Ten Books We've Read and Loved Since We Started Blogging Together

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For today's throwback freebie we've decided to throw it ALL the way back to when we started blogging together back in June of 2010. Today we're highlighting the best books we've read over the last 10 years.

Julia's Picks

I can't believe that it has been seven years and some change since we have been blogging here at The Broke and the Bookish. These are my favorite discoveries since June 2010. 

1. The Darkest London Series by Kristen Callihan - I found Firelight through a blog tour I believe, and since that I have devoured the series (which sadly I just finished the last book of a few weeks ago). I remember fondly recounting the plot of Firelight to one of my coworks and forcing him to go to Barnes and Nobel while we were on the road to find the next in the series. I couldnt remember the title and while I was starting to google search, he randomly picked a book off the shelf that was the exact book I was looking for, Moonglow. I am so glad to have found this series. (Here is a link to all the reviews I have done for this series: Firelight, Moonglow, Winterblaze, Shadowdance, Evernight, and Soulbound)

2. The Maiden Lane Series by Elizabeth Hoyt - My first ever review here was for the first book in this series, and I have enjoyed it through the highs and lows. It is still going on and though I am a bit behind I do look forward to reading every book!

3. Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys - Does anyone else remember when I asked for recommendations during the Great Reading Slump of 2014? I took every recommendation from people and called it The Slumplist. And I just started reading. This was my favorite of the books I read based on your recommendations. I also did A View from Page Thirty review for this book - my impressions after just reading the beginning of the book. This was such a great read and find!

Jana's Picks

I'm fighting a nasty virus right now, so I'm going to link you to my reviews (if available) so you can see why I love these books so much! 

4. Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard really changed my life. (My review)

5. The Hating Game by Sally Thorne is the perfect office hate to love romance. So funny and swoony.

6. Till Death by Jennifer Armentrout is my absolute favorite romantic suspense. (My review)

7. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins was my very first YA contemporary love.

8. On the Island by Tracey Garvis-Graves is phenomenal. Period. (My review)

9. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas might be my favorite book ever.

10. Wish You Were Italian by Kristin Rae is adorable and Italy and such a comfort read. (My review)

Ten Books We Struggled to Get Through (Or Didn't Get Through at All!)

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This week we're talking about the books we struggled with in some way. 

Jana's Picks

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling - *dodges tomatoes* Wait! Listen! I tried so hard to read this as a kid the year it came out (I was 11 then) and I found it in my school's Scholastic book fair. The second book hadn't even been released yet, I had heard nothing about it, and I just thought the cover was cool. So I tried to read it, made it a few pages, and donated it to a local charity. Fast forward about 18 years. It was an assigned reading in my YA lit class during grad school, so I had to go re-buy it for way more than I paid at that book fair... and I LOVED it. So magical and sweet! So, a happy ending.

2. The Crown's Fate by Evelyn Skye - I loved The Crown's Game, so this breaks my heart more than it does anyone else's. It was almost a DNF for me. The story went in the worst possible direction, and the magic was gone for me. :(

3. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - Don't get me wrong. I loved this book. But it took me two years to read it because I didn't want to get too attached and cry too much. Basically, I was Joey and put the book in the freezer. A lot. And for your viewing pleasure... 

Jamie's Picks

4. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender: SOO I tried to listen to this via audio on my commute and I just could not get into it AT ALL. I really struggled to stay engaged with it which normally I am really into audios on my commute to make me forget how horrible it is. Should I try this again with a physical book?? 

5.  Preacher by Garth Ennis: I had heard good things about this comic series and then I heard that AMC was making it a tv show so I tried to pick it up...once in 2015 and then again right before the show was premiering and I could NOT get into it. SAD. I still haven't watched the show yet. TOO MANY SHOWS TO WATCH.

Lauren's Picks

 
6. Feed by M.T. Anderson: I wanted to DNF this one so bad, but I just had to finish it. I am not a completist by any means, but I don't know... with this book, I just felt obligated. I was just plain bored. It had such a promising plot and I can't get enough of anything remotely dystopian, but this one just missed the mark for me. 

