Fiction Groupie Reader's Choice Awards--Best Book

Last week I asked you guys to pick your favorite book you've read this year. Thanks so much to all those who have responded! Now get your Christmas list ready because here is the list of what everyone thinks you should add to your TBR pile:

JEM said...

Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins, YA

Miranda said...

REVOLUTION by Jennifer Donnelly. It's YA, and it's a contemporary historical novel thing 
that's too difficult to explain. Everyone should read this book. It's emotional, has powerful 
themes and ideas, and the character development is superb.

Stephanie McGee said...

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White, YA paranormal fantasy

Cinders by Michelle Davidson Argyle, adult literary fantasy

Summer Frey said...

The English Patient. Nothing new, but first time I'd read it and wow. It stayed with me for months.

Jessica A. Briones said...

Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen was one book that stood out for me recently, it is so well written and its details so vivid you became part of the circus world the story surrounds.

Heather said...

MISTWOOD, a YA fantasy by Leah Cypess. It was so beautifully written that at times it made me think of poetry. The world building was excellent, character development was compelling, and there were great twists.

Teri Anne Stanley said...

"Outlander"

"Flowers From the Storm"

then the whole dang Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

VR Barkowski said...

 
THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak (genre YA), but it was released in 2007, so I'm not sure it counts.

ROOM by Emma Donoghue (genre Adult Fiction). Riveting, poignant, and unique. It's written from the perspective of 5-year-old Jack who was born into and has lived his entire life in a space he calls “Room,” an 11 x 11 shed where he and his mother are held capti

Travener said...

I avoid 800-page books like the plague, but the fact that I couldn't put THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO down once I picked it up says something, I guess.

Lynn Colt said...

The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I read it for book club, and thought it was fantastic :) Don't know what genre it fits into besides historical fiction, though!

Karla said...

Any and all of the OUTLANDER series by Diana Gabaldon (time travel/historical/romance).

SOULLESS by Gail Carriger (steampunk/paranormal/romance).

SHIVER by Maggie Stiefvater (YA/paranormal/romance).

But my absolute faves were all of the Stephenie Plum series by Janet Evanovich (mystery/romance/comedy). A friend has been pushing me to read this series for years, and once I got started, I couldn't stop. I read all 16 books in less than two months (sorry, family, for neglecting you, lol). 

Milo James Fowler said...

I'm in the middle of THE PASSAGE--don't know yet if it should make your list...
in medias res

Sierra Godfrey said...

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I thought about that one a long time, and tore through it when reading. Not sure what genre it was-- Adult. Fantasy? It was definitely commercial fiction. With paranormal elements. Hmm.

Tiffany said...

Soulless by Gail Carriger. Most fun thing I've read all year (not written by me ;)

Paul Joseph said...

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. I know it has been around for years, and I have to admit, it was the cover that turned me off. It was breathing a strong feminine vibe. But, having a background in secondary education, it had been suggested at least 100 times (no exaggeration) so I finally cracked it open. Once I did, I couldn't put it down. It made me think, it made me reflect, and it made me consider explainations I never wanted to think about. Not only was it a great book, it was one of the most valuable reads thus far in my life.

Sarah Skilton said...

I LOVED LOVED LOVED "Thieves of Manhattan" by Adam Langer (perfect for writers and aspiring writers as it cleverly blasts/satirizes the publishing industry for all the fake memoirs of recent years but also celebrates New York, writing and genres) 

Barbara Demick's  "Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea." (nonfiction). It depicts the awakenings and journeys of several defectors, and provides a history of a place I knew virtually nothing about.

Lydia Sharp said...

BEFORE I FALL by Lauren Oliver. Read it months ago and still can't get it out of my head. Awesome.

Sara said...

ASH by Malinda Lo was my favorite book this year. It's gorgeous, literary, lyrical fantasy (shelved in YA fantasy)

Hannah Kincade said...

Hater by David Moody. His rawness blew my mind.

Joanne said...

The Passage by Justin Cronin. Futuristic/Science Fiction/ throw in a vampire. Not my normal genre, but the reviews were intriguing. Once I opened the book I could not put it down. Wow - mind blowing writing, story, and characters. Absolutely the best this year. And I read a LOT

Bee said...

The Sky Always Hears Me And The Hills Don't Mind by Kirstin Cronn-Mills. It's YA.

Heather Hawkinson said...

Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich. If you're having a bad day, pick up a Janet Evanovich book, and you're sure to feel better in a jiff. 



