Top 10: Most Read Authors

As my life is getting crazy hectic this week…my TTT is falling on a Wednesday! This week was a fun one because we get to highlight the author’s we’ve read the most books from. My list was definitely not a surprise, although I was sure Meg Cabot was still the queen at the top of my list–however, Sara Shepard has snuck up there. Each of these fine authors have fabulous books and deserve to be checked out. I’m a fan!!

As always, thank you to The Broke and The Bookish Ladies for hosting each and every week!!

1. Sara Shepard (12) I’ve been a huge fan of the Pretty Little Liars TV show (one of my many television obsessions), so this past year I picked up the books. They are fun quick reads and somehow have kept me coming back to read the next.
2. Meg Cabot (10) She is my leading lady, I haven’t read a book she’s written that I haven’t loved. Super witty and very laughable, the perfect pick me up! A Couple of my favorite series from her are the Heather Wells Mysteries and The Mediator Series.
3. J.K. Rowling (8) Does this lovely woman even need a comment? I have yet to pick up her mystery novels…but I’m thinking that will be soon!
4. Sarah Dessen (9) Whether it be serious or light-hearted Sarah can get me out of my reading slumps with her books.
5. Cassandra Clare (8) I did not think I could possibly fall in love with Cassie more after Mortal Instruments, but I could not be more wrong. I am flying through Infernal Devices and life is good…until I reach the end of Clockwork Princess. More please?!
6. Nicholas Sparks (6) It seems like I’ve read so many more of Sparks books? I guess I need to get on that! I’ve yet to find a book I truly disliked from him (The Notebook aside). I am currently reading The Longest Ride and it is great!
7. Stephenie Meyer (6) I am one of those people who will defend Twilight till the ends of the earth, it is by no means my favorite series–but you can’t deny it took the world by storm. That has to count for something! I also thoroughly enjoyed The Host, I’d say they are worth picking up.
8. Lauren Oliver (5) I got the chance to meet Lauren during the Pitch Dark Days Tour a few years ago, and now I love her even more than I already did. Her writing is BEAUTIFUL. I need Rooms ASAP.
9. Susane Colasanti (4) Much like Sarah Dessen, Susanne’s books are light-hearted easy reads that are perfect when I need something to make me feel good!
10. Elizabeth Chandler (4) I read Chandler’s Kissed By an Angel series and I LOVED the first few books, then I kinda got in a slump in the middle, but by the close of the series she had me sobbing. Well. Done.

Hateful.

Everyone at his table laughs.
They know I can hear them.
They just don’t care.

~Keep Holding On by: Susane Colasanti

Top 10: Books For The Hopeless Romantic

Top Ten Tuesdays are hosted by the ladies at The Broke and The Bookish. This week was Top Ten Books For X, of course, I am a sucker for a good love story so my target audience this week are Romantics. :) These are some of my favorite Love Stories and are some great reads. I tried to keep my list Sarah Dessen and Nicholas Sparks Light because I’m OBSESSED with their books and they are fabulous love stories. In no particular order…My Top Ten:

The Truth About Forever by: Sarah Dessen

The Last Song by: Nicholas Sparks

Along For The Ride by: Sarah Dessen

Delirium by: Lauren Oliver

Romeo and Juliette by: William Shakespeare

The Best Of Me by: Nicholas Sparks

Keep Holding On by: Susane Colasanti

Pride and Prejudice by: Jane Austen

Legend by: Marie Lu

Kissed By An Angel by: Elizabeth Chandler

Possibilities.

I’m thinking that it might actually be possible for things to work out sometimes. Definitely not everything and maybe not the way you imagined. But sometimes, when you least expected it, life surprises you.

~When It Happens by: Susane Colasanti

Perspective.

The huge problems we deal with every day are actually really small. We’re so focused on what bothers us
that we don’t even try to see our lives from a clearer perspective.

~Something Like Fate by: Susane Colasanti

Top 10: Beginnings/Endings in Books

The Broke and The Bookish host Top Ten Tuesdays, and this week’s topic is by far my favorite. It is our Top Ten Beginnings and Endings in Books, these are the first and last sentences in some incredible books. My favorites are always the ones which stop your heart or get you thinking. These opening lines are all phenomenal, they instantly get you interested in what you are about to experience. While the final lines in these books are somewhat the opposite. They wrap up the books in such a beautiful way that I get chills every time I read them. Beginnings and Endings that are done well say so much about the author who wrote them, this just proves that these are incredible writers. I slightly cheated because I have seven in each group instead of five, but I could not resist. Here are my Top 14 for the week, please check these titles out if you haven’t already!

BEGINNINGS

Flecks of Gold by: Alicia Buck I was falling, crashing through golden light so bright that even with my eyes closed my eyelids lit up like a movie screen.

Branded by: Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki I’m buried six feet under, and no one hears my screams.

Possession by: Elana Johnson Good girls don’t walk with boys. Even if they’re good boys–and Zenn is the best.

The Choice by: Nicholas Sparks Stories are as unique as the people who tell them, and the best stories are those in which the ending is a surprise.

The Scorch Trials by: James Dashner She spoke to him before the world fell apart.

Abandon by: Elana Johnson Secrets are hard to keep–especially if your girlfriend can read minds.

Before I Fall by: Lauren Oliver They say that just before you die your whole life flashes before your eyes, but that’s not how it happened for me.

