Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the Broke and Bookish

Hey guys! It is time for another TTT and this week is it top ten books I read in one sitting! I’m going to show off the books that I read relatively quickly – because reading in one sitting is almost impossible with a 1 year old! 😛

10.  This is Where is Ends by Marieke Nijkamp – This I actually did read in one sitting and it was AWESOME!!

9.  Follow me Back by A. V. Geiger – I actually read an ARC of this because it doesn’t release until June and it was just so addictive! I just HAD to find out what happened… and the very last page was worth everything!!

8.  A Bond of Venom and Magic by Karen Tomlinson – This book… Just… THIS BOOK!!!

7.  The One by Kiera Cass – I actually read this in one sitting on the day that it released! I waited a really long time for this book and it was just everything I wanted!

6.  Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas – I was actually in hospital when I read this and I basically didn’t move until I had finished… It was AMAZING!

5.  Spelled by Betsy Schow – This was a major laugh out loud for me and one that I am constantly recommending!

4.  Only Ever Yours by Louise O’Neill – I think for anyone who has read this book, it’s an obvious choice. If you haven’t … WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN HIDING!!

3.  Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma – I was so worried going into this because of the taboo subject matter… but I read it extremely quickly and it was done so well!

2.  Rites of Passage by Joy. N. Hensley – I normally would never have picked this up based on the cover! I absolutely hate most things to do with the army/war when it comes to books and film… however,I am so thankful to the blog (I can’t remember who it was anymore it was so long ago) who wrote a glowing review of this because I ADORED IT!!

1.  Asking For It by Louise O’Neill – This author again! This book was also absolutely amazing and thought provoking and I just want more from this author!

That’s it! These are the books that I read in one sitting or relatively quickly! Have you read any of these?

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the Broke and Bookish

Hey guys! It is time for another TTT! This weeks topic is top ten books I liked/disliked more than I thought I would. I decided to go with book that I liked more than I thought I would! Without further ado and in no particular order…

10. Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma – If you read the blurb… I think most people automatically go NOPE based purely on the subject matter. However, I had heard some amazing things about this book, and I went into thinking that they can’t even be remotely right because…incest?!? However, this book broke me and my poor little feelings in all the right places and I would definitely recommend it!

9.  Rites of Passage by Joy N. Hensley – I really detest this cover and it is a book that I really would never have even considered if I hadn’t seen a glowing review first. I still went into this book thinking I wasn’t going to get along with it and I absolutely loved it!

8.  Only Ever Yours by Louise O’Neill – I was expecting to like this book, but I was not expecting it to blow me away the way that it did! I was left speechless and I had no idea how to even form words – let alone write a review!

7.  Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas – Anyone who knows me knows that I love myself a good whodunnit. I think this one is absolutely my favourite and I think after everything that happened and the feelings etc. If you’ve read it, you’ll understand – I loved this book more than I ever thought I would!

6.  Follow me Back by A. V. Geiger – Admittedly, I finished reading this on Saturday… I went into this book with the usual expectations of a book of this nature… but I was left reeling by the end and I just NEED THE SEQUEL!

5.  Pretty Wicked by Kelly Charron – I actually lowered my expectations for this one because it’s really difficult to get the perspective right from which this book is written – and usually it’s done completely wrong! However, I was absolutely blown away by this and I can’t wait to read more from this author!

4.  This is Where it Ends by Marieke Niejkamp – I am always on the search for books of this nature, however, half the time, I’m left disappointed. This book, however, exceeded my expectations and I cried for so long afterward!

3.  Spelled by Betsy Schow – I have definitely read my fair share of Fairytale retellings, so I wasn’t expecting much different from this book. However, my poor ribs!!! I’m pretty sure I cracked one laughing!

2.  Everlasting Flame by Katelyn Anderson – I went into this expecting to like it because the blurb has everything I look for. However, Joan and Dane definitely have a special place inside of me and I could re read this 1,000 times over and never get bored!

1.  The Girl with All the Gifts by M. R. Carey – I was unsure about zombies in this. I doubted how well it could be portrayed considering all of the zombie films/ programmes there are out there. However, the way in which this is written etc. was absolutely amazing!

That’s it! I loved all of these books more than I was really expecting to and I am so glad that I picked these up! Have you read any of these? Did you enjoy them?

September Wrap Up

Hey guys! It is time to wrap up the month of September! I managed to read a total of 9 books this month! Which is more than I thought I had read. One of those books did not get reviewed on my blog because I was so angry with it. It was insulting. Anyway, lets do this!

