once again, i’m here to list my favorite
reads from the previous year. this past year,
i only read 54 novels. not a lot by any means,
but still enough to fuel me. the more that i read
and the more that i write, i’ve truly come to realize
how personal reading favorites are. yes, everyone
might agree that [this] book is really good. but not
every reader will truly *love* it.

i’ve read a lot of excellent novels in 2011–and the
ones that are my favorite are for completely personal
reasons. and i have to admit, it is becoming more and
more difficult to choose each year. last year, i didn’t
bother to rank them, and i won’t this year either. i’m only
glad i managed to whittle them down to five, with many
honorable mentions worth mentioning.

i consider myself a reader before i consider myself
a writer. and i’m just as big a fangirl as the rest of
you when it comes to favorite authors and books.
for those who are curious, my top favorites
from the last few years are listed here on my about page.

now, i’m very happy to announce, with links to my
goodreads reviews, my top five reads of 2011, in the order
that i read them. (not all novels were published in 2011.)

Red Glove by holly black

You Against Me by jenny downham

The Last Summer of the Death Warriors
by francisco x. stork

The Gray Wolf Throne by cinda williams chima

Mistress of Rome by kate quinn [debut]

Other favorites read in 2011, all rated 5 stars:

Clockwork Prince by cassandra clare

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by lish mcbride [debut]

Huntress by malinda lo

Invisible Sun by David Macinnis Gill

Madame Tussaud by michelle moran

Nevermore by kelly creagh [debut]

Slice of Cherry by dia reeves

So Silver Bright by lisa mantchev

The Demon’s Surrender by sarah rees brennan

The Dragon and the Pearl by jeannie lin

The Second Duchess by elizabeth loupas [debut]

and there you have it! what were some of YOUR
favorite reads from 2011? any that surprised you?
my biggest surprise would have to be You Against Me
by downham. it’s contemporary–which i’m more
selective of when reading (i favor fantasy), but it
stayed with me for a very long time. she’s a fantastic
writer and storyteller, and tackled a difficult subject
in a compelling way.

i’m excited to keep reading in 2012!
also, stay tuned for a big Greenwillow Books giveaway
next week–including TWO fantastic arcs!

currently reading:

Saving Fish From Drowning by amy tan

so now i face the very difficult task of
narrowing down my favorite reads of the year.
and boy, was it challenging. so this year, i will
give you my top seven reads. i even found them
impossible to rank, honestly. (as i had in previous
years.) so i will simply list them in the order i read
them throughout the year.

the more i’ve read and discussed books with other
book lovers, and the more i’ve read reviews of my
own novels, i’ve come to realize reading is such
a personal experience. so much of what
i love to read is what i love to write (fantasy, historicals,
multicultural). so without further ado, my favorite novels
from 2010!!

i had never heard of sarah waters until
malinda lo recommended her to me. and am
i glad that she did. consider me a fan. waters is
an incredible writer and storyteller. i was looking
for books with good sexual tension and this novel
delivered. (and then some, ha!) i went on to read two
more waters novels (Fingersmith and The Little Stranger)
this year, but Tipping remains my favorite.

i am a HUGE fan of this series. it’s hands down
one of my absolute favorites. i really enjoyed The
Demon’s Lexicon and love the broody tortured nick.
so i admit i was disappointed and hesitant when i found
out that mae would be narrating the second novel.
well, a fool was i. brennan blew me away with
her storytelling in this sequel, and i was especially inspired
because i was personally struggling through Fury at the time.
(the contracted sequel is the devil’s spawn–it’s true!)
brennan basically floored me with her writing. i never feel
i fangirl her quite enough in real life. so i am left to do so
virtually. and the woman is only like, twenty-five! 8) so talented.

i found out about this debut from reading a fantastic
interview shveta did with jemisin on her livejournal. i
had no idea what to expect, but Hundred is one of those
novels where the author says, let me take you by the hand,
hear this story, and you do. and she literally has you in her
palm the entire time. it is an incredible amazing debut.

