All of My Favorite Books of The Year (So Far)

Hi everyone! It’s Top Ten Tuesday. This is a weekly meme created and hosted at The Broke and the Bookish. Every week the ladies there post a list for bloggers to participate in! i really love this list, anything to let me talk about my favorite books for a little while. 🙂

This week’s list the

~Top Ten Books I’ve Read So Far In 2015~

I’m going to stick with ’15 releases only for this list. I’m going to go in the order I’ve read them as well!

1. All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

This was the first “hyped” book I needed to read as soon as possible. It did not let me down at all. I loved it to pieces! And that’s what I was when I finished. Pieces.

2. None of The Above by I.W. Gregorio (Review)

I was fascinated with this book so much that it kickstarted a feature (One Day More) to show off releases that I read that had far off release dates. This was such an informative read for me.

3. I’ll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

This was the second “hyped” book that I needed to read. Once again, it did not let me down and I was hooked almost instantly when I read this. I adored Sky and Josh so much and could relate to them very well

4. Making Pretty by Corey Ann Haydu (Review)

The family dynamics in this are going to stay with me for a while. This book dealt with society. family, friendship and changing. It also had the golden New York City setting which only made me much more addicted to it. I also made a One Day More post about this one as well!

5. Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman (Review)

Challenger Deep gave an amazing account of a guy named Caden who has schizophrenia. I could relate a lot to Caden in some things which is why I loved it so much.

6. Fans of The Impossible Life by Kate Scelsa

This one doesn’t come out until September but oh my gosh. It is definitely a must read. I’ll be doing a little post on it in a couple weeks so be on the look out for that. 🙂

7. Because You’ll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas

This is the book I’ve always wanted! I have been seriously obsessed with this book so so so much. I recommend it to everyone. I loved the friendship in it and the long distance friendship and the isolation that the two guys felt at times.<3

8. 5 to 1 by Holly Bodger (Review)

I just reviewed this! 5 to 1 takes such an interesting take on a dystopian and gender norms. It was so compelling.

9. More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

Finally, this is the last book of the year that I just loved so much. Like I’ll Meet You There, it dealt with differing social economic classes, which I loved. I’ll be posting a review for this in the coming weeks as well.

I know that number SHOULD be higher, but, er, reading slumps. You know how it is!

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Let me know if you’ve read any of these books and what you thought of them! Unless you hated them, then spare me because my heart will probably break at the news.

Top Ten Books I Want To Be Movies

Good afternoon! Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme at The Broke and The Bookish. Every week they post a new list for bloggers to participate in. This week’s list is a past one being the top ten books you want to see as movies or tv shows. My list is very contemporary heavy, but I have a couple in there that aren’t. 🙂 You can link up here.

The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

I think The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight would be a great movie. It’s actually set to be a movie out next summer though, so that’s super exciting! Our wo main leads:

Making Pretty by Corey Ann Haydu

Making Pretty uses it’s New York City setting so well, I would love to see it all live in a film. I think it would be a great summer movie.

The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu

This one would be interesting since Alice isn’t actually in the story much with a point of view, I think that could/would be worked around in the film though. It would seem very Speak-esque to me if they used only voice overs, which sounds fantastic.

Because You’ll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas

If you don’t know, this amazing book is out today and Goodreads and Amazon are LYING about it not coming out until July 2nd. Silly GR and Amazon. I think this would be so interesting, particularly with the laboratory aspect in it.

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

This one is set to be a movie as well. I can’t wait for it! This was my first ’15 book of the year that I really fell for. Elle Fanning is starring in this one as Violet! 

I’ll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

And this is the second ’15 book of the year that I really fell for. I would like to see this as a film because of the setting. It takes place in a not so financially well off setting in a small town in California. It would be great.

The Walled City by Ryan Graudin

This is the first of two non-contemporaries on my list. It takes place in China with an all Chinese cast. I would love to see all the different parts of the film with the three perspectives.

Anna and The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Of course this book is on my list. The Paris setting would be so fun to see. It’d be fun to see Anna exploring Paris.

5 to 1 by Holly Bodger

And this is the second non Contemporary book and one of my most recent reads. I think they could do a lot with this. It gives me a Hunger Games vibe so a similar dark world like shown in The Hunger Games movie at the reaping would be interesting.

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

This is my most recent read and I adored this book. It would be perfect as a film because of all the diversity and the writing it has. The main character Aaron has such a unique, genuine voice. I would love to see this Bronx setting in movie form, especially since not many YA books tackle poverty in them like More Happy Than Not (and i’ll Meet You There). THIS BOOK WAS ALSO PUBLISHED TODAY SO GET ON BUYING IT. 🙂

~Bonus~

Fans of The Impossible Life by Kate Scelsa

I read this book, I loved this book, I need it to be a movie. I think it would be great.

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Well there’s my list. What’s on yours? 🙂 Do our lists overlap any?

Top Ten Books For Readers Who Like….

