Recently I have found myself with some quiet time holding my daughter while she sleeps. This has been a great opportunity to get some reading done. Unfortunately the fact I am holding a sleeping baby makes it hard to turn the pages of the book. It crossed my mind that an E-Reader would easily allow for one-handed reading. My wonderful husband suggested that perhaps this would be a good Mother’s Day gift. This seemed like the perfect idea.

The question then became “Which E-Reader should I buy?” I narrowed my choices down to two; the Nook and Kindle. I compared them to determine which was the right one for me.

One feature I considered a “must have” was a 3G connection. This would allow me to purchase a book at any time. Both options include this feature. The Nook–like my iPhone–takes the internet connection one step further and allows you to browse the web. I did not want to pay extra for this feature since I would not use it. Another feature the Nook had was that it displayed in color. I could not justify getting a device with color–again it is not something I would ever use.

In comparison the Kindle was filled with features I would use. The fact it was not back-lit meant I could easily use it in direct sunlight. The Kindle mobile app allows me to read my books on my Macbook, iPhone, or iPad. The syncing feature allows me to pick up exactly where I left off no matter the device. My Amazon.com addiction–90% of my books have been purchased from the site–was another plus for this device. Purchasing the E-Reader from Amazon meant I could continue on with my shopping habits.

In the end the thing that finally made my decision had nothing to do with the features of either product. As a Mother’s Day special, Amazon offered a free $25 gift card with the purchase of a Kindle. This was the perfect thing to start my collection of E-Books. With my husband’s credit card in hand, I ordered the device and eagerly awaited its arrival.

I have had my Kindle for two months now, and I am very happy with the decision I made. I find myself frequently enjoying how I can easily download several sample selections to my Kindle to peruse. I can determine if I’m interested in a book before spending money on it. I love being able to easily read books with one hand. Since I can purchase a new book at any time, means I always have something to read. I could go on and on about all the reasons I love my Kindle.

Now that I have an E-reader, I eagerly endorse them to anyone who asks. I initially thought I would miss having paper books, but that hasn’t been the case. I think this purchase has been instrumental in me meeting my reading goal in record time. These devices may not be for everyone, but I am really glad I finally got one.

From Goodreads.com

New from #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot, a dark, fantastical story about this world . . . and the underworld.

Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can’t help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she’s never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

But now she’s moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.

Only she can’t. Because even here, he finds her. That’s how desperately he wants her back. She knows he’s no guardian angel, and his dark world isn’t exactly heaven, yet she can’t stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.

This book confused the crap out of me. The way in which Cabot wrote this book had me often wondering what was going on. I had to read it twice in order to follow the plot–this has never happened before! There were two reasons for this befuddlement: 1) There have been three times in Pierce’s life when this “mysterious figure” has made an appearance. The author doesn’t explain all three of them until the second half of the book. 2) The encounters are only vaguely referenced before they are detailed. This made me confused about which encounter Pierce was talking about at times.

The perplexed feeling was made worse by the author’s mixing of flashbacks into the story. The fact she frequently went from present to past with little warning left me lost. I often found myself several paragraphs into a memory before realizing I had gone into the past. I would then have to reread the last page or so to catch back up.

I did feel that the plot was a bit “Twilight-esque”. [Spoiler Alert] The novel centers around a dead young man in love with a young woman who can not get keep out of trouble. [/Spoiler Alert] I could not help notice the similarities between the main characters of this book and of Stephanie Meyer’s novels. That being said, Cabot tells a story around these characters that is entertaining, and I found her use of the underworld to be original. In the end found myself enjoying the story–once I understood it–despite being reminded of Meyer’s characters.

Review: After finishing my first read of this novel, I felt disoriented, thus making me feel disappointed with the book. It’s unfortunate as there was much to like about this story. After my second reread I found the plot was quite entertaining. Cabot created great suspense leaving me wondering what will happen in the next book in the series Underworld. I wished that I could have enjoyed these things the first time.

Unfortunately I have found little time to write reviews for these books. My free time usually comes with a baby on my lap, leaving no free space for a laptop. The result is a lack of book posts up on my blog. I have decided to rectify this by doing a sort of “rapid review” post discussing some of my recent reads.

