Top 10 of ’12: Best Books I’ve Read This Year

Since it’s the beginning of a new year (and thankfully not the end of the world), it’s time for me to list my favorite books that I read in 2012.

Note that not all of these books were published this year –  these are just my favorites out of the ones I have read.

Without further ado:

(in the order I read them):

The Jumbee by Pamela Keyes

I gobbled up this modern-day retelling of Phantom of the Opera set in the West Indies. It’s very unique and fans of romantic ghost stories or theater in general will likely enjoy it as well.

 

 

 

North and South by Elisabeth Gaskell

Read the book that became the basis for the hit BBC miniseries starring Richard Armitage and Daniela Denby-Ashe. Minister’s daughter Margaret Hale and factory owner John Thornton don’t exactly hit it off when they first meet, but their circumstances and conflicting backgrounds will change them both in the end.

 

 

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Gorgeous writing, a well-developed setting, and two tenacious main characters make this “horse book” a delight.

 

 

 

 

This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel

A really, really creepy prequel to Frankenstein that should definitely be read with the lights on. Victor Frankenstein isn’t always such a likeable or sympathetic protagonist, but that’s the point, the way Oppel writes from his perspective is very well done.

 

 

 

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes/The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes/The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

I may as well call this the “year of Sherlock”: I saw A Game of Shadows in theaters, got hooked on BBC Sherlock as well as CBS Elementary, and not to mention that I  read some of the original stories while traveling through the areas of England where they are set. (I definitely wouldn’t want to be alone on the moors of Dartmoor at night, especially if there’s a gigantic hound roaming around). A century later, the adventures of Holmes and Watson are still taking on new forms all the time, but nothing beats the original canon.

 

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier 

It’s sort of a 1930s revision of Jane Eyre. A timid young girl marries a much older man and goes to live at his English estate. The creepy housekeeper seems like she’s out to get her, and the memory of Rebecca, the first wife to live at Manderley, casts an eerie shadow over the place. I never did get around to writing a review of this one, but it’s good.

 

 

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

It’s a crime it took me this long to read Jane Eyre! It’s a Gothic love story told in a very clear first-person style by an orphan girl firmly convinced of her own worth. I can’t recommend it enough.

 

 

 

 Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

Great new Robin Hood retelling that reimagines Will Scarlet as a tough young woman disguising herself as a boy. I could hardly put it down!

 

 

 

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Fantastic “dragon” book involving murder, music, and a search for acceptance. One of the best fantasy books I’ve read all year.

 

 

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Technically it’s a re-read, and technically I just finished it today, not in 2012. But it’s been around ten years since I’ve read it, and I just felt my list wouldn’t be complete without it. It’s a simple adventure with some surprising depth and gives a wonderful taste of the world Tolkien created. Plus, it’s a lot of fun. I can’t wait to see how Peter Jackson brings the rest of the book to life on-screen.

 

 

5 of these books were borrowed from the library.

3 of these books were read on Kindle.

2 of these books I bought from a physical bookstore.

Have a Happy New Year!

Check out my list from 2011.

Review: Such Wicked Intent by Kenneth Oppel

NOTE: This book is a sequel to This Dark Endeavor. Therefore, it will contain spoilers for the first book in the series. You’ve been warned!

Summary:  When does obsession become madness? Tragedy has forced sixteen-year-old Victor Frankenstein to swear off alchemy forever. He burns the Dark Library. He vows he will never dabble in the dark sciences again—just as he vows he will no longer covet Elizabeth, his brother’s betrothed.

If only these things were not so tempting.

When he and Elizabeth discover a portal into the spirit world, they cannot resist. Together with Victor’s twin, Konrad, and their friend Henry, the four venture into a place of infinite possibilities where power and passion reign. But as they search for the knowledge to raise the dead, they unknowingly unlock a darkness from which they may never return.

(Source: Goodreads)

Review: I don’t always read horror fiction, but when I do, it’s based on classic novels and written by Kenneth Oppel.

Will Victor Frankenstein ever learn? Well, we already know the answer to that question is “no,” so it’s a credit to Oppel’s storytelling skills that we still find his adventures as a young man so compelling. After Victor discovers that one of his ancestors found a way to visit “the other side,” Victor starts plotting a way to bring his dead twin back to life.

