Showing posts with label Morgan Matson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Morgan Matson. Show all posts

Monday, 31 December 2012

Best of 2012!

2012 has been a phenomenal reading year for me!
After three years of hard work and partying I regained time for reading- I've read 50 books since June!
So my last post of 2012 is a quick round up of my 2012 favourites! I hope you all have a safe and happy New Year!

Favourite Debut
I picked this one up with nothing to go by and I loved it!

Favourite Start of Series
Divergent perfectly set the scene and the action for the rest of the series- just need to read Insurgent!

Favourite Standalone
 Morgan Matson is a firm summer time must read for me! I loved all the emotions and memories in this one!
 
Unexpected Favourite
I got this one free when I preordered Sophie Kinsella's latest book- I loved it! Very rarely does a free book surpass the one you paid for!
 
Favourite All Around
Dash and Lily had everything! Humour, sweet moments, stupid moments and action!

Favourite Latecomer
One of my last books of the year and one of my favourite! I'll be reviewing it next year!

The One I Should of Read Earlier!
Everyone's been raving about The Hunger Games for ages and I eventually picked it up in June this year- should have picked it up earlier!
 
Favourite End of Series
I was so happy to finally finish Ruby's story- I've loved her neurotic ways since 2006!
 
Favourite Sequel
I loved If I Stay but Where She Went had a little more resolution and perspective! Brilliant sequel!

Favourite 'Indie' Author
A random download led me to Abbi Glines! My favourite Indie author of 2012 because her books encouraged me to try other indie authors! 
 

Favourite Author
This one was hard! Veronica Rossi wrote a beautifully crafted world, a wonderful prequel and is very interactive! I'm already scouring my local bookshops for a freak early release!


Favourite Genre
 

 Before The Hunger Games I'd had no real interest in Dystopia but now I love it! I love all the different interpretations of the world, the intriguing mysteries and the characters. Not a fan of some of the love triangles but you can't love it all!


What were your favourites of 2012?
Happy New Year!
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxxx

Wednesday, 26 December 2012

Top Ten Contemporary Reads of 2012!



 
 I'm a bit late to this meme but it is Christmas! Hope you are all having a fabulous celebration!
I've chose Top Contemporary reads as my topic because I've read loads of contemporaries this year and I kind of already had this post written, so I just tweaked it! 
Easy by Tammara Webber
I have been re-reading this one like crazy! I love the side cast of characters, the theme, the romance, Jackie, Lucas... Everything really! Reviewed in October.

 
If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman
No surprises here! I loved these two books- brilliantly unique contemporaries with a fantastic cast of characters and a brilliant use of flashbacks! I loved how the two books are from two different point of views and both felt very emotionally deep and real. Reviewed in July!
 
Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
Morgan Matson has been one of my go to summer contemporary authors since Amy and Roger! I loved concept and plot line of Second Chance Summer and the complex characters. Reviewed in July.
Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
A fun festive witty contemporary read which incorporates so much of New York City and it's diversity! Reviewed in October.
Because of Low by Abbi Glines

 
I have gushed over Abbi Glines Sea Breeze series it's no surprise this one made it on this list! Because of Low was so sweet and based around family drama which I loved. Reviewed in September
 
Lengths by Steph Campbell and Liz Reinhardt


I loved how hot and sweet this was! I liked how Whit seemed to be the more troubled on as usually in YA/NA the guy is the most 'broken'. Such an unexpected great read. 
 
Derailed by Alyssa Rose Ivy.
 I liked the setting and the pace- it really surprised me with how much I enjoyed it! So glad I got the chance to take part in the tour! Reviewed in December!
 Charade by Nyrae Dawn
Sped through this on Sunday- it is so amazing! I can't believe I waited so long to read it!
Review is on it's way!
 
What has been your favourite contemporary read of 2012?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxxx

Friday, 30 November 2012

Friday Fab Five: Older Contemps

 
 
Fab Five Friday!
Topic- Older Contemporaries!

This idea came to after my Top Ten 2012 Contemporaries post. I wanted a way to post my favourite older contemporary reads!
These five books would all get five star ratings in my opinion.

Two Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt

This was my first every random Amazon contemporary buy and I love it! It launched my love of road trip books and Lauren Barnholdt. I love the characters, the plot and it still feels unique to me despite all the newer road trip books. I have reread this one countless times and I still find myself picking it up every now and then.

One Night That Changed Everything by Lauren Barnholdt
My second favourite Lauren Barnholdt book! It's full of funny side characters, unique plot points and complex relations! It is a quick fun read!

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
I think I've mentioned how much I love this book countless times! I even reviewed it despite the fact I read it pre blog. It was so good Morgan Matson is now on my auto buy list! :)

The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart

I love how quirky and unique this one is. Ruby is such a realistic character, a typical teenage girl who is unaware of her own appeal and has beenostracised by her former best friends and boyfriend. It is a great quick series!

