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Book Review: Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles

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Book: Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles

Published March 2018 by Little Brown Books For Young Readers|304 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: None

Genre: YA Contemporary

When Marvin Johnson’s twin, Tyler, goes to a party, Marvin decides to tag along to keep an eye on his brother. But what starts as harmless fun turns into a shooting, followed by a police raid.

The next day, Tyler has gone missing, and it’s up to Marvin to find him. But when Tyler is found dead, a video leaked online tells an even more chilling story: Tyler has been shot and killed by a police officer. Terrified as his mother unravels and mourning a brother who is now a hashtag, Marvin must learn what justice and freedom really mean.

I liked Tyler Johnson was here.  I’ve picked up a few books about teens dealing with police brutality, and I think this one is one to read.

I loved Marvin, and you really felt what he was going through.  I’m an only child, so I can’t imagine losing a sibling, much less a sibling who’s my twin.  I liked seeing how much he grow over the course of the book, and how important it was for him to speak up about what was going and what had happened.

I didn’t care for the romance we see in the book- it was unexpected, and while it didn’t take away from everything we see in the book, I also would have been fine without it.  Maybe it’s there to show that love can be found in unexpected places, or for some other reason.  Whatever that reason is, it didn’t work for me.  Still, I’m glad he seemed to find some sort of happiness after everything that happened.

The one thing that stood out to me was how there didn’t seem to be a big search party for Tyler when he went missing.  Something that did come up was race and how it plays into missing kids and media attention, and it’s sad that no one seemed to care about Tyler until he was found dead.

I felt devastated for Marvin and his friends, and the everyday racism they face.  I will never know what it’s like to almost be shot for potential shoplifting, and the assumptions made because of his race makes me horrified that people have to deal with this on an everyday basis.

There is a lot of hope in Tyler Johnson Was Here, and I like that there’s hope.  Hope that they’ll find Tyler, hope that Tyler gets Justice, and that hope that things will get better for Marvin.  I hate that he lost his brother, but I love that Marvin finally realized what he wanted to, and why he did some of the things he did.

4 stars.  I know there are a lot of books out there about police brutality, but this is one to pick up.

Currently Obsessed With #1: January 2014

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I’m actually really excited to be doing this post!  One of my goals this year was to get a little more personal, and talk about what’s going on and what I’m really into, and now seemed like a really good time to start!  This is actually inspired by a few different blogs where there’s a look back at their week (or month) and this is just my version of that.

First: Let It Go in 25 different languages!

It’s actually awesome to see it in so many languages!  Frozen is pretty awesome, and when this version of Let It Go came up at a friend’s birthday dinner, I knew I would have to look at it!  It even says what the different languages are, and it’s astounding that someone (I’m assuming someone from Disney, since it’s on their youtube channel) put it together.

Speaking of Frozen, I’m also obsessed with the soundtrack!  I don’t usually feel compelled to buy movie soundtracks, but I fell in love with the soundtrack while watching Frozen, and now I can’t stop listening to it!  It’s also one of the best Disney soundtracks. Seriously, it is.

I’ve also been crocheting a bit, and I’ve made some hats and headbands.

January Crochet Collage

I also want to make a blanket, so I’ve been looking at patterns.  A blanket is definitely a big project, but since I want to try new things, a blanket seemed like a good idea.  It is a little intimidating, because that’s a lot of yarn!  I think yarn sales will be my best friend for a while.  I’m not completely sure about colors yet- I like the idea of a rainbow, or something a bit more gradient.  But I am determined to do a blanket…

I’ve been re-listening to the We’re Alive podcast, and it’s definitely one of my favorite podcasts.  I’m really bummed that it’s ending this summer, but I guess it had to come to an end eventually.  I’ve been listening to it for a couple years now, and it’s weird to think that it’s coming to end.  But there’s also that part of me that wants to know how it ends, you know?

I’m also loving Welcome To Night Vale, which is another podcast I’m really into right now.  It’s a podcast I always look forward to listening to, and it’s actually hysterical to listen to.

