TOP TEN TUESDAY: Winter TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This week's topic is: Top Ten Books on my Winter TBR

As every reader, my TBR list is overwhelmingly long (and I’m sure after reading everyone else’s posts, it will get even longer). Honestly, there are so many good books out there that I’m extremely eager to get my hands on. Right now, I prioritize based on my library hold list, and I read based on the due dates (definitely a good system for an indecisive reader). Below are the books I currently have stacked up; I know I’m WAY behind on some of them, but I’ve been putting them off for good reason (mainly because my emotions aren’t ready yet). Instead of blabbing on and on (I know I'm wordy), I listed just three words that make me want to read each book. Do any sound good to you too?

   

                                                 

1. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater - Fear...Competition...Death

2. The Living by Matt de la Pena - Disaster...Survival...Action

3. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell - Rainbow Rowell (she, alone, makes me want to read this)

4. Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys - Clandestine...New Orleans...Murder

5. Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick - Suicide...Choices...Humanity

   

                                                

6. This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith - Happiness...Fate...Coincidence

7. Allegiant by Veronica Roth - Tris...Four...need I say more?

8. Champion by Marie Lu - June...Day...enough said!

9. These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman - Space...Catastrophe...Romance

10. If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch - Abduction...Survival...Secrets

REVIEW: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Title: Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3)

Author: Cassandra Clare Website Twitter Facebook

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Release Date: March 19, 2013

Pages: 570 (it’s a hefty one)

Buy It! amazon

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Summary from Goodreads: A net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. Mortmain plans to use his Infernal Devices, an army of pitiless automatons, to destroy the Shadowhunters. He needs only one last item to complete his plan: he needs Tessa Gray.

Charlotte Branwell, head of the London Institute, is desperate to find Mortmain before he strikes. But when Mortmain abducts Tessa, the boys who lay equal claim to her heart, Jem and Will, will do anything to save her. For though Tessa and Jem are now engaged, Will is as much in love with her as ever.

As those who love Tessa rally to rescue her from Mortmain’s clutches, Tessa realizes that the only person who can save her is herself. But can a single girl, even one who can command the power of angels, face down an entire army?

Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment, and the tangled threads of love and loss intertwine as the Shadowhunters are pushed to the very brink of destruction in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy.

First Thoughts: Great ending to a great series! I’m actually kind of sad that it’s over because I’ve loved these characters more and more with each book. Heartbreaking, action-packed, and thrilling up until the very end!

I’m going to try not to give too much away for those who haven’t finished this series yet (add all three books to your TBR pile right now), but what a beautifully perfect ending to this trilogy. I know that the “it” factor in YA fiction right now is love triangles (kind of getting overdone), however, all authors should take note of the way Cassandra Clare wrote hers. Yes, Tessa loves both Will and Jem, and yes, Tessa can’t be with both, and yet, it’s not a fight for her love. Instead, we see love between all three characters. It’s as if one can’t exist without the other two. Their relationships are heartbreaking and yet so wonderful at the same time. They kind of made my heart swoon a bit.

Now boys, I’m sure you’re thinking “Romance? No thanks!”, but don’t let my swooning heart fool you; this book is extremely action-packed. The fight between the Shadowhunters and Mortmain comes to a seriously climactic ending in this series-closer. This is a hefty book, and yet, there is not one dull moment. I finished late into the night (2am-ish), because I just couldn’t put it down. Clare’s writing and pace makes the story fly by, almost sadly so, since it’s the end. As a reader, I was constantly on my toes, never knowing what to expect - I love books that do that (well, who doesn’t?). The automatons, the demons, the Silent Brothers - so other-worldly, and yet I can picture them perfectly. I’ve never fully understood steampunk, but apparently this is it. So, I guess I’m a fan. Who knew? I’ll say it again: I really want to be a Shadowhunter, besides the fact that I’m extremely weak and pathetic and would get my butt kicked all the time.

I’m not really sure how to convey my love for this series, so I will end with my favorite quote from the book - the truth in it, even with the heartbreak, still gives me goosebumps:

“There are some things worst than death.

Not to be loved or not to be able to love.”

Final Thoughts: Definitely a top read of the summer, probably of the year, and will be a prominent recommendation to readers of all kinds. I’m still amazed at the perfectness of the ending; it’s bittersweet and yet, I can’t imagine it ending any other way. Love!

Who Should Read It? If you like well-developed, realistic characters, read this book. If you like mystery, magic, science fiction, or fantasy (and even if you don’t like any of those), read this book. If you are looking for characters and a story to carry you through a series, read this book. Trust me, just read this book! Well, start with the first and second books, and then read this book!

REVIEW: The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

Title: The Testing

Author: Joelle Charbonneau Website Twitter Facebook

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

Release Date: June 4, 2013

Pages: 336

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Summary from Goodreads: Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say? But how close is too close when they may be one in the same?

The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career.

Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies--trust no one.

But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust.

First Thoughts: After a self-imposed dystopian hiatus, this was just the book I needed to get me going again!

Let me start by saying I am a HUGE fan of dystopians! So much so, that for awhile it was all I read - I was stuck in a rut. Over the summer, I made myself take a break. I read realistic fiction, verse novels, historical fiction, paranormals - everything but dystopians. I’m glad I took that break for two reasons. One, I read some AMAZING books that might have taken a backseat otherwise. Two, when I ended my hiatus, it made The Testing that much better.

As always, I loved the strong female protagonist. Cia knows what’s right and she’ll do anything to fight for it, even if it makes her look weak or too trusting. There were points I wanted to put the book down and yell at her for some of her decisions. There were points I thought she was crazy for trusting certain people (even when her dad told her “trust no one”...come on Cia!!).  But, after I turned the final page, I realized Cia was Cia; she, unlike many characters, stayed true to herself through the entire testing process. And that, more than anything, is what I loved about her.

As a reader, I really enjoyed the “trust no one” premise. I constantly found myself questioning every characters’ motives. I, along with Cia, never knew who was good or who was bad. That tension kept me on the edge of my seat up until the very last page.

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I almost could have done without the romance in the novel altogether. I liked Cia on her own, and I didn’t want her to rely on Tomas for survival. Plus, the love between Cia and Tomas is not entirely believable at first. I needed more of a build-up: tension-filled moments, stolen glances, questioning feelings. It jumped from kind of liking to in love too fast for me.

At times, I did feel that The Testing featured some extreme parallels to The Hunger Games. Now, this is true for almost every dystopian (they are all based on the same broken-down, corrupt government storyline after all), but there were moments I wished Charbonneau pushed the story further off the well-worn path. The biggest sticking point, for me, was the premise of teens killing each other to win a competition, in this case The Test. Overall though, The Testing features enough unique differences that is does stand on its own.

Final Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book, and I’m just as excited for its sequel - Independent Study. This is going to be a top recommendation for all of my dystopian readers - a great series for them to continue on with!

Who Should Read It? Dystopian fans, this is a must-read for you! If you tore through The Hunger Games, Divergent, and Legend then you will fly through this one as well. It has action, intrigue, just a bit of romance, and it will leave you hanging at the end of every chapter. And, added bonus for my students, Joelle Charbonneau is a local author - how cool!