2017 Reading Highlights

Better late than never.  Here are some bookish highlights of 2017.  I'm not saying much about these titles, but whenever I can, I link to blog posts where I've said (a bit) more.  As ever, I encourage you to find me on Goodreads (I'm booksandcarbs), where I consistently track my reading.

Published-in-2017 Novel Highlights:
The Heirs by Susan Rieger -- Surprised by how much I enjoyed this layered story of marriage, family, love.  Mini-review.

Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny -- Heiny gets the details just right in this portrait of marriage and parenthood.  I said more right here. 

Touch by Courtney Maum -- Get your nose out of your phone and connect for real!  Mini-review right here.

Anything Is Possible by Elizabeth Strout -- Read My Name is Lucy Barton first, then this one, and then start on everything Strout has written.  Mini-review.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman -- I adored this story of damaged, lovable Eleanor.  I recommend the audio as Scottish narration is divine.  Click for more.

All Grown Up by Jami Attenberg -- Don't write this book off as bleak/depressing or its protagonist as unlikeable or "messed up."  I thought this novel was excellent.

This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel -- So much to think about in this beautifully written novel of a loving family navigating gender dismorphia.  No easy answers though.  Read more here.

Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney -- I said more here, but Lillian Boxfish is a memorable character and this novel is one of the best Book of the Month picks I've made.

Backlist Novel Highlights: 
Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny -- I'm not sure why I don't read the Chief Inspector Gamache novels one after the others because I enjoy them so much.  We leave Three Pines for #6, but it's still wonderful.  I really think these need to be read in order though.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel -- This one sounded like a book I'd hate (world recovering after a pandemic, traveling symphony), but then I really loved it.  Shows what I (think I) know.

Saints for All Occasions by J. Courtney Sullivan -- A couple things about this one bothered me, but, as always, I was drawn in by Sullivan's characters and was sorry to leave them when the book ended (a bit prematurely).

Mariana by Monica Dickens -- I have #bookstagram to thank for introducing me to Mariana.  Published in 1940.  I adored this book.

The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Evison -- Strangers become friends.  Road trip.  Family expands.  This novel pushed all my buttons -- humor, heft, and heart. 

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie -- Add Americanah to the list of books that I resisted/avoided and then ended up loving.  I really liked the glimpses into life in Nigeria. 

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri -- I am NOT a short story person, but this collection made me think I should become one.

Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman -- Community story -- check.  Stranger comes to town -- check.  Unification through sports -- check.  Underdog story -- check.  Sweet spot novel for me.  I was glad to revisit Britt-Marie (first introduced in My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry, which I don't recommend) in this novel. 

Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey -- This one was an Audible bargain where I got more than I bargained for in a good way.  I really liked this imposter-with-a-twist story.

The Unseen World by Liz Moore -- Not sure what I want to say about this one except that you are in good hands with Liz Moore and it's easy to be drawn in by her characters and worlds. 

YA & Middle Grade Highlights:
A Short History of the Girl Next Door by Jared Reck -- sweet and also heartbreaking story of love and friendship, interesting questions about who has the "right" to grieve

The Smell of Other People's Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock -- Loved the Alaskan setting, the writing, the messages about kindness, connection, family, friendship.  Loved the title as I was always very aware of the smell of other people's houses as a girl.

The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley -- My son and I both loved this WWII story.  Eager to read the sequel.

One of Us Is Lying by Karen McManus -- Contemporary Breakfast Club with a murder mystery twist.  I dug it.

What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum -- I loved the characters in this YA novel.

The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon -- What a day.  Timely story about fast love, first love, family dynamics, immigration, and dreams for the future.  An enterprising high schooler could productively pair this novel with Romeo and Juliet.  

Vacation Read Recommendations:
Winter Solstice by Elin Hilderbrand -- The last in the "Winter" series did not disappoint.  Save these books for the holidays, fireplace, ski chalet.

The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand -- I heart Elin Hilderbrand and love to visit Nantucket with her.  This sister story was one of her best in recent years.

Class Mom by Laurie Gelman -- I laughed a lot and never (considering I am currently a room mom) felt patronized.

The Knockoff by Lucy Sykes -- Lighter read with good insights into the fashion industry and the ways business and publishing are changing. 

