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Top Ten Tuesday: Student Recommendations I Loved

15 May

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.

I view making book recommendations to my students as part of my job as a teacher.  I love reading Y.A. and keeping up with what’s new and what I think will appeal to my students, so it’s extra special when a student recommends a book to me.  I may not pick up the book right away, but I always make sure to listen to them and make an effort to at least try the book, even if it’s outside my comfort zone.

Because it’s a freebie day for Top Ten Tuesday, I thought about it and decided to highlight ten books I may not have read without my students prompting me to read them for one reason or another.  Are there any books students or people you’re close to have recommend you read that you’re thankful for?  I’d love to know which ones! :)

Graceling by Kristin Cashore (Goodreads):  To be completely honest, I can’t remember which student told me to read this but I’m so thankful it was brought to my attention!  I didn’t think I enjoyed fantasy until I read Graceling.

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (Goodreads): While teaching my second session of Y.A. Lit I saw a couple students reading this.  One of the girls told me it’s the best book she’s ever read, and one of my reluctant boys read the first two books in a matter of a week.  That was enough for me and I made sure to read it that summer.  I still need to read the rest of the trilogy which I plan to do this summer.

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally (Goodreads): I wanted to read Miranda Kenneally’s debut when I bought it for my classroom, but I read it sooner than I probably would have because it was being passed from student to student like rapid fire.  Any book that popular needs to be read!

Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer (Goodreads): I really didn’t think I would like this book because I’m not into Glee (which I kept seeing it compared to) or drama or choir, but I bought a couple copies so my students could read it before interviewing Sara for my Students Want to Know feature.  After I heard their enthusiastic reviews I decided to give it a try and positively loved it.  I can’t wait to read another book written by Sara!

Leverage by Joshua C. Cohen (Goodreads): This one kept getting recommended and I kept telling myself I was going to read it.  Then Jake took my Y.A. Lit class this year and wanted sports books so I handed him Leverage.  He updated me and the class almost every day as he was reading, and because of these conversations I started reading it as soon as Jake was finished so we could further our discussion.  It’s excellent and gritty and emotional.

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork (Goodreads): A student didn’t actually recommend this book, but I’m reading it because of my students.  We’re using it with our Y.A. unit that connects with and follows our To Kill a Mockingbird unit.  I’m just about done listening to it on audio, and while I’m not a huge fan of the actor’s production, I’m a big fan of the story.  It’s a beautiful example of literary contemporary Y.A. and fits with To Kill a Mockingbird wonderfully.

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles (Goodreads): A couple girls from my Y.A. Lit classes in 2010, including Katelyn from Kate’s Tales of Books and Bands, kept telling me about this trilogy and author, but I put it off for whatever reason.  Let me tell you, once I started reading this book I was kicking myself for not reading it sooner. It’s not the best writing in the world, but the story is addicting as well as the trilogy.  Plus, my girls in class can’t get enough of Simone Elkeles so I now have all of her books in my classroom.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl (Goodreads): I wrote up a Donors Choose fundraiser when I started teaching my Y.A. Lit class so I could expand my class library, and I added Garcia & Stohl’s debut after it received a William C. Morris honor.  One of my 2010 senior boys, Zach, read it right away and raved about it.  He said it was better than Twilight and he loved that it was told from a guy’s point of view.  His comparison and enthusiasm piqued my interest because at the time Twilight was still pretty popular, plus Zach was pretty influential at school.  It’s been downhill since then because I can’t get enough of this series!

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (Goodreads): When this book first released one of my college friends told me to read it, but I wasn’t interested.  Years later the movie releases and my students are going on and on about both the book and the movie.  One of my avid readers and super book club members, Tristan, handed me her copy before spring break last year and told me to read it.  I did and whoa is it awesome!  It’s also been extremely popular in my classroom.

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson (Goodreads): I have Tristan to thank for this one as well.  She read it and told me how wonderful it is and how (I think) she cried.  Let me know if I’m wrong about that, Tristan!  I was hesitant about Jandy Nelson’s debut at first, but I ended up loving her lyrical writing and reading Lennie’s poems.  It’s also incredibly popular among my girls in class.

Judging Books By Their Covers: 10 Deceptive Covers

10 Apr

I try not to judge books by their covers, but I do more than I probably should.  Thankfully now that I’m blogging and active on Twitter and Goodreads, I’m reading far more reviews than I ever have before which has helped me look past covers.  When it comes to covers, I’ve found that I’m much more judgmental about them when I’m thinking about my students and what will draw their attention.  For these reasons I really like this Top 1o Tuesday prompt because it’s giving me a chance to narrow down the most deceptive covers.  When I put this list together, I thought about books that I was hesitant to read because of the cover, books that I wish were better suited for their audience, and books that give the wrong impression about the topic.

