Waiting on Wednesday #2

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Isla and the Happily Ever After

by Stephanie Perkins

 

 Release Date: Sept. 17, 2013

From the glittering streets of Manhattan to the moonlit rooftops of Paris, falling in love is easy for hopeless dreamer Isla and introspective artist Josh. But as they begin their senior year in France, Isla and Josh are quickly forced to confront the heartbreaking reality that happily-ever-afters aren’t always forever.

Their romantic journey is skillfully intertwined with those of beloved couples Anna and Étienne and Lola and Cricket, whose paths are destined to collide in a sweeping finale certain to please fans old and new.

These days I've been on a contemporary YA romance binge, yet I'm ashamed to say that I haven't read a single Stephanie Perkins novel. (I knoww! What's wrong with meee?) But anywho, I can't wait to read about Anna, Lola, and especially Isla. And if I haven't read the first two by the summer, feel free to stone me (and no, not with cupcakes).

What's your "waiting on" pick this week?

Review: Meant to Be

Title: Meant to Be
Author: Lauren Morrill
Part of a series? Nope
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Release Date: November 13th, 2012
Length: 304 pages (hardcover)
Genre: YA contemporary romance
Source: eBook

Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question.

It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").

But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.

Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.

First Impression:

It was love at first sight.

Gaaahh, just look at that cover! I know, I know, call me a cover slut or superficial or whatever, but you can't deny that that is one good-looking cover! All those bold colors are certainly STRIKING, and I remember thinking, "Omgosh, I don't even care what that book is about--it can be about sparkly male vampires wearing sequined dresses for all I care--I need to read that book!!"

Well, on Tuesday, March 19th, 2013, I finally started it. And on Friday, March 22nd (roughly 3 days later), I finished it. It took only THREE days, which is record time for me to finish a book--and read during a busy work week, might I add--so a book has to have been seriously, seriously addicting for me to gobble it up so quickly like that.

SQUEE-worthy: I love love LOVE Julia. Out of all the slightly neurotic heroines in YA lit, she ranks up there with Jessica Darling and Mia Thermopolis in my book. No, seriously. She does. I can usually spot from a mile away when authors try to make their heroines more neurotic than they really are, because the neuroses always feel more like add-ons rather than something that hugely shapes who the character is; but Julia is the real deal. I mean, the way Morrill goes through Julia's thought process and inject even the littlest detail with major OCD-type stuff makes her the kind of character that leaps off the page, the kind of character whose voice feels distinctly authentic, almost as if it's your best friend talking to you.

And then there's the boys. SQUEEE!!! (Yes, I literally squee'd in the Squee-worthy section--sue me.) I really, REALLY don't want to be spoiler-y in this review, but I do have to say one thing: the boys are not only scrummy--they are ACCURATE. These are the guys you had crushes on in middle school and high school! The aloof yet uber popular guy you secretly stalk (and concoct whole daydreams about) but is too intimidated to approach. The near-stranger you met only once and whose very mystery is the main thing that he's got going for him (who knows? he might be EXACTLY like your perfect dream guy!). The cute, incorrigible jokester who infuriates you but--admit it--gets under your skin not in an entirely bad way. And they're all so multi-dimensional, too!!

I'm not even going to get into the fact that the story takes place in London (SQUEE!) and features Beatles songs (double SQUEE!!), but Meant to Be is bar none one of the most enjoyable and resonant light-hearted contemporary YA romances I've read in a while.

"Meh" Moments: I honestly can't think of any. Nor do I want to. Few books have the power to do what this book did: transport me back in time. No, not to a different time period (though I do love my historical fiction), but to an earlier version of myself. All of a sudden, I'm fifteen years old again, holed up in my room sulking because my parents just enforced a "no books at the dinner table" rule, reading and rereading every Sarah Dessen, Meg Cabot, and Megan McCafferty book like they hold the secrets to surviving high school (which they totally do). So for a book to do that... well, it's no easy feat that's for sure, and one that no amount of nitpicking can undermine.

For fans of: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins, and if you want to go old school, the Jessica Darling series by Megan McCafferty.

Buy or Borrow? Buy! The witty chapter headings alone are worth shelling out a few bucks to have this on your bookshelf, virtual or otherwise.

Waiting on Wednesday #1

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Siege and Storm 

(The Grisha #2)

by Leigh Bardugo

 

 Release Date: June 4th, 2013

Darkness never dies.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land, all while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. But she can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her–or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

ZOMGOSH. I can't wait I can't wait I can't WAIT to read it!!!

