Top Ten Blogging Confessions

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. You can find out more about it here.

It's been a long time since I've done this feature, but there was no way I was going to miss out on a fun topic like this. Let's dive in!

1. I overthink everything. I'm always double guessing myself when it comes to this blog (in real life too) and I end up thinking so much that I become  anxious. Not the regular type of anxious, I'm talking about the anxiety where you feel as if one mistake could ruin everything. I actually still re-read my old posts to check for errors. I can't stop myself

2. I'm still lost. I have no clue how people can manage to read four books a week, run a decent blog, socialize, join clubs, get good grades, and keep a job at the same time. How are you guys doing it? Are all of you cyborgs? How do you keep up? I'm still lost on how to manage everything.

3. I end up procrastinating on other important things to work on this blog....I'm trying to break this habit. Even though I only post on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I end up working on the blog atleast 6 days a week. Why, Monique? Why? What's the point of that?

4. I handwrite my reviews before typing them out. I also used to do this with my essays in school. It's just easier for me because a blank computer screen freaks me out. I have to write my thoughts down before typing them out or nothing will get done.

5. I do not like John Green's books as well as some of the rest of you do. No, that's a cop out. I mean, his books are not for me. I'm less of a feeler and more of a thinker.... it seems the only book I liked by him was the book that all you thought was his worse books. lol! Guess which one? And no, I have not finished TFIOS. Sorry again. I started it, but have yet to finish.

6. I still feel awful for writing negative reviews...I'll still write them, but I hate it. I'll be honest, but I'll also try my best to highlight anything I liked about the book. It still feels weird to me, here you are giving me your  book for free in order to help you out, but here I am telling people the awful experience I had while reading your book. It sucks! I always feel as if maybe I wasn't trying hard enough to make myself like the story. This is something that I'm definitely working on.

7. I'm behind on my reviews. Are you surprised? Probably not. I blame netgalley! :P Well, it really is my fault for refusing to say no to all those beautiful review copies. It's ok though, I just recently started getting back on track with them.

8. I feel bad for not posting every day... Sorry

9. Sometimes, I don't always feel as if I'm part of the community. Perhaps that's because I don't post every day?

10. I get really frustrated when things I've won take so long to get to my mailbox. That's because I'm a really impatient person. I'm always thinking worst case scenarios. What if they forgot to send it? What if it gets lost in the mail? What if it got sent back to the sender without my knowledge?

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Book Covers I'd Frame As Pieces of Art

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. You can find out more about it here.

Here are the delicious covers! :D
Warning: I have weird tastes, therefore some of the choices may be weird! :P

1.  Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (Read+Liked Cover more than book)

2. Unwind by Neal Shusterman (Read)

3. Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg (TBR)

4. House Rules by Jodi Picoult (Read)

5. Cress by Marissa Meyer (Read)

6. Impossible by Komal Kant (TBR)

7. Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik (Read)

8. Gone by Lisa McMann (Read)

9. Parallel by Lauren Miller (TBR)

10. Freak of Nature by Julia Crane (Read+Liked Cover more than book)

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Most Unique Books I've Read

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. You can find out more about it here.

Yay! I'm finally doing this meme again! I've missed it so much! Let's begin:

Top Ten Most Unique Books I've Read
                      

1. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Cinderella is a cyborg? People living on the moon? Yes, give me more, please!

2. Bruiser by Neal Shusterman
A boy who can take on your pain if he loves you too much? Bittersweet story, but I was moved by the Bruiser's unselfishness.

3. Unwind by Neal Shusterman
A future where parents can "unwind" their children (basically donate their body to science, brain included....while they are still alive) NOBODY show this book to my mom! Ok?!
                    
4. You by Charles Benoit 
Somehow the main character never uses the word 'I'. It's just you.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books On My Spring 2014 TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. To find out more about it and how to participate, go ahead and click here.

Top Ten Books On My Spring 2014 TBR List
At the expense of this turning into a very long post, I still added the goodreads description for each book just in case any brave souls wanted to add anything to their already overwhelming TBR pile. Happy browsing! :)

 
When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find survivors. Which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage—alive—is making headlines across the globe.

Even more strange is that her body is miraculously unharmed and she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories period. No one knows how she survived. No one knows why she wasn’t on the passenger manifest. And no one can explain why her DNA and fingerprints can’t be found in a single database in the world.
Crippled by a world she doesn’t know, plagued by abilities she doesn’t understand, and haunted by a looming threat she can’t remember, Seraphina struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is. But with every clue only comes more questions. And she’s running out of time to answer them.
Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her from before the crash. Who claims they were in love. But can she really trust him? And will he be able to protect her from the people who have been making her forget?
From popular young adult author Jessica Brody comes a compelling and suspenseful new sci-fi series, set in a world where science knows no boundaries, memories are manipulated, and true love can never be forgotten.

