10 Popular YA Series I Haven't Read

With Trash My TBR and the likes going around, I've also been inspired to take a look at my goodreads to-read shelf lately, out of curiosity for what I would find there. Like many people, my goodreads tbr has gotten out of hand a long time ago and I tend to add books randomly and then forget about them days later. So today I want to talk about some popular YA series that I found that I never ended up starting, even though they seem to be beloved by many people. These are all older releases that people were talking about a lot when I first started my blog around 5 years ago, which I think is why most of them also happen to be dystopian.

7 Reasons Why I Didn't Like The Kiss of Deception

The Kiss of Deception

by Mary E. Pearson

Series: The Remnant Chronicles #1

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy

Publication date: July 8, 2014

Published by: Henry Holt

Hardcover, 486 pages

My rating: 2/5 ★

A princess must find her place in a reborn world.

She flees on her wedding day. She steals ancient documents from the Chancellor's secret collection. She is pursued by bounty hunters sent by her own father. She is Princess Lia, seventeen, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan.

The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can't abide. Like having to marry someone she's never met to secure a political alliance.

Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—secrets that may unravel her world—even as she feels herself falling in love.

I'm going to warn you. There is a whole lot of negativity ahead. I don't want to offend anyone, so please don't take any of this personal if The Kiss of Deception is your favorite book ever. It just wasn't the right book for me, and that makes me sad. It didn't keep my interest and unlike all the raving reviews I've seen so far, I'm going to talk about all the things that bothered me about this book.

• THE MAIN CHARACTER. I did not like Lia. She was naïve, arrogant and selfish; add to that the most dumbest actions and thoughts ever, and you've got yourself a protagonist that I just couldn't stand. It was impossible to connect to her and most of all, I couldn't understand her relationships with any of the other characters. Everything just felt off.
• THE LOVE TRIANGLE. Yes, no one likes love triangles, me included. But usually, I don't mind them that much if I can at least see the appeal of both love interests. Here? no. I felt like the author wanted the whole thing to be very subtle, which is fine, but for me it just ended up being weird, especially considering my next point. 
• THE BORING LOVE INTEREST. Rafe was the most tedious person I have ever read about. Honestly, I could not see the appeal. Maybe that had to do with the fact that I didn't even get to know him, like, at all. All the conversations he supposedly had with Lia were only mentioned and hardly any were actually written out, which made it impossible for me to get an idea of what kind of person he is. Mostly, it was just described that he had (for some mysterious reason) been attracted to Lia from the very first moment he laid eyes on her (come on, love triangle and instalove??) and then next thing you know, they are madly in love and he is willing to risk everything for her. What? 
• ALL THE INSTALOVE. Yes, you guessed it, the second guy also happened to be in love with Lia from day one. While I found Kaden more interesting and intriguing than Rafe, he was still pretty boring and stereotypical most of the time. I would like to learn more about his personality and past, though, which is more than I can say about anyone else in the story, so I guess he was my favorite. But back to the romance. The worst part about it isn't even that Rafe and Kaden both seemed to have fallen madly in love with Lia for no reason right from the start, but even at the end of the book I couldn't see why they were even interested in her. It all made no sense. 
• NOT EVEN THE FRIENDSHIPS SEEMED GENUINE. Pauline is Lia's supposed best friend. While she seemed like a sweet girl, I'm not going to act like I know anything about her. Her friendship with Lia didn't feel at all genuine and - again - I couldn't really understand it. What angered me most is that Lia didn't tell her the most important news but rather lied to her. I absolutely hate when people lie to each other under the pretense of wanting to protect them. It just doesn't make sense. 
• THE WRITING DIDN'T WORK FOR ME. Pearson's writing just wasn't for me, and I think it's the main reason for all the above mentioned dislike. It was all so very descriptive, but not in a way that worked for me. There was by far not enough dialogue, for example. Most of the parts where the characters got to know each other, and where I as a reader would've been able to learn more about them, were just briefly mentioned or summarized. No details, nothing. Instead, it all focused very much on Lia and her thinking, which of course didn't help because her reasoning annoyed me 99% of the time. 
• NOTHING HAPPENED. Honestly, this is a 500 page book, and I could summarize the entire plot in about five sentences. I kept hoping for the story to finally pick up but it all went at a snail's pace. I wish the book would have focused more on developing the relationships and such. Just a little more on the other characters. Lia was so self-centered, there was almost no room for anyone else. There was also only very little room for world building. I mean, this whole magic aspect still doesn't make any sense and other than some excerpts from Vendan texts, and some rare mention of Morrighese stories, we don't know anything about the world's history. I realize there are two more books in the story, but I would've just needed a little more in the first book to spark my interest.