Also read Official Book Club Selection by Kathy Griffin. Love her humor and honesty. 

A Precious Jewel by Mary Balogh. All I can say is .... I LOVE Mary Balogh. She rocks the
romance world.

The Host by Stephanie Meyer -- deliciously creepy. Not as good as Twilight series, but still an interesting read. Could have been a little shorter.

Stina Lindenblatt said...

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney was one of them, 



as was Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead. :)

Miranda Buchanan said...

THIRTEEN REASONS WHY by Jay Asher. I read it in one setting.

Terry Pratchett's I SHALL WEAR MIDNIGHT, a Tiffany Aching & Wee Free Men novel (4th book).

For fantasy it is hands down RED SEAS UNDER RED SKIES by Scott Lynch. It's the second in the Locke Lamora series which is like a fantasy Renaissance Venice & Ocean's Thirteen mixed together.

For Literary it would be OF BEES AND MISTS by Erick Setiawan. It's actually magical realism. And if you get a chance, read this guy's story. He came to the US as a teen w/o his family, not knowing English at all and put himself through college. Amazing.

 And I know it didn't get great reviews (and I like an underdog) so I'm going to put THE SWAN THIEVES by Elizabeth Kostova (author of The Historian) on this list as well. I thought the book was beautiful.

Savannah Rose Writes said...

Nora Roberts Bride Quartet Series as the best for me this year. I'm reading the last of the series and have enjoyed them all.

Emy Shin said...

It's a toss up between MATCHED by Ally Condie (lovely writing and world building) 



and BRIGHTLY WOVEN by Alex Bracken (I adore the characters in here).

E. Arroyo said...

THERE ARE NO CHILDREN HERE by Alex Kotlowitz. Non-fiction written in the late 80's early 90s about Chicago's housing complexes for low-income families. It followed the story of one family for two years. Awesome.

Victoria Dixon said...

"Escaping the Tiger," by Laura Manivong, 

closely followed by "Crossing the Tracks," by Barb Stuber. 

The book that made  me think writerly thoughts the most was "Under Heaven," by Guy Gavriel Kay. That one had me tied in knots wondering how to do this and that....

Laraine Eddington said...

For sheer "can't put it downedness" "Room" by Emma Donoghue. It had the most remarkable voice (authentic five-year-old boy) of any book I read this year.

Ann said...

Camilla Gibb's The Beauty of Humanity Movement and The Book Thief by Zusak.

Griffinclaw said...

Shiver by Maggie Maggie Stiefvater and the Book Thief.

Amie Kaufman said...

I finished Unwind by Neal Shusterman a few days ago. I'm not sure yet if it'll be my favourite book for the year, but I'm still in a daze just thinking about it. It got me in the gut like The Hunger Games did, so that's my recommendation.

tahlianewland.com said...

The Strangely Beautiful tale of Miss Percy Parker by Leanna Renee Heiber -romantic, gothic, fantasy. Truly beautiful and passionate in an innocent way.

Ruth Donnelly said...

Favorite kids' book: The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman.

Favorite adult book: The Help by Kathryn Stockett.

Amy said...

The Help by Kathryn Stockett. And I'd add Loving Frank by Nancy Horan.

And now my picks, since erotic romance needs some love too ;):

Rough Canvas by Joey W. Hill (m/m romance)--really this whole series was awesome (this is the only book of the series that is m/m, the rest are m/f romances). However, these are not for the faint of heart. If you're new to erotic romance, start with one of the other recomendations and "graduate" to these, lol.

Liberating Lacey by Anne Calhoun (this is a great one to try out if you've never read EroRom.)

Four Play by Maya Banks and Shayla Black

Riding on Instinct by Jaci Burton. (I've read a few in the series--think hot biker dudes and lots of suspense-- and have enjoyed them all, so you can't go wrong picking up any of them.)

Nicholas: Lords of Satyr by Elizabeth Amber (historical paranormal erotic romance--how's that for genre blending?)

Alright, so that's a lot of books for everyone to check out!  If you didn't participate in the previous post, what books did we miss? Which was your favorite? Which one on this list is going on your wishlist right now?

Awards! Awards! Awards!

Hope everyone had a lovely Easter weekend.  Mine was fabulous until I got food poisoning on Saturday night.  So Sunday was not so fun--a three-hour drive from Austin back to Dallas, feeling like I wanted to die.  For anyone who has ever had food poisoning, you know what I'm talking about.  Poisoning is definitely the appropriate word.  This is the second time I've gotten it and if I never get it again, that will be too soon.  

