Monday, June 24, 2013

Top 8 Books I read so far this year

1. Looking for Alaska: It was close call between this one and The Fault in Our Stars because both of the books were written with so many memorable lines and also both made me experience a lot of emotions. But I choose Looking for Alaska as my favorite book of the year so far because I just connected to it more. I really loved reading the story and I felt a pretty good connection to Pudge especially with how before the story started he never done much of anything but stay at home and read but he's also in search of more of something more exciting in live in what he refers to as the great perhaps. I also really loved how this book had it's characters value intelligence and I like the thing about the school sports team being so awful it's funny. I liked all of Pudge's new friends and how they were all different and how they all had their own stories to tell. I love how in the end it seems to me that we were suppose to be somewhat conflicted about our feelings for Alaska and I loved that she was a mystery that couldn't quite be solved in the end and that it doesn't really matter all that much that she can't be solved as long as she will be remembered. I also loved how the book was divided into a Before and After section and how the tone and theme of the story is different in the section but both sections are equally enjoyable.
2. The Fault in Our Stars: The Fault in Our Stars was a book that I heard a lot about before I read it and therefore I was a bit nervous it wouldn't live up to the hype so I was extremely happy when I discovered how much I loved this book. This surprised me with it's great dark sense of humor where Hazel, Augustus and Issac would frequently joke about their cancer or really just death in general. I love that kind of dark sense of humor and it seemed to fit the characters because they are teenagers even though they have cancer which was nice to see in my opinion. I really loved the relationship between Hazel and Augustus, I loved seeing it developed from friendship to love and I really just thought the two of them were extremely cute together and I loved that they both gave each other books in order to get more insight into what the other likes. I loved that this book broke my heart and made me cry as much as it did because for some reason I love it when a book can really make me cry as much The Fault in Our Stars did.
3. Tilt: This is a book that I thought about putting higher on the list until I realized that even the whole thing is written in the beautiful poetry of all Ellen Hopkins books I read I only actually loved Shane's storyline and was just interested and sympathetic to Mikayla and Harley. I loved this book because of Shane's storyline I loved that though his character was gay that his whole storyline didn't revolve around that although I did really love his relationship with Alex because they were really sweet and I loved how they both went into the relationship looking for something causal but ended up falling in love. I really loved how Shane did love his sister Shelby but didn't think that she really had much of a life but despite that her death still hit him really hard. I loved Shane trying to come to terms with death and I loved seeing him have a crises of faith partially because I loved that he still believed in god at the beginning of the book. I loved how Shane desperately needed his mom but at the same time didn't want her to worry about him at all because he knew that she was going through a hard time as well. I was all that invested in Mikayla and Harley's storylines but there were still moments I enjoyed them a whole lot but I didn't love them like I loved Shane.
4. Only the Good Spy Young: The fourth book of Gallagher Girls series is my favorite in the series so far. I loved that there was a big plot twist right at the start of this book and I loved the way the characters reacted to the plot twist because my thoughts were pretty similar to theirs and I just loved the way all the twists played out in this book. I really loved all the action in this book and I loved how the stakes were so much higher in this book the early ones. I also continue to love all the characters and their relationships.
5. Perfect Scoundrels: The third book of the Heist Society series may just be my favorite. I loved how this book dealt with Kat and Hale's relationship with having the whole thing about how Hale is part of Kat's world but Kat doesn't have a place in Hale's world and she isn't sure that she can ever have a place in his world. I also loved that Kat saw that Hale coming to her world was somewhat similar to how at the beginning of the first book Kat ran away to boarding school and how she wonders if Hale is doing the same thing with her and it's just a matter of time until Hale goes back to his own world. I just loved that Kat and Hale's relationship dealt with all kind of really problems instead of some contrived love triangle like most YA books seem to have because it made more sense for their characters and in the end it said a lot about both characters. I loved learning more about Hale and the world which he came from in this book as well. I also loved the con artist parts of the story as well and I loved seeing all the characters that I fell in love with from the first two books again.
6. Magic Knight Rayearth II: I really love how the second half of this series is dealing with how the end of the first half of the series is effecting the girls. I loved that when the girls returned to Cefiro and see that the world is falling apart they decided they need to do everything in their power to save it.  I love that almost all the characters from the first half of the series are back and I love that there are many new characters from other worlds entering the series. I also love that it seems that this series is pointing out Cefiro's flaw of having one person support an entire world and not value anyone over anyone else. I continue to love the girls and their lovely friendship with each other and I continue to love artwork that is some of the most beautiful that I have ever seen.
7. Hide and Seek: The fourth book of The Lying Games series is very exciting in my opinion and I continue to love the mystery and I love all the twists and turns the series makes. I also adore the relationship between Emma and Ethan as well.
8. Gate-7: I've just start this series by Clamp and so far I'm really liking it. The artwork is beautiful and the characters seem interesting and it seems like there's going to be a lot of interesting mythology so right now I'm at a bit of a loss when it comes to explaining the series but I do know I really like it so far.

