Happy Top Ten Tuesday! Today’s theme is books I loved with fewer than 2,000 ratings on Goodreads. I’m really excited about this theme because it’s been a while since I last shared my favorite hidden gems!
Did you do your own Top Ten Tuesday post today? Feel free to leave your link in the comments and I’ll check it out! What are some of your favorite hidden gems? Let’s talk in the comments!
Recently, I’ve been getting more into book tags. I have a whole ton of them bookmarked that I want to do at some point, but this one felt timely and appropriate for the first half of January.
1. First Ever Female Doctor Who: Favorite Female Protagonist
I loved both Dani from The Big F and Jane from My Lady Jane. There were so many great female protagonists in 2017, though! It was hard to choose!
2. GCC Cuts Ties with Qatar: An Author You Cut Ties With
I don’t want to name names, but I cut ties with an author that I really loved who had the audacity to go on Twitter and complain about a (positive) review that I wrote for her latest book. She claimed that I gave away “the whole plot” when I didn’t even write about anything that wasn’t in the plot summary. I’ve loved her books, but I don’t need that kind of negativity in my life. I won’t be reading anything else that she writes.
3. La La Land Oscar Mix-Up: A Book That Surprised You
Turtles All the Way Downby John Green surprised me in a good way. It had been while since he released a new book and I was really hoping that I’d still love his writing – and I did.
All the Bright Placesby Jennifer Niven surprised me in a bad way. Honestly, I think I’ve talked this to death, but I thought that the way she handled the mental health issues in her book was incredibly irresponsible.
4. Hurricanes and Earthquakes: A Book That Rocked Your World
A lot of books rocked my world in 2017! I had more four- and five-star reads than ever before. The Hating Game, The Hate U Give, and Anything You Can Do top the list of my favorites.
5. Louvre Abu Dhabi: Favorite Book Cover Art
2017 had some great cover art. I mean, just check out my all reviews page! Three favorites, though, would have to be A Million Junesby Emily Henry, Queens of Geekby Jen Wilde, and Infiniby Krista & Becca Ritchie.
6. Da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi Sells for $450M: A Take-My-Money Book
Every year, the answer is the same. I should probably just set up a direct transfer from my bank account to Krista & Becca Ritchie’s. I tried not to repeat books here, but I adored Infini’s cover and I preordered it, so… Anyway. Damaged Like Usand Lovers Like Usare obviously also on this list.
7. Total Eclipse: A Sequel That Overshadows the First Book
I don’t think any of my 2017 reads really qualify! I found most sequels kind of disappointing if I’m perfectly honest.
8. Muslim Ban: Favorite Diverse Book
27 Hoursfeatures an almost entirely LGBT+ cast of varying ethnicities (I think I gave it four stars) and The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtueis about a young, bisexual British man and his biracial best friend/crush traveling around Europe (I gave it four stars as well).
9. Italy Doesn’t Qualify for World Cup: Most Disappointing Book
I saw a lot of people raving about Next August by Kelly Moore, but I couldn’t even make it through the first half. It was my one true DNF of the year (I don’t count Norwegian Wood since I just got bored and put it down).
10. Prince Harry Engaged: Favorite Ship
I loved Joshua and Lucy from The Hating Game! (Sorry for repeating books again, but they stand out in my mind as the best couple of the year.)
11. Star Wars: The Last Jedi: Most Anticipated Book
I’m not really sure what this question is getting at, so I have multiple answers for you.
My most anticipated of 2017 that I actually read in 2017 was A Conjuring of Lightby V.E. Schwab.
The book I most anticipated in 2017 that doesn’t come out until 2018 is My Plain Janeby Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows.
And as a bonus, the book I was most anticipating for 2017 that I didn’t actually read is One of Us Is Lyingby Karen McManus.
What do you think? Would your answers be different? Did you do this book tag? Let me know!
Happy Top Ten Tuesday! Today’s theme is ten books I want my future children to read and rather than write about the various board books that I’ve read to my nephew and my friends’ children, or write about the middle grade books I loved back in the day, I thought I’d talk about ten issue-driven YA novels that would help expand their horizons without being too preachy.
✨ If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo: A reminder that something as simple as using the correct pronouns and treating someone like a human being can make all the difference.
✨ What We Saw by Aaron Hartzler: A reminder to speak up – especially when it’s hard – if you see something that shouldn’t be happening.
✨ The Tyrant’s Daughter by J.C. Carleson: A reminder that not all members of a region or a religion are the same and to keep an open mind.
