Flaky Friday

Movies I'm Excited for This Year:

Captain America: The Winter Soldier
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
How to Train Your Dragon 2
X-Men: Days of Future Past
The Hobbit
Maleficent
Guardians of the Galaxy

More Books I Want to Read:

The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan (10/7/14)
Hook's Revenge by Heidi Shulz (9/16/14)
Exile by Tamora Pierce (9/14)
Thursdays with the Crown by Jessica Day George (9/14)
Wordles by AdriAnne Strickland (8/8/14)
Between by Megan Whitmer (7/29/14)
The Fire Wish by Amber Lough (7/22/14)
Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne (7/8/14)
Relax, I'm a Ninja by Natalie Whipple (6/3/14)
Camelot Burning by Kathryn Rose (5/8/14)
The Falconer by Elizabeth May (5/6/14)
House of Ivy and Sorry by Natalie Whipple (4/15/14)
The Nethergrim by Matthew Jobin (4/8/14)
Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige (4/1/14)
The Fifty-Seven Lives of Alex Wayfare by M.G. Buehrlen (3/4/14)
I See Londo by Chanel Cleeton (2/3/14)
Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge (1/28/14)
Hollow City by Ransom Riggs (Out now)

Books I'm Looking Forward To

There are a few books this year I'm looking forward to. This list is in no way meant to play favorites or anything. They're just the ones I know are coming out and are already on my radar.

The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan
Hollow City by Ransom Riggs
House of Ivy and Sorrow by Natalie Whipple
Relax, I'm a Ninja by Natalie Whipple

I would love to add more books to this list. In fact, if I'm going to meet my Goodreads challenge this year, I need to add more. I especially want to start diversifying my reading list. I'd love recommendations if you have them. YA preferred though I'm open to others if they're not too salty. UF and fantasy, even some sci-fi if it's on the softer side (not too technical).

2013 Books I Read

I read not near as much as I should have this year, but thankfully it was more than nothing. (Though not equal to last year's meager 30 books.)

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark by Ridley Pearson
Transparent by Natalie Whipple
Mastiff by Tamora Pierce
Transcend by Christine Fonseca
Storm Front by Jim Butcher
The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
Fool Moon by Jim Butcher
Royal Street by Suzanne Johnson
River Road by Suzanne Johnson
Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman
Elysian Fields by Suzanne Johnson
Austenland by Shannon Hale
The Wells Bequest by Polly Shulman
The Teacher's Vet by Wendy Sparrow
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
House of Hades by Rick Riordan
Even Villains Go to the Movies by Liana Brooks
How to Bring Your Love Life Back from the Dead by Wendy Sparrow
On His List by Wendy Sparrow
Frosted by Wendy Sparrow
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

How was your reading year?

Books of 2012

Continuing with the January recap theme, here are the books (or shorts) I read in 2012:

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Everneath by Brodi Ashton
The Breakaway by Michelle Davidson Argyle
Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George
Even Villains Fall in Love by Liana Brooks
Dragon Flight by Jessica Day George
Dragon Spear by Jessica Day George
Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George
Die for Me by Amy Plum
The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan
Academy Defenders by T.J. Robinson
D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths
Fey Lights by Liana Brooks
Endlessly by Kiersten White
A Thief of Nightshade by J.S. Chancellor
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan
Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George
Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
Love's Labour's Lost by William Shakespeare
Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George
A Scandal in Bohemia by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Red-Headed League by Arthur Conan Doyle
A Case of Identity by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Boscombe Valley Mystery by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Five Orange Pips by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Man with the Twisted Lip by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi

There were 12 books which I started to read but couldn't bring myself to finish. For obvious reasons, I won't be listing those here.

Here's to a new year of more reading and less leaving books unfinished.

If you have a question you're dying to ask me, something you want me to address either here on my site or over at the Dojo, send it to info(at)stephanie-mcgee(dot)com

Comments and other fun stuff can be sent to stephanie(at)stephanie-mcgee(dot)com

Books of 2011: A Retrospective

Since I'm still on writing hiatus while I work out issues, our regular update post will be taken over by a reflective post.

