Favourites of 2012

As the year draws to a close, it seems like a worthwhile endeavour to reflect upon the books we read and loved this year. We really couldn’t narrow it down to a top 10 and why not present 12 favourites of 2012 (and even that was hard enough)? However, this list is not a ranking among these books, because that would have been impossible ... and Diana and I wanted to avoid a Christmas quarrel. So we each picked six and present them in order of their publication. Click on the covers to get to the books’ GoodReads pages.

Merry Christmas, everyone! Have a few peaceful days, lots of bookish presents, and we hope to see you in 2013. And if you like, share a few of your favourites in the comments.

Diana’s picks:

Incarnate – Jodie Meadows

As book one in a trilogy, Incarnate concentrates on character development. Main character Ana stands out differently, because she is new in a society where everyone knows each other. New, imperfect, afraid - and she brings change. What I liked most was the tender love story between Ana and Sam, which builds upon literature, music, and art.

Scarlet – A.C. Gaughen

A Robin Hood story from the point of view of Scarlet, a young woman with a secret past that only Robin knows about. This change in perspective was what made the novel so fascinating for me. Even though it’s written in first person, the mystery around Scarlet was unravelled step by step, like a puzzle. I would have loved a sequel to this book, because there’s so much potential which could not be met just with one book.

Black Heart – Holly Black

Black Heart is the final book in the Curse Workers trilogy and it is the best last book of a series I’ve read so far. The main character, Cassel Sharpe, comes to a conclusion about his life that seems very natural to me, but I was even fonder of the little twist at the end. Wonderfully unexpected.

The Book of Blood and Shadow
– Robin Wassermann

Here is a mystery about a book, which is paid in blood. The story shocked me a few times with unexpected twists and turns and became unpredictable to me, which I liked a lot. Also, a large part of the story takes place in the old city of Prague - a favourite city of mine concerning history and mystery.

Pushing the Limits – Katie McGarry

 It’s not often that I like books where there’s nothing supernatural to the story, but Pushing the Limits got to me. The romance between the two very different main characters is very delicate. There are pain and fear to deal with and a lot of lines to be crossed for them to trust each other. Beautifully written, it was an amazing read.

The Diviners – Libba Bray

New York in the Golden Twenties, plus a magic murder mystery to be solved. When I got over the fact that it’s really playing in the 1920s, I absolutely fell into the story and only came back out again after the last page was turned.

Julika’s picks:

The Fault in Our Stars – John Green

There isn’t much that can be said about this book that hasn’t been said already. The possibly most frequently used phrase: A book about cancer that is not a cancer book, because cancer books suck. And this book definitely doesn’t.

The Immortal Rules – Julie Kagawa

Just when I thought that everything that could possibly be written about vampires has been written (and then some), Julie Kagawa proved me wrong. I love Alison (and Zeke) and will only wait patiently for book two for a lack of other options.

City of Lost Souls – Cassandra Clare

There are a few authors that will make me drop everything and vanish into my reading cave once I get my hands on their books. Cassandra Clare is one of them and everyone who dares to disturb me during my reading does so at their own peril. City of Lost Souls was one of my most anticipated books of 2012 and it didn’t let me down. It’s only fault is that the final book is still so far off.

Shadow of Night – Deborah Harkness

Vampires, witches, and Victorian London (and other places)! A Discovery of Witches was one of my surprise favourite books of 2011 and even though I found the beginning of this second book difficult to get into, it definitely makes my list of favourite books of this year. If you have only one bone in your body that appreciates well-researched historical novels, you are missing something amazing if you don’t read Deborah Harkness.

Unspoken – Sarah Rees Brennan

I’ll confess that I only picked up Unspoken because Cassandra Clare and Maureen Johnson were talking about it so highly. And am I ever glad that I did! Even if the end made me want to hurt the author. I mean that as an absolute compliment, because apparently I prefer authors who like to feast on their readers’ despair.

Beautiful Redemption
– Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

 
The Caster Chronicles is probably one of those series that has to grow on its readers. At least I can’t imagine that it would cause quite the frenzy that other series do, but maybe I’m going to be surprised once the first movie hits the cinemas. As the final book in the series, I thought it was a great conclusion to a wonderful storyline. I am very much looking forward to the authors’ future projects as well.

The Rook by Daniel O'Malley

The Rook - Little, Brown and Company

The Rook by Daniel O'Malley
Published January 2012

“The body you are wearing used to be mine.

