Top Ten Tuesday: Most Disappointing Reads of 2014

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by the Broke and the Bookish, is a Freebie! I’ve decided to go with my Top Ten Most Disappointing Reads of 2014. Click on the links for my review (if applicable) or the Good Reads page.

1. Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas. It seems like everyone in the blogosphere is obsessed with this series. I just don’t get it. I gave this book 1 star.

2. Four: A Divergent Story Collection by Veronica Roth. I was hoping that this book would in some small way make up for Allegiant. Or make me fall for Four again. It did not.

3. Just One Day by Gayle Foreman. Yet another book the blogosphere loves that I did not. I just don’t get it, guys.

4. The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen. I really enjoy Klassen’s novels, but this one was pretty bad. Especially the parts where she actually plagiarizes herself from another book!

5. All’s Fair in Love and Cupcakes by Betsy St. Amant. This book had so much potential, but just didn’t live up to it. I really wish it would’ve focused more on the reality show plotline.

6. Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge. While it started out interesting enough, it had super unlikable characters and became very confusing.

7. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. I think this book suffered from too much hype. It had a good twist, but it did not make up for the rest of the book.

8. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins. Don’t get me wrong, this book was cute! But it was definitely my least favorite book of the series.

9. The Fine Art of Pretending by Rachel Harris. I love the fake relationship trope and had been looking forward to this book for a long time and it just didn’t live up to my expectations.

10. The Archived by Victoria Schwab. Yet another beloved book in the blogosphere that just didn’t do it for me. I found it way too slow and pretty boring until the end.

What Top Ten Tuesday topic did you choose? What are some of your most disappointing reads of 2014?

Reviewing the Unreviewed: August

I read a lot of books that I don’t end up reviewing for whatever reason. Some because I wasn’t impressed. Some because I didn’t have the time. Some I just wasn’t feeling it on whatever particular day I finished. I thought I’d start doing a post once a month  with just the couple thoughts I shared on Good Reads.

Act Like You Love Me (Accidentally in Love #2) by Cindi Madsen. Read August 11-12. 3 stars.

Not as cute as the first book in the series. This one had an Importance of being Earnest theme that annoyed me. But it was still kind of cute.

Silver Shadows (Bloodlines #5) by Richelle Meade. Read August 2-13. 3 stars.

It took me until the final chapters to really get into this book. Most of the book was a 2 star read for me, until *SPOILER* Adrian and Sydney were reunited and they got married!

Isla and the Happily Ever After (Anna and the French Kiss #3) by Stephanie Perkins. Read August 14-15. 3 stars.

In most ways this book was just as adorable as the rest of the series. However, it was also pretty heavy on the over dramatic. I thought Isla and Josh’s relationship was a little too intense for their level of maturity. Their problems were all self-inflicted, but I like that it led both of them to learn more about themselves and for Isla especially to learn to accept herself and realize how hard she is on herself. The cameos of the other couples in the series was way too short, though there was a nice moment for Anna and St. Claire. Overall, it was a cute book for sure, but not my favorite of the series.

Four: A Divergent Story Collection by Veronica Roth. Read August 14-17. 1 star.

I was hoping that this book would in some small way make up for Allegiant. Or make me fall for Four again. It did not. *Sigh*    

*************************************************************************

BACK ON THE TBR SHELF

Ruins (Partials Sequence #3) by Dan Wells. Got it once again from the library and it expired before I got to it.

Finding Me: A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed by Michelle Knight. Whether you’re from Northeast Ohio, like me, or not, you’ve probably heard about Ariel Castro and how the 3 girls he kidnapped were finally freed last year. I don’t usually read much non-fiction, but since this story is so close to home, I wanted to read it. I didn’t get very far in this before I stopped. For one, I think it could use a lot more editing. The narrative sounded a little too childish and almost painful to read – not even taking into account the content. The second was this Note to Readers in the beginning of the book: In recounting the events in this memoir, chronologies have been compressed or altered and details have been changed to assist the narrative… Is this the norm for non-fiction books?? To me it almost sounds like the details of what happened are not going to be accurate. However, I still want to eventually read this.

*************************************************************************

RE-READ

Too Good to be True by Kristan Higgins. After reading Forbidden, I needed something light and sweet to read. Kristan Higgins always does the trick.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books On My Summer TBR list

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by the Broke and the Bookish, is: The Top Ten Books on my Summer TBR List.

