Top Ten Tuesday {17}: Books I Read In 2013

top ten tuesday banner

It’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish! This week’s theme is…

Top Ten Books I Read In 2013

Okay, um, do you know how hard today’s Top Ten Tuesday topic is? IT FREAKING IS. I don’t even know how I’ll only fit 10 of my top reads of 2013. So… I cheated a little.

Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover This Girl by Colleen Hoover

1. Losing Hope (Hopeless #2), Finding Cinderella (Hopeless #2.5), This Girl (Slammed #3) by Colleen Hoover
My reviews: Losing Hope | Finding Cinderella | This Girl

Colleen Hoover is literally my favorite author of all time, and with every single one of her books I end up loving with my whole heart!

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

2. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

The most adorable book I’ve ever read! E&P is and forever will be one of my all-time favorite books!

One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean

3. One Good Earl Deserves a Lover (The Rules of Scoundrels #2), No Good Duke Goes Unpunished (#3) by Sarah MacLean
My reviews: One Good Earl Deserves a Lover | No Good Duke Goes Unpunished

This is the BEST historical romance series I’ve ever read! LOVE Cross and Temple!

Bully by Penelope Douglas Until You by Penelope Douglas

4. Bully (Fall Away #1), Until You (#1.5) by Penelope Douglas
My reviews: Bully | Until You

Two words: Jared. Trent. ❤

Wallbanger by Alice Clayton

5. Wallbanger (Cocktail #1) Alice Clayton

This is the funniest book I’ve ever read. Seriously, it made my sides hurt from laughing and giggling.

Addicted to You by Krista Ritchie & Becca Ritchie Ricochet by Krista Ritchie & Becca Ritchie Addicted for Now by Krista Ritchie & Becca Ritchie

6. Addicted to You (Addicted #1), Ricochet (#1.5), Addicted for Now (#2) by Krista & Becca Ritchie
My reviews: Addicted to You | Addicted for Now

So freaking ADDICTING!! And the characters are just too amazing. Love everything about this series!

Dare You To by Katie McGarry Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

7. Dare You To (Pushing the Limits #2), Crash Into You (#3) by Katie McGarry
My reviews: Dare You To | Crash Into You

My favorite YA contemporary romance series ever! You can’t go wrong with Katie McGarry

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan

8. Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy #1), Untold (#2) by Sarah Rees Brennan

Hilarious and awesome and badass pretty much sums up this series and these characters.

The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson

9. The Bitter Kingdom (Fire and Thorns #3) by Rae Carson
My Review

The most incredible conclusion to my favorite fantasy series ever.

Beautiful Stranger by Christina Lauren Beautiful Player by Christina Lauren

10. Beautiful Stranger (Beautiful Bastard #2), Beautiful Player (Beautiful Bastard #3) by Christina Lauren
My review: Beautiful Player

Ack, I just love Max and Will! Their stories are sooo good.

So what are your favorites of 2013?

lacey

Early Review: Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

Crash into You Katie McGarry
Series: Pushing the Limits #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: November 26th 2013
Purchase: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (Harlequin Teen) in exchange for an honest review

From acclaimed author Katie McGarry comes an explosive new tale of a good girl with a reckless streak, a street-smart guy with nothing to lose, and a romance forged in the fast lane.

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that’s who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers…and she’s just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can’t get him out of her mind.

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look.

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they’ll go to save each other.

OH GOD. OH GOD. Excuse me while I compose myself after reading THE MOST AMAZING BOOK EVER!!! AAHHH!!! I love you, Katie McGarry. Like, SO. MUCH. And I can’t even begin to explain how much I love this series. It’s probably my all-time favorite contemporary YA series. Ever! Basically, I’m obsessed with the series. I just can’t get enough of it. I always want more! I totally squealed when I received an advanced copy of Crash into You. Because I’ve been dying to read this book. It absolutely did not disappoint. And I was so happy when I found out there are going to be more books in the series after Crash into You! AH!

Okay, okay, calm down Lacey! *takes a deep breath* Wow. There are no words to describe how I’m feeling after reading Crash into You. Maybe insanely happy? Maybe just insane? Because I went crazy over this book. Crash into You is a beautifully written YA contemporary romance. It’s young adult at its finest. The characters are real, they pop out of the pages and make you feel for them. You experience all their emotions alongside them, and I bow down to Katie McGarry for being able to make me feel this way.

Crash into You is Isaiah’s story, the third and last person of the trio that includes him, Noah, and Beth. Oh man, this boy. This boy just gets to me. I had been waiting for the day he’d get his story ever since Pushing the Limits came out. And after reading Dare You To? I just could not wait. Because I knew with absolute certainty that I would love Isaiah and fall in love with his story too. And oh my goodness, I did!

