Top 10 Books of 2017 (2&1)

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And so we’ve made it! The past few days I’ve been counting down my favourite books of 2017 and now we’ve come to the last two books on my list. Number two and my all time favourite of the year! Without further ado, let’s get cracking!

2.

Wires and Nerve, Vol 1 by Marissa Meyer

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When rogue packs of wolf-hybrid soldiers threaten the tenuous peace alliance between Earth and Luna, Iko takes it upon herself to hunt down the soldiers’ leader. She is soon working with a handsome royal guard who forces her to question everything she knows about love, loyalty, and her own humanity. – from Goodreads.com

Last year, Winter and The Lunar Chronicles was my number one book of 2016, and this graphic novel was also at the top spot if it wasn’t for a certain book that was published in October (you’ll see who in a minute!). I absolutely love this series and to have a graphic novel sequel/companion that I LOVED too was just the icing on the cake.

Drum roll, please…

1.

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

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It all begins with a fugitive billionaire and the promise of a cash reward. Turtles All the Way Down is about lifelong friendship, the intimacy of an unexpected reunion, Star Wars fan fiction, and tuatara. But at its heart is Aza Holmes, a young woman navigating daily existence within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts. – from Goodreads.com

Surprise, surprise! John Green’s latest venture into the world of YA tops my book list of 2017. John Green is one of my favourite authors who I’ve been reading for years! It’s been such a long time since Green published a book, five years to be exact, and so when he announced a new book my excitement went through the roof! It’s safe to say I wasn’t disappointed. Green’s new book is own-voices as he struggles with OCD and translated his experiences into Turtles All the Way Down, showcasing what it’s like to live with OCD through Aza’s story. It was so inspirational, so moving and raw. A definite recommendation for those who like contemporary YA.

So that wraps up my top ten books of 2017! I hope you’ve enjoyed my countdown, and let me know in the comments if any of these books were on your top ten too!

Top 10 Books of 2017 (6&5)

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And now, we hit the halfway mark in my 2017 book wrap up! If you haven’t been following my previous blog posts, I’m counting down some of my favourite books that I’ve read this year, and now I’m going to tell you my numbers five and six.

6.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

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Jonas, a sensitive twelve-year-old boy, had never thought there was anything wrong with his Community, until one day. From the moment Jonas is selected as the Receiver of Memory at The Ceremony, his life is never the same. Jonas discovers that The Community is not as perfect as it seems. Although they appear to have everything, they are missing something of great importance. It is up to Jonas, with the help of the Giver, to find what long ago had been lost. And so Jonas embarks on an adventure to save the world as he knows it. – from Goodreads.com

First published in 1993, The Giver is one of the original dystopian books before the genre hit the big time thanks to the likes of The Hunger Games and Divergent. This was such a beautiful story, very short and yet left a lasting impact. I definitely wanted to know more about Jonas and his exciting journey and was hoping for a sequel. Alas, the next book in the Giver series is a companion.

5.

Genuine Fraud by E Lockhart

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Imogen is a runaway heiress, an orphan, a cook, and a cheat. Jule is a fighter, a social chameleon, and an athlete. An intense friendship. A disappearance. A murder, or maybe two. A bad romance, or maybe three. Blunt objects, disguises, blood, and chocolate. The American dream, superheroes, spies, and villains. A girl who refuses to give people what they want from her. A girl who refuses to be the person she once was. – from Goodreads.com

E Lockhart is one of my favourite authors. I’ve been reading her books for years! So when I heard she was going to bring out a book this year, it quickly went onto my most anticipated books of this year. Lockhart did not disappoint! This book is told BACKWARDS, that’s right, backwards and it still manages to make sense by the end of it. It’s so cleverly crafted that I really couldn’t stop thinking about it for a long, long time. I can’t wait for her next one!

So, that introduces the beginning of my top five books of 2017, kicking off with E Lockhart at number five. Tomorrow, I’ll let you in on books number four and three.

#NaNoWriMo2017 – Week 1

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So the first week of NaNoWriMo kicked off on a Wednesday this year, so I spent every night after work writing down those words needed to get to the fifty thousand benchmark. Let’s have a look at my stats!

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I kicked off this writing month completing almost 2,000 words in the first couple of days, which has given me a massive head start on my word count. As I said before, I’m reworking an old manuscript that I worked on last year for the Camp edition of NaNoWriMo. Having something concrete to work from has definitely helped give me a foundation, and I’d recommend it to anyone to enter into NaNo with as much material as possible, whether that be a thorough outline or a first draft like me, I’ve found it really, really helps.

Something I did struggle with this week, particularly on Saturday, was writing outside of my routine. I found that coming home from work and sitting down to write every day made it much easier for me to get into the groove. When I tried to write on a Saturday afternoon, I found it hard to get my head in the right space to write, so I’m going to try and keep it the same each day to keep with a routine. Whether I’ll be able to do that or not, I don’t know but I’m hopeful.

