Denise Jaden's Blog, page 21

YA Blog Hop Winner!

Congratulations to Holly Letson, who was the winner of my recent YA Blog Hop, and will get to enjoy her TEN new books!

If you're not the winner, not to worry. I have a free book for you too! You'll have to check back here on Friday to see what it is.

Congratulations again to Holly, and thanks to all who entered the YA Blog Hop!

Cover Reveal and Win a $200 Gift Card! VOLITION by Lee Strauss

 
What doesn't kill you ...

Zoe Vanderveen is on the run with her captor turned rescuer, Noah Brody.
They're in love.
Or at least that’s what he tells her. Her memories have returned but her feelings are dreamlike—thin and fleeting. Her heart can’t be trusted. Just look at what happened with Taylor Blake.
Senator Vanderveen’s new team of cyborg agents are in hot pursuit, and a reward for their capture is broadcast nationwide. Record breaking cold and snow hinder their escape. Someone dies helping them.
And their fight for survival has only begun.

Mark to read on goodreads. 

To celebrate Lee Strauss is giving away a $200.00 Amazon, Nook or itunes gift card!
Read on to find out how to enter.
VOLITION is the exciting continuation of Noah and Zoe's story from Perception.
 Eternal Life is To Die For

Seventeen year old Zoe Vanderveen is a GAP—a genetically altered person. She lives in the security of a walled city on prime water-front property along side other equally beautiful people with extended life spans. Her brother Liam is missing.
Noah Brody is a natural who lives on the outside. He leads protests against the GAPs and detests the widening chasm they’ve created between those who have and those who don’t.  He doesn’t like girls like Zoe and he has good reason not to like her specifically.
Zoe’s carefree life takes a traumatic turn.  She’s in trouble and it turns out that Noah, the last guy on earth she should trust, is the only one who can help her.

 Want to read PERCEPTION? It's available on Amazon, Kobo, itunes, and Nook.


About the author:
LEE STRAUSS

Lee Strauss writes historical and science fiction/romance for upper YA and adult readers. She also writes light and fun stuff under the name Elle Strauss. To find out more about Lee and her books check out her facebook page. Follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/elle_strauss To find out about new releases sign up for her newsletter at www.ellestraussbooks.com


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YA Giveaway Hop!

I've just gotten back from ALA Midwinter, and LOADED myself down with new books! I have to give some of these away due to limited shelf space, so today is your lucky day!

I'm going to give away TEN books this week. One will be your choice of a signed copy of one of my books:



http://astore.amazon.com/denisejaden-20http://astore.amazon.com/denisejaden-20


And here is a list of the other NINE books that are up for grabs:

THE THING ABOUT LUCK by Cynthia Kadhohata (ARC - out June, 2013)
THE 39 DEATHS OF ADAM STRAND by Gregory Galloway (ARC - out February, 2013)
NOTES FROM GHOST TOWN by Kate Ellison (ARC - out February, 2013)
EVERBOUND by Brodi Ashton (ARC - out February, 2013)
PRODIGY by Marie Lu (ARC - out January, 2013)
THE SUMMER PRINCE by Alaya Dawn Johnson (ARC - out March, 2013)
ME, HIM, THEM, AND IT by Caela Carter (ARC - out February, 2013)
SECOND IMPACT by David Klass and Perry Klass (ARC - out August, 2013)
MY SUMMER OF PINK & GREEN by Lisa Greenwald (ARC - out May 2013)

That's TEN books total that will go to one very lucky winner!

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below about where you have spread the word about this contest. Please leave links. You can list up to 6 places you've spread the word for up to 6 entries, so feel free to be creative! Also, let me know which book above you are most excited about - just because I'm curious :-)

Due to mailing costs, this contest is only open to those with a US mailing address. This contest will be open until midnight on February 4th, 2013. Please make sure I have a way to get a hold of you, or come back and check the winner on February 5th. Best of luck to everyone!

GCC Presents Melissa Walker and SMALL TOWN SINNERS!

Thanks all who entered my Dreaming of Books Giveaway Hop! Congratulations to the winner...Sherry Strode!

Some of you may remember me touring Melissa Walker and SMALL TOWN SINNERS in 2011 when the hardcover released. I'm excited to let you know that the paperback of this fabulous novel is just out!

To celebrate, Melissa is holding a huge giveaway, and she stopped by to tell me a few little secrets about the book. But first, let me remind you a little about it...



Does falling in love mean falling out of faith? 

