Top 10 Characters I'd Like to Switch Places with for 24 Hours

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Characters I'd Like to Switch Places with for 24 Hours.

So first let me just say that I totally have to put a lot of stipulations on this 24-hour swap thing. Like which 24 hour period specifically. I found this Top 10 list—while fun—extremely challenging. Almost every character I looked at I just couldn’t see myself wanting to be them or in their world even for a time as short as 24 hours. Plus I'm pretty happy in my life/world. So here goes. In no particular order:

1) Rose from Vampire Academy – As long as it’s a 24 hour period with no Strigoi or crazy human people trying to help Strigoi. More specifically a 24-hour period I could spend with Dimitri would be ideal. (I promised my husband I wouldn’t pick all of my characters based off the guy they get to spend time with, but Rose and Dimitri are exceptions.)

2) Katsa from Graceling – Kicking-butt and taking names--I’m for it. Shoot, I would LOVE to be in a medieval time period with castles and kings and queens, especially if I had a Grace that would ensure my survival.

3) Fire from Fire of the Graceling series – Although I’m sure hearing people’s thoughts would be a burden if you had to deal with it your entire life, a 24-hour period might not be so bad. I’m rather curious.

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4) Dany from A Song of Fire & Ice – Because I wanted so desperately to add a character from this series to my list and I just simply couldn’t think of a single character other than her that I think I would even dream (in my worst nightmares) of having to live out a 24-hour period in their shoes. And while Dany’s not in the best position ever (where I am in the books anyway), at least she’s got 3 dragons. That’s pretty cool right? I could spend my 24-hours playing with her dragons. Plus hello…she’s a queen!

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5) Hermione from Harry Potter – Because she’s brilliant and being in the wizarding world would be pretty awesome I think, especially to be as talented as she is. But can we make sure this 24-hour period takes place in the time period after the end of The Deathly Hallows?

6) Arwen from The Lord of the Rings – Because I’d love to see what Middle Earth is really like up close and personal, but specifically Rivendell. Beautiful!

7) Stephanie Plum from Stephanie Plum – Because I think I’d be hilarious to hang out with Lula for a 24 hour period. I wouldn’t want to be Lula…but hanging out with her would be awesome!

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8) Lucy from The Chronicles of Narnia – Because she still has that childlike wonder about her. I’d love to be able to see Narnia for myself too. And because she’s such a central character. Her relationship and faith in Aslan…well….symbolic as it is….yeah, I want that.

9) Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice – Specifically on a day where there's a ball. I love this time period in history and I think it’d be great fun to go to a ball. And while I do love me some Mr. Darcy, it’s not even about him. I chose Elizabeth out of the heroines in this time period because she’s got a good head on her shoulders. I agree with a lot of her thinking, and she could careless whether she’s bestowed the honor of being asked to dance by the most prestigious men in the room or not. She’s just happy to be there and have a good time.

10) Lucy from Graffiti Moon – Because I’m not an artist myself and she is. And it’d be pretty cool for 24 hours to be in the mind of an artist and see what they see when they look at the world and when they look at other art. And aside from that glass blowing is a pretty wicked cool talent to have. And on top of that, she lives in Australia.

Characters I wanted to choose, but couldn’t bring myself to even want to be in their shoes for a 24 hour period: Katnis from The Hunger Games, Tris from Divergent, any other character from A Song of Fire & Ice (Arya, Sansa, Tyrion even, Jon, Catelyn), Bitterblue fromBitterblue, Grace from Shiver, Puck from The Scorpio Races, Gabry from The Dead Tossed Waves, I couldn't even choose Echo from Pushing the Limits--which is one of my favorite reads for 2012…I’m sure there are others that I thought about and ruled out as options, but I can’t think of them now. Hope you enjoyed my list. If you could trade places with a character for 24 hours, who would you want to trade places with?

One for the Money - Review

One for the Money (Stephanie Plum, # 1)

By: Janet Evanovich

Published: June 13th 2006 by St. Martin's Press (first published January 1st 1994)

320 pages

Source: Borrowed from my local library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

Goodreads description--Welcome to Trenton, New Jersey, home to wiseguys, average Joes, and Stephanie Plum, who sports a big attitude and even bigger money problems (since losing her job as a lingerie buyer for a department store). Stephanie needs cash--fast--but times are tough, and soon she's forced to turn to the last resort of the truly desperate: family.

Stephanie lands a gig at her sleazy cousin Vinnie's bail bonding company. She's got no experience. But that doesn't matter. Neither does the fact that the bail jumper in question is local vice cop Joe Morelli. From the time he first looked up her dress to the time he first got into her pants to the time Steph hit him with her father's Buick, M-o-r-e-l-l-i has spelled t-r-o-u-b-l-e. And now the hot guy is in hot water--wanted for murder.

Abject poverty is a great motivator for learning new skills, but being trained in the school of hard knocks by people like psycho prizefighter Benito Ramirez isn't. Still, if Stephanie can nab Morelli in a week, she'll make a cool ten grand. All she has to do is become an expert bounty hunter overnight--and keep herself from getting killed before she gets her man.

First let me say that I've gone about this series all wrong. My sister was listening to these on audiobook from the library and told me one day that I just HAD to listen to one. So she let me borrow it and it was HILARIOUS! And completely in the middle of the series. I've since listened to books 15-17 (possibly even 14--I can't remember) on audiobook. I've reviewed Sizzlin' Sixteen and Smokin' Seventeen. But after watching One for the Money with Katherine Heigl, I knew I needed to start this series from book one. And so, that's what I did.

