End of the Year Wrap Up: New Authors Challenge

Goal: 15+

Challenge: MET

1. Stephanie Parent
2. Stephanie Hemphill
3. Karen Hesse
4. Jane Higgins
5. Kate Brian
6. Katja Millay
7. Coleen Patrick
8. John Green
9. Kadir Nelson
10. Maria V. Snyder
11. Julianne Moore
12. Jennifer L. Armentrout
13. Kat Zhang
14. Denise Grover Swank
15. Rick Yancey
16. Taila Vance
17. Nancy J. Cavanaugh
18. Laura Nowlin
19. Robyn Schneider
20. Lauren Myracle
21. C. J. Redwine
22. CJ Lyons
23. Laura Bickle
24. Cassandra Clare
25. Gabrielle Prendergast
26. Sarah Crossan
27. Romily Bernard
28. Diana Peterfreund
29. Markus Zusak

Did YOU discover any awesome new authors in 2013?

End of the Year Wrap Up: Contemporary Challenge

Goal: 15+

Challenge: MET

Hysteria by Megan Miranda, The Language Inside by Holly Thompson, 

Come Back to Me by Coleen Patrick

Spies & Prejudice by Talia Vance, Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter, If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin, Time After Time by Tamara Ireland Stone

This is W.A.R by Lisa & Laura Roecker, The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider, 

The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle, Broken by CJ Lyons

After Math by Denise Grover Swank, Audacious by Gabrielle Prendergast, 

Find Me by Romily Bernard, Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham

Now for a little Q & A:

Favorite Contemporary of 2013?

Time After Time by Tamara Ireland Stone
Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter

Best cover?

Favorite protagonist?

Anna from Time After Time 
  Kat from Perfect Scoundrels

Most crush worthy guys?

BENNETT from Time After Time
 W.W. Hale the Fifth from Perfect Scoundrels

Best couple?

I know I'm getting a little repetitive here but...
Anna & Bennett from Time After Time
Kat & Hale from Perfect Scoundrels

What was YOUR favorite Contemporary of 2013?

End of the Year Wrap Up: Sequel Challenge

Goal: 12+

Challenge: MET

Double Crossed by Ally Carter, Where She Went by Gayle Forman, 

Through The Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

Onyx, Opal, Origin, & Shadows by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech, Once We Were by Kat Zhang, Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter, Time After Time by Tamara Ireland Stone

The Elite by Kiera Cass, The Outside by Laura Bickle, Enders by Lissa Price, 

Formerly Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham

Now for a little Q&A:

Favorite Sequel?

Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi, Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter,
Time After Time by Tamara Ireland Stone

Most disappointing Sequel?

Formerly Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham

Favorite Cover?

What was YOUR favorite sequel from 2013?

End of the Year Wrap Up: Dystopia Challenge

Goal: 7-12 books

Challenge: Met

Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi, The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey, 

The Elite by Kiera Cass

The Hallowed Ones by Laure Bickle, The Outside by Laura Bickle, 

For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diane Peterfreund, Enders by Lissa Price

Now for a little Q & A: 

Favorite Dystopian of 2013?

Ahhhhh, they were almost all favorites, but if I were forced to chose. 

Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi  and Enders by Lissa Price

Favorite Cover?

Favorite kick-butt heroine? 

Katie from The Hallowed Ones & The Outside

What was YOUR favorite Dystopian of 2013?

End of the Year Wrap Up: Novels in Verse Challenge

Goal: 9-12+

Challenge: MET

Defy the Stars by Stephanie Parent, Sisters of Glass by Stephanie Hemphill, 

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

Witness by Karen Hesse, The Wild Book by Margarita Engle,

The Language Inside by Holly Thompson

Nelson Mandela by Kadir Nelson, Love That Dog by Sharon Creech,

Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech

Audacious by Gabrielle Prendergast, Displacement  by Thalia Chaltas

Read but didn't Review:

The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan, Formerly Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham

Now for a little Q & A: 

Favorite Young Adult novel in verse?

Defy the Stars by Stephanie Parent

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

Favorite middle grade novel in verse?

The highest rating a gave to a MG verse novel was 3 hearts so I wouldn't say any of them were favorites.

Favorite cover?

What was YOUR favorite verse novel read in 2013?

End of the Year Wrap Up 2012

As the end of the year draws near it's time to look back and reflect on all the books I've read this year!

In 2011 I read 60 books.
My goal this year was to read 80, let's see how I did.

