Wednesday 30 July 2014

Top 5 Wednesday: Books That Made Me Cry

Top 5 Wednesday is a meme started by Lainey at Ginger Reads Lainey. Find the list of all the #T5WFamily here.

This weeks topic is:

Top 5 Books That Made Me Cry!
I'm not one to cry a lot. I might get a few tears here or there. But I've got a pretty cold heart. So if a book can make my ugly sob you know it has done its job. Surprisingly though, it was hard to cut it down to five. I guess I've read some really emotionally draining books. So I've went ahead and narrowed it down to five books that have made me ball like a baby as reading and even days after when thinking about them I've shed a few more of my precious tears. These are some of my very favourite books and I love them to pieces even if they killed me.
Obviously I can't really say why the book made me cry because of spoilers. Just know that I sobbed, possibly more than once, well reading and after I was done reading.

5. Allegiant

4. Code Name Verity

3. Maybe Someday

2. Anybody Out There

1. Me Before You

Clearly I'm missing a lot of popular books that I love and have left my tear ducts all dried up like Harry Potter, TFiOS, The Book Thief, Clockwork Princess, One Day and Firefly Lane(to name a few). So what do you say? What are some books that left you in a puddle of your own tears?

Happy reading!

Brittany 

Tuesday 29 July 2014

Top Ten Tuesday: Authors I Own the Most Books From

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme held by The Broke and the Bookish.

This weeks topic is: 

Top Ten Authors I Own the Most Books From!

I am taking this literal and counting every book I own from said author. That includes, physical, e-book, multiple editions/copies, ARC's, etc...

10. Richelle Mead

At this exact moment I have 9 of her books with the last two(currently published) Bloodlines books on the way in the mail.

9. Maria V. Snyder

Awe my lovely fantastic fantasy favourite. Whom I'm surprisingly missing one of her books(I will rectify that now). So in total I have 10(but should be 11).

8. Louise Rennison

Pretty much I just own all 10 of the Georgia Nicolson books.

7. Cassandra Clare

10 books for Cassie, too; TID, TMI and the first TID manga.

6. Sarah Dessen

I own all 11 of her books. She is one of my favourite authors.

5. Sophie Kinsella/Madeleine Wickham

Including her Shopaholic series and various other books I own a total of 12.

4. Rick Riordan

With Percy, Heroes of Olympus and Kane Chronicles that brings me to 13.

3. Diana Gabaldon

Of course I own all the Outlander books, including the Outlandish Companion and graphic novel. With multiple copies of Outlander. As well as the John Grey books brings me to 14.

2. J.K. Rowling

With two complete sets of HP, the three "companion" novels, Casual Vacancy and Cuckoo's Calling, Rowling's grand total is 19.

1. Jennifer L. Armentrout/J.Lynn

My ultimate drug of choice. Just know I pretty own all her books in one form or another(and sometimes in multiple forms). Which means I own 22 of Jen's addictively amazing books.

Who are your top owned authors?

Happy reading!

Brittany

Monday 28 July 2014

Miniviews #13: Before Jamaica Lane & Fall From India Place

Before Jamaica Lane by Samantha Young
Publication Date: January 7th, 2014
Publisher: NAL Trade
Pages: 432
Series: On Dublin Street #3
Source: Purchased
Rating: 4.5/5
As soon as I knew which characters were going to be the main focus of Before Jamaica Lane I might have been a little to excited. I absolutely loved the glimpses we got of Liv in Down London Road. She just seemed totally cool and kick-ass. Than add in this kind of mysterious friend of Cam's, Nate, who is a total player. I absolutely needed to get this book in my hands to devour it. I was not disappointed. Liv and Nate are easily my favourite couple from this series. The chemistry and intense sexual tension between them is off the charts. Before anything actually starts between them, they are best friends. I love their friendship. It's cute. They get each others jokes and quirkiness. They know things about each other that no one else does. They've both been through death and dark periods and can be there for each other when one of them is having a bad day.
Liv is a really confident and intelligent girl. But she's got some insecurities that are keeping her from pursuing a guy she's crushing on. Eventually she confesses to Nate that she has no experience with dating or sex and Nate decides he's going to teach her. Nate is a player. He's got his reasons why he never gets attached to girls. But you can tell how much he cares and loves Liv. He needs her friendship. The way he continually tells her she's beautiful and that she's crazy for thinking these terrible things about herself is endearing. Even when they eventually start to have this mind blowing sex together it's all in the pretense of Nate teaching Liv. Obviously things don't remain uncomplicated and it eventually goes to shit.
Like I said I love them together. The banter, tension and just everything about them is just all the things. I actually teared up throughout the last quarter of the book. There's really no reason why I should have. Especially because I'm not one to cry(my robot heart and all). But with Nate trying to win Liv back. The things he does and says. Mashed-up with Liv's feelings just hit me in the feels. God, I need a whole other book about them.

