Top Ten Tuesday: 11/20/12 Edition

Top Ten Authors for Whom I Am Thankful


01. Carolyn Keene & Gertrude Chandler Warner
I am thankful for these authors because they aided me in developing my love of reading early on. These are the authors I remember reading most from my early childhood. Around the ages of 7-10 I read these books ALL THE TIME. Of course, I read others, too, but Boxcar Children and Nancy Drew were my primary series.

02. Laura Ingalls Wilder & Janette Oke
I am thankful for these authors because they wrote wonderful family-friendly books, and I have amazing memories of my mom reading aloud for hours because my sisters and I begged her for just one more chapter. We went through the Love Comes Softly and Little House series at least three times each.

03. The Authors of the Dear America and Royal Diary Books
I am thankful for these authors because these books made history come alive for me. I loved reading them! I learned a lot through them; I was just so fascinated by all the different time periods I could explore. I checked the Cleopatra Royal Diary out from the library 13 times before my mom finally bought it for me one Christmas.

04. Charlotte Brontë
I am thankful for Charlotte Brontë because she was my introduction to classics. Although I read some classics when I was younger, for some reason, I always consider Jane Eyre my first classic. I read it at the age of 12. I fell in love, and it awakened me to the wonderful world of classics. I later went through a period in high school where I almost exclusively read classics, books from the "1001 Books to Read Before You Die" list, and books read by Rory Gilmore. For fun. These books were perhaps not all the most entertaining, but I took something away from each of them. I never would have read many of these wonderful (and some not-so-wonderful-but-still-worth-reading) books if it had not been for this talented lady.

05. Penny Jordan
I am thankful for Penny Jordan because around the time I was discovering classics could be awesome, I was also a Super Secret Romance Ninja and covertly devouring the hundreds of 1980's Harlequin Presents romances from my aunt's basement. I loved other authors such as Janet Dailey, Anne Mather, and Violet Winspear, but Penny Jordan was my absolute favorite. I must have read Substitute Lover, the book pictured above, eight or ten times, and I frequently re-read tons of her other books. Penny Jordan taught me it was okay to love romance.

06. Sarah Dessen
I am thankful for Sarah Dessen because she (along with Meg Cabot) taught me that I did not need to skip from Babysitter's Club straight to adult books, which is pretty much what I had done. There was this awesome genre called Young Adult in between, and there were some fantastic books to be read from it. Sarah Dessen wrote wonderful books with some of the best, most original characters ever. And really, she wrote The Truth About Forever and created Wes Baker. She deserves a spot on this list for that alone. ♥

07. Lisa Kleypas
I am thankful for Lisa Kleypas because she made me fall in love with historical romances. Although I adored the first historical romance I ever read (Scandal by Carolyn Jewel), Lisa Kleypas was the one who hooked me. I read Seduce Me at Sunrise, and I was a goner. I devoured all the Wallflower books, some standalones, the other Hathaway books. Plus! She is one of the few authors who can convincingly write both historical and contemporary romance. Her Travis series is A+++.

08. Sarah Mayberry
I am thankful for Sarah Mayberry because she taught me that category authors can be awesome, too. I had unwittingly started becoming a total snob and writing off Harlequin and Silhouette titles, and then I discovered Sarah Mayberry. Until recently, she was only a Harlequin-published author, but her books are amazing. She could probably write a book teaching the art of friends-to-lovers, and still, no one would be able to capture it as well as she does. Yet her talents extend far beyond that. (Example: Her Best Worst Mistake, which is stunning, but on the opposite end of the spectrum from friends-to-lovers).

09. Eloisa James
I am thankful for Eloisa James because she is a freaking Ivy League Shakespeare professor. And she writes romance novels. As an intelligent, Shakespeare-loving woman who adores romance novels, I have basically appointed her my personal hero. Smart women can not only read romance, but write it. She also did the unthinkable and made me absolutely love her broken marriage plots. Who wants to read about a husband and wife who used to love each other but need to fix their marriage? How can that be a romance novel? If you are asking these questions, like I used to, I suggest you read Eloisa James. By her, it can be even more touching, emotional, and moving because there is so much realism the story. Plus, there are totally Shakespeare references in a lot of her works, and that makes me happy.

10. Jill Shalvis
I am basically thankful for Jill Shalvis simply for existing because she is just that fabulous. I relentlessly stalk her on Facebook, Twitter, and her blog. I love how real and entertaining she is, and that transfers over into her books. She is my favorite contemporary romance discovery of 2012, easily. If you have not read any of her books, you are missing out. Her Lucky Harbor books are my favorite, but I love them all. I don't give a tattered copy of Robinson Crusoe about baseball, but I devoured her baseball books. I am still, perhaps foolishly, holding out hope for the day when she will continue the series with one particular side character.