“Lacey Anne Byer is a perennial good girl and lifelong member of the House of Enlightenment, the Evangelical church in her small town. With her driver's license in hand and the chance to try out for a lead role in Hell House, her church's annual haunted house of sin, Lacey's junior year is looking promising. But when a cute new stranger comes to town, something begins to stir inside her. Ty Davis doesn't know the sweet, shy Lacey Anne Byer everyone else does. With Ty, Lacey could reinvent herself. As her feelings for Ty make Lacey test her boundaries, events surrounding Hell House make her question her religion." 

Read an excerpt. 

A few reviews: 
"Walker has written a credible and tender evocation of the moment when a young person’s beliefs begin to emerge and potentially diverge from the teachings of a family’s religion... Near the end, Lacey contemplates a verse from the prophet Isaiah: 'Come now and let us reason together.' It’s a good summation of what Walker asks of her characters and, by extension, of her readers." -- The New York Times Book Review  

"A non-judgmental, nuanced, fascinating look at the teenage religious right... Walker writes an outstanding contemporary novel with a cast of characters who, far from being portrayed as hateful zealots, are relatable for readers of all faiths. The extremism of Hell House is tempered by the perfectly understandable attitudes and intentions of Lacey Anne, who struggles with what it means to grow up, to question and to think for herself." -- Romantic Times  

"Both tender and provocative... Walker creates an astutely balanced portrait of a conservative congregation's in-your-face response to perennial issues of domestic abuse, teen pregnancy, and suicide, as well as of those who struggle to fit the prescribed Christian mold." -- Publishers Weekly  

"This secular story about religious people could easily devolve into camp mockery, but because Walker takes her character’s crisis of faith seriously and sensitively, readers will, too." --Kirkus Reviews 

And I promised you a couple of little secrets about the book, so here is what Melissa says about SMALL TOWN SINNERS...

"Before I write the book, I do little interviews with my main characters. That information almost never makes it into the manuscript, but I like having it. Here's a tiny bit from Starla Joy, the best friend:

What you love about your sister?She means well. She does her own thing—different drummer, people say, but she’s still real nice to everyone.
What you hate about your sister?She can be a bitch sometimes. For real. She’s all homecoming queen for our parents, and for most people at school, but I see her when she’s giving in to her fears—and she has a lot of them. Am I pretty enough? Am I smart enough? She’s like a self-help cliché."

Don't forget to stop by Melissa's giveaway, and please stop back here next week, as I'll be participating in the YA Giveaway Hop, and hopefully giving away some books I pick up at ALA this weekend!

Dreaming of Books Giveaway Hop!

This Giveaway Hop runs from January 18th (or as soon as this post goes live) through January 24th. Thanks to Kathy from I'm a Reader Not a Writer and Reviews By Martha's Bookshelf for hosting this hop!


I have a slew of choices for you for this hop. Entry is super-easy, and the choices include a signed paperback copy of any of my books, or...I've also offered a few other great books to choose from. See if any of these look like something worth winning...









 The contest is for ONE of the above books, your choice. As a bonus, if you tweet that you want to read WRITING WITH A HEAVY HEART by @denisejaden and you win, I will throw in an e-copy of that book as a bonus (plus you'll get your choice of the above books).

Note: Because I'm an author, I obviously want to spread the word about my own books, so I've added a tweet about my latest book to the Rafflecopter as a placeholder. But you don't have to tweet/facebook/blog about my books--it will make no difference to your entry, as long as you spread the word about one of the above books and about this contest.

This contest is open to anyone with a U.S. mailing address.

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March Madness Hosts Needed! #WIPMadness

I figure I better start getting organized for this year's March Madness Writing Challenge.

What is March Madness? An annual writing challenge, kind of like Nano, but we all set our own ambitious goals and then cheer each other on to complete them. Last year we also started opening it up to bloggers who want to set goals to blog more, or readers who want to set goals to read more or... pretty much any creative person who wants to challenge themselves to create more during the month of March.

How do we cheer each other on? Through daily check-ins on blogs throughout the blogosphere.

Why will you check in? Because you will need the encouragement...and...did I mention there will be prizes?

First and foremost, I'm looking for some writers with active blogs who would like to be a check-in host for this life-changing event! You'll need to be able to host up to four times during the month of March, encourage people who check-in at your blog, and offer something in the way of a prize that a writer would really appreciate (a critique, a gift card, a really great book, etc).

I've already heard from a couple of people who want to be check-in hosts, but I still need a few more.Email me and let me know if you are interested, what days of the week would be best for you to host, and what prize(s) you may be able to offer. My email is d (at) denisejaden (dot) com

And for those of you who aren't aware, March Madness continues year-round, in a sense, under the hashtag #wipmadness on Twitter. Throughout the year we have weekly blog check-ins on rotating blogs (during March we do this daily). If you just want to join in on the fun, but don't want to host, come and find us there, or check back here at the end of February to get in on all of the excitement!

