My Top 10 Favorites of 2012! {+1}

2012 is coming to an end after a year which consisted of ups and downs.

I've got to say, I've read some pretty fabulous books this year, some books made me cry, some books tore my heart out and other books which still have me wanting to know more. Out of my great list of books I read this year there are definitely a few that I totally fell in love with. I mean like absolutely head over heels kind of love. The type of love that makes you want to scream out the name of book on rooftops and skyscrapers. Yes, I loved them that much.

In total I roughly read around 50 books this year and they were all mostly Young Adult fiction.

My 10 WILD FANTABULOUS favourites of this year, in no particular order:

1. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver:
It had the right amount of action, romance, adventure, awesomeness and an added bonus of a deadly cliffhanger (I'm actually surprised I survived the end of the book)










2. Looking for Alaska by John Green:
This was the first EVER John Green book I read and seriously, it was amazing and emotional. I have now gone on to becoming a nerdfighter!

3. The DUFF by Kody Keplinger:

I have to say, The Duff was one of those reads you just picked up in a random state of mind then somehow along the journey of reading it, you realise how much you actually like it. It's the kind of book that keeps you up all night just to see what happens in the end, I loved it a grand amount.







4. Forgotten by Cat Patrick:
I was recommended this book by a friend and I sure was not disappointed. The book had this unique feel to it. It carried this sense of simplicity but unravelled this complex plot that really stood out and kept me hooked.








5. Hallowed by Cynthia Hand:
This was another book that I read that was the second in a series. Well, the amount of emotions this book conveyed to me was scary, every time I would sit to read it I was overcome with all the emotions that the book held and Cynthia Hand managed to break my heart numerous times while reading it.







6. For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund:
This book was also recommended to me by a friend and I sure was surprised by it. The book was so beautifully written and created this new and unique world for the reader. It was an amazing read!







7. Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry:
I have to say this book tugged at so many heart strings, I was literally feeling all the emotions the characters were feeling. Noah and Echo were the type of characters that stay in your mind long after you finish reading the book.








8. Insurgent by Veronica Roth:
I actually liked Insurgent better than the first book, I was totally gripped from start to finish and it was a rollercoaster I was glad to be on.









9. Speechless by Hannah Harrington:
I was actually blown away by how much I actually loved Speechless. It was simple and beautiful with a powerful message. Hannah Harrington also managed to make her way onto my list of favourite authors as well.









10. Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett:
This book was a simple and fun read which I read from start to finish within a day which included staying up late into the night.

+11. A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger:
I had to add this one onto my list because I only finished it the day before and I can't explain how much I loved it. It's fabulous on so many levels and I can say for sure that I would read any book written by Kody Keplinger.

What I am reading? {Anthologies I want to read}

Since making the list of anthologies/short stories I wanted to read (2012/2013 edition), I thought I should keep myself updated as well as the blog by recording the progress I make with the list so far. At the moment I have been busy with exams so reading anthologies/short stories is a great way for me to relax after a stressful day of revision.
:
The first anthology I picked up to read is GIRL MEETS BOY:
 

What do guys and girls really think? Twelve of the most dynamic and engaging YA authors writing today team up for this one-of-a-kind collection of "he said/she said" stories-he tells it from the guy's point of view, she tells it from the girl's. These are stories of love and heartbreak. There's the good-looking jock who falls for a dangerous girl, and the flipside, the toxic girl who never learned to be loved; the basketball star and the artistic (and shorter) boy she never knew she wanted; the gay boy looking for love online and the girl who could help make it happen. Each story in this unforgettable collection teaches us that relationships are complicated-because there are two sides to every story. (Goodreads)

 

So far I've read two and a half of the stories in the anthology. One thing that strikes me about the collection was how there is actually diversity within the stories. I haven't come to read the short stories with people of colour yet but the summary for each short story clearly pointed that out for me. I am definitely looking forward to reading those particular stories.

 

The first and second story that I've read are both based on the same relationship but is in the point of view of the boy and then the girl. I think there was some realism to the story especially about insecurities. However, one thing I realised was the cover doesn't reflect what I've read so far. There are more darker notes to this collection and the romance isn't played out massively like I expected. I hope to carry on and see where the other stories take me.

