Top Ten Tuesday #14

This Weeks Topic: Top Ten Nine Books I've Read So 
Far In 2013

This is a hard one, so I decided to stick to mostly 2013 releases, although I did stick in some 2012 ones I read this year that HAD to be mentioned! This meme is, as always, hosted by the awesome The Broke and the Bookish

And don't forget to enter the Ultimate Summer Giveaway!  

What are your Top Ten?

-Emily :)

Review: Forgotten

Forgotten by Sarah J. Pepper

Gwyneth’s chronicle began long before she witnessed her family being brutally murdered and lost her sight. Living as an orphan, her world is anything but black and white. She sees her vivid future that promises suffering and death. 

Cursed with these visions, Gwyneth pretends to be like everyone else, until a dangerously charismatic, young man walks into her life. From the moment Jace lays eyes on her, he refuses to believe Gwyneth is normal. He knows information about her past that only a psychopathic stalker could dig up. He reveals her dirty secrets. Unbeknownst details of Gwyneth’s former life unfurl.


Unsure of what to believe, Gwyneth searches for answers that lead to her inconceivable fate. However, the ancient truth she uncovers is more dangerous than any high school romance she’d bargained for. Gwyneth is drug into an inevitable battle brewing between immortal Gods and ageless Hunters – both of which have sworn to swear to kill her if deemed necessary.

Forgotten was an interesting read, and I will definitely have my eye on the second book when it releases. (I *think* it will release this year or the beginning of next) I had my issues with the book, but in the end it was worth the read but it won't be one I will reread.

I have mixed feelings about this book! While I was reading, I enjoyed it, although some parts took me a while to get through mainly because I felt there was a lot of repetition. By the end I was a little tired of this Jace/Gwyneth conflict where Gwyneth (AKA Winnie) pines after him but refuses to admit it. Am I the only one annoyed by this in books?

Another thing I did not like were the parts where the story dragged. I wish I could remember more, but as I read this a while ago, I cannot give specific examples. Mostly just I felt like there were places with not a lot of action. Most of the pages were filled with foreshadowing or school drama that after a while also felt repetitious.

Now, I will mention all of Forgotten's redeeming qualities! My favorite parts were spent with Winnie and the new foster kid, Elsie. I probably should explain that Winnie's parents were murdered so she lives in a foster home. Fortunately, her foster parents are very nice. Although she still feels guilty for her families' deaths. Elsie, like Winnie, is also an orphan (or her parents gave her up). She is really sweet tween and I think they both helped each other.

I also loved how Winnie's blindness was handled. As you may know, she doesn't have a typical blindness. This makes the book more interesting and gives the descriptions a different feeling. And I cannot review this book and not mention the plot. While reading, I found it quite brilliant yet confusing. There were a lot of twists, although one "major" one was pretty predictable. I don't remember too much. Although, we are revealed with a lot in the last couple chapter so if I purchase the next one I may need to reread the last 20 pages for a refresher. I think there might be a new bad guy though... The plot was original and I enjoyed it though.

Overall, this was a fun read with a brilliant plot and mostly cool characters. I am glad I read it, but I was not totally wowed by it. I was not sure what to rate this so I thought I should go with around 3.5 bookcases. I think that is a fitting rating, although this is definitely one of those books that could rank higher or lower depending of you focused on the good or the bad.

3.5/5 bookcases

*I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review*

Please pretend the image matches the rating... I need to make a 3.5 graphic....

Stacking the Shelves #16

Hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

This is a meme where everyone showcases the books they received that week.

If you created a Stacking The Shelves post, make sure to leave the link in the comments!



Fire by Heather James

I won this beauty from Ana @ Anahera Reads! Thank you, I can't wait to dive in!

As I do not have a particularly big haul this week, to make this post a little more interesting I would love to have some books recommended to me in the comments as I am going to Powells (AKA the big bookstore) tomorrow.

So, what book do you think I should pick up? Oh, and just for fun, what is your favorite debut book you have read this year?

Feature and Follow Friday #15

Hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee

Todays Question: What is your favorite literary quote?

This is a great question, and I was just looking through my goodreads account quotes and found some that made me laugh really hard!!! Do you have any saved on your goodreads?

I have so many favorite quotes! Here are some funny ones:




City of Bones:

"That wouldn't be my move," Jace agreed. "First the candy and flowers, then the apology letter, then the angry demon hordes. In that order."

Hex Hall:

"None of this makes any sense." "I am beginning to think that should be the title of my autobiography."

