Top Ten Top Ten

This week's topic from The Broke and Bookish is your Top 10 favorite Top 10 lists. I love a good list, so this collection should really deliver!

In no particular order, here they are:

1. Top 10 Things That Make Me Pick Up a Book

2. Top 10 Bookish Problems

3. Top 10 Book Club books

4. Top 10 Book Club books - take 2

5. Top 10 Covers I'd Fame As Art

6. Top 10 Bookish T-shirts

7. My Top 10 Bookish Memories

8. Top 10 Books to Make You Swoon

9. Top 10 Contemporary/Classic Pairings

10. Top 10 Road Trip Books

Top 5 Books I'd Like to See as Movies

This week's topic from The Broke and Bookish is Top 10 Books You'd Like to See as Movies. I only picked 5, so you should know that I'm twice as serious about all of these!

Salt & Storm - Kendall Kulper

The gorgeous location near Novia Scotia, would be so visually stunning. I love films that are period pieces for the great costumes. The sea witches magic, raging ocean storms, and Pacific Islander love interest would be great to see as well.

More Than This - Patrick Ness

Lots of twist and turns in this dystopian.

Steelheart - Brandon Sanderson

Superhero movies are all the rage right now. Featuring an evil Superman-like character and the young man who's fighting him, this book would make a great movie. I would love to see the scene where David cleverly bluffs his way out of a tough situation with a weapons dealer.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Saenz

Look - this would have to be an indie-art film. This isn't what I'd call a "blockbuster" plot. But, the friendship between the two boys that slowly turns toward romance and the lyrical slow-pace would make for a fantastic art house cinema piece.

The Burning Sky - Sherry Thomas

Harry Potter meets Downton Abby. Sold! Get this book turned into a movie, stat!

Top 10 Beach Reads

This week's topic from The Broke and Bookish is Top 10 Beach Reads. Here are my picks:

Of Poseidon - Anna Banks
What's summer without a mermaid story? This one is actually kind of terrible (the boyfriend is an alpha male stalker, which I hate) but that's what makes reading this one fun. It's a guilty pleasure.

Formerly Shark Girl - 
A little heavier than what I'd normally recommend for a summer read, a girl continues to cope with everything life throws at her after losing her arm in a freak shark attack.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - Ann Brashares
Each of the girls in this story goes on an adventure either away or at home while borrowing the magical pair of jeans that somehow fits them all. Because the book is divided into four parts, it makes for an especially fast and fun read.

Lies Beneath - 
Another mermaid story. This one features a merman, a lake and a murder mystery.

How to Be Popular - Meg Cabot
Cabot always delivers light and easy to read fare, but this is especially fluffy and fun about a girl who uses an outdated manners book to try to become popular using advice from the past.

The Truth About Forever - Sarah Dessen
A sensitive story about a teen's summer as she works her butt off at a catering company, makes new friends and discovers that maybe her boyfriend isn't worth waiting around for.

We Were Liars - E. Lockhart
A lot heavier than what I'd normally recommend for a summer read, but I loved this story about an upper class girl and her rebellious cousins summer on a private island, with an unbelievably shocking twist at the end.

Meant to Be - Lauren Merrill
A fun school trip to Paris! Plus, a lot boy crazy.

Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins
Another fun trip to France! And a bit boy crazy.

Lost Voices - Sarah Porter
Another mermaid story with a "Lost Girls" kind of feel. Abused girls get a fresh lease on life as angry mermaids.

Top 10 Reasons I Love Blogging

This week's topic from The Broke and the Bookish is a rewind week - pick your own topic. Here are 10 reasons I love blogging.

It's a great way to keep track of what I've read. Listing what I've read each month and doing a year-end review of what I've been reading is enormously helpful to me. I can go back and re-read a review to refresh my memory, or look at the list of what I've read and think about if I want to change what I'm reading in the upcoming year (more middle-grade, or more sports fiction, for example)

It's opened some great doors for me professionally. Because of my blog, I've been interviewed as a children's literature expert on CNN, had the opportunity to meet and hang out with New York Times bestselling authors and serve on book award committees. I'm also certain that it's been helpful in job interviews, as a kind of portfolio of work that I've done, especially in creating displays or hosting programs.

My blog has been a great way to meet people - other bloggers and librarians, especially at conferences. I enjoy challenging myself to try new things - reading other people's blogs is frequently an inspiration for me to try a new program or add a new book to my to be read list. And of course, I've had the opportunity to read Advance Review Copies and show off some terrific book hauls.