What's your "waiting on" pick this week?

Review: The Nightmare Affair

Title: The Nightmare Affair
Author: Mindee Arnett
Part of a series? Arkwell Academy, #1
Publisher: Tor Teen
Release Date: March 5, 2013
Length: 367 pages (hardcover)
Genre: YA contemporary fantasy
Source: NetGalley ARC

Sixteen-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare.

Literally.

Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy, is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder.

Then Eli’s dream comes true.

Now Dusty has to follow the clues—both within Eli’s dreams and out of them—to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she’s up to and marks her as the next target.

First Impression:

When I first heard about this book, I had no idea that nightmares could actually mean actual creatures. But then I looked up "nightmares" on Wikipedia and encountered this lovely visual:

Well, that's disturbing.

Thankfully, Mindee Arnett's heroine, Dusty, is nothing like that little gremlin--though she does have to employ a similar awkward position during her "feedings" (a fact that made me LOL on the subway). But for all intents and purposes, it becomes clear from the get-go that Dusty is very much your average teenage girl.

Okay, not that kind of teenage girl.

SQUEE-worthy: This book was such a FUN read! Not only is Dusty a hilarious narrator, but Arnett has really done a top-notch job with the fantasy aspect of this. From the intricate classification of magical beings to the classes at Arkwell Academy, it was like returning to Hogwarts--albeit a crazier, more diverse version of Hogwarts. I also thought the mystery component was well executed; I hate books with "mysteries" that are completely predictable, so the fact that The Nightmare Affair kept me guessing until the very end is commendable. Speaking of the end, I'm going to try hard not to be spoiler-y, but I love that Arnett has taken an old legend that we're all familiar with and turned it on its head. I mean, with so many retellings out there, sometimes "twists" can seem unoriginal or overplayed. That's definitely not the case with Nightmare Affair, though. The twist was creative and original enough that I didn't see it coming--and that's always a good sign!

"Meh" Moments: For me, this was the kind of book that was good... but could've been GREAT. I love the world that Arnett has created, along with its corresponding magical system, and I really like Dusty as a narrator, but the biggest drawback for me was the lack of depth in the secondary characters. They just fall a little flat and feel one-dimensional to me. I understand the need to place more focus on the action--it certainly helps put things at a faster pace--but there's also something to be said about thoroughly fleshed-out characters that feel real, that are complex, that linger in a reader's consciousness long after you turn the last page. And while Dusty as a heroine does achieve that to some extent, I can't help but wonder how much more epic the story could've been if more was revealed about Selene, Katarina, or even Eli. For instance, the Harry Potter series wasn't just about the magic and the adventure; it was also about Harry, Ron, and Hermione and the colorful cast of characters that they encounter along the way.

For fans of: Sherlock Holmes, Harry Potter, magical boarding school stories, and fairy tale retellings.

Buy or Borrow? A tentative buy. While it's a good, fun read, it might be worth skimming the first few pages of it first, just to see if you like it.

Top Ten Tuesday #4

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by the folks over at The Broke and the Bookish. The idea is to put up a top ten list and share it with other bloggers. This week's topic is:

Top Ten Books I HAD To Buy. . .

But Are Still Sitting On My Shelf Unread

I swear I feel like every Top Ten Tuesday topic is meant for me. I just went on a massive book spending spree this past month, so I don't even know how I'm going to narrow this down to just ten but here goes...

Across the Universe by Beth Revis 

I bought this AND A Million Suns (the 2nd book in the series) because I thought they'd be the perfect gateway YA sci-fi books for me. Plus, my goodness, just look at that gorgeous cover. Go on. Lust after it. I know I did. 

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card 

Speaking of sci-fi books, I have felt acutely ashamed not to have picked this up until now. I mean, this book is referenced SO many times that it's a wonder I've only just got around to it now, but alas, it's yet another evidence of my late start in the sci-fi genre.

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson 

I read an excerpt of Wintergirls a while back and knew I had to have it. Anderson's writing is just so richly evocative that I literally get a thrill every time I think about the moment I get to start this book.

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore 

I ADORE Graceling, and since this book takes place in the same realm, I had to have it. Plus, it's a lengthy read, and I do love my hefty books! (Feels like I'm getting more bang for my buck.)

Crewel by Gennifer Albin

I've been cover-lusting after this one for a while now, and even though it's a dystopian, the premise seems so intriguing."The ability to weave the fabric of reality"? Yes, please!

