Category Archives: Top 10

My 10 Most Recent 4.5-5 Star Reads

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is 10 Of My Most Recent 5 Star Reads. Since I don’t hand out a lot of 5 stars, I decided to expand it to 4.5 stars as well. The list starts from the most recently read. I read the first three this year, and the latter seven last year.

1. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Septys

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As you’ll see again, I have become a Ruta Septys fan this year. She writes such moving historical fiction about pockets of history that are very well-known. I will admit I was a little confused in the beginning of this book, but I got to know these characters and their stories and that made the journey for me. Loved it.

2. The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

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This was enjoyable for me all the way through and the ending legitimately shocked me! I’m looking forward to The Long Game!

3. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Septys

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Again, just seriously heartbreaking but good. The ending of this one felt abrupt for me, but upon further reflection I understood why she chose to end it as she did.

4. Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

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While I enjoyed The Naturals, the pacing for Killer Instinct was on-point the whole time!

5. Winter by Marissa Meyer

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While still not my favorite of the series, nor what I believe to the strongest book of the series, Winter was a satisfying ending for The Lunar Chronicles.

6. Don’t Touch by Rachel M. Wilson

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Even though in hindsight I see Don’t Touch more as a four star read, I reviewed it with a 4.5 star rating, and I did really enjoy it as I read it. It’s definitely underrated in the YA book world, and I think it’s worth a read if you have any interest in YA fiction exploring mental health.

7. On The Fence by Kasie West

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Kasie West is all about the fluffy contemporary, though this one did have a more serious undertone towards the end. What I enjoyed most about it, however, was the friendship-turned-romance between Charlie and Braden.

8. The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand

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Sucker punch to the gut, in the best way possible.

9. The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

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THAT ENDING. How did Brandon Sanderson make me love it and hate it but mostly love it all at once?

10. The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord

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If you’ve read my blog ever, you know how I feel about this one. Slow burn, nerdy banter, friendship… yes please!

What are some your latest 5 (or 4.5) star rated books (or new favorites if you don’t rate)? If you’ve read any of these books, did you also rate them high?

The Top 10 Books On My Spring TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is Top Ten Books on my Spring TBR. In no particular order…

1. The Unbound by Victoria Schwab

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I’ve got to read it now that I have an autographed copy!

2. Calamity by Brandon Sanderson

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I’m impatiently waiting for my library copy to become available and excited to see how Brandon Sanderson ends the series! (Though did you hear about the new series that is an alternate universe to what we see in The Reckoners?! WHAAAAAT.)

3. Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

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I’m one of those writers who has come to love Susan Dennard exclusively for her candidness about writing and publishing, but I’ve been meaning to read one of her books, and this is my book club’s next pick so it’s about time!

4. Looking for Lovely by Annie F. Downs

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Annie’s Let’s All Be Brave was in my top 3 favorite books I read last year, so I’m excited for her new book coming out next month and can’t wait to read it!

5. The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord (Reread)

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I think I’ve decided to reread another one of my fave books from last year when I go on vacation in May!

6. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

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I’ve been reading one Jane Austen book a year for some time, and this is my last Jane Austen novel to read, so I want to knock it off earlier in the year rather than later.

7. On The Loose by Jenny B. Jones

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I enjoyed the first book of this series, In Between, and want to dive back into Katie’s world sometime soon!

8. The Winner’s Kiss by Marie Rutkoski

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I’m ready to see how this trilogy ends!

9. When We Collided by Emery Lord

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New Emery Lord! Enough said!

10. Out of the Easy by Ruta Septys

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Pro of reading this book: I have read all of Ruta’s books this year! 🙂 Con: I will have no more Ruta books to read for a while. 🙁

What’s on your TBR for this spring?

Top 10 Books/Series If You Are in the Mood for Romance + Adventure

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is Ten Books To Read If You Are In The Mood For X. I enjoy quiet love stories, but I also love action-packed stories, and it’s a bonus if there’s romance in the mix too! Thus, here are my favorite books/series that have a nice blend of both! In no particular order…

1. The Leviathan Trilogy

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Alternate WWI history with lots of adventure AND secret love? Yes please.

2. Seraphina

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Dragons + one of my favorite ships ever. The book starts off a little slow but it picks up. (Important FYI: This does not include the sequel Shadow Scale.)

3. The Grisha Trilogy

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Wonderful fantasy with magic and best friends trying to decide if there is more between them.

4. Across a Star-Swept Sea

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You’ll probably want to read the not-as-adventurous but still wonderful For Darkness Shows the Stars first, but this book based on The Scarlet Pimpernel is full of missions and secrets and unwelcome love.