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Goodreads): I’m a HUGE fan of this trilogy, but when I first heard about The Hunger Games at the MCTE (Michigan Council of Teachers of English) conference I was hesitant to jump on the bandwagon.  My friend and I stopped at a book store after the conference to check out some books and I passed up The Hunger Games because the cover looked boring.  Thankfully I looked past my judgment and read it.  I appreciate the cover now :)

Tris & Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison (Goodreads): This cover is gorgeous!  And it ends there.  I saw this cover and thought it was going to be a romantic, gushy book.  I couldn’t have been more wrong.  Besides the fact that this is one of the worst books I’ve ever read, the cover and the plot don’t mesh AT ALL.

Tempest by Julie Cross (Goodreads): There are two issues I have with this cover.  The first one is that I thought this was a book about fallen angels or something when I first looked at the cover.  The characters are in the sky, one is falling, the other is reaching, it screams paranormal love story to me.  I never would have guessed it’s about time travel.  I definitely wouldn’t have guessed that a guy is narrating the story.  That’s my second issue.  I can’t stand it when perfectly good books with guy appeal are given girly covers.

I Know It’s Over by C.K. Kelly Martin (Goodreads): Both the hardcover and the paperback cover for this book are deceptive.  It’s obvious judging by both covers that Martin’s novel deals with a relationship.  I’m not sure who the audience is though.  Both covers are more appealing to girls than guys, but our narrator has an incredibly authentic male voice.  I really think guys would enjoy and relate to this book, but I don’t see any of my boys in class borrowing my copy.  I talked it up all over the place to grab the guys’ interest, but only the girls are borrowing it.

I Know It's Over Paperback Hardcover I Know It's Over

Cryer’s Cross by Lisa McMann (Goodreads):  Cryer’s Cross is a really cool book full of creepiness.  The original cover fits the mood perfectly with the desk and the creepy handwriting.  I am not thrilled with the paperback cover at all.  Romance is not a big focus in Cryer’s Cross, but this cover gives the impression that it is.  The mystery involved in the story isn’t represented in this cover either.

Hardcover Cryer's Cross Cryer's Cross Paperback

Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn (Goodreads): I love this book, and I love teaching it in my Y.A. Lit class.  One of the main reasons I’m such a big fan is because it’s almost always a winner for my reluctant male readers.  Admittedly, many of my students tell me that they would never pick this one up based on the original cover, but once we start reading it they really appreciate the cover.  When the paperback was released I showed my students to get their opinions.  For the most part they don’t care for it.  Their reasons match my own.  This cover says nothing about the book and the abuse that goes on.  The models don’t exactly look like they’re in love, but Nick’s anger isn’t represented.

Breathing Underwater Original Cover Paperback Breathing Underwater

The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler (Goodreads): Something about this cover leaves me with the impression that it’s girly and upbeat.  Maybe it’s the pink.  Maybe it’s the hip jutted out to the side.  The problem with this is that this is not an upbeat book.  Virginia is battling some heavy issues (no pun intended).  She has very low self-esteem, her brother has been accused of something horrible, and her family is falling apart.  It’s a good book, but the cover needs to look more serious to fit the tone of the book.

Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupula (Goodreads): Tell Me a Secret is an unputdownable book.  It deals with serious issues and broke my heart at the same time that it left me feeling hopeful.  I think the cover gives the impression that it’s a serious book, but it looks like it’s about a romantic relationship.  There really isn’t any romance to speak of.  Tell Me a Secret deals with Miranda’s sister’s death, Miranda’s pregnancy, and problems with Miranda and her parents.

But I Love Him by Amanda Grace (Goodreads): But I Love Him is another unputdownable book.  The cover, while being dark, doesn’t strike me as serious as the topic is.  The sea glass heart looks a little too friendly to represent a book about a broken and abusive relationship, but this heart is on the cover because of the symbol it represents within the story.

When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle (Goodreads): I haven’t finished reading When You Were Mine yet, but I’ve read enough to wish that the cover was different.  It’s a different spin on Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, so we know it’s a love story and we get that impression from the cover.  I’m just not a fan of covers like this because it doesn’t give us any other information about the book.  It looks like any other love story out there, but based on the premise of this book it should have a cover with more personality or more of a story.

