Top Ten Books I'd Keep In My Classroom

It's always so hard for me to choose a topic during these freebie weeks. This week was "School Freebie" since, ya know, school is once again in session. I chose a topic that The Broke and the Bookish actually gave for a suggestion and that's Top Ten Books I'd Keep In My Classroom If I Were A Teacher. I tried to choose a bit of a variety, and I tried to choose books I think would inspire high school kids to read more. For the sake of wider variety, I didn't pick more than one book from the same author.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver - This is such a gorgeous novel, and it reads rather quickly. I adored this book in high school as much as I do now.

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton - I actually read this one my freshman year of college, and, of course, enjoyed it a lot! I'd never even heard of it before that. This is a classic YA novel and I'd want my students to at least have the option to read it and know what it is.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell - This is the best college-set book I've ever read. I think it does a good job of capturing the uncertainty and discovering-yourself part of college. It would be good for the high school students who are planning to attend college. Also, it's just a really fantastic book.

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead - Of course I'd keep my favorite book of all-time in my library! Hopefully students would be able to escape into this world & these characters the same way I did when I was in high school.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare - While I actually prefer The Infernal Devices over this series, I think City of Bones would have wider appeal to people who haven't read any Cassandra Clare before. City of Bones is the type of book that gets teens excited about books. And I think of all the books I've selected, this one would attract the biggest male audience.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - I'm fairly certain that this is the first classic novel I truly enjoyed, and so I think it's a good place for teens to start reading classics.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness - This is a quick and impactful read, and I believe everyone on the planet would gain something from reading this novel.

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry - I don't have a logical explanation for this selection. I just love it and I think other teens will too.

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson - This is an incredible novel that many teens will most likely be able to relate to, about friendship and romance and social anxiety. Also, it's a lot of fun!!

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi - The writing style in this book is so different than pretty much every other YA book on the shelves. Also, it's fun and exciting and addicting, and I think high school students would really love discovering this book.

Sunday Post #24

• Well, I moved back to school and started my junior year of college, which is just so weird to think about. I'm not sure what to think of my classes so far, but I do have a YA fiction writing class I'm excited for! And I actually have friends in that class, which is the best part of all. 
• I've talked about it on twitter a bit and I mentioned it in a post, but I'll say it again--I'm wiped. I've been at school a week, and it's been busier than my entire summer. But it's good to be back and to have a life outside my couch again. 
• On Friday night, a few friends and I had a sleepover in which we built a fort at 3 a.m. and all slept on my floor. It was a lot of fun, but it's been hard for me to find alone time. 

Reviews: 
- Game On by Michelle Smith
- Beyond the Red by Ava Jae

Memes: 
- Top Ten Books On My TBR From Before I Started Blogging

Features/Misc.:
- Book Aesthetics #1: Summer Books
- My search for guest posters/reviewers & a co-blogger

Reviews: 
- The Reader by Traci Chee

Memes: 
- Top Ten Tuesday: Back to School Freebie
- Sunday Post #25

Features/misc.:
- August Recap
- Would You Rather: Dark Covers Edition 

 Thanks to school, I received so many books this week I had to split this haul up into three parts haha! Also, I don't feel like listing all the books, so I'm not going to.

Textbooks: 



Novels bought for school: 



Novels bought for funsies!!! 

Here are some highlights from my instagram account this week. Give me a follow if you want to see everything I have posted/will post!

I cannot believe I haven't read this book yet. I bought it right when it came out but it's so intimidating that I've put off reading it. I am bringing it to college with me, though, so hopefully I'll be reading it soon. ● ● ● What are some intimidating books on your tbr that you want to get around to reading?

