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Faves of 2012

Okay it is that time of the year again where anyone and everyone puts together lists of their top picks of the past year. I am going to be no different, I will, however, not be doing a top 10. What I have put here are the ones that really stood out, but truthfully I had many wonderful reading experiences this year just about gone, and I did limit this list to those books published in 2012.

Let me start with the youngest first and believe me there were so many really cool picture books this past year but here are a few that stood out.

The Snorgh and the Sailor : Will Buckingham and Thomas Docherty

9781407116525

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore : William Joyce

9781442457027

I Love You Little Monster : Andreae Giles and Jess Mikhail

9781408314289

Plant a Kiss : Amy Rosenthal and Peter H Reynolds

9780061986758

What Does Daddy Do? : Rachel Bright

9780141502649

Fiction 4 – 9 years.

Secret of the Swords : Frances Watts and Gregory Rogers

9781742377285

Hey Jack! series : by Sally Rippin

9781742971254

Billie B Brown series by Sally Rippin

9781742971414Fiction 8 – 12

Floors : Patrick Carmen

9781906427900

Summer’s Dream :  Cathy Cassidy

chocolate-box-girls-summer-s-dream

Dork Diaries series : Rachel Renee Russell

9780857071194Young Adult Fiction

Stormdancer : Jay Kristoff

stormdancer-hi

The Fault in Our Stars : John Green

9780525478812

Team Human : Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan

9781742378398

 

 

Category:

A Little Fun, Topics and Recommendations

Tagged with:

Stormdancer

By: Jay Kristoff

The Shima Imperium is a land on the brink. The Lotus Guild worship machines and have given the country clockwork industrialization. The downside of this is that the skies are coloured like blood and mass extinctions of all kinds of wildlife. It is a land being choked by toxic pollution, a by product of production of the blood lotus, a plant that provides everything from their fuel source to a drug to numb the public.

The hunters from the Imperial Court are sent on an insane mission to capture a legendary beast, a griffin (or thunder tiger) half eagle and half tiger. Everyone knows they have been extinct for years. The price for failing the Shogun in this mission is death, the leader tolerates no failure, no matter how ridiculous the task.

Yukiko is the daughter of Black Fox (Masaru), the Shogun’s Master of Hunter’s. She also has a secret that if discovered will see her dead at the hands of the Lotus Guild. Yukiko accompanies her father on this hunt and starts to see things that cause the thoughts she has suppressed, come to the surface. When things go horribly wrong she finds herself lost in the wilderness with creatures from stories and an injured and angry thunder tiger for company. Together though they may be able to change an empire.

So much about this story had me gripped and eager to get my hands on it way before it hit the shelves. Honestly I wasn’t let down.

Yukiko is a wonderful character; young, stubborn, strong and conflicted. She grows through her challenges, she sees beyond to understand things she never thought she would. She engages you and you want to go on this journey with her.

The world Kristoff has created is wonderful. It is dark and compelling. There is a grittiness in the telling that just draws you in. Complex friendships and family dynamics give things a believable edge. The plot is tightly layered and there are strong characters in some suprising places..

I really did love so very much of this book; the characters, the world, the politics, the environment and the creatures. I really can’t wait to read the next installment.

This will probably make my top five of the year.

Publisher: Tor

Published: 13 September 2012

Format: Paperback 352 pages

Categories: Fantasy, Steampunk, Adventure, Action

ISBN 13: 9780230762886

Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on the side of the page

Category:

Young Adult Fiction

Tagged with:

Stormdancer – Book Trailer

This is just because I have finally gotten around to starting this book and it is awesome!

Category:

Book Trailers, Young Adult Fiction

Tagged with:

Stormdancer – Cover Reveal

This looks so totally awesome, Japanese steampunk. I am so looking forward to this. It is due for release in September.

Category:

Coming Soon

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