Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Will Make You Cry

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created over at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they're particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish (and who isn't?). They're all about creating new lists including a little bit of everything and I've been meaning to participate for so long but always seemed to get behind. So here we are and hopefully you'll head over to their page and check out what everyone else put up for this week's Top Ten.

While I love a good romance and fantasy adventure, I'm also just as likely to enjoy a real page turner that often leaves me needing a box of tissues while reading.  There's always been something cathartic and soothing to read a book that will bring you to tears, as well as when you find yourself laughing out loud or sitting on the edge of your seat thanks to the anxiety inducing action sequences.  Here are a few of those titles that fall into that category for me.

Tear Inducer #1:  The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

Tear Inducer #2:  The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds, #1) by Alexandra Bracken

 

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

 

Tear Inducer #3:  If I Stay (If I Stay, #1) by Gayle Forman

 

In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

A sophisticated, layered, and heart-achingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make, and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

Tear Inducer #4:  Stolen Nights (Vampire Queen, #2) by Rebecca Maizel

 

A new year is beginning at Wickham Boarding School. A new chance at life, at reversing the evil in my past. But nothing is ever as simple it seems...

Last year, the love of my life died performing a ritual to fulfill my one wish and make me human. And now I’ve performed the same ritual for my friend Vicken – and survived. Why am I here, back safe on Wickham campus?

The strong magic I used in the ritual did more than just make Vicken human. It drew someone to Lover’s Bay who does not belong here. She wants the ritual. Then she wants me dead. And she will take down any and everyone in my life to get what she wants.

As if that weren’t enough, the ritual has also summoned the anger of the Aeris, the four elements and most fundamental powers on earth. They have a surprise and an unbearable punishment for me – like stepping into the sun for the first time, only to be put into a cage. And now I have to make an impossible choice – between love or life, yearning or having, present or past…

 

Tear Inducer #5:  Wisdom (My Blood Approves, #4) by Amanda Hocking

 

Wisdom - the fourth book in the My Blood Approves series... For her eighteenth birthday, Alice Bonham takes a vacation to Australia only to have her trip cut short by an unexpected murder. While Alice tries to understand what happened, she regrets some of the choices she's made, especially the more permanent ones.

Tear Inducer #6:  Flawed by Kate Avelynn

 

Sarah O’Brien is alive because of the pact she and her brother made twelve years ago — James will protect her from their violent father if she promises to never leave him. For years, she’s watched James destroy his life to save hers. If all he asks for in return is her affection, she’ll give it freely.

Until, with a tiny kiss and a broken mind, he asks for more than she can give.

Sam Donavon has been James’ best friend — and the boy Sarah’s had a crush on — for as long as she can remember. As their forbidden relationship deepens, Sarah knows she’s in trouble. Quiet, serious Sam has decided he’s going to save her. Neither of them realizes James is far more unstable than her father ever was, or that he’s not about to let Sarah forget her half of the pact . .

 

Tear Inducer #7:  If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin

 

If he had been with me, he wouldn't have died.
Throughout their whole childhood, Finn and Autumn were inseparable—they finished each other's sentences, they knew just what to say when the other person was hurting. But one incident in middle school puts them in separate social worlds come high school, and Autumn has been happily dating James for the last 2 years. But she's always wondered what if...

The night she's about to get the answer is also one of terrible tragedy.

 

Tear Inducer #8:  Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder

 

Restless souls and empty hearts

Brooklyn can't sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca, died only a year ago, and now her friend Gabe has just died of an overdose. Every time she closes her eyes, Gabe's ghost is there waiting for her. She has no idea what he wants or why it isn't Lucca visiting her dreams.

Nico can't stop. He's always running, trying to escape the pain of losing his brother, Lucca. But when Lucca's ghost begins leaving messages, telling Nico to help Brooklyn, emotions come crashing to the surface.

As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they're being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.

 

Tear Inducer #9:  Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

 

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

Tear Inducer #10:  Blood Promise (Vampire Academy, #4) by Richelle Mead

Rose Hathaway's life will never be the same.

