Books I Read in 2024 // Pirate Cats, Tigers, and Bear-Dogs, oh my!

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 Happy 2025, friends!

I always do my story wrap-ups for a year in January because up until about 11:30PM every Dec. 31st I'm delusional that I can get another story added to the list. That worked for movies this year, but while I got reallllllly close with one more book I didn't quite make it. But what I did do is read more books than the last few years! 

Here I give a list of everything I read but then longer thoughts on my favorites. If you want to know what I thought of the others, you can check out my Goodreads account HERE. I didn't do any full reviews on my blog this year, but I gave some more detailed thoughts over there if you want to check it out! And if you want to compare this list to the previous years, here are the links for 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016.

If I cried during it, it is underlined.  If it has an asterisk (*) then I listened to an audiobook version.

New-to-me novels:

Nineteen Steps - by Millie Bobby Brown & Kathleen McGurl
The Outsiders - by S. E. Hinton
The Queen of Attolia - by Megan Whalen Turner *
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry - by Fredrik Backman
The Labors of Hercules Beal - by Gary D. Schmidt *
The King of Attolia - by Megan Whalen Turner *
The Incorrigible Children of Asthon Place: The Long-Lost Home - by Maryrose Wood
Dear America: Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: The Diary of Bess Brennan, The Perkins School for the Blind - by Barry Denenberg
Life of Pi - by Yann Martel
Mañanaland - by Pam Muñoz Ryan *
Conspiracy of Kings - by Megan Whalen Turner *
Keeper of the Lost Cities: Lodestar - by Shannon Messenger
I Capture the Castle - by Dodie Smith
Keeper of the Lost Cities: Nightfall - by Shannon Messenger
Leroy Nicker Saddles Up - by Kate DiCamillo
Thick as Thieves - by Megan Whalen Turner *
My Plain Jane - by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Asthon, and Jodi Meadows * (started on audio, finished with a physical copy)
Keeper of the Lost Cities: Flashback - by Shannon Messenger

Total: 18

Graphic novels:

Keeper of the Lost Cities The Graphic Novel Part 1: Volume 1 - by Celina Frenn, Shannon Messenger, and Gabriella Chianello 

Total: 1

Novel rereads:

All the Crooked Saints - by Maggie Steifvater
Anne of the Island - by L. M. Montgomery

Total: 2

Play rereads:

La casa de Bernarda Alba - by Federico García Lorca

Total: 1

Grand total: 22

My 10 Favorite New-To-Me Novels of 2024:

1. Life of Pi - by Yann Martel. This changed the way I see life. This books is stark and cold and lonely all while remembering the warmth of Pondicherry and struggling to survive. Pi has to change everything about himself to do that all while holding on to who he truly is. The sections in this book broke me in different ways, and are a masterclass in storytelling.

2. Mañanaland - by Pam Muñoz Ryan. The stakes change in this story is insane. It starts with wanting to be on a futbol team and ends with a journey and aiming towards the greater good. Stories that make the characters's goals go from internal to external are a true window into humanity. Plus there's a cute dog and cute cat and lullabies.

JUST NOW did I see the people in the trees. Talk about a gorgeous cover.

3. My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry - by Fredrik Backman. I've seen this in the library for YEARS and ACK it's just as gut punching as I hoped it would be. Death and grief and identity all from a child's perspective but the focus is trying to find truth in fairytales. So as a writer it's basically everything I love. I also have some theories for coded things so I want to reread it and see how that pans out from the beginning now that I'm thinking of it.

4. I Capture the Castle - by Dodie Smith. This book is one of those that is so unsatisfying at first but once I thought about it I realized WHOA, THAT'S GENIUS. One of the most human portrayals of love and life and really Casandra captures quite more than just the castle that she lives in. I'm still mad about it and still will sing its praises to the hills.

5. The Outsiders - by S. E. Hinton. I got this courtesy of Hamlette and it was the perfect accompaniment to my spring break. Aka, good way to release emotions through crying. It's rough and tumble yet the way the characters care about each other?? The lengths that Soda Pop and Darry will go for Ponyboy? The desperation that Jonnycakes feels?

This edition also feels so good. It's smooth and lovely.

