favorite reads of 2011

happy 2012 everyone!

once again, i'm here to list my favorite

reads from the previous year. this past year,

i only read 54 novels. not a lot by any means,

but still enough to fuel me. the more that i read

and the more that i write, i've truly come to realize

how personal reading favorites are. yes, everyone

might agree that [this] book is really good. but not

every reader will truly *love* it.

i've read a lot of excellent novels in 2011–and the

ones that are my favorite are for completely personal

reasons. and i have to admit, it is becoming more and

more difficult to choose each year. last year, i didn't

bother to rank them, and i won't this year either. i'm only

glad i managed to whittle them down to five, with many

honorable mentions worth mentioning.

i consider myself a reader before i consider myself

a writer. and i'm just as big a fangirl as the rest of

you when it comes to favorite authors and books.

for those who are curious, my top favorites

from the last few years are listed here on my about page.

now, i'm very happy to announce, with links to my

goodreads reviews, my top five reads of 2011, in the order

that i read them. (not all novels were published in 2011.)

Red Glove by holly black

You Against Me by jenny downham

The Last Summer of the Death Warriors

by francisco x. stork

The Gray Wolf Throne by cinda williams chima

Mistress of Rome by kate quinn [debut]

Other favorites read in 2011, all rated 5 stars:

Clockwork Prince by cassandra clare

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by lish mcbride

Huntress by malinda lo

Invisible Sun by David Macinnis Gill

Madame Tussaud by michelle moran

Nevermore by kelly creagh

Slice of Cherry by dia reeves

So Silver Bright by lisa mantchev

The Demon's Surrender by sarah rees brennan

The Dragon and the Pearl by jeannie lin

The Second Duchess by elizabeth loupas

and there you have it! what were some of YOUR

favorite reads from 2011? any that surprised you?

my biggest surprise would have to be You Against Me

by downham. it's contemporary–which i'm more

selective of when reading (i favor fantasy), but it

stayed with me for a very long time. she's a fantastic

writer and storyteller, and tackled a difficult subject

in a compelling way.

i'm excited to keep reading in 2012!

also, stay tuned for a big Greenwillow Books giveaway

next week–including TWO fantastic arcs!

currently reading:

Saving Fish From Drowning by amy tan