I really like using Christmas carols to express joy all year round. This time? Baseball is back, baby!

It’s almost been a full month of baseball on our television (pizza Fridays are so much better with it) and just last week, my husband and I went to our first game in a pretty long time. We both grew up Yankees fans, and went to quite a few games when we were kids. In the years we’ve been together we’ve enjoyed one championship win, said goodbye to the the iconic “old” stadium, and visited the brand new one. (Truth: we miss the old stadium so much.) It’s been a wild ride (and this year our team is pretty questionable) but it’s one of those hobbies we actually have in common. (A story for another day.)

Ladies and gents, it was nice to be back.

To enjoy the sight, sounds, and some eats too…

And hey, we won the game — always a great bonus.

With all the excitement of the new season, I can’t help but think of the some of the books I LOVE because of their baseball themes! I wanted to share a few of them with you today!

Leading off, a dear favorite of mine:

THE COMEBACK SEASON BY JENNIFER E. SMITH

I read this one last year and it has remained my top Jennifer E. Smith reads. Smith manages to weave the tragic history of the Chicago Cubs (they haven’t won a World Series Championship in 104 years) and Ryan’s struggle to muddle through the grief associated with her father’s death. The Cubs were one of their shared interests; they both loved the team so intensely. Ryan soon meets Nick, and ties the chances of their relationship surviving to the success of the Cubs. It’s a truly beautiful story, and just oozes with love of the game.

(Add to Goodreads)

CURVEBALL: THE YEAR I LOST MY GRIP BY JORDAN SONNENBLICK

This was one of those delightful reads with a great male narrator. While Peter doesn’t get much playing time in this book (he’s been injured), he has to look past his identity as someone who played on the baseball team and go after new experiences. There are so many sweet moments in this book from meeting a new girl to dealing with changes in his treasured relationship with his grandpa.

(Add to Goodreads)

STEALING PARKER BY MIRANDA KENNEALLY

I think most people see this book as the “one where the girl falls for her baseball coach.” Okay, sure, that happens. But Parker’s passion for the sport is so connected to her mother that she did a lot of things that didn’t make sense… like quit playing for a game she loved so much. One of the main themes of Stealing Parker is about teamwork: with an actual team, a family, and friendships and relationships. While it’s not quite as baseball-filled as the cover originally promised, the sport still plays an important part.

(Add to Goodreads)

CONFESSIONS OF A SHE-FAN: THE COURSE OF TRUE LOVE WITH THE YANKEES BY JANE HELLER

Guys, it’s tough to be a fan sometimes. And I know, I know. People hate on the Yankees for their success but seriously… I remember all the games in the early 90s when we would lose every single Sunday. But anyway, Jane Heller (who I love following on Twitter) writes a book about following the team in 2007. Like many, her love of the game started very early and I really enjoyed reading her story.

(Add to Goodreads)

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Those are the all-stars on my bookshelves!

What books do you love that have a sports theme? (It’s okay, I’ll forgive you if it’s not baseball.)

Leave us some love! We love blog comments. It’s That Time of Year… on Rather Be Reading
Check out more book reviews and posts by Estelle.

Happy Saturday, friends! I hope you have safe travels if you’re on the road to visit family this weekend. If you’re at home snuggled up with a book, I’m living vicariously through you. Dustyn and I are doing lots of traveling. Don’t you worry, though, I’ll be reading a book in the car.

There are tons of great April 2013 Young Adult Book Releases. TONS. I’m starting to see a shift in covers as more summery books begin to be released. Check out the two coming out on April 23rd. How much do they make you want summertime?

★

That Time I Joined the Circus by J. J. Howard

Goodreads | Amazon

Description: Lexi Ryan just ran away to join the circus, but not on purpose.

A music-obsessed, slightly snarky New York City girl, Lexi is on her own. After making a huge mistake–and facing a terrible tragedy–Lexi has no choice but to track down her long-absent mother. Rumor has it that Lexi’s mom is somewhere in Florida with a traveling circus.

When Lexi arrives at her new, three-ring reality, her mom isn’t there . . . but her destiny might be. Surrounded by tigers, elephants, and trapeze artists, Lexi finds some surprising friends and an even more surprising chance at true love. She even lucks into a spot as the circus’s fortune teller, reading tarot cards and making predictions.