Top 10 Quotes

This week's topic from The Broke and Bookish is Top 10 Inspiring Quotes. Most of these are library related... but I have a few quotes from some of my favorite books as well.

“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.”
― Jorge Luis Borges

“You see, I don't belive that libraries should be drab places where people sit in silence, that has been the main reason for our policy of employing wild animals as librarians.”
― Graham Chapman

“The world is quiet here.”
― Lemony Snicket

“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”
― Marcus Tullius Cicero

“In a library we are surrounded by many hundreds of dear friends imprisoned by an enchanter in paper and leathern boxes.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The very existence of libraries affords the best evidence that we may yet have hope for the future of man”
― T.S. Eliot

“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

“Wilbur never forgot Charlotte. Although he loved her children and grandchildren dearly, none of the new spiders ever quite took her place in his heart. She was in a class by herself. It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both.”
― E.B. White, Charlotte's Web

“Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.”
― Groucho Marx

“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! -- When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.”
― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

Ten Books New to the TBR

This week's topic from The Broke and Bookish is Ten Books You Recently Added To Your To-Be-Read List. My To-Be-Read list is a constant work in progress. I'm always adding and dropping books from the list. Here are the most recent items I added.

The Conspiracy of Us - Maggie Hall


Pretending to Be Erica - Michelle Painchaud


The Secret History of Wonder Woman - Jill Lepore


The Winner's Crime - Marie Rutkoski


The Paper Magician - Charlie Holmberg


Girl on a Wire - Gwenda Bond


Pennyroyal Academy - M.A. Larson


Shadow Study - Maria V. Snyder


The Heir - Kiera Cass


A Darker Shade of Magic - V. E. Schwa

Best Boarding School Books

This week's topic from The Broke and Bookish is Top 10 Books for Readers Who Like...  I chose Boarding Schools. I'm a sucker for a story that takes place in a boarding school. I think it's because most Americans don't go to boarding school, so it's an interesting concept, and what better way to get your young protagonists away from their parents, and amongst their peers, having adventures. Again, I had trouble keeping it to just 10 books, so I rounded it up to a dozen.

White Cat - Holly Black
A Great and Terrible Beauty - Libba Bray
I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You - Ally Carter
Marked - P.C. + Kristin Cast
Evernight - Claudia Gray
The Princess Academy - Shannon Hale
Hex Hall - Rachel Hawkins
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks - E. Lockhart
Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling
The Burning Sky - Sherry Thomas
Dead Beautiful - Yvonne Woon

Recent Faves

This week's topic from The Broke and Bookish is Top 10 All Time Favorite Books. (from the past 3 years) I had a little trouble narrowing it down to 10 - so I've rounded it up to a nice dozen. Here we go!

The Future of Us - Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler
     I loved this time-travelly adventure about the path not taken, as two teens from 1996 discover some kind of loophole in time revealing their future Facebook pages and their small decisions as teens affect their future 30 year old selves in large ways.

Beta - Rachel Cohn
     This was so different from anything else I've read by Rachel Cohn. It's a quasi-dystopian about the struggles of a clone girl.

A Hero for WondLA - Tony DiTerlizzi
     The second book in the WondLA series has Eva 9 discovering that she's not the last living human as she originally thought. The artwork and the Oz influences in this sci-fi series are fantastic.

Seraphina - Rachel Hartman
     A half-dragon girl struggles in a medieval world setting. Loved it!

Shades of Milk and Honey - Mary Robinette Kowal
     It's like Jane Austen... with wizards! Sold.

We Were Liars - E. Lockhart
     I love a book with a great twist at the end, and this one is a doozy.

The Lies of Locke Lamora - Scott Lynch
     Epic fantasy, starring one of the best rogues ever conceived.

Incarnate - Jodi Meadows
     Another fantasy, about a girl newly arrived in a society of reincarnated souls.

His Majesty's Dragon - Naomi Novik
     Napoleonic Wars... with dragons! Everything's better with dragons. That's just a fact.

Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell
     I actually had a tough time picking out which Rainbow Rowell book to include. Eleanor and Park was so romantic and wonderful. But, I loved the twin sisters in Fangirl and the "excerpts" from the fanfic throughout this story.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone - Laini Taylor
     Amaaaaazing! Wow. The world-building in this series is bar-none, some of the best ever.

