Looking over the books I read (at least the ones I remembered to check off on Goodreads), there are a few that really stood out as my memorable reads of 2011. Not surprisingly, they aren’t all actually 2011 titles but more surprisingly they aren’t all YA and UF books. If nothing else, I managed to branch out a little bit this year, although I did read more young adult books this year then I ever did as a teenager =D

As I was writing this post I realized that I hadn’t set the ‘date read’ for all of the books I read this year, which meant they weren’t all counted for 2011. Turns out I read 100 books this year… something I have been striving for, for longer than I can remember but never even coming close to reaching. I’m actually really pleased that I managed to do it without even realizing.

So, out of 100 books this year, these are the ten that I loved above the rest. In no particular order… The books that standout in my mind as my most memorable reads of 2011.

Dark Inside
Jeyn Roberts
I actually just read this a few weeks ago and I think it’s fair to say, this was one of my top three books of this year. A wonderfully horrifying tale of the (an) apocalypse. The characters are great and distinctive and everything about the world Jayn Roberts has imagined is so very vivid. Highly recommended!
Reads the Review

The Lost Crown
Sarah Miller
YA Historical Fiction, sign me up. This was actually one of the first titles I read in this genre and I loved it so much, despite the horribly sad ending. I hadn’t read much about the Romonov’s before reading this book but Sarah Miller managed to pull me far enough into their world that I definitely had a history binge after reading this book.
Read the review

The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins
I think of nothing else, I will remember 2011 as being the year I finally broke down and read The Hunger Games (actually, the entire series at a book a day… just couldn’t make myself slow down). I can’t believe I missed out on this amazing story for so long. Seeing the trailer for the movie was also a pretty big deal for me. Hunger Games= Awesome. End of story.
Read the review

Dopplegangster
Laura Resnick
Perhaps the most surprising OMG I love it, Urban Fantasy read of the year. This book is hilariously funny and so witty (just look at the title). This book doesn’t take itself too seriously and is so much better off for it. Very refreshing in the somewhat repetitive world of Urban Fantasy.
Read the review

Last Sacrifice
Richelle Mead
The end of the Vampire Academy series, sad to see it go but did it ever go out with a bang! I had sort of lost interest in this series after the fourth book but working at a bookstore tempted me to go back and see how the series ended and I’m SO glad I did. Both Spirit Bound and Last Sacrifice were mind-blowingly good which played a big role in bumping Richelle Mead to my list of all time favorite authors.
Read the review (Hehe, written in my original review format… oh how times have changed)

Gone
Michael Grant
Another book that blew my mind. Gone had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Yes, all the adults are gone and the kids and teens have to survive for themselves, but they aren’t spared any hardship. They do the best they can but still behave realistically as teenagers which I think put this book near the top of an ever expanding list of apocalyptic/dystopic teen fiction.
Read the review

The Pledge
Kimberly Derting
This one was another I read just this past month and loved! Combing fantasy and dystopia, while incorporating language as a key feature of society… I felt like this book was written just for me. The Pledge rocked my socks in every way possible.
… and I’m just now realizing I forgot to review it. Woops! Expect that in 2012.

The Other Boleyn Girl
Philippa Gregory
Probably the most recommended piece of historical fiction out there, and I finally got around to reading it. I’ve been a bit of a Tudor buff, so this was a lot of fun to read. Such an exciting book, which is so drastically different from what I usually read. I want to make sure I try out some other Philippa Gregory titles in 2012. I didn’t review it as it’s so far from this blog’s niche but if you have any interest in historical fiction you should give it a go.

Perfect Chemistry
Simone Elkeles
This is another book that is on this list to represent every book in it’s series. Simone Elkeles told three wonderful romances with her Perfect Chemistry series. My younger sister, who I can almost never convince to read even enjoyed the first book, so that’s a pretty high recommendation right there.
Read the review
Blood Bound
Rachel Vincent
Rachel Vincent’s Shifters series has been lovveeeddd by me for a long time, so I was a little nervous about where she would go with an entirely new UF series. But, I have to admit… she took it to a whole new level with Blood Bound. I loved the concept, the characters and the back story. This is the urban fantasy I’ve been craving, without even realizing it.
Read the review

So there you have it, the most memorable reads of 2011 (for me, anyways). If some of these books are sitting in your TBR pile, I really recommend dusting them off and giving them a shot. Who knows, they may end up on your best books of 2012 list.