That's What HE Said Thursday #10

Image courtesy of Kei at The Lovely Pages Review

That's What He Said is a weekly meme hosted by the ladies at Chapter Break, where we spotlight a quote from our book crush to the object of his desire. We like to pretend it's us.

What better way to celebrate our book boyfriends?

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Earlier this week, my daughters and I watched If I Stay. My younger one had just finished reading the book so we got cozy and watched the DVD I had requested for Christmas. During this, I was reminded of one of my favourite quotes from the books where Adam reassures Mia that he loves HER. Not her clothes or her hair. Her. I think it's a lovely message to any girl, anyone for that matter, about being yourself and wholeheartedly embracing who you are.  So taking a cue from Lynn at Chapter Break, this new year celebrate all that is you!  Happy New Year!  - Bel

Adam seemed to sense that I was upset. He pulled the car off onto a logging road and turned to me.

"Mia, Mia, Mia, " he said, stroking the tendrils of my hair that had escaped from the wig. "This is the you I like. You definitely dressed sexier and are, you know, blond, and that's different. But the you who you are tonight is the same you I was in love with yesterday, the same you I'll be in love with tomorrow. I love that you're fragile and tough, quiet and kick-ass. Hell, you're one of the punkiest girls I know, no matter who you listen to or what you wear."

Adam to Mia

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

A Peek In The BiblioBin #98

Welcome to our Stacking the Shelves post! Stacking the Shelves (or as we like to call it, A Peek in the BiblioBin) has been created by the lovely ladies at Tynga's Reviews.

Stacking the Shelves is a way for bloggers to share what books they have won, received for review, bought from the bookstore, borrowed from the library or friend, etc.

For Review:

Then Came You (Animal Magnestism #5) by Jill Shalvis

Perfect 10 by Erin McCarthy

Marked by Hades (Bound by Hades #2) by Reese Monroe


Borrowed:

Wild Cared (Wild Cards #1) audio book by Simon Elekles



Re-reading:

If I Stay (If I Stay #1) by Gayle Foreman

Nat's Top Ten of 2011

When we decided that we would each make a Top Ten of 2011 list, I was convinced that it would take me days.  Surprisingly, it only took me 4 hours.  Granted that is partially because we all decided it was okay to cheat with books in a series and count an entire series as one book.  Even so, it was tough because there were so many books I read and loved this year.  So here it is!  Share with us your favorite reads of 2011!

The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare - Shadowhunters, Downworlders, Demons, Mundanes.  A rich urban fantasy with all the necessary action, romance and teen angst that keeps me coming back for more. And it introduces some of my most favorite male characters in YA - Magnus, Jem and Jace

If I Stay by Gayle Forman - I sobbed.  And sobbed.  And then sobbed some more.  I am not much of a crier in my personal life, but there are a number of books that make me weepy at turns and there are very few books that turn me into an emotional basket case.  If I Stay wins the emotional basketcase category. Hands down.  It is equally funny, beautiful and oh so terribly sad.  If I had to put this list in order of favorites, this would compete with my next choice as number one on the list.

Where She Went by Gayle Forman - The companion book to If I Stay.  Another beautifully written story.  The main character is so darn loveable you can't help but feel for him.  Even when he pulls the ultimate rockstar move and starts sleeping with his groupies.  What's not to love about a emotionally messed up rockstar?  Not a thing, I say.  Not a darn thing.  This one will also have you alternately laughing and crying.  Fortunately, it will not turn you into an emotional basket case.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - Just all sorts of happy. I have re-read this book 4 times in as many months.  This is the ultimate "pick me up" book when I am feeling down.  Perfect romantic comedy.  If they make a movie out of this (a well cast and well made movie), I will die.  Simply die.

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins - Take the happy from Anna and the French Kiss.  Add a dash of angst and a pinch of quirky and you have another awesome romantic read.