So begins the letter Myfanwy Thomas is holding when she awakes in a London park surrounded by bodies all wearing latex gloves. With no recollection of who she is, Myfanwy must follow the instructions her former self left behind to discover her identity and track down the agents who want to destroy her.
She soon learns that she is a Rook, a high-ranking member of a secret organization called the Chequy that battles the many supernatural forces at work in Britain. She also discovers that she possesses a rare, potentially deadly supernatural ability of her own.
In her quest to uncover which member of the Chequy betrayed her and why, Myfanwy encounters a person with four bodies, an aristocratic woman who can enter her dreams, a secret training facility where children are transformed into deadly fighters, and a conspiracy more vast than she ever could have imagined.” Synopsis from goodreads.com

Today is “Drop Everything and Read” Day … or for the seemingly more mature generation “Set Everything Down Gently and Read” Day. And to honour the occasion I thought I could offer you a recommendation that is worth dropping everything to read it.
The Rook is the debut of Daniel O’Malley and plunges you right into the middle of the pool. Or rather the cold rain. Myfanwy (rhymes with Tiffany, as the reader and the character are helpfully informed right at the beginning, ignoring all Welsh knowledge you might have) has no idea who she is or why she is standing in the middle of a park, in the rain, surrounded by bodies. She only has a letter telling her that a) her memory has been wiped and b) she is in mortal danger. Luckily her former self has provided her with two well-prepared options. Either leave everything behind and start new or find out what happened.
Have you ever wondered what you would do if you were offered to start with a completely clean slate as an adult with the means of a comfortable life and (almost) no danger of a guilty conscience? Myfanwy is determined to take this opportunity. Right until the moment she is attacked and her attackers suddenly crumble to the floor just from touching her.
If you think that this book is centred on an amnesiac trying to get her memory back think again. Myfanwy has provided herself with a suitcase full of letters and other OCD organisation devices to access all the information she needs, but the new Myfanwy is also resolved to own this life. Throughout the book you get to read letters and files from the old Myfanwy basically dumping information but also offering insights into who she was and what her life was like. The new consciousness in her old body seems to be her opposite in so many cases while maintaining some of her character traits. This easily leads to hilarious situations with her new/old co-workers. I for one would have loved to see everyone’s faces as the formerly meek Myfanwy suddenly stands up against her intimidating colleague during the torture/interrogation scene.
The story is clever and funny at the same time with a thrilling mystery and a supernatural twist. And it is set in London so I basically was a goner from the get go. But more than that I thoroughly enjoyed the well-paced and thought out plot. The narrator is very close to Myfanwy so you get to appreciate her wry sarcasm as well as her insecurities but does not make it a first person narration. Another layer of mystery is added by the first person style letters which offer insight into the organisation but at no point make the reader more knowledgeable than the protagonist. Well, you get a few seemingly free-floating scenes that let you guess but for me those only made me wonder more. I had my suspects and had them discounted and re-added several times throughout the book. There were a few moments where I thought problems resolved a little too neatly but the solutions never seemed implausible to the story universe.

This is an ingenious secret service story with fantastical elements that you will soon take for granted, a main character who is re-inventing herself in a completely new way while trying to save herself and the country. The Rook is a brilliant debut with a promising universe that I hope to get to see more from at some point. In the meantime I’ll keep an eye on @RookFiles for updates from Myfanwy.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Fault in Our Stars - Dutton Juvenile

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Published January 2012

“Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs ... for now.
Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.
Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.” Synopsis from goodreads.com

There are some books that you just cannot prepare for because they will grab you and suck you right in. The Fault in Our Stars hadn’t been on top of my figurative “must read as soon as it’s out” list. To be honest, I was a bit reserved against the idea of a terminally ill main character in a contemporary setting. Especially with a disease that affects so many families – that’s just how it seems to me, though, that everyone knows someone or of someone who has or had cancer. Then the book came out. And somehow I picked it up and more or less didn’t put it down until the end.
This book lives because of its characters and how they are presented like any other person despite their various conditions. It could as easily have been a book about cancer and people. Instead it is a story about people who happen to have cancer. Sure, there is no moment where you aren’t reminded that it affects everyone portrayed. Green manages to show that the disease isn’t what defines the individual but that it is an aspect out of many of their lives.
The story is told from Hazel’s point of view, which is an extremely witty and at times overly mature one. I can understand if some people say that she doesn’t sound like a 16-year-old – most of the time. I also think that not everyone with this perspective on life would develop the same characteristics. However, Hazel seems to me like the sort of person who would have been older than her actual age, even if she had been perfectly healthy.
Augustus is, in many ways, Hazel’s perfect match by being a well-balanced counterpart. The two of them couldn’t develop the relationship they form if one or the other had been anything less than they are. What I mean is that I doubt anyone would have put up with either Hazel’s obsession with An Imperial Affliction, a book (which thankfully is fictional) she religiously re-reads, endlessly theorises about, and has probably analysed in more detail than the average literature professor would do. Nor could anyone stand Augustus’ pretentiousness all of the time.
Isaac, who made his friend Augustus come to cancer support with him in the first place, completes this close group of people who are rarely given such an extensive and insightful voice in fiction. He’s the one I least expected to become fond of if only for the reason that his role is not as big as the others’. Yet he only needs this smaller space to establish himself as a fully developed character and show the sort of friend he is to Augustus and Hazel.
In general a lot could be said about Green’s depiction of relationships within the story and how he uses them to define his characters; but I think no matter how hard I try, I won’t be able to capture the magic of Green’s writing. The fact that even the relationship between Hazel and her father – a really small part in comparison – is so well-captured in just a few exchanges that it made me tear up several times.
This leads me to the next point: Yes, The Fault in Our Stars is a sad story and I recommend tissues in close proximity while reading. However, it isn’t told in a sad manner. And not in a falsely humorous one either. People aren’t sad and depressed all the time no matter their fate. If anything, maybe the terminally ill appreciate the smallest happy moments even more and see the value in them. This could make the book seem fake and overly moral in the “appreciate the small mercies you get” way. But it doesn’t depict its characters only as impressively brave, kind, and inspirational. There is the reality of these kids getting angry, behaving like the petulant teenagers they are, disobeying parents and all that. There is the aspect of cancer being an ugly and disgusting disease with blood and vomit and pain. Green doesn’t sugar-coat any of that, neither the light nor the dark moments. And this is what, to me, makes this book as touching as it is.
There is so much more that could be said about this book, beginning with the title and how perfectly I think it fits the story because, in contrast to Shakespeare’s play, the fault is indeed to be found in the stars rather than in the characters.
I won’t go into the story as it is the author’s wish that every reader should be able to experience the story spoiler-free with all its unexpected ups and downs – so much so that the book seems as unpredictable and at times insidious as the disease it features.