Top Ten Tuesday: Reasons to Choose an E-reader Over Physical Books (And Vice Versa)

Top Three Reasons to Choose an E-reader Over Physical Books (And Vice Versa)
(Credit to Anna Reads for giving me the idea to do these pictorially, even though my art skills totally aren't as awesome as hers.)
Top 3 Reasons to Choose Physical Books Over an E-readerOld book smell, new book smell, ...plastic smell?
The happy dance is scientifically proven to be beneficial to your health. Or at least your fangirl tendencies.
Lifting weights at the gym just became superfluous.
Top 3 Reasons to Choose an E-reader Over Physical Books
Unexpected delays, they happen. The solution? A nearly unending supply of books.

Covert ninja ability to read That Book I Love That I'd Never Ever Read in Public in public and still keep face.

Your back will thank you.
Conclusion

Top Ten Tuesday: 8/28/12 Edition

Top Ten Bookish Confessions
01. I have never read a John Green book. I know, I know, it's YA sacrilege. I want to, particularly Looking for Alaska and Paper Towns. I just haven't gotten around to it yet.

02. It causes me physical pain when people dog-ear books. I unbend any pages in library books that have previously been dog-eared. I also don't like it when people set books open and face down. That said, I try to keep my books in good condition, but I'm not super obsessive about it. I am not going to wear gloves or read new paperbacks with a gap of 2 inches just to keep from cracking the spine.

03. I used to be ashamed and super embarrassed that I read romance, and I would hide the cover any time someone might actually see it. I'm proud to say I finally got past that, and it has made my reading much more enjoyable. I'm a firm believer in reading what you like and leaving others to do the same.

04. I judge books by their covers. I'm sorry, but I'm an aesthetic person. If your book has a pretty (or just eye-drawing) cover, I'm going to be more likely to read it. And I'm okay with this.

05. I like it when I discover someone left his or her library receipt in a book I've checked out. I'll go through the list and see if I've read all the books, and look them up if I haven't heard of them before.

06. I liked the Hunger Games trilogy, but I think they are hyped way beyond what the content deserves.

07. I know they should be old and clichéd by now, but I still love Girl in Pretty Dress Covers.

08. I sometimes like boys/men in books I probably couldn't stand in real life. (Example: Heathcliff. Why do I find him swoon-worthy? He loves with an incredible passion that is nearly unbelievable. AND YET. If I were the object of his devotion in real life? I'd probably get a restraining order and run screaming in the other direction.)

09. I don't get the whole "Oh, I only buy used books because each has its own history and a million stories to tell besides the one written on the page," thing. Okay, I know that sounds awesome, but chill. It's just a book; it's not going to suddenly come to life and tell you all the things it's been through.

10. I hate deckle edge books. Hate them. With a passion. They drive me nuts. For one, it just looks sloppy and weird, but primarily because it makes turning the page much more difficult than it needs to be.

Bout of Books 5.0: Wrap-Up Post

Final Stats

Total Books Read: 7.75
Total Time Listened: 6 hours, 44 minutes
Total Pages Read: 2528 (1329 physical, 1199 ebook)

Goals for Bout of Books 5.0: Results

Goal #1: Read 6 of the following books
   01. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas*
   02. The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin*
   03. Bunheads by Sophie Flack
   04. Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen
   05. Better Than Chocolate by Sheila Roberts
   06. Trial by Desire by Courtney Milan*
   07. French Leave / L'Echappée belle by Anna Gavalda
   08. To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer

Verdict: FAIL. I actually wound up reading more than my goal, but only 4 were from my list. I did manage to get all the asterisked (must-read) ones, though! And I did start Scarlet, but I was too put off by the writing style to finish it.

Other books read:
Keeping the Castle by Patrice Kindl
Slow Summer Kisses by Shannon Stacey
Born in Shame by Nora Roberts (approximately 60% on audiobook, 40% on ebook)
True Love and Other Disasters by Rachel Gibson (approximately 75% finished)

Goal #2: Discover some fantastic new blogs and friends
Verdict: SUCCESS. I found quite a few awesome new people and blogs!

Goal #3: Participate in at least one of the Twitter chats
Verdict: SUCCESS! It took until the final chat on Saturday, but I did it!

Goal #4: Participate in three or more challenges
Verdict: MAJOR SUCCESS! I participated in seven challenges! I usually do maybe 2-3 challenges. They always sound like a blast, but I don't want to take the time to actually DO them. But I participated like crazy this time! Excuse me while I pat myself on the back.

