Top 10 Tuesday: Latest 5 Star Reads

Top 10 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Top 10 Latest 5 Star Reads

In general, Iʻm pretty generous with rating books 5 stars. Lately, Iʻve been trying to change how I rate books because, letʻs be real here, not every book is perfect. But there are still loads of books that I end up really loving. Here are a few of those books (all links go to Goodreads):

1. Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson --

A funny book about serious stuff like anxiety and depression. This book made me LOL for sure, but it also made me feel like I was part of a community.

2. Donʻt Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

3. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

4. Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin

5. The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

6. The Martian by Andy Weir

7. The Bassoon King: My Life in Art, Faith, and Idiocy by Rainn Wilson

8. On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

9, 99 Days by Katie Cotugno

10. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

What are your most recent 5-star reads?

Top 10 Tuesday: 10 Books on My Spring TBR

Top 10 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Head on over to find out how to participate & to check out other peopleʻs Top 10 Tuesday posts!

Top 10 Books on My Spring TBR

1. The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh -- As of right now, this is my most anticipated book in the near future. I cannot wait to get my hands on it!

2. The Lifeboat Clique by Kathy Parks -- I read the first few chapters of this book Epic Reads First Five and my MIND WAS BLOWN. I already bought it, but Iʻve been waiting until the TBR Pile Challenge is over to dive in to it since books published after March 1 are not allowed!

3. This is Where the World Ends by Amy Zhang -- This cover is just straight up beautiful and the blurb sounds great. As far as Advanced Readers go, itʻs gotten mixed reviews but I think Iʻll decide for myself if I like it or not!

4. Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard -- I have only heard great things about this and I canʻt wait to get my hands on it!

5. The First Time She Drowned by Kerry Kletter --  This book sounds so hauntingly beautiful. Iʻm sure that this book will keep me up all night and will probably haunt my dreams but I want it so bad!

6. Nil On Fire by Lynne Matson -- I freaking love the Nil trilogy and Iʻm kinda sad to see it come to an end...but I am also so,  so, so excited to see what happens next! If you havenʻt read the first two books yet, go and read them NOW before this book comes out on May 31!

7. Summer Days and Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories -- Yet another collection of cute love stories from our favorite authors edited by Stephanie Perkins! To be honest, I havenʻt even gotten around to reading the winter stories yet, but who can pass on a good summer lovinʻ story? Not me! This comes out in May, so itʻll be a great Spring into Summer book!

8. The Crown by Kiera Cass -- Kiera is one of my auto-buy authors, so even though I havenʻt quite finished The Heir yet, you know that Iʻll be getting my hands on this one as soon as it comes out. And maybe having it will motivate me to finally finish The Heir, haha.

9. Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton -- ALLLLL of the early reviews that Iʻve seen for this book has absolutely praised it. Historical Fantasy has been my go to genre as of late, so Iʻm pretty excited to see that weʻve got another one to look forward to. Canʻt wait to read it!

10. Map of Fates by Maggie Hall -- I loved The Conspiracy of Us and I feel like I waited so long for this book to be released. Now that itʻs finally here, I canʻt wait to read it!

Whatʻs on your Spring TBR?

Top 10 Tuesday: Books to Read When Youʻre Craving ADVENTURE

Ten Books to Read When Youʻre In the Mood for ADVENTURING

That is basically me like 500% of the time. Except, wait! I am an introvert through and through. I prefer being indoors--leaving adventure to the outdoorsy types. It drives Josh crazy sometimes, but eh...what ya gonna do? Anyway...just because I donʻt want to go on an actual, outdoor type adventure doesnʻt mean that I donʻt crave adventure constantly. Thatʻs where books come in. I find my adventures (and there are many of them) in the pages of books. Here are the 10 best books (in my opinion) to read when youʻre in the mood for a little adventure. {P.S. these books arenʻt necessarily focused on trips or adventures, but they are books that made me feel like I was being transported to another place. They may have some adventure-y elements or they may not. I donʻt even know...itʻs late, lol}

1. The Museum of Intangible Things by Wendy Wunder - Wendy Wunder is one of my favorite authors and I donʻt think enough people read her books but I digress. The Museum of Intangible Things is about two besties who go on a road trip to kinda find themselves and just to get out of their too small town. Just the fact that this is a road trip makes it an adventure, but they also explore a Native American community which I think is pretty interesting.