Fall From India Place by Samantha Young
Publication Date: June 3rd, 2014
Publisher: NAL Trade
Pages: 294
Series: On Dublin Street #4
Source: Purchased
Rating: 4/5
There was a lot of build up in the previous series books for Fall From India Place. There was a lot of glimpses into Hannah and Marco's developing friendship. Although we never met Marco before this book, Hannah kept us informed about them through the various ladies throughout the other books. I also was taken with Hannah. We saw her grow up throughout the series. She's shy, but really smart and witty. And a total bookworm. Fall From India Place takes place a few years later when Hannah has graduated from uni. Marco is no longer in her life though. She hasn't spoken or seen him in years, but he's left an impact on her. She still thinks about him. We know something happened between the two of him before he took off that left Hannah a shell of the person she was before. Back in present time Marco suddenly appears and wants back into her life. This wall that Hannah has built up around herself starts to crumble with his daily nudges.
Finally learning about the mysterious Marco's past really showed him as this outstanding guy. To be told you're scum by your family is of course going to take a hit. And as much as Marco obviously cared for Hannah he knew he wasn't in a place to give her what she deserved. I think it really showed how mature and decent he is when he does come back to her. I know he probably didn't go about it the right way with no good-bye or word to her in years. But I can really appreciate him for getting his life together before involving someone else in it. Unfortunately I didn't fall for Hannah as much as I thought I would. She's a great girl, I just wanted to her to stop being afraid and be the person she was. You know? She's got a fantastic life and family and another chance with the love of her life. But she lets the past stop her from moving forward. She keeps something from Marco that she never should have. And she blames him for it. Which I can understand to an extent. The shit that happened to her was scary and Marco wasn't there for her. I just can't get behind her blaming him and not leaning on her family when it's obvious they are 100% there for her.
Hannah and Marco together are hot and intense. It's adorable how much Marco is fighting to have her back in his life. He knows what he wants, he's got his priorities straight and he just needs to convince Hannah he's not going anywhere again. May not have been my favourite couple of the series(so far) but the set up for Cole's book is leaving me needy. I need Cole's book. The man he's turned into is very appealing.

Happy reading!

Brittany

Sunday 27 July 2014

Showcase Sunday #45

Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme held by Books, Biscuits and Tea. It allows fellow bloggers to show off any books or bookish things they've compiled over the week.

Hey guys. How goes it? I can't believe this is the last Sunday of July. This year is just flying by. It's a little ridiculous. Not a very exciting week for me. I've been attached to my Twitter the last few days getting Comin Con updates. Well mostly any Outlander updates. I am beyond obsessed, but I don't care. This is my favourite book/series of all time. And I can't wait to actually see it come to live. Especially Jamie. God, that Sam Heughan is gorgeous.
Anyhow, books. Right...I didn't mean to get as many books as I acquired this week. I had a pre-order and an order from Book Depository come in. And than because I'm on a major NA kick and need to read all the books, I picked up some. But more importantly, I've become obsessed with the On Dublin Street series and have devoured all those books this week. I also got Black Ice for review. I'm really excited for it. It doesn't come out until October so I'll wait till September to read it. But Fitzpatrick's Hush Hush series is a guilty pleasure of mine. I love it.

Purchased

Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid
The Earthsea Quartet(Earthsea Cycle #1-4) by Ursula Le Guin

Review


What you guys get this week?

Happy reading!

