Top Ten Tuesday (#117) (12/22/15) Top Ten Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Leaving Under My Tree This Year

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

 

Top Ten Nine Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Leaving Under My Tree This Year

This is really hard because other than ARCs, I have tried to avoid bringing in more print books.  I just don't have enough shelves to hold all my books.  So this list is more along the lines of books I wouldn't mind Santa magically delivering to my Kindle. 

I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

I have the print ARC of this, but I don't have a finished copy. It was so beautiful that I want to revisit as often as I can, so I seeing this under my tree wouldn't be a bad thing.

The Wrath and the Dawn (The Wrath and the Dawn #1) by Renee Ahdieh

My favorite book of this year, another book where I have a print ARC, but a finished copy would not be turned away.

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds, Brendan Kiely

My second favorite book of this year, I would love to get a copy of this.  I checked it out from the library, but I really would love to read it again.

See How They Run (Embassy Row #2) by Ally Carter

This comes out today, so Santa can just drop that copy off right about now.  I had some issues with the first book, but I'm hoping the second book will better.

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

I don't own this in any form and I since I love Rainbow Rowell, I would love to have a copy of this book.

Soundless by Richelle Mead

No reason in particular, I just love Richelle Mead's books, and I don't own this in any way.  It would beat having to check it out from the library.

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

This is the only Sarah Dessen book I don't own.  Therefore it needs a place on my shelf.  This is the only book I actually want the print copy more than the ebook.

Silent Alarm by Jennifer Banash

Another book I wanted to read this year that was never available as an ebook from the library.  I would love to get a copy from Santa.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Raven Cycle #3) by Maggie Stiefvater

I can't believe I still haven't read this book, if I owned it maybe I would get around to reading it.

Top Ten Tuesday (#113) (10/27/15) Top Ten Books with Things that Go Bump in the Night

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

 

Top Ten Books with Things that Go Bump in the Night

Vampires, Zombies, Ghosts, and Witches, oh my! I don't read a lot of scary books, because I can be a total wimp.  However, I have read a lot of books that feature the above paranormal creates.  These books aren't necessarily scary, but they do feature beings that you are likely going to see at a Halloween party.  Well, in addition to all those lame sexy kitties.

Hex Hall (Hex Hall #1) by Rachel Hawkins

This series features a bit of everything, I guess it's mainly witches, but there are special guest appearances by shapeshifters and other fun paranormal creatures. Not scary at all, just a good read.

The Name of the Star (Shades of London #1) by Maureen Johnson

This book is pretty creepy.  More suspenseful than true horror, but the spooky is really there.  The first book has been my favorite in the series.

The Unquiet by Jeannine Garsee

This book probably gave me the biggest creeps.  It's just a really good spooky ghost story.

Shadowland (The Mediator #1) by Meg Cabot

Lots of ghosts in this series.  Some are good and many are bad. I wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of some of these ghosts.

Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

Werewolves.  Not scary werewolves, just beautifully written werewolves.  I loved this series.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter #1) by J.K. Rowling

I would hardly describe this series of witches scary.  I guess for the intended audience the later books can be scary, but this awesome series makes the list because of all the witches and paranormal creatures.

My Love Lies Bleeding (Drake Chronicles #1) by Alyxandra Harvey

I never did get a chance to finish this series, I still have to read the last book, but this is a nice take on a typical vampire story.  So not scary.

Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1) by Richelle Mead

An awesome series featuring very not scary vampires.  Vampires!  They're just like you and me, except they like blood.

Alice in Zombieland (White Rabbit Chronicles #1) by Gena Showalter

Just finished this series, and it's good zombie fun.  I wouldn't classify this book as scary either, it just kick zombie butt fun.

This is Not a Test (This is Not a Test #1) by Courtney Summers

This book was scary if only because it made me realize I will so NEVER survive a zombie apocalypse.  Nope, I will quickly join the ranks of the undead. I found this book to be very suspenseful, but not particularly scary.

Bonus:

'Salem's Lot by Stephen King

I have read some really scary books in the past that scared me badly. Stephen King is most responsible for many of my nightmares.  After too many bad nights of sleep, I now tend to avoid his books, as awesome as they may be.  That being said, for me the book of his that scared me the most was 'Salem's Lot.  I slept with some weird stuff by my side for weeks after I read that book.  This is not a YA book, although I was stupid enough to read it while I was in high school, so I decided to include it.

Top Ten Tuesday (#110) (10/13/15) Top Ten Author Duos You'd LOVE To See Write A Book Together

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

 

Top Ten Author Duos You'd LOVE To See Write A Book Together

Wow this is actually kind of hard for me.  My first instinct is to pair like authors. But then I start think about how challenging it would be for two different authors to come together to create something awesome.  Sadly I stuck to the pretty obvious, and a lot of contemporary since that is my true love.  Here is my best attempt at this.

