It's Tuesday again, which means it's time for another round of my favorite weekly meme on the Internet.  If you haven't participated in this bookish fun before, what are you waiting for?  Click on over to The Broke and the Bookish to see what all the buzz is about, make your own list, and hop all over the book blogosphere to find new blogs and get lots of great reading recommendations.  It's a good time, I promise!

This week's prompt is: Top Ten Most Anticipated Reads for the Rest of 2017.  It feels like I just did this topic since I used the "Cover Freebie" topic from a few weeks ago to talk about Top Ten Books I'm Excited to Read When They Come Out in Fall/Winter 2017.  Good thing there are so many awesome books still coming in 2017!  Here are ten that I'm looking forward to that I haven't highlighted yet this year:

Top Ten (oops—make that Eleven) Most Anticipated Reads for the Rest of 2017: 


 1. York by Laura Ruby—I'm in the middle of this MG steampunk adventure by the author of Bone Gap (one of my favorite books of 2014) and it's tons of fun.  It's about three kids who are trying to solve a 150+-year-old, world-famous cipher in order to save the home they love in an alternative NYC.  Available now.

 
 2.  Wishtree by Katherine Applegate—I adored both The One & Only Ivan and Crenshaw, so I can't wait to see what Applegate will do with her newest.  Told from the perspective of a tree that functions as the wishing well for a small town, the story should be interesting!  Coming September 26, 2017.

2.  The Agony of Bun O'Keefe by Heather T. Smith—Bun is the daughter of a hoarder.  When her mother tells her to leave, she does.  On the streets of Newfoundland, she meets a quirky cast of characters who become her makeshift family.  Sounds intriguing to me.  Coming September 5, 2017.


3.  Forest Dark by Nicole Krauss—This adult novel about a young novelist and an older lawyer, both searching for themselves, who end up in the same Israeli desert sounds engrossing.  The title makes the book sound like a horror novel, or at least a thriller, so I'll be interested to see how it comes into play in the story.  Coming September 12, 2017.


4.  My Brigadista Year by Katherine Paterson—This historical novel features a young Cuban teen who volunteers with Castro's national literary campaign.  As she travels the countryside teaching people to read, she learns important lessons about her country and herself.  Coming October 10, 2017.


 5.  Landscape With Invisible Hand by M.T. Anderson—I enjoyed Feed, Anderson's YA novel about the dangers of technology addiction.  His newest sounds similarly exciting and thought-provoking.  Coming September 12, 2017.


 6.  Slider by Pete Hautman—I don't think I've ever read a novel about competitive eating, so this MG sounds especially tantalizing.  Coming September 12, 2017.


 7.  The Ninth Hour by Alice McDermott—This historical novel about an Irish immigrant's dramatic suicide and the way that it impacts his widow and unborn child sounds depressing but compelling.  Coming September 19, 2017.


 8.  Invictus by Ryan Graudin—I loved Graudin's The Walled City, although I haven't been as impressed with her subsequent books.  Still, I'm excited to check out the author's newest.  It's a time-traveling adventure that sounds fun.  The reviews seem a bit so-so, but I still want to see what Invictus is all about.  Coming September 26, 2017.


 9.  Red Dirt by Anna Jarzab—This gritty mystery set in small-town Oklahoma looks intriguing.  Coming August 29, 2017.


 10.  Auma's Long Run by Eucabeth Odhiambo—In this MG novel, a 13-year-old Kenyan girl in the 1980s must decide whether to keep pursuing her dream of becoming a track star as her village is invaded by AIDS.  Sounds sad, but inspiring.  Coming September 1, 2017.

So, what's on your list today?  What are your most anticipated reads for the rest of the year?  Do we have any in common?  Leave me a comment and I'll happily return the favor.

Happy Top Ten Tuesday!

Even though I have a million other things I should be doing right now, I didn't want to miss out on this week's Top Ten Tuesday.  The question this week is:  What are (were?) your favorite reads of 2014.  I can't wait to see what's on everyone's lists!  Are there any last minute books I need to buy for myself Santa to bring me?  If you want to join in the TTT fun, hop on over to The Broke and the Bookish and sign up.  It's lots of fun!

Here are my Top Ten Favorite Reads of 2014 (they're not in any particular order, but you'll want to pay special attention to #1):


1.)  Forbidden by Kimberley Griffiths Little—I loved this lush historical YA novel set in the exotic Mesopotamian desert.  It's full of romance, danger, adventure, and heart.

Thanks to the extremely generous Little and her publisher, HarperCollins, I ended up with an extra copy of Forbidden.  So, I'm going to pass it on to one lucky winner.  You'll love this beautiful hardcover volume, with its gorgeous cover and riveting story.  Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter.  Giveaway will end December 31, 2014 and is only open to residents of the U.S. and Canada.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


2.  Everything by Kate Morton—No, the Australian author does not have a new book out (I wish), I just can't choose which of hers I like best.  Since I read all of her wonderful novels this year, I'm going to count all four as my favorites.

3.  UnWholly and UnDivided by Neal Shusterman—The UnWind series has been a favorite ever since I started it.  I read the last two installments this month and they're just as good as the first ones.  The whole series is excellent—exciting, original, and thought-provoking.  I highly recommend it.



4.  Cress by Marissa Meyer—The Lunar Chronicles is another of my favorite YA series.  It's original, clean and fun.  I loved the third book just as much as the first two.  I've already purchased tickets for my daughter and I to see Meyer when she comes to Arizona in February!


5.  The Secret Place by Tana French—All of the books in French's Dublin Murder Squad series are intriguing and well-written.  I thought The Secret Place was especially clever because it took place over just one day.



6.  Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson—I've long been a fan of Woodson's lyrical, thought-provoking fiction.  This memoir-in-verse is different, but just as compelling and thoughtful.



7.  Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty—Lots of people are raving about this entertaining novel, which is both laugh-out-loud funny and heartbreaking.



8.  Bone Gap by Laura Ruby—This very original novel doesn't come out until March, but it's one you'll want to keep on your radar.  I loved it because it was suspenseful, unique, and had a twist I've never encountered before in fiction.  Ever.



9.  Save the Cat by Blake Snyder—This book on screenwriting is a must-read for any would-be novelist.  It breaks down the elements of a good story in a way that's logical, entertaining and kinda mind-blowing.


10.  Bones Never Lie by Kathy Reichs—The latest installment in one of my favorite adult series, this book gave me all the feels.  I pretty much swooned over the ending.  Love.

What fabulous books did you read this year?  Which should I be adding to my TBR list?

Grade: C
If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for language, sexual innuendo, and brief references to homosexuality
To the FTC, with love: I received this ARC from HarperTeen. I think it's obvious that getting the book for free didn't influence my opinion in any way.