Blog Tour Review + Interview: Rooms by Lauren Oliver

Title: Rooms
Author: Lauren Oliver
Release Date: September 23rd, 2014 
Publisher: Ecco
Page Count: 320
Source: ARC from the Publisher
(I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest
review. No favors were exchanged, my opinions are my own.)

Target Audience: Adults/Lauren Oliver fans/People who like good (slightly more mature) fiction
Barnes & Noble | Amazon | IndieBound | Book Depository  

The New York Times bestselling author of Before I Fall and the Delirium trilogy makes her brilliant adult debut with this mesmerizing story in the tradition ofThe Lovely Bones, Her Fearful Symmetry, and The Ocean at the End of the Lane—a tale of family, ghosts, secrets, and mystery, in which the lives of the living and the dead intersect in shocking, surprising, and moving ways.

Wealthy Richard Walker has just died, leaving behind his country house full of rooms packed with the detritus of a lifetime. His estranged family—bitter ex-wife Caroline, troubled teenage son Trenton, and unforgiving daughter Minna—have arrived for their inheritance.

But the Walkers are not alone. Prim Alice and the cynical Sandra, long dead former residents bound to the house, linger within its claustrophobic walls. Jostling for space, memory, and supremacy, they observe the family, trading barbs and reminiscences about their past lives. Though their voices cannot be heard, Alice and Sandra speak through the house itself—in the hiss of the radiator, a creak in the stairs, the dimming of a light bulb.

The living and dead are each haunted by painful truths that will soon surface with explosive force. When a new ghost appears, and Trenton begins to communicate with her, the spirit and human worlds collide—with cataclysmic results.

Elegantly constructed and brilliantly paced, Rooms is an enticing and imaginative ghost story and a searing family drama that is as haunting as it is resonant.

Review: Panic by Lauren Oliver

Title: Panic
Author: Lauren Oliver
Release Date: March 4th, 2014
Publisher: HarperCollins
Page Count: 408
Source: ARC from ALA
(I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest
review. No favors were exchanged, my opinions are my own.)
First Reaction: Panic and tigers and danger, OH MY!

Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

[Summary Source: Goodreads]

Top Ten Books That Made Me Cry (44)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

I think for this week's post I'm just going to throw up 10 book covers and that's it. I don't really want to get into the reasons why each of these books lead to the crying and the sads and what have you. Like, even if you can't see why said book would make me cry, just accept it and move on. Because explaining might make me cry again and I just can't. Also, I acknowledge the The Fault in Our Stars by John Green will be on everyone's lists and I'm okay with that. Also, also, I cheated, this list is four more than ten. I'm okay with that too.

(PS: You should be able to reach the Goodreads page for each of these books by clicking the images. Please keep in mind that many of these books are not the first, or even the last, in their series. And furthermore, some of these books aren't out yet - Strange and Ever After doesn't come out until the summer! So consider this hype.)

Top Ten 2014 STANDALONE Releases I'm Dying to Read (40)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

So a couple weeks ago Top Ten Tuesday asked me to make a list of Top Ten "Shut Up and Give it to Me Now" Sequels. Obviously, I did that. (And I thought up 10 really REALLY AMAZING books for that list.) The problem now is that most of the books on that list come out in 2014 and I'd hate to be repetitive. Therefore, if you want to know what 2014 SEQUEL releases I'm freaking out over, please click that link (I'll also have a recap list at the bottom of this post, so you can also scroll down). But for RIGHT NOW I'm gonna do a 2014 STANDALONE Release list.

Also, for the record, these are listed by release date. So.

Top Ten Books I Thought I'd Like More Than I Did (20)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

I thought about doing this list half and half, but unless there's a book with a summary I FREAK OUT OVER, most books interest me. There are some I'll pass on, but not many. So instead of wracking my brains for 5 books I thought I'd like less, I'm just going to do the full 10 of books that let me down. Which sounds bad. Because you never want anything to disappoint you, but you can't love every since book, y'know?

