Top Ten Swoonworthy Books

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and the Bookish

Type 1: The 'It's Getting Hot In Here!' Swoon

1. Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry

2. Dare You To by Katie McGarry

3. Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

I'm sensing a theme here...

Type 2: The Sweet and the Swoony

4. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

5. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

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

Type 3: The 'OMG Will They or Won't They?!' Swoon

7. Just One Day by Gayle Forman

8. The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

9. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Type 4: The Swooniest Book of Them All

10. Anything ever written by Sarah Dessen.

Seriously, this girl has ALL the swoon!

Top Ten Characters I'd NEVER Want To Trade Places With

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and the Bookish

1. Jem from Numbers by Rachel Ward

The moment I saw this week's topic for Top Ten Tuesday, one character sprang to mind: Rachel Ward's heroine Jem, who can see the death-dates of other people wherever she goes. 

2. Sloane from The Program by Suzanne Young

This was one of the toughest books I've ever had to read. Sloane's world is so full of hopelessness and despair - and the fact that it all feels so real makes it all the more difficult to contemplate.

3. Allyson from Just One Day by Gayle Forman

I really liked this book, but spending a year of your life pining for a guy you met once and may never meet again? Not my style.

4. Helen from Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Helen may have incredible goddess powers, but she spends most of this series fighting the urge to kill the guy she loves, so I don't really think she's the ideal character to swap places with!

5. Katniss from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

We all want to be Katniss Everdeen. She's strong, she's brave - she's the ultimate dystopian heroine. But that doesn't mean I want to take her place in the arena any time soon!

6. Eva and Addie from What's Left ofMe by Kat Zhang

This is a fantastically well-written book, but I don't think anyone would want to trade places with Eva and Addie - they're twin souls, trapped in the same body, hiding from the government and sometimes, even hiding from themselves.

7. America Singer from The Selection by Kiera Cass

I never really fell in love with this book the way others did. The prospect of waiting around for a prince to decide whether he wants to marry you or not doesn't make sense to the independent woman in me, so if I was offered a place in The Selection, I'd probably pass.

8. Miranda from Life As We Knew Itby Susan Beth Pfeffer

When it comes to books that haunt you long after you've finished them, Life As We Knew It is the worst offender on my list. I love it because it was scarily good and totally gripping, but I hate it at the same time because of how believable it all was, and I could never see myself swapping places with Miranda and handling the situation in the way she does.

9. Jenna from ACID by Emma Pass

Another dystopian to add to the list - and I think anyone who's read this book will agree when I say the harsh, bloody totalitarian state Jenna lives in isn't one I'd choose to live in myself.

10. Zoe from Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook

If you've read my review of this book (see it here), you'll know I thought it was fantastic - but I could never swap places with main character Zoe.

Best Book Boyfriends of 2013

Top 10 of 2013 is hosted by a group of fabulous bloggers and you can find more information here

Arianne’s List

There are so many things I could say about the beautiful boys on this list! But I think I may lose all coherency if I do, so I'll just let them speak for themselves using some of my favourite quotes from their books :)

1. Isaiah from Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

“I can’t give you the world, Rachel, but I’ll give you all I got.”

2. Hale from Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter

“I'm too close.”

“You don't get it, do you? Being close is good. Caring is good. I love that you're emotional and passionate and can't turn these things off.”

“It makes me a bad thief.”

“It makes you a good person.”

3. Graham from This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

“He hadn't realized how much it could mean, having someone to talk to like that; he hadn't realized that it could be a kind of lifeline, and that without it, there would be nobody to save you if you started to drown.”

4. Warden from The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

“I do not know what I can do for this world, but I will not let any harm come to you.”

5. Emilio from The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler

“Don't settle, okay? Not for anything. I mean it. You only get this one chance at life, far as I know. Take it. Even if its not with me.”

6. Day from Prodigy by Marie Lu

“You know, sometimes I wonder what things would be like if I just ... met you one day. Like normal people do. If I just walked by you on some street one sunny morning and thought you were cute, stopped, shook your hand, and said, "Hi, I'm Daniel.”

7. Ezra from The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider

“She tasted like buried treasure and swing sets and coffee. She tasted the way fireworks felt, like something you could get close to but never really have just for yourself.”

8. Jesse from Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

“You like me, Josie Moraine. You just don't know it yet.”

9. Lucas from Goddess by Josephine Angelini

"I never expected you to think I was perfect. I know I'm not."

"You are to me."

"That's all I care about," Lucas said quietly. "Not-my-cousin Helen.”

10. Four from Allegiant by Veronica Roth

"I love you, too," he says. "I'll see you soon.”