To end this rant, I want to say that it wasn't all bad, it really wasn't. I can totally see other people enjoying the book, but it just wasn't for me. I don't understand the hype and it definitely didn't live up to my expectations.

Top Ten Tuesday #7: 10 Wishes I'd Ask The Book Genie To Grant Me

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

Hello there. This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic is 10 Wishes I'd Ask The Book Genie To Grant Me.  I only came up with six, but here they are, in no particular order:

[photo credit: @bookskay]

1. Hunger Games Luxury Edition Box Set

Of course I already own a copy of this series since it's one of my all time favorites, but the books that I own are nowhere near as incredibly beautiful as this Luxury Edition. The reason why I don't already own these lovely copies is that I can't find them anywhere. I'm guessing it was limited edition or something, but every time I see a picture on Instagram or so, I get the jealousy is unbearable. 

[photo credit]

2. A wall full of bookshelves

I have very limited space for my books in my room and I keep dreaming of one day having my own place where I can put books everywhere. Mostly, I just want an entire wall in my living room with bookshelves, of course filled with lots and lots of books. 

[photo credit]

3. Hidden door behind a bookshelf

This goes perfectly with 2. One of those bookshelves would then actually also be a secret door. I'm not sure what sort of room I would want to hide behind it but I don't really care. 

4. Go to Hogwarts

I'm pretty sure that this is everyone's dream, and it's probably the first wish I would ask the book genie to grant me. I'm not sure yet if I would want to go there together with Harry, Ron and Hermione, or after they have defeated the bad guys. For one thing, it would of course be awesome to be friends with them, but that does also seem very dangerous. Plus, according to Pottermore, I would be sorted into Hufflepuff anyway.

5. Fangirl Sequel

I can't explain to you how much I need a sequel to this book. If that genie could just convince Rainbow Rowell to continue Cath and Levi's story, I would be the happiest person ever. I just want to read more about their relationship, especially how Cath meets Levi's family. Of course I'm happy about Carry On, it's more than I would've hoped for, so I'm not really complaining. And no, I haven't read it yet because it still hasn't arrived even though I had it preordered from Amazon.. 

6. New book by Laini Taylor

I know, I know, there will be one. Next year. Maybe. But it won't ever be enough. I could read Laini Taylor's books all day. She has the most beautiful and most captivating writing style and I fell in love with the characters she creates in Daughter of Smoke & Bone.

So those are all the six wishes I could come up with. You can have the other four, because I'm nice like that.

What are some of your bookish wishes?

Top Ten Tuesday #6: Fall TBR

Hello there, I am baaack! I'm sorry for the absence this month but university started again last week and before that I was on holidays (again). I've been trying to get used to going back to uni this past week and it hasn't worked out very well so far. Of course I also want to get back into blogging, but this semester looks like it's going to be pretty stressful and I don't know how much time I will find for my blog. Enough, hopefully. But anyway, I'm here today with another Top Ten Tuesday!

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

This week's topic is Top Ten Books On My Fall TBR. Fall is finally here and I have to admit, I'm glad about the slightly colder temperatures and the chance to wear a jacket and boots again. Of course I also want to read lots of books this season, but here are my top ten I want to get to (in no particular order):

Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

I'm currently reading The Dream Thieves and I'm really enjoying this series so far. The characters are all growing on me and I can't wait to see what happens with them.

