Faves of TwentyEleven Book Awards

Earlier this year I ran a Half-Way Through the Year Book Award Thingy :)


IT"S BACK :)


I love making lists, chatting about my favourite books and pondering over my reading year of 2011 ~ So I made up some categories to nominate and share what some of my favourite books of the year were...


Over one week in December, I will be running the same event on my blog ~ and I invite anyone who wants to join in on your blog... to join in.


The Rules:
Your answers come from books you read this year
(They don't have to be limited to books that came out in 2011, obviously)


The Other Rules:
Do what you want
Skip a category, rearrange a category, smish some categories together. Create sub-categories and shout-outs...work it for you :)
Nominate multiple books for one category (when you are torn) or limit yourself to one
Challenge yourself to not use the same book more than once, or sprinkle the same books throughout half the categories...
Join in some days and forget the rest...
Whatever works for you. Have fun :) 


The Linky
Will be up each post, if you want to link up :) 


When I am Posting Mine: 
Over 5 days, Monday to Friday, the second last week of December.
(Last time it was three MASSIVE posts, this time I've divided them up a little)
You can run it whenever you like on your blog ~ or match my days :)


My Schedule:
Monday 19th: The Books 
Tuesday 20th: The Characters 
Wednesday 21st: The Scenes
Thursday 22nd: The Random
Friday 23rd: The Covers 


Buttons and Categories for Each Day:

Day One: The Books


1. favourite book read in 2011
2. most powerful book
3. brilliantly funny
4. best ache-y, heart-breaking, tear-jerker read
5. most beautiful story
6. delicious rainy day comfort read
7. adrenalin-fuelled, unputdownable award
8. the beautiful prose award
9. most atmospheric and vivid setting
10. i-so-want-to-go-there award
11. most original and imaginative
12. best under-appreciated, hidden gem book
13. i-had-no-idea-i-would-love this-so award
14. most haunting story
15. outside my comfort zone but gosh how i loved it
16. series that i’m loving
17.  always recommending this book award
18. completely awesome premise award
19.  would make the best movie
20.  want to re-read already

Day Two: The Characters

1. favourite female main character
2. favourite male main character
3. best couple <3
4. who i so want to be best friends with
5. who i fell completely in love with (new literary crush)
6. worst (best & baddest) villian
7. best character twist (who you loved then hated or vice versa)
8. best kick-arse female
9. best kick-arse male

10. broke your heart the most 11. favourite pet/animal character award

12. best YA parents award

13. favourite sibling relationship

14. favourite best friends/friendship award

15. best/worst character names

Bonus: best love triangle

Day Three: The Scenes


1. best first chapter
2. best climax
3. best ending
4. best plot twist/revelation (no spoilers!)
5. scariest/most disturbing scene
6. steamiest scene (or sweetest/sexiest kiss award)
7. best swoon-worthy moment
8. biggest nail-biting moment
9. most hilarious scene
10. most heart-breaking/tear-jerker moment
BONUS: favourite meet cute

Day Four: The Random


1. fave first sentence
2. fave book title
3. fave reading experience (ie: created a great reading memory)
4. book with the best food in it (made you so crazy-envious-hungry)
5. book with the most sensual weather (made you shiver/sweat)
6. most embarrassing book cover (feeling sheepish in public or just plain ugly)
7. can’t believe you waited this long to read the book (!)
8. book you'd give your mum/sister to read
9. book you'd give your dad/brother to read
10. book you'd like to give your past-self to read (ie, me, when I was 15)
11. book that lived up to (or superseded the hype)
12. book you stayed the latest to finish (confess!!!)
13. book you were *dying* to get your hands on the most
14. fattest brick of a book you read (by page count)
15. killer cliffhanger award

Day Five: The Covers

TEN favourite covers selected from books you read in 2011

AND that's it for now ~ :D

I'm looking forward to flicking back through all the books I read and pondering what to nominate for the categories. I'll definitely be nominating more than one for some :)

xx Nomes

The Secret Ingredient by Dianne Blacklock

Taste was such an evocative sense; Andie had closed her eyes, with the scone melting in her mouth, and been transported back to her grandmother's kitchen... 

