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Top Five, My Favorite Read of the Year, Book One...

We've reached the final five of the Top Fifteen countdown, and I have to say, other than number one (which really appears to have been written just for me), these are all amazing books! It's really just a cluster of book love here ;) I don't own all of these yet, but I will -- they're at the top of my To-Buy list, and they will all be oft-read!

Yes, this is the one which could have been written just for me -- squee!

Delcroix Academy: The Candidates, by Inara Scott
Why is this written for me? First, I love school stories, especially boarding school types. Yes, it has to be well done, and to me, this one is (obviously). Second, I love paranormal-style characteristics. More than urban fantasy, paranormal intrigues me, and even reading adult books with similar style challenges picques my interest. Third, although there was a type of love triangle, Dancia clearly has romantic feelings for one and platonic feelings for the other, despite how the boys feel (and that's what I like). And then, there's the mystery -- what's really going on at the Academy? What really happened with Jack? What's up with the group of kids who are chosen as 'leaders'?
The story: Dancia is invited to attend the prestigious Delcroix Academy -- on scholarship -- but she's not sure why. Surely they can't know her secret? But after she begins the year there, she realizes she isn't the only one with a strange secret, and perhaps those who run the academy are less benign than she first hoped.
I'd recommend this to anyone who loves the same types of stories I do (hehe) -- it's a fun, exciting, sweet read, and I can't wait for the next one :)