Top Ten Tuesday: Beach Reads

When I think of beach reads I imagine books that are easy to immerse yourself in, have a bit of humor in them, are relatively quick reads, and are mostly just light and fun. Not all of these books fit the description, but still. I also looked at my beach reads list from last year and tried not to pick the same books. 

1) School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins
2) The Truth About You and Me by Amanda Grace
3) Golden by Jessi Kirby
4) The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler
5) Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
6) Just One Day by Gayle Forman
7) All Sarah Dessen books
8) Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
9) The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade
10) Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook

 By 'beach read' I think I'll generalize it to a summer/holiday/light-hearted/fun/friends/romance read :) Though they're not all typical contemporary as I'm not reeeeeally a contemporary girl.

1) Falling Fast - Sophie Mckenzie
2) Boys Don't Cry - Malorie Blackman
3) Star-Crossed - Rachel Wing
4) The Truth About Forever - Sarah Dessen
5) Shiver - Maggie Stiefvater
6) Incarnate - Jodi Meadows
7) Sam Cruz's Unfallible Guide to Getting Girls - Tellulah Darling
8) Candor - Pam Bachorz
9) Everneath - Brodi Ashton
10) Lock and Key - Sarah Dessen

Top Ten Tuesday: Books When I Need Something Light and Fun

The Education of Hailey Kendrick by Eileen Cook - This book is so full of shenanigans and letting loose! 

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White - Evie is such a fun narrator and I love all the different paranormal creatures.

The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade - Alona is bitchy and full of herself to the point of humor. Will has that whole "let the world burn" attitude. An unlikely romance blooms between 2 flippant characters creating an altogether fun read.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - Paris atmosphere, cute boys...YUM! This book is super cute and fluffy.

The Collector by Victoria Scott - Dante's voice is definitely something you don't find every day in YA. It was a fun read.

Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill - London. A hunt for a mystery boy. With a hot boy at her side. It's one awesome adventure!

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins - Using magic to fight evil paranormal creatures with a side of sarcasm. All of Hawkins's books are quick, exciting reads!

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger - Power to women!

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally - I love the concept of this book: a team full of awesome, funny football guys and one girl just trying to figure things out among them. This book is really fun.

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick - This book may not necessarily be "light" but it is an interesting story without a whole lot of depth and very easy to lose yourself in.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

Fresh Out Of The Bath: 
A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty - Gabbi
Scarred by J.S. Cooper - Gabbi

Currently Bathing: 
Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook - Gabbi
Golden by Jessi Kirby - Gabbi
Revision guides (no books atm! *Sigh*) - Charlotte

Waiting To Hop In:
The Caged Graves by Dianne Salerni - Gabbi

What are your reading plans? 

Top Ten Tuesday: Fall TBR

The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin - I'm not a supermajor fan of the first book in the series, but I do want to see where the story goes and if it will get better.

Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl - I lovelovelovelove this series. Beautiful Chaos ended with such a bang...I've waited my entire life for this, I swear.

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken - I adore Alexandra's first book, Brightly Woven and can't wait to see what brilliance Bracken brings with this completely different novel.

Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick - Since Silence was so incredibly uneventful, I can only assume she included double the awesome in this final book.

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes - The title, the cover, the smmary--all of it seems so epic!

Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally - Catching Jordan was a great book, and I have confidence that her books are only going to get better.

The Almost Truth by Eileen Cook - I have made it a goal to read and own every YA book that Eileen Cook produces.

The Space Between Us by Jessica Martinez - OMG DID YOU READ VIRTUOSITY? Because if you have then you understand my overwhelming excitement. IF NOT GO READ NOW OR I SHANK YOU.

Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone - I have such a cover connection with this book, every time I see it I am compelled to stalk the author, find out where she lives, and go steal the manuscript and read it nomnomnomnommmmmm!!!

Who I Kissed by Janet Gurtler - Janet always ha incredible plots and I love her previous book, If I Tell.

Top Ten Tuesday: Beach Reads

As a native Floridian, my summers have always revolved around the beach. Now, living in good ol' Arkansas, I desperately miss the beach. Nothing beats laying back on a soft towel, with a book in my hands, and the rays of sunlight beating down on my face. Finding the perfect book--now THAT'S essential. To me, the perfect beach read is a book that is fun, light, and leaves you with a good feeling in your gut when you finish. A book that really makes you smile and gives you hope for the world! 

#1-3) The Summer Series by Jenny Han. If you haven't read these novels, I honestly don't know what's wrong with you. I've never known anyone who doesn't adore them. Each book is so full of emotion and beautiful writing. If I were an adult, I'm sure these would bring me back to my teen years. 

#4) This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen. Everyone knows that Dessen is the summer contemporary queen. This Lullaby focuses on a girl moving past her trust issues and digging inside of herself to find real emotions she has always pushed back. This is my ultimate favorite Dessen novel. A tough protagonist with an adorable love interest, and songs about potatoes. I guarantee you will close this book with a ginormous grin on your face. 

#5) Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen. My next favorite Dessen novel. She always creates these wonderful, believable characters and puts them in unique, relatable situations. You will fly through this novel as Auden and Eli fly through their summer nights, together making the best of their insomnia. 

#6) Impossible by Nancy Werlin. This book has a unique plot and really focuses on the fact that the power of love can overcome anything. 

#7) Dance Upon the Air by Nora Roberts. This is one of the only adult novels I've absolutely devoured. It's a great beach read because it's about fresh starts and true love and the formation of lifelong friendships. 

#8) Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley. This book is so so so so so so so so amazing. I can't put its beauty in a paragraph, so just read my review.