Nourishment is nurture. That's what Andie learned from her grandmother and what she's always believed about cooking. But somehow, since marrying Ross, she's allowed her love of food to take a back seat and given up her dream of becoming a chef. 

Lately she's been craving more. And when her marriage falls apart, she's determined to find herself again and take back control of her destiny. 

The first step is taking a job in the kitchen of renowned chef Dominic Gerou. The brooding Englishman is more than Andie bargains for, but the new Andie is ready for anything, even a bad-tempered chef who makes it clear he won't tolerate mistakes. 

In this beautiful new novel, Dianne Blacklock takes us on a sumptuous journey of the heart as Andie uncovers the secret ingredient for her new life, and shows that no matter how many false starts you may have, if you hold on to your passion and your dreams, anything is possible.


The Secret Ingredient is the latest (and my first) novel by (crazily ;)) prolific Australian contemporary women's writer, Dianne Blacklock. 


I had a mixed experience reading it... a lot of which I blame on the back cover blurb :) I had assumed Andie's marriage break-up and kitchen job would be the inciting incident for the novel, yet they actually occur around the mid-point section, with the first half of the novel spent introducing characters, their personalities, back stories and the love and tension between them all. The novel is presented from multiple view points, which takes a while to establish, but ultimately adds tremendous depth to the full cast of characters (not only with their personalities, but also to the themes presented). 


I think I kept waiting for the novel to find it's stride and I would have settled in a lot better if I hadn't been so anxious to get to the brooding Englishman and kitchen adventures part ;) SO don't make my mistake ~ settle in and relax into the story :)


The Secret Ingredient feels truly Australian. Sharing the story from so many characters points of view en-likened it to watching an Aussie drama mini-series (I could picture Andie as Claudia Karvan, and I kind of had a vibe of Love My Way happening in my mind ~ one of my fave Australian TV Series). That was definitely cool.


The Secret Ingredient has it's share of genuine, heart-felt and complex family relationships, mingled with some characters who felt somewhat cliche in their roles (the cheating husband was particularly shallow and typecast, it made it hard for me to buy into Andie's commitment to him in the first place).


I enjoyed the second half a lot more. The restaurant setting is like being in foodies heaven, the atmosphere was rife with tension, life and energy. I almost felt exhausted just reading about it (they work LONG hours. I'm glad I only had to live through ti vicariously, I would not be cut-out for that immense pressure). And it definitely got my taste buds salivating (as in, DYING for some gourmet food ;)). 


The Secret Ingredient feels meticulously researched ~ everything was so atmospheric, food so richly described, places authentic ~ yet without drowning the reader in descriptions. It was ridiculously easy to walk among the pages of this book alongside the characters. 


Recommended: Ultimately, it is a story of following your dreams, about not being afraid to start out again, having a go. It's also go fantastically messy, yet touching, family dynamics. It's right in the niche for all Masterchef lovers. It's unapologetically, gorgeously Australian :D. This one is for fans of womens' fiction and Australian drama. Also, it's an easy, yet compelling read for people who are casual/holiday readers.  

The secret Ingredient is available now (in Australia)

Dianne Blacklock's website
The Secret Ingredient @ goodreads
The Secret Ingredient @ PanMacmillan
Alpha reader's (shining) review of The Secret Ingredient
Interview with Dianne Blacklock (@ Alpha Reader) > check out this post for some FINE eye candy in the form of chefs ;)

More books by Dianne Blacklock

Thanks to PanMacmillan for my review copy ~ it looks gorgeous in person :)

hard cover v paperback {6}

Hard Cover V Paperback is a sporadic feature of inkcrush where I chat about which cover I prefer, etc...

(sorry for the formatting of pictures in this one ~ blogger's a bit messy ;) ~ driving me wild, so am leaving as is and moving on ...)

