2011 Favorites: Favorite Books

For the last week of 2011, I'm not posting any of my normal reviews, etc. but do some lists of my favorite books of 2011. You can check out the earlier posts in the series here.


For the last post in the series I'm making a list of my absolute favorites of the year. I tried to shorten it as much as possible, but it's still too long - I just read too many amazing books this year!


The links will take you to my reviews.

Hold Still by Nina LaCour


I often don't even know yet how amazing a book is when I finish it, and only when I see I'm still thinking about it a week later do I see how great the book is. That's what happened with Hold Still - for some reason, I only gave it four stars, even though it's a five-star-book if I ever saw one. It's amazingly raw and honest and one of my favorites of the year!

The DUFF by Kody Keplinger


The DUFF isn't as emotional as some of the other books on this list, but it's so, so much fun. The characters, the idea and the writing are amazing and made me fall in love with this book.

Brooklyn, Burning by Steve Brezenoff


This book is... just wow. It's impossible to explain how great this book is. It's subtle and beautiful - also the kind of book whose greatness you can't even see until after you've turned the last page.



My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult


I have the worst memory ever, and I often don't remember a thing about a book I read two years ago. That's probably why a lot of the books on these lists are books I read towards the end of 2011 - I just don't remember what I loved so much about the ones I read in the beginning. But My Sister's Keeper is the first book I read this year, and I still remember exactly what made me love it so much, and that's saying something. Emotional and beautiful, this is probably my favorite non-YA book ever.

Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John


Five Flavors of Dumb is one of the most life-affirming books I've ever read. It's just so much fun and made me want to get up and dance and just go crazy.



Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher


I know, everyone has already read this one, but it's too amazing not to mention. I love the idea of merging Clay's and Hannah's stories. Thirteen Reasons Why is hauntingly beautiful.






Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler


Twenty Boy Summer is just so beautiful. I know, that word is totally overused, but that's exactly what this book is. It's the perfect mixture of a sweet summer romance and an emotional depiction of grief. I want to hug this book and never let it go.



The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson


This book has one of the best, most honest and beautiful portrayals of grief ever. I bawled while reading The Sky Is Everywhere - the feelings are just so real. It's not all giref and depressing, though - there's also some nice romance and a hopeful tone. An all-around amazing book!

Dear Bully


This is the only non-fiction I read this year, so maybe I'm not the one who should judge whether it's good or bad, but wow... The feelings are so raw and honest and inspiring. There's a story in this book for everyone!


Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins


My favorite romance of the year! I loved Anna and St. Clair - they're just so adorable! I loved how realistic everything about this book is and how it makes you feel like you're a part of the story.





Sweethearts by Sara Zarr


I don't even know how to describe this book. Sara Zarr's writing is so, so amazing, and she's now one of my favorite authors. The atmosphere in Sweethearts is incredibly well-done, and the story is just so sweet.


Saving June by Hannah Harrington


I love books about road trips, I love books about grief, and I love books about romance, and Saving June has all three of those things. Harper is such an amazing character and made me fall in love with this book.

It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini


Despite the serious topic, this book is so much fun. It's so full of beauty and hope and life and makes you want to make the most of every day.


So these are my favorites books of 2011! If you've read some of them, did you love them as much as I did? What are your favorite books of the year?

2011 Favorites: Favorite Underrated Books

For the last week of 2011, I'm not posting any of my normal reviews, etc. but do some lists of my favorite books of 2011. You can check out the earlier posts in the series here.

Today, I'm making a list of my favorite underrated books - as in, books that I loved but haven't gotten the attention they'd deserve. Since I read a lot of popular books, this list isn't all that long, but I wanted to showcase the few underrated but amazing books I did read this year.

The links will take you to my reviews.

It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini


This is an amazing book - one of the most hopeful, life-affirming messages I've ever read. It definitely hasn't gotten the attention it deserves - seriosly, read this book.


Inconvenient by Margie Gelbwasser


Inconvenient tells such a beautiful story. The writing is great; really, really impressing for a debut. More people need to read this one, too!

Teenie by Christopher Grant


Teenie doesn't really have one set topic that will immediately have people add it to their wishlists, but really, that's what makes it so amazing - Teenie can be whatever you make of it. It's one of my favorite coming-of-age stories.


Positively by Courtey Sheinmel


The whole story of Positively is heartbreaking and beautiful - a twelve-year-old girl whose mother died of AIDS and who's struggling with HIV herself. The strong, innocent MC makes this a tragic but hopeful novel.


I know, it's kind of pointless to make one of these lists for just four books, but I wanted to make sure these books got some more attention.


If you've read any of these books, did you like them as much as I did? What are some books you'd recommend people probably haven't heard of?

