I’m deep in my reading for the Cybils, which means a lot of what I’ve been reading lately can’t be discussed (at least not yet). I thought it might be fun to revisit some older Cybils titles, particularly some SFF finalists from the years before I got involved as a judge. One of the things I like best about Cybils finalists is they almost always include a few books that flew under the radar; I love that the Cybils can help these books find a larger audience. Unless otherwise stated, links lead to my reviews.

2012

Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst was a finalist in 2012. I loved this unique desert-set fantasy which featured creative world-building, beautiful writing, a living religion, and a complicated, three-dimensional person of color as the protagonist. (Much less importantly, the cover is gorgeous.) Read my full review here.

2011

This was my first year as a judge for the SFF category, which means I’ve read all the titles. I enjoyed Blood Red Road, our winner, quite a lot, but Karen Healey’s The Shattering holds a special place in my heart. It demonstrates the tremendous ability fantasy has to reveal truths about our own world. Highly recommended and will make you want to read everything Healey has ever written.

Misfit by Jon Skovron was a wonderful surprise this year. It’s a paranormal fantasy with a little extra bite to it, a book that pushes the boundaries a little, which I always appreciate. The secondary story featuring the teen protagonist’s parents is heartbreaking, too.

Red Glove by Holly Black introduced me to the world of magical mobsters, a mini-trend which still seems to be going strong in YA fiction. Black’s series deals in very real terms with the consequences of magic – which is, of course, representative of the consequences of our actions in general. The idea of magical “blowback” is well-done and used creatively. I highly recommend this series for fans of contemporary fantasy.

2010

Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry is a book I can honestly say I would never have picked up if it weren’t for the Cybils. This is a zombie story done right: it focuses on the human characters while also giving us some high-stakes thrills. Benny’s voice is spot-on teen, too, which isn’t always the case in apocalyptic stories, where our protagonists often sound older than their years. This was the winner in 2010.

I read Plain Kate by Erin Bow without knowing it was a Cybils finalist. Many readers loved it, but I was pretty tepid toward it. Even now, I have a hard time even remembering what it was about. I do remember that Kate was always referred to as Plain Kate, rather than just her name – Kate – and that irritated me. Not all books will be winners for everyone. Jen reviewed this title and obviously liked it quite a lot more than I did.

2009

Lips Touch is the book that got me hooked on Laini Taylor’s writing. I don’t normally go for short stories, but this collection featuring three stories/novellas about magical kisses (and not necessarily nice ones) looked so darn beautiful (with illustrations by Jim DiBartolo), I had to give it a shot. I’m so glad I did. The writing is gorgeous, approaching the feel of poetry. I never reviewed this one here, but I did on Goodreads: “Contrary
to a few of my friends’ opinions, I thought the third story was the
strongest (I loved all three). And the artwork rocked.” 

2008

I listened to Airman by Eoin Colfer on audio and it was excellent. Lots of adventure, a bit of humor, some fun accents – what’s not to love? The protagonist is a boy who was born in a hot air balloon while being shot at from the ground, and that sets the tone for the entire story.

Elizabeth Bunce’s A Curse Dark as Gold is another that I didn’t love, but got great acclaim from others (including the inaugural Morris award). I found this re-telling of the Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale too slow to really get lost in. In fact, I gave up before I finished it. You can read a somewhat rambling analysis of my dislike for the book here.

This was also the year of Graceling and the Hunger Games, and I’m sure you all know by now my opinions on those books. (Hint: positive)

2007

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale is a book that helped rekindle my love of YA. I read it for a YA class in library school and loved it. It was my first and favorite of Shannon Hale’s books. I love the diary format and that it’s a re-telling of a lesser known fairy tale (Maid Maleen). This isn’t usually high up on people’s list of favorite Hale books, but it’s certainly mine.

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher is another book that fell flat for me. The concept – a living, sentient prison – is certainly unique, but the book was just a slog for me. Perhaps it’s my affinity for fast-paced stories that prevented me from loving this one. My Goodreads review sums up my feelings in a very pithy manner: “So bizarre and way too long.”

2006 was the inaugural year, and I haven’t read any of the finalists from the SFF category. This was the year that the Book Thief was a finalist in the YA fiction category, though, so I’d say the awards started off right.