Final Comments
I have to say, this very well may have been my favorite Bout of Books yet. Even though I moved in the middle of it. I found a really good balance of socializing, updating, doing challenges, balancing RL obstacles, and, of course, reading. It was such a blast! I would like to send a huge shout-out to Kelly, Amanda, Shirley, and Hannah for doing everything they do for Bout of Books. They're what makes this crazy week of epicness possible! *three cheers*

Bout of Books 5.0: Goal Post & Updates

The Bout of Books readathon is a week-long fest of book-lovin' awesomeness! Crazy amounts of reading, Twitter chats, and fantastic challenges. Check out the link if you'd like to participate.
Guys, I love Bout of Books. Love it. I always enjoy readathons, but Bout of Books is my favorite. It's high-energy but low-pressure, and the challenges are so creative. The Twitter chats are a blast, and I love all the new blogs I discover through it. I did a Bout of Books very soon after I started this blog, so I think that really started my love affair with this particular readathon. Regardless of how it started, I always jump for joy when they come around again. And this one is (very nearly) HERE!

My Goals for Bout of Books 5.0

   • Read 6 of the following books
   • Discover some fantastic new blogs and friends
   • Participate in at least one of the Twitter chats (From the schedule, it looks like I'll get to this time! Score!)
   • Participate in three or more challenges

Books To Read

   01. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas*
   02. The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin*
   03. Bunheads by Sophie Flack
   04. Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen
   05. Better Than Chocolate by Sheila Roberts
   06. Trial by Desire by Courtney Milan*
   07. French Leave / L'Echappée belle by Anna Gavalda
   08. To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer

   *MUST READ

Updates

8/13
Books Read Today:
  Completed: The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (546 pages)
  In-Progress: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Challenge:
  Challenge #1: Passing Books, hosted by The Space Between.
    Q: What happens to your books after you've read them?
    A: I quite generally keep them. I have a couple friends who are fellow avid bookworms, and I will recommend and loan the books to them if I feel they would enjoy them. Every once and a while, I go through my books and thin them out, getting rid of anything I don't think I'll reread. I either pass them onto friends, donate them to a thrift store, or trade them in for store credit at my local half-price bookstore.

  Challenge#2: Literary BFFs, hosted by Auggie Talk.
    Q:Tell us who your literary BFF is and why they're your always friend. What do you guys do together? What do you talk about?
    A: Kristy Palmetto from The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen. I love Kristy! She's one of my favorite characters from TTAF (and I love pretty much EVERYONE in that book). We could totally be BFFs. I think we would have a blast but still be able to have deep and meaningful conversations. And when we're feeling more shallow, we could totally chat about our mutual love of romance novels and sa-woon over boys.
Total Books Read: ~1.5
Total Pages Read: 796 (250 physical, 546 ebook)

8/14
Books Read Today:
  Completed: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (416 pages), Keeping the Castle by Patrice Kindl (261 pages)
  In-Progress: Trial by Desire by Courtney Milan
Challenge: Book Limericks, hosted by Curiosity Killed the Bookworm
  What do I like in books, you ask?
  Listing them would be quite a task.
  Romance, intrigue, a plot most consuming,
  (Oh, and heroes who set me a-swooning).
  In that sort of book, I could bask.
Total Books Read: ~3.25
Total Pages Read: 1261 pages (715 physical, 546 ebook)

8/15
Books Read Today:
  Completed: Trial by Desire by Courtney Milan (358 pages)
  In-Progress: Born in Shame by Nora Roberts (audiobook)
Challenge: Book Word Search, hosted by The Musings of ALMYBNENR
Total Books Read: ~4.25
Total Time Listened: 30 minutes
Total Pages Read: 1581 (1035 physical, 546 ebook)

8/16
Books Read Today:
  Completed: Bunheads by Sophie Flack (294 pages)
  In-Progress: Born in Shame by Nora Roberts, Slow Summer Kisses by Shannon Stacey
Challenge: Contemporary Challenge, hosted by Books with Cass
*Limited to YA books published in 2012, since that seemed to be the focus. Also because it makes the process of decision-making actually feasible in my case.*
  Favorite Contemporary: My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
  Favorite Cover: The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker
 
   Favorite Surprise: Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald. Picked this one up from the library. I hadn't heard anything about it, it didn't have the greatest cover, but it seemed like a fun premise. I wound up loving it! I laughed every two minutes. Even more than the humor, the book had depth, a great message, and a quirky cast of characters.
Total Books Read: ~5.75
Total Time Listened: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Total Pages Read: 1975 (1329 physical, 646 ebook)