The List - Siobhan Vivian
     I love books with alternating chapters - this story featured a large cast of girls who each have been nominated for "the list" a cruel annual tradition at their school, which rates the prettiest and ugliest girls of each grade.

Top 10 Heroines

This week's topic from The Broke and Bookish is Top 10 Favorite Heroines From Books.
Let's see!


1. Katniss Everdeen (Hunger Games)
Okay, sure, Katniss is kind of emotionally clueless. Some might even say, a bit dead inside, especially after all the ordeals she goes through. But, I love that she is such a talented archer, and so protective of her family. She's one tough lady!


2. Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)
She makes being nerdy and well-read look so very awesome. She is the brightest witch of her age, and loyal to her friends.

3. Charlotte (Charlotte's Web)
Can we count her? A spider? I love Charlotte. I love how pragmatic and sensible she is, and what a great friend she is to Wilbur, a lunk of a pig who doesn't always deserve it.


4. Beatrice "Tris" Prior (Divergent)
She reminds me of Katniss in a lot of ways. She holds true to her ideals as she struggles with feeling so out of place in her segmented society. Also, she's tough as nails!

5. Katsa (Graceling)
Here's another tough fighter of a heroine. I love her journey, as she struggles with her supernatural "gift" of being such an able assassin.

6. Elizabeth Bennett (Pride and Prejudice)
Here's a girl who doesn't take any sass - whether it's from Mr. Darcy or her own mother. Love her, so much.


7. Dorothy Gale (The Wizard of Oz)
Forget everything you've seen in the movie. The book is far trippier. Dorothy is one of the bravest, most determined heroines ever. Nothing fazes her. Anyone who can make allies of a talking scarecrow, a lion, a field full of mice, animate china dolls, a tin man and rulers of several magical countries is really something.

8. Cinder (Lunar Chronicles)
Forget the traditional Cinderella who sits back and waits for a Fairy Godmother and later, the Prince, to come and rescue her. This Cinder is a cyborg tinkerer who takes matters into her own hands.


9. Karou (Daughter of Smoke and Bone)
She starts out as a beleaguered art student in Prague, burdened with gathering teeth for her secret magical family... and things only get more intense from there!

10. Sabriel (Old Kingdom Trilogy)
Here's another character who is so brave, and doesn't even give herself credit for how badass she is. She ventures into the realm of death on a regular basis in order to save her country and her friends!

Top 10 Bookish Problems

This week's topic from The Broke and Bookish is Top 10 Bookish Problems.
Let's see!

10) Self-published authors - I have read some indie-published books that have been great. But there are so very many that aren't. So very many. And because indie authors are usually doing their own publicity and/or are new to the publishing, in my experience they can sometimes be pushy and unprofessional. As a book blogger and reviewer it makes for awkward moments all around when I get multiple e-mails from desperate self-published authors begging me to read and review books that I honestly can't find much positive to say about. Indie-authors! Don't be that guy!

9) Budget - The library I work for has (like many libraries) suffered from budget cuts, and I haven't been able to get books I'd like to have for our patrons. I do purchase books that I'm dying to read on my own, and then donate them to the library - but it's just not enough! It's tough when I know the perfect book to put in a patron's hands... and we don't have it.

8) Gift books - Friends and family will frequently think to themselves, "Ah! I bet I know what Madigan would like! A book!" So, I do get a lot of books as gifts. Which is much-appreciated and fine. The only problem here, is when gift-givers demand to know if I've read the book yet. Uh... it's in the queue! I'll get to it! Eventually. People who don't have professional obligations and piles of books waiting for review simply don't understand this.

7) E-books vs. Paper books - E-books are a wonderful space-saver. I switch back and forth between reading physical books and books on my iPhone or Nook. The problem here, is sometimes I'll read an e-book that is so great, I know I need a copy for my permanent collection, so then I have to buy it twice. Or, I read a paper book that I know I don't want to keep... and then I have to figure out what to do with it.

6) E-library books vs. E-purchased books - Purchasing e-books on my Nook is a dream. One click, and it's instantly there. Borrowing e-books from the library is a different matter. I download library books from Overdrive all the time - I'm sad that publishers don't always seem to trust or like libraries, and feel the need to put all this extra "friction" on acquiring e-books from the library. Using Overdrive is a bit like that old saying, "You never step in the same river twice." They are constantly switching up their website, or changing policies. I'm pretty computer savvy so it's not really a problem for me, but it is a hassle to have to explain the ever-changing ways of the Internet to my senior citizen patrons who ask for help at the library.

