Top Ten Tuesday: Books When You Need Something Light and Fun

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created over at The Broke and the Bookish.  This feature was created because they're particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish (and who isn't?). They're all about creating new lists including a little bit of everything and I've been meaning to participate for so long but always seemed to get behind.  So here we are and hopefully you'll head over to their page and check out what everyone else put up for this week's Top Ten.

I think nine out of ten times when I'm trying to figure out what my next book will be I'm looking for something light and fun.  Occasionally I want something different, but for the most party I like to read because it's an escape from reality and all the stress that we've all got to deal with on a regular basis.  That's where this list comes in for me...these are just a few of the books I've read that fit perfectly into the category of light and fun and perfect for a little escape!

Light & Fun Pick #1:  Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols

From the author of the “real page-turner” (Seventeen) Such a Rush comes an unforgettable new drama that follows friends-turned-lovers as they navigate the passions, heartbreaks, and intrigue of country music fame.

Bailey wasn’t always a wild child and the black sheep of her family. She used to play fiddle and tour the music circuit with her sister, Julie, who sang and played guitar. That ended when country music execs swooped in and signed Julie to a solo deal. Never mind that Julie and Bailey were a duet, or that Bailey was their songwriter. The music scouts wanted only Julie, and their parents were content to sit by and let her fulfill her dreams while Bailey’s were hushed away.

Bailey has tried to numb the pain and disappointment over what could have been. And as Julie’s debut album is set to hit the charts, her parents get fed up with Bailey’s antics and ship her off to granddad’s house in Nashville. Playing fiddle in washed-up tribute groups at the mall, Bailey meets Sam, a handsome and oh-so-persuasive guitarist with his own band. He knows Bailey’s fiddle playing is just the thing his band needs to break into the industry. But this life has broken Bailey’s heart once before. She isn’t sure she’s ready to let Sam take her there again…

Just about everything Echols comes out with fits into this Tuesday's category and this future release was no different.  I don't want to say too much since it doesn't come out until July and I won't be posting my review of the ARC I was given until closer to the publication date, but I can say that it was fabulous!

Light & Fun Pick #2:  Cupcakes and Cashmere: A Guide for Defining Your Style, Reinventing Your Space, and Entertaining with Ease by Emily Schuman

Based on Emily Schuman’s popular lifestyle blog of the same name, Cupcakes and Cashmere is the must-have guide for those looking to establish their own sense of style, organize and decorate their home, or throw an easy and stylish party. Organized by season, the book expands on Schuman’s blog by including DIY projects, organization tips, party-planning ideas, beauty how-tos, and seasonal recipes. Cupcakes and Cashmere features original material that has not been previously published on the site. With her signature photographic layouts, Emily creates a lifestyle that is chic and achievable for every reader, making this the ultimate style guide for living a fashionable life.

I've been following Emily's blog for quite a while now and I love everything about it.  The cover art of this book pretty much cements that this book is all about light and fun topics, and helpful hints no matter what your age or what you're looking for.

Light & Fun Pick #3:  Legacy of the Clockwork Key (The Secret Order, #1) by Kristin Bailey

A teen girl unravels the mysteries of a secret society and their most dangerous invention in this adventure-swept romance set in Victorian London.When a fire consumes Meg’s home, killing her parents and destroying both her fortune and her future, all she has left is the tarnished pocket watch she rescued from the ashes. But this is no ordinary timepiece. The clock turns out to be a mechanical key—a key that only Meg can use—that unlocks a series of deadly secrets and intricate clues that Meg is compelled to follow.

Meg has uncovered evidence of an elite secret society and a dangerous invention that some will stop at nothing to protect—and that Meg alone can destroy. Together with the handsome stable hand she barely knows but hopes she can trust, Meg is swept into a hidden world of deception, betrayal, and revenge. The clockwork key has unlocked her destiny in this captivating start to a trilogy.

A surprisingly fun and imaginative new series that I can't wait to continue to read.  I'm curious and anxious for the next installment in the series and if you guys are looking for a little fun you should check this title out!

