A Look Back at 2010

Happy 2011! I hope that everyone had a fabulous, safe New Year's Eve. I thought I'd do a review of 2010, since it was my first full year blogging. Here are some fun facts about my year:

I finished 80 books
I reread Harry Potter, and Pride & Prejudice
I reviewed 57 different novels
I completed the 2010 Debut Author Challenge
I gained 200+ followers via Google Friend Connect (thanks to everyone!)
I finished 10 textbooks
I graduated from college
I started graduate school

Jamie at The Perpetual Page Turner created an End of 2010 Survey, and I've decided to answer some of her questions.

1. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2010?
Although it's a book that comes out in 2011, I have to say that I was really surprised by Will Work for Prom Dress by Aimee Ferris. I expected it to be a really fluffy YA romance, but it had a lot of substance. I was surprised by some of the issues that it dealt with (living in a single-parent household, dating, consequences for dangerous actions, etc).

Best series you discovered in 2010?
There were quite a few series that I started this year, but the one that stood out to me was The Agency series by Y.S Lee. A Spy in the House, and The Body at the Tower were both published this year by Candlewick. They were the perfect mix of historical fiction, mystery, and romance. The third book in the series won't be released in the US until 2012...I may have to order the UK version on Book Depository when it's released in August 2011.

Favorite paranormal book?
There was an abundance of paranormal YA books released this year. It's becoming such a popular genre that Barnes & Noble now has a separate place for them in the YA section. I really dislike that setup, and I would rather peruse the shelves and pick books at random. I digress, back to the topic at hand. I'm actually going to say that my favorite paranormal book this year was Deception by Lee Nichols. I was completely pulled into this novel, and I really connected with the protagonist, Emma.

Favorite anthology?
I added this category specifically so I could talk about Zombies vs. Unicorns. Edited by Holly Black, and Justine Larbalestier, this book addressed the most epic battle of all time, the battle between Zombies (boo), and Unicorns (obviously superior). A bunch of great authors contributed short stories...basically I loved it.

Favorite new authors you discovered in 2010?
Chealsea Campbell, Rachel Hawkins, Kay Cassidy, Phoebe Kitanidis, Y.S. Lee, Heather Webber

Most hilarious read of 2010?
The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea Campbell had me in stitches. The combination of a great plot, excellent writing, and a snarky main character made for one of my favorite reads this year. According to her blog, she's working on a historical fiction novel involving Julius Caesar.

Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2010?
There were a lot of books this year that had an impact on me, but I think that Kay Cassidy's The Cinderella Society. It sparked some conversation between my friends/family/senior seminar class about girls being socialized to be mean to each other. After all, the media does portray backstabbing between female characters as a way to get what you want. The Cinderella Society dealt with that issue, and promoted the idea of doing good for yourself and the community. Hurrah!

Some goals: Find time to read/review more! Stop procrastinating when it's time to write reviews. Comment, comment, comment!

Book Review: Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems. (From Goodreads)

I enjoyed Beautiful Creatures when I read it last year, but I had a few issues with it. Despite the excellent writing, I found that parts of the story dragged. When I pick up this one, I wasn't sure what I would think. I've found that oftentimes the second book in a series can't live up to the expectations of the reader, or they are filler between the introductory book, and the conclusion of the series. Beautiful Darkness wasn't one of those books. It kept me on the edge of my seat, and excited for more.

This book picks up soon after the events in Beautiful Creatures, and the mystery begins almost immediately. The story is still told from Ethan's perspective, and he's currently experiencing some uncertainty in his relationship with Lena. She's started to act more like her dark cousin, Ridley. I'm slightly ashamed to admit it, but I really had issues with Lena in this book. I imagine that's what Garcia and Stohl intended when they wrote it, but I lost my connection to her until the latter part of the book. I did like the dynamic between Ethan and Live, and was happy that the reader got to see more from Link and Ridley.

This is another great example of a book where the authors create characters that aren't completely good or evil. Ridley may be a dark Caster, but she clearly cares for her cousin Lena. On the other hand, Macon has secrets in his past that are unearthed. The shades of gray found within the characters really added to the story, and made me think twice when trying to decide who was trustworthy.

