BookGateway.com is pleased to announce the books of the year award, the Bookys, for books published in 2011! The Booky is awarded annually by the editors of BookGateway.com, a book review website for reviewers and book bloggers founded in 2010 with the express goal of encouraging a lifestyle of continued learning through the love and practice of reading. The Booky awards recognize the best books published and reviewed at BookGateway.com during the preceding year. Each reviewer that submits at least 10 reviews during the calendar year and each Founding Member of BookGateway.com can nominate books for Booky award recognition. Final decisions are made by the Editor-in-Chief of BookGateway.com, Scott Asher. All Booky award winners will be featured for the month of January at BookGateway.com. In alphabetical order: Crossed by Allie Condie Dutton Juvenile | November 2011 Nominated by Arieltopia: "I absolutely loved this book... I can not wait to read the next one and find out what happens next. The complex story structure insures that the reader never becomes bored. There is always something happening and some sort of looming terror nearby. The entire time I was reading the book I was filled with apprehension and suspense." Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton Simon Pulse | February 2011 Nominated by Robin Gwaro: "Keaton keeps the reader guessing right until the very end. Darkness Becomes Her is in no way short on surprises and leaves you wanting more! I cannot wait to see what happens to Ari and her friends." Embassytown by China Mieville Del Rey & Random House Audio | May 2011 | Read by Susan Duerden Nominated by Scott Asher: "Filled with intrigue, the shadow of war, action, and adventure Embassytown flows with uncommon depth and intelligence. This isn’t a book about those things, but rather a book about language and what language means more than anything else that includes those things. No doubt on purpose, this books language is one that the reader participates in as we learn the language of the world that China Mieville has created for us. The revelations, growth and change that accompany our characters through the story give the reader a satisfaction that is lacking in so much science fiction." Fury by Elizabeth Miles Simon Pulse | August 2011 Nominated by Robin Gwaro: "As I was reading, there were points where I had chills up my spine, a sure sign of that anticipation that keeps me on edge when I am reading. What is also unique about Miles' book is how she has built reality into her fiction, in that not everyone gets a second chance to get it right. In life, we don't always get a chance to right our wrongs, so it might be helpful to prevent the wrongs in the first place." God's Eye by A.J. Scudiere Griffyn Ink Publishing | October 2011 Nominated by the Golden Reviewer, Mary Asher: "What an amazing, intriguing book. It has it all - mystery, love, wild animals, angels and demons. A scary, can't turn the pages fast enough, wonderful story." Hades by Alexandra Adornetto Feiwel & Friends | August 2011 Nominated by the Golden Reviewer, Mary Asher: "This is one book you will want to read and take to heart. Hell is not a figment of one's imagination, but a real place where one will be tormented for eternity. Which will you chose - Heaven or Hell?" Lasting Impression by Tamara Alexander Bethany House | November 2011 Nominated by Heather Ring: "I did not want to put this book down! As a creative person, I loved the message she was trying to convey. I even found myself reading parts out-loud to my husband. She did a great job getting me involved in the page turning story, while speaking to my heart. This is a must read for any historical fiction fans!" Map of Time by Felix J. Palma Atria Books | June 2011 Nominated by Scott Asher: "An almost perfect fiction! It lacks not character, or love, or adventure, or ideas or setting. In all the books I've read for the last several years, this one stayed with me the longest. In my opinion, the best book of 2011 bar none!" Night Road by Kristin Hannah St. Martin's Press | March 2011 Nominated by Robin Gwaro: "The story that Hannah weaves is so intricate and detailed that you feel as though you have stepped into the lives of her characters. You feel the emotional turmoil; you are invested in how (if at all) repair can happen. Hannah is most certainly a master at her craft." Paradise Valley by Dale Cramer Bethany House | January 2011 Nominated by the Golden Reviewer, Mary Asher: "Paradise Valley is a tale of love, danger and redeeming faith. An amazing story of one family willing to sacrifice everything, who found hope, overcame the threat of bandits, and established a community without restrictions. A story that is based on actual events. A book you will really become involved in from the first page to the last. This is a book you will cherish - a keeper." Rust by Royden Lepp Archaia | December 2011 Nominated by Scott Asher: "You know something is different about Rust when you start reading and find the title page after 30 pages of prologue about the war and during that prologue only 10 words total are spoken. Rust relies so much on art to tell its story that at times I found myself lost in this beautifully illustrated world." These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf Mira | January 2011 Nominated by Robin Gwaro: "What surprised me most is that while reading, I could empathize more with Allison than be angry at her. That was probably the most confusing emotion of all. I wanted to be completely appalled at her actions. Instead, I found myself heartbroken due to the difficult position in which she found herself. The story will draw you in and keep you guessing until the very end. Gudenkauf writes a tale that few would dare. Her voice is unique and captured me from the very beginning. This book obviously stays on my read again list, and I will be looking for her other novel as well."