These are the books I read or started to read in 2011:

Monarch by Michelle Davidson Argyle
Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
Herafter by Tara Hudson
Shifting by Bethany Wiggins
The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn
To Catch a Pirate by Jade Parker
The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
Supernaturally by Kiersten White
Possession by Elana Johnson
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
Second Chance Courtship by Glynna Kaye
Scene of the Crime: Bachelor Moon by Carla Cassidy
My Life Undecided by Jessica Brody
Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
Witch Song by Amber Argyle
Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan
The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan
Firelight by Sophie Jordan
Matched by Ally Condie
Light of Epertase:Legends Reborn by Douglas R. Brown

Looking at this list I see a few things.

1-If you didn't know any better you'd think I had an affinity for a certain author.  The truth is I just got that far behind on the books and ended up reading the first two in each series in the same year.

2- I tried to branch out but it so did not work.  (Read, I read two straight up romances.  I ran back to my YA fantasy world very quickly.)

3- It's a good thing for ARCs and contests and meeting people and just having conversations.  Several of the books on this list came about that way.

4- Not every book is created equal and not every genre is my cup of tea.

Books of 2012

Well, I've been on hiatus from writing of late.  I'll get back to it soon.  Soon as I stop wallowing in self-doubt and get my writerly act together.

Meanwhile, here's a list of books I'm a) looking forward to in the coming year and/or b) have blurbs intriguing enough to land them on my to-buy list.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (1/3)
Winterling by Sarah Prineas (1/3)
Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey (1/5)
Everneath by Brodi Ashton (1/24)
Bewitching by Alex Flinn (2/14)
A Breath of Eyre by Eve Marie Mont (4/1)
Magic Under Stone by Jaclyn Dolamore (4/10)
The Breakaway by Michelle Davidson Argyle (5/1)
Kane Chronicles Book 3 by Rick Riordan (May)
Dreamless by Josephine Angelini (May)
Until I Die by Amy Plum (5/8)
Enchanted by Alethea Kontis (5/8)
Fated by Alyson Noel (5/22)
Of Poseidon by Anna Banks (5/22)
Arise by Tara Hudson (6/5)
Endlessly by Kiersten White (7/24)
The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan (Fall)
Queen of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (sometime this year)

Obviously this list is in no way complete or comprehensive.  I just got tired of going through the Goodreads YA 2012 list so stopped there.  What books are you looking forward to this year?

Books of November

Don't Expect Magic by Kathy McCullough (11/8)

I first heard about this when I got a bookmark for it in a prize pack when Elana's Possession launched.  It sounds like a lot of fun and a fun twist on the fairy godmother tale.

Become by Ali Cross (11/11)

Well, how could I not want to read this?  It's YA.  It's fantasy.  It's super ninja sensei extraordinaire Ali.  And it's gonna be awesome.

October Books

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick (10/4)

The conclusion to the trilogy.  Sigh.  It's always sad when something comes to an end, but then I remember I get to read the books again if I want and so it's not as sad.

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan (10/4)

This is the second book in his Heroes of Olympus series, the follow-up to the Percy Jackson books.  I quite enjoyed the first book in this one, The Lost Hero.

Half-Blood by Jennifer Armintrout (10/18)

This one sounds interesting. I rather enjoy stories (see above) involving gods and mythology and this one sounds intriguing.  Plus, she's a debut author and I love supporting debut authors.

Between the Sea and Sky by Jaclyn Dolamore (10/25)

I adored Magic Under Glass.  (Sequel to that coming in April.)  I think the story premise of this sounds really intriguing.  A mermaid who wants to be a siren, the highest social/political position a mermaid can attain and who has the ability to change her tail to legs?  Totally there.  Add in mystery and romance and I'm sold.

