Breanna Blabbers: Interesting YA Quotes

"I like flaws. They make things interesting." -The Truth About Forever, Sarah Dessen

"Maybe, sometimes, it's easier to be mad at the people you trust because you know they'll always love you, no matter what." -The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, Ann Brashares

"Politeness is deception in pretty packaging." -Divergent, Veronica Roth

"Life is an awful, ugly place not have a best friend." -Someone Like You, Sarah Dessen

"Don't think or judge, just listen." -Just Listen, Sarah Dessen

"You don't think or plan. You just do it." -The Truth About Forever, Sarah Dessen

"So many things become beautiful when you really look." -Before I Fall, Lauren Oliver

"Beauty--real, everlasting beauty--lives not on our faces, but in our attitudes and actions. It lives in what we do for ourselves and for others." -North of Beautiful, Justina Chen Headley

"Everyone says that the Internet is so awesome because you can connect with people from all over the world, but I think it's the opposite. The internet doesn't make it easier to connect with anyone--it just makes it so you don't really have to." -Bittersweet, Sarah Ockler

"You should never be surprised when someone treats you with respect, you should expect it." -Keeping the Moon, Sarah Dessen

"I'd rather be completely alone than with a bunch of people that aren't real." -Fixing Delilah, Sarah Ockler

Disclaimer: Credit for these quotes go to the awesome authors that wrote them. I am not being compensated for this article. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I've Read So Far in 2013

(Photo: brokeandbookish.blogspot.com)

 



This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is the Top Ten Books That I’ve Read in 2013. Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. I have kept my list to books that I had never read previously.

 

1. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys- Between Shades of Gray is not the type I usually read and I was hesitant to pick it up from the library. I’m so glad I chose to read it because it’s a seriously amazing book. I loved the characters and the plot. I had never heard of this part of history, so it was something that was interesting (and horrifying) to learn about.
2. Sweethearts by Sara Zarr-This book is so simple, but I love it. Although it has been around for awhile, I never got around to reading it. When my sister got it for Christmas, she told me I had to read it… and I fell in love! I’m definitely interested in checking out more of her books.
3. Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson- I’m not a huge Peter Pan fan, but I actually liked this book. While maintaining elements from the original story, Anderson made the story her own by giving Neverland a more solemn tone. It’s a really cool, different book that I highly recommend!
4. The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen- Although not my favorite Dessen book, it’s still pretty good. I think it’s interesting how Dessen gave this book a more mature tone. The beginning is a bit slow, but the end of the story is amazing. Check out my review for The Moon and More here.
5. Emma by Jane Austen- I’m a huge fan of the movie Clueless, so I wanted to read Emma. This year, I finally got the opportunity. I love it! I fell in love with the characters and the whole plot.
6. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins- Everyone raves about this book, so I had to check it out. Compared to other YA romances, this isn’t overly cheesy. I liked the setting a lot!
7. Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson- This book is so sad! Even though you know the end is inevitable, you keep flipping the pages and hoping the outcome will change. You should definitely check this book out.
8. Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler- I love Sarah Ockler. Her characters are always so real. This one is perfect for summer, but it definitely not an easy, breezy summer read. Check out my review for Fixing Delilah here.
9. Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler- Bittersweet is such a cute story. I like the cupcake recipes at the beginning of each chapter, and Ockler once again impressed me with her awesome writing. You need to read one of her books if you haven’t yet!
10. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater- This isn't the type of book that I would normally pick up. However, I really did enjoy reading it. It's something different than a lot of other YA books out there today. I would recommend it!

 

Disclaimer: I am not being compensated for this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own! All credit goes to The Broke and the Bookish.

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen Review

(Photo: goodreads.com)

            To say that I like Sarah Dessen’s novels is an understatement. Not only am I completely in love with the characters and get immersed in the setting, but I also connect to the novels on a deeper level. So, when I discovered that her newest book would hit shelves this summer, I literally could not stand the wait. However, after reading The Moon and More, I am sad to say that I am slightly disappointed, as the novel didn’t exactly reach my expectations (although it was still good).

            The Moon and More follows Emaline during the summer before she leaves for college. Everything seems to be changing in Emaline’s life all at once—she breaks up with the boyfriend that she has been dating since the ninth grade, her mostly absentee biological father reappears after months without communication, and a cute New Yorker named Theo helping with a documentary about a local artist has caught her eye. With so much in her life changing, Emaline is torn between her roots in Colby and the new, lavish future that Theo promises.

