Faves of TwentyEleven: The Books

Day One of My Faves of TwentyEleven Book Awards

1. favourite book read in 2011

this one is WAY too hard, so i am going to TWEAK the question and choose my favourite Aussie YA book of the year, which goes to All I Ever Wanted by Vicki Wakefield

2. most powerful book

I LOVE this book, so much. It breaks my heart yet fills me with hope and the overwhemling theme/message SHINES brilliant: Split by Swati Avasthi

3. brilliantly funny

Oh, I read so many funny books (I am drawn to them, so). For my sense of humour ~ here are some of the books that had me reading with a ridiculous grin on my face the whole time :)

4. best ache-y, heart-breaking, tear-jerker read

Two equally stunning little books ~ each in their own way... Both genuinely moving.

5. most beautiful story

LOVE this love story. LOVE the taking of a prostitute and restoring her. Gorgeous read.

6. delicious rainy day comfort read

Hunting Lila: not my usual rainy day comfort: but it was so fun and swoony

The Day Before: any of my verse books deliver for this category. Lisa Schroeder is pretty much my new fave author in this genre.

LIANE MORIARTY: I love you.

7. adrenalin-fuelled, unputdownable award

This one is hard for me as nothing I read this year felt pumped full of adrenalin, not even the 7 or so adult suspense thrillers I read. I'm going with Legend as I really enjoyed it and read it in one day ~ although it's not all heart-pumping action :)

8. the beautiful prose award

Oh, Vicki Wakefield ~ I ADORE how you write.

9. most atmospheric and vivid setting

For those who have read Froi ~ you'll know why I picked it. Marchetta has imagined and created an entire world that feels so vivid and realised it's easy to be transported there.

Halfway through the year I chose Burn Bright for this and it's still stunning and wild and gothicky and just a smidgen behind Froi as a runner up :)

10. i-so-want-to-go-there award

Oh, this book made me all antsy for travel :)

11. most original and imaginative

Absolutely cannot go past Burn Bright. Also, John Belushi is Dead is a book I would describe as marching to it's own drum beat ~ it's quirky and different and very cool.

12. best under-appreciated, hidden gem book

YOU GUYS. These three books from me are all on my absolute favourite shelf. Such gorgeousness. Such brilliantly talented YA authors. I feel good just thinking about these gems.

13. i-had-no-idea-i-would-love this-so award

Enclave: This was a gift from a friend & I honestly had not really seen any buzz about it, so hadn't any built-up expectations. And then I started it and completely loved it. Such an engrossing read. Have you read it? It's a YA post-apocalyptic.
Genesis: From it's bizarre narration and delivery I wasn't sure it would be my thing ~ but then I got COMPLETELY into it and it fully delivers. What a genius little book.
Violence 101: Oh ~ I still love thinking about this book. It is also very different in it's delivery ~ surprising fun in parts and completely fascinating.

14. most haunting story

Never Let me Go for it's subtle absence of hope and eerie delivery. Pure because some of those scenes and visions of the future: my gosh, it genuinely creeped me out.

15. outside my comfort zone but gosh how i loved it

A paranormal fantasy, haha. Not my usual read. But this books was so. much. fun.(with lovely dashes of swoon). Good times. Cannot wait for book two.

16. series that i’m loving

Love Unearthly and Hallowed. They delivered for me in being absorbing reads.

17.  always recommending this book award

ahh! Well, there's the books I always say I LOVE (but don't imagine that everyone else will necessarily feel the same way I do ~ such as my love for Psych Major Syndrome <3). And then there's the books that I seriously think people should read such as Split. Also: only *just* recently read but I am SO going to be pimping it out as an all-time fave verse book: Chasing Brooklyn.

18. completely awesome premise award

Legend is, in part, a re-imagining of 'Les Miserables' (love that book) and Warm Bodies, LOL, the zombies got in touch with their feeling and stuff, aww...

19.  would make the best movie

Wouldn't Past Perfect be a perfectly fun teenage flick? 

And, although I didn't really like The Name of the Star ~ it has the premise (Jack the Ripper) and the originality to make it something fresh for the big screen (plus it's set in Britain).

20.  want to re-read already

First book that came to mind: Song of the Sparrow ~ I am taking this with me on Christmas holidays :)

I will confess to already re-reading a batch of books I read this year: Psych Major Syndrome, Saving June, Unearthly and Every Little Thing in the World.