The recent attack on St. Vladimir's Academy devastated the entire Moroi world. Many are dead. And, for the few victims carried off by Strigoi, their fates are even worse. A rare tattoo now adorns Rose's neck, a mark that says she's killed far too many Strigoi to count. But only one victim matters . . . Dimitri Belikov. Rose must now choose one of two very different paths: honoring her life's vow to protect Lissa—her best friend and the last surviving Dragomir princess—or, dropping out of the Academy to strike out on her own and hunt down the man she loves. She'll have to go to the ends of the earth to find Dimitri and keep the promise he begged her to make. But the question is, when the time comes, will he want to be saved?

Now, with everything at stake—and worlds away from St. Vladimir's and her unguarded, vulnerable, and newly rebellious best friend—can Rose find the strength to destroy Dimitri? Or, will she sacrifice herself for a chance at eternal love?

Review: Just One Day (Just One Day, #1) by Gayle Forman

A breathtaking journey toward self-discovery and true love, from the author of If I Stay

When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.

Gayle Forman is a genius!  She is apparently incapable of writing a story that is anything less than perfect, and I've learned from experience that tissues are required to be on standby before I pick up any of her writing from here on out.  She has this ability to weave a story that pulls out every emotion in the book...literally.  Her characters are irresistible and the depth she gives them will leave every reader questioning whether they're imaginary or real when they finish a book because it's impossible to not feel as if you know them personally.

Forman struck gold as far as I'm concerned when it comes to Allyson/LuLu and Willem.  I couldn't imagine her creating more wonderful characters than she did in her If I Stay series, but these two have officially become my all time favorites.  I was rooting for LuLu to come out in full force and for the adventures to really begin for the two of them.  I must also mention that after reading this book I convinced myself that I needed to learn French.  I've always loved the idea of Paris and hope with all my heart that I will make it there one day to see for all of it's magnificence myself, but while I wait...Forman did a phenomenal job of describing everything to enjoy there down to a tee.  I felt like I was walking these streets right alongside these two.

 

The details, the turn of events, her secondary characters as well as her main stars...there's no stopping the talent that comes across the page when Forman sets to work.  There are always good books, and even some great ones.  I try my best to spread the word to my friends, family and fellow bloggers, because who isn't always on the lookout for the next good read?  But there are also those select few...the ones that are without question the pieces that deserve to be put on a pedestal, they don't come along very often, but they're there, and when you find them, you can only cherish them and shout it from the rooftops to anyone and everyone that will listen.  This is one of those very books.  A gem hidden among the vast world of young adult fiction.  I truly hope that for anyone out there who hasn't had the opportunity to read Forman's latest series, that they'll correct that problem immediately, because they're missing out.  There's no other way to put it.  This book was a masterpiece and I cannot wait until I get the chance to read her sequel, Just One Year, to see where things will go for Allyson/LuLu and Willem.

From Books to Movies

Everyone I'm sure can agree that when you find yourself a book you love you don't want it to end.  Saying goodbye (even knowing you can revisit these pages) to the unique worlds, wonderful characters, etc... is tough.  So I always worry that things will be changed, it can't do the original justice, the castings are never who I pictured, and the list goes on and on.  That's what goes through my head when I hear a favorite book of mine is going to hit the big screen.  But the bottom line though is that its another chance to visit a favorite book and hold on a little big longer.  The book will always win out, but I'm not going to complain about all the YA novels recently picked up for possible movie and TV transitions.  Are you?  Check out some of the potentials I'm looking forward to and let me know what you're counting down to hit the move theaters or TV screens.

