Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: December 2013

This month has been my best month for reading! Fifteen books? Heck yeah!!! And a good chunk of them I loved! I know some of them don't have reviews up yet and I apologize. They'll go up later in January. What books did you read this month? Any favorites?

December Reads

The Great Divorce

by C.S. Lewis

2.5 stars.

Will I ever read a book I love for school? :/

This book was interesting. Despite the author's claims against this being anything theoretical, this was basically a fantasy story theorizing what could happen after death. It sh...

Tandem

by Anna Jarzab

I would like to thank Delacorte Books for providing me an eARC of Tandem in exchange for an honest review.

Creativity - 5 stars:
This was my first experience reading about parallel universes. Although it took a bit for me to truly grasp...

The Selection

by Kiera Cass

Disclaimer: I was hesitant to read this book because of all the mixed reviews (the bad reviews) it has received. The thought of a YA book like the TV show The Bachelor kind of repulsed me. It took quite a bit of convincing on my friend's...

The Prince

by Kiera Cass

When two people of completely different lives, who have seemingly different personalities are posed to fall in love in a book, there is always that nagging question in my head: “Would this ever happen in real life?” The Selection convinc...

Just One Day

by Gayle Forman

I'm still processing this book so my mind is going back and forth between 4.5 stars and 5 stars. All I know is that my heart is content.

The Elite

by Kiera Cass

Well if it isn't crack...

Blood Will Tell

by Samantha Young

I held off reviewing this book because I wasn't thrilled about the novel. Now that I'm trying to write it's review, I can hardly remember how this book even ended, even though it's only been a week since I finished it.

I wanted to like ...

Wide Spaces

by Shelly Crane

Oh my godddd, this story was so goooood. so beautifulllllll. Ahhhh I love this so much. my heart can't handle it! Emma and Mason. I want their looooooooooooove. I love this story soooo muchh. Thank you Shelly Crane <3

Reverence

by Shelly Crane

MY HEART HAS BURST! I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE LOVE IN THIS SERIES AND MY LOVE for THIS SERIES! *breaks down into tears* I love this series so much!

Defiance

by Shelly Crane

Independence

by Shelly Crane

Some Girls Are

by Courtney Summers

Initial reaction:

I don't even know what to think. This was nothing what I thought it would be. Intense. I can't wrap my mind around it. It hardly even ended! It was closure without closure. Gosh, I don't even know what to think right n...

That Boy

by Jillian Dodd

And with that, I've officially reached my reading goal for this year!!!

Review to come. :)

Catching Fire

by Suzanne Collins

First read through: 2010
Second read through: December 2013

Loved it both times, but I particularly paid more attention to details the second time around and was absorbed more into the story because I didn't get lost this time around. :)

Open Minds

by Susan Kaye Quinn

2.5/5

I liked the story and the creativity of it all, but it just felt super long to me. I read through the first half of it thinking it was a pretty good story, but that it should have ended there. I wasn't as engaged after that point ...

Favorite Book of the Month:(This is really hard to decide, btw!)

Favorite Cover of the Month:

Favorite Title of the Month:

Book I'm Most Looking Forward to Reading Next Month:

Top Ten Tuesday #15: My Favorite Books of 2013!!!

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme that was created by The Broke and the Bookish. You can find more TTT lists from book lovers and bloggers by clicking their blog name.

Today's topic:

Ten Favorite Books of 2013!!!

I'm pretty sure this is my favorite TTT post of the year! Reflecting back on 2013, this was a great year for reading! Here are some key points about my reading year:

I... added 214 books on my TBR list and another 168 on my "consideration" list... read 108 books total... read 53 books whose authors are new to me... read 34 standalone novels... started 33 new series... reread 11 of my previous favorites... completed 6 series...

On top of those things, I completed my first (and only, lol) A-Z reading challenge and wrote 100+ blog posts during my first year of blogging! I discovered so many jems and jewels and made such progress with my blog that in the end, I am so happy with how it turned out. Now, I can't simply count my favorites reads of 2013 on my fingers, but here are my top ten book of 2013 (they're ALL 4.5/5.0 or higher ratings!) as well as a few extra that most definitely deserve attention! Click the titles to read my reviews. :)

#1: Vain by Fisher Amelie | 5+/5

#2: Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover | 5+/5

#3: Significance by Shelly Crane | 5+/5

#4: Hopeless by Colleen Hoover | 5/5

#5: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry | 5/5

#6: The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay | 5/5

#7: Wide Spaces by Shelly Crane |5/5

#8: Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout | 5/5

#9: Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson | 4.5/5

#10: The Elite by Kiera Cass | 4.5/5

Honorable mentions: 

Running on Empty by L.B. Simmons | 5/5

Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover | 5/5

That Boy by Jillian Dodd | 4/5

Legend by Marie Lu | 4.5/5

Significance series by Shelly Crane | 5/5

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi | 4.5/5

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick | 4.5/5

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey |3.5/5

Shark Bait by Jenn Cooksey | 4/5

What were your favorite books of 2013? Let me know in the comments. I love discovering new and incredible reads!

Review | Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers

About the book:

Climbing to the top of the social ladder is hard—falling from it is even harder.  Regina Afton used to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome, an all-girl clique both feared and revered by the students at Hallowell High... until vicious rumors about her and her best friend's boyfriend start going around.  Now Regina's been "frozen out" and her ex-best friends are out for revenge.  If Regina was guilty, it would be one thing, but the rumors are far from the terrifying truth and the bullying is getting more intense by the day.  She takes solace in the company of Michael Hayden, a misfit with a tragic past who she herself used to bully.  Friendship doesn't come easily for these onetime enemies, and as Regina works hard to make amends for her past, she realizes Michael could be more than just a friend... if threats from the Fearsome Foursome don't break them both first.

Tensions grow and the abuse worsens as the final days of senior year march toward an explosive conclusion in this dark new tale from the author of Cracked Up To Be.

Release Date: January 5, 2010 

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin Release Date: January 5, 2010

Genre: YA contemporary (Mature)

Pages: 246

My rating for Some Girls Are:

Initial reaction: I don't even know what to think. This was nothing what I thought it would be. Intense. I can't wrap my mind around it. It hardly even ended! It was closure without closure. Gosh, I don't even know what to think right now. Rating? I can't even think about a rating right now.

Okay.

It started off with a Speak [by Laurie Halse Anderson] vibe but with an actual romance thrown in there. I thought I was going to love this because all the the emotions I knew it was going to evoke from me. Hard subject matter, sweet romance, character and relationship growth galore...

No.

Revenge. Getting even because each person "deserved it". The acts of revenge climbed as the revenge continued from each party. It was horrific. It was so twisted. So, so twisted. I couldn't even empathize or sympathize with the M.C. at some points.

I think I understand the message of the story. It was just absolutely insane how the author conjured and conveyed it.

"A whole world exists outside of that hellhole."

Top Ten Tuesday #14: Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Bringing Me

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme that was created by The Broke and the Bookish. You can find more TTT lists from book lovers and bloggers by clicking their blog name.

Today's topic:

Top Ten Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Bringing Me

The NEW Harry Potter special paperback edition!!!

 

And that's all I'd like for now. :)