Mastiff by Tamora Pierce (10/25)

This is the third book in this series.  I've loved pretty much every single book by Tamora Pierce.  Her books are a big part of my reading past.  They're ones I re-read just for the sheer enjoyment of the characters and story.  I started re-reading one to look at how she dealt with the passage of large spans of time and before I knew it the book was over.  I'd completely stopped paying attention to the craft behind the story.

100 YA Books

 So, earlier this week I saw this post over on Chantele Sedgewick's blog with a list of 100 YA books that she'd marked up showing which she'd actually read.  I thought it would be fun, since my muse is deciding it wants me to be a YA writer, to indicate which I've read.  So, here goes.

Bold=Read it

1. Alex Flinn- Beastly
2. Alice Sebold- The Lovely Bones
3. Ally Carter- Gallagher Girls (1, 2, 3, 4)
4. Ally Condie- Matched
5. Alyson Noel- The Immortals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
6. Anastasia Hopcus- Shadow Hills
7. Angie Sage- Septimus Heap (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
8. Ann Brashares- The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (1, 2, 3, 4)
9. Anna Godbersen- Luxe (1, 2, 3, 4)
10. Anthony Horowitz- Alex Rider (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,8, 9)
11. Aprilynne Pike- Wings (1, 2, 3)
12. Becca Fitzpatrick- Hush, Hush (1, 2)
13. Brandon Mull- Fablehaven (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
14. Brian Selznick- The Invention of Hugo Cabret
15. Cassandra Clare- The Mortal Instruments (1, 2, 3, 4)
16. Carrie  Jones- Need (1, 2)
17. Carrie Ryan- The Forest of Hands and Teeth (1, 2, 3)
18. Christopher Paolini- Inheritance (1, 2, 3, 4)
19. Cinda Williams Chima- The Heir Chronicles (1, 2, 3)
20. Colleen Houck- Tigers Saga (1, 2)
21. Cornelia Funke- Inkheart (1, 2, 3)
22. Ellen Hopkins- Impulse
23. Eoin Colfer- Artemis Fowl (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
24. Faraaz Kazi- Truly, Madly, Deeply
25. Frank Beddor- The Looking Glas Wars (1, 2, 3)
26. Gabrielle Zevin- Elsewhere
27. Gail Carson Levine- Fairest
28. Holly Black- Tithe (1, 2, 3)
29. J.K. Rowling- Harry Potter (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
30. James Dashner- The Maze Runner (1, 2)
31. James Patterson- Maximum Ride (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
32. Jay Asher- Thirteen Reasons Why
33. Jeanne DuPrau- Books of Ember (1, 2, 3, 4)
34. Jeff Kinney- Diary of a Wimpy Kid (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
35. John Boyne- The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
36. John Green- An Abundance of Katherines
37. John Green- Looking for Alaska
38. John Green- Paper Towns
39. Jonathan Stroud- Bartimaeus (1, 2, 3, 4)
40. Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl- Caster Chronicles (1, 2)
41. Kelly Armstrong- Darkest Powers (1, 2, 3)
42. Kristin Cashore- The Seven Kingdoms (1, 2)
43. Lauren Kate- Fallen (1, 2)
44. Lemony Snicket- Series of Unfortunate Events (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
45. Libba Bray- Gemma Doyle (1, 2, 3)
46. Lisa McMann- Dream Catcher (1, 2, 3)
47. Louise Rennison- Confessions of Georgia Nicolson (1-10)
48. M.T. Anderson- Feed
49. Maggie Stiefvater- The Wolves of Mercy Falls (1, 2, 3)
50. Margaret Peterson Haddix- Shadow Children (1-7)
51. Maria V. Snyder- Study (1, 2, 3)
52. Markus Zusak- The Book Thief
53. Markus Zusak- I Am the Messenger
54. Mark Haddon- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
55. Mary Ting- Crossroads
56. Maureen Johnson- Little Blue Envelope (1, 2)
57. Meg Cabot- All-American Girl (1, 2)
58. Meg Cabot- The Mediator (1-6)
59. Meg Cabot- The Princess Diaries (1-10)
60. Meg Rosoff- How I Live Now
61. Megan McCafferty- Jessica Darling (1-5)
62. Megan Whalen Turner- The Queen's Thief (1-4)
63. Melina Marchetta- On the Jellicoe Road
64. Melissa de la Cruz- Blue Bloods (1-5)
65. Melissa Marr- Wicked Lovely (1-5)
66. Michael Grant- Gone (1-4)
67. Neal Shusterman- Unwind
68. Neil Gaiman- Coraline
70. Neil Gaiman- Stardust
71. Neil Gaiman- The Graveyard Book
72. P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast- House of Night (1-8)
73. Philip Pullman- His Dark Materials (1-3)
74. Rachel Caine- The Morganville Vampires (1-10)
75. Rachel Cohn & David Levithan- Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
76. Richelle Mead- Vampire Academy (1-6)
77. Rick Riordan- Percy Jackson and the Olympians (1-5)
78. Rom LcO'Feer- Somewhere Carnal Over 40 Winks
79. S.L. Naeole- Grace (1-4)
80. Sabrina Bryan & Julia DeVillers- Princess of Gossip
81. Sarah Dessen- Along for the Ride
82. Sarah Dessen- Lock and Key
83. Sarah Dessen- The Truth About Forever
84. Sarah Shepard- Pretty Little Liars (1-9)
85. Scott Westerfeld- Leviathan (1, 2)
86. Scott Westerfeld- Uglies (1-4)
87. Shannon Hale- Books of a Thousand Days
88. Shannon Hale- Princess Academy
89. Shannon Hale- The Books of Bayern (1, 2, 3, 4)
90. Sherman Alexie & Ellen Forney- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian
91. Simone Elkeles- Perfect Chemistry (1, 2, 3)
92. Stephenie Meyer- The Host
93. Stephenie Meyer- Twilight Saga (1, 2, 3, 4)
94. Sue Monk Kidd- The Secret Life of Bees
95. Susan Beth Pfeffer- Last Survivors (1-3)
96. Suzanne Collins- Hunger Games (1-3)
97. Suzanne Collins- Underland Chronicles (1-5)
98. Terry Pratchett- Tiffany Aching (1-4)
99. Tonya Hurley- Ghost Girl (1-3)
100. Wendelin Van Draanen- Flipped