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne -- Fun, fun, fun, and a bit steamy too.

The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak -- Fun trip back to the 1980s!

On Turpentine Lane by Elinor Lipman -- Elinor Lipman books are always breezy and smartly funny with interesting, complicated characters. 

The Long and Faraway Gone by Lou Berney -- This crime novel has stayed with me and made me strangely interested in visiting Oklahoma City.

Memoirs & Other Non-Fiction Highlights:
How To Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kids for Success by Julie Lythcott-Haims -- If you're a parent, this book could change your life.  I can't believe I didn't blog about it.  Basically, this book was full of stuff that people would have considered common sense thirty years ago but that I needed to hear.  Basically, step back a bit and let your kids figure stuff out, do their projects themselves, take responsibility, fail sometimes, and learn that they have what it takes to navigate the world (which they will not know for sure if we figure out everything for them, have tough conversations for them, give them everything, etc.). 

Hatching Twitter: A True Story of Money, Power, Friendship, and Betrayal by Nick Bolton -- I liked this inside look of a now-famous tech start-up. 

The Mighty Franks: A Memoir by Michael Frank -- They'll mess you up, your aunt and uncle.  Family love can be complicated.  Read more here. 

Girl Walks Out of a Bar: A Memoir by Lisa F. Smith -- I read two alcoholism/recovery memoirs in 2017 and liked this one a lot.  It was astounding to me how functioning some alcoholics can be.  Makes me wonder how often I am interacting with drunk people day to day.  I am so thankful that alcohol is something I can take or leave.

Secrets from the Eating Lab: The Science of Weight Loss, The Myth of Willpower, and Why You Should Never Diet Again by Traci Mann -- This book felt potentially life-changing when I read it, but here I sit now, with the ten pounds I gained last summer still with me, pondering if I should f***ing join Weight Watchers one more time.  I think I need to reread this one, which actually had a lot of good insights with regard to habits.

Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcoln.  Yardstick.  Turban ... by Rob Delaney -- Delaney is honest, likable, and really, really funny.  Crude sometimes, but I don't mind.  His story offers insights into alcoholism, recovery, and depression.  My heart breaks for him as he and his wife just lost their young son to cancer.  (This book precedes that tragedy).

Underfoot in Show Business by Helene Hanff -- I first met Hanff in the famous 84, Charing Cross Road and found her just as delightful, funny, and smart in this memoir about her life in show business.

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert -- I came to this book as someone who had not read (and had not even wanted to read) Eat, Pray, Love. I loved and felt inspired by Big Magic.  Read more right here. 

So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson -- I learned so much from Ronson and his profiles of individuals who have been publicly shamed.  I think it would be great for book clubs. 

How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind by Dana K. White -- Sure, I've slipped back into many of my old, slovenly ways, but I really got a lot out of this book.  Read more here. 

You'll Grow Out of It by Jessi Klein -- Klein is funny, smart, honest, but she doesn't look like Pat from SNL, even though the early chapters of her book would make you think so.  I loved her descriptions of her therapist, Anthropologie, and Bar Method.  I couldn't relate to a couple of her essays but was still interested in reading them.

Graphic Novel Highlights:
Going Into Town: A Love Letter to New York by Roz Chast -- Read this if you love NYC or want to visit NYC or need a gift for a young person who loves or dreams of moving to NYC.

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson -- I read this with my daughter.  Great story of guts and friendship.

Okay then, February is almost over, and I have finally finished tasking my feeble memory to produce this account of last year's reading.  I probably forgot some good stuff and oversold some other stuff, but still, I bet you can at least find a few winners from my list.

What were your best and worst reading experiences in 2017?  Share in the comments or send me a message at booksandcarbs@gmail.com.  Also, find me on Instagram!  I am @booksandcarbs in the land 'o #bookstagram.

If you're on Instagram, you can follow me there as I attempt a 2018 personal project:  @mileawhile.  Also, it's not fully up and running yet, but I also have a blog going for that endeavor if you want to check it out.