I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

I know, why haven't I read this already? I've had this book for a while and I honestly have never heard one bad word about it. Everyone loves it so much, but for some reason I still haven't read it. I'm definitely planning to change this SOON!

Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley

Even if the cover is the primary reason why I bought this book, I'm also really intrigued by the story. For some reason, this sounds like the perfect fall book for me (don't ask me why, though).

Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway

I have such high expectations for this book and I can't wait to see if it lives up to them. I really, really need a good contemporary book in my life again. I feel like I haven't read one that has truly warmed my heart in a while and this sounds like exactly one of those books.

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

Of course, fall is also the time to read some fantasy books. For some reason, I haven't read this book yet even though I've had it sitting on my shelf for a while. I really want to get to it and the cover looks very appropriate for the season in my opinion, so there's nothing holding me back.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

My wonderful boyfriend got me this book and I'm really glad he did. I think this is one of the books that I would've made excuses for not buying for way too long because I know it's going to be hard to read and I know it will take me a while to get through. But all the fantastic things I've heard about it have convinced me that I need to read this book, and soon!

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

I know, I know, I know. Another shameful confession: I haven't started The Lunar Chronicles yet. But I'm fully prepared to hop on that bandwagon now, so calm down. I was so excited when I first got this book and I wanted to start it right away. But then I didn't, for some reason. And I kept not reading it until I got to a point where it felt almost too late to start now. But I'm doing it, I promise. Before the year is over, I will have read this book.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

This was a rather recent purchase but it sounds so all-around amazing that I want to get to it as soon as possible. I think it's a book I need to be in the mood for, though, so it's probably not going to be the very first I'll pick up from this list.

Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

Another one of those books that I've been so excited for when they first came out but then ended up just not reading. And now the sequel is coming out and I still haven't read the first book. But I intend to change that this fall, too. 

All I Know Now: Wonderings and Reflections on Growing Up Gracefully by Carrie Hope Fletcher
Carrie is so talented and wonderful and I love watching her videos. I can't wait to hear what she has to say in her book, I'm sure it will be great.

That's it for my fall TBR. I hope you're all having a great week!

What are some books on your Fall TBR?

Which book should I pick up first?

Top Ten Tuesday #5: YA Romance 101

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

Hello there. This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic is Top Ten Books That Would Be On Your Syllabus If You Taught X 101, and I decided to go with YA Romance. I picked ten different 'kinds' of romances, that aren't necessarily my top favorites, though. I hope this is okay and not bending the rules too much. 

The Insta-Love

First off, something I do not recommend including in your book: Insta-love. It's extremely annoying most of the times and tolerable at best. The book I chose for this is Ignite by Lily Paradis. On page 7, the main character has already fallen madly in love with a random guy she just met, who made her loose the ability to speak and think. Oh, how I hated that. But to be fair, the book got better after that, so if insta-love is something that doesn't bother you, you should consider picking it up.

The Love Triangle

Another classic in YA romance and another thing I recommend you avoid: the love triangle. I don't think anyone actually likes these, but I, for one, don't particularly hate them. They can be done well, in a way that doesn't bother me. As an example, I have chosen a series where I actually enjoyed the love triangle: The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare.

The Slow Burn

Maybe this is just personal preference, but something that is all too rarely done in my opinion is a good slow burn romance. It's the exact opposite of the aforementioned insta-love, where the characters develop feelings over time rather than at first sight. If you are interested, I would recommend I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios, a wonderful example of slowly developing love story.

The Drama Queens

While they're mostly annoying, overly dramatic love stories can be entertaining sometimes. One of the examples where all the drama, and I mean there is a lot, didn't even bother me is Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire. I guess you'll just have to make me ship the characters so hard that I can overlook all the drama and just want my happily ever after. 

(I cheated a little because Beautiful Disaster is very clearly a New Adult book, so don't read it if you're not ready for that!)