The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch

Seen this one advertised on my Kindle a bunch of times, and finally went ahead and bought it. Seems like such an eery historical thriller. Perfect for a cozy night under the covers!

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton 

I LOVE Kate Morton. The Distant Hours is one of those books that will change my view of storytelling forever. And I have a feeling that Morton's newest book will be no exception.

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

I feel ashamed to call myself a historical fiction fan without having read this book, but alas, there is something terribly wrong with me. I have coveted a copy since it first came out (in 2010) but FINALLY purchased the hardcover edition last year (in 2012). It's still sitting on my bookshelf, so please do me a favor and smack me upside the head if I still haven't read this within the next month or so. Danke!

To Marry an English Lord by Gail MacColl

This seems like the funnest historical non-fiction book I've ever encountered! Not only is every page laid out in a magazine-style (complete with pictures!), but it seems to provide a pretty detailed account of Edwardian times. Perfect for one of those days when I'm mopey and suffering through a Downton Abbey withdrawal.

Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz

I'm always on the lookout for great middle-grade fiction, and this seems to more than fit the bill with its Victorian gothic undercurrent. So excited to read it!!

 What are the books you had to have--but are still left unread?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (1)

Mondays are usually associated with the first day of the work/school week--and thus a gray, dreary sense of doom. But on Book Blog Land, it's the day we get to recap what we read last week and the books we're looking forward to this week. The meme is hosted by Sheila at Bookjourney and the kidlit/YA version is hosted by Jen at Teach Mentor Texts!

Finished Reading:

The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

Sixteen-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare.

Literally.

Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy, is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder.

Then Eli’s dream comes true.

Now Dusty has to follow the clues—both within Eli’s dreams and out of them—to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she’s up to and marks her as the next target.

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

Pretty girls in pretty dresses, partying until dawn.
Irresistible boys with mischievous smiles and dangerous intentions.
White lies, dark secrets, and scandalous hookups.
This is Manhattan, 1899. Beautiful sisters Elizabeth and Diana Holland rule Manhattan's social scene. Or so it appears. When the girls discover their status among New York City's elite is far from secure, suddenly everyone--from the backstabbing socialite Penelope Hayes, to the debonair bachelor Henry Schoonmaker, to the spiteful maid Lina Broud--threatens Elizabeth's and Diana's golden future.

With the fate of the Hollands resting on her shoulders, Elizabeth must choose between family duty and true love. But when her carriage overturns near the East River, the girl whose glittering life lit up the city's gossip pages is swallowed by the rough current. As all of New York grieves, some begin to wonder whether life at the top proved too much for this ethereal beauty, or if, perhaps, someone wanted to see Manhattan's most celebrated daughter disappear...

In a world of luxury and deception, where appearance matters above everything and breaking the social code means running the risk of being ostracized forever, five teenagers lead dangerously scandalous lives. This thrilling trip to the age of innocence is anything but innocent.

Currently Reading:

So Close to You by Rachel Carter

Lydia Bentley doesn't believe the rumors about the Montauk Project, that there's some sort of government conspiracy involving people vanishing and tortured children. But her grandfather is sure that the Project is behind his father's disappearance more than sixty years earlier. While helping her grandfather search Camp Hero, a seemingly abandoned military base on Long Island, for information about the disappearance, Lydia is transported back to 1944--just a few days before her great-grandfather's disappearance. Lydia begins to unravel the dark secrets of the Montauk Project and her own family history, despite warnings from Wes, a mysterious boy she is powerfully attracted to but not sure she should trust.

Stung by Bethany Wiggins

There is no cure for being stung.

Fiona doesn’t remember going to sleep. But when she opens her eyes, she discovers her entire world has been altered—her house is abandoned and broken, and the entire neighborhood is barren and dead. Even stranger is the tattoo on her right hand—a black oval with five marks on either side—that she doesn’t remember getting but somehow knows she must cover at any cost. She’s right.

Those bearing the tattoo have turned into mindless, violent beasts that roam the streets and sewers, preying upon the unbranded while a select few live protected inside a fortress-like wall, their lives devoted to rebuilding society and killing all who bear the mark.

Now Fiona has awakened branded, alone—and on the wrong side of the wall.

Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill

Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question.

It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").

But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.

Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.

So far, they're all really good, and I love the diversity: a time-travel sci-fi/paranormal, post-apocalyptic dystopian, and a light-hearted contemporary romance. I've certainly got my hands full!

How about you? What are you reading this week?

New Blog Home + Madman's Daughter Review + 1st GIVEAWAY Clue!

