Books Read in 2010

SOOOOOOO.......This year has been such an amazing time to be a blogger, what with all the new blogs making me all sorts of happy and not to mention the fabulous books I had the pleasure of reading this year.  As you can see, YA totally dominates my reading time, and the adult books I DO read I do not review.  I'm hoping to change that in 2011, and expand my reading spectrum and become like multi talented.  I KNOW, check me out with my big words!!  I hope you all stick with me in 2011 and lets see if we can get me eclectic by the end of 2011!!

Young Adult

My Love Lies Bleeding - Alexandra Harvey
Willow - Julia Hoban
13 to Life - Shannon Delaney
Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway
Hold Still - Nina Lacour

Percy Jackson and The Lightening Thief - Rick Riordan
Some Girls Are - Courtney Summers
Speak - Laure Halse Anderson
Chasing Brooklyn - Lisa Schroeder
The Boys Next Door - Jennifer Echols

I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have To Kill You - Ally Carter
The Boyfriend List - E Lockhart
The Naughty List - Suzanne Collins
The Boy Book - E Lockhart
Treasure Map of Boys - E Lockhart

Boys, Girls and Other Hazardous Materials - Rosalind Wiseman
Vamped - Lucienne Diver
The Ex Games - Jennifer Echols
Major Crush - Jennifer Echols
Two Way Street - Lauren Barnholdt

When it Happens - Susane Colasanti
Stealing Heaven - Elizabeth Scott
Lovestruck Summer - Melissa Walker
Hex Hall - Rachel Hawkins
The Unwritten Rule - Elizabeth Scott

The Body Finder - Kimberly Derting
Perfect You - Elizabeth Scott
The Reckoning - Kelley Armstrong
Saving Francesca - Melina Marchetta
Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford

Love and Other Four Letter Words - Carolyn Mackler
Something, Maybe - Elizabeth Scott
Life Swap - Abby Macdonald
Angel Star - Jennifer Murgia
The Summer I Turned Pretty - Jenny Han

On The Jellicoe Road - Melina Marchetta
Boys, Bears and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots - Abby Macdonald
Kiss of Death - Rachel Caine
Leaving Paradise - Simone Elkeles
It's Not Summer Without You - Jenny Han

Forget You - Jennifer Echols
Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys - Kate Brian
Something Like Fate - Susanne Colasanti
Twenty Boy Summer - Sarah Ockler
Linger - Maggie Stiefvater

Spirit Bound - Richelle Mead
Amy and Roger's Epic Detour - Morgan Matson
Raised by Wolves - Jennifer Lynn Barnes
The Demons Covenant - Sarah Rees Brennan
Swoon - Nina Malkin

Mistwood - Leah Cypess
Endless Summer - Jennifer Echols
The Lighter Side to Life and Death - C.K Kelly Martin
The Season - Sarah Maclean
The Sky is Everywhere - Jandy Nelson

Sweethearts - Sara Zarr
The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner - Stephenie Meyer
Kiss It - Erin Dowling
Drive Me Crazy - Erin Dowling
Sea - Heidi R Kling

Clockwork Angel - Cassandra Clare
All American Girl - Meg Cabot
Heartbreak River - Tricia Mills
Tell Me a Secret - Holly Cupla
The Other Countess - Eve Edwards

The Luxe - Anna Godbersen
One Night That Changes Everything - Lauren Barnholdt
Freak Magnet - Andrew Auseon
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks - E Lockhart
The Princess Diaries - Meg Cabot
The Princess Diaries, Take Two - Meg Cabot

The Princess Diaries, Third Time Lucky - Meg Cabot
The Princess Diaries, Mia Goes Fourth - Meg Cabot
All American Girl, Ready or Not - Meg Cabot
Paper Towns - John Green
Looking for Alaska - John Green

A Little Wanting Song - Cath Crowley
Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins
Shadow Hills - Anastasia Hopcus
Firelight - Sophie Jordan
Shade - Jeri-Smith Ready

Not That Kind of Girl - Siobhan Vivian
Paranormalcy - Kiersten White
The Duff - Kody Keplinger
Confessions of The Sullivan Sisters - Natalie Standiford
Rules of Attraction - Simone Elkeles

