Best of the Best of the Best 2014!

Aloha! I'm writing this post from my private cabana on Disney's Castaway Cay!

...

No, just kidding. I'm sitting in my bed and I need to shower.

Anyhoo! I know you're all dying to know: What did Jessica love in 2014? What books moved her? What movies thrilled her?

WAIT NO MORE!

I now present to you: THE BEST OF 2014 ACCORDING TO MOI!

Beginning, as ever, with the movie picks:

Movies for Grownups:

Guardians of the Galaxy (So much to love, from the story to the humor to the action to the characters themselves. We ARE Groot!)
The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies (I had to watch it twice to really appreciate it. It really leads in so well to the Lord of the Rings movies.)
Interstellar
Maleficent
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
Winter's Tale
Live. Die. Repeat. (aka Edge of Tomorrow)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Chef
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
The Monuments Men

Movies for Kids:

The Lego Movie
Big Hero 6
The Secret of Kells (This movie is several years old, but I finally saw it, and it was gorgeous!)
Muppets: Most Wanted
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Planes: Fire and Rescue

And now, the books! BOOKS! BOOOOOOOOKS! So many good books this year! So many! As those of you who follow me on Goodreads know, I actually made my goal of reading 160 books in 2014! I'm so proud of myself! And so pleased, too, that I discovered so many great books!

Also, for the most part, these lists are all ten-way ties. To choose which one I liked better, LANDLINE or ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE, is simply ridiculous, because they were both amazing, and so different. It's like asking which I like better: steak or dark chocolate.

Books for Grownups, Fiction:

LANDLINE - Rainbow Rowell
ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE - Anthony Doerr
THE BONE CLOCKS - Brian David Mitchell
THE ROSIE PROJECT - Graeme Simsion
WINTER'S TALE - Mark Helprin
THE HUSBAND'S SECRET - Liane Moriarty
THE SILKWORM - Robert Galbraith
DANIEL DERONDA - George Eliot
GIDGET - Frederick Kohner
DEATH OF A POLICEMAN - M. C. Beaton

Books for Grownups, Fantasy/Sci fi:

SOME KIND OF FAIRY TALE - Graham Joyce (Graham, who was so kind and hilarious and wonderful, passed away this fall after a long battle with cancer. If you haven't treated yourself to one of his gorgeous books before, start with this one.)
MY REAL CHILDREN - Jo Walton
WORDS OF RADIANCE - Brandon Sanderson
ANATHEM - Neal Stephenson (It took me two tries to get into this book, because the language is so different, but once I did . . . WOW.)
THE SLOW REGARD OF SILENT THINGS - Patrick Rothfuss
THE BONE SEASON - Samantha Shannon
BLOOD OF TYRANTS - Naomi Novik
ODD THOMAS - Dean Koontz
FARTHING - Jo Walton
THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS - M. R. Carey

Books for Grownups, Nonfiction:

THE EGG AND I - Betty MacDonald (I loved the movie as a kid, and just recently discovered that it was originally a book, which was autobiographical, and by the author of my beloved Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books!)
EVERY LIVING THING - James Herriot
AS YOU WISH - Cary Elwes

Young Adult, Fiction:

I'LL GIVE YOU THE SUN - Jandy Nelson (Definitely for older teens and adults, but so beautifully written and heart-breaking, it's my pick for the Printz Award!)
THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE - Leila Sales
WHERE THE STARS STILL SHINE - Trish Doller
NOT IN THE SCRIPT - Amy Finnegan (Amy is a good friend of mine, and this debut YA book of hers is simply to die for! A fabulous rom-com!)
THE EAGLE OF THE NINTH - Rosemary Sutcliff
MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME - edited by Stephanie Perkins
THE SCANDALOUS SISTERHOOD OF PRICKWILLOW PLACE - Julie Berry
SKINK - NO SURRENDER - Carl Hiaasen
THE CHAPEL WARS - Lindsey Leavitt
THE OUTSIDERS - S. E. Hinton (Nope, I've never read it before. Yep, it was great!)

