Let's Talk is a new weekly feature here at i swim for oceans. I think it's important that we all have our say, and there's something to be said for raising our voices. Simply put, here on the little old blog, I like to host some of my very own discussion posts because, well, I like to converse with you all.

And so, Let's Talk will feature questions or prompts, which I will answer, too. Love it or hate it, weigh in or don't, it's my hope that Let's Talk will at least get you thinking...and maybe even get you discussing with the rest of us!

Question: What are your favourite books that defied your expectations/reservations?

Ah yes, I have great questions, even if I do say so myself. Honestly, this list could be so very, very long, but I'm going to simplify and do my favourite book that blew my way in 2012 and defied my expectations. It was utterly original. Entirely convincing. I was enraptured by the characters (mostly the male MC, let's be honest), and I find myself telling people daily to pick. this book up...like yesterday because if they don't, they're sorely missing out. What book is that, you ask?

Why, it's Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins, of course! Guys, I swear to you that when I saw this cover, I had absolutely no intention of reviewing it. In fact, I was certain it was going to be yet another paranormal instalove that couple double as a coaster on my coffee table (if I had one...I digress). The point is, I was pretty much positive that this one just wasn't worth my time. At all. Yet, despite my reservations, I kept seeing good advanced reviews. And then, my friends, I saw Jenny post an excellent review, and I knew if she loved it, there had to be something to it.

So, despite my infinite reservations, I cracked open the book, and boy am I glad that I did. Anna was a soaring, empowering, brilliant female MC, matched perfectly by the pure, unadulterated hotness that is Kaiden. I swoon. Packed to the brim with action, lust, anger and betrayal, Sweet Evil is a contrast of lights and darks with simple touches of gray area where you try to find a safe haven. Yet, it takes the angel and demon story and turns it on its head every where you turn, spinning you into an alluring web. Honestly, this book took everything I hate about YA paranormal and made me love it. That's power. Pure power. I bow down to your epic prowess, Wendy.

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists over at The Broke and the Bookish. They'd love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week they will post a new top ten list that one of our bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All they ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

Top Ten Books I've Read During the Lifespan of My Blog:

First off, for those who didn't know, i swim for oceans is going to be 3 years old in December! Go figure, right?! For reals though...it hasn't all been sunshine and rainbows. There have definitely been times I've thought about quitting, but I think I'd miss it more than anything if I did. I blame (love) Jenny from Supernatural Snark for that. Anyway, moving on. These are the top ten books I've read during the life of my blog. 

1. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin - I have a slightly more than slight fangirlish obsession with this book. Mostly because it's dark, and twisted, and slightly mad (all things I love about Michelle, too). Regardless, this book speaks to me on so many levels, and let me just say...The Evolution of Mara Dyer DOES NOT DISAPPOINT!

2. The Long Weekend by Savita Kalhan - Guys, I read very little MG these days. I want to read more, but there is just so much fluff out there that it is hard to distinguish between what is good, and what is just...well...filler. This book is one of the most harrowing, cunning, spellbindingly dark books I've ever read, and it's still age-appropriate. It's a delicate balance of incredible insanity.

3. The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab - There is something about this book that just sings to me. The prose, the story and the entire package is just sheer perfection. I've never read such a lyrical novel that has so many layers and, frankly, I just adore it. If you haven't read it yet...you must.

4. Raw Blue by Kirsty Eagar - I remember swearing up and down that I would never, ever, EVER like a contemporary novel. I told people they were cloying and obnoxious, and I told people it just wouldn't happen. Until this one. I read this book in one night. I found myself laughing and crying, utterly devoted to Carly's story. This is one of those books that hooks you and just won't let go.

5. Between by Jessica Warman - There are a lot of unsung novels in the world of books, but I have to say that I think this one missed the fan-fare it deserves. Though there is a slight predictability to it, this novel blew me away with the character growth and soaring plot line. It was heartfelt and believable, and I truly loved it. I've read it four times since.

6. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson - I read this just when my blog was starting, and I had mixed feeling based on it. I suffered with an eating disorder for many years as a teen, and those feelings never really go away. The novel is so well-written and so very painstakingly real that it's actually verging on triggering. However, it's one of the most harrowing and poetic books I've ever read, too.

7. Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan - First of all, that's an epic author duo, so it screams perfection. Secondly, this one grew on me with each re-read. It's one of the first books I've ever read where a secondary character steals the limelight, and there was just such a genuine, honest and fun feel to this novel. It felt utterly real and, therefore, utterly absorbing.

8. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan - I should actually just put the entire series on here. I would never in a million years have read this series if it wasn't for another blogger consistently recommending them. I love Percy Jackson, and I don't care if that make me one of THOSE twenty-something women carrying her YA and MG books around. This is a classic.

9. Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles - This was another contemporary novel that just blew me away, and I'd picked it up on a whim, which made it even more special. The story of Maggie and Caleb was so wrought with drama and tension and angst that I should have hated it. But, instead, I loved it, and I loved them, and I love this book.

10. Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins - Colour me crazy, kiddos, but I was pretty sure that I was going to hate this one going in. In fact, I'd pretty much chalked it up to a failure before I even started it. Boy, was I wrong. With fantastic characters, a swoon-worthy love interest and more depth than I thought was possible in the paranormal YA genre these days, it just blew me away.

