The Best of 2011... According to me

I can't believe it's already the end of the year. As an end to the year, I thought I'd put up a list of my favourites of 2011.

Favourite Reads of 2011:

5. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

 Why: A different take on Angels. Plus, there's the guy, Tucker.

4. Divergent by Veronica Roth

Why: This has been the year of the dystopian novel. Divergent included a unique world full of danger, secrets and control. What more could you want?

3. Across the Universe by Beth Revis

 Why: This was the first sci-fi I read and I loved the mystery and danger taking place in space.

2. The Liar Society by Lisa and Laura Roeker

Why: I heard a lot about Liar Society before it came out and I wasn't let down. Secret societies, lies and death. The ingredients for a perfect mystery.

1. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Why: Dystopian meets fantasy. This is like Xmen in a crumbling future, and I love Xmen.

Top releases of 2012 I can't wait to read:

5. Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Why: I loved Unearthly and can't wait to read the sequel.

4. Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris

Why: Reincarnation, a countdown to something and a murder... sounds enticing, doesn't it?

3. Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Why: An underworld and tempting fate. Just sounds tempting.

2. Tempest by Julie Cross

Why: Who doesn't love time travel?

1. The Selection by Kiera Cass

 

Why: The Hunger Games meets The Bachelor... that pitch is just awesome

What are your favourite reads of 2011? What are you looking forward to?

Christmas Giving Giveaway

Since it's only a couple of days before Christmas I felt in the giving spirit and wanted to have a giveaway. This giveaway is a bit different. It will allow you to nominate someone else to receive a present. You will be able to choose whether the nominated person will receive a $20 gift certificate from Amazon or 2 books (which you can select).

But don't worry. Since this is all about the spirit of giving, you will also receive a choice of 1 book from Book Depository.


The contest will run until December 31st and the winner will be randomly selected on January 1st. I will email both nominated and the person who nominated to get shipping details. Good luck and Merry Christmas!

I'm Back

It is indeed a busy time of year with arriving back home, preparing for Christmas, preparing to move and preparing for a new job all at the same time.

I had a blast over in Japan. I did things I will probably never do again (yep, my brother even dragged me to a maid cafe... that was so... cutesy). It was also my first experience with Disney and Universal Studios and, even though it was in Japanese, I still thoroughly enjoyed all attractions and rides.

The best part of the holiday was that I got to spend my birthday at Disney. When we checked into the hotel I even got a birthday card from Mickey Mouse... I felt really special, and such a big kid.

Now I'm back and pretty much as soon as I was off the plane, the next day I was in the car for a fifteen hour car ride to look at the school where I'm going to be teaching next year... yeah, I've got a lot of homework because they managed to give me all the starting units that I can prepare for over the holidays.

Now, it's only a week away from Christmas and I'm busy preparing for a family Christmas, not to mention trying to arrange everything so I can move and start teaching late January. But, I always like to keep busy.

So, how has everyone else been?

Going Offline

For the next couple of weeks I'll be quite busy. Yep, I'm going to Disneyland (well, Tokyo Disneyland) for a long deserved holiday. When I come back I'll be fresh and ready to continue writing and blogging and everything else I've been neglecting.

So, for now, I'm signing off.

Review: Minder

Minder by Kate Kaynak



Synopsis (From Goodreads):Sixteen-year-old Maddie Dunn needs to learn how to use her special 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?

After getting attacked one night, Maddie Dunn does the impossible. She fights back with her mind. Her life is turned upside down, told she is a "Minder", a person who possesses telepathic powers, she is transported to Ganzfield, a secret training facility with people just like her, but they're not. The majority of kids here possess pyrokinetic (fire) powers and mind control, she is the only minder.

Here, she meets Trevor, a person who she instantly connects with. It could be the fact that he is also a loner at the facility. He is telekinetic, someone who can control objects with his mind. He also feels he is dangerous to be around, just like Maddie. They fall hard and fast in love as if nothing can tear them apart. But, there are some secrets bout this facility that are kept hidden and some enemies that want it destroyed.

Kate Kaynak has created an interesting world that is similar to X-men in many aspects, but also resembles an ordinary high school. There's the popular kids/bullies (mind controllers) and the lovable geeks (pyros). All characters a very well-rounded and it was good to see all the flaws and weaknesses that teenagers with such powers have.

Even though the relationship between Maddie and Trevor happens too quickly, and it felt a bit unrealistic at times, I felt they were the perfect couple. Both of them were outsiders at school. Maddie was the only Minder and Trevor was the only telekinetic, and both of them were dangerous to be around when they were asleep. It can easily be seen why both would turn to each other.

Minder is the fantastic introduction to the world of Ganzfield, and the perfect start to this series. The book was a quick read, packed full of emotion and turmoil. I look forward to picking up Adversary and the rest of the books in this series to see where Maddie and Trevor go next.

