This topic is currently marked as "dormant"—the last message is more than 90 days old. You can revive it by posting a reply.
1ZoeyEve
Per Belladonna1975 suggestion; here is the start of the list.
What are you top 10 reads for 2011? We all could use more books to read :)
What are you top 10 reads for 2011? We all could use more books to read :)
2readingwithtea
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown
Sleeping Naked is Green by Vanessa Farquharson
The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance by Elna Baker
The Seamstress by Frances de Pontes Peebles
Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen (re-read)
The Sandalwood Tree by Elle Newmark
WHY CAN I ONLY THINK OF 8!!!!!?????
Flowers for Mrs Harris by Paul Gallico
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
There seems to be a tendency towards long titles here???
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown
Sleeping Naked is Green by Vanessa Farquharson
The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance by Elna Baker
The Seamstress by Frances de Pontes Peebles
Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen (re-read)
The Sandalwood Tree by Elle Newmark
WHY CAN I ONLY THINK OF 8!!!!!?????
Flowers for Mrs Harris by Paul Gallico
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
There seems to be a tendency towards long titles here???
3macsbrains
Hmm, for me this was a weird year for books. If I remove the books by McKinley and Pierce, there was not much left that was better than average. I had several ER duds and some borrowed books that were just meh. I did read some decent short story anthologies/collections, but they don't have the same kind of wow-factor that good novels do.
So, removing all by McKinley and Pierce (5-star), here were the best reads of my year (4-star):
The Poison Eaters by Holly Black
Leviathan Wept by Daniel Abraham
Tamsin by Peter S. Beagle
Loveless vols 1-8 by Yun Kouga
My Heartbeat by Garret Freymann-Weyr
City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare
The Book of Flying by Keith Miller (I particularly liked this one)
The Privilege of the Sword by Ellen Kushner
Worlds Enough and Time by Dan Simmons
The Merro Tree by Katie Waitman
Clockwork - Philip Pullman
(Also, these are in reading order, not order of enjoyment.)
So, removing all by McKinley and Pierce (5-star), here were the best reads of my year (4-star):
The Poison Eaters by Holly Black
Leviathan Wept by Daniel Abraham
Tamsin by Peter S. Beagle
Loveless vols 1-8 by Yun Kouga
My Heartbeat by Garret Freymann-Weyr
City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare
The Book of Flying by Keith Miller (I particularly liked this one)
The Privilege of the Sword by Ellen Kushner
Worlds Enough and Time by Dan Simmons
The Merro Tree by Katie Waitman
Clockwork - Philip Pullman
(Also, these are in reading order, not order of enjoyment.)
4Gendy
I've read a lot of good books this years and this was quite difficult. Also, I did not include manga of comics because I could never stop at 10. I also tried (and failed) to list only one book per writer
The Last Run by Greg Rucka
Dreadnought by Cherie Priest
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis
The High Road by Terry Fallis
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan (+ pretty much every other book John green has written)
Goliath by Scott Westerfeld
Tiassa by Steven Brust
The Bone Key by Sarah Monette
A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin
I will now go and investigate some of the titles listed by others :)
The Last Run by Greg Rucka
Dreadnought by Cherie Priest
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis
The High Road by Terry Fallis
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan (+ pretty much every other book John green has written)
Goliath by Scott Westerfeld
Tiassa by Steven Brust
The Bone Key by Sarah Monette
A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin
I will now go and investigate some of the titles listed by others :)
5leahbird
looking back at my ratings for the year, i really enjoyed a lot of books. i'm going to try to put them in actual order.
1. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making by Catherynne Valente: i haven't read anything else by Valente, but this book has convinced me that i should have been devouring everything she's ever written. this is one of the best books of the past SEVERAL years for me. 5 stars
2. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte: yeah, this is where i admit that i'd never read Jane Eyre until this year. of course, i absolutely loved it and already have a few copies. 5 stars {Honorable Mention: Little Lord Fauntleroy by Francis Hodgson Burnett, another classic i should have read long ago that i really loved this year. 4 stars}
3. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman: wish i had picked this up when it first came out because i loved it! 5 stars
4. Wrecker by Summer Wood: the best ER i think i've ever received. a great book, especially if you've ever desperately, frustratingly loved a child. a great look at what it takes to mother a child who isn't really yours and the joy and heartache that can brings. 5 stars
5. Catching Fire & Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins: i loved The Hunger Games last year and was just as pleased finishing up the series. 4 stars and 4.5 stars respectively {Honorable Mention: The Underland Chronicles series by Collins is a great alternative for preteens who might want to read The Hunger Games (or for adults who love creative kid fiction). 3-4 stars}
6. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley: i read all the published Flavia stories this year and enjoyed them, but none as much as this first one. 4.5 stars {Honorable Mention: The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly: another great novel about a wonderfully precocious and individual young girl, but this time set in rural Texas at the end of the 19th century. 4 stars}
7. My Life in France by Julia Child: i had really loved the movie Julie and Julia, so i read the book by the same name earlier in the year. turned out that all the bits of the movie i really enjoyed were from the life of Julia Child and NOT in the book Julie and Julia. so i picked up My Life in France and was instantly in love. i have a serious crush on Julia Child as a fascinating woman, revolutionary cook, doting wife (i have a serious crush on Paul Child, too... he and Julia are a spectacular couple), and great writer. 4.5 stars
8. One of Our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde: i've loved Fforde and the Thursday Next series for years, but this one was so refreshing! the last couple had been a bit dragging for me but this one made me love the series all over again. 4 stars
9. The Magician King by Lev Grossman: i almost didn't read this because i was so split on my feelings for the previous book, The Magicians. i had LOVED the first half of that book and HATED HATED the second half, so i had no idea where this would fall. while it never quite reached the highs of the first part of The Magicians, it was so much better than i thought it would be. 4 stars
10. Love Among the Chickens by PG Wodehouse: what's not to love about this when you are a satire loving chicken farmer? ;) 4 stars
eta: Fire by Kristen Cashore, which i read after posting the above list, was the surprise hit of the year for me. i didn't particularly love Graceling so i put off reading Fire. it was, however, the first book i came across when searching the brand new ebook lending library from my local library, so i borrowed it (it was actually the very last book i finished this year). well, i really enjoyed it. 4 stars, putting it in contention for 9th or 10th place in my list.
1. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making by Catherynne Valente: i haven't read anything else by Valente, but this book has convinced me that i should have been devouring everything she's ever written. this is one of the best books of the past SEVERAL years for me. 5 stars
2. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte: yeah, this is where i admit that i'd never read Jane Eyre until this year. of course, i absolutely loved it and already have a few copies. 5 stars {Honorable Mention: Little Lord Fauntleroy by Francis Hodgson Burnett, another classic i should have read long ago that i really loved this year. 4 stars}
3. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman: wish i had picked this up when it first came out because i loved it! 5 stars
4. Wrecker by Summer Wood: the best ER i think i've ever received. a great book, especially if you've ever desperately, frustratingly loved a child. a great look at what it takes to mother a child who isn't really yours and the joy and heartache that can brings. 5 stars
5. Catching Fire & Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins: i loved The Hunger Games last year and was just as pleased finishing up the series. 4 stars and 4.5 stars respectively {Honorable Mention: The Underland Chronicles series by Collins is a great alternative for preteens who might want to read The Hunger Games (or for adults who love creative kid fiction). 3-4 stars}
6. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley: i read all the published Flavia stories this year and enjoyed them, but none as much as this first one. 4.5 stars {Honorable Mention: The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly: another great novel about a wonderfully precocious and individual young girl, but this time set in rural Texas at the end of the 19th century. 4 stars}
7. My Life in France by Julia Child: i had really loved the movie Julie and Julia, so i read the book by the same name earlier in the year. turned out that all the bits of the movie i really enjoyed were from the life of Julia Child and NOT in the book Julie and Julia. so i picked up My Life in France and was instantly in love. i have a serious crush on Julia Child as a fascinating woman, revolutionary cook, doting wife (i have a serious crush on Paul Child, too... he and Julia are a spectacular couple), and great writer. 4.5 stars
8. One of Our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde: i've loved Fforde and the Thursday Next series for years, but this one was so refreshing! the last couple had been a bit dragging for me but this one made me love the series all over again. 4 stars
9. The Magician King by Lev Grossman: i almost didn't read this because i was so split on my feelings for the previous book, The Magicians. i had LOVED the first half of that book and HATED HATED the second half, so i had no idea where this would fall. while it never quite reached the highs of the first part of The Magicians, it was so much better than i thought it would be. 4 stars
10. Love Among the Chickens by PG Wodehouse: what's not to love about this when you are a satire loving chicken farmer? ;) 4 stars
eta: Fire by Kristen Cashore, which i read after posting the above list, was the surprise hit of the year for me. i didn't particularly love Graceling so i put off reading Fire. it was, however, the first book i came across when searching the brand new ebook lending library from my local library, so i borrowed it (it was actually the very last book i finished this year). well, i really enjoyed it. 4 stars, putting it in contention for 9th or 10th place in my list.
