Best Books I Read: 2012

Ever since The Critiquing Critica was born, I've posted an annual list of my favorite books that I read throughout the year. For this list, I didn't really pay attention to ratings since I'm starting to get annoyed with my own rating scale, but all Best Books can be assumed 5/5 Stars and Runner-Ups can be considered 4.5/5 Stars. If I reviewed any of these books, I linked the title.

So, here's my yearly list, in no particular order.


Best Books

The Fault in Our Stars by: John Green

I could never name my favorite author when I was asked. Now, I immediately answer "John Green." I don't care if anyone read the summary and didn't find much interest; neither did I. Go read this book. The writing is wonderfully-crafted, as are the unique (and funny) primary characters, Augustus and Hazel. John Green painted a perfect picture of emotions, and it takes a special writer to truly capture grief as he did. I cried a lot as I read this book, and I oftentimes think of it now. The Fault in Our Stars is so unforgettable - how could I not name it as one of my favorite books?





The Dead-Tossed Waves by: Carrie Ryan

Carrie Ryan's The Dead-Tossed Waves is the sequal to The Forest of Hands and Teeth, and I loved both. Once again, Ryan proved to be an excellent writer, and she added plenty of twists and turns in the plot, following a new character we didn't know in the first book. This character, Gabry, did what any decent character should do throughout a novel - grow. Her metamorphisis made her stronger, less fearful, and more sure of herself. This brought more hope into a rather dark and bleak novel about a zombie-apocalypse. Carrie Ryan's series is the only zombie-related series I read, as she creates a frightening vision of the Unconsecrated that I could personally never understand or care about in any other format than hers.

Jane Eyre by: Charlotte Bronte

I never wanted to put this classic down, and was sad to see the story end. Though Jane Eyre was written in the 1800s, there is something about it that's so incredibly fresh, and I'm not just talking about Jane being so femminist for her time period... does anyone know how excited I was for an ugly love interest!? ALAS! NORMALCY! I'm so sick of these 'perfect' love interests that actually have glaring flaws. I'm sick of reading about perfect hair and eyes and other things that can be perfect like hands and teeth and backs! (Crazy run-on sentence! Whoo!) Anyway, Mr. Rochester outdid them all, even though he's so ugly that Jane told him several times.





 A Separate Peace by: John Knowles

Since I wasn't sure what this book would be about, I definitely wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. Like most contemporary novels, it kept me reading and reading with much interest and emotion. Gene and Finny's friendship is indeed a complicated one, and it is also an irritating one as Gene plays head games with himself in fits of jealousy. The domino effect of events that follow one act of Gene's anger is saddening, all told from Gene as an adult looking back on rather unpleasant teenage years.




                                                    

Sailor Moon 4 and Sailor Moon 5 by: Naoko Takeuchi

"International revival." That's what Wikipedia called it. My reaction as were other fans' reactions. Rereleasing the manga was the spark, and I began my mission to READ ALL THE BOOKS! This year, I only got around to reading the first five, of which volumes 4 and 5 were my favorites. In these books, the second story arc entitled Black Moon is told, and Sailor Moon is a much stronger heroine than in the first story arc, making the already awesome story even more bad-ass. Though some complain about this new translation, let's face it: It's SO much better than nothing. I may not have been a fan of all of Sailor Moon's twenty years of existence, but have been for fourteen of those years upon my first discovery. Something that sticks with someone this long has to be good.




Runner-Ups

Prophecy of the Sisters by: Michelle Zink

This is my second time reading Prophecy of the Sisters, and I enjoyed it even more than the first time! Michelle Zink's writing can be described as darkly pretty as she tells the story of two prophecy-burdened twin sisters in the 1800s. The plot of this book contains magic and creepy events, making the storyline easy to devour. I really loved this one!











Guardian of the Gate by: Michelle Zink

This sequal ended up being as good as the first! The writing still maintains greatness as the plot gets more fun complicated. I can't wait to see how it all turns out in the last book in the series, Circle of Fire. It's definitely an awesome trilogy thus far, and I doubt Circle of Fire will disappoint.









Unfortunately, I didn't read a huge group of books that made my Best Books list, but who knows what next year will bring.

Did you agree/disagree with any of my choices? Tell me about all the cool books you read in 2012!

Favorite Musical Singles of 2012 (Part 4/4)

This is the final post displaying my favorite musical singles of 2012! I hope you've enjoyed the previous three posts as well as this one. Please leave your favorite singles in the comments; I'd love to hear what you have to say!

 

 

 

"Made of Stone" by Evanescence

Need an angry song? Here's "Made of Stone." Evanescence is back

and heavier than ever while maintaining a level of epicness, and this

song certainly demonstrates that. Like many Evanescence songs,

"Made of Stone" is something I can call a theme song of mine. It'll

keep anyone singing along with their head bobbing. Since there's

no official music video or lyric video for this promotional single,

here's an unofficial lyric video:

 

 

"She Wolf (Falling to Pieces)" by David Guetta ft. Sia

This song represents one of those times where pop music can be

beautiful. The piano bit is so pretty, as are the electronic bits.

