11 Best Books of 2011

Here they are, in order, from 11th favorite to number 1 favorite, the 11 best books I've read in 2011:

11. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Twilight-esque young adult paranormal romance about werewolves. But surprisingly good. Read my review of it here: http://111in11.blogspot.com/2011/02/valentines-review-number-2.html

10. Karen Kingsbury’s Baxter books

What’s a Baxter book? Christian fiction author Karen Kingsbury wrote 3 separate series about the Baxter family, and then one more series that includes the Baxters. All in all it equals out to 18 books, all of which I read in the last few months of 2011. Wait a minute. Does this mean I am counting 18 different books as one spot in my Top 11? Well yes, actually, it does. At first I tried to narrow it down to one series, and even got as far as picking one writing about it. But then I tried to write about why I picked that particular series over the other 3, and I drew a blank. In my mind, these stories are really like one big long book. So anyway, that’s how spot number 10 became an 18-way tie.

I absolutely loved these books. All the characters were real and genuine, and honestly, after reading 18 books about them, I feel like they are actual people and I know them. I enjoyed these books much more than any of Karen Kingsbury’s stand-alones that I’ve read previously this year. I highly recommend these books to anyone.

If you would like to read the the Baxter books, make sure you start with the Redemption series. For a complete sequential list, check out the About the Baxters FAQ on Karen's website - http://www.karenkingsbury.com/faqs

9. Legend by Marie Lu

I first started making this list on December 29. I had a three-way tie for spot number 11 and I didn’t know what to do about it. Then, on December 30, I read one last book of the year. Legend, by Marie Lu. This book edged its way up to spot number 9, bumping my 3-way tie down to spot number 12 and effectively solving my problem.

Legend is a young adult dystopian novel that follows the alternating viewpoints of Day, a wanted criminal from the slums, and June, an elite young soldier whose first mission is to track down Day.

Legend made it into the top 11 because it is exciting, dystopian, and extremely well-written. At first I considered putting it higher in the list, but in the end it didn’t make it higher than 9 because it lacked… something. Originality. Wow factor. Mind-blowing new ideas. No fight to the death among teens on reality TV, or operation undergone at age 18 that removes the ability to love. That’s what I love about dystopian, and this one just didn’t have it.

Don’t get me wrong. This book was still really good. It is 9^th out of 120, after all. I would definitely recommend it, especially to all you dystopian fans out there.

8. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

1,258 pages of epic fantasy goodness. What’s not to love? And it’s the first in a series too. Check out my review of it here: http://111in11.blogspot.com/2011/06/longest-book-of-year-right-here.html

7. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Water for Elephants is a popular bestseller with a movie so I’m sure you’ve all heard at least a little about it. I was really surprised by how much I liked this book. Read my review here: http://111in11.blogspot.com/2011/10/finally-book-worth-reviewing.html

6. The Underland Chronicles series by Suzanne Collins

Suzanne Collins? You mean the same Suzanne Collins that wrote The Hunger Games?? Yep, that’s the one!

The Underland Chronicles consist of 5 books about 11-year-old Gregor. One day, Gregor and his sister fall through a hole beneath his laundry room and end up in The Underland, a world filled with talking cockroaches, evil rats, and strange, translucent humans. Gregor just wants to get back home, but he keeps getting caught in the middle of Underland problems and prophecies.

This series was fantastic. I didn’t think I would enjoy it so much since it is geared more toward younger kids and it’s about bats, rats, roaches, and spiders. Yuck. But the books were exciting, thoughtful, funny, and creative. The only complaint I have is that the in the 5^th book Collins got back up on her anti-war soapbox and I had horrible flashbacks to Mockingjay. But, we all still love The Hunger Games trilogy despite Mockingjay, right? It’s the same with The Underland Chronicles. The majority of the series is so good that despite book five's flaws it still made it all the way up to number 6 on my list.

5. The Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter

Top secret all girls boarding school for spies?? Yes please! Think it sounds kind of dumb? Well you’re wrong. I didn’t expect much out of this young adult series at first either, but it ended up winning a spot in my top 11. Read my review here: http://111in11.blogspot.com/2011/02/id-tell-you-i-love-you-but-then-id-have.html

4. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

For some reason I have a really hard time describing this book. So let me just tell you a few things: It’s a book of letters (epistolary novel!), written at the end of World War II. It has a weird name. I almost let my preconceived notions about books of letters and books with weird names keep me from reading this book. But I’m glad I didn’t because it was absolutely wonderful and I would recommend it to all of you.