6macsbrains
>4 Gendy: I read The Bone Key last year (or so) and also really enjoyed it.
7Gendy
>6 macsbrains: I discovered this year that Sarah Monette writes brilliant short stories :)
8macsbrains
She has another collection that just came out, Somewhere Beneath Those Waves, which I really hope is under my tree so I can read it soon.
9orangewords
Oooh... great idea!
The Complete Poems by Anne Sexton
Murder in the Dark by Margaret Atwood
If On a Winter's Night A Traveler by Italo Calvino
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
Partitions by Amit Majmudar
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
House of Leaves and The Whalestoe Letters by Mark Z. Danielwski
Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke
The Complete Poems by Anne Sexton
Murder in the Dark by Margaret Atwood
If On a Winter's Night A Traveler by Italo Calvino
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
Partitions by Amit Majmudar
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
House of Leaves and The Whalestoe Letters by Mark Z. Danielwski
Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke
10Gendy
>8 macsbrains: I actually got Somewhere Beneath Those Waves as an early Christmas present :) I can't wait to read more of it.
11bookel
In no order, only numbered so I wouldn't go beyond ten!
1. Saving Zasha by Randi Barrow (197 p.)
2. The winds of Mars by H. M. Hoover (181 p.)
3. Roddy Doyle, Wilderness (220 p.)
4. Pearl verses the world by Sally Murphy (80 p.)
5. Emily Rodda, The Best-Kept Secret (114 p.)
6. Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio by Peg Kehret (179 p.)
7. Outlanders by Margaret Beames (165 p.)
8. A Taste of Blackberries by Doris Buchanan Smith (73 p.)
9. Ghost Dog Secrets by Peg Kehret (184 p.)
10. Andra by Louise Lawrence (229 p.)
1. Saving Zasha by Randi Barrow (197 p.)
2. The winds of Mars by H. M. Hoover (181 p.)
3. Roddy Doyle, Wilderness (220 p.)
4. Pearl verses the world by Sally Murphy (80 p.)
5. Emily Rodda, The Best-Kept Secret (114 p.)
6. Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio by Peg Kehret (179 p.)
7. Outlanders by Margaret Beames (165 p.)
8. A Taste of Blackberries by Doris Buchanan Smith (73 p.)
9. Ghost Dog Secrets by Peg Kehret (184 p.)
10. Andra by Louise Lawrence (229 p.)
12dudes22
>5 leahbird: - My Life in France was one of my best reads of this year also. Haven't finished my best/worst reads list yet, but I'll be back with it.
13elidanora
1 - The Bromeliad Trilogy: Truckers, Diggers, and Wings by Terry Prachett
2 - The Unadulterated Cat by Terry Pratchett (I love,love cats)
3- Changes by Jim Butcher (Audio)
4- Ghost Story by Jim Butcher (Audio)
5- Guardianes del día by Serguei Lukyanenko
6- Crocodile on The Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters
7- Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews
8- Good Omens by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman
9- Spider’s Revenge by Jennifer Estep (Audio)
10- Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
2 - The Unadulterated Cat by Terry Pratchett (I love,love cats)
3- Changes by Jim Butcher (Audio)
4- Ghost Story by Jim Butcher (Audio)
5- Guardianes del día by Serguei Lukyanenko
6- Crocodile on The Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters
7- Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews
8- Good Omens by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman
9- Spider’s Revenge by Jennifer Estep (Audio)
10- Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
14leahbird
@13, isn't Good Omens just wonderful? i reread it (for about the 15th time) this year, so i didn't count it on my list, but it's one of my favorite books! Crocodile on the Sandbank is great too.
