Best of 2012 books!

Here's my 4th annual report on my favorite books this year. I can't of course choose just one (I did read 332 after all) Check out the 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 posts. Unless stated the following books are teen titles. These are the books I've read this year and not only 2012 books. Also there are several books I could have used for many categorizes, but I chose not to duplicate them too much because there were SO many great books that I read this year. All of them hold a place in my heart! Enjoy the list!

Best Picture Book: The Reader

TV Releated:

Adult Fiction: Frozen Heat

Adult NonFiction: World of Downton Abbey

Book that Takes Place in 24 Hours: Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

Book that reminds me of Gilmore Girls: Winter White

Book that reminds me of reality TV: The Selection

Royalty:

Adult: Runaway Princess

Tween: Cordially Uninvited 

Best Tween Heist: Swindle  

Craft:

Teen: Stick It!

 Adult: In Love with Papercraft

Debut:

Tween: Keeper of the Lost Cities

Teen: Grave Mercy / Throne of Glass

Best Dystopian: Darkest Minds

Best Steampunk: The Girl in the Steel Corset

Time Travel:

Teen: Timepiece

Tween: Mutiny in Time

Best Adult Not Traditional Book: Goodnight Tweetheart

Most Haunting but Inspiring Read

Nonfiction: Dear Teen Me

Adult: Catching Fireflies

Teen: Keep Holding On

Best Fun NonFiction
Adult: Underwater Dogs

Teen: Seventeen Ultimate Guide to Beauty

Best Series I Read Completely
Adult: Bridgertons

Tween: On the Run

Best Fantasy:
Adult: Touch of Power
Teen: Throne of Glass and Temptation of Angels
Tween: Keeper of the List Cities

Contemporary:
Adult: Inn at Rose Harbor
Teen: Take A Bow
Tween: Double Feature

Paranormal:
Adult: Biting Cold
Teen: Every Other Day
Tween: Phantom of the Post Office

Historical:
Adult: Rogue by Any Other Name
Teen: Grave Mercy
Tween: Mastermind Plot

Mythology:
Teen: Sweet Shadows and Mythos Academy series
Tween: Goddess Girls series

Girls with Brains: 
Adult: Romancing Mister Bridgerton
Teen: Smart Girls Get What They Want
Tween: Sleuth or Dare: Partners in Crime

Holiday: 
Kids: Santa Trap
Adult: 12 Clues of Christmas

Food Book:
Kids: Dragons Love Tacos
Adult: Donut Shop Mystery series

Best Library:
Adult: Due or Die
Teen: Mythos Academy series
Kids: Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Current Series:
Adult: White House Chef
Teen: Gallagher Girls
Tween: 39 Clues and Canterwood Crest

Beginning of Series
Adult: Better Than Chocolate
Teen: Cold Fury
Tween: Chasing the Falconers

End to Series:
Adult: On his Way to a Wedding
Teen: Taken By Storm
Tween: Eruption

Stand Alone:
Adult: I've Got Your Number
Teen: 52 Reasons to Hate my Father
Tween: Olivia Bean Trivia Queen

Not Yet Published:
Adult: Footprints in the Sand
Teen: Rules of Summer, Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality, and Unremembered - reviews will be coming soon!

Mystery:
Adult: Buried in Buttercream
Teen: Lies that Bind
Tween: Madhattan Mystery

Science Fiction: Origin

Summer Book: The Summer my Life Began

Favorite Authors (most read) 
Adult: Julia Quinn (15)
Teen: Miranda Kenneally (3)
Tween: Gordon Korman (7)

Whew! What a year of reading!!!

 

Best Books of 2011

Here's my 3rd annual report on my favorite books this year. I can't of course choose just one (I did read 365 after all) Check out the 2008, 2009, and 2010 posts. Unless stated the following books are teen titles. These are the books I've read this year and not only 2011 books. Also there are several books I could have used for many categorizes, but I chose not to duplicate them too much because there were SO many great books that I read this year. Enjoy the list!