5. The Lunar Chronicles

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How many series are there out there with as many swoon-worthy couples and daring escapades as The Lunar Chronicles? Honestly, I’m not sure there are any others.

6. Rook

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Another Scarlet Pimpernel retelling full of missions and secrets and unwelcome love…

7. All Our Yesterdays

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The best book I have read where time travel served as the main plot, plus a love story.

8. Loop

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Don’t let the kissy cover fool you, there are many conspiracies afoot in this book, with the romance taking a backseat.

9. The Mistborn Trilogy

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Heavier on the action and lighter on the romance, but what romance there is SUPER sweet. And the ending of this trilogy will leave you with so many feels.

10. Killer Instinct (The Naturals #2)

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I enjoyed the first book as well, but the second book in The Naturals series ups the ante both on the action and romance sides. Now I need to read book three!

Are you a fan of any of these adventure + romance books? Which books would you include on this list?

The Top 10 (Or 11) Songs I Wish Were Books

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is  books we’d give theme songs to or 10 songs I wish that were books. I decided to make book covers based off of ten eleven songs (I was going to do 10 but had one more I really wanted to add and didn’t want to cut anything…) that I thought would be interesting YA books. I will warn you that my taste in music is pretty limited and not very hip, though I tried to list a couple artists outside my usual go-to. I also initially didn’t want to repeat artists but ended up repeating a few anyway. I created a playlist on Spotify with these 11 songs if you want to listen through them; hope you enjoy!

Also, with the exception of the image for the Renegades cover, which comes from Unsplash, all photos are from the super talented Wyn Wiley Photography.

1. Silhouettes by Of Monsters and Men

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It’s so hard letting go/I’m finally at peace, but it feels wrong

2. Tell Her You Love Her by Echosmith

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When she says she needs you/Tell her you need her, too/You tell her clearly/Speak what your heart wants you to/Tell her she’s lovely/Always tell her the truth/When she says she loves you/Tell her you love her, too

3. A Sky Full of Stars by Coldplay

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‘Cause you’re a sky, cause you’re a sky full of stars/I’m gonna give you my heart/’Cause you’re a sky, cause you’re a sky full of stars/’Cause you light up the path/I don’t care, go on and tear me apart/I don’t care if you do/’Cause in a sky, cause in a sky full of stars/I think I saw you

4. Closer to Me by The Fray

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Have you ever done something so wrong?/Won’t you come a little bit closer to me?/Come a little bit closer

5. Washed by the Water by Needtobreathe

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Daddy was a preacher/She was his wife/Just trying to make the world a little better/You know, shine a light/People started talking/Just to hear their own voice/Those people tried to accuse my father/Said he made the wrong choice/Though it might be painful/You know that time will always tell/Those people have long since gone/My father never failed

6. Hazel by Phillip Phillips

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But I know that they sun will shine for me/Even when the skies are gray/But I feel like I’m missing something/But the bridges built narrow ways

7. Souvenirs by Switchfoot

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I close my eyes and go back in time/I can see you smiling, you’re so alive/We were so young, we had no fear/We were so young, we had no idea/That life was just happening

8. Renegades by X Ambassadors

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Run away with me/Lost souls and reverie/Running wild and running free/Two kids, you and me/And I say/Hey, hey hey hey/Living like we’re renegades

9. Paradise by Coldplay

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When she was just a girl she expected the world/But it flew away from her reach/So she ran away in her sleep and dreamed of/Para-para-paradise, para-para-paradise, para-para-paradise/Every time she closed her eyes

10. Haley by Needtobreathe

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If you don’t know just how you feel/Don’t say those sweet things/That you know I’d wanna hear/If you don’t know just what to think/Then put your thoughts away/And keep them out of reach/Haley don’t hurt me, if you don’t know/I could of moved on a long time ago/You’re undecided, your eyes still show/Haley don’t hurt me if you don’t know

11. Up To You by Echosmith

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Want you to come back to me/Oh ’cause you wanted to, not ’cause you needed to/You’re all that I need/Oh and I love you/Yes I love you/I wear my heart on my sleeve/It’s just what I do/But if there’s too much to leave/Won’t hold it against you/It’s all up to you

Which is your favorite song on this list? Which is your favorite cover? 

The Top 10 Swoon-Worthy Book Couples

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is a Valentine’s Day themed freebie! Two years ago I did the top 10 book romances that make me swoon, but I have several new favorites now so I wanted to do it again. In no particular order…

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(Excuse me while I go cry my eyes out now.)

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(Though Rachel Hartman proceeded to crush my heart in Shadow Scale.)

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All photos that are not from movies are from Unsplash

Who do you feel are the most swoon-worthy book couples?