I thought this post on BookRiot was really interesting.  To sum up, it’s about how people are judged for how much they read, and it got me thinking about reading and people being all judgy and stuff. Speaking of readers, I love this infographic thingy I’ve floating around pinterest lately.  I really need to take a closer look at it.  Maybe I’ll even talk about it one of these days!  Also: I love the idea of a book jar!  I have a mason jar, now I just need some pretty paper.  That I can get while I’m looking at the sale yarn at Michael’s or something.  I’ve also seen this floating around pinterest, and I love the idea of using it because my TBR pile is overwhelming.

You know how I was going to start exercising?  Yeah…that hasn’t happened.  I was sick for a week or so last month, and I just never got into the habit.  Now that I’m not sick, I am totally going to be doing the Blogilates workouts.  I’ve done a few, and I’m always ridiculously sore the next day, but it’s worth it, because I’ll be healthier and taking care of myself and all that jazz.

I think that’s all for my current obsessions, but I’ll be back with the usual book reviews and stuff!

And I think I shall leave everyone with the story of my life right now:

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Read In 2013

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish. Every week, bloggers from all over are invited to share their own Top Ten List based on the topic of the week. You can find all Top Ten Tuesdays here.

Top Ten Tuesday Header

Top Ten Books I Read In 2013

I can’t believe 2013 is almost over!  I’ve read so many good books this year, and these are the ten that stood out as the best of 2013.

  1. If I Stay/Where She Went by Gayle Forman.  I find it so hard to see these books as individual books, but they go so well-together!  The stories are completely amazing and heart-breaking and unforgettable.
  2. Lovely, Dark and Deep by Amy McNamara.  I loved this book so much!  I was still crying a few minutes after finishing it, and there’s some very quiet and reflective and beautiful about this book.
  3. Out Of Breath by Rebecca Donovan.  I was so glad when Out Of Breath came out, because I really wanted to know what was going on in Emma’s life and if she got her happy ending.  I got so invested in her story, and I’m glad she started to make peace with everything that happened in her life.
  4. This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales.  I related to Elise a lot, and I loved seeing Elise find a place where she belonged.
  5. Boundless by Cynthia Hand.  I am such a fan of the Unearthly series, and Boundless was such an amazing end to the series. There was some crying involved and a bit of “oh my god, what just happened, that better be resolved” and said things were resolved to my satisfaction…and this is why I shouldn’t read in public…but Boundless is still one of the best books I’ve read all year.
  6. Mouse Guard: Fall 1152.  This is such an adorable graphic novel, and I love the idea of sword-wielding mice in medieval Europe.
  7. This Much Is True by Katherine Owen.  There was so much angst in this book I wasn’t sure if I was emotionally stable enough to handle it, and it’s quite the emotional roller-coaster, but it was so worth it, because I wanted things to go right for Tally and Lincoln.
  8. A World Away by Nancy Grossman.  This is definitely one of my favorites from this year!  I liked Eliza’s story, but what really made A World Away great was Jessica Lawshe, who narrated the audio book, and was completely amazing!  I liked seeing Eliza in the non-Amish world, and Jessica Lawshe really brought her to life.
  9. Allegiant by Veronica Roth.  I thought Allegiant was a really good ending to the series, and it’s one of my favorite books of the year.  Mostly because of the last few chapters, which I thought were heart-breaking.
  10. Between Shades Of Gray by Ruta Sepetys.  I can’t believe it took me so long to read this one, but I’m glad I finally did!  It was such a great book, and definitely one of the best I’ve read!

And, of course, the books that came so close to making the top ten: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White, Scarlet by Marissa Meyer, With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent, Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson, and Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker.

2013 End Of The Year Bookish Survey

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2013 End Of Year Survey

This survey is an annual survey hosted by Jamie over at The Perpetual Page-Turner, and it seems like a good way to wrap up my 2013 reading!  I have a couple other posts coming up next week taking care of a few other year-end things, but this one seemed like a good way to start the 2013 year-end stuff. As a warning…it’s going to be a long one!

