I made a really big list
I'm a list maker, as is probably pretty obvious by this feature. So of course I HAD to make an end-of-the-year list recapping all of the books I read in 2011. It's like a snapshot of reviews, but you can click on the titles to go to my full reviews.
I broke this up into seven posts (plus a guest post) that will go up throughout the day. Settle in, this is going to be a long one!
Guilty pleasures
These are the books that people complain about--and I can totally see those complaints--but I love the books anyway. They might have huge doses of Twilight Pacing Syndrome, or they might have absolutely infuriatingly dumb characters, or they might just be straight up trashy soap opera fun, but whatever the reason, I eat these books up like they were chocolate and beg for more when they're done.
Legacy by Cayla Kluver
Alera steals the crown for Dumbest and Most Infuriating Woman Ever. Ever. But try as I might (and I tried to DNF), I couldn't get her story out of my head.
Allegiance by Cayla Kluver (review to come)
I went back for seconds...and Alera only got worse. But you know what? I'm ready to go back for thirds. I'm going to chalk it up to the massively large cast of hot men. Yep, I'm that shallow. I'm also a total sucker for "brothers in arms."
Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
Holy overwriting! But did I notice? Nope, I did not. I was too wrapped up in swapping BFF charms with Helen, hanging out with the Delos clan, drooling over Hector, and dropping my jaw over the machinations of this seriously twisted family.
Nothing But the Truth (Little Secrets #5) by Emily Blake
Imagine taking Pretty Little Liars and combining it with the trashiest soap opera you can think of. Voilà! Instant guilty pleasure.
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
The Twilight Pacing Syndrome was strong with this one, but hot cowboy Tucker, super sweet Clara, the Purpose conundrum, and all those characters with secrets up their sleeves kept me thoroughly entertained.
Most adorable award
Heartwarming and sweet, these are the book equivalent to puppies.
Theodosia Throckmorton series (#1-2) by R. L. LaFevers
Totally satisfies my secret dream of living in a museum while simultaneously triggering the Old Lady Urge to Pinch the Cheeks of Cute Kids.
Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George
The anthropomorphic castle, sweet family ties, and satisfying MG-style revenge makes this another Jessica Day George book of WIN.
The Goddess Girls series (#1-4) by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams
Surprisingly chock full of references to Greek myths, this series totally resonates with my MG-self.
A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine
The mystery is entertaining, but the MC's relationship with the dragon stole the show for me and brought on those warm fuzzy awwws.
Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis
Like a MG version of Sorcery and Cecelia, I laughed out loud more times than I can count. I want an encounter with a highwayman!
Yay, you loved Unearthly! I totally get the feeling for guilty pleasures a lot. I'm excited for some of these!
ReplyDelete- Asher (from Paranormal Indulgence)
For me, Starcrossed had major Twilight Pacing Syndrome, but I didn't really mind that. It took me a while to get into, but in the end I really enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteUnearthly I loved every bit of it! One of my faves of the year! :)
I was very, very surprised how much I liked Unearthly. I normally don't care for angel books but I did like that one. And how stinking adorable was Kat?! I can't wait for more of Kat's adventures.
ReplyDeleteI think all of my guilty pleasures are manga hmm...well them and the dark-hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon once upon a time they were great but now they are just recycled plots and convoluted but have I stopped reading them? Nope give me hot men and tortured souls.
ReplyDeleteNothing But the Truth is making me want to read it... I love how you described it!
ReplyDeleteRe most adorable YAY FOR KAT AND GODDESS GIRLS!!!
:D I love those two, I can't wait to read renegade magic!
I need to read Tuesdays at the Castle it sounds really good.
Unearthly was really sweet. Better than a lot of angel books. I really want to read Starcrossed.
ReplyDeleteWe all have our guilty pleasures! I'm glad that you included your list this year!
ReplyDeleteAnother great list. Many of these books are on my tbr list. I know some people don't like them but I've read some great reviews as well. I LOVE Theo!! Yay!!
ReplyDeleteI definitely want to read all those cute MG books there. Looking back, I read almost no MG books this year surprisingly. I'm not sure how that happened, but I'll definitely have to try harder next year because I feel like I'm missing out on a lot!
ReplyDelete