TTT #18: Top Ten Popular Authors I've Never Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly event hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish.

Popular Authors I want to Read but Haven't

1. Neil Gaiman - I have no idea why I have yet to read any books by this author but it is pretty embarrassing. *Hangs head in shame.* If you have any suggestions on where I should start please share in the comments!

2. Jennifer L. Armentrout  - I've heard so many good things about her Lux series. I really don't know why I'm waiting to start it.

3. Lois Lowry - I must read The Giver before the movie comes out!

4. Ally Carter - The Heist Society series just sounds like it's right up my alley.

5. Patrick Ness  - I really want to try reading his works...someday...maybe...hopefully.

The Classic Authors I Really Need to Get Around to

6. Agatha Christie  - I am not sure why I have read nothing by Agatha. :/

7. Arthur Conan Doyle - I have not read a single Sherlock story. Sad day.

8. Ray Bradbury  - This is the most embarrassing entry on this list. I haven't read Fahrenheit 451. I'm horrible, I know. I vow to red this book this year. 

The Ones I Have No Strong Desire to Start Reading Anytime Soon

9. Cassandra Clare - Everyone tells me to read her books, but for some reason I just keep putting it off. I think it may be because I saw the movie and the whole are we may be related thing was a turn off.

10. Richelle Mead  - I love vampire novels. I really do. On the other hand, I don't want to read any more crappy ones. Feel free to tell me I'm wrong and I will move this one up on my TBR pile.

Review: Control by: Lydia Kang

Control (#1) by: Lydia Kang Dec. 2013)

400 pages

Genre: YA/Sci-Fi/Dystopian

Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers

Source: The Library

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

Goodreads Summary: An un-putdownable thriller for fans of Uglies

When a crash kills their father and leaves them orphaned, Zel knows she needs to protect her sister, Dyl. But before Zel has a plan, Dyl is taken by strangers using bizarre sensory weapons, and Zel finds herself in a safe house for teens who aren’t like any she’s ever seen before—teens who shouldn't even exist. Using broken-down technology, her new friends’ peculiar gifts, and her own grit, Zel must find a way to get her sister back from the kidnappers who think a powerful secret is encoded in Dyl’s DNA.

A spiraling, intense, romantic story set in 2150—in a world of automatic cars, nightclubs with auditory ecstasy drugs, and guys with four arms—this is about the human genetic “mistakes” that society wants to forget, and the way that outcasts can turn out to be heroes.

My Review

Control is unique, fun, at times intense and funny, and definitely weird. Now hold tight and try to follow my somewhat rambling review of Control's quirks.

Zel is a main character that may be a little frustrating, but not only grows on you but grows up a lot and really starts becoming more brave and strong and confident throughout the novel. I still hate that at times Zel is so down on how she looks and she is overly cruel about her sister's beauty with a little bit of slut-shaming, but I also think this shows how important it is to love yourself in its own backwards way. Her sister, Dyl, is her opposite in many ways although the reader doesn't get a lot of time with Dyl since she was kidnapped. The other very weird characters (the other teens with unique qualities such as extra arms and other different things) are complex are not ones to be easily forgotten. Although they come off cold at first they grow on you and are very interesting. I was worried that reading about these teens with  the very bizarre attributes would be too weird for me, but it wasn’t and actually shines light on the fact that no matter how different we may be we are all still just human beings and all still deserve to be treated as such.

The story takes place in 2150 and shines a very interesting light on what the world would be like in the future, and is somewhat believable as well. The story is unique, but there are also a good amount of basic plot devises that were used making it predictable at times. The main thing I didn’t enjoy about Control was that for a small chunk of the book I thought the plot didn’t really move forward, and I got just a tiny bit bored, answers were not being given and I was getting frustrated. Luckily it didn't last long. I did enjoy the science stuff in this book, the DNA mutations, the automatic riding pods, the crazy drugs, and all the other crazy stuff.