The first book I want to review is Thin, Rich, Pretty by Beth Harbison. The story is told from three alternating points of view that rotate between the present and past as the story unfolds. By using this technique each narrator only divulges small pieces of the story. The reader is able to use all of these tidbits to create the full plot. This approach helped the tale develop slowly until everything was revealed at the end and left room for interesting twists and turns. The resulting story was quite enjoyable.

Jennifer Weiner uses also uses flashbacks and multiple narrators in Fly Away Home. I found this to be much less successful. The author’s use of flashbacks was less structured and sometimes left me feeling confused. I often wondered if I was in the past or present. Another disappointment was the fact that I found one of the women narrators to be boring. Her story lacked anything that would make it interesting to me. My final issue with the story was that the conclusion of the book left me with no resolution. I had high hopes for this book when I purchased it, but was left feeling disappointed.

There was no disappointment when I finished The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest. I found all three of Larsson’s novels–Hornet’s Nest plus The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo–to be interesting and entertaining. All three novels in the trilogy started slowly, but soon were impossible to put down. This was a series that had sat on my shelf for several months. I ended up blowing through all the books in a week in a half. The characters were complex; the story was original. I’m glad I finally read this series.

I have no idea how Water for Elephants ended up on my bookshelf. It has probably been there for two years waiting for me to read it. It finally got picked up this weekend as a result of being the only book left unread on my shelf. I had very few expectations when I started reading this book. I ended up discovering a book that I would pick up again for a re-read. Recently I have found myself reading mostly YA stores and tales of women in their early 30′s. This story, told by a male narrator alternating between life in his 90′s and early 20′s, was a refreshing change. I loved how the plot focused on the life of a member of the traveling circus. I had never before wondered about such a life, but now feel inspired to know more. I don’t know how this book ended up in my life, but am glad it did!

Like Water for Elephants, Hook Line and Sink Him has a male narrator. In Water for Elephants the author captures a man speech and thought in a way that I felt was realistic. The author of Hook Line and Sink Him creates a man who comes off as a stereotype. I hope that the men around me think of things other than constantly bedding women and the local sports teams. My inability to believe in the main character meant that I could never really get into the storyline. It was entertaining but not enthralling. The result was a book that I will probably forget about in a month or so.

Girls in Trucks is a book I can’t wait to forget. I picked it up at Target after reading the book’s description. I found the book to be disappointing. Starting with a seventh-grade girl named Sarah, the novel jumps unpredictably through her life. These jumps were not executed well, often leaving me feeling jarred. Characters came and went with no rhyme or reason, making me feel as if I had missed something. There was no resolution to one story before being thrown into the next. The only constant was the main character’s habit of smoking pot, which just irritated me. Upon finishing this book I felt like I had wasted a lot of time. Very disappointing.

So now I find myself looking for book recommendations. I need suggestions! My shelves which were once full of “to read” piles are now in need of a refresh. I’ve given many book suggestions over the past year, and now am asking for you to return the favor. What books should I check out?

Suburban soccer mom Amy has always wanted to stand out from the crowd. Former child prodigy Linnie just wants to fit in. The two sisters have been estranged for years, but thanks to a series of personal crises and their wily grandmother, they’ve teamed up to enter a national bake-off in the hopes of winning some serious cash. Armed with the top-secret recipe for Grammy’s apple pie, they should be unstoppable. Sure, neither one of them has ever baked anything more complicated than brownie mix, but it’s just pie-how hard could it be?

I previously won and reviewed Second Time Around by this author, a book I thoroughly enjoyed. When I saw that The Bake-off was being given away on Goodreads.com, I made sure to enter. I was thrilled to find out a won a free copy of the book to review. My previous experience with the author meant I started the book with high expectations.

My first reaction to the book was to the cover. I appreciated how the cover image is very different and original. In my opinion this helps it really stand out amongst other books. In a row of new releases, I would pick up this book for a second look–I loved that!

I enjoyed the relationships that the author depicted in Second Time Around. I found myself loving those in The Bake-off even more. Like Amy and Linnie, I have a sister who is close in age. This enables me to relate to the different feelings that exist between siblings. Kendrick captures these emotions on the page, creating a story that I found myself easily identifying with.

The story told in this novel supports the great characters. The main theme of the plot–sisters competing in a bake-off–is as original as the cover. The situations they encounter made me want to continue reading. I couldn’t wait to see how the sisters worked their way out of some of the trouble they ended up in. The creative story kept my interest throughout. I was almost sorry to get to the last page!

