Top Ten Tuesday: Summer Readin'

 

My computer is filled with files on books I want to read, or own, or series I need to finish. I'm a compulsive list-maker, but it helps with my sense of accomplishment when I finish. Even though reading is something I love and would do regardless of a list or not, I was thinking it might be fun for me to make a record of some books I'd like to read this summer. I'm out of school till September, for the first time in years, and I plan to take full advantage of that! But if I make my list too long, I know I'll end up tempted to stray, so here it is. Ten titles to read June to August 2012, and like always, these are in no particular order. I'll be sure to check back in early September and let you know how I managed!

1. That Summer by Sarah Dessen
It seems like a lot of Sarah Dessen's books take place over the summer, so she seemed like the perfect author to start with. Though I've only read two by her so far Keeping the Moon and Along For the Ride, both were definitely summer books. This was her debut, but I'm still hoping for more of the authentic characters and easy to read writing that Dessen is recognized for.

2. Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

Two birds with one stone, since one of my 2012 goals was to pick up my first Ockler title. I prefer to read books in the order they were published, even in the case of standalones, so I'm happy to try out this contentious title first. Honestly though, I refuse to pick up a book just because it's been banned a lot, and this is a case where it's really the blogger love and recommendations that have got me eager to read it. 

3. The Last Summer (Of You And Me) by Ann Brashares
I adored the Traveling Pants series, but had less love for Brashares' adult title My Name Is Memory. Still, I'm willing to give this, which was actually her first adult novel, a try and I hope that Brashares takes on adult relationships as thoughtfully as she does with teenagers. 

4. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
This is actually the first in a trilogy, so I'll probably end up reading all three if I enjoy it. I've heard great things about it, and it's bound to be filled with romance, friendship and the usual taste of drama.

5. The Summer I Learned To Fly by Dana Reinhardt
The first book I read by Reinhardt, Harmless, wasn't my favourite but there were some aspects I enjoyed so I'm willing to give her books a second chance. Plus, I haven't even read it and I already feel sympathetic towards the main character, Drew, who has a pet rat and her dad's Book of Lists.

6. Farewell Summer by Ray Bradbury
I love Bradbury, and I still think of his novel Dandelion Wine as one of the most perfect summer books there is. When I was checking out books with "summer" in the title I came across this one, and even though I hadn't heard of it I instantly had to add it to my list. Then, I found out it's actually a Dandelion Wine sequel, so I'll probably need to reread that too. Hopefully it has the same whimsy and beauty as the first book.

7. The Summer of Firsts and Lasts by Terra Elan McVoy 
McVoy is one of those authors I've heard great things about (especially from Jordyn) and though, as I said, I prefer to read titles in the order they're published, I'm going to have to make a couple exceptions for the sake of my summery list.

8. Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz 
Another author I've been wanting to read, and though this is her second book, I guess I'll also be reading it first! The description calls it "not your typical beach read" and although the cover sorta argues otherwise, I'm excited to give Moskowitz a try.

9. Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell 
I actually own two books by Mitchell (but not this one), but they're part of a trilogy that hasn't finished yet and I'm kinda waiting for the last book to be published before I read it. So I'll stick with this one instead. It's a summer ghost story, which I'm pretty sure I haven't read anything like before, and it's a tiny little book (less than 200 pages) so I have no excuse for not reading it.

10. A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger
A final "author I've heard a lot about but I really planned to read her first book first" for my list. I'm pretty curious about books with MCs that seem unlikable (at least at first) and I'll be interested to see how Keplinger handles it. And, if I fall in love with the novel, I've got two more by her waiting on my shelves.

Have I got you lusting over summer yet? Have you read any of these books? Are there any I'm desperately missing and should ambitiously add to the list? Do you promise to remind me about this in August so I can scramble to actually read these before my self-imposed deadline? Is this enough questions for ending a post?

