Top Ten Tuesday: My Top Ten Books Read for This Blog

Tuesday, August 21, 2012






Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists over at The Broke and the Bookish. They'd love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week they will post a new top ten list that one of our bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All they ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.
Top Ten Books I've Read During the Lifespan of My Blog:

First off, for those who didn't know, i swim for oceans is going to be 3 years old in December! Go figure, right?! For reals though...it hasn't all been sunshine and rainbows. There have definitely been times I've thought about quitting, but I think I'd miss it more than anything if I did. I blame (love) Jenny from Supernatural Snark for that. Anyway, moving on. These are the top ten books I've read during the life of my blog. 

1. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin - I have a slightly more than slight fangirlish obsession with this book. Mostly because it's dark, and twisted, and slightly mad (all things I love about Michelle, too). Regardless, this book speaks to me on so many levels, and let me just say...The Evolution of Mara Dyer DOES NOT DISAPPOINT!

2. The Long Weekend by Savita Kalhan - Guys, I read very little MG these days. I want to read more, but there is just so much fluff out there that it is hard to distinguish between what is good, and what is just...well...filler. This book is one of the most harrowing, cunning, spellbindingly dark books I've ever read, and it's still age-appropriate. It's a delicate balance of incredible insanity.

3. The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab - There is something about this book that just sings to me. The prose, the story and the entire package is just sheer perfection. I've never read such a lyrical novel that has so many layers and, frankly, I just adore it. If you haven't read it yet...you must.

4. Raw Blue by Kirsty Eagar - I remember swearing up and down that I would never, ever, EVER like a contemporary novel. I told people they were cloying and obnoxious, and I told people it just wouldn't happen. Until this one. I read this book in one night. I found myself laughing and crying, utterly devoted to Carly's story. This is one of those books that hooks you and just won't let go.

5. Between by Jessica Warman - There are a lot of unsung novels in the world of books, but I have to say that I think this one missed the fan-fare it deserves. Though there is a slight predictability to it, this novel blew me away with the character growth and soaring plot line. It was heartfelt and believable, and I truly loved it. I've read it four times since.

6. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson - I read this just when my blog was starting, and I had mixed feeling based on it. I suffered with an eating disorder for many years as a teen, and those feelings never really go away. The novel is so well-written and so very painstakingly real that it's actually verging on triggering. However, it's one of the most harrowing and poetic books I've ever read, too.

7. Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan - First of all, that's an epic author duo, so it screams perfection. Secondly, this one grew on me with each re-read. It's one of the first books I've ever read where a secondary character steals the limelight, and there was just such a genuine, honest and fun feel to this novel. It felt utterly real and, therefore, utterly absorbing.

8. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan - I should actually just put the entire series on here. I would never in a million years have read this series if it wasn't for another blogger consistently recommending them. I love Percy Jackson, and I don't care if that make me one of THOSE twenty-something women carrying her YA and MG books around. This is a classic.

9. Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles - This was another contemporary novel that just blew me away, and I'd picked it up on a whim, which made it even more special. The story of Maggie and Caleb was so wrought with drama and tension and angst that I should have hated it. But, instead, I loved it, and I loved them, and I love this book.

10. Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins - Colour me crazy, kiddos, but I was pretty sure that I was going to hate this one going in. In fact, I'd pretty much chalked it up to a failure before I even started it. Boy, was I wrong. With fantastic characters, a swoon-worthy love interest and more depth than I thought was possible in the paranormal YA genre these days, it just blew me away.

38 comments:

  1. Aside from Percy Jackson, I haven't read any of these books! I should fix that, right?

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  2. I've not read any of these! How exciting, more book for my to be read list...I remember seeing Sweet Evil and having the same reservations as you, I may have to give it a shot

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  3. Fantastic choices - I hate to admit that I've only actually read two of these (Will Grayson and Wintergirls) but I absolutely LOVED them, so I will definitely be picking up some of those other books on your list. :) Thanks for sharing!


    Steph @ Stepping Out Of The Page

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  4. The only books on your list I've read are Will Grayson and The Near Witch (which I LOVED), but I've had most of the others on my TBR for ages... Can't wait to get around to finally reading Mara Dyer - I can't believe I still haven't read it! Great choices - I will definitely be checking out the ones I've not read or even heard of before :)

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  5. I think you'll probably just fall in love with MARA like I did, and I'm so glad to hear you loved THE NEAR WITCH, too! It was a fantastic book, eh?!

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  6. SWEET EVIL was pretty much perfection. Don't fall for the same trap that I did!

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  7. Definitely! Although, props for having read PERCY ;)

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  8. WOW at how many times you've read Between! I just read Beautiful Lies and loved it (I have the same exact type of twins.) and I've decided I want to read Warman's backlist. I suppose I should start there. WOW.


