Top Ten Villains in 2011

I have to admit, this was a tough list to create. While I do love my villains, for some reason they weren't really jumping out at me like the book boyfriends did. There's definitely a varying degree of "evil" in my choices since I like a variety but there are also some similarities. Without further ado...

ALL Villains (the Alchemist, the Lady Premiere, Augusta)
Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver

The first thing I have to say is: This is such a fantastic book! The main characters are delightful which only makes it all the more infuriating that the villains are so heartless. Very well done!

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Eli
Hereafter by Tara Hudson

This is more of a sympathetic villain than the others, I think. While he is pretty twisted, Eli also tugs some heart strings with the explanations of how he got to be the way he is. That is definitely what makes him stand out to me as a villain.

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Housemaster Vaughn
Wither by Lauren DeStefano

This was the first person that came to mind when I read the topic. Housemaster Vaughn got to me like no other villain on this list from the very beginning. Every time he's mentioned in the book, I feel revolted. I don't even know what exactly it is about him!

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The Murderer
The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

I believe this is the only villain to get his own perspective that I've read about. The parts of The Body Finder with the murderer's POV were definitely the darkest of the book and probably a huge part of why it was so intriguing. Kimberly Derting has a way of making this character seem real.

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Olivia's Mom - THAT WOMAN...
Clean by Amy Reed

The last thing I want to do is spoil this wonderful book for anyone, but Olivia's mom (that's the mom of one of the kids in rehab) makes me want to bite something. What sort of person does that?! It's just... gah. I can't stand her.

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Reth
Supernaturally by Kiersten White

Okay, so obviously Reth isn't Chief Villain but I couldn't resist adding him in. He's the strangest combination of lovely and lethal. I'm still hoping to see more of him in Endlessly although I feel Supernaturally explained a great deal.

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Severin
Firelight/Vanish by Sophie Jordan

This is basically the head of the MC, Jacinda's, people. While I don't think his intentions are completely horrid, he does do things in a way that annoys me. Plus, he's just so creepy!

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Shayne
My Life Undecided by Jessica Brody

Ahhh, Shayne. She's the best friend of the MC. You might remember that I compared her to Voldemort in my review? She's not actually that bad, it was more just the mood I was in, but I still think she's probably the worst friend to have. Totally selfish.

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Warner
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

I am so torn on this guy! Obviously, he's a manipulative, disgusting man, but he is also very well written by Mafi in that I know where he's coming from. I can see why he has turned out "evil" and I don't even want to blame him for it. I neeeeeed more Warner in the next installment!

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The Society/The Officials/The Government/That Creepy Group
ALL DYSTOPIANS!

This was the year for dystopians and I loved them! One thing they pretty much all have in common is that group that runs the world by making everyone else's life hell. Whether they're closely identified or just a distant, looming threat, I think all of them deserve to be up here.

Who freaked you out in YA this year? Any important ones that I missed?

Top Ten Book Boyfriends in 2011

THIS LIST WAS TORTURE. I love so many of the fabulous boys in YA... how could I narrow it down to ten? Here I am though, presenting what is more or less my top ten selection. Alphabetical order this time!

Adam Wilde (If I Stay/Where She Went) - He's sweet, funny, confident, the lead singer and guitarist in a band and just my kind of guy all-around.

Akiva (Daughter of Smoke and Bone) - This boy is entrancing and sweet, sharp and stunning.

Alex Sheathes (Delirium) - And then there's... Alex. Alex who laughs, listens, cares and lights Lena's world up like a chain of Christmas lights.

Ash (The Iron Knight) - Distant and moody perhaps, but Ash is a wonderful catch with wits, strength and a heart.

Cricket Bell (Lola and the Boy Next Door) - He's brilliant, awkward, kind and thoughtful. He talks with his hands and has good fashion sense. He is TALL. I dare you to not fall for him!

Etienne St. Clair (Anna and the French Kiss) - He was wonderful and I totally swooned every time his name appeared on the page. He's more than just a pretty face (although he has that going for him, too). He's sweet, funny and thoughtful... plus, he speaks French.

(I know! I couldn't resist having Stephanie Perkins' characters on here twice. Darn you, swoon-inducer!)

Four (Divergent) - When Tris needed a push in the right direction, Four was there. When she needed someone to let out her frustrations on, he was there.

Lend Pirello (Paranormalcy/Supernaturally) - Lend was a sweetheart... He was just what Evie needed: kind, supportive and comforting.