2. The Islands At the End of the World by Austin Aslan - This book takes place in Hawaii, so basically thatʻs an adventure right there. But when a strange cloud appears in the sky and all electronics suddenly stop working, paradise turns in to an apocalyptic nightmare, thatʻs where the REAL adventure begins. It was interesting to see my Hawaii in a different light!

3. Whereʻd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple - This is one of those books that arenʻt really about an adventure in particular, but it did make me ask (many, many times) what our darling Bernadette was up to! I spent many an hour after reading this book wondering what kind of adventures Bernadette could have been on.

4. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie - Oh, my darling Peter...I am still bummed that Iʻm too old for Never Land, but Iʻm glad that I get to adventure off to Never Land whenever I want! Peter Pan is one of the ultimate adventure books for kids of all ages. I remember reading it as a kid and wanting to explore and run around Never Land forest with the Lost Boys! 

5. Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling - I just feel like this book would be incomplete without my first true love, Harry Potter. Every book is a new adventure and every time I read the books I feel like Iʻm right there with Harry, Ron, and Hermione enjoying the journey...well, as much as you can enjoy the journeys Harry and friends go on, anyway.

6. Alienated Trilogy by Melissa Landers - Melissa Landers is AMAZING at writing about adventures of the alien variety and thatʻs why I love these books. I am not an ʻalienʻ person, but I really enjoyed these books simply because I enjoyed the settings and the world building. Also, I want to travel through space to visit Aelyxʻs planet....except maybe not...that would be a heck of an adventure, though!

7. Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott OʻDell - Island of the Blue Dolphins was my all time favorite book when I was a kid. In case you havenʻt noticed yet, I love island settings mostly because I think itʻs cool to see what I know represented in books. I loved the idea of being alone on an island and having to fend for myself. Of course, I probably couldnʻt do it in real life so I live vicariously through Karana.

8. A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray - Raise your hand if you want to travel through different dimensions. *Raises hand* I think that it would be so much fun to not only venture through different time periods or different planets but also to travel through different dimensions. How much fun could you have with that?!

9. Nil by Lynne Matson - There I go with the islands again. This is a story about teenagers who get transported from their home lives to an island in the middle of nowhere. On the island, they have 365 days to survive and get out or else. They basically have to learn how to survive on a desert island and try to get out before their time is up. I loved this book so much. And while I definitely donʻt want to be on that island, it definitely was like living an adventure with the characters!

10. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - Sometimes, going on an adventure isnʻt about traveling through space or living alone on a desert island...sometimes, going on an adventure means picking up your entire life to move across the ocean just to go to school. Annaʻs adventure might not be the riskiest and it may not mean fighting for survival but it  is still an adventure!

What books do you like to read  when youʻre craving adventure? Check out other books to suit your mood over at The Broke and the Bookish.

Five Books I Enjoyed Recently That Were Out of My Comfort Zone

Woooow that is a mouthful! Happy Tuesday, people! Iʻm linking up with The Broke and the Bookish today for Top 10 Tuesday.

Ten FIVE Books I Enjoyed That Were Out of My Comfort Zone

1. Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin - I donʻt read a lot of historical fiction. I did when I was younger, but in recent years I simply havenʻt enjoyed the historical fiction books that I have read, but now Iʻm beginning to think that I just havenʻt been reading the right ones. I absolutely loved Wolf by Wolf. It was exciting and interesting enough to suck me right in...and it still hasnʻt released me from itʻs grips. Itʻs the one book Iʻve read this year that I just cannot stop thinking about!

2. The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma - I tend not to read a lot of paranormal fiction either because I have an overactive imagination and my brain turns whatever Iʻm reading into dreams, which means that Iʻll end up having scary dreams when I read paranormal stuff. I went into this knowing what the book was about (and read it only in the day time, haha) and I thought it was great! The writing has a lot to do with why I enjoyed it--it was just a gorgeous novel.

3. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff - Outer space sci-fi books are a hit or miss for me. I either enjoy it (like the Alienated series by Melissa Landers) or they end up on my DNF list. I pre-ordered this one because of 1) all the hype, 2) the gorgeous cover, and 3) the format. I am so glad that I did because I ended up loving this book so much. I canʻt wait for Gemina later this year!