2017 Reading Log

2017 FICTION
Megan Abbott
You Will Know Me (ebook)

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Americanah (audiobook)

Laurie Halse Anderson
Chains (audiobook)

Jami Attenberg
All Grown Up (ebook)

Jane Austen
Persuasion* (audiobook)

Fredrik Backman
Britt-Marie Was Here (paperback)


Paul Beatty
The Sellout (audiobook)

Christopher R. Beha
Arts & Entertainment (ebook)

Alan Bennett
The Uncommon Reader (audiobook)

Karen Bergreen
Following Polly (ebook)


Lou Berney
The Long and Faraway Gone (audiobook)

Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
The War that Saved My Life (audiobook)

Douglas Brunt
Trophy Son (hardcover)

Emma Burstall
The Cornish Guest House (ebook)

Nikolas Butler
The Hearts of Men (ebook)

Julie Buxbaum
What to Say Next (library book)


Brittany Cavallaro
A Study in Charlotte (ebook)


Katherine Center
Get Lucky (ebook)

Roz Chast
Going Into Town: A Love Letter to New York (library book)


Svetlana Chmakova
Awkward (library book)

Bill Clegg
Did You Ever Have a Family (ebook)

Margaret Maze Craig
Now That's I'm Sixteen (paperback)

Emily Culliton
The Misfortune of Marion Palm (audiobook)

Paula Daly
The Trophy Child (audiobook)

Laura Dave
Hello, Sunshine (library book)

Fiona Davis
The Dollhouse (ebook)

Monica Dickens
Mariana (paperback)

Ivan Doig 
The Whistling Season (audiobook)

Caitlin Dolan-Leach
Dead Letters (hardcover)

Meg Donohue
Every Wild Heart (ebook)

O. Douglas
The Setons (ebook)

Rosamond Du Jardin
Practically Seventeen (paperback)

Nora Ephron
Heartburn (audiobook)

Allen Eskens
The Deep Dark Descending (audiobook)

The Heavens May Fall (audiobook)

Jonathan Evison
The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving (audiobook)

Gayle Forman
Leave Me (audiobook)

Laurie Frankel
This is How It Always Is (audiobook)

Laurie Gelman
Class Mom: A Novel (ebook)

Amy Gentry
Good As Gone (hardcover)

Stella Gibbons
Nightingale Wood (paperback)

Dorothy Gilman
The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax (audiobook)

Yaa Gyasi
Homegoing (audiobook)

Shannon Hale
Real Friends (library book)

Kristin Hannah
The Nightingale (audiobook)

Katherine Heiny 
Standard Deviation (audiobook)

Kaui Hart Hemmings
How to Party with an Infant (audiobook)

Kristan Higgins
Anything for You (library book)
In Your Dreams (ebook)
The Best Man (audiobook)
On Second Thought (library book)
The Perfect Match (ebook)
Until There Was You (ebook)
Waiting On You (audiobook)

Elin Hilderbrand
The Identicals (audiobook)
Nantucket Nights (library book)
Winter Solstice (library book)

Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock
The Smell of Other People's Houses

Jennifer and Matthew Holm
Swing it, Sunny (paperback)

Gail Honeyman
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine (audiobook)

Francesca Hornak
Seven Days of Us 

Lindsay Hunter
Eat Only When You're Hungry (hardcover)

Victoria Jamieson
Roller Girl (library book)

Paulette Jiles
News of the World (audiobook)

Lisa Jewell
Finding Audrey (audiobook)

I Found You (audiobook)

Sophie Kinsella
Finding Audrey (audiobook)

My Not So Perfect Life (audiobook)

Kevin Kwan
Rich People Problems (audiobook)

Lorna Landvik
Once in a Blue Moon Lodge (library book)

Jhumpa Lahiri
Interpreter of Maladies (audiobook) 

Elinor Lipman
On Turpentine Lane (library book)

Hillary Manton Lodge
Jane of Austin: A Novel of Sweet Tea and Sensibility (audiobook)

Lynda Cohen Loigman
The Two-Family House (ebook)

Jane Lotter
The Bette Davis Club (audiobook)

Emery Lord
The Start of Me and You (ebook)
When We Collided (ebook)

Jim Lynch
Before the Wind (audiobook)

Karen M. McManus
One of Us is Lying (audiobook)