Hey everyone. It’s Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly feature hosted at The Broke and The Bookish. There is a new list every week for people to T in, if you would like to read more about it, you can go here. This week’s topic was kind of hard one to do and I’m actually changing it up a bit. This week’s topic is:

Ten Books For Readers Who Like _________

I had a hard time coming up with a genre or subject that I knew ten books fit. So instead, I’m doing two lists these week with five books each. 🙂

So without further ado

~Top Ten Books For Readers Who Like Multiple Themes~

1. A Midsummer’s Nightmare by Kody Keplinger

   • Themes: Family, Romance

2. The Statistical Probaiblity of Love At First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

   • Themes: Family, Friendship

3. The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend by Kody Keplinger

   • Themes: Family, Romance

4. If I Stay by Gayle Forman

   • Themes: Family, Death, Romance

5. Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang

   • Themes: Death, Friendship, Social Issues

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~Top Five Books For Readers Who Like “Thoughtful” Books~

1. None of The Above by I.W. Gregorio

   • Intersex

2. I’ll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

   • Poverty, PTSD

3. All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

   • Grief, Depression, Bipolar

4. The Law of Loving Others by Kate Axelrod

   • Mental Illness

5. Little Peach by Peggy Kern

   • Human Trafficking

The title for the second one was hard to think of. I had it first as “raising awareness” but then that sounded weird so I changed it. 🙂 What I mean about “thoughtful” is that these books all deal with heavy topics and I think they all do it very well.

You’ll notice I’m a big fan of family in books. I’m a huge fan of that actually, which, if you’ve read some of my reviews, you would definitely know that. Haha.

Top Ten Favorite Books From The Last Three Years

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme featured at The Broke and The Bookish. Every Tuesday they create a new list for book bloggers to participate in.  You can go to the following links if you want to sign up or see future lists.

Today’s list is the top ten books we have read in the last three years, which can be extended to the last five years, that we would call favorites.

~Top Ten Favorite Books~

1. The Walled City by Ryan Graudin

   1. This was the first book I read this year and I loved it. I loved the narrative, the characters, everything.

2. Free To Fall by Lauren Miller

   1. This has been the first sci-fi-ish book I’ve ever really read, in the contemporary, not really contemporary sense. So excluding books like…Fahrenheit 451 (okay, not sci-fi, but hopefully you know what I mean). 🙂 I loved Rory and the mystery in it.

3. Rites of Passage by Joy N. Hensley

   1. I listed Sam as one of my favorite heroines last week so it makes sense the whole book would make this week’s list. I really liked Rites of Passage because it wasn’t like something I’d read before, taking place in a military academy with a slight mystery.

4. All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

   1. I adored this book. Adoreddd. I could really relate to Finch in some ways and there are so many lovely quotes in here that I just loved.

5. I’ll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

   1. Oh gosh… This book…It made me cry three times… I loved everything about this. Especially Skylar and the entire setting. 

6. Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang

   1. It’s kind of surprising I liked this given what the main character, Liz was like but…I don’t know, I just connected with her. I could relate to her in certain aspects. I loved the way it was told too.

7. The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

   1. The whole premise of this is so great. I loved how Bianca ended up turning to sex to be distracted from her problems. That sounds really bad to say. Hmm. I also loved how sarcastic and cynical she was and different from her friends.

8. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

   1. I loved how different the characters were from anyone else. I liked the issues it dealt with too.

9. Where She Went (If I Stay #2) by Gayle Forman

   1. Oh gosh, I just loved Where She Went. It made me fall in love with one night engagements, second chances and New York.

10. Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

    1. It took me forever to read this despite knowing about it for years. I loved Charlie and how he had a mental illness which is hinted at throughout the book. It is seriously THE coming-of-age book.

~Bonus~

Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets of The Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

This is one of my favorite character driven novels. I just fell in love with the characters and the story. I found it really poetic and thought provoking when I read it.

As you can see, I’m a big fan of contemporary/realistic YA fiction. That’s my list, what’s on yours? 🙂 Do we share any books?

Wondrous Covers Wednesday (#24)

Hi everyone. This is Wondrous covers Wednesday, a weekly feature I do to show off three book covers. There will generally be a theme but not always.

This week I wanted to do books that have post-its on the covers.

~One~

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

~My Thoughts~

!. I love how this cover just uses pale colors. 

2. I love all the different post-ts on it. I think that was really creative for the title and author’s name.

3. I love how there’s a finch and a violet on two of the post-its.

~Two~

The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand

~My Thoughts~

1. This is a cover that I had to take a look at. At first, I only focused on the post-it. Then later I noticed that it’s actually on a mirror, from how it appears.

2. I like how the post-it is off center so it’s not straight in the middle.

3. I think the colors used were an interesting choice. 

~Three~

The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things by Ann Aguirre

~My Thoughts~

1. What first stands out to me are the bright post-its with the title and author’s name.

2. I love that behind the post-its is a college of photos of the couple in black and white/sepia tones.

3. The contrast is great and makes the title stick out more.

 

2015 YA Trends/Themes (Amber’s Rambles (#12))

I’ve been wanting to post about this for a while now, but I never got around to doing it….until now!

I was thinking a couple weeks about how many books about  suicide, fairytales, sexuality and “quirky” books coming out this year. I’m not sure how I feel about using the word “trend” in this case, so I’m also going to go with “theme”. 🙂 This is going to be a part one of two parts post. This week I’ll be covering suicide, mental illness, LGBTQA and “quirky” books. (Don’t you just love how I put that in quotations every time?

