Amanda’s Top Ten Tuesday – Reading Slump

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Every week there’s a new topic where we get to choose our top ten and write about it. This week’s topic is top ten books that pull me out of a reading slump. This may or may not just turn into a list of favorite books. So here’s my list in no particular order.
1. Any of Nora Roberts books – I would list some specifics but then this would just turn into a list of my favorite books by Nora.
2. Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich – These books are always funny and interesting. They’re books that I can read super fast and can always pull me out of a funk.
3. Looking for Alaska by John Green – I just adore this book. I adore these characters. I adore all the feels it gives me. Even though I know it’s going to make me cry this is one of my go-to books when I’m in a reading slump.
4. Argeneau series by Lynsay Sands – These books are fast paced, interesting and just trashy enough for me to read no matter what mood I’m in.
5. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas – I love these series too much. Like, honestly I worry sometimes about how much I love these characters. Reading these books are like going to spend time with my best friends.
6. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas – I don’t know what it is about Maas and the characters that she writes, but I adore all the characters in this series. They impress me and make me laugh. There’s never a dull moment with this series.
7. Women’s Murder Club by James Patterson – I’m a sucker for a good mystery. A bit of mystery and suspense, throw in a handsome male character and you’ve got a book that I’ll read in almost any situation.
8. Crank by Ellen Hopkins – Hopkins’ books are fast-paced and thrilling. I used Crank for this list but really I could put any of them. Her books are almost always about heavy hard hitting topics, but the way they’re written make them quick, but intense reads.
9. A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest – This is a sixty plus book series. I can read three of them in a day. They will always get me out of a reading slump because they’re unique and funny and the action never stops.
10. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty – This was a recent read for me. But if all of her books are as good as this one was, I have no doubt I will turn to her books in the future when I find myself in a funk. The characters were funny and ridiculous and made it so I couldn’t put the book down.

Here are my top ten books that get me out of a reading slump (so basically a list of my favorites.) What would you put on your list for this week’s topic? Do you think I missed any? Let me know in the comments.

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Amanda’s Top Ten Tuesday – Bookish Mash Ups

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Every week there’s a new topic where we get to choose our top ten and write about it. This week’s topic is top ten books I would mash together. I think this is a wicked interesting topic. I’m not sure how I’m going to go about it, so in no particular order, here goes!

1. Rose Gardner Investigations by Denise Grover Swank & Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich – These are books about an aspiring private investigator and books about a bond enforcement officer. I think Rose and Stephanie would make one hell of a hilarious pair.
2. Renegades by Marissa Meyer & Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, and Deborah Biancotti – Two different types of superhero books. Both with similar abilities, sort of. But the worlds they take place in are pretty different. I think it would be interesting to see these two worlds collide.
3. Meant to be Broken by Brandy Woods Snow & One Small Thing by Erin Watt – Both are novels involving girls who are struggling with their feelings about a guy. Both thinking that their feelings are wrong and should be stifled and ignored. I think the two female main characters would be great friends and would be able to help one another immensely by sharing their experiences.
4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson & The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith – These are both murder mystery sort of books but with a ton of different subplots along the way. I think they would be interesting to see together. Seeing the characters with their hugely different personalities would be funny.
5. Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson & Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson – This is a choice for similar reasons to above except these are young adult murder mysteries. Again, the personalities in these stories would make for an interesting read.
6. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas & Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch – If the Sara(h)’s wrote a book together I would be able to die happy as soon as I finished it. These specific books would be so cool to see together. In ACOTAR, there’s Fae with seasonal courts and magical abilities and in Snow Like Ashes there are different kingdoms for the seasons with different sorts of magical abilities. I think they would mesh well together with the similarities in the stories.
7. The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare & A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest – Both of these series have a great variety of supernatural characters like vampires and werewolves and others unique to their books. Their also both full of headstrong characters that strive to do the ‘right’ thing at all costs. I would love to see these characters and worlds collide.
8. The Young Elites by Marie Lu & Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo – These two came together in my head because of their magic systems. Both books have people with abilities that are not accepted in their worlds. Both have fantastic villains. Now that I’m typing this, I would LOVE to see the Darkling and Adelina join forces and run the world.
9. Impulse by Ellen Hopkins & Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow – I really think that Charlie could have been another character in Impulse. She for sure could have been a fourth perspective in that story. These characters could all relate for sure.
10. The Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead & A Quick Bite by Lynsay Sands – I obviously had to throw my two favorite vampire worlds together. I think these worlds would be awesome to see together because of the different ways that vampires are created and the similarities that are already there.

