So to start off, I figured I would let you get to know me a little bit through books. For my first post I’ve decided to do a Top 10 list of my favorite books so far, and why I love them. They are in no particular order, because if I had been forced to do that, I might have just broken down and cried. So, with no further ado, I give you:
Courtney’s Top 10 Favorite Books and Why She Loves Them
(in no particular order, because if she had been forced to do that she might have just broken down and cried)
1. The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
There are no words to describe my feelings towards these books. I grew up with the characters, and they have been a wonderful escape from my life in so many different ways. Not only is this just a genuinely fun read, I feel that J.K. Rowling has captured many souls through her writing. Even though they are “just kids’ books”, Rowling uses so many literary elements. After finishing the seventh installment I reread the series, and I was blown away by her use of foreshadowing. Her ability to know what was seven books down the road and integrate it into the story so delicately is astounding to me.
Another element of the Harry Potter Series that I feel to be noteworthy is the purity of her story, writing, and ending message to the books. Yes, sometimes they could be cheesy and very ‘happily ever after’, but I feel that the naivety is refreshing. Stephen King was quoted as saying “Harry Potter is about confronting fears, finding inner strength, and doing what is right in the face of adversity. Twilight is about how important it is to have a boyfriend.” While, I’m not here to negatively review Twilight just yet, I can’t ignore the effect the contrast between the two has on my point. Harry Potter has such valiant themes. It teaches kids so much, without being overly boring. J.K Rowling nicely avoids romance and heavy romantic imagery for most of her books, which I feel is good for kids growing up. Her stories are so much about friendship and love and equality for all. This world needs some of that, and it would do us some good to take a leaf in a few of Rowling’s pages.
2. Lament and Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater
I legitimately fell in love with this pair of books. Her language is above the average YA writer, and her characters are refreshingly complex. The thing that really stuck out to me about her writing, though, is her imagery. My favorite of the two books is Ballad. I feel it’s a bit more mature, and I genuinely love the characters more. Lament feels sort of like another chick novel, although very well written and rich. Another perk is her snippets at the start of each chapter. In Ballad, the second book, she has short poems by Steven Slaughter which, unfortunately, is just a pseudonym. They are amazingly written and extremely beautiful. I was really sad when I found out Steven Slaughter wasn’t real. :/
3. Shiver, Linger and (Forever) by Maggie Stiefvater
Yet another series of books by the wonderful Maggie Stiefvater. This series is a bit more widespread and, in my opinion, a bit more juvenile. To me, these books don’t have as rich of a texture and as deep of an intelligence as the previous two. The subject matter, wolves, is a bit overly done. In her defense, though, she does an amazing portrayal of wolves. She does not in any way make you feel like you’re reading all those other books on super naturals. As always, her characters are nicely rounded and she has a nice plot line. Overall, these books are a nice escape, and definitely a few IQ points higher than the average. I’d like to point out, that Forever is in parentheses because I haven’t read it yet. Its waiting on my nook to be read, and I plan on revisiting the series for a more in depth review once I’ve got a better idea on the whole series.
4. Sweep by Cate Tiernan
This series is ridiculously long. It is a 15 book project. Admittedly, I haven’t actually read the 15th, and I’ll tell you about that later. But the first 14 books are so worth it, and my bff Becca says the 15th is worth it, although I disagree. The book has an unconventional plotline. It’s based on the religion of Wicca. Even though I don’t necessarily believe in the idea, it’s definitely provides an extremely interesting point of view. The Sweep Series has one of my favorite plot twisters of all time about halfway through the books. Again, it’s great writing, and keeps you incredibly emotionally invested. Even though it’s really long, the great point to the series is its plot; you definitely never want to stop.
I didn’t read the 15th because it changed characters from the original characters and her group of friends and acquaintances to her daughter. While apparently it still included the original main character, I didn’t particularly like it as much. It is still the same amazing Cate Tiernan, and someday I might go back and read it, but for now, I choose not to.
5. The Soul Screamers Series by Rachel Vincent
This is another supernatural favorite of mine. To me, it’s almost a guilty pleasure. It provides a great plot, but not really much more than that. Yet, I still greatly love this series. One of its strong points is one of the main characters, Todd. I feel like Vincent did a really good job with him. She recently did a background story on him that I had wished was longer! Her later-added characters have been great, but I feel that the two main characters, Kaylee and Nash, are a bit cliché. But as I mentioned, it’s a guilty pleasure, so I love them anyway!
Another great thing about Rachel Vincent herself is her Facebook Page. I recently “liked” her, and her author page has definitely become one of my favorites! She updates at least once a day, and provides great teasers to her books. She also gives away a lot of free things, and responds very quickly to any comments or questions left on her page. I learned through there that she has other more popular series, which I’m pretty sure is more adult based. Eventually, after I finish my long list of books I need to read, I plan on looking into most of those! She is about to release the last installment, If I Die, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it to read and review!
6. The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
Oh. My. Goodness. This three book trilogy blew me away. It was highly recommended to me by my best friend, and I started reading right away. This high action series has everything. Excitement, thriller, romance, and still can induce a few tears. This series is great for anyone. If you have the time, I highly suggest you pick it up.
The ONLY criticism I have about the books is the main character, Katniss. She comes in the form of a super-girl, but so naively humble. She is a bit cliché, and I feel that Collins could have done a little better to stay away from that. All of her other characters are SO great, it leaves me wondering why she let this slide with Katniss.
That aside, this book trilogy is AWESOME. Seriously, read it.
7. Stolen by Lucy Christopher
The thing that I loved about this book is that it really was unlike any book I’ve ever read. It jumped right into the story and gave you no time to think about putting the book down. It had a great plot, and seriously amazing characters. I think that’s my favorite part about this book. The characters are amazingly written, and so perfectly flawed. Despite the circumstances of the book, by the end you come to understand and even love both of the characters.
8. Matched by Allie Condie
Another book that just grabbed my attention and I fell in love with. I found it through looking for books that were like The Hunger Games. I have no particular reason that I love this book so much other than it just plain held my interest. It’s a little bit more of a chick book than The Hunger Games, but it’s still got quite a bit of meat behind the plot. The second one, Switched, is coming out soon and I’m eager to get my hands on that one as well! :)
9. 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher
This book is on this list for a more personal reason than all the others. In addition to being amazing, this book has touched many people’s lives for the positive. See, this book is about a girl committing suicide, the people who influenced her toward her decision, and one guy that’s left behind. It follows his journey towards acceptance of his friend’s death. Asher does an absolutely amazing job of capturing the feelings a death leaves behind. As you read, you really feel what Clay feels, and you’re locked inside his brain. This book is truly amazing. It’s well worth the read.
10. Breathe My Name by R.A. Nelson
This book is last on this list, but certainly not least. Although a little slow to start, this book definitely picks up by the end. Unfortunately, what should be the main part ends up being an amazing background story to an average plotline. The struggle that the main character goes through and the mystery behind trying to figure out exactly what happens is thrilling. This “coming of age” book is a great read about a girl who finds her true self. I know I said this for all the books, but read it. Really.
Well, that’s all, folks! I’ve got a huge list of post ideas, and books to R&R backed up a mile long. So, I hope you choose to travel with me on this life and literary adventure. TTFN!