Inspired by Tara, The Librarian Who Doesn’t Say Shhh, and her end-of-the-year Superlatives Awards.
I. Books
Book I’m always recommending: Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Best re-telling of a popular story: Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson (it’s a fresh look at Peter Pan)
Best companion book: Fire by Kristin Cashore (companion to Graceling, but it works as a standalone)
Most original and imaginative: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Biggest tear-jerker: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, followed closely by A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Like reading my own biography: Kissing Doorknobs by Terri Spencer Hesser
Most interesting premise: Every Day by David Levithan and Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Deepest meaning: The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Best prose: three-way tie between The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson and Peace Like a River by Leif Enger and The Last Unicorn by Peter Beagle
Best story arc in a series: Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Everything-Falls-Into-Place Award: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead and HP & the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling and Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Creepiest: This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers
Best book for boys: tie between Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card and Wrestling Sturbridge by Rich Wallace
Hard book to get into but totally worth it: That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis
Best short stories: The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios by Yann Martel and The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
II. Characters
Most different character: tie between Stargirl Carraway of Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli and Quintana of Froi of the Exiles and Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta
Best boyfriend: three-way tie between Augustus Waters (The Fault in Our Stars), Jonah Griggs (Jellicoe Road), and Will Trombal (Saving Francesca)
Most chilling: Mr. Loomis in Z for Zachariah
Best best friends: Taylor and Raffy in Jellicoe Road and Harry, Ron, and Hermione in Harry Potter
Best animal character: Charlotte A. Cavatica in Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
Best narrator: Death in The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Sweetest child: Eva in Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Most changed character: Jean Valjean in Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
Character I want to be friends with: Rae in Rosie by Anne Lamott
Character I love to hate: Dolores Umbridge in HP & the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Character I just plain hate: Simon Price in The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
Character you want to live next door to: Sam Hamilton in East of Eden by John Steinbeck and Chaz Santangelo in Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
III. Scenes
Best theological discussion in fiction: a large portion of Perelandra by C.S. Lewis and East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Most intense scene: Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis
Steamiest scene: Jace and Clary, all the time, but especially in City of Glass and City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare
Best sexual tension: Perry and Aria while he teaches her how to tell if berries are poisonous (yes, really!) in Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Sweetest: when Eleanor and Park hold hands for the first time in Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
Most disturbing: you’ll know it when you read it in Unwind by Neal Shusterman (I thought I was going to throw up)
Most fascinating conversation in the face of great danger: walking through the Red Bull’s lair in The Last Unicorn by Peter Beagle
Best opening line: “What can you say about a twenty-five-year-old girl who died?” in Love Story by Erich Segal
Biggest cliffhanger: Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta
LOVE this list! Loved being reminded of my own favorites and finding new intriguing titles!
It was such a fun list to make too … I should do it more often!
Please do! 🙂
This is so cool!
I may have to make some adjustments for picture books, but I’m definitely going to use this! Thanks, Jackie!!
What? No steamiest picture book??? 😉
Love. This.
And best boyfriend? You seem to be forgetting Silas Hart.(;
AND SILAS HART. Oh man, do I ever love him!!! ❤