What Attracts Me to a Book [Top Ten Tuesday]

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they provide a Top Ten topic for you to create your list, then you share it on their post so others can find you. :)

  Top Ten Words/Topics That Instantly

Make Me Pick Up/Buy a Book 

I struggled with this one. I wanted to be consistent and do all words, or all topics, or all something... but, alas, I couldn't do it. So I'm sort of all over the place with my answers. Full disclosure? These don't mean I necessarily *read* said book, just that I will definitely look closer at it.

 

 1

Heart-wrenching

I'm a glutton for punishment. I want to feel, and feel some more. So if someone touts it as heart-wrenching, I'm definitely going to take a closer look at it. :)

2

Dark/Gritty

I like it when they have a darker, gritty feel if it's appropriate, and done right. Definitely one I would look into reading. 

3

Praise by Someone I Trust

This is probably the most important one. So why is it listed at number 3? It's the only one I paid attention to what number I gave to it, actually. And 3 happens to be my favorite number. :) Anyway. Back to the topic at hand. There are some close friends I trust thoroughly with their book recommendations - if they praise it or say they think I'll love it, I'll read it without any further consideration. Sometimes I don't even read the dust jacket or anything, just dive right in. For example, Code Name Verity, Revolution, and the mystery book I'm going to start reading after I finish Insurgent. I also take stock in what my favorite authors are liking. My thought process on that - if I like their writing there's a good chance I'll like what they're reading.

4

Engrossing

Despite that probably meaning something different for everyone, I tend to look at that as being a book I could potentially be sucked into.

5

Award Winning

I always want to look closer at these and see why they won an award, and if I agree. I don't always end up reading them, maybe they don't sound up my alley or whatever, but I always take a closer look at them. 

6

Free

Come on, if you tell me you're not willing to at least try a free book then color me shocked. lol I will definitely take a closer look at those free bargains that grace my email and see if they're something I might be interested in. I've found quite a few good ones that way, actually. :)

7

Best Seller

This one is tricky. I'm not saying that I will read it, nor like it if I do, but I'm always curious as to what makes it a best seller... why is everyone loving this one and buying it?

8

Dystopian

I'm not Dystopia'd out... yet. But I won't read them all. The description has to really grab me, or the writing has to suck me in. I also prefer it be different. I know there's going to be common elements, being that it is a Dystopian novel, but there is always room for surprises and new ideas.

9

Supernatural/Paranormal

For as long as I can remember I've loved reading about supernatural things. One of my favorite books in probably second grade was The Ghost of Windy Hill by Clyde Robert Bulla. And that has yet to change. Again, though, the description has to sound promising to me, and the author needs to suck me into their world.

10

Contemporary

I can never go wrong with a good contemporary. I typically leave them feeling good, or uplifted in some way. Even The Fault in Our Stars left me with a good feeling, despite ripping my heart out and shredding it to pieces. There's something about them that will always draw me to them.

There you have it. Ten topics or words that draw me to a book. 

What about you? What makes you gravitate toward a book?

Smiles,

B

Memorable Monday ~ Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Memorable Monday is a meme hosted by Escape in a Good Book. I'm excited to join in on this one because I love quotes, which was the driving force behind the creation of Memorable Mondays. I thank the ladies at Escape in a Good Book.

So... how do you participate? It's simple ~

1) Share a quote that has captured your interest lately in a Memorable Monday post on your blog.

2) Come back here and leave the link to your post in the comment box below. If you don't have a blog, I'd still love to hear read your quote. Leave it in the comment box instead of a link to a non-existent blog. :)

3) Visit other participants if you have time. It's always nice to have visitors. There's no overstaying your welcome this way, and they don't have to offer the obligatory drinks. Or clean.

4) If you tweet your posts, feel free to use the hashtag #MemorableMonday.

This week's choice:

"I don't believe it's more important to move forward than to find out the truth."
"The truth has a way of changing a person's plans." 

~Insurgent by Veronica Roth



I really like this quote. Obviously, since I picked it for this week's Memorable Monday. :)  But I totally agree with it. Depending on the situation, of course, it's almost always more important to find the truth, because that can determine how you move forward and the decisions you make from then on out.  


What about you? What's struck you lately?

Smiles,
B

Follow Friday :)

Hosted by Parajunkee's View & Alison Can Read, the goal is to gain new followers and to follow new people yourself! :)

RULES

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

(Taken straight from the hosts)

• (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
• (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
• Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
• Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.
• If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
• Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”
• If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers.
• If you’re new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Happy Follow Friday!

This week's question/activity:

Is there a song that reminds you of a book? Or vice versa? What is the song and the book?