Young Adult, Fantasy/Sci fi:

DREAMS OF GODS AND MONSTERS - Laini Taylor (Gorgeous ending to this trilogy!)
MIDWINTERBLOOD - Marcus Sedgewick (The Printz winner, and so deserving of it!)
A BREATH OF FROST/WHISPER THE DEAD - Alyxandra Harvey (The first two books in the Lovegrove Legacy and I couldn't put them down!)
IN THE SHADOWS - Jim diBartolo and Kirsten White
IN THE AGE OF LOVE AND CHOCOLATE - Gabrielle Zevin (Another great trilogy ender!)
THE SHADE OF THE MOON - Susan Beth Pfeffer
BLACKOUT - Robison Wells
CHASING POWER - Sarah Beth Durst
STEELHEART - Brandon Sanderson
AFTERWORLDS - Scott Westerfeld

Middle Grade, Fiction:

LIAR & SPY - Rebecca Stead
WEST OF THE MOON - Margi Preus
HOMECOMING/ DICEY'S SONG - Cynthia Voigt
CHARLOTTE'S ROSE - A. E. Cannon (This book is hard to find, and has been out several years, but it is just gorgeous, and fans of Little House on the Prairie will love it!)
THE SECRET OF THE FORTUNE WOOKIEE/THE SURPRISE ATTACK OF JABBA THE PUPPETT/PRINCESS LABELMAKER TO THE RESCUE/EMPEROR PICKLETINE RIDES THE BUS - Tom Angleberger (Basically, if you haven't read this series, you really must!)
THE MYSTERIOUS HOWLING - Maryrose Wood
LIFE ON MARS - Jennifer Brown
THE SPY CATCHERS OF MAPLE HILL - Megan Frazer Blakemore

Middle Grade, Fantasy/Sci Fi:

THE HERO'S GUIDE TO STORMING THE CASTLE - Christopher Healy
NIGHTMARES! - Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller
THE NIGHT GARDENER - Jonathan Auxier
THE MAGIC HALF - Annie Barrows
IRON-HEARTED VIOLET - Kelly Barnhill
THE SEARCH FOR WONDLA - Tony DiTerlizzi
THE WIDE AWAKE PRINCESS - E. D. Baker
THE PRINCESS IN BLACK - Dean and Shannon Hale
THE QUIRKS: WELCOME TO NORMAL - Erin Soderberg
THE FAIRY TALE MATCHMAKER - E. D. Baker

Graphic Novels:

TREATIES, TRENCHES, MUD, AND BLOOD - Nathan Hale
EL DEAFO - CeCe Bell
SISTERS - Raina Telgemeier
WHY GRIZZLY BEARS SHOULD WEAR UNDERPANTS - The Oatmeal
DRAMA - Raina Telgemeier
RESIDENT MAD SCIENTIST - Howard Tayler
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, VOL. 1: COSMIC AVENGERS - Brian Michael Bendis
ANDRE THE GIANT - Box Brown

Picture Books: 

SAM AND DAVE DIG A HOLE - Jon Klassen and Mac Barnett
MOO! - David LaRochelle and Mike Wohnoutka
GASTON - Kelly DiPucchio and Christian Robinson
HUG MACHINE - Scott Campbell
THE TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES - Brigette Barrager (My daughter has had the Princess Matching Game based on this for years, and I just realized that there was a book featuring this beautiful art, and the princesses are all flower names, too!)
UNI THE UNICORN - Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Brigette Barrager
WAITING IS NOT EASY - Mo Willems
THE FIRST CHRISTMAS - Jan Pienkowski
THE PIGEON NEEDS A BATH - Mo Willems
FOUND - Salina Yoon

Best Books of 2013

Almost got ahead of myself there, and called it the best books of 2014 . . . it's true, there are already some strong contenders for next year's best of lists.

But I shall instead delve back, way back, into a happier, simpler time.  A time called 2013, when I read some really, REALLY great books.  I know that this post is coming late, and the real awards have already been given.  But I am nothing if not lazy, so I'm just getting to this, okay?  If you have not yet feasted your eyes on the list of winners of this year's ALA award winners and honorees, you can find that here: http://www.ala.org/alsc/2014-alsc-media-awards

And then there's MY Best Of Lists!

(Just a reminder: these are the books that I read this year, but they may have been published earlier.)

