Thursday, September 1, 2011

Desert Island Books

Welcome to our blogger spotlight week!!! We have some new bloggers that have joined us recently and are wanting all of you to get to know them better! Plus, we've been asked several times for recommendations on what people should be reading! Therefore, new bloggers + recommendation requests = Blogger Spotlight: Desert Island! (dun, dun, dun



Hello blogisphere! My name is Marylee. I’m an honorary sister who was lucky enough to meet and become dear friends with Baby Sister Brittany during college. We’ve shared a lot of joy, laughter, and obsessions through the years and I’m lucky enough to get to share a few (I stress few because I could go on forever… and ever and ever and… you get the idea) of my absolute favorites with you today. More on me, I'm an aunt to the most precious niece and nephew in existence, I don't get up in the morning unless the alarm clock number ends in 0 or 5, and I love seafood and chocolate-covered strawberries more than I love breathing. Books I cannot live without and would have to have with me were I deserted on a desert island are… drumroll please:

THE HARRY POTTER SERIES by J.K. Rowling
This series is a staple in my life. It is the greatest example of YA literature that there is and I will read it to my children and my children’s children, for it is brilliant, and moving, and just plain extraordinary. Rowling is my queen.




THE HUNGER GAMES SERIES by Suzanne Collins– To me this series is the epitome of greatness. Fantastic writing, strong heroine, a world that is far in the future, but not too far removed from our present that you can’t draw the parallels Collins makes about our society, and one of the most realistic, frustrating, exhilarating, and sweetest romances in all of YA. I <3 the Hunger Games.



HOURGLASS by Myra McEntire– This standout debut novel is one of the most riveting novels I’ve ever read. The steamy romance, time travel, and fascinating characters drew me in and left me wanting more. Luckily a sequel will be coming soon and I cannot wait to read what Emerson and the gang encounter next.




REVOLUTION by Jennifer Donnelly– Once in a while a book comes along that has everything you could ever want a book to have. Whatever you like to read, it’s in this book. It is one of the most intelligent, well-written, heart-breaking, fascinating reads I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. You will not want to put it down and after you turn the last page you will want to turn back to page one and start all over again. I will read this book many many more times in my life.





THE REAPING by M. Leighton – My first review here on the blog was of this book, and my opinion on it is still the same! Sexy, scary, wonderfully written, and wholly original! I love it and am inspired by this author who found a way to share her stories with the world even when she was kept from doing so in the "conventional" way!




(So close it breaks my heart runners-up are Divergent by Veronica Roth, The Mortal Instrument Series by Cassandra Clare, Delirium by Lauren Oliver, Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves and Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver.)


Now as much as I LOVE YA, and believe me I do, I read a lot of other books as well, and some of these books I just could not live without either, so they comprise the second part of my list.

THE THIRTEENTH TALE by Diane Setterfield – GAH this book. I just love it. Richly drawn characters, beautiful writing, inspiring quotes, intrigue, and mystery, this book has it all, despite being a little low on romance. BUT I love it mainly because it is a book for people who love books, and that is definitely me.










THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak– This book will change your life. It changed mine by changing my perception of a people and a time that I thought I knew all about. It transcends the YA category for me which is why I included it down here, I believe it should be read by people of every age, race, and religion. It is a heart-breaking, life-shattering, enlightening book that will have you crying and laughing, sometimes both on the same page.


THE LOVELY BONES by Alice Sebold– Messages of hope, faith, and love in spite of overwhelming
evidence of cruelty and despair are what my favorite stories are made of. This gut-wrenching, heart-aching, shocking story can be hard to get through, especially if you have a young girl in your life, but the ending is so wonderful and inspiring that it is worth the sadness it compels at times.


THE AWAKENING by Kate Chopin - I love the classics, and Edna is one of the strongest heroines I've ever read. Her story, though sad, is enlightening of the period in which the author lived and is just a beautifully written novel from first to last page.

JUDE THE OBSCURE by Thomas Hardy - Thomas Hardy is my favorite classic author, and Jude is one of my absolute favorite characters of all time. This story is rich with detail, romance, intellect, betrayal, and tragedy and is my favorite classic novel to date.




(The closecloseclose runners-up to my other favorite books are The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, The Reader by Bernard Schlink, The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, The Help by Kathryn Stockett, and The Illiad by Homer.)




Thank you so much for taking the time to read my Desert Island book list! (If you made it all the way through, you're a trooper, I'm clearly the over-writer of the group) I truly love these books and I don't know that I would survive for very long without them! If you haven't read some of them what are you still doing reading this?! Pick 'em up and read them today! You won't be sorry!

If you want to see more Desert Island Books, go check out our lovies at Two Chicks on Books!


*Feel free to participate with us!  You can leave your DIB list in the comments section or post one on your own blog and link it up here!*