Today is the day that we say goodbye

To another year that has passed us by.

Filled with joy and sorrow, pain and pleasure,

Moments of regret, moments to treasure,

This year has come full circle and reached its end.

Today is the day that we say hello

To another year and many more days to go

The future remains untainted and clean

and what's going to happen remains to be seen.

This year is giving us a chance to begin again.

I hope that wherever you are, right at this time,

You'll be able to catch my funny little rhyme.

I wish you happiness and growth and laughter and love

And I wish you more blessings from God up above.

Happy New Year to all of you, my friends!

Obviously, I'm no poet - but I tried! Happy New Year to all of you! I hope you're having a fantastic time ringing in the New Year, wherever you may be, and that you're enveloped in a whole lot of love and joy.

What was the first book you read in 2011 and the last you finished in 2011? How do you feel about these books? Would you recommend them to other readers?

The first book I read in 2011 was Juno & Juliet by Julian McGough.(Click to see my review.)

Thoughts: It was the first novel I read from Julian McGough, and unfortunately, it just wasn't my style. I did like the fact that it was about twins and family ties and set in Ireland though.

The last book I read in 2011, which got reviewed on the blog, was Lola & the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins. (Click to see my review.)

Thoughts: This novel is the second I've read from Stephanie Perkins and I love it just about as much as her debut novel, Anna & The French Kiss. It had me laughing, crying, swearing, giggling and sighing - and it was really hard not to gush in my review (though I tried).

The last book I read in 2011, which will be reviewed in January, was Matched by Ally Condie.

Thoughts: The novel had an interesting premise, characters that I grew to like (Cassia, Xander, Bram, Grandfather) and one I was highly intrigued by and loved (Ky). It has me excited to get the next book, Crossed, in my hands.

---

Reviews:

Selkie Girl by Laurie Brooks
Five: whimsical, fitting in , land & sea, selkie mythology, family

Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Five: action-packed, friendship, surprising, supernatural creatures, self-discovery

Lola & The Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
Five: romance, quirky, fun, inspired many emotions, cute

Features:

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays!
A quick post wishing everyone happy holidays!

Words from Books: Selkie Girl by Laurie Brooks
I highlighted some of my favorite passages from Selkie Girl.

Revelation Post: My Bookworm Santa & The Broke & Bookish Secret Santa
I tell you what I gave and what I got in the bookish Secret Santa events I joined this year.

Top 10 Tuesday: 10 Favorite Books I Read in 2011
I narrow down all the books I've read to the top ten for 2011.

Ushering in 2012: Book Blogger Style
I post bookish resolutions for 2012.

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

I'm at the verge of just writing one sentence to sum up my entire review. Seriously. And that one sentence is: Lola and the Boy Next Door is AMAZING and you MUST read it.

I honestly thought nothing could be as good as Anna and the French Kiss, the first novel by Stephanie Perkins. That was a book that one of my best friends discovered on accident, recommended to me and I ended up falling in love with the darn thing. I worried so much coming into reading Lola that I would constantly be comparing it to Anna and finding it lacking. It turns out my worries were unfounded - Lola was every bit as wonderful as Anna was (possibly even more)!

I really feel like nothing I say about this book will be adequate enough to express how much I loved it! I keep trying to find the words, but it's hard when a book has affected you (in the best way possible) so much. So suffice it to say, I think you should go and read the book.

If you do want to read a little more about what I thought, you can go ahead and read the rest of this review.

The Characters

I loved getting to know Lola Nolan. She's one wonderful character! Lola is smart, funny, whimsical and insanely creative. It was always a big part of the story for me to find out what outfit she'd imagine up next, or what she'd say or do in any given situation. I thought she was very brave for embracing her individuality and not letting anyone bully her into being someone different. And she definitely sounds like someone I'd be friends with (and I'd probably end up begging her to make me costumes too!).

I also like the fact that she's in no way perfect. She makes some really bad decisions/choices in the book, but the fact that she learned from her mistakes or realized what the right thing to do was redeemed her in my eyes. After all, none of us are perfect anyway!

Her family life adds an interesting angle to the story - she's raised by two dads. I thought it was a great touch for the author to add, as it's something that's different from the norm. It's great to see how involved her dads like to be in her life, and how she, in turn, acknowledges, respects and pretty much values their opinion. I liked seeing a family that was very close-knit, which I don't actually see a lot of in YA books. In fact, things are great between Lola and her dads - except when it comes to her boyfriend Max, who's older and in a rock band (and now you see why they had their misgivings).