Are you participating in NaNoWriMo this year? What’s your progress like? And what genre are you writing? Let me know in the comments!

Most Read Authors

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Ever since I started reading independently, and choosing books for myself, I’ve racked up quite a few books by the same author. In my opinion, there’s nothing better than waiting with bated breath for an author to release their new book and sliding it onto your shelf alongside their others. So over the years, here are the authors I’ve read (and loved) the most.

These books are in no particular order.

(Disclaimer: I’ve tried not to include authors whose series I’ve read)

1.

Dorothy Koomson

 

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Fiction and storytelling were still a HUGE passion of mine and I continued to write short stories and novels every spare moment that I got. In 2001 I had the idea for The Cupid Effect and my career as a published novelist began. – from Goodreads.com

My sister bought me The Cupid Effect when I was a teenager and I gobbled it up. Luckily, Dorothy Koomson is one of those authors than manages to release a book every year, so I didn’t have to wait long for my next read. I got a bit out of sync with the releases whilst I was at university, but so far I’ve read eight of her twelve books!

2.

Jacqueline Wilson

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One of Jacqueline’s most successful and enduring creations has been the famous Tracy Beaker, who first appeared in 1991 in The Story of Tracy Beaker. This was also the first of her books to be illustrated by Nick Sharratt. – from Goodreads.com

I, like most young kids, was introduced to the world of Jaqueline Wilson thanks to the TV show of Tracy Beaker on CBBC. Cue me reading every single Jaqueline Wilson book ever released! I don’t think there was a kid in my school who didn’t read and love JW books. They became a cornerstone of a 90s kid’s childhood!

3.

E Lockhart

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E. Lockhart is the author of Genuine Fraud, We Were Liars, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, The Boyfriend List and several other novels. – from Goodreads.com

The Boyfriend List was gifted to me when I was 14 by my Mum and I absolutely adored it. I didn’t read another E Lockhart book until We Were Liars, released in 2014, but I made the effort to go back and read all of the books I’d missed. I haven’t caught up with the Ruby Oliver series yet, but Lockhart’s latest, Genuine Fraud, is down to be one of my favourites of the year!

4.

Roald Dahl

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His first children’s book was The Gremlins, about mischievous little creatures that were part of RAF folklore. The book was commissioned by Walt Disney for a film that was never made, and published in 1943. Dahl went on to create some of the best-loved children’s stories of the 20th century, such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda and James and the Giant Peach. – from Goodreads.com

All of Roald Dahl’s books were published before I was born, so after reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory first, I methodically went through and read all of Dahl’s books throughout my childhood. I haven’t read all of them, but some of his stories are my absolute favourites, and I hold a soft spot for Dirty Beasts and Revolting Rhymes. I think it’s where my love of poetry was born!

5.

John Green

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John Green’s first novel, Looking for Alaska, won the 2006 Michael L. Printz Award presented by the American Library Association. – from Goodreads.com

John Green’s Looking for Alaska really kick-started my love of YA when I first read it in 2011. I didn’t actually get into YA properly until 2014 but this book always held a special place in my heart, and still does! Then, when The Fault in Our Stars was released in 2012, I quickly ordered the rest of his books and went on a binge reading spree to get caught up. I’m so excited for Turtles All the Way Down to be released this October!

So these are the authors whose books I’ve read the most! Are any of these authors on your list? Or do you have different authors whose books you’ve read the most? Let me know in the comments!

Top 5 #YALit Ships

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One thing that YA literature does so well is romance! Whether it be a subplot, or from the romance genre itself, the relationships included in YA books are always exciting. Having said that, some are susceptible to insta-love, some are triangles or even squares, but overall, the good romances far outweigh the bad. So here are my top five that I want to share with you.

These ships are in no particular order.

1.

Cinder/Kai

(from The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer)

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(c) Hamabee

Cinder, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She’s reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she finds herself at the centre of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen – and a dangerous temptation. – from Goodreads.com

Even though Cinder is a Cinderella retelling, and so it would be obvious she ended up with the Prince, I was still rooting for Cinder and Kai from the moment they met at Cinder’s repair shop. There was something so un-Prince like when Kai was introduced, and I love how he accepts her for who she is.

2.

Hazel/Gus

(from The Fault in Our Stars by John Green)

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(c) IMDb

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. – from Goodreads.com

The one thing I love about The Fault in Our Stars is that there is no love triangle. The romance is totally focused on Hazel and Gus supporting each other through difficult times, spending time together and having fun. Of course, this story is heart-wrenching, but Gazel‘s love even transcends time, which makes it pretty epic to me!

3.

