Top Ten Tuesday: Books I've Read in 2014

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

I've read a lot of good books so far in 2014, and here are my top choices. (And, yes, I'm cheating.  There's no way I could limit this list to just 10.) So without further ado, and in no particular order, the top books I've read thus far in 2014.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  
  

Cress by Marissa Meyer

Elusion by Claudia Gabel and Cheryl Klam

On the Fence by Kasie West

Landry Park by Bethany Hagen

Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn

Torn Away by Jennifer Brown

Splintered by A.G. Howard

The Espressologist by Kristina Springer

Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman

The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Better off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg

The Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy by Rae Carson

Pivot Point by Kasie West

Open Road Summer by Emery Lord

Searching for Sky by Jillian Cantor

Wish You Were Italian by Kristin Rae
To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett
The Things You Kiss Goodbye by Leslie Connor
The One by Kiera Cass
The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes
Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson
The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas
Free to Fall by Lauren Miller
One Past Midnight by Jessica Shirvington

Rewind & Review #15

Hosted by Shae Has Left the Room.

Since Shae did a week-long blogging hiatus while BEA was going on, that meant I couldn't do R&R when I originally had it scheduled. So it's been a month since I last told y'all what has happened! Get ready for a long post. ;) 
The first week of the last month started off just fabulous.  I was having a lot of trouble with my Twitter account so I had to create a whole new one.  If you were following me before but aren't now, I hope you get on that stat!  My handle is @AwkwordlyEmma.  More fun happenings include: business cards for the blog, my graduation, Aubry Parks-Fried (of Team Epic Reads) said she loved my Twitter handle, I got to spend over an hour at the bookstore on the 21st (and probably bought way too many books - according to my mother - but oh, well), and I've been winning giveaways left and right (which is quite astonishing, seeing as how I rarely win anything normally).  Also, I filmed my first book haul last weekend (included at the bottom of this post)!

Books/Swag I Received

       
Cinderella's Dress by Shonna Slayton (Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled: Teen!)
Zac & Mia by A.J. Betts (Thank you to NetGalley and HMH Books for Young Readers!)
The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Bernie Su and Kate Rorick (Thanks to NetGalley and Touchstone!)
Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott (Courtesy of Rachel Marie from The NerdHerd Reads.  Also, thank you for the book swag!)
Starry Night by Isabel Gillies (Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan/FSG! That cover is gorgeous, so I'm hoping I like this book enough to buy a physical copy.)
Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas (Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bloomsbury!  I was watching everyone get an ARC of this at BEA and then all my friends get approved, and I was feeling nervous but then I got an e-galley!)
One Past Midnight by Jessica Shirvington (Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury!)
Sway by Kat Spears
The Vault of Dreamers by Caragh M. O'Brien (Thanks to NetGalley and Roaring Book Press!)
Falling into Place by Amy Zhang
The Jewel by Amy Ewing
(Don't You) Forget About Me by Kate Karyus Quinn
(Thank you to Read Between the Lynes! I about cried when I saw the ARC of Falling into Place.)

My keychain for preordering The One finally came!  Thank you, Epic Reads!

Books I Bought

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (I got the paperback at Half Price Books, even though I already have it in hardcover.  I think I'll be collecting the whole series in both hardcover and paperback, since otherwise my paperback of Scarlet would get lonely.)

Since I graduated, I got a ton of money and my mom let me spend some of it on books.  The above picture was the result.
Splintered by A.G. Howard
Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi
Wish You Were Italian by Kristin Rae
Princess of Silver Woods by Jessica Day George
Diamonds & Deceit by Leila Rasheed
Torn Away by Jennifer Brown
The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas

I also ordered books from B&N:
Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

And more books from RBTL because why not?:
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly

Books I Won

Thank you to Jamie from The Perpetual Page Turner and Simon Teen! I won this fun prize pack of all 3 of Morgan Matson's books (Amy and Roger's Epic Detour, Second Chance Summer, and Since You've Been Gone), heart sunglasses, and a really cool camera!

The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White (Thank you to Kelly of Effortlessly Reading!)
The Grass Is Always Greener by Jen Calonita (Thanks to Josie of All Booked Up!)
Free to Fall by Lauren Miller (Thank you to the ladies of Fic Fare!)

