Skip to main content

Favorite Reads of 2012

So here they are. My top 10 favorite reads of 2012. This year's surprise? The YA outnumber the MG. That's never happened before. And only one of my choices was published before 2012.



Links are to my reviews:
Above World by Jenn Reese
The Broken Lands by Kate Milford
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson
The Drowned Vault by N.D. Wilson
Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen
Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley
Peaceweaver by Rebecca Barnhouse
Quicksilver by R.J. Anderson*
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman 

Your turn. Let me know your favorites too!

Stay tuned to see my most anticipated of 2013 list on Tuesday. Then it will be back to reviews as usual on Thursday beginning with Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool.

*My review of this one won't publish until closer to the release date in March. Just let me say that it is excellent in every way and you should go and pre-order it right now.

Comments

Rebecca said…
I'm really looking forward to reading Seraphina... One of my New Year's resolutions is to read more YA in 2013. Looking forward to your take on Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool. Happy New Year!
Brandy said…
Seraphina is so well done. I hope you enjoy it!
Charlotte said…
I haven't compiled my own list yet, partly because I can't post it till the Cybils shortlists are announced, but it's really interesting to me to see that, even though I would say our taste if very similar, mine isn't going to overlap all that much with yours (I think). I'm going with the likelihood of re=reading as my sole criteria, I think...which narrows it down somewhat!
Brandy said…
Oh I so can't wait to see your list now. I would agree our tastes are pretty similar so this lack of overlap is interesting to me...Though this was a strange reading year for me-as you can see by the YAs out numbering the MGs this year.

I'm really looking forward to seeing those Cybils shortlists.
Anonymous said…
Yay to Code Name Verity and Seraphina! Those are the two titles that we have in common. Graffiti Moon was in my list last year. I still need to read Quicksilver and Peaceweaver, hope I can borrow both from the library (although I have no idea when I'll have find time for that).
Brandy said…
Well, Quicksilver doesn't come out until March so you have time. :)

Popular posts from this blog

Favorite Kissing Scenes

When thinking of a favorite things post I could do for February I decided it would have to be kissing. I've already done couples and I was feeling in the mood to do something fluffy and Valentine's related. So kisses it is. I read more MG than YA, and the YA I read tends to not focus on romance so this was actually harder than I expected it to be though a few jumped into my head right away. (And one of my choices does actually come from a MG book. One is adult. Gasp!) The actual scene from the book is quoted followed by my thoughts. The king lifted a hand to her cheek and kissed her. It was not a kiss between strangers, not even a kiss between a bride and a groom. It was a kiss between a man and his wife, and when it was over, the king closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the hollow of the queen's shoulder, like a man seeking respite, like a man reaching home at the end of the day . - The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner Turner doesn't write the

TTT: Most Recent Additions to My TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly themed blog hop created by  The Broke and the Bookish  and now hosted at  That Artsy Reader Girl . This Week's Topic: Most Recent Additions to My TBR List From Most Recent to Least: What books have recently caught your eye?

This Side of Home

What attracted me to This Side of Home by Renee Watson was the cover. The story hooked my interest. The characters made me fall in love. Maya has lived her entire life in the same neighborhood in Portland hanging out with the same group of friends: her twin sister Nikki, their best friend Essence, and Ronnie, Malachi, and Devin-three boys her father mentors. They have plans for the future that involve each other: prom, college, life. But things in their neighborhood are changing. People are moving in and starting new businesses. Property values are going up as a result. In addition to change, this is also causing trouble. Essence has to move out of her  house when the owner decides he can make more money selling it than renting it. The racial demographics of the school, which has been mostly African American, is shifting. This presents new challenges and choices for Maya and her friends. It brings new people into their lives at the same time. Maya has to figure out how-and if-she wa

Serafina and the Black Cloak

Serafina and the Black Cloak  by Robert Beatty is a thrilling tale of mystery and adventure set at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC in 1899. Having lived in Asheville and visited the house several times, there was no way I was going to pass up a chance to read this. (Also it's MG fantasy, always a bonus for me.) Serafina lives in secret in the basement of the Vanderbilt's spacious vacation home. She has lived there most of her life. Her father worked on the house as it was being built and is the mechanic who runs the massive generator and keeps the electricity going. Serafina is the chief rat catcher, slipping through the halls of her massive home secretly and quietly. She is light on her feet, sees well in the dark, and is quick enough to catch the vermin and keep them out. Serafina knows she if different and strange. Her father insists she stay hidden. But all that changes when one night Serafina witnesses a horrible crime. A little girl, a guest in the house, is fleein

Shorter Musings MG Fantasy

Here are some shorter musings on recent MG fantasy reads. Anya and the Dragon   by Sofiya Pasternack This book is fun. It is a book full of adventure, an obvious bad guy, some more complicated morally gray area characters, and a strong, brave heroine. It is also a book about friendships, community, and fighting for what is right. All things that usually work for me really well. While I enjoyed this, I did feel it was a little overlong and there were certain plot points at the end I didn't love. However, there were things I thought were done really well, such as Anya's Jewish faith and the idea that power needs to be challenged. In the end it was a middle of the road read for me, but it is one I will certainly be recommending to dragon and fantasy adventure lovers I know! R is for Rebel   by J. Anderson Coats This is tough because I usually really like Coats's books. I had such a hard time with this one though on so many levels. It's difficult to get into because t