WELCOME, new Blogger buddies and old Wordpress followers!!!

I... DID IT! I moved to Blogger!!! (Hence the lack of comments and followers on here... *sadface*) But after weeks of going back and forth on the merits of Blogger and Wordpress.com (not the self-hosted site), I've finally decided to go with Blogger, which I'm super glad about so far! I've subscribed to some truly incredible blogs on here but I can't wait to visit even more sites, so leave me a comment and a link to your blog if you have one--I'd love to check it out!

Without further ado, here's my FIRST EVER review on Blogger!

Title: The Madman's Daughter
Author: Megan Shepherd
Part of a series? Yes
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: January 29, 2013
Length: 420 pgs (hardcover)
Genre: YA gothic thriller
Source: Library eBook

In the darkest places, even love is deadly.

Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.

Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.

Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we'll do anything to know and the truths we'll go to any lengths to protect.

Opening Lines:

The basement hallways in King's College of Medical Research were dark, even in the daytime. At night they were like a grave.

EEEEPP!! I got chills down my spine just from reading that!

SQUEE-worthy: If you know me in real life, you've probably heard me mention this book a bunch of times recently. I mean, let's be honest: my evangelical zeal about this book probably reached madness-like proportions but I can't help it! It is THAT good. The thing that really sold me about The Madman's Daughter was the brilliant writing. The concept can be the coolest thing on this planet, but if the writing isn't strong enough to back it up then it's a dud for me. So imagine how pleasantly surprised I was to find out that debut author Megan Shepherd not only came up with an AH-MAZE-ING concept (a twist on H.G. Wells's The Island of Dr. Moreau!) but also has the writing chops to execute the story to perfection. I mean, check it out for yourself (keep in mind that the following is told in the voice of Juliet, the daughter of a famous scientist):

He had Lucy's same fair skin and wide-set eyes... I timidly evaluated his tall forehead, the helix of his ears that projected only a hair too far from the skull. Good-looking, I concluded.

And this:

My heart tore, just a little, right along the ventricular septum.

I mean, WHOA. Talk about defining a character's voice!! Throughout the entire story I literally feel like I'm IN Juliet's head, as if I am her, faced with all these terrible choices, and frightening emotions, and coldly logical--almost eery--instincts. The writing is just so well done, and when you throw in a creepy Gothic mystery, a steamy love triangle, and plot twists that would make your head spin, it becomes nothing short of perfect.

"Meh" Moments: NONE. I was sucked in from start to finish and was sorry for the book to end. (It didn't help that the book ended on a pseudo-cliffhanger either! Gah!!)

For fans of: H.G. Wells, Lost (the TV show), Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

Buy or Borrow? A definite buy! I'm clamoring to get a copy of it, and rest assured that I'll be first in line for Ms. Shepherd's second and third installment in the trilogy!

Let's chat!

What's your take on putting a different spin on an old classic? Brilliant idea or literary suicide?

On a separate note, in honor of my move to Blogger from Wordpress, I'm hosting my FIRST-EVER GIVEAWAY soon! (So excited!!!) 

Here's a clue at what I'm giving away:

Can you guess what it is?

Review: The Reece Malcolm List

Title: The Reece Malcolm List
Author: Amy Spalding
Part of a series? Nope
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Release Date: February 5th, 2013
Length: 352 pgs (paperback)
Genre: YA contemporary
Source: NetGalley ARC

Devan knows very little about Reece Malcolm, until the day her father dies and she’s shipped off to live with the mother she’s never met. All she has is a list of notebook entries that doesn’t add up to much. L.A. offers a whole new world to Devan—a performing arts school allows her to pursue her passion for show choir and musicals, a new circle of friends helps to draw her out of her shell, and an intriguing boy opens up possibilities for her first love. But then the Reece Malcolm list gets a surprising new entry. Now that Devan is so close to having it all, can she handle the possibility of losing everything?

Opening Lines:

Things I know about Reece Malcolm:

She graduated from New York University.

She lives in or near Los Angeles (even the internet can't confirm).

Since her first novel (Destruction) was released nine years ago she’s always had at least one book on the New York Times bestseller list.

She likes strong coffee and bourbon, the only personal details she gave in a rare interview with The Daily Beast.

She’s my mother.

I was in show choir the day I found out Dad died in a car accident. 

Some opening lines are meant to shock. Some are (unfortunately) snooze-inducing. And some are just telling. This falls in the latter. As a reader, I know right away with that first sentence that this is going to be a book about a girl reuniting with her long-lost mother.

