Top Ten Books That Will Be In My Beach Bag This Summer

Top Ten Books That Will Be In My Beach Bag This Summer is this weeks addition of Top Ten Tuesday hosted by the The Broke and the Bookish.

Bronte:

1. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins. I've been waiting and wishing for this book ever since Lola. Thank goodness it's almost here!

2. City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare. This book has so much riding on it and so much pressure. It has to be perfect (no pressure for Cassandra Clare then!) and I really hope Tessa has more of a part after what happened in the Clockwork Princess. I'm not sure if everyone will consider it a beach read but I've waited so long I will read it anywhere!

3. This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith. I love Jennifer E. Smith and I have yet to read this book and I feel it will be perfect for a beach read.

4. Happenstance by Jamie McGuire. I loved Beautiful Disaster so hopefully this will be just as good and really enjoyable.

5. The Summer I Found You by Jolene Perry. I've just recently added this to my to read and I think it looks like a good beach read!

                                          

Izzy:

6. Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys- So. This book is set in New Orleans. Now, I have never been to New Orleans but I often google image New Orleans, or put it into tumblr. I honestly believe that my heart and soul belongs in New Orleans. Therefore, any book set in New Orleans I need in my life. If you know anymore let me know. Because remember, I belong in New Orleans.

7. Landline by Rainbow Rowell- I loved Rowell's last, and only, adult book Attachments, so I can't wait for her next adult novel. It sounds great to me- and knowing Rowell's writing this will be more than perfect. When it comes to conversation, no-one does it better than Rowell.

8. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick- I have only heard brilliant things about this book.Plus it sounds like the perfect mixture of good writing, cute love story with just a pinch of Sarah Dessen! Have any of you read this book? What did you think?

9. Road Ends by Mary Lawson-You may not know about Lawson but you really should. Her book, "The Other Side of the Bridge," is one of my favourite books of all time. She released this novel in 2013 and I still haven't got my hands on it, but this summer will be the summer.

10. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E.Lockhart- This YA book was a National Book Finalist. No more needs to be said except I need this.

We hope you enjoyed our rendition of this weeks Top Ten Tuesday - what books will you be taking to the beach this summer?

Top Ten Characters That Stole My Heart

A Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by BrokeandBookish. This week we choose the characters that would stole our heart - this one will be hard because there are just so many to choose from!

Ageees ago we made a Book Boyfriends post - Click here to find it

Eleanor:

1. Jace Wayland from The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare

2. Rafa from The Rephaim Series by Paula Weston

3. Four from Divergent, Insurgent, Allegiant by Veronica Roth (I recently saw Divergent at the cinema and it was INCREDIBLE and has therefore reignited my huge obsession with the whole series!)

Bronte:

4. William Herondale - The Clockwork Series by Cassandra Clare

5. Augustus Waters - The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

6. Oliver - The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E Smith

Izzy:

7. Etienne St Clair- Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

8. Quentin Jacobsen- Paper Towns by John Green

9. Levi Stewart- Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Top Ten Bookish Thinks (that aren't books) We'd Like to Own

A Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by BrokeandBookish. This week is the bookish related thinks that we would love to have!

Eleanor:

1. Some wonderful amazon publish-y people to notice how amazing our book blog is, resulting in us receiving many many advanced copies of all kinds of books (*hint hint*)

2. A never ending supply of hot chocolate to drink when I'm reading because I'm not a great supporter of tea. Sorry.

3. Time. And lots of it. Because I never have time to read and it SUCKS.

Bronte:
4. A book chair. My Nanna has one of these and I think that they are preetyyy awesome.

5. A cute green kindle case

6. I'm not sure if I can do this but...I'm going to anyway. Will from the Clockwork Angel. And I wouldn't want to own him, just see him...all the time, preferably.

Izzy:
7. A library- seriously, I need one. My room is overfilling with books. It drives my Mum insane.

8. Some Rainbow Rowell fan art. I have some on the back copy of my edition of Fangirl and I am so tempted to rip it off and put it on my wall but I can't because that would be destruction of a book. Which is illegal in the book community I know.

9. The complete collection of Winnie the Pooh books. They're hilarious and I want to have it around to pass onto the next generation.

All agreed on:
10. An endless supply of books, all the time, whenever we want.

Fangirl, Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, reviewed by Izzy

Author: http://rainbowrowell.com/blog/
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Pages: 445 pages
Buy this book: Amazon
Rating: 5 Stars
What is this book about? 

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.
Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.
Who should read this book? Over eleven? No upper age limit because Rowell writes for everyone.