Okay, after putting together my list, I debated whether I'd actually post it.  It's rather embarrassing when you look at this list and there are so few marked as ones I've read.  In fairness, there are some on this list that I picked up and started reading but couldn't get into so I set them aside and/or gave them to my sister-in-law or to DI.

But if you look at my Goodreads shelf you'll see a ton of YA books.  They're just not on this list.

What's your favorite from this list?  Your favorite not on this list?  What ones should I absolutely try to get my hands on?

Books of September

Wow, September already?


Skyship Academy: The Pearl Wars by Nick James (9/8)

I'm trying to branch out a lot in genres.  I've given romance a try and while enjoyable I need more than just "I like him" plot.  This is steampunk/dystopian and it sounds really like something I'd enjoy.  I love sci-fi and fantasy so I don't think this is really a stretch.  I just hope that it doesn't take a turn I'm expecting it to take.

Monarch by Michelle Davidson Argyle (9/15)

I read the ARC of this (my full review coming on release day).  Michelle is a dear writer friend of mine and an amazing woman and mother.  I'm thrilled beyond belief that y'all can finally read this book.  Go buy a copy and enjoy it.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson (9/20)

Love triangles. Magic. Fantasy. Kinda has it all, it would seem.

Shifting by Bethany Wiggins (9/27)

I've met Bethany.  She and her sister (whom I've also met) are awesome women and have a pretty cool blog.  They're also part of the Bookanistas who regularly review YA (and MG?) books they love.  This is Bethany's debut and I've been excited for it for a long while.

Books of August

Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay (8/9)

It sounds like a fresh take on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.  I loved Starcrossed and its take on the story so I'm willing to give this one a try.

