As I take on the task of my 100 books in 2013 resolution I've decided to share the great books that I read as I read them.
1. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.
I absolutely loved this book. It drew me in from the first page and didn't let me go until the end. I loved how it was very loosely based on a fairy tale, but it was different enough that I didn't feel like I could predict what was going to happen next. I can't wait to read more about Prince Kai and Cinder.
2. Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton
Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is.
Her search for answers uncovers a message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it’s impossible to protect herself when she doesn’t know what she’s running from or why she is being pursued.
She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very...different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.
Ari won’t stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.
3. A Beautiful Evil by Kelly Keaton
After the epic graveyard battle at the end of Darkness Becomes Her, Ari and her friends know what they’re up against: Ari is facing the Medusa curse and is haunted by the image of what she will become. To make matters worse, the heinous goddess Athena has kidnapped young Violet and is threatening to destroy Ari.
Ari, along with the superhot Sebastian, is doing everything she can to learn more about Athena and to get Violet back. But the battle of good and evil is bigger than she realizes, and she’s about to be pulled into a world more horrific than she could ever imagine....
4. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.
Oh, this book. I had heard the hype before I picked this book up but I never knew what it was about. This was awesome and frightening, earth-shattering and heartwarming all at the same time and I am not ashamed to say that I literally broke into tears several times while reading. But can you honestly say you didn't fall in love with Augustus Waters too?
5. Hopeless by Colleen Hoover
That's what Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she's never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past she wishes could just stay buried.
Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he's nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn't at all who he's been claiming to be. When the secrets he's been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky's life will change forever.
This book was recommended by one of my Twitter friends and I'm so glad that it was. I enjoyed every moment of this book, though it was a bit sad at a few points it was a great book to follow #4.
6. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Ahh, Maggie never disappoints. Well, she never disappoints me. I had no idea what the book was about until I stumbled upon the super cool trailer that Maggie made and knew I'd been remiss. I really loved this book. It felt dark and rich, earthy and mysterious. It was such a departure from my very favorite Shiver series, and I think that's why I loved it so much.
7. Altered by Jennifer Rush
When the Branch decides it's time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape. Anna's father pushes her to go with them, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs.
On the run, with her father's warning in her head, Anna begins to doubt everything she thought she knew about herself. She soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they're both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It had a completely different feel than everything i have read so far. It felt like an adult novel and i had to keep reminding myself that the characters were teens. Fast paced, full of twists and action, it was a very enjoyable read.
8. Crash by Lisa McMann
Jules lives with her family above their restaurant, which means she smells like pizza most of the time and drives their double-meatball-shaped food truck to school. It’s not a recipe for popularity, but she can handle that.
What she can’t handle is the recurring vision that haunts her. Over and over, Jules sees a careening truck hit a building and explode...and nine body bags in the snow.
The vision is everywhere—on billboards, television screens, windows—and she’s the only one who sees it. And the more she sees it, the more she sees. The vision is giving her clues, and soon Jules knows what she has to do. Because now she can see the face in one of the body bags, and it’s someone she knows. Someone she has been in love with for as long as she can remember.
This book was over before I knew it! It takes you through Jules' daily life and immerses you in her situation. The sense of urgency that grows as you read was exhilarating. Definitely glad I stumbled upon this one.
9. Timekeeper by Alexandra Monir
When Philip Walker appears as a new student in Michele Windsor's high school class, she is floored. He is the love she thought she lost forever when they said goodbye during her time travels last century. Overjoyed that they can resume the relationship they had a lifetime ago, Michele eagerly approaches him and discovers the unthinkable: he doesn't remember her. In fact, he doesn't seem to remember anything about the Philip Walker of 1910.
Michele then finds her father's journals, which tell stories of his time-traveling past. As she digs deeper, she learns about his entanglement with a mysterious and powerful organization called the Time Society and his dealings with a vengeful Windsor ancestor. Michele soon finds herself at the center of a rift over 120 years in the making, one whose resolution will have life-or-death consequences.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It took me a few moments to get back into the story since it had been a while since I read Timeless but once I remembered the characters and the situations it was great. I think I even loved this book more than Timeless.
--Past my allotted mandatory 9 books this month I indulged in three more...
10, 11, and 12- Dark Heart Forever, Dark Heart Rising, and Dark Heart Surrender by Lee Monroe
Jane Jonas is nearing her 16th birthday and troubled by unsettling recurring dreams where the same mysterious boy her age comes to her, telling Jane that they are each other's destiny. Her mother is increasingly anxious about Jane's disruptive sleepwalking episodes, but for Jane her dream world and reality are about to collide ...When she develops a friendship with an enigmatic stranger in town, the blond, uber-cool Evan, it's exciting, it's new, and Jane wants him more than she's ever wanted anybody - until her mystery dream boy gets in the way. Now Jane is caught between two worlds: one familiar, but tinged with romance and excitement; the other dark and dangerous, where angels, werewolves, and an irresistible stranger are trying to seduce her ...
If you know me, you know that there is nothing that I love more than a good series and this one doesn't disappoint. I was drawn in from the very first page of D.H.F and couldn't help myself as I devoured the sequels.
Now, these twelve books were all read back to back in about two weeks. When I start reading i find it really hard to do anything else for a while so I decided that I would stop at twelve and wait until February to read more. We'll see how that goes...
