Top Ten Tuesday (#7): Beach Reads

This awesome book blog meme - hosted by The Broke and the Bookish - is where book lovers list their favourites inspired by a new topic each week. This week everybody is sharing their list of Top Ten Beach Reads! For me, the perfect book to read at the beach is a blend of a few of the following ingredients: an entertaining plot, adventure, a dash of humour, a sprinkle of romance, a dose of friendship and a summer setting. And it definitely should be a paperback! My favourite reads that fit in with my definition of a beach read are, in no particular order...


Source: Goodreads

1) Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

Graffiti Moon is one of the best contemporary books I've read this year! It's sweet, arty, summery and enchanting, a great choice for the beach!



Source: Goodreads

2) The Absolutely True Diary of A Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Arnold is different from other kids because of brain damage at an early age. His story is touching and yet humorously told, a sort of black comedy of the harsh circumstances and awful incidents he faces. Though it isn't entirely light, I think The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian would be fun to read at the beach - especially since it has cartoonish pictures to balance out the dark side.


Source: Goodreads

3) Ten Things We Shouldn't Have Done by Sarah Mlynowski

Looking for a FUN beach read? Humour, romance, friendship, crazy times? Yes? Then this is what you should take with you to the seaside.



Source: Goodreads

4) Paper Towns by John Green

Mix together an epic revenge plot, a secretive girl, a guy who's in love with her, a mystery and a road trip, and you finish up with Paper Towns. For me it fits the bill of beach read - and seriously, I can and will add a John Green book to every TTT possible. And come on, road trips are the epitome of summer.



Source: Goodreads

5) After Summer by Nick Earls

This was a great read with a guy's perspective - a little quirky, amusing and with a summer and a beach setting! The aspect of body-surfing was fascinating, I'd never heard of it before.



Source: Goodreads

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

Yup, this has been on several of my TTT lists already, but how can this cute novel not be a marvellous choice for the beach? Traveling by plane to London, going to a summer wedding, meeting a nice boy... Light, but not too much so, and honestly so adorable.

Source: Goodreads

7) Where Rainbows End by Cecelia Ahern

I had a Cecelia Ahern phase once when I read several of her adult chick lit novels and this one just might be my favourite. It's really quite original - the story of Rosie and Alex, BFFs, that spans basically their whole lives (literally decades) and consists of e-mails, letters and cards they have sent and received from people. And it all works so well, despite there never being a "proper" narrative! Anyway, any Ahern book would work for the beach since they're all kind of magical, enjoyable and unique.



Source: Goodreads

8) Siren by Tricia Rayburn

In case you want something mysterious and paranormal to read at the beach, pick up Siren. In short, the main character Vanessa tries to figure out the truth behind her sister's death and the disappearance of their mutual friend - creepy, yet not especially "heavy" or too dark.



Source: Goodreads

9) The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Two words: summer camp. Add in Ancient Greek gods, sword-fighting and going on a quest with a satyr and a daughter of Athena... Can't get much better than that.








Only thought of nine this week - what do you think are great books for the beach? Feel free to leave a comment or a link to your TTT and I'll stop by! =) All of the books have been linked to Goodreads.

-Eve

Top Ten Tuesday (#6): Books Featuring Travel In Some Way

This awesome book blog meme - hosted by The Broke and the Bookish - is where book lovers list their favourites inspired by a new topic each week. This week everybody is sharing their Top Ten Books Featuring Travel In Some Way and without further ado, here are mine - in no particular order... (Confession: I cheated a little and listed twelve. Oops.) The links go to Goodreads.

 

Contemporary Trips

 

1) Paper Towns by John Green - road trip

 

2) An Abundance of Katherines by John Green - road trip

 

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

 

Fantasy Quests

 

4) Age of the Five trilogy by Trudi Canavan

 

Perhaps the very best part of this trilogy is the unique world and the different species that inhabit it (oh, how I love the Siyee!). The reader gets to see all that as the characters travel all over the continent - methods of transport varying from ships to flying.

 

5) His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman

 

Lyra and her companions travel so much and in so many ways throughout the series and I loved all of the vividly described places and the entire journey itself.

 

6) Cry of the Icemark by Stuart Hill

 

The aspect of Thirrin traveling through all kinds of lands seeking allies appealed to me greatly. I have been thinking about re-reading this book and its sequels for a long time - I ought to, as they were childhood favourites.

