My Fave Books of 2012 (SO FAR!)

Hey Guys! It's June already which means it's time to share my favourites for the first half of the year. Have a look below and be sure to let me know what you've enjoyed most this year :)

Best of 2012 (so far!)

My Ridiculous Romantic Adventures, The Future of Us & The Espressologist

Bossypants, Beautiful Creatures & A Million Suns

Second Chance Summer, The Catastrophic History & Going Too Far

Six Impossible Things, Dear Dylan & Revived

Most Anticipated

  
Burn for Burn, Beta & The Raven Boys
  
Eve and Adam, Such A Rush & My Life Next Door
  
Glitch, Breathless & Time Between Us
  

The Darkest Minds, Touch the Surface & Meant To Be

Q: What were your fave reads in the first half of 2012?

The Best of 2011 - Music, Books, TV & Movies

Two-Thousand and Eleven has been an absolutely awesome year in entertainment. I've discovered so many new great TV shows and I've been slowly working my way through my hugh reading pile. Most of all, I'd like to see a major catch-up of the best in music from this year but overall it's been a great year. Thank you 2011 for being a delight!

The Best Books Read in 2011

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

2. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

3.Across the Universe by Beth Revis

4. Divergent by Veronica Roth

5. Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Why? For anyone out there who has still not read The Hunger Games, you do not know what you're missing out on. It's the number one book I'd recommend to non-readers and I can't believe it's taken me this long to finally pay attention to all the recommendations I received for this title. I'm more keen than ever to finally see the movie in just a few months time. Are you ready for the mania?

A close second is The Wolves of Mercy Falls series which was utterly captivating and I almost want to go back and read those books right now. I fell in love with the characters and I even got the chance at meeting the author a couple months ago, woohoo! 

It seems like this is the year of dystopia, not only for me but for many others too. There have just been so many great books in this genre released lately and I can't wait to check out more. For a faithful fan of contemporary, it's a really great juxtapose for when I'm feeling edgy!

The Best Albums of 2011

1. I Am The Avalanche - Avalanche United

2. City and Colour - Little Hell

3. Bayside - Killing Time

4. Adele - 21

5. Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math

Why? It seems like I've been anticipating the new IATA record for years and now that it's finally hear, I couldn't be more happier. It's everything I expected and more. 

We also have one album that doesn't really seem to fit in with the others... Adele. From being entirely captivated with her voice from first listen to never being able to escape her misery on the airways, this lady has totally won me over in the best of ways. To say Australia is keenly awaiting a tour is a major understatement!

Unfortunately, I'm still catching up on many more highly anticipated albums most notably Neighbours by Blink-182 so hopefully they'll be jumping up my ipod playlist rather soon.

The Best Songs of 2011

1. Ed Sheeran - The A Team

2. I Am The Avalanche - Brooklyn Dodgers

3. Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math

4. Jessica Lea Mayfield - Our Hearts Are Wrong

5. City and Colour - Fragile Bird

Why? I haven't really been listening to as much music these days and it's probably due to all the time I spent reading this year. I'm a little bit ashamed to say my favourite song of the year was discovered on radio which is very unusual for me and thanks to the constant on-air time this song received, I've been able to hear it just as much as I'd like to.

A little bit out of the ordinary for me, is Jessica Lea Mayfield's Our Hearts Are Wrong which was actually first heard on one of my favourite tv shows for this year. It took me a little bit to get used to the uniqueness of the song but it's now more than regularly played on my ipod.

The Best Movies of 2011

1. Crazy, Stupid, Love

2. The Help

3. Source Code

4. Horrible Bosses

5. Super 8

Why? I saw so many movies this year, probably more than I ever have before and all due to the wonderful movie madness challenge. Unfortunately not many of those films had an official release date of 2011 so they weren't included on this list but I can say Crazy, Stupid, Love was awesome. I can't wait to re-watch this one and see if it's just as a good the second time around.

Also starring Emma Stone, is another favourite The Help which took me totally by surprise but more than anything Horrible Bosses brought the laughs.

The Best TV Shows of 2011

1. Parenthood

2. Once Upon A Time

3. The Secret Circle

4. Modern Family

5. Slide

Why? I can clearly remember spending many nights staying up late just to catch the latest episode of Parenthood so it is easily awarded my favourite of the year. It may be a tiny bit daggy but reminds me of a nice mix between Brothers & Sisters VS. 7th Heaven. I'm pretty confident I never would've looked twice at this show if it weren't for the awesome Lauren Graham and her starring role.

I also must make note of the many fall tv premieres I fell in love with this year, they have provided me with hours of entertainment and I can't believe I've never come across this phenomenon previously.

Q: What Are Your Highlights In Entertainment for 2011?

