Top 10: Books I'm looking forward to in 2012

So it's the final day of our week of top 10's! I hope you've enjoyed reading my lists as much as I enjoyed making them. Today's list is my top 10 books I'm looking forward to in 2012


I decided to do this list in date-order for when the books are released...seemed the fairest way of doing it. The titles link to the Goodreads pages:

A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton: 5th January 2012

I might have read this in 2011, but that doesn't mean I'm not REALLY excited for the release! I'm convinced everyone will love this and I can't wait to see the responses from bloggers.

Pure by Julianna Baggott: 2nd February 2012

This just sounds awesome! I love dystopian fiction a lot and this is one of my most eagerly anticipated 2012 dystopian releases (of which there are quite a few!)

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons: March 2012 (according to amazon UK, January 2012 according to GR)

Another dystopian, I love the idea of the over the top police state that's central to this.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth: 26 April 2012 (again, according to amazon UK, GR claims May 1st 2012)

I'm sure I'm not the only one DYING for this book. What will happen to Tris and Four?? What's the Amity compound like? Will someone finally kill Peter?? April/May is TOO far away.

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare: 8th May 2012

After the ending of CoFA I'm desperate to read CoLS. I've eagerly swallowed all the little teasers Cassie has given us and this will definitely be a book I'll be running out to get on release day!


In Honor by Jess Kirby: 8th May 2012

I'm not usually a huge fan of contemporaries; but I LOVE the sound of this. Huge fan of roadtrip type books and this reminds me a bit of Saving June which I LOVED.

The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead: 19th June 2012

I wasn't a HUGE fan of Bloodlines, I felt the plot let it down, but I LOVE the characters (especially Sydney and Adrian) and after the ending I'm hoping this book will have a better storyline.

The Unquiet by Jeannine Garsee: 17th July 2012

Another contemp book from me! Well, this one sounds kinda thriller-y as well but eitherway I really want to read it. I like books that tackle mental illness, especially in young people, and I hope this book does it sensitively and realistically.

Blue Moon (Drake Chronicles #5) by Alyxandra Harvey: Summer 2012

So there's no cover or synopsis for this yet, but after the cliffhanger in book 4 I'm dying to see what's going on! This is one of the most fun series' I read and I'm sad that this is the penultimate book!

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare: December 2012

One of my most anticipated 2012 reads fore sure! Who or WHAT exactly is Tessa Gray? What is that love triangle all about? WILL THEY MANAGE TO DEFEAT THE MAGISTER? I can't believe I have nearly a year to wait for this!!

Honourable mentions

I have managed to not to any honourable mentions so far this week, which has led me to feel justified in shoving a whole load onto this post...

Hollow Pike by James Dawson

Beautiful cover, witchcraft...what more can you want?

Legend by Marie Liu

Another awesome sounding dystopian, already released in the US we'll finally get it this side of the pond. 

Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone

Another contemp I'm really looking forward too

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

I adore her Demon's Lexicon trilogy and this just sounds fantastic.

Aaaand I will force myself to stop there!! What do you think of my list? Leave me the links to your own!

Top 10 of 2011: Characters

Welcome to day 4 of Top 10 of 2011! This week-long event is hosted by Confessions of a Bookaholic, A Life  Bound by Books, Fiktshun and Two Chicks On Books.

Today's post is about our favourite characters from books read in 2011. To avoid repetition, I've left off anyone from my Book Boyfriends list posted yesterday.

These are in no particular order, as I found it too hard to rank them:

1. Mae from The Demon's Lexicon  

Mae really got my back up at first, but by the end of the TDL I really took a shine to her, and by the end of the trilogy I can definitely say she's one of my favourite heroines. I love her strength, her resilience, her determination and her love for her brother.

2. Woolsey Scott from Clockwork Prince

We might have only seen a bit of him, but I loved this character! His dandy-ness really appealed to me, as did his quips and relationship with Magnus. I hope we see a lot more of him in Clockwork
Princess


3. Dru from The Strange Angels series

I'm a huge fan of Dru, she takes no shit from no one and she's so strong despite the constant stream of terrible events in her life. She knows her own mind, sticks to her guns and always puts up a fight. I also really admire how she conducts her affairs of the heart! If you haven't read this series yet you really must.

