TTT - Favourite books from the past three years

Another Tuesday already? Must be time to talk about books and link up with the Broke and the Bookish!

I'm not entirely sure whether this topic was about our favourite books that we've READ in the past three years, or if it's meant to be books that were PUBLISHED in the last three years. I'm going with the former, because approximately 90% of the time, I have no idea when books were first published and it's too much work to go and work it out. So. 

Oh, and I'm totally cheating because I'm incapable of distinguishing between books in a series. 

1. The Wilfair series by Alysia Gray Painter

There are literally no words for how much I adore these books. Seriously. They're so quirky and adorable and full of amazing characters, and I just...GO READ THEM ALREADY. 

2. The Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas

I honestly can't believe I've only been a fan of these books for just over a year. They're utterly fabulous from start to finish, and I love everything about them. Especially Heir of Fire, which was easily the best book I read last year.

3. The Every trilogy by Ellie Marney

Oh my God, I love these books. So much. SO MUCH. I thought I couldn't love them more after I finished the first book (which is set in Melbourne!), but then I read Every Word, and holy HELL that book was magical. Every Move was a brilliant conclusion to the series, but I think Every Word is still my favourite. 

4. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Excuse me while I cry millions of tears over how many feels this book gave me. It's perfect and heartbreaking from start to finish. 

5. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

I honestly wasn't expecting to love this book as much as I did. But the writing is absolutely beautiful from start to finish, the characters are fabulous and flawed, and the story was perfection. And that cover is stunning, which doesn't hurt. 

6. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

If you're in any kind of fandom or have spent any time reading fan fiction, this book is pretty much perfection. I'm not sure how well it would work for people who DON'T spend a lot of time in fandom, but I loved everything about it. 

7. Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

This book is a recent addition to the list (you can check out my review here). It's really short, but it's full of fabulous characters and I absolutely adored the Greek chorus narration from the dead. Absolutely beautiful from start to finish. 

8. The Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness

It took me a while to get into the language used for Todd's voice in these books, but holy HELL are they phenomenal. I'm not entirely over some of the events that happen in the series, but I'm pretty sure I'll be rereading them in the next year or so. 

9. The Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews

This series is so much fun. Sure, it can be pretty gory at times, but the characters are so totally fabulous and I absolutely ADORE the world. It's spooky and magical and still retains a sense of the world we know today. Genius. 

10. The Lovegrove Legacy trilogy by Alyxandra Harvey

I really love the world that Harvey's created in this one. It's so much fun. I really REALLY liked the first book in the series, but book 2 - Whisper the Dead - is what tipped it over the edge into OMG I LOVE THIS SERIES territory. I'll probably camp out at the bookshop when the final book is released, although God only knows when that will be. It's not even listed on Goodreads as a forthcoming title... *cries*

What's on your list this week?

K xx

TTT - Books I'd Love To Read If I Had A Book Club

Another Tuesday already? Must be time to talk about books and link up with the Broke and the Bookish!

First things first - I need to admit that I'm kiiiiiiiiiiiind of cheating on this one. I'm not a book club person. I think I'd be endlessly frustrated having to read books that other people chose, books that aren't necessarily to my interests. Plus, the whole idea reminds me a little too much of high school English, and NO THANK YOU.

That said, I comprised this list a little differently than I think was intended. Instead of going with books that I haven't read but would be interested in reading as part of a book club, this list is instead comprised exclusively of books that I've read already and think would be very interesting to sit around a table and discuss with people. They're not necessarily books that I loved, because I honestly think that spending the entire time fangirling over the book would get pretty boring pretty quickly. Yes, some of them are books that I loved, but they're generally books that were quite polarising or had some kind of contentious issue that it would be interesting to discuss as a group.

1. Nona and Me - Clare Atkins
This book is about a white teenage girl living in a remote mining town in Arnhem Land and her former best friend/adoptive sister, Nona, who's Yolngu. Rosie, the narrator, makes some truly terrible decisions and the book gets pretty racist at times, and it would be really interesting to discuss the conflicts between Indigenous Australians and white Australians, especially as it's set in the lead up to the 2007 election and Kevin Rudd's apology.

2. Side Effects May Vary - Julie Murphy
I really didn't like this book. Alice was a truly awful human being. Harvey was a doormat from start to finish. The story often made me want to punch Alice in the face for her truly terrible life choices and her inability to Use Her Words. And yet, I know people who gave it five stars. I want to discuss it, to see what they saw, to see if maybe I was looking at the book at surface level, to see if I was missing something.

3. Attachments - Rainbow Rowell
I love this book. I love the characters, I love the way the story is told through emails, I love the feels and the squees and pretty much everything. But really? Lincoln's decision to continue reading Beth and Jennifer's emails is pretty dubious, and it gets to a point where it almost borders on stalking. And I think it would be really interesting to discuss that side of things.

