E. Lockhart was writing a novel when I interrupted her to ask what great books she read this year. The rest of this post should be read in her voice, as they are her words:

I always write up my favorite YA books on my blog, so I'm going to give you a list that reflects the adult books I most loved this year -- though actually, I think older teenagers would probably like all of them, too.

You'll see I'm an eclectic reader, and also that I took it pretty EASY this year. I had way more writing to do than usual, so my reading was light, relaxing -- and fun city.

• The Gourmet Cookbook. I got this about a year and a half ago for my birthday and it is a stellar and fun-to-read cookbook. Recently I made an amazing cranberry coffee cake and awesome pimento cheese. It has recipes for everything.

• P.G. Wodehouse, Pigs Have Wings. This is a Blandings Castle story involving the Shropshire Fat Pigs competition and a lot of country house hijinks, written with Plum's inimitable style. I love to read Wodehouse before bed, as he sends me off to sleep feeling the world is a comical, jolly place.

• Janet Evanovich, first three in the Stephanie Plum series, One for the Money, etc. ON AUDIO. This last part is crucial. The actress is Lori Petty, and she only did the first three Plum books -- after that they switched to someone else. But Petty is perfect. So funny. So Jersey. These are great for a long car-ride or a stint at the gym.

• Mo Willems, You Can Never Find a Rickshaw When It Monsoons: The World on One Cartoon a Day. The author of Knufflebunny spent a chunk of his youth touring around and drawing amusing sketches of scenes he witnessed in Thailand, India, Japan, China, Israel, Turkey, and more. A fast and addictive read that's also full of astute observations.

• Diane Setterfield, The Thirteenth Tale. I love a good gothic country house story -- and this has bibliophilia, too! And weird twins!

• Dodie Smith, I Capture the Castle. I re-read this, and it's just so lovely and wonderful and sad and joyful and funny.

• Matt Groenig, Will & Abe's Guide to the Universe. Heh heh heh.

Oh, and since it's the holiday season and people are buying gifts for the picture book set, here is what I've read over and over this year for the younger crowd -- good presents for people age 3-7 that will make grown-ups happy, too.

Meg Rosoff, Meet Wild Boars, illus. Sophie Blackall
Beverly D'Onofrio, Mary and the Mouse, the Mouse and Mary, illus. Barbara McClintock
LeUyen Pham, Big Sister, Little Sister
Amy Schwartz, The Glorious Day

E. then peeked at Rachel Cohn's list and added The Spell Book of Listen Taylor by Jaclyn Moriarty to her own, calling it "AMAZING and wonderful." Now I'm craving pancakes again. Thanks, ladies.

Find out what others have read and loved this year.

For more author picks, visit Bildungsroman every weekday for the rest of the month!

Today's spotlight shines on author Wendy Mass. Her novels that make readers think about life on a grand scale as well as a more personal one.

A Mango-Shaped Space

Every turn of the page offers another peek into the mind of a 13-year-old girl named Mia. She sees colors related to numbers, letters and sounds but has kept this a secret ever since she was little and realized that other people do not see things the same way.

( Read more... )

Leap Day

In 2004, a very cute and insightful book entitled was released in anticipation of February's special day: February 29th, a date that comes only once every four years. The book was Leap Day by Wendy Mass.

( Read more... )

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life

When Jeremy was just eight years old, his father passed away in an automobile accident. His family had been dreading this day almost all of his life, ever since a fortune-teller told him he would die at age forty. She was wrong: He died at age thirty-nine.

( Read more... )

Vote for this review, please!

Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall

Imagine coming upon a bag of forgotten things, then reliving memories for each and every item you touch. After being beaned on the head during a game of dodgeball, high school junior Tessa finds herself in what she thinks is heaven - but what looks a lot like the local mall.

( Read more... )

Wendy Mass has also written two books in the Twice Upon a Time series, a fairy tale line published by Scholastic for younger readers. She has also written several non-fiction titles.

Read my exclusive interview with Wendy Mass!

Visit Wendy's official website.

In-between working on revisions for her upcoming book and keeping her cat away from her holiday decorations, author Caridad Ferrer gave me a list of books she enjoyed reading this year.

Heartbreak Hotel - Anne Rivers Siddons
The Witch of Blackbird Pond - Elizabeth George Speare
Boy Toy - Barry Lyga (She notes this is probably her favorite of the new books she read this
year.)
Atlantis Rising - Alyssa Day
Rising Wind - Cindy Holby
Michael Tolliver Lives - Armistead Maupin
Boom!: Voices of the Sixties Personal Reflections on the '60s and Today - Tom Brokaw
Love Actually - Richard Curtis (Screenplay)

Find out what others have read and loved this year.

For more author picks, visit Bildungsroman every weekday for the rest of the month!

Whether it's performing in front of a camera, sharing a book with her young sons, or writing a tale of her own, Wendy Toliver likes being a part of a good story. Her debut teen novel, THE SECRET LIFE OF A TEENAGE SIREN, has been released as part of the Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies.  Wendy and I recently talked about playacting, playing the flute, and playing the freelance game.

Congratulations on your SECRET.

Thank you, Little Willow! I am extremely excited and honored to be a Simon Pulse Rom Com author.

I love mythology. For readers who aren't familiar with the myth of the siren, care to explain, and share the basic premise of your novel?

According to Greek mythology, three Sirens lived on an island. They played beautiful music for passing sailors, luring them closer, right into a wall of deadly rocks. But when Odysseus heard their song and lived to tell about it, the Sirens threw themselves into the sea and drowned.
When I read that one of their bodies had been found washed up on a southern Italy shore, it got me thinking. What if one or two of the Sirens didn't drown after all? ( Read more... )

Visit the author's brand spankin' new pretty purple website at WendyToliver.com - then swing by the Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies blog.