Best of 2013 Giveaway Hop

2013 saw some really great releases from all kinds of authors- some debuting their first novel and some their tenth. Today, for you, I have a list of the my top five favourite books of 2013 and some lucky person gets to pick one to take home and enjoy for themselves.

Thanks so much to the hosts of this Giveaway Hop:

 I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Bookhounds 

The Prizes:

1) Crash Into You by Katie McGarry (My Thoughts)
2) Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (My Thoughts)
3) Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano (My Thoughts)
4) Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys (My Thoughts)
5) Altered by Jennifer Rush (My Thoughts)

The Rules:

• This giveaway is open internationally as long as the book depo ships to your country.  
• Just fill out the Rafflecopter below.
• Make sure to check out all the other blogs participating in this hop- links below! 
• Good look everyone! 

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Top Ten Tuesday: Winter TBR

I love making TBR lists and with the exception of the Fall TBR I have been pretty successful with TBR lists. But maybe this time, it will be better.

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at The Broke and Bookish.

Top Ten Books On My Winter TBR

1) The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak- I have had this book on my shelf for a looooooong time. But I haven't been putting it off. But with the movie out and people talking about how good it is. I need to get around to it (I may or may not have already started it). 

2) Four Seconds to Lose by KA Tucker- I just finished One Tiny Lie a couple days ago and I really enjoyed it- a lot. Maybe even more than Ten Tiny Breaths. 

3) Rules of Civility by Amor Towles- I was supposed to have this read by the end of November for Book Club. But we cancelled our meeting, but I still want to read this book. SO that is my plan. It looks pretty good. 

4) The Descent by Alma Katsu- This one was in my fall TBR but I only just recently got my hands on it. SO to be fair... This one is for review so I am hoping to read it soonish. 

5) Cress by Marissa Meyer- I am pretty excited about this one. That's all. 

6) Me Before You by Jojo Moyes- This is a big maybe. I really really want to read this one. It was in my Fall TBR and I thought for sure that I would have it read by now, but I haven't. I say maybe because I have heard that this one is a wee bit sad and I have also heard that The Book Thief is a little sad as well, so we'll see.

7) Erased by Jennifer Rush- I loved Altered when I read it last year and I have been eagerly awaiting it's sequel. I am very excited. 

8) Heaven is for Real by Todd by Todd Burpo- I've heard about this story by a number of people and I really want to read the book. I also saw the trailer for the movie last week and I am pretty curious. Hopefully I'll get to it soon. 

9) Something Real by Heather Demetrois- This looks really cute and I am pretty excited to give it a try. I hope I can get to it sooner rather then later. 

10) Lolita by Vladimir Nabakov- I said at the beginning of this year that I would read this book. I wanted to read a Russian classic and Lolita is the only one I own. I am hopeful. 

~Happy Reading Everyone! 

My Thoughts: Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.

Where to start. I decided to read Trish Doller's debut Something Like Normal soon after her second novel came out and I couldn't get my hands on it. I had been seeing a lot of praise for this new author and I wanted in on the experience. I had initially thought that I would never read Something Like Normal because of it's militaristic themes- it just wasn't something I was interested in- which we'll get to in a bit. But... almost everyone who had read this book had good things to say about it, so I gave it a go.

Let me begin by saying that I may step on some toes with this review. I am going to share my opinions and it is just that- my opinion. Edit: This review has been sitting here for a while and I was never sure if I was going to share it. I guess if you are reading this, I decided to share it.

As I mentioned before, I had originally thought that I would never read this book because of it's military setting. The protagonist- Travis- is a soldier on leave from the navy. I generally don't like the attitude that North American  media outlets take when it comes to the military. There is extreme reverence of those in the military and it makes me SO uncomfortable. I do not believe that I am free because people chose/are choosing to serve in the military- to me this is silly.  So, because I was believing that this is what I was going to get in Something Like Normal made a little grumpy at it. But Doller surprised me with her book and I am very appreciative about it.

Tavis has just spent a year serving in the navy and is home on a month long leave before receiving his next assignment. He has spent the last several months in Afghanistan, and survived a number of traumatic events while there. One of them being the death of his closes friend. So naturally Travis is dealing with some pretty heavy stuff. Except: when he gets home, his parents' relationship is on the rocks and his younger brother is dating his girlfriend. What a wonderful home coming.

