Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish! I've taken the last few weeks off from this meme, but I really have missed it, and I'm so happy to be back doing it again this week! This week's theme is "September 22: Top Ten Books on Your Fall TBR." I love doing these TBR posts, here is a link to my summer one, which I thought I did pretty well on, reading 6/10 of the books on there! My fall one is going to include new releases from October 1 to November 30, as well as some books that I've been meaning to get to for a while.
1. The Royal We – Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
American Rebecca Porter
was never one for fairy tales. Her twin sister, Lacey, has always been
the romantic who fantasized about glamour and royalty, fame and fortune.
Yet it's Bex who seeks adventure at Oxford and finds herself living
down the hall from Prince Nicholas, Great Britain's future king. And
when Bex can't resist falling for Nick, the person behind the prince, it
propels her into a world she did not expect to inhabit, under a
spotlight she is not prepared to face.
Dating Nick immerses Bex
in ritzy society, dazzling ski trips, and dinners at Kensington Palace
with him and his charming, troublesome brother, Freddie. But the
relationship also comes with unimaginable baggage: hysterical tabloids,
Nick's sparkling and far more suitable ex-girlfriends, and a royal
family whose private life is much thornier and more tragic than anyone
on the outside knows. The pressures are almost too much to bear, as Bex
struggles to reconcile the man she loves with the monarch he's fated to
become. Which is how she gets into trouble.
Now, on the
eve of the wedding of the century, Bex is faced with whether everything
she's sacrificed for love-her career, her home, her family, maybe even
herself-will have been for nothing.
2. Let's Get Lost – Adi Alsaid
Five strangers. Countless adventures. One epic way to get lost.
Four
teens across the country have only one thing in common: a girl named
Leila. She crashes into their lives in her absurdly red car at the
moment they need someone the most.
Hudson, Bree, Elliot and
Sonia find a friend in Leila. And when Leila leaves them, their lives
are forever changed. But it is during Leila's own 4,268-mile journey
that she discovers the most important truth—sometimes, what you need
most is right where you started. And maybe the only way to find what
you're looking for is to get lost along the way.
3. Armada – Ernest Cline
Zack Lightman has spent
his life dreaming. Dreaming that the real world could be a little more
like the countless science-fiction books, movies, and videogames he’s
spent his life consuming. Dreaming that one day, some fantastic,
world-altering event will shatter the monotony of his humdrum existence
and whisk him off on some grand space-faring adventure.
But hey,
there’s nothing wrong with a little escapism, right? After all, Zack
tells himself, he knows the difference between fantasy and reality. He
knows that here in the real world, aimless teenage gamers with anger
issues don’t get chosen to save the universe.
And then he sees the flying saucer.
Even
stranger, the alien ship he’s staring at is straight out of the
videogame he plays every night, a hugely popular online flight simulator
called Armada—in which gamers just happen to be protecting the earth from alien invaders.
No,
Zack hasn’t lost his mind. As impossible as it seems, what he’s seeing
is all too real. And his skills—as well as those of millions of gamers
across the world—are going to be needed to save the earth from what’s
about to befall it.
It’s Zack’s chance, at last, to play the
hero. But even through the terror and exhilaration, he can’t help
thinking back to all those science-fiction stories he grew up with, and
wondering: Doesn’t something about this scenario seem a little…familiar?
4. Six of Crows – Leigh Bardugo
Ketterdam: a bustling
hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right
price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker.
Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich
beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...
A convict with a thirst for revenge.
A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.
A runaway with a privileged past.
A spy known as the Wraith.
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.
A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.
Six
dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing
that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill
each other first.
5. Carry On – Rainbow Rowell
Rainbow Rowell continues to break boundaries with Carry On, an epic fantasy following the triumphs and heartaches of Simon and Baz from her beloved bestseller Fangirl.
Simon
Snow just wants to relax and savor his last year at the Watford School
of Magicks, but no one will let him. His girlfriend broke up with him,
his best friend is a pest, and his mentor keeps trying to hide him away
in the mountains where maybe he’ll be safe. Simon can’t even enjoy the
fact that his roommate and longtime nemesis is missing, because he can’t
stop worrying about the evil git. Plus there are ghosts. And vampires.
