Top Ten Reads of 2011

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. They created this feature because they're "particularly fond of lists" and since I also enjoy lists, I've decided to participate in this fun feature. This week's list is Top Ten Reads of 2011. Don't forget to check out their blog for a full list of everyone participating.

This year I really got into the reviewing swing of things. So much so that I have many books that I've bought for myself that are just sitting on my shelves, waiting patiently for me to get to them. I'm not sure when that will be but I hope to get to some of them soon! :) I read quite a few books this year (around 70ish) so it was difficult to just pick ten of my favourites. By the way, these are not in any particular order. The title links all lead to my reviews. This is just in case you missed them the first time around and/or you want to know more about what I thought of the book :)

1. Rock Star's Girl by J.F. Kristin
Loved the characters, loved the story, loved the conclusion. Just an all around lovefest for this book.


2. What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen
I have been in love with Sarah Dessen for almost ten years so it's not a surprise that her latest book made it on this list. While I didn't love this one as much as some of her others it still had to be featured. I don't care if she only writes YA, I will continue reading her books until she stops writing :)


3. Second Time Around by Beth Kendrick
This story had me sucked in right from the start. The circumstances that lead to where the friends end up is quite sad (vague, I know. Just read the book) but the friends are able to truly find out who they are and it's such a great read. Friendship, love, finding yourself. Recipe for a great book.


4. Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is a series that I absolutely adore and I am so happy that Brashares wrote this final novel. Even though there's a major event that is so sad and depressing (and yes, it made me cry) it is wrapped up in the most perfect way. I never really realized that I was lacking a good conclusion to this series until I read Sisterhood Everlasting.


5. Arranged and Spin by Catherine McKenzie
Yes, I'm sort of cheating a little bit but I couldn't choose just one of McKenzie's great novels. If I'm being honest, perhaps I did like Arranged a little bit better than Spin but each book kept me entertained and enthralled for its entirety. I can't wait for Forgotten, McKenzie's third novel, which is apparently due out in May!



6. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
I've seen mixed reviews about this novel but I loved it. It's a massive book but I loved every bit of it. It's got magical creatures (vampires, witches, and the like) as well as a lot of really great historical detail. I'm very excited to read the rest of the books in the All Souls Trilogy.


7. Life, Love, and a Polar Bear Tattoo, Go Small or Go Home, Stir Until Thoroughly Confused by Heather Wardell
I'm cheating again. Heather Wardell is definitely one of my top favourite authors as her books never fail to disappoint. I just had to include the three I read this year. I've got another to get to for January and I'm really looking forward to reading it!


8. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
I had been told to read this book for years but it wasn't until this year that I finally got around to it. All those people who had suggested it were right. It's a captivating story and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.


9. Destined to Fail by Samantha March
For those of you who don't know, Samantha is the voice behind the popular Chick Lit Plus website. This was a book that grabbed hold of me and did not want to let go. The story is heavy but March does a fantastic job of telling it.


10. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
This was another book that many people told me to read. I wanted to get to it before the movie came out and I succeed. I ended up loving this novel, much to my surprise. It's got three interconnected stories that are told wonderfully.



And there we have it. My top ten favourite books of 2011. I hope you've found some more great reads to add to your 2012 to read pile.

Happy reading! :)

Chick Lit Plus Blog Tour: Rock Star's Girl

Welcome to another stop on the Rock Star's Girl blog tour! The lovely Samantha over at Chick Lit Plus has once again arranged a fantastic tour. "Fantastic" you ask? I say that because I am absolutely in love with J.F. Kristin's novel and am so glad that I got to be a part of this tour. Let's dive right in, shall we?

Here's the synopsis from Kristin's website:

Emily Watts just wants a weekend break from the workaholic hours she's taken on to keep her business, a popular fashion-snark web site, up and running. What she gets is overnight celebrity and a career-killing media scandal.
While taking time out to attend a concert in support of friend Jesse Cinder, a struggling musician, Emily meets Cory Sampson, the lead singer of a chart-topping rock band. When she agrees to a date with Cory, making entertainment headlines is the last thing she expects. Even so, it's a minor surprise by comparison to her discovery that in the music world, media notoriety trumps all. Tabloid allegations erupt when Cory and fame-hungry Jesse use Emily for personal gain, and her tarnished image spells disaster — personally and professionally. To save the web site and writing career she's made her life and dream, Emily must go from being a pawn in the Hollywood headline game, to becoming the media mastermind.

I wasn't sure what I was going to think of this book when I first read the synopsis but after starting the novel I found myself engrossed with Emily's life and how she's dealing with a crazy set of circumstances. Those circumstances could easily be interpreted by the reader as far fetched but Kristin does a great job of giving reasons why Emily is being hounded by paparazzi because she happens to be dating a well known rock star.

I really loved Emily. I think she handled things spectacularly well when her personal life was suddenly being scrutinized by the celebrity press. No one can say for sure how they would react when their brand new relationship is all over the gossip magazines and websites and I think Emily did what most people would have done. I don't know if I would have been able to be as clever as she was when she was trying to get her life back so I applaud her creativity. (Vague? Yes. Read the book and find out what I mean!) Emily has a fantastic best friend, Shelby, who helps her through all of the craziness and stands by her, even when she is acting in a way Shelby doesn't approve of. Emily's the kind of character that we can all relate to, which is why I think I loved this book so much. She's an average girl who is working like crazy to keep her blog fresh while trying to have a life outside of work. Emily's someone you want to be friends with and I think that is what makes Rock Star's Girl so amazing.

I could not put this book down! It kept me interested the whole way through and I enjoyed the curveballs that were thrown into the story to keep me on my toes as I was reading it. The ending may not be what you're expecting but I think it was perfect. It ties things up so well that it almost seems like it's too good to be true but I think it's exactly how things should have turned out.

This is definitely one of my favourite books of the year and I hope this review does it justice! I strongly suggest that you find yourself a copy of Rock Star's Girl and keep your eye on J.F. Kristin in the future (she's currently working on her second novel). For those of you who have already read this one, did you love it as much as I did?

Wondering where you can buy this book?
Amazon.com
Kindle
Smashwords

And make sure you follow JF Kristin on Twitter too!

Happy reading :)