A photo posted by The Left-Handed Book Lover (@leftyreads) on Aug 18, 2016 at 2:17pm PDT

This series will always be one of my favorites, and I'm really excited to read Dangerous Creatures which is the first book in a spin-off series about link and ridley. ● ● ● I move back to school tomorrow and I haven't even started packing yet so I pretty much have to spend all day packing. Packing is pretty much the bane of my existence though. But I am excited to head back to school and be reunited with my friends. ● ● ● Are you headed back to school soon? Are you excited or dreading it? I'm kinda a combination of the two.

A photo posted by The Left-Handed Book Lover (@leftyreads) on Aug 20, 2016 at 9:57am PDT

WHAT HAS YOUR WEEK IN BOOKS AND BLOGGING LOOKED LIKE??

Lefty's Lowdown: Beyond the Red by Ava Jae

Beyond the Red by Ava Jae
(Beyond the Red #1)
Published: March 1, 2016 by Sky Pony Press
Source: I received this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are 100% my own.

Summary from Goodreads: 
A story of betrayal, love, and loss—all on a technologically advanced alien planet where monarchy reigns, but lies rule.

Alien queen Kora has a problem as vast as the endless crimson deserts. She’s the first female ruler of her territory in generations, but her people are rioting and call for her violent younger twin brother to take the throne. Despite assassination attempts, a mounting uprising of nomadic human rebels, and pressure to find a mate to help her rule, she’s determined to protect her people from her brother’s would-be tyrannical rule.

Eros is a rebel soldier hated by aliens and human alike for being a half-blood. But that doesn’t stop him from defending his people—at least until Kora’s soldiers raze his camp and take him captive. He is given an ultimatum: be an enslaved bodyguard to Kora, or be executed for his true identity—a secret kept even from him.

When Kora and Eros are framed for the attempted assassination of her betrothed, they flee. Their only chance of survival is to turn themselves in to the high court, where revealing Eros’s secret could mean a swift public execution. But when they uncover a violent plot to end the human insurgency, they must find a way to work together to prevent genocide.

 This book was a pleasant surprise, and I wish I would have read it much sooner. I was feeling kind of meh about everything I'd been reading, but then this book came along and took me on an adventure full of twists and turns.

Beyond the Red is action-packed from the get-go, and Jae is not afraid to "go there." My jaw dropped open several times while reading because I was so shocked that certain things actually happened. It's definitely an exciting book! And the writing is wonderful. I think one thing that deterred me from reading this for so long was that, for some unidentifiable reason, I had a feeling the writing would not be very good. Nope, nope, nope. That feeling was completely inaccurate, because the writing is solid.

The novel is told from alternating points of view--Eros, the half-blood who everyone knows shouldn't be alive, and Kora, the alien queen that many people want to be de-throned. First of all, before I even delve into the characters, I just want to say that this book contains some really important social issues like racism (the human hate the alien race, the alien race hates the humans, and everyone hates the half-bloods) and sexism (many of the aliens don't want Kora to be queen simply because she is a female). I love the way she handled these issues! She's slowly deconstructing these issues and asking why these arbitrary prejudices exist, but she's doing so in a way that doesn't feel forced or cheesy. The development is a bit slow, but I have a feeling we're going to see attitudes continue to evolve in the next couple of books.

Now, I really liked the two main characters. They are my favorite kinds of characters: they're flawed, they've made horrible mistakes in the past, and they're uncertain about what is right and what is wrong--but they're doing their best. They are trying to be good people, but it's not always so easy. I'm really looking forward to seeing them develop more in the forthcoming novels. I've been reading a lot of standalones lately, so I haven't really had the chance to get excited about characters the same way, but I'm so so so excited to see where Eros and Kora are going to end up by the conclusion of the series. Wherever they end up, I hope it's together because I SHIP THEM SO MUCH. The chemistry is present from the get-go, and I was ready for them to tear one another's clothing off immediately, but alas! Here we have a slow-burn romance with many obstacles (and a steamy scene that will probably take you a bit by surprise at first but also make ya sweat a lil bit). I'm curious as to where this ship is heading in the sequels.

