Top Ten Favorite Books of 2015

I can't believe 2015 is almost over! I bought SO MANY books this year, but because I had a stressful, super-busy first half of the year, I didn't read as many as I would have liked. Luckily, the books that I did have a chance to read were awesome! I have a thing for Top Ten lists, obviously, so I thought it would be fun to list my favorite reads of 2015. It was hard, but somehow I managed to narrow it down to ten. (Not all of my reads were released in 2015, but many were.)

Some of the books I bought this year.

So! In no particular order, here are my Top Ten Favorite Books that I read in 2015:

1.) UNDER A PAINTED SKY by Stacey Lee.

If you've read any of my past blog posts, you know how much I love UNDER A PAINTED SKY, so it should come as no surprise that it's on my list of favorite 2015 reads. It's a YA historical fiction with an awesome main character. Even if you're not a western fan, you'll really enjoy this book.

2.) SIMON VS. THE HOMOSAPIENS AGENDA by Becky Albertalli

SIMON is a YA contemporary with the best voice. It's sweet and funny and unputdownable, and you should TOTALLY read it.

3.) BLACK IRIS by Leah Raeder

I don't read much NA, but I decided to pick this up after Dahlia Adler tweeted about it. Leah's prose will totally knock you out. If you like Gillian Flynn's gritty, twisted characters, I think you'll love this.

4.) VENGEANCE ROAD by Erin Bowman

After reading UNDER A PAINTED SKY, I was in the mood for another western. VENGEANCE ROAD is very different from UAPS, but the main character is just as great! Kate is morally gray, which I really enjoyed.

5.) THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE by Jandy Nelson

Last year, I loved LOVED LOVED! I'LL GIVE YOU THE SUN by Jandy Nelson, so I was super excited when my writer bestie Julie Dao gave me THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE. Jandy Nelson is one of my new instabuy authors. Her prose is mind-blowingly awesome and her characters are SO so real. Reading one of her books is just like when Ron Weasley says to Harry in Prisoner of Azkaban, "You're gonna suffer...but you're gonna be happy about it."

6.) THE D'EVIL DIARIES by Tatum Flynn

I was SUPER excited when I found THE D'EVIL DIARIES in a bookstore in Edinburgh, Scotland this summer because I couldn't find it in the US. If you like funny middle grade, you'll really get a kick out of THE D'EVIL DIARIES.

7.) DUPLICITY by N.K. Traver

I love sci-fi and think teen hackers are fun, so I was really excited to read DUPLICITY. It's a little like THE MATRIX, but with tons of great voice. I think reluctant readers will enjoy this.

8.) LIES WE TELL OURSELVES by Robin Talley

LIES, a YA historical fiction, was really hard to read at times, but so worth it. It alternates POV chapters between the two main characters, which can sometimes be confusing in other books, but in LIES their voices are very distinct so you never wonder whose chapter you're reading.

9.) LIKE NO OTHER by Una LaMarche

LIKE NO OTHER is another dual POV with two distinct voices. I loved the romance between the characters and thought learning about Devorah's religion was super-interesting.

10.) UNDER THE LIGHTS by Dahlia Adler

UNDER THE LIGHTS in another dual POV. But unlike the other two, there isn't a romance between the two POV characters. UNDER THE LIGHTS was cute and sweet and funny.


Those were some of my favorite reads this year. What were yours?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Melody xo

An ABC Review of UNDER A PAINTED SKY by Stacey Lee

I seriously can't say enough great things about UNDER A PAINTED SKY by Stacey Lee. I read it several months ago and I'm still thinking about it. The characters, setting, and pacing are great. There's a little bit of everything—humor, tension, action—to entertain a variety of readers. 

I've never been much of a Western fan, besides watching DR. QUINN, MEDICINE WOMAN with my mom as a kid, but my friend (and Pitch Wars mentor) Stephanie Garber told me she thought I'd enjoy it. And I'm so glad Stephanie recommended it! She was totally right. 

If you like Historical Fiction, badass female MCs, tension and humor, swoon-worthy cowboys, and friendship, you'll love UNDER A PAINTED SKY. And if you're not typically a Western or Historical Fiction fan, I urge you to give it a try anyway. I really think you'll enjoy it.

Book Blurb:

Missouri, 1849: Samantha dreams of moving back to New York to be a professional musician—not an easy thing if you’re a girl, and harder still if you’re Chinese. But a tragic accident dashes any hopes of fulfilling her dream, and instead, leaves her fearing for her life. With the help of a runaway slave named Annamae, Samantha flees town for the unknown frontier. But life on the Oregon Trail is unsafe for two girls, so they disguise themselves as Sammy and Andy, two boys headed for the California gold rush. Sammy and Andy forge a powerful bond as they each search for a link to their past, and struggle to avoid any unwanted attention. But when they cross paths with a band of cowboys, the light-hearted troupe turn out to be unexpected allies. With the law closing in on them and new setbacks coming each day, the girls quickly learn that there are not many places to hide on the open trail.