Faves of Twenty-Eleven | The Covers

Once again, the lovely Nomes @ InkCrush is hosting the annual "best of" featurette in books, cover art, characters and even scenes. Be sure to check out the introductory post here if you'd like to participate!

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After checking out a few lists for awesome covers, I'm noticing a recurring choice of Across the Universe. Rarely do covers require a second-glance to fully take in the entire image and it's hidden elements which makes it an easy choice for a favourite.

Some more fan favourites include Past Perfect, Lola and the Boy Next Door & Matched for winning us over with their irresistible interpretation of the novels at hand.

A not so obvious choice of The Sky Is Everywhere was made purely due to the amazing formatting that is set within this quaint imagery. I'd loved to see many more books printed in a diary style format. Yes, please!

There may have been a slight change of the rules when selecting Pink and The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. Those two both graced the web with their incredible covers but somehow I ended up with the ugly duckling versions that don't really do the books justice in either case. Needless to say, I felt inclined to include them anyway.

Last, but not least we have Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater which is ultimately the best cover of 2011 in my eyes. It's safe to say this was the prettiest cover that graced my nightstand this whole year and the cover art is one of the main reasons I held onto this book when my gut was telling me otherwise. Thank goodness, I prevailed and finally read this book as it's become one of my favourite series' :)

TEN FAVE COVERS OF BOOKS READ IN 2011

Q: What Was Your Favourite Book Cover of 2011?

2012 New Years Resolutions (+ 2011 Wrap-Up)

First and foremost, I'd like to keep ahold of my blogging and reading addiction all throughout next. If this were the only bookish resolution I were to complete in 2012, I'd be pretty happy. Let's hope the blogging and/or YA world doesn't go into total decline before the year is out but for now read on for more of my weird and wonderful goals!

2012 Bookish Resolutions

1. Read 75 Books in 2012 - I've been slowly upping this count each year and it seems to be working for me, I'll probably have to track down the slimmest books around to even come close to completing this challenge but maybe something miraculous will happen.

2. Meet A Blogger IRL! - Last year my goal, was to get to know more bloggers which I succeeded in, now I'd like to actually meet one of them IRL. Any Takers, haha?!

3. Reach 2000 Followers (and keep growing!) - Gaining followers is certainly not the be all and end all of blogging but the milestone seems crucial to getting even further with my blog. And hey, if no ones following it probably means no ones reading either!

4. Write More Creative Posts - If last years goal was to step away from memes, I'd like the focus of this year to be on writing more creative posts to hopefully flex my writing ability a little bit more. 

5. Continue Swapping Books - I love, love, love trading books with fellow Aussies. it's the perfect way to add to my collection while also clearing out some of the unloved titles on my shelves. If I could do the same amount of swaps as last year, my goal will be perfected.

Boring Life Goals of 2012

1. Eat Healthier + Exercise - I'm pretty sure this resolution is one of the most popular but it's the very first time I've committed it to any list of my own. If I were to commit to an exercise regime once a week and quietly cut down on snacks, I'd be pretty happy.

2. Attend More Music Events - Over the past couple years, I've been slowly seeing less and less live music especially since the all-encompassing Soundwave Festival seems to bring out all my faves for one day only. To complete this goal, I'll aim for a couple concerts throughout the year, Taylor Swift in March anyone?

3. Keep Working - I've been lucky enough to pick up a few temp jobs lately which suits me perfectly although long periods in-between roles means more time for blogging, it's probably best if I aim for a more permanent role!

4. Get My Drivers License - I've had my learners permit forever and believe it or not, I've never actually driven. Mostly due to the hassling I get from EVERY LIVING SOUL, I'm going to try and at least go for a lesson or something this year!

5. Save Money and/or Budget - If I were to finally put a proper budget in place, it would be absolutely amazing but I'm doubting I'll ever actually get to that stage so purely kicking butt in the saving department will do for now :)  


Now let's see if I accomplished any of the goals set last year...

Goals Completed In 2011

1. Attend A Literary Event - Yay, I finally attended my first book signing and while I didn't walk away with Maggie Stiefvater's signature, it was awesome to see her work her magic IRL.

2. Get To Know More Bloggers - I think I'm confident in calling this one a pass, mostly thanks to the Aussie Book Swap, I've been getting to know lots of local YA bloggers and it's been awesome!

3. Write 25 Book Reviews in 2011 - I'll have to check the exact number but I'm pretty sure I've reached this goal and I'm hoping my writing ability has improved along with it.

4. Steer Clear of Memes - I wouldn't say I've kept clear from memes, more-so focusing on the memes that are actually really interesting to read and participate in so I'm calling this one a pass!

5. Read The Books I Want - I guess this sounds like a pretty basic goal but with review and library books always turning up at random times, I often seem to put my most anticipated reads to the back of the pile. I think I'm safe in saying, I really kicked through this challenge by setting a new reading pile each month!