6. The Labors of Hercules Beal - by Gary D. Schmidt. Herc must be protected at all costs. He's still struggling with trauma but he's trying to do well in school and to get birds to say his name and run on the sand with his dog. And here's all this pressure to be like a Greek hero yet Herc examines what that title "hero" really means. The way that Gary D. Schmidt connects his stories is JUST PLAIN CRUEL. Thanks to Samantha for bearing with me and all of my angry texts.

7. The Queen of Attolia - by Megan Whalen Turner. Samantha, Sarah Seele, and Megan the Nutmeg had to drag me through this one, but I actually really liked it? It takes sneaky to another level because instead of trying to hide all the actions the characters full on tell you? Which is so shocking that I don't have to read through the lines? I don't know, I just had fun with this one, okay?

8. Thick as Thieves - by Megan Whalen Turner. "Found friends story but make it road trip" is a gross oversimplification, but I think it works. This book also took one of my least favorite characters from a previous book and made him likable. 

9. Flashback - by Shannon Messenger. This one is on this list because I read certain chapters OVER and OVER again. It got a little obsessive. I think a goal for 2025 is for me to finish this series but I also don't want it to be over.

10. The Long-Lost Home - by Maryrose Wood. This one was fairly cute. Though I was only ever on planes while reading it, not hot air balloons, it was a good travel companion.

Thank you so much for reading about my reading journey this year! The books with the reward of "I actually changed my life and how I do things because of this" were Life of Pi and I Capture the Castle. Do you guys read any books that changed your lives this year? Have you read any of these? If so, how would you describe my top ten?

Happy New Year!

Chloe the MovieCritic

Books I read in 2023

College life, for real. (Source)

Hi, friends!

I haven't written a post since September (though college is ROUGH it paid off this semester!), but I'm still alive! Have no fear! Usually I jump on reflecting on the previous years books and movies immediately, but I was not in the U.S.. Hurray for studying abroad! I'm only slightly sunburned and here it is very cold so I have time to read and watch some new things.

As usual, you can check out my Goodreads account HERE. I didn't do any full review this year, but I gave some more detailed thoughts over there if you want to check it out! And if you want to compare this list to the previous years, here are the links for 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016.

I have a few different sections here, but overall, if I cried during the book, I will underline it. 

New-to-me books:

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle - by Staurt Turton
A Man Called Ove - by Fredrik Backman
The Little Prince - by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
All the Crooked Saints - by Maggie Stiefvater
Speak Easy, Speak Love - by McKelle George
The Silent Songbird - by Melanie Dickerson
My Lady Jane - by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
The Thief - by Megan Whalen Turner
The Lightning Thief - by Rick Riordan
Okay For Now - by Gary D. Schmidt
King of Scars - by Leigh Bardugo
These War-Torn Hands - by Emily Hayse
Fable - by Adrienne Young
Where Are You Going, Baby Lincoln? - by Kate DiCamillo
Neverseen - by Shannon Messenger
The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek - by Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal

Total: 16

Graphic novels:

Persepolis - by Marijane Satum 

Total: 1

I don't usually count autobiographies/memoirs because that falls into non-fiction, but I think this is a very important story. I want to read the rest of the series and see the movie!

Plays:

Zoot Suit - by Luis Valdez

Total: 1

Technically there were a lot more but TECHNICALLY I didn't read every single word. There was much skimming involved. That's what happens when I take a Spanish theatre class. I'll write a post one day about all the stories we talked about (fingers crossed after I get my degree! Then it will be a ranking!) but know that for now I enjoyed them even if I wasn't able to be as thorough as I wanted to be.

Rereads:

Howl's Moving Castle - by Diana Wynne Jones
Anne of the Island - by L. M. Montgomery
The Penderwicks - by Jeanie Birdsall

Total: 3

Those weren't just any rereads, but I've read all of those books at least three times.

Grand total: 21

While that might not seem like a lot, it's four more than last year, so I'm celebrating!

My 10 Favorite New-To-Me Reads of 2023:

1. All the Crooked Saints - by Maggie Stiefvater: Every year I have an existential crisis over trying to describe my favorite books, but I continue to try. This book is about the manifestation of darkness and trying to help people face their biggest fears to get what they most want. This is everything I love and everything I aspire to be. Beatriz. Daniel. Joaquin. Pete. These characters are all so real to me.