ENDINGS

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by: J.K. Rowling His hand closed automatically around the fake Horcrux, but in spite of everything, in spite of the dark and twisting path he saw stretching ahead of himself, in spite of the final meeting with Voldemort he knew must come, whether in a month, in a year, or in ten, he felt his heart lift at the thought that there was still one last golden day of peace left to enjoy with Ron and Hermione.

Keep Holding On by: Susane Colasanti So lets do this thing. Lets own what makes us unique. Lets refuse to allow haters to stop us from moving forward. Lets turn our dreams into realty. Starting now.

New Moon by: Stephenie Meyer I squared my shoulders and walked forward to meet my fate, with my destiny solidly at my side.

Divergent by: Veronica Roth We are creatures of loss; we have left everything behind. I have no home, no path, and no certainty. I am no longer Tris, the selfless, or Tris, the brave. I suppose that now, I must become more than either.

Requiem by: Lauren Oliver I will make a pact with you: I will do it if you do it, always and forever. Take down the walls.

Mockingjay by: Suzanne Collins I’ll tell them how I survive it. I’ll tell them that on bad mornings, it feels impossible to take pleasure in things because I’m afraid it could be taken away. That’s when I make a list in my head of every act of goodness I’ve seen someone do. It’s like a game. Repetative. Even a little tedious after more than twenty years. But there are much worse games to play.

The Best of Me by: Nicholas Sparks I gave you the best of me, he’d told her once, and with every beat of her sons heart, she knew he’d done exactly that.

Confidence.

Mrs. Allington shakes her head. “I’m a size twelve,” she says.” 

~Size 12 is Not Fat by: Meg Cabot

Fictional.

Life would be so much easier if fictional boys were real.

~Keep Holding On by: Susane Colasanti

Trendy Taglines.

Downright Dystopian is hosting Trendy Taglines, basically taglines that caught your eye or are pretty stellar. Here are three off my book shelf that I adore. Taglines are so important because they are the first little taste that you get of that book. And I think these ones are amazing!

How far would you go to find true beauty? North of Beautiful by: Justina Chen Headley ~ I love the Taglines with questions, they really get you thinking. Are you willing to take risks in order to find out who people really are? Sometimes it can be nerve racking learning who someone is, because if its different than how you initially thought they were, it means you’re wrong…people don’t like being wrong. So the question is, are you willing to be wrong to find the truth?

How does your life move forward, when all you want to do is… Hold Still. Hold Still by: Nina LaCour ~ I think this all the time. Sometimes there are so many things going on, I would love to push pause and take a needed break. If only it was possible, but this definitely makes me want to pick up this book. I especially really like that it leads into the title. Love it.

When you find something real, everything falls into place… When it Happens by: Susane Colasanti ~ This gives me hope that one day, life will just click and I will have everything figured out. Which would be fabulous, and I love books that show that life gets better. Even if it doesn’t seem like it at the time. :)

Top 10: Books Read in 2013

The Broke and The Bookish hosts our Top Ten Tuesday’s each week. The topic this week is Top Book’s Read in 2013. I have read so many great books this year, I don’t know how I will be able to narrow it down to the best of the best. But these are the ones that stood out to me, definite must reads. I know I say that a lot but they are truly great and deserve to be cherished. These are my top books that I’ve read this year, and I’m sure by the end of the year this list will have grown tremendously. Be sure to check these titles out if you haven’t already!

1. Pandemonium by: Lauren Oliver I’ve said time and time again how I root for the underdogs in books, much like this I tend to love the middle book in the trilogy. Thus Pandemonium is my number one, it is a fabulous sequel and I loved the entire book. Along with its crazy cliffhanger. :)

2. Divergent by: Veronica Roth I read this right after I finished Delirium by: Lauren Oliver and it blew me away. This trilogy is AMAZING and Allegiant could not come any sooner. Divergent is extremely well written.

3. Insurgent by: Veronica Roth Along with Pandemonium, this is an incredible sequel. One of my all time favorites by far, with its own cliffhanger. It takes talent to write a heart stopping book, and even more to write a second that is just as good and more. Which is why I think the sequels in series always end up my favorite.

4. The Best of Me by: Nicholas Sparks He’s done it again. I have yet to read a Nicholas Sparks Novel that hasn’t completely captivated me. And, like most of his books, had me in tears by the end. The Best of Me is beautiful and poetic like that majority of his books.

5. Before I Fall by: Lauren Oliver I know I cry in most of my books, but this one took me by so much surprise it had me hyperventilating by the end. Read. This. Now.

6. The Maze Runner by: James Dashner Slightly Hunger Games-esque, but not. This book is ation packed and keeps you on your toes. Thomas also is one of my favorite protagonist’s.

7. Surrender by: Elana Johnson Adding to my list of favorite sequel’s, I loved Gunner and Raine’s relationship and how well they work together.

8. Prodigy by: Marie Lu Legend was great, but as soon as I dove into Prodigy I was sold. It is written so well and was very addictive. Plus, the way it ended there is no question I will be reading Champion as soon as it is released.

9. Size 12 is Not Fat by: Meg Cabot I am a huge fan of Meg Cabot, and Size 12 was no exception. It was witty and one of the most entertaining books I’ve read. The perfect light read you need to get your Summer started.

10. So Much Closer by: Susane Colasanti Finding true love isn’t easy, and there is definitely going to be some bumps in the road. This book just proves that things will work out, and maybe not in the way we think.