4. The Casual Vacancy - J.K. Rowling
I think a lot of people went into this book expecting a grown-up version of the writing we got in Harry Potter. Instead, they got ten years worth of swear words and sex scenes that Joanne had been hoarding while writing Harry Potter. There are so many characters and so many concurrent stories that link together that I think this one would be really interesting to read and discuss as a group.

5. Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock - Matthew Quick
I have suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuper mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I think it's a really important story to tell, and it was incredibly moving and said a lot about the power of good teachers. On the other hand, it was an indescribably disturbing book and I spent at least half of it feeling very uncomfortable. So I think it would be a good one to discuss with others.

6. Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn
This one seems to be a book that people either love or hate. It's full of unreliable narration and unlikeable characters and I really need to reread it now that I've seen the movie to see how the two differ. Which would add an extra layer to any book club discussion!

7. Life After Life - Kate Atkinson
This one was totally mind-bending. It follows Ursula from birth to death, but when she dies, she goes back to the beginning again and the decisions that she makes change the path that she's on and how she ultimately dies. It was fascinating and complex and often a struggle to keep track of what happened in what version of her life, so discussion would be fabulous if only to sort out all the threads of the story in my mind!

8. Dangerous Girls - Abigail Haas
Look, mostly with this one I'd want to see if people guessed who did it before it happened. I'd be like a creepy stalker, texting them constantly to find out where they were up to and who they thought committed the murder at various points of the story. Kind of like watching Broadchurch, really.

9. More Than This - Patrick Ness
Frankly, I would read the Yellow Pages if it was written by Patrick Ness. And I really enjoyed this book and its existential "what is life?" questions. But it's a book that raised a lot of questions and which had kind of an uncertain ending, so I think there's the possibility for a hell of a lot of discussion about it!

10. Alex As Well - Alyssa Brugman
This book is fascinating because it demonstrates really clearly how there are two sides to every story, and both of them can be massively unreliable. Both Alex and her mother are incredibly unreliable. After watching an interview with the author where she talks about the narration and how much of Alex's story takes place inside Alex's head, I'd love to reread this one and discuss it with a group.

What's on your list?

K xx

TTT - Books I Want to Reread (but am restraining myself over)

It's time to link up with the Broke and the Bookish again!

Today's topic is technically just "books I want to reread", but I've been working on doing a lot of rereading this year because I really want to end up that I've written reviews for all the books I have marked as read on Goodreads. Which basically means that I've been working on rereading books that I haven't read in a million years. This means the books I love and have read over and over in the past are languishing by the wayside. BUT I CAN'T READ THEM AGAIN BECAUSE THEY ALREADY HAVE REVIEWS, DAMMIT. 

You see my dilemma. 

So I changed this week's topic a little to be the books I've already reviewed (and, in some cases, already read this year!) but still really want to read again.

1. Persuasion - Jane Austen

My favourite Austen book forever and ever and ever. I usually read it annually, but not this year. I'm planning on rereading and reviewing Northanger Abbey before the end of the year, so poor old Persuasion has fallen by the wayside. Womp womp.

2. Carpe Jugulum - Terry Pratchett

Hands down my favourite Pratchett book. The characters are amazing, the story is phenomenal, and my copy is signed. But I have so many unreviewed Pratchett books to get through before I can reread this. Sigh.

3. The Parasol Protectorate series - Gail Carriger

Oh my God, I adore everything about this series. And I reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally want to reread them all. For the meantime, I'm surviving on the Finishing School series, and the endless wait for the Custard Protocol series. 

4. Attachments - Rainbow Rowell

I've already read this once this year, so I should have had my fill of this one. But nope. Never. Must read again ASAP. 

5. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

This one falls into the same category as Persuasion. It's been a favourite since I first had to read it for school in 1998, and I tend to reread it every year. But this year, there are far too many other things to reread to make time for Jane. Especially when I need to reread Villette and The Professor! 

6. Fairwil - Alysia Gray Painter

Technically, this one isn't even out yet. I beta read it for Alysia earlier in the year, and I WANT TO READ IT AGAIN SO BADLY BECAUSE IT WAS SO STINKING CUTE AND FEELSY AND I LOVE ALL THE CHARACTERS SO MUCH. You and me have a date on New Year's Day, book. 

7. The Throne of Glass series - Sarah J. Maas

I've read all of the books in this series so far this year, and yet I want to read them again and again and again. I foresee a full series reread before book 4 comes out next year.

8. Code Name Verity - Elizabeth Wein

I really want to reread this one, because I loved it so, so much. But I'm not sure my feels could take it. Not without massive doses of medicinal ice cream, anyway.

9. Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn

This has been a really polarising book for so many people, and I really want to reread it when I'm not on a plane/jetlagged to see if my opinion of it changes. I also want to reread it having seen the film and compare the two. 

10. The Chaos Walking trilogy - Patrick Ness

I tend to forget that I even own these books, because they're somewhere in the depths of my Kindle. But mostly I think I'm holding off on these ones because I'm not quite sure I can cope with reading about certain events again (MANCHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE).

Are you holding off on rereading anything?

K xx

TTT - Books I Want to Read But Don't Own Yet

It's time to link up with the Broke and the Bookish again!

I found this week's topic really tricky, because I've been hoarding books recently for my upcoming 22 hour flight to London. Plus, there are quite a few books that I want to read but not enough to pay money for them, so I'm waiting for my local library to get them in. Anyway, I managed to come up with ten in the end. Hurrah.

1. The Colony - Grace Karskens

A history of colonial Sydney, this one's available on Kindle but I imagine it's a lot better in hard copy as I'm fairly certain it's full of illustrations and plates and maps. But the hard copy version costs a small fortune. One day, I'll get hold of a copy. One day...

2. Sisters' Fate - Jessica Spotswood

This one's just been released in the US but it's not out in Australia yet. And I AM DYING. Because I neeeeeeeeeeeeeeed it. 

3. Blood of Tyrants - Naomi Novik

My library has every other book in the series, but they don't have this one despite the fact that it came out like FOREVER ago. Sigh. 

4. Life After Life - Kate Atkinson

I really want to read this, but the price for the e-book has been ridiculous up until now. $16??? I could get it in hard copy cheaper than that! And yet, every time I'm at the library or bookshop, I forget to look for it. 

5. The Crane Wife - Patrick Ness

I'm not sure why I've not bought this one yet because I've loved every single one of Patrick Ness' books. And yet...

6. Where'd You Go, Bernadette? - Maria Semple

I've heard AMAZING things about this one from a lot of people. But it's another one where the e-book is just sliiiiiiiightly too expensive for me to justify it at the moment. 

7. Masquerade - Kylie Fornasier

I want to read this one, but it's not at the top of my to-read list. It's more on the "I'll get to it someday" list. 

8. Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock - Matthew Quick

Another one that's on the "Hahahahaha, I'm not paying that much for an e-book" list. 

9. Whispers Underground - Ben Aaronovitch

This one ALWAYS seems to be out on loan when I'm at the library. Sigh. 

10. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian - Sherman Alexie

For some inexplicable reason, this one isn't available on the Australian Kindle store and my library doesn't have it. And I can't quite justify paying $20 for the paperback. One day, book. One day.

What's on your list?

K xx

TTT - Books I'd Give to Readers Who've Never Read YA

It's time to link up with the Broke and the Bookish again!

This week's topic is about the books we'd recommend or give to people who'd never read anything from a particular genre before. This list, I should add, isn't my "OMG THESE YA BOOKS ARE AMAZING YOU HAVE TO READ THEM" list. Because if people haven't read anything from a particular genre, the chances are they'll be a little reluctant to try it. So instead, this is my list of gateway books. Like a gateway drug only not. 

1. Code Name Verity - Elizabeth Wein

One of those books that's technically young adult when you consider the age of the protagonist, but which REALLY doesn't read like YA. It's a gut-wrenching historical fiction, while also being the story of an adorable friendship. An excellent starting point for those who love historical fiction.

2 and 3. The Fault in Our Stars - John Green, The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

I know a few people who would deny wholeheartedly that they enjoy young adult books, but they'll happily go out and watch The Hunger Games or The Fault in Our Stars or Divergent at the movies. And once they've seen the movie and are interested in the story, you can say "Oh, have you read the book?". BOOM.

4. Sabriel - Garth Nix

This series feels a lot more like fantasy than it does young adult. It's a brilliantly developed world filled with characters who are moving into adulthood. So for those who love paranormal/high fantasy books, this is an excellent transition into the world of young adult fantasy books. 

5. Pointe - Brandy Colbert

Much like Code Name Verity, this is a YA book that I'd be hesitant to hand to anyone younger than sixteen. It's the story of a teenaged ballet dancer with a big fat secret in her past. The secret emerges slowly over the course of the book, and I had knots in my stomach trying to finish it. 

6. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

This book seems to polarise people quite a lot. Personally, I adored it. Considering it's a book about a young girl, the choice of narrator is REALLY interesting. And my mum - who's all "Pff, YA" most of the time (HI MUM) - loved it too. 

7. Saving Francesca - Melina Marchetta

This book is feels-tastic, and yes, it's kind of the epitome of teenage girl problems. BUT. It's also an excellent insight into how the actions of adults and the events that are happening at home can impact on the lives of children and teenagers and affect them in unexpected ways. 