Despite my love of music, mostly I do not associate certain songs with books. I find this weird. One would think that with these two things being my means of escape, of healing, that I would connect the two more often. But, alas, I do not. :(  There are a couple of country songs about military men and the letters/pictures from home that do remind me occasionally of Nicholas Sparks' Dear John.

What about you?

Smiles,
B

Daughter of Smoke & Bone ~ Review

Title:  Daughter of Smoke & Bone
Author:  Laini Taylor
Series:  Daughter of Smoke & Bone #1
Publisher:  Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date:  September 2011
Source:  Own/Won
Rating:  4.5 stars

~ The Scoop from Goodreads ~

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

 

This book was refreshingly different for me. I loved the world that Laini Taylor built. I became fully immersed and had trouble leaving it and only did when I was forced to (you know, work, kids, dinner, etc). I really liked how Taylor was able to pair the real world alongside the mystical world in which Karou grew up. The writing pulls you in, chews you up, spits you out, then pulls you in again.

And her characters... I loved how they were all fallible; no one is ever perfect, we are all flawed. Karou is a strong willed young woman who doesn't understand everything but is willing to go to great lengths to get answers. Akiva stole my heart. His darkness, his brokenness, his protectiveness, his reasons. I love it all. And of course, just like tragic Romeo & Juliet, there's a star-crossed lovers appeal here. One of my favorites is Zuzana. Who doesn't want a best friend like her? Someone who accepts you no matter who (or what) you are, who will always tell it like it is, and who will be there, no questions asked. Such a strong secondary character and I hope we see more of her in the future.

The overall storyline captivated me from beginning to end. I wanted, like Karou, to get answers, to unveil the mysteries, if you will. I wanted to know the who, the what, the why. The connections that weren't there I wanted made. And I love that what you think you know you may not actually know. Taylor creates a story that keeps you guessing and theorizing until the bitter end. And, for me, the lingering questions: What makes someone evil? What makes them good? Can you only be what you were born to be? Can things change?

In this story, there's self discovery. There's longing, wishing, dreaming. There's chaos. There's war. But mostly, there's hope.

I am really looking forward to following Karou's story in Days of Blood and Starlight. :)

♥ Quotes I Liked ♥

"Wishes are false. Hope is true. Hope makes its own magic."

"Peace is more than the absence of war. Peace is accord. Harmony."

"Hope can be a powerful force. Maybe there's no actual magic in it, but when you know what you hope for most and hold it like a light within you, you can make things happen, almost like magic."

"Never repent of you own goodness, child. To stay true in the face of evil is a feat of strength."

WWW Wednesday ♥

WWW Wednesdays was started by MizB over at Should Be Reading,

To play along, simply answer the following three (3) Questions:
1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you'll read next?

Currently Reading

The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr
Malissa sent me her ARC of this to read. I am really enjoying it. :)

Recently Finished

 

 
 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson
Divergent by Veronica Roth

While I enjoyed all of these for different reasons, I loved Divergent and am anxiously waiting for Insurgent to come in at my library so I can read it. :)

What I Might Read Next

  Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Mystery Book by ? 

While I am stupidly excited for Insurgent to come in, I am equally excited about my mystery book Malissa sent me. In case you missed it and care to know... you can find out about our mystery books here.     

What about you? What have you been reading?

Smiles,
B

It's Not You, It's Me... Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they provide a Top Ten topic for you to create your list, then you share it on their post so others can find you. :)

  ♥ Top Ten Books I Thought I'd Like More/Less♥

It's not you, it's me...

These I really anticipated enjoying more than I did. This was based on either having read the author before (such as John Green), it being a sequel to one I did rather enjoy, or the description just sounding really good. Alas, I did not enjoy them as much as I thought I would, so here they are on this list.

 An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by David Levithan and John Green

The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson

Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler

 In which preconceived notions were wrong...

These are ones I was impressed with after thinking that I wouldn't enjoy them that much. Some, such was the case with Code Name Verity, I figured the setting would throw me off. Others the description just didn't sound up my alley. But I went for it anyway and I'm glad I did. 

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Ashfall by Mike Mullin

Devilish by Maureen Johnson

Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert

What about you? What books surprised you, one way or another?

Smiles,
B

Memorable Monday ~ The Last Little Blue Envelope

Memorable Monday is a meme hosted by Escape in a Good Book. I'm excited to join in on this one because I love quotes, which was the driving force behind the creation of Memorable Mondays. I thank the ladies at Escape in a Good Book.

