I know that 2012 is now here and I should have posted this information earlier, but I still wanted to share. I read 119 books (this does not include ALL of the children's picture books I read to my own kids and my 2nd graders) during 2011. My goal was 125 books, but I am still happy with what I did get read. In no particular order, here are at least 20 of the books I read that I enjoyed the most. Many of these book I gave 5 stars to on goodreads.com. I would like to know which of these books you also read last year. Which of these books would you like to read in 2012? Let me know!!
Here you go...
-Variant by Robison Wells
Benson Fisher thought that a scholarship to Maxfield Academy would be the ticket out of his dead-end life.
He was wrong.
Now
he’s trapped in a school that’s surrounded by a razor-wire fence. A
school where video cameras monitor his every move. Where there are no
adults. Where the kids have split into groups in order to survive.
Where breaking the rules equals death.
But
when Benson stumbles upon the school’s real secret, he realizes that
playing by the rules could spell a fate worse than death, and that
escape—his only real hope for survival—may be impossible.
Fractured Light by Rachel McClellan
I’m dying, I
thought. This was unexpected and not at all how I envisioned my death. I
was supposed to die gardening in a flowerbed as a hundred-year-old
woman, not as a seventeen-year-old trapped in a lake beneath inches of
ice.
Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After the Vykens killed
her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her too. She can’t
take any chances. But when she starts to make friends for the first time
in her life, she gets careless and lets her guard down. Big mistake.
As an Aura, Llona can manipulate light and harness its energy. But
if she wants to survive, Llona will have to defy the Auran Council and
learn to use her power as a weapon against the Vyken whose sole desire
is to take her light. Now she’s caught in something even bigger than she
can understand, with a power she can’t wield, and no one she can trust,
except, just maybe, a mysterious stranger.
In this breathtaking and romantic adventure, Rachel McClellan
delivers a truly mesmerizing story that will keep you guessing to the
very end
The Armor of Light by Karen E. Hoover
Ember has been accepted
into the mage academy, but not without cost. She has gained a new
enemy, ancient and dark, whose entire purpose is to destroy all white
magic and her along with it. After nearly losing her life in a brutal
attack, DeMunth is assigned her guardian, and the keystone he wears, The
Armor of Light, begins the transition that will make it a true power.
Kayla
has lost most everything of importance to her—the people, the prestige,
and all she fought for the past ten years. With nothing left to lose,
she continues her search for the birthplace of The Sapphire Flute and
the Wolfchild she believes to be its player. Her journey will take her
to strange, foreign, and often dangerous places, and everything she had
thought to be true will be proven wrong.
In a showdown full of
betrayal and heroic loss, Ember and Kayla finally meet on the
battlefield, fighting a war on two fronts—against C'Tan and her people,
and the mysterious enemy bent on destroying all magic—the shadow
weavers.
The story is full of power, betrayal, hope, and love.
The elements of the universe are coming together, and none can know who
will stand in the end.
The Upside of Down by Rebecca Talley
"Hmmm," the doctor muttered.
Natalie wrinkled her forehead, almost afraid to ask, and said, "What does that mean?"
"You do know you're pregnant, right?"
Her breath caught in her throat. "Excuse me?"
"You're pregnant."
Her heartbeat thundered in her ears. "I'm what?"
Natalie
Drake certainly has her hands full raising a large family, dealing with
her difficult mother, and maintaining a relationship with her
rebellious teenager. Just when things seem to be going smoothly, she
finds out another unexpected surprise--she's going to have a baby. Faced
with so many challenges, Natalie must learn to trust in a plan that
isn't what she imagined and discover that every situation has an upside.
Beloved
author Rebecca Talley carefully creates this touching and heartfelt
story that is sure to inspire you. With true-to-life characters and
situations, The Upside of Down will reignite your faith and remind you of the importance of family.
Rearview Mirror by Stephanie Black
Fiona Claridge, a
smart and stylish New England college professor, strives to pull herself
together after a car crash kills her roommate, Mia Hardy. Yet Fiona’s
guilt and grief come flooding back after opening a gift-wrapped box left
outside her office that contains car keys and a malicious note.