8/17
Books Read Today:
  Completed: Slow Summer Kisses by Shannon Stacey (180 pages)
  In-Progress: Born in Shame by Nora Roberts, True Love and Other Disasters by Rachel Gibson
Challenge: Did not participate. *hangs head in shame*
Total Books Read: ~6.5
Total Time Listened: 3 hours, 36 minutes
Total Pages Read: 2060 (1329 physical, 731 ebook)

8/18
Books Read Today:
  Completed:
  In-Progress: Born in Shame by Nora Roberts, True Love and Other Disasters by Rachel Gibson
Challenge: The Page 99 Test by My Seryniti
  Page 99 (ebook version) of City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

...affectionate ruffle of her hair. Hodge went after him, pausing only to pat Isabelle on the shoulder—then he was gone, with a funny apologetic duck of the head. Had Clary really only a few minutes before been able to see the ghost in him of his old warrior self? Isabelle was looking after Jace and Hodge, twisting the spoon in her scarred, pale fingers. Clary said, "Is he really?" Isabelle didn't look at her. "Is who really what?" "Jace. Is he really a terrible liar?" Now Isabelle did turn her eyes on Clary, and they were large and dark and unexpectedly thoughtful. "He's not a liar at all. Not about important things. He'll tell you horrible truths, but he won't lie." She paused before she added quietly: "That's why it's generally better not to ask him anything unless you know you can stand to hear the answer." The kitchen was warm and full of light and the salt-sweet smell of takeout Chinese food. The smell reminded Clary of home; she sat and looked at her glistening plate of noodles, toyed with her fork, and tried not to look at Simon, who was staring at Isabelle with an expression more glazed than the General Tso's Duckling. "Well, I think it's kind of romantic," said Isabelle, sucking tapioca pearls through an enormous pink straw. "What is?" asked Simon, instantly alert.

  This makes me want to read it even more! I'm intrigued by what's going on, and I want to know who these people are, especially Jace.
Total Books Read: ~6.75
Total Time Listened: 3 hours, 36 minutes
Total Pages Read: 2137 (1329 physical, 808 ebook)

8/19
Books Read Today:
  Completed: Born in Shame by Nora Roberts
  In-Progress: True Love and Other Disasters by Rachel Gibson
Challenge: Movie Cast, hosted by Pretty Deadly Reviews
  My cast for Born in Shame by Nora Roberts

Richard Armitage as Murphey, Olivia Wilde as Shannon

Jayma Mays as Brianna, Deirdre Quinn as Maggie
Total Books Read: 7.75
Total Time Listened: 6 hours, 44 minutes
Total Pages Read: 2528 (1329 physical, 1199 ebook)

Interview with Jill Shalvis { Summer with Jill Shalvis Blog Tour }

If you spend much time around this blog, you probably know that I discovered Jill Shalvis early this year, and she has quickly established herself a place among my absolute favorite contemporary romance authors. Well, today, I have the privilege of interviewing her, as part of the Summer with Jill Shalvis blog tour! Everyone give a warm welcome to Jill Shalvis.

How on earth do you write such amazing heroes in every book? I'd love to spend a day in your imagination. Well it’s a busy place in my imagination. J As for the heroes, I read a romance for the hero so it’s important to me that I write a romance for the hero as well. I’m glad you think they’re amazing, thank you! How do you name your characters? Do they just come to you, or do you have a list or website you go to when naming? The heroes sort of name themselves. But whenever I hear a great name, I jot it down and save it. I have a whole drawer filled with little bits of paper that I occasionally sort through when I need inspiration. Chocolate: Dark, milk, or white? ALL. Thank you so much for interviewing with me, Jill! (And I'm in total agreement about the chocolate. :D)

Don't forget to check out Jill's upcoming release, Forever and a Day, the latest in the Lucky Harbor series, to be released on July 31. You can also read my thoughts about it here. (Preview: I loved it! Amazing hero, smoldering chemistry, beautiful romance, super cute kid. My favorite in the second set of Lucky Harbor books.) Don't want to wait? Lucky Harbor #5, At Last is already out, and it's a great one.

Also, in case you missed the news, Jill announced yesterday that three more Lucky Harbor books will be coming in the future! If everyone had similar reactions to me, I know that this news probably generated a small earthquake due to the thousands of happy!dances going on across the world.

Top Ten Tuesday: 6/19/12 Edition

Top Ten Books on My Summer TBR List
In no particular order (except the first two)

01. In Honor by Jessi Kirby // 02. Something Like Normal by Trish Dollar
These two are at the top of my list for a reason. I might have to rip off my own arm if I don't get to read them soon! Of course, now that I've thought that comment through, I don't know what good it will do to be armless and bookless simultaneously. Oh, well.