I’m thinking those of you who like X-Men would like Control. It was a solid book and I plan on reading the sequel.

The Bookish Report

Here are all of the top bookish stories, blog posts, pictures, and videos I found this past week. I put this post up every Sunday so come back again next week for more bookish awesomeness.

Click away and enjoy your Sunday!

News

Deborah Harkness has announced her tour for the last Discovery of Witches book, The Book of Life. I really hope I can make it to her stop in the Chicago area. July can't get here fast enough.

Next time you are looking for some new book recommendations you should really read this interesting list of books you should read now based on books you read as a child. I know I will be using this list in the future.

If you have yet to check out the stunning new covers of the Percy Jackson series then obviously you need to. I like the old covers a lot, but I am loving the new ones as well.

Have you been impatiently waiting for the next book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin? Well you are in luck, a very short excerpt of the upcoming book has been released, and you will get to find out the release date soon...hopefully.

I also want to share with you that all of the Four (Divergent) short stories will be released in one volume in July and I am more than ready. For more information and to see the cool cover you will have to read this little article.

Blog Posts

These covers of books being released this fall will make your mouth hang open in awe. 

If you are a fan of New Adult and are interested in getting a review copy or promoting the new book Falling for Autumn by an author I really like, Heather Topham Wood, then you should probably be vising this page for details.

Christine at Buckling Bookshelves wrote another thought provoking discussion post on her blog detailing the issue of when to promote/review those brand new/ARC books.

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Review: All Our Yesterdays by: Cristin Terrill

All Our Yesterdays by: Cristin Terrill (2013)

360 pages

Genre: YA/Sci-Fi/Time Travel

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Source: The Library

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

Goodreads Summary: What would you change?

Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.

Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside.

Marina has loved her best friend, James, since they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it... at least, not as the girl she once was. Em and Marina are in a race against time that only one of them can win.

All Our Yesterdays is a wrenching, brilliantly plotted story of fierce love, unthinkable sacrifice, and the infinite implications of our every choice.

My Review

So because I’ve waited so long to write this review after I read the book I’m having a hard time coming up with things to say even with my notes. Therefore, because of that little problem and since I don’t want to give away any spoilers I’m just going to break it down into a little list of what I did and didn’t like.

What I Liked

• It starts off strong. I got pulled into the story early on and I couldn’t climb back out, nor did I want to.
• I love the time travel. It’s done exceptionally in All Our Yesterdays!
• The author does an amazing job with the descriptions of pretty much everything and everyone. 
• Yes, yes, yes to all the action!
• The characters are rather unique and pretty memorable. The friendships, the crushes, and  the awkwardness is above par. All the characters are guaranteed to make you feel something toward them, but Finn is my favorite.

What I Didn't Like

• All Our Yesterdays was a tad bit confusing at times, but the ending was the most confusing. I may love time travel, but sometimes it can be frustrating.
• It was a little too predictable for the most part and pretty easy to guess what was coming, but given that I was fully shocked near the end made up for this.

I recommend this to anyone looking for a unique young adult novel, especially those of you who love time travel.

Review: Ketchup Clouds by: Annabel Pitcher

Ketchup Clouds by: Annabel Pitcher Dec. 2013)

251 pages

Genre: YA/Contemporary

Publisher: Orion

Source: The Library

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

Goodreads Summary: Secrets, romance, murder and lies: Zoe shares a terrible secret in a letter to a
stranger on death row in this second novel from the author of the bestselling debut, My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece.

Fifteen-year-old Zoe has a secret—a dark and terrible secret that she can't confess to anyone she knows. But then one day she hears of a criminal, Stuart Harris, locked up on death row in Texas. Like Zoe, Stuart is no stranger to secrets. Or lies. Or murder.

Full of heartache yet humour, Zoe tells her story in the only way she can—in letters to the man in prison in America. Armed with a pen, Zoe takes a deep breath, eats a jam sandwich, and begins her tale of love and betrayal.

