Best of 2012!

2012 has been a phenomenal reading year for me!

After three years of hard work and partying I regained time for reading- I've read 50 books since June!
So my last post of 2012 is a quick round up of my 2012 favourites! I hope you all have a safe and happy New Year!

Favourite Debut

I picked this one up with nothing to go by and I loved it!

Favourite Start of Series

Divergent perfectly set the scene and the action for the rest of the series- just need to read Insurgent!

Favourite Standalone

 Morgan Matson is a firm summer time must read for me! I loved all the emotions and memories in this one!

 

Unexpected Favourite

I got this one free when I preordered Sophie Kinsella's latest book- I loved it! Very rarely does a free book surpass the one you paid for!

 

Favourite All Around

Dash and Lily had everything! Humour, sweet moments, stupid moments and action!

Favourite Latecomer

One of my last books of the year and one of my favourite! I'll be reviewing it next year!

The One I Should of Read Earlier!

Everyone's been raving about The Hunger Games for ages and I eventually picked it up in June this year- should have picked it up earlier!

 

Favourite End of Series

I was so happy to finally finish Ruby's story- I've loved her neurotic ways since 2006!

 

Favourite Sequel

I loved If I Stay but Where She Went had a little more resolution and perspective! Brilliant sequel!

Favourite 'Indie' Author

A random download led me to Abbi Glines! My favourite Indie author of 2012 because her books encouraged me to try other indie authors! 

 



Favourite Author

This one was hard! Veronica Rossi wrote a beautifully crafted world, a wonderful prequel and is very interactive! I'm already scouring my local bookshops for a freak early release!



Favourite Genre

 



 Before The Hunger Games I'd had no real interest in Dystopia but now I love it! I love all the different interpretations of the world, the intriguing mysteries and the characters. Not a fan of some of the love triangles but you can't love it all!


What were your favourites of 2012?
Happy New Year!
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxxx

Challenge Complete! Dystopia 2012

Dystopia 2012 Challenge

hosted by Bookish Ardour

Objective: To embrace theYA Dystopia genre at last. Check out my pre challenge post here!

Aim
Asocial Level= 5 Books

Result!
Just under 6 weeks later I have fully embraced dystopia!
I've read-

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
2. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
3. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
4. Matched by Ally Condie
5. The Selection by Kiera Cass

All five are set in a dystopian America and by women allowing me to achieve the extra challenges!
I loved this challenge- it was easy and led me to a new genre to enjoy.
I enjoyed all five of these books and I've got several other dystopia novels on my To Be Read list.
Overall a successful challenge!

What Next?
Don't think this counts officially but I will now attempt to achieve the level of Contagion which is 15 books!
So far I'm planning on-  

1. Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan
2. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
3. Divergent by Veronica Roth
4. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
5. Under the Never Sky by Veronia Rossi
6. Crossed by Ally Condie
7. Reached by Ally Condie

This time I'm giving myself to December as I've got double the amount of books to read and two other challenges to complete!


Thanks go to Bookish Ardour for hosting this challenge, I'm so glad I took part in it!

Let me know of any other must read dystopia novels I should add!

Much Love!
Lettie
xxx

Monday Round Up!

One of my favourite memes hosted by the lovely Shelia over at Book Journey

What a hectic week! I worked 17 hours, entertained a friend, packed up a large amount of my belongings,  moved all of my Uni stuff eighty miles in two packed cars and emptyed my bookcase!


Reviews Posted
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins- This was scheduled to post ages ago didn't realise it hadn't posted!

Other posts
 Top Ten Travel edition- Check out where I plan on visiting before the end of my 'Golden Year'

Read!

So good! Not sure if it's the last we'll see of Angela though :)
I'm thinking of combining all my Lindsey Kelk reviews into one big post instead of individually

Reading!

With all the packing and moving all my books are boxed away! I only get back last night so I've been bookless which is awful!

To Be Read!
So many choices!

• Outside of boxes the only book I haven't read is The Lightening Thief which is on one of my challenge lists here.
• I should be unpacking a few boxes tomorrow so hoping I will find Second Chance Summer or Under The Never Sky but the problem is I have no bookcase until my grandparents drop my new one off so my books have no home!
• I'm also planning to have a mini libary haul tomorrow and pick up Divergent or Across the Universe so who knows!

