I decided since I love the movie "Elf" so much, I'd use different quotes for my titles throughout December. It's that time of year when the "Best and Worst" lists come out on just about everything, so I thought I'd do my top 10 best and worst. Now I'd like to make it clear that these lists are based on the books that I've read this year, NOT those that came out this year. They are in no particular order in the top 10, and I'll try to write a little about why each one is where it is. Enjoy!
Top 10 Hits...
1. Falling Under by Gwen Hayes -- I thought this book was beautifully written. It had great detail and an interesting plot line. I look forward to reading the second book out next year.
2. Forbidden by Chevy Stevens -- Okay for anyone who has read this book your probably going " Why is this in your hits list? " and I'll tell you why, because it was a great story. I felt so bad for the brother and sister in this story, not only about having a questionable family life, but for falling in love with each other. The end was totally heart wrenching. I just couldn't put it down because I wanted to know what was going to happen to the two of them, I only wished it could have worked out better.
3. Want to go Private? by Sarah Littman -- I thought this was a great book, something that should defiantly be assigned to teenagers to read in English class because it shows you the dangers of talking to people you don't know online. Now I'm not saying that people shouldn't try to meet others, or talk to people they don't know - because otherwise how would you ever make new friends? You just have to be really careful when it comes to people you meet online especially if they seem too good to be true, because usually they are.
4. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher -- This book was incredibly sad, but extremely good at the same time. It really made me think back to when I was in high school and how I treated people, because at the time I may not have realized what I was doing or saying was hurtful, but it very well could have been. I think this is another book that should be read in school to try to get through to teens to stop bullying and just be a better person.
5. Die For Me By Amy Plum -- I enjoyed this book because it contained a concept that I had never encountered before - people who saved others lives, but didn't die themselves. I can't wait for the sequel to this book next year. I don't know where exactly it can go that it hasn't, but I'm hoping it's not a bust.
6. Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson -- I read this book because Dee at work said she enjoyed it, and I'm glad I did. At the time I took it out of the library I had a stack of books that I planned on reading before, but I just couldn't wait. I was completely surprised by how it ended, and i wish there was going to be a sequel because I wanted to know how the character progressed after the end.
7. Everlasting by Alyson Noel -- I wasn't sure I was going to be happy that this series was ending, because unlike some of the other series i had been reading this one was continuously good. I was so happy by the way she ended the book i don't think it could have been anymore perfect.
8. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen -- This was another book that Dee told me to read. I knew that they were making it into a movie because when they do that, the book flies out of the library and doesn't stop until after it stops playing in the theater (Right now "The Help" won't stay in the library) I got my hands on it, and really enjoyed it. It was just a good book, I haven't seen the movie, but I do intend to see it because I feel like the book probably was a good choice for a movie adaptation.
9. Wither by Lauren DeStefano -- I am happy to say I can support a "local" author (well she lives in my home state anyway) This is a book about three girls who get taken from home to be the wives of this gentleman. They form an unlikely alliance between them and in the end one of them breaks out. I'm assuming the next book will focus on if she gets caught or what she does once she's out. It was very suspenseful and sad, but very interesting at the same time. I just loved the whole thing.
10. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown -- Well at least one of the Dan Brown books had to make it to my hit list, right? Actually this book was much more interesting than the other two. I enjoyed Robert having to figure out where to go, and I didn't find him really annoying in this one.
Top 10 Misses...
1. Human.4 by Mike Lancaster -- I was so excited to read this book based on the snippets I read. The book was confusing to read and the characters were not well developed. All in all I was just disappointed because I was expecting something different.
2. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs -- This book intrigued me because of the pictures that it contained. I thought the pictures would add to the story but in my opinion they took away from it. I felt like the author either wasn't able to describe the image he wanted the reader to understand, or he didn't think the reader smart enough to picture these images without him putting them in the book for us. I thought the story was interesting, however the whole book was basically just a setup for a second book.
3. Supernaturally by Kiersten White -- I thought this book was going to be really good, because the first one was awesome. It was not. I'm not entirely sure why it fell short of what I was expecting, but again it felt like the author was just leading up to another book entirely.
4. Dragon's Oath by P.C. Cast -- This short story was just terrible. I don't think it added anything to The House of Night series or Dragon as a character. It was just a book they could make money on.
5. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
6. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown -- I am going to comment on this book and "The Lost Symbol" together. As a new years resolution this year my boyfriend and I decided to pick a book for the other one to read each month. For three months I read in order "Angels and Demons", "The Da Vinci Code", and "The Lost Symbol." Two of them made it to my miss list. I had to force myself to read them. I was never so happy as when Robert Langdon supposedly drown in the sensory deprivation chamber, i was like " YES I am finally rid of him! " but alas, that was not the case.
7. Destined by P.C. Cast -- I would like this series to end. When I started reading the House of Night series I thought it was very good, but at this point, at book 9 they need to wrap it up. I feel like we are at a stalemate and nothing good or bad is really happening, and I just want a final book that wraps everything together. I feel like after about 5 books unless your a really good author, you should probably call it quits.
8. Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott -- This made my "Miss" list mainly because when I was looking at my list of books, I couldn't even remember what this one was about. Frankly if I don't even remember reading it, it wasn't a good read.
9. A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard -- Okay I'd like to say that I am very sorry for what happened to Jaycee Dugard, and by putting her book in the "miss" list I do not want anyone to think that I don't sympathize with what happened to her. It is indeed a great tragedy and a gift that she made it out of there alive. However, I felt like she held a lot back in the book. It felt very stale of emotion of any kind. I of course didn't want extremely gruesome details, but I wanted something more than I got. I felt a great deal more emotion in the fiction book "Room" by Emma Donoghue
10. Crypic Cravings by Ellen Schreiber -- This is another series that I started to read because they were very short. I read them mostly during the summer so I was busy doing other things but still wanted to get reading done. The first few books were great. However now that we have past the 5Th book mark I feel like the author should finish up.
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