I think the one thing this book could benefit from is a bit more worldbuilding. I'm not exactly an expert when it comes to fantasy or sci-fi setting, so I don't know exactly what is missing, I just know that I feel like I only got part of the picture and that there were some gaps. I did love that there was a little bit of special dialect thrown in. It added a lil flavor.

Really and truly, I enjoyed this book a ton! It started with a bang and stayed strong throughout. This novel got me excited to read more sci-fi and fantasy. I want to point out that this is not a cheesy alien romance--it's way more than that! It's political and sharp, and the aliens are not painted as caricatures, but rather a different race with their own culture, beliefs, etc. It makes me sad how underhyped this book is because I feel it deserves more attention. I can't wait to read the rest of the series!!!

4.5/5

EDUMACATION HERE I COME

Classes started up yesterday. I'm already exhausted. The second I moved back to school, life got swamped. I became busy with sorority recruitment stuff, choir, friends..It's going to be a heck of a year, I can feel it. But I also feel my energy depleting and my time slipping away from me. This week, I've had about an hour of free time every day.

That said, I might disappear a little, and I really hope you bear with me. I'll try to post as much as I can, but if past patterns have shown me anything, it's that my bookish life tends to be swept to the side when school starts. I worked on my blog A LOT this summer, and it's more important to me now than ever, so I'm really hoping that I'll still be semi-active. But I promise you, no matter how long I go without posting, I will be back. And I'll be back with fun, fresh content. I have so many ideas and plans that I can't wait to reveal to y'all. I love my blog and I love this community so much that I can't stay away! 

So, in an effort to combat a total disappearing act, I'm on the search for some help. I am doing an official call for guest posts/reviews and a co-blogger. I have two separate forms you can fill out, depending on which role you'd be interested in. Basically, if you fill out a form, you are NOT committing yourself to anything. I just want to get a good idea of who might possibly be interested and then I'll email you with more information (the sad fact is, it is almost midnight and I am too exhausted to provide all the details right now). 

So please, please, please sign up--even if you are NOT SURE whether or not this is something you truly want to do, because I could really use the help to keep The Left-Handed Book Lover alive. 

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please leave them in the "Any other information" box!! 

CO-BLOGGER APPLICATION

GUEST POST/REVIEW APPLICATION

THANK YOU SO MUCH. I LOVE YOU ALL DEARLY. I REALLY HOPE YOU DON'T GIVE UP ON ME THIS SEMESTER! 

Book Aesthetics #1: Summer Books

I am definitely not the first person to do book aesthetics. I see it on twitter and tumblr and pretty much everywhere, and I always think they're so interesting, so I figured I'd try my hand.

In honor of my summer break from school being over, I figured I'd do aesthetics for some of my favorite books that take place in summer. This is the first time I've ever done these, so I'm sorry if they're not very good.

I do not own any of these images. I found all of them on Google.

Little Black Dresses, Little White Lies by Laura Stampler

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

We Own the Night by Ashley Poston

My favorite one is definitely the last one! 

Let me know what you think and which one is your favorite. Also, let me know if you think I should do this again!

Top Ten Books On My TBR From Before I Started Blogging

Okay, so I'm gonna cheat on this topic. I've been blogging off and on for like 5 years, and I had a blog before this one. But I decided to include titles on my TBR that I haven't read from before I started being more active on this blog (so, like, December of 2015). While compiling this list, I just kept thinking, "Wow, how haven't I read this book yet?"There are some major throwback books on this list!

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kandare Blake - People were raving about this when it first came out, and I love all things spooky so I knew I needed to read it. I bought it, but I still haven't read it. Maybe this October will be my time???

Uprooted by Naomi Novik - I've had this on my Goodreads shelf since November 2015, and I just know that everyone is in love with it. ONE DAY, MY FRIENDS. ONE DAY.

