Favorite Books of 2011

It's not the end of 2011 yet, but by now I've read quite a few spectacular books. Actually, according to this list, I've read about 130 books so far this year. I don't think I'll get past 200; if I'm lucky, I'll get to 170ish. Either way, that's a lot, and I figured I should highlight which books really caught my attention.

Favorite Books of 2011:

-Nightshade (2010 but I read it in 2011) & Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer | my review here
-Heist Society (2010 again but like ^^ that) by Ally Carter
-The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin | my review here
-Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor | my review here
-Divergent by Veronica Roth | my review here
-Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins | my review here

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Not YA books:
(yes, yes, they're both romance novels.  Didn't I say I was an addict ;)?)

-The Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran
-Unveiled by Courtney Milan

What makes these books awesome?  

1. Andrea Cremer's writing always packs a punch. It's so strong that I notice it while I'm reading; it's like Calla, fierce and unyielding. Her dialogue is absolutely superb, highlighting her characterizations, and her paranormal world is one I could get lost in for ages.

2. Up until THS, I had never read an Ally Carter novel before... but man, if THS exemplifies Ally Carter's writing, I've been missing out. THS was so fast-paced and exciting that I couldn't put it down; the dialogue so witty that I found myself smiling frequently as I read on; the romance so ... teasing and light that I cannot wait until I read the next installment.  I can't believe I left Uncommon Criminals at home :(. I want to read it now!

3. Mara Dyer... by God... Unreliable protagonist=sheer genius. Alternate realities=sheer genius. A thrill to read every page=you bet. Hot romance=mhmm. I feel like no matter how many times I reread this novel, I will still be lost in its trap.

4. Laini Taylor... is a writing goddess.  I'm not sure I really need to say anything else :P.

5. Divergent... stuck with me.  There were some things about the book that I didn't like -- Tris and Four in love at the end? Um, how many interactions did they even have? -- but it's still one of my favorites this year.  It's jammed packed with action and flawed characters in whom I mostly believe and has a compelling society which makes you reflect on your own life and where you'd fit if you were one of the characters.

6. Cricket <3.  <--- I hardly ever use those.  That should tell you something.

The romance novels I chose are there because the protagonists and romantic interests actually had distinct personalities, and the romance was sweet and slow-building, unlike many others I've read.

Books I admired enough to revisit but which weren't necessarily my favorites:

-Gemma Doyle Trilogy by Libba Bray
-The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
-The Duff by Kody Keplinger
-All You Desire (Eternal Ones #2) by Kirsten Miller | my review here
-The Pledge (Pledge #1) by Kimberly Derting | my review here
-Hourglass (Hourglass #1) by Myra McEntire | my review here
-A Need So Beautiful (A Need So Beautiful #1) by Suzanne Young | my review here
-The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus #1) by Rick Riordan
-Witchlanders by Lena Coakley | my review here

I feel like I need to distinguish between these categories more.  Each of these books had something that bothered me a bit.  Gemma Doyle books?  Well, I read them so much later than everyone else so maybe it was just that I hadn't really gotten into the first and second ones before I got the third, huge and slow and weighing a ton.  The Replacement?  So cool that Brenna Yovanoff didn't mention faeries once but Mackie was too emo of a protagonist for me.  The Duff?  Enemies with benefits is fun to read except for when you don't completely see Wesley's appeal.  All You Desire?  Hard to love a story when the protagonist

still annoys you.  The Pledge?  Technically nothing wrong with this book, just didn't have something unforgettable about it for me.  Hourglass?  Great except for how confusing the time-travel was for me.  A Need So Beautiful?  Touching, but also too melodramatic in a way.  The Lost Hero? Still kind of had a childish for me. Witchlanders?  Technically, again, nothing wrong with the book--loved the writing... but because I'm such a romance addict, I can't say it's one of my favorite books. The romantic scenes are the ones I often revisit the most.

Books I'm predicting will be contenders when they're released:

-Silence (Hush, Hush #3) by Becca Fitzpatrick - October 4, 2011
-Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon - October 4, 2011
-The Son of Neptune (Heroes of Olympus #2) by Rick Riordan - October 4, 2011
-The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater - October 18, 2011
-Crossed (Matched #2) by Ally Condie - November 1, 2011
-The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff - November 15, 2011

-Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi - November 15, 2011
-Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare [a series I like more than TMI] - December 6, 2011

(?) Beautiful Chaos (Beautiful Creatures #3) by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl [If I somehow manage to read the second book  soon...] - October 18, 2011
(?) The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Caroyln Macker [sounds intriguing; don't know if it'll play out right for me] - November 21, 2011

What are you excited for?  What have been your favorite reads this year?