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Top Ten Tuesday {5}: Books I’ve Read So Far In 2013

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top ten tuesday banner

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

Top Ten Books I’ve Read So Far In 2013

So I’m looking through my Goodreads to see what books I should put on my TTT, because I seriously cannot remember what books I’ve read earlier this year. And ahhhh there’s soo many that I can put on my list, so many incredibly amazing books that I’ve read so far this year. This makes me so utterly happy. Here are my top ten (in no particular order). You can click on the covers to read each book’s summary!

Crash 2 by Nicole WilliamsClash by Nicole WilliamsCrush by Nicole Williams

1. The Crash series by Nicole Williams has recently become one of my absolute favorite series ever. Seriously, I don’t know why I never read it sooner. It has the perfect romance (okay, it’s not exactly perfect, but I still love it) with a bad boy who is so freaking hot. Jude Ryder is just… *swoon* I HIGHLY recommend this series to romance lovers. It will make you laugh, cry, and fall in love with Jude all the characters.

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

2. So apparently, Unspoken was the very first book I read in 2013. Woohoo, starting off the year with a bang, because Unspoken is one of my favorite books ever! It made me laugh SO HARD I was nearly in tears, but the ending just gutted my heart. WHY DID YOU DO THIS SARAH REES BRENNAN???? Why do we have to wait until AUGUST to read the next book? The wait is torture! I MUST HAVE MORE JARED.

Sins & Needles by Karina Halle

3. Sins & Needles was completely mindblowing. After I finished it, I couldn’t get the story (and ending!!!) out of my mind! It’s such a refreshing and unique story about a con artist, and the whole book was so intense. The plot is insane, but in a good way! I have no idea how the author came up with it, but I’m so glad she did. And, ahem, I may have a thing for hot tattooed men, sooo….

This Girl by Colleen Hoover

4. I’ve got two words for you: Will. Cooper. Colleen Hoover is a god (or should I say goddess?). Her books have all become absolute favorites. This Girl was the perfect conclusion to the Slammed series. I could not have imagined a better ending for Lake, Will, and their families. If you haven’t read Slammed yet, you definitely should! It’s so heartfelt, sweet, and there’s Will Cooper, who is one of the most swoon-worthy boys I’ve ever read.

eleanor & park

5. Eleanor & Park is the most perfect romance book I’ve ever read. I am just in awe of it and Rainbow Rowell for creating a book with the sweetest, most adorable romance ever that captured my heart. It makes me wish I could find something that Eleanor and Park have. Eleanor and Park couldn’t be more different, but somehow, they just worked. Their story is perfection. End of.

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

6. I sobbed my eyes out at the end of Clockwork Princess. I was crying and sobbing by BUTT OFF, not only because it was so amazing and beautiful and sad and heartbreaking, but also because Clockwork Princess is the last book in this trilogy. And I honestly can’t think of a series right now where I felt so sad reading the last book because it was the end. Cassandra Clare did an incredible job bringing this series to its conclusion.

with all my soul

7. With All My Soul is also another final book in a series. It’s an amazing end to an amazing series. And do you know how much I love Tod? Because I love him so so much. He’s my favorite forever-19-years-old, blond, blue-eyed reaper cutie. Okay, he’s the only one I’ve read, but still. This book was intense. The entire time, I had no idea what would happen, or if there would be a happy ending, but thank goodness, Rachel Vincent doesn’t disappoint!

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

8. Warner. Warner Warner Warner. WarnerWarnerWarnerWarnerWarnerWarnerWarnerWarner. Oh, sorry. I just had to get that out there. Um, I might have a slight obsession with a guy named Warner, from Unravel Me. He’s just so… beautiful. Incredible. Breathtaking. I was absolutely Team Adam from Shatter Me (book #1), but then… Unravel Me happened. And I did a complete 180 and fell in love with Warner. And his dimples. *faints* God Juliette, I am so freaking jealous of you and chapter 62.

Prodigy_Marie_Lu_Book

9. If you didn’t already know from our review, Shirley, Cathy, and I LOVED Prodigy. It was action-packed and crazy intense. June and Day are total badasses, and I loved them so much more than I already did in Legend. Prodigy is an amazing sequel to Legend, and I’m just dying to read the third book now, because Prodigy’s ending broke my heart.

Dare You To by Katie McGarry

10. So I recently read and reviewed Dare You To, and oh gosh, it was so good. It’s the second book in the AMAZING Pushing the Limits series, and I just fell in love with it. And Ryan! *Sigh* He’s just the sweetest boy ever. The ever-amazing Katie McGarry is a favorite author, and I’m so going to read anything she writes. SO excited for Crash Into You!