5) Space - About 5 years ago, I lost most of my books in a flood. Sadness! After that, I resolved to do better about not hoarding too many and limited myself to just one bookshelf, which worked pretty well for a while. Now, I'm afraid, I've got a couple of bookshelves, plus some built-ins and I'm starting to see piles of books on the floor. How big a space would be big enough? Hmm... that's a good question. If I think about it, I'm certain I could fill up a large space quickly. Which brings me to my next point...

4) Weeding - Well, generally this isn't a problem for me, as I like to go through and thin-out my collection of just about everything. I wouldn't say I live a spartan existence, but I do like to clear out clutter - including books. I guess my problem here is the continuous nature of weeding. I'm never really finished going through and organizing my book collection, as more books seem crop up out of nowhere. I wish I could feel like I was "done" weeding for a bit.

3) Book stumpers - This doesn't happen very often to me. But once in a blue moon, I'll remember a few points of the plot, maybe a hazy detail about the cover... and that's it. So frustrating! Even a key word or two from the title or half of an author's name would get me somewhere, but I draw a blank. Fortunately, I only run into a total stumper like this once or twice a year, but it is super frustrating when it happens.

2) Waiting for the sequel - I'm in the middle of quite a few series where the author has hit a slump. Or maybe they had something come up in their personal lives. Or who knows why - but that sequel isn't coming out soon, and so we all must wait. Get on it, authors! Write that sequel! Finish that series!

1) Too many books, not enough time! There's so many great things to read. I'm always in a constant backlog.

Top 10 Book Club Books - Take 2

This week's topic from The Broke and Bookish is Top 10 Book Club Books. I'm lucky to belong to the best book club ever: The Not So YA Book Club, for readers who are adults, but still enjoy reading YA. It's hosted at one of my favorite book stores, Little Shop of Stories.

It's been a while since I've done a post about book club, but here are another 10 books that I really enjoyed reading with my book club. (with links to reviews, where appropriate)

Wintergirls - Laurie Halse Anderson

All the Truth That's In Me - Julie Berry

The Darkest Minds - Alexandra Bracken

Salt & Storm - Kendall Kulper

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks - E. Lockhart

The Knife of Never Letting Go - Patrick Ness

More Than This - Patrick Ness

Akata Witch - Nnedi Akafor

Jackaby - William Ritter

Noggin - John Corey Whaley

Are you in a book club? What are you reading?

Top 10 Bookish Websites

Top Ten Tuesdays is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week is a freebie! In the past, I answered, What are your Top Ten Blogs/Sites you read that aren't about books? This time, I'll look at my Top Ten Blogs/Sites that are about books.

1) Goodreads - my absolute number one go-to. It is the handiest thing for keeping track of my reading.

2) Earlyword - library and publishing oriented bookish news.

3) Netgalley - I haven't read an e-ARC in forever, but I do like to browse their offerings. Great website for book professionals and bloggers.

4) Library Journal - always good for a quick browse of library news.

5) School Library Journal - kid and teen library news.

6) Clerk Manifesto - daily ruminations of an unapologetically type-B library clerk.

7) Stacked - Kelly Jensen and team share thoughts on all things YA.

8) Abby the Librarian - I shamelessly steal her storytime ideas!

9) Small Review - Great middle-grade fantasy reviews and more.

10) Amazon - I use their website as a quick resource for customer book reviews.

Top 10 2015 Debuts

This week's topic from The Broke and the Bookish is: Top Ten Most Anticipated Debut Novels For 2015.

Here are my Top 10:

Like It Never Happened - Emily Adrian
     Drama club behind-the-scenes drama! Sounds good.

Simon vs. The Homo Sapien Agenda - Becky Albertalli
     Closeted gay kid and some drama club behind-the-scenes drama. Sounds cute.

Red Queen - Victoria Aveyard
     Dystopian fantasy.

The Girl at Midnight - Melissa Gray
     Will this be similar to Shadow and Bone? I hope so.

The Conspiracy of Us - Maggie Hall
     Will this be like The Davinci Code meets City of Bones?

