Best Books Read in 2012

2012 has been an awesome reading year for me. I have discovered many wonderful new-to-me titles and authors all narrowed down to the following:
1. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnely - This book is just so beautifully written that it was quite a page turner for me despite that it is under the historical genre. If you love books and words, it is impossible for you to not like Mattie and her story. 

2. Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner - I didn't quite really loved The Thief but this second installment, boy was I in for a wonderful ride. This book has just one unexpected thing after another! One of the best plots of all time.
  3. Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud - This series is a hilarious magical romp through old London and it's government. Magic + politics = a whole lot of fun.
4. Daughter of the Forest by Julliet Marillier - One of my best fairy tale retellings to date. It's such a beautiful heartbreaking tale of love and family with a bit of Celtic lore in it. 
5. Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Curtis Smith - This is an unexpected favorite this year, considering this was just an impulse buy at Booksale. But this may be my best middle grade read of all time. It's filled with positivity and made me see the best and make the best out of everything in life.
6. Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan - I loved this book because of the snarky, clever, big-words-peppered  dialogue; and the main characters are not your run of the mill teenagers but quirky and smart and word nerds and bookish. And I do love bookish characters. This was a wonderful Christmas read and I will definitely look forward to reading more Cohn and Levithan next year.    
  7. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver - I loved the whole "groundhog day" plot of this book. It is quite a sad and heavy story but it just made me sort of value life and the people around me more. And made me well, less judgemental. Sometimes teens aren't what they are on the surface.

8. A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam - I don't really do well with adult fiction but this one was pretty good. For one, I was able to finish it, which is saying something if you were me. It is a great story that made me experience the culture of Bangladesh and the hardships of being a mother, a daughter, a son, a neighbor, and just an ordinary person in a country immersed in war.   

 Others Worth Mentioning Are:

 The Disreputable History of Frankie E. Landau Banks by E. Lockhart - A witty contemporary YA with lots of wordplay.

 The Ask and The Answer by Patrick Ness - Great follow-up to The Knife of Never Letting Go. I love that there's more politics in it (although it was quite reminiscent of the political turmoil in The Hunger Games) But the Davy Prentiss character development was my favorite.

 Beauty by Robin Mckinley - Stayed true to the original tale, with very little variations but it was never boring.

 The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale - Another fairy tale retelling that I appreciated for sticking with the original.

Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell - A lovely novel in verse which wasn't at all the kind of prose that confuses me. It was easy to grasp and yet the words were poetic enough that they roll of the tongue. All set in the magical and chivalrous world of Camelot.

 How about you? What are your best reads in the year 2012?

Comments

  1. AnonymousDecember 29, 2012 at 6:58 PM

    Awesome list you've got here! I must say, you had me very much intrigued with 'Dash & Lily's Book of Dares'!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TinDecember 30, 2012 at 9:28 PM

      Oh I think you'll love Dash and Lily's! The characters are awesome, and there's a tiny bit of wordplay in it too. :)

      Delete
  2. AnonymousJanuary 3, 2013 at 6:04 AM

    Okay, so many of the titles in your list are also in my list of favorites: The Queen of Attolia, Daughter of the Forest, the Bartimaeus Trilogy, Beauty, The Goose Girl and Song of the Sparrow. :P So glad you got to discover many great titles this year. I hope 2013 will be an even better reading year for you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TinJanuary 3, 2013 at 7:07 PM

      Well, I did learn about them from your blog. Hee. :) I have a couple of titles lined up for this year that I'm really excited about. Like King of Attolia, Son of the Shadows, Piper's Son...etc.

      You too Chachic, have a great 2013! :)

      Delete
  3. Maria @ bookchillaJanuary 4, 2013 at 5:22 AM

    I have yet to read book 2 of Bartimaeus - he's so fun! and I lvoe QoA so much, Dash & Lily's too. great list!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TinJanuary 6, 2013 at 12:46 AM

      The Bartimaeus Trilogy gets better with every book! Then there's still The Ring of Solomon pa, after. QoA is jaw-droppingly good! They say it gets better in KoA. I also wonder if Nick and Norah's is as good as Dash and Lily's? :)

      Delete
  4. LynaiJanuary 7, 2013 at 9:52 PM

    Hi Tin! Now more than I ever I should read Northern Light, asap! :D I am intrigued with some of the titles in your list, I might as well put them in my TBR, which is currently mountain TBR haha! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. TinJanuary 13, 2013 at 1:16 AM

    Absolutely yes to A Northern Light! And I say, the bigger the TBR, the better! :D

    ReplyDelete

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