Best Books of 2012

It's the last day of 2012!!

Yup, that's right y'all. We made it through the end of the world. Go ahead and pat yourselves on the back. 

Well, in honor of this momentous last day, I've created a list of some of my top favorite books read in 2012. These are books I can't recommend enough! So head to the bookstore with all that money you got for Christmas and buy them ASAP!

So, Without further ado,

BEST BOOKS I READ IN 2012:

The Assassins Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke 

Assassins and pirates? What more could a girl ask for? Oh yeah, feisty characters, action and questing! WINNING!

(Sadly, I've yet to review it. But I hope to remedy that soon!)

The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima

This is the third book in an absolutely fantastic high fantasy series. If you haven't yet started this series, do so ASAP. It's got great characters, a complex world and an intriguing and complicated plot. Go forth and enjoy!

My Review 

Shadow And Bone by Leigh Bardugo 

This book is just so awesome that the review is full of GIFs! With its addicting, fantastical plot, imperfect yet amazing characters and beautifully vivid and terrifying world, what's not to love?

Go forth my lovelies and buy this book! You won't be disappointed! 

My Review

Cinder by Marissa Meyer 

Two words: Cyborg Cinderella.

Go buy it. Now. 

My Review

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen 

Oh, Seth, you snarky, sarcastic, clever son-of-a-gun, you. 

If you read this book for no other reason, read it for Seth's voice.

Even if the synopsis doesn't intrigue you, Seth's personality will more than make up for it. 

My Review

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa 

She's a katana-wielding vampire. Yeah, you read that right. Now go to the bookstore and sate your curiosity.

My Review

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Mass 

What book has a kick-ass assassin for a heroine, a flirty, playboy prince, and a stoic, ever loyal Captain of the Guard? Throne of Glass! Throw in some magic, competition, Nehemia, sarcasm, wit and intrigue and you've got yourself a winner! 

My Review

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers 

Assassin nuns....freakin assassin nuns! And Duval. You can't forget him! Insta-love? What is this insta-love you speak of? Cause it sure isn't in this book. With this snarky hate-turned-love relationship, what's not to love? Court intrigue and a beautiful atmosphere are just icing on the cake. 

My Review

My final words:

GO BUY THESE BOOKS!!

That is all. 

All the best ♥

Mackenzie 

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Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

Masque of the Red Death (Masque of the Red Death #1)
by Bethany Griffin
Pages: 320
Source: Gift/B&N
Format: Hardback


Rating: I liked it (3/3.5 stars)


Goodreads Synopsis:


Everything is in ruins.

A devastating plague has decimated the population. And those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles to pieces around them.

So what does Araby Worth have to live for?

Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery make-up . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.

But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club. And Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither boy is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.

And Araby may find something not just to live for, but to fight for—no matter what it costs her. 


My Review:


    I was so incredibly excited when I finally bought this book because I had heard some utterly fantastic things about it. I simply devoured it! I couldn't stop reading! Every chance I had (heck, even when I should've been doing other things) I grabbed this book just so I could delve back into this world. When I finished I immediately went to Goodreads and rated this a huge 4/4.5 stars. 


    Fast forward 30 minutes when I tried to write this review and I just felt...bleh. But not in a good way where you're just so sad the book ended and can't find another book to fill its awesome shoes. No. I looked back and couldn't really remember much about the book. I thought it was utterly fantastic while reading it, but afterwards all these things I kind of ignored kept coming back to bug me. 


    To be honest, I think what kept me so addicted was the atmosphere. There is no doubt that Masque of the Red Death is dark and gritty and gruesome and I loved it! I was completely immersed in this dark, gothic world. The eerie masks and threat of disease around every corner. It was....addicting. 


    However, I'd be lying if I didn't say the guys were also a bit addicting. Neither of them were exactly swoonworthy but they were intriguing. This has to do with their mysterious natures. Will, the mysterious man of the club has always intrigued Araby. But he's got a softer side too. He's actually an incredibly kind and loyal guy and really wants to help Araby. Elliott, the rich owner of the club probably has a couple loose screw yet I was still intrigued by him. In a weird way. If that makes any sense :P I can't really delve into either of them too much for fear of giving things away, but while I didn't fall in love with them, there is no doubt that I want to learn more about them. 


    But, those were really the only two aspects of this book that kept me reading. 


    When looking back, I didn't really care for Araby. She wasn't an incredibly strong heroine and she was far too trusting. She didn't really think through things and this really bothered me. Not to mention she was a bit depressing. I understand the death of her brother really affected her, but she's also got to learn to move on and learn that she can be happy. She's one of the lucky few to have a mask and should be thankful for that. Instead she does drugs and wants to go into oblivion to get away. I will say that she can be incredibly kind and she has a good heart and towards the end she does become stronger and learns that maybe she can be happy. However, I wasn't exactly rooting for her. 


    Also, there were many inconstancies in the writing. There were too many times where I had to go back and re-read sections because I thought I missed something. A big part where I did this was between Ch. 3 and 4. There was no transition. It went from 1 scene straight to the next. Even though you get a glimpse of what "happened" a little later, it doesn't make sense. I literally thought I was missing a chapter. That's not good. 