 

 

Review: Forgotten by Cat Patrick

Title: Forgotten
Author: Cat Patrick
Publisher: Little Brown Books
Publication Date: June 7, 2011
Page Count: 304
Buy The Book: Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Every night, while sixteen-year-old London Lane is asleep, her memory of that day is erased. In the morning, all she can "remember" are events from her future. London is used to relying on reminder notes and a trusted friend to get through the day, but things get complicated when a new boy at school enters the picture. Logan Henry is not someone you'd easily forget, yet try as she might, London can't find him in her memories of things to come.
When London starts experiencing disturbing flashbacks, or flash-forwards, as the case may be, she realizes it's time to learn about the past she keeps forgetting--before it destroys her future.
Favourite Quotes

“Tears upon tears splat on to the lined pages in my hands as I read about a nightmare come true. Quickly, I wipe away the saltwater so it won't fade the ink. Because even as my chest caves in and makes me hate the chipper birds and everything else, I know that I needed to read this today, and I need to read it again tomorrow. For me, reading is remembering.”
“The boy in the closet is your boyfriend. He loves you and will tell you all about last night.” 

“Funny how possibility can lift you. Funny how reality can slam you down.”

Few Wild Words Quickie

Unique and the simplicty of it is beautiful.

My Thoughts

When I read the summary for FORGOTTEN it came across as very different to many young adult books I've read and I just knew I had to read it. I was also recommended the book by one of my friends so I thought it would be definitely worth picking up.

FORGOTTEN by Cat Patrick is a simple but in some way a complex read that was beautifully written and completely captured my attention. As soon as I started the book I was already intriguied by London's lifestyle. What very much striked me as odd (in a good way) was how the author managed to weave in noramlity into London's life even though what she was experiencing was in some sense abnormal.

Cat Patrick unravels London's past and background slowly which kept me on the edge of my seat and had me wanting to know more. Each piece of her past is slowly pieced together and beautifully developed through the course of the book. For me, I felt the second half of the book was extremely emotional, it tugged at many heart strings and it also managed to break my heart.

As you get further into the book you come to love the characters especially as some are either simply loving and caring while others were definitely misunderstood. London and Luke's relationship was sweet and made me wish I could have something as wonderful as theirs. It made me sad to know that London had to continuously forget all the beautiful moments in her life and all she had was notes. The worst was having to experience the horrible memories every day and feel the endless pain. However, I also envied her ever so slightly because she was able to feel everything all over again as though she was experiencing it for the first time like falling in love again.

The whole concept that London was not able to remember the past but could see the future definitely opened up many oppurtunities for plot twists and I was seriously not let down. The sub plot that surrounded around her best friend Jamie was also interesting seeing developed. 

I loved the book a lot and recommend you pick it up and give it a try. I am looking forward to reading more books by Cat Patrick!

Links
Goodreads
Cat Patrick Website

5 Short Stories/Anthologies I want to read {2012/2013 List}

I love reading collections of short stories/anthologies but recently I haven't really read many. I looked through my list of books I want to read and picked 5 short story collections I want to read this year as well as next year.

1. Corsets and Clockwork:

Dark, urban fantasies come to life in the newest collection of Steampunk stories, Corsets & Clockwork. Young heroes and heroines battle evils with the help of supernatural or super-technological powers, each individual story perfectly balancing historical and fantastical elements. Throw in epic romances that transcend time, and this trendy, engrossing anthology is sure to become another hit for the fast-growing Steampunk genre! This collection features some of the hottest writers in the teen genre, including: Ann Aguirre, Jaclyn Dolamore, Tessa Gratton, Frewin Jones, Caitlin Kittredge, Adrienne Kress, Lesley Livingston, Dru Pagliassotti, Dia Reeves, Michael Scott, Maria V. Snyder, Tiffany Trent, and Kiersten White.

2.  Girl Meets Boy:

What do guys and girls really think? Twelve of the most dynamic and engaging YA authors writing today team up for this one-of-a-kind collection of "he said/she said" stories-he tells it from the guy's point of view, she tells it from the girl's. These are stories of love and heartbreak. There's the good-looking jock who falls for a dangerous girl, and the flipside, the toxic girl who never learned to be loved; the basketball star and the artistic (and shorter) boy she never knew she wanted; the gay boy looking for love online and the girl who could help make it happen. Each story in this unforgettable collection teaches us that relationships are complicated-because there are two sides to every story.



