Last year I posted a list of my favorite books, and I thought I would go ahead and make it an annual tradition! So here's the bare-bones list. Reflections/annotations sometime later this week.
Some quick notes/observations: this is a completely subjective list. The list is culled from books read during 2007. Not all of them (in fact, not many of them) were published in 2007. The categories are subjective too. I made them up last year and decided to try to repeat all of them again this year; I also added a couple more.
The thing that surprised me most upon reflecting on what I read this past year was how little literary or adult fiction I actually read. Almost all the fiction I read was for young people. However, I think I read more adult non-fiction than usual...it seems to be exciting my interest far more than adult fiction. And that's just fine...though if anyone wants to recommend some good fiction titles being written for adults, I'm primed to listen!
Without further ado, the list:
Favorite Biography of the year: End of the Spear by Steve Saint
Children’s biography of the year: Mary on Horseback by Rosemary Wells (runner-up: The Art of Eric Carle)
Picture book author of the year: A tie between Shirley Hughes and Anna Dewdney
Best Devotional Book: God With Us by various authors (runner-up: Mudhouse Sabbath by Lauren Winner)
Best Novel I Read This Year: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
Best Novel I Re-Read This Year: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Best "pop culture" book: Unlocking Harry Potter: Five Keys for the Serious Reader by John Granger
Favorite "new to me" children’s book, mid-grade reader (8-12 year old category): tie between Bella at Midnight by Diane Stanley; Princess Academy by Shannon Hale; and The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
Favorite "new to me" young adult book (12-15 year old): tie between Rules by Cynthia Lord (I may be stretching, this might be considered mid-grade) and Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson
Best Children’s Book I Re-Read This Year: The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes
Favorite "new to me" picture book: Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
Book I Wish I Hadn’t Wasted My Time Reading: Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little by Peggy Gifford
Book I Should Have Finished (and still plan to): The History of the Ancient World by Susan Wise Bauer
The Book That Surprised Me Most: The Children’s Blizzard by David Laskin
The Book That Made Me Laugh the Most: I can’t really think of one that made me laugh. Smile, yes, chortle, okay. Lots of things made me giggle with the sweet girl. But not one book really made me laugh. Yikes.
Book That Challenged Me the Most: (besides the Bible): End of the Spear by Steve Saint
And new categories this year:
Favorite new mystery writer: Joanne Fluke and her Hannah Swensen mysteries
Favorite "new to me" Spiritual Resource/Bible for Children: The Big Picture Story Bible by Helm and Shoonmaker
Favorite book of theological reflections: Evil and the Justice of God by N.T. Wright
2 comments:
I agree with you about Joanne Fluke. I'm in the middle of "Key Lime Pie Murder". You might try Patricia Sprinkle as well--it's the same kind of feel. I'm the reverse of you--lots of fiction (especially mysteries), probably not enough nonfiction.
Ah, good! A recommendation of another cozy writer...I appreciate that!
I just tried one of the "Jane Jeffry" mysteries the other day, by Jill Churchill, but didn't like it at all. Made me realize how good Joanne Fluke is! (Clearly not a fluke!) :-)
I've definitely been on a non-fiction kick in the past year or so...loving history, biography, memoir. I guess these things go in seasons...
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