Books of 2017

 The Best Man by Richard Peck ♦ Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar ♦ The Brontë Sisters: The Brief Lives of Charlotte, Emily, and Anne by Catherine Reef ♦ The Infamous Ratsos by Kara LaReau ♦ The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill ♦ Scythe by Neal Shusterman ♦ Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team by Steve Sheinkin* ♦ Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card ♦ Skink No Surrender by Carl Hiaasen ♦ Princess Cora and the Crocodile by Laura Amy Schlitz* ♦ Paper Towns by John Green ♦ Ghost by Jason Reynolds ♦ One Trick Pony by Nathan Hale* ♦ Shadow Magic by Joshua Khan ♦ A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin ♦ Real Friends by Shannon Hale, illustrated by LeYuen Pham* ♦ City of Saints & Thieves by Natalie C. Anderson* ♦ Spill Zone by Scott Westerfeld, illustrated by Alex Puvilland* ♦ The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater* ♦ The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson ♦ The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice & Virtue by Mackenzi Lee* ♦ Doll Bones by Holly Black ♦ Nemesis by Brendan Reichs* ♦ Boy’s Life by Robert McCammon ♦ I’m Just No Good at Rhyming and Other Nonsense for Mischievous Kids and Immature Grown-Ups by Chris Harris, illustrated by Lane Smith* ♦ Thornhill by Pam Smy* ♦ Landscape with Invisible Hand by M. T. Andersen* ♦ All’s Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson* ♦ Space Case by Stuart Gibbs ♦ People Who Eat Darkness: The Fate of Lucie Blackman by Richard Lloyd Parry ♦ Midnight at the Electric by Jodi Lynn Anderson* ♦ Brave by Svetlana Chmakova* ♦ Bolivar by Sean Rubin* ♦ The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater* ♦ The Thickety: The Last Spell by J. A. White* ♦ The Dam Keeper by Robert Kondo & Dice Tsutsumi* ♦ A Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds* ♦ The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner

* indicates published in 2017

Books read: 38

That number gets sadder every year. It was hard to pick a number one (or two or three, for that matter) this year. Well, here it is my list of favorite books read in 2017 (as opposed to best, which would be a slightly different list):

1. Real Friends by Shannon Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham*
As illustrator LeUyen Pham said, “my heart is still convinced that you crawled inside my memories and handpicked all these events and feelings and insecurities from my childhood and called them your own.”

2. Princess Cora & the Crocodile by Laura Amy Schlitz*
Perfection in an early chapter book. Equal parts sweetness, mischief & charm.

3. The Gentleman's Guide to Vice & Virtue by Mackenzi Lee*
It made me laugh, blush, gasp, and fall in love. Pure delight.

4.  City of Saints & Thieves by Natalie C. Anderson*
A solid mystery with much more. Loved the characters and vivid setting, was moved by the stories of African conflict.

5. I’m Just No Good at Rhyming and Other Nonsense for Mischievous Kids and Immature Grown-Ups by Chris Harris, illustrated by Lane Smith*
So aptly titled, hilarious, clever, and so, so wonderfully silly.

6. Scythe by Neal Shusterman
A page-turner, a thinker and an original.

7. Shadow Magic by Joshua Khan
Fun, magical & charming.

8. A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin
No explanation necessary.

9. Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team by Steve Sheinkin*
He got me to care about football. Need I say more? Sheinkin, as usual, does an excellent job telling this incredible underdog story.

10. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater 
That Maggie Stiefvater just knows how it’s done. Interesting mythology and fantasy, well drawn characters, intriguing story that left me wanting more!









Honorable Mention:
Ghost by Jason Reynolds
The Infamous Ratsos by Kara LaReau
The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner
The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater*
All's Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson*
Bolivar by Sean Rubin*


Previous years: 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012