Every year, I ask the We Heart YA girls to send me their TWO or THREE favorite reads of the year. Every year, they ignore me and send as many as they want. Since I'm a rule-follower, I'll go first...

Kristan's picks:


WE WERE LIARS by E. Lockhart - This book haunts me. There's just something in its vibe. A contemporary story that feels out of time, with the fairytale-esque repetitions of Cadence's thoughts about her family. And of course there's the devastating twist... (We're still lying about the ending, right?) This book is very love-it-or-hate-it, and I fall firmly on the love-it side.

POINTE by Brandy Colbert - Ballet in the snow, shared cigarettes, secret rendezvous, Chicago, and a ripped-from-the-headlines idea infused with all the heart and soul an author can offer. Even though not a lot happens, relative to other YA blockbusters on the shelves, I thought POINTE was a really ambitious story. I guess it kind of haunts me too.

DREAMS OF GODS AND MONSTERS by Laini Taylor - In a word: EPIC. (Also: AMAZEBALLS.) Everything about this finale worked for me. The writing. The characters (both old and new). The plot twists. The interplay between fantasy and reality worlds. The fervent dreams and belief in hope, and the ultimate triumph of good over evil. (I cried. A lot.)

Sarah's picks:


THE WEIGHT OF WATER by Sarah Crossan
I love every
                 single
                         syllable
Of this novel-in-verse.

DREAMS OF GODS AND MONSTERS by Laini Taylor - I am devastated that this story is over. But everything about this final novel in the trilogy was satisfying (see Kristan's comments). It is, quite simply, masterful.

HALF BAD by Sally Green - tied with RUIN & RISING by Leigh Bardugo - I always need a bit of smart fantasy and adventure taking up space in my imagination and HALF BAD is, so far, up to the task. But Alina Starkov! How I will miss your world.

I'm also adding SERAPHINA by Rachel Hartman, which is unlike any fantasy I have read lately. It is richly complex and just utterly brilliant. I'm struggling to put my thoughts into words with this book, which is indicative, if you know me, of a great read.

Ingrid's picks:


THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak - Powerful is the best word to describe this book. It will be one of my favorites for life, not just for 2014. The gorgeous prose, the tragic plot, the perseverance of the characters, and the heroic acts of kindness that emerge from an impossible, war-torn world... pure brilliance.

STOLEN by Lucy Christopher - This story and its vivid setting is still haunting me, six months later. Enough said. (For more details on STOLEN, you can read my blog post.)

WE WERE LIARS by E. Lockhart - I finished listening to the audio version of WE WERE LIARS earlier today, and I’m Absolutely. Completely. Wrecked. I feel like I've been punched in the gut and am still doubled over. This one is now up there on my list of all-time YA faves, right next to JELLICOE ROAD.

Yours?

That's our list for 2014! Tell us, what were your favorite reads of this year?