Best Books in 2012: A Review

Another year has come and gone! My book amount definitely shot up in 2012: I read 34 books in 2011 and 55 this year! My goal this year was only 40, so I went above and beyond what I had planned. I call that a great success, and next year’s goal is going to be upped to 70 books :)

Just like last year, The Perpetual Page-Turner has released an end of the year survey for all of us book bloggers, so I might as well jump right into it:

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

Novel: Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld, or, I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga
Graphic Novel/ Comic book: Saga (volume #1), written by Brian K. Vaughan

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

Probably The Difference Between You and Me by Madeline George. Oh well, you win some, you lose some, huh? The good thing about it is that it's another LGBTQ novel in the young adult market, which is always a plus in my book!

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

Looking for Alaska by John Green. I don’t usually like contemporary fiction, nor do I usually cry at books, but this won was definitely a winner and a tear-jerker.

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2012?

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld. It was so great I really couldn't gush more about it! I read all three books in the series about a month, which never happens to me, and it makes me sad that I didn't get into them sooner.

5. Best series you discovered in 2012?

Leviathan still takes the cake, but I've gushed enough about that. Y: The Last Man was a big winner too, and that was ten comic books in the span of a summer. They were all very much worth my time, and I’ll totally read them again.

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2012?

Brian K. Vaughan, Scott Westerfeld, and John Green

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

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. My first book by both of these authors and a new foray into adult fiction, it was so worth it! This book is hilarious, so seriously, go read it.

 8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2012?

A three-way tie between Legend by Marie Lu (dystopian? yes please!), The Maze Runner by James Dashner (I listened to the audiobook, but it still counts! And the mix of mystery and sci-fi was perfect), and I Hunt Killers (so scary I should have put it down but couldn't get myself to).

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

Re-Read ALL of the Leviathan books!

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

The Boy Recession by Flynn Meaney

11. Most memorable character in 2012?

Deryn/ Dylan Sharp (smart, quick-witted, hard-working) from the Leviathan series, who is probably one of my favorite characters of all time, or Sam from Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride (funny, caring, heart always in the right place), both were oh-so lovable!

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2012?

Looking for Alaska by John Green. There were so many memorable quotes, and the inclusion of the famous last words tied in perfectly with the theme. All of the characters were great and the ending was so perfect, I really can’t say anything bad about this book.

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

The Y: The Last Man series, which made me realize that I wanted something more in my dystopian novels. As sad as it sounds, I’d much rather my dystopian novels have sad endings than the romantic, feel-good ones that have been published recently, as a reminder for the reader to keep fighting for freedom no matter what. The Y: The Last Man series was amazing, and is really worth reading.

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

Either Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, which I had been sitting on for months before getting off my butt to go and read it, and the fact that it took me so long to read (really, listen to the audiobook) and then re-read The Atlantis Complex (Artemis Fowl #7) this summer disgusted me... And I'm still not through the eighth one...

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

The "We are all going," quote, the last words of President William McKinley, was one of two lines in books I read this year that made me want to cry, even though I stopped myself from doing so because I was working and that would look strange, to just burst out sobbing while shelving children’s books. The other one was, "You need to find yourself a new hero," and the short spoiler-y exchange beforehand, From Death Bringer (Skulduggery Pleasant #6), but fewer people have read that one. It was especially powerful when paired with the context of the scene, so it sounds a little strange to those that aren't familiar with the books.

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2012?

Shortest: Medea by Euripides. A school requirement, roughly 120 pages, probably less with endnotes and whatnot.

Longest: Death Bringer (Skulduggery Pleasant #6), clocking in at 603 pages, making it the longest book I've ever read (and also one of the quickest too, but that’s what one of your favorite series will do to you).

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!

I wish I had somebody to talk about Death Bringer (and Kingdom of the Wicked when I finish it) with in person, but *sigh* that's the price for being an American fan in a series that only gained footing overseas... But trust me, when I find that person I will interrogate them mercilessly.

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

Jazz Dent and his father, Billy Dent, from I Hunt Killers. We meet Billy, a notorious serial killer, for only about a chapter but his deeds have affected Jazz so much that you really can’t ignore the relationship between the two of them unless you want to neglect the whole book.

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

Wow, looking over my list a lot of the books I read were from new authors... The ending to the Percy Jackson series was as fantastic as the beginning, which I read in late 2011, so I guess that counts? Barry Lyga’s books have been a love of mine ever since Boy Toy, so it’s no surprise that I fell for his writing all over again with I Hunt Killers.

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

My friends have been telling me to read John Green's books, but honestly I don't think I would have picked them up if not for finding the audiobook on my library's website, so... none? My bookish friends don't suggest books to me enough :(

Looking Ahead

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

I'll read the Harry Potter series. Someday. At one point. Before I die. I started it, so does that count?

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2013?

I'm not in the loop with upcoming books, so that will have to change next year! I think I'm going to just cruise through blogs and on Goodreads and Amazon and see what piques my interest and go from there! I'm always on the lookout for new dystopian books though, so that's a guarantee.

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

Ooh, I've got several!

a) Update my blog's look, try and clean it up a little bit more, and maybe learn enough coding/ website design to not rely solely on other people. Basically, put a little more effort into my appearance!

b) Read 70+ books next year. Take advantage of my breaks and the fact that I have only one class on M/W/F next semester!

c) Write more honest blog posts. Do not get caught up in the idea that every blog has to be the same to be successful. Keep writing what I want and need to write, rather than trying to mimic other styles.

2012 has definitely blown my mind book-wise, and hopefully I can get at least a few followers in the new year to fall for comic books and graphic novels as I have. Have a safe and happy new year everybody, and see you in 2013!