Lindsay A. Franklin is a best-selling author, freelance editor, and homeschooling mom of three. She would wear pajama pants all the time if it were socially acceptable. Lindsay lives in her native San Diego with her scruffy-looking nerf-herder of a husband, their precious geeklings, three demanding thunder pillows (a.k.a. cats), and a stuffed wombat with his own Instagram following. You can also learn more on her website www.lindsayafranklin.com.
We're excited to have her here this week! Our first panel question with Lindsay is:
What’s one of your favorite novels that you read in the last year, and what’s one favorite from all time?
Stephanie: I adored Olivia Twist from Lorie Langdon, which is an Oliver Twist retelling. Olivia is a charming narrator, and it was just such a fun historical read. One of my favorite books of all time is The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. The unique ways she’s describes things blows me away every time I read it.
Shan: Ohmygosh. I read so many good ones. Within the YA genre and leaving out all the books written by close friends, I was introduced to Ruta Sepetys this year and her WWII novel, Between Shades of Gray was so good, I immediately went out and purchased Salt to the Sea. She’s just fantastic. I can’t recommend her highly enough. And as for an all-time favorite, I think I’ll go with Six of Crows. The fantasy world is just my cup of tea and I wish I’d written the thing myself.
Jill: Ack! So many favorites. So many. Let’s see . . . If I’m sticking strictly to the middle grade or young adult genres, then my favorite book I've read so far this year so far was Wonder by R. A. Palacio. I liked the movie too, but the book was so lovely. I really enjoyed seeing Auggie through so many point of view characters. It was a clever way to tell such a story.
Now, my favorite middle grade/YA books of all time are the Harry Potter books, all as one. No other series has enticed me to read it more than twice, and I know I won’t stop there. What a fabulous storyworld and characters!
What about you? What's one of your favorite novels of all time? And a new favorite that you've read this year, too.
Aaaaahh, I so want to read Ruta Sepetys!! And coincidentally, I read Wonder for the first time this month! It was such a precious book. <3
ReplyDeleteI've been really enjoying all your panel questions and answers!
A few new favorites of mine are The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green (Even though it made me cry.) and Anna and the French Kiss, by Stephanie Perkins. Both of these authors have hilarious writing styles--I'm a sucker for books with humor.
ReplyDeleteThe Fault in Our Stars was so good! I preferred the movie, actually. Not because it was somehow better or it outdid the book, but the casting for The Fault in Our Stars was so spot-on, I thought, that it simply *enhanced* the book and gave it even more depth. Both were masterfully done.
DeleteFantastic recs, everyone. I need to read CJ's retellings, Lindsay. I've read her Defiance trilogy but that's it. She's such a lovely storyteller.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read her yet. Clearly, I need to!
DeleteI've heard the Defiance trilogy is amazing! It's on my list.
DeleteMy favorite series of all time is The Selection by Kiera Cass and a book I fell in love with this year is Roseblood by A.G. Howard. These books are amazing!
ReplyDeleteAG Howard is high on my TBR list right now!
DeleteI can't choose between these two books, but they are definitely my all time favourites: Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao and Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. They're just such great books!
ReplyDelete-Kat
welcometothewyveraryofwriting.wordpress.com
Oooo! I need to read Forest of a Thousand Lanterns. I read Children of Blood and Bone earlier this summer and enjoyed it!
DeleteLOL. I found The Lord of the Rings easier to get through than The Hobbit.
ReplyDeleteFavorite book would probably be Chasing Jupiter by Rachel Coker. I related to that book so much.
If we're looking for fantasy, though... suddenly things get a lot more complicated. XD Probably Echoes by Miranda Marie (maybe not quite fantasy? That one's a bunch of different genres). The poetic writing in that one just blows me away. I really enjoy all of Mandy's books (Echoes and The Fire Rain Chronicles).
But there are so many more that don't get mentioned, lol.
Isn't that funny how different books strike with different readers? �� It took me a few attempts to get through Lord of the Rings, even though I ended up loving it.
DeleteIt's no fair to ask just for one! But it would have to be Lord of the Rings. (But if allowed for a second favorites series, the River of Time medieval Italy time travel tales by Lisa Bergren, they totally rock!). Right now I am reading Merlin by Stephen R. Lawhead, which is so much better than the first in this Arthurian series. I also enjoyed his novel Patrick about the saint.
ReplyDeleteNamarie, God bless, Anne Marie :)
Lawhead one of my absolute favorite authors!
DeleteWell, I just finished reading This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti, and it was super good. For my overall... I'm torn between The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis and By Darkness Hid by Jill Williamson (I love you, Jill!). Both are medieval fantasy with Christian parallels to make it edifying. :)
ReplyDeleteWelcome, Lindsay! I love your bio! I shall call all my cats "thunder pillows" from now on.
This Present Darkness and Out of the Darkness are both excellent.
DeleteHi, Olivia! Thank you! Our thunder pillows (a.k.a. puff-prowlers) keep us on our toes. ;)
DeleteIron Scouts of the Confederacy by Lee McGiffin. No matter what side of the war you personally subscribe to, this is an amazing read! Another favorite is Dawn of a Life by Rachel McBride. Also anything by Amanda Tero or Victoria Minks!
ReplyDeleteShannon, I LOVE SIX OF CROWS! For me it was the characters, but I loved the worldbuilding as well since it affects everyone so directly. (especially Nina and Matthias) It's amazing!
ReplyDeleteHooray! Great minds think alike.
DeleteI'd have to say one of my favorite books of all time, if not my very favorite, is The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff. A new favorite, also vying for Best Novel in my opinion, is Dumas's Twenty Years After. There are so many other good books, though, it's incredibly hard to choose just two....
ReplyDeleteAlright, favorite book I’ve read this year would be....I guess it’s a tie between Lorie Langdon’s Olivia Twist, or Six of Crows.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite book of all time is the entire Inheritance Cyle by Christopher Paolini. I won’t argue with the people who say it’s not very well written, but it was the first fantasy story I ever read and hugely influenced my desire to write that genre, so it will always hold a special place in my heart. Plus, Murtagh. He’s my baby.
I'm thrilled that several of my favorite books/authors are on your lists! I read both Six of Crows and The Raven Boys (by Maggie Stiefvater) recently and I have to say that they're tied for favorite book I've read this year. Six of Crows because of its fabulous worldbuilding, as Shannon said, and morally grey characters, and The Raven Boys for Maggie Stiefvater's amazing writing style and ability to create very specific emotions in me. And I'll definitely have to check out C.J. Redwine's books and Olivia Twist, as those both sound like things I'd love.
ReplyDeleteFavorite book read this year: Moon Over Manifest, by Clare Vanderpool. It amazed me how well she was able to weave a story from two different generations, and her prose and characters alike were simply delicious. But I was also blown away by Niamph and the Hermit, by Emily Snyder.
ReplyDeleteOne of many all-time favorites is Anne of Green Gables. :)