Books I’d Play Hooky to Read

27 Mar

Ssshhh!  Don’t let my principal know this (j/k), but I’d definitely play hooky to stay home and finish a book.  Wouldn’t you?  Or maybe skip out on some plans so you can read that last chapter?  This week’s Top 10 Tuesday post is all about being excited for spring and picking the books we’d play hooky to read. I’d love to know which books you’d add to this list!

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.

Spellbound by Rachel Hawkins (Goodreads)—I <3 Sophie.  The cliffhanger endings at the end of the chapters keep me reading, and I can easily see myself skipping something so I can finish reading this book.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth (Goodreads)—Is there really an explanation needed for this one? ;)

Something Like Normal by Trish Doller (Goodreads)—All I’ve read are positive reviews for this book, so it must be a book worth playing hooky to read.

Star Cursed by Jessica Spotswood (Goodreads)—I’m kind of obsessed with Born Wicked. This doesn’t come out until February, but I was so hooked when reading Born Wicked I know I’d skip something to read this sequel. (The cover isn’t available yet.)

Bad Hair Day by Carrie Harris (Goodreads)—I’m not a zombie fan at all, but I’m a big fan of Kate Grable and Bad Taste in Boys. It’s a hilarious book and a fast read, so I expect the same from Bad Hair Day.

Insurgent CoverBad Hair Day Cover

If I Lie by Corrine Jackson (Goodreads)—This book sounds like it has major playing hooky potential.  I love that there are secrets, relationship & cheating issues, a boyfriend serving in the war, etc.

Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin (Goodreads)—I skipped yoga so I could finish reading this J  It’s so stinkin’ funny!

Love & Leftovers by Sarah Tregay (Goodreads)—I didn’t need to skip anything to finish reading this, besides maybe missing sleep because I stayed up until 2am to finish it.  It’s a fantastic book!

This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers (Goodreads)—Have you read anything by Courtney Summers yet?  If not, you really need to pick up one of her books.  She writes gut-wrenching stories, and I know this one won’t be any different.  Like I said before, I’m not a zombie fan, but I’ll read this simply because it’s written by Courtney Summers.  And if you’re like me, you’ll expect to possibly play hooky to finish reading it because I’ve been in that situation with all of her books.  Every one has been an “I can’t put this down” book.

Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach (Goodreads)—I skipped doing work during my prep hour so I could finish reading this, and in the teaching world, prep time is vital.  Felton is a character I adore and really enjoyed reading.  I can’t wait to read the sequel Nothing Special.

If I Lie CoverLove & Leftovers CoverThis Is Not a Test CoverStupid Fast Cover

Love or Hate the Holiday: Valentine’s Day Reads That Might Break Your Heart

14 Feb

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday post is all about being anti-Valentine’s Day and reading books that might break your a heart a little.  To be honest, I’ve always been a romantic at heart, so this was a hard list to compile.  I love stories about love, but I also love stories that make me cry (Is that weird?).  Whether you’re not feeling the love today, or maybe you just want to read a book that will tug at your heart strings, I recommend reading one or all of the following.

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.

Dreamland by Sarah Dessen (Goodreads)–Caitlin is experiencing what she believes is true love until Rogerson starts abusing her.  Her story is one of heartbreak, isolation, and much more.  By the end of this book I was hiccuping with tears.

Where She Went by Gayle Forman (Goodreads)–First of all, if you haven’t read If I Stay, don’t read Where She Went until you do.  Adam’s story tore me apart.  I’ve said this before, and I’ll continue to say this, Gayle Forman is a genius for writing this book from Adam’s point of view.  He’s so lovesick and torn up, that you can’t help but feel every ounce of his pain and love.  Love it, love it, love it.  I cried for more than one reason while reading Where She Went.

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson (Goodreads)–Lennie is grieving over her sister’s death, and in the midst of this she gets involved in a complicated love triangle.  Part of this love triangle involves her dead sister’s boyfriend.  Jandy Nelson’s writing is lyrical and poignant.  Lennie is a poet who writes her poetry on different objects like tree branches and discarded paper cups.  The Sky is Everywhere is heartbreaking and hopeful.

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks (Goodreads)–Don’t judge me.  I know not everyone likes Nicholas Sparks because so many of his books follow the same storyline, but seriously.  I read The Notebook when I was in college and stayed up all night reading it and sobbing simultaneously.  Like I said, I’m a romantic.  I will say that I hated the movie; they completely butchered it.

