Top Ten Tuesday: 2013 Favorites SO FAR!

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish!

This week's topic:

Top Ten Books I've Read So Far In 2013

(no particular order)

 

                 1.
I couldn't have asked for a better conclusion to one of my favorite series!! MIND.BLOWN.

 

2.
One of the best contemporary books I have EVER read!!

 

                  3.
This book!!! Loved it soo much!!

 

4.
I wasn't expecting to love this book as much as I did. The characters, the story, the romance, it was all great! HATE the cover though.

 

                       5.
More John Green brilliance!!

 

6.
LOVED this book! Better than Grave Mercy for sure. It was pretty much perfect.

 

                  7.
Another great start to a series!

 

8.
Although this book had a few faults, I ended up loving it and couldn't put it down!

 

9.
This is a re-read, but it was just as amazing the second time around! Action packed!
 

10.
I love me some crazies!

 

Honorable mentions:

 

 

SO. Those are some of my favorite reads THUS far, hopefully there will be many more the rest of the year!

If YOU made a list, I would love to see it! Leave your link in the comments :)

 

 

 

March Recap

March is over. It was my lowest month with posting so far. I just got in an exhaustive funk.  Trying to claw my way out day by day. 

The first book I read in March was Cinder by Melissa Meyer.  I bought this book because of all the hype it was getting and people were just LOVING it SO much. I broke one of my own rules - don't give in to the hype! Or at least hype it out at the library! Dang it. The premise sounded really intriguing - a Cinderella re-telling but with cyborgs? YES! Let's just say it took me 7 whole days to get through and I was left disappointed. I'll get around to posting a review hopefully sometime. But the point of me typing this is to say that book, the first read of the month, put me in a giant reading slump. I didn't read anything else for a while, but then I slowly climbed out of that funk as well. However, that means I didn't read as many books this month as I wanted.

Recap time!

Books read:



 

1. Cinder (Marissa Meyer) 3/5

-This one left me VERY disappointed. I could not connect with the characters AT ALL. Boo.

2. Attachments (Rainbow Rowell) 4/5

-I LOVED her other book Eleanor & Park, and this one was cute and funny, though I didn't love it as much. But I will read anything this author writes in the future.

3. Pushing the Limits (Katie McGarry) 3.75/5

-One big lump of cliche goodness. The main boy got to be a bit irritating with his overusage of baby and nymph. But I had no trouble getting through this one.

4. Bloodlines (Richelle Mead) 4/5

-excellent start to this companion series

5. The Golden Lily (Richelle Mead) 4.5/5

-started to REALLY like Sydney, and ADRIAN!! getting good!

6. The Indigo Spell (Richelle Mead) 4.5/5

-HOOKED! LOVED! Only reason it didn't get 5 stars is because I couldn't betray my love for Vampire Academy

7. CLOCKWORK PRINCESS (Cassandra Clare) 10/5

-LOVEDLOVEDLOVEDSOFREAKINGAWESOME! ahem.

 

 

Favorite Read and Cover:

 

NO CONTEST

 

 

 

Other Posts (linked up):

-Spoiler Free Gushing: Clockwork Princess

-Top Ten Tuesday: Book Recommendations

-Top Ten Tuesday: Spring Anticipation

-Know Me Better

-Top Ten Tuesday: Series I Want To Start

-Know Me Better

 

I hope to get back to more regular posting this month and being better at returning comments sooner. Some people may be getting return comments from me from like a month ago...oopsies. I read every comment though and they make my day!

 

So Sunday I started reading Rootless by Chris Howard. The premise sounded good and love the cover. I read about halfway through and was NOT connecting with the characters or the dialect. So I put that one aside and starting reading Bridget Jones Edge of Reason. I read about 100 pages, and it's okay, funny. I love the movies. But I think they spoiled me and so I wasn't really feeling the book. So I put that one aside. I started feeling slumpish...so I turned to an author I KNEW wasn't going to let me down.

 

Currently reading:

 



 

Spoiler-free Gushing: Clockwork Princess

Clockwork Princess is the third and final book in the Infernal Devices triology by Cassandra Clare.
READ.IT.

