This was the year of the disappointing sequels. As I quoted on my review of Lady of Avalon, “As one other reviewer said on Goodreads, ‘I learned from this book that one shouldn’t try to milk a successful concept beyond its possibilities.’ Enough said.” So first it was Lady of Avalon, then it was Mossflower and then the super disappointing and soul crushing Rama Series ending with my only “It Stunk” Rama Revealed. But in the midst of all that I found the Series of Unfortunate Events getting interesting.
I also had a very interesting opportunity this year. As a member of the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Group I got an advanced readers copy of White Raven: The Sword of Northern Ancestors
Summary of 2012 Ratings:
Loved It– 7
Liked It A lot– 8
Liked It– 17
It Was Okay– 13
Kinda Bad– 5
Bad– 1
It Stunk– 1
Total= 52
Now it comes time to choose a book of the year. Only books marked with a “Loved It” rating qualify. They also have to be enjoyable enough to warrant multiple readings. They should also be recommendable to a wide audience, and dig deep into emotional or intellectual territory.
The books I marked as “Loved It” for 2012 are: Conquering Nonprofit Chaos, Prophet, Partials, The Hunger Games, Moon White: Color Me Enchanted, Gunfighters, Prophet (Books of the Infinite).
I know that some will call me cliche for my pick of book of the year, but The Hunger Games really best fits all of the qualifications . When I think about the book it still takes me places intellectually and emotionally. It hangs on to you because it resonates with being a future that seems real and possible. Yes, at times it’s over the top and it will probably resonate better with an audience of girls, but I think there is something here for everyone. It’s a classic in the making.
“I cannot live without books.” ― Thomas Jefferson