I know I'm a little behind on this as well, but I really wanted to revisit my favorite reads of 2012 before moving on to the new year. I already have reviews posted for most of them, but the few I don't are scheduled to appear this month. So, without further ado, my top ten favorite reads of 2012:
Middle Grade:
Ordinary Magic by Caitlen Rubino-Bradway is the beautifully told story of Abby, a completely "ordinary" girl in a magical world. I loved Rubino-Bradway's world building almost as much as I loved the relationships between her characters.
Young Adult:
I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga is one of those books that takes hold of you and doesn't let go. I devoured it, loved it, and still can't stop thinking about it. Jaz is such an incredibly creepy, wonderful, complex character, and I can't wait to learn more about him.
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman is one of those rare novels that I would almost dare call perfect. At least perfect for me. It is an amazing representation of high fantasy with exceptional world building and positive representations of women!!!! There is math! and logic! and romance! and dragons!
And All The Stars by Andrea K Höst completely took me by surprise. Aside from the fact that it is self-published and still knocks the socks off almost everything else I read this year, it is also just an amazingly well done novel. Höst manages to ask some really big questions while being incredibly entertaining, and I just can't get this book out of my head.
Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan is another one of those perfect for me books. It is an exceptional (though cliffhangery) beginning to a gothic series in the style of Mary Stewart, only YA, and modernized. Again, when I try to talk about this book I turn into a gushy fan-girl. Just read it.
Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard is the story of Bria, a young girl who tries to leave herself behind and instead finds herself. It was full of quotable quotes and insightful bits about travelling and had an adorably believable romance.
Preloved by Shirley Marr is a ghost story. About a modern girl and a ghost from the 80s. It's so funny that I choked myself laughing more than once. It's Australian -- which is the YA equivalent of saying PURE GOLD. What is not to love?
Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross is part fairytale retelling and part fairytale reinvention. I love that Cross brings in the dark bits of old Grimm fairytales, incorporates things the Disney generations would be familiar with, and still manages to create a wonderfully fresh world.
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein is simply stunning. It is historical fiction, but still completely true in everything that really matters. It is gut-wrenchingly beautiful and horrible all at once. I defy you to read it and not cry.
Adult Fiction:
Chasing Magic by Stacia Kane is actually just the newest in the Downside Ghosts Series, many of which were published in 2012. Stacia Kane went from being a completely unknown-to-me author to one of my favorite urban fantasy authors with this series. It is dark and gritty and I can't stop reading it.
And that is the short-list for 2012. What were some of your favorite reads last year?