7. The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson: Unless you've read this book yourself, you're probably not going to believe me. BUT... damn it was awful. It was like a kid writing a horror book. I couldn't finish it. There's just no way. The writing was all over the place, there were was not a continuous flow of what was actually taking place in the house, and once again... I was bored. Oh well... there's plenty of other horror novels out there that are just waiting to scare the heck out of me!

8. Lucifer's Flood by Linda Rios Brook: This one only received one star from me, but it honestly might be my fault. I think I set my expectations way to high for this one. It could've been so much more, quite literally celestial, but it just fell flat.  

Julia's Picks

9.  A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin: This book was painfully long to get through. After all of the excitement of Storm of Swords, then getting to a book where half of my favorite characters were not there? Brutal. It literally took me two years to read this book.

10. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett: I saw this book on so many lists when I was big into reading and doing challenges. It had a solid summary, but for some reason when I started reading I just couldn't connect. Like at all. I had to just give up and stop. 

Which books have you really struggled to get through or completely given up on?

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Top Ten Hidden Gems in Historical Fiction

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This week we're talking about hidden gems in the genre of your choice. We here at TBTB decided to talk about historical fiction! We can't wait to see which genres you picked. Let us know if you have any historical fiction recs you think we'd enjoy based on our picks this week!

Jamie's Picks

1. Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys: Ruta's other two books get a lot more attention and I feel like this one is way underrated! The setting (New Orleans) is amazing and vivid and I loved the characters! 

2. Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee: This book came out last year and I don't know why it wasn't more popular! It was a great story and a great setting. 

3. Brazen by Katherine Longshore: This one was quite the addictive romp through King Henry VIII’s court! It's part of a series of companion novels and it's great and super underrated!

4. I Shall Be Near to You by Erin McCabe: The other picks I gave are all YA books but if you are looking for an underrated adult historical fiction, I recommend this book set during the Civil War featuring a woman who disguises herself as a man in order to be with her husband and fight in the war. 

Kimberly's Picks

I second I Shall Be Near To You! That book is beautiful. 

5. River Of Time Series by Lisa T. Bergen: Okay so this isn't strictly HF. It's time travel. But oh this story! Every book in the series is incredible. The setting is amazing, the romance is sweet and believable, and the character growth is PHENOMENAL. 

6. Red River Series by Chie Shinohara: Okay. Normally I don't recommend manga here, because it's not for everyone. But this is one heck of a story. There was obviously a great deal of research put into the writing. This is one of those reads where I feel like I'm learning something, and I'm constantly googling for even more information. It also has wonderful characters (with amazing character growth as well) an engrossing romance (watch out for tropes, there are many, but you'll love it despite / because of them). 

Lauren's Picks

7. Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick: This is a very realistic historical fiction book recounting a boy's survival through Cambodian genocide and Khmer Rouge. Fair warning... there will be ugly crying. 

8. The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent: I felt like I was a true insider when reading this gem. It depicts the life of the daughter of one of the first women accused and hanged during the Salem Witch Trials.

9. The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran: This is my go to author for all things historical fiction relating to Ancient Egypt. 

10. The Wet Nurse's Tale by Erica Eisdorfer: Y'all know how much I love Margaret Atwood... and The Handmaid's Tale is one of my favorite books. This book is very similar and pretty heartbreaking. I read this over five years ago and it still sits on my Goodreads favorites shelf. 

Jana's Pick

11. The Caged Graves by Dianne K. Salerni: This is gothic YA at its finest, in my opinion. I love the setting and the atmospheric writing. The story, which takes place in 1867,  surrounds the mystery of a real pair of caged graves in present-day Catawissa, Pennsylvania. 

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Top Ten Tuesday: Back To School Freebie - Books We Wish Had Been Required Reading in School

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For this week's back to school freebie, we're talking all about required reads. I don't know about you, but I (Jana) read a lot of books I hated in school. A LOT. Required reading made me hate reading, and it took me until I was about 19 to rekindle my love. Some books should not be required at all, in my opinion. But there are many amazing ones that should be, and we're here to tell you about them today.