I Know It’s Over by C.K. Kelly Martin (Goodreads)–Talk about heartbreak!  Nick is completely broken up over his break up with Sasha, and to make matters worse, he finds out weeks later that Sasha’s pregnant.  He can’t get over Sasha, and he doesn’t know how he feels about Sasha’s decision about her pregnancy.  Nick’s voice is incredibly authentic.  I’d be surprised if someone read this and didn’t feel Nick’s heartbreak.

But I Love Him by Amanda Grace (Goodreads)–This book has made it to a couple of my lists, and it’s because it’s so excellent.  This is another book about abusive teen relationships, but it’s written in such a manner that it was hard for me to pinpoint when I would have left Connor.  Ann is an excellent student and an all-around good girl.  She falls hard for Connor, but unfortunately their love isn’t perfect and right like Ann wants it to be.  The story switches between present day, which is a year into their relationship.  Ann is in a dark room and badly hurt.  Then we flash back a few days and get a chance to see what’s been going on with Connor and Ann.  This back and forth gives readers a clearer picture of their roller coaster relationship.

Other Words for Love by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal (Goodreads)–This book.  This book hit so many emotions.  I positively adore it!  It’s the perfect story about first love and all the heartbreak that comes with it.  I read it close to non-stop and recommend it whenever I have the opportunity.

The First Part Last by Angela Johnson (Goodreads)–I love Bobby and Nia’s story.  They’re so in love, but that love is tried when a baby enters the picture.  I can’t say too much because I don’t want to give the story away, but this one is sure to break your heart.  Bobby is a wonderful narrator that I couldn’t help but connect with.

If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson (Goodreads)–Jacqueline Woodson is a beautiful writer, and she’s written a beautiful story about Jeremiah and Ellie.  Ellie and Miah fall in love, but they keep it a secret in fear that their family and friends won’t understand or approve of their relationship.  The ups and downs of their relationship might tug at your emotions, but the ending is guaranteed to.

Running Loose by Chris Crutcher (Goodreads)–I wasn’t expecting the love story that’s tied into Running Loose, but I really enjoyed it.  It’s another example of first love, but it’s heartbreaking.  If you read Running Loose, make sure to read Deadline which is a loose companion where you can see Louie as an adult coach.

Sophomore Reading Challenge + Top Ten Tuesday

10 Jan

I’m a big fan of Top Ten Tuesday posts (I LOVE lists!), and Shanyn at Chick Loves Lit is one of my favorite bloggers.  Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.  Shanyn started a new challenge this year called the Sophomore Reading Challenge.  The goal is to read past debut authors’ sophomore book releases.  You can learn more about it here because Shanyn explains it much better :)   Hopefully you’ll join her challenge if you haven’t already!  This week’s Top Ten Tuesday post is all about authors that we wish would release new books, so I figured these two topics blend well together.

1. Kelly Creagh–I LOVED Nevermore and  many of my students do as well.  Creagh’s debut released in 2010, so I’ve been waiting a long time to read her second book in the series titled, Enshadowed (Goodreads).  It’s set to release on my birthday (yay!) which is August 28th.  I really hope it actually releases this year because it had an earlier release date that fell through.

2. Veronica Roth–Divergent is awesome, so waiting until May to read Insurgent (Goodreads) feels like forever!

3. Kirsten Hubbard–Like Mandarin was one of my favorite 2011 debuts and it really didn’t get enough hype.  Hubbard’s sophomore release is titled Wanderlove (Goodreads) and it releases in March.  I hope more stores will carry this title, so Kirsten Hubbard’s talent is exposed to a wider audience.

4. Denise Jaden–Denise’s debut, Losing Faith, released in 2010.  It was one of my favorites that year, so I’m so excited that she finally has a second book releasing this year!  Her new book is titled Never Enough (Goodreads) and it releases in July.

5. Nina LaCour–Hold Still is one of those books and I positively LOVE it.  It’s extremely popular with all of my students, so the fact that Nina LaCour FINALLY has a new book releasing next month is HUGE!  Her new book is titled The Disenchantments (Goodreads) and releases on Feb. 16th.

6. Kendare Blake–Kendare is one of my favorite 2011 debut authors.  I’m not a horror fan, but Anna Dressed in Blood rocked my socks!  The sequel, Girls of Nightmares (Goodreads), doesn’t release until August 7th.  That’s a long time to wait for more greatness!

7. Ann Aguirre–Last school year my book club decided to read Enclave.  I wasn’t sure if the girls were going to enjoy it and they ended up loving it.  They enjoyed it so much, they told me to look for an ARC of Outpost (Goodreads) at NCTE which I didn’t find. We’ll have to wait until September to read the second book.

