Top Ten Books That Remind Me of Summer

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish!

This week's topic: Top Ten Books That Should Be In Your Beach Bag or Ten Books That Will Be In My Beach Bag This Summer

I'm adjusting the topic a little bit because I'm not much of a beach-goer. If I DO go, I'll be sure to let y'all know what I brought, but for now I'll just list the top ten books that remind me of summer. And when I say "remind me of summer," I mean for a multitude of reasons. Not just because the book took place in summer (though some of them do!) :)

Fire by Kristin Cashore: I read this book in the summer. I read Graceling in the summer, too, but for some reason, this is the one that resonates with the idea of summer for me. Maybe it's an association thing--fire is hot just like summertime, or the cover is orange red and hotter colors. I'm not sure. All I know is that this book = summer in my mind. Also, this book = Dog Days Are Over by Florence + the Machine.

Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles: I really, really like this trilogy. These three were the first books I'd ever picked up by Simone, and I am so grateful I found them. I'm fairly certain these were more that I read in summertime, and this book is my favorite in the trilogy. The romance is another thing that pairs this novel with summer for me. It's sweet, it's fantastic, and that's the way I think.

The Book of Luke by Jenny O'Connell: I BOUGHT this book during the summer of 2010. It was my first trip to a bookstore (Borders!) in Texas, and I was all kinds of excited to spend my money on some books. I flew through this book soon after buying it, and now it sticks out in my mind. The carefree cover helps a lot, too. And if you've ever seen John Tucker Must Die, this is a story sort of like that, but I like this ending way better. This is my favorite JTMD-esque story.

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen: The story takes place during summer--as do several of Sarah Dessen's novels--and also features one of my favorite Sarah Dessen boys. (Okay, so that's a trick thing, since I love them all even though I probably shouldn't.) Of all of Sarah's summer-set books, this one is always the first one to come to mind. I think this is the first to come to mind of all her novels in general for me. I love Dexter, and this whole story is sweetness personified. There's a lot said about love in here that was so enlightening for me to read--then again, that happens with lots of Sarah Dessen books for me :)

The Story of Us by Deb Caletti: Deb Caletti is one of my favorite contemporary authors, and my favorite book by her is actually Stay which also takes place during the summer, like this one. But this book is the one that reminds me of summer. Maybe it's because I read this one in a summer month. Maybe it's because I wasn't feeling well when I read it. Maybe it's because I cried like a baby at the end, even though I cannot to this day truly understand why. There are lots of reasons why this may be the one of Deb's books that reminds me of summer, but all I know for sure is that it does. And you should read it, because it's fabulous.

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han: I didn't read this one in the summer. I actually didn't read any of this trilogy in the summer. We'll Always Have Summer almost made it, but it was the beginning of May. But I didn't need to read these in the summer, since these books are all about summer for people who have been close all their lives. This one isn't as carefree, but it is beautiful and I enjoyed all three of these books absolutely. The love triangle could be quite agonizing, but that didn't take the story down any for me. (By the way, I was Team Conrad. I heart me some Jere, though.)

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins: Fun, sweet, and adorable, this book is one that I can pick up at literally any time and enjoy. The lightheartedness of it makes it fit perfectly into the summer category of my brain, and St. Clair, y'all. ST. CLAIR. With his accent and his kindness and everything that is him. Goodness, I adore this book.

How to Ruin a Summer Vacation by Simone Elkeles: Yes, another one by Simone. This is actually my favorite trilogy by her. I'm not sure if I have a favorite book within the trilogy, so I'm just listing the first one. I first got into these books in the summer, but even if I didn't I know they'd still be on this list because they fit just like Anna did. They're funny, quirky, and I swoon my face off while reading. Avi is one of my favorite book boys of all time. ALL TIME, GUYS. That's a big deal.

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout: I was part of the Daemon Invasion in the summer of 2012 (our team ended up winning--check out the dedication in Opal!), and that was when I "officially" started getting into JLA. I read Obsidian in June, and then died inside until August when Onyx came out. Then I read that ASAP and waited forever and a half for book 3. But still, I got into this series and JLA in summer. The beginning of summer, to be exact. These books will always have a strong tie to those months for me, as will they to my favorite song: Mr. Jones by Counting Crows. OH, and it's also worth mentioning that Daemon and Katy's story begins in the summertime. So that's another thing.