If anyone wants to join me on this mini summer readin' challenge, leave a note in the comments. Happy reading everyone, and happy summer :)

Top Ten Tuesday: Wishlist Lust (2)

Books I'm lusting over that didn't make it onto my previous 2 lists (sequels and stand-alones). It has nothing to do with how much I'm lusting, it has to do with short lists and new amazing books I'm discovering and adding to my wishlist every day.

1.  Counting Backwards by Laura Lascarso (August 14th 2012)

I love a good contemporary YA novel, and this one takes place in a juvenile correction facility– a location just begging for an exciting story and it looks like Lascarso is going to deliver one in what I hope will be an angry and powerful debut novel.

2.  Every Day by David Levithan (August 28th 2012)

I've read quite a few books by Levithan but I seem to like him more when he writes with a co-author than his solo books. Still, they are always unique and easy to read and this one has an intriguing premise with a genderless main character who wakes up in a new body every day. I'll definitely be giving it a try when it's published. 

3.  Blind Spot by Laura Ellen (October 23rd 2012)

I actually have a short story I never quite finished writing about a girl with degenerative blindness and when I heard about this novel dealing with the same issue, but combining it with a murder mystery, I was instantly intrigued. I love the cover, the premise, the fact that the author herself has the same disease as the main character, and I am incredibly excited to read this unique debut. 

4.  Promised by Caragh M. O'Brien (October 2nd 2012)

One of my very favourite dystopian series is coming to an end this fall, and I can't wait to see how O'Brien connects the themes from the first two novels in this final book.

5. Live Through This by Mindi Scott (October 2nd 2012)

What a dark and secretive story! I haven't read Scott's debut Freefall yet but I don't really remember it catching my attention like her followup has. I already want to know more about this relationship that crossed the line, and what it means for the main character's future and the crush she's getting closer to.

6. Break my Heart 1,000 Times by Daniel Waters (October 16th 2012)

Creepy cover, creepy story. It's about a future where ghosts don't move on, but one man's daughter never came back as a ghost. Another girl is trying to investigate why these ghosts exists and she's the perfect host for his dead daughter. A paranormal dark and twisty mystery, I hope the writing lives up to the strong premise of this novel.

7. Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio (September 25th 2012)

I have no idea how Jio can write this fast, but here's her third novel in less than 2 years and it sounds just as good as her first two which I loved. They're adult books that mix genres, combining a historical and contemporary storyline with romance and mystery.

8. The Forgetting Tree by Tatjana Soli (September 4th 2012)

I absolutely adored Soli's debut The Lotus Eaters and it still sticks in my mind over a year later as one of the most beautifully written books I've read. I was incredibly excited that just because she writes so thoughtfully, doesn't mean that I have to wait a decade for her second novel, and I'll definitely be picking this one up in September.

9. Something Like Normal by Trish Doller (June 19th 2012)

I pre-ordered this one ages ago and have been eagerly awaiting it ever since. It's told from the perspective of a marine that has just come home from Afghanistan where his best friend was killed and is trying to pick up the pieces of his life. Doller's writing is incredibly beautiful from the snippets I've read and I can't wait to dive into a full length story from her.

10. All These Lives by Sarah Wylie (June 5th 2012)

I always love a good twin story since I am one myself. This one is about a girl who thinks she has nine lives and sets out to get rid of them, hoping her twin sister who has cancer will end up with one. It sounds like a really emotional story. 

What's on your wishlist?

Top Ten Tuesday: Wishlist Lust

I like the idea of Top Ten Tuesday, because I like lists. But I rarely feel like sticking to the one proposed. This week, I instead present a top ten list of upcoming standalone YA novels that I'm lusting over. I did a post awhile ago on sequels I'm excited about, and I'm sure I'll have more posts on more amazing books I want to read in the future. But here are some I'm particularly excited about at the moment! The books are in no particular order.

