End of the Year Survey!

Posted in Fun, Novels by

2014-end-of-year-book-survey

It’s the last day of the year! A.K.A. the perfect time to reflect on all that we’ve accomplished this year as we make resolutions for the new year. I posted my ten New Year’s resolutions yesterday, so today I’m sharing this fun survey from Jamie @ The Perpetual Page Turner about the books I read this year. Feel free to fill out your own survey, and share it with me so I can see it too! Also, make sure to post it here so you can be entered into a book giveaway!

 

 

2014 End of the Year Book Survey

Number Of Books You Read
82! I challenged myself to read 45, so I’m pretty impressed with myself :) (granted, I was unemployed for a few months so I had tons of extra reading time).

Number of Re-Reads
Only 2!

Genre You Read The Most From
Young Adult but I also read quite a few Classics (not surprising for me).

Best Book You Read In 2014?
I’ve read so many amazing books this year! If I had to pick THE BEST, I’d say North and South BUT Attachments is a very, very close second.

Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I read this right after reading Attachments and I just did not connect with the story or the characters very much at all.

 Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read in 2014?
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. I heard raving reviews about this book, and then we read it in book club and none of us liked it. Creative idea and intriguing writing style, but the characters were just not for me.

 Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did) In 2014?
Probably Jane Eyre or a Jane Austen novel (I’m always raving about them).

 Best series you started in 2014? Best Sequel of 2014? Best Series Ender of 2014?
I finally read The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants series this year and I loved the 5th, more adult book, Sisterhood Everlasting.

 Favorite new author you discovered in 2014?
I discovered SO MANY! If I had to pick one, I’d probably say Rainbow Rowell.

Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
Before I Go To Sleep. That book creeped me out, but it was a really intriguing novel–I couldn’t put it down.

 Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
 Again, Before I Go To Sleep.

 Book You Read In 2014 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
Probably Attachments or Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill.

Favorite cover of a book you read in 2014?
Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill. I can’t obsess enough over this cover.

Most memorable character of 2014?
Either Catherine Morland from Northanger Abbey (because I am her), or Atticus Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird (because I want to be a parent like him)

 Most beautifully written book read in 2014?
The Beautiful American by Jeanne Mackin was definitely beautifully written.

Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2014?
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

 Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2014 to finally read?
Little Women!!

 Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2014?
The last half-chapter of North and South *swoon*

Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?
Longest: Allegiant by Veronica Roth; Shortest: Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

Book That Shocked You The Most
Paper Towns by John Green, and NOT because it was suspenseful. I was shocked by how unimpressed I was after reading my first John Green novel. I felt like the Walt Whitman metaphor was shoved so far down my throat that it left a bad taste in my mouth after I finished the book.

OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)
Lena and Kostos from The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. I was SO anxious about the whole “will-they-won’t-they” end up together thoughts that were constantly rushing through my head. I love Lena and Kostos.

Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year
The mother-daughter and sister-sister relationships in Little Women. My heart swelled with happiness while reading that book :)

Favorite Book You Read in 2014 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

Best Book You Read In 2014 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2014?
Kostos from The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by Ann Brashares.

Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
By FAR, Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill. She makes you feel like you are literally walking around London.

Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?
Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson

Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2014?
Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson and If I Stay by Gayle Forman made me cry sad tears; North and South made me cry happy tears.

Hidden Gem Of The Year?
Falling For Her Fiancé by Cindi Madsen. That book had me laughing and smiling way more than I was expecting.

Book That Crushed Your Soul?
If I Stay, of course. So many tears.

Most Unique Book You Read In 2014?
A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall

Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Book Blogging:

New favorite book blog you discovered in 2014?
I love Lisa & Becca’s posts at Lost in Literature

Favorite review that you wrote in 2014?
Much Ado About Nothing because of the movie gifs :)

Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?
I love writing a Top Ten Tuesday post each week because it gives plenty of opportunities to chat and compare lists with fellow bloggers!

Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?
YALL Fest

Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2014?
Getting to connect with fellow bloggers through Twitter, comments, and YALL Fest :)

Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?
Most Viewed: Visiting Ever After’s Château de Hauteforte
Most Commented: Top Ten Tuesday-Favorite New-to-Me Authors

Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?
Top Ten Tuesday: Literary Worlds I’d Never Want To Live In

Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?
I finished the Back to the Classics Challenge and I nearly doubled my Goodreads challenge, but I didn’t read 3 or more Shakespeare plays like I had wanted to for the Shakespeare Reading Challenge (I only read 2).

New Year’s Reading

One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2014 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2015?
My True Love Gave to Me by Stephanie Perkins (I got it for Christmas and it is our current book club book!

Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2015?
The Trouble With Destiny by Lauren Morrill

Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2015?
The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick

One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2015?
Read half of the unread books on my shelf! I’m dying to put a huge dent in my TBR list!

Whew! That was a long one! If you read any of the books from my list, what were your thoughts? And what were your most memorable reads from 2014?? Tell me in the comments or fill out your own survey! Remember to share it on the main post to be entered into a book giveaway!

Top Ten Tuesday: 2015 Resolutions!

Posted in Fun, Holidays, Life, Novels by

toptentuesdayThe last Top Ten Tuesday post of 2014 is all about my New Year’s Resolutions for 2015! Normally I have one or two resolutions at the start of each year, but I rarely follow through. I feel like 2015 will be different. Maybe it’s just the fact that I’m getting older, but there are plenty of things I want to do in my life, and there’s no time like the present :)

Top Ten New Year’s Resolutions

  1. Stress out less about reading – Sometimes I get into that habit of treating reading as a chore instead of a hobby. I create these deadlines and sign up for these challenges in order to get myself to read more, and sometimes those things are fun, but usually it just stresses me out. And reading is supposed to be fun, not stressful!
  2. Cut back on book review requests – This year I discovered NetGalley, and I love it! But I went a little clicker-crazy and requested to review way too many books. I never expected to be approved for most of them, but I was wrong. So now I’ve decided to spend the beginning of next year focusing on all the upcoming books I need to review. I’m also hoping this will help out with stressing out less about reading (checking things off a To Do list=a happy Maggie).
  3. Trim down my TBR list – I expanded my library so much this year, and most of those books are still sitting on my shelf unread. I’m hoping to knock out a big chunk of those To Be Read books in 2015.
  4. Reorganize my personal library – I have too many books and not enough shelf space (the pitfall of being a bookworm). I’d love to reorganize my bookshelves and also keep a better record of the books I have out on loan (one of these would be fantastic).
  5. Read more Dickens – I am ashamed to admit that I have read ONE Dickens novel in my entire life. Granted, it was one of his best (Great Expectations), but I would love to make 2015 a Dickensian year.
  6. Talk to my husband more about the books I read – He probably already thinks I talk enough about books, but I would love to share more with my husband about my bookish thoughts.
  7. Read what I love – This year I read a lot of books I normally wouldn’t have because of their popularity and not necessarily because they were “me” books. Often at times I didn’t want to finish these books because I couldn’t stand an unrealistic character, a cheesy plot line, or a cringeworthy writing style, but I hate the idea of giving up on a book I’ve started. I don’t plan on keeping this reading habit up into the New Year. In 2015 I will read the types of books I know I will enjoy, whether they are popular or not.
  8. Travel more – This isn’t a bookish resolution, but next year I definitely want to spend more time visiting new places and taking mini-vacations. Living in France showed me the importance of going on vacations a couple times a year, and I think that’s a habit I should keep up now that I’m back in the States.
  9. Cross off as many things from my 25 Things list as possible – I have seriously been slacking on my bucket list I made to celebrate my 25th birthday. I’ve completed less than 10 of my 25 goals, with a few more lined up in January. There are a few big things, like travel to the UK/Ireland and visit a new continent, that I know I won’t be able to do before March (at the time I thought we’d be living in France for another year or so and would have more opportunities to travel). BUT, to be optimistic, I’ve done a lot of fun things that weren’t on my list :)
  10. Move! – This is the biggest resolution for me and my husband. We’re itching to find our own apartment/home and to actually start settling down into our new life in the States. It’s been great living with my family and spending time with them, but as any married couple can agree with, sometimes you just need your own space :)

There you have it! My 10 resolutions for 2015. What are some of your resolutions for the New Year?