15dudes22
In no particular order, these were the best reads of 2011 for me:
Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
The Art of Racing in the Wind by Garth Stein
The Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Dreams of Joy by Lisa See
My Life in France by Julia Child
A Mango Shaped Space by Wendy Mass
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
The Art of Racing in the Wind by Garth Stein
The Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Dreams of Joy by Lisa See
My Life in France by Julia Child
A Mango Shaped Space by Wendy Mass
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
16Macophile
Oh my- this is harder than I thought it would be for some reason- but here goes!
In no particular order:
1) The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott
2) The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson
3) The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
4) Entwined by Heather Dixon
5) Mermaid by Carolyn Turgeon
6) Finding Jack by Gareth Crocker
7) Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland
8) The Bells by Richard Harvell
9) The Sherlockian by Graham Moore
10) The Healing by Jonathan Odell
In no particular order:
1) The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott
2) The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson
3) The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
4) Entwined by Heather Dixon
5) Mermaid by Carolyn Turgeon
6) Finding Jack by Gareth Crocker
7) Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland
8) The Bells by Richard Harvell
9) The Sherlockian by Graham Moore
10) The Healing by Jonathan Odell
17Jarandel
In rough reading order :
Agyar by Steven Brust
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
L'homme aux lèvres de saphir by Hervé Le Corre
The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold
Falling Angel by William Hjortsberg
A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
Allez jouer ailleurs by Pascal Bruckner
Downbelow Station & Regenesis by C. J. Cherryh
Agyar by Steven Brust
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
L'homme aux lèvres de saphir by Hervé Le Corre
The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold
Falling Angel by William Hjortsberg
A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
Allez jouer ailleurs by Pascal Bruckner
Downbelow Station & Regenesis by C. J. Cherryh
18ZoeyEve
>16 Macophile: was 10 to many or not enough? I am struggling limiting it to 10 might give up and just make several lists :) this is suppose to be fun after all :)
19Macophile
@ZoeyEve: I meant it was too tough to pick 10 five star books I have read this year. I have read a lot of other 3, 4, and 2 star books this year as well but I don't know if they would count as the best books I've read in 2011- but these 5 star books would. :)
20leahbird
an addendum to my list above: after posting my list, i borrowed Fire by Kristen Cashore (yay for borrowing library books on the Kindle- the only reason i wanted one). it was so much better than i thought it would be! i would say it probably ties for 9th or 10th place on my list.
21Belladonna1975
I ended up reading 90 books this year and quite a few were fantastic. I only really had a few complete duds out of the whole lot. So, in no particular order, here are my 10 favorite books of the year...
The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern - Magic, romance and the circus!
Cinder - Marissa Meyer - Cyborg Cinderella FTW! (comes out in January '12)
Daughter of Smoke and Bone - Laini Taylor - I am now a Laini Taylor Fangirl!
Before Ever After - Samantha Sotto - This book surprised me. I loved it.
Ruby Red - Kerstin Gier - YA, British time travel
Mockingjay – Suzanne Collins - I cannot wait for the movies to begin!
Kat, Incorrigible – Stephanie Burgis - YA, British, Magic (I am sensing a theme here)
Dark Mirror – M.J. Putney - YA, British, Magic, time travel (yes, definitely a theme)
The Eternal Ones - Kristen Miller - YA, reincarnation
A Long, Long Sleep - Anna Sheehan - YA, Scifi
and because I found it difficult to narrow down the list.... here are my honorable mentions..
Howl's Moving Castle - Diana Wynne Jones (First time reading this book - RIP DWJ)
Isle of Night - Veronica Wolff - YA, Vampires with nary a sparkly one in sight
Incarceron – Catherine Fisher - YA, futuristic prison
Fateful - Claudia Gray YA, Werewolves on the Titanic
Petty Magic - Camille DeAngelis - Magic, Witches
Jane Bites Back - Michael Thomas Ford - Jane Austen, Vampires
The Peach Keeper - Sarah Addison Allen - Magical Realism (I ♥ SAA so much)
here are my top 8 (or bottom 8, as it were) stinkers of the year...
Razorland - Aguirre, Ann - If this had not been on my kindle, I would have thrown it against the wall.
Bright Young Things - Godbersen, Anna - Loved Great and Terrible Beauty but hated this new series
Blood Roses - Block, Francesca Lia - WTF?
Blood Rights - Painter, Kristen - Pretty covers do not a good book make.