So today I am going to take it easy by alleviating my blog award guilt.  I've been a bad blogger, hoarding awards.  So here is the ones I've received over the last few months.  (If you've given me one that I haven't mentioned, please email me to let me know, so I can add you to another post.  But hopefully I've covered everyone.)

Alright, on to the awards...

 

from Alicia at Eyes 2 Page and Tina Lynn at Sweet Niblets, thanks ladies!

And the rules are as follows-
1) Five recipients.
2) Make up something about the people you give the award to.
3)Link to the people you give it to.
4)Link back to the original award post.


My Crit Group Soulmates
1.  Gwen Mitchell--because she is secretly a Zyne witch and I need to stay on her good side.
2.  Dawn Brown--because she hasn't left her attic in five years.
3.  Lynnette Labelle--because she has mind-melded with me so we can post about the same things simultaneously.


My Twitter Soulmates because they are not afraid to have a conversation about the word "suckle" at midnight.  Wait, that's not a lie.  Hmm... (see what you're missing if you don't follow me on Twitter? This is highly intellectual conversation, people.)  
1. Tina Lynn 
2. Sierra Godfrey 
3. Natalie Murphy
4. Alicia Frey 
5. Melissa at Chasing the Dream
6. Kristen Yard

Thank you to Stina at Seeing Creative!

I'm giving this to the people who always take the time to read and comment on Beta Club posts.

1. Amber Tidd Murphy 
2. Christine Danek
3. Christine H.
4. Sarah at Falen Formulates Fiction
5. Julie Cross
6. KayKay
7. Oddy at Dani's Letters
8. Anne at Piedmont Writer
9. Tere Kirkland

From Stephanie at Hatshepsut: The Writing of a Novel, thanks so much!

1. Laurel at Laurel's Leaves
2. Summer
3. Stephanie at The Writer's Cocoon

4. Georgia at Gypsy Ray

5. Elana Johnson

From Laurel at Laurel's Leaves, thanks!

1. Stephanie at Chronicles of a Novice Writer
2. Stephanie at Hatshepsut: The Writing of a Novel
3. Julie Dao at The Silver Lining
4. Tamika at The Write Worship
5. Elizabeth Craig at Mystery Writing is Murder

And from Alicia at Eyes 2 Page, thanks, chica!

This one goes to all of my followers who are fellow writers!

Thanks again to everyone who passed these along to me.  Sorry it took a while to get them up here.  Also, I've passed the 400 follower mark!  Woohoo!  So thanks to each one of you for following and commenting.  You guys are the best and make me happier than you know.  :)

And one last announcement: I made the Writer's Digest list of of Best Tweets For Writers this week (twice!).  Go here to check it out and to get links to a whole bunch of great writing articles.

**Today's Theme Song**

"Thank You" - Alanis Morissette

(player in sidebar--go ahead, take a listen)

Award Extravaganza!

Alright, so I've been hoarding awards lately and haven't been passing them on (bad blogger), so today I figured I would thank the people who gave them to me and send them on their way to others.


First is the Over the Top Award given to me by Melissa at Chasing the Dream.  Thanks Melissa!  If you're not following her, go check her out.  She always has great insight to share on the writing journey.

So for this award, I'm supposed to answer the following questions with one word.  Well, I'm breaking the rules and using more.  I spend too much time editing out wordiness, I'm not going to do it here.  :)


Your cell phone: Green
Your hair: Blonde
Your mother: Giving
Your father: Funny
Your favorite food: Crab and avocado (not necessarily together, although that's fine too)
Your dream last night: nightmare
Your favorite drink: Iced Tea
Your dream goal: To be a paid novelist
What room are you in: Living Room
Your hobby: Cooking
Your fear: Failure
Where do you see yourself in 6 years: Published and still writing
Where were you last night: Home watching Lost
Something you aren't: Daredevil
Muffins: Chocolate Chocolate chip
Wish list item: A book contract or agent
Where did you grow up: New Orleans
Last thing you did: checked email
What are you wearing: T-shirt and jeans
Your TV: Playing Baby Einstein
Your pets: Living with my parents
Friends: Far away
Your life: Full of laughter
Your mood: Content
Missing someone: Always missing my family
Vehicle: Paid for (finally)
Something you aren't wearing: Shoes
Your favorite store: Borders
Your favorite color: Purple
When was the last time you laughed: This morning
Last time you cried: Last week when I left my son for vacation
Your best friend: Hubby and Mom
One place you go over and over: Target
Facebooking: Sometimes
Favorite place to eat: Chuy's (Mexican)


I will be passing this one on to...


