Best Reads of 2012

Hi! I want to first take a minute and thank you for your support, kind emails and tweets! I've missed you!
I know that this post is a little overdue, but I still wanted to share my favourite reads of 2012!

Best Adult Read:

Easily decided... The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay. Beautifully written, compelling story...

My Review

Best Young Adult - New Author (for me)

So so good! Epic fantasy meets kick-ass assassin. 

I don't think this book is receiving the attention it deserves. (yet)

My Review

Best Young Adult-

Maggie Stiefvater never lets me down. Worth reading and re-reading

My Review

Best Young Adult Follow-Up-

This was a harder choice. I loved Insurgent by Veronica Roth and The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting; 

but Pandemonium is a stand out. 

If you haven't read Delirium yet... READ it! and then follow up with this amazing sequel!

My Review

Best Middle Grade/Junior Fiction:

Another hard decision. I loved Wonder by RJ Palacio, but there was something incredibly special about the voice of Henry. It resonated with me. It also won the Governor General Award as well.

Review Coming soon!

My Inner Warrior

I was thinking about my favourite books and characters in them as well the television shows and movies I love to watch and I began to see a common thread. It seems I love stories where  girls kick butt.

   

 

(If you haven't read these titles, I highly recommend you check them out)

   All of the books above -aside from being fantastic reads, feature girls (women) who are strong willed, brave, and can fight for themselves. Katniss, Tris, Celaena & Keladry…are their own heroes and are among my favourite characters in literature for that very reason. I like to think of myself as a strong woman. I can be brave except in the presence of spiders. I don’t give up easily. I’m willing to stand up for others- but I don’t know how to wield a knife, or throw a punch,  shoot an arrow or scale a wall. But none of those skills are absolutely necessary right?  I love that these heroines have mastered their “physical” selves through endurance, through pain, through sheer will power. I admire that and wish it was something I had. Perhaps its just that I have yet to uncover it in myself.. though I hope it doesn’t take something like The Hunger Games or the End of the World for me unleash my inner warrior.

 

One of my favourite things about reading is disappearing into the characters and for a while feeling like a hero. TV on the occasion can inspire me too. Shows like Xena (I know a little corny)and especially Buffy  the Vampire Slayer allow me to believe that stopping a sword with my hands, or do a jumping somersault on to the back of a horse is something I could do even if it’s just for a little while. 

My hope is that authors and writers will continue to create stories about women who overcome their circumstances through bravery, will and a few sword fights and arrows. Who knows maybe archery isn't too far off in my future but I'm definitely thinking scaling walls and jumping somersaults is far far far away. 

Top Ten Tuesday–Favourite Books I’ve Read During My Blog’s Lifespan

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the fab Broke and the Bookish.

Each week we are invited to post a top ten list about a variety of book related topics.

This week’s list:

Top Ten Favourite Books I’ve Read Since My Blog Began

This is a challenging list to create.

I’ve been blogging for 2 1/2 years and I’ve read A LOT of books in that time…..

Be sure to check out the reviews to see why these are my favourites.

The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay – Review

Delirium by Lauren Oliver – Review

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting – Review

Divergent by Veronica Roth –Review

The Fault in our Stars by John Green – Review

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater –Review

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate –Review

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern –Review

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas –Review

Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky –not one I could review…..

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi -Review

If I Stay by Gayle Forman -Review

What’s on your list? Do we have any in common?

Epic Fantasy: Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Published by Bloomsbury August 7th 2012

Reviewed from ARC provided by the publisher

Summary:

After serving out a year of hard labour in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.
Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.
Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.
Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

Thoughts:

  This is a book I just wanted to sit inside and soak in. It has all the things I look for in a great read; amazing world building, strong character development, swoon worthy love interests and a kick-ass protagonist. Sarah Maas is a talented story teller, the book came alive for me and I did not want this story to end. Celaena is a complex and driven character. A perfect combination of strength and love, though she’s been taught to be a ruthless assassin, she has a softer side and doesn’t loose the girl within. (also a bookworm..-loved that)
  While reading I kept saying to my husband… why can’t I be more like her? He of course asked why I would want to be a ruthless assassin :) It’s not that I want to become an assassin, (maybe if my library gig doesn’t work out) but I would like to be stronger, (and maybe even a little kick-ass). Celaena  knows herself, she accepts her fears and moves to face them. She recognizes fears and strengths in others as well. She’s uses the pain of her past to propel and motivate her to move forward. She has quickly become one of my favourite book characters (ever) and I can not wait to read more of her story. I can not wait to place this book in the hands of every teen and adult I know.

