Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. This feature is great because everyone loves lists, including me.

This week's Top Ten is:

Top Ten Books I Want To Give As Gifts (and to who...even if you won't actually give them!)


1.  Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols - I would give this to my friend Therese because I think it's something everyone should read and I'd love for her to share my love for Jennifer Echol's books.

2.  Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake - I'd give this to my friend Diana, because I know she would love this book, it's just a really great book that she has to read, she might like the ghost part although she scares easily.

3.  Diary of a Whimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney - I would give this to my coworkers daughter because she loves this series.  I actually read one of the books and thought it was cute, was a lot like the movie.

4.  Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer - I would give this to my friend Javier because he's been watching the movies with me but I know he probably won't read them because well he doesn't really read and he only likes the action sequences lol.

5.  The One That I Want by Jennifer Echols - I would give this one to Diana too because I know she loves Jennifer Echols as much as I do and since it's only ebook format I know she's getting a kindle for Christmas so she'll love it.

6.  The Grinch who Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss - this I would give to my oldest daughter she's five and sometimes she takes things for granted maybe she needs to learn the meaning of Christmas a little better and that the world doesn't revolve around her.  I don't know if this book necessarily teaches that per say but she needs to learn it none the less lol.

7.  The Hunger Game Series - I would give this to Therese because I know the movie is coming out and I need a partner in crime to watch them, but I would want her to experience the books first before she watches the movies.

8.  Sweet Dreams Collection - or at least as many as I can find I would give them to Therese because she is the one who introduced me to these books and I know it would bring good memories to her - the older we get the harder life gets sometimes you need that innocence in your life.

9.  Diabetes Cookbook - any one really - for my older brother who was just told he has diabetes and I can imagine how hard it is to find the right foods to eat and them still be delicious. 

10. The Guiness Book of World Records - for my boyfriend because he's just weird like that and loves to thumb through it.  I would get him the latest version of course.

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: •Grab your current read •Open to a random page •Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page •BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) •Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's my teaser for the week:

"You'd better not steal me from Addison?” Max repeated, sounding confused.
“Yes, and she’d better not steal Carter from me, either.” I pretended to ponder the possibility, as if such a misfortune would be very grave indeed. Then I laughed it off like I’d convinced myself I was being ridiculous. Dearest Addison would not steal my boyfriend!

The One That I Want

By Jennifer Echols
Release Date: December 6, 2012

Musing Monday

MUSING MONDAYS… is a weekly event where MizB at Should be Reading will ask a book/reading-related question, and you answer with your own thoughts on the topic.

This week’s musing asks…

What kind of books do you like to read?

Why? Provide specific examples.

I love to read young adult, yes I realize that I am no longer a young adult but there is something about that age range that will always get to me.  It's not quite an adult but still on the way to adulthood that you learn everything.  You think you know everything there is to know but you don't.  People rarely remember how hard high school is for some people and how hard life is at that age when you're old enough for some things but not old enough for other things.  I love reading about it and author's different takes on it.  Plus you have so many great books about future societies and paranormal worlds that seem like fun to explore.

Anna and the French Kiss - great book about a girl who thinks she knows what she wants and goes off to Paris thinking one thing and comes home with a whole new prospective and a new hottie in tow.  This book just made me all happy and giddy inside.

Twilight - it bought me back into reading.  So many people were talking about it that I just had to read it and I couldn't put it down I think I read each book in the series about five times at the very least.  I couldn't get enough of it.  This is where the paranormal came into view and it introduced me into a world that I never experienced before. 

Those are just a few examples.  But there are just way too many to mention.

Review: Crossed

Crossed
By: Ally Condie
Release Date: November 1, 2011
Series: Matched

Description:
In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.


Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.

Review:
We are back thrust into the dystopian society where Ky and Cassia are trying to be together against all odds.  Last time we left off in the first book of this trilogy - Matched - Ky was taken away into the outer provinces, Cassia tried to get reclassified so that she could find Ky and they could finally be together.  But she also wants to join the Rising, which she realizes is grows much stronger the closer she gets. 

There are new characters introduced in this book.  There's Eli who reminds Ky of Bram (Cassia's younger brother), Vick who is a survivor and a good person to have on your side.  Indie who is also a survivor I think that if Vick and Indie ever met they would have gotten along quite well.  Another character that was introduced into this book was Hunter, a young man who just lost his daughter and is part of the Farmers inside the Carving.  The Carving is a group of Canyons where the farmers live and everyone is searching for the Rising in there. 

Cassia and Indie manage to escape their camp and Ky and the other two escape theirs as well.  Through a number of hardships both very differently that they both must face (all characters really) both groups, the boys and the girls, do meet up with one another.  But this is not without any loss or trouble.  Xander does make a quick appearance in Cassia's life but he is thought about through the whole book, I believe the truth will be revealed to her about his secret in the beginning of the next book.

Overall this was a good book - a bridge between the path that is taken from the beginning to the end.  I just hope that the ending is what everyone hopes for, success in many areas.  Because to me so far the Rising just seems like another form of the Society that never looks to be on the winning side.  We shall see - until next time.

Friday 5: When in doubt: go to food.

Hello, and welcome to this week’s Friday 5 hosted here! Please copy these questions to your web space. Answer the questions there; then leave a comment below so we’ll all know where to check out your responses.

1.What’s your favorite ice cream topping?
Snickers - I'm addicted to Vanilla Ice Cream with Snickers in it.  I don't know what it is about it, it just works so beautifully together.  Another great topping I like is the strawberries and pound cake like a strawberry cheesecake.  Super yum.


2.What’s your favorite pizza topping?
I have found this pizza place that's close to my house that makes the most amazing pizza.  I've been addicted to their margarita pizza.  It's topped with fresh mozzerella and lots and lots of tomatos and whatever seasoning they use.  It's amazing.  So if you are even in Jeresy look up Cafe Amici it will be worth it.
3.What’s your favorite thing to sprinkle cocoa powder on?
I don't use coco powder unless I'm baking something.  So I don't really sprinkle it on anything

4.What’s your favorite thing to put whipped cream on?
Um whip cream, ice cream sometimes or some kind of warm pie.  Oh and I definitely love to dip fresh strawberries into whip cream it's totally worth it. 

5.What do you like to put upon a cracker?
Now this is a very spanish appetizer.  A square of cheddar cheese, a square of mozzerela cheese and a square of goya guava.  Eat that with a ritz or townhouse cracker all together, super yum.  Sometimes I will have that for lunch.  Not often but on the rare occassion we have any left over from parties.

Friday Finds

This is where you share the book titles you discovered or heard about during the past week. These can be books you were told about, books you discovered while browsing blogs/bookstores online, or books that you actually purchased. This is a weekly event I discovered from Should Be Reading.

Just Flirt by Laura Bowers

The Difference Between You and Me by Madeleine George

The Unquiet by Jeannine Garsee

When You Open Your Eyes by Celeste Conway

Life Is But a Dream by Brian James

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

Booking Through Thursday: Mystery or Love

A weekly meme about (mostly) books and reading. Hosted at Booking Through Thursday.

Today's question is:

All things being equal, which would you prefer–a mystery? Or a love story?

I will always choose a good love store like Anna and the French Kiss or Going Too Far,  There is nothing as great as a really good love story,  It can be a happy one, sad one, exciting one, or even just a comedic one.  I will take anything because I want to feel something when I read not find out who did it. (It was the butler in the kitchen lol.)