Top Ten Tuesday: The End of a Series

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme created by the lovely folks at The Broke and the Bookish. They created it because they're "particularly fond of lists" and since I also enjoy lists, I've decided to participate in this fun feature.

It's a sad time, finishing a series. You've invested so much time in the books, characters, and author. You hope and wish that the author will end it the way you want it to. They don't always listen (the nerve, eh?) but, for the most part, I've found that I've been satisfied with the way series I've read have ended but there have been a couple where I've been WTF? This week's Top Ten Tuesday is all about that...the best and worst series enders. What do you think? What series wrapped up perfectly and what ones left you wanting more or feeling frustrated? I realized a couple of things while doing this list. I haven't read a ton of series (especially not recently) and there are also quite a few that I'm waiting on the final book. That would be why it's not a full Top Ten! Links lead to my reviews or Goodreads.

Don't forget to check out their blog for a full list of everyone participating this week!

The "What the hell was the author thinking?" Series

Delirium - Lauren Oliver
When I finished Requiem I literally had to flip backwards to make sure I didn't miss something. I couldn't believe that's how it ended. I'm all for leaving things a little open ended but this one frustrated me.

Fifty Shades - E.L. James
I don't even want to say why I didn't like the ending because I know it makes me seem like a bad person. So...next!

This one might be controversial...but...Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
I added this one PURELY because I didn't think the epilogue was necessary. Prior to that I thought the ending completely fit.

The "Yay, this ended perfectly!" Series

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - Ann Brashares
I'm not talking about Forever in Blue, I'm talking about Sisterhood Everlasting. Yes, it ripped my heart out but I am so glad Brashares gave us a glimpse into the girls' adult lives. I thought it was the perfect wrap up to one of my favourite series.

Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling
I hated when it ended but I was happy with the way things ended. Just wish a few more characters could have stayed alive...

Jessica Darling -  Megan McCafferty
Admittedly, I can't totally recall how this series ended. (It desperately requires a reread!) But I don't remember being upset with how McCafferty finished the series.

A to Z Bookish Survey

Created by Jamie at The Perpetual Page-Turner

Jamie at The Perpetual Page-Turner has done it again. She's created another really fun bookish survey! On Friday Jamie revealed this A to Z survey for anyone looking to shake things up with their blog. It's a great idea because it gives us something else to do and talk about other than a review. Hopefully it'll create some fun discussions around the blogosphere! (And my personal hope is that it won't all be about YA). 

Here goes!:

Author you’ve read the most books from:

My first thought was Sarah Dessen then I checked my “most read authors” list on Goodreads…turns out it’s Sophie Kinsella!

Best Sequel Ever:

Sisterhood Everlasting - Ann Brashares. This was the final book in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series and I think it was perfectly done. It broke my heart and I know a lot of others thought it was unnecessary but I thought it was amazing. 

Currently Reading:

As I write this, nothing. But I will probably start Trains and Lovers tonight. 

Drink of Choice While Reading:

Tea, for sure. I may be slightly addicted to David’s Tea…

E-reader or Physical Book?

I’ll always love physical books but e-readers definitely have their uses (gym, traveling, while eating).

Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School:

Cricket from Lola and the Boy Next Door.  This is a recently discovered book boyfriend so that’s probably why he’s top of mind. While I was reading it I texted my friend something like this (I no longer have the actual text):  “I know he’s fictional, and 18, and that I have a boyfriend but I need Cricket in my life”. He’s a bit nerdy and shy, as well as tall, and is exactly what I’d go for when I was in high school.

Glad You Gave This Book A Chance:

The Hunger Games. I know, I blew it off for years and finally read it before the movie came out. Amazing.

Hidden Gem Book:

Breaking the Rules – Cat Lavoie

Important Moment in your Reading Life:

Starting this blog was pretty huge as was going to my first author signing (Sarah Dessen, two years ago - reaction post here) but I think the two internships I did this year (one at Random House of Canada - wrap up post here - and the other at Project Bookmark Canada - wrap up post here) were pretty big moments.

Just Finished:

Finding My Happy Pace – Heather Wardell (one of my favourite authors!)

Kinds of Books You Won’t Read:

Horror. I am the biggest scaredy cat.

Longest Book You’ve Read:

Using the nifty trick of sorting my Goodreads list by number of pages…seriously? Breaking Dawn is 756 pages? Yikes.

Major book hangover because of:

There are probably several but the first I thought of was The Hunger Games series. Didn’t want to think about starting anything new after that.

Number of Bookcases You Own:

I have two, tall stuffed ones at my own house and another tall full one in my room at my mom’s plus a bunch that are on a few of her shelves in her living room.