Upcoming Reviews
- Matched by Ally Condie- this was another scheduled one that blogger didn't like I'm going to try and keep it to the end of the week
- Mockingjay/Hunger Games Review- keeping this back as Catching Fire has only just posted!
- I Heart Lindsey Kelk- Tuesday or Thursday- basically an overview of Lindsey Kelk's fabulous books :)

Upcoming Posts
I'm up late now attemping to prep as many posts as possible as I seem to have got a bad blog schedule of only posting Sunday Monday and Tuesday!
Top Ten Tuesday- This week's theme is recommendations!
Lettie Loves- Will be back this week I'm thinking Wednesday!
Series Vs Stand Alones- this one is proving long so I'm hoping next weekend!

Let me know what you've been up to book wise or life wise!
Have a lovely week!

Much Love
Lettie
xxx

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

After winning the brutal Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta return to their district, hoping for a peaceful future. But their victory has caused rebellion to break out ... and the Capitol has decided that someone must pay. As Katniss and Peeta are forced to visit the districts on the Capitol's Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. Unless they can convince the world that they are still lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying. Then comes the cruellest twist: the contestants for the next Hunger Games are announced, and Katniss and Peeta are forced into the arena once more.

I ended up travelling to the station WHSmiths as I couldn't wait to start this book!

Where to start!? I'm going to trial a different review style as it was hard to piece together all of my thoughts!

What I loved-

• Pace- the speed of the book paralleled how fast Katniss felt everything was moving. It went Victory Tour- Quarter Quell selection- Preparation- Hunger Games  So much was covered in a relatively short book especially when the whole of the first book was essentially The Hunger Games and Preparation.
• The Districts- The Victory Tour gave a really good visual overview of the districts. District 12 also played a larger physical part in book so Peeta's and Katniss' families etc could be explored.
• Politics- the propaganda of the victory tour, the separation of districts, the way the Capitol is portrayed. The kind of things Katniss as a District 12 girl would never have been aware of! The government which set up the Hunger Games was obviously very clever to have created a way to make the districts feel such rivalry based on an annual cruel event opposed to actual differences.
• The Quarter Quell- a cruel but clever twist. As the latest victors Katniss and Peeta had the advantage of only knowing each other- the other victors were friends, siblings and some of them had mentored others which made it so much more horrible! It also allowed a larger range of ages to compete. 
• Victors-The range of victors from the District One careers to Maggs who took the place of poor Annie in District Four to the 'Morphlings' from District Six. I loved seeing the personalities of such differnt victors espeically their handling of the interviews, training and inital unity.
• Game Design- it was so complex and clever! I would never have figured out how it worked- Wiress was especially perceptive.
• Finnick Odair- he really grew on me. He started off as arrogant and quickly became witty and selfless. I loved how Katniss clearly didn't trust him but he grew on her too!
• Peeta and Katniss- I loved how their relationship developed over the book with Katniss still oblivious! It was sweet how they took comfort from each other. I really admired Peeta's dedication to Katniss because she often disregarded him and his feelings but he remains committed to keeping her alive- he once again was amazing at the interview!

What I didn't like as much-

• President Snow- what a sinister man! I was genuinely scared of him- I kept expecting him to pop up on their train just to torment Katniss. He also set Katniss an impossible task, there was no way her relationship with Peeta could have stopped anything! I couldn't believe how harshly he cracked down on District 12! Without spoiling too much he made it clear to Katniss just how much he knew about her and how far he was willing to go to punish her. Creepy!
• Johanna- she was very abrasive and over the top. Who strips down in a lift with two random people! Strange.
• Gale- I felt he was purposely being provactive with Katniss! If he had feelings he had time to act before.. I think I just love Peeta too much to be a fan of Gale!
• The ending- Purely because it was such a great cliffhanger! So glad I was able to get my hands on Mockingjay the next day- couldn't have waited much longer!

I really enjoyed Catching Fire, It was the perfect midway book keeping the action moving, filled with surprises and leaving as many questions as it resolved! I would have given it 5 but it wasn't as amazing as The Hunger Games!

Let me know your thoughts on Catching Fire!

Also if you like this review style :)

Much Love

Lettie

xxx

Monday Round Up!