What I found really interesting about Something Like Normal was how not perfect Travis was. He wasn't the picture perfect soldier coming home. He made some really dumb decisions and said some ridiculous things and sometimes his logic was lacking. I liked that. I also found it really interesting how unpatriotic he was. There was no "God Bless America" coming out of him. He didn't feel like it was his American Duty to serve in the navy. Well that was not the sense I got from the story. This was not something I had anticipated.

One of the things that often upsets me about the military and soldiers who return after serving, is how down playing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is. PTDS is not often talked about. Men don't like to admit that they are struggling with it. There is this stigma attached to it and it is seen as a weakness. Trish Doller does not let that happen in this book. Travis's mom is pretty awesome and is incredibly supportive of her son and his vocation in the navy. She's a totally navy mom. She also knows something is going on with her son and takes him to talk to someone when he feels overwhelmed. And she doesn't judge him for that.

I suppose I should talk about the relationship Travis has with Harper. And while it was sweet and I liked that she didn't coddle him and she doesn't censor things when she's talking to him. However, for me, this romantic relationship wasn't the most impressive thing for me in this book. There were a bunch of other amazing interactions between Travis and the various characters.

Trish Doller wrote a great book. Her story telling was authentic and it was bias. I could never tell whether she was for the military or against the military, and as a reader who isn't sure about novels about the military this was something I was very grateful for.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I am glad that I caved to peer pressure and read it. Now please oh please can I get my hands on Where the Stars Still Shine.

~Happy Reading Everyone!

These Are a Few of my Favourite Things (2)

Where has the month gone? November went by in a flash, and it's been busy. SO, in saying that, I don't have a lot of favourites this month, but I have enjoyed a few things this past month, and I am here to share them with you.

TV:

DOCTOR WHO!!!

OK, so if you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you surely know about my obsession with all things Doctor Who. But November brought us The Day of the Doctor (The 50th Anniversary Special). But it goes further than that. The show FINALLY found it's way onto Canadian Netflix, and I thought it would be a good idea to rewatch the series. There were a couple episodes here and there that I chose to skip, and all of season four- I am sorry, I don't like Martha Jones. Anywho... Doctor Who has taken up the majority of my month- I didn't blog or really read, because I was spending time with David Tennant and Matt Smith.

I suspect Doctor Who might make next months favourites as well. With the Christmas special and Matt Smith's exit from the show (oh, my heart feels sad just thinking about it).




Music:

Don't Judge Me...

Miley Cyrus- Bangerz

While, I may not like Miley's personal life decisions and I may think she looks absolutely ridiculous- I actually kind of like her album. She's got a pretty amazing voice and I am kind of a pop junky. So I've been enjoying this album. I have enjoyed the song FU a bit (oh, I can feel all of your judging me!).



Lorde- Pure Heroine

This little girl is seventeen years old. For some reason I find this crazy. This album is really good. I am not sure I like Lorde's cocky attitude. She;s said some things that are not great. But, none the less. This is a good album. Tennis Court is one I have enjoyed.







Beauty:

I got a new job this past month (I am working retail in the mall- just to pass the time). This new job requires that I put a little more effort into my appearance. So I have a few beauty favourites:

Revlon Color Stay Top Coat- I love nail polish and I I have been painting my nails a bit this past month. I had initially tried a top coat by Sally Hansen and it was so bad, that I wanted to cry, because it destroyed my beautiful manicure. I then went back to my old faithful and I probably will never try anything again. I love this stuff. It makes my manicure last all week, with minimal chipping, and it's shiny. It's brilliant.

Teddy (eye kohl) by MAC- I love this pencil. I have been using it for years and it's beautiful. I like to be low maintenance, so I can sweep this across my lash line put on some mascara and I look presentable and able to be at the mall. Teddy is a beautiful brown colour with gold flecks in it. It makes me boring brown eyes look okay.





And because this is a book blog after all:

Book:

Crash Into You by Katie McGarry (My Thoughts), I loved this book. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. You should just read my review. It explains everything.