2013 Survey Best In Books

1.  Best Book You Read In 2013? (If you have to cheat — you can break it down by genre if you want or 2013 release vs. backlist)

Best YA Contemporary: That Time I Joined The Circus by J.J. Howard

Best YA Paranormal: With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent

Best New Adult: Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker

Best Adult Historical Fiction: The Trial Of Dr. Kate by Michael Glasscock

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

The Sea Of Tranquility by Katja Millay.  I just didn’t care about either character until the end of the book and by then, it was too late. Sadly, I think I over-hyped this book.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013? 

I think I’m going to have to with Allegiant for this one.  I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading it, and there were tears, but I was surprised by some of the things we learned.

 4. Book you read in 2013 that you recommended to people most in 2013?

I don’t recommend a lot of books, but after finishing Between Shades Of Gray, I’m going to be recommending that one a lot!

5. Best series you discovered in 2013?

The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger.  It was so fun to listen to, and I couldn’t help but giggle the entire time I was listening to it.

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2013?

I’m going to go with K.A. Tucker!  I’m really loving her 10 Tiny Breaths series.  I also want to read her Casual Enchantment series.

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

I have to go with Mouse Guard, which is a graphic novel by David Peterson.  I don’t normally read graphic novels, but I’m really glad I read this one.  It’s really hard to not like medieval mice with swords.

 8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2013?

Unbroken by Rachel Caine.  I read it in a day, and I couldn’t for a better ending to her Outcast Season series.

9. Book You Read In 2013 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

I don’t re-read a lot, but I think I’m going to be reading Hex Hall again.  It was a fun read, and I can’t wait to finish the series!

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2013?

That Time I Joined The Circus Cover

11. Most memorable character in 2013? 

Eliza Miller from A World Away.  A lot of it is because of Jessica Lawshe’s narration in the audio book, but I loved seeing an Amish girl explore the non-Amish world and how she found family.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2013?

Lovely, Dark And Deep by Amy McNamara.  Every word felt carefully chosen and well-thought out.  There was also something very poetic and lyrical about it.

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2013? 

This is a good one!  I don’t think I can pick just one.  This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales is my first pick, because I love Elise, and her story.  And Between Shades Of Gray, which I’ve mentioned a few times.  But it’s mind-boggling that I didn’t really know the details of the events that inspired the book!

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2013 to finally read? 

Between Shades Of Gray by Ruta Sepetys.  I am kicking myself for taking so long to read it!

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2013?

Funniest, from Timeless by Gail Carriger:

“I suppose that saves us from having to determine what to do with a butler who goes around killing people.  It certainly reflects badly upon our domestic staff.  Still, I shall miss him.  There was a man who knew how to brew a good cup of tea.”

Unforgettably sad, from Out Of Breath by Rebecca Donovan:

“I was so tired of fighting. Tired of hurting. Tired of the guilt that never released me, and the regrets that could not be changed. I didn’t want this life. They’re were only so many times I could hear that I should never have been born, before I wished it to be true.”

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?

Here’s how I did this: I went to my 2013 shelf on goodreads, and sorted by page number!  Actually, this is one of those times when I’m glad I make yearly shelves on goodreads, because it was a lot easier than looking for the 2013 books on my read shelf.

Shortest: Broken Beauty, which is a novella that clocked in at 78 pages.

Longest: I’m pretty sure The Rise And The Fall Of The Third Reich by William Shirer is the longest book I read this year.  I’m not sure what the page count is, but it was 57 hours, so whatever the page equivalent of that is…

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

I had a major WTF moment when I read Allegiant!

18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2013 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).

Family: Charli and Alex in Saving Wishes.  Alex seems like an awesome relative.

Romantic: Ana and Sam in Asunder by Jodi Meadows.  They’re adorable together.