Review: Great book!!! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Kendrick’s great storytelling created a page-turner that I hated to put down. I found the characters interesting and real. The story was funny and entertaining. I can’t wait until this book is released so others can enjoy it!

The basis of the book is that four girls–Emily, Aria, Hanna, and Spencer–lost contact with each other after their childhood friend disappeared. They start receiving messages from a mysterious “A” years later. These messages reveal secrets that only their missing friend–Alison–knew. “A” then starts sending texts and e-mails about the four girls’ current scandalous activities. The quartet must now discover what happened to their friend in order to stop their stalker.

Shepard left many hints that had me guessing A’s identity throughout, which made the four novels addicting.This was particularly surprising as I found every other aspect of the stories to be terrible. My need to find out A’s identity kept me reading. It was the reason I could not put the books down.

The ridiculous plot points had me rolling my eyes as I read. The main story line involves A’s ability to follow the girls at all times, which isn’t realistic. I did exercise some “willing suspension of disbelief” to go along with the point. I did feel that since this one aspect was over the top the rest of the action should be a bit more believable. This was not the case. The pages were full of crazy scenarios: A seventh grade student kissed her 17-year-old sister’s boyfriend; a high school junior hooks up with her teacher; a mother sleeps with a cop in an attempt to get charges dropped against her daughter. Do these things happen in real life? Yes. Do these things–and more–usually happen to a small group of friends? I find that hard to believe. All of these situations create a framework for a story that was just to much for me to handle. It’s not good when the “mysterious stalker who knows all your missing friends secrets” is the most believable plot point in your book.

The crazy plot lines were not the only thing I disliked about the books. I was not a fan of the frequent depiction of underage drinking, often with little consequences. The reaction of the parents to various situations their daughters were in was also quite disturbing. These reactions were sometimes more irrational than the circumstances their daughters found themselves in. I must admit that it has been many years since I was a teenager. It is also true that my experience as a parent is limited to a newborn. These two facts lead to me having little knowledge in the areas of teenage behavior these days, and their parents reactions. It may be possible that the behavior depicted in this story is accurate. My experiences with the many other YA novels I have read leads me to believe this is not the case. These factors contributed to my lack of enjoyment of the series.

The Pretty Little Liars series is currently made up of three sets of four books. The last series is due to be published later this year. I will not be reading this series, or the second set of four books. The annoyance I felt with the plot points made me reluctant to start with the second set of stories. I felt satisfied enough with the answers I had in the fourth book to not continue.

It should not be a surprise that I do not recommend this series. The author is successful in creating suspense, a factor that could not save the rest of the story. It was only due to my determination to get my questions answered that I survived through the first four books. A look at the Wikipedia entries detailing the plot points of the next four novels convinced me this was the right move. Shepard was able to top herself with outrageous plot points in these next novels. I’m glad I didn’t waste my time on the stories.

From Goodreads.com

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Claire: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he’s taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna—and readers—have long awaited?

I first heard of this book through a Goodreads.com giveaway. Neither the cover nor description grabbed my attention, so I didn’t enter the giveaway. A month or so ago I started noticing a lot of people mentioning the book; John Green even acknowledged it on his YouTube channel. Friends and other authors discussed it on Twitter, and they all had positive things to say. I got caught up in the word-of-mouth buzz and ended up giving the book a second look.

I have previously discussed I enjoyed the way Emilly Giffin conveys relationships in her stories. I found the same to be true with the author of this story. Perkins artfully depicts the intricate ups and downs of a growing teenage relationship throughout this book. She is able to build the friendship between Anna and Étienne naturally. The pacing is never rushed or fake. I felt myself getting more involved in the story as their feelings for each other grew. When they encountered the awkward stumbling blocks caused by their growing feelings for each other, I felt the tension that developed. The moments of joy and happiness they experience affected me as if they were my own.

The other relationships depicted in the story demonstrate the same depth. You understood Anna’s anger when she and a friend got in a fight. I felt the sadness she experienced when she missed her family back home. The many emotions were depicted so truthfully that it made the book feel like more than just a story. This realism made a tale that was impossible to put down.

