What I Read in 2013

2013 was the first year I set a goal for the number of books I wanted to read. My goal was 50, and I fell a little short. I found that throughout the year I gave up on more books than usual and got annoyed with the ones that seemed to drag on too long because I wanted to hit my goal. So I'm not setting a goal for 2014 -- rather, I'm just going to dedicate more reading time to topics that interest me, both fiction and nonfiction, without worrying about numbers.

There are a lot of great books on this list. I hope it's helpful to you! Happy reading!

*** = Highly recommended
x = Not recommended
YA = Young Adult
NF = Nonfiction

1. BEHIND THE BEAUTIFUL FOREVERS by Katherine Boo (NF)
2. THE DIVINERS by Libba Bray (YA) ***
3. MIDDLESEX by Jeffrey Eugenides
4. RULES OF CIVILITY by Amor Towles ***
5. THE SCHOOL OF ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS by Erica Bauermeister

6. LOVE WALKED IN by Marisa de los Santos ***
7. A CASUAL VACANCY by J.K. Rowling
8. TELL THE WOLVES I'M HOME by Carol Rifka Brunt (YA)
9. ELEANOR & PARK by Rainbow Rowell (YA)
10. DRESS CODES: OF THREE GIRLHOODS - MY MOTHER'S, MY FATHER'S, AND MINE (A MEMOIR) by Noelle Howey (NF) ***

11. OUT OF THE ORDINARY: ESSAYS ON GROWING UP WITH GAY, LESBIAN, AND TRANSGENDER PARENTS by Noelle Howey & others (NF)
12. WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON by John Green and David Levithan (YA)
13. JUST ONE DAY by Gayle Forman (YA) ***
14. THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green (YA)
15. FEED by M.T. Anderson (YA)

16. PAPER TOWNS by John Green (YA)
17. THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET by Sandra Cisneros
18. WILD by Cheryl Strayed (NF) ***
19. OUT OF THE EASY by Ruta Sepetys (YA) x
20. CODE NAME VERITY by Elizabeth Wein (YA) ***

21. KEEPING THE CASTLE by Patrice Kindl (YA)
22. SOMEDAY, SOMEDAY, MAYBE by Lauren Graham ***
23. HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS by J.K. Rowling *** (duh)
24. THE AMERICAN HEIRESS by Daisy Goodwin
25. THE WINTER SEA by Susanna Kearsley ***

26. THE FIREBIRD by Susanna Kearsley
27. THE WEIRD SISTERS by Eleanor Brown ***
28. THE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE by Alan Bradley ***
29. JANE AUSTEN GOES TO HOLLYWOOD by Abby McDonald (YA)
30. WINGER by Andrew Smith (YA)

31. THE ART OF HEARING HEARTBEATS by Jan-Philipp Sendker
32. BEAUTIFUL DAYS by Anna Godbersen (YA)
33. MR. PENUMBRA'S 24-HOUR BOOKSTORE by Robin Sloan
34. THE LOST CROWN by Sarah Miller (YA)
35. FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell (YA)

36. JUST ONE YEAR by Gayle Forman (YA) ***
37. THE SUGAR QUEEN by Sarah Allen
38. THE SUNDAY PHILOSOPHY CLUB by Alexander McCall Smith
39. ONE OF THOSE HIDEOUS BOOKS WHERE THE MOTHER DIES by Sonya Sones (YA) ***
40. THE BOY BOOK (RUBY OLIVER #2) by E. Lockhart (YA)

41. THE GOLDFINCH by Donna Tartt
42. ROSE UNDER FIRE by Elizabeth Wein (YA) ***
43. WANDERLOVE by Kirsten Hubbard (YA)

Books Read in July

1. KEEPING THE CASTLE by Patrice Kindl

Recommended? Yes, if you are looking for a fun, light read. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

2. SOMEDAY, SOMEDAY, MAYBE by Lauren Graham

Recommended? YES. Anyone who knows me knows I love Gilmore Girls so I was dying to read Lauren Graham's debut novel, and she doesn't disappoint in the slightest! It's not technically YA but it reads like YA -- it's the best of both worlds, really. Adults and teens alike will love this one.

3. HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS by J.K. Rowling

Recommended? .........................If you haven't read all seven Harry Potter books, stop whatever you are doing, find the books, and don't leave your house until you've finished them. (This was my 97th time reading this one. Approximately.)

4. RULES OF CIVILITY by Amor Towles. I just read this book a few months ago and I reread it because it's amazing. See here.

5. THE AMERICAN HEIRESS by Daisy Goodwin

Recommended? Yes and no. If you're in the mood for something frivolous and you like books about wealthy people in the 19th century, then sure. But I'll admit that by the end of it I was ready for it to be over.

