Top Ten Tuesday

Today  The Broke and the Bookish asks the question: What books are you excited to read in 2012?


Well, I know most people will be listing books that come out this year, and I'll have a few of those too, but I'm determined to get to some books that I feel woefully behind on. So here they are, ten books or series I'm going to read...THIS year...dang it!

And I've already bought the first five so I WILL be reading them whether I like them or not. ;) 

Again, I own the first three so I will be reading these too. 

I can't wait for this one! I might even have to re-read the first two in anticipation.

I don't think I have to tell you how excited I am for this one! But would you look at the guy on this one?! Blech! 

I've been waiting for this one forever and so many of my friends have already read it. :( I'm being patient. I am, I am, I am! 

So freaking excited!!! But what is up with that cover? It's not awful but it doesn't match the series. 

I love Dan Well's books and this one looks so good! I can't wait to get my hands on it. 

This one won't sit on my shelf for long. ;) 

I meant to get to this one last year but it didn't happen but I'm sure it won't take me long to get to it. 

I know! It's just downright embarrassing I haven't gotten to these yet! 


So, believe you me, there are a ton more I'd like to get to but I'm restricted to only listing ten. Now I just have to decide which one to read first...of the ones I can, of course. 

Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door

Tile Lola and the Boy Next Door
By Stephanie Perkins
For Fun
Pages 384
Recommended by Samantha


First sentence I have three simple wishes.

Synopsis
Lola thought she was over Cricket Bell. She has a hot, new, rocker boyfriend and life is going good, until Cricket moves back in next door.

General thoughts
Well, after enjoying Anna and the French Kiss I knew I'd at least enjoy the writing and characters in any book Stephanie Perkins wrote but when I saw what this one was about I was very excited. I have a thing for stories about the boy next door. (No there's not some psychology behind that, I just do) Still, everyone was saying they liked Anna, better than this one so I started to worry. No need, this one was way better in my opinion. Yes, it's ridiculously romantic and sappy but I knew that's what I was getting into, so I just sat back and enjoyed the romance, the slightly unbelievable romance. Yes, Cricket was so freaking awesome I wanted to date him myself but I've never met anyone in real life like him. Unfortunately. :( I did have two problems with this one and they're just personal taste. One, I enjoyed seeing Anna and St Claire again but their part was almost too big. Anna had her story! It's Lola's turn! I also was impressed and irritated, at the same time, with Perkins' ability to make me yell out loud at the book, "Just kiss already!"

Characters
 All Perkins' characters are real and memorable but since this one was primarily about Lola and Cricket I'll just share my opinion of them. Lola, was awesome, of course! I loved her style and drama. I even loved her imperfections. I don't think I have to tell you how much I ADORED Cricket but I will anyway. He was such a sweetheart. I think I'm in love!

Would I recommend it?
Yep! I most certainly would!

December Wrapup

With all the end of year lists this post is probably overkill but it's more for my benefit anyway. ;) So here are the books I read in December and what I thought.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Yeah, the writing was pretty but it got a little bit on the overkill side.

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
A fun adventure but I never did get what the point of said adventure was.

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Dang my high expectations! No, it was good, just not as good as I thought it would be.

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
My second time through it this year. I LOVE this book.

Existence by Abbi Glines
Mediocre but I liked it anyway.

Hourglass by Myra McEntire
Just overlook the things that didn't make logical sense and, yeah, it was fun.

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
Oh, Cricket! *long dreamy sigh* Romantic and fun!

Favorite of the month was definitely Lola and the Boy Next Door followed closely by The Wednesday Wars and that's only because it was my second time through it. Least favorite of the month was, sadly, Shatter Me...and I had such high hopes. :(

Review: Hourglass

Title Hourglass
By Myra McEntire
For Fun
Pages 400
Recommended by Melissa

First sentence My small Southern hometown is beautiful in the haunting way an aging debutante is beautiful.

Synopsis
Emerson has been seeing figments of the past since her parents tragic death. But when her brother hires a mysterious and handsome guy to help her, and he actually believes her, things start getting much stranger.

General thoughts
I'm going to have to break this one into things I liked and things I didn't cause I felt equally strong about both feelings. So, the things I like about this one......First off, I love the cover, it's one of the first things that drew me to the book. I liked the writing and was so happy it was in past tense; I'm getting so freaking sick of present tense books. The writing was good and witty. I liked Emerson's voice, and as things started picking up I found myself finally wanting to read again after a huge reading slump. I also liked the way the author handled Emerson accepting the things Michael was telling her. Paranormal abilities and how characters accept them is often ridiculously unbelievable. Not so, in this one.

And now for what I didn't like....The editing in this one felt lazy. At one point Michael opens a drink and slides it across the counter to Emerson but then, in the next sentence, she's popping open the can. Sure, sure it's something easily overlooked but it just bothers me when things like that are in books. Could they really not catch that before publishing? But my biggest problem with the book was the time travel. Time travel always confuses me and gives me a headache but, in the end, I usually feel like I understand what happened and why it all made sense. Yeah, not in this book. Sure, it's fiction you can make up what ever rules of time travel you want but I like stories to be well crafted. It makes me feel like the author cared enough about their book to make sure that things made sense, but I didn't feel that and it just makes me sad.  Plus I hate, HATE when the "bad guy" starts giving a big speech at the end to explain their motives. It's incredibly amateurish writing and makes me feel like I'm watching old Saturday morning cartoons.

So, yeah I'll probably read the rest of the series but I hope the next books are slightly better crafted.

Characters
I know, I'm going on and on, but I had to mention three characters. Clary...er I mean Emerson....Need I say more?  Michael is NOT my type. I hate that kind and I hated him! Kaleb on the other hand... *long dreamy sigh* He's what's making me continue this series even though I know he'll never end up with Emerson. Stupid love triangles that AREN'T love triangles!

Would I recommend it?
Yeah, I guess, just don't expect the time travel thing to make sense.

I Just Couldn't Resist: Another Top 10 Of 2011

Yeah, well, as you all know I'm kinda a picky reader...just a little. Alright, a lot! So, I just couldn't resist listing the top ten books that I HATED this year. Yeah, you heard me, HATED. Alright, hate is a strong word, lets just say they invoked a lot of anger in me. ;)

So, in descending order of, pretty awful to, what-moron-published-this-crap, I give you my list.

10.  Wither by Lauren Destefano
Who the heck cares if you pulled some heartstrings, you have to actually make sense!

9. Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
Oh, the convenience! The religious bashing! *shutters*

8.  Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers
Geeze, talk about a book that makes you want to kill yourself...or maybe just the stupid un-progressive characters.

7  Forever by Pete Hamill
It just went on and on...forever. ;) Hee hee.

6. Sleepless by Cyn Balog
Ugh, when great potential goes bad.

5. Intertwined by Gena Showalter (pre blog review) 
It sounded so cool and then...well, it was bad.

4. Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier (pre-blog review)
The depression this one induced...ugh!

3. Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien
Yeah, blame it on high expectations but seriously? WTH?!

2. Divergent by Veronica Roth
But it was dystopian, I'm supposed to just mindlessly like it. I don't freaking think so.

...And the stupidest book I read this year was...

1. Ripple by Mandy Hubbard
Bad writing, bad editing, bipolar MC. Yeah, what a waste of paper!





Honestly, I didn't like these ones, but I  still hope you had a good laugh reading my reviews and taking a look back at the books that drove me insane this past year. :)