1. Sierra Godfrey
2. Nicole at One Significant Moment at a Time
3. Natalie Bahm
4. Elana Johnson
5. Amber at Musings of Amber Murphy

Next is the Happy 101 Award given to me by Julie Dao at The Silver Lining, Stephanie at the Writer's Cocoon, Melissa at I Swim for Oceans, and Ash. Elizabeth at Warning:.  Thanks you guys!  Your blogs make me happy so I know why you all received this award yourselves.  :)

Now I'm supposed to provide my happy list...

10 Things That Make Me Happy

1. My hubby and son.
2. Writing
3. Reading
4. Blog comments
5. Cooking something successfully that I've never cooked before
6. Good Mexican food
7. Going to a great concert
8. A full night's sleep
9. Learning something new (I ♥ school)
10. Watching reruns of Friends or Dawson's Creek

I'm passing this along to these blogs that make me happy...

1. Tere Kirkland at The Lesser Key
2. Stina Lindenblatt at Seeing Creative
3. Stephanie Thorton at Hatshepsut: The Writing of a Novel
4. Stephanie at Chronicles of a Novice Writer
5. Sarah Jayne at Writing in the Wilderness
6.  Patti Nielson
7. Lindsey at the Domesticated Writer
8. Jill at Sasha Jackson Mysteries
9. Guinevere at This is Not By Day Job
10. Sarah at Falen Formulates Fiction
11. Christiejolu at Tales From My Head

And last but not least Jen at 52 Weeks of Wordage passed along the Superior Scribbler award to me.  Thanks Jen!  Jen has taken a fun approach to writing exercises by committing herself to a year's worth of them on her blog--go check out her progress to her goal!

1. Tamika at The Write Worship
2. Shannon at Book Dreaming
3. Oddy at Dani's Letters 
4. Karen Amanda Hooper at Eternal Moonshine of a Daydreaming Mind
5. Jennifer at Wonderings, Wanderings, and Writing
6. Dominique at En Violet

Whew, that was a lot of links!  Go forth and follow.  :)

Also, as a side note.  If you are a new follower of mine, and I am not following you, that's because Blogger has told me I am only allowed to follow 300 blogs.  I know!  What nerve!  So I have to take some time to clear out dead blogs and make room for some new ones.

**Today's Theme Song**

"We Are The Champions" - Queen

(player in sidebar--go ahead, take a listen)

The 1000 Word a Day Challenge

I mentioned in a post last week that one of my goals is to write 1000 words a day.  Well, InkyGirl has made it official with cool badges and such.  The rules are simple: write 1000 words a day, 6 days a week.  I'm cheating a bit because I'm only committing to five days a week.  The weekends are my family days.  But I'm going to try to do my best otherwise to meet this goal with my WIP.

There are also 500 word and 250 word versions of the challenge if the 1000 doesn't fit for you.  

I'm hoping this will give me motivation to write even on those days where I feel stuck or nothing is coming to me.  My internal editor can get the best of  me, so this forces me to push past that.  It isn't necessarily the 1000 GREAT words a day challenge.  But writing bad ones can help me decide what direction I want the scene to go in.  So I'm going to go for it

Also, before I forget I wanted to thank Laurel at Laurel's Leaves and Katie at Step 1 for giving me the Blogging Writer Award.  Thanks you guys!  Both these ladies have wonderful, helfpul blogs, so make sure and go check them out!  

So are any of you jumping on this with me?  Do you set daily writing goals for yourself or do you find that stifling?

**Today's Theme Song**

"One Day More" - Les Miserables Soundtrack

(player in sidebar, take a listen)

WIP Wednesday, Internal Editors, and Cool Awards

If I were doing NaNo, I'd be kicked off the team by now. However, I have made some progress on Exposure Therapy. I'm sitting at 2300 words and am almost finished with chapter one. As you've noticed, I've been doing post on beginnings--which of course have been completely self-serving since I'm at a beginning. But this research has also brought out my inner editors in full force. I'm now convinced it's not just one, but a pack of mean girls.

So I'm hoping this week that I can bribe them to go to the mall or something because I need to write without their "help".

Alright, now for some fun stuff. Awards!

First, Dawn over at Plotting and Scheming gifted me with the lovely Best Blog Award. If you're not following Dawn, you're missing out-go follow.

