Welcome back, everyone! And thanks for your patience as I took a much-needed break. I'm super excited to get back to blogging in 2013,* and there's a lot I can't wait to share as we get into the new year.
But first, I am so pleased to announce that the 2012 Cybils Short Lists are out! It was a beast getting everything read, thought about, discussed, but I couldn't be happier or prouder of our choices. In the end, I read 84 of the 191 books nominated, 82 of which I hadn't read before I was tapped to be a judge. I'll be doing a more in-depth wrap up of my time as a judge soon, so be sure to check back!
Some more things I'll be covering:
Because I am a bit of a nerd (a bit?), I thought it would be fun to break down the 84 books I read in terms of who the protagonist is (boy/girl, race, age, sexual orientation), when and where the book takes place, and some other surprise elements that kept popping up as I read. Hopefully, this should give you a snapshot of what YA Fiction published in 2012 was focused on.
I'm busy putting together my list of the top ten books I read in 2012. I had a lot of fun doing this for 2011, but since I couldn't show my cards as a Cybils judge until after the finalists were announced, I've had to hold off until now. It should be a fun mix of Cybils entries, YA SF/F, and adult fiction that I've picked up over the year.**
It was heartbreaking to have to choose only seven books for the Cybils shortlist, when we could have easily pointed to twenty books deserving of a final spot. To give these almost-finalists some attention, I'll post a list of my top ten personal favorites (that didn't make it onto the short list).
As for blog housekeeping: I'll try to get one of these posts up later today, but don't expect a review tomorrow or wrap up on Friday. I'll get back to a regular schedule starting this Monday.
And finally, I'm enjoying getting resettled at my cozy little desk, a cup of tea in front of me and my fingers itching to type. I had a wonderful (busy) vacation, but when my alarm went off this morning and I knew I was finally going to get back to work, my face lit up in a grin that even two weeks' worth of Christmas cookies couldn't match. Makes me feel so lucky to be doing something I love (and doubly lucky to share it with all of you).
I hope you had a fantastic holiday season, and here's to a great 2013!
*For real? 2013? Are we sure this is right?
**Later today, I'll update my "What I Read This Year" list to include the Cybils entries
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