#Blogmas2019 Days 12, 13 and 14: Best Surprise/Discovery, Favorite Fantasy/PNR, Favorite Indie Author #BestBooksof2019

Welcome to Blogmas 2019! 

Blogmas is the creation of Sophie @ Beware of the Reader. This is her third year (I think) doing Blogmas and my second year participating. Sophie has provided some great prompts for this month and I'm excited to participate as often as possible. I'll probably be combining days fairly often, like today. If you'd like to participate, be sure to use the hashtags #Blogmas2019 and #BestBooksof2019.

DAY 12: BEST SURPRISE/DISCOVERY 

WELL MET by JEN DELUCA

I picked up Well Met on a whim and expected something light and fun to pass the time. What I got was all that and then some! Well Met was sweet and adorable, funny and romantic, and all-around charming. It was a listening experience that I loved from start to finish.

DAY 13: FAVORITE FANTASY/PNR

THE WICKED KING by HOLLY BLACK

We go way back to January for my favorite fantasy of the year. The Wicked King was everything I wanted in the sequel to The Cruel Prince. It was darker, more intense, and the stakes were higher. The drama was positively delicious and I was so there for it. 

DAY 14: FAVORITE INDIE AUTHOR

And here's where I start to cheat because no way can I choose just one. Five seems like a nice round number so we'll go with that. 

Emma Chase writes book that, at first glance, are deceptively light and fluffy but almost always pack an emotional punch. Her books just bring me so much enjoyment. Lora Richardson is a contemporary YA author that never disappoints. Her books are like falling into a cozy blanket and being hugged for 300 pages. Krista & Becca Ritchie are the twin sister writing duo behind the Addicted/Calloway Sister series, which happens to be my favorite contemporary series ever. I've lived through a lot with those characters! Emma Scott breaks my heart with every book - and makes me ugly cry - but she always puts my heart back together in the best way before it's all over. And Mia Sheridan writes stories that are so packed with emotion and pull me in every single time. 

HAVE YOU READ ANY OF THESE BOOKS?

WHAT WAS YOUR BEST SURPRISE OF 2019?

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Contemporary Series

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic: 

Favorite Contemporary Series

Are we sensing a theme here? I haven't been feeling the TTT topics at all lately so I've been going rogue and doing my own thing for weeks now. And, after looking at the topics for the rest of the year, it's likely to continue for a while.

So this week I'm sharing my favorite contemporary series. I love a good standalone but when it comes to contemporary, and specifically contemporary romance (my genre of choice), it seems that series reign supreme. And I'm (usually) good with that. More to enjoy! So here are my favorites...

TEN TINY BREATHS SERIES

I remember reading Ten Tiny Breaths in 2014 and feeling like: please let this author have more books because I want to read them all. I enjoyed the entire series and even the novella, In Her Wake, was wonderful. 

WAIT FOR YOU SERIES

I already knew and loved Jennifer Armentrout (hello, Lux series!) when I picked up Wait for You so I expected I would like it. But what happened was that I loved it. I fell so hard for Avery and Cam's story, both individually and together. And while their story remains my favorite, I still inhaled the rest of the series and have such a soft spot for it.

STAGE DIVE SERIES

I read the Stage Dive series on audio when I was looking for something to entertain me during my commute. To be honest, I wasn't expecting much so I was surprised to find myself hooked. While Play was far and away my favorite, the whole series was a lot of fun and I totally enjoyed watching the story progress with each couple.

ROYALLY SERIES

Despite the cheesy covers, and despite the punny titles, I love this series. I expected lighthearted fun and some swoony/sexy bits, but what I didn't expect was the emotional aspect. There was a pivotal scene in the first book that had me sniffing back tears and made me think, okay, clearly there's more to these books than meets the eye. It helps that Andi Arndt and Shane East narrated the entire series and they are perfection.

MARKED MEN/SAINTS OF DENVER SERIES

Marked Men is another series I started on a whim. Something on audio for the commute. I ended up binge-listening to the entire series. And then I moved on to the spin-off series, Saints of Denver. I grew so attached to this tight-knit group of friends/found-family. There are scenes that bring me to tears (no matter how many times I've listened to them), characters that I love (and one or two that I tolerate LOL), and I love revisiting them again and again.