8. Dodger - Terry Pratchett

A delightful retelling featuring classic characters that we know and love. Filled with historically accurate awesomeness and an excellent gateway book for lovers of historical fiction AND classic novels. 

9. A Monster Calls - Patrick Ness

Technically more of a middle grade book, this is such a powerful story that it can be enjoyed (in as much as one can enjoy such a cry-tastic book) by practically all ages. Plus, it's really short, so it's pretty easy to convince people who are reluctant to give it a try! 

10. Tomorrow, When the War Began - John Marsden

Full of action and adventure and wartime sabotage and I don't even know what else. Yes, the characters are teenagers. But when it comes to books set during a war, the age of the protagonists is kind of irrelevant. 

What books would you give to people reluctant to read YA? 

K xx

I Read YA

In addition to being National Library and Information Week in Australia, and Literature Week at work, the teen division of Scholastic has declared this to be I Read YA week.

Yes, I'm 31 years old and I read young adult fiction. Of the 110 books I've read so far this year (no, that's not a typo), 50 of them have been young adult books. I'm on number 51 at the moment.

I read YA because it covers all genres. I read YA because it gives me amazing stories in fabulous settings. I read YA because it can give you light and fluffy and deep and serious all in the same book. I read YA because it handles the big topics in ways that everyone can relate to. I read YA because there wasn't really a lot of it around when I was an actual teenager. I read YA because it's constantly surprising. I read YA because it matters.

Twenty YA books that have stayed with me and that I would recommend in a heartbeat:
1. Code Name Verity - Elizabeth Wein
2. Eleanor & Park - Rainbow Rowell
3. My Life Next Door - Huntley Fitzpatrick
4. Paper Towns - John Green
5. Pushing the Limits - Katie McGarry
6. Saving Francesca - Melina Marchetta
7. Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver
8. Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins
9. The Enemy - Charlie Higson
10. Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher
11. The Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy - Laini Taylor
12. The Abhorsen trilogy - Garth Nix
13. Croak - Gina Damico
14. The Lunar Chronicles series - Marissa Meyer
15. A Breath of Frost - Alyxandra Harvey
16. Tomorrow, When the War Began - John Marsden
17. Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling
18. The Throne of Glass series - Sarah J. Maas
19. The Leviathan trilogy - Scott Westerfeld
20. The Chaos Walking trilogy - Patrick Ness

Do you read YA?

K xx

TTT - Most Unique Books I've Read

It's time to link up with the Broke and the Bookish again!

Today's topic is about the most unique books we've read, which is pretty cool. There's a lot of stuff out there that starts to feel a bit deja vu-like after a while. You know the stuff - a love interest with a crooked smile, a chosen one who has to save the world, an evil government that can only be brought to its knees by a seventeen year old girl, blah blah blah. Let's talk about the OTHER stuff. The stuff that makes you go "Whoa, that's seriously cool." The stuff that stands out from the crowd. Yes? Yes.

(All images from Goodreads)

1. Wilfair (and Redwoodian. And Stay Awhile) - Alysia Gray Painter

I know I talk about this series a lot, but it's just so fabulously quirky. The characters are in no way cliched or cookie cutter-y or crooked smile having. The settings are utterly fabulous. The writing is to die for (once your brain gets past the initial "............what am I reading?!" stage). And the plots are like nothing I've ever seen before. GO. READ. NOW. 

2. Shadows Fall - Simon R. Green

This book is weird, to say the least. It's set in the place where gods and monsters go when no one believes in them any more, where old toys end up when they're no longer loved, where celebrities who died too soon can have a little more time, where the heroes from TV shows and cartoons go when everyone's forgotten who they are. Everything is nice and peaceful until murders start happening. It's a story of redemption and prophecies, and it's full of completely awesome characters. (And please - don't judge it by the android-y cover on the US edition, because it's HIDEOUS)

3. Love and Leftovers - Sarah Tregay

I picked this up at the library last year thinking that it would be a cute YA thing. It turned out to be written in verse, which I was NOT expecting. I nearly put it down immediately based solely on that, because I'm not a big poetry person. But I gave it a shot and ended up loving it. Despite being written in really short snippets, it does a brilliant job of conveying the characters and the story was so much deeper than the usual contemporary YA fluff. 

4. Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell

A book that not only brilliantly conveys what it's like to start out in a new place where you know no one, and how people aren't always what you think, but also a book that discusses fandom really REALLY well. Fandom and fanfic are huge parts of a lot of people's lives, and it's really rare that you find characters who are into fandom and fanfic but aren't stereotypical comic book nerd types who feel the need to hide their identity so that people will like them. 

