Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books I Really Love But Feel Like I Haven't Talked About Enough or In a While

Meme by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Books I Really Love But Feel Like I Haven't Talked About Enough/In a While

1. Scribbler of Dreams by Mary E. Pearson - I literally never talk about this book, and a lot of people don't know it exists.  However, this was the book that made me actually enjoy reading it!  One Mother's Day some 13 or so years ago (I was in seventh grade) I read this entire book in a day and I haven't been able to stop reading ever since.

2. A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer - This book is heartbreaking, actually far beyond heartbreaking.  This poor child and everything he went though, and is still going through as an adult survivor of horrific abuse is just amazing.  I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone with a weak stomach or under the age of thirteen.

3. I'll Be Seeing You by Lurlene McDaniel - This book is probably my favorite by this author, and I've read the majority of her books (she's written about 80 I think).  These books are always equally romantic, sweet, and heartbreaking in turn.

4. The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks - I love Nicholas Sparks books, he's one of my favorite authors.  This is my favorite book by him and I hope it never gets made into a movie!  Especially because they would never be able to do the son justice and he is a crux of the book.

5. Burning Bones by Christopher Golden - The best book of the best mystery series I've ever read.  Unfortunately these books are extremely rare, so I've only read three of the series.  One day I hope to read them all!

6. Godchild Vol. 1 by Kaori Yuki - My favorite manga series!  It's a murder mystery series.  My favorite mini-mystery in these books is the Alice in Wonderland murders.

7. Bent by Sean Michael - Guilty pleasure, end of story.  This is book one of many.

8. Dancer with Bruised Knees by Lynne McFall - I'm not sure I can ever properly explain why I love this book.  There's not even a summary on the back of the book when I bought it.  You just need to dive right in.

9. Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix - Best horror book I've every read!  And yes, I'm counting this above Stephen King books.  It's just so unique.

10. Santa's Angels by Janet Kaderli - I know none of us wants to think about winter and snow since it's finally spring, but this is my favorite Christmas book.  It's just the right amount of sweet.

Review: The Unwanteds

Title:  The Unwanteds
Author:  Lisa McMann
Series:  The Unwanteds (#1)
Rating: 4.5/5

Summary:

When Alex finds out he is Unwanted, he expects to die. That is the way of the people of Quill. Each year, all the thirteen-year-olds are labeled as Wanted, Necessary, or Unwanted. Wanteds get more schooling and train to join the Quillitary. Necessaries keep the farms running. Unwanteds are set for elimination. 

It’s hard for Alex to leave behind his twin, Aaron, a Wanted, but he makes peace with his fate—until he discovers that instead of a “death farm,” what awaits him is a magical place called Artimé. There, Alex and his fellow Unwanteds are encouraged to cultivate their creative abilities and use them magically. Everything Alex has ever known changes before his eyes, and it’s a wondrous transformation. 

But it’s a rare, unique occurrence for twins to be divided between Wanted and Unwanted, and as Alex and Aaron's bond stretches across their separation, a threat arises for the survival of Artim that will pit brother against brother in an ultimate magical battle.

Review:

I love dystopian books.  Ever since The Hunger Games hit shelves I've devoured any other series with that theme.  This is the first book of a series that is six books long so far (I am guessing there will be seven total, because of reasons you will learn in the book!)

I think one thing that really drew me to this series, especially since it's middle school level, not young adult, is its take on art.  Personally, I have tried almost every art medium out there and to think that art can truly come to life like it does in Artime is an amazing concept.  The characters are lovable and once you meet Simber you'll want a giant flying cheetah made of stone for yourself.

I've read up through the fourth book so far, but I admit I got very bored in that book, but that's likely because I was kind of binge reading these and needed a break before going on to the next book.

Other Books in the Series:

Island of Silence (Book 2)
Island of Fire (Book 3)
Island of Legends (Book 4)
Island of Shipwrecks (Book 5)
Island of Graves (Book 6)
Island of Dragons (Book 7 - Not yet published)

Review: Fangirl

Title:  Fangirl
Author:  Rainbow Rowell
Rating: 5/5

Summary:

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow Fan...