I loved getting the backstory of these characters rather than just being thrown into the middle of the story. Morelli is much deeper knowing his history with Stephanie than just a Trenton cop. From the later books, I get the opinion of him just being a standup/normal kind of guy. But getting his history and him being wanted for murder and everything in this book, I get that there's more to him than that. He's even got a hint of the bad boy in him, which makes him all the more appealing. I also think he was cast perfectly in the movie version and Jason O'Mara is the perfect fit for him.

I really thought they did a good job turning this one into a movie. The first half of the book was pretty right on with the book. And what differences were in the movie were acceptable in my opinion--knowing that no movie will follow the book exactly. Lula's casting was pretty perfect too (Sherri Shepherd), though I love the voice that Lorelai King (the reader in the later audiobooks) does for her even better.

As always with the Stephanie Plum books, there's a phrase or two that catches my attention. While I didn't quite laugh out loud during this book as I have in some of her others, I still did find an appropriate quote or two.

Morelli: "You can hold the flashlight next time we play train."

And Stephanie: "...there was nothing like packing a pair of cuffs to put some spring into a woman's step."

And so One for the Money gets 3.5 Stars. Check it out. If you've already read it, what did you think? Let me know.

Photo credits: One for the Money's Facebook Page, Amazon, and Goodreads

Sunday Post - # 4

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~ It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

Because I already participate in the In My Mailbox meme (however, I didn't receive any books this week, so no IMM this week), I'm just going to use this one as way to recap my week.

THIS PAST WEEK:

This week started off with a day off from work for me. It was quite nice. I got up earlier and finished Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon and reviewed it. (3 Stars) Then I went and got my hair cut--got about 5 inches cut off and it feels much better for the temperature around here lately. And then I went to the library where I picked up the only two books I received this week. You can check them out in my In My Mailbox post.

The other bookish thing I did on my day off was watch PBS's Masterpiece Theater version of Wuthering Heights. Which I loved!!!! It left me wanting to read the book immediately. Of course, I haven't had an opportunity to even start it yet, but I have a feeling I will soon. I, also, loved that Andrew Lincoln (Rick from AMC's The Walking Dead) played Edgar Linton. I cannot believe I haven't read this book.

I also participated in two other features this week. I listed my Top 10 Most Vivid World Settings in Top 10 Tuesday, and featured The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater in my Waiting on Wednesday post.

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

This coming week on the blog, I'll be participating in Top 10 Tuesday again where I'll list the Top 10 Characters I Want to Switch Places with for 24 Hours. I'll also feature another book I'm eagerly awaiting in Waiting on Wednesday. And I plan to review One for the Money (Stephanie Plum, # 1) by Janet Evanovich. Other than that, I'll just have to see. I'm trying to talk my friend Paula into doing a guest post for me, but I haven't gotten her to agree to it just yet and won't pressure her into doing it.

What bookish things have you guys been up to this week? Let me know!

In My Mailbox - # 13

In My Mailbox is a weekly post hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren where bloggers can discuss the books we got in the mail this week.

From the Library

So this makes my first trip to my local public library. I live in a small town in Alabama, and can I just say that I was utterly disappointed with our local library. I mean I really have no idea how public libraries are funded, but this one isn't getting a great share of the funds. Really sad I thought. Oh well, I'll take advantage of what books I can from there. And so this is what I got this week:

Incarceron

By: Catherine Fisher

Published: January 26th 2010 by Dial (first published May 3rd 2007)

442 pages

Source: Borrowed from my local library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

Goodreads description--Incarceron is a prison so vast that it contains not only cells, but also metal forests, dilapidated cities, and vast wilderness. Finn, a seventeen-year-old prisoner, has no memory of his childhood and is sure that he came from Outside Incarceron. Very few prisoners believe that there is an Outside, however, which makes escape seems impossible.

And then Finn finds a crystal key that allows him to communicate with a girl named Claudia. She claims to live Outside- she is the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, and doomed to an arranged marriage. Finn is determined to escape the prison, and Claudia believes she can help him. But they don't realize that there is more to Incarceron than meets the eye. Escape will take their greatest courage and cost more than they know.

One for the Money (Stephanie Plum, # 1)

By: Janet Evanovich

Published: June 13th 2006 by St. Martin's Press (first published January 1st 1994)

320 pages

Source: Borrowed from my local library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

Goodreads description--Welcome to Trenton, New Jersey, home to wiseguys, average Joes, and Stephanie Plum, who sports a big attitude and even bigger money problems (since losing her job as a lingerie buyer for a department store). Stephanie needs cash--fast--but times are tough, and soon she's forced to turn to the last resort of the truly desperate: family.

Stephanie lands a gig at her sleazy cousin Vinnie's bail bonding company. She's got no experience. But that doesn't matter. Neither does the fact that the bail jumper in question is local vice cop Joe Morelli. From the time he first looked up her dress to the time he first got into her pants to the time Steph hit him with her father's Buick, M-o-r-e-l-l-i has spelled t-r-o-u-b-l-e. And now the hot guy is in hot water--wanted for murder.

Abject poverty is a great motivator for learning new skills, but being trained in the school of hard knocks by people like psycho prizefighter Benito Ramirez isn't. Still, if Stephanie can nab Morelli in a week, she'll make a cool ten grand. All she has to do is become an expert bounty hunter overnight--and keep herself from getting killed before she gets her man.

What books did you get in your mailbox this week? Let me know!