And... they're my picks for Day One :) So much fun. Tomorrow it's all about The Characters. Can't wait to check out anyone who is joining in

I haven't paid for the upgrade on Mr Linky, so it will only display one linky dooby on the site at a time. You can link up here for the next 24 hours or so, then access the links in a new window. If the option to add your link has been removed, PLEASE leave a link in the comments. Sorry if this sounds complicated O.o  :D
NB: it also advises to leave a comment after linking: you so have have to do that, it's an automated message :)

xx Nomes

my fave couples of the year & inkcrush buttons

Okay ~ here's a quick impromptu post inspired by the lovely Alexa (of Not Enough Bookshelves) who is currently running her annual couples Christmas countdown ~ where she features all her fave couples of the year (and also hosts many guest posts chatting about their fave couples, etc)

Who are my favourite literary couples I met this year?

First, I am going to limit my choices to boy + girl couples. Also, going with my gut and first choices (if not I tend to over think these things)

Nico and Brooklyn from Chasing Brooklyn. You guys, they broke my heart. Such a pitch perfect building of their relationship. + Nico = simply gorgeous, one of my fave male characters of the year.





Oh, you know I can't go past Leigh and Nathan from Psych Major Syndrome. This is a ditzy Sophie Kinsella style new adult book, and I loved it so much. I know a lot of my love for it has to do with Nathan...







One of my FAVOURITE literary depictions ever of a guy and girl best friend all tangled up and unsure about making it something more. Grace and Eric from God is in the Pancakes really had me feeling the ache and tension.

For best sexual tension and sexy moments of the year ~ you've got to give it to Harper and Jake from Saving June. These guys were great together. Antagonistic, fun and smouldering, haha.

For general YA brilliance, swoon and fab relationship moments, I'm thinking EVERYONE who has read unearthly cannot go past Tucker and Clara in Unearthly and Hallowed <3

Rodden and Zeraphina - they were so much fun to watch in this paranormal fantasy (Blood Song). I grinned (and smirked) my way through this one and cannot wait to see more of them in the sequel (coming out next year).

Catcher is my fave of Ryan's boys ~ so I really loved watching Catcher and Annah in this instalment  Theirs is a complicated and messy relationship ~ fitting of the post-apocalyptic world they live in.

For some adult romantic suspense, Cameron and Jack had me grinning in the usual antagonistic-chemistry style showdown. This couple really heat up the pages ~ fun times.

And in the Christian fictoin scene. Woah ~ give it up for Salmone and Rahab. These guys are complicted, feisty, all jumbled up, gorgeous, heart-breaking and all round brilliant. LOVED them to pieces.





Okay, so I really have to stop here ~ these were the first ten that jumped out at me ~ below are a couple more books (but some of the couples are a surprise... so no spoilers) that had me grinning and cheering on. I really do suck at making lists :)

Who is your favourite literary couple you met this year? 

And...it's a few months off my 2nd blogoversary and I finally made a couple of buttons. I don't know why it took me so long to get with the program *grins sheepishly*

I made a few so you can choose whichever one you prefer, if you're interested in using my button that is...

Instead of me creating an html code thingy, please just copy and paste, and link my blog to the button/picture :)

I don't have anyone's buttons on my site yet (actually, it's not something I tend to pay attention to when I visit blogs, if there is a button or not... [great syntax, there]) BUT if you have a button, and would like me to feature it ~ PLEASE leave me a comment (and a link if necessary). I'll work on getting a page of blog buttons up :) It's on the Great Blogging To Do List ;)

(Here they are in small)

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Clara Gardner knew that as a part angel she would one day have to fulfill her purpose, rescuing Christian from a forest fire...what she never considered was what might happen if she were to fail. 

Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend Tucker, Clara must deal with the repercussions of what happened the day of the fire as the two boys vie for her heart. And, as she is drawn further into the world of angels and part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain after a shocking revelation, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning...


My instant reaction after finishing: My gosh. What an outstanding sequel. This broke my heart :'(& kept me captivated, also, swoon). Full review to come. 

Review: 

When HarperCollins released Hallowed on netgalley, it seemed all my reading buddies stopped whatever they were reading and charged straight into book two. After Unearthly was so universally loved (by hard core critics, fans of YA paranormal and non-fans of YA paranormal, aka: me) Hallowed was an insanely anticipated released. 

Guys, it delivers. 

It is a compelling and unputdownable read that evokes a whole gamut of emotions. 

