2013 Reading Challenge

Ok, I did promise a book post a few weeks ago so no time like the present! I love reading. It's my second favourite hobby (obviously crochet comes first). As a child I used to read a book a day but at some stage I just stopped. I think it coincided with us moving around so much. Anyway, a few years ago my wonderful dad bought me a Kindle & I've been book mad ever since!

So, shortly after I was converted back into a bookworm I found an awesome website called Goodreads. It's like ravelry for book lovers! It's addictive & has lead to me buying so many books but also meeting some amazing people. These same people are the ones I have to thank for some of the most amazing books I have ever read!

These are my top reads of 2013 so far! Four of them have lead to a significant amount of tears! I am not usually a crier but some of these really tore me apart. I'll do a quick list for you with some links and a few details. These were all 5 star reads for me.

So Tiffanie DeBartolo recently became one of my favourite authors and here's why....

God-Shaped Hole/The Shape of my Heart by Tiffanie DeBartolo - This was an incredible read & a definite tearjerker! I can't talk or even think about this book without feeling a little teary eyed. The writing, the characters, the story, the heartbreak....everything was just perfect! Here's a quote from the book that I love.....

"If your intentions are pure, I'm seeking a friend for the end of the world."

How to Kill a Rock Star by Tiffanie DeBartolo - The musical aspects of this book spoke to me in a massive way. I love music and the emotions behind it. I'm a sucker for lyrics...music tells a story in the same way a book does. Anyway, this book made me laugh, cry, kick myself and often left me frustrated and sitting on the edge of my seat! I loved it, all of it! And if none of that makes you want to read it then read it for Paul Hudson - A musical genius! A musical god! He was this book! And here's a quote from HtKaRS.....

"Personally, I don’t like inherently happy people. I don’t trust them. I think there’s something seriously wrong with anyone who isn’t at least a little let down by the world."

Divergent by Veronica Roth - First thing I loved about Divergent was that there was no insta-love! I'm not a big fan of insta-love. I like things to build up slowly. The ride this book took me on was awesome! Tris was awesome! And Four...oh yes, Four! Isn't he out of this world, totally swoon worthily, awesome? He's definitely made my list! This book even sucked a few (very few) tears out of me (only towards the end of course). It had its fair share of twists & turns, a good few shockers! The world itself was rather interesting. I can't wait for the movie! And here's another quote....

"We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another."

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma - I honestly don't know how to describe or put into words how I feel about this book. I was pretty wary of reading it but it's nothing like what I thought it would be. I cried, especially at the end. It was one hell of an insight into the psychological effects of a dysfunctional family. Heartbreaking & well worth a read. Try to be open minded though, the subject matter can be a bit hard to swallow for some. Here's a little quote....

"You can close your eyes to the things you do not want to see, but you cannot close your heart to the things you do not want to feel."

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi - Taherah Mafia is a genius! Her writing is so poetic, it's beautiful! I highly recommend reading this series. Unravel me is the second book in the series so obviously it's best to start from the beginning....Shatter Me and then follow that with Destroy Me before you start on Unravel Me. Here's a bit of a favourite quote of mine from the book. I couldn't include the whole quote because it's really long but it's so beautiful....

"I want to be the friend you fall hopelessly in love with. The one you take into your arms and into your bed and into the private world you keep trapped in your head. "

The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons - This is a tough one. I am still reading it! It's nearly 900 pages long and thanks to this heatwave, I've done hardly any reading lately. I never thought I'd enjoy a book this long but I am loving it! At one stage it did put me in such a somber mood. Can you imagine being so past starving the you don't even feel hunger anymore? My heart was breaking just imagining how people suffered in those times & the loss they experienced! It made me feel so many emotions and I just couldn't seem to put it down! I'm still loving every heartbreaking minute of it but thankfully we are in happier times at the moment. The book is based in Russia during World War 2 and tells the love story of Tatiana & Alexander...the greatest love story of all time. I'll have more to say once I finish it but for now, here is a quote from this incredible book......

"We walk alone through this world, but if we’re lucky, we have a moment of belonging to something, to someone, that sustains us through a lifetime of loneliness"

Will I achieve my goal again this year? I was hoping to reach 70/80 but I hadn't realised just how busy my year would be! We'll just have to see!

So there you have it! That's as good as my book sharing & recommendations get!

*If the weather cools down a bit, I will do my regular weekly post in the next few days but otherwise it'll be the weekend. Thanks for reading. Hope you are all well! Take care!

♥