    Also, the Percy Jackson are some of my favorite books EVER. I just love them to pieces. My three kiddos are reading them now. We have the set and while I try to stagger them on starting series books, like us bloggers/readers, they get amped up when they hear another one talk up a book. So they're currently all three reading Book Three of this series. There are three bookmarks in the book. It's hilarious, but I LOVE that they are enjoying it as much as I did. Rick Riordan is a superhero at this house. We read a lot of MG at this house (since I pre-read most of what they read).


    This is such a great list, really. I love so many of them. And the rest are on my to-read list.

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  9. The Near Witch made my list also and I almost put The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer on it, too. It was such a hard list to make! Here's mine: http://whatsontheshelf.wordpress.com/2012/08/21/top-ten-tuesday-19/

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  10. I'm a little sad - I've only read ONE book/series on your list. I really should remedy that! (And I am, starting with Wintergirls, which is what I'm currently reading...)

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  11. The lightening thief is a really great book. I have read it myself :)

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  12. Percy is one of the best MG series I've read! I still need to read the other two series Riordan has released. I have the books...but, you know...SO MANY DAMN BOOKS.

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  13. I really want to read the Percy Jackson series. I've read The Red Pyramid, from the Kane Chronicles series, and really enjoyed it, so I should give Percy a go at some point!

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  14. MARA DYER almost made my list. NEAR WITCH is on my list, yay! I read WILL GRAYSON this year; it was my first John Green. I'm on PAPER TOWNS now. I love THE LIGHTNING THIEF so much! I think THE LOST HERO is my favorite Riordan book to date.

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  15. Great list! I've really got to read Sweet Evil. I've heard so many great things!


    Karis @YA Litwit
    My Top Ten

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  16. Good list. It is fun to see the variety on this week's meme.

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  17. I have heard great things about The Long Weekend, look forward to trying it.

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  18. I FORGOT NEAR WITCH ON MY LIST O.O ah well! Great list as always Melissa!

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  19. We're always bound to forget something, eh?!

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  20. I love seeing so many different answers around the blogosphere :)

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  21. It's an INCREDIBLE book! I hope you give it a go!

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  22. Yes! You must read it! It was such a good read, and I totally didn't expect it!

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  23. I can't wait to see what you think of Wintergirls. It's one of a kind :)

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  24. Percy is my hero. He's just one step below Harry ;)

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  25. MARA is always on my list haha I just adore that book!

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  26. Oh, girl...I can't wait to see what you think of BETWEEN. It was such a good book, and it's so underrated. I really want to hype the crap out of it!

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  27. I love your list! I already read 2 of them: Percy Jackson and Leaving Paradise. I absolutely love both books, too. Percy Jackson actually started my obsession with Rick Riordan and Leaving Paradise just makes me swoon every time I think about it. Some are on my TBR and wishlist. The only books I'm unfamiliar with are The Long Weekend and Between. Upon reading your list, I'm really so interested now about all those books I haven't got the chance to read yet. I really must start reading now, I feel like I'm missing out big time! :D


    And please don't ever quit. I love love love your blog! :)

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  28. Right on about The Long Weekend. It's excellent!

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  29. WOW at how many times you've read Between! I just read Beautiful Lies and loved it (I have the same exact type of twins.) and I've decided I want to read Warman's backlist. I suppose I should start there. WOW.


    Also, the Percy Jackson are some of my favorite books EVER. I just love them to pieces. My three kiddos are reading them now. We have the set and while I try to stagger them on starting series books, like us bloggers/readers, they get amped up when they hear another one talk up a book. So they're currently all three reading Book Three of this series. There are three bookmarks in the book. It's hilarious, but I LOVE that they are enjoying it as much as I did. Rick Riordan is a superhero at this house. We read a lot of MG at this house (since I pre-read most of what they read).


    This is such a great list, really. I love so many of them. And the rest are on my to-read list.

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  30. MARA DYER almost made my list. NEAR WITCH is on my list, yay! I read WILL GRAYSON this year; it was my first John Green. I'm on PAPER TOWNS now. I love THE LIGHTNING THIEF so much! I think THE LOST HERO is my favorite Riordan book to date.

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  31. I really want to read the Percy Jackson series. I've read The Red Pyramid, from the Kane Chronicles series, and really enjoyed it, so I should give Percy a go at some point!

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  32. The lightening thief is a really great book. I have read it myself :)

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  33. I'm a little sad - I've only read ONE book/series on your list. I really should remedy that! (And I am, starting with Wintergirls, which is what I'm currently reading...)

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  34. Definitely! Although, props for having read PERCY ;)

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  35. Percy is one of the best MG series I've read! I still need to read the other two series Riordan has released. I have the books...but, you know...SO MANY DAMN BOOKS.

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  36. SWEET EVIL was pretty much perfection. Don't fall for the same trap that I did!

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  37. I think you'll probably just fall in love with MARA like I did, and I'm so glad to hear you loved THE NEAR WITCH, too! It was a fantastic book, eh?!

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