Top Ten Tuesday

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LIST TIME AGAIN!

Today's Topic:

Top Ten Authors I Wish Would Write Another Book:
So this list is only going to have 2 author's on it, because they are the only ones that I am dying for more books to be written by.

#1.   2 words: Harry Potter.  J.K. Rowling is a fucking GENIUS. Harry Potter is my all-time favorite series ever. She created this fantastic world that I dreamed about being apart of.  I wish I had her brain.  I've read articles that she's writing other series.. so I say WHERE ARE THEY?

#2.  I know there are a lot of haters out there, but the Twilight Series is one of my absolute favorites. I read these books during a particularly difficult time in my life. I laughed. I cried. I yelled. I swooned. Stephanie Meyer knows what she's doing. The Host was also quite excellent. So I can't wait for what she comes out with next.

These are the authors that stick out most in my mind. I am quite interested to read who other people chose.

Listy Goodness

So I'm feeling listy tonight.

I like The Broke and the Bookish's weekly Top Ten Tuesday.  They have good ideas for lists. I missed last Tuesday's so I'm gonna do it now.

The topic was:
Top Ten Books I'm Excited to Read in 2012
1. Now that I've almost devoured Divergent and freaking LOVE it, I can't wait for the next book, Insurgent (by Veronica Roth)- (May 1, 2012).
2. Graceling (by Kristin Cashore) is one of my favorite books. Fire was also good. So I am SOOO ready for Bitterblue. (May 1,2012)

3. I've read the first 3 books in the Black Dagger Brotherhood Series by JR Ward. The first one was okay, the second one better, and the third one left me speechless I loved it so much. So I'm excited to read the rest of this series.
4.Witchful Thinking (February 28,2012) I love HP Mallory's writing, so I'm super excited to read the next installment in the Jolie Wilkins series.
5. Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Laini Taylor)- I got this book for Christmas. I've heard amazing things and I can't wait to read it.
6. Bloodrose (Andrea Cremer)- I've read a lot of disappointing reviews about this one. But I really enjoyed the first 2, so I gotta read this one.
7. Blood Rights (Kristen Painter)  For the sole reason of the cover-It's COMPLETELY FUCKING AWESOME. One of my favorite covers eva.
8.Touch of Power (Maria V. Snyder)- The Poison Study Series is one of my favorites. I was slightly disappointed with her Inside Out series, but this one sounds exciting.
9.Vanish (Sophie Jordan)- I really enjoyed the first one. I love me some dragons.
10.Rot & Ruin (Jonathan Mabery)- I need more zombies in my life. This cover creeps me out.




My excitement of course cannot be contained to just these 10 books, but I can't wait to get my eyes on them.

My Thoughts:Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices Book 2) (Cassandra Clare)

Cover: Love.

My Thoughts:
So I LOVED Clockwork Angel, and picked this one up right after I finished the other. It's freaking fantastic.  I love these books more than The Mortal Instruments.  Jem could be partly to blame for that fact. I am totally TEAM JEM. all the way. I love him. Forever. The end.

*I try not to reveal spoilers,but there may be an accidental one*

So basically in this book, Charlotte has 2 weeks to find the Magister (Mortmain) or risk losing her position as head of the Institute to Benedict Lightwood. Will has a secret that he hasn't told anyone, not even his parabatai Jem. He decides enough is enough and goes to Magnus Bane (who by the way is also one of my favorite characters) for help. I'm not going to say what the secret is, but it explains why he acts the way he does towards people.  Tessa and Jem grow closer,  but Tessa still struggles with feelings for Will.  This kinda gets on my nerves. (Tessa in general gets on my nerves sometimes) I feel like a lot of books I've read lately the girl is torn between 2 guys, one an obvious choice (who she usually ends up with) and one whom she likes, but ultimately doesn't feel "that way" about and just ends up leading him on. I am totally in love with Jem, and if Tessa is leading him on or breaks his heart, there's gonna be a fight. I'm just sayin.
 There is betrayal by someone who was thought to be trusted. There's more a-holeness from Tessa's brother Nate. New love.  Secrets revealed.  Death. Action. Kissing.
This review really isn't doing the book justice. It's fantastic. FANTASTIC.   The end sets up the next book PERFECTLY.   I need book 3 LIKE NOW.

Favorite Quotes:
"His beauty did not blaze like Will's did in fierce colors and repressed fire, but it had its own muted perfection, the loveliness of snow falling against a silver gray sky."

