The Best of 2012

It's nearly the end of 2012, and the start of a new year that promises the release of so many good books! I'm excited for the change, but I don't want to let go of what a great year this has been; so what better way to celebrate than to look back over all the books I have read this year, and choose some of my favourites for a spotlight?

Top Five Anticipated Releases of 2012

books that i eagerly awaited the release of

5. Reached by Ally Condie - I adored Matched, was disappointed with Crossed, but could not resist buying Reached! Look out for a review sometime this year.
4. City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare - The first three of the trilogy were amazing, but the fourth and fifth really disappointed me. Here's to hoping that the last installment, City of Heavenly Fire, ends the series off with a bang!
3. Hidden by P.C. and Kristin Cast - The House of Night series was starting to become dreary, but Destined really upped its game. I've recently bought Hidden, so fingers crossed!
2. Dreamless by Josephine Angelini - This was the first proof copy of a book I ever received, and what an amazing read it was! I possibly liked it more than Starcrossed, the book that started it all, which is a rarity. Definitely worth a read.
1. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green - Green is my favourite author, and I waited ages for this release - and it didn't disappoint! I have a signed hardback copy, and I treasure it with my all; brilliant novel, brilliant man.

Obsidian by Jennifer L.Armentrout

Title: Obsidian
Author: Jennifer L.Armentrout
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Released: November 23rd 2011
Pages: 271 (Kindle)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US


Starting over sucks.
When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.
And then he opened his mouth.
Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens. 
The hot alien living next door marks me.
You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. 
If I don't kill him first, that is.

Stacking the Shelves (#5)

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews where bloggers get together and show off what new reads are stacking up on their shelves.

CHRISTMAS HAUL! So for Christmas, I didn't get loads of books (well, not as many as I usually get, which is pretty much waves) down to the fact that a) I have about 50 to read on my shelf, and b) I've worked in Waterstones over Christmas; I'm constantly surrounded by books. However, with the Kindle voucher I received as well as some money, I've gathered together a pretty massive haul - and I have already begun to work my way through it!

Christmas Gifts:

Wreck This Journal by Keri Smith (from my mum)
This Is Not A Book by Keri Smith (from my mum)
Batman: Arkham Asylum by Grant Morrison (from my dad)
Tessa of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy (from my mum)
Kindle voucher (from my mum):

• Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
• Legend by Marie Lu
• Perfect Chemistry by Simone Ekleles
• Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Bought by Me:
Hidden by P.C. and Kristin Cast
The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore
Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
The Immortals by Julie Kagawa

Borrowed:
The Silver Linings Playbook by (from my mum)

From Author:
Splintered by A.G.Howard (thank you sososo much, Anita!)
Signed Hysteria bookmarks from Megan Miranda (thank you!)

From Netgalley:
And All The Stars by Andrea K Höst (self-published)

Yeah...I think this is possibly my biggest haul yet? How will I get through them all -  where do I start? What books have you received over the Christmas period? Leave a comment below, and Happy New Year!

Follow Friday (#18)

Feature & Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read where you meet and follow different bloggers.

Question of the Week: What book do you think everyone should read? If you could gift the entire population with one book?

The obvious answer would be Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - but considering everyone has already read the series (that is a hint for those who haven't!) so my answer would have to be Before I Die by Jenny Downham. I haven't read the book in a few years, so I therefore haven't got a review to link you to, but it was seriously brilliant. Even after all this time, I'm still reeling from it. Note to self - read it again soon!

So what book would you suggest I read? Leave a comment below, and don't forget to check out the New Year, New Books! giveaway - there are only four days left to enter!

Waiting on Wednesday (#26)

'Waiting on Wednesday' is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Follow Friday (#17)

Feature & Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read where you meet and follow different bloggers.

Question of the Week: What have you learned from book blogging that you didn't know before about the publishing industry?