Highly Recommended. One to buy so you can re-read over and over again.



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Top Ten Tuesday- Characters I’d Love to Exchange Places with for 24hrs

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme, hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. 

Each week we post our Top Ten Lists on a variety of book related topics. 

This week:

Characters I’d Love to Exchange Places with for 24 hrs

1. Hermione Granger. Brilliant witch, best friend to Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.  She’s one of my favourite female characters of all time.

2. Belle from Beauty and the Beast. (I know the original fairy tale may not be like the Disney one) Sure things don’t start out too well, but she eventually falls in love, the beast becomes the Prince, she gets to live in a castle and we all know how incredible her library is:)

3.  Violet from The Body Finder. Yes she can sense the dead, but she also dates Jay and he is the ultimate book boyfriend.

4. Bella from Twilight Saga. I know I know, I can imagine what you are thinking but Rob Pattison is not my Edward nor is K Stewart my Bella. The Edward in my head when I read these books is miles above the one that Rob Pattison attempts to embody. Also immortal life with my immortal family….. yes pls.

This was a hard topic!  When I look at my bookshelf, I see books filled with characters that I adore, but for the most part they have gone or will go through horrible events….. I think I would pass on exchanging places with them for that reason.

I’ll be interested to see who is on everyone else's lists ……

Book Review: Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Published February 7th by Putnam

Reviewed from ARC provided by the Publisher

Summary

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.
Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word... especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.
If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other

My Thoughts:

I have always loved reading about magic and witches, and my shelves are full of books that reflect that. Born Wicked is definitely a highlight, one that caught me by surprise though the lovely cover should have been a clue to the story inside. 

I immediately adored Cate, and felt the burden of what she had been left with, her responsibilities and her secrets. Desperate to have a life of her own, yet also protect her sisters the story revolves around the time where she must announce her intention to marry or join the sisterhood,

I remember when I was ten my mom and I went on vacation and toured Massachusetts and Salem was on of our stops. I was fascinated and terrified as we went through the exhibits in Salem and I learned about the Salem witch trials. It was horrifying to think of young women who may be slightly different being accused and tortured. It also amazed me at the power men had. 

I thought about that power as I read Born Wicked and the Brotherhood, their judgements and cruelty. The Brotherhood is truly terrifying and every page I worried that the sisters would be found out.

Born Wicked is well written, full of suspense, magic and just the perfect amount of romance laced throughout, I eagerly await the next in the series. Highly Recommended.

Top Ten Tuesday- Top Ten Dystopian Books You must read!!!!!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the fab Broke and the Bookish. Each week we are invited to list our top ten's on a variety of topics. This week's list is an open Top Ten to choose a genre. 

My List: Top Ten Dystopian Novels You Must Read!!!

If you are a follower of my blog, it's no secret that the dystopian genre is one of my absolute favourites. There are so many aspects of it that I love, but if I had to choose one thing that seems to hold true for all of them is the hope expressed in what seems like a hopeless world. The protagonist strives against all odds.  Below is a list of my favourites in no particular order. 

    

Delirium & Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

 

Divergent & Insurgent by Veronica Roth

 

The Maze Runner & The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

The Giver by Lois Lowry

   

The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Unwind by Neal Shusterman (disturbing but amazing)

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi 

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

It's a few more than ten:) How many of the above have you read? Looking forward to seeing everybody's lists!!!

Book Review: Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Happy Pandemonium Release Day!!!!!

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Published by Harpercollins February 28 2012

Reviewed from ARC provided by publisher

Summary:

I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare, 

pushing aside thoughts of Alex, 

pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school, 

push, 

push, 

push, 

like Raven taught me to do.

The old life is dead.

But the old Lena is dead too.

I buried her.