Liza’s List

Arianne, I hope you don’t mind that I followed your lead and used quotes to let these awesome YA Book Boyfriends talk for themselves!

1.  Dante from The Collector / The Liberator by Victoria Scott

“I will protect this girls with everything I have, because if something happens to her, I will lose myself. I will cease to exist.

And I will take everyone with me.”

2. Hector from The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson

“I love you, too," he whispers in my ear. "Wholly. Madly."

"Does that mean you'll marry me?"

"I suppose.”

3.  Isaiah from Crash into You by Katie McGarry

“I love you, Rachel. So this will work. No matter what or who stands in our way.”

4.  Josh from The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

“I don't know how to say it - after all this time, I'm not even sure that I can - but I have to break her last rule, because if she knows nothing else, I need her to know this one thing.

'I love you, Sunshine,' I tell her, before I lose my nerve. 'And I don't give a shit whether you want me to or not.”

5.  Willem from Just One Year by Gayle Forman

“By that point, it’ll have been more than year since I met Lulu. Any sane person would say it’s too late. It already felt too late that first day, when I woke up in the hospital.

But even so, I’ve kept looking.

I’m still looking.”

6.  Perry from Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

“It didn't matter if Aria was hundreds of miles away, or whether she'd hurt him, or said goodbye, or anything else. Nothing would change the way he felt. The moment Aria had taken his hand on the roof at Marron's, she'd changed everything. No matter what happened, she'd always be the one.”

7.  Kaidan from Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins

“I was more myself with you during those three days than I’ve ever been with anyone in my life. It’d be easier if I could be fake with you, but you bring out everything in me, little Ann. All of it.”

8.  Cam from Wait for You by J. Lynn

“I want to be here with you, Avery. You don't have to worry about impressing me or wowing me. You've already done that.”

9.  Henry from The Goddess Inheritance by Aimée Carter

“I see the sunrise now," he said. "Because of you, the days have color. Eternity has meaning once more. You found every broken piece of me and put me back together, even though I hurt you too many times for me to deserve it. You are the glue that holds me together. If I lose you, it will be the end of me. The end of everything good in this world.”

10.  Vincent from If I Should Die by Amy Plum

“Whatever happens, remember that I will love you forever,” he says. “Even if my spirit is dispersed and my consciousness released to the universe... whatever is left of me will never stop loving you.”

What do you think about our choices?  Do you have some of the same book boy friends?  Be warned that we will fight for some of these!

Best Couples in YA / Best YA Contemporaries of 2013

Top 10 of 2013 is hosted by a group of fabulous bloggers and you can find more information here

Liza’s List

Couples

1.  Perry and Aria from the Under the NeverSky series by Veronica Rossi

2.  Josh and Nastya From The Sea ofTranquility by Katja Milay

3.  Cameron and Avery from Wait for You / Trust in Me by J. Lynn

4.  Willem and Allyson from Just One Day / Just One Year by Gayle Forman

Top Ten Books On My Winter TBR

By 'Winter' I think it means the books that I'm planing on reading in the next few months.  So here it goes:

1.  This Song will Save Your Life by Leila Sales - I already started this one, just need to finish.

2.  Where She Went by Gayle Forman - I read If I Stay quite a while ago and I have to read Adam's story soon.

3.  Pawn by Aimée Carter - I loved her Goddess Test series and I've heard this one is wonderful. 

Top Ten Sequels I Can't Wait To Get My Hands On

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and the Bookish

Hello, lovely Reading with ABCers! In honour of this week's fabulous Top Ten topic, I've decided to do something different. Today's list will be a tense top ten countdown - the books are just that good!

Arianne, you just made my day with your list because I didn't know about some of these!  Sadly we cannot share all the lovely covers with you as most of these are not out yet. 

10. Goddess by Josephine Angelini

I know, I know, I am seriously behind on my romantic-mythology reading! This was published in May but I haven't managed to get my hands on it yet.

9. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Is there anyone who is not in love with this series?! The books aren't directly related, but I couldn't resist adding this to my list.

Expected publication: May 13th 2014 by Dutton

8. Just One Year by Gayle Forman

The lovely Liza's already read this one - and boy do I envy her! (see Liza's review here) It's taking all my willpower not to ask her to spill every detail already...

