Winding down 2012: fave reads of the year and most anticipated in 2013

10 December 2012

Wow. I can’t believe I’m writing this post. It feels like just a month ago I was doing my 2011 wrap-up.

Before I get to the goods I just want to give a belated congratulations to anyone who attempted NaNo last month. GO YOU. If you’re looking for a critique partner to help you whip that rough draft into shape, be sure to check out my recent post on Pub(lishing) Crawl. I’ve got some tips on finding the right match for your needs, plus a chance to snag a critique partner right through the comments of the site. Similarly, if you just need an inspirational boost, my good friend Susan Dennard has a great post on creativity and lazy muses.

Okay…Moving on…

Around this time last year, I participated in the wonderful YA Superlatives Blogfest, which is hosted by a few of my writer friends. I had every intention of participating again this year, but I am just too slammed. I am going to do my own one-post roundup on my favorite reads of 2012 along with some of my most anticipated books of 2013 right here and now, but you should totally jump in on the superlatives fun. It kicks off next week.

And now, the lists…

My Top 5 2012 Reads


5. Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
“What a wonderful conclusion to the epic story of the Seven Kingdoms…I have a feeling these three novels will be ones I come back to over and over throughout the years.” [my full review]

 

4. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
“The writing is as gorgeous and atmospheric as ever (I seriously want to live between the lines!), but it is the characters that shine most in this book…I adored this.” [my full review]

 

3. Rebel Heart by Moira Young
“I respect Young for letting her characters make mistakes…[She] brings them all to life–even the secondary characters that don’t say more than a half-dozen things throughout the novel. They all feel real and so I can’t help but root for them and cry with them and stress over their safety. I am SO EXCITED for the final book in this series..” [my full review]

 

2. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
“I loved this novel…The world is terrifying, the stakes are high, and the whole thing is un-putdownable (my favorite type of read). I adored this book the way I adored THE HUNGER GAMES and BLOOD RED ROAD.” [my full review]

 

1. The Fault in our Stars by John Green
“TFioS is perhaps the funniest sad book I have ever read…There is very little I can say about it coherently other than the fact that I loved it—I was hugging the book upon completion.” [my full review]

Also, while I couldn’t squeeze them onto my top 5 list, I can’t go without mentioning the wonderful books by my fellow Pub(lishing) Crawl girls. These all came out in 2012 (actually, Legend was late 2011) and they are all fantastic:

      

I’m also in the process of reading Laini Taylor’s Days of Blood and Starlight and Catherynne Valente’s The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There, and it’s probably a good thing I’m not done with them yet. Both are amazing so far and would have added complications to my  “pick only per list five” rule.

And now…Moving on to books not published this year…

My Top 5 Oldies Read in 2012

5. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (2011)
“This book is haunting, and moving, and full of honesty. I had to break out my tissues, but it was worth every tear shed.” [my full review]

 

4. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand (2011)
“Even though this novel centers around angels (both good and fallen), this novel was somehow very rooted in reality. I think that’s what I loved most about it.” [my full review]

 

3. The Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness (2008, 09, 10)
“Ness has such a talent for capturing human nature…I can’t really put into words how much this [series] made me feel.” [my full reviews]

 

2. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart (2008)
“Hilarious, moving, strange, and brilliant, all wrapped into one…This is a truly remarkable book.” [my full review]

 

1. The Book Thief  by Markus Zusak (2006)
“This is one of those books that changes you. I went in one person, and came out another. There will now be books I read before THE BOOK THIEF and books I read after.” [my full review]

And looking ahead to the new year…

My Top 5 Most Anticipated Reads for 2013

5. Just One Day by Gayle Forman — How can I say no to Gayle Forman? Especially with the stellar premise and promise of gorgeous writing and fabulous character development.

4. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins — Back in Paris? With cameos from Anna + Étienne, and Lola + Cricket? Yes please.

3. Boundless by Cynthia Hand — Tucker! Pick Tucker, Clara. (You better. Please don’t make me come cry.)

2. The currently untitled third book in Moira Young’s Dust Lands trilogy — There isn’t even a synposis for this on goodreads yet, but I don’t care. I adore this series and am desperate to see how things end for Saba & Co.

1. Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi — I can’t talk coherently about this series. Just give me the book already. Perry!! Roar! Aria! I am dying to know what lies ahead for these three. *bites nails*

Making this list was so hard! PubCrawl again has a ton of amazing books launching in 2013. All my friends at Thirteeners also debut this coming year. And a bunch of great series are wrapping up (Divergent, Delirium, Wither, to name a few). I think 2013 is going to be packed full of unbelievable stories.

But what about you? Tell me your favorite reads of 2012 (oldies or just published ones)! And what are you dying to get your hands on in 2013?

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  • http://www.facebook.com/henry.circle.1 Henry Circle

    I’ve only read the John Green. I’m very much anticipating “Just One Day!” Honestly, I’ll take all the books on your list!

    • http://embowman.com/ Erin Bowman

      Can’t wait to see what Gayle Forman comes up with next! And wasn’t TFiOS amazing? >3

  • Sarah G.