This week’s topic was a hard one for me! I had a ton of fun looking at my shelves and thinking about all the different worlds I love colliding. I tried to pick bookish worlds that already had a little bit in common. I wanted my mashups to mostly make sense. Which bookish worlds would you want to see collide?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Book Tag – Inside Out

Hi, friends! We’re back with another book tag! They’re just too much fun to stop playing. With so many different themes and ideas. I loved the movie Inside Out, so when I saw this one I knew Antonia and I just had to play. I found this tag done by Jenny @ Jenny in Neverland. We’re not going to tag anyone at the end to play, but feel free to do this book tag & tag us in it!

Joy – What book brings you the most joy?

Amanda- This answer isn’t going to surprise anyone unless you’re a new follower. I’m going to have to go with A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas. There’s just so much development and love and happiness and wonderfulness by the end of the series. Check out my reviews here – ACOTAR, ACOMAF, ACOWAR, and ACOFAS.

Antonia- The Obsidian Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory. This will always be my favorite. I’ve had to get new copies because I wore out the old ones and I read it at least once a year. For me, it’s just one of those books that feels like an old friend every time I open it.

Fear – The book that scared you more than anything?

Amanda- This is another easy one. I found this book on my Kindle through my book subscription. I was so spooked by this book that I ended up reading an entire book afterward because I needed something else on my mind before I tried to go to sleep. Secret of Mckinley Mansion by K.F. Breene was such an interesting read but had me turning on the lights so I wasn’t scared in the dark.

Antonia- This one’s easy for me because I avoid scary books and movies like the plague. When I was about fifteen though, I received the book The Devouring by Simon Holt as a gift and it scared the crap out of me.

Disgust – What book grossed you out the most?

Amanda- Hmm, I think for this one I’m going to go with Come Sundown by Nora Roberts. I’m answering this one with ‘grossed out’ being more disgusted by something. There was a kidnapping aspect of this story that lasted way too long and it was honestly just disgusting to read the things that this awful human put one of the characters through. Check out my review here.

Antonia- My high school boyfriend wasn’t much of a reader but when he did read, he’d usually try to get me to read it too and I’d say yes to try to encourage him to read more. Hellbent by Anthony McGowan was one of those books and I hated it so much that it actually made me like my boyfriend less for liking it. A teenage boy dies and goes to hell then proceeds to try to work the system in his favor; which might have been a cool storyline if it didn’t include disgusting humor that young boys tend to enjoy, i.e. fart jokes and way too much mention of bodily waste.

Sadness – Which book make you cry the hardest?

Amanda- This is either going to be Looking for Alaska by John Green because I reread this book once a year usually and it makes me cry every time or it’s the Air Awakens series by Elise Kova because I cried for a solid hour after certain events in these pages.

Antonia- Way too many. The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman was probably one of the first. The Shack by William Paul Young was another that made me inconsolable. Maximum Ride Forever by James Patterson was really bad; I’d cry after the fact just talking about it.

Anger – Which book pissed you off?

Amanda- Triangles by Ellen Hopkins (reviewed here). This is one I read recently. The book itself didn’t piss me off. It was a really good book, but specific characters within the stories just made horrible choices that I don’t like or respect and it really pissed me off.

Antonia- Flamecaster by Cinda Williams Chima. I adore her books and I was so excited for this book to come out (it’s the first in a spin-off series from The Seven Realms series). I couldn’t wait to see older versions of all my favorite characters and then something terrible happens to one of them in the first chapter. I was so mad and upset about it that I immediately put the book down and refused to finish it for a really long time.

What books make you feel all the Inside Out emotions?

Antonia’s Top Ten Tuesday- Red, White, and Blue Covers

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week we’re given a new prompt for a top ten list of all things bookish. This week is top ten books with Red, White and Blue book covers (in honor of the 4th of July). I was a little surprised how many books I have with these colors though not many have all three. Here are my choices for this week:

Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn

School’s Out – Forever by James Patterson

The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

Eragon and Eldest Omnibus by Christopher Paolini

 

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Flamecaster by Cinda Williams Chima

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

 

Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead

Iron Gold by Pierce Brown

Year One by Nora Roberts

 

Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Shadowcaster by Cinda Williams Chima

 

 

I’d loved to see all the pretty covers everyone else came up with. Thanks for visiting!

