Amanda’s Top Ten Tuesday – Rewind

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week we post our Top Ten for the weeks topic. This week’s is a rewind so we get to pick a topic we missed or wanted to revisit. I chose to do my top ten book I wish I could read again for the first time. Antonia chose a different topic, but also liked this one so her top ten is here along with mine. We hope you enjoy!

Amanda’s Top Ten:

1)Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling– I’d like to be able to re read this whole series for the first time because well, it’s Harry Potter and I love them.

2)Looking for Alaska by John Green– This is my all time favorite book ever. I would love to be able to read this for the first time again. It was an amazing book and I’m going to try to put it on as many Top Ten’s as I can.

3)Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn– I read this book when my older brother was in school and he had to read it for one of his classes. I’m really glad I got to read this book and it’s one that I’ll keep rereading forever.

4)Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich– I would like to read this book for the first time again for purely x rated reasons. This is one of my favorite books in the now twenty book series.

5)Exit Here by Jason Myers– This is another book that has made it to my favorites list. I’d love to read this again for the first time so that I can fall in love with the story all over again.

6)Burned by Ellen Hopkins– Ellen Hopkins needs to be on this list somewhere. Burned is my favorite of her books.

7)The Book Thief by Markus Zusak– This book was amazing. I did just recently read The Book Thief, but I’d love to read it again and again.

8)Twilight by Stephenie Meyer– I know, haha. I put Twilight on this list because this saga was a huge part of my younger years and I read it so many times I could almost recite it to you. If I could read these books over for the first time, I wonder how I would feel about them.

9)Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith– I put this on this list mainly because I would love to be able to sit down with all of the books and just go crazy reading the whole series for the first time.

10)The House of Night Series by P.C. and Kristin Cast– This is also on the list because now that the whole series is out I would love to be able to have all of them and read them all for the first time. I think I lost interest in this series because I couldn’t keep waiting for the next one to come out.

Antonia’s Top Ten:

1)The Outstretched Shadow by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory– This is a given for me. It’s my favorite series of all time and I wish I could meet the characters all over again.

2)The Seven Realms Series by Cinda Williams Chima– These books made me feel so many different emotions. I wish I could experience that all over again.

3)Twilight by Stephenie Meyer– I wish I could love this series like I did when I was fifteen before the movie and all the twihards ruined it for me.

4)The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis– I wish I could feel all the feelings these books made me feel before they ruined my childhood by ending.

5)The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks– It’s one of my favorite love stories ever. I wish I could read it again without knowing how it ends.

6)Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead– I wish I could fall in love with Dimitri again without knowing what happens to him.

7)The Shack by William Paul Young– This book literally ripped my heart out, stomped on it with steel toe boots and shoved it back into my body. As masochistic as it sounds, I wish that could happen again.

8)The Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling– I shouldn’t have to explain this one to anyone.

9)The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini– I wish I could read all four of these books consecutively for the first time. So much time passed between the release dates that I ended up forgetting too many details between reading them.

10)The Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout– I only wish I could read all of these consecutively for the first time, after the last book comes out this summer. I had so many feelings for all of these books.

These are our top ten books we’d love to read again for the first time. What are yours?

Towering by Alex Flinn

Goodreads Summary: At first, I merely saw his face, his hands on the window ledge. Then, his whole body as he swung himself through the window. Only I could not see what he swung on.
Until, one day, I told my dream self to look down. And it was then that I saw. He had climbed on a rope. I knew without asking that the rope had been one of my own tying.

Rachel is trapped in a tower, held hostage by a woman she’s always called Mama. Her golden hair is growing rapidly, and to pass the time, she watches the snow fall and sings songs from her childhood, hoping someone, anyone, will hear her.

Wyatt needs time to reflect or, better yet, forget about what happened to his best friend, Tyler. That’s why he’s been shipped off to the Adirondacks in the dead of winter to live with the oldest lady in town. Either that, or no one he knows ever wants to see him again.

Dani disappeared seventeen years ago without a trace, but she left behind a journal that’s never been read, not even by her overbearing mother…until now.