2. A Man Called Ove - by Fredrik Backman: Speaking of real characters, I have never encountered such bitterness that Ove has. And yet this story is about a stubborn cat and even more stubborn family all to change the heart of the most stubborn man. 

3. The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle - by Staurt Turton: The hype is real. This book is INSANE. It was an amazing way to start 2023. Mysteries are one of my favorite genres, but a common fault is that it is about solving the problem without deeper meaning. This has a theme that is one of the most incredible I've ever come across.

4. The Lightning Thief - by Rick Riordan: Again, I repeat, THE HYPE IS REAL. I'd never gotten into Percy Jackson before and I was missing out because Percy is HILARIOUS. And Grover?? My sweet Grover?? Why does no one talk about him? Annabeth is a boss and I promise to stop calling her Annabelle. I helped out with a musical version this year and I am excited to watch the show.

5. Where Are You Going, Baby Lincoln? - by Kate Dicamillo: The annual appearance of the queen of MG NEVER disappoints. This made me cry like, well, a baby. Gorgeous.

6. Speak Easy, Speak Love - by McKelle George: I admit I shouldn't love this as much as I do. But sometimes Much Ado About Nothing is exactly what the doctor ordered.

7. King of Scars - by Leigh Bardugo: I'm conflicted about one of the story lines because things were feeling like they were moving very quickly, BUT. BUT. NIKOLAI. Can you say his name louder for those in the back?? I didn't ever finish Shadow and Bone, but this spin off is fantastic already.

8. Zoot Suit - by Luis Valdez: I have come to appreciate style as a way of expressing oneself and this repression of style and identity is appalling to me that it happened in real life.

9. Neverseen - by Shannon Messenger: These books are candy. Way too much fun and if I'm not careful I will binge the whole series.

10. Okay For Now - by Gary D. Schmidt: This book WOULD be higher if it wasn't for one thing. And I am still BITTER about it. I'm just saying that Doug deserves better. Thanks to my book club for suggesting this and enjoying it with me! I'm excited to see which Gary D. Schmidt we choose for this July...

There you have it, folks! I had a great reading year with only a handful of major dislikes, which were far outweighed by the wondrous stories I encountered. How many of these books have you guys read? Do your thoughts line up with mine? What are your thoughts on the books I didn't extrapolate on?

What has been happening since I've been gone? What have you all read and watched? Tell me your favorites and what I should check out in 2024! As I've said in the past, my computer is finicky when it comes to answering comments, but I love hearing all of your thoughts and will make it work to answer them eventually!

Thanks for reading, and here's to a 2024 to tell tales about!

Chloe the MovieCritic

Books I read in 2022

Happy 2023, friends!

What does one say for a new year without being cliche? Oh well, I'm going to encounter the cliche whether I want to or not, so I might as well get it over with: I can't believe I haven't written a blog post since last year...as we all say on January 1st.

On a more serious note, I just wish you all the best for this year! 

Today I will, as tradition commands, list all of the books I read in 2022. Which is not a lot. Last year I was a little woeful of how few there were...and now I have about half as many. Being a full time college student leaves little time for reading. As ashamed as I am to admit it, I watch more movies or TV shows to relax (which you will see in the post tomorrow!). I don't have any hopes for reading for 2023 but I'm excited to see what happens!

Anyway, time to talk about what you're all here for: 2022 books!

If you want another opinion, you can check out my Goodreads account HERE. I count books I read for classes there, but I don't have any nonfiction on this blog. As you may have noticed.

If you want to compare this list to the previous years, here are the links for 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016 (Wow, I've been at this for awhile).