Nails and bookmark courtesy of Stephanie Garber!

You can find UNDER A PAINTED SKY at B&N, AMAZON, and the Book Depository.

AN ABC REVIEW OF UNDER A PAINTED SKY

ACTION 

For me, the pacing was perfect. Even in "slower" scenes there was tension to keep me reading. And Stacey had a magical way of weaving humor into some of the tenser scenes, keeping me laughing AND on the edge of my seat at the same time.

BACKDROP

UNDER A PAINTED SKY takes place along the Oregon Trail and Stacey masterfully recreated the setting, making the reader feel like they're actually there with the characters. I really felt like Stacey did tons of research on the time period and showed the struggles Sammy and Andy would've had to face while traveling through the west in disguise. Stacey also weaved in information about the Chinese Zodiac, which I found really interesting.

CHARACTERS

I loved the characters sooo much! They're great. One of the best things in UNDER A PAINTED SKY is the friendship that develops between Sammy/Samantha, the main character, and Andy/Annamae. Andy and Sammy are really smart and resourceful, and I loved that about them. Along their journey, they meet a group of cowboys: Peety, Cay, and West. If you like cowboys, you'll LOVE this trio. They made me laugh a lot!

For me, it's hard to pick a favorite character because they're all fleshed out and real and I LOVE them all. But my favorite of the cowboys is probably West! ;)



...SO I really think you should treat yourself and read UNDER A PAINTED SKY!!! ;)


If you've read UNDER A PAINTED SKY, what did you love about it? Your favorite character?

Top Ten Favorites

These are my current Top Ten Favorites:

1. The TV show SILICON VALLEY on HBO. It is seriously one of the funniest shows, ever. It's rare that my husband and I find a sitcom we both enjoy. (And thanks to my friend Erin who introduced me to it last year!)

2. The writing community—especially people like Brenda Drake who generously spend so much of their own time running contests and helping out new writers. (Yay for Team Coffeehouse!)

3. White chocolate raspberry iced lattes—my new favorite drink from Starbucks. (Half white chocolate mocha syrup and half raspberry syrup.)

4. Maxi dresses are the best invention next to yoga pants. They are as comfy as yoga pants, but you look dressed up! (I only wish they had pockets because I need a place for my lip gloss and phone.)

5. UNDER A PAINTED SKY by Stacey Lee. I finished this a couple weeks ago, but I can't stop thinking about it. I loved, loved the characters. So great.

6. TONIGHT ALIVE. I can't stop listening to them! Jenna McDougall, the lead singer, seems super cool. I totally want to use her an inspiration for a novel. This is one of my fave songs, "The Ocean."

7. Lay's Limón chips. Not gonna lie, I could seriously eat an entire bag by myself.

8.  MAD MAX : FURY ROAD was even better than people said. It's one giant car chase that doesn't let up. Usually, I don't like car chases in action movies, but this was just awesome. You have to see it. And if you've already seen it, you should see it again.

9. Recognizing awesome people! I went to the EDIES last night (NH Excellence in Education Awards) in support of my case manager who won special education teacher of the year. She goes above and beyond for her students, staff, and our school—every single day. She's seriously super woman, and I can't think of someone more deserving of the award.

10. There is only one more week until ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK is back! Should I pace myself or binge-watch the entire season???


What are some of your favorite things?

Top Ten Favorites

My latest Top Ten Favorites:

1.) Revising an old manuscript. When I got inspired to revise one of my early manuscripts, I was super-excited. I don't have a lot of free time right now to write (because of my work schedule), and it's harder for me to get in drafting mode than revising mode. So this is the perfect thing for me to do right now. Plus, I finally figured out what was wrong with it after letting it sit for 3+ years!

2.) This chocolate from my CP Julie Dao:

Chocolate covered potato chips! Do I need to say anything else? Nope. Go buy some!

3.) GAME OF THRONES is back on TV. My husband isn't as excited because there are tons of "This didn't happen in the books!" from me... whoops :)

4.) April vacation! This means yoga pants and hoodies and writing every day! Woohoo!

5.) Date nights at the bookstore (Barnes and Noble)!

From the cafe: I got a tall caramel flan (iced) latte and my husband got a chocolate cupcake. From the bookstore: I got THE DUFF by Kody Keplinger and my husband got HEART-SHAPED BOX by Joe Hill.

6.) The caramel flan latte from Starbucks. So good!

7.) Writer friends. I'm super-lucky to have super-awesome, supportive writer friends. And it's really great to come home from a long day at work and find a package in the mail from a CP or Pitch Wars mentor! <333

From the lovely Julie Dao

From the awesome Stephanie Garber

8.) Being able to buy books by people I "know" (on Twitter, through other friends, etc). It's just so cool!

9.) "Rebel Love Song" by Black Veil Brides. The song makes me think of my manuscript THE TREASURE HUNT. (My characters should totally be in the video instead of that couple!) ;P

10.) Plants vs. Zombies 2. I randomly started playing it again and I can't get enough. It's so fun!


What are your favorite things?