ROSEMARY BEACH SERIES

I loathe the term "guilty pleasure" because I don't feel guilty about anything I choose to read. But Abbi Glines in general, and the Rosemary Beach series in particular, is the closest I come to that. I call them my "brain candy" books. But despite the fact that they're not particularly well-written, and despite the fact that they can be a little over the top and ridiculous, when it comes to this series I eat it all up with a spoon. I was sucked right into the series from the first book and gobbled up each book after that, practically salivating over the wait for the last several books to release. These characters and their lives felt so real that I was positive I could drive across the state to Rosemary Beach (a real place) and find them all hanging out together. :)

GETTING SOME SERIES

  

Even though there are only two books in this series so far, I'm sold on it. I can even forgive the cover of the first book that is so cheesy it oozes Velveeta. These characters are so realistic and down to earth and they feel like they're people you could know or work with. The plots are just as relatable, nothing crazy or over the top, and it was easy to pull for these characters and truly feel for their stories. I really hope there's more to come in this series.

TRUE NORTH SERIES

Sarina Bowen is one of my go-to authors and her True North series is a big reason why. It started with my love of the Shipley clan in book one and grew from there. I get invested in every character and every couple and each story leaves me with a desire to visit Vermont and become friends with them all.

     

HOOPS SERIES

I only came to experience Kennedy Ryan for the first time this year, but that was enough to make me an instant fan. Long Shot was an incredibly powerful story. Ryan made these characters come to life and feel like living, breathing people that I was personally invested in. That led me to binge the other two books in the series and cemented all three as one of my newest favorite series.

ADDICTED/CALLOWAY SERIES

And I saved the best for last. :) For the last six years I have laughed and cried with these remarkable characters. Seen them through addictions, mental illness, tragedies and triumphs - both professional and personal, scandals, marriages and children... and loved every second of it. Over the span of ten books these characters became so real and I ached for them when the suffered and cheered for them when they overcame adversity. I cried for their losses and laughed at their antics. The final book, Some Kind of Perfect, was incredibly bittersweet. The Addicted series has been my favorite contemporary series for years and I can't imagine another taking its place.

What is your favorite series - contemporary or otherwise?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Want to Re-Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic: 

Books I Want to Re-Read

This week's theme of favorite bookmarks didn't thrill me since a) half the books I read are on my Kindle so no bookmark needed and b) even when I do read physical books it's not like I have a favorite bookmark. So I'm doing my own thing... again.

I do not often re-read. There are so many books that I am excited to read (for the first time) that I don't often feel led to spend time reading something I've already read. But there are always exceptions. There are some books that made such an impact on me that I want to experience it again. There are stories that gave me all feels and I want more. Or characters that I want to revisit. So here are the books that I most want to re-read.

MAYBE SOMEDAY

Colleen Hoover

Why I want to re-read: Maybe Someday was the first Colleen Hoover book I read. And I was hooked. I fell in love with those characters and was completed sucked in to their story. That was in 2014 and the book still has a special place in my heart. I'd love to revisit and experience it all again. 

JEMIMA J

Jane Green

Why I want to re-read: At the time I read Jemima J (2001) it had a big impact on me. It may have been classified as "chick lit" but I connected with Jemima on a deep level and understood her so well. I'm interested in re-reading and seeing if I still feel the same.

A CANDLE IN HER ROOM

Ruth M. Arthur

Why I want to re-read: A Candle in Her Room was my favorite book as a child. I checked it out of the library over and over again. Many years ago I managed to track down a copy in a used bookstore and seeing it on my shelf always gives me a feeling on nostalgia. I'd like to re-read it and see how I view it as an adult.

THE KADIN

Bertrice Small

Why I want to re-read: Ten or twelve years ago I went through a brief phase of reading historical romances. Or, more accurately, reading several historical romances from Bertrice Small. I was absolutely captivated by the world-building in her novels and the attention to detail. Taking place in the 15th century and spanning the globe from Renaissance Europe to the Ottoman Empire, The Kadin was fascinating. I'd love to experience the journey again.