1. Splintered by A.G. Howard (January 1st 2013)

There are a few Alice in Wonderland inspired titles coming out in the near future, but Splintered caught my eye– even when there was no creepy wonderful cover– because of the scary and unique twist. The Wonderland curse means that sixteen year old Alyssa hears whispers that she shouldn't, and if she can't solve the mystery, she's doomed for the same descent into madness that plagued generations before her.

2. Never Let You Go by Emma Carlson Berne (December 4th 2012)

Even though this is released in December, it sounds like the perfect summer read, a mix of betrayals and romance and just a hint of dark secrecy.

3.  Tilt by Ellen Hopkins (September 11th 2012)

I most certainly should not be adding more Hopkins books to my wishlist since I still have a few of hers I haven't read (I even have copies of Triangles and Impulse just waiting for me!) but of course I'm excited about this new release. The storyline of falling in love with somebody who is HIV positive sounds instantly heartbreaking, but Hopkins always excels when taking on difficult topics, so I'm sure this will be no exception.

4. Forget Me Not by Carolee Dean (October 2nd 2012)

Sounds like a really emotional and compelling YA novel, and I love how it's tackling such a crucial contemporary issue through a central conflict that involves texting. It's also got a paranormal twist, involving a boy who can see ghosts and an MC that is already half-dead, so I'll be curious how that plays into the story. 

5. The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver (October 2nd 2012)

Well, for one thing, I've previously claimed I'd read anything Oliver ever wrote including "restaurant menu or instructions for installing a television", as quoted from my review of her first middle grade novel Liesl and Po, which I adored. But even if I hadn't this sounds like the perfect kind of middle grade novel, great storytelling, adventure, and magic. I'm confident it'll be another ageless story to keep on my bookshelf.

6. My Life in Black & White by Natasha Friend (June 28th 2012)

This novel about a girl who is used to being the pretty one, only to have a car accident, go head first through a windshield, and not be so pretty anymore, sounds instantly powerful. It's a complicated subject matter, but if Friend does it well, I feel like the story could be absolutely breath-taking.

7. Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone by Kat Rosenfield (July 5th 2012)

This debut novel grabbed me from the first time I read the blurb, and everything I've seen since has only further convinced me. Two dark and twisted stories: one girl alive, one girl dead. All I can say is I can't wait to read and experience it firsthand.

8. The Unquiet by Jeannine Garsee (July 17th 2012)

Like Forget Me Not this is another book which takes on an important contemporary issue, bipolar illness, but with a fantastical twist. I wonder if it's a new trend, and I'm curious to see how Garsee combines the two. I hope it has the dark and creepy, yet emotional, storytelling that I'm looking for.

9. One Moment by Kristina McBride (June 26th 2012)

Admittedly, sometimes the "memory returning in snatches" concept can be overdone, but mystery and hidden beneath the surface darkness that this novel promises has me anxiously excited to give it a try.

10. Anything by Ordinary by Lara Avery (September 11th 2012)

I've always wondered about what it would be like to wake up from a coma years later and find out your whole life has changed, and that's exactly what happens in this novel. It sounds like it'll be really interesting to watch the MC pick up the pieces from the life she remembers and put them together with the life she now has.

Well, that's my current wishlist, is there any standalone YAs I should be adding to it? Are any of these titles on yours? If not, what is?

Sequels I'm Lusting Over

In which I make up my own theme and only list nine titles

2012 is officially the year of the sequel. These are a couple I'm excited about, one of which I've already read, Hallowed, and another I'm in the progress of reading, Pandemonium, but that doesn't make them any less exciting as sequels.

1. Insurgent by Veronica Roth
2. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
3. The Calling by Kelley Armstrong
4. Hallowed by Cynthia Hand
5. The Blood Keeper by Tessa Gratton
6. A Million Suns by Beth Revis
7. Fever by Lauren DeStefano
8. Rebel Heart by Moira Young
9. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins (It counts, right?) Postponed, so this will be on my 2013 list instead :)

And yup, they are all YA because YA seems to love its sequels in a way that the majority of the adult fiction I read (pretty much contemporary) doesn't. There's also a ton of interesting sequels coming out for books I haven't read the earlier novels for, so they've missed out on this list. Honestly, I think one of my goals this year should be to start fewer series! I hate having to wait. Or maybe read some more series that are already complete, that was the nice thing about delving into Westerfeld last year, and I plan to read at least one more series by him this year. There are also a few series I started this year that I'm not sure I will continue, which feels weird or unfinished but if I didn't really love the first book I figure I should cut my losses, especially considering middle books are notorious for their cliffhanger endings.