3. Matched by Ally Condie

Matched is a dystopian young adult book about a world where society chooses everything for you, including your significant other. I actually read this book twice this year; once in January and once again a few months ago in anticipation for the sequel. And rereading it reaffirmed my love for it. Of course I love the dystopian setting, but the great writing is what makes this book stand out to me. Narrator Cassia depicts her world with beautiful imagery and thoughtful perceptions that make it come alive. Read my full review here: http://111in11.blogspot.com/2011/01/perfect-match.html

2. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Help is another popular bestseller that you have probably heard of. Suffice it to say that I agree with everyone else on this one: it is really freaking good. If you haven’t read it yet, well what are you waiting for? Seriously, go read it.

And now, drumroll please…

………………………………………

Here it is, my favorite book of the year:

1. Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Delirium takes place in a dystopian future where love considered is a deadly, contagious disease. Thankfully there is a cure, but it can’t be safely administered until you turn 18. 17-year-old Lena can’t wait until she turns 18 and can be cured like everyone else. That is, until she meets a boy, and, you guessed it, begins to fall in love.

I’m not really sure what it is about this book that made me love it so much that it was easily the only contender for spot number 1. Probably a combination of the dystopian world, interesting premise, very real characters, powerful imagery, and beautiful, thoughtful writing.

And here’s some exciting news: Delirium is the start of a trilogy, and the next book, Pandemonium, will be released on February 28! Best book of 2012, perhaps?? We'll just have to wait and see!

Year End Thoughts

Well 2011 is over, and guess what?! I completed my quest to read 111 books in 2011. In fact, I finished two weeks early and ended up reading a total of 120 books. I'm in the process of writing a huge post about my favorite 11 books of the year, but for now I wanted to share with you some thoughts and statistics about my 111 in 11 project.

First, here's a breakdown by genre of what I read:

71 Young Adult

24 Christian fiction

7 Scifi/Fantasy

6 Mystery/Thriller

5 Romance/ChickLit

4 Historical

2 Classics

1 Nonfiction

My most productive month was November with 19 books, and my least productive was September with 1 book.

Some of you might remember that originally I had some sub-goals. I wanted to read 5 nonfiction, 10 classics, and 15 bestsellers. I stopped keeping track of bestsellers but I'm pretty sure I read at least 15 books that were on one the the New York Times lists at some point in time. But I didn't even come close to those other two goals... oops. I gave up on that about halfway through the year, when I was afraid I might not even make my 111 goal. I also had a list of must reads, and I got all but about 2 of those. If I had a do over I probably would have tried a little harder to meet those goals, but really I'm not too upset about it. Maybe those are some good goals for 2012.

Speaking of 2012. 112 books in 2012?? Well, probably not. At least not intentionally. Why? Because I don't like feeling obligated to read. I'd rather it be something I'm doing because I want to. However, I probably will still keep track of what I've read. Without that list I tend to forget what I read. I will also probably keep book blogging occasionally, because I like talking about books. So keep checking this blog if your interested!

What's next on my reading list? Well I have been dying to reread some books for about a year now... I will probably start rereading The Hunger Games tonight, then maybe The Chronicles of Narnia and Harry Potter too. After that, who knows!

That's about everything I wanted to say I think. For those of you who have followed along with my journey all year, thanks for the encouragement and suggestions, and most of all thanks for reading!

Make sure to check back soon for my 11 Best Books of 2011. Here's a teaser- books that almost made the list, numbers 12-16:

12. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

13. Across the Universe by Beth Revis

14. A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

15. The Maze Runner by James Dashner

16. Divergent by Veronica Roth

Finally, a book worth reviewing!

82 down, 29 to go! I'm slowly getting closer... But still really far away...

I'm posting again so soon because I just finished a great book and I want to talk about it. What book? Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. This book has been popular for a while now, so I'm sure a lot of you have already read it or seen then movie. I've been putting off reading it for a while, mostly because I thought I wouldn't like it. I'm not really sure why I thought that, but somewhere along the way I got it in my head that it wasn't a very good book. But I loved it. Great writing, fascinating story, I could hardly put it down and finished it in a day and a half. I especially liked the framing of the story, the way the narration switched between 93 year old Jacob and 23 year old Jacob. Surprisingly, 93 year old Jacob's chapters were just as interesting as his 23 year old counterpart. Maybe I only liked this book so much because my expectations were so low. Honestly though, I think I would have liked it anyway. Now, if only I could find 111 books this good, I would have been finished months ago.

