Books I Want to Read This Year

You know those books that you feel that you've wanted to read for just about forever? The ones you keep putting off for reasons you can't accurately identify? I have a long list of those. Recently I've knocked a few books off that list (more specifically, The Book Thief and The Princess Bride) and it's made me realize that I am tired of putting these books off. So in the hope that my blog readers will hold me accountable, I am posting a list here of books I want to read by the end of this year.


Fight Club
The Catcher in the Rye
Cat's Cradle
Peter Pan
Ballads of Suburbia
Into The Wild
The Sky Is Everywhere

Any others that you think should be bumped up?

Jessica

My Favorite Books of 2012

So I was going to number these books from favorite to least favorite but guys that is HARD so anyways, here is just a list of my favorite books of the year in random order.

The Fault In Our Stars

Paper Towns

Grave Mercy

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

Audrey, Wait!

A Monster Calls

The Disenchantments

When You Were Mine

Wings of the Wicked

The Duff

The Great Gatsby

Why We Broke Up

Spell Bound

The Bell Jar

I Hunt Killers

Something Like Normal

It's Kind of a Funny Story

All of these are such great books, some more than others, and gahhhh I just read some really good books this year and it makes me happy just to look at the list.

Most Anticipated Books of 2013

Guyssss 2013 is going to be great. I mean, I get a new Gayle Forman. A new Stephanie Perkins. And some fantastic-looking debuts and some sequels I cannot wait to get my hands on.

Just One Day

Dark Triumph

Nobody But Us

Over You

The Trials of Renegade X

When You Were Here

Isla and the Happily Ever After

The Program

Requiem

Shadows in The Silence

The Madman's Daughter

Uses For Boys

Crash

Game

What are your most anticipated 2013 titles?

Guest Post: What's Hot and What's Not In YA

Hey Y'all! I'm Arielle, and I blog at Amitygardens Revue. Since Jessica is on vacation, I'm here to do a guest post. I wanted to talk about the top five things that I hate and love in books. I’ve added the corresponding tropes, if you want to know more about them.

Top 5 Things 5 I Hate:

1) Insta-Love I hate when two people meet and are instantly in love and going to be together forever. It's one thing to be attracted and interested in a person, and another to fall in love with the second you see them. I want to watch your characters fall in love. I want the butterflies and tenseness, and to feel everything that comes with it.

2) Slut-Shaming I understand when you have a young character that their go-to insult are things like "slut" and "whore", but don't pretend that it's okay. Make them realize that that is not the way to treat other women. Show that the person they are calling those names are real and human.

3) Mary Sues Perfect characters are boring. Being klutzy is not a flaw- it's just means you have more bruises than other people. Screwed up people are much more interesting to read about. You can have your character be unlikeable, but it doesn't mean we won't care about them.

4) Token Minorities If you're including someone who's a minority just to try and make it diverse: don't. It shows that you just added that in there. It comes off fake and weird. Take the time to understand the person that you're trying to write. Try and get to know their culture and what it's like to be that person.

5) Bizarre Names I know that not everyone is going to have a name in the top 100 baby names, but do try and be realistic. I have suspension of belief for only so much, so please try and ease me into it and not overload immediately.


Top 5 Things I Love:

1) LGBTQ Characters We need more LGBTQ characters in novels. There is more to this community than the stereotypes in media, and they are under-represented in fiction.

2) Independent Heroines I like heroines who don't need a relationship to define them. I want them to be independent and self-reliant. Not to say they can't have one, but they should have an identity outside of being someone's significant other.

3) Cool Parents I love when parents are supportive of their children. They don't have to be perfect and make all the right decisions, but it's nice to see parents who care about their children. Not to say that crappy parents aren't beneficial to a story, but I like to see regular parents who are trying to do their best.

4) Real Friendships We need more realistic depictions of friendships in books. Even screwed up people have friends. I love seeing friendships where the people support one another even when they screw up. Less frenemies and more friends.

5) Did Not Get The Girl Romance doesn't always have to take center stage in a book. I like when it's secondary to the character's journey or alternatively, they don't end up together. Even no romance can be great sometimes- it's good to have a variation of romance/crushes, etc.

Top Books of 2012 So Far

I cannot believe we're halfway through 2012! I feel like I've hardly read anything... Or done anything else, for that matter... But anyways. Here are my favorite books that I've read from the past six months.

Paper Towns by John Green

Grave Mercy be Robin LaFevers

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins

Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle

What are your favorites of 2012 so far?