Now, let's talk about Cricket Bell. Who's he? Why, he's the boy next door literally. He and the rest of his family live in the house next to Lola's and his bedroom window is right across from hers. Lola shares a history with him, since they've known each other since she was a little girl - and obviously, as the title suggests, there are some feelings involved. The Bells moved away back in the day and have returned only recently, sparking emotions that Lola thought were long gone.

Cricket Bell is adorable. And smart (and I mean, really smart). And polite. And dedicated to his family, especially his twin Calliope. And creative, in his own way. The things he says to Lola and the stuff he does for her just had my heart constantly fluttering. He's definitely the perfect complement to Lola, allowing her to sparkle and even encouraging it! It was easy to fall in love with him, and to want to root for him and Lola to be together in the end!

I can't move on to talking about the story without mentioning the amazing secondary characters. There are Lola's two dads, as I mentioned earlier, Andy and Nathan, who are really great father figures to Lola in the book. Then there's Lola's best friend Lindsey, who has a penchant for Nancy Drew and solving mysteries (which is AWESOME, by the way). We also have Max (Lola's boyfriend, who was charming in his own way) and Calliope (Cricket's twin sister, who's a champion figure skater and pretty much the star of the Bell family).

And we cannot forget how amazing it is that Stephanie Perkins managed to write Anna and Etienne into the story! I literally squealed with joy when I read their first appearance - and I love how they sort of play a role for the whole book. While Anna seems to be the same as in Anna and the French Kiss, Etienne seemed slightly different. This, of course, didn't change my opinion of their appearance at all because I happen to love them!

The Story

I really loved the story of Lola and the Boy Next Door. There's so much chemistry between the couple in question, that it's hard to avoid sighing or squealing or rooting for them. This, of course, was one of the best parts of the entire book - all these moments filled with romance and romantic tension, sweet words and emotionally charged passages. The best love stories, in my humble opinion, are the ones that I feel everything right alongside the characters; this is definitely one of them! It took time for them to rebuild their relationship, but I found that I loved the pace of everything in lieu of their history.

It was also a bonus that there were a lot of awesome, positive messages tossed into the book. Like, you should always be proud of who you are and not try to change for anyone else. Or how you should acknowledge the people who love and support you and treat them right. Or how different may not necessarily mean bad. Or how we might judge people based on their pasts, but for all we know, they've changed and we should give them a chance.

In conclusion...

Just go and buy the book already! If you're a fan of contemporary YA, like love stories and quirky characters, or loved Anna and the French Kiss, you really need to read this one. I'm sure you'll fall in love with it, just as much as I have <3

2012 is just about to start, and it's a safe bet that you will find me as excited as I always am at the end of a year and the beginning of a new one.  I love ushering in the New Year! It's always symbolized a new beginning for me - a chance to start over, be different, be even better.

My friends Magan & Estelle over at Rather Be Reading have come up with the wonderful idea of posting up our resolutions for 2012.  Since this is my book blog, the resolutions you'll find here are mostly related to reading, writing and book blogging.  If you're interested in my personal resolutions, I'll add a link to my other blog at the bottom of this post.

1. Read 120 books.  My personal reading goal this year was to finish 105 books, which I managed quite easily.  Since I know I can manage to finish at least 100 books, I wanted to set my goal higher to encourage me to read more.  I didn't want to make it too high however, to allow for reading breaks and so that I wouldn't feel forced to read to meet my goal.

2. Make a sizable dent in my book piles.  As of now, I currently have about 35 physical books in my possession that I haven't read. (I don't even want to think about how many unread ebooks I have, although I know that I should!) Since many of these books are titles that I really wanted to read, I feel like it would be a great start to the year if I could somehow manage to work my way through them.  For the curious, the titles in the pile include Inheritance by Christopher Paolini, City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead and many more.

3. Create a system to decide which books to keep and which books to sell/donate. I'll admit, I'm a book hoarder. I'm one of those people who loves buying books, because I like owning them! I really do want to have a library in my house someday, but I'd want the selection of books in it to be carefully picked out to include the books I really loved and enjoyed.  It's my personal goal for 2012 to sort through my books (both here and in the Philippines) and decide which ones I can sell/donate to the library my grandfather built.