All added up, John Green proves to be the master wordsmith he is often said to be. It could be over the top but in this instance it is one of the aspects which make this book an absolute treasure – a beautiful narrative about how no one can choose when their time comes, just how to spend the time given. And choosing to live – despite everything.

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

UK Cover - HarperCollins

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
Shades of London #1
Published September 2011

“The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it’s the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.
Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn’t notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humour, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.” Synopsis from goodreads.com

US Cover - Putnam Juvenile

The setting – anyone who knows me knows that I love London and anything connected to its history so this was right up my alley. The locations are described so well that it is easy to picture London, the East End with its very own charm, and Wexford as a seemingly typical boarding school one can expect to find in England.
The characters, especially the main character Aurora (sorry, Rory), are easy to like. From the description one might expect a stereotype Southern States American teenager, but actually Rory is eager to embrace the differences she encounters in her new surroundings. For example the poor girl, instead of getting to choose her sport activity, gets thrown into a hockey team with no previous knowledge whatsoever as part of the experience. The voice she is given to narrate the story is very engaging and humorous, so hockey lessons aren't the only moments where you can expect a good laugh. I loved the description of typical British habits and how non-natives perceive them. This is equally amusing if one is part of the group with these quirks.
I take issue with protagonists who are too uncertain of themselves or act downright against every human instinct of survival unless there is a very good reason for it. At times, Rory seems to fall victim to that second category, but if you look at the situation more closely, her motivations justify her actions to a certain degree and it fits with her overall character.
You should know that The Name of the Star has no love story as its main focus. I’m fine with that and I think the story is plot-driven enough to work well with only a little of this element. Nevertheless, Rory relates to several people of her surroundings: Jazza, her roommate, is possibly as British as they come and the sort of friend who is not afraid to tell you when you need to get yourself together but will have your back no matter what. Jerome is a little bit of a mystery to me. It’s clear soon enough that he is interested in Rory but not really ambitious to do something about it. At the moment he seems a bit like a prop. I won’t go into detail about the ghost police since you are supposed to discover them yourselves. Let me just say that for a job like theirs they seem exactly whack enough to me. In a good way of course.
Now, I do realise that I didn’t really say anything about the “Jack the Ripper” part of the story, mostly because it is not only part of it but the cause behind everything. I liked how the recreation and embedding of the historical events took place in this present day scenario. The short episodes that leave Rory’s point of view were, in my opinion, exactly right to offer more information and develop the readers’ understanding of the story beyond Rory’s knowledge. The Ripper background facts seemed well-researched to me and just detailed enough to thrill but not make me want to revisit my latest meal.  I enjoyed the steady, almost imperceptible, build-up instead of being thrown from one step to another. Hats off to the unexpected hero as well, what an elegant solution.

This book surprised me, made me laugh, and my mind race at the possibilities. One major brownie point for the ending: There is no big cliff-hanger in the sense that the story arc of the Ripper mystery seems unresolved. However, there is just the right incentive to look forward to the next book, which will be The Madness Underneath hopefully published in October this year. So well done to start off a new series and I can’t wait to read the next book. The only bright spot is that I won't have to miss Maureen Johnson’s great humour and the quirkiness she brings to her writing since she frequently graces the world with her online presence. If you follow only one person on Twitter, make sure it's her or you're missing something. And read this treasure trove of a book.

Sometimes you have to see the bathroom to know the hard reality of things – UK paperback, pg. 19.