-Antonia

Amanda’s Top Ten Tuesday – Series I’ve Given up on

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week we’re given a new prompt for a top ten list of all things bookish. This week is top ten series I gave up on or do not plan to finish. This is going to be a bit of a challenge for me because I rarely give up on books. So let’s see what I can come up with this week. Okay, so after coming up with an insufficient list I’ve decided I’m going to do a few series that I will definitely be finishing, but haven’t managed to get around to it yet.

1. House of Night by P.C and Kristen Cast – This series just had so many books. It got to the point where it was hard to keep up with the story and when new books came out. So I just stopped trying to stay on top of it. Now they’re coming out with books again and I just don’t think I’ll ever get around to rereading them all.
2. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon – I read the first four books in this series. I borrowed them from Antonia’s mom. But I ended up losing the fourth book and by the time I bought a new copy she had caught up to me and needed the books back for her to read them. I may eventually pick this series up again, but I have no real burning desire to do so anytime soon.
3. The Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn – These books were another series that I had a hard time keeping up with. There are so many books and I just lost track of which ones I’ve read and still need to read. I may pick them up again because I did really like the books, but it’s not high on my priority list.
4. The Women’s Murder Club by James Patterson – Once again, too many books coming out to keep track of. I will eventually read these again because they’re easy mystery reads but it won’t be anytime soon.
5. The Princess series by Alexa Riley – I just was not impressed by these books. I think I only read the first and part of the second before giving up.
6. The Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard – The final book in the series came out recently and I’d like to reread the whole series. When am I going to do that? Eventually, my TBR list seems to just keep growing instead of getting smaller.
7. The Talon series by Julie Kagawa – Again, the final book in this series was finally released and I’m planning to reread the entire series, eventually.
8. Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld – A few weeks ago, I learned that the third book, Nexus, was released sometime last year and I didn’t even realize. So I need to buy this and get around to finishing the series.
9. Millennium series by Stieg Larsson / David Lagercrantz – Literally just now while looking for books to add to this post learned that another book has been released in this series. I will read it, but when I get around to it and who knows when that will be.
10. Shadow Falls series by C.C. Hunter – I finished the main series of these books; I actually own all of them. But there’s a few spin-off series with other characters that I haven’t managed to get around to reading yet, but I definitely plan to.

This is my top ten for this week! What series have you given up on?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Antonia’s Top Ten Tuesday- Travel Bug

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week we’re given a new prompt for a top ten list of all things bookish. This week’s topic is – Top Ten Books That Awaken the Travel Bug in me. I had trouble with this one because most of the books I read don’t take place in the real world. So I came up with five books I’d want to travel to and five books I don’t.

 

Places that Awaken the Travel Bug in Me

 
1. Beastly by Alex Flinn- This is the only book that’s ever made me want to visit New York City even though it barely even takes place there. (The characters rarely leave the house.)
2. Paper Towns by John Green- ROAD TRIP. Their crazy, headlong trip up the East Coast (including pit stops timed to the second) just seemed like so much fun.
3. Friday Harbor series by Lisa Kleypas- I immediately wanted to visit this cute little island off the coast of Washington. I actually now live on another cute little island off the coast of Washington so I plan to visit Friday Harbor sometime soon. (It’s just a ferry ride away.)
4. Cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy by Nora Roberts- Ireland has always been at the top of my travel list but I’d love to visit almost all the settings from Nora’s books.
5. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen- Yes, I know this takes place in the past. However, the regency era books are the ones that always made me want to visit England.

Places that Don’t Awaken the Travel Bug in Me

 
1. Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout- I loved this series but most of it takes place in West Virginia which, no offense, but I have no interest in going to.
2. Bloodlines by Richelle Mead- I also loved this series but I’m definitely more of a beach girl. The desert just sounds awful.
3. Chasing Fire by Nora Roberts- This one takes place in Montana and I have never in my life thought to myself, “I’d like to go there”. (Again, no offense to Montana.)
4. Year One by Nora Roberts- Fantastic book. However, I could really do without two-thirds of the world’s population dying.
5. Maximum Ride by James Patterson- For me, this one’s mostly included because so many negative things happen to the characters that it skewed the way I thought of all the places they went to.

