12 Days of 2012: Day 7 Best Book Kisses

BEST BOOK KISSES

I'm a sucker for a good kiss scene. Books, movies, music videos, it doesn't matter. There are good kisses, and then there are those kisses that make you shiver and you need to grab a fan, cause you feel you don't have enough air. Here are 8 of the best kisses I've read about in 2012 (Might contain SPOILERS if you haven't read the books!!Highlight the colored lines (sorry to those who've already read the post yesterday, I just figured out the easiest way to do it *is ashamed*)):

• Sydney & Adrian - The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

I was waiting for that scene. What I didn't like was the way Sydney reacted afterwards. Yes, I know the whys of it, I just think that Adrian deserved better. Or maybe a better way to be refused.

• Anna & Kai - Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

They kissed a few times in the book, but my favorite has to be the "pinkie scene". It was so unexpected and passionate, yet pure and innocent all at once. Also, the scene after broke my heart a little

• Jaime & Jeremy - No Humans Involved by Kelley Armstrong

*ahem* I loved all kisses between these two *blush*

• Mana & Vaughn - A Feast of Souls by Hailey Edwards

Same as before. Though the one that stands out at this moment is the kiss they share while they're in the spiritlands. The entire scene is so sweet and perfect.

•  Lissa & Christian - Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Their first kiss was so hot. Also, she reacted a lot better in my book than Sydney did when Adrian kissed her. *swoon*

• Dimitri & Rose - Frostbite by Richelle Mead

The one where they're both in the gym and she was mad at her mom and Dimitri pissed her off and she kissed him. It was cool to see Dimitri loose control like that.

• Limos & Arik - Immortal Rider by Larissa Ione

Their very first kiss and it cursed him. It was kind of funny at first. The idea, not the fact that he was tortured and stuff. But anyway, the kiss was very nice :D

•  Elena & Clay - Stolen by Kelley Armstrong

When they see each other again, right after Elena escapes. The full scene is great, not just the kiss.

These are some of the kissing scenes that stuck with me. There are more, but it would mean to list all the books I read in 2012 (plus the rereads, because the kisses in the rereads, no matter the numbers I've read those books, are always good). What kisses did you like best in the books you read last year?

12 Days of 2012: Day 6 Top 11 Character Crush

TOP 10 CHARACTER CRUSH

Like it often happens with some characters, last year I've developed...well, I wouldn't call it obsession. More like a deep love for those characters. Like a regular crush, only with fictional people. (Boy, that sounds so bad LOL) Anyway, here are the characters that won my heart in 2012 (6 males and 5 females):

Kai - He's a very sexy Nephilim. He also has a British accent *swoon* and he has a unique sense of humor. But what that made me love him a lot were those little moments of vulnerability that he had. Not many, just a few, and they didn't last long. But they were enough to let me know that he really isn't the tough, "I-really-don't-care-about-anything" bad boy he wants everyone to believe he is.

Damon - Oh, a werecat. First, I love cats. Second, his name is just swoon-worthy. He has that Alpha air and behavior, you know? And even though he's sometimes too protective towards Kit, I get why he's doing it. Even though it pisses Kit off. And he's very sexy.

Lothaire  - He's one of my favorite vampires. I think, in some way, he's one of the few "modern" vampires that are very similar to what vampires were intended to be: vicious, wild, scary creatures, yet at the same time, he manages to have a softer, more tender side. And he has red eyes. I mean really, how cool is that?

Dimitri - So you already know why I love him, right? No? Ok, I'll say it one more time (for those of you who already know why, I promise this is the last time I'll say it :P). First, he has AMAZING taste in music (he loves the 80s music *swoon*thud*). Second, he's Russian. I like him for that alone. Yes, he's a bad-ass warrior. Yes, he's sexy. Speaking of sexy, I can't wait to see who they cast in his role. Who do you think should play him?

Rose - I just realized she's the first girl I mentioned so far. Oops. Back to Rose though. I love her sarcasm. That's one of the first things I noticed about her. That and her loyalty towards Lissa.

Eve - As I said before, I was completely blindsided by her. I was so not expecting her to turn out the way she did and I certainly wasn't planning on liking her, much less adore her. But I did. And I really want to read another full book just with her.

Astrid - Astrid is an amazing character. She's a strong, smart female. I loved her and her adventures. And I loved that she managed to work and do something that is usually seen as "male territory": swords, sword fighting, killing dragons. She's a brave woman.

Elena - Can't say just one thing that I loved about her. Her strength, her stubbornness, her sarcasm. Everything about her was amazing. Also, werewolf :)

Clay - He's Elena's male mirror image in my head. Just as strong, as sarcastic, as stubborn. He has no people skills, which makes him even more likeable to me, because he doesn't fake his feelings and he doesn't care if he offends someone by not lying. I like that.

Jeremy - Oh.... Even his name makes me drool. Let's see. He's Alpha. Strong, very smart, very talented (I mean that in a totally non-sexual way), thoughtful, funny. And there's another thing. Remember when Elena goes back to the Pack and she's extremely angry and she's trying to pick a fight but Jeremy doesn't take the bite? I loved that. The way he calmly told her what he needed to say, without once snapping at her. I loved that  about him and it's the first thing that made me notice him.

