Summer Reading Wrap-Up

So! I know you're all dying to know: Did I "kill" that double stack of books on the bedside table?

Well. Sort of.

There's still a double stack of books, it's just a lot shorter.

First I got some books from my publisher that made it a triple stack briefly. Then my sister loaned me a couple of books that she said I just had to read (MAGIC AND THE MODERN GIRL, THE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE, and HOURGLASS). A few things arrived via library hold . . .

Let's just see how I did, shall we? Keep in mind, I also read books aloud to my son at bedtime, and at one point my publisher just DEMANDED that I proof the galleys for TUESDAYS AT THE CASTLE (they're funny that way, with the making me work and all).

How many did I actually read?

44! FORTY-FOUR books, people! That's not too shabby, eh? EH? Especially when you consider that I've also written 300 pages of a book of my own! (More on that later, it's PRINCESS #3 if you're trying ot keep track.)

So here's the list, in order:

OLD MAN'S WAR - John Scalzi

BOSSYPANTS - Tina Fey

SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE - J. Michael Straczynski

DIVERGENT - Veronica Roth

INSATIABLE - Meg Cabot

DRAGON SPEAR - Read aloud to Boy.

TUESDAYS AT THE CASTLE - The galley proofs. (SO GOOD!)

SEAN GRISWOLD'S HEAD - Lindsey Leavitt

PARANORMALCY - Kiersten White

THE PAPER ROSE CLUB - Jennifer Youngblood & Sandra Poole

BEAUTY QUEENS - Libba Bray

DANDELION WINE - Ray Bradbury

HOW TO SAVE A LIFE - Sara Zarr

GUARDIANS OF THE HIDDEN SCEPTRE - Frank L. Cole

WITHER - Lauren De Stefano

THE LAST LITTLE BLUE ENVELOPE - Maureen Johnson

SHUT OUT - Kody Keplinger

DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE - Laini Taylor

THE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE - Alan Bradley

A RING OF ENDLESS LIGHT - Madeleine L'Engle

THE HOBBIT - J. R. R. Tolkien (Yes, I've read this before, I read it aloud to my son.)

HEARTLESS - Gail Carriger

ENTWINED - Heather Dixon

ABANDONED - Meg Cabot

WINTER TOWN - Stephen Emond

THE SHIRT ON HIS BACK - Barbara Hambly

THE BLACKNESS BETWEEN - Howard Tayler

MAGIC AND THE MODERN GIRL - Mindy Klasky

ICEFALL - Matthew J. Kirby

THE A CIRCUIT - Georgina Bloomberg and Catherine Hapka

HOURGLASS - Myra McEntire

THE SCRAPYARD OF INSUFFERABLE ARROGANCE - Howard Tayler

BLOOD FEUD - Alyxandra Harvey

HARD MAGIC - Larry Correia

BOY 21 - Matthew Quick

LIESL & PO - Lauren Oliver

THE FULL CUPBOARD OF LIFE - Alexander McCall Smith

THE MALTESE FALCON - Dashiell Hammett

A BOY & HIS BOT - Daniel H. Wilson (Still in the middle of reading this aloud to Boy.)

PRECIOUS DRAGON - Liz Williams

FALLEN GRACE - Mary Hooper

HAUNTING VIOLET - Alyxandra Harvey

TECHNOSAURS Vol. 1 - Kevin Wasden

SERVANT OF A DARK GOD - John Brown (I'm actually still reading this, but it counts, right?)

And that's the round up! Some of these books were amazing. Some were so-so. A couple were crappy. I refuse to say which ones, though! HA HA HA HA HA! You'll just have to read them and find out for yourself!

I will say this: FALLEN GRACE was wonderful, and if you love historical fiction, you really should pick this up. If you are a fan of DIVINE SECRETS OF THE YA YA SISTERHOOD, try THE PAPER ROSE CLUB, and if you haven't tried Gail Carriger's wonderful Parasol Protectorate yet, you really must. But don't start with HEARTLESS, it's book four. You'll have to go back to SOULLESS to really enjoy the series. (These are adult books, though. Consider yourself warned.)

And there it is! The big list! Feel free to leave your favorite summer read in the comments!

As for fall, I think I'm going to just go with whatever moves me. I might do some rereading (MIKE NELSON'S DEATH RAT! and WAR OF THE FLOWERS have been calling my name of late...), I might ignore the 50 odd never before read books lurking around the house and go on a spree at the library. You never know!