Divergent

 

The first in Veronica Roth's trilogy is tentatively scheduled for release on March 21, 2014 so we've got less than a year to go!  Summit Entertainment picked this winner up and put Neil Burger in the director's seat.  He can take credit for films such as Limitless, The Lucky Ones, and The Illusionist for the director's role.  Filming was scheduled to start in April and to last around 60 days, most of which would be in the great city of Chicago.  Fans can look forward to Shailene Woodley as Tris, Theo James as Four, Kate Winslet as Jeanine Matthews, Jai Courtney as Eric and Maggie Q as Tori.  I'm still working out how I feel about the cast and trying to picture it all together, but I'll get there.  If you're not already, start following the movie on Instagram for sneak peek scenes from shooting and more posters like the Dauntless one at the right!

Ender's Game

 

This release will hit the big screens on November 1st in order to take advantage of the holiday ramp up, Summit Entertainment looks to have another potentially huge hit on their hands.  With Gavin Hood directing, you'll know him for X-Men Origins: Wolverine and I was super excited.  Asa Butterfield from Hugo, Abigail Breslin for Little Miss Sunshine and Harrison Ford...need I say more?  I've got my fingers crossed for some awesome visual effects, and with all the action going on throughout these pages, there's a huge potential for this film to be just out of this world...pun intended.  I know I'm also glad that while November might not be right around the corner it gives me plenty of time to FINALLY read this book.  I've been meaning to for so long and for one reason or another I kept pushing it to the side.  Now I have no more excuses left...I hate seeing a movie based on a book before I've ever read the book...bad form in my opinion.  I know I'll want to see this movie as soon as it comes out, so I've got a few months to bump it up on my TBR list and get cracking!  I mean how cool does this movie poster alone look?

 

 

Vampire Academy

 

With a title like Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters I wasn't sure what to think, and decided to hold off on judgement.  We can hope to see this release on Valentine's Day next year thanks to The Weinstein Co. who bought the U.S. rights.  They're more well known for movies with adult themes, like Silver Linings Playbook, but hopefully they're attempting to widen their repertoire and reach the highly popular teen audiences and the rest of us who devour these types of books.  Mark Waters will direct (you might know him from Mean Girls and 500 Days of Summer) and his brother Daniel Waters wrote alongside.  I've been a fan of his work from Heathers and can only hope he hasn't lost his magic touch.  Zoey Deutch, best known for Beautiful Creatures and Ringer will play Rose Hathaway, Danila Kozlovsky is set to play Dimitri Belikov, and Lucy Fry the sweet Lissa Dragomir.  I completely unfamiliar with Danila and Lucy, but the pictures I've seen haven't been far off what I've always pictured in my head so for now I'll hope for the best.  Either way I'm excited to see how this one transitions to the screen since it's been one of my favorite series for a long time.

 



If I Stay

 

How to describe how I feel about this one being made into a movie...it's too hard to put into words.  This is a book that was so moving and haunting that even after finishing the last pages I knew it would stay with me for a long time to come.  So while I know this one has been in and out of production since 2009, I'm still undecided if I'm excited to see it happen for real, or am I okay if it doesn't end up making the cut.  Dakota Fanning was originally slated to play Mia, but now it's said that Chloe Grace Moretz is rumored to have taken the role.  I enjoyed her in Dark Shadows and look forward to her playing Carrie...although I don't think anyone can hold a candle to Sissy Spacek in that role.  I'm hopeful that if R.J. Cutler (from the September Issue) will be in the director's chair that it's got potential...I hope.  I'd be even more optimistic if Gayle Forman herself would be put in a VERY big role as far as contributing to the screen play, etc...because than at least I'd feel some reassurance that they wouldn't stray too far from the masterpiece that she put together.

 

 

Incarceron

 

Amber Entertainment snagged the rights to Catherine Fischer's YA series and is helping to put this movie into motion.  Unfortunately after Fox 2000 dropped the rights to this film in 2012 there hasn't been much new information other than it being picked up and hopefully revamped shortly by Amber Entertainment.  There were rumors that Taylor Lautner and Emma Watson were going to be filling in the roles for the main characters, but those can now be classified as just that...rumors...or at least for the time being.  I've got no problem with Lautner, but honestly I can't see him in the role of Finn, so part of me hopes that whoever ends up playing this part will feel more right to fit the mold of the character I've got pictured in my head.  Only time will tell.