Lauren's Picks

Just to preface - I am cheating a little on this one, I'm a little older and these books were published after I graduated high school... so... my list encompasses books I hope will one day be required reading/books if they were written earlier, I would have loved to have read when in school. :)

1. Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer: I honestly believe if I could've read this book when in HS, it would have gotten me even MORE pumped up for college. I would've been the weird girl at the back of the english literature class with googly eyes waiting for some straight up magic to happen.

2. Night by Elie Wiesel: I can't express how much this book moved me. I think I've cried every single time I've read it, and I recommend everyone to read it. It is heartbreaking, but it is simply truth. The truth of what forms humanity can take. 

3. Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross: I love a good historical fiction novel as much as the next person, but add in an empowered female who legit posed as a man and changed and world? Holy smokes... literally. :)

Jana's Picks

I'm kind of with Lauren on this. Some of these books were published after I graduated high school, and are books I would love to see high schoolers reading now.

4. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: This is a beautiful, unique Holocaust story the emphasizes a love of people and books. And the fact that it's narrated by Death, gives us a whole different picture of the kinds of things that happened during this time. There's lots to discuss and contemplate.

5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: I would have loved to read an actual FUN book in high school, and The Hunger Games has a lot of talking points and discussions surrounding it. 

6. Bridge of Scarlet Leaves by Kristins McMorris: Before I read this book, I had not understood the magnitude of the racism and segregation the Japanese-Americans dealt with. It's an important topic to know about and understand, and the writing in this book is beautiful. Plus, there's a hint of romance that was very sweet.

Lori's Picks

7.  Sex Object by Jessica Valenti:  This would definitely be more for juniors and seniors in high school...but I think it was really useful in showing how pervasive sexism is and how it affects both males and females.  I think high schools need to do a better job of discussing sexism instead of trying to sweep it under the rug.

8.  Look Homeward, Angel by Thomas Wolfe:  Full disclosure--I have not finished this book yet.  But from what I know about it and the beauty of the prose, I think that this might be a lovely book for high schoolers, who are getting ready to embark on a new journey.

9.  Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi:  LOVED this book!  I think it provides a great look at African and African American history, which is something that I feel gets glossed over a lot in many high school history classes.  Plus it's a great book!

10.  Wild by Cheryl Strayed:  This is a great book for teaching you that it's OK to get lost for a while and that you can find your way back.

Which books do you wish were required reading in school? Or which books do you think are super important for people to be taught about in school?

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Ten Graphic Novel Recommendations

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Hi everyone! We're back! Thanks so much for hanging in there with us while we took a much needed break. Some of us are dealing with some health issues and we've got a whole puddle of new babies who need their mommies, so life kind of got in the way! We're still figuring out our mojo in light of all these changes, so thanks for your patience as we sort through what the future holds for us. :)

We can't wait to see what direction you took this week's topic in! Link up your posts and we'll do our best to stop by and visit you. :)

Today I, Jana, am tackling this topic on my own and decided to highlight some graphic novels I've read and enjoyed recently. I'm a baby when it comes to this entire world of graphic novels, so recommend some of your favorites if you'd like!

1. The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O'Neil: SO cute, very pretty illustrations, and lots of adorable tea dragons!

2. The Little Red Wolf by Amelie Flechais: A topsy turvy retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. Kind of dark, but beautiful.

3. Nimona by Noelle Stevenson: Fantasy with an awesome heroine! And villains!

4. The Arrival by Shaun Tan: A very sweet, wordless immigration story.

5. Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale: A wild, wild west Rapunzel!