3. The Fierce Reads Anthology:

This anthology includes short stories from five fierce young adult authors! Inside, you’ll find a magical mermaid tale from Anna Banks, a fantastical Russian-influenced story from Leigh Bardugo, an electric thriller from Jennifer Bosworth, a post-apocalyptic drama from Emmy Laybourne, and a cybernetic fairytale from Marissa Meyer. This free anthology will give you an exciting taste of the fierceness of these authors’ debut novels.








4. After:

If the melt-down, flood, plague, the third World War, new Ice Age, Rapture, alien invasion, clamp-down, meteor, or something else entirely hit today, what would tomorrow look like? Some of the biggest names in YA and adult literature answer that very question in this short story anthology, each story exploring the lives of teen protagonists raised in catastrophe’s wake—whether set in the days after the change, or decades far in the future.

New York Times bestselling authors Gregory Maguire, Garth Nix, Susan Beth Pfeffer, Carrie Ryan, Beth Revis, and Jane Yolen are among the many popular and award-winning storytellers lending their talents to this original and spellbinding anthology.



5. Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories:

Imagine an alternate universe where romance and technology reign. Where tinkerers and dreamers craft and re-craft a world of automatons, clockworks, calculating machines, and other marvels that never were. Where scientists and schoolgirls, fair folk and Romans, intergalactic bandits, utopian revolutionaries, and intrepid orphans solve crimes, escape from monstrous predicaments, consult oracles, and hover over volcanoes in steam-powered airships. Here, fourteen masters of speculative fiction, including two graphic storytellers, embrace the genre's established themes and refashion them in surprising ways and settings as diverse as Appalachia, ancient Rome, future Australia, and alternate California. Visionaries Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant have invited all-new explorations and expansions, taking a genre already rich, strange, and inventive in the extreme and challenging contributors to remake it from the ground up. The result is an anthology that defies its genre even as it defines it.

Have you read any of the above?

Which captures your attention?

My Book Boyfriend #10 {Philip Wyndham}

My Book Boyfriend is a weekly meme hosted by Missie @ The Unread Reader and Lesley @ My Keeper Shelf. This meme is one of my favourites because it gives me the chance to show off some of the many awesome book boyfriends there are out there. 
 
I started reading Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson about a week ago and I am thoroughly enjoying it so far, I have a feeling that I may end up sheding a few tears of happiness at the end of the book. I have recently rediscovered my love for Historical fiction after a long time. I can't wait to continue to explore the genre, if you have any recommendations I would love to know.
 
Now moving onto the book boyfriend I have chosen this week!
 
I present to you...
 

Philip Wyndham
 
- Most definitely a charming gentleman
- Totally swoon worthy character
- Ever so romantic
- Loyal
- Honest
- Handsome
- I MEAN REALLY HANDSOME, THE TYPE THAT DRIVES YOU CRAZY HANDSOME!
 
When I was choosing quotes to add I kind of had my eyes half shut because I didn't want to read the quotes that appear later on in the book just yet. I did sneak a peek at some and I had to fan myself ever so slightly because of how perfect some of them were.
 
Quotes:
 
“Isn't that what a gentleman does? Rescues a damsel in distress?”
 
“Did you need something?' I asked.
'Yes,' he said, reaching out and taking my hand. My heart thumped hard at his touch. I told myself I should pull my hand away, but I couldn't make myself do it.
'What did you need?' My voice was little more than a whisper.
'Your smile. I haven't seen it all day.”
 
“To my unsuspecting love.
When I look into your eyes, I lose all sense of time and place. Reason robbed, clear thought erased, I am lost in the paradise I find within your gaze.
I long to touch your blushing cheek, to whisper in your ear how I adore you, how I have lost my heart to you, how I cannot bear the thought of living without you.
To be so near to you without touching you is agony. Your blindness to my feelings is a daily torment, and I feel driven to the edge of madness by my love for you.
Where is your compassion when I need it most? Open your eyes , Love, and see what is right before you: that I am not merely a friend, but a man deeply, desperately , in love with you.
Longing for you.” 
 
Just admit you swooned reading at least one of those quotes!