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:

Harry Potter. Oh, one book? ;) Ummm…I got nothing. I haven’t reread books in ages, other than all the Sarah Dessen books I’ve been rereadingthis year for a challenge.

Preferred Place To Read:

On my couch. Or any couch, really. As long as it’s long enough to fit me (I’m tall and couches don’t always like to accommodate my tallness!)

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you’ve read:

There are probably several but I took a picture of this one from Dreamland by Sarah Dessen that really affected me:

“I stood in front of my mirror and turned slowly, watching the skirt twirl up and fall around my knees. I wanted to be a girl that could wear a dress like this. Instead, the girl in the mirror looked back at me, and I hardly recognized her. She was just some strange girl who’d tumbled off a pyramid, falling into a dream, and now waited, in the a beautiful dress, like some princess in a forgotten fairy tale, for someone to come save her.”

Reading Regret:

Not reading more Canadian literature until this year.

Series You Started And Need To Finish (all books are out in series):

Enchanted, Inc. by Shanna Swendson. The final (I think) book was just released earlier this year (again, I think) and I have yet to read it! Part of that is because I haven’t discovered it in a store yet and I want the physical copy because I own the rest and my mom’s read them, too.

Three of your All-Time Favorite Books:

Arranged – Catherine McKenzie

The Truth About Forever – Sarah Dessen

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

Unapologetic Fangirl For:

Catherine McKenzie. I love that she’s Canadian and I love all her books. She’s a huge supporter of other authors too, which I think is great. She’s always been so nice when I’ve emailed her and I hope to someday meet her in person!

Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others:

Longbourn – Jo Baker. Think Downton Abbey but with the Bennet’s servants. Yes, the Pride and Prejudice Bennet’s. I’ve been hearing about this one since January when I was at Random House of Canada and I NEED IT.

Worst Bookish Habit:

Skimming. I’m a fast reader but sometimes I find myself skimming and not noticing things because I just want to get to the good parts or the end.

X Marks The Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book:

Comfort Food – Kate Jacobs.

Your latest book purchase:

The Week Before the Wedding – Beth Kendrick. I had a gift card and a 25% off coupon! Win!

ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late):

Oh man. Um. I’ve been very good lately and haven’t gone to bed with a book. I have no willpower so I would keep reading until I was done. I don’t know what the last one was but I do know that I stayed up past midnight on a Wednesday or something (ie a “school” night) to finish Catching Fire last fall. 

Top Ten Reads of 2011

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. They created this feature because they're "particularly fond of lists" and since I also enjoy lists, I've decided to participate in this fun feature. This week's list is Top Ten Reads of 2011. Don't forget to check out their blog for a full list of everyone participating.

This year I really got into the reviewing swing of things. So much so that I have many books that I've bought for myself that are just sitting on my shelves, waiting patiently for me to get to them. I'm not sure when that will be but I hope to get to some of them soon! :) I read quite a few books this year (around 70ish) so it was difficult to just pick ten of my favourites. By the way, these are not in any particular order. The title links all lead to my reviews. This is just in case you missed them the first time around and/or you want to know more about what I thought of the book :)

1. Rock Star's Girl by J.F. Kristin
Loved the characters, loved the story, loved the conclusion. Just an all around lovefest for this book.


2. What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen
I have been in love with Sarah Dessen for almost ten years so it's not a surprise that her latest book made it on this list. While I didn't love this one as much as some of her others it still had to be featured. I don't care if she only writes YA, I will continue reading her books until she stops writing :)


3. Second Time Around by Beth Kendrick
This story had me sucked in right from the start. The circumstances that lead to where the friends end up is quite sad (vague, I know. Just read the book) but the friends are able to truly find out who they are and it's such a great read. Friendship, love, finding yourself. Recipe for a great book.


4. Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is a series that I absolutely adore and I am so happy that Brashares wrote this final novel. Even though there's a major event that is so sad and depressing (and yes, it made me cry) it is wrapped up in the most perfect way. I never really realized that I was lacking a good conclusion to this series until I read Sisterhood Everlasting.


5. Arranged and Spin by Catherine McKenzie
Yes, I'm sort of cheating a little bit but I couldn't choose just one of McKenzie's great novels. If I'm being honest, perhaps I did like Arranged a little bit better than Spin but each book kept me entertained and enthralled for its entirety. I can't wait for Forgotten, McKenzie's third novel, which is apparently due out in May!



6. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
I've seen mixed reviews about this novel but I loved it. It's a massive book but I loved every bit of it. It's got magical creatures (vampires, witches, and the like) as well as a lot of really great historical detail. I'm very excited to read the rest of the books in the All Souls Trilogy.