Light & Fun Pick #4:  Splintered (Splintered, #1) by A.G. Howard

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.
When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.
Howard won me over immediately with this quirky and super original tale she debuted this year.  I'm thrilled to hear it will be turning in to a series, because to be honest I wasn't ready for the fun to be over when I turned the last page.

Light & Fun Pick #5:  Healed By Fire (Artemis Lupine, #3) by Catherine Banks

“The dark approaches. Fire will consume and restore, happiness and pain must be experienced collectively. Death for three will be the end.”

Her memory taken and her whereabouts unknown Artemis is taken in by a coven of witches who give her the name Chandra. After an intense interaction with the Beta of the Werewolves, whom she can’t deny a connection to, Chandra learns that there are people who know her true identity and that she’s not the only halfbreed werewolf alive. Is he really her mate? Just who was she in this previous life? Does she even want to find out the truth? And can she decipher the meaning of her death prophecy before it’s too late?

I'll admit that the covers have never thrilled me, but Banks makes up for these and then some with her wonderful writing, her fabulous characters, and her super fun storylines.  I'm dying to see what happens in the fourth installment in this series after the cliffhanger that she left us with this last time around.

Light & Fun Pick #6:  Minder (Ganzfield, #1) by Kate Kaynak

Sixteen-year-old Maddie Dunn is special, but she needs to figure out how to use her new abilities before somebody else gets hurt. Ganzfield is a secret training facility full of people like her, but it's not exactly a nurturing place.

Every social interaction carries the threat of mind-control.

A stray thought can burn a building to the ground.

And people's nightmares don't always stay in their own heads. But it's still better than New Jersey. Especially once she meets the man of her dreams...

Kaynak has a great series on her hands with Ganzfield and this opener had me at hello!  Her characters are easy to relate to despite their supernatural powers and abilities, the circumstances are crazy in that while they might be outlandish, it's also not that hard to believe that it could all be very much possible...super fun series for anyone looking for some action and great storylines.

Light & Fun Pick #7:  How To Lead A Life of Crime by Kirsten Miller

A meth dealer. A prostitute. A serial killer.

Anywhere else, they’d be vermin. At the Mandel Academy, they’re called prodigies. The most exclusive school in New York City has been training young criminals for over a century. Only the most ruthless students are allowed to graduate. The rest disappear.

Flick, a teenage pickpocket, has risen to the top of his class. But then Mandel recruits a fierce new competitor who also happens to be Flick’s old flame. They’ve been told only one of them will make it out of the Mandel Academy. Will they find a way to save each other—or will the school destroy them both?

So the description might lead you to believe this book is heavier than one that should be included on this list.  And while there are things going on in the book and with the characters within the pages that are in deed far from light and fun, overall, Miller put together such a creative and unique story that I had a blast from the very start.  I couldn't put this book down and to me, that pretty much sums up what I look for with light and fun reads.

Light & Fun Pick #8:  Adele: A Celebration of an Icon and Her Music by Sarah-Louise James

Adele needs no introduction. Her first album propelled her to fame; the second consolidated her position as a record-breaking superstar. The beauty of her vocals and the power of her lyrics have resonated with fans everywhere. Adele: Celebration of an Icon and her Music not only looks at the stories and emotions behind her bestselling songs, it also follows her rise from her humble beginnings in North London to worldwide success. Featuring more than 125 gorgeous photographs, this stunning volume testifies to Adele's global appeal.

Is there anyone out there who doesn't love this woman and her soulful voice?  I adore her music and after reading this unofficial biography, her personality and demeanor as well.  The insights into her journey from first album to super stardom is not only inspiring but just a fun ride to sit back and enjoy.  Anyone who is a fan will certainly have a ball learning more details about what makes her tick and why she keeps her music the way it is despite what other might think.