Shadowcry - Burtenshaw, Jenna - Bleh
The Poison Diaries - Wood, Maryrose - promising start, junky ending
Anna Dressed in Blood - Blake, Kendare - don't believe the hype
Passion Play - Bernobich, Beth - They lost me at repeated rape at the beginning of the book.
2012 is shaping up to be an interesting reading year. I am already 3 books in with two being 5 star books and one being 2 stars.
Happy reading, everyone!
The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern - Magic, romance and the circus!
Cinder - Marissa Meyer - Cyborg Cinderella FTW! (comes out in January '12)
Daughter of Smoke and Bone - Laini Taylor - I am now a Laini Taylor Fangirl!
Before Ever After - Samantha Sotto - This book surprised me. I loved it.
Ruby Red - Kerstin Gier - YA, British time travel
Mockingjay – Suzanne Collins - I cannot wait for the movies to begin!
Kat, Incorrigible – Stephanie Burgis - YA, British, Magic (I am sensing a theme here)
Dark Mirror – M.J. Putney - YA, British, Magic, time travel (yes, definitely a theme)
The Eternal Ones - Kristen Miller - YA, reincarnation
A Long, Long Sleep - Anna Sheehan - YA, Scifi
and because I found it difficult to narrow down the list.... here are my honorable mentions..
Howl's Moving Castle - Diana Wynne Jones (First time reading this book - RIP DWJ)
Isle of Night - Veronica Wolff - YA, Vampires with nary a sparkly one in sight
Incarceron – Catherine Fisher - YA, futuristic prison
Fateful - Claudia Gray YA, Werewolves on the Titanic
Petty Magic - Camille DeAngelis - Magic, Witches
Jane Bites Back - Michael Thomas Ford - Jane Austen, Vampires
The Peach Keeper - Sarah Addison Allen - Magical Realism (I ♥ SAA so much)
here are my top 8 (or bottom 8, as it were) stinkers of the year...
Razorland - Aguirre, Ann - If this had not been on my kindle, I would have thrown it against the wall.
Bright Young Things - Godbersen, Anna - Loved Great and Terrible Beauty but hated this new series
Blood Roses - Block, Francesca Lia - WTF?
Blood Rights - Painter, Kristen - Pretty covers do not a good book make.
Shadowcry - Burtenshaw, Jenna - Bleh
The Poison Diaries - Wood, Maryrose - promising start, junky ending
Anna Dressed in Blood - Blake, Kendare - don't believe the hype
Passion Play - Bernobich, Beth - They lost me at repeated rape at the beginning of the book.
2012 is shaping up to be an interesting reading year. I am already 3 books in with two being 5 star books and one being 2 stars.
Happy reading, everyone!
22leahbird
I just added Anna Dressed in Blood to my wishlist a few days ago. Not good, eh?
I like your list of stinkers. I didn't have many truely bad books but quite a few disappointments.
Truly bad
1. Land of the Painted Caves by Jean Auel: this series has been a bit of a guilty pleasure for me for over a decade but this last one was HORRENDOUS. Oh so very bad. Very.
Disappointing
2. Nurse Matilda by Christianna Brand: I loved Nanny McPhee so I figured the stories it was based on would be great. Not so much. Extremely repetative and a tad creepy.
3. The Girl Who was on Fire by Leah Wilson: This might have been interesting for uninformed teenagers, but the information presented in this book was not interesting to me. Very surface level explanations of the themes and issues from The Hunger Games series.
4. Darwin Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact by AJ Hartley: This was thrying way to hard to be Harry Potter. The other world that is described is fascinating, but the plot is dull and forced. The characters aren't very likeable or deep either.
5. Legand by Marie Lu: This one was trying too hard to be The Hunger Games and failed, badly. The characters were just too good at what they did and their interest in each other was extremely predictable.
6. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle: I'd been meaning to read this since I was about 14. Guess I should have then because I just didn't feel it now. It was weird in a way that bored me and confusing in a way that irritated me.
I like your list of stinkers. I didn't have many truely bad books but quite a few disappointments.
Truly bad
1. Land of the Painted Caves by Jean Auel: this series has been a bit of a guilty pleasure for me for over a decade but this last one was HORRENDOUS. Oh so very bad. Very.
Disappointing
2. Nurse Matilda by Christianna Brand: I loved Nanny McPhee so I figured the stories it was based on would be great. Not so much. Extremely repetative and a tad creepy.