1. You Have Seven Messages by Stewart Lewis

I just didn't love this one. Absentee parents and a lack of mystery, among other things. I didn't HATE it, I just wanted more from it. It really is a great premise, but that's pretty much where my interest in this book ends. [My Review]

2. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Everyone either loves or hates this one and I just kind of fell in the middle. I really did think I was going to like it. I'm not sure why. Probably because of the historical bits. I love that kind of stuff. But I dunno. This one just didn't do it for me. I'm pretty sure I even liked the movie better. [My Review]

3. Crewel by Gennifer Albin

I WANTED TO MUCH TO LIKE THIS BOOK. Really. The cover is brilliant, it was very much anticipated and the summary's GREAT. But at the end of the day this one was just a giant fail for me. I STILL can't picture what Weaving looks like, which drives me asbolutely crazy. [My Review]

4. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

I don't know what I thought this book was going to be, but I read the first 80 pages and then DNFed it. A bunch of my books were due back in the library in the next week or so and I was more interested in getting through those than plowing my way through J.K.'s adult fiction. I might give it another go, but it's never going to be what I want it to be, is it?

5. The Selection by Kiera Cass

I WAITED SO LONG TO GET THIS BOOK FROM THE LIBRARY. Truth? I was so DESPERATELY disappointed. It didn't feel dystopian and no one mattered to me except Prince Maxon. I'll still be reading The Elite, but I'm not sure I'm going to be happy about it. [My Review]

6. Requiem by Lauren Oliver

I think A LOT of people wanted to like this one more. I wasn't a HUGE fan of the series but I felt like the last book was a major cop out. Also, I'm still spinning for the abundance of characters featured. Seriously. I need a character map. [My Review]

7. Death & Co. by D.J. McCune

I'm not sure what I thought this book was going to be, but I wanted it to be better. I think I was optimistic because I had JUST finished Ferryman which is another book revolving around Death/a Grim Reaper type character and I LOVE IT. But this one just let me down big time. [My Review]

8. The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell

I read this one as part of a read-along on my blog back when the TV show hit the airwaves. But I didn't like it. Just another book that wasn't what I wanted it to be. I did like the TV show. That was cute. And a lot more of what I wanted both it, as a TV show, and the book to be. [My Review]

9. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

SO MANY PEOPLE love this book and I am just not one of them. I read the first three a while back and I hated myself for it. But once I started the series I couldn't not finish (it's a disease, I swear). I'm still debating as to whether or not I want to read The Infernal Devices series and I think I'm going to. I just hope I don't hate myself for that decision as well. 

10. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Good old J.K. *sigh* What can I say about this one? I think I got mad at this series at the end of book 5 when Sirius died and nothing J.K. could say or do would make it better. But there's definitely more to it than that. I've had whole hour-long conversations regarding my negative feelings towards this book. It's not that I didn't want the magic to end. I was ready for it by the time this one came out. I just didn't think the final installment did the series justice. 

Tell me, did any of these books let YOU down as well? Or did you write a post about the Top Ten Books You Thought You'd Like Less? That's a much happier list, don't you think? Let me know in the comments below!

Top Ten Favorite Books I Read Before I Started Blogging (18)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This week's topic: Favorite Books I Read Before I Started Blogging. Given that I only started blogging 4 months ago, I feel like narrowing this list down to ten is going to be somewhat difficult for me, so I think I'll do 5 favorite individual books and 5 favorite series. Cheating? Yes. Acceptable? I make the rules here, so yes.

TOP FIVE INDIVIDUAL BOOKS I LOVE

1. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

I don't love cancer books, so I wasn't going to read this one, but I heard a million amazing things about it and I couldn't help myself, so I picked it up. To everyone who told me to read this: YOU WERE RIGHT. This book has made it onto so many of my Top Ten lists I can't even. It's just so wonderfully sad and funny and amazing all at the same time.

2. This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

I love all of the Sarah Dessen books and I'm not even sure if this one's my favorite, but this one was my first. My friend pushed it on me in high school. I wasn't sure because back then I was very fantasy oriented and I felt like contemporary love stories were just fluff. But Sarah Dessen (and my friend) proved me wrong with this book. For that alone this book is a favorite.

3. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
I cried like a small child when I read this book. The protagonist, Sam, is a little annoying at the beginning, but the way Lauren Oliver makes her likable by the end of the book is masterful. I mean, you know the how it has to end and you make peace with that, but by the end you're WISHING for some kind of bookish miracle.

4. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
There's something so different and so amazing about this book. It took me a while to get through, but I think that's just because the writing style is so unique. Not to mention the subject matter is so utterly fascinating (to me, at least), which puts it squarely on my favorites list.

5. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
So I know this book is part of a series, but I don't love all of the books in the series and I LOVE this one, so I figured it deserved special mention. There's just something about the familial themes and the noir that made me re-read this one a hundred times. Okay. Maybe not a hundred, but at least a dozen or so.

TOP FIVE SERIES I LOVE

6. The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins 

I jumped on The Hunger Games train later than everyone else. In fact, the trailer for the movie was already out by the time I picked it up, which is why, when everyone was all "THAT'S NOT WHAT PEETA LOOKS LIKE," I was all, "uh, yeah it is," because Josh Hutcherson was in my head as Peeta from the start. Anyway, that's not the point. The point is that The Hunger Games pulled me back into YA. Sure, I read in college, I even read YA, but THG restored the stay up too late reading, book grabby hands element to my life. 

7. The Mediator Series by Meg Cabot

This is another series pushed on me by the same girl who pushed Sarah Dessen. I knew of Meg Cabot at the time (I mean, who didn't? The Princess Diaries owned teenage-land for a good couple of years) but I didn't like ghosts. But, well, I think Jesse is the exception to every rule. And Suze is the best. So double awesome.

8. The Year I Turned 16 by Diane Schwemm

My sister read this series when we were much younger. Since I had to do everything my big sister did (how else do you think I learned how to put on makeup?), I snagged these books as soon as she finished and I loved. I haven't read them recently, but all the good feelings definitely remain.

9.  Song of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce

My blog has seriously become an ode to Tamora Pierce. But I'm going to keep listing her books as a favorite until everyone I know has fallen to peer pressure and read this book. Seriously. I'm not even kidding. Everyone, go read. 

10. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

This is another series that holds a very special place in my heart. I read The Golden Compass IN SCHOOL and loved. Who knew you could love school books? Well I didn't, at least not until The Golden Compass. It helps that my teacher that year was awesome. And that we listened to the audiobook in class. I'm pretty sure that was my only ever audiobook but as far as I can recall, it was made of awesome.

Sometimes I feel like my Top Ten Tuesday lists are a little repetitive, but I just can't help myself. What about you guys? More of the same? If so, let me know what you can't stop listing in the comments below. If I've already read it, we should talk. If not, maybe I should get to it! 

Review: Requiem by Lauren Oliver

Title: Requiem (Delirium #3)
Author: Lauren Oliver
Release Date: March 5th, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Page Count: 391
Source: Borrowed from Daphne
Rating: An angst-missing & character-crowded end to a pretty good series.

They have tried to squeeze us out, to stamp us into the past.
But we are still here.
And there are more of us every day.
Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.
After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor.
Maybe we are driven crazy by our feelings.
Maybe love is a disease, and we would be better off without it.
But we have chosen a different road.
And in the end, that is the point of escaping the cure: We are free to choose.
We are even free to choose the wrong thing.
Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.
[Summary Source: Goodreads]

THE REVIEW

The final installment of the Delirium series by Lauren Oliver is a dual narrative. On the one hand, Lena does a lot of angst filled hiking. On the other, Hana deals with a potential terrible marriage. And then the entire series kind of tumbles to a conclusion.

Let's break this down:

I'm not going to lie to you guys. This wasn't my favorite series. It's not that I don't LOVE Lauren Oliver's prose because I DO. It's stunning and I want to live in it. So I think my issue stems from the plot.

I know I've talked about this with a couple of my blogging buds but for me, the whole series has this strong religious undertone. Maybe it's because I'm a religion major or because I'm religious myself, but I noticed it in the first book and never really could shake it. Because let's face it, if you're paying attention, Alex is Jesus. Like, in the first book there a couple of times where Alex's hair is described as looking like a crown of thorns. And then he "dies" and "comes back to life." Granted, there's no story of what happens after Jesus comes back to life, so book 3's kind of an improvisation, but there's really no lack of religious themes in book 3, what with the story of Solomon, the mothers and the baby being the basis of just about all of Lena's choices.