I’m quite sure I’ve mentioned this before; multiple times. But it warrants repeating. I absolutely adore Alex Flinn. Each time I read a new book of hers I think I couldn’t possibly love it as much as the previous one. And once again she’s proved me wrong. Towering may be one of my favorites of hers for a few different reasons. One: it’s a fairytale adaptation which is an auto-buy subject of mine. What I love about Flinn’s adaptations is that they’re modern versions. It seems like that would be difficult to accomplish but I think she excels. She changes so many details in order to make it work better in modern times but also to make it her own unique story, and still manages to retain the themes from the originals.
I had no idea how she’d manage to convince me that a girl could be locked in a tower in the middle of nowhere. It turns out it took two things: murderous drug dealers and one very eccentric and paranoid old woman. These twists were ones I absolutely did not see coming and I ended up loving them. It was something new and different that I haven’t seen in a fairytale.
I couldn’t even begin to describe how much I admire Flinn’s ability to incorporate modern themes and technology with magic and happily-ever-after love into a story that sucks you in and makes you fall in love with the characters. One-dimensional characters were something that always left me feeling that fairytales were incomplete. I love that in these stories I get to see the characters as individuals and not just a couple who meet and fall in love instantly. The details and background gives more life to the story and I think they’re the reason I’m so infatuated with these books.
Sometimes I thought Rachel was just silly and spoiled. A girl who did what she was told because she was afraid to think for herself; and then she did. When the moment came for Rachel to act against Mama’s wishes for the good of someone else, Rachel doesn’t hesitate. She’s terrified and knows she’s risking so much to leave her tower, but she’s such a strong character that she pushes all her fear aside in order to save a strangers life. I didn’t realize who Rachel really was until that moment and it made me admire her character so much. And as soon as she understands what she can accomplish when she thinks and acts for herself, she doesn’t hold back and becomes the heroine I hadn’t expected her to be.
As for Wyatt, sometimes I loved him and sometimes I didn’t. I really enjoyed seeing all the reasons he’s the person he is. At the beginning he seemed a bit like a jerk. I thought he was an annoying teenager who’s moody for the sake of it but once I saw events from his past and occasionally the present, I could understand who he was better and that knowledge gave me such compassion for him. He couldn’t save someone in his past and that makes him think he needs to save Rachel when she’s the one who needs to save him.
The only thing I really didn’t like about this book was the love at first sight. I didn’t completely hate it. It’s something I almost expect from fairytales and I think Flinn gave enough reasons i.e. their mental connection, their personalities, and the life threatening first meeting, for it to be plausible in a fairytale. However, I would’ve liked it better if it didn’t seem quite so much like they were just blindly doing it.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. When I was looking at other reviews for it, I was completely taken aback at how many people didn’t like it. I respect everyone’s opinions, but it seemed like most people’s reasons for not liking it were that it was unrealistic. You know what I have to say to that? It’s SUPPOSED TO BE. It’s fiction. In my opinion, fiction isn’t meant to be realistic. It’s meant to be relatable, yes. But the last time I checked, Towering didn’t fall under the genre Realistic Fiction. It’s just Young-Adult Fiction. As far as I’m concerned, it means it’s probably going to be implausible and that’s something I’ve always especially liked about fiction. That’s what makes it entertaining. I’m not saying everyone’s opinions are wrong. Just try to lighten up, guys. It’s not a textbook. There is no one right answer.
I would love to know what you thought of this book. Also, I am so sincerely sorry I haven’t posted in awhile. I’ve had a lot going on and just haven’t made the time for it. I will try as hard as I can to post more regularly.
-Antonia

*Please be aware that the book cover on this post is a link to purchase this book through Amazon. Feel free to purchase with our affiliate link (just click on the book cover) to support us!

WWW Wednesday

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading. To play along, answer the following three questions and share a link to your post in the comments on her page. Enjoy!

What are you currently reading?

Amanda: I’m currently about to start reading Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare. The newest book in the series recently came out so I’m re-reading the first two before I start on the third.

Antonia: I’m reading Once Upon a Tower by Eloisa James.

What did you recently finish reading?

Amanda: I just finished Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, so expect a review on that soon.

Antonia: I recently read Towering by Alex Flinn. She’s one of my favorites and I just had to buy Towering when it came out.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Amanda: Depending on how into Clockwork Prince I get I’ll read Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare next. But I might let myself get distracted with either The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey or The Great Escape by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.

Antonia: I’ll probably read Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts, another new book I’ve picked up.

What have you been reading?

-Amanda and Antonia.