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson: This book is the epitome of summer reads for me. I read it in the summer, it takes place in the summer, and every summer since I read it, I've wanted to pick it up and take a trip down memory lane with Amy and Roger. It's extremely difficult for me to think of anything I dislike about this book; I just love so much about it. I love Roger, I love Amy, I love their adventure, I love their playlists, I LOVE IT ALL. And goodness, I swooned so hard. The very first book I ever think of when asked about my favorite summer read is always this story about Amy and Roger and their fantabulous detour that I had the best time reading. I can't wait to dig in this summer and read it again! 

And that's my list! Have you read any of them? Do they remind you of summer at all? Let me know! Also, if you did a Top Ten Tuesday post (even if you did it without modifying the topic), link me up so I can check it out! Just because I'm not much of a beach goer doesn't mean I don't want me some super fun beach reads. ;) 

A Serious Amount of EPICNESS

Yes. Epicness is a word. If it wasn't before, it is now. Why am I using such words do you ask? Well because I am reviewing Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson today! I know, my blog has been very neglected for the past couple of days. To be honest, I've been very preoccupied with the YA Scavenger Hunt going on. It ends tomorrow at noon, so if you haven't started it yet. . .GET STARTED. After you finish reading my post, that is. I'm sure you don't want to miss this because Amy & Roger is an EPIC book, I swear. Since I finished the Scavenger Hunt today, I am free to write my post! Yay. So let's take a look at the cover of this book first, shall we?

I don't know why, but I LOVE this cover. It gives a really good impression of what the book is going to be about, but still leaves SO MUCH out.

Alright, so I LOVED this book. This was actually a re-read. I already told you that before, right? Well either way, it was. I had read it this past summer before I even started my blog. But this was just one book I HAD to include here, so I re-read it. This book was just as great, if not more, the second time around. I love the adventure, the emotion, and just the writing style in this book. It's funny, it's serious, and it's riveting. Once you start this book, you have no choice but to finish it happily.

Okay, so WHAT'S IT ABOUT? Well, gee, calm yoursleves. I'm getting there. Amy & Roger is about a girl named Amy and a boy named Roger who take a roadtrip across the country together. Simple, right? WRONG. That was leaving a bunch of things out. Some of which I will cover in my character rundowns late in this post, and others you will have to discover for yourself when you read this book. Because you really should read this book. If you don't I have an itching suspicion you'll regret it. Morgan is a wonderful author and I KNOW she has many great things to come.

One thing in particular I was pleased with in this book was the playlists. Throughout the book, there are several playlists made by Roger for the trip; he makes them along the way. Some of the music on them I knew (Owl City, The Killers, Guns 'N Roses, A New Found Glory, etc.) and others were completely new to me (Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin...). Yes, I only listed one band in that category because I love the name of that band. I love bands with names that sound like inside jokes or you-just-had-to-be-there moments. It adds a. . .complexity, I guess, to the band. Back to the point, I loved the music on the playlists. I knwo for a fact that if you search some of the songs on the lists on YouTube, in the comments there will be something about this book. Not all of the songs, but some. "Travel Song" by Someone Still Loves you, boris Yeltsin, for one. Another thing about the playlists: the titles cracked me up. Seriously. I mean "The Ballad of Amy's Lost Sunglasses"? I love these titles. Plus, they strike me as sweet in some ways. Some of them, I mean.

Alright, time for my character rundown. Who will I be telling you about today? You guessed it - Amy and Roger! First, Amy. the story is told from her point of view. She is very unhappy, you may even want to call it depressed, after the death of her father. Now she has to drive all the way across the country with some guy she's supposed to remember from her childhood but has virtually no recollection of. Yeah. That doesn't exactly strike her woo-hoo! bone. But as the trip goes on, she changes and grows as a person/character. In the end, I liked Amy. She's a good lead. Now for Roger - OH ROGER. Hehe, yep, he's one of those. Completely sweet, friendly, seemingly okay with carting a high-school girl across the country while he's going to his dad;s in Philidelphia even though he's about to be a sophmore in college. But that's just on the surface. On the inside, he is still 100% puzzled as to why his ex-girlfriend dumped him. With pretty much no explanation at all. (I KNOW, RIGHT? Such a witch with a b.) - (I don't understand how anyone can dump Roger.) So, yeah. Roger has that little conflict circling within his attractive little head.

