**Pen to Paper Top Books read in 2011**

I've been looking forward to posting this one for a while now. I honestly feel as though this year has been a really great one for my reading - I've read more books this year than I did last year, and I've generally been picking up books that I've enjoyed a lot more. Not only that, but I started blogging earlier this year, and this opened up a whole new world of books for me. I've loved being able to work with so many wonderful authors, self-published or otherwise, and help to get word out about their wonderful works of art.
What I want to try to do with this post, is to let you know which are my favourite books of the year (this may be a difficult decision, but I'm sure we'll get there), the 'stinkers' of the year (which books I recommend perhaps putting to the back of the to-read mountain), and the books I'm most looking forward to next year (whether they're published next year, or they're books that I've chosen for my TBR reading challenge).
I hope you'll be joining me in this excitement! So lets begin!

In order from left to right, my top ten of the year! This was a very difficult decision to make. I'd say the top 3 are a definite order, and the ones in the middle were only really put in order because I felt I needed an order. They are all rated 5 stars though, and all come highly recommended!

1. Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder
2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
3. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
4. Shakespeare's Champion by Charlaine Harris
5. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
6. Touch by Jus Accardo
7. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
8. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
9. The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore
10. Ill Wind by Rachel Caine

The links in Purple above are reviews on Pen to Paper. The others are books I read before my blog was set up, and haven't posted a review for.

I read 57 books in total in 2011, which was pretty good going considering I also have my University course to work on and have considerably less reading time than I used to because of it.
Even though I managed to exceed my reading challenge for the year, I am still going to challenge myself to 50 books in 2012 again. It seems like a good number, and if I do happen to exceed the amount again, then that's an exta-added bonus! I will be going into my final year at University in September though, so the work is about to get tougher, and the amount of work higher.
I am hoping though, that I will still be able to find time for my reading! I also have from May until the end of September away from University, so I'll be getting loads more reading done in this time!

Thank you all for being so wonderfully and supportive since I started the blog back at the beginning of September. I've really enjoyed working on the blog, developing it further and hosting really great events, giveaways and interviews!
I hope you will decide to stay with me as we move into the new year - there is plenty more still to come and I know you're going to love it!

Look out for more posts and changes over the next week or so. I'm planning my top books that I'm looking forward to being published in 2012, and I will be setting up a page for my 2012 TBR pile challenge in the next couple of days, with the list of books from my TBR that I'm going to try to read all this year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!