Charlotte/Jamie

(from A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro)

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(c) Epic Reads

The last thing Jamie Watson wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. But that’s not the only complication: Sherringford is also home to Charlotte Holmes, the famous detective’s great-great-great-granddaughter, who has inherited not only Sherlock’s genius but also his volatile temperament. From everything Jamie has heard about Charlotte, it seems safer to admire her from afar. From the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else. – from Goodreads.com

If you’re an avid watcher of the BBC series Sherlock, you might be aware of the intense Holmes/Watson shipping that has been born from the show. This intense relationship has definitely translated into Cavallaro’s novel based on the detective duo! Once again, the on and off, friends or more relationship is just as fast paced as the story, and keeps you gunning for the couple, right up until the end. I’m sure we’ll find out whether Charlotte and Jamie get together in The Case for Jamie, scheduled to be released in 2018.

4.

Gwenyth/Gideon

(from The Precious Stone Trilogy by Kerstin Gier)

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Sixteen-year-old Gwen lives with her extended – and rather eccentric – family in an exclusive London neighborhood. In spite of her ancestors’ peculiar history, she’s had a relatively normal life so far. She’s totally unprepared for time travel, not to mention all that comes with it: fancy clothes, archaic manners, a mysterious secret society, and Gideon, her time-traveling counterpart. He’s obnoxious, a know-it-all, and possibly the best-looking guy she’s seen in any century. – from Goodreads.com

Although there was no doubt in my mind that Gwen and Gideon would end up together, there was certainly lots of back and forth from the both of them throughout the trilogy, enriched by their witty banter and natural chemistry. There’s something about this time traveling couple that has me begging for a sequel!

5.

Rose/Dimitri

(from The Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead)

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Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with a rare gift for harnessing the earth’s magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest vampires – the ones who never die. The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa’s best friend, makes her a dhampir. Rose is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making Lissa one of them. – from Goodreads.com

I saw the Vampire Academy film before I read the books (shock horror) and loved how Rose and Dimitri’s chemistry leaped off of the screen. I was also happy to find the same for the book and was impressed about how Mead navigated the, always awkward, student-mentor relationship. This was one of the first ships that I wasn’t sure how it was going to end, and really kept me on my toes right up until the last book!

So these are my top five ships from the YA Literature scene! Are these some of your favourite ships? Or do you have some you think I’ll like? Let me know in the comments!

 

 

Top 15 Favourite Books

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At the age of (almost) 25, I have read a lot of books. I have read books I’ve loved, books I’ve hated, books that left me feeling ‘meh’, and books that I’ve abandoned. In my first quarter of a century, I’ve accumulated many books that I declare among my favourites, but these are the fifteen most loved ones that I want to share with you.

These books are in no particular order.

1

The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis

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I’m seven years old, accompanying Lucy Pevensie through the wardrobe and into the Western Wood. I try to reason with Edmund as we walk towards the Witch’s castle. I sharpen my blade with Peter as we prepare for battle, and I fight alongside Susan, shooting my arrow through the hearts of Narnian traitors. As I grow older, I ride alongside Shasta and Aravis as we made the journey across the desert into Archenland. I’ll see Narnia come to life, hearing the sweet sound of Aslan’s song, singing the world into creation with Digory and Polly.

2

The Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling

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I’m eleven years old, getting my Hogwarts letter with Harry in the cupboard under the stairs. We get the train together at 11 o’clock on the 1st September, and meet Ron and Hermione along the way. I defeat Voldemort with Harry, once, twice and three times. I escape to the Burrow with the Weasley’s way too often, and tag along to the Quidditch World Cup. I stand by Harry through the rise of Voldemort and fight along side him in the Battle of Hogwarts.

3

Looking for Alaska by John Green

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It’s 2011 and I’m in Treehugger Dan’s bookshop in Budapest, Hungary. I’m 19 years old, nearly no longer a teenager, my childhood soon to be over, marked by an epic InterRail experience before university. I’m in the sale section, I see a book called Looking for Alaska by John Green for 200F, equivalent to about 50p. What draws me in is… well, everything about it. I buy it and head back to my hostel, a cute, quirky loft converted from an old town house. I sit in the bay window and devour Looking for Alaska in one sitting. I realise why I want to be a writer. I realise that grief will never leave me. I continue to seek my Great Perhaps.

4

The Phantom of Manhattan by Frederick Forsyth

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I have now “become” an adult. I’m twenty years old. I’m in my first semester of university and I have just been exposed to The Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables, both of which I’ve read. Somewhere online, I find that the Phantom of Manhattan is the unofficial sequel to Gaston Leroux’s original novel and I fly through it in one sitting. It becomes my guilty pleasure, and much to my enjoyment, enables the musical-sequel Love Never Dies to come to fruition.