Light & Fun Pick #9:  Legacy (Legacy, #1) by Molly Cochran



When her widowed father dumps 16-year-old Katy Jessevar in a boarding school in Whitfield, Massachusetts, she has no idea that fate has just opened the door to both her future and her past. Nearly everyone in Whitfield is a witch, as is Katy herself, although she has struggled all her life to hide her unusual talents. Stuck at a boarding school where her fellow students seem to despise her, Katy soon discovers that Whitfield is the place where her mother committed suicide under mysterious circumstances when Katy was just a small child. With dark forces converging on Whitfield, it's up to Katy to unravel her family's many secrets to save the boy she loves and the town itself from destruction.

A recommendation that really paid off for me this year.  After being introduced to Cochran's Legacy series I didn't want to put it down.  I flew through not only the series opener, but the sequel as well, and I'm now waiting with major anxiety for the third installment to come out.  It's fun, mysterious, full of characters you'll want to call friends, and some you'll want to shake!  There's a lot going on in this series and it's definitely one to pick up if you're hoping for a good and fun time.

Light & Fun Pick #10:  Obsidian (Lux, #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don't kill him first, that is.

The main character is a book blogger for goodness sakes!  While it was fun to read about a fellow book blogger, the fun didn't stop there.  I found the storyline interesting and I was having so much fun and enjoying myself so much that I flew through this series in record time, only to find out that I wouldn't be able to get the next installment for quite a while.  I was disappointed to have to wait, but this series turned out to be so much fun that I'll bide my time and try to be extra patient before I can race to the store to pick up my copy.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Settings I'd Like To See More Of

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created over at The Broke and the Bookish.  This feature was created because they're particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish (and who isn't?). They're all about creating new lists including a little bit of everything and I've been meaning to participate for so long but always seemed to get behind.  So here we are and hopefully you'll head over to their page and check out what everyone else put up for this week's Top Ten.

For me this week's top ten basically boils down to what kinds of books do you like to read.  So I've listed ten and paired them up with some examples of previous books that fit the same mold.

Top Ten Settings Pick #1:  Dystopian - Divergent (Divergent, #1) by Veronica Roth 

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

This title will forever be one of my favorites.  It has all of my favorite elements.  Forbidden romance, a big brother-type government like body that may not be looking out for everyone's best interest.  Add in a ton of action and a strong leading character and I'm excited for release day.

Top Ten Settings Pick #2:  Contemporary Romance - Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful, #1) by Jamie McGuire 

INTENSE. DANGEROUS. ADDICTIVE.

Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby wants—and needs—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

While I've always loved the imaginative and creative worlds that can be found in the fantasy genre, there will always be something equally special about a possible real life couple's story as well.  And if there are more out there like this favorite of mine by McGuire than you can sign me up!

Top Ten Settings Pick #3:  Fantasy - Glimmgerglass (Faeriewalker, #1) by Jenna Black

It's all she's ever wanted to be, but it couldn't be further from her grasp...

Dana Hathaway doesn't know it yet, but she's in big trouble. When her alcoholic mom shows up at her voice recital drunk, again, Dana decides shes had enough and runs away to find her mysterious father in Avalon: the only place on Earth where the regular, everyday world and the captivating, magical world of Faerie intersect. But from the moment Dana sets foot in Avalon, everything goes wrong, for it turns out she isn't just an ordinary teenage girl, she's a Faeriewalker, a rare individual who can travel between both worlds, and the only person who can bring magic into the human world and technology into Faerie.

Dana finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat game of Fae politics. Someone's trying to kill her, and everyone seems to want something from her, from her new found friends and family to Ethan, the hot Fae guy Dana figures she'll never have a chance with...until she does. Caught between two worlds, Dana isn't sure where she'll ever fit in and who can be trusted, not to mention if her world will ever be normal again.

Books are often my break from reality and the stress of every day life.  So I often enjoy reading titles that are fantastical enough that I'm not reminded that before long I'll be right back to the normal bump and grind.  I like their typical light hearted nature along with their occasional dark side.  It's a great recipe for a literature vacation.

Top Ten Settings Pick #4:  Angel and Above - Angel Star (Angel Star, #1) by Jennifer Murgia

Seventeen-year-old Teagan McNeel falls for captivating Garreth Adams and soon discovers that her crush has an eight-point star etched into the palm of his right hand; the mark of an angel. But where there is light, dark follows, and she and Garreth suddenly find themselves vulnerable to a dark angel's malicious plan that could threaten not only her life, but the lives of everyone she knows.

