Tag Archives: teen books

Apr 2 2013
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Top Ten Characters I Would Crush On If I Were Also A Fictional Character!

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Hosted by the Broke and the Bookish, this is a fun weekly feature where bloggers like myself get to geek out about our favorite books. This week’s category is:

Top Ten Characters I Would Crush On If I Were Also A Fictional Character!

I had a blast putting this one together and I’m especially looking forward to seeing what kind’s of heart-throbs make everyone else’s lists.

1: My best friend and I have actually had full-blown conversations were we try to decide who is the “hottest” guy in fiction. My answer is always Dimitri – I’m certain of it. How can I tell without ever actually having seen him? Beats me. All I know is everything about him, from the way he thinks to how he treats Rose, Dimitri Belikov is my top pick!

2: I really like Adam. I think he’s charming, funny, and sexy in a way that is very low-key. He almost reads like the guy who is okay by society standards but to you is the most gorgeous person on the planet.

3: The winner is clear for me, but I feel like the other contender would get a ton of votes from other women. They are both crush-worthy, but I always find myself drawn to Jean Claude.

4: Okay, okay, I haven’t actually read this series. It’s all about Ian Somerhalder on the show. I don’t care how the book tells it, I’m team Damon all the way!

5: Seth is not a “sexy” character compared to some of the others but he’s on my list because he has all the qualities of someone I would actually consider dating. An intelligent, attractive, book-loving writer who cares for the girl with all his heart? My kind of guy exactly! In fact, I’m pretty sure I married one just like him… ;)

6: I find Logan incredibly crush-worthy even though I would never date him. Although physically my type, I’ve never been okay with the guy being a “man-whore”. In Logan’s case, I think I liked him so much because of those moments when he dropped the act and treated Gwen like she was the most precious thing in the world.

7: This book provided yet another love-triangle, and I’m pretty sure I picked the guy I think would be best for the main character as well as myself. Jace was just fiercely loyal and compassionate, though part of his appeal might have been because he was off-limits.

8: Okay, I’m probably referencing the movie more than the book with this one, but for me Aragorn’s appeals are the choices he makes and his excellent character. Even if I were going based on movie alone, I would still probably pick him, but Orlando Bloom would put up a great fight.

9: This is one of the few books that doesn’t have a triangle. Jocelyn is a dream-guy, and I can’t even pinpoint exactly what it is I like about him. The fact that he’s so perfect for Phedre is oddly part of his appeal, but I think it comes down to how well Carey described him physically and how he treats his true love.

10: Team Edward (Woot!) but let it be clear that I’m on his side for the book only. As far as the movies are concerned, Jacob wins hands-down.

Mar 30 2013
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Coming Soon: Fall of Night

May 7.Title: Fall of Night

Author: Rachel Caine

Series: Morganville Vampire #14

Genre: Teen Paranormal Romance

Release Date: May 7, 2013

The Overview: Thanks to its unique combination of human and vampire residents, Morganville, Texas, is a small college town with big time problems. When student Claire Danvers gets the chance to experience life on the outside, she takes it. But Morganville isn’t the only town with vampire trouble…

Claire never thought she’d get to leave Morganville, but she can’t pass up the chance to finally attend her dream school, MIT. After all, getting to invent anti-vamp devices with Professor Anderson—a Morganville exile herself—sounds like a dream come true…until Claire realizes that there are sinister forces in play, and she’s not the only one with a vampire-related agenda. Without her friends Shane, Eve and Michael, surviving a killer schedule may be hard…but with them, it might turn out to be impossible.

Nik's Notes: I can't read these as fast as she writes them - which is excellent for all of you who can (including my best friend, Charlotte, who absolutely loves this series). According to the whims of the internet, this series is currently contracted for 15 books. As I am only on book #4, I've certainly got some work to do before it wraps up (which will likely be around November 2013). So far I really like this author's style. She has a tiny bit of an edge to her which makes the story a little less "fluffy" than its competition. For the record, I also am enjoying her Weather Warden books. 
Mar 26 2013
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Top Ten Tuesday! (3/26/2013)

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Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature that helps book lovers like myself connect with other bloggers as we list the books we love. This week’s topic:

Top Ten Books I Recommend The Most!