But then Lexi’s ex-best friend from home shows up, and suddenly it’s Lexi’s own future that’s thrown into question.

With humor, wisdom, and a dazzlingly fresh voice, this debut reminds us of the magic of circus tents, city lights, first kisses, and the importance of an excellent playlist.

This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

Goodreads | Amazon | Estelle’s Review

Description: If fate sent you an email, would you answer?

When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O’Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds.

Then Graham finds out that Ellie’s Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media’s spotlight at all costs?

My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi

Goodreads | Amazon

Description: Lucy just had the worst week ever. Seriously, mega bad. And suddenly, it’s all too much—she wants out. Out of her house, out of her head, out of her life. She wants to be a whole new Lucy. So she does something the old Lucy would never dream of.

And now her life will never be the same. Now, how will she be able to have a boyfriend? What will she tell her friends? How will she face her family?

Now her life is completely different…every moment is a gift. Because now she might not have many moments left.

White Lines by Jennifer Banash

Goodreads | Amazon

Description: A gritty, atmospheric coming of age tale set in 1980s New York City.

Seventeen-year-old Cat is living every teenager’s dream: she has her own apartment on the Lower East Side and at night she’s club kid royalty, guarding the velvet rope at some of the hottest clubs in the city. The night with its crazy, frenetic, high-inducing energy—the pulsing beat of the music, the radiant, joyful people and those seductive white lines that can ease all pain—is when Cat truly lives. But her daytime, when real life occurs, is more nightmare than dream. Having spent years suffering her mother’s emotional and physical abuse, and abandoned by her father, Cat is terrified and alone—unable to connect to anyone or anything. But when someone comes along who makes her want to truly live, she’ll need to summon the courage to confront her demons and take control of a life already spinning dangerously out of control.

Both poignant and raw, White Lines is a gripping tale and the reader won’t want to look away.

Taken (Taken #1) by Erin Bowman

Goodreads | Amazon

Description: There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone.

They call it the Heist.

Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.

Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?

True (Elixir #3) by Hilary Duff

Goodreads | Amazon

Description: The epic love story of Clea and Sage comes to its thrilling conclusion in the final book in the Elixir series by multitalented star Hilary Duff. Following the harrowing events of Elixir and Devoted—and the ceremony that almost killed Sage—Clea faces a new reality: With Sage’s soul in Nico’s body, the love of her life looks an awful lot like her best friend’s boyfriend. Can Clea and Sage really be happy under these circumstances?

Clea wants to try to enjoy their new life together, but Sage is acting different—angry—and she struggles to keep her friends from finding out what has happened to him. Something is clearly haunting Sage, and Clea is losing control. Can she trust her friends with the dangerous truth, or will she have to risk losing Sage to madness?

The Symptoms of My Insanity by Mindy Raf

Goodreads | Amazon

Description: A laugh-out-loud, bittersweet debut full of wit, wisdom, heart, and a hilarious, unforgettable heroine.

When you’re a hypochondriac, there are a million different things that could be wrong with you, but for Izzy, focusing on what could be wrong might be keeping her from dealing with what’s really wrong.

I almost raised my hand, but what would I say? “Mr. Bayer, may I please be excused? I’m not totally positive, but I think I might have cancer.” No way. Then everyone at school would know, and they would treat me differently, and I would be known as “Izzy, that poor girl who diagnosed herself with breast cancer during biology.”

But Izzy’s sense of humor can only get her so far when suddenly her best friend appears to have undergone a personality transplant, her mother’s health takes a turn for the worse, and her beautiful maybe-boyfriend is going all hot and cold. Izzy thinks she’s preparing for the worst-case scenario, but when the worst-case scenario actually hits, it’s a different story altogether—and there’s no tidy list of symptoms to help her through the insanity.

The Elite (The Selection #2) by Kiera Cass

Goodreads | Amazon

Description: The hotly-anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller The Selection.

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.

How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by Sarah Strohmeyer

Goodreads | Amazon

Description: From Sarah Strohmeyer, author of Smart Girls Get What They Want, comes this romantic comedy about one girl’s summer job from hell. Think The Devil Wears Prada set in Disney World.

When cousins Zoe and Jess land summer internships at the Fairyland Kingdom theme park, they are sure they’ve hit the jackpot. With perks like hot Abercrombie-like Prince Charmings and a chance to win the coveted $25,000 Dream & Do grant, what more could a girl want?