5. Beauty Queens - Libba Bray

Packed full of cultural satire, this book was pretty hilarious from start to finish. Given that it's about a plane full of beauty queens that crashes onto a deserted island, there's no one main character. Instead, we get girls from all walks of life, of all different ethnicities and sexual orientations and motivations who have to work together to stay alive. Sure, the plot verges on paper-thin here and there, but it's so much fun that I didn't really care.

6. Flowertown - S.G. Redling

A really interesting, semi-dystopian book. Ellie is a really awesome character. She's really complicated and a little messed up, but she just keeps on fighting, no matter what. Lots of great supporting characters and full of twists and turns. Plus, it leaves the reader with a bunch of "What if?" questions about how a situation like that would be handled in the real world. 

7. Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn

Man, this book is polarising. People either love it or hate it, and a huge part of what makes that decision for people is what makes the book unique - THE MAIN CHARACTERS ARE AWFUL AND IMPOSSIBLE TO LIKE. It's a rare book that can have me hating pretty much every character I come across and still want to keep reading and find out what happens. 

8. Daughter of Smoke and Bone - Laini Taylor

This series is unlike anything I've read before. Wonderful settings, fabulous characters. The chimaera are fascinating, the angels aren't what you think, and it's filled with characters finding love in the most unlikely of places. 

9. Saving Francesca - Melina Marchetta

A contemporary YA book in which the romantic plot isn't central to the story? YES PLEASE. There's a lot going on in this book, including children struggling to deal with the fall out of a parent who's suddenly stopped doing all the things you expect a parent to do (including the basics, like getting out of bed). And, much like real life, there are moments that will make you laugh hysterically and moments that will make you ugly cry. Basically, it's really relateable, while also recognising that romance isn't everything.

10. A Monster Calls - Patrick Ness

Really short but such a completely incredible story. It's a story about fear and grief and pain and having no one understand you. The artwork is astonishing, and the story manages to be both heartbreaking and full of love. One that stays with you well after you've turned the final page. 

What are the most unique books you've read? 

K xx

TTT - Top Ten Reasons I Love Being a Blogger/Reader

It's time to link up with the Broke and the Bookish again!

Today's topic has to do with being a blogger (more specifically, a book blogger) and a reader. 

1. ARCs.

Free books? YES PLEASE.

2. Interacting with authors.

This is more a Twitter or Tumblr thing that anything else, but there are so many authors now who are more than happy to talk to their fans, and who actually take the time to read the reviews you write, and who clearly actually read the tweets and messages that people send (see: Stephanie Perkins, John Green, Rainbow Rowell, Patrick Ness, Alysia Gray Painter and Joanne Harris).

3. Millions of new worlds to discover.

Need an escape from reality? What better place to find it than a book!

4. The friends.

I've made the most amazing friends all over the world through blogging, and I am so indescribably grateful for each and every one of them.

5. Branching out and reading new stuff.

Sometimes you'll come across a book that's not in your usual sphere of interest, but a fellow book nerd has written a rave review, or a friend emails you and is all "READ THIS BOOK IMMEDIATELY". So you take a chance, and it's amazing.

6. Recommending books to friends.

See above, but in reverse. Sometimes you find a book that no one else knows about and it's so fabulous that you want to sing its praises from the rooftops.

7. Getting to talk about books all the time without people thinking you're crazy.

This was one of the best parts of doing a Masters in librarianship - hanging out all day with people who are as passionate about books as I am, and think nothing of hour-long conversations about nothing but books. The book blogger community is pretty much the same thing. 

8. It's a cheaper addiction than most.

Sure, books aren't exactly cheap (especially in Australia...). But you can get them from secondhand shops or in ARC form or from friends or on sale or from the library for free. Try doing that with other addictions. 

9. Learning new things.

There's a book out there on pretty much any subject you can think of - I mean, there's one on the history of swearing! All you have to do is open a book and you're automatically learning new things. 

10. Books make me happy.

I've reached the point now where I can't sleep unless I read for at least 20 minutes first. There is no crappy day that can't be made at least a little bit better with the addition of a book.

What's on your top ten list?

K xx

TTT - Top Ten Books That Will Make You Cry

It's time to link up with the Broke and the Bookish again!

Today's topic: Top ten books that will make you cry.

I'm not much of a crier when it comes to books. Movies? Yup. TV shows? In a heartbeat, despite the long running joke over on Snark Squad that I'm the leader of Team Heartless Cow. Hell, I watched that Superbowl Budweiser ad with the puppies this morning and cried like a lunatic. But books? It's a pretty short list. Ten, to be precise. How very convenient!

1. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
I see this book featuring on a lot of lists. I think I'm quite lucky in that I finished reading this on public transport, and I didn't have any tissues with me so I knew I had to keep it together so that I didn't have to explain to some helpful old lady that I was crying over fictional characters. I expect I'll ugly cry much harder when I reread it sometimes before early June.

