Sunday, July 13, 2008

The Sunday Salon: 2008 Favorites (So Far)

I've been doing a tiny bit of inventory of my reading and reviewing. My *primary* focus is supposed to be on 2008 books written for kids and young adults. How am I doing so far?

I've read seventeen 2008 picture books. Not bad. But not good either. I'm working on it though. I'm now *trying* (and succeeding for the most part) on posting at Young Readers each and every day!!! So if you have any interest at all in picture books, board books, early readers, and chapter books. I'd encourage you to visit and/or subscribe to my rss feed or by email.

Since I haven't read that many, it's not fair to really list a top ten or even a top five. So I'll go with a top two.

No, That's Wrong! by Zhaohua Ji and Cui Xu

Help Me, Mr. Mutt by Janet and Susan Stevens

If I had to have a top five, I'd add these three:

As Good As Anybody by Richard Michelson
Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett
Night of the Veggie Monster by George McClements

I've read 86 fiction novels (this includes chapter books, middle readers, and teen books)

My top eight in no particular order:

The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Sweethearts by Sara Zarr
The Sky Inside by Clare B. Dunkle
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson
The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt

The last two I'm having trouble narrowing it down. Here is the competition

Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott
Ever by Gail Carson Levine
Primavera by Mary Jane Beaufrand
Greetings From Nowhere by Barbara O'Connor
The Latent Powers of Dylan Fontaine by April Lurie

Poetry. It's pathetic. My total is completely pathetic. 3. I *really* need to work on this one. I don't know if I am just not getting any poetry review copies/ARCs but they're out there somewhere. Or if they're just aren't that many getting published. Maybe they're getting published by a publisher I don't have a contact for. That's a possibility.

I don't have a favorite. All three were good. And there's a fourth I haven't written a review of yet. But let me just give you a preview. 42 MILES BY TRACIE VAUGHN ZIMMER is all kinds of fabulous. Loved it!!!

Nonfiction. Again pathetic. 5 titles. And most of these are picture books. Again I can't pick a favorite among so few. But if I had to pick two I'd pick:

What's Inside Your Tummy, Mommy by Abby Cocovini
and
What To Do About Alice by Barbara Kerley

Graphic novels. 4. I don't get many review copies. A few now and then is all.

My favorite so far? They release in October I believe. Anyway I'm super-super-super excited about this new series:
  1. The After Hours (Twilight Zone)
  2. Walking Distance (Twilight Zone)
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8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am commenting on your TOP EIGHT so far for 2008...Here's Anokaberry's Short List published June 1st if you are looking to be inspired for the next top titles...
http://anokaberry.blogspot.com/search?q=short+list

S. Krishna said...

I really want to read Perfect You...I so enjoyed Bloom!

Unknown said...

I love reading your "lists"!

Anonymous said...

I love Lois Lowry, and want to get The Willoughbys... It's on my wishlist right now. My nine year old occasionally peruses the picture book section, but not as much as she used to. Right now we're in Gooney Bird Greene... we ran out of Junie B books.

Have a great week!

Anonymous said...

Impressive lists! And I know what you mean about poetry, I feel similarly pathetic as I do actually enjoy reading poems, but somehow I'm not giving them enough time either.

Dewey said...

I've read two of your top eight, but none of the others, I'm afraid.

Amanda said...

Hello!

I just wanted to let you know that I greatly enjoy your blog and I've tagged you for an (optional of course!) meme at:

http://lifeandtimesofanewnewyorker.blogspot.com

Thanks!

Stephanie said...

Wow. Compared to you, I hardly read at all!! I love how you are so organized you can make these "top" lists at the drop of a hat! Youa are amazing!