Now look, it's not that I don't think books can have religious undertones and I definitely don't think this book was pushing anything on anyone. I just kind of wish I knew that's what I was getting into. It's like, I was frolicking through the woods and expected to see some deer, a squirrel and a couple of chipmunks but then ran into a rhinoceros and I was all *double take* say WHAT now?

But that's not the only thing that irked me.

First of all, at the end of book 2 I was all: HERE COMES THE TENSION. HERE IT COMES, I AM READY. And then book 3 was like: NONE FOR YOU, GABY. Not a single candy cane for you. Sure, there's a moment here or there, but there could have been SO MUCH MORE ANGST. I know most of the times we wish for LESS ANGST but, guys, when the build up calls for it, I expect it or I get moody.

Furthermore, this whole dual POV? It's not that I didn't like dual POV books and I think the transitions between chapters were pretty solid (Lauren Oliver remains the brilliant writer I praised at the start of this review), but since Lena and Hana were living two completely different lives in two completely different places, it was kind of stressful to go back and forth. Like, I would have been much happier if it had been Lena and Alex. Or Lena and Julian. Or Julian and Alex. (Can I haz that?) I'm not saying I didn't enjoy the Hana bits. It's possible I liked them MORE than the Lena bits (because Lena just kind of sits there the whole book) but yeah.

Third is Lena. She REALLY DOES JUST SIT THERE. Like, decisions are made for her and she just goes along with it until the very end. Then at the end she actually DOES make a bunch of decisions but honestly? I don't care so much at that point.

Finally we have the boys. Julian's a prince. I just want to hold him close and pet his un-crown-looking hair. And Alex was strangely erratic and cryptic (see what I did there?), which is likely in character with what he went through, I just don't understand how that leads to the ending we receive. NOR does it explain Coral, who really just seems like a plot device to me. But then again, this series is VERY character heavy. It's almost like Lauren Oliver wanted to do something and was like: "hey, let's create a BRAND NEW PERSON to make it happen instead of using the 20 I've already invented to make this work." Needless to say that stressed me out A LOT.

I don't know you guys. I rode the struggle bus trying to get through this one. But I do like what Lauren Oliver was trying to do here. The premise for series is the bomb dot com and the first two books were pretty explosive, I just feel like the ending flopped a bit.

PS: Is it wrong that the character I find most compelling based on what's ACTUALLY written and not what I'm left to assume is Fred? Like WHOA that boy is something. 

The long and short of it?

Plot: Where was the angst? Where was the fighting? Can I have a little decision making from the main character? No? Well. Okay then.
World Building: The structure of the world Lauren Oliver created remains intact throughout.
Character Development: I don't think anyone did anything worth doing in this whole story. Except maybe Hana. She's pretty impressive, cured or otherwise.
Prose: The usually stunning beautiful-ness that comes with reading a Lauren Oliver book.
Would I Recommend This Book?: If you REALLY like dystopian or you've already started the series, sure. If not, skip it.

So this one didn't do it for me. That doesn't mean YOU didn't like it! Tell me, did you see the religious themes or am I dreaming? And make sure to mention how crazy I am for being intrigued by Fred before you go. Someone needs to check me into a mental asylum and it might as well be you guys!

Stacking the Shelves (14)

"Stacking the Shelves" is a weekly feature hosted by Tynga's Reviews

So I went to Paris, which led to a couple of book purchases. And then I went to a Stephanie Meyer signing, where I bought The Host. I also neglected to mention how I acquired Geek Girl the other week. And I bought an e-book. AND Daphne lent me a book. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that this post is just a hodgepodge of random silliness.

GIFTED

1. Geek Girl by Holly Smale I went to a book launch event for Holly Smale two weekends ago. It was SOSOSOSOSOSO fun. I still need to blog about it. And I will probably on Sunday. I'll also probably talk about briefly meeting Stephanie Meyer this past week AND the Random House brunch I'm going to today. (HAVE I TOLD YOU HOW AWESOME UK BLOGGERS ARE RECENTLY? BECAUSE THEY ARE AWESOME.) BORROWED

2. Requiem by Lauren Oliver

As some of you may know, I have mixed feelings about this series. That, however, does not mean I do not wish to finish said series. ENDING HERE I COME. (And thanks, Daphne, for facilitating me getting to this ending!!)