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
This was the first book that ever made me cry. I made it through Godric's Hollow unscathed. Through Snape and Lupin and Tonks and Dobby. But Fred Weasley? That tipped me over the edge and I ugly cried for the rest of the book.

3. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Oh man, the crying that happened during this book.

4. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Way to tear my heart out and rip it into little pieces, Wein. Same goes for the sort-of sequel, Rose Under Fire. A different kind of ugly crying, but it was still there.

5. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
There are no words. How could a book this short cause so many emotions??

6. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Even just reading the blurb, I knew this one wasn't going to end well for my tear ducts.

7. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
I met someone recently who hadn't read the books and was insanely excited about the Mockingjay movies. Meanwhile, those of us who've read the book are secretly hoping that certain things get dramatically changed.

8. Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
I HATED this book as a child, but having reread it as an adult, I suspect that's because it made me feel all the feels but I was too young to process them. (The same theory applies to Child!Kirsti's hatred of Charlotte's Web and The Velveteen Rabbit)

9. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
I wouldn't have thought this would make me teary, given that we know right from the start that there's only one possible ending to this book. AND YET.

10. Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
For the most part, this made me cry with laughter. But there were moments of seriousness when I got a little teary for entirely different reasons.

What books have made you cry?

K xx

TTT - Top Ten Worlds I Wouldn't Want to Live In

It's time to link up with the Broke and the Bookish again!

Today's topic: Top ten worlds you would never want to live in, or characters you'd never want to trade places with.

Oh man, with so many dystopian YAs floating around as well as reading so much urban fantasy, it was kind of a struggle to keep this list to only ten!

1. The Hunger Games series, Suzanne Collins
Merciful Zeus, I would not want to live in Panem. Between having to deal with the government representatives, scraping out an existence, and having to watch 23 kids die on national television every year (and possibly being one of them), it's a giant barrel of NOPE.

2. Any world created by Simon R. Green
Don't get me wrong, I love Simon R. Green's writing. But the worlds he creates are freaking terrifying at times. There are evil sorcerers and demons waiting in the forest and people who can basically smile and it rips your skin off. So yeah. Even if I had Hawk and Fisher AND Eddie Drood on my side, no thank you very much.

3. The Day of the Triffids, John Wyndham
I love this book a lot. But there is no way in hell I would want to live in a world where everyone except a handful of people is blind and being killed off by giant meat-eating plants.

4. The Gone series, Michael Grant
Trapped in a giant bubble with only people under 15 with limited food supplies and kids with a tendency to get murdery? Uh, pass.

5. The Chaos Walking series, Patrick Ness
I love the world that Patrick Ness has created, but having to hang out in a world where everyone can hear everything that guys are thinking ALL THE TIME? Definitely not a place I want to be hanging out.

6. The Kate Daniels series, Ilona Andrews
The world that's been created in this series is absolutely fabulous. But I just know that I would end up as collateral damage from some kind of vampire/shifter/necromancer showdown. So yeah, no.

7. The Cahill Witch Chronicles, Jessica Spotswood
A world where women have to hide what they are and decide at seventeen whether to get married - and who they're going to marry! - or to become a nun? Nope nopeity nope nope.

8. Anything featuring zombies
Zombies are one of my personal squicks, so any book that involves zombies is a world that I automatically don't want to live in. Because I'm a wuss and they creep me out like whoa.

9. The Uglies series, Scott Westerfeld
A world where you're basically forced into having masses of plastic surgery at the age of 16 so that the government can control you? NO THANKS. Especially when after the surgery, all the characters become indescribably annoying in their shallowness.

10. The Fifth Wave series, Rick Yancey
I would be 10000% terrified ALL THE TIME. That is all.

So. What world would you not want to live in?

K xx

Best of 2013: Book edition

It's been a few weeks since I joined in for Top Ten Tuesday, but I still can't think of Tuesday as anything but "the day I really should be blogging about books". Tuesday may be nearly over in Australia, but whatever. Let's talk about my favourite books from this year!

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Oh my God, this book made me ugly cry so hard. It was suspenseful and funny and moving, and you should all go and read it immediately. And then talk to me about it. Because it's better once you share all the feels.

The Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness
I've adored everything I've read by Patrick Ness, and this trilogy was no exception. It was completely intriguing, with fabulous characters and a brilliantly crafted setting. I was on the edge of my seat for the duration of these books.

