Thursday, June 6, 2013

Melanie's 2013 Summer Reading List

Back by popular demand! 

I didn't come close to finishing my Winter 2013 Reading List, and I didn't even write a spring reading list. I did do some reading, but not as much as usual. I'm going to pretend it was because I was writing more...

My Favorite Books of Winter 2013
(the link to goodreads is on the author's name, because I spent so much time making the book name's all pretty and then realized it was too complicated to keep it pretty and make it a link too)

1. Prodigy (Legend Book 2) by Marie Lu
This is dystopian fantasy. I loved, loved Legend, and while I enjoyed Prodigy a lot, it wasn't quite the same. Maybe because I listened to Legend and read Prodigy???

2. Ruins (Pathfinder Book 2) by OrsonScott Card
This is a sci-fi/fantasy crossover. It's pretty intense stuff, but one of the better things OSC has written lately.

Dark, sexy and funny--I think is would be called an Urban YA Fantasy. It danced on the edge of being too dark and sexy for me, but it didn't cross over the line. For older readers.

4. Insignia by S.J. Kinkaid 
Science Fiction. If you love Orson Scott Card, but sometimes wish he was funnier--this is the series for you!
And one that wasn't on the list that I'm recommending anyway:

5. Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin Book 2) by R.L. LaFevers
Historical YA Fantasy. For older YA readers.

***The books I have yet to read from my winter reading list are Palace of Stone, Code Name Verity, The Outcasts, Screwing Up Babylon, and Princess of Glass.


My Summer 2013 Reading List
It's impossibly long, but I'm overdue for some intense reading, so we'll see how far I get.
The link is on the author's name.


6. Wednesdays in the Tower (Sequel to Tuesdays at the Castle) by Jessica Day George
MG Fantasy. If its anything like the first one, I can't wait to read it to my kids.

7. Earth Afire: The First Formic War (Book 2) by Orsons Scott Card
Science Fiction This is the prequel series to Ender's Game--all about the Formics coming to Earth

8. Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3) by Cassandra Clare
Steampunk YA. I've heard the audio is to die for

9. The Spectacular Now by: Tim Tharp
6/2013: There were things I really liked about it, (like the main character, Sutter) but I can't recommend it. Lots of sex, lots of bad language, and lots of drinking. The drinking was kind of the point...that's what the book is about. The values are contemporary ones--live together, have sex, party a lot, but grow up eventually. But those kinds of values don't exist in books I recommend. On the other hand, the end of this hit me like a mack truck, and I'm going to be pondering it for a long, long time. Contemporary YA Soon to be a movie

10. The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle (The League of Princes Book 2) by: ChristopherHealy 
MG Fantasy--Fairy Tale Retelling from the male POV

11. Edenbrooke by: Julianne Donaldson
Historical Romance

12. Guards, Guards  By Terry Pratchett. Recommended as a good jumping-in place for the Discworld books. Fantasy

13. When You Were Here by: Daisy Whitney
Contemporary YA, set in Japan 

14. The Spy Who Loved: The Secrets and Lives of Christine Granville by ClareMulley 
Ooh! Lookit this. An actual non-fiction book in my list. Biography.

15. The Star Attraction by Allison Sweeney
I don't know if this is really my cup of tea. It's Chick Lit. We'll see.

16. Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry
Contemporary YA

17. Perfect Scoundrels (Heist Society Book 3) by Ally Carter
Contemporary YA

18. Switch! By Karen Prince 
Oh, just go look at it. It sounds so cool. YA Fantasy set in Africa

19. Vortex (Insignia Book 2) by: S.J. Kinkaid 
YA Science Fiction

20. Ender's Game (Got to read it again before the movie comes out, of course!) by: Orson Scott Card
YA Science Fiction Classic. AKA best book ever.

21. Meant To Be by: Lauren Morrill
Contemporary YA

22. 6/2013 And, because I'm crazy like that, I just finished reading Murder On The Orient Express by Agatha Christy. It's been such a long time since I read it that it felt brand new again. I definitely recommend this if you haven't read it or if it's just been a while. Mystery.


What do you recommend?



7 comments:

  1. Let's see:

    Chris Wooding's "Retribution Falls, The Black Lung Captain, The Iron Jackal," and on September 19th the last book in the series: "The Ace of Skulls."

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    1. This looks interesting. One review called it "swashbuckling" and you know that's all I need to hear. Besides, it sounds a little like firefly. (One of the characters is even named Malvery. Ha!) I always enjoy books you recommend. Thanks Rich!

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  2. Melanie, I made my Terry Pratchett recommendations in this post: http://theprosers.blogspot.com/2013/04/d-is-for-discworld.html

    Also, definitely read Code Name Verity!!! It does start slow, but keep with it. By the time I got to the second half, I couldn't stop reading for anything. Love it, love it, love it.

    I actually have a huge long TBR pile which includes Princess of Glass and Wednesdays in the Tower. :)

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    1. Thank you, Sabrina, I was aiming that plea for you. Heading up to change it now. I knew I'd promised to read one, but I couldn't remember which, and I'd already spent way too much time on this post.

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  3. Great list, Melanie!
    Yes, please don't skip Code Name Verity. Also, Edenbrooke - Yay!
    A few months ago, I read my first Agatha Christie novel ever, And Then There Were None - aka Ten Little Indians. Interesting.
    If you need one more book, I thought Chime by Franny Billingsley was amazing.

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    1. Chime sounds awesome. Thanks for the recommendation.

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  4. Great list. I've got Prodigy and Black Heart on my summer reading list. Book 1 of the His Fair Assassins series is on my list as well. I've heard great things about those books.

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