I left her beyond a fence,

behind a wall of smoke and flame.

My thoughts:

  It's not often that I like a sequel as much as the first in the series, but Pandemonium is exceptional.  It was more than I hoped it would be. Lena is now in the Wilds....grieving for her loss and trying to survive. We meet a few new characters in this book and out of them all, Raven is my favourite. She's hardened by the life she has been forced to lead, but I really felt she took on a wonderful maternal role in the story and finally Lena had a woman she could connect with even if it wasn't her 'real' mother. I'm not sure how I feel about Julian yet. I need more time to process his role in Lena's life, and I'm not ready to let go of Alex. There were shocking moments in the book that I could not have predicted and of course the last page left me gasping.... (don't read ahead though!!!) 

I've had my copy since Sept, but I waited to read it. I have to admit that I was hesitant to because I loved Delirium so very much. Today was the day I planned to read it with my tea and blanket in my favourite reading chair. I opened the pages and disappeared happy to be within Lena's story. Not her world. Her world scares me I guess as it would anyone, but I felt comforted and settled between the lines of her story like I was visiting a friend. I love Lauren's writing style. She has a gift with words and I often end up reading paragraphs out loud so I can get the full impact of their meaning.


"Grief is like sinking, like being buried. I am in water the tawny color of kicked up dirt. Every breath is full of choking. There is nothing to hold on to, no sides, no way to to claw myself up. There is nothing to do but let go."


"That is what hatred is. It will feed you and at the same time turn you to rot. It is hard and deep and angular, a system of blockades. It is everything and total."


I could almost quote the whole book because it is page after page of masterful and vivid writing. I was sad when it ended, and I can not wait for more. Highly Recommended. 

Aside from being an incredible author one of my favourite things about Lauren is her beautiful singing voice...see clip below.

Find reviews of Lauren's other books here:

Delirium
Liesl & Po

Book Review: The Daughter of Smoke and Bone

The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Published September 27 2011 by Little Brown & Co.

Reviewed from personal copy

Summary

   Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky. 
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low. 
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war. 
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out. 
When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

My Thoughts

   I wasn't sure throughout this book who to "cheer" for. Usually the good guys and the bad guys are easy to spot and although I rooted for Karou (the protagonist) I didn't have a clue which side she was truly on. I think that's one of the things I loved about this book. I was kept guessing...and after reading it...I'm still guessing.

We know there are two sides The Seraph and the Chimera. They are at war behind the scenes, in another place not visible to humans. Each side thinks they are right, each side only remembers war as a way of life. Both sides contain aspects of good and evil and Karou is surrounded by choices she must make that seem to effect everyone. I adored Karou but my favourite character is Brimstone. Everything about him...his appearance, mannerisms, his occupation make you think of evil, but he cares for Karou like a father and I loved him for it. 

I loved The Daughter of Smoke and Bone, though I'll admit that it was a slow start for me. It is a complicated and intertwined story and  If it hadn't been for a number of friends raving about it, I might not have continued reading. I am grateful that I did as it ended up being an exceptional read. It also served as a good reminder that some books are meant to be "digested" slowly, the different parts savoured as they come together in the end. Highly Recommended.

A Wrinkle in Time: 50 Years, 50 Days, 50 Blogs Celebration

    

When it comes to books that I loved and read in my school age years, I tend to be a bit of a collector. I buy multiple copies of the book with it's various covers. I own 5 copies of A Wrinkle in Time, the four above and now the 50th Anniversary Edition. 

 I was thrilled when I was asked to participate in the anniversary blog tour for this incredible book. I remember checking it out the first time from the library. Taking it home and being completely transported inside it within just a few pages. It was one of the first books that ever did that for me. Made me forget the world going on around me. I was searching with Meg. Comforted by Aunt Beast. It's a story of sacrifice and unconditional love, and I remember even when I was a young reader, knowing that this book was special. 

 Years later I was able to revisit it, when we read and studied it in a children's literature course. I'm grateful for that opportunity as I was able to delve deeper into the story, and was able to experience it in a new way.

  Now, with my son and in my work at the library I'm lucky that I am able to share A Wrinkle in Time with others.

