2011 Favorites (that I wouldn't have found except for the store)

While everyone was putting together their 2011 favorites, mine kept getting shot down (Lelia) because most of them weren't released in 2011.  My point was, that I READ them in 2011.

As I wrote down books that I loved reading, it occurred to me that I would never have found these books or even heard about them (except for Just Kids) without seeing them in the store or hearing about them from publisher reps, co-workers and/or customers.

That, my friends, is the power of a bookstore.

So here's my "I read it in 2011 and loved it" list (in no specific order):

Just Kids by Patti Smith - title captures it perfectly: Patti Smith and Robert Malpplethorpe becoming true soul mates, living in near poverty, before they had any idea what creative directions their lives would take...they were just kids.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver - "Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing."  Love becomes illegal, something to be feared and avoided at all costs.  All the love poems and songs we know become examples of the dangerousness of love.

13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher - this is a hard one to describe, but it's absolutely fantastic.  A strange "treasure" hunt traces the last days of a girl who...well, you'll have to read it. 

The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins - Whenever I hear one of our staff (or me) describe it, I expect parents to run screaming from the store.  Dystopia, kids having to kill other kids, war, death...yup, parents do not want to buy books like that.  Too bad, this is fantastic and will keep you up reading all night long.

A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan - I resisted reading this because it won pretty much every award possible in 2010 and didn't need me to promote it.  Then I saw that it was about punk rock and included a powerpoint presentation (how do you work that into a book??).  Absolutely loved it, but not every one does. You must be zen while reading and not worry that you don't always know what's going on and who's talking.

International mysteries - I have always loved mysteries, but have learned about so many varied writers from all over the world from our customers or just seeing the books come in.  Just dipping my toe in, but have really enjoyed:  Camilla Lackberg (Sweden), James Thompson (Finland), Arnaldur Indridason (Iceland), Fred Vargas (France), Andrea Camilleri (Sicily), and more.  What I really love is talking with our customers about int'l mystery writers because they enjoy them as passionately as I do.

So there's my list - can't wait to see what comes into the store next!

Busy, Busy, Busy...but still some time to read

Lauren Oliver's new book, Delirium, comes out in Feb 2011. Love is a disease, but you can't be "cured" until you are 18, so kids must be protected during the dangerous period prior to the cure. The cure will keep you "happy and safe forever." At the beginning of each chapter, Oliver takes famous quotes and bible passages and turns them on their ear for this new world when love is illegal. Regulators, invalids, the Wilds, sympathizers. No matter how you fight it, love will find a way.

On a totally different note, Jon Krakauer's Where Men Win Glory about Pat Tillman, is disturbing, but like Delirium in one key way. In both books, governments, sure they are right, will go to great lengths to move forward their beliefs. In an aside, I was reminded about the meaning of snafu from soldiers in the 1940's (appropriate word for events in this book): Situation Normal; All F**ed Up.

Hadn't read any of Michael Chabon's books previously, although they've been on my list. Drawn into The Yiddish Policemen's Union and had to really read this closely. It's a complex mystery set in Federal District of Sitka, a "temporary" safe haven created in the wake of the Holocaust and the 1948 collapse of the state of Israel. The end of the "temporary" haven is fast approaching and different players are looking to move in. Chabon has a way of inserting wonderful descriptions that made me go back and re-read them (did that really say that!??!). Great book.

And more...

Finished two advance reader editions of teen books that now go off to the real critic, my niece, who is a much more thorough and critical reviewer than I. There are both first books from these authors.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. Release date: 3/2/2010. Like Groundhog Day, but more serious. I liked it.
From publisher: "What if you only had one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?"

"Samantha Kingston has it all: the world’s most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life."

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson. Release date: March 2010. Very quick read and I liked it.
From publisher: "This remarkable debut is perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Francesca Lia Block. Just as much a celebration of love as it is a portrait of loss, Lennie’s struggle to sort her own melody out of the noise around her is always honest, often hilarious, and ultimately unforgettable."

...An observation after reading several teen books in succession -- there's a lot of death.