The Top Books I Read in 2012

2012 is officially over!  I am very excited for 2013, I have a lot of plans and changes for my blog and especially my youtube channel.  Before I dive into my new years blog-olutions let's take a look back and discuss my top reads for 2012.  This is a kind of sorta Top Ten Tuesday but a couple weeks late.

8.  The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth - I think The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a very important addition to the YA LGBT literature.  This book is beautifully written, touching, and most importantly a balanced story that doesn't vilify any one character but gives them all honest and well rounded perspectives.

7.  Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews -  I have two different cancer books on my list this year and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is definitely the more irreverent of the two.  It's crass and rude for sure, but there's also a really interesting message that had me pondering illness, death, and society's perception and expectations surrounding disease. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl may not be a comfortable read, but it is an honest one (brutally so).

6.  Velveteen by Daniel Marks - I absolutely LOVE Velveteen Monroe.  She's a great character that has a lot of depth.  I really want to read more of her story and see her growth.  Velveteen sets up a really interesting and unique world and I really want to read more of this story.

5.  The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa - This book is just cool.  I love the dystopian world and these vampires are legit.  I really enjoyed the mythology and world building.  This is like Daybreakers meets The Book of Eli, which in my opinion is a pretty awesome combination.

4.  Graceling by Kristen Cashore - Graceling is one of the best YA high fantasies I have ever read.  This is a great introduction to high fantasy for younger readers and I also really appreciated the sex positive message.  We need more of this is YA (and literature in general).

3.  The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - Are you really surprised to see this on here?  Really?  The Fault in Our Stars is John Green's best book to date and is well deserving of all of the success and praise (not to mention being on the New York Times best seller's list since release and being named Time magazine's #1 best book of 2012).  This book is beautiful and will definitely be re-read in 2013.

2.  Cinder by Marissa Meyer - Cinder is a brilliant re-telling of a very well known story.  Marissa Meyer manages to make of the the most popular fairy tales of all time fresh and new and surprising, which is no easy feat.  The second book in the series, Scarlet, comes out in February so I hope to re-read this in January!

1.  Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor - Oh my goodness you guys, this book is amazing.  The Daugher of Smoke and Bone series is quickly becoming one of the best series I have ever read.  Laini Taylor kicks it wayyy up a notch and WOW.  Days of Blood and Starlight just punched me right in the stomach with all of the feels.  It is amazing and I am a sucky person for not reviewing it yet (it's coming I promise!).

So that's it!  Those are the very best books I read in 2012.  What is on your list?

Velveteen by Daniel Marks

#1 in the Velveteen series
Pubished October 9, 2012 by Delacorte
egalley for review from netgalley
5 stars
DAC 2012

Goodreads Review
Velveteen Monroe is dead. At 16, she was kidnapped and murdered by a madman named Bonesaw. But that's not the problem.

The problem is she landed in purgatory. And while it's not a fiery inferno, it's certainly no heaven. It's gray, ashen, and crumbling more and more by the day, and everyone has a job to do. Which doesn't leave Velveteen much time to do anything about what's really on her mind.

Bonesaw.

Velveteen aches to deliver the bloody punishment her killer deserves. And she's figured out just how to do it. She'll haunt him for the rest of his days.
It'll be brutal . . . and awesome.

But crossing the divide between the living and the dead has devastating consequences. Velveteen's obsessive haunting cracks the foundations of purgatory and jeopardizes her very soul. A risk she's willing to take—except fate has just given her reason to stick around: an unreasonably hot and completely off-limits coworker.

Velveteen can't help herself when it comes to breaking rules . . . or getting revenge. And she just might be angry enough to take everyone down with her. 

Review:  You guys.  Velveteen is freaking AWESOME.  FOR REALZ.  This is probably my #1 most anticipated book of 2012, and I know this book doesn't come out until October, and of course I have it already pre-ordered, but I could not resist reading it as soon as it landed in my Kindle (thanks netgalley!!!!).  And Velveteen does not disappoint.  If you guys watch Danny's youtube channel (and you should, shame on you if you don't!) you know he is sarcastic, intelligent, eclectic, and a little bit creepy (and I mean that in the most admiration filled way possible) and this is exactly what you get with Velveteen. 