4. Cole St.Clair from Forever

This is a bit of a cheat one really, because Cole would probably make an extended book boyfriends list. He's got that whole tortured genius vibe that I really like and his relationships with the other characters--especially Isabel--are really interesting.

5. Sydney Sage from Bloodlines

I always identified with Sydney much more than Rose in VA, and I really liked that we got to see more of Sydney in the spin-off. I like how intelligent she is, how competitive and yet how fragile and naive and uncertain she can be as well. I can't wait to see how her character develops in this series.

6. Jamie from The Demon's Lexicon Trilogy

Jamie is just so sweet; he reminds me a bit of my own brother. He's also really funny and fairly brave. I love his tentative friendship with Nick--it's ridiculously cute. Another character that annoyed me a bit at first I'm now a firm Jamie fan.



7. Tessa Gray from Clockwork Angel/Prince  
I really like Tessa, I love her love of books, her resilience and strength. She thinks so little of herself when she's such a great person. She handles Will magnificently and never lets anything faze her.

8. Death from Rage

I really liked the character of Death, whether it was his uncanny resemblance to a certain dead rockstar, or his wit, he was an enigmatic and likeable character.


9. Isabel Culpepper from Forever

Isabel is another non-leading female that I really like. I admire her strength, especially after everything she's been
through, and her snarky sense of humour. I like how she's a bit of a mean girl, and love her interactions with Cole.

10. Tris Prior from Divergent

Tris is another strong female character. Despite lacking physical strength she's brave and thoughtful and very resilient. She doesn't give up even when faced with overwhelming odds and she isn't afraid to feel.

Top 10 of 2011: My Book Boyfriends

Welcome to day 3 of my Top 10 of 2011 lists! You might've noticed I missed yesterday and instead took part in the bloghop giveaway hosted by I am a Reader not a Writer. You can enter my international giveaway here.

So today is the day for book boyfriends, the day we will all swoon, fan ourselves and dream longingly of piercing eyes, chiselled features and washboard abs. Or in my case, of moral-ambiguity, razor sharp wit and emotional deficiencies *fistpump*

So my list, again in reverse order, is:

10. Sean Kendrick from The Scorpio Races

Yep that's right. Sean Kendrick. Why? I honestly don't know. He won me over with his quiet menace and love of animals. You know horses are EXCELLENT judges of character? So yeah, he takes my number 10 spot.

9. Jem Carstairs from The Infernal Devices

Jem is a bit of a departure from tradition for me, what with him being so cheerful and all. But behind that cheerful veneer sits someone fragile and broken in his own way. Plus he's just SO cute. and tragic.

8. Adrian Ivashkov from Bloodlines

Adrian. Sigh. I was team Adrian all the way through VA and then was HEARTBROKEN by Last Sacrifice. But then Richelle redeemed herself with BL. Whilst Adrian is still clearly struggling from the aftermath of LS he was his usual charming and witty self in BL, thus saving his place in my top ten.

7. Christophe from The Strange Angels series

What is it about Christophe that's so appealing? His penchant for uttering endearments in eastern European languages? The smell of baked goods? The fact you're never sure whether he's a good guy or bad? Whatever it is, Christophe is totally swoonworthy. Even if he did have that weird thing with Dru's mother...

6. Magnus Bane from TID/TMI

Ahhh Magnus. He's so..eccentric. I adore his fashion sense, his hilarious one-liners and all that glitter.

5. Will Herondale from TID

Will is just so broken. What you learn about him in CP endears him to you so completely, and at the same time he's such an utter nob. Whether he's singing about Demon Pox, quoting poetry or fighting demons, no one can deny Will's appeal.

4. Four from Divergent

The juvenile part of me really enjoys that Four is at position 4. With his air of quiet intimidation and inscrutable emotions Four is very appealing.

3. Bones from the Night Huntress series

Basically, Spike but much much better. Fit, English, a vampire...what more is there to say? Says bugger a lot.

2. Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries

Damon has been very high on my list since I was about 15. He's dangerous, morally-ambiguous and dead. So basically he's perfect.

1. Nick Ryves from The Demon's Lexicon

Nick is SO complicated. Not to mention totally gorgeous, a fantastic fighter and pretty damn funny. His true nature might be pretty terrifying, but his attempts to humanise himself have to be the sweetest thing I've read this year. Nick tops my book boyfriends list by a mile.