8. Michelle Hodkin–I was fortunate enough to read The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer in June, but it didn’t release until the fall.  Now I’ve been waiting even longer than normal for the second book to release (Goodreads), but it doesn’t have an official title OR release date.  I really hope it releases sooner rather than later!

9. Tom Leveen–I read Tom Leveen’s 2010 debut, Party, during a plane ride and decided right away that I wanted to read more of his books.  He finally has a sophomore novel releasing on April 24th.  His new book is titled Zero (Goodreads).  It’s not on Shanyn’s Goodreads Sophomore Reading Challenge list, but I’m still counting it :)

10. Kim Harrington–Clarity is a wonderful YA mystery debut with a touch of the supernatural.  It’s hooked some of my reluctant readers, so I’m really excited to read the sequel, Perception (Goodreads) which releases in March.

My Favorite Books of 2011

27 Dec

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.

I’ve read over 100 books in 2011 which includes a mix of young adult, middle grade, graphic novels, etc.  Creating a list of favorites is no easy task, but it’s also fun to look back at the books I’ve read.  I based my decision on the books that have stuck with me whether it’s because of strong characters, impressive writing, and/or deep emotional connections.  I can’t encourage you enough to read these novels!

P.S. Some favorites of 2011 I’m not listing because I read them in 2010, but they’ll be mentioned in my upcoming favorite debut authors post :)

In no particular order (because creating this list was hard enough!), here are my favorite books of 2011:

Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King (My Review) (Goodreads)

Something Like Hope by Shawn Goodman (My Review) (Goodreads)

Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer (My Review) (Goodreads)

Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach (My Review) (Goodreads)

Warped by Maurissa Guibord (My Review) (Goodreads)

Where She Went by Gayle Forman (My Review) (Goodreads)

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (My Review) (Goodreads)

Split by Swati Avasthi (My Review) (Goodreads)

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (My Flash Review) (Goodreads)

But I Love Him by Amanda Grace (My Review) (Goodreads)

Top Ten Books That Have Been On My Shelf For The Longest But I’ve Never Read

15 Nov

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.

My husband likes to tease me about my book buying habits.  Maybe it’s an addiction, but I simply can’t help but buy a book or two (or three or four) when the opportunity presents itself.  Consequently, a number of these books wind up sitting on my shelf for a while because not only do I buy them so often, my reading preferences change like the wind.  I went through a long realistic fiction streak this summer and now I’m falling back into reading paranormal fantasy.

In no particular order, here are some books that have been sitting on my shelf for much too long.

1.  What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell

2.  Awakened by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast–This series is simply too long, but I still try to keep up with it because my students enjoy it.

3.  Leverage by Joshua C. Cohen–Kelly, please don’t hate me!  Kelly from Stacked has been telling me to read this FOREVER, and I really don’t know why I haven’t yet.

4.  Stolen by Lucy Christopher

5.  I Will Save You by Matt de la Pena

6.  What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen–I LOVE Sarah Dessen!  So why haven’t I read her newest book yet??

7.  Black Hole Sun by David Macinnis Gill–I started this on the flight home from NCTE last year but never finished it.  I was over 100 pages in and really liking it, too.  I blame the massive amount of books I brought home; I wanted to read them all.

8.  Trash by Andy Mulligan

I know I should have 10 books listed, but these books have been on my shelf the longest.

 

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I’ve Read Because of Other Bloggers

13 Sep

I’m switching things up this week by participating in the weekly meme–Top Ten Tuesday–hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday topic is in honor of Book Blogger Appreciation Week.  I love that I get to mention books I’ve read based on other bloggers’ reviews and recommendations because everyone deserves recognition :)

Books Reviewed & Recommended by (the awesomely wonderful) Kelly @ Stacked Books:

1. Everything Beautiful by Simmone  Howell (Goodreads): Kelly not only physically handed me this book and told me to read it, she told me that it’s “Y.A. done right.”  I really enjoyed it and it’s already become a popular book among my girls this year and it’s only the second week of school!

2. Split by Swati Avasthi (Goodreads): I have to also thank the Cybils for this one, but that includes lots of bloggers too.  This book was a Cybils winner last year and it’s awesome.  I’ve seen it on the shelves plenty of times, but Kelly really pushed me to finally cave and buy it.  It’s a book that I wish I would have read much sooner.

3. Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard (Goodreads): I had planned on reading this when I signed up for the Contemps Challenge, but Kelly encouraged me to read it sooner.  She told me how strong the characters Grace and Mandarin are, so I was excited to read it.  It’s absolutely a great book that I know my girls in class will relate to and love.

Books Recommended by Katelyn (One of my former students) @ Katelyn’s Blog:

4. Perfect Chemistry (and her other books) by Simone Elkeles (Goodreads): Katelyn was in my Y.A. Lit class when she was a senior and since then she’s been telling me to read these books.  I FINALLY read them this past spring and LOVED them!

5. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta (Goodreads): So technically I haven’t read this one yet, but the only reason I plan on reading it is because of Katelyn’s A-MAZING review.  I have a copy in my classroom and I tried reading it last summer and couldn’t stick with it.  In Katelyn’s review she says that it takes a bit to get into it, but that once you do it’s wonderful.

Books Recommended by Sarah @ GreenBeanTeenQueen:

6. Moonglass by Jessi Kirby (Goodreads): Sarah is always a reliable and honest reviewer, so when I read her review for Moonglass, I knew I should give it a shot.  She mentioned that it’s a great summer read and compared it to Sarah Dessen’s novels.  That was good enough for me.

Reviewed & Recommended by Mindi @ Next Best Book:

7. Divergent by Veronica Roth (Goodreads): Mindi is a fellow teacher that I love talking to on Twitter about teaching, books, etc.  I wanted to read this book anyway, but once I saw that Mindi liked it more than The Hunger Games, I knew I had to read it.

Reviewed by Crys @ Book ‘Em! The Adventures of a Wannabe Librarian:

8. The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab (Goodreads): Honestly, this isn’t my favorite book, BUT I’m really glad Crys and other bloggers recommended this book.  It doesn’t matter that I didn’t like it as much as Crys and the others did because The Near Witch has gained quite a bit of interest from my students.  That’s all I need :)

Reviewed & Recommended by various bloggers:

9. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins (Goodreads): I can’t remember which blogger reviewed this book because I read the review over a year ago when I first started blogging.  I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read it, but once I read her review I knew I had to have it.  I’m incredibly thankful that I did because I’ve been reading it to my freshmen and they LOVE it.

10. The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting (Goodreads): I have so much love for this series!  I wish I could remember which blogger first introduced me to Jay and Violet because I’d love to thank them.  These books are made of awesome.

Top Ten Tuesday: Fall TBR List

30 Aug

I’m switching things up this week by participating in the weekly meme–Top Ten Tuesday–hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.

This week’s topic is all about the books at the top of our fall TBR list.  I know I’m not the only one who can never truly dwindle my TBR pile because I’m always adding new books to it!

In no particular order, here are my top 10 fall TBR books:

1. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (Goodreads): This one has a dystopian/super hero feel to the summary, which is really appealing.  This releases on November 15th.

2. Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey (Goodreads): I’m surprised by the amount of witch-type novels that are releasing this year, but this is one that I’ve been looking forward to for almost a year.  This releases on September 8th.

3. As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott (Goodreads): I’m a fan of Elizabeth Scott and I love this cover.  This releases on September 15th.

4. Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl (Goodreads): I don’t really have to explain this choice, do I? The release date is October 18th.

5. Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick (Goodreads): Crescendo ended with such a cliffhanger, I absolutely can’t wait to read this one. The release date is October 4th.

6. Bunheads by Sophie Flack (Goodreads): I haven’t read too many YA novels that deal with dance/ballet, so I’m really looking forward to this debut.  Plus, I love that the author danced with the New York City Ballet.  This releases on October 10th.

7. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (Goodreads): The only books I’ve read by Stiefvater are her Wolves of Mercy Falls novels.  The early reviews for this one have been really positive.  It sounds like a fun book to read considering the summary gives it an exciting, action/adventure sort of feel.  The release date is October 18th.

8. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson (Goodreads): I’m not always a big fan of fantasy, but many of the early reviews for this one have stated that this is a book for those who are and are not fantasy fans.  The summary and cover have grabbed my attention in addition to the positive reviews I’ve read.  This releases on September 20th.

9. My Beating Teenage Heart by C.K. Kelly Martin (Goodreads): One of my friends told me about this book and that I absolutely have to read it.  When I get a statement like that from her, I know the book is going to be good.  This releases on September 27th.

10. Every You, Every Me by David Levithan (Goodreads): It’s David Levithan, what more can I say?  I love, love, love his writing and this one sounds a little different because it has a mystery/thriller element to it.  The release date is September 13th.

 

 

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