Brittany




Friday 25 July 2014

Miniviews #12: On Dublin Street & Down London Road

On Dublin Street by Samantha Young
Publication Date: August 31st, 2012
Publisher: NAL Trade
Pages: 336
Series: On Dublin Street #1
Source: Purchased
Rating: 4/5
So I was continually told by a bookish friend of mine that I really needed to start this series. As a NA fan/reader it is a must. And I'm now going to have to agree with her. On Dublin Street is an easy one sitting read. It's addicting and pulls you into the romance and drama right away. As a heavy NA reader it is easy to see that 90% of the books follow the same story ARC, so that's why the characters and dialogue are extremely important. It not only helps to differentiate between books but also for enjoyment purposes. And Young has no problem on either account. Joss and Braden's relationship is full of sexual tension and heavy moments. But I rather enjoyed their banter and social interactions. Joss is a strong headed, smart and witty women. She's got a lot of wounds. That are still wide open. She has abandonment issues. Her parents died when she was a young teen, so she's stayed away from relationships. She just can't stand to lose anyone else she loves. Until Braden comes into her life. One chance meeting in a taxi leads to another accidental meeting when it turns out that Joss is Braden's sister, Ellie, new roommate. Braden is a high successful business type guy with a very strong alpha-male personality. He's overly protective of his family and what he feels is his. I'm not one to really enjoy the alpha-male guys because they normally tend to constantly piss me off. Braden is no exception. He had a lot of moments that I wanted to punch him. Ultimately though I still really liked him. He was good for Joss. It's a romance novel, so of course there's drama. But I liked how Braden handled Joss's issues. She has every right to feel the way she does(not that I didn't want to shake her a little when she just doesn't get it). Braden just didn't give up on her. And Joss didn't let him boss her around. She stood up to his caveman like moments. Oh, and I can't forget he's a handsome Scot. This series takes place in Edinburgh. 'Nuff said.
I also loved how prominent the secondary characters were. All their friends and family had side stories that we got to know. Many are a set-ups for the companion novels. Which I was definitely okay with. It just left me feeling extremely excited for what is to come.  



Down London Road by Samantha Young
Publication Date: May 7th, 2013
Publisher: NAL Trade
Pages: 373
Series: On Dublin Street #2
Source: Purchased
Rating: 4/5
So let's just continue on talking about my newest addiction, the On Dublin Street series. This one follows Jo, who is Joss's co-worker from the first book. On Dublin Street painted Jo as a kind of high class hooker. She only dates older men with money. She's tall, beautiful and giggles. A lot. Well Down London Road quickly shows her in a different light. Sure she's dating a wealthy older man. Who she obviously doesn't love. But likes him enough and is hoping he'll be the one to help her out in life. Jo hasn't had the easiest life. Right now she's pulling two jobs, raising her younger teenage brother and looking after her alcoholic mom. She's not one to take handouts. She pays all the bills as well as putting money aside for Cole(her brother), so he can actually go to uni and have the life she couldn't. I really liked Jo. I felt for her. She's a wonderful sister to Cole. Her first thoughts are always for him. And unfortunately that leads her to dating these rich man that could eventually provide for her and Cole. She's terribly sweet although a little to stubborn. I just wanted her to see that taking help offered to her from friends is not a handout. But that all changes when she meets Cam. There's an instant sizzling chemistry when they first lock eyes. But they're both in relationships and he's not her type. He's her age, has tats and is out of a job. That is until Jo helps him get a bar tending job with her. Cam is a huge jackass to her right off. He judges her and doesn't do it nicely(not like there is a nice way to judge someone). So they don't like each other. Until he moves into the flat under hers and secrets get spilled. Their friendship moves into dating quite quickly. And it's pretty intense. I loved Cam and Jo together. It's really sweet. Although Cam can turn on the possessiveness a little to high for my liking. He's really good to Jo and Cole. He takes him and is like a big brother to him without a second thought. Unfortunately Jo's insecurities eventually rear their ugly head and drama ensues. But I loved that he didn't give up on her. There was a lot of swoon between them and I loved their relationship even more than Joss and Braden's. Who coincidentally we still get to see quite a bit of. We still get to see how their relationship is going. I really love it when authors still make previous characters a big part in the continuing companion novels.

