Top Ten Books On My Summer TBR List

I've been away from this blog for a while, but I'm home from school for the summer and have a little extra time to do some reading again. One of my favorite book blogs, The Broke and the Bookish, hosts a weekly feature called Top Ten Tuesday, and this week's theme is books on our summer to-be-read lists. I thought this would be a great way to get back into blogging and see what other people are reading for the summer too.

1. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard: I've been itching to read this one for a few months and finally picked it up at a bookstore last week.

2. P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han: To All The Boys I've Loved Before was one of my favorite books I read last year, and I've been eagerly awaiting its sequel ever since. I'm planning on reading the first book again to refresh my memory before I start this one.

3. When We Were Animals by Joshua Gaylord: This one is a coming-of-age story set in the Midwest with some spooky and thrilling elements.

4. The Heir by Kiera Cass: I had no idea this was even a thing until recently! I loved The Selection series, and I can't wait to see where Kiera Cass goes with this new installment. 

5. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin: This has been on my TBR list for years. I want to start watching the show, but I want to read the books first.

6. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab: Her book Vicious is one of my favorites. I can't wait to see what she does with this book, set in various different Londons.

7. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh: This one is inspired by A Thousand and One Nights and sounds absolutely enchanting.

8. Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas: I love the Throne of Glass series and I'm not sure why I haven't gotten around to reading this one yet.

9. It's What I Do: A Photographer's Life of Love and War by Lynsey Addario: I took a class on media and foreign policy this past semester, and one of the case studies we looked at was about Lynsey Addario's work in Libya. I'm interested to learn more about her work concerning women and human rights.

10. Female Chauvinist Pigs by Ariel Levy: Another book about women and the effects media plays on culture.

What books are you planning on reading this summer?

Review: More Than This by Patrick Ness

More Than This by Patrick Ness
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Published September 10, 2013
Hardcover, 472 pages

Overview:

A boy named Seth drowns, desperate and alone in his final moments, losing his life as the pounding sea claims him. But then he wakes. He is naked, thirsty, starving. But alive. How is that possible?

He remembers dying, his bones breaking, his skull dashed upon the rocks. So how is he here? And where is this place? The street seems familiar, but everything is abandoned, overgrown, covered in dust. 

What's going on? Is it real? Or has he woken up in his own personal hell? Seth begins to search for answers, hoping desperately that there must be more to this life, or perhaps this afterlife...

Review:

I've been trying to get through some of my ever-growing TBR list this summer since I have some extra time, but lately I've been in a reading slump. I picked up More Than This from the library because I've been meaning to read it since it came out and I thought I'd finally give it a try.

The synopsis is vague and doesn't reveal much about the book, so starting More Than This, I wasn't sure what to expect. From the first page, I was hooked. When Seth wakes up at the beginning of the story, the reader knows exactly what he does: nothing. Part of the story's intrigue is following Seth as he figures out where he is and what he's supposed to do. I loved being surprised by More Than This, and I definitely think this is a book that, going into it, the less you know, the better.

At first, More Than This is a story about life after death. More than anything, though, the book is about questions. The story makes the reader think, and it raises more questions than it answers. More Than This is a thoughtful, provoking read--a stark difference from many of the books I've read lately. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and I've been thinking about it even weeks after I've finished it.

Overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

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

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
To All the Boys I've Loved Before #1
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published April 15, 2014
Hardcover, 368 pages

Overview:

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.

Review:

Wow! The thought of having all of my personal, private writing being read is terrifying--and this is exactly what happens to Lara Jean when the letters she's written to her past loves are mailed. Lara Jean never intended for her letters to be read by anyone (especially not the boys they're written for!), and this book follows her attempts to keep her (previously nonexistent) love life from getting out of control.

Family plays a pretty big role in the book. Lara Jean's mom died when she was younger, and the book starts as Margot, Lara Jean's older sister, is going away to college in Scotland. Lara Jean has to deal with being the oldest sister at home for her younger sister, Kitty, and their dad.

One of my favorite things about To All the Boys I've Loved Before is the characters. Every single person in the book--from Lara Jean and her family to her neighbor Josh and the school's Handsome Boy Peter--is relatable and realistic. I felt like I really got to know these characters as the book progressed, and I genuinely cared about what happened to them.

I was surprised by some of the things that happened in the book, as Lara Jean struggles to put her relationships back into place like they were before her letters were mailed. I can't remember ever being so torn between two fictional love interests, and the book kept me almost nervously on-edge throughout the whole thing. To All the Boys I've Loved Before is the first in a duology, and I literally cannot wait to find out what happens to all of these characters in book two.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before is a great, enjoyable read about friendship, falling in love, and family life. I don't read a lot of contemporary fiction, but this one reminded me of why I love it so much.

Overall rating: 4.5 of 5 stars.

Review: The One by Kiera Cass

The One by Kiera Cass
The Selection #3
Publisher: HarperTeen
Published May 6, 2014
Hardcover, 336 pages

Overview:

The Selection changed America Singer's life in ways she never could have imagined. Since she entered the competition to become the next princess of Illéa, America has struggled with her feelings for her first love, Aspen—and her growing attraction to Prince Maxon. Now she's made her choice . . . and she's prepared to fight for the future she wants.