I've read 2 other books recently that are worth mentioning. One was Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay. I had high expectations for this books because it was a bestseller for a while and the premise sounded really interesting. But I was disappointed. The writing wasn't very good, and yes, the historical events behind the novel were interesting, but the story itself fell flat. A bit of background: The story alternates between Sarah: a 10 year old Jewish girl in France during WWII, and Julia, a present day middle aged journalist who slowly discovers Sarah's story. Really fascinating premise with a lot of potential, but story never connected with me. There are several possible reasons for this. For one, I felt like the book was simply telling me how I should feel, rather than actually stirring my emotions. Also, I never really forgot that I was reading a book. The story didn't draw me in enough. And finally, the present day part of the book, Julia's part, read like a bad chick flick or cheesy Nicholas Sparks novel. It didn't really fit with the gravity of what happened to Sarah and her family. It wasn't an overall terrible read, it just wasn't as good as I was hoping it would be.

book#2: The Death Cure by James Dashner. You might remember that I read the first two books in this YA dystopian trilogy back in January, The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials. I was very excited to read the much anticipated final installment. Overall, I think it was a good book. I was a little disappointed, but mostly because I think I remembered liking the first two books way more than I actually did. Or probably more accurately: I was much less disillusioned with and burnt-out on reading when I read the first 2 books, and so I enjoyed them way more than I would if I read them right now. That's sad, right? Anyway- the third book was good, really fast paced and full of action. I would have liked a little more character development and a little more umm... I don't know... something else that was missing... but considering it is young adult and probably geared toward teenage boys, I'll let it slide. Also I'm not entirely sure I liked the ending, but as a friend recently pointed out, I hardly ever like the endings, so I'll let that slide too. So- if you started The Maze Runner trilogy, go get a copy of The Death Cure, because it is at least a series worth finishing.

So far October has been way more productive than September, but I've still only read 5 books this month. I don't think I'll make my benchmark of 11, which means November and December are going to be verrrry busy. And I'm working now too- So that means even less time for reading. But, I'm very determined to reach my goal. I feel like I have not really accomplished much in this post-college year of floundering and figuring myself out. But reading 111 books, yeah that would be a pretty good accomplishment, right? Plus, when else in my life will I have time to attempt something like this again? So wish me luck and, as always, please let me know if you have any good books suggestions!

Update!

78 books down, 33 to go, and less than 3 months left!

It's been a long long time since I updated this, but for those of you still wondering, I'm still attempting to reach my goal of 111 books in 2011! This quest has proven to be a lot more difficult than I expected, mainly because I really had no idea how much or how often I would get burnt out on reading. For example, in September, I read all of one book. And I should point out, that I didn't actually read that book, it was an audio book that I listened while walking or driving.

Because of the extremely unproductive month of September, I'm not actually sure that I will reach my goal. I will have to read 11 books a month, so it will be a lot, but I'm sure going to try! It would help tremendously if I find 33 really good books to read, but that's not likely. (But, suggestions are welcome!)

If you are interested in a book suggestion, well since my last actual update I've read two books that I think are worth recommending. One is The Help, which if you haven't heard of that book by now you must be living under a rock. The other is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows. This book was surprisingly wonderful. It's written as a bunch of letters, so I didn't think that I would like it. But, it was great, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone. (Thanks Tara for recommending it to me!)

One last thing. I doubt that I'll start updating my blog again regularly in the next few months, but if you are interested in keeping up with what I've read or how close I am to my goal, check the link on the right side of the page, the What I've read so far page. I have been regularly updating that list throughout the whole year, because it's my way of keeping up with what I've read.

Well, that's about all I have to say. I'll hopefully blog a several more times before the end of the year, but at the very least, I'll definitely let you know how things turn out when January 1st arrives!

Halfway there!

Earlier today I finished my 56th book... and do you know what that means? That's right, I'm over halfway to 111!!! I have to say it feels pretty good. :D And just in time too, it's almost July and I am just barely on schedule. But that's okay, I've got 6 more months!

The special book number 56 was When Joy Came to Stay by Karen Kingsbury. This was the first Karen Kingsbury book I had read, and I loved it! I have to admit that I've been a little snobby towards Christian fiction... I mean there are a lot of badly written Christian fiction books out there. But really, that's true of any genre. And When Joy Came to Stay definitely doesn't fall in the bad category; it was great! Since Karen Kingsbury has written something like 50 novels.. you will probably see several more of her books popping up on my reading list.