Top Ten Favorite Heroines

So this week's Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by The Broke and The Bookish) is a rewind, meaning I get to pick any past topic. Soooo I picked: Top Ten Favorite Heroines! HOLLA AT MY FAVORITE FELLOW FEMALES.

So let's start with the obvious, because I mean this is me we're talking about.

John Green's female leads

I love his manic pixie dream girls. They are my favorite. (Note: I've only read Looking For Alaska, Paper Towns, and An Abundance of Katherines. But still. I'M READING TFIOS SOON I PROMISE.) They are so full of depth and complexities. I love re-reading his novels just so I can look for more about them.

Ismae from Grave Mercy

I'm sure you guys saw this coming because of my review, but I'm still gonna say it: I freaking LOVE Ismae. She is smart, funny, and also AN ASSASSIN. I love her. She is one of my fictional idols.

Frankie from The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

Pleeease can Frankie be the latest addition to my clique? Then my wolf pack can have four, AND we can have a wonderfully smart and determined chick in our clique that also makes up words and fantastic pranks.

Katniss from The Hunger Games Trilogy

This one's obvious.

Harper from Saving June

Harper pretty much rules, k? She's strong yet soft and funny and so, so real that it is unreal. Sometimes I felt like we were practically the same person, and for me that is one of the best feelings you can experience while reading.

Grace from The Wolves of Mercy Falls Series

Grace is a unique, interesting kind of heroine. She is not strong and she's not hilarious, but she creeps into your thoughts and stays there. It is most wonderful and I pretty much adore her.

Tris from Divergent

Tris? She is TOUGH. AS. NAILS. She follows her heart and then she throws knives at people and stuff. It is boss.

Mia from If I Stay and Where She Went

Mia is kind of like a Grace-type heroine but in a more understandable way, if that makes sense. She is a character that makes you feel like you could pluck her off the page and have a wonderful conversation with her. Also she's got such class.

Ava from Pink

Ava is SO CONFUSED. You cannot help but chuckle at her narration and her missteps while you love her and want her to just figure it out already.

Megan from The Iron Fey Series

You know what Megan does when her brother gets kidnapped in The Iron King? She's like, "K," and goes into the land of the freaking Fae where stuff tries to kill her. Dudes, if that isn't an anti-Bella, then I don't know what is.

The Downsides to Being a Reader

• Being tired because I stayed up late reading last night.
• That feeling I get when I finish one of my favorite series.
• The lack of room for all of my books.
• Feeling like I have nothing in common with a person when I find out they don't read.
• Trying to remember the plot of that book I read two years ago when the sequel comes out.
• Laughing to myself like a weirdo while reading...in public.
• Nearly crying--as I never full-on cry--to myself like a crazy person...in public.
• It's probably the main reason I had to get glasses, according to Mr. Eye Doctor.
• People in real life usually don't measure up to the people in books.
• Everyone makes assumptions about me when they hear I'm a reader. (Like, "Omg she's a homeschooled reader she's a freak kids pretend like you can't hear her." ((Not that anything like that's happened to me. But I can SEE the fear in their eyes.)

...Those were all I could come up with. Obviously, I feel the positives outweigh the negatives. A lot.

And now, here's a picture of a German Shepard enjoying said positives:

Credit

Books for Boys

I love YA and all, but it is FILLED TO THE BRIM with books targeted for girls. This is great for girls and all, but it makes it harder for the guys to find books that they like. A mom recently contacted me about books for a teen guy's book club. I gave her a list of recommendations, and apparently they liked most of the books, so I thought I'd share it for anyone looking for a Guy Book.

The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

The Uglies Series by Scott Westerfeld 

The Last Apprentice series by Joseph Delaney

Maximum Ride series by James Patterson

The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea M Campbell

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann (Better for younger boys)

Swim The Fly by Don Calame (Better for older boys)

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Sabriel by Garth Nix

Birthmarked by Caragh M O'Brien

Arson by Estevan Vega

The Gardener by S.A. Bodeen

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

And though I haven't read The Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan, and Gone by Michael Grant, some friends have and they love them.

Those are my recommendations! Did I miss any? 

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012 (Goals and Things I Learned)

2011 was a great year for books. It was also a great year for my blog. for the first time, I feel completely in control of it and comfortable with the direction I've taken/am taking with it, and with my review pile. It's a wonderful feeling, and one that I hope will stay.

