Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I've Read So Far in 2015

                             Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the Broke and the Bookish.

I've read 159 books so far this year and I've given 5 stars to 20 of them.  Since I'm limited to 10, I didn't pick books that were the second or third books in a series.  I highly recommend each one of these!

1.    Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta.

2.    The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson.

3.    The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows.

4.    Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.

5.    Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli.

6.    The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey.

7.    A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab.

8.    The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black.

9.    A Book of Spirits and Thieves by Morgan Rhodes.

10.  The Deal by Elle Kennedy.

                        Posted by:  Pam

Recommend It? Super Mini Reviews (8)

I got this idea from Danielle at Love at First Page. I read a lot of books that I don't review so I thought I would give a super short review of some books and let you know whether I recommend them or not.

The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things by Ann Aguirre.  I really enjoyed this story about a girl with a dark past (it's one of those books in which her past is hinted at but not revealed for a long time) who has started over and leaves post-it notes on lockers of her classmates to make them feel better if they've had a bad day.  Then along comes Shane, who has such a sad and heartbreaking past.  Such a cute romance.  Some may think it's cheesy, but it made me smile.  If you're in the mood for a happy and uplifting romantic contemporary, read this one.  Recommend!

Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway.  This book deserves all of the rave reviews it's been getting.  Adorable and at the same time, HEARTBREAKING.  I felt so bad for Oliver, who doesn't deserve what happened to him at all. I fell in love with this book, it has ALL THE FEELS!  Definitely recommend.

The Night We Said Yes by Lauren Gibaldi.  Sweet story about second chances, but I didn't necessarily think Matt deserved a second chance because I didn't get his story. And then it's not really dealt with in a satisfactory way, it doesn't go as deep as it should.  I really wanted to ship this romance, but I just didn't.  It's good and I liked it, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it.

Posted by:  Pam

Stacking the Shelves (101)

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!  It is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Bought:

Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway

The Night We Said Yes by Lauren Gibaldi

A Book of Spirits and Thieves by Morgan Rhodes

How (Not) to Fall in Love by Lisa Brown Roberts

 What books did you add to your shelves this week?

Posted by:  Pam

Book Review: The Cage by Megan Shepherd

The Cage (The Cage #1)
Author:  Megan Shepherd
Publisher:  Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins, 400 pages
Publication Date:  May 26, 2015

From Goodreads:
When Cora Mason wakes in a desert, she doesn't know where she is or who put her there. As she explores, she finds an impossible mix of environments—tundra next to desert, farm next to jungle, and a strangely empty town cobbled together from different cultures—all watched over by eerie black windows. And she isn't alone.

Four other teenagers have also been taken: a beautiful model, a tattooed smuggler, a secretive genius, and an army brat who seems to know too much about Cora's past. None of them have a clue as to what happened, and all of them have secrets. As the unlikely group struggles for leadership, they slowly start to trust each other. But when their mysterious jailer—a handsome young guard called Cassian—appears, they realize that their captivity is more terrifying than they could ever imagine: Their captors aren't from Earth. And they have taken the five teenagers for an otherworldly zoo—where the exhibits are humans.

As a forbidden attraction develops between Cora and Cassian, she realizes that her best chance of escape might be in the arms of her own jailer—though that would mean leaving the others behind. Can Cora manage to save herself and her companions? And if so . . . what world lies beyond the walls of their cage?

Review:

Wonderfully weird and unique, I really enjoyed this book about a group of teenagers taken captive.  Think Lost meets Lord of the Flies.  

The book is mainly told from Cora's POV, although we also get a few chapters from the other teenagers, and each one has his or her own problems/issues from their past that they have to deal with.  They quickly realize that they're someplace very strange and are told by their captors that they have three rules they have to follow: solve the puzzles in the different environments, keep healthy, and procreate (each one of them has been matched with their perfect mate).  Yeah…creepy.  It's obvious what they're being told is not the truth and that very strange things are going on. They keep getting headaches, their "cage" and its different environments are not possible, and it looks like there's no way to escape.  This is one of those books where I really can't say more without ruining it.

I definitely recommend this intriguing science fiction book filled with twists and turns.  I can't wait to see what happens next!

Posted by:  Pam

Series Review: Blackbird Duology by Anna Carey

Blackbird (Blackbird #1)
Author:  Anna Carey
Publisher:  HarperTeen, 256 pages
Publication Date:  September 16, 2014

From Goodreads:
A girl wakes up on the train tracks, a subway car barreling down on her. With only minutes to react, she hunches down and the train speeds over her. She doesn’t remember her name, where she is, or how she got there. She has a tattoo on the inside of her right wrist of a blackbird inside a box, letters and numbers printed just below: FNV02198. There is only one thing she knows for sure: people are trying to kill her.