this is the first novel by clare that i’ve read.
and promises to be another one of my favorite series.
as you may or may not know, i didn’t read much YA
(foolish me!) until i sold Silver Phoenix as a young adult
novel (and can’t begin to tell you how thrilled i’m writing
within this genre!). so i’ve been scrambling to play catch
reading wise since. when i began hearing buzz about
Clockwork Angel, i was intrigued. then i found out it was
set in victorian london (ding) with demons (ding ding) and
finally saw that gorgeous cover–my favorite this
year–i had to read it. what can i say? i’m a dirty demon lover.
ha! and cassandra clare did not disappoint.

i look forward to meeting her in person in 2011–even if she
teases me relentlessly about the next books in this series
on twitter. =)

it takes a lot for me to pick up a non-fantasy read.
it’s not that i have anything against it–and i always
enjoy what i do read. but it’s simply personal preference.
i’m sorry i took so long to get around to reading Marcelo
in the Real World. marcelo’s narration was touching, poignant,
funny and so very honest. i really truly loved this novel. if
you haven’t read it yet, you should.

i liked The Demon King, but i LOVED The Exiled
Queen. epic comes to mind, the world chima builds,
the magic system she creates, the characters she gives
us, each unique with her/his personal struggles. i was
so impressed by the way she wove these multiple story lines
so deftly. and the sexual tension? *fans self* i would say
i liked this novel as much as cashore’s Fire, if not more. if
you’re a fan of high fantasy, read this series. i was so lucky
to be on my first ALAN panel with cinda back in november. she
is absolutely lovely in person and i fangirled her!

i had not heard of okorafor until the sirens conference,
when they announced that she would be one of the guests
of honor in 2011. (go to sirens if you are a fan of strong
fantasy heroines! amazing con!) her YA novel Akata Witch
will be released in april, and after reading Who Fears Death,
i seriously can’t wait. this adult fantasy with dystopian touches
follows a heroine’s journey and is rich with african traditions,
myth and folklore. like nothing i have read within the genre.
more, please.

so there you have it! and what’s even more amazing
about my favorites is that all these novels feature diverse
characters be it in sexual orientation, different cultures,
or protagonists of color. a perfect segue into the Diversity
Tour that malinda and i have been planning for some time!
both malinda and i will have asian inspired fantasies out next
april (Huntress and Fury of the Phoenix) and we thought this
was great cause to celebrate. we’ll be signing at five different
locations across the country and have invited other middle grade
and young adult authors to join us.

i can’t tell you how excited we are about this tour–
and for the amazing authors who will be at each location.
we’ll be announcing very soon in the new year. until then,
check out our Diversity in YA Fiction webpage and sign
up on our mailing list to keep updated!!

happy new year, everyone!!

so i wanted to do a special tgifbm! this week.
it’s more like an extravaganza. SEVEN awesome
books–each i have loved reading and recommending,
ALL featuring characters of color as main protagonists.
i’ve felt the love, and i’m here to spread the love, baby! =DD

what can i say? i’m a fangirl for
david m gill. and i loved soul enchilada
ever since reading the arc on a train ride
across the countryside of england. fantastic,
fun, terrifying and touching, take a ride with
bug and go on an adventure you’ll never forget.
here’s an interview i did with david over at the
enchanted inkpot.

david’s Black Hole Sun will be out 8/24/10.
this also, is a must read!!

larbalestier is such a fantastic writer and storyteller.
Liar gripped me from page one to the last.
i donated my copy to the library!

wait, does this look familiar?
ha! it’s because i gave away a copy
on my last tgifbm! but dang, i just
love dia reeve’s debut. it rocks as much
as she does. you want this. trust me.

i’d call Magic Under Glass spellbinding.
here’s an interview i did with jaclyn over on
the enchanted inkpot!

i loved perfect chemistry! elkeles wields
dual points of view so fantastically and her
voice, for me, is dead on. and the sexual
tension? *fans self* i loved the sequel, Rules of
Attraction as well.