    I loved TFioS and THE RAVEN BOYS as well. Most of my favorites this year were second-world fantasy: SERAPHINA, BITTERBLUE, and FROI OF THE EXILES. Way back in January I read BEFORE I FALL, and was totally blown away by it — it’s definitely my favorite of the Lauren Oliver novel’s I’ve read. I also totally fell for Y.S. Lee’s Mary Quinn mystery series: Victorian-era lady detectives in London! Fast-paced, swoony, and rich with historical detail. (Probably appealing to fans of Susan Dennard’s series, actually, which I quite enjoyed as well.) In non-YA reads, I adored Elif Batuman’s THE POSSESSED (ADVENTURES WITH RUSSIAN BOOKS AND THE PEOPLE WHO READ THEM).

    Most of my TBR list are not 2013 books, but rather titles I’ve had my eye on for a while. But in 2013 ones, I’m particularly looking forward to the conclusion to Melina Marchetta’s (tragically under-read) Lumatere Chronicles, second your ISLA excitement, and add to that Jennifer E. Smith’s next book, which looks adorable. I’m also excited to read the final version of a couple of books I read in manuscript form: THE NIGHTMARE AFFAIR (Mindee Arnett), which is so, so fun and clever, and TEETH (Hannah Moskowitz), which was the first HM book I ever read and it broke my heart in the very best way. I am also looking forward to WILL & ZOE, whose synopsis gave me ALL THE FEELS … so I expect I’ll need a fluffy pillow to accompany the read. And naturally, I can’t wait to get my paws on TAKEN. :D

    • http://embowman.com/ Erin Bowman

      I really need to read Marchetta’s Lumatere series. I have heard nothing but good things and have wanted to read for ages. MUST move them up my TBR list.

      As for upcoming reads…I’ve had my eyes on TEETH as well. (Loved HM’s INVINCIBLE SUMMER). And WILL & ZOE…is that now NOBODY BUT US? Halbrook’s debut? If so, yes! Dying for that one too. So many good books on the horizon :)

      • Sarah G.

        Oh yes, you’re totally right about the title of NOBODY BUT US– I got confused. :)

        And if you read the MM series, let me know what you think!

  • http://twitter.com/jaimearkin Jaime Arkin

    Great books on here! I have to start the Dust Lands Trilogy! I’ve been trying to wait but IDK if I can!

    I’m going to reread TFiOS next week..I know I’ll be bawling like a baby right before xmas! LOL

    I got an ARC of Through the Ever Night and OMG I loved every single second of it. Perry, Roar and Aria are wonderful and I need the next one!

    Of course I’ll join you waiting for Isla and the Happily Ever After!!

    xox
    jaime @ Fic Fare

    • http://embowman.com/ Erin Bowman

      I think you’ll love Young’s Dust Lands. There’s a weird dialect to the writing, so if that throws you off at first, stick with it! It’s so worth it :)

      And I am SO jealous of your TtEN ARC! At least I don’t have too much longer to wait for the hardcover. I’m incredibly anxious to be back with Perry and Roar and Aria. <3

  • Krispy

    I just finished what I think will be my absolute favorite read of 2012. It’s not YA though, but it’s brilliant and heartbreaking. I’m also just a huge Greek Mythology geek, so I love it purely for the subject matter and how deftly and faithfully the book follows the myth while still clearly maintaining its own story arcs and identity. I’m talking about The Song of Achilles, and it’s one of the few non-animal-related books that has made me cry. (Books really don’t make me cry, unless like someone’s beloved pet dies. That’s basically the only time I ugly cry at anything.)

    BUT in the YA set, from 2012 I loved Code Name Verity, Seraphina, and The Raven Boys. Oldies read in 2012 that I loved: A Monster Calls, Fire, Shadows on the Moon. It wasn’t my favorite, but I’m also glad I finally got around to reading Perks of Being a Wallflower.

    Looking forward to so much in 2013! A bunch of sequels & series enders, but also a bunch of Thirteeners’ books! Prophecy, Taken (of course!), Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, and The Nightmare Affair, and so many others I can’t even think of right now! So much reading, so little time!

  • http://www.alexayupangco.tumblr.com/ Alexa Y.

    What a great list of books! I’ve read very few of these, but I do mean to remedy that very, very soon ;)

  • Claire Caterer

    Erin, I absolutely loved A MONSTER CALLS, which I also read this year. I read THE BOOK THIEF a couple of years ago, and it still haunts me. Most of the others are on my TBR list!

  • http://twitter.com/lyssness Alyssa

    It seems like there were so many good books released this year, and next year is going to be the same! I haven’t read many of these, but they’re ALL on my to-read list. TFiOS will probably go down as my #1 favorite of those I’ve read as well. I’m very much looking forward to 2013, but I have a feeling that keeping up with all of the awesome new releases AND trying to read those I missed in 2012 is going to be a tad overwhelming. Too many books, too little time!

  • http://twitter.com/katyupperman Katy Upperman

    Aww, I’m so sad you can’t do the Superlatives Blogfest with us, but I’m very glad that you still shared your top picks of the year. BITTERBLUE, UNDER THE NEVER SKY and THE FAULT IN OUR STARS and THE RAVEN BOYS were some of my faves too! Oh, and I’m dying for JUST ONE DAY as well. :-)