Top Ten Book Villains

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Villains.

This post is all about those characters we love to hate. I had to cull through some of the books and series where the enemy was a group of people or the government so that I could choose the books that truly had individual characters as villains.

1. Lord Voldemort from Harry Potter by JK Rowling
2. Queen Levana from The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
3. Jackal & Octavia from Red Rising by Pierce Brown
4. Cersei Lannister from A Song of Ice and Fire by George R R Martin
5. Sebastian from The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare
6. Jonathan from The Breathing Series by Rebecca Donovan (not your typical villain, but man I hated that guy!)
7. Billy Dent from Jasper Dent by Barry Lyga
8. President Snow from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
9. The Darkling from The Grisha by Leigh Bardugo (note, I still haven't finished Ruin and Rising)
10. Sauron from The Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkien

There were so many villains to choose from. The hardest part was limiting myself and not including groups of people. Who made your list of top villains? Let me know!

Top Ten Books to Movies/TV Shows

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Books I Want to See Turned Into TV Shows/Movies.

1. His Fair Assassins by Robin LaFevers
2. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
3. Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
4. Push by Claire Wallis
5. The Breathing Series by Rebecca Donovan
6. Jasper Dent by Barry Lyga
7. Summer by CJ Duggan
8. Starbound by Meagan Spooner & Aimee Kaufman
9. Red Rising by Pierce Brown
10. Divided We Fall by Trent Reedy (I can't find a better cover picture and this drives me crazy!!)

Which books would you like to see turned into TV shows/movies? Let me know!

Top Ten Favorite Heroes

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Favorite Heros.

I’ve done multiple Top Ten Tuesday posts about my favorite heroines, and I’ve done several posts about my favorite book boyfriends. But I’ve never done a favorite heroes post. Heroes and book boyfriends are similar but not quite the same thing. I had to cut the hot bad boys. And some of my other favorite leading males to really get the best of the best personality, actions, decisions, characteristics, etc. Every hero is flawed, but I tried to cull out those who made some really bad decisions.

1. Duval – Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin, # 1) by Robin LaFevers – Duval’s affection and devotion to his sister is admirable. He thinks nothing of his own interest. He instead only seeks after her safety and the safety of her duchy.
2. Beast - Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin, # 2) by Robin LaFevers – Beast also plunges headfirst into danger with no thought to his own outcome. Plus he really works with Sybella to help her overcome her past.
3. Evan - The Breathing Series by Rebecca Donovan – Evan is a saint. He’s 100% there for Emma through every step of this series. Even when he has reason to write her off or move on or want absolutely nothing to do with Emma, he sacrifices for her over and over.
4. Matthew Cuthbert – Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, # 1) by LM Montgomery – Even though Matthew doesn’t have the biggest role in this book, he is the silent hero behind the scenes. He’s the main reason why Anne ended up staying with them and not getting shipped back. And he supported Anne every step of the way, listening quietly, and yet he helped Marilla come around to Anne too. Matthew was the true hero of the story.
5. Jasper Dent - Jasper Dent by Barry Lyga – Even though Jasper could have turned out completely screwed in the head due to his upbringing, he makes the choice to be different from his parents, and to hunt killers not to be a killer. He does the true self-sacrifice thing. He’s not trying to sabotage himself. He’s truly just trying to take down some violent, crazy people even if he doesn’t make it out on the other side.
6. Noah – Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin – Ok so I’m not finished with this series yet, and I guess there’s the potential for Noah to let me down, but so far he has been such a solid rock for Mara through everything she’s experienced. He hasn’t once let her go through anything alone since they met. He does what she asks while also keeping her best interest at heart always. I heart him.
7. Peeta - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – I mean here is another example of the right kind of self-sacrifice. Peeta is in love with Katniss. He’s at least starts out with a crush on her or something. And he knows that there can only be one winner of the games. He does whatever he has to do to keep her alive in the first and second games. And even though he got slightly mindjacked, he still ended up being the one person that Katniss could completely count on.
8. Augustus Waters - The Fault in Our Stars by John Green – Funny. Full of life. He gave up his wish so that Hazel could have her real wish. He doesn’t shy away from being real or facing the hard choices. He mans up. And he gives Hazel Grace an infinite number of moments within a limited number of days. Seriously…Augustus is the best.
9. Harry Potter - Harry Potter by JK Rowling – Because you can’t have a list about heroes and Harry not make this list. Harry was really thrust into his destiny. But yet he earns it each step of the way. Sure he makes mistakes. But he’s real. And he’s loveable. And my heart got tugged at his little orphaned self being faced against such a powerful enemy. He uses his friends for help and support. And he makes the hard choices—including yet again…true self-sacrifice—but he overcomes all obstacles.
10. Michael Hosea - Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers – Michael is a fictionalized version of Hosea from The Bible. And so I guess I’m talking about both of them kind of. Michael follows God’s direction despite what he thinks in his own head. He doesn’t always see how God’s direction makes sense, but he does it anyway. And even though Angel hurts him multiple times, he remains open to her, open to forgiveness, and open to God. Michael doesn’t press. He doesn’t force. And he is yet again, one of those truly heroic heroes.