As usual…things don’t go according to plan. General weirdness ensures, like finding clues in a painting Arnolfini Wedding-style, strange undead butterflies, making mudpeople, and discovering an ancient tomb right under the Frankenstein Chateau. Sometimes I would wonder “Where is Oppel going with this?” but the last half of  the book comes together with the kind of horrifying twists that literally made me go, “Oh no!”

As in the previous books, Victor’s not an especially likeable main character, yet there is still some altruism in him. What “romance” there is still ties directly into the creepy, unsettling tone of the book. It did annoy me that all the young men pursued Elizabeth, but that’s just the way things go.

Victor’s jealousy and selfishness in particular were frustrating to read about, but they’re necessary. There is a line spoken by Elizabeth where she declares that she never quite knows which forces motivate Victor’s actions. This is an integral part of Victor’s character that is so important to who he will later become. Speaking of which, overall this novel seemed to have more in common with Shelley’s original novel. Victor’s frequent use of the phrase “the creature” certainly brings back memories of the way he will regard his eventual monstrous creation.

In short: Oppel doesn’t disappoint in his second super-creepy installment about the world of young Victor Frankenstein.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Cover & Title: The title works, but I kept waiting for a character to say it in the book. Not a fan of the “photo shoot” cover picture, but I will say Victor’s black armband to mourn his brother is a good touch.

Where I got the book: Shelves of the local library.

Review: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Summary: Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty’s anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen’s Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

(Summary Source: Goodreads)

Review:  It’s hard to find a book that balances good world-building, well-developed characters, and  an interesting plot. Seraphina is one of them.

To start off, it’s not much of a spoiler to talk about Seraphina’s “secret,” which is revealed to the reader fairly quickly. She is half-dragon, which leaves her with a number of abilities and traits that she struggles to conceal, considering that her society considers the idea of dragon-human hybrids an abomination. In this universe, dragons have the ability to take on human form, and even after years of peace and interaction with dragons, the humans are still very wary of them.

Seraphina tries to keep a low profile in her job managing the court musicians, but the prince’s mysterious death draws her into a web of intrigue as she helps Captain Lucian Kiggs investigate the murder. What makes Seraphina stand out is that it’s not a typical swords-and-dragons high fantasy book. It’s a good old court intrigue drama in a setting that feels vaguely like 16th-17th century Western Europe. All of the many characters (don’t worry – there is a glossary in the back) are fascinating, from the goofy musicians to the royal family to  a group of exiled knights. Seraphina’s agony over acceptance and her dual heritage also rings very true.

In particular, Hartman creates a really interesting mentality and culture for the dragons. To make a Star Trek comparison, their logical, brilliant minds and rejection of emotions reminded me of Vulcans. Besides Seraphina, my favorite character in the novel definitely has to be her Spock-like dragon uncle, Orma. Early on, my brain decided to picture Benedict Cumberbatch portraying him, and that stuck with me the whole book. Weird and unintentionally funny as he is, he’s Seraphina’s only friend and confidant and therefore plays a very important role in her life.

Two final things I loved about Seraphina? It’s clearly the first of a series, yet the first book wraps things up enough that I was reasonably satisfied while still wanting to know what happened next. Finally a first book that is not just setup for the rest of the series. Sweet relief!

Second, there is romance, and it is appropriately agonizing, yet Hartman avoids the hair-pulling-in-frustration pitfalls common to so many other young adult series. The characters are flawed humans* yet they are also smart humans who do not do stupid contrived things to stretch out the plot.

Final note: This is the kind of YA book that adults would also very much enjoy. On that note, I will add that some of the content (references, though. Nothing too racy.) does mean that the target age for this book is older teens.

In short: Seraphina is a unique, excellently-crafted novel that is sure to entertain anyone looking for something a little different than your average dragon book.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

Something similar: I’m not going to bring up Paolini’s work because I still haven’t gotten over how disappointing the last book was. Honestly, if you were anything like me in middle school, you’ve probably already read a ton of those dragon-centered fantasy books. At times Seraphina did remind me of Robin McKinley’s Pegasus. However, Seraphina is much more interesting in my opinion (though I still do love Robin McKinley).

