Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Read in 2011

Top Ten Tuesdays is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's top ten is....

Top Ten Favorite Books I Read in 2011. With excerpts from my reviews!

1.  Divergent by Veronica Roth. "I couldn't resist for very long and decided to take the plunge.....and wow. This is like..the book of the year." Graded as 97%

2. Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier. "I have to give props to any author who decides to tackle time travel. There are so many ways that you can contradict yourself and make mistakes, so far I've seen none." Graded as 97%

3. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. "Do I even have to mention how much I loved Jem? Ahhhhh, time to swoon. Sadly, Tessa seems to be going for the bad boy, Will. Not a problem there, he is pretty swoon worthy in his own right." Graded as 96%

4. The Death Cure by James Dashner. "Even after I finished, I felt a lingering feeling of doubt. This book really makes you paranoid and skeptical about everything you're told in it. This, let me tell you, makes for a very wild read." Graded as 96%

5.  Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. "The only thing that I really wanted to do after finishing this book was to read the next one! There is no way that there can't be a sequel." Graded as 95%

6. Graceling by Kristin Cashore. "Ooooooh Po...Po...I love him. Now I understand why people love him so much and why he is for some reason held on such a pedestal. I also now understand how crazy the people are who think that Peeta and Katniss could win in a fight against Po and Katsa." Graded as 95%

7. Plague by Michael Grant. "When I finished Plague I was left thinking about it for days afterward. Because even though some doors in the novel closed, so so so many more opened up. I have so much to think about now and it is very exciting." Graded as 94%

8. Ashfall by Mike Mullin. "Overall I found Ashfall to be a very gripping read with an intriguing setting and characters, even if they sometimes got a bit too lucky." Graded as 94%

9. Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan. "This is the first book that I read set in space, and it adds a new urgency to all problems. The solutions are no longer simple and the stakes are higher." Graded as 94%

10. The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong. "I'm also really enjoying the side characters. I'm trying to imagine what abilities they might have and what part they are going to play in whatever happens next." Graded as 93%

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

Title: The Goddess Test

Author: Aimee Carter
Publisher: Harlequin
Acquired: Received free for an honest review
Age Group: Young Adult

Grade: 85% or B

Buy It: Amazon

It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.

My Thoughts::
When this book came in the mail I knew that I was going to read it right away. I've heard good things about it, and I've been trying to read more modern tellings and takes on Greek and other kinds of mythology.

The book started out really sad and semi slow. I felt so bad for Kate, but since I read the description, every time things looked bad, I knew it was going to be okay..at least for a while. Besides that, it was really easy to get into. I was automatically intrigued by the whole situation and I was wondering who was going to be the person to make things happen.

There was so much unexpected mystery and secrecy in this book! It kept me very confused and on my toes. I wasn't sure what the tests were going to be, and I was especially unsure about why Henry was so hot and cold. I was expecting to totally melt when I met Henry, but I didn't. He seemed alright and everything...but he was just so..depressing and tortured. But I didn't read this book for Henry, I read it for Kate and the tests. Kate was a pretty average character. I liked her more than Henry and not just because of her mom. There were certain points in the book where I wanted to scream for Kate out of frustration, but she kept her cool most of the time which I hugely respect. It's annoying to read about a character that's over dramatic.

I wish I could say I was surprised by the outcome, but I had most of it figured out about halfway through. I'm not sure if this was the book's fault, or mine since I'm a very investigative reader. I'm really good at figuring out whats going to happen. Still, I was very happy with the way things turned out. And it didn't seem too perfect or too coincidental. It all made sense and it just happened to work out positively.

Overall I think that The Goddess Test was a creative and fun read. I can not wait to read the sequel to find out what happens next.

In My Mailbox

First of all, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!

In My Mailbox is a post where I tell you the books that I received this week either by buying them from the bookstore, going to the library or from my mailbox. In My Mailbox was inspired by Alea and turned into a meme by Kristi.

Nothing this week!

Contest Saturday

Here are some contests that are currently going on right now in the blogosphere that are book related. Click the links to enter them. I will try to hold my own contest each month.

Win a copy of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer HERE. Ends 12/26

Win a copy of Don't Breathe a Word HERE. Ends 12/26

Win a copy of Obsidian HERE. Ends 12/27

Win a copy of Flyaway HERE. Ends 12/27

Win a copy of The Burn HERE. Ends 12/30

Win a copy of Obsidian HERE. Ends 12/30

Win a copy of Daughter of Smoke and Bone HERE. Ends 12/31

Win a copy of Forever HERE. Ends 12/31

Win a copy of Tokyo Heist HERE. Ends 12/31

Win a copy of Fractured Light HERE. Ends 1/15