Split by Swati Avasthi

 Split @ goodreads

Hard Cover V paperback

FIRST: the paperback is still at a bargain preorder (for Jan 2012) price. 

It's one of my fave reads this year... so get to it :)

Hard cover: I liked it. The key is part of the story. The red, black and white are arresting. I am SUCH a fan of lowercase, I can't help it, I just am. ALSO ~ I didnt spot it for a while (then had a 'duh' moment) but there are profiles in the cute of the key. cool optical illusion...

Paperback: Normally I am not too fussed over having models on a cover. But, I am REALLY digging this. I love him in profile, love the black and white (it's evocative) love that floppy hair ;) It's curious it is the same colour scheme as the hard cover ~ yet so dramatically different in vibe. Also, it's uppercase is cool here ~ so understated and simple. Like the opposite of the hard cover.

My fave: I am LOVING the paperback. I know there's not much to it, but it's calling out to me. I love it's simplicity. I think it is going to look stunning in the flesh (I am almost tempted to buy it, just to have another copy of one of my favourite books ;))

I'll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan

I'll Be There @ goodreads

Hard cover V paperback

Hard cover: You guys ~ this one is one of the most coveted covers of the year. It's mesmerising and gorgeous and such a stand-out with it's illustrative work. I have heard it is equally gorgeous on the inside (interior design, LOL, is it called that? Whatever). This one feels like a picture telling a thousand words. It's practically screaming READ ME.

Paperback: Initial reaction: looks like the face on the new Delirium (Lauren Oliver) cover. Oh, there's a boy, whispering and/or sniffing. I do like the concept, how if you go cross-eyed, you notice more of him than her. I'm a fan of the colour and the black and white and I especially love that slightly fuzzy red font. It's only when I think about this cover that I find things to admire, it doesn't grab my instant attention...

My fave: I get why publishers change things, I do. But that aside... WAHHH! I LOVE the hard cover SO MUCH. I do not own it (haven't read it). I am not a hard cover girl, I prefer buying paperbacks. But this one is making me think investing in the hard cover of this book may be worth having it on my shelf... (I could handle the paperback though, it just seems such a shame to miss out on owning that hard cover masterpiece) 

Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O'Roark Dowell

Ten Miles Past Normal @ goodreads

Hard cover V paperback

Hard Cover: I loved this cover when I saw it last year. The girl, the paddock, the guitar, the dots of what looks like black sheep, the unruly grass and the scattered font. I wanted the book based on the cover (and title ~ which also rocks) alone [note: I kept an eye on reviews, and then didn't think the book was for me after all :/ ]

Paperback: I REALLY love how the two versoins are tied together by the same photo shoot. So I am just going to compare aspects here. I like the font in the paperback better (more unruly). Somehow, the girl looks photoshopped in on the paperback ~ she's so much more CRISPER. I do prefer seeing the farm on the hard cover ~ kind of cooler for some reason. I like the gradient in the sky on the paperback, makes the hard cover seem flat in comparison. 

My favourite: I don't have an obvious one. They are both pretty funky. Maybe the hard cover looks more original and eye-grabbing? I would blend in my fave paperback aspects and smish them together on one cover :) 

Does this cover remind anyone else of the book 'Somebody everybody Listens To' ? The dress, the jacket, the guitar...

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

Cryer's Cross @ goodreads

Hard Cover V paperback

Hard cover: Creepy. I LOVE this cover. I love how it matches in with Lisa McMann's US editions of the Wake series, yet is it's own thing entirely. The scratchings on the desk are genius (I love creative title text). I love how the background fading out makes the centre luminous. The old style table and chair set are spooky sitting there, all ominous-like. Love the colours and tones. 

Paperback: ... So ... While the trees are going for spooky, the scene is going for telemovie romance. It's like a tame harlequin cover or something. This is a YA book, right? The couple on this cover look too old to be teens to me (?). I haven't read the book, so I can't comment on how well the cover portrays it's contents (in terms of vibe, genre) but it looks like they are marketing two different stories to two different audiences. 