ON THE ISLAND

Tracey Garvis Graves

Why I want to re-read: When I read On the Island in 2012 I was completely taken with Anna and T.J.'s story. I continued to think about them weeks and even months after finishing the book, something I don't often do. I really want to relive their story all over again.

THE SUMMER I FOUND YOU

Jolene Perry

Why I want to re-read: I picked up The Summer I Found You on a whim when I was browsing in the library. I expected a sweet YA contemporary. What I got was a story that dealt with real issues in a emotional and realistic way and two main characters that I pulled for so hard. Aidan's story, in particular, touched my heart and I would like to share in their story again.

NINE MINUTES

Beth Flynn

Why I want to re-read: It wasn't until quite a while after I read Nine Minutes that I learned that the story continued. There are two more books that I'd love to read but I've forgotten so many details from Nine Minutes that I want to re-read it before moving on.

THE BRONZE HORSEMAN

Paullina Simons

Why I want to re-read: Reading The Bronze Horseman was one of the most emotionally draining reading experiences I've ever had. Like nothing else I'd read. And though I'd never been able to say I had one favorite book, after I read The Bronze Horseman it became just that. And yet... I've never continued on with the trilogy. Maybe because I fear they can't possibly live up to TBH? Maybe because I enjoy the anticipation? Either way, I do want to read the whole series and since it's been 5 years I want to re-read The Bronze Horseman before moving on.

SOME KIND OF PERFECT

Krista & Becca Ritchie

Why I want to re-read: Krista and Becca Ritchie's Addicted series is my all-time favorite contemporary series. Over the span of 10 books those characters began to feel like living, breathing people and I was completely invested in their lives. I am beyond ready to continue on with the spin-off series but before I do I want to re-read the final Addicted book, Some Kind of Perfect. Ideally I would re-read the entire series, but that is an insane time commitment.

AUTOBOYOGRAPHY

Christina Lauren

Why I want to re-read: Autoboyography is the first book I read from Christina Lauren and it was love at first sight. (I mean, just look at that cover.) It was also love at first page. I adored Tanner and Sebastian and fell head over heels in love with their story. I would love to relive it all over again.

Do you re-read books?
Do you have a favorite that you go back to again and again?

Top Ten Tuesday: The Books I Anticipate/Avoid

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic: 

The Books I Anticipate/Avoid

This week's topic is actually about the books we avoid for whatever reasons. The length is intimidating, we're scared it won't live up to the hype, etc. But I don't avoid books for those reasons. My reason isn't about avoidance... it's all about anticipation. Sometimes I think I enjoy the anticipation of reading a book as much as the reading experience itself.

There are certain books that I am certain I am going to love. Ones that will have a big emotional impact. Become all-time favorites. It could be because it's a sequel and I already fell in love with the previous book(s). Or it could be a standalone that I just have a good feeling about - one that seems to check all my boxes for tropes I love. I love the anticipation of reading those special books. The feeling that an extraordinary reading experience is right at my fingertips. And apparently I enjoy prolonging that feeling of anticipation because I have some books that I have been putting off (or, for the sake of Top Ten Tuesday, avoiding) for years. So here are 10 books that have me basking in the anticipation... and loving every minute of it.

Five Years Gone | Marie Force        The Last Letter | Rebecca Yarros

The Great Alone | Kristin Hannah       The Story of Us | Tara Sivec       Fisher's Light | Tara Sivec

What the Wind Knows | Amy Harmon          Punk 57 | Penelope Douglas        

The Son & His Hope | Pepper Winters          Tatiana and Alexander | Paullina Simons     

Damaged Like Us | Krista & Becca Ritchie

HAVE YOU READ ANY OF THESE BOOKS?
IS THERE A BOOK YOU AVOID?

Top Ten Tuesday: Let's Be Friends (Book Characters I Want As My BFF)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic: 

Book Characters I Want As My BFF

There's not a lot to say about the topic this week so I'm just going to dive right in. Here are my picks for the characters I just know could be my best friends.