Book number 55 was another Sarah Dessen book, Along for the Ride. It's about like every other Sarah Dessen book I've read, but that didn't stop me from staying up til 4 in the morning to finish it! I loved it and I would most definitely recommend it.

Longest book of the year right here!

Well I'm pretty proud of myself because I just finished a 1,258 page book! Yep that's right, 1,258 pages, and in 8 days too! Not too bad, right? Maybe I'm getting back on track.

Anyway, this book, as you might have guessed by the length, falls in the epic fantasy genre. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson is the first in what will eventually be a 10(?I think) book series. The book was really good, especially if you like epic fantasy. If you aren't an epic fantasy fan, then I probably wouldn't recommend it. It's long, complex, a little slow at times, and a lot confusing. But I think that's part of what I loved. So many small details, little clues, big revelations, hints at bigger revelations to come... I love it. And the characters! I fell in love with Sanderson's previous books because of his characters... and he did not disappoint with in this book. I feel so invested in them and their world already after one book.. how will I feel after 10?

There is one problem though. This is only the first book, and the second one won't be out for another year. With 10 books, and 1-2 years in between... I can't imagine this series ever ending. And that's a daunting thought. I will likely be 40 years old when this is over! I am hesitant to get involved in such an enthralling series so early on... but it's too late now. I am already invested. Maybe I will wait until I am 40 and all 10 books are released before I read another one. But probably not, I won't be able to wait that long. And part of the fun is the speculation, right? It might be kind of fun to follow this series through from the start.

Anyway, if you are a Wheel of Time or Sword of Truth fan, you'll like this. If you like fantasy but don't want to get involved in lengthy epics, try one of Sanderson's stand-alone novels- Elantris or Warbreaker.

I'm still alive but I'm barely reading

Barely reading. What can I say? I guess I'm not quite the avid reader that I was so proud of being. Or I just got a little burned out. Either way, I've hardly been reading at all lately. I realize I didn't post a progress update at the end of May- it was because I didn't really read much in May. I didn't feel like there was much to update. I thought June would be better. So far, it's been worse. I've only read two books- and really we should say only one, because the other one was an audio book that I've been listening to for months and finally finished. But that one book I did read was a good one- 1984 by George Orwell. It was on my must read list AND it's a classic, which I have to read 10 of this year (this makes two). So I do feel a little proud of myself for finishing that, and for the most part, enjoying it.

Hopefully my reading will pick up in the next month or so, because I'm going to the beach. (Twice!) There is something so appealing about the idea of spending a day just reading a good book on the beach. So in anticipation I've been saving two supposedly awesome books for beach reading- Divergent by Veronica Roth and The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. Hopefully they will live up to my high expectations, and get me back to being a reader again. I'll let you know.

In the meantime, if you are looking for some good beach reading, might I suggest Delirium by Lauren Oliver? You won't regret reading it, I promise!

Progress!

Well guys, I am excited to tell you all that I have officially finished my first nonfiction book. 127 Hours by Aron Ralston. Yes, this is the book about the guy who was hiking alone, got his hand stuck in between two rocks, was stuck there 127 hours, then cut his hand off. It's now a movie starring James Franco, which I really want to see.

I started reading this book way back in February. It took me several months to get through the first half. Not because it was bad. Just because it wasn't quite a page-turner and I was always reading something else at the time. And the first half of the book was a lot of flashbacks to past outdoorsy expeditions, which were described in a technical outdoorsy way, and I just wasn't super interested. However, I finished the last half of the book in three days. It was a page-turner by that point! I knew he got out, and I knew how (from the back of the book), but I still couldn't stop reading. We got to hear about things from his point of view, and what his friends and parents did once they realized he was missing. His thoughts, visions, ideas, and the things he went through while he was stuck were just fascinating, (in a horrifying sort of way). I'm really glad I read this book and I'm really glad I stuck with it through the end.

I've read three other books since my last update. One was great- Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. If you haven't already, read my previous review about Lauren Oliver's second book, Delirium. I was blown away by Delirium, and not only because it was dystopian but also because of Oliver's beautiful writing. So that's why I decided to give Before I Fall a shot. It's about a snobby, mean, popular teenager who dies and has to live her last day over and over again. Sounds kind of horrible, right? But it really wasn't. I LOVED it. Main character Samantha really grew and changed and learned and loved. And even though the whole story was the same day 7 times.. it didn't feel repetitive. Samantha did different things with her last day every day, and the book was actually impossible to put down. And like Delirium, it was beautifully written. I think I may have just discovered a new favorite author!