Picture Books:

1. The Christmas Wish - Lori Evert
   (Oh, my gosh, have you SEEN this book?! Photographs of a darling Norwegian child searching for the North Pole on the backs of reindeers and polar bears? Magnificent!)
2. Extra Yarn - Mac Barnett, Jon Klassen
3. The Babylit Books - Jennifer Adams, Alison Oliver
      (This is a series of board books based on classic novels: Dracula, Anna Karenina, Jane Eyre.  They teach basic concepts like colors, counting to ten, and shapes, but also capture the gist of the original novel and have such bold, wonderful illustrations that they grab your attention immediately.  My toddler loves them, and so do I!)
4. Penguin and Pinecone - Salina Yoon
5. Ball! -
     (My toddler's first word was ball, which is the only word in this book.)
6. Oh No, George! - Chris Haughton
7. Song of the Stars - Alison Jay
8. Old MacDonald Had a Dragon - Ken Baker
9. I'm a Frog! - Mo Willems
10. Zombelina - Kristyn Crow, Molly Idle

Middle Grade:

1. Donner Dinner Party - Nathan Hale
    (If you aren't reading Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales, a series of graphic novels about American history, then you are missing out.  This was his best so far, and they've all been superb.)
2. Flora and Ulysses - Kate DiCamillo
    (I was so happy this won the Newbery!)
3. Fortunately the Milk - Neil Gaiman, illus. by Skottie Young
4. The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom - Christopher Healy, illus. by Todd Harris
5. Wonder - R. J. Palacio
6. Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney
    (So this is the year I discovered Diary of a Wimpy Kid along with my oldest son.  We quickly read the entire series, and I have to say: gross, irreverent, and hilarious! Greg is horrible, but so realistic!)
7. See You At Harry's - Jo Knowles
8. Horton Halfpott: or, The Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor; or, The Loosening of M'Lady Luggertuck's Corset - Tom Angleberger
    (If you aren't just devouring the Origami Yoda series (and why aren't you?), at least try this, which was madcap and hilarious!)
9. Revenge of the Witch - Joseph Delaney
  (So, I saw a trailer for a movie that looked like awesome cheesy fantasy fun, starring Jeff Bridges and Ben Barnes, and at the end it says, Based on the beloved series, and I was like, WHAT?!  Looked it up and discovered these books, the covers of which often catch my eye, and tried the first one. Awesome.  Can't wait for the movie or to read the rest of the books! Beware of girls in pointy shoes!)
10. The Lost Kingdom - Matthew J. Kirby

Young Adult:

1. Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell
    (Can't get this out of my head. Can't. Especially if you are a Harry Potter fan, or write or read fan fiction, you should read this.  Wonderful.)
2. Just One Day/Just One Year - Gayle Forman
3. All the Truth That's In Me - Julie Berry
4. Conjured - Sarah Beth Durst
5. The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr
6. Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins
7. Dangerous - Shannon Hale
8. Stork - Wendy DelSol
9. Shadows - Robin McKinley
10. Butter - Erin Lange

Adult Nonfiction:

1. Jim Henson: The Biography - Brian Jay Jones
    (I am the hugest Jim Henson fan, Labyrinth, the Storyteller, the Muppets, you name it.  This was the most amazing look at his life, I was almost beside myself with more emotions than I can name. An in-depth, loving biography, but not one that hid the truth for the sake of flattering.)
2. Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened - Allie Brosh
3. Sailing Alone Around the Room - Billy Collins
    (This is a collection of poems, and they are wonderful.)
4. A Walk in the Woods - Bill Bryson
5. Motherhood Comes Naturally, and Other Vicious Lies - Jill Smokler
6. Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops - Jen Campbell
7. Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls - David Sedaris
8. All Wound Up - Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
9. How To Survive a Garden Gnome Attack - Chuck Sambuchino
10. Amigurumi Knits: Patterns for 20 Cute Mini Knits - Hansi Singh


Adult Fiction:

