Top Ten YA Contemporary Books I Can't Believe I Haven't Read

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely ladies at The Broke and the Bookish!

Top Ten YA Contemporary Books
I Can't Believe I Haven't Read Yet

If you know me, you know YA Contemporary is my jam. My cup of tea. My shit. My thang. It is the genre I will always, always love, and the one I am guaranteed to feel like home in.

Which is why these are so surprising! I'm almost ashamed to admit these, really.

 

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

All Sarah Ockler books

 

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

Take A Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

Ask the Passengers by AS King

I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

The List by Siobhan Vivian

All Miranda Kenneally books

What books are still shockingly on your TBR?

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Top Ten Movies I Haven't Seen That Shocks Everyone

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely ladies at The Broke and the Bookish!

In honor of a coming week's topic that explores the books I shockingly haven't read, I thought I'd do a non-bookish one for the freebie week!

Top Ten Movies

I Haven't Watched That Shocks Everyone

I don't watch movies too often. And it's not that I don't like to - I actually quite like them, it's just another form of stories in the end - but I never make the time for it. And I'm definitely one of those people that feels like if I'm sitting on the couch watching, I need to have my laptop open to be doing something else at the same time.

Combined with the fact I am an English-speaker who didn't move to an English-speaking country until I was 12, I never had the habit of going to the movies nor did I get into the habit.

So! I haven't seen a lot of movies. Seriously, tell me your favourite movie(s) in the comments, and I bet 80% I've not ever seen. It's startling, really, because I swear I have seen quite a few!

These get the most surprised reaction:

 

Which one shocks you the most?

Are you like me and not seen any of these, either?

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Top Ten Releases from 2014 I Never Got Around to Reading

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely ladies at The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten 2014 Releases I Meant to Read
but didn't get around to.

I know All the Bright Things was a 2015 release, but I received it in 2014 so I counted it!

(Funko Raj & Wolowitz say hi!)
Poisoned Apples: Poems For You, My Pretty by Christine Hepperman
Landline by Rainbow Rowell
100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith
Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky
This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Zac & Mia by AJ Betts
We Should Hang Out Sometime by Josh Sundquist
The Young Elites by Marie Lu
I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

They're all high on my TBR, so hopefully they'll be read soon! If you've read any, which should I read next?

What books got pushed to 2015 for you?

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Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Were Hard For Me To Read

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely ladies at The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Books That Were Hard For Me To Read

Because Tough Subjects:

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Telley

Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott

Because Military:

Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

In Honor by Jessi Kirby

Personal Effects by EM Kokie

Because Life Stuff That I Won't Get Into:

Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

Just One Day & Just One Year by Gayle Forman

Because I Can't See Through My Tears:

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Honorable Mention

Because it wasn't (well…it kind of was Because Life Stuff That I Won't Get Into), but now it most certainly will be:

It's Kind of A Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

(read this to find out why.)

What books were hard for you to read?

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Top Ten 2014 YA Debuts I'm Most Excited For

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the fab ladies at The Broke and the Bookish!

Top Ten Most Anticipated
2014 YA Debuts
All release dates are subject to change

1. Extraction by Stephanie Diaz (July 22)
^^Steph is one of my IRL friends, of course this has to be #1 on the list! And it does sound pretty damn amazing, too.
2. Falls the Shadow by Stefanie Gaither (September 16)
3. Vivian Divine is Dead by Lauren Sabel (June 3)
4. Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern (June 3)
5. Pointe by Brandy Colbert (April 10)

6. Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige (April 1)
7. Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy (March 18)
^^I've actually already read this one, and it is AMAZING. Review coming soon!
8. Landry Park by Bethany Hagen (February 4)
9. A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller (January 23)
10. Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge (January 28)
^^Read my review here to find out how much I loved Cruel Beauty!

Which 2014 YA Debuts are you waiting for?

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Top Ten Tuesday: Resolutions for 2014!

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the fab ladies at The Broke and the Bookish!

Top Ten New Years Resolutions
Split into bookish/bloggish and not-so-bookish/bloggish :)

Book/Blog Related

2014 Reading Challenge

Ashley has read 3 books toward her goal of 100 books.

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3 of 100 (3%)

view books

1. Read more than last year.
75 books was pitiful. 100+, I will see you again!

2. Finally get my own domain.
I've put it off forever, and I don't know why. I can't wait to drop the "blogspot" in my URL. (Where did you register your domain? I'm looking for suggestions!)

3. Respond to comments.
This is a HUGE thing, because I feel so rude when I don't! I WILL this time, every single one! (except spam. You know.)