My Thoughts:

Okay, I literally just finished reading Clockwork Princess about 10 minutes ago.
I'm blown away. This is not going to be a review as much as just me cathartically vomiting up my non-spoilery feelings onto this page. After closing the book for the final time, I felt out of breath. Like I had just run a mile (or in my case more like 50 yards..). I went through the entire spectrum of emotions while reading this incredible conclusion to a fantastic series. There was laughter and oh yes, there were tears. There were edge of my seat, hand over my mouth moments where I was freaking out a bit over what was going to happen next.
Laughter, love, heartbreak, suspense, anger, anticipation, sadness, happiness, excitement and most of all, satisfaction.

When I finished the Harry Potter series, I went through a period of mourning. Mourning, not because everyone was dead (although some were), but because I would never read any further adventures about all the beloved characters that became like my family. Never would I have new experiences at Hogwarts.  In a same, though different way, I am a bit devastated now that I have finished Clockwork Princess.  Towards the last 100 pages or so, I kept putting the book down. Not because it wasn't good, but because it was sooo good, too good, and the closer I came to the end the more I didn't want it to end. Things happened in this book that I never came close to predicting. This book was everything I wanted, even if I didn't know it at the time, and so much more then I ever could have imagined it being.
Well done Ms. Clare. Well done. 5/5 

"Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light; I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night."
   -Sarah Williams

February Recap

My dearest February,
We used to be close you and I. I always loved your coldness and the fact that you held my birthday.  I even forgave you for having a fling with that horrid Valentine's Day. But, you just can't stop yourself from the doom and gloom. So, February, PEACE OUT MOTHERFUCKER.

Ahem.
I can't say I'm sad to see the end of this month.

 BUTBUTBUT I DID read some great books!

Recap time!

Books Read:

 

 

1. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight (Jennifer E.Smith) 3.5/5

2. Eleanor & Park (Rainbow Rowell) 5/5  -For Review

3. Meant to Be (Lauren Morrill) 4/5

4. The Nightmare Affair (Mindee Arnett) 3/5  -For Review

5. Roar & Liv (Veronica Rossi) -novella  5/5

6. Through the Ever Night (Veronica Rossi) 5/5

7. Warm Bodies (Isaac Marion) 4.5/5

8. The Cirque  (Ryann Kerekes) 3/5

9. An Abundance of Katherines (John Green) 4/5

 

 

Favorite Read:

I have 2 favorite reads this month!! They are both FANFREAKINGTASTIC!

 

 

             Favorite Cover:

                    

 

Personal Challenge Update:

1. Series Catch-Up:  Zero

2. Off the TBR (owned prior to 1/1/13): 8/50

3. Classics: 0/5

4. Re-Reads: 0/10

5. 100 book challenge: 19/100! WOOT! I'm 3% ahead of the game!

*I need to step things up this month!! I actually bought a classic a week or so ago, I know crazy right. The first classic I've bought voluntarily.

 

Reviewed:

(linked up)

 

Every Day (David Levithan)

Scent of Magic (Maria V. Snyder)

Dragon Night (Stephanie Campbell)

Through the Ever Night (Veronica Rossi)

 

Top Ten Tuesday:

(Linked UP)

Show Me Some Lovin

Favorite Young Adult Boys

Auto-Buy List

 

 

February OUT!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Thoughts: Through the Ever Night (Veronica Rossi)

*This is the second book in the Under the Never Sky Trilogy*








(Goodreads blurb/link)

It's been months since Aria last saw Perry. Months since Perry was named Blood Lord of the Tides, and Aria was charged with an impossible mission. Now, finally, they are about to be reunited. But their reunion is far from perfect. The Tides don't take kindly to Aria, a former Dweller. And with the worsening Aether storms threatening the tribe's precarious existence, Aria begins to fear that leaving Perry behind might be the only way to save them both.

Threatened by false friends, hidden enemies, and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night?

My Thoughts:
This is the sequel to Under the Never Sky. GO READ THAT FIRST! Then come back.