The other two books I read weren't as good- If I Stay by Gayle Forman, and the sequel Where She Went. The first book is about a girl named Mia who is in a car accident with her family. Her entire family is killed, and she gets to watch through an out of body experience as her friends and family gather around her unconscious body at the hospital. She realizes that she gets to choose- does she stay here without her family? Or does she leave with her family? (aka die) I really didn't like this book much.. and I don't think it was only because it was morbid, because I loved Before I Fall. It just didn't capture me. The sequel was slightly better, it was told from Mia's boyfriend's perspective after the accident, but I still just didn't really like it. And it didn't feel like a young adult book either. Anyway, those two books just weren't for me.

In other news, I've done really well on my no buying new books in May rule, so far, but I've just heard about a new YA dystopian that I'm dying to read. So we'll see if I can last.. Surely it'd be ok to buy one new book in May, right?

p.s. I forgot about one other book I read. Linger by Maggie Stiefvater, the sequel to Shiver, a paranormal romance that anyone who even remotely liked Twilight will love. (Click here to read my review!) Linger was just as good as Shiver, and I'm absolutely dying to read the third one, which comes out sometime this summer.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

I am on a constant quest for good, young adult dystopian book. Sometimes I find one, but that just leaves me hungering all the more for another one. Which is what led me to Lauren Oliver's Delirium. Imagine a dystopian world where love is a disease. A deadly, contagious disease that must be cured at all costs. Lena will receive the cure in a few months, on her 18th birthday. She can't wait to be safe from the disease. Until she meets a boy, who turns her world upside down.

I LOVED this book. I might even go so far as to say, best book of the year so far. I don't want to get your expectations up too much, because then you might be disappointed, but really, it was really good. The book was riddled that powerful imagery. The characters were very real and honest. The book focused a lot on Lena's relationship with her best friend, Hana, as well as her budding romance. The book dealt with the importance of all kinds of love, love between friends, love between family. Basically just a really great book. And really, come on. It's a young adult dystopian book- how could I not like it?

So what are you waiting for? After this glowing review I expect you all to go out and buy this book. Okay maybe not really, but if your looking for a good read, you might have just found it!

April Update!

Books Read: 9 / 43 total

Books to go: 68

Best Book of April: 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Worst Book of April: There was nothing especially awful in April. I guess I would have to say Switched by Amanda Hocking

0 (0) out of 5 nonfiction

0 (1) out of 10 classics

0 (5) out of 15 New York Times Bestsellers

Genres:7 out of 10

7 (30 total) Young Adult

0 (4) Fantasy

0 (1) Classic

0 (2) Thriller

1 (4) Romance

0 (1) Chick Lit

1 (1) Christian Fiction

April wasn't a very productive month, reading wise or blogging wise. What can I say? I think I just needed a little break. Hopefully May will be a little better, I've already started it off with reading an AMAZING book, which I will review soon! (I hope.) May's theme is going to be books on my shelf month, meaning I can only read books that I already own, or borrow. Maybe my theme should be No Money May. Anyway, it shouldn't be too hard because I have managed to accumulate a massive amount of unread books! So keeping visiting, I will start updating again, I promise!

Book Blahs and Blogger's Block

I've got a case of the book blahs! I haven't really read much lately. I haven't really wanted to read much lately. And I've got a case of blogger's block- I haven't really felt like blogging about anything that I have read.

I think what I need is a breathtaking, exciting, new, fun, fantastic book to get me out of this funk. I need to be excited about reading again, and so excited that I want to blog about it.

Got any book suggestions for me?

Sarah Dessen time!

Alright guys so I've got three different Sarah Dessen books to review. It would be repetitive to review them all separately so I'm just going to write one big post about them right here, right now.

What's a Sarah Dessen book? Well, I like to think of her as the Nicholas Sparks of young adult literature. Her books tend to be about love, relationships, family, friends, teen girls figuring out who they are, that kind of thing. Don't get them confused with surfacey romance novels. These books usual talk about deep feelings and important issues. Here's a little bit more about the three that I read:

Someone Like You - This books focuses on best friends Halley and Scarlett. Scarlett's boyfriend is killed in a motorcycle accident, then she realizes she's pregnant with his baby. Meanwhile, a popular boy is paying attention to shy Halley, which never happens. Can Halley handle a new boyfriend and still be there for Scarlett? I really enjoyed this book, Halley is a strong and likeable protagonist.