One of my favourite memes hosted by the lovely Shelia over at Book Journey

Reviews Posted

The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate

Other posts

Top Ten Summer Reads- Check out what books I plan on reading this summer :)


Read!

 Loved this! Another beautifully crafted world- such detail :)


Reading!

Speeding through I Heart London- Still love Angela and I love seeing her in London :)
I should be reunited with Second Chance Summer this week and I can't wait!  


To Be Read!

Undecided!
Perhaps Crossed- not sure if I want to hold off as it's a middle book and those always make you desperate for the last one!
I've got two weeks of full on 10-5 work plus moving everything back into my small bedroom at home to do so I may stick to quick reads :)

New Books!

Went to buy Crossed and Divergent came back with Under the Never Sky which just caught my eye- think the Dystopia challenge is getting to me!
Not a massive fan of the cover now  I've seen the US one though!


Upcoming Posts

Top Ten Travel edition- my top ten places I want to visit before my next birthday!
Lettie Loves- I used to do little posts on things I was loving that week, might bring it back as I really liked them :)
Post on series vs stand alones when it comes to books- It seems like every book I pick up lately is part of a series!

If any of this sounds remotely interesting to you let me know :)
Also I'd love to hear what you're up to book or blog wise this week!


Much Love
Lettie
xxx

Monday Round Up! What are you reading?

One of my favourite memes hosted by the lovely Shelia over at Book Journey

Reviews Posted

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Read!

 I had great plans to do alot of reading while helping out at a Year 6 camp... Children are so tiring and I forgot camping means torch light only!  Had to make do with Hunger Games discussion with my best friend and fellow supervisor.

Reading!

Loving this so far! Staying in the Dystopia genre :)

To Be Read!

Gutted that I left the box with Second Chance Summer at my University house while I went on a Year Six camp :(. These two remain at the top of the To Be Read list!

Reviews Coming Up
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate- a repost of one of my first reviews!

Let me know what you're up to book or blog wise this week!

Much Love
Lettie
xxx

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Set in a dark vision of the near future, a terrifying reality TV show is taking place. Twelve boys and twelve girls are forced to appear in a live event called The Hunger Games. There is only one rule: kill or be killed. When sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen steps forward to take her younger sister's place in the games, she sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nature.

  This book has been surrounded by a lot of hype which combined with the less than appealing covers (UK) deterred me from picking it up. Well I learnt my lesson- never judge a book by it's cover! The Hunger Games was the first book in ages to keep me up late reading because I could not put it down! It was an exhilarating, emotional, suspense filled roller coaster of a read. I am glad I waited until the whole trilogy was available because I devoured them in a matter of days! This review will not spoil any of the subsequent books but it will spoil The Hunger Games a little!

   The Hunger Games is set in a futurist North America totalitarian state arranged into 12 distinct districts and the Capitol. The background to the book was interwoven with the story in a way that didn't feel you were being bogged down with needless information. The geographical detail was cleverly incorporated and very well thought out. District 12 itself was a brief setting of the book yet it was described so well and so important to the main characters that I could vividly imagine all the major areas. The brief alliance of Katniss and Rue gave a lot of information on District 11 once again showing how well though out the background to the novel was. The portrayal of the Capitol of vain and vapid yet innocent in a way was very realistic. The actual population weren't necessarily cruel just desensitised to the realities of the Hunger Games. They seemed to view the Hunger Games without an awareness that they were watching children be murdered by other children. he Hunger Games themselves were an awful concept but portrayed brilliantly, it was evident how they were a tool of the Capitol and the divisions they caused. They were a little gruesome in description but I focused on the characters!

   Katniss Everdeen was a tough main character. I can't say we had much in common but the first person narrative of the book worked really well. It allowed you to see through Katniss' eyes and understand her motivations and actions so much so that I bonded with her character. I loved her interpretation and reaction to all the twists as  it made them more surprising and random than they would have been in a third person narrative. It also left me frustrated at her naivety at times which again shows the power of the first person narrative.