Once Zoe arrives, however, she’s assigned to serve “The Queen”-Fairyland’s boss from hell. From spoon-feeding her evil lapdog caviar, to fetching midnight sleeping tonics, Zoe fears she might not have what it takes to survive the summer, much less win the money.

Soon backstabbing interns, a runaway Cinderella, and cutthroat competition make Zoe’s job more like a nightmare than a fairy tale. What will happen when Zoe is forced to choose between serving The Queen and saving the prince of her dreams?

How I Lost You by Janet Gurtler

Goodreads | Amazon

Description: There are a few things Grace Anderson knows for sure. One is that nothing will ever come between her and her best friend, Kya Kessler. They have a pact. Buds Before Studs. Sisters Before Misters. But in the summer before senior year, life throws out challenges they never expected. And suddenly the person who’s always been there starts to need the favor returned. Grace and Kya are forced to question how much a best friend can forgive. And the answer is not what they expected.

Anthem for Jackson Dawes by Celia Bryee

Goodreads | Amazon

Description: Megan Bright and Jackson Dawes are two teenagers who first meet each other on the hospital ward where they are both being treated for cancer. Megan is scared and worried about her illness, but Jackson seems to be an old hand, having been on the ward for ages. And everybody loves Jackson! He is a whirlwind of life and energy, warmth and sparkle. Megan will need to borrow some of Jackson’s extraordinary optimism to face her and Jackson’s future. A moving story of first love and a remarkably powerful debut novel.

The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise

Goodreads | Amazon

Description: In The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise, super-smart, somewhat geeky Audrey McCarthy can’t wait to get out of high school. Her father’s death and the transformation of her one-time BFF, Blake Dawkins, into her worst nightmare have her longing for the new start college will bring.

But college takes money. So Audrey decides she has to win the competition for the best app designed by a high schooler—and the $200,000 that comes with it. She develops something she calls the Boyfriend App, and suddenly she’s the talk of the school and getting kissed by the hottest boys around. But can the Boyfriend App bring Audrey true love?

The Program by Suzanne Young

Goodreads | Amazon

Description: In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program.

Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them.

Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike

Goodreads | Amazon

Description: Moving to a new high school sucks. Especially a rich-kid private school. With uniforms. But nothing is worse than finding out the first girl you meet is dead. And a klepto.

No one can see or hear Kimberlee except Jeff, so–in hopes of bringing an end to the snarkiest haunting in history–he agrees to help her complete her “unfinished business.” But when the enmity between Kimberlee and Jeff’s new crush, Sera, manages to continue posthumously, Jeff wonders if he’s made the right choice.

Clash meets sass in this uproarious modern-day retelling of Baroness Orczy’s The Scarlet Pimpernel.

★

So, those are our April 2013 Young Adult Releases picks.
What are you most looking forward to this coming month? Anything we should add to our TBRs?

Leave us some love! We love blog comments. April 2013 Young Adult Book Releases on Rather Be Reading
Check out more book reviews and posts by Magan.

Happy Tuesday pals!

Today I’m celebrating the two-week mark before Jennifer E. Smith’s new book This is What Happy Looks Like comes out! (If you didn’t catch my review from last week, here ya go.) In the book, Ellie and Graham meet online when Graham sends an email and it lands in her inbox by accident. Thus starts the adorable and sweet back and forth between the two. They tell each other a lot, but never share their names and Graham doesn’t disclose the fact that he is a teenage heartthrob. Eee! It’s like a dream come true for teenagers, right? To make some connection with a celebrity they absolutely adore?

While I’m not sure things like stardom impress Ellie, I was totally that girl who had a ton of Bop and Twist and Teen People magazine posters hanging all over my room. (I had an entire collage of them in my closet.) Even now, I still like to crush on those darling celebrity guys and my husband makes fun of me. (I can’t help it.) So because I have no shame, I thought I would share a few of my past crushes.

Like which celebrity would I want to accidentally fall into an email relationship with? Here ya go:

Jordan Knight:

Source

I was an absolutely huge New Kids on the Block fan when I was a kid. My first concert was seeing them when I was 5 years old. I collected every newspaper article, every piece of memorabilia, and even had the comforter/sheet set. Oh, and a Barbie doll! The doll had Jordan’s braid down the back. You know, I have to say… I had pretty awesome taste because Jordan is still looking pretty rad  these days. (A thought a few hours later: Jordan was quite feminine looking, don’t you think?)