This is a great topic for me, as I spend most of my day recommending books both online and at the bookstore (I usually end up catering my suggestions to each person’s needs, often giving them a book I think they’ll like the most, not necessarily the one that I liked most). The books I’ve chosen for the list are my personal favorites spanning multiple genres and starting points for every conversation beginning with “So, what’s a good book?” to which I reply “Have you read this yet?”

#1 Fablehaven: Let’s face it, everybody who was going to read Harry Potter has already done so at this point, so recommending that is redundant. I’ve discovered that not everybody has read the Fablehaven series, however. I always start with this one in the children’s department because it’s my favorite. If the person has read it and liked it, I know we’re going to get along.

#2 Partials: This is a fun one to recommend because it hasn’t had a chance to catch on quite like Divergent or Matched yet. As this was my favorite book published last year, I can always sell it with confidence (but only to people who respond “yes” to “did you like the hunger games?). Read full review

#3 Survival: This author is by far my favorite science fiction writer. Her books are witty and creative, and I always come away feeling like I want to reread them right away. The only reason I picked them up initially is because my favorite artist painted the covers (Luis Royo). I figured any writer who was good enough to convince the publisher to splurge for Royo cover art was worth my time!

#4 Graceling: My favorite teen love story, I just adore this book. It’s a sweet read and not too much for people new to the fantasy genre to handle. If the customer doesn’t like dystopian or paranormal novels (thereby limiting my recommending power in half these days), I hand them this book. Read full review

#5 Moon Called: One of the best urban fantasies out there, Briggs is not quite my favorite, but she’s close. She does happen to be the author that I think a lot of people will like, which is why she passed up Keri Arthur and Kim Harrison in my recommending repertoire. She has great characters, great adventure/paranormal encounters, and an excellent love story without being too gushy.

#6 Magician Apprentice: I’ve mentioned before that when I take someone to the fantasy section, I always ask the question: “have you read Feist?” He’s been my go-to for so many years, but I’m starting to find that most people have already read him. For those who haven’t I find it a hard sell. Not because of story, or anything related to the content. Nope, the reason I have a hard time with this one now is the colossally boring cover. The one featured here is actually the first edition cover, and I dont’ know about you, but it made ME want to pick it up. Covers are a lot more important than people think when selecting a book, so I sincerely hope the next edition is more compelling. Read full review

#7 Joust: One of my favorite dragon books, and one that I throw in with any recommendation spiel to see if it sticks. My all-time favorite dragon book is Dragon Weather by Lawrence Watt-Evans, but I recommend these first because they are my second favorites and more accessible to the average reader. They’re a lot like Eragon but I enjoyed them so much more.

#8 Succubus Blues: I geek out whenever I find a customer open to the more, say, risky side of urban fantasy. These are by no means clean books, so I have to be careful to preface that when talking to customers. They are, however, some of the best books I’ve read, and part of the reason why Mead is my favorite author. The story, the humor, the romance –  they have everything I expect out of a good book.

#9 The Name of the Wind: This book is another one I read last year that I’m raving about. It has everything I hope to find in a book adventure, humor, characters development, education (I love it when characters learn things) and a love story. To top it all off, it’s written beautifully. I will be rereading this for years to come! Read full review

#10 Assassin’s Apprentice: Hobb is my go-to author for when I just need a guaranteed good read. I can devour 50 pages in a sitting, then not pick it up again for weeks but can still get right back into the story as if no time elapsed. The’s aren’t the quickest of reads, but they are powerful. The end of Fool’s Fate (which is book 9, chronologically) is partially responsible for inspiring this blog. It was amazing. Read full review

Mar 25 2013

Your Pick for Nik! – April’s Selection!

a9Thank you all for your votes!

This month’s winner is… Fragments by Dan Wells!

It was a really close one this month, as Fragments just barely edged out Darkest Minds (which will be included in next month’s nominations). I am so passionate about the first book that I can’t imagine the second one being any less spectacular. Great choice this month, people!