My fave: Hard cover. Creative, simple and effective. The paperback is so generic, and I have NO IDEA what the book is about based on it? 

What are your faves? Any you don't like?

My verdicts: 

Split: paperback

I'll Be There: hard cover

Ten Miles Past Normal: mutual :)

Cryer's Cross: hard cover

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

A forbidden romance.
A deadly plague.
Earth's fate hinges on one girl . . .

CINDER, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She's reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she finds herself at the centre of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen - and a dangerous temptation.

Cinder is caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal. Now she must uncover secrets about her mysterious past in order to protect Earth's future. (from publisher's site)

Cinder is the first book in the Lunar Chronicles quartet (the quartet will star Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Snow White). 


I have read a few fairytale retellings, but none so bold and dynamic as this futuristic retelling of Cinderella. There were so many elements to love: 

• humans and cyborgs and androids haviging out in a techno-gadget-y future (Cinder is a cyborg)
• a plague (I am a sucker for plague/virus stories)
• intergalactic political intrigue (with an evil queen living on the moon ~ and the mysterious death of an heir...)
• sci-fi elements and a dash of magic mashed-up creatively with the classic fairytale

There’s also a constant weaving in of (tragic) back story, shrouded in secrets. The story is mostly told from out heroine's perspective, but there are chapters from Prince Kai’s point of view (widening the scope of the narrative.) 


Plot-wise ~ there’s a lot going on. The plot is constantly steaming ahead. As with most retellings, the characters have a defined role to play (as in: the role of the evil stepmother, the shallow sister, the arch nemesis, the charming prince). I loved watching out for plot elements that matched the classic Cinderella story and enjoyed the twists Meyer gives them (ie, instead of Cinder losing her shoe at the ball ~ she loses her (cyborg) foot. In some places, characters are little more than their role, but in others, Meyer succeeds in going further than the stereotypes and layering her characters, so you feel their unique hopes, dreams, aches, love and loss. I loved the relationship between Cinder and her (nice) step-sister, Peony, and Iko (Cinder’s android bestie). Prince Kai had his moments too, he was charming, sure, but it is not an overly romantic kind of book. 


I am truly curious to see what sci-fi fans think of Cinder. I found it easy to imagine the futuristic world, even though I mostly have no idea about all the techno gadget stuff. 


Perhaps the one thing that detracted from the experience for me, was there was just so much going on . All the plot threads pulled together in the end, but I wish I could’ve had more time with the characters and less of the constant action/political intrigue/plot twists* but that complaint is coming from a contemporary YA lover who loves getting under character’s skins. 


overall Cinder is more of a wild ride than a lingering read. 
The thing that most impressed me about this story is it’s scope. It’s dynamic, imaginative and creative. It would play out brilliantly on the big screen. It would have sucked me in big time when I was a teenager. I liked it as an adult. 


*regarding the plot twists: I saw them all coming ~ but not in an unsatisfactory way, some had the kind of foreshadowing that heightened anticipation. Other twists were screamingly obvious to me even as the characters remained completely oblivious.


Cinder's Australian release date is Jan 3, 2012


Cinder @ Penguin Australia
Cinder @ goodreads

Thanks Penguin Australia for my review copy :)

Catching Up...

Hellooooo

It's been a little while... first, I fell sick and just when I got better ~ we all went away for my sister's wedding (!!) which was SO lovely. It was at the Wollongong Botanical Gardens (a nine hour drive from where I live in Coffs Harbour)

1. My Sister's Wedding (click images to embiggen)

My kids: Carissa, the flower girl; Reuben being the crocodile hunter; and my Sammy

The entire side of the Taggart (my maiden name) family. My dad and mum, us three kids & our spouses, plus my three kids and my brother's two girls. My older brother  is on the far right, my little sister is the bride :) 

2. While I was gone: I did a guest post over at Carla's The Crooked Shelf for Aussie YA month

(Thanks Carla!). I am also hosting a giveaway there for a Jaclyn Moriarty book of your choice (you all know who much I LOVE and ADORE Jaclyn) It closes in two days ~ so check it out :)

3. Winner and Melina Marchetta

ALSO, I would love to announce my random.org winner of Melina Marchetta's The Gorgon in the Gully

Olivia

Congrats! I'll email you shortly :)

I asked everyone to tell me their fave Melina Marchetta character or book and here's the answers... (copied and pasted, sorry for the messy formatting...)