4. Be more organized with my blog schedule.  As a new book blogger, I started out with basically no idea what I was doing. I mostly winged it - posting up reviews whenever, occasionally doing hops and memes... well, you get the idea.  Towards the end of this year, I slowly found my rhythm.  I want to implement an organized schedule on the blog, so that my readers know what to expect from me on any given day.

5. Bring in some new features for the New Year.  Happily, I can report that this will indeed be happening come January, so at least one resolution on this list will be crossed off.  There are two or three new features that I'm toying around with, so be on the lookout for that!

6. Figure out my reviewing style. My reviews do essentially sound like me for the most part, and that brings a consistency to my blog. But I want to figure out my ideal reviewing style, including such things as which aspects of a book I focus on, what book information to include and so on.

7. Keep up the steady level of blogger interaction. I love all the book blogging friends I've made this year.  I've gotten to know some wonderful people (Katelyn, Daisy, Jana, Magan & Estelle, Victorie, Amanda to name a few), and I definitely want to continue nurturing my friendships and getting to know more book bloggers! It's nice talking to people who can understand your crazy love for books.

8. Write a page every day. Back when I was still studying, I used to write every single day. On some days, it'd be a poem. On other days, it'd be a story.  And some days, it'd just be random thoughts coming into mind. I miss writing that often, and I tried to do it every day this year, but failed. Hopefully, I have better luck doing this in 2012!

9. Finish the story. I've been working on a story for a couple of years now, and while I have bare bones and chapters of it here and there, it remains unfinished. 2012 is the year that I finally finish the first draft. At least, I'm very hopeful that it will be!

10. Let someone else read my work.  I've never shown the story under #9 to anyone, though I have shared it with my boyfriend. But I figure that, if people are willing to read my posts online, why can't I share my story with other people? I'll have to finish #9 in order to feel comfortable with #10 though.

Every other day, Kali D'Angelo is a normal sixteen-year-old girl. She goes to public high school. She attends pep rallies. She's human. And then every day in between . . .She's something else entirely. Though she still looks like herself, every twenty-four hours predatory instincts take over and Kali becomes a feared demon-hunter with the undeniable urge to hunt, trap, and kill zombies, hellhounds, and other supernatural creatures. Kali has no idea why she is the way she is, but she gives in to instinct anyway. Even though the government considers it environmental terrorism.

When Kali notices a mark on the lower back of a popular girl at school, she knows instantly that the girl is marked for death by one of these creatures. Kali has twenty-four hours to save her and, unfortunately, she'll have to do it as a human. With the help of a few new friends, Kali takes a risk that her human body might not survive. . .and learns the secrets of her mysterious condition in the process. 

With Every Other Day, Ms. Barnes has written a novel that differs from the YA novels that I usually read in that the focus is not on a relationship between a male and a female protagonist, nor is it a male-female tag team sort of thing - rather, it focuses on this one female, her abilities and her discovery of who (or what) she is.

Kali D'Angelo, our heroine (who would probably consider herself an anti-heroine), is a character that I loved. Even though she wonders and questions who she is, she's never really challenged the fact that she's born to hunt and kill preternatural creatures; she literally goes out, gets bloodied up and then wakes up the next day almost as good as new. In fact, one of the central parts of this novel is her unexpected countdowns when she changes from one form (human) to the next (hunter). The way she's written is really as a hunter - she's intelligent, thinks quick on her feet and knows a whole lot about the preternatural creatures she faces.

Thought the focus was mainly on Kali, it was fun to see how she started out as a loner but then ended up becoming friends/allies with an unexpected pair - Skylar Hayden and Bethany Davis. Skylar Hayden is the pronounced "school slut" and that's how she introduces herself to Kali. Right away, after seeing how she made light of the nickname bestowed upon her and chose to focus on the good things in life, I loved her. And it amused me when she started demonstrating her psychic abilities in the story. Her character was quirky, funny and instantly stood out for me. Bethany Davis starts out as a typical popular cheerleader type, but eventually we see that even she has her secrets. My heart went out to her at some point; I've got so much affection for people who can withstand crazy trauma and horrible betrayals like that. Plus, she warmed up towards Skylar and Kali and cared a lot about them in the end, which is definitely a plus in her favor.

