Thursday, August 15, 2013 started like any other day. I decided to take a trip to my Father's house with so few days left before I go to college. I open the door to his apartment and notice a weird contraption in the corner of my bedroom. "What is this?" I ask him, confusion evident in my eyes!
"A bookshelf!" He exclaimed, throwing his hands out in celebration.
I jumped for joy after realizing I have a really awesome new bookshelf.
It's edgy, no?
Now that we have that terribly written account of my little adventure overwith, I must scream to the heavens that this is the most awesome surprise ever given to me. I seriously could not contain my excitement. My Dad had this huge smile on his face because he had no idea that I wanted another bookshelf. He happened to find this because a neighbor of ours was moving out and he bought it off of them with me in mind. I've been really careful with asking for new, potentially expensive things lately because my parents are dishing out hundreds of dollars on goodies necessary for my dorm room and survival at college. So, this was a really awesome surprise. He got me something I desperately wanted without me ever voicing my thoughts to him. Talk about an amazing Father who knows what's going on in your head. Thanks, Dad! I love it! <3
I immediately took to twitter to ask everyone their opinions on how to organize my new shelves. In a second you will see the finished effect of the two book shelves organized in alphabetical order by author's last name. All of these books were somehow jammed into a single bookcase which previously had no organization to it whatsoever. Books were placed by height and such so that I could fit the most books on it as possible. All paperbacks were shoved in little nooks and crannies. It was crowded and made no sense and if anyone that wasn't me went hunting for a book they would never have a chance at finding it. And now my shelves are understandable!
Drum roll, please....
Somehow that bookcase on the left managed to hold all of those books by itself. Now it can breathe a little! The bookcase on the left is now home to books A through P and my ARCs. The new shelf on the right is now home to books Q through Z and the shelf of embarrassment. A few ARCs are in the legitimate shelves if they're part of a series. Series cannot be broken up, I say!
Here's how we're gonna do this! I'm going to give you some close up tours of my shelves and I'm going to point out my favorites on each shelf. This is going to be a long list because if I kept the book, it's because I adore it. Keep in mind, I have a lot more books than this. But the 200+ books on these shelves are all of the books that I read that I have physical copies of. They're located at my Dad's house because I didn't have any room in my own house for them.
Let the bookshelf tour begin!
Shelf #1 and Shelf #2
~*~Shelf #1~*~
THE COVENANT SERIES by JLA is one of my favorite mythology series. I hear that it's a lot like Vampire Academy, which I owned at one point. But, if you want honesty, I couldn't make it through that series and I adore this one.
SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo is a must read for any fantasy lover.
FAKING IT by Cora Carmack is among my favorite new adult books to ever exist. Second favorite, if you want legitimate clarification.
ETIQUETTE & ESPIONAGE is perfect if you want something absolutely adorable.
THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS series by Rae Carson is also one of the best high fantasy series that I have ever read and it kills me that I don't have a physical copy of book two.
I like Ally Carter's HEIST SOCIETY more than her GALLAGHER GIRLS series, though both are hugely prominent in making me the reader I am today.
I can't even be coherent when speaking about GRACELING by Kristen Cashore.
~*~Shelf #2~*~
Also known as the shelf of awesomeness because I happen to adore nearly everything on it.
I love Cassandra Clare, but I'm scared to read the last three books in her MORTAL INSTRUMENTS series because I was so satisfied with the ending to book three. Book one is currently being read by a friend.
The book next to Cassandra Clare's amazing works is THE ASSASSIN'S CURSE by Cassandra Rose Clarke. It has pirates and ninjas and assassins. You're welcome ;)
THE HUNGER GAMES! Notice they're all in hardback because I legitimately happened upon book one the day it came out and pre-ordered the other two immediately.
The CROAK trilogy by Gina Damico is my go-to series for literal hilarity. I laugh so hard that I cry because of these books. And I've never found an ending to a trilogy that left me as happy and satisfied as ROGUE.
Susan Dennard's SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY series is the only series I will read with zombies. I absolutely adore it because the romance is superb, as is Dennard's amazing attention to detail when writing her historical locations. They constantly keep me on my toes and they're my go-to zombie books.
VESSEL by Sarah Beth Durst is desert mythology! It's amazeballs.