The lyrical metaphor is just wonderfully written, and it's something

just about anyone can relate to. Plus, it's hard not to love the

wolves in the music video. Though David Guetta doesn't usually

impress me, he's undoubtedly made some magic with Sia.

 

 

"Castle of Glass" by Linkin Park

"Castle of Glass" is one of my all-time favorite Linkin Park

songs with its chilled electronic feel. There's nothing one can't

love about it. The music's great, the vocals are so easy to listen

to, and the lyrics are decorated with emotion in the most peaceful

way. The video has a specific meaning to it, and I'm utterly

fascinated by the glass constantly flying around the band. That being

said, why doesn't this single get radio airplay? People need to request

it.

 

 

"Powerless" by Linkin Park

This is another of my favorite Linkin Park songs, and (much

like "Castle of Glass") I didn't even realize it was a single since

I've never heard this one on the radio. The two that I usually

hear, "Lost in the Echo" and "Burn it Down" are great songs, but

they sound way to similar for them to both be singles. Anyway,

"Powerless" is a highlight from their latest album, Living Things.

The piano leads this song, but electronic elements pick up

throughout, creating a beautiful sound. The music video includes

scenes from the film adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith's

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, and a lot of the movie audio

is potent in the video, so I recommend looking up a video of

just the song's audio.

 

Favorite Musical Singles of 2012 (Part 3/4)

 This is the third post consisting of my favorite singles released in 2012. Part four will come later in the week.

 

 

"It's Time" by Imagine Dragons

I discovered this song from watching the trailer for The Perks of

Being a Wallflower and began hearing it on the radio shortly

after the trailer's release. There's something about this song that

describes life, kind of like how Radical Face is good at describing

life. It's ordinary and it's extraordinary. Between the music and the

meaning, "It's Time" makes me want to cry and smile and be happy.

 

 

 

"Breathing Underwater" by Metric This is the second Metric song on this list, and though I love the first one listed, "Breathing Underwater" is the one I tend to favor. The feel of it is so light and carefree; I can't  help but love it. I hoped it would be a single when I heard it from their album Synthetica and almost had a heart attack when I finally heard it on the radio.

 

 

 

"National Anthem" by Lana Del Rey

"National Anthem" is the last of the three Lana Del Rey songs

one can find on this list, and it took the longest to grow on me

out of all the songs on her album Born to Die. However, it's one of her

best. The song itself is unique in its general feel, and it includes a catchy

chorus and intense bridge. Still, the video is probably most popular

amongst the general public since Lana embodied both Marilyn

Monore and Jackie Kennedy without trying too hard to look like either

of them. After all, Lana Del Rey is strictly Lana Del Rey.

 

 

 

"Love Bites (So Do I)" by Halestorm

For a change of pace, give this single a try. "Love Bites (So Do

I)" is such a fun rock song. It's hard not to like something so badass

and lyrically exciting. Even the title sounds awesome. But if

rock isn't really your thing, just listen to Lzzy Hale's ending two

notes. Holy. Cow.

Favorite Musical Singles of 2012 (Part 2/4)

This is the second post consisting of my favorite singles released in 2012. Parts three and four will come later in the week.

 

 

"Lost in Paradise" by Evanescence

One of my favorite songs EVER. Like Evanescence always does, they

created an amazing, tear-jerking ballad. There's nothing to complain

about with this one. Amy Lee's voice is powerful like usual, the

music and lyrics are deep as usual, and the piano leads the way

like a beacon of greatness. There's no official video for this single

yet, so here's the beautiful lyric video. Go follow along with the

lyrics and get chills.

 

 

 

"Storm the Sorrow" by Epica

A big and bold single from Epica, a very worthy symphonic

metal band! This song displays outstanding vocals and lyrics amid

music that's completely epic. Mark Jansen's grunts are limited

to the bridge, creating cross-over appeal for those who don't care

for that style of vocalizing. Plus, the music video happens to be

my favorite Epica video.

 

 

 

"Hats Off to the Bull" by Chevelle

Chevelle's such a cool band, and the single "Hats Off to the

Bull" (released during the previous February) seems to help

enforce that. Anyone looking to rock out with the volume turned

way up? Listen to this song. Then go to one of their shows and

hear it live; they do a great job.

 

 

 

"Breath of Life" by Florence + the Machine

This song is the lead single from the film Snow White and the

Huntsman, and it made the end credits for that movie so much

better. I can't describe this song's genre... There's Florence's voice

plus a choir, exceptional lyrics, and of course the theatrical music...

It's the genre of Florence. And it's very fun to sing.

Favorite Musical Singles of 2012 (Part 1/4)

Since 2012 is coming to a close, I thought I'd share my favorite singles released this year!

 

This will be the first of four posts. Each of these four posts will contain four videos of my favorite singles, making that a total of sixteen songs to expect over the course of the week. I will post the other three posts every other day this week.

 

Initially, I tried to order these numerically, making it more of a countdown, but the order ended up relying on how much I love the artist, it felt biased in result. So, I decided to randomize them. Plus, I just love these songs so much.

