My Top 10 Books this year (sorry it's a tad long!)

This is the first Christmas of the blog. Hopefully, there will be more. So. This is the top 10 books that I've read this year. There will be another one of the best moments of 2010 on New Year's Eve - hopefully. And I mean 'hopefully'.


So this is in no particular order, just the order I thought of them. This is also books, that I have only read once. The first time being this year.


1. Along For The Ride - Sarah Dessen

This was the first book reviews on the blog. Amazing isn't it?
I loved this book. It's one of the best of Sarah Dessen's in my opinion, as well as The Truth About Forever. Actually, I loved this book so much, I read it twice in about two months - of course with other books in between. It's also special for me because it was released on my birthday - February 6th. And my parents pre-ordered it for my birthday - god I love them more because of that. ha :)
Anyway. I just love the romance and the characters, they're all great. And Eli...hm. :) The girls are great and provided me with so many moments where I laughed out loud because they just came out with the most funniest things (and before you English people say something about 'the most funniest' - I do it all the time. I know. It makes sense to me.)
My Review
Goodreads

2. Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

I just...I love this novel. It's modern. It's something different. And it all fits in with what happened at the beginning in the end. The first chapter has you sitting there like 'What the hell?' but by the end, you're like 'Oh. I get it now'.
I don't know about anyone else, but I like books that are like that. Just my taste, I guess. It was a long time ago I read this and I borrowed it from Joey so I can't remember all the characters names. But whoever they were, I liked them.
And they made me laugh. Which always raised the bar on a book for me.
And they made a movie of this in Japan...with Emma Roberts in. :S
I would like to see that as it is one of those books where you read it and could see it as a movie...
My Review
Goodreads
 3. Monsters of Men - Patrick Ness

Oh Patrick. Ness. This is the last book in the Chaos Walking trilogy. And I think the best.
Now, I'm not a fantasy gal normally but I love this. Because well, it's a mixture of everything. Romance, Comedy, Fantasy, Action, Adventure. And again I love those books that have more than one genre in them. I think it makes them more interesting.
I'm so glad what happened to Viola and Todd in the end, it was just right. And even left it on a little bit of a cliffhanger so some of it it left to you to decide what happens in the complete end. That's nice. It was the perfect ending book for this amazing series.


My Review
Goodreads
Losing It Event
My Mention :)


4. If I Stay - Gayle Forman

This is the only book ever to make me slightly cry. And I mean ever. Sure, I've felt sad or had tears in my eyes but this is the first book to physically have me with tears streaming down from my eyes.
This book is actually slightly breathtaking. It's full of flashbacks of a girl in a coma which is (well we don't know do we?) slightly unrealistic but it didn't go overboard. There were flashbacks from her memory of the past too.
It was also just so beautifully written by Gayle Forman.
And like Love, Aubrey - it stays with you. I still think about it sometimes.
There is a sequel next year but I'm not sure if that's going to ruin it...make it...we'll find out.


My Review
Goodreads


5. (Halfway) The Sky is Everywhere - Jandy Nelson

Oh my. I wanted to read this as soon as I saw it in the shops and the reviews popped up on the blogosphere. Although, it wasn't AS good as I thought it was going to be, it was still pretty darn good and as I made so much hype about it, it deserves to be in the Top 10.
The difference and thing I loved about this book, was the fact we found out a lot of the main character, Lennie's feelings through the poems on the pictures, which were supposedly 'found', at the start of each chapter. I think that's what made me and Joey love it. It's now one of Joey's favourite books, I think partly because of that. George also recently borrowed it and read it in two days. Yeah I know. She liked that part of the novel too. I think it also just in the English version. I don't know...I think it's one of the best parts.
My Review
Goodreads
My 'I WANT THIS BOOK' post.


6. The Secret Countess (also known as The Countess Below Stairs) - Eva Ibbotson

This was the book that got me into Eva Ibbotson who I kinda have a love for at the moment. She is a historical romance writer. My favourite genre in the whole of the book writing world.
 It was again just different and completely original. Even if there was an element of the 'forbidden romance' which I guess is in most novels that have some kind of hint of romance.
I don't know. It's just it showed what it was like to be Upstairs in a big house in English and the 20's and Downstairs. It was a bit like Downton Abbey but less drama and involving one person...