6. Spill Zone by Scott Westerfield: A sci-fi graphic novel that Marissa Meyer blurbed!

7. Cast No Shadow by Nick Tapalansky: Guy is in love with a ghost. HELLO.

8. Saved By The Bell #1 by Joelle Sellner: It's SBTB!

9. Wires and Nerve by Marissa Meyer: It's The Lunar Chronicles! I loved seeing my old friends.

10. In Real Life by by Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang: It's about gamers!

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New Top Ten Tuesday Topics For When We Resume In August

Hey everyone! Jamie here! As promised, whilst on maternity leave and waiting for this baby to come out (ahh my due date is in 3 days),  I have put together some new topics for when we resume Top Ten Tuesday officially!

And I'll even do you a solid and post them here so you don't even HAVE to go over to the tab that says Top Ten Tuesday :)


August 15:  Ten book recommendations for ______________: (Skies the limit here...examples: for Hufflepuffs, for fans of Game of Thrones, for people who don't normally read YA, for animal lovers, for video game lovers, etc.
August 22: Back To School Freebie: anything "back to school" related like 10 favorite books I read in school, books I think should be required reading, Required Reading For All Fantasy Fans, required reading for every college freshman, Books to Pair With Classics or Books To Complement A History Lesson, books that would be on my classroom shelf if I were a teacher, etc.
August 29: Ten Hidden Gem Books in X Genre: Pick a genre and share with us some books that have gone under the radar in that genre!
September 5: Ten Books I Struggled to Get Into But Ended Up Loving or Ten Books That Were A Chore To Get Through or Ten Books I've Most Recently Put Down (the theme is...books you had a hard time with...tweak it how ever you need)
September 12: Throwback Freebie: Ten Books I Loved During The First Year I Started My Blog, Favorite Books Published 5 or 10 or 15 Years Ago, Ten Older Books I Forgot How Much I Loved, etc. etc. Tweak however you want!
September 19: Top Ten Books On My Fall TBR List
September 26:  Ten Books That Feature Characters ____________: Examples: Ten books that feature black main characters, characters who hold interesting jobs, characters who have a mental illness, characters that are adopted, characters that play sports, etc, etc. Can't wait to see what you all come up with!



And...in the event that you are coming up with your own Top Ten Tuesday posts while we are on break...here's a linky to share them with us and others in the meantime!

Best Books We've Read So Far in 2017

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Before we get to the topic at hand -- Jamie here with a little admin note. I know many people have noticed that the Top Ten Tuesday schedule hasn't been updated. As a group we've decided that Top Ten Tuesday is going to take a little break until August 15th.  I'm officially on baby watch (my due date is July 11) and Kimberly is right behind me so in July we will have 3 itty bitty Broke and Bookish babies that will have been born in the past few months (you might remember Daisy had her baby recently!) and the other ladies have a lot going on that would make it hard without all of us to contribute (plus I'm typically the one who makes sure TTT happens behind the scenes as well). So feel free to make your own lists while we take a break but there won't be any official Top Ten Tuesday's happening here. I'm on maternity leave as of Friday so I will be getting some topics ready for our return in August and hope to have them up soon so you have them well ahead of our return!

Jamie's Picks

1. The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord: Emery is one of my all time favorite authors and her latest just really really hit me on a personal level and was just all around amazing.

2. Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han: I haven't read a series ending that made me as happy as this one! READ THIS SERIES IF YOU HAVEN'T.

3. The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli: Oh man, I knew Becky would deliver with her sophomore novel. I absolutely loved this book!

4. The Hating Game by Sally Thorne: This romance was EXACTLY what I needed!

5.  Windwitch by Sysan Dennard:  An amazing sequel to a series that I am just so ridiculously excited to continue on with!

Lori's Picks

6.  The Green Mile by Stephen King:  I just finished this weekend.  I know I am late to the party on this one, but I LOVED IT!

7.  The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan:  This was such a lovely collection of short stories and essays by a gal who tragically died 5 days after her college graduation. I would have loved to see what else she would have produced.

8.  Sex Object by Jessica Valenti:  Valenti wrote a very raw and vivid account of all of the ways sexism has shaped her life.  It was very eye-opening and made me angry and ggggrrrrrr!

9.  Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple:  From the author of Where'd You Go, Bernadette? Who hasn't vowed to be better and different starting today?  And who hasn't had those very plans burn around them?  This is a great book about that very occurrence.