What about you guys? Who are your favorite heroes in books? Let me know!

Out of Breath - Review

Out of Breath (Breathing, # 3)

By: Rebecca Donovan

Published: July 2nd 2013 by Skyscape

422 pages

Genre: Young Adult/New Adult, Contemporary

Source: Personal Kindle Library

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Emma leaves Weslyn and everyone in it behind to attend Stanford University, just as she always intended. A shell of her former self, she is not the same girl. She is broken, and the only way that she’ll be whole again is through forgiveness. Emma must find a way to forgive herself and recognize her own worth before she can receive the love she deserves. This final installment will have readers holding their breath until the very last page.

Reason to Breathe was the first book I rated 5 Stars in 2014. I fell in love with the characters, and I was rooting for Emma who was up against all kinds of odds. Barely Breathing followed and was one of the most emotionally exhausting and frustrating books I’ve ever read. Rebecca Donovan even said on Facebook that Emma makes all the wrong decisions in that book, and that is 100% an accurate statement. I was so drained after reading that book. I knew I wanted to know how it would all end, but boy did I need some time and space before I could read Out of Breath. I went from loving Rebecca Donovan with Reason to Breathe to just not being entirely sure what she was going to put these characters through next. My sister read Out of Breath before I did. She said it ended well but the beginning was a little rough. That wasn’t exactly what I needed to hear for me to be racing out to pick it up. When my friend Lacy breezed through all three books recently I knew it was finally time for me to finish this series. Lacy told me that book 3 was much better than book 2. And thank goodness for that.

Ultimately, I agree with both Melissa and Lacy. There was a bit in the beginning of Out of Breath where I wanted to smack Emma in the head to knock some sense into her. But I was dreading this book so much more than was necessary. Like Lacy said, it was so much better and satisfying than Barely Breathing. Don’t get me wrong, Rebecca Donovan still puts these characters through a lot. Of course there are still things for them to overcome, and because of things that happened in Barely Breathing they have a lot to forgive in order to move forward.

Emma was still a struggle for me though not nearly at the Barely Breathing level. She went from trying so hard in Reason to Breathe to making all the wrong choices in Barely Breathing to not being sure of anything in Out of Breath. And seriously, who could blame her after all she’s been through? Emma struggles with the “for your own good” sacrifices self-sabotage that I get so annoyed with, but thankfully she gets over this eventually. Although how Emma could possibly even touch alcohol considering her mother is an alcoholic and everything Emma went through because of that is beyond me. This being used as a coping mechanism for Emma in Out of Breath was hard for me to read.

I loved how much talking and discussion had to be done in order for these characters to move forward. They can’t sweep things under the rug and pretend like the past didn’t happen. They have to talk about what went wrong and find a way to forgive each other (and themselves) in order to move forward. But I do wish there was more information or clarification about whether Emma ever ended up going to counseling/therapy. It was suggested, but she never really committed to it as far as we know.

I loved Evan just as much in this book as ever. Loved Sara and Jared. And I even really enjoyed Emma’s roommates (minus Peyton). I liked that Peyton wasn’t as present in the last bit of the book, but I do wish there was some kind of explanation for why she wasn’t present. I can assume and guess, but that’s all I’ve got. Cole I wasn’t sold on, but that’s because he just wasn’t Evan. TJ, Nate, Brent…loved and wouldn’t mind getting more of each of their stories.

Favorite quotes:

-“I listen to silence. And you”—his mouth pulled into a smirk—“you have a lot to say. Although I haven’t quite figured out what it is yet.”

-“What happened to her, Sara?” Sara looked across at me with sorrow-filled eyes. “She left you.”

-I slid my hand down to rest on his chest and I could feel his heart beating faster. That’s when I realized that mine wasn’t.