Apart from these three, only two more characters really stood out to me - Kali's dad and Kali's mom. Both were interesting to me because I got a chance to see how they felt about Kali's second form and how they felt about Kali herself. It's always been interesting for me to observe parent-child relationships in stories, and it was no different in this case.

Every Other Day's plot completely surprised me. Half the things that I was expecting to happen didn't, and things that I wasn't even thinking about did instead. I think that's what I loved best about the book - that I never knew what would happen next and when something did, it'd always be a bit of a surprise (like that major twist that had me gasping out loud). Books that leave me in suspense (or take a turn for the unexpected) are always great, in my opinion. Every Other Day ends on a strong note, but also leaves room for a sequel in the future. And yes, I would love to read it and find out what happens to Kali and her friends!

As always, this feature is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish! 

EVENT #1: MY BOOKWORM SANTA 

(Hosted by Michelle of Book Briefs & Bree of The Magic Attic)

RECEIVED:

I received these two awesome books from my Secret Santa, Heather from Book Stacks on Deck!

Elin Jean has always known she was different from the others on her remote island home. She loves the seals that live in the waters surrounding the island and abhors the annual tradition of killing seal babies to thin the population. And if that isn't enough to set her apart, her hands - with their thin webs connecting each finger - have marked her as a freak. Someone to be avoided.

Elin Jean's parents have never been open with her about why she is so different, and why she must stay away from the other islanders. But it's just a matter of time before she discovers the truth about her past and the mysterious circumstances of her birth. And when she does, she will face a choice, as the child of a most unusual union. Partly of the land, partly of the sea, she must search both worlds and dig deep inside herself to find out where she belongs, and where her future lies.

I'm going to be honest here: when I first picked Selkie Girl out of the ones Ashley was selling, I had no idea what the story was about. It was the cover that drew me in, with its wonderful combination of colors and the beautiful illustration. It was the first book I read out of the ones I got from Ashley and I have to say that I enjoyed it.

The Characters

Selkie Girl's main character Elin Jean is interesting, and the story is basically hers. She's different from everyone else on the island, with her webbed fingers, love for the seals and being intensely drawn to the sea. She's strong in the convictions that set her apart, but her longing to belong and fit in also haunts her. I sympathized with her when she was teased or mistreated by the island's people; but I admired her strength to stand up for what she believed in. It did drive me a little bit crazy how crazy her own emotions were and how she sometimes made the strangest (i.e. most unreasonable) choices in the situations she faced. But overall, I liked her well enough.

The Story

The prologue of the book was intriguing enough to make me want to read the rest. I thought the mythology was very well-written, including enough about the people and about the selkies. There were many instances that I was as frustrated as Elin Jean when I couldn't figure out what was going on or what would happen next, but I figure the author was just trying to build up the tension. The language the author used took a little getting used to, but at some point, it stopped bugging me. 

In conclusion...

Selkie Girl was a good read, with an intriguing main character and mythology. However, it wasn't particularly remarkable.

(This song just gets me into the Christmas spirit!)

December has always been my favorite month (excluding August, my birthday month, of course), and I know it's for good reason.  I'm one of those people who really gets into the holiday spirit when the temperatures start to drop and Halloween/Thanksgiving have passed.  I love decorating the house, the tree, the yard (or at least, I used to decorate the yard).  I love the twinkly lights, the sparkly, glittery decor, the scent of pine and gingerbread all over the place.  I love Christmas shopping, despite the hustling, bustling, crowded shopping areas. I love wrapping gifts and giving them out.  I love the food and feasts that come with Christmas, especially the desserts and the chocolate that seem to stockpile everywhere.  The parties with friends and family are heartwarming and lovely and just get me all warm and fuzzy on the inside.

So today, enjoy the time you're getting to spend with your family and friends. And have a lovely time consuming copious amounts of food and opening whatever presents you've received.  I hope all of you feel all warm and fuzzy and loved today :)

For us Christians, I hope we also take the time to remember that today is the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  And that without Him, we really are nothing.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays!

Which books made it to your Christmas wishlist this year?

I could do this the short way and just have you take a look at this post or this post.
But, here, in all their glory, are the twenty-five books I really want for Christmas.

