Top Ten Tuesday: Books People Have Told Me I MUST Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish in which bloggers post their "Top Ten" list of books based on that week's theme. This week's theme:

TOP TEN BOOKS PEOPLE HAVE TOLD ME I MUST READ
(or, Here are all the books I own that I haven't read yet because I fail at reading books that I know/people tell me I will really like)

I don't normally participate in Top Ten Tuesday but this week's topic came right at the same time as I had Ciara and Jess, two of my awesome blogger friends, over at my house this past weekend. While looking at my bookshelves, because that's what book friends do, they started telling me which books I owned that I had to read. So here are 10 of the books they pointed out.

1 & 2 - Jellicoe Road and Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta - This is the part where I tell the world that I haven't read a single Melina Marchetta book. Ever. *Goes to hide in a corner* Now that that's out of the way, I have been yelled at plenty by Ciara for not having read either of these books despite owning them (this will be a recurring theme for this list).

3 - We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han - I fail at finishing series. Like, this is a MAJOR problem for me. I can't even begin to count how many series I've started but haven't finished. In this case, I loved the first two books in Jenny Han's Summer trilogy I just can't bring myself to read the last one. Maybe it's because I was quite happy with the ending of the second book love triangle-wise so I'm afraid of what might happen.

4 - Where She Went by Gayle Forman - Yeah, so I haven't read Where She Went yet. I've read If I Stay and I loved it. I've been told by so many people that Where She Went is even better and even more emotional. Seeing the If I Stay movie this week may just be the motivation I need to finally read Where She Went.

5 - Looking for Alaska by John Green - I've only read two John Green books: Paper Towns and The Fault in Our Stars. But Looking for Alaska is the one that everyone (aka Ciara) has been telling me that I need to read. But I'm afraid of all the feelings that could possibly come from reading this book. 

6 - The rest of the Soul Screamers series (Specifically books 4, 5, 6 and 7) by Rachel Vincent - A year or two ago I started reading the Soul Screamers series, but I only got as far as book 3. According to some people, I need to remedy that fact. 

7 - Starling by Fiona Paul - This is another case of my inability to finish series in a timely manner. Though admittedly, Starling came out this year, so this isn't too outstanding. But I loved the first two books. And Jess has been telling me that I will love the conclusion. So I really need to get on that.

8 - Midnight Frost (and by extension, Killer Frost) by Jennifer Estep - In my opinion, the Mythos Academy series is one of the most underrated YA series out there. I've loved every book I've read in this series but I can't bring myself to read the last two books in the series. That and, as I've already established, I suck at finishing series.

9 - The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater - It took me a while to get around to reading The Raven Boys so I'm not entirely surprised that I haven't read The Dream Thieves yet. And Ciara (anyone seeing a trend yet?) has borderline yelled at me for not having read it yet. 

10 - Origin (and by extension, Opposition) by Jennifer L. Armentrout - You would think that after the end of Opal I would have been dying to read Origin. And I was. But then life got in the way. And so for the past year Ciara and Katie have been asking me if I've read it yet. And now that Opposition is out, they're nagging me even more. But in a good way.

So these are ten of the books people have been telling me I need to read. Believe me when I say that there are A LOT more sitting on my bookshelves. For now, let me know in the comments which one form this list you think I should read first!

Waiting on Wednesday (72)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where book bloggers devote a post to an upcoming book release they are particularly looking forward to. This week I have two titles I am particularly looking forward to reading.

Spirit by Brigid Kemmerer
May 28, 2013
Kensington Teen

With power comes enemies. Lots of them.

Hunter Garrity just wants to be left alone. He's learned the hard way that his unusual abilities come at a price. And he can't seem to afford any allies.

He's up to his neck in hostiles. His grandfather, spoiling for a fight. The Merrick brothers, who think he ratted them out. Calla, the scheming psycho who wants to use him as bait.

Then there's Kate Sullivan, the new girl at school. She's not hostile. She's bold. Funny. Hot. But she's got an agenda, too.

With supposedly secret powers rippling to the surface everywhere around him, Hunter knows something ugly is about to go down. But finding out what means he'll have to find someone he can trust...