Divinely woven together, Angel Star takes readers on a reflective journey when one angel's sacrifice collides with another angel's vicious ambition in a way that is sure to have readers searching for their own willpower.

I have not gotten enough of these lately, but Murgia's work reminds me of everything great about this type of book.  Divine intervention, angelic beings, true and unconditional love, and usually a fight that comes down to good vs. evil.  I would really like some more of these in 2013.

Top Ten Settings Pick #5:  Reality Checks - Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

While the setting could be just about anywhere, I would like to see more books like Asher's previous and memorable release.  I call them reality checks because by the time you're finished reading, it's impossible not to reflect.  Asher's book had me doing some major thinking and proved to be incredibly eye opening for anyone who came across it.

Top Ten Settings Pick #6:  Paranormal Romance - My Blood Approves (My Blood Approves, #1) by Amanda Hocking

Teenager Alice Bonham's life feels crazy after she meets Jack. With his fondness for pink Chuck Taylors and New Wave, he's unlike anyone she knows. Then she meets his brother, Peter. Even though he can't stand the sight of her, she's drawn to him. Falling for two guys isn't even the worst of her problems. Jack and Peter are vampires, and Alice finds herself caught between love and her own blood.

With so many books falling into this category I don't think any of us will ever be out of options for our next read, but some of course are better than others.  Hocking's My Blood Approves series had an awesome combination of romance, family ties, intense action and suspense, and of course the right amount of paranormal activity.

Top Ten Settings Pick #7:  Romantic Comedy - The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

Love is all you need... or is it? Penny's about to find out in this wonderful debut.

Penny is sick of boys and sick of dating. So she vows: no more. It's a personal choice. . .and, of course, soon everyone wants to know about it. And a few other girls are inspired. A movement is born: The Lonely Hearts Club (named after the band from Sgt. Pepper). Penny is suddenly known for her nondating ways . . . which is too bad, because there's this certain boy she can't help but like. . . .

I often find myself drawn to romances, but when I want to keep things light and upbeat I look to Eulberg and the like.  Give me light and flirty, fun and laugh out loud entertainment.  That's a winning combination.  Romance doesn't always have to be unrequited and full of angst, right?

Top Ten Settings Pick #8:  Time Travel - Hourglass (Hourglass, #1) by Myra McEntire

One hour to rewrite the past . . . 

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents' death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may also change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he's around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

I'm not a huge fan of historical fiction/non-fiction reads.  Terrible I know, but its just not my go-to.  However, time travel tales give me the chance to see an author's view of the past, present and future of any given place.  It's always an adventure and like with McEntire's series, there's a good bit of intrigue and action as well.

Top Ten Settings Pick #9:  University Life - The Ivy (The Ivy, #1) by Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur

Congratulations! You have been admitted to the most prestigious university in the world. Now what are you going to do?

Callie Andrews may not have money or connections or the right clothes, and she may have way too many complications in her love life, what with

Gregory
the guy she loves to hate ...

Evan
the guy she'd love to forget ...

Clint
the guy she'd love to love ...

and Matt
the guy she really should love ...

all vying for her attention.

But she has three fantastic roommates (best friends or her worst nightmare?) and a wholesome California-girl reputation (oops) and brains and beauty and big, big dreams.

Will it be enough to help her survive freshman year at Harvard?

Give me a background of a college university or a boarding school of some type and it's half the battle.  There's just something about it...no idea what exactly but the "it" factor is there.  It could be a lot of things but for whatever reason I'm a fan and would always enjoy seeing more books use the setting.

Top Ten Settings Pick #10:  Super Powers - Minder (Ganzfield, #1) by Kate Kaynak

Sixteen-year-old Maddie Dunn is special, but she needs to figure out how to use her new abilities before somebody else gets hurt. Ganzfield is a secret training facility full of people like her, but it's not exactly a nurturing place. 

Every social interaction carries the threat of mind-control. 