 



 

Daughter of Smoke & Bone

 





If the cast and the screenplay turn out as good as they've got the potential to, I think all the fans out there for this YA mega hit will be pleased.  With Stuart Beattie in the driver's seat of this screenplay after Universal picked up the rights, I got excited.  He's done great work with Collateral, and 30 Days of Night...a little dark, but I think a book like this will need someone who can tap into material like that.  And to top it all off we've got Joe Roth producing as of right now.  If you guys haven't seen Snow White and the Huntsman, or The Great and Powerful Oz, both of which are two of his masterpieces, get on that immediately.  I've got to admit that I'm feeling optimistic when it comes to this book hitting the big screen.  For some reason or another I can actually picture what it could be like, I can see the potential and hopefully with a great team, which they've already started putting together, a great cast will soon follow!

The Selection

 

Now we've ventured into the TV screens with this one.  Kiera Cass' hit series seems to know no bounds.  With the recent release of this series' sequel, The Elite, fans just can't seem to get enough.  The CW has a pilot for this series set to come out this year, still not sure when, but you know what that means....we've got no guarantees that it will keep coming back until the pilot and maybe the first couple episodes (if we're lucky) do well.  Only after receiving great ratings and all that other jazz that goes into deciding whether or not to keep a show gets factored in will we know if we'll see this baby stick around.  I took a look at the cast they have on IMDB.com and I'll admit that I'm wary.  I'm not sure how I feel about the people listed so far, all I can say is that just from their head shots...they're not at all what I was picturing for the characters they're slated to play...like....at all!  But they've got Alex Graves directing, and one of my favorite shows ever, The West Wing, is on his resume and that's all the endorsement I needed to put my absolute faith that he'll work his magic and do the best that can be done!

The Mortal Instruments

 

There was no way I was leaving this one off the list, but of course I wanted to save it for last.  With this baby hitting the big screen next month, I know everyone is just on the edge of their seat to see what awesomeness will translate into the movie theaters across the country.  The trailers alone just put a smile on my face because honestly, from what I've seen so far...they're nailing it!  At least all except for the casting of Jace...I'm not saying he won't do a great job, he's just not at all what I had pictured in my head...but that's my problem, lol.  With this being the first in the world-wide bestselling series, there's a ton of pressure on just about every aspect of this film, but I'm rooting for everyone to pull it off!  By leaps and bounds, so far my favorite casting decisions were found with Magnus Bane and Valentine Morgenstern...perfection in my opinion!  Perfection!

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Book Covers of Books I've Read

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created over at The Broke and the Bookish.  This feature was created because they're particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish (and who isn't?). They're all about creating new lists including a little bit of everything and I've been meaning to participate for so long but always seemed to get behind.  So here we are and hopefully you'll head over to their page and check out what everyone else put up for this week's Top Ten.

While all of us know that we shouldn't judge a book based only it's cover, we all do it a little bit.  It might be that the cover is what drew our attention to check it out further, or kept us from racing to the register to make our purchase if it was less than appealing.  Either way, a book's cover image is important and I've come across a lot that have just taken my breath away and gotten me even more excited to read a title that I'd already been looking forward to checking out.

Favorite Cover Pick #1:  The Space Between (The Book of Phoenix, #1) by Kristie Cook

When Life Falls to Pieces, Answers Lie in the Space Between

After a month-long dance tour through Italy, 20-year-old Leni Drago returns to Georgia to care for her great-uncle, only to find him gone, the home they shared empty and any evidence he ever existed wiped out. All that’s left is a journal she can’t open.

Jeric Winters has been searching for a piece of his past for over a year, only to reach a dead-end in Georgia. When an urgent and magnetic pull draws him out of his hotel room, he comes face-to-face with the beautiful dancer who’s been haunting his dreams day and night.