Amanda’s Top Ten Tuesday – Rewind

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week we post our Top Ten for the weeks topic. This week’s is to pick a topic we missed or wanted to revisit. I chose to do my Top Ten Favorite Book Quotes. Antonia chose a different topic, but also liked this one so her top ten is here along with mine. Enjoy!

Amanda’s Top Ten:

1 – “True love will triumph in the end – which may or may not be a lie, but if it is a lie, it is the most beautiful lie we have.” –John Green, Looking for Alaska. This is one of my absolute favorite John Green quotes and there was no way I would leave it out.

2 – “When I look at my room, I see a girl who loves books.” –John Green, Looking for Alaska. Basically my life.

3 – “I’m in love and I like how that feels. And I hate how that feels. Because love is an invention of fiction writers” –Ellen Hopkins, Identical.

4 – “One must always be careful of books, and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.” –Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Angel. There has never been a more accurate quote.

5 – “Everyone has choices to make; no one had the right to take those choices away from us. Not even out of love.” –Cassandra Clare, City of Ashes.

6 – “You have slipped under my skin, invaded my blood, and seized my heart. You have poisoned me.” –Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study. If you’ve read the book you know why I love this quote.

7 – “Anyone else feel like that? Like your life’s a big act. Like you’re trying to be a man when you’re just a scared kid, trying to keep under control when you really want to scream, cry, or maybe hit someone. Ever feel like you’re breathing underwater and you have to stop because you’re gulping in too much fluid.” –Alex Flinn, Breathing Underwater.

8 – “I wasn’t dating anyone. I was fornicating with Batman.” –Janet Evanovich, Hard Eight. oh Ranger, I love you so much.

9 – “It’s fucking hard to be classy.” –Janet Evanovich, One for the Money. The perfect quote to describe myself and Antonia here at Classy as Fuck Book Reviews.

10 – “People come, people go – they’ll drift in and out of your life, almost like characters in a favorite book. When you finally close the cover, the characters have told their story and you start up again with another book, complete with new characters and adventures. Then you find yourself focusing on the new ones, not the ones from the past.” –Nicholas Sparks, The Rescue.

Antonia’s Top Ten:

1) “If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be, and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger.” Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte. I don’t think I need to explain any of my Wuthering Heights quotes. They just stuck with me years after finishing the book. I don’t usually remember quotes from books, but these wouldn’t leave me alone.

2) “Catherine Earnshaw, may you not rest as long as I am living. You said I killed you–haunt me then. The murdered do haunt their murderers. I believe–I know that ghosts have wandered the earth. Be with me always–take any form–drive me mad. Only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! Oh, God! It is unutterable! I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!” Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte.

3) “It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know how I love him: and that, not because he’s handsome, Nelly, but because he’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same; and Linton’s is as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire.” Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte.

4) “In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen. *Swoon* Enough said.

5) “End? No, the journey doesn’t end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take.” Return of the King, J.R.R. Tolkien. I adore Tolkien and every word he wrote in these books.

6) “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no telling where you might be swept off to.” The Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien. This quote just always gave me this nice, happy feeling.

7) “Some books should be tasted, some devoured, but only a few should be chewed and digested thoroughly.” Inkheart, Cornelia Funke. Books are the love of my life. I don’t need to explain book quotes to you guys, do I?

8) “Books loved anyone who opened them, they gave you security and friendship and didn’t ask for anything in return; they never went away, never, not even when you treated them badly.” Inkheart, Cornelia Funke.

9) “If you would change a thing, first understand why it exists.” Outstretched Shadow, Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory. I’m not sure why. I just really love this quote.

10) “And infatuated be damned. He was near to being blinded by his attraction to her. He was in love, damn it all. He disliked her, he resented her, he disapproved of almost everything about her, yet he was head over ears in love with her, like a foolish schoolboy. He wondered grimly what he was going to do about it. He was not amused. Or in any way pleased.” Slightly Dangerous, Mary Balogh. I love Wulfric. He’s fantastic and tries so hard not to love Christine. He reminds me a lot of Mr. Darcy which might be the entire reason I love him.

These are mine, but I love hearing new quotes so don’t be afraid to share your favorites too!

-Antonia.

Amanda’s Top Ten Tuesday – Before Blogging Favorites

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. This weeks Top Ten is favorite books before I became a blogger. These are my Top Ten favorites. There in no particular order. Let me know what you think.