Waiting on The Raven Boys

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

At this point in my blogging life, I'm not up on the newest releases all of the time. I don't know before anyone else what new exciting books are coming up. However, there are a few books that I'm on the lookout for and a few authors that I will always be in the front of the line to get copies of their books. So that's my version of Waiting on Wednesday.

This week I've decided to feature a book that's set to release in early fall, because I'm a huge fan of the author. Check it out and see if you want to add it to the list of books you're waiting for and possibly your TBR list.

The Raven Boys (Raven Cycle, # 1)

By: Maggie Stiefvater

Expected Publication: September 18th 2012 by Scholastic Press

408 pages

( Goodreads | Amazon )

Goodreads description--"There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.

Infinity - Review

Infinity (The Chronicles of Nick, # 1)

By: Sherrilyn Kenyon

Published: May 25th 2010 by St. Martin's Griffin

464 pages

Source: Personal Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

Goodreads description--At fourteen, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is the stuff of legends. . .until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior who has more fighting skills than Chuck Norris, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity.

Nick quickly learns that the human world is only a veil for a much larger and more dangerous one: a world where the captain of the football team is a werewolf and the girl he has a crush on goes out at night to stake the undead.

But before he can even learn the rules of this new world, his fellow students are turning into flesh eating zombies. And he's next on the menu.

As if starting high school isn't hard enough. . .now Nick has to hide his new friends from his mom, his chainsaw from the principal, and keep the zombies and the demon Simi from eating his brains, all without getting grounded or suspended. How in the world is he supposed to do that?

Infinity…This was a good start to a new (to me) series. While the book itself didn’t blow me away, I could tell that Sherrilyn Kenyon is setting up this intricate plan for her series. I can tell that things briefly mentioned in book 1 will be drawn upon, built upon, and referenced back to in the subsequent books. And so while I can probably only give Infinity 3 Stars, I still have hope that the rest of the series will exceed this rating.

It took me 277 pages exactly to feel hooked. I’m not sure if this speaks to the book itself or to the fact that I MIGHT be experiencing a reading funk. My reading funk might be attributed to several factors. One of these factors being that it’s way past time for me to see the optometrist and get my eyes checked. I definitely feel like my contact Rx has changed.

Also, I just don’t feel like I can save this any longer. I was planning to discuss this if/when I ever finish Destined (House of Night), but with all of this building up and me not being sure when I’ll finish that, I need to at least address it here. I’m not a fan of dialect within dialogue…like AT ALL. It doesn’t matter the genre. I genuinely abhor trying to read a book and having to slow down to try to figure out what the crap people are saying because they drop letters, words altogether, or because the author is trying to phonetically spell out a word or phrase. I HATE THIS! I hated it in Huckleberry Finn (a classic and one of the few books ever in my life to be added to the DNF pile for this exact reason). I super HATE it within the House of Night series because it’s compiled with some other pet peeves of mine. But I say all that to say that I didn’t enjoy it within Infinity either. It didn’t dominate the dialogue so I could look past it more so in this book than others, but I did note it and was annoyed whenever I’d come across it.

Now let me take a step back and state that I realize that dialect is a part of life. I, too, write and speak with contractions, but I try to keep it to ones which are taught as acceptable in school such as “can’t,” “didn’t,” “don’t,” “won’t,” etc. And honestly, being from central Alabama as I am, I speak with a southern accent. It’s a learned behavior. However, I specifically remember teachers hounding that we must write better than we speak because the written word is able to be dissected much more readily than any spoken ones. Honestly, I’m not a fan of my southern accent. I specifically struggle with people who purposely speak incorrectly or pride themselves in their southern accent (or any accent for that matter when incorrect grammar and speech is promoted). I do believe it’s a part of life that we will never eradicate. And considering language is almost a living organism in that it grows and changes constantly, I don’t have any misconceptions that this will ever change. However, I do not want to read dialect. It slows me down, I struggle through it. And I, personally, have a much better chance at imagining an accent or dialect, than I do trying to read one. Take for example Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy. Dimitri Belikov (along with other characters) has a Russian accent. However, Richelle Mead writes his dialogue in proper grammar and English, and indicates through description that his speech is flavored with an accent. I don’t even enjoy reading a southern accent, which is one I know how to speak and shouldn’t slow me down. Truthfully dialect/accented dialogue makes me feel like I’m getting dumber rather than smarter while I’m reading. I read because I love it, but also because I grow and learn simultaneously. I don’t want reading to make me feel like I’m digressing.

But as I said above, this isn’t dominate in the dialogue of Infinity to the point where I couldn’t still enjoy the book. It was just something I had to deal with periodically. I’m sure some people love accents and dialect within dialogue, but I’m just not one of those people.

The relationship with Nick and Kody felt a bit empty to me, but I’m hoping that will be built upon throughout the remaining books--hopefully adding depth and emotion. I completely loved how fiercely protective Nick was of his mom. I too have this crazy overprotectiveness when it comes to my mom. I can’t stand the thought of her being hurt or anyone doing her wrong. So I really related to Nick in that area.

Again, an overall good read and a good start to the series. 3 Stars for me. Have you read Infinity? What did you think? Let me know.

Top 10 Most Vivid World Settings

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

I truly feel like these 10 series are so obvious in the reasons why they qualify for this Top 10, so yeah...no reasons necessary.

1.) Vampire Academy & Bloodlines- Richelle Mead - Because I love these series and they have the same world setting.

2.) A Song of Fire & Ice - George R. R. Martin - Yeah, castles, kings, wars, dragons, wolves, prophets...this series has it all. It's one of the best world settings I've read.