The very best thing about this book is the main character, Velvet.  She is fan-freaking-tastic.  Of course I love her snarky and rude attitude that's wrapped in a bad ass goth exterior, but Velvet is SO MUCH MORE than that.  This character is deep, yo.  She's gone through some hardcore trauma and even though she acts all tough, I think she's a lot more wounded than she wants to admit (and you would be too if some sadist tortured you to death!).

I wanted to mention the world building too.  I absolutely LOVED this interpretation of purgatory.  The descriptions of purgatory aren't just descriptions, they're brush strokes.  Seriously, Marks has one of the best vocabularies in YA literature.  His writing is SO creative and descriptive.  I found myself googling a lot of stuff just so I could get a clearer visual in my head, and I almost never bother to do that.

Photo Credit

This is a nutmeg grater.  You're welcome for that visual.

There are a few things I wanted to change about the story.  I really wanted more Bonesaw!  I really liked that character and I liked how Velvet reacted to him and I wanted more.  It honestly felt like two books were being shoved together, and sadly my preferred story got neglected.  (side note, when I read this back in April the synopsis made it seem a lot darker and a lot more of a revenge story, it has since changed to better reflect the actual story within which I think was a really smart move. The original synopsis would disappoint people who were looking for a horror book and got PNR and scare away people looking for an urban fantasy or paranormal story.)

I also could have done without Nick all together to be honest.  I guess he was there to help bring out Velvet's soft nougat center or whatever, but he felt very one dimensional and kind of a crutch.  I would have rather seen Velvet deal with her demons on her own. 

All in all I really loved this book, but more so I really loved Danny's writing.  I am extremely excited for whatever project he puts out next, be it another Velveteen book or something completely new.  You KNOW I will be reading it!

Graceling by Kristen Cashore

#1 in the Graceling Realm series
Published October 2008 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.     When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

     With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.

Review:  Graceling is hands down one of the best examples of YA high fantasy I've ever read.  It is action packed, well thought out, and never got static or predictable.  There is a great foundation set in the world building that really allows the characters to shine. 

I really believe that good high fantasy is based on good geography;.  When you write high fantasy, you're creating an entire new world, and how that world works is based upon their geography.  Coastal countries should have port cities, colder regions can trade furs and game, warmer regions grains and fruits. There are going to be areas that have better advantages in war because of a river placement or a mountain range.  There are going to be different cultures, economies, governments, religions, and dialects, and can get very confusing all on its own even without adding in a magical element.  I think Graceling handles all of these elements well while still keeping it simple enough for younger readers.

I also really enjoyed the main characters, Katsa and Po.  I loved the growth that Katsa goes through and I like how their relationship develops.  I LOVE how Katsa takes charge of her life and decides that she will have lovers without marriage.  In medieval settings it's rare to find a woman who is open about this kind of sexual arrangement and who really takes control of her life (I'm thinking of the women in Game of Thrones) which makes Katsa even that more refreshing in the fantasy genre.  I also loved Po.  I thought he was what a YA love interest should be, supportive, understanding, and a hottie (that goes without saying though).  Po isn't perfect, he has his own insecurities and short comings, but he never tries to dominate Katsa and I really like the dynamic the two have (plus Cashore doesn't sky away from the sexy times which is AWESOME).

Overall Graceling is everything that everyone has been telling me, exciting, interesting, intelligent, and totally awesome.  I highly recommend this novel as one of the best high fantasy novels in the YA genre.

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

#1 in the Blood of Eden series
Published April 24, 2012 by Harlequin Teen
egalley for review from netgalley
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn’t easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.


Review:  The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa is the YA Vampire book I've been looking for.  It has fantastic world building, compelling characters, and an overall story arch that is exciting and interesting.

First off, I have to say that FINALLY we have vampires that are legit vampires!  There's no wussy sparkling vampires here, they are frightening demons of the night that hunt humans like deer.  There are two kinds of vampires, one that are more or less human like even if they think that humans are blood bags, and the other are horrific "rabids", mindless mutants that attack humans and vampires alike (kind of like the movie Daybreakers, did anyone else see that?).  The vampires are cool, how they came to be makes sense, and how they function makes sense.  There's also a really cool apocalyptic aspect to this book that also makes sense so yay!  Science in my science fiction FTW!  The world building and setting is lush and definitely the high point of the book.