Rachel and Isaiah meet at an illegal drag race. Exciting right? Well, it gets even better later on in the book. I absolutely loved reading about the drag racing aspect of the story. it’s just so illicit, so exciting, so exhilarating to read! If drag racing is a part of a book, I’m SO there. And Isaiah? Plus drag racing? *fans self* Too. sexy.

Rachel was a frustrating character to read. Well, it was more like her family situation was frustrating. I felt sorry for Rachel, because her entire family never took the time to know her. When they look at her, they see Colleen, the daughter and sister who died of cancer. They never see Rachel. I was angry and frustrated at her family for being so unfair, for putting so much pressure on her to be who she’s not. And Rachel has severe panic attacks. She can’t handle too much attention, but I never saw her as being weak. She’s strong in a different way, in that she puts those she loves first.

With his love of cars, I knew Isaiah had to fall in love with a girl who knows her cars. And yes! Rachel is as much a car fanatic as Isaiah is. I adored Rachel and Isaiah. I thought they were perfect together. Rachel is the rich, good girl who is pressured by her family to be who she isn’t, and Isaiah is the tough bad boy with the tattoos and earrings who only wants to get out of foster care. They are complete opposites, except for their love of cars, but they work. They balance each other out, and maybe I’m a sucker for the good girl-bad boy love story, but who cares? It was SO good. Their story made me smile, made me laugh, made me giggle, made me swoon, made me gasp, made my heart pound, and made me fall in love all over again with all of Katie McGarry’s characters. Yes, Noah and Echo, Beth and Ryan, and everyone else is in this book!

We also get introduced to Rachel’s older brothers. Four older brothers, to be exact. They’re all jerks, but lovable jerks. And they’ve got the older brother protectiveness in spades. Ethan is Rachel’s twin brother, West is less than a year older than them, and the oldest brothers are Jack and Gavin. I’m SO excited to read West’s book, Take Me On! I was really hoping the next book would be about Logan, the adrenaline junkie, but it doesn’t even matter because I’ll read anything Katie McGarry writes. I highly, highly recommend this series. The romance is perfect, the characters are incredibly written, and the boys are just so damn swoon-worthy!

5 hearts
lacey

Reading Order: Pushing the Limits series

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry Crossing the Line by Katie McGarry Breaking the Rules by Katie McGarry
Dare You To by Katie McGarry Crash Into You by Katie McGarry Take Me On by Katie McGarry

#1 ~ Pushing the Limits: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads
#1.1 ~ Crossing the Line: Ebook • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Breaking the Rules: My Review • Ebook • Goodreads
#2 ~ Dare You To: My Review • Shirley’s Review • Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Crash into You: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ Take Me On: Ebook • Hardcover • Goodreads

Top Ten Tuesday {10}: Books On My Fall 2013 TBR List

top ten tuesday banner

It’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish! This week’s theme is …

Top Ten Books On My Fall 2013 TBR List

Finders Keepers by Nicole Williams

1. Finders Keepers (Lost and Found #3) by Nicole Williams – I am absolutely dying to read this right now. I have in on my kindle just waiting for me, and I’ll get to it when I have time to read. Even though I desperately want to read it, I know this book will just make me TOO distracted to do anything else LOL. But GARTH!! ❤

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

2. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell – It’s Rainbow Rowell!! I just adored Eleanor & Park, so I’m SO excited for another book by her. And it’s about a fangirl! I can totally relate.

United We Spy by Ally Carter

3. United We Spy (Gallagher Girls #6) by Ally Carter – It’s the last book in the Gallagher Girls series! *sniffs* But I know Ally Carter won’t disappoint me. I just can’t believe this series is coming to its end so SOON!

Bold Tricks by Karina Halle

4. Bold Tricks (The Artists Trilogy #3) by Karina Halle – Can’t wait for this book because even though I was MEH about the second book, I still loved the first, so I’m excited to see how the trilogy ends, and where Ellie, Camden and Javier end up.

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

5. Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth – ANOTHER final book in a series! And this one is one of my all time favorite series, so I might end up tearing up. We get Four’s POV in this too!! AHHH!!! <4

Trust in Me by J. Lynn

6. Trust in Me (Wait for You #1.5) by J. Lynn – OOHH it’s Cam’s POV of Wait for You! I just loved Cam, he was such a perfect book boyfriend, and now that we get his side of the story… YAY!

Sentinel by Jennifer L. Armentrout

7. Sentinel (Covenant #5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout – Wow, I didn’t realize there were SO MANY final books on this list. (I think there might be some more after this too…) But yep, Sentinel concludes the Covenant series and Alex and the gang’s story. I’m super excited for what will happen, because I know that something is gonna go down in this book. And of course there’s Aiden!