 

Well these are my answers for this week. I’d love to hear what everyone else came up with. Thanks for reading!

-Antonia

Antonia’s Top Ten Tuesday- Best Character Names

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week we’re given a new prompt for a top ten list of all things bookish (feel free to put your own spin on it). This week is “Best Character Names (make this as narrow/broad as you’d like)”. Now since TTT is almost entirely based on opinion I don’t know that I would say these are the “best” names; however, they’re names I particularly liked.

1. Kvothe- The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss- Just try to pronounce that. The narrator actually tells you how at the beginning of the first book; “pronounced nearly the same as ‘quothe’. ” It might just be because I love the character and the book so much or because it’s so unique but this name definitely tops my list.

2. Pug- Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist- For a guy who becomes the most powerful magician in the world, his name is extremely underwhelming and I love that.

3. Raisa ana’Marianna- Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima- While I think Raisa is a very pretty name, that’s not why it’s on this list. I love the way the woman of the Gray Wolf Line are named. The princess’/queens’ first names are followed by “ana'(her mother’s name)”. So Raisa’s sister is Mellony ana’Marianna and their mother is Marianna ana’Lissa. I just though this was such a cool detail.

4. Maximum Ride- Maximum Ride by James Patterson- I’m sorry but how could anyone not love this name. She’s a girl named Max (I love when authors don’t gender stereotype names) and she and the rest of her flock named themselves. Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel. I can totally see a bunch of kids naming themselves like this and I absolutely love it.

5. Ember- Talon series by Julie Kagawa- I don’t normal go for names that are really obvious (she’s a dragon named Ember), but I couldn’t help liking this one. It’s pretty and tough at the same time.

6. Aza- Turtles All The Way Down by John Green- I’m not sure why I love this one so much. It’s simple and unique and pretty.

7. Antonia- Year One by Nora Roberts- I just had to include this one. I NEVER find my name in books so I was ridiculously happy when I read this one.

8.Everyone- The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien- This HAD to be on this list. Every name Tolkien created is unique and amazing.

9. Everyone- The Obsidian Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory- My reasons for this one are very similar to why I included Tolkien; all the names (especially the Elven ones) are unique. I could barely pronounce half of them and that just made me love them more. I’m weird like that.

10. Everyone- The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer- Particularly the women each of the books are named for, i.e. Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter. I really love the little twists they have on the original fairytales.

These are my choices for this week. I’d love to hear your own opinions and as always, thanks for visiting our blog.
-Antonia

Antonia’s Top Ten Tuesday- Favorites From the Last Three Years

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week has a different prompt for you to make a top ten list about. This week is Top Ten Books You Would Classify As ALL TIME FAVORITE BOOKS from the past 3 years (you can extend it to 5 if you need to).
I expected this topic to be really difficult for me. When I saw it I immediately texted Amanda freaking out. But she didn’t panic with me; she simply pointed out that I reread alot of books. With this reassurance in mind, I sat down with my book lists from previous years, positive I could find ten favorites even if I had to use only rereads. Then a funny thing happened: I didn’t need any. Within ten minutes, I had ten books/series’ for my list with no need to use all the old favorites I’ve had for years. Which is how I’ve come to the conclusion that almost every book I read instantly becomes a new favorite. I’m still trying to decide if this has any downsides…
So here are my top ten all-time favorites from the last three years (in no particular order):

1. Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead- I love Sydney. I adore Adrian. This is a series I could read over and over again.

2. The Witness by Nora Roberts- My favorite Nora Roberts book. It has everything I love about her writing.

3. Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima- These are the types of books I wasn’t expecting to like but as soon as I started I couldn’t put them down. I even had to take emergency trips to the library to get the rest of the books. It’s one of the most well-written YA series I’ve ever read.

4. Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout- This is another one I got because I was bored but didn’t have much hope for it. It was an instant favorite for Amanda and I.

5. Maximum Ride series by James Patterson- Everything about these books is amazing. They’re quick, fun, emotional reads that I would recommend to everyone.

6. Crown of Vengeance by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory- I was waiting a couple years for this book to come out and it didn’t disappoint. Lackey and Mallory can do no wrong together.

7. Looking For Alaska by John Green- Amanda spent years trying to get me to read this book but I kept putting her off. When I finally read it, I was instantly in love.

8. Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George- I didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did. Everything about it was perfect.

9. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith- I’d expected this book to just be a silly YA romance but it wasn’t even close. Smith took a childish idea, like love at first sight, and made it sweet and reasonable. I loved it so much I immediately went to the library to get her other books (i.e. #10).

10. This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith- I found this book emotional, funny, and romantic. I’ll definitely be looking for more of Smith’s books.

Do you share any of these favorites? Let me know some of yours in the comments. Thanks for reading.
-Antonia

Antonia’s Top Ten Tuesday- Favorite Heroines

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week has a different prompt to which you make a top ten list. This week’s prompt is favorite heroines. Since my list of favorite heroines is infinitely long, I tried to choose the ones who had the biggest impact on me while reading. Here they are (in no particular order):

1. Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen- She will forever be my all-time favorite heroine. She’s witty, tough, loves her family unconditionally and isn’t afraid to admit she’s wrong. She was who I wanted to be when I grew up.



2. Maximum Ride from the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson- She’s badass and caring and makes tons of mistakes. But she’s always trying her hardest to fix them. It’s so easy to relate to Max that she instantly became one of my favorite characters.
3. Elizabeth/Abigail from The Witness by Nora Roberts- I connected with Abigail from the beginning. I loved watching her grow into a strong, compassionate woman.
4. Vestakia from The Obsidian Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory- From birth, she had everything working against her but she refused to let it control her life. She’s genuinely kind and brave even when she’s absolutely terrified.
5. Lyra Belacqua from His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman- She was one of the first characters to have a real affect on me. She’s stubborn and talks back and impulsive but she always does the right thing.



6. Wanderer from The Host by Stephenie Meyer- I will never stop loving Wanda. She’s an alien possessing a human girl and she still manages to be the most honest and caring character in the book.
7. Katsa from Graceling by Kristin Cashore- Another character I related to instantly. Her uncle, the king, has used and controlled her since she was a child but she had the courage to fight back, even when she believed her powers made her a monster.
8. Sydney Sage from the Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead- One of the bravest heroines I’ve ever had the pleasure to read about. She goes against everything she was taught to believe to save people who she was raised to think of as evil. She risks everything because she can see the best in people.
9. Hyacinth Bridgerton from It’s In His Kiss by Julia Quinn- She’s one of the funniest characters I’ve read about. She’s sarcastic and smart and not afraid to speak her opinions during a time when women were expected to act a certain way. I wish I could be best friends with her.
10. Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling- I almost didn’t put her on this list simply because I knew so many others would. But when it came down to it, I couldn’t think of anyone else who met the standards she set. There’s a reason Hermione has shown up on so many lists this week. She’s smart, brave, funny, loving. She believes in herself and in her friends and even when she’s scared she’s always there for the people who need her. The great thing about Hermione is that she’s always true to herself and never lets anything change her.

Do any of your favorites coincide with mine? For the same or different reasons? I’d love to hear some of your own choices so leave them in the comments or link to your own post if you have one. Thanks for reading.
-Antonia

Confessions the Private School Murders – James Patterson

Summary:
Confess if you don’t feel safe.
Young women from New York’s most exclusive neighborhoods are being murdered, and the polie aren’t looking for answers in the right places.
Confess if you don’t trust anyone.
Enter Tandy Angel. The first case she nailed was the mystery of her magnificently wealthy parents’ deaths. Now she’s working to exonerate her superstar brother in his glamorous girlfriend’s murder. And danger just got closer.
Confess if you’re in too deep.
One of the victims of he recent murder streak was a student at Tandy’s own elite school. Shee has a hunch it may be the work of a serial killer, but the NYPD isn’t listening to her…and Tandy can’t ignore the disturbing fact that she fits the profile of the killer’s targets. Can she untangle the mysteries before she becomes the next victim?
The confessions reveal all.