Jaime - Funny, cute, very sexy. And she has the ultimate, perfect boyfriend!!

Jeremy - Now, wait, before you say it ain't fair for Jeremy to be mentioned twice, I just have one itty bitty thing to add to the description above: this time, his talent really is in a sexual way *giggles* Seriously though, I liked seeing him acting a little bit like the wolf I think he is rather than the Alpha that has to be protected at all times. I realize that he's not exactly allowed to jump in front of damsels in distress to protect them from the bad guys and put himself in danger, but it was nice to see his step away from that role a little.







So, which characters made you fall in love with them in 2012?

12 Days of 2012: Day 5 Best Villain

BEST VILLAIN 

This year I got to read about a lot of interesting characters. Superheroes, cowboys, cowgirls, secret agents, doctors, schoolteachers, accountants, lawyers, wizards, elves and some other categories that I can't remember what they're called. Some were good guys, some were bad guys. Out of those bad guys I read about, some stuck with me. So, here you have my top 5 villains:

1. Graham from The Syrenka series by Amber Garr - the sneakiest bad guy I've ever read about. And the most surprising. 
2. Mab Monroe from Elemental Assassin by Jennifer Estep - the most psychotic and the most cruel woman 
3. The false King  from The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa - the most ironic situation ever and the most shocking.
4. Voldemort from Harry Potter by J.K Rowling - the most cruel villain ever
5. Saruman from Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien - the most devious

Now, don't say that the last two aren't fair. In my defense, I did reread both those series this year and I had fun doing it :D

What about you? Did you read about any "good" villains?

12 Days of 2012: Day 4 Best New For Me Authors

BEST NEW FOR ME AUTHORS

At the end of 2011 I decided to sign up for a lot of reading challenges. One of them was New Author Reading Challenge hosted by Jackie @ Literary Escapism. I had a very good time completing that challenge. I discovered a lot of great authors through it. These are my top 10 new for me authors:

1. Julie Kagawa
2. Amber Garr
3. Richelle Mead
4. Resa Nelson
5. Kelley Armstrong
6. Mary Parker
7. Helen Smith
8. Marissa Meyer
9. L. Filloon
10. Sherri Hayes

If you want to see the complete list of the new authors, go here. As always, keep in mind that there are many other authors from that list that won me over with their stories :D

12 Days of 2012: Day 3 Best Book Couples

 BEST BOOK COUPLES

Hey everyone! Today is a new day of lists *yay*. As you know, I'm a big fan of anything romance. I'm not ashamed to say it even in real life and I never hide the book I'm reading (if I get weird looks, I always respond with "hey, at least I'm reading".) But that's not the point.

Over the course of this year I've fallen madly in love with some couples. They make me laugh, cry, cringe and sometimes very, very mad. But mostly happy. I read about them and my day just gets better. I'm going to share the top 10 couples that I've read about this year. Before I start, I'll let you know that I'm only going to talk about the main characters of the book/s or series. I'll leave secondary characters and couples alone (even though there is one couple of secondary characters that I adore, but I'm afraid that would be spoilerish). Oh, one other thing. I know I say "top 10" and they're all numbered, but believe me when I say that: 1. the order is completely unimportant, I love them all like crazy and 2. there are so many more couples that I loved to read about in 2012, but I can't list them all, sorry.

So here it goes:

1. Rose & Dimitri - Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy) by Richelle Mead - She's funny, smart, sarcastic, he looks great (at least in my imagination) and he has GREAT taste in music. What more can you wish for? (read my review here)
2. Elena & Clayton - Bitten (Women of the Otherworld) by Kelley Armstrong - I love werewolves. I have other reasons to love this couple, but I'll keep it simple :D (read my review here)
3. Keely & Jack - All Jacked Up (Rough Riders) by Lorelei James - The wild McKay girl finds her match! I've reread this book many times, but I can never get tired of it. 
4. Anna & Kai - Sweet Evil (The Sweet Evil Trilogy) by Wendy Higgins - They complete each other in a way that is so cute and sexy at the same time. (read my review here)
5. Gin & Owen - Venom (Elemental Assassins) by  Jennifer Estep - I love them together. And Owen is a really great guy, unlike "Look-at-me-I-have-no-spine" Donovan Caine.
6. Eviana & Kain - Arise (The Syrenka) by Amber Garr - I was surprised by this couple, because I didn't think they were a great match in the beginning. But now I have to say that I couldn't have imagined a different ending to their story. (read my review here)
7. Jaime & Jeremy - No Humans Involved (Women of the Otherworld) by Kelley Armstrong - Do I need to say why? I know it will surprise you, but I really love Jeremy *giggles* That is, in case you didn't know already :P (read my review here)
8. Mana & Vaughn - A Feast of Souls (Araneae Nation) by Hailey Edwards- Can't say the whys,  because this book just came out yesterday and not many managed to read it so fast, I think. It's just that their story has a favorite element of mine :D (read my review here)
9. Ellie & Lothaire - Lothaire (Immortals After Dark) by Kresley Cole - Lothaire *drool* And Ellie was very funny and smart. And she kept the big, bad-ass vampire on his toes :D (read my review here)
10. Sidney & Adrian - Bloodlines (Bloodlines) by Richelle Mead - I might not have liked Adrian so much in the Vampire Academy series (I had eyes only for Dimitri), but he's growing on me in Bloodlines. And I think he's perfect for Sidney.

