These are a few of my favorite 'first' lines read in March of 2009.
Once upon a time, I thought that the cheerleaders at my high school were no more capable of intelligent thought or true athleticism than the average dachshund. Suffice to say that unless the wiener dogs of the world have been holing out on me--big time--I was very, very wrong.
Not to brag or anything, but if you saw me from behind, you'd probably think I was perfect.
"Marcelo, are you ready?" I lift up my thumb. It means I'm ready.
"If I was going to kill the Prophet," I say, not even keeping my voice low, "I'd do it in Africa."
"The fairies flew suspended on wires despite their tendency to get tangled together."
March's Top Five:
Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork. 2009. Scholastic. 312 pages. (YA Realistic Fiction)
Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev. 2009. Feiwel and Friends. (July Pub) 368 pages.
Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck. 207 pages.
The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams. St. Martin's Griffin. 224 pages. (YA Realistic Fiction)
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan. 2009. Random House. (YA Fantasy/Dystopia/YA Romance/YA Suspense/YA Thriller) 310 pages.
Honorable Mentions that so would have been in the top five if read during another month...
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. 2009. Viking. 278 pages. (YA Realistic Fiction)
Graceling by Kristin Cashore. 2008. Harcourt. 471 pages. (YA Fantasy/YA Romance)
TROPICAL SECRETS: HOLOCAUST REFUGEES IN CUBA. by Margarita Engle. 2009. (March 31, 2009 Pub.)Henry Holt. 198 pages.
Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck. 224 pages. (Adult/Classic)
Number of Picture Books: 8
The Night Before St. Patrick's Day by Natasha Wing. Penguin. 2009.
Chicken Soup by Jean Van Leeuwen. Illustrated by David Gavril. Harry N. Abrams. 2009. (May)
Scaredy Squirrel at Night by Melanie Watt. Kids Can Press. 2009. (February)
Little Oink by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. 2009. Chronicle Books.
Big Rabbit's Bad Mood. Ramona Badescu. 2009. Illustrated by Delphine Durand. Chronicle Books.
Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. 2009. Chronicle Books.
Wee Little Chick by Lauren Thompson. 2008. Simon & Schuster. Illustrated by John Butler.
Tiny & Hercules by Amy Schwartz. 2009. Roaring Brooks.
Number of Board Books: 5
Pajama Mamas by Kate Spohn. Random House. 2009. Random House.
Jacob Lawrence In the City by Susan Goldman Rubin. 2009. Chronicle Books.
Magritte's Imagination. By Susan Goldman Rubin. 2009. Chronicle Books.
In My Pond by Sara Gillingham. Chronicle Books. 2009.
Lullaby and Good Night. Illustrated by Janet Samuel. 2008. Scholastic.
Number of Children's Books: 4
Joe and Sparky Get New Wheels by Jamie Michalak. 2009. Candlewick Press. (Early Reader)
Zelda and Ivy: Keeping Secrets by Laura McGee Kvasnosky. 2009. Candlewick Press. (Early Reader)
No Kisses, Please! by Hans Wilhelm. 2004. (Paperback release 2009) (Early Reader) Scholastic
Houndsley and Catina: Plink and Plunk. 2009. (April 2009) (Hardback) (Early Reader) Candlewick Press.
Number of YA Books: 16
The Squad: Killer Spirit. 2008. Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Random House. 324 pages. (YA Adventure/YA Romance)
North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley. 2009. Little Brown. 373 pages. (YA Realistic Fiction/YA Romance)
Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork. 2009. Scholastic. 312 pages. (YA Realistic Fiction)
Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott. 2009 (June 2009) HarperCollins. 288 pages. (YA Realistic Fiction)
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. 2009. Viking. 278 pages. (YA Realistic Fiction)
Fade by Lisa McMann. 2009. Simon & Schuster. 248 pages. (YA Fantasy)
The Forest of Hands and Feet by Carrie Ryan. 2009. Random House. (YA Fantasy/Dystopia/YA Romance/YA Suspense/YA Thriller) 310 pages.
How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff. 2004. Random House. (YA Fiction/YA Romance/Dystopia/War) 194 pages.
The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry. 2009. Bloomsbury 308 pages. (YA Fantasy/YA Romance)
Graceling by Kristin Cashore. 2008. Harcourt. 471 pages. (YA Fantasy/YA Romance)
The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams. St. Martin's Griffin. 224 pages. (YA Realistic Fiction)
My Summer on Earth by Tom Lombardi. 2008. Simon & Schuster. 243 pages. (YA Science Fiction)
Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev. 2009. Feiwel and Friends. (July Pub) 368 pages.
Streams of Babel by Carol Plum-Ucci. 2008. Harcourt. 424 pages.
Amanda by Candice F. Ransom. Scholastic. 1984. 361 pages.
Caroline by Willo Davis Roberts. 1984. Scholastic. 361 pages.