Tracy McMillan
Multiple Listings (audiobook)

Emily St. John Mandel
Station Eleven (audiobook)

W. Somerset Maugham
The Painted Veil (audiobook) 

Courtney Maum
Touch (library book)

Goldy Moldavsky
Kill the Boy Band (audiobook)

Liz Moore
The Unseen World (audiobook)
 
Jojo Moyes
The Last Letter from Your Lover  (audiobook)

Emily Murdoch
If You Find Me (audiobook)

Yewande Omotoso
The Woman Next Door (audiobook)

Patricia Park
Re Jane (audiobook)

Phaedra Patrick
The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper (ebook)

Rosamunde Pilcher
The Shell Seekers (ebook)

Angela Pisel
With Love from the Inside (audiobook)

Louise Penny
Bury Your Dead (Chief Inspector Gamache, #6)

Jodi Picoult
Small Great Things (ebook)

Steffan Piper
Greyhound (audiobook)

Amy Poeppel
Small Admissions (ebook)

Taylor Jenkins Reid
Forever, Interrupted (ebook)
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (hardcover)

Katherine Reay
The Austen Escape (ebook)

Jared Reck
A Short History of the Girl Next Door (library book)

Jason Rekulak
The Impossible Fortress (ebook)

Marilynne Robinson
Gilead (audiobook)

Jennifer Ryan
The Chilbury Ladies' Choir (hardcover)

George Saunders
Lincoln in the Bardo (audiobook)

Doree Shafrir
Startup (hardcover)

Graeme Simsion
The Best of Adam Sharp (audiobook)

Jennifer E. Smith
Windfall (audiobook)

Jordan Sonnenblick
Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie (audiobook)

D.E. Stevenson
The Blue Sapphire (audiobook)
Katherine's Marriage (audiobook)
Sarah's Cottage (audiobook)

Elizabeth Strout
The Burgess Boys (audiobook)

J. Courtney Sullivan
Saints for All Occasions (audiobook)

Lucy Sykes
The Knockoff (audiobook) 

Graham Swift
Mothering Sunday (ebook)

Josephine Tey
Brat Farrar (audiobook)

Angela Thirkell
Marling Hall (paperback)

Northbridge Rectory (paperback)

Sally Thorne
The Hating Game (ebook) 

Katherine Reay
A Portrait of Emily Price (ebook)

Susan Rieger
The Heirs (audiobook)

Kathleen Rooney
Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk (hardcover)

Richard Russo
Trajectory (audiobook)

Graeme Simsion
The Best of Adam Sharp (audiobook)

Elizabeth Strout
Anything is Possible (audiobook)

Booki Vivat
Frazzled: Everyday Disasters and Impending Doom (ebook)

Kevin Wilson
Perfect Little World (audiobook)

Nicola Yoon
The Sun Is Also a Star (hardcover)

Gabrielle Zevin
Young Jane Young (library book)

2017 MEMOIRS, ESSAYS, and OTHER NON-FICTION
Joshua Becker
The More of Less (audiobook)

Nick Bilton
Hatching Twitter: A True Story of Money, Power, Friendship, and Betrayal

Tara Cottrell
Buddha's Diet (audiobook)

Andy Crouch
The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in its Proper Place (hardcover)

Bill Dedman
Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark... (ebook)

Rob Delaney
Mother.  Wife.  Sister.  Human.  Warrior.  Falcoln.  Yardstick.  Turban.  Cabbage. (ebook)

Angela Duckworth
Grit (hardcover)


Hal Elrod
The Miracle Morning (ebook)
 
Michael Frank
The Mighty Franks (audiobook)

Chip and Joanna Gaines
The Magnolia Story (ebook)


Elizabeth Gilbert
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear (ebook)

Helene Hanff
Underfoot in Show Business (ebook)

Jen Hatmaker
For the Love: Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards (ebook)

Sarah Hepola
Blackout: Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget (ebook)

Monica Hesse
American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land (audiobook)

Megyn Kelly
Settle for More (ebook)

Jessi Klein
You'll Grow Out of It (ebook)

Sarah Knight
The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck (ebook)

Anne Lamott
Hallelujah Anyway: Rediscovering Mercy (audiobook)