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce (8/23)

This is a follow-up to her Sisters Red.  Same world, new story.  I am willing to give it a go.


The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann (8/30)

I'm really not into dystopians.  I can't explain it but they've just never been my thing.  Until this year, apparently.  It started with Elana's Possession and now this one has totally piqued my interest.  Plus I want this book to do well.  It's middle-grade with a boy protagonist.  While I'd love to see YA with boy protagonists (in the ever-raging debate on how to get boys to read beyond middle grade), if we can get them loving reading, I think it's more likely to stick regardless.

Dreaming of Books

 My TBR Pile:
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde
The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde
Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde
First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde
One of Our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde
Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde
Gunn's Golden Rules by Tim Gunn
Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick
Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
Bright Young Things by Ann Godberson
Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson
Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings by Helene Boudreaux
The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey
Monarch by Michelle Davidson Argyle (ARC, releases 9/15)
Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan
Clarity by Kim Harrington

My Book Wishlist*:

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

A Matter of Magic by Patricia C. Wrede

Fallen by Laren Kate

The Flavor Bible

Jane by April Lindner

Juliet by Anne Fortier

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Magic Below Stairs by Caroline Stevermeer

Matched by Ally Condie

The Mermaid's Mirror by L.K. Madigan

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

The Pasta Bible

The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison

Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer

Wildwing by Emily Whitman
The Shifter by Janice Hardy
The Map of Time by Felix Palma

*In addition to the lists of books I want found in this Start of Summer Reading Post, the Books of May post, and my July wishlist.

July Book Releases

Supernaturally by Kiersten White

Sequel to Paranormalcy, which I devoured and adored.  So looking forward to this.

Ripple by Mandy Hubbard

I heard about this one following Mandy on Twitter.  I really enjoyed her book You Wish, so I'm totally looking forward to this one.  And yay for underused supernatural creatures!  (The MC is a siren.)

What books am I missing?  (Note, I know there are some other notable sequels this month but I am so behind the times that I haven't read the starts to those series so I left them off of here.)

Start of Summer Reading: A List

I'm thinking of keeping this as a monthly feature.  What say you?

Here's the list of books I'm looking at getting my hands on this month.  What about you?

Possession by Elana Johnson (June 7)

Elana's a friend of mine but I'd buy it anyway because I'd trust her to maybe sway my mind on my like-hate relationship with dystopians.  (I'm a Trekker, I'm a nerd, but it takes skill to get me to like a dystopian. I know Elana has that skill.  And I'm not just saying it because she's my friend.)

Hereafter by Tara Hudson (June 7)

For fans of paranormal romance, fair warning: You will fall instantly in love with Joshua just as Amelia does.  This one feels like such a breath of fresh air in the world of paranormal fiction.  (Note, I won an ARC of this in a contest, but I'll probably buy a copy from the store.)

Flying Blind by Deborah Cooke (June 7)

Dragons, shapeshifters?  It's fantasy with romance (or romance with fantasy or paranormal) so I'm intrigued from the blurb.

Fairy Bad Day by Amanda Ashby (June 9)

A main character who ends up in school learning to slay fairies instead of dragons?  A different take on the fairy thing.  It intrigues me.

Dragon Castle by Joseph Bruchac (June 9)

Um, dragons, castles, war, swords, maybe sorcery.  Yeah, I'm sold.

Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz (June 21)

This one seems like a breath of fresh air amid what is familiar.  The main character starts dreaming of her past lives.


What about you?  What book releases are you looking forward to this month?


Don't forget!  There's still time to enter my contest to win one of TWO full manuscript critiques!  Full details are in Friday's post.

Books of May 2011

New month, new set of book releases.  Here are the ones I'm looking forward to getting my hands on this month.

The Steampunk Bible by Jeff VanderMeer (Already out)

I've been wanting to try my hand at true steampunk.  This one seems like a good starter guide for generating ideas that I can research.  Also good for helping grasp the basics of just what steampunk is.  It traces the history of the sub-genre.