Review:
Confessions the Private School Murders was a book I knew I was going to like before it even came out. Anything by James Patterson is wonderful. This book was exactly what I expected. The plot had the depth I enjoy. There were so many different stories going on at once. The book being written from Tandy’s point of view, we got to learn all about her past and the things that she was put through by her crazy parents. This book was very fast paced and had so many different things going on all at the same time. I loved every page.
Tandy was a wonderful main character. She’s funny, determined, intelligent, everything you want in a female lead. She doesn’t take shit from anyone, well, except her three brothers. She was confident with herself. She knew that if she just worked hard enough, or thought about something enough, she would figure out what was happening. And she wasn’t wrong. She once again bettered the NYPD and solved the murder of her brother’s girlfriend and unborn child, as well as the murders of the private school girls. I just loved reading about Tandy and her life and I am more than ecstatic that she gets the happy ending she deserves.
The Angel boys were seriously entertaining. The bond these siblings had was wonderful. They stuck together after finding out what their parents had been doing to them all their lives. They would do anything for one another. I just love any book that has a strong family sense to it and this book definitely does. These boys were hilarious on every page.
The last character I’d like to mention is Jacob. I’m going to be kind of vague about him because I don’t want to give anything away, but I absolutely adored him. He taught the Angel kids what it’s like to have someone actually care about you. Someone that wants you to be careful and wants to know where you’re going, who you’re with, what you’re doing, just because he cares. The kids definitely needed to get used to this new person that cared about them, but I really liked watching them adjust to having an adult that actually cared for their well being. Jacob was definitely my favorite part of this book. And the twist he’s involved in! I never even saw it coming.
Confessions, The Private School Murders was a wonderfully written fast paced thriller. It surpassed every expectation I had for this book. The twists were shocking, the characters were wonderful, and when I closed the book I was thoroughly satisfied, which is something I haven’t been able to say with some books I’ve read lately. I suggest this book to anyone who’s ever learned how to read. But I definitely think it’s aimed toward the older readers. It does have a bit of detailed violence, but what Patterson novel doesn’t? So, go to your library or bookstore and get this book and read it. Then let me know what you think!

Keep on reading lovelys, Amanda.

Amanda’s Top Ten Tuesday – Books I Recommend Most

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly post where we talk about our top ten. This weeks topic is our Top Ten books that we would recommend most. This is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

1. Looking for Alaska by John Green – I recommend this book not only because it’s my favorite book, but because it’s thought provoking, interesting, slightly mysterious, and will have you laughing as well as crying and maybe even on the same page.

2. The Lux Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout – These are on my list because they’re the no sleep, no eating, skip work and school, forget to pick your kids up kind of good. They have a great female lead character and a relatively unique story line.

3. The Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich – This series has nineteen books out with twenty coming out sometime this year, but they don’t have to be read in order. These should be read because you’ll laugh to the point of tears at the situations the main character gets herself into. They’re great books to read if you’re in the mood for a funny book.

4. Burned by Ellen Hopkins – Hopkins writes about things that most people won’t talk about. She writes about serious issues in fictional story lines. These books make you thing about so many things but you can’t help but keep reading.

5. Eon and Eona by Alison Goodman – I recommend these to anyone that enjoys books with a strong female lead. These two books were amazing. I couldn’t put them down until I was finished reading.

6. The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks – This is another one of my favorites and I’m recommending it because of that. I enjoyed this book very much, to the point where I’ve read it several times. And all I’m saying is that you should do the same.

7. Any of the books written by Susan Elizabeth Phillips – Her romance novels are so easy to get lost in. They’re usually all around fun and enjoyable books. Lots of laughs and some great story lines.

8. The Fault in our Stars by John Green – I’m slightly obsessed with John Green. The Fault in our Stars is my second favorite book. And I suggest it because even my third time reading it I laughed and I cried and I thought about things I never considered thinking about before reading this.

9. Women’s Murder Club Series by James Patterson – I have read most of this series and have decided to re-read them. The four main characters are very strong women. I love these because throughout the books I feel like I gain such a strong bond with these ladies, even though they’re not actually real people.

10. The Bridgerton Series by Julia Quinn – I recommend this series because the first book just sucks you in then each book after you get to learn about the other siblings. With each next book you get to hear the stories of one more sibling until there aren’t any left and they’re all happily married. I just love these books, and that means you should too.

Keep on reading lovelys, Amanda.

1st to Die – James Patterson

Summary:
Enjoy the riveting debut of The Women’s Murder Club-James Patterson’s most exciting series ever. In San Francisco newlyweds are being stalked-and slaughtered. Enter four unforgettable women, all friends..Lindsay, a homicide inspector in the city’s police department…Claire, a medical examiner…Jill, an assistant D.A….and Cindy, a reporter who has just started working the crime desk of the San Francisco Chronicle. Joining forces, pooling their talents, courage, and brains, they have one goal: to find, trap and outwit the most diabolical and terrifying killer ever imagined.