3. The Girl Who was on Fire by Leah Wilson: This might have been interesting for uninformed teenagers, but the information presented in this book was not interesting to me. Very surface level explanations of the themes and issues from The Hunger Games series.
4. Darwin Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact by AJ Hartley: This was thrying way to hard to be Harry Potter. The other world that is described is fascinating, but the plot is dull and forced. The characters aren't very likeable or deep either.
5. Legand by Marie Lu: This one was trying too hard to be The Hunger Games and failed, badly. The characters were just too good at what they did and their interest in each other was extremely predictable.
6. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle: I'd been meaning to read this since I was about 14. Guess I should have then because I just didn't feel it now. It was weird in a way that bored me and confusing in a way that irritated me.
23Belladonna1975
22> I didn't really connect with any of the characters (except maybe Anna). The plot was predictable and the characters flat. I am a sucker for a pretty cover though, so I totally bought into it. Other people completely loved it. It has a 4.25 star rating here on LT. It was a quick read if you wanted to give it a go but I certainly don't plan on reading the next book in the series.
25Quaisior
1. Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 27 by Hiromu Arakawa: I finished the whole manga last year, which I've been reading for six years now, and it was amazing.
2. Carnelians by Catherine Asaro: I love this series overall, but I was getting really frustrated with all the prequels. This book was finally another sequel, plus it was about one of my favorite characters, so win-win!
3-7. Valor's Choice, The Better Part of Valor, The Heart of Valor, Valor's Trial, and The Truth of Valor by Tanya Huff: It was great to read a new space opera series and get totally sucked into that world. I want more of these, please!
8. Resurrection Code by Lyda Morehouse: I'm so happy Morehouse found a publisher for one more AngeLINK book (and I hope there might be more forthcoming). Mouse is one of my favorite characters, ever!
9. Downbelow Station by C. J. Cherryh: It took two tries and almost a month to read, but in the end, it was so worth it. Cherryh's books make me work harder than most, but I feel great in the end. I plan to finish the Merchanter part of the Alliance-Union books this year.
10. Babylon 5: To Dream in the City of Sorrows by Kathryn M. Drennan: I re-watched Babylon 5 in 2011 and I was left wanting more, so I started reading the books. This one and The Shadow Within were the only ones worth reading of the original nine books (I have the three trilogies to read this year). I'm one of the few people who liked Sinclair, so it was nice to get some more background on him, plus I love Marcus, so it was great to see his beginnings as a Ranger.
2. Carnelians by Catherine Asaro: I love this series overall, but I was getting really frustrated with all the prequels. This book was finally another sequel, plus it was about one of my favorite characters, so win-win!
3-7. Valor's Choice, The Better Part of Valor, The Heart of Valor, Valor's Trial, and The Truth of Valor by Tanya Huff: It was great to read a new space opera series and get totally sucked into that world. I want more of these, please!
8. Resurrection Code by Lyda Morehouse: I'm so happy Morehouse found a publisher for one more AngeLINK book (and I hope there might be more forthcoming). Mouse is one of my favorite characters, ever!
9. Downbelow Station by C. J. Cherryh: It took two tries and almost a month to read, but in the end, it was so worth it. Cherryh's books make me work harder than most, but I feel great in the end. I plan to finish the Merchanter part of the Alliance-Union books this year.
10. Babylon 5: To Dream in the City of Sorrows by Kathryn M. Drennan: I re-watched Babylon 5 in 2011 and I was left wanting more, so I started reading the books. This one and The Shadow Within were the only ones worth reading of the original nine books (I have the three trilogies to read this year). I'm one of the few people who liked Sinclair, so it was nice to get some more background on him, plus I love Marcus, so it was great to see his beginnings as a Ranger.
26macsbrains
>25 Quaisior: Fullmetal Alchemist is right up at the top of my TBR. I'm still short 5 random volumes and don't want to start until I have them all, but oh, I ITCH to start because I loved the anime so much.
27Quaisior
>26 macsbrains:, I really, really want to re-read Fullmetal Alchemist, but I need 5 volumes too. I borrowed a lot of them from the library as I went along, but I'm desperate to have the whole series now. I loved both versions of the anime too and it was pretty cool because I finished both the manga and Brotherhood the same week.
