My Favorite Reads of 2010 (Happy New Year!)

Yes! As weird as it is, in just about ONE MINUTE, 2010 will come to an end, and I know we're all happy about that! And why is that? Because it means . . . NEW BOOKS, NEW RELEASES, NEW AUTHORS! I know. You're all just as excited as I am. (If you're wondering, this post IS pre-written; I am NOT WRITING THIS at 11:59 PM on New Years' Eve, thank you very much.)

So, in honor of the end of an amazing year, here are my favorite reads (releases) of 2010 (in no particular order):

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

I abosolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE all of the novels in the Hunger Games trilogy. This one was just as good as the others, and very, very, very edge-of-my-seat nerve-wracking. I blew through it, and I definitely recommend that if you haven't read the fantastic Hunger Games novels yet, you should start now! (If you liked Mockingjay and The Hunger Games, read Matched by Ally Condie!)

Grade: A+

Summary Blurb:

Mockingjay picks up a few weeks after Catching Fire left off, with that jaw-dropping ending to a jaw-dropping book, even better than the one preceding it. After being rescued by the rebels from District 13 during the Quarter Quell, Katniss has to come to terms with the terrible fact that she no longer has a home, that District 12 has been destroyed, and that she is the face of the war brooding all across Panem. And there's still her feelings for Gale, and Peeta's imprisoning by President Snow. The book, through and through, is one of the most riveting nail-biters that I've ever read . . . READ MORE.

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

I love Kiersten White, and I LOVE this book. I'm the secretary of my high school's book club (duh) and we had a visit from Kiersten White, Sophie Jordan (Firelight), and Aprilynne Pike (Wings). As you would assume after reading their books, all three are absolutely hilarious and just generally amazing. I would recommend Paranormalcy in particular to just about every fan of paranormal literature--because just about every paranormal creature in existence exists in this book--as well as Firelight (below; also a 2010 release) and the Wings series.

Grade: A+

Summary Blurb:

Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie's always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours, but still. Normal . . . READ MORE.

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Wow, I love this book. I mean, I really love this book. It's creative, funny, well-developed, paranormal, romantic . . . and there are DRAGONS. I mean, what's more creative than that? If there are two paranormal books you really need to read this year, Firelight and Paranormalcy are them.

Grade: A+

Summary Blurb:

Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form . . . READ MORE.

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Let's face it. This book is ridiculously good. I mean, if you've read it, you understand. It has virtually everything: suspense, romance, psycho killers, dead girls, psychic powers, and really great character development. Now, if you haven't read it . . . get on it! (Plus, the second book, Desires of the Dead comes out in 2011, even though I've already read and reviewed it, cause I'm just that cool)

Grade: A+

Summary Blurb:

Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her “power” to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . READ MORE.

You Are Not Here by Samantha Schutz

A beautiful cover for an equally beautiful story, don't you think? You Are Not Here is told in verse, which was a first for me. The writing is stunning, the words are rhythmic, and the plot is capturing.

Grade: A+

Summary Blurb:

Annaleah and Brian had something special—Annaleah is sure of it. When they were together, they didn’t need anyone else. It didn’t matter that it was secret. All that mattered was what they shared. And then, suddenly, Brian dies . . . READ MORE.

Matched by Ally Condie

Okay, this book is amazing. Undoubtedly. I loved it, so I'm sure you will too! I can't wait for the second one to come out. Ally Condie is an absolute genius.

Grade: A+

Summary Blurb:

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black . . . READ MORE.

And here are some of the books that I just can't wait to read in 2011:

Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky

Maddie lives in a world where everything is done on the computer. Whether it’s to go to school or on a date, people don’t venture out of their home. There’s really no need. For the most part, Maddie’s okay with the solitary, digital life—until she meets Justin . . . READ MORE.

Abandon by Meg Cabot

When Pierce first sees him, she thinks he is a murderer. She's right about one thing -- he does take lives. But not in the way she ever imagined. Pierce is drawn to the dark stranger even as she tries to uncover the mystery surrounding the tragic death of someone close to her. As she gets closer to the truth -- and the stranger -- unexpected secrets are revealed, even in her own heart . . . READ MORE.

Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles

Luis Fuentes is a good boy who doesn't live with the angst that his big brothers, Alex and Carlos, have always lived with. Luis is smart, funny, and has big dreams of becoming an astronaut. But when he falls for the wrong girl, Luis enters a dark world he's never known . . . READ MORE.

Bumped by Megan McCafferty

When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents are forced to pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society . . . READ MORE.

I hope that everyone had an amazing year, and that this next one is even better! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins can be summed up in one word: stunning.

It was so gripping, from start to finish, that I hardly put it down; I read it at the table last night at dinner, read it in every moment of "free" class time at school, and stayed up as late as I could handle and still function the next morning. And now that I've finished, what did I end up with?

. . . nothing. Because it's the last book in the series, and I'm completely heartbroken.

Mockingjay picks up a few weeks after Catching Fire left off, with that jaw-dropping ending to a jaw-dropping book, even better than the one preceding it. After being rescued by the rebels from District 13 during the Quarter Quell, Katniss has to come to terms with the terrible fact that she no longer has a home, that District 12 has been destroyed, and that she is the face of the war brooding all across Panem. And there's still her feelings for Gale, and Peeta's imprisoning by President Snow.

The book, through and through, is one of the most riveting nail-biters that I've ever read. It keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time you read it, and even the slowest of readers could--I think--whiz through it in a week, it's that good. You get sucked into the vivid world of Panem so quickly, you'll have read chapters upon chapters without even realizing it.

If there was a list of YA books that everyone needs to read before they die, this book (and it's predecessors, the Hunger Games and Catching Fire) definitely would be in the top ten, right under Harry Potter.

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Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

This awesome countdown to Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick (the sequel to Hush, Hush) won't fit in my sidebar, so i just thought I'd put it here and share it with you guys!

Amazing, right? Don't forget to check it out at your local bookstore on October 19th! I know, it seems like forever, but I'm sure it'll be worth the wait! And if you haven't read (or heard of) Hush, Hush, I definitely suggest checking it out!

And remember: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins comes out next weekend!

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