Best Books of 2011

     Well I'm here today for Road Trip Wednesday. I'm actually at my parents house so I'm attempting to do this post on my iPad and with my new teeny iPad keyboard that I got for Christmas and I'm psyched about but it's really small and some of the buttons are in the wrong spot so it's going to take some getting used to.
     Anyway, this weeks Road Trip Wednesday question is:
What were your top five best books of 2011?
     (Why are you making me choose? Please don't make me pick my favorites! I'm terrible at it!)
Okay, so nobody's making me. I want to do this post. Looking back on the books I've read this year, it was really hard to come up with my favorites. First off, I'm not going to count the beloved faves I reread this year like the Harry Potter series, Twilight saga or Persuasion. Because let's face it, that wouldn't be fair to the rest of the books. I loved a lot of the books I read, but not a lot of them really stood out to me as favorites. So I might break some rules as I go along.
    It was actually really easy to pick my first one. I already had my favorite book of the year all picked out. And since I'm breaking the rules, I'm going to put two books in my top spot because they're by the same author.

     #1. Anna and the French Kiss AND Lola and the Boy Next Door

     I LOVED these books. Even though it has been awhile since I've read either, I still think about them and I itch almost daily to reread them. Just yesterday I was thinking randomly about Cricket Bell. I do the same thing with Anna, Lola, and Etienne. These are characters that I love and that have obviously stayed with me.

#2. Juliet by Anne Fortier

     This is another book I'd like to reread. I loved the back and forth between now and the past, I loved the tie-in with Romeo and Juliet, and I loved the love story. It was EXACTLY my kind of book.

#3. Timeless by Alexandra Monir

     One of the reasons I loved this book was because it reminded me of my own Jessica books. They're not very similar, but I couldn't help but be drawn in my a character who falls in love with a guy from the past. I loved the history in this book and the MC's love of music. I really connected with this book and have been anxiously awaiting the sequel.

#4. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

     I read a TON of paranormal this year. Lots were good. For some reason, and I don't think I can pinpoint that reason, this book really stood out to me. Maybe it's because it's from a boy's POV. Maybe because his love interest is not that perfect, unattainable character. Maybe I just liked the magic powers. Definitely I liked the historical references and flashbacks. Whatever the reason, probably all of the above, this was my favorite paranormal of the year.
     Here's where I break the rules. There were a few books I read this year that really taught me something. They stuck with me. None of them were light or fun or entertaining really. I don't know if I'll reread them a lot if at all. But they were the kinds of books that I think EVERYONE should read because they must. Here they are.

#5. Speak and Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson, 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, and Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

So what are your top five books of the year? I wouldn't mind adding to my TBR pile.