So far I have loved the first two books in Brigid Kemmerer's Elemental series. These books have proven to be quite addictive and I can't wait to find out what happens next. It will be interesting this time around to see things from the perspective of Hunter instead of one of the Merrick brothers. Regardless of it all, I am still really excited about Spirit being released.

Midnight Frost by Jennifer Estep

July 30, 2013

Kensington Teen

Here we go again…

Just when it seems life at Mythos Academy can't get any more dangerous, the Reapers of Chaos manage to prove me wrong. It was just a typical night at the Library of Antiquities--until a Reaper tried to poison me. The good news is I'm still alive and kicking. The bad news is the Reaper poisoned someone else instead.

As Nike's Champion, everyone expects me to lead the charge against the Reapers, even though I'm still hurting over what happened with Spartan warrior Logan Quinn. I've got to get my hands on the antidote fast--otherwise, an innocent person will die. But the only known cure is hidden in some creepy ruins--and the Reapers are sure to be waiting for me there...

Have I mentioned how much I have come to love the Mythos Academy series in the past year? With each book, it seems like it just keeps getting better and better. And with everything that happened in Crimson Frost how could I not be unbelievably excited about Midnight Frost. Though I have a feeling that what Jennifer Estep will do to some of these characters will break my heart a little.

So those are the two books I'm excited about this week. If you haven't yet checked out either one of those series, I strongly recommend you do. But be warned that you may find yourself becoming addicted to them quite quickly. 

Crimson Frost by Jennifer Estep

Title: Crimson Frost (Mythos Academy #4)

Author: Jennifer Estep

Publisher: Kensington Teen

Release Date: December 24, 2012

Source: Borrowed from fellow blogger

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

For a moment, a face flashed before my eyes--the most hideous face I'd ever seen. No matter how hard I tried to forget what had happened, I saw him everywhere I went. It was Loki--the evil god that I'd helped set free against my will.

I should have known that my first official date with Logan Quinn was destined to end in disaster. If we'd gotten into a sword fight, or been ambushed by Reapers, Id' have been more prepared. But getting arrested mid-sip at the local coffee hangout? I didn't see that one coming.

I've been caused of purposely helping the Reapers free Loki from his prison--and the person leading the charge against me is Linus Quinn, Logan's dad. The worst part is that pretty much everyone at Mythos academy thinks I'm guilty. If I'm going to get out of this mess alive, I'll have to do it myself...

Over the past year I have come to absolutely love Jennifer Estep's Mythos Academy series. And after everything that had happened in the first three books, I couldn't wait to get my hands on Crimson Frost. And it turned out to be even better than the previous books in the series. 

Much to Gwen Frost's dismay, Loki is now free despite her best efforts to stop the Reapers of Chaos from setting the god free. In spite of this, Gwen is ready to finally be able to spend some proper one on one time with Logan Quinn. But their first date is cut short when members of the Protectorate show up ready to arrest Gwen, accusing her of being a Reaper of Chaos. Now everything is about to fall apart because while they are busy putting Gwen on trial, the Reapers are out there, helping Loki start another Chaos War. But even with her friends in her corner, it's going to be Gwen's job to once again stop the Reapers. Hopefully before it's too late.

I love this series. With each book, the story just seems to get better, which in turn makes me love the story even more. With Crimson Frost, things started happening right away. I wasn't even through the first chapter and there was already someone trying to drag Gwen away. And from then on, there was always something happening. And the story itself was quite intense. There were moments when I even started doubting what was happening, despite what I already knew from the previous books. And I'm not entirely sure I'm happy with how some things turned out. Because that ending, basically left me begging for the next book in the series.

Gwen was still the Gwen I have come to love in the previous books. She was still putting a smile on my face but this time around, there were moments where my heart was breaking for her. But it's hard to talk about that without giving away a good chunk of the story. The great thing about the Mythos Academy series is all the supporting characters. Daphne and Carson are among my favourite, but I didn't get to see as much of them as I would have liked. Though I did like being able to see more of Oliver, especially with the introduction of Alexei. And of course Logan was still making my heart melt every opportunity he got. But that's not all that happened with him in Crimson Frost. Because lots to do with Logan happened and it definitely helped explain some aspects of his personality.