"You cannot buy or drug or dream your way out of pain."

"Don't make it sound like that. Like some ordinary sort of grief. It's not like that. They say time heals all wounds, but that presumes the source of the grief is finite. Over. This is a fresh wound every day."

"He's very broken. Like a lovely vase that someone has smashed. Only luck and skill can put it back together the way it was before."

Final Thought:  FANTASTIC. Need I say more? 5/5

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is hosted over at The Story Siren

Whoa man, it's been like MONTHS since my last in my mailbox post.
I got a bunch of awesome books for Christmas, and have also bought a couple as well with some Christmas money. So this particular post is going to be super-sized. Lucky for me my Dad gave me a bookshelf for Christmas, which I've already filled and am needing another.

Gifted:

1.Lola and The Boy Next Door (Read)

2. The Graveyard Book (One of my favorites)

3.Divergent (Currently reading this now, LOVE IT)

4. Destined

5. The Girl of Fire and Thorns

6. Anna Dressed In Blood (Finished this and can finally sleep with the lights out.)

7.Vanish

8.Daughter of Smoke and Bone

9.The Night Circus

10.Clockwork Prince (Just finished this last night-FANTASTIC)

11.The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (I was never interested in these until I saw the movie-OMG)

12. The Girl Who Played With Fire

Bought:

1.  The Help (Saw the movie, was told I HAD to read the book)

2. The Scorpio Races (AMAZING, LOVE IT COMPLETELY)

3. Get Well Soon

4.The Princess Diaries (I read this series last year and fell in love, trying to buy them all now)

5. Last Sacrifice (Already read, but needed it to complete my collection)

6.The Magician King

7.Explosive Eighteen

Borrowed:

1.The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

Whoa.  I got a LOT of reading to do. Not to mention I already have a bunch of books I bought last year that I haven't gotten around to reading. EEEEEP!

Now for a picture of my new bookshelf. Of course it can only fit a fraction of my books but at least I can display them now. I plan on putting my Harry Potter collection on the top. Why? Because they are my favorite books in the history of forever.

I end this post with a picture of the keepers of my bookshelf:  Stain Boy, Girl With Many Eyes, Toxic Boy, Mummy Boy, and Penguin Boy.  Don't judge them. They don't like it.

My Thoughts: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Cover: Cute.
My Thoughts:
After reading Anna and the French Kiss, I knew I would be reading the next book written by Stephanie Perkins.

Lola is an off-beat, quirky 17 year old girl who is crazy about fashion and her older musician boyfriend Max.  Her 2 dads of course don't approve of him, but she is happy.  That is until twins Calliope and Cricket Bell move back in to the house next door.  Lola hasn't seen Cricket in 2 years, since he moved away and left her confused.  She doesn't like him, she doesn't want to see him, she wishes he would just stay away....or does she?  She loves Max. She wants to be with Max. Right?

So I totally loved the fact that Anna and Etienne from Stephanie's first book show up in this one, Anna as Lola's co-worker, and Etienne as Cricket's dorm mate at Berkley. I still love me some Etienne.
The writing style flows and is easy to follow.  I like that Lola wears weird outfits and has gay dads. I wish I lived next door to a Cricket (boy, not insect), though it is a tad bit difficult to fantasize about a boy who has a name that reminds me of my nemesis: bugs.Overall, I like the characters, I like the story, and I like Lola. But not as much as I loved Anna.

Favorite Quotes:
"Perfect is overrated. Perfect is boring"

"It's easy to talk about things we hate, but sometimes it's hard to explain exactly why we like something.:

"Need. What a powerful, frightening word."

"That's the thing about depression. When I feel it deeply, I don't want to let it go. It becomes a comfort. I want to cloak myself under its heavy weight and breathe it into my lungs. I want to nurture it, grow it, cultivate it. It's mine. I want to check out with it, drift asleep wrapped in its arms, and not wake up for a long, long time."

Final Thought:  Although predictable at times, Lola and the Boy Next Door is a sweet, cute read that made me smile. 3.5/5

2012. Ready or not, here it comes.

It seems I fell off the blogosphere for a while.  Life, you know?

It's a new year, and with that I'm hoping comes good things.  And lots of awesome books to read.
I meant to post this yesterday, but alas my Internet connection was toying with me, so today will have to do.

As I'm sure most people do, I made a list of goals I hope to accomplish in 2012.

