Top Ten Books at the Top of My Summer TBR Pile

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

City of Ashes and City of Glass by Cassandra Clare - I would like to finish books 2-5 of the TMI series before the movie comes out, but I have so many books I want to read that I don't know if I'll get to all of them. So, I'll just aim for books 2 and 3.

Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

Prodigy by Marie Lu

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge

Both of these books have been sitting on my shelf for way too long.

Icons by Margaret Stohl

Ink by Amanda Sun

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
Unbreakable by Elizabeth Norris
Seven Minutes in Heaven (The Lying Game #6) by Sara Shepard

What books are you planning to read this summer?

Lost and Found by Nicole Williams

Book: Lost and Found (Lost and Found #1)
Author: Nicole Williams
# of Pages: 348 (ebook)
Challenges: 2013 Contemporary Challenge, 2013 Ebook Challenge
Rating: 4.5 stars

Goodreads Summary:
There’s complicated. And there’s Rowen Sterling.

After numbing pain for the past five years with boys, alcohol, and all-around apathy, she finds herself on a Greyhound bus to nowhere Montana the summer after she graduates high school. Her mom agreed to front the bill to Rowen’s dream art school only if Rowen proves she can work hard and stay out of trouble at Willow Springs Ranch. Cooking breakfast at the crack of dawn for a couple dozen ranch hands and mucking out horse stalls are the last things in the world Rowen wants to spend her summer doing.

Until Jesse Walker saunters into her life wearing a pair of painted-on jeans, a cowboy hat, and a grin that makes something in her chest she’d thought was frozen go boom-boom. Jesse’s like no one else, and certainly nothing like her. He’s the bright and shiny to her dark and jaded.

Rowen knows there’s no happily-ever-after for the golden boy and the rebel girl—happily-right-now is a stretch—so she tries to forget and ignore the boy who makes her feel things she’s not sure she’s ready to feel. But the more she pushes him away, the closer he seems to get. The more she convinces herself she doesn’t care, the harder she falls.

When her dark secrets refuse to stay locked behind the walls she’s kept up for years, Rowen realizes it’s not just everyone else she needs to be honest with. It’s herself.

My Thoughts:

Lost and Found by Nicole Williams took me on an emotional rollercoaster. I laughed, I cried, I wanted to smack the crap out of a couple of the characters.

Rowen is sarcastic and haunted by her past. Jesse is sweet and generous and absolutely lovable. Besides Rowen and Jesse, one of my favorite characters was Rose Walker, Jesse's mother. Funny, kind, and understanding, I think that she ranks just as high as Mrs. Weasley when it comes to literary mothers.

There was only one thing that I did not like about the book. There were a couple times when Rowen listed the things that she did, and I would have liked to see them played out. I also would have liked to see more of the ranch.

Overall, Lost and Found was an enjoyable read. I am really looking forward to the sequel, which will be out in July. And I will be checking out Nicole Williams's other books.

Recommended for ages 17+

Stacking the Shelves #24

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where you share what books you obtained over the week.

Physical Books

The 5th Wave (The 5th Wave #1) by Rick Yancey

Siege and Storm (The Grisha #2) by Leigh Bardugo

Crushed (Pretty Little Liars #13) by Sara Shepard

For My Nook

Shadow (Paper Gods #0.5) by Amanda Sun

The Too-Clever Fox (The Grisha #2.5) by Leigh Bardugo

True Lies (The Lying Game #5.5) by Sara Shepard

Clarity (Clarity #1) by Kim Harrington

The Lost Code (The Altanteans #1) by Kevin Emerson

What books did you get this week?

June TBR Pile

I am 4 books behind on my Goodreads Reading Challenge for the year. So hopefully I will catch up this month.

June TBR Pile

Spirit by Brigid Kemmerer

Sky on Fire by Emmy Laybourne

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller

Of Triton by Anna Banks

Unbreakable by Elizabeth Norris

Feedback by Robison Wells

What books are you planning to read this month?

Stacking the Shelves #23

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where you share what books you obtained over the week.

