Top Ten Tuesday (1)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week, the lovely ladies and guy at The B&B pick a topic and participants create their appropriate lists.

This week it is TTT Freebie - we can create a list about ANYTHING in literature. I'm going to cheat a little and revisit last week's topic: Top Ten Underrated Books. There are just SO MANY great books out there, and unfortunately not all of them get the attention they deserve. Here are a few I think you should give a chance:

The Absolute Value of -1 by Steve Brezenoff

This is a gritty, raw contemporary that is sort of like the boy version

of Courtney Summers. It leaves you feeling dirty . . . in a good way.

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

DLev's first novel and always my favorite. It's basically a utopian love story.

I wish I lived in Paul's world.

Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder

My first book by Lisa. My first book in verse.

I always come back to this one.

God Is in the Pancakes by Robin Epstein

You know how endings are always hard? So few are right?

This one surpasses that and is perfect.

Jersey Tomatoes Are the Best by Maria Padian

This book reminded me a little of Center Stage; I loved that movie.

It's also a great story of friendship.

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

Think you're tired of vampires? Pssht. Try this one.

Lucius makes vamps er...mouthwatering - Dracula style.

Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard

Beautiful imagery made me want to get on the next flight to Wyoming.

Painful honesty made me realize maybe I just want to be like . . . me.

Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

Like Jessica, this one is another gem in the wide world of paranormal.

Throw in a little mystery and suspense, and you have a great adventure.

One Night That Changes Everything by Lauren Barnholdt

Such a fun, fast paced story. It's Nick and Norah meets Dash and Lily.

And you wondered why I loved it?

The Other Countess by Eve Edwards

This one only just came out, but historical fiction never gets the attention it deserves.

Hot English boy + forbidden love = win!

In My Bag (35)

In My Bag is my version of the weekly meme, In My Mailbox. IMM was started by Kristi over at The Story Siren, and it explores the contents of my mailbox or shopping bag on a weekly basis.

It's been a really long time since I've done one of these, so hopefully I remember everything I've received over the past several weeks.

For review:

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Rock On by Denise Vega

(Thanks to Hachette Book Group!)

Back When You Were Easier to Love by Emily Wing Smith

(Thanks to The {Teen} Book Scene!)

Won:

 

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

(Thanks to Karen of For What It's Worth!)

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

(Thanks to Rowena of The Book Scoop!)

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making

by Catherynne M. Valente

(Thanks to Melina of Reading Vacation!)

Going Too Far, Forget You, and Love Story by Jennifer Echols

(Thanks to Tara of Fiction Folio!)

signed Bestest. Ramadan. Ever. bookmarks

(Thanks Medeia!)

Netgalley:

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

The Queen's Lady by Eve Edwards

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

What's that? Oh, you're wondering why I started using Netgalley all of a sudden? Well, that's because my mom got me super special present:

Happy Birthday to me!!

Character Interview: Vi from Ten Things We Did + Giveaway

Today I have Vi from Sarah Mlynowski's Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) for an interview! She is here courtesy of The {Teen} Book Scene blog tour.


1. Twitter style: describe yourself in 140 characters or less.

Strong. Sexy. Smart. Modest.

2. What was your first thought when April asked to move in with you? I know you excitedly agreed, but did you initially have any doubts?

Doubts? I don’t doubt. I do.

3. You and April come from very different home lives. What was the hardest adjustment you had to make?

The girl had never done her own laundry. Other than me having to teach her basic life skills, we got along perfectly.

4. What do you REALLY think of Noah?

He's a skinny, lame, pathetic, cheating scumbag. TEAM HUDSON. 

5. You and Dean have been best friends for most of your lives. Tell us something only you know about him.

If you tickle his feet, he screams like a baby.


Thanks, Vi (and Sarah) for stopping by bookmarked today! I have to say, I can't help but agree with your fourth answer. TEAM HUDSON FOR THE WIN!!

Thanks to HarperTeen, I have a finished copy of Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) to give to a lucky reader! Fill out the form below for your chance to win. Entrants must be 13 years of age or older and a resident of the United States. Deadline to enter is Friday, August 19, 11:59PM CST.

Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) by Sarah Mlynowski

Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have)
Sarah Mlynowski
Publisher: HarperTeen
Released: June 7, 2011
Genre: Contemporary
Pages: 368
Source: BEA

2 girls + 3 guys + 1 house – parents = 10 things April and her friends did that they (definitely, maybe, probably) shouldn't have.

If given the opportunity, what sixteen-year-old wouldn't jump at the chance to move in with a friend and live parent-free? Although maybe "opportunity" isn't the right word, since April had to tell her dad a tiny little untruth to make it happen (see #1: "Lied to Our Parents"). But she and her housemate Vi are totally responsible and able to take care of themselves. How they ended up "Skipping School" (#3), "Throwing a Crazy Party" (#8), "Buying a Hot Tub" (#4), and, um, "Harboring a Fugitive" (#7) at all is kind of a mystery to them.

In this hilarious and bittersweet tale, Sarah Mlynowski mines the heart and mind of a girl on her own for the first time. To get through the year, April will have to juggle a love triangle, learn to do her own laundry, and accept that her carefully constructed world just might be falling apart . . . one thing-she-shouldn't-have-done at a time.

You know, sometimes I get a lot of grief for reading YA. People find out I like to read and immediately ask what. I answer them, and they look at me confused and ask, "What's that?" When I explain it stands for young adult they immediately give me this look that screams, "Why?" And sometimes I wonder, too. I mean, you get so many of the same reactions and you start to question your own taste. I am an adult. I do adult things like go to work and plan my wedding and pay bills (ick). So sometimes I do wonder why I don't read about adults; shouldn't I relate more to those characters anyway? And then I read a book like this one, and I remember why I read YA - because it's fun.

Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) is quick and easy in the best way. Sure, there are a few lessons to be learned, but for the most part this novel is pure pleasure. April gets what every teen wants - complete freedom from her parents to do whatever she pleases for an entire semester. Realistic? My parents would have never gone for it, but then if this were a book about my teenage life it wouldn't be nearly as entertaining. The point is, this actually does happen to April and the reader is taken along for all the shenanigans that ensue. This is a hilarious read that had me hooked from page one. I laughed out loud so much, it garnered me several strange looks while reading.

April is a great protagonist. Reading her point of view is like having a conversation with her. She skips around a lot, giving the reader enough back story to understand things better, while focusing enough on the present to keep one's attention. This style may seem a little scattered at times, but it kept me on my toes. I also think I am similarly scatter-brained, which only made me like April more. Aside from the whole I-never-could-have-gotten-away-with-that thing, I definitely think teenage me would have done the exact same things April did. Seeing myself in her made this a really fun read.

Can someone please explain to me why I've never read one of Sarah's books until now? I have so been missing out! She is so witty and clever and funny, and I want to go buy all of her books right now. Plus she wrote me a really cute message at her signing at BEA, which makes me super sad Josh got to meet her instead of me because I was in line somewhere else. Sadface.

Stay tuned because tomorrow I'll have Sarah on the blog for a character interview, and there just might be something in it for one of you!

Back When You Were Easier to Love by Emily Wing Smith

Back When You Were Easier to Love
Emily Wing Smith
Publisher: Dutton
Released: April 28, 2011
Genre: Contemporary
Pages: 304
Source: Teen {Book} Scene

What's worse than getting dumped? Not even knowing if you've been dumped. Joy got no goodbye, and certainly no explanation when Zan - the love of her life and the only good thing about stifling, backward Haven, Utah - unceremoniously and unexpectedly left for college a year early. Joy needs closure almost as much as she needs Zan, so she heads for California, and Zan, riding shotgun beside Zan's former-best-friend Noah.

Original and insightful, quirky and crushing, Joy's story is told in surprising and artfully shifting flashbacks between her life then and now. Exquisite craft and wry, relatable humor signal the arrival of Emily Wing Smith as a breakout talent.

I am going to be frank: I did not like Joy, but that is exactly why I liked this book.

Joy is still reeling from the unexpected disappearance of her boyfriend. Okay, he didn't exactly disappear - he moved away for college a year early - but to Joy, it feels that way. She always thought their biggest connection was their mutual dislike for the ultra Conservative, Mormon town they lived in and its people. But when Zan leaves for California without so much as a goodbye, Joy is left wondering if Zan saw her that way, too.

