“To lack feeling is to be dead, but to act on every feeling is to be a child.” Another winner by Sanderson. One that has been recommended to me for years but I hadn't been able to truly get into. I'm glad I did. A fantasy novel that dives into a world of slavery, war, friendship, apprenticeship, and history. He builds a world with an intricate thread (not unlike Rothfuss in Name of the Wind), enough for the reader to be fully immersed and cloaked. The story follows multiple lines of characters as they all face the same problem -- the end of the world. This is book one of three, and the second book is just as enrapturing. Unfortunately I've found the third to be a bit too dry for me, and have yet to finish the arc. Maybe one day... But I do not regret reading the first too, and I would urge you to try them too.

"‘Why is it,’ he said, one time, at the subway entrance, ‘I feel I’ve known you so many years?’ ‘Because I like you,’ she said, ‘and I don’t want anything from you.’" After so many years of hearing about this novel, I finally took the plunge and read it. I'm actually still undecided about how much I liked it... but it was definitely intriguing. There were many moments where I was pulled in by the story, but not the writing... but also vice versa. The girl that shows up in the beginning of the story had me hooked, but she doesn't stick around for long. The concept was incredible, and I can't believe they haven't made a film about it yet. Overall, I would recommend it, but I wouldn't put it in my top-reads of the year.

"Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me." I didn't want to use that quote as the opener, but it's almost like I didn't have a choice. The classic film was based off of this novel, and I knew I had to read it before (finally) watching the movie. I wasn't blown away by the writing, but I will admit that I read it smoothly and quickly. The book reads like a movie -- fast-paced and filled with dialogue. I had seen clips of the movie before, and it definitely helped me appreciate the book more. I had the mood, the lighting, the characters already placed in my mind before reading the book. I don't know if I would have liked it as much without that added effect...

"There's always another secret." Another A+ for the author of Elantris with this fantasy novel that had me enveloped in its world. It helped that the one of the main characters was a girl as well :) Mistborn revolves around a revolution, a rebellion of the enslaved and downtrodden people of Luthadel. In a dystopian world where ash constantly falls from the sky, all plants are brown, and supernatural mists cloud every night, thieving crews run amok trying to cause trouble in the "system". The book is filled with detail-specific magics, action, and the slightest hint of romance. I absolutely loved it.