1. A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies
2. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
3. Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares
4. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
5. Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
6. Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs
7. Books 5-9 in the Pretty Little Liars series by Sara Shepard
8. The Lying Game by Sara Shepard
9. Lament & Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater
10. Die for Me by Amy Plum
11. Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan & Rachel Cohn
12. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
13. Tiger's Quest & Tiger's Voyage by Colleen Houck
14. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
15. Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
16. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
17. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
18. The Jessica Darling series by Megan McCafferty
19. Insatiable & Overbite by Meg Cabot
20. The Time of My Life by Cecelia Ahern
21. Harry Potter series (UK edition) by J.K. Rowling
22. all the Nicholas Sparks novels
23. all the novels in the Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot
24. all the Sarah Dessen books I don't have yet
25. The Pledge by Kimberley Derting

I would love to have any (or all) of these books in a package with my name on it this Christmas.
What books do you want to get for Christmas?

Reviews:
Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard
A Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas

Features:
2nd Annual End of Year Book Survey
Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books I Want Santa to Bring
Fractured Light Blog Tour: A Guest Post from Rachel McClellan

It’s Christmastime in London and Rafe Bowman has arrived from America for his arranged meeting with Natalie Blandford, the very proper and beautiful daughter of Lady and Lord Blandford. His chiseled good looks and imposing physique are sure to impress the lady in waiting and, if it weren’t for his shocking American ways and wild reputation, her hand would already be guaranteed. Before the courtship can begin, Rafe realizes he must learn the rules of London society. But when four former Wallflowers try their hand at matchmaking, no one knows what will happen. And winning a bride turns out to be more complicated than Rafe Bowman anticipated, especially for a man accustomed to getting anything he wants. However, Christmas works in the most unexpected ways, changing a cynic to a romantic and inspiring passion in the most timid of hearts.

I loved the Wallflowers series, and A Wallflower Christmas was a pleasant little addition to the series. Instead of focusing on a member of the Wallflowers, as the other four books did, this one focuses on Rafe Bowman, Lillian & Daisy's brother, and his search for a wife. He's linked to Natalie Blandford, but finds himself utterly intrigued with her companion, Hannah Appleton. 

As always, Lisa brings impeccable characters to life. I love Rafe and his brash, confident yet sensitive, mysterious personality. He seems to be quite similar to his siblings Daisy and Lillian, and because I have a soft spot for them, he gets a similar place in my heart. It was obvious, from the very beginning, that he liked Hannah, but I still cheered when they got together! Hannah, on the other hand, is another character easy to love. She seems to exude that aura of being just another one of the ordinary women on the street; but as we see from further reading, she's funny, compassionate, kind, witty and utterly a romantic at heart. I just love watching her fall in love with Rafe, though she doesn't want to! 

My favorite bits of the book, however, were the parts with the Wallflowers and their husbands. Those two or three pages devoted to each couple were charming, well written and inserted perfectly into the story without disturbing its flow. My personal favorite, of course, is the brief interaction between Evie and Sebastian. I just wish there had been more scenes with each couple! 

It was nice reading about the Wallflowers together again, and how they managed to bring Hannah into their little circle. I'm a sucker for books with strong female friendships and it doesn't get any stronger than the Wallflowers. Also, I love stories set at Christmas. There's just something magical about the holidays and the ensuing preparations that add to the charm of any story. Lisa does a fantastic job, adding new characters for us to love in this series, as well as spinning a fantastic, touching little tale about falling in love around Christmas time. I thought A Wallflower Christmas was a beautiful, if short, read.

[I received this book from the publisher. This in no way affects my review.]

Are you a Global Vagabond? No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.

As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward. But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back. 

One of the first ever things I heard about Wanderlove was that it was like a teen version of Eat, Pray, Love. Now, I absolutely adored Eat, Pray, Love, so it's an obvious deduction that I was incredibly eager to get my hands on this book. And to my absolute delight, I loved it!

Bria Sandoval is an interesting character, especially because she reminds me of myself in many ways. I could relate to her thirst for adventure, for something radically different and out of character. I completely understood her longing to return to her artistic habits, but feeling blocked or barred by her own fear, insecurity and misgivings. Plus, I thought it was really cool to watch as she sort of grew up during the course her adventures from an inexperienced, reluctant backpacker to someone who was travel-savvy, more sure of herself and eager to try things.

