and then to read 213 non-picture books this year. That makes a total of 578...and I kind of want to round to 600...but I'm not that out of my mind. I'll stick with 578.

Part of my 578 books will be focusing on reading more early readers/chapter books this year. In 2011, I focused on upping the non-fiction books I read and last year, I (tried to be) all about poetry. With Peanut in kindergarten this year, I think it's time I really get extra intense and serious about easy reader/early chapter books. I'm not going to set a specific number for these books because they'll be part of my 578 but I'm going to start by checking out all the Cybils nominees for Easy Readers/Early Chapter Books. From there, we'll see what else I discover on my own!

What do you have in store for 2013? 

and

2012 Challenges Recap

2012 has now come to an end. This week will be a chance for us to reflect back on our reading this year as well as look at what is ahead. Today, we wanted to recap our challenges from the last year.

Kellee

The 2012 Dystopia Challenge was hosted by Bonnie of Bookish Adour and I had challenged myself to read 15 (Level: Contagion) dystopian, post-apocalyptic, or ecotopia books. I was on a major dystopian kick in 2011, so I wanted to continue it in 2012; however, I found myself wanting to expand and read other genres this year and actually only read 12 though I loved every minute of it! 

1. Insurgent by Veronica Roth

2. The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

3. Dark Falls by Kat Falls

4. Blood Red Road by Moira Young

5. XVI by Julia Karr

6. The Griff by Christopher Moore

7. The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe

8. Redwing by Holly Bennett

9. The Girl Who Remembered Horses by Linda Benson

10. The Infects by Sean Beaudoin

11. Son by Lois Lowry

12. The Last Free Black Cat by Jon Blake

The second challenge I decided to take part in was The Eclectic Reader 2012 Challenge hosted by Shelleyrae at Book'd Out.  For this challenge, I challenged myself to read 12 books from 12 different genres throughout the year. 

1. Literary Fiction- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

2. Crime/Mystery Fiction- Man Overboard! by Curtis Parkinson

3. Romantic Fiction- Boyfriends with Girlfriends by Alex Sanchez

4. Historical Fiction- For What It's Worth by Janet Tashjian

5. Young Adult- Teen Boat by Dave Roman

6. Fantasy- Gossamer by Lois Lowry

7. Science Fiction- Star Challengers: Moonbase Crisis by Rebecca Moesta

8. Non-Fiction- My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf

9. Horror- This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel

10. Thriller/Suspense- This is Not a Drill by Beck McDowell

11. Classic- Maus by Art Spiegelman

12. Dystopian- Son by Lois Lowry 

The Award Winning Reads Challenge was hosted by Ashley at Basically Amazing Books & Jacinda at The Reading Housewives. With this challenge I got to set your own goal and I set it at 10 award winning books which I did meet. 

1. Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley (Printz Award)

2. A River of Words by Jennifer Fisher Bryant (Caldecott Honor)

3. Our Only May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm (Newbery Winner)

4. Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler (Printz Honor)

5. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly (Odyssey Honor)

6. Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos (Newbery Award)

7. Maus I: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegalman (Pulitzer Prize)

8. Inside Out and Back Again by Thanha Lai (National Book Award)

9. Shine by Lauren Myracle (Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Award)

10. Ghetto Cowboy by G. Neri (Odyssey Award) 

11. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (Odyssey Award)

12. Duke Ellington by Andrea Davis Pinkney (Caldecott Honor)

13. Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel (CLA Book of the Year) 

My final two challenges go together: 100+ Books In a Year hosted by Book Chick City and the 2012 Goodreads Reading Challenge. I challenged myself to read 300 books this year and I am so proud of myself that I hit the goal and actually surpassed it. I hit my goal of 300 on September 12th and if you count my rereads, I read 416 books this year! 

142 Juv/MG/YA Novels

7 Early Chapter Books

84 Graphic Novels

82 Picture Books

2 Adult Novels

6 Nonfiction Graphic Novels

36 Nonfiction Picture Books

21 Nonfiction Juv/MG/YA Books

6 Poetry Collections

6 Interactive/Game/Cooking

2 (Complete) Professional Books

1 Short Story

Reread 3 Graphic Novels

Reread (at least) 6 Picture Books

Reread 10 YA Novels

Reread 2 Short Stories

Jen

Oh, 2012, you were a fun year! I keep thinking over 2012 and keep still shaking my head at how it was just a great year. I'm so looking forward to 2013 after how great 2012 was. 

One thing that I love in general is setting goals and pushing myself...but I also know that if I didn't meet my goals that's okay, too. The good thing is that there's another year to look forward to, right? 

According to GoodReads, I read more books this year than last year. Last year, I read 378 and this year I read 414...but that includes picture books. My goal this year was to read 212 novels/chapter books but I only read 170 books. I think I'll try for 213 for 2013...aim high, right?!? 

 I chose to do the Fearless Poetry and Exploration Challenge by Savvy Verse and Wit just because I needed more poetry in my life! The challenge was to read 2 books of poetry. I read 12 poetry collections and 4 novels in verse. 

I didn't anticipate having a hard time on the 2012 Young Adult Audiobook Challenge hosted by A Book and a Latte but WOW! I listened to 54 audiobooks! How crazy is that? I guess it makes sense because I listen to a book a week as I drive my long drive to and from work but I've never counted them all before. It's cool to look back the titles and to be able to hear the narrators' voices in my head.

How did your 2012 reading go? 

and