My top 5 books of 2009! Oh and Happy New Year! :)

So 2009 really is almost over, huh? I can't believe it went by so fast! Overall it was a good year for me and quite an exceptional one book-wise, not only have I discovered book blogs and become completely and utterly addicted to them, but I've also read many fantastic books! Altogether I still haven't read as many books as I'd like, but out of the 70 or so that I have read, there are some books that really stand out ... It wasn't easy choosing just 5, but I've decided to (mostly :p) focus on books that were published in 2009 to narrow it down a bit. Anyway, without further ado, I'd like to present to you the 5 books I personally found the most bookalicious ...

*drum roll*
Ta-da, ta-daaaaa!
*spotlight*

1. WINTERGIRLS by Laurie Halse Anderson (my review here)
I pretty much knew this book will be my favourite this year as soon as I started reading it. Words cannot express how amazing and breathtaking this novel is, you just have to read it to believe it. Some people find the topics discussed too disturbing and while I can't say that they weren't, I also think that the well tackled topics combined with the truly masterful writing and the beautiful cover made this book a winner. And not just for me - Chicago Tribune has recently named it one of The Most Influential Books of 2000-2009, which in itself is almost as amazing as the book itself. ;)

2. BEFORE I FALL by Lauren Oliver (my review here)
Yes, yes, I know this book wasn't published in 2009, buuut the reason why it's on the list nonetheless is because it was far too powerful to be missed. Luckily, I got the chance to read it in advance and while I thought it sounded really interesting, I never thought it would blow me away SO much. It's such an amazing book, so wonderfully complex and well written and really powerful, it's still fresh on my mind months after I've read it. Everyone else who's read this book was completely amazed by it - read some advance reviews here. This book comes out in March 2010 (I can't wait to buy a finished copy!) and I predict this will top many, many lists of favourite reads next year!

3. THE BOOK OF TOMORROW by Cecelia Ahern (my review here)
Another book that I expected to be good, but I never thought it would completely rock my socks off, heh! Tamara is one of my favourite narrators ever and I was really gripped by her story and all the mysteries. I was totally engrossed in the story and I fell in love with the quirky characters. This book is no masterpiece as such, but it's definitely one of the most enjoyable books I've ever read! Absolutely loved it!

4. TWENTIES GIRL by Sophie Kinsella (my review here)
This was my most anticipated book of this year and so you might be wondering why the hell isn't it also my #1 pick then if I'm such a huge fan of Sophie Kinsella, right? Let me assure you, Twenties Girl most definitely lived up to all my impossibly high expectations and I *loved* it, but the thing is, I expected this book to be fantastic and hilarious and amazing - and it was. So the surprise factor was missing, whereas all the other books blew me away and I guess I just like it when that happens, heh. But yeah, Sophie Kinsella can do no wrong - I've read all her books and loved them all!

5. AIR KISSES by Zoë Foster (my review here)
Another book that took me completely by surprise! I was a little sceptical about the premise, but gosh darn it was it enjoyable! This one stands out because of the original writing style (it's oh so witty) and the adorable characters were fantastic too! I read it in one day and I had this whole permanent goofy grin on my face as I was reading it. It may not be a masterpiece, but definitely a very enjoyable and quick read! I can't wait to read more by Ms Foster - her next book Playing the Field comes out in February and I'm already excited!


Phew, right, those are my books of 2009! If you've already picked yours, then feel free to let me know which ones you chose as I love these kind of posts, I just find it so interesting to see what stood out for other people.

That's it for me this year! Thanks so much for visiting & following my blog and reading & commenting on my ramblings, I really appreciate it!

Lastly, I'd like to wish EVERYONE a very Happy New Year and all the best in 2010! Hope it's a fantastic year for all of us! Keep up the good work, fellow* book bloggers!!! :)

(* - What is the non-sexist word for 'fellow'? This question has been bugging me for ages, lol!)