Another high point of The Immortal Rules is the action.  Allison is a kick-ass warrior and there is so much awesome fighting!  One of the characteristics of Kagawa's writing is that she does not shy away from violence.  She has an excellent balance where you get a clear (and yes that graphic) picture of the fight without it crossing into gratuitous.  You see this throughout her Iron Fey series and it crosses over very well into Blood of Eden.  There is some romance, but it is very minor in comparison to the main story line which is awesome.  I really hope in future books the romance (aka angst) won't take over like we see so often in other dystopian books.

Overall I really enjoyed The Immortal Rules and would recommend it to anyone who liked Kagawa's Iron Fey series or readers who like action packed dystopians.  It is thrilling addition to the YA vampire selections and should not be missed!

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Published March 1, 2012 by Harry N. Abrams
5/5 stars

Goodreads Review
Greg Gaines is the last master of high school espionage, able to disappear at will into any social environment. He has only one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time making movies, their own incomprehensible versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics.

Until Greg’s mother forces him to rekindle his childhood friendship with Rachel.

Rachel has been diagnosed with leukemia—cue extreme adolescent awkwardness—but a parental mandate has been issued and must be obeyed. When Rachel stops treatment, Greg and Earl decide the thing to do is to make a film for her, which turns into the Worst Film Ever Made and becomes a turning point in each of their lives.

And all at once Greg must abandon invisibility and stand in the spotlight.

Review:  Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is Fantastic (yes with a capital F)! It's so hilarious I was literally loling through the entire book. It's kind of like if John Green was a sarcastic a-hole (and I mean that in the most affectionate way possible). Most of the time I find rambling tangents kind of annoying, but I loved the humor, even though sometimes it got to a place that made me more than a little shocked.  Kind of like this.

No seriously.  I was mostly cracking up, but every now and then I'd be like "Oh dear God!"....but mostly laughing hysterically.  A word of warning, the humor is a major part of the book, and it is NOT kid friendly, so if crude humor and swear words aren't your style, approach with caution.

One of my favorite aspects of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is the stylistic choices.  The story is told in a variety of ways including bullet point lists and screenplay style, which makes it so much fun to read.  I also just really enjoyed the writing style.  Greg is very self deprecating and there are a ton of silly interjections that just made me laugh out loud.   

However, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl isn't all dirty jokes (I promise).  I think there's a pretty deep message too, maybe not a happy one, but a message all the same.  It talks about how not everyone is a fighter, and not everyone has profound moments when faced with death.  Sometimes people just die, and even though you may know that person, it doesn't mean your life will be all that changed.  There's a lot of pressure on people to feel SO SORRY that someone is dying, that everyone has to drop everything because they know someone who is sick, even if that emotion is fake and forced.  And a lot of times people care more about the guilt they feel about not caring then they do about the actual dying person.  We make a person's death about us, and we'll do things we think they'll want (such as make a movie commemorating their life) without really considering who the dying person actually is and what they would want.  This message isn't hopeful or heartwarming, but it's way more honest than a lot of other illness and death books out there.

So basically, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl will appeal to a select audience.  If you're looking for a sentimental coming of age story where the MC learns a profound lesson through the death of a manic pixie dream girl, move along, this is NOT your book.  However, if you're looking for a realistic view of how effed up death can make you and how it's not something that can be tied up in a neat little package of revelations and self discovery told in hundreds of pages of laugh out loud ridiculousness, then run (not walk) and get Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

Published February 7, 2012 by Balzer + Bray
5 Stars
DAC 2012

Goodreads Review
When Cameron Post’s parents die suddenly in a car crash, her shocking first thought is relief. Relief she’ll never have to tell them that, hours earlier, she had been kissing a girl. 

But that relief soon turns to heartbreak, as Cam is forced to move in with her conservative aunt Ruth. She knows that from this point on, her life will forever be different. Survival in Miles City, Montana, means blending in and not making waves, and Cam becomes an expert at this—especially at avoiding any questions about her sexuality.

Then Coley Taylor moves to town. Beautiful pickup-driving Coley is a perfect cowgirl with the perfect boyfriend to match. To Cam’s surprise, she and Coley become best friends—while Cam secretly dreams of something more. Just as that starts to seem like a real possibility, her secret is exposed. Ultrareligious Aunt Ruth takes drastic action to “fix” her niece, bringing Cam face-to-face with the cost of denying her true self—even if she’s not quite sure who that is.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a stunning and unforgettable literary debut about discovering who you are and finding the courage to live life according to your own rules.