This Lullaby- I loved this one! Remy doesn't believe in love. How could she, after watching her mother go through husband after husband? But then Dexter comes along. He's different from all the other guys Remy's dated. Can she overcome her fear and learn to love before it is too late?

Dreamland- I didn't enjoy this one as much, but that wasn't because it's not good. It's really good- it just deals with deeper and heavier stuff. Caitlin is determined not to be like her sister, Cass. And when she meets Rogerson, he seems like the perfect way to step out of her sister's shadow. Soon Caitlin and Rogerson are in love- but what happens when that love becomes dangerous?

Bottom line- I enjoyed all of the books and would recommend each of them. However, my favorite Sarah Dessen book is still The Truth About Forever, and you can read my review of that by clicking here.

One last thing: Despite my love for Sarah Dessen books, there are a few things about them that bother me, and I feel compelled to mention them. First of all, almost all of her high school age characters smoke and drink, and often they do drugs and sleep around a lot too. Sometimes it works because it's part of the issues they are dealing with, or it fits in the story, but sometimes it's just not necessary. Maybe it's realistic, but still I don't feel like I could put any of her books in my classroom library. The second thing that bothers me isn't as easy to put my finger on... But all of her books feel sort of... dated. Or something. Granted some of them were written in the 90's (gosh, it feels weird to consider something written in the 90's old), but they just seem like maybe they take place more in a world that my parents grew up in, rather than the one I grew up in. Not that that is even a bad thing, but it just annoys me a little for some reason.

Despite my minor issues with her books, I would still suggest that if you haven't read a Sarah Dessen book before, you should give one a try. I hope to read more of her books soon, so keep checking back for more reviews!

March Update

Are you ready for this?

Books Read: 10 / 34 total

Books to go: 77

Best Book of March: I can't decide! It might be a three way tie between:

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima,

Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter, and

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Worst Book of March: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin

0 (0) out of 5 nonfiction

0 (1) out of 10 classics

2 (5) out of 15 New York Times Bestsellers

Genres: 6 out of 10

5 (23 total) Young Adult

1 (4) Fantasy

0 (1) Classic

1 (2) Thriller

2 (3) Romance

1 (1) Chick Lit

So there it is. 10 books in March. It has been my lowest month so far, but still over my minimum goal of 9 books a month, so I'm pretty happy with it.

However, I did set a goal at the beginning of the month to read more adult books than young adult books. And, as it turns out, I read 5 adult and 5 young adult. So you might be thinking I didn't meet my goal. But actually, as of last night at midnight, I was halfway through my 6th adult book, so technically, I read 5.5 adult books and 5.0 young adult. And, I'm saying that that counts. And, I do make the rules after all. So, all in all, success in March!

Now on to April. I have decided that since I met my March goal AND April is my birthday month, I'm going to read whatever the heck I want. So, most likely you should prepare for a lot of young adult and/or fantasy and/or dystopian and/or romance reviews coming your way!

An apology letter

Dear avid readers of my 111 project,

This is an apology letter. You might be wondering what I have to apologize for. Well don't worry, I'm getting ready to explain, probably with more detail than you ever wanted.

You see, it has come to my attention recently that I have become... wait for it... a book snob. A huge book snob! Might as well change the name of my blog to Snobby's 111 in 11. Ok, I'm getting carried away. Back to the point.

I realized the full horror of my snobbery as was reading a new Nicholas Sparks book, The Choice, and I was really enjoying it.

But, as I was reading, I found myself thinking, what am I going to say about this in my blog? How is the character development? Are the characters too stereotypical? There's good plot development, but what about the lack of originality in the plot and setting? And on, and on, and on with my boring English major terms.

To clarify, I actually like thinking analytically about books. I like all those boring literary terms. And I like discussing them in relation to books, which is one reason I started book blogging.

HOWEVER: I realized while thinking about The Choice, that I have actually used my love of literary analysis stomp out my love of something more much more valuable to me- my love of READING.

In other words, if I enjoy reading something, then I should just let myself enjoy it instead of going through and pointing out how it just isn't literary genius, and this and that is wrong with it.