Back to the Classics 2014 Wrap-Up Post!

Posted in Back to the Classics, Book Reviews, Classics, Novels by

classics2014I did it!! I read 10 classics from various authors, countries, and time periods in 12 months! (To be honest, a big chunk of those books were read this month *procrastinator*).

This was such a fun challenge, and I’m earnestly considering doing the Back to the Classics 2015 challenge next year, although I still have a little time to decide :)

Here is my wrap-up post listing all of my reviews for this challenge:

Required Categories:

Optional Categories:

I thoroughly enjoyed every one of these books (except for maybe Wuthering Heights), but if I had to rank my Top 3 it would be: North and South, Little Women, and To Kill a Mockingbird.

Thank you to Books and Chocolate for hosting this challenge!

Have you read any of these books? What did you think? Are you up for next year’s Back to the Classics Challenge?

Voyage au Centre de la Terre by Jules Verne (and Crossing Something Off My Bucket List)

Posted in 25 Things, Book Reviews, Classics, France, Novels by

julesverne

“As long as the heart beats, as long as body and soul keep together, I cannot admit that any creature endowed with a will has need to despair of life.”

Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne
Published 1864 by Pierre Jules Hetzel
Classics/French/Adventure
Format: paperback; 338 pages
Also By This Author: Around the World in Eighty Days, From the Earth to the Moon, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Goodreads | Amazon
My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis:

The intrepid Professor Liedenbrock embarks upon the strangest expedition of the nineteenth century: a journey down an extinct Icelandic volcano to the Earth’s very core. In his quest to penetrate the planet’s primordial secrets, the geologist–together with his quaking nephew Axel and their devoted guide, Hans–discovers an astonishing subterranean menagerie of prehistoric proportions. Verne’s imaginative tale is at once the ultimate science fiction adventure and a reflection on the perfectibility of human understanding and the psychology of the questor.

Thoughts:

You may be wondering why I used the original French title of Journey to the Center of the Earth in the blog title…that’s because I read this book in French! If you’ve been to my blog before, you may be familiar with my list of 25 things to do for my 25th year. #3 on that list was to “read an entire book in French.” So I can now cross that off!

It wasn’t easy–the French language has a special past tense that is only used in books or in storytelling, which makes it really hard to learn because you’ll hardly ever have the need to use it in a conversation. To be honest, I did not understand everything that goes on in this book, but I picked Jules Verne to read because 1) French Classics are easier to understand than English classics because the French language has barely changed over the centuries, 2) Classic novels have more grammatically correct dialogue between characters as opposed to modern novels, and 3) Jules Verne writes suspenseful and captivating adventure novels that are easy to follow and visualize.

On to the book! The only other Verne novel I’ve read before Journey to the Center of the Earth was Around the World in Eighty Days, which I really enjoyed. Verne’s characters are so particular and unique and the adventures they go on are always full of suspense and those “this is our last hope” type of scenes so that you’ll never be bored while reading one of his novels. Professor Lidenbrock is ever persistent and hopeful during this life-threatening journey while his nephew, Axel, often exclaims that all hope is lost and the group is sure to perish.

As always, true to Verne’s captivating writing style, there is a twist at the end of Journey to the Center of the Earth that anyone who has previously read Verne will be expecting to discover :)

Read This Book If…:

…you love an adventure!
…you’re into science fiction books, especially those written by the fathers of sci-fi.
…you crave a book that will make you both laugh out loud and turn the pages in suspense.
…you’re looking for a new unforgettable adventure to experience.

“Was I to believe him in earnest in his intention to penetrate to the center of this massive globe? Had I been listening to the mad speculations of a lunatic, or to the scientific conclusions of a lofty genius? Where did truth stop? Where did error begin?”

Final Musings:

If you’ve never read a novel by Jules Verne, I would suggest Journey to the Center of the Earth as a good starting point, although I preferred Around the World in Eighty Days (really though, any Verne book is a good book to read). Full of quirky characters, daring adventures, and spectacular imagery, Journey to the Center of the Earth is definitely a classic that deserves its masterpiece label.

