Top Ten authors I'd LOVE to have Signed books by

Yes, I'm crazy about signed books. I do weirdo dances around my room whenever I receive a signed book, because, hey, authors are my rockstars. And even if they're unknown, I'm still bouncing up and down with joy that they took the time to sign their books to me. So, without further adieu, here are the top ten authors that I would die if I got a signed book from. In no particular order, of course. :)


*Dan Wells*
As you probably know, I recently read, (and raved) about Dan Wells's book, Partials. I could not shut up about how much I wanted Fragments, or how I couldn't believe that the storyline threw me for a loop. So, I would freaking love to have a signed book from Dan Wells. :)
*Meg Cabot* Yes, I know, I'm probably not the only girl to have ever coveted Meg Cabot's signature. I bet every young book blogger has felt the very same, but I can't help but tell you that I love her Queen of Babble Series! And all of her other books too. Even the Heather Well's Mysteries. :)
*Veronica Roth* I just can't help but love her! She created Tris and Four! I would probably die on the spot if I got a signed book from her! Yep, then I'd reanimate so I could read it. :)
*Kody Keplinger* Yes, Kody Keplinger is amazing. Who else could have made Wesley Rush the lovable pig that he is? Only her, and I absolutely can't wait to read A Midsummer's Nightmare, or Goldfish. How many times have I wished that I could meet Bianca and Wesley? Uncounted. But I'm sure it's a very, very, large number. :)
*Jennifer Echols* Yes, I absolutely adored her MTV Drama books. They made my weeks. And I loved the characters. I think that her contemporaries are adorable too. I haven't read Such a Rush yet, but I will soon. Hopefully. :)
*Kendare Blake* As in, my favorite paranormal fantasy author ever! I would love to have a book signed by her. Anna Dressed in Blood's ending? I never saw it coming. It was freaking amazing. Dang, I wish I had that kind of talent. :)
*Melina Marchetta* Because no list is complete without our favorite aussie author. She's behind the curtain for Jellicoe Road, so I  would love, L-O-V-E, love To have a book signed by her. I'd probably hug it. :)
*Andrew Fukuda* I know that a lot of people were horrified by Andrew Fukuda's 'The Hunt', but I absolutely LOVED it. I could not put it down, and I hope that the sequel doesn't dissapoint. :)
*Kat Rosenfield* Yes, the debut author of 'Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone' absolutely freaking wowed me with it. You probably could have smacked me across the face, and I wouldn't have got my nose out of that book for a second. It was AMAZING! :)
*Jenny Han* Jenny Han's contemporary 'Summer' series was absolutely adorable, and I can re-read it without it completely ruining the book for me, so I ecstatic when I first read the Summer series. Props to her for that. I can't wait to see how her and Siobhan write together in Burn for Burn. :)
So, which authors would you like to get a signed book from? I really would love to know. :)

Wish I Could Have Said Goodbye by Shari A. Brady

 

Before my older sister Francesca died, I worked at the bakery and wrote songs, but now I write lists. Lists like ten reasons why it's my fault Francesca's dead, or five reasons why I should try and win Howie back, or one reason why I need to stop lying to everyone, including myself.

Wish I Could Have Said Goodbye is an extraordinary novel about one family's struggle to make sense of their world after losing a family member to addiction. Through sixteen-year-old Carmella's eyes, we witness the courage and strength it takes to overcome the consequences of grief, guilt and co-dependency. WIth conviction and determination, Carmella shows us what can happen when we're open to love, feel the pain of our loss, and find the courage to accept the truth of our lives.

Buy from The Book Depository <--and support future giveaways on this blog!

My Thoughts/Review:

What do I really think of this book? I think it's sad, with little undertones of happiness at the best of times. It's romantic, and at some points, a down-right tearjerker.

It never lets you forget that first little bit that we learn about Mello. That her and her sister made lists, and those lists were all at once the best and worst part of Mello's life, after her sister died. Now she has no one to make lists with, so she writes them for herself.

Mello was a good character, but she tried to run away from everything that was going wrong, everything that was messed up, and everything that she didn't like. She even ran away from those she loved. Anybody can tell you that you can't run forever, and that true love is worth fighting for.

They might even tell you that love conquers all, and that all you need is love, but that's not the point. The point is, you can't run forever, and Mello is just starting to discover that she doesn't have to lie, and she doesn't have to run.

Because there are people out there that you don't need to hide from. Who accept you for who you are, and if they don't, they're probably not worth your time.

I loved Howie. He was sweet, and funny, and he never, ever let the idea of Mello that he had in his mind go, until she was standing right in front of him. He knew that she could be alright, but he also didn't know what she was hiding from, so he really didn't understand her at all, until the end.