Physical Books

Spirit (Elemental #3) by Brigid Kemmerer

The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller

Of Triton (Of Poseidon #2) by Anna Banks

Dare You To (Pushing the Limits #2) by Katie McGarry

Icons (Icons #1) by Margaret Stohl

Sky on Fire (Monument 14 #2) by Emmy Laybourne

For My Nook

Lost and Found (Lost and Found #1) by Nicole Williams

Between the Lines (Between the Lines #1) by Tammara Webber

Suddenly Royal (Suddenly #1) by Nichole Chase

Raven's Gate (The Gatekeepers #1) by Anthony Horowitz

Stray (Shifters #1) by Rachel Vincent

What books did you get this week?

Suddenly Royal by Nichole Chase

Book: Suddenly Royal (Suddenly #1)
Author: Nichole Chase
# of Pages: 286 (ebook)
Challenges: 2013 Ebook Challenge, 2013 YA Contemporary Challenge
Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads Summary:
Samantha Rousseau is used to getting her hands dirty. Working toward a master’s degree in wildlife biology while helping take care of her sick father, she has no time for celebrity gossip, designer clothes, or lazy vacations. So when a duchess from the small country of Lilaria invites her to dinner, Samantha assumes it’s to discuss a donation for the program. The truth will change the course of her life in ways she never dreamed.

Alex D’Lynsal is trying to keep his name clean. As crown prince of Lilaria, he’s had his share of scandalous headlines, but the latest pictures have sent him packing to America and forced him to swear off women—especially women in the public eye. That is, until he meets Samantha Rousseau. She’s stubborn, feisty, and incredibly sexy. Not to mention heiress to an estate in his country, which makes her everyone’s front-page news.

While Sam tries to navigate the new world of politics and wealth, she will also have to dodge her growing feelings for Alex. Giving in to them means more than just falling in love; it would mean accepting the weight of an entire country on her shoulders.

My Thoughts:

When I read the premise for this story, I just knew I'd like it, and for the most part, I really did.

Although Samantha's stubbornness got on my nerves at times, she was a strong and intelligent protagonist. Prince Alex aka Prince Yummy was smooth and suave and ultimately does live up to his nickname. I loved almost all of the secondary characters Chadwick, Jess, Bert, Cathy. They add some kick to the story, and I really enjoyed getting to know them.

When Samantha discovers the truth about her identity, she is faced with responsibilities and has to make some big decisions. I was very impressed with the way she handled everything that was thrown at her. The story was evenly paced, and even though there was not a cliffhanger ending, I can't wait for the next book to see what happens next in Samantha's story.

The one issue that I had with Suddenly Royal was the editing, or rather the lack of editing. I don't know if it was just the ebook edition or what, but it wasn't pretty. There were so many grammatical and punctuation errors, I was on the verge of pulling out my hair.

Overall, Suddenly Royal was a cute, funny, very steamy read. Full of great characters, humor, and romance, it will leave you wanting more. Warning: there is a point where you will probably cry. I did. Recommended for ages 18+.

Undone by Elizabeth Norris

Book: Undone (Unraveling #2)
Author: Elizabeth Norris
# of Pages: 103 (Ebook)
Challenge: 2013 Ebook Challenge
Rating: 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:
Before the accident. Before their universes collided. Before they fell in love.

Riveting and romantic, Undone: An Unraveling Novella contains three short stories set in the world of Unraveling, the first book in the gripping sci-fi duology by Elizabeth Norris.

Before Ben Michaels saved Janelle Tenner’s life, Janelle saved Ben when he stumbled through an interuniverse portal into a completely new world. That day, he fell in love with the girl of his dreams. And he never forgot her.

Through three stories told from Ben’s point of view, learn how Ben and his friends discovered their ability to travel between worlds, how Ben first met Janelle, and how he pined for her for years before he actually got the chance to meet her, save her life, and capture her heart. And find out what happens to Ben between the cliff-hanger conclusion to Unraveling and the beginning of its heart-stopping sequel, Unbreakable.

My Thoughts:

I loved getting to see things from Ben's point of view. I feel like I got to know him a little better. We get to see more of Elijah as well. I thought he was obnoxious in Unraveling, but getting to see him from Ben's perspective helped me to understand their friendship better. 

This story is broken into three parts: before the beginning of Unraveling, during Unraveling, and after the ending of Unraveling. The third part is dark and suspenseful and sent shivers down my spine. And even though it's just a novella, it is so worth the read.