GCC Presents Lucienne Diver and FANGTABULOUS!

First of all, congratulations to the winner of my New Years Giveaway Hop, Michele Moore Luker! Michele, you should have received an email from me about your prize.

I'm excited to welcome another member of the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit today! Lucienne Diver's newest release, Fangtabulous is just out and it looks so great! If you're also a writer, make sure to read on all the way to the interview, as Lucienne is also a literary agent and she has some great writing advice!

Gina Covello and her band of federal fugitives are on the run after taking down a secret (and sinister) government facility. Strapped without cash or credit cards—a fate worse than death for Gina—the rebels must find a place to lay low. They roll into Salem, Massachusetts, the most haunted town in America and the only place they have friends flying under the radar. But within a day, Gina and her gang are embroiled in a murder mystery of the supernatural kind.
Someone—or something—is strangling young women, and it's rumored to be the ghost of Sheriff Corwin, late of the Salem Witch trials.  Is it the ghostly Sheriff or is someone on this side of the veil using the famous story as a cover up? Gina is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery, and she needs to do it before a paranormal reporter on the scene exposes them for what they are...fanged federal fugitives.  

Rave Reviews: “Another amusing romp in the series, this installment also sees its hardy heroine beginning to mature, adding further dimension to her character. Reminiscent of Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse and Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum, Gina never fails to deliver the goods.”
—Kirkus Reviews
For the Vamped series: “Readers who appreciate Diver’s light, dry humor will welcome back feisty Gina and her hunky boyfriend, Bobby… a welcome lighthearted departure from gloomy vampire romance.” — Booklist

“Diver spins an action-packed story that is filled with humor. Gina is a sassy heroine who tackles issues and challenges with proper vampire style.”
—School Library Journal

“Diver successfully creates a vampire teen who is active and assertive and has no time for angst.  Gina has a biting, sarcastic voice that makes the Vamped books quick and entertaining reads.”
—VOYA
“There is enough grit and wit in this installment to keep adults engaged, as well as plugged-in co-eds. So take a fabulous spin. And stay tuned for book #4, Fangtabulous”
— Comicmix

Lucienne also stopped by for an interview:


Welcome, Lucienne! Can you tell me about your book in seven words or less.Vamp girl goes to Salem. Spirits rise.
Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your novel and why?I love my hero, Bobby, who’s like a young Zac Efron meets my husband.  I’m pretty hard on him in this book, and he and my heroine, Gina, are severely tested.  You’ll have to let me know how they do!  (Oh, shameless self-promo moment, the latest book in the Vampedseries is called Fangtabulousand is available now!)
What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?Writing is work as much as it’s fun, enervating as much as energizing.  Don’t let the self-doubt demons get to you.  Difficult doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong.  Some things will come more easily to you than others, but you have to master all aspects of the craft, which means that other things you’ll wrestle like your hero or heroine does the villain of your piece.  It will get easier with practice.
 What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?I did all of the above (except avoid writing).  I wrote really bad poetry and kept a journal when I was especially emotional about something.  I wrote stories, but they weren’t ready for primetime.  I think that first I had to work out the kinks and the clichés so that I could move on to the next level.
 What's the last book you read that you really loved?Luckily, I’m a literary agent, so I read books that I love every day and get to help see them onto the bookstore shelves!  In young adult, this includes Rachel Caine’s Morganville Vampires series, Rosemary Clement-Moore’s gothics, like The Splendor Falls, Brimstone and Texas Gothic, Molly Cochran’s paranormals Legacy and Poison and Chloe Neill’s work.  I wish I had more time to read the wonderful books out on the market, but I can tell you that Barry Lyga’s I Hunt Killers was recommended to me last year by one of my authors (Amy Christine Parker whose wonderful debut YA Gated comes out in August), and I totally loved it.

Lucienne Diver writes the humorous, suspenseful Vamped series of young adult vampire novels for Flux Books, including Vamped , Revamped , Fangtastic and the most recent, Fangtabulous .  Her short stories have been included in the Strip-Mauled and Fangs for the Mammaries anthologies edited by Esther Friesner (Baen Books), and her essay on abuse is included in the anthology Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories (HarperTeen).  She also writes the Latter-Day Olympians urban fantasy series for Samhain ( Bad Blood , Crazy in the Blood and the forthcoming Rise of the Blood ). 

Want to find out more about this great book?



Websites:Publisher: www.fluxnow.comAuthor: www.luciennediver.comAuthor’s blog: http://luciennediver.wordpress.com

Happy New Year 2013 Giveaway Hop!

