Top Ten Books I've Read This Year

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created over at my other blog, The Broke and the Bookish.

This year I decided that I was going to be more stingy with my five star ratings. Which I have been, however, looking at my goodreads list you wouldn't believe that. I managed to stumble across several amazing books this year! 

1. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor: I was hooked from the very beginning. It was just so odd, and I liked it! The characters are fantastic, funny, sarcastic, real. The friendships are heartwarming and the romantic tension is alluring. 

2. Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor: Picture this. Me, 3 am, sitting my bed, book in hand, tears streaming. Okay. Maybe DON'T picture that. Ha. But this book. This was one of those that doesn't connect with everyone. No book does. But this book slammed into me. It pulled me in, broke my heart and warmed it all at once. 

3. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas: Loved the first book. This one was just as wonderful, maybe even better? I CANNOT wait for the next book! 

4. Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein: This was a tough read, but like the first book, the writing is wonderful. Letters on a page transformed into fully realized people. The harsh landscape of their world was detailed and gritty. Their friendships were beautifully, and painfully, real. I was invested in all of them. 

5. Cress by Marissa Meyer: Okay, I really liked Cinder and Scarlett. But Cinder? My absolute favorite out of the three. Cress is positively adorable. The other characters remain amazing, and I loved their interactions with each other. As each character is discovered and added to the group, the more I love the story. 

6. New York: The Novel by Edward Rutherfurd: Now, if you've read my blog or follow me on twitter, you know how much I love New York. I'm also a total history geek. I house-sat for a relative. What was I most excited about? They have the history channel. Anyway, this book tells the story of New York, from it's earliest days of Dutch settlers, all the way up to the events of 9/11. I grew to love the families I was introduced to. I learned SO MUCH from this about the history of the city. I was googling stuff every few pages. 

7. Across a Star Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund: I love the Scarlet Pimpernel, I love retellings. This book was fantastic! I love the characters she created, and the world that she built! It was real, colorful to the point it felt tangible. Such a fantastic read. 

8. Pivot Point by Kasie West: I was so intrigued by the premise, and drawn in by the writing style. I swear, Kasie West has been eavesdropping in on conversations between me and my friends, because so much of what they say and do, remind me of my own friends. 

9. Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini: Again with the history geek part of me, I also love mythology. I loved those elements in the story, along with characters that were fun and interesting. 

10. Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg: Friendship portrayed in a realistic way is always so refreshing. I loved this characters, and I loved their interactions. It was a fun, cute read that left me smiling.

SO! What made your list? I'd love to hear what YOU loved. The best way to get recommendations! :)

Top Ten Tuesday- Authors Who Deserve More Recognition

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created over at my other blog, The Broke and the Bookish.
 

Lisa T. Bergren- I’m not sure if I would have heard of her if a friend hadn’t recommended her book series, then later I saw someone mention it during a boutofbooks chat. After that I looked the River of Time series up… and fell in love with the story. 

Stephanie Fowers- I love talking about local authors. Stephanie’s books are light, and filled with humor. Her characters are so relatable that if I were to cast the actors in the play or movie version, I have a friend that would fit every role perfectly. 

Lindsey Leavitt- Okay, she’s fairly well known. But more people need to know about her. Her Princess for Hire series is an absolute delightful read.

Maria V. Snyder- How she isn’t more well-known is a mystery to me. Maria is the queen of strong, relatable heroines. Her Study series features a lead named Yelena, and is one of my absolute favorite heroines. Wonderful world building, fantastic characters (you’ll love Ari and Janco too!) and absorbing story telling.

R.L. LaFevers- I think by now a lot of the blogging community has heard about her and her fantastic books. However, if it weren’t for all the amazing bloggers out there I may not have found her books! 

S.J. Kincaid- Another author I know of because of blogging. I read Insignia last year and loved it. A YA novel with a male MC! 

Elizabeth Fama- I got to meet Elizabeth, be jealous. No seriously, you should be jealous because she’s awesome. When you think mermaids, you think red hair, dinglehoppers, heart of gold, couldn’t hurt a fly, etc, etc. Elizabeth takes that stereotype,  flips it upside down and makes it ever so much more interesting. Monstrous Beauty is a great read if you’re looking for something that’s a mix of romance, historical fiction, mystery, and fantasy. 

Chanda Hahn- I don’t even remember how I heard about her series, but it’s wonderful. I’m a sucker for a fairy tale retelling, and her books are fantastic! 

Jessica Day George- I discovered her by accident (another local author!) when I won the audio for her book, Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow. I think she might be more well known among MG readers, not many realize she writes YA as well.

So… I only made it to 8. Turns out a lot of my favorite authors are already well known. 

Who is on your list? What delightful authors have I yet to discover???

Top Ten Auto-Buy Authors

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created over at my other blog, The Broke and the Bookish.

Okay, this list was not easy for me! It made me realize just how many authors I automatically buy books from, narrowing it down to just ten was difficult.

1.       J.K. Rowling- I didn’t even care for The Casual Vacancy, in fact, I didn’t even finish it. ( You can read my discussion about it with some of the gals from The Broke and the Bookish, here) However, Rowling will forever remain an ‘auto-buy’ for me. She wrote the books that made up my childhood, and most of the time I really love her writing.

2.       Maria V. Snyder- I’ve purchased every book she’s written and will continue to do so. She never disappoints. She creates detailed and intriguing worlds, strong heroines, hilarious dialogue and swoon-worthy guys.

3.       Robin LaFevers- She became an instant favorite when I read Grave Mercy, and when I was offered an arc for the sequel Dark Triumph I was so giddy I was dancing around my living room. I love her writing, and the amount of research she puts into her books is fascinating. Find her on tumbr, she posts some fun stuff.

4.       Gayle Forman- One of the only authors I know that can put every emotion that a human is capable of feeling all into one book. I cry, sigh, laugh, yell at the characters… Any time I hear she has a new book coming out I hunt for every sneak peek and tidbit that I can find until the book is actually published.

5.       Ally Condie (Allyson Braithwaite Condie)- I get to brag, I’ve been a fan of Ally’s since before Matched. I read her books that she had published through Deseret Book.  I remember when I first heard about Matched. I’d spent a few years telling everyone to read her books, suddenly Matched was published and I was the one being told all about her. I’d just secretly gloat that I’d known about her before. (I've even been lucky enough to meet her!)

6.       Cinda Williams Chima- I downloaded the first Seven Realms book, Demon King, from Audible on a whim… About a month later I had listened to the first three books and was patiently waiting dying while waiting for the last book to come out.

7.       Garth Nix- Humor, incredible world building, outstanding characters and great stories. What is there that you could possibly dislike?

8.       Rick Riordan- I actually haven’t read ALL of his books, yet. He’s yet to disappoint me with a book, however, so he remains on my auto buy list.

9.       Brandon Sanderson- Again, I haven’t read ALL of his books yet. Love his writing style and his ability to create a world  and characters that are so vivid that I disappear completely when I’m reading.

10.   Maureen Johnson- I just finished another of her books The Madness Underneath. Absolutely loved it! Which is just about how I feel about her other books.

 

Others that I didn’t list because I can’t exactly consider them auto buys anymore… because they don’t exactly publish new stuff: Charles Dickens, C.S. Lewis, Michael Crichton…

What about you?? Who is on your list?