2012 Year in Review!! My top books and series of the year!
If you have any favorite reads for this year please share! 2012 has been quite a year for me. I’ve read some incredible books, some great books, some not so great books, some terrible books. But overall it contributed to read count of over 131 stories this year. It’s kind of funny because I feel like a slacker compared to some other Goodreads friends who I’ve seen read over 400+ books; one even read over 900. But good or bad, I’ll take it as a victory. Communiting to and from my job takes a good 2 hours of my day, which allows me to and dedicate most of that to reading. A broken iPod has helped quite a bit too, but Christmas kind of rectified that so I’ll have to see how my read count in 2013 compares. But in the meantime, I want to narrow things down and present my favorite urban fantasy/paranormal books of 2012.
1
Ever After ARC (The Hollows #11) by Kim Harrison
I debated listing this one because it technically doesn’t come out until 2013, but it rocked my personal socks this year, and I’m sure it will rock yours in January, so I’m going to list it.
2
All Dorina Basarab novels, including Fury’s Kiss by Karen Chance
Though I was fairly familiar with its original sister series, Cassandra “Cassie” Palmer, I was really surprised to find that I love this series infinitely more. It’s got all of the pluses, none of the annoyances. Dory is a riot, but she kicks ass too. It just pains me that it take 2 years between books.
3
Wicked as They Come (Blud #1) by Delilah S. Dawson
Early on in the year this was my favorite book. The world was new, interesting and exciting. And Criminy was awesome! I definitely can’t wait for the next book featuring him and Tish, but much like Karen Chance, this author alternates from book to book.
4
A Perfect Blood (The Hollows #10) by Kim Harrison
Yes, the Hollows takes two spots on my list. In addition to the Ever After ARC, with all of the different publications this year from Into the Woods to Blood Crime to Trouble on Reserve to Trent’s POV from the paperback of A Perfect Blood, two spots can’t be surprising. However, while good, this book wasn’t quite in the same class as Ever After, but I did love it. And like most Trenchers out there, Trent’s POV left me speechless! Oh and it’s also pretty awesome anytime I can meet Kim Harrison!
5
Kingmakers (Vampire Empire #3) by Susan and Clay Griffith
This was another fantastic finish to a wonderful trilogy. I was fortunate enough to read the ARC for this series and I loved it! If only there was more!
6
Dead Morning Sky (Experiment in Terror #3) by Karina Halle
I wanted scary and I got scary! Just a little more than I bargained for with the weird crap that was happening OFF the pages while reading it. And funny enough, there was no repeat of that peculiar activity after I was done. I have since stopped here, but there are definitely more books with Dex and Perry’s adventures. I plan to get to them after catching up with the Night Huntress series that I’m currently reading.
7
Ashes of Honor (October Daye #6) by Seanan McGuire
I read this book at a pretty difficult time. I started reading it and then I got my hands on the Ever After ARC. I was riding too much of a high for anything else to compare, including this. But in hindsight, this book rocks and I bet the next book will be my favorite of the series!
8
Tale of the Vampire Bride by Rhiannon Frater
I was gripped from beginning to end on this one. It’s not an easy read, and do not mistake this for a romance. It’s more like one of those train-wrecks that you can’t look away from. Unfortunately the sequel was nowhere near as good, but I hope this series continues eventually. I would love to read a third book if it could get back to the level of book 1.
9
Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days #1) by Susan Ee
I have a bit of an aversion when it comes to the Young Adult genre, but this is an exception. I LOVED this book and I often find myself wondering how long it’d be until the second book is released. That’s definitely a sign of a book worthy of this list. Even better, it’s probably the best $0.99 I’ve spent on a book!
10
Love is Fear (Valerie Dearborn #2) by Caroline Hanson
Though this trilogy arc is complete, this book is probably my favorite of the three. I finished wanting more, more, MORE!
Honorable Mentions
Iced (Dani O’Malley #1) by Karen Marie Moning – I definitely didn’t inhale this one as fast as the original Fever novels, but it did leave an impression. Honestly though, I just want more Mac and Barrons!
At Grave’s End (Night Huntress #3) by Jeaniene Frost – The review is pending right now because I wanted to post this year in review first, but I did enjoy it the most of the three novels thusfar. This series isn’t really among my favorites, but it seems to be positioning itself in the tier of series that are right below my favorites. Not a bad place to be. There’s Bones to thank for that.
Fire Baptized (Habitat #1) by Kenya Wright – I inhaled this book as well. This fresh take on the urban fantasy genre was just what I needed at the time and unlike some series where the sequels don’t measure up, its sequel certainly did and I look forward to book 3!
Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion – I enjoyed this book quite a bit, as well as the movie. It presented a different take on the genre that I found refreshing.
