Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Recommend The Most

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week a new Top Ten list will be posted by one of the bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish. Everyone is welcome to join, just make sure to link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so everyone can check out other blogger lists. Have fun!

Top Ten Books I Recommend The Most

(Best part about being a librarian!)

1) The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

2) The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

3) Shadow Falls Series by C.C. Hunter

4) Dust City by Robert Paul Weston

5) The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

6) Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr

7) Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan & Rachel Cohn

8) Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

9) Dork Diaries by Rachel Renee Russell

10) The Color Trilogy by Kim Dong Hwa

Top Ten Tuesday (58): Books I Read in 2012

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week a new Top Ten list will be posted by one of the bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish. Everyone is welcome to join, just make sure to link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so everyone can check out other blogger lists. Have fun!

Top Ten Books I Read in 2012

(Disclaimer: I'm only including books I reviewed in 2012 and in no particular order.)

1) Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr (Review) - This book only inspired me to check out more books by Melissa Marr.

2) The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (Review) - I think Maggie has another winning series with The Raven Cycle.

3) The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson (Review) - Such a wonderful surprise, I loved this book so much and reminded me of my love of fantasy books.

4) The List by Siobhan Vivian (Review) - Writing from eight different POVs, this was an impressive example of what high school can be like.

5) Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Review) - Science fiction in everyday life.  What's not to love?

6) Underworld by Meg Cabot (Review) - Happily, this book didn't have any "second book syndrome" for me, and I'm eager to read the conclusion next year!

7) Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey (Review) - Exciting and unique story that takes place in my hometown.

8) Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs (Review) - Hilarious and winning concept on Greek mythology with a great and fun implementation.

9) Anew by Chelsea Fine (Review) - How immortality can really be a curse and how far love will go to break that curse.
10) Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble (Review) - Russian folklore at its finest, this is one story that offers readers something outside of the box.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books/Authors I'm Thankful For

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week a new Top Ten list will be posted by one of the bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish. Everyone is welcome to join, just make sure to link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so everyone can check out other blogger lists. Have fun!

Top Ten Books/Authors I'm Thankful For

1) Maggie Stiefvater - This is one awesome lady that I'm so happy to have had the chance to meet in person this year.  Her books never cease to make me smile, and I look forward to reading more from her. ^_^

2) Maria V. Snyder - I was SO thrilled to hear that there will be 3 more books featuring Yelena, Valek, Ari, and Janco from the Study books!  If you want to see a unique fantasy world, look no further than this lady's work. 

3) Natsuki Takaya - Creator of one of the best manga series, Fruits Basket, I'm thankful she's a talented artist and mangaka. 

4) Harper Lee - While she might have been a "one-hit wonder", that one hit was more than just a hit.  To Kill a Mockingbird was one of the novels I read and truly appreciated in high school, so I'm thankful Lee brought Atticus and Scout into our lives. 

5) Charles M. Schultz - Who wouldn't be thankful for the man who brought the world the Peanuts gang?  With the holiday season, it makes me nostalgic for the old Charlie Brown comics. 

6) The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson - With one of the most realistic and phenomenal heroines featured in the story, I'm thankful that Elisa is a true heroine that readers can look up to and admire.

7) Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr - I'm thankful this book brought me out of a serious reading slump with it's fast pace and endearing characters.  I cannot wait until its sequel is released.

8) Black Unicorn by Tanith Lee - While this is the only series I've read by Tanith Lee, I'm thankful that I found a book that made me see unicorns in an entirely different light.

9) Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble - In a world filled with various renditions of Greek myths (usually the same myth *cough*Hades&Persephone*cough*), I'm thankful for Joy Preble breaking out of that mold and bring readers blended Russian folklore and history.

10) Watership Down by Richard Adams - I know, I can't seem to get away from this novel, but it's been one of my favorites ever since I read it back in 7th grade... 4 times.  But I'm still thankful that I found this classic novel after watching the animated film in 3rd grade (terrifying for 9-year-olds but a very memorable story).  It left that much of an impression on me, and it's a novel I will always recommend to anyone.

Review: Carnival of Souls

Title:  Carnival of Souls
Author:  Melissa Marr
Pages:  306
Genre:  Young Adult Fantasy
Publisher:  HarperCollins
Obtained:  Purchased at Signing
Purchase:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository
Summary:  In a city of daimons, rigid class lines separate the powerful from the power-hungry. And at the heart of The City is the Carnival of Souls, where both murder and pleasure are offered up for sale. Once in a generation, the carnival hosts a deadly competition that allows every daimon a chance to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face bleak futures--if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting to the death is the only way to try to live.

All Mallory knows of The City is that her father--and every other witch there--fled it for a life in exile in the human world. Instead of a typical teenage life full of friends and maybe even a little romance, Mallory scans quiet streets for threats, hides herself away, and trains to be lethal. She knows it's only a matter of time until a daimon finds her and her father, so she readies herself for the inevitable. While Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. There are plans for Mallory, and soon she, too, will be drawn into the decadence and danger that is the Carnival of Souls.

