Best Books of 2015

 Hey Bookworms,

A lot more reading than 2014 but didn't quite reach my goal of 55 books. Yet, I did read a lot of comics so that has to count for something. Thanks everyone for reading the reviews and the new posts of the book releases. Here is what I thought was the best of 2015.

Non-Fiction

1. The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing Comics by Comfort Love and Adam Withers

2. Create Your Writer Platform by Chuck Sambuchino (Review not on site)

3. I'm Happy for You (Sort of... Not Really) by Kay Wills Wyman

4. Very Good Lives by J.K. Rowling

5. Video Game Storytelling by Evan Skolnick

Fiction

1. The King's Hand by Anna Thayer

2. William Shakespeare's The Phantom of Menace by Ian Doescher

3.  Out of the Past (Once Upon a Time #3) by Various Authors (Review not on site)

(I guess I need to read more books in this section)

Young Adult and Teen

1. How to Train Your Dragon: How to Fight a Dragon's Fury by Cressida Cowell (Review to come)

2.  Poison by Bridget Zinn

3. Winter's Child by Cameron Dokey

4. Five Enchanted Roses by Various Authors

5. DreamWorks Dragons: The Stowaway by Titan Comics

ADDITIONAL: Search for the Shadow Key by Wayne Thomas Batson

(This list has such good books on it that almost all the books are equal and interchangeable in place)

Some really great books and I started reading comics this so I think this year was a good one for reading. While I didn't make my goal of 55 (read 51), I have great new editions on my shelf.  If you want to whole list, check out this list I have on GoodReads. I am also participating in K.M Weiland's Read 100 Books in 2016 Challenge so I will be recording more books this coming year that I don't usually (like writing books which I occasionally record or review but not all that I read). Feel free to share your favorite books of 2015 (read in 2015 but not necessarily published) and maybe try the 100 book challenge yourself. I got some great books coming in 2016 as well as some writing goals so here is to the new year.

Chew on a good book this new year!

Best Books of 2014

Wow, it has been a while since I've done one of these Best Of lists.

Ended up reading a lot of non-fiction which is surprising because I am more of a fiction person. I had a troublesome year when it came to reading. According to my GoodReads Goal, the total is 22 books. Yikes! That is much less than I've read before. None the less, I hope to create a better habit of reading this coming year (consider it one of my New Year's Goals). Also, I thought I would share some of my favorite books I've read this year.

Non-Fiction

1. Yawning at Tigers by Drew Dyck

2. Ruby's Tale by Patrick Bettendorf

3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Visual History by Andrew Farago

4. 52 Little Lessons from Les Miserables by Bob Welch

Fiction

1. Awakening by Tracy Higley

2. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien (No review on site)

3. William Shakespeare's The Jedi Doth Return by Ian Doescher

Young Adult and Teen

1. East by Edith Pattou

2. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling (No review on site)

3. Disney Frozen: The Cinestory by Robert Simpson, Erik Burnham, Josh Elder, and Leonard Maltin (Review coming soon)

If you want to whole list, check out this list I have on GoodReads. Hope you all had great books this year. How about sharing your favorite in a comment below.

Chew on a good book this new year!

Best Books of 2012!

Another year has come and gone.

So, here are the books I  enjoyed the most through this past year.

Young Adult (I use this for Middle Grade):
1. Quest for Truth: Risk by Brock Eastman
2. Code of Silence by Tim Shoemaker
3. Sneak by Evan Angler
4. Swipe by Evan Angler
5. Imagination Station: Peril in the Palace by Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker (technically this is more of an elementary age group read)
6. The Mission League: The New Recruit by Jill Williamson
7. How to Brake a Dragon's Heart by Cressida Cowell
8. Merlin's Immortals: The Orphan King by Sigmund Brouwer


Teens:
1. Failstate by John Otte
2. Bull Rider by Suzanne Morgan Williams
3. First Date by Krista McGee
4. The Secret by Barb Huff
5. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
6. Halflings and Guardian by Heather Burch
7. The CHAOS Trilogy: Invasion by Jon S. Lewis
8. Wild Orchid by Cameron Dokey
9. The Wishing Pearl by Nicole O'Dell
10. Dragons of Starlight: Liberator by Bryan Davis