Best Covers (separate post here and come back tomorrow for my favorite mystery covers)

Best Faerie/Fairy: Faerie Ring

Best Fun Nonfiction: Seventeen Style

Best Nonfiction: Count on Us

Best Science Fiction: Outside In

Best Werewolf: Trial By Fire

Best Art: Darker Still (review coming soon)

Best Contemporary: Lola and the Boy Next Door

Best Adult Contemporary: Turn in the Road/ Rose Cottage (not reviewed)

Best Gothic: Circle of Fire

Best Ghost: Ghost Huntress the Discovery

Best Paranormal: Die for Me

Best Adult Paranormal: Chicagoland Vampire series

Best book that reminded me of Jane Austen: Kat, Incorrigible

Best Adult Regency: Eleven Scandals to Start to Save a Duke's Heart (not reviewed)

Best Children's Picture Book: Love, Mouserella / Detective Blue (both reviewed on goodreads)

Best Verse Novel: Day Before

Best Book I Never Would Have Read on My Own: Putting Make-up On Dead People (review for review in VOYA)

Best Teen Princess: Royal Treatment

Best Adult Princess (or the Kate + Will tie in) To Marry a Prince (not reviewed)

Best Tween Princess: Tuesdays at the Castle

Best Series Ending: Last Sacrifice

Best Adult Series Ending: 1225 Christmas Tree Lane / The Summer Garden

Best Spin-off: Bloodlines and Medusa Plot

Best New Chapter in a series: Uncommon Criminals / Demonglass

Best New Series: Pledge / Belles

Best Tween Series: Canterwood Crest / Goddess Girls

Best Mythology: Sweet Venom / Touch of Frost

Best Tween Mystery: Midnight Tunnel

Best Mystery: Liar Society / Clarity

Best Adult Mystery: To Have and to Kill / Decadent Way to Die

Best Historical Fiction: Traitor in the Tunnel

Best Adult Historical Fiction: The Wallflower series

Best TV/Movie tie-in: Deadly Storm - Castle

Most Haunting Read: Dear Bully

Best Short Stories: Enthralled

Best Novel about Girls with Brains: Shut Out

Best College Book: Love Story

Best Snarkiness: Paranormalcy / Never Sit Down in a Hoop Skirt....

Best Craft Book: Stamp It! (no review)

Best Graphic Novel: Stepping on Roses

Best Dystopian: Legend / Divergent

Best Time Travel: Hourglass

Best Road Trip: Amy & Roger's Epic Detour

Best Survival: Wolf Storm

Best Holiday Book: Home for the Holidays

Best Adult Holiday Book: Wallflower Christmas

Best Adult Food Book: Death by Dozen

Best Fantasy Paranormalcy

Best Kiss: Demonglass / Shut Out

New Author to Watch: Marie Lu / Veronica Roth

Best Action: Medusa Plot

Best Library: Touch of Frost

Best Dragon: Dragon Flight

Best of 2010

Here's my list for my favorite reads this year. By read this year, I mean I physically read them this year. They might not all be 2010 books - they may be older or might be coming out next year. Also some of these books might have worked for multiple categories, but I've chosen something else instead. As I've read 339 books so far this year, I surpassed my goal of 300. Woo Hoo! I read across genres, but you might tend to see a pattern here :)

*you can check out my lists from 2009 and 2008 and see how they've changed*

Best Cover: see this post
Best Fairy: Spell Hunter
Best Nonfiction: The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie
Best Adult Nonfiction: Cake Wrecks
Best Biography: Edith Wharton and the Brave Escape
Best Friendship turned Romance: Waiting for You
Funniest: Match Made in High School
Adult Funniest: Wicked Appetite
Book I should have read years ago: Ender's Game
Werewolf book: Raised by Wolves
Best Ghost: Shade and Wish
Best Art: Heist Society
Best Horse: City Secrets
Best Realistic: Karma Club and Something Like Fate
Best Adult Realistic: Harbor Lights
Best Science Fiction: Inside Out and Virals
Best Paranormal: Gimme a Call
Best Gothic: Prophecy of the Sisters
Best Craft: Hollow for perfume
Best Fantasy: Shield of Stars
Best Romantic Fantasy: Brightly Woven
Best Jane Austen Inspired: Prom and Prejudice
Best Adult Regency: Nine Rules to Break when Romancing a Rake
Best Travel: Anna and the French Kiss
Best Children's Book: Miss Brooks Loves Books (and I don't)
Best Verse novel: Chasing Brooklyn
Best Book I never would have read on my own: Fat Cat (Meg Cabot recommendation) and Daddy Long Legs (featured in the Mother-Daughter book club series)
Best Series Ending: 39 Clues - Into the Gauntlet and Enola Holmes
Best Witch Book: Hex Hall
Best YA Food Book: Scones and Sensibility
Best Adult Food Book: Glazed Murder
Best Princess: Princess for Hire
Best Tween Book: Athena the Brain
Best Tween series: Canterwood Crest and Allie Finkle
Best new series: the Daughters
Best Kiss: Anna and the French Kiss
Best Mythology: Middleworld
New Author to Watch: Elizabeth Eulberg and Stephanie Perkins
Best Hot Chocolate Romance: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares
Best Adult Hot Chocolate Romance: Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor and Call Me Mrs. Miracle
Best Action: Wildfire Run
Best Teen Mystery: Wherever Nina Lies
Best Adult Mystery: Truly Madly
Best Historical Fiction: Keeper of the Grail
Best TV/movie tie-in: Heat Wave
Best Spy Book: The Agency
Best Tear Jerker: Mockingjay
Best New Chapter in a Series: Only the Good Spy Young
Best Music: Lonely Hearts Club
Best Library: Grimm Legacy
Best Dragon: Firelight
Best Book that Reminds me of Childhood: The Summer Before

