Persnickety Snark's FIVE Challenge: 5 Great Series of 2010

Adele over at Persnickety Snark is hosting her FIVE Challenge for 2010! The participants choose their top 5 picks from a number of different YA categories - today it is 5 great series! (you can get the details here).


Surprise, surprise... I had a hard time choosing again. So.. I went with six. Don't hate me - I started with about 20 different series. So, honestly, it was a huge accomplishment to narrow it down to six. I am not going to put these in an order.. because that is just not going to be possible. Also, I didn't include series with only one book currently out, because I didn't think they really constitute a series yet. So.. without further ado, here are my final six selections:

The Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins

2010 Release: Mockingjay (#3)

Books in Series:

The Hunger Games

Catching Fire

Mockingjay

The Darkest Powers Trilogy - Kelley Armstrong

2010 Release: The Reckoning (#3)

Books in Series:

The Summoning

The Awakening

The Reckoning

The Darkest Powers Trilogy - Lili St. Crow

2010 Release: Jealousy (#3)

Books in Series:

Strange Angels

Betrayals

Jealousy

Hush, Hush Series by Becca Fitzpatrick

2010 Release: Crescendo (#2)

Books in Series:

Hush, Hush

Crescendo

Night Runner Series by Max Turner

2010 Release: End of Days (#2)

Books in Series:

Night Runner

End of Days

The Morangville Vampires by Rachel Caine

2010 Releases: Kiss of Death (#8) Ghost Town (#9)

Books in Series:

Glass Houses

The Dead Girls' Dance

Midnight Alley

Feast of Fools

Lord of Misrule

Carpe Corpus

Fade Out

Kiss of Death

Ghost Town

[Top FIVE YA Debuts of 2010]

[Top FIVE YA Covers of 2010]

Persnickety Snark's FIVE Challenge: 5 Great Covers of 2010

Adele over at Persnickety Snark is hosting her FIVE Challenge for 2010! The participants choose their top 5 picks from a number of different YA categories - today it is Great Covers (you can get the details here).

So.. once again, I had a hard time narrowing it down to five, so I included some Honorable Mentions. I am sure that I missed some truly stellar covers, but here is what I came up with.

1. Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrck [MY REVIEW]

2. Matched by Ally Condie [MY REVIEW]

3. Firelight by Sophie Jordan [MY REVIEW]

4. A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler

5. The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff [MY REVIEW]

Honorable Mentions:

1. Siren by Tricia Rayburn [MY REVIEW]
2. Rough Honey by Melissa Stein
3. Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel [MY REVIEW]

4. Ash by Malinda Lo
5. Banasihed by Sophie Littlefield
6. Magic Under the Glass by Jackie Dolamore

[Top FIVE YA DEBUTS OF 2010]

Persnickety Snark's FIVE challenge: Great Debuts of 2010

Adele over at Persnickety Snark is hosting her FIVE Challenge for 2010! The participants choose their top 5 picks from a number of different YA categories - today it is Great Debut Novels (you can get the details here).


Alright - I had an extremely difficult time choosing my 5 debuts - but here they are (in not particular order):

Paranormalcy - Kiersten White

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White was ridiculously good. It was everything a good YA paranormal book should be - exciting, creative, intriguing, adventurous and imaginative. This one swept the blogosphere away; it was simply everywhere. I don't know how anyone could deny this great debut a place on their list. You can check out my full review here.

Siren - Tricia Rayburn

Siren by Tricia Rayburn was in short, incredible. The main character was interesting and easy to relate to and the story was both intriguing and creative. This book opened with a bang that got me emotionally invested into the story within a matter of pages. I honestly cannot remember reading a book (that wasn't apart of a series) that had me so involved in such a short time span. This was the first siren book I've ever read and it opened me up to a whole new sub-genre. I cannot wait for the sequel, Undercurrent, to come out next summer. You can check out my full review here.

Shadow Hills - Anastasia Hopcus 

Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus was a no-brainer for me. The writing was superb, but what really makes this debut standout is the creativity. Hopcus somehow manages to craft a unique paranormal premise, in a market overloaded with YA Paranormal titles. The plot is mysterious, well-developed and just fun to follow. I love a good mystery and with the paranormal twist on things - Shadow Hills was right up my alley. You can check out my full review here.

The Mockingbirds - Daisy Whitney

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney was a 2010 stand out to me; regardless of genre. This is one of those rare books that grabs you and never really lets go. At times it's heartbreaking, but it is also hopeful. Alex is a character that is easy to relate to; I think there is a piece of her in every girl. I think that Whitney does a marvelous job with the subject matter (Date Rape) and creates an extremely thought provoking world in which Alex copes with the aftermath of the incident. Honestly, the writing is beautiful, the characters are easy to relate to, the subject matter is touchy and thought provoking - It's easily a winner in my book. You can check out my full review here.

Sleepwalk Society - Kendare Blake

My final pick is without a doubt, Sleepwalk Society by Kendare Blake.This is one of those touchy, envelope-pushing, actually honest portraits of an American teen. Some might not classify this as a young adult novel, but to me it is. Unfortunately, Blake's debut isn't as well known as my other selections, but it clearly deserves a place on this list. If you haven't read it yet, please, please, find yourself a copy. The writing is beautiful, honest and thought provoking - the characters are realistic; I don't care who you are, you can relate to Violet's story. You can check out my full review here.

Honorable Mentions

There were a number of stand out YA debuts this year, here are a few more that just missed the list :)

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Deception by Lee Nichols

The DUFF by Kody Keplinger
Intrinsical by Lani Woodland

Firelight by Sophie Jordan