Effortless by S.C.Stephens.
I first read this online years ago and had to buy it when I saw it on Amazon! It is quite a hot read but it deals with realistic issues and has such a enticing male lead that I cannot wait for the next book to be released!

What older Contemporary books do you still love?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxxx

Tuesday, 6 November 2012

Top Ten Tuesday: Contemporary Reads of 2012


Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by: The Broke and the Bookish.
This week's topic is: I'm choosing Contemporary 2012 reads!
 
This freebie week fits in really well with my feature! I decided to do my top ten contemporary books I've read in 2012! YA and NA!
 
 
Easy by Tammara Webber
I have been re-reading this one like crazy! I love the side cast of characters, the theme, the romance, Jackie, Lucas... Everything really! Reviewed in October.
 
 
If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman 
 
No surprises here! I loved these two books- brilliantly unique contemporaries with a fantastic cast of characters and a brilliant use of flashbacks! I loved how the two books are from two different point of views and both felt very emotionally deep and real. Reviewd in July!
 
Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
 
Morgan Matson has been one of my go to summer contemporary authors since Amy and Roger! I loved concept and plot line of Second Chance Summer and the complex characters. Reviewed in July.
 
Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
 
A fun festive witty contemporary read which incorporates so much of New York City and it's diversity! Reviewed in October.
 
 
Because of Low and While It Lasts by Abbi Glines
 
I have gushed over Abbi Glines Sea Breeze series it's no surprise these two made it on this list! Because of Low was much more sweet and based around family drama whereas While It Lasts was hotter and involved more emotional drama. I love the contrast between the two and the continuation of the cast while keeping the two stories separate. Because of Low reviewed in September and While It Lasts reviewed as part of  Young Adult and New Adult Month.
 

  Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry
 
This book has everything you could ask for in a YA contemporary novel, a heroine you can connect to, a hot boy with depth, a unique yet familiar plot and utterly addictive! Reviewed in July
Lengths by Steph Campbell and Liz Reinhardt


 I loved how hot and sweet this was! I liked how Whit seemed to be the more troubled on as usually in YA/NA the guy is the most 'broken'. Such an unexpected great read. Reviewed as part of Young Adult and New Adult Month!
 
What has been your favourite contemporary read of 2012?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxxx

Tuesday, 9 October 2012

Top Ten Tuesday: Minor Characters

 
Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by: The Broke and the Bookish.
This week's topic is: Top Ten Minor Characters

Check out my new header! What do you think of it? It's my very first homemade one :)

I love a well written cast of side characters so this topic is perfect for me! I've tried to vary my favourites between recent and older reads but it was hard as recent reads stick in my mind longer!
In no particular order as always!

 Xander from Matched and Erin from Easy by Tammara Webber
Erin
I loved her character, she was both stereotypical and surprising. As a sorority girl whose dating a frat boy you expect to read either a clever but shallow girl or an airhead with an inflated sense of self- Erin was none of these stereotypes! I liked her defence and encouragement of Jacqueline even in the face of harming her own relationships. I loved how she instantly signed them for self-defence classes and her enthusiastic engagement in them!  I would love to room with her at University, she'd be so much fun!
Xander
I named him as one of the things I loved most about Matched and if I'm honest I think I loved him more than Cassia! There was so much more to him than met the eye. He was perceptive, competitive, loyal but also observant enough to know who or what to be loyal to! Don't know if my opinion will change on reading Crossed and Reached but as it stands I find him to be a good solid male character with value and flaws!

Briony from Amy and Roger's Epic Detour and Jeremy from While It Lasts
 
Briony
She barely had any 'screen' time but she really impacted me! I loved her sunshine attitude and I feel her and Amy could have been best friends judging from the way she changed up Amy's suitcase. I loved her family slogan of Get up Dress up Show up.

Jeremy.
I loved this guy! He was such a good brother and a fantastic support to Eva. I admired how his sacrificed a year of his life to be with her and grieve with her even when he was ready to move on. I really hope we see more of him!
Roar from Under the Never Sky and Finnick Odair from Catching Fire!
Roar
I loved Roar! He is such a genuinely nice guy. I liked the bromance and acceptance between him and Perry. I loved how he treated Aria so nicely and looked out for her. I loved his parallel forbidden love story with Liv. I'm excited to read more about him in the short story.
Finnick
I defy any one who's read The Hunger Games series to dislike Finnick! He was such a conflicted yet intriguing character. I loved him in Catching Fire with his bravado and teasing coupled with his genuine devotion to (name). I liked the development of his character in Mockingjay although it was harsh in ways. I loved his relationship with Katniss and Peeta, he seemed to get them as individuals and as a couple. His own relationship with Annie was so sweet I couldn't;t help but love them.