Friendship: All of the different friendships in the last couple Morganville Vampire books.  Because they are there for their friends.

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2013 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

I’m going with the obvious (to me) choices of Rachel Caine and Maria Snyder.  Because they are two of my favorites!

20. Best Book You Read In 2013 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else.

I have to go with Mouse Guard again!  It’s not even funny how adorable this book is, and I love that there mice who have their own little community and have guards.

21. Genre You Read The Most From in 2013?

I think YA paranormal and YA contemporary are pretty close.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2013?

This is going to be a hard one but I’m going to have to go with Lord Maccon from the Parasol Protectorate.  It’s the first time I’ve liked werewolves on their own, and it’s because of him…

23. Best 2013 debut you read?

I don’t really pay attention to whether books are debuts or not, but I really liked The Darwin Elevator by Jason Hough.  Mostly because it’s the only debut I’m aware of…but also because it’s pretty awesome.

24. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2013?

Shadow And Bone by Leigh Bardugo.  There is no doubt about this one!  It’s so vivid and interesting and different, and it’s the first one that came to mind.

25. Book That Was The Most Fun To Read in 2013?

I read a lot of books that were fun to read, but Beauty Queens by Libba Bray is right up there.  I couldn’t stop laughing!

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2013?

I could do a whole post on books that made cry!  However, I am going to have to go with Out Of Breath by Rebecca Donovan, because I cried almost the entire time I was reading it!

27. Book You Read in 2013 That You Think Got Overlooked This Year Or When It Came Out?

This is a good one!  I’m going to go with A World Away by Nancy Grossman.  It’s such a great book, and I loved Eliza’s story.

2013 SurveyBook Blogging

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2013? 

I know I’ve followed a few new blogs, but one of my favorites is Book Riot.  They don’t post a lot of reviews, and they lean more towards interesting book-ish news, but it’s always fun to see what they’re posting.

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2013? 

My review for Beauty Queens is my favorite.  Mostly because I felt the urge to say Sparkle Ponies throughout the entire review.  And because I kept hearing the characters every single time I talked about a different character.

3. Best discussion you had on your blog?

I don’t really do discussion posts, but I’ve had some interesting conversations in the comments!

4. Most thought-provoking review or discussion you read on somebody else’s blog?

I know I’ve read a few interesting ones…but I don’t tend to keep of them.  However, I did like this one post on Book Riot about what it means to be well-read.

5. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?

This year was the first year I went to book signings!  I went to books signings for The Darwin Elevator and The Plague Forge, which was awesome, and I also went to an Abbi Glines/Colleen Hoover/Jamie McGuire book signing, which was just as awesome.

6. Best moment of book blogging/your book life in 2013?

When I bought my own domain!  I’ve been thinking about it for a while, and I finally did it!

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

My most popular post is a top ten tuesday post!  I wrote Top Ten Books For People Who Like The Iron Fey back in 2012, and it’s a post a lot of people search for.  I think it might be time to do a follow-up!

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

Interestingly enough, there isn’t any particular post that I’m wishing more people would pay attention to.

9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

I love the Book Riot podcast.  I look forward to listening to it every week, and it has a lot of bookish news that I wouldn’t hear about otherwise.

2013 Survey Looking Ahead

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2013 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2014?

I have so many to pick from!  My Number One pick is The Book Thief, because I’ve heard so many good things that I want to know why people love it so much!

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2014 (non-debut)?

I’m looking forward to look of books next year, and the non-debut books I’m looking forward to reading just happen to be in this post.

3. 2014 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

A Death-Struck Year by Makiia Lucier.  It’s set during the Spanish Infleunza epidemic, and I can’t wait to read it!

4. Series Ending You Are Most Anticipating in 2014?

I really excited about Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins, because I have no clue how things are going to turn out.

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2014?

I really want to participate more in the book blogging community.  I feel like we’re a pretty awesome group of people, and I really want to comment more.