Devon Sawa:

Source

One of my best friends loved Jonathan Taylor Thomas and I loved Devon Sawa. (This is who we have stayed friends forever.) Casper, Now + Then, Little Giants – man oh man he was a cutie. When we played MASH in grade school, I was always hope hoping that the fates would have us cross paths. (Nice to see he still has a career now, right?)

Joshua Jackson:

Source

Way back when, I had the top Joshua Jackson fan site on the webs. Seriously. (It was called Joshua Jackson Paradise… sigh. I wish I didn’t pick that name.) I loved Mighty Ducks but I didn’t completely fall for him until Dawson’s Creek — the funny sidekick? Sign me up! I always thought he was the cutest and wanted him to get the girl… or just come and find me. There was a time when I used to know the name of his dogs, and basically every movie he had coming out. (Too bad I was never a Fringe fan… but I am rooting for the Dawson’s Creek reunion!)

Jesse McCartney:

Source

This was around college time… I wasn’t THAT old for Jesse. But when I heard him singing a cover of “Second Star from the Right” as I diligently worked at the Disney Store — I was hooked. Did anyone watch Summerland on the CW a few years ago? He was so freaking cute. And I loved his voice! If you want to catch one of his movies, be sure to check out Keith. It’s really great.

Zac Efron:

Source

 Oh this obsession is alive and well, my friends. He was on Summerland too actually but it wasn’t until High School Musical that I started to fall down the rabbit hole. He was adorable, he could dance, and he could sing (kind of? because they mixed his vocals with someone else for the first movie). For the record, he sings his own stuff in 2 + 3 (which I cried over in the movie theater). Okay, so he may be totally ripped and have gorgeous eyes but I honestly think he’s acting is really great. Have you seen Charlie St. Cloud? Prepare your tissue box but he’s very very good in it. I’m looking forward to what he does next. (Sidenote: I’m still not over him and Vanessa Hudgens breaking up.)

Jeremy Jordan:

Source

If you have gotten this far, you may notice I have a thing for guys who can sing and act and look pretty? Well Jeremy Jordan is the full package. If you don’t know him, he’s a Broadway guy — he recently originated the role of Jack Kelly in the Newsies musical. I had the opportunity to go to the dress rehearsal of the pre-Broadway tryout + the first note, the first time I heard his voice… I was like WHO THE HELL IS THAT? (Seriously. If you ask the people I was with… it was all I could talk about.) I was a fan right at that moment, went on to buy tickets to a show I never thought I wanted to see (Bonnie + Clyde) and I’ve been following his career ever since. Right now, he’s playing Jimmy on Smash (sad sad Smash) and is going to be starring in The Last Five Years movie with Anna Kendrick. I’m so psyched about how his career is blowing up… (I’m also a little possessive because I’d like to keep him to myself.) FYI all links in this paragraph are of Jeremy singing. You are welcome.

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Okay, give me the dirt. What boys did you love or are you currently loving?

And also, what are you waiting for? Pre-order Jennifer’s new book, This is What Happy Looks Like, for a tale of romance, family secrets, and all the possibilities of summer.

Leave us some love! We love blog comments. What Happy Looks Like: Dream Boyfriends on Rather Be Reading
Check out more book reviews and posts by Estelle.

This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith ( web | tweet )
Publication Date: April 2, 2013
Publisher: Poppy (Hachette Books)
Pages: 416
Target audience: Young adult
Keywords: Summer, fate, celebrities, secrets
Format read: ARC paperback from Publisher. (Thank you!)

Summary: A wrongly addressed email leads to an unlikely friendship between Graham and Ellie, who share a ton of details with each other but never their names. While Ellie lives in a small town in Maine with her mom, Graham is actually a huge Hollywood heartthrob. When his next filming location falls through, Graham decides to test fate and gets the production to move to Ellie’s hometown, where they will hopefully meet once and for all.

It’s kind of surreal to think one tiny blunder could have the power to totally change your life, isn’t it?

This is exactly what happens when Graham’s email about his pet pig accidentally pops up in Ellie’s inbox. A funny whoops leads to an unexpected friendship, where Graham and Ellie eagerly swap emails about small details of their lives, intimately getting to know each other without exchanging names.