Well, I never knew what ARC meant, for sure! I think the best thing I've learnt about the publishing world is how accessible it is. When I used to just read novels, you'd see all these big names - HarperCollins, Bloomsbury, Simon & Schuster - and they'd just seem so foreign and, frankly, intimidating. Since I started Project Read and Review, I've talked to so many publishing companies, and now I know how lovely all the workers there are, and how easy it is to talk to them. The same goes for authors - they're not just a name on a book cover, they are actually real people who do have the time of day to talk to you. 

So what have you learnt from book blogging? Post a comment below - and don't forget to enter my New Year, New Books! giveaway.

Undeadly by Michele Vail

Title: Undeadly
Author: Michele Vail
Publisher: Harlequin
Released: November 20th 2012
Pages: 304 (eBook)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US

Molly Bartolucci wants to blend in, date hottie Rick and keep her zombie-raising abilities on the down-low. Then the god Anubis chooses her to become a reaper—and she accidentally undoes the work of another reaper, Rath. Within days, she's shipped off to the Nekyia Academy, an elite boarding school that trains the best necromancers in the world. And her personal reaping tutor? Rath. 

Life at Nekyia has its plusses. Molly has her own personal ghoul, for one. Rick follows her there out of the blue, for another...except, there's something a little off about him. When students at the academy start to die and Rath disappears, Molly starts to wonder if anything is as it seems. Only one thing is certain—-Molly's got an undeadly knack for finding trouble.

Stacking the Shelves (#4)

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews where bloggers get together and show off what new reads are stacking up on their shelves.

Sneak by Evan Angler (from Thomas Nelson via Netgalley)
Geek Girl by Holly Smale (from HarperCollins via Netgalley)
The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa (from Harlequin via Netgalley)

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Title: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares
Authors: Rachel Cohn, David Levithan
Publisher: Mira Ink
Released: October 26th 2010
Pages: 274 (Kindle)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US

“I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

Lies by Michael Grant

Title: Lies
Author: Michael Grant
Publisher: HarperCollins
Released: May 4th 2010
Pages: 472 (Hardcover)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US

It happens in one night: a girl who died now walks among the living, Zil and the Human Crew set fire to Perdido Beach, and amid the flames and smoke, Sam sees the figure of the boy he fears the most - Drake. But Sam and Caine defeated him along with the Darkness - or so they thought. As Perdido Beach burns, battles rage: Astrid against the Town Council; the Human Crew versus the mutants; and Sam against Drake. And the prophetess Orsay and her companion, Nerezza, are preaching that death will set them all free. As life in the FAYZ becomes more desperate, no one knows who they can trust.

Follow Friday (#16)

Feature & Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read where you meet and follow different bloggers.

Question of the Week: What is the last book that made you cry? Tell us about the scene...

Oh dear. Is it sad to admit that I cry a lot at books? I think the last one I cried at was The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. There wasn't a specific scene - it's about World War II, how can you not cry at pretty much everything? But I remember four scenes that really set me off. Not to post spoilers, but the first one was about Max, the second was about Hans, the third...the third really got the waterworks going, and it was again about Max (yes, favourite character right there!), and the last was the scene with Rudy...if you've read it; yeah, that scene.

However, my all-time worst tear-jerker was My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. I kid you not when I say that I finished it and just wept - I was literally hysterical. How lovely.

So what books are your ultimate tear-jerkers? Leave a comment below, and don't forget to enter the New Year, New Books! giveaway!

Waiting on Wednesday (#25)

'Waiting on Wednesday' is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Struck By Lightning by Chris Colfer

Title: Struck By Lightning
Author: Chris Colfer
Publisher: Atom
Released: November 20th 2012
Pages: 272 (Paperback)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US

Struck By Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal follows the story of outcast high school senior Carson Phillips, who blackmails the most popular students in his school into contributing to his literary journal to bolster his college application; his goal in life is to get into Northwestern and eventually become the editor of The New Yorker. At once laugh-out-loud funny, deliciously dark, and remarkably smart, Struck By Lightning unearths the dirt that lies just below the surface of high school. At a time when bullying torments so many young people today, this unique and important novel sheds light with humor and wit on an issue that deeply resonates with countless teens and readers.