You by Charles Benoit
Cracked Up To Be - Courtney Summers
Mostly Good Girls - Leila Sales
Delirium - Lauren Oliver
Nightshade - Andrea Creamer

A Great and Terrible Beauty - Libba Bray
The Replacement - Brenna Yovanoff
Avalon High - Meg Cabot
Last Sacrifice - Richelle Mead
Anna and The French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins

Urban Fantasy

Destined for an Early Grave - Jeanine Frost
Blue Diablo - Ann Agguire
Shift - Rachel Vincent
First Drop of Crimson - Jeanine Frost
Full Moon Rising - Keri Arthur

Silver Bourne - Patricia Briggs
Hell Fire - Ann Agguire
Cry Wolf - Patricia Briggs
Hunting Ground - Patricia Briggs
Unholy Ghosts - Stacia Kane

Unholy Magic - Stacia Kane
City of Ghosts - Stacia Kane
Wicked Game - Jeri-Smith Ready
Alpha - Rachel Vincent
Magic Bites - Ilona Andrews

Magic Burns - Ilona Andrews
Magic Strikes - Ilona Andrews
Magic Bleeds - Ilona Andrews
Magic to the Bone - Devon Monk
Magic in the Blood - Devon Monk

Adult Fiction

Nine Rules to Break when Romancing a Rake - Sarah Maclean (first adult romance EVAH)


Sloppy Firsts - Megan McCafferty
Second Helpings - Megan McCafferty
Charmed Thirds - Megan McCafferty
Fourth Comings - Megan McCafferty
Perfect Fifths - Megan McCafferty

Secret Society Girl - Diana Peterfreund
Under The Rose - Diana Peterfreund
Rites of Spring Break - Diana Peterfreund
Tap and Gown - Diana Peterfreund

Fantasy 

The Thief - Megan Whalen Turner
The Queen of Attolia - Megan Whalen Turner

Poetry

Paradise Lost - John Milton
Turning Point - Rayner Marie Rilke
Letters to a Young Poet - Rayner Marie Rilke

Did Not Finish


The Dark Divine - Bree Despain
A Match Made in High School - Kristin Walker
Waiting for You - Susane Colasanti
Jekel Loves Hyde - Beth Fantasky
The Iron King - Julie Kawaga
Swoon at Your Own Risk - Sydney Salter

Underdog Lover

QUE ROCKY SOUNDTRACK

What can I say? I love a good swoon as much as the next girl.  In fact, I activeley seek out the swoon like a shopaholic at a sample sale.  I go completely nuts when characters I love get together.......and that's my problem.  You see, the characters that I want to get together almost never do.  I always ALWAYS root for the underdog, without a doubt and they almost never make it to the finish line.  Maybe this is also why I don't like happy endings? Maybe I'm too used to the characters I love taking a completely different path than the path I want them to take. 

Underdogs speak to my soul.  I love a good comeback story.....this is probably why Cinderella is one of my favourite Disney movies.  She fights against the people who are holding her back and against all odds (with the help of a fairy godmother) she sticks it to her crazy stepmother and gets what she wants.  The fact that Cinderlla accomplished what I perceived to be a difficult task, one I never expected her to acheive because she had three people conspiring against her.  The universal feeling of struggling to get where you want to be and fighting for the person you love and overcoming difficult situations is deeply ingrained into most of us, if not all. 

I always root for the character who has their back against the wall.  I'm not stupid, I know before the first chapter is over who the protagonist is going to choose.  I just wish for once it was the guy I was fist pumping from the start.  I thought about this a lot, maybe too much.  Maybe rooting for a character that I know will never win the protagonists heart is because when they don't win the battle, I don't feel upset or let down, because I never expected them to win.  But when they DO win, it's like pure joy.  Joy I wish I could bottle up and save.   Rooting for the underdog is by no means ideal.  I have to read through love triangle after love triange (I say triangle and not story because well, it's always a triange these days )and see some douche end up with a protagonist I have grown to despise over the course of the novel because of their romantic tendancies.  But, I back the underdog regardless.  I back the underdog not because I like to loose, but because just once, I hope to see someone win against all the odds.