BOUGHT

3. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

I read this one when I was 12 for school (back when I really liked reading for school). To the best of my recollection, I didn't quite get it. But I saw the book on the shelf in the English bookstore in Paris and I was like, WELL THIS SEEMS APPROPRIATE.

4. The New American Haggadah with a new translation by Nathan Englander, edited by Jonathan Safran Foer

In case you missed me CRYING with joy over this book, you can check out my PARIS POST. It's all there.

5. I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

Is it a social faux-pas to say I'm insanely fascinated serial killers? As in, I'm probably watching Criminal Minds right now, as you read this? Whatever, I'm eccentric. Either way, I think I'm gonna like this book.

6. The Host by Stephanie Meyer

Truth time: I am NOT the biggest Stephanie Meyer fan. The reason I bought this book is because I went to the signing she did at Waterstones Picadilly the other night. Daphne was running late so I got her book signed for her and I was like "If I am going to wait in this queue, I am going to have something to show for myself." As to why I went in the first place: Uh, Daphne and Caroline were going. SO OBVIOUSLY I HAD TO ALSO. We got dinner after. It was gloriously nerdy. 

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

On Sunday I was in Paris so I was all "au revoir lovelies! See you tomorrow!"

And then on Monday I told you all about my weekend in Paris (yes, that is the third link to that post in THIS post. READ ABOUT MY LIFE, FRIENDS, READ).

Tuesday I made a list of series I have yet to read but know I MUSTMUSTMUST in the near future.

On Wednesday I wrote a short letter to the book These Broken Stars to express JUST HOW MUCH I cannot wait for that book to come out in December.

Thursday led to me outing myself as a huge Doctor Who fan (for the millionth time) when I talked about how much Ferryman by Claire McFall reminded me of one of my favorite TV shows. Which basically means I LOVED FERRYMAN. 

Finally, on Friday I talked about how Blogging is Hard, Yo and, as such, is getting in the way of my beauty sleep. You guys might not know this year, but I like to sleep. A lot. Really.

Books and blogs and events oh my! What a busy week, with an even busier one ahead of me. But you (YES, YOU) should tell me about your week. What pretties did you buy?  What did you do? What did you post on your blog? Tell me all about it in the comments below!

Top Ten Books Read in 2012 (2)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This week's topic: Top Ten Books Read in 2012. I honestly don't know how many books I've read this year (I intend to keep count next year), but it's a lot more than 10. And I definitely loved a lot more than 10 of them. So this is gonna be interesting.

1. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - What can I say about this book? What can anyone say about this book? It was really just that good.

2. Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler - If you've been paying attention to my blog at all since it's creation, you'll know I can't shut up about Jackie Morse Kessler. Her Riders of the Apocalypse series is SO IMPORTANT and everyone really should read them.

3. A Confusion of Princes by Garth Nix - I've been reading books by Garth Nix since I was a kid so when I realized he was coming out with a new book, I'm pretty sure I squealed and snagged it from the library as soon as I could. It was a glorious moment, I tell you. Absolutely glorious.

4. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver - Ugh. Ugh, ugh, ugh. I just love this book so much. The contemporary with the hint of supernatural is so wonderful and terribly sad that I just can't stop the love.

5. When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle - Another book where I just can't describe the love. I absolutely adore books that explore different perspectives of historical or great literary events. I especially love that Rebecca Serle set the whole thing in the present. Absolutely brilliant.

6. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater - I honestly can't get enough of Maggie Stiefvater's writing style and this book is no exception. Strong plot, strong prose, strong characters - there's not much else I could ask for, is there? [My Review]

7. Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe by Shelley Coriell - This book drew me in from every angle and truly did not disappoint. Chloe is such a wonderful protagonist that when Shelley Coriell announced on Twitter that she would be posting deleted scenes on her blog, I stalked for days.