1. River of Stars - Guy Gavriel Kay
   (I know, surprise surprise.  My favorite living author? Yes.)
2. Where'd You Go, Bernadette? - Maria Semple
   (So amazing, too.  And a great read for older teens as well as adults.)
3. The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman
   (Really, the top three were almost a three-way tie.  And actually, all of them suitable for older teens, I think.)
4. All Creatures Great and Small, All Thing Bright and Beautiful, All Things Wise and Wonderful, The Lord God Made Them All, Every Living Thing - James Herriott
   (So this year I discovered James Herriott, and it was wonderful.  Rediscovered, actually.  We used to listen to some of his books on audio on car trips.  So delightful, and suitable for teens and some stories I even read aloud to my kids.)
5. The Cuckoo's Calling - Robert Galbraith
   (I'm sure we're all aware this is J. K. Rowling by now, right? Well, this book was amazing, and if you haven't read it, you should.  It is NOT for teens or kids, but for adults, but if you love a good mystery and a quirky detective, this is for you.  I hope she writes many more, and I don't care WHAT she calls herself, I freakin' love Cormoran Strike!)
6. A Memory of Light - Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
   (Twenty-two years of my life all came down to this book.  Twenty-two years of waiting. It did not disappoint.)
7. Timeless - Gail Carriger
8. Cold Days - Jim Butcher
9. The Silver Linings Playbook  - Mathew Quick
10. Monster Hunter Legion - Larry Correia

Lifetime Achievement Award: Ray Bradbury

For my birthday this year I asked for, and received, Stories by Ray Bradbury.  This is a collection of 100 of his short stories, selected by Bradbury before his death.  They are HIS favorites.  I am the hugest Bradbury fan: I love Fahrenheit 451, I love his Martian Chronicles, and I love Dandelion Wine.  I thought I was quite the aficionado until I read this and realized that I only knew a dozen or so of the stories, and nearly 90 more in the collection were new to me!  And they were fantastic!  If I had to pick a favorite, I'd say The Cold Wind and the Warm.  I did not know that he'd written stories based on the years he lived in Ireland, and they delighted me, most particularly that one.  If you haven't read Bradbury, don't start here, but if you have, pick up this book immediately.  If you haven't read Bradbury, go for Fahrenheit 451 and then The Illustrated Man.  Then Dandelion Wine.  Then the Martian Chronicles.

But do read Bradbury.  Just do.

The 2013 Wrap Up

So!  Happy New Year!  2013 was quite the year, eh?

I don't know about you, but I had some ups and downs this year.  For instance (on the up side), Baby Roo turned one!  I read 151 books!  And saw some really great movies!

Oh, and I also discovered I had a couple of kind of serious health problems, but that's all under control now.  (Side note: don't drink soda, kids!)  Also, I had set a goal of reading 160 books this year, and fell nine books short.  Sigh.

But of course, WEDNESDAYS IN THE TOWER was a New York Times Bestseller, so that's a win, right?  And I found out it was on the list while I was on a cruise . . . so yes, also full of win!  I went on my first ever book tour, which was fun, but also exhausting.  Baby Girl turned 5!  Boy turned 9!  I turned an age between 35 and 40!

What's in store for 2014, you ask?

Well, I've written some updates for the FAQ page, and those should be up this weekend.  My next book will be out in September, and is yes, the sequel to WEDNESDAYS.  The title is THURSDAYS WITH THE CROWN, and the cover will be by the same fantastic artist, David Hohn, and I hope to post it soon!

Also coming soon to the website will be my always anticipated BEST OF lists, like the best movies and the best books of 2013, according to me!  So watch this space!

Jessica's Favorite Books of 2012

Hello!

It's that time of year again!  That wonderful, exciting time when awards are given out, and lists are made, and everyone is all abuzz with the books they read last year that have stayed in their brains until 2013.  And I?  I am no exception!  I love to make lists!  All kinds of lists!  But especially lists of books!

So here, without any more rhapsodizing or navel-gazing, are my favorite books from last year, in the random categories that I felt like putting them in!

Adult Nonfiction

  1.     Life’s That Way - Jim Beaver

  2.     Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? - Mindy Kaling

  3.     Let’s Pretend This Never Happened: A Most True Memoir - Jenny Lawson

  4.     Steve Jobs - Walter Isaacson

  5.     Confessions of a Scary Mommy - Jill Smokler 

  6.     Hoboken Fish & Chicago Whistle - Daniel Pinkwater

  7.     Bringing Up Bebe - Pamela Druckerman

  8.     It Itches. - Franklin Habit

  9.     In the Pleasure Groove - John Taylor

  10. The Place of Knowing - Emma Lou Warner Thayne

  

      Adult Fiction

   