Review - Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews

Published by Gollancz
Published 9 September 2010

Summary - When the magic is up, rogue mages cast their spells and monsters appear, while guns refuse to fire and cars fail to start. But then technology returns, and the magic recedes as unpredictably as it arose, leaving all kinds of paranormal problems in its wake. 

Kate Daniels is a down-on-her-luck mercenary who makes her living cleaning up these magical problems. But when Kate's guardian is murdered, her quest for justice draws her into a power struggle between two strong factions within Atlanta's magic circles. 

The Masters of the Dead, necromancers who can control vampires, and the Pack, a paramilitary clan of shapechangers, blame each other for a series of bizarre killings—and the death of Kate's guardian may be part of the same mystery. Pressured by both sides to find the killer, Kate realizes she's way out of her league—but she wouldn't have it any other way…

I never really planned on buying this book, it was one of those random occurances.  I was browsing the childrens section of my bookstore looking for a christmas present for my younger sister when BAM, Magic Bites is just inbetween two bright pink books.  I decided to read the first chapter because OBVS this a sign and the first few pages sucked me in completely.  I did my research when I can home and I discovered this was a series i'd seen cropping up on a few blogs I admire, namely, Angieville and Steph Su Reads not forgetting the marvellous Book Smugglers.  OF COURSE i'd seen this book before, heck, i'd even wanted to buy it, I just didn't recognise the cover because it's been changed to coincide with the UK release.  The book gods are good to me, oh yes they are.

So, our leading lady Kate is a Mercenary in Atlanta.  Apparantly, so Kate says, Atlanta isn't really that bad a place to live, except y'know, if it wasn't for the magic.  One day your phone might work, the next day it might be a worthless piece of techonolgy mocking you, because when the magic is up then tech fails.  Then the magic ups and disappears and leaves a hell of a lot of problems in it's wake.  Throw in a dead guardian and a super power struggle between The Pack and The People and you have yourself a start to a series.

Having read a few UF series in the past, I know how sometimes it can be quite difficult to immerse yourself in a world that is so unlike our own.  However, the world building is seemless in a way that makes you feel that even though the descriptions of the setting and the world are far feteched and pulled from the authors imagination, that this world could be just as mundane as our own.  The story is fast paced and snappy, even when the descriptions do get a little too detailed for my taste, my enjoyment never wavered.  I never once thought about putting the book down.  Even the secondary aspects, such as the social structure of the world and the politics and mechanics of the supernatural creatures filling the pages never left me behind, I always found the explanation I needed to slot everything together in my head.

Kate is a protagonist that I am sure will appeal to a LOT of female readers.  Her ability to overlook all common sense on occasion wasn't frustrating or aggravating but endearing and vulnerable.  She is a girl that I would love to be friends with.  However, there would be no doubt as to who could kick who's butt.  Her characterisation along with the characterisation of the secondary characters we are introduced to are very strong, enough to cement her as a fully formed and fleshed out character before the book hits it's stride in the suspense department.  

I have now become a true Ilona Andrews fangirl, having finished Magic Bites, I ordered the rest of the series that has currently been released and tore through all four books in less than 4 days.  I now have to sit patiently and wait until may for the next installment to Kate's journey, but I have no doubt in my mind it's going to be one hell of a ride.  Possibly my favourite Urband Fantasy series EVER!

Au Revouir 2010

I first saw this survey this morning over on Khy's blog Frenetic Reader and decided I wanted to join in......it was started by the fabuloso Jamie who is a fabulous blogger and one of my twitter bff's.....you can see the original post right here on her blog The Perpetual Page-Turner.

Best Book of 2010 - Wow, this is SUCH a hard question because oh my goodness, sosososososo many books have really blown me over this year.  BUT if I had to choose, I would say without a shadow of a doubt, that Jellicoe Road beats them all hands down, which I hope counts since it wasn't published this year.  If I have to choose a book published in 2010 then I would sway towards Freak Magnet by Andrew Aueson.  Charlie....I HEART YOU.