And actual evil things trying to shut Simon down. When you’re the most
powerful magician the world has ever known, you never get to relax and
savor anything.Carry On is a ghost story, a love story,
a mystery and a melodrama. It has just as much kissing and talking as
you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story — but far, far more monsters.
6. Magnus Chase & The Gods of Asgard: The Sword of Sumemr – Rick Riordan
Magnus Chase has always
been a troubled kid. Since his mother’s mysterious death, he’s lived
alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step
ahead of the police and the truant officers.
One day, he’s
tracked down by a man he’s never met—a man his mother claimed was
dangerous. The man tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a
Norse god.
The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are
preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for
doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a
weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.
When an attack
by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives
of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision.
Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . .
7. A Madness So Discreet – Mindy McGinnis–
Grace Mae knows madness.
She
keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a
brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those
secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane
asylum.
When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is
banished to the dark cellars, where her mind is discovered by a visiting
doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her
keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at
crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio
asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have
had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a
killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the
cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in
her own past.
In this beautifully twisted historical thriller, Mindy McGinnis, acclaimed author of Not a Drop to Drink and In a Handful of Dust, explores the fine line between sanity and insanity, good and evil—and the madness that exists in all of us.
8. First & Then – Emma Mills
Devon Tennyson wouldn't
change a thing. She's happy watching Friday night games from the
bleachers, silently crushing on best friend Cas, and blissfully ignoring
the future after high school. But the universe has other plans. It
delivers Devon's cousin Foster, an unrepentant social outlier with a
surprising talent for football, and the obnoxiously superior and
maddeningly attractive star running back, Ezra, right where she doesn't
want them first into her P.E. class and then into every other aspect of
her life.
Pride and Prejudice meets Friday Night Lights in this contemporary novel about falling in love with the unexpected boy, with a new brother, and with yourself.
9. Illuminae – Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.
This afternoon, her planet was invaded.
The
year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet
that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the
universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With
enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even
talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating
fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.
But their problems
are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is
mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be
protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will
say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to
find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to
light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.
Told
through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails,
schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae
is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives
interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.
10. Velvet Undercover – Teri Brown
Samantha Donaldson's family has always done its duty for
the British Crown. In the midst of World War I, seventeen-year-old Sam
follows in their footsteps, serving her country from the homefront as a
messenger for the intelligence organization MI5. After her father
disappears on a diplomatic mission, she continues their studies of
languages, mathematics, and complex puzzles, hoping to make him proud.
When
Sam is asked to join the famed women's spy group La Dame Blanche, she's
torn—while this could be an unbelievable adventure, how can she abandon
her mother, who has already lost a husband? But when her handlers
reveal shocking news, Sam realizes she can't refuse the exciting and
dangerous opportunity.
Her acceptance leads her straight into the
heart of enemy territory on a mission to extract the most valuable
British spy embedded in Germany, known only as Velvet. Deep undercover
in the court of Kaiser Wilhelm II, Sam must navigate the labyrinthine
palace and its many glamorous—and secretive—residents to complete her
assignment. To make matters worse she must fight a forbidden attraction
to the enemy—a dangerously handsome German guard. In a place where
personal politics are treacherously entangled in wartime policy, can Sam
find Velvet before it's too late . . . for them both?
A thrilling story of one girl's journey into a deadly world of spy craft and betrayal—with unforgettable consequences.
11. Winter – Marissa Meyer
(SPOILERS)
Princess Winter is
admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the
scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking
than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.
Winter despises her
stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her
childhood friend–the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as
weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her
stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic,
Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a
revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.
Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?
12. Ten Thousand Skies Above You – Claudia Gray
Ever since she used the
Firebird, her parents' invention, to cross into alternate dimensions,
Marguerite has caught the attention of enemies who will do anything to
force her into helping them dominate the multiverse—even hurting the
people she loves. She resists until her boyfriend, Paul, is attacked and
his consciousness scattered across multiple dimensions.
Marguerite
has no choice but to search for each splinter of Paul’s soul. The hunt
sends her racing through a war-torn San Francisco, the criminal
underworld of New York City, and a glittering Paris where another
Marguerite hides a shocking secret. Each world brings Marguerite one
step closer to rescuing Paul. But with each trial she faces, she begins
to question the destiny she thought they shared. The second book in the Firebird trilogy, Ten Thousand Skies Above You features Claudia Gray’s lush, romantic language and smart, exciting action, and will have readers clamoring for the next book.