Happy reading!

Brittany

Wednesday 23 July 2014

Top 5 Wednesday: Books I Wished I'd Read Earlier

Top 5 Wednesday is a meme started by Lainey at Ginger Reads Lainey. Find the list of all the #T5WFamily here.

This weeks topic is:

Top 5 Books I Wished I'd Read Earlier!

5. The Giver

You'll find this as the theme for the first few books mentioned, but for some reason I didn't have to read this in grade school. So I finally picked it a few years ago and I don't get the love for it? I thought it was terribly boring. It was the longest less than 200 page book I've ever read. *hides from thrown objects* But I think if I had read it in my much younger years, I might have got something from it. Apparently in my adult years I don't have the attention span for it.

4. Forever

I read and loved a ton of Judy Blume growning up but Forever was just one I never got to. So I picked it up a few years ago since I've heard it's a staple for teenage love and sex. Umm...no? Like what a shallow, petty book. There was absolutely no depth to their relationship. As an adult I don't see how this book would have made an impact on a teenage girl. But if I had read it in my earlier teenage years, I think I would have found the appeal. *shrugs*

3. The Perks of Being A Wallflower

I don't hate The Perks but I am far from one of its loyal followers. Again, another book I only picked up a few years ago. And another one that didn't really resonate with my adult self. I do think that had I read this at fourteen it would have had an impact on me. I would have been able to relate to Charlie a lot more.

2. Vampire Academy

Oh, Vampire Academy. Unfortunately the cheesy covers, title and vampires kept me away from this series until last year. After I came out of my Twilight haze six years ago I kind of dismissed most series focusing on vampires. I had heard a lot of fantastic praise for VA though. I just didn't believe it. So I stayed away. Until I finally binge read the series in the span of a week last summer. And than I came to understand that I was stupid for judging the series. I'm extremely happy to have been able to binge it, but I'm also a little disappointed that I've only been in the VA fandom for the last year. I could have had so many more years with it.

1. Anna and the French Kiss

I'm not a newb to the Stephanie Perkins love. But I put off picking up Anna for about a year after it was first published. I saw it in the bookstore every week I went in. It's cheesy cover and even cheesier title staring at me. But over the year the praise just continued to increase. Of course I finally caved with no expectations. Thinking everyone be cray cray. Obviously I was wrong. I love Anna and Lola even more. I'm just a little sad because I could have been one of those very first readers to discover this jem. And now I'm definitely one of those readers eagerly anticipating Isla for the past few years.  


Happy reading!

Brittany


Tuesday 22 July 2014

Top Ten Tuesday: Characters I Would Want With Me on A Deserted Island

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme held by The Broke and the Bookish.

This weeks topic is: 


Top Ten Characters I Would Want on A Deserted Island With Me!

I put a lot of thought into this weeks topic. It was near impossible to narrow down to who would offer me my best chance of survival. But after much deliberation I have a top ten. And I think you'd all agree that I've hit the nail on the head with what the most important trait for survival is.

10. Ron Weasley
Let's be honest, every life situation would be that much better if a wizard was present. And sure I could have gone the smart route with Hermione. But what fun would that be? Ron is the comic relief. I'd have someone to be angsty and rude with. Plus he's pretty hot.

9. Matt Finch
Okay, I don't really know if Matt Finch has any useful survival skills. But he's a total babe. A total babe with a guitar who can wear the hell out his levis. That's key for my survival on a deserted island.

8. Jem Carstairs
You might be thinking, Brittany why would you pick Jem over all the other Shadowhunters? Well for one, Jem has my heart. And secondly he's not rash. I don't know what kind of island this is but in case of demons Jem is the Shadowhunter I want protecting me. And of course he's gorgeous.

7. Struhmond
Strumhond is the type of guy that seems to get shit done. He knows where to go to find things he needs. We're going to need a lot of certain items and food to survive. So I'm okay putting all my faith in this charming privateer. His wit and sarcasm will make my day entertaining. And I'm sure my eyes won't be disappointed either.  

