Books Read in 2013

Books Read in 2013

Grand Total: 67

Not as good as 2012 with my 101 titles, but not *too* shabby considering the crazy year.

Some of these titles I read as a judge for the Whitney Award to decide finalists so I read them super fast!

So is your list similar to mine or completely different? And which books were some of your favorites this past year of 2013?? Please comment! 

Children's and Young Adult: 

1. Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst

2. Evertaster by Adam Sidwell

3. Rock of Ivanore by Laurisa White Reyes

4. The Kindling by Braden Bell

5. Rifts of Rime by Steven L. Peck

6. One Boy, No Water by Lehua Parker

7. Guardians of Elijah’s Fire by Frank L. Cole

8. Epic Tale of a Misfit Hero by Matt Peterson

9. 13th Reality by James Dashner

10. Janitors by Tyler Whitesides

11. Prince Tennyson by Jenni James

12. Hazzardous Universe by Julie Wright

13. Beyonders by Brandon Mull

14. Infinity Ring by James Dashner

15. Freakling by Lana Krumwiede

16. Protector of Central Park by JT Brewer

17. Case Files 13: Zombie Kid by J. Scott Savage

18. Farewell to Charms by Lindsey Levitt

19. The Secret Sister's Club by Monique Bucheger 

20. Navigating Early, Clare Vanderpool

21. Clockwork Prince, Cassandra Claire

22. Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O’Roarke Dwell

23. The Diviners by Libba Bray

24. Running out of Time, Margaret Peterson Haddix

25. Clockwork Princess, Cassandra Claire

26. A Tangle of Knots by Lisa Graff

27. Unremembered by Jessica Brody

28. The Center of Everything by Linda Urban

29. Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

30, The Runaway King by Jennifer Nielsen

31. Destiny, Rewritten by Kathryn Fitzmaurice

32. Parched by Melanie Crowder

33. A Girl Called Problem by Katie Quirk

34. Doll Bones by Holly Black

35. Ten by Gretchen McNeil

36. Defy by Sara. B Larson

37. Cryer’s Cross by Lisa McMann

38. The Fifth Wave, Rick Yancy

39. Below by Meg McKinley

40. Fated by Alyson Noel

41. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
42. The Clockwork Scarab: A Stoker & Holmes Novel by Colleen Gleason 

43. These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
44. The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy by Nikki Loftin
45. Nightingale's Nest by Nikki Loftin 

ADULT FICTION AND NON-FICTION:

Jordan: Past and Present: Petra, Jerash, Amman by E. Borgia
Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeons Journey into the Afterlife by Eben Alexander

Lady Almina and the Real Downtown Abbey by the Countess of Carnarvon

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman

Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall

7. The Husband’s Secret by Laini Moriarity

KINDLE - A *New* Category for me! 

1. The Arrangement by H.M. Ward

The Arrangement #2 by H.M. Ward

Escaping Reality by Lisa Renee Jones

Infinite Possibilities by Lisa Renee Jones

5. 2,000 to 10,000 words a day, How to Write Faster, Write Better, and Write More of what you want 
by Rachel Aaron

Indie Author Survival Guide by Susan Kaye Quinn

The Haunting Season by Michelle Muto

Six Month Later by Natalie D. Richards

The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Miller

10. The Naked Truth about Self-Publishing

4:50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie

One Tiny Secret by Adam Kunz

The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepherd

Make a Killing on Kindle by Michael Alvear

15. Amazon Kindle Secrets Exposed by Michael Thomas

And I've probably started another 5-8 novels on my Kindle that are partly read.

Newbery Book Clubs and Winner Predictions - 2013, plus great links!