 

7) Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini

 

Discovering the deserts, towns, forests, rivers, cities and mountains of Alagaesia alongside Eragon and Saphira was exhilarating and such an adventure for me. Their travels are among my favourites in the fantasy genre.

 

8) Graceling by Kristin Cashore

 

Riding by horseback and sometimes progressing by boat or foot, Katsa journeys a great length through the kingdoms. Graceling is a wonderful fantasy quest and the ups and downs of traveling are presented well and entertainingly.

 

 

Science Fiction and Dystopian Journeys

 

9) The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

In many ways, The Knife of Never Letting Go is different from other YA novels - and one of these differences has to do with traveling. While others take a car, aeroplane, horse or dragon, Todd does the unusual thing. It's so amazing that he basically just runs and runs and keeps on running, and the style all of it was written in felt, in my opinion, so fresh and taut with suspense.

10) Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Saba is one of my personal favourites among YA heroines and her journey is so much more than just moving from place A to place B. Saba also grows while traveling, building relationships and her sense of who she is. The vehicle she uses to travel across the plain is so cool.

  

Historical Travels

11) The Egyptian by Mika Waltari

I'm expressing a little Finnish pride here! The Egyptian affected me profoundly with its ideas and themes. This captivating, unfortunate story is told in an intriguing first-person narrative and Sinuhe's route through lands bordering the Mediterranean gripped me tightly.

12) Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Lina and her family's journey from Lithuania to Siberia is heart-wrenchingly painful because it is based on true facts from history. Traveling by train in unhygienic cars stuffed with too many people is definitely horrifying, but the storyline is captivating and laced with hope and goodness among hunger and filthy conditions.

Those were my Top Ten (Twelve) for this week - what books featuring travel have you loved? Feel free to comment or leave a link! =)


-Eve

 

 

Top Ten Tuesday (#5): Fun Characters (Freebie!)

This awesome book blog meme - hosted by The Broke and the Bookish - is where book lovers list their favourites inspired by a new topic each week. This week it's a FREEBIE, which means everyone gets to choose their topic! I had some trouble with settling on a topic but I finally decided on Top Ten Fun Characters (not sure if this has been done before). Here they are, in no particular order as usual...



Source: Goodreads

1) Grover (Percy Jackson and the Olympians)

A satyr who eats aluminum cans when he's nervous? This guy is one of my favourite characters from the whole series because he's just so sweet and funny (maybe often in an unintended way but who cares). Grover is awesome!

2) Percy (Percy Jackson and the Olympians)

Okay, another one from the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series! The reason: Rick Riordan's action-packed, Greek mythology based series is one of the most fun adventures ever - and that's thanks to the witty characters and especially Percy's humorous narrative even in deadly and dangerous situations.

Source: Goodreads

3) Fred and George (Harry Potter series)

Yes, I realize Fred and George are two separate people but they BELONG together and they basically host a two man show. And neither will hardly play a prank without the other in on it. Anyway, I don't think this choice needs explaining... The Weasley twins are cool and funny mischief makers, perhaps the best there are.



Source: Goodreads

4) Will (The Infernal Devices trilogy)

Will's antics and witticisms definitely made me grin. Who could forget dragon pox, or any of his stupid poems? Perhaps his remarks annoyed some of the other characters at times, but for me as a reader they were purely entertainment.

Source: Goodreads

5) Manchee (Chaos Walking trilogy)

A sidekick animal? Check. Loyal and sweet? Check. Knows how to "talk"? Check. Funny? ABSOLUTELY. Manchee is surely one of my favourite dogs from literature - he's that fantastic. His inner speech made me laugh with its simplicity and doggyness.



Source: Goodreads

6) Foaly (Artemis Fowl series)

He's a paranoid centaur inventor with a big sense of his own importance. How could that not be a funny combination? I ought to re-read this series (I've read all but the last book) now that I've reminded myself how funny and smart the characters are...

7) Mulch (Artemis Fowl series)

Another of Eoin Colfer's hilarious characters - Mulch, the dwarf who tunnels by eating mud and ejecting it out of his behind. You better believe that leads to a lot of wacky incidents.

Source: Goodreads

8) Hassan (An Abundance of Katherines)

Hassan is the main character Colin's overweight Muslim best friend who really knows how to lighten up a situation with his humour. He balances out Colin's seriousness well.