Audio Books = 1

Adult Books = 1

Short Stories = 4

Picture Books = 7

Middle Grade = 17

Young Adult = 46

GRAND TOTAL = 76 

Although I didn't reach my goal =( I still read 16 more books than last year so that's an improvement!

Now it's time for the

Hosted by The Perpetual Page Turner

1. Best Book You Read In 2012? (You can break it down by genre if you want)

YA-
Contemporary: Fracture by Megan Miranda and Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill

Dystopian: The Selection by Kiera Cass and Starters by Lissa Price

Suspense/Thriller: What She Left Behind by Tracy Bilen and Still Waters by Emma Carlson Berne

Mystery: Social Suicide by Gemma Halliday

OTHER- 

Nonfiction: Great Day Everyday by Max Lucado
Picture Book: ish by Peter H. Reynolds
Middle Grade: May B by Caroline Starr Rose

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Fallen by Lauren Kate

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2012? 

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2012?

The Selection by Kiera Cass
Meant To Be by Lauren Morrill

5. Best series you discovered in 2012?

Unearthly Trilogy by Cynthia Hand
Fracture by Megan Miranda
The Selection by Kiera Cass
Starters by Lissa Price

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2012?

Lauren Morrill, Megan Miranda, Lissa Price

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

Survive by Alex Morel

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2012?

Still Waters by Emma Carlson Berne
What She Left Behind by Tracy Bilen
Survive by Alex Morel

 9. Book You Read In 2012 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year:

Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2012?

11. Most memorable character in 2012? 
Skeeter and Aibileen from The Help by Kathryn Stockett

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2012?

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Karma by Cathy Ostlere

The Firefly Letters by Margarita Engle

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2012? 

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2012 to finally read? 

The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2012? 

"I stand up. Stretch my arms out wide to the
empty horizon. Do not be afraid of limitless
possibilities. The desert is infinite to the eye
as love is to the heart."

- from Karma by Cathy Ostlere

16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2012? 

Longest: Karma 528 pages
Shortest: ish 32 pages

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

HALLOWED by Cynthia Hand!!!

18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2012 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).

Romantic Relationships: Hadley & Oliver from Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
                                           Julia & Jason from Meant To Be
Sibling Relationships: Callie & Tyler from Starters
                                      Sam & Riddle from I'll Be There               
Friendships: Clara & Angela from Unearthly
                       Nora & Vee from Silence

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2012 From An Author You Read Previously

Falling For You by Lisa Schroeder

20. Best Book You Read That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:

I'll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Looking Ahead…

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2012 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2013?

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2013?

Unravel Me by Taherah Mafi

3. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2013?

I just want to keep reading, blogging and enjoying it!

End of the Year Wrap Up: Novels in Verse Challenge

Back in January when I was joining all of these reading challenges I couldn't for the life of me find one for Novels In Verse. I decided to go out on a limb and try hosting my very own reading challenge. 

I want to say a MASSIVE THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the challenge, whether you reviewed one book or a dozen. I am just so happy that people signed up!! =D 

So thank you again for your participation and I hope you'll all join me in the Novels in Verse Reading Challenge 2013! The new sign up post will be going up on January 3rd!

Below is a wrap up of all the novels in verse I read this year as part of the challenge.

Goal: 9-12 books

Challenge MET

May B by Caroline Starr Rose, Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai,

Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

Minn and Jake by Janet Wong, The Firefly Letters by Margarita Engle, 

Almost Forever by Marie Testa

The Way A Door Closes by Hope Anita Smith, Keeping the Night Watch by Hope Anita Smith, Hurricane Dancers by Margarita Engle

Hidden by Helen Frost, What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones, Karma by Cathy Ostlere

Worlds Afire by Paul B. Jenkins, All the Broken Pieces by Ann Burg,

 Girl Coming In For A Landing by April Halprin Wayland

Now for a little Q & A: 

Favorite Young Adult novel in verse?

Favorite middle grade novel in verse?

Favorite cover?

What was your favorite verse novel you read in 2012? 

End of the Year Wrap Up: Debut Author Challenge

Goal: 12+

Challenge MET

Welcome Caller This is Chloe by Shelley Coriell, Tempest by Julie Cross, 

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Cinder by Marissa Meyer, Fracture by Miranda Miranda, Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Legend by Marie Lu, Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic, My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

What She Left Behind by Tracy Bilen, Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill, 

Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone

Swipe by Evan Angler, Starters by Lissa Price, Survive by Alex Morel

Now for a little Q & A: 

Favorite debut of 2012?

Too many great ones to choose!!

Favorite cover?

Most promising new series?

Favorite stand alone debut?

What was your favorite book by a debut author this year?