It is a well known fact that I am an intensely emotional person. So, I'm starting a new peek into my mind. If I cried during the book, I will underline it. Now, it's rare that I actually cry during books, but I overcompensate in movies. You'll see that later, but as for now:

New-to-me books:

100 Days of Sunlight - by Abbie Emmons

Everything, Everything - by Nicola Yoon

Six of Crows - by Leigh Bardugo

Spinning Silver - by Naomi Navok

Divergent - by Veronica Roth

Crooked Kingdom - by Leigh Bardugo

The Wednesday Wars - by Gary D. Schmidt

A Thousand Perfect Notes - by C. G. Drews

Insurgent - by Veronica Roth

Beverly, Right Here - by Kate DiCamillo

Beowulf - translated by Seamus Heaney

Great or Nothing - by Joy McCullough, Caroline Tung Richmond, Tess Sharpe, & Jessica Spotswood

Rebel of the Sands - by Alwyn Hamilton

Stargirl - by Jerry Spinelli

Total: 14

Rereads:

Anne of the Island - by L. M. Montgomery

Holes - by Louis Sachar

A Christmas Carol - by Charles Dickens

Total: 3

Grand total: 17

I warned you that it was unimpressive, guys. I don't even have a good excuse (besides college) like last year, when I read the 1200+ pages of The Count of Monte Cristo. I mean, some of these YA are pretty thick? It is also quality over quantity, because I only seriously disliked one of those books!

That doesn't tell you a lot about my opinions on all of this, so the moment you have all been waiting for:

My 10 Favorite New-To-Me Reads of 2022:

I have to say that the top two gave me a run for my money. I have been back and forth on which deserves the top spot. I finally decided on #1 because of the message it carries.

I'm going to have a sentence or two about why I love each but I hope to review these all one day!

1. 100 Days of Sunlight - by Abbie Emmons: I had been wanting to read this since 2019 and it paid off big time. I reread small parts of it in the summer and loved it just as much. I got my sister to read it, and she got her friend to read it, so it's a chain of loving it.

2. Six of Crows - by Leigh Bardugo: THE EPICNESS. I cannot even tell you all. If you've read it, you know. I love all of the characters so much and couldn't read it fast enough. I was not a fan of the Shadow and Bone series so I thought this would be much the same, but it's infinitely more complex and incredible.

3. A Thousand Perfect Notes - by C. G. Drews: My sister realized that as a side effect of being a math major, my favorite books of the year all have numbers in them. How epic is that? This was my treat for completing spring semester and it broke me into a thousand pieces.

4. Beverly, Right Here - by Kate DiCamillo: The Queen herself. I'm so sad to be done with this series because speaks to friendship and pain and healing.

5. The Wednesday Wars - by Gary D. Schmidt: Shout out to Sam, The Nutmeg, and Sarah for making me read this. It brought my Shakespeare love to another level.

6. Great or Nothing - by Joy McCullough, Caroline Tung Richmond, Tess Sharpe, & Jessica Spotswood: Fall semester treat and so peaceful yet broken and painful and full of growth. Sister books, man.

7. Stargirl - by Jerry Spinelli: Cannot wait to now watch the movie because all of Grace VanderWaal's music speaks these themes.

8. Rebel of the Sands - by Alwyn Hamilton: The most brilliant world building ever. I am now so discouraged that my "people who live in the desert with powers" WIP will never be to this level.

9. Spinning Silver - by Naomi Navok: This goes so low on the list only because there were one or two things that bugged me, but other than that this was AMAZING. It got me through spring semester, guys.

10. Crooked Kingdom - by Leigh Bardugo: Such a tight sequel. I was actually STRESSED because of the danger these kids were putting themselves in.

I also read most of The Awakening of Miss Prim, but it's not technically enough for me to count.

Usually I talk about blogging plans in my movies post but because I have the extra space here, why wait? I imagine for the next few years that I still will not be up to my old routine because college is a lot of work. But, I still hope to make a bit of a return with some reviews or more frequent posts! I love all the comments on each post and one of my first items on my agenda for this year is to reply to all of you. In the meanwhile, tell me how you're doing! What was your favorite part of 2022, fictional or otherwise?

There you have it folks. 2022! Have you read any of these books? Were would they rank for you? Which of these would you like me to review in more depth?

What was your favorite book you read in 2022? Any plans for 2023 reading? Speaking of reading, thanks for reading this post! See you all tomorrow for movies! You may have known most of this from Goodreads, but you have no sneak peeks there...

Chloe the MovieCritic

Books I read in 2021

Happy 2022!!!

2021 is gone. That is so bizarre to think about. Though there were ups and downs (as I suspect there will be in this new year, too), reading was the perfect thing to help me keep my sanity. Escaping into other worlds helps you appreciate your own, you know? It also helped me write over 50k words, so I can't get enough of stories. I'm here to list ALL of the books I read in 2021! Please tell me how many of these you have read.

