Books, books, and more books: 4th quarter 2012

Ok, I have put this post off forever and ever. I didn't read quite as many books at the end of 2012 because of the holidays, traveling, and of course, all my tv shows came back on. Why read when you can mindlessly stare at a glowing box? To make this easier on everyone (anyone?) who reads this, I'm gonna skip the summarizing get right down to the nitty-gritty and tell you what to read. You're welcome. :)

The Little Black Book of Style by Nina Garcia - short and somewhat forgettable read. I learned new things about style, but some of the advice was either unrealistic (no, I will not wear heels everywhere. sorry, Nina) or something I already put into place, i.e. constantly cleaning out my closet. But that being said, since it only takes a couple of hours to read, so I recommend it. Goodness knows I can always use fashion tips.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (and Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling - Do you love the Mindy Project? If so, let's be friends because it never fails to crack me up. Never a fan of Kally Kapoor, but a huge fan of Mindy Kaling, I totally enjoyed her witty, entertaining book. It's just your basic autobiography/random thoughts book. After reading this, I have so much respect for her and other women in comedy (hello, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler!). These women work their butts off and make a name for themselves in such a male-dominated field. And they do it hilariously. And gorgeously. Did you see the Golden Globes?!?!? I recommend this whole-heartedly but only if you like to laugh.

Uglies and Pretties by Scott Westerfield - YA dystopian series, Big-Brother-esque future society, small band of rebels, book boyfriend, blah, blah, blah. I read all of Uglies but then got bored during Pretties and ended up finishing the series on Wikipedia. Better YA books out there. Skip.

The Throne of Fire (re-read) and The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan - FINALLY the last book of the Kane Chronicles trilogy came out! Of course, I had to re-read the 2nd book to refresh my memory, and I still love these books. It's Egyptian myths/gods/magic meets modern-day New York as told through a teenage brother/sister pair. The narration switches between the two as they run about saving the world from evil Egyptian gods. Intriguing, right? The last book was just as entertaining as the first two, which I first wrote about here. I recommend this especially if you like a little bit of learning with your fiction - which I can only take in small doses ;)

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows - I know, I know. I'm probably the last person on the earth to read this book, but this is me, jumping on the bandwagon. The whole book-told-through-letters was WAY better than I thought it would be. And I dunno, I thought the story was all about old people? (whom I love, beeteedubs. i'm not insulting my fellow 4-pm-diners) Well, it's not. But it is about World War II, something I'm completely obsessed with, and it is about love and it is hilarious. So, even thought you probably already have read it, this is me recommending it.

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill - this is the book that Harry Potter's new movie was based on. Ghosts, dead people, haunted houses, insanity - that's the plot in a nutshell. It was fa-reaky! But I get nightmares from Pretty Little Liars, so... Anyway, I fittingly read it around Halloween, and it was quick, scary-fun read. Recommend!

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford - a precious, precious novel about a young Chinese boy in Seattle circa 1941 and the same boy as an adult 40-plus years later. The novel focuses on the boy and his relationship with his Japanese female friend, his relationship with his parents (immigrants who don't speak any English), and his relationship with his son. Jamie Ford weaves a sweet tale about all types of love against the backdrop of war and racism. Another WWII book. Definitely recommend. 

Scent of Magic by Maria Snyder - Oh, Scent of Magic...I EL-OH-VEE-EE'D Touch of Power (wrote about that here). I could have married Touch of Power! Scent of Magic? Eh...stupid 2nd-book-in-a-trilogy trap. I mean, it was good, but it just wasn't good. I'm still all up in the plot and emotionally tied to the characters (unlike the books that came after Matched), but Scent of Magic had too many cliff hangers and confusing jumps for me to be totally in it. I've been burned before. I'm looking at you, Dan Brown. Other than that, yes, you should read it. Side note: I'm dying to see what Mary thinks about it - thanks for lending me the book!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (re-read) - Obviously I recommend if I re-read it. First wrote about it here. 

I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella (re-read) - same as above. Thoughts here.

Vampire Academy and Frostbite by Richelle Mead - Oh-ho-ho! Vampire Academy...What can I say about this series? Maybe that I both hate and love Maribeth for introducing them to me? Mostly love. Maybe that I read all six books in two weeks? Maybe that I just can't.get.enough of Moroi and dhampirs and Rose and Dmitri and AHHHH!!!! These are no Twilight - the narrator/main character Rose is a strong, opinionated character who kicks trash. She's a dhampir, half-human, half-vampire, and she's supposed to be the bodyguard of her best friend and full vampire, Lissa. Lissa, and other vampires called Moroi, need bodyguards because evil vampires called Strigoi want to kill them all. So Lissa and Rose and all other teenage vampires and dhampirs go to school to learn reading, writing, magic, and kick-butt-ery. It's amazing. And the sequel series is even better. I don't recommend this - I COMMAND YOU TO READ NOW.

K, so that wraps up 2012. Now you know the drill - leave book recs below. Please and thank you!