Jeric’s one to stay away from—a bad-boy, hit-it-and-quit-it type—but Leni can’t escape the fervent feelings between them. As their own existences begin to crumble around them and shadowy forms that are more monsters than men attack, they realize there’s more to the connection between them than physical fascination.

To solve the riddle their lives have become, they must embark on a journey that requires them to face their pasts and release their true souls. And they must do it fast—dark ones from another world are closing in, intent on killing them. Permanently.

I'm not sure if it's the pastel colors swirling around, or the silhouettes presented of two of the characters?  Either way, the first look I got of this title and I was sold.

Favorite Cover Pick #2:  Airel (The Airel Saga, #1) by Aaron Patterson & Chris White

All Airel ever wanted was to be normal, to disappear into the crowd. But bloodlines can produce surprises, like an incredible ability to heal. Then there’s Michael Alexander, the new guy in school, who is impossibly gorgeous…and captivated by her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she can hear the sound of pages turning, and another, older story being written. It is the story of an ancient family, of great warriors, of the Sword of Light, and the struggle against an evil so terrible, so far-reaching, that it threatens everything. Airel knew change would be an inevitable part of life. But can she hold on when murder and darkness begin to close in and take away everything she loves? Will she have what it takes when the truth is finally revealed?

While I might not have been sold on the story itself, the cover image haunted me.  There was something about the character's pose and the coloring that drew me in and without a doubt left me wanting to know what her story was?

Favorite Cover Pick #3:  Splintered (Splintered, #1) by A.G. Howard

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.
When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

Who didn't fall in love with this cover? It's creative and blows a great imagination out of the water...all the elements it should possess to tell a tale related to Alice in Wonderland.

Favorite Cover Pick #4:  Darkness Before Dawn (Darkness Before Dawn Trilogy, #1) by J.A. London

Only sunlight can save us.

We built the wall to keep them out, to keep us safe. But it also makes us prisoners, trapped in what's left of our ravaged city, fearing nightfall.

After the death of my parents, it's up to me--as the newest delegate for humanity--to bargain with our vampire overlord. I thought I was ready. I thought I knew everything there was to know about the monsters. Then again, nothing could have prepared me for Lord Valentine . . . or his son. Maybe not all vampires are killers. Maybe it's safe to let one in.

Only one thing is certain: Even the wall is not enough. A war is coming and we cannot hide forever.

It's all about the girl and the fabulous dress right?  Again another cover that left me haunted and wondering what this girl's story was all about.  I couldn't resist.

Favorite Cover Pick #5:  The Selection (The Selection, #1) by Kiera Cass

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself--and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Yes it's another one I fell in love with due to the girl and the fabulous dress...but come on!  It's a stunner and totally worthy of my gawking.

Favorite Cover Pick #6:  Reached (Matched, #3) by Ally Condie

After leaving Society to desperately seek The Rising, and each other, Cassia and Ky have found what they were looking for, but at the cost of losing each other yet again. Cassia is assigned undercover in Central city, Ky outside the borders, an airship pilot with Indie. Xander is a medic, with a secret. All too soon, everything shifts again.

I waited to see what this cover would look like just as anxiously as all the other fans.  When I saw the new color scheme that was being used, and the way our main character Cassia was breaking out of the bubble instead of being trapped inside I was thrilled.  Excitement coursed through me and I was eagerly counting down until I'd get to check this third installment out and see what Condie had in store for her characters this time around.  Condie didn't disappoint with her writing and plot lines, nor did the cover image fail to live up to what I was expecting.  All of it was just fabulous!

Favorite Cover Pick #7:  If I Stay (If I Stay, #1) by Gayle Forman

In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

A sophisticated, layered, and heart-achingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make, and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

I know that this title has both a hardcover image and a paperback cover image, but it's the paperback cover image that I fell in love with.  And after reading this story I can't imagine another cover more suited to the story.  It perfectly captures what goes on within the pages, and the image itself drew me in before I knew anything about the story Forman would weave so poetically for her readers.

