Fave Reads of 2011 - The Characters

Here is day two of the three day meme hosted over at inkcrush that discusses our favorite books that we've met at the half way point of the year. Today it's all about characters.  Who we like, who we didn't, and why.

1. best female POV

I really liked reading Tris's transformation in Divergent. I love it when she starts to learn who she is and that it's ok to follow her instincts and be true to herself.  

2. best male POV

I really enjoyed both of the Will Graysons. I liked straight Will a little more I think, but both of the characters are interesting and I love readings books with more than one person's perspective. I think their dynamic in sharing the same name is really interesting.

3. Best couple <3 

I love Dash and Lily.  I love how romantic their relationship is.  It's something that I daydream about happening to me.  I love that they are both nerdy kids who are as into the adventure as I am.

4. who i so want to be best friends with

I have to go back to Will Grayson, Will Grayson and say that Tiny Cooper and I would get along smashingly.

5 . who i fell completely in love with (new literary crush)

Oh Varen.  I love him so much with his gothy outside and lovable (if slightly emo) inside.  I also LOVE the sexual tension in this book, it's very well done.

6. worst (best) villain

My choice is Vaughn from Wither.  He does some really shitty things to try and save his son, who isn't all that worth saving anyway.  He is willing to do anything to reach his goals, and that includes some sick things.

7. best character twist (who you loved then hated or vice versa)

I'm going to say Ash from The Iron King.  At first I thought he was going to be that sexy yet oh so dangerous creep that so many girls seem to fall for in paranormal romance.  But as the book went on I realized that Ash is a much more likable character than he first lets on, and I ended up switching from team Puck to team Ash.  I am really excited to see if he lives up to my expectations in The Iron Daughter.

8. best kick-arse female

There are a lot of kick ass girls in YA literature, but I really love Saba and Emmi from Blood Red Road.  I love how they learn to survive and they also learn how to love each other.  I like how they have flaws and make mistakes, but they still care about each other and will do anything to protect one another.  No matter how annoying they are.

9. best kick-arse male

Definitely Dmitri from Vampire Academy series.  Hands Down.  He's tall, dark, and RUSSIAN.  Talk about sexy.  I love his relationship with Rose, it never gets annoying (which it has a lot of potential to do).  I also really love the sexy time in the first book.  That is exceptionally written, really awesome ;) 

10. broke your heart the most

All hate crimes are terrible, horrible things.  But I have a particular rage for hate crimes against homosexuals.  It makes me so mad that people can be so ignorant, and be full of so much hate just because someone loves differently.  What happens to Patrick and Cat in this book is horrifying and the fact that no one came to their defense and stood up for them is unacceptable.  

 11. best/worst character names

Best:

  

Alaska Young from Looking for Alaska.  I love the name Alaska, and I love how she came to be named Alaska.  I think it's beautiful.

Worst:

The main guy's name is Patch.  Patch.

Runner up:  Peeta from The Hunger Games.  His Name is Peeta.  He's a baker.  Peeta makes bread.  Peeta Bread.....

BONUS: 5 fave covers (from books i have read)

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Feed by Mira Grant

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Faves of 2011 (so far) Day 1 - The Books

So this is a three day meme hosted over at inkcrush that discusses our favorite books that we've met at the half way point of the year.  I love this idea because I love gushing over my favorite books, and I also love the fact that it's three days long!  YAY!

1. Favourite book read so far in 2011
This is hard because I've read a couple of really great books so far.  I think I'm going to follow inkcrush's example and pick two, one YA and one adult.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a YA historical fiction about a young German girl living during WWII.  It's told from the point of view of death, so it has an amazing omniscient narrative that really sticks with you.  I felt so much love for the characters and the ending had me bawling.  It's truly a one of a kind story.

Feed by Mira Grant is an adult science fiction zombie novel that is about a brother sister blogging team that get picked to follow a presidential candidate on his campaign trail.  I thought this book would be a cheap thrill but it is a lot more than that.  Feed is an awesome commentary on government corruption and humanitarian morals.  And the ending of this book really shook me to the core, the final blog entry really blew me away. 

And of course I have to have a runner up! 

