Happy New Year, Bookworms! Welcome to the new decade.
What books did you enjoy reading this year? I discovered so many fabulous titles and authors. If I could, I'd have a huge list of favorites. To keep this post relatively short, however, I'll choose three YA titles and three "adult" titles. I've further narrowed the list down to books that either launched in hardcover or were reissued in paperback form.
The following is, of course, just my opinion. What books did *I* enjoy the most this year? In no particular order:
A d u l t :
*Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier: (New in Paperback) Who doesn't love the epic, sweeping romance of Beauty and the Beast...that breaks the traditional mold AND has a little Celtic history in it? This was my first time reading Marillier, and I went on to read all her other stuff this past summer (but it was backlist, so I never reviewed it...)
*Room by Emma Donoghue: (New in Hardcover) A stunningly realistic portrayal of the greatest nightmare that can befall an individual. Told through the eyes of a five-year-old, this hard-hitting novel is made all the more poignant.
The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón: (New in Paperback) There's no review link because I read this before I had the blog, but this book is absolutely worth all the accolades it received. It's a book about, well, books. We need more novels in the world featuring such a glorious subject! With vivid language, Barcelona springs to life in an intriguing new way. I couldn't put this down and wish I could have reviewed it for you! (But the original cover is so much better than the new one. I love all the books on the cover and the way the dust jacket is smaller than the book, allowing the images on the cover itself to peek through...so I posted them both. The red cover is the new one.)
Y A :
*Matched by Ally Condie: (New in Hardcover) Seriously, you saw this one coming, right? Fantastic novel, well worth the wait. An intriguing new entry in the Dystopian genre, one that leaves you wondering what on earth is going to happen to the characters in book two.
*The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney: (New in Hardcover) I don't know what I was expecting when I picked up this novel, but my expectations were more than met. I LOVE the way Whitney relates the novel to Harper Lee's classic To Kill a Mockingbird and thought The Mockingbirds were a well-constructed group. The plot was intriguing and kept me turning the pages long after I should have gone to bed.
*Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper: (New in Hardcover) After reading this book, you'll never misjudge someone with a disability again. Gripping and poignant, one of the most emotional books I read this year. A precious gem of a book that more people need to read!
U p c o m i n g A R C :
Delirium by Lauren Oliver: (New in Hardcover, Feb. 1) Okay, so I've only read three ARCs for 2011 so far, but of those, this was my favorite. If you liked Matched, you should be itching to pick this one up in February. It's even BETTER. Another new trilogy in the Dystopian Genre, this one focuses on a disease called Amor Deliria Nervosa (or, in our society, our ability to love) and society must remove the part of your brain that triggers such negative emotions upon a citizen's eighteenth birthday. For a taste of this amazing book, click here to read the first three chapters now.
What books did you enjoy reading this year? I discovered so many fabulous titles and authors. If I could, I'd have a huge list of favorites. To keep this post relatively short, however, I'll choose three YA titles and three "adult" titles. I've further narrowed the list down to books that either launched in hardcover or were reissued in paperback form.
The following is, of course, just my opinion. What books did *I* enjoy the most this year? In no particular order:
A d u l t :
*Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier: (New in Paperback) Who doesn't love the epic, sweeping romance of Beauty and the Beast...that breaks the traditional mold AND has a little Celtic history in it? This was my first time reading Marillier, and I went on to read all her other stuff this past summer (but it was backlist, so I never reviewed it...)
*Room by Emma Donoghue: (New in Hardcover) A stunningly realistic portrayal of the greatest nightmare that can befall an individual. Told through the eyes of a five-year-old, this hard-hitting novel is made all the more poignant.
The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón: (New in Paperback) There's no review link because I read this before I had the blog, but this book is absolutely worth all the accolades it received. It's a book about, well, books. We need more novels in the world featuring such a glorious subject! With vivid language, Barcelona springs to life in an intriguing new way. I couldn't put this down and wish I could have reviewed it for you! (But the original cover is so much better than the new one. I love all the books on the cover and the way the dust jacket is smaller than the book, allowing the images on the cover itself to peek through...so I posted them both. The red cover is the new one.)
Y A :
*Matched by Ally Condie: (New in Hardcover) Seriously, you saw this one coming, right? Fantastic novel, well worth the wait. An intriguing new entry in the Dystopian genre, one that leaves you wondering what on earth is going to happen to the characters in book two.
*The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney: (New in Hardcover) I don't know what I was expecting when I picked up this novel, but my expectations were more than met. I LOVE the way Whitney relates the novel to Harper Lee's classic To Kill a Mockingbird and thought The Mockingbirds were a well-constructed group. The plot was intriguing and kept me turning the pages long after I should have gone to bed.
*Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper: (New in Hardcover) After reading this book, you'll never misjudge someone with a disability again. Gripping and poignant, one of the most emotional books I read this year. A precious gem of a book that more people need to read!
U p c o m i n g A R C :
Delirium by Lauren Oliver: (New in Hardcover, Feb. 1) Okay, so I've only read three ARCs for 2011 so far, but of those, this was my favorite. If you liked Matched, you should be itching to pick this one up in February. It's even BETTER. Another new trilogy in the Dystopian Genre, this one focuses on a disease called Amor Deliria Nervosa (or, in our society, our ability to love) and society must remove the part of your brain that triggers such negative emotions upon a citizen's eighteenth birthday. For a taste of this amazing book, click here to read the first three chapters now.
Thank you so much for your comment on The Story Siren! I'm so honored and excited that you've been hand selling my book at your B&N!!! That means so much to me!
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