Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Favorite New-To-Me Authors I Read In 2012

(It was hard enough for me to pick just ten. You don't expect me to put them in any kind of ranking, do you? Because I won't. These are in no particular order.)

1)Gabrielle Zevin
I never expected All These Things I've Done to be such an enjoyable, fun but also adventurous story! But what really made that book unique was Zevin's writing and the main character's voice. After a while I was like "Wow, that's so Anya!",because she was such a strong character (in both ways: strong as a person but also very much her own person) - can't wait to read Because It Is My Blood and other books by this fantastic author!

2)Dan Wells
Partials was another book that totally surprised me (aren't those the best ones anyway?). It was such an epic, action-packed adventure - the plot blew me over, but the characters were sooo likable, as well.

3)Lauren Oliver
I waited forever to read this book. I guess it was because I have the version with the not so pretty cover so that it didn't look as attractive :) When I finally picked it up, I had that sensation that you slowly turn to love a story and the characters so much that you can't stop reading it but it takes you forever to figure out how much you really adore that story! Did that...um...make any sense at all?

4)Alex Flinn
Beastly was another surprise. I thought it was a cheesy Paranormal Romance like every other, but I turned to love this (fairy-)tale because of the sweet and slowly developing romance and the two main characters :) I want more Alex Flinn next year!!!

5)Sarah Ockler
I'm a huge contemporary fan (as most of you guys know) but I feel like the more I read it the better the writing has to be for me ton enjoy it (I guess that's the natural order of things...) and Sarah Ockler's writing is gorgeous! I think next to Sarah Dessen she's my favorite contemp author because she just gets how teenagers feel :)

6)Katie McGarry
Pushing the Limits belongs to that other type of contemporary. It's nothing like Sarah Dessen/Ockler with their teens who go through the same things most of us do. This book was about teens dealing with heavy stuff that they shouldn't actually be dealing with. Anyway, McGarry did a brilliant job telling this story, creating her characters, developing a plot and most of all...making me hope for a better future for Noah and Echo throughout the whole book. I can't wait to read more books by her!

7)Gemma Halliday
Okay, I know Deadly Cool is probably not one of the most brilliant novels that have ever been written. I know a lot of people think it's too flat and nothing but maybe a tidbit entertaining. But you know what? This last spring I was overwhelmed by schoolwork, I had no energy for anything anymore and everything I wanted was to sleep and never wake up again - I felt that exhausted. I wouldn't enjoy a single page of the books I attempted to read. And then I read Deadly Cool. And then Social Suicide. And it made me happy and it made me laugh and it reminded me to see the funny side of things and go through life with a smile on my face and to make up for a bad day with a whole bag of ice cream and not feel guilty. Honestly, you guys? Epic tales of magical worlds are awesome - but we do need fluffy, silly reads, too!

8) Michele Jaffe
I read Rosebush this year and it took me a week to get past the first twenty pages. But then I started understanding the story. And I loved every single page of that novel, because Jaffe accomplished to write a book with a great, twisted plot, likable characters, a lot of humour that also contained a great message. This deserves some applause, people!

9) Gayle Forman
I still haven't read Where She Went. And I seriously have no idea why. It's like the Universe does not want this book to make its way safely to my doorstep. Anyway, I loved, loved, loved If I Stay. It made me cry. I never cry. If that's any indication.

10. Richelle Mead
Because I never taught I'd like a Vampire book. Never, ever. She taught me how damn cool those bloodsuckers can be!

Motivational Monday

...or something not very close to my usual MMs - sorry! I'm so busy with schoolwork and getting my license right now that I didn't really accomplish more than this:



Anyway...I hope these pretty covers motivate you for the day - at least a little bit! See you guys tomorrow for Top Ten Tuesday :)

Review: Beastly by Alex Flinn

Goodreads Summary:


I am a beast.
A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright--a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.
You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll stay this way forever--ruined--unless I can break the spell.
Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly.


Release Date: October 2, 2007
Pages: 304
Series?
Publisher? Harper Teen
Other books in the series:




LONG STORY SHORT:

It's the best - the best! - when you start reading a book, thinking it could never impress you very much and then you find yourself needing to pick it up again every free minute you have until - suddenly - it hits you. You've fallen in love with the story, with the characters, with the author's writing...and you want nothing more than to loose yourself in the world forever. Beastly was just like that. It was a wonderful, deep, fantastical love story without all the cliches and without any annoyances. Just a very sweet tale and a couple you won't forget so soon....