The Messenger by Pamela DuMond

Posted in Book Reviews, Fantasy, Novels, Young Adult by

themessenger

“Madeline, I do not care where you are from–the future, the past, a star in the sky. I will love you here, now. I do not care what people think. I will love you in the past. I will love you in the future. I will love you, forever, Madeline.”

The Messenger by Pamela DuMond
Published April 20, 2012 by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Young Adult/Fantasy/Historical Romance
Format: e-book; 257 pages
Also By This Author: The Story of You and Me, Annie Graceland Mystery series
Goodreads | Amazon
My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Madeline’s meant to fall in love with Samuel in every lifetime. But she meets him for the first time when she accidentally time travels into the past—hundreds years before she’s even born!

Their relationship is forbidden—Samuel’s half Native, Madeline’s white. Every rendezvous they share must be secret. Each moment they spend together tempts the odds that they’ll be discovered and brutally punished. But their love is fated—they musk risk all.

Danger intensifies when Madeline learns she’s in the past not only to fall in love, but also to claim her birth right as a Messenger—a soul who can slip through time’s fabric at will.

Deadly Hunters, dark-souled time travelers, crave Madeline’s powers and seek to seduce or kill her. Can Madeline find her way back to the future in time to save herself and Samuel?

 Thoughts

I really enjoy time traveling books! I just wish I read more of them. The Messenger combines my interest in time-travel with historical fiction, and I really love that combination because there is always that major predicament: is the main character going to stay in the past or will he/she chose to return to their present day? I will not spoil Madeline’s decision, but I will tell you that the book had me in total suspense until the very last paragraph.

The majority of Madeline’s time travelling adventure revolves around Samuel, a Native American with a soft heart and healer’s hands. As Madeline discovers more about her inexplicable trip to the past, she begins to feel a pull towards Samuel that even three hundred years of history cannot deter.

But Madeline’s time-traveling abilities open up so many questions regarding her past and her family. And Madeline isn’t the only one with these fantastical abilities–the longer she stays in Colonial America, the more she realizes that her abilities are so much greater than herself.

Read This Book If…:

…you love time-traveling stories!
…you have a guilty pleasure for historical romances.
…diverse stories involving race and racism resonate with you.
…you enjoy books that leave you hanging in suspense until the very last page.

Final Musings:

I thoroughly enjoyed The Messenger! There were several times when I could not put this book down. I was worried when I couldn’t find any announcements on a sequel, but I just found out that book 2, The Assassin, will be published early next year! Can’t wait :)

North and South: The Miniseries

Posted in Novels by

northandsouthposterLast week I raved wrote about Elizabeth’s Gaskell’s North and South, a novel I started but never finished reading back in college and now all I can say to myself is, “WHY didn’t I read this book before?” I decided to read it this year for the Back to the Classics Challenge, mainly so I could re-watch the BBC miniseries starring Richard Armitage and Daniela Denby-Ashe.

Since I loved the book, I was excited about comparing the miniseries to the original text, and although there were some expected changes, overall I was very satisfied with this adaptation. I’ll try not to spoil the book or the miniseries while I highlight some of the biggest changes I saw in the adaptation.

Mr. Thornton is seen as much crueller in the miniseries

Unlike other Byronic heroes, I never disliked Mr. Thornton. Right from our first introduction to him in the book, I held a soft spot for him. The way we are introduced to Mr. Thornton in the miniseries is much more abrupt and it exaggerates Margaret’s view of him as a harsh and unfeeling master. The cotton factory scene is completely made up for the miniseries, and yes, it bothered me a little to see Mr. Thornton so violent, but I didn’t think it ruined the adaptation.

The ending

For the record, I love the ending from the miniseries. But the book ending made me cry happy tears that I haven’t cried since reading Jane Eyre (side note: this book reminded me so much of Jane Eyre). I would love to see an adaptation one day when they keep the original ending, but I have to say that I don’t think that ending would have suited this miniseries. The ending they created was beautiful and it fit this particular cast and direction beautifully.