13. Da Vinci's Tiger – L.M. Elliot
Young, beautiful, and
witty, Ginevra de’ Benci longs to take part in the artistic ferment of
Renaissance Florence. But as the daughter of a wealthy family in a
society dictated by men, she is trapped in an arranged marriage,
expected to limit her creativity to domestic duties. Her poetry reveals
her deepest feelings, and she aches to share her work, to meet painters
and sculptors mentored by the famed Lorenzo de Medici, and to find love.
When
the charismatic Venetian ambassador, Bernardo Bembo, arrives in
Florence, he introduces Ginevra to a dazzling circle of patrons,
artists, and philosophers—a world of thought and conversation she has
yearned for. She is instantly attracted to the handsome newcomer, who
admires her mind as well as her beauty. Yet Ginevra remains conflicted
about his attentions. Choosing her as his Platonic muse, Bembo
commissions a portrait by a young Leonardo da Vinci. Posing for the
brilliant painter inspires an intimate connection between them—one
Ginevra can only begin to understand. In a rich and enthralling world of
exquisite art, elaborate feasts, and exhilarating jousts, she faces
many temptations to discover her voice, artistic companionship, and a
love that defies categorization. In the end, she and Leonardo are caught
up in a dangerous and deadly battle between powerful families.
what's on your fall tbr?
xx
Sunny
Showing posts with label ernest cline. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ernest cline. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
waiting on wednesday: armada
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted over at Breaking the Spine, where we discuss a highly anticipated new release!
This week's pick: Armada by Ernest Cline
Release Date: July 14
goodreads
synopsis: Zack Lightman has spent his life dreaming. Dreaming that the real world could be a little more like the countless science-fiction books, movies, and videogames he’s spent his life consuming. Dreaming that one day, some fantastic, world-altering event will shatter the monotony of his humdrum existence and whisk him off on some grand space-faring adventure.
But hey, there’s nothing wrong with a little escapism, right? After all, Zack tells himself, he knows the difference between fantasy and reality. He knows that here in the real world, aimless teenage gamers with anger issues don’t get chosen to save the universe.
And then he sees the flying saucer.
Even stranger, the alien ship he’s staring at is straight out of the videogame he plays every night, a hugely popular online flight simulator called Armada—in which gamers just happen to be protecting the earth from alien invaders.
No, Zack hasn’t lost his mind. As impossible as it seems, what he’s seeing is all too real. And his skills—as well as those of millions of gamers across the world—are going to be needed to save the earth from what’s about to befall it.
It’s Zack’s chance, at last, to play the hero. But even through the terror and exhilaration, he can’t help thinking back to all those science-fiction stories he grew up with, and wondering: Doesn’t something about this scenario seem a little…familiar?
At once gleefully embracing and brilliantly subverting science-fiction conventions as only Ernest Cline could, Armada is a rollicking, surprising thriller, a classic coming of age adventure, and an alien invasion tale like nothing you’ve ever read before—one whose every page is infused with the pop-culture savvy that has helped make Ready Player One a phenomenon.
~~~
I am absolutely obsessed with Cline's other book, Ready Player One, and I am hoping that this novel can capture some of the magic, cleverness and unexpected twists that RPO had. I cannot wait to get my hands on this one!
What are your picks this week?
xx
Sunny
This week's pick: Armada by Ernest Cline
Release Date: July 14
goodreads
synopsis: Zack Lightman has spent his life dreaming. Dreaming that the real world could be a little more like the countless science-fiction books, movies, and videogames he’s spent his life consuming. Dreaming that one day, some fantastic, world-altering event will shatter the monotony of his humdrum existence and whisk him off on some grand space-faring adventure.
But hey, there’s nothing wrong with a little escapism, right? After all, Zack tells himself, he knows the difference between fantasy and reality. He knows that here in the real world, aimless teenage gamers with anger issues don’t get chosen to save the universe.
And then he sees the flying saucer.
Even stranger, the alien ship he’s staring at is straight out of the videogame he plays every night, a hugely popular online flight simulator called Armada—in which gamers just happen to be protecting the earth from alien invaders.
