Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Read In 2013

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at The Broke & The Bookish. Each week they host a different top ten topic.

Top Ten Books I Read In 2013

I always find these lists so hard! I'm going to make it a little easier on myself and only read books that I read for the first time this year. I have had quite a few rereads of some of my all time favourites so that would make it a little harder.

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

I read this for the first time in January and have read it twice more since then. I'd seen it recommended so many times that I finally caved and got it. It has a really tabboo subject and I wasn't sure it was going to work for me. But I was proved very wrong, and this has become an all time favourite but also my top read of the year. I couldn't recommend it highly enough, get over the subject and give it a try. (You can find my review here.)


Alienated by Melissa Landers

This was a book I had seen a few times on Netgalley but wasn't too sure if I wanted to pick up. It sounded okay but I was kind of certain that it wasn't going to be a book that I liked. I ended up loving it and instantly pre-ordering my own copy as soon as I was done! This definitely showed that aliens can be really hot! I can't wait for the sequel, I need it now. (You can find my review here.)


My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

I fell head-over-heels in love with this book. I just loved it from beginning to end, and I'm pretty sure I fell more in love with Jace than Samantha did. A really great story, it really captures the spirit of first love. I will definitely be rereading this one a lot in my lifetime. I can't recommend it enough. (You can find my full review here.)

This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

I was put off picking this up for so long because of the cover, it made me think it was going to be some gushy romance. What I got was something else entirely. It's a really beautiful coming-of-age story that had me laughing and then crying in the space of a few pages. Such a touching, brilliantly written story. (You can find my review here.)


Sleepless by Tracey Ward

This was a book I was offered to read as part of a tour. I was really unsure, the premise sounded a little strange, but in the end I said yes. I was right, it is a little strange but it was also incredible! I really loved it, the romance was so real and the author did such an amazing job of putting across all the passion and longing between these two. I loved all the chapters where they meet in their dreams on the dock, they are probably my favourite parts of the book. (My review will be up in January.)

These Broken Stars by Meagan Spooner & Amie Kaufman

I am pretty certain that I will be seeing this on so many lists today. I requested this because it instantly caught my attention with the beautiful cover, and then the premise sounded great as well. I loved the starting scenes on the space ship, that were all very Titanic like. I felt the pace slowed down in the middle, but picked right back up at the end and totally blew me away. I loved this book and I am eagerly awaiting the sequel! (You can find my review here.)


Slammed by Colleen Hoover

This is one of those books that I kept seeing everywhere and kept having recommended to me. But the cover is so Fifty Shades that it put me off for so long. This is nothing like Fifty Shades, for starters it's actually quite well written and isn't Twilight fan fiction, which always helps. It showed me the world of slam poetry, which I had never encountered in a book before. I also adored the characters, the leads as well as secondary, and the romance was really great too. (You can find my review here.)

The Hate List by Jennifer Brown

This is one I read before I started blogging and I haven't reviewed it for the blog. I really want to though because it was a really incredible book. It tells the story of Valerie Leftman, who's boyfriend opened fire at school five months ago. Valerie is left dealing with her own guilt, because of a list she helped create. It was a really touching book and made me want to read more Jennifer Brown.

Champion by Marie Lu

After the absolute train wreck that was Allegiant, it was refreshing to have a trilogy ender that wasn't utter shite from beginning to end. This was actually a really enjoyable and satisfying end to the series. I did think the ending was a little ridiculous, and didn't really make much logical sense - very soap opera like. But, overall I think this worked really well and was a great end to a great series. (You can find my review here.)

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I have my fellow bloggers to thank for this one, if it wasn't for all your recommendations I never would have picked this up. But it's a really fun series and so far I am loving it. I will definitely be reading every book in this series and many more from JLA. (You can find my review here.)




I have a feeling that next year my list is going to be filled with books that I only had the chance to read because of the blog. Especially since so many of the books I got for Christmas are ones that I know will appear on so many different lists today. 6 of the books on here are ones I have only read because I got them through Netgalley/Edelweiss or because they were recommended to me by other bloggers.

Angelfall Giveaway

My boyfriend bought me Angelfall and World After for Christmas, but had a problem with World After when it arrived. It has the tiniest dent in the back cover from where it has obviously got knocked around the box in transit. He got in touch with TBD, because he knows I am so particular when it comes to books, and they sent a replacement. Now I have two copies, and looking at the 'damaged' one, it's barely noticeable and I wouldn't have been that bothered. But seeing as I only need one copy of it, I am going to give that one away. I will also throw in a paperback copy of Angelfall to the winner as well. So just remember World After has tiny bit of damage to the back of it. As I will be sending by post, this giveaway is UK only. 