My favorite Melina Marchetta book would be Froi of the Exiles. 


!!! I am in LOVE with Melina Marchetta!! Seriously- LOVE! But my very most favorite (actually my favorite book, period) is Jellicoe Road. I totally just squeaked out loud when I read the quote with the picture!! :D LOVE! I SO want to read this one!! Seriously- SO want!! :) 


piper's son. oh boy. that book slays me. 


*fan girl sigh* Jonah Griggs...On the Jellicoe Road is my favourite!


"If we're talking moments that stuck it's when Jonah says, ""“I’m here because of you. You’re my priority. Your happiness, in some fucked up way, is tuned in to mine. Get that through your thick skull. Would I like it any other way? Hell yes, but I don’t think that will be happening in my lifetime.” 
As to my most loved character, it's Tom from THE PIPER'S SON.


My favorite Marchettas are Jellicoe Road and The Piper's Son. My favorite Marchetta character is Jonah Griggs, I love him!


I've only read one, so I know it's not fair to her other books, but I absolutely LOVED Saving Francesca. Melina Marchetta definitely knows how to write about high schol friends and relationships! :)


Definitely Jellicoe... I mean it basically became my favourite book ever when I read it. But The Piper's Son totally wrecked me as well (in a good way, of course). 


"I love on the Jellicoe Road, I have such a vivid memory of sitting on the cross-town bus and opening it up and then just sitting there crying my little heart out after reading the prologue. 


And I love Jonah Griggs, I love how he's tough and kind of hard but you can also tell he adores his family, and that he loves Taylor enough to want to protect her always but also knows when she just needs him to be around without him doing much else. He doesn't take over the people he loves, he's just there if they need hi. 


Also, I think Jellicoe is the one I had to wait for the most, close to four years I think before I could get, because the US publication was so delayed. 


"Looking  For Alibrandi.  It's the only one I've read. (yes, i will fix this)


Definitely Jellicoe. My favorite character would HAVE to be Jonah, though I do love Hannah and Raffie too :)


Mmmm. It's so hard to pick a favorite anything of Melina Marchetta's, but if I had a gun to my head, my favorite book would be Jellicoe Road, but my favorite character would be Evanjalin from Finnikin. As a whole Jellicoe is just so fantastic, but Evanjalin is a character with a lot of traits I really admire, though I do love me some Jonah Griggs... :)


I don't have a favourite Melina book yet, but I really want to read Finnikin of the Rock and that series, I think it will be good :)


Jellicoe Road is my favorite book, but my favorite character(s) is from Saving Francesca. I love the Spinelli family.


Ooo thats a tough one Nomes, for me it's got to be between Jellicoe Road and The Piper's son. I think I'm going to go with Jellcoe Road :)


That would be Finnikin of the Rock and Froi of the Exiles!! MM was born to write high fantasy!!:)


I have only read one of Marchetta's book, The Piper's Son, but enjoyed it. I of course like Tom, but I think my favorite character was Georgie. 


Oh so easy. Jonah <3


I think Thomas of Piper's Son and Saving Francesca (though for some reason I haven't gotten to that one yet!) is my favourite of her characters. And it's either Piper's Son again or Jellicoe Road as my favourite book. I'll have to reread PS to decide!


"That is actually really hard to decide for me. It tends to be the one I read most recently ;), but all her books are special to me. But if I had to pick one book, I would say ""Jellicoe Road"" because it's the one I feel most emotional about.


Quintana! Love that mad girl.


Finnikin of the Rock is my favorite, followed by Saving Francesca.


Jellicoe Road, of course. <3 


"Fave - Jellicoe Road. Dying to read - Froi!! Though I'd love to read this one too!!"