Yes. A romance DOES spark between Amy and Roger, but it is NOT over the top or anything. It is definitely perfect for this story. It fits in perfectly and satisfies readers like me. Yep, romance junkies. You get a wonderful fill of "AWWWW!" moments that make you wish Roger and another certain character I have a soft spot for are real. So, not to worry, Friends. this book will make you happy.

Okay, the character I have a soft spot for is named Lucien, and he is a perfect southern gentleman. Whom I enjoyed reading about immensely. Plus, he is descibed as totally gorgeous! Get this - Gorgaous AND kind AND a gentleman. If only, right?

The ending. Oh, trust me, the ending of this book is not torturing. Though you WILL wish you could hear more about these lovely characters, you are let down easy when the book is over. You know it's coming. You're ready for it. And the ending isn't devastating. It wraps up the whole plot geniusly.

RATING: 5/5 stars for Morgan. Kudos, chica. I LOVED and ENJOYED this book so oh very much. I thank you for writing this book, Morgan. It was amazing. As for other books you can read by Morgan Matson, Amy & Roger was her first, but her second book, Second Chance Summer, comes out May 8th of this year! That's really not that far away, if we're being realistic. I know I'm excited about it, and I'm sure you will be too once you read Amy & Roger.

Okay, so that i it, Friends. I'll let y'all know more about books I'm going to read in another post sometime. Thank you all for reading this and PLEASE remember to FOLLOW. Yep, I said it: FOLLOW my blog. Please and thank you.

Until next time, Friends!

♥Jessica(:

How Time Flies. . .

Friends, my Spring Break is already over! I find this so upsetting. It passed by so quickly and it feels as if I have done nothing with my week off. Honestly, Spring Breaks should be longer. Then again, both you and I know that I actually have done things during this break. . . a whole lot of reading and reviewing, I took my SAT (thank goodness THAT'S over), and stuff of the blogging nature. Still, lost time is sad.

Now on to lighter topics, I am tweaking my Reading List a bit. Not a bunch, just a little. Here is the updated one:
1. The Dark Divine by Bree Despain (I'm currently reading this one. INTERESTING.)
2. The Grimoire Chronicles: Veil Between Worlds by Sally Dubats
3. Take Me There by Susane Colasanti
4. Dark Souls by Paula Morris
and
5. Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson (This one is a reread, but again I say: I LOVED IT. So I will be glad to read it again.)
Again, **Please Note: When I get Between, it automatically goes to the very top of the list. Yeah, I want to read it that bad. what can I say? I'm a sucker for guys named Aiden with Scottish accents.**

I have happy news, well kind of. One piece of this I told you guys yesterday- I'm expecting an ARC of Transcendence by CJ Omololu. I am so excited about this! I don't really get ARCs on a regular basis, unfortunately. It would be great if I did, though! Anyways, my unknown-to-you piece of news now: I am expecting ANOTHER ARC! Yay for me! This one will be an ARC of Immortal City by Scott Speer. It is these kinds of things that make me happy. I shall give more information on these books and stuff when I actually, you know, receive them. I'll read them and review them and all the usual stuff, of course.

Quick thank you to Mrs. ReaderPants for my ARC of Immortal City, Sally Dubats for my copy of The Grimoire Chronicles, and CJ Omololu for my ARC of Transcendence. I am so excited to read all of these books! I have that tingly feeling right now (again) just thinking about it!

Now I just want to say that I do still plan on reading and reviewing and whatnot. I am just giving a heads-up, though that they may not be as frequent now that school is starting back up tomorrow. I am a smart chicky - I'm not bragging, just being serious (I'm graduating a year early, you know) - but high school is a huge time suck. Yes, a necessary one, but nonetheless true. I will still read like a speed demon, but you've been in high school- it is very stressful. I will do the best I can juggle it all, I promise, but cut me a little slack?