Anna Dressed in Blood - I read a few books that scared the crap out of me this year.  This one definitely takes the cake.  Super creepy.  I would purposely leave all of the lights on after reading it.  Actually those things would usually keep a book off my favorites list.  But it was so good.  I couldn't put it down and the characters (particularly Cas) were absolutely amazing.

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green - Full of smart humor, slapstick, and just all sorts of awesome.  Definitely a book written for nerds that are boys by a nerd that is a boy.  But that doesn't mean girls don't love it too.  Obviously, since it did make it to my list.  And I am not a boy.  But I am definitely a nerd.

Geek Girl by Cindy Bennett - This is a story about a girl who learns to love herself and also learns that she is worthy of the love of people around her.  A great message without being beat over the head with it.  AND to top it off, the love interest in this book made me forget about Peeta for a few hours.  High praise indeed, if I do say so myself.

Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins - Speaking of Peeta....There is too much to say so I won't say anything at all.  Other than if you are one of the 5 people in the universe that hasn't read this trilogy, READ IT!

The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa - An amazing fantasy about faeries with the feel of both The Dark Crystal and Alice in Wonderland.  The entire series is full of adventure and not a single character disappoints.

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

*****

Synopsis taken from Gayle Forman’s website:

It’s been three years since the devastating accident…three years since Mia walked out of Adam’s life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Julliard’s rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend.  When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night.  AS they explore the city that has become Mia’s home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future – and each other.

Told from Adam’s point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

Wow. 

That was all I could say when I finished this sequel to If I Stay.  This book was just as emotionally charged as the first and completely leaves you breathless.

Just as in If I Stay, Gayle Forman brilliantly jumps between the present and the past to tell us how Adam and Mia have come to where they are now.  I can’t imagine anyone not loving Adam by the end of If I Stay.  Actually you like him so much that you are wondering when you start reading Where She Went, why the HECK did Mia leave him and why haven’t they spoken in three years? 

Through this story we learn how the tragedy in Mia’s story and then her abandonment has affected them both differently.  Some people grieve and move on any way they can and others get so stuck in their grief that they might explode any minute.  After 24 hours together, we learn who has learned to accept the events of the past and who still needs a holding hand to guide them to closure.

Although If I Stay really could have been a stand alone novel, this ended up being a beautiful ending to Adam and Mia’s story. 

Like most book lovers, I have read more books than I can count.  But even having read so many there are very few that I will read more than once.  There are even fewer that I will read more than twice.   If I Stay and Where She Went have made there way to the latter category.  These two books were so wonderful that I will be buying a second copy of each in the form of e-book so that I can always have them with me.  And my hard copies have already been added to a pile of books that I recommend to most friends. 

Nat

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

*****

Synopsis taken from Gayle Forman’s website:

On a day that started like any other…

Mia had everything: a loving family, a gorgeous, adoring boyfriend, and a bright future full of music and full of choices.  Then, in an instant, almost of that is taken from her.  Caught between life and death, between a happy past and an unknowable future, Mia spends one critical day contemplating the once decision she has left – the most important decision she’ll ever make.

Simultaneously tragic and hopeful, this is a romantic, riveting and ultimately uplifting story about memory, music, living, dying, loving.

There isn’t much I can share about the plot without spoiling it.   

I will tell you that the characters in this book are so beautiful and so real.  Some are flawed more than others but none of them disproportionately so.  And their flaws are only meant to make them human not evil.  Each character in this book is introduced to us for one purpose.  And that is to prove to Mia that maybe she does have a reason to choose life over death.

While reading this all I could think about was my children and the people they have in their lives.  I really hope that we are providing them with a supportive family that they can always lean on.  I hope that they make friends that they love and love them back.  And more than anything, I hope my children always feel like they have something to live for whether we are there or not.

This book is an emotional ride.  You will find yourself laughing out loud one minute and then sobbing a few pages later.  I can’t recommend this one enough.

Nat