 

4. Get my NetGalley review percentage up & figure out Edelweiss.
I actually read most of the stuff I download (now, at least. I've finally learned something that resembles restraint when it comes to requesting), but I've got an issue with never freakin' giving feedback! I don't know why, and it's sad. My percentage is something like 20%, and that's unacceptable. Also, Edelweiss. I get it, I kind of know, but…not really. Help?

5. Figure out my feed burner to get things pushed to all my social media sites.
It's sad I don't already do this. Or know how to do this.

Non-Book/Blog Related

6. Cut back on Starbucks.
It could be as little as getting a Tall rather than Grande, but I hope to at least drop my 5-a-week habit.

7. Stop working so many hours.
I averaged 58 hours a week in 2013. That needs to stop, because the hours I'm there are the hours I'm not putting towards reading/writing/blogging. And while I do like [most of] my job, I need to find that balance again.

8. Go outside my baking bubble.
I'm great at chocolate chip cookies. And peanut butter cookies. And rice krispy treats. But now it's time to expand! The world is my oyster! Muffins! Cupcakes! Crepes! Pastries!

From my Instagram

9. Get back to doing yoga.
I used to do it in college all the time, and I loved it. I miss it, and I don't know why I dropped it.

10. Be more respectful to my family.
It's a hard thing to admit, but I'm pretty rude to my parents and brother sometimes. It comes from all of us still living together (both my brother and I are in our mid- to late-20s) and trying to shove 4 adults into a small space and expect it to be ok. We're allowed to get irritated or angry, and we accept the arguments we get into…but I love my family no matter what, and I feel guilty that I feel like I tell them less and less.

What are your resolutions for 2014?

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Top Ten Authors I Discovered in 2013

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the fab ladies at The Broke and the Bookish!

Top Ten Authors
I Discovered in 2013
In no particular order! All links go to my reviews.

Katie Cotugno (How To Love)

Megan Shepherd (The Madman's Daughter)

Cristin Terrill (All Our Yesterdays)

Kasie West (Pivot Point, The Distance Between Us)

Lauren DeStefano (Perfect Ruin)

Melissa Kantor (Maybe One Day - review coming next year!)

J. Lynn (Frigid, Wait For You)

Leila Sales (This Song Will Save Your Life)

Elizabeth Scott (Heartbeat)

Meagan Spooner, Amie Kaufman (These Broken Stars - review coming this week)

What authors did you discover this year?

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Grabby Hands: Top Ten Sequels I NEED RIGHT NOW.

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the fab ladies at The Broke and the Bookish!

Top Ten Sequels
I Can't Wait To Get My Hands On
(*all release dates subject to change.)

Champion (Legend #3) by Marie Lu (TODAY!!!!)
Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky #3) by Veronica Rossi (January 28, 2014)
The Unbound (The Archived #2) by Victoria Schwab (January 28, 2014)
Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer (February 4, 2014)
Ignite Me (Unravel Me #3) by Tahereh Mafi (February 4, 2014)

Let the Storm Break (Let the Sky Fall #2) by Shannon Messenger (March 4, 2014)
The One (The Selection #3) by Kiera Cass (May 6, 2014)
Rebel (Reboot #2) by Amy Tintera (May 13, 2014)
While We Run (While We Wake #2) by Karen Healey (May 27, 2014)
False Future (False Memory #3) by Dan Krokos (August 19, 2014)

Which sequels are giving you the grabby hands?

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PS. Have you entered my giveaway yet? US + INT, 22 books total! ends 11/29

Top Ten Most Memorable Secondary Characters

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the fab ladies at The Broke and the Bookish!

Top Ten Secondary Characters
(They almost stole the show!)

The Obvious

1. Isaac from The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

He made me bawl and love just as hard as Hazel and August. That eulogy...

2. Kenji from the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi

Oh, you know why.

3. Roar from the Under the Never Sky series by Veronica Rossi

Again, you know.

4. Harley from Across the Universe by Beth Revis

MY HEART.

5. Joe Fontaine from The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

He toes the line of secondary/main love interest, but I wanted to include him. Because, saxaphone and wine.

The Best Friend We Want

6. Finny from The Theory of Everything by Kari Luna

Major, MAJOR Finny love from me.

7. Grover from the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan

Funny and true.

8. Will from From What I Remember by Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas

Independent and real, he's a fantastic friend.

9. Iko from Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Who doesn't want an Iko?!

There's No Other Way to Explain It

10. Every secondary character in Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

Because they all break my heart and make me believe in friendship, support and challenge all at once. Even the ones I wanted to punch.

Honorable Mention

Best Use of Secondary Characters To Enhance A Plot

Leo/Poet from Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

because his poetry makes it all the better.

Which secondary characters were most memorable to you?

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