Hate Turns to Love

You know when you hate someone with all your heart but for some reason you end up falling in love with them? Yeah, me neither. Even though I don't think it will ever happen to me, I love reading these kinds of stories. A good example would be the Shatter Me trilogy by Tahereh Mafi.

The Heartbreaker

Love is beautiful and usually it's a happy thing, especially in books. But then there are the ones that leave you crying, like full-out sobbing. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, for example. I seem to like torturing myself, because these kinds of books usually win me over easily. I guess, any book that makes me feel such strong emotions deserves to be a favorite.

The Pretended Romance

As far as I know, this only ever happens in books too, but I kind of really love it. You know, when there's some weird coincidence and the characters end up in a fake relationship that then somehow turns into a real one. My YA example for this would be To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han and, if you'll allow me to cheat again, Faking It by Cora Carmack is a great New Adult example.

Forbidden Love

Sometimes love isn't easy. For example, when you fall in love with the 'wrong' person, someone you should never have fallen for. Your predestined enemy. Someone from from the wrong social circle. Honestly, there are too many examples. The one book I would recommend for this kind of romance is The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski. 

The Unfortunate One

Sometimes, everything works out perfectly for the characters and the happily ever after comes so easily, thanks to lots of lucky coincidences. And sometimes it really doesn't. You know, the ones where everything goes wrong, that keep you on the edge of your seat because of a thousand of misunderstandings and unlucky events. Like with Allyson and Willem in Just One Day by Gayle Forman.

The Perfect One

Finally, if you just want to get the whole romance part perfectly right, you should have a look at the always wonderful Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. Not only are the characters perfectly imperfect, their friendship and later romance develops naturally, without the help of any lucky but unlikely coincidences that for some reason keep bringing the characters together.

What books would you suggest for any of these categories?

Top Ten Tuesday #4: Auto-Buy Authors

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

Hello there. It's time for another Top Ten Tuesday post (I should really do these more often!). This week's topic is auto-buy authors. I couldn't think of ten, so here are my top eight (I even tried to put them into some order):

8. Stephanie Perkins

Stephanie Perkins writes the cutest love stories and I can't wait to read more of her. I don't know if I would necessarily pick up something other than YA contemporary by her right away, but I think I would definitely give it a go. Once she comes out with more books (ones that I like as much as Anna, Lola and Isla), she might even climb higher on my list.

7. Cassandra Clare

I know some people are annoyed with Cassandra Clare for always coming out with new stories of the Shadowhunter world, but I'm not one of those people. Like with Stephanie Perkins, though, I don't have an unconditional love for everything she writes, but I'm rather just very fond of everything she writes, which is why she isn't higher up in the list.

6. Morgan Matson

Morgan Matson is my go-to summer author. I love all her books and I will buy each and every one she will release in the future. For now, I'm going to try to catch up with what she has written under her penname 'Katie Finn', but until next summer, I will need a new Morgan Matson book.

5. Gayle Forman

Another YA contemporary author, I know, I know. What can I say, I just love YA contemporary. And I especially love Gayle Forman. Most of her books are just 'good' (i.e. four star reads) for me but then there was Just One Day that changed it all. Gayle Forman definitely has to thank that duology (or better, herself for writing that duology) for being this high in my list. I will keep reading everything Gayle Forman comes out with until I find something I like as much as Just One Day.

4. John Green

I read all the John Green books at the end of 2013 and since then, I've been waiting. With him, I will hit that preorder button as soon as I hear a new book is coming out.

3. Sarah J. Maas

Of course, Sarah J. Maas has to be on this list. It's not a secret how much I love all her books and obviously I will buy anything she releases.

2. Laini Taylor

To me, Laini Taylor can do no wrong. With her writing, even a story that I might not 100% be interested in is a must-read and I will buy them all.

