My Life a Pancake Top Books of 2012

For me, 2012 was a great and varied year of reading.  The list bellow are all the books I gave 5* to on goodreads, which I thought was the fairest way of compiling this list.  In no particular order, here are my top ten books I read in 2012:

Nothing to Envy

 

The Killing Place

 

When She Woke

 

 

 

Hell Train

 

 

We Need To Talk About Kevin

 

 

 Atonement

 vN - Madeline Ashby

 

 

Blackbirds - Chuck Wendig
 

 

Mockingbird - Chuck Wendig

Of course, if I had included my 4* also, this list would have gone on forever!  But, if you want to know which other books narrowly missed out being on this year wrap up, have a look here.

Top Ten Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Bringing Me

So it's Top Ten Tuesday time, hosted by The Broke and The Bookish, and this week is all about the books I wouldn't mind Santa bringing  me in time for Christmas.  Again, this was really hard to narrow the list down to ten.  I've tried to include a mix of fiction, non-fiction, read and to be read and hope I've not missed anything out!

1.  Blackbirds - Chuck Wendig

I got this from the library not expecting much and ended up falling in love with Chuck Wendig's bizarre tale of Miriam Black.  I bought the sequel, Mockingbird, as an early Christmas present for myself so I need Blackbirds to complete my set.  Plus I would love to display those amazing Joey Hi-Fi covers somehow!

For more info, click here.

2.  Cold Days - Jim Butcher

If you read my twitter feed then you may have noticed that Santa may have already given me a sneak peak of this must have for any fan of the Dresden Files series.

For more on The Dresden Files and Jim Butcher, click here.

3.  Bossypants - Tina Fey

I read Bossypants over a year ago and at the time was very tempted to steal it from the library.  I was good and returned it, but would love my own copy either in paper back or as an audio book as I've heard Fey reading it is hilarious!  For more info, click here.

4.  Grimm Tales For Young and Old - Philip Pullman

Philip Pullman and Grimm fairy tales?  I'm already intrigued but then there's that cover and it was love at first sight.  For more info, click here.

5.  Hell Train - Christopher Fowler

Another one I got out of the library and enjoyed so much I would read it again and again.  Click here for more info.

6.  The Parasol Protectorate - Gail Carriger

Technically cheating here as The Parasol Protectorate is comprised of five books (Soulless, Changeless, Blameless, Heartless and Timeless) yet it is one of the most consistently well written and exciting series that I have ever read and I really want to own them so I can relive my adventures with Alexia and Co. all over again.  For more info, click here.

7.   The Gathering - Kelley Armstrong

I'm a big fan of Kelley Armstrong but have been putting of reading her latest YA series until all three books are out as I like to read them in one go.  The Rising, which is the last book in the trilogy as far as I'm aware, is out in 2013 so it's finally time to go back to an off-shoot of the Otherworld. For more info click here.

8.  Breakfast at Tiffany's - Truman Capote

I love all the covers for the Penguin Essentials collection and would happily buy them all!  However, if I had to pick just one, it would have to be Breakfast at Tiffany's.  To have a look at the rest of the gorgeous collection, click here.

9.  The Diviners - Libba Bray

Again!  I had a library copy, really enjoyed reading and would love to give it to my friends to see what they think!  For more info, click here.

10.  Imagination Illustrated:  The Jim Henson Journals - Karen Falk

Imagination Illustrated is my most wanted Christmas gift this year.  I would be very happy if it was the only thing I had wrapped under the tree this year.  It came out on my birthday but I was unaware of its existence until this week!  I'm a huge Muppet fan (a lot of my Christmas traditions involve The Muppets) and I would be really thankful if I received this for Christmas.  For the brilliant blog that inspired the book, click here.

 

So that's my list, what's on yours?

Blackbirds

I took Chuck Wendig's Blackbirds with me on a train journey that started at 5.55am and finished at 11.45am.  Instead of catching up on sleep, like any normal person, I was hooked from the first page and couldn't put this amazing novel down, tiredness be dammed.

Miriam Black is something of a nomad.  An opportunist, she doesn't connect to people, but for a good reason: when she makes touches another persons skin she sees how they die.  Unfortunately most people don't die in their sleep with their family surrounding them, but in violent or unexpected ways.  Having tried to defy fate in the past, but not making any difference, Miriam has given up trying to change what has to happen.  That is until she hitches a ride from truck driver Louis, and after seeing the traumatic events that lead to his death she realises that she is somehow involved and tries to get as far away from him as possible. 


What follows is a fast paced, tumultuous journey leading to the inevitable.  I was astounded at how much I loved Blackbirds.  There was something that felt different about it, and is perhaps the first book I've read where the text matched the impressive cover.  I enjoyed it so much I've been telling everyone I know to read it, and I practically shoved it in my mum's hands as soon as I got home so she could see what a unique book this is.
  The structure of the novel is amazing, I never felt bored, or that the story stalled at any point.  I thought that Wendig was clever by including interludes that revealed more of Miriam's past, and alluded to when her visions began, without having to halt the main plot with tons of exposition.
Miriam herself is an astounding and complicated and a brilliantly mouthy character as are the other strange people that she encounters on the road.  I honestly cannot wait until the sequel, Mockingbird, is released later this year.