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer - Listen, I read an ARC of Cinder and really enjoyed it. I was so excited for the rest of the series, but I ended up losing track of the series and never got around to reading them, but I WANT TO SO BADLY. I need to buy the entire series and binge read them all.

Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins - I was all over this the second Rachel Hawkins announced this book, having adored her Hex Hall series. Well, now the entire trilogy is released and I still have not read book 1.

Everneath by Brodi Ashton - To be honest, I feel like this novel is kind of irrelevant now. It was really popular when it first came out, but nobody talks about it anymore. GUESS WHAT, THOUGH. I bought the first book a while back and I just recently bought the other 2 books and will I ever read it? The world may never know.

Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers - I OWN THIS ENTIRE TRILOGY...SIGNED. I don't even know how this happened, but it did. I like won the first 2 books signed from different giveaways, and then I figured I might as well buy a signed copy of the last book. I even started reading this book, but I never finished it for some reason.

My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent - I've heard really great things about this series. Some bloggers were saying it was their favorite book series ever. So I added it to my TBR and when I saw the series was being released in volumes, I bought the first 3 (which is the first 6 books) and I still haven't opened them up.

Legend by Marie Lu - I swear, I contemplate reading this book every day of my life. I read part of it a couple years back and loved it, but I think I'm secretly waiting until I acquire the entire trilogy so I can binge-read, but I don't feel like buying the other books. It doesn't really make sense but my brain is a complicated place.

Take Me On by Katie McGarry - I LOVE KATIE MCGARRY SO MUCH THERE ARE NO EXCUSES FOR THIS.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - I have no idea what this book is about but I know tons of people are obsessed with it, and even now people talk about it on BookTube all. the. time.

Lefty's Lowdown: Game On by Michelle Smith

Game On by Michelle Smith
(Lewis Creek #2)
Published: August 16, 2016 by Bloomsbury Spark
Source: I received this book for free from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This has not impacted my opinion of the novel in any way.

Summary from Goodreads: 
As king of baseball in the small town of Lewis Creek, Eric Perry can have any girl he wants and win every game he plays. But when a fight lands him in jail, he’s only got one more strike before his baseball career is over for good. His only chance for redemption? The girl next door, Bri Johnson.

Bri hasn’t talked to Eric in months—for starters, she’s been too busy dealing with her jerk of an ex-boyfriend, not to mention the fact that Eric’s been preoccupied trying to drink every keg in the country dry. But when he needs a way to stay on the team, she proposes a plan: if he helps her out with community service, he can stay on the team. At first it’s a nightmare—Eric and Bri stopped being friends years ago, surely that was for a good reason, right? But as volunteering turns to bonding over old memories of first kisses under the stars, they start to have trouble remembering what pushed them apart.

In a town as small as Lewis Creek, nothing stays secret for long and their friendship and romance might mean bad news. But in this final, tumultuous spring before graduation, Eric and Bri are about to realize that nobody’s perfect alone, but they might just be perfect together.

 Well, this book marks my final cute-sy contemporary read of summer break 2016, and while it wasn't the most spectacular book I've read this summer, it was still enjoyable!

I was sucked in from the very beginning. Told in dual points of view, Eric and Bri both have interesting & engaging voices, and they were both well-developed characters. They are both struggling with the pressures from the people around them. They both undergo significant change by the end of the novel, and, for the most part, I really loved reading their transformations, but there were definitely some points where I got frustrated. I thought both of the characters could be a bit over-angsty and dramatic at times. Also, I thought Eric made some really stupid decisions. Let me revise that statement—he makes the same stupid decision multiple times. He has a hot head and he constantly relies on his fists to ease his anger, even though he'd literally been put in jail for fighting and had been warned by multiple people if he didn't stop he'd basically be screwed. Like honestly how hard is it to just walk away when someone pisses you off when everything you care about is on the line?

