1. Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork [Read 9/15]
This is a title that I kept seeing over and over again on Goodreads. I had no idea what it was about, but it was getting good reviews, so I decided to buy it and see what the fuss was about.
As soon as I read this review, I knew I had to read the book. And not just sometime in the future, whenever I get a chance. No, I immediately ordered it, even considered paying more for faster shipping, but I managed to convince myself that waiting a few extra days and building the anticipation would be worthwhile. The verdict on that is still out. Why did this book draw my interest? The main character wakes up every day inside a new body. I've always wondered what it would be like to be inside someone else's body, and I think this book will give me an idea.
3. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick [Read 11/21]
I have no idea what this book is about, but I have heard good reviews about it, so I bought it. I could cheat and go look up a review about it, but I like the mystery of not knowing what is inside the pages of a book, and then truly discovering it as you read. Sometimes knowing even the smallest plot details can ruin that feeling of discovery, which is why sometimes I think it's fun to just pick up a random book.
4. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson [Read 9/30]
I've seen a lot of people reading this book within the last year, so even though I'm hesitant to read another Laurie Halse Anderson novel, I thought I'd give it a shot. I didn't really care for Speak, when I read it in high school, but I then read Catalyst, and loved it, so I'm hoping that I will like Wintergirls as well. I'll also be rereading Catalyst (see below), so I will be interested to see how Anderson's writing compares between the two novels.
5. Going Bovine by Libba Bray [Printz Award 2010] [Read 12/3]
Even though I've read the description and several book reviews for this novel, I really have no idea what it's about. But I think that's partly the draw of the book, the surreal nature of it. I know it involves a fake deadly illness, a dwarf and a lawn gnome, and a road trip across the United States. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how all of this ties together.
I read this I think two years ago now, but it's nothing more than a faint blip in my memory. All I remember is liking it...possibly crying as well. I feel as though it deserves a reread so I can figure out why I liked it so much.
7. Paper Towns by John Green [Read 12/11]
I love John Green. And I have yet to read Paper Towns, so I'm fixing that now. I'm curious to see how this John Green novel compares to his other two that I have read, Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars.
8. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams [Stretch?]
I'm not sure that this really falls into the YA Lit category, but I know it's a popular read among teens, specifically boys. I started reading it two years ago but couldn't get into it. I grew up reading sci-fi and fantasy, so I normally don't have any problem reading something like this, but I think it was just so different than what I was expecting that I lost interest trying to figure everything out. Hopefully I can get through it and maybe even like it, especially since I don't have much of a YA sci-fi knowledge.
I'm not a fan of novels in verse, so this one might be more of a stretch for me, but I think I might like this one. I was intrigued by the summary that I read. It's about a teenage girl whose boyfriend dies. As she grieves for him, she begins to see his ghost, this coupled with the fact that it's written in verse seem oddly fitting. I'm very interested to see how this novel combines the two.
10. Divergent by Veronica Roth [Read 10/28]
I don't know how I feel about Dystopian fiction. Right now it seems that it's a bit of a trend, especially in the YA category. After The Hunger Games gained popularity, it seemed that series just like it were popping up all over the place. I'm reading this one partly to see how it compares to The Hunger Games, to see whether it copies all of the ideas or if it gives a new spin to everything. I'm hoping for the latter, but after reading Enclave by Ann Aguirre, I'm a bit doubtful. We'll see.
11. Insurgent by Veronica Roth [Read 11/6]
12. Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick [Read 11/28]
