Top Ten Tuesdays - Books I Plan to Have in my Beach Bag This Summer

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  For more information, or to join the fun yourself, check out their blog!

To Books I Plan to Have in My Beach Bag

When I was a librarian (retired 2 years ago) I would take boxes of YA books home to read for fall book talks.  This summer I am going to need boxes again! I will read YA, Adult, and Middle Grade books. 

I am going to catch up on adult reads- so many great recs from friends and family!!!

1-The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

2-The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

3-The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

4-Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

5-Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

6-Save Me by Lisa Scottoline

7-The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

8-The Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

9-The Good Lord Bird by James McBride

10-All the Light We Cannot See by A Doerr

11-Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

My YA Books- Many recommendations from blogs:)

1-The Living by Matt de la Pena

2-The Hunted by Matt de la Pena

3-Belzhar by Meg Holitzer

4-The Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy by Jenny Han

5-Enclave by Ann Aguirre

6-Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

7-Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

8-Happy Again by Jennifer E. Smith

9-Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCouer

10-The Knife of Never Letting Go Trilogy by Patrick Ness

Middle Grade Books (all recommended by The Nerdy Book Club)

1-Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin

2-Fish in a Tree by Linda Mulally Hunt

3-Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan

Curtsies and Conspiraces by Gail Carriger

Curtsies and Conspiracies by Gail Carriger
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a great book to listen to!!! While I did not read the first book in this series, The Finishing School. I picked up quickly the finishing school for girls takeing place on a dirigible (floating boat with all kinds of bells and whistles) and being educated in all things having to do with espionage, spies and etiquette. I howled with laughter at the crazy names of professors, the mechanical dog, Bumbersnoot, and Sophronia's schemes. This was an adventurous romp and I particularly enjoyed Gail Carriger's steampunk--I will definitely read all the others and now I understand why my students LOVED all her books!

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Hold Me Closer; The Tiny Cooper Story by David Levithan

Hold Me Closer: The Tiny Cooper Story by David Levithan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a wonderful way to present a musical and David Levithan's Tiny Cooper is just a great romp with the highs and lows of musical cadence telling Tiny's story from birth to high school. I loved Tiny's voice and the many minor characters who support Tiny or make Tiny the person he is through knowing friendships and relationships.

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Blind Spot by Tom Kakonis

Blind Spot by Tom Kakonis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Brash Books for the ARC, Blind Spot written by Tom Kakonis, a can’t put it down mystery thriller. I was immediately captivated and sickened with the abduction of three year old Jeff Quinn in a planetarium while his father slept. As Marshall and Lori Quinn’s life spirals out of control, the police presence in their son’s missing person case is negligible. Marshall, tries to be patient with law enforcement— but he is haunted by his own guilt. With no background in being a detective, he prints up flyers; Marshall and catatonic Lori (dependent on drugs to assuage her sorrow) hand them out as well as travel by car (with a life-size photo of Jeff) each weekend. Kakonis is skilled in unraveling this mystery; the reader is kept in constant suspense; will Marshall and Lori ever get their son back? I was sick with worry as I read this book but I rooted for Marshall through all of his sincere yet amateur attempts to find his son; highly recommended.

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Top Ten Tuesday - My Top Ten YA Favorites newly published YA books in 2015

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  For more information, or to join the fun yourself, check out their blog! This week is a Freebie- Your Choice of Topic:) I am going to list my favorite Top Ten YA books I read published in 2015!

1.  Bone Gap by Laura Ruby - There was just the right amount of suspense, mystery   and magic. I loved Finn O'Sullivan; you will too!

2.  The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds - We need more diverse books like these and don't miss his other book, When I Was the Greatest.

3.   Noggin by John Corey Whaley - Even though the premise is as Whaley says, "ridiculous" his writing, his characters, and his words ALL make this book great and a must read.

4.   I Was Here by Gayle Forman - A gripping read that does not disappoint with a hard core female protagonist who is determined to rise to the challenge of whatever life throws at her without her best friend.

5.   Skink-No Surrender by Carl Hiassen - This is a must read adventure that keeps you riveted and riled to the bitter end. I listened to it on Audible- sooo good!

6.   Black Dove, White Raven by Elizabeth Wein - Masterful historical fiction and women pilots.

7.  Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman -   This second Seraphina book warmed my heart.

8.   The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black - There is horror, love, lies, and lots of dark fantasy---very alluring read.

9.  All the Rage by Courtney Summers - A must read for teens and adults.

10.  Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith - For a book that defies description in so many ways, there are wonderfully drawn characters, lots of humor, lots of action and a rippin' good read.

11.  She Is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick - Marcus Sedgwick is such a superb author when it comes to suspense!

Die For Me by Jack Lynch

Die For Me by Jack Lynch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Brash Books for Die For Me by Jack Lynch, a superb serial killer mystery. This is my first Peter Bragg thriller and I am most certainly going to read the seven other Brash books by Jack Lynch. Peter Bragg’s voice is human yet knowledgeable and believable. Bragg does not judge and seems to know how to keep his thoughts to himself. Bragg is adept at handling psychic Maribeth (with whom he has past history). Taking the psychic’s visions to the police, Bragg convinces them as well as himself that there really is some psycho who has killed and buried a good number of people. Why? is not so easy to figure out. As more and more bodies are discovered in various parts of Jack London State Park, Bragg races against time trying to locate a calculating killer who is a threat to Maribeth. I enjoyed the pace of this novel and the mystery was compelling. Bragg easily carries this book to a riveting showdown. I highly recommend this crime thriller to those who love serial killer books.

