Top 100 YA Books

I found this on The Book Vixen's blog and I thought that I would share with you what I've read and what I have yet to read on this list.

READ - Books that I've read
TBR - Books that are in my TBR pile

1. Alex Finn – Beastly
2. Alice Sebold – The Lovely Bones
3. Ally Carter – Callagher Girls (1, 2, 3, 4)
4. Ally Condie – Matched 
5. Alyson Noel – The Immortals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
6. Anastasia Hopcus – Shadow Hills
7. Angie Sage – Septimus Heap (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
8. Ann Brashares – The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (1, 2, 3, 4)
9. Anna Godbersen – Luxe (1, 2, 3, 4)
10. Anthony Horowitz – Alex Rider (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
11. Aprilynne Pike – Wings (1, 2, 3)
12. Becca Fitzpatrick – Hush, Hush, Crescendo, Silence
13. Brandon Mull – Fablehaven (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
14. Brian Selznick – The Invention of Hugo Cabret
15. Cassandra Clare – The Mortal Instruments (1, 2, 3, 4)
16. Carrie Jones – Need (1, 2, 3)
17. Carrie Ryan – The Forest of Hands and Teeth (1, 2, 3, 4)
18. Christopher Paolini - Inheritance (1, 2, 3, 4)
19. Cinda Williams Chima – The Heir Chronicles (1, 2, 3)
20. Colleen Houck – Tigers Saga (1, 2)
21. Cornelia Funke – Inkheart (1, 2, 3)
22. Ellen Hopkins – Impulse
23. Eoin Colfer – Artemis Fowl (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
24. Faraaz Kazi – Truly, Madly, Deeply
25. Frank Beddor – The Looking Glass Wars (1, 2, 3)
26. Gabrielle Zevin – Elsewhere
27. Gail Carson Levine – Fairest
28. Holly Black – Tithe (1, 2, 3)
29. J.K. Rowling – Harry Potter (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
30. James Dashner – The Maze Runner (1, 2)
31. James Patterson – Maximum Ride (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
32. Jay Asher – Thirteen Reasons Why
33. Jeanne DuPrau – Books of Ember (1, 2, 3, 4)
34. Jeff Kinney – Diary of a Wimpy Kid (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
35. John Boyne – The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
36. John Green – An Abundance of Katherines
37. John Green – Looking for Alaska
38. John Green – Paper Towns
39. Jonathan Stroud – Bartimaeus (1, 2, 3, 4)
40. Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl – Beautiful Creatures , Beautiful Darkness
41. Kelley Armstrong – Darkest Powers (1, 2, 3)
42. Kristin Cashore – Graceling, Fire
43. Lauren Kate – Fallen, Torment, Passion
44. Lemony Snicket - Series of Unfortunate Events (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
45. Libba Bray – Gemma Doyle (1, 2, 3)
46. Lisa McMann – Dream Catcher (1, 2, 3)
47. Louise Rennison – Confessions of Georgia Nicolson (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
48. M.T. Anderson – Feed
49. Maggie Stiefvater – Shiver, Linger, Forever 
50. Margaret Peterson Haddix – Shadow Children (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
51. Maria V. Snyder – Study (1, 2, 3)
52. Markus Zusak - The Book Thief
53. Markus Zusak – I am the Messenger
54. Mark Haddon – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
55. Mary Ting – Crossroads
56. Maureen Johnson – 13 Little Blue Envelopes, The Last Little Blue Envelope
57. Meg Cabot – All-American Girl (1, 2)
58. Meg Cabot – The Mediator (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
59. Meg Cabot – The Princess Diaries (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
60. Meg Rosoff – How I live now
61. Megan McCafferty – Jessica Darling (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
62. Megan Whalen Turner – The Queen’s Thief (1, 2, 3, 4)
63. Melina Marchetta – On the Jellicoe Road
64. Melissa de la Cruz – Blue Bloods (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
65. Melissa Marr – Wicked Lovely (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
66. Michael Grant – Gone (1, 2, 3, 4)
67. Nancy Farmer – The House of the Scorpion
68. Neal Shusterman – Unwind
69. Neil Gaiman – Coraline
70. Neil Gaiman – Stardust
71. Neil Gaiman – The Graveyard Book
72. P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast – House of Night (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 )
73. Philip Pullman – His Dark Materials (1, 2, 3)
74. Rachel Caine – The Morganville Vampires (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
75. Rachel Cohn & David Levithan – Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist
76. Richelle Mead – Vampire Academy (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
77. Rick Riordan – Percy Jackson and the Olympians (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
78. Rom LcO’Feer – Somewhere carnal over 40 winks
79. S.L. Naeole – Grace (1, 2, 3, 4)
80. Sabrina Bryan & Julia DeVillers – Princess of Gossip
81. Sarah Dessen – Along for the Ride
82. Sarah Dessen – Lock and Key
83. Sarah Dessen – The Truth about Forever
84. Sara Shepard – Pretty Little Liars (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
85. Scott Westerfeld - Leviathan (1, 2)
86. Scott Westerfeld - Uglies (1, 2, 3)
87. Shannon Hale – Books of a Thousand Days
88. Shannon Hale – Princess Academy
89. Shannon Hale – The Books of Bayern (1, 2, 3, 4)
90. Sherman Alexie & Ellen Forney – The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
91. Simone Elkeles – Perfect Chemistry, Rules of Attraction, Chain Reaction
92. Stephanie Meyer – The Host
93. Stephanie Meyer – Twilight Saga (1, 2, 3, 4)
94. Sue Monk Kidd – The Secret Life of Bees
95. Susan Beth Pfeffer – Last Survivors (1, 2, 3)
96. Suzanne Collins – Hunger Games (1, 2, 3)
97. Suzanne Collins – Underland Chronicles (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
98. Terry Pratchett – Tiffany Aching (1, 2, 3, 4)
99. Tonya Hurley – Ghost Girl (1, 2, 3)
100. Wendelin Van Draanen – Flipped

