December 18: Top Ten Books I Read In 2012.

1. My absolute number one this week is We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver. Hands down one of the best books I've read in many years, not just in 2012, every single word Shiver writes seems important and integral to the story - there is such a powerful weight to her writing and the story is just as incredible. If you've not read this yet - please do, it's brilliant.

2. Life Of Pi - Yann Martel - I'm cheating a little with this one because it really wasn't this year that I read it, but I'm re-reading it now. I took this book out of the library two summers ago and it was one of the most moving things I'd ever read, and recently with the trailers for Ang Lee's absolutely mesmerizing looking adaptation of the story I've been desperate to read it again, I swear I tear up and shiver every time I see the trailer and I can't wait for the film to be released, I'm almost positive it's going to be my film of the year because the story really does leave you with something special.

3. A Storm Of Swords - GRRM - Book 3 of the series, I got this for Christmas last year and *may* have finished it before the years end, but I'm still counting it. The Red Wedding blew me away, and for that reason  it's this book and not A Dance With Dragons that 'll add from GRRM, though as you probably all know, I love the whole series and it's been a highlight of my year. 

4. Damned - Chuck Palahniuk - When I read this I didn't actually think it had been a read that would stick with me, and I didn't instantly love it as much as some of Palahniuk's other books such as Haunted or Survivor  but it's a book I go back to in my mind quite a lot and think about and it was actually quite a fun tale despite the story and setting. 

5. The Reader - Bernherd Schlink -  I really loved this book, I read in in one sitting in bed one night and instantly passed it on to my mum, whose opinions were less than enthusiastic than mine but, still I think this is wonderful. The writing is great to me because it is quite stiff and gives of the impression of being translated which I felt really immersed me in the story as it was set in Germany. Hard hitting and emotional, a great take on a war novel.

6. Tess Of The D'urbervilles -Thomas Hardy - I had wanted to read this book for a long time, I already knew the story and had seen various adaptations, but I really wanted the book, which I was given for my birthday back in February  I love this story and I always have, Tess is probably one of the worst treated females in classic literature, but she always has faith and I like the ending, though it's not a happy one.

7. The Gum thief - Douglas Coupland - I really like Coupland's books, and I found this is a charity shop. Great read, an unlikely friendship always wins me over.

8. The Fault In Our Stars - John Green - I'd read Green's books before this and although I liked them, they weren't for me the huge blow-you-away  type books I was expecting from the hype. I did like this one though and thought it was a very sad, beautiful story.

9. Perv: A Love Story - Jerry Stahl - I can't tell you how long I had waited to read this book! There were absolutely no copies for sale in the UK and the shipping price from the states was insane so I put it off for ages, I actually think this was the first book I purchased in the new year, telling myself it was acceptable as it was Christmas money, and I did really love the book, plus it's lead me onto other books by Stahl which I've enjoyed too so I suppose it was worth it

10. The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things - J.T. Leroy - It took me a very long time to assess my feelings for this book but I eventually decided I liked it. The story is difficult but I couldn't put it down. Very honest and I'm definitely glad I read it.

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Two Most Anticipated Books For 2013

I'm going to assume that this prompt means anticipated as in, books you're waiting on being released, but personally I'm not so good with the shall we say "new releases". I very rarely wait for a book to be released because I tend to have so many titles on my "to read" list that have been out for a while. I think this past year I bought two books on or near their published dates, which were; A Dance With Dragons - George R.R. Martin, and Damned - Chuck Palahniuk (which I actually think I pre-ordered.) Getting down to it I think there's only one new to be released book I'm waiting for this coming year and it's (absolutely no surprise here)...

The Winds Of Winter.

Shocker right! Yes, book six is (hopefully) going to be released in 2013, which I am more excited about then I can eloquently say, as I presume, a lot of us are. (If you've not read the sampler on Martin's website you can find it here.) I do fear I'm being a bit optimistic with this choice, and in all likelihood the book won't be out next year at all, but dammit, I can hope!

And again, (I see a pattern here) I'll most likely be awaiting Palahniuks new novel which is said to drop next year and is a sequel to Damned. I really tried to think of a couple more titles but I can't! I have a pretty hefty list of book to get through at the minute anyway, so this is probably a good thing.

Also, I really like the look of new movie; The Silver Linings Play-book, (and if you follow Brett Easton Ellis on Twitter, you'll know he hasn't stopped raving about it being one of the films of the year) has anyone read the novel it's based on?  I had a sneaky peek at a few pages and it looked interesting, let me know!

Top Ten Tuesday

It's another freebie week this week so I'm going to pick a nice and easy topic because  as I mentioned in my last post I'm a very busy bee with Uni work at the minute! I'm going to do a split topic this week so ere are my:

Top Ten Five Most OCD-ish Book Habits:

1) I always read the authors note/dedications the second after I've finished the book and not before.

2) If there's a particular piece of writing I like, a phrase or some dialogue, I fold the bottom page corner, even though I hate the idea of folding a corner to mark where I'm up to.

3) I never ever write in my books. (I used to when I was little, every book I owned was marked as mine and now I hate the idea.)

4) I have to take a book with me pretty much anywhere it's socially accepted. (meaning you won't find me turning pages in a bar...but anywhere else, don't be surprised.)

5) Every new (or new to me!) book shall receive a cursory whiff. Nothing beats the smell of a book.

Top Ten Five Favourite Book Covers:
Note: There are countless numbers of beautiful book covers in the world, some which I one day hope to own, but these five are just some of  my favourite covers from my own collection, they don't have deep meaning nor do I have attachments to the artists, I just find them aesthetically pleasing.

1) The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath. For me, this image so contradicts the writing inside, I think that's why I like it.

2) Haunted - Chuck Palahniuk. (Hardback) I do love a dust-jacket that's part of the design inside.

3) Lullaby - Chuck Palahniuk (I know, I know, but what can I say, I've admitted my love for him already!) I just enjoy looking at this. My eyes like it. 

4) Damned - Chuck Palahniuk - (Hardback) I'm not sure why I automatically thought of this cover, but I did. It is a pretty good representation of what you find inside I suppose, and I like that it's such a simple, almost childish interpretation.

5) The Lords & The New Creatures - Jim Morrison. This book is not a novel, it's a collection of Morrison's poetry and I like the cover simply because when I see it I can hear Morrison voice in my head bellowing "I am the lizard King. I can do anything."