Source: Goodreads

9) Evie (Paranormalcy trilogy)

I was starting to notice that all my favourite fun characters seemed to be male when I thought of Evie. I remember she has an amusing perspective and a love for cute dresses and heels - that definitely counts as fun!

Source: Goodreads

10) The wolf packs (Nightshade trilogy)

Again, these are quite a few people, but its actually the whole dynamic interaction, all the banter, that made Calla's and Ren's packs so fun for me. I really liked them all as an entity and loved the dialogue.





Those are my Top Ten for this week! Leave a comment or a link to your blog - I'd love to see your list! If you'd like to, you can also share your favourite fun(ny) characters in the comments. =)

-Eve

Top Ten Tuesday (#4): Top Ten Favourite Book Covers

This awesome meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish book blog is where all book lovers list their favourites inspired by a new topic each week. This week's topic is Top Ten Favourite Book Covers of Books I've Read, so get ready for some cover love!

The beautiful girls…

The striking faces…

  The gorgeous backgrounds…

                                                                           

The elegant ones…

 

 

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Spirit Walker by Michelle Paver

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

 What I Was by Meg Rosoff

 

What are your favourites? Leave a comment (and a link if you have a blog) - I'd love to drool over some pretty covers. =)

 

-Eve

Top Ten Tuesday (#3): Books Dealing With Tough Subjects

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is Top Ten Books Dealing With Tough Subjects. Here are my ten, in no particular order...

 

Picture source: Goodreads

1) How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

This beautiful book with many important themes really found a place in my heart. It is a sad yet happy story of two people, or more, finding the path to themselves. Both abuse and grief are touched on expertly in this novel.



 

Picture source: Goodreads

 

2) The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

I was pretty much rendered speechless by the profound truth and meaning I found in The Sky is Everywhere. It is funny at some times, gut-wrenching at others, and powerful for the rest of the time. This is one of the best books I know that handle grief.



Picture source: Goodreads

3) Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Taylor, the main character, was totally relatable to me and her emotions, thoughts and flaws felt utterly, compellingly real. I especially loved her growth in this novel – she came to terms with, confronted and conquered her fears and insecurities. The way the family became tight was simply heart-warming.

Picture source: Goodreads

4) Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson 

Wintergirls is such an insightful, moving story dealing with difficult topics. I strongly recommend it to anyone wanting to read about how an eating disorder affects a person's life.





Picture source: Goodreads

5) Where She Went by Gayle Forman

The girl he loves left Adam without explanation. He also grieves the deaths of her family members who were close to him. This really was an emotional read, I cried buckets. Wonderful.

 

Picture source: Goodreads

6) Looking for Alaska by John Green   

A well-written book that sucked me in, Looking for Alaska also handled a tough subject masterfully. John Green is amazing!

 

Picture source: Goodreads

7) The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne                           

Through the eyes of a naïve German boy, the horrors of the Second World War are depicted through such an innocent perspective that I couldn’t help shivering. Thought-provoking!

 

Picture source: Goodreads

8) Hate List by Jennifer Brown             

School shootings are definitely difficult issues to handle. For the main character of the Hate List, Valerie, it is even more difficult because it was her boyfriend who was behind it, killing people they both shared their hate for. Worth reading for sure.

Picture source: Goodreads

9) Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher                                           

This was awful, in a way, because from the very beginning we know that there is no hope for Hannah anymore. Yet as a reader, I couldn’t help wishing she would have survived as the reasons behind the terrible act are uncovered slowly in an original way.

 

Picture source: Goodreads

10) Veronika Decides To Die by Paulo Coelho                                                          

Veronika has attempted suicide but she didn’t succeed. This novel is powerful and beautifully written, maybe even my favourite Coelho book.

 

 

 

So those were my Top Ten this week - what are yours? List them in the comments or leave a link to your blog and I'll stop by!

 

-Eve

Top Ten Tuesday (#2): Books When You Need Something Light and Fun

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish.

This week’s topic is Top Ten Books When You Need Something Light & Fun. The thing is, I had trouble coming up with books that would completely fit this description – most books I’ve read have some kind of serious subplot at the very least. I also thought of only 8 this time. In no particular order…

Picture source: Goodreads

1) The Paranormalcy trilogy by Kiersten White

These books fall into my category of light and fun. Yes, there are monsters to be fought, but Evie is such an entertaining character and she loves pink, sparkly stuff, so…  :D



Picture source: Goodreads

 

2) Ten Things We Shouldn’t Have Done by Sarah Mlynowski

Again, this one has a dash of seriousness, but all in all, it’s a wild and spontaneous novel about teenagers living together for a short while.



