SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About TLT
  • Reviews
    • Book Reviews
    • A to Z Book Lists
    • Book Review Policy
  • Teen Issues
  • Middle Grade Mondays
  • Programs
    • TPiB
    • Tech Talk
  • Professional
    • Teen Services 101
    • Things We Didn’t Learn in Library School
  • MakerSpace
  • Projects
    • #SVYALit
    • #FSYALit
    • #MHYALit
    • #Poverty in YA Lit

January 1, 2015 by Robin Willis

Robin’s 2014 Favorites

January 1, 2015 by Robin Willis   Leave a Comment

It’s interesting to think how your preferences are shaped by your experiences, the type of media you’ve been exposed to, the mood you’re in, etc. And, unlike a lot of book reviewers, I don’t often read things that don’t somehow match my preferences. That said, these are *my* favorite reads from 2014. Your mileage may vary.

Let’s start with a really high point, and probably my favorite of all of the Printz honorees, Maggot Moon. This is an amazing book. Standish Treadwell is an unusual narrator, so innocent and honest in the midst of so much evil and deceit. He reflects the love he’s been shown by his family, rather than the hate he’s been shown by society for being different. And the plot – fascinating! It seems so much like something that could have happened during the Cold War, or today in North Korea.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Next let’s talk about Andrew Smith, as I sit here at 100 pages into Winger. I really loved 100 Sideways Miles. I thought Grasshopper Jungle was amazing, but I enjoyed 100 Sideways Miles more. You can read my thoughts comparing the two books here. It’s odd, because I usually enjoy an intricately plotted story where there are multiple threads that weave together to make a fascinating picture at the end. I guess Grasshopper Jungle just had the wrong vibe for me. And a lot of people being eaten by giant praying mantises, etc….

On the other hand, Jasper Fforde’s latest addition to his Jennifer Strange series, The Eye of Zoltar, was just the right vibe. As intricate and weird and fascinating as all of his novels (and equally full of bad puns and jokes) this did nothing but increase my love for his writing. I’m so happy I get to share him as an author with the students.

A couple of my favorite reads from 2014 aren’t actually out yet. Ally Carter’s All Fall Down (out January 20th) is a serious next step in her writing. It has all of the wonderful elements of her Heist and Gallagher Girls books, but there is that indefinable something more about it. Better writing? Most definitely, although her writing was already quite good. I think maybe it’s that her main character is so much more complex and nuanced? All I know is that Grace seriously broke my heart. The second one I read and loved that’s not out yet is Rachel Hawkins’ Miss Mayhem (out April 7th) – so good! Rachel has an unerring sense of humor amid the devastation she wreaks upon her characters. She also has the rare ability to create a second entry in a series that is better than the first.

Like everyone else on the planet, I loved Jacqueline Woodson’s Brown Girl Dreaming. You can read my thoughts here. She’s the best combination of a genuinely talented writer with someone who continually hones her craft and is willing to take risks. It’s so lovely. Another book I loved this year with appeal to younger grades is Shannon and Dean Hale’s Princess in Black. I purchased it for my 6 year old friends Maya and Sophie for Christmas without having read it, because it sounded so like them. When I sat down to read it to them, I was delighted! It was everything I had hoped for and more – an awesome opportunity to do fun read aloud voices, and many, many giggles throughout.

Finally, we get to my two favorite books from this year’s reading. Runner up is Alexandra Duncan’s Salvage. I picked it up on a whim when I was at the library with my little friend Aaron. I had heard a lot of praise for it on Twitter, and it was just sitting there on the new book shelf in the YA section. Karen is still patiently waiting for me to write down my thoughts on it for this blog. I just don’t know. How can I explain what a marvelous book this is? It reminded me most closely of two very different novels – Nancy Farmer’s The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm and E. Lockhart’s The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks. It’s an epic SF narrative in the style of EE&A, with the main character repeatedly thrown into new and foreign cultures and having her understanding of the world and culture and her place in it stretched, expanded and ripped apart. Equally, the theme of determining who you are as a person rather than allowing others (or cultural norms) to determine who you are (as in Frankie) is present throughout. It is amazing and epic. And very difficult to believe that it is her first published novel.

My favorite read from this year – can you guess? If you’ve followed my posts here, you might be able to. It’s a book that inspired me to completely lose my ability to even – Kiersten White’s Illusions of Fate. It is by far my most recommended book from this year. So amazing, and such and impressive step forward from an already well established, excellent author. You absolutely must read it.

Filed under: Uncategorized

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments

About Robin Willis

After working in middle school libraries for over 20 years, Robin Willis now works in a public library system in Maryland.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

May 2022

Have Some Mysteries and Thrillers for June Through December

by Robin Willis

April 2022

Tackling Your Children's Collection Diversity Audit, a TLA presentation recap

by Robin Willis

April 2022

Mindfulness in the Library, a guest post by Erica B. Marcus

by Robin Willis

April 2022

Cindy Crushes Programming: DIY Paper Flowers

by Robin Willis

April 2022

In SLJ: Verse Novelists Forge a Unique Connection with Young Readers

by Robin Willis

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

5 Books I’m Taking Out East

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Publisher Preview: Ellen Myric Presents Small Presses (Part Four!)

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Casagrandes | This Week’s Comics

by Lori Henderson

Heavy Medal

Continuing the Mock Newbery Process: Time for July Suggestions

by Steven Engelfried

Teen Librarian Toolbox

Our Settings, Ourselves: Crafting Settings That Matter from Settings That Inspire, a guest post by Erica George

by Amanda MacGregor

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

Shark Week, Vanilla Ice Cream, and the Honda CRV: Bob Shea and Brian Won Team Up for ADURABLE

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

52 Standout Titles from John Lewis, Samira Ahmed, Tiffany D. Jackson, and More | Starred Reviews, September 2021

More and More Manga: An Updated Primer on Japanese Comic Books and Graphic Novels

Download a PDF of the USBBY's 2022 Outstanding International Books List

Kwame Alexander, Follett Launch 'Bookfest' Classroom Book Clubs

The Home Team: How the Pandemic Changed Homeschooling for the Better

Commenting for all posts is disabled after 30 days.

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

Follow This Blog

Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

Primary Sidebar

  • News & Features
  • Reviews+
  • Technology
  • School Libraries
  • Public Libraries
  • Age Level
  • Ideas
  • Blogs
  • Classroom
  • Diversity
  • People
  • Job Zone

Reviews+

  • Book Lists
  • Best Books
  • Media
  • Reference
  • Series Made Simple
  • Tech
  • Review for SLJ
  • Review Submissions

SLJ Blog Network

  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal
  • Neverending Search
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn

Resources

  • 2022 Youth Media Awards
  • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
  • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
  • Summer Reading 2021
  • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
  • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
  • Summer Programming Survey
  • Research
  • White Papers / Case Studies
  • School Librarian of the Year
  • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
  • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

Events & PD

  • In-Person Events
  • Online Courses
  • Virtual Events
  • Webcasts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Media Inquiries
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Content Submissions
  • Data Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Terms of Sale
  • FAQs
  • Diversity Policy
  • Careers at MSI


COPYRIGHT © 2022


COPYRIGHT © 2022