Nomes from Inkcrush is back with her Faves of 2011 meme! You guys may have seen my post months ago with the Faves of 2011 (So far), and this one is to sum up the year that was “Twenty Eleven”. You can check out the five days’ themes and their categories at Inkcrush and join in yourself! It begins with today - Day One: The Books.

1. favourite book read in 2011

I can’t believe it comes down to ONE favourite book in 2011. I have a top 10 list. But I am going to push the boundaries and have TWO favourite books for this year.

Those two books, are Divergent by Veronica Roth and Shatter Me by Tehereh Mafi. Amazing brilliant books. Both are dystopian novels (by coincidence) but both books were so amazingly different to the other books I read this year. Well deserved!

 

2. most powerful book

I am going to say The Unbecoming Of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin, which just reeled me in and kept me there the whole time. Beautifully written and really very strong in it’s delivery. One of the contenders for best read of 2011 also.

3. brilliantly funny

Without a shadow of a doubt, funniest book I read this year was Beauty Queens by Libba Bray. It’s the first book of hers I’ve read and it’s made me keen to read more of her books. What a great sense of humour! I have also heard from other people that the audio book is even better! Beauty Queens trapped on a deserted (or not so deserted) island? Amazing!

4. best ache-y, heart-breaking, tear-jerker read

The only book to have ever made me cry is A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. It had me sobbing in the end - a really amazing read and quite sad.

5. most beautiful story

Where She Went by Gayle Forman really deserves this one. It was writen so beautifully and this book was so jam packed full of emotion. This book is the sequel to If I Stay, which really sets the story up, but I felt this book was better than If I Stay just because of the dynamics between Adam and Mia.

 

6. delicious rainy day comfort read

Two winners here, and they are by the same author, but I am going to say both Anna & The French Kiss and Lola & The Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins. Both of these books are so indulgent and cute. They both feature completely hot sounding guys and both Anna and Lola are characters that have so much depth and uniqueness about them that I dare you NOT to love them!

7. adrenalin-fuelled, unputdownable award

City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare. This is the first book in The Mortal Instruments series, and it has a really fast paced edge to this book and has constant action right throughout. Really kept you guessing what happens next and had that unputdownable factor!

8. the beautiful prose award

Wither by Lauren DeStefano. What a brilliant writing style she has. And not only is this book beautifully written, the story itself is absolutely amazing and one of my favourites for 2011 also. I am eagerly awaiting Fever in 2012!

9. most atmospheric and vivid setting

Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi. Whilst it wasn’t one of my favourite 2011 reads (It’s actually being debuted in 2012 though), I really did appreciate the effort that the author went to in describing this amazing world that she had created, from the Aether storms, the terms that existed only in that world like smart eyes and realms… it was challenging as a reader to understand the terms (although I got there in the end), but I can’t imagine how much more challening it was for her to write! Great effort.

10. i-so-want-to-go-there award

No brainer for me - Anna & The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. Because really, who WOULDN’T want to go to France? OMG… the descriptions in this book were to die for. So amazing. I never thought of France as a “desired” place to visit but after reading this, I am now really wanting to go. Tourism France should like… endorse this book or something because you will want to go after you read about it. And the food there? Drool!

11. most original and imaginative

Everneath by Brodi Ashton. I have just finished reading this book and it’s so unlike any paranormal romance (if it can be categorised that way) that I’ve read before. It’s based on Greek mythology and is about the Everlivings who feed off the energy and emotions of humans. REALLY well written and a storyline that pulls you in. And I am really happy to hear that this book is actually just the first in a series. This book is scheduled for release on January 24th 2012.

12. best under-appreciated, hidden gem book

The Devouring by Simon Holt. This is actually classified as a YA Horror book, and it’s the best one I have read in the YA genre so far. The story as far as I know didn’t necessarily get much hype, but it so deserves it. It was one of the most original, scary, well writen books I’ve read this year. I read all three books in the series in no time - it had me hooked!

13. i-had-no-idea-i-would-love this-so award

The Knife Of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. And not only did I surprise myself when I read this book, but I truly did love it. It was a completely different writing style to that in which I am used to, but I soon got the hang of it and embraced it also in the end. The characters were completely endearing. And Mayor Prentiss was completely evil!!

14. most haunting story

A mention would go to Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott as this was an extremely powerful and haunting story… it was difficult to read just due to the nature of the story (violent stories are always difficult for me to digest) but it was a book with a punch. It stayed with me afterwards.

15. outside my comfort zone but gosh how i loved it

I am giving this one to Vixen by Jillian Larkin. I used to say prior to this read that I was not the type of person who enjoyed historical fiction at all. But after checking this book out at the library I had prepared myself to try one of these books. Set in the 1920’s, the author really bought this book to life, and I can only describe it as Gossip Girl meets 1920s. It was scandelous, fun, daring and the fashion was fantastic. It made me think that I could really love other books in the historical fiction genre and have bought other titles since then to try!

16. series that i’m loving

A few this year, I refuse to name just one! haha Pretty Little Liars by Sara Sheperd was a new one for me this year, and I can honestly say I am excited to read more books in this series - I want to know who ‘A’ is!

I am also going to give credit to The Devouring series which is a YA Horror series book of 3. It was amazing and completely consistent right throughout and definitely deserves some recognition for the great series that it is.

I am also yet to finish this series, but I feel the Mortal Instruments Series definitely deserves to belong here also. I will be finishing the series in 2012, but so far, it’s been a highly entertaining and keeps you on the edge of your seat!

17. always recommending this book award

There’s a number of books in this category, depending on who I am speaking to (since we’re not all the same!) Shatter Me by Tehereh Mafi, Divergent by Veronica Roth, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Anna & The French Kiss as well as Lola & The Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins.

18. completely awesome premise award

I am going to give this to Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake simply because there are NOT many horror YA books out there, and the idea behind this was really amazing. I am looking forward to its sequel in 2012 also. The storyline was completely original and scary! I really loved it.

 

19. would make the best movie

Completely aware this IS going to be made into a movie, but I totally could imagine this at the time I read the book. And the book is Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion. Really has that movie reel factor when you read the book you see exactly what is happening in your mind. Really well written!

20. want to re-read already

The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins! Technically I read these in 2010, but since I received new copies this year, I am including it here. :D Best series of 2010 hands down, and because the first movie is coming out soon, I want to re-read and re-review it also hopefully!