Review:  This is by far the best book I have ever read on Christianity and homosexuality. I was thoroughly impressed with how the author handled this very touchy subject.  There is no moral of the story crammed down your throat, no secret agenda. It's a story of a girl dealing with the loss of her parents while on the brink of womanhood, and it is told beautifully, honestly, and lovingly.  


One of the aspects of The Miseducation of Cameron Post that I have to comment on is the writing style.  It is a lot more like adult literary fiction than YA, but for this type of story it works well.  The writing could have easily overpowered the story, making it feel heavy handed and slow to read, but Danforth does an excellent job painting a complete picture.  It's easy to get completely submerged in her writing.


I really appreciated how honestly Danforth handled Cameron's sexuality.  Nothing about it was overdone, it was understated and shy and exactly what so many kids go through when they get their first crush.  Straight or gay, I could completely related to the confusion and excitement of young love.  


I also really liked how the Christian characters weren't one dimensional villains.  I think it could have been very easy to make these characters judgmental and cruel, but instead I could understand where they were coming from.  I wanted to hate Ruth, Rick, and Lydia, but I understood those characters and realized that in their mind they were trying to help Cameron and her classmates.  It's fairly obvious that they weren't very successful with their methods, but Danforth doesn't outright condemn them either.  It is possible for good people to do very bad things without realizing it.


Overall The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a fantastic addition to the growing LGBT themed books in the YA community.  It shows how sexuality isn't a black or white issue and I hope it will raise awareness that people are people first, and their sexuality and religion second.  This is a fantastic book for parents and teachers to start a dialogue about tolerance for different sexualities.  

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Published January 10, 2012 by Dutton Juvenile
5 Stars


Goodreads Review
Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now. 

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault. 

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.


Review:  I need to put a disclaimer on this review that I highly doubt this review will adequately describe just how much this book means to me.  I've always been a fan of John Green's work, but The Fault in Our Stars takes him to a new category.  There are definitely still the elements that make it a John Green book, such as teens that have a better vocabulary than most dictionaries, references to obscure books, music, and lots of poetry, and in-depth analyses of the meaning of life.  But with The Fault in Our Stars, he does this better than any book he's written before.  Yes these teens are maybe too smart, and yes I had to look up a word more than once, but never the less this book looks at death, love, and illness in a way that is so REAL.  


First I want to give you a little background on where I'm coming from, and why Hazel in particular touched me on a very personal level.  When I was 14 (just about to enter high school), I had to go to the doctor for a routine checkup.  I had some basic bloodwork done, then went home to await the results.  I got a call at 1:00 AM that night saying I had to go to the hospital right then and there.  It turns out my platelet count (they're in your blood and cause it to clot) was so low I was considered a "medical emergency" (An average count is 150,000 - 500,000.  I was at 7,000).  On top of that my red blood cell count was HALF of what it should have been.  I spent that first of what would be many weekends in the hospital with doctors trying to figure out what was wrong with me.  

They eventually diagnosed me with ITP (Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura) which is basically where my immune system attacks my platelets for no reason.  But I went through months before the diagnosis where they thought I could have anything from ITP to a bone marrow disorder to leukemia.  Yes, I went around for about three months thinking I had blood cancer.  Not very pleasant for a girl just starting high school.  Luckily for me I didn't have luekemia, but I was still in the hospital 1-3 times a week for two years.  I was on a very aggressive steroid treatment as well as periodic IVIg treatments that not only didn't really fix my blood problem, also caused me to gain 80 lbs, have severe mood swings, and lead me to some pretty hard core self image and depression issues.

After 2 years my doctors decided I had to go to a more drastic from of treatment by way of splenectomy.  Word to the wise, if you can avoid having abdominal surgery, I suggest you do it because it hurts like a bitch.  If that didn't work we would have had to resort to forms of chemotherapy, which totally scared the shit out of me.  Luckily the splenectomy worked and after a couple weeks my counts leveled to a perfectly healthy 300,000 which was way better than expected.  I'm basically cured and I don't have to take any medication or do anything special now.  I just have to be aware of my immune system because I am missing a spleen, so I can get sick more easily than other people.  But compared to having blood cancer?  I'll give the spleen freely, again and again.