Noah Shaw (The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer) - Noah is supportive, caring and gorgeous. He's on Mara's side before he fully even understands why he needs to be and... he has a British accent.

Tucker Avery (Unearthly) - I fell in love with Tucker before I even knew what was happening. There is just something about that friendly cowboy that I find so endearing. I want more Tucker, please!

FYI: I was feeling pretty unoriginal so I decided to just steal a line or two about the guy from my original review - oh, except for Ash because apparently I didn't have much to say about him in my review of The Iron Knight.

Honourable Mentions:
Marcello (Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren)
Seth (Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr)
Derek (Darkest Powers trilogy by Kelley Armstrong)
Ky (Matched by Ally Condie)

***

My original list had 19 names so... yeah. This was a little tough for me to put together!

Do any of our book boyfriends match up? :)

Top Ten Covers of 2011

A FULL DAY late this time! Oh well. So here is what I shall do:

a) Post yesterday's post now.
b) Post today's post later today.
c) Actually schedule the other posts so that I am not late. Again.

Aaaaand... break!

Once again, these covers are in no particular order although the first one is probably my favourite :)

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

(If only I liked the book more :( ... )

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Die for Me by Amy Plum

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey

So, interesting story. I own 9 of the 11 (shhh) books listed here - that's everything except The Girl in the Steel Corset and The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer* buuuut of those 9, I still haven't read 5. Which, admittedly, isn't so bad, except these are pretty much all books I was totally coveting. Oh well :) There's still time left in 2011 I guess!**

*Oh, and possibly The Iron Knight depending on whether or not the person it is on loan to is ever going to give it back!

**This is what I say to myself when referencing the 2011 Reading Challenge thing over on GR.

"Pshh, still 4 days left and only 5 books to go! Har har, challenge, you are mine!"

(I'm living in high optimism. It's a lovely place.)

SO. What covers made YOUR eyes glaze over in 2011?

Top Ten Books of 2011

Yikes, yikes, yikes! In my typical fashion, I completely spaced out on the fact that TODAY is the day this lovely week-long event (hosted by Confessions of a Bookaholic, A Life Bound by Books, Fiktshun and Two Chicks on Books - like how I slipped that in there?) starts. Anyways, with less than an hour (in my time zone) remaining, I should probably get started!

Update at time of actual post: Um, apparently it takes really long to post something like this even when you've already picked out a list. So I am now a day late! Whoops!

Narrowing down this list to ten was REALLY, REALLY HARD. I have loved so many books this year... 2011 was definitely a good one! In no particular order, I present to you:

The Top Ten Books I've Read in 2011

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
My Review

Okay, I said this was in no particular order but that's a lie. This is definitely my number one for the year. If you haven't yet, reeeeeeaaaad it! I will be sending you subliminal messages! My recommendation will surely reach you! Do yourself a favour and experience the magic!

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
My Review/Love Letter

This book is absolutely gorgeous (as is the author, I love herrrr). The writing sparkles, the characters dazzle, the world-building shines and can you tell I'm on a glitter kick?

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
My Review

Stephanie Perkins' words make me melt like chocolate. I am always so happy when I'm her books, I love it! LOLA was even better than ANNA for me which is quite an impressive feat. Definitely one of my favourites of the year!

Divergent by Veronica Roth
My Review

I remember this book pre-release. It seemed to me like everyone was going kind of insane for it but I still wasn't sure if I wanted to buy it. Then I found out the author was coming to a signing literally 5 minutes from me and I just had to. THANK YOU, UNIVERSE! I stayed up way too late reading this book and I loved every minute of it. Plus, bonus: the author is delightful and liked my "tattoo" (Amity written with permanent marker on my arm... Lauren Oliver thought it was an actual tattoo.)

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
My Review

Okay, I said Delirium but really, any of Lauren's books can work here. I read all of them this year and each one made it to my favourites. Lauren Oliver is a genius with words and well, everything else in that whole writing area. Looking forward to more more more!

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa
My Review

This series... READ. IT! unless you already have, in which case, good for you! It is charming and adventurous with faeries and magic and one of my favourite romances! Ash is in this book! In fact, Ash narrates this book! <3 Just... loved it so much.

Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren
My Review

This book has so many great things going for it. The main character is very relatable, which is always important to me, and the plot takes interesting turns. Just the entire concept for me was fun and exciting. Besides, all the battle scenes (swords, hand-to-hand combat, ARCHERY!) excite me.