Throne of Fire (Kane Chronicles Book 2) by Rick Riordan (Released today)

I'm currently reading The Red Pyramid, the first in this series.  I'm thoroughly enjoying it at the moment and so I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.

Divergent by Veronica Roth (Released today)

I read about this one recently and it sounds interesting.  Dystopian isn't normally my thing, but I'm willing to give it a try.  Plus she's a debut author.

Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs (May 10)

This one sounded really pretty interesting when I read about it on Amazon.  I think I'll give it a try.  Plus it's about mermaids, and probably so much more.  (Hello, loved "The Little Mermaid" growing up.)

Die for Me by Amy Plum (May 10)

Another debut author.  This one sounded really intriguing, plus it's set in Paris.  So I'm really going to have to find a way of getting this one.

Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Space Kapow by Nathan Bransford (May 12)

Okay, totally want to read this one.  It sounds so fun.  And how can you resist a space ship traded for a corn dog?

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini (May 31)

If you're friends with me on Goodreads, you may have noticed I already starred this one.  That's because I won an ARC of it.  I really enjoyed it and she's a debut author so I want to support her.  Which might just mean buying a copy once it's out.

How about you?  What books are you looking forward to this month?  (And feel free to link to the author's pages, if you so wish.)

Books of 2010

The following is a list, albeit likely incomplete, of the books I read or attempted to read this year.  I promise next year I'll keep better record of what I read.  (Maybe I should reinstate the Author's Bookshelf feature I used to run?)


Aurelia by Anne Osterlund
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Dragonspell by Donita K. Paul
Wake by Lisa McMann
The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
Keys to the Demon Prison by Brandon Mull
You Wish by Mandy Hubbard
Cinders by Michelle Davidson Argyle
Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore
Beastly by Alex Flinn
Delicious and Suspicious by Riley Adams
In Too Deep (39 Clues book 6) by Jude Watson
The Viper's Nest (39 Clues book 7) by Peter Lerangis
My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison

Of these, 12 were ones I actually could get involved enough in to read through to the end.  Of those, none were finished in one sitting because of other pulls on my time.  Some were started and finished in the same day but I had other things to do or took breaks because I was in physical pain from my sitting position.  (Or getting off an airplane coming home from visiting the family.)

Out of this list, I'd say Paranormalcy and Cinders were my favorites, followed closely by Hush, Hush and You Wish.  Though, Beastly was delightfully entertaining.  But Mandy Hubbard's book made me laugh out loud for the first time in a long while when reading a book.  (Probably not since Paranormalcy in late August.)  Cinders was a great take on the aftermath of Cinderella's happily ever after.  Just don't let yourself think you're getting the Disney Cinderella and you'll be good to go.  (Note: Soon this novella will not be available for purchase until 2012 when combined with Michelle's two other novellas for an omnibus work from Rhemalda Publishing.)

If homework, work, and partying permit, I'll try to squeeze another book or two into the year.  No guarantees.  (Oh, and please vote in poll in sidebar.)

Books we're excited for

And by "we" I mostly mean me, but I did manage to get some input from others via Twitter and Facebook.  (Mostly the latter.)

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (I have to confess that I had to google this one because I had no idea what it was.)
Linger by Maggie Stiefvater (Again, I had to remind myself which one this was.)
Stoneheart trilogy by Charlie Fletcher (Enjoy it, Nisa!)
Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter
The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
ETA: Cinders by Michelle Davidson Argyle

So, that's the list I was able to compile.  What books are you looking forward to?

Footloose and Fancy-free Friday Books

Some of you may (or not) recall the post I did last December about how I can't seem to balance reading for pleasure while writing that first draft.  I'll get caught up in reading and not write.  (No, I'm not writing this post to procrastinate writing.  *whistles softly*)  Back then I was trying to motivate myself to finish the draft of Oracles Promise.  Now, I'm trying to motivate myself through the last 10K-11K of Lodestar.