The Hobbit by J.R.R.Tolkien

Title: The Hobbit
Author: J.R.R.Tolkien
Publisher: HarperCollins
Released: September 21st 1937
Pages: 277 (Paperback)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US

Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely travelling further than the pantry of his hobbit-hole in Bag End. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard, Gandalf, and a company of thirteen dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an unexpected journey ‘there and back again’. They have a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon...

I feel quite disappointed in myself, based on the fact that after years of owning a copy of this book, I only picked it up so that I could go and watch The Hobbit in the cinema (I love Martin Freeman, sue me!). But OH MY GIDDY GOSH this novel was and is amazing! I can't believe it took a bloody film to rouse me round into reading it! If you're planning on going to see the film, I implore you to read it first - even if Christmas shopping has made you broke, go to your closest library, I'm sure they'll have several gazillion copies. This is a must-read.

New Year, New Books! Giveaway

(image originally from: http://2dhouse.com/blog/2011/04/)

I think this may be my best giveaway yet! Until today, I didn't know whether I'd be able to run this - but I can, and I am so excited! The giveaway, as the title suggests, is to celebrate the coming of a new year - new year, new start, right? So many great books are set to be published in 2013, so I want to celebrate all the great releases from this year and all years previous. Below there is a very bad video you can watch (and get distracted by the annoying laptop reflection in my glasses!) or you can read the rules written below and check out the prize packs!

Stacking the Shelves (#3)

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews where bloggers get together and show off what new reads are stacking up on their shelves.

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (from the library)
Lies by Michael Grant (from the library)
The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson (from HarperCollins via Netgalley)
Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (from Harlequin via Netgalley)
Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry (from Harlequin via Netgalley)
Shadowhunters and Downhunters by Cassandra Clare (from Smart Pop Books via Netgalley)
Devil's Bargain by Rachel Caine (from Harlequin via Netgalley)
Reached by Ally Condie (bought by me)
Struck by Lightning by Chris Colfer (bought by me)

So what's stacking up your shelves today? Leave a comment below!

Hysteria by Megan Miranda

Title: Hysteria
Author: Megan Miranda
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release: February 5th 2013
Pages: 272 (Paperback)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US

Mallory's life is falling apart. Her boyfriend was stabbed. He bled to death in her kitchen. Mallory was the one who stabbed him. But she can't remember what happened that night. She only remembers the fear ...When Mallory's parents send her away to a boarding school, she thinks she can escape the gossip and the threats. But someone, or something, has followed her. There's the hand that touches her shoulder when she's drifting off to sleep. A voice whispering her name. And everyone knows what happened. So when a pupil is found dead, Mallory's name is on their lips. Her past can be forgotten but it's never gone. Can Mallory live with that?

Waiting on Wednesday (#24)

'Waiting on Wednesday' is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Title: The Name of the Star
Author: Maureen Johnson
Publisher: HarperCollins
Released: September 29th 2011
Pages: 374 (Paperback)
Buy: Amazon


The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago. 

Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

Book of the Month: November

I read a lot of brilliant novels this month, but only two really stood out for me, and both for very different reasons. I rated both Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas and The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath five stars because although nothing alike, they were both interesting and excellently written. But although I did thoroughly enjoy both of them, there is still a clear winner to me.

Throne of Glass was the first novel I read this month, but it has stuck with me all this time. The concept was so unique that Maas had me hooked right from the beginning. I loved all of the characters, the descriptions were fabulous, and the whole world she created was so well thought-out, it may as well have been real. If you haven't read Throne of Glass, you must add it to your TBR list immediately! It is definitely worth it.