Would you have tea with the protagonist? (Cath) Yes. Clearly Cath and I would be best friends. 

Would you fall for the main love interest? Telling you who the main love interest is kind of ruins the story...but let me just say yes, yes, yes a million times yes. 

Would you want to 'strain' the main antagonist? Again, who is the main antagonist? I'd quite like to strangle Abel, Cath's ex-boyfriend. He's just a massive dick. (Hem. We haven't discussed as a group whether dick is appropriate language. I hope it is because other words are failing me).

Were the characters three dimensional? Seriously? This is Rainbow Rowell. OF COURSE.

Do you like the authors flavour of writing? Yes, yes, yes. 

Was the writing strong or weak? Strong, strong, strong. Rowell defies the idea of "another teenage love story," adding in serious plot lines such as mental illness and the importance of family, yet manages to make these all feel linked and not disjointed. This doesn't make her a good author, it makes her a great one.

Was the ending to your taste? Would saying "yes, yes, yes" annoy you?

If this cover were tea, would you drink it? I preferred the cover to "Eleanor and Park," because I thought that was beautiful. This cover is fine. 

Favourite Quote?
"I feel sorry for you, and I'm going to be your friend."
"I don't want to be your friend," Cath said as sternly as she could. "I like that we're not friends."
"Me, too. I'm sorry you ruined it by being so pathetic." 

Reagan is so badass. I love it. 

Overview: This novel established something in my mind. Rainbow Rowell is my favourite author. I know this sounds like I'm trying to kiss arse, but I feel for a book blogger this is an important moment that should be documented on the internet. Fangirl contains so many pop-culture references that it feels like a hard hitting episode of Gilmore Girls in glorious novel form. Rowell's characters are never what you expect and she is a genius at mixing the sad with the funny and the serious with the playful. This book is wonderful, and I expect to see her career continue to soar. 

Top Ten Books That Will Make You Swoon

This week's Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by BrokeandBookish......

Eleanor:

1. The City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

2. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (Come on, we all swooned when we first read this)

3. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen (So Owen isn't Jace Wayland but the romance between Annabel and him is one of my absolute favourite ones)

Bronte:

4. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

5. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

6. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E Smith

Izzy:

7. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (Review soon- I mean it. I promise.)

8. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

9. Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman (The writing and complete genius of this book made me swoon as much as the star crossed lovers storyline)

All agreed on:

10. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. (duh)

Eleanor and Park, Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell, reviewed by Bronte

What is this book about?

Set over the course of one school year in 1986, Eleanor and Park is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under.

Who should read this book?

I think that quite a wide range of people could read this book. It is a young adult romance, but that doesn't necessarily mean that older people wouldn't enjoy it. 15+ though.

How long is this book?

335 pages, an average sized book.

Marks
Story Line: 7/10
Well written: 5/5
Enjoyabililty: 4/5
Overall: 16/20

Star Rating: 4 Stars

Question 1. What character would you most like to have tea with?
If I am honest with myself there isn't really anyone who I clearly and definitely would want to have tea with. Park would be okay to have tea with as would Eleanor, but I don't really know what I would talk to them about; we have nothing in common really. Maybe because I'm from 21st century England and their from 1980's America.


Question 2. What character would you most like to throw tea at?
Easy. Richie. Obviously.

Question 3. What do you think of the cover?
This cover is really sweet and I really like it. Its really simple and doesn't show anything but the back of Eleanor and Park, so we don't judge them; yet we see the most defining aspect of them that makes them them: the fact that they bonded over the music and that that's the only thing that matters.

 Question 4b. Can you read the tea leaves from the beginning or are there twist in the plot? (New Question)
Other reviews said that the ending was disappointing however even so I could not have second guessed what was going to happen. Some things became obvious as I was reading but I would say that this book wasn't entirely predictable, which is good.

Question 5. Favourite quote!
"Eleanor was right. She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something."
I also really liked the Star Wars quotes, but I thought that would give too much of the book away.

Overall:
Overall I can say that I did really enjoy this book. It is a bit different and not normally something that I would usually pick up; but it had been recommended by a certain person called Izzy, so I read it. I'm glad I did. What I struggled with in this book, which the author and any other person couldn't help, is my complete lack of American 80's trivia. There were lots of references to people, clothing items and various objects and things that I didn't understand. However this didn't detract from my general enjoyment of the whole book because I could get the gist of what Rowell was trying to imply. The ending, for me, was not disappointing. I can see why Eleanor did what she did and it was left open which allows a reader to finish it in effect, which I liked.

What did you think of this book? What would you like us to review next?