Best Books Read in 2012

Hey everyone! I'm a little late with this post, but that's okay. I read some pretty great books in 2012 and I need to share them with you!

The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski

I actually just read this one and loved it! Such a gorgeous novel that will break your heart and fill it with hope five times over.

Glimmer by Phoebe Kitandis

I wasn't expecting to like this one so much but it turned out to be a very unique adventure. 

Read my review for Glimmer here. 

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Another heartbreakingly beautiful novel by one of my favorite authors.

Read my review here. 

Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohemeyer

I loved this book. So. Much. It's just so much fun. I know it slipped under the radar, but if you haven't picked this one up, go do it. Now.

Read my review here. 

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

I just completely fell in love with this one. A super cute, sweet story.

Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent

I had to include this one on the list because it's one of my favorite series and every book just gets better. 

Read my review here. 

The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

I wasn't the biggest fan of Bloodlines, but I loved this book. Definitely a series worth checking out.

Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson

I've read other Maureen Johnson novels, but didn't love them as much as others seem to. But I absolutely loved Girl at Sea. It's just such a fun adventure.

Read my review of Girl at Sea here. 

Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton

Another favorite series of mine.

If you haven't read any of these, I highly recommend them!

What are some favorites you've read this year?

The Awesomeness that is Rachel Vincent

Over a year ago, I created a post explaining why I love Kelley Armstrong. I thought it was about time that show some more author love, and who better to do that with that Rachel Vincent?

The Soul Screamers series is one of my favorite series ever, but it's not the only series that I love of Vincent's. I pretty much devour, love, and obsess over anything she writes. I started contemplating what makes me love her books so much. 

It's true that Rachel can develop some pretty strong female protagonists. They are all different but are kick-ass in their own ways. 

I also love Rachel's writing. She writes maturely and can entice me into her stories. 

But what makes me love her novels so much, is the worlds she creates. 

Rachel Vincent has created some of the most unique worlds that I've come across in all of my years of reading. She can take a concept that has been done many times before, such as shape-shifters and spell-casters, and change them into something that is original and completely her own. She is also, in my opinion, fantastic at world-building. 

With my love of her characters, writing, and worlds, I will follow her into the end of the world and read anything that she puts out. 

Do you in any way feel the same? 

Is that an author whose worlds you love? 

I'd love it if you let me know!

Favorites of 2012 So Far

We are just past half way through the year and I decided that it was time to share some of my favorite books this year. It seems like last year that there were no books that were absolutely amazing, but this year has changed that!

Not of all the books are released this year, but I've read them all in 2012. 

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

I read this book a few months ago. This is a book that I stayed up until the wee hours of the night to finish, despite the length. 

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larson

You guys! This book is amazing, this movie is amazing. I just love it! 

Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer

I was so surprised by this book! It is super fun and super cute. It's the funniest book that I've read in a while. Maybe ever!

Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson

I'm not a huge Maureen Johnson fan, but this book is amazing! Adventure, treasure hunt, romance, Italy. What more can you ask for?

Now, I've read quite a few other great books this year, but those are the ones that blew my mind! 

What are you favorite books of this year so far?

Novels I Love

Here are my top 5 fav novels:

5. Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin.

Liz is killed in a hit a run accident and her 'life' takes a very unexpected turn. At nearly sixteen she knows she will never get married, never have children, and perhaps never fall in love. But in Elsewhere all things carry on almost as they did on earth except that the inhabitants get younger, dogs and humans can communicate (at last), new relationships are formed and old ones sadly interrupted on earth are renewed. Full of the most ingenious detail and woven around the most touching and charming relationships, this is a novel of hope, of redemption and (literally) of re-birth. It is a novel that tells of sadness with heart-breaking honesty and of love and happiness with uplifting brilliance

4. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

It's been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents' divorce-or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live. A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she's been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend. In her signature pitch-perfect style, Sarah Dessen explores the hearts of two lonely people learning to connect.

3. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Clay Jenkins returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers 13 cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker—his classmate and crush—who committed suicide two weeks earlier.
On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

2. Bloom by Elizabeth Scott

Lauren has a good life: decent grades, great friends, and a boyfriend every girl wants. So why is she so unhappy?
It takes the arrival of Evan Kirkland for Lauren to figure out the answer: she's been holding back. She's been denying herself a bunch of things (like sex) because staying with her loyal and gorgeous boyfriend, Dave, is the "right" thing to do. After all, who would give up the perfect guy?
But as Dave starts talking more and more about their life together, planning a future Lauren simply can't see herself in-- and as Lauren's craving for Evan, and moreover, who she is with Evan becomes all the more fierce--Lauren realizes she needs to make a choice...before one is made for her.

1. Willow by Julia Hoban

Seven months ago, on a rainy March night, sixteen year- old Willow’s parents died in a horrible car accident. Willow was driving. Now her older brother barely speaks to her, her new classmates know her as the killer orphan girl, and Willow is blocking the pain by secretly cutting herself. But when one boy —one sensitive, soulful boy—discovers Willow’s secret, it sparks an intense relationship that turns the “safe” world Willow has created for herself upside down.