On the run for her life, she tries to untangle who she is and what happened to the girl she used to be. Nothing and no one are what they appear to be. But the truth is more disturbing than she ever imagined.

Deadfall (Blackbird #2)
Author:  Anna Carey
Publisher:  HarperTeen, 256 pages
Publication Date:  June 16, 2015

From Goodreads:
A week ago, you woke up in Los Angeles with no memory of who you are. The only thing you knew: people are trying to kill you. You put your trust in Ben, but he betrayed you and broke your heart. Now you've escaped to New York City with a boy named Rafe, who says he remembers you from before. But the two of you are not safe. The same people who are after you are tailing Rafe as well. As the chase heats up, your memory starts to return, but your past cannot save you from the terrifying circumstances of your present, or the fact that one wrong move could end this game forever.

Review:

I enjoyed this duology about a girl who wakes up and has to figure out who she is, what's happened, and why people are trying to kill her.  It's intense and full of non-stop action, although that did take priority over character development.  

Also, although I didn't mind it being in second person, I think that led to a disconnect for me, which I think is actually the opposite of what it's supposed to do.  My understanding of second person is that it allows the reader to experience the joy, the anxiety, the danger, etc. as their own personal experience, but I didn't feel that for some reason.  Really, it read more like a movie, if that makes sense, and I could see it being a fantastic movie.  It definitely had that Jason Bourne feel to it.

Slight spoiler:

Yes, there is a love triangle, but I didn't mind because it fit the plot and made sense. That said, I didn't like the way the author dealt with it.  

And I was surprised by the ending, but I'm still not sure how I feel about it.  

In sum, if you want to read an entertaining, action packed book that keeps you guessing, read the Blackbird duology.

Posted by:  Pam

Book Review: Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone

Every Last Word
Author:  Tamara Ireland Stone
Publisher:  Disney-Hyperion, 368 pages
Publication Date:  June 16, 2015

From Goodreads:
Samantha McAllister looks just like the rest of the popular girls in her junior class. But hidden beneath the straightened hair and expertly applied makeup is a secret that her friends would never understand: Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD and is consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can't turn off.

Second-guessing every move, thought, and word makes daily life a struggle, and it doesn't help that her lifelong friends will turn toxic at the first sign of a wrong outfit, wrong lunch, or wrong crush. Yet Sam knows she'd be truly crazy to leave the protection of the most popular girls in school. So when Sam meets Caroline, she has to keep her new friend with a refreshing sense of humor and no style a secret, right up there with Sam's weekly visits to her psychiatrist.

Caroline introduces Sam to Poet's Corner, a hidden room and a tight-knit group of misfits who have been ignored by the school at large. Sam is drawn to them immediately, especially a guitar-playing guy with a talent for verse, and starts to discover a whole new side of herself. Slowly, she begins to feel more "normal" than she ever has as part of the popular crowd . . . until she finds a new reason to question her sanity and all she holds dear.

Review:

What I Liked:

1.  The whole figuring out who you are, what's important to you, what it means to be a true friend…Sam grows up a lot in this book.  

2.  Poet's Corner and the importance of words.  Obviously, being a reader, I love this.

3.  AJ.  He's a good guy, cute but not gorgeous, slightly scruffy.  He plays guitar and writes songs.  He's honest, says what he thinks.  No playing games.  At all.  More guys like AJ please!  

4.  Relationship between AJ and Sam.  So sweet!

5.  Seemingly realistic depiction of OCD with a great relationship between Sam and her psychiatrist.

What I didn't like:

There's one thing that happens in the book that I didn't buy.  It seemed to be there just for cleverness or shock value and I would have liked the book even more without it. I can't say more without spoiling it, but e-mail me if you want to discuss!

Every Last Word is a beautifully written book about mental illness, love, and friendship.  I really enjoyed it.

Posted by:  Pam

Stacking the Shelves (100)

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!  It is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Bought:

Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone

Deadfall by Anna Carey

Scorched by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Cage by Megan Shepherd

What books did you add to your shelves this week?

Posted by:  Pam

Discussion Question: Is it a Spoiler to…?

Do you consider any of the following to be spoilers if you read them in a review?

1.  That there is a twist or surprise toward the end of the book?  Sometimes that's the best part and you want to let people know but at the same time, then people are looking for it, expecting it, and it's great when you're not expecting anything at all. What to do?

2.  That the ending is open?  

3.  That the ending is happy or sad?

I don't know about you, but sometimes it's rather difficult to write a review that gives enough information but at the same time, doesn't spoil anything.  What do you think?