4. Maternity Leave by Julie Halpern - I recently started reading more Adult Fiction and I think that this book was my ʻgatewayʻ book. I read it shortly after giving birth to my daughter thanks to a review in Parentʻs Magazine and I ended up enjoying it quite a bit...mostly because it was a book that I could relate to. And thatʻs when I realized that I was getting old :P 

5. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda - This book wasnʻt out of my comfort zone per say but, prior to reading this, I did not read a lot of LGBT books simply because there werenʻt a lot available or because I wasnʻt interested in the plot. Last year, I decided to actively add more diverse books to my reading repertoire and I really enjoyed it.

I could only think of five (and even that is probably stretching it) books that were out of my comfort zone which I enjoyed. I enjoy a variety of genres and pretty much will give anything a try. 

What are some books youʻve read recently that you were surprised to enjoy?

Songs That I Wish Were Books

Iʻm linking up with the Broke and the Bookish today for Top 10 Tuesday! This week is all about books and music. Head on over to check out more music themed posts today!

 Songs That I Wish Were Books

I donʻt listen to a lot of music...like at all. I donʻt listen to new music at least. I am the kind of girl who prefers to stick to my old favorites or Disney music. So I apologize in advance if all of my picks are Taylor Swift songs  or One Direction songs or Disney songs...hah!

1. Out of the Woods by Taylor Swift - Seriously, the music video itself is asking to be a book!

2. I See the Light by Mandy Moore & Zachary Levi - Tangled is my favorite Disney movie...if not my favorite movie in general...of all time, largely because the music is gorgeous and does not get enough recognition! I, personally, would love a book 

3. A Drop in the Ocean by Ron Pope - This song is just all kinds of gorgeous. If you havenʻt listened to it before, stop what youʻre doing a go listen NOW.  This would definitely be a romance book...maybe New Adult if not YA about long distance relationships. Yes. This Song. Book. Amazing.

4. The Man Who Canʻt Be Moved by The Script - THIS SONG. Ok...this song is probably my favorite song of all time, so obviously I would freaking love it if it was a book. This song is about a guy who is waiting for a girl at the place that they met and itʻs such a romantic song with deeper meanings of like betrayal and what not. I would love a contemporary YA novel about a boy and girl who wait for each other but can never quite connect...oh wait, that kinda sounds like November 9 by Colleen Hoover...but only kinda I still wouldnʻt mind a book written around this song!

5. She Will Be Loved by Maroon 5 - Are ya seeing a pattern here? Must I explain myself?

6. Simple Love Song by Anuhea - OK...I tried to flip the switch a bit and put a happy song up in this thang, lol. Simple Love Song is simply a love song. I imagine this book would be just that, too...a love story. I would love a story where the characters are already in love and the whole point of the book is keeping them in love...no need for falling in love or crazy schemes...just a love story. That might be a little boring, but thatʻs what love is sometimes...itʻs just love, no gimmicks or tricks...it just IS.

7. Try by Colbie Caillat - This song actually reminds me of Dumplinʻ by Julie Murphy just because itʻs sucha a body positive song. Itʻs basically telling women that we donʻt have to change anything to be beautiful and I think thatʻs a message EVERYONE needs. More body positive books would be great!

8. Midnight Memories by One Direction - I just like the title.

Annnnd...I canʻt think of anymore. Sorry! But there ya have it, songs that I wish were books! See yʻall next week for another Top 10 Tuesday! Bye :D

Top 10 Historical/Futuristic Settings I Love to See In Books

As is the usual, I am linking up with the ladies over at The Broke and the Bookish for Top 10 Tuesday! This weekʻs topic was Historical/Futuristic Settings that I love seeing in books and I couldnʻt decide so Iʻm doing both!

Top 6 Historical Settings I Love Seeing In Books

Iʻve never really been in to Historical fiction books. I canʻt even tell you the amount of Historical books that I DNF. But I think that I just wasnʻt reading the right historical fiction books. Iʻve come to love quite a few historically based books recently...here are some of my favorites!

1. World War II Era - This is actually a more recent love affair. In the past month alone Iʻve read two Historical fiction books based around World War II and I am itching to get my hands on more. In fact, Iʻve got Ruta Sepetysʻs newest release Salt to the Sea currently sitting in my Barnes & Noble shopping cart ready to check out as soon as Iʻm done writing this post. I think this is a particularly interesting era in historical fiction because it is such a rich time in history with so many things to write about. I canʻt wait to read more WWII Era books!