Book Meme

I saw this over at Diane Peterfreund's blog today and it looked like great fun!

1. What author do you own the most books by?

Hmmm, a quick glance at my bookshelves reveals J.K. Rowling, Meg Cabot, and Janet Evanovich

2. What book do you own the most copies of?

None - all single copies

3. What fictional character are you secretly in love with?

Mr Darcy. Need I say more.

4. What book have you read more than any other?

Oh, that's a hard one. Emily of New Moon most likely

5. What was your favorite book when you were ten years old?

No idea. Seriously. But thinking....Tales of Fourth Grade Nothing.

6. What is the worst book you’ve read in the past year?

I've come to the conclusion that I need no longer to be compelled to read entire books that I hate. I just give up if it doesn't hook me. There's way to many good ones out there to waste my time.

7. What is the best book you’ve read in the past year?

God. This one's hard too. The Hunger Games, Graceling, Eon: Dragoneye Reborn, Purge, Map of the Known World, Sophomore Switch, Almost Astronauts, The Season, and Ransom My Heart

8. If you could tell everyone you tagged to read one book, what would it be?

A Game of Thrones

9. What is the most difficult book you’ve ever read?

James Joyce. Never understood a word he said.

10. Do you prefer the French or the Russians?

French. Loved Count of Monte Cristo - though I've always wanted to read War and Peace....

11. Shakespeare, Milton or Chaucer?

None.

12. Austen or Eliot?

Austen. Hands down. But I do like Eliot too.

13. What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?

Nonfiction/Boy books. I'm a girly girl - which isn't always best for my job.

14. What is your favorite novel?

Hard to say, but I'm going with Game of Thrones plus Pride and Prejudice.

Yes, I know they are completely different books.

15. Plays?

nope.

16. Poem?

If it's a novel in verse - sure. Sandell, Sones, Hopkins, Grover = all great.

17. Essay?

Not really.

18. Non Fiction

Let Me Play, Almost Astronauts, Our Eleanor... plus crafty books.

19. Graphic Novel?

Breaking Up and the Harlequin Pink series.

20. Science Fiction?

I get into trouble here because I classify Vamp books as SF. And they're to hard to choose from - loving Morganville Vampire, Blue Bloods, and Vampire Academy series.

So Generation Dead - non vampire

22. Fantasy?
Song of Ice and Fire (1st book = Game of Thrones) Which is going be to a series on HBO - filming starts in October! (squeals with Glee)

23. Who is your favorite writer?

again, several - so I'm listing the top: George R.R. Martin, Jane Austen, Meg Cabot, J.K. Rowling, Janet Evanovich and L.M. Montgomery.

24. What are you reading right now?
Just finished a book this morning (Gorgeous by Rachel Vail.)

25. Favorite Genre:

Teen books, chick lit, mysteries, craft books,and spy novels are all my faves

Best Books of 2008

Purge (I know this comes out next year, but It's AWESOME. Everyone should read it.)

Hunger Games: Crazy Good

Audrey, Wait: funny, very funny

Skies over Sweetwater: great historical tale -about a little known piece of history

13 Reasons Why: tapes from a girl who committed suicide