Top Ten Tuesday: I Want to Go to There!

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's topic is...

I Want to Go to There!

I will admit, that most of the books I read are set in the US, but I have had the pleasure of venturing outside my home country via a book. These are some of memorable "trips" I have taken.

NOTE: Though I have read other books set outside the US, I am trying to pick ones that showed us some of the sites.

ANOTHER NOTE: I didn't notice until after I published, that I did the topic for March 27th, not Feb 27th. Oooops!

Discussion: My Love for Feel-Good Books

This Week’s Topic: My Love for Feel-Good Books

Everyone has a favorite kind of story. Some people love epic fantasies, historical romances, dark dystopians, or tear-jerkers. I like to read books like these every once in a while, but my favorite books are the makes-me-happy kind, better known as feel-good books. 

In a Nutshell Reviews

In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights.

The Sweetheart Sham
Danielle Ellison
Series: Southern Charmed, #1
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Entangled: Crush
Rating:  3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

In a small town like Culler, South Carolina, you guard your secrets like you guard your cobbler recipe: with your life. Georgia Ann Monroe knows a thing or two about secrets: she’s been guarding the truth that her best friend Will is gay for years now. But what happens when a little white lie to protect him gets her into a fake relationship…and then the boy of her dreams shows up?

Enter Beau Montgomery: Georgie’s first love, hotter than ever, and much too much of a southern gentleman to ever pursue someone else’s girl. There’s no way to come clean to Beau while still protecting Will. But bless their hearts, they live in Culler—where secrets always have a way of revealing themselves.

Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book contains a hilarious “fakeship,” a scorching-hot impossible relationship, and a heartwarming best-friendship that will make you want to call your best friend right here, right now.

In a Nutshell Reviews

In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights.

I Never
Laura Hopper
Series: n/a
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Rating: 4  out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Janey King’s priorities used to be clear: track, school, friends, and family. But when seventeen-year-old Janey learns that her seemingly happy parents are getting divorced, her world starts to shift. Back at school, Luke Hallstrom, an adorable senior, pursues Janey, and she realizes that she has two new priorities to consider: love and sex.

Inspired by Judy Blume’s classic Forever, I Never features a perfect, delicious, almost-to-good-to-be-true high school relationship . . . and it doesn’t shy away from the details. Destined to be passed from teen to teen, this is a young adult debut that will get readers talking.

Review: Witchtown - Cory Putman Oakes

Witchtown
Cory Putman Oakes
Series: n/a
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

When sixteen-year-old Macie O’Sullivan and her masterfully manipulative mother Aubra arrive at the gates of Witchtown—the most famous and mysterious witch-only haven in the world—they have one goal in mind: to rob it for all it’s worth.

But that plan derails when Macie and Aubra start to dig deeper into Witchtown’s history and uncover that there is more to the quirky haven than meets the eye.

Exploring the haven by herself, Macie finds that secrets are worth more than money in Witchtown.

Secrets have their own power.

I feel like the blurb did not do a good job describing this book, so I'll do a little intro.

Following the Second Inquisition, witch havens were established as places where both natural and learned witches placed on the National Witch Registry lived openly as witches. Macie and her mother, Aubra, had spent the past decade inserting themselves into these havens only to rob them blind. In the last haven, Macie made the mistake of breaking one of the fundamental rules for being a con, she formed an attachment and fell in love.

Shortly thereafter, Macie and Aubra fled and sought refuge in the utopian haven of Witchtown. Aubra promised Macie, that this would be the last heist, and afterward, they would settle down and establish roots, the way most witches did. However, as their time in Witchtown grew shorter, Macie began to doubt her mother's promise, and also suspected that her mother was harboring a much bigger secret, which involved both her and her mother.

I enjoyed my trip to Witchtown, and found this to be an entertaining tale with filled with some really great characters and some captivating magic.