Number of Verse Novels: 1
TROPICAL SECRETS: HOLOCAUST REFUGEES IN CUBA. by Margarita Engle. 2009. (March 31, 2009 Pub.)Henry Holt. 198 pages.
Number of Graphic Novels: 2
Maus: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman. 1986. 159 pages.
Maus II : A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman. 1991. 136 pages.
Number of Nonfiction: 5
Who Lives Here? Forest Animals by Deborah Hodge. 2009. Kids Can Press (Nonfiction Picture book)
Have You Ever Seen A Duck In a Raincoat by Etta Kaner. 2009. Kids Can Press. (Nonfiction Picture Book)
The New Jumbo Book of Easy Crafts by Judy Ann Sadler. 2009. Kids Can Press. (Nonfiction/How-to/Craft)
1, 2, 3 I Can Collage by Irene Luxbacher. 2009. Kids Can Press. (Nonfiction/Picture Book/How-to/Craft)
Pop-Up House of Inventions: Hundreds of Fabulous Facts About Your Home. 2009. Candlewick. (Novelty/Pop-up/Nonfiction)
Number of Christian books: 6
Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross. Edited by Nancy Guthrie. Crossway. 152 pages.
The Passion of Mary-Margaret by Lisa Samson. Thomas Nelson Publishers. 313 pages.
Journey to the Well by Diana Wallis Taylor. Revell. 329 pages.
Classic Bible Storybook by Kenneth N. Taylor. Tyndale. 270 pages. (children's book)
Michal by Jill Eileen Smith. Revell. 382 pages.
Fireflies In December by Jennifer Erin Valent. Tyndale. 343 pages.
Number of adult books: 12
Chocolat by Joanne Harris. 306 pages.
Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck. 207 pages.
Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck. 224 pages. (Adult/Classic)
The Wayward Bus by John Steinbeck. 272 pages. (Adult/Classic)
Burning Bright by John Steinbeck. 128 pages. (Adult/Classic)
The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck. 304 pages. (Adult/Classic)
Mansfield Park Revisited by Joan Aiken. Sourcebooks. 201.
The Morgesons. Elizabeth Stoddard. 1862. 260 pages.
The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick. 1962. 272 pages.
The Love We Share Without Knowing by Christopher Barzak. 2009. Bantam. 288 pages.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. 1847. 246 pages.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith. Quirk. 317 pages.
Number of short story collections/ anthologies/ poetry books: 2
What's The Weather Inside by Karma Wilson. 2009. Simon & Schuster. 170 pages. (Poetry)
Bedtime Sing To Me by Diane C. Ohanesian. 2009. Scholastic. (Board Book) (Poetry/Songs)
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
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11 comments:
That is an impressive list! I've just discovered your blog, and like what I see, so I've added you to my feedreader - I look forward to seeing what you read in April.
Becky, "accomplishments" when used by you are an understatement. It took me an hour to go through your list and read a few reviews I'd missed. I had a lot of fun though. Do you work with children or young people that you read so many books directed toward them? I only wonder because I never read YA books, let alone childrens' books and so many book bloggers do. Are they emotional satisfying as good reads go? Is it possible I'm missing out on something or do some people just enjoy reviewing and recommending them to others? Happy reading in April.
Wow, you read some great books this month! Many are on my TBR list. Can't wait to read MARCELO and EYES LIKE STARS!
LOL, I think you mean The Forest of Hands and TEETH, not Feet. :)
I'm looking forward to reading Marcelo -- lots of people have recommended it to me and I appreciated your thoughtful review.
Oh Becky, Becky, Becky. I love that you had a hard time weeding it down to a top five! This is such an amazing thing to someone who barely reads more than five books in a month, you know.
You never cease to amaze me in how many books you review!!! It's awesome!!!! Where do you find all the time? If you ever have time to lend, put me on the top of the list!! :)
As I was reading your faves and honorable mentions, I had to laugh. Many of them were ones that you had caused me to add to my TBR list!! Thanks!! (And, I mean that in a good way!! You never can have too many TBR's in my opinion to fit every mood!)
ummm, Becky... do you have time to sleep??? :o) you're amazing!
oh man.. You've made me want Eyes Like Stars and I can't believe it won't be out until July! ARGH!!!!!
That would take me about fifteen years to read those I think! Thanks for the reviews though, someone pointed them out on the baby site gurgle and said they were good - they weren't kidding!
And I love it that you liked Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - it's a brilliant book...much better than the original.....maybe....
Deslily, not really. I probably need more sleep than what I'm getting. It's just hard to make myself sleep when there is so much I want to do. I'm just perpetually grumpy in the morning.
R.J., thank you! I don't know why my brain did that to me time and time again. I thought I'd purged everything in my posts/drafts. Oh well.
Sandra, I just love reading kids and YA books. They are more interesting to me than most adult books.
Just like you do every month, you totally impress me!! You read a lot of great books this month.
Whoa, that is a lot of books for one month, you are crazy amazing! I kept going back to the title to make sure I read just March and not January to March, lol. Btw, the kids and I looooove Scaredy Squirrel.
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