3.) The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien - Um yeah...more castles, kings, wars, but add in elves, hobbits, hiddeous ugly creatures, and shiny jewelry.

4.) The Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis - Though I've not read this series, even an idiot can see that C. S. Lewis has created an extraordinary world.

5.) The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins - I just feel like these need no explaination. The poverty of District 12, the games, the desperation of Katniss and Peeta.

6.) Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling - Again, completely obvious. This series has captivated millions, and there's no wondering why.

7.) Mortal Instruments & Infernal Devices - Cassandra Clare - Again, two series with the same world settings. The Infernal Devices has the added bonus of being set in a time period that I love.

8.) Divergent - Veronica Roth - Again, no need to elaborate.

9.) Graceling series - Kristin Cashore - Again with castles, war, Graces, mind readers. (Specifically Fire.)

10.) Partials - Dan Wells - Apocalyptic, but with partial robots (hence the title).

So that's my Top 10 Most Vivid Worlds. Honorable mentions are: Quarantine: The Loners, Forest of Hands and Teeth series, Scorpio Races, and The Glimpse. What are your Top 10 Most Vivid Worlds? Let me know!

Sunday Post - # 3

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~ It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

Because I already participate in the In My Mailbox meme (however, I didn't receive any books this week, so no IMM this week), I'm just going to use this one as way to recap my week.

THIS PAST WEEK:

I had kind of a slow week on this blog this past week. I didn't really make a mistake, but I was in the mood to read a book for review from NetGalley that doesn't release until the end of August, and while it was great to go ahead and get it read and type up the review, I'm waiting to post my review on it until closer to the release date. So that left me without as much material to post for this week, but since I read what I'm in the mood for when I'm in the mood for it, that's just how it worked out this week.

And I've struggled with deciding what to read next. I've picked up and started 4 or 5 different books and none of them have grabbed me just yet, but I'm hoping to get hooked into something soon. Nevertheless, this is what I did get accomplished this week:

I participated in Top 10 Tuesday, where I cheated for hopefully the last time in a while and instead of picking a book and recommending read-alikes, I listed my Top 10 Most Intimidating Books.

I read and reviewed Quarantine: The Loners, which I gave 4 stars.

And I participated in In My Mailbox, where I feature the book I received this week.

As for the upcoming week, as per usual, I plan to participate in Top 10 Tuesday where the topic is Top 10 Most Vivid World settings. I'm looking forward to that one and have already started my list. I just might post a Waiting on Wednesday to feature a book that I'm anxious about coming out and getting. And other than that, I hope to have finished a book or two that I can review for you, but that will just depend on whether or not I can find something that will grab and hold my attention long enough to finish it.

And that's it for my Sunday Post. How has the past week been for you guys? Any bookish related things you want to talk about? Let me know!

In My Mailbox - # 12

In My Mailbox is a weekly post hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren where bloggers can discuss the books we got in the mail this week.

I managed to keep myself to one book this week. The books I have on my TBR list that are actually in my possession are stacking up, so I tried to limit myself this week.

Almost

By: Anne Eliot

Published: February 3rd 2012 by Butterfly Books, LLC (first published February 1st 2012)

389 pages

Source: Amazon Prime Kindle Lending Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

Goodreads description--At a freshman party she doesn't remember, Jess Jordan was almost raped.

...Almost. Very nearly. Not quite. Three years later, Jess has managed to make everyone believe she's better. Over it. Because she is.

...Almost. Very nearly. Not quite.

Unfortunately, until Jess proves she's back to normal activities, her parents won't discuss college. So, she lands a summer internship and strikes a deal with hockey jock, Gray Porter: He gets $8,000. She gets a fake boyfriend and a social life.

Jess has no idea Gray signed on for reasons other than money. She also never expects to fall in love. But Gray’s amazingly hot, holds her hand all the time, and makes her forget that he’s simply doing his job. It’s like having a real boyfriend.

...Almost. Very nearly. Not quite.

Gray Porter is hiding secrets of his own. About Jess Jordan. About why he’s driven to protect her, why he won't cash her checks, or deny her anything she asks.

What did you guys get in your mailbox this week? Let me know.

Quarantine: The Loners - Review

Quarantine: The Loners

By: Lex Thomas

Published: July 10th 2012 by EgmontUSA

416 pages

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

( Goodreads | Amazon )

Goodreads description—It was just another ordinary day at McKinley Hight—until a massive explosion devastated the school. When loner David Thorpe tried to help his English teacher to safety, the teacher convulsed and died right in front of him. And that was just the beginning.

A year later, McKinley has descended into chaos. All the students are infected with a virus that makes them deadly to adults. The school is under military quarantine. The teachers are gone. Violent gangs have formed based on high school social cliques. Without a gang, you’re as good as dead. And David has no gang. It’s just him and his little brother, Will, against the whole school.

In this frighteningly dark and captivating novel, Lex Thomas locks readers inside a school where kids don’t fight to be popular, they fight to stay alive.

Quarantine: The Loners definitely hooked me. It took probably less than 15 pages to reel me in. David’s the kind of hero you can root for. His mother died recently, his girlfriend cheated on him with someone she said was “going places,” and his little brother has epilepsy. He’s got a lot on his plate. Unfortunately, David made the mistake of attacking the guy his girlfriend broke up with him for, Sam, the weekend before everything goes to pot. And this single fact puts him in the most dangerous place he could be in during the aftermath of the school quarantine—alone.