Jennifer Estep's Crimson Frost was a fantastic continuation to this already great series. If you love mythology, action and romance then I strongly recommend you give this series a try. Odds are you won't be disappointed. 

Dark Frost by Jennifer Estep

Title: Dark Frost (Mythos Academy #3)

Author: Jennifer Estep

Publisher: Kensington Teen

Release Date: May 29, 2012

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

I've seen so many freaky things since I started attending Mythos Academy last fall. I know I'm supposed to be a fearless warrior, but most of the time, I feel like I'm just waiting for the next, Bad, Bad Thing to happen, Like someone trying to kill me--again.

Everyone at Mythos Academy knows me as Gwen Frost, the Gypsy girl who uses her psychometry magic to find lost objects--and who just may be dating Logan Quinn, the hottest guy in school. But I'm also the girl the Reapers of Chaos want dead in the worst way. The Reapers are the baddest of the ad, the people who murdered my mom. So why do they have it in for me? It turns out my mom hid a powerful artifact called the Hellheim Dagger before she died. Now, the Reapers will do anything to get it back. They think I know where the dagger is hidden, but this is one thing I can't use my magic to find. All I do know is that the Reapers are coming for me--and I'm in for the fight of my life.

I absolutely love Jennifer Estep's Mythos Academy series and it only got better with Dark Frost. In this installment, the story was taken to a whole new level, and by the end I was totally begging for more.

Gwen Frost is just trying to figure out what is going on between her and Logan Quinn, the hottest guy at Mythos, but constantly being in mortal danger is kind of getting in the way of that. That's what happens when you suddenly find out that you're pretty much the only person who can stop the Reaper of Chaos from freeing Loki. No pressure, right? Now, Reapers of Chaos have infiltrated Mythos Academy, and are trying to get at Gwen from all directions. And to make things better, Gwen's best friend isn't talking to her. And here all Gwen was hoping for was a date with Logan. So much for that.

Jennifer Estep really stepped it up in Dark Frost. I had already loved the first two books in the Mythos Academy series, but this third one was something else. There was so much going on in Dark Frost. Right from the first chapter there was something going on and the action really didn't let up until the end. And as far as who was the bad guy, Jennifer Estep had me going around in a circle, I kept changing my mind until it was all revealed. One of my favorite parts of the story is still all the warrior mythology. It's really interesting how it all works together and that mythology from all these different cultures mix together. It makes for an interesting read.

I love the character in this story. Gwen has a fantastic voice and I love the way she tells the story. She always manages to put a smile on my face. The other people who also do that are Daphne and Carson. They are an adorable couple and the way they act often just makes me laugh. And once again Logan is kind of hot and cold, but I kind of love him for it. Mostly, I understand why Logan is the way he is and it totally fits in with Logan's personality. And, you know, how Logan is with Gwen isn't so bad, at least how he is with her most of the time. All that to say that the people in this story are pretty great.

Dark Frost was a truly awesome read. The story was taken to a whole new level, both with the action and the mystery. And with the preview of the next book at the end, I am unbelievably eager to be able to read Crimson Frost.

Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Title: Kiss of Frost (Mythos Academy #2)

Author: Jennifer Estep

Publisher: Kensington Teen

Release Date: November 29, 2011

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

Logan Quinn was trying to kill me. My Spartan classmate relentlessly pursued me, swinging his sword at me over and over gain, the shining silver blade inching closer to my throat every time. A smile tugged up his lips, and his ice-blue practically glowed with the thrill of battle…

I’m Gwen Frost, a second-year warrior-in-training at Mythos Academy, and I have no idea how I’m going to survive the rest of the semester. One day, I’m getting schooled in swordplay by the guy who broke my heart – the drop-dead gorgeous Logan, who slays me every time. Then, an invisible archer in the Library of Antiquities decides to use me for target practice. And now, I find out that someone at the academy is really a Reaper bad guy who wants me dead. I’m afraid if I don’t learn how to live by the sword – with Logan’s help – I just might die by the sword…

When I read Touch of Frost, I immediately loved it, so I was more than happy to be able to read Kiss of Frost right away. And as much as I loved the frist book, I have to admit that I loved the sequel even more.