2011 Favorites: Favorite Couples

For the last week of 2011, I'm not going to post any of my normal reviews, etc. but do some lists of my favorite books of 2011. You can check out the earlier posts in the series here.

Today, I'm making a list of my favorite couples.

The links will take you to my reviews.

Anna and St. Clair from Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins


Even though everyone's already read it, I just had to put Anna and the French Kiss on this list. Anna and St. Clair are adorable together. The ups and downs are so realistic, and you can't help but root for them to end up together. 


Amy and Roger from Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Amy and Roger have such amazing chemistry, and their romance is swoonworthy. I thought their romance would have seemed forced, since they only really know each other for a few days, but the development of their relationship is natural and realistic, which is really important to me.

Jenna and Cameron from Sweethearts by Sara Zarr

I'm not sure whether these two belong on this list, since they're not really a couple, but their relationship is too amazing not to mention. Their bond is stronger than any relationship I've read about, and their story is just so honest and beautiful.

Bianca and Wesley from The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

Bianca and Wesley's relationship is really different from the typical YA romance, and I absolutely loved it. How their friends-with-benefits relationship slowly develops into something more is so sweet, and I loved how the two of them interact.

Harper and Jake from Saving June by Hannah Harrington

I absolutely loved Harper, and Jake is swoonworthy but flawed enough to be realistic. Their relationship is so realistically slow I kept wanting them to get it over with and kiss, and when I want the relationship to move faster, that means the pacing is just right.

Maya and Lochan from Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

It feels so, so wrong to put this book on the list of my favorite couples because, well, it's incest, but I just loved Maya and Lochan so much. The way they truly care for one another is so sweet, and my heart went out to the both of them. 

Nick and Norah from Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Nick and Norah's chemistry is amazing. These two together are positively swoonworthy. Somehow, even though the book only covers one night, it seems like their romance develops gradually and naturally. I loved the whole idea for Nick & Norah´s Infinite Playlist and the unique beginning and development of their relationship. I can´t even think about these two without smiling - this whole book just made me happy, made me want to hug somebody. These two are just so adorable!

Brittany and Alex from Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Even though the idea is clichéd, Brittany and Alex's relationship is amazing. I love how they're so different on the outside but still have so much in common and are actually really similar, and the way they interact is just so much fun.

Colin and Lindsey from An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

What made me put An Abundance of Katherines on this list isn't really the couple; it's more of the different idea of looking at love - trying to create a theorem to predict how long a relationship will last is such an interesting concept. That's not to say I didn't like the couple, though - Colin and Lindsey are adorable together. And since John Green can make anything work, this is a really fun read.

These are my favorite couples from the books I've read this year. If you've read some of them, did you love them as much as I did? What are some of your favorite book-couples?

2011 Favorites: Favorite Main Characters

For the last week of 2011, I'm not going to post any of my normal reviews, etc. but do some lists of my favorite books of 2011. You can check out the earlier posts in the series here.

Today, I'm making a list of my favorite main characters.

The links will take you to my reviews.

Bianca from The DUFF by Kody Keplinger


Bianca is one of my favorite female MCs ever. She's really different from the girls I normally read about, and she's not the kind of girl I think I'd be friends with in real life, but being inside her head and knowing her insecurities made me love her.


Lily from The Absolute Value of -1 by Steve Brezenoff


Even though she's not really the main character, Lily was my favorite part of The Absolute Value of -1. I loved her quirks and her realistic voice, and there's just something about the way she thinks that made me love her.


Tara from North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley


Tara is really insecure and self-conscious, which is something that often annoys me in books. There are so many MCs who go on and on about how ugly and unworthy of love they are, and it's gotten pretty old. But Tara, despite her low self-confidence, is different. There's a real reason for her insecurities - her birthmark - and even though she complains about her situation, it's not all she does; she takes charge of her life. Her amazing character growth is what makes her one of my favorite protagonists of 2011.




Anna from Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins


There's just something special about Anna that makes her so easy to relate to. Her voice and her way of thinking are unique and realistic and just so much fun.


Harper from Saving June by Hannah Harrington


Harper is such a refreshing character. Her older sister just committed suicide, so she has every right to be wallowing in grief, but for the most part, she's sarcastic, quirky and entertaining. Her emotional are realistic too. Harper is what makes Saving June such a hopeful, life-affirming novel.

Keek from And Then Things Fall Apart by Arlaina Tibensky


Keek is one of the realest characters I've ever read. I felt like I was reading about my best friend, not just a fictional character. She's unique, blunt and quirky, and so much fun to read about. The honest way she sees herself is refreshing.


Kiara from Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

Even though I liked Perfect Chemistry a little better than Rules of Attraction, I really loved Kiara. There are definitely not enough tomboys in YA, and how different Kiara is from the characters I normally read about is what made me love her so much.