 
John Smith—Number Four—thought that things would change once the Garde found each other. They would stop running. They would fight the Mogadorians. And they would win.

But he was wrong. After facing off with the Mogadorian ruler and almost being annihilated, the Garde know they are drastically unprepared and hopelessly outgunned. Now they’re hiding out in Nine’s Chicago penthouse, trying to figure out their next move.
The six of them are powerful, but they’re not strong enough yet to take on an entire army—even with the return of an old ally. To defeat their enemy, the Garde must master their Legacies and learn to work together as a team. More importantly, they’ll have to discover the truth about the Elders and their plan for the Loric survivors.
And when the Garde receive a sign from Number Five—a crop circle in the shape of a Loric symbol—they know they are so close to being reunited. But could it be a trap? Time is running out, and the only thing they know for certain is that they have to get to Five before it’s too late.
The Garde may have lost battles, but they will not lose this war.
Lorien will rise again.

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.
One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

Sweet and sensible Ellie hasn't met a problem her mom's yoga mantras can't fix. But when Ellie's parents threaten to pull her from the Academy just as her flirtation with the cutest boy in school heats up, will Ellie be able to keep her cool?
The last thing that the girls at the elite Jane Austen Academy need is guys. But over the summer the school has been sold, and like it or not, the guys are coming. And they're about to turn the Academy—and the lives of its students—totally upside down...

Dive into the fabulous, fun lives of six Academy girls as their friendships are tested, torn and ultimately triumph.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.
Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

Top Ten Tuesday: All Time Favorite Books in Romance Genre

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. To find out more about it and how to participate, go ahead and click here.

Top Ten All Time Favorite Books in Romance Genre

First of all, let me say that it was torture trying to choose between all the books I've read in this genre. Also, though I like romance in books, I'm not the type of person who is stuck on the insta-love or love triangle scenario. I'm also really really into humor, so the more humor thrown into the love story the more I like it. 

Here we go:

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Jane Austen is the queen of this genre. I fell in love with Mr. Darcy, so much in love with the character that I even designated a whole page to him on this blog here. There's just something about a socially awkward, tortured soul that is just so right. I loved the way Elizabeth Bennet gave him a run for his money. Don't ever settle for anything less than you desire. Take  notes from Lizzie :)


2. Cinder by Marissa Meyer. This was a futuristic retelling of Cinderella. This book captivated me in so many ways. You'll always see it coming up on my blog in one way or another. Prince Kai, the sassy, sarcastic, witty prince of New Beijing matched well with Cinder who also has some sass of her own. The sarcastic duo's interactions with each other and those around them were just so amazing.



3. Persuasion by Jane Austen. Jane Austen strikes again. I just love misunderstandings in fiction. It's so hilarious sometimes. Forgive me, but I think Captain Frederick Wentworth is actually a swoony character. If only he weren't so stubborn.....Anne Elliot broke off her engagement with him eight years before the story begins and they both regret it. Too bad they find it so hard to tell each other the truth. It's basically feelings of rejection being disguised as resentment. They are so awkward around each other and I just find it completely adorable. Haha!


4. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer. This was a futuristic retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. Wolf! *swoon* I really enjoyed the awkwardness of his character and the being totally sweet and kind thing was a big bonus. Scarlet with her fiery spirit and determined resolve challenged him and he finds himself always uncertain. It was fun to read, but I'd hate to be in that position.



5. Cress by Marissa Meyer. This was a retelling of Rapunzel. Captain Thorne is a very swoon-worthy character of the Lunar Chronicles. Meyer has this way of coming up with male heroes that are uniquely different yet so incredible. I loved Thorne's charming personality and I loved Cress with her naive look on life. They're such opposites and watching them interact is just so amusing.


6. Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg. This is a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice. Will Darcy had the very essence of Mr. Darcy written all over him. At first, they don't get along at all (but  I'm sure you already knew that). I just love it when fictional characters have no clue what's going on, but you know everything. Suddenly, Lizzie Bennet is wondering why she misses Darcy and his proud self. *sighs* There, there, Lizzy. It was bound to happen sooner or later.



7. Fall for you by Cecilia Gray. This is also a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice and you just know how much I love retellings...especially when it's a retelling of one of my favorite love stories ever! I thought the author did a great job because retelling anything done by Austen is really  hard. Dante was no match for Mr. Darcy, but I enjoyed reading about him. Lizzie on the other hand represented the strong, self-assured, independent spirit of Elizabeth Bennet.


8. Delirium by Lauren Oliver. First of all, Alex!!!! I got to admit it, at first I really wasn't feeling the "connection"  between Alex and Lena. I thought it was way too soon for them to be in "love," but then the ending happened and I was like.....OMG! I'm sorry I ever doubted you Alex.