I found this book to be a turbulent, emotional ride, that reads like a future bestseller. I would recommend this book for fans of Deb Calletti, and Sarah Dessen.

*Book provided by the author for review. Props to the author for signing it!


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Favorite Quote:
Sometimes I think you have experiences in your life where for whatever reason, good or bad, a memory gets drawn into a person's DNA with a permanent marker. Tonight was one of those nights.

The Lost Saint(The Dark Divine #2) by Bree Despain

 

A family destroyed. A love threatened. An enemy returns.

Grace Divine made the ultimate sacrifice to cure Daniel Kalbi. She was infected with the werewolf curse while trying to save him, and lost her beloved brother in the process.

Desperate to find Jude, Grace befriends Talbot, a newcomer to town. But as the two grow closer, Grace's relationship with Daniel is put in danger - in more ways than one.

Unaware of the dark path she is walking, Grace begins to give into the wolf inside of her - not realizing that an enemy has returned and a deadly trap is about to be sprung.

Buy From The Book Depository <-- and support future giveaways on this site!

My Thoughts/Review:

I put off reading this book for so long, because the first book got a mediocre three star rating, and I was afraid that this one would be the exact same way. Yes, I continue to read series with mediocre beginnings.

I absolutely loved the character development of Grace, because in the first book, she was a little bit of a sniveling little girl, and I felt that she really needed everything that happened to her. It made her who she is now, and right now, Grace is pretty freaking awesome. She's fought the curse, and she never really lost who she really was. She is exactly who she needs to be.

I wish Daniel would've gotten more development in this book, because he was honestly M.I.A. throughout most of the book, and it left me wondering, why? Why was he never around? Why did the author decide to push out of the picture for almost the entire thing? Don't get me wrong, he showed up periodically, but now the story is mostly Grace's, and not really his.

I thought that Talbot was a very nice touch, because he could swoop in and save Grace whenever she was in over her head, but he also carried quite an aura of danger around with him. You'll get what I mean when you read the book.

The plot was terrific! I'm so proud of the author! It was fast moving, and it had lots of twists and turns, so I was always entertained, and I never really had a moment where I was sitting in silence, wondering what just happened. Always a plus, if you ask me.

Overall, The Lost Saint blew The Dark Divine right out of the water, and I'm so glad that I finally picked it up. Do you think I can get The Savage Grace in paperback yet?
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Favorite Quote: It gives you a sense of power--the ability to end somethings existence, to snuff something out with your own hands. And that sense of power becomes pride, if you leave it unchecked. Soon you start thinking you're better than everyone else. Superior. Or maybe it just makes you feel angry that you can't do more.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

 

What if you only had one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it turns out to be her last.

The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. Living the last day of her life seven times during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.


My Thoughts/Review:

To be honest, in the beginning of this book, Sam's character is so easily dis-likable, and so entirely mean and hateful, that it's actually really hard to believe that she becomes the sweet, kind girl in the end. Because she changes so much, just in that one day that she dies. It's amazing, it's miraculous, and I can't sing the author's praises enough for that transformation.

She was horrid, and I loved how all the little things that changed over the week impacted her so much, that she was a new person.

I thought it was pretty cool, how the author wrote in such a flowing, put-together kind of way, and she never confused me, or made me just want to throw the book down in a fit of rage, so that was great. And to me, all the moments in the story just flowed together and made it very easy to understand, with just a touch of sarcasm, and why-me kind of mentality. She was upset, she was scared, and for the first few days, she took it out on everyone else. No one got away unscathed.

Least of all her. But it had such a peaceful ending, and it made me feel really mellow, because it was sad, and melancholy, yet at the same time it was happy and joyful. People never cease to surprise me with stuff like this.

Kent was my second favorite character after Sam, and he was really awesome. He was a sweetheart, he was just an over-all nice guy. Not looking to get girls, but to just live. And he lived well. You would never believe the complete turn-around that Sam had towards him.

I wonder if you do get a greatest hits replay when you die...This book brings up several philosophical questions, and I really want to know all the answers to them. All in all, I believe that this was an emotional debut, that left me hanging on to the story until the very last page.
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Favorite Quote: And then, just at that moment, when I'm no longer sure if I'm dreaming or awake, or walking some valley in between where everything you wish for comes true, I feel the flutter of his lips on mine, but it's too late. I'm slipping, I'm gone, he's gone, and the moment curls away and back on itself like a flower folding up for the night.

Pieces of Me by Darlene Ryan

 

The third time Evan hit me I left. Evan said God talked to him. I don’t think he did. If God did talk to people, I didn’t see how he would choose Evan with his thin, bloodless lips and pinched face that never smiled. And I knew there was no way God would tell Evan to slap me across the mouth.