So... how do you participate? It's simple ~

1) Share a quote that has captured your interest lately in a Memorable Monday post on your blog.

2) Come back here and leave the link to your post in the comment box below. If you don't have a blog, I'd still love to hear read your quote. Leave it in the comment box instead of a link to a non-existent blog. :)

3) Visit other participants if you have time. It's always nice to have visitors. There's no overstaying your welcome this way, and they don't have to offer the obligatory drinks. Or clean.

4) If you tweet your posts, feel free to use the hashtag #MemorableMonday.

This week's choice:

"It means 'the stain on the page.' We both loved that idea. Painting. Writing. Both just stains on the page."

~The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson

 

I agree.  Everlasting stains. On your heart sometimes, too.  :)  


Anything strike you lately?

Smiles,
B

Follow Friday! :)

Hosted by Parajunkee's View & Alison Can Read, the goal is to gain new followers and to follow new people yourself! :)

RULES

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

(Taken straight from the hosts)

• (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
• (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
• Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
• Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.
• If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
• Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”
• If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers.
• If you’re new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Happy Follow Friday!

This week's question/activity:

If you could hang out with any author (living), who would it be and what would you want to do?

There are so many amazing authors out there it would be so hard to choose. I think I would choose Maggie Stiefvater because I have loved all her books and would love to learn more about how she creates them. Plus, she has Miniature Silky Fainting Goats. I mean, c'mon. We could have good times. No, really, she seems like she'd be so much fun to hang out with.


What about you? Who would you like to hang out with?

Smiles,
B

Out of the Easy ~ One Book, Two Reviews

Joint Review

Title: Out of the Easy
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Publisher:  Philomel Books
Publication Date:  February 2013
Source: Bought/Bought
Rating:  5 stars/5 stars

~ Synopsis from Goodreads ~

It’s 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer.

She devises a plan get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street.Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.

With characters as captivating as those in her internationally bestselling novel Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys skillfully creates a rich story of secrets, lies, and the haunting reminder that decisions can shape our destiny.

 

Malissa

Sometimes I buy a book on impulse, because maybe my best friend bought it and I'm a little jealous because the cover is so inviting and I think "hey, why not," and I later regret the impulse spending ... But not this time. Not at all. This book was money well spent and will take up much deserved space on my shelf for some time. I read Sepetys' first book Between Shades of Gray as an ARC and while it was a very good book and very well written, I didn't fall in love with it. I think partly because I had just finished a whole lineup of Holocaust books (it was our county-wide reading theme that year), and a book about Stalin's little known but all too familiar rein of terror in the Baltics during the same period was just too much for me. I was overloaded on the whole topic of the atrocities of that period in history (but, if you're not, definitely read it). So, anyway, when this book was released it sounded great and was getting awesome reviews, but I was afraid that it would also feel ... bleak, I guess. But a used but brand-new-looking copy at my local bookstore won over my hesitation. I'm so glad it did.

This book is also historical fiction (as per the description), but is based more on the history of a city and a time period than events. It's about a teen girl living and working in the colorful "scene" that is 1950s New Orleans, and isn't based on real people that I can tell. Though the characters are no less real for that. And there are some *fantastic* characters in this book, and none of them are simple or one dimensional. Seypetys doesn't let you judge a book by it's cover (pun intended ;) ) or it's history or it's lifestyle for that matter. Her people are people in all their fallible glory but also show you that they can rise out of circumstances, even dire ones, to shine. There were some characters that I literally hated and others that I absolutely loved.

It's hard to characterize this book. It has some prostitution (see line one: "My Mother's a Prostitute."), a murder, some mob action, a love triangle (though it's far from center stage and didn't play out like I expected at all), and some twists and turns that keep you engaged from the first chapter. But like all good books, it's really about the characters and how they survive and even grow. And make you sad to say goodbye when it ends. No, I don't regret that ten dollars at all and will almost definitely spend more of them on Sepetys' next book whenever that turns up on shelves too.

Brandy

I *loved* this book. I, like Malissa, have no regrets over buying it. I imagine it having a long life span on my shelf, with others having the opportunity to love it just as much as I did. I've said it before, but it's becoming rather apparent to me that I can't really say it with any truth. I am not a huge fan of historical fiction. The lack of truth in that statement is glaringly obvious when I look at some of my favorites: Code Name Verity, Revolution, Out of the Easy... lol.  I'm starting to love it. ;)

I picked this book up in my local bookstore and read the first page. I had to have it. Any book that starts with "My mother is a prostitute." as it's first sentence deserves to be owned. I don't know why, exactly, it just does. Kind of like when you see a coin lying on the ground - you just have to pick it up. Must. Be. Done.