Looking for Alaska by John Green was written in 2005 but I hadn't discovered him until this year.  I think it's safe to say his writing and youtube channel have changed my life.  I have never read anything like his books.  Green has the ability to be ridiculously funny and extremely poignant at the same time, which is a skill that is difficult to come by and truly master the way he has.

2.  Most powerful book

First off let me say that the previous three books I've mentioned are hugely powerful and stayed with me long after I had finished reading them.  However, I'll pick a different book for this category.

Anita Diamant's The Red Tent is phenomenal.  It's an adult historical fiction that takes a look at the story of Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and his four wives.  It's an amazing tale for women's spirituality that I would recommend to any woman who has ever felt neglected in the biblical department. 

3. The most brilliantly funny

I LOVED this book.  It had me cracking up the entire time.  I loved Tiny Cooper.  I have friends like him, and he seems like the perfectly over the top BFF that I would hang out with everyday.  I am a mega huge fan of John Green and a mega huge fan of David Levithan, so the two of them combining their powers of awesome is full of epic.

4.  Best ache-y, heart-breaking, tear-jerker read

Yes, The Book Thief takes this category as well.  I seriously SOBBED at the end of this.  It is just heart wrenching.  I'm getting teary just thinking about it...

5. Most beautiful story

Well, The Book Thief and Looking for Alaska both can fall under this category easily.  However, I'm going to deviate a tiny bit.

I picked Paper Towns by John Green because it breaks away from a lot of the conventions of YA literature.  There is no perfect love interest or star struck lovers.  The characters in Paper Towns are both real and imaginary; made of substance and wishes.

6. Fave rainy day comfort read





AWWW Dash and Lily....I love this book so much!  This is the kind of thing I daydream about...I would love to find my own book of dares (I may or may not have started searching book stores).

7. Best tense, adrenalin-fuelled, unputdownable award

Everything about Blood Red Road is exciting.  The characters are constantly in danger.  In danger of dying of thirst in a desert, dying in a cage fight, dying in a fire, dying from crazy animals, dying from thieves/raiders, dying in a blood sacrifice....yeah.  It's awesome!

8. The beautiful prose award

Yes, I'm giving this to Blood Red Road again.  I think the way this book is written is perfect for a post-apocalyptic genre.  It reminded me a lot of The Road by Cormac McCarthy which I think is a stand out of the genre.

9. most atmospheric and vivid setting

Yes I know I'm lame because I didn't read The Hunger Games until this year.  I loved the setting of Panem and the setup of the arena.  I really like the concept of people having to hunt other people for other people's entertainment, and The Hunger Games does an awesome job of presenting this story in a way that draws you in and makes you completely engrossed.

10. i-so-want-to-go-there award

I love Italy.  It's my favorite place I've ever visited, hands down.  Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson mostly takes place on the Mediterranean sea, but also has some stops at port in Sorrento and Capri.  Let me recommend to you all that if you ever get the change to visit Sorrento, go.  Trust me, it is beautiful.  

11. most original and imaginative

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray. While I have some mixed feelings about this book, I have to admit I've never read anything like it. It's like Miss America on acid with ninjas and pirates. lol what?

12. best under-appreciated, hidden gem book

Blood Red Road by far.  I loved this book so much and I really don't see that many people talking about it.  I highly recommend it, seriously people!  

13. i-had-no-idea-i-would-love this-so award

The Vampire Academy series by RichelleI wrong.  I LOVE Vampire Academy.  The series really picks up in the third book, but so far it's totally addicting.  I need to finish the last three books because I have to know what happens to Dmitri.  

14. most haunting story

It's a tie between The Book Thief and Shine by Lauren Myracle.  Both of these books deal with the cruelty of humanity.  They both deal with discrimination and hate and how fear can control.  Both of these books are amazingly strong both in story and in delivery.

15. outside of my comfort zone but gosh how i loved it

I chose The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver.  This book deals with an fanatically religious father who forces his family on a mission in the Congo during a time of political unrest.  I absolutely hate people that are blinded by their religion and they forget all logic and common sense.  This poor family is ripped apart by the choices their father makes, and it made me rage.  However, how the children deal with their situation and how they grow into adults is amazing to read.  I highly recommend this for older teens and adults.

