Oh, 2013, where did you go? Wasn’t it just a few months ago that I was maxing out my library holds, throwing out my shoulders carrying home huge piles of weekend reading, waking up in the still hours of the freezing-cold-ass morning to plow through a quick book about the entire Civil War?

Nevertheless, it is time for the 2013 Cybils Awards. I am happy to be serving on the NEWLY CREATED (differentiated, migrated, mutated) Young Adult Nonfiction committee as a first round judge. Bring on the library holds! The spreadsheets! The ibuprofen!

Here are last year’s short-listed titles – some of my favorite reading in 2013, actually. And wow, did I learn so much about a bunch of random crap this year. Nonfiction committee work keeps you SMART, guys. I’m this much closer to being a certified genius.

Nominations for all Cybils categories will open October 1st – visit and nominate your favorite reads. If you have any early leads on a YA nonfiction title… uh… let me know. I have read all of zero YA nonfiction books this year! Which should make the next few months really REALLY fun! Right? But yeah, I’m going to need a 2 week head start, so send me any recommendations.