 #1. Pay bills on time. (Oopsies)
 #2. Regularly balance checkbook.  (Double oopsies)
 #3. Lose weight.  (Standard fare this)
 #4. Exercise regularly. (Just do it)
 #5. Find new job I don't hate. (For the love of God.)
 #6. Re-read 1 book per month. (I'll never forget!)
 #7. Craft more. (anything, something)
 #8. 365project.org  (A photo a day-my life in pictures)
 #9. Blog it out.  (do it for me)
#10. Read more in general.  (Most def)
Plus a few others.

I've also created a list of general rules to follow:
#1. Make it count.
#2. Just say yes.
#3. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
#4. (Re-)connect.
#5. No fear.
#6. Let it go.
#7. No worries.

Now, time to list (no longer in any particular order) all the books I read in 2011. I temporarily stopped keeping track at one point, so I may have left a few off.   I've highlighted my favorites.
Ignore the messed up formatting.I'm still learning.

1.Dark Life (Kat Falls)
2.Please Ignore Vera Dietz (AS King)
3.The Mermaid's Mirror (LK Madigan)
4.Dark Lover (J.R. Ward)
5.The Reapers are the Angels (Alden Bell)
6.Awakened (PC/Kristen Cast)
7.Thirteen Reasons Why (Jay Asher)
8.The Princess Diaries (Meg Cabot)
9.Princess in the Spotlight (Meg Cabot) 10.The Lost Hero (Rick Riordan) 11.Poison Study (Maria V. Snyder) 12.A Blue So Dark (Holly Schindler) 13.Gone (Lisa McMann)
14.Matched (Ally Condie)
15.The Mockingbirds (Daisy Whitney)
16.Just Listen (Sarah Dessen) 17.Generation Dead (Daniel Waters)
18.If I Stay (Gayle Forman)
19.Infinite Days (Rebecca Maizel)
20.Princess in Love (Meg Cabot)
21.Princess in Waiting (Meg Cabot)
22.Princess in Pink (Meg Cabot) 23.Moon Dance (Vampire for Hire #1)(JR Rain)
24.Vampire Moon (Vampire for Hire #2)(JR Rain)
25.Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble (HP Mallory) 26.The Iron Witch (Karen Mahoney)
27.Paranormalcy (Kiersten White)
28.Kiss of Life (Daniel Waters)
29.Toil and Trouble (H.P. Mallory) 30.Succubus Blues (Richelle Mead)
31.The Iron King (Julie Kagawa)
32.Perfect Chemistry (Simone Elkeles)

33.The Iron Daughter (Julie Kagawa)
34.Princess in Training (Meg Cabot)35.Party Princess (Meg Cabot)
36.Princess on the Brink (Meg Cabot)
37.Princess Mia (Meg Cabot)
38.Forever Princess (Meg Cabot)
39.Anna and the French Kiss (Stephanie Perkins)40.Keeping the Moon (Sarah Dessen)
41.Songs For A Teenage Nomad (Kim Culbertson) 42.Spirit Bound (Richelle Mead) 43.Once a Witch (Carolyn McCullough)
44.The Iron Queen (Julie Kagawa) 45.Willow (Julia Hoban)
46.Hex Hall (Rachel Hawkins)
47.To Kill a Warlock (H.P. Mallory)
48.A Tale of Two Goblins (H.P.Mallory)
49.Great Hexpectations (H.P. Mallory) 50.Be Witched (Novella) (H.P. Mallory)
51.Darkfever (Karen Marie Moning)
52.Last Sacrifice (Richelle Mead)
53.Beautiful Disaster (Jamie McGuire)
54.Boy Proof (Cecil Castellucci)
55.Stray (Rachel Vincent)
56.Inside Out (Maria V. Snyder)
57.The Replacement (Brenna Yovanoff)
58.Outside In (Maria V. Snyder)
59.Hunger (Jackie Morse Kessler)
60.Rage (Jackie Morse Kessler)
61.City of Bones (Cassandra Clare)
62.City of Ashes (Cassandra Clare)
63.Lover Eternal (J.R. Ward)
64.Lover Awakened (J.R.Ward)
65.Wildefire (Karsten Knight)
66.Rules of Attraction (Simone Elkeles)
67.The Earth,My Butt, and Other Big Round Things (Carolyn Mackler)
68.Nightshade (Andrea Cremer)
69.Wolfsbane (Andrea Cremer)
70.Dead Reckoning (Charlaine Harris)
71.City of Glass (Cassandra Clare)
72.Chain Reaction (Simone Elkeles)
73.Halfway to the Grave (Jeaniene Frost)
74.Rogue (Rachel Vincent)
75.Pride (Rachel Vincent)
76.Prey (Rachel Vincent)
77.Shift (Rachel Vincent)
78.Alpha (Rachel Vincent)
79.Opal Fire (Barbra Annino)
80.Before I Die (Jenny Downham)
81.The Scorpio Races (Maggie Stiefvater)
82.The Son of Neptune (Rick Riordan)
83.Smokin' Seventeen (Janet Evanovich)
84.Dash & Lily's Book of Dares (Rachel Cohn & David Levithan)
85.The Dark and Hollow Places (Carrie Ryan)
86.Forever (Maggie Stiefvater)
87.Clockwork Angel (Cassandra Clare)
88.Winter's Passage (Novella) (Julie Kagawa)
89.Summer's Crossing (Novella) (Julie Kagawa)
90.Demonglass (Rachel Hawkins)
91.Eon (Alison Goodman)

