Top 10 of 2012: Friday

Top 10 of 2012 is a great event which is co-hosted by some awesome bloggers (Rachel from Fiktshun, Lisa from A Life Bound By Books, Jessica from Confessions of a Bookaholic, Jaime from Two Chicks on Books and Mindy from Magical Urban Fantasy Reads). It's a week-long event where you can look back at the best books of 2012 and forward to the awesome books coming out in 2013 :)

Today is the final day *sniff* and the topic is Top 10 Books I’m Looking Forward To in 2013.

1. Horde by Ann Agguire
Enclave and Outpost were both stand out reads for me this year and I loved how the author constantly adds to the world building with clever twists. Horde is the last in the Razorlands trilogy and I'm really looking forward to it.

2. The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson
I loved The Name of the Star because the Ripper storyline was particularly well done and Maureen Johnson got London right. Nothing is more irritating than seeing the city where I live butchered by a lack of research. I'm hoping this is as accurate as the last and I can't wait to see what is next for Rory.


3. Sever by Lauren DeStefano
I loved Wither and Fever so I'm really looking forward to seeing where Rhine ends up at the end of the trilogy. But it isn't just Rhine I'm interested in: I also want Cecily to have her happily-ever-after and to find out what's happening with Rhine's brother Rowan, not to mention poor Gabriel.



4. The Rising by Kelley Armstrong
Another last in the trilogy pick here and this one is the final Darkness Rising book. The previous book ended on a bit of a cliffhanger so I'm looking forward to see how it continues, and if there is a follow through with connecting these characters with the Darkest Powers characters.

5. Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris
I started reading the Sookie Stackhouse years ago, waaaaaay before True Blood came along and exploded them into popular culture. Dead Ever After is the last book and I want to know how everything is going to end. Who will Sookie be with? Eric? Bill? Alone? Someone new? What will happen to her? And what about everyone else? How's everything end for Sam? Soooooo many questions lol :)

6. The Raven Cycle #2 by Maggie Stiefvater
No title or cover as yet but I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens next for Blue, Gansey and Adam. Plus Ronan - that twist at the end about Chainsaw omg! At least I know (barring Scholastic losing the plot) the cover will be pretty :)

7. Shades of Earth by Beth Revis
One dull Friday this year I grabbed Across the Universe from my bookshelf thinking it would be a good read. I was blown away, finished the book that day and then went and bought and read A Million Suns the next day. I also preordered Shades of Earth. To say I'm really looking forward to it would be a massive understatement.


8. Unnamed Psy-Changeling by Nalini Singh
I love the Psy-Changeling series so I had to include the 2013 release, even though the title and cover haven't been revealed...and nor have the characters. One thing I love about the series is that even though a different couple takes the lead in each book, the previous characters still feature and there is a great twisty-turny backstory throughout the series.

9. Unnamed Guild Hunter by Nalini Singh
Another unnamed coverless entry by Nalini Singh, but this time she's revealed that this will be a return to Elena and Raphael as lead characters (they've taken a backseat in the last two books). I adore this series and it'll be great to get back to them and see what's happening in their world.

10. House Rules by Chloe Neill
I can't wait to see what the Cadogan vampires will get up to next, especially as Biting Cold ended in such away that things have really changed for them. This is the first of two new Chicagoland Vampires books out in 2013, with Biting Bad following in August.



Honourable mentions: Omens by Kelley Armstrong, Seawitch by Kat Richardson (I'm waiting for the paperback) and Mountain Echoes by C.E. Murphy.

Top 10 of 2012: Thursday

Top 10 of 2012 is a great event which is co-hosted by some awesome bloggers (Rachel from Fiktshun, Lisa from A Life Bound By Books, Jessica from Confessions of a Bookaholic, Jaime from Two Chicks on Books and Mindy from Magical Urban Fantasy Reads). It's a week-long event where you can look back at the best books of 2012 and forward to the awesome books coming out in 2013 :)

Today's topic is Best Book Boyfriends of 2012. This was a tricky top ten for me as these had to come from 2012 relases I'd read...of which there are only 18 books but I managed it!

 1. Adam Vasic in 13 by Kelley Armstrong
Adam Vasic stole my heart with his first bad boy appearance in Stolen many years ago. One of the best parts of 13 is that you got to see things from his perspective, including just how much he's in love with Savannah. He is incredibly patient and it's been great to see their relationship grow from a hopeless teen crush to full blown romance over the course of the series.