#9) The Education of Hailey Kendrick by Eileen Cook. This book is so much fun! It's about branching out and trying new things. Eileen Cook incorporates a perfect balance of humor and serious situations and you will have the best feeling in your gut when you are finished with this novel. 

#10) Love and Leftovers by Sarah Tregay. Told completely in verse, this novel is quick, quirky, and adorable! 

What are your top beach picks!? 

Book Review: The Education of Hailey Kendrick

The Education of Hailey Kendrick by Eileen Cook

Series: Standalone

Genre: YA Contemporary

Publication Date: January 4, 2011

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 272

Source: Won

Hailey Kendrick always does exactly what's expected of her. She has the right friends, dates the perfect boy, gets good grades, and follows all the rules. But one night, Hailey risks everything by breaking a very big rule in a very public way...and with a very unexpected partner in crime. Hailey gets caught, but her accomplice does not, and Hailey takes the fall for both of them.

Suddenly, Hailey's perfect life--and her reputation--are blowing up in her face. Her friends are all avoiding her. Her teachers don't trust her. Her boyfriend won't even speak to her for long enough to tell her that she's been dumped.

They say honesty is the best policy--but some secrets are worth keeping, no matter the cost. Or are they? (Summary from Goodreads.com)

 Goodreads - Amazon - B&N - Indiebound - Book Depo

This may sound strange, but I knew the moment I saw one of Eileen Cook's books that I would love her. Still, I was shocked by how much I adored this book. The Education of Hailey Kendrick is a contemporary that perfectly balances funny and serious, life lessons and good times, pain and laughter. I was addicted from the very first sentence: 

There was a matter of life and death to deal with, and instead we were wasting our time discussing Mandy Gallaway's crotch. 

This is the classic "Uptight bitty learns to let loose" story, but it doesn't feel exhausting. It's fresh and sweet. And it has hot guys, which is like....HOT GUYS! What I liked a lot is that there's not really a love triangle. It's more like there are 3 guys that like her and she has to figure out what she really wants. She doesn't lead any of the guys on, but she does have strange feelings about all three of them at one time or another, which has been known to happen to teenage girls. But Hailey's relationship problems are not the prominent focus in the book, because honestly, she has more important things to worry about. She's got mad Daddy issues, she went from hero to zero because of one silly mistake, and now she has to be a part-time janitor. But through all of that, she remains strong and doesn't snitch on her friend. Even though she changes a lot, she doesn't cave under pressure and she doesn't really lose sight of who she is. I really like Hailey and I like how much she grows throughout the novel. 

And the aforementioned guys...I love all 3 of them. They were all really sweet in their own ways. There was no bad boy. I was split in 3 throughout this entire book, because I wanted her to end up with each one of them. Joel is smart and sort of nerdy. Tristan is the popular celebrity's son. And Drew was just full of surprises! I'm pretty happy how things ended up on this front, though it seemed that things were tied up with Tristan too quickly and too easily. 

There was a lot of fun in this book. Hailey learns that she has to let go of her safety precautions (she has an obsession with safety. As in, she'll calculate all the ways a person can die in every single activity she does). She sneaks out of the school. She goes to Walmart and puts on a crazy outfit. She even does karaoke! It's amazing to witness all these simple firsts, and so much fun because they all remind me of stuff me and my friends do. 

I loved the ending. Besides the one thing I said about Tristan, things were wrapped up quite nicely. With her dad and her "prison" sentence. With her best friend. And with the kids at school. I loved that even though Hailey made a mistake that pretty much screwed the entire school, it's obvious that they still have her back and that they are very willing to forgive her. I'd recommend this to anybody, but especially those who want to feel young again! This book is full of goofy antics and important lessons. I can't wait to read more from Eileen Cook. 

Quote Impressions - The Contemp Edition

Quote Impressions is a feature where I highlight different quotes from different books that resonated with me and made a huge impression. The kind of quotes that made me pause in my reading and go, "Wow!" or smirk like a crazy person, or even laugh out loud.

The Contemp Edition

“Every time he looked at me I felt like I'd touched my tongue to the tip of a battery. In art class I'd watch him lean back and listen and I was nothing but zing and tingle. After a while, the tingle turned to electricity, and when he asked me out my whole body amped to a level where technically I should have been dead. I had nothing in common with a sheddy like him, but a girl doesn't think straight when she's that close to electrocution.”  - Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

“I couldn't decide if I was more offended that people thought I was the kind of person who would kill myself over a boyfriend or that I was apparently too stupid to know how to do it right.” - The Education of Hailey Kendrick by Eileen Cook

“It's like the piano and the cello are being poured into my body, the same way the IV and blood transfusions are. And the memories of my life as it was, and the flashes of it as it might be, are coming so fast and furious. I feel like I can no longer keep up with them but they keep coming and everything is colliding, until I cannot take anymore. Until I cannot be like this a second longer.” - If I Stay by Gayle Foreman

“Home wasn't a set house, or a single town on a map. It was wherever the people who loved you were, whenever you were together. Not a place, but a moment, and then another, building on each other like bricks to create a solid shelter that you take with you for your entire life, wherever you may go.” - What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

“Last year I kissed this freshman girl at a pool party and she wouldn’t get off my nuts for six months. Which is why my policy is now no psychotics, and no freshmen. The freshmen thing is obviously easy to avoid, while the psychotics pose a bit more of a problem. It’s not like girls walk around with “I’m crazy” stamped on their chests.” - Two-Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt

Have you read any of these books? Do you want to? What do you think of the quotes!?