Things I liked:

• The main character, Macie, was quite complicated. She was struggling with the life she knew and the life she wanted. In Witchtown, she found a solid group of friends, who believed she was good. They supported her and were there for her when she really needed them. This was a huge change from how she was treated by her mother, and she began to rethink a lot of her ways and beliefs as a result of coming to Witchtown. 
• There were some great secondary characters too. I found Tayla and Kellen to be pretty awesome friends, who really showed Macie that she could trust other people. They opened her up to letting others in. Both Tayla and Kellen were keeping some major secrets, but in the end, they were there to help Macie uncover a huge secret, which was standing in the way of her happiness. 
• I liked Witchtown. This town was billed as a utopia, and it did not disappoint. Witchtown was green and self-sufficient. The citizens lived in harmony and were always there to lend a helping hand. It's no wonder that Macie grew to love and care about this town and the people in it, because it seemed like such a charming place. 
• This is a lighter type paranormal. There is conflict and tension and even some violence, but it's never too much or too heavy. I felt that the relationships Macie was building in Witchtown played a bigger role in this story, and therefore, were featured more prominently. 
• I cannot forget the romance. This was sort of a twofer. We get one romance in the form of flashbacks, and a second that plays out real-time in the story. Both were important with respect to Macie's personal journey, and I always love a good romance. 
• The ending was strong for me. Although there were still some unresolved plot points at the end of the story, this did not detract from my enjoyment of how Oakes left the story. It was in a neat enough bow and filled with sufficient hope and promise, that I was left happy. 

Overall: a lighter-side paranormal with enough magic and mystery to entertain.

**I would like to thank the publisher for the advanced copy of this book.

Do you have a favorite witch book?

Let us know in the comments!

Top Ten Tuesday: Series I Hope to Finish This Year

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is...

Series I Hope to Finish This Year!

Again, I had to come up with my own topic (TTT is on a break), and since I have been thinking about doing a series finale reading month recently, I thought I would make a list of the series I must read the finales for.  In my mind, I was trying to determine why I have yet to read these, and obviously one big obstacle is not having the book, but there is also that fear of disappointment or not wanting to leave the world, which I had discussed earlier this year. Anyhow, these are ten series enders, which I hope to read this year.

Crooked Kingdom
Leigh Bardugo
Series: Six of Crows, #2
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co

Goodreads

I was so blown away by Six of Crows! I now understood the genius that is Leigh Bardugo, and this series was perfect. It's a duology - only two books, yet this book has been out for almost a year, and I have yet to read it. Sad to say, I do not own this book. I did check and my library has a physical copy, but you know about me and physical books.

The Midnight Star
Marie Lu
Series: The Young Elites, #3
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Goodreads

Both The Young Elites and The Rose Society were 5-star reads for me. I loved them and I love Marie Lu, but also, a year has passed and I have not read this book. Fact: I have deprived myself of buying new books, because I have so many that are unread. In order for me to purchase it must be both a book in a series that I have already started and on sale. I have not seen a sale for this, so I have not purchased, but again, there is a physical copy at my library.

Illusion 
Martina Boone
Series: The Heirs of Watson Island, #3
Publisher: Simon Pulse

Goodreads

I fell in love with this series and Eight -- who wouldn't love Eight? I was so swept away by Compulsion, and I loved the direction Boone took the series in Persuasion. I actually won a book of choice from Tanya at Girl Plus Books and I chose this book. So chances of me reading this before the end of the year are really good, because not only do I have the book, I also requested the ebook.

Unraveled 
Gennifer Albin
Series: Crewel World, #3
Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux

Goodreads

I remember reading Crewel on my co-bloggers recommendation years ago, and I loved this concept of being able to weave and manipulate reality. The second book, Altered, also did not disappoint. This is where it gets embarrassing. I went to the Fierce Reads tour for this book. I have a signed copy of this book, and it is still unread. I know I am trash, but again, I am more apt to read a book on my Kindle than one on the shelf.

Front and Center
Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Series: Dairy Queen, #3
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Goodreads

This one is not as embarrassing. I had seen this series mentioned several time, and decided to check it out. I was totally charmed by it, and Overdrive had the first two books, Dairy Queen and The Off Season, in audio. I plowed through these, and then found that Overdrive did not have the other books. However, my library does appear to have the physical book, so all is not lost, and I will be able to see how this story arc concludes. *The 4th book looks like a companion, so I am calling this the last book.

Shiny Broken Pieces
Sona Charaipotra, Dhonielle Clayton
Series: Tiny Pretty Things, #2
Publisher: HarperCollins

Goodreads

I loved Tiny Pretty Things. I could not get over how twisted and delicious this story about cut-throat dancers was. The obstacle here is that I don't have the next book. My library does not have it. Overdrive does not have it. Hoopla does not have it. Therefore, I will have purchase said book.