            Out of all Sarah Dessen’s books, I find this one the least engaging (at least, for the first half, that is). Now, in her other books, there is no huge catastrophic event, no real big ka-pow like say, in a dystopian novel. I acutally like how her books document people's everyday lives, which can sometimes be anti-climatic. However, in The Moon and More, I found myself... dare I say, bored? While there is some drama at the beginning of the novel, I found myself kind of bored throughout the first half. It felt like absolutely nothing was happening except background to the present day. I like Dessen's flashbacks, but in this, it seemed like not much was happening during the present day until at least one hundred pages into the story.

            Sarah Dessen books are known for the romance. Wes, Owen, and Dexter are all love interests that swept me off my feet. While I understand that the romance isn’t the main focus of this novel, I expected to at least have one or two sa-woon moments. However, I was greatly disappointed as I didn’t really like either of the love interests. Luke is perfectly fine, just your average typical boy. While he isn't anything to write home about (although very realistic), I enjoyed him far more than Theo. I couldn’t find myself rooting for Emaline and Theo at all. Emaline constantly compared Theo to her ten-year-old half brother Benji, so it was hard to look past this image, especially since Theo behaved like a child at certain points in the book. I hate how he belittled Colby and how he thinks he’s better and more refined since he lives in New York City. His arrogant attitude got on my nerves so much that I wanted to punch him at parts of the novel. Literally everything that came out of his mouth makes him seem like a jerk. I didn’t like their relationship at all.

            While I didn’t particularly like these male characters that much, I did love Benji. He was cute and added depth to the story. I enjoyed reading every part that he is in. As for the other secondary characters, I was a tad under whelmed. Dessen typically makes her secondary characters memorable and they add to the story. For me, they weren’t as developed as her other characters in other novels. Don’t get me wrong, I liked Daisy, Morris, and the rest of her family. They each had their own individual, unique personalities. However, I just felt like something was missing from these characters that are present in her other novels.

            Although I didn’t like these aspects of the book, I liked how this Sarah Dessen book felt more real and raw than some of her other ones. As I mentioned previously, I am a sucker for Dessen romances. While I was somewhat sad that I didn’t like the love interests, I am actually happy that this story didn’t have the typical happily-ever-after ending that many of her books have. It felt real and more mature than some of Dessen’s other novels and it’s something that I appreciated as a happily-ever-after would have seemed silly and out of place in this novel. 

            However, my favorite part of the entire novel is the family aspect, especially Emaline’s relationship with her biological father. Dessen wrote the scenes between Emaline and her father perfectly and their ending is believable and adds a great touch to the story. Likewise, I appreciated Emaline's relationship with her family. It felt very real.

            As always, make sure to keep an eye out for mentions of characters in previous novels. There’s a bunch, but I won’t spoil any of them for you!

            So, while I was somewhat disappointed that some aspects of the novel didn’t reach my high expectations, I did enjoy The Moon and More. While the beginning is slow, the ending is superb. Some may not like the more mature tone of The Moon and More, but it is still a good story that is worth your time.  

Disclaimer: I borrowed The Moon and More from my library (but I hope to own it soon!) I am not being compensated for this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books on My Summer TBR List

(Photo credit: brokeandbookish.com)

 

            Since I already compiled a Summer Reading Bucket List here, I thought I would use this post to write additions to that list! Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

1. Lola and The Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
2. As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott
3. Freshman Year and Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin
4. The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen
5. Virals by Kathy Reichs

 I know this isn't ten books, but I already compiled a pretty long list and I didn't want to add randoms books that I genuinely wouldn't add to my list.

Disclaimer: I am not being compensated for this list. All thoughts and opinions are my own! As always, credit for this idea goes to the Broke and the Bookish.

Breanna Blabbers: My Favorite Love Interests

 

(Photo credit: thehungergames.wikia.com)

       They make our hearts beat faster. They make us fan girl. And they make us fall in love with them. No, I'm not talking about One Direction. I'm talking about the boys of YA fiction. Here are my favorite YA guys and why:

♥Dexter from This Lullaby- I LOVE DEXTER. Wes has always been my favorite Sarah Dessen guy...but Dexter is definitely creeping up on him! I seriously fell head over heels the second he came into the story. The whole part about "our song" was just so cute! He has quirks and I love them!