Will, on the other hand, desperately got on my nerves. He whined, he complained, for a large portion of the book he generally did nothing but cause trouble. He ticked me off. Selfish, jealous, idiotic, delusional, and ungrateful. He blames David for pretty much everything, and I struggled through his parts because I just wanted to slap him.

Will was nothing compared to Sam though. Sam was pure evil. Demented and paranoid. Why can’t people understand that if your adversary is winning because they’re being noble, then you’re tactics of general-evilry (yes, I made that up), aren’t going to win you any support?

Lex Thomas did a great job creating characters and a world that you could feel in your bones. The fear and desperation that the characters feel drives you forward. While at the same time, I know we can’t predict how we would behave until we’re in such desperate situations ourselves, and I pray we never are. But the sheer hatred coming off some of these kids for no reason other than being in a different clique. I guess that’s commentary on how bad high school cliques can be, and maybe I was lucky, but my school wasn’t THAT bad. Either way, the extremes of wanting to see someone executed for the simple sake of some tough guy in a different group hates him for something that happened before the quarantine, I just find it hard to believe. I know that some would definitely revert to savage behavior, but will all common decency take flight in these times? It’s possible, I suppose.

Regardless, I rooted for David the entire way. And I’ll definitely be checking out book 2. 4 Stars for Quarantine: The Loners. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Top 10 Tuesday - Most Intimidating Books

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Books For People Who Liked X Book. But as I said two weeks ago, I'm not so good at these types of comparisons. So I chose: Top Ten Most Intimidating Books.

1) War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy - Yeah. Enough said.

2) The Conte of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas - Because before I read any of the Song of Fire and Ice series this was one of the biggest books I've ever thought about reading. 1116ish pages (depending on which publication you get).

3) A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin - Although I'm not quite intimidated by this as I might once have been since I'm actually close to reading this one, it's still massive, coming in at 1276 pages.

4) The Art of War by Sun Tzu - Again with enough said.

5) Fifty Shades of Gray by EL James - Yeah, so this book is EVERYWHERE, but not one that's actually on my TBR list.

6) Les miserables by Victor Hugo - I'm not really sure why. It's not particularly long or anything.

7) Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes - One I've wanted to read since the days of Wishbone.

8) Cyrano De Bergerac by Edmond Rostand - Another one that I've heard referenced probably a million times and haven't read personally.

9) The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri - Another enough said.

10) Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis - Because I tried to read these once and didn't get very far.

So that's my Top 10 Most Intimidating Books. What are your top 10 most intimidating books? Or...what 10 books would you recommend for someone who likes book X? Let me know! And I promise I'll try not to cheat next week, or the week after, or the week after that.

In My Mailbox - # 11

In My Mailbox is a weekly post hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren where bloggers can discuss the books we got in the mail this week.

A Dance with Dragons

By: George R R Martin

Published: July 12th 2011 by Bantam

1276 pages

Source: Bought for My Personal Kindle Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

Goodreads description--The future of the Seven Kingdoms hangs in the balance.

In the east, Daenerys, last scion of House Targaryen, her dragons grown to terrifying maturity, rules as queen of a city built on dust and death, beset by enemies.

Now that her whereabouts are known many are seeking Daenerys and her dragons. Among them the dwarf, Tyrion Lannister, who has escaped King’s Landing with a price on his head, wrongfully condemned to death for the murder of his nephew, King Joffrey. But not before killing his hated father, Lord Tywin.

To the north lies the great Wall of ice and stone – a structure only as strong as those guarding it. Eddard Stark's bastard son Jon Snow has been elected the 998th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, but he has enemies both in the Watch and beyond the Wall, where the wildling armies are massing for an assault.

On all sides bitter conflicts are reigniting, played out by a grand cast of outlaws and priests, soldiers and skinchangers, nobles and slaves. The tides of destiny will inevitably lead to the greatest dance of all…

The Fallen Star (Fallen Star # 1)

By: Jessica Sorensen

Published: April 11th 2011 by Createspace (first published April 7th 2011)

449 pages

Source: Got for free on my Kindle, Personal Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

Goodreads description--For eighteen year-old Gemma, life has never been normal. Up until recently, she has been incapable of feeling emotion. And when she's around Alex, the gorgeous new guy at school, she can feel electricity that makes her skin buzz. Not to mention the monsters that haunt her nightmares have crossed over into real-life. But with Alex seeming to hate her and secrets popping up everywhere, Gemma's life is turning into a chaotic mess. Things that shouldn't be real suddenly seem to exist. And as her world falls apart, figuring out the secrets of her past becomes a matter of life and death

Prince of Wolves (The Grey Wolves # 1)

By: Quinn Loftis

Published: June 29th 2011

216 pages

Source: Got for free on my Kindle, Personal Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

Goodreads description-- Jaque Pierce was just an ordinary 17 year old girl getting ready to start her senior year in high school in Coldspring, Texas. When a mysterious foreign exchange student from Romania moves in across the street, Jacque and her two best friends, Sally and Jen, don't realize the last two weeks of their summer was going to get a lot more interesting. From the moment Jacque sets eyes on Fane she feels an instant connection, a pull like a moth to a flame. Little does she know that the flame she is drawn to is actually a Canis lupis, werewolf, and she just happens to be his mate; the other half of his soul. The problem is Fane is not the only wolf in Coldspring, Texas. Just as Fane and Jacque are getting to know each other, another wolf steps out to try and claim Jacque as his mate. Fane will now have to fight for the right to complete the mating bond, something that is his right by birth but is being denied him by a crazed Alpha. Will the love Fane has for Jacque be enough to give him the strength to defeat his enemy, will Jacque accept that she is Fane's mate and complete the bond between them?