Published October 10th 2013 by Dutton

Review: Just One Year by Gayle Forman (Just One Day #2)

Title: Just One Year by Gayle Forman

Published: October 10^th, 2013 by Dutton

Source: Purchased

Format: Hardcover

Genre: Contemporary romance

Age group: Young adult

Challenge(s): Finish the series

Grade rate: A+

When he opens his eyes, Willem doesn’t know where in the world he is—Prague or Dubrovnik or back in Amsterdam. All he knows is that he is once again alone, and that he needs to find a girl named Lulu. They shared one magical day in Paris, and something about that day—that girl—makes Willem wonder if they aren’t fated to be together. He travels all over the world, from Mexico to India, hoping to reconnect with her. But as months go by and Lulu remains elusive, Willem starts to question if the hand of fate is as strong as he’d thought. . . . The romantic, emotional companion to Just One Day, this is a story of the choices we make and the accidents that happen—and the happiness we can find when the two intersect.

My Review

Once in a while a story comes along that is, without exaggeration, perfection.  That story is Allyson and Willem’s.   Thus I did something that I rarely do and it’s to write a review right after finishing a book.  I usually wait a few days to digest what I read, ruminate in the meaning of this and that, come to terms with the outcome or lack thereof.  Also, never in my life have I ever wanted to read the ending of the book so badly before. I had to practice extreme restraint for sure! (NOTE: If you haven’t read Just One Day, most of the review might make no sense to you)

Oh, Willem. We get to meet Willem in the first book, but briefly. For the record, even though I had the suspicion that he was a “player”, I never thought that he had just run off.  While Just One Day is the story of Allyson and her growth as an individual, Just One Year is all about Willem. 

It is amazing how one day in the lives of two individuals changed them both so completely.  Willem has many problems and he reacts to anything that he doesn’t want to face by running away from it.  He always looks for the easy way out and not necessarily by facing anything head on. He went through a big personal lost and had other family issues.  There is a lot of traveling, due to his ‘running away’ syndrome.  His story is heartbreaking in a different way that Allyson’s was.

The most amazing and probably the most important part is that Willem never forgets Allyson.  She is ever present in his life and he shares their story with the important people in his life. He looks for her and came close a couple of times.  That is not to say that he was celibate, because he wasn’t, but he does slow down and thinks things with more clarity. 

We get to meet other people in Willem’s life.  His mother, Saba, and his best friend.  He makes and loses friends very easily, but manages to keep a few good ones.  I’m glad that he found someone to tell him how it is, and that won’t allow him to keep running away from life.

I wasn’t expecting the story to start from the very beginning and it tore me apart.  As I kept getting closer to the ending and the pages kept dwelling I came to the realization that the moment (you know what I mean if you read Just One Day) was almost there and there weren’t enough pages left.  I had a moment of panic, what happens after Willem opens the door?  Are there enough words left?

Gayle Forman: please hear the pleas of your readers (I’m talking for everyone here, I hope you don’t mind) and give us a bit more.  I’m not asking for a whole book or even a novella, but an epilogue or a short story, SOMETHING would be better than nothing, because I NEED to know. 

The writing, as always, is so good. It’s insightful, delightful, and beautiful.  The plot is not all that dissimilar from Allyson’s story.  Of course, his problems are different and the way he deals with them it’s too. 

I will read anything that Gayle Forman writes. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.  Just One Day / Just One Year is an amazing story of two strangers that have such an impact in each other’s lives in the very short time that they knew each other.  Would they had stayed together if they things would have played differently? Probably not.  I think that this “accident” happened for a reason and it allowed both Allyson and Willem to grow, to appreciate themselves and each other and the magic that One Day created in their lives.

Some quotes for you:

“There’s a difference between losing something you knew you had and losing something you discovered you had. One is a disappointment. The other feels like losing a piece of yourself.”

“Sometimes fate or life or whatever you want to call it, leaves a door a little open and you walk through it. But sometimes it locks the door and you have to find the key, or pick the lock, or knock the damn thing down. And sometimes, it doesn’t even show you the door, and you have to build it yourself. But if you keep waiting for the doors to be opened for you... I think you’ll have a hard time finding single happiness, let alone that double portion.”

“I miss my father. I miss my grandfather. I miss my home. And I miss my mother. But the thing is, for almost three years, I managed not to miss any of them. And then I spent that one day with that one girl. One day ... It was like she gave me her whole self, and somehow as a result, I gave her more of myself than I even realized there was to give. But then she was gone. And only after I'd been filled up by her, by that day, did I understand how empty I really was.”

About the cover:  Beautiful :)  I know this is now what Willem really looks like, but I like the playfulness and the lightness of the couple.

Stacking the Shelves #60

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews in which we feature all the book goodness that we received, borrowed or purchased during the previous week. All links are to Goodreads.

Hi gorgeous people!  I hope you're doing okay this fine day.  Another busy week comes to an end, this week "A" (he's 17) had three wisdom teeth pulled out, he's doing as good as expected.  Not many books this week, I have so much to read that I'm trying to be good and get less books.