The reason I say I disliked Joy is because she really wasn't very likeable... in the beginning. Her goal was to get out of Haven, go to college in California, and do it all with Zan. When he leaves without her, she is devastated. She alienates her friends, who try to tell her she's better off. She blows off Noah, Zan's former best friend, because she believes he is, essentially, the reason Zan left in the first place. When Joy realizes Noah isn't giving up so easily, she convinces him to drive her to California to find Zan - an idea no one thinks is very good besides Joy.

You can probably imagine what happens from there. I must disagree with the synopsis, and say that I didn't find this story to be particularly original. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't still read it. Think about it. How often do we do things despite already knowing the general outcome? Sometimes we have to learn things the hard way just for the sake of learning. This is exactly why I loved this book and why I loved Joy in the end. Despite her bad decisions and her crappy attitude, she is a very real character. Contemporary literature is based on this - if I can't believe it, then I can't read it. And even though I didn't always agree with Joy, I thought her actions and emotions were always believable.

I'm so glad to have been included on Emily's tour. Be sure to visit the other stops for more reviews, interviews, and more.

Follow Friday

Follow Friday is hosted by my wonderful fellow Louisianian, Parajunkee! For those of you who don't know, #FF is a blog hop designed to introduce you to other book bloggers and them to you! I don't usually get a chance to participate in the fun, but I thought my answer to today's question might be of particular interest to you. I've been a little absent lately, so I thought some of you may like to know what I'm doing when I'm not reading (or blogging). Be sure to visit Parajunkee if you aren't already familiar (she's awesome) and introduce yourself! Also be sure to check out other blogs and let them know how you found them :)

Q. What do I do when I am not reading?

I work. I have an amazing job with amazing coworkers with an amazing boss. It's not always puppies and kitties, and sometimes I complain a lot, but I really do love it.

I have a family. It consists of a terrier named Belle, a labrador named Honey, a doberman named Dexter, two kitties named Emmy and Pasqually, and a guy named Josh. I am also a daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, cousin, and friend to a very large, very special group of people I get to claim as my own.

I am planning a wedding. It is hard and time consuming and a little bit scary. And through all the invitation choices to the registry items to the ceremony music, I am trying extremely hard to not become that thing over there -->  The venues are booked, the photographer and florist are scheduled, the dress is in my closet. The big things are done, but I swear it's the details that will kill me.

Character Interview: Joy from Back When You Were Easier to Love

Today I have Joy, the main character from Emily Wing Smith's Back When You Were Easier to Love, for an interview! She is here courtesy of the Teen {Book} Scene blog tour. I haven't had the pleasure of reading Joy's story just yet, but I'm really looking forward to it. I've asked some pretty general questions for those of you who may not have read it either.


1. Hi, Joy! Why don’t you tell our readers a little bit about yourself.

My name is Joy Afterclein and I’m a senior in high school. Last year I moved from a basically normal city in California to Haven, Utah, a town that defies description. Fortunately, I met my soulmate here. Unfortunately he’s not here anymore.

2. Did you really think you could get away with going on a road trip?

Yes! It’s possible to plan a secret roadtrip if you make sure you have every detail taken care of…and, of course, if nothing goes majorly wrong.

3. Why Noah? I know he’s Zan’s friend, but it doesn’t seem like you like him nearly enough to drive to California with him.

I don’t even like Noah enough to drive to Phil’s Market with him, let alone California! It has less to do with friendship and more to do with a) my absence of transportation and b) a dream I had. I know it sounds kooky, but I believe in following dreams, even the literal ones.

4. What did you really expect to find once you got there?

Even deep-down I never admitted to myself what I thought I’d find. I just knew everything would become clearer there. And it did. Sort of.

5. What’s your favorite Barry Manilow song?

Depending on my mood: “Mandy,” “Copacabana,” or “I Made it Through the Rain.”


Thanks Joy (and Emily) for stopping by bookmarked today! I don't know about you guys, but those answers have me even more intrigued. Be sure to visit the rest of the tour stops for reviews, interviews, and other awesome goodies.