1. Rainbow Rowell

Of course, Rainbow Rowell had to be at the very top of this list. Fangirl is my favorite book of all time and I loved all her other books only slightly less. I can't imagine Rainbow Rowell to ever write something I wouldn't like. To show you how sincere I am, I will tell you a little secret: As I said, Fangirl is my all time favorite book. And if you've read it (if not, what are you doing?), you'll know that a lot of the story is centered around Cath's fanfiction of Simon Snow. I actually only read those parts once and whenever I reread the book (which is a lot), I tend to skip them. Because Simon Snow really didn't interest me that much. But now Rainbow Rowell's Carry On is coming out soon(ish), a story only about Simon Snow. The logical conclusion would be that I, since I wasn't all that interested in the Simon Snow snippets in Fangirl, would also have no interest in reading Carry On. But that is only accurate if we ignore the fact that it's written by Rainbow Rowell. Which, of course, I can't and which is why I have Carry On preordered anyway and I'm counting down the days until its release. So yeah, I love Rainbow Rowell.

So that's it for this week's Top Ten Tuesday. I hope you are having a wonderful day!

What are some of your auto-buy authors?

Do we share any?

Top Ten Tuesday #3: Last Books That Came Into My Possession

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

I'm back with Top Ten Tuesday! This week's topic is Last Ten Books That Came Into My Possession. I've been buying quite a lot of books lately, so this list won't go back that far (I think I got all of them in the past month).

1. When You're Back by Abbi Glines
2. Beautiful Sacrifice by Jamie McGuire
3. Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
4. Broken Hearts, Fences and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn
5. I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

6. Open Road Summer by Emery Lord
7. What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick
8. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh
9. P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han
10. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

So, those are the ten last books that I bought. I have yet to read most of them but I'm sure that will happen soon.

Have you read any of these?

What are some books you recently got?

Top Ten Tuesday #2: All Time Favorite Authors

 

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

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic is All Time Favorite Authors and boy, was it a hard one. I don't have ten TOP favorite authors but then of course a lot that I really like. So it was hard to choose exactly ten to mention here. Also, I tried to not pick authors that I've only read one book or series from because I think it takes more than one good story to become a favorite author. But of course there are also some of those on here, mostly because I'm convinced that I will like anything that they write. 

So before we get to my list of favorites, I want to mention two authors at this point that haven't made the top ten, even though I love the one series I read by them to pieces. First, someone who I'm sure will be mentioned in many Top Ten Tuesday posts: J.K. Rowling. Of course, I love the Harry Potter series; they're the books I grew up with and will always have a special place in my heart. But somehow I'm not very interested in Rowling's other books, such as The Casual Vacancy or The Cuckoo's Calling (which she worte as Robert Galbraith), which is why I can't really call her a favorite author, even though Harry Potter is certainly one of my favorite series. The same goes for Suzanne Collins. The Hunger Games trilogy is another of my all time favorites, but since I haven't read anything else by Suzanne Collins, I didn't want to put her in my favorites.

But now, let's get to my actual list of Top Ten All Time Favorite Authors. I tried to put these in some sort of order, whereas the top five really are my top favorite authors.

10. Sophie Kinsella

I used to read a lot more by Sophie Kinsella before I got into YA but she's still one of those authors where I know that I will like any book I pick up. I haven't read the Shopaholic series, but most of her standalone novels, which I all love.

9. Abbi Glines

Abbi Glines' books are kind of a guilty pleasure of mine. I absolutely love her Rosemary Beach series even though I'm well aware that it isn't the height of literature. Her books just make me feel good and I will continue reading them as they come out. I also gave the Sea Breeze books a try but kind of hated the first one. Still, I intend to continue with those as well and hope they will get better with time.

8. Jamie McGuire

So far, I've only read the Beautiful Disaster/Maddox Brothers series/companion novels, whatever you want to call it. I do intend to try her other books and as soon as she writes something else in the New Adult genre, I will be all over that. Her writing style is so easy to read and her books, again, just make me feel good and happy.