-“Living in the mistakes of your past isn’t going to do anything but destroy your future.”

-And I chose to live. I chose to love. I chose to breathe.

All in all, I think Out of Breath was much better than I was expecting. It was probably one of those times where going into it with low expectations really served to help me enjoy it more. I was prepared to be annoyed and frustrated beyond reason, and I was very thankful to find this wasn’t the case—even though there were moments of frustration. Out of Breath gets 4 stars for me. Have you read Out of Breath? What did you think? Let me know!

Barely Breathing - Review

Barely Breathing (The Breathing Series, # 2)

By: Rebecca Donovan

Published: first published April 30th 2012

421 pages

Genre: YA/NA, Contemporary

Source: Borrowed from my sister

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Emma’s struggle with an abusive home life came to a heart pounding conclusion in the final chapters of Reason to Breathe. Now everyone in Weslyn knows Emma’s secret, but Carol can’t hurt Emma anymore. Some are still haunted by the horror of that night, and some must face the repercussions of their choices. Fans of Rebecca Donovan’s debut novel will discover there’s still much to learn about Emma’s life.

*sigh* Oh boy. What to say about Barely Breathing? Book 1, Reason to Breathe has (at the time of writing this review) been the only book I’ve given 5 Stars to this year. I fell in love with that book, with the characters, and with Rebecca Donovan. But the problem with a series….is well…there has to be more conflict to come, right? Maybe this is a phase, but I’ve come to realize that with characters I really care about, if book one in a series ends on a happy note then I almost dread reading the other books in the series (assuming those books carry on from the same perspective). And that’s because I know more bad things are coming for characters I love. And that’s exactly how I felt with Barely Breathing.

Poor Emma went through so much in Reason to Breathe that it was hard to imagine things getting worse for her. And while they might not have been “worse” exactly, things still weren’t good. Emma’s now living with her mother who still apparently has a problem with sobriety. Emma’s mother starts dating a significantly younger man (who is actually younger than she even knows), but he and Emma begin to connect with each other over their similar, troubled pasts. Throughout the majority of this book, I was yelling at Emma for her horrible decision making skills—especially over things I thought she had learned her lesson about from book 1.

Evan was one of my absolutely favorite things about Reason to Breathe and that remained true for Barely Breathing as well. Unfortunately, he’s not as present in Barely Breathing as I would like which led to my overall disappointment in the book. Evan is such a great guy and I loved how loyal he was to Emma through everything that she’s been through—even when she’s the one causing her own problems. I kept wondering if he was going to reach his breaking point, but he kept proving his worth over and over.

Sara is the same way. I think I said this in my review of Reason to Breathe, but Sara is my absolutely favorite book best friend EVER. She always has Emma’s back. She might not like the choices Emma makes, and she is only human after all, but I would love having Sara in my corner. And while I worry about how present she will be in book 3, Out of Breath, I’m excited for the choices she’s making for herself.

I spent the majority of this book extremely upset with Emma as I mentioned above. I wanted her to do so much better by everyone around her. She redeemed herself a good bit close to the ending, but I worry about it being too little too late. The very ending wasn’t exactly satisfying to me either, but I hope that I will enjoy Out of Breath much more than I enjoyed Barely Breathing. I’m struggling with deciding how to rate this book. Even though I was banging my head against the wall most of the time, Rebecca Donovan pulled a lot of emotion out of me. Granted most of that wasn’t things I wanted to be feeling.

In the end, Barely Breathing gets 4 Stars from me. Overall, it wasn’t what I wanted for characters that I’ve come to love, but I’m looking forward to seeing how everything wraps up in Out of Breath whenever I can get my hands on it. Have you read Barely Breathing? What did you think? Let me know!

Top Ten Books That Will Make You Cry

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Books That Will Make You Cry.

1) Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
2) If I Stay (If I Stay, # 1) by Gayle Forman
3) Point of Retreat (Slammed, # 2) by Colleen Hoover
4) Reason to Breathe (Breathing, # 1) by Rebecca Donovan
5) Through the Ever Night (Under the Never Sky, # 2) by Veronica Rossi
6) Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy, # 3) by Richelle Mead
7) The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
8) Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes
9) The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity by William Paul Young
10) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling
11) Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
12) Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
13) Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

I cannot seem to stick to ten books. Of course, there are TONS of other books that have made me cry, but these are some of my favorites. Which books are guaranteed to make you cry? Let me know!