I thought the romance was really cute. It built pretty slowly, but I was rooting for it the whole time because who doesn't love the classic neighbors/long-time friends falling for one another. Also. They do volunteer work together which is so cute and, as someone who loves volunteer work, definitely the dream.

I do wish that Bri's point of view had been a little more fleshed out. We get to see a lot more of Eric's life than we do of Bri's, and I almost wonder if her perspective was absolutely necessary. I feel a lot of what was revealed through her narration could have easily been disclosed through Eric's eyes.

Like I said, this wasn't a particularly earth-shattering novel, but it was a cute & light contemporary that is perfect for people who like sports and small town settings (which, if you didn't know, I just adore small town settings). This is the second book in a companion series, so you can read it on its own without reading the first one! I'm definitely interested in checking out more books by Michelle Smith, though, so I will keep an eye on this series!

3/5

Summer Blog Promo Tour Wrap Up!!

Hi everyone! Today marks the conclusion of the Summer Blog Promo Tour, hosted by the lovely The Book Bratz! This was a truly awesome event. I adore the concept and I had so much fun! This event provided me the opportunity to feature things on my blog that I'm not well-versed in, offer a fresh perspective, and to talk about things on other people's blogs that I haven't found space for on my blog quite yet. Not to mention, I met some other delightful bookish people I might not have ever met otherwise.

This post is basically just summarizing the smorgasbord of posts I've had the pleasure of sharing with all you lovely folks in the past month and a half!

Week #1 - Peyton from A Bookish Mess

visit her blog!

Peyton talked to us about her non-bookish hobbies, including roller derby, among others. She shares pictures of some of her crafts  and explains how some of these hobbies help soothe her OCD. 

Week #2 - Jessica from The Book Bratz

visit her blog!

Jessica is a dancer, and she shared with us some of the songs she loves to choreograph to! I even put all the songs into a Spotify playlist for your listening pleasure. I love this post because I actually discovered some new songs I love! 

Week #3 - Flo from Book Nerds Across America

visit her blog!

I had so much fun thinking up entertaining interview questions for Flo, and I really enjoyed reading her answers. There is talk of dragons, quirky YA guys, and the llama llama duck song. Trust me, you don't wanna miss this one. 

Week #4 - Brooke from The Cozy Little Book Nook

visit her blog!

Brooke and I share a love of contemporary novels, so she shared some of her contemporary recommendations, mixing some more popular books & lesser-known titles. 

Week #5 - Kat from Perks of Being A Book Nerd

visit her blog!

Kat is a fellow BookTuber, and she was kind enough to do a book scavenger hunt video! Basically, I gave her a list of "hints" and she had five minutes to find books on her shelves that pertain to those hints and acquire as many points as possible. 

Week #6 - Valerie from He Said Books Or Me

visit her blog!

Valerie discussed a genre I don't ever talk about my blog--memoirs! She shares some things she'd include in her own memoir and tells us what her favorite memoirs are! 

Week #7: Krystianna from Downright Dystopian

visit her blog!

This is one of my favorite posts from the event, because Krystianna combines our mutual love of Doctor Who and music. She gave us a list of songs that remind her of Doctor Who--the characters, themes, and specific scenes. And, once again, I put all the songs in a playlist for ya! 

And that's a wrap! This event required a lot of work, but I loved it and I'm definitely interested in participating again next year. Good work to everyone who participated (in my group & in other groups). 

If you participated in SBPT, let me know what post on your blog was your favorite from the event because I'd love to check it out! 