That's it for my mailbox this week. And to think, I was only trying to get one book. It's hard to pass up freebies. What did you guys get this week?

Sunday Post - # 3

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~ It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

Because I already participate in the In My Mailbox meme, I'm just going to use this one as way to recap my week.

THIS PAST WEEK:

I reviewed Timepiece by Myra McEntire giving it 3 Stars.

I participated in Top 10 Tuesday. This week was a freebie, so I chose Top 10 Hilarious Book Titles.

I also reviewed A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin giving it 5 Stars.

My giveaway for The Golden Lily ended this week. The winner was Paula Bragg. I had a surprisingly low amount of entries for this giveaway. But no matter.

And finally, I participated in In My Mailbox this week.

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

I'm kind of a fly by the seat of my pants blogger, so I can't promise any post in particular, but I plan to participate in Top 10 Tuesday as per usual. What reviews I do just depends on which books I finish over the next week.

What about you guys? Did you finish any books this past week? Got any special bookish plans for the upcoming week? Let me know.

A Storm of Swords - Review

A Storm of Swords

By: George R R Martin

Published: March 4th 2011 by Bantam Books (first published March 4th 2000)

1128 pages

Source: Personal Kindle Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

Warning, may contain spoilers for A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings!

Goodreads description--Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage as violently as ever, as alliances are made and broken. Joffrey, of House Lannister, sits on the Iron Throne, the uneasy ruler of the land of the Seven Kingdoms. His most bitter rival, Lord Stannis, stands defeated and disgraced, the victim of the jealous sorceress who holds him in her evil thrall. But young Robb, of House Stark, still rules the North from the fortress of Riverrun. Robb plots against his despised Lannister enemies, even as they hold his sister hostage at King’s Landing, the seat of the Iron Throne. Meanwhile, making her way across a blood-drenched continent is the exiled queen, Daenerys, mistress of the only three dragons still left in the world...

But as opposing forces maneuver for the final titanic showdown, an army of barbaric wildlings arrives from the outermost line of civilization. In their vanguard is a horde of mythical Others--a supernatural army of the living dead whose animated corpses are unstoppable. As the future of the land hangs in the balance, no one will rest until the Seven Kingdoms have exploded in a veritable storm of swords...

I struggled with what rating to give this one. I was unsure that it measured up to the way I felt about the other books I've given 5 stars, but it definitely provoked my emotions all around. Surprise, excitement, hope, fear, dread, frustration...I could keep going. And when a book brings out so much in me I have to give that book the honor of my 5 Star rating. And so I have.

While reading A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings, I found there to be several slow parts. I'd come upon a particular narrator and think "Ugh, not XXX's chapter! AGAIN!" And even when a narrator's chapter would come in A Storm of Swords that I wasn't particularly interested in reading (say...like Sam's), most of the time, something would happen that either surprised me or kept me interested. It usually only took a couple of pages to get me excited about the narration swap. The swapping back and forth has always been something that frustrated me because usually just as one narrator's chapter was getting good, we'd swap to one that was less interesting. Not the same in this book.

A Storm of Swords is like the third book within the last three months where I've had the thought, "Absolutely nothing good is happening to these people." Every single hope I have for these characters is shattered time and time again, but I don't dislike the book because of it. No. If anything, it makes me like it more. It's when things are unhappy that presses me to continue reading until I'm either finished or I come to a place where I feel satisfied. But that did not come. I also found I was quite unable to predict any of the surprises and twist. Though quite a few I probably should have seen coming. Oh well. If Ned Stark's beheadding in A Game of Thrones surprised anyone, just you wait for what's coming in A Storm of Swords.

I've frustrated my husband a good bit throughout my reading of this book. Whenever something big would happen, I'd eek and squeal, but I'd refuse to tell him why so that I don't ruin anything for him. He got to the point where he said, "Either tell me what happened, or shut up!" Ha! Bless him!

I debated on whether to jump right into A Feast for Crows or not, but I still haven't decided. On the one hand, I have quite a few questions after A Storm of Swords, whereas on the other hand, I cheated and looked at the narrators for A Feast of Crows and I'm not sure that it's going to hold the answers to most of my questions. But there's only one way to find out.

A Storm of Swords 5 Stars, full of surprises and action, and provoked a wide range of emotions for me. Check it out, and let me know what you think!

Top 10 Tuesday - Hilarious Book Titles

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is a freebie. So I chose: Top Ten Hilarious Book Titles.

I haven't read this series or anything, but I was searching around for book titles and such since none of the books I've read have particularly funny titles. And I came across this series that definitely fits the bill.

1. Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison.

2. On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God: Further Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison.

3. Knocked Out by My Nunga-Nungas: Further, Further Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison.

4. Dancing in My Nuddy-Pants: Even Further Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison.

5. Away Laughing on a Fast Camel: Even More Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison.

6. "...Then He Ate My Boy Entrancers": More Mad, Marvy Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison.

7. Startled by His Furry Shorts: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison.

8. Love is a Many Trousered Thing: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison.

9. Stop in the Name of Pants!: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison.

10. Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me?: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison.

I'm not sure these are the most hilarious book titles in the world or anything, but they're quite different from any other book titles I've ever seen or heard of. And so that's my Top 10 for the week. Do you guys know of any hilarious book titles?