03. Keeping the Castle by Patrice Kindl
I just love the whole idea behind this book! It's like your everyday Regency romance, but not. Can't wait to get my hands on this one! Also, the cover is lovely.

04. A Night Like This by Julia Quinn
Can I live in Britain so I can get this version of the cover, pretty please? I like the US one, but this one is just so pretty! It would stand out among the rest of the historicals. And aside from the cover? IT'S JULIA QUINN. And a Smythe-Smith book. What more do you need, really?

05. Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
I've had this one on my TBR list for a while, but Magan's (Rather Be Reading) reaction simply cemented the absolute need to read this soon, for me.

06. Pizza, Love, & Other Stuff That Made Me Famous by Kathryn Williams
Just spotlighted this one for Waiting on Wednesday last week. The summary, title, and cover are like cuteness overload! It looks like a perfect summer read.

07. Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stacey
This isn't a new book, but I have read and loved the other two in the series! Stacey is a current author crush of mine, and I am slowly but surely working my way through her backlist. (P.S. I'm super excited for her new novella, Slow Summer Kisses, too!)

08. The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead
Like I even need to explain this. Okay, I'll give you two words: ADRIAN IVASHKOV.

09. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
This one isn't new, either, but I have wanted to read it for a long time. It seems like a great summer read, and I just got it from the library. So excited to finally read it!

10. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THIS? If not, you really need to check it out. I am so intrigued I can hardly stand it.

Bonus: (Re-read) The Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy by Jenny Han
I read this trilogy back in December. SO. MUCH. LOVE. If you want proof, just look at my review (that's really just my crazed post-trilogy, I-desperately-need-to-talk-about-these-books, *spoilery* ramblings). It was a nice contrast to the December cold when I read them, but I would like to read them along with summer. Then I can pretend that my summers are like Belly's, and I spend my summer at at beach on the East coast, rather than in a much more humid, land-locked location.

Bout of Books 4.0: Goal Post & Updates

The Bout of Books readathon is a week-long fest of book-lovin' awesomeness! Crazy amounts of reading, Twitter chats, and fantastic challenges. Check out the link if you'd like to participate.
I participated in the last Bout of Books back in January, just a couple weeks after I started my blog. It was so much fun! I met several awesome new people and just had a blast in general. I haven't read as much as I'd like the past couple weeks or so, due to moving back from college craziness, getting distracted by internet and Photoshop-y things, and playing with my new Nook more than actually reading on it. Plus, I got a job at Barnes & Noble and started working! So, things have been a little crazy, and living with two under-10-year-olds is not always conducive to tons of reading time. I'm hoping to use Bout of Books as way to jumpstart back into reading more often.

My Goals for Bout of Books 4.0

   • Read 6 (or more) books
   • Discover some fantastic new blogs and friends
   • Participate in at least one of the Twitter chats
   • Participate in at least two of the challenges

Books To Read

   01. Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty**
   02. Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez*
   03. Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler*
   04. In Honor by Jessi Kirby (if, by some miracle, it comes in that soon)**
   05. The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan**
   06. One book from my TBR pile*

   *Subject to change
   **MUST READ

Updates

5/14
Books Read Today:
  Completed: The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan, Her Best Worst Mistake by Sarah Mayberry
  In-Progress: N/A
Challenge: N/A
Total Books Read: 2
Total Pages Read: 271 (ebook)

5/15
Books Read Today:
  Completed: N/A
  In-Progress: Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley
Challenge: This or That
Total Books Read: 2.13
Total Pages Read: 308 (37 physical, 271 ebook)

5/16
Books Read Today:
  Completed: N/A
  In-Progress: Insurgent by Veronica Roth, Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley
Challenge: Re-Title It (hosted by Books Devoured)



Alternate Title: Kiss Me Goodbye; I'm Defying Gravity
Total Books Read: 2.7
Total Pages Read: 529 (258 physical, 271 ebook)

5/17
Books Read Today:
  Completed: Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley
  In-Progress: Insurgent by Veronica Roth, Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty,
Challenge: N/A
Total Books Read: 3.87
Total Pages Read: 1024 (753 physical, 271 ebook)

5/18
Books Read Today:
  Completed: Insurgent by Veronica Roth
  In-Progress: Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty, Lucky in Love by Jill Shalvis
Challenge: Books & Shoes (hosted by The Reading Housewives of Indiana)



Corrinne from Where I Belong & Christian Louboutin Mimini 85 strappy satin sandals

Total Books Read: 4.14
Total Pages Read: 1114 (814 physical, 300 ebook)

5/19
Books Read Today:
  Completed: Lucky in Love by Jill Shalvis
  In-Progress: At Last by Jill Shalvis
Challenge: Book Spine Poetry (Hosted by Smash Attack Reads!)