Shaken, Fiona travels to her hometown to attend a funeral but
is followed by vivid nightmares as well as her unknown enemy, who leaves
another sinister gift on her doorstep. She assumes the stalker is
Kimberly Bailey, a disgruntled former student, and enlists the help of
fellow professor James Hampton. But when Fiona encounters an old flame
at the funeral, it’s clear her student isn’t the only one with an eye
for revenge. Soon, through the maneuverings of her unknown enemy, Fiona
faces criminal charges as well as continuing threats. As past and
present become horribly entangled, Fiona unravels the truth about a
determined killer—and finds herself on the wrong end of a knife.
Don't Fear the Reaper by Michelle Muto
Book 1 of the Netherworld series
Grief-stricken by the murder of her twin, Keely Morrison is
convinced suicide is her ticket to eternal peace and a chance to reunite
with her sister. When Keely succeeds in taking her own life, she
discovers death isn’t at all what she expected. Instead, she’s trapped
in a netherworld on Earth and her only hope for reconnecting with her
sister and navigating the afterlife is a bounty-hunting reaper and a
sardonic, possibly unscrupulous, demon. But when the demon offers Keely
her greatest temptation—revenge on her sister’s murderer—she must
uncover his motives and determine who she can trust. Because, as Keely
soon learns, both reaper and demon are keeping secrets and she fears the
worst is true—that her every decision will change how, and with whom,
she spends eternity
Identity by Betsy Love
While vacationing in
Mexico, two similar-looking young women find themselves caught in a
chain reaction of mistaken identities. Amelia is a wealthy heiress and
business owner, and Savannah is a sweet Mormon girl deciding whether or
not to serve a mission. When they end up on the same flight to Phoenix,
Savannah and Amelia unravel the sequence of events that wreaked havoc on
their trips, and they make plans to resolve the subsequent
misunderstandings. But their flight is cut short when the plane crashes,
killing one of the young women and plunging the other into a world of
intrigue and deceit where identity means everything.
Ribbon of Darkness by Julie Coulter Bellon
A split-second decision
could change the world’s darkest hour to one of triumph--but who is
willing to pay the price? Kennedy Campbell has been running away for a
long time--using her position as an international journalist to escape
the ghosts of her family's past. She finds some solace working in an
Afghan refugee camp, until the Taliban attacks them and Kennedy is
forced to flee. She is pulled into a terrorist's realm of darkness as
she fights to save those around her, but will it come at the expense of
her own life? Ethan Barak leads a double life, helping MI-6 bring
down arms dealers all over the world until his father is murdered by an
old associate. Ethan makes his next mission a personal vendetta by
tracking down the killer to Indonesia. While there, he finds himself in a
position to either avenge his father or stop a terrorist attack on the
Malacca Strait that will jeopardize innocent lives across the world. Can
he look past his father's murder to save others? The line between
justice and mercy is blurred with each passing second, and international
intrigue becomes intensely personal as the age-old struggle for
redemption is brought close to home.
Bloodborne by Gregg Luke
One ordinary afternoon,
research specialist Dr. Erin Cross steps into a local deli to get some
lunch, and nearly takes a bullet instead. Thanks to the timely
intervention of a former Marine, she walks away from the seemingly freak
incident. But when she returns to find her lab under security lockdown
and her apartment ransacked, she realized the attack was anything but
random. Erin can’t make sense of the threat, given her low profile after
a disastrous H1N1 vaccine trial. She doesn’t know her former colleague
has used the virus to develop a potent bioweapon or that her recent
research hold a key to his success. And she doesn’t know that his
collaborators want her dead before she blows the whistle.
Fleeing for safety with her research in hand, Erin unravels the
threats with the help of the timely Marine, former Special Ops agent
Sean Flannery. But the closer they come to finding answers, the more
questionable Sean’s behavior becomes. His erratic moods and suspicious
communications are more fitting for an enemy than a friend. And as the
crisis comes to a head, Erin can’t be sure who harbors more secrets—the
bioterrorists pursuing her or the one man who can give her protection.
Outer Edge of Heaven by Jaclyn M. Hawkes
Montana truly is heavenly. Especially those handsome cowboys.
