Best book you read all year?

[Joyce Valenza]

This may be the first summer in a long time I can read just for fun. I thought it would be cool to plan our summer reading lists here. But let's really be selective. Choose one, just one, book in each category and share it here. Feel free to attach links to reviews or include delicious covers!

Best children's
Best YA
Best graphic novel/memoir, etc.
Best adult fiction
Best adult nonfiction
Best guilty pleasure(!)

[abeaman]

These are a mix of "best I've read in the last year" and "best ever in my opinion"

Best Children's: The Penderwicks by Jean Birdsall- Refreshing

Best YA: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (and it's sequel, New Moon - they count as one, right? And don't forget the 3rd book is coming out in August...) If you like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you'll love Twilight (although there are no cool librarians in this one).

Best graphic novel/memoir, etc.: Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughan

Best Adult Fiction: Hmmm, haven't read much lately...

Best Adult Nonfiction: Mark Twain: A Life by Ron Powers

Best Guilty Pleasure: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - I've hooked all my friends and many coworkers on this series and love these books enough that I've attended two Gabaldon book signings. They're adventurous, romantic, and, best of all, funny. There are 6 in the series so far, and she's still writing.

[Joyce Valenza]

Cool! I loved Pride of Baghdad (also loved American Born Chinese!). I have Twilight on the stack. I will definitely take it home. I'm a big fan of vampire fiction. Thanks!

[Judi Repman]

I've started to use LibraryThing to keep track-it's fun and very helpful for just this kind of question! Nothing to report for children's, ya, or graphic novel.

Adult Fiction: Beloved by Toni Morrison (I teach a class where intellectual freedom is a topic of discussion and we all read a challenged/banned book-this was my choice this semester. I can't believe I'd never read this before).

Adult Nonfiction: Chinese Lessons by John Pomfret and It's Not About the Tapas by Polly Evans and Camel Bookmobile by Masha Hamilton (sorry about the three way tie!)

Guilty Pleasure: Monkeewrench mysteries by PJ Tracy-one I read this year is Snow Blind

Judi

[mar14doh]

You must read The Girls by Lori Lansens. As I was reading this, I kept reminding myself that it was a novel. A very thought provoking story. My second recommendation is the entire Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. They would take you all summer. I wouldn't call them a guilty pleasure, because they are amazing works of historical fiction that had to be so well researched!! You will lose yourself in Jamie.
My guilty pleasures are the Shopaholic books by Sophie Kinsella.
As for non-fiction, please read Left To Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibigiza. You will be changed.
Happy Reading.
Marcia

[Mary Schwander]

I totally agree with you about The Girls. The writing was so honest and real that I felt that I was reading a memoir rather than a novel. Good choice!

[Sonia Nelson]

Best Children's - The Dr. Doolittle, Hugh Lofting
Best YA - Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie, David Lubar
Best Graphic Novel - Beowulf, Gareth Hinds
Best Adult Fiction - The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse, Louise Erdrich
Best Adult Nonfiction(ish) - I Should Be Extremely Happy in Your Company: A Novel of Lewis and Clark, Brian Hall
Best Guilty Pleasure - 'Scuse Me While I Whip This Out: Reflections on Country Singers, Presidents, and Other Troublemakers, Kinky Friedman

That was fun!
Sonia Nelson

[Karen Hornberger]

Braving home : dispatches from the Underwater Town, the Lava-Side Inn, and other extreme locales

I have to admit I have read part of this book - not the whole thing - but it is definitely a cool book!

[Linda Picceri]

Best Adult Non Fiction: I read a very interesting adult non fiction book recently. It is called Dark Tide by Stephen Puleo and is about the Boston molasses flood which occurred on January 15,1919. This is an event in Boston history that has never been widely publicized but it's impact was far reaching. The author presents the facts leading up to the event and ensuing court case in a very readable style. He also effectively makes connections to the social, economical and political climates of the times which for me added to the relevance of the book. I highly recommend this book even if you are not from Boston. Check out the author's website: http://www.stephenpuleo.com/dt.htm

Beat YA: Angus Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging and all the books in the Georgia Nicolson series by Louise Rennison. Great for those who appreciate the British sense of humor.

Best guilty pleasure: Positive Fly Fishing by Marla Blair. If you're into the sport it's worth a read even if you're not a beginner. Author's website: http://www.marlablair.com

[Susan Geiger]

Best YA: I enjoyed Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet by Kashmira Sheth (arranged marriages in contemporary Mumbai, India.)
Adult nonfiction: The Oracles: My Filipino Grandparents in America (a memoir about growing up with two sets of Filipino grandparents in the house)
Guilty Pleasure:The emphasis here is on the pleasure. The latest Margaret of Ashbury novel by Judith Merkle Riley, The Water Devil(life in the 14th century)

[Ronda Scroggins]

Best YA: Maximum Ride series by James Patterson. However, I agree the Twilight series was fantastic!!

Best Children's: My daughters' recommendations are the Warrior series by Erin Hunter (I have read and liked) and the Guardians of Ga'hoole series by Kathryn Lasky (I haven't read yet.)

Best Audio YA: Phillip Pullman's Golden Compass series

Best Adult Comedy: Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series

Thought Provoking Historical Fiction: Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs & sequel Birds of a Feather

[Tracy Richards]

Best YA - Twilight's already been mentioned, so how about Meg Cabot's 1800 Where R You series or her Mediator series. They are extremely popular with the girls.

Currently reading Kim Harrison's series (vampires, of course) that starts with Dead Witch Walking

Best Guilty Pleasure - Any of Sherrilyn Kenyon's books. They are good for reading at the beach :-)

[Donna McMullin]

It was tough to decide, but fun to make the list. Here are my picks:

Best children's – Zelda and Ivy: The Runaways (Kvasnosky)
Best YA – Copper Sun (Draper)
Best adult fiction – Widow’s War: A Novel (Gunning)
Best adult nonfiction -- Just Add Buddha!: Quick Buddhist Solutions for Hellish Bosses, Traffic Jams, Stubborn Spouses, and Other Annoyances of Everyday Life (Metcalf)
Best guilty pleasure(!) – Stephanie Plum novels by Janet Evanovich ( Lean, Mean Thirteen is coming out on June 19!)