For the past several years I [Jenn] have made reading resolutions. You can check out my 2015 Reading Declarations as well as my 2015 Book Resolutions.
I also tackled the 25 Books challenge, even though the books I read were not all YA. My Goodreads challenge was 65 books and I’m over 110. I usually don’t include picture books on my Goodread but I reviewed and added several great ones to my list this year. I also added a lot of early reader chapter books as I have a Kindergartner at home and we read a lot, every night.
While I didn’t read everything I was hoping to in 2015, I did complete several that were on my list in January. I had a great head start on the Soaring Eagle nominees (having already read 8) but I’ve stalled and don’t see myself having time to read the rest before March. But there is always next year.
I challenged myself to finish the books I started this year, but that also didn’t always happen. However, I have felt far less guilty about it than in past years. My manta is that reading should be fun and enjoyable and it isn’t, don’t be afraid to walk away. (Unless it is an assignment. In that case, you should read it and then move on.)
My Top 15 YA books of 2015
(books that I read this year, not necessarily published this year or in any order)
- Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon
- The Selection series (The Selection, The Elite, The One, The Heir) by Kiera Cass
- Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine
- To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
- P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han
- El Deafo by Cece Bell
- I Was Here by Gayle Forman
- The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson
- The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider
- My True Love Gave to Me edited by Stephanie Perkins
- Sisters by Raina Telgemeier
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School (#10) by Jeff Kinney
- Paper Towns by John Green (on my 2015 to-read list)
- Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen (on my 2015 to-read list)
- We Were Liars by e Lockhart (on my 2015 to-read list)
16 YA novels/series) I want to read in 2016
- I am being very nice to myself with this list, adding books I’ve already picked or been assigned for book clubs, because obviously I want to read them.
- Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan (I tried to tackle it this year, but it got buried under a pile of other books and work).
- Auggie and Me (Wonder stories) by R.J. Palacio
- The Marvels by Brian Selznick
- The Crown by Kiera Cass (The Selection #5)
- Nimona by Noelle Stevenson (graphic novel)
- Bone Gap by Laura Ruby
- I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
- All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
- Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman
- The Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater
- The Unwind Dystology by Neal Shusterman (I have already read Unwind but not the others)
- The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer (I’ve read Cinder but not the rest)
- Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
- Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
- Allegiant by Veronica Roth (no… I haven’t)
- Summer Days & Summer Nights edited by Stephanie Perkins
Other 2015 book highlights
Our Afternoon Book Club was featured in a Casper Journal article this fall.
We had author visits, both in person and virtually.
What do you want to read in 2016?
