Best Books of 2012

I read so many amazing books this year--I reached a total of _ books for the whole year, and since I tend to put down books I don't like, that's a lot of good books. But there were a few who rose above as new favorites, and here they are. The top three books I loved best in 2012:

Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan

I don't normally read a lot of nonfiction but oh my God, this book is amazing. I flew through it, shocked and enthralled by what was happening and in the back of my mind I kept thinking, "oh my God this is a true story, this really happened!" It's incredible. Susannah Cahalan is my new hero.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

So everyone has heard of this book by now, and it deserves the attention. The alternating POVs are incredible--they're both so real and authentic and I loved them equally. And by chapter 3 I was hooked and I knew I wouldn't be putting the book down until I was done. I desperately want to write a book this intelligent some day.

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

I love this book. It's beautiful, it's engrossing, it's swoonworthy, and it's not quite like anything else. It's one of those books that I read and wished the world was real and these characters were real. I want to go to their town and be their friend.

February Must Read Giveaway

I'm insanely excited for all the awesome books coming out in 2012, and I decided what better way to celebrate than to pick the book I'm most excited for each month and give it away.

For February 2012, I actually couldn't decide between two awesome debuts, so there are two chances to win. The first chance is for Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood. It's an alternate history about witches, all I keep hearing about it are fabulous things, and again the cover is beautiful.

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word . . . especially after she finds her mother's diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family's destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.

To win, fill out the form below between now and midnight on February 7th, and check back on the 15th for another February Must Read Giveaway.