Summer (or not) Reading Suggestions

A few weeks ago, I told you what was on my summer reading list for this summer. That list got me thinking of books I would recommend. Any time of the year. :) So, without further ado, here is my list:

{all images and links courtesy of Amazon}

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine is my favorite book of all time. If you've only seen the movie and not read the book, you MUST read the book. The movie is... I don't have words to describe it. (They would be angry words...) But the book is positively enchanting and one I re-read faithfully at least once a year.

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale currently holds the #2 spot on my all-time list of books. Everyone raved to me about Goose Girl, but I loved Princess Academy SO much more. You can read my full rave review here.

Matched by Ally Condie is a new favorite. As in, I loved it so much I finished it in [less than] one day and then sent it to my best friend, Debra, so she could read it too. (You can read her review here.) One big warning though: it's the first in a trilogy that won't be completed until November 2012. You just might be hooked enough to go meet the author like I did, though. :)

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows is one of the few books that I own. (Don't gasp too loudly... I believe very firmly in the public library system. If I own a book, it's because I really really loved it. Or someone bought it for me. :) Anyway, Guernsey is a modern classic, in my opinion. A beautiful blend of people and history and everything that's good. This is another that I read and immediately called Debra... you can read her review here.

Flipped by Wendelin van Draanen is just a cute young-romance book, about people changing and realizing people for who they really are. The movie is a true-to-book adaptation, but the story just fits a book medium better.

The End of the Beginning: Being the Adventures of a Small Snail (and an Even Smaller Ant) by Avi is one of the few books that I have *repeatedly* laughed out loud while reading. (I am kind of a stick in the mud about LOLing over literature, I guess.) My husband and I read this one aloud to each other over the course of a couple of afternoons, and we both loved it. It's a short, clever book and quite thoroughly enjoyable.

Savvy by Ingrid Law is an all-time favorite at our house (along with its companion, Scumble), both for me and for my husband. You won't regret reading it! You can read my full review here.

These is My Words by Nancy Turner sucked me in and spit me back out. I loved the story and the characters SO much that I was completely *crushed* to realize that it was 99% fiction. I was in a funk for days. I still loved the book, but I had (and still have) a hard time putting my feelings into words, so you can read Debra's full review here. :)

The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies is a cute summer read and a book that we WILL read with our children once they are of novel-reading age -- at 20 months, my son isn't quite there yet. :) You can read my full review here.





An eclectic list by an eclectic reader. :)

What books are on your all-season reading (and re-reading) list?