16. series that i'm loving

 
These are the two series that have more than one book out and that I haven't finished yet that I love.  The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa and Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead.  I plan on finishing these at some point this year, they are too awesome (not to mention Ash and Dmitri!)

17.  most memorable voice award

2011 was the year I discovered John Green. His books are amazing.  They are thought provoking and funny and unique.  He also has a great youtube channel where we get to know him more as he talks about serious issues or does silly punishments.  He's the first author I went to a book signing for, and he stayed there for over two hours and made sure every single person got to talk to him and have that moment.  I really appreciate everything he does for his "nerdfighters".  DFTBA! 

 18. completely awesome premise award

I know that the humans hunting other humans has been done before, but I loved Battle Royale by Koushun Takami so much.  I really liked the fact that it was children who had to fight each other, and that these children weren't strangers.  They had grown up together.  I think that made for a very unique and horrifying experience.

19.  would make the best movie

Both Divergent and Blood Red Road would make awesome dystopian movies.  There's both action and romance.  I think Divergent would make a better government conspiracy movie while Blood Red Road is a lot more apocalyptic movie (in the style of The Road Warrior).

20.  want to re-read already

I loved Nevermore by Kelly Creagh.  I cannot wait for the second book because Nevermore was such a cliffhanger!  I will be re-reading this as the release for Enshadowed comes closer.



Divergent by Veronica Roth

#1 in the Divergent Series

Published in 2011 by Katherine Tegen Books
5 Stars
DAC 2011

Goodreads Review
In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

Review:  Divergent is an action packed adventure about a young girl who learns to follow her heart and be true to herself.  Divergent is the first of a trilogy, and I think it does a wonderful job of setting up the world and the overall setting of the trilogy while still being a complete story within itself. 

The strongest part of Divergent is the action sequences.  The writing is excellent.  The trials Tris goes through are adrenaline fueled and make you keep turning the page.  I also thought that the development of Tris's character as she learns to adapt to her surroundings and listen to her intuition was very well done.  Tris is a very well rounded character who constantly surprised me with her choices and reasons behind them.

There were a few stylistic choices that Roth made in her writing that didn't sit well with me, but also did not detract from the story.  I also thought there could have been more development of Tris's past and her family, but I also suspect that there will be more revealed in the coming books. 

Overall Divergent is an exciting debut dystopian novel that brilliantly introduces the story of Tris.  Divergent intrigues from the start and will stay in the readers head long after they have turned the last page.

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

#1 in the Chemical Garden series

Published in 2011 by Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing
3 Stars
DAC 2011

Goodreads Review
What if you knew exactly when you would die?

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left.

Review:  Wither was a very difficult book to review.  First I love the cover, so it gets at least 2 stars for the art alone. But then it loses stars for the completely ridiculous science/economic/social inconsistencies that make the premise for the life of the characters. But then it gains stars for the characters themselves, which I really loved. It also gains stars for the descriptive and impressive writing style. I'm torn!

ok after much consideration here's how the star math goes. (Don't read if you don't want spoilers)

+2 for the cover art
-1 for the illogical end of the world scenario
-1 for the illogical "virus" that comes from genetic manipulation
+1 for pretty dresses (whatever, don't judge)
+1 for addressing polygamy in a way that isn't 100% vile
+1 for a female character sticking to her ideals
-1 for not consummating the marriage (doesn't make any sense)
+1 for Jenna being a bad ass prostitute
+1 for elements of subterfuge and conspiracy theory (just what exactly was going on in that basement?)
-2 for then not answering questions raised by said subterfuge and conspiracy theory.
+1 for making me want to read the next book in the series.

TOTAL= 3 stars

Overall, this book is an awesome romance/Stockholm syndrome book, but pretty poor science fiction book. However, I think the positives of the narrative outweigh the pretend science.

Waiting on Wednesday 6/8/11

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at breaking the spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:



Hourglass

by Myra McEntire

Publication Date: June 14, 2011

From Goodreads

One hour to rewrite the past . . .

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Full of atmosphere, mystery, and romance, Hourglass merges the very best of the paranormal and science-fiction genres in a seductive, remarkable young adult debut.