Worst Book of 2010 - Wow, again with the hard questions.  Well, this isn't so much hard as quite horrid.  Maybe you should just look at my Book Break Up posts, or search for scathing reviews or something, because I don't want to be so blatantly rude.  

Most Disappointing Book of 2010 - Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins.  HATED IT.  Okay, so maybe I DON'T have an issue with being so blatantly rude.

Most Surprising Book of 2010 - Freak Magnet which as you can see made it into another one of my answers.  I don't know what I was expecting from this book, BUT, I totally got something totally different.  It was so unassuming and heart warming that if I had enough money in my pocket to buy every single person in the whole universe this book, I would do it, without even batting an eyelash.

Best Series Discovered in 2010 - The Jessica Darling series by Megan McCafferty.  Even though this was published a few years back, I only discovered this series this year and it is a series I have been a cheerleader for as soon as I read the very first chapter of the very first book.  I owe my everlasting gratitude to my book bff Jenny for introducing me to this series.......Jenny, I can still remember coming to your house and pointing to those books, standing out so vivid on your bookshelf and saying "ohhh what are those?" - I can never thank her enough!! they are witty and clever and they contain the god that is Mr Marcus Flutie in all his dreg glory.  

Favourite New Authors you Discovered in 2010 - Megan McCaffery (see above).  Also, Diana Peterfreund, but not for the reasons you would expect.  See, I have her YA book BUT I have never had enough interest to read it.......my heart has been stolen by Ms Amy Haskell who features in her ivy league novels, which are simply divine.  Also, E Lockhart gets an honorable mention for blowing my mind with her amazingness.  I can never forget the lovely as a batch of hot scones smothered in clotted cream, Lauren Oliver, who is possibly one of the nicest authors I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.

Most Hilarious Read of 2010 - Mostly Good Girls by Leila Sales.  This girl brings the funny.  

Most Thrilling, Unputdownable Book in 2010 - You by Charles Benoit.  This book drags you along on a nerve wracking plot line thats enveloped in abiguity and unsureness.  I loved it so.

Book You Most Anticipated in 2010 - Mockingjay.  Oh, I could NOT wait to get my little manicured hands on this book.  Got it, tore through it, then resisted the urge to tear it up into a thousand pieces and burn it.   Funny how my most anticipated book of the year also turned out to be the biggest disappointment........funny or soul destroying.  

Favourite Cover of a Book you Read in 2010 -  I loved the simple style of the cover for Mostly Good Girls.   How the girls legs stand out in those grey tights which I now own a pair of, and those stripy kate Spade shoes that I want but can't seem to find anywhere online (damn you google).  BUT, the eerieness of The Replacement just begs to be looked at.  I don't know how anyone could look at that cover and not NEED to know what gruesome things are hidden in it's pages.

CREEPY

Most Memorable Character in 2010 - Jessica Darling.  Or notso as the case is.
Most Beautifully Written Book in 2010 - The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson.  Gorgeous writing.  Rendered me speechless which is no mean feat.

Book That Had The Greatest Impact on You in 2010 - Again, this is not a book that was published in 2010 but a book I first read this year nonetheless.......The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks.  A book that shows that people seeing the person you actually are is undeniably more important than being the person someone else wants you to be.  Being yourself is the best gift possible and if people don't accept that, then they are not worth knowing.  Never be afraid to stand up for yourself and what you believe in.  Loved this book oh so much.

Book You Can't Believe You Waited Until 2010 to Read - Looking for Alaska and Paper Towns by John Green.  Oh HOLY SHIT, I can't believe I waited until this year to read his books because thats just plain crazy.  This man is a genius.  A genius who can weild words better than Buffy can weild a stake. No, i'm not jesting.  For real, he really can.

Favourite Review That You Wrote in 2010 - Jellicoe Road, Freak Magnet or Linger.  I had so much fun writing all three of them.  