10.  South and West by Joan Didion:  FINALLY! Something new by Didion!  I loved reading her notebooks about a trip she took throughout the South with her husband and the trip she took through California.  This volume is full of keen insights, which still (unfortunately, in some cases) ring true today.

Tell us the best books you read so far this year!

Top Ten Series I've Been Meaning To Start But Haven't

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Lori's Pick

1. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman:  This kind of book normally isn't my thing, but I've heard such wonderful things about the third book! I feel weird just reading the last book of the series, so I'll have to push through the first two. Haha.

Jana's Picks

2. The Fire and Thorns Trilogy by Rae Carson

3. Lucky Harbor Series by Jill Shalvis


I don't really have anything to say about them except that people love them and I think they sound awesome!

Kimberly's Picks

4. The Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella: I've heard so many good things, and I love Sophie Kinsella. I think I even own the first book. I just haven't started it yet.


5. Anything Terry Pratchett: I feel terrible that I haven't read any of his stuff! My husband isn't the bookworm that I am, and even he has read Pratchett!!


6. The Program by Suzanne Young: I've actually read the first book, but haven't continued on to the rest. I liked it! I just haven't picked up the others yet.

Jamie's Picks

7. The Wolves of Mercy Falls series by Maggie Stiefvater: Every since I started blogging in 2010 I have meant to read this series (I even own them) but still have not even read the first book! OOPS.

8. Shades of Magic series by Victoria Schwab: I hear amaaaazing things about this series and own the first two books but haven't gotten to them yet. STORY OF MY LIFE.

9. Heir Chronicles AND Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima: A friend gave me the whole Heir Chronicles series and I keep meaning to reading but ALSO everyone who is a fan of this author says the Seven Realms series is their FAVE so I keep meaning to grab that from the library.

10. The Selection series by Kiera Cass: Everyone I know talks about how this series is the ultimate book crack that you can just binge right through. I think I'm defintitely going to binge this while I'm out on maternity leave.

What series have you been meaning to start? Have you read any of the ones we haven't started? 

Best & Worst Dads We've Come Across In Literature

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We are talking dads in literature -- the good and the bad!

 Jamie's picks: 

I honestly picked books I've read recently....not an OF ALL TIME sort of thing because I wanted to talk about books I read recently.

1. BEST: Lara Jean's dad in Jenny Han's To All The Boys I've Loved Before series: Oh man how I love Lara Jean's dad. LJ's dad is so wonderful and I love how he tries to uphold all the Korean traditions of their mother after she passes away. He's just seriously the best and such a caring dad.

2. BEST: Lucy's dad in The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord: Lucy's dad really reminded me of my stepfather in how he took care of my mom when she was sick. He's such a great dad to Lucy and I really enjoyed both of her parents.

3. BEST: Starr's dad in The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas: OH MY GOD I LOVE HER DAD SO MUCH. Her mom too. I honestly would just read a book about her mom and dad because they are just so great.

4. BEST: Kate's dad in My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella: Kate's dad...oh I just loved him. He made me laugh sometimes with the whole glamping business thing and how grumpy the city made him (honestly kind of reminded me of my dad in some ways). He was such a caring dad and wanted his daughter to succeed but, like all dads, doesn't always show it in the most perfect of perfect ways. Loved their relationship.

5. WORST: Savannah's dad in All in Pieces by Suzanne Young: Her dad was seriously terrible. I wanted to kick him so many times. STOP BEING SO SHITTY.

6. WORST: Both Dill and Travis's dads in The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner: Two best friends with two awful dads. HAAAAAAATRED RUNS THROUGH MY VEINS WHEN I THINK ABOUT THEIR DADS.

Bridget's Pick

7. BEST: Mr. Bennet from Pride and Prejudice: He knows it's BS that Elizabeth is being pressured to marry Mr. Collins and defends her against her crazy mother. Seems like a chill dude who I'd like to have in my life!





Who are your picks??

