I'm Gonna Love It, Hug It, Squeeze It, and Call it George {A Top Ten Tuesday Post}

I've been in and out here recently. Every time I think I'm going to post more often; weekly, twice a week, daily... life just seems to get in the way. Lack of internet at home, daughter having surgery, my own personal issues, kitchen remodel, keeping busy at work... the first thing to go is always the blog. Which, in the grand scheme of things, makes total sense. I mean, in reality, it's the least important thing. But I love doing it. So...  yeah. I'm just going to keep on tryin'. :)

Because I love doing the Top 10 Tuesday Meme... Here we go!

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 Read in 2013 ♥

Since, as I've said, I've been flitting, it seems fitting that today's Top Ten was a Rewind - choose one you've missed or would like to re-do! :) So I chose this one. Due to my inability to be consistent, some of these may link to reviews and some may not. I thought about doing on about the books I *didn't* love, but then thought I'd rather rave than rant. :)

Splintered by AG Howard

 

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Anna & the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Unhinged by AG Howard

The Moon & More by Sarah Dessen

What books did you love that you read in 2013?

Smiles,
B

WWW Wednesday

Hey y'all! I inadvertently took a nearly week long break from blogging. I took a mini-vacay to visit Malissa and didn't schedule any posts. :(

But, on a happy note, I had a great time visiting. We did yoga, pedis, and some shopping. I did go to a used bookstore with her and I traded in a bag full of books for store credit and got nearly $100 worth of books for only $30.  Needless to say I was uber excited. I was going to take pictures of them before I shelved them but, alas, I forgot.

Now, onto this week's WWW...

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

This came out in June in Britain and Malissa wanted it badly enough to order it (she sent me her review which I'll post soon...). She's letting me borrow it. We both LOVED Code Name Verity and I'm excited I'm able to read this now. 

Recently Finished

   

I finished Revolution as part of the ReReadathon. I am happy to say I loved it as much this time as I did last time. I also finished Uncommon Criminals and I'm looking forward to getting Perfect Scoundrels through my library.

Might Read Next

 

I'm looking forward to this sequel. :)

Teaser Tuesday: Revolution

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.  Anyone can play along! 

All you have to do:

1. Grab your current read.
2. Open to a random page
3. Share two (2) 'teaser' sentences from that page.
4. Be careful... do not include spoilers!!!  Make sure that what you are sharing doesn't give too much away;  you don't want to ruin the book for others.
5. Share the title and author, too, so other Teaser Tuesday participants can add it to their TBR list if they like what you shared.

 





"I'm wishing he could see that music lives. Forever. That it's stronger than death. Stronger than time. And that its strength holds you together when nothing else can."

~ Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly






What's struck you?

Memorable Monday ♥ Revolution

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:

“Life’s all about the revolution, isn’t it? The one inside, I mean. You can’t change history. You can’t change the world. All you can ever change is yourself.”  

~ Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

What's caught you recently?

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:

PHOTOBOMB!!!! Photobomb a picture with your favorite book. Share it of course.

Okay... so I'm supposed to pick a favorite book?  *sigh*  :)  And dangit, I forgot to do this last nite when I was home... so I will be limited to my favorites the library has to choose from. Such is life. So... here you go...

I, in general, love Maggie Stiefvater. :)  Others I might have chosen to photobomb had I done this at home (and probably would have just for fun had I not been dealing with a four year old who tore up his aunt's bathroom floor yesterday):

• Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
• Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
• Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
• The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff
• Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert
• Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult
• Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

And possibly others... I don't even know what all is there... lol

Anywho. Got a photobomb to share? Or just a title of one (or more) of your favorites? Share with me! :)

Smiles,
B

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

 

I am reading this as part of July's ReReadathon and loving it again.

Recently Finished

   

Losing Francesca was a great read, and I reread Heist Society as part of the ReReadathon. :)

What I Might Read Next

I'm looking forward to continuing the Heist Society series. To continue the ReReadathon I think I might pick up The Space Between.

What have you been reading?

Smiles,

B

Teaser Tuesday: Revolution

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.  Anyone can play along! 

All you have to do:

1. Grab your current read.
2. Open to a random page
3. Share two (2) 'teaser' sentences from that page.
4. Be careful... do not include spoilers!!!  Make sure that what you are sharing doesn't give too much away;  you don't want to ruin the book for others.
5. Share the title and author, too, so other Teaser Tuesday participants can add it to their TBR list if they like what you shared.

 





"'You must be in pain, kid. Does it hurt?'"
"I nod. 'Yeah, Jimmy. All the time.'"

~ Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly









I just started re-reading this one for July's ReReadathon. I had forgotten so much... I'm hoping I love it as much as I did the first time. :)

Have a teaser for me? Share it below. :)

Top Ten ~ Freebie Week!

