Top Ten Tuesday (8)

Top Ten All Time Favourite Characters In Books

Yes, I know it's Wednesday!  I am breaking the rules!  I did ask permission yesterday though.  Here's my Top Ten Tuesday on Wednesday.  You can't see, but I'm smiling at you.

I am horrible at these lists.  Or, at least, feel like I am.  It takes me an incredibly long time to make any decision and these are no exception.  There are so many amazing characters and it was so difficult to choose.

My thought process:  Lately, I’ve come to the conclusion that my favourite books are the ones I have difficulty remembering.  So, I’m thinking, “This is my favourite character, but I can’t remember them clearly.  So, maybe they’re not my favourite character.” And so on.

Also, I was tempted to make this top ten list entirely out of Harry Potter characters.

1. Professor McGonagall from Harry Potter.  I have so much respect for her character, and my opinion of her only continues to improve.
2. Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter.  Here me out with this one.  I always liked Draco, but I wish he made better decisions. I know he ended up in a very bad place and did some very bad things, but after reading through the entire series, (twice), I understand the position he was in.
3. Megan Meade from Megan Meade’s Guide to the McGowan Boys by Kate Brian.  If a girl can survive living with seven boys of varying ages she’s memorable in my books.  No matter how many times I go back to this book I can always relate to Megan.
4. Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games.  Despite all the killing and what I’ll label as, “other stuff”, I could really relate to her.  Actually, I could probably relate to her because of the "other stuff".  (I bet you want to know what I mean by "other stuff" now).
5. Owen Armstrong from Just Listen by Sarah Dessen.  This book taught me so many important lessons, but I think I learned most of them through Owen.  Plus, I really admire his appreciation of music.
6. Percy Jackson from Percy Jackson and the Olympians.  Percy was a real hero, but human enough to make mistakes.  I guess that’s what happens when you’re a demigod.  Plus, I really cared about what happened to him.  This is another series I have to reread.
7. Jake Upshore from Pluto’s Ghost by Sheree Fitch.  I fall in love with Jake’s story every time I read it.  I love the way he thinks and I love his frictionally.
8. Mia Thermopolis from Meg Cabot’s The Princess Diaries, because Mia helped me fall in love with reading.  I’ll always love her for that.

Love List (13)

Hi!


Lately, I've had some obsessions that have turned into things I love.


Vlog Brothers videos on youtube.
DFTBA.

She's The Man.

My Life Would Suck Without You by Kelly Clarkson.

That, lately, whenever I try to remember "Kelly Clarkson" I always think of "Kelley Armstrong" first.

That I met Nicholas Sparks.
Rings.
Pink hair.
Free health care.
Pintrest.
Harry Potter 20 Questions.
Clue.  (I really love Clue).
I don't even know if Harry Potter Clue exists, but I love that it could exist.
The Book Depository.
Above by Leah Bobet.
Tangled.
Bridesmaids.
Monte Carlo.
The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks.
What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction.
Finding out who / what One Direction is.
That I was given a City of Lost Souls shirt to wear at work.
That I can record voice memos on my phone.
The new covers of White Cat, Red Glove, and Black Heart.  (I was previously very against them, but then I saw them in person and folded like a deck of cards.  They're very pretty.)
Easter morning.
That there are still chocolate eggs and bunnies hiding in plants and on picture frames (in my house).

That this is the 13th Love List and yesterday was Friday the 13th.

Hey Julie by Fountains of Wayne.

Finding cupcakes in the fridge at work.  (They were for everyone).

Canadian Problems tumblr.

I've been distracted by tumblr ...

Side note:  I have not seen The Hunger Games movie yet. *headdesk*

Goodnight!

Top Ten Tuesday (7)

Spring Fever:  Top Ten Books I'd Play Hooky With

1.  Insurgent by Veronica Roth, because OMG INSURGENT.

2.  City of Lost Souls, which I don't have, but I love taking a day just to read the newest Cassandra Clare when it comes out.  CoLS is released in May, which is spring, so it fits into this list perfectly.

3.  Black Heart by Holly Black, because I loved White Cat and Red Glove.

4.  Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready, because I really want to know what happens.

5.  Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore, because I was so excited for it after I read The Splendor Falls, but I haven't gotten to it yet.

6.  The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, because of everyone else's reactions.

7.  Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong  because a day spent reading a book by Kelley Armstrong is a good day.

8.  The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann, because I usually don’t pay attention to the world when I’m in the middle of a Lisa Mcmann novel.

9.  Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins, because of my love for Anna and the French Kiss.  (If you want to here me gush about Anna click here).  Gosh, I’m so behind on my reading.

10.  Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris, because I’ve read most of the Sookie Stackhouse novels in less than 24 hours.  (One book per day.  I’ve never read more than two books in a day).