Purchased (Physical books)

Just One Year by Gayle Forman - Oh my goodness, I so excited about this one!  Just One Day is an absolute favorite and I have really big expectations for this book.

Purchased (or Free) for Kindle

Arclight by Josin L. McQuein - This one was just .99 cents, couldn't help myself...

Ripple Trilogy by Cidney Swanson - This series has god reviews in Goodreads and was another bargain. Besides, these covers are just gorgeous, right?

Dangerous Pride by Eve Cameron - Another great looking book and it sound good to.

Review

Olivia Twisted by Vivi Barnes - I received this one for a blog tour and it sounds so good!

On other blogging related news...

Also, I got a new computer!  Remember I was having computer troubles? Well, my desktop is still as the computer hospital and I really needed a reliable one, so I have a new shiny laptop.  It's an HP Envy with 1TB memory, Intel i7, a 17.3' screen and it's touch screen too!  Windows 8 and I are trying to get use to each other :)

What's stacking your shelves this week?  Have you read any of these books? Any advice for a Windows 8 rookie?

Stacking the Shelves #56

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews in which we feature all the book goodness that we received, borrowed or purchased during the previous week. All links are to Goodreads.

Hello gorgeous people!  This is two weeks worth of books for me (not much though).  I have an eventfull past two weeks: I had a birthday, a long holiday weekend, we are car shopping (no purchase yet), and school started for the kids.  

Purchased (or Free) for Kindle

Buried Secrets by Emme Rollins - I think this one came by to me from a Goodreads recommendation.

You Are Mine by Janeal Falor - I participated in a promotion for this book several weeks ago and it seems really interesting; I also like the cover a lot.

Purchased Books

Origin by Jennifer Armentrout - No explanation needed, right?

Flesh and Bone by Jonathan Maberry - This is book #3 of the Benny Imura series and I need to get caught up soon.

Library

The Symptoms of My Insanity by Mindy Raf - Seems like a fun read.

The Raft S.A. Bodeen - On the other hand this one looks very intense.

Review

The Darkest Part by Trisha Wolf - Received this book for a blog tour, coming soon.  I participated in the cover reveal and I can't wait to read it.

Extrated by Sherry D. Ficklin and Tyler H. Jolley - This book is about time travel and it looks really interesting. Thank you to Spencer Hill. 

My Date from Hell by Tellulah Darling - I received this book from the author, I really enjoyed the first book of the series, My Ex from Hell and this is the next book of the series. Thanks!

Gift

Just One Day by Gayle Forman - My oldest son, "A", got me this book for my BDay.  I read it already and it is one of the best books I've read so far this year.  Love it! The paperback cover is so pretty too :)

That's it for my!  What's stacking your shelves this week?

Top Ten Books I've Read so Far in 2013

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and the Bookish

I haven't read nearly as many books this year as I would like and yet, it was really hard to limit myself to ten books :)

1.  Just One Day by Gayle Forman - My goddness is this one good!  Truly an amazing story of growth and self discovery. See my review here

2.  Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi - I adore dystopian and, although it took me forever to read this one (thanks Hannah!), I will make up the lost time in undying love.  See my review here

3.  Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers - I swear that LaFevers can do no wrong.  Even if you have never read historical fiction, you should give this series a try, you will not regret it!  See my review here

4.  Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins - This is one of the best sequels ever!  I adore Kaidan and the story and everything else. So, so good :)  See my review here

5.  Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger -  So this is more than one book since I finished books #2 - #5 this year.  Outstanding world building, characterization and writing makes this an amazing (adult) series.  The best of Steampunk!  

6.  The Collector by Victoria Scott - Oh Dante, how I love thee!  A wonderful book with wonderful characters.  See my review here

7.  Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout  - I know, I know... why did it took me so long to start the Lux series!  Another bad boy that I adore, an alien story like no other.  See my review here

8.  Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo - I love to read fantasy and this book is one of the best in the genre.  Amazing story full of magic, incredible characters and an ancient fight of good and evil!  See my review here

9.  Angelfall by Susan Ee - Another unique dystopian mixed with angels and the struggle for survival.  So awesome!  See my review here

10.  Goddess Inheritance by Aimée Carter - A fit conclusion for a beloved series, everything that I wanted and then some. See my review here

11.  Crown of Embers by Rae Carson - This is definitely one of my favorite series of all time!  Eliza is one of the best heroines ever written, I cannot wait for book three!  See my review here

Sorry I went over guys, but I couldn't bring myself to shorten the list!  

What's in your Top Ten this week?