Dangerous Deception
Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl
Series: Dangerous Creatures, #2
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Goodreads

I am HUGE Beautiful Creatures/Caster Chronicles fan, and I was so excited when I heard Link and Ridley were getting their own books. Noor, Kiersten, and I even went to the book tour event for Dangerous Creatures. This book kept me sort of in the world I was already missing, while introducing some great new parts. The ending of this book was quite cruel, to where it seemed like anyone of any import was in peril of dying. I then waited the requisite year for the next book, and I have the next book, but I have not read it, because I am the worst.

Always and Forever, Lara Jean
Jenny Han
Series: To All the Boys I've Loved Before, #3
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Goodreads

I am so in love with the Song sisters, I want them to make me an honorary sister. Lara Jean is one of my favorite YA contemporary heroines. There is just something so old fashioned, sweet, and endearing about her. I was feeling pretty good at the end of book 2, my ship was sailing along nicely, but when I heard there was going to be a third book, I got a little nervous that Han was going to sink my ship. I do not have this book, but it is at the brick and mortar library, and chances are good I will check it ou.

The Fiercest Joy
Shana Abe
Series: The Sweetest Dark, #3
Publisher: Five Rabbits Inc

Goodreads

When Kiersten gave me The Sweetest Dark, I fell in love with this world and Abe's lush and beautiful writing. There was something that happened, which kind of soul crushing, but I still pushed on and read The Deepest Night. Then Abe's book deal went awry. Fast forward four years, and it's here. The final book is here. Now I just need to buy the book.

Unmade 
Sarah Rees Brennan
Series: The Lynburn Legacy, #3
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Goodreads

Another recommendation from Kiersten, which I really enjoyed. I loved the mystery and the feel of Unspoken. I knew I wanted to read more. Untold picked up and expanded on all that we learned in the pervious book, maybe even being a little darker than its predecessor, and I was so ready for that last book, and four years later, I have not finished this series. This is anther I would have to buy the book for, but you know, it could happen.

What series do you hope to finish this year?

Let us know in the comments!

Review: This Raging Light - Estelle Laure

This Raging Light
Estelle Laure
Series: N/A (Companion Novel coming soon)
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

I said in a post once that sometimes when I read a book, everything feels right. It makes me feel exactly what I needed to feel in that exact moment, and This Raging Light was it for me. The writing is genuinely heartfelt, Lucille (the protagonist) is broken and strong and the real deal, and the only complaint I have is that it was too short.

I'll get out my only real criticism of the book here at the beginning so I can gush afterwards -- too much happened in the book for it to be crammed into less than 300 pages. It took me all of two hours to read this book (some pages aren't even like, full of words, if you know what I'm trying to say) and honestly there was so much plot and so much character development that I feel like could have been hashed out more. Also, the ending left a lot to be desired -- an extra 200 pages would have totally been warranted. This book doesn't have a sequel but it does have a companion novel, so maybe things will get hashed out there? I guess we'll wait and see. In summation: I'm only mad at this book because I wanted more.

Lucille, our main character, along with her little sister Wren, were abandoned by her parents with no money (they left her with the house though), no notice of their return, and no phone calls. So, she gets a job and leans really heavily on Eden (her best friend) and Digby (Eden's twin brother who Lucille has a crush on). Things are obviously really complicated. Lucille needs someone to watch her ten year old sister so that she can work on school nights and make $100+ a night bussing tables. Lucille makes a lot of money so that the book works but she ends up with a job at a Hooters type deal to explain the extra cash. Obviously there ends up being family drama and romance drama and friend drama because even when the world is crashing down around you, drama somehow still happens.

There's a lot of character development in this book that doesn't necessarily happen when you're paying attention. It seems like nothing and then a lot all at once, but Estelle Laure does it in a way that doesn't seem like one aspect of a character's personality is fixed and therefore now, they'll live a happy life. I touched on how well Lucille's character is written, but honestly, I think all of the characters were written really well. Everyone had their lows and their highs and the book somehow managed to show that there was decency where it was least expected to be. I really hated Eden's character and her whole plot line, but she developed nicely and while I didn't appreciate her character, I enjoyed how she fit into the larger plot.

This book was damn good. It made me really feel for the characters in a way that not many books can do -- Estelle Laure is immensely talented and I really can't wait for the companion novel to come out, because I just want more explanations for some of the things that happen in the book.

- Amrutha

What books have you read at the exact right time?
Let us know in the comments!