2. Jason from Archangel's Storm by Nalini Singh
Jason has been in the background of the Guild Hunter books for a while so I was looking forward to his story but I never expected the combination of sweet/bad boy/tragic past. I fell for him within a couple of pages :)

3. Elder from A Million Suns by Beth Revis
Elder and Amy are very different people and their romance in A Million Suns has had to take a backseat so they can help the people aboard the Godspeed. Yet Elder still manages to put Amy first and the trust between them is incredibly sweet :)

4. Adam from Blue-Blooded Vamp by Jaye Wells
Just generally Adam is a really amazing guy. He manages to challenge Sabina to bring out her best characteristics while being incredibly supportive and loving no matter what. The fact he does all that and manages to put up with Giguhl is incredible.

5. Adam from The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Screw Gansey and his "I must find the ley line" quest, the guy I liked in the Raven Boys was Adam. His homelife is beyond messed up but he doesn't use it as an excuse. He is determined to be better than his origins and always helps people out whenever he can.

6. Ethan from Biting Cold by Chloe Neill
Ethan and Merit have a lot to deal with in Biting Cold but his constant attempts to deal with the recent changes in his life, and point out to Merit how great they were as a couple gives him a really earnest quality that made me root for him. I'm really looking forward to seeing what's next for him.

 7. Declan from Brownies and Broomsticks by Bailey Cates
Love triangles are pretty common in cozy mysteries, but in this case I'm firmly on Team Declan. He's gorgeous, a firefighter and he really helps Katie out with those little things that make a big difference - like bringing her dinner when she's too busy to go out. Such a sweetie!

8. Gabriel from Fever by Lauren DeStefano
At the end of Wither, Rhine asked Gabriel to take a lot on faith and accompany her. In Fever, that faith is tested constantly as Gabriel and Rhine run into problem after problem. Gabriel does everything in his power to keep Rhine from harm and rescues her when he can't keep her safe.

9. Rafe Martinez from The Calling by Kelley Armstrong
I fell for Rafe in The Gathering after seeing how he was with his sister and this book just made him more appealing. I'm a sucker for bad boys hiding a heart of gold and Rafe fits perfectly in that category. I can't wait to see what's next for him and Maya.

10. Dmitri from Archangel's Storm by Nalini Singh
Okay so it isn't Dmitri's book, but there are some scenes from his perspective which show him with his new wife Honor which are incredibly sweet. Archangel's Storm has a pretty dark feel to it and Dmitri's scenes add a beam of light that made the book incredible.

Honourable mentions: Uncle Ben from Brownies and Broomsticks who couldn't make the main list because of his age but is so sweet with his wife and niece, and Fade from Outpost by Ann Aguirre who didn't make the list as he isn't good boyfriend material in parts of this book.

Top Ten of 2012: Wednesday

Top 10 of 2012 is a great event which is co-hosted by some awesome bloggers (Rachel from Fiktshun, Lisa from A Life Bound By Books, Jessica from Confessions of a Bookaholic, Jaime from Two Chicks on Books and Mindy from Magical Urban Fantasy Reads). It's a week-long event where you can look back at the best books of 2012 and forward to the awesome books coming out in 2013 :)

Today's topic is a blogger's choice so I'm going with Best Villains of 2012.

1. Uram from Angel's Blood by Nalini Singh
As a fan of the Psy-Changeling series, I thought I knew what to expect from Nalini Singh. Then I read the darker, more twisted Guild Hunters. Uram is the villain in Angel's Blood, a psychotic archangel that Elena is assigned to hunt down. His crimes are described in the book and definitely win him a place on this list.

2. The Freaks from Enclave & Outpost by Ann Aguirre
I'm not usually a big fan of anything with zombies in, but I decided to read Enclave regardless. The Freaks are very creepy and they add a different layer to the story by being so predominant. They made the list given how they are developing over the trilogy and I creeped out looking forward to seeing where they go next.

3. Eldest from Across the Universe & A Million Suns by Beth Revis
Creepy psycho? Check. Pretending to be a nice guy? Check. Doing really messed up things? Check. Freakishly controlling? Check. Eldest was a character I was suspicious of from the start and as soon as he started to show his true colours, I knew he was a bad guy!

4. The Ripper from The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
I loved the Name of the Star and part of that love is how Maureen Johnson managed to bring Jack the Ripper into the modern day. He manages to pull of scary, creepy and mysterious all at once and the close calls with Rory kept my heart pounding throughout.