2. Monarchy Era Hawaii - I am probably cheating quite a bit because a) I am FROM Hawaii and b) Iʻve grown up reading historical books about Hawaii and c) I studied Hawaiian history for quite some time, but still...this is definitely a favorite of mine. As a child, I loved reading the Royal Diaries book about Princess Kaʻiulani...in fact, itʻs currently sitting on the bookshelf next to me because itʻs still one of my favorite books of all time. I love seeing how others interpret my culture and how these books portray Hawaii. Of course, I am extremely picky about books that depict the Hawaiian culture and that era because being Hawaiian is so much of who I am and I think itʻs so important for people to get that era right. There is definitely a need for more historical fiction books based in Hawaii...who knows, maybe Iʻll be the one to write those books.

3. Polynesia in general - Polynesian history is so diverse and rich and vibrant that there are an endless amount of stories that can come from ancient polynesia. From stories of gods from different islands, to navigating between islands, and when foreigners discovered the islands...there is so much culture to talk about! One of my favorite Polynesian authors is Albert Wendt...most of his books are about life in old Samoa and the myths of Samoa...I highly recommend checking him out. My favorite Albert Wendt book is Pouliuli...I reread it at least once a year.

4. Ancient Grease - Itʻs no secret that I love all things Greek...especially ancient Grease. I love Greek mythology and I love stories about Greek mythology. Iʻm not sure that thereʻs much else I can say! Give me a good book based in ancient Grease and I will love you forever.

5. Early-Mid 20th Century America - Weʻre going to blame my obsession with American Girl Samantha for this one. As a child, I lived for the Samantha books, mostly because I didnʻt have a Samantha doll of my own but I could own all the books, so I did. Her story takes place in 1904, a time when womenʻs rights and progress was just becoming a ʻthingʻ. Iʻve always thought that this period of American History was so interesting because there was so much going on. So much history took place in just a matter of decades and books about this era help me grasp that part of history much better than just learning about it from a text book.

6. Russia under the Romanovʻs Rule - Yet another interest that has been carried over from childhood. I adored Anastasia when I was younger...I devoured every book that I could about her, yes including a Royal Diaries book. I was obsessed with the Royal Diaries books, but I digress. This period of Russian history, and especially the monarchy at the time, was so interesting and so, so heartbreaking. Itʻs certainly a story that will live on forever.

Top 4 Futuristic Settings I Love Seeing Books

1. Space Travel! - I keep thinking that I would love to see space travel become a thing during my time here, but I also I know that I would be too much of a scaredy pants to actually do the space travel thing. That doesnʻt mean that I canʻt enjoy space travel from the safety of my home library, though. I love seeing space travel because everything is so unknown that it allows authors to create an entire world from scratch and that allows audiences to expand their imaginations, too.

2. Dystopian - I know, I know...dystopian fiction has been the it thing for so many years now and I definitely feel like itʻs been a bit played out and we may be ready for a new thread. That doesnʻt mean that I donʻt like dystopian books, though. I enjoy it because thereʻs a possibility that it is a serious look and what our futures may hold. I also feel like there are so many different worlds that can emerge from a dystopian society that although it may feel similar to other dystopian books, it probably wonʻt be.

3. Utopia - I actually havenʻt read a lot of utopian books, but I think the concept of them is interesting. Utopias are kind of the opposite of dystopian books. Utopian books portray an ideal society, while dystopian books portray a corrupt society. I think itʻs so interesting to compare the two, especially knowing that society can go either way. I think Iʻm going to have to pick up a utopian book soon because Iʻve gotten myself intrigued, haha.

4. Heightened Technology - For this one, I was specifically thinking about Time Travel and Teleportation, but I went with ʻheightened technologyʻ because there are so many things that I feel would come with these two. Iʻm thinking robots and loads of machines doing basically everything for humans, like Wall-E. These books are interesting because they can either highlight the benefits or disadvantages of having so much technology and I think that a technological overload is a very real thing the future holds.

What are your favorite historical or futuristic settings in books? Share some of your favorite reads that feature this settings!

Ten Books Iʻve Recently Added to my TBR

Happy Tuesday, Friends! Iʻm linking up with the Broke and the Bookish today for Top 10 Tuesday1

Top 10 Books Iʻve Recently Added to my TBR

      

1. The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury --  An Aladdin retelling in which the genie is a girl and they fall in love? Uhm...yes please!

