Top 5 Wednesday: Books that you weren't expecting to like but did

 1. A Prayer for Owen Meany is a book I read junior year of high school for my American Lit. class. This book was assigned, it had a terrible gray cover that resembled a headstone and it just seemed sooooo damn boring. But I did all my assigned reading, and at some point it stopped being just an assignment and I became interested in the story and the characters. A Prayer for Owen Meany went on to become one of my favorite books of all time.









2. The Poisonwood Bible kind of has the same story as Owen Meany. It was assigned reading for my AP Lit course. We were to read the book over the summer and write an essay about it. At first glance the book seems quite intimidating (it's over 500 pages) And I'm actually pretty glad this was part of my assigned reading. The Poisonwood Bible is one of my favorite books of all time. Barbara Kingsolver's writing is just beautiful and enigmatic.







3. I guess I was a little over all the damn vampire stuff that happened after Twilight. There were just vampires everywhere! It was as if everyone had forgotten about the monsters and were making up for years of not paying attention. I had seen this series a lot but never paid any attention to it because the concept seemed cheesy (also the covers were kind of a turn off). But go figure, it was the fact that a movie was announced and the trailer seemed hilarious that made me pick up this series. I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered this whole new world of vampires, and vampire hunters with new twist on old myths. Also Rose Hathaway is one of the most badass ladies of all time.



4. Starcrossed was a 99 cent deal on NOOK and on a whim, I downloaded it. Not expecting much because there was a lady with a flowy dress on the cover. I began reading with zero expectations and was pleasantly surprised to find a lovely story with lots of Greek mythology wound in there. It was a bit of a mystery at first because I knew there was a mythology aspect to it but I just didn't know what it was. It was action packed and intricate with interesting characters and of course, forbidden love (as the title suggests).
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5. The idea of having a book narrated by a dog just didn't click with me. But as soon as I started reading this gem, I was in tears. I should have known that this book would pull at my heart strings being a dog lover and all. Garth Stein did a beautiful job conveying a dogs unconditional love toward their people. How much they're there for us, how much they see, how happy they are just to hear our voices, just to feel our energy. But apart from the story of a dog, this is the story of a dog's family, and the struggles they have to endure and the challenges they have to overcome. I loved this book.












Top 5 Wednesday is hosted by Mindy and Lainey. For more information and a complete list of all the people participating visit the group page on Goodreads.

Top 5 Wednesday: Terrible Covers

1. I actually love the Penguin Modern Classics but this cover is just plain...creepy. I honestly don't know what they were trying to go for but I can say it didn't work out. It looks more like a cover for Toddlers and Tiaras: The Memoirs than Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

2. Sticking with the classics theme, after all of the Twilight hype, someone decided it would be a good idea to re-issue these classics to look like Twilight covers and I hated it. I get that they were trying to appeal to a younger audience but it was completely unnecessary. The Wuthering Heights cover even has a sticker that says "Bella and Edwards favorite book"...really?

3. The original, hardcover of The Diviners was absolutely beautiful. I remember seeing the cover and wanting to know more about the book. But this paperback cover is horrendous. I get that it's trying to go for the 1920's mystery film but I can't bring myself to like it.

4. I know a lot of people love the original Anna and the French Kiss, and Lola and the Boy Next Door covers but I found them to be cheesetastic. Don't get me wrong they are adorable but I'm generally a person who hates to see real people on the covers of books because it messes with my idea of what someone looks like (does that even make sense?). Anyway I love the new covers for these books and I'm pretty glad I waited to buy them so they would all match on my shelves.

5. I haven't read this book, but I own the first two of the series. And I hate this cover for the same reason that everyone else in the book blogosphere does. The covers don't match. But it's not just that. There was something ethereal about the first two covers, with the stars and the cool color scheme. But this cover seems harsh and plain boring.

Top 5 Wednesday is hosted by Mindy and Lainey. For more information and a complete list of all the people participating visit the group page on Goodreads.

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

The 5th Wave is the story of Cassie Sullivan, a young girl who is one of the last humans left, after an alien invasion that came in waves. Cassie's baby brother is taken from her and she sets out on a quest to get him back. Meeting a mysterious boy named Evan Walker along the way.

I didn't know how much I loved Sci-Fi until recently, okay? I bought this book last year when it came out. I think I may have pre-ordered it because there was a lot of hype around it and everyone was recommending it, saying it would be YA book of the year. It took me a while to actually get to it, my husband ended up reading it before me. He loved it and soon after he finished it, I decided to pick it up. This book did not disappoint, it lived up to all the hype. It was action packed and a bit terrifying and very sad. Rick Yancey did a fantastic job creating a very possible scenario for an alien invasion. The shifting perspectives do a great job keeping the mystery element of the story. I loved this book and loved the characters in it. I can't wait for the sequel (which is titled The Infinite Sea, and is scheduled to be released in May 2014). I recommended this book to a couple of my friends, and both of them loved it.

Rating: ★★★★★
Recommendation: Very entertaining and fast paced. I would recommend it to anyone.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman is such a wonderful author, I honestly don't think I can read anything by him and NOT like it, granted I've only read two, but I've loved them both.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane is essentially a fairy tale for adults. It is a story told from the perspective of a 7 year old child (really, it's a man recalling some events he'd forgotten, hence why it's more of an adult tale). It is quite hard to explain what the story is about without spoiling it really, but the main focus is the Hempstock family. A family of three women who have a farm at the end of the lane. However, the Hempstocks are no ordinary family and our narrator recalls what exactly it is that made them extra ordinary.

The book is available in an audiobook format and is narrated by Neil Gaiman himself. I actually listened to most of the book and loved it. Neil Gaiman's narration really adds to the fairytale quality of the story, as if we were there listening to the main character tell us the story of his childhood, the monsters that plagued it, and the Hempstock women who lived at the end of the lane. I experienced a wide range of emotions while reading this book. I laughed and cried and was creeped out. I loved this book so much and I don't doubt I will come back and re-read it later on.

Rating: ★★★★★
Recommendation: The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a beautiful story of friendship, love, and family. I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Gaiman and loves fantasy.
Favorite Quote: "Nobody actually looks like what they really are on the inside.”