REVIEW:

This seemed not like the kind of book I would enjoy. It started with the genre (a fantasy retelling that sounded like paranormal Romance), then it had a male narrator which usually weirds me out like crazy and the story could have ended in a cheesy cliche...but it didn't.
Honestly, I was so surprised by Beastly. I cannot say that enough. I mean, Kyle was a mean idiot in the beginning. He was so...woah, it drove me crazy how he treated other people and also how he thought of them. But even at that point, he also felt very real. I believed the author that this guy really existed, his story made sense..
I'd have to lie to say it was the same with Lindy. indy's story maybe somnehow, in a way....could have turned out a bit more realistic than it was. It was a bit too tragic, a bit too dramatic and her dad...was a bit too cruel in my opinion. But that I can forgive. Literally, I just stopped thinking during the scenes I could not quite find realistic because the rest of the novel amazed me so!
Kyle and Lindy's way to each other is pretty long and they have to overcome MANY obstacles before they can finally be together but that - in addition to my love for both of the characters - just made me cheer them on and root for them even more.
Okay, so...just in case you haven't noticed: I enjoyed this book a great deal - it caught me totally off guard and I recommend it to everyone because this love storey is sooo cute that no one is going to be able to put it down or laugh it off :D

RATING: 3/ 3 Smarties

Feature & Follow Friday

Activity! Who do you want to be? If you could choose any character from a book. What do you think that character looks like and what do you have in common

Hehe, easy! Hermione Granger, of course! It's not just that we both have curly, untamable hair, we also share our love for books and that annoying habit to correct other people when we sense a lack of knowledge in other people. Then again, growing up I think we bot had to learn (the hard way, sometimes) that we and what we read in books is not always 100 % correct and that there comes a time in everyone's life when breaking the rules might be the better decision than naively believing everything you were told in the past :)

The PR thing

It's time we discuss something. And by we I mean myself and all of you. All of you whiny heroines, wannabe lifesavers (even the sparkling ones), the nameless friends and the second and third and fourth love interests. Actually, I'm talking to everyone who has ever appeared in a Paranormal Romance novel.
Why can't you just leave me alone??
I mean, I know you guys aren't good for me. You make me groan. You make me hurt books. You make me throw my head on a table or into a pillow. You make my fingers ache every time I turn a page. And most of all - you ruin my mood whenever I type a review.
And now of course you're saying it's not your fault. Obviously, it should be my own fault. Because - hello? - who keeps buying the Paranormal Romance novels? Who keeps reading raving reviews? Who is unable to turn off a trailer for these kinds of stories?
I know it's me. And I know it's bad. But you're not giving me a choice. You don't even try to make this easy for me.

I mean who can even resist covers like these? Tell me what you want but you pass by these kinds of covers for only so long. And then something in your head stops working and your thoughts form a big fat "Whatever" and the book lands in your cart and you bring it home and it's total shelf candy but - you don't like it.
These things happen to the best of us. That's just the way it is.
And it's not even the covers alone. What if it says Meg Cabot on that pretty cover? What am I supposed to do then? I mean, I can't leave it there on the counter, right? I can't just ignore it!





Speaking of Meg Cabot I have to admit that you're not all bad. I mean I wouldn't have wanted to miss out on Abandon. Or Evermore for that matter. Those were good books and I'm even considering buying the sequels. It's just that...this makes it so hard not to be fooled by that evil wave of PR.
How am I supposed to know which of the books I can read without the danger of seriously hating them? It's hard work making that decision every single time!





I guess I will just have to avoid all of you guys, right? Not give into the temptation. I have to lean on trusted bloggers for this one. I have to be very strong. And to help me through this I need you guys, too, my readers. Because in this new feature I want your opinion. I need your opinion. I can't make these choices on my own anymore.


So...what about Everneath? Did you like it? Can I read it without the risk of falling asleep? Is it really worth it?

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Bringing Me 

1 The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

 Somehow this is the one book I always throw in my cart, convinced I'll buy it and then I throw it out at the end - so frustrating!

2. All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

I have this one in ebook format but I just recently noticed that the hardcover version is basically a chocolate bar under the dust jacket and that is sooo freaking cool!

3. Across the Universe by Beth Revis

This book seems to be amazing...oh, and I adore how it looks as a hardcover book :)

4. Wither by Lauren DeStefano

This is one of those series everyone talks about. Everyone but me because I still haven't read it...

5. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

This story sounds so cute!

6. Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

I would never buy this book myself because I didn't like the first one but I wouldn't mind receiving them for Christmas...the covers are sooo pretty :) (And no...I'm in no way superficial...)

7. Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Because I love Peter Pan!

8. Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff

...sounds epic!!!!

9. Winter White by Jen Calonita

I really enjoyed Belles, so I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel!

10. Lucid by Adrienne Stoltz

Because this book sounds like it could easily become my new favorite!

Motivational Monday

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE:

“Not everything is about you," Clary said furiously.
"Possibly," Jace said, "but you do have to admit that the majority of things are.”
― Cassandra Clare, City of Glass

MOTIVATIONAL GOAL:

Honestly? The only thing I really, really, really want to accomplish this week? I want to get over my huge mountain of procrastinated history homework that is the reason why I avoid to enter my room....

MOTIVATIONAL MOVE:

I listen to Christmas Music. Like...nonstop...

New Releases:





Oh. Another Pretty Little Liars book. That leaves me with five more. Will I ever be able to catch up??? The Almost Truth sounds good, doesn't it? But to be honest, I'm not really interested in any of these...