I love today’s topic in Top 5 Tuesday as it reminded me that I often brag about some favorite of mine but these are not the only one deserving some love!

Shanah @bionicbookworm asked us about the books we love but we don’t speak about often enough!

It was a walk to memory lane and I can’t swear that I will limit this post to only five books but I will keep it under ten promise!

If you want a good laugh, you should read:

A Reason to Kill by CP Smith!

Here is some of what I wrote about the book: “Imagine: Alaska, its mountains, crystal clear lakes, blue skies, forests, its grizzlies and hot hunky men.
A team of biologists comes in the small local town to complete a five years study on grizzlies. Mia, city girl, desk biologist and vertically challenged literally falls from the plane and is expected to lead this team. She’s never been on the field, never camped in the wilds and longs to come back to her city and well ordained life.
Only problem, Max, King of the town will set his eyes on her and will do everything to keep her.

Meet Mia through Max’s eyes: ”Cute –ass tees, clumsy feet, with the heart of an angel and a passion for her work that spills over everything she does.”
Mia is attracted to Max right away. He is “Big, well over six feet and two hundred and thirty pounds of pure brawn. He has dark, slightly curly hairs, green eyes and a massive body. He swings axes on targets, climbs trees and rescues damsels in distress. What’s not to love right? And as Mia so wisely said : He is Thor in flannel! (yes, I really did like this one too). And on his bad deceiving days he regresses to Loki’s status.
If Mia falls for Max, he can’t stop thinking about her either, even if he knows right away she’ll be a pain in his ass. It seems “ the bigger they are, the harder they fall”. After a drunken night at the local bar and a smoking hot karaoke, he is hooked line and sinker.
Now, all he’ll have to do is:
-convince Mia she is the one;
-protect her from a killer lurking in the shadows,
-save her beloved bears from being hunted;
-chain her to his bed to avoid any disaster she is always (even involuntarily) running into;
-run his company (it became more a hobby since Mia’s arrival);
-keep eyes on his mischievous mother.
As you can see, Max had his hands full and life “has never been boring since Mia’s arrival”.

And let’s not forget Max’s Mom “You have Maxine (Max’s mother) and Martha, both widowed old ladies running their own business: they sell sex toys door-to-door and organize great parties for the local ladies with means cock-o-late on sticks. Oh, and strip poker nights too (much to Max’s dismay). “

If you want a college romance, try:

The Hook-Up by Kristen Callihan.

Some of what I wrote: “First, I wanted to kick Anna’s butt. Open your eyes girl, this man is crazy about you! Stop manhandling his poor heart please.
I really ached to pat Drew’s (muscled) shoulder and tell him “Hang on tight buddy, you’ll win the girl. You’re so perfect she has to fall for you.”
Some cold showers were certainly needed too. Hell, the hook up scene was really, really hot!
Laughter was never far either. I loved their sassy banter. Drew is hot and witty! And Anna is THE feisty redheads. Take a seat, buy popcorn and just enjoy the show.“

If you want YA, mental illness and ugly tears, try:

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven.

I was so …lost and mad and sad that I wrote this: “Letter to Jennifer Niven

Dear Jennifer (the “dear” is because my mummy raised me to become a lady but right now I’m mad at you! So it’s barely there but still…),

HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME????Seriously! (I’m puffing and pouting and jutting my hip here)

I wanted a teen/YA novel easy to read but interesting and I saw your book with many reviews and I thought: “OK this one seems to please many it has a great probability to be my cup of tea”
So as every normal being I did what was expected and bought it.

Little did I know I would be days later angry and sad and so utterly gutted I could not find sleep yesterday evening when I finished your story.

And yet, I thought many times to stop reading because I could not connect with Fynch for 40% of the book. I could not decide if he was playing a role, had a mental problem hid some dark secret that would make him behave like that. I was dizzy just reading about his personality changes.
Violet I could not really feel either in the beginning.
But as he made her feel better, more like her “old self” I could see the guy had some potential.

On I went …

And all was good even very good as I fell into their world and love. They were wandering and being happy. Fynch was my buddy, the one to take me on adventure in my backyards and discover the wonder of the world just 3 miles from my house. I loved his quirks and how he had a unique perspective on life.

I was in Sophie’s (that would be me) Merry Reader World.

And then (view spoiler)

So now I’m furious, mad, enraged, incandescent, incensed, irate …sad, heartbroken, crestfallen, inconsolable.

Yours (Un)Sincerely

Sophie

PS It’s the books that hurt that I remember best so you did a great job and I’m sure I’ve already forgiven you because well… it’s Fynch.”

If you want to be destroyed and read about hard topic try:

Hurt by Tabitha Suzuma.

I know I often speak about Forbidden but Hurt deserves lots of attention! What I wrote about it: “Tabitha Suzuma’s writing is raw, intense, open, gripping, heart wrenching, I could go on and on… Her characters are deep, emotional, in the throes of tragedy. Each time I deeply connect with them, experience their feelings and it’s exhausting.

I read Hurt in one sitting, weeping. I was a real emotional mess. But I had to know what happened to Mathéo. I had to see if he would drown in pain and hurt or fight back and live. And once I knew what happened, I had to guess “who” was involved.