I think I've been ashamed to admit that I enjoy something so simple as Nicholas Sparks, afraid that people will judge me and think I am a shallow reader with no real literary knowledge or some nonsense like that, so I've been justifying my love of these books by saying things like "I enjoyed this book BUT it's no literary genius or anything," or "BUT it's shallow and predictable" or something like that. When really, I've just plain enjoyed it.

So that, my friends, is how I've become a book snob. And let me tell you, it ends TODAY. Because right now, I'm going to tell you my honest to goodness opinion of Nicholas Sparks' book, The Choice.

Here it is: I REALLY LIKED IT! I was drawn in right away. It had all those great things that I'm beginning to love about Sparks' books: the quaint small towns with the slow pace of life, likeable characters, lovable pets, and of course, a beautiful love story. Plus this one had a good little twist, and I had no idea how it was going to end. Which means, it was impossible to stop reading! I did have a few problems with it, the biggest one being the morality of some choices the characters made in the middle of the story. Now I sound like a prude! I've gone from snob to prude! But seriously, I don't want to spoil the plot for you, but I do feel like parts of the book were saying that anything is excusable if you are in love. I do not agree, but it was a minor part of the story, so I guess it's all good.

So anyway, there you have it, the former literary snob admitting love for some good old Nicholas Sparks. Please accept my humblest apologies for my snobbery.

Sincerely,

Holly

Virals by Kathy Reichs

Virals is the first book in a new young adult series by Kathy Reichs, who you might know as the producer and inspiration for the TV series Bones. This book is about world famous forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan's niece, Tory. Tory and her other science-geek friends accidentally get exposed to a virus, which gives them special abilities. They also stumble upon a cold case murder. Soon, they are using their new-found abilities to fight for their lives, because someone is trying to kill them before they can solve the murder.

This book was totally fun to read. I loved Tory. She was smart, brave, and bossy-- far from you typical young adult heroine. I also loved the mix of the science fiction-y super virus and the murder mystery thriller, with some real science stuff thrown in. And the end, well I totally didn't see it coming. (Although maybe that's because it was almost a little too unbelievable.) All in all a good book.

The only problem I had was, I'm not sure if it needed to be tied in to the Bones storyline. I mean, I don't think the fact that Tory was Bones' niece really added to the story at all. And it felt like a stretch to fit that in. I think what I'm saying is that this book was strong enough on it's own, and it didn't really need a crutch. But, I guess it did help to explain Tory's geeky/quirkiness... and maybe it did make her more of a believable character. Besides, people do love a good spin off series. And also- I haven't read any of Kathy Reichs other books- so really I'm making an uninformed judgement here. So, don't take my word for it.

But either way, it's still a good book. And it's the beginning of a series, which means more books to look forward to!

Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella

So the other day, I was at Books-a-Million, checking out their bargain books section. I'd picked out about $10 worth of stuff, but you see, I had this coupon for a free tote bag with a $15 purchase. So in my search for something else to buy, I came across Sophie Kinsella's Remember Me?, and without really knowing anything about it, I bought it. And, you know, the really funny part of the story is that I already had two of those BAM free tote bags.

Remember Me? is about Lexi, who wakes up one day after an accident and discovers that she can't remember the last three years of her life. And her life has totally changed in three years, she's got a new job, expensive clothes, and a handsome husband, who, as far as she can remember, she's never met before. At first, Lexi feels like she's magically landed into the dream life. But as she begins to find out more about the person she's become, she realizes her fairytale life might not be as amazing as it seems.

I really enjoyed this book. Sure, it's kind of shallow, cliche, and maybe a little too chick lit-y for my taste (I mean, how many times do you need to namedrop designer clothing labels?), but I still found it fun and interesting. I was expecting a little more umm... mystery or excitement or something than it actually had, but it was still good enough to keep me turning pages.

So, am I glad I ended up buying it? Was it worth it? Absolutely. I got a fun new book and my third free tote bag. Of course it was worth it!

Who doesn't love a good scifi/dystopian book?

Thanks to my fantastic friend Kate for suggesting a wonderful new young adult scifi/dystopian book to me. The book is Across the Universe by Beth Revis. I totally loved this book, and really, how could I not? It had all the fascinating new ideas and concepts and social commentary of a good dystopian novel, spaceships and cryogenically frozen people and other science-y stuff that you'd find in a good science fiction story, and all those great young adult coming-of-age and romance themes. Really, what's not to like?