What about you? Do you have a favorite couple or two or three that you read about this year?

12 Days of 2012: Day 2 Best Books from my TBR pile

Best Books from my TBR pile

I'm only sharing the top 5, because I haven't really managed to read too many books from my TBR pile this year. Then again, my TBR "pile" has now become a small island *sighs* And my wallet is sobbing. I can actually hear the poor thing sobbing whenever I enter a bookshop.

Anyway, here's my list:

1. Blood Promise - Richelle Mead - As I've told you before, I finally gave in and read this series. I loved it all, but since I have to choose, I have to say that this was my favorite from the entire series.
2. Eternal Rider - Larissa Ione - Ah, Ares... I can't express how much I loved him. I loved the entire series and (as I've said in the review for Rogue Rider) I loved Thanatos more. But I'm choosing Ares' story, because it's the first one in the series. Just know that I loved the entire series :D
3. Bitten - Kelley Armstrong (read my review here) - I actually have to thank Carmel from Rabid Reads and Lucy from Moonlight Gleam's Bookshelf for reading this series. I loved it so much and I'm sad that it's finished. I'm also a little bit angry with myself that I wasn't there from the very beginning. I love this series so much it's not even funny. Yes, I'm obsessed with it :p
4. Spider's Revenge - Jennifer Estep - So far, I feel like this is the best book of the Elemental Assassin series. I loved it and I could finally see some of the things I was hoping for to happen becoming reality in this book.
5. No Humans Involved - Kelley Armstrong (read my review here) - Jeremy and Jaime. But mostly Jeremy. Nekkid Jeremy *le sigh* 

If you'd like to see what other books from my TBR monster-pile I read in 2012, head here. I haven't finished all the reviews for them, sorry for that. 

So, what books from your TBR list did you love more?

12 Days of 2012: Day 1 Best Covers of 2012

I don't know if I said this before, but I love lists. I didn't use to make lists when I was a kid or a teenager, but about the same time I discovered I was obsessed in love with reading I started making lists. Looong lists. So I though I'd share the lists I made for this year. It has to do with books, I promise not to share any other lists. Anyway, for the next 12 days I'll share my "best of" things book related lists. It's about everything from best covers to best couple to anything you can imagine. So, let's start with Day 1.

BEST COVERS OF 2012

In no particular order, here are 10 of the prettiest covers I've seen this year (yes, it's for books published in 2012):

Paul Marron with red, vampire-ish eyes. I don't need a better reason than that. :D 

Lothaire - Kresley Cole (my review here)

Cowboy boots. Oh, and I'm sure I've mentioned the fact that I luuuuurve cartoon covers. I do, I love them.







Death On Heels - Ellen Byerrum (my review here)

Like when I first saw this cover, the bleeding eye is enough reason for me to love his cover. It's perfectly creepy, if it makes any sense. And the book is good :D






The Immortal Rules - Julie Kagawa (my review here)

I always love a pretty cover that makes the crafty side of my brain go "Ah-HAH!". That's what the design made me feel like when I first saw this cover (have I ever mentioned how much I love jewelry? Not necessarily gold, just jewelry in general and also, not the pricey stuff. I'm okay with any material, even plastic, as long as it's pretty and funky and unique)

I haven't yet read the book, so I don't know if my wish came true about one of the characters (I hope it did though). Anyway, it's a very cool cover :D



Thirteen - Kelley Armstrong 

Another cartoon cover, I know. It's just that they're so pretty! I love them.

Oh, and if you haven't yet read the book, you should. It's very funny :D





I've Got Your Number - Sophie Kinsella (my review here)

This is a very cool cover. The entire series has cool covers. I like the fact that it's all blue and white and maybe a tad black. But mostly blue and white. (I love blue)








A Feast Of Souls - Hailey Edwards (read my review here)

That is a very pretty...horse *grins* The horse is gorgeous! The male model isn't that close to how I pictured Reseph, but he comes very close  (*laughs* no pun intended. No, really, I'm serious)







Rogue Rider - Larissa Ione (read my review here)

Even though I didn't finish this book, I have to admit that this is a very, very pretty cover.






Velveteen - Daniel Marks

I think I stared at this cover a lot. It's very beautiful. I love the fact that there's a link between the cover art and the title. I haven't read the series yet, but the cover makes me want to.

A Beautiful Evil - Kelly Keaton

Maybe I've said this before, but this cover is so awesome. The more I look at it, the more I think about one of the promo posters for the TV show Revenge. And I love the fact that every time I look at the cover, I see new details. 

Something Strange And Deadly - Susan Dennard

There are many, many more books with amazing covers that were published this year. I can't list them all, because this post would never end. But trust me, I loved a lot of covers. 

What covers did you like this year? What's your Top 10 list?