My Review
Goodreads

7. Auslander - Paul Dowswell

Okay. So not the normal type of book you'd see me read or even have a look at. The thing that drew me to this book was the fact it's set during Nazi Germany. The period I'm studing for History.
This again is a book that had a bit of everything. Romance, Action, Tension, Comedy, Adventure. And it's also the Survival Guide to passing GCSE History - Nazi Germany. It tells you everything in so much detail about anything to do with that time frame. Life, before the war, during the war, what children did, how everyone was on edge about being sent to concentration camps, Jews.
I loved it and I think I'll always remember it. It made me understand truly what life was like then. Not nice.

My Review
Goodreads

8. The Other Countess - Eve Edwards

I think this has got to be one of the best books I've read this year - by then this whole list is. It kinda blew me away a little. I just couldn't get enough of it.
I bought it on a 3 for 2 offer, I was slightly...nervous about starting it. The cover isn't exactly the most teenager-ist. I loved it. I absolutely 100% loved it. Eve Edwards made it so detailed in the historical side. You understood everything. The romance, even though it's throughout the whole book, it wasn't too much - just right. The next book, The Queen's Lady, is due out next year (I maaay have pre-ordered it...WHAT? Waterstones were doing half price off pre-orders and free delivery...)
I have a weakness for this author and series...

My Review
Goodreads

9. The Declaration series - Gemma Malley

I say The Declaration Series but I mean the two books in this trilogy that I discovered this year, The Declaration and The Resistance. Both, absolutely amazing and entertaining.
Now, I'm not normally the type of person (Like I said for Auslander) to go for sci-fi or basically a book like this but I was kind of 'drawn' to it and I'm so glad that I did. Because these are such great books. And I think it's also the idea behind it that's so different. And so controversal. Tablets that make you live forever. I mean, we ponder it but no-one ever does anything or try and this book shows you the consequences of the world if you DID try and make something like this. They're just such interesting novels. And the last one in the trilogy, The Legacy was out in September and I hope to read it in 2011.
The Declaration Review
The Resistance Review
Goodreads (Declaration)
Goodreads (Resistance)

10. The Betrayal - Mary Hooper

There had to be a Mary Hooper book on here. Had to.
This book is the last in the triology of At the House of the Magican series. And in my opinion, the best one. I think it is supposed to be aimed at teenagers slightly younger than me but I'm 15 and I really enjoyed it.
What I love about Mary Hooper is, she gives you such an idea in detail about what life was like in Elizabethan Times. I think this is what makes me love her writing so much. And it's historical. And has a hint of romance. My favourite. :)
The whole series was good but I think this one just topped it off and I really enjoyed this series. I would recommend them to anyone.

My Review
Goodreads



Other Mentions (ones that were equally as good and should reserve a mention):
- Shadow Web - N.M.Browne
- The Luxe Series - Anna Godberson
- Fallen Grace - Mary Hooper
- The Lady in the Tower - Marie-Louise Jensen
- Love, Lies and Lizzie - Rosie Rushton
- Star-crossed - Rachael Wing

All of these rated 5/4 stars on Goodreads. All 5 stars for the top 10 though.
Thank you if you've got down this far. And Thank you so much to all the followers, commenters and people who have visited this year since February. I appreciate it a LOT.

Have a lovely Christmas and a lovely New Year. I shall be eating and seeing family so I probably won't have time to come online so this will probably be the last post this side of Christmas (I love that pun when it gets nearer Christmas).
Have fun :)

The Resistance - Gemma Malley

To any regular followers, they will remember my excitement and loving for the first in this fantastic series, The Declaration. To see my review on that, click here.
WARNING: THERE MAY BE SPOLIERS FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T READ THE DECLARATION.

Anyway, that was a great book. And because I really wanted to know what happens next, I looked on the council Libraries website, typed this in, saw it was avaliable at three of my local libraries. Then, realising it was a Sunday, and that libraries are annoyingly closes on a Monday & Sunday, I was so happy when I realised that one of these open every day! I mean...that's never heard of in Library world. So I got the bus there and like they say the rest is history.
Anyway, it's due back today so I thought I better write a review as it's sitting next to me.

First Sentence: Overhead lighting, bleak and uncompromising, shone down in the small room like a prison guard's searchlight, picking out every speck of dust, every mark on the cheap carpet, every smudged fingerprint on the window sill.

