Top Ten Tuesday-Books I Hope Will Stand the Test of Time

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature where we post our top ten lists on a variety of book related topics. It's hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This weeks topic:  

Top Ten Books Written In The Past 10 Years That I Hope People Are Still Reading In 30 Years

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak / The Boy in Striped Pajamas by John Boyne / 

    

Powerful titles that tie us to what was and what we hope will never be again.

     

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillio/ The One and Only Ivan by Kate Applegate/ Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver

Soul filling titles that remind us not to give up on life or love.

       

   The Secret History by Donna Tartt/ The Birth House by Ami McKay/ 

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Stunning works of fiction that quenched my thirst for beautiful turns of phrases.

      

My Great Big Mama by Oliver Ka/ The Scar by Charlotte Moundlic/ 

The Heart and the Bottle by Oliver Jeffers

Touching picture books that address loss, and acceptance- perfect for all ages.

     

Pete the Cat by Eric Litwin/ Stuck by Oliver Jeffers/ Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas

Stories that call to be read aloud, enjoyed together and make us laugh

           

 It was hard to put the list together this week, there are so many wonderful books to choose from. The books above mean a lot to me. I'm Looking forward to reading your lists!!

Book Review: Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

Published by Harpercollins May 8th 2012

Reviewed from ARC provided by publisher

Summary

Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered.

Since then, Mac’s life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac’s hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy’s killer: A white werewolf.

Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.

Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy’s murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy’s boyfriend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk.

My Thoughts

 You know that commercial for Maxwell House coffee with the adorable little girl looking in the mirror singing about how she loves everything in her life....

That is how I felt reading Hemlock...just replace her words with....

"I liked the cover, I liked the main character Mac, I loved Kyle, I liked the werewolves, I liked the storyline, I liked the plot twists,I can't wait for more.. I liked THE WHOLE BOOK. my favourite werewolf story....Kathleen is a great storyteller...yeah, yeah, yeah."

Top Ten Tuesday- Sites I Visit

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly featured hosted by the fabulous The Broke and The Bookish. 

Each week we highlight a new top ten list on a variety of topics. 

This week's list:

Top Ten Sites I Visit That Aren't Book Related

1. Pinterest. I could spend hours. (have spent hours) Checking out boards and creating my own. I love this site. I wish I had invented this site. Follow me here.

2. Etsy. My husband wishes I had never found Etsy-trust me. Amazing things on this site. I can't believe how creative and talented people are.

3.Facebook. I know-not very original-but I am on it everyday. Lost In the Library Facebook Page

4.My Library Website...I know what you are thinking..it deals with books. However, we also offer something called Freegal. Which essentially means you can download three songs a week legally and free. I'm always checking in to see what's been added.

5. Gluten-Free Girl. Anna from Anna Reads recommended this site to me..as I've discovered I have gluten intolerance. Great recipes and info.

6. The Style Rookie. I have been a follower of this fashion blog forever. I have very little fashion sense. I find what Tavi likes a little quirky, but I love reading her posts.

7. IMDB - Internet Movie Database. I check it out for reviews and more info on my favourite movies and tv shows, or a movie/show I've heard about

8. Twitter. Lots and lots and lots of time spent on Twitter. Too much time? How much is too much?

9. One for The Wall Photography. A dear friend of mine is this amazing photographer and I'm constantly checking out her latest pics.

10. Yummy Mummy Club. Covers a lot of ground. I love the honesty about motherhood.

I'm looking forward to seeing other lists. I think that my bookmarked sites list is about to grow:)

Outlander Read-Along

  Almost everyone I know has read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I have had this book on my shelf forever. I even recently bought an ebook version. One of my summer reading goals this year was to read this book (perhaps the entire series) and then I stumbled upon the Outlander read-a long and I love the fact that I can read a long and discuss the book with others too!

 For information on how you can participate,  visit Gone with the Word to link up. 

Have you read Outlander?

In My Mailbox -May 19

In My Mailbox is a weekly feature hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. 

Each week we feature the books we received for review, bought at a store, or from the library. 

From the past few weeks:

For review:

   

Chowder by  Peter Brown -Thank you Hatchette Book Group

Shift by Kim Curran & Blackwood by Gwenda Bond -Thank you Strange Chemistry

Return to Me by Justina Chen -Thank you Hatchette Book Group (so jazzed about this!!)

Underworld by Meg Cabot - Thank you Scholastic

From the library:

The Shape of Desire by Sharon Shinn

Big Fat Lies Women Tell Themselves by Amy Ahlers

What was in your mailbox?

Waiting On Wednesday - May 16

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Each week we feature a book we can not wait to read-my selection this week:

Rage Within by Jeyn Roberts

To be published-September 4th 2012 by Simon & Schuster

Summary:

Aries, Clementine, Mason and Michael have survived the first wave of the apocalypse that wiped out most of the world's population, and turned many of the rest into murderous Baggers. Now, they're hiding out in an abandoned house in Vancouver with a ragtag group of surviving teens, and trying to figure out their next move.

Aries is trying to lead, but it's hard to be a leader when there are no easy answers, and every move feels wrong. Clementine is desperate to find her brother Heath, but it's impossible to know where he'd be, even if he is still alive. Michael is still haunted by the memories of his actions during his harrowing struggle to survive. And Mason is struggling with something far worse: the fear that he may be a danger to his friends.