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Cue further ugly crying. Eleanor and Park are just two ordinary kids living in Nebraska in the 80s. Their story shouldn't be exceptional. BUT IT IS. If you haven't read it, you really should. Because it was completely and utterly beautiful.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
I know a couple of people who've had serious issues with this book, but I thought it was magnificent. It took me quite a while to get into it, but once I did, I loved it. The power of the narrator was fabulous, and the ending made me ugly cry like an idiot.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
ADORABLE FROM START TO FINISH. It's pretty much Tumblr in book form. I related to Cath a liiiiiittle too much at times, but I think that her roommate, Reagan, was my favourite character. If you've ever had any interest in fandom, you should read this.

The Wilfair series by Alysia Gray Painter
I've mentioned these books a lot in recent months, but with good reason. They're so adorably squee-tastic that I can't help but recommend them non-stop. I enjoyed Wilfair, but Redwoodian and its massive levels of swoon were where things took off for me. Plus, Stay Awhile features the magical sentence "Love triangles are a tired cinematic device that add predictable drama where there is none." ACCURATE.

Newt's Emerald by Garth Nix
I read this over the weekend and absolutely loved it. If you mixed Jane Austen with a dash of modernised language, a touch of magic, a wee bit of swoon, hilarious antics, and some totally understandable cross dressing, you would get this book. It was fun and exciting and basically just a completely enjoyable read from start to finish.

So. What have your favourite books been this year?

K xx

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Best/Worst Series Enders

Time to link up with the Broke and the Bookish again!

I'm breaking this week's topic into two blocks of five, because finding ten for one category or the other was FAR too much like hard work! Let's start with the best, shall we?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
Okay, yes. I'm frequently tempted to pretend that the epilogue doesn't exist, because it's kind of cheese-tastic, and the names of the kids make me want to cry they're so awful. But the rest of the book is completely and utterly phenomenal and I love absolutely everything about it.

Timeless by Gail Carriger
I think what I love most about this is that Gail Carriger was willing to put a definite end point on her series. There are so many book series that drag on LONG after they should have been wound up and just continue to get progressively worse (ahem, Stephanie Plum). Carriger took her characters and gave them a final installment featuring all sorts of high jinks and fun before delivering a happy ending. It wasn't a five star book, but it was definitely an excellent end to the series.

Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
This book was so full of twists and turns and suspense that I thought I was going to have a heart attack before I finally got to the end. I loved that the ending wasn't perfectly wrapped up - things were left open ended for the reader to come up with their own headcanon about what ultimately happens. Amazingness.

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong
I was a bit meh about the first two books in the Darkest Powers trilogy, but Armstrong finished it off in fine form. Various characters came into their powers, there were references to characters from the Women of the Otherworld series, and the relationship that develops is so far from insta-love that it's not funny.

The Other Side of Dawn by John Marsden
I grew up reading the Tomorrow series. These books were basically the Harry Potter of my era - one coming out each year or so for the duration of my time in high school. And this one ended things so perfectly. Every time I read it, I spend the last 75 pages or so with tears in my eyes.

And now the worst:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Last Gleaming by Joss Whedon, Jane Espenson and Scott Allie
Oh my God. There are no words for how much I hated this. It's the last omnibus of the season 8 comics, and it. was. AWFUL. It was pretty obvious that Whedon et al had gotten a little overexcited about all the things they could do when they weren't confined by being a TV show, but this was just a trainwreck from start to finish. I literally threw it at the wall I hated it so much.

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
I started reading the Twilight books when I was in Central America in 2008, because they were literally the only English books available at the airport in Guatemala City. I got back to Australia about a week before Breaking Dawn was released, and figured that I may as well buy it to find out what happened in the end. I really wish I hadn't, because I could have happily gone my entire life without the caesarean by teeth section. Plus, it was so ridiculously anticlimactic. Another one that got thrown across the room in anger.

Thirteen by Kelley Armstrong
I wanted to love this, I really did. I've spent years reading the Women of the Otherworld series, and loving pretty much every single installment. But this? Was a massive letdown. It jumped between voices so much that it got confusing, plus Savannah's voice was in first person while the others were in third. I think my biggest problem with it, however, was that it's meant to be full blown war in the supernatural community, and yet everyone comes out basically unscathed.

Dreadfully Ever After by Steve Hockensmith
I adored Pride and Prejudice and Zombies because it was so ridiculously silly, and included Darcy making smutty jokes about musket balls. Also, sweat is referred to as "exercise moisture". But this? Was terrrrrrrrrrrible. It lost most of the humour that had coloured its predecessors, and took itself too seriously. Plus, the writing was decidedly average. Womp womp.

Circle of Flight by John Marsden
I was torn when Marsden started writing the Ellie Chronicles. On the one hand, I desperately wanted to know what happened to Ellie after the war. But on the other, I was scared that it would impact on my feelings about the Tomorrow series. The first two in the series were okay, but I really didn't enjoy this one. It felt formulaic almost the whole way through, and then Marsden dropped a romantic bombshell two pages before the book ended. Um, WHAT?!?!?