Love this one! Alas, I only have about 5 of my personal books with me, one of which is a Friends trivia book. So I had to make do with library ones. But I think it worked out well. Behold, the results!


There's A Need So Beautiful
for The Story of Us.
I'm Undeniably Yours;
you're Where I Belong.
Love, Come to Me.

Total Books Read: 5.33
Total Pages Read: 1456 (814 physical, 642 ebook)

5/20
Books Read Today:
  Completed: At Last by Jill Shalvis
  In-Progress: N/A
Challenge: N/A
Total Books Read: 6.04 (Goal accomplished! *fistpump*)
Total Pages Read: 1622 (814 physical, 808 ebook)

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Quotes (Or, I Get A Little Carried Away)

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
Top Ten 120 Quotes from Books
In Which I Get a Little Carried Away
One thing you should probably know about me. I love quotes. A lot. I also love lists. And books. I also find there's a fine line between love and obsession, and I occasionally cross over from the former into the latter. Give me a chance to do it for three things at once? I'm probably going to take it.

Here's the deal. I obviously couldn't narrow it down to just ten quotes. That's crazy talk. But I also didn't want to just choose one category and do ten from it, which I also contemplated. Instead, I just went all out. Twelve categories: Books & Reading, Love, Romantic, True Story, Words of Wisdom, Humorous, Opening Lines, Pretty Words, Physical Description, Food, Dialogue Exchange, and Miscellaneous. Ten quotes each. Also, for the record, you can totally blame Magan from Rather Be Reading and Hannah from So Obsessed With for their encouragement in this madness. ;)

I spent an insane amount of time on this, but it was so much fun! I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed compiling them. So, without further ado, have my Top "Ten" for today:

Books & Reading
Spoiler Warning: None

01. I was horribly bookish, to the point of coming right out and saying it, which I knew was not socially acceptable. I particularly loved the adjective bookish, which I found other people used about as often as ramrod or chum or teetotaler.
     - Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan
02. I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! -- When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.
     - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
03. She fainted from reading. What a great image. We've become far too jaded. I've been intrigued, bored, titillated, annoyed, amazed, but I've never even come close to fainting while reading any book.
     - The Know-It-All by A. J. Jacobs
04. ...good romances will create an absolute joy and possibly the desire to forcibly beat someone with a paperback until they agree to read that fantastic book you've just finished.
     - Everything I Know About Love I Learned from Romance Novels by Sarah Wendell
05. When in doubt, go to the library.
     - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling
06. She smiled, wondering what he would say if he knew this worn, jumbled collection of books was such a powerful aphrodisiac.
     - One Dance With a Duke by Tessa Dare
07. I love books. I like that the moment you open one and sink into it you can escape from the world, into a story that's way more interesting than yours will ever be.
     - Bloom by Elizabeth Scott
08. Nobody can read too much. That's like saying someone breathes too much.
     - Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin
09. Even when she was old enough to read herself, they still tackled the classics together, moving from Anna Karenina to Pride and Prejudice to The Grapes of Wrath as if traveling across the globe itself, leaving holes in the bookshelves like missing teeth. And later, when it started to become clear that she cared more about soccer practice and phone privileges than Jane Austen or Walt Whitman, when the hour turned into a half hour and every night turned into every other, it no longer matter. The stories had become a part of her by then; they stuck to her bones like a good meal, bloomed inside of her like a garden. They were as deep and meaningful as any other trait Dad had passed along to her: her blue eyes, her straw-colored hair, the sprinkling of freckles across her nose.
     - The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
10. My mother always said that our own stories were where we made sense of things, but I think all stories have that power. You could put your confusion and upset and worries into whatever book you were reading. You could sort of set them down in there, and you could come out with your head on a little straighter. I don’t know why stories worked that way, but they did. They’re an actual place where confusing things order themselves.
     - The Story of Us by Deb Caletti

Love
Spoiler Warning: None

01. Being in love ought to feel as if you held that bolt of lightning in your hands.
     - Heart of the West by Penelope Williamson
02. I don't think you tell someone you love them because you expect something. I think you tell them because you have something to give.
     - Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts
03. And real love - it's less shiny than solid and simple. It's the stuff of sunflower spirals and seashells, where there is beauty and mystery, but where there is logic, too.
     - The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti
04. I loved him in a way that you can really only do the first time around. It's the kind of love that doesn't know better and doesn't want to - it's dizzy and foolish and fierce. That kind of love it really a one-time-only thing.
     - We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han
05. There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment.
     - The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
06. Love demands expression. It will not stay still, stay silent, be good, be modest, be seen and not heard, no. It will break out in tongues of praise, the high note that smashes the glass and spills the liquid.
     - Written on the Body by Jeanette Winterson
07. So I'm in love. That crazy, forget to eat, float around in a daze, talk on the phone all night and bounce out of bed every morning hoping to see him kind of love.
     - Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
08. How foolish, how wasteful to have love within your reach and not take it!
     - Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas
09. Love without choice isn’t love at all.
     - A Million Suns by Beth Revis
10. Love is never any better than the lover. Wicked people love wickedly, violent people love violently, weak people love weakly, stupid people love stupidly.
     - The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