The Dish:  This is my first novel by Melissa Marr, and in all honesty, it's one of my absolutely favorite books read this year.  In two different worlds, the lives of Mallory, Kaleb, Aya, and other characters are intertwined into a story that sucks readers in, bringing them to the edge of their seats and wanting to know the outcome of everyone's actions.

The background stories and development of all of the characters from Mallory and Kaleb to Aya, Belias, and even Zevi was by far one of the best parts of reading Carnival of Souls.  There was so much going on with all of these characters, I couldn't help becoming close to each of them, and I can see how much readers would definitely enjoy getting to know them.  With all of the layers possessed by the main characters, even those that readers might question their motives earlier in the story will soon have the same readers cheering for them in later chapters.

While reading I couldn't help breezing through the pages without needing any breaks, and this was probably due to the pacing and various changes between character perspectives.  I was a little surprised that the majority of the story took place in The City with Kaleb and Aya; the summary led me to believe it would be more in the human realm with Mallory.  However, the transitions between the two worlds were flawless, and I found the setting of The City to be darkly exciting in contrast to the "safe world" Mallory's father tried to mold for her in the human/witch world.

I think most readers will enjoy the camaraderie of the characters, the intense life of The City, and seeing the prejudices among both Daimons and Witches begin to break down within just one small group.  It is with much anticipation and a pounding heart that I await the next part of Carnival of Souls.

Top Ten Tuesday (54): Books I'd Want on a Deserted Island

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week a new Top Ten list will be posted by one of the bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish. Everyone is welcome to join, just make sure to link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so everyone can check out other blogger lists. Have fun!

Top Ten Books I'd Want on a Deserted Island

(In no particular order)

1) Watership Down by Richard Adams - I've read my copy seven times already in it's lifetime, and I just cannot part with it or get tired of it. 

2) Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater - While my copy is now signed, this is an important book because it was the first book my beau and I read together. Plus, if the island gets TOO hot, the temperatures in Maggie Stiefvater's werewolf novel should help cool me down.

3) The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson - With what heroine Elisa goes through in the second part of the novel, it will help readers in how to survive on a deserted island (even if she was in a desert).

4) Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr - This one is on the list ONLY if it's compiled with its sequel so the story is complete.  It was an amazing read, and I would be thrilled to have it with me on a deserted island.

5) Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs - You need humor to get you through a trying time, and what better book to have than one that also takes place on an island? (Also, only if it's compiled with the sequel, Goddess Boot Camp.)

6) Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff - I've been eagerly anticipating reading this book, and there's no way I won't take it with me to a deserted island so I can finally read it.

7) A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness - This book has been an intimidating addition to my TBR shelf, and I figure there should be no better time to read it than while on a deserted island.

8) D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths - One way to not get bored is by having variety, and a compendium of stories or myths on hand is definitely varied enough for me.

9) Fateful by Claudia Gray - While I haven't read this novel involving werewolves on the Titanic, I figure it will put things in perspective while I'm on the deserted island.

10) Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick - I had to sneak in a picture book without it being a graphic novel. ;)

Honorable Mentions: 

The Study Series (Poison Study, Magic Study, and Fire Study) by Maria V. Snyder (including the unpublished new additions to the series)

The Edelstein Trilogy (Ruby Red, Sapphire Blue, and Emerald Green) by Kerstin Gier
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

Top Ten Tuesday (53): Anticipated Books TBR In Fall

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week a new Top Ten list will be posted by one of the bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish. Everyone is welcome to join, just make sure to link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so everyone can check out other blogger lists. Have fun!

Top Ten Anticipated Books TBR In Fall

(In no particular order)

1) The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater - After attending the signing in late October and hearing what is in store in her next series, I'm really excited to read this one.

2) Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr - The song that inspired her to write this novel is remarkable.  It's also inspiring me to read my copy soon.

3) The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson - Reading The Girl of Fire and Thorns brought back a lot of memories of my initial love of fantasy books, and I anticipate the sequel will, too.

4) Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff - With everything I've heard, I'm so glad there's a copy waiting on my shelves to read soon.

5) Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout - This one has me so curious about what more will happen to Katy especially when it involves Daimon Black. (Also, I'm really hoping that Houston wins the Release Party for Opal!)

6) Alchemystic by Anton Strout - Most of the reviews I've read have been really positive, and I must read my birthday present from my beau soon. :)

7) Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier - While this one isn't on my shelves currently (like the others), it won't be long before I have it on hand to continue Gwen's thrilling, time-traveling story.

8) Luminosity by Stephanie Thomas - I managed to work up the courage to request an ARC of this anticipated read, and I cannot wait to read it. 

9) Wolf Moon by Charles de Lint - I know it's after Halloween, but this is a werewolf book I've been wanting to read for awhile now. 

10) Goddess Boot Camp by Tera Lynn Childs - It's about time I read the sequel to the hilarious Oh. My. Gods.