 

I hope you enjoy these four great songs as well the others coming within the week!

 

 

 

"Youth Without Youth" by Metric

This is an awesome, fun song that makes me feel BA whenever I listen to it.

The album that this single came from, Synthetica, is a fantastic album

that has multiple tracks that are just as cool (or even cooler) than this

song.

 

 

"Summertime Sadness" by Lana Del Rey

Lana Del Rey brings a heavy darkness to indie pop with

"Summertime Sadness," and the video does that darkness justice.

It's both mellow and melodic, and even though I wasn't a fan from

the get-go, the greatness ofthis song, as well as the other tracks on

her debut album Born to Die hit me like a ton of bricks.

 

 

 

 "The Other Side" by Evanescence

"The Other Side" is a promotional single from my favorite band's

latest self-titled album (which I loved). Though it's not a happy song,

it's definitely upbeat and catchy both vocally and instrumentally.

As a promo single, it has no official music video, but it does have

an official lyric video in which I have posted.

 

 

 

"Ride" by Lana Del Rey 

Lana Del Rey released a new edition of her debut album (The

Paradise Edition) which includes a bunch of new songs for us

to love, including this single. The song itself is very pretty and

melancholy, but the video doesn't do much for me, personally.

Paradise | Lana Del Rey

Indie-pop artist Lana Del Rey has recently released a new EP entitled Paradise, an addition to her album Born to Die (though it can also be purchased separately). Now, I can tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed Born to Die, but it took a long time to grow on me. When I wrote the review of that album, I wasn't the most fond of it, but I wrote an edit at the bottom explaining that every slight bit of positivity I found became magnified and granted it another star.

Paradise didn't take that extra time to grow, for Lana Del Rey has improved. The very first track (and single), "Ride" still has everything Lana did well on Born to Die. Her voice is relaxing, the music and lyrics are moving... but it's just... better. I didn't have to try and love it; I loved it immediately, especially the strings and how they become even more present towards the end. I totally didn't cry a little the first time I heard it, either. "Ride" is easily one of my favorites.

"American" is the next song, and the strings are still taking the stage, but it does have its poppier elements as well, which somehow reminds me of Bjork's "All is Full of Love" at times (but only on an instrumental level). It's a bit gloomy without being too much; it's nostalgic. Really, that's the best way to describe most of Lana Del Rey's Paradise. It feels incredibly nostalgic.

The next planned single is called "Cola", and oh my goodness, it's weird. Just go listen to those beginning lyrics and anyone will see what I'm saying. As a whole, the song is more fun-sounding than the previous tracks, particularly the chorus. The bridge takes an unusual turn since Lana decides to show off a bit vocally and hits notes that she doesn't normally attempt. "Cola" is definitely my least favorite song from Paradise; it simply doesn't do much for me.

Oppositely, "Body Electric" is one of my all-time favorite Lana Del Rey song. It's very eerie. Sure, Lana Del Rey has made darker music than most, but this song takes it to a whole new level. It was one of the two songs I was most excited to hear from this EP, the other being Lana's cover of "Blue Velvet." I loved hearing it on Lana's H&M commercial and wanted to hear more. She's great with this kind of music, and I hope she continuous to offer quality music such as this.

"Gods and Monsters" seems to be the most pop-friendly song on the album, and I simply cannot relate to it at all. Musically, it sounds catchy, but lyrically, I feel extremely detached. It seems to be about someone extremely reckless without a good sense of what's good for her. Though the general meaning isn't bad and something I'd actually like to hear about, I find myself wishing Lana Del Rey could be more feminist lyrically. I think I'll be able to appreciate this more with time if I can get past the certain irritation I feel.

"Yayo" (whatever that means) returns to the melancholy mood that was set towards the beginning of the album. I'm a little confused lyrically, but there's nothing wrong with the song. It's quite relaxing. If I were to compile a ranking list of the tracks of Paradise from best to worse, "Yayo" would be the middle ground.

The album ends quite peacefully with "Bel Air," as it is reminiscent of a lullaby. The whole feel of it is very different than the rest of the album. Even though it still has a darkness to it, it's so much lighter than the rest of Paradise as well as Born to Die. It's more pretty than it is anything else, like the single that introduced me to Lana Del Rey's music, "Video Games," but it's still very different than "Video Games." It has more of a film score-type of magic to it, too good for real life. That being said, "Bel Air" is another one of my favorite Lana Del Rey songs.

Paradise has a lot to offer. As good as Born to Die is, in the grand scheme of things, it has quite a few repetative sounds. Paradise breaks Born to Die's habits since this EP is different, offering a sound that's even more chilled-out and pretty. It's more soulful and jazzy than anything, breaking from traditional indie pop. The music this woman is making goes to show that some genres will never die, even if they are often hidden by the generic radio stations that will play the same five songs that sound the same until audiences are finally ready for another generic set. At the end of the decade, century, or any other length of time, quality music is still quality music.

4.5/5 Stars



(If you read my review of The Family Tree: The Roots by Radical Face, you know that I was ready to give up star-ratings. As of now, I am unsure... I hope to post about this sometime soon.)