24 comments:

  1. ALLY CARTER IS AMAZING!!!!! I love her books!!! And I really NEED to read TFiOS. Probably one of the only people in the WORLD, who hasn't read it! *SIGH*
    Love your list!!!

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    1. Thank you for the comment. I completely agree with you about Ally Carter being amazing I've read seven books by her and I loved all of them. Also don't feel bad about not having read The Fault in Our Stars it just came out last year so I'm sure there's plenty of people who haven't read it yet.

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  2. Love Looking For Alaska...and I liked that it sectioned into Before and After too.

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    1. Thanks for the comment and I agree with you about Looking for Alaska, also is your icon from Air's Virgin Suicides album because it looks familiar.

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  3. Great list! We have a couple of the same books on our list. I love Ally Carter too, and if I hadn't read Only the Good Spy Young before this year, it probably would have ended up on my list. Same for The Fault in Our Stars.

    My TTT
    LisaILJ @ I’ll Tumble for YA

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    1. Thanks for the comment, I'm glad we have similar opinions.

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  4. Ally Carter's books are so fun, I'm excited for GG #6 to come out later this year! :) My TTT list: http://aliceinreaderland.com/2013/06/24/top13/

    Alice @ Alice in Readerland

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    1. Thanks for the comment and although I still have to read the fifth book in the Gallagher Girls series I'm excited about sixth as well.

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  5. Looking for Alaska and TFIOS were so beautifully written and just really great books. John Green is a genius IMO. I'm addicted to The Lying Game books and TV show (although I think I like the TV show better). I need to read Cross My Heart, Hope to Die bc it's sitting in my dining room waiting for me!!

    Thanks for stopping by My TTT

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    1. Thanks for the comment. I agree about Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars being s well written there's just so many beautiful quotes in both books. I'm actually not a fan for The Lying Games tv series I just couldn't get into it. Cross My Heart, Hope to Spy is my second favorite book of the Gallagher Girls series so I think you'll like it.

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  6. Excellent list. Both of those John Green books are fab.

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  7. Eek, I accidentally deleted my comment! Sorry! Here's round two. Hee hee.

    I have only read Paper Town, of John Green's. I keep hearing awesome things about The Fault in our Stars, plus a movie adaptation is on the way. I must bump it up my TBR. Looking for Alaska too. More so that's it's an award winning book. :)

    Thanks for dropping by my list! :D

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    1. Thanks for the comment. Paper Towns is on my TBR list. I hear that pretty much all of John Green's books have been up for movie adaptations in the past but never made it past pre-production so I kind of doubt that a film version of The Fault of the Stars will be made but I'd be interested in it if it was. I loved Looking for Alaska but I didn't really read it because of it's awarding winning status so I'm not sure if it will live up to those type of expecations.

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  8. Great list.

    I like that you tried two John Green books. I have Will Grayson, Will Grayson on my shelf but haven't read it yet.

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    1. Thanks for the comment, I actually own Will Grayson, Will Grayson as well but I haven't read it either.

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  9. I loved The Fault in Our Stars too, and I've thinking about reading Looking for Alaska. I think I'll push it up on my TBR list now!

    Thanks for stopping by my blog :)

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    1. Thanks for the comment and I'm glad I convinced you to push Looking for Alaska up on your TBR list because I loved that book even more than The Fault in Our Stars.

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  10. Ally Carter really is brilliant. Just wait until you read Out of Sight, Out of Time; that one is the best Gallagher Girls book yet! I love how the series keeps improving upon itself, which is a rare occurance in a six-book sequence.

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    1. Thanks for the comment and I have heard that Out of Sight Out of Time is the best of the series is the best in the past so I'm really looking forward to it.

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  11. Ooo, I have been wanting to read The Fault in Our Stars! I'm glad it made your list! :) After I'm done with all of the Game of Thrones/Song of Ice and Fire books, I'll hopefully get to read it! Great list! xoxo

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    1. Thanks for the comment, The Fault in Our Stars is a great book and I find it impressive that you can read the entire A Song of Ice and Fire series in a year and still have time for other books.

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  12. The Fault in Our Stars was a great, I enjoyed it as well. Great list!
    Happy reading!

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    1. Thanks for the comment, also if you haven't read Looking for Alaska I recommend you read that as well.

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