Read:

• Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova – I received an ARC of this via Sourcebooks Fire, 4/5 stars
• Dear Charlie by N. D. Gomes – I received an ARC of this via Netgalley, 5/5 Stars
• With Malice by Eileen Cook – 2.5/5 stars
• Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi, 4/5 stars
• The Lost Knight by Candy Atkins – I received a review copy of this book via Xpresso Book Tours, 4/5 stars.
• Pretty Wicked by Kelly Charron – I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley, 5/5 stars
• Winning by Lara Deloza, 3/5 stars.
• The Girl With All the Gifts by M. R. Carey, 4/5 stars, review to come!
• Jenna’s Truth by Nadia L. King, 1/5 stars (If I could give it 0, I would!). I feel like I need to explain this book. This book was never reviewed on my blog – I received an ARC of this via Netgalley. However, it was 34 pages long, and it was insulting to anyone who had ever been the victim of bullying, cyber bullying and sexual assault. If you really want to read the review I wrote for Goodreads’ sake, you can find it here.

Books I acquired in the month of September:

Physical:

• Only Ever Yours by Louise O’Neill
• Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi
• Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas
• Spelled by Betsy Schow
• Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
• Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
• Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
• Winning by Lara Deloza
• The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee
• The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich
• Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
• The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas
• The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

Kindle:

• Pretty Wicked by Kelly Charron – ARC
• A Mortal Song by Megan Crewe – I won this at her release day party on Facebook
• These Great Affects by Andrew Toy – This book doesn’t actually have a Goodreads Page. It is also an ARC.
• Consurge by D. T. Dylan – ARC Provided from the author.
• Jenna’s Truth by Nadia. L. King
• Escape from Witchwood Hollow by Jordan Elizabeth Mierek – Review copy provided by the author.
• Everlasting Flame by Katelyn Anderson – Review copy provided by the author
• Oak and Mistletoe by J. Z. N. McCauley – ARC provided by the author

Special posts:

Spotlight: Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova

Cover Reveal: Emerge: The Judgement by Melissa A. Craven

That’s it for me this month!! *Phew* I thought this post was never going to end!

How was September for you guys?

Find me here:

Instagram/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads

 

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the Broke and Bookish

Hey guys! It is time for another TTT! Before I begin, I just want to say that this post may look a little funny because I am doing it on my phone!! My links appear to be working on the phone, but not on the computer… Which is weird! Anyway, this weeks topic is top ten book set in x place. I decided to do high school setting because I think that there is a lot of fantasy settings out there etc.

10.

 Because I Love You by Tori Rigby – I really enjoyed this book. It dealt with issues that haven’t really been written about a lot with the Young Adult world, so it was definitely unique for me!

9.

 Unnatural Deeds by Cyn Balog – so technically this book hasn’t been released yet, but this book left me reeling! Even thinking about it now, I just… I have no words!!

8.

 This is Where it Ends by Marieke Niejkamp – I read this book on the day it came out in one sitting. It was amazing!!

7.

 What We Saw by Aaron Hartzler – this was a very powerful read and based on true events!! Definitely recommend this to everyone!

6.

 The Merciless by Danielle Vega – ok, this book did not turn out to be what I expected… It isn’t all set in secondary school, only some of it … But still!!

5.

 To all the boys I’ve loved before by Jenny Han – if you need a feel good pick me up, this one is definitely for you!!

4.

 Biggest Flirts by Jennifer Echols – I absolutely adored this book and I connected to the characters really quickly! It’s definitely a cute summer read and it is a series that I need to finish!

3.

 The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu – I think this book is a very true look at rumours created during your time in school and the people who create them!!

2.

 Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill – so, technically this is set on a school trip, but for me that still counts as secondary school!! This book was a really cute, fast read and definitely one to re read if I need a pick me up!

1.

 Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas – again, not technically set in school, but it is set during spring break of senior year, so I’m using it! I think anyone who has read this book will agree that this is a must read!! For everybody!!

That’s it!! Have you guys read any of these books? Did you enjoy them?

What settings did you guys pick? Feel free to leave links and comments and I will check them all out! 

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the Broke and Bookish.

Hey guys! I can’t believe it is Tuesday again already! Time seems to be flying! This weeks topic (for me at least) is top ten books that every teen/young adult should read at least once! I feel there are a lot of books out there that don’t garner the attention that they should and they are books that teens or young adults really could learn a lot from! So, without further ado. In no particular order:

10.  What We Saw by Aaron Hartzler. This is actually based on a true story which made the events even worse! I loved this book, but it was such a difficult read knowing that some poor girl actually went through everything that happened in this book! My review. Amazon.