Best Moment of Book Blogging in 2010 - Meeting John Green with all my lovely blogger friends in August.  It was one of the most surreal situations I have ever found myself in.  Having not read any of his books before I met him (I know, I KNOW), I had only my knowledge of the vlog brothers videos I had obsessed over for the past 18 months.  When it was my turn to talk to him, I just stood there and marvelled at how bouncy his hair was and how slim he look in real life (the camera really DOES add ten pounds), he then asked me if I was a blogger and I just nodded.  He then asked the name of my blog, to which I replied "The Crooked Shelf" (no shit sherlock) in a squeaky voice.  He replied "OH, I know that.  Awesome blog"..........OMFG!! I'M NOT EVEN MAKING THIS UP.  All my nerves dissolved and I laughed in derision, because surely he was joking.  I then proceeded to drop the F-BOMB and call him a liar.  This is what I said "Fuck off, I know you're lying but I'll take it, I'LL TAKE IT" and he laughed, he laughed and nodded his head a few times.  I made him laugh, even if it was a mocking laugh.  BEST MOMENT EVER.  Which was followed by pink champagne.

New Favourite Book Blog You Discovered in 2010 - There are a number of new blogs I found this year.......Jen from Makeshift Bookmark, Anna from Anna Reads, Jamie from The Perpetual Page-Turner, Capillya from That Cover Girl and last but not least Naomi from Ink Crush.  Each one unique, each one fabulous.  I love them all.


SOOOOOOO, 2010 has been amazing year for books and blogging and i can only hope 2011 is half as good as this year, because i'll be in for a treat!

Review - Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

Published by Razorbill UK
Published 7 December 2010


WARNING - Summary and review WILL contain spoilers for the previous books in the series HOWEVER, will contain NO spoilers for this book, only my overall opinion.

Summary - Murder. Love. Jealousy. And the ultimate sacrifice. Now, with Rose on trial for her life and Lissa first in line for the Royal Throne, nothing will ever be the same between them.

I am one of those girls that has never really GOT the whole vampire thing.  Yeah, I have read a LOT of vampire books but I always find myself rooting for the humans or the werewolves or whatever.  I can count on one hand the number of vampire books that I have LOVED and would gladly bite someone hard on the neck for.   The Vampire Academy series tops that list.  Ever since I opened Vampire Academy and met this snarky, fiesty young girl, I've been a complete and utter fan girl.  So much so, that when I got my copy of Last Sacrifice I sat for around half hour and stared at the cover, then when i finally did open the first page I started crying.  I know, I KNOW, how lame right, but oh my goodness these books are just so darn good I just couldn't get over my excitement without crying.

Kicking off where Spirit Bound left us, you are thrown straight back into the story without ever having chance to catch your breath.  This is one of the major factors in my love for this series; Mead has created a world that can easily slot into our own mundane world and us humans would be none the wiser.  The plot lines keep you constantly gripped both with fascination and terror.  It's like waiting in line for a rollercoaster; you feel anxious but it's mingeled with excitement because you just KNOW it's going to be one hell of a ride.  

I know what everyone is thinking......who will Rose pick, will it be the glorious Dimitri with his bad ass with his leather coat and western novels and super sexy Russian accent, or will it be gorgeous Adrian with his sultry green eyes and charm.  BUT, I'm not going to talk about that here, because the romance wasn't the only important plot line (even if the girly mushy side of me is shouting IT'S ALL ABOUT THE SEXY TIMES).  Friendship lies at the heart of the story.  Friendships what can survive horrible things, friendships that can stand the test of time and distance.  I really do think Rose and Lissa's friendship is a BIG reason why this series stands out from all the other books on the shelves, because this is not just a vampire book.  It's so much more.

Mead is a mastermind at creating characters that seem real, even when they are thrown into bizare and crazy scenarios that even my weird imagination wouldn't even conjure.  The characters have developed subtley over the series and each one of them have wormed their way into my heart.  The plot for each and every one of these books has kept me on my toes and I have a hard time trying to correctly predict how things will play out.

Like with all end of series books, I have a LOT of respect for Mead for drawing this amazing series to an end that made me explode with happiness then feel sad that it had come to an end.  It was hard saying goodbye to characters that I have loved since the beginning.  I think a LOT of fans will be happy with how the series ends.  I will read anything this woman writes.  Counting down the days to the spin off series and looking forward to being able to talk about what happens in the book with you all when you read it.  Loved it.