100 Book Challenge 2011 results

Oh man, from November on, I was so busy last year.  But it’s a new year and time to start posting again.  First post is looking back at 2011.

Last year I took on the 100 Book Challenge again.  For those of you who don’t remember, the challenge is to read 100 MG or older books.  Graphic novels count, but I didn’t read any in 2011.  Rereads count, but not if you reread it twice in 2011 (I had one audiobook I listened to twice in 2011, but it only counted once).  I also read several chapter books in preparation for NaNo, but none of them counted.

In all, I read 103 countable books.  11 were adult books.  27 were MG. 1 was a classic (hard to define YA/MG/adultness). 64 were YA (big surprise).  4 were beta reads.  10 were audiobooks.  2 were won in blog contests and 1 was won at a radio event when I was getting a hair cut.  Only 17 were books I got out of the big Borders closing shopping trips (but I have several more on my TBR shelf), and out of those, I adored only 4 and ended up buying sequels/prequels if they were available, and I hated 2.  This year I rediscovered the library and 23 counted books came from there.  7 chapter books were not counted, and all but 2 were library books.

So you’re probably tired of the stats and just want the list.  Here’s my 103 books of 2011:

1. Meetings at the Metaphor Cafe by Robert Pacillio
2. Jane by April Lindner
3. Death Masks by Jim Butcher
4. Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
5. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
6. Sphinx’s Queen by Esther Friesner
7. Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors
8. Luna by Julie Anne Peters
9. Choker by Elizabeth Woods
10. Clockwork Angel: The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare (audiobook)
11. Dr. Friedrich’s School for Minions(beta read)
12. Blood Rites by Jim Butcher (audiobook)
13. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
14. The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
15. Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork
16. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
17. Fairest by Gail Carson Levine (audiobook)
18. The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
19. Water Wars by Cameron Stracher
20. Dead Beat by Jim Butcher (audiobook)
21. Daughter of Xanadu by Dori Jones Yang
22. The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale (audiobook)
23. Dearly Devoted Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
24. Warped by Maurissa Guibord
25. Princess Academy by Shannon Hale (audiobook)
26. The Outside Boy by Jeanine Cummins
27. Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
28. Empty by Suzanne Weyn
29. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
30. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
31. Kiss Me Kill Me by Lauren Henderson
32. The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
33. Front and Center by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
34. The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
35. Glee: The Beginning by Sophia Lowell
36. Twice Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris
37. Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves
38. Ironside by Holly Black
39. Divergent by Veronica Roth
40. Huntress by Malinda Lo
41. A Deadly Game of Magic by Joan Lowery Nixon
42. Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn
43. Steel by Carrie Vaughn
44. Battle Dress by Amy Efaw
45. I am J by Cris Beam
46. Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz
47. The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood
48. The Boyfriend List by e. lockhart
49. Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale (audiobook)
50. Wildwing by Emily Whitman
51. The Boy Book by e. lockhart
52. River Secrets by Shannon Hale (audiobook)
53. A Need so Beautiful by Suzanne Young
54. House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones
55. Small Gods by Terry Pratchett
56. The Off Season by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
57. Forest Born by Shannon Hale
58. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White (audiobook)
59. The Secret of Ka by Christopher Pike
60. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
61. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by e. lockhart
62. Beastly by Alex Flinn
63. The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
(xx. Blood Rites by Jim Butcher (audiobook))
64. Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg
65. Soundtrack (beta read)
66. Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
67. The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman
68. The Treasure Map of Boys by e. lockhart
69. A Series of Unfortunate Events: A Bad Beginning by Lemony Snickett
70. Enter Three Witches by Caroline B. Cooney
71. The Agency: A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee
72. Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly
73. The False Princess by Eilis O’Neal
(Cam Jansen and the Mystery Writer Mystery by David A. Adler)
74. Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary
75. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
76. How to be a Pirate by Cressida Cowell
77. The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary
(Clementine by Sarah Pennypacker)
78. Frindle by Andrew Clements
79. Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary
80. White Cat by Holly Black
(The Talented Clementine by Sarah Pennypacker)
81. The Witches by Roald Dahl
82. Real Live Boyfriends by e. Lockhart
83. Ramona and her Father by Beverly Cleary
84. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
85. Supernaturally by Kiersten White (audiobook)
86. Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
87. Blackbird (beta read)
88. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
89. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
90. The Worst Witch at School by Jill Murphy
91. The Fabled Fourth Graders of Aesop Elementary School by Candace Fleming
(Time Warp Trio: Summer Reading is Killing Me by Jon Scieszka)
92. An Awfully Beastly Business: Battle of the Zombies by the Beastly Boys.
(Ghosthunters and the Incredibly Revolting Ghost by Cornelia Funke)
93. The Worst Witch Saves the Day by Jill Murphy
(The Boxcar Children: The Vampire Mystery by ???)
(Marty McGuire by Kate Messner)
94. Doctor Who: Forever Autumn by Mark Morris
95. Poirot’s Early Cases by Agatha Christie
96. Mason Dixon: Pet Disasters by Claudia Mills
97. No Talking by Andrew Clements
98. Liar by Justine Larbalestier
99. Red Glove by Holly Black
100. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
101. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
102. Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
103. Jack (beta)

There are so many books on this list this year that I loved.  Some of them were surprising (I had no clue I was going to love The Boyfriend List and its sequels so much), some were totally expected (there was no doubt I was going to love A Need So Beautiful).  I know I should tell you my favorite book, but I just went through the list and found the task impossible.  Even when I tried to make a top 5 list, I had difficulty, lol.  Yay for a year of great reading!  In recent years, I’ve found it difficult to enjoy reading.  My writer self kept intruding.  Sometimes that still happens, but I’ve gotten back to reading for fun and enjoying good or fun (or both) books again 🙂  Unfortunately, there were a few books I was very disappointed in as well.  One got my very first 1 star review on Goodreads.  I know.  But overall, a great year for books for me.

I’ve taken up the challenge again this year. I am currently on my 3rd book this year, and I have loved every one of them so far.  And they’re all so different, so this is kind of amazing.

Anyway, I hope your reading last year was as successful, and feel free to take on the challenge with me.

Lots of love,
Sage