2. The Cage by Megan Shepherd -- I literally just added this book to my list after reading Laurenʻs review on the Broke and the Bookish. And holy CRAP does this book sound amazing. I definitely think that this will move up a few spots to number 1 on my list.

3. Passenger by Alexandra Bracken -- This book has definitely been on my radar for a while but I havenʻt really had the desire to read it until recently. Iʻve heard amazing things about it and Iʻm planning on picking it up this weekend.

 

4. Never Ever by Sara Saedi -- PETER PAN RETELLING ALERT! Fact: I will always read Peter Pan retellings. I love love love Peter Pan--itʻs probably my favorite childhood story. And I do not pass up the opportunity to read a Peter Pan retelling. Even if I donʻt like it (lookinʻ at you Second Star), I will read it. So yeah. thatʻs it.

5. Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell -- See above. Also, pirates.

6. This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp -- This has also been on my radar for a while, but I know that this is one of those super intense books that Iʻll need a lot of time to process, so Iʻm holding off on reading it until itʻs the right time.

  

7. The Siren by Kiera Cass -- Not only is Kiera Cass an auto-buy author for me, but this book sounds so beautiful. I canʻt wait to read it!

8. Sword and Verse by Kathy MacMillan -- Speaking of gorgeous books, have you read the synopsis to this one? If this book is as beautiful as that cover, Iʻm sure that I will adore it.

9. The Heir and the Spare by Emily Albright -- After reading about Princess Miaʻs royal wedding and The Royal We last year, Iʻve been on a bit of a ʻroyalsʻ kick, so of course this one is an auto-add! 

10. My Dog Is the Best by Laurie Ann Thompson, Illustrated by Paul Schmid -- I just had to add a book thatʻs on my kidʻs TBR list. This book looks so cute and itʻll be perfect for my baby...who loves her dog!

What books have you recently added to your TBR? If youʻre stopping by from the Broke and Bookish, let me know in the comments! 

Top 10 Tuesday: 2016 Bookish Resolutions

I feel like Iʻve been doing a lot of resolution posts lately. Because I have. In case you missed it, I talked about my personal 2016 resolutions here and my 2016 mommy resolutions here. And this post is all about my bookish resolutions for 2016. 

Iʻm linking up with the Broke and Bookish for Top Ten Tuesday (the first of the new year, woo!). 

Top 10 Bookish Resolutions for 2016

1. Complete my Reading Challenges. I signed up for a few reading challenges this year and Iʻm super excited to dig into them...and to complete them. Other then the Goodreads challenge, Iʻve never done a reading challenge before. But Iʻve completed the Goodreads challenge every year since I began signing up for it, so I have high hopes for the rest of the challenges. Here are the challenges that Iʻm signed up for.

2. Add variety to my reading list. I definitely have a type...when it comes to reading, at least. Over the past few years, the majority of the books Iʻve read have been modern YA contemporaries. I do love modern YA contemporaries, but I also enjoy other types of books, too--and that  kinda got lost in translation over the past few years. So Iʻm gonna open up my mind and step out of my comfort zones with my reading.

3. Make a dent in my TBR list. My TBR list is seriously long. I am planning on making a serious dent in it.

4. Read books that I actually have. Most of the books on my TBR are already on my bookshelf. Iʻve collected a whole bunch of books over the year that Iʻve never actually read. Might as well kill two birds with one stone and read through my bookshelf while knocking out my TBR.

5. Spend less on books. A lot of those books on my shelf that Iʻve never read, I spent LOTS of money on. It is such a huge waste to leave them unread. I want to save some money by borrowing more books from the library. Especially now that I discovered borrowing ebooks online through my library. I need to save $$$ anyway...my best friend is getting married this year--I need to get going.

6. Actually REVIEW books. I am super good at giving books star ratings  on goodreads, but I am not very good at actually reviewing them. This year, Iʻm going to do written reviews in a notebook that I have set aside specifically for reviewing. I also want to do more reviewing on the blog, so stay tuned for that in 2016. 

7. Read more with Josh. One of Joshʻs new years resolutions is to read more books...or just to read books in general, he doesnʻt read much.I want to help with his goal by reading more books with him. I think weʻre gonna start with Harry Potter.

