Top Ten Tuesday - Authors I Own The Most Books From

You guys all know I'm a book hoarded of the worst kind. Actually, you probably are too. Welcome to the support group. :)

Unless it's a book I really didn't like, I always keep my books. I have three full shelves, books stacked on top of my shelves, books in the little cubby hole shelves beneath my computer, books on my coffee table, books strewn about everywhere. I. Hoard. Books.

I also, like many, have my books arranged simply, by author last name. Some shelves on are taken up by one author entirely. Probably because I feel the need to own complete series so they can look pretty on said shelf.

There are a few authors I can't stop buying - must. own. all. books. I have a list of favorite authors, ones that I just love what they've written, but I also have authors that I just own a ton of books from. I just couldn't stop.

The top ten eight authors I own the most books from are:

8. Rainbow Rowell

Low on the list with only 4 books. (I have a bunch of authors that I own exactly four books of, but since Rainbow is a favorite author, I figured she'd get first shot.

Books I own: Attachments; Eleanor & Park; Fangirl; Landline (aka all of them)

7. Lois Lowry

I own 4 of her books also, and I actually own 2 copies each of 2 of her books.

Books I own: The Giver (2); Gathering Blue (2); Messenger; Son

6. Ann Brashares

I have 5 physical books by Brashares plus 1 eBook.

Books I own: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants; The Second Summer of the Sisterhood; Girls in Pants; Forever in Blue; Sisterhood Everlasting

5. Rick Riordan

A nice big jump from the last author, I own 10 books by Rick Riordan

Books I own: Percy Jackson Series (5 books); The Red Pyramid; First four books in the Heroes of Olympus series

4. Richelle Mead

Mead happens to write really long series. I love said long series, but it kind of explains why I own so many books by her, as of today, 11 to be exact.

Books I own: Entire Vampire Academy series (6 books), Books 1-5 of Bloodline series)

3. Jodi Picoult

I do have a goal to physically own every single one of her books. I'm currently at 17 books.

Books I own: My Sister's Keeper; Handle with Care; Perfect Match; The Tenth Circle; Plain Truth; Lone Wolf; Second Glance; Sing You Home; House Rules; Keeping Faith; The Pact; Mercy; Picture Perfect; Vanishing Acts; Salem Falls; Harvesting the Heart; The Storyteller

2. Nora Roberts

Nora Roberts, though I don't read too much by her anymore, is my mother effin hero. I love her writing (predictable, yes. Do I care? No.) and her descriptive passages, and I just want to be her. Or meet her. Or move in with her and beg her to mentor me. Anyway. I love her and I also have a personal goal to own all of her books. I own around 18 or so. I didn't get to count these exactly though. Oops.

1. J.K. Rowling

I do own all but one of her books, coming in at 12 books - but I also own 2 sets of the HP series. That like bring me to 19 books. BAM!
Books I own: Entire HP series (7 books - 2 sets); Quidditch Through the Ages; Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them; Tales of Beedle the Bard; The Casual Vacancy; The Cuckoo's Calling

Feature and Follow Friday: A Dinner Invitation

It's been a while since I've participated in anything: Feature and Follow, Top Ten Tuesday, Waiting on Wednesday, etc. I was on a little hiatus over the Easter holiday - three weeks to be exact - but now it's over and I'm back in the game... sort of.

I'm kind of taking my time getting back into the swing of things because.... (and this is a secret just for my fellow bloggers)... I've started writing again. Many of you probably don't know that I go through phases of writing for months, non-stop except to work, eat, sleep and use the potty. Then I poop out and don't touch a thing I've worked on for months. So I'm going full force this time, except with the intention of taking breaks and non pooping out and maybe, finally, possibly, hopefully attempting to publish (probably self pub) something. So with that being said, I want to start looking to authors and see what tips worked for them. Obviously mainly self-pub'd authors but even some bigger names. Which brings me to the reason I'm here today:

This week's Feature and Follow Friday question is:

What living author or authors would you like to have dinner with? (Try to think beyond JK Rowling)

That little addition kind of screws me up because honestly, my answer is J.K. Rowling. But for the sake of being a good sport and thinking outside the box, I've come up with my next answer(s) which were almost as easy as the first:

Rainbow Rowell,

Jodi Picoult,

and Nora Roberts

Rainbow Rowell is a recent addition to my list of favorites and I would love the chance not only to meet her, but to pick her brain about her amazing books and her writing process.