If you're looking for a scattered, ineloquent, drooly review, you've come to the right place.

Oh.My.Geez. This book was FANTASTIC!! From start to finish, there was never a dull moment. It's jam packed with action, adventure, turmoil, struggles, romance, twists and turns.  This book had absolutely everything you could want. SO FREAKING GOOD!!!

If you 've read Under the Never Sky but haven't picked this shining gem up yet,  DON'T WAIT ANY LONGER! I'm serious! You have NO CLUE what you're missing.

The writing is perfection.  I love Aria and Perry so much. SOOO MUCH.  It's rare that I love a "side" character as much as the main characters. But let me tell you, that Roar is something else.  His character is written extremely well and if there was a spin-off series surrounding him I would read it in a heartbeat.  (If you haven't read the novella Roar and Liv- DO IT). 

I don't even know how to get my thoughts in order. Aria and Perry are reunited after months apart. Perry is now the Blood Lord of The Tides and finds himself torn between duty and love. Aria, being half Dweller and half Outsider feels like she doesn't fit in anywhere. Roar is still devastated and consumed with wanting to find Liv. And all the while the Aether storms are getting worse and threatening to destroy everything and everybody. The only hope is to find the Still Blue. BUT that presents some difficulty as the person who knows its where abouts is blackmailing Aria and can't be trusted.

SO MUCH HAPPENS in this book. I'm not even going to attempt to put it in logical order. THE ENDING. AHHH.  The chemistry between Aria and Perry! The way my heart breaks for Roar and Liv!
You HAVE to read this book. You just do. You just do do.

Favorite Quotes:
"Love is a rebellious bird that nobody can tame.” 

"We lose and lose, but we're still here. Shaking in place, afraid of doing something. I'm tired of settling for this because I don't know if something better exists. It has to. What point is there otherwise? I can do something about it now. And I will.” 

Bottom Line:  Through the Ever Night is an exciting, heart pounding, nail biting follow-up that has me desperate for the next book in this fantastic series! 5/5!

January Recap

January Wrap-up!

The weather here in VA is freaking crazy. 15 degrees and snowing one day, 70 degrees the next, wind and rain storms another. What. The. Fudgenuggets. IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE WINTER! NOW. Out of my system.
I've officially made it to the 3 month mark for my new job.  Which means I now have health insurance! WOOT.  The company went through a restructure on  Monday, so we're in readjustment mode.  BUT so far so good!

This month wasn't too shabby as far as reading goes. I read some greats and I read some duds.

Books read:

 

 

 

 

 

1. Stolen (Lucy Christopher) 3.5/5

2. The Fault in Our Stars (John Green) 5/5

3. Lips Touch:Three Times (Laini Taylor) 3/5

4. Throne of Glass (Sarah J. Maas) 4.5/5

5. Grave Mercy (Robin LaFevers) 4/5

6. Splintered (A.G.Howard) 3.75/5

7. The Lover's Dictionary (David Levithan) 4/5

8. Dragon Night (Stephanie Campbell)- FOR REVIEW 1/5

9. Odd and the Frost Giants (Neil Gaiman) 3/5

 

DNF:

1. Obsidian (Jennifer L. Armentrout) - I read up until page 228 so I'm counting this towards my total reads for 2013. WHAT. 2/5

 

 

2. The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis (Sharon Ledwith)- This was supposed to be FOR REVIEW, but after 20% I just couldn't do it. I'm not going to force myself to finish a book in order to write a negative review.

 

 

Favorite Read

 

Favorite Cover

 

 

Personal Challenge Update:

 

Series Catch-up: none

 

Off the TBR (owned prior to 1/1/13): 7/50

 

Classics: 0/5

 

Re-reads: 0/10

 

100 book challenge: 10/100

 

Reviewed:

(Title is linked up)

 

Days of Blood & Starlight (Laini Taylor)

 

 

Stolen (Lucy Christopher)

 

 

Obsidian (Jennifer L. Armentrout)

 

 

 

WELL I think that takes care of January.  The plan is to start posting more reviews. And so I do vow.

 

Bring it on February!