Sunday Post #23

• This is the last week I'm posting my Sunday Post on not-Sunday, so yay! I just don't feel right posting this on Saturday XD 
• And as you might be able to tell, I GAVE MY BLOG A MAKEOVER. I'm so excited. I was nervous about changing things at first, but I absolutely love it! I think it looks much cleaner and better fits what I want for my blog now. I created the first design in November of 2013, so nearly three years ago. Since then, both my blog and myself have changed a lot, so this new design feels kind of like embracing all that change. I really hope you all like it as much as I do! 
• Anyway, this was my last week of summer vacation. I'll be moving back to school tomorrow and I'm excited and also not excited at the same time. This week I went with my dad to see my aunt who, despite us only living about 45 minutes away from each other, I haven't seen since Christmas-time. It was really nice to see her again before heading back to school! 
• Then, Thursday, my friend and I got mani-pedis in preparation for the new semester. Hooray pampering! I wanted to get my hair done too before going back to school, but that just didn't happen. *sighs dramatically*

Reviews: 
- The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder (⋆⋆⋆)
- A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (⋆⋆⋆⋆)

Memes: 
- Top Ten Books With Memorable Settings

Misc: 
- The Playlist Book Tag
- The Authors I Own The Most Books From
- Summer Blog Promo Tour Wrap Up

 Reviews:
- Game On by Michelle Smith
- Beyond the Red by Ava Jae

Memes:
- Top Ten Books On My TBR From Before Blogging
- Sunday Post #24

Misc.: 
- Book Aesthetics: Summer Books
- Discussion: My Favorite Part Of The Book Community

Sarah from The YA Book Traveler posted about self-doubt and why it's a good thing. I think every blogger could stand to hear what she says, since we probably all suffer from self-doubt in some form or another.

Rachel from Parajunkee provided a really handy book blogging post ideas list. Feeling a bit slumpy? Maybe this list can give you some ideas.

I didn't intend on getting any more books this month (aside from school books), but Hastings is going out of business, so of course I had to snag a few bargain books while I was in the area.

- Dangerous Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
- The Rising by Kelley Armstrong
- The Treatment by Suzanne Young


And because I apparently don't already have enough e-galleys unread, I snagged this one from Netgalley:


- The Summer Before Forever by Melissa Chambers
Published: August 22, 21016 by Entangled TEEN

Here are some highlights from my instagram account this week. Give me a follow if you want to see everything I have posted/will post!

I have been utterly obsessed with this book since the second I finished it. I can't believe I haven't posted any pictures of this book yet! Between my twitter and my blog, I'm pretty much constantly talking about Kiersten White's latest madterpiece. What books are you constantly trying to get people to read?

A photo posted by The Left-Handed Book Lover (@leftyreads) on Aug 14, 2016 at 2:13pm PDT

One of my favorite things in the world is when I take the dust jacket off a book and find a lil treat. The Loose Ends List by Carrie Firestone has one of the best under-the-dust-jacket covers I've ever seen! What are some books you've seen that look fantastic naked? 😂

A photo posted by The Left-Handed Book Lover (@leftyreads) on Aug 15, 2016 at 11:33am PDT

WHAT HAS YOUR WEEK IN BOOKS AND BLOGGING LOOKED LIKE? 

Lefty's Lowdown: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
(standalone)
Published: May 5, 2011 by Walker Books
Source: Purchased

Summary from Goodreads:
The monster showed up after midnight. As they do.

But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting. He’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming…

This monster is something different, though. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.

It wants the truth.

 This book was not at all what I expected. I admit, going into it, I hadn't had the faintest clue what it was actually about, but it was still much different than what I figured it would be. And I think that's a good thing. I definitely think this is the type of book you should go into blind and just experience how amazing & emotional it is.

Patrick Ness has woven such a beautiful and poignant story about loss and truth and coping with pain. It will sweep you away for a few hours and never fully return you because it will steal tiny fragments of your heart. I couldn't help but hurt on Conor's behalf. He's dealing with a lot of painful circumstances that no child his age (I'm pretty sure he's like 13) should have to deal with, and it has forced him to grow up much too soon and he has kind of lost himself somewhere along the way. So of course I became very emotionally invested in him, and truly enjoyed his story arc & where Ness left his character in the end. Also, it's important to note that he could be super sassy and hilarious at times which was just truly wonderful.