5

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

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It’s the summer of 2012 and I’ve just completed my first year at university so I head into Waterstones to celebrate. I browse the shelves, when this book catches my eye. I’ve heard it’s being made into a movie, and once I read the synopsis I’m sold. I buy this in a two for one deal along with Fifty Shades of Grey, which I soon regret, but this novel serves as a reminder why picking Creative Writing as my degree is a good decision.

6

Paper Towns by John Green

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After I realise John Green has written not one, but four other books, I head to Amazon and go on a book binge buy spree. I buy An Abundance of Katherine’s, Paper Towns, Will Grayson, Will Grayson and The Fault in Our Stars, his latest novel. Paper Towns arrives first, and on that first page, John Green becomes my second Auto-Buy author. Sitting in my porch/bedroom, as Spring turns to Summer in 2013, I delve into Q’s world, sitting next to him in the mini van as we make our way along the East Coast to find Margo.

7

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

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It’s Christmas 2013 and I’m in New York. I head into Barnes and Noble on 5th Avenue and browse the shelves aimlessly. Outside it’s snowing, and I know we have to get the Croton-Harmon train back before peak times but I can’t tear myself away. Most people are gazing up at the Christmas Tree at the Rockefeller Center, but I’m gazing up at the rows of books before me. I’ve always wanted to read The Bell Jar, and so I buy it there and then before I could talk myself out of it. I read it on the train all the way to Tarrytown.

8

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

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It’s 2014 and I’m in my final semester of university. In our Creative Visions module, we’re exploring futuristic words and thus my love for dystopian fiction is born. I spend my time trying to escape the pain of assignments and dissertation talk by curling up with this book, finding a whole new definition of the word escapism. As I read, Tally and I hover board along the skyline, wondering what exactly it is that makes a person “pretty”.

9

Flowers in the Attic and the Dollanganger Saga by VC Andrews

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Despite trying to escape talk of my pending dissertation, I can’t, but I find respite in “reading for research”. Flowers in the Attic is the first book in the Dollanganger Saga, and fills my head with rich, luxurious, gothic mansions, plot twists and betrayal. I lap it up, and am reminded that my final piece for my degree is MINE, and take notes on delicious description from Ms Andrews.

10

The Divergent Series by Veronica Roth

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I’ve finally left university. My dissertation is handed in and now I’m waiting on my results. Now I can read whatever books I choose, and the thought of that alone is so liberating. When I hear that Divergent is to be made into a movie, I figure it’s just another book series jumping on the coat tails of The Hunger Games, but after I decide to read the series, I realise it’s so much more. Tris goes on a journey unlike any other. She questions what it means to be selfless and brave, and questions her identity along the way. The ending to the Divergent series is heartbreaking, but proves it’s not just another book series. It’s a social commentary on human nature.

11

We Were Liars by E Lockhart

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Three years worth of assigned reading stopped me from buying any new books, so as my graduation fast approaches in the Autumn of 2014, I look for exciting books to catch my eye. Rediscovering authors seems to be a habit of mine. Many years ago when I was in secondary school I read a booked called The Boyfriend List, now nearly ten years later I find We Were Liars by the very same E Lockhart. It’s my first trip into psychological thrillers and I LOVE it. I don’t realise the twist and it blows my mind.

12

Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer

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I’m at my very first Writing Weekend as an alumni of the University of Winchester, and Belzhar has been my most anticipated read of 2014. A YA novel, inspired by The Bell Jar, set at boarding school, and it’s right up my street. Sometimes I wish I could go back to school, just so that I could choose to go to boarding school. Or sometimes I wish I could move back into Halls of Residence, where life was much more simple.

13

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

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My graduation has come and gone. I really am a full fledged graduate, so I retreat to a place that makes me feel safe. I’ve spent much of the past ten years online. Not just online but ONLINE, participating in forums and chat rooms, writing in online journals, and writing, writing, writing. I never thought anyone would understand my “life online”, and I didn’t know how to communicate to anyone what that time in my life meant to me, but Rainbow Rowell does it with one swift novel: Fangirl.

14

And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks… by Jack Kerouac and William S Burroughs

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It’s almost Christmas again and I’ve just finished watching Kill Your Darlings with Daniel Radcliffe. I quickly become obsessed with the Beat Generation and haul a tonne of books from that era. This book is the fictional account, similar to the Kill Your Darlings, of the murder of David Krammerer and the Beat Poets growing up in the underbelly of New York City. I adore this book the moment I read the first page and the moment I read the last.

15

Cinder and The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

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I’m twenty three going on ten years old again. I’m scouting the scrapyard for junk metal with Cinder and Peony when she gets taken. I’m running with Cinder to warn Prince Kai about Levana. I’m sitting in the cell with Dr Erland when he tells her she’s the lost Princess Selene. I’m reminded that you’re never too old for fairy tales.

Did I mention any books in this list that you love too? Let me know in the comments.
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