I think suicide is a really important topic and I love the light being shined upon it. What I love most is that each of these books is talking about it from a different perspective.

In My Heart and Other Black Holes, the focus is on two characters who are planning their suicide.

In The Last Time We Say Goodbye, the main character is dealing with her brother’s suicide.

I Was Here is about the aftermath of Cody’s best friend Meg’s suicide and how she deals with it.

All The Bright Places (as many of us know) is about Finch and Violet who meet on the top of their school’s bell tower as they both plan to commit suicide.

Finally Playlist For The Dead also deals with the main character finding out why their best friend commit suicide.

I debated on whether or not to put all of the suicide books underneath mental illness, but I decided against that. I really love that mental illness is getting more focused on.

All The Bright Places– Finch suffers from mental illness.

In Made You Up, the main character is schizophrenic. This is really interesting because I’ve never read a book where a character dealt with that.

In Challenger Deep, the main character has a mental illness.

The Law of Loving Others features a main character who has to deal with her mother’s mental illness. I would love to read more books about teenagers dealing with their parents’ mental illness (like The Chance You Won’t Return by Annie Cardi). This is high on my priority list.

When Reason Breaks has one main character who suffers depression.

 

Ah, quirky, yes, I have no way to describe these novels, well, other than “These are the novels I’m so desperate to have”. Ha. 

I’ll Meet You There takes place in Creek View, a place that sounds like it would definitely take place in the midwest where I live. Haha. The main character is desperate to get out of the city, but when her mom gets fired, she’s forced to stick around.

Mosquitoland, Mosquitoland reminds me a little bit of Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder. Mostly the journey part. 🙂 This sounds so original, it takes place on a Greyhound bus the main character takes to her see her mom. She of course meets travelers who are described as what else but quirky?

Denton Little’s Deathdate is about a guy who lives where everyone knows their own death date. Denton has a list of things he wants to do before he dies.

Bone Gap features a mystery involving Roza, a girl whose gone missing and Finn who believe she’s been kidnapped. You don’t get much quirkier than a town called Bone Gap.

No Parking At The End Times is about a girl whose parents have given everything to a guy known as Brother John, so they would be with him when the End Times came. Only they didn’t. And now Abigail has to fix her broken family.

In Vivian Apple At The End of The World, Vivian’s parents are super into the church of america and when they disappear, Vivian isn’t quite sure if the rapture has actually happened or not. She then goes off on a cross-country trip with her best friend and a guy named Peter to find out what’s really happened.

I like how there are more books coming out about intersex and transgender characters.

In The Art of Being Normal, the main character is a male to female transgender.

More Happy Than Not features a gay main character.

Not Otherwise Specified is about Etta who is bisexual.

None of The Above is about Kristin who finds out she is intersex.

The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley is about Andrew who is gay and meets a guy in the hospital where he now stays.

Finally, Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda is about Simon, who is gay and being blackmailed.

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Well that’s it for this week. Stop back by next week for the rest of these “YA Trends/Themes”. 🙂 Oh and let me know what you think of them.

Musical Monday: All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven Playlist

You may notice this isn’t my usual musical Monday post, that is because I am “revamping” (fancy word for me just changing what I’m doing) my feature to broaden itself so I don’t get bored with it (not that I ever could).

Musical Monday is typically bi-monthly post where I showcase a musical in part one and songs in part two, however, that is now changing and will be anything involving music. 

After reading All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, I made up a list of songs that made me think of the amazing book. I’ll link them all in a Youtube playlist, but list the songs here and relatable lyrics.

If you haven’t read All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, you really really need to. Also, I suggest holding off on reading this post until you’ve read the book. 🙂 

1. Rooftop by Melissa McCelland *

   • Crouched down on a rooftop
     In my mother’s high-heeled shoes
     I’m wondering if I will drop,
     fly away with you

2. It’s Not My Time by Three Doors Down

   • Cause it’s not my time, I’m not going

     there’s a fear in me, it’s not showing,

     this could be the end of me 

     and everything I know,

     Oh, but I won’t go.

3. Falls On Me by Fuel

   • And all of your weight,
     all you dream
     falls on me, it falls on me.
     And your beautiful sky,
     the light you bring falls on me,

     it falls on me.

     . . .

     Am I that strong to carry on?

     I might change your life,

     I might save my world,

     could you save me?

4. I Should Tell You from RENT

   • I should tell you I’m disaster, I forget how to begin it

     Let’s just make this part go faster, I have yet to be in it

5. F.N.T. by SemiSonic *

   • I’m surprised that you’ve never been told before
     That you’re lovely and you’re perfect
     and that somebody wants you

6. Everywhere by Michelle Branch

   • And when I touch your hand
     It’s then I understand
     The beauty that’s within
     It’s now that we begin
     You always light my way
     I hope there never comes a day
     No matter where I go
     I always feel you so 

7. Better With You by Five Times August *

   • So tell me, where did I go wrong before you?

     Before you came along, well it seems like I was lost.

     you showed me how to do things right,

     now I’m, so glad that now you’re mine.