8. Wither by Lauren DeStefano - Lauren DeStefano really knows how to write. Really, really. This, combined with the plot of Wither makes for a really amazing book. [My Review]

9. The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter - Greek mythology has always been a lot of fun for me and I really enjoyed Aimee Carter's take on it all. I really hope this blend of contemporary and myth is becoming a thing, because I could totally go for that.

10. The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly - If I love the blend of contemporary and Greek mythology, I ADORE the marriage of contemporary and fairytale. The way this book manages to take everything we know about fairytale land and somehow makes it all totally relevant to everyday life is oh so very wonderful. Not to mention I love books set in during WWII.

That's my list for the week. What are your Top Ten Books Read in 2012? Chances are I want to know about them, so let me know in the comments below!

Top Ten Favorite New-to-Me Authors (1)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

For my first ever Top Ten Tuesday, I have the enormous task of picking my top ten favorite authors who are new to me in the year of 2012. This is particularly difficult for me because I've been playing a lot of book catch up this past year. I mostly blame college from keeping me away from my books, although some of it was sheer laziness. But I think this blog more than makes up for that, don't you think?

Anyway, after much internal debate, here are my Top Ten New-to-Me Authors of 2012 (in no particular order):

1. Rebecca Serle - Okay, Rebecca Serle's debut novel only came out this past year, but I still love. The premise of this book is really clever and, better yet, Rebecca Serle isn't afraid to use her life experience to really do the plot justice. I mean, we all knew the ending of When You Were Mine from the start and I was still crying at the end. And she talks about Gossip Girl on Twitter, proving I'm not completely out of my mind for still watching this show.

2. Lauren DeStefano - I actually met Lauren this past summer and she is as nice as her writing is wonderful. She's an amazing author and I'm so happy I had the opportunity to meet the lovely lady behind the beautiful prose! Not to mention following her on Twitter is the most entertaining thing I've ever done.

3. Jackie Morse Kessler - The subject matter of her Riders of the Apocalypse Series is enough to put Jackie Morse Kessler on this list. It absolutely helps that she donates some of the proceeds of her books to relevant charities. Oh and her writing's pretty stellar too!

4. John Green - I read The Fault in Our Stars based on a recommendation. I wasn't going to. I can't remember for the life of me why I didn't want to read such an amazing book. Anyway, since I gave in and read some John Green, my life has never been the same. 

5. Lauren Oliver - I liked Delirium and Pandemonium, but I LOVED Before I Fall. Yet another book where I knew the inevitable ending from the start but still cried and cried for the last 70 pages of the book. I clearly can't control any of the feels. The fact that Lauren Oliver is a particularly wonderful writer didn't help my emotional stability, either, of course.

6. Aimee Carter - After reading everything by Rick Riordan, I was craving some more Greek mythology based YA fiction. Aimee Carter more than filled that gap in my life and I am thankful everyday.

7. Shelley Coriell - Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe attracted me with it's cover. The inside of the book didn't disappoint either. I absolutely love the colorful cast of characters Shelley Coriell was able to pull together to make up her debut novel. The whole book just felt so real to me, so whatever it was about the cover that pulled me in clearly did me a big favor!

8. Gail Carriger - Okay, the books I've read by Gail Carriger aren't quite YA, but the Parasol Protectorate Series still makes me smile. Her books are a really fun romp through supernatural Victorian England (read: Steampunk) with the occasional hint towards naughty adult things. Definitely worth the read if you're looking for something more adult with a bit of fun fantasy built in.

9. Scott Westerfeld - I've been hearing about the Uglies series for a while but I never got around to reading it. Thankfully, I quickly caught up by reading all four books at the end of the summer. I thoroughly enjoyed all of them and I'm very much looking forward to reading more Scott Westerfeld books in the near future!

10. Veronica Roth - Divergent was probably the first of the dystopian books I read this year in my post-Hunger Games daze. It reaffirmed my faith in dystopian fiction and caused me to pick up every dystopian series I could get my hands on. For that alone Veronica Roth definitely needs to be on my Top Ten New-to-Me Authors List.

Wow. That was hard, but I did it. How did YOUR list turn out? Know any good authors I MUST check out ASAP? Sound off in the comments below and let me know!