How has half a year gone by already? Seriously, 2012… slow down!

I thought I’d use this Sunday’s List-O-Rama to round up some of my most memorable reads thus far in 2012—and I am going to bug Laura, Renegade and Sandra to do the same. (We’ll see if they cooperate, the CEFS contributors are not known for their blind acquiescence.)

Published in 2012

YA Novels

Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler - This is definitely my favorite Sarah Ockler; I definitely connected with dynamics of growing up in a small down. {Review | Amazon | Goodreads}

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - This book has been rather divisive, but I loved it—and I really affected by the TFiOS tour stop I attended. {Review | Amazon | Goodreads}

Something Like Normal by Trish Doller - SLN is a book I’ve been recommending left and right to people—especially those who are afraid of reading YA. It strikes a perfect note of authenticity. {Review | Amazon | Goodreads}

Adult Novel

Come See About Me by C.K. Kelly Martin - Yes, I have been kind of crazy-person evangelizing about this book, but as much as I’ve loved all of Martin’s books, CSAM is something especially special. Read it. {Review | Amazon | Goodreads}

Urban Fantasy

Summoning the Night by Jenn Bennett - The second installment in the Arcadia Bell series was even better than the first; it strikes a wonderful balance of action, humor and romance. I call this series “Urban Fantasy with Heart.” {Review | Amazon | Goodreads}

Shadow Bound by Rachel Vincent - Another second in a series, Shadow Bound trumped the first book in the series with an edgy female protagonist I couldn’t help rooting for. {Review | Amazon | Goodreads}

Verse Novels

Love & Leftovers by Sarah Tregay - The verse structure in this novel about family and love stood out to me as something very special. {Review | Amazon | Goodreads}

Cinnamon Rain by Emma Cameron - It’s a shame this Aussie novel isn’t published in the U.S., because it’s a story of small town friendship that has a universal appeal. {Review | Fishpond World | Goodreads}

Non-Fiction

Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon - The short book on creativity is one I’ve recommended to many of my students and clients. It’s great for giving your thinking about creativity a kickstart. {Amazon | Goodreads}

Read, But Not Released, in 2012

The Sharp Time by Mary O’Connell - I cannot wait to see what this author does next, The Sharp Time was such an original novel—I’m so grateful Trish recommended it to me. {Review | Amazon | Goodreads}

The Day Before - I really hope I don’t come across as a crazed fan, but I love Lisa Schroeder’s books, and this one was not just a beautiful story, for me as a native Oregonian it read as a love letter to the Oregon coast. {Review | Amazon | Goodreads}

I’ll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan - Why did it take me so long to read this book? It’s just magical. {Amazon | Goodreads}

Jessica Darling Series - I cannot believe I hadn’t read this series—I related to Jessica so much. LOVED. IT. {Amazon | Goodreads}

I’m struck by how many of these memorable books feature challenging narrators. I didn’t realize until I sat down to make this list that apparently I highly value difficult points-of-view in my reading these days. Interesting… I’m kind of bummed that, excepting some awesome Urban Fantasy, I’ve found most of my adult reads disappointing. Come See About Me is thus far the only contemporary adult stand out. There are a few on my radar that are fall 2012 releases, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed for an up-turn.

What have been some of your favorite reads of 2012 thus far?

I’m… uh… asking for a friend.