Ages 20 and up Books:
1. By the Light of the Silvery Moon by Tricia Goyer
2. Serpent of Moses by Don Hasoel
3. The Last Temple by Hank Hanegraaff and Sigmund Brouwer
4. A Breed Apart: Trinity, Military War Dog by Ronie Kendig
5. The Upper Zoo by Michael Wolf
6.  Isle of Shadows by Tracy L. Higley
7. God Blessed the Broken Road Series: Mariza by Crystal Cattabriga
8. Prophet by R. J. Larson
9. My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade


Non-Fiction:
1. Prove It! God by Amy Welborn
2. Winning Balance by Shawn Johnson
3. A Hobbit Devotional by Ed Strauss

Honorable Mentions:
The Dark Sea Annals: The Errant King by Wayne Thomas Batson
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Paper Angels by Jimmy Wayne and Travis Thrasher
The Embittered Ruby by Nicole O'Dell
A Helium-3 Novel: Crater by Homer Hickam
A Winter Dream by Richard Paul Evans
The Messenger by Siri Mitchelle
Mech Mice: Genesis Strike by The Miller Brothers
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Hope you enjoy the list and feel free to share your favorite books in a comment.
You can see all the books I read on Goodreads.
Chew on a good book this year!

Best Books of 2011

Here are the Best Books of 2011 (in my opinion) in each category.

Young Adults:
1. Hunter Brown and the Eye of Ends: Book 3 in the Codebearers Series by the Miller Brothers
2. Conspiracy 365: January by Gabrielle Lord
3. Isle of Swords by Wayne Thomas Batson
4. Wildfire Run by Dee Garretson
5. Theodore Boone: The Abduction by John Grisham
6. Taken: Book 1 in the Quest for the Truth series by Brock Eastman
7. TJ and the Time Stumblers: OOPS! by Bill Myers

Teens and Up:
1. Replication: The Jason Experiment by Jill William Son
2. By Darkness Hid: Book 1 in the Blood of Kings series by Jill Williamson
3. The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson
4. Hiding the Stranger Trilogy by Joan L. Kelly
5. Waking Rose by Regina Doman
6. Alienation: Book 2 in the CHAOS Trilogy by Jon S. Lewis
7. Sword in the Stars: Book 1 in the Dark Sea Annals by Wayne Thomas Batson
8. The Final Hour by Andrew Klavan
9. Human.4 by Mike A. Lancaster
10. Warrior: Book 2 in the Dragons of Starlight series by Bryan Davis
11. Masters and Slayers: Book 1 in the Tales of Starlight Series by Bryan Davis
12. How Huge the Night by Munn and Munn

Childrens:
1. The Dragon and Turtle Go on Safari by
2. God Gave Us the World by Lisa Bergren

Non-Fiction:
1. The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel
2. Blind Hope by Kim Meeder and Laurie Sacher
3. Praying for Your Future Husband by Robin Jones Gunn and Tricia Goyer
4. Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton, Sheryl Berk, and Rick Bundschuh

Honorable Mentions:
(There isn't really an order to these)

• All the Conspiracy 365 books (1-4)
• Diviner: Book 3 in the Dragons of Starlight series by Bryan Davis
• Raising Dragons: Book 1 in the Dragons in Our Midst series by Bryan Davis
• To Darkness Fled: Book 2 in the Blood of Kings series by Jill Williamson
• Love Inspired: The Christmas Child by Linda Goodnight
• No Place Like Holmes by Jason Lethcoe
• The Storyteller's Daughter by Cameron Dokey
• The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson
• Howl Sage by Brock Eastman

What a good year of reading. There were many good books and I had a hard time ranking some. Many can be interchangeable with others. Most of these books have reviews here on Bookworm but a couple I just finished reading shortly before the year's end so reviews will be coming shortly. Total book count (excluding the two childrens books and the one I re-read)... 58! Well, looking forward to another good year here at Bookworm and I will have a post soon of books that I am most looking forward to in 2012.

Happy New Year!

