Top Ten Books I Read in 2011

Another Top Ten Tuesday!  Brought to you by The Broke and The Bookish.  Make sure to visit them and link up if you participate, too!

This time we've got a nice theme for the end of year:

Top Ten Books Read in 2011

I'm quite happy to say that 2011 was a great year in books for me. I read a decent amount (I think I'm at 67, but I have to check the list) and 75% of them were fabulous reads.  Safe to say, this was a difficult list to make. In no particular order (despite that they're ordered...)

1. Bookends by Jane Green. A quick, fluffy read that makes me smile. The MC is a British woman who opens her own bookshop - what wouldn't I love about that?! It's not a groundbreaking masterpiece, but it's one I return to when I need a true, fun chick lit.

2. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.  One of my first forays into dystopian YA fiction, and I have to say...I'm ready to run full force into the genre and never look back! Fascinating and engaging and definitely made me think how our society now is viewed. (It also made me have a minor freak out over the idea of losing penmanship!)

3. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins. As I reviewed here, one of my favourite books EVER. EVER EVER EVER. Sweet and romantic and funny and interesting and I did not put it down.

4. The Duff by Kody Keplinger. Odd that this made my list because there are probably more things I complain about (the main guy's name is Wesley Rush.  Really!?  Could we be more typical?) than praise, but...this book sticks with me. Probably because I relate to being a D.U.F.F more than I'm comfortable saying, but there's definitely a little sympathy that Kody Keplinger elicits from the reader.

5. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles. Ohhh this book. I had to keep putting it down because I swear I felt so many of the things the characters were. I was right there being frustrated, happy, in love, scared, everything with them.

6. Across the Universe by Beth Revis. I picked this book on a whim at the library (I really liked the cover) and seriously...best. whim. ever.  Quickly became one of the best books I've ever read, it was another Dystopian world that just sucked me in. I just want to hug Amy and tell her it will all be ok; and I want to hold Elder and teach him everything he feels he's missing. Also, Elder's best friend Harley? I can't spoil it, but oh my God. OH MY GOD.

7 and 8. If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman. I also read If I Stay on a whim (the cover, again) and was forced to wait 4 months before Where She Went came into my Hold queue at the library, and I seriously think those were the longest four months of my life. I read a review somewhere (I really wish I could remember where) that said, "If I Stay broke me, and Where She Went put me back together."  One of the more accurate statements. And even though that sounds like a spoiler, trust me when I say they don't even measure a teensy bit of how powerful and amazing these books are. I can't even...I wept. I sobbed. I made those stupid sounds where your throat is so closed from tears and general weepiness all you can do is squeak and sound like a snotty nostril. But here's the thing: not all the tears were from sadness, and every single one of them was beautiful.

9. The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins. Ok, so I cheated and counted the trilogy as one - and honestly, I'm not certain I started this in 2011. There's a chance I started it in 2010, but I know I read Mockingjay this year, so that counts for me!  I don't think I have to say much about this since the world is ablaze in the Hunger Games craze (anyone else super excited for the movie? I'm nervous but there's not a chance in hell I'd miss it), but I am right there alongside everyone else. Everything you've heard is true, and if you haven't read this...GO. GO NOW.

10. Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. Full disclaimer, I love these two authors. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist and Naomi & Ely's No Kiss List are among some of my favourite books, and I genuinely believe that together, they can do no wrong. Dash & Lily does not disprove that. The book is fun and funny and I wish I knew someone like Dash and I like that I'm sort of similar to Lily and I really, really just want to leave a notebook with a clue next to my favourite books in a bookstore and hope to hell I'll meet the love of my life. Plus, I loved that it was set during Christmastime in New York - romantic with just the opportunity for cheese in the amount I love.