    While I loved the plot, it definitely could've been delved into more. Masques to keep out diseases, a tyrannical prince, rebellions? A great set-up but  I feel like we only really get a glimpse of it. While that's not bad, I do wish I could've seen more, especially more about how the world came to be. But hopefully we get to learn more about it in the next 2 books. 


    Also, on a side note: there is a religious cult. I don't think it was too bad, but I do hope it doesn't go overboard in the next books (which I have a feeling it might since I think its a big part of this book). 






Overall:


    This book was interesting, don't get me wrong. The atmosphere and mysterious nature of the book were definitely addicting. However, while the descriptive writing was good, transition needs to be worked on and more details added. If you like gothic atmospheres, definitely give this a try! 

All the best ♥

Mackenzie

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Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross

Kill Me Softly
By Sarah Cross
Pages: 314
Source: Netgalley
Format: Ebook


Rating: I Really Liked it


Goodreads Synopsis:


Mirabelle's past is shrouded in secrecy, from her parents' tragic deaths to her guardians' half-truths about why she can't return to her birthplace, Beau Rivage. Desperate to see the town, Mira runs away a week before her sixteenth birthday—and discovers a world she never could have imagined.

In Beau Rivage, nothing is what it seems—the strangely pale girl with a morbid interest in apples, the obnoxious playboy who's a beast to everyone he meets, and the chivalrous guy who has a thing for damsels in distress. Here, fairy tales come to life, curses are awakened, and ancient stories are played out again and again.

But fairy tales aren't pretty things, and they don't always end in happily ever after. Mira has a role to play, a fairy tale destiny to embrace or resist. As she struggles to take control of her fate, Mira is drawn into the lives of two brothers with fairy tale curses of their own . . . brothers who share a dark secret. And she'll find that love, just like fairy tales, can have sharp edges and hidden thorns.


My Review:


If your looking for Disney princess happily-ever-afters, then stop right now because you won't find it in this book. This book is weird, creepy, and disturbing, yet so incredibly addicting. 


A Melting Pot:


There is no shortage of characters in this book. There are many unique characters with many different traits. While I fell in love with some, there were others that I could do without.  


I had a love/hate relationship with Mira. There were some things I really enjoyed about her, like her kindness and her curiosity and her growth by the end of the novel. However, there were reasons I didn't like her, but I don't know if that is the writing, or her. For example, the book starts off with her planning on running away, yet the author tells us that she's not normally rebellious, but shows us something different. Don't tell me one thing about her but show me the opposite. Also, once she meets Felix, she goes from "little miss innocent" to questioning herself (and going kind of sleazy) around him all the time. Look, I understand he's older (btw, she's total jailbait!) but she shouldn't worry about that. If he's worth it, he'll like her for who she is, immaturity and all. What really bothered me, however ,was the fact that she kept questioning herself, even when he showed her that he cared. She also gave way to many excuses for people's actions for my taste. "Well, he did this so it means that, but it could've meant this, but then again..." and so on, so forth. Annoying! However, although some things she did annoyed me, she grows a lot throughout the novel and learns to accept things about herself and others, even if she doesn't like it and her kindness and compassion really shows through her actions. If you're looking for a kick-butt character, then she's not what your looking for. But, she'll stand up for herself and others, and she grows a lot throughout, so I say give her a chance.


I loved Blue! Okay, not at first. Honestly, the first line out of his mouth is rather creepy, but I knew he was doing it for a reason and I wanted to know why. I like mysterious characters and trying to figure out the reasons behind their actions, but what I liked about him was that he wasn't just mysterious, he was funny and sarcastic and I loved his banter with Mira. But he was also incredibly kind and selfless, and although I can't say anything else without a huge spoiler, I will say that I felt incredibly sorry for him but because of his actions I fell in love with him.


Felix...was hot. No doubt about it. Heck, I'd have a hard time not falling for him! He was sweet and kind, yet mysterious. He's seemed like genuinely sweet guy yet everyone kept saying to stay away. I wanted to know why. In the end, like Blue, I felt bad for him. He just handles it in a completely different way than Blue. 


Freddie, on the other hand, annoyed me beyond belief. Prince Charming my butt. He was pathetic and week and annoying. Look, Prince Charming is supposed to be chivalrous, I get that, but he's also got the perfect amount of man's man in him. He should know how to make a gal feel better, but also be willing to beat the crap out of the person that hurt her. That is Prince Charming. Not "I look like a kicked puppy" Freddie. 


The other characters are all unique and really portray their "fairytale" characters well. While some annoyed me, at least I understood why. 


Happily Ever After? Yeah, right:


Let me give credit to the author for doing an utterly fantastic retelling of the fairy tales. Also, I like that this isn't the fluffy, disney movie types of fairy tales. Nope, this is the classic "what is this happily ever after you speak of" kinda deal. Now, I may have never read the classic Grimm's tales, but now I don't want to. Talk about depressing! Each tale was of misery and destruction! Yet, I enjoyed the fact that she incorporated the classics in. There was a certain...beauty, in it. While she kept the darkness of the originals, she gave the characters hope. Each knew their fate, but many tried to change it. She gave the characters opportunity and choice. Also, taking a look back at the incorporation of the classics in this modern tale, many of the woes the characters faced were due to their own decisions. They didn't have to do any of that, they chose to and the author is giving these characters the chance to choose the better one if only they'll take it. Is it easy? Probably not. But, I firmly believe their are always choices. Some just make different choices and handle things differently. 