January 22, 2013 Newbery Book Clubs for Kids and Students - Plus Winner Predictions  for 2013! Many schools and libraries do Mock Newbery Awards, getting the kids to read books that are getting "buzz" each year and then putting together discussion groups to talk about the books they've read. In December or January, ballots are assembled and the students can vote on their top favorites and see which book "won" that year's Mock Newbery Award. Sound like fun? It is! Here are a couple of links for more information to get started at your school: Newbery Book Club Eva Perry Mock Newbery ALSC/ALA Mock Newbery ACPL Mock Newbery and General Children's Book Site If you're on Goodreads, there is a forum filled with librarians, teachers and readers, who discuss books all year long as they are published and the pros and cons about their potential as a Newbery Medal contender. I've often learned about new books that I've missed, or I enjoy the conversation about good books in these forums.It's super easy to join, too. Newbery 2013 Discussion Groups on Goodreads: The Hunt Begins... Our Mock Newbery Predictions Contest Recent reads to discuss In case you've been a bit swamped with lesson plans (who isn't?!), here are a few of the books folks have been buzzing about all year long as potential Newbery winners. See if you've read them, let us know which are your favorites for 2012, and don't forget to watch the ALA Newbery Broadcast next Monday, January 28th. Information about how to log in and watch it LIVE is right here: Live ALA Youth Media Awards Broadcast     Join Our Mailing List! Meet the Spellbinders Kimberley Griffiths Little is the recipient of the Southwest Book Award, The Whitney Award for Best Youth Novel of 2010, and the author of the highly acclaimed, The Healing Spell and Circle of Secrets, published by Scholastic Press. Look for her books at the Scholastic Book Fairs, as well as two more forthcoming novels in 2012 and 2013. She lives on a dirt road in a small town by the Rio Grande with her husband, a robotics engineer and their three sons. Kimberley is a favorite speaker at schools around the country, presenting "The Creative Diary", a highly successful writing workshop and has been a speaker at many conferences. Please visit her website  to download free Teacher's Guides and Book Club Guides.      Carolee Dean has made numerous appearances as a guest poet/author at schools, libraries, poetry events, and teacher/library conferences. She holds a bachelor's degree in music therapy and a master's degree in communicative disorders, and she has spent over a decade working in the public schools as a speech-language pathologist. Her first novel, Comfort,was nominated as a Best Book for Young Adults, was named the Best YA Novel of 2002 by the Texas Institute of Letters, and was on the TAYSHAS (Texas Library Association) reading list. She conducts teacher trainings on inspiring reluctant writers including "The Secret Language of Stories" and "Random Acts of Haiku." To find teacher's guides, writing activities, and information about author visits, go to www.caroleedean.com.       Caroline Starr Rose spent her childhood in the deserts of Saudi Arabia and New Mexico, camping at the Red Sea in one and eating red chile in the other. She's taught English and social studies to upper elementary and middle-school students in New Mexico, Florida, Virginia, and Louisiana. Back in New  Mexico, Caroline now writes middle-grade novels and picture books full time. Website  Blog       UPCOMING AUTHOR EVENTS           Montgomery County Teen Book Festival                            Houston, Texas Saturday, February 2, 2013, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Author Panels and Autographing sessions SPELLBINDERS   Carolee Dean Kimberley Griffiths Little WILL BE SPEAKING!

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Short & Sweet #2: HUNGER GAMES HOLIDAY TRADITIONS

December 10 , 2012 Short and Sweet (#2 in Our Three Part Holiday Series) HUNGER GAMES HOLIDAY TRADITIONS     This was the float Alamosa Books created for Albuquerque's Twinkle Light Parade. See the Christmas tree in the left hand corner? Now check out the close up below...   Sean and Elizabeth, the owners of Alamosa, decorated the tree with books including titles by the Spellbinders.   Here is our second song in the series: HUNGER GAMES HOLIDAY TRADITIONS by Carolee Dean Based on The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. (sung to the tune of "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire") Rabbits roasting on an open fire. Tributes shooting at your rear. Mockingjays singing songs like a choir. Kids dressed up in combat gear. Everybody knows some arrows and a few berries, are what you need to win this fight. But mutant mutts with their eyes all aglow, make it hard to sleep tonight. You hope that medicine and soup is on its way, and Haymitch didn't drink the sponsors pay. Though probably he's passed out now and sleeping. This happens every time that there's a reaping And so I'm offering this simple tale, about a bunch of kids with bad behavior. Though its been said many time many ways, "May the odds be ever in you favor." Go to the end of this post for a reminder of the steps you may use to create your own spoofs.  The Spellbinders will be at Alamosa Books in Albuquerque, along with several other local authors, on December 11 from 6-8 p.m. In addition to mingling with librarians and conducting a multi-author book signing, we will be collecting books for the Albuquerque Public Schools - Title One Homeless Project. This project has already served over 400 students this year alone. A book is a gift a child may treasure forever. If you are not located in the Albuquerque area, consider donating books to your local homeless shelter, or better yet, partner with a local bookstore and start a book drive of your own. As part of the evening's entertainment, we will be singing Christmas Carol Spoofs. I must give kudos here to the staff at Alamosa (Chris Warner, Megan Herceg, and Corey Bowen) for helping me brainstorm these wacky songs. They were the ones who suggested zombies and brought out a host of Jonathan Maberry books. To check out last week's zombie song or any other articles you may have missed, find past issues at the Spellbinders Blog.  Here is a copy of last week's tips for creating your own book spoofs:  1) Make a list of characters, locations, key phrases, etc. from the novel. 2) Explore a variety of songs and decide which one might lend itself to a spoof of that particular book. 3) Study the song you have selected, line by line, and see if any of the original lines of the song can be retained in part or whole. 4) Look back at your list of characters, locations, and phrases and see if any of them rhyme. 5) Go through the song, line by line, substituting your own lyrics. 6) Sing and Enjoy! Next week we will have the final song in our Three-Part Holiday Series: December 17 - EDWARD THE VAMPIRE or A VERY FROSTY KISS MISS After that we will be taking a break until January 14, 2013! HAPPY HOLIDAYS    Join Our Mailing List! Meet the Spellbinders Carolee Dean has made numerous appearances as a guest poet/author at schools, libraries, poetry events, and teacher/library conferences. She holds a bachelor's degree in music therapy and a master's degree in communicative disorders, and she has spent over a decade working in the public schools as a speech-language pathologist. Her first novel, Comfort,was nominated as a Best Book for Young Adults, was named the Best YA Novel of 2002 by the Texas Institute of Letters, and was on the TAYSHAS (Texas Library Association) reading list. Take Me There is a YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers. Her upcoming paranormal verse novel, Forget Me Not, will be published by Simon Pulse in October of 2012.   She conducts teacher trainings on inspiring reluctant writers including "The Secret Language of Stories" and "Random Act of Haiku."             Caroline Starr Rose spent her childhood in the deserts of Saudi Arabia and New Mexico, camping at the Red Sea in one and eating red chile in the other. She's taught English and social studies to upper elementary and middle-school students in New Mexico, Florida, Virginia, and Louisiana. Back in New Mexico, Caroline now writes middle-grade novels and picture books full time.    To find teacher's guides, writing activities, and information about author visits, go to my website.    Kimberley Griffiths Little is the recipient of the Southwest Book Award, The Whitney Award for Best Youth Novel of 2010, and the author of the highly acclaimed, The Healing Spell and Circle of Secrets, published by Scholastic Press. Look for her books at the Scholastic Book Fairs, as well as two more forthcoming novels in 2012 and 2013.    She lives on a dirt road in a small town by the Rio Grande with her husband, a robotics engineer and their three sons. Kimberley is a favorite speaker at schools around the country, presenting "The Creative Diary", a highly successful writing workshop and has been a speaker at many conferences. Please visit her website to download free Teacher's Guides and Book Club Guides.                           Upcoming Author Events December 11, 2012 SCBWI Winter Party and multi-author book signing featuring all of the Spellbinders and several other authors February 2, 2013 Montgomery Book Festival Houston, TX  Carolee Dean Kimberley Griffiths Little