Cover & Title: The name “Seraphina” means “fiery.” And the wood-cut-engraving-style cover couldn’t be more perfect. (However, I did just realize that the smudgy red ink/blood is actually part of the cover, and not from some previous library patron carelessly staining the cover of the copy I checked out. Wow.)

Where I got the book: Shelves of the local library.

*humans, dragons, human-dragon hybrids. To bring up Trek again, “Everybody’s human.”

Can you tell I’m behind on reviews? Two in one day, and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey review coming soon (hopefully).

Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Summary: “There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

(Summary Source: Goodreads)

Review: 

Basically, Blue finds out that when she kisses her true love, he’ll die. Which is depressing especially because the next thing she knows, she’s hanging out with four interesting guys.

But this book had less romance than the summary may lead you to believe, which wasn’t a bad thing at all in my opinion. The plot centers around the search for the burial place of Glendower, a Welsh nobleman who may not be as dead as everyone thinks. It isn’t long before Blue’s supernatural connection to Gansey gets her involved in the search.

It took me a little while to warm up to Blue and the group of boys, but they all grew on me over time. I liked Blue once I got to know her a bit better, though some of her “quirks” like her “creative” clothing choices seemed a little like cliche afterthoughts to me. Gansey could be annoyingly pretentious, but this is tempered by the fact that he himself is aware of his own flaws. Ronan had me rolling my eyes, and you could almost forget that Noah is there, but that’s the way his dynamic works in the group. Though Adam came across as bland at first, he became my favorite character by the end of the book. He’s a classic nice guy, even if he falls squarely into “woobie” territory. Part of the fun of the book stemmed from watching the developing friendships and general horsing around.

As always, Stiefvater’s writing is lovely, and she deftly combines interesting everyday details with the supernatural, giving the characters an interesting world to roam around in. The town of Henrietta, Virginia mountains, and mysterious forests are all part of the backdrop.

For some reason, the book did feel lukewarm compared to Stiefvater’s other efforts. Like The Scorpio Races, it unfolds at a leisurely pace, yet The Raven Boys does seem like mere setup for the next three novels, and ended a little abruptly.

In short: While its characters take some getting used to, The Raven Boys is a beautifully-written opening to what will likely be a very enjoyable quartet.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Cover & Title: The title works, and the painted look of the cover is fantastic. Something about the white background makes it really stand out. The crossed lines under the title are also significant…

Where I got the book: Shelves of the local library.

Review: Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

Summary: Will Scarlet is on the run from her past. That’s why she disguises herself as a boy and wound up becoming a part of Robin of Locksley’s little band of outlaws. Scarlet’s guilt and inner sense of justice leads her to help keep the local villagers alive under the brutal rule of the sheriff of Nottingham, even if she does have to steal and fight to do it. As the stakes rise and the ruthless Guy of Gisbourne gets involved, blood will be spilled and loyalty will be tested.

Review: What can I say? I’m a sucker for all things Robin Hood. And Will Scarlet reimagined as a girl? Count me in.

This novel felt unique in a number of ways. It clipped along at a fast past that went hand-in-hand with Scarlet’s no-nonsense tone of voice, and though it does built to somewhat of a climax, the format felt more cyclical than linear. It’s like a chess game where the Nottingham authorities and the forest outlaws take turns trading blows and setting traps. The pace felt pretty breathless, with the heroes unable to go five minutes without getting into some sort of scrape.

As for the “heroes” themselves, I have mixed feelings about them. There’s a larger cast of villagers, but the novel focuses pretty narrowly on the small band of outlaws: Robin, Scarlet, John Little, and Much (although he sometimes feels a bit like the “Ringo” of the group and gets the short end of the stick in terms of characterization). All four have altruistic motives, but their past experiences have left them pretty damaged and tortured (this is medieval England so that means physically as well as emotionally). This means the relationships they form to each other aren’t always the healthiest, which is realistic but also becomes frustrating to the reader when they fight with and yell at each other frequently.

Scarlet’s a really fascinating narrator. In many ways, she reminded me of Eponine from Les Miserables in that she’s very tough and stubbornly self-reliant to a fault, yet incredibly vulnerable as well. (In fact, her voice sounded exactly like Frances Ruffelle‘s in my head. Or it would if Scarlet didn’t have to pass as a convincing boy for the bulk of the novel). She was definitely a heroine I could root for, but her low self -worth, tendency to run off and sulk, and inability to go five minutes without fighting with one of the boys were starting to drive me nuts by the end of the book. I appreciated her ferocity in combat, but I thought her ability to endure pain bordered on superhuman.