Filled
with colorful characters of all shapes, sizes and species, including an
orphaned baby pig, most of the Langston family put the fun in
dysfunctional, give or take a couple of black sheep. There's one in
every family, isn't there? Add to that glorious scenery, a horse of her
own, and one extremely attractive cousin rancher, Luke Lanston, and it
makes for a summer Charlie will never forget. Which might not be a good
thing. She has the time of her life, but her heart may never recover.
Seers by Heather Frost
For Kate Bennett,
surviving the car wreck that killed her parents means big changes — and
even bigger problems. As she begins to see auras and invisible people,
Kate must learn to trust Patrick O'Donnell, a handsome Guardian, or risk
her life being overrun with Demons. She soon realizes that both she and
her heart are in big-time trouble.
No Angel by Theresa Sneed
An angel with an attitude
Jonathan Stewart is not at all happy about having to return to earth
as a guardian angel, but it's required of all post-mortal spirits to
fulfill
at least one angel guardianship. Fortunately, on the Guardians
Unlimited application, he had the good sense to request a client with
early-marked-death status, so he believes that while his stay on earth
will be most unpleasant, at least it will be short. What he doesn' t know
is that a spirit with EMD status can choose his or her time of death! Jonathan's client, Celeste Knight, has a mind of her own and refuses death at every turn, leaving him stuck as her
guardian angel in a place he only wanted to forget.
Countdown to Love by Julie N. Ford
Kelly Grace Pickens is
an excited bride—until she's abandoned at the altar. Desperate, she
accepts an offer to appear on a reality TV show, Count Down to Love. Her
country ways are a stark contrast to the mysterious bachelor from New
York. Wading through hurt and betrayal both on and off screen, Kelly
discovers that being true to yourself is essential to finding happiness
and love.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step.
Twenty-two-year-old
Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may
have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be
happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find
solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but
Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has
gone.
Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her
seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss
of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is
devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their
hearts may be broken.
Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short,
fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like
nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet
another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new
to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.
Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will
nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them
all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that
define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be
crossed.
In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three
extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their
own forever changes a town, and the way women - mothers, daughters,
caregivers, friends - view one another. A deeply moving novel filled
with poignancy, humor, and hope,
The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don't.
Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat by David Dosa M.D.
A remarkable cat. A special gift. A life-changing journey.
They thought he was just a cat.
When
Oscar arrived at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in
Rhode Island he was a cute little guy with attitude. He loved to stretch
out in a puddle of sunlight and chase his tail until he was dizzy.
Occasionally he consented to a scratch behind the ears, but only when it
suited him. In other words, he was a typical cat. Or so it seemed. It
wasn't long before Oscar had created something of a stir.
Apparently, this ordinary cat possesses an extraordinary gift: he knows instinctively when the end of life is near.
Oscar
is a welcome distraction for the residents of Steere House, many of
whom are living with Alzheimer's. But he never spends much time with
them--until they are in their last hours. Then, as if this were his job,
Oscar strides purposely into a patient's room, curls up on the bed, and
begins his vigil. Oscar provides comfort and companionship when people
need him most. And his presence lets caregivers and loved ones know that
it's time to say good-bye.
Oscar's gift is a tender mercy. He teaches by example: embracing moments of life that so many of us shy away from.
Making Rounds with Oscar
is the story of an unusual cat, the patients he serves, their
caregivers, and of one doctor who learned how to listen. Heartfelt,
inspiring, and full of humor and pathos, this book allows readers to
take a walk into a world rarely seen from the outside, a world we often
misunderstand.
The Cross Gardner by Jason F. Wright
Married and the
father of a young daughter, John Bevan had finally found the traditional
family he lacked as an orphaned child. But all that disappears when a
fatal car accident steals away his wife-and the unborn child she
carried.
Filled with sorrow, John withdraws from life and love.
He erects a small cross at the scene of his wife's accident and visits
daily, grieving. Then one morning he encounters a young man kneeling
before the cross, touching it up with white paint. John's conversations
and travels with this mysterious man-known to him only as the Cross
Gardener-will forever change his world.
From Jason F. Wright
comes a timeless tale that explores the questions we ask when our lives
are touched by loss: How do we carry on? And who will show us the way?
The answers John Bevan finds illuminate the hope that even in our
darkest hours we are not alone.
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Connor, Risa, and Lev are running for their lives.
