The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult
Mercy by Jodi Picoult
Alex and the Ironic Gentleman by Adrienne Kress
Lambs of London by Peter Ackroyd
Mountain Solo by Jeanette Ingold (reread)
The Servants by Michael Marshall Smith
Babyproof by Emily Giffin
The Children’s Book by A.S. Byatt
Palimpsest by Catherynne Valente
The River King by Alice Hoffman
Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs
Drood by Dan Simmons
The Beekeeper’s Pupil by Sara George
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman

I never know whether or not to include the chapter books the boy and I read together. If I did, the four Catwings books by Ursula K. LeGuin would be on the list, too. (Rereads for me, first-times for him.)

Thoughts:

The Children’s Book was wonderful for about three-quarters, then took a turn into the political environment leading up to and during WWI that didn’t interest me as much. I admit that I skimmed those parts until I got back to the actual character storyline. So I won’t own it in hardcover, but will absolutely pick up a paperback copy next year.

I couldn’t get into Something Borrowed at all and gave up on it a third of the way through. There was something about the pacing and the characters that just didn’t sit well. But Babyproof got me from page one. Go figure.

The Servants: Very nicely written; subtle, not beaten into the reader’s head. No time wasted explaining how all this was happening. Also, eleven-year-old protagonist. Rare. Usually older or younger. Good age.

Drood was huge and really well-done. I want to say more but can’t quite formulate it.