Favorite Cover Pick #8:  The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

Love is all you need... or is it? Penny's about to find out in this wonderful debut.

Penny is sick of boys and sick of dating. So she vows: no more. It's a personal choice. . .and, of course, soon everyone wants to know about it. And a few other girls are inspired. A movement is born: The Lonely Hearts Club (named after the band from Sgt. Pepper). Penny is suddenly known for her nondating ways . . . which is too bad, because there's this certain boy she can't help but like. . . .

Everyone knows I'm a huge fan of all things Elizabeth Eulberg, but this cover sold me right off the bat before I even knew anything about her.  My love of the Beatles goes back to when I was little and my dad was trying to make sure I didn't grow up without an appreciation for the "good" type of music.  In fact ever since seeing this book cover and reading more about it in Eulberg's story I've always wanted to reenact the famous album cover with friends or family!

Favorite Cover Pick #9:  Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close

Wickedly hilarious and utterly recognizable, Girls in White Dresses tells the story of three women grappling with heartbreak and career change, family pressure and new love—all while suffering through an endless round of weddings and bridal showers.

Isabella, Mary, and Lauren feel like everyone they know is getting married. On Sunday after Sunday, at bridal shower after bridal shower, they coo over toasters, collect ribbons and wrapping paper, eat minuscule sandwiches and doll-sized cakes. They wear pastel dresses and drink champagne by the case, but amid the celebration these women have their own lives to contend with: Isabella is working at a mailing-list company, dizzy with the mixed signals of a boss who claims she’s on a diet but has Isabella file all morning if she forgets to bring her a chocolate muffin. Mary thinks she might cry with happiness when she finally meets a nice guy who loves his mother, only to realize he’ll never love Mary quite as much. And Lauren, a waitress at a Midtown bar, swears up and down she won’t fall for the sleazy bartender—a promise that his dirty blond curls and perfect vodka sodas make hard to keep.

With a wry sense of humor, Jennifer Close brings us through those thrilling, bewildering, what-on-earth-am-I-going-to-do-with-my-life years of early adulthood. These are the years when everyone else seems to have a plan, a great job, and an appropriate boyfriend, while Isabella has a blind date with a gay man, Mary has a crush on her boss, and Lauren has a goldfish named Willard. Through boozy family holidays and disastrous ski vacations, relationships lost to politics and relationships found in pet stores, Girls in White Dresses pulls us deep inside the circle of these friends, perfectly capturing the wild frustrations and soaring joys of modern life.

I think this one just speaks for itself if you've ever been a bridesmaids or participated in a wedding of any kind.  By the end of the process it's very likely you'll find yourself feeling a lot like this girl featured on the cover....a dress and a bouquet of flowers...point me in the right direction and away we go.

Favorite Cover Pick #10:  Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

An iconic novel dressed in a fierce design by acclaimed fashion illustrator Ruben Toledo. See the other titles in the couture-inspired collection: Jane Eyre, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dracula, The Scarlet Letter and Wuthering Heights.

Ruben Toledo’s breathtaking drawings have appeared in such high-fashion magazines as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Visionaire. Now he’s turning his talented hand to illustrating the gorgeous deluxe editions of three of the most beloved novels in literature. Here Elizabeth Bennet’s rejection of Mr. Darcy, Hester Prynne’s fateful letter “A”, and Catherine Earnshaw’s wanderings on the Yorkshire moors are transformed into witty and surreal landscapes to appeal to the novels’ aficionados and the most discerning designer’s eyes.
Ruben Toledo's illustrations take my breath away!  I love his creative take on this classic favorite of mine, as well as all of the other Penguins' classics that he gave his own spin to.

Review: Where She Went (If I Stay, #2) by Gayle Forman

It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future-and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

If I was worried that Forman wouldn't have lightning striking twice I needn't have bothered.  Her sequel delivered and Adam's voice was just as capturing as Mia's.  I was surprised with how things started off and three years having passed since the terrible accident but quickly got my bearings and was frantic for more of the two of these wonderful characters.