♥Finnick from The Hunger Games- When Finnick first appeared in Catching Fire, I was like, "Peeta and Gale, who?" Seriously though, who doesn't love Finnick? Whenever someone asks me who I would want to be in The Hunger Games, I say Annie. Every. Single. Time. (And, by the way, how perfect is Sam Claflin? I LOVE him in Pirates of the Caribbean.)

 ♥Four from Divergent- Tris is one lucky gal. I seriously love Four. I like that his flaws are real, like being afraid of Marcus. Sometimes YA guys have "flaws," which aren't really flaws. But Four has them, and they make him such a great character. And such a great love interest. Um, where can I find myself a Four?

♥Wes from The Truth About Forever- Every single time that Wes appears on a page I seriously go straight into fangirl mode. I do not know what it is, but I just start squealing and jumping around. I think my family questions my sanity whenever I read The Truth About Forever. I honestly have no idea what is, but I just love him SO much.

Disclaimer: I am not being compensated for this article. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Book Haul: June 5, 2013

 

I purchased That Summer by Sarah Dessen yesterday for only $1.99! Now I only need three books to complete my Sarah Dessen collection-What Happened to Goodbye, Someone Like You, and The Moon and More. This isn't really a haul, as it is only one book, but I thought I would share it with you since I love Sarah Dessen. I must say, I really love this cover. The colors are so pretty and it makes me want to go to the beach! I also haven't read That Summer in forever, so I'll need to read it again.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books Featuring Travel in Some Way

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. Today's 'Top Ten' is Top Ten Books Featuring Traveling in Some Way. So, let's get started!

1. Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen- This is one of my favorite Sarah Dessen books. Colie is shipped to Colby Beach while her mother tours around Europe. Such a good story!
2. Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson- Taylor travels to her old lake house to spend one last summer with her father, who is dying from cancer. This story is so sad and not your typical summer novel!
3. Cloaked by Alex Flinn- If you love fairytale retellings, you'll loved Cloaked. It isn't your typical Cinderella retelling either; it is a mixture of a few different and more obscure fairytales. It follows a poor teenage boy as he goes on a wild adventure around the Florida Keys in search of a prince-turned-frog. Although it isn't my favorite Alex Flinn novel, it's still a great story.
4. Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler- This is one of my favorite books EVER. Anna travels to Zanizabar Bay with her friend Frankie, where they plan to meet twenty boys in twenty days. Like Second Chance Summer, this isn't your typical summer novel. I was basically in tears throughout the whole thing!
5. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen- Another one of my favorite Dessen novels. Auden travels to Colby Beach to spend a summer with her father and his new family. It has romance, depth, and great characters. Love it!
6. Just One Wish by Janette Rallison- Just One Wish is my favorite Janette Rallison novel. In the novel, Annika travels to Los Angeles to find a famous movie star that plays Robin Hood and bring him back to her brother, who has cancer, before he he gets surgery. On one page I was laughing and on the next I was nearly in tears. It's so sad, and definitely Rallison's best novel!
7. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares- This is seriously the ultimate travel book. Carmen goes to NC, Bridget goes to Baja California, Lena goes to Greece, and well, Tibby stays at home. I seriously love this book. It makes me sad, happy, and everything in between. I absolutely love their friendship!
8. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks- Trust me, the book is WAY better than the movie. Ronnie goes to Wrightsville Beach to spend the summer with her father. This book. THIS BOOK. I have read it nearly ten times and every time it just GETS ME.
9. Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler- Ockler is one of my favorite authors and I love Fixing Delilah! Delilah travels to her deceased grandmother's house in Vermont for the entire summer to prepare for her grandmother's funeral and sell her grandmother's house. As always, Ockler delivers an awesome story that makes me want to just jump and scream and fangirl all day long. Click here to read my review on Fixing Delilah.
10. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins- Everyone has heard of and read this book. Anna is shipped off to a boarding school in Paris and there she meets the wonderful Étienne St. Clair. It's such a cute story!

Disclaimer: Top Ten Tuesday is created by The Broke and the Bookish. I am not being compensated for this article. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Breanna Blabbers: My Summer Reading Bucket List

(Photo credit: authorsnow.com, fantasticfiction.co.uk, nerdfightasticadventures.blogspot.com)

 

       With the long days of summer ahead, I decided to compile a list of books that I'd like to read. I tried to keep the majority of the books summer related, but a few others snuck their way onto the list. While I know that I most likely won't get through all these books, I hope to get through the majority of them (and write reviews, of course)!