Because if they did exchange names, Ellie would immediately recognize Graham as the Graham Larkin and really, what’s the point of names anyway? It’s not like they will ever meet, or these emails will amount to any more than a total highlight to their days. Right? But Graham uses his status to his advantage and when the opportunity comes up to spend a summer shooting a film in Ellie’s hometown, he makes it happen. It’s almost farcical when we find out Ellie’s frustrated that a film crew is disrupting her beloved town’s summer, and Graham is wondering what is going to happen when he finally introduces himself to the girl, the only girl, he feels really knows him.

(Oh, the pressure and zany missteps that lead to their meeting!)

In Jennifer E. Smith’s fourth YA novel, she takes a once in a lifetime occurrence and writes it as if it is the most natural thing in the world. Lyrical prose transported me to that small (“where everyone knows your name”) sea town and had me salivating for all the sight and sounds and feels of summer: the unbearable heat, the relief of a swim, the ice cream, the stars, and the bubbling possibilities. There’s a delicate yet smooth rhythm to this book that reminded me much of her second, You Are Here. Graham and Ellie are two characters who are both going through an internal exploration: the aftermath of his fame and what he really wants for himself while she is haunted by a secret that her and her mom have buried and her need to stay in control, even when she needs to ask for help. (This secret? Not a fan of this sub-story line, and kept me wondering, right through the end, how necessary it really was. Didn’t Graham and Ellie have enough hurdles without this?)

One common thread between Smith’s work, one I believe sets her apart in the young adult genre, is the way she crafts relationships between her characters. They are not solely based on chemistry and attraction, and much of the time, are built upon something so much more: shared interests and bonding over silly yet important details; there is a certain amount of maturity given to these characters and friendship becomes the root of any romance. The possibility of Graham and Ellie working out feels that much truer because of it.

It’s true that This is What Happy Looks Like is not The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. It took some time for me to adjust my own expectations accordingly because timing wise, that 24-hour window we had in Stat doesn’t exist here, making the feel of these books so unbelievably different. The urgency, the intensity softens in Happy to more of a lull, to gorgeous, quiet moments that encompass a lot of introspection from both sides, as well as off-camera communication through emails (an added layer I loved).

I have the utmost respect for Smith’s writing and I don’t mind calling myself a Jennifer E. Smith cheerleader. Last year, I read every single one of her books and I found them each to be so refreshing and more delightful than the last (Great settings, personal challenges, romance, and dimensional family dynamics!). I appreciate that she took some risk in Happy, especially after coming off the (well-deserved) success of Stat. I love how she builds on such serendipitous instances, while steadily writing about relatable themes without underestimating her reader.

Goodreads | Amazon

Leave us some love! We love blog comments. Estelle: This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith on Rather Be Reading
Check out more book reviews and posts by Estelle.

Oh friends, what a weekend it has been! Hope you have had a good one!

I talk a little much in this Shelve It video (sorry about that but it is my first one of 2013!) but I hope you get enthused by some of these reads because I AM REALLY EXCITED.

In the mail:

This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

From NetGalley:

The S-Word by Chelsea Pitcher
Here Comes Trouble by Erin Kern
The Comfort of Lies by Randy Susan Meyers

Bought (because I have no self control):

Ditched: a Love Story by Robin Mellom
The Sharp Time by Mary O’Connell
Falling for You by Lisa Schroeder (Magan’s review)
Just One Day by Gayle Forman (Magan’s review)

Oops! Forget to mention in the video that I bought Hopeless by Colleen Hoover based on Magan’s praise too!

On the blog this week:

A bookish (sorta?) birthday list.
A review of Take Me There by Carolee Dean.
A review of Return to Me by Justina Chen.
A review of The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard.

Thanks so much for stopping in! Happy Sunday!

Leave us some love! We love blog comments. Estelle’s Shelve It (1/20/2013) on Rather Be Reading
Check out more book reviews and posts by Estelle.

Leave us some love! We love blog comments. Estelle: WEVerb12 Prompts (15, 18, 20, 24, 26) on Rather Be Reading
Check out more book reviews and posts by Estelle.

