Let's Talk is a new weekly feature here at i swim for oceans. I think it's important that we all have our say, and there's something to be said for raising our voices. Simply put, here on the little old blog, I like to host some of my very own discussion posts because, well, I like to converse with you all.

And so, Let's Talk will feature questions or prompts, which I will answer, too. Love it or hate it, weigh in or don't, it's my hope that Let's Talk will at least get you thinking...and maybe even get you discussing with the rest of us!

Question: What are your top three favourite series of all time, and why?

I've often said I'm not really a series person, and that's not entirely true. I do love a good series. Truly. However, I do feel that series are a bit overplayed these days. There are some series (ahem...Shiver) that don't really need to be series in my humble opinion, whereas other stand-alones would royally rule as series. That said, regardless of my differing opinions, there are some series that I just can't help but love, and I can say with the utmost certainty that they will always be favourites of mine.

1. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling - Ok, let's be honest here, guys. Is any list really complete without Harry? That's what I thought. I actually didn't start reading the series until the third book's release because, frankly, I thought I was MUCH too cool to read some dumb kids' book. I ate my words. My little sister, bless her, wore me down and convinced me to read them, and let's just say I was so obsessed with Harry that I attended many a midnight book release party...like this:

My point is that Harry Potter stays a favourite of mine because it's so much more than just sorcery and magic. It's about the magic of honour, and friends and truth. Values like that and worlds like the one in those books are simply incomparable.

2. Redwall by Brian Jacques - I don't know too many YA bloggers that understand my love of this series or have even read the series. I started it on a whim when I was about 12 years old. My older sister carried around Martin the Warrior, and it was a huge book. I wanted to look smart and carry a big book, too, so I decided I would...and I might as well try it, too. I was hooked from a few pages in. There is such incredible world-building in those books, and while they don't necessarily follow the same characters, the world and the values and morals stay the same. There is a beautiful, magical fantasy in those books that I love to lose myself in to this day.

3. Percy Jackson & The Olympians by Rick Riordan - I like a lot of good series, but this one managed to edge out of the competition on sheer entertainment value alone. I was convinced by a fellow blogger to give the first book a go when I was still a fledgling blogger. I did, and I read the first four books in three days...then I had to wait for the final book to come out. They're fun, they're engaging, they're a bit magical and silly, but they're mostly altogether just true entertainment at its best. I urge you to pick them up even if you think you're far too old for a MG series. You'll be pleasantly surprised, I'm sure.

Oh, and my runners up would have to be The Hunger Games, His Dark Materials, Vampire Academy and The Lying Game.

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 for People Who Don't Like Reading:

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling - Well, frankly, I'd put the whole dang series up here, but let's start small. This series has sucked in children and adults, alike, giving the entire world a fictional character with whom to grow, empathize and love. It's amazing and powerful.

2. Virals by Kathy Reichs - Everyone loves a good mystery, right? Think Nancy Drew, only more modern, more precocious and far more endearing. This series is a ton of fun, plus it's fast-paced, action-packed and it definitely packs a delicious punch, sucking you into a great series.

3. A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L'Engle - The beauty of this novel resonates long after the last page. I think it's a pretty underrated novel, and the made-for-tv movie destroyed it. Read this slim book, and you will see between the lines to the heart and soul of the story.

4. Amen, Amen, Amen: Memoirs of a Girl Who Couldn't Stop Praying by Abby Sher - I'm a sucker for a good memoir, and this one is holy epic powerful. Yes, I mean that. The writing is flawless, the pace is perfection, and it's true, undiluted humanity from start to finish.

5. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls - I told you I love memoirs! I bought this one on a whim a couple years ago when I was in a reading funk, and it booted me right back in gear. It's powerful, and the author's story is poignant and real, making you want to turn each page.

6. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult - I'm not a big women's fiction reader. I don't love chick-lit. This story leaps from the pages though, giving the reader a powerful, painful, emotional story in which to become completely absorbed. It's intense, and the ending is beautiful - far more beautiful than that horrid "movie."

7. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan - I got my entire family hooked on this, including my brother-in-law. It's a really quick book, as are the rest of the books in the series, but they hook you with humour, compassion and a great story line that carries throughout. Again...far better than the movie.

8. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - I swore up and down that I didn't want to read this series because I did NOT want to read about children killing children, but this is one of my favourite series of all times now. I got my family hooked on this series, as well, and I truly believe the story is rich and powerful.

9. The Lying Game by Sara Shepard - I didn't mind the Pretty Little Liars series, but this one far surpasses it, in my humble opinion. Both Emma and Sutton are fantastic characters, as are all the secondary characters, and it's an engrossing maze through each book.

10. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - I put off reading this one for a while, and I'm not really sure why. It's so much fun - definitely leaping from the pages much like other epic fantasy series. There are lots of dark twists and turns, so it will keep you guessing the whole time.

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 Book Endings That Left Me With My Mouth Hanging Open :

1. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin - Holy Cliffhanger of Doom. If you haven't read this one yet, you're seriously missing out. Not only is the book phenomenally tense, but the cliffhanger was one I never even saw coming. And I'm dying. Seriously. Dying. I need book two. PLEASE!

2. Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles - Though when I finished this one, I really wanted a second book, I wish I hadn't wished so hard for one. While, yes, it was left with tons of questions and a cliffhanger ending, it would have been perfect had it not been spoiled by book two, in my humble opinion.

3. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - Personally, I loved this book. I thought it was epic. The ending, however, was an epic letdown for me. Seriously? I was not expecting ribbons and bows, but I certainly got it...it was just a little unfulfilling, I guess.

4. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson - This one blew my mind because the ending was perfect. It wasn't overdone, but it wasn't underwhelming either. There was a sense of justice and peace. I felt good when I closed the book.

5. In My Father's House by Ann Rinaldi - Oscie Mason was headstrong and willful. She wasn't looking for love, and she certainly wasn't expecting it in the middle of the Civil War with her stepfather and she constantly at odds. But she found it...and it was denied? What? Hey...no fair!

6. Raw Blue by Kirsty Eagar - I had so many emotions when I finished that this book, that my mouth would have been hanging open either way. I felt satisfied with Carly and Ryan's story, but at the same time, I wanted more. I wasn't finished watching Carly grow stronger, or Ryan break down her walls.

7. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling - This book never fails to make me cry. For the record, I love all the books, but this one in particular was the changing of the tide in so many ways. I knew the story was getting darker, but this ending haunts me, and while it leads to the next book, I was still satisfied with how it ended...heartbroken, but satisfied.

8. Many Waters by Madeleine L'Engle - I know every list always has this on it, but it's one of my favourites. So, sue me. The ending of this one was sad, happy, heartbreaking, heartwarming and a million other things all at once. Did I love it? Heck yes. Did I wish it could have played out another way? Heck yes! Could it have worked another way? No, and that's why I love it every time.

9. Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison - Okay, maybe I'm not fair on this one because, frankly, I didn't like it, but still. Really? The ending was the epitome of everything fixing itself in about ten pages to create a happily ever after scenario. I might not like real life all the time, but it's more believable. This one didn't work for me, and the ending sealed the deal.

10. The Lying Game by Sara Shepard - This woman can write a cliffhanger. I loved the Pretty Little Liars series, but I think this one tops it, if I'm being honest. It consistently has me on my toes, and book one had me begging for book two right away.

Title: Never Have I Ever
Author: Sara Shepard
Publisher: HarperTeen
Published: August 2, 2011
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Mystery

My perfect life was a lie. Now I’d do anything to uncover the truth.

Not long ago, I had everything a girl could wish for: amazing friends, an adorable boyfriend, a loving family. But none of them know that I’m gone—that I’m dead. To solve my murder, my long-lost twin sister, Emma, has taken my place. She sleeps in my room, wears my clothes, and calls my parents Mom and Dad.

And my killer is watching her every move.

I remember little from my life, just flashes and flickers, so all I can do is follow along as Emma tries to solve the mystery of my disappearance. But the deeper she digs, the more suspects she uncovers. It turns out my friends and I played a lot of games—games that ruined people’s lives. Anyone could want revenge . . . anyone could want me—and now Emma—dead.

Friends, Never Have I Ever was out yesterday, so run and get your paws on book two! You better believe I did! I read book one, The Lying Game, back when it first came out, and I was instantly hooked by another of Sara Shepard's captivating series. I'll be reviewing Never Have I Ever on Monday, so be sure to check that out. Also, The Lying Game is about to become ABC Family's newest summer hit on August 15th, so be sure to tune in for the premiere. Want to see a trailer? Here you go:

Learn more about the Lying Game books at the official The Lying Game website and the brand new show at ABC Family's website. Also, be sure to follow Sara Shepard on Twitter HERE for show and series updates.

Onto the exciting stuff! Monday through Friday this week, participating blogs will host a different game of Never Have I Ever, featuring three “Never Have I Ever…” statements from a different set of twins. Readers must post a comment below correctly identifying the lie, as well as answer whether the "Never Have I Ever" statement from The Lying Game’s Emma and Sutton is true or false. Readers who successfully comment on each of the 5 blogs with all the right answers will be entered to win Sara Shepard’s books (all nine Pretty Litte Liars and the first two Lying Game books)!

Today's twins are Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield, so you have TWO questions to answer correctly in the comments below. First tell us which of the following statements is a lie, then answer the second question as either true or false in your comment.

QUIZ: Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield

A. Never have we ever enrolled at Sweet Valley University

B. Never have we ever joined Sweet Valley High local band The Droids

C. Never have we ever been adopted

BONUS ROUND: Emma and Sutton

True or False: Never have we ever co-captained the girls varsity swim team.

There is only ONE correct answer to each question! Please remember to leave your answers in the comments below, along with their name and email address at which you can be contacted if you win. Only those who answer the questions at all five tour stops this week will be entered in this great contest, so be sure to check out the full lineup this week:

Monday, August 1st: Katie’s Book Blog

Tuesday, August 2nd: Forever Young Adult

Wednesday, August 3rd: I Swim for Oceans

Thursday, August 4th: Naughty Book Kitties

Friday, August 5th: Princess Bookie

The deadline to enter the comment on each post is 11:59 PM EST on Friday August 5th! Good luck, and enjoy the hop!