 

To Read:

1. Forever Summer by Alyson Noel
2. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
3. The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour
4. Girlfriend Material by Melissa Kantor
5. Summer Boys by Hailey Abbott
6. Death by Bikini Mysteries by Linda Gerber
7. The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
8. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
9. Wherever Nina Lies by Lynn Weingarten
10. Gimme A Call by Sarah Mlynowski
11. L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad
12. The Real Real by Emma McLaughlin
13. The Year My Sister Got Lucky by Aimee Friedman
14. Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt
15. Breathing by Cheryl Renee Herbsman
16. The A-List by Zoey Dean
17. Small Damages by Beth Kephart
18. Falling in Love with English Boys by Melissa Jensen
19. Incarceration by Catherine Fisher
20. When It Happens by Susane Colasanti
21. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
22. Virals by Kathy Reichs

Reread:

1. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
2. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
3. Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson
4. Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
5. Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler
6. Dreamland by Sarah Dessen

 

What’s on your summer reading bucket list?

Any suggestions for my list?

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Freebie

Top Ten Tuesday is created by the blog, The Broke and the Bookish. This week's 'Top Ten' was Top Ten Tuesday Freebie, or anything that you want. I chose to do the Top Ten Books That Disappointed Me.

This is my first time doing a Top Ten Tuesday!

1. What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen
       I love all of Sarah Dessen's books. I still enjoyed this book; however, I was slightly disappointed as I felt it wasn't on par with some of her other novels. It just felt as if it was missing something and the secondary characters weren't as memorable to me as characters in her previous novels. I still like this book, but simply not as much as her other ones.

2. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
       Since this book recieved so many rave reviews, I was sure that I would like it to. However, after reading it, I was majorly disappointed, as I didn't like it at all! I didn't like the characters, I didn't like the plot, and I didn't like the romance. I don't know why, but this one just didn't do it for me.

3. The Selection by Kiera Cass
     When described as a mixture of The Hunger Games and The Bachelor, I expected tons of drama, catfights, and some dystopian elements. What I got out of The Selection was an unlikeable heroine, a stupid love triangle (I'm not a total love triangle hater, but I did not particularly enjoy this one), and an extremely awkward prince. Not a fan at all.

4. Matched by Ally Condie
       This book had so many great reviews that I was sure that I would love it. I like it, but I do not love it. I appreciate Condie's writing style, but it didn't completely blow my mind. I also was not entirely impressed with the series as a whole either.

Click here for my review on the Matched Trilogy.

5. North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

      I literally wanted to read this book forever. So, imagine my disappointment when it did not meet my expectations. I enjoyed the geocaching element and the characters were decent. But, it just was not what I wasn't expecting and I didn't find it as great as other readers described. It is still a good book, but my expectations were a bit too high.

6. The Lying Game by Sara Shepard 

      I enjoyed watching Pretty Little Liars on TV when it first came out (I stopped watching for a few episodes and never caught up so I stopped watching it)and my mom was a fan of The Lying Game series so I caught a few episodes. While I like the book better than the show, I expected lots of drama out of this, but I just did not like it. Much of the drama is pointless and I didn't feel like I was on the edge of my seat as I was while watching Pretty Little Liars. I think the book would be more interesting and mysterious if Emma narrated rather than Sutton. 

7. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

      I love The Hunger Games. The first two books were amazing, so I expected the third to be amazingly awesome as well. But... It was just average. For me, it moved slow and wasn't nearly as good as the others in the series.

8. Pants on Fire by Meg Cabot

      I love Meg Cabot's The Princess Diaries series and many of her other books. Out of all her books, this is by far my least favorite. Although I liked parts of the book, I didn't like the protagonist. I couldn't really connect with her. For me, this is a huge disappointment from Cabot since I typically love and relate to her protagonists.

9. The Juliet Club by Suzanne Harper

      I wrote a letter to Juliet and even got a response, so this plot intrigued me. However, this book wasn't what I was expecting at all. I enjoyed the setting, but other than that, it left much to be desired, which is sad because it had a lot of potential.

10. Take A Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg
      I really enjoyed The Lonely Hearts Club. It's funny, empowering, and just plain fun to read. So, it was a no-brainer to pick up Take A Bow. However, I was not impressed. It was just an average book and nothing really stands out from the book for me.

Disclaimer: I am not being compensated for this article in any way. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Book Haul: May 23, 2013

        I just got these four books from a discount store for an awesome price-just a little over $7! The original value is over $54. I have read each book except for Incarceration. My Sarah Dessen collection is almost complete!