I think part of this great feeling is that I learned a lot about blogging this year. I thought I knew everything in 2010, but I didn't. That's part of the adventure of blogging; you're always learning new stuff. I learned things like:

• How to say, "No thanks, my review pile's just too full."
• When I need to step back and read a book I own.
• Library books are free and buying books is the opposite of free.
• Just because sometimes people don't comment doesn't mean that they don't care.
• If they didn't like your blog they wouldn't be following it.
• Contemporary YA is The Bomb.

All of those things are small but when you put them together they become not-so-small.

I'm very excited for the things 2012 holds for me and this blog. I am deeming it the Year of Shut Up! I'm Reading, in fact. I'm also scared, because I know I'll be very busy, but I'm trying to stay excited because it's much easier.

I want to make a couple of reading and blogging goals for myself. They are:

• More interviews or guest posts (This was a goal for last year that completely failed.)
• Be more consistent with giveaways.
• Read more. (Another goal I set for 2011, and I did. Now I want to top that.)
• Get out of my comfort zone a bit more often.
• Read more classics.
• Try and add some depth to my reviews. (Somebody mentioned this in the survey and I'd love to do it.)
• Try and find some depth.
• Finish the Harry Potter series.

I always set way too many resolutions for myself. Oh well. I like it that way. 

I hope you'll stick around in 2012 and hope you like what you see, and I hope that you have a safe and happy New Years Eve and 2012.

Also, I'll be having a lot of giveaways coming up this week. So stay tuned.

The Best Books I Read This Year

I was gonna do like five of these posts, each with a different category. But...well, honestly, I just got too lazy. ANYWAYS, here they are, in random order. (Note: Some of these weren't releases in 2011, I just read them this year.)

Pink by Lili Wilkinson

Saving June by Hannah Harrington (Review coming soon!)

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephens Perkins

Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Divergent by Veronica Roth

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Where She Went by Gayle Forman


Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish Bride

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

The first 3 Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling (I can't wait to read the next 4!)

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

Those are the books that made my personal favorites shelf. But there's still more books that I thought were great and deserve recognition, like:

And Then Things Fall Apart by Arlaina Tibensky (Review coming soon!)

Past Perfect by Leila Sales

Ten Things We Did by Sarah Mlynowski

Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake

The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

Wither by Lauren Destefano

The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder

A Blue So Dark by Holly Shindler

Clarity by Kim Harrington

Do you agree or disagree with any of these? Did I miss one? Is there a book from 2011 that I haven't read yet that needs to get bumped up to the top  of my pile?

Top 10 2012 Books I Need

I went on a bit of a holiday vacation from blogging, apparently. I've just been too busy playing with my new toys and such. But, now I'm back, obviously.

Since today's the day designated for bloggers to show their most anticipated books, I'm compiling a list of some of my most anticipated 2012 books (in no order)!

Insurgent by Veronica Roth 

I haven't been all that impressed with a majority of the slew of 2011 dystopias (please please let the 2012 slew of dystopias be better) but Divergent was the exception. I can't wait to see what happens to Tris and Four.

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

It's Stephanie Perkins.

The Disenchantmens by Nina LaCour

I know this is gonna sound weird and witchy or whatever, but I just have a really good feeling about this one. 

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green 

Not that that surprised anyone.

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

I am weary of this one, what with it having vampires and all, but I'm putting my faith in Julie Kagawa.

Untitled (Rise of Renegade X book 2) by Chelsea Campbell

I'm not going to stop pimping out the Rise of Renegade X until EVERYONE has read it. I love it that much. So, obviously, the sequel is a need.

Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready

I hate (HATE) the new covers, but I adore these books.

Gone, Gone, Gone by Hannah Moskowitz

While I didn't fall head-over-heels for her novel Invincible Summer, I did fall for her writing, and I'm going through Moskowitz withdrawal.

Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins

SOPHIE AND ARCHER AND CAL AND SOPHIE'S DAD AND OMG I'M DYING THE SUSPENSE.

Dead To You by Lisa McMann

I love McMann's YA books a lot, so obviously I'm uber-excited to read this one.

What are the books you're most looking forward to next year?

Several Announcements and Random Statements

1: I guest posted at Word For Teens yesterday! 

2: I have started a music blog with an awesome friend of mine. It's very new and there's not a lot up yet, but if you were to check it out, we'd both appreciate it.

3: I made an official Facebook page for Shut Up! I'm Reading. I'd love it if you liked it.

4: It is really cold and my mom is refusing to turn the heat on.

5: I'm currently reading The Iron Knight. After that I'll be reading Prized, and then The Scorpio Races. I am going to have the biggest. good book hangover. ever.