Books I Read

How to Meet Boys by Catherine Clark (2.75 stars)

The One by Kiera Cass (4 stars)
Dark Metropolis by Jaclyn Dolamore (2 stars)
Cinderella's Dress by Shonna Slayton
Parallel by Lauren Miller (reread)
Just Like the Movies by Kelly Fiore
The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes (4 stars)
Plus One by Elizabeth Fama (2 stars)
Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson (5 stars)
The Taking by Kimberly Derting (3 stars)
Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman (reread)
The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson
Torn Away by Jennifer Brown (reread)
Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson (3 stars)
To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han (reread)
The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas (4 stars)
Diamonds & Deceit by Leila Rasheed (reread)
Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins (4 stars)
The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Bernie Su and Kate Rorick (4 stars)
The Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George (reread)
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (reread)
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (reread)
Deception's Princess by Esther Friesner (3.5 stars)
The Jewel by Amy Ewing
Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen (reread)
The Hunt by Stacey Kade (3 stars)
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas (reread)
Free to Fall by Lauren Miller (5 stars)
One Past Midnight by Jessica Shirvington
If I Stay by Gayle Forman (4 stars)
The Last Best Kiss by Claire LaZebnik (3.5 stars)

Blog Posts You Might've Missed

   (From 5/12-5/17)

• Dark Days Tour Recap + Giveaway
• Review: Searching for Sky by Jillian Cantor (4 stars)
• Mighty Mississippi Book Blast
• So You Like... #3
• Random Friday: Dream Birthday Party

   (From 5/18-5/24)

• In Which I Share Some Wisdom
• Review: V is for Villain by Peter Moore (4 stars)
• TTT: Books About Friendship
• Review: These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (3 stars)
• Random Friday: Literary Quotes
• YA Heroines and Disney Princesses

   (From 5/25-5/31)

• Review: Cinderella's Dress by Shonna Slayton (3.5 stars)
• TTT: Authors I Want to Hang Out With
• A Manly Guy Reads "Girly" Books
• Random Friday: Summer 2014 Reads

   (From 6/1-6/7)

• Review: Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern (3 stars)
• TTT: Books in My Beach Bag
• Book Blogger Feature: Alice in Readerland
• Review: Vivian Divine Is Dead by Lauren Sabel (2.5 stars)
• Random Friday: Summer Foods
• Fifteen More 2015 Reads

Upcoming Blog Posts in the Next Few Weeks (subject to change)

• TTT: Books I've Read in 2014
• BBF: The Library Canary
• Guess the Book
• Random Friday: Summery Book Covers
• BBF: Adventures in Reading
• Mini Reviews: Open Road Summer and To All the Boys I've Loved Before
• Review: Graduation Day by Joelle Charbonneau
• TTT: Summer TBR List
• BBF: A Wonderland of Reading
• Review: The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson
• Random Friday: Favorite Musical (a guest post!)

Fifteen More 2015 Reads

So y'all remember my post from February, right?  The one where I listed fifteen 2015 reads I'm looking forward to?  Well, if you don't remember it, read it here.  Back then, my list already had more than 15 books so I knew I'd need to do another post (and I'm going to have to do yet another in the fall).  But here's this post's line-up of 2015 reads.

THE SEQUELS

Ensnared by A.G. Howard

This is the third and final (*sob*) book in the Splintered trilogy.  I'm super excited for this last adventure in Wonderland.

Winter by Marissa Meyer

This is going to be a spectacular series conclusion, I just know it.  Hopefully it'll live up to all the hype.

We Can Work It Out by Elizabeth Eulberg
The Lonely Hearts Club is going to have a sequel!  I can't wait for more Penny and more shenanigans.

Emeralds & Ashes by Leila Rasheed
Ever since I read Diamonds & Deceit, I've been crossing my fingers and hoping the series would continue.  Well, E&A is going to be the last book (which is a bummer), but at least there's going to be another one!

Rogue Wave by Jennifer Donnelly
Deep Blue just came out on May 6, and I'm already eager for the sequel.  I love that there's a group of heroines, and they're all different mer-races and personalities.

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han
I absolutely loved To All the Boys I've Loved Before, and I can't wait to see what happens next for Lara Jean.



THE STANDALONES
(Note: I'm fairly certain most of these are standalones, but for many I couldn't find certain evidence.  So if they're the first in a series, my bad.)

The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West
I've found I love anything by Kasie, so this one is sure to impress.

The Trouble With Destiny by Lauren Morrill
This one was pitched as Pitch Perfect meets A Midsummer Night's Dream.  Most bloggers are excited about that first part, I'm sure; I'm more excited about the Shakespeare comparison.

When I Wake by Elizabeth Norris
Prohibition and gangsters in current day?  Count me in.

Bottle Cap by Megan Frazer Blakemore
I love the switch from a creative type in a strict family. *crosses fingers*

Court of Fives by Kate Elliott
We don't know much about this one yet, but it sounds really good!

Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan
You don't see too many Charles Dickens retellings, so this should be unique and exciting.

N.E.E.D. by Joelle Charbonneau
Joelle has another book coming out!  I loved hearing about this at her signing back in February, and I have high hopes that it'll be great.

Scarlett Undercover by Jennifer Latham
She's a self-proclaimed private eye, and there are family secrets.  Plus, yay for YA diversity!