The year is 2140 - a couple of months after the events of The Declaration. Having escaped the horrors of Grange Hall, Peter and Anna are living freely on the Outside, trying hard to lead normal lives, but unable to leave the terror of the Declaration—and their experiences as surpluses—completely behind them. Peter is determined to infiltrate Pharma Corporation, which claims to have a new drug in the works; "Longevity+" will not just stop the ravages of old age, it is rumored to reverse the aging process. But what Peter and Anna discover behind the walls of Pharma is so nightmarish it makes the prison of their childhood seem like a sanctuary. Shocking, controversial, and frighteningly topical, this sequel to Gemma Malley’s stellar debut novel, The Declaration, will take the conversation about ethics and science to the next level.
(From Goodreads.com)

    I thought that The Declaration was good but this I think was much much better. Most of the story is taken from Peter's point of view, unlike only Anna in the first one. To be honest, I think he was much more interesing, there's more mystery behind him, things we don't entirely know about. In this one, they also focus on Richard Pincent, Peter's grandfather and the founder of Pincent Pharmas, the main maker of Longevity. We find out more about Peter and the company and about the past actually. There was new characters, Jude, Maria, Dr Edwards. And the oldies, Anna, Peter, Pip. All have things about them, that we keep you hanging on, wanting to know more.
In addition, I think it was also better because it was longer. It's 317 pages, unlike the 200-odd of The Declaration which I must admit, did have a few tedious bits (This had none at all). I love books where you're constantly finding things out and this is definitely one of them. Things are said that could have two meanings, to keep you guessing. There were also things I guessed right, which made me happy.
Gemma Malley has successful made this novel so she is always playing with the reader's mind and opinions which is an incredible skill. I know I'm going on about how it's written, but really, it does kind of 'make' the book.
Unlike, other reviews I've read about this one, yes, the topic is quite hard-hitting and you do have to concentrate a bit, I think the excution was better than The Declaration.
But like most books, I think this one is prefered by different people. I would recommend this to anyone that likes a bit of guessing, mystery and finding out all the possiblities of the future.

I know through reading this series so far, I've thought about what my future could be like and could I be around for tablets that make you live forever, cure cancer. It's a nice thought and recently I have found myself in the middle of lessons thinking, 'In another life, I may not be here. What will it be like when I do die? Do I want to die?'

The idea of Longevity is very appealing, but if it was reality, would you actually sign The Declaration, and live a long life, forever?
What do you guys think - what option would you go for?


Author's Website: http://www.gemmamalley.com/
 
The Legacy, the third in the series is out now in Hardback.

The Declaration - Gemma Malley

I got this off the wonderful as ever, Joey when I was at her house. If you have no idea, who I am talking about, click here for an explaination.

First Sentence: My name is Anna. My name is Anna and I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't exist. But I do.


It's 2140, a Nazi-like era where no-one dies because of Longevity drugs. Sign the Declaration, agree not to have children and you too can live forever. Refuse, and you will live as an outcast. For the children born outside the law, it only gets worse – Surplus status, lowest of low - repaying your parent's sins for having you.
Surplus Anna, six months away from being released from Grange Hall and becoming a Valuable Asset, is about to meet Peter, who tells her shocking things about the Outside and makes her start to question the rules and want to try and find a better future. They both find out secrets about themselves, each other and the world that the generations before them have created.

The amount of times I have seen this novel and wondered about it. There was always something there, making me not quite want to read it. Maybe because it's set in the future, a setting I have something against. Probably because of my love for historical books. Or it just sounded too complex. Which it is. But Gemma Malley takes you into that world and understand everything.
I really enjoyed it. It was a definite page turner and made me think about the world a little bit. I mean, think about it. I probably wouldn't be here at 15, writing this if there was Longevity drugs - or be a Surplus. It also made me think about all the problems in the world today and in the book. I worry about homework and coursework and boys and that, but what about possible 'Surpluses' now, how are they being treated? Similar to the book?
This didn't explain every foreign word used but you still got the gest of what was going on. I loved Anna and Peter's relationship. It wasn't not friendly but still not too friendly if you know what I mean. AND I realised that Anna and Peter were the main characters in Auslander, a book set in Nazi Germany which made me smile as they are pretty similar.
This book I also found out is part of a trilogy. The second one is going to be read next, The Resistance. And the last one was released last week, The Legacy. So I'm look forward to reading those :)
I would recommend this book to anyone who doesn't mind a bit of fantasy. It's such a gripping book, I promise that you'll love it from start to end which lots of twists and turns throughout...seriously. The amount of times I was like 'Oh my god!'....

Author's Website: http://www.gemmamalley.com/