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 YA Books That Would Make Great Book Club Picks ♥

This week's Top Ten is a freebie. I looked back at the old ones to see if something struck my fancy, since it's like a Monday morning in my brain, despite it being a Tuesday. And I found one! :)  I even came up with MORE than ten, since this one was quite easy for me. I shall try to narrow it down.  In no particular order... 

 Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr

On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Honorable Mentions 

Because I didn't want to really leave any out that I thought of... 

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

By the Time You Read This I'll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters

Splintered by AG Howard

Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler

Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Huh. One more and I would've had two entire lists. lol  Such is life. There's just too many good books out there, I guess. Okay. Not true. There can never be enough good books. 

What books have you read that you think would make great book discussion books? :)

 

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

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

♥ Spreading the Book Love ♥

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 Recommend the Most ♥

All of these books are on my favorites shelf for one reason or another. The writing, the story, the characters, the gut-wrenching plot twists, the boxes of Kleenex used... it doesn't matter why, it's there. Therefore, they are books that I will recommend non-stop, probably for the rest of my life. :)

 

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
Hunger Games (series) by Suzanne Collins
The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff

Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

What book(s) do you recommend the most?

Smiles,
B

To Buy or Not to Buy?

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 Authors I'd Auto-Buy ♥
As I'm sure I'm in the same boat as most of you, I love buying books. I love the new book smell, I love the idea of having a book that I loved on my shelf to visit again and again if I want. I also love the excitement that comes with a book I haven't read. Sometimes I'm okay not buying them, other times, when it comes to a particular author, I have no qualms buying them, mostly without even knowing what they are even about. Some authors I trust that much. Who are they?

In no particular order...

Maggie Stiefvater

The wonderful Maggie Stiefvater. I love her writing, her stories. Despite the fact that it makes me a little scared to read the ones I haven't read (what if by chance I don't love them as much as previous ones???  How could I survive it!?!?), I will buy them and have no regrets. Why? I realize that I'm a drop in the bucket when it comes to sales. That she'll most likely never know just how much I love her books and recommend them left and right. But I want to continue to support her and encourage her writing by doing what I can do. Plus, I want to live in her books. That's enough for me.

Jodi Picoult

Jodi Picoult is, I am pretty sure, the first author whose books I ever fell in love with. I have yet to read a disappointing one. I started with Vanishing Acts and made my way through all of them, the last one being when I was pregnant with my first child. That would have been... Handle with Care. After so many heart wrenching and emotional roller coasters, I did need a break from the stories for a bit, but I have still bought all but the last one (Lone Wolf). I will definitely be reading them sometime.

John Green

Oh, John Green, my fellow Hoosier. Such an amazing writer... he could write about golf and I would probably still read it. Because you probably don't know, my husband *loves* golf and I find it quite boring... to watch on tv or live. I don't think he can do any wrong.

David Levithan & Rachel Cohn

 Anyone who wrote Dash & Lily's Book of Dares deserves a spot on my auto-buy list. I do have Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist on my shelf, which I will read eventually, and I definitely will not turn down any chances to buy more. 

Sarah Dessen

Ah, the amazing Sarah Dessen. I love her take on life, love, relationships. When I first started reading her books years ago, I told my mom that she reminded me Jodi Picoult, just without the heavier issues that Jodi deals with. However, this is not true. She deserves a category all her own. So she gets it from me. And she also gets a spot on my auto-buy list. ;)

Elizabeth Wein

 

She wrote Code Name Verity... need I say more? I mean, as much as I loved it, as much as I breathed it, I want more of her. I think I could buy them with no regrets.

Lauren Oliver

Such wonderful writing... I get so lost in her books that I can't imagine my home without them on my shelf. 

Brenna Yovanoff

I'll admit, I may just buy these for the covers. Seriously, have you seen them? I own all three of them... well, one is in eBook format, so I still need to the hardcover edition... and I will continue to buy them until I tire of it. I don't see that happening though. I love the Gothic sense I get from the covers that matches perfectly with the feel in the books. I am so curious what she'll come up with next. (And I love that they have all been standalone novels so far). 

Stephanie Kuehnert

Ballads of Suburbia is one of my favorite books. It's not a nice book, it's not a fluffy book. It's not even a happy at all book, really. But it's life. It's real. And I loved it. She has one other book, I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone, that I look forward to reading. And as soon as I can get it I will definitely be adding it to my shelf. I'm not even sure what it's about. But since she wrote it and all...

Jennifer Donnelly  

 

The author of Revolution, another of my all-time favorite books. I figure if an author can sway me in my aversion to historical fiction then she must be good and worthy of owning her books. I will definitely be adding more of her to my shelf at home.  

Whew! That took some work. ;) Not really, but I did have to think hard... and I almost didn't do ten of them this week. But here they are. 

What about you? What authors would you or do you auto buy?

Smiles,

B