 
Jonathan from the Song of the Lioness Quartet and Rosto from Terrier
Jonathan.
Who doesn't love a prince? Especially a clever, heroic one! I loved how he grew from an arrogant boy to a mature balanced ruler who could approach situations level headed. He was probably the only character who was liked by almost everyone! I love his bromance with George who was his complete opposite! I
Rosto
I initially liked how much he reminded me of George, a witty thief! I loved how he treated his role as King as caregiver and did his best to keep his people feed. I loved how open he was especially as it annoyed Beka! I loved his affection for Beka- I really missed him in Bloodhound and Mastiff

Genie from Castle in the Air, Howl created by Diana Wynne Jones
 
Genie/Howl
I love his attitude and snarky replies. He really adds to the book and leads  to his goal. The twist in the end is actually why I love him the most because it was glaringly obvious once you read it!
Howl was the quintessential useless wizard! He was a lady's man but incapable of looking after himself. Vain and cowardly but proved himself to be clever and heroic when necessary. The man gave his heart to a fallen star- how can you not admire and love that!

Missing from this post!

Ron and Hermione
Let's be honest they were never minor characters past chapter of the Philosopher's Stone

George Cooper, Neal, Raoul, Nawat, Kaddar etc by Tamora Pierce
I could probably do a top ten minor characters featuring just her books! So I tried to vary my two TP representatives :)


Let me know your favourite minor characters!
Much love!
Lettie!
Xxxx

Tuesday, 28 August 2012

Top Ten Tuesday: Update!

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by: The Broke and the Bookish.
Next week's topic is Autumn TBRs so I thought I would  go back and see how many of my Anticipated Summer Reads I actually got round to reading :)

My Summer TBR was my very first Top Ten Tuesday here. I managed seven out of ten which isn't too bad!

Read

I Heart London by Lindsey Kelk- Such a good end to the series although I hope it's not the permanent end!
Matched by Ally Condie- A great read! I loved the society set up and the characters, looking forward to reading Crossed and Reached.
If I Stay by Gayle Forman and Where She Went by Gayle Forman- These books will stay with me forever- they were so emotional!
Love of The Party by Lauren Barnholdt- I loved the fact this was a combination of different yet related stories, good quick read!
Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry-Better than Perfect Chemistry, it had such an intriguing plot and characters
Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson- Lived up to my expectations of Morgan Matson, I'm already looking forward to her next book!

Not Read


Divergent by Veronica Roth
This one is sat patiently on my library pile! I will be taking it away with me next month so it just misses out on being a summer read :)
In Honor by Jessi Kirby/The Thing about the Truth by Lauren Barnholdt
These two haven't been read for the same reason. I don't like buying contemporary books as hardbacks and unfortunately these two are only available in hardback!
I don't want them as ebooks as I'm still not a fan of ebooks... These two will get read as soon as they are paperbacks!

All seven were great picks and really good reads so I'm glad I stuck to the majority of this list!
I'm excited to pick out my Autumn TBR next Tuesday!

How did you do with your summer TBR?

Much Love
Lettie
xxx

Tuesday, 21 August 2012

Top Ten Tuesday- Favourite Books!


Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by: The Broke and the Bookish.
This week's topic is Favourite Books You've Read During The Lifespan Of Your Blog!
 
 
 
This topic was difficult as  I usually define a book as one of my favourites if I still love it months later- seeing as I've only been blogging since June, I really had to think which books I had read since starting my blog and go from there.
In no particular order!


The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

 

This book definitely convinced me that dystopia was a genre I would enjoy. It was my favourite of the trilogy! Full review.

Because of Low by Abbi Glines

Loved the relationships and revelations in this book- introduced me to what an amazing author Abbi is!

While It Lasts by Abbi Glines

Loved this even more than Because of Low- it was fun, the characters were realistic and the plot was something I hadn't read before!

If I Stay by Gayle Forman
This book will stay with me forever- it was breathtaking! Full review.

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

If I Stay was a hard act to follow but Where She Went managed to follow it beautifully. Full review.

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

I love how this book covers so much emotionally in such a short summer. Full review.

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry


Really lived up to the hype surrounding it and had such an intriguing plot and characters. Full review 
The Selection by Kiera Cass

I loved this as it was a more light hearted dystopia book! Full review.

I Heart London by Lindsey Kelk

 Such a good end to the series and I loved finally seeing Angela 'at home'!  

Going Under by Georgia Cates

This one surprised me as I never would of thought it would end up as one of my favourites but it was such a good read it deserves to be on this list!

Honourable mentions
Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan which was just too disturbing to make it onto this list and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins which got left off due to The Hunger Games!


Wow! I read a lot more books than I'd thought since June!
Let me know what your favourites are!
Much Love!
Lettie
xxx