9.  Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma. This is a really taboo based book and, at times, is really difficult read. Having said that, this book shows that things are not always the way that they seem… Amazon.

8.  The Fat Girl by Marilyn Sachs. This book highlights one form of abuse – which I think is very cleverly done with the use of teenagers rather than a married couple itself! My Review. Amazon.

7.  This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp. School shootings are a very real problem in todays society. I think that this book takes a deeper look into it and highlights both the victims and the perpetrator. My Review. Amazon.

6.  Unspeakable by Michelle K. Pickett . This is a very powerful book that highlights a variety of issues within a family environment as well as relationships! My Review. Amazon.

5.  The Truth about Alice by Jennifer Mathieu. This takes a very real look at slut shaming within high schools today – and about the rumours that people believe, but are not necessarily true! My review. Amazon.

4.  Two Boys Kissing by David Leviathan. Whilst I think that Levithan always picks pretty relevant problems to write about, his look at sexuality, Homophobia etc. in this book are one of his best works. My Review. Amazon.

3.  Rites of Passage by Joy N. Hensley. Looking past the whole military side of things, I think this book brings up the problem of equality amongst both men and women in todays society. My Review. Amazon.

2.  Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas. I just had a major debate with myself whether to use this book or Dangerous Boys. I feel like this book would be better because the justice system, and what evidence is actually given in court in order to make a guilty or innocent verdict is a very real problem. My Review. Amazon.

1.  Don’t Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout. This sort of thing happens all the time and it makes you wonder just who is around you and what they are truly like! My Review. Amazon.

So that is my Top Ten! What did you guys come up with? Feel free to leave links below and I will check them all out!

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the Broke and Bookish.

Hi guys! Can’t believe we’r halfway through the year already – where is it going??? This weeks TTT is top ten books that I’d like to see as films/TV Shows. This is a hard one, especially (and we all know it), the books are always better than the films! However, here are my choices, in no particular order:

10.  Dragonlance by Magaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. I have read both the Chronicles series and the Legends series and I think, if done right, these books would make epic films! Just like Lord of the Rings!

9.  The Walls Around Us by Nova Suma. Not entirely sure how they would film it to get the right atmosphere, but I reckon this could be quite creepy!

8.  Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi. For anyone who knows me/follows my blog etc. will know that I absolutely adore this series! I would love to see what they could do with it on screen!

7.  Splintered by A. G. Howard. I reckon Tim Burton’s imagination could handle this – what do you guys think?

6.  The Selection by Kiera Cass. I guess this one is technically cheating since Warner Bros recently bought the film rights for this series – but I am still looking forward to it!

5.  Say Her Name by James Dawson. My life is missing a decent horror movie – or maybe I just don’t scare easily? Either way, this could make for a good horror movie! 🙂

4.  Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. Again, this could be a great film – if the film industry could handle such awesomness…

3.  The Iron Trials by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare. This would be a challenge because of the high risk that it would be just like Harry Potter!

2.  Rites of Passage by Joy N. Hensley. With a little bit of everything in this book – it could easily be a crowd pleaser if done right.

1.  Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas. Again, another challenge. If they got the psychology right and portrayed it in the right way, this could be as enjoyable as the book.

That’s it! What do you guys think? Feel free to leave opinions, answers and links in the comments section below.

British Books Challenge – update

The British Books Challenge is being hosted by Fluttering Butterflies.

Hey guys! I realised that while I was checking out some books via Goodreads and other blogs, I noticed that I hadn’t done an update of the British Books Challenge since I started! Now, I know that this isn’t a requirement of the challenge, but I think it is a good idea to update it so that I have an idea of what I need to read and you guys have an idea of how far along I am. I haven’t actually read one book per month written by a British author – which I guess almost defeats the point. I will still, however, have read 12 books by the end of the year and hopefully more! I am going to add some books to the original list and I am going to leave links to the reviews that I have already written and, obviously, links to the Goodreads page themselves!

 Stolen: A Letter to my Captor. I have actually already read this… So to speak. I had such high expectations of this book, but it just didn’t deliver and I ended up DNFing it! Here is a link to my review with the reasons why.

 You Against Me by Jenny Downham. I still have to get a copy of this book and actually open it! However, this, I think, is one of those books that you really have to be in the right mood for and, till now, the mood hasn’t really taken me! Hopefully it will do soon!

 Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson. I actually have a copy of this book sitting and waiting for me to open it. I am planning on doing that fairly soon!