I hurt with Mathéo and Lola, was angry with his parents to be so emotionally impaired. I admired Lola for her love and support. I raged to see te pressure Mathéo was submitted to, all for the glory of winning a gold medal with not a day to live, to enjoy his teenage years.
But most of all, I suffered with Mathéo.

You could think I’m masochist because I kept reading even being aware Tabitha Suzuma does not usually come with the perfect happy end. But it was a compulsion, a need like you need breathing to live.
Once more, I’m mesmerized by miss Suzuma’s gift even if I’m still hoping one day I’ll have my happy end. But maybe, it would not be her…

If you’re looking for a page turner, are not afraid to feel deep, raw emotions and are no sucker for HEA, this book is for you! “

If you want fantasy extremely well written with a side of poetic prose try:

The Bird and the Sword by Amy Harmon

As usual with Amy’s books I wrote …a little book trying to explain what that book made me feel but let’s stick to a few sample of what I wrote: “In no particular order I loved:
– the elaborate world building;
– the appropriate pace neither too fast neither too slow;
– the gorgeous spellbinding writing;
– the compelling main characters be it the frail woman with huge eyes or the powerful king;
– the curse worth of every good fantasy story;
-the plot with the threat of the Volgars and their Liege, the race to find a cure, the betrayals among the courtesans;
– the slow building romance;
-…well, everything.

The world building is brilliant, sustained by the tales and history of that Land of Jeru. This imaginary country where Gifted men and women live, hunted for generations by the King and his people afraid they would be wronged by Spinners, Changers, Healers or Tellers. All magic owners, all possible evil doers. But whatever their gifts, what a man chose to do with his gift was his true measure.
A truly haunting and poetic story.

”Why do you walk in the forest at night, all by yourself?” “I know you watch me. That’s why I do it. I am Looking for you”

If you want to try some of Tijan’s books that get not enough love try:

Kian by Tijan

Some of what I wrote ….”I loved how Tijan played with my perception of Kian. He appeared intimidating, menacing, a threat lurking in the shadows in the beginning, a silent ghost. Then he morphed into a protector, someone willing to do everything to protect Jo but was he sincere? He was smoking hot, had killed for her and would do it again. If that does not make your ovaries go into a frenzy I don’t know what will!

Jo will make you go all mother hen on her. She’s had no luck in life. Orphaned, abused, she is shaken and suffers from nightmarish memories. She is the victim and yet, she’s been hunted, swore at and is seen as the wicked witch. It was so unfair! How hard it must be when you’ve been tortured and you’re still the villain. It reminded me of these girls who’ve been raped but they were to blame because they walked alone in the dark or wore a short skirt or… Really??? You think Jo asked for it? Don’t you think she ached to be loved, respected and protected? I was really proud of her when she decided to fend for herself and confront all these ignorant and biased people. Way to go girl!“

If you want an extremely well written history mixed with mystery and erotic try the fabulous:

The Bourbon Thief by Tiffany Reisz

I swear her prose is like non other. Like the finest delicacy. “Take a good narrator, a pinch of history, two spoons of slavery and a whole pint of revenge. Stir it all with great characters, smart writing and your recipe will be a hit.
The blurb already gives you a whiff of Tiffany’s stellar writing. That woman knows how to write beautiful sentences and how to tell an enthralling story. Her writing style is gorgeous. It flows effortlessly with enough details to make us see the tale in hour head, walk in the character’s shoes but without unnecessary frills. It’s good, solid and elegant. I know this won’t be my last Tiffany Reisz’s book.

The writing was excellent but I still feared the worse at first.
I thought I would be cursed again with a “mildly interesting “book. The encounter between Paris and McQueen was described quite clinically. They had sex but for all the (lack of) details they could have been rescuing penguins on the Arctic ice and I would have felt more heat and passion. What had I signed for?

Fortunately once Paris began her tale about Tamara Maddox’s dark and cursed soap opera of a life I was entranced.

I think you could follow my mood and subsequently the twists and turns just by looking at my face. Eyes bulging, heart pit pattering, white knuckles in tense moments and goofy grin when quick witted Tamara made fun of Levi.
“I do care about you. I did and I do. But you drive me up one wall and down the other sometimes and I swear I’m looking down at you from the ceiling right now.

A real emotional rollercoaster.

Cooper McQueen was entranced by Paris’s tale but so was I. I forgot everything and everyone. I was in Kentucky in the stable, the woods or in that cursed mansion. My hair was long and red. My crush was tall and handsome and I loved driving him crazy. I carried the weight of a doomed family. Revenge was my middle name. That my friend is the trade mark of a very good book.

And last but packing lots of surprises and  “totally fooled me”:

Black Lies by Alessandra Torre

Part of my very enthusiastic review :”I had my beliefs of what it could be and it turned out I was right. But even guessing so, I wanted to abandon as this seemed so real. It’s diabolically written, brilliant!
It’s so far and unique from other readings.
And I’m so glad I followed other’s advice or I would have missed a masterpiece.
So now, I’m also telling you: read it, recommend it to others and fasten your seatbelt because you’re in for an emotional rollercoaster. And don’t give up, as tough as it seems!“

I did it! Under ten books and now that I see them all I think I have been a fool for not speaking of them enough!

What would be your choices? And do we share some? Just tell me!

Thanks for reading!

Sophie