Top Ten Books I Thought I'd Like More / Less Than I Did

BOOKS I THOUGHT I WOULD LIKE MORE (BUT DIDN'T)

1.   THRONE OF GLASS by Sarah J Maas: I'm a big fan of the novellas, but the novel let me down a bit. Perhaps I'll like it more when I reread it.

2.   REQUIEM by Lauren Oliver: A good story, but that ending killed it for me. Too little is answered, and I'm still angry at the lack of answers.

3.   BEAUTY QUEENS by Libba Bray: I loved GOING BOVINE and really like the Gemma Doyle books, but this one was only okay for me. Such a shame.

4.   IMPOSSIBLE by Nancy Werlin: I don't think I'm a fan of this author's writing style, because a lot of other people loved this book, and I could barely stand to read the entire thing.

5.   THE BEGINNING OF AFTER by Jennifer Castle: I really thought I was going to love this book, but it ended up being sort of average.

BOOKS I THOUGHT I WOULDN'T LIKE (BUT DID)

6.   THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green: Why did I doubt you, John Green? Excellent voice, lovely writing, and a heartbreaking story. I feel like an idiot for thinking I wouldn't like it.

7.   STORM by Brigid Kemmerer: I normally don't expect much from a novel published by a small press, but this book was so much better than I expected. A few flaws, but such a fun read! Plus, it's filled with incredible characters, like the lovable Merrick boys :)

8.   BLOOD RED ROAD by Moira Young: The strange way that it is written almost made me give up, and I'm glad that I didn't. This book is filled with complex characters and exciting, action-packed moments.

9.   ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD by Kendare Blake: Ghosts, fun friends, gory scenes, and a great MC - why did I originally doubt I would like this book?

10.   WANDERLOVE by Kirsten Hubbard: I liked LIKE MANDARIN, but wasn't expecting this book to be anything special. It was. I adore this book, especially the artwork.

Hosted by The Broke and The Bookish
Image from The Broke and The Bookish

Waiting on Wednesday (66)

WOW is hosted by Breaking the Spine

Rebel Heart (Dust Lands #2)

Moira Young

October 30th, 2012

The Tonton have been defeated. Lugh has been rescued.
The heartstone has brought Saba and Jack together.
Now, Saba and her family head west to meet him and start a new life.
All should be well.
 But shadows of the dead are stalking Saba.
And another kind of shadow is creeping over the dustlands.
Then a messenger shows up.
With news of Jack.

Loved the first book, Blood Red Road, so I'm very excited for this one!

What are you waiting on?



Best of 2011

My 11 Best Books of 2011(in no particular order)
1.  Delirium by Lauren Oliver2.  Clarity by Kim Harrington3.  Divergent by Veronica Roth
4.  Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins
5.  Blood Red Road by Moira Young
6.  The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton7.  Across the Universe by Beth Revis8.  Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
9.  The Liar Society by Lisa & Laura Roecker
10.  Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
11. What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

Best Female Main CharacterKarou from Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Best Male Main CharacterCas from Anna Dressed in Blood
Funniest Main CharacterSophie from Demonglass
Most Realistic Main CharacterTiki from The Faerie Ring

Best Supporting Male CharacterFour from Divergent
Best Supporting Female CharacterAnna from Anna Dressed in Blood
Most SwoonworthyFour from DivergentRieker from The Faerie Ring
Best HorrorAnna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Best Villain (Orion) from Across the Universe
Best Sci-fi & MysteryAcross the Universe by Beth Revis
Best FantasyDaughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Best DystopianDivergent by Veronica Roth

Best Romance & WritingDelirium by Lauren Oliver
Best HistoricalBetween Shades of Gray by Ruta SepetysThe Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton
Best ContemporaryRival by Sara Bennett WealerMoonglass by Jessi Kirby

Best Verse NovelThe Day Before by Lisa Schroeder

Best Ending to a Series/TrilogyThe Forgotten Locket by Lisa Mangum
Best SequelUncommon Criminals by Ally CarterDemonglass by Rachel Hawkins
Most UniqueBlood Red Road by Moira Young

Most SurprisingAnna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

 

Best Cover of 2011Possession by Elana JohnsonAcross the Universe by Beth Revis

The Must-Read Book of 2011Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Considering the amount of ties I gave (seriously, it was so hard to narrow it down!), I'd say 2011 was an epic book year. 
What was one of the best books you read in 2011?

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Buy it: Amazon / Book Depository
Release: June 7, 2011

Pages: 464 (hardcover)

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Source: Amazon Vine Program

Summary:

Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when a monster sandstorm arrives, along with four cloaked horsemen, Saba's world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on an epic quest to get him back. 

Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the world outside of desolate Silverlake, Saba is lost without Lugh to guide her. So perhaps the most surprising thing of all is what Saba learns about herself: she's a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. And she has the power to take down a corrupt society from the inside. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization. 

Thoughts: Blood Red Road is exciting and introduces a different style of writing that succeeds in creating a gripping and thoughtful story.

Narrated by Saba in writing that perfectly reflects her character, the story begins with Saba's life at Silverlake with her father, Emmi (sister), and Lugh (her twin brother). Saba herself comes across a bit unkind and very easy to dislike in the beginning, but her growth and gained maturity is  obvious throughout the story. Saba's broken knowledge of English shows on every page, but I eventually came to enjoy how the story was written in the way that she speaks - it creates an even more immediate connection to who Saba is and who she becomes. Emmi is another character that took some time to warm up to, but I ended up loving her personality. Lugh is one character we only know for a short time (which was a bit disappointing) but I had plenty of other characters to enjoy reading about. Secondary characters like the Free Hawks girls and Jack stand out and shine the way Saba does. 

The setting changes as Saba moves swiftly across the deserts of Silverlake, to Hopetown where gladiator-like battles take place, and the more unique Freedom Fields (as well as a few other intriguing places). Each new place Saba takes the reader blooms to life, and the possibility of danger at every turn made this story captivating to me. The storyline is both filled with exciting moments that will have you hooked, as well as slow, thoughtful moments too. Imaginations will run wild with Blood Red Road, and you'll definitely want more.

Highlights: Action. Adventure. More Action. Loss. Family. Love. These things are all at the heart of this story, and I love that. Even the romance, what little there was, did not take over the plot. This book is about coming of age, and about the crazy things you'll do for your family. I love a book with a plot that's actually worthwhile. This is by and far the most uniquely written story I've ever read. Plus, the characters are interesting (which is always a good thing).

Lowlights: I'm just curious how it all came to be, this society. I also thought a few aspects of the story were predictable. In addition, I almost gave up in the first 50 pages or so pages because I wasn't adjusting to the writing style/character - this story has a very slow start, but it does pick up the pace eventually.

Note: If you have issues with novels written in the voice of a character who really does not have the best diction, then you might want to check this one out at the library first (or read a chapter at the bookstore) to see if you'll be able to enjoy the writing. I thought I would hate this book, but I ended up enjoying how it was written completely in Saba's voice. 

Rating:  

Teaser Tuesday (2)

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. 

Here are the rules: Grab your current read. Open to a random page. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page, and BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) Share the title & author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser is from Blood Red Road by Moira Young

"Shh! He holds up his hand. 

We wait. Listen.  

Silence. 

Silence.    

Then. A faint rumble. Like thunder in the distance.    

They're awake, he whispers."*    

*page 377 in advanced reviewers copy