Friday Fives: Five Books for 2012
This week’s Friday Fives at Paper Hangover is asking: What are the FIVE books you’re looking forward to in 2012?
Okay, I’m going to cheat with this one. I’m sorry, but I’m still catching up on 2011 (and 2010, 2009, 2008…) books! I know there are some great books coming out this year, but I don’t know much about them to know what to pick. So, I’m going to list a couple I do know that I’m looking forward to, and the rest of the list will be pre-2012 books that I’m looking forward to reading this year. Okay? You can give me some recommendations in the comments for books to look out for this year. Deal? Great. Let’s begin.
INSURGENT by Veronica Roth. Well, duh… of course! DIVERGENT was my book of the year for 2011, so naturally, I’m almost as eager for this as I am responses to the queries I just sent out. Almost. I think the release date is not-soon-enough, 2012… actually, I think it’s May. Which is four months away. That’s okay. I want to re-read DIVERGENT before I read INSURGENT anyway. If you don’t know, INSURGENT is the second book in the DIVERGENT series. Here’s the Goodreads page with more info. And if you don’t have a copy of DIVERGENT, you need to enter my giveaway! Now. Just comment on the Giveaway page, and you might be the blessed one selected to receive it. Go on!
UNRAVELING by Elizabeth Norris. I actually have an ARC of this sitting on my desk waiting for me to read. The premise sounds interesting: it’s about a girl who dies two days before her junior year, but is brought back to life by a mysterious loner from her high school. There’s a ticking clock, and… well, here, go to Elizabeth Norris’s blog and read the summary there! Sounds good, doesn’t it? I might post a review when I’ve read it. The scheduled release date is in April, 2012.
THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green. This is a 2012 release, but it’s out already, so I don’t have to look forward to it coming out. My daughter has a signed copy, so it’s already in the house. I just have to get around to reading it. Which I plan to. My daughter really enjoyed it, so I’m looking forward to it. What’s it about? Here’s the Goodreads page where you can read about it.
THE FUTURE OF US by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler. Again, a book with an interesting premise: in 1996, Josh and Emma get an AOL account, but when they log on they find themselves at their Facebook pages, looking at themselves fifteen years in the future. When I first read the summary, I had that “what a cool idea–I wish I thought of that!” moment. So I’m curious to know if it’s as good a book as I would have made it. It’s probably better, actually, judging from the numerous positive comments I’ve read about it. Here’s the Goodreads page for more info.
MISS PEREGRIN’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN by Ransom Riggs. Another book for which I’ve seen rave reviews . It’s about a sixteen-year-old boy who goes to an abandoned orphanage on an island off the coast of Wales. There he finds out about the children who used to live there–it seems there was something very special about them. Moreover, somehow, they might still be alive! Again, my brief summary doesn’t do it justice, so here’s the Goodreads page.
Those are five books I look forward to reading this year. Now, help me out, blog friends! What books that are coming out this year should I have on my TBR list? And don’t forget to check out the other blogs participating in this week’s Friday Fives at Paper Hangover.
I read and enjoyed your 3rd and 4th picks–and of course, I’m looking forward to #1! I still haven’t read Miss Peregrine either–I bought a copy back in October, when a former student (still in our school, not in my class) dropped by to complain that she had lost her own copy. She seemed so set on reading it that I wanted to get it back in her hands, so I lent it to her before reading it myself. I haven’t gotten it back yet, but she says she’s still working on it, and knowing this particular kid, I actually believe her. Ah, well, such is life.
Now that’s what I call a devoted teacher–lending a book she wants to read to a student that needs it. I hope the student loves it and returns it soon! 😉
Can’t wait to read The Fault in Out Stars. I recently finished The Future of Us and it was really good
Thanks for the vote of confidence for THE FUTURE OF US, Carrie.
I’m waiting for Charlie Higson’s next book. I LOVE his writing 😀
I just looked Charlie Higson up on Amazon… he’s done a series of Young Bond books? Ha! I was playing “Goldeneye” on the Wii last night thinking, “I wonder if anyone’s done a young James Bond series, like they did a young Sherlock Holmes series? That might be fun to write!” This means I’m going to have to check his books out, now. Thanks for the recommendation, Cole! 🙂
Oooh, this is the first Friday 5 that’s really struck my fancy, think I’ll join in.
The Fault in Our Stars is really good – it didn’t resound with me as heart-breakingly as it seems to with the rest of the Internet, so I feel a bit like the odd Nerdfighter out, but it was a fantastic story.
My wife and her sister went to see Bambi when they were kids. When {spoiler!] Bambi’s mother died, my wife and most of the movie theater were in tears, but her sister looked around saying, “What’s wrong with everyone?” 🙂 She still enjoyed the movie, but it clearly didn’t affect her emotionally the same as everyone else. It happens–people are different.
I suppose that means we should be careful when our beta readers read our manuscripts not to assume that if they didn’t laugh or cry at all the places *we* think they should, that it’s a bad novel.
Two of these are on my 2012 TBR list too (INSURGENT and THE FUTURE OF US). I know everyone is raving about THE FAULT IN OUR STARS but I have no wish to read it. I’ve personally experienced cancer in my immediate family and I just can’t bring myself to read about cancer in a book. I’m not sure how others who’ve experienced this personally feel, but to me, it’s just not appealing. As for MISS PEREGRINE – it was interesting. Different for sure, but I’m curious to see what happens in the next one 🙂
The *next* one? It’s a series? Excuse me, but I live under a rock here. 🙂 I hope I enjoy it–I haven’t read a great deal of series, and looking forward to the next in a series is fun. 🙂
I understand what you say about TFIOS. I’ve read many people talking about how they were in tears, and that doesn’t necessarily commend a book to me. After all, I’m a guy–tell me a book is funny, exciting, thrilling, has great characters, an interesting plot, but NOT that it’ll make me cry! 🙂 BUT this is John Green, and the book has had rave reviews. So, we’ll see…
The Fault in Our Stars is on my list too! I can’t wait to read it. I’ve heard so many good things about it. 🙂
It’s a #1 New York Times Bestseller, now, which is not only great for John Green, but for YA! 🙂
3 & 4 are sitting in my TBR pile, can’t wait to read them!
Cool! Perhaps I *do* have good taste! 🙂
I cannot wait for Insurgent either 😀
The Future of Us and MISS PEREGRIN’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN are also on my TBR…
I’m hoping they’ll move from my TBR to my desktop very soon! 🙂
Three of these were already on my list, I’ve just added the other two 🙂
Three? Wow–I must have good taste! 🙂
I’ve heard such wonderful things about Divergent, I really should give it a try before the sequel comes out.
Thanks for stopping by my blog during the Déjà Vu Blogfest last month!
DIVERGENT really is good. If you don’t have a copy yet, you can enter my Giveaway for a chance to win it–see the “Giveaway” tab above.
Thanks for dropping by, Kelly–come back soon! 🙂
Insurgent is on my TBR and now, thanks to you, so is “The Future of Us.” There are so many great 2012 reads coming out that I can’t pick only five!
It’s odd recommending a book I haven’t read, but I’m looking forward to it, and lots of people love it. I hope you enjoy it, Issy!
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