8. With You by Levi Kreis

   • I’m having light
     Of the light of an angel
     You may be all I’ve been dreaming of
     I know the likes of infatuation
     And I’ll be surprise if this isn’t love
     Cuz I just want to break through
     Reach out and feel you 
     Fall into me yeah

9. Remember by Gabriel Mann *

   • Picture it all in your mind

     remember where we are now

     open your eyes, take it all in,

     remember where we are,

     this is where your life begins.

10. Away From the Sun by Three Doors Down

    • Cause now again I’ve found myself so far down,

      away from the sun, that shines into the darkest place

      I’m so far down, away from the sun again.

11. Only Hope by Mandy Moore *

    • So I lay my head back down

      and I lift my hands and pray,

      to be only yours, I pray,

      to be only yours, I know now, 

      you’re my only hope

12. Painting Flowers By All Time Low *
    

    • When I wake up, the dream isn’t done,

      I wanna see your face and know I’ve made it home

      If nothing is true, what more can I do?

      I’m still painting flowers for you.

13. Ultraviolet by Stiff Dylans *

    • That fire you ignited,
      good, bad and undecided
      burns when I stand beside it.
      Your light is ultraviolet

14. We Might Fall by Ryan Star

    • We should go to sleep now, You should stay the night
      I’ll be up to watch the world around us live and die
      Lying on the grass now, dancing for the stars
      Maybe one will look on down and tell us who we are
      We might fall, we might fall, we might fall, Hallie we might fall

15. Aiming For the Sun by Ryan Keen *

    • I cried out on a moonlight night, I was thinking back on time.
      A cold breeze takes hold of me, oh, he was a friend of mine.
      I feel lost so I’m looking out, I’m searching for a guiding light.
      I keep aiming, for the sun so that my shadows fall behind.

      Oh am I, just wasting my time?

16. Rescue You by Jake Epstein *

    • Somehow you saw someone worth saving
      you pulled me back into the light.
      Now if ever i can rescue you,
      when you need two arms to fall into,
      you know exactly where I’ll be
      just look for me, oh look for me.

17. Breathe Again by Art of Dying *

    • I don’t know how, I don’t know when, 

      but I can finally breathe again
      Life’s too short, the day’s too long
      In the end I knew it all along

18. I’m Not Alright by Sanctus Real
    

    • If weakness is a wound

      that no one wants to speak of,

      the cool is just how far we have 

      to fall and I am not immune

      I only want to be loved,

      but I feel safe behind the firewall

      Can I lose my need to impress? 

      If you want the truth, I need to confess,

      I’m not alright.
      I’m broken inside, broken inside.

19. Happiness by Tyler Kyte *
    

    • I think about the days back when

      things were much simpler then,

      making angels out of the snow.

      But now it feels bitter cold 

      and I fear growing old.

      Those days seem so long ago.

      Open your eyes tonight,

      open your eyes tonight

      It’s a long way to happiness

      but Ill keep walking all night

      Its a long way to happiness

      Someday I’ll be alright

20. The Death of Me by City and Colour

    • People love to drink their troubles away
      sometimes I feel that I’d be better off that way

      ‘Cause maybe then I could sleep at night
      I wouldn’t lie awake until the morning light
      This is something that I’ll never control
      My nerves will be the death of me, I know

21. What Makes A Man by City and Colour

    • I can feel the wind blowin’
      It’s sending shivers down my spine
      I can feel the wind blowin’
      It shakes the trees and the power lines
      What makes a man spend his whole life in disguise?
      I think I know
      I think I might know

22. Broken by Lifehouse

    • I’m falling apart, I’m barely breathing
      With a broken heart that’s still beating
      In the pain, there is healing.
      In your name, I find meaning.

23. Pieces by Red

    • Then I see your face
      I know I’m finally yours
      I find everything I thought I lost before
      You call my name
      I come to you in pieces
      So you can make me whole

24. Paperweight by Joshua Radin and Schuyler Fisk *

    • Every word you say I think
      I should write down,
      I don’t want to forget
      come daylight.
      Happy to lay here,
      just happy to be here.
      I’m happy to know you.
      Play me a song
      your newest one

25. Breathe Me by Sia *

    • Ouch, I have lost myself again,

      lost myself and I am nowhere to be found, 

      yeah, I think that I might break,

      lost myself again and I feel unsafe.

      Be my friend, hold me, wrap me up,unfold me,

      I am small and needy,

      warm me up and breathe me.

26. Say Something (I’m Giving Up On You) by A Great Big World feat. Christina Aguilera

    • Say something I’m giving up on you,

      I’m sorry that I couldn’t get to you.

      Anywhere, I would have followed you,

      say something I’m giving up on you.

27. Sometimes by Melanie Horsnell*

    • Sometimes I cry, but doesn’t everybody?

      I have secrets, I have scars as deep as anybody

      I have fears no one hears, but don’t tell anybody,

      sometimes I lie, but doesn’t everybody?

      I know that sometimes I end up running wild,

      I feel just like a little child but tell me,

      doesn’t everybody, sometimes

28. I Don’t Want To Be Me by Amanda Clemens

    • I’m not feeling so sure,

      it would help if you offered a cure,

      if I wait, it’s too late for the remedy,

      I don’t want to be me.

