Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the The Broke and the Bookish. Every week she posts an idea for a 'Top Ten' list relating to books, and encourages other book bloggers to respond and participate. All the details are listed on her site. 

This Week's Topic: Best and Worst Series Endings

This was a little difficult for me because often times I won't finish a series if I don't like where it's headed. The more I think about it, I actually don't read a lot of series - I tend to prefer standalone books. These are just a few that I could think of :) 

Best: 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Not much to say about this one; I LOVE the Harry Potter series! 

Worst:

Well, maybe I can't really put these under the worst category because I didn't even finish them. I tried a couple times to pick them up, but lost interest and really didn't feel the need to finish them. 

       

Blog Tour [Review] and GIVEAWAY of All The Shiny Things by Robin Mahle

Synopsis 

The endless nightmare has been brought to life and it's too late to turn back, but Katie and Marshall are no longer fighting the battle alone. In this second installment of the Redwood Violet series, the last piece in this horrifying puzzle has been revealed and the case grows beyond what they could have imagined. Now the FBI wants in. 

Katie enters into a dangerous came of cat and mouse with the man who taunts the authorities at every turn. 

Soon, an unexpected alliance forms as she takes matters into her own hands. 

But Marshall knows she's risking too much and sides with the FBI. Now the authorities have precious little time to find the killer before he takes another life. Who will it be this time?

Excerpt 

"But in the past few weeks, Katie's life had been dramatically altered, leading her down a path she still feared, and so "unusual" had become the norm. No sign of the reporters yet, but it was still early. She stepped back into her apartment and closed the door. The latch clicked and she cringed, wondering if it would stir Marshall. He was still asleep on the couch. He hadn't left her side since the sketch of her abductor went public." 

My Review

This series is really great. The novels are fast-paced and so easy to get sucked in to! Robin Mahle certainly knows how to create a thriller with many twists and turns; I never know whats coming! Katie is a wonderful character that you can't help but root for. She has gone through so much and still fights to find out the truth and eventually put this all behind her.  If you haven't read either of these books, I highly suggest it whenever you get the chance. This story definitely isn't what I was expecting, but in a very good way (: 

About the Author

Bestselling author, Robin Mahle, lives with her husband and two children in Arizona. Robin found her passion for writing, which later became her second career, after spending nearly 20 years in the construction industry.

Having always been a lover of books, Robin attributes her creativity to the wonderful overseas adventures she has shared with her husband of 14 years. Backpacking (or certainly close to it), throughout Europe and having lived in England, opened her mind and with that came a steady stream of story ideas inspired by her author-idols in the thriller/suspense genre.

Through many late nights and weekends locked away in a room, Robin published her debut psychological suspense novel, Redwood Violet in the Spring of 2013.

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[Review] The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks

The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks
Publisher: Grand Central
Publishing date: September 17, 2013
398 pages
Format: hard cover
Review copy

Synopsis 

Ira Levinson is in trouble. At ninety-one years old, in poor health, and along in the world, he finds himself stranded on an isolated embankment after a car crash.

Suffering multiple injuries, he struggles to retain consciousness until a blurry image materializes and comes into focus beside him: his beloved wife, Ruth, who passed away nine years ago. Urging him to hang on, she forces him to remain alert by reminiscing about their lifetime together - how they met, the precious paintings they collected, the dark days of World War II, and its effect on them and their families. Ira knows that Ruth can't possible be in the car with him, but he clings to her words and his memories, reliving the sorrows and joys that defined their marriage.

A few miles away, at a local bull-riding event, a Wake Forest University senior's life is about to change. Recovering from a recent breakup, Sophia Danko meets a young cowboy named Luke, who bears little resemblance to the privileged frat boys she has encountered at school. Through Luke, Sophia is introduced to a world in which the stakes are high: Reward and ruin - and even life and death - loom large in every day life. As she and Luke fall in love, Sophia finds herself imagining a future far removed from her plans - a future that Luke has the power to fulfill... if the secret he's keeping doesn't destroy it first.

Ira and Ruth. Sophia and Luke. Two couples who have little in common and who are separated by years and experience. Yet their lives will converge with unexpected poignancy, reminding us all that even the most difficult decisions can yield extraordinary journeys: beyond despair, beyond death, to the farthest reaches of the human heart.

My Review

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Nicholas Sparks does it again. Unlike any other author, he knows how to bring you and and keep his hold until beyond the very last pages. Even after you finish reading his stories, you continue to think about the characters in the book and wonder what became of them. I loved learning about the characters in these books. Its a story about true love and how it changes but never leaves; from the beginning stage of lust, physical attraction, chemistry (whatever you want to call it), to the love that develops as you grow old together, battling ups and downs in your relationship. Ira and Ruth are a beautiful couple that I truly envy and can only hope that the love I have for my fiance will grow to the same love they had for each other. I truly recommend reading this story, and not just for those who like romances. I think this story can teach you a lot about love and life, and help you realize the meaning of so many things.

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Banned Books Week

The American Library Association promotes the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one's opinions even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular, and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those viewpoints to all who wish to read them. Find out more about Banned Books Week here.

Click on the following links to see the most banned and challenged books by decade:

2000-2009

1990-1999

This week is the first time I've ever heard about Banned Books Week! I've seen a couple people post about it lately, so I thought I'd check it out. To me, reading is one of the best ways to learn about something that is new or unfamiliar. I can't imagine a world where books (some or all) are banned because they don't conform with a certain belief or image that society has. I wanted to see how many of these banned or challenged books I had read, and to figure out why they were challenged. Most of the reasons given don't seem like a reason that a book should be banned, but I guess that's why I don't agree with them!