Books read in May & June

1. THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green

Recommended? I feel like I can't say anything other than, "of course." Is this my favorite book of all time? Not even close. Does it deserve all the praise, awards, and Tumblr-fandom it has received? Yes, I think so.

2. FEED by M.T. Anderson

Recommended? Yes (if you can handle being forever paranoid about the impending doom of society as we know it after reading this). I am not a fan of sci-fi so I assumed I wouldn't enjoy this one, but I was wrong. It's fantastic. 

3. THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET by Sandra Cisneros

Recommended? If you haven't read it, yes. It's a classic, feminist work and it takes about an hour to read.

4. BELONG TO ME by Marisa de los Santos

Recommended? Yes, especially if you've read and enjoyed the first one, LOVE WALKED IN. This is contemporary women's fiction, not YA.

5. WILD by Cheryl Strayed

Recommended? YES. It's a memoir about a young woman hiking from California through Oregon alone. I am not usually a HUGE fan of a) memoirs or b) hiking, but I absolutely loved this book. It's a bestseller for a reason. Read it if only to find out how the author acquired her name.

6. OUT OF THE EASY by Ruta Sepetys

Recommended? No. Just no. It makes me so sad to say that about this book and this author. Go read her debut novel, Between Shades of Gray, which is amazing, but don't waste your time with this mess. :(

7. CODE NAME VERITY by Elizabeth Wein

Recommended? Yeeesss. Woo, I loved this one. The heroines are two badass, supersmart, superfunny  girls -- one is a pilot and the other a spy during WWII. It might make you cry a little bit, but read it.

8. PAPER TOWNS by John Green

Recommended? Well, this was my second time reading it, and I wouldn't have done that if I didn't like it the first time. So yep. For fans of YA or John Green.

Books read in April

1. WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON by John Green and David Levithan

Recommended? Yes, for fans of YA. Or fans of either of these awesome writers. Or fans of musicals. (Although you don't have to be a musical fan to enjoy this book. You just have to enjoy reading about friendship and feelings and high school and love.)

2. THE CASUAL VACANCY by J.K. Rowling

Recommended? Y...es, but only because it's J.K. Rowling and I love her. This book took me months to finish. There are a lot of characters who hate themselves and hate each other. But after you get to know them all you have to keep reading to see what happens to them. I <3 J.K. Rowling.

3. JUST ONE DAY by Gayle Forman

Recommended? Yes, absolutely, yes. This book combines several of my favorite things. Travel, Paris, a one-day romance with a beautiful Dutch boy that ends in heartbreak, more travel, and a teenage girl's quest to discover who she really is. Are my favorite things oddly specific? Oh well. Read this book. It's absolutely everything I love about YA. (Well, almost everything, but I can't expect Gayle Forman to know that I like to read about food in highly specific detail and also the French Revolution. Honestly, she did quite a good job when she sat down to write this book and thought, "What would Lauren like to read about?" There's a quirky sidekick, and lots of brooding and regret, and even a couple dark alleys thrown in there.) Yeah, just read it.

~

Now, here comes the part where I make excuses! Both for not posting more and for not having more books to list. My excuses, in fact, come in the form of... more books. I am taking some awesome classes this quarter (my last quarter as an undergrad) and they involve a lot of reading. So, since most of them are not exactly relevant to the other books I usually post about, I'm going to do a quick list of them. In case you're interested. Which you should be, because some of them are quite interesting.

Other books I've read in the past month:

1. Charles Dickens and the Street Children of London by Andrea Warren

2. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

3. The Cavalry Maiden by Nadezhda Durova

4. Domestic Manners of the Americans by Frances Trollope

Books I am currently reading for research for my own writing:

1. Transgender History by Susan Stryker

2. The Lives of Transgender People by Genny Beemyn & Susan Rankin

More books next month! And I'll try to get another post in before my next monthly reads post.

Happy May!

Books Read in March

1. TELL THE WOLVES I'M HOME by Carol Rifka Brunt

Recommended? Yes! Highly recommended for fans of YA and adult fiction. Entertaining, emotional, and oh-so readable. Do it.

2. ELEANOR & PARK by Rainbow Rowell

Recommended? Absolutely (for fans of YA). It is a young adult romance but quite different from any that I've read before. I definitely recommend it if YA romance is your thing. (Funnily enough, it takes place in the mid-1980s, just like Tell the Wolves I'm Home.)

3. DRESS CODES by Noelle Howey

Recommended? YES!! This is a memoir, and I could not get over how compulsively readable it is. It's well over 300 pages but I read it in just a few days. It is about the author's experiences growing up with a transgender father, but I would venture so far as to say that it is a great read for anyone interested in women's issues. Noelle Howey is an amazing writer.

