Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Want to Re-read

I'm participating in Top Ten Tuesday at The Broke and the Bookish. I'm not a meme kind of a person, but I think this one is fun. So here it goes, my Top Ten Books I Want to Re-Read. 

 I'm a HUGE re-reader. I love re-living the story again. If I love it, why wouldn't I read it again? I know there are so many books I haven't read yet, but when I love a story I need to keep it in my mind and heart often. 

1. These is My Words by Nancy Turner- This is my very favorite book of all time. I should show you the copy I own. It is...well used. It is the classic adventure of one courageous woman's life and struggles in the Arizona Territories in the nineteenth century. It is fiction, but Sarah Prine was a real woman. Most moving, amazing, romantic, dramatic book I've ever read. EVER. I had the opportunity to interview author Nancy Turner and she is the nicest woman. There are two more books in the series: Sarah's Quilt and Star Garden. 
2. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. I read this twice, back to back, last week. I want to read it again. What's wrong with me? Nothing! This is SUCH a good book! I'm secretly (or not so secretly) in love with Etienne St. Clair. It is about a girl who goes off to boarding school in Paris! You actually FEEL like you're in Paris and you are rooting for Anna and St Clair to get together. The companion novel Lola and the Boy Next Door is released on Sept. 29th! I can't wait!!
3. Can You Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella. HILARIOUS! I will read anything Sophie writes, but this one just makes me laugh out loud. It is about Emma who is sitting on a turbulent plane. She's always been a nervous flyer. She really thinks that this could be her last moment. So, naturally enough, she starts telling the man sitting next to her all her innermost secrets.It really is SO funny! I'm ready to pick this one up tonight! I need a good laugh. 
4. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. Come on, if you haven't read anything by Cassandra Clare you are probably living under a rock and need to stop everything you're doing a read her books. AMAZING. Period. I'm obsessed with this series. It is a completely amazing paranormal world and it is set in Victorian England. Can it get any better?! The sequel Clockwork Prince comes out in November. I'm freaking out I'm so excited!
5. Gables of Legacy series by Anita Stansfield. I've not read this series in about a decade, and I'm dying to. All my books are back in American in my sisters attic but I should order them on Kindle. It is an LDS Christian romance. Set in Australia. Say no more right?! I've not read the companion series that takes place before this in the early 1900's. Same family. I love a period drama. I should order that while I'm at it!
6. Austenland by Shannon Hale. I'm a huge Shannon Hale fan and I'd seriously LOVE to go to an Austenland. Sometimes I dream about Mr. Nobley. Plus, I'd love to play dress up. Who wouldn't?!
7. The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine. I love fairytale's and Addie is probably my favorite heroine. She is so strong, even though she thinks she is weak. It takes courage to do what she did. 
8. Twilight by Stephanie Meyers. I said it. I want to re-read it. It has been YEARS since I've read the series and I'd like to feel all those emotions again. I think it's a great book. I don't care what anybody else says. I need a little bit of Edward in my life. 
9. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. How can you not want to re-read this? I've seriously never read anything like this. No dystopian can compare. Suzanne Collins practically put the genre on the map. She did it right. End of. I'm also in love with Peeta. How can you not want the boy with the bread?
10. Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog. I love fairies. I remember reading this in only a few short hours and feeling so light and in love that i couldn't stop thinking about the book for the next few days. I got to interview author Cyn Balog as well! She is so down to earth and I'll read what ever she wants to write! 

 Do you like to re-read? Anything been calling out to you on your bookshelf you'd like to enjoy again?

Review: This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

Title: This Lullaby
Author: Sarah Dessen
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Pages: 304
Format: Kindle


"I had no illusions about love... It came, it went, it left casualties or it didn't. People weren't meant to be together forever, regardless of what the songs say." Remy doesn't believe in love. And why should she? Her romance novelist mother is working on her fifth marriage, and her father, a '70s hippie singer, left her with only a one-hit wonder song to remember him by. Every time Remy hears "This Lullaby," it feels like "a bruise that never quite healed right." "Wherever you may go / I will let you down / But this lullaby plays on..." Never without a boyfriend, Remy is a compulsive dater, but before a guy can go all "Ken" on her (as in "ultra boyfriend behavior") she cuts him off, without ever getting close or getting hurt. That's why she's stunned when klutzy, quirky, alterna-band boy Dexter inserts himself into her life and refuses to leave. Remy's been accepted to Stanford, and she plans on having her usual summer fling before tying up the loose ends of her pre-college life and heading for the coast. Except Dexter's not following Remy's tried-and-true rules of break-up protocol. And for the first time, Remy's questioning whether or not she wants him to.

Review:
This is my first Sarah Desssen. Cute. I enjoyed it.I'm all about the geeky, quirky boys! I did think there was too much teen drinking, but I guess that's just me. I didn't do those things in high school. But, I know I'm a rarity. I enjoyed Dexter the most. I loved his character. I could picture him and I felt like I knew him and knew what he was going to do next. He felt like a friend. Remy was a puzzle to me. I kept wondering what she was going to do next. Why was she feeling a certain way or acting a certain way. I loved all the music lyrics. Made me wish I could hear the music that went with them!