That's all for my favourite things this month. I hope you all are enjoying this little feature and seeing some of the things that I love (aside from books). I have been having fun sharing. Til next month.

My Thoughts: Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind.

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look.

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

**Review copy received through Netgalley

Whew!!! Did I ever love this book. Just to warn you, this may be more of a gushy, "ermergerd, you need to read this book," kind of deal. Crash Into You was fantastic!

Ok- So I first read Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry last fall. And I loved it. I thought it was brilliant and I loved how she tackled contemporary YA (you can read my review here). Not long after that I read Dare You To (My Thoughts) and McGarry's novella Crossing the Line.  Both were good, and I enjoyed reading them, but I didn't adore them like I did Pushing the Limits. I was certain that Pushing the Limits was a one off and that McGarry's books would be good (really good even), but nothing would be like that first time. Then came Crash Into You, and I take back everything I ever thought about Pushing the Limits being an isolated incident.

It was hard not to be excited for this book. Isaiah was a much loved character and I was eager to read his story. In the previous two books, Isaiah was an endearing guy, who was incredibly loyal to those he cared about. But he was lonely and I desperately wanted him to have his happy ending.

Crash Into You begins with Rachel preparing to give a speech at a charity function her parents host in memory of her older sister, Colleen, who passed away from leukaemia before Rachel was born. Because Rachel has always felt like a replacement daughter she does her best to please her parents and make them proud. Even if it means hiding an anxiety disorder (brought on by public speaking) that leaves her physically ill. It also doesn't help that Rachel has four older brothers who constantly feel like it is their job to "protect" her and they always know what's best for her, claiming that she is too weak to know better. It is after this even that Rachel needs an escape- one she often finds driving her car at top speeds. This is when Rachel finds herself at a drag race and meets Isaiah.

Isaiah is at this race to make some quick cash. But things change when the cops show up and he finds himself saving Rachel's butt and in turn Rachel saving Iasiah's butt. And thus, they fall in love.  No, not really. But this is where their relationship begins.

Lets talk about why I loved this book. Rachel- she was fantastic. She was SO sweet. Especially when it came to Isaiah. Rachel was incredibly insecure, this is partially due to her brothers, and partially due to her anxiety. But for some reason when she's around Isaiah, she becomes this brave girl who says what's on her mind. This is constantly surprising her and I loved that. Sometimes Isaiah would say or do something that he thought was in her best interest and she would shut it down, she turned into a sassy pants with him. If only she could be that way with her brothers. There were a few times during the reading of this book that I would find myself saying that it would suck to have brothers like her. They were so patronizing and selfish and almost uncaring when it came to her feelings. It absolutely frustrated me.

Crash Into You introduced us to to Abby. Katie McGarry knows how to write characters that hit you where it hurts. Abby made me want to weep. She seemed snarky and confident, but she was also very lonely and her immediate friendship with Rachel told a deeper story. I am hoping that we get to see more of her soon (I am feeling certain that we will).

Overall, Crash Into You was amazing and I think it's my new favourite by Katie McGarry. I was so invested in this story and the characters that I found myself up until 7:00 am one morning finishing it, and as soon as I was done, I was ready to start all over again. It was that good. I have already ordered a couple copies as gifts, because this book needs to be shared. SO read this boys and girls. It's so worth it!

~Happy Reading Everyone!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I'd Recommend To...

I am excited about this week's topic. Why? Because I get to talk about all these books that I can recommend books to someone... back in the day my mum was a pretty big reader. Not at into it and myself or my grandmother. But she would read a lot. In the past decade (maybe the last nine or so years- since my brother was born), my mum hasn't read as much as she used to. Well prepare yourself mum, cause I've got a list for you.

Disclaimer- I really don't think that my mum would read the YA that I am so fond of. So there is little of that here.

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at The Broke and Bookish.

Top Ten Books I'd Recommend To X Person (your choice -- could be to your mom, to a reluctant male reader, to your teenage sister, to dog lover's, to sports lovers, etc.)

1) Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult- This is the kind of book my mum would eat up. She would get caught up in the drama of it, the mystery of it all. The plot twists would through her for a loop and she would love it. I know she would.