Review:
1st to Die by James Patterson cause me to have a slight mental breakdown today. Patterson writes wonderfully and had me hooked from the very first page. The way this book was written was probably my favorite part about this book. He wrote it from two different perspectives, the main character, Lindsay Boxer, and the killer, who I’m not going to name. Throughout the whole book you know what is going on with both sides. You see how the killer is doing what he’s doing, and you also see the process that Lindsay goes through to catch the killer. The thing I liked most about this book was the fact that while I was reading I found myself yelling at the book because I didn’t expect things to happen the way they did. You can even ask Antonia, when I got to the end of the book I yelled very loudly and a lot with how it ends. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading, and I finished the book in a couple of hours. Every time I tried to predict what was going to happen next I was completely and totally wrong. The story twists and turns with every page and will leave you in shock once it’s over. I would read this book again and again, and probably will.
Onto the characters, their always my favorite part to talk about because I get so attached to them. The one’s I’m going to mention are the four best friends, Lindsay, Claire, Cindy, and Jill, then there’s the last on my list, Lindsay’s new partner Chris Raleigh.
I love Lindsay the most. She’s strong and determined and doesn’t let anything or anyone get to her. She goes through more than just the stress of finding the murderer and she comes out stronger than ever. She never loses her sense of what’s right and what’s wrong and always does what she thinks is best. Lindsay, unlike many other characters I’ve come to love, doesn’t lie to her friends about anything going on in her life. She finds things out and may wait a day or two to think about it, but always confides in those she cares about and trusts them to help her through. I really don’t think there was anything I didn’t like about Lindsay.
Now we get to talk about Chris! He comes into the book as Lindsay’s new partner. Neither can deny the attraction that’s between them. Chris always supports Lindsay in any way that he can. He helps her every step of the way, and doesn’t hesitate to let her know when she’s wrong. He has two sons that he very obviously cares about more than anything. Chris just is the perfect man throughout the entire book and I think I love him more than Lindsay does.
Next comes the girls, Cindy, Clair, and Jill. Claire is the first we meet in the story. She’s strong and dependable. She knows when she needs to be there for Lindsay and when to back off. She never criticizes Lindsay even when she thinks she’s wrong. She trusts Lindsay and because of that trust Claire helps solve a key piece into who the murderer is. We meet Cindy next. Cindy starts off as an annoying reporter that Lindsay doesn’t want to deal with and ends up becoming part of their circle and also helps instrumentally in the police case. I think I would be the Cindy of the group. She seems focused and caring but also doesn’t want anything to get in the way of her career. She’s fun loving and very clever, seeming to find a different way to almost every situation that arises. Jill comes last and kind of way later in the book. We didn’t get to see much of Jill, but from what we did see I think she’s a lot like Antonia. She’s very stubborn, but cares for her friends and is willing to give in for them and what they want and need. I love all of these girls, and that they remind me of my group of friends.
Overall this book was fantastic. Exactly what I expected from James Patterson, funny, suspenseful, heart wrenching, and well written. I’m very excited to continue reading this series and suggest that you go and pick up this one.

Keep on reading lovelys, Amanda.

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 reading 1st to Die by James Patterson. I’ve been trying to get back to reading more of my mystery type books rather than only reading young adult books like I’ve been doing. Patterson’s never let me down before and I don’t think he’ll start now.

Antonia – I am currently reading Eona by Alison Goodman. I’m literally only two or three chapters from the end. I had to stop reading to go to class, which I’m so angry about, but I’ll finish it tonight.

What did you recently finish reading?
Amanda – The last book I finished was The Face of Deception by Iris Johansen. It’s the first book that Eve Duncan appears in and I’m trying to read all of them before the three new ones come out. Along with catching up on all Johansen’s books that have come out that I’ve missed.

Antonia – I recently finished Eon by Alison Goodman. I really like this series. You can find my review for Eon here.

What do you think you’ll read next?
Amanda – The next book I’m going to read is Eona by Alison Goodman. I read Eon over spring break and really enjoyed it. So I’m very much looking forward to reading the sequal and finding out all that happens next.

Antonia – I’m going to read Crown of Vengeance by Mercedes Lackey. I’ve been meaning to read this since it first came out. I think I’ve been putting it off because it’s a prequel to my favorite series and I’m worried it won’t be as good as I’m expecting it to be. However, I’ve decided to get it over with and just read it already.

