Happy new year!
Books Read in 2013:
1. The Planet Savers, Marion Zimmer Bradley (start of a Darkover reread that I never quite finished)
2. Arrow, R.J. Anderson
3. Sword of Aldones, Marion Zimmer Bradley
4. White Fur Flying, Patricia MacLaughlan
5. Doll Bones, Holly Black (adored this book about the changing–and not so changing–role of pretend games as we grow up)
6. The Bloody Sun (1964 edition), Marion Zimmer Bradley
7. Eye of the Storm, Kate Messner (quite liked this dystopic story of a superstorm-plagued future)
8. Star of Danger, Marion Zimmer Bradley
9. Winds of Darkover, Marion Zimmer Bradley
10. Spell Bound, Rachel Hawkins
11. The Desert Cries: A Season of Flash Floods in a Dry Land, Craig Childs
12. Mirage, Jenn Reese (really digging this series, too)
13. The One and Only Ivan, Katherine Applegate (well written, but why do we tell so many kids’ stories about mothers who die and the heroic fathers who take their place and so few stories about mothers who live and are heroic?)
14. Wolves, Boys, and Other Things that Might Kill Me, Kristin Chandler
15. Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel, Nikki Grimes
16. Planet Middle School, Nikki Grimes
17. Life After Theft, Aprilynne Pike (my favorite of hers so far)
18. Hereville: How Mirka Met a Meteorite, Barry Deutsch
19. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, Grace Lin (lovely; why did it take me so long to read this?)
20. Dark Sons, Nikki Grimes
21. Hapax, A.E. Stallings
22. The Book of Three, Lloyd Alexander (speaking of things it took me awfully long to read for the first time)
23. The Black Cauldron, Lloyd Alexander
24. Owly Volume 1: The Way Home and The Bitytersweet Summer, Andy Runton
25.The Castle of Llyr, Lloyd Alexander
26. Serafina’s Promise, Ann E. Burg
27. Olives, A.E. Stallings
28. Jumping Off Swings, Jo Knowles
29. Heritage of Hastur, Marion Zimmer Bradley
30. The Rose Throne, Mette Ivie Harrison (interesting look at transgender issues through the metaphoric lens of men’s and women’s magic)
31. Nowhere Girl, A.J. Paquette
32. The Death of Yorik Mortwell, Stephen Messer (Stephen Messer’s books have this nicely Diana Wynne Jones-ish edge to them)
33. The Lucy Variations, Sara Zarr (a look at art and doing what you love and keeping loving/remembering why you love it)
34. Taran Wanderer, Lloyd Alexander
35. The Shape of Desire, Sharon Shinn (in which unconditional love for dangerous supernatural creatures gets a bit more of critical a look than usual)
36. The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp, Kathi Appelt (delightful–but you already knew that, right?)
37. Written in Stone, Rosanne Parry (a well-handled look at whaling in native cultures, among other things)
38. Wesley the Owl, Stacey O’Brien (enjoyed this book, but later heard–and began realizing–that as a guide to what owls are like, it may be … less than reliable)
39. The Alton Gift, Marion Zimmer Bradley and Deborah Ross (Lew Alton’s search for redemption was the most interesting part of this book for me)
40. The High King, Lloyd Alexander
41. Still Life With Shapeshifter, Sharon Shinn
42. Tiger Lily, Jody Lynn Anderson
43. Tim Star Cecil Castellucci (read this one early; look for it in February!)
44. Killer of Enemies, Joseph Bruchac (Apache heroine in a post-apocalyptic future that holds echoes of her people’s stories–loved this one, too)
45. Alex and Me, Irene Pepperberg (the story of Alex the parrot–I don’t know whether I’m more intrigued by his learning the concept of “none” or sort of learning the concept of “sorry,” both on his own–but a fascinating read all around)
46. How to Say Goodbye in Robot, Natalie Sandiford
47. Cat Girl’s Day Off, Kimberly Pauley (hugely fun read about a girl who, in a family of magical genuises, thinks she’s failure because she can “only” talk to cats)
48. Fangirl, Rainbow Rowell (found the protag frustrating the first half of this book and adored her the second half enough to be glad I’d read it anyway)
49. William Shakespeare’s Star Wars, Ian Doescher (best read aloud)
In Progress: How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf, Molly Harper
May your 2014 be filled with stories, joy, and light!