So I've READ 14 of books that are on this list and I have 31 in my TBR pile.  How about you? What are your numbers?

Bad reviews going to far?

Recently, I was going through my goodreads updates and I came across a Bad Review for Hades by Alexandra Adornetto.  Basically this person did nothing but tear the whole book apart.  Literally, had NOTHING nice to say about the book at all.  Then I decided to check out Hades page on goodreads...Needless to say it only gets worse.  Not only do some reviews tear the book apart, they also go as far as taking pot shots (in my opinion) at the author.  Now I know that everyone is entitled to their own opinion but still?  Do you really need to go so far as to put things like the passages below in your reviews?

"I've thrown my rose-coloured glasses in the trash, and if Alexandra isn't careful, her book will be in there too." Tenae

Or please check out this "lovely" screaming review.  Or even this gem.

The worst part?  Reviews like these in some circles seem be celebrated.

I thought that the point/purpose of all this reading and posting reviews was not only to post our honest feelings whether they be good or bad, but to find even the tiniest sliver of good in a book that you have to review that you REALLY don't like?  Do we really need to go so far as to tear someones work completely apart?  I think at times there are people out there in the book blogging community that forget that behind every book is a living breathing person who not only put a lot of time into that book but also has feelings too.

So readers, Have you ever come across a Bad Review that you think was "over the line?"  Have you ever said or done anything when/if you come across reviews like this?  Do you personally write bad reviews?  How do you go about the process?

Discussion Post ~ Giveaway entries (Hoops or No Hoops that is the question?)

I've been book blogging for awhile now and I have participated in a number of giveaways and I've held a number of giveaways (which reminds me that I still need to draw my winners for my 100 Follower giveaway).  The thing that sort of irks me about so many of the contests that I come across these days is all the "Hoops" one has to "jump" through in order to even have a decent shot at MAYBE winning.  I just don't understand why we have to make things harder than they have to be in this community.

Know I'm not knocking any one's "system" (to each their own) but I can honestly say that if your going to make me jump through a "million hoops" for the chance to win a book, there is a good chance that I'm NOT going to enter your giveaway.  If it's a book that I REALLY want I'll spend the money and buy the book myself. I can honestly say, that I have only entered a handful of giveaways recently and they all were BASIC entries (leave a comment with email address, which are my absolute favorite giveaways, to name 1 example).  The reason I tend to NOT participate in giveaways that have so many "hoops" is that I feel like those giveaways are a job and I already have one of those.  If I come across a giveaway that I find is TOTALLY awesome and I'm going to enter or I have entered, I'm going to share it with my followers both on the blog and twitter.  I shouldn't be "required" to share it just to participate.

I totally get that a lot of book bloggers use all these different entries as a way to "network" and "market" their blogs but for me it has gotten to the point that all these different entries are repetitive and boring.  My questions to you are: how do you feel about giveaways who have all these different entries? Are you turned on/off by all these different entries? Do you like it when bloggers keep their giveaway entries "basic"(example: leave a comment and include a way to contact you if you were to win)?

Discussion Post ~ Authors behaving badly

Originally posted on Jamie's Bookshelf on February 11.