And it's not working.  Not much has changed since that post last December.  My TBR pile and my wishlist are growing exponentially.  In an effort to further motivate myself, I'm going to post my current lists.  I know it might seem redundant since they're both so eerily similar to the lists from December, but go with it.  It's Friday and I can post about what I want.

The TBR List:

Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison by Brandon Mull
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde
The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde
Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde
First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde
Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde
Dragonspell by Donita K. Paul
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
The 39 Clues: The Emperor's Code by Gordon Korman
The 39 Clues: Storm Warning by Linda Sue Park
Wake by Lisa McMann
The Naming by Alison Croggon
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

The wishlist:

Storm Front by Jim Butcher
Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher
White Cat by Holly Black
Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison
The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey
Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
A Matter of Magic by Patricia Wrede
Aurelia by Anne Osterlund
To Catch a Pirate by Jade Parker
Magic Below Stairs by Caroline Stevermer
Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter by R.J. Anderson
Silver Phoenix: Beyond the Kingdom of Xia by Cindy Pon
Pretty is as Pretty Dies by Elizabeth Spann Craig
Delicious and Suspicious by Elizabeth Spann Craig as Riley Adams

As you can see, both lists have actually grown since I posted them in December.  Sigh.  Oh to have a remote which would let me pause time and read then get back to the daily grind of day job balanced with all other obligations/wants.

Have you read any of these?  Any books I've missed that I shouldn't be passing by?  And if you're not following Elizabeth Craig on Twitter or on her blog, you totally should be.  She's got tons of great links on Twitter for writers and has amazing interviews and very informative posts on her blog.

Footloose and Fancy-free Friday First December Round

I can't believe it's December already.  How time flies.  2009 was such a better year all around than 2008 was.  I won't go into details.  Just suffice it to say that 2008 was a flush in the porcelain throne while 2009 resided in a much better place.

I took the plunge and joined Twitter.  StephanieLMcGee is the name it comes up on over there.  I can't figure out how to link it or I would.  If I'm quiet over there, just know it's because I'm trying to figure out how best to utilize it.  That and I'll be writing like mad the next few days.

I talked about my TBR and book wishlists yesterday.  Books make me happy.  I want to be able to surround myself with books someday.  Just have a nice library in which to sit and read.

Something akin to this, only a little cozier.

That's a portion of the reading room at the British Museum.  It's a big circular room mostly lined with bookshelves.  And those shelves are crammed with wonderful tomes that you have to have a membership to access.  (Same goes for the British Library, but the British Library's display room is free of charge. First Folio Shakespeare, illuminated Chaucer, original Beowulf.  It's fabulous. Oh, and Jane Austen's writing desk.)

Yeah, someday.  I'd rather have books than clothes, as I proved to myself the other day when I got my first paycheck.  Rather than blow it on clothes, like I easily could have, I opted to go to the bookstore.  I did some Christmas shopping and spoiled myself.  Books, books, and more books.

I need more space to store them all in, though.  Alas, they'll have to return to their boxes soon enough.

Q4U: Do you like this Friday feature?  Or should I just discontinue it and only post 3 days a week?

Bookshelf: A Retrospective

First off, I just have to squee a little that I’ve hit 50 followers. I am humbled to think that so many out there find my words to be of value to them in some way. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I truly would not have made it so far in my writing journey these past few months without your support.

On Tuesday, I posted my TBR list. Since I really couldn’t come up with an idea for today’s post (shocker, I know), I thought I’d post the list of the books I’ve read so far this year. At the end of the year I will update this list with any books I manage to read before then.

The list:

Poetry
Ariel by Sylvia Plath
Birthday Letters by Ted Hughes
How Long She’ll Last in This World by Maria Melendez
the volcano sequence by Alicia Suskin Ostriker
Ancestor Worship by Brock Dethier
The Empty Boat by Michael Sowder
Itch Like Crazy by Wendy Rose
The Business of Fancydancing by Sherman Alexie
187 Reasons Mexicanos Can’t Cross the Border by Juan Felipe Herrera