Month: February 2019

Top Ten Places Mentioned In Books That I’d Like to Visit

Posted February 25, 2019 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 12 Comments

Welcome to another Top Ten Tuesday! I love visiting new worlds while reading books. That’s one of the biggest perks I get from reading, in all honesty. Today’s topic focuses on places mentioned in books that I’d love to visit, and they can be real or fictional. Thanks to Georgia @justreadthemm for submitting such a fun topic suggestion through my TTT topic submission form!

1. Havana, Cuba from Next Year In Havana by Chanel Cleeton
I’ve always wanted to visit Cuba. It’s a place that seems frozen in time, and it sounds beautiful.

2. Irish countryside from Love & Luck by Jenna Evans Welch
There are castles and historic sites and there’s so much pretty scenery! Plus, the author writes really great scenery descriptions. Check out my dream Irish excursion here.

3. Santorini, Greece from The Gem Thief by Sian Ann Bessey
I’d LOVE to explore Santorini!

4. The wilderness in Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett
Well, only if Lennon is there too!

5. Romania from Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco
I’d love to explore Dracula’s castle, but I’d also love to see all the nature and the hostiry and the architecture!

6. Caraval from Caraval by Stephanie Garber
This world is amazing. I’d love to visit, but it might be too mysterious and unknown for me unless I have a swoony boy there too!

7. The Night Court from A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
I LOVED The Night Court and the secret, beautiful city of Velaris. The setting was just so pretty and magical. I also loved the people there, and all the new characters I got to meet. Plus, Rhys…

8. London, England from Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill
London, baby!

9. Istanbul from The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall
I’ve wanted to visit forEVER!

10 Cinque Terre from Wish You Were Italian by Kristin Rae
I’ve seen his place in movies and it’s beautiful, but reading about it made it sound like so much more than just a pretty place.

Which places have books taken you that you’d love to visit yourself?


Top Ten Books I LOVED with Fewer than 2,000 Ratings on Goodreads

Posted February 18, 2019 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 21 Comments

This week’s topic shows some love to the books that aren’t getting much. What books have you read and loved, but there’s not many ratings or reviews on Goodreads (or any other book pushing/retailer sites)? I’m hoping we all find some great hidden gems for our own TBRs this week!

Love, Lucy by April Lindner (1,678 ratings)
This book is AMAZING, you guys! It takes place in Florence, Italy and is the sweetest romance and coming of age story. It’s also a retelling of A Room With a View, which is very cool.

Just Like the Movies by Kelly Fiore Stultz (1,232 ratings)
A very sweet romance with tons of references to well-loved romantic movies, a beautiful friendship, swoony boys, girl power, and an important message to readers young and old.

Wish You Were Italian by Kristin Rae (1,791 ratings)
OH MY GOODNESS. When I discovered that this book had so few ratings my jaw dropped. It’s a wonderful book. Seriously, this book will fly you to Italy and deposit you right into the middle of the best parts of it. My very favorite part was Italy, but the romance and the gelato and the wonderfulness of growing up and discovering your independence and your identity solidified my love.

Captivate by Vanessa Garden (1,432 ratings)
The world in this one is gorgeous and colorful and sparkling and so unique! Humans live on the ocean floor in a huge city that has rivers and gondolas and a modern colosseum where people go to watch criminals get thrown to the sharks in a big aquarium-like tank. The ocean is their sky. Their world is lit and warmed by light crystals that sparkle, and oxygen is brought down to them through air shafts. There’s a garden and a park with real grass. I could go on and on. I’m in love with this place, and the writing is beautiful.

Starry Nights by Daisy Whitney (717 ratings)
The premise of Starry Nights is SO unique. I’ve always wanted to read a book with such a huge emphasis on art history. The fact that it’s about a boy who falls in love with a girl in a Renoir painting, and dances and eats dessert with her on the museum floor each night made me love it so much. And there are some twists which make it pretty exciting. Who is she? Why does she come to life at night? Why is Julien the only one who can see her? Yeah, these questions are answered in a blend of excitement, suspense, and the love of art.

Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini (1,405 ratings)
This book will think about your own life, and you will most likely end up making some goals for yourself as you move forward. I was touched by so many of the passages, and related to the emotions that were discussed.