But for Cath, being a fan is her life--and she's really good at it.  She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon SNow series when they were just kids; it's what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading.  Rereading.  Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath's sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can't let go.  She doesn't want to.

Now that they're going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn't want to be roommates.  Cath is on her own, completely outside her comfort zone.  She's got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can't stop worrying about her dad, who's loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand?  Is she ready to start living her own life?  Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?


Review:

I don't believe the summary of this book does it justice at all, but that summary and the title are what initially drew me into Cather's world.  I am a long-time reader and writer of fan fiction (for the better part of the last 10 years).  The fact that this underworld was brought into the world of a published book made me far to excited to pass this book up.

When I did finally get my hands on the book (ebook...), I couldn't put it down for very long.  Cath draws in every introvert (like me!) and gathers us together to let us she how she evolves.  She goes from a scared girl who is set adrift by her twin and is ensconced in the world of Simon Snow, to a young adult who is trying to make the best out of her life.

It's also a bit of a plus in my opinion that Simon Snow was obviously Harry Potter (with Baz being Draco Malfoy in my opinion).  This is one of the biggest fandoms I read and I was just so happy with this.

I wish more people knew about fan fiction, but at the same time I like how it belongs to only us, the fans who want to see where the story could have gone if the author had went there.  There is some truly astonishing pieces out there, and I hope some day their author's are like Cath and they go on to publish worlds of their own.

I can't recommend this to everyone, because unless you love the fan fiction world [and are a bit of an introvert], you won't get the same value out of this book.

P.S. - Rumor has it that "Carry On, Simon" is going to be written as a full book.  Who else is majorly excited about that?!

Rating:

Review: The Enchantress Returns

Title:  The Enchantress Returns
Author:  Chris Colfer
Series:  The Land of Stories [2]
Rating:  5/5


Summary:

After decades of hiding, the evil Enchantress who cursed Sleeping Beauty is back with a vengeance.

Alex and Conner Bailey have not been back to the magical Land of Stories since their adventures in The Wishing Spell ended. But one night, they learn the famed Enchantress has kidnapped their mother! Against the will of their grandmother, the twins must find their own way into the Land of Stories to rescue their mother and save the fairy tale world from the greatest threat it's ever faced.

Review:

I waited desperately for this book to come out and when it did I only got 20 pages in before I had to put it down!  It's not because I didn't like it though, it's because school refuses to let me read (did I ever mention law school is a horrible, terrible experience?  Because it is).  So anyway, I picked the book back up over my winter break and finished it as fast as I could.

Once I was allowed to pick it up I couldn't put it down!  I'm not huge on the fantasy world, but I'm a sucker for old time fairy tales and this series keeps so true to them, but with a modern spin that I love them.

At first I was apprehensive about the storyline.  Were we going to spend an entire book on another quest to create a mystical thing that may or may not exist?  Why yes actually.  That worried me immediately.  I liked the first book, and the quest and meeting all the storybook characters, but could Chris Colfer really hold my attention by doing something remarkably similar for another 500 pages?  Answer:  Yes he can.

I think I like most about this book how introspective the characters got without being obvious about it.  The characters questing, and the ones they ran into, learned life lessons (like any good fairy tale makes them do) and yet at the same time it wasn't pushed in your face repeatedly.  For example, statements like this one were peppered throughout the book:

“Anyone can have a once-upon-a-time or a happily-ever-after, but it's the journey between that makes the story worth telling.” 

So despite the fact that this is a juvenile book (i.e. located in the juvenile fiction section of the library) I would recommend it to people of [nearly] all ages.

I give it:

[Also, thank you to Little Bookworm Reviews for pointing me in the right direction to create quote boxes!  And has any fellow bloggers experienced blogger running slowly when trying to write a post lately?  It doesn't like to let me save.]

Review: Towering

Title: Towering
Author: Alex Flinn
Rating: 5/5

Summary:

At first, I merely saw his face, his hands on the window ledge. Then, his whole body as he swung himself through the window. Only I could not see what he swung on.