Ok, I'm telling you all way too much information so you can understand where I'm coming from when I say this book hit me on a very personal level.  John Green does an excellent job capturing the feeling of being sick.  From puffy steroid face to midnight hospital runs to being afraid that your death will ruin the ones you love, John Green covers the realities of illness with sensitivity and honesty.  He really gets what it's like to be sick, and to be so sick that you could die.  It doesn't fall into that sappy lifetime movie-esque melodrama of so many other cancer books.  

I also just LOVE Hazel and Gus.  So much.  And I won't spoil the plot, but I totally did not expect what happened to them in this book, and I am so glad it didn't go the way I was expecting it to.  I loved how their relationship forms and how they understand each other.  What's really great is these characters are people, not just their disease.  Plus the banter back and forth is adorable while their serious conversations made me think about my life and what I really valued.  I particularly loved the lesson Gus learns about wanting to leave a mark on the world, a legacy, something to be remembered by after he has died.  I think we all feel like that, but is the whole world knowing who we are really what's important?  Isn't having people who love you and loving them back enough?  I also loved their "infinity".  I don't want to say more than that, because I don't want to spoil, just tell you a little bit about why I love this book so much.  

While I'm not happy with the cover nor the blurb (I get why Jodi Picoult is on it, I just hate the fact that she is) I hope people outside the YA and nerdfighter community will pick this book up.  The Fault in Our Stars should be read by everyone who has ever felt like their life was less valuable due to something they cannot control, anyone who has ever wanted to be seen as more than "that cancer girl", and anyone who has ever had to come to terms with the finality of a human life.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

#1 in the Lunar Chronicles
Published January 3, 2012 by Feiwel & Friends
5 Stars
DAC 2012

Goodreads Review
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. 

In this thrilling debut young adult novel, the first of a quartet, Marissa Meyer introduces readers to an unforgettable heroine and a masterfully crafted new world that’s enthralling.


Review:  I know it's barely into 2012, but I already think that Cinder will be one of my favorites of the year. I've read a lot of fairytale re-tellings, but never one quite like this.  There's not just one thing about Cinder that makes it so awesome.  The setting, the characters, the twists, the writing style, and so much more all add to this unique reading experience. 

Let's talk characters.  Cinder is fantastic.  She is one of the best heroine's I've ever read.  I love how she faces prejudices against her and still tries to take charge of her own life.  She's her own person and makes her own decisions.  Some of the things that are said and done to her by her "family"are absolutely horrible, but that only makes Cinder more determined.  It's not just Cinder that's an awesome character though.  I really LOVED all of the supporting cast.  Iko, Cinder's robot BFF, is adorable and HILARIOUS.  Cinder and Iko together were some of the cutest parts of the book.  I also really liked (and hated) the evil stepmother and sister.  I think Meyer did an excellent job with these two characters because, while they are still evil beyotches, I understood WHY the were evil beyotches.  They were just flat "bad guys" they had their own motivations and reasoning behind their actions.  

Let's also talk Prince Kai for a minute.  Prince Kai is dreamy and funny with great interaction with Cinder.  I really liked how we also get to read some chapters from his perspective.  Not only does this give us valuable information about the overall story, but we also get to see Kai's struggles.  He's trying to come to terms with his father dying and the fact that he will be the next emperor, which is a huge responsibility at any time, let alone when his country is precariously close to war with a much stronger nation.

I absolutely loved the futuristic setting, AND the fact that it was set in future China!  I've been to China, so I really enjoyed reading her interpretation of how China would have evolved.

Proof!  I'm in the red coat, and yes that really is the great wall behind me.

 Cinder is an excellent start to the series.  There are going to be 3 more books, and each one is going to be a re-telling of a different fairy tale.  They are Scarlet (2013) - Little Red Riding Hood, Cress (2014) - Rapunzel, and Winter (2015) - Snow White.  This is really encouraging because in Cinder there are plenty of questions that still need to be answered, in particular with the Lunars and their evil "queen".  

In all honestly, I haven't been this excited about a book in a long time.  While I don't think I'm doing nearly a good enough job at expressing just why I love this book so much, I hope you all will look past my inadequate ramblings and just buy the book.  You won't regret it.