As for the boys: Robin is likeable enough and a good leader, though haunted by his time fighting in King Richard’s Crusade. He seems to understand Scarlet better than anyone, but she thinks she doesn’t deserve him. John is quite a womanizer, yet has started to pursue Scarlet. Unfortunately, this is the making for a love triangle that inspired a bit of hair-pulling on my part. I didn’t doubt for an instant that I knew how it would all turn out; however, the interactions of the three got repetitious without really going anywhere. It’s enough to make the reader almost want Scarlet to end up with sweet little Much.  In addition, though the novel makes a point about how badly women were treated in this time and place, it bothered me to see these attitudes surface to a small extent in the behavior of both John and Robin towards Scarlet, which was a turn-off.

In spite of all this, I really did enjoy Scarlet. It was hard to put down, and the characters and scenarios felt familiar yet original at the same time. Showing just a “slice of life” in the outlaws’ experiences, the book doesn’t so much end as just stop, so I would definitely be up for a sequel.

In short: Though the character relationships are slightly problematic at times, Scarlet is still an exciting read that anyone who is a fan of Robin Hood will want to try.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Something similar: My all-time favorite Robin Hood book is still Robin McKinley’s Outlaws of Sherwood. It has a much slower, more leisurely pace than Scarlet, with a slightly neurotic Robin who isn’t even all that great of an archer. It still has a lot of tension and it’s loaded with subtly, dry humor that I appreciate anew everytime I re-read it. For another book about a clever thief who is also an unreliable narrator, try Megan Whalen Turner’s The Thief, which is set in a sort of fantasy version of Greece.

Cover & Title: I can’t think of a better title, and the cover is gorgeous. The artist captured Scarlet’s “moonstone” eyes and the scar on her cheek, even if she looks far too pretty to pass for a boy.

Where I got the book: Shelves of the local library.

Review: Glamorous Illusions by Lisa T. Bergren

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
-Proverbs 4:23

Summary: In 1913, Montana farmgirl Cora Diehl returns home from a year of school in time for two shocking events: first, her Papa is suffering from a stroke, and second, her Papa isn’t really her biological father at all. When her mother was a maid in the house of copper king and politician Wallace Kensington, the two had a liaison that resulted in Cora’s birth. Now, in exchange for his help with her Papa’s medical issues and failing farm, Kensington wants Cora to be an acknowledged part of his family. Shipped off on a Grand Tour of Europe with a pack catty half-siblings and their friends, trunks full of gorgeous dresses, and a handsome young tour guide, Cora is about to enter a brave new world.

Review: If you’re a fan of Downton Abbey* like me, then the mention of any book, show, or movie set between 1912-1920 makes your period-drama-loving heart begin to palpitate. Since I also loved the author’s addictive River of Time series, this book was a must-read.

So how does Glamorous Illusions hold up? Well, it’s a mixed bag. With her sensitive yet headstrong nature, Cora is a bit like Margaret from North and South, but other than that, she didn’t really break out of the standard heroine mold. In addition, while I applaud that Bergren’s books always have an underlying theme about trusting in God, there were many times I wanted to skim Cora’s too-frequent inner monologues in which she pondered her life and future. It’s perfectly clear that her world had been overturned, and I didn’t need to read endless musings on it.

The identity of her love interest is also perfectly clear as soon as he shows up. Will and his uncle are the “bears” for the trip, which basically means they give rich young people tours of Europe for a living. Will is the sort of handsome, polite, agreeable young man we all would love to date but can never seem to find in real life. To keep his job and hold to his convictions, it’s important for Will to be the “responsible one” of the group, but many times he did seem a bit of a wet blanket. Still, I did enjoy his scenes with Cora (there is a particularly lovely one where they both attend a Paris church service), and look forward to more of them in future books.