What really kept me interested were the questions burning in my mind from the very first page. My thirst for answers was insatiable! And with these questions came a few twists I didn't see! I was shocked! And loved it! 




Overall:


This book is dark and depressing, but also beautiful with the characters learning to rule their own lives. Its a treasure to see how the characters react to their situations. When you know your fate is pre-determined, would you fight it or accept it? While I was iffy on some characters, the plot and the many burning questions that entailed were more than enough to keep me interested. 

All the best ♥

Mackenzie

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The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1) by Julie Kagawa

The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1)
by Julie Kagawa
Pages: 485
Format: ebook
Source: Netgalley

Rating: Fan-freaking-tastic! 

Goodreads Synopsis: 

In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

My Review:

o_O  Mind is blown with the pure awesomeness that is The Immortal Rules. It was such an emotional thrill ride! I don't even know what to say that won't sound like blubbering, rambling, incoherent mess! My mind is still reeling! All I can think to say is GO BUY IT NOW (well, when it comes out)! I’ll buy it for you if I must just so you can read this pure awesomeness. Actually, scratch that. I have no money (its what being poor does to you), but if I did, I would totally buy everyone a copy!  

No Sparkley Vamps:

That’s right. No sparkles here! Just your class-A human blood-suckin, kick-butt, killing machines! And it’s amazing. This book made me terrified of vampires again!

Creepy atmosphere:

Kagawa did a fantastic job of world-building and creating such creepy and eerie atmosphere. I felt fully immersed in this world while reading. It was dark and gritty yet intoxicating. I was terrified and loved every moment.

4 books in 1:

This book is long, no doubt about it at a whopping 482 pages, but its divided into 4 different parts making it almost like reading 4 different books. Each has its own plot but they all flow together so smoothly and I loved every single one.

Allie:

Allie is an utterly fantastic character. She's tough, rough and hardened, but not without heart. She's always hated vampires, but after being attacked while saving a friend she ends up being saved by a vampire and given the choice to die or become like him. She always did whatever she could to survive, even if it meant become the very thing she hated. Now she's your regular blood-sucking, katana wielding (you read right), kick-butt killing machine. But don't hate on her just because she's a vampire. She may not be human, but she's bound and determined to not lose who she once was and that takes heart. Its hard on her, extremely hard, but although she may be considered a monster, she still has a choice, and that choice is to remain good. To not let herself become the monster everyone thinks she is. Is it easy? No. But is she going to do whatever she can to remain true to herself? Yes. And that, my friends, is something to be respected.

Kanan:

Awww Kanan, your so cool! He teaches her to weild weapons! XD I’d definitely love to have him as my vampire teacher. Sure, he’s more of a tough love kind of guy, but you can tell he really care’s about Allie. He was mysterious and aloof, but really wanted to help her. I don't want to give to much away but I  can’t wait to learn more about his story! Its heartbreaking! I really believe he's a great guy, you just gotta dig around to find it. 

Zeke:

This is the guy you want in real life. The sweet, caring guy that has such an incredibly good heart. But don’t think that he’s a wimp. No way. He may have a good heart, but he’s tough and protective too. A guy that’s incredibly sweet but also knows how to protect a girl? A perfect combination of sensitive guy and a man's man . Seriously, I fell in love with him. He was also so real. Unlike a lot of fictional boys, he’s not perfect, but I loved that about him. He had his faults and weaknesses, but he knew what they were and worked through them anyways.

Katanas:

She’s a katana wielding vampire. How freaking cool is that?!

Don’t worry, there’s still hope:

Perhaps one of the best things about a dark and gritty book is when their is always that little spark of hope. Even in the darkest of times, there's always that little light of hope and faith that your going to be alright. This book is dark and these characters are put in some awful situations but they keep going. No matter how bad things get, even if they sometimes doubt themselves, they have faith that things will get better. This is especially true when it comes to Zeke, something I absolutely loved about him. He went through unimaginable stuff, yet he never lost faith in something better. 

There was one thing I was kind of iffy about. The religion. Its nothing specific, but being religious myself, I kinda hate when they make religion bad. Of course there are....fanatics...out there, but not every religious person is. However, in this book it wasn't bad because A) it wasn't in your face (like some other books I've read before) and B) it showed both sides and didn't make the bad side ridiculously crazy. I actually let this part go to the back of my head because it didn't exactly make religion a bad thing, but I just wanted to warn you readers that it is in here. 

Overall:

This book was utterly fantastic. I loved the dark, gritty nature of the book and loved that, even in the darkest times, there was always hope. It was actually quite a beautiful story. It had fantastic characters and plot arcs and I know that Kagawa definitely has a fan for life when it comes to this series.

All the best ♥

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