Seeing and hearing how much and how fast their lives changed was disorienting and I was a little sad to find that it wasn't everything they'd hoped for, but I wanted to wait and see how and if things might turn around for them.  If any characters ever deserved a happy ending it would be these two don't you think?  It was no surprise how invested Forman was able to get her readers to be in the first book and nothing changed this time around.

For these two, one night to reconnect and wade through the past, their presents and their futures was a tall order but Forman managed to pack it all in flawlessly.  I was on the edge of my seat flipping each page and holding my breath.  Forman maintains her reputation and talent and I look forward to reading more from her.

I gave Where She Went (If I Stay, #2) 4 shamrocks!!!!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books Dealing with Tough Subjects

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created over at The Broke and the Bookish.  This feature was created because they're particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish (and who isn't?). They're all about creating new lists including a little bit of everything and I've been meaning to participate for so long but always seemed to get behind.  So here we are and hopefully you'll head over to their page and check out what everyone else put up for this week's Top Ten.

While I'm always a fan of fun and light reads like we talked about it in last week's post, I also try not to shy away from books with serious topics, and ones that might not be so easy to get through.  I might not want to take these to enjoy while on vacation at the beach, they're often the ones that once I'm finished end up having special places in my heart forever!

Tough Reads Pick #1:  The Color of Rain by Cori McCarthy

If there is one thing that seventeen-year-old Rain knows and knows well, it is survival. Caring for her little brother, Walker, who is "Touched," and losing the rest of her family to the same disease, Rain has long had to fend for herself on the bleak, dangerous streets of Earth City. When she looks to the stars, Rain sees escape and the only possible cure for Walker. And when a darkly handsome and mysterious captain named Johnny offers her passage to the Edge, Rain immediately boards his spaceship. Her only price: her "willingness."

The Void cloaks many secrets, and Rain quickly discovers that Johnny's ship serves as host for an underground slave trade for the Touched . . . and a prostitution ring for Johnny's girls. With hair as red as the bracelet that indicates her status on the ship, the feeling of being a marked target is not helpful in Rain's quest to escape. Even worse, Rain is unsure if she will be able to pay the costs of love, family, hope, and self-preservation.

With intergalactic twists and turns, Cori McCarthy's debut space thriller exists in an orbit of its own.
This is a story about survival above all else!  Rain must fight to survive on so many levels that it was impossible not to immediately sympathize with her character and hope with all hope that she could come out of this triumphant.

Tough Reads Pick #2:  The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity by Wm. Paul Young

Mackenzie Allen Philips' youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation, and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his "Great Sadness," Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend.

Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever.

In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant The Shack wrestles with the timeless question, "Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?" The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You'll want everyone you know to read this book!
I know this book doesn't fall into the YA category, but it was one of the harder ones for me to get through given the subject of the book.  Tragedy affects everyone differently and we all find our own ways of dealing with it, but after reading this book, I'll admit that I see things differently now.

Tough Reads Pick #3:  If I Stay (If I Stay, #1) by Gayle Forman

In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

A sophisticated, layered, and heart-achingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make, and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

If anyone's read this title, it speaks for itself.  I read this one a little while ago and it's still staying with me, as I'm sure it will for years to come.  I cried throughout the majority of these pages, but I would recommend it over and over again!  Forman has a way of engaging her readers that I'm not sure many other authors have.  It's a gift and one that I was so glad to have the chance to experience.

Tough Reads Pick #4:  Where She Went (If I Stay, #2) by Gayle Forman

It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future-and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.
Again, just like the series opener, this sequel touched me and will stay with me for a long time to come I'm sure.

Tough Reads Pick #5:  Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.
I'll be very surprised if this title doesn't make quite a few lists for today's post.  I read this a few years ago and still think about it to this day.  I'm not sure if it was just the topic of the book, but that combined with Asher's writing and the strong voice that came out of the narration still haunts me.  Again, not a book that I think many will want to read over and over again, but still one that I can't help recommending to anyone on the lookout for a read that will touch them.