Some of my favorite aspects of this adaptation were:

The music!

I can’t talk about this soundtrack enough. This particular track, “Northbound Train,” can literally bring tears to my eyes (believe me, it happened at work one day last week). I love music that makes you feel the same strength of emotions whether you’re watching the movie or not.

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The actors

Richard Armitage, in my opinion, was perfectly cast for the role of Mr. Thornton. I also loved Sinéad Cusack as Mrs. Thornton; she’s another character I held a soft-spot for despite her harsh characteristics.

northandsouthcharacters

I could probably talk about this novel and the miniseries forever, but instead I’ll just let you enjoy it for yourself :) It’s on Netflix if you’re in the mood for a Victorian romdram.

 

Christmas Illuminations at Mount Vernon

Posted in Fun, Holidays, Life, Married Life by

mountvernonLast week my husband and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary :) Since our anniversary is so close to Christmas, and because we’re trying to save up money right now to find a new apartment next year, we decided to take advantage of the closeness of Washington, D.C. to celebrate. One of my favorite attractions in the area is George Washington’s Mount Vernon, and my husband had never been before, so when we saw that they were holding a Christmas event there last weekend, we quickly reserved some tickets and bundled ourselves up for the colonial festivities :) (no, seriously, we were freezing!)

The estate offered a lovely variety of 18th century holiday festivities including caroling, chocolate making, silhouetted portrait demonstrations, live colonial-style music (featuring a hurdy gurdy!), blacksmith reconstructions, and 18th century dancing (my favorite!). The evening was topped off with a Christmas-time reenactment and a little fireworks show from George Washington’s backyard.

Unfortunately, it was really dark outside, so my pictures didn’t turn out as great as I hoped they would, but I’m still going to share them here :)

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Making old-fashioned hot chocolate.

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Colonial music, featuring a hurdy gurdy.

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The blacksmith hammering out a J-Hook.

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Super blurry, but you get the idea :) It was really fun watching the people closest to us dance–they messed up quite a few times but still had fun (which is reassuring because I know I’d forget half the dance steps, too!).

Next year we plan to go back with the rest of the family. And I’ll be sure to give the 18th century dancing a try, too! ;)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! I hope you all enjoy some quality time with your families to ring in the New Year :)

A Separate Peace by John Knowles

Posted in Book Reviews, Classics, Novels, Young Adult by

aseparatepiece

“We reminded them of what peace was like, of lives which were not bound up with destruction.”

A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Published 1959 by Secker & Warburg
Classics/Young Adult
Format: paperback; 204 pages
Also By This Author: Peace Breaks Out, Phineas
Goodreads | Amazon
My Rating: 4/5 

Synopsis:

Set at a boys boarding school in New England during the early years of World War II, A Separate Peace is a harrowing and luminous parable of the dark side of adolescence. Gene is a lonely, introverted intellectual. Phineas is a handsome, taunting, daredevil athlete. What happens between the two friends one summer, like the war itself, banishes the innocence of these boys and their world.

Thoughts:

I first read A Separate Peace nearly 14 years ago while I was in 7th grade. I’ve always felt like my assigned reading choices in school were generally interesting books that made a long-lasting impact on me; A Separate Peace is no exception. Do you ever reread books you haven’t read in ages and find yourself thinking, “I do not remember imagining it this way”? For me it was more about remembering the characters differently.

Gene and Phineas are two 16-year-old boys living at an all-boys prep school, where most of the students and staff are affected by the outbreak of WWII. Gene and Phineas, along with a few other students, create the “Super Suicide Society,” where the whole goal is to do daring and rule-breaking stunts. This club, and the leadership of Phineas, reflect the escape the boys try to make from the reality of war. The irony, however, is that the boys have brought the war into their club.

Before I reread this book, I had the mindset that Phineas was that one friend we all have who always tries to “one up” us in everything. You know who I’m talking about–you do well on a test, they do better; you feel like you’re really good in a sport or hobby, they show you how much more talented they are (and make it look effortless); you receive an awesome present from someone, they tell you that they got one once and it just wasn’t that great. Well, when I reread this novel, I realized that Phineas is not that “one-upper” friend at all. Which means that I obviously relate a lot to Gene, who creates this whole unspoken competition between himself and Phineas.

