What Ana Does

The very best thing about Fall is the arrival of a ton of new books that keep me up far past my bedtime and have me daydreaming about what will happen all day long! I'm such a book nerd. Here's my annual roundup of books I've been eagerly anticipating ... My very-favorite book of 2015 was  Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. I can't gush enough about how totally blown away I was by the storytelling and characters. Six distinct characters pull off an impossible heist in a fictional world with a cliffhanger that nearly killed me ... INEJ!! At the end of September comes the sequel Crooked Kingdom and OHMYGOD I've been waiting long enough to find out the disastrous results of their heist and what will become of Kaz and his crew.  I picked up Ember in the Ashes audiobook last year and it was so intense I was stressed about listening to it for a whole week. But I couldn't stop. That sequel, A Torch Against the Night , is coming out on August 30 and I've b...

It's that time again! Let's review my favorite books of 2014:  1. Just One Night  --- This was a novella that finished out the Just One Day , Just One Year books that I so so so so so loved. That second book left out about an hour of information that I obsessed over for a year. This little novella finished it out in a very satisfying way. 2. Isla and the Happily Ever After --- Very few authors can do sappy, cutie YA better than Stephanie Perkins. While it's not a true series, this is a book in a the same world as Lola and the Boy Next Door and Anna and the French Kiss . And those characters are wrapped in this story, as well. Isla is quickly becoming my favorite girl in Stephanie's world. 3. Fangirl --- I checked this out of the library because I wasn't sure about this one. Rainbow Rowell, the darling of YA writers, wrote Eleanor and Park which was too dark for little me. I shouldn't have worried: This book was amazing and took me back to my fresh...

I've got two little girls, so I'll pick up any books that features strong female characters with big dreams for the future. "Grace for President" is one of those books. Grace is horrified when she learns there hasn't been any female presidents, so she runs for president of her class -- against a popular boy who wins the science fairs. Not only is there a great message in the end, it explains the electoral collage -- which is a bonus for adult readers who find it confusing. ** This is the beginning of a new series of favorite picture books in the household. With a second-grader, she has to read 20 minutes a day. And picking among her favorite books helps. But, let's be frank, these are really my favorite books. 

Kevin Henkes is a storybook genius. He's also a long-time resident of Wisconsin, so I'm going to assume he's a neighbor and future best friend. And one of his first books was called "Jessica," so it's fated. Anyway, all of his books are a completely perfect, but "Chrysanthemum" is a particular favorite. I had to read it a dozen or so times before I stopped getting weepy at the end. "She didn't think her name was absolutely perfect ... she knew it." Sob. There's nothing better than a little girl dealing with name-calling mean girls, thanks to the wonder of Mrs. Twinkle. Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes. Absolutely perfect.  Lately, we've been reading his Penny book series, and loving them. Especially "Penny and Her Doll." Rose is the perfect name! **  This is the beginning of a new series of favorite picture books in the household. With a second-grader, she has to read 20 minutes a day. And picking among her ...