Ten Contemporary Books We've Added To Our TBRs Lately

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Jamie's Picks

1. Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo: A story of a marriage that is set in Nigeria.

2. Calling My Name by Liara Tamani: This sounds like a beautiful coming of age story!

3. You Bring The Distant Near by Mitali Perkins: Tells the story of an Indian-American immigrant family. It sounds soooo good.

Lori's Picks

4.  The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid:  This is my Book of the Month Club pick for June.  An aging Hollywood star hires a reporter to tell her life story.  Super juicy, from what I hear!

5.  Marlena by Julie Buntin:  This is the story of two teenagers who become friends and one of them goes off the rails and dies.  The other is still haunted by their friendship decades later.

6.  The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo:  A guy and a girl meet while in college and fall for each other, but life kind of keeps them apart.  It's been compared to Love Story for the new generation and as One Day meets Me Before You.

Jana's Picks

7. All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda: I love mysteries and suspense novels, especially in the summer so I'm excited about this one. Two women who disappear 10 years apart?? Told in reverse?? YES.

8. Diving Into Trouble by Shona Husk: I also read a lot of contemporary romance, and this one takes place on a submarine! Super unique.

9. The Chaos of Standing Still by Jessica Brody: I love airport stories! And New Years Eve. And Jessica Brody. And blizzards.

10. You Say It First by Susan Mallery: Susan has a new series coming out about a destination wedding company owner. It sounds cute.

What contemporary books have you added to your TBR lately? 

Ten of Jamie's Most Anticipated Reads For The Rest Of 2017

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 I have so, so many books I'm excited about that are upcoming for the rest of 2017 so this list was PRETTY hard.


1. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid: Taylor Jenkins Reid is an auto-buy author for me as I just adore her books and this one sounds amazing! An unknown reporter, Monique, gets contacted for the job of a lifetime — an Old Hollywood legend wants her to write her biography and share all the secrets and scandals of her life as she made her way up the ranks in Hollywood.

2. Our Dark Duet by Victoria Schwab: I really enjoyed This Savage Song so I can't wait for this conclusion!

3. The Secret History of Us by Jessi Kirby: Jessi Kirby is one of my favorite contemporary YA writers and I feel like all her books are sooo underrated but anytime she has a new one out it is ALWAYS at the top of my most anticipated list!

4. The Girl With The Red Balloon by Katherine Locke: Historical fiction + time travel! I've been so excited for this book for YEARS because I follow the author on Twitter and I've loved every time she's talked about it or shared quotes from it so YEAH very high on my most anticipated list.

5. There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins: I am obsessed with all of Stephanie Perkins contemporary YA and I'm so so intrigued by her upcoming novel which is a HORROR NOVEL. I'm so game. I trust her.

6. Words In Deep Blue by Cath Crowley: Cath Crowley's Graffiti Moon is one of my all time favorite books and I have been DYING for this one.

7. Renegades by Marissa Meyer: Excited for a fantasy series from Marissa Meyer! I've really enjoyed the books I've read in her Lunar Chronicles series (which I still need to finish before I ever get to this one).

8. Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert: I really enjoyed Brandy Colbert's Pointe and I've been eagerly awaiting this one.

9.  Devils & Thieves by Jennifer Rush: “A thrilling new urban fantasy filled with magic and motorcycle gangs” — sounds amazing and unique right??

10. Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao: “The Wrath and the Dawn meets Snow White and the Huntsman in this dark and mystical East Asian fantasy reimagining of The Evil Queen legend about one peasant girl’s quest to become Empress.” NEEEEED.

BONUS: Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas

 PS. If you want to know some of the other books I'm itching to read that comes out in this second half of 2017 you can check out this post and this post.



Tell me your most anticipated releases for the rest of 2017!

Top Ten Beach Reads If You Don't Enjoy Contemporary

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This week's topic: Summer Reads Freebie. We've got Daisy on the blog presenting beach reads that aren't the typical contemporary genres!

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For me, basically anything can be a beach read, just put me on a beach and I will start reading. And I love a good mix of fantasy and other genres mixed in with my contemporaries.