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists over at The Broke and the Bookish. They'd love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week they will post a new top ten list that one of our bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All they ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

Top Ten Favourite Books of 2012 (So Far):

1. Insurgent by Veronica Roth – A lot of sophomore series installations simply don’t measure up to their predecessors, but this one totally breaks that mold. Shatters it, actually. This one is non-stop heart-pounding and gut-wrenching adventure.

2. Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins – I really didn’t expect much from this one at all. Frankly, I thought it was going to be some sort of cliché little romance novel that was going to bore the crap out of me. I sure at my words on that one.

3. Purity by Jackson Pearce – Despite my few qualms with this one in my review, I actually really enjoyed it. The characters were delightfully flawed, and the plot was solid and twisting. It was a fun, different contemporary for me.

4. Fair Coin by E.C. Myers – This one is pretty unheard of. There wasn’t too much hype, and the author is new to the scene, but that doesn’t take away from this novel at all. Holy originality. I just adore this one.

5. 172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad – Sci-fi is really hit or miss for me. It’s either exceptionally done, or it becomes a mess of what could have been a fantastic story. This was deliciously sinister and wrong…definitely my type of book.

6. Partials by Dan Wells – I knew this was going to be awesome. I really did. There is something about dystopian that is so perfect for my dark and twisty brain, and this one was utterly original and awesome. Can I say awesome one more time?

7. Article 5 by Kristen Simmons – The characterization in this book is just phenomenal. From the primary characters to the secondary characters, they resonate huge personalities that continuously fuel an ever-changing plot and evolving storyline.

8. When the Sea is Rising Red by Cat Hellisen – Ok, yes, this one had a few flaws, but overall, it was incredibly solid and engaging. The mysteries and complexities make this one completely original and new…something that’s rare in a crowded genre.

9. Bewitching by Alex Flinn – Yes, I know a lot of people didn’t like this one. Colour me an outsider here, but I thought this one was just awesome. Maybe it’s just that I love Kendra, but for real, I thought this was a great novel full of backstory and whimsy.

10. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver – I loved, loved, loved book one. Truly, I did. This takes me absolute hatred of love triangles and spins me into a magnificent web of love and sweetness, with a heroine I’d give anything to be!

Title: Sweet Evil
Author: Wendy Higgins
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publish Date: May 1, 2012
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Pages: 464
Source: Publisher

Tenderhearted Southern girl, Anna Whitt, was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage, and her will-power is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

A cross-country trip to meet her father forces Anna to face the reality that hope and love are not options for her kind. When she confronts her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

Anna is strong, determined and fearless, but like everyone, she has a past – whether her own, or her destiny – that seeks to bring out her true nature every day of her life. Yet, she’s managed to control it her whole life. Anna can sense people’s emotions, their auras and she sees their true colours…literally. Darkness lurks everywhere though, and it’s only a matter of time before it catches up with her. When Kaiden enters the picture, gorgeous, alluring and oh-so insidious Kaiden, she’s nearly powerless to his charm. The truth is about to come out, and Anna has to figure out which side she is on before it’s too late.

I have a confession to make, guys. Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins is a novel that latches onto and utilizes pretty much every element of YA paranormal that I hate, and yet, for some reason, it was utterly captivating. From start to finish, the novel is rich, alluring and sweetly sexy, lending a tension-filled tone to each and every page. Rather than spinning a tired tale from the age-old angel and demon storyline, Sweet Evil tackles the Nephilim, spinning the reader into a whirlwind of action, rage and an epic plot. With perfectly balanced characters and a haunting and nearly melodic tone, Sweet Evil will take your breath away.

There were so many incredible strengths to Sweet Evil that I hardly know where to being. It’s a first for me; I’ll tell you that much. Anna was such a brilliant character. There was a sweet vulnerability to her, but it was never misconstrued as weakness or lack of character. Rather, it was her heart that sang through, giving her strength of both mind and will. I felt drawn to her because she was so subtly charismatic, and despite the fact that this is, indeed, another paranormal tale, she was tangible. Kaiden, was her perfect complement. Naturally, he just oozes darkness and boy-boy character, but he somehow does so without becoming the riddled cliché that’s obsolete. His darkness and blatant disregard for rules was perfectly juxtapositioned with her personality so the two balanced and offset one another, adding another layer of depth and intrigue. Plus, the first that burns between them is equal parts engaging and dark, making you just wonder…maybe because that sexual tension was just so dang strong. These fallen angels amp it up a notch, kicking Sweet Evil into the next gear and letting it embody it’s title because it’s oh-so-sweet but Lord, is it deadly. With characters to die for and an ending that should be outlawed because it was so dang brutally awesome and crazy, you’ll be dying for the next installment. Like yesterday.

Honestly, I was just floored by Sweet Evil. It was everything I thought I’d hate, but it was so well done, that’s one of my favourites for 2012. I give it a 5 out of 5, and I highly recommend it to all fans of YA, especially those who enjoy paranormal, paranormal romance and fallen angels.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.