      You won’t save me, 

      cause I’m not the fortunate one,

      so don’t blame me, if I decide

      to go hide or instead to just run

29. Set Fire To The Third Bar by Joshua Radin and Schulyer Fisk*

    • Your words in my memory are like music to me,

    • I’m miles from where you are, I lay down on the cold ground,

    • I, I  pray that something picks me up 

    • and set me down in your warm arms

30. Leave Out All The Rest by Linkin Park*

    • I dreamed I was missing

      and you were so scared

      but no one would listen

      ’cause no one else cared

      …

      So if you’re asking me, I want you to know,

      when my time comes forget the wrong that I’ve done,

      help me leave behind some reasons to be missed

      don’t resent me and when you’re feeling empty

      keep me in your memory, leave out all the rest,

      leave out all the rest.

31. So Far Away by Avenged Sevenfold*

    • Never feared for anything, never shamed but never free
      A life to heal the broken heart with all that it could

      Lived a life so endlessly, saw beyond what others see
      I tried to heal your broken heart with all that I could

      Will you stay? Will you stay away forever?

      How do I live without the ones I love?
      Time still turns the pages of the book it’s burned
      Place and time always on my mind,
      I have so much to say but you’re so far away

32. Hear You Me by Jimmy Eat World*

    • There’s no one in town I know
      You gave us some place to go
      I never said thank you for that,
      I thought I might get one more chance
      What would you think of me now
      So lucky, So strong, So proud?
      I never said thank you for that
      now I’ll never have a chance.

33. On The Way Down by Ryan Cabrera

    • On the way down, I saw you

      and you saved me from myself,

      and I won’t forget the way you loved me

      on the way down, I almost fell right through

      but I held onto you.

34. Somewhere Only We Know by Lily Allen*

    • And if you have a minute, why don’t we go,

      talk about it somewhere only we know

      this could be the end of everything,

      so why don’t we go, somewhere only we know?

35. Remember by Gabriel Mann*

    • Remember the moment of change
      Is it all straight ahead or behind you?
      Well maybe if you look around
      You’ll see everything’s perfectly clear

      Picture it all in your mind

      remember where we are now
      open your eyes
      and take it all in
      Remember where we are now
      this is where your life begins.

Yes, I did add that Gabriel Mann song twice on purpose. Think of it as the ending credits song, yet it’s like one of those ending credits songs you HAVE to sit through because you love it so much.

Okay, so this was really fun and really stressful, for obvious reasons, but anyway, it’s also really long….I’m sorry about that, but when I was adding the lyrics and putting the Youtube playlist together, I kept discovering more songs. 🙂 I put asterisks (*) near the must-listen-tos’. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

You can find the link here.  

Top Ten Books I Would Make Everyone Read (If I Were A Dictator)

It’s Top Ten Tuesday, a meme created and hosted at The Broke and Bookish. You can join and link up here. Every week there is generally a list but this week it’s a freebie choice! So I get to choose. I had four or five lists I was choosing between and finally I chose one that will let me list ten of my favorite books ever. And because they’re my favorite books, this is the list:

~Top Ten Books I Would Make Everyone Read….If I Were A Dictator~

~One~

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell (My Review)

Eleanor and Park delves into many issues that aren’t commonly seen in Young Adult literature. Cristina did a lovely post about some of these issues in her post here.

~Two~

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

Oh gosh, I feel cliche for saying this but TFIOS has such a great meaning behind it. There are so many great quotes and it’s really just a great “live in the moment” book.

~Three~

If I Stay (#1) by Gayle Forman (My Review)

What would you choose if you had to choose between staying alive while your family’s dead or dying. This book caused me so many feelings.

~Four~

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

I haven’t read this book since the first time I ever read it, but it’s really amazing. I think it’s one of those “groundbreaking” YA novels that really paved the way for what YA books are now.

~Five~

Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

I consider this also one of the groundbreaking YA novels. And Charlie’s a wonderful character.

~Six~

Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets of The Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz (My Review)

I fell in love with Aristotle and Dante. This is an essential read for everyone. It features minority characters and it’s fantastic.

~Seven~

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart (My Review)

I loved the way Lockhart weaved this story with fairytales and slight non-linear moments. It’s wonderful.

~Eight~

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

I can’t even speak about this book….It’s so powerful and moving and meaningful and practically perfect. The way it deals with mental illness is astounding.

~Nine~

Free To Fall by Lauren Miller (My Review)

This is one of my favorite dystopian novels, though it doesn’t take place hundreds of years from now or feature reality tv, mazes or overthrowing the government. It’s more of a sci-fi dystopian novel taking place only 20-ish years from now. 

~Ten~

The Walled City by Ryan Graudin

Ah…I love this book so much. The way it’s told, the characters, the plots, the originality, I love every single thing about it. It’s amazing. I only wish I hadn’t waited the extra week I had to have read it. And I wish I hadn’t waited so long.

If you’ve read any of these books or heard of any of them, let me know your thoughts! And link me to your top ten choices, I’m interested in seeing everyone’s lists.

Weekly Recap (#9) + Stacking The Shelves (#17)

So we may have sparked a revolution. 🙂 Me, Holly and Val had been talking about being declined from books and such by HC (Holly) and Mac (Me). We decided to start a book bloggers

revolution. I’m not quite sure what this entails. Possibly burning things.

