Top 12 Books of 2012

I know for most people that this would be considered a bit late to be putting up a "Best Books of 2012" post. But it's still January, and if it's still January, I think any reminisces on the last year are still fair game. So, whether you consider this late or not, here is my list of the top 12 books I read in the last year (listed in the order in which I read them):

1)Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: My absolute favorite book of the series. I love Umbridge as a villain and how, within the first five minutes, you want her to die way more than you want Voldemort to be defeated.

2)The Fault in Our Stars: Definitely a tearjerker if ever I've read one. John Green once again proves that he is a master of his trade, keeping you laughing and crying all the way through this New York Times bestseller.

3)The Perks of Being a Wallflower: This one's probably an all-time favorite. It's a top-notch book and has just recently been adapted to the big screen. It's movie is almost as fantastic as the book itself . . . and with Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, and Ezra Miller playing our three main characters, how can anyone be surprised?

4)Stardust: The movie version of this story was good. The book was exceptional. I've always heard that Neil Gaiman was a fantasy genius. Now I understand how he got that reputation.

5)Fahrenheit 451: Ray Bradbury's most well-known novel is an outstanding work of literary fiction. There's no questioning why this book is as famous as it is. It absolutely deserves all the fame it has garnered.

6)Howl's Moving Castle: This was another good fantasy that I saw the movie for first. I fell in love with the movie and then fell in love with the book. I am a firm believer in the fact that the books are (with few exceptions) always better than the movies, but I was blown out of the water when I realized this book really could top its movie.

7)Crusade in Jeans: The only one of Thea Beckman's books to be translated into English, this story was simply captivating. After reading it, I'm honestly considering learning Dutch just so I can have the opportunity to read the rest of her works.

8)Speak: An honest portrait of the severe trauma of a young teenage girl, this book both heartbreaking and hopeful throughout its entirety. It has won a plethora of awards and, honestly, it needs to win a hell of a lot more.

9)Sisters Red: The first book in Jackson Pearce's Fairytale Retellings series, this book have me eagerly turning its pages from beginning to end. I especially loved the strong bonds and unfailing loyalty of its protagonists throughout every trial. Loyalty is a trait I admire above most others in real life and nearly as much in fiction.

10)Lovely, Dark, and Deep: A poetic look at one girl's deep heartbreak and her healing process is the best way to describe this beautiful novel. I can't sing its praises enough. And I can't even begin to explain how deeply beautiful it was. You need to read it for yourself if you want to understand at all.

11)The Disenchantments: This was a tale about growing up and what it's like to become disenchanted with life as you begin to fully understand the deep flaws in the world and the people around you. Yet, even through that, it reminds us that even in its heartache and pain, those beautiful pinpoints of light in the patchwork of darkness that makes life lovely and absolutely worth living.

12)Inkheart: The first in a wonderful trilogy (one I'm still halfway through the second book in), I absolutely adored this book. It's movie adaptation is fabulous, but this book series is something to be reckoned with. I still can't believe it took me this long to get to it.

What were your favorite books you read in 2012?

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Books since I started Booklist That

Over at The Broke and the Bookish, they have this thing called Top Ten Tuesday. Each Tuesday they give other bloggers a chance to participate in making a top ten list with them. This week's topic is the top ten books you've read since starting your blog. 

This one's going to be fun. Difficult, but fun.

1) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
This book lived up to every raving review I heard about it. Zusak did a wonderful job writing a compelling story from an original perspective. That, and he has such a way with words that I could read a book covering just about anything if it was written by him and still be enthralled.

2) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
At first, I just wanted to put the whole series on here, but thought it would only be fair if I did my favorite of the series. This book was my all-time favorite of the Harry Potter books (its movie was my favorite as well). I love the story, the villain (Umbridge), and basically everything about it.

3) The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
I pre-ordered this one and my dad ended up reading it before I did. He adored it as much as I did. The book was a work of pure genius. It will make you laugh and cry, all while filling your desire for witty commentary and great characters. Definitely a must-read.

4) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Upon finishing this book, I immediately added it to the ranks of my absolute favorite books. It was well-written and interesting--an all-around joy to read. I cannot wait for the movie this fall and look forward to lending it out even more than I already have in anticipation of the feature film.

5) Hold Still by Nina LaCour
This book was an emotionally driven book that drew me in from the beginning and left me happily sated at the end. LaCour's understanding of brokenness and her ability to make you feel as if you're not only walking alongside the character, but feeling the same way she does, is beautiful and spellbinding.

6) Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
It is considered a classic and for good reason. Bradbury paints a terrifying yet distinctly plausible world that makes you think and gives you the desire to do anything possible to prevent this fiction from becoming reality.

7) Crusade in Jeans by Thea Beckman
The only book by this Dutch author that I can find that's translated into English, I had to search to find this book, but it was entirely worth it. Beckman proves herself a fantastic storyteller and I would love to read more from her in the future. Hopefully, more of her works will be translated in the future.

8) Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
In this story, Anderson created a truly believable character that has had tragedy impact her in the most damaging of ways who still manages to pick herself up and heal. An entirely inspiring character, a seamless plot, and narrative that is both beautiful and compelling work together to make this book also reach my favorites shelf.

9) The Space Between Trees by Katie Williams
If any word can describe this book in its entirely it's "unexpected". Its plot draws the readers in, but the way the author uses it to deal with the nuances of human nature and to explore the way tragedy affects people was truly wonderful. I eagerly look forward to rereading this one.

10) Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Fantasy is almost always going to be quite an intriguing read, but Jones definitely nails it in her creation of this book. everything about it was delightful and interesting. I really enjoyed exploring the worlds she created, as well as meeting the lovely characters and creatures that fill the pages.