I did enjoy it. I'll be picking up another Dessen book! What should I read?

Quote:
"Holding people away from you, and denying yourself love, that doesn't make you strong. if anything, it makes you weaker. Because you're doing it out of fear."

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books Everyone Has Read But Me

I'm participating in Top Ten Tuesday at The Broke and the Bookish. I'm not a meme kind of a person, but I thought this one sounded fun this week. So here it goes, my Top Ten Books I Feel as Though Everyone has Read but Me.

1. The Help by Kathryn Stockett- I own it. I know I'll love it. I just haven't read it...yet.
2. Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr- I've read the other 4 books in the Wicked Lovely series. Just not the last book. What's my problem? Too many other books to read than to worry about the ending of a series I'm not into any longer. 
3. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson- I owned it once upon a time. Then I donated it to the library. I guess I'm just not into it. Unless someone tells me otherwise... 
4. Forever by Maggie Stiefvater- I've read the other two books in the series and LOVED them. I just haven't gotten around to reading Forever yet.
5. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White- I own it! I know I'll love it! I'm just not in the mood for paranormal. There are only so many vampires, fairies, and demons a girl can take. I'm taking a break.
6. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte- I LOVE LOVE LOVE the movie. I've just never actually picked up the books. Which I know I'll love. But since I've seen the movie....
7. Harry Potter by JK Rowling- Don't get your panties in a bunch! I've just not read the last 2 books. I went on a mission for my church when they came out and I was way too busy volunteering for 18 months to read a single book. I feel that if I'm going to read them, I need to re-read the whole series up to that point. Who has the time for that?!
8. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen- I KNOW I'll love this. I think... But I'm in NO hurry to read it.
9. I Don't Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson- Well, I'm actually reading this one right now. It is just taking me awhile because it stresses me out when I read it. I may not work outside the home, but I am a mom. Whenever she is making all those mental notes I go crazy and start making my own mental notes. When I read a chapter from this book I wake up more tired than when I went to bed. I'm living this book, I don't need to read about it. Even if I am enjoying it and it is super funny.
10. Nicholas Sparks- Anything by him. I've never ever read one of his books. I've seen a few of the movies, and they are always sad. I need happy in my life, but I am intrigued and might pick one of his books up one of these days.

 Is there a book you haven't read where you feel everyone around you has?!

Review: Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn

Title: Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Author: Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pages: 183
Format: Kindle


It all starts when Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes. He only needs five minutes to avoid his ex-girlfriend, who’s just walked in to his band’s show. With a new guy. And then, with one kiss, Nick and Norah are off on an adventure set against the backdrop of New York City—and smack in the middle of all the joy, anxiety, confusion, and excitement of a first date.

This he said/she said romance told by YA stars Rachel Cohn and David Levithan is a sexy, funny roller coaster of a story about one date over one very long night, with two teenagers, both recovering from broken hearts, who are just trying to figure out who they want to be—and where the next great band is playing.

Review:
Where do I begin? I was recommended this book. I thought it sounded just what I was looking for. What I found was a book full of the "f" word and plenty of teen drinking. I liked the plot of the story very much. I liked how music brought Nick and Norah together. I liked their crazy night together.

I didn't liked all the bad language. It could be just me, but I never used that kind of language in high school. I'm not just talking about a few bad words here and there. I'm talking 22 f-bombs on one page alone, then the next page had 10 f-bombs. It was plastered all over the book. Were there no other words for the authors to use? Also, the drinking. I never drank in high school. Neither did my friends. Is this rare? Maybe. But I was too busy with a load of after school clubs and such to be doing anything illegal. HOW was Norah getting drinks at the bar anyway? She is underage. I think authors need to be careful what they put in books (that goes for tv too). Kids think this is normal, and then they want to do it. To be normal. What's wrong with being a teen?

The plot was good, I liked the characters, just not their language and some of their actions. Good story, I just think the bad language took away from the story.

Quote:
"I want to kiss her without counting the seconds. I want to hold her so long that I get to know her skin. I want, I want, I want."

Review: His Eyes by Renee Carter

Title: His Eyes
Author: Renee Carter
Pages: 196
Format: Kindle

Amy Turner's about to graduate from high school and all she wants is a job. Actually, all she wants is to find a way to pay for college. Amy certainly isn't looking for love when she answers an ad to baby-sit a boy-she just needs the cash. But the job has a catch: The boy is blind...and he's her age.

Tristan Edmund may be hot, but he doesn't want Amy's help. Or so he thinks. After being blinded in a horse show-jumping competition, Tristan spends his days in the dark, refusing to accept his disability. Much to his annoyance, Amy bursts into his life and drags him into the light. But just as the two begin to see something in each other, Tristan's beautiful ex-girlfriend shows up. Will the temptation be too much, or will Tristan choose the girl who really sees him?

Review:
I was looking on Amazon for a new Kindle book to download for the evening and I found His Eyes. I didn't notice how small the book was or anything, but I grabbed it. I enjoyed it, but it is WAY too short. The bones to the story are there, but it seriously needs some more meat. I like to see how everyday actions get couples together. Not just the day after the meet they like each other etc. The story is good. I really liked the plot and I liked the characters. I just wanted so much more from them. 196 pages isn't enough for this story.