A stray thought can burn a building to the ground. 

And people's nightmares don't always stay in their own heads. But it's still better than New Jersey. Especially once she meets the man of her dreams...

A long time X-Men and superhero fan what's not to love about books where powers are used for both good and evil, where the good must use these special gifts to defeat the bad, etc...  I think I just love a good hero and characters with super powers often fit that mold.

Review: Minder (Ganzfield, #1) by Kate Kaynak

Sixteen-year-old Maddie Dunn is special, but she needs to figure out how to use her new abilities before somebody else gets hurt. Ganzfield is a secret training facility full of people like her, but it's not exactly a nurturing place. 

Every social interaction carries the threat of mind-control. 

A stray thought can burn a building to the ground. 

And people's nightmares don't always stay in their own heads. But it's still better than New Jersey. Especially once she meets the man of her dreams...

Love, Love, Love!  Kate Kaynak has now been added to my list of favorite authors.  I can't help it, she's got me hooked on this series with no chance of resisting.  I hate that I waited so long to start this series, but I'm excited that there are already several installments in the series available so that I can power right on through the series without having to wait for new installments to hit the shelves, which I love!  No countdowns in my future for this series at the moment which is always a welcome outcome.

I'll admit that I've always been a fan of X-Men, whether it was the comics, movies, etc...it didn't matter, I was an avid fan.  I'm not saying that this series lines up with that exactly, but there is a good amount of similarities that I've found between the two and it's very different from a lot of the other YA titles that I've been reading which I think helped boost my excitement levels as well.

Maddie, Trevor, Cecilia, Drew, you name it and I became a quick cheerleader for Kaynak's characters in this series.  Her writing is fresh and fun, as well as capable of throwing me into anxiety with her tension inducing action sequences where to be honest I wasn't sure what to expect with each turn of the page.  I was kept on my toes and had fun throughout the entire read.  Like I said I have already decided that I want to continue to read the rest of this series as quickly as possible and I'm so thankful that not only are there plenty of other installments out on the shelves now, but that I already have the next two on my bookshelves at home to start right away!

I gave Minder (Ganzfield, #1) 4 shamrocks!!!!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Reads in 2012

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created over at The Broke and the Bookish.  This feature was created because they're particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish (and who isn't?). They're all about creating new lists including a little bit of everything and I've been meaning to participate for so long but always seemed to get behind.  So here we are and hopefully you'll head over to their page and check out what everyone else put up for this week's Top Ten.

I was lucky enough to have the time and opportunity to read quite a large amount of books and most of them were down right amazing and became instant favorites of mine.  Still, despite the number of winners that I came to know and love, there will always be those that stand out among the others as being immediately close to my heart and while there are more than ten on my mind (sorry I can't list them all), I've done my best to narrow the list down for today's post.

Favorite 2012 Read #1:  Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful, #1) by Jamie McGuire

INTENSE. DANGEROUS. ADDICTIVE.

Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby wants—and needs—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

When I saw this topic header I had no doubt I'd be able to fill up the slots, the hard part would be narrowing it down to just ten choices.  Despite that, I had to include this title!  I think I can honestly say it was my favorite find this year.

Favorite 2012 Read #2:  Divergent (Divergent, #1) by Veronica Roth

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

This one threw me for a loop to say the least.  I didn't think another book would ever trump The Hunger Games in my opinion within the dystopian genre, but I was so wrong.  Never say never because I think this one blew it out of the water!

Favorite 2012 Read #3:  Significance (Significance, #1) by Shelly Crane

Maggie is a seventeen year old girl who's had a bad year. She was smart and on track, but then her mom left, her dad is depressed, she's graduating - barely - and her boyfriend of almost three years dumped her for a college football scholarship. Lately she thinks life is all about hanging on by a thread and is gripping tight with everything she has.
Then she saves the life of Caleb and instantly knows there's something about him that's intriguing. But things change when they touch, sparks ignite. Literally.
They imprint with each other and she sees their future life together flash before her eyes. She learns that not only is she his soul mate, and can feel his heartbeat in her chest, but there is a whole other world of people with gifts and abilities that she never knew existed. She herself is experiencing supernatural changes unlike anything she's ever felt before and she needs the touch of his skin to survive.
Now, not only has her dad come out of his depression to be a father again, and a pain as well, but Caleb's enemies know he's imprinted and are after Maggie to stop them both from gaining their abilities and take her from him.