1. Ruin and Rising (The Grisha #3) by Leigh Bardugo. THIS IS OUT TODAY!!!!!!!!

2. Landline by Rainbow Rowell. Out July 8, 2014

3. The Dead Will Tell (Kate Burkholder #6) by Linda Castillo. Out July 8, 2014.

4. Silver Shadows (Bloodlines #5) by Richelle Mead. Out July 29, 2014.

5. Opposition (Lux #5) by Jennifer Armentrout. Out August 5, 2014 (*Insert excited squealing here*)

6. Isla and the Happily Ever After (Anna and the French Kiss #3) by Stephanie Perkins. Out August 15, 2014.

7. Rebel (Reboot #2) by Amy Tintera. Published 5/13/14.

8. Sweet Reckoning (Sweet Evil #3) by Wendy Higgins. Published 4/29/14. (I know! I still haven’t read it yet!)

9. Dorothy Must Die (Dorothy Must Die #1) by Danielle Paige. Published 4/1/14.

10. Ruins (Partials #3) by Dan Wells. Published 3/11/14.

What are you reading this summer?

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Covers I’d Frame As Pieces of Art

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, is: Top Ten Book Covers I’d Frame As Pieces of Art.

1. Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi.

2. Cress by Marissa Meyer.

3. Alienated by Melissa Landers.

4. These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner.

5. Never Look Away by Linwood Barclay.

6. Illusions by Aprilynn Pike.

7. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson.

8. Unmade by Sarah Rees Brennan

9. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.

10. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins.

Top Ten Tuesday: 2014 Releases I’m Dying To Read

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, is: Top Ten 2014 Release I’m Dying To Read.

1. Alienated  by Melissa Landers  available 2/4/14.
I have to say, the cover is the reason I want to read this book. It’s so interesting.

2. Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer  available 2/4/14
So far I’ve really enjoyed this series. Scarlet was one of my favorite reads of 2013. And I love the covers!

3. Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3) by Tahereh Mafi  available 2/4/14
I love this series so much. Please, please, please end better than Allegiant! Please, please,  please!!!

4. Perfect Lies (Mind Games # 2) by Kiersten White  available 2/18/14
I loved the first book in this series. The main characters are great.

5. Don’t Look Back by Jennifer Armentrout available 4/15/14
I love Jennifer Armentrout. I’ll read pretty much anything by her. And I love the cover for this book!

6. Secret  (Elemental #4) by Brigid Kemmerer  available 1/28/14
I did a binge reading of this series and received a major book hangover for it. I’m very anxious for this book.

7. Isla and the Happily Ever After  (Anna and the French Kiss #3) by Stephanie Perkins  available 5/13/14
This series is so adorable. I look forward to more Anna & St. Clair and Lola & Cricket. Here’s hoping there’s no cheating in this book, though! That’s been the major downside for me with Perkins’ books

8. Ruin and Rising (The Grisha #3) by Leigh Bardugo  available 6/3/14
Alina, The Darkling, Sturmhond/Nikolai, Mal. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

9. The Dead Will Tell  (Kate Burkholder #6) by Linda Castillo  available 7/8/14
I love this series. I love Kate and Tomasetti and the mysteries are always great.

10. Opposition (Lux #5) by Jennifer Armentrout available 8/5/14
The end of the Lux series is going to make me super sad, but I can’t wait to find out what happens! Origin left us with such a cliffhanger!

Top Ten Tuesday: Sequels I Can’t Wait To Get My Hands

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, is about sequels I can’t wait for.

1. The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines #4) by Richelle Mead (November 19, 2013)

2. Enders  (Starters and Enders #2) by Lissa Price (January 7, 2014)

3. Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky #3) by Veronica Rossi (January 28, 2014)

4. Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3) by Tahereh Mafi (February 4, 2014)

5. Cress  (Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer (February 4, 2014)

6. Perfect Lies (Mind Games #2) by Kiersten White (February 18, 2014)

7. Isla and the Happily Ever After (Anna and the French Kiss #3) by Stephanie Perkins (May 13, 2014)

8. Ruin and Rising (The Grisha #3) by Leigh Bardugo (June 3, 2014)

9. The Dead Will Tell (Kate Burkholder #6) by Linda Castillo (July 8, 2014)

10. Opposition (Lux #5) by Jennifer Armentrout (August 5, 2014)