Book Review: Fallen Too Far

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Fallen Too Far CoverBook: Fallen Too Far by Abbi Glines

Self-Published December 2012|Pages: 445

Where I Got It: Nook store Series: Too Far #1/Rosemary Beach #1

Genre: New Adult Romance/Contemporary

You can find Fallen Too Far on Goodreads|You can find Abbi Glines on Twitter, Facebook and her website

Goodreads Summary: To want what you’re not supposed to have…

She is only nineteen.

She is his new stepfather’s daughter. 

She is still naïve and innocent due to spending the last three years taking care of her sick mother. 

But for twenty-four year old Rush Finlay, she is the only thing that has ever been off limits. His famous father’s guilt money, his mother’s desperation to win his love, and his charm are the three reasons he has never been told no.

Blaire Wynn left her small farmhouse in Alabama, after her mother passed away, to move in with her father and his new wife in their sprawling beach house along the Florida gulf coast. She isn’t prepared for the lifestyle change and she knows she’ll never fit into this world. Then there is her sexy stepbrother who her father leaves her with for the summer while he runs off to Paris with his wife. Rush is as spoiled as he is gorgeous. He is also getting under her skin. She knows he is anything but good for her and that he’ll never be faithful to anyone. He is jaded and has secrets Blaire knows she may never uncover but even knowing all of that…

Blaire just may have fallen too far.

I really enjoyed Fallen Too Far!  There were parts that made me so mad, especially in terms of the secrets kept, and there are definitely a character or two that I could not stand!  But…i think they were supposed to be that way…

Fallen Too Far is definitely addicting, and I loved the tension between Rush and Blaire.  I definitely felt for Blaire, who’s trying to fit into a world where there are rumors circulating about her, and secrets that no one wants to tell her.  At one point, I sort of managed to figure out what the secret was, but couldn’t completely pinpoint it until it actually happened.  I didn’t care if the secret was a little predictable, because I just wanted to know what it was after it being mentioned so much.  I also don’t blame Blaire for reacting the way she did, because I’d probably react the same way.  Well, not completely, but to a certain extent, I probably would.

Actually, if I paid a little more attention, I probably could have figured it out completely.  And no one wanting to tell her, because it wasn’t their secret to tell made me so angry, because they all had an idea, but it was infuriating that they didn’t tell her what rumors were out there.

Anyway: I’m not sure how I feel about Blaire and Rush.  They are definitely very different, and yet…they can’t stay away from each other. There is a certain something about them, but I don’t have strong feelings about them either way.  I’m hoping that they’ll grow on me in the next book.

Final Thoughts:

I really liked Fallen Too Far, and I’m officially an Abbi Glines fan after reading Fallen Too Far!  Rush and Blair didn’t quite click for me, and no one talking about secrets was a little irritating, but overall, things are complicated but complications are why this book was addicting!  Fallen Too Far gets 4 stars.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Creepy Books

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke And The Bookish.  Every week, bloggers from all over are invited to share their own top ten lists based on the topic of the week.  You can find all Top Ten Tuesdays here.

Top Ten Scary Covers/Halloween Reads

This week is all about Halloween.  Which is a totally great holiday!  We actually have our choice of best books to read for Halloween or the scariest covers, and I thought it would be fun to split it in half.  So, I don’t pay much attention to book covers these days, and while there aren’t any that I find particularly scary, there are quite a few that I find really creepy!  And there are so many good books to read that are really creepy or just really good to read this time of year.

The Books:

  1. Pretty much anything by Stephen King.  He writes some great stuff that’s perfect to get into the Halloween spirit.  If I had to pick, I think I’d go with It, because it’s super-creepy!
  2. The Storycatcher by Ann Hite.  The Storycatcher has a very creepy/gothic vibe that’s perfect for Halloween.
  3. Variant by Robison Wells.  This is a great Halloween read because there’s something creepy about Maxfield Academy and the lack of adults and the mysterious powers that be that are controlling things.
  4. This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers.  Another zombie apocalypse novel, and the creepiness is that the zombies are hovering in the background, and you’re never sure when they’re going to pop up.
  5. Harry Potter.  I have no idea why, but this is my favorite time of year to re-read the series.