I'm probably missing a couple. My goal was to read 100 books in 2011.  Just a little shy.
So my first read of 2011 was Dark Life. Last Read of 2011 was actually the Novella, Summer's Crossing.

Emotional Reads that speak to real-life issues:
-A Blue So Dark
-Hunger/Rage
-Before I Die

I finished up a lot of series this year, some of which I'm in love with completely. (I did not include series that authors are still writing to)
1.The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot-Well-written characters. There's humor, love, heartache and ridiculousness. What's  not to love.
2.The Shifters Series by Rachel Vincent. Definitely one of my favorite series. All the books are awesome. Exciting, funny,suspenseful, heartbreaking,and sexy.
3.The Forest of Hands and Teeth series by Carrie Ryan-So I bought the final book (The Dark and Hollow Places) when it first came out, but it took me forever to actually read. I couldn't foresee how in the world this series was going to conclude, and I was kept guessing until the end.  Normally the last book is my least favorite, but not in this case. Perfectly imperfect ending to a well-written series.
4.The Wolves of Mercy Falls by Maggie Stiefvater. Definitely one of my favorite authors. Overall, a good series.
5.The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa-Very descriptive writing, which just transports you to a different world. Loved the characters, even the nonhuman ones. I can't help it, that last book I was totally team Puck and wish him to have his own spin-off series.

Overall I read some amazingly awesome books.  Round about June I started a book "journal" so to speak. I very much recommend everyone do this. I record notes, favorite passages/lines and overall thoughts along with the finish date. I like to be able to look back and refresh my memory. Some of these authors come up with some quite poignant one-liners.  Sometimes it's like they had direct access to my brain. What I can't seem to put into words, they do for me.

Here's a very very small sampling of some favorite passages:
"Sometimes your whole life could hinge on a fraction of an inch. Or the beat of a nanosecond. Or the knock of a door." (Lover Awakened, J.R.Ward)

"Sometimes you wake up from a dream. Sometimes you wake up in a dream. And sometimes, every once in a while, you wake up in someone else’s dream." (Succubus Blues, Richelle Mead)

"...she screwed her eyes closed and hoped that dying wouldn't hurt too much. Death seemed like a nice guy; maybe dying would be soft like a kiss. Maybe he'd sing to her before sending her on to eternal sleep." (Hunger, Jackie Morse Kessler)

"Half of your attention is better than all of anyone else's." (City of Bones, Cassandra Clare)

"She had wandered out of the land of too much and set up camp in Emptyville. Tumbleweeds blew in her chest, and she breathed the dust of abandoned buildings." (Rage, Jackie Morse Kessler)
"....his music Band-Aids my soul." (Songs For a Teenage Nomad, Kim Culbertson)

"The broken ones need someone to fight for them even harder." (The Dark and Hollow Places,Carrie Ryan)

"There is no better taste than this: someone else's laughter in your mouth." (Forever, Maggie Stiefvater)

"It was the fireworks-in-the-sky; forget-your-own-name, can't-feel-your-toes solution to all my problems. At least for the moment." (Stray, Rachel Vincent)

"Sometimes things are so big and complicated that you can't actually talk about them." (The Replacement, Brenna Yovanoff)


Thus concludes my recap of 2011.