Source: e-book

2011 YA Reading Challenge: #30 of 50

2012 Reading Challenges

This year I decided to participate in some reading challenges (most I'm actually winning at), and it has come time again to sign up to next year's challenges. I know I'm going to have a lot of commitment with a new job and everything, but that's not going to stop me from reading. For next year, I'm going to sign up to 4 challenges:

CHALLENGE OBJECTIVE:

• To read & review a minimum of twelve young adult or middle grade debut novels between the dates of January 1, 2012 - January 31, 2013.

RULES & GUIDELINES:

• You must have a Blog to post your reviews or be a member of Goodreads.
• Your blog must be written in English.
• Deadline to join is May 31, 2012.

BOOK GUIDELINES:

• Must be a young adult or middle grade title.
• Must be the author’s YA or MG debut, released in 2012.
• If an author has a previous novel published for adults or children, they can still qualify for the challenge.
• If an author has a previous YA or MG title, they do not qualify for the challenge.

Here's my list of books I'm aiming to read:

1. Everneath by Brodi Ashton
2. Tempest by Julie Cross
3. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
4. Struck by Jennifer Bosworth
5. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
6. Article 5 by Kristen Simmons
7. The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams
8. The Selection by Kiera Cass
9. The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls by Claire Legend 
10. The Other Life by Susanne Winnacker
11. Unravelling by Elizabeth Norris
12. Ditched: A Love Story by Robin Mellom
13. Undeadly by Michele Vail
14. Katana by Cole Gibson

Challenge guidelines:

1. This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012.
2. As we would like to see quality reviews linked up to our monthly wrap-ups, only bloggers can enter. Sorry about that!
3. Any genre, length or format of book counts, as long as it is a book that's been sitting on your shelf for some time now. Only books released in 2011 and earlier! NO ARCs and 2012 fresh-off-the-press releases allowed!
   
4. You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap-up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.
5. When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post about joining the 2012 TBR PILE Reading Challenge (You need to include the info + host list + challenge button. You can also grab the button code and add it to your sidebar!)
   
6. You can move up levels, but no moving down.
7. Sign-ups will be open until Dec 15, 2012, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year.
8. At the end of each month one of the hosts will post a wrap-up. Every wrap-up will have it's unique theme, a mini-challenge, a giveaway and place for you to link up your reviews from this month. For each review you link up, you will get one entry in a drawing of one book of choice from Book Depository. It's open to INTERNATIONALS. For participating in the mini-challenge you will get +1 entry.
   
9. If you miss a wrap-up post + giveaway, you can link up your reviews next month. Do not, however, try to link up one review twice - we will be checking ;)
10. December is a wrap-up for the whole year. All the book reviews you linked up January-November + the ones you'll link up in December will be entered into a HUGE giveaway - 12 books, 12 winners, INTERNATIONAL.
11. You don't have to follow all the hosts to join the challenge, but you do have to follow all of us to be entered in giveaways!

Levels:

1-10 - A Firm Handshake
11-20 - A Friendly Hug - I really need to catch up on my TBR list
21-30 - A Sweet Kiss
31-40 - Love At First Sight
41-50 - Married With Children
Some of the books I'm aiming to read are (these are the ones I've got on my shelves):

1. A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford
2. Haven by Kristi Cook
3. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
4. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
5. Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Run's January 1, 2012 - December 31, 2012.

The Rules:

• Anyone can join.
• You don't need a blog to participate.
• Non-Bloggers: Post your list of books in the comment section of the wrap-up post on Jamie's blog.
• Audio, eBooks, paper, re-reads all count.
• No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

There are four levels:

1. The Mini YA Reading Challenge – Read 12 Young Adult novels.
2. The "Fun Size" YA Reading Challenge – Read 20 Young Adult novels.
3. The Jumbo Size YA Reading Challenge – Read 40 Young Adult novels.
4. The Mega size YA Reading Challenge – Read 50+ Young Adult novels. - I'm going all out and aiming for 50.

Details:

• Runs January 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012 (books read prior to 1/1/12 do not count towards the challenge). You can join at anytime. Sign up on The Book Vixen’s blog.
• The goal is to outdo yourself by reading more books in 2012 than you did in 2011. See the different levels below and pick the one that works best for you. Nothing is set in stone; you can change levels at any time during the challenge.
• Books can be any format (bound, eBook, audio).
• Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.
• Grab the reading challenge button and post this reading challenge on your blog to track your progress. Please include a link back to this sign-up post so others can join the reading challenge too. You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you could track your progress on Goodreads or LibraryThing.

Levels:
Getting my heart rate up – Read 1–5 more books - I'm not going all silly, but I think I can get 5 more than I read this year out... hopefully
Out of breath – Read 6–10 more books
Breaking a sweat – Read 11–15 more books
I’m on fire! – Read 16+ more books

Out with the old, in with the new

Change is good, and I thought this blog needed a change and a new design. Thanks to the fantastic Lori at Imagination Designs who created a fantastic new design for me.

The design isn't the only thing I've changed this week. I finally decided to join Twitter. Yep, I never thought I would, but now I am.You can find me at:

So, what do you think of the new design?