The Covers:

TTT 5 Creepy Covers

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten (Unusual) Character Names I Love

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish.  Every week, bloggers from all over are invited to share their own Top Ten lists based on the topic of the week. You can find all Top Ten Tuesdays here.

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Top Ten (Unusual) Character Names I Love

This week is all about names!  Whether they’re my favorite unusual names or just names i love, character names are one of my favorite parts of reading!  So…I kept thinking of Harry Potter names, because there are great names in HP, and decided that doing non-HP names and HP names was the best way to go, since there are some really cool names out there.

The Non-HP Names:

  1. Kip Osmak from The Darwin Elevator.  Kip’s name makes me smile every single time I see it!
  2. Roar from Under The Never Sky.  Is an explanation really needed?
  3. Etienne St Clair.  Again, is an explanation really needed for why he has such a great name?
  4. Seraphina Parrish from Wander Dust.  I love the name Seraphina.  It’s so pretty!
  5. Myrnin from Morganville Vampires.  Myrnin is a pretty eccentric character, and it’s only fitting he has a slightly unusual name.

The Harry Potter Names:

  1. Hermione.  I doubt it’s surprising Hermione made my list.  It’s a totally awesome name for a totally awesome character.
  2. Luna Lovegood.  Luna has a great name.  Seriously.  Not even kidding.
  3. Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.  Albus Dumbledore is a pretty memorable name, but when you add in the Percival Wulfric Brian…something about his middle names makes his name really memorable.
  4. Sirius Black.  Siriusly…that’s why he’s on the list.  I don’t even care if that’s lame or not.
  5. Nymphadora Tonks.  She really does have a great name.  It’s unusual, just like her!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Was Forced To Read

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Top Ten Tuesday a weekly meme hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish.  Bloggers from all over are invited to share their own top ten list based on the topic of the week.  You can find all Top Ten Tuesdays here.

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Top Ten Books I Was Forced To Read

The really cool thing about this particular list is that it could be required reading or books that friends recommended or a book for a book club (if I actually went to a book club).  Really, I should just re-name this list to books I read so I’d know what people are talking about, since that’s a good chunk of my list this week.

Books I’ve Read For Random Reasons:

  1. Ender’s Game stands out as one of the very few books I had to read for school that I actually read/understood/liked.  So there’s no question that it was going to end up on this list.
  2. Pretty much anything my friend Heather recommends.  She has a knack for recommending books I end up liking…Mouse Guard, Daughter Of Smoke And Bone and A Moment Comes are a few that come to mind.
  3. The Life Of Pi: Another I had to read for school.  It’s been ages since I’ve read it, and someday, I’ll probably read it again, but I remember really liking it.

The Books I Read So I Would Know What Every One Was Talking About: It’s amazing how books have moved up my TBR pile just because I want to know what people are talking about, and why there are so many rave reviews of quite a few books.

  1. Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
  2. Across The Universe by Beth Revis
  3. The Sea Of Tranquility by Katja Millay
  4. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
  5. Anna And The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
  6. The Fault In Out Stars and Looking For Alaska by John Green
  7. Shadow And Bone by Leah Bardugo

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Would Love To See As A TV Show/Movie

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Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish. Every week, bloggers from all over are invited to share their own top ten lists based on the topic of the week.  You can find all Top Ten Tuesdays here.