LILY | ADDICTED/CALLOWAY SISTERS SERIES
Krista & Becca Ritchie
I've always felt such an affinity with Lily. Rose could be fierce and intimidating. Daisy was a daredevil. But Lily... she was sweet, a little shy, she loved fiercely, a little nerdy (in the best way possible), and, even with her amazing growth as a character, she depended heavily on Loren. I could so be best friends with this sweetheart.

MOLLY | THE UPSIDE OF UNREQUITED
Becky Albertalli
When I read The Upside of Unrequited I felt as if Becky somehow got a peak inside my memories and was writing about seventeen year old me. I related so much to Molly and for that alone I would want to be friends.

MONTY | THE GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE
Mackenzi Lee
Monty managed to be completely self-absorbed and yet still totally lovable. He was witty and sarcastic and with him as a BFF there would never be a dull moment.

MEREDITH | AWAKENING AUTUMN
Lora Richardson
You know that one special friend you had when you were younger? The one who totally accepted you without judgment, was loyal and trustworthy, and you were so close you felt more like family than friends? That would be Meredith. I loved this girl for so many reasons and would love to call her my best friend.

HAZEL | JOSH & HAZEL'S GUIDE TO NOT DATING
Christina Lauren
Hazel is an absolute ray of sunshine and I would love to have her as a friend. She's quirky and fun and I love to be around people who tend to be as positive and upbeat as I am.

CORA, SHAW, SAINT, ROYAL & AYDEN | THE MARKED MEN SERIES
Jay Crownover
I want to be friends with these women! They were such a tight-knit group and were there for one another through good times and bad. These were the friends who could call each other any time and they would drop everything to be there for one another. (If you're a Marked Men fan you'll notice that Salem isn't listed. That's because I never liked her and I've kicked her out of the squad. LOL)

WARREN | MAYBE SOMEDAY and MAYBE NOW
Colleen Hoover
This guy... he's a hot mess but I love him. He proved himself to be such a good friend to Sydney - even though he'd been friends with Ridge for much longer. He was brutally honest when he needed to be, but also stood by her when things went bad (without any I told you so's). He's the jokester in the crowd but he's also a fantastic friend with a good heart.

KATY & DEE | THE LUX SERIES
Jennifer L. Armentrout
Katy and Dee are such down to earth girls. Well, one is an alien and one is a hybrid... but they're still down to earth. Katy is a book blogger who gets totally excited over book mail and new releases and who can't relate to that. She and Dee have been through A LOT but they're great friends and I want to be a part of their friend group.

TINK | THE WICKED SERIES
Jennifer L. Armentrout
Okay, so Tink isn't even human, but I'm not holding that against him. He's sassy and overly dramatic and has a serious addition to Amazon Prime, but he's also loyal beyond measure and simply hilarious. I so want Tink as my BFF.

THE INNER CIRCLE | THE ACOTAR SERIES
Sarah J. Maas
This is the ultimate friend group. They are total squad goals. Rhysand, Feyre, Morrigan, Cassian, Azriel, Amren... this tight-knit group is fiercely loyal and have seen each other through war, death, betrayals, separations, heartbreak, and more. There is a familiarity among them that comes from many years of togetherness and they are more family than friends. And even though Amren would terrify me... I still want to be friends with this amazing group.

WOULD ANY OF THESE MAKE IT AS YOUR BFF?

Top Ten Tuesday: I Love You Just the Way You Are (aka Cover Redesigns Gone Bad)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic: 

Cover Redesigns Gone Bad

When given the choice with Top Ten Tuesday topics, I typically go for the more positive option. Something I love over something I dislike. A good change over a bad change. You get the idea. But when it comes to cover redesigns, I tend to want them to leave well enough alone. New isn't always better. And 99% of the time I prefer the original cover over the redesign. So I'm not going with the positive option this time... I'm sharing the cover redesigns that I really dislike. The ones that got worse instead of better. The ones that make me want to sing (à la Billy Joel) "don't go changing to try to please me... I love you just the way you are!" 

