Faves of 2011: The Covers

So I decided to skip day 3 and 4 because they were a little too specific and I could really only think of a couple good answers, so I'm just skipping ahead to the covers.  Because I can do that :)  So here are my top 10 covers!

The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs

Possess by Gretchen McNeil

Feed by Mira Grant

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Faves of 2011 Day 2: The Characters

It's time for Day 2 of the faves of 2011 survey hosted by inkcrush! Today I'll be talking about the most memorable characters I met in 2011.

1.  Favorite Female Main Character

I am going to pick Bridget from Possess by Gretchen McNeil.  I loved her sense of humor and determination.  She's very well rounded and makes mistakes but then LEARNS from them, which is something female MCs sometimes don't seem to do.  

2.  Favorite Male Main Character

I would choose Sean from The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. I absolutely love Sean's story and can really related to his conflicting feelings of duty and desire for independence.  I also just adored his relationship with Corr, it brought me to tears.

3.  Best Couple <3

Dash and Lily are a definite second place, but no one can beat Rose and Dmitri from the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead.  They are both sexy, smart, funny, and totally head over heels for each other.  I really enjoyed watching their relationship develop and I also loved they more playful moments.  Excellent characters!

4.  Who I So Want to be Best Friends With

This is the same from June.  I would SO want to be friend with Tiny Cooper from Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan.  He is just so fabulous, we could fan girl over musicals all day!

5.  Who I Fell Completely in Love With (New Literary Crush)

This is still totally Varen from Kelly Creagh's Nevermore.  I have a secret love of goths, and Varen sounds SO hot, I love it!  (Man I need to re-read this book, it's been too long!)

6.  Best Character Twist (Who You Loved and then Hated or Vice Versa)

Ok I loved this character throughout, but I'm going to pick Karou from Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor.  Not because my feelings about her changed, but because of all of the crazy plot twists that were revealed about her.  It had my mind reeling!

7.  Best Kick-Arse Female

I read so many books about girls that kick ass, instead of picking just one, here's a summary.  

Katniss from The Hunger Games

Tris From Divergent

Taylor from Beauty Queens

Saba from Blood Red Road

Rose from Vampire Academy

Gretchen from Sweet Venom

Scarlet and Rose from Sisters Red

Karou from Daughter of Smoke and Bone

8.  Best Kick-Arse Male

Still Dimitri from Vampire Academy.  So hot.  So awesome. So Russian.  He beats so much ass, it's ridiculous.

9.  Broke Your Heart the Most

I read a couple of extremely sad stories this year, but the one that stands out in my mind is Shine by Lauren Myracle. My heart just aches for Cat and Patrick in this book, it's completely unfair what happened to them and it's completely unfair how no one in their community could care to help.

Some Honorable mentions are Liesel from The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Alice from Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott, and Charlie from The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.  

10.  Favorite Pet/Animal Character

Grim from The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa.  He is so freaking awesome, he reminds me of this cat. 

Here's a quote from Grim, just to showcase his awesomeness.  “I was minding my own business long before you and the princess started humping like rabbits.” 

11.  Best YA Parents Award

Tris's mom from Divergent.  I don't want to spoil anything, but she does some pretty cool things.  I love the stuff that is revealed about her.

12.  Favorite Sibling Relationship

That would be Shaun and George Mason from Feed by Mira Grant.  I loved their relationship and how they adapted to a world with zombies.  They totally trust each other and had a crazy emotional moment at the end of the book that really took me on an emotional roller coaster.

13.  Favorite Best Friends/Friendship Award

I'm giving this to Karou and Zusana from Daughter of Smoke and Bone.  I loved these girls because of their super funny banter and the fact that Karou doesn't just drop her friends the moment a hot guy comes along.  I really hope Zusana will continue to be a big character in the next book because she is seriously freaking awesome.

14.  Best/Worst Character Names

Best Girl:  Alaska Young from Looking for Alaska by John Green

Best Boy:  Varen Nethers from Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

Worst Girl:  Aine DeRis (because I have NO CLUE how to pronounce that) from Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

Worst Boy:  Patch Cipriano from Hush, Hush  by Becca Fitzpatrick 

Faves of 2011 Day 1: The Books

You all may remember me participating in faves of 2011 (so far) that was hosted by inkcrush back in June.  Well, we've reached the end of the year and she's hosting another faves week, this time for every book read in 2011.  This is a five day process that will go over books, characters, scenes, covers, and some other random things.  So without further ado, let's get into day 1, the books!

1.  Favorite Book Read in 2011


At the midway point it was a tie between The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and Feed by Mira Grant.  I definitely still stand by those choices as two of my favorite books of the year, if not all time.  I have read many books that I would add to this list as close runner ups, including Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake, Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins, Possess by Gretchen McNeil, Blood Red Road by Moira Young, and many more.

However, there is one book that I read this year that really stands out in my mind as just spectacular. That books is The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater.

I adored this book.  The world set up is just perfect.  I loved the seamless combination of a modern setting and ancient myth.  The water horses and the culture that revolved around them never seemed forced.  I loved the character development, in particular Sean and Corr's relationship.  This book is adventurous, touching, and fantastic story telling.

2.  Most Powerful Book

I had originally chosen The Red Tent by Anita Diamant.  While I love that book, I think The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls by Emilie Autumn was the most powerful book I read.

I don't think I've ever read anything like The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls. It is amazing, horrifying, and both a work of magical fiction and brutal honesty. I felt like for the first time I had found someone who could understand how I feel. I identified on so many levels with this book, both physically, mentally, and emotionally. 

3.  Brilliantly Funny

Back in June I picked Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan, and you know what?  It's still my pick.