1. A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas: bet you didn't see that one coming ;) I love this series and even if you don't like contemporary, I still believe books with a strong/sexy romance are the way to go.

2. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon: I'm a big fan of reading chunky books on the beach, because usually you have a pretty decent amount of time to read when you're there, this one definitely falls in that category. Also: added bonus of being able to watch the series when you get home.

3. Anything by Sarah MacLean: if contemporary romance isn't you jam, maybe historical romance is with all the balls and ruination and bodice ripping (there's actually almost never any bodice ripping), and Sarah MacLean writes AMAZING historical romances!

4. Anything by Julia Quinn: see previous explanation.

5. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown: it's sure to keep your intention, and another chunky book.

6. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss: I actually made the Mr read this on the beach and he loved it. And he basically only reads when we're on the beach.

7. The Bone Season series by Samantha Shannon: these books are SO good! And the third one just came out in March, so you can get a decent way into the series if you start now!

8. The Hex Hall series by Rachel Hawkins: if you're in the mood for somewhat light paranormal YA.

9. The Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima: if you like your beach with a side of epic YA fantasy.

10. Nimona by Noelle Stevenson: because it's a whole lot of fun and a graphic novel, if you're not in the mood for chunky books.

What beach reads would you recommend to people who don't love contemporary?

Jamie Talks 10 Of The Best & Worst Moms/Motherly Figures She's Encountered In Books Recently

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This week's topic: Mother's Day related Freebie: favorite moms in literature, books about motherhood, best mother/daughter or son relationships, books to buy your mom, worst moms in literature, etc. etc.

THE BEST THAT I'VE ENCOUNTERED RECENTLY

1.  Agnes in Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy: Agnes is the grandmother of our main character, Ramona's, childhood friend Freddie. Agnes is not only a wonderful motherly type figure to Ramona when she's little and then when she returns into her life but she is Freddie's primary caretaker and is seriously THE BEST. I loved Agnes so much!

2. Blake's grandmother from Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner: Blake is one of the main character's friends who dies in the car accident (not a spoiler..it's in the summary). She has taken care of Blake since he was little because his real mom is the worst and then when Blake dies and she Carver embark on their Goodbye Day she does some good mothering towards him when he needs it most and refused to open up to his own parents (he does have a really good mom too!).

3. Molly's moms in The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli: Seriously I love her moms!! They are supportive and wonderful and I really loved her relationship with them! Becky really made them feel real and vibrant and essential, with their own storylines, rather than have them kind of faded into the background as so many YA parents are.

4. Lucy's mom in The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord: Oh man, I loved Lucy's mom so much and it pained me so much that she was going through so much. She is such a loving mom to Lucy and I just thought she was great.

5. Frances's mom in Radio Silence by Alice Oseman: She isn't maybe as HUGE as a part in this book as the others I've listed but it was such a wonderful and healthy mother-daughter relationship that I really appreciated. It was really nice to see how close they were!

6. Starr's mom in The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas: Starr got the great end of parental units. I loved her mom (and dad) SO MUCH. She's really such a great mom. I would honestly read a book about Starr's parents to be completely honest.

THE NOT SO GREAT ONES I'VE ENCOUNTERED

7.  Ramona's mom in Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy: I listed Freddie's grandma as BEST motherly figure above but maaan Ramona's mom in this book was rough. She wasn't like the WORST WORST...you could see she did try sometimes...but she was a hot mess mostly from leaving them when they were younger and how she acted in some of the scenes.

8.  Dana's mom in Fireworks by Katie Cotugno: Dana's mom is awful and I really felt for Dana. I totally could have added her bff Olivia's mom to the great mom list above because she always showed up for Dana when her own mom didn't and treated her like another daughter. 

9.  Jeanette's mom in The Glass Castle: The saddest part is that, unlike the other moms listed, this one is real because this book is a memoir. Her dad was the worst but her mom was just as bad and was an enabler and just ughhh her manic personality was so hard to deal with. I could not even with the parents and their ways. SO TERRIBLE and sad...like really sad. I was amazed at how she could still find love for her mom (and dad) as an adult.