So these are my favorite characters of 2011. If you've read these books, did you love the protagonists as much as I did? What are some of your favorite MCs?

2011 Favorites: Most Emotional Reads

For the last week of 2011, I'm not going to post any of my normal reviews, etc. but do some lists of my favorite books of 2011. You can check out the first in this series, my post on favorite book covers, here.

Today, I'm making a list of my most emotional reads.

The links will take you to my reviews.

Hold Still by Nina LaCour

The emotion in Hold Still is incredibly raw. There's no holding back, and that really made me feel both Caitlin's grief and Ingrid's hopelessness.




My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult


This is the kind of book where you're just crying the entire time. And that ending - I must have cried for half an hour after finishing My Sister's Keeper. It's just so sad and beautiful!




Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma


This book almost killed me. It's incredible how the author manages to make me want Lochan and Maya to end up together, despite the fact that incest is so widely seen as wrong. I bawled while reading the ending. Scuh a powerful book!


The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson


Unlike the last two, The Sky Is Everywhere doesn't have an ending that broke my heart; in this one, every single word broke my heart. Lennie's grief is so real, you can't help but feel it too.

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr


The atmosphere in Sweethearts is so well-done. Even though the plot isn't the saddest one I've read, the writing makes this one a really emotional read. That counts for Story of a Girl and Once Was Lost, too, but I decided to go with Sweethearts because I liked it a little better than the other two Sara Zarr books I've read.


Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott


Unlike the rest of the books on this list, Living Dead Girl isn't just sad - it's completely horrifying. What Alice has to go through is so, so terrible, and Living Dead Girl is unlike any other book I know.




Dear Bully


What makes this book so sad is that every single story is true. Thinking about how real people had to go through all of this makes Dear Bully one of the most emotional books I've ever read.


Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John


While all of the sad books on this list are great, I wanted to have something happy, too, and that's exactly what Five Flavors of Dumb is. It's so much fun and  made me want to get up and dance and scream and laugh all at the same time.




It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini


Since this is a book about depression, It's Kind of a Funny Story should be on this list because it's so sad, but it's really on here because it made me so happy. Despite the heavy topic, this is one of the funniest, most life-affirming books I know.




Have you read any of my most emotional reads of 2011, and did you love them as much as I did? What are some of your most emotional reads of the year?

2011 Favorites: Favorite Book Covers

For the last week of 2011, I'm not going to post any of my normal reviews and posts, but do some lists of my favorite books of 2011. These are going to be sort of like top ten lists, but I can't promise there'll always be exactly ten books on each list. These lists have nothing to do with books that were published in 2011; they're just books I read this year.

So, for my first of these posts, I'm going to be talking about my favorite covers of the books I read in 2011! I know, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but, well, I do - I love book covers. This is mainly about the covers, but I won't put a book on this list if I love the cover but hated the actual book.

The links will take you to my reviews.

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

I love the whole idea of the heart made out of seaglass, and the colors of the heart are so beautiful! It's great how the cover ties into the actual story, with the meaning of the seaglass and the red one and everything - I love when book covers tell you something about the actual book, or when you can only really understand the cover once you've read the book.

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

I'm not usually a fan of covers with just a model's face, but for this one, it totally works. How the girl's hair covers her right cheek to hide her birthmark fits the story so well, and I love the compass, which also plays an important role in this book. (I don't know how well you can see the compass like this, but it looks really cool on the real book.)



Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr

This cover is so sad and beautiful at the same time! The flower is gorgeous, and that one petal falling down... I just love it! It portrays the atmosphere in the book perfectly.






But I Love Him by Amanda Grace

I didn't want to put this one on the list along with Twenty Boy Summer since the ideas are so similar, but I love both covers so I just put them both on the list. And this one is kind of different, with the black background and all. Again, I love how the cover ties into the story here, with the heart Ann gives Connor and what it means. That, and it's just so pretty!

Hold Still by Nina LaCour

This cover is plain gorgeous - it's even more beuatiful in real life than just on a picture. I love the colors, and I love how the model is running, making part of the picture look out of focus because of the title - I just love it!








By the Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters

This one isn't as obviously beautiful as the rest of these covers, but it's so, so startling. The black and white picture with the red rose petals catches your attention, and the look in the model's eyes tells you everything you need to know about this book.




I'm Not Her by Janet Gurtler

I kind of have a thing for Sourcebooks Fire covers - they're all gorgeous, and this one's no exception. I love the colors, the idea with the flower, and the title in the bubble. It's not just the cover, though - Sourcebooks Fire's entire design is so pretty. I don't even know what it is about them, their style is just perfect for my taste.








What do you think of all of these covers - do you love them as much as I do? What are some of your favorite covers of 2011?