7. Stephanie Perkins

Just like every other person on this planet, I loved Anna, Lola and Isla. I've also read My True Love Gave To Me and Stephanie Perkins' story was one of my favorites. I just need more by her because she writes the cutest stories ever.

6. Cassandra Clare

I'm going to read everything Cassandra Clare comes out with. Unlike some other people, I love the idea of more than one series taking place in the same world and I will most likely never get bored of the Shadowhunter world. I liked The Mortal Instruments, loved The Infernal Devices and am looking forward to anything else we'll get.

5. Gayle Forman

Another contemporary author I admire. Even though none of Gayle Forman's books can quite live up to the Just One Day duology, so far I liked everything by her and will continue to read anything she comes out with.

4. Sarah J. Maas

This is where I cheat a little because obviously I've only read the Throne of Glass books by her. But considering how blown away by those I am and all my excitement for A Court of Thorns and Roses, I think it's safe to say that Sarah J. Maas is indeed a favorite author of mine. 

3. John Green

It's been a while since I read a John Green book but he has a top spot in this list for sure. I just love his writing and enjoyed each and every one of his books.

2. Laini Taylor

I first fell in love with Laini Taylor's writing through her story in My True Love Gave To Me. With the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy, my love has grown and grown and grown. Laini Taylor knows how to touch my heart by stringing words together.

1. Rainbow Rowell

Does this come as a surprise? I don't think so. Fangirl was the first book I ever read by Rainbow Rowell and even though I didn't like the others quite as much, I've never been let down by a Rainbow Rowell book. Her stories and especially the characters always feel very real and I just want sequels to all of her books.

What about you? Do we share any favorite authors?

Top Ten Tuesday #1: Inspiring Quotes

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

Sooo, this is my first Top Ten Tuesday post and I'm excited! After a long time only reading (and loving) all the Top Ten Tuesday posts, I thought why not join in on the fun. Since I also desperately need some post inspiration and always LOVE lists, I think this is the perfect meme for me to do. As you may know, I used to do Top 5 Wednesday because five books seem to be much easier to choose than ten, but the topics over at Top Ten Tuesday are always so good, I couldn't resist.

So this week's topic is Top Ten Inspiring Quotes from Books. I love to write quotes I like in one of my many notebooks. I had a look through them and here are the ten most inspiring ones I found that made me think when I read the book, in no particular order:

 

"Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy."

(The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank)

 

 

"Laws and principles are not for the times when there is no temptation."

(Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë)

"If people were always kind and obedient to those who are cruel and injust, the wicked people would have it all their own way; they would never feel afraid, and so they would never alter, but would grow worse and worse."

(Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë)

"The river was mild and leisurly, going away from the people who ate shadows for breakfast and steam for lunch and vapours for supper."

(Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury)

 

"I learned joy and pain at the same time. I learned that happiness is not what you have, because I never had anything and I was so happy."

(Desert Flower by Waris Dirie)

"Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strenght. Then it can never be your weakness. Armour yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you."

(A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin)

"We'd been born into an ugly world, and the OASIS 

was our one happy refuge."

(Ready Player One by Ernest Cline)

"Grown-ups don't look like grown-ups on the inside either. Outside, they're big and thoughtless and always know what they're doing. Inside, they look just like they always have. Like they did when they were your age. The truth is, there aren't any grown-ups. Not one in the whole wide world."

(The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman)

 

"We all fight our own private wars."

(Aristotle and Dante discover the Secrets of the Universe 

by Benjamin Alire Sáenz)

"Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all those who live without love."

(Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling)

Let me know below some of your favorite quotes!

Top 5 Authors I Would Like To Meet

Hi there. It's time for another Top 5 Wednesday post, since, you know, it's Wednesday. T5W was created by Lainey at gingerreadslainey and if you want to join in, you can do so here. This week's topic is Top 5 Authors We Would Like To Meet. I found this quite hard to put together because while I love reading their books, I probably wouldn't know what to say to these authors. Mostly,  I just want to hear them talk about anything and that would be fine with me. 