I love the sense of humor that John Green and David Levithan have, and their writing styles work so wonderfully together.  The banter between the characters is what really makes this book so funny.  I also  absolutely love Tiny Cooper and everything about him.  

4.  Best Ache-y, Heart-Breaking, Tear-Jerker Read

In June I picked The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and I still think this was the biggest tear jerker read of 2011.

I just cried and cried at the end of this book.  It is so sad, not just because it's about the Holocaust, but also because it showed how there were victims on both sides.  Plus father daughter stories always get me all weepy.

5.  Most Beautiful Story

In June I picked Paper Towns by John Green.  And while I still think Paper Towns is a lovely story, I think Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor is just a beautiful.

I went into this book thinking it was going to be just another paranormal romance (a Twilight knock off) but oh, was I wrong.  This story is wonderfully explained with rich mythology that is slowly revealed with perfect pacing.  Just when I thought I had figured out the book it would change and go in a direction I didn't expect, and how I loved it.

6.  Delicious Rainy Day Comfort Read

I picked Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan back in June, and while I agree that book is so super stinking cute, I think Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins wins the sugar coated delicious comfort read award for 2011.

While I enjoyed Anna and the French Kiss, Lola was leaps and bounds better for me.  I think this is largely due to the fact that Cricket is pretty much my idea guy.  Tall with dark hair?  Check.  Super freaking smart engineer?  Check.  Adorably shy personality?  Check.  What's not to love, seriously?

7.  Adrenaline Fuelled, Unputdownable Award.

I picked Blood Red Road by Moira Young, but now I think I'm going to go out on a limb and choose something you might not have expected.  I pick The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa.

Confused?  Well, this book is action packed, and Kagawa does not hold back in giving all of the gory details.  Meghan is constantly fighting something, and someone of her party is always bleeding in some form.  Also at the end there's not one, but TWO major battles, full of bloody descriptions.  And when the character's aren't fighting they're busy making out, which can be just as adrenaline fuelled as a full on war.

8.  The Beautiful Prose Award

I had originally picked Blood Red Road by Moira Young again, and I still agree this book is fantastically written.  However, I have to also add The Scorpio Races to this award as well.  The reason I loved these books so much is largely due to their unique writing styles.

9.  The Most Atmospheric and Vivid Setting

In June I picked The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  And I agree, the setting is fantastic and I really can't count it out.  I want to add The Scorpio Races to this category as well, because the setting is fantastically described (can you tell I loved this book?).  I also really loved the setting in Daughter of Smoke and Bone.  Not only was Prague fascinating, but I loved Brimstone's workshop and the Marrakesh markets as well.  I really read so many books this year that just had amazing setting, I couldn't pick just one.

10. I so Want to go There Award


I had originally picked the Mediterranean Sea as depicted in Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson. I read another book by Johnson, The Name of the Star, which was set in London, England.  I've already been to both places and I would just love to go back, so this award goes to all of the awesome locations Johnson write about in her books.

 

11.  Most Original and Imaginative

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray.  Done.

12.  Best Under Appreciated, Hidden Gem Book

I had picked Blood Red Road by Moira Young, but I have another that I really want more people to read and recognize as the awesome book it is.  Possess by Gretchen McNeil is freaking awesome.  Seriously.

Possess has a lot of suspenseful moments but McNeil has a great sense of humor that really lightens a would be otherwise dark and scary tale.  Also, there's great kissing scenes.  And creepy ass dolls.

13.  I Had No Idea I Would Love This So Award

So I judge books by their covers.  Sue me.  And I totally judged Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead.  I hate this cover so much, I just couldn't get past that.  I thought no way is this book going to be any good.  You know what?  I love this series (minus book 4, that was bad).

14.  Most Haunting Story

I had originally had a tie between Shine by Lauren Myracle and The Book Thief.  Now looking back I realize The Book Thief has stuck with me this entire year, even though I read it back in March.  This book is truly special, and I have yet to meet it's equal.

15.  Outside My Comfort Zone but Gosh How I Loved It

I choose The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver in June, but then I read Want to go Private by Sarah Darer Littman.  I can't really say that I "loved" this book, but it stuck with me.  It was shocking and horrific and definitely not something I was comfortable with.  This may not be a favorite, but I feel like it is an important book about a topic that is very relevant to teens today.

16.  Series That I'm Loving.

I had chosen the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa and The Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead, and I'm not changing my answers.  I've finished all of the VA books and I'm on book three out of four for The Iron Fey, and I love them both, oh so much.

17.  Always Recommending This Book

I am constantly recommending people read Feed by Mira Grant.  This is such a great book, it has a little something for everyone.  It has great zombie action as well as touching emotional scenes and government conspiracies.  I read this back in March and it's definitely one of my most favorite books of 2011.

18.  Completely Awesome Premise Award

In June I gave this to Battle Royale by Koushun Takami, and I totally think the premise of school kids forced to kill each other in a survival game is awesome (Hunger Games anyone?).  But I also wanted to mention a book that I had such high hopes for, but fell flat for me.  The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin had such a cool premise and marketing strategy that I thought for sure I would just love the book.  While the book lost me halfway through, the premise is still awesome.

19.  Would Make the Best Movie

I read a lot of books this year that I could see being turned into movies.  I love the idea of Blood Red Road and Divergent being made into films, but I also want to add Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake and Dash and Lily's Book of Dares to the list.  They are two completely different books, but I think I would love movie versions of both of them.

20.  Want to re-read Already

Yes, I still want to re-read Nevermore by Kelly Creagh and I probably will as the release date to Enshadowed (the second in the series) comes closer, but I also want to add The Hunger Games because I want to read the book again before the movie comes out.  I may also re-read Daughter of Smoke and Bone before the release of the second book in that series as well.