So what are your favorite books so far this year?

lacey

Review: Sins & Needles by Karina Halle

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Sins & Needles by Karina Halle

Sins & Needles by Karina Halle
Series: The Artists Trilogy #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 25th 2013
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback

There’s a Fine Line Between Sin and Salvation . . .

Ellie Watt is a woman on the run. Raised by a pair of thieves who taught her the art of the grift-and pursued by a mobster who fell for her con-she hopes to find refuge at her uncle’s farm in quiet Palm Valley, California. Ellie swears she’s through with her life of crime. But before she knows it, she’s right back in the game when she meets an easy mark who’s too good-and too hot-to be true.

His name is Camden McQueen. A master tattoo artist and a total inked stud, Camden is nothing like the awkward kid who crushed on Ellie back in high school. Now, as owner of the wildly successful Sins & Needles, he’s got tats to kill for, muscles to die for, and money to burn. Ellie can’t believe the transformation-and can’t resist pulling off one last con. But when Camden catches Ellie red-handed, the tables are turned. The mark becomes the master. And when the ultimate player gets played, you never know who’s going to end up on top . . .

Holy crap. I’m not even sure what I just read. This book. Is. CRAZY. It goes all out, holds nothing back. And I loved it.

Already, from the blurb, you know that this book is going to be very interesting. The main character is a con artist! (Actually, a series I’m a huge fan of, the Curse Workers series, also has characters who are con artists, so go check that out if you’re interested in that kind of thing.) Ellie is a tough chick. All she’s ever known is conning people, having different identities, and being on the run. And you might think, what kind of life is that? Well, the thing is, Ellie’s life is entirely fueled by revenge. So she has no real friends, no real boyfriend, no normal relationships at all. All she wants is revenge on the man who ruined her life. And unfortunately, you can’t have a happy ending if all you have is revenge.

Oh, by the way, this is an ADULT book, so if you’re planning on reading this, beware that there is definitely some mature content in this book!

So. Sins & Needles. This is such an amazing book that I don’t even know where to begin. Well, first off, I guess I should say that it just blew my mind. The story is so unique and intriguing, and I couldn’t stop reading! I was so absorbed in Ellie’s story. She is a fantastic heroine. She’s cool and badass, but underneath it all, you know she has her insecurities and vulnerabilities. She had such a horrible childhood that I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. But I loved the fact that she grew so much stronger because of her difficult childhood. I thought it would be hard to connect with a character who has little morals, but it was actually easy to like Ellie. She steals, cheats, lies, and cons, but somehow she manages to her way into your heart and make you care for her. Especially since you know that it can’t possibly end well for Ellie and her quest for revenge.

Enter Camden McQueen. (I am so totally in love with his name. It’s. So. Hot.) He’s covered in tattoos (YUM), and once upon a time, was best friends with Ellie in high school and completely in love with her. Now a professional tattoo artist, Camden’s not exactly in love with Ellie anymore. In fact, he kind of hates her guts. But he needs her help with something only she can do. I LOVE Camden. He’s rough, sexy, and sometimes wears glasses! (which I didn’t know I liked in a guy until now lol). He’s hard on Ellie, but only because she was a total bitch to him back in high school and a bit of a bitch to him even now. But oh. my. god. When he is in love, he is the sweetest, most caring guy in the world. Swoon. And when he wants Ellie, he fights for her, and doesn’t let anything get in his way.

Sins & Needles doesn’t exactly have a love triangle, but it kind of does. It’s a bit complicated. One of the people Ellie is on the run from is Javier, her ex-boyfriend, who is also the right-hand man of a powerful drug lord. Yup. The people Ellie gets involved with are crazy. And Javier is certifiably insane, I swear he is. He takes ‘fighting for what he wants’ to a WHOLE other level. Because he wants Ellie back. And not just as in Oh, I still love you Ellie, please come back to me. Nope, Javier is more of a You ran away from me even though you’re mine, so I’m taking you back now kind of man. And he will do ANYTHING to take her back. Javier is mainly the reason why the book was so exciting. There were car chases, shootings, fighting, and tons of other crazy stuff going on, all thanks to Javier.

I don’t quite know what to make of Sins & Needles, since I’ve never read anything like it, but all I know is that I loved every minute of it. This book was SO MUCH FUN. It’s exciting and entertaining, and yet there are deep and heartfelt moments too. So I totally recommend reading this book.

5 hearts
lacey

Reading Order: The Artists Trilogy

On Every Street by Karina Halle Sins & Needles by Karina Halle Shooting Scars by Karina Halle Bold Tricks by Karina Halle

#0.5 ~ On Every Street: Ebook • Goodreads
#1 ~ Sins & Needles: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Shooting Scars: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Bold Tricks: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads