Bel's Top 10 of 2014

Oh boy! I always have a tough time with narrowing down which ones to include. I realized in putting my Top 10 together that the books on this list are ones that my mind always travels back to. I figure if these books come to my mind as often as they do, then they must be it, right?

Winger by Andrew Smith

When I first picked up this book, I never suspected that it would affect me as much as it did. It wrenched my heart and the aftermath left me gutted for days. I’d do it all over again.

Play by Kylie Scott

One word: Mal. The second in the Stage Dive series delivered the funniest, hottest, most ridiculous scenarios. Mal's character made me laugh hard. He is the class clown who happens to be a freaking hot drummer, mischievous to the core and one of my top 5 fictional boyfriends. 

This Is Falling (Falling #2) by Ginger Scott

What a delightfully gradual fall! I fell head over heels for this one about a girl suffering from PTSD and the sensitive co-ed who befriends her. I'll repeat what I said in my review in that I wish I could experience this book for the first time over and over.

Breakable by Tammara Webber

I so loved Easy which is an all-time favourite and an obvious go-to choice for me. This sequel, Webber's solid writing shows us events told from Lucas’ POV, revisits his painful past and how he came to be the man he is today.

Uninvited by Sophie Jordan

It was a difficult choice between this and Jordan's other NA title, Wild, which I loved also. I eventually went with this because its dark, gritty premise explored many thought-provoking questions about who has the potential for violence, if it can be accurately predicted and how to stave off that threat. Do potential offenders deserve humane treatment? And what if you could fight it?

The Geography of Me and You by Jennifer E. Smith

This was the ultimate in sweetness. Two strangers trapped in an elevator during a blackout in NYC. Their connection spans several states and even continents. And my favourite part about this book? The many lovely quotes to choose from.

Sway by Kat Spears

This one surprised me big time. The premise had me thinking it would be pretty funny, and it was. But it was also uncomfortable and wrong in places due to the main character's lack of a social filter. What caught me off guard was how much I ended up liking the at times loathsome, sarcastic and opportunistic protagonist.

The Edge of Always by J.A. Redmerski

This follow-up to The Edge of Never was so wonderful. The title alone eludes to hope. Camryn and Andrew create their own happiness and adventure, making it hard not to love them for it! 

How To Get Ainsley Bishop To Fall In Love With You by T.M. Franklin

So much awesome here! I have a special fondness for this one as I’ll always remember laughing out loud, reading it on the beach in the Bahamas. It’s smart, funny and witty. Honestly, you’ll fall in love with Oliver because he's the “forever boy”.

The Tyrant’s Daughter by J.C. Carleson

This is a very gripping story about a girl who’s transplanted to America from her war torn country that was once ruled by her dictator-father. Through her eyes, the reader gets to see life from a different cultural perspective. It’s an eye-opening and consuming read.

 


Okay, in some circles this may considered as "cheating" but I would be remiss if I didn't include some honorable mentions. Please forgive me but I just had to throw some more love out there...

Undone by Cat Clarke
A young girl dealing with her best friend's suicide seeks revenge on the popular group of high school kids she blames for his death. You'd think it would be all serious but it's sometimes charming tone and surprisingly funny moments help to offset the somber mood. The ending leaves plenty of room for interpretation.

 

The Summer I Wasn't Me by Jessica Verdi
You've read books about people coming to terms with being gay. In this, the main character has already accepted that fact but feels she must "fix" herself in order to help her mother heal emotionally from her father's death.

The Hook Up (Game On #1) by Kristen Callihan
Ms. Callihan doesn't know this but she almost owed me a brand new tablet because holy cow, this book is freaking hot!!

Beneath The Stain by Amy Lane
Two words: Amy Lane. She describes love in all its extremes so perfectly that it's hard not to be affected. Imagine if she did greeting cards! 










All right then. I've shown you mine, now let's see yours!  

~ Bel

The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith

* * * *

Lucy and Owen meet somewhere between the tenth and eleventh floors of a New York City apartment building, on an elevator rendered useless by a citywide blackout. After they're rescued, they spend a single night together, wandering the darkened streets and marveling at the rare appearance of stars above Manhattan. But once the power is restored, so is reality. Lucy soon moves to Edinburgh with her parents, while Owen heads out west with his father.

Lucy and Owen's relationship plays out across the globe as they stay in touch through postcards, occasional e-mails, and -- finally -- a reunion in the city where they first met.

A carefully charted map of a long-distance relationship, Jennifer E. Smith's new novel shows that the center of the world isn't necessarily a place. It can be a person, too.

Ever have a random encounter with someone, hitting it off so well that when it comes time to part ways, it’s all awkward and you don’t know if it’s weird to want to stay in touch? That’s what the sweet, funny and enchanting, The Geography of You and Me is about.

In this instance, the chance encounter is in an elevator that's stuck between floors during a blackout, and our two heroes, Lucy and Owen instead of being petrified by the ordeal, find the situation rather comical. The two are kind of misfits but not in a negative way. Each is going through something – Owen and his dad are working through their grief after losing his mother. Lucy’s family dynamics are peculiar. Her older brothers are away at college and her parents travel all over Europe and never take her along. She’s left to her own devices.

What struck me was how self-reliant both of them are. They’re not perturbed by the blackout and make the best of it. When Lucy has to move, she does it gracefully and takes to her new surroundings nicely. Owen too, handles the almost nomadic way of life he and his dad explore as his dad attempts to look for jobs. But no matter where they end up in the world, their center remains that rooftop in New York. Somehow, despite being miles apart and on different continents, these two have taken up residence in each other’s consciousness.

There are so many lovely touches throughout the book such as the postcards. I mean, I now look at them differently. In a world reliant on texting and instant messaging, their one-line communication via postcards is such an endearing and personal gesture. I also admire the many quotes that I either copied down or marked throughout the story. They’re simple but speak volumes. Here are three of my favourites:

One of them is at the beginning of the book when Owen and Lucy are sharing ideas about where they’d like to travel to. This sets up the rest of the story marvelously.

“Sometimes it seemed as if his whole life was an exercise in waiting; not waiting to leave, exactly, but simply waiting to go.” (p.46)

I guess it's stuck with me because it’s such a positive thought as opposed to a get-me-the-heck-out-of-here mentality.

This next one, where Lucy ruminates on the night of the blackout, is perhaps my favourite quote because of the beautiful imagery in action:

“They were like a couple of asteroids that had collided, she and Owen, briefly sparking before ricocheting off again, a little chipped, maybe even a little scarred, but with miles and miles still to go. How long could a single night really be expected to last? How far could you stretch such a small collection of minutes? ” (p.139) 

And finally, during a conversation between Lucy and her mother, her mother brings up a very good point about why she’s never gotten to travel with her parents. I think that it also sums up the stalled state of her relationship with Owen as they begin to think about what exactly their relationship is.

“You can’t know the answer until you ask the question.”  (p.253)

Okay, I won’t give any more away so instead, I’ll just encourage you once again to read The Geography of You and Me. I enjoyed how the story progressed and how their POVs paralleled each other’s. I take away from this the heartwarming message that it's not just a place but a person too, that can be the center that you return to. This thought gives me warm fuzzies and I can see myself returning to this book again.

~ Bel

A Peek In The BiblioBin #99

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.

Oh and before we forget ...

Graphic courtesy of netanimations.net

Borrowed:



The Geography of Me and You by Jennifer E. Smith

The Forever Song (Blood of Eden #3) by Julie Kagawa



Purchased:



Girl In Translation by Jean Kwok