No, Zack hasn’t lost his mind. As impossible as it seems, what he’s seeing is all too real. And his skills—as well as those of millions of gamers across the world—are going to be needed to save the earth from what’s about to befall it.
It’s Zack’s chance, at last, to play the hero. But even through the terror and exhilaration, he can’t help thinking back to all those science-fiction stories he grew up with, and wondering: Doesn’t something about this scenario seem a little…familiar?
At once gleefully embracing and brilliantly subverting science-fiction conventions as only Ernest Cline could, Armada is a rollicking, surprising thriller, a classic coming of age adventure, and an alien invasion tale like nothing you’ve ever read before—one whose every page is infused with the pop-culture savvy that has helped make Ready Player One a phenomenon.
~~~
I am absolutely obsessed with Cline's other book, Ready Player One, and I am hoping that this novel can capture some of the magic, cleverness and unexpected twists that RPO had. I cannot wait to get my hands on this one!
What are your picks this week?
xx
Sunny
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
top ten tuesday: 2015
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish, where each week we have a different theme for a part of the bookish lifestyle. This week's theme is "June 9: Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases For the Rest of 2015." I did an enormous (read: 40+ books) post at the beginning of the year highlighting all the books I was anticipating over 2015. However, there have been additions and changes and, most importantly, cover reveals (!!) since then, so I am excited to make this list!
1. Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) – Sarah J Maas: Release Date: September 8. If you have been reading this blog for any amount of time, chances are you've seen my undying love for this series. It is high fantasy and absolutely insanely good. It has all the elements that you're looking for in a fantasy series (with an eventual six books!), but also tons of surprises thrown in. There are badass assassins, gorgeous soldiers, elves, princes, loyal friendships, bloodthirsty witches, magic, a cute pup and a fate of a world in the balance. Basically, I need this book in my hands IMMEDIATELY. Definitely my most anticipated of the rest of the year.
2. Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4) – Marissa Meyer: Release Date: November 10. Another series that I have come to know well and adore over the last couple of years. Though it isn't high fantasy like Throne of Glass, it is a series of sci/fi fairy tale retellings that introduce new characters and plot lines in every book, but everything intertwined delightfully. This is the conclusion to this series, and though I will be sad for it to end, I also cannot wait to get my hands on this book.
3. Ten Thousand Skies Above You (Firebird #2) – Claudia Gray: Release Date: November 3. I read the first installment in this relatively new series earlier this year, and I instantly fell in love with the characters and the world. I can't wait to see where Gray takes her unique multiverse world in the next book, and I absolutely have to see what happens with my ship, which is probably one of the most romantic ships ever to set sail, if I do say so myself. I have a feeling there will be angst, but hopefully I am prepared.
4. Armada – Ernest Cline: Release Date: July 14. Cline's previous book, Ready Player One, is one of my most favorite books of all time. He has a gift for creating a world that is so lifelike in its grotesqueness, it makes you physically uncomfortable, but also like you can't ever put the book down. His writing is compelling, and I am hoping for much of the same style or at least a similar driving force in his next work.
5. A Madness So Discreet – Mindy McGinnis: Release Date: October 16. I haven't ever read anything by McGinnis, but she is popular with some friends of mine, so I anticipate this being the first work of hers that I get around to. I love the premise of this book: mental illness and family secrets and detective work are three of the most interesting topics to read about, so I have hope that the three will combine into an awesome thriller novel.
6. The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #1) – Rick Riordan: Release Date: October 6. I have loved Riordan's books, all of them, since I was in middle school. I have been religiously following his releases for almost a decade. I would probably read literally anything that he would ever deign to release into the public sphere, but it helps that I am actually really exciting to see him take his unique perspective to the stories of the Norse gods.
7. Six of Crows (The Dregs #1) – Leigh Bardugo: Release Date: September 29. I read the Grisha trilogy in 2013-2014 and absolutely loved it, so I was understandably very excited when Bardugo announced that she would be writing a new series (this one a duet, I believe) in the same world. I also love ragtag groups that come together to achieve greatness, which sounds like what this is. I'm really hoping that this one lives up to the hype, because the Grisha world is a gorgeous one that I can't wait to return to.
