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!

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

Title: To All the Boys I've Loved Before

Author: Jenny Han

Publisher: Simon & Schuster BFYR

Release Date: April 15, 2014

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control in this heartfelt novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Summer I Turned Pretty series.

What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them…all at once?

Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

I ADORE contemporaries. It’s no secret. And lately, it seems like all these awesome contemporaries are being published. Basically, I am in Heaven. I had been looking forward to Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before for quite some time and I was beyond excited to read. And so surprise, I absolutely loved it.

Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean Song has been in love exactly five times, with five different boys. Every time she’s been in love, she’s written that boy a letter pouring out her heart in an effort to get over them. Once she’s finished, she doesn’t mail the letters, she puts them in a hatbox she keeps in her closet. But one day, Lara Jean arrives at school to find out that someone sent her letters to each of those five boys. Now Lara Jean has to deal with what those letters mean, especially the one that was sent to Josh, the boy next door who also happens to be her sister’s boyfriend. With help from an unlikely source, Lara Jean starts to realize that her imaginary love life is nothing like the one she has now. She discovers that love is often messy and who you fall for is completely out of your control.

Have I mentioned lately that I ADORE contemporary books? In case I haven’t done so enough already, I’ll say it again just for good measure. And Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is exactly why I love contemporaries. Right from the start, I was pulled into the story. Being the curious person that I am, I wanted to know what was in those letters, even who those letters were addressed to in the first place. Most of all, I wanted to know who had sent them. And once I started getting some answers to my questions, I just couldn’t seem to turn the pages fast enough. I loved seeing the relationship between Lara Jean and Peter develop, especially the situations they would get themselves into being that they were only “fake dating.” But the more time they spent together, I could just see that it was becoming less and less fake, even if they didn’t realize it. It was just an overall fun and adorable story about first love and growing up. And if I’m being honest, as much as I love my deep and serious contemporaries, I might love my adorable ones even more. Basically, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is just the kind of story I adore.

I connected with Lara Jean pretty early on in the book. Just like her, I’ve been guilty of writing letters to people (read: boys) just to get stuff off my chest and never sending them. Unlike Lara Jean though, no one’s ever sent those letters behind my back. But even then, I could feel her pain when she discovered that letters that were never meant for anyone’s eyes but her’s had been read by the boys they were addressed to. And I loved seeing her struggle with how to deal with everything. The situations she put herself in often made me smile, especially when she was with Peter. Because though they may not have been particularly fond of each other at first, Lara Jean and Peter were really fun together. I loved how despite the fact that they started this whole thing as a ploy to make other people feel jealous, I could tell that they were starting to care for each other and eventually even go so far to as fall for each other. It was just great to see both of them grow and change, becoming better people. And now that I know there’s a sequel, I have some thoughts on what I want to happen to both Lara Jean and Peter.

Though this probably won’t come as a surprise to anyone who knows me, I absolutely loved Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. It was exactly what I hoped it would be, and I loved getting lost in this story and getting to know these characters. I can’t wait to find out more in P.S. I Still Love You. 

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

Title: Burn for Burn (Burn for Burn #1)

Author: Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

Publisher: Simon & Schuster BFYR

Release Date: September 18, 2012

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY…

THEY GET EVEN.

Lillia has never had any problems dealing with boys who like her. Not until this summer, when one went too far. No way will she let the same thing happen to her little sister.

Kat is tired of the rumours, the insults, the cruel jokes. It all goes back to one person--her ex-best friend--and she's ready to make her pay.

Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she's not the same girl anymore. And eh's ready to prove it to him.

Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won't stop until they each had a taste.

Ever since I heard about Burn for Burn I have been wanting to read it. Then I got a cop for review in the spring and it took all the restraint I had to hold off on reading it. Now that I've finally read it, I can say that it was even better than I thought it would be. 

Kat, Lillia and Mary all have someone they want to get revenge on. Kat always wanted to do to her former best friend what was done to her. Lillia doesn't want what happened to her to happen to her little sister. Four years ago Mary had to leave town because of what happened to her. The three girls bond over their desire for revenger. Together, they vow to right the wrongs that were done to them. And nothing will stop Kat, Lillia and Mary until they've all had their revenge. But revenge may not be all it's cracked up to be.

While I had read books by Jenny Han in the past, this was my first time reading something by Siobhan Vivian. Let me just say that I loved it. In Burn for Burn, Siobhan Vivian and Jenny Han wrote a fantastic read. Even before I started reading I knew that Burn for Burn that I would really enjoy the story. And then I started reading and it definitely didn't disappoint. Right from the beginning I was drawn into the story, wanting to know what had happened to each of the girls to make them want revenge so bad. The fact that the story was told from three different points of view definitely was one of the things that made the book so engrossing. I just kept wanting to know what would happen next. And with every page I turned it just kept getting more interesting and that ending definitely left me wanting more.

I loved getting to know Kat, Lillia and Mary. Each of the girls had flaws and wasn't perfect and I think that's what made me love them that much more. Kat was hellbent on revenge but every so often you were able to see that she was really suffering despite the front she put up. With Lillia, she wasn't quite as perfect as she pretended to be, and you could see that at times she really wasn't so sure about the whole revenge thing. And my heart just went out to Mary. She has suffered so much but still tried to put up a brave front and I have so much respect for her because of that. There is a bit of mystery surrounding the other characters. I still don't feel like I know that much about many of them. Maybe I'll find out more in the future.

Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian's Burn for Burn was an absolutely fantastic read. It was filled with a small amount of mystery and a strong desire for revenge--even I wanted revenge by the time I finished reading. If you like the TV show Revenge, then I strongly recommend you give Burn for Burn a try.

It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

Title: It's Not Summer Without You (Summer #2)

Author: Jenny Han

Publisher: Simon & Schuster BFYR

Release Date: April 27, 2010

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

Can summer be truly summer without Cousins Beach?

It used to be that Belly counted the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But not this year. Not after Susannah got sick again and Conrad stopped caring. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come.

But when Jeremiah calls saying Conrad has disappeared, Belly knows what she must do to make things right again. And it can only happen back at the beach house, the three of them together, the way things used to be. If this summer really and truly is the last summer, it should end the way it all started--at Cousins Beach.

A couple of months ago I read The Summer I Turned Pretty since it was summer and it was a good summer read. Now I decided to read It’s Not Summer Without You to trick myself into thinking it was summer again, especially since it’s been cold and rainy lately. It did a pretty good job of convincing me it was summer since it had me completely engrossed in the story. It was a good read and put a good end to the story that had started in the first book.

As far as she can remember, Belly has always gone to Cousins Beach for the summer. It’s what she looks forward to the whole year, just being able to spend time with Susannah, Conrad and Jeremiah. But this year everything is different: Susannah’s gone, everyone is grieving and no one is going to Cousins for the summer. So when Jeremiah calls asking for her help to find Conrad, Belly doesn’t hesitate one second and soon enough she finds herself back in Cousins with Conrad and Jeremiah for one last summer together.

I think I like Belly better this time around. She didn’t come off quite as whiny but there were still some moments where I just wanted to yell at her to get a grip and move on. On some points I was pretty much agreeing with her best friend Taylor, though not always. I was happy to see that as the story moved forward she came to terms with everything happening in her life and finally made the decisions I was waiting for her to make. She finally decided who of Conrad and Jeremiah she wanted to be with, and I have to admit I was really happy with her choice.

Jeremiah was my favorite when I read the first book and he just grew on me even more. I just love him and again I was totally rooting for him to end up with Belly in the end. There’s just something about him that you can’t help but love. He’s so easy going and always happy and his happiness is contagious. As for Conrad he was still his moody somewhat irritating self. I’m never completely sure what Belly sees in him. The guy has his moments but three quarters of the time he’s a moody jerk. But I like already said I’m was way happy with Belly’s final choice.

The story was nothing impressive but it was a good light read after reading some books that have a slightly heavier subject matter. I liked this story better than the one in The Summer I Turned Pretty. I’m not entirely sure why but I liked this one better. Maybe it was because everything wasn’t as light and happy as the first book but this one had something more to it. It was all about grief and letting go of the past, even if that past is difficult to let go of.

It’s Not Summer Without You was a good read and a great way to escape back to summer. It wasn’t anything exceptional but it was entertaining all the same and a great conclusion to a great story.

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

Title: The Summer I Turned Pretty (Summer #1)

Author: Jenny Han

Publisher: Simon & Schuster BFYR

Release Date: May 5, 2009

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

When each summer begins, Belly leaves her school life behind and escapes to Cousins Beach, the place she has spent every summer of her life. Not only does the beach house mean home away from home, but her favorite people are there: Susannah, her mother’s best friend, and her sons, Conrad and Jeremiah. Belly has been chasing Conrad for as long as she can remember, and more than anything she hopes this summer will be different. Despite distractions from a new guy named Cam and lingering looks from Conrad’s brother, Jeremiah, Belly’s heart belongs to Conrad. Will he offer his to her? Will this be the summer that changes everything?

I decided to pick up The Summer I Turned Pretty because it seemed like a good summer read and it proved to be just that. Don’t pick up this book if you are looking for something deep that will make you think, this is not it. But just because this is a light read it doesn’t mean that it wasn’t good. I truly enjoyed this book and actually had trouble putting it down at times.

Belly has spent every summer of her life at the beach house in Cousins Beach. There she spends her time swimming and hanging out with her older brother Steven and Conrad and Jeremiah, her mother’s best friend’s two sons. For as long as she can remember, Belly has been in love with Conrad but this summer maybe things will be different. New guy Cam shows up and shows great interest in Belly as does Jeremiah who Belly has always seen as her best friend. And of course Conrad still doesn’t seem to feel the same way about her. But maybe that summer things will change for Belly.

Belly was a pretty realistic character and easy to relate to, though at times I had trouble with her. There were moments where I just wanted to tell her to stop being so whiny and move on while others I totally felt how she felt. I could easily relate to many of the things she was going through because some of them I had gone through myself. What girl has never been in love with a guy who doesn’t share her feelings? But like I said there were other moments where I just didn’t understand her reactions to different events.

I think my favorite character would have to have been Jeremiah, there was something about him that I just couldn’t help but like. He was so easy going and it was obvious he was in love with Belly. I was totally rooting for him throughout the whole book. I enjoyed Conrad’s character as well but at times I had mixed feelings about him. I understand that people can be moody and suffer from mood swings but with Conrad they were often over exaggerated. He would go from being totally pleasant one second to yelling at Belly the next. The other characters were also interesting but they didn’t have me as hooked as Belly, Jeremiah and Conrad. Sometimes it felt like they were just part of the setting.

Like I said before, this isn’t a particularly deep story, but at the same time there are some events in the book that give it a certain depth. Though I had trouble following at first, the flashbacks throughout the novel were really useful to explain some of what Belly was talking about in the present. Overall the story was really enjoyable and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a nice summer read.