I loved the secondary characters and side cast! All of them were fleshed out irregardless of the size of their role. For example most of the tributes were described through the reaping, interviews and their actions so you got an idea of their characters through Katniss' opinion of their importance and the threat they posed with the actual characters getting little scene time. I'm going to focus on my favourites in this book as I could talk endlessly about certain characters whose roles are built upon in later books.
 I loved Peeta, through Katniss' eyes he was very much an unknown entity but I enjoyed watching them form their alliance and relationship. I enjoyed his different outlook despite their shared district, it added dimensions to Katniss' opinion and ex He was very layered as a character being more privileged but showing signs of dissent and his dedication feelings for Katniss was so admirable.
Gale, through Katniss' eyes seemed very closed off despite their obvious closeness. This was where I found Katniss naive and oblivious because I thought it was obvious that her and Gale would have ended up together if the Reaping hadn't happened purely as all they seemed to have was each other!
I loved Cinna, he was so visionary but not overtaken by the vain Capitol attitude. I liked how he initially treated Katniss and Peeta as genuine competitors with an equal chance. I also loved the relationship he developed with Katniss.
    My favourite tribute, outside of District 12, was of course Rue. Although she reminded Katniss of Prim I found her to be very similar to Katniss. Mature and wise beyond her years due to her role as oldest sibling and very resourceful. I think her death was one of the most poignant moments of the book and probably the whole series.

I honestly can't find fault with this book- it was addictive and well thought out, the characters were perfectly created and fleshed out, the setting was brilliantly complex and the sub context of the Games was clever.
The Hunger Games is officially one of my all time favourite books!

Much Love!
Lettie
xxx

Monday! What are you reading?

One of my favourite memes hosted by the lovely Shelia over at Book Journey

Read!

I have devoured these books since Friday! I would have finished all of them but Mockingjay has so far eluded me- I'm hitting three bookshops today to find it :)

Reading!

No surprises here! I'm probably half way through by now!

To Read!

These are two new releases I have been dying to get my hands on! So excited for these two :)

Let me know what you're up to book wise!

Much Love
Lettie
xxx

Challenges!

Hey!

I am firmly (fingers crossed!) back into reading for fun!
To kick start what I foresee as a summer of books I've signed up for a few challenges!

Those Books I Should Have Read 2012 Reading Challenge
hosted by Reading With Martinis

This is the perfect summer challenge for me as I have so many books I feel I should of read by now or that sit on my book shelf taunting me! This one will work especially well this summer as I have a brand new bookcase so I will be going through all of my books and seeing what lurks in the back rows hidden from view!

I'm aiming for level two which is twelve books- hopefully not aiming too high!
Books I've got lined up for this one so far are-

1. All of the Hunger Games trilogy- I will be counting them separately!
2. The Hobbit- My best friend has been recommending this one since Primary school, with the movie coming out this year I thought it was high time I got around to reading it!
3. The Percy Jackson Series- Will probably just count the first one of this series as they are pretty short!
4. Heaven's Net is Wide by Lian Hearn- This book taunts me from my book shelf at home.

I've already started on this one by finally reading the Hunger Games- I even skipped the film as I felt I should at least read the book first...

Dystopia 2012 Challenge
hosted by Bookish Ardour

I know I'm late to get in to this genre! Dystopia never really appealed to me but the Hunger Games have sucked me in and I'm determined to give it a fair chance!
I'm aiming for the asocial level of 5 books which I've already picked out!

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
2. Catching Fire bySuzanne Collins
3. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
4. Matched by Ally Condie
5. Crossed by Ally Condie

I think I can even go for the extra challenges of gender battle seeing as both authors are female and World if I'm right in thinking Matched is set in America.

Finishing the Series Reading Challenge 2012
hosted by Socrates Book Review Blog

During University I became terrible for starting series and then getting bogged down by work and never finishing them! It's half the reason I never started The Hunger Games!

I'm aiming for Level Two which is two series's

1. Tales of the Otori series- I have Heaven's Net is Wide and The Harsh Cry of the Heron left to read. Both of which are sat on my shelf staring me down!
2. The Chronicles of Pellinor- I have the majority left, The Riddle, The Crow and The Singing.

These two especially Pellinor are most subject to change as I empty my bookcase because I have a feeling I probably have a few series of which I own all the books!

My plan at the moment is for the first two challenges to be mostly wrapped up by the end of summer with the series challenge lasting until December.
A few of the books overlap but that's just coincidence!

I'm excited to get stuck in and read books I've had around for ages for fun not work!

Much Love
Lettie
xxxx