#IReallyJustWantToReliveRentInNewYork 

#ThisShouldIncludeSceneFromRent

But it does not because I couldn’t find the appropriate gif. *sigh* Cue annoyance and sad face.

Oh, but yes, a revolution. The hashtag is #BookBloggersRevolution and the tagline is:

Will you join in our crusade?

I may have quoted Les Miserables a thousand times last night, haha, because their is a rebellion/revolution in that show. 🙂 The June Rebellion to be exact. #LookItUp

Alright, so, I am going to recap my week now. 

I participated in Bout of Books! I only read two books out of my six books goal, but I also started two others. Plus on that Monday I had finished The Walled City by Ryan Graudin and it was just so wonderful. So I made some book progress. 🙂 

I read Since You’ve Been Gone by Mary Jennifer Payne and Blues For Zoey by Robert Paul Weston. I started Every Last Promise by Kristin Halbrook and I Was Here by Gayle Forman.

AND OH MY GOSH. OH MY GOSH GUYS, YOU’LL NEVER BELIEVE IT! I bought books.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!

I bought All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven which I will be reading as soon as I finish Every Last Promise and I Was Here. I’m so excited.

~Last Week on YA Indulgences~

Weekly Recap #8

Top Ten Tuesday – Top Ten Most Anticipated Debuts

Review: Roomies by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando

My Favorite 2014 Covers

Amber’s Rambles – Names In Titles

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~This Week on YA Indulgences~

Tuesday- Review: Paper Aeroplanes (#1) by Dawn O’Porter

Top Ten Tuesday

Wondrous Covers Wednesday

Thursday- Review: Adrenaline Crush by Laurie Boyle Crompton

Amber’s Rambles

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~In Other Blogging News~

I am joining in on the Bookish Bingo: 2015 New Year challenge hosted @ Great Imaginations. I’ll be adding the card to my “Reading/Blogging Challenges” page, where I’ll also be linking my progress. I have most of the books picked out. I’m so excited.

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~Stacking The Shelves~

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme created and hosted at Tynga’s Reviews. STS is for sharing the new books you’ve bought, been gifted, received for review, etc. 🙂

Purchased:

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg

How To Build A Girl by Caitlin Moran

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid

For Review:

The Cemetery Boys by Heather Brewer

I decided I needed some more adult fiction in my life. How To Build A Girl is a book I’ve been hopking would be on sale, Forever, Interrupted has my interest by simply being written by the same author as After I Do, which I haven’t read, but really want to. Me Before You’s been on sale for about a month now and I couldn’t resist buying it any longer. Same with Better Off Friends. 🙂

And as for The Cemetery Boys….I couldn’t help it.

That pretty much sums everything up. Oh, I discovered these peppermint pretzels that I’ve been eating since Wednesday. Surprisingly enough, they last a while. 🙂 I’m going to try to finish I Was Here, Every Last Promise, and All The Bright Places, so I can start My Heart and Other Black Holes and When Reason Breaks.  There are a lot of sad books Im reading, I hope I survive the week.

Top Ten Tuesday – Top Ten Most Anticipated Debut Novels For 2015

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme put together by the ladies @ The Broke and The Bookish. Every week they choose a new list and invite fellow book bloggers to join in, link up and visit other’s blogs. You can do so here. This week’s list is

Top Ten Most Anticipated Debut Novels For 2015

I tried to narrow this down by books I don’t have arcs for because obviously those were “anticipated” debuts, which is why I requested them. 🙂 Here I go.

~One~

Denton’s Little Deathdate by Lance Rubin

Denton Little’s Deathdate takes place in a world exactly like our own except that everyone knows the day they will die. For 17-year-old Denton Little, that’s tomorrow, the day of his senior prom.

Despite his early deathdate, Denton has always wanted to live a normal life, but his final days are filled with dramatic firsts. First hangover. First sex. First love triangle (as the first sex seems to have happened not with his adoring girlfriend, but with his best friend’s hostile sister. Though he’s not totally sure. See: first hangover.) His anxiety builds when he discovers a strange purple rash making its way up his body. Is this what will kill him? And then a strange man shows up at his funeral, claiming to have known Denton’s long-deceased mother, and warning him to beware of suspicious government characters…. Suddenly Denton’s life is filled with mysterious questions and precious little time to find the answers.

Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name….

Oh wait, that’s Cheers, not Denton’s Little Deathdate. Haha,

Imagine living in a world where you know your death date. What would you do? This isn’t like being told you have six months to live due to a deadly illness, this is knowing when you’re going to die. Would you create a list of goals? Would you stay inside to prevent your death on that day? These are all questions I wondered when I read the summary for this.

As if that’s not enough to make me say “Give me!”, this mysterious figure that shows up at Denton’s funeral warning of government people definitely is. Can I just say I love an evil government? I love an evil government. Give me an uprising, give me a revolution, give me The June Rebellion.

Okay, okay, maybe not that. That was a Les Mis reference and a sad one I might add. I. Want. This. Book. Now.