As the Baggers begin to create a new world order, Aries, Clementine, Mason and Michael will have to trust and rely on each other in order to survive.

I loved the first one in all it's creepy glory...look at the cover of this one....CAN NOT WAIT!

What are you waiting for?

Book Review: Fated by Alyson Noel

Fated (The Soul Seekers Series) by Alyson Noel 

Published May 22nd 2012 by St. Martins Press

Reviewed from ARC provided by Publisher

Summary

Lately strange things have been happening to Daire Santos. Animals follow her, crows mock her, and glowing people appear out of nowhere. Worried that Daire is having a nervous breakdown, her mother packs her off to stay in the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico with a grandmother she’s never met.

There she crosses paths with Dace, a gorgeous guy with unearthly blue eyes who she’s encountered before...but only in her dreams. And she’ll get to know her grandmother—a woman who recognizes Daire’s bizarre episodes for what they are. A call to her true destiny as a Soul Seeker, one who can navigate between the worlds of the living and the dead. Her grandmother immediately begins teaching her to harness her powers—but it’s an art that must be mastered quickly. Because Dace’s brother is an evil shape-shifter who’s out to steal her powers. Now Daire must embrace her fate as a Soul Seeker and find out if Dace is one guy she’s meant to be with...or if he’s allied with the enemy she’s destined to destroy.

Thoughts:

    Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect. I really enjoyed the first 3 books in the Immortals series by Alyson Noel but then the series fizzled for me.  Fated, however is a true stand-out. Raised in a transient style of life by her Mom; Daire has moved from place to place, lived without roots, without a sense of family. When unusual things begin to happen and Daire has a break down, her mother sends her to live with her spiritual grandmother. There she begins to uncover who she is and what she is destined to do.

  The first book in a planned series, the character of Daire is charismatic from the opening pages and I was drawn in to her story.  Her struggle, aside from the typical teenage life drama is to learn and embrace her culture and begin her life as a soul seeker-one who must overcome the growing evil in the town. One of my favourite elements of the story was the inclusion of Native American Shamanism, mystics and Animal Spirit Guides. I loved the time where Daire was experiencing that part of her life. It was fascinating perhaps because it's always been something that has interested me a little, but now I'm researching and finding other books to read about it as well. I have to say that any book that inspires me to explore, to research , is something special.

I can't share my thoughts about Fated without talking about Dace. Le sigh... He is a perfect balance of calm to Daire's  frenetic energy.  Ultimate book boyfriend material. I can't wait to see how things progress or if they do in book two. Can not wait for more of this series.

Fated is a page turner. The story settles deep down inside as you read, and you just want more. Highly Recommended.

for more info about spirit guides:

Top Ten Tuesday- Top Ten Favourite Quotes from Books

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the Broke and the Bookish. Each week we list our Top Ten on a variety of book related topics. This week:

Top Ten Favourite Quotes from Books

(How can I only list 10?)

“Sometimes you make choices in life and sometimes choices make you.” 
― Gayle Forman, If I Stay

“It's so strange how life works: You want something and you wait and wait and feel like it's taking forever to come. Then it happens and it's over and all you want to do is curl back up in that moment before things changed.” 
― Lauren Oliver, Delirium

“Maybe you can afford to wait. Maybe for you there's a tomorrow. Maybe for you there's one thousand tomorrows, or three thousand, or ten, so much time you can bathe in it, roll around it, let it slide like coins through you fingers. So much time you can waste it.
But for some of us there's only today. And the truth is, you never really know.” 
― Lauren Oliver, Before I Fall

“I guess that's what saying good-bye is always like--like jumping off an edge. The worst part is making the choice to do it. Once you're in the air, there's nothing you can do but let go.” 
― Lauren Oliver, Before I Fall

“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.” 
― John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

“we accept the love we think we deserve.” 
― Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.” 
― Shel Silverstein

“You don't love someone because they're perfect, you love them in spite of the fact that they're not.” 
― Jodi Picoult, My Sister's Keeper

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to get better. It's not.” 
― Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

“All endings are also beginnings. We just don't know it at the time.” 
― Mitch Albom, The Five People You Meet In Heaven

“Sometimes love means letting go when you want to hold on tighter.” 
― Melissa Marr, Ink Exchange

I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone's favourites are. It was hard to narrow it down-that's for sure...

Feature and Follow Friday-May 4th

It has been forever since I participated in the Feature & Follow. 

It's hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read.

This week's question was asked by featured blogger The House Work Can Wait.

What is one thing you wish you could tell your favourite author?

I was lucky and was able to meet my favourite author (Lauren Oliver) 

I was completely gushing and not sure if I made a whole lot of sense when I was talking, but telling her how much her writing has impacted me was the goal.

Has that every happened to you? Where you meet someone you admire and are completely tongue tied?

Happy Friday!

May the 4th be with you:)

Waiting on Wednesday-May 2

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Each week we post about books we can not wait to read. Here's mine:

Envy by Elizabeth Miles

To be Published September 4th 2012

Simon & Schuster

Summary:

The second book in the dark, sexy, paranormal trilogy reminiscent of Pretty Little Liars, where Furies are getting their revenge...

I really enjoyed the first one, and I adore the author -she's amazing.

Pre-order your copy here.

What are you waiting to read??