The Night We Said Yes by Lauren Gibaldi
This sounds like a very cute romance.

So that's it for this Fifteen 2015 Reads post.  Watch for the next to come in a few months because there are many 2015 books that I'm looking forward to!

Random Friday: Summer Foods

Want to participate in Random Fridays? Just do the following: 

• Include the above image in your post and link back to my post.
• Blog about this week's topic.
• Add the link to your Random Friday at the bottom of this post.

Ahhhh.  In my mind, it's officially summer.  So that means I'm ready for foods fit for picnics, barbecues, and summer in general!

One of my favorites is corn on the cob.  I finally got to have some again last summer after several years with braces.

My mouth waters at the thought of corn on the cob dripping with butter and...steak. (I don't mean corn on the cob dripping with steak, btw.)

I'm definitely a meat-lover!

Peaches in any form are one of my favorite summer treats, and I can't forget...

Freckled Lemonade!

It's my favorite beverage to get every time we go to Red Robin, and I'll have to try a recipe for it so I can have it at home this summer.

And...last but not least, my special lemon blueberry crumb bars.  I got the recipe from a package of Philadelphia cream cheese, and they're now a family favorite!

Okay, so I gotta know: what are your favorite summer foods?

Review: Vivian Divine Is Dead

Vivian Divine Is Dead by Lauren Sabel
Grade: C
This ARC was provided by Read Between the Lynes in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: When a death threat arrives with teen celebrity Vivian Divine's fan mail, Vivian has no choice but to go on the run to Mexico. She soon discovers, though, that her Oscar-nominated performance killing villains on-screen did nothing to prepare her for escaping a madman in real life. Some people say he's a hero, others tremble in his presence, but one thing is clear: he won't stop until Vivian is in his grasp. Why didn't she pay more attention during those judo lessons for her role in Zombie Killer?

Vivian finds an ally in the mysterious and charming Nick. He is everything Hollywood boys are not-genuine, kind, and determined to see Vivian for who she really is. But even he seems like he can't be trusted-what could he be hiding?

Beat up, hungry, and more confused than ever about who she's running from, Vivian is living in a real-life blockbuster horror flick. But there's no option to yell "cut" like there is on set....

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: I went into this book expecting something cute and kind of fun.  I mean, that cover is not nearly dark enough, despite the skulls.  But what I got was a darker story that made me go, "What the heck?" about 5 million times.  There are twists and loops perfect for a roller-coaster.  I enjoyed the flavors of true Mexican culture, but too many Spanish words were left untranslated, which left me confused.  I found Vivian to be an overtrusting (is that even a word?) girl for someone who is on the run.  The romance is this book seemed pretty much like insta-love.  In all honesty, this book just wasn't for.  On the plus side, it was a quick read.
Language and violence were the worst.

The Verdict: Not really worth your time.  It wasn't an enjoyable read; I only finished it because I wanted to find out what happened.

Buy: Barnes and Noble  Read Between the Lynes

Book Blogger Feature: Alice in Readerland

This month, I have a feature that will last until July.  I'll be featuring several different bloggers.  First up...

Alice in Readerland!

About Alice in Readerland

"I'm Alice, a young adult who reviews young adult books on my blog Alice in Readerland. I can often be found curled up with a book, my cat, and a cup of tea. I'd finish writing this bio but I really need to read the next chapter of my book."

Emma: How long have you been blogging?

Alice: I have been blogging for about 2 1/2 years.

Emma: What would you say is your favorite part of the book blogging community?

Alice: I love that I have met so many different people and have been introduced to so many new things!

Emma: What's your favorite YA subgenre?

Alice: I am normally drawn to the YA Contemporary genre, but last year I found myself really enjoying the YA Scifi genre more.

Emma: What's your favorite book within that genre?

Alice: My favorite series is The Lunar Chronicles. 

Emma: Signature question time: What's your favorite fairytale?

Alice: My favorite fairytale is Cinderella.

Emma: What has been the best moment of your blogging career?

Alice: I was given the opportunity by a publisher to provide a quote for the praise page inside a finished book. I also heard that my quote is still in the U.K. version of the book, so I think that it's kinda neat that I could go to a U.K. bookstore and see a book with my name and quote in it!

Emma: Wow, that's definitely awesome!

Emma: What do you see as the next big trend in YA (like vampires, dystopian, mermaids, angels, etc.)?

Alice: I see the next big trend as the lead as the villain, with a lot of moral grey area in the story.

     

Emma: What's the YA trope that irritates you the most and why?

Alice: It annoys me when I see so many tropes regarding what characters look like (the red-head hot-tempered action lead, the token ethnic best friend, the evil brunette, the dumb blonde, etc.). It's not true to real life, since people come in all shapes, sizes, and personalities, and I would love to see more variety. 