The Unhappening of Genesis Lee - Shallee McArthur
     Sci-fi about memory enhancements and/or memory erasure. Sounds interesting.

Pretending to be Erica - Michelle Painchaud
     A heist story with a girl who's undergone plastic surgery so she can claim to be an heiress.

Mindwalker - A.J. Steiger
     A dystopian where mental powers are used to erase others painful memories. But is it the right thing to do?

An Ember in the Ashes - Sabaa Tahir
     Epic fantasy in a Rome-like world.

A Wicked Thing - Rhiannon Thomas
     Sleeping Beauty re-telling.

Favorite 2014 Reads

I actually didn't read that many books published in 2014 - I'm usually all over new releases, but this year, I read plenty of books that I'd been meaning to catch up on from the back of my list.

So, rather than a "top 10" I'll just present a few of my favorite published in 2014 titles that really stood out to me this year.

Choose Your Own Autobiography - Neil Patrick Harris
          This was a lot of fun. It really is in a choose-your-own adventure format. There are a few sudden "dead ends" but for the most part, it was a way to read about NPH's life in the order that seemed most interesting.

Everything Leads to You - Nina LaCour

          A fun story about a young Hollywood set designer who incidentally is lesbian.

We Were Liars - E. Lockhart
          I love books with a surprise ending. I did not see that one coming. An intense read.

The Winner's Curse - Marie Rutkoski

          Great fantasy with a forbidden love interest between princess in a conquered land and her captive.

My Real Children - Jo Walton
          So timey-wimey! I wasn't sure which alternate timeline I wanted to root for.

Noggin - John Corey Whaley
          Slightly creepy story of how a young man copes with his brain translpant.
          

14 authors new to me in 2014

This week's topic from The Broke and the Bookish is: Top Ten Authors New to You in 2014.

I couldn't narrow it down to just 10! Once I whittled my list down to 14, I thought, "Ah! How appropriate!" So, here is my list of the top 14 new to me authors for the year.

Emily Croy Barker - I must read more by this author! I loved The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic.

Cara Chow - I loved Bitter Melon. It was hard to read at times, but you could tell it really came from the heart. Write more books, Cara Chow, and I will read them!

A.C. Gaughen - I already have the rest of her books sitting on my nightstand.

Nina LaCour - I love a story set in L.A. (one of my favorite places)

Robin LaFevers - Ah, Grave Mercy was loooong, but it was worth it.

E. Lockhart - I love surprise endings and was blown away by We Were Liars. I definitely have my eye on this author.

Scott Lynch - Amazing! Gentleman Bastards is the most amazing medieval mafia thief vs. magician's guild type story I have ever, ever read. If you haven't heard his guest appearance on the Writing Excuses podcast yet, you should definitely give it a listen to get a sense of what a rascal he is.

Marissa Meyer - Cinder was much lighter and more fun than I expected. What a fun world she's created.

Nnedi Okarafor - A totally unique voice, her books belong in every library.

Rainbow Rowell - Like everyone else, I am ready to hop on board with this relatively new YA sensation.

Marie Rutkowski - I like her world building.

Benjamin Alire Saenz - Wow, who says guys can't be sensitive?

Sherry Thomas - There will never be another Harry Potter, but I can always comfort myself by reading awesome magic boarding school stories.

Jo Walton - I love timey-wimey stuff, and her book My Real Children left things just open-ended enough that readers won't know which alternate timeline to root for.

Top 10 books I'm looking forward to in 2015

This week's topic from The Broke and the Bookish is: Top Ten Books You're Looking Forward to in 2015.

Normally, I'd have trouble narrowing it down to just 10, but I've been feeling very choosy lately! Here are the ones that looked really appealing to me.

I Remember You - Kathleen Davitt Bell 

Sounds a bit timey-wimey, with a teen romance imperiled by memories of the future.

Remember - Eileen Cook

A girl uncovers a conspiracy with her father's memory erasing company.

Immaculate - Katelyn Detweiler

A virgin finds herself pregnant... and no one believes her.

The Leveller - Julia Durango

A bounty hunter is hired to deprogram teens addicted to virtual reality.

The Memory Key - Liana Liu

In a dystopian world where everyone is losing their memories and must rely on a memory chips, a girl starts to doubt that her memory chip is working correctly.

The Orphan Queen - Jodi Meadows

Sounds like high fantasy with an imprisoned magical princess spy.

