Best of the Best & Worst of the Worst

December 05, 2012

Recently, MCPL staff members were asked to choose our favorite read from 2012 for an upcoming news article in the Examiner. I agonized over that because, since the beginning of the year, I have read or listened to at least 62 books (way more if I count all of the picture books I read each week to young listeners) across a variety of genres and reading levels. My most prolific month was January; I managed to read 16 books that month.

Trying to choose a "favorite" book would be similar to deciding which child was my favorite! My task was made much simpler when I realized that the reporter was interested in knowing what my favorite title was for 2012…meaning published in 2012. Since many of the books I read in 2012 were published prior to 2012, thankfully my list got much shorter.

Nevertheless, I feel compelled to issue some of my own awards and props to the books I’ve read this year, regardless of publication date:

Favorite Newly Discovered Adult Author / Genre:
Diane Mott Davidson / Food Mysteries

Most Anticipated Novel in an Ongoing Series:
Odd Apocalypse by Dean Koontz

Favorite Juvenile Historical Fiction Book:
City of Orphans by Avi

Favorite Young Adult Historical Nonfiction:
Chasing Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson

Recommended Elementary Classroom Read-a-Loud Books:
Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea
The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies
The Lemonade Crime by Jacqueline Davies

Favorite Three-Hanky, Made-Me-Cry Book:
Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares

Favorite Newly Discovered Juvenile Author:
Patrick Carman

Book That Made Me Think "Whoa…"
House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz

Entire Young Adult Series Read and LOVED:
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Favorite Adult Nonfiction Book:
Weird: Because Normal isn’t Working by Craig Groeschel

The Young Adult Series I Kept Hoping Would Get Better:
Abandon Trilogy by Meg Cabot

The Juvenile Series I Will Probably Never Finish because I Don’t Like It:
Keepers of the School by Andrew Clements

As for my favorite read of 2012, you’ll notice that it has been left off this list. You’ll have to read the Examiner article for that one.

Debbie A.
Blue Ridge Branch