Teaser Tuesday 6/7/11

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
• Share the title & author so others can add the book to their TBR list

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

The direwolf wrenched free and came to him as the wight struggled to rise, dark snakes spilling from the great wound in its belly.  Jon plunged his had into the flames, grabbed a fistful of the burning drapes, and whipped them at the dead man.  Let it burn, he prayed as the cloth smothered the corpse, gods, please, please, let it burn.

Top Ten Tuesday 6/7/11: Top Ten Favorite Book Settings

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.  This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish.  We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new top ten list complete with one of our bloggers' answers.  Everyone is welcome to join.  All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND post a comment on our post with a link to your Top Ten Tuesday post to share with us and all those who are participating.  If you don't have a blog, just post your answers in the comments.

TOP TEN FAVORITE BOOK SETTINGS

1.  Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling-  Come on now folks.  Do you really have to ask why this is my top choice?  Hogwarts has always had a special place in my heart.  As a kid I used to daydream that I was wandering down Diagon Alley, navigating the ever changing halls, sipping butterbeer in Hogsmead, and cheering at the Quiddich world cup.  (OK I'll admit, I still daydream about that)...

2.  Misselthwaite Manor and the garden in The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett- The secret garden seems like the perfect escape.  I would love to spend my rainy days exploring the giant manor, finding treasures hidden away by long forgotten inhabitants, and my sunny days out in the garden, playing with fairies and casting a child's magic spell.  I love exploring.  I love finding hidden paths, rooms, and secrets.

3.  Wonderland from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll-  I love wonderland.  I love all of the zany characters that Alice meets throughout her adventure.  I love the mad tea party (why is a raven like a writing desk), the mouse's tale, and the rose garden.  I am so picky about my wonderland, I HATE it when people mix up the red queen and the queen of hearts (chess and cards are not the same).

4.  Narnia from The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis- Who wouldn't want to visit Narnia?  As a little kid I would pretend that the wardrobe in my grandmother's bedroom was a gateway to Narnia.  There I would play with the fauns and dryads, battle the white witch, and go on quests for Aslan.  

5. Hill Top Farm from Peter Rabbit and Friends by Beatrix Potter- Did anyone else watch the BBC cartoons from the 90s?  It was my favorite movie to watch whenever I went over to my grandmother's house (I spent a lot of time there as a kid if you can't tell lol).  Tom Kitten was my favorite.  After watching the cartoon or reading the book I would go out to her garden and pretend to be Beatrix Potter with all of her animal friends.  I'm starting to realize that I have a fascination with British children's literature...

6.  Neverland from Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie-  More British children's literature anyone?  As a little kid I didn't really like Peter Pan because I hated the Disney movie.  It wasn't until 6th grade when I read Peter and Wendy that I realized just how horribly wrong Disney got it.  I loved Tiger Lily and how Peter Pan saved her from the Mermaid's Lagoon.  The quote "to die would be an awfully big adventure" pretty much blows my mind.

7.  Redwall Abbey from the Redwall Series by Brian Jacques- I just want to go to Redwall and EAT!  The food sounds simply amazing.  I love the honor and nobility of the heroes in these books.  I also loved how each book felt very different, some took place at the abbey, some on boats, some to the south, some to the north, but they were all very similar.  Jacques had a very distinct writing style that I could relate to, even when his main characters were woodland creatures.

8.  The Land of Oz from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum- I have a 1908 copy of Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz which was given to me by my grandfather.  I have since read more of the series and I really loved the land of Oz and Ozma, the original princess of Oz.  My favorite place was the emerald city (more from the movie than the books though, gotta be honest).

9.  The Ages from the Myst series by Robyn and Rand Miller- Myst was an awesome computer game series that had three companion books.  The magic of this series is the race of the D'ni write their ages in books that become portals to the actual worlds.  They travel by book.  That is awesome.

10.  Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton- Let's pretend for a second that the dinosaurs don't break out and start eating everyone.  How FREAKING AWESOME would Jurassic Park be!?  I love amusement parks and I love dinosaurs, so it's a perfect match.  I saw the movie when I was six and it thoroughly amazed me.  Later in middle school I read the novel and knew I had found true love.