1. Looking for Alaska by John Green – Looking for Alaska has been my favorite book for almost four years now. And I don’t see that changing anytime soon. You’ll actually be getting a review on this book in the near future.

2. The Ugly Duckling by Iris Johansen – I can’t even explain in words how much I love this book. The Ugly Duckling is the book that pulled me into the reading obsessed world. It was suspenseful and full of action which I’ve come to expect from Johansen. Reading this gave me a thrill that never went away.

3. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder – I’m putting this on my list of favorites because when I finally decided to read this series I immediately fell in love. I don’t usually read fantasy type books but this book sucked me in so quickly. I didn’t out it down until I was finished.

4. Identical by Ellen Hopkins – The first time I read this book I was a mess by the time I finished. This book shocked me, made me think. I couldn’t put it down. I love everything about this book. You should too.

5. The Next Always by Nora Roberts – The Inn Boonsboro books are a fantastic read. The first is my favorite because, basically, Claire. I fell in love with Claire and her three boys and her bookstore very quickly. Read this book now.

6. A Million Little Pieces by James Frey – I’ve read this book a few times and it’s on my favorites list because the truth of this story blew me away. The powerfulness of this man’s struggles really got to me.

7. Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich – I love the Stephanie Plum series because they’re enjoyable and seriously funny books. Eight’s my favorite because lots of things happen with my favorite characters. Along with the new characters that are introduced and the crazy things Stephanie gets herself into.

8. Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn – This book was shown to me by my brother which, if you knew him, you’d know that he doesn’t belong in the same sentence as the word book. I didn’t know what to expect from a book my brother recommended but I gave it a shot. I’ve read many of Alex Flinn’s books and this is by far my favorite out of all of them.

9. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling – Harry Potter will forever be a favorite of mine. That’s it. End of story.

10. Nobody’s Baby But Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips – I have read so many books by her and I love them all but this is my favorite. It’s hilarious, heart breaking and suspenseful all at the same time.

Love them like I do, read them all.

Keep on reading lovelys, Amanda.

Beastly by Alex Flinn

Goodreads Summary: A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright–a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.
You think I’m talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It’s no deformity, no disease. And I’ll stay this way forever–ruined–unless I can break the spell.
Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I’ll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly.

If I had to choose ONE book as my favorite. Just one. Yes, I know. An impossible task. Especially for me because I rarely dislike a book. I can count on one hand the number of books I’ve read that I actually hated. And I’ve read a lot of books. But if I had to choose one, it would be Beastly by Alex Flinn. I’m not sure of half the reasons why I love this book so much. I think most of it stems from my love of Beauty and the Beast. It’s my favorite fairytale and Flinn does a wonderful job of portraying a modern version of it.
What I love most is watching the main character Kyle/Adrian grow as a character. At the beginning, Kyle is, quite frankly, a spoiled fucking brat. He is so ridiculously annoying. He feels entitled because his father has money, he treats girls like shit because he’s attractive, and he uses stereotypes to bully anyone who doesnt fit into his idea of how people should think, look, and act. I absolutely hated him for the first part of the book. However, his curse, his father’s inattention, and Lindy’s fantastic personality all force him to reevaluate how he views himself and everyone else. The thing I love most about this book is watching, step by step, as Hunter becomes a better person. And I think the progression of his feelings is fairly realistic as well.
I also love the modern adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. Flinn does a really good job of mixing the original fairytales with modern ideas. (If you haven’t read her other fairytale books, you really should. They’re all great.)
And lastly, I absolutely fucking adore Kyle and Lindy’s relationship. I think they really complement each other and they help each other to grow and be better people just by being together. It’s one of my favorite love stories.
I 100% recommend this book. I can’t even count how many times I’ve read it. If you haven’t and enjoy fairytales or YA paranormal (Slightly. There’s some magic. And a witch. But that’s it.) then definitely put it on the to-read list. At the top. Better yet, just get off your computer and go get it right now.

As a side note, I have seen the movie. I didn’t particularly like or dislike it. I didn’t think it followed the book very well and if I hadn’t read it I think I would have liked it more. If you saw the movie, whatever your opinion about it, it’s very different from the book so please don’t base wanting to read it on the movie. Golden rule: Never judge a book by its fucking movie.
-Antonia

*Please be aware that the book cover on this post is a link to purchase this book through Amazon. Feel free to purchase with our affiliate link (just click on the book cover) to support us!