I normally don't read self published books. I didn't even notice this was one. I think a professional editor and agent are there for a reason. They could have been used to really bring out the best in this book and beef it up. It's a great story. Add 250 more pages and it would be fantastic! You'd give the characters time to feel, heal, and enjoy one another.

I would recommend this book. It is cute and short. You can read it in a matter for a couple of hours. I just wish it had been longer and was a little more rounded out.

Quote:
"And being blind... that doesn't change who you are."

Review: Anna and the French Kiss

Title: Anna and the French Kiss
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Publisher: Dutton Books
Pages:  372
Format: Kindle

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna has long awaited?


 Review:
This book is SO CUTE!! I want to read it again right away it's that cute. Makes me wish I would have gone to boarding school, it's so very Hogwarts! LOVE!! I think you should go out and buy this book immediately and read it. Just sayin'. 

Anna is in a new city, Paris! Oh la la! Oui! She meets and great group of friends and just might have a big crush on one English, American, Frenchie (with a beautiful accent). I currently have a very BIG crush on St. Clair! Oh yeah! I enjoyed watching Anna grow up and I loved all the humor.  I was laughing out loud on practically every page. Oh, and I loved the teen love! You know me. 

Made me think of my trip to Paris 2 yrs ago this fall. My husband and I had a blast and I was re-living all of the places Anna would visit. Paris is such an amazing city. So romantic and beautiful. It was everything we hoped it would be, and more. The details in this book were spot on! 


I love love loved it!!! I'm a huge fan! 
 Quote:
"Seriously, I don't know any American girl who can resist an English accent."

Review: Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stacey

Title: Exclusively Yours
Author: Shannon Stacey
Publisher: Carina Press
Format: Kindle
Word Count: 73,000


When Keri Daniels' editor finds out she has previous carnal knowledge of reclusive bestselling author Joe Kowalski, she gives Keri a choice: get an interview or get a new job.

Joe's never forgotten the first girl to break his heart, so he's intrigued to hear Keri's back in town—and looking for him. Despite his intense privacy, he'll grant Keri an interview if it means a chance to finish what they started in high school.

He proposes an outrageous plan—for every day she survives with his family on their annual camping and four-wheeling trip, Keri can ask one question. Keri agrees; she's worked too hard to walk away from her career.  But the chemistry between them is as potent as the bug spray, Joe's sister is out to avenge his broken heart and Keri hasn't ridden an ATV since she was ten. Who knew a little blackmail, a whole lot of family and some sizzling romantic interludes could make Keri reconsider the old dream of Keri & Joe 2gether 4ever.

Review:
LOVE!! This is such a cute book! Exclusively Yours is a companion novel with Yours to Keep that I reviewed the other day. About another member of the Kowalski family. I think I liked this even better.  I have a soft spot for high school sweethearts and first loves. I also believe in second chances. This fits the bill. Not to mention it made me want to go camping.

I liked how even thought Joe and Keri hadn't seen each other in years, they practically picked up where they left off.  That has always been my sign of a great friend. I also liked the whole family dynamic. What a wonderful American family. Close yet dysfunctional in so many ways. Aren't we all like that?!

I didn't care for Terry and her story. I thought she was petty to bring up stuff from decades before. Still playing the victim after all those years. She seemed petty in all things to me. I could have done without that story and just focused on Joe and Keri.

I loved this book and read it last night in bed. It's fast and romantic. What's not to love?!

Quote:
"People sometimes hurt the ones they love trying to protect themselves from being hurt.  Love means second chances sometimes."

Review: Just a Little White Lie by Lynnette Hallberg

Title: Just a Little White Lie
Author: Lynnette Hallberg
Publisher: Carina Press
Format: Kindle
Word Count: 62,000
Pub date: Sept. 12, 2011

A special Thank You to Carina Press and NetGalley for this e-book to review.

Lucinda Darling thinks she's ready to get married. Even though Donald doesn't give her butterflies, the heiress is ready to make her marriage work. She's got the dress, she's at the church and her fiancé...is making out with his ex. So Lucinda stuffs her tulle skirts into her tiny sports car and hits the road...only to have her car break down.

Jake Parker knows he's not ready to settle down. But Grandma Hattie is sick, so, to make her happy, he's returning home to find himself a fake fiancée. When Jake rescues Lucy from the side of the highway, she goes from runaway bride to temporary fiancée.

Lucy hopes to escape the public eye in small-town Georgia, but she doesn't expect to fall for Jake's charming hometown, let alone Jake himself. Soon Jake and Lucy both start to wish their lie were true. But Lucy knows she must stop their pretense before Jake's family—and her heart—are hurt so badly they'll never recover.

Review:
What a cute book! I just loved it! I fell in love with Jake Parker from his first scene.  This is a quick read with plenty of southern charm.  I liked Lucinda and found her to be more than what she seemed on the outside. The romance, oh the romance! I could have done with some more of it actually. Yet, I enjoyed it. If you are looking for some brain candy, then this is the book.  Let it whisk you away to Pride, Georgia!!