NOTE: I will be adding my extremely personal thoughts on this at the end of this post. It does seem that all hell has broken loose in the book blogging community again.  Not good peeps! I've been going through my google reader and I've been reading all these horror stories about all the hell that's being unleashed on us "unprofessional reviewers*" (AKA Book Bloggers).  The post that I just linked to is written by an author who had a couple of bad reviews of posted about her book and had the nerve to "call out" two book blogs (Book Binge and Chick Lit Plus).  On top of that the author (Sylvia Massara) had this to say about book bloggers: "Oftentimes, the people who set up these kinds of blogs have never written a thing in their lives, except maybe a grocery list. Most are avid readers who think they are qualified to review someone else’s work. So it’s very sad when they go about damaging the image of upcoming small press and indie authors with the rubbish they write." I think that this post was EXTREMELY unprofessional and I think that the two blogs that were called out in this post responded in a professional manner and put the facts out there for their readers to see and read.  If you want to check out their responses Book Binge had this to say and Chick Lit Plus had this to say. Ah, and then we get to the good stuff....How In My Mailbox** is to quote the unnamed author “those "in my mailbox" posts represent everything that's wrong with the whole scene. It's all about status and swag.”  Then there's the whole book bloggers don't sell books/shouldn't be given ARC's/and how we're only in it for the free books.  Seriously, I have some pretty serious thoughts on all of this.....which your about to read. 

MY THOUGHTS:

 I saw all these posts and I was deeply troubled by all of this.  For a while now I've been struggling with my book blogging (if you hadn't noticed from my lack of posting).  I feel that it has turned into a job and I already have one of those.  I know that this is mostly my fault and I asked for it when I decided to start 2 additional book blogs.  But getting back on point...All of this negativity has really troubled me. I just don't understand how an author could go so far as to attack a blogger on a VERY public form of media known as the INTERNET!  That is completely classless and trashy on their part.  Sure we as book bloggers don't always write glowing reviews of everything that we read.  It happens.  Life isn't all sunshine and happiness.  Put on your big girl/boy under ware and get over it. JMHO. I don't know about anyone else out there but I think that In My Mailbox is a pretty AWESOME meme.  I don't always get to participate but even if I don't I always find more books to add to my wish list when I go through my google reader.  Honestly, I look forward to In My Mailbox...even if I don't get to participate.  It makes me happy to see all those bloggers out there gushing with happiness over the books they got in the mail, from the library or just went out and bought.  FOR KRISTI~ Party on Kristi!  I think it is very unfair to say that book bloggers don't sell books.  I think that there are enough of us out there that anyone who comes across some one's review either intentionally or accidentally that we might influence a book buyers decision.  I know that before I started book blogging I came across some review blogs for a couple of books that I was considering buying and reading the reviews helped me to make my decision.  For another blogger's opinion on book bloggers and their impact click here OR to read an author's take on book blogger's check out this post.  I was extremely offended when I found that many people believe that we book bloggers are only in it for the free books and ARC's.  I don't know about anyone else but I spend more money and time buying books or checking them out of the library or swapping them on Paperbackswap.com than I spend trying to coherse a book out of an author.  Actually, I've NEVER approached an author about getting a copy of their book and I am only occasionally contacted with review requests.  Maybe there are bloggers out there who are fishing for "free books."  I am NOT one of them. So I am going to conclude this post before I turn it into a full length novel.  Though I do have 1 message for all the haters out there.....Hell Hath No Fury Like Book Blogger's Scorned.  *Found in a post posted by Jeremy West of Novel Thoughts**Found in a post posted by Kristi of The Story Siren

Discussion Post ~ How do you conquer your TBR pile?

This morning I was checking out some of the blogs that I follow and I came across this post posted by the ladies over at Everything To Do With Books.  Which led me to find the inspiration for the post over at Down The Rabbit Hole.  Which led me to think about my TBR mountain and how I'm failing on my fail boat to conquer it.  So now I'm asking you, what steps have you implemented to conquer you TBR pile/mountain?

I will spare you all the "gory" details about my TBR mountain.  Let's just say that it's REALLY scary almost to the point of being beyond scary and I am looking for a way to work towards conquering that particular mountain.

So fellow book bloggers I am asking for your help in conquering my TBR mountain.  An overflowing bookcase and stacks of books all over the place say I NEED to conquer my mountain.  So Thank You in advance for any suggestions, tips, or ideas that might come from this post.  I really appreciate it a lot.

Discussion Post ~ Note taking for reviews?

A couple of weeks ago I was reading the book Enclave by Ann Aguirre and I actually took the time to take notes about the book on a note pad so that I wouldn't forget any "important" details in my review. Then came time to write my review and I thought that if I put everything I had in my notes in my review I might cause some unintentional spoilers. So sometimes I think that taking notes might be a double edged sword...That I might giveaway or create an unintentional spoiler with the information that I've added to my notes, some might find it helpful, others might take offense.

So my question(s) to you are: 1. Do you personally take notes about the books that you read in order to include all the important facts in your review? 2. Do you do this for every book you review? and 3. How do you deal with potentially creating an unintentional spoiler in your review?

I think that I may continue to do this but I really don't want to potentially ruin someones reading experience with an unintentional spoiler.