JANUARY
Swamplandia! by Karen Russell - 4/5
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - 2/5 YA
Stay Awake by Dan Chaon - 3.5/5
Maverick Jetpants in the City of Quality by Bill Peters - 3/5
The Cranes Dance by Meg Howrey - 3.5/5
FEBRUARY
The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry - 3/5
The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling - 4.5/5*
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan - 2/5
If You Were Here by Jen Lancaster - 1.5/5
Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea - 3/5
While the writing wasn't the greatest, it was cute, upbeat, and overall enjoyable. I also had some nice insight into the story as I was able to see the author give a talk on it.
MARCH
Kind of Kin by Rilla Askew - 3.5/5
The Middlesteins by Jami Attenberg - 4/5*
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki - 5/5*
City of Dark Magic by Magnus Flyte - 2.5/5
The Best of Youth by Michael Dahlie - 3/5
Laika by Nick Abadzis - 4/5 YA/GN
APRIL
Summer of the Mariposas by Guadalupe Garcia McCall - 3/5 YA
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card - 4.5/5 YA*
The Year of the Beasts by Cecil Castellucci & Nate Powell - 3.5/5 YA/GN*
Tenth of December by George Saunders -4/5*
The Road by Cormac McCarthy - 4.5/5
The sparse prose truly conveys the bleak, desolate setting.
MAY
How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid - 3/5
A rare example of the second-person book done right. Interesting in how vague and yet still specific it manages to be.
Pastoralia by George Saunders - 4/5*
There really isn't anything I can say about George Saunders any more that won't sound like gushing.
The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick - 4/5*
I have to say it, it was better than the movie.
The War at Ellsmere by Faith Erin Hicks - 3/5 YA/GN (not included in final tally)
Zombies Calling by Faith Erin Hicks - 3/5 YA/GN (not included in final tally)
The Obsidian Blade by Pete Hautman - 2/5 YA
JUNE
CivilWarLand in Bad Decline by George Saunders - 4/5*
Probably my favorite of Saunders' collections--at least containing my favorite short story, the eponymous CivilWarLand in Bad Decline.
After Dark by Haruki Murakami - 3.5/5*
Interesting read, though the ending left a bit to be desired.
Dreams & Shadows by C. Robert Cargill - 2.5/5
The Teleportation Accident by Ned Beauman - 3.5/5
Delightfully funny...in a dark sort of way, if not slow-moving at first. The main character was surprisingly endearing.
JULY
Blankets by Craig Thompson - 3.5 YA/GN
Twilight of the Superheroes by Debora Eisenberg - 3.5/5
Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell - 3.5/5
AUGUST
Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock - 3.5/5
A really unique concept.
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith - 3/5
Well-written, though mystery has never really been my thing. Not sure I completely bought the culprit.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman - 2.5/5
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley - 3/5
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton - 5/5 YA*
Now why couldn't we have read this in high school instead of Catcher in the Rye?
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness - 4/5 YA*
Excellent look at childhood loss and letting go, along with some brilliant illustrations.
SEPTEMBER
Proxy by Alex London - 3/5 YA
A young adult dystopia where the main character is gay AND not-White!
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie - 4/5 YA*
Inexcusable by Chris Lynch - 3/5 YA
The First Part Last by Angela Johnson - 3.5/5 YA
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey - 4/5
OCTOBER
The Hive by Gill Hornby - 3/5
Cute and funny.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky - 4/5 YA
The 9/11 Report by Sid Jacobson - 3/5 YA
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon - 2.5/5
Creative world-building and well-written, though plot left some to be desired.
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher - 2/5 YA
Interesting world-building, though ultimately tedious.
The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci - 3/5 YA
NOVEMBER
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame - 4/5 J*
October Mourning by Leslea Newman - 3.5/5 YA
Luna by Julie Ann Peters - 4/5 YA
Stoner and Spaz by Ron Koertge - 3/5 YA
The Fields by Kevin Maher - 3.5/5
Winter Town by Stephen Emond - 2.5/5 YA
Would have been better as a completely graphic novel, as the prose was awkward in places. Story could have been better fleshed out.
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys - 4/5 YA
If you must read a book about shades of gray, let it be this one about the forcible relocation of Lithuanians by the Soviet Union.
DECEMBER
The River of No Return by Bee Ridgeway - 3.5/5
The plot bits were interesting, the romance bits tedious--but hey, maybe it's just me.
Boxers and Saints by Gene Luen Yang - 4.5/5* YA/GN
Heartbreaking look at the Boxer Rebellion from two different point of views. I'd say definitely read Boxers first.
Money Boy by Paul Yee - 3/5 YA
Interesting, though the writing style was a little hard to get into and the story felt somewhat abrupt.
Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh - 4/5*
Simply hilarious.
The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien - 5/5*
There's nothing I can say about this book that hasn't already said.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Vol 1-8) by Jeff Kinney - 3/5 (not included in final tally)
It's just too funny.
The Rehearsal by Elizabeth Catton - 4/5
A little confusing and slow moving at times, but very well written.
* - highly recommend
YA - Young adult
GN- Graphic Novel
J - Children's
