Top Ten Tuesday (3)

There have been many, MANY books that I have read in the last two years(ish) because of another blogger. I’m pretty sure that I never would have read most of the debut authors from the last couple of years are thanks to Kristi at The Story Siren and the Debut Author Challenge. But there are so many other amazing bloggers out there who I follow and look to for book reviews. Nicole from WORD for Teens is the one who got me onto both the Bloody Jack and the Parasol Protectorate novels. The rest of the novels on the list (whether I enjoyed reading them or not) are all memorable novels which I first heard of from other bloggers and their glowing reviews.

And so, here is my top ten list for Books I Read Because of Another Blogger in no particular order;

1. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

3. Soulless by Gail Carriger

4. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

5. Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer

6. Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson

7. Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

8. Generation Dead by Daniel Waters

9. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

10. If I Stay by Gayle Forman


For more information about Top Ten Tuesdays visit The Broke and the Bookish!

Short Sexy Non-YA Times

Cosmo’s Sexiest Stories Ever

Written by: Jane Greene, Jennifer Weiner, and Meg Cabot

Released: August 23, 2011 by Hearst Books

Summary: The world’s best-selling magazine for young women asked three best-selling authors to each write a story steamy enough for the pages of Cosmo—a tall order, but these ladies so delivered. The trio of tantalizing tales was such a hit that they’ve been compiled into this must-have ebook. Now, readers can devour these naughty little nuggets whenever, wherever. Here’s a taste of the deliciousness inside:

 “Sex Under the Stars” by Jane Green

Maggie’s marriage fell apart three years ago—and now she has her eyes set on her ex-hubby’s smoke-show of a best friend. 

“Birthday Sex She’ll Never Forget” by Jennifer Weiner

Daphne’s turning twenty-six, and the best damn gift she could have ever asked for comes in the form of a hot guy from her past—and his spine-tingling mattress moves. 

“Falling in Lust at the Jersey Shore” by Meg Cabot

When Gemma agrees to go in on a house at the Jersey Shore, she assumes every dude there will be a gorilla juicehead. So she is pleasantly surprised by the yummy piece of eye candy waiting for her when she arrives.

Steamy? Check. Fantasy inducing? Check. Safe-sex practicing? Check. These short (super short) stories have it all.

I was a little surprised to see this on NetGalley but it intrigued me to I clicked the request button. I thought that it would be more like those horrible compilation romance novels that are meant to make the reader buy the full-length spin-off whatnot when it comes out. However I also figured that I couldn’t go wrong with Meg Cabot being one of the authors, so I took a chance.

I loved to see that there were three short one-shot stories. Each was about seven pages long (on my e-reader) and it was a nice foray into a non-YA novel for a little while.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and I’m giving it a 9/10. If you’re on NetGalley check it out!

PS: These stories are totally NSFW.

As always, my thanks to everyone through NetGalley who made it possible for me to read this e-book.

Of Closets, Teapots, and Aquatic Animals

Heartless

Written by: Gail Carriger

Released: June 28, 2011 by Orbit

Summary: Lady Alexia Maccon, soulless, is at it again, only this time the trouble is not her fault. When a mad ghost threatens the queen, Alexia is on the case, following a trail that leads her deep into her husband's past. Top that off with a sister who has joined the suffragette movement (shocking!), Madame Lefoux's latest mechanical invention, and a plague of zombie porcupines and Alexia barely has time to remember she happens to be eight months pregnant.

Will Alexia manage to determine who is trying to kill Queen Victoria before it is too late? Is it the vampires again or is there a traitor lurking about in wolf's clothing? And what, exactly, has taken up residence in Lord Akeldama's second best closet?

I read this MONTHS ago (I’m that far behind in my review writing) but I absolutely adored this novel and it’s hard to forget.

I loved how huffy Alexia was with just about everything and especially her little quips about her pregnancy. She just made me smile the entire time with her sarcasm and sass since the entire novel you could see just how much she didn’t really mean it. Top it all off with growling werewolves and haughty vampires and you get this amazing combination of characters who do nothing but get in and out of trouble.

This novel was full of adventure, experiments, and fabulous fashion sense. It’s definitely not one of those novels where it wasn’t as good of a read as the first in the series; if anything these novels keep getting better.

I can’t wait for the next novel in the series and luckily I’ve already pre-ordered it from The Book Depository! 10/10.

Pro-Something

In Trouble


Written by: Ellen Levine

Released: September 28, 2011 by Carolrhoda Books

Summary: Jamie and Elaine have been best friends forever, and now they’re finally juniors in high school. Elaine has a steady boyfriend, and Jamie could have one—if she'd just open her eyes and see Paul. But Jamie has a bigger problem to worry about.

Then Elaine gets "in trouble"—something they thought only happened to "other" girls. Are there any good choices for a girl in trouble?

In Trouble is a novel born of author Ellen Levine’s interviews with women who came of age in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including those who knew what it was like to be a teen facing a horrible choice.

In the decades before Roe v. Wade, a young woman "in trouble" had very few options—and all of them meant shame, isolation, and maybe much worse.

Jamie and Elaine's stories are just two among the thousands of stories of teenagers facing unplanned pregnancies.

I love reading novels with subject matter like this one because it’s so entrenched in real life that I can’t help but imagine it being true. Plus, while I’m pro-choice in matters such as these, I’m fascinated on the process that other people go through in order to make their own decision.

Both Jamie and Elaine’s stories are ones which I know have happened to so many different girls all over the world. With one pregnancy resulting from false declarations of love and pressure and the other from unfortunate circumstances, this story covers a wide spectrum pertaining to pregnancy. They also cover the different choices that a girl has – which in the set time period of this novel isn’t necessarily as many as there are today – and the turmoil that those choices can cause within a person’s life.

What I didn’t like about this novel was the way it was written. The story, I loved, but I could have done without the secondary plot line of Jamie’s father and the annoying jumps to a script-like narrative. It was choppy and made it hard to really get into and stay into the story. The only place where the script-thing even worked well in my mind was when Jamie was remembering her attack and the events leading up to it. But even the attack itself was awkward from the very beginning; the way that it was first hinted at, the almost pointless build-up (since the reader knew about it anyways so long as they could put two and two together and get four), and how nothing seemed to be done afterwards.

This novel deals with heavy subject matter and might not be for all people. Aside from pregnancy, it deals with religion and politics and while I liked the novel well enough, it just wasn’t enough. I’m giving it a 4/10.



I was graciously provided this eARC though netGalley by Carolrhoda Books.

Wish List Wednesday - Number Fifty-Eight

LOOK AT THIS COVER!!!!

Holy Smokes! I think that I would read this purely for the cover. However, the summary is amazing as well.

Emma and her friend Chloe are spending vacation in Florida. When Emma (literally) runs into a hot guy named Galen on the beach, little does she know he’s a prince of the Syrena. Galen and Emma both feel something strange – is it attraction? – and Galen suspects that Emma might well be the girl he’s heard of – a human who can communicate with fish.

What follows is a deadly scene with a shark in which Galen witnesses Emma’s gifts. He must know more about her, and follows her back to New Jersey, and high school, to find out for sure if she’s the key to saving his kingdom. Soon, Emma can’t deny her feelings for him, but can’t explain them, either – and both she and Galen must learn more about where she comes from and what her powers are before they can trust one another and their feelings.

Anna Banks and Feiwel & Friends, I officially cannot wait until next May 22 so that I can buy this novel and just stare at the cover (and, you know, read it).