The tiny damage! 

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200 Bloglovin Followers Giveaway

I have reached a big milestone for me, which is 200 followers on Bloglovin. To think just a few short months ago I had none at all, well it kind of blows my mind. Thank you for all your support, your comments and recommendations. I have found so many amazing blogs, bloggers and books since starting my blog. It's probably the best thing that I have done all year! 

To celebrate I want to do a little giveaway. So I am offering one winner the chance to win £20 worth of books from Book Depository. That way I can do an international giveaway and you can pick the books you want. 

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My Weekly Book Haul & 2 Giveaways: 31/12/2013

Friday Finds is something that was started over on ShouldBeReading and Stacking the Shelves over at TyngaReviews, I am in love with all of these as I love finding other blogs to follow and books to read through these! So check them all out and see what you find, Stacking the Shelves has a lot of participants as well which is great. This is basically a way for me to show what books I have received, borrowed or bought each week. All book covers and their summary come from back of book or Goodreads.

Christmas Haul Part 1

Christmas was AMAZING, especially as far as books were concerned. I was kind of spoilt rotten, and it proved that my boyfriend does actually listen to me. He was also amazing enough to tell my parents books I wanted and they got me some too. I got 25 books in total, and I apparently have 3 pre-ordered but I am not allowed to know what they are until they arrive! Seeing as I have so many, I think I may split them up over two or three weeks. 

Not to mention that I received a signed book plate and bookmarks from the amazing Melissa Landers, author of the 5/5 star Alienated! It was sent all the way from Cincinnati, Ohio to me here in London and I was so excited to receive it. It's going straight into my hardback copy when it is released! 

My wonderful eldest sister got me a Harry Potter bracelet, which I adore. It has the Deathly Hallows sign on it, as well as a golden snitch and two owls. Plus it came with a death mark tattoo, which will come in really handy next Halloween, because I really want to go as Bellatrix Lestrange!

Christmas Books

So pretty! 

The Summer I Turned Pretty, It's Not Summer Without You, We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

Some summers are just destined to be pretty.

When each summer begins, Belly leaves her school life behind and escapes to Cousins Beach, the place she has spent every summer of her life. Not only does the beach house mean home away from home, but her favorite people are there: Susannah, her mother's best friend, and her sons, Conrad and Jeremiah. Belly has been chasing Conrad for as long as she can remember, and more than anything, she hopes this summer will be different. Despite distractions from a new guy named Cam and lingering looks from Conrad's brother, Jeremiah, Belly's heart belongs to Conrad. Will he offer his to her? Will this be the summer that changes everything?

I am so excited to finally own this series myself, I adore this whole series! 

Not A Drop To Drink by Mindy McGinnis

Regret was for people with nothing to defend, people who had no water. 

Lynn knows every threat to her pond: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most importantly, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty, or doesn't leave at all.
Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. Having a life means dedicating it to survival, and the constant work of gathering wood and water. Having a pond requires the fortitude to protect it, something Mother taught her well during their quiet hours on the rooftop, rifles in hand.
But wisps of smoke on the horizon mean one thing: strangers. The mysterious footprints by the pond, nighttime threats, and gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won’t stop until they get it….
With evocative, spare language and incredible drama, danger, and romance, debut author Mindy McGinnis depicts one girl’s journey in a barren world not so different than our own.

Finally!

Angelfall & World After by Susan Ee

It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.
Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.
Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

Shatter Me & Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.
Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

So unbelievably excited for this one!

The Archived by Victoria Schwab

Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.

Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.
Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often—violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.
Being a Keeper isn’t just dangerous—it’s a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da’s death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.

Ashfall & Ashen Winter by Mike Mullin

Under the bubbling hot springs and geysers of Yellowstone National Park is a supervolcano. Most people don't know it's there. The caldera is so large that it can only be seen from a plane or satellite. It just could be overdue for an eruption, which would change the landscape and climate of our planet.

For Alex, being left alone for the weekend means having the freedom to play computer games and hang out with his friends without hassle from his mother. Then the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts, plunging his hometown into a nightmare of darkness, ash, and violence. Alex begins a harrowing trek to seach for his family and finds help in Darla, a travel partner he meets along the way. Together they must find the strength and skills to survive and outlast an epic disaster.

Pivot Point by Kasie West

Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier . . .

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.
In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.

Have heard so many wonderful things about this one! 