Jodi Picoult is one of the first authors I ever loved and everything of hers I've ever read, I've loved. Seriously. And I've read a lot of her novels. I'd love to talk over dinner and find out how she always packs one hell of a punch into each and every novel she writes.

and Nora Roberts: My writing hero. Though I've strayed a bit from the romance genre in recent years and while I know Nora tends to be a bit predictable and redundant in some of her newer novels, she is still the queen of descriptive passages and strong characters (female, especially). She is the first author I ever loved, and yes she has her faults but she'll always have a place in my reader's heart and maybe, maybe one day I will have the chance to pick her brain, too, about how she writes in such detail and sticks to such strong and willful female characters in different storylines.

So consider this my official dinner invitation:

I cordially invite you, Rainbow, Jodi and Nora, to a night out on the town with the highly sought after author of the blog I Solemnly Swear: Amanda (that's me!) :)

So ladies, will you have dinner with me?!

What authors would you like to have dinner with?

Happy Reading!

A.

Review: Dark Witch by Nora Roberts

ISBN: 9780425259856
Source: Purchased
Series: The Cousins O'Dwyer, #1
Release Date: October 29, 2013
Page Count: 342 pages
Find it on Goodreads

     GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

With indifferent parents, Iona Sheehan grew up craving devotion and acceptance. From her maternal grandmother, she learned where to find both: a land of lush forests, dazzling lakes, and centuries-old legends.
Ireland.
County Mayo, to be exact. Where her ancestors’ blood and magic have flowed through generations—and where her destiny awaits.
Iona arrives in Ireland with nothing but her Nan’s directions, an unfailingly optimistic attitude, and an innate talent with horses. Not far from the luxurious castle where she is spending a week, she finds her cousins, Branna and Connor O’Dwyer. And since family is family, they invite her into their home and their lives.
When Iona lands a job at the local stables, she meets the owner, Boyle McGrath. Cowboy, pirate, wild tribal horsemen, he’s three of her biggest fantasy weaknesses all in one big, bold package.
Iona realizes that here she can make a home for herself—and live her life as she wants, even if that means falling head over heels for Boyle. But nothing is as it seems. An ancient evil has wound its way around Iona’s family tree and must be defeated. Family and friends will fight with each other and for each other to keep the promise of hope—and love—alive…

     REVIEW:

I think we can all agree that Nora Roberts has a very... predictable storytelling style. Her trilogies always feature three friends, or brothers, or sisters, or in this case, cousins... There's always the different personalities, one bubbly, one caring and sensitive, one broody... its always the same set up with just a different plot put in behind it.

But for some reason, I've always loved Nora Roberts, not in spite of, but because of her predictability. Yes, sometimes things can get old, but reading a Roberts book (trilogies especially) makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. The relationships she develops within the story makes you feel like you're sitting down with a few good friends - in other words, she draws you in.

I was kind of annoyed by the fact that the Ireland natives in the story sounded like they were talking in circles. Instead of simple yes, no, maybe, etc., It took an entire ridiculous sounding dialogue for them to get their points across. By the end of the book, whenever it wasn't Iona, the American, talking, I wanted to roll my eyes a bit.

However, regardless of the redundancy and the cheesy dialogue, her novels, as always, are masterfully put together. Nora Roberts is the queen of descriptive passages in modern writing, and I admire her for that. I can always picture a scene perfectly, right down to the little bee buzzing near a flower, and I love that.

In skimming through some other reviews, I noticed a comment about how Boyle, the romantic interest in this one, was a harder male character than Roberts has written in a long time, and the relationship lacked a little chemistry. I agree 100%. Boyle didn't have many soft spots and I remember some situations where he'd say something and I'd think, 'gee, I'm glad I'm not dating that guy,' or 'wow, Sean would never say that to me.' I mean, men aren't perfect, but usually Roberts gives her token rough male character a little flexibility.

I really don't think I read Nora Roberts for a romance fix anymore, because her books are more about the relationships and dynamic among the entire group than one couple. Also, I love a good, sensible, strong female character. I admire Roberts for always, always giving us heroines we can look up to. Maybe Iona was a little too sensible for me, cause I know I'm nowhere near that sensible, but I love that the women are always kick-ass chicks.


     RATING: ★★★★

All in all, no matter how predictable her novels are getting, Nora Roberts never fails to capture me with her amazing characters, their development and relationships, and there's always an interesting back story with surprising twists and turns along the way. For romance fans, for Nora fans, this is one that you should definitely read!

Have any of you read this yet? What did you think? Let me know!

A.