Now for the rules:
1. To accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his/her blog link.
2. Pass the award to other bloggers that you have recently discovered and think are great! Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

I'm going to stick with the rules and select people I've recently discovered.

1. Melane at Chasing the Dream

2. Natalie at Natalie Bahm

3. Gem at Somewhere South of Heaven

4. Tamika at The Write Worship

5. Beth at This Mommy's Life

And then Ash. Elizabeth at From Ramblings to Interviews created a brand new award called the Helpful Blogger Award, which she has passed along to me. I really like the idea behind this one because I think that the support and help I've found from fellow bloggers is one of the best things about being online. Go check out her site!

The Helpful Blogger Award Rules

Include the award logo in your blog or post.

Link to post where you received the award.

Nominate seven blogs that you feel are helpful to others.

Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.

Let them know they've received the award by commenting on their blog.

Share one thing that no one knows about you & quote a sentence from your favorite book.

Alright, in spirit of the award, I'm selecting people that no matter what their post, I always learn something.

1. Susan at A Walk in My Shoes--I know most of you follow her already, but she's always has a helpful tidbit (and she's a great beta reader to me as well)

2. Jennifer at Me, My Muse and I

3. Sierra at Sierra Godfrey

4. T. Anne at White Platonic Dreams

5. Julie Dao at Silver Lining

6. Jody at Jody Hedlund

7. Stephanie at Chronicles of a Novice Writer

Okay, now for something no one knows about me. Hmm... I'm so afraid of bugs that, say, if a caterpillar were on my shirt, I would have no hesitation to yank off the shirt and run screaming even if I was in someone's front yard in full view of the street. Not that this ever happened (cough) but just as a hypothetical example.

A favorite quote from a book. That's hard. It's usually something that makes me laugh rather than something that's exceptionally profound. I'll have to think on this one, in the meantime, you can check out my goodreads quotes in the sidebar.

Alright, that's all for today. How's everyone else's WIP going? What are your internal editors like?

**Today's Theme Song**

"What You Give" - Tesla

(player in sidebar, go ahead and take a listen)

WIP Wednesday, an Award, and the Elaine

I did it. Yes, I did. In the last two weeks I've finished both my query letter and my synopsis. Halle-freaking-lujah. I think those two things are more difficult than writing the book itself. Hopefully, I did a good job on both so that the publishers just fall over themselves trying to get to me. *snort* Okay, so I'd be happy with them requesting pages, but I'm trying to think positive. I'm really happy with my story right now so I guess that's all I can do. The rest is in the hands of the decision makers.

This will be a new experience this time because I'll be submitting directly to publishers. With the first book, I'm querying agents. But with a category length romance, I've heard it's better to just go direct. I haven't run across many agent sites that say they handle category romance, so I'm thinking this must be the case.

Alright, so in honor of completing the synopsis, I'll provide another dance this time. The query got me to do the Carlton, the synopsis gets the Elaine.

Patti over at Book Addict has awarded me with the Heartfelt Award! Thanks, chica! Since I will be nominating both men and women, I decided to break the rules a bit and added an alternative image. I'm sure the dudes out there don't want a teacup hamster in their space, lol. So feel free to adopt the traditional image for this award or the alternative one.

Do you reach for a cup of cocoa or tea when you're relaxing, seeking comfort, sharing a plate of cookies with family and friends? You know the feeling you get when you drink a yummy cup of cocoa, tea, or a hot toddy? That is what the Heartfelt Award is all about, feeling warm inside. Rules:Put the logo on your blog/post. Nominate up to to 9 blogs which make you feel comfy or warm inside. Be sure to link your nominees within your post. Let them know that they have been nominated by commenting on their blog. Remember to link to the person from whom you received your award.

My Nominees are new blogs I've discovered recently and enjoy:

Catherine Kariaxi at Work in Progress

Jeannie Campbell at Where Romance Meets Therapy

Tina Lynn at Tina Lynn's Not So Daily Blog

Amber Tidd Murphy at Musings of Amber Murphy

Jm Diaz at An Ulterior Motive

Sierra Godfrey at Sierra Godfrey

Lindsey at The Domesticated Writer

Alright, that's not nine, but seven is pretty good. Go check these out, you'll be glad you did.

So how is everyone's WIP going? Also, has anyone else heard what I heard about going directly to publishers for category romance? And which part of the process do you dread the most: revising/editing, writing query and synopsis, or something else?

**Today's Theme Song**

"I Want You to Want Me" - Cheap Trick

(player in sidebar--this is dedicated to those agents and publishers out there.)