Angelfall Giveaway

My boyfriend bought me Angelfall and World After for Christmas, but had a problem with World After when it arrived. It has the tiniest dent in the back cover from where it has obviously got knocked around the box in transit. He got in touch with TBD, because he knows I am so particular when it comes to books, and they sent a replacement. Now I have two copies, and looking at the 'damaged' one, it's barely noticeable and I wouldn't have been that bothered. But seeing as I only need one copy of it, I am going to give that one away. I will also throw in a paperback copy of Angelfall to the winner as well. So just remember World After has tiny bit of damage to the back of it. As I will be sending by post, this giveaway is UK only. 

The tiny damage! 

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200 Bloglovin Followers Giveaway

I have reached a big milestone for me, which is 200 followers on Bloglovin. To think just a few short months ago I had none at all, well it kind of blows my mind. Thank you for all your support, your comments and recommendations. I have found so many amazing blogs, bloggers and books since starting my blog. It's probably the best thing that I have done all year! 

To celebrate I want to do a little giveaway. So I am offering one winner the chance to win £20 worth of books from Book Depository. That way I can do an international giveaway and you can pick the books you want. 

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Weekly Review Roundup: 29/12/2013

Weekly Review Roundup #1

Hi all,
I came up with an idea that I want to try on my blog and hope some of you will want to participate.

I have slowly begun to realise that as much as I try to keep my reviews short and sweet, I always blabber on for far too long. So I wanted to give myself a chance to show my feelings for the books in a weekly review roundup. I'd love if people wanted to take part and do the same. This will basically be where I do a short review of the books I've reviewed that week, with a link to my full review if you want to read more. 

So I will host this weekly meme here and if you wish to take part then here's how:

• Create your own Weekly Review Roundup post - feel free to use my graphic or create your own, but remember to link back to Reviews from a Bookworm so that more people can take part! 
• I'll post on Sundays but post on whichever day suits you, the link up will be up for the duration of the week.
• Visit Reviews from a Bookworm and add your link so people can come check your post out and go visit some other blogs if you can, sharing is caring! 
• Feel free to set your post out however you want - Mini-review, simple ratings or you can vlog if you prefer. 
• If you would rather do a monthly roundup then that is also fine. Or if you want to include it in your Sunday Post.

17th December - 29th December 2013

There is only one review for this week. Christmas is a really hectic time of year, filled with seeing family, present wrapping and lots of socialising. I had no time for reading or blogging at all, which really sucked. Hopefully my second week off will go a lot better and I can read a ton more!


My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

"One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time."
The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, messy, affectionate. And every day from her rooftop perch, Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs up next to her and changes everything.
As the two fall fiercely for each other, stumbling through the awkwardness and awesomeness of first love, Jase's family embraces Samantha - even as she keeps him a secret from her own. Then something unthinkable happens, and the bottom drops out of Samantha's world. She's suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?
A transporting debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another

This book captured the magic of first love in such a beautiful way. I fell head-over-heels in love with this book, the characters, the love story and everything. I really adored this book from beginning to end and as soon as I was finished I wanted to start it all over again. I think I might have fallen more in love with Jase than Samantha did; that boy kind of stole my heart. I would definitely recommend to anyone and everyone. (Find full review here.)
5/5 Stars

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Weekly Review Roundup: 22/12/2013

Weekly Review Roundup #1

Hi all,
I came up with an idea that I want to try on my blog and hope some of you will want to participate.

I have slowly begun to realise that as much as I try to keep my reviews short and sweet, I always blabber on for far too long. So I wanted to give myself a chance to show my feelings for the books in a weekly review roundup. I'd love if people wanted to take part and do the same. This will basically be where I do a short review of the books I've reviewed that week, with a link to my full review if you want to read more. 

So I will host this weekly meme here and if you wish to take part then here's how:

• Create your own Weekly Review Roundup post - feel free to use my graphic or create your own, but remember to link back to Reviews from a Bookworm so that more people can take part! 
• I'll post on Sundays but post on whichever day suits you, the link up will be up for the duration of the week.
• Visit Reviews from a Bookworm and add your link so people can come check your post out and go visit some other blogs if you can, sharing is caring! 
• Feel free to set your post out however you want - Mini-review, simple ratings or you can vlog if you prefer. 
• If you would rather do a monthly roundup then that is also fine. Or if you want to include it in your Sunday Post.

16th December - 22nd December 2013

Obisidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Starting over sucks.
When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.
And then he opened his mouth.
Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens. 
The hot alien living next door marks me.
You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. 
If I don't kill him first, that is.


