Stefanie's Favorite Books

We're supposed to post our favorite books this year? But... I just... I hate making decisions like this.

*sighs* This is a HARD post for me to do, because there has only been one book this year that I didn't enjoy, and I've read a LOT in the past eleven months. Okay, okay, I'll stop being difficult and just close my eyes and choose. 

*spins* 

*pokes finger into Nook library*

And the first winner iiiiiiiiiiiiiis......

LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR by Stephanie Perkins.

"Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit—more sparkly, more fun, more wild—the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket—a gifted inventor—steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door."

I absolutely ADORE this book. This was the first Stephanie Perkins book that I've ever read, and after finishing it, I immediately read ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS and am eagerly bouncing up and down, waiting for the next installment of this series. Lola is everything I've always wanted to be--independent, carefree, creative, and not afraid of what anyone thinks of her. And not mention the love interest, Cricket Bell, who is one of my fictional boyfriends. I love YA, and this is definitely a very "teenage" type book, but you should read it even if you are an adult. Because I said so. :-) 

(No one I know that's read it has disliked it). Lola is now one of my favorite female characters.

*spins the wheel of awesome 2012 books*

The next winner iiiiiiiiiis.........

TIMEPIECE by Myra McEntire

"Kaleb Ballard was never supposed to be able to see ripples--cracks in time. Are his powers expanding, or is something very wrong? Before he can find out, Jonathan Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, reappears. Why is he back, and what, or whom, does he want?

In the wake of Landers's return, the Hourglass organization is given an ultimatum by a mysterious man. Either they find Landers and the research he has stolen on people who might carry the time gene, or time will be altered--with devastating results for the people Kaleb loves most. Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their extraordinary powers to find Landers. But where do they even start? And when? Even if they succeed, just finding him may not be enough ..."

Let me just say that I adore everything about Myra McEntire. She is hilarious, adorable, and can write a heck of a time travel novel. She has also pinned down the teenage boy voice perfectly, and made me fall in love with a fictional dude (again. Yes, I know, I have a lot of fictional boyfriends. But Kaleb Ballard is seriously fighting for the top spot here. He's muscled AND tattooed AND smart. *fans self*) Timepiece is the second book in the Hourglass series, and unlike the first book I chose above, you need to read HOURGLASS before you read TIMEPIECE. You won't regret it, believe me. Of course, this is another YA (all my favorite books are), but this one is good for adults too. My mom loved it. Mrs. McEntire mixes the love and angst that we all crave with a good dose of time travel physics, so you never get bored. READ IT. 

Next on my list iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis...........

FOREVER by Maggie Stiefvater

"then.

When Sam met Grace, he was a wolf and she was a girl. Eventually he found a way to become a boy, and their loved moved from curious distance to the intense closeness of shared lives.

now.

That should have been the end of their story. But Grace was not meant to stay human. Now she is the wolf. And the wolves of Mercy Falls are about to be kill in one final, spectacular hunt.

forever.

Sam would do anything for Grace. But can one boy and one love really change a hostile, predatory world? The past, the present, and the future are about to collide in one pure moment - a moment of death or life, farewell or forever."

It's no secret that I worship Maggie Stiefvater. She's never written a story, book, blog post, or heck, even a grocery list that I didn't love. (Just kidding about the grocery list. I'm totally not a stalker. Maybe.) She just has SUCH A WAY WITH WORDS. Forever the is last installment of The Wolves of Mercy Falls series, and even though Maggie seems to have gotten a lot of flack about the ending, I loved it. I thought it was the perfect ending--or really, beginning, rather-- to Sam and Grace's tortured love story. I am usually not big on the last book of any series, but this one hit the nail on the head perfectly, in my opinion. Even though it's about werewolves, this series is not your typical werewolf story, and you won't feel burnt out if you read it. It's a love story more than anything. And as in everything she writes, Maggie's prose drips like honey off a biscuit (can you tell I'm writing this before lunch? Sorry.). READ IT NOW. 

Okay, I was just kidding about the closing my eyes and choosing thing. These were my three favorite books of 2012, but there were so many more that I enjoyed immensely. Because I can't do a "favorite books" post without mention the oldies but goodies, I have to throw out my favorite books that I will read over and over for the rest of my life. 

1.) PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen

2.) THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ by L. Frank Baum

3.) THE THIEF OF ALWAYS by Clive Barker

4.) HARRIET THE SPY by Louise Fitzhugh (this is book that made me want to be writer. I wanted to be just like Harriet when I was ten years old. Plus, a good tomato sandwich never gets old.)

I've bought seven new books this past week, so I can't wait to read them and maybe have some new favorites before the end of the year! This time of year is chock full of new releases. I LOVE IT.