Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at the other blog I write for, The Broke and the Bookish.

So, today’s the day where I get to confess my deepest bookish confessions relating to books and why I get intimidated by them. That was a long sentence. Anyway, I’ve got big dreams, my friends. Big, big dreams. I want to read ALL THE BOOKS, but at the same time some of them really scare me. And that’s sad, because I know many of you love a couple of the books I’m about to mention!

Because They’re Classics…

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
I’ve seen the movie adaptations, and loved them. I want to read this SO bad, but I’m scared of it! I know the language will take some getting used to, but I’m smart! This should be no biggie.

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
Again, I’ve seen the film adaptation. Maybe the book has a bunch of boring details the film left out? Buck up, Jana. It’s just a book.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
What if I only love this because Richard Armitage plays Mr. Thornton????!!!

Because They’re Huge…

 

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
1,037 pages, people!

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
909 pages! Oh man!

A Game of thrones by George R.R. Martin
864 pages. *whistles*

Because I’ll Cry Like a Baby…

There’s no need to even discuss these. You all know how much I hate crying! I will not do it. 

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

 

So… what do I do? I mean, I guess I need some motivation here. Help me out! Do I dive in, worries aside, or are some of them just not worth it? 

 

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at the other blog I write for, The Broke and the Bookish.

Can you believe we’ve passed the halfway point of 2013? I sure can’t! What better topic to have today, than a re-cap of the first half of a year of great books! Links lead to my reviews!

 

 

 

 

1. Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi (Read December 24, 2012 – January 4, 2013)
Creativity, character growth from the first book, heart-stopping ending. If you loved Under the Never Sky, this book will NOT disappoint you!

2. Just One Day by Gayle Forman (Read January 5 – January 7, 2013)
This is THE DAY I want to have happen to me, and it reawakened the wanderlust within me (although, it really hadn’t been asleep for long). Allyson let her life behind, got totally lost, and was changed. PLUS she fell in love with a cute Dutch boy! The story is beautiful.

3. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (Read January 21 – February 8, 2013)
I LOVED Cinder, and Scarlet is just as, if not more, amazing! Cinder is back, but now we’ve got Scarlet too. And she’s amazing! I love Marissa’s strong female characters, and how her books showcase them rather than whiny little spineless girls. And I love Wolf! The characters say some laugh out loud things, yet there’s some serious stuff going on. TONS of stuff happens, and I love this futuristic looks at Paris.

4. Unremembered by Jessica Brody (Read February 8 – February 11, 2013)
I love mysteries and I love survival stories. Unremembered is both, plus a little science fiction.

5. Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini (Read March 21 – April 2, 2013)
I’m not usually a fan of afterlife-type novels, because I don’t usually like an author’s take on Heaven/Hell, Angels, God, and the afterlife in general. For this reason, I almost did not accept this book for review. Something about it, though, drew me right in and I decided to give it a chance. I am SO glad I did, because this book is a new favorite of mine! I really loved it, and it made me think about my life.

6. Of Triton by Anna Banks (Read April 3 – April 5, 2013)
Mermaids!! It’s funny, has amazing characters, I loved the dual perspectives, I loved Anna’s take on mermaid and Greek mythology, I loved the intense moments, I loved the writing style and the gorgeous underwater descriptions, and the ending killed me! Oh, and you get to learn SO much more about the Syrena in this one!

7. Instructions for a Broken Heart by Kim Culbertson (Read April 5 – April 19, 2013)
I was sold when I found out about Jessa’s coming-of-age journey through Italy! Jessa is so down-to-earth and normal. She’s on a trip to Italy with her newly ex-boyfriend, and she gets to watch him hang all over the girl he cheated with. That takes guts. And she kicks her heartbreak in the butt. Plus, the Italy scenes! SO GREAT.

8. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (Read April 19 – April 25, 2013)
AMAZING. The world, people. THE WORLD. You just HAVE to read this even if you think Fantastical futuristic Russia, sexy male leads, a kick-butt heroine, and feeling is not for you.

9. Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill (Read May 3 – May 5, 2013)
A quirky heroine, breathtaking scenes of London, breaking rules, mysterious suitors, culture, bookishness, witty banter, and a slow-burning swoony romance? Yessssssss! I LOVE this one.

10. Heist Society by Ally Carter (Read May 7 – May 8, 2013)
Good YA mysteries are hard to come by, and this one involves thieves and art! Plus, we get to do a lot of traveling with a bunch of awesome, charming characters. There’s action and suspense, and it’s all wrapped up in cuteness! Can’t WAIT to read the rest of this series.

So, tell me what you think! Have you read and loved these, too? Read and hated them? Leave links, and I’ll come see! I can’t wait to see what you recommend. :)

While you’re here, make sure you enter my birthday giveaway!