Saving Francesca, always. I adore that book! I plan to play my children power songs when they are older and leave upbeat messages taped to mirrors :)


"Francesca, Nomes. Francesca seems to be my favorite book ever.
And certainly I am dying to read Gorgon. "


JONAH GRIGGS!!! That boy is a perfect male specimen! 


"I think it's definitely between Jellicoe (which was the first book of hers I read and it just absolutely blew me away) and The Piper's Son because it's so different to any YA book I've ever read before.
But then you have Finnikin which is one of the only fantasy books I've been able to get through... nevermind adding it to my favourite list. 
Hm, I'm not having much luck here am I?
Answering that question gives me a nosebleed. 


I can tell you that my favourite character is Tom Mackee because he's so flawed and realistic. He is the perfect example of how to create a male YA character without making him either two dimensional, too good to be true or a borderline psychopath.
Also, he's totally hot. ;-)"


i've only read two, and my favorite one's Saving fransesca. loved that book so, so much <3


I would be such a let down to all my fellow Aussie YA girls if I didn't say Saving Francesca!!


"Georgie, of TPS, was my favorite character. I could relate to her feelings of humiliation, shame, and despair. But I'm also a huge Thomas Mackee fan! My first kid might be named after  him. LOL"


this was definately very difficult. In the end mine would definately have to be Jonah Griggs. As much as I love the other characters (e.g. will, thomas, francesca, taylor), I think i will always love Jonah the most. He is like everything a older teenage girl (16/17) loves in a guy. Protective always there to help her, soulful and tells her the truth. He is fun, kind, a little bit rough...But wait there is more! haha. Even as a character - without being a boy, he is so complex, I think that is what makes him amazing. The way marchetta describes him is just amazing. Honestly I could go on about Melina Marchettas characters forever! I love all her books and cannot wait for the next one!


Jellicoe Road


I love anything MM writes but my favorite character is Jonah Griggs. 


My favourite Melina Marchetta book is on the Jellicoe Road. It was my first and it is my favourite :D I love it. But I have read her other 2 books and am dying to read Finnikin of the Rock. 


"It's a close call between Froi of the Exiles and On the Jellicoe Road...
Maybe Jellicoe Road a smidgen more. I have four copies of that book! I loved Taylor Markham from Jellicoe Road, because she's not a cliched character. She is who she is. She's tough, she's frank, and she gets Jonah. Who wouldn't love/want to be her? :)"


My favourite Melina Marchetta book is On the Jellicoe Road, although Finnikin of the Rock, Saving Francesa and Looking for Alibrandi are all close behind it.


I bought Saving Francesca & The Piper's Son so I can't wait to get stuck into them :)


What an awesome giveaway! My fave is On the Jellicoe Rd. I cry every single time.


At this point, I only have Froi to read, I've pretty much read everything else, and Looking for Alibrandi is by far my favorite contemporary. It has a certain sweet simplicity that really appeals to me.


"too hard a question


Finnikin  for his strength loyalty and humility
Froi for his vulnerability
Jonah for his pure heart and ability to make you swoon
Francesca for here fearsomeness
Thomas Mackee for his friendship


My favorite book my Melina Marchetta is Finnikin of the Rock. I've read most of her other books (realistic fiction) and I loved those also. Why I'd say Finnikin is my all time fav would be because Marchetta wrote an absolutely amazing fantasy novel while she seems to mainly a realistic fiction writer. So I'd love to get my hands on Froi of the Exiles, but I guess that won't happen till March :(. This book caught my attention because you talk about your two boys. I have two little guys myself. I'd like to see how Melina fares in MG writing. Thanks for the chance to win. 


GUYS! Your answers were so brilliant and varied. And FUNNY, LOL. I had a good chuckle at some of them. Thanks so much for entering :)

4. I have been in a reading slump.

It doesn't worry me too much, actually. It is kind of nice to have a little break. BUT I am wondering what I should read next. These are all the books I own but have not read yet.


What would you read if you were me?