The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The
chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception
until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however,
parents can have their child "unwound," whereby all of the child's
organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn't
technically end. Connor is too difficult for his parents to control.
Risa, a ward of the state is not enough to be kept alive. And Lev is a
tithe, a child conceived and raised to be unwound. Together, they may
have a chance to escape and to survive.
Wolves, Boys & Other things that might Kill Me by Kristen Chandler
KJ Carson lives an
outdoor lover's dream. The only daughter of a fishing and wildlife
guide, KJ can hold her own on the water or in the mountains near her
hometown outside Yellowstone National Park. But when she meets the
shaggy-haired, intensely appealing Virgil, KJ loses all self-possession.
And she's not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing that they're
assigned to work together on a school newspaper article about the famous
wolves of Yellowstone. As KJ spends time with Virgil, she also spends
more time getting to know a part of her world that she always took for
granted . . . and she begins to see herself and her town in a whole new
light.
The Third by Abel Keogh
In this stark and
haunting look at the not-so-distant future, an environmentally minded
society elects to limit the number of children couples can have,
enforcing dire consequences for lawbreakers. But when his wife gets
pregnant with a forbidden third child, Ransom Lawe is forced to choose
between the government who's trying to save the world from ecological
disaster and the family he loves dearly.
Bound by C.K. Bryant
When a photo shoot ends
in tragedy, Kira discovers her best friend, Lydia, has been keeping a
secret. Knowing the truth, and accepting it, will change Kira’s life
forever and thrust her into a world of ancient curses, magical objects,
and savage enemies. What happens next will challenge everything Kira
knows about her world, herself and the shape-shifting warrior she’s
falling in love with. No longer the timid mouse her mother accused her
of being, but a woman who finds the mental and physical strength to
endure and survive.
BOUND is a heroic tale of true friendship, infinite sacrifice and untamed love
Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans
My name is Michael Vey, and the story I’m about to tell you is strange. Very strange. It’s my story.
To everyone at Meridian High School, Michael Vey is an ordinary
fourteen-year-old. In fact, the only thing that seems to set him apart
is the fact that he has Tourette’s syndrome. But Michael is anything but
ordinary. Michael has special powers. Electric powers.
Michael thinks he's unique until he discovers that a cheerleader
named Taylor also has special powers. With the help of Michael’s friend,
Ostin, the three of them set out to discover how Michael and Taylor
ended up this way, but their investigation brings them to the attention
of a powerful group who wants to control the electric children – and
through them the world. Michael will have to rely on his wits, powers,
and friends if he’s to survive
Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card
A powerful secret. A dangerous path.
Rigg
is well trained at keeping secrets. Only his father knows the truth
about Rigg's strange talent for seeing the paths of people's pasts. But
when his father dies, Rigg is stunned to learn just how many secrets
Father had kept from
him--secrets about Rigg's own past, his
identity, and his destiny. And when Rigg discovers that he has the power
not only to see the past, but also to change it, his future suddenly
becomes anything but certain.
Rigg’s birthright sets him on a
path that leaves him caught between two factions, one that wants him
crowned and one that wants him dead. He will be forced to question
everything he thinks he knows, choose who to trust, and push the limits
of his talent…or forfeit control of his destiny.
Slayers by C. J. Hill
Dragons exist. They’re
ferocious. And they’re smart: Before they were killed off by
slayer-knights, they rendered a select group of eggs dormant, so their
offspring would survive. Only a handful of people know about this, let
alone believe it – these “Slayers” are descended from the original
knights, and are now a diverse group of teens that includes Tori, a
smart but spoiled senator’s daughter who didn’t sign up to save the
world.
The dragon eggs have fallen into the wrong hands. The
Slayers must work together to stop the eggs from hatching. They will
fight; they will fall in love. But will they survive?
I could go on and on about great books I read in 2011, but I need to stop. These books are just some of the most memorable books that I truly enjoyed reading. To read my full list of books I've read, head on over to goodreads.com for more of my book suggestions. If you have made it this far, thanks for hanging in there with me for this long post. ;)
There are over 200 blogs participating in this hop. This hop is dedicated to Young Adult books. The book that I will be giving away today is Darkspell by Elizabeth Mueller, her debut novel. She is generously donating 2 e-copies of her book for the giveaway.