Review: I am so glad that I was persuaded to give this story a second another look. Anna and the French Kiss turned out to be a fantastic book that I couldn’t wait to finish. I can not wait to read the companion novel–Lola and the Boy Next Door–in September.

First up for release is The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern. The January 25th release date is right around the corner. Ahern’s novels are a refreshing change from the ordinary, due to the setting of the books. Her plots seem to take place in a world very similar to our own, with an extra magical layer to them. This fantasy world has worked in all of her books except her last. I hope her newest release is more successful at maintaining the balance between reality and extraordinary.

I named Lauren Oliver’s debut release Before I Fall my favorite read of 2010. I was excited when Oliver announced her next book, Delirium. This book is the first in a trilogy scheduled to be released over the next three years. I usually wait until all of the books have been released to start a series. I plan on breaking this trend with Delirium. The first reason is the book’s description. It reminds me of one of my favorite books, Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. The second reason is that my love for Before I Fall has me very eager to has me very eager to read more from Oliver.(Bad Pun Alert!) I am delirious to get my hands on a copy of this book!

Over two years ago I started reading a blog by new dad Matt Logelin. The blog was very different than those by other new fathers. Matt lost his wife less than forty-eight hours after welcoming his daughter into the world. The words on his blog were honest and emotional. I was quickly enthralled by his story. Even though the man was a stranger, I found myself rooting for him as tried to move past the tragedy in his life. He is now telling his story in Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss & Love. The memoir will be released April 14th. I plan to have a box of tissues available for this read; it’s going to be a real tearjerker.

Meg Cabot has two books being released in 2011. The first up is Abandon, due out April 26th. This book is the first in a new series she is writing. Her second story–Overbite–is the follow up to her 2010 release Insatiable. I am a bit apprehensive about both stories. Insatiable started strong, but I felt that it got a bit “out there” at the end. I’m hoping this is not the case in Overbite. The description of Abandon gives me the same concern. This is upsetting because I have loved her earlier works. I hope to be able to enjoy her Supernatural releases as well.

Abandon is not the only story I’m excited about being released on the 26th of April. That is also the publication date of the long-awaited sequel to 13 Little Blue Envelopes. I have been eager to get my hands on The Last Little Blue Envelope since Maureen Johnson announced it over a year ago. The original is one of my favorite works by Johnson; I hope the same is true for its sequel. Johnson is also releasing The Name of the Star in September of this year. This book is the first in her “Shades of London” series. I loved her submission in Zombies vs. Unicorns because it was a bit darker than her usual work. I am hoping that this latest series is more of that darker tone. If so I feel it will be one of her more enjoyable novels.

There are two other notable releases I want to mention. On June 21st Ally Carter will release the second book in her Heist Society series. I can’t wait to find out what hi-jinks Kat and crew encounter in Uncommon Criminals. Jen Lancaster is releasing her first work of fiction on May 3rd of this year. I have found her previous memoirs to be hysterical and can’t wait to see what If You Were Here is about.

Last week I had to decide what my goal would be for 2011. I would normally aim to meet or surpass my previous target, but I don’t think that is possible this time. This year my usual distractions–and family–will welcome a new addition. I have no doubt that a new baby will reduce the time I want to spend reading. It’s hard to choose a book over a new baby! As a result I decided to drop down my target from 78 books to 52. I feel this is a realistic goal that I will be able to meet.

This year I have extra help as I aim to reach my target. The 2011 Reading Challenge on Goodreads.com is a neat tool to help me track my progress toward my goal. To start I inputted in how many books I was aiming to read this year. As I update the site when I finish a book, the tracker will automatically update my total. The Challenge page also allows you to see how your friends are doing as they aim to meet their goals. Another reason to sign up for Goodreads.com!

So I have set my reading goal for the year. I am interested to see how I do! If you want to see my progress, check out either Goodreads.com or here on the blog. Good luck to all as you try to meet your reading goals!

Favorite Pregnancy Read

Nominees: Knocked Up: Confessions of a Hip Mother-to-be by Rebecca Eckler and Baby Bargains, 8th Edition: Secrets to Saving 20% to 50% on Baby Furniture, Gear, Clothes, Toys, Maternity Wear and Much, Much More! by Denise Fields, Alan Fields
Winner: Baby Bargains, 8th Edition by Denise Fields, Alan Fields
I judged this category based on which book I felt prepared me the best for my impending motherhood. These two books are very different from each other, which made it difficult to choose a favorite. Knocked Up was an entertaining and realistic tale about the journey of pregnancy; it is a great memoir. Baby Bargains wins the category, however. This book helped me prepare for the new baby the most. As a first time mom, I know nothing about the products available for a newborn. This book was invaluable in helping figure out which items I needed and which I didn’t. I loved how this information was all in one place for easy reference. This is such a great book that I recommend it for all new parents.