Top Ten Tuesday - Red Hot Romances

Just in time for Valentine's Day, The Broke and the Bookish is hosting their weekly feature, Top Ten Tuesday, and this week's topic is: Top Ten Favorite Romances

I love this because it is right up my alley. Now-a-days I'm much more diverse but I used to ONLY read romance novels. My Top Ten came very easily to me this week. Keep in mind I am very big on series so some of these may be a list of a series, which means I loved ALL of the books (its kind of like cheating on the "top ten" aspect of this whole thing haha):

     10.     The Virgin River Series by Robyn Carr: There are about 20 books in this series (not an exaggeration) and I loved especially the first 6. I wont lie - I stopped around book 12 or so, but they are all so wonderful.

      9.     The Grace Valley Series also by Robyn Carr: I was introduced to these books AFTER I read the first few of the Virgin River Series and there are only three books in this series, but I adored all three.

      8.     The Madaris Family Series by Brenda Jackson: If any of you read my last week's "Top Ten Memories" post, you'll know that Brenda Jackson is the author that got me back into reading a few years ago. This one has about 15 books in the series, and again, no lie, I probably only read the first five, but they were great nonetheless.

      7.     The Invincible Women Series by Francis Ray: Oh my goodness, I have to say that unless you are a strong-minded person, maybe you dont want to read these books. They are amazing, but they openly address many issues such as abuse/rape, adultery, sexuality, etc. I loved these books and I actually did read all of the books in the series.

 

      6.     Topaz by Beverly Jenkins: I am not entirely sure if this is part of a series - it may be, for all I know (which is sad because I love Bev J. and have read many of her novels), but this book stood out for me as a historical romance and I loved it!

      5.     The Black Ops Series by Cindy Gerard: This is actually a spin-off from one of Gerard's previous series. I didnt love the series before this one, but I am obsessed with The Black Ops Series! Its action-packed and thrilling but exactly the right amount of romance to keep me swooning!

(I'm sorry but my top four are Nora Roberts novels/series)

      4.     The Three Sisters Island Series by Nora Roberts: First let me say that Nora Roberts is my hero and no one will ever surpass her in romance writing for me. These are the first Nora Roberts books I ever read and I fell in love instantly! I like a lot of her works better than these but since they were my first, I have to list them.

      3.     The Circle Trilogy by Nora Roberts: This series is a supernatural one which is unlike many of the books Nora writes (usually her books have ghosts but nothing special). This one sports a witch, a time traveler and a vampire as some of the main characters. The first book in this series is very slow, and it took me a few months to pick up the next one, but when I finally did, I was blown away. I actually reread the last few chapters of the third book SEVERAL times because I was so in love with it. Now that I think about it, I think I need to read them again.

      2.     The Chesapeake Bay Series by Nora Roberts: This one has four books in the series and this is another one that I adored, especially when book four came out much later with the story of Seth, who was just a child in the first three books.

      1. and last but not least: The Gallaghers of Ardmore Trilogy by Nora Roberts: This is probably one of my favorite series ever, not just romance series. Its set in Ireland, which makes me love it already, but its got faeries and a lovely historical backstory. This is the series that made it imperative for me to visit Ireland before I die. It is a must!

I loveeee romances, though I dont read that many any more. Have you read any of the ones I've read? What did you think of them?

Cant wait to see everyone else's list.

Happy reading :)

A.

Review: The Perfect Hope by Nora Roberts

Review: The Perfect Hope by Nora Roberts
ISBN-13: 9780425246047

Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated

Publication date: 11/6/2012

Pages: 336

Series:Inn BoonsBoro Trilogy , #3

My Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads synopsis:

"Ryder is the hardest Montgomery brother to figure out—with a tough-as-nails outside and possibly nothing too soft underneath. He’s surly and unsociable, but when he straps on a tool belt, no woman can resist his sexy swagger. Except apparently Hope Beaumont, the innkeeper of his own Inn BoonsBoro. 

As the former manager of a D.C. hotel, Hope is used to excitement and glamour, but that doesn’t mean she can’t appreciate the joys of small-town living. She’s where she wants to be—except for in her love life. Her only interaction with the opposite sex has been sparring with the infuriating Ryder, who always seems to get under her skin. Still, no one can deny the electricity that crackles between them…a spark that ignited with a New Year’s Eve kiss.