SQUEE-worthy: If you are a musical theater fan and know some cast recordings by heart, then this is the book for you. Devan, the protagonist, is a huge musical theater fan and an apparently incredible singer to boot, so the book is chock-full of references to popular musicals. But if you're like me and you're not that big on musicals, never fear! There are plenty of things in this book that will make you SQUEE with glee (#rhymetime). The boys, for one, are OMGOSH SWOONWORTHY. A ridiculously good-looking Chinese-Indian love interest? Yes, please! (Ethnic diversity in YA FTW!) And I love, LOVE Reece Malcolm as a character. Yes, she doesn't have her stuff together and she's not your conventional mom character, but that's part of her charm! I like that she's flawed. Also, the dialogue and Devan's narrative voice is spot-on, in terms of authenticity. It's got Modern Teenager written all over it, so kudos to Spalding for hitting that nail on the head.

"Meh" Moments: I can't quite pin my finger on what it is exactly, but I just didn't feel invested in this book. I think the biggest reason behind that is Devan. She was just "meh" to me; and in contemporary YA novels where it's primarily character-driven, I feel like the main character's gotta have more OOMPH than their paranormal/fantasy/sci-fi counterparts. I mean, the only truly unique quality about Devan seems to be her singing ability, but those scenes are just so glossed over that I'm left feeling like, "Mmkay. So I'm just supposed to believe that she's this amazing singer based on ONE sentence that says how much she blew everyone away during show choir practice? ...Riiiiight." I'm sure it didn't help that I know next to nothing about musicals, so to each their own. Funnily enough, I LOVE Reece, though. She's made of awesome.

For fans of: Glee, Smash, and High School Musical.

Buy or Borrow? I'd say it's worth a read, so at the very least borrow it (if only for the hot boys *sigh*).

Let's chat!

What are your thoughts on cultural diversity in YA lit? Too few, too many?

Top Ten Series I’d Like to Start But Haven’t Yet

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by the folks over at The Broke and the Bookish. The idea is to put up a top ten list and share it with other bloggers. This week's list topic is:

Top Ten Series I’d Like to Start But Haven’t Yet

As a promiscuous reader/book philanderer/nerdy multi-tasker, this topic is SO perfect for me.

1. The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. I know, I know. How can I claim to be obsessed with YA books if I haven't read this series yet? To be honest, it didn't appeal to me at first, but now with the movie out and everything, not gonna lie--I'm intrigued.


2. Across the Universe by Beth Revis. I don't dabble much in sci-fi but I certainly want to change that! And the premise to this series sounds too cool. Cryogenics and love on a spaceship? Yes, please!


3. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. Unlike with the Mortal Instruments, I've wanted to read this series since FOREVER, and now that the movie's out I only feel compelled to read it even more. Plus, I bought the whole series from the Kindle store for under $10 in total (Sunday Kindle deals FTW!).


4. The Maze Runner by James Dashner. Apparently this book is a wonderful example of what very little backstory can actually do for plot, impact, and pacing. Plus, I love plot twists and turns, which this series apparently has in abundance. Brain shock, here I come!


5. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. I've been looking for other sweeping epic fantasies like Graceling, and from the premise, this could be a winner.


6. Legend by Marie Lu. I haven't read a great dual-narrator story in a while, much less one packed with action, so this seems like it could be a great read.


7. Delirium by Lauren Oliver. Another YA dystopian classic. The cover hooked me from the start when it first came out, but I never got around to picking it up!


8. Ender's Saga by Orson Scott Card. A classic. Period. Even non-sci-fi fans love this and refer to it all the time. I just bought the paperback copy recently, so hopefully I'll get around to it sooner rather than later.


9. The Cousins' War by Philippa Gregory. I've been a fan of Tudor-era fiction for a long time--before I even hit middle school to be exact, thanks to the Young Royals books by Carolyn Meyer (and certainly before Jonathan Rhys Meyers entered my life). So when I found out that Philippa Gregory, one of my favorite authors, wrote up a series on the Plantagenets (the dynasty of royals before the Tudors) I scrambled to get my hands on it. Sadly I haven't had the time to read any of the books in the series, but I'm totally going to slap a post-it reminder somewhere and finally GET TO IT.


10. Princess Academy by Shannon Hale. Remember Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine? (The actual book, not the cheesy rendition with Anne Hathaway.) I LOVED that book; I think I read it like 20+ times. But yeah, I'm hoping Shannon Hale's series might be reminiscent of that. Or if not, for it to be even more epic.