Happy New Year, Friends! I'm so excited for 2013, and one of my favorite things to do when I'm excited is to give away good books! This Giveaway Hop runs from January 1st (or as soon as this post goes live) through January 7th. Thanks to Kathy from I'm a Reader Not a Writer for hosting this hop!


I have a slew of choices for you for this hop. Entry is super-easy, and the choices include a signed paperback copy of any of my books, as well as a few of my favorites. See if any of these look like something worth winning...







The contest is for ONE of the above books, your choice. As a bonus, if you tweet that you want to read WRITING WITH A HEAVY HEART by @denisejaden and you win, I will throw in an e-copy of that book as a bonus (plus you'll get your choice of the above books).

Note: Because I'm an author, I obviously want to spread the word about my books, but you don't have to tweet/facebook/blog about my books--it will make no difference to your entry, as long as you spread the word about one of the above books and about this contest.

This is my first time using Rafflecopter, so bear with me, and if you see any problems, please let me know in the comments and I'll fix as soon as possible. This contest is open to anyone with a U.S. mailing address.


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Top Ten of 2012!

I had an incredibly hard time narrowing down my favorite books of 2012. If you read my last post, you'll know I read 106 books during the year, and many, many of them I really loved. But I tried to whittle the list down to a few favorites. I couldn't hold myself to just ten, just couldn't, so I've added a few runner ups. I'd love to know if any of my favorites match yours!

Runner Ups (In no particular order):
Zero by Tom Leveen
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares

And the Top Ten:

10. Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle 
I love a good Christmas story, and Let It Snow was three linked stories! It was so much fun, and introduced me to two new authors that I now love.

9. Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard 
I felt like I was on the most adventurous trip of my life while reading Wanderlove. I love adventure. And travel. It made me want to rush to the airport and take whatever flight I can get on without planning ahead.


8. Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed 
Tiny Beautiful Things opened my mind. It is ninety percent about thinking outside the box and a hundred percent compassion. It is a must-read for anyone with a beating heart.


7. Live Through This by Mindi Scott 
 
Live Through This is an incredibly authentic and heart-wrenching book. It shows the underside of what appears to be one girl's perfect life, and made me realize how much more may be going on with people, how much is hidden, and the unseen reasons they make the decisions they do.



6. Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols 

I love books that bring me into settings and lives that I might otherwise never experience. I loved being at the small-town airport with Leah and experiencing her life with her in Such a Rush. Plus, the hot romance. *fanning myself*


5. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins 
If I did nothing but spent every one of my waking hours reading Stephanie Perkins' books, I don't think I would be lacking much. Maybe food. But otherwise, I think I'd be perfectly happy to live inside one of her books forever.



4. In Honor by Jessi Kirby 

I love road trip books, and In Honor is the perfect one, with plenty of depth and variety of experience.


3. Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarrey 

 This is one of the best dual point of view books I've read. I really felt for both of the point of view characters and they had such full, emotional stories. Plus there was a lot of sexual tension with the "bad boy," which is always a plus.



2. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn 

I'm not sure where to start with Gone Girl. The writing was exquisite, but besides that there were so many twists and turns and plot twists that I was literally on the edge of my seat through most of it. I hope hope hope that the upcoming movie will do this book justice. 

1. The Fault in our Stars by John Green 

I'd almost rather say nothing about The Fault in our Stars than try to give you any idea of how much it changed me and wrecked me and somehow put me back together. The only thing I can say is read it. So much heart in this book.





It's your turn! Are any of the above in your top books of 2012? If not, I'd love to hear what is!

Make sure to stop back next week, as I'll be having a big New Year's Giveaway!

Books Read in 2012

Whew! I read more books in 2012 than I've read in any other year of my life. I'm AMAZED at how many of these books were wonderful and memorable, and I count several of them among the best books I've ever read. I'll be back in a few days when I've whittled this down to a few of my favorites, but for now, I'd love to hear if you've read some of these and if you have any strong opinions on any of them. (My apologies for any spelling mistakes!)

