Top Ten Tuesday: Books people say you MUST read

Top Ten Books People Have Been Telling You That You MUST Read (whether because they think it's a "you" book or it's just been generally recommended so often)

1

The Fault in our Stars by John Green

I will probably never read this book. I generally don’t enjoy reading books that cripple you emotionally, but EVERYONE (and their brother, sister, cousin, roommate, etc.) is recommending it.

2

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Tiger Lily has been recommended a lot in general because it is apparently beautifully written. I may read this at some point in the future. 

3

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Everyone who is lucky enough to have read an ARC or has already received their copy (mine should be coming in the mail soon!!) is recommending this book. I WILL be reading this one because Anna and the French Kiss is just about the greatest book ever (Lola was pretty good too). 

4, 5, 6, & 7

Eleanor & Park, Fangirl, Landline, & Attachments

The majority of the bookish community seems to love Rainbow Rowell and thus, her books are always being recommended to me. I actually own three of her books (Fangirl, Eleanor & Park, and Attachments), but I haven’t gotten around to reading them yet. 

8

Divergent by Veronica Roth

I’ve read Divergent, but because of the movie hype, everyone seems to be recommending it. Although, I’m not surprised because V. Roth is amazing!

9

The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider

Several people have recommended this book to me personally. I agree that I would like it and it’s nearing the top of my TBR pile. 

10

Heist Society by Ally Carter

I loved the Gallagher Girls books, but have been weary of the Heist Society series. Everyone who has read both series’ by Ally Carter have been insisting that I read Heist Society. I bought a copy a few days ago and it’s nearing the top of my TBR pile. 

Welcome to the Shelf

Welcome to the Shelf

Heist Society by Ally Carter

Let's Chat!

Have you read Heist Society?

Have you read the Gallagher Girls books?

Which series is your favorite?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I'm Not Sure I Want to Read

August 12: Top Ten Books I'm Not Sure I Want To Read (books you may have bought but aren't sure if you are into it anymore, books you wanted to read but heard mixed things about, hyped books you aren't sure about --- basically any book that has you going, "TO READ OR NOT TO READ?"

1

Biggest Flirts by Jennifer Echols

The cover is adorable and everyone seems to adore the author (who I, embarrassingly, had never heard of before). 

2

Heist Society by Ally Carter

 I loved the Gallagher Girls books by Ally Carter and I’ve been a little afraid to read her Heist Society series. I finally broke down and read a sample chapter and I loved it! I ordered the book last week and I’m pretty sure I’m going to read it…soon

3

Fracture Me and Ignite Me

I’m a little terrified to read these two books, considering the fate of James and others at Omega Point is unknown. (I would be totally okay seeing a spoiler about this. DM me on Twitter @ashleyrnorris or leave a comment on this post (I moderate all comments and will NOT publish spoilers). 

4

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

 I feel like I need to read a Sarah Dessen book. I read a few of the descriptions and Lock and Key sounded like it had a good premise…but...it seems like this is every Sarah Dessen fan’s least favorite book.

5

Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike

 This books sounds interesting, but also a little strange. I loved The Lying Game books by Sara Shepherd and Life After Theft seems to be told in a similar way...but…I”m just not sure if I’d like it. 

6

Top 8 by Katie Finn

I started reading Top 8 a really long time ago (more than a year ago). Now that Morgan Matson has been revealed to be Katie Finn as well, I think I want to give it a second chance.

7

Tease by Amanda Maciel

I really wanted to read Tease when it first came out (I suspect because of it’s amazingly shiny cover). Turns out, the story isn’t too shiny.  Lately I haven’t wanted to read books with heavy subject matter. Maybe I’ll read this some day as it is said to wonderfully cover an important and difficult topic.

8

Dear Killer by Katherine Ewell

The cover of Dear Killer is spectacular, but I haven’t heard great things about this book. The author is so young and the storyline is intriguing, which makes me want to read Dear Killer. I’m just not sure if this one is for me, but I will keep it in mind (and on my Amazon wish list). 