~Two~

Because You’ll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas

Ollie and Moritz are best friends, but they can never meet. Ollie is allergic to electricity. Contact with it causes debilitating seizures. Moritz’s weak heart is kept pumping by an electronic pacemaker. If they ever did meet, Ollie would seize. But Moritz would die without his pacemaker. Both hermits from society, the boys develop a fierce bond through letters that become a lifeline during dark times—as Ollie loses his only friend, Liz, to the normalcy of high school and Moritz deals with a bully set on destroying him.

A story of impossible friendship and hope under strange circumstances, this debut is powerful, dark and humorous in equal measure. These extraordinary voices bring readers into the hearts and minds of two special boys who, like many teens, are just waiting for their moment to shine.

This is it. This is the book I am dying dying dying to read. You all have no idea because I haven’t talked about it much or even heard anyone else talking about it. Which is crazy because I’ve been going insane as I wait to finally read it this year. Why must June 2nd be so far away! I’m going to cry. I just want it now! I WANT IT NOW. Please excuse my five year old tantrum tendency, this is a warning for the rest of the books on my list.

Now, to continue on rambling of this sure to be lovely, highly anticipated book.

I’m so interested in the relationship between these two characters who cannot, due to their circumstances ever meet each

other. I can relate to this a bit in one of my relationships I have with someone online, it’s mostly due to this I’m so so so excited to read it.

~Three~

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death. When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

 

You all saw this coming, right? You had to of. This is one of my most anticipated reads, obviously, but I mean, it’s so anticipated, that I would be reading it right now had I pre-ordered it for my Kindle. Alas, I have to wait until tomorrow when I have money to go purchase it. 🙂 I’ve heard it’s heartbreaking and sad and I’m really scared to read it but….I’m still excited to.

Hold the front door, I just read this is going to be a “major motion picture starring Elle Fanning”, say what? Wow! That’s great! i think. I’m scared….

~Four~

Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley

Aza Ray is drowning in thin air.

Since she was a baby, Aza has suffered from a mysterious lung disease that makes it ever harder for her to breathe, to speak—to live.

So when Aza catches a glimpse of a ship in the sky, her family chalks it up to a cruel side effect of her medication. But Aza doesn’t think this is a hallucination. She can hear someone on the ship calling her name.

Only her best friend, Jason, listens. Jason, who’s always been there. Jason, for whom she might have more-than-friendly feelings. But before Aza can consider that thrilling idea, something goes terribly wrong. Aza is lost to our world—and found, by another. Magonia.

Above the clouds, in a land of trading ships, Aza is not the weak and dying thing she was. In Magonia, she can breathe for the first time. Better, she has immense power—and as she navigates her new life, she discovers that war is coming. Magonia and Earth are on the cusp of a reckoning. And in Aza’s hands lies the fate of the whole of humanity—including the boy who loves her. Where do her loyalties lie?

Gah, I’m crazy about reading this book. It’s a combination of Neil Gaiman and The Fault In our Stars. I’m getting a strong Avatar vibe too, so that’s interesting. And it involves sky ships, so obviously it’s a must read. Let’s not forget that gorgeous cover. I read quotes from it on Faye’s review @ XpressoReads and I fell in love with it. The writing’s really poetic and it has such a wonderful plot.

~Five~

Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout

A teen escapes to a boarding school abroad and falls for a Korean pop star in this fun and fresh romantic novel in the vein of Anna and the French Kiss.

Grace Wilde is running—from the multi-million dollar mansion her record producer father bought, the famous older brother who’s topped the country music charts five years in a row, and the mother who blames her for her brother’s breakdown. Grace escapes to the farthest place from home she can think of, a boarding school in Korea, hoping for a fresh start.

She wants nothing to do with music, but when her roommate Sophie’s twin brother Jason turns out to be the newest Korean pop music superstar, Grace is thrust back into the world of fame. She can’t stand Jason, whose celebrity status is only outmatched by his oversized ego, but they form a tenuous alliance for the sake of her friendship with Sophie. As the months go by and Grace adjusts to her new life in Korea, even she can’t deny the sparks flying between her and the KPOP idol.

Soon, Grace realizes that her feelings for Jason threaten her promise to herself that she’ll leave behind the music industry that destroyed her family. But can Grace ignore her attraction to Jason and her undeniable pull of the music she was born to write? Sweet, fun, and romantic, this young adult novel explores what it means to experience first love and discover who you really are in the process.

Korean Pop Star Meets Anna and The French Kiss. Let’s see, diversity, music, great contemporary writing style (if the Anna reference is anything to go off of)? Yes please! I want you now.

~Six~

My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

Sixteen-year-old physics nerd Aysel is obsessed with plotting her own death. With a mother who can barely look at her without wincing, classmates who whisper behind her back, and a father whose violent crime rocked her small town, Aysel is ready to turn her potential energy into nothingness.

There’s only one problem: she’s not sure she has the courage to do it alone. But once she discovers a website with a section called Suicide Partners, Aysel’s convinced she’s found her solution: a teen boy with the username FrozenRobot (aka Roman) who’s haunted by a family tragedy is looking for a partner.

Even though Aysel and Roman have nothing in common, they slowly start to fill in each other’s broken lives. But as their suicide pact becomes more concrete, Aysel begins to question whether she really wants to go through with it. Ultimately, she must choose between wanting to die or trying to convince Roman to live so they can discover the potential of their energy together. Except that Roman may not be so easy to convince.