Can Caleb save her or will they be forced to live without each other after just finding one another?

A fresh and new change of pace for me from what I was reading up to this point and I loved it; so much so that I couldn't stop with just the series opener, but had to continue reading the rest of the series installments as well.

Favorite 2012 Read #4:  Touch of Death (Touch of Death, #1) by Kelly Hashway

Jodi Marshall isn’t sure how she went from normal teenager to walking disaster. One minute she’s in her junior year of high school, spending time with her amazing boyfriend and her best friend. The next she’s being stalked by some guy no one seems to know.

After the stranger, Alex, reveals himself, Jodi learns he’s not a normal teenager and neither is she. With a kiss that kills and a touch that brings the dead back to life, Jodi discovers she’s part of a branch of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac, Ophiuchus. A branch of necromancers that are descendants of Medusa. A branch of necromancers with poisoned blood writhing in their veins.

Jodi’s deadly to the living and even more deadly to the deceased. She has to leave her old, normal life behind before she hurts the people she loves. As if that isn’t difficult enough, Jodi discovers she’s the chosen one who has to save the rest of her kind from perishing at the hands of Hades. If she can’t figure out how to control her power, history will repeat itself, and her race will become extinct.

I've always been a fan of mythology and to have the chance to touch on Medusa and the spin Hashway threw into this series was nothing but fun and entertainment.  I'm looking forward to seeing what the rest of the series brings.

Favorite 2012 Read #5:  Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

It's the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place. 

Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets. 

And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune--and remarkable power--to whoever can unlock them. 

For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday's riddles are based in the pop culture he loved--that of the late twentieth century. And for years, millions have found in this quest another means of escape, retreating into happy, obsessive study of Halliday's icons. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes's oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig. 

And then Wade stumbles upon the first puzzle. 

Suddenly the whole world is watching, and thousands of competitors join the hunt--among them certain powerful players who are willing to commit very real murder to beat Wade to this prize. Now the only way for Wade to survive and preserve everything he knows is to win. But to do so, he may have to leave behind his oh-so-perfect virtual existence and face up to life--and love--in the real world he's always been so desperate to escape. 

A world at stake. 
A quest for the ultimate prize. 
Are you ready?

I've never considered myself to be a computer nut or a video game connoisseur, but I am a child of the 80s so when I was asked to consider this read for review I couldn't say no.  I'm so glad I got this opportunity.  The brilliance behind Cline's world and the competition he created was magical to say the least.  My only regret is that I wasn't able to be a contestant myself!

Favorite 2012 Read #6:  Such A Rush by Jennifer Echols

A sexy and poignant romantic tale of a young daredevil pilot caught between two brothers. 

When I was fourteen, I made a decision. If I was doomed to live in a trailer park next to an airport, I could complain about the smell of the jet fuel like my mom, I could drink myself to death over the noise like everybody else, or I could learn to fly.

Heaven Beach, South Carolina, is anything but, if you live at the low-rent end of town. All her life, Leah Jones has been the grown-up in her family, while her mother moves from boyfriend to boyfriend, letting any available money slip out of her hands. At school, they may dis Leah as trash, but she’s the one who negotiates with the landlord when the rent’s not paid. At fourteen, she’s the one who gets a job at the nearby airstrip.

But there’s one way Leah can escape reality. Saving every penny she can, she begs quiet Mr. Hall, who runs an aerial banner-advertising business at the airstrip and also offers flight lessons, to take her up just once. Leaving the trailer park far beneath her and swooping out over the sea is a rush greater than anything she’s ever experienced, and when Mr. Hall offers to give her cut-rate flight lessons, she feels ready to touch the sky.

