Top 10 Books I’ve read in 2011

I’m so excited to be taking part in Top Ten Week hosted by Jessica from Confessions of a Bookaholic and Lisa from A Life Bound By Books and co-hosted by Rachel from Fiktshun and Jaime & Patricia from Two Chicks on Books. Even though Today is technically the second day of the event, I am playing a bit of catch up so you will see more ‘Top 10’ posts from me today.

I read so many great books this year that it was hard for me to pick my Top 10. I tried to narrow it down to books that were published in 2011 and these are the ones that were the most memorable for me:

10. Trial by Fire, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
This book really surprised me, especially since it’s a sequel (which are usually not as good as the first book) AND I did not love the first in the series. Trial by Fire has tons of action and plot twists that I never saw coming. 

9. Half-Blood, by Jennifer Armentrout
I love mythology so it’s no surprise that more than one books with myth will pop up on my ‘Top 10’ list. I really enjoyed this story and I can’t wait for the sequel!

8. The Lost Saint, by Bree Despain
Technically, this was published at the very end of December 2010 but since I read it this year and loved it, I wanted to include it in my Top 10. While the relationship between the two main characters does hit a rough patch (as is typical in sequels), I still loved it. This entire series is a winner for me.

7. Waterfall, by Lisa T. Bergren
If you are looking for an adventure book with great romance, Waterfall has it all: time travel, gorgeous Italian warriors and kick-butt girls who fight with swords and bow and arrows! I really enjoyed reading this.

6. Delirium, by Lauren Oliver
Another genre that I love is dystopia and while I read and enjoyed many dystopian books this year, Delirium stood out to me mostly because of how beautifully Lauren Oliver writes. Of course, beautiful writing is nothing without an exciting plot and wonderful characters and Delirium has that too.

5. The Iron Queen, by Julie Kagawa
The Iron Fey series is one of my all time favorites and while I love all the books, The Iron Queen was my favorite.

4. Starcrossed, by Josephine Angelini
I can’t get enough Greek mythology and Starcrossed has a lot of what I love: sweeping romance, big feuding families, lots of fighting and great characters. I’m really looking forward to the sequel.

3. There You’ll Find Me, by Jenny B. Jones
There You’ll Find Me made me laugh and cry. It is an awesome feel good book that you don’t know you need until after you finish it. I adored this and can’t wait for the next book from this author.

2. Divergent, by Veronica Roth
There was so much hype about this book and it is very well deserved. It’s exciting and romantic with a crazy good ending that I did not see coming. It’s everything I want in my dystopia. 

1. Daughter of Smoke and Bone, by Laini Taylor
Hands down my favorite of 2011. I had no idea what to really expect with Daughter of Smoke and Bone but I did not expect the awesomeness that I got. This is an intricately woven fantasy that I absolutely loved. The world building is excellent and the plot is fantastic. I cannot wait to read what Laini Taylor has in store for us in the sequel.

 Which books are in your ‘Top 10’ for 2011?

Waiting on Wednesday – Insurgent

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, and specifically spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. This week’s choice is:

Title: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Publisher: HarperCollins
Publish Date: May 28, 2012
Genre: Dystopia, Science Fiction

Summary: One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

I’m sure Insurgent will be a popular Waiting on Wednesday pick this week and it should be. Divergent is one of the best books I have read this year and one of my all time favorites, you can read my review here. Insurgent is one of my most anticipated books for 2012. The cover is amazing (I love gritty/artistic dystopian covers), it complements the Divergent cover and the summary has me dying to get my hands on this book. What books are you guys waiting on?

Book Review: Divergent

Title and Author: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Release Date: May 3, 2011
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 487 pages
Genre: Dystopia, Science Fiction
Rating: 5 stars
Source: Purchased

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.

Divergent is a fast paced, gritty, exciting, awesome thrill ride of a novel. It is the best debut novel I have ever read and one of my favorites this year.

Beatrice/Tris is an amazingly well written character. I love her tenacity and resourcefulness. She knows she has limitations but does not dwell on them, choosing instead to use her assets to their full potential. Her personal fears, hang-ups and her competitiveness with other initiates really humanize her. I love Tris’ internal battles with bravery versus selflessness and the true meanings of those values. I feel this novel goes deeper than the average YA read and speaks volumes about human nature.

Divergent is told from Tris' perspective so we only see Four through her eyes. This first person perspective often leaves other characters under developed, but not here. We really get to know Four and I really like him. He is the perfect combination of quiet strength, power and vulnerability.  

The romance between Tris and Four is done just right. It does not overpower the story because it is not the primary focus. I love how slowly and wonderfully it develops, but I wanted to shake Tris a few times for not realizing that he likes her sooner.

While the action throughout the novel is constant, the end hits hard and fast. It left me feeling like I got off a roller coaster ride, in a good way! This is a must read, dystopia at its very best. Veronica Roth is an amazing author and I am looking forward to reading anything she writes.

Content: Kissing, heavy violence