5. George R. R. Martin

What I usually say about George R. R. Martin is that I really don't want to meet him. He has written many scenes that made me cringe and that I could hardly read and I'm not sure I want to meet the guy who comes up with all of them. I mean, he makes his characters go through that and he thinks all of it up in his head. Of course that's what makes him such a great writer but it's also kind of scary. But I guess curiosity won the better of me and I would just ask him about EVERYTHING in the Song of Ice and Fire series.

4. Suzanne Collins

She is the writer of my favorite trilogy, so of course I want to meet her. If only to convince her to write another book. Or to sign my books. Or to tell her how much I love The Hunger Games.

3. Laini Taylor

She's an author I've only recently discovered but I fell in love. With her writing, her imagination and her books. I just want her to teach me everything so that I can write as good as her one day (that's not too much to ask, right?)

2. J.K. Rowling

I don't really have to explain why I want to meet her right? Right. I bet she's on everyone's list but that's no reason for me to leave her out. She's the person who brought Harry Potter to life. She deserves to be one every list there ever will be. I should probably read her other books before meeting her, though.. 

1. Rainbow Rowell

Now, she just seems like the best person on earth. I want to be her friend. I mean, of course I want to be friends with someone who writes books like that. So relatable and simply beautiful. She has quickly become one of my favorite authors and I will buy and read absolutely anything she writes. Can we please be friends already?

So that's it, those are my top 5 authors I want to meet. I hope you're all having a great week and thank you for reading!

What authors would you like to meet? 

Do you agree with my choices?

Top 5 Series I Want To Start This Year

Hello there. It is Wednesday today and T5W is coming at us with an impossible topic. Top 5 Wednesday is hosted by Lainey from gingerreadslainey and you can participate by joining the goodreads group here. So this week's topic is Top 5 Series We Want To Start This Year. Now, I had a look at my goodreads to-read shelf and there are over 50 first books in series on there. So over 50 series I want to start at some point, and at least half of them I really want to start, like, now. Do you see the problem?

Well, to make this a little easier for myself, I have decided to only look at the ones that I actually own a physical copy of even though that does leave out some of the series I really really want to get to. But I can't really go and list 50 books when it's supposed to be the top FIVE. I still own more than five first books in series so I focused on the ones where the series is finished or at least more than the first book has been published.

5. Lorien Legacies by Pittacus Lore

After watching the movie almost a year ago, I immediately went out and bought I Am Number Four because I was intrigued. Unfortunately, I lost interest soon after and kept choosing other books over this one. Hearing close to no one talk about this series didn't really help the matter. But since it's one of the books that I've had on my shelf the longest, I really want to read it this year. 

4. Penryn & the End of Days by Susan Ee

This probably wouldn't be this high on my list if I hadn't gotten it for my birthday last year from my lovely brother and sister. My sister ordered it from my Amazon wish list because she liked the cover and now I don't really have a choice but to pick it up soon. I'm glad, though, because I've heard really good things about the series and the third book is coming out in May, so there's a lot to look forward to.

3. Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Everyone seems to love this trilogy and I've had the first book sitting on my shelf for at least half a year, not knowing what is wrong with me. 2015 will be the year when I finally give in to the hype and start this series, though. At least, now that all the books are out, I won't have to wait for the next book to come out if I fall in love with the story as much as anyone else seems to have.

2. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

I have heard nothing but great things about this trilogy and I got the beautiful English box set from my boyfriend for my birthday last year. In other words, everything is set for me to finally start these books and I really really should. I'm kind of scared that they might not live up to all the hype but I'm also excited to see if they do.

1. Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

This was my one and only bookish New Year's Resolution, to finally read these books. I have seen all three movies and also all three of The Hobbit and I absolutely love them. I've been meaning to actually read the books for many years now and just never did. But now that my boyfriend gave me all three Lord of the Ring books along with The Hobbit for Christmas, I am determined to actually read them this year. It's about time.

So that's it for this week's Top 5 Wednesday. What series do you want to start this year?

Thank you for reading!