 Hurt by Tabitha Suzuma. I fell in love with Suzuma’s writing after reading Forbidden. Again, this is a book that has to be read when in the right mood.

 Me and Mr J by Rachel McIntyre. As someone who had both a high school crush on a teacher and was in the position of having a student crushing on me when I was their teacher, I am looking forward to seeing just how close to the mark this book is!

 Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas. Even thinking about this book has my skin tingling! I adored this book, just like I did Dangerous Boys and I feel like I need another one! Even if it is in the form of Dangerous Babies… I just want another! Here is my review!

Cruel Summer by James Dawson. I should have probably guessed from his name that James Dawson a British author is. I just didn’t – I am a fail of an English person! I adored his book Say Her Name and I recently decided to add this book to both my TBR and my British Books Challenge.

 A Kiss in the Dark by Cat Clarke. I have had this book on my TBR for absolutely ages now – and I only recently realised the the author is British! Win win! Time to take this book off of my leaning tower of TBR!

 The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkein. So, my dad actually has the limited addition “Lord of the Rings” book, which has all three books with illustrated pictures to go along with it. He also owns each book separately – which are all looking a bit worse for wear. However, his second book went missing quite a while back (I’m assuming after some little tyke ruined it and made it unreadable), and I was forced to take his limited edition book under threat of death if I creased on page or even marked it in any sense or form. I have now had this book for absolutely ages – I think going on 2 years – because I started the second book, but never actually finished the book. I guess this is a good time to finish said book and a challenge gives me an incentive to read it sooner rather than later.

I think that is it for now! I should probably go and find some more authors to add to this list! Or, if you have any suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments section below

Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas

It’s Spring Break of senior year. Anna, her boyfriend Tate, her best friend Elise, and a few other close friends are off to a debaucherous trip to Aruba that promises to be the time of their lives. But when Elise is found brutally murdered, Anna finds herself trapped in a country not her own, fighting against vile and contemptuous accusations.

As Anna sets out to find her friend’s killer; she discovers hard truths about her friendships, the slippery nature of truth, and the ache of young love.

As she awaits the judge’s decree, it becomes clear that everyone around her thinks she is not just guilty, but dangerous. When the truth comes out, it is more shocking than one could ever imagine…(Goodreads)

I am not even sure where to begin with this review. I stared at a blank page for about 10 minutes before leaving the page open for a few hours and walking away from it. Now I am back again and I still have no idea where to begin. This is probably my own fault because I should have learnt my lesson reading Dangerous Boys and I should have known that this book would also leave me flailing for the words to describe how I feel/how I felt ending this book. Betrayal is the biggest feeling I have toward this book. I spent the entire book thinking and believing one thing to then be told something completely different. Again, Abigail Haas has managed to give us a story that shows some major issues within society today while still blowing us away with the story itself.

One of the big issues within this is how media in general can sway the opinion of the general public. By constantly showing negative or positive images within the media and then having some form of ‘professional’ person back up these images, public opinion is swayed whether what they are shown is the truth or not. Normally the media is more interested in selling a story and therefore show a negative image of someone going on trial for murder – for example. The consequences of such allegations on the people who are then found innocent is almost incomprehensible.

We are also shown that the judicial system is not always fair and is, in some cases, even corrupt. A lot of the circumstantial evidence held against Anna throughout the book are images taken from her social media websites. I am pretty sure that absolutely everybody could be found guilty of something if photo’s like this were taken and twisted out of the context of which they were taken. It also shows us that the people within the judicial system can tamper with evidence for the sake of their career or for other reasons, E.G. money.

Of course, we are also faced with the teenage issues that would stop most parents ever letting their children out of the door again! Alcohol and drug abuse are predominate factors within this book – a book in which a bunch of teenagers go on holiday on their own without any supervision. We obviously face the other angsty teenage issues of friendships and relationships and just how far those boundaries go after certain events have taken place. I felt extremely sorry for Anna after she was abandoned by her friends in Aruba and after Mel changed her statement toward the end.

After reading a couple of other reviews on this book, I saw a lot of references to the Natalee Holloway and Amanda Knox cases. Of course, I had to go and google them since I was a bit young when they took place; however, I think that, if the author actually took both cases and mixed them up a little bit to create the story, she has done it very well.

I need a third book. Anything from this author! Both Dangerous Boys and Dangerous Girls are very psychologically chilling and it makes you wonder if these sorts of things actually happen. I think from both of the books, Dangerous Girls has to be my favourite! I gave this book 5/5 stars.