It's basically the same, but if you were curious, HERE is my Goodreads account. Also, my sister and I just started a bookstagram HERE, if you were interested. 

There will be a link (blue) if I have reviewed it. (Hint, apparently I only did that once for new to me books and twice for rereads, but I hope more will be coming in 2022!). 

New to me books:

The Book Thief - by Markus Zusak

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Interrupted Tale - by Maryrose Wood

The Great Gatsby - by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Year of the Rat - by Grace Lin

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Unmapped Sea - by Maryrose Wood

Finding Love at Compassion Ranch - by Gayle M. Irwin

I, Coriander - by Sally Gardener

The Giver - by Lois Lowry

All My Sons - by Arthur Miller

Keeper of the Lost Cities: Everblaze - by Shannon Messenger

Wild Bird - by Wendelin Van Draanen

The Kite Runner - by Khaled Hosseini

Shadow and Bone - by Leigh Bardugo

The Truth About Twinkie Pie -  by Kat Yet

Siege and Storm - by Leigh Bardugo

My Name is Asher Lev - by Chaim Potok

Enola Holmes: The Case of the Missing Marquess - by Nancy Springer

Louisiana's Way Home - by Kate DiCamillo

The Count of Monte Cristo - by Alexandre Dumas

Total: 19

Rereads:

The Lunar Chronicles: Cinder - by Marissa Meyer

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning - by Lemony Snicket

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Reptile Room - by Lemony Snicket

The Lunar Chronicles: Scarlet - by Marissa Meyer

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Wide Window - by Lemony Snicket

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Miserable Mill - by Lemony Snicket

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Austere Academy - by Lemony Snicket

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Ersatz Elevator - by Lemony Snicket

The Lunar Chronicles: Cress - by Marissa Meyer

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Vile Village - by Lemony Snicket

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Hostile Hospital - by Lemony Snicket

Total: 11

Grand total: 30.

My 10 Favorite New-To-Me Reads of 2021:

1. Wild Bird - by Wendelin Van Draanen

2. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Unmapped Sea - by Maryrose Wood (95% ridiculous and I love it to pieces.)

3. All My Sons - by Arthur Miller (perfect for 2021, if you catch my drift)

4. The Truth About Twinkie Pie - by Kat Yeh

5. Louisiana's Way Home - by Kate DiCamillo

6. My Name is Asher Lev - by Chaim Potok

7. The Giver - by Lois Lowry

8. Keeper of the Lost Cities: Everblaze - by Shannon Messenger (I don't know why I love these books so much, but I do.)

9. The Great Gatsby - by F. Scott Fitzgerald (against all odds, this was excellent for what it was going for)

10. The Count of Monte Cristo - by Alexandre Dumas (only putting this here because I have no idea how to feel about it, but I think I liked the ending...)

You may have noticed that this only lists 19 new to me books while in past years it has been 40+. This year did not have as much reading, which is weird as it felt like I read A LOT (The Count of Monte Cristo in all its 1200+ pages will do that to you). In other years I would be freaking out and thinking that I wasn't doing enough, but this was just right for my life this year. In the past stories were my life and I wanted to be living them constantly, but this year I had my own story to write, which was a fantastic experience. I'm thankful for them to always be there when I need them, but I don't NEED them to survive.

Usually here at Movies Meet Their Match I post the books I read in the year on January 1st and the movies I watched on January 2nd. This might have a slight hiccup this year. You see, I keep track of all of this by writing it down in journals, and this year I accidentally left those journals four hours away from where I am right now. Whoops. That will be that way until the middle of January. I was able to get this list out with the help of Goodreads, but I don't have another platform for movies. I think I'll try to get the post up tomorrow all the same just with guessing everything based on other lists and records I keep, I just might be missing one or two. In that case, I will update this when I get my journal.

Thank you for reading! What were some of YOUR favorite books you read in 2021? What do you think of my favorite books? Do you want to see me review any of these? What books should I read in 2022?

Happy new year, friends! I wish you all the best!

Chloe the MovieCritic

Books I read in 2020

Salutations everyone! Happy 2021!