Books Read in February

1. A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES by Deborah Harkness

Recommended? First, a disclaimer: I did not finish this book! I DID enjoy the first 140ish pages, but it turned out to be not quite what I was expecting. So I will say YES, I recommend this book IF you want to read a (somewhat slow-moving) love story about a vampire and a witch. I thought it would be more than a love story (and maybe it is!) but there seemed to be a whole lot about this hunky vampire dude.

One good thing about this novel: it got me started drinking milky tea, which, honestly, I don't know why it's taken me this long given my affinity for fiction that takes place in England. They sure drink a lot of tea in those British novels.

2. RULES OF CIVILITY by Amor Towles

Recommended? YEEEESSSS. Just, yes. Read it. Glittering imagery (1930s NYC), fast-paced and exciting story, gorgeous characters. I pretty much wanted to be the main character. Heck, I still want to be her. She taught me a lot about... well, life. I'm being serious here. Read this book! (Fun for all ages! Adults, teens, men, women, hamsters, etc. all will enjoy this one. In my opinion.)

3. THE SCHOOL OF ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS by Erica Bauermeister 

Recommended? Sure. Not a super enthusiastic yes, but sure. Quick read, chock full of descriptions of food. I love food. I'm sure you do, too. I was slightly underwhelmed by the characterization at times, but I'll admit to tearing up a little at others. Overall, I did enjoy it.

4. LOVE WALKED IN by Marisa de los Santos

*GUYS! Thanks to that author link ^ yeah, that one there, I just discovered that Love Walked In has a sequel! YAY!*

Recommended? YES! If it weren't for RULES OF CIVILITY, this book would win the month of February  hands down. As it is, this month I present to you two awesomely amazing books and this is one of them! Whether you're a fan of YA or adult fiction, you should enjoy this one. As for men/women/hamsters, I think people who enjoy women's fiction might prefer this over those who don't. Also, anyone who is a fan of Gilmore Girls. You'll see what I mean. (Plenty of references to old movies.) Put this one on your "to read" list!

~

Woo! Here's to more amazing books in the coming month. Have a wonderful week, everyone!

It's that time of year again

What time of year is that, you ask. Valentine's Day? Girl Scout cookie season? The month when the rest of the country gets pummeled by winter storms while Seattle floats along under its typical tepid fog and watery sunshine?

While I am excited about these things -- I have been known to roll by grocery stores, subtly searching for eight year-old girls selling Thin Mints; and I'll admit to occasional weather envy (where's our snow, huh?) -- I'm referring to something else that happens this time of year. The PNWA Literary Contest.

Two years ago I submitted a sample of my first novel to this contest. Last year I entered my second novel. This year I plan to send in my third (my current WIP). The PNWA contest and I are great friends. I can rattle off the entry rules without checking the website. Entering the contest now feels as natural as buying Samoas when February rolls along. It's just something I do.

Why? Is it because I win awards and feel reaffirmed as a writer? Well... not really. I have yet to be named a finalist, let alone a winner. As for reaffirming my writerly sensibilities... The first time I entered the contest I daydreamed about winning big and welcoming a deluge of offers from agents and editors. (Yeah. I know.) What really happened was this: I opened the much awaited envelope to find that my writing had received scores ranging from "meh" to "have you even read a book in this genre before?" I shoved those papers under my bed and didn't look at them again for a year.

How about my second time around? My writing fared better. A lot better.

But I think the most valuable thing about this contest -- about opening my writing up to criticism -- is that it brought me back to earth.

New writers often fall prey to a false sense of awesome. It's a common phenomenon and it looks something like this: gee whiz, who knew I was such a genius, look at me go, words words words, I'm writing and no one can stop me, JK Rowling and I will be best friends. And to these writers I say: Good for you for writing. That is the first step to being a writer. But the ego has to go.

Entering a contest is a great way to open your writing up to the critics. If you truly want to succeed at your craft you have to open your eyes to what you so badly don't want to see as you're typing away and daydreaming about the movie Warner Bros will soon be making of your book.

You have to see how bad you are. You have to realize that you are, in fact, a terrible writer. How else can you be expected to improve?

oh hey bestie

Writing is a lifelong craft. True, some writers start out light years ahead of others, due to talent or IQ or the breakfast cereal they eat or something. But look at it this way: if you start at rock bottom, you can look forward to improving WAY more over your lifetime than those other guys who start out amazing. So ha.

But really. The point I am trying to make is that as much as it hurts to hear criticism about your writing (and it does -- writing is very personal, so of course it hurts) it is a healthy, positive, and necessary element of becoming the best writer you can be.

Plus, entering contests is a way to see how your writing fares in the real world, and an awesome way to earn some actual writing credentials if/when you win something.

Go forth and find literary contests! Be open to criticism!

And go by some Girl Scout cookies for your Valentine. Or better yet for yourself, because you're more important. <3