Best Books I've Read in 2012

This is a week about all the best of 2012, hosted by Two Chicks on Books. You can check out everyone else's top ten lists here!

Best Books I've Read in 2012

(in no particular order...it's hard enough to pick ten, even harder to arrange them in order...)

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Rift by Andrea Cremer

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Armchair BEA: Best of 2012 SO FAR and Giveaway!

I'm combining today's giveaway and best of 2012 post. I'm going to talk about my favorite books so far this year and then I'll give away one of them!

So let's start with the absolutely stunning debut of Veronica Rossi's Under the Never Sky. Absolutely brilliant - dystopia mixed with fantasy mixed with adventure mixed with Perry, add a strong heroine and squeeze in a few cannibals and some acid rain and you have yourself a fabulous book. It also helps that the writing is flawless.

This has also been an incredible year for contemporaries - four of my favorites are contemps. The first is the lyrical Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley. The writing is exceptional and the story is so wonderful. It's a great, artistic book. And then of course, Wanderlove by Kristin Hubbard. Amazing. Makes me want to drop everything and just be a global wanderer. Then there's M. Molly Backes debut, The Princesses of Iowa. I wasn't expecting a lot from this book and it totally shook my foundation. I've been pushing it on to everyone I can - especially my high school English teacher friends. I haven't reviewed it yet, but Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols, out in July, is another superb Echols novel. Her books are always quick to be my favorites and Such a Rush is second only to Going Too Far in my heart.

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers. Assassin nuns. 'Nuff said.

I've always loved Robin Hood stories, but Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen is my new favorite. Will Scarlet will never be a man in my mind ever again. And that portrayal of Robin is pretty dang dreamy. \

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (which happens to be hitting shelves today) is high fantasy at its best. This book was so beautiful and so vivid. It's hard to believe that this world doesn't exist somewhere.

Finally, this is a year for the second book. Lots of sequels out - some have lived up to the first book - but these two surpassed the introduction and have earned their place in my favorites. The first is Timepiece by Myra McEntire. I loved Emerson's voice in Hourglass so I was worried about the POV switch. But that risk just made this series unique and that much stronger. Finally, Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver was an exceptional sequel. Delirium was good, not great. Pandemonium was superb.

OH and let's not forget The Selection by Kiera Cass. I may or may not be mildly obsessed with this book...

So there you go. My top books of 2012 so far. Now, I'll be giving away one of these books - if you win, you get to choose. Any listed above are up for grabs. Must be 13 to enter and it's international as long as Book Depository ships to you. This is going to be a quick contest and it will be closed to entries at 12:01 AM on Sunday, June 10. I'll contact the winner by email. Winner must respond within 48 hours or I wil choose a new winner.

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March Top 5

March was a busy month for me. I worked a ton and spent quite a bit of time working on applications and searching for a future. Compared to February, I've read so little. But there were some really amazing books in there. If you want to see my list of books read this month you can click on the "Read in 2012" tab - but here are the ones I've chosen as my top five reads for this month.

1. The Selection by Kiera Cass

I'm obsessed. OBSESSED. I read the book and then spent the rest of the day looking at pictures from the cast and the set. I so hope the CW picks up this show because I need fuel for my obsession. I'm just so in love with these characters. I'll have a review up soon - and the book will be released on April 24 and I HIGHLY recommend that you pick it up!

2. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Oh my gosh. Delirium was great, but Pandemonium blew me away. It was so good, so intense, and if possible this ending was way more cruel than the first book, which, who knew that was even possible? Read my review here. 

3. A Touch Morbid by Leah Clifford

Same thing with the Delirium series. I really liked A Touch Mortal, but in A Touch Morbid, Leah Clifford really upped her game. Plus, the Luke-Kristen story that develops here - um, I'd like more of that please. Read my review here. 

4. Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

I've travelled quite a bit and this book just captures the magic of discovering new places perfectly. It makes you want to get up and go find friends, see awesome things, gather experiences. Read my review here. 

5. Dreamless by Josephine Angelini 

Well, this isn't out until the end of May, but once I had a copy, no way was I waiting. And holy wow, it was just as epic as Starcrossed. I'm so in awe of this series. Awesome awesome awesome. I'll have a review up in a couple weeks.

And my honorable mentions (because these books rocked my face off too).

 

What were your top reads this month?

Wanderlove - Kirsten Hubbard

Synopsis: It all begins with a stupid question: 
Are you a Global Vagabond? 
No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path. 
Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward. 
But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back. (From Goodreads)

I put off reading this one for a really long time because I knew it was going to be amazing. Makes sense right? It does - I promise. Here's what I mean: I get restless very quickly. I'm the anywhere but here girl - no matter where I'm living I tend to feel ready to move on after a few months. I love to travel. I love new places and seeing new things. So I knew I would read this book and it would be amazing and it would fuel my restlessness.

Which is exactly what it did. It's the kind of book that makes you want to give up everything you own and just wander. It's about meeting people, taking chances, seeking out new things, and letting yourself just be who you are no matter where you are. I've done my fair share of traveling, mostly in Europe. I've backpacked, I've lived in Spain, I've done day trips and weekends. I've flown in planes with pilots who I swear never learned how to properly land  a plane, I've ridden on local buses, been in cars with drivers who like to have close personal relationships with the side of mountains, and slept (or at least drifted in and out of consciousness) on a bunk in a train sleeper car. I've traveled. And this book captures what it is to be a traveler perfectly. All the emotions of learning a new place, feeling a little helpless, and then all the wonderfulness that occurs once you open yourself to new people and experiences - those things are all so vivid and punctuated here.

Bria is the perfect character to bring these things to life. She's at that crossroads where high school is over and she's ready to shed that past and become someone different. She's also spent a good amount of time in a relationship with someone who made her feel worthless. So it was so beautiful to watch her growth and for her to come to realize that she's strong enough to travel on her own and open up her life to change - to embrace who she really is. And Rowan, who's an experienced traveler who is the perfect character to lead Bria through her transformation. The way Bria and Rowan's relationship unfolded was just as awe-inspiring as being in a new country. The actual journey paired with their relationship was wonderfully complimentary and made every emotion in this book so poignant that, even though it wasn't meant to be a sad story, I found myself crying at the end when things got intense.

There were so many moments in this book where I just thought, this is it - this is why people travel - but this one is my favorite:

"'I think I kind of get it,' I say. 'Your Wanderlove thing...It's about always looking to the future. You can appreciate the good things all around you, but the best part is imminent, just out of reach. Like...perpetual anticipation'" (Quoted from the e-galley). 

I want everyone to read this book - whether you've traveled or not - whether you're dying to go or have no desire to - I swear you'll find something in this book that speaks to you. If you're anything like me it'll make you want to get up and go explore the world. Finally - I definitely recommend that you check out the Wanderlove Tumblr page where you can submit your own travel photos and see the places others love. Wanderlove is out tomorrow (March 13) so pick up a copy and start your travels.