A thorough review and discussion for this book will take place on April 26th, so there’s plenty of time to pick it up if you want to participate. For more information on the Your Pick for Nik! book club,  click here. 

**Don’t forget to tune in Friday March 29th for the review and discussion of March’s Selection: Hounded by Kevin Hearne.**

“If you think reading is boring, you’re doing it wrong.”

Mar 23 2013
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Coming Soon: Allegiant

a3Title: Convergent (I think)  Allegiant

Author: Veronica Roth

Series: Divergent #3

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Release Date: October 22, 2013

The Overview: What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

Nik’s Notes: Who else is as excited as I am for this release? I’ll admit the first book took about 100 pages to get going, but once it did, I couldn’t put it down for anything! The characters, specifically their relationships with each other, was my favorite element. The overall creativity of the world-building and structuring was also a strong point, and I’m looking forward to solving all the mysteries in the final book. I earnestly hope this book doesn’t end up on next year’s “Top Ten Books I HAD To Buy…But Are Still Sitting On My Shelf Unread” list.

New to this series? Check out my reviews of #1 & #2 – perhaps these are the perfect books for you!

Book Review: Divergent (book #1)

Book Review: Insurgent (book #2)

Mar 19 2013
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Top Ten Tuesday – Top Ten Books I HAD To Buy…But Are Still Sitting On My Shelf Unread! (3/19/2013)

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Top Ten Books I HAD To Buy…But Are Still Sitting On My Shelf Unread

(aka, story of my life)

You’ll notice that a lot of these titles were on last week’s Top Ten Tuesday (Books at the Top of my Spring 2013 Reading List). This is no accident because, dang it, I’m tired of not picking up the books I’m the most excited about. Often, I stall because a part of me wants to wait because the longer I hold off, the less wait I’ll have before the next one comes out. This makes no sense, as I’d probably do the same thing to the next release. #firstworldproblems

#1 Bard’s Oath: I blame the author for this one. I finished the first two books in 2002 (and loved them), then spent the next ten years thinking Bertin had fallen off the planet. I am so stoked she decided to finish the series, but now I have to go back and reread the first two because I don’t remember a single detail about them.

#2 Frost Burned: Best urban fantasy ever! The only reason I haven’t picked this one up yet is because I feel the need to finish the Alpha and Omega series first.

#3 Sword-Bound: I really enjoyed this series, and I honestly thought it was over. As soon as I found out about this release I was tickled. It’s one of those stories that I don’t think I’d ever mind reading more of.

#4 Eve & Adam: Co-written by K.A. Applegate and her husband, I simply had to own this to show support to the woman who inspired my love of reading (the Animorphs series, 1996, Scholastics book ordering form = my life has never been the same).

#5 Elfhome: Conclusion (I hope) to Tinker and Wolf Who Rules, this is a series long overdue for another book. Left with a cliffhanger, I was terrified she’d never finish. As with Bard’s Oath, this is another one I have to reread because it’s been so long. The cover art is a bit frightening this time around, though. lol

#6 Reached: I bought this the day it came out, and I haven’t even read the second one yet. Don’t worry, it’s on my list….

#7 Indigo Spell: Richelle Mead is my favorite author. I am shamed that I didn’t drop everything and devour this book the moment it came out. I lose like a thousand “loyal fan” points.

#8 Dragon Fate: There’s starting to be a pattern here. This is yet another title that stalled well over two years before releasing. As the last in the series, I definitely want to read it. I just can’t remember enough of the small details to make it worthwhile. Here comes another reread! (grumble..)

#9 Omen Machine: I loved this series, thought it ended well, and felt completely satisfied with where things left off. I really want to know what happens next, but it feels like a shame to stir the pot.

#10 Fragments: Partials was my favorite read book published last year. I raved about it in the review, and geeked out when we finally got it in (it was late). I will be picking this one up soon, I’m sure of it! ;)

There you have it – my shameful list! I should make a pact or something that April will be all about enjoying these titles. Hmmm…. 

What books are on your list? :)