A Blood Seduction (Vamp City #1) by Pamela Palmer – an alternate Washington, DC gets some bonus points! This book introduced a pretty intriguing world. I read it in a day and enjoyed it, so that’s why it gets a mention. Just beware that this isn’t true romance. If you go in with those expectations you’ll likely be disappointed.
The Fire Lord’s Lover (The Elven Lords #1) by Kathryne Kennedy – I read this particular book in one day and I loved the world building and build up to the eventual romance. Unfortunately the sequels never really struck the same chord.
So all in all it’s been a good year! This blog has been good to me. YOU guys have been good to me. And I hope 2013 is even better!! The great thing about books is that there’s something for everybody. I wish you all a very Happy New Year!
Warm Bodies Movie Review – It will leave you with the warm fuzzies
We’ve become so accustomed to vampires, werewolves and the like dominating as love interests in paranormal/urban fantasy realm. We may get the occasional demon or angel, but rarely do we see zombies fill that role, and for good reason. It’s really not that hott when the guy is rotting away and wants to take chunks out of you. Isaac Marion proves that he not only knows the rules, but he knows how to break them too. And it translates very well onto the big screen. We have the initially subtle star crossed lover feel as R, our zombie in question, falls for a human girl and finds himself becoming a little more human himself as they spend more time together. Yeah, he has the usual craving for brains, as do all zombies, but something deep inside of him yearns for more that that–and no, it’s not more guts. He’s the most cultured zombie you’re going to find, loving music, collecting souvenirs, and riding escalators. Believe me, it sounds ridiculous but I really thought it worked here.
Nicholas Hoult was a good choice. He was easier on the eyes for a zombie, which in turn made the love story more acceptable. I’ve taken a liking to the actor since I first saw him in X-Men First Class, though I know has a body of work spanning back to his childhood. His zombie mannerisms were pretty good, particularly the walking and running. I wish his actual speaking started out being more more stilted though. Theresa Palmer was a good choice and I felt they played off one another pretty well. Rob Corddry has some great punch lines, perhaps the best in a zombie punchlines ever, though this movie doesn’t have many contemporaries in that respect.
Movies rarely surpass books and this was no exception. There were a number of changes that I understood were for the better, but there were a number of missed opportunities as well that would have been great to see on the big screen. I think they would have added more depth and interest. But overall it I enjoyed it–the laughs, the love story, and the existential quality all throughout. I finished the book wanting to see the movie right away and I’m glad to have had the opportunity.
I’m sure the comparisons to other zombie comedies such as Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland are inevitable. In my opinion, Shaun of the Dead remains untouched with Zombieland being a distant but solid second, but this is worth a watch. If you’re a zombie fan who doesn’t mind a deviation from the norm, this is the movie for you! Warm Bodies hits theatres nationwide on February 1, 2013.
Warm Bodies – Readable and re-Readable, hope the movie is just as watchable! I’m going to see the film TONIGHT!!
I’ll be honest and say that I really hadn’t heard much about this book before seeing the motion picture preview; it looked really funny and campy. I’m always up for a good zombie satire (I’m a big Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland fan), but in this case I wanted to read the book as well. Why not? It’s only 240 pages. Certainly doable. And boy am I glad I did. It’s a refreshing take on the genre that you may want to read time and time again.
We’ve become so accustomed to vampires, werewolves and the like dominating as love interests in paranormal/urban fantasy realm. We may get the occasional demon or angel, but rarely do we see zombies fill that role, and for good reason. It’s really not that hott when the guy is rotting away and wants to take chunks out of you. But after reading this novel, Isaac Marion proves that he not only knows the rules, but he knows how to break them too. We have the initially subtle star crossed lover feel as R, our zombie in question, falls for a human girl and finds himself becoming a little more human himself as they spend more time together. Yeah, he has the usual craving for brains, as do all zombies, but something deep inside of him yearns for more that that–and no, it’s not more guts. He’s the most cultured zombie you’re going to find, loving music, collecting souvenirs, and riding escalators. Believe me, it sounds ridiculous but I really thought it worked here.
Though it’s not as funny as I thought it would be, it’s well-written with an existential quality that makes me understand why it’s become a big screen adaptation (though that ain’t always the case). And lucky me, I actually have movie passes to see an advanced screening of the film TONIGHT! It’s not officially out until February of next year, but I’m not complaining. I finished the book wanting to see the movie right away. And then I learned about the screening! If only my luck were good enough to hit the lottery! But I digress. After enjoying the book so much I’m now super excited. They’ve made some obvious changes, but I think it will work here.
If you’re a zombie fan who doesn’t mind a deviation from the norm, this is the book for you!