  1.     The Snow Child  - Eowyn Ivey

  2.     I Am Forbidden - Anouk Markovitz

  3.     The Sisters Brothers - Patrick deWitt

  4.     The Casual Vacancy - J. K. Rowling

  5.     The Twelve - Justin Cronin

  6.     Lost Melody - Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith

  7.     Size 12 And Ready to Rock - Meg Cabot

  8.     Death of a Kingfisher - M. C. Beaton

  

     Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy

  1.     Blackout/All Clear - Connie Willis

  2.     Among Others - Jo Walton

  3.     Wise Man’s Fear - Patrick Rothfuss

  4.     The Way of Kings - Brandon Sanderson

  5.     The Hollow City - Dan Wells

  6.     Ghost Story - Jim Butcher

  7.     Monster Hunter Alpha - Larry Correia

  8.     Redshirts - John Scalzi

  9.     Tongues of Serpents - Naomi Novice

  10. Ganymede - Cherie Priest

    

    YA Fiction

  1.     The Underdog/Fighting Ruben Wolfe/Getting the Girl - Markus Zusak

  2.     Everybody Sees the Ants - A. S. King

  3.     Every Day - David Levithan

  4.     Smile - Raina Telgemeier

  5.     The Diviners - Libba Bray

  6.     Scarlet - A. C. Gaughan

  7.     Withering Tights - Louise Rennison

  8.     Keeping the Castle - Patrice Kindl

  9.     Dead End in Norvelt - Jack Gantos

    YA Sci fi/Fantasy/Horror

  1.     Goliath - Scott Westerfeld

  2.     Hold Me Closer, Necromancer/Necromancing the Stone - Lish McBride

  3.     Rot & Ruin - Jonathan Maberry

  4.     Because It Is My Blood - Gabrielle Zevin

  5.     Rampant/For Darkness Shows the Stars - Diana Peterfreund

  6.     Feedback - Robison Wells 

  7.     Eternally Yours - Cate Tiernan

  8.     Cinder - Marissa Meyer

  9.     Team Human - Justine Larbalestier and Sara Rees Brennan

  10. Seraphina - Rachel Hartman

  

    Middle Grade

  1.     The Finn Family Moomintroll series - Tove Jansson

  2.     Big Bad Ironclad - Nathan Hale

  3.     One Dead Spy - Nathan Hale

  4.     The Chronicles of Harris Burdick - Various Authors

  5.     The Thirteenth Child - Patricia C. Wrede

  6.     A Tale Dark and Grimm - Adam Gidwitz

  7.     Unexpected Magic - Diana Wynne Jones

  8.     Earwig and the Witch - Diana Wynne Jones

  9.     Lady Friday - Garth Nix

  10. Darth Paper Strikes Back - Tom Angleberger

  

    Picture Books

  1.     Grandpa Green - Lane Smith

  2.     I Want My Hat Back - Jon Klassen

  3.     Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs - Mo Willems

  4.     The Duckling Gets a Cookie - Mo Willems

  5.     The Santa Trap - Jonathan Emmett, Poly Bernatene

  6.     Dinosaur vs. The Potty - Bob Shea

  7.     Olivia and the Fairy Princesses - Ian Falconer

  8.     Llama Llama Time to Share - Anna Dewdney

  9.     Dracula – A Babylit Counting Primer - Jennifer Adams, Alison Oliver

  10. Hooray for Amanda and Her Alligator - Mo Willems

So there you have it!  If I had to say what was my FAVORITE book overall, it would be Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis.  (Technically it's one long book split into two: Blackout and All Clear.  But the second you finish Blackout you will need All Clear.)  So freaking fantastic!  And such an amazing feat!  I cannot even begin to understand how much research she must have done to create what has to be one of the clearest and most heartrending portrayals of English life during WWII . . . AND it's a science fiction novel.  Also, I cannot stress this enough: Markus Zusak's Underdogs trilogy are some of the greatest YA books ever written.  Yes, I love The Book Thief.  I know it won lots of awards.  But I'm sorry: Getting the Girl is better.  Before you try to argue with me, kindly read Getting the Girl, then we'll talk.

* Remember kids: the books listed as "Adult" are for adults, and Auntie Jessica is not responsible if you read, say The Casual Vacancy, your brain explodes from all the swears, and your parents get mad.  Please read responsibly.

**I will say that Blackout/All Clear is suitable for teens.