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Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Fairest by Marissa Meyer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I keep thinking about the Title, Fairest. We all know from the other books in the Lunar Chronicles how evil Levana is...so why the title, Fairest? I thought as I read, "mirror, mirror on the wall who's the fairest of all?" Levana grew up insecure with an older sister who was determined to scare her and scar her, why wouldn't Levana want to be beautiful all the time? But She had the gift of using her glamour to make her look like the most beautiful woman ALL the TIME, day in and day out. She loves her kingdom, she proves that she can handle running the kingdom, but she is in lala land about what a benevolent ruler she is. Did I feel sorry for Levana, No! Did I like Levana, No! But I couldn't put this book down. Once again Marissa Meyer has written a book chilling, captivating and continuing the drama of the Lunar Chronicles---I can't wait for Winter!

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Top Ten Tuesday- 10 Authors I really want to meet

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  For more information, or to join the fun yourself, check out their blog! This week I am listing at least 10, maybe more, mostly YA authors I really want to meet!!! I have read and loved their books and want to read more, more, more of what they are writing!

1. Cecil Castellucci - The Plain Janes, The Year of the Beasts, Rose Sees Red, The Queen of Cool and Beige

2.  John Green- all of his books and The Nerd Fighters!

3.  Daniel Kraus- horror books Scowler and Rotters!!!

4.  Barry Lyga- serial killer trilogy I Hunt Killers!!!

5.  Holly Black- LOVE!!! LOVE!!! Love all of her books - especially The Curse Workers and The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

6.  Cassandra Clare- I have read and loved all of her books, characters and worlds!

7.  Gayle Forman- love all of her books- especially her latest, I Was Here

8.  Veronica Rossi- just lover her worlds and characters in Under the Never Sky trilogy

9.  Matt de la Pena - Great Diverse Boooks!!! Mexican White Boy, I Will Save You- can't wait to read The Living and The Hunted

10.  Clay Carmichael - Love  Brother Brother and Wild Things

11.  Donalynn Miller all of her READING blog posts and The Book Whisperer and Reading in the Wild

Bone Gap by Laura Ruby

Bone Gap by Laura Ruby
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Finn O'Sullivan is now one of my favorite HEROES! I loved this book! There was just the right amount of suspense, mystery and magic. Oh did I love the magic. Finn and his brother Sean live in a town where everyone talks about everyone- it may be true; it may not. When a girl, Roza comes into their lives, these brothers who have known loneliness are no longer lonely. But when Roza is taken, while in Finn's company, and he can't quite describe this evil man; pretty soon, there is just an ache left and the town's talk about Finn and Sean. I loved the characters, the beauty of the town, Bone Gap and also it's mystery and magic. The chapters are told from different characters POV and the reader is able to fall into this book, hear the corn talk, ride a magical black horse, and tame a large dog---all the while rooting for Finn to be the person he knows he can be for himself, Roza, Petey and Sean. Highly recommended; a great beach read for the summer!

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Wild Things by Clay Carmichael

Wild Things by Clay Carmichael
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a truly wonderful book! I am an animal lover and once again, Clay Carmichael has written a novel with a cat as one of the main characters. Zoe is an amazing, intelligent, sharp-witted, child who suddenly finds she is to be living with an Uncle Henry she has never seen or met. Raising herself since she was young (her mother was crazy and drug addicted), Zoe has learned to survive on her own and not to get attached to the many men in and out of her mother's lives. What I liked about Zoe is that she did credit those men friends with her ability to drive, pace bets, count; street smarts that help her in life. But when she meets her Uncle Henry who is very angry, Zoe sees herself in him- especially the red hair, thorny personality, and the split in their front teeth. I loved the way Carmichael uses the cat to tell us about the area around Uncle Henry's house with the woods and fields- great for exploring. The cat has lived and seen much and it is this history that provides suspense and understanding for the reader. I loved so many of the characters- the Sheriff, Bessie, Wil, Sister, Fred and Maud- it was just as easy to dislike others like Ray and the Mayor. A wonderful tale of what it means to become a family, to be an animal lover and live life like Wild Things:) I loved this very appropriate title as I read more and more of the book - highly recommended! Teens and adults will enjoy Zoe's journey!!!

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Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read Through the Woods by Emily Carroll as part of The 2015 Hub Reading Challenge, Quick Pics, Great Graphic Novels. The color illustrations were awesome, creepy, and perfect (with a red, black and white motif) for five eerily haunting tales; Our Neighbor's House, A Lady's Cold Hands, His Face All Red, My Friend Janna, and The Nesting Place are all so scary! If you love horror stories, this collection is for you!

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The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkowski

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Marie Rutkowski's worlds of Valoria and Herran are breathtaking, powerful, and full of a hateful history of conquering and enslaving the Herrani as slaves. Kestrel is the obstinate, defiant daughter of the most powerful general who pressures her to marry or enlist. When Kestrel purchases a slave (on a dare) she sets into motion a series of earth shattering events. Will Kestrel dare to become enamored of this slave? I could not put this book down- the characters, setting, and plot are all richly drawn and I am jumping right into the 2nd book, The Winner's Crime!!! Highly recommended, especially if you like love, dalliances, adventure, and drama- this is the book (series)for you!

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