It is her art background and the back story that led up to the trip and to Bria's current frame of mind that fascinated me the most about her though. I really thought it gave us a bit of insight into the person she used to be, as well as allowing us better perspective on why Bria had decided to go to Central America in the first place. It gave a creative touch/twist to the tale and I really liked that.

Of course, apart from finding Bria relatable and interesting, I loved the fact that the book was all about traveling! I am afflicted with wanderlust - I absolutely adore going to new places and discovering new things for myself. Though Central America never crossed my mind (I'm more of a Europe and Asia kid), I now officially want to go after reading about the places in Wanderlove. Everything sounds so fascinating, rich with history and culture. And all the activities they were able to try out sound absolutely amazing!

During the course of Bria's journey, they end up veering off plan and into a completely different, unplanned scenario from time to time. And I loved that! It spoke to me of spontaneity, and I love being spontaneous when the occasion allows for it. Sometimes, the best moments are the ones that you DON'T plan - and this book definitely shows us that!

I will not be able to talk about Wanderlove without mentioning Starling and Rowan. Starling's fearless and generous personality is definitely something I can look up to. Rowan, on the other hand, has such a mysterious air for most of the novel. But when things finally fall into place and we learn the entire truth about him, well, it's easy to really love him!

Wanderlove was a lovely read, and one that I sincerely enjoyed. It's a great travel adventure, with a little bit of life, love and chasing your dreams and figuring out who you are all tossed in. (And, one more thing, I LOVED the illustrations in the book. They were so wonderfully done and added a perfect creative aspect to it!)

As always, this feature is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish! 

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.

This is my first time participating in the End of Year Book Survey, though I must say that if I had been blogging and if I had known about it, I certainly would have done it last year too. 2011 was a big year for me - I started this blog, made a lot of new book blogger buddies (ooh, a tongue twister in the making!), found some new and new-to-me authors and read a whole bunch of pretty awesome books. So it seems only fitting to participate in the end of year book survey, hosted by Jamie at The Perpetual Page-Turner, to cap it all off.

1. Best Book You Read in 2011

Dystopian: Divergent by Veronica Roth. Hands down. Until now, I find myself still in awe of it.

Contemporary: Lola & The Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins. So much gushing over this!

Fantasy: Eon by Alison Goodman. It's such a well-written series!

Historical Romance: The Love by Numbers (1, 2, 3) series by Sarah MacLean. So much romance <3

2. Most Disappointing Book/Book You Wish You Loved More Than You Did? 

The Sweetest Thing by Christina Mandelski. It's not that I didn't like it; I just didn't like it as much as I thought I would.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2011? 

Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, if only because I didn't know what it was going to end up being about. It was a very pleasant surprise though!

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2011? 

Divergent by Veronica Roth & Hunted by Cheryl Rainfield

5. Best series you discovered in 2011? 

The Hunger Games (1, 2, 3) by Suzanne Collins. I know I'm late on the game, but I do love this series!

Eon/Eona by Alison Goodman. Such a brilliant story and I love the Asian mythology behind it.

The Heroes of Olympus (1, 2) by Rick Riordan. I love Riordan; this series is my new favorite from him.

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2011?

Veronica Roth, Michelle Madow, Cheryl Rainfield, Leigh Fallon

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

The only book that I read that was out of my comfort zone was Lethal Remedy by Richard L. Mabry, and I actually liked it enough to think about purchasing the rest of the books in his Prescription for Trouble series.

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2011? 

Divergent by Veronica Roth. Sheesh, this book is going to be the answer to a lot of these questions.

Other choices: Hunted by Cheryl Rainfield, Lola & The Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins, The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, Eon/Eona by Alison Goodman

9. Book you most anticipated in 2011?

Inheritance by Christopher Paolini. I have been waiting for ages for this book. But I haven't read it yet because I don't want it to end!

Other choices: Forever by Maggie Stiefvater, Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan, Lola & The Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins, The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2011?

My pick: Divergent by Veronica Roth. (I told you guys that this was going to come up a few more times.)

Other choices: Forever by Maggie Stiefvater, Beauty Queens by Libba Bray, Remembrance by Michelle Madow, The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, Eon and Eona by Alison Goodman

11. Most memorable character in 2011? 

Girls: Tris from Divergent & Lola from Lola & The Boy Next Door

Boy: Cricket from Lola & The Boy Next Door

Some of my other favorite characters of this year are Katniss (The Hunger Games), Puck and Sean (The Scorpio Races.