8. Join a book club. This one is pretty self-explanatory.

9. Read with Honey every day.  At 5 months old, my kid is already a pro at turning the pages in her books. Of course, we only give her board books because she has the tendency to put puts into her mouth, but Iʻm loving all of this. Iʻm definitely raising a reader. Iʻve been slacking off on reading to her every day since we had to put her books away to redesign our library room, but now that itʻs nearly done (post on that coming soon), we can get back into our groove, hopefully.

10. Stop staying up all night just to finish ʻthe next chapterʻ (aka the whole book). I think most of us have the habit of staying up way too late into the night (or early morning) when it comes to reading a super interesting book. Letʻs be real here, reading just ʻthe next chapterʻ is a lie. Unfortunately, that lifestyle does not blend well anymore with my current lifestyle  AKA having an infant. Iʻm instituting a books-down, devices-off policy in our house.

So those are my book resolutions for 2016. Iʻm counting on all of you to keep me honest. What are your 2016 bookish resolutions?

Top 10 Tuesday: Books I Wouldnʻt Mind Santa Leaving Under My Tree this Year

Dear Santa,

Hi! Itʻs me, Tasia. I know itʻs been a while since we talked last but Iʻm back...for a while at least. And no this  isnʻt one of those talk-only-cause-weʻre-friends friendships, I promise. Iʻm seriously here for the long term.

Anyway, my friends over at the Broke and the Bookish inspired me to write this list and Iʻm hoping youʻll deliver...so here are the 10 books that I wouldnʻt mind seeing under my tree on Christmas morning...or even on my Nook if youʻd rather not lug books around...Now, keep in mind that I have like 5 million (exaggeration) books on my TBR so Iʻm kinda giving you a break here, dude!

1. Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor. Iʻve been wanting this book for a long time and I finally saw it in person yesterday--the cover is so freaking gorgeous. Yes, Santa, I judge books by their covers sometimes. Also, it sounds amazing.

2. The Bassoon King: My Life in Art, Faith, and Idiocy by Rainn Wilson. I actually read this book recently and became obsessed with it, which is why I need a physical copy for my bookshelf.

3. My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You Sheʻs Sorry by Fredrik Backman. This book has some pretty amazing reviews on Goodreads and it just sounds like my kind of book. Iʻm  sure itʻll be one of the first books I read in 2016.

4. The Crossroads of Should and Must: Find and Follow Your Passion by Elle Luna. This one has been on my list for quite some time but I just havenʻt gotten around to it yet...I think the end of the year/beginning of a new year is the perfect time to read it, though.

5. The Fold by Peter Clines. Honestly, this seems more like a Josh story than a Tasia story, but one of my goals this year is to get him to read more. I think if reading this together might be interesting and it would certainly give us something else to bond over.

6. A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler. I am so intrigued by the premise of a story about a family in multiple generations. Iʻve always been interested in family history and just families in general (random fact: before I settled on teaching, I was studying family counseling), so this book seems like it would be right up my alley. Itʻs another one that I hope to read in early 2016.

7. The Ice Twins by S.K. Tremayne. I came across this book while I was voting for the Goodreads year end awards...or whatever itʻs called...and Iʻm kinda (really) freaked out by this book. But I have to read it because I need to know the resolution...but Iʻm pretty sure that itʻll keep me up all night from fear.

8. Donʻt Ever Change by M. Beth Bloom. This has been on my TBR since I made my 2015 TBR list last year, unfortunately, I didnʻt get around to it this year.

9. The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things by Ann Aguirre. Yet another 2015 TBR list read that I didnʻt get to...which really bums me out because I wanted to read it so badly. Hopefully, itʻll be gifted to me so I can finally read it.

10. Vanished by E. E. Cooper.  I borrowed this book from the library 3 times this year, but I just didnʻt get to read it. The first time was because I was crazy busy with work. The second time was because I gave birth and couldnʻt read it because of the baby. The third time we were going through a growth spurt so I barely had time to sit, much less to read a book. But I want to read this sooo bad....both because of the story itself and because of the author.

So Santa-dude, think you can get at least 2 (or 5...or 10) of these babies under my Christmas tree? I would love it!

Thank you!
-Tasia

Top 10 Tuesday: 10 Best Books Read in 2015

2015 was a pretty freakinʻ awesome year as far as books go (and as far as life goes, but this is a post about books, not life, so yeah...). I read 70 books this year, not counting re-reads, exceeding my 2015 goal by 20 books and counting. Iʻm hoping Iʻll finish up one or two before the year ends but if I donʻt, Iʻm still pretty proud of myself.