Gail Carson Levine
Writing Magic: Creating Stories that Fly (ebook)

Traci Mann
Secrets from the Eating Lab (ebook) 

Julie Lythcott-Haims
How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success (paperback)

Maureen McCormick
Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice (ebook)
Joyce Maynard
The Best of Us (audiobook)

Tsh Oxenreider
At Home in the World (ebook)

Michael Perry
Visiting Tom: A Man, a Highway, and the Road to Roughneck Grace (audiobook)

Lydia Reeder
Dust Bowl Girls: The Inspiring Story of the Team That Barnstormed Its Way to Basketball Glory (ebook)

Jon Ronson
So You've Been Publicly Shamed (audiobook)

Lee Smith
Dimestore: A Writer's Life (ebook)

Lisa F. Smith
Girl Walks Out of a Bar: A Memoir (ebook) 

Rob Temple
Very British Problems: Making Life Awkward for Ourselves, One Rainy Day at a Time (ebook)

Dana K. White
How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind (library book)

Meik Wiking
The Little Book of Hygge:  The Danish Way to Live Well

Katherine Wolf
Hope Heals: A True Story of Overwhelming Loss and an Overcoming Love (hardcover)

Robin Zasio
The Hoarder in You: How to Live a Happier, Healthier, Uncluttered Life (audiobook)

An (*) indicates a reread.  All ebooks are purchased on sale via the Kindle Store or checked out from the e-offerings of the Elmhurst Public Library.  All audiobooks are from Audible.com or the Elmhurst Public Library's e-offerings.

Audible Monthly Credit(s) Report -- November 2017

This month's credits were not that easy to spend, but I was also out of free and attractive ready-to-borrow options from my library so I went ahead and spent them.  These days, I try to save my Audible credits for new releases of the sort that I'd have to wait on a long hold list for elsewhere.  There were no new releases calling out to me so I went with different criteria.  My choices ...

Sarah's Cottage by D.E. Stevenson -- I've been working my way through D.E. Stevenson's catalogue for about six years now.  These books are mostly set in Scotland and England and are stories of family, friendship, and love, often set against a wartime (WWII) background.  Some of them are witty and almost edgy, some of them border on bland, but I usually find them comfortable and enjoyable and especially appreciate narration with Scottish accents.  There's almost always a ridiculously self-obsessed character (or couple) that it pleases me to dislike.  Sarah's Cottage is one of those that seemed like it was going to be boring, but a couple hours in, Sarah's sister Lottie is really at her worst, and I'm intrigued to see where it goes over the next six hours and twenty-seven minutes (but less, because I am listening at 1.5x speed).  Sarah's Cottage is a sequel and would be difficult to find in print.  If you are going to read D.E. Stevenson, start with Miss Buncle's Book (a nice Source Books edition is available) or Listening Valley. 

Girl on the Leeside by Kathleen Anne Kenney has been in my wish list for several months.  I've hesitated to spend a credit on it because only three listeners have reviewed it.  However, it's not a book that I can access via the library in any form (not in print, audio, or electronic versions) so seems like a good choice for a credit.  It's set in Ireland so I am hoping it will tide me over until Marian Keyes's The Break is available in audio in the United States or until Maeve Bincy comes back from the dead to write one more lovely novel.

Recent Reads: Graphic Novels

I probably read 10-12 graphic novels a year and always marvel at their impact.  The illustrations and text complement each other so well.  The limited text makes the words so much more powerful (I almost said "impactful" but I am still denying that "impactful" is a real word).  If you're ever in a reading slump or just in the mood to start and finish a book in a short period (possibly in one sitting), look for a graphic novel.  I waited several weeks on the library hold list for Roz Chast's Going Into Town: A Love Letter to New York.  Worth the wait.  Her love for and knowledge of NYC comes across in every detail.  This book (graphic but not a novel) would be the perfect gift for a new grad or anyone who dreams of making a life in New York.

My son and I both read and enjoyed Sunny Side Up a couple of years ago so I snapped up its sequel, Swing It, Sunny, at last week's Scholastic Book Fair.  I loved how the Holm Siblings captured the Seventies on every page.  Sunny's troubled but beloved older brother is at a military boarding school, and the book poignantly illustrated Sunny's feelings of loneliness, confusion, and fear of/for him.  I like the family dynamics in the story and the two female friendships that help to bolster Sunny during this tough period.  I'm eager to discuss with my son once he gets a chance to read it.