7. Life, Love, and a Polar Bear Tattoo, Go Small or Go Home, Stir Until Thoroughly Confused by Heather Wardell
I'm cheating again. Heather Wardell is definitely one of my top favourite authors as her books never fail to disappoint. I just had to include the three I read this year. I've got another to get to for January and I'm really looking forward to reading it!


8. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
I had been told to read this book for years but it wasn't until this year that I finally got around to it. All those people who had suggested it were right. It's a captivating story and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.


9. Destined to Fail by Samantha March
For those of you who don't know, Samantha is the voice behind the popular Chick Lit Plus website. This was a book that grabbed hold of me and did not want to let go. The story is heavy but March does a fantastic job of telling it.


10. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
This was another book that many people told me to read. I wanted to get to it before the movie came out and I succeed. I ended up loving this novel, much to my surprise. It's got three interconnected stories that are told wonderfully.



And there we have it. My top ten favourite books of 2011. I hope you've found some more great reads to add to your 2012 to read pile.

Happy reading! :)

Just Finished: "Sisterhood Everlasting"

Last week I had a glorious Friday off and I spent a good part of the day reading and finished an entire book - Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares to be specific (in case you couldn't tell from the cover photo above...). I was somehow behind the times with this novel and didn't know it was being released until about a month beforehand. I was very patient and waited for the book to be released and then I ended up having too many books to read in a short period of time once it finally showed up! So, long story short, it took me two months to finally get to it. It was definitely worth the wait though as I absolutely loved it.

Alright, let's get started here with the synopsis from Goodreads:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ann Brashares comes the welcome return of the characters whose friendship became a touchstone for a generation. Now Tibby, Lena, Carmen, and Bridget have grown up, starting their lives on their own. And though the jeans they shared are long gone, the sisterhood is everlasting.
Despite having jobs and men that they love, each knows that something is missing: the closeness that once sustained them. Carmen is a successful actress in New York, engaged to be married, but misses her friends. Lena finds solace in her art, teaching in Rhode Island, but still thinks of Kostos and the road she didn’t take. Bridget lives with her longtime boyfriend, Eric, in San Francisco, and though a part of her wants to settle down, a bigger part can’t seem to shed her old restlessness.
Then Tibby reaches out to bridge the distance, sending the others plane tickets for a reunion that they all breathlessly await. And indeed, it will change their lives forever—but in ways that none of them could ever have expected.
As moving and life-changing as an encounter with long-lost best friends, Sisterhood Everlasting is a powerful story about growing up, losing your way, and finding the courage to create a new one.

I've been reading the Sisterhood novels pretty much from the beginning (which was 2003, by the by). It was one of those books that a friend had, she lent it to me, I loved it so I bought a copy myself. That copy then got passed around time and time again. I've read it probably three times, my sister twice, and countless of our friends have borrowed it as well. Needless to say, the paperback copy of the first novel is well loved! Since I've been reading the series for so long, it surprises me when I hear that people still haven't read them. I know some people haven't gotten around to it because they've seen the movies but the films really do not do the books justice. There is so much going on in the books and the second movie is a strange sort of combination of the final three books. Trust me - read the first four books and then Sisterhood Everlasting. You will not be disappointed.

I actually wasn't sure how this book was going to turn out. I was worried that I wouldn't get the conclusion I wanted, and, well, thought I (as a reader) deserved. I really shouldn't have been worried. I loved this novel and thought that it was wrapped up beautifully. However, I must warn all readers - this book is totally heart wrenching. The synopsis kind of lets you know that something tragic is going to happen, and oh boy is it ever tragic. As horrible as the situation is and as much as it upset me it worked with the story. For those of you who have read this already, what did you think of the tragedy?

I found that I had to keep reminding myself that the four friends were just about to turn thirty. None of them seemed to have totally grown up yet and I think that's one of the problems they're facing. I think they feel stuck because the four of them are spread out, living lives that are totally separate from each other. They've lost touch and, as Carmen points out, are realizing that their friendship is not built for leaving. It's not until they're faced with an unimaginable tragedy that they come to terms with their lives and find a way to recreate the closeness they used to have.

I can't tell you enough how much I loved this book. I devoured it in a day because I just couldn't put it down. These characters have been with me for years and it was bittersweet to have the series come to an end. I'm so happy with the way they ended up and I think you will agree. It may not be a picture perfect ending, but life rarely turns out perfectly.

This is one of those books that make you appreciate your friendships. Here's to best friends. Happy reading.