5. The demons in Possess by Gretchen McNeil
The demons aren't the big bad in Possess but they made the list because they possess a shop full of porcelain dolls. If we're going for book thing that freaked me out the most this year - that scene is it. Even writing about it is making me shudder!

6. Caliane from Archangel's Consort by Nalini Singh
Caliane has been talked about in snippets since the beginning of the Guild Hunter novels so I was excited to finally find out more about her. When she begins to awaken and influence the world, Caliane's actions put some horrific chains of events in motions and make her an amazing villain.

7. Cato from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
I picked Cato for the list as he is the complete opposite to Katniss. He volunteers for The Hunger Games for the glory and as a District 2 tribute has spent years preparing to take part. He is vindictive, deadly and arrogant...and he hurt Peeta!

8. Jesse Carne from Montana Sky by Nora Roberts
Jesse is Lily's abusive ex-husband in Montana Sky and he makes the list based on the creepiness of the scenes from his perspective. Nora Roberts shows how bizarrely his mind works and how abusive he is to a terriying degree and the idea that people like him really exist is horrifying.

9. Bishop from Feast of Fools by Rachel Caine
Bishop is a vampire who appears in Morganville and stirs things up. Unlike the Morganville vampires, Bishop has no respect at all for humans and quickly becomes a deadly villain. Not only is he evil but he manages to incite others to do horrible things for him which is very disturbing.

10. Tate from the Chicagoland Vampires by Chloe Neill
Tate's character has evolved a lot over the six published Chicagoland novels. He's been a shady suspicious politician, a convict and now he's a full-on bad guy. The twists and turns in his evolution have been fascinating and he definitely deserves his place on the list.

Honourable mentions: President Snow from The Hunger Games trilogy (seriously his breath smells of blood?! Ewwwwwwww) and Lijuan from Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh.

Top 10 of 2012: Tuesday

Top 10 of 2012 is a great event which is co-hosted by some awesome bloggers (Rachel from Fiktshun, Lisa from A Life Bound By Books, Jessica from Confessions of a Bookaholic, Jaime from Two Chicks on Books and Mindy from Magical Urban Fantasy Reads). It's a week-long event where you can look back at the best books of 2012 and forward to the awesome books coming out in 2013 :)

Today's topic is Best Book Covers of 2012. These must be from books released in 2012, and preferably from those you've read. As I didn't read that 2012 releases this year, the first 6 are books I've read and the remaining 4 are books from my TBR.

1. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Generally speaking Maggie Stiefvater's covers are amazing and The Raven Boys is no exception. I love the hand-painted appearance of the raven and the swirls in the background really complement it and stop the book from looking plain. There is also red foil for the author, raven's heart and the little raven by the title that give it that extra sparkle.

2. Outpost by Ann Aguirre
I really like the Razorlands covers because they manage to show the creeping danger of the Freaks (zombies if you're new to the series). The covers always display features that you have to look again to catch, like the eye and hand moving the fence board. This shows off the creepiness of the book really well.

3. 13 by Kelley Armstrong
When it was announced that 13 would be the last Otherworld book I was devastated. This is the series that got me hooked on urban fantasy so I'm sad to see it go. But then I saw the cover and was really impressed. The simple blood drop against black fits perfectly with both this book and the whole series and really stands out amongst other books.

4. Brownies and Broomsticks by Bailey Cates
When I heard about this I was hesitant to pick it up as I already have a lot of cozy mysteries sitting unread on my shelf, but the cover won me over. I love the cute almost cartoony look to it and how well it fits with the book (the cat on the cover is a dead ringer for Honeybee in the book).

5. The Calling by Kelley Armstrong
I love the covers for the Darkness Rising books. The use of the silhouette as a background to the main design is really unique and I love that it shows what could easily be a scene from the book. Definitely a favourite and one of the few times where the UK cover is nicer than the US :)

6. Angel's Flight by Nalini Singh
The Guild Hunters is another series where I generally love the covers but of the two releases this year, Angel's Flight really stands out to me. The swirling background, the colours on the angel's wings, even the falling feathers. I love it all :)

7. The Accidental Genie by Dakota Cassidy
I love Dakota Cassidy's paranormal covers as they are always really cute with a cartoon feel to them and they stand out from the other paranormal romance books I own. I love this one in particular because it is so pink and girly (not something that usually appeals) and it really reminds me of I Dream of Jeannie which is one of my favourite shows :)

8. Raven Calls by C.E. Murphy
Where to start with this cover? I love the Celtic Cross in the foreground and the stormy clouds in the background as well as the moody feel to the cover. The simple raven in the sky really adds to the book and I love how barren the landscape is. If this wasn't already a favourite series, this cover would have made it one.