Maddie is living on the streets, trying to get by, protect herself and make enough to get a place to stay and find a way to get back to school. When she meets Q, she is wary, but welcomes his friendship. And then she meets Dylan, a six-year-old boy, living on the streets with with his family. When Dylan’s father asks Maddie to watch the boy for a while, she is happy to help. But Dylan’s parents don’t come back; and Maddie and Q are left looking after him. Trying to make a life together and care for her makeshift family, Maddie finds that maybe she has to ask for help.


My Thoughts/Review:

Honestly, I really thought that this book was going to be a lot different. I thought that the main character, Maddie, was going to bash Jesus for all he was worth, because of the way the story began. I put off reading it because of that first little bit, right in the beginning, that made me think that I was gonna have to be all, "That's my Jesus!" But, thankfully, I read a little past that first bit, and I was immediately hooked into the story.

I couldn't stop. This book was so entirely captivating, so real, that I just couldn't put it down. It was physically impossible for me to leave this book for very long, and I'm kind of happy about that, because it's just what I needed.

Maddie was a stand-offish, head strong, sarcastic homeless girl, that for what it's worth, came almost a full 180 throughout the book, until she was semi-sweet, and not as uneasy about trusting people. After all, she trusted Q almost instantly, which gives me an honest idea about how long it took to figure out how they were going to meet (Read: No time at all. Maddie trusts him so quickly that it scares me.)

I, for one, do not go off and sleep in cars with people I've never met. (Scary.) This just goes to show you how much are views have been skewed by popular culture. (No, boys who like you do not sneak into your room and watch you while you sleep. That's just creepy.)

Ok, now on to Q. (What kind of a name is Q?!?) Honestly, I loved Q from the very beginning though, so that goes to show you that my views are skewed too. Q seemed very easy-going in the first half, but when we get towards the middle, he starts to get a little edgy, and it kind of made me wonder what Q was running from. We never get any background story on Q, so I would really love to know. Is Q going to have his own book?

I don't know. All I know is that in spite of it's little problems (Read: My weird obsession with trusting weirdos.) I still loved every single sentence of it, because it captivated every little piece of my heart.

*ARC won on Librarything. ♠♠♠♠
Favorite Quote:
A thousand Epic quotes were within this novel, but it won't be released until....... September 1, 2012

In My Mailbox #17

In my Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kirsti, over at the Story Siren.
All I got this week was: It was provided by the author, Martin Dukes, for review. He signed it to me! :)
What did you get this week? Leave a link!

148 Followers Giveaway!! (International!!)

Ok, I was gonna wait 'til I got 150 Followers, but I'm too excited to hold off any longer! 140 GFC Followers! 8 E-mail followers!!

 I'm so excited! My first giveaway where I get to pick the prize! It's Young Adult, of course. So, what would you guys like? A formal thank you letter? (That one might be kind of hard.) I've got it! How about....*dramatic pause*...a 2012 release from the Book Depository!! That means that this is international, peeps. Drama-rama, right? Yay!! So, onto the giveaway, before I get too carried away....


The giveaway will be ONE book from this list, shipped from the Book Depository. Choose wisely, because I'm ordering a copy for myself too. Strictly in the spirit of celebration. :)

Look at all those covers! They're so pretty together! But anyways, if *gasp* none of these books appeal to you, you can get any book under $15 from the Book Depository, as long as I approve. It MUST be Young Adult in nature. *Rules* #1. You must be eligible for free shipping through the Book Depository. Check and see if your country is on the list HERE.
#2. You must be 13 years old, or have a parents permission.
#3. If none of these books appeal to you, your choice must be under $15.
#4. All entries will be checked, and if you lie to me, I might just delete all your entries. We wouldn't want that, now would we? (It's okay. I'm probably just threatening. But I might.)
#5. If I get 100 more followers, I'll add another 5 books to choose from.
#6. For every 50 after that, three more books, until my wish list is exhausted. :)

Update 8/31- 107 more followers already?! You guys are awesome. Here comes some more bookish beauty. :)

Update 9/7 - 50 more followers! Thank you guys, and here's three more books for ya'll! ;)

Update 9/12 - 50 more! That's insane! Here's three more choices that I think you'll like. ;)

Update 9/18 - Ahh! I love you guys! :)

Update 9/23 - Ahh! 450 Followers! I never expected this. :D

Update 10/4 - As ya'll know, I lost all my email subscriber's recently because of Feedburner, but I've been regaining them. And I've hit 450 Followers again! So Yay! I love ya'll! Adding more books. ;D

Update 10/12 - I...I...you've floored me, guys. :')

Update 10/19 - My wish list is now exhausted! I love ya'll! Hope you love me too. ;)

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