Favorite Books of 2015!

I have read so many fabulously written books in 2015. This year has been one of my most successful in terms of reading. These are in lower to highest order, but I love them all. Here is my top ten favorite books of 2015:

10) We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
4 out of 5 stars
Young Adult Fiction
This is about a wealthy family who all take a trip together to an island the main character's grandfather owns. The main character, Cadence, goes to this island and odd things start to happen. This is all I can say so I don't spoil you. It is a book that will surprise you. THAT PLOT TWIST THOUGH! It will break your heart, too. You will definitely not feel too connected to the characters, though, if that is a big factor in books for you. The author has writing that, though the book is extremely short, makes it seem like the book is so much longer. It was a really fast, great read.



9) 1984 by George Orwell
4 out of 5 stars
Dystopian
This is a dystopian classic that I read for class. It focuses on the government and society the author thought would be present in the future. The nature of humanity is also a theme prominent in 1984. The government is all controlling and runs on the foundation of power. The reader questions everything in their own society as well as the character's. It is extremely scary how there are similarities between our society and the book's society. This is definitely a book in school that students would love to read. The safety of the main characters is always at risk. It is truly amazing.

8) City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare
5 out of 5 stars
Young Adult Fantasy
It is no secret that I love Cassandra Clare. Her Infernal Devices trilogy is my favorite trilogy ever. This book is a part of the Mortal Instruments series, which is a young adult fantasy series. It focuses on a girl named Clary who discovers that she is a Shadowhunter just like her mother, who hid that from Clary and also got kidnapped by a demon. Clary is thrown into the Shadowhunter world and has to learn how to fight like them to survive and save her mother. This book is the fourth in this series and is my favorite one. The world-building the author does is incredible and I love the setting in the books. I read the Infernal Devices trilogy before the Mortal Instruments series. The tip I have for you if you have not read either is to finish reading the Infernal Devices before the Mortal Instruments to avoid spoilers of the Infernal Devices.

7) The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell
5 out of 5 stars
Short Story
I read this short story for class last year and I loved it so much. I wrote a paper on it. It tells the story of a hunter, Rainsford, who is stranded on an island after a ship wreck and is invited into a mansion by a Russian General. There, he learns that the General has a different type of hunting style: the hunting of humans. Rainsford's only way of making it alive is to play the General's game, the most dangerous game he will ever have to play.

6) The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
5 out of 5 stars
Children's Book
I love this story so much. I read it recently because I did not when I was little. I have a review of this children's book, if you want to check it out. It follows a pilot who, after a plane crash, sees a prince who asks him to draw a sheep. The prince talks to the pilot about the adventures he had before coming to Earth. It is so whimsical and beautiful. Even if you are an adult, I highly recommend it.

5) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
5 out of 5 stars
Middle Grade Fantasy
This was the last book I read and I am currently reading Prisoner of Azkaban. This book was so good. The world and characters were so well developed and I LOVE DOBBY! I love the problem that Harry and his friends had to solve and how they worked it out (no spoilers here). The magical elements and the eccentric feeling the book gave off were the best. I have never read this series before and I am so glad that I decided to now because it is absolutely amazing. P.S. I am going to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal in a few weeks so that makes it even better.

4) Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire-Sáenz
5 out of 5 stars
Young Adult Contemporary
This is the first and only book to make me cry. It is so beautifully written and tells the story of one of the most beautiful friendships I have ever read about. Aristotle is an angry boy who does not know his place in society or why he cannot control his anger. Dante is a happy, life-loving boy. The two meet at the local pool and have an amazing friendship after this event. It is odd for Ari because he never had friends before, but rather acquaintances. This book is such great contemporary and is beautifully written. I highly recommend it.

3) Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
5 out of 5 stars
Young Adult Contemporary
Fangirl's character, Cath, is basically the epitome of all book-lovers out there. Cath is about to start her first year of college and her twin sister, who is more outgoing and who Cath always hung out with, did not want to be roommates with her. This means Cath has to face college alone. Aside from this, Cath loves "Simon Snow" books (their version of Harry Potter) and writes fan fiction about it. She is super introverted and awkward. The characters are amazing and adorable. It's the perfect book for all book obsessed people out there.

2) An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
5 out of 5 stars
Young Adult Fantasy
This was definitely my most anticipated book release of 2015 and it did not disappoint. It is perfect in so many ways. It is told in dual points-of-view: that of a slave girl and that of a boy who is a warrior of the government. The two character's lives cross and it is so amazing. The book was inspired by ancient Rome. It had such amazing world building. I went into it rather blindly and I think that that is how everyone should read this book, so that is all I am going to say. Just read it if you haven't. It's amazing.

1) A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
5 out of 5 stars (more like 25 out of 5)
New Adult Fantasy
Oh. My. Goodness. This book was absolutely fantastic. I did not anticipate myself enjoying it as much as I did. I was caught off guard. I was staying away from Maas' books because of all the hype surrounding her Throne of Glass series (which I still have not read, 2016 I promise). This book, however was such a pleasant surprise. I loved the fairy-tale retelling with Beauty and the Beast and I loved how the author incorporated fairies into it. They are not the type of fairies you usually think about, though. The world is so complex and intricate. The characters are developed so well and are hilarious at times. I also think I enjoyed this so much because I was in a fantasy, fairy-tale mood and it filled the void for me. This book is about a girl who has to hunt to keep her family alive. When she is hunting, she kills a wolf, not knowing it is a fairy. Later, a beast breaks into her house saying she will either die for killing the wolf or she will live with the beast forever. It is so much better than that summary. I loved this book so much. It is my favorite book of all time. If you have not read this book, drop everything and do it now.

Those were my favorite books this year. Tell me yours in the comments. Have an amazing New Year! See you in 2016!!

Liza