For me, it was the complete package as far as reading experiences go: 

I read it in a single day, absorbed and hopeful. I swooned (plenty more gorgeous kissing scenes). I felt for the characters (as a whole, Hallowed is a sad, sombre kind of book that induces an achey feeling...). I LOVED the love triangle, which feels true and complicated, achey and not sensationalised at all. I particularly love Christian in this installment. Tucker is still awesome as well. I still love Clara’s voice. She sounds so teenagery without ever falling into overly-done YA snark. She’s moody and funny and sad and ever-so-likeable (if clueless at times ;)). 

There may be some things I am still unsure about (the angel mythology and the whole rules around purpose). I missed seeing more of Wendy. I am wondering why Jeffrey feels like such a loose canon ball and no seems to notice (?). It drove me CRAZY how Clara’s mum was never straight up with her about some of the mysteries of all the angel stuff. Some of the twists seemed inevitable to me, but that was cool. But all of these ponderings didn't detract from my enjoyment AT ALL. I seriously LOVED reading it. 

For a second book, there is no slump. It rolls straight on from Unearthly and sets up book number two for Clara’s next adventures: heading off to college (yay for heading into new adult territory!). I really cannot wait to follow the characters on and see what is in store for them, hey. 

If you haven’t read Unearthly yet (!) now is the time to get on board. Hallowed will be out in Australia on January 1 (although last year, HarperCollins released Unearthly early, making it available for Christmas ~ so keep an eye out!) and in the US January 17. 

Hallowed has my golden, shining seal of approval. The Unearthly series is fast becoming a fave of mine and I SO recommend them to all fans of YA ~ and any teens you know (it’s a breezy, engaging read). 

Thanks to HarperCollins and Netgalley! 

The covers of Hallowed: 

US // UK // AUS

Before I Go To Sleep by S J Watson

Christine wakes up every morning in an unfamiliar bed with an unfamiliar man. She looks in the mirror and sees an unfamiliar, middle- aged face. And every morning, the man she has woken up with must explain that he is Ben, he is her husband, she is forty-seven years old, and a terrible accident two decades earlier decimated her ability to form new memories. 

But it’s the phone call from a Dr. Nash, a neurologist who claims to be working with Christine without her husband’s knowledge, that directs her to her journal, hidden in the back of her closet. For the past few weeks, Christine has been recording her daily activities—tearful mornings with Ben, sessions with Dr. Nash, flashes of scenes from her former life—and rereading past entries, relearning the facts of her life as retold by the husband she is completely dependent upon. As the entries build up, Christine asks many questions. What was life like before the accident? Why did she and Ben never have a child? What has happened to Christine’s best friend? And what exactly was the horrific accident that caused such a profound loss of memory? 

Every day, Christine must begin again the reconstruction of her past. And the closer she gets to the truth, the more un- believable it seems.

So far this year I have read 40 adult fiction books ~ I really enjoy splicing up the YA reading with adult fiction and one of my favourite go to genres is psychological suspense ~ which really delivers in unputownable, absorbing reads. Before I Go To Sleep was one of my faves this year.

Did you check out the premise for this one? It's like '50 First Dates' ~ onlt not a romance, haha. I really should make a shelf for books centred around amnesia as I seem to be drawn to them :) 


This UK debut is making some very big waves around the globe. Weirdly, I cannot remember why I first added it to my TBR, but I did wait a few months to get through the reservation queue at my library and there's still months worth of people waiting behind me :D 


I do love the thriller/suspense genre. What I love about it this: once I start a suspense novel such as this, with mystery elements and an undercurrent of unease, I get sucked in. Before I Go To Sleep is hugely compelling and I read it in two sittings. 


It's a brilliant reading experience in the sense that I was caught up in the book and really wanting to not put the damn thing down ( 'please, kids, can't you see I'm reading?' ;)). Very mesmerising. 


The thing that always gets to me about the thriller/suspense genre though: those twists (!) the climaxes (!) the revelations (!) and ... the melodrama. 


Before I Go To Sleep was pretty typical fare: well written, sharp, mysterious, intriguing. Tightly plotted. 


And then, the second half is unleashed. At this point, I am sucked in. At this point, things start unravelling in the story and I am guessing at twists (it is to be expected) and desperate to find out what's really going on (and see if I am right). It is also at this point where the book changes from being believable to being much more dramatic (less believable) entertainment. Although most the villainous melodrama was held off until the climax (thank you). I think it is standard of the genre, and it does make me cringe somewhat. I had a similar experience reading Still Missing ~ a book I loved earlier in the year, despite it's ridiculous and overly ambitious twist-like revelations. 


