For this week's topic at That Artsy Reader Girl, I started my list about six different times, because every time I got halfway through I'd either realize I HAD mentioned these books before, or I'd recognize a pattern and go, "Wait, I can totally save that for a freebie / rogue topic week!" There is probably still a pattern here, honestly, but let's pretend I don't see it.
Here's hoping these really are books I haven't mentioned much before, too. A person with 2000 books on their "read" shelf has no excuses for repetition on a topic like this.
1. Bass Ackwards and Belly Up - Elizabeth Craft & Sarah Fain (2006)
A fantastic YA novel in the style of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, but better and featuring a semester in the life of 18-year-olds starting at the end of summer after graduation. The sequel kind of goes belly up in terms of satisfaction and payoff, but it's better to have a sequel than not. Better yet, the first book stands on its own.
2. Fingerprints of You - Kristen Paige-Madonna (2012)
I look at my review of this so often I can almost quote it from memory; I actually remember it better than the plot details. But that's because I am always thinking about how much I want to reread this book. If I could figure out where I put my copy.
3. A Room on Lorelei Street - Mary E. Pearson (2005)
I picked this up at a library sale, and stupidly convinced myself I didn't love it enough to keep. I probably didn't love the plot enough. But I can't get over my memory of how much I loved the evocative writing style, and I think about it literally every time I go past houses in the city with rooms/subdivided apartments for rent.
"She stops in the jelly aisle. Rupert's Deluxe Concord is endless black-purple and promises satisfaction or your money back. The twelve-ounce jar mimics cut glass and costs $3.89. It would look pretty on her hutch. But not $2.40 prettier than the Food Star brand that is a little less purple and a whole lot bigger."
4. The Clearing - Heather Davis (2010)
A good candidate for this post because off the top of my head, I can't tell you what makes it so special. I just know that for someone who doesn't really dig timeslip romance, this not only impressed me, it impressed me so much that after 2 minutes of scanning through it, I couldn't bring myself to let it go in the last book purge.
5. Phoning a Dead Man - Gillian Cross (2001)
I am forever attached to this because it resembled a story I had been wanting to write, and although I had wanted mine to be from the perspective of a girlfriend (rather than a sister aiding a girlfriend) in search of the missing-and-presumed-dead man of the title, it was SO much more pleasant to simply read a full-fledged novel and use the details to enhance my AU daydreams instead.
6. Love, Cajun Style - Diane Les Becquets (2005)
Another one I can't quite remember the details of, but I keep coming back to my review, which says that my expectations were low based on the opening pages, but promptly blown away by the "rich, amazing descriptions of life in a small Louisiana town (I want to read this book every summer), great friendships, a surprisingly mature main character, and lovely tentative romantic encounters."
7. The Sharp Time - Mary O'Connell (2011)
Review time again: "Her obsession with fantasizing about what she would do with her gun was weird, but every page was dripping with so much lush description and beautiful writing I had to read slowly and carefully to make sure I didn't miss anything."
8. Not Like You - Deborah Davis (2007)
Girl with a dog-walking business, relying on herself to be the responsible breadwinner more than her mom, and being attracted to a guy too old for her (unsure if she actually crosses any lines or if they stick entirely/mostly to friendship; I suspect and am hoping for the latter because that would be a great dynamic). Been wanting to reread it for years.
9. A Song for Summer - Eva Ibbotson (1997)
Of all the books on this list I need to reread, I need to reread this one the most because literally the only thing I remember is that I LOVED IT (mostly) and that it's a European WWII setting.
10. A World Away - Nancy Grossman (2012)
Perhaps the best book about Rumspringa ever?
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