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! :)

May Chick Lit Review: "Second Time Around"

I was lucky enough to win this (signed!) book from Liz and Lisa over at Chick Lit is Not Dead last September when I commented on their post "What's on Beth Kendrick's Bucket List?". I had read Kendrick's book Nearlyweds the summer of 2009 and absolutely loved it so I decided to try to win Second Time Around. And what do you know? I actually won it! Amazing.

Now that you know how I came across this novel, let me tell you that I loved, loved, loved it. I had a gala event that I was planning for work this past weekend and reading this book was a fantastic escape. I was incredibly stressed out so the fact that I was able to focus on the characters and the story really shows how great this novel was. It was also a particularly delicious experience to read this book while laying in my hotel room bed the morning after the gala - massive weight off my shoulders, a great book, and an incredibly squashy and comfy bed. Heaven.

Here's the synopsis from Chapters:

Every summer, four college friends hold a mini-reunion. They laugh, reminisce, and commiserate about their soul-sucking jobs. Maybe they should have listened to everyone who warned them to study something "practical."

Then an unexpected windfall arrives-one million dollars, to be exact-with the stipulation that they use it to jump-start their new careers. Almost overnight, a professor, a bartender, a copywriter, and an administrative assistant reinvent themselves as a novelist, an event planner, a pastry chef, and a bed-and-breakfast owner. But the changes in their professional roles create unexpected turbulence in their personal lives, and soon the secrets and scandals from their past start to resurface.

For anyone who has ever wondered "What if?," this engaging novel provides a sweet, funny look at friendship, romance, and second chances. 

The synopsis is right...if you've ever wondered what would happened if you had done something differently (and come on, who hasn't?), you'll really enjoy this book. These four friends get the chance to change their lives and, as cliched as this sounds, find happiness. Each of the four women have a chance for a mini do over in their lives when they inherit $250,000 and each of them handles it in different ways. The four friends are the key to this novel so I want to give a little peek into how they deal with their new situations.

Brooke is the sensible one of the bunch who decided to stay in their college town and is working at the alumni office. When the money comes to her she decides to jump right in and do what she's always wanted.

Cait is working as an English professor and is hoping for tenure. She's always wanted to write a novel but even with this money, she can't quite seem to take the chance. Suddenly her situation changes at the college she's teaching at and she finally runs out of excuses.

Jamie is the wild girl who always does what she wants and everyone else be damned. Guys come and go and she seems to be content with her job as a bartender - until her boss refuses her time off and she quits. In typical Jamie fashion, she falls headlong into her dream job when she's visiting Brooke. 

Then there's Anna. She's the only married one of the four but things are not all sunshine and lollipops. She and her husband have been trying for a baby for years and it has finally taken a toll on their marriage. He has to go oversees for work so she decides it's a perfect time to visit with the girls at Brooke's place and it's there she rediscovers her passion for baking.


This book has everything - laughing, crying, loving, fighting, playing, and thinking - and it's all wonderfully woven together. The characters are all well rounded and incredibly likeable. I like that none of the women are perfect because, really, who is? The great thing about having this many different characters is that there's usually one that you can really identify with. In my case it was Cait. I can't quite put my finger on why but hers was the story that I always enjoyed going back to. Not to say that I didn't like reading about the other women, because I did. I actually wanted to be friends with them. And I think that is a key thing. These women have a friendship that all other females envy. Ten years ago they met in college and have stayed in touch ever since. While they may be living in different parts of the country, they still manage to see each other at least once a year and always pick up where they left off. They're doing better than some of my friends and I and we're all (for the most part) in the same province! Hence, the envy.

I also think the setting is key. The four friends are back in their college town, which is a quaint, stereotypical upstate New York college town. For me, this was the kind of place that I always thought of when I thought about going away to university. The cover also helped convey what the setting was going to be like as well. There's nothing like seeing some Muskoka  chairs, one with books on it, surrounded by green space. I think there also may be some sort of deeper meaning behind the setting. Perhaps Kendrick had all the women end up in the same town they went to college in for a reason. I think it might be because that's when things started to change and they began to make "real" decisions for the first time. I may have gone waaaay too deep for this novel, but it's an interesting thought.

I highly recommend this book because it really is everything that chick lit should be. Compelling female characters, great friendship, a little bit of romance, and a journey. Do you really need any more convincing? Find this novel in some way or another and read it. You won't regret it.