I cannot say I cared for the characters, but I do not read this genre to care for characters. I can say I cared for the situation Chrissie was in and that kind of amnesia is still whirring in my mind. It was rather nightmarish and, in some ways, I would prefer to be dead than to live like that :/ 


In conclusion: top stars for the thrilling, unputdownable times. Bump it down a smidgen for those moments of melodrama which occasionally leave a bad taste in my mouth (although nothing vile, just not my literary preference). Overall ~ I loved reading this and I honestly don't want to think too hard about this book which was pure entertainment. If you enjoy the suspense genre or psychological thrillers ~ this is one book you should add to your TBR. It also fared really well in the goodreads choice awards :)


I do think it felt incredibly well researched and some aspects of (the amnesia) are truly fascinating and mind-boggling ~ loved that. Also, I will read more of this authors work (just an FYI, haha). 


Recommended for fans of Chevy Stevens and Lisa Unger and also fans of Nicci French (one of my faves)

literary awards for Before I Go To Sleep 

The Crime Writers' Association New Blood Dagger (2011), 

The Crime Writers' Association Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Nominee (2011), Galaxy National Book Awards' Crime & Thriller of the Year (2011)

Before I Go To Sleep @ goodreads

Instructions for a Broken Heart by Kim Culbertson

Three days before her drama club's trip to Italy, Jessa Gardner discovers her boyfriend in the costume barn with another girl. Jessa is left with a care package from her best friend titled "Top Twenty Reasons He's a Slimy Jerk Bastard," instructing her to do one un-Jessa-like thing each day of the trip. At turns hilarious and heartwrenching, Instructions for a Broken Heart paints a magical Italy in which Jessa learns she must figure out life-and romance-for herself.


Instructions For a Broken heart was not the book I imagined it would be. Based on the blurb and the cover (and even the endorsement quote from Jennifer Echols) I was expecting a romantic coming-of-age book set against a gorgeous back-drop of Italy. It just sounded lovely, perhaps quirky (with the notes and the characters all being drama students) and also quite swoon-y.


However, it really failed to capture my attention. 


Jessa, our main character, was altogether too sulky and self-absorbed. I realise this was a character arc, but, gosh, it niggled at me and really didn't endear her to me. Also, Sean, the cheating boyfriend, was painted to be such a complete douche it made me wonder why she even was with him to start with, let alone be so shattered that their relationship had ended.


It is reminiscent of 13 Little Blue Envelopes only not as successful. 


The setting felt decidedly un-atmospheric. They had excursions to some places but I didn't feel transported at all (not even when they went to Pompeii (!!) ~ and me and Pompeii are likethis). The whole thing could have unfolded back in the states just as easily and I felt frustrated that one of the selling points of the book (the European setting) fell flat.


I had assumed, from the blurb, a new (hot) guy would come bounding onto the scene to help Jessa after her shattered heart. But he didn't turn up (!) and right at the last chapter when Jessa realises another guy was into her, it concludes with setting up their relationship. It seemed tacked on and could have ended without leaving her with another guy. Especially as there weren't really any sparks or romantic build-up between them throughout the book. It was so subtle it hardly counted as a plot point at all. And now that I think about it ~ WHY did the book have to end with the setting up of a romance? As if this provides the perfect resolution to all her problems (of her own making). 


The reality is ~ I do not think this book has appeal beyond teen readers (I nearly feel bad for this review ~ because, really, this is not a book meant for me. much too immature, despite the upper YA themes). Too much high school relationship melodrama for me. It will appeal to people who like slowly unfolding coming-of-age stories and Sarah Dessen* books (the ones that have no swoon). Ah, yeah, I was disappointed with this one. 


Note: I read this one with my book club. Which was the only reason I managed to persevere to the end. Everyone in my book club awarded it 2 stars (it was okay) with the exception of one member who gave it 1 star and had a bit of rant...


*although Dessen writes with much more flair, just trying to pair the pacing and coming-age-vibe of the book. 


Instructions For a Broken Heart came out early this year and is the authors sophomore novel. 


Instructions For  a Broken Heart @ goodreads


I have read Kim Culbertsons debut, Songs For a Teenage Nomad and like it much more, a solid three star contemporary read.