I'll do a little more analysis at the end, but for now, here's the list, starting with the ones I read at the beginning of last year, and ending with books I just finished: 

1. Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
2. The Broken Thing by Peter Swift
3. Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard
4. So Much Closer by Susane Colasanti
5. Every You, Every Me by David Levithan
6. Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
7. Zero by Tom Leveen
8. Let's Get Lost by Sarra Manning
9. The Fault in our Stars by John Green
10. Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler
11. A Million Suns by Beth Revis
12. Gone, Gone, Gone by Hannah Moskowitz
13. A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young
14. Dancergirl by Carol M. Tanzman
15. Everything You Need to Survive the Apocalypse by Lucas Klauss
16. The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney
17. The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
18. Unbreak My Heart by Melissa C. Walker
19. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
20. Starters by Lissa Price
21. Identical by Ellen Hopkins
22. It's a Little Haywire by Elle Strauss
23. The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti
24. Dead to You by Lisa McMann
25. Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine
26. The Future of Us by Jay Asher
27. The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour
28. Blankets by Craig Thompson
29. Heist Society by Ally Carter
30. Boy 21 by Matthew Quick
31. Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares
32. But I Love Him by Amanda Grace
33. North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley
34. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
35. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
36. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
37. Lucky by Rachel Vail
38. Being Friends With Boys by Terra Elan McVoy
39. Crazy by Amy Reed
40. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
41. 37 Things I Love by Kekla Magoon
42. When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle
43. The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecelia Galante
44. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
45. Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
46. Real Live Boyfriends by E. Lockhart
47. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
48. Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross
49. On Becoming Childwise by Gary Ezzo
50. Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty
51. The One That I Want by Jennifer Echols
52. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
53. 3 Willows by Ann Brasheres
54. Take Me There by Susane Colasanti
55. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
56. Flyaway by Helen Landalf
57. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
58. Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle
59. In Honor by Jessi Kirby
60. Radiance by Alyson Noel
61. Whisper by Alyson Noel
62. Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton
63. Article 5 by Kristen Simmons
64. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
65. On Becoming Pre-Teen Wise by Gary Ezzo
66. Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer
67. The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
68. What She Left Behind by Tracy Bilen
69. Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols
70. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
71. Blubber by Judy Blume
72. Would You by Marthe Jocelyn
73. The Anatomy of Story by John Truby
74. Write Good or Die by Scott Nicholson
75. Gone by Lisa McMann
76. Do or Di by Eileen Cook
77. If I Lie by Corinne Jackson
78. Small Medium at Large by Joanne Levy
79. Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu
80. Something Like Normal by Trish Doller
81. Looking For Alaska by John Green
82. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
83. Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies by Blake Snyder
84. Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
85. Cracked by K.M. Walton
86. A Curse as Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce
87. The DNA of Relationships by Gary Smalley
88. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
89. Every Day a Friday by Joel Osteen
90. It's Your Time by Joel Osteen
91. Ten Things We Did by Sarah Mylnowski
92. No Plot? No Problem by Chris Baty
93. Ask the Passengers by A.S. King
94. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
95. On Writing by Stephen King
96. Purity by Jackson Pearce
97. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
98. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
99. Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed
100. Every Day by David Levithan
101. Abby Road by Ophelia London
102. The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
103. And Thereby Hangs a Tale by Jeffrey Archer
104. Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarrey
105. The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp
106. Live Through This by Mindi Scott

ETA: I just realized I'd missed at least one book (changing the total from 105 to 106 - Thanks, Mindi!) My only excuse is that I practically read her book in one sitting because it was so good, so I guess I somehow missed adding it to my GoodReads list.

Double whew! Keep in mind that this is not including books I critique or beta read, or my own books, which I have to read many times throughout the year. I honestly do not have a clue how I found time to read this many books. And I'm not a fast reader. All I can say is that I'm very goal driven (I set a goal to read a hundred books this year) and I also really, really enjoyed much of what I was reading.

Of the 106 books that I read in 2012:

Number of fiction: 95
Number of nonfiction: 11
Number I listened to on audiobook: 30
Number of books I did not finish: 4
Number of books I read because of hype: 24
Number that lived up to the hype (in my opinion): 9
Number of books I read for research purposes: 32
Number of books I read based on recommendations: 37
Number of books I would consider meh: 19
Number of books I would consider pretty good: 47
Number of books I would consider memorable: 25
Number of books I would consider ah-mazing: 16
Number of books that I will never forget: 2


It's a pretty good ratio, in my opinion. I didn't want to give specifics on books, because as a fellow author, I have too much compassion to do that. I certainly wouldn't want to read my book on another author's list of "meh" books. Besides, in my opinion, recommendations of awesome books are much more important.

Next year I don't plan on setting any ambitious reading goals, because I am feeling a bit burnt out on the "need to read" thing, but what I do plan on doing is being a bit pickier on what I  choose to read. I'm hoping to find 12 really amazing books by the end of 2013, so if you know of any that are not on my list (they don't need to be published in any particular year) please give me your suggestions.

I'll be back soon with my trimmed Best-Of list, but until then, I'll leave you with my top two...



How about you? Any favorites from the list above?