and oh, look! i’m giving it away here. =D

on a more serious note, ursula le guin is
one of my favorite authors. like ever. she writes
these stories that are smart, at times deceptively
simple, but always in her beautiful clear prose.
i’m ashamed to say i never even heard her name until…
wait for it…the mini series of these first two books
on the syfy network.

i’m a sucker for fantasy, and i thought the series
was pretty darned good, for being Free on my Tele!
so, as any proper reader and geek, i immediately
went online to find out as much as i could about le guin.
that was when i discovered how angry she was about the
casting of the series. ged and the majority of the characters
in this series are of color. it was her specific intent when she
wrote them. (a wizard was first published in 1968.) the cast
on the syfy show didn’t reflect this.

i immediately ran to the bookstore to buy the book(s)!
but it was sold out. so i ordered a copy within store.
and went on to devour the entire series. which reminds
me, i really need to read them all, all over again.

if you are a lover of fantasy, and you haven’t read this
book about a boy and a wizard school =) you really need to.

wait, what’s this doing here? ha!
i’ll be working on FURY line edits all day
tomorrow. chen yong FTW, yes! (disguised as
daniel henney.)

you know the rules. tweet, fb status, LJ, blog
about this contest and link back to my post.
please also comment here with that link! i’ll
choose a winner at random some time on wednesday,
july 14! WINNER TAKES ALL!
this contest is open to everyone! good luck!

all san diegans are cordially invited to the
chinese brush painting society’s art show.
i can’t believe it’s just next week–i’m very
excited, especially since i’ll be selling my cards
for the first time this year. they have been well
received and i hope people enjoy them!

i finished The Glass of Time, which i enjoyed,
but didn’t find as compelling as cox’s debut,
The Meaning of Night. probably because i found
the first protagonist more interesting as well
as the storyline. having said that, i would still
recommend both novels.

for those who don’t know the books, michael
cox’s debut was critically acclaimed in england.
he finally wrote the debut that had been lurking
in his mind for the past three decades–the thing
that drove him to action was an illness that would
soon steal his eyesight.

he died before seeing his sequel published.
in an interview i found online, cox said that he
had a third companion novel in mind–which
did sadden me, because it obviously would never
be written. however, i’m glad that he DID write these
two books, that he finally sat down to realize his dream,
tho he didn’t have it in him all those years before.

i’m glad that he found the courage.

currently reading :

perchance to dream by lisa mantchev

congratulations to travis, who won copies
of Demon’s Lexicon, uk edition, and the arc to Mistwood!

blech, it’s monday again!
i think it’s time to give away some
more awesome books to help us get
over the weekend. weekend, why do you
run away from us so fast??

i’m very excited about both these books i’m
giving away!

first off is sarah rees brennan’s The Demon’s Lexicon,
which is one of my top ten reads from 2009. my short
and sweet review :

loved the atmosphere of
the book, the twists and turns.
and *definitely* love nick!

this giveaway will be the uk edition with
it’s both dark and sparkly cover!! awesome!

the second book given away today is
a, erm, gently used arc of Mistwood by
leah cypess. =D one of the first novels i
read in 2010–it was a page turner for me
from the first to last. hoorah for young adult
high fantasy!!

to enter the contest, simply tweet, fb status
LJ or blog and link back to this post. also be sure
to comment with link in this post to enter!
contest runs through some time this sunday, 3/7,
when i’ll choose a winner randomly.
this contst is open to everyone! good luck!

my review of knife :

what an absolutely delightful read. you always
know when a book has found its way into your
heart when you are filled with regret when the story
is over. faery rebels is a middle grade novel–a genre
i have not read in some time–but it is a book to be
enjoyed by all ages.

knife is a fearless faery intent on finding out the truth
of her people’s past, when she befriends a human friend, paul.

with evocative prose and wonderful storytelling, anderson
slowly unravels the mystery behind the faeries’ unhappy
circumstance, as knife does all she can to help her kind.
knife is the perfect heroine for this fantastic debut. i
recommend highly!
…

r.j.’s debut has received much critical acclaim including
being nominated for Hillingdon Book of the Year Award,
a program which promotes literacy in schools in the London,
UK area. students read the nominated books and vote on the winner.
how awesome is that?