I'll remember pieces of my weekend...

I was going to make a joke about my raging Saturday night but decided against it because I am not at all embarrassed that this puzzle has captured so much of my attention.  The boys and I started it last night.  They're in and out (mostly out), but I keep coming back for more.  I'm going to attempt a transfer into the family room tomorrow as there's a chance we may need to eat a meal at the kitchen table before the thousandth piece clicks into place.  Plus, the lighting in the family room is less depressing than the lighting in the kitchen. 

End of an Era: DVD Days

 My boys and I were at Target this evening and this holiday DVD display gave me pause.

I think the only DVD I purchased in semi-recent memory was Bridget Jones's Baby.  When I finally treated myself to an at-home second viewing (saw it in the theater and loved it), I ended up streaming it via Netflix.  Pretty typical.

Quick rehearsal of the reasons I rarely buy DVDs these days ... abundance of available programming to access via Cable and streaming services, not much time to watch tv/movies, too tired/distracted to commit to entire movie, DVD player not hooked up to upstairs TV and tech guy always out of town when I think of watching a movie, and many DVDs available at local library.

Another reason for the taper in DVD-buying is the one the Target kiosk kicked me in the gut with:  our kids are growing up.  In the old days, a trip to Target would often include a search for a $5.00 DVD gem or a coveted new release -- maybe something special for a holiday or a road trip or a naptime treat for the no-longer-napping big brother.  I have a vivid memory of hitting the road for our Thanksgiving travels and feeling ecstatically happy when teeing up a DVD of Christmas Eve on Sesame Street, a special I thought I remembered from my own childhood.  

Our kids are growing into smart, sweet, funny, interesting people so that's all great.  They can masterfully access shows and movies on our television/devices and rarely need my "tech savvy" or recommendations.  I know we'll still stream some of our favorite Christmas specials this holiday season.  We'll continue to have movie nights.  They still, knock on wood, love to spend time with us.  But it's not likely that I'll be popping in a new DVD of Arthur's Perfect Christmas and cuddling on the couch with three little ones freshly bathed, lotioned, and clad in footie pajamas.  That leaves a lump in my throat.   

A Short History of the Girl Next Door

I am having a week that feels nothing like high school.  Sick kid and now a sick husband.  Flooded basement.  Parent-Teacher Conferences.  Cancelling doctor's appointment for my sore shoulder and achy hip to be home for shower door installation.  Figuring out carpools and logistics for hockey evaluations, basketball practice, and etc.  Realizing we have reached the bottom of an industrial-sized container of ibuprofen.  Just the regular stuff of my suburban mom adult life.

It was especially nice then, during this sort of adult week, to finish up the YA novel I had started and spend time reading about a memorable high school friendship.  As soon as I saw a blurb about Jared Reck's A Short History of the Girl Next Door, I got myself on the library hold list for it.

Here's what I loved:
* Strong writing.
* Characters and dialogue that felt realistic.  Sure, that meant that there were some curse words in the book, but I think the language reflects how many kids actually talk.
* A strong sense of a family.  I hate it when YA novels reinforce stereotypes that parents are absent, clueless, out of touch, etc.
* An honest look at grief and the oft-overlooked and sticky issue of who "has the right" to grieve.
* A male teenage character who loves basketball and Honors English.
* The awesome English teacher in the novel.  It's not often that I wish I were still teaching ninth grade English, but reading about Mr. Ellis's assignments, classroom "muse," writing curriculum, and interactions with students inspired me and made me feeling some longing for the classroom.
* Wit and humor.  A tragedy occurs in this book, but there were still many smartly funny moments.

In short, read A Short History of the Girl Next Door.

And then, if you're in the mood for more YA novels, some other good ones I've read this year include:  Julie Buxbaum's What to Say Next, Emery Lord's The Start of Me and You, and Karen McManus's One of Us Is Lying.  If you care to find me on Goodreads (I'm booksandcarbs), I've written some (very) short reviews of the books above.