✨ The Big F by Maggie Ann Martin: A reminder that it’s okay to fail as long as you pick yourself back up and keep going.
✨ The List by Siobhan Vivian: A reminder that words and jokes can hurt and to be careful with what you say.
✨ Cherry by Lindsey Rosin: A reminder that it’s okay to do what you want with your own body as long as everything is consensual and you’re being safe.
✨ A List of Cages by Robin Roe: A reminder to always be kind because you never know what’s going on behind closed doors.
✨ The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas: A reminder that racism is alive and well in this country and it’s up to us to consciously fight it.
✨ Made You Up by Francesca Zappia: A reminder to actively fight the mental illness stigma rather than feeding into it.
✨ Beauty Queens by Libba Bray: A reminder that teenage girls are strong and powerful and can do anything that they set their minds to.
If you had to choose ten books that you’d want to pass along to your future children, what would they be?
In 2017, I set three different goals for myself. First, to read 125 books overall. Second, to complete the Modern Mrs. Darcy reading challenge. Third, to read twelve books by debut authors.
I’m still hard at work on my goal of 125 books and I have a couple prompts left for #mmdreading, but my 2017 debut author challenge is officially complete!
While I’ll no longer be actively seeking out debut authors of 2017 (now I need to focus on shrinking my TBR), I’m sure I’ll be reading more. I’m already looking forward to next year’s challenge.
Happy Top Ten Tuesday! Today, we’re celebrating the romantic love interests that keep us coming back for more – our top ten book boyfriends. Buckle up, because I have a lot to say on this topic!
Krista & Becca Ritchie have a knack for writing really great love interests. Honestly, I could list any of their male leads as one of my favorite book boyfriends, but I narrowed it down to Connor Cobalt (Kiss the Sky), Luka Kotova (Infini), and Ryke Meadows (Hothouse Flower). Both Connor Cobalt and Ryke Meadows are heavily featured in many of the Ritchies’ books but are introduced as love interests in the books above.
Seven Ways to Lose Your Heartis all about reconnecting with a childhood friend and falling in love. As if it takes much more to win my heart than that… but Kennedy Harrison is a great love interest. He’s flawed but still romantic. He knows what he wants, but he’s not an over-the-top alpha. He’s a realistic love interest.
Similar to the Ritchie sisters, R.S. Grey knows how to write the perfect guy. In Anything You Can Do, Lucas Thatcher is Daisy Bell’s childhood rival – and new co-worker. Working together as physicians at a small family practice, Lucas pushes Daisy’s buttons in just the right way. In The Allure of Julian Lefray,Julian hires Josephine Keller to help him maintain his sister’s fashion line while she’s away. There’s enough sexual tension to power the entirety of New York City, but they’re determined not to give in and jeopardize the company.
I fell in love with Arm Candy’s Davis Price in Jessica Lemmon’s previous book, Eye Candy. Davis is a sardonic stock analyst who is completely done with relationships. In his own book, we see him start to open up to the possibility of love… and then really knock the socks off of his love interest (and me) with his absolute perfection.
Now, clearly, these three books are young adult romances. They’re not so much book boyfriends for me now, but they’re boys I wish I could have known when I was an actual young adult.
In The Unexpected Everything, Andie’s summer is turned upside down when her father’s political scandal causes her to lose her place in a competitive summer program. Stuck at home and desperate to get out of the house, she takes a job as a dog walker and befriends Clark, a young, shy, bestselling author. Clark has a great personality, sure, but imagine finding out that your summer crush is a bestselling author!
The Big F’s leading lady, Danielle, has a similarly upturned life. When she unexpectedly fails a class during her senior year of high school, her admission to her dream school is revoked. She enrolls at a community college to get her life back on track and develops surprising feelings for her seemingly grumpy co-worker, Porter. Not only is Porter a total dreamboat, but he also helps Dani stay on the straight and narrow when it comes to her classes.
Kate’s been crushing on the school’s football star for years. Now, in her senior year of high school, she’s made it her mission to go to prom with him. The plan? Have her friend Cooper teach her how to flirt her way into Mick’s heart. Operation Prom Date is a go, but what happens when Kate realizes that Cooper is better than Mick in every possible way?
“Can’t you just picture everyone in their underwear?” he asked.
“I would prefer not to picture you in your underwear,” I said.
“Ouch!” he said. He picked up a book that had been misplaced on the shelf behind me and rearranged it, resting his hand right above my head. I held my breath for a few moments as I realized just how close we were. “For the record, I’ve been told I look rather refined in my underwear.”