Until, one day, I told my dream self to look down. And it was then that I saw. He had climbed on a rope. I knew without asking that the rope had been one of my own tying.

Rachel is trapped in a tower, held hostage by a woman she’s always called Mama. Her golden hair is growing rapidly, and to pass the time, she watches the snow fall and sings songs from her childhood, hoping someone, anyone, will hear her. 

Wyatt needs time to reflect or, better yet, forget about what happened to his best friend, Tyler. That’s why he’s been shipped off to the Adirondacks in the dead of winter to live with the oldest lady in town. Either that, or no one he knows ever wants to see him again.

Dani disappeared seventeen years ago without a trace, but she left behind a journal that’s never been read, not even by her overbearing mother…until now. 

Review:

This book was awesome!  I really liked Beastly, but this take on the classic Rapunzel was awesome.  I admit it was an excruciatingly long build up to the climax, but at no point did the story allow you to become bored with it.  I loved how naturally all the magic flowed into the modern-day story, and that while the characters accepted it, they didn't do it entirely blindly.

One thing I didn't like: Wyatt's name.  It's just so annoying.  I kept picturing him as this little nerdy boy not nearly capable enough to do what he and Rachel did.  Aside from that, did not see the ending coming and did not figure out many of the twists, which is a good thing for a story in my opinion!!

Recommended to all with a love of fairy-tales, and for a sweet love story with a twist.

Review: Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell

Title:  Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell
Author:  Chris Colfer
Series:  Land of Stories (1)
Rating:  4.5/5

Summary:

Alex and Conner Bailey's world is about to change, in this fast-paced adventure that uniquely combines our modern day world with the enchanting realm of classic fairy tales. 


"The Land of Stories" tells the tale of twins Alex and Conner. Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, they leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about. 


But after a series of encounters with witches, wolves, goblins, and trolls alike, getting back home is going to be harder than they thought.

Review:

Don't know why it took me so long to read this!  It was really fantastic, and the best children's book I've read in a while.  I got stuck on the third chapter for about three months or so, but it was mostly because of time issues.  And the story got a little stuck right as Alex and Connor's journey began.  However, I started reading it again yesterday and finished the last 300 pages in a few hours.

I love Chris Colfer as an actor and singer in Glee and when I learned he wrote a book I bought a copy as soon as I could.

I recommend this to anyone who loves a good old-fashioned fairy-tale/fantasy story.

Next book in the series:

Land of Stories:  The Enchantress Returns

Release Date:  August 6, 2013

Summary:

After decades of hiding, the evil Enchantress who cursed Sleeping Beauty is back with a vengeance.

Alex and Conner Bailey have not been back to the magical Land of Stories since their adventures in The Wishing Spell ended. But one night, they learn the famed Enchantress has kidnapped their mother! Against the will of their grandmother, the twins must find their own way into the Land of Stories to rescue their mother and save the fairy tale world from the greatest threat it's ever faced.

Excuses and a New Book

First off, sorry I haven't been posting!  I finished my semester this past week, but now I'm studying for exams.  (To put it in perspective, I'm a first year law student, so life is crazy!).  After May 17 (my last exam) I hope to post steadily again.

For now, I haven't read much in the last few weeks because of my schedule, so here is a book I'm looking forward to reading:

Title:  Towering
Author:  Alex Flinn
Release Date:  May 14, 2013

Summary:

New York Times #1 bestselling author Alex Flinn re-imagined the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast in Beastly and gave a twist to the story of Sleeping Beauty in A Kiss in Time.
 
Now with her gothic and darkly romantic YA novel Towering, Alex Flinn retells the tale of Rapunzel.
 
When Rachel was taken to live in a tower by a woman she calls Mama, she was excited. She felt like a princess in a castle. But many years later, Rachel knows her palace is really a prison, and begins to plan her escape. She is encouraged by the speed that her golden hair has been growing. It’s gotten long enough to reach the ground. And she’s begun dreaming of a green-eyed man. Could he be out there in the world? Is he coming to save her? Or will she find a way to save herself?  (From Barnes & Noble)