“Future books” is part of the problem, however. The whole book feels like set-up. Beside Will, the rest of Cora’s party still felt rather one-note at the end of the book. There are several subplots that are hinted at but do not come to fruition. I felt the beginning of the book was rather slow (at the halfway point, I believe the group was just making the crossing to England) and what dramatic action does occur is not until the very end of the book. I have high hopes for the rest of the series, which I plan to finish, but the first book did feel rather run-of-the-mill on the whole.

In short: While it’s an enjoyable read that promises payoff in the upcoming sequels, Glamorous Illusions is just average on its own.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

Something similar: Fateful by Claudia Grey is a book about the Titanic and werewolves. While it’s a fun read and gives insight into the time period, it does lack the moral backbone of Glamorous Illusions. The Grand Tour by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer is the sequel to the exquisite Sorcery and Cecelia. In the early 19th century, cousins Kate and Cecelia write diary entries about their Grand Tour of Europe with their respective husbands and the magical mishaps that ensue.

Cover & Title: The cover is absolutely gorgeous. Quite possibly my favorite of the year. From the font to the artwork, I adore it.

Where I got the book: Shelves of the local library.

*If any of you happened to read through the comments on my post about North and South, you may have noticed way back then I was a bit down on Downton Abbey. For the sake of clarification, I had only seen one episode at that point and was left a bit cold. I’ve since watched the entire series to date, and would highly recommend it!

Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Summary: In the distant future, sixteen-year-old Cinder is a mechanic in the city of New Beijing. Like Cinderella of the old tales, she’s got a pretty nasty stepmother, but that’s not the worst of her problems. She’s also a cyborg in a society that deems anyone with robotic parts less than human. With no friends but one of her stepsisters and a sassy android, she’s surprised when No. 1 bachelor Prince Kai takes an interest in her after she agrees to take on a repair job for him. However, Cinder knows that he would hate her if he found out about her artificial limbs, and besides, with a deadly disease ravaging the city and a moon queen threatening war, both prince and cyborg have got bigger things to worry about.

Review: When I read the sample chapter months ago, I was enthralled with the concept of Cinder. I’m a sucker for retellings of Cinderella, and one that took place in futuristic China seemed too good to pass up. I really, really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations in a number of places that I’ll touch upon.

First of all, I have to say that I really did love the main character. Here we have a snarky, tech-savvy chick who is just as tough as her metal parts. She reminded me of a futuristic Rosie the Riveter, and I loved her for it.

I wish I could have loved her prince just as much. Kai is apparently supposed to have the sort of charm and good looks that turns girls to mush on the spot, but I never felt that his supposed charisma translated to the page. Some guys can be endearingly adorkable, but despite Kai’s well-meaning nature, he just came across as oblivious, awkward, and unrealistically naive.

As for world-building, Meyer creates an interesting “lived-in” technological world complete with rust, wires, and concrete. Cinder’s cyborg implements in particular are fascinating, among them a retina projector that sounded similar to the inside of the Iron Man helmet and a literal “hollow leg” where Cinder stores her tools and other important items.  The Chinese setting felt very Western, however – but I suppose centuries in the future, who knows what the cultures of the world will be like. There is also a fascinating race of moon colonists who create some problems for the Earthlings.

The plot definitely had potential, but I often had a nagging feeling that I was “missing something.” Just like Cinder’s own too-small metal foot, some things just didn’t seem to fit as far as the society’s reaction to the plague and the cyborgs went. Furthermore, the way information was continuously hidden from characters was frustrating. The number of times that Kai almost discovers that Cinder is a cyborg is agonizing. In addition, a key character knows much of the “spoilers” for the book, but only seems to impart them to Cinder in a way that keeps pace with the plot. Also irritating is the fact that not much is resolved by the end of the book. Apparently this story will be spread over several sequels.

In short: Cinder is a creative and entertaining read that I finished within a summer day. While the plot, prince, and unresolved ending  did frustrate me, I’d still recommend it – but perhaps you should wait until the three planned sequels have also been released.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Something similar: Extras by Scott Westerfeld has a very similar feel. For an evocative fantasy story inspired by Cinderella, try The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry.

Cover & Title: Cinder, of course, is a fitting title. Though the cover is not accurate to the book, the classic high heel plus a mechanical leg does capture the feel of the story. But I would have dearly loved an illustration of a tough-looking Cinder in mechanic’s garb. Calling all fan artists…

Where I got the book: Shelves of the local library.