Top Ten Tuesday Graphic

Top Ten Books I Would Love To See As A TV Show And/Or Movie

I love this topic, and with quite a few adaptations coming out- or ones that came out pretty recently- this feels like a pretty appropriate topic. And in a perfect world, these adaptations would be just how we wanted it!  Apparently I’m in a t.v. sort of mood, because I kept thinking of books that would be perfect on t.v. (but there are a few books that would make great movies).  One can only hope…

Books I Would Love To See As A T.V. Show:

  1. Delirium by Lauren Oliver.  If I did my lists in order, this one would be at the top of the list…mostly because Delirium was going to be a tv show, and things fell through.  Delirium really would be a great show to watch.
  2. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.  This series would be another great tv show, and there’s something about this story that would work really well on t.v.
  3. Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine would make another great t.v. show.  I actually think this is being done a web series, but I want it on my t.v.!  I’ve never seen Vampire Diaries, but I guess no one wants another vampire t.v. show or something.
  4. The Selection by Kiera Cass.  Part of me really wants to see this series as a t.v show.  I mean, it is a reality t.v. show, so it would be completely awesome to actually see it on t.v.
  5. The Arelia LaRue series by Kira Saito.  This series feels pretty episodic, and I think that aspect of the series would translate really well to a t.v. show.
  6. Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts.  When I re-read Shantaram a year-and-a-half ago, I thought it would work much better on screen than as a book, and I think I’m going to have to change my initial thoughts from movie to a t.v. show, because it’s really long, and I don’t think a movie could completely capture the book (even in a perfect world).
  7. The Study Series and The Glass series by Maria V. Snyder.  Since her Glass series is a spin-off of her Study series, it would be cool to see both series come together as one and how we get from the Study books to the Glass books.

Books I Would Love To See As A Movie:

  1. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray.  I would love to see this as a movie.  It would be absolutely hysterical, and I’d love to see all of the footnotes and commercials incorporated into the movie.
  2. His Fair Assassins Series by Robin LaFevers.  I have no explanation for this one- I just think it would make a cool movie.
  3. Possess by Gretchen McNeil.  This would make a great movie!  It’s interesting and creepy and I could totally see it was a really cool horror movie.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Memorable Secondary Characters

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Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish.  Every week, bloggers from all over are invited to share their own top ten lists based on the topic of the week.  You can find all Top Ten Tuesdays here.

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Top Ten Memorable Secondary Characters

You can’t have a story without characters (amongst other things), and I’m pretty excited that this week’s list is all about memorable secondary characters!  Some characters are memorable, and sometimes…I just want to see more of them.  Here are ten of my favorites!

  1. Myrnin from Morganville Vampires.  I love Myrnin because he’s really eccentric and I never know what he’s going to do or say. Whatever he does say or do, I know it’ll probably be a little ridiculous but it is almost always a fun kind of ridiculous.
  2. The Weasley Twins: There are so many characters from Harry Potter, but the Weasley twins are two of my favorites, because they add some much needed humor to the series, particularly in the last 3 or 4 books.
  3. Mr Freeman from Speak: He’s a pretty cool teacher, and he makes me think of some of the cool teachers I had when I was in school.
  4. Grimalkin from The Iron Fey.  I just love Grimalkin, and how his explanation for most anything is “I’m a cat.”
  5. The Mrs. W’s from A Wrinkle In Time.  They’re a little eccentric but I also love how protective they are and how they are stars once upon a time.
  6. A from Pretty Little Liars.  While I gave up after the 10th book, the never-ending mystery of A and how A knew stuff about the girls was pretty intriguing for a while.
  7. Oliver from Morganville Vampires.  I couldn’t help but include Oliver.  Mostly because he owns a coffee shop but also…he’s the new guy in town, and I just can’t picture him as the hippie-ish guy he’s described as in the first book or two.
  8. Shigure from Fruits Basket.  Shigure does appear a lot, but he’s just so off-the-walls crazy that you can’t help but remember him!
  9. Hagrid from Harry Potter.  I just love Hagrid, and he’s one of my favorite characters from Harry Potter.  It’s hard not to love him!
  10. Vicky from This Song Will Save Your Life.  I feel the slightest bit weird for including Vicky since TSWSYL hasn’t come out yet, but I love that VIcky is such an awesome friend and she’s also just a cool character I would like to be friends with!