Sarah Dessen & Gayle Forman

Two of my favorite authors writing a book together would blow me away.  It would be beautifully written with a tragic, yet hopeful, story line.

Rachel Hawkins & Ally Carter

A collaboration between them would just result in an awesome lighthearted book that would just be adorable.  And funny.

Jandy Nelson & E. Lockhart

My brain can't even begin to process the awesomeness that would come out of a collaboration with these writers.  They both write contemporary books, but their style is so different, yet so awesome that anything they write together would be a masterpiece. 

Maggie Stiefvater & John Corey Whaley

This is another book that I can't really imagine. Whatever the story it would be twisty, deep, with a sophisticated humor.  It would be beautifully written and completely memorable.

Laurie Halse Anderson & John Green

Another contemporary duo that I would love to see collaborate.  The both take on some really serious topics.  I don't read middle grade books, but I think they could kill something that is MG.

Emery Lord &  Jennifer E. Smith

Another two contemporary authors that I absolutely love.  Their books are somewhat similar, so I don't know if there would be a distinct voice that would come out of a collaboration between them.

Libba Bray & Maureen Johnson

Another contemporary pairing that I would love to see.  Libba Bray's books are so funny but in a really smart way, and Maureen Johnson's books can really play to that.

Rainbow Rowell & Stephanie Perkins

I imagine a collaboration between them to result in an awesomely quirky contemporary romance with characters that you just don't want to leave behind.

Morgan Matson & Leila Sales

This is another duo that has a very similar writing style.  Matson's books tend to be pretty serious, and Sale's more recent books have been the same.  However, Sale's early works have a lighthearted tone that I think would really work in a collaboration.

Kimberly Derting & Richelle Mead

I had to toss in a non-contemporary collaboration that I think would result in a really crazy yet awesomely interesting book. I imagine there would be some kind of paranormal element that would make this really memorable.

Top Ten Tuesday (#104) (08/18/15) Top Ten Of Your Auto-buy Authors

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

 

Top Ten Of Your Auto-buy Authors

Hi I'm Lisa and I'm a book buying addict.  Seriously, I have had to limit myself to only buying e-books because I can't fit any more books in my house.  I do have some favorite authors though, but while I wouldn't say their books are auto-buys, they are auto reads (always through legal channels, either purchased, reviewed (ARCS), or checked out from the library.)  DON'T download "free" books on the internet.  You are stealing if you do.  Ultimately, they all end up being bought though.  So here are my auto-read authors.

Ally Carter

I've read pretty much whatever she's written, and I will continue to do so.  Her books are just plain good fun.  I may end up eating my words with her new series, but I just love what she's done so far.  My favorites are her Heist Society books.

Maggie Stiefvater

I admit I am one book behind on the Raven Cycle books, but I plan to remedy that very soon. My favorites are her Wolves of Mercy Falls books.

Sarah Dessen

 This one goes without saying.  I have read everything she's written and will continue to do so. She is my favorite author right now and she has been for a while.  My favorite books of hers are The Truth About Forever and This Lullaby.

Richelle Mead

 I haven't read any of her adult books, and I am in no hurry to.  Her YA books, I consume them as soon as they come out.  My favorites are the Vampire Academy Series.

Rachel Hawkins

I've read all of her books too.  I just love them.  They are just really good fun, and if you are not following her on twitter, I highly recommend checking it out.  She's funny.  She has a middle grade book coming out soon that I'll probably skip, but anything YA I'll definitely read.  My favorite is her Hex Hall series.

 Jennifer Echols

There are a few of her past books I still need to read, but I read each of her new books when they come out, or sometimes I review them and get to read them early.  She is definitely one of my favorite authors.  My favorite books are Going too Far and Perfect Couple.

E. Lockhart

I think there is one book of hers that I haven't read yet, but I will get to it eventually.  She is an amazing writer, and each time I pick up one of her books I get surprised again by how awesome they are. I just can't pick a favorite of hers, I love them all.

Jandy Nelson

She's only written two books, and they were both amazing.  I feel like I waited forever for I'll Give You the Sun, but it was worth the wait.  I will read everything and anything she writes next.  Not going to pick a favorite of hers either.

Gayle Forman

I've read most of what she's written, everything but her first book.  I will continue to read everything she's written because I love all her books.  My favorite book of hers is If I Stay.  Loved it.

Jason Reynolds

He's only written two books too, but they were both awesome.  He has another book coming out at the end of September that I will grab as soon as I can.  He also is writing a middle grade that I don't know if I'll pick up, but I'm sure will be awesome.