The Best of 2008

This year I think I read more books within the year then I ever have before, and I loved every minute of it! As the year comes to a close though I have to highlight my top fifteen that were published in 2008. I've read over 200 books this year so obviously there are many to chose from and so many more that I did not get a chance to read. Note that these are in no particular order and these choices are just my opinion.

1. Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers
2. Paper Towns by John Green
3. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
4. Undone by Brooke Taylor
5. House of Dance by Beth Kephart
6. Ten Cents a Dance by Christine Fletcher
7. Alive and Well in Prague, New York by Daphne Grab
8. Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle
9. I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by Stephanie Kuehnert
10. Trouble by Gary D. Schmidt
11. Little Friendly Advice by Siobhan Vivian
12. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
13. Audrey, Wait by Robin Benway
14. The Fortunes of Indigo Skye by Deb Caletti
15. Violet in Private by Melissa Walker

And I just have to mention one of my other favorite books of the year that won't be published until Spring 2009, but I can't help share it with you all and hopefully get a little pre-publication buzz going, SOUL ENCHILADA by David Macinnis Gill.

Best of luck in the New Year and lookout for a great contest and a hopefully fun filled post tomorrow!!!

Girl Week = Reviewer X = AWESOME!!!

Hey guys quickly head on over to Reviewer X for the last little bit of fun. Steph is hosting an amazing girls week where there are tons of great guest blogs and of course...giveaways!!

Top 8 by Katie Finn

Madison MacDonald had life all figured out. She has three great best friends, she’s dating one of the hottest guy’s in school, she’s got the lead in the school play, and she’s going to the Galapagos for Spring Break (while she’s not that excited, but hey it’s not the worst thing that could happen). Then the worst does happen, her Friendverse profile is hacked. Not only are her (and many other people’s) worst secrets plastered all over the Internet, but also some very unflattering pictures. Now she no longer has a boyfriend, half of her school hates her, and she’s in some very deep trouble. Thankfully she has some of the best friends a girl can have believe that she was hacked and are all determined to help her figure out who’s behind this nasty prank, and clear Madison’s name once and for all.

To be honest I was very surprised with this book. There was a good storyline, that wasn’t too predictable, the characters were cute, and it was a very cute love story. I also liked how Katie Finn addressed how much emphasis teenagers put on social networking websites by teenagers. In this case, Madison feels her whole life is ruined when her profile is hacked. This is because people rely so much on these websites, and this book shows just how much trouble these sites are.

I liked how some of the story was told through comments on Madison’s profile page; it gave an insight as to what other characters were thinking. While there were times when the book got a little slow and predictable, it quickly picked up again. This would be a great read for reluctant teen readers, as it mixes the type of way the story is told and it’s current with today’s world. I am definitely looking forward to reading more from Katie Finn and was quite impressed with her debut novel.

And A Simple Question? Week of December 14-21

Sorry for the delay, but I've been having major internet problems!!

The winner of The Other Side of the Island by Allegra Goodman is....

Chelsie of Bookluver Reviews!

Congratulations Chelsie. Please send me your address so I can send the book to you.

On to this week's question....

What book (released 2008) depicts the instant stardom of a girl who just wanted to break up with her boyfriend?

Either comment or send me an email at: andanotherbookread AT gmail DOT com. 

Prize this week: ARC of Triple Shot Betty's in Love by Jody Gehrman 

Rules are same as always, besides that you have to get an additional 3 entries for getting the right answer.

Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty by Jody Gehrman

Geena has the perfect summer planned out. Her, her cousin Hero, and her best friend Amber are going to have some quality girl time working at the Triple Shot Betty coffee drive-thru shack. Things never work out as planned though. Hero and Amber don’t get along, actually that’s an understatement, they hate each other! Geena feels that her summer’s ruined now and is torn between her favorite cousin and her best friend.