Now that she has discovered the truth about her heritage, Gwen Frost is finding it a little easier to fit in at Mythos Academy. Except that the discovery means that she has a lot of catching up to do, especially when it comes to weapons training. Now Gwen gets to spend all her mornings with Logan Quinn, the resident Spartan bad boy, and his Spartan buddies Kenzie and Oliver. On the bright side, this means more time with Logan, but unfortunately for Gwen, Logan still isn't available. But nothing is ever simple in Gwen's life, and it would appear that one again, someone wants her dead. Hoping to escape, Gwen goes to the Winter Carnival with her friends, but she may not be as safe as she thought, judging by recent events.

Where I found the action a little slow to start in Touch of Frost, with Kiss of Frost I was thrown right into it. With this being the second book in the series, there was a lot less background information that needed to be given, and I think that definitely helped the story move along at a quicker pace. And that is definitely something I loved about this book. The story kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way through. There were many plot twists that I definitely didn't see coming. And the mythology that I loved in the first book was definitely still there, and I got to find out more about it, which was fantastic. Kiss of Frost definitely didn't fall in the trap that a lot of sequels do. If anything, it was even better than the first book.

Gwen was still the same girl that I loved in the first book. She was still sarcastic and absolutely hopeless when it comes to weapons training. And of course, she is still totally in love with Logan Quinn, who incidentally, is still totally unavailable. He also still sounds as gorgeous as he did in the first book of course. I loved that Daphne and Carson were still present and they still make an absolutely adorable (and somewhat quirky) couple. I also really liked the addition of new characters in the form of Spartans Kenzie and Oliver. I feel like I got to know Oliver more, but I'm hoping to find out more about Kenzie in future books.

Kiss of Frost was an absolutely fantastic book and sequel. It was everything I hoped it would be and kept me guessing the whole way through in the best possible way. Now I just have to wait for Dark Frost to find out what's going to happen next.

Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Title: Touch of Frost (Mythos Academy #1)

Author: Jennifer Estep

Publisher: Kensington Teen

Release Date: July 26, 2011

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

My name is Gwen Frost, and I got to Mythos Academy – a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geeks knows how to chop off somebody’s head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest.

But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos. First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities. Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War. You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things. Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I’m determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why – especially since I should have been the one who died…

Touch of Frost is one of those books that didn't get as much attention when it came out, so I didn't really pay too much attention to it. But then I randomly decided to pick it up, and I am more than happy that I did. It ended up being a fantastic read. 

Gwen Frost was perfectly happy living with her mother and grandmother while leading a normal life. But then her mother died in a car accident and Gwen was forced to transfer to Mythos Academy, a school for mythological warriors. Because the thing about Gwen is that she isn't exactly normal. Just by touching someone she can find out everything about that person. And that gift also applies to objects, which comes in handy to make extra cash off of her fellow students by finding things they lose. But then a student is mysteriously killed, and Gwen feels she should have beent he one killed. Even though she's alive, Gwen may still be in grave danger. Going to a school for warrior whiz kids may be even more complicated than Gwen originally thought.

I definitely have a soft spot for mythology, and the whole subject matter kind of fascinates me. All that to say that I'm always on the look out for a good book that deals with mythology. While there are many books like that out there, Touch of Frost dealt with the subject differently: instead of focusing on just one culture's mythology, this book looks at all the different warrior mythologies. It was definitely interesting and made for an action-packed story. Jennifer Estep wrote a story here that really captivated me and it wasn't too long before I found myself having difficulty putting the book down.

Gwen was a fantastic character and I loved getting to know her. Plus she had a great voice. She just had a way of telling the story that just made me smile, even at times when smiling wasn't necessarily the most appropriate thing to do. I also loved seeing her friendship with Daphne develop. It was definitely an unlikely one, but that's what made it special. And Daphne herself just had me laughing most of the time. She was full of contradictions and that just made me love her even more. And that leaves Logan Quinn. I can definitely understand why Gwen fell for him. But at the same time, he didn't seem quite right. Though by the end of the book, I totally felt the same way about him as Gwen did.

Touch of Frost was a fantastic and fast-paced read. Jennifer Estep definitely hit the mark with the mythology she chose to write about and definitely made me want to find out more. I was also very happy to have the second book on hand to start reading when I finished this one. It won't leave you hanging, but you still definitely want to know what happens next.