Emma: Any upcoming books you're highly anticipating?

Alice: I am looking forward to Carl Hiassen's first YA book since I have read his Middle Grade and Adult books. 

Emma: Thanks for stopping by, Alice!  It was great getting to learn more about you.  And don't forget to check out her blog, everyone.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books in My Beach Bag

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

So, books in my (imaginary) beach bag.  I tried to choose light reads, because who wants to read something depressing or scary on a sunny day at the beach in front of so many strangers.  I also don't think I could fit sunscreen, water, food, or anything else in this bag because of how full it'll be.

  

1. Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn

This book is set in the Hamptons during the summer, so it's the perfect beach read.

2. Open Road Summer by Emery Lord

Wishing for a summer spent on the road with your BFF and a swoon-worthy boy?  Put this read in your beach bag!

3. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Swoon-worthy summer romances are basically the theme of this TTT, so don't forget this romance!

  

4. Sixteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton

It was hard picking just one of Michelle's summer romances, but I ultimately chose this one since Anna and Will are adorable, and it's set on a beachy island.

5. The Selection by Kiera Cass

Although there are definitely issues aside from romance and it can sometimes get angsty (although that's more in The Elite), The Selection is definitely a good romance to read.

6. The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

I almost recommended On the Fence, but since it isn't out yet, I chose something that can automatically go in your beach bag.  Cute boys, snarky dialogue, and a sense of sarcasm that reminded me of myself at times.

  

7. Better off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg

Y'all know why I love this book.  I'll say nothing more.

8. Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill

There's romance, yes, but there're also hijinks and hockey and figure skating.

9. Wish You Were Italian by Kristin Rae

It's a summer romance, for goodness' sake.  Get this book in your beach bag asap!

  

10. How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by Sarah Strohmeyer

Another summer romance, and this one's set in a theme park!

11. This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

Oh, look another summer romance.  This isn't my favorite book of hers, but it's still a cute read.

12. Roomies by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando

This choice is quite different from my others mainly because it revolves around friendship, family, and love, with love being only a small part.

  

13. Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone

Another romance, but this one isn't as fluffy as some of the others I've mentioned.

14. Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt

My favorite book by Lindsey, so of course it's going in my beach bag.

15. Belles by Jen Calonita

This book isn't too heavy, so it's a nice read for the beach.

Review: Say What You Will

Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern
Grade: C+
Release date: June 3, 2014
This ARC was provided by Read Between the Lynes in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: Born with cerebral palsy, Amy can't walk without a walker, talk without a voice box, or even fully control her facial expressions. Plagued by obsessive-compulsive disorder, Matthew is consumed with repeated thoughts, neurotic rituals, and crippling fear. Both in desperate need of someone to help them reach out to the world, Amy and Matthew are more alike than either ever realized.

When Amy decides to hire student aides to help her in her senior year at Coral Hills High School, these two teens are thrust into each other's lives. As they begin to spend time with each other, what started as a blossoming friendship eventually grows into something neither expected.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Say What You Will is a book I was highly anticipating.  It has an interesting premise and is definitely a book that has the potential to make people uncomfortable.  My heart ached for Amy through most of the book when her peers ignored her or didn't know what to make of her.  I remember a girl in my first grade class, and I'm pretty sure she had cerebral palsy.  Say What You Will made me wonder how her life has been since then.  I transferred schools the next year, but I do remember that a lot of the kids in the class (myself included) liked her and wanted to spend time with her and help her with little homework projects and things.  Also worth mentioning is that Matthew's OCD was portrayed very well.
Overall, this was a hard book to read.  I did have trouble connecting with the plot and characters.  The story just felt off to me.  At about chapter 26, things picked up and I thought the end would redeem the whole book, but 2 chapters later, a plot point came into play that bothered me.  I won't say much, for the sake of those who want to read Say What You Will and don't want anything spoiled.  This plot point carried through to pretty much the end, and it left a bad taste in my mouth.  I did like how Amy fell into drama classes and playwriting.  I wish that had been something throughout the book because it breathed life into her as a character, and I think I would've enjoyed this book more if that had been her passion for longer.
I couldn't connect with the romance in this book.  I could see how it developed, and I expected it to happen, but I just wasn't feeling it.  I did like Sarah and Chloe, though.  They were great characters with just enough development, and I think, in the future after when SWYW ends, they probably ended up being good friends of Amy's.
On the objectionable content front, there are definitely somethings implied in the romance department (although they're never shown), and language has its PG-13 moments.

The Verdict: Say What You Will isn't for everyone, and I don't think it was for me.  But I say give it a try, especially if it sounds like your type of book.  I think you might enjoy Say What You Will if you've read The Fault in Our Stars, Eleanor and Park, or If I Stay.

Buy: Barnes and Noble  Read Between the Lynes