-Amanda and Antonia

Amanda’s Top Ten Tuesday – To Be Read Spring 2013

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/ in which we answer a weekly topic with our top ten. This weeks topic is Top Ten books at the TOP of my spring 2013 to be read list. Here’s mine in no special order.

1. Looking for Alaska by John Green – I’ve read this book countless times. It’s my all time favorite book and I like to reread it frequently. And I’d like to do that again soon because this book is fantastic. If you haven’t read it, you need to as soon as humanly possible.

2. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare- This book hasn’t come out yet. But I’ve read the first two in the series and I just all around love Cassandra Clare’s books.

3. Light by Michael Grant – Another book that isn’t out yet. With five already out in the series, I’ve been dying for the final book in the Gone series. Amazing books and I’m excited to see how everything turns out finally.

4. The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa – I absolutely loved reading The Immortal Rules, the book written before this. It sucked me in, and I’m hoping the squeal has a similar affect like all her books.

5. Chosen at Nightfall by C.C. Hunter – I read the first three or four in this series in less than a week. I’m pretty sure there’s going to be another book in the series coming out after this one. But I’m still super excited to know what happens next, even if I have to deal with waiting for the next again.

6. Spellcaster by Claudia Gray – I’m not overly excited about this book. It’s the first in a new series by Gray. I read her last series and enjoyed them. So, I’m giving her new one a chance too.

7. The Host by Stephenie Meyer – I’d like to read this again before I go see the movie. But every time I try I just lose interest really quickly. I’m definitely going to try again and maybe get through it.

8. The Face of Deception by Iris Johansen – I’ve kind of slowly fell away from reading Johansen’s books. So, in honor of the three new Eve Duncan books coming out this year, I’m going to start reading them again. This is the first in the Eve Duncan series.

9. Born in Fire by Nora Roberts – I have a goal to read all of Nora Robert’s trilogies. This is a book that’s been sitting on my shelves for what seems like forever. So I think I’ll finally give it some loving.

10. Jack and Jill or 1st to Die by James Patterson – I haven’t decided if I’m going to start the Women’s Murder Club series, or the Alex Cross series first. They’re both series that I own some but not all of the books. I think I’ll end up starting 1st to Die first because I own more books in this series.

Well, now that I just want to read all these books right now. These are my top ten to be read on my spring 2013 list.
What are yours?

Keep on reading lovelys, Amanda.

Amanda’s Top Ten Tuesday – Series’

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/ in which we answer a weekly topic with our top ten. This weeks topic is Top 10 series I’d like to start, but haven’t yet. This is my top ten, in no particular order.

1. The Dark Hunter Series by Sherrilyn Kenyon – Antonia loves these books. I’ve asked her about them a couple times, and they sound really interesting and I’d love to read them. I just keep putting it off because Antonia doesn’t have them all. And then I usually find other books to distract me. I’ll get to them eventually.

2. Blue Bloods Series by Melissa de la Cruz – I looked into reading this series way back and really wanted to read them. I had decided to just wait until more of the series had come out because I had plenty of other series I needed to catch up on. I never ended up getting to these books, obviously because they’re on this list, but I definitely still want to read them.

3. Deirium Trilogoy by Lauren Oliver – Lately, I’ve been seeing all kinds of reviews for this trilogy. So, I looked into them and they sound really good. I’ve read other books by Lauren Oliver and liked them well enough. I’m going to give these ones a try.

4. Covenant Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout – The Lux Series by her was amazing. Everything about it was fantastic. Because I loved it so much I want to read all her oher books as well. Although, I might wait until my to be read list gets a little shorter before getting serious about these. Partially because my library only has two of them, and partially because my tbr list is super long.

5. Alex Cross Series by James Patterson – I put this on my list becasue Patterson is one of my favorite authors. He also takes up a decent sized chunk of my bookself with all his books I own. I have quite a few of the Alex Cross books, but I’ve never actually gotten around to reading them.

6. Wicked Series by Janet Evanovich – Janet Evanovich is one of my all time favorite authors. I’ve read almost every single one of her books. This series only has two books in it so far, Wicked Appetite and Wicked Business. I already know one of the characters from one of the Stephanie Plum books, so I’m super excited to read them.

I know its supposed to be ten and all, but these are the only series that im super excited about reading. So you get six instead.

Keep on reading lovelys, Amanda.