THE LUX SERIES - JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT

I'll admit that I'm extra picky about these covers because the Lux series is an all-time favorite. I LOVE this series. And I know that plenty of people consider these covers cheesy but I'm all for them. When I think of the Lux series (which happens a lot, actually LOL) I think of these covers. They ARE the Lux series. 

But the publisher has changed these covers not one, not twice, but many times. *sigh* First they decided to do bind-ups and came out with these covers that were sparkly for no apparent reason (did they confuse the aliens with the Twilight vampires??) and added a girl with very bad makeup.

The latest covers are even worse, if that's possible, and we've moved on from Bad Makeup Girl to Silhouette People. They should have just left them alone. For me nothing will ever beat the original covers with Pepe Toth.♥

THE OFF-CAMPUS SERIES - ELLE KENNEDY

So, I've mentioned before about how I'm not a huge fan of the whole shirtless-guy-on the-cover thing. I mean, I love a six-pack as much as the next girl, but even so... they're a little cringey. However, I make an exception for the Off-Campus series. When it comes to new adult/college romance these are practically iconic. Romance readers know these covers. So when there was a cover redesign a while back there was quite the scramble to quickly add the original covers to collections before they were nowhere to be found. (I currently have two and am still trying to track down the other two in the original covers.) The new covers aren't bad... but to me they just don't represent the series well. 

THE DARK ELEMENTS SERIES - JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT

Here's a cover redesign that happened mid-series. The worst! Books one and two came out and I liked them well enough. Layla + Roth, Layla + Zayne, both in muted tones. Then as the third book was being released... *bam*... cover redesign. Muted tones are gone and we get half a girl's face. The new covers stayed with the partial-face theme and I can't say I was a fan. The new covers are totally generic and boring. Boo.

THE CALLOWAY SISTERS SERIES - KRISTA & BECCA RITCHIE

These original covers represented each character so well. Rose's elegance, blonde wild-child Daisy, Connor's cool sophistication, and Ryke's extreme lifestyle. I'm not sure what prompted the cover change (Krista & Becca are self-published so it's not like a publishing house made the call), but I don't feel like it adds anything. And instead of reflecting four distinctive characters it's just four random shirtless guys. Thumbs down.

BITTERSWEET - SARINA BOWEN

   

Maybe it's just me, but the guy on the original cover of Bittersweet is Griffin Shipley. And apparently it really is just me because I recently saw Sarina Bowen talking about the cover change and saying that the original cover didn't capture the tone of the story. But I think the old cover is perfect... and way better than the couple on the new cover. (I'll be standing over here alone in my feelings for the original cover. *looks around forlornly*)

ARCHER'S VOICE - MIA SHERIDAN

   

I love the original cover for Archer's Voice. It's one of those books I would recognize instantly by the cover art, no title or author needed. The newer cover? Just... why? It says nothing about the story. It looks like some generic stock photography that could be used for anything. Why do that? I am confused.

MAKING FACES - AMY HARMON

     

This is another case like Archer's Voice. The black and white cover with Ambrose pictured is what I think of every time I picture Making Faces. I get that the newer cover is supposed to be Fern, but for me the original cover is the one that fits the story best. The photo of a tortured Ambrose, the black and white photography, the font(s) used for the title... it all fits the story best.

TRUST - KYLIE SCOTT

     

Okay, this last one is another I feel strongly about. I received an e-arc of Trust and loved it. I knew I wanted to buy a physical copy but in the blink of an eye they changed the cover. Like, within the first month of release! I have no idea why (I heard that the original cover looked too new adult instead of YA... but who knows.) So all of a sudden, even though it was a new release, I couldn't order a physical copy with the original cover. I was on a mission! I ended up finding a copy on eBay and paid a ridiculous sum of money to get it. While the redesigned cover is okay (I can totally see that being Edie and John), I much prefer the first cover.

So, I know I've only shared eight, and Top Eight Tuesday just isn't a thing, but I can't think of any other cover redesigns that I feel particularly strongly about. I'll let you fill in the last two spots... which cover redesigns do you think got it all wrong?