Tuesday 21 August 2012

Favorite Books From the Last 3 Years

I've been book blogging for about 3.5 years. I've read a lot of books in that time. There have been too many mediocre books to list. Oh, dear. Sometimes I get into a rut and can't find a decent book to save my life. Then all of the sudden one will pop up and rock my world! That is probably my favorite thing. Finding the gem. Some have been huge big seller's that everybody else has read and then some have been off the grid and when I find another kindred spirit who has read it, I get all excited.

Take a list at my Top Ten Favorite Books from the last 3 years. It was hard to narrow it down. Several had to be left off the list, but these made it. I hope you'll read something from my list that you haven't already.

 

I will continue to put These is My Words on as many lists as possible until people start to read it. It is the best book I have ever read in my life. I felt all of my emotions while reading this and I've never cried so hard at the end of a book as I did here. The writing is superb and I actually feel a part of the story. You must read this.

I could not put Anna and the French Kiss down. I read it in one sitting and I actually had knots in my stomach wishing Anna and St. Clair would get together. The tension is unreal! Paris is a character here and I think it takes a skilled writer to make the setting also a character. I loved it. Best contemporary young adult I've ever read. 

 

I'm a sucker for middle grade fantasy. My friend Christy {and our Friday reviewer} recommended that I read Fablehaven and I am so glad I listened. It is like Harry Potter meets Narnia! Ah-mazing!! I've still not found anything to match it. If this series never ended I'd be happy. 

I can not leave this book off my list. I just can't. Waiting for Catching Fire to release was probably the most painful waiting period of my life. I was so obsessed with this story and I hadn't ever read anything like it. I also might have fell a little bit in love with Peeta here. I just love that boy with the bread. 

 

I tried reading City of Bones about 3x before I actually got past the 1st chapter. It took me years! I'm such an idiot. I was so obsessed with this book that I read the first 3 in the series in 24 hrs. It was insane. I love shadowhunters! I mean, come on! That Jace really get me going! This book is where my husband realized I had an addiction to reading. I can think of worse habits.

What a story! When I read The Summer I Turned Pretty I hadn't ever read any contemporary young adult. I know, what was wrong with me? Well, I couldn't remember any ya contemporary before this at least. I need Jenny Han to write me another amazing series. This one was top notch!


Oh wow!! If you want to give your heart a little shock then read Montana Summer. The love story is so amazing I felt like my heart was being squeezed. Easily the best book I've read this summer. Just writing this makes me want to re-read it right now. I fell in love with the characters and they are still in my mind. This is how you write sexual tension the right way. No smut needed. 

I love faerie stories. I was completely obsessed with Wings and my copy is completely trashed {or rather well used}. I've read it so many times. I'm Team Tamani forever and the final installment came out earlier this year. The ending was bitter sweet and felt very realistic for a paranormal. It was everything I'd hoped for.  

 

No list is complete without adding some Shannon Hale. The Goose Girl is one of the best re-tellings I've ever come across. Shannon Hale is a master writer and she really gets me. Nobody does middle grade like she does. I love this series and my box set has a special place on my bookshelf.

I can not adequately put into words how unique and amazing The Book Thief is. Death is the narrator. Morbid, but it gives a unique perspective on the Holocaust. The writing is so good it is almost like reading poetry. Markus Zusak is the pied piper and I followed him through this book and couldn't take my eyes away. Beautiful and heartbreaking all on one. This is a literary masterpiece.

*I'm participating in Top Ten Tuesday at The Broke and the Bookish.

21 comments:

  1. Guess I need to bump a few of these up on my TBR pile! Anna and the Book Thief are the only two I've read so far! But they are both incredibly fabulous.

    My Top Ten / Teaser Tuesday!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Now this is fun! I've read all books on the right, but non on the left! :) I love Summer trilogy as well! :)
    Great list!

    Here is my Top Ten Tuesday

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Then you must read the ones on the left! SOOOO good!

      Delete
  3. Another Mary who loves LM Montgomery! I love it! I love the goose girl and the book theif too. And I know just what you mean about repeatedly including a book in lists because you want to spread the word. I do that with Audrey Wait! (which is a fun not serious book) just because it's an old favorite. I need to allow myself to read the tearjerkers more, but I'm so often reading in public! (commuting, etc) Maybe they can be my just-for-home books?!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I really want to read The Summer series (or does it have a other name?) I'm really curious about them and everyone seems to enjoy reading them! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I call it the Summer series...and it is SO awesome you need to put the book you are reading down right now and start reading this series. Amaze-balls!

      Delete
  5. I have some of those on mine too!

    http://pageafterpagereviews.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/top-ten-tuesday.html

    ReplyDelete
  6. These is My Words hit me hard. It could have been an actual journal, I think.

    Here's my Top Ten Favorite Books I've Read During the Lifespan of My Blog.I hope you will stop by!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so glad you've read These is My Words! Best book ever! It is not an actual journal, but a work of fiction. Sarah Agnes Prine was a real ancestor of the author but the stories are made up of what the author thought she would be like. It all feels so real though doesn't it?!?!

      Delete
  7. I think everyone has those reading ruts from time to time. They suck but you're right, it's such a good feeling to be pulled out of one by a gem of a book. Anna is on my list, too - and I'm SO glad to see The Book Thief on yours! It's one of my all-time favourite books. THe only reason it's not on my list is because I read it before I began blogging.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I just read The Book Thief and loved it! Great list
    Laura @ bookswritingtea

    ReplyDelete
  9. I almost put Catching Fire on mine.. then looked it up and I read it before I started to blog.

    Beth ^_^
    http://sweetbooksnstuff.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  10. I FOUGHT reading 'These is my words' thinking it would just be a history of AZ type book. Once I started I COULD NOT STOP! I LOVED IT! And the Goose Girl Series if you haven't read them WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR???? I loved that one too! I need to try the others. Tried to read winged once but never got into it. I must give it more of a chance! :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. "Anna and the French kiss" sounds like a wonderful book, and I've seen that several bloggers have this book as one of their top ten favourites. : )

    ReplyDelete
  12. I haven't read too many of your books, but I do have to agree that The Book Thief was the most amazing book. In spite of the the horrific subject matter it was a beautiful book.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I can't believe I forgot to put The Book Thief on my list. It's like #13. Too many good ones to choose from.

    ReplyDelete
  14. The Goose Girl and Fablehaven are two of my favorites. They didn't make my list because I read them long before the blog.

    Karis @YA Litwit

    My Top Ten

    ReplyDelete
  15. Montana Summer sounds amazing. Adding it to my TBR list :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. I have The Book Thief coming up on my TBR and I cannot WAIT to read it. I don't think I know of one person who has hated it and I already know I like Markus Zusak's writing. Fantastic list!

    ReplyDelete
  17. New Follower! These is my words, Fablehaven and the Book Thief just got bumped up on my tbr list. I actually have the last one checked out! Thanks for the great list!

    Here's Ours

    ReplyDelete

I love to hear what you think.
Leave me a comment!

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...