I dove into this book not knowing what to expect. 1950's New Orleans? Doesn't really seem like my type of setting. It was so well done, though, that I didn't even realize I had been transported to a different time and place until I was already there.

Even though the writing drew me in, it was the characters who made me stay. Sepetys created characters that jumped out of the story, filling my mind, my world. There were characters I loved ~ Josie, Jesse, Cokie, Willie... all for different reasons. There were characters I felt indifference toward, and characters I despised. In fact, if I met said character on the street, I may take a page out of the mob's book and make that person disappear. Just a thought. That being said, all the ups, all the downs, I was right there, feeling them right along with Josie. Her frustration and uncertainty, her hopes and wishes, her sadness and anger. There seems to be something different lurking behind every shadow in New Orleans, just waiting to jump out and put a damper on Josie's life.

No matter how many times those shadows try to smother her, we get to be alongside her as she grows and discovers strengths she didn't know she possessed. She accepts herself, her past, and comes to realize that she decides her own fate; it's not decided for her.

"I could see the ugly just pouring out of her."

"Sometimes we set off down a road think' we're goin' one place and we end up another. but that's okay. The important thing is to start."

"Everything was in pieces, displaced, and would never fit back together."

Have you read it? Want to read it? Share your thoughts with us!!!  :)

Wishing, Waiting, Wanting, Hoping...

Wishlist Wednesday is a meme hosted by Pen to Paper where you post a book that has been on your wishlist for some time, or just added (it's entirely up to you), that you can't wait to get off the wishlist and onto your wonderful shelves.

What do I want to add to my shelf? So many choices. This time, I'll go with...

Days of Blood & Starlight

Daughter of Smoke and Bone #2

By Laini Taylor

I recently finished Daughter of Smoke & Bone and really want to continue on Karou's journey.  

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that highlights upcoming releases we're excited about.

There are, as you know, books coming out left and right that we all want to read. One I am looking most forward to is...

 

The Dream Thieves

The Raven Cycle #2

By Maggie Stiefvater 

I *love* Maggie Stiefvater and can't wait to read the next installment. I hate when I get into a series before they are all written and having to wait. But I am not one for delayed gratification. ;)

What books are you wishing and waiting on?

Smiles,
B

Top Ten Rewind!

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they provide a Top Ten topic for you to create your list, then you share it on their post so others can find you. :)

  ♥ Top Ten Books I Want to Reread ♥

Okay, so when I went through the list of previous Top Ten's, I narrowed it down to two. This one, Books I Want to Reread, and another one, Books I Wish I Read as a Kid. As hard as I thought on it, I could not come up with ten books I wish I had read as a kid. Unless I broke it down and named all the titles of an author, which I felt was cheating (such as Roald Dahl... man I wish I had let my kid-self experience that magic). But, alas, coming up with ten titles, well, authors, at least, didn't work for me. I got to six before my head wanted to explode with annoyance. So, I went with the rereads. I do feel as if this one is too easy of one, though, as I easily came up with fifteen. Fifteen. My apologies for taking an easy way out, but I did narrow it down to ten. That part was hard. ;)

 

The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff

I love all three of Brenna's books, but this was my favorite. I would love to revisit this world and her writing.

Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult

This was the first book I ever read by Jodi. I want to reread it to remember why I fell in love with her in the first place. (I still like her, just want to revisit that first one.)

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

It's The Fault in Our Stars, do I really need a reason? ♥

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

I know there has been a lot of mixed reviews on Requiem, but I personally really liked it. I would love to go back to the beginning and remember and relearn all those things I had forgotten.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I've already read this series three times. But I will definitely revisit it before Catching Fire is released (well, before I actually watch it, at least). And, if it's like the last time, I'll reread it again after I've seen the movie. (I was immersed in Hunger Games for nearly a month when the first movie came out... books, movie, books again.)

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

This was my first introduction to Maggie Stiefvater and her brilliance. I love her writing and this world fascinated and surprised me. I want to go back and see my friends. 

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

See above, minus it being my first introduction. :)

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

I read this one what seems like forever ago. I want to remember the world, the lives, and why I loved it. 

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Although I know I will cry, once again, and be emotionally wrecked by the end, I still want to revisit this one. The shock factor will be elusive, but I can't imagine it being any less painful.

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

This book was so much fun and I fell in love with the characters and their adventure. I definitely want to reread this one; maybe next winter? Hmm...

What about you? What books would you want to revisit?

