What Are You Reading?

It's Labor Day.  The official end of summer. But that doesn't mean we have to put away our beach chairs and flip-flops (or even our white shoes and skirts, like my mother always insisted when we were kids).  And it doesn't mean we have to put away our fun summer reads, either.

Recently, I've been reading a huge variety of fabulous books, including, but not limited to:

SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE by Joanne Levy.  How can you lose with a title like that?  Smart, snappy, fun and utterly delightful.

TOKYO HEIST by Diana Renn.  This book combines some of my favorite things: art, travel, mystery and Seattle.  Fast-paced and ever so detailed, it makes me want to visit Japan and jump into a Van Gogh painting.

THROUGH THE EVER NIGHT by Veronica Rossi.  This book doesn't come out until January, but it will be worth the wait.  Brilliant sequel to Under the Never Sky, it continues Aria and Perry's story, deepening our connection with them and their world.  Amazing.

LEAGUE OF STRAYS by L.B. Schulman.  Darkly believable, this book about the bullied bullying back pushes the reader to look at the grey areas between right and wrong.

EVERY DAY by David Levithan.  This book is so unusual it almost defies description.  Philosophy and love story combine to make this an entertaining, inspiring and thought-provoking read.

THE DIVINERS by Libba Bray.  What can I say?  Libba + 1920's + ghosts + fabulous characters.  Did I mention it's set in the 1920's?  Did I mention I always wanted to be a flapper?  I'm a bit of a scaredy-cat, though, and had to skip a couple scenes.  Be warned - do not read this late at night!

MARY BOLEYN by Alison Weir.  I always have to throw a couple of historical biographies onto my TBR pile, and this one doesn't disappoint.  So little is known about Anne Boleyn's sister, it's like trying to puzzle through a mystery.

MEMO FROM THE STORY DEPARTMENT by Christopher Vogler and David McKenna.  I need to refresh myself on craft every day, and the advice and inspiration in this book help keep me going.

What have you been reading?  What have I missed?

Friday Five -- My Favorite Books of 2011

I hesitate to say the "Best" books of 2011, because the word is so subjective.  When thinking of "best" I encounter a difficulty choosing between a story I adore, a concept that is truly unique and simply stellar writing.  Plus I know I've read too few books really to be able to suggest that I know which books of 2011 were the "best".

Caveat over.  On to the books!  In no particular order.

1.  Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys.  I blogged about this book back in June over on the YA Muses.  And I can't stop thinking about it.  It covers a segment of history about which I knew nothing, follows the story of a strong and compelling protagonist and tells a story of such poignance and power that it lingers many months in the mind.

2.  Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins.  If you haven't read Anna and the French Kiss or its companion/follow-up, Lola, walk away now and go find a copy.  Feel-good romance and detailed characters you feel you know.  I was so glad to see Anna and St. Clair in Lola, but equally glad that it really told Lola's tale.  She's a character you need to meet.

3.  Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach.  I wasn't sure I would like this book at first, but it ended up being another one that seized me and wouldn't let go.  An somewhat unreliable narrator who knows he is unreliable but who the reader can look past and see the truth before the character himself can.  So cleverly done, I need to read it again to see how Herbach did it.

4.  Out of Shadows by Jason Wallace.  I love boarding school books.  And this one is set in the 80's (my favorite decade?  No, I guess the 90's were better) and in Zimbabwe.  I felt attachment to this novel before I even read it, and since reading it, I feel I know Zimbabwe better.  History -- only 30 years old -- that few people know or understand brought to life in a novel that could be contemporary.

5.  What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen.  I love Dessen's novels, and this one did not disappoint.  Beautifully rendered, with fully-developed characters each with quirks and faults and truth.

There are many more books out there that deserve to be on this list.  And I'm always on the lookout for recommendations from others!  Let me know what you've read this year, what's surprising, what made you cry, what changed you.  And, of course, what you're looking forward to next year!

5.