2010 Wrap-Up & Happy New Years!

Happy New Years, guys! 

I hope you're all going to have a safe, wonderful New Years Eve tonight! I'm going to be celebrating in San Diego with my cousins! I normally celebrate in Las Vegas for New Years Eve (honestly, one of the best places I can recommend going to on NYE) but our plans fell through for that so only our parents are going. I've never celebrated in San Diego, so I'm kind of nervous/excited. I like the whole big-group-celebration for NYE (though I suppose that would suck for a zombie breakout...) and San Diego sounds like it's going to be the opposite of that, more mellow and close-knit.

I'm rambling. (When don't I?) I'm seriously ready to say goodbye to 2010. It admittedly wasn't one of my best years, but it wasn't one of my worst, either. I went through a break up, I started losing weight, I got into books and blogging, I GOT AN A IN CHEMISTRY, I had a 4.0 for both Spring and Fall '10 semesters, I broke out of my socially awkward shell, and I made a ton of great friends. While I'm not one known to stick with New Years resolutions, I made one this year (after 3 ish years of not making one) and I'm ready to apply the chances that happened in 2010 and make them even better in 2011.

Random tidbit of the day: my favorite New Years song to listen to is The New Year by Death Cab for Cutie. ♥

My personal [boring] life aside, I figured I'd make some lists of my favorite reads this year and re-cap on a few challenges I took up and post a general wrap-up. My lists have no particular order. Its only order is "chaotic mess", which is fitting since I am a frazzled book nommer. ;) [Lame joke, lawl].

Total Books Read in 2010: 59
You can see all of the books I've read in 2010 here.

Technically, my total accounts for all books read since August 2010, since that's when I began recording the books I've read. I tried my hardest to end with an even 60 but I got too busy with the holidays. 58 books in four/five months isn't bad at all, considering that I had a super hectic class [chemistry] I was currently enrolled in!


First Review in 2010: Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
Last Review in 2010: Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

Please don't read my first review - it's slightly embarrassing. I was new to blogging and reviewing and had no idea what the heck I was doing. It's so amazing to see what a long way I've come from my first review of the year to the last. And I definitely ended my reviewing year with a bang: Demonglass was a-mazing!

My Top Ten Favorite Reads in 2010: 

I tried to place these into an order, but I kept rearranging the list, and then rearranging it after I rearranged it. So it's in no particular order - I loved them all.

Entangled by Cat Clarke (look for the review in 2011!)

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
The Duff by Kody Keplinger
The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa
Matched by Ally Condie
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins


Honorable Mentions:

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

                         Do Tampons Take Your Virginity? by Marie Simas

     No Greater Sacrifice by John C. Stipa

Favorite Review I've written in 2010:

Anxious Hearts by Tucker Shaw

I'm really, really proud of this review. I think the cover made my review one of my favorites. But I liked the way I reviewed it, the color scheme I used for it, and... I dunno, maybe it was just the overall book that made me feel so good, happy, and golden for this review.

Favorite Cover of 2010:
Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

There are so many contenders for favorite cover, it was hard to choose. I was going to give it to Nightshade or Paranormalcy, but Brightly Woven takes the cake for me. The model and the profile pose are great, the color scheme is awesome, the font is simple and eye catching, and the brushes they used for the corners are so pretty. Everything about this cover screams stunning. :)

Favorite ARC Tour to have participated in for 2010:
Entangled by Cat Clarke

The tour was designed by Katelyn at Star Book Tours and Quercus publishing. It was called an Artwork My ARC Tour. The participants were allowed to write notes in the columns, highlight favorite passages, put post it notes inside, doodle, etc. It was really fun seeing what other reviewers before me wrote, and it felt really interactive.

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Challenge Wrap-Ups

I participated in two challenges this year. One was a September Spectacular Reading Challenge and the other was the 2010 Debut Author Challenge hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren. I already did the SSRC wrap-up post, so I'll put my DAC wrap-ups here.

Debut Novels Read in 2010:

1. Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson
2. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
3. Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken
4. You by Charles Benoit
5. Firelight by Sophie Jordan
6. The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
7. Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton
8. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
9. The DUFF by Kody Keplinger
10. Matched by Ally Condie
11. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
12. The Candidates by Inara Scott

Total: 12 - challenge completed!
I was ambitious and listed 50 books, but that was unrealistic (and I knew it) because I started the challenge in September. I at least made the challenge minimum - 12 books - and am aspiring for at least 30 for 2011! :)

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Most Eagerly Anticipated Books of 2011:

Illusions by Aprilynne Pike
Blackveil by Kristen Britain
Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting
Wither by Lauren DeStefano
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Clarity by Kim Harrington
Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer
Between the Sea and Sky by Jaclyn Dolamore
Lost Voices by Sarah Porter
Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter
Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton
Possession by Elana Johnson

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young
Supernaturally by Kiersten White
Awakened by PC Cast & Kristin Cast
Timeless by Alexandra Monir
Falling Under by Gwen Hayes
Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
Die For Me by Amy Plum
Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
Entwined by Heather Dixon
... and like, a gazabijillion others!

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Whew, that was a long post. 2010 was a great reading year for me. I came across some great books I probably never would have read. I'm glad I took a chance with all of the books I did read. 2011 looks like it's going to be a great year for books - debuts and oldies alike! :)

Blog-wise, I'm pretty happy with how I've progressed in the last four/five months. I think October was the best month for me - social network and reviewing wise - because I had a ton of free time, and I actually knew what I was doing. I'm looking forward to 2011 to step up my blogging game and have an even better year than 2010! :)

Happy New Years again, guys! Be safe! I'll see you next year ♥

Bring on 2011!!!