Book Lists

Here are my Top Ten books from 2007. Please note that most of these books weren't actually published in 2007. They are simply books that I read and enjoyed for the first time in 2007.

In no particular order:

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
I loved this book. The writing style took a bit to adjust too (I know it's a turn off for some people), but the story is incredible and inspiring. It follows a nine year old girl in Nazi Germany who learns to deal with life (and all its horrors) through the written word. It's just great!

Clementine by Sara Pennybacker
Clementine cracks me up. I picked the book up because the cover picture of Clementine reminded me of my cousin. This is definitely an early reader, but it's one I think both boys and girls will relate too. It's also great for adults who want an easy read that will make them smile.

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
This is one of the first "adult" fantasy books that I have read in a long time. It was true fantasy, but totally clean (which isn't a guarantee in adult fantasy) and had an intriguing story. Plus, it was a stand alone!

Uglies (trilogy) by Scott Westerfeld
My little sister introduced me to this series. It follows Tally (who I love) through a futuristic society where everyone has a surgery to become "pretty" at sixteen. The trilogy is complete; in fact, a companion novel Extras was published this year. Extras is not quiet as good in my opinion, but it was also a fun read. Oh, and while Uglies probably would be under the Sci Fi category, it wasn't as umm... weird as most of the Sci Fi I have read in the past has been, so don't let that turn you off.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan
That's actually the series name. So far, there are 3 books published in this 5 book series that follows Percy Jackson as he learns that he is a half-blood and his father is one the Greek gods. I am not a huge fan of the writing style (in that it references current things like Hillary Duff - I think that unnecessarily ages a book), but the books are fun and interesting. I would say The Titan's Curse (book 3) is my favorite so far.

The Chosen by Chaim Potok
I had been told by a trusted book advisor that this book was boring. So, I had avoided it for years. But, it was a book club choice, so I felt I had to read it. I am so glad that I did! I loved the story's imagery as well as the message of friendship that it portrayed. There are other books written by this author that I hope to read in the future.

The Hiding Place by Corrie Tan Boom
This was another book club pick. I loved the positive attitude that is portrayed throughout this story. Also, It was kind of eye opening for me - it's not often that you read about Nazi horror stories that take place outside of Germany, France or Russia. I enjoyed the history as well as the chance it gave me to to reflect on my own attitudes about trials I face.

The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread by Kate DiCamillo
I drove my husband crazy while I was reading this story because I just wanted to share everything that happened with him. I love Despereaux (even though he has a hard name!) and couldn't help rooting for him through out. There is a great scene where Despereaux falls in love with the princess and tells her something along the lines of "I will be your hero" that makes me smile every time I think about it.

The Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
This was the first Shannon Hale book that I read (I have since read several more, and have the others on hold at the library), and I loved it. Hale's style of writing is so smooth easy to read. I also really enjoyed watching Miri as she struggled to figure out what it was that she wanted. I really liked the way that the ending played out, and everyone got their "happily ever after."

The High King by Lloyd Alexander
After much badgering from my husband, I finally read the Prydain Chronicles. In complete honesty, I thought the first book (The Book of Three) was rather boring, but I continued to plug through, and I am so glad that I did. I enjoyed the story progression, particularly as Taran and Eilonwy got less annoying, and I just loved the conclusion in The High King. It's a story I've thought a lot about since and can't wait to share it with others.

While those were my top 10, there were other books that I enjoyed for the first time last year Here is a list of the runner's up:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
The Icebound Land (Ranger's Apprentice Book 3) by John Flanagan
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

The biggest disappointment of 2007 was definitely Gregor and the Code of Claw by Suzanne Collins. I thought this was a terrible ending to a kid's series. I felt like Collins could have made her point without having to make Gregor be a miserable outcast for the rest of his life.

Finally, here is a list of the top five sequels that I am looking forward to in 2008:

Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke, book 3 in the Inkheart Trilogy
The Battle for Skandia by John Flanagan, book 4 in the Ranger's Apprentice series
Battle of the Labrynth by Rick Riordan, book 4 in the Percy Jackson series
Queste by Angie Sage, book 4 of the Septimus Heap series
(still unnamed) by Christopher Paolini, book 3 in the Eragon un-trilogy

Here's too a bunch of great reading in 2008!