Half-blood:

"So? What are you going to do about it? Throw your mashed potatoes at me? I'm consumed by terror."

Pure:

"Ah, did you fall?" "No, I attacked the floor."

Review: How My Summer Went Up in Flames

How My Summer Went Up in Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski 

First she lost her heart. Then she lost her mind. And now she’s on a road trip to win back her ex. This debut novel’s packed with drama and romance!

Rosie’s always been impulsive. She didn’t intend to set her cheating ex-boyfriend’s car on fire. And she never thought her attempts to make amends could be considered stalking. So when she’s served with a temporary restraining order on the first day of summer vacation, she’s heartbroken—and furious.

To put distance between Rosie and her ex, Rosie’s parents send her on a cross-country road trip with responsible, reliable neighbor Matty and his two friends. Forget freedom of the road, Rosie wants to hitchhike home and win back her ex. But her determination starts to dwindle with each passing mile. Because Rosie’s spark of anger? It may have just ignited a romance with someone new…

How my Summer Went Up in Flames was such a fun read! (Although I can't stand the way the girl is standing on the cover. Can I say Ow?) At first, I thought it sounded cute but thought the main character would be kind of pathetic. Luckily, she was real, and fun, and not too pathetic.

Can I just start by saying I have a rocky relationship with road trip books? I tend to love em' or hate em'. In this one I thought the road trip aspect was handled superbly though. The characters go to cool destinations in the USA, plus the ratio of boys to girls is 3:1. So, we get a lot of fun comments from Rosie about the car ride with the boys. One of my favorite scenes is when Rosie tries to play a road trip game. (To the question "What kind of fruit are you?" Rosie get back an answer something like, "I am not sure about me, but you are definitely bananas!")

Rosie is, as already stated, an awesome narrator. She is spunky and you can clearly see the character growth by the end of the book. Also, her voice is easy to read and I was laughing, like, the whole time! This was a such a good book to read right after Prophecy which had nothing remotely laugh inducing within the pages. The other girl we get to know well is a character met half way(ish) through the book. I really liked her though. Just let me search through the book for her name... Avery! Yes, I remember!

Anyways, she is lots of fun and also induced some laughs from me. And, finally, we have the three boys, Matty, Spencer, and Logan. They were all great. Matty is the younger best friend that helps keep Rosie from getting into trouble. Spencer and Logan are brother who are both very, um, neurotic about the schedule and rules. I think I rolled my eyes at there freakish obsession with how they planned everything!!! Rosie feels the same way.

Also, I love how the dialogue feels real, and not at all forced, as that is one of my biggest pet peeves in a book. I read the book so fast, it was addicting. I love addicting books!  And this book had everything else too: humor, awesome romance, a good message, cool premise, and a great pacing that had me zipping through the pages.

Overall, this was a great read! I would reccomend this to anyone looking for a light, fun contemporary full (and I mean full) of laughs. I cannot wait to read more by this author, Jennifer Salvato Doktorski!

4/5 bookcases (This was won in a giveaway, thank you Emily Crammed Bookshelf and Jennifer!)


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Waiting on Wednesday: SPECIAL EDITION!!!

This is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. Okay, I found out about so many cool books this week! I will not pick just one. I mean, seriously.

So here is a quick compilation of AMAZING books to wait for with links to Goodreads. I am sorry I am not posting the synopses, but, well, I want to sleep tonight!

The spotlighted one is Dangerous. I love how Shannon Hale is doing a different genre than she normally does! Plus, read what James Dashner has to say about the book...

With Covers: 
Dangerous by Shannon Hale
Defy by Sara B. Larson
Warrior by Ellen Oh
Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas
Uninvited by Sophie Jordan

And so many books were just announced for 2015/2014


Without Covers: 
Split Second by Kasie West (Pivot Point #2)
Lady Thief by A.C Gaugen (Scarlet #2)
Going Rogue by Robin Benway (AKA #2)
The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski
Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins
The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows
And many more... I am just tired of copying and pasting links :)

What are you Waiting On???

 Are you excited for any of the books I listed?

-Emily :)

Top Ten Tuesday #12

 Today's List: Top Ten Books At The Top Of My Summer TBR List

Most of these are ones still waiting to be read, but The Testing and The Dance of the Red Death are ones I hope to buy this weekend :)  I can't wait to dive into all of these books! Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

       

         

What books are on your TBR list?

-Emily :)