As the summer progresses, the girls’ relationship starts to improve slightly. The Betty girls though are faced with a whole new problem, hot guys! Geena is desperately trying to deny the fact that she likes her arch rival (and competition for class valedictorian) Ben, Hero is hopelessly in love with the Italian working on her dad’s vineyard, and then Amber, well she’s just trying to find somebody. The girls run into no end of problems, but it ends up being one heck of a summer.

With a title this cute, I knew before I even cracked the cover that this book was going to be great! I was certainly not disappointed. The story itself was super cute, the writing was superb, and it just left the reader wanting more.

All three main characters were unique in their own way and I felt like I got to know three different girls, instead of one person with a few differences. I especially loved Geena, who stood up for herself no matter what. She was a great narrator, and she had some hilarious things to say. Her sense of humor was by far one of the best character sense of humor’s I’ve ever come across! Hero and Amber were also really funny. I could really imagine them as real people and felt like they were easy to relate to even though we have completely different personalities.

I also really liked the style that the book was written in. It was told in journal entries by Geena, which I thought was really neat. Some books I’ve read try to do this, but just aren’t that successful, but Jody Gehrman was really able to pull it off. The character’s personas really came through and the whole book came completely alive.

In short I completely loved this book and am anxious for more. Jody Gehrman created an unforgettable, absolutely hilarious, and fun filled novel that any girl is sure to absolutely devour. I highly recommend this book to any and all who are looking for a book that will just brighten your day.

The Other Side of the Island by Allegra Goodman

It’s the eighteenth year of Enclosure and everything on the islands in the Tranquil Sea have become regulated. Earth Mother and her Corporation, who have a vision for a world with only happiness, control everything from jobs to the weather to children’s names and expect everyone to conform to this view of normality, no matter what the consequence. On Island 365 lives a girl named Honor and her family who don’t really fit into this conforming society.

While Honor desperately tries to fit in, her parents try even harder to not fit in. They break curfew, don’t pray to Mother Earth, and biggest of all have a second child. When Honor meets Helix she soon finds out some dark secrets, those that don’t conform soon disappear…forever.

Filled with fear that her parents might be taken, Honor tries to change even more, thinking that if she fits in, no attention will be brought to her parents. Will all her efforts be in vain? Will her and Helix uncover more secrets about the island?

From the very first paragraph I was drawn into the story and knew that it would be great. As the story progressed I was certainly not disappointed. Having only read a few post-apocalyptic or dystopian society books, I was a little unsure as to what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised with the ability of the book to hold my attention. I felt like most of the characters, especially Honor, were well developed and real. Something that really stood out to me was Honor’s ability to stay real, and very human like, in a setting composed of conforming events and questions. In this case it was easy to connect with Honor, because the author made the reader have some of the same questions as she did. The author also did a great job creating suspense within the novel. There were many times where I was not able to pull myself away from the book at all. The questions that the book brings up keeps you enthralled and wanting more. Overall I was very much impressed with the book and am very much hoping that there will be a sequel.

Fans of The City of Ember, The Uglies, and The Giver, I think will really enjoy this book.

And A Simple Question?

As promised here is my weekly trivia feature! Before I reveal this weeks question, I would like to announce the winner of Paper Towns by John Green....drumroll please.....

Congratulation to number 11 was none other than Shelly Burns. Shelly please get back to me within three days or else I will have to choose a new winner.

Now I have to admit this week's question is not a trivia question, but another opinionated one.

What book(s) are you giving away for the holidays?

Books are great things to give away as presents, as they aren't to expensive and they last forever.

Here's a quick run through of the rules:

1. All entrants must live in the United States.
2. All entries must be received by 12 PM E.S.T. Saturday night
3. Two extra entries for linking/posting about the contest
Three extra entries for already being a follower
Two extra entries for becoming a follower

This week's prize is a great book that I read not to long ago, The Other Side of the Island by Allegra Freedman (hardcover). It's a great book for all ages and a great story.

Enjoy the week and check back tomorrow for a new review!