Okay, one last thing before I go to do. . .things. I think I'm going to my brother's house today. . . I did not plan on saying this, but I am listening to this song by Paramore called "Oh, Star" and it is such a great song! I don't know why but it is sticking with me right now and I need to tell you about it. It's not new, but it is an old demo that you may not have heard. I, for one, am a huge Paramore fan. So I feel it necessary to spread the word when I discover a particularly awesome song of theirs. Check it out HERE.

All right, and that is it. Thank you all, as always, for checking out my blog, and certainly feel free to take a look at my other posts!

Until next time, Friends! (And wish me luck at school tomorrow!)

♥Jessica(:

Sneaking Candy into Movie Theatres...

Yup. I am one of THOSE people who sneak candy into theatres. I can't help it; the candy they sell at the establishment is always super overpriced. I'd rather save some money and bring my own Twizzlers, thanks. Okay, now you're probably wondering why I'm even talking about this. Well because I'm going to see a movie later, silly! I'm going to see Act of Valor. Apparently it's some war movie...? My mom wants to see it, and my brother and his wife have already seen it and liked it, so we're going to see it together. I don't remember even seeing prviews for this one, so it should be interesting for me.

Moving on, I (finally) went to the library today! Therefore, I now have a few books to add to my TBR list:
Take Me There by Susane Colasanti
Dark Souls by Paula Morris
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson (ACTUALLY, this one will be a reread since I already read this book over the summer. I loved it, so I want to read it again!)
And last, but certainly not least:
The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

That last one I chose because today is a very special day for the author: today is the release day of the last book in The Dark Divine trilogy- The Savage Grace! So I thought I should probably read this trilogy. Better late than never, right? I'll probably review these books individually instead of as a whole trilogy like I did Nightshade and The Demon's Lexicon, but I'm not sure yet. . . we'll see how it goes. I only have the first one checked out of the library so far which leads me to predict I'll do the reviews seperately. But again I say: we'll see.

So, I was thinking yesterday, and I realized that we are really getting into book release season. I mean, honestly. There are so many books coming out in May, and I know of a few in April too. A few of the books I am personally waiting for in May are:
Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready (the last in the Shade trilogy)- May 1, 2012
Until I Die by Amy Plum (sequel to Die For Me)- May 8, 2012
and
Endure by Carrie Jones (last book in Need series)- May 8, 2012

For the record: I know that all three of those books are in series or are sequels. I'm just saying that those are a few books that I am looking forward to in the month of May. Later in the summer, I certainly have some stand alone books that I am excited for. I'll list those some other time, though.

Now, for my last piece of good news (if I even had any good news before this...?). You all know that book called Between by Cyndi Tefft that I have been yapping about for abnout a week now? (see my other posts, I've mentioned this book in a few of them) Well my parents said I could get it! *this is where the angels start singing* I am so happy! The only catch: I have to wait until the beginning of next month for it. So now I am waiting. I am not a very patient person. But I shall deal! If you haven't heard my convincing argument on how every single person who reads any of my blog posts should read Between, then. . . READ IT. Come on, there is a super attractive male Scottish male character named Aiden MacRae. I don't know about you, but that alone is enough to prompt me to read it. Plus, did you notice I said SCOTTISH. As in- SCOTTISH ACCENT. Dude, an accent! So appealing. Ah, I love accents. Throw an accent on an attractive male character and I am a happy gal. Anyways, I'll be reading it sometime and I will review it and actually have true credibility of recommending it instead of just my strong tingly feeling in my tummy whenever I think of that book and Aiden MacRae♥

Last piece of business- I am currently reading Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake. I am just shy of 100 pages in, and have no actual opinion of this book so far. It seems promising, though. The story's really starting to unfold. And that's all I'm going to say on that front.

All right, blog readers. This is all I have to say right now. I now have to go email my bestest friend. I won't promote my Twitter this time, but if you want to check it out, I told y'all my username in my last few posts. As always, thank you al for taking the time to read my rambling blog! I am truly grateful.

Until next time, Friends!

♥Jessica(: