My Top Five Books I read This Year

I've never done this before and I thought it'd be fun.  Tomorrow I'll do the books the didn't do it for me.

1. Before I Fall, Lauren Oliver 

2. The Sky Is Everywhere, Jandy Nelson

3. The Mockingbirds, Daisy Whitney

 4. Spirit Bound, Richelle Mead

5. The Agency, Y.S. Lee

I thought I reviewed The Sky Is Everywhere, but I didn't!  Must get on that!

Now here are some honorable mentions:

Personal Demons, Lisa Derochers
Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins
Last Sacrifice, Richelle Mead
Halo, Alexandra Adornetto
Bright Young Things, Anna Godberson

What about all of you?  Do you agree with my list?

Happy New Year!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

Wishing all of my readers a very Merry Christmas & and equally Happy New Year!!

May your New Year be filled with wonderful people, exquisite stories and happy moments!

Laura

Bright Young Things, Anna Godberson

Reading Level:    Young Adult

Hardcover:          389 Pages

Publisher:            HarperCollins/HarperTeen

Parasols:               5


I can say absolutely nothing bad about Anna Godberson.  I adore her writing, I love her storytelling and I think she's a fantastic storyteller.  I loved her Luxe series, so hearing about this new series that would take place during the roaring 20s, yeah, I was hesitant.  But am I glad that I bought this book.  I adored it.  She scores again with this series.

First off, she starts us off in a no-name town somewhere in Ohio.  Cordelia Grey and Letitia Haubstadt have dreamt of leaving the small town and making it big in New York City.  Where everything good happens.  Cordelia wants to find her father, who she suspects is a big wig in NYC and Letty just wants to see her name in lights.  So when is the best time to go to NYC? Well for Cordelia, it's the day she gets married to the hot guy in her town.

However once they get to NYC, not everything goes according to plan.  Letty doesn't realize that Cordelia is in NYC to look for her father and feels betrayed.  Not 48 hours in NYC do they go their own way.  As Cordelia makes her way to bootlegger Darius Grey's mansion, Letty is alone and poor in NYC with nowhere to turn.  Fortunately she met a kind-hearted soul at a speakeasy who has taken her in and helps her get a job.

As both girls lives turn in opposite directions, we see how much they really do need each other.  Cordelia is accepted with open arms (I was a bit skeptical with this, but I suspended my belief for fiction).  Cordelia finds that she has everything she could've wanted.  And now she has garnered the attention of a hot young man who may or may not be good for her.

Letty has changed her name to Letty Larkspur and is trying to make it big in NYC.  She too has garnered the attention of several men, and obviously the one she chooses is the one she should stay away from.  This story just kept me glued til the ending and I cannot wait for the sequel.  Again, Godberson is a fine storyteller and I highly recommend this book and series.  Also check out her previous Luxe novels as well.  Gorgeous cover!

Hold Still, Nina LaCour

Reading Level: Young Adult    

Paperback: 230 Pages

Publisher: Dutton 10.15.09

Parasols: 4

Caitlin's best friend Ingrid has killed herself and left her a journal explaining to her in letters to her about her decision to end her life.  In Nina LaCour's debut novel, she touches upon themes that teens face on a daily basis. The loss of a friend, the loss of innocence and the idea of pulling yourself out of this and trying to move on.

Caitlin's journey takes us on a myriad of feelings as she reads through the journal and tries to piece together why she never saw the signs of the depression eating away at her friend.  She in some respect feels extremely responsible for Ingrid's circumstance.  She alienates herself from her friends at school and refused to see a therapist that her parent feel is necessary to get over her grief.

But through this grief she meets Dylan who shows her that she can still be friend without forgetting her friend.  Caitlin also finds a romantic interest in someone who was always there along the periphery.  But because she and Ingrid were so tight, she never allowed any guy close enough.  Caitlin also has to be the one to tell Ingrid's romantic interest that she really was into him.  As Caitlin reads through the journal, the desperation hit me and I found myself crying big fat tears.  

I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

A Plea to Maggie Stiefvater

Maggie,

I love you.  I really, really do.  You're quirky sense of humor just cracks me up when I need a pick-me-up.  When you talk about Thing one and Thing two, I can't help but smile because I, too, have a Thing one and a Thing two.

I love hearing about the restoration of that amazing car that you worked on. I love that you have written a trilogy that has catapulted you into the stratosphere.  Shiver, Linger and the soon to be released Forever.  But there is something missing in my life.  Something so strong and indivisible that I don't know how to handle this.

I need a sequel to Lament and Ballad.  Where is Luke?  What will happen to Dee? James? sigh... I need my faeries!  I know that everyone is all about Grace and Sam and I'm happy for that, but for those of us who adore the other series, we're waiting.  Albeit, me, not so patiently.

So please for the love of all that is Holy and Kind, update us on The Gathering of Faeries.

With many kind thanks,

Laura (who will STILL clean your house! )

Blogoversary

Well, yesterday was my 2 year blogoversary and I just blew right by it!  I didn't even remember until I got a post wishing me a happy blogoversary!  Pathetic!

However, I've received some really good books in the mail and I have so many more I still have to review that I already read.  I was in a bit of a slump after reading DELIRIUM, but I'm back, baby!  I just have to remember WHAT I've read O_o!

Work has been busy, people LOVE their alcohol (she says sipping on her glass of cabernet sauvignon 2007) :)  I'm going to try to schedule some reviews this week, but as Xmas gets closer, I'll be mostly not around here.  Work, life and family can be such a hassle! :)

Anyway, I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving here in the States and I hope that everyone gets their Christmas shopping done early, and reads LAST SACRIFICE, next week! YAY!!!!!!