It seemed like miles away, but we're here! I don't know what is in store for this year, but I wish the best for all of you!

As is tradition here at Movies Meet Their Match, I'm kicking off the new year by telling you all the books that I read in the previous year! It's exciting for me because I don't usually get to talk about books as I'm more focused on movies. Don't worry, that's coming tomorrow.

If you're interested, here are my lists from other years: 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016.

You can check out my Goodreads account HERE, but I count things a little differently in my official journal. 

These books are listed in the order that I read them, and if I reviewed them it should have a blue link to that post. My long time goal is to eventually review all of these, but we'll see. If there is one that you would specifically be interested in, tell me about it! Let's get to it!

New to me books:

“Shouldnʼt You Be In School?” - by Lemony Snicket

“Why Is This Night Different From All Other Nights?” - by Lemony Snicket

Till We Have Faces - by C. S. Lewis (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

Educated - by Tara Westover

The Lions at Little Rock - by Kristin Levine

The Ringmasterʼs Secret - by Carolyn Keene

Keeper of the Lost Cities - by Shannon Messenger

Anna Karenina - by Leo Tolstoy

Sammy Keyes and the Skeleton Man - by Wendelin Van Draanen

Exile - by Shannon Messenger

Dancing and Doughnuts - by Rachel Kovaciny

How We Rise - by Brooke Riley

Whose Body? - by Dorothy L. Sayers

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - by J. K. Rowling, John Tiffany, & Jack Thorne 

The Blue Castle - by L. M. Montgomery

The Ickabog - by J. K. Rowling

Middlemarch - by George Elliot

Prairie Lotus - by Linda Sue Park

The Changerʼs Key - by Kent Davis

The Mysterious Howling - by Maryrose Wood

Ships, Secrets, and Survivors - by Sarah Rodecker & Helena George

The Crownless King - by Kara Linaburg

Little Lord Fauntleroy - by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Howardʼs End - by E. M. Forster

The Penderwicks on Gardam Street - by Jeanne Birdsall

One Bad Apple - by Rachel Kovaciny

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane - by Kate DiCamillo

Caddie Woodlawn - by Carol Ryrie Brink

The Great Unravel - by Kent Davis

Charmed - by Jen Calonita

Artemis Fowl - by Eoin Colfer

The Ruins of Gorlan - by John Flanagan

The Healerʼs Apprentice - by Melanie Dickerson

The Metropolitans - by Carol Goodman

The Hidden Gallery - by Maryrose Wood

Rescue Road - by Gayle M. Irwin

The Scarlet Pimpernel - by Emmuska Orczy

The Unseen Guest - by Maryrose Wood

Moon Over Manifest - by Clare Vanderpool

The Marvels - by Brian Selznick

Sammy Keyes and the Sisters of Mercy - by Wendelin Van Draanen

 

Total: 41

Rereads:

It is very rare for me to reread a book, so I list it as well.

Heidi - by Johanna Spyri (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

Frankenstein - by Mary Shelley

James and the Giant Peach - by Roald Dahl

A Riddle in Ruby - by Kent Davis

Murder on the Orient Express - by Agatha Christie 

Death on the Nile - by Agatha Christie

Total: 6

Grand total: 47

My 10 Favorite New-To-Me Reads of 2020: 

1. Anna Karenina - by Leo Tolstoy

2. The Metropolitans - by Carol Goodman

3. The Ickabog - by J. K. Rowling

4. Moon Over Manifest - by Clare Vanderpool

5. Prairie Lotus - by Linda Sue Park

6. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane - by Kate DiCamillo

7. “Shouldnʼt You Be In School?” - by Lemony Snicket

8. Exile - by Shannon Messenger

9. One Bad Apple - by Rachel Kovaciny 

&

 Dancing and Doughnuts - by Rachel Kovaciny 

10. The Crownless King - by Kara Linaburg

Runners up: Artemis Fowl - by Eoin Colfer, Ships, Secrets, and Survivors - by Sarah Rodecker & Helena George, & Till We Have Faces - by C. S. Lewis.

It's now your turn to talk to me! What do you think of my top ten? Have you read any of these books? Give me all your thoughts--I'd love to talk about them with you! Thanks for reading, and happy 2021!

MovieCritic