I think a lot of people can relate to the characters and circumstances in this novel, even though it takes place in the early 1940s. That’s why this book had so much impact on me when I was 12 and when I was 25; you can put those themes into any context and will still be able to empathize with the characters.

Read This Book If…:

…you enjoy short, powerful novels.
…you like reading historical, young adult books that deal with mature subject matter.
…you’re intrigued by themes of war, childhood innocence, jealousy, and forgiveness.

Final Musings:

One of the things I love most about these short & powerful novels is that they always have so many good quotes to reflect on!

“Because it seemed clear that wars were not made by generations and their special stupidities, but that wars were made instead by something ignorant in the human heart.”

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite 2014 Reads

Posted in Fun, Novels by

toptentuesdayThis week’s Top Ten Tuesday, brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish, is all about the best books we read in 2014! I am very happy that my Top Ten is filled with so many classics! It’s not surprising, because I love classics and they usually fill up about half of what I read, but this year I read so many young adult books that I wasn’t able to read as many classics as usual. I guess this just means that I picked a few really good classics ;)

Top Ten Books I Read In 2014

robinhood secondchancesummer muchado sisterhoodeverlasting littlewomen

10. The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle: Robin Hood, my love <3 Your tricks and mischievous ways never fail to entertain me :)
9. Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson: This book made me bawl like a baby, and only the best books can make me do that. This was the third Morgan Matson book I read, and before that I was already convinced that I’d preorder her future books because they’re that good.
8. Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare: Usually I prefer Shakespearean tragedies, but Much Ado was so funny and suspenseful that I found myself really enjoying it despite its “shallowness.” The recent film version is great as well.
7. Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares: I just read the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series for the first time this summer, and I loved the four sisters so much! When I went to read this 5th, more adult book, I knew it was going to be a lot different from its predecessors. It’s darker and sadder, but also so much fuller than the other four books. Several chapters made me cry, but not just out of sadness. There’s one scene in particular involving my two favorite characters that is giving me butterflies in my stomach just thinking about it <3
6. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: The beloved March family! I so wish I had read this book as a young adult. It would have gone well with Anne of Green Gables, but in any case I loved it so much when I read it earlier this year. And of course, the Winona Rider/Christian Bale movie is spot-on. I could watch that all day, AND it’s a Christmas movie so that means I will be watching it soon!

 

tokillamockingbird sinceyouvebeengone meanttobe NorthandSouth attachments

 

5. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee: This is one of those classics that is usually assigned in school, but it wasn’t for me, and after reading it I totally wish it had been! But maybe not, actually, because there’s always that dreaded assigned reading curse that can destroy books for us =P It doesn’t matter what age you are, this book will touch your heart.
4. Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson: This book is perfect for summer reading. It made my heart smile with giddy happiness and it’s a Morgan Matson book so obviously it’s amazing.
3. Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill: This book was so cute! I seriously could not put it down. I love books that mix in multiple communications platforms, and this one deals a lot with texting mishaps. Plus, if you love travelling, especially to the UK, you’ll love this one. The whole book takes place in London and Lauren Morrill makes you feel like you’re actually there. I’ve been dying to see all the places that were mentioned in the book ever since I read it.
2. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell: I just finished this book a few days ago and I am still on the book hangover. Some people might think it’s weird to rave about a book that’s been around for over 150 years, but right now all I want to do is rave about North and South. The last time I felt like this was when I read Jane Eyre for the first time last September. My best friends can attest to it, I talked their heads off about that book (but I even converted my BFF into liking it after she HATED the movie!).
1. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell: This has been my favorite read of the year so far. I’ve talked about it so many times, I don’t know what else to say besides IT’S WONDERFUL!

 

There you have it! That was a lot easier than I thought it would be, actually. I rated all of these books 5/5, and there were around 6 other books I also gave a 5 star rating this year. It’s been a good reading year for me :)

 

What has been your favorite read of the year?