1. The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen — Um, more Sarah Dessen? YES, PLEASE! (06/04/2013)
   
2. The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr — Death and betrayal lead Lucy to walk away from being a concert pianist. Ooooh, buddy. (05/07/2013)
   
3. Reboot by Amy Tintera — I met Amy at ALA Annual this year and she’s the sweetest little lady! Cannot wait to support her and read her book. (05/07/2013)
   
4. This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith — This is my choice on behalf of Estelle. E loves JES’s work somethin’ fierce. (04/02/2013)
   
5. Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt — Adorable cover + a plot about swearing off boys? Heck yeah! (03/26/2013)
   
6. Requiem by Lauren Oliver — How will Lena’s story end?! I’m going crazy with anticipation… (03/05/2013)
   
7. Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook — I have tried to purchase this 150,000 times on my kindle because I keep forgetting it doesn’t come out until January 2013. Fail. (01/29/2013)
   
8. Return to Me by Justina Chen Headley — Life changing news + a girl on her way to college. Oh, yes! (01/15/2013)
   
9. Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi — I am so anxious to learn more about these characters. The world just blows me away! (01/08/2013)
   
10. Falling For You by Lisa Schroeder — Have you guys read her previous work? All I can say is DAAAANG. (01/01/2013)
    

Leave us some love! We love blog comments. Magan: Top Ten Tuesday — Most Anticipated Books of 2013 on Rather Be Reading
Check out more book reviews and posts by Magan.

What a perfect topic for this week!

Over the past year, we’ve both discovered a ton of authors that we love. Today we are celebrating our go-to authors, who write the books we can’t gobble up fast enough. No matter the title, we know their books are a sure bet.

So this is our twist on Broke & Bookish’s Tuesday thankful topic. Without further ado, 10 books by 5 authors who get our vote time and time again.

estelle:

adele griffin:

1. All You Never Wanted: A review copy that set me on a rampage to read any Adele Griffin I could get my hands on. This book is about sisters, lies, and secrets when a family is torn apart by their new money and pressure to fit in. I fail to come up with the right words to classify Adele’s writing but it’s crisp and to the point. But not impersonal. Her stories are complex, kind of dark, and full of hidden treasures. (My review.)

2. The Julian Game: This was a book I just picked on a whim, and whoa. A story about some high school girls and hidden identities on the internet. Popularity and boys. Same kind of dark twistiness I expect from Adele with much complexity to her characters’ storylines. Review to come early next year but I definitely enjoyed this one.

jennifer e. smith

3. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight: Ah, the book that put Jen E. Smith on my radar. This was literally the first released I marked on my calendar, and whoa, did it fulfill all expectations. What I love about Jen’s writing is how it is so well-crafted, and she continues to surprise me with surprise depth in areas I never thought would mean so much to the story. (My review.)

4. The Comeback Season: I’m a huge baseball fan and I still can’t get over at how amazingly Jen weaved the history of the Chicago Cubs with the story of a daughter grieving her dad. It’s absolutely heartwrenching but never over the top, and just, a beautiful story that hurts my heart. It’s become my favorite out of the Jen E. Smith canon. (My review.)

J.H. trumble

5. Don’t Let Me Go: Oh man. This book hit me in the gut. The main character is dealing with a long distance relationship and being open about his sexuality in a school and a town that is not very accepting. The writing is powerful, but never preachy and whoa, you know you like the book when the character makes some frustrating moves and you are hanging on. I called it one of my best reads of 2012 and that still rings true. (My review.)

6. Where You Are: Trumble’s second book won’t be released until December 24 but I was luckily enough to get an early copy. I went in with pretty high expectations and you know, Trumble did it again. A book about a relationship between a student and his teacher… tons of complexity, whoa emotions, and amazingly relatable situations. I was literally closing the book and breathing very hard because it was all so real. I plan on reading it another time through before I write my review. Another thing, even though Trumble focuses on LGBT… she does it like it should be. A love story about two people dealing with challenges that don’t discriminate.

magan:

courtney summers

7. Some Girls Are: This was my first book of Courtney’s to read and I devoured it. I read it in less than two hours and immediately requested absolutely everything else she’d written right after. I read all of her books (at this point This is Not a Test hadn’t been published yet) in less than a week. She’s honest and authentic. Her writing really speaks to me and whips me right back to how I felt as a teenager. Some Girls Are is about bullying. It’s not easy to read through some parts, but I 100% believe this book is necessary in today’s society where bullying is so prevalent. Teens need this. (My review.)