Champion by Marie Lu

8. Champion (Legend #3) by Marie Lu – Yep, another final book. I am so freaking unbelievably crazy for this to come out, because that ending in Prodigy? NOT COOL. And I want more June and Day! (BTW isn’t that such a gorgeous cover?)

World After by Susan Ee

9. World After (Penryn and the End of Days #2) by Susan Ee – Oh gosh, oh gosh, I don’t know how long I’ve been waiting for this book, but I thank the stars that this book even EXISTS. Because I was dying at the cliffhanger of Angelfall. I’m praying for Raffe and Penryn to have a HEA… but I’m pretty sure Susan Ee likes to torture her readers.

Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

10. Crash into You (Pushing the Limits #3) by Katie McGarry – And this is… NOT another final book, because guess what? There’s going to be MORE Pushing the Limits!! *fangirls* I’m SO excited for Isaiah’s story!! And I TOTALLY knew that the girl he would fall in love with would be a girl who was a car fanatic like him. And even better, she’s a good girl, which is perfect for bad boy Isaiah!

So what books are on your fall 2013 TBR list?

lacey

Waiting on Wednesday {2}

Waiting on WednesdayWaiting on Wednesday, hosted by Breaking the Spine, is a weekly meme where we showcase upcoming new releases we’re excited to get our hands on!

Lacey’s pick:
Crash Into You by Katie McGarryCrash Into You (Pushing the Limits #3) by Katie McGarry
Publication Date: November 26th 2013

From acclaimed author Katie McGarry comes an explosive new tale of a good girl with a reckless streak, a street-smart guy with nothing to lose, and a romance forged in the fast lane.

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that’s who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers…and she’s just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can’t get him out of her mind.

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look.

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they’ll go to save each other.

Cathy’s pick:
House of Hades by Rick RiordanThe House of Hades (Heroes of Olympus #4) by Rick Riordan
Publication Date: October 8th 2013

At the conclusion of The Mark of Athena, Annabeth and Percy tumble into a pit leading straight to the Underworld. The other five demigods have to put aside their grief and follow Percy’s instructions to find the mortal side of the Doors of Death. If they can fight their way through the Gaea’s forces, and Percy and Annabeth can survive the House of Hades, then the Seven will be able to seal the Doors both sides and prevent the giants from raising Gaea. But, Leo wonders, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape?

They have no choice. If the demigods don’t succeed, Gaea’s armies will never die. They have no time. In about a month, the Romans will march on Camp Half-Blood. The stakes are higher than ever in this adventure that dives into the depths of Tartarus.

Shirley’s pick:
Untold by Sarah Rees BrennanUntold (Lynburn Legacy #2) by Sarah Rees Brennan
Publication Date: August 29th 2013

Free from bonds, but not each other

It’s time to choose sides… On the surface, Sorry-in-the-Vale is a sleepy English town. But Kami Glass knows the truth. Sorry-in-the-Vale is full of magic. In the old days, the Lynburn family ruled with fear, terrifying the people into submission in order to kill for blood and power. Now the Lynburns are back, and Rob Lynburn is gathering sorcerers so that the town can return to the old ways.

But Rob and his followers aren’t the only sorcerers in town. A decision must be made: pay the blood sacrifice, or fight. For Kami, this means more than just choosing between good and evil. With her link to Jared Lynburn severed, she’s now free to love anyone she chooses. But who should that be?

Cover Reveal: Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

Crash Into You by Katie McGarry
Series: Pushing the Limits #3
Publication Date: November 26th 2013

From acclaimed author Katie McGarry comes an explosive new tale of a good girl with a reckless streak, a street-smart guy with nothing to lose, and a romance forged in the fast lane

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that’s who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers…and she’s just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can’t get him out of her mind.

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look.

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they’ll go to save each other.

Oh gosh, oh gosh, so I have just finished Dare You To today, and what a surprise to see that the cover for Crash Into You has also been revealed! Dare You To was fantastic by the way, and be sure to be on the lookout for my review soon. There will be some major gushing.

I am SO unbelievably excited for Crash Into You. We get a 2-chapter excerpt at the end of Dare You To, and IT SO WASN’T ENOUGH. But I’m so happy that we’re so close to finally reading Isaiah’s book. God, I really, really love Isaiah and am DYING for his happily ever after. November cannot get here fast enough!

Sigh. The Pushing the Limits series is one of my favorites. I just cannot get enough of it!

Reading Order: Pushing the Limits series

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry Crossing the Line by Katie McGarry Dare You To by Katie McGarry Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

#1 ~ Pushing the Limits | EbookHardcover | Paperback | Goodreads
#1.1 ~ Crossing the Line | Ebook | Goodreads
#2 ~ Dare You To | Ebook | Hardcover | Paperback | Goodreads
#3 ~ Crash into You | Ebook | Hardcover | Paperback | Goodreads