Fabulous Five: Favorite Reads During 2017

Goodreads 2017 Reading Challenge

I don't read a lot of current books since I keep myself pretty busy mining into my ever-expanding book piles. I buy new (Amazon online, Barnes & Noble brick and mortar, and Scholastic Book Fairs) shop thrift stores, and utilize the King County Library System, so I'm *mostly* here to keep the backlists alive. I've decided to review the 126 books I read over the past year and pick out five of my ultimate faves, and wouldn't you know, a couple "hot and trending" reads slipped onto my reading radar. Here's the breakdown:

1.) CHILDRENS PICTURE BOOK
Pick a Pine Tree by Patricia Toht (2017)


2.) HOLIDAY YA ROMANCE
My New Crush Gave To Me by Shani Petroff (2017)


3.) CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne (2016)


4.) YOUNG ADULT FANTASY
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (2015)


5.) WRITING CRAFT
Super Structure by James Scott Bell (2015)


It was hard breaking the list down to merely five, but I feel pretty strongly about my choices! Definitely good reads. Here are the others I've read over the past year, nearly half of them being childrens picture books.

Goodbye to 2017! It's been a great year of reading.

Get Hooked from the First Sentence

Unfortunately, I had zero chance of earning a 2017 Goodreads "Best Book of the Year" title since 1.) I didn't publish one, 2.) I'm an indie author and not traditionally published, and 3.) I've only got a handful of reviews. But let's pretend otherwise, and let's also pretend that Goodreads had room for two more on its list. Here's my tribute:



BEST YOUNG ADULT
ADVENTURE-ROMANCE
by Stacia Leigh
Riding with the Hides of Hell*

"Whenever Will heard his mom's brusque voice in his head, it was time to crack open a cold one."

BEST YOUNG ADULT
SMALL TOWN LOVE STORY
by Stacia Leigh
Dealing with Blue

"Everything was going along fine, which had Suzy relaxing against the vinyl booth cushion with a real smile tugging at her lips."











Did the first lines make you want to read more? I hope so, and if they did, you'll find the books at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Etsy, and for check out at the King County Library System.

* Riding with the Hides of Hell has a new title: Burnout!

ESPIALdesign Shop on Holiday

Espial Design's Etsy shop is taking a holiday break until the beginning of the New Year. There will be skiing and sledding, reading and writing, and maybe even a little blackout poem-ing by the fireside. Please, check back in early January to see what's new.

In the meantime, feast your eyes on the uber-happy white baticorn...

SPIN IT

Spin a meaningful look into a chance.

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"Merry everything and a happy always." ~ Unknown

December 2017 Reading Challenge: Christmas Book Binge Reading

Being four days into December, I'm a little late to the Christmas themed reading party - nearly all the books I wanted to check out from the library had me on a waiting list! But, I pulled a couple off the shelves and as I read them, I'll update my post. Let's see how many holiday books I can read this month.

A Christmas Pile

I'm not one for writing book reviews, but I love making lists where I inserted links to my favorites reads. Here goes...

PICTURE BOOKS
So far...my favorite picture book, one with wonderful verse (not an easy task) and lovely illustrations, was 1.) Pick a Pine Tree by Patricia Toht. It was a truly magical reading experience with amazing illustration by Jarvis. *sigh*

Other picture books I've read this month were:
2.) The Money We'll Save by Brock Cole - Frugal peeps enjoy the true meaning of Christmas

3.) The Steadfast Tin Soldier by Hans Christian Andersen - a strange story with an abrupt ending
4.) The Little Red Elf - the hapless retelling of Little Red Hen
5.) The Kitchen God by Kim Xiong - a Chinese Lunar New Year legend
6.) Christmastime by Alison Jay - Fabulous illustrations with a search and find theme
7.) The Christmas Magic by Lauren Thompson - A lonely looking man waiting for his big day
8.) A Christmas for Bear by Bonny Becker - Presents are the most important thing
9.) Where Teddy Bears Come From by Mark Burgess - A tale hopping wolf with a simple question
10.) The Snowman by Raymond Briggs - No words so I read it as a horror story
11.) Flicka, Ricka, Dicka and Their New Skates by Maj Lindman - Less classic and more relic
12.) The Longest Christmas List Ever by Gregg and Evan Spiridellis - Cute and original
13.) Santa Claus: The World's Number One Toy Expert by Marla Frazee - Heavy on the jollies
14.) The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry - A true classic!
15.) Jolly Old Santa Claus by Mary Jane Tonn - A wordy number with note-worthy illustrations
16.) Snowbear's Christmas Countdown by Theresa Smythe - A family favorite for the younger set
17.) The Night Before the Night Before Christmas by Natasha Wing - Funny and clever!
18.) Stranger in the Woods by Carl Sams and Jean Stoick - Original stuff
19.) The Birds of Bethlehem by Tomie dePaola - A big lead up without a big ending
20.) Jingle Bells by Iza Trapani - Had cultural potential but was constrained by verse
21.) Santa's Favorite Story by Hisako Aoki - Santa's story is all tell and not enough show
22.) The Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg - Interesting


MIDDLE GRADE

So far...my favorite, and only middle grade read, was 23.) The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. It had a quick wit and moved along at a quick pace. It ended just right.

24.) Winterfrost by Michelle Houts - Slower than winter's molasses but cute

YOUNG ADULT
So far...my favorite young adult book was 25.) My New Crush Gave to Me by Shani Petroff. Brilliant! I'm fangirling over My New Crush, which turned out to be my December Reading Challenge fave!

 26.) The Ex Games by Jennifer Echols was very high on my list. A love-hate romcom (one of my favorite tropes) where a snowboarding star takes on a bet with her competitor, her ex-boyfriend. It was funny, sweet, and had a great snowy setting...made me wish I was there. Not Christmas themed but hits the winter fun right on the head.

27.) The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Catherine Hapka - Main character called herself a devious psycho. Agreed.
28.) Sun-Kissed Christmas by Katherine Applegate - The middle was a good place to be
29.) Secret Santa by Sabrina James - An antiquated feel sprinkled with exclamation points!

ROMANCE
I think it'll be difficult to surpass my favorite holiday romance by Rachel Gibson called Truly, Madly Yours. It's a good winter frolic, but I'm willing to make some room for others. How about...

30.) Unwrapped by Katie Lane - Unstable heroine stranded with a night crawler
31.) Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe by Melissa De La Cruz - My favorite thing about this book is the title.
32.) A Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas - I was left asking the big story question, how are these two going to get together? A sign of a good read.

2017 Christmas good-read meter = 8 books to recommend.

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Check out the 3 recommended Christmas/winter reads for 2022 here!
Check out the recommended Christmas/winter reads for 2018 here!