Mini Challenge--The Island

A Casual Reader is having a contest where you post what characters (from books you read in 2010/2011) that you would take to an island with you, and why. For the complete list of rules, check out her blog post.

Let's see...*cracks knuckles*

OK, well, as much as I love my depressed characters who have a super-sucky life, I'd need some good, fun friends to keep things interesting (sorry Katniss and Peeta and Adam and Gaia and like 20 other characters). And, OK, maybe a hot guy or two... I'd pick:

Sophie--Hex Hall: She's hilarious, and she'd keep things interesting fo sho. Plus, she's got her epic powers, and that'd be very useful for getting me only-legal-for-minors-to-drink-on-my-personal-island drinks.

Puck--The Iron Fey: How much do I have to say?! It's Puck! I love Puck! And he'd play pranks on everyone, which would be a riot.

Aura--Shade: Well I'd need a fellow music-fangirl to geek out on music with. And Aura's perfect for that. Plus she'd be able to tell me all about the ghosts on the island and stuff.

Sam--The Wolves of Mercy Falls series: I'd also need someone to sing to me. And brush my hair. And let me look at him all day. And...*clears throat* Sorry.

Damien--The Rise of Renegade X: NOT ONLY is Damien laugh-out-loud funnyx1000, he's also got epic super-people skillz.

Well that was fun. What characters would you pick?

5 of My Favorite Couples

I am not very romantic. At all. I've never had a boyfriend. Really, the only thing I find awesome about Valentine's Day is that it means there are only two weeks until my birthday. I roll my eyes at anything mushy and romantic comedies, and I always tend to make jokes about the actor's poor kissing skills. But. Even I occasionally read books where a romance (even if it's not mainly a romance book) can make me melt. A few of them are:

Sam and Grace--The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy
Sam is my favorite emo-indie werewolf EVER. He's awesome...and Grace is pretty cool too, I guess. XD Seriously though, they're a fantastic couple. They care so much for each other, and on a one to ten on the adorable scale, they rate a 15.

Katniss and Peeta--The Hunger Games trilogy
Since the beginning, I've been hardcore Team Peeta. His caring and tender nature just work with Katniss' cold and tough-as-nails attitude.

Damien and Kat--The Rise of Renegade X
What I loved about Damien and Kat's romance was how simple and realistic it was. They're not all mushy and doe-eyed. They're not all embarrassed around each other. They're in love, but their also best buds, and they know each other so well.

Janie and Cabel--The Dreamcatcher Trilogy
Each have their own troubled past, and they're always loyal to each other above anything else.

Mia and Adam--If I Stay
OH ADAM.OH MIA. Just...OH. That's all.

Who are some of your favorite couples from books?

My Top 20 Books of 2010 and Contest

2010 was an AMAZING year of books. I read so many amazing debuts, continuations of series, and books not enough people have heard of. So what better way to wrap up the year than round them all up? (Note: these list are in NO ORDER. I'm far too indecisive to put all of these in order.)

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Goodreads page-My review
The conclusion to one of--if not my top--favorite series.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman (Old release I read in 2010)

Goodreads page-My review

Words cannot describe my complete and total love for this heartbreaking and -warming book.

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
Goodreads page-My review
Full of poetic writing, naked rock stars, and tub-fearing emos. What's not to love?

Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien

Goodreads page-My review

An epic dystopic tale with a heroine only Voldemort couldn't love. (Why yes, I am watching Order of the Phoenix.)

The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea M Campbell
Goodreads page-My review
This was one of the most hilarious books I've ever read, and it had amazing characters and a fantastic plot to go along with the humor.

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Goodreads page-My review

With a killer plot, characters, and romance, this fresh and unique paranormal sets the bar for upcoming werewolf novels.

Gone by Lisa McMann
Goodreads page-My review
The conclusion to a fantastic, thrilling series.

The Iron King and The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

Goodreads page-My review

With fantastic writing, world-building, and humor, Julie Kagawa has created one of the hit series of 2010! I cannot wait for The Iron Queen.

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Goodreads page-My review

Another one that I just want to hold onto and never, ever stop reading. This one's full of awesome music references, excellent romance, and a unique and captivating world

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Goodreads page-My review

Fun, mysterious, and full of wonderful characters, this is one you don't want to miss.

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

Goodreads page-My review

This book was so FRUSTRATING...and awesome. And probably even better than Hush, Hush.

Scott Pilgrim by Bryan Lee O'Malley (Old release I read in 2010)

Goodreads page-My review

I am officially a Scott Pilgrim fanatic. This unique, quirky graphic novel series astounded me with it's greatness.