9. Endure by Carrie Jones
I've adored the Need Pixies covers from the start, even though I'm not really a fan of gold so I expected to love Endure when it came out. I think it's the most beautiful one so far as the simple gold iris really accents the gorgeous swirls agains the black background. It's just so pretty :)

10. Rapture by Lauren Kate
Yes it's a girl-in-dress cover which is getting to be horribly overdone in the YA market, but I really like the cover for Rapture. It has a feeling of movement too it and the greyscale colour scheme really appeals to me. It may well be my favourite cover from the whole series.



Honourable mentions: Reached by Ally Condie, Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick and Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.

Top 10 of 2012: Monday

Top 10 of 2012 is a great event which is co-hosted by some awesome bloggers (Rachel from Fiktshun, Lisa from A Life Bound By Books, Jessica from Confessions of a Bookaholic, Jaime from Two Chicks on Books and Mindy from Magical Urban Fantasy Reads). It's a week-long event where you can look back at the best books of 2012 and forward to the awesome books coming out in 2013 :)

I'm thrilled to be back blogging and this seems like a great way to celebrate the best books of 2012! Today's topic is Best Books I've Read in 2012, although this is more of a "so far" kind of list as I'll be reading some more before the end of the year.

1. Enclave by Ann Aguirre
I saw Enclave around the web a lot and always hesitated over it as I really don't like when a book is sold as "for fans of..." but when I saw the trailer I was sucked in and picked up a copy, despite the fact I'm not a fan of zombies. As soon as I started reading I wanted to know more about Deuce and I'm now eagerly anticipating Horde. (My review)

2. Possess by Gretchen McNeil
Possess caught me from the first page as it heaps on the mystery and tension before cutting across to one of the most atmospheric mist-filled scenes I've ever read. I really enjoyed the unique take on demons, loved Bridget and Matt and was thoroughly creeped out by the doll shop scene.

3. White Cat by Holly Black
White Cat blew me away. Holly Black has created a really unique world and filled it with fascinating characters and so many plot twists my jaw ached from dropping open so much. A great example of young adult urban fantasy, I fell in love with the world.

4. Brownies and Broomsticks by Bailey Cates
Usually cozy mysteries get overlooked by me when I'm doing lists like this because they are gentler reads. This one really stands out for me. I adored the Savannah setting, thought Katie was great, loved her family and swooned over hunky fireman Declan. The magic and the food descriptions made this a stand out read for me, as did the scrummy peanut butter brownies recipe!

5. Archangel's Consort by Nalini Singh
The Guild Hunter series was new-to-me this year and so far the stand out book has been Archangel's Consort. The storyline built up from the first two books and made this installment brilliant. I loved how Elena has changed so much and how she and Raphael find a new balance in their lives, and the supporting characters are incredible.

6. 13 by Kelley Armstrong
13 is probably the most bittersweet book I've read all year. It was epic but it was also the end of the Otherworld series. I loved Savannah and Adam and it was incredible how Kelley Armstrong tied everything together. There were plot lines tied back to hints from books near the start of the series and all the previous narrators were given at least a chapter or two from their perspective. (My review)

7. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Across the Universe blew me away. I picked up a copy after hearing loads of great reviews and then put off reading it because I don't like sci-fi in my books. I picked it up on a dull Friday afternoon and didn't move again until I'd finished the entire book. It was an amazing read :) (My review)

8. The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
Usually I see a book set in London, put it back on the shelf and back away. As a Londoner, nothing bugs me more than people not researching and screwing up the city. This only got picked up for the Jack the Ripper connection but blew me away on how accurate the city portrayal is. Besides that, this is really great read. (My review)

9. First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones
This was a gift from my step-mother and I was expecting a standard urban fantasy style story. My favourite part of this book is the humour (I spent ages giggling while reading) mixed in with the action and mystery, and this quickly became a favourite book of mine. I can't wait to read further in the series.

10. The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
I got the Demon's Lexicon as part of a set of books and promptly forgot about it until Sarah Rees Brennan appeared at a Cassandra Clare signing. After chatting with her I knew I had to read the book so I tracked down my copy and as soon as I started I fell in love with her world and her characters. Nick blew me away and the world-building is really unique. (My review)


Honourable mentions: The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong (review), Blue-Blooded Vamp by Jaye Wells (review) and Curses! by J.A. Kazimer (review).