win BOTH uk editions of this novel by tweeting/fb/blogging/LJ’ing
about this contest and linking to this post. be sure to come back
and COMMENT in this post with your link to tweet, etc, by this
sunday, 2/14. i’ll choose a winner some time on sunday. good
luck to all and TGIFBM!! =D

contest is OPEN TO EVERYONE!

also, i’ll be buying a signed copy for the winner
directly from indie bookstores, which will also
get some loving in this post!

my review :

i’ve heard ASH by malinda lo described as a lesbian
retelling of cinderalla, but this short changes
malinda’s wonderful debut novel. beautifully written in prose
that can make your heart ache, ASH loses everything
that she loves and is on a journey to discover herself
in the process.

rich with folklore, malinda intrigues the reader with
the dark, intense and possessive fairy, sidhean juxtaposed
with the innocent, butterflies in the stomach encounters
with the king’s young huntress, kaisa. both relationships
drew me for their own reasons, and malinda does a fantastic
job of adding her own twists to a familiar fairy tale.

i highly recommend this debut!

*malinda and i at the 2009 scbwi LA conference.
i try to post the foto as much as i can cause it makes
me giggle. ha!

*Photo L to R: Elaine Petrocelli, C. Lee McKenzie,
Lissa Rovetch (Kid Lit Salon coordinator), George McGovern,
Sarah Quigley, me, Cheryl Renee Herbsman, J.A. Yang.

signed copies of ASH can be purchased from Book Passage.
this is what malinda had to say about her local indie bookstore!

My local independent bookstore, Book Passage, is way more
than a bookstore. It has a gigantic series of events every month
including author signings, writing conferences and literary salons –
it’s truly a community meeting place. My first event for ASH was at
one of those literary salons, the Kid Lit Salon, which brings together
Bay area writers and readers of children’s and YA books. Because
Book Passage is such a happening place, George McGovern happened
to be presenting in a separate area of the bookstore the very same
night, and Book Passage owner Elaine Petrocelli brought him over to
the Kid Lit Salon to say hello. That was an awesome way to kick off
my ASH promo efforts!

my review :

gothic. epic. touching. frightening.
mysterious and intriguing.
with a hero falling in love for the
first time whom you can’t help falling
in love with yourself.
and a heroine battling her family, her
past, her future and herself.

definitely recommended!

*L to R : kami garcia, margie stohl, nancy holder,
me, and megan whalen turner.

the signed copy of Beautiful Creatures which will
be made into a film soon (!!) was purchased
at the Mysterious Galaxy Holiday Party in december.
i got the chance to hang out with some awesome author
friends and many lovers of Mysterious Galaxy showed
up to support authors, good books, but most of all, a very
beloved local indie bookstore.

Mysterious Galaxy focuses on, according its website,
“books of Martians, Murder, Magic and Mayhem
(with occasional Matchmaking and Munchkins)”.
every author i know who writes within these genres
loves the store. and if you’re a reader that enjoys
science fiction, fantasy, mysteries, suspense or thrillers,
it’s the bookstore to go to if you are ever in san diego!

i had the pleasure of meeting tad williams, elizabeth
moon, melissa marr, and neil gaiman at MG author
events. i also attended my first fantasy novels panel
at Comicon and had a signing there through MG last year!

they have also been so supportive of SIlver Phoenix
and keep signed copies in stock, calling me to let me
know when there are personalized requests!

and last but not least, Flash Burnout was my
second favorite read from 2009–out of 41 books read.
it was an utter surprise to me because i do lean toward
fantasy as favorites (reading tastes are so personal), but
i instantly fell in love with l.k. madigan’s “hero”, fifteen
year old blake. his voice was so honest, endearing, funny
and real. this debut satisfied on multiple levels, and
i couldn’t have been happier to learn that it was awarded
the morris award for 2010!

congratulations, lisa!!

signed copies of Flash Burnout are available
from Annie Bloom’s Books. this is what lisa had
to say about her local indie bookstore :