8. Fall For Anything: I believe this was my first book (or one of the very first) to read about suicide. A father commits suicide and his daughter is on a mission to understand why. Again, not an easy topic to read about, but even as someone who hasn’t gone through that situation, I felt every emotion and felt so strongly connected to Courtney’s writing.

sara zarr

9. How to Save a Life: Apparently I like extremely touchy books because this one is about a girl who loses her father. Her dad was like her best friend and she was never very close to her mom. When her mom connects with a teenage girl that’s pregnant and allows her to move in with them until she has the baby, Jill freaks out a little. She feels like her mom is trying to replace her when she announces that she will adopt the baby. (My review.)

10. Sweethearts: I think most people can connect with the emotions involved in losing a friend or with how friendships evolve and change. (Sometimes not always for the better.) This was another one of those quick reads for me. There is a lot of secrecy surrounding what happened to Cameron Quick and I just needed to figure things out. Immediately. I’m the type of person that has mourned friendships that haven’t worked out, but this book made me realize that even though some of them have been temporary, they’ve still impacted me and I’ve grown from them. (My review.)

honorable mentions (because of course 10 books weren’t enough…)

11. Stealing Parker: Miranda’s books are full of awesome characters (that bleed over between novels so you get to see glimpses of couples you loved in multiple books) and very real situations – family problems, trouble defining relationships, abandonment, etc. I wish a new Miranda book came out every month. I would be the happiest girl on earth if this were real. (My review.)

12. Saving June: Ok, so I know I sound uber depressing today since this is another suicide pick, but I promise it’s amazing. It’s full of a great music references, a boy character that made me laugh out loud at his forwardness and insensitivity, and so much emotion. Highly, highly recommend this one. (Actually, both of Hannah’s books are incredible. Read ‘em both.) (My review.)

Please note: I promise I’m not sad and depressed. I just really, really like touching, emotional stories.

Leave us some love! We love blog comments. Top 10 Tuesday: 10 Books (from 5 Authors) We’re Thankful For on Rather Be Reading
Check out more book reviews and posts by Estelle.

Howdy, y’all! It’s officially the beginning of my birthday week. And I’m rocking out some new glasses (yep, I look like a nerd!) and sharing lots of goodies with you. I just HAD to get out of the house (I was going stir crazy) so I filmed my vlog outside today. Please forgive the crazy bangs and bursts of wind.

Gifted:

+ Circle of Magic Book One, Sandry’s Book, and Circle of Magic Book Two, Tris’s Book, by Tamora Pierce — gifted to me by Tara at Hobbitsies
+ The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith (Goodreads | Estelle’s Review) — gifted to me by Elena at Novel Sounds

Borrowed:

+ The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin — lent from Ginger at GReads! (Goodreads)

Purchased:

+ Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley (Goodreads)
+ The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott (Goodreads)
+ Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (Goodreads)

Upcoming October 2012 Book Releases:

+ Butter by Erin Jade Lange (Goodreads)
+ Burning Blue by Paul Griffin (Goodreads)
+ Skinny by Donna Cooner (Goodreads)
+ What Happens Next by Colleen Clayton (Goodreads)

What Happened on Rather Be Reading:

The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse, a review
The Aussies Know How to Write
Drama by Reina Telgemeier, a review
How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr, a review

Travel Tales:

alexa: back to asia (asian culture)
alexa: dmv (guest post by jess)
novel sounds: a guest post by sam from realm of fiction
the aussies know how to write (australian books to read)
alexa: dreams of traveling (book locales)
novel sounds: soundtracking your reading adventures
alexa: alaska with kristilynn (guest post)
giveaway: kissing shakespeare by pam tingle (time travel)
alexa: getting to your destination (through reading)
novel sounds: let’s go visit harry potter (please)
alexa: intro & birthday giveaway (yay)

Thanks for visiting RBR for this week’s Shelve It! Have a great week!

Leave us some love! We love blog comments. Magan: Shelve It — August 26, 2012 on Rather Be Reading
Check out more book reviews and posts by Magan.

Hiya, friends! We’re so happy to be sharing underrated books for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by the incredible ladies at The Broke and the Bookish.

Something we talk about often are books that we love that haven’t hit the blogosphere and aren’t circulating like crazy but should be. We were talking about From What I Remember last week and that’s when our conversation spiraled out of control and we couldn’t stop ourselves from creating a list of books we wish more people would read.