I now completely understand why everyone kept recommending this series. Addictive, fun and with truly memorable characters; it's hard not to love this. Armentrout is a genius when it comes to sexual tension. You can even see past the fact Daemon is a complete dick and the many Twilight similarities. Finished it and instantly had to start the sequel. (Read full review here.)
4/5 Stars

Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…

A great sequel, but I did enjoy the first one more. Daemon is less of an arsehole, but the chemistry between the characters seems to be missing for lots of the book. The ending had me flipping pages so fast my fingers hurt, I had to know what happened. Great sequel and made me want to continue the series. (Full review here.)
3.99/5 Stars



Sorry it took so long to get this up but Christmas is a crazy, crazy time!

Hope you all had a great Christmas..

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My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick: Review

Title: My Life Next Door
Author: Huntley Fitzpatrick
Publisher: Speak
Buy This Book: Amazon / Book Depository

A gorgeous debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another
“One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time.”
The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?
A dreamy summer read, full of characters who stay with you long after the story is over. (Goodreads summary.)

I seem to have fallen head-over-heels in love, with a book. I didn't know what to expect from My Life Next Door, but I definitely wasn't expecting to find one of my favourite reads ever. I just loved this, from beginning to end.

Samantha Reed was seven the day the Garrets moved in next door. Their large family was everything Samantha's mother didn't want living next door; loud, untidy, chaotic. But Samantha can't help but be curious about the Garretts, and she watches them from the roof outside her bedroom window. Ten years pass like this, with Sam watching the Garrets from afar, until Jase Garrett climbs up her trellis and into her life. In that moment I'm not sure if she fell for him straight away, but I sure did!

I'm not sure where to begin on what I liked about this story because the list is so long. The characters are all incredible, from Samantha and Jase all the way to the characters that you just love to hate. Huntley Fitzpatrick has managed to breathe life into every single character in this book, and there are a lot of them. The Garretts alone are a family of ten, but I still felt like I got to know and love them all. I fell in love with Jase, adored Sam and surprisingly Tim, the brother of Sam's best friend, was my third favourite character. He was sarcastic, funny, a bit of a fuck up but somehow so likeable. (I can't describe how excited I was to see that he is getting his own book. Can't wait!!!!)

I have found my book boyfriend in My Life Next Door. Seriously, I think I fell more in love with Jase than Samantha did. I fell for him the moment he climbed up that trellis and opened his mouth. This is surprising as it usually takes a very long time for that to happen to me, but he had me straight away. He is rather adorable, especially his love of animals, something I can definitely relate to. The way he looks after his younger siblings reminded me a lot of Lochan from Forbidden. This book had me swooning, and I never swoon!

The story progressed really well and there were so many different characters that it kept it really interesting. The Garretts were a big part of the story, but we also have Sam's mother who is a state senator, Clay Tucker the ambitious man helping her mother, her best friend Nan (a Nan is a relative, not a name for a child), and quite a few more. This book just felt very real and true to first love and teenage romance and first times. When the book takes a more serious turn you're not ready for it, especially after so many cute moments. But it works perfectly and had me feeling so many different emotions that I couldn't keep up.

I usually like to try and balance my review out by telling you something I disliked about this book but I am really struggling to think of anything. This, as I've said, is definitely one of my favourite reads now. As soon as I finished it I was tempted to start it all over again. It was such a beautiful, wonderful and hopeful story. I fell in love with the characters, was completely engrossed in the story, laughing one minute and tearing up the next.

5/5 Stars

A beautiful story that truly captures the magic of first love. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Hope I Get This Christmas

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at The Broke & The Bookish. Each week they host a different top ten topic.

Top Ten Books I Hope I Get This Christmas

Best and easiest topic EVER! I have a list as long as I am of books I would love to get this Christmas so I have a lot to pick from. I have dropped sooo many hints to the boyfriend that I hope he was paying attention to. We shall see tomorrow morning.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

 Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Not A Drop To Drink by Mindy McGinnis

 Ashfall by Mike Mullin
Angelfall by Susan Ee

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons
The Archived by Victoria Schwab

 Pivot Point by Kasie West
The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd


I've realised that every book in my top ten is one I only know about because of blogging. They all look incredible and I can't wait to see if I get any of them this Christmas.

I have been, and will continue to be, a little absent on the blogging front for the next couple of days. Christmas is a busy time, full of seeing family and lots of time away from home and my laptop. But after that I will still have a week off work and I can get back on track.

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