Posted by:  Pam

Book Review: A Million Miles Away by Lara Avery

A Million Miles Away
Author:  Lara Avery
Publisher:  Poppy, 320 pages
Expected Publication Date:  July 7, 2015
*ARC received from publisher via NetGalley

From Goodreads:
When high school senior Kelsey's identical twin sister, Michelle, dies in a car crash, Kelsey is left without her other half. The only person who doesn't know about the tragedy is Michelle's boyfriend, Peter, recently deployed to Afghanistan. But when Kelsey finally connects with Peter online, she can't bear to tell him the truth. Active duty has taken its toll, and Peter, thinking that Kelsey is Michelle, says that seeing her is the one thing keeping him alive. Caught up in the moment, Kelsey has no choice: She lets Peter believe that she is her sister.

As Kelsey keeps up the act, she crosses the line from pretend to real. Soon, Kelsey can't deny that she's falling, hard, for the one boy she shouldn't want.

Review:

Intriguing premise, with Kelsey heartbroken over the loss of Michelle, her twin sister, and getting caught up in pretending to be her when it comes to Peter, Michelle's boyfriend who is in Afghanistan.  I felt really sorry for Kelsey, who seems to have no one to help her through this.  Her parents join a grief group, but they are so caught up in their own pain that they don't realize how lost Kelsey is.  Instead of dealing with Michelle's death, she pretends to be Michelle.  It's a way for her to feel closer to Michelle, a way that she doesn't have to let her go.  

While I felt sorry for Kelsey, it was still hard to get past how she was lying to Peter. Poor Peter!  He and Michelle hadn't been dating long, but he is in love with her and he has no idea that she has died (Peter doesn't do Facebook).  His relationship with Kelsey is sweet (they mainly communicate through e-mail, letters, and Skype), but I couldn't completely ship them because of Kelsey's lie.  And honestly, I'm not sure how realistic it is for her to be able to pull off this deception, but I could buy it given that it doesn't seem like Peter and Michelle spent a whole lot of time together.  It's not spelled out, but that's the sense I got.  Also, Peter is going through such an intense and different experience in Afghanistan that I could see him overlooking anything that he did notice.

Even though the romance is the focus, it's also about dealing with grief and also a coming of age story, in that Kelsey, through pretending to be Michelle, discovers things about herself.

The whole time I was reading I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop.  When will Peter find out?  How will he find out? How will he react?  I just wanted to KNOW.  A Million Miles Away is a well-written, moving, and emotional read about loss and love.

Posted by:  Pam

Book Review: The Stars Never Rise by Rachel Vincent

The Stars Never Rise
Author:  Rachel Vincent
Publisher:  Delacorte Press, 368 pages
Publication Date:  June 9, 2015

From Goodreads:
Sixteen-year-old Nina Kane should be worrying about her immortal soul, but she's too busy trying to actually survive. Her town's population has been decimated by soul-consuming demons, and souls are in short supply. Watching over her younger sister, Mellie, and scraping together food and money are all that matters. The two of them are a family. They gave up on their deadbeat mom a long time ago.

When Nina discovers that Mellie is keeping a secret that threatens their very existence, she'll do anything to protect her. Because in New Temperance, sins are prosecuted as crimes by the brutal Church and its army of black-robed exorcists. And Mellie's sin has put her in serious trouble.

To keep them both alive, Nina will need to trust Finn, a fugitive with deep green eyes who has already saved her life once and who might just be an exorcist. But what kind of exorcist wears a hoodie?

Wanted by the Church and hunted by dark forces, Nina knows she can't survive on her own. She needs Finn and his group of rogue friends just as much as they need her.

Review:

I absolutely loved the premise of The Stars Never Rise, where you have a world in which there was a war between humans and demons and the humans won.  The population was decimated and the survivors live in walled cities where the church has taken over, protecting people from the demons who jump into bodies and take over.  People have given up a lot of freedom (very strict religious rules) in order to be safe.  

This book hooked me from the very beginning and never let go.  It's fast-paced, INTENSE, with just enough surprises and twists.  I read it in one sitting.

The romance…at first, I thought it was going to be the typical YA romance (I mean, come on, the synopsis mentions "deep green eyes"), but it turns out to be VERY UNUSUAL and I'm really curious as to how it will all turn out.  I have a theory…and I hope I'm wrong.  If you've read it, e-mail me to discuss!

Read this book!

Posted by:  Pam

Stacking the Shelves (99)

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!  It is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Bought:

Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

The Stars Never Rise by Rachel Vincent

Paladin by Sally Slater

From NetGalley:
A Million Miles Away by Lara Avery

What books did you add to your shelves this week?