I was pleased that Beautiful Darkness was even better than the first book in the series. The reader gets to learn more about the characters, and the pacing was great. The one thing I hope for in book three: more Amma! Her no-nonsense attitude was great for lightening up some serious moments, and she's more than just a one dimensional supporting character.

Beautiful Darkness
By Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
503 Pages
Published by Little, Brown Books
Rating: B

Waiting on Wednesday (December 29)

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This weekly meme shares the upcoming books that I'm most excited about.

*This synopsis does contain spoilers for The Ghost and the Goth.

Queen of the Dead (Ghost and the Goth 2) by Stacey Kade

After being sent back from the light, Alona Dare - former homecoming queen, current Queen of the Dead - finds herself doing something she never expected: working. Instead of spending days perfecting her tan by the pool (her typical summer routine when she was, you know, alive), Alona must now cater to the needs of other lost spirits. By her side for all of this - ugh - “helping of others” is Will Killian: social outcast, seer of the dead, and someone Alona cares about more than she’d like.

Before Alona can make a final ruling on Will’s “friend” or “more” status, though, she discovers trouble at home. Her mom is tossing out Alona’s most valuable possessions, and her dad is expecting a new daughter with his wicked wife. Is it possible her family is already moving on? Hello! She’s only been dead for two months! Thankfully, Alona knows just the guy who can put a stop to this mess.

Unfortunately for Alona, Will has other stuff on his mind, and Mina, a young (and beautiful) seer, is at the top of the list. She’s the first ghost-talker Will’s ever met—aside from his father—and she may hold answers to Will’s troubled past. But can she be trusted? Alona immediately puts a check mark in the “clearly not” column. But Will is - ahem - willing to find out, even if it means leaving a hurt and angry Alona to her own devices, which is never a good idea.

Packed with romance, lovable characters, and a killer cliffhanger, Queen of the Dead is the out-of-this-world sequel to The Ghost and the Goth.

Published by Hyperion
Release Date: June 7, 2011

Teaser Tuesday (December 28)

What is Teaser Tuesday?
It's a meme hosted by Should Be Reading and here are the rules:
Grab your current read...
Open to a random page
Share two teaser sentences from somewhere on the page
Don't include spoilers.

"Dying should have been the worst moment in my life. I mean, hello, getting run over by a school bus full of band geeks while wearing the regulation gym uniform of red polyester short shorts and a practically see-through white T-shirt?"

-The Ghost and the Goth, Page 5, by Stacey Kade

Mini Reviews

Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

I'd heard really good things about this one, but I had a hard time starting it. It sat on my shelf for at least a month before I actually began reading it. It was a fairly slow read, but I did enjoy it. After losing their father, twin sisters Lia and Alice discover that they each play a role in a prophecy that pits them against each other. From there, the twists and turns written by Zink had me guessing what the outcome of the story would be.

There was one scene in particular that really emphasized the differences between Lia and Alice. It was really heartwrenching to see Lia lose someone that was so important to her. Despite my personal opinion of Alice, I do wish that the reader had gotten to see from her perspective. The book focuses on Lia, but I think seeing through the villain's eyes is always interesting.

It was a good start, but at times it seemed like the sole purpose of certain plot points was a setup for the second book in the series.

Rating: C

The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman

I stumbled across this book at the library, and decided to check it out on a whim. Of course, I had a huge pile of books waiting to be read at home, but something about this one pushed it to the top of my list. The book begins with Elizabeth getting a recommendation to work at The New York Circulating Material Repository. Of course, this isn't a typical library. Elizabeth soon discovers that items, including magical ones, are loaned to patrons, and shenanigans ensue. As a fan of fairy tales, I was delighted to see a book that took such a new spin on things.
I will admit that there were some things about the book that I didn't like. I felt that the story lost some of it's steam toward the end. Things seemed to move more slowly, despite the characters working to catch the thief who is stealing the magical items from the repository. I also thought that something was missing from the romance in the story. Since the romance wasn't the main focus of the book, it wasn't a huge deal for me. Plus, I was rooting for the characters to get together.

Overall, it was a really interesting premise involving magic and fairy tales. Even though I had a few issues with the story, I'm glad that I happened to pick it up.

Rating: C