Favorite Series

Nominees: Airhead Series by Meg Cabot, Gallagher Girls by Ally Carter, The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins, and Mediator Series by Meg Cabot
Winner: Mediator Series by Meg Cabot
I didn’t realize how many great book series I read this year until I tried to pick a winner. All four series were full of five-star books. In order to pick my favorite, it came down to one fact: which series was the most consistent throughout. Two of these series–Airhead and Hunger Games–started off strong but the series’ finales left me disappointed. To some extent this also happened with the latest Gallagher Girls book. This was not the case in the Mediator books. Each book had a consistency that I enjoyed. I picked up the first and finished the last within forty-eight hours. The entire time I was interested and engaged in the plot. I enjoyed how Cabot was able to tell Suze’s story over six books while keeping the plot connected and entertaining. Note: While the Mediator series wins this category, all four series are “Must Reads” in my book.

Favorite Goodreads “First-Read”

Nominees: Second Time Around by Beth Kendrick, The Council of Dads: My Daughters, My Illness, and the Men Who Could Be Me by Bruce Feiler, Lay the Favorite: A Memoir of Gambling by Beth Raymer
Winner: Lay the Favorite: A Memoir of Gambling by Beth Raymer
What I like most about Goodreads giveaways is that they give me a chance to read a book I wouldn’t normally pick up. This is true of all ten books I have won. I appreciated all but one of them, with Lay the Favorite being the one I enjoyed the most. The fact that I had nothing in common with the main character, yet still was still entertained by her story, made the book more interesting for me. The book was a real page-turner that had me interested throughout. I never would have purchased this book, but am really glad that Goodreads gave me the opportunity to read it.

Worst Book of 2010

Nominees: Rich Again by Anna Maxted, The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell, The Gift by Cecelia Ahern
Winner: Rich Again by Anna Maxted
I previously mentioned that I picked up this book solely based on its cover. The bright colors and shopping bags made me believe the story was a typical Chick Lit plot with a bit more conflict. Instead I found a book with a confusing setup, unlikeable characters, and morbid plot. There was not one enjoyable aspect in this story. I have never before been unable to finish a book and was only able to complete this one because I heavily skimmed it. Such a bad book all around.

Favorite Memior

Nominees: Sliding Into Home by Kendra Wilkinson, My Fair Lazy: One Reality Television Addict’s Attempt to Discover If Not Being A Dumb Ass Is the New Black; Or, A Culture-Up Manifesto by Jen Lancaster, Didn’t I Feed You Yesterday?: A Mother’s Guide to Sanity in Stilettos by Laura Bennett
Winner: Sliding Into Home by Kendra Wilkinson
So, I have a confession to make. I have a small obsession with all things related to the original Girls Next Door; Holly Madison, Kendra Wilkinson, and Bridget Marquardt. I was very excited when I heard that Wilkinson was going to be releasing a memoir. I figured this book would give me a little extra insight into what went on behind the scenes of the TV show. I was also interested in learning a bit more about what Wilkinson’s life was life before her time at the mansion and what brought her there. Apparently I wasn’t the only one interested, as it was impossible for me to get my hands on a copy of the book until a week after it had been released! Once I was able to start reading, I found myself enjoying the pace and flow of the story. Her truthful tale was the perfect mix of history and humor that defines her. This book may not be on the same level as some of the other five-star books I read this year, but it served as a needed escape. It was the perfect way to get some “guilty pleasure” time in and getaway from the insanity that can be real life.

Favorite Chick Lit Novel

Nominees: Second Time Around by Beth Kendrick, The Brightest Star in the Sky by Marian Keyes, Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin
Winner: Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin
Most of the Chick Lit stories I read in previous years were fun and flighty. They involved a single girl shopping her way around town while looking for the right guy. This year I discovered that authors were moving away from this type of story in favor of serious tales. Emilly Giffin was able to successfully tell the tale of the challenges of marriage after writing great “boy meets girl” stories. There was very little about this book that didn’t work. I highly recommend it to all of my Chick Lit blog readers.