Year End Book List

At the beginning of 2010, I wondered how many books I could read in one year. With that, I recorded ever book I read that wasn't school related or anything like that. It was really fun and interesting as the numbers went up and up. So, I am going to share that list with you and the number of the total books (This doesn't mean that I recomend all the books I read or thought they were good. Interested in any on the list, post a comment about it or look at my shelfari to see if I gave a short review on it).

Young Adult:
Max Cassidy: Escape from Shadow Island by Paul Adam
The Frog Princess by E. D. Baker
The Berinfell Prophecies book 1:Curse of the Spider King by Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper
The Berinfell Prophesies book 2: Venom and Song by Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper
The Kingdom Series book 5:Kingdom's Quest by Chuck Black
The Kingdom Series book  6:Kingdom's Reign by Chuck Black
The Shakespeare Stealer book 1 by Gary Blackwood
The Shakespeare Stealer book 3: Shakespeare's Spy by Gary Blackwood
The King's Thane by Charles Brady
Robot Wars book 5:  by Sigmund Brouwer
The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars
How to Train You Dragon book 1 by Crassida Cowell
How to Train Your Dragon book 2: How to be a Pirate by Cressida Cowell
How to Train Your Dragon book 3: How to Speak Dragonese by Cressida Cowell
How to Train Your Dragon book 4: How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse by Cressida Cowell
How to Train Your Dragon book 5: How to Twist a Dragon's Tale by Cressida Cowell
How to Train Your Dragon book 6: Hero's Guide to Deadly Dragons by Cressida Cowell
How to Train Your Dragon book 7: How to Ride a Dragon's Storm by Cressida Cowell
Dragons in Our Midst book 4: Tears of a Dragon by Bryan Davis
Dragons of Starlight book 1: Starlighter by Bryan Davis
The Fairy Tale Novels book 1: The Shadow of the Bear by Regina Doman
The Fairy Tale Novels book 2: Black as Night by Regina Doman
The Fairy Tale Novels book 4: The Midnight Dancers by Regina Doman
The Fairy Tale Novels book 5: Alex O'Donnell and the 40 Cybertheives by Regina Doman
Dragonsdale: Riding the Storm by Salamanda Drake
Santa Paws book 1 by Nicholas Edward
Santa Paws book 2: The Return of Santa Paws by Nicholas Edward
The Wall book 2: Beetle Bunker by Robert Elmer
The Wall book 3: Smuggler's Treasure by Robert Elmer
Ranger's Apprentice book 6: Siege of Macindaw by John Flanagan
Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George
Outcast book 1: The Un-Magician by Christopher Golden & Thomas E. Sniegoski
Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham
The Chronicle of Young Dastan by Catherine Hapka
The Worst Wish by Lissa Halls Johnson
Trapped by Peg Kehret
The Homelander Series book 2: The Long Way Home by Andrew Klavan
The Homelander Series book 3: The Truth of the Matter by Andrew Klavin
Girls Only (GO!) book 2: Only the Best by Beverly Lewis
Girls Only (GO!) book 3: A Perfect Match by Beverly Lewis
Girls Only (GO!) book 4: Reach for the Stars by Beverly Lewis
The Codebearer Series book 2: Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire by the Miller Brothers
The Codebearer Series book 3: Hunter Brown and the Eye of Ends by the Miller Brothers
Night of the Twisters by Ivy Ruckman
The Star Trilogy book 1: The Dragon Boy by Donald Samson
The Youngest Templar book 2: Trail of Fate by Michael P. Spradlin
The Youngest Templar Series book 3: Orphan of Destany by Michael P. Spradlin
The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain

More for Grown Ups:
Petra: City in Stone by T. L. Higley
Reclaiming Nick by Susan May Warren
Taming Rafe by Susan May Warren
Finding Stefanie by Susan May Warren

Love Insperational:
Dreaming of Home by Glynna Kaye
Covert Pursuit by Terri Reed
Firestorm by Kelly Ann Riley
Secret Agent Father by Laura Scott

Autobiography/Biography:
Trevor's Song by T. A. Beam
C. S. Lewis: The Man Behind Narnia by Beatrice Gormley

In total, there are 58 books on this list. Some series I re-read during this year (which accounts for the strange numbering for some), other series I was starting, and some I was finishing. Like I said, any questions or comments about any of these books, feel free to leave a comment. Now, bring on 2011!