While the Inn is running smoothly, thanks to Hope’s experience and unerring instincts, her big-city past is about to make an unwelcome—and embarrassing—appearance. Seeing Hope vulnerable stirs up Ryder’s emotions and makes him realize that while Hope may not be perfect, she just might be perfect for him…"

In-depth review:
I think I've mentioned before that I dont read romance all that often anymore. Its all I used to read, once upon a time. Now I only pick up Nora Roberts - ONLY - and thats only when I have a hankering for a bit more romance that the average YA or adult fiction book. I tend to get bored anymore when a book only focuses on the romance aspect. Nora Roberts brings a whole new meaning to romance, in my opinion. This story comes packed with ghost hauntings, sexy romps in the sheets and a bitch slap or two, and I wasnt hooked so much by the romance in this series but by the backstory of the Ghost of the Inn Boonsboro and her long lost love.

Nora uses each aspect of the story, the ghost of the Inn and the actual couple that is the focus of the book, to move along the other without making the ghost thing silly or unbelieveable. I think there are many people out there who have seen things moving or heard noises that they couldnt explain. What if it was someone who couldnt cross over? Someone who was waiting for something... or someone, who just needed some help? Wouldnt that be awesome... well I guess if you're not afraid of ghosts.

Nora's writing is superb as usual. Her imagery and amazing detail places you in the towns, with the characters, whom by book three in the series, you've come to know and love as your own annoying (and I mean that with the utmost affection) brothers, vulnerable, spunky and OCD-ridden sisters, loving and scary mother, and I could go on for days.

Having been reading Nora Roberts novels for many years and having read, I'd say about 60% of all of her published works, there are some things I've come to know and love about her novels, as well as know and dislike.

The only thing I didnt like in this book, which is generally the same as how I feel about all of her work is that her trilogies tend to be a little predictable. There's always a blonde, a brunette and a red-head. There's always a vulnerable one, a fiery one and a snooty one. I mean, dont get me wrong, when she gets into her characters, you see them as much deeper and not every one is the same. It's just a little predictable with the basis of her trilogies. Like I said, it's usually her back story coupled with the romance that hooks me in, and her back stories are always different, this particular one being set in her home town and featuring the book store her family owns, Turn the Page in real life. (I love the little plug. It makes you feel closer to an author you already love and feel like you know.)

The other thing that sometimes annoys me is that I feel as if her romantic dialogue is a little unrealistic. I fully believe that all of the messages her characters intend to get across are ones that real people would also, but sometimes the wording of a phrase in what should be a particularly touching moment can be a little awkward or cliche; in other words, I dont think a man would say something a certain way, or string together a sentence the way she makes them. People dont speak that perfectly in real life. But I guess thats why this is fiction and not real life - hence why I love reading it so much.

Final Thoughts:

This read was great and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were a few things that made it a little less than five star, such as the same three by three person theme in her trilogies and about 5% of her dialogue being slightly unrealistic (which I'm not trying to say makes it difficult to understand or takes away from the story at all... just saying). I can say that there were some Roberts novels that I enjoyed more, and some I enjoyed less, but I flew through this one with no problems and I did enjoy it.

Rating;

★ ★ ★ ★
This one gets four stars in my book, which means I really liked it, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes Nora Roberts or anyone who is into romance.


On another note, I simply cannot figure out what to read next. I went and broke one of my bookish resolutions already and picked up two books at the bookstore yesterday, and I have to force myself not to read one of those instead of one that has been sitting on my shelf for ages. Lets see. I guess you will find out what I picked tomorrow when I post for WWW Wednesday. :)

What are you reading?

Manda C.

Waiting on Wednesday & WWW Wednesday

 

It's Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Breaking the Spine!

 

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted [at Breaking the Spine], that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating."

This week's upcoming release is Sever by Lauren DeStefano!

Release date: February 12, 2013

 

From B&N:

Time is running out for Rhine in this conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Chemical Garden Trilogy.

With the clock ticking until the virus takes its toll, Rhine is desperate for answers. After enduring Vaughn’s worst, Rhine finds an unlikely ally in his brother, an eccentric inventor named Reed. She takes refuge in his dilapidated house, though the people she left behind refuse to stay in the past. While Gabriel haunts Rhine’s memories, Cecily is determined to be at Rhine’s side, even if Linden’s feelings are still caught between them.

Meanwhile, Rowan’s growing involvement in an underground resistance compels Rhine to reach him before he does something that cannot be undone. But what she discovers along the way has alarming implications for her future—and about the past her parents never had the chance to explain.

In this breathtaking conclusion to Lauren DeStefano’s Chemical Garden trilogy, everything Rhine knows to be true will be irrevocably shattered.

 

I cant wait for this one! I havent read Fever yet but it's sitting on my shelf calling to me. It'll be one of the next I read I'm sure.

 

Whats your waiting on pick!?