10. Joss Byrd's mom in Unscripted Joss Byrd: OH SO AWFUL. Joss is a child actor and her mom is seriously terrible and uses her and I just wanted to punch her. 

Tell me about the amazing and awful moms/motherly figures you've encountered recently!!

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Things On Our Reading Wishlist

For future Top Ten Tuesday topics & info on how to participate, click here!

 This week's topic:


Ten Things On Our Reading Wishlist (topic originally done January 2014) -- things you want to see more of in books -- tropes, a time period, a specific type of character, an issue tackled, a certain plot, etc. All those things that make you think I WANT MORE OF THIS IN BOOKS!

We are sitting this week out because we couldn't get ourselves together this weekend to do it! I (Jamie) had plans of doing it today but I'm still feeling wrecked from my baby shower this week --- extroverting is hard. Also pregnancy is tiring, so is putting away all said stuff from baby shower. I need a nap again just thinking about it.

ANYWAYS...while we rest our brains, we can't wait to read through your reading wishlists!!

10 Books With Food Or Drinks On the Cover

Sometimes I have these things that instantly catch my eye when I'm browsing book covers. One of those things is FOOD. Maybe it's because I am very passionate about food (especially dessert) but my eye is always drawn to covers with food on them.

So I'm going to share 10 books I've read or are on my TBR that have FOOD on the cover. I take no responsibility if your stomachs start grumbling. I'm pregnant so imagine how hard it is for me to put this together! SORRY NOT SORRY.

Also tell me down below what are those things on covers that instantly attract your eye! 

-- Jamie

Love & Gelato 

Tell Me Three Things

Small Town Sinners

 The Careful Undressing of Love

Sweethearts 

 The Particular Sadness of of Lemon Cake

 The Summer of First and Lasts

 The Coincidence of Coconut Cake

 Georgia Peaches & Other Forbidden Fruit

When Dimple Met Rishi

What food covers did I miss?? Leave em below!

Top Ten Things That Will Make Us Instantly NOT Want To Read A Book

For a list of past and future Top Ten Tuesday topics and to find out more about Top Ten Tuesday, click here!

Daisy's Picks

1. Books set in space: I'm not even sure why this is, but books (and also movies, with the exception of Star Wars, because AWESOME) set in space don't work for me usually. Sadly, this limits my scifi-exposure greatly.

2. Angels; I've had a lot of misses when it comes to books about angels or angel-like species (with the exception of the Unearthly series by Cynthia Hand which I LOVED), so this is pretty much a turn off for me.

3. Fae: the classic fae stories don't seem to work for me, I do love The Falconer series by Elizabeth May and A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas, but mostly, it's just not my thing.

4. World War II: Maybe it's because my grandma lived through this in the Netherlands and it's just a little too close for comfort for me, but I find myself shying away from book that are set in this time period.


Jamie's Picks

5. If it sounds too manicpixiedreamgirl: I've loved books with this trope but the older I'm getting the harder time I'm having to want to read it if I feel like the summary eludes to it.

6. Any book that seems like it is glorifying abusive or super aggressively alpha males: I'm just so not into it. 

7. (DON'T JUDGE ME) But if a book has a reallyyyyyyy low rating on Goodreads: I know, I know. I mean, some books I love have kind of low ratings on Goodreads and I don't care because I love them. BUT if a book has like a REALLY low rating and I wasn't THAT excited about it...like just semi interested...it's a pretty big turnoff even though I've been really trying to not put so much stock into ratings. 


Julia's Picks  

8. Love Triangles: I'm sick of them at this point. Can't there be an engaging story with an awesome heroine who only has one love interest? Or even dare I say zero? 

9. First person POV: This one I will usually bend on, especially in YA. But most often as soon as I see the "I", I groan.

 Kimberly's Pick

10.  Animal abuse. I'll never understand why authors think this is something that is okay to add. It's disgusting and I hate it and will refuse to read a book if it contains this.