I’m reading this book in a few days! Hopefully! This weekend! I am so so so so so excited to read this.

My Heart and Other Black Holes sounds like it’s going to be really emotional because I mean, come on, a suicide a pact. Two people from different parts of the world come together to form a suicide pact.  At least, I assume they’re from different parts of the world, but most likely they’ll be two classmates and find out they knew each other at the end. I’m not sure this is going to “too” heartwrenching because I sense a happy ending by that last question in the summary. Nonetheless, I’m excited!

~Seven~

When Reason Breaks by Cindy L. Rodriguez

13 Reasons Why meets the poetry of Emily Dickinson in this gripping debut novel perfect for fans of Sara Zarr or Jennifer Brown.

A Goth girl with an attitude problem, Elizabeth Davis must learn to control her anger before it destroys her. Emily Delgado appears to be a smart, sweet girl, with a normal life, but as depression clutches at her, she struggles to feel normal. Both girls are in Ms. Diaz’s English class, where they connect to the words of Emily Dickinson. Both are hovering on the edge of an emotional precipice. One of them will attempt suicide. And with Dickinson’s poetry as their guide, both girls must conquer their personal demons to ever be happy.

In an emotionally taut novel with a richly diverse cast of characters, readers will relish in the poetry of Emily Dickinson and be completely swept up in the turmoil of two girls grappling with demons beyond their control.

I was sold at “Emily Dickinson”. No really, I was. I have an E-ARC of this one that I’m going to try to read this week. It also helps it’s compared to Thirteen Reasons Why which I have not read but really want to…

I read on a website, to try and pair this one up with “My Heart and Other Black Holes”, both of these are books I want to read for Bout of Books this week, so I’m a little scared about the emotional level reading one after the other may have on me. And yes, I had already planned on reading one after the other before ever coming across the website so…wish me luck.

~Eight~

Tiny Pretty Things by Dhonielle Clayton (and Sona Charaipotra)

Black Swan meets Pretty Little Liars in this soapy, drama-packed novel featuring diverse characters who will do anything to be the prima at their elite ballet school.

Gigi, Bette, and June, three top students at an exclusive Manhattan ballet school, have seen their fair share of drama. Free-spirited new girl Gigi just wants to dance—but the very act might kill her. Privileged New Yorker Bette’s desire to escape the shadow of her ballet star sister brings out a dangerous edge in her. And perfectionist June needs to land a lead role this year or her controlling mother will put an end to her dancing dreams forever. When every dancer is both friend and foe, the girls will sacrifice, manipulate, and backstab to be the best of the best.

I’ve never read a novel involving a dance school and with three different girls all fighting for the same thing, it sounds like it will be really interesting. Hopefully each of the girls is developed enough that I’ll enjoy reading about them. I like that this seems like it will definitely be a story of frenemies which I think I’ll like.

~Nine~

The Night We Said Yes by Lauren Gibaldi

Before Matt, Ella had a plan. Get over a no-good ex-boyfriend. Graduate from high school without any more distractions. Move away from Orlando, Florida, where she’s lived her entire life.

But Matt—the cute, shy, bespectacled bass player who just moved to town—was never part of that plan.

And neither was attending a party that was crashed by the cops just minutes after they arrived. Or spending an entire night saying “yes” to every crazy, fun thing they could think of.

Then Matt abruptly left town, and he broke not only Ella’s heart but those of their best friends, too. So when he shows up a year later with a plan of his own—to relive the night that brought them together—Ella isn’t sure whether Matt’s worth a second chance. Or if re-creating the past can help them create a different future.

I love stories told over a period of 24 hours which I’ve said several times I believe. There’s just something really magical about it all and I’m so interested in seeing this couple reunite and reconnect and it sounds so lighthearted but kind of heavy. And it’s told in a non-linear format of flashbacks and the present time! I LOVE that. Which you most likely know if you’ve read my reviews for If I Stay and Falling Into Place. Haha. or my post on “Things I Like In Fiction”. 🙂

~Ten~

Skyscraping by Cordelia Jensen

Mira is just beginning her senior year of high school when she discovers her father with his male lover. Her world–and everything she thought she knew about her family–is shattered instantly. Unable to comprehend the lies, betrayal, and secrets that–unbeknownst to Mira–have come to define and keep intact her family’s existence, Mira distances herself from her sister and closest friends as a means of coping. But her father’s sexual orientation isn’t all he’s kept hidden. A shocking health scare brings to light his battle with HIV. As Mira struggles to make sense of the many fractures in her family’s fabric and redefine her wavering sense of self, she must find a way to reconnect with her dad–while there is still time.

Told in raw, exposed free verse, Skyscraping reminds us that there is no one way to be a family.

I love that more novels are coming out in free-verse.  I’m excited for Skyscraping because 1. Mira discovers her dad is gay. That has to be a huge shock and is definitely something to get used to. 2. Her father may have HIV and 3. It’s told in verse so it will be interesting to see Mira’s feelings come across in poems rather than prose. I love that cover too.

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Let me know what books you’re looking forward to this year in the comments. 🙂