I don't want to tell you much about the plot, because I read some reviews that told too much of the plot and spoiled parts of the book for me. But briefly, the book begins as narrator Amy and her parents prepare to be cryogenically frozen and then travel via spaceship to a far away planet. The book's narration alternates between Amy and Elder, a passenger aboard the spaceship many years into its journey to the new planet. Amy's story captured me right away. It took me a little longer to be interested in Elder's chapters, but pretty soon I couldn't put down the book at all. And the best part is, I'm pretty sure this book is the start of a new series. Fantastic! I can't wait for the next one.

Now don't get too excited. On a scale of 1 to The Hunger Games, it's not quite up there with THG. But it is still a really good book. And you should probably read it.

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin

I actually bought The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms about a year ago, back when I thought the only thing I liked to read was fantasy, but just now got around to reading it. I read a review that said something like this is the best new voice in fantasy, and so I assumed I would like it. Since then, I've realized that I'm pickier about my fantasy books than I thought, and this one just wasn't up my alley.

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is narrated by Yeine, a barbarian from the North. Her mother, who used to be heir to the throne of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms until she ran away, is mysteriously killed. Then Yeine is summoned by the king to Sky, a majestic floating city, and named as an heiress to the king. Yeine must learn to how to live among her crazy relatives and the gods that inhabit Sky, as well as fight for the throne and search for the secrets behind her mother's death.

If I had to describe this book in one word, I would say weird. Odd, unreal, and bizarre would also fit. It was just a strange story! Everything about it was weird: how it was told, what it was about, the characters. From the description on the back of the book, I was expecting more political intrigue kind of stuff, but instead it focused more on the relationships of the gods and goddesses. Not really my thing. Also, the whole tone of the book was a little too evil and hopeless for me. Basically, I just really didn't like it.

I don't want to give the wrong impression though. The book was actually a pretty well written book. It was interesting enough to keep reading. And the writing style was a little unique, but it worked. And one thing that I really liked it that even though this book is the first in a trilogy, it is self-contained enough that you can read it by itself. (but maybe I just like that because I don't want to read the next books..) So, this book is definitely not a horrible. It's just not my cup of tea.

I am pretty proud of myself for finishing the book, and for finishing it in 3 days. I sort of feel like I deserve a prize. So I'm allowing myself to read a young adult, sci-fi dystopian book next. Definitely my kind of reward. :)

Nicholas Sparks' Safe Haven

I stayed up until 2am the other night finishing Nicholas Sparks' latest novel Safe Haven. Yes, it was actually that good.

Safe Haven is love story with a plot and setting surprisingly similar to the last Sparks book I read. Katie is the shy new girl in a small Southern town, who has a past full of secrets. Alex is the kind widower with two little kids. Anyone can guess what happens next.

Despite the predictability of the plot, there were some surprises thrown in there, even one that I didn't see coming. And the bookwas super suspenseful, especially towards the end. The characters were a little stereotypical, but still likable. The story was a little cheesy, but still heartwarming.

So all in all, not a particularly noteworthy novel, but I loved it anyway. If you are looking for a simple, enjoyable, feel-good story, then this is definitely the book for you.

The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima

You might remember my quick review of young adult fantasy novel The Demon King a few days ago. The Exiled Queen is the second book in the series.

I don't want to give too much away in the summary, in case you haven't read the first book. But briefly, The Exiled Queen follows the adventures of former street lord Han and on-the-run Princess Raisa. In this novel, both characters end up at Oden's Ford, a university town. Han is studying at the wizard school, and Raisa at the military school.

I enjoyed this book just as much as the first one. My only problem with the first one was that characters were young a stupid, but in this book they began to grow up. It was great to watch them learn and think and begin to make smart decisions. Also, the whole school aspect was fun. It reminded me a little of Harry Potter, in a good way. I'm also really intrigued by the blurred lines of right and wrong. I have no idea how this series will turn out, who will end up being the bad guys, and who will be the good guys. I could almost see it going in a Star Wars-Annakin type of direction. I'm totally looking forward to the next books in the series. I think there will be two more, and the next one comes out in September.

If I had one complaint about this book, it would be that it was a little slow. There was not a whole lot of action or new developments. But it still kept me interested enough, so I guess that's okay.

If you are a young adult fan or a fantasy fan I think you should read this book. It had all the best aspects of both genres: coming-of-age, romance, political intrigue, magic... What's not to like??