Tough Reads Pick #6:  Glimpse by Carol Lynch Williams

In one moment,
it is over.

In one moment
it is gone.

The morning grows
thin, grey
and our lives-
how they were-
have vanished.

Our lives have
changed
when I walk in
on Lizzie
my sister

holding a shotgun.

Twelve year old girl Hope's life is turned upside down when her older sister Lizzie becomes an elective mute and is institutionalized after trying to kill herself.
A haunting read, that unfortunately took me quite some time to get through.  I found myself having to take breaks and give myself some space, because of the heavy issues being dealt with within these pages.

Tough Reads Pick #7:  Hunger (Riders of the Apocalypse, #1) by Jackie Morse Kessler

“Thou art the Black Rider. Go thee out unto the world.”

Lisabeth Lewis has a black steed, a set of scales, and a new job: she’s been appointed Famine. How will an anorexic seventeen-year-old girl from the suburbs fare as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

Traveling the world on her steed gives Lisa freedom from her troubles at home: her constant battle with hunger, and her struggle to hide it from the people who care about her. But being Famine forces her to go places where hunger is a painful part of everyday life, and to face the horrifying effects of her phenomenal power. Can Lisa find a way to harness that power — and the courage to battle her own inner demons?

While Kessler found a unique and at times ironic way of telling this tale, nothing can change the fact that the subject matter is very real and very scary.

Tough Reads Pick #8:  Flawed by Kate Avelynn

Sarah O’Brien is alive because of the pact she and her brother made twelve years ago — James will protect her from their violent father if she promises to never leave him. For years, she’s watched James destroy his life to save hers. If all he asks for in return is her affection, she’ll give it freely.

Until, with a tiny kiss and a broken mind, he asks for more than she can give.

Sam Donavon has been James’ best friend — and the boy Sarah’s had a crush on — for as long as she can remember. As their forbidden relationship deepens, Sarah knows she’s in trouble. Quiet, serious Sam has decided he’s going to save her. Neither of them realizes James is far more unstable than her father ever was, or that he’s not about to let Sarah forget her half of the pact . .

Another read that I had a very hard time with.  I think I cried from start to finish, maybe not throughout every page, but for the most part when I was crying I was still incredibly sad for these characters and the circumstances they were forced to live.  After I finished the last page of this book I thought maybe I'd be able to pull it together, but it turned out to take quite a while before I calmed down enough to really look back and reflect on all that Avelynn put into this work.  Her writing was amazing and the story will always haunt me.

**I have more titles that I could add to this list but when I went looking back through my library these eight really were the titles with the hardest and toughest subjects, so I don't want to add two more titles just to say I finished the list.  These eight will always stay with me and hopefully despite their darker natures and tougher subject lines, you'll give them a chance if you haven't already.

Review: If I Stay (If I Stay, #1) by Gayle Forman

In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

A sophisticated, layered, and heart-achingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make, and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

I can now fully understand what everyone has been takling about when it comes to Gayle Forman.  Wow...just wow!  For me this book has now been added to the shelf along with Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why, and that's not an easy feat.  It's a book that touched me deeply and had me truly invested from start to finish.  One that I know I'll look back and think on often...there's no way to forget it.

Her writing and style were so capturing and her characters so beautiful and endearing.  I honestly felt like I was losing family members, Mia was that easy to relate to as a character and narrator. The circumstances, the ideas behind her potential choices, and the ripple effect it would inevitably create...haunting!  I have come across many good writers, some even great ones.  Forman, in my opinion takes it to another level.  And knowing after reading so many other rave reviews and comments, means I'm not the only one feeling this way.

I'm of course over the moon to know there's a sequel for me to read and can't wait to see if Forman can put as much force behind Adam's voice as she did with Mia.  I'm just very grateful to have the opportunity to read amazing stories like this one.

I gave If I Stay (If I Stay, #1) 5 shamrocks!!!!!