Favorite YA Novel

Nominees: Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green, David Levithan, Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan, Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, The Hunger Games & Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Winner: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
It was a great year for me in terms of YA books. A quick look at a summary of YA books I read least year shows that a high percentage of the them rated four or five stars. It was hard to narrow this list down to the nominees. It was even harder to pick a winner! After much deliberation I picked Before I Fall. I started reading the book with no expectations. Lauren Oliver was a new author who was not from the usual circle of authors I read. I finished the book with a changed attitude. The way in which Oliver discussed the life and death of the main character was inspiring. I find myself often recommending this book to friends and strangers. Such an amazing book.

So, those are some of my favorite books of 2010. What were some of your favorite reads?

August
The Baby Planner by Josie Brown
Babe in Boyland by Jody Gehrman
Bumped (Bumped #1) by Megan McCafferty
The First Husband by Laura Dave

July
The Lover’s Dictionary by David Levithan
Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott
Will Work for Prom Dress by Aimee Ferris
Knuckler: My Life with Baseball’s Most Confounding Pitch by Tim Wakefield, Tony Massarotti
Always Something There to Remind Me by Beth Harbison
Four Decades of Magic: Celebrating the First Forty Years of Disney World by Chad Emerson
Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner
Overbite (Insatiable #2) by Meg Cabot
Spent: Memoirs of a Shopping Addict by Avis Cardella
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
A Match Made on Madison by Dee Davis

June
City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments #4) by Cassandra Clare
Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1) by Cassandra Clare
City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments #3) by Cassandra Clare
City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments #2) by Cassandra Clare
Uncommon Criminals (Heist Society, #2) by Ally Carter
City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1) by Cassandra Clare
The Amber Spyglass (His Dark Materials #3) by Philip Pullman
The Royal Treatment (Princess for Hire #2) by Lindsey Leavitt
Spoiled by Heather Cocks, Jessica Morgan
The Subtle Knife (His Dark Materials #2) by Philip Pullman

May
The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials #1) by Philip Pullman
Naked Heat (Nikki Heat #2) by Richard Castle
Heat Wave (Nikki Heat #1) by Richard Castle
The Epcot Explorer’s Encyclopedia: A guide to the flora, fauna, and fun of the world’s greatest theme park! by R.A. Pedersen
If You Were Here by Jen Lancaster
Flashforward by Robert J. Sawyer
Princess for Hire (Princess for Hire #1) by Lindsey Leavitt
Working at the Ballpark: The Fascinating Lives of Baseball People–from Peanut Vendors and Broadcasters to Players and Managers by Tom Jones
Abandon (Abandon Trilogy #1) by Meg Cabot Review
The Last Little Blue Envelope (Little Blue Envelope #2) by Maureen Johnson

April
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Love on a Dime (Ladies of Summerhill #1) by Cara Lynn James
Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King
Hook Line and Sink Him by Jackie Pilossoph Review
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen Review
Girls in Trucks by Katie Crouch Review
Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner Review
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest (Millennium #3) by Stieg Larsson
Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss & Love by Matthew Logelin
The Girl Who Played with Fire (Millennium #2) by Stieg Larsson

March
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium #1) by Stieg Larsson
Thin, Rich, Pretty by Beth Harbison Review
The Bake-off by Beth Kendrick ARC Review
Loser/Queen by Jodi Lynn Anderson

February
Unbelievable (Pretty Little Liars #4) by Sara Shepard Review
Perfect (Pretty Little Liars #3) by Sara Shepard Review
Flawless (Pretty Little Liars #2) by Sara Shepard Review
Pretty Little Liars (Pretty Little Liars #1) by Sara Shepard Review
The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern
Delirium (Delirium #1) by Lauren Oliver

January
Liar by Justine Larbalestier
Going Bovine by Libba Bray
Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn, David Levithan
There’s Cake in My Future by Kim Gruenenfelder
The Imagineering Field Guide to Disney’s Hollywood Studios by Alex Wright
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins Review

* Please note that ARC stands for advance reading copy. For more information about what an ARC is or how to get your hands on one feel free to check out wikipedia.org