Here is a list of the books that I've read or are on my TBR list that are also on the banned or challenged books list. Which books have you read?! (:

Have Read

- The Giver by Lois Lowery

- Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine

- The Color Purple by Alice Walker

- The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison 

- The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

- Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

- Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling 

- A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein

- The Face on the Milk Carton - Caroline Cooney

- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini 

- A Time to Kill by John Grisham 

- The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold 

On my TBR List

- Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain 

- Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

- Go Ask Alice by Anonymous 

- The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood 

- Brave New World by Aldous Huxley 

- Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut 

- Lord of the Flies by William Golding 

- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain 

- Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

- The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky 

- The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien 

- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 

- A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving 

Let's celebrate the freedom to read what we want! (: 

[Review] Made to Last by Melissa Tagg

Made to Last by Melissa Tagg
Publisher: Bethany House
Publishing Date: Sept 15, 2013
358 Pages
Format: paperback

Synopsis 

Miranda Woodruff has it all. At least, that's how it looks when she's starring in her homebuilding television show, From the Ground Up. So when her network begins to talk about making cuts, she'll do anything to boost ratings and save her show - even if it means pretending to be married to a an who's definitely not the fiance who ran out of her three years ago.

When a handsome reporter starts shadowing Miranda's every move, all his digging into her personal life brings him a little too close to the truth - and to her. Can the girl whose entire identity is wrapped up in her on-screen persona finally find the nerve to set the record straight? And if she does, will the life she's built come crashing down just as she's found a love to last?

My Review

I received a copy of this book from the Bethany House Review Program in exchange for an honest review.  I have to say that I really enjoyed this book. There was so much to love about it; from the characters, to the setting in North Carolina and a little Minnesota, to the storyline of finding love and finding yourself. I had a very hard time putting down this book. Not necessarily because I wanted to know what was going to happen next, but simply because I loved spending time with these characters that were created. I felt like I could identify with their struggles and fears, and what they wanted in life. I also liked that many of the characters were trying to find themselves, even if just a little piece. I'm so thankful that I received a copy of this book and really can't wait to read other stories by Melissa Tagg. She truly is a wonderful storyteller.

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Tour Host [Review] and GIVEAWAY of Redwood Violet by Robin Mahle

Synopsis

Katie Reid is living the quintessential Southern California life. A dream job and her college sweetheart, Spencer top it all off. However, she can't seem to shake the terrible dreams that have been tormenting her nights these past few months. After seeking help to find relief from the exhausting effects of these dreams, it becomes apparent that Katie is dealing with something much deeper and much more sinister. Her only solution is to delve into a past that no one wants her to remember. With the horrific discovery of a dark secret kept hidden for years, Katie is drawn into a world mired in evil and lost innocence. And only with the help of Detective Marshall Avery will she be able to channel her pain and anger. But, will he be able to contain Katie's desire for vengeance that has begun to unravel her perfect life? The first in a two-part series, REDWOOD VIOLET, a fast-paced, mystery/suspense novel, will keep you up long past your bedtime!

Excerpt 

Nearly the entire week had passed before Katie suffered through another nightmare, but in the early hours of this Monday morning, she awoke in almost a violent manner, the cause of which was becoming increasingly insufferable. She walked down the hall of their apartment when she realized Spencer wasn't lying next to her. He was in the living room, sitting on the couch. The glow from the television bounced off his face like a strobe light. Dawn had broken and a dull light filtered through the edge of window blinds. 

            "How long have you been up?" she asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. 

            "Since about three." He shrugged his shoulders. "Couldn't sleep." 

Release date: September 27, 2013

My Review

I received a copy of this book in exchange for participating in this tour and giving an honest review. This book sucked me in from the first couple pages and wouldn't let go! It was not a good idea to start this while I had a break at work, because I didn't want to stop reading it! Katie is such an easy character to identify with and really like. I thought the author did a great job making the characters believable and very well-rounded. I highly recommend this book to those readers who like mysteries, thrillers, and suspense novels. I can't wait to start reading the second novel to see what happens! (: 

About the Author

Bestselling Author, Robin Mahle, lives with her husband and two children in Arizona. Robin found her passion for writing, which later became her second career, after spending nearly 20 years in the construction industry. 

Having always been a lover of books, Robin attributes her creativity to the wonderful overseas adventures she has shared with her husband of 14 years. Backpacking (or certainly close to it), throughout Europe and having lived in England, opened her mind and with that came a steady stream of story ideas inspired by her author- idols in the thriller/suspense genre.

Through many late nights and weekends locked away in a room, Robin published her debut psychological suspense novel, Redwood Violet in the Spring of 2013. Intended as a two-part series, Robin is hard at work again writing the sequel, All the Shiny Things and is on schedule for a September 2013 release!

                                                   www.robinmahle.com | twitter.com/robinmahle

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Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga @ Tynga's Reviews. Its all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, whether physical or virtual books. This means you can include books you buy in physical stores or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts, and of course ebooks! Tynga posts this meme on Saturdays, but you can post on any day that works best for you! Check out the guidelines by visiting Tynga's blog!

Review Copies:

I have been waiting forever for this book to come out! So happy that I received a review copy (: 

ebook

ebook

From my mom (: 

What books did you add to your shelf this week?!