It should be said that I prefer to wait until I have a free day before I read the newest novel by:  Cassandra Clare, Kelley Armstrong, Becca Fitzpatrick, Kami Garcia, and Margaret Stohl.

Now, I'm excited for all of these books coming out in the fall.  That was not the point of this.  Oh well, I'm going to read an amazing book tomorrow, so I'm ridiculously happy (and cannot spell).

I decided to use books I haven't read yet for this post, but I could easily do the opposite.  For example:  I, highly, recommend reading The Hunger Games trilogy over a long weekend.  (No, I have not seen the movie yet!)

Love List (12)

I love ...

Mail.
Magazines.
The fact that I have magazines from 2006.
Glitter.
Days like yesterday.
Spring.
Pressure by Paramore.
Stacie Orrico.
Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry.
The Lorax.
Adele’s “21”.
Shopping with my mom.
Dancing with the Stars.
So You Think You Can Dance.
One Tree Hill.
The Hunger Games cup I got at the movie theatre.
Finding old letters.
Deciding to mail letters again.
The possibilities.

The cover of Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl.

The fact that there's a release date for the sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer.

How everything feels better once winter is over.

Sunglasses.
Ideas.

Early Book Review: Pandemonium

Title: Pandemonium

Author: Lauren Oliver

Series: The Delirium Trilogy

Length: 375 pages

Publisher: Harper (an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers)

On-Sale Date: February 28, 2012

Format: ARC paperback

There will be SPOILERS for anyone who has NOT read DELIRIUM.

The ongoing battle between the Cured and the Invalids is at an all time high, and this time, Lena’s an integral part of the fight.
Months ago, Lena escaped Portland and the cure that would take away her ability to love.  Heartbroken, Lena had to leave behind Alex, the boy she loved.  She had to bury the memory of Alex’s love and his auburn hair deep within her.  She cannot turn back.  The past is dead, and so is the boy who gave her the deliria.
Lena runs further and deeper into the Wilds.  It’s here she meets other Invalids – so many others – and rebuilds herself.

Lena knows what damage the cure can cause, and now she’s fighting back.
For Alex.
For her mother.
For herself.

Lena’s deeper into the battle than she realizes.  This war is fueled by fiery rage and it’s only a matter of time until she’s burned.
Lena is looking for revenge and justice.  They took away everyone.  She’s not looking for another boy to love.  ‘He’ just reminds her of Alex.  Her fractured heart can’t handle it … then why is she feeling like this?
Does the resistance stand a chance?
Can Lena open her heart again?

Many beautiful pieces were tied together to create Pandemonium.

Delirium was a great read, but Pandemonium was that much better.  It took this series to another level and that was exactly what you’d ask for from a sequel.

Pandemonium was intriguing, and it had a fantastic storyline.
Like Delirium, Pandemonium was told in Lena’s perspective, but this time there were two timeframes.  The chapters alternated between present day Lena and Lena immediately after she escaped into the Wilds.  This merging of past and present brought more depth and clarity to the story.  Pandemonium would not have been as powerful or had the same effect if it was told in any other way.

The events of Delirium changed Lena forever and she became a stronger character because of it.  She was more likeable in Pandemonium, because the rawness made her more relatable.

Pandemonium made for an emotional read.  I felt more for this book in comparison to the first of the series.  The crucial moments were more serious and the stakes were higher.  Lena was under so much pressure and she deserved a happy ending this time around.

Lena was closed off and hardened from losing Alex.  Her escape into the Wilds was nothing like she thought it would be mostly because she didn’t have her love by her side.  She was entirely focused on getting out, that it never occurred to her what would happen afterwards.  She faced dangers, threats, obstacles, and ultimately pulled through.
Lena wasn’t completely reliant on other people in Pandemonium.  She learned that sometimes she could save herself.
I liked Lena in Delirium, but I loved her in Pandemonium.

This story was a step up from Delirium and Lena had a completely different mindset.  In addition to all the extra baggage she carried, Lena was forced to grow up at an alarmingly quick rate.  Her metamorphosis was told stunningly and intricately. Through her words Lauren Oliver brought beauty to Lena’s character.

I resisted too, and didn’t want Lena to fall in love again, but I couldn’t help but fall for the new boy myself.  In fact, this boy might be loved more than Alex was.  He arrived at the right time in Lena’s life, and whether they fell in love or not didn’t matter, because he was the right person to care for her.  They really seemed to need each other.

Nothing could prepare you for this ending.  Lauren must have something up her sleeve, because Pandemonium’s last pages will shock you to the core. I was delirious with glee, because it was the perfect setup for the final book.

Pandemonium exceeded any expectations I could have had.

Rating

Premise: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Writing: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Overall: 5/5

Disclosure: I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from the publisher. This did not influence my review in any way.