Iʻm linking up today with the Broke and the Bookish for Top 10 Tuesday. This weekʻs topic is all about the best books I read in 2015. Most, but not all, of these books were published in 2015 however, books published in 2015 were not a require for this list. These books earned 4.5 stars or higher on my personal rating on Goodreads. And here we go!

Top 10 Best Books I Read in 2015

01. All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven -- All the Bright Places seems to be the break out book of 2015 and for good reason, too. This was a beautiful, heart wrenching book that made me think and cry. Also, I was 4 months prego when I read this book, so the crying may have something to do with that. Seriously, though, donʻt read this book when youʻre pregnant..haha.

02. We Should Hang Out Sometime by Josh Sundquist -- When I picked this up, I really just wanted a quick, light read and Iʻm surprised that I actually loved it! Josh is so funny and his stories from his dating life not only made me squirm a little (because of the awkwardness) but it made me reminisce about my own dating life...you know, when that was a thing.

03. 99 Days by Katie Cotugno -- Katie Cotugno re-established herself as one of my favorite authors this year with 99 Days. I loved her first book, How To Love, so getting this one as soon as it came out was a no brainer. I thought that I wouldnʻt like it at first because Iʻm not big on the whole love triangle thing, but this book is seriously adorable. And it helped me out of a serious reading slump. Thanks, Katie!

04. Winter by Marissa Meyer -- This was just the perfect ending to a perfect series. Thatʻs all I have to say about that. (Seriously, it tied up all of the loose ends in the Lunar Chronicles. It was full of action and romance. It was just a good way to end the Lunar Chroncles).

05. The Bassoon King: My Life in Art, Faith, and Idiocy by Rainn Wilson -- Iʻm just gonna say it--this is my favorite book of 2015. Seriously. And itʻs not just because I love Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute on The Office, my favorite show of all time. Itʻs because this book was brilliant. Rainn is smart, funny, and a man of faith. He was interesting and that came across so well in his writing. I read a lot of memoirs and often get bored because the author just doesnʻt connect to the audience. That was no problem for me while reading this book. It helps that Mr. Dwight Schrute himself made some cameos, too!

06. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz -- When I finished this book, my first thought was ʻwhy in the world did I wait so long?ʻ  Seriously, this has been on my TBR forever but I finally got around to it this year and I loved it. The story was beautiful. The writing and prose was breathtaking. Perfect book is perfect.

07. On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta -- I cried all the tears. Thatʻs it.

08. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff -- WHY DID I CHOOSE TO START THIS TRILOGY BEFORE THE ENTIRE THING CAME OUT? I donʻt know...I really donʻt. I hate when I start a series and all the books arenʻt out yet...and yet I do it anyway because I am a masochist. And yep. Anyway...this book was so intriguing, I barely slept for the four days it took me to read this book. I dreamt this book. And it was freaking crazy. I loved the format (the story is told in dossier form, through hacked e-mails, military files, IMs, medical reports, video transcripts, and more). And the ending...OH MY HECK.

09. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell -- Simon Snow and Baz...need I say more?

10. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard -- Yet another one of those series that I started this year that were brand new and beautiful. And did I mention new? Anyway, I honestly donʻt normally like these types of books--too much gore for me. Victoria Aveyard, however, is a wonderful author and it was her writing and her brilliant story that dragged me in.

These are just a small fraction of some of my favorite 2015 reads. What are yours?

Ten Quotes Iʻve Loved from books Iʻve Read in the Past Year or So

Iʻm linking up yet again with the ladies over at The Broke and the Bookish for another Top Ten Tuesday!

Top 10 Quotes I Loved From Books I Read This Past Year

(that is a mouth full!)