6. Tucker Avery

Every island needs a cowboy. Those wild horses will come in handy, but what would we do without Tucker to catch and control them for us?  I'd encourage him to do all his work without a shirt with his cowboy hat on. I'm just thinking of his well being. I don't want him to over heat.

5. Roth
Every island needs that ridiculously hot asshole type. He's probably likely to piss everyone off at some point throughout the day as he exudes confidence. But seeing as I'm all about the swoon, I'll learn to deal and live for the times when something very swoon worthy comes out of that hot mouth of his. I also think those tats of his will come in handy. A wild feral cat attacking us, no worries. Bambi has it covered. Day saved!

4. Tobias Eaton(Four)
Every island also needs that broody, loner type. In this case though that guy is also a bad-ass with a smart mouth. I have a feeling there's going to be some male head butting going on. So I'm going to count on Tobias to tell these goes where to shove it. He's also afraid of almost nothing. When I hear a noise out in the dark, he'll not think twice about checking it out. And hell, I just want to stare at his back tats all day too.

3. Chaol Westfall
Chaol is a captain. What do captains excel at? Keeping order and delegating. He'll have a schedule and keep everyone in line. He's also a born fighter. There might come a point when we have to build an army to fight off any wild beasties. I wouldn't trust anyone other than Chaol to give us the perfect training. He'll probably also run all said training exercises without a shirt. Just sayin'...

2. The Merrick brothers; Michael, Nick, Gabriel and Chris
Yes this set of brothers is probably the hottest set of brothers in fiction. But that's not all they've got going on. They each can control a different element. How useful. We need a fire, Gabriel's got it. To hot and need water, Chris is on it. That heavy boulder impending our shelter, Michael can move it without breaking a sweat. The humidity keeping you short of breath, Nick can help out there. Obviously it will be against the law to wear shirts on this island.

1. James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser
You know what? In the end I would really only need one man to survive on a deserted island. And it is Jamie. I mean sure he's a ruggedly handsome Scot who can wear the hell out a kilt. Keep him cool on the island. But he's also a Highlander. He can build shelter, hunt and provide from very little. He's also very savvy and smart. I could sing he's praises and strong points all day.

Happy reading!

Brittany

Monday 21 July 2014

Review: On the Fence by Kasie West

On the Fence by Kasie West

Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: July 1st, 201
Pages: 304
Source: Purchased
Rating: 3.5/5
Add to Goodreads

She's a tomboy. He's the boy next door…

Charlie Reynolds can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at a chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world. To cope with the stress of her new reality, Charlie takes to spending nights chatting with her neighbor Braden through the fence between their yards. As she grows to depend on their nightly Fence Chats, she realizes she's got a bigger problem than speeding tickets-she's falling for Braden. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.

You know what West has quickly become the queen of? Adorable. It is impossible to read one of her books without hurting your face with all the smiling you're doing because of the extreme cuteness. I'm also a complete sucker for the boy next door stories. And with West penning this story I knew it would be gold. Just prepare yourself for so much awwww.

Charlie is a tomboy. She was raised by her dad, three brothers and Braden their next door neighbour but might as well be her brother. She's into every sport, whether playing or watching them and has never really cared about her look. As far as she's concerned she's usually sweaty and ready to hit or kick a ball at anytime. But things start to change when she gets another speeding ticket and her dad makes her get a job so she can pay it off. With no work experience the only person willing to hire Charlie is an eccentric local boutique owner(who readers might remember from The Distance Between Us). She finds herself having to dress in something more than jeans and t-shirts, interacting with other girls, wearing make-up, having a boy interested in her and above all realizing she might have feelings for Braden. So much change. Of course Charlie doesn't know how to deal with it. And thus ensues On the Fence.

I really, really liked Charlie. She's this super sporty go with the flow kind of girl. Being the only girl in a household of boys makes her extremely comfortable around guys. She's one to joke and pull jokes, can easily put up with their mood swings and just a really easy going kind of girl. Where she's not comfortable is with the girly stuff. It becomes really apparent when she has to start acting a bit more girly for her job. And even more so when she makes a few girlfriends. Charlie thinks she needs to be some one different around them or they won't like her. So she puts on this fake persona of enjoying make-up and not getting sports. And when a guy her brothers don't know takes interest in her she's so confused as to how she should be acting. If she starts to show him up on his sports talk will he actually like her? Charlie spends a lot of the book will trying to come to terms with herself. She is a teenage after all. You know, being confused about being yourself around people when you don't think they'll like you as you. Stupid teenager thinking. And adult thinking too. Insecurities are ripe in this book. But because this is a cute contemp everything is pretty light.

As the book is so rightly called, On the Fence, this is where Charlie and Braden start to have a few heart to hearts. They've always been like brother and sister but over the past year or so they seem to have drifted a little bit apart. And than their relationship starts to take an even different spin when they start to have late night chats through the fence. Charlie has nightmares. Which makes it hard for her to sleep. Her mother died when she was younger and she's constantly dreaming it. In waking she doesn't really know the details, but her dreams seem to tell a different story. Braden's father is a drunken asshole. So one night when Charlie is outside trying to escape sleep, Braden thumps outside to get away from his dad and thus starts their nightly fence chats. During the day Charlie doesn't totally know how to act around him because she's not sure if his feelings for her are changing(they are). Braden is super cute(theme of the book apparently). You can tell how much he cares for Charlie. He's also trying to get her to see that being herself is not a bad thing. She's an awesome person and if she has to change herself for a guy he's not worth it. It's fun to see them try and contain their feelings for each other.

What I loved most about On the Fence is Charlie's family dynamic. Her relationship with her brothers is so spot on and brilliant. I loved how they interacted with each other. They treat her like one of the guys. There's no second thought when something is going on, Charlie is automatically included. She's fierce and as competitive as they are, maybe even more so. But they also know she's a girl. A desirable girl at that. Charlie just turning sixteen means she is free from her dad's rule of no dating. Charlie doesn't see anything changing with the guys she plays pick-up football with every weekend, but her brothers know differently. They need to kick up their over-protective nature and have some talks with the guys. The siblings are hilarious together. Joking, beating, fighting. Like I said, such a fun family. Add on Charlie's relationship with her dad(he had to learn to raise a daughter, even being as non-girly as she is, she still is a girl) and the Reynolds have quickly become a favourite family of mine.

Now, that being said, I unfortunately had some problems with One the Fence that stopped me from giving the perfect rating I had hoped it would get. I found that the banter and easy flow of dialogue that I've come to expect from a West book was lacking. Too many conversations were to abrupt and one worded.
Also the last fifty pages or so were disappointing. Obviously because of spoilers I can't really get into it, but Charlie is finally served some truths about her mom and what really happened and the whole reveal and after talks were not totally realistic. I know On the Fence is a pretty light read, but I still felt the situation needed a little more depth than what it was given. *shrugs* That unfortunately impended on my enjoyment of the book. I just wanted more. And I also wanted more Charlie and Braden. Why do YA contemps always gotta end when the characters finally get together? I hate it so much!

I still bow down to West. She is the queen of cute and adorable. Although On the Fence isn't my favourite of hers. She is still a fantastic writer and story teller. I can't wait for more future adorableness.

Happy reading!

Brittany

Sunday 20 July 2014

Showcase Sunday #44

Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme held by Books, Biscuits and Tea. It allows fellow bloggers to show off any books or bookish things they've compiled over the week.

Hey friends. How goes it? I've just woken up after a bachlorette night. Soooo today is going to be rough. Lol. Let's just move on to the books so I can go back to bed.
I picked up a few Strange Chemistry books to support those authors and because who knows how much longer you'll still be able to get them. Also the first two volumes in the Amulet graphic novel series. I'm on a major NA kick right now, so I had to grab a few Kindle books. And also borrowed a few audio and e-books from my library.

Purchased
The Pirate's Wish(The Assassin's Curse #2) by Cassandra Rose Clarke
Stolen Songbird(The Malediction Trilogy #1) by Danielle L. Jensen
Amulet Volume 1:The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi
Amulet Volume 2:The Stonekeeper's Curse by Kazu Kibuishi

E-Books Purchased


Library

What you guys get this week?

Happy reading!

Brittany