9

The List by Siobhan Vivian

 The premise of this books sound interesting, but it, like Tease, covers a hefty topic.

10

Something by John Green

I've already decided that I do not want to read The Fault in Our Stars, but I (kind of, sort of, maybe, not sure,) probably should read something by John Green. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Authors I Own The Most Books From

Books Galore!

There are so many books in the world. It's difficult to choose just one. Earlier in the week, we talked about GoodReads and how it helps you find amazing books to read, but it can't choose what book you should read next. I currently have over 70 books on my GoodReads to-read list. Deciding which one to read, now that's a challenge.

Last week, I was mourning over the end of Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls Series. I needed to fill the void left by the end of the series and the only way to do that was to find another book, but which one? I wasn't sure if I was ready to read another series just yet so I narrowed my pool to finishing the half-read biography I started a few months ago, a novella, or a stand-alone--still a huge pool of books to choose from. 

Then I did something dangerous! *dramatic pause* I searched for Sara Shepard's Lying Game Series on Amazon.com. I really wanted to start reading this series, but again, I just wasn't sure if I could commit. Now for the dangerous part: I read the teaser chapters! *dun dun dun...* I was hooked! Then another dilemma struck! Even with Amazon Prime, I would have to wait two whole days for my books to arrive. I couldn't be book-less! Then I had to decide between the half-read biography and the only novella on my GoodReads list: Ally Carter's Double Crossed, which is a free e-book on Amazon. 

Okay, okay. It wasn't too big of a dilemma. I've been violently ill all week and I was in the mood to be swept up in a new, fictional world so I read Double Crossed until the first three books in the Lying Game Series arrived on my doorstep. 

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How do you choose what to read next? Tell me about it or share your book dilemma in the comments!

Tip of the Week: GoodReads

Tip of the Week: Sign up for GoodReads and discover your next favorite book. 

GoodReads allows the user to create lists of book they have read and books they want to read. It also allows them to create their own custom lists. In my case, I have an additional list titled, Books I own, but haven't read yet. This enables me to keep track of all the books I want to read, while not mixing the books I want to buy and the books I already own. 

GoodReads is a great place to find a book you'll love. One way GoodReads helps you find your next book is by analyzing the list of books you've read and the rating you gave it (based on 1-5 stars) and then it generates a list of books that may interest you. Also, there is an 'Explore' feature that leads you to  'Listopia' to find Best Young Adult Books, Books Set in Wales, Can't Wait Books of 2014, etc. You can also explore by genre, or by the most read books of the week, new releases of the year or month, books that have been reviewed recently by other users, and finally you can explore Books at Random if you're not sure what you'd like to read next. 

Once you find a book (or a plethora of books) you want to read, you can consult the GoodReads community to find out more about the book. GoodReads provides a profile on each book. One of the many helpful features is the cumulative rating. For instance, Ally Carter's Uncommon Criminals (the second book in the Heist Society Series) has 18,566 ratings and the average rating is 4.19 stars. Along with the cumulative rating, you can also read all of the individual reviews of the book by other members of the GoodReads community. The book profile also gives a detailed description of the book and a link to the authors page, where you can read a bio and discover other books written by the same author. 

GoodReads also lets users connect with other readers and join groups based on interests in certain books, topics, genres, etc. 

This is hardly a cumulative list of all the wonderful features GoodReads offers. Check it out and see for yourself!

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What are you reading this week? Tell me in the comments!

A Tough Goodbye

Like most writers, I am a reader. One of the hardest things a writer or a reader has to do is say goodbye to beloved characters. On September 17th, Ally Carter's final installment of the Gallagher Girls series, United We Spy, will be released. Though all of her fans are counting down the days and hours until it is released, reaching the last page of this compelling series and saying goodbye to Cammie Morgan and her friends will be difficult.