Soulprint - Megan Miranda

A girl is imprisoned because it's determined that she is the reincarnation of a famous criminal.

A Book of Spirits and Thieves - Morgan Rhodes

High fantasy, with travel between modern-day Toronto and and ancient fantasy kingdom.

A Darker Shade of Magic - V. E. Schwab

Fantasy which alternates between two very different Londons in the multiverse.

Shadow Study - Maria V. Snyder

A new spin-off of the Poison Study series.

Top 10 Books to Read this Winter

This week's topic from The Broke and the Bookish is: Top Ten Books on Your To Be Read List this Winter.

With any luck, I'll read these by the end of the year.

Starcrossed - Josephine Angelini
Level 2 - Lenore Appelhans
Siege and Storm - Leigh Bardugo
One - Kiera Cass
Red - Alison Cherry
Ready Player One - Ernest Cline
Legend - Marie Lu
Hemlock - Kathleen Peacock
Falling Kingdoms - Morgan Rhodes
Dream of Gods and Monsters - Laini Taylor

Top 10 Sequels I'm Looking Forward To

This week's topic from The Broke and the Bookish is: Top Ten Sequels You're Looking Forward To. Here are mine:

Siege and Storm - Leigh Bardugo

Just One Year - Gayle Forman

Shadow Scale - Rachel Hartman

The Republic of Thieves - Scott Lynch

Waking Storms - Sarah Porter

Firefight - Brandon Sanderson

Dream Thieves - Maggie Stiefvater

Dreams of Gods and Monsters - Laini Taylor

The Perilous Sea - Sherry Thomas.

And of course, I have to give a shout-out to the long-awaited third book in The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss. Doors of Stone is listed on Goodreads... but there isn't even any cover art as a placeholder yet. Rothfuss, get going on that! I'm sure it will be beautiful when it is done. In the meantime, luckily, most of these sequels are already out, so I have plenty to occupy me until it's released.

Top 10 books that were hard to read

This week's topic from The Broke and the Bookish is: Top Ten Books that were Hard to Read. 

 Here are mine, in no particular order, books I only gave a 1-star rating to:

1) Deadlocked - Charlaine Harris
The penultimate book in the Sookie Stackhouse series had so little plot development, I kind of gave up finishing the series.

2) Olive Kitteridge - Elizabeth Strout
This series of interconnected short stories about a bitter old woman was absolutely not my cup of tea.

3) One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
I do not care for magical realism! My friends like to joke that I like my magic systems to be realistic, but don't want my realism to be magical.

4) The Blue Sword - Robin McKinley
I know! Shocker! This should be the kind of book I love. It came so highly recommended to me, I don't think it ever could have lived up to the hype. It just didn't feel magical enough for me.

5) Emma Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree - Lauren Tarshis
The main character was so painfully awkward. This was a tough one to slog through.

6) The Mephisto Covenant - Trinity Faegen
I read this on the heels of reading several teen paranormal dysfunctional relationships parading as "romantic" and it was just too much for me to take.

7) The Unfinished Angel - Sharon Creech
I love Sharon Creech! This book was so not her normal style though. The angel had such a disjointed way of speaking. I didn't care for it.

8) The Reformed Vampire Support Group - Catherine Jinks
Ugh. Depressed vampires didn't do it for me.

9) Burned - P.C. Cast
This is where I ran out of steam for the House of Night series. The scenes where Zoey Redbird confronts her child self are just so very, very cringeworthy.

10) Forever Lily - Beth Nonte Russell
Worst. Adoption. Book. Ever. Russell's racist dream sequences and highly unbelievable set of "coincidences" with her adopted Chinese daughter make for an excruciatingly embarrassing read.

Top 10 Only One Book

This week's topic from The Broke and the Bookish is: Top Authors I've Only Read One Book From But NEED to Read More.

Here are mine:

Mostly, these are books I loved, and definitely want to read the sequels, but just haven't had the time yet. Lots of fantasy and time-travel here!

Shadow and Bone - Leigh Bardugo
The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic - Emily Croy Barker
The Girl of Fire and Thorns - Rae Carson
Ruby Red - Kerstin Gier
The Magicians - Lev Grossman
Seraphina - RachelHartman
The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom - Christopher Healy
Freakling - Lara Krumwiede
Parallel - Lauren Miller
The Emerald Atlas - John Steptoe

What authors have you had a sample of, but just can't wait to read more?