1. "At some point, we have to stop planning and start doing. I think that time is now."  -- Winter by Marissa Meyer

2. "Even if I believed I was doing good -- for who am I to presume what is good for others?" -- Winter by Marissa Meyer

3. "All the good ideas feel daunting at first..." -- Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

4. "She really needs to believe sheʻs special. I admire that about her. Because you have to believe youʻre special before you can do anything special." -- The Museum of Intangible Things by Wendy Wunder

5. "You donʻt have to live forever, you just have to live." -- Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

6. "I donʻt think you have to do something so big to be brave. And itʻs the little things that are harder anyway." -- Since Youʻve Been Gone by Morgan Matson

7. "We are here to take chances, and fail, and keep trying." -- The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson

8. "Sometimes you do things for the right reasons and sometimes for the wrong ones and sometimes itʻs impossible to tell the difference." -- Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

9. "And maybe the only way to find what youʻre looking for is to get lost along the way." -- Letʻs Get Lost by Adi Alsaid

10. "Youʻre always preparing yourself for the thing that is most likely to happen, instead of hoping for the thing that you most want to happen." -- The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord

I love quotes! Iʻve kept a quote book for as long as I can remember. These are just a few of my favorites from the books Iʻve read so far this year. What are your favorite quotes?

Top 10 Tuesday--Book to Movie Adaptations that I NEED to Watch

OK, Iʻve gotta be honest here--Iʻm not big on book to movie adaptations. Whatʻs weird though is that more than half of the movies that I watch actually are book to movie adaptations. If itʻs not a Disney movie, the chances are high that I would choose a movie based on a book. Still, Iʻm very picky about them. I donʻt watch movies very often (even less now that Iʻve got a little munchkin to bring along), so if I do watch a movie it needs to be good, otherwise I just feel like Iʻm wasting my money and time. Thatʻs why I choose to watch book to movie adaptations, for the most part Iʻll know what to expect. Still, it goes without saying that often the book is much better in my head then it is on the movie screen. 

Iʻm linking up with the Broke and the Bookish to talk about some of the book to movie adaptations that I would LOVE to see....or ones that are out/have been out for a while that I still need to see. Warning, there are a lot of those.

1. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn -- I honestly do not know why I havenʻt seen this one yet. At first, I was waiting until I read the book and after I read the book...I donʻt know. Iʻll have to convince Josh to watch this one with me one night after Honey goes to sleep, I guess!

2. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (Parts 1 &2) -- I vaguely remember watching Catching Fire...I think. And then, when Mockingjay Part 1 came out, I just wasnʻt interested. Now that Part 2 is on itʻs way, I figure I should probably get around to watching ʻem. I LOVED The Hunger Games trilogy so I do want to see how the last book was brought to life in the cinematic world. Maybe weʻll have a Hunger Games marathon this Thanksgiving.

3. The Maze Runner by James Dashner -- I sooooo wanted to see this movie when it came out but I hadnʻt read the books yet and as a general rule, I donʻt watch movies until Iʻve read their books. I still havenʻt gotten around to reading the books yet, but Iʻm sure that Iʻll watch the movies as soon as Iʻve read ʻem!

4. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling -- I feel a bit bad because Iʻm not as excited as other Potterheads for this movie. I mean, yes I am still very excited because MORE POTTER! and EDDIE REDMAYNE! and AMERICAN WIZARDS! And all that good stuff. 

5. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins -- OK....I am pretty excited about this movie, mostly because of the cast. Emily Blunt?! Yes, please! The book was a bit predictable to me, but I still enjoyed it. It will definitely be interesting to see it all fleshed out on the big screen.

6. The Selection by Kiera Cass -- A while ago, there were rumors going around that the Selection series was going to be turned in to a TV show, but I guess that fell through. That really sucks because the books are definitely one of my guilty pleasures and I would eat that up for real. Hereʻs to hoping that something will work out in the future because I NEED America and Aspen and Maxon in my life always.

7. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell -- Yeah, alright, I know that there isnʻt even talk (YET) about this becoming a movie at all, but letʻs all just think positive happy thoughts and maybe the universe will manifest it and let it be. I may be obsessed with Simon and Baz. Am I turning into Cath?

8. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews -- I absolutely loved this book and Iʻve heard nothing but good things regarding the movie. 

9. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer -- This might just be because I am currently re-reading the Lunar Chronicles in anticipation for Winter, which comes out TODAY (finally), but I would love to see a movie adaptation of these books. I mean, come on, futuristic world...cyborgs...Prince Kai...Thorne...you see where Iʻm going with this, right? According to Marissa Meyerʻs blog, the rights for the movie have been optioned so I guess itʻs all just a waiting game now.

10. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes -- I am excited about this movie for two reasons: 1) Emilia Clarke and 2) Sam Clafin. 

What book to movie adaptations are you just dying to see? If you could make any book into a movie, what book would you choose?