What do you think? Are you shaking your head in horror at my list? Or nodding in fervent agreement? Or sharpening your knives, glaring menacingly in my general direction and muttering "He's mine, biznitch"? Let me know in the comments!

Top 10 of 2011: Best books read in 2011

Happy Boxing Day to those who celebrate it! Whilst I actually wrote this a while ago, today I will be indulging in our traditional Boxing Day lunch of more cheese than the average human consumes in a month, crackers and excessive pickles. Then I'll be going to my grandma and grandad's to eat my second (!) Christmas dinner in 2 days. mmmmm. Hope you all had a fantastic Christmas day and I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's top 10's all week!

Today's top 10 is 'Top 10 books read in 2011'

Now, I've sort of cheated a *bit*, as because I read SO many good series in 2011, the majority of my list is an entire series rather than 10 individual books...but still, I think this is acceptable. ...right?

Anyway, in reverse order, my top ten list is:

10. The Restorer by Amanda Stevens. 

I LOVED this book seriously, I WORSHIP IT. It's got such a fantastic atmosphere, it's so spooky and haunting. The ghost concept is a really intriguing one and I loved the murder mystery aspect.All the information about gravestones and cemeteries and graveyard restoration was really interesting and the deep south setting was perfect.  Technically an adult novel, it's still suitable for mature YA readers and actually, I didn't really FEEL like I was reading an adult novel. Everyone should be reading this.


9. Ultraviolet by R.J Anderson

Such an interesting concept and beautifully, beautifully written. I loved the sci-fi ending and the 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' feel.



8. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern 

So imaginative and whimsical. A perfect mix of literary and commercial, Adult and Young Adult, this book will literally appeal to everyone. With wonderful descriptions of magical circuses and non-chronological storytelling it's a perfect read. A book you really want to savour.

7. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Almost literary in it's prose I adored this latest offering from Maggie Stiefvater. The plot is very creative and the characters very real. It embodies desperation, isolation, hope and love in such a heartbreaking yet endearing way.



6. The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare

This was the first series I could sit and read non-stop (first 3 were released when I eventually got round to them). So fast-paced, well written funny and imaginative, they HAVE to make my top 10 list. City of Bones was actually my first ever review!

5. Defiance&Reckoning (The Strange Angels books 4& 5) by Lili. St.Crow.

I love how action packed this urban fantasy series is. Massively underrated in my opinion, my heart is consistently in my mouth when I read them and I can't turn pages fast enough! Doesn't hurt that Christophe is one of my favourite male characters! I loved the ending for this series.


4. The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins


I know I should've read this series before this year! But I finally have and yeah, wow. I love Katniss as a narrator; she's someone I can really identify with. The concept is fantastic, the writing is poignant and the president downright scary! THG trilogy earns its place in my top 5 for 2011.

3. The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare

Both Cassandra Clare series made my top 10, but it is this, the prequel series, that I love the most. The characterisation feels richer, the plot is deeper, more mysterious and the Victorian London setting really appeals to me. I can't believe we have to wait nearly a year for the final book in the trilogy, but you can bet Clockwork Princess will be making my 2012 favourites list ;)

2. The Demon's Lexicon trilogy by Sarah Rees Brennan

Another series I should've read a long time ago! Perfect YA urban fantasy and based in England to boot! The plots are so complex; full of twists and turns and you never know anyone's motivations/leanings/intentions until the very last moment! Full of hilarious, realistic and raw characters and with some of the funniest one liners I've ever read, everyone should be raving about this trilogy. I can't wait to see what SRB has to offer in 2012.

1. Divergent by Veronica Roth.

Yep, Divergent is my top book of 2011. The first dystopian I'd read in a long time, I feverishly finished it in 4 short hours and then proceeded to force the novel on everyone I've ever met, and some strangers to boot. Who didn't fall in love with Tris and her fierce bravery despite her physical shortcomings? Who didn't swoon over Four and his strong, silent presence? Whose heart wasn't in their mouths throughout this entire book? With intriguing and thought-provoking premise, and language beautiful in its simplicity, Divergent is totally deserving of a number 1 spot.


So there's my list! What do you think? Do you agree/disagree with any of the placements? Is there something I missed off and you cannot believe it wasn't included? Let me know in the comments and leave me links to your own round up posts!