My Review

This is not a cute story about a teen romance. This is a story about a girl who didn’t always make good choices and is living a lie, it is actually a pretty dark story. On the other hand, Ketchup Clouds does a good job at getting you to think about how you forgive yourself and others, and the importance of living life the best that you can, so it's also a darn good story.

I loved that Zoe’s story, past and present, is told through the letters she is writing to a person in prison who is on death row, someone who she feels a connection with. Zoe is matter of fact in her letters, harsh on the world and herself, but each letter is usually also filled with some much needed humor. The mystery in Ketchup Clouds of who has died and how Zoe is involved may have been a tiny bit obvious, but there were still some good twists that were shocking. I also loved that there are so many secrets going on between so many different people throughout the novel. I'm a huge fan of there being a lot of secrets in my books. One other aspect of Ketchup Clouds that I really found a liking to is Zoe's family, how her little sister is adorable, and how family is just as prominent in this story as Zoe’s love interests. Now I know I just said interests, plural, there is a love triangle of sorts, which is one of the reasons Zoe can come off as naive and kind of dumb at times, but I promise that it didn't keep me from really enjoying this book.

Wow, sorry for that jumbled mess of the above paragraph, I'm having trouble organizing my thoughts on this one. Get in the mood to read a darker young adult novel and emerge yourself in Ketchup Clouds, a unique novel that may not be perfect, but overall is a keeper. 

Library Loot #16

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Linda from Silly Little Mischief that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.

This week my library loot may be small, but I think it's pretty great!

My Library Loot

I've heard so many good things about this book! We shall see.

This may not be my favorite series, but I can't wait to read this.

Another adult book! Now I just need to read it.

The Bookish Report & A Quick Apology

Here are all of the top bookish stories, blog posts, pictures, and videos I found this past week. I put this post up every Sunday so come back again next week for more bookish awesomeness. 

** Sorry my posts have been few and far between these last two weeks. I picked up extra shifts at work and I got a really bad cold, which made it so I was either working, sleeping, or being lazy. I also apologize for taking forever to visit all of my lovely blogger friends' blogs and to respond to comments. Hopefully I'll be back doing all things blogging at full swing this week!

Click away and enjoy your Sunday!

News

I know Valentine's Day has come and gone but I thought you all deserve a very true post describing why books are better valentines than people.

Whether it is a first amendment right or not, why would people want to view pornography in a public library? Ummmm no.

source: thereadables.tumblr.com

If you are looking for something bookish that is aesthetically pleasing then see this list of 15 cool typography designs of your favorite literary quotes.

I have never heard of Booktrack and to be perfectly honest I'm not all that glad that I did. You can actually make sound affects to go along with a novel. Ummm... I would pass on this, I prefer reading my book in the quiet and immersing myself completely in the story. Booktrack claims that reading needs to be reinvented and this is the way to do it, having books that have a soundtrack and sound effects that go along with it. I don't know but this seems weird to me, and I like reading now as it is just fine. I guess this would be cool for kids, but other than that I just don't know.

Blog Posts

I think all/any books count toward your reading goals, but I don't think everyone does. Take a second to read Buckling Bookshelve's post on the topic, its a great read.

Simply because the infographics rock, okay so does the content, you need to check out Seriously Social! Survey, Infographic, and Giveaway over at The Book Addict's Guide. Hurry the giveaway ends today.

Did you know that a book series could be canceled? I guess that is a thing now. :(

If you have every wondered what are some different ways increase your blog readership then it can't hurt to read Parajunkee's Ten Quick Tips to Increase Your Blog Readership.

Instead of flooding this section with all the different interesting Valentine's Day posts on the blogosphere this year I decided to choose just one, which was very hard to do. I went with Read My Breath Away's post that has young adult authors writing funny poems and cute little vanlentines messages from their main characters' point of view from their books. Sorry about the word jumble description of the post, just read the post already. 

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