In My Mailbox is an amazing weekly meme hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren that features the books we have received during the week. It's so much fun because we get to see what our fellow bloggers stumbled upon this week and add even more to our piles of books! Without further ado, this week I received the following books:

FOR REVIEW

Never Have I Ever (The Lying Game #2) by Sara Shepard - (ARC - Thank you, HarperTeen)

Blood Wounds by Susan Beth Pfeffer - (ARC - Thank you, Harcourt)

The Name of the Star (Shades of London #1) by Maureen Johnson - (ARC - Thank you, HarperTeen)

BOUGHT

The Iron King (Iron Fey #1) by Julie Kagawa

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

I had a life anyone would kill for. Then someone did. The worst part of being dead is that there’s nothing left to live for. No more kisses. No more secrets. No more gossip. It’s enough to kill a girl all over again. But I’m about to get something no one else does—an encore performance, thanks to Emma, the long-lost twin sister I never even got to meet.

Now Emma’s desperate to know what happened to me. And the only way to figure it out is to be me—to slip into my old life and piece it all together. But can she laugh at inside jokes with my best friends? Convince my boyfriend she’s the girl he fell in love with? Pretend to be a happy, carefree daughter when she hugs my parents good night? And can she keep up the charade, even after she realizes my murderer is watching her every move?
Taken from Goodreads.

In The Lying Game, Emma has lived her life in foster care, bouncing from home to home without any real family to depend on. Unbeknown to Emma, her twin sister Sutton is the opposite - popular, privileged, and has a reputation to kill for. Then someone did. Sutton is dead and has no choice but to watch as Emma slips into her shoes to find out what happened to the twin sister she never knew. Along the way, Emma discovers exactly how feared and awed Sutton was in life, and realizes there's a lot more to Sutton's disappearance than meets the eye. Can she find Sutton's killer...and can she find the killer without endangering her own life?

I have to admit, I wasn't expecting too much from The Lying Game, but I really enjoyed Pretty Little Liars, so I figured a new series by the same author would still be fun. I was right! The Lying Game is a great start to a brand new series filled with plot twists, turns, and a mystery that consistently kept me guessing throughout. Sara Shepard has done it again - she's created a perfectly put-together whodunit mystery that has the reader wanting more...and it delivers, but manages to remain a nail-biter throughout.

The only minor hiccup I had with The Lying Game was the prologue, to be honest. I hate prologues. Frankly, I think they're unnecessary 90% of the time and actually detract from the story. The prologue was quite unnecessary, as The Lying Game jumps right into the story from the get-go. The details in the prologue could have easily been established in the first chapter, as well. The greatest strength of The Lying Game, however, were the characters. Emma and Sutton were perfect polar opposites, and while the book is told from Sutton's POV as she watches Emma, Sara Shepard manages to keep the characters from becoming confused with one another by distinctly identifying them.

All in all, The Lying Game is a solid and entertaining start to the new series, and it's not so much like Sara Shepard's Pretty Little Liars series as I'd anticipated. I give it a very strong 4.5 out of 5, and I highly recommend this book to all YA fans, especially those who enjoy a good mystery and contemporary fiction.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher, HarperTeen, in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

In My Mailbox is an amazing weekly meme hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren that features the books we have received during the week. It's so much fun because we get to see what our fellow bloggers stumbled upon this week and add even more to our piles of books! Without further ado, this week I received the following books:

The Lying Game - (For Review - Thank you, HarperTeen) - I had a life anyone would kill for. Then someone did. The worst part of being dead is that there’s nothing left to live for. No more kisses. No more secrets. No more gossip. It’s enough to kill a girl all over again. But I’m about to get something no one else does—an encore performance, thanks to Emma, the long-lost twin sister I never even got to meet.

The Ancillary's Mark - (For Review - Thank you, Daniel Cohen) - The legend of the Ancillary flower has existed for centuries. Foretold to bring out the limitless potential of its bearer, the flower and the legend have been forgotten by many. Recently, strange events in a shrouded Tibetan town have sparked rumors among those who still believe. Jacob Deer is a quirky young man, bound for college, with an eccentric old librarian for a best friend, an obsession with sitting down in elevators, and a strange birthmark on his hand that's shaped mysteriously like the markings on the Ancillary's petals.

Frostbite - (Bought) - Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose…It's winter break at St. Vladimir's, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy's crawling with Guardians—including Rose's hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway.

Shadow Kiss - (Bought) - For Rose Hathaway, everything seems out of kilter. Ever since she made her first Strigoi kills, a dark shadow has been creeping over her. Looming in the background, too, is another realization: If she follows her forbidden love for guardian Dimitri Belikov, she might lose her best friend forever. And these sleep-shaking worries couldn't have come at a worse time. The immortal unloving are prowling everywhere, famished for vengeance against her.