The first blog review FLASH BURNOUT ever received
(a glowing one!) came from Holly at Annie Bloom’s.
And the very first fan mail I ever received (literally: the
topic line was “Fan Mail”!) came from Matt at Annie Bloom’s.
No wonder they’re my favorite independent bookstore.
They made me feel like a star before my book ever came out,
and they’ve been hand-selling it ever since.

whew! so how do you win ALL THREE fabulous
signed copies? simply tweet, fb status, LJ or blog a link
and blurb about the contest from now through this
saturday (1/30). i will choose a winner randomly some
time on saturday. please be sure you let me know in
THIS POST if you’ve tweeted, etc, to officially enter!
contest is open to all! good luck!

happy happy day! my fellow greenwillowite
and partner in crime, david’s debut novel,
SOUL ENCHILADA, releases today! i am so excited
for him. we are book ending what will prove to be
a fabulous month of april as silver phoenix comes out
on the 28th!! congratulations, david!! i had
the pleasure of reading his ARC back in december
while i was in england. and here’s my review
from goodreads!

i was so engrossed in soul enchilada by david gill, that i very nearly missed my train stop while whizzing through the english countryside. this book was a surprise to me in a fantastic way on all counts. i loved the characters gill created, he pegged bug’s voice so well, i’d suspect him of being a sassy teenaged girl if i didn’t know any better. she’s smart, she’s funny, she’s fearless. and you have to be, if you’ve got the devil chasing after your soul.

the book has it all, fantasti…more i was so engrossed in soul enchilada by david gill, that i very nearly missed my train stop while whizzing through the english countryside. this book was a surprise to me in a fantastic way on all counts. i loved the characters gill created, he pegged bug’s voice so well, i’d suspect him of being a sassy teenaged girl if i didn’t know any better. she’s smart, she’s funny, she’s fearless. and you have to be, if you’ve got the devil chasing after your soul.

the book has it all, fantastic myth, scary moments, romantic moments, tender and soul-searching moments. it’s everything a teenager (or any reader, really) would enjoy. i recommend whole-heartedly or better yet, with all my soul. =)

visit david at : davidmacinnisgill.com

and amazon linky love!!

everything changes the night margo shows up
at his bedroom window at midnight dressed
as a ninja seeking his aid for some non-lawful tasks.

what amazed me about green’s writing : his voice
and humor, his dialogue, all his characters, who
are very real and very much alive. he also made
me feel many things while reading this story : concern,
dread, curiosity, amusement, joy, sorrow. and i didn’t
feel manipulated. (i hate feeling emotionally manipulated!)

and no, i wouldn’t say it’s a dystopian tale.
but i always have to look up that word no
matter how many times i’ve seen the definition. ha!
the story definitely carries a theme, but it’s more
about how we often fail to truly see one another,
therefore, to truly know one another.
some deep and philosophical stuff in the
novel–which i loved. it was all handled so well–
no wonder green won the printz. i can’t wait
to read his other books!

[click for full cover image]

i got the harpercollins summer 2009
catalog and saw this book, which i absolutely
cannot wait to read. it’s based in elizabethan
england about a girl who leaves the country
and her simple life to go to elizabeth’s court–
and perhaps find out the truth about her heritage.
a YA historical! ! ! about one of my favorite time
periods and figures, no less!

and that cover?

another one by chris borgman, who also shot
my lovely cover. is it not gorgeous? and yes,
this is a greenwillow book! suzanne also has
virginia as her editor. we’ve already commiserated
about our love for our covers, our editor and
greenwillow.

and finally, christmas arrived early for
me today (which was dreadful with lashing
rain and winds). i got a package containing
arcs for faery rebels by r.j. anderson, wings by
aprilynne pike, and soul enchilada by fellow greenwillowite
david m gill. i was so ecstatic i did a little dance in the
kitchen!! i’m all stocked up for reading for our england
trip this week. weeeee!

have a wonderful holiday break if i am
not able to post before flying across the atlantic.
i think 2009 will be a stupendous year! 8)