Goals Failed in 2011 :S

1. Read 111 Books in 2011 - While I didn't complete this extreme challenge, I'm pretty happy with the quality and quantity of books I did manage to complete  this year.
2. Post More Consistently - I've actually gone in the opposite direction of this post, now I tend to post less often but with more interesting ideas so I guess I'm happy with how that went.
3. Seek Out Genres Other Than YA - I probably only read a few books outside of YA this year, after looking over my books read this year, I can see that I've only really attempted a couple chick-lit/romance :S
4. Get A Domain Name - It looks like I completely forgot about this goal, I guess free hosting is just too convenient although it would be nice to see http://www.goodgollymissholly.com.au/ in the address bar.
5. Complete A Reading Challenge - I guess this is another one to focus on in the future, I'm pretty terrible at consistently participating in a challenge but I guess inventing my own awesome reading challenge doesn't count, does it?

Q: What Is Your #1 Goal For 2012?

The Best of 2010 in Books

I feel very privileged to have read so many awesome books lately so I thought I'd take you back to some of my favourite releases of the year especially due to the difficulty I can clearly recall having faced in the teen section of my local library before finding the amazing blogging community. If I inspire your wish list in even the slightest way, I'd love to hear about it and would feel completely accomplished.


My favourite books of 2010:

A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker
Read from March 09 to 11, 2010
Why Did I Like This? Can you imagine a class at school which requires you to be paired up with a fellow student in a marriage type situation for your entire senior year? Well this novel delves into what it would be like, I'm sure it'd never happen in real life but the novel does bring a touch of realism along with the fun so it makes for a highly enjoyable read. I'm hoping the author announces her next release soon as I'm eagerly awaiting it.

Forget You by Jennifer Echols
Read from April 26 to May 17, 2010
Why Did I Like This? I am usually quite reluctant to pick up any sort of romance novel with even the slightest bit of a spicy cover but what i usually find is that they become my absolute favourites, just like this one. What we have here is a car accident, divorce, swimming trials and amnesia, can you fit this all in a novel... yes and Miss Echols does it so well that I'm now seeking out the rest of her collection.

Girl Saves Boy by Steph Bowe
Read from August 04 to 07, 2010
Why Did I Like This? I don't think I would've ever heard about this book if it weren't for the authors brilliant blog, Hey! Teenager of the Year which I've been following for quite awhile. I can easily say this book blew me away with it's awesomeness and I wish more people had read it so far but I'm sure it's popularity will grow next year once it's released in the US.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green
Read from January 27 to February 02, 2010
Why Did I Like This? Initially, I was a little worried about reading a book recommended to fans of Glee and that also sits in the GLBT category but I can safely say this novel isn't the least bit cringe-worthy and touches on one of my favourite subjects to read about - meeting people online. It does get a little confusing with alternating chapters between characters both named Will but once you get over that, it's full of awesome and I'm sure you'll recognize at least one of the authors names on the cover as they are both big players in the YA game so go check this one out for heavens sake.

Dreaming of Amelia by Jaclyn Moriarty
Read from March 31 to April 08, 2010
Why Did I Like This? I'm glad to say this is the second Aussie novel on my favourites list, Jaclyn Moriarty was one of the earlier humorous novels I got into and I've loved every book she's released since. I'm actually keen on going back and reading them in series now that I've learnt their is a set order.




Most Anticipated of 2011:

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen 
Released: May 10th 2011
Why I'd Like to Read This? I'm sure most of the teen girl population has at some point or another picked up a Sarah Dessen novel and for those who haven't, you really need to! It doesn't even matter what this book is about, I know I'm going to connect with the characters and rate this so very highly.

Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Released: January 11th 2011
Why I'd Like to Read This? Without having read the first chapter of this book online, I don't think I'd be so attached to it. Just the fact that the ins and outs of what it'd be like to have each member of my family put into a deep freeze for hundreds of years still tinkers in my mind at random times during the day.

Chain Reaction, #3 by Simone Elkeles

Released: May 24th 2011

Why I'd Like to Read This? Thankfully, it looks like the third Fuentes brother might be a little different to his siblings and the trouble all begins with his wild love interest. Anyhow, I'm hoping the series is somehow continued on from here even though it's unlikely.

Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott

Released: May 24th 2011

Why I'd Like to Read This? Oh what it'd be like to have an exceptional sister and a family that looks down upon you, well that is all twisted around when Abby's older sibling is put into a coma and can't defend the secrets that become unravelled.

Stay by Deb Caletti

Released: April 19th 2011

Why I'd Like to Read This? I'm not sure what the specific issue is going to be with this book but it's enough for Clara to leave behind her entire family and their home town. I'm thinking it's something to do with her boyfriend, Christian... maybe a little bit obsessive and controlling?

Q: What was your favourite book of the year and what are you most looking forward to reading in 2011?