The monster is an interesting aspect of this novel, in terms of characterization and what he represents, but I don't want to say too much about him because I don't want to give too much away. But this monster is different than any of the other monsters you will find in YA/MG literature and really helps set this book apart from others. I also adored the stories he told within the stories and the way he interacted with Conor.

This book is about emotion. By the end of this novel, I was sobbing. Ness brings so many memories and fears to the surface that it is impossible to not be overwhelmed by emotion. This is a quick read, but it definitely hits you where it hurts. I seriously think everyone would be able to enjoy this story and take something away from it, no matter how old you are or what walks of life you come from. Unfortunately, I bought the movie tie-in edition and that does not come with the illustrations that are in the original version of the book, which makes me so upset. I do think illustrations would have given this book completely new life, so I recommend not getting the movie tie-in.

I'm definitely going to be picking up more books from Patrick Ness now, and I'm really looking forward to the movie. I know this is the type of book that the film studio is going to have to take various creative liberties with, and I'm interested to see how they bring this book to life.

4/5

The Authors I Own The Most Books From

(Coming up with a title for this post was hard. I feel like everything I tried sounds so awkward.)

Maybe I'm weird, but I always think it's so interesting to know which authors take up the most space on other people's shelves. And recently I realized, I don't really know which authors take up the most space on MY shelves. I mean, obviously I had an idea, but I thought I'd do a definitive count and share the results with you people! 

Coming in at seventh place (but really tied for sixth) with 5 books is...

As you can see above, I own all 4 books in the Caster Chronicles (co-written with Margaret Stohl), and then the first book in her own series, all of which I have read and enjoyed. I do plan to buy more books by her, like the sequel to Unbreakable, and The Lovely Reckless (her new contemporary book that has not been released yet). Also, I just realized that Dangerous Creatures is a full-length book with a sequel and everything. I thought it was just a novella or something. So obviously I need to buy that too. (The day after scheduling this post, I actually acquired a copy of Dangerous Creatures but I was too lazy to go back & revise). 

Then, in sixth place also with 5 books is...

I own most of Oliver's YA work, with the exception of Vanishing Girls and Replica (which hasn't been released yet). I need to ad those to my collection, and any other YA books that Lauren Oliver puts out. She has several MG & adult books, but I don't have any plans to read those in the foreseeable future. I've read all of these and enjoyed them, but Panic fell a bit flat. 

In fifth place with 6 books is...

I own most of Jenny Han's books, but I'm missing the first book in the Summer series and the third book in the Burn for Burn trilogy (co-written with Siobhan Vivian), both of which I've been trying to buy for a while but can;t find them in the format I want for cheap. I just learned that she also has a MG book that I swear no one talks about. When the newly-announced third book in her To All the Boys series comes out, I will be buying it ASAP. I've devoured all of these! 

In fourth place (but actually tied for third) with 7 books is...

I own most of the books set in the Nightshade world that have been published, except, ya know, Nightshade, which I will buy when I find it in the format I want. I just recently bought The Inventor's Secret, which is the first book in her steampunk series, so I'll probably end up buying the rest of the trilogy (even though the covers don't really match???). Out of all of these, I've only read Wolfsbane, Bloodrose, and Invisibility. I should probably get on that. 

In third place also with 7 books...

MY QUEEN. I am working on owning all her books. I'm still 5 away from a complete collection. Of course I've read every book she has put out. 

In second place with 9 books...

It's honestly impossible to keep up with all of Clare's books because she has like novella bind-ups and a codex and graphic novels and who knows what else. She also has a MG series. My main concern is getting a copy of City of Bones so I can re-read The Mortal Instruments series (as I haven't finished the last two books). I also haven't read Lady Midnight yet, but I will soon. 

AND COMING IN FIRST PLACE WITH 11 BOOKS...