Pizza, Love, and Other Stuff That Made Me Famous by Kathryn Williams (1,245 ratings)
An amazing cast of characters and a unique story that takes place during a reality TV cooking show for teens. It’s like reading an episode of Iron Chef, and made me SO HUNGRY.

Snowed Over by Angie Stanton (1,298 ratings)
A fun NA Christmas novella about two people carpooling home for Christmas and getting stranded in a blizzard. SOOO SWOONY.

Degrees of Wrong by Anna Scarlett (432 ratings)
Anna Scarlett is Anna Banks’s pen name! You know Anna. She wrote Of Poseidon, Nemesis, Joyride, etc. This is her adult sci-fi and it’s AMAZING. A doctor on a mission to find the cure for a deadly virus… and terrorists hoping to kill her before she gets the chance? YES. High-tech equipment, underwater battleships, transport pods, giant squids… YES. The heroine and I would be BFFs until I tried to steal her man. Nicoli is this strong military-type with a hardened exterior and a mushy center reserved for those he cares about.

By Love or By Sea by Rachel Rager/Harlin (137 ratings)
I have only three things to say. 1. The writing was beautifully done. 2. I want a Caleb Newman of my very own. 3. This was seriously one of the most adorable, clean romances I’ve ever read! And look at that cover.

What books do you love that deserve more attention?
Will you be adding any of my picks to your TBR?


Ten of My Very Favorite Couples In Books

Posted February 11, 2019 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 23 Comments

In honor of Valentine’s Day in a few days, I thought this would be a fun topic to write up this week! In order for me to enjoy a book there has to be at least a LITTLE romance in the story. This is by no means my actual top ten list of favorite couples because writing one of those would be impossible. I’ve randomly chosen from my very very favorites. Life totally got away from me, so I’m just listing them and not really going into much detail as to why I love them. I think that’s best anyway!

1. Zorie and Lennon from Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett (enemies to lovers)
2. Emmy and Beckett from I Temporarily Do by Ellie Cahill (fauxmance to romance)
3. Hazel and Josh from Josh & Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren (college acquaintances to lovers)
4. Millie and Reid from My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren (best friends to lovers)
5. Bella and Edward from Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (serial killer and food to lovers)
6. Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell from Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco (colleagues to lovers)
7. Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman from The Hating Game by Sally Thorne (enemies to lovers)
8. Anna and Étienne from Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (classmates to lovers)
9. Feyre and Rhysand from A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas (enemies to lovers)
10. Cress and Captain Thorne from Cress by Marissa Meyer (Cress’s star-crossed crush turned lovers)

Which bookish couples are your favorites?

 


Five Upcoming Books I Need Help Deciding On

Posted February 4, 2019 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 20 Comments

So… sometimes I come up with topics and then realize they’re hard. lol. That happened this week, hence the 5 picks instead of my usual 10! This week’s topic is about the upcoming releases that I’m not sure if I actually want to read or not. I’ve received them for review and I’m just not sure if they’re my kind of book or not. Am I wrong? Do they sound good? Have you heard good things about them? Has anyone read an early copy and can tell me if they’re good? I need help deciding on them!

The Bride Test by Helen HoangI did not like The Kiss Quotient. Like, not at all. This one sounds like it could be good, but I worry that I’m going to feel like I did with Hoang’s other book.

Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey – From what I can tell, this author writes mostly erotica (which I don’t read). Have a been fooled by the cutesey cover? It sounds like so much fun, but erotica is not my thing at all.

One Summer In Paris by Sarah Morgan – I love Sarah Morgan, but really do not like women’s fiction at ALL. I need my romance and my swoons. I don’t enjoy family/personal drama with no romance. This one’s hard.

The Lost History of Dreams by Kris Waldherr – I love Gothic fiction, and this one sounds amazing. I’m worried, though, that it’ll be too creepy for me! There’s a fine line between eerie and so-scary-I-might-die for me.

Woman 99 by Greer Macallister – I’m starting to really enjoy historical mysteries, and this one sounds interesting. Asylum type books tend to upset me, though, so I don’t know…

What books are on your radar, but you’re just not sure you’re interested in them yet?
What books are getting a lot of pre-pub hype, but you’re still iffy about?
Can you help me make a decision on any of my picks?