Picture source: Goodreads

3) Summer series by Jenny Han

Yes, the books do deal with grief, but I think the summer setting and the romance balance it out into a slightly lighter read than some other books having to do with illness.



Picture source: Goodreads

 

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

This novel is a wonderfully cute and fluffy read – but that doesn’t mean it’s worth any less than some other book. This is something I might pick if in need of a quick cheering up.



Picture source: Goodreads

 

5) Along For the Ride by Sarah Dessen

It’s not all lightness and fun, but it’s a good contemporary read that doesn’t deal with too heavy themes. Also, it’s set in the summer.

 

 

Picture source: Goodreads

6) The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart

So maybe Ruby Oliver doesn’t have an ideal life what with seeing a psychiatrist regularly and basically having lost her friends and becoming unpopular, but her first-person narrative is sassy and quirky and the novel in its entirety is really quite fun.



Picture source: Goodreads

7) An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

This has to have one of the funniest sidekicks I have read about, Hassan, so I strongly recommend this to those in want of a laugh – and some unconventional maths!



Picture source: Goodreads

 

 

8) Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Well, this book is definitely fun! In a tough, hot, energetic, desperate, sweet and musical way. So what if there’s a little angst in between…

That was my TTT for this week! What's yours? Leave a link in the comments and I'll come visit!

-Eve

Top Ten Tuesday (#1): Books I Thought I'd Like More/Less Than I Did

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted over at the Broke and the Bookish - check out their book blog! This week's topic is "Top Ten Books I Thought I'd Like More/Less Than I Did".

Books I thought I'd like more

1) Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
I was excited about this one because I kept reading raving reviews but unfortunately I was a little disappointed. The title is deliciously morbid, the cover is sufficiently creepy and yet I didn't feel the goosebumps as I read the novel, though I would have wanted to. Cas's narrative didn't work for me and the romance felt a little quick. I did enjoy it, but I don't love it.

2) The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
This was my first zombie book and a slow read for me. The idea and the whole set-up of being in a village surrounded by a forest full of zombies was intriguing. However, I didn't really get a feel of Mary and the plot didn't truly captivate me.

3) Legend by Marie Lu
I was really into dystopian when I read this so maybe the fact that I had high expectations and books to compare it to affected my reading experience in a slightly negative way. It took some time for me to kind of sink into the story and I didn't feel a great attachment to any of the characters, though I liked them. However, the plot was engaging!

4) Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann
This is a highly original detective story - a shepherd is found dead, impaled by a spade, and it is his sheep who try to solve the mystery of who is the murderer. I fell in love with the sheep with their distinct personalities, but there was a lot of description which felt a little tedious at times.

5) Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
I am a fan of mythology, so that's why I thought I'd enjoy it better. Unfortunately I wasn't thrilled by the romance, though the unique feel of this book did make up for it.

 

Books I thought I'd like less

6) Where She Went by Gayle Forman
If I Stay is a wonderful novel but it didn't awaken uncontrollably strong emotions in me. That's why I wasn't prepared for Where She Went to be such a mindblowingly amazing emotional rollercoaster ride of which I loved every minute, even when my heart broke a few times.

7) Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
This was a "WOW!" kind of book for me. It's packed with smart humour, thrilling suspese, shocking secrets and heart-racing romance. I guess I wasn't expecting all that!

8) What I Was by Meg Rosoff
My mother bought this for me at a point in my life when I barely read any contemporary. What I Was just captivated me right from the start and I loved it to bits.

9) Blood Red Road by Moira Young
I was inspired by some reviews to read this but once I read the first few pages I kind of felt like I knew I wouldn't like it because of the slang. But I persevered and it has ended up being one of my favourite dystopian novels!

10) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
I know, I know. It's kind of shocking. At first I was put off from reading HP and I swore I never would but when my mother (once again) forced me to at around the age of eight or nine, I was enthralled. I still am. And this love affair between me and the HP books will continue until I die.

So, those were my Top Ten this week! I can't wait for next week's topic. =)

Eve