What are your best/worst series enders?

K xx

Best of 2012: Books edition

Now that we're rapidly heading for the pointy end of the year, I figured that I'd take the opportunity to do a couple of posts covering my favourite things from this year. As is to be expected with me, we'll start with the books!

To date, I've read 171 books this year, and I foresee passing 175 before the end of the year. Some of them REALLY sucked. Four of them I couldn't bring myself to finish, which shows just how terrible they truly were - leaving books unfinished makes me twitchy. But a decent chunk of them were made of awesome, and they deserve to be honoured accordingly.

NB. A good chunk of this list is going to be young adult books, because I've read a crapton of awesome YA this year. Sorry I'm not sorry.

Everything by John Green
2012 was the year that I discovered John Green. While his writing has kind of ripped out my heart and stomped on it, it's been worth every single second of it. He creates stories that stay with you well after you finish reading, and I can see most of them being regular rereads. Especially Paper Towns. Holy crap, I loved that book.

Everything by Gail Carriger
I mean, come on. How can you not love her books? They're equal parts paranormal and steampunk, with a good dose of hilarity. I'm just gonna sit here waiting for her next series to start, and hoping like hell that someone decides to make movie versions of the Parasol Protectorate series. Because THAT WOULD BE AMAZING.

Dodger by Terry Pratchett
This was so completely different to any of Pratchett's other work. It's a fantastic mix of fiction and actual historic characters, including Charles Dickens, Benjamin Disraeli, and Robert Peel. I particularly loved how lots of Dickens' titles were sneakily written into the story. It's a mixture of fantastic characters, humour, and incredibly serious issues, and I'm not sure anyone but Pratchett could pull it off quite as well.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
ALL THE UGLY CRYING. It's beautifully written, with fabulous illustrations. The plot comes to a fairly predictable ending, it's true. But the number of lines that I wanted to read over and over again was truly astonishing. So yeah. Heartbreaking, but a must-read nonetheless.

Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
These books, you guys. These books are so stinking cute that I can't even handle it. The teenage voice in both of them is perfect, and both of these books fell into the "I'll just read one more chapter HOLY CRAP IT'S 2AM" category. Sure, they're overly dramatic and kind of predictable. But I can't wait for the third book in the sort-of-series to be released next year. I may camp out at the library and fight a bunch of 16 year old girls to be the first to get my hands on it.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
This book is like Mean Girls and Groundhog Day had a baby. Except in a less creepy way than it sounds... The character development that the protagonist goes through in the course of the story is amazing. The ending was kind of inevitable, but I still wish it could have been different. SIGH.

The Leviathan series by Scott Westerfeld
A steampunk alternate history of World War I with big secrets all around? YES PLEASE. I love the characters, the boffins, the beasties, and the illustrations. Sure, it's intended for 14 year olds, but pff. It's still made of win.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
OHMYGOD. On the surface, this book is completely and utterly hilarious. But then every so often, you come across a line that gives you a moment of "Huh. I hadn't thought about that before..." that you end up reflecting on for days afterwards. It's equal parts Miss Congeniality, Lost, and Lord of the Flies, and it's brilliant.

The Rogue Agent series by K.E. Mills
Oh my God, I love this series. If you like Rincewind from Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, you'll probably enjoy Gerald Dunwoody. It's a perfect combination of humour, excitement, fantasy and adventure. I'm VERY curious to know if the series is going to continue, and if so, where it's going to go from here! Also? The first book has the greatest dedication of EVER:

The Temeraire series by Naomi Novik
Must Be Thrifty gave me the first three books in this series for my birthday, describing them to me as "Hornblower, but with dragons." Basically? Napoleonic Wars rewritten with dragons = WIN. Things occasionally get a little insanely hilarious (teenage dragons, y'all...), which may have something to do with Novik's background as a fanfic writer. But the whole series is made of awesome. Although possibly don't read the entire series back to back - there's only so much dragon sexy times the brain can handle!

Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
If you don't read The Bloggess, then you should go and rectify that situation right the hell now. And then you should track down this book. Because holy HELL, was it hilarious. Public service announcement: do not read on public transport, because you will probably bust an organ trying not to laugh hysterically in public.

Mr. Darcy's Bite by Mary Lydon Simonsen
Okay, so this one is fan fiction, pure and simple. The author acknowledges it in her In a kind of weird sequel to Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Darcy is a werewolf, and wants to tell Lizzie before he proposes to her. It was completely and utterly cheesy, and featured more bodice-ripping than I usually like in my books. But I loved every single second of it, and if I ever come across it in a bookstore, I *may* have to go ahead and buy it. BECAUSE OF REASONS.

So. What were the best books you read in 2012??

K xx