By the time she’s a high school senior, Leah has become a good enough pilot that Mr. Hall offers her a job flying a banner plane. It seems like a dream come true . . . but turns out to be just as fleeting as any dream. Mr. Hall dies suddenly, leaving everything he owned in the hands of his teenage sons: golden boy Alec and adrenaline junkie Grayson. And they’re determined to keep the banner planes flying.

Though Leah has crushed on Grayson for years, she’s leery of getting involved in what now seems like a doomed business—until Grayson betrays her by digging up her most damning secret. Holding it over her head, he forces her to fly for secret reasons of his own, reasons involving Alec. Now Leah finds herself drawn into a battle between brothers—and the consequences could be deadly.

This is an author that can unfold a relationship to perfection.  Her characters are real and easy to relate to on various levels, and readers find themselves hard pressed to avoid becoming invested in their fictional lives.  Each of her books introduces new scenarios to learn from, new characters to fall in love with and keeps readers wanting more every time!

Favorite 2012 Read #7:  Darkness Before Dawn (Darkness Before Dawn, #1) by J.A. London

Only sunlight can save us.

We built the wall to keep them out, to keep us safe. But it also makes us prisoners, trapped in what's left of our ravaged city, fearing nightfall.

After the death of my parents, it's up to me--as the newest delegate for humanity--to bargain with our vampire overlord. I thought I was ready. I thought I knew everything there was to know about the monsters. Then again, nothing could have prepared me for Lord Valentine . . . or his son. Maybe not all vampires are killers. Maybe it's safe to let one in.

Only one thing is certain: Even the wall is not enough. A war is coming and we cannot hide forever.

This mother-son writing duo have proved two minds can sometimes be better than one.  Bargains with vampires, a dystopian society with a healthy mix of paranormal romance and I was hooked.  At the time I wasn't sure if this series would be picked up and future installments added, but now I can rest easy because 2013 brings readers a sequel to devour.

Favorite 2012 Read #8:  Touch of Power (Healer, #1) by Maria V. Snyder

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life....

Thank goodness for authors like Snyder because I don't know what I'd do without her creative and unique fictional worlds, her sometimes outlandish and always wonderful characters, her magic, mystery and romance are hard to beat!  Every time she starts a new series I get excited all over again, knowing without a doubt that I'm about to experience another amazing adventure!

Favorite 2012 Read #9:  Healed by Fire (Artemis Lupine, #3) by Catherine Banks

“The dark approaches. Fire will consume and restore, happiness and pain must be experienced collectively. Death for three will be the end.”

Her memory taken and her whereabouts unknown Artemis is taken in by a coven of witches who give her the name Chandra. After an intense interaction with the Beta of the Werewolves, whom she can’t deny a connection to, Chandra learns that there are people who know her true identity and that she’s not the only halfbreed werewolf alive. Is he really her mate? Just who was she in this previous life? Does she even want to find out the truth? And can she decipher the meaning of her death prophecy before it’s too late?

What a dark horse of a series this turned out to be, and I mean that in the best possible way.  I can't even remember how I came to find this series.  I'll admit the cover art almost had me passing it up, but for some reason I gave it a try and couldn't be happier that I did.  I fell in love with these characters and this third series installment left me with so much anxiety I wasn't sure I'd survive.  Banks has a great writing style and a real winner of a series to call her own.

Favorite 2012 Read #10:  Minder (Ganzfield, #1) by Kate Kaynak

Sixteen-year-old Maddie Dunn is special, but she needs to figure out how to use her new abilities before somebody else gets hurt. Ganzfield is a secret training facility full of people like her, but it's not exactly a nurturing place. 

Every social interaction carries the threat of mind-control. 

A stray thought can burn a building to the ground. 

And people's nightmares don't always stay in their own heads. But it's still better than New Jersey. Especially once she meets the man of her dreams...

What a gem this title turned out to be!  I've had it on my shelf unread for longer than I care to admit but I finally rectified that situation.  As it turns out I'm kicking myself for not reading it sooner.  I'm loving the characters, their special abilities, the adventure and danger, all of it.  Kaynak is leaving nothing out and her readers and fans are in for a very entertaining ride.