It just so happened freebie week was coming up, so we decided we should share the list of underrated books you should definitely read. Underrated to us means: books that are amazing, unputdownable, sit-in-one-place-until-you’ve-devoured-it kinds of books, beautiful writing, books that have imagery or scenes that linger.

1. From What I Remember by Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas

This is the book that inspired this whole post. It’s so completely absorbing, funny, and goes into a bit more character exploration than we were anticipating, which totally made it even more awesome. goodreads / amazon / E’s review

2. Dreamland Social Club by Tara Altebrando

When E saw Tara at a reading panel talking about DSC and how felt she wrote all she could do about losing a mom, she added it to her TBR list immediately. This book is so rich in its characters and its words and she wishes she could swim around in those feelings forever. It piques a ton of curiousity about Coney Island, and also discovery of one’s own parent. goodreads / amazon / E’s review

3. North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

We both read this book before we became official bloggers, but it’s one that we definitely wish got more attention. M read the entire book on a plane after E told her she shouldn’t read another book until devouring this. Despite her embarrassment of ugly crying in public, M let the tears flow. goodreads / amazon / M’s goodreads review

4. The Piper’s Son by Melina Marchetta

M loves all the things by Melina Marchetta. Melina is one heck of a fantastic author, but this book stands out from the rest. It’s the one that has caused random scenes to pop up at unexpected moments. It’s the one where M fell in love with male protagonists. Being broken can be so, so good. (This was also a pre-blog-book-read.) goodreads / amazon / M’s goodreads review

 5. I’ll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan

A story about two neglected brothers and a girl and her family who learns to care for them. It’s dramatic but in a quiet day and there is a lovely fairy tale like quality to the pacing of the book and the twists and turns these characters take. goodreads / amazon / E’s review

6. Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennett

This book doesn’t have a ton of reviews on Goodreads, but this bad girl trying to seduce a good boy tale deserves so much more love. It’s raw and powerful and so many details are beautifully woven together. Bennett did an incredible job of making sure each part of her story was well-crafted. (And it’s only $4.29 on the kindle!) goodreads / amazon / M’s review

7. Bunheads by Sophie Flack

Sometimes books can be overly complicated with too many issues; it was a nice change of pace to read about a 19-year-old girl indecisive about her future – to continue to pursue being a professional ballerina or to move on with her life – that was her struggle. goodreads / amazon / M’s review

8. Don’t Let Me Go by J.H. Trumble

An engaging love story between two boys who are forced to work their relationship long distance. DLMG illustrates the pain and exhilaration that come with being who you are and letting the world know it, the difficult of young love, and the power of acceptance. goodreads / amazon / E’s review

9. The Princesses of Iowa by M. Molly Backes

E absolutely could not put this title down. E was thoroughly surprised by the multi-dimensional storyline and the fact that an author could make me sympathize with a poor little rich girl. The joys of writing shoot from every direction in this book and there are so many moments to treasure, as well as so many that are difficult to experience. What are you waiting for? goodreads / amazon / E’s review

10. The Comeback Season by Jennifer E. Smith

As a huge fan of baseball, E already had a feeling she was going to get a kick out of this book. But Smith’s writing and description really shines as she weaves together the history of the Chicago Cubs with the story of a girl who is still mourning the loss of her father. A beautiful story that had me in tears. goodreads / amazon / E’s review

Bonus Books: We just couldn’t stop ourselves when we were making the list, so here are two additional underrated books you need to read ASAP!

11. The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

E love, love, loved this book. So much so that M bought it as soon as E finished. We happen to be big Eulberg fans around here. (Who doesn’t love a little comeback when it comes to silly stupid boys?) goodreads / amazon

12. The Stalker Chronicles by Carly Moore

Cammie is a really refreshing character who has a tendency to get really nosey. E loves the family dynamic in this story, and watching as Cammie tries to overcome her (unique) flaw. goodreads / amazon / E’s review

Let us know which books you think are underrated? We’d love to know your faves!

(Don’t forget to check out the people who’ve linked up over at The Broke and the Bookish. Everyone’s topics will be different so it’s a great week to scope out lots of blogs!)

Leave us some love! We love blog comments. Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Have Flown Under the Radar on Rather Be Reading
Check out more book reviews and posts by Estelle + Magan.