Showing posts with label 2011. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2011. Show all posts

Monday, December 26, 2011

Best of 2011



Here is a brief questionnaire I filled out. Most of the questions I grabbed from the questionnaire I saw Kelly at KellyVision post.

1. Favourite books of 2011.
YA dystopian: Divergent by Veronica Roth
YA paranormal: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
YA contemporary: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins


2. Most surprising (in a good way) book of 2011.

It depends on the why it surprised me. I was surprised by Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi because it was so amazingly written for a first novel. I was surprised by Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma and how much it got to me, and I was surprised by the Iron Fey series with how much I loved it.

3. Book you recommended most in 2011.

Probably The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, Divergent, or Stolen

4. Best series you discovered in 2011.

Does the first in a series count? Either Divergent or The Iron Fey series

5. Favorite new authors you discovered.

Michelle Hodkin, Julie Kagawa, Tabitha Suzuma, and Veronica Roth

6. Book you anticipated most.

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

7. Favorite cover.

To answer this I asked myself if I would hang it on my wall. The winners - Lola and the Boy Next Door and The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer.

8. Most beautifully written book

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma. 

9. Book you can’t believe you waited so long to read.

The Iron Fey series. I started it this year and was so addicted Also, the Vampire Academy series.

10. Biggest WTF moment

Has to be the end of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. Seriously, WTF!

11. Book that had the biggest impact

The book that I had the hardest time letting go when over was Stolen by Lucy Christopher. 

12 Book that made you cry the most

This is a toss up between Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma and Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares

13. Best YA hottie

Noah Shaw.

Favourites

1. Female character

Too many. Um, Tris from Divergent is awesome though. Either her or Lola from Lola and the Boy Next Door.

2. Male character

Can I just say Noah Shaw for everything?

3. Love triangle

Will/Tessa/Jem from the Infernal Devices (Clockwork Prince) series. The only triangle that I genuinely don’t have a preferred outcome. I love both the guys so freaking much.

4. Kissing scene

The kisses in Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door are sweet. For sexiness factor it has to be either Mara and Noah from The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer or Adam and Juliette from Shatter Me.

5. Favourite passage or quote

I have soooo many. I am going to list my top few though....
Once upon a time, there was a girl who talked to the moon. And she was mysterious and she was perfect, in that way that girls who talk to moons are. In the house next door, there lived a boy. And the boy watched the girl grow more and more perfect, more and more beautiful with each passing year. He watched her watch the moon. And he began to wonder if the moon would help him unravel the mystery of the beautiful girl. So the boy looked into the sky. But he couldn't concentrate on the moon. He was too distracted by the stars. And it didn't matter how many songs or poems had already been written about them, because whenever he thought about the girl, the stars shone brighter. As if she were the one keeping them illuminated. One day, the boy had to move away. He couldn't bring the girl with him, so he brought the stars. When he'd look out his window at night, he would start with one. One star. And the boy would make a wish on it, and the wish would be her name. At the sound of her name, a second star would appear. And then he'd wish her name again, and the stars would double into four. And four became eight, and eight became sixteen, and so on, in the greatest mathematical equation the universe had ever seen. And by the time an hour had passed, the sky would be filled with so many stars that it would wake the neighbors. People wondered who'd turned on the floodlights The boy did. By thinking about the girl.   *Cricket - Lola and the Boy Next Door
This quote captures everything I love about the book, the boy and the girl. Swoon!
"What would you do if I kissed you right now?" I stared at his beautiful face and his beautiful mouth and I wanted nothing more than to taste it. "I would kiss you back.” *Mara and Noah - The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer 
Pretty sure everyone would kiss him back Mara.....just saying.
When Will truly wants something,” said Jem, quietly, “when he feels something — he can break your heart.”  Jem - Clockwork Prince  
Will can break your heart, and totally does. The truth about Will Herondale's reason for visiting Magnus Bane at the end of Clockwork Angel really is heartbreaking
.
Book blogs

1. Favorite review that you wrote

I am still really proud of my review for Delirium. I also happen to like my Clockwork Prince one.

2. Best event that you participated in

I wonder if this means book blog event, like hosting something on your site, or an actual event you go to. Hmm….we will go with Book Expo America.

3. Best moment of book blogging

Meeting fellow book lovers anywhere, and of course the first time someone commented on my review.

4. Most popular post on your blog

Anything that Cassandra Clare retweets actually. I always have a HUGE spike on those posts. Taking them out of the running it would be my review of Fallen that has the next highest page views.

5. Reading challenges or goals

I did not have any this year other than to read at least 100 books. I’ve read 110 as of now. I will be taking part in the Debut Author Challenge hosted by The Story Siren next year though.

Looking ahead

1. Number one priority in 2012

Book Expo America, and coming up with new, fun things for my blog.

2. Book you are most anticipating

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer sequel and Insurgent

3. Hopes in reading/blogging in 2012

Just to continue to improve. Get more involved in this wonderful, crazy, amazing community of book lovers I am humbled to be apart of. Oh, and start scratching things off this list

Monday, July 4, 2011

Best of 2011 so far....

We are officially half way done 2011. I thought I would share a list of my ten favourite reads so far. I am going to do the same at the end of the year, and in early 2012 do a favourite reads of 2011....it'll be interesting to see how many of these make that final list.

These are are in no particular order. The release date wasn't looked at for this. I simply looked at the 50 books on my read list and selected from there.

1. City of Fallen Angels (Mortal Instruments #4) by Cassandra Clare

This is one of my favourit series. I love Cassandra Clare's writing style and this novel set up the next 2 in the series perfectly. Read my review here.

2. The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

This is Aimee's debut novel. I was sucked into this world she has created. Henry made me fall in love, and Kate has earned a place on my awesome female protaganist list. See the review here.

3. Wither by Lauren DeStefano

An eerie dystopian future that seemed scarily possible. The dynamic between the characters, and the writing itself are all stand outs. Read the review here.

4. Die For Me by Amy Plum

A unique paranormal aspect, a swoon worthy guy, and one of the more smart heroines in YA made this a favourite of mine. Read the review here.

5. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

So much of this plot is super secret. It really would spoil it to give anything away. Simply put - Mara is awesome, Noah Shaw is the ultimate book crush, and the end twist floored me. I am so glad Mara's story is just getting started. Review to come in September..as I said, it's super secret!

6. Forbidden by Tabithia Suzuma

This story grabbed my heart, held on and didn't let go. It left me in tears, and is one of the most beautifully written novels I've read. Read my review here.

7. Divergent by Veronia Roth

The action, the romance, and the world Veronica has created all suck you in. I am so glad that this is just the beginning for Tris and the sexy and dangerous Four. Read my full review here.

8. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

The cutest, most sigh inducing novel I've read so far this year. Stephanie captures that "Does he like me?" deliema perfectly. Plus it has Etienne St Clair. Read the review here.

9. Stolen by Lucy Christopher

My first review. I still haven't shaken this book. It stays with you and haunts you. It's beautifully written and the landscape is so perfectly described that it almost becomes a character itself. Read the review here.

10. Delirium by Lauren Oliver

I never thought I would be greateful to the guys who broke my heart...until I read this book. It made me so happy I could experience love in all it's forms..a message I still haven't forgotten. Read the review here.

The Iron Fey series came close to making the list but I couldn't just pick ONE of them to put on here.

I have read some amazing books so far this year and am looking forward to the ones to come. I can't believe this year is half over already!

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