Top Ten Tuesday [11]

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke & The Bookish.

Top Ten Books At The Top Of My Summer TBR List

Angela's Picks:

1. The Distance Between Us by Kasie West
2. The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen
3. The Elemental Series by Brigid Kemmerer
4. When You Were Here by Daisy Whitney
5. My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi
6. The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler
7. Right of Way by Lauren Barnholdt
8. Frigid by J. Lynn (JLA)
9. Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols
10. A Darkness Strange and Lovely by Susan Dennard

Stephanie's Picks:
1. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
2. The Touch Series by Laurie Faria Stolarz
3. The Vincent Series by Abbi Glines
4. The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen
5. The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler
6. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
7. This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith
8. Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
9. Blue Bloods Series by Melissa de la Cruz
10. Mara Dyer Series by Michelle Hodkin

Sarah's Picks:
1. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
2. Doll Bones by Holly Black
3. The Entire Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan
4. House of Secrets by Ned Vizzini
5. Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver
6. Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block
7. The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
8. The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare
9. Splintered by A. G. Howard
10. The Woman in Black: A Ghost Story by Susan Hill

Top Ten Tuesday [10]

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke & The Bookish.

Top Ten Beach Reads (however YOU define a beach read!)

Sarah's Picks:
1. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
2. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
3. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
4. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
5. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
6. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
7. The Internet Girls series by Lauren Myracle
8. Anatomy of a Boyfriend by Daria Snadowsky
9. Anatomy of a Single Girl by Daria Snadowsky
10. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Stephanie's Picks:

1. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

2. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

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

4. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

5. This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

6. Lock & Key by Sarah Dessen

7. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

8. Somebody Like You by Sarah Dessen

9. Hex Hall Trilogy by Rachel Hawkins

10. Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter

Megan's Picks:

1. Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland

2. The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour
3. In Honor by Jessi Kirby
4. The Summer series by Jenny Han
5. Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally
6. To Catch a Pirate by Jade Parker
7. The Real Mermaids series by Helene Boudreau
8. Pants on Fire by Meg Cabot
9. How to be Popular by Meg Cabot
10. Teen Idol by Meg Cabot

Angela's Picks:

1. Golden by Jessi Kirby
2. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
3. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
4. Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
5. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
6. Also Known As by Robin Benway
7. In Honor by Jessi Kirby
8. Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols
9. Just One Wish by Janette Rallison
10. Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelley

Thank You, Mrs. M by Kate Rothwell

Thank You, Mrs. M by Kate Rothwell
Series: N/A
Source: Free on Amazon
Publisher: Self-published
Publication Date: September 9, 2009

"I wasn’t the only one telling a story. My anonymous Mrs. Moneybags tried to hide from me. Too bad I’m smart, Mrs. M, and I got you figured. But know what? I can keep your secrets. You and me—we made it work."

Benjamin Evans takes charge of younger siblings, but still finds some time for college--especially after he receives an offer of a full scholarship. The deal is he must share details about school and some private facts about his life. As he talks into the recorder over the months, Ben's curiosity about his sponsor increases.

.5

The sleek silver oval lay in the palm of Ben's hand.

Thank You, Mrs. M was one of those books that I really wasn't sure about-- to the point of being unsure as I clicked "Buy with one click". But for some reason, it was the first book I picked to read when I got my Kindle. I was hooked from the very first page.

I loved the mystery of Mrs. Moneybags; I spent most of the book guessing about who she could be. But once I figured it out (and only because I was told) I was absolutely shocked! It ends up being a person that I never thought she could be. I didn't see it coming at all.

You know what else I didn't see coming? My kindle magically deleting all my notes. Now I'm left with only my brain for company, and that's really not good for reviews.

I found Ben to be a very good narrator. He was honest, and I liked how true to life he was. He didn't feel flat like most characters with problems do, just like I never found myself annoyed with his decisions or thought processes. I liked reading from his point of view.

Of course, that brings up another thing-- I loved the unique way that Thank You, Mrs. M was written. It was very interesting to only get the story from Ben talking to tapes that he sends to Mrs. Moneybags. It could be called unreliable, but I thought it was neat!

I also enjoyed the slight romance-- Ben just had a way of saying things that made me downright swoon, seriously. I didn't expect this to have romance, and while it wasn't the kind I'm used to, I enjoyed it.

All in all, Thank You, Mrs. M was a unique read.

Swoon Thursday (1)

Swoon Thursday (1)

YA Bound created a spicy meme where every week we will highlight what has made us swoon from a book we are currently reading or one we've just finished. Basically what got our heart pounding, skin tingling, and stomach fluttering.

Annie's Swoon:

Faking It by: Cora Carmack

I crushed my mouth to hers. She gasped, and I slipped my tongue past her lips. She stayed there for a few seconds, her hands still at her sides, then I felt the tentative touch of her hand against my hip, and that was all the permission I needed to continue. I threaded a hand through her hair and wrapped the other around her waist. I walked her backward until she hit the wall. Her other hand came to my waist, and her fingers pressed deeper into my skin. Her lips were soft and full underneath mine, and I eased up enough to taste them.

What made y'all swoon this week?! 

Top Ten Tuesday [9]

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke & The Bookish.

Top Ten Books Featuring Travel In Some Way (road trips, airplanes, travelogues, anything where there is traveling in the book!)

Stephanie's Picks:

1. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

2. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
3. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

4. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

5. Blood Promise by Richelle Mead

6. Fifty Shades Trilogy by E.L. James

7. In Honor by Jessi Kirby

8. Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic

9. Two-Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt

10. Gossip Girl series by Cecily von Ziegesar

Angela's Picks:
1. Golden by Jessi Kirby
2. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
3. Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
4. Saving June by Hannah Harrington
5. Just One Wish by Janette Rallison
6. In Honor by Jessi Kirby
7. From What I Remember by Stacey Kramer
8. That Time I Joined the Circus by J.J. Howard
9. Every Day by David Levithan
10. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Megan's Picks:
1. Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
2. In Honor by Jessi Kirby
3. The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour
4. Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
5. Getting Lost with Boys by Hailey Abbott
6. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
7. Being Henry David by Cal Armistead
8. Take Me There by Carolee Dean
9. That Time I Joined the Circus by J.J. Howard
10. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Sarah's Picks:
1. Blood Promise by Richelle Mead
2. Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead
3. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
4.  Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
5. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
6. As You Wake by Amy Martin
7. Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier (Hey time travel counts)
8. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief (that crazy roadtrip they take. It counts)
9. Every Day by David Levithan
10. Frankenstein by Mary Shelly (That part where Victor travels around the country trying to find the monster)

Annie's Picks:

1. Anna and the French Kiss by: Stephanie Perkins 

2. City of Glass by: Cassandra Clare 

3. Wallbanger by: Alice Clayton

4. The Edge of Never by: J.A. Redmerski 

5. Through the Ever Night by: Veronica Rossi 

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

7. Poison Princess by: Kresley Cole

8. Valkyrie Rising by: Ingrid Paulson 

9. Sweet Evil by: Wendy Higgins 

10. The Iron Fey series by: Julie Kagawa