12. Most beautifully written book in 2011? 

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. I've been a fan of Maggie's writing style since I first picked up Shiver, and she does an incredible job with this book.

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2011? 

Hunted by Cheryl Rainfield. This book, in my opinion, has a powerful underlying message - and for some reason, it is the message that has lingered with me the longest and most effectively after I read it.

14. Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2011 to finally read? 

The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. I know, I know, I know. I'm behind on the hype!

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2011? 

You can always check out my Words from Books posts to find this one out.

But of everything that I've read this year, here's one of my favorites:

"Books are your friends," Dad used to tell me. "They allow you to hope and to dream, but they also help to strengthen your talent. Never forget that." I read because I love to." - from Hunted by Cheryl Rainfield

16. Book That You Read In 2011 That Would Be Most Likely To Reread In 2012? 

Divergent by Veronica Roth, to refresh my memory on everything that happened before Insurgent is out.

Other choices: The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan, for the same reason.

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers! 

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Lola & The Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

The Hunger Games, Catching Fire & Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Book Blogging/Reading Life in 2011 (optional)

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2011? 

The Reading Gals is my newest favorite book blog to visit, because Magan and Estelle have similar preferences to me when it comes to books and they write such great reviews. They're also two of the nicest people I've ever met/interacted with on Twitter.

Other favorites this year are by two of my book blogger friends (thanks to Twitter): Katelyn's Blog by Katelyn (because she's so enthusiastic and her positive attitude is infectious) and Between the Pages by Daisy (because she' my Twitter buddy and just purely awesome).

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2011?

I personally love the reviews I wrote for Divergent and Carrier of the Mark. But my absolute favorite is the review I wrote for Lola and the Boy Next Door, which is up on Goodreads and goes up on the blog soon.

3. Best discussion you had on your blog? 

The best discussion is on this TGIF post, where I talked about writing reviews and gave my own advice. I love the responses from people who read it! 

4. Most thought-provoking review or discussion you read on somebody else's blog? 

I love this post on Jamie's blog (The Perpetual Page-Turner) about getting blog followers versus getting readers. It was such a brilliant topic for discussion, and I thought she wrote about her opinion on the matter really well. Plus, it was interesting to see how people responded!

5. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)? 

This year was epic for me in terms of events since I got to attend a few in the City. If I had to choose just one, it was the This is Teen event at the Scholastic Store in Soho featuring Meg Cabot, Maggie Stiefvater and Libba Bray.

6. Best moment of book blogging in 2011? 

The best moments of my book blogging life are getting to know other book bloggers and forming new friendships. I have to give a shout out to my friends Katelyn and Daisy, who are two of the people I talk to a lot on Twitter and who I consider friends.

It's also pretty cool when authors I love reply to me on Twitter! I love how easy it is to connect with them, and I appreciate the fact that they replied to me!

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

I checked this recently and found out that it was my post for Small Blogs, Big Giveaways, 4th edition. I totally understand why it's this post - it's one heck of a giveaway! Thanks to Nat at Reading Romances for letting me be a part of it.

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

Show some more love for these reviews? I thought these books were AMAZING.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Hunted by Cheryl Rainfield

Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennett

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

9. Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

Book Depository, because it's freakin' awesome.

10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

I only had one reading challenge, from my Goodreads account, and that was to read 105 books this year. I actually went far past that number if you check my sidebar. At the moment, I'm at about 115 books, I think.

Looking Ahead... 

1. One Book You Didn't Get To In 2011 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2012?

Inheritance by Christopher Paolini, if I don't get around to reading it while I'm on vacation for the holidays.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2012?

I'm waiting on a bunch of books for 2012, but the two books that I am extremely excited for are Insurgent by Veronica Roth and Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins.

3. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2012?

For reading: I would love to finish a total of 150 books next year, if that's at all possible (and considering how I'm doing right now, it looks like it might be).

For blogging: I'd like to improve on the writing style I use for my reviews, as well as figuring out new features to add on the blog.

For the book blogging community: I want to further develop my friendships and working relationships with my fellow book bloggers, authors, publishers and publicists.

Thank you for coming up with this survey Jamie! It's such a pleasure to be able to look back at the year that was and see all that's happened, remember what I've loved and not-really-loved and to look forward at the year to come. {Have you done the End of Year Book Survey? If not, click here.}