The Last Saint by Bree Despain

Goodreads page-My review

This suspenseful, page-turning sequel was even better than The Dark Divine!

Looking for Alaska by John Green (Old release I read in 2010)

Goodreads page-Review coming soon

No words I say can do this book, or my love for it, justice. It was amazing. Fantastic. Stu-freaking-pendous.

And while these didn't quite make my favorites list, I definitely feel like the following books deserve a mention:

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Goodreads page-My review
A fantastic debut that I still, to this day, think about.

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Goodreads page-My review

This was such a fun, fresh read and I'm so excited for the sequel.

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Goodreads page-My review

This one was so thrilling and swoony. I am DYING for the sequel, Desires of the Dead.

Struts and Frets by Jon Skovron (2009 release read in 2010)

Goodreads page-My review

A great book full of music and awesome characters that develop really well.

I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder (2008 release read in 2010)

Goodreads page-My review

I loved this storyline and concept, and it was executed (and written) very well.

Hourglass by Claudia Gray

Goodreads page-My review

I love this series so much, and this installment brought on so many new exciting twists.

And here are three 2011 titles I've had the opportunity to read this year that will be on my Best of 2011 list next year:

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
Goodreads page-Review up in February
An exciting, gory, romantic, AWESOME book!

Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

Goodreads page-Review up in early 2011

Ho-ly craaaaaap this was good. Even better than Hex Hall!

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

Goodreads page-My review

An addicting tale of love, loss, and super creepy stuff.

If 2011 is half as good as 2010 was, it'll still be better than a double rainbow.

OK, so Mockingjay was HIGH up on the list of my favorites from this year, and I have one copy to give away to a very lucky person. US and Canada only (sorry! I'm living off allowance here). Ends Jan 14. FILL OUT THIS FORM TO ENTER. Good luck, happy New Year, and I hope you all have another excellent year of reading!!

What I've Learned About Blogging This Year and 2011 Goals

So, 2010 year was a huge year for this blog. I gained so many readers, friends, and contacts, each of which I'm incredibly grateful for. And with another year comes some new knowledge, which I figured I'd pass along to others, and as a constant reminder to myself:

1. Don't take on too much. This is one lesson that I learned the hard way. I was signing up for book tours left and right, and they all ended up coming in really close to each other. With all of the other books I had to review, it quickly became too much very fast. When life is hectic, I can usually get a book a week read, so when you have three books one week, you can see how this would be a problem. Now, I only rarely sign up for ARC tours. (I do not blame the tour site runners in ANY way, just to be clear. This was completely my fault.)

2. Read a book that isn't for review once in a while. At one point this year, blogging had me SO STRESSED. I was ready to take an indefinite hiatus, it was getting so bad.

Instead, I went to my bookshelves and picked out a book that I'd won from a contest a while ago. Meaning: I did not read a review book. For the first time in a long time I read a book for me and no one else, and it helped so much more than I would've thought. It just goes to show that you have to read for yourself too, otherwise this thing becomes very un-fun very fast.

3. Don't spend three hours a day going through blog posts. Yeah, there was a point that I would wake up, eat, then go to the computer for a couple of hours to catch up on blog. I wasn't even commenting on blogs, just looking at what had been posted, and it was slowly taking over my life.

Now, I use Google Reader, and I have a folder with a couple of my favorite blogs. I still don't get the chance to comment as often as I'd like, but this way I actually get to READ blog posts and it only takes a half hour a day, usually.

4. Stay organized! Dude. This is probably the most important lesson on the list. I cannot tell you how much staying organized is important. I'm homeschooled, and with me driving around for me AND my sibling's activities, I'm always on the go. So I usually pre-schedule posts. It's not always super reliable, but lately I haven't had too many issues with it.

I also find help in keeping a calender for the month in a folder. This includes books to read, when to read them, when to put up the review, etc. It actually helps a lot. It just keeps me focused, I guess.

With review books, I keep a spreadsheet. When I posted about review books taking over my life, a commenter recommended this, and I love it! Though I don't update it as much as I should, it lets me know who sent what first and stuff like that.

And I've got a few blogging and reading goals for next year. They are:

Read more!!! (I'd LOVE to average two books a week instead of 1)

Read more blog posts and leave more comments

Host more interviews

Read one Harry Potter book a month (I've never read this series and I'm dying to!)

Read more books I own (as you've seen, there's a lot)

Get my review pile under control

What are some things about blogging you've learned this year? And what are your goals for 2011?