Saturday, January 12, 2013

Sylke's favourites and least favourites of 2012

In 2012 I have read a total of 21 new books, not counting rereads. For me, it's more about quality than quantity. Last year has brought a lot of amazing books and some mediocre and disappointing ones. These are my favourite and least favourite reads of 2012.

Favourites:
Best overall
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - Honestly, this book will probably be on top of my list for the next years to come. I have read it three times in 2012, making a total of seven. The idea of this future world is so intriguing and beautifully shaped by Collins. Every time I find myself flying through the pages, loving this horrible society the capitol has created. The fear, the determination, the hope. The Hunger Games is simply an incredible story.

Best fantasy
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor - A door to a magical shop. Wishes shaped like beads. Jars full of teeth. A sketch book full of monsters. Daughter of Smoke and Bone may sound like a bizarre story, which is true. But I promise you, this story will enchant you. Laini Taylor is a genius and I am afraid I'll go crazy if I don't get my hands on a copy of Days of Blood and Starlight soon.

Best dystopia
Insurgent by Veronica Roth - After the events in Divergent, Tris is fighting a war with herself. Her recklessness causes rigidity and tension in her relationship with Tobias. Growing up in a broken world is hard and Veronica Roth manages to keep the balance between a dangerous subject like war and grief and finding your own identity and loving. Packed with action and change this novel is a worthy sequel of Divergent.

Best sequel
Stealing Phoenix by Joss Stirling - The sequel to Finding Sky, this book tells the story of Phoenix, a young girl living on the streets of London. Under the spells of The Seer, a strong and dangerous Savant she has no choice but to follow his orders. Until she meets Yves and finds her Soulfinder in him. The way Joss Stirling has formed Phoenix's character amazed me. She is strong, despite being broken and does everything she can to keep others safe. Yves was also a charmer, as always.

Best upcoming
Linked by Imogen Howson - I was lucky enough to be sent a e-copy of this book last May and I must admit I still think about it every so often. Elissa never asked for anything, she just wanted to be fixed. When suddenly she discovers a girl who looks exactly like her they have to run from her twin's torturers. The universe enfolds itself with interplanetary traveling and flying sidewalks and captivated me. Being a twin myself, this story was just that bit more special for me. This book will be published the 11th of June 2013.

Least favourites:
Tempest by Julie Cross - Maybe my expectations were too high, maybe this just wasn't the book for me. Where a lot of people seem to like this book, I just couldn't get over certain character traits and Jackson in general. I couldn't finish this book.

Blood Magic by Tessa Graton - Blood Magic is a book about witches, which is exactly the reason why I decided to give it a try. The story wasn't too slow or too fast, the writing wasn't too good or too bad. This book as a whole was just very average for me.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver - I am very sorry to name this book. It is most definitely a very moving story and Lauren Oliver is a great author, but this book just didn't work for me. Maybe it was just Sam, a popular, shallow, self-centered young girl who has it all and also narrator of this story. From other reviews I understood she actually changes throughout the book, but I didn't make it that far. Maybe I will give it a try again this year, because I do want to like this book as much as everyone else.

What were your favourite and least favourite reads of 2012? I'd love to hear.


3 comments:

  1. I so need to read a book by Laini Taylor

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  2. Yes, indeed you should! She's one of my favourite authors, Daughter of Smoke and Bone really is as good as everyone says. (:

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  3. Before I Fall is one of my favorite books. Yes she changed throughout the book, which is a bit sad when you understand how the story ends. I did not completely like the end, but I do not think that I had liked the end if it had been a happily ever after end either. In a way it is good the book ended as it did, but in another way I feel sorry for those who lost her now that she had now changed for the better, she should have been given a second chance. But unfortunately life's not like that:) I also liked The hunger games series, which surprised me a lot. Since I do not like books about the future. It was not exactly a favorite book series for me, but the books was good:)

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Thank you for sharing your thoughts =)