2) Outlander by Diane Gabaldon- I just finished reading this one myself, and I think it's right up my mum's alley. It's the kind of story she could really through herself into and love. Jamie Fraser is a stud and Claire is sassy. My mother would love them together.

3) Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill- I read this book a number of years ago, and ever since I have been thinking that this is a book my mum should read. It's a heartbreaking story, but kind of hopeful as well. She loves things that and she wouldn't be able to put it down.





4) Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma- Gotta have a book in there that would definitely make my mum go WTF?!? Haha. Gotta expand your horizons mum.

5) Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas- I loved this book/this series and if I know my mum, I bet you she would too. She enjoys romance and fluff as much as the next woman.

6) The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson-  My mum in the past has enjoyed a mystery/thriller novel here and there. I don't really read those. But... The Gargoyle is one that I am pretty certain she would enjoy. It's wonderfully written and it's a really great story.

7) The Taker by Alma Katsu- I think my mum would really enjoy this book. It's suspenseful and mysterious and it's got a paranormal essence to it. She'd like it.

8) All Fall Down by Megan Hart- This is a book I am certain my mum would love. This is exactly her kind of book and I am sure she would withdraw from life just to finish this one.

9) Bared to You by Sylvia Day- I hated this series. But for some reason I want my mum to read it. I think she would probably like it. But I really disliked Gideon Cross and thought he was a controlling ninny. My mum would probably find him swoon worthy though.

10) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins- I am pretty sure that my mum has seen the movie. But I think she should read the book. It's a great book... actually. I think she would enjoy the whole series. She should get on that.

Well there you have it. Ten books I would suggest my mum read. I hope you enjoy.

~Happy reading everyone!

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Sequels

Not sure if I'll make it to ten again this week. I've been trying to avoid starting new series lately. This is mostly because I don't tend to finish them and also because I really can't stand waiting for them to finish, so I don't start a series until all the books are out. So, in order to make this TTT worth it this week worth it, I am going to add a few sequels that are already out as well as third books (they're also sequels- sort of- right?)

TTT is hosted over at The Broke and Bookish

Top Ten Sequels I Can't Wait To Get My Hands On

1) Split Second by Kasie West- This is the sequel to Pivot Point and I loved Pivot Point, and I am SO curious as to where West is going to take us from here. Bring on the parallel universes.

2) Shadowplay by Laura Lam- This is the sequel to Lam's debut, Pantomime. I really liked Pantomime is was an interesting novel set in the circus. There were some crazy things that happened at the end of the first novel and I am eager to see what happens next.





3) Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi- I know very well that this book has been out for ages and that I could have read it by now. But I haven't, and I have heard SO many things about chapter 62, that I need it in my hands. It's just finding the time with all the other books I can't wait to read. I think I am also holding out for Ignite me. I really hate waiting for series to end. Waiting for that last book is killer.

4) The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin- I am pretty excited about this one. I can't wait to see how everything ends. Particularly because Michelle has known how it was going to end from the very beginning. She had the end before everything else and I want to know what it is. June 2014 seems so very far away!!

5) Between the Spark and the Burn by April Genevieve Tucholke- This is the sequel to Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (which I think has the best title ever). Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea was one of the weirdest books I had ever read. But I enjoyed it, and I really liked Tucholke's writing and I want more of it- In August.

6) Erased by Jennifer Rush- This may be the sequel I am the most excited about! I absolutely loved Altered (if you haven't read it, get on it).  Hot boys, lost memories, adventure, what more can you ask for?

7) Cress by Marissa Meyer- This is the third instalment of the Lunar Chronicles, and I am pretty pumped. Scarlet introduced us to some pretty amazing characters and I am eager to meet up with them again. This series has been a wonderful surprise to me, as I generally stray away from sci fi. But, both Cinder and Scarlet were SO good.




8) Burning Kingdoms by Lauren DeStefano- This is the sequel to Lauren's newest trilogy which began with Perfect Ruin. Perfect Ruin ended in such a way that I wanted the next book right then and there. However, Burning Kingdoms doesn't come out for a little while. Sigh.

Well it looks like it's only a top eight tonight guys. I just don't have that many new series on the go.

~Happy Reading!