Top Ten Tuesday: Vivid Worlds

Over at The Broke and the Bookish, they have this thing called Top Ten Tuesday. Each Tuesday they give other bloggers a chance to participate in making a top ten list with them. This week the topic is "Most Vivid Worlds/Settings in Books". 

So here are mine: 

1. Narnia
-I've been a huge Narnia fan since I was a kid and my dad read the books to my brother and I as bedtime stories that I eagerly clung to. Narnia meant Aslan, it meant a magical world where animals could talk and children could win battles. It holds a very special place in my heart and still hasn't stopped taking hold of my imagination.

2. The Magical Version of our World Seen in Harry Potter
-I'm a latecomer to the "Potterhead" grouping, only having discovered the wonder of this universe in the last few years, but I'm hooked. I love everything about the way J.K. Rowling integrated magic into our world and hid it behind closed doors so that when you're reading it, you can almost believe that it's all true. Then again, that would mean I was a Muggle in a magical world, so that's a downside . . .

3. Middle Earth
-Granted, I've only read The Hobbit, but I loved every bit of the world Tolkien created there. Also, I've seen the Lord of the Rings movies so many times I can practically quote the majority of it. Altogether, Middle Earth gets my thumbs-up for being wonderful, yet dangerous; majestic, yet scary. Everything about it simply urges you to find out more.

4. The World in Robin Wasserman's Skinned Trilogy
-This isn't the type of world I would love to be a part of (like the first three), but it's one I found myself engulfed in. It's very believable and realistic, drawing you in and making you ask questions that most novels wouldn't dream of diving into. The way she has formed each dilemma, each evolution of the way our world turned out, is something you can almost see happening. And it's quite a scary thing to observe.

5. Panem
-Despite my dislike of Suzanne Collins' writing style, she did manage to create a rather vivid picture of the futuristic world her book is set in. It's another believable, yet scary place to live. I wouldn't want to set foot in it, but I could most assuredly believe it.

6. Alagaesia
-In Christopher Paolini's fantastically crafted world, I managed to lose myself in a book that took me longer than most to read. Where I tend to get impatient with books that I can't tackle in a few days (which are few, because I read pretty quickly), these ones were a pleasure straight through. Paolini etched every bit of his world in clear contrast and made every bit as real and defined as the world we live in.

7. Amara
-It's been a while since I've read Donita K. Paul's DragonKeeper Chronicles, but I enjoyed them immensely. The different creatures Paul created were interesting and original, her dragons were varied and interesting, the story wonderful. It was entirely well done. 

8. The World in the Dragons in Our Midst Series
-Bryan Davis created an incredibly imaginative and interesting world in his series' detailing the lives of Billy Bannister and Bonnie Silver. There are actually three series within this series, of which I've only read the first two and that was probably four or five years ago. Still, the details and intricacies of the world he created stand out in their excellence.

9. The Worlds in Howl's Moving Castle
-This book is a wonderful journey and one I intend to reread as often as possible in the future. A large part of this is due to the worlds within it (yes there are more than one, but they're all connected). They are worlds of magic and war, of impossible contracts and things that shouldn't come to life but do. It draws you in and invites you to stay for as long as you should choose to remain.

10. Faerie
-I'll finish off with a world I'm not sure whether I would want to live in or away from, but one that takes one's imagination and soars with it. There are so many things I loved about the world Neil Gaiman created in Stardust and I would definitely cite it as a vivid world that I am quite fond of.

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

"He was in there two hours," said Calcifer, "putting spells on his face. Vain fool!"
"There you are, then," said Michael. "The day Howl forgets to do that will be the day I believe he's really in love, and not before."

After reading The Space Between Trees, I immediately went online and bought it on Amazon. And here again I've stumbled upon a book that I absolutely must purchase as soon as I get a bit of money.

I didn't exactly stumble upon Howl's Moving Castle. In fact, I happen to be quite fond of the movie adaptation. When I found that it was based off a book, I knew I had to read it. Once again, I am profoundly glad I did. It is nearly an entirely different story and I loved every second of the journey.

Howl's Moving Castle is the story of a girl named Sophie. As the eldest of three, she is doomed to an entirely uneventful and unsuccessful life. She resigns herself to this fate, even as her younger sisters go out to seek their fortunes. However, fate doesn't seem to agree with her on how her life is supposed to turn out.

When the hat shop she runs with her stepmother is visited by the Witch of the Waste, Sophie is put under a curse that turns her into an old woman. Unsure of what to do and unable to tell anyone of the curse, Sophie decides to leave the home she has always known in order to find her destiny and hopefully an end to the curse.

When she seeks lodging in a moving castle belonging to Wizard Howl, she expects to be turned out almost immediately. However, she makes friends with its occupants: a fire demon named Calcifer, Howl's fifteen year-old apprentice (Michael), and the dreaded wizard himself. Howl is nothing like she had been told. Still, the vain wizard manages to trample on every last one of Sophie's nerves.

That's not the only trouble, though. The Witch of the Waste is hot on their tail, eager to get Howl in her clutches, and she'll stop at nothing to succeed in her aims. On top of that, Sophie needs to find a way to break her own spell. Calcifer promises to break it if she can break the contract between he and Howl, but to do that, Sophie is going to have to find out the terms on her own.

Howl's Moving Castle is a fantastical adventure through a land filled with wonder. I enjoyed every moment of the journey and couldn't wait to see where it would take me next. I would advise it for both young teenagers and grown adults. It's a compelling read and lovely story.

Rating: ~♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥~

It seems as if those of high ability cannot resist some extra, dangerous stroke of cleverness, which results in a fatal flaw and begins a slow decline to evil.