How do you feel about series? Any sequels you're absurdly excited for this year?

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Feel As Though Everyone Has Read But Me

Hosted at The Broke and the Bookish

I'm procrastinating and I decided to use it as an excuse to do my first Top Ten Tuesday. I've only included books that I actually want to read- there are plenty that it feels like everyone else has read (*cough* vampires *cough*) that don't interest me. But these do, and I've heard great things about them, so why are they still on my TBR list? Who knows...

1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (Millennium Trilogy)
   I've purchased all of them... but haven't even read a single page yet. I keep meaning to on one of these vacations I don't have where I have hours to devour page after page of thriller. Sigh. Someday, hopefully before the Fincher films are released since I love him so much and will end up watching them and spoiling the books.
2. The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
   I'm about halfway done this one and have been for over a year. I'm not sure what my excuse is, I've read Krauss' other two books and wasn't blown away but this is supposed to be her best, and I loved what I did read. I just need to pick it up again from page one and give it my full attention.
3. Anything by Jonathan Safran Foer (especially Everything Is Illuminated)
   Since Krauss is on this list I figured her husband should be as well, considering I haven't read anything at all by him! He's been recommended to me more times than I can count, and I even borrowed Everything Is Illuminated for about a year from my stepmom, and yet other than ten or fifteen pages I haven't read anything by Foer.
4. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
   This is one of those books I have no idea really what it's about (and please don't tell me!) but I really want to read and even my non-reading friends have told me how great it is. Not sure what my excuse is on this one either.
5. Anything by Jonathan Franzen (especially The Corrections and Freedom)
   Maybe this is so last year since Freedom has been out quite awhile now but with all the hype and rave reviews it feels like everyone else in the world is more familiar with Franzen than I am... someday....
   
   and the YA:
   
6. Matched by Ally Condie
   It seemed as if every book blogger and their mother was raving about Matched last winter, but I only gave it a short try before getting distracted elsewhere (maybe I should call this list "books I want to read but have been distracted from" instead?) Monday an ARC of it's sequel Crossed arrived in my mailbox, so I really have no excuse not to pick this dystopia back up soon.
7. Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
   The fact that this one shows up on so many banned books list might be why I feel like everyone else must have read it, but I finally purchased my own copy (and shipped it to be stored for the next eight months... but progress still!) and I am definitely intrigued to try it eventually.
8. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
   Who doesn't love this book? Nobody, that's who I thought. Recently, Ambur raved to me about it and that triggered me actually purchasing the book (and again shipping it far away for the next eight months) so that I am one step closer to actually reading it.
9. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
   Another universally loved contemporary novel, I'm at least as intrigued by the premise of the book as I am by the author's awesome blue hair. But seriously, I want to read this, I really do. And I should have a copy coming my way soon... so hopefully I'll get a chance before 2011 is over. That way I can find out if it really is that adorable.
10. Anything by Holly Black
    An author with plenty to choose from, all of her books sounds interesting, as do the anthologies she's edited (I recently bought Geektastic but Zombies Vs. Unicorns sounds great as well) but somehow I haven't read any of them. I plan to start with Tithe as I prefer completed series, and I even took it out from the library (at least once...) but so far she's still an author I'm completely unacquainted with.

What books does it feel like everyone else has read but you? Are there any of these you feel I should move to a particularly high place in my TBR pile? Also, how do you feel about Top Ten Tuesday? Too many memes, or something you'd like to see more of?