Top 5 Books I Read in 2012

I feel really bad about not blogging... But I haven’t discovered any new books during the last couple of weeks, and I haven’t had much time to read. 

Because 2012 is coming to an end, here’s my Top 5 Books I read in 2012:

1      Divergent by Veronica Roth

Source: Goodreads

I have already written a review on Divergent and I’m just really happy I’ve found this amazing book series this year. Also check out the sequel, Insurgent

2    Song of Ice and Fire Series by George R. R. Martin

Source: Goodreads

I recommend this book series to everyone who loves epic fantasy novels, like Lord oft he Rings. I’m halfway through book 3 and I’m hoping to finish it before the start of the third „Game of Thrones“ season. 

3    The „Matched“ Trilogy by Ally Condie

Source: Goodreads

This is another book series I’ve talked about A LOT during the last few months... Matched was my favorite book in the series, but Crossed and Reached didn’t disappoint me. If you liked „Divergent“ or „Delirium“, I strongly recommend reading this trilogy

4     The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Source: Goodreads

I know many people have read this book years ago, but I only discovered it because the movie (starring Emma Watson!) came out this year. This book has made me laugh, cry, and stay up all night... It’s the perfect growing up, High School book, and I recommend it to anyone. You don’t have to be in High School to enjoy this book.

5     Der Junge der Traume schenkte by Luca di Fulvio

Source: Goodreads

I don’t think an English translation of this book has come out yet, I read it in German. But it was originally written in Italian by Italian Author Luca di Fulvio.

It’s about a single mother moving to New York at the beginning oft he 20th century, and about her son, Christmas. The setting, the story and the characters are amazing and I couldn’t put this book down until the very end.

Which were YOUR favorite books this year? Please tell me in the comments!

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas, and a happy new year!

Book Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

I've read many books in 2012 so far, but Divergent by Veronica Roth has been one of my favorites. Don't worry if you haven't read the book yet, this review does not contain any spoilers!

Source: Goodreads

Plot: 

 

Divergent takes place in a futuristic, dystopian Chicago where society is divided into 5 different factions: Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Candor (the honest), Amity (the peaceful) and Erudite (the brave).
The protagonist of Divergent is Beatrice "Tris" Prior who was born and raised in the Abnegation (selfless) faction.
At the age of 16, everyone in the society has to decide whether they want to stay in the faction they grew up in, or change factions. But before choosing, everyone has to take a test, the so-called aptitude test, which tells you which faction fits you best.
Tris takes the test and gets a strange result: Tris is "divergent", which means there is more than one faction that fits Tris' character. But Tris is told to keep her divergence a secret from everyone she knows, because being divergent is dangerous. If you read the book, you'll find out which faction Tris chooses, and why being divergent is considered dangerous.

My Thoughts: 

There is a number of reasons why I liked Divergent:

- I could totally relate to the protagonist. Tris is a girl, Tris is physically weak, but during the novel she becomes this strong and brave person.

- They way the story is told is just terrific, I could NOT stop reading. I don't know about you, but I think reading an almost 500-page book in one sitting doesn't happen very often. I just always wanted to know what's gonna happen next, there were no parts of the book that I felt like could have been left out. When I found out that Veronica Roth, the author of this book is only 24, and that she published the book when she was only 22 (which might not be true, I suck at math), I couldn't believe it. This doesn't seem like a debut novel!

- Divergent is a book that makes me want to write fan fictions. I never write fan fictions, the only times I considered doing it were when I was reading Harry Potter and Twilight. (Please don't kill me because I like Twilight!).
It's a story I want to find out more about because I love some characters with my whole heart, while on the other side there are characters in this book that I absolutely despise. There is just so much more to explore, and I'm more than happy that Divergent is just the first book in a trilogy.

- Yes, just like in almost every YA book there is ROMANCE. I'm not going to tell you who it is going to be (you'll quickly figure it out yourselves), but let me tell you it is GENUINE. The relationship in this book is in no way forced, although it develops fairly quickly. If I had to choose my favorite couple in YA books, it would be the couple in this book. Sorry, Harry Potter (J.K. Rowling can write anything! but romance. Sorry ): )

- I find the world, the dystopian Chicago, especially the factions in the society extremely interesting. I want to find out more about the different factions, I want to know more about how the whole thing started, and I want to know WHAT'S OUTSIDE THE FENCE! And why the locks on the fence are on the outside!


At the end there is just one thing I want to say: Read the book. Just read it, I promise you you'll love it! And if you've already read Divergent: Read Insurgent! (Which is the sequel). (Review of Insurgent coming soon!).


RATING:                                                                       

Plot: 5/5
Language: 4/5
Characters: 5/5
Overall: 5/5

Author: Veronica Roth

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Publication Date: May 3 2011

Genre: Young Adult / Dystopian

Pages: 496 (Hardcover)

Get it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Book-1-Veronica-Roth/dp/0062024027 (Available as: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle)

Have you read Divergent? Did you like it? Please tell me in the comments :)