Review:

I really enjoyed this series! The story itself is interesting and entertaining, even if it is a little predictable at some points (with teenage girls competing for the prince's hand in marriage).

Without giving away too much about the previous books, The One does a good job of tying together many of the questions that were brought up earlier in the series. There's more discussion about the caste system and the rebellions trying to end it, and of course, America finally makes a choice between Prince Maxon and her love from home, Aspen. There's still some drama between the girls competing to be princess, but not too much.

Most of the book had a really good pace, although I thought the ending was a little rushed for all the action that happens in the last section of the book. I would have preferred more of a conclusion, but overall, I enjoyed this book and the series as a whole.

Overall rating: 4 of 5 stars.

Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
The Lunar Chronicles #1
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Published January 3, 2012
Hardcover, 387 pages

Overview:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Review:

Wow, what a book! Cinder by Marissa Meyer is a futuristic retelling of Cinderella, set in New Beijing after the fourth world war. Humans and androids coexist, but humans are plagued by letumosis, a deadly disease accidentally brought to Earth by Lunars (a nation of people from the moon who have alliances with countries on Earth). The main character Cinder is part human, part cyborg, and forced to work as a mechanic to make money for her stepmother and stepsisters.

When Cinder's beloved youngest stepsister falls ill with letumosis, Cinder is sent away to a lab to serve as a test patient for new treatments for the disease. However, instead of getting sick with letumosis when she's injected with it, Cinder surprises the doctors with her apparent immunity. She quickly becomes involved with life at the palace, a growing friendship with the prince Kai, and her search to figure out her true identity from before she was made a cyborg.

Personally, I felt that the first half of the book was a little too slow for my own taste, but once the story got going, it didn't stop. The book's writing is nothing special, but the storyline and characters were interesting enough to keep me reading. Although Cinder is partly a retelling of Cinderella, it's still a unique story all on its own. I loved how Marissa Meyer was able to take such a well-known tale and give it a fresh spin--and there's still a missing shoe (or foot in this case), a handsome prince, and an unexpected journey to the royal ball.

I mentioned earlier how this book really picked up speed towards the end, and I was surprised by how it ended! Cinder ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, and I'm very excited to see where this series goes next. (The next two books, Scarlet and Cress are out now, with Winter out sometime in 2015).

Overall rating: 4.5 of 5 stars.

Review: Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi
Shatter Me #2
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published February 5, 2013
Hardcover, 461 pages

Overview:

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.

Review:

I enjoyed the first book in this series, Shatter Me, and I think its sequel, Unravel Me, is even better. While Shatter Me introduces readers to Juliette and the world she lives in, Unravel Me builds upon that world even more.

Unravel Me focuses on Juliette's life at Omega Point, where she lives with others who have special powers like her. In the previous book, she had been locked up by The Reestablishment because of her ability to cause harm to people just by touching their skin; in this book, Juliette is finally able to figure out more about the true extent of her powers. Juliette also learns about some of her friends' gifts, some of which add new challenges to her life and relationships.

I think one of the most interesting aspects of this story is the relationships between the characters. Many characters return in Unravel Me, and as readers, we discover more about their backgrounds, adding new dimensions to these previously flat characters. I wasn't sure where the plot was going to go in Unravel Me, and I'm very excited to find out what happens in the final book, Ignite Me.

Overall rating: 4.5 of 5 stars.

Top 10 Books That Will Make You Cry

One of my favorite book blogs, The Broke and the Bookish hosts the weekly feature Top Ten Tuesday. This week's prompt is all about books that make you cry. I realize I'm a little late to the party since today is Saturday, but as someone who has spent my fair share of time sobbing over fictional characters, I thought I'd chime in on some stories that I find particularly tear-jerking.

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling: I can't even begin to explain just how big an impact the Harry Potter books had on my childhood. When I finished this one, it felt like I had finished a huge chapter of my life since I had grown up with Harry.

2. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare: I cried a lot of ugly tears late into the night when I stayed up to finish Clockwork Princess. I love this story and I really got attached to all the characters.
3. A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass: One of my favorite middle-grade novels.

4. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls: Another book from my childhood, and the first book that ever really made me cry. I remember finishing this during reading time in school and trying to hide my tears from my classmates.
5. Allegiant by Veronica Roth: This one didn't actually make me cry, but it brought up a lot of sad, sad feelings.
6. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas: Another one that didn't make me cry, but some of this book is incredibly happy, and then it turns around and is so, so sad.

7. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green: I have yet to find someone who hasn't teared up at least a little bit while reading this one.

8. Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor: A story filled with war, death, and the unfairness of it all.

9. Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin: This one takes a look at life after death, and I definitely cried at the end of this one.
10. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins: Mockingjay takes the cake for saddest ending ever. After all the death, loss, and sadness in this trilogy, I was relieved when it finally came to an end.

What books make you tear up?