As I mentioned previously, it was a good year for books. I read a lot of really good books last year, and I couldn’t quite stop at a top 15… I had to squeeze one more on there. So here we go, #’s 16 & 15 of my favorite books read in 2012! And what do they have in common? They’re both geared toward teen readers. #16 is a newcomer to this list, and #15 made the list last year at #10.
#16 – Will Grayson Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
I read two teen novels with gay characters/themes in them, and while I enjoyed them both, both had flaws as well. Will Grayson Will Grayson‘s conceit about two characters named Will Grayson, one straight, and one gay, written by two authors handling alternating chapters is both a strength and a weakness. The two writers have noticeably different writing styles, which I found distracting. There is also an element of over-simplification that can often mars feel-good novels. However the book is hilarious, unabashedly moving, and a nice look at the variety of personalities embodying high school life today.
#15 – Pirate Cinema by Cory Doctorow
Cory’s latest book tackles a subject he is passionate about: copyright and the internet. In Pirate Cinema, a boy runs away to London after his cinema mash-ups cause his family to lose internet access for a month. While living on the streets, he hooks up with a Dickensian band of pals who show him how to live on his own and educate him about the draconian nature of the laws created by big entertainment industry that struggle to hang on to the establishment, but stifle the artistic creativity of a new generation. (He also finds a pretty amazing girlfriend.) While the novelty of this book for me was seeing my husband’s name appear throughout in a very pivotal role (Scot won naming rights at an auction) about halfway through Cory had hooked me with a compelling read, strong characters, and a message that is so relevant to the world we live in today. Cory’s last novel, the epic For the Win was my #10 favorite book read in 2011.