The new  A Wrinkle in Time, The 50th Anniversary Edition:

About the 50^th Anniversary edition:

The 50^th Anniversary Commemorative edition features:

•       Frontispiece photo*†

•       Photo scrapbook with approximately 10 photos*†

•       Manuscript pages*†

•       Letter from 1963 Caldecott winner, Ezra Jack Keats*†

•       New introduction by Katherine Paterson, US National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature  †

•       New afterword by Madeleine L’Engle’s granddaughter Charlotte Voiklis including six never-before-seen photos †

•       Murry-O’Keefe family tree with new artwork †

•       Madeleine L’Engle’s Newbery acceptance speech

* Unique to this edition                † never previously published

I highly recommend checking out the other blogs that are participating. I've really enjoyed reading their posts about this timeless classic.

Week 1: Revisiting A Wrinkle In Time

January 16 -20

Biblioklept

The Compulsive Reader

Sci Fi Chick

There's A Book

Mundie Moms

Forever Young Adult

I Swim For Oceans

The Discriminating Fangirl

The Story Siren

Steph Su Reads

Week 2: Sharing A Wrinkle In Time

January 23 - 27

Pragmatic Mom

Stiletto Storytime

The O.W.L.

Hi Miss Julie

Green Bean Teen Queen

5 Minutes For Books

A Year of Reading

Lost in the Library

Geek Mom

One Librarian’s Book Reviews

Week 3: Characters in A Wrinkle In Time

January 30 - February 3

Anna Reads

Bewitched Bookworms

Regular Rumination

Things Mean A Lot

Novel Novice

The Book Smugglers

Charlotte’s Library

Coffee and Cliffhangers

S. Krishna’s Books

Lisa the Nerd

Week 4: Expressions of A Wrinkle In Time

February 6 - February 10

Word For Teens

Fictional Food

New Cover

Textbook

Presenting Lenore

Modly Chic

The J. Sorese Visual Companion

Read. Breathe. Relax.

Book Aunt

Meg Bentley Illustration

Week 5: Reading A Wrinkle In Time for the First Time

February 13 - 17

Geek Girl’s Book Blog

The Cozy Reader

I Just Wanna Sit Here And Read

Jenn's Bookshelves

Booking Mama

Page Turners

I Read Banned Books

YA Bibliophile

Alison’s Bookmarks

Galleysmith

What does A Wrinkle in Time mean to you? Have you read it? Is there a book from your childhood that you treasure?

My Favourite Reads of 2011

With 2011 coming to a close, I thought that it would be a good time to reflect on the books I read this past year. I'm happy to have met my reading goal of 60 books on Goodreads; I no longer need to stress about the message telling me I'm 2% behind. I read incredible books this past year. 

Books that made me laugh, and cry, books I wish I could live inside. Here's my list in no particular order:

Oh how I love this book. I want to be a character inside. I've read it 4 times already and I know it will be one that I read over and over and over again.

Divergent was all I hoped it would be and much much more. As fast paced as The Hunger Games, it lived up to the hype and quickly became one of my favourites to recommend.

Just perfection.

Delirium swept me away. The story line, the characters and Lauren Oliver's incredible ability to turn a phrase into something beautiful and memorable.

I credit reading this one with the blogosphere completely. I wouldn't have picked it up without the recommendations of 3 blogs I regularly visit. Without it I would have missed out on the fabulous Jessica and even fabulouser (is that a word?) Marcus.

Neal Shusterman is a genius and never ever disappoints me. 

Unwind was deeply disturbing and wonderful and heart-wrenching.

Liesl and Po was a beautiful exceptional read.

Ok, so not a literary read but definitely adult escapism at its best. I read through the series in a week. 

Le sigh.... Bones.

Classic coming of age story. So many wonderful moments in this one. I can't wait to see it on the big screen.

I picked up Chime because Gayle Forman highly praised it and she was right. I related to Briony in many ways. Dark, magical and reads differently than so many books out there.

My favourite genre done exceptionally well + Adam ( my new book boyfriend) = amazing read

One of my first reads of 2011, was also one of my favourites.

There you have it, my top 12 for 2011. I can not wait for what 2012 has in store.