Timepiece - Review

Timepiece (Hourglass, #2)

By: Myra McEntire

Published: June 12th 2012 by EgmontUSA

336 pages

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

( Goodreads | Amazon )

Goodreads description--A threat from the past could destroy the future. And the clock is ticking...

Kaleb Ballard's relentless flirting is interrupted when Jack Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, timeslips in and attacks before disappearing just as quickly. But Kaleb has never before been able to see time travelers, unlike many of his friends associated with the mysterious Hourglass organization. Are Kaleb's powers expanding, or is something very wrong?

Then the Hourglass is issued an ultimatum. Either they find Jack and the research he's stolen on the time gene, or time will be altered with devastating results.

Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their unusual powers to find Jack. But where do they even start? And when? And even if they succeed, it may not be enough...

The follow-up to Hourglass, Timepiece blends the paranormal, science fiction, mystery, and suspense genres into a nonstop thrill ride where every second counts.

I must say that I enjoyed Timepiece much more than Hourglass, but I still find myself only able to give Timepiece 3 Stars. After reading Pushing the Limits (you can read my review here), I'm more critical than I probably otherwise would be because Pushing the Limits was just SO GOOD!

Timepiece was much better for me than Hourglass for no other reason than because Kaleb was the narrator. He was more interesting and all around more likeable to me than Emerson. She got on my nerves throughout Hourglass, and I have to say, she was only slightly less annoying in Timepiece--that's only due to the fact that I wasn't in her head the entire time. Kaleb made this book for me--everything that was enjoyable about this book revolved around Kaleb. I'm much more interested in the idea of someone feeling the actual emotions of those around them than I am about the ability to time travel.

I'm interested to see if the narrators willl swap again with the next book. If so, I'm hoping for an equally likeable character as Kaleb. And of course, I'll plan to read the next book.

As with my review of Hourglass (you can read that here), I feel like my review for Timepiece is coming off as more negative than I feel about it. I honestly did enjoy reading this book, and I'd definitely recommend this one to others.

Have any of you read Timepiece? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Sunday Post - # 2

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~ It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

Because I already participate in the In My Mailbox meme (however, I didn't receive any books this week, so no IMM this week), I'm just going to use this one as way to recap my week.

THIS PAST WEEK:

I'm hosting my second giveaway. A hardback copy of Richelle Mead's The Golden Lily. So far I haven't had a lot of entries. So...statistically there's a high chance of you winning if you enter. Giveaway runs until July 13th at 12:01 am. Read my review of The Golden Lily here.

I participated in Top 10 Tuesday. This week's topic was Top 10 Books I Recommend for People Who Like X Author. However, I'm not so good at those kinds of comparisons, so I chose to do Top 10 Books I'd Want on a Desert Island.

I reviewed Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry, 5 Stars (That's a rare rating for me).

I also reviewed Hourglass by Myra McEntire (3 Stars).

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

I'm kind of a fly by the seat of my pants blogger, so I can't promise any post in particular, but I plan to participate in Top 10 Tuesday again, and The Golden Lily giveaway ends. What reviews I do just depends on which books I finish over the next week.

What about you guys? Did you finish any books this week? Got any special bookish plans this week? Let me know.

Hourglass - Review

Hourglass

By: Myra McEntire

Published: June 14th 2011 by Egmont USA

387 pages

Source: Personal Kindle Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

Goodreads description--One hour to rewrite the past . . .

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents' death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back. So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he's around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Hourglass was good. But I wasn't blown away. So Hourglass gets 3 Stars from me.

I definitely wanted to keep reading once I got into it. It did have a "soul-mate principle" (as I call it), with Emerson and Michael being "two halves of a whole". But it was almost hard to understand why. So Emerson can travel to the past, and Michael can travel to the future, but I guess I just have a hard time understanding why that's the basis for a relationship. I guess overall Emerson just got on my nerves, and I didn't see what was so special about Michael or Emerson.

I don't know. I feel like this review is coming off more negatively than I intend it to be. I didn't hate it by any means, I just didn't love it either. I read it quickly, and I already have Timepiece (book 2). I'll probably go ahead and read that next. And I'm honestly looking forward to reading it, but some of that is hopes that book 2 will be better than book 1. We shall see.

(Side note: It was kind of weird to go from Pushing the Limits where the main girl's name is Echo Emerson to a different book where the main character's name is Emerson. I was slightly confused at first.)

That's about all I have for Hourglass. 3 Stars. Have you guys read it? What did you think?

Pushing the Limits - Review

Pushing the Limits

By: Katie McGarry

Expected Publishing: July 31st 2012 by Harlequin Teen

384 pages

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

( 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--"I won't tell anyone, Echo. I promise." Noah tucked a curl behind my ear. It had been so long since someone touched me like he did. Why did it have to be Noah Hutchins? His dark brown eyes shifted to my covered arms. "You didn't do that-did you? It was done to you?" No one ever asked that question. They stared. They whispered. They laughed. But they never asked.

"An edgy romance that pulls you in and never lets go. I was hooked!"-Gena Showalter, New York Times bestselling author of the Intertwined series

So wrong for each other...and yet so right.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible. Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

Oh boy guys! This is one of those times where my expectations didn't get in the way of a book. I've seen people say great things about Pushing the Limits--mostly that it was just a great book and that Noah is an awesomely hot bad boy to fall for. And well...they did not disappoint. Pushing the Limits gets my 5 Star rating. That's rigt! It sure does. I debated on giving it a 4.9, and then I said to myself, "If this book doesn't deserve 5 Stars, then what does?"