Read-a-Thon Mini-Challenge Wrap-Up and Winner!

DEAR ALL PARTICIPANTS IN THE MINI-CHALLENGE:

You all rock!

Congratulations to the winner, neabarabea!

Correct Answers:

1) Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
2) Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
3) Hunting and Gathering by Anna Gavalda
4) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
5) Atonement by Ian McEwan
6) Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
7) Anthem by Ayn Rand
8) Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie
9) The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
10) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
11) Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
12) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's / Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling
13) I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
14) When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn
15) Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
16) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
17) The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis
18) Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
19) A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
20) Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
21) Divergent by Veronica Roth
22) Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
23) The Princess Bride by William Goldman
24) Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie
25) The Juliet Club by Suzanne Harper

Note: For the record, I use IntenseDebate comments. Because of a Blogger error (that has now been rectified), the first 13 comments that used IntenseDebate were erased when Blogger overrode them and started using its own comment form again. However, I still had the email notifications for all with the full comment, timestamp, etc. Therefore, I was not able to respond to them (Sorry!), but they were still included in the drawing.

Hope everyone had fun! I know I did! Now, back to reading.

Readathon Mini-Challenge: Name That Book!

Hello, all! Welcome to my mini-challenge for Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon. How is everyone faring? Eyes crossed from twelve straight hours of reading? Slightly numb and/or sore unmentionable extremities? Well, you have come to the right place. Do some stretches, blink a few times, and participate in this challenge! It will be fun, I promise. Afterward, you can get back to your hardcore reading.

Oh, and did I mention there's a prize involved?

So, I like quotes. And by that, I mean I am obsessed with them beyond the reaches of what is generally considered normalcy. Which is why I picked this as my challenge.

Here's the deal. I've compiled a list of 25 quotes. Look at this list. Wrack your brain. Leave a comment with as many guesses as possible! No Googling, looking at other comments for the answers, or any of that nonsense. That's just lame. This challenge will stay open for four hours. After closing, one comment will be chosen randomly, with no consideration of the accuracy of the answers, and the winner will be contacted via e-mail. If there is no response within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen randomly, contacted, and so on.

The prize is a $5 Gift Certificate to Amazon or Barnes & Noble! It is therefore open to anywhere they ship.

This list is comprised entirely of opening lines. With one exception, all the quotes are here for one of two reasons. 1) The quote itself is made of awesome, or 2) The book it introduces is made of awesome. I haven't read one of the books, thus the exception. If you can guess which one, bonus points to you! These will not, of course, help you in the giveaway, but who doesn't like to say they have a nice stack of bonus points stacked up in their personal history? But I digress, as usual. Some of the quotes are pretty obvious (like really, really obvious), and others are more obscure. All sorts of genres are included here, from YA to romance to classics.

Okay, that is officially all I have to say regarding the challenge. Your turn! May the odds be ever in your favor. (Is that getting old yet? Sorry. Had to do it at least once. And really, this was the perfect opportunity.)

1) The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning.

2) Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

3) Paulette Lestafier wasn't as crazy as they said. Sure, she knew what day it was, since that was all she had left to do now.

4) It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.

5) The play -- for which Briony had designed the posters, programs and tickets, constructed the sales booth out of a folding screen tipped on its side, and lined the collection box in red crepe paper -- was written by her in a two-day tempest of composition, causing her to miss a breakfast and a lunch.

6) I was born twice: first, as a baby girl, on a remarkably smogless Detroit day in January of 1960; and then again, as a teenage boy, in an emergency room near Petoskey, Michigan, in August of 1974.

7) It is a sin to write this. It is a sin to think words no others think and to put them down upon a paper none others are to see.

8) All children, except one, grow up.

9) Jason was going to Brain Camp. It had another name, a real name, but that's what everyone called it.

10) We slept in what had once been the gymnasium.

11) 1801 -- I have just returned from a visit to my landlord -- the solitary neighbour that I shall be troubled with.

12) Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.

13) I write this sitting in the kitchen sink.