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What I've Read so Far in 2012!

This year I started something new. I've actually been keeping track of all the books I've read during the year in a Word document. 

Innovative, right?! Ha! Between books purchased, checked out from the library, or loaned to me by friends, it was always so difficult to remember everything I'd read during the year and I knew it was incomplete come December. This past January, I changed all that - I started a Word document and have been listing them as one of my yearly goals. :-)

My good friend Caroline Rose recently posted her list here at her blog, Caroline by Line.http://carolinebyline.blogspot.com/2012/10/2012-reading-update_12.html 

She and I intersect with many titles and lately we've discussed some of our favorites, which is always fun and enlightening. 

Here's mine - so far. I have 35 sitting in huge piles waiting for me. With more looming on the horizon since I have about 8 books on Hold at the library.   

Total so Far this year: 74 Books! 

Children’s & YA Novels: 

Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Trapped by Michael Northrop

May B by Caroline Starr Rose

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

The Visconti House by Elsbeth Edgar

Eight Keys by Suzanne LeFleur

Amelia Earhart by Candace Fleming

Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes by Auxier

The Trouble with May Amelia by Jennifer Holm

The Aviary by Kathleen O’Dell

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George

Variant by Robison Wells

The Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Crossing the Wire by Will Hobbs

Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Miles from Ordinary by Carol Lynch Williams

Girls Don’t Fly  Kristin Chandler

The Humming Room by Ellen Potter

Starters by Lissa Price

With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo

Sean Grisham’s Head by Lindsey Leavitt

Slayers by C. J. (Janette Rallison)

Shifting by Bethany Wiggins

Legend by Marie Lu

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Wonder by R. J. Palacio

Bigger Than a Breadbox by Laurel Snyder

Where Things Come Back, John Corey Whaley

What Happened on Fox Street? Tricia Springstubb

Tighter by Adele Griffin

Chime by Franny Billinsgly

Shine by Lauren Myracle

Grave Mercy by R.L. LeFevers

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

The Wild Queen Carolyn Meyer

Keeping the Castle by Patrice Kindle

Desert Angel by Charlie Price

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Leisl and Po by Lauren Oliver

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Summer of the Gypsy Moths by Sara Pennypacker

Breaking Stalin’s Nose by Eugene Yelchin

Sixty-Eight Rooms by Marianne Malone

Iva Honeysuckle by Candice Ransom

Cleopatra’s Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter

Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage

Small Damages by Beth Kephart

The Secret Tree by Natalie Standiford

Don’t Look Behind You by Michelle Gagnon

Skylark by Meagan Spooner

My Mixed-Up Blueberry Summer  by Jennifer Gennari

Non-Fiction Books:

7 Miracles that Saved America by Todd Stewart

7 Miracles that Saved the World by by Chris and Todd Stewart

America’s Hope by Douglas Brinley

Growing up Amish by Ira Wagler

Heaven is For Real by Todd Burpo

The Writer’s Book of Hope by Ralph Keys

The Bedouin by Jamail Jabbar

Bedouins of the Desert by Alan Keohane

Belly Dance by Wendy Bonaventura

Lehi’s Journey by Lynn and Hope Hilton

Jordan, Past and Present by E. Borgia

Arabian Travels by Wilford Thesiger

Travels in Arabia Deserta by Charles Doughty

The Shallows: How the Internet is Transforming our Brains

Outliers by Malcom Gladwell

Adult Novels:

Rebecca’s Tale by Sally Beauman

The Dressmakers Daughter by Kate Alcott

Sister by Rosamund Lipton

The Beginner’s Goodbye by Anne Tyler

State of Wonder by Anne Patchett