Top Ten Tuesday: Best Books I Read in 2015

                Hello everyone!  Top Ten Tuesday is just how it sounds, a topic is picked and we put our Top Ten for that in a post and share and check out everyone’s answers.  Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Best Books I Read in 2015 (in no particular order)

Air Awakens by Elise Kova- A beautiful start to a fantasy series that I am thankful to have found. Review

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo – I really enjoyed the Grisha trilogy but this one was just so so much better with a band of misfit thieves and an impossible heist.  Great.  Review

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir- This was an incredible debut novel and a fantastic high fantasy!  Review

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas- I LOVE her!  ACOTAR is just amazing I was hooked that she was writing a new series and to find it had a Beauty & the Beast vibe I was sold.  Add in fey and masquerade masks and so much more.  Review

The Lunar Chronicles:  Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, Fairest, & Winter (which I haven't started yet but I'm already counting it) by Marissa Meyer- I finally read this series (and I hope to finish it) this year.  I just loved the idea of the fairy tale retelling with sci-fi aspects and the new spin on characters you may think you know.  Also Capt. Thorne….need I say more.  Reviews: Cinder, Scarlet, & Cress

Throne of Glass series:  Crown of Midnight, Heir of Fire, and Queen of Shadows (currently reading) by Sarah J. Maas- See above.  I just adore her and I started this series at the end of 2014 but have caught up in this year and each book just gets better and better each time.  Also thicker.  So many characters and things happening you never know what to think.  Reviews: Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, & Heir of Fire

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell- This book is just beyond words.  I just love it.  Review

The Young Elites by Marie Lu- I enjoyed the Legend trilogy for sure but this one was so different and much darker.  The main character we follow she has a darkness inside of her that could do great or terrible things.  Review

Defiance by C. J. Redwine- I have one book left to finish in this series and the first series I plan to knock off and finish in 2016 but the first two books drew me in and I just loved the world created, more the characters the world put forth. 

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black- I have several of her books but this is the first one I've read.  I really enjoyed her style and can't wait to read more by her plus the cover was pretty awesome.  Review

               Those are my Top Ten Picks, what were your top reads of 2015?  Share below in the comments.  Also check out this Tuesday Teaser for #Asleep 

~Waiting on Wednesday~ Stars Above by Marissa Meyer

                “Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.  Basically books that are not yet out that we are dying to get our hands on.  This week’s pick is:

Stars Above by Marissa Meyer

Out:  2/2

From Goodreads:

The enchantment continues….

The universe of the Lunar Chronicles holds stories – and secrets – that are wondrous, vicious, and romantic.  How did Cinder first arrive in New Beijing?  How did the brooding soldier Wolf transform from young man to killer?  When did Princess Winter and the palace guard Jacin realize their destinies?

With six stories – two of which have never before been published – and an exclusive excerpt from Marissa Meyer’s upcoming novel, Heartless, about the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Stars Above is essential for fans of the bestselling and beloved Lunar Chronicles.

Why I’m Waiting:

               The Lunar Chronicles novellas?  Yes please!  I haven’t read any of them yet because I’d rather them be in matching format (aka hardcover).  Plus the cover just released and it looks beautiful and much like the original series ones that makes me all happy J

Cress: The Lunar Chronicles Book 3

                Happy Monday!  I hope this is a short week for many of you and you have great plans for the holidays!  I so hope many of you have now seen Mockingjay Part 2 as well, I did a full review here.  I am thinking of seeing it again later today because I loved it so much!  But in the mean time I wanted to continue on with my review of The Lunar Chronicles and move onto book three, Cress. If you missed it I reviewed Cinder and Scarlet previously.  As usual there will be spoilers for the first two books in the series so be warned, go catch up and come back.

Rating: 5 Stars

                In Cress, the third book in the Lunar Chronicles, we continue on with our previous characters Cinder, Scarlet, Wolf, Captain Throne, Prince Kai and so on but we get introduced to a new lead as well.  Cress of course!  Cress is based around Rapunzel, though instead of being stuck in a tower she’s been imprisoned on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens to keep her company.  This has made her an excellent hacker and the groups best hope of staying ahead, though she just received orders from Queen Levana to hunt them down.  When her daring rescue goes badly the group is separated.  Cress is finally free of the satellite but it’s not without cost.  The group, split, but keep moving forward and though they didn’t volunteer keep trying to save the world while Queen Levana is bound and determined nothing will prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai and of course ruling over the world. 

                I just loved it.  We got more Captain Thorne, who if you didn’t read my review of Scarlet to know, whom I just adore.  Cress has a major crush on this handsome rogue as well which is written so beautifully, all sweet, cute, and innocent but still with something more as they get to know one another all the while Cress is learning how the world works in real life not just on the screens.  Cress has been through a lot but she is ready to help and dive right in I liked her from the start.  But even though we have them we also have plenty of the other gang is well with everyone working to their own ends as they are all fugitives.  Each character is going through some serious emotional and physical trials which add depth to everyone and the story at large. 

                 I really enjoyed watching the plot unfold and how things twined together.  There was lots of action happening, mystery, political power plays and spy like moves to keep you glued to the page.  Oh and some romance happening….when you’re heart isn’t breaking that is.  There is also plenty of comic relief throughout in the moments when you need it and my favorite ones are still from Thorne and Iko!  If I didn’t already love Throne (sorry Cress I might have to fight you for him) then a gift he gives would have totally won me over, even if he went about getting it a bit badly.  I do think one of my favorite parts of the series is how everyone is involved and no one is just stuck sitting on the side lines as the story moves along, everyone has a story and a purpose.  Which as you gain more characters of different temperaments and personalities it’s just bound to be interesting. 

                We also get a deeper look into Luna as a whole.  Not just as moon people who can use glamour but inside the castle.  We also get an introduction to Winter, the title character from the final book.  Things are getting serious and I have so many theories and sub plot lines running through my head trying to figure out how it will all play out and if I can prepare myself for any surprises.  I highly recommend this series to everyone it just gets better with each book. 

                That’s all I have to share with you as of now.  I look forward to getting into Winter and getting my full thoughts of it and the series as a complete whole soon.  I also wanted to take a moment and give a small update.  With this week being a holiday I hope you are all safe and happy.  I will be posting my usual Tuesday and Wednesday posts but I will not be posting anything on Thanksgiving Thursday as a heads up.  Still I wish you all the best and safest of holidays.

                Until next time…