The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
My Review

I've always loved fairytales and folklore... all that good stuff. That is what The Near Witch was like for me. With the seriously stunning prose (you guys, I was in awe) and pretty spooky storyline, this definitely makes my top ten of 2011.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman
My Review

I adored this book so much. It brought up a million different emotions in me and I just feel like it was one I really connected to. That itself is kind of weird, since I have thankfully never been put in Mia's situation (or anything even close to it). The characters were amazing as well - I loved Mia's family and friends (ADAM).

Red Glove by Holly Black
My Review

I love the Curse Workers series! It's creative and original with characters that come to life when you read about them and stakes that seem to just keep raising. Cassel is an awesome MC and it's nice to read from a male's perspective every once in a while. It's also nice to read from the perspective of someone that comes from a family of cons - how often do you see THAT?

Honourable Mentions
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Matched by Ally Condie
Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt

(probably more that I am forgetting)

Happy Holidays!

Wishing you and your family a very happy Christmas if you celebrate! :)

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber

Add it: Goodreads
Source: Review from Thomas Allen & Son
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Format: Hardcover, 192 pages
Release Date: October 25, 2011

Perry Stormaire is a normal high school senior– he is busy applying to college and rehearsing with his band –until he agrees to go to the prom with the Lithuanian exchange student who is staying with his family. It turns out that Gobi Zaksauskas is not the mousy teenager that she seems but rather an attractive, confident trained assassin. Instead of going to the prom, Perry finds himself on a wild ride through the streets of New York City as Gobi commandeers the Jaguar his father lent him for the prom in order to take out her targets. Perry learns a lot about himself – and ends up with some amazing material for his college application essays.

If you've been searching for a break from your typical reads, Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick is the way to go!

From start to finish, this novel is packed with action and excitement. Images will be shattered, punches will be thrown and bullets will be fired - all in a very short time. This is the kind of book I can totally picture becoming a movie. It's not exactly a complicated plot - more direct lines from Point A to Point B - but it was fun to read nonetheless.

The characters for me were... pretty good. Perry is responsible and good-natured. I liked the genuine effort he made to be a good person. I'm not really quite sure what to make of Gobi. There were things I liked about her personality and things I found a little under-developped. Overall, Perry and Gobi were interesting to read about but not incredibly memorable.

I really liked the inclusion of the college essay questions. I thought they were a creative way to kind of guide what in the following scenes to focus on and besides, they were so interesting! It was definitely cool to see what different universities had asked and the wide range of topics that were explored.

An adventure that is both fast and fun!

Note: While this is technically YA, I would say it's intended for an older audience, perhaps even better suited for adults. Just a thought!

Cover Comments: Hello NYC! Looking nice and bright there. Not quite sure what you're wearing, Gobi, since I distinctly remember the outfits you wore (trust me, you will too) and a brown leather jacket doesn't seem to fit the bill, but whatever.

3 stars

Cover Reveal: Chosen Ones

Who's ready to see the cover for Chosen Ones by Tiffany Truitt?

Pretty, isn't it? :) Chosen Ones is slated to be released around April 2012, bur that is subject to change. It's being published by Entangled Publishing and is the first in a YA dystopian series.

For anyone wanting more info on the book itself, here is the official blurb:

What if you were mankind’s last chance at survival?

Sixteen-year-old Tess lives in a compound in what was once the Western United States, now decimated after a devastating fourth World War. But long before that, life as we knew it had been irrevocably changed, as women mysteriously lost the ability to bring forth life. Faced with the extinction of the human race, the government began the Council of Creators, meant to search out alternative methods of creating life. The resulting artificial human beings, or Chosen Ones, were extraordinarily beautiful, unbelievably strong, and unabashedly deadly.

Life is bleak, but uncomplicated for Tess as she follows the rigid rules of her dystopian society, until the day she begins work at Templeton, the training facility for newly created Chosen Ones. There, she meets James, a Chosen One whose odd love of music and reading rivals only her own. The attraction between the two is immediate in its intensity—and overwhelming in its danger.

But there is more to the goings-on at Templeton than Tess ever knew, and as the veil is lifted from her eyes, she uncovers a dark underground movement bent not on taking down the Chosen Ones, but the Council itself. Will Tess be able to stand up to those who would oppress her, even if it means giving up the only happiness in her life?

You can add the book on Goodreads here!

What do you think?