Noah is an extremely hot bad boy like everyone said. Quite possibly he makes one of my character crushes. AH!!! Except for his potty mouth and experience with weed (UGH!!!). I don't want to say too much about him because I don't want to spoil him for anyone else. But I loved his voice in this book.

The narrator swapping was difficult for me to pick up on in the beginning. Maybe that was just my e-Galley version, but I eventually got used to it and could quickly pick up on who's POV I was reading.

And I even mustered up some tears for this one. Of course I refused to let any of them spill and quickly wiped them out of my eyes before my husband could spot them--not that he would have given me a hard time for them or anything.

This is easily a MUST!!!!! (did you hear me? MUST!) read for the summer. Please check it out! You won't be disappointed. The first chapter to Dare You To (Beth's story) was at the end, and I'm already stoked about reading it. Just that one chapter was enough to hook me. Looking forward to it's release as well.

Again, Pushing the Limits gets a 5 Star rating from me. Have you read it? What did you think?

Updated: July 8, 2018

Independence Day/The Golden Lily Giveaway

For those that read my post Happy Birthday to Me & 100th Blog Post or my In My Mailbox - #9 (from last week), you will remember that I made the mistake of going shopping for myself the week of my birthday and ended up with some duplicates. I had already decided to do my Happy Birthday to Me & 100th Blog Post Giveaway and give the winner the option to choose between 6 books. The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead was one of the options for that giveaway and also one of the books I received as a duplicate for my birthday. So if the winner had chosen The Golden Lily, I was just going to ship them my extra copy. However, as it was stated above, she did not.

That's what brings us to today's post and giveaway. Starting today, July 4th, in celebration of Independence Day, I'm giving away my extra copy of The Golden Lily. This giveaway will end July 13th. (You can read my review of The Golden Lily here.)

Goodreads--The second thrilling installment in Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy spinoff series

Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students--children of the wealthy and powerful--carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie, and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Richelle Mead's breathtaking Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive. In this second book, the drama is hotter, the romances are steamier, and the stakes are even higher.

Please don't forget to check out my updated Contest/Giveaway Rules as some changes have been made since my last giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you everyone! Have a happy and safe 4th, and God bless!

Top 10 Tuesday - Books I'd Want on a Desert Island

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is: Top Ten Books for People Who Like X Author.

But since I’m terribly horrible at this kind of thing…then I’m going to do one of the past Top 10 topics. I’m trying to work my way through them from the bottom. So…my Top 10 Tuesday topic will be Top 10 Books I’d Want on a Desert Island.

1) Bible by God - I’d love to be able to say that I could maintain my faith without having God’s Word so easily accessible to me; however, you just never know until you’re put in the situation. And there’s never going to be an opportunity where I’d want to NOT have God’s Voice with me. So yeah. That’s a must and definitely earns the first place position with no questions asked.

2) I’d take along a copy of the Oxford-English Dictionary. One because I’m sure I’d have a ton of time to learn some new words. And two because I might need some paper for kindling. I’m sure there’s a few pages I would be alright with sparing for the cause of a warm fire. If you’ve ever watched any of the survivor type shows: Survivorman; Man Vs. Wild; Dual Survival, then you know that a fire can be the difference between life and death. And what good are my books if I’m not alive to read them?

3) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – So I’d have to have some Austen with me. Who better to share my lonely nights with than Elizabeth and Darcy?

4) The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan – Because this would remind me that no matter how bad my situation may be, it could always be worse. I could be stranded on a desert island surrounded by ZOMBIES!!!!

5) Crazy Love by Francis Chan OR The God Who Sees You by Tammy Maltby – (I’m totally not cheating since I said OR.) Either of these books could serve to help keep me focused on what really matters. Crazy Love would help me keep my focus on the fact that God loves me with a CRAZY LOVE. And The God Who Sees You would remind me that He hasn’t forgotten me, and even though I might be lost from friends and family or the rest of the world, God hasn’t lost me.

6) The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling – (Ok so now I’m officially cheating because there are 7 books in the series, but come on, you couldn’t just bring one and that’d be over half my list.) But I’d need a whimsical, wizarding world that is Harry Potter in order to help keep hope alive. Plus I’m sure I could find some sticks out there that would make perfect wands, and I’d be perfectly fine playing pretend and shouting out spells, charms, incantations, and creating potions whenever I needed my own "Wilson" type thing to keep me sane. And no one would be around to judge me for it just because I’m an adult.

7) The US Army Survival Manual by...who writes that thing?– Because DUH!!!!! (Maybe this one should be higher up on the list?)

8) The Power of a Praying Woman by Stormie Omartian – Because this book single handedly changed my prayer life and I’d probably need a lot of prayer to survive on a desert island.

9) The Song of Fire & Ice series by George R. R. Martin – Because this series has a little bit of everything in it. It’s got good, evil, some of both, love, and not so much, dragons, shape shifters, kings and castles, lord and ladies, murder and betrayal, heroes and heroines, wars and more wars, friendship and enmity, brilliance and foolery.

10) And maybe I’d bring me some Stephanie Plum by Janet Evanovich so every now and then I could get in a good belly laugh. This isn’t my favorite series in the world or anything like that, but it’s definitely one of the only ones that’s ever gotten me to laugh out loud so frequently.

So that’s it…that’s my top 10(ish) books that I’d take with me on a desert island. What do you think? What would you take with you on a desert island? Or in keeping with today’s actual topic, based on these books, do you have any recommendations for other books/authors for me to check out?