Smiles,
B

Memorable Monday ~ 13 Little Blue Envelopes

Memorable Monday is a meme hosted by Escape in a Good Book. I'm excited to join in on this one because I love quotes, which was the driving force behind the creation of Memorable Mondays. I thank the ladies at Escape in a Good Book.

So... how do you participate? It's simple ~

1) Share a quote that has captured your interest lately in a Memorable Monday post on your blog.

2) Come back here and leave the link to your post in the comment box below. If you don't have a blog, I'd still love to hear read your quote. Leave it in the comment box instead of a link to a non-existent blog. :)

3) Visit other participants if you have time. It's always nice to have visitors. There's no overstaying your welcome this way, and they don't have to offer the obligatory drinks. Or clean.

4) If you tweet your posts, feel free to use the hashtag #MemorableMonday.

This week's choice:

“I am a mass of contradictions.”

~ 13 Little Blue Envelopes, by Maureen Johnson 

  

When I read this I thought, "Aren't we all?" ;)  That's why it stuck with me.

Anything strike you lately?

Smiles,
B

Teeth: Review by Malissa

Guest Review by Malissa

Title:  Teeth
Author: Hannah Moskowitz
Publisher:  Simon Pulse
Publication Date:  January 2013
Source:  Borrowed from library
Rating: 4 stars

~ The Scoop from Goodreads ~

A gritty, romantic modern fairy tale from the author of Break and Gone, Gone, Gone.

Be careful what you believe in.

Rudy’s life is flipped upside-down when his family moves to a remote island in a last attempt to save his sick younger brother. With nothing to do but worry, Rudy sinks deeper and deeper into loneliness and lies awake at night listening to the screams of the ocean beneath his family’s rickety house.

Then he meets Diana, who makes him wonder what he even knows about love, and Teeth, who makes him question what he knows about anything. Rudy can’t remember the last time he felt so connected to someone, but being friends with Teeth is more than a little bit complicated. He soon learns that Teeth has terrible secrets. Violent secrets. Secrets that will force Rudy to choose between his own happiness and his brother’s life.

 

This is the first of this author's books I've read, and I really liked it. It's gritty, and very real. The characters feel very real to me. Rudy just came to life for me as did his relationship with his little brother. I loved that relationship! And no, I'm not going to say much about what the book is about (I usually don't anyway) because I hate to give away more than the publisher's description does, and because anything I could describe it as might pigeonhole it in an unfair way. Read the description. It will sound weird. It is. And that totally works. It's not a simple book, and is unlike most I've read. 

Yes, I feel a bit like I'm just rambling here, so let me say this: Teeth is what I would call magical realism, would appeal equally to boys and girls as well as realistic and paranormal fans, is about family, and love (but not romance), and a little magic, and sacrifice (isn't love always?), and the cost of living. 

The only caution I would give is that it has quite a bit of language that might make some younger teen readers uncomfortable and deals some with rape (but that's not the theme nor is it an "issue book"). I'd say it's best for highschool readers, and would make a good discussion book for a teen book group. A definite win. I'll give another of Moskowitz's books a try sometime soon.

Have you read it? What'd you think?

Smiles, 
B & M
 

WWW Wednesdays

WWW Wednesdays was started by MizB over at Should Be Reading,

To play along, simply answer the following three (3) Questions:
1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you'll read next?

Currently Reading

As I type this I am seriously not reading anything. *gasp* But, in all fairness, I finished Requiem at lunch and have yet to start something new... see below for what that might be. :)

Recently Finished Reading

    

I have finished both of these in the past week. Very different, but thoroughly enjoyed both of them.

What I Might Read Next

      

Honestly can't decide between these two. On the one hand, I want to finish the Beautiful Creatures series. By the time I got Beautiful Redemption, my burning desire had fizzled some, but I still want to know how it all wraps up. On the other hand, Shiver has been sitting on my shelf since Christmas and it's Maggie Stiefvater. ;)

What have you been reading?

Top Ten Faves Before Blogging

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they provide a Top Ten topic for you to create your list, then you share it on their post so others can find you. :)

  ♥ Top Ten Favorite Books I Read Before I Was Blogger ♥

In no real order, here are books I loved prior to my blog. Some of these are not that far back; my blog only started last September. ;) I tried to delve back a bit, though. Tried being the key word. Didn't work out so well.  And, I didn't stop at 10. And, I could have added more. But I stopped. :)

 

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks by E. Lockhart

The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

The Hunger Games (series) by Suzanne Collins

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Second Glance by Jodi Picoult

Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult

Harry Potter (series) by JK Rowling

What about you? What books did you love before blogging? If you're not a blogger, what books did you just love? ;)

Smiles,
B