14) In every life there is a turning point. A moment so tremendous, so sharp and clear that one feels as if one’s been hit in the chest, all the breath knocked out, and one knows, absolute knows without the merest hint of a shadow of a doubt that one’s life will never be the same.

15) Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta. She was Lo, plain Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock. She was Lola in slacks. She was Dolly at school. She was Dolores on the dotted line. But in my arms she was always Lolita.

16) First the colors.
Then the humans.
That’s usually how I see things.
Or at least, how I try.

17) There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.

18) I remember the day the Aleut ship came to our island. At first it seemed like a small shell afloat on the sea.

19) Serene was a word you could put to Brooklyn, New York. Especially in the summer of 1912.

20) Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.

21) There is one mirror in my house.

22) In the spring of 1792, Dominick Edward Guy de Ath Ballister, third Marquess of Dain, Earl of Blackmoor, Viscount Launcells, Baron Ballister and Launcells, lost his wife and four children to typhus.

23) This is my favorite book in all the world, though I have never read it.

24) Sophie Dempsey didn't like Temptation even before the Garveys smashed into her '86 Civic, broke her sister's sunglasses, and confirmed all her worse suspicions about people from small towns who drove beige Cadillacs.

25) Which one of Johnny Burwell's eyebrows do you think is cuter?

Follow Friday: 4/6/2012 Edition

Q: Have you ever bought a book BECAUSE of a bad review?

A: Nope. I have, however, borrowed one from the library because of it. I read the review of the hilariously bad The Playboy Sheikh's Virgin Stable-Girl at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books and laughed until my ribs ached and I was almost falling out my chair. I placed a hold on it immediately and read it a few days later. I really didn't read the book to prove a "negative" review wrong or anything; I read it purely for entertainment value. It did not disappoint.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books To Read in a Day

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Top Ten Twelve Books To Read in a Day
6 Young Adult, 6 Adult


01. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
This is my favorite YA book. I've read it no fewer than 13 times. It's so wonderful! It has good writing, an interesting story, well-developed, original characters, and the thoroughly swoon-worthy Wes.


02. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
This is very possibly my favorite 2012 read so far. The writing is absolutely beyond anything I can describe. And the story is addicting as well! I read it in a day because I was so sucked in. I don't know how you couldn't be, honestly.


03. Stay by Deb Caletti
This one has a heavier subject matter, but it absolutely deserves to be on this list. It is what cemented Caletti's place on my favorite YA authors list. Plus, it is extremely difficult to put down, which helps with the reading-in-a-day thing.


04. Stolen: A Letter to My Captor by Lucy Christopher
Again with the heavy subject matter, but this book is all kinds of amazing. As long as you're ready to have your emotions in complete upheaval and to snap at anyone who dares to try to pull the book away from you to make you socialize for 2.5 seconds, I would absolutely recommend it.


05. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
This list just wouldn't be complete without some Stephanie Perkins! Amazingly cute but substantive, Lola would be a great choice for any day.


06. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
Love this trilogy! I read each of them in a day, and I loved every minute. The perfect summer read. At least, I would imagine; I actually read them in January. Proof that they're really good any day of the year!


07. Hunting and Gathering by Anna Gavalda
If forced to choose a favorite adult novel, I always go with this book. It is translated from French, so it's a little difficult to get ahold of, particularly from libraries. But it is absolutely worth it! The writing is gorgeous, and the characters will reach in, grab your heart, and never give it back.


08 / 09. When He Was Wicked or What Happens in London by Julia Quinn
I included both of these because sometimes you just need a historical romance, and these are two of my all-time favorites. Which to choose depends on your mood. If you are in the mood for a deliciously angsty few hours, where you will have your heart ripped to shreds, trampled on, and stitched back together again, shed tears, but ultimately get your immensely satisfying happy ending, I would choose When He Was Wicked. However, if you are in the mood to giggle, be thoroughly entertained, and fall head over heels for one of my favorite Beta heroes ever, What Happens in London is for you.


10. Every Boy's Got One by Meg Cabot
If you are in the mood for a lighthearted, humorous, romantic read, I would recommend this one. It's written in the format of e-mails/journal/whatnot, but Cabot pulls it off very well. It reads incredibly fast, so you'd probably even have time for a second book!


11. A Lucky Harbor Novel by Jill Shalvis
I chose the image of The Sweetest Thing because it's my favorite cover, but you can really choose any of the Lucky Harbor novels. They're all such feel-good reads! I recommend reading them in order, though it's not absolutely necessary.


12. Just One of the Guys by Kristan Higgins
I adore this book! Written with her traditional wit and heart, Kristan Higgins is at the top of her game with this one. If you have a romantic bone in your body, you should check this one out.