Well, hello there!
Long time no blog.
These past few weeks I've been busy getting back into our normal work/school routine after the holidays.
And then last week I cam down with either a bad head cold or severe allergies.
Not sure which.
Whatever it was it had me dragging BAD.
I'm talking about knocking myself out with meds right after the kids went to bed and sneaking in naps wherever I could, bad.
But have no fear, I am BACK!!
Today I want to talk a bit about some of my favorite reads of last year.
In 2012 I read 69 books.
The more I think about it, that was a bit too much.
Yes, there is something to be said about reading a ton (and reading more than a lot of people you know), but honestly as I'm looking back through the list of books that I read last year, I see that, sadly, books were forgotten about.
There was more than a couple moments of, "I forgot I read that!", and that makes me a bit sad.
So, this year I have my goal set at 60 books.
Although, I might lower it to 52.
Anyway, here are a few of the books that I read last year that I loved.
5 stars :: Such a great fantasy novel. Very wordy though. As a matter of fact, this is why I have yet to read the next book. They are so long and full of detail that I feel I need to read them alone, and I have yet to find a chunk of time where I don't want to be reading some other book as well.
by Carrie Ryan
5 stars :: This was the book that caused me to FINALLY get a library card (at 28 years old). This is the second in a trilogy of zombie books. The first book, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, was great as well, but this book can stand alone from it, in my opinion, and is WAY more engaging.
I highly recommend this series.
by Gayle Forman
5 stars to both :: These books are heartwrenching, to say the least. Death and its aftermath are the focus and the books are written from two different character's perspectives. Expect lots of tears and beautiful words.
5 stars to both :: YA dystopia at its best. These books kept me engaged and yearning for more the whole time.
5 stars :: Written from a genius child's point of view. This is definitely a sci-fi classic. I will most definitely be reading the following books in the seies (and it's spin-off) at some point in the future.
5 stars :: A short, easy, middle grade read. It begs the question, "What would you do if you were in this situation?".
5 stars :: I read another Julia Golding book, Dragonfly, based on the fact that it was the book my local library's Adults who read YA Book Club was reading (I'm not a part of the book club, but thought it might be an intriguing read, regardless). I really enjoyed Dragonfly and was excited to learn that this book was a companion book set 15 or so years in the future. So good.
4 stars to all three :: While these books didn't WOW me enough to warrant 5 stars, I think that the story was unique enough and the writing engaging enough to want to keep reading and readng. If yu love sci-fi/alien stories, this is a good series for you. I'm pretty bummed at this point that I have to wait 7 or so more months until the next book comes out. The first book pretty much follows one main character and his story, but as they progress, other characters and their view points are added in as well. Good solid series.
5 stars :: This was the second book in what is set to be a trilogy (the third book comes out in March!).
The first book, Delirium, was obviously great enough to warrant me reading this one. And I'm so glad I did. This is another YA Dystopian book, but was definitely a gripping tale in its own right. Be aware that Pandemonium ends with the cliff hanger of all cliff hangers and will leave you a bit flustered that the third book is not yet available.
I will definitely be working on my book review prowess more in the future and hope to make said reviews a normal part of my posting this year.
What would you include in your favorite reads of 2012?
Do you have a goal for reading this year?
peace, love, and all things sparkly.
Well, you know I have reading goals for the year, and I'll keep it high, because I am one of the few folks I know who don't have the "oh, I forgot I read that!" issue. That said, because I want to get so much done this year with regard to writing, I'm not aiming for as much as I read last year.
ReplyDeleteIf I had to name my top 5 books of 2012, it would include (in no particular order, because that's simply impossible for me, and not including rereads):
1) Shadow & Bone (YA Fantasy), Leigh Bardugo
2) Daughter of Smoke & Bone (YA Fantasy), Laini Taylor
3) The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (Kidlit), William Joyce
4) Defiance (YA Fantasy), CJ Redwine
5) The Fault in Our Stars (YA Contemporary), John Green
:)
Great minds indeed! I shall have to check some of these out; I know you have great taste in books.
ReplyDeletePart of my 30 before 30 list is to read (at least) 30 books. I hope to read more.
Divergent is definitely up there on my top books of 2012 list, and Miss Peregrine's was excellent as well.
Ang - Ha! I knew you would comment on the amount read. ;) For myself, I'm finding the whole "too much of a good thing is a bad thing" rings true in regards to reading. I feel like I'm almost doing an injustice to the books that I really enjoy, by reading any and everything I can get my hands on. That being said, I will definitely be counting Shadow & Bone as one of my favorites for 2013. Enthralling! Thanks for the rec!
ReplyDeleteMandy - Aw, shucks! Thanks! It probably helps that we seem to like similar books. ;) Ooh! I have Miss Peregrine's on my 'to read' list, as a matter of fact, I'm going to go straight to the APL site to put it on hold. :)