9. Divergent by Veronica Roth. Ok. So this one is not going to really enthusiastic because I'm still not fully recovered after Allegiant (the ending of the series). However, I must confess....I liked Tris and Tobias together and...yeah. I can't continue. There are just too many emotions right now, so let's move on!


10. Girl, 15, Charming but Insane by Sue Limb. This book was pure comedy. Every single character had me laughing. It was sort of fluffy lighthearted-reading, but it worked for me. Jess Jordan's personality is just so crazy that I couldn't help but love her. Fred, her long-time friend is both sarcastic and totally hilarious. I loved it! :) Warning: If you read it, don't expect anything more than just having a fun time. It's not anything too deep or serious. It's just a light-hearted, hilarious book.

Have you guys ever read any out of this list? What would be some of your top ten favorite books of any genre you like?

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Popular Authors I've Never Read

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. To find out more about it and how to participate, go ahead and click here.

Top Ten Popular Authors I've Never Read

Ok. Let's be real. I had to do a bit of research on this one. There has not been that many popular authors that I haven't read, so it was really difficult for me to brainstorm for this topic. Luckily, Amazon has a list of the Most Popular Authors in Teen and Young Adult Books

Here it goes!

First of all, a big wave to Marissa Meyer chilling out at the #12 spot of the Top 100 Most Popular Authors in Teen and Young Adult Books! Don't worry, you will not be on this list :)

PS. This list is not in any type of order.

1. Kiera Cass
          

That's right folks! I've heard so much buzz about her series, but I have not started it yet. I may  read it one of these days though. There's just one thing holding me back from it....the synopsis of The Selection is a love triangle just waiting to happen. You might not know this about me, but I loathe love triangles. Hmmm....Loathe may not be the right word, how about I utterly despise AND loathe love triangles? I think you get what I'm trying to say. I haven't read any of the books yet, but I'm already on a team due to the synopsis of the first book.  

It basically says she was "in love" with Aspen before she was chosen and then meets the Prince. I'm rooting for Aspen because I'm assuming girls "in love" will not be so fickle as to fall for another (I'm being a bit sarcastic here). I know that in YA books, girls can easily stray from one boy to another. I'll just have to wait and see if this girl is any different. Unless Aspen is a jerk, then dump him like there's no tomorrow. 

2. Ally Condie


I can already hear the enormous shouts of protest over the internet as I add this author to the list. No. I have not read any books by this author, which means I have still not read the Matched series. Sorries! I love the concept, but I hate the love triangle that comes with it. However, I think this love triangle may be a bit more tolerable to me because from the synopsis I can already tell who she chooses.

 From what I can tell, this is a story about a society choosing your perfect mate (oh wow, flashback to Delirium!), but there was a glitch in the system and the heroine sees a choice that was never meant for her to see (Ky) as well as her society's "perfect match" for her (Xander), leading to her questioning her society and falling in love Ky. Oops! 

They really need to fix all these glitches in Dystopian worlds. Get it together! You're just asking for our awesome heroes and heroines to revolutionize. On second thought, don't fix those glitches. We like reading about it too much! I plan on reading this book, but there are too many TBR books in front of it, so I don't know when that's going to happen. *sigh*

3. Sara Shepard

     

Please no throwing tomatoes at your computer/phone screen! Yes...I have not read any of the Pretty Little Liars Books, neither have I watched any of the episodes *hides face*. When I first heard about the series from my friends, they mentioned way too much drama and I found myself a bit overwhelmed with it. I don't think I'll be reading this anytime soon, but maybe I'll give some episodes a try. I'm hoping that you Pretty Little Liars readers and the rest of us non Pretty Little Liars readers can coexist.

4. Tahereh Mafi

     

Here's another shocker for you! I have not read any of Tahereh Mafi's books including the Shatter Me series. Hold on. Don't get too upset! Though I haven't read this series, I'm also in love with it. Let me explain.

 I have a tumblr and I follow book readers on tumblr, and you know as well as I do that tumblr followers can get a bit excited. My followers were all flailing over the series and I definitely put the whole series on my TBR list. Then they started posting quotes....then they started posting paragraphs....then they started posting complete pages...then they started posting complete chapters. They are very thorough. I was too engrossed to stop myself from reading all those tumblr posts.

 Needless to say, I've been spoiled. However, I still want to read this series :) I feel like I already know the charcaters (because they so graciously visited me on tumblr) and I love them! I have bumped up the books to the near top of my TBR list. Lastly, TEAM WARNER!!!

5. Rainbow Rowell

  

I have also not read any books by Rainbow Rowell, so I've not read Fangirl as yet (or Eleanor and Park). Never fear! I will read it as soon as I can (even though I feel like there will be a bit of a love triangle involved). I've heard so much raving about it in the blogosphere that it would be silly of me not to try it out for myself. Then I will get to properly fangirl with you all.