Richelle Mead has written a lot of books for adults and young adults. While I do want to read/own them, I've heard they are not very good. I don't have the last two books in the Bloodlines series yet, but I will. The only book on this list I haven't read yet is The Fiery Heart, and I want to re-read the VA series and the beginning of the Bloodlines series before I do that. So it might be a while.

This post was a lot of fun! All of these authors are among my favorites, and I ended up doing quite a bit of research to figure out exactly what books I don't own and haven't read and which ones I want to, so it was really helpful. 

WHICH AUTHORS DO YOU OWN THE MOST BOOKS FROM? DO WE HAVE ANY AUTHORS IN COMMON?

Playlist Book Tag

I'm so excited that Anna from Adventures With A Book Nerd tagged me to do this! It gives me a chance to talk about MUSIC AND BOOKS AT THE SAME TIME! Originally started on YouTube by Little Red Reader, the rules of this tag are simple: Put your music on shuffle and you pick a book for each song that comes on. I'm pretty sure you get to pick any number of songs that you want? Okay, here we gooooo!

1) All or Nothing - Theory Of A Dead Man

Since I said I loved you in Las Vegas

It's never been the same since then

You've got all that I need

Looking at all or nothing

Babe it's you and I

With you I know

I am good for something

So lets go give it a try

We got our backs against the ocean

It's just us against the world

Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead

I actually heard this song for the first time in a Vampire Academy fan video about Rose and Adrian and YES. Ever since then, it has always reminded me of their relationship, about how much Adrian wants Rose even though she's still in love with Dimitri. Holy crap I need to re-read this series. 

2) Saying Goodbye - Every Avenue

I know it was wrong of me to try to throw this all away

So if you give it just one more try

I'll give you everything you need

She said

"Just tell me what changed your mind, what brought you back to me?"

And I said

I thought a lot about the summers passed

Your hair in your eyes

And how we spent the whole night saying goodbye

Saying goodbye

We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

BELLY & CONRAD

That's all I have to say. 

3) Holding On To You - Twenty One Pilots

I'm taking over my body,

Back in control, no more shotty,

I bet a lot of me was lost,

Ts uncrossed and Is undotted,

I fought it a lot

And it seems a lot like flesh is all I got,

Not anymore, flesh out the door...

You are surrounding all my surroundings,

Sounding down the mountain range of my left-side brain,

You are surrounding all my surroundings,

Twisting the kaleidoscope behind both of my eyes.

And I'll be holding on to you

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

This song was actually really tough to fit a book to, but after staring at it a while I realized this reminds me a lot of Augustus and Hazel's fight with their bodies and their desire to make a difference, be remembered. 

4) The Judge - Twenty One Pilots

But I'm not good with directions and I hide behind my mouth,

I'm a pro at imperfections and I'm best friends with my doubt,

And now that my mind's out, and now I hear it clear and loud,

I'm thinking, "Wow, I probably shoulda stayed inside my house."

I found my way,

Right time, wrong place,

As I pled my case.

You're the judge, oh no, set me free,

You're the judge, oh no, set me free,

I know my soul's freezing,

Hell's hot for good reason, so please,

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

This song reminds me a lot of Will's inner turmoil and his struggle to come to terms with his new physical state.

5) Walking in the Wind - One Direction

We had some good times, didn't we?

We wore our hearts out on our sleeve

Goodbyes are bittersweet

But it's not the end

I'll see your face again

You will find me

Yeah you will find me

In places that we've never been

For reasons we don't understand

Walking in the wind

Walking in the wind

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

When trying to match this song to a book, my very first thought was the ending of this book, where Emily and Sloane left their friendship. 

This was a lot harder than I thought it would be, but it was a lot of fun. I'll definitely be thinking of these songs differently every time I listen to them. I might do this again some time. (Let me know if you like this post so I know if I should do it again).

I know this is a tag and I'm supposed to tag people, but I always feel awkward tagging people, so if you want to do this, DO IT. And you can link it down below because I want to see it!