fave reads of 2011 ~ the scenes and the random

the third (and final) day for the sharing-the-awesome awards

(as usual, ignore any wonky (blogger!) formatting ~ spaces appearing EVERYWHERE o.O)

can't wait to see what you guys pick :)

the scenes

1. best first chapter

I read the first chapter of SPLIT online and was completely sold.

shout out's to:

• The first chapter of PAST PERFECT made me grin (on each page) and my heart was already swelling with the knowledge that I was so going to love this book.
• I flicked through the first chapter of SAVING JUNE in the shops and loved it enough (the voice and the meet-cute) to realise I needed to buy the book <3

2. best climax

i'm going with THE CHOSEN ONE. not so much the climax itself, but just how tightly plotted the book is, the way the stakes are continually raised and the tension builds so masterfully that by the time the climax arrives, i was breathless.

3. best ending

THE MIDNIGHT ZOO by Sonya Hartnett: life-affirming and gasp-worthy and full of hope.

And ... shout-outs to:

• I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU SOMEONE ELSE (loved it!)
• BOG CHILD (quietly haunting)
• GOD IS IN THE PANCAKES (i had no idea, not even an inkling, how this would end)
• SAVING JUNE (that song, LOL)

4. best plot twist/revelation (no spoilers!)

NEVER LET ME GO ~ even when you see it coming/know what it is, doesn't take away from the breath-taking, ache factor and the emotional whoosh thing (you know what i'm saying). quietly brilliant.

shout outs to: 

• UNEARTHLY by cynthia hand (nicely done, not melodramatic and makes me pumped for the sequel), 
• BEAUTIFUL MONSTER by kate mccaffrey (i saw it but i still like that she did it, and think it was effective)

5. scariest/most disturbing scene
i have nothing on Flannery, but here's a few:

the garage scene in SPLIT hit me in the guts, while maybe not the most disturbing i read, it was the biggest emotional impact of a disturbing scene

the haunting story of the the three kids from IN THE WOODS (disturbing in the intriguing way)

shout-outs to:

• also disturbing/intriguing, Hamish and some of his recollections in VIOLENCE 101 O.o
• and there's a scene in THE COMET BOX with a dog and a backyard and a kitchen table. i still have a strong visual on it.

6. steamiest scene (or sweetest/sexiest kiss award)

the steamiest scenes are definitely found in my adult fiction ~ but for this award i am choosing some fave YA swoony/best-written make-out moments

PAST PERFECT ~ the scene on the trampoline <3

FIXING DELILAH ~ there's a few on there ;)

SAVING JUNE ~ lots of slow burning URST but, trust me, it pays off :D

7. best swoon-worthy moment

no spoilers BUT jake (!!!) and harper on page 219 (Aussie edition) of SAVING JUNE. i do not recommend peeking ahead as part of the magic in it is watching it get to that point.

8. biggest nail-biting moment

not so much nail biting as tummy swirling, gayle forman really had me aching and wondering if the HEA was going to arrive or not ~ and at some point (most likely to relieve the tension in myself) i came to peace with whichever way the story would go.


here i am choosing SPLIT (again), heading into the climax was really challenging and extremely tense

9. most hilarious scene

oh ~ nothing overly killing-yourself-on-the-floor-laughing BUT here's scenes that always get me grinning whenever i think back to them:

PSYCH MAJOR SYNDROME: Nathan on the road trip and hollaback girl <3 Nathan x

WHAT ALICE FORGOT the grandma's blog (!) LOL
ANGUS, THONGS (etc) too many, every single thing is hilarious from Georgia <3
SLICE: the shaving scenes, the father/son sex talks (!) and the school kayaking camping trip, haha


bonus: GUYS ~ i didn't put fave meet-cute (!) and i am SUCH a huge fan of the brilliant, grin-worthy and impressionable meet-cutes. most my crushes have me rooting for them from their first appearance. anyways, my fave meet-cute (for genius set-up, cute dialogue and general hotness and grin-worthy vibe) was dan and chelsea in PAST PERFECT.

the random 

1. fave first sentence
LOVE the opening to SLICE (steven herrick) and huge props for taking a "taboo" opening and making it cool)

My name is Darcy Franz Pele Walker.

Ignore the middle names.  

I do.

tell me you smiled. c'mon :)

2. fave book title
here's four titles that i'm liking:

• how to say goodbye in robot
• i now pronounce you someone else
• the dark and hollow places
• every little thing in the world

(the bottom two are also lines in the book ~ i seriously LOVE that)

3. fave reading experience (ie: created a great reading memory)

i read SLICE (steven herrick) while on hols in katoomba, and the book is set in katoomba and it just made it feel more awesome. very relaxing, smiley times.

LOVED reading and swooning along with Jess and Nic to SAVING JUNE (hannah harrington). it was very cool freaking out over how awesome it was and going a bit crazy over peanut better together ;)

4. book with the best food in it (made me so crazy-envious-hungry)

THE GIRL WHO CHASED THE MOON (sarah addison allen) I was dying for those cakes/pastries/pretty much anything they ate/smelt/mentioned.

5. book with the most sensual weather (made you shiver/sweat)

• seriously felt like i froze to death while reading BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY (was even shivering while reading it in summer) 
• and also FAR FROM YOU (lisa desrochers) the snow (!) the ice (!) so cold (!)
• and oh my gosh, that scene in THE DARK AND HOLLOW PLACES where the girls are walking the wall through the night ~ painfully, bitterly cold.

6. most embarrassing book cover (feeling sheepish in public)

i must say, i procrastinated reading julie james based on her covers. glad i got over myself and checked her out (and read her safely at home, LOL)

and THE DARK DIVINE. argh. i know most people love it but i don't get it. those lily while legs tangled in sheer purple and positioned as if she's half needing to go the toliet. it made no more sense ot me after reading the book (i am out of the loop on this one)

7. can’t believe you waited this long to read the book (!)

obviously, ANGUS, THONGS AND PERFECT SNOGGING. my sister told me years ago how awesome it is and i have no idea why i waited so long to check it out. it's made of win :)


and... that's it (!)


i know there's still a little bundle of REALLY GOOD BOOKS i read that didn't get a nominations, which makes my head hurt a little. but choosing was hard enough without angsting over all the other goodness out there, LOL. (I have read 102 books so far this year ~ so I guess it's my absolute faves so far that keep popping up and made the biggest impression on me)


guys, it's been brilliant and all your linked-up posts are absolutely charming and mt TBR is, well, starting to politely bulge, haha.


x Nomes