Posted by:  Pam

Book Review: The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Fixer (The Fixer #1)
Author:  Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Publisher:  Bloomsbury Children's, 384 pages
Expected Publication Date:  July 7, 2015
*ARC received from publisher via NetGalley

From Goodreads:
When sixteen-year-old Tess Kendrick is sent to live with her older sister, Ivy, she has no idea that the infamous Ivy Kendrick is Washington D.C.'s #1 “fixer,” known for making politicians' scandals go away for a price. No sooner does Tess enroll at Hardwicke Academy than she unwittingly follows in her sister's footsteps and becomes D.C.'s premier high school fixer, solving problems for elite teens.

Secrets pile up as each sister lives a double life. . . . until their worlds come crashing together and Tess finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy with one of her classmates and a client of Ivy's. Suddenly, there is much more on the line than good grades, money, or politics, and the price for this fix might be more than Tess is willing to pay.

Review:

The Fixer was a fun and entertaining read.  Think Scandal for teenagers.  Although the synopsis makes it sound like Tess starts solving problems for teens at her school, like Veronica Mars, there's basically one incident that happens early on and then the focus shifts to a specific mystery that Tess becomes involved in.  

I loved the Washington politics aspect of it.  The President and First Lady, Supreme Court justices…and then you have the children of powerful people in school together.  What a great combination, I kept thinking this would make such a fascinating television show.  CW perhaps?  

However, I'm just not sure how realistic it was for Tess to be so savvy given she just moved to DC, she grew up on a farm in Montana, and she has no idea who any of the power players are in DC.  But if you just go with it, you'll enjoy it.  Also, as someone who enjoys some romance in books, there is absolutely none, and not even really a hint of one. There are two guys, but it doesn't even go there.  So hopefully in the future?

Compulsively readable, I couldn't put it down.

Posted by:  Pam

Book Review: Jesse's Girl by Miranda Kenneally

Jesse's Girl (Hundred Oaks)
Author:  Miranda Kenneally
Publisher:  Sourcebooks Fire, 304 pages
Expected Publication Date:  July 7, 2015
*ARC received by publisher via NetGalley

From Goodreads:
Everyone at Hundred Oaks High knows that career mentoring day is a joke. So when Maya Henry said she wanted to be a rock star, she never imagined she’d get to shadow *the* Jesse Scott, Nashville’s teen idol.

But spending the day with Jesse is far from a dream come true. He’s as gorgeous as his music, but seeing all that he’s accomplished is just a reminder of everything Maya’s lost: her trust, her boyfriend, their band, and any chance to play the music she craves. Not to mention that Jesse’s pushy and opinionated. He made it on his own, and he thinks Maya’s playing back up to other people’s dreams. Does she have what it takes to follow her heart—and go solo?

Review:

I liked Jesse's Girl, it was a cute book.  Reading about Maya and Jesse getting to know each other, having a fun Ferris Bueller's Day Off kind of day exploring Nashville, was fun.  There were many times I found myself smiling so if you're in the mood for a happy and sweet romance, you will enjoy it.

Reading about the music scene was interesting, and I liked the Nashville setting (I used to live in Nashville, actually and even in Franklin).  The message of working hard and following your dreams was a good message.  Jesse was cute and I appreciated the fact that he was struggling with his fame and unsure about trusting Maya.  That rang true.  Maya…she was just okay for me and I can't really pinpoint why.  Just a meh feeling.  

Jesse's Girl is a quick and entertaining read…the perfect beach book.  

Posted by:  Pam

Recommend It? Super Mini Reviews (7)

I got this idea from Danielle at Love at First Page. I read a lot of books that I don't review so I thought I would give a super short review of some books and let you know whether I recommend them or not.

Hidden Huntress by Danielle L. Jensen.  I LOVE THIS SERIES SO MUCH.  A 500 hundred year old curse.  A human-troll love story.  Game of Thrones political machinations.  Although it's so obvious who Anushka is and Cecile, while fierce, gets many people killed with her stupidity, this book (and series) is AMAZING.  Yes yes yes recommend!  Go read it right now.

Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson.  Words cannot adequately express how much I love this series.  Lia and Rafe…OTP, I have to say.  There's intrigue and deception (they have to pretend to hate each other to stay safe from the Komizar, who is a piece of work).  And toward the end?  I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.  So much action!  Intense.  How will I survive until the next book????  A million times recommend!

Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge.  Unique, dark, and intense, I loved this book.  The whole bloodbound aspect fascinated me.  Rachelle was the best heroine, fighting her transition to pure evil, fighting the lure of the forest.  Rosamund Hodge's writing is beautiful and this book was MESMERIZING.  Yes, recommend!

Posted by:  Pam

Stacking the Shelves (98)

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!  It is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Bought:

Hidden Huntress by Danielle L. Jensen

Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer

Where Sea Meets Sky by Karina Halle

The Rook by Daniel O'Malley

From NetGalley:

Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid

Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray

Everything, Everthing by Nicola Yoon

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff 

What books did you add to your shelves this week?

Posted by:  Pam