8. Carry On – Rainbow Rowell: Release Date: October 6. Rainbow Rowell is one of my most favorite, if not my ultimate favorite, authors. Fangirl is a book that changed my life, one that I have read multiple times and will continue to reread into the forseeable future. When I heard that Rowell was turning her fictitious fanfiction from that novel into a real novel, I was beyond excited. I know a lot of people are apprehensive about the success of this idea, but I have complete faith that Rowell knows exactly what she's doing, and that it will somehow end up being something great.
9. Da Vinci's Tiger – Laura Malone Elliott: Release Date: November 10. This is one that I didn't find out about until about a month and a half ago, but once I read the synopsis (hello: renaissance Italy and a female protag? yes) I was immediately super excited for it. I really can't wait to see how Elliott reimagines and interprets this world of decadence and art. I just have a good feeling about this one, guys, I think it could be something really great.
10. A Thousand Nights – E.K. Johnston: Release Date: October 6. This is the year of the October 6th release date, it seems, and I am not complaining because some truly incredible releases have that as their birthday. This is also a year of not one but two 1001 nights retellings, and I can't wait to read both of them. This cover is incredible and the synopsis sounds that way as well, but all we can do is wait until October to see how this one stacks up against The Wrath and the Dawn. (YALL THIS COVER THOUGH)
what are some of your highly anticipated releases from the rest of this year?
xx
Sunny
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
top ten tuesday: beachy reads
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish, where each week we highlight a different category relating to our favorite books. This week's category is "May 26: Ten Books I Plan To Have In My Beach Bag This Summer or Ten Books I Think Make Great Beach Reads." Now, this is one of my favorite categories of books, as in the summer I always feel particularly happy, which makes me want to read light and fluffy books. I have an entire post exclusively dedicated to my favorite summer-themed books, Here, but I will talk about some of my favorite beach reads today.
1. Anything by Morgan Matson. I'm counting all three of her novels as the top spot in this list, because they are all summer-y and swoony, combining the tough topics in life with amazing romance and classic summer activities. These are some of my all time favorite summer books.
2. I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll know that this is one of my all time favorite books, one that I always recommend when people want to know what to read. It is one of those stories that you get completely engrossed in, and hours will pass without you realizing. I think that is perfect for a beach read, because it is something that you will get really into without having the commitment of starting a whole series.
3. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen. All of Sarah Dessen's books would make great beach reads, actually, but this one is my favorite. It is kind of like Morgan Matson in that Sarah Dessen combines tough subjects with the thrill of first love, but I tend to think of these as books for younger teen girls. They deal with the tough subjects but in a manageable way, which I think is perfect for a summer read.
4. Paper Towns by John Green. This book is on the shorter side, but there is a lot packed into the few pages that make up the novel. This is one that can be read in a day or two, but it will stay with you for weeks and months after you finish it.
5. The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Though this book is a bit of a different genre than the others on this list, I still think it would make a great summer read. I know a lot of people like to read James Patterson-esque, fast paced thrillers in the summer months, and I think The Naturals is a good YA choice in this same vein. It was described to me as a teenage Criminal Minds, and I completely agree with that statement. A group of child prodigies, coming together to profile and arrest criminals for the FBI? Sounds great to me.
6. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell. Though this takes place in a work environment, and that is the last thing that people want to think about while on vacation, I think it is a perfect beach read. Short, sweet, and hilarious, it is told through emails as well as prose, and the pages absolutely seem to fly by.
7. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. This isn't your typical summer contemporary. Though parts of it seem idyllic and carefree, there is a sinister undertone throughout the story. There is a huge mystery running through the plot, and the plot twist at the end will knock your socks off.
8. The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E Smith. This is a cutesy contemporary story, and some of it does take place in the summer. This is a sort of mindless read, nothing to think too hard about, but it will leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling inside when you finish it.
9. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. I read this one last summer, and finished it in one long day, which may be the only reason I associate this with a summer read. I do think that it is something thrilling and different, a new genre to try while you've got the time to try it.
10. To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han. I associate this book with both spring and summer, because of how light and sweet it is. It is one of the cutest books I've ever read, from the story to the characters, language and cover design. It's a perfect pick-me-up.
what are some of your ideal summer reads?
xx
Sunny
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top ten tuesday
Thursday, January 22, 2015
highly anticipated books of 2015
it only feels natural to follow up a 2014 wrap up with a 2015 look ahead. there are so many books that I am looking forward to this year, so this is just a sampling of the ones that I am biting my nails until the release date.
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