2011 Wrap Up, Part 2

Not surprisingly, most of the books I read in 2011 were YA series.  Actually, 32 out of the 58 books were a part of young adult series (many the first volume).  For 2012, I'll try to expand my reading outside of my comfy YA niche, but it's so fun to read what you know you really enjoy. 

I'll post my 2012 goals soon.  This list contains books I read in 2011, but many of books were published before 2011.  Now for the fun part....my picks for 2011!

My 2011 Favorites (and not-so-favorites):

Favorite YA book: Nevermore by Kelly Creagh
       Runners up:
               Matched by Ally Condie
               Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Favorite YA series (read more than 1 vol.): Hex Hall series by Rachel Hawkins

Favorite Female Character: Sophie from Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
      Runners up:
            Emerson from Hourglass by Myra McEntire
            Allison from Allison Hewitt Is Trapped by Madeleine Roux

            Waverly from Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan 

Favorite Male Character: Varen from Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

      Runners up:

             Cricket from Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
             Conrad from We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

             Richard from Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Favorite adult book: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Favorite manga series: Vampire Knight (vols. 1-12) by Matsuri Hino

Favorite guilty pleasure: Hush, Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick

Best obscure book (haven't heard of but you must read):
Wolves, Boys & Other Things That Might Kill Me by Kristen Chandler

Most moving book: I Had Seen Castles by Cynthia Rylant

Most disappointing book: The Nine Lives of Chloe King series by Liz Braswell
         Runner up:
              Beastly by Alex Flinn

Biggest hyped book: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Least favorite book: Erewhon by Samuel Butler.

Comments on my picks:
I love love loved Nevermore! It was fun, the ending was unexpected, and I was cheering on Isobel to save the day. It's a book I had to re-read all my favorite parts immediately, which meant I practicely read it twice. I also loved Matched and Hourglass. Both books had great characters and amazing love stories!

I can't stand when series are compared to Harry Potter because it's THE series of our generation (not an overstatement). So when I read reviews describing Hex Hall as a cross between Harry Potter and Paranormalcy, I scoffed. But I have to admit...it's pretty close. It's an addicting series and I love where the story went in Demonglass. I'm not giving away any spoilers, so go read it if you haven't already.

I understand that Daughter of Smoke and Bone is on everyone else's best list, but sorry it's not on mine. It was a completely unique and fascinating story, but it didn't wow me. I never really connected with (or even liked) Karou as a character.

I loved The Nine Lives of Chloe King TV series, so I had to run out and buy the three volume book. Oh boy, that was a mistake. Watch the show, but don't read the book. It was that big of a disappointment. Finally, where do I start with Erewhon. It was a 1001 book I got through a BC bookring. It was tough to read because I hated the story and the narrator. It started off okay, but then the narrator gets to the land of Erewhon he goes rambling on for chapters on the Erewhonian philosophies on machines, unborn people and the rights of vegetables. Give it a shot if you don't believe me.

What was your favorite (or not-so-favorite) book of 2011?

I'll post soon with my goals and challenges for 2012.