Simone Elkeles. Need I say more?
Shelf #3
~*~Shelf #3~*~
If you don't have a Beth Fantaskey book on your shelf, you're missing out on life. Her JESSICA series was my favorite childhood vampire series.
SANCTUM by Sarah Fine is my third favorite book of all time. I'm serious. YOU MUST READ IT.
DARK STAR is a super hero book without it being a super hero book. Either way, it's one of a kind and completely addicting.
I am so happy that SCARLET by A.C. Gaughen exists because I love kickass heroines and fairytale re-tellings and this book has both!
If you love fairy-tale re-tellings you must read Jessica Day George. PRINCESS OF THE MIDNIGHT BALL happens to re-tell THE TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES and it was beautiful.
THE FAULT IN OUR STARS is perhaps the only cancer book I will ever read because it deserves all the hype.
When I was a sophomore in high school my teacher made us take a book and write in it vandalism! to show that we know how to talk to characters and analyze them so I kept my copy of NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL to open up and laugh at one of the 107 (I counted) times that I called my teacher an idiot and criticized him for wasting the beauty that is a book, even if that one sucked. I failed that assignment.
C.C. Hunter's SHADOW FALLS series is among the first books I've ever reviewed on my blog. I'd probably hate them now that I realized what true amazingness is in literary form.
FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT is among my favorite adult reads ever. It's got murders, snark, mystery, the devil, and grim reapers. It's also got a lot of smut so some of you may love that and others may hate it. Personally, I'm impartial and instead focus Darynda Jones's humor.
If you want to know what my favorite book of 2013 is, you should pick up OF BEAST AND BEAUTY by Stacey Jay. This is my favorite re-telling of all time.
I cringe whenever I see FALLEN on my shelf, but I have to leave it there for my sister.
Brigid Kemmerer is a goddess and SPARK is the best book in her Elemental series. Hot boys with super powers, people.
S.J. Kincaid wrote one of the books that made me love reading sci-fi. See that red spine that says INSIGNIA? Yeah.
Shelf #4 and Shelf #5
~*~Shelf #4 and Shelf #5~*~
Shelf four is my favorite shelf ever.
Marie Lu is queen of dystopian novels. I love the simplicity of the covers for both LEGEND and PRODIGY and I am dying for book three because the ending of book two tore me to pieces.
Mafi deserves her own mafia. I can't even describe how much I love her books, especially UNRAVEL ME. I just wish my hardcovers had the same cover.
PUSHING THE LIMITS and DARE YOU TO are some of my favorites for darker contemporaries. Fun fact: McGarry has written parts of each book in my town because her sister married a guy from my high school and she escapes there.
THRONE OF GLASS is stood up because it's a huge book, but it's huge because it's that awesome and it has assassins and lurve.
CINDER and SCARLET rank among my favorite fairytale re-tellings of all time, but OF BEAST AND BEAUTY beats them out.
HOW TO LEAD A LIFE OF CRIME is an amazing dark read that I wish more people knew about.
THE SUMMER I BECAME A NERD has a polka-dotted spine and that in itself should speak volumes about its unbelievable levels of awesome.
Want something new? Gargoyles are running rampant in old Paris in THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE CURSED and I loved every minute of it.
THE FALSE PRINCE is my go-to middle grade book and I shove it at people whenever I get the chance. And while THE RUNAWAY PRINCE was rather great, it can't live up to book one.
I always love it when I find a book that deals with heavy subjects in a great way and THE BOOK OF BROKEN HEARTS took the devastation that is early on-set Alzheimers and showed the struggles that such a terrifying disease causes.
Fiona Paul writes some of my favorite historical fiction novels ever, mainly because I love Italy. Her books have murder and a secret order that happens to like dead bodies.
Does one even have to explain how amazing ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS and every other book Perkins comes up with is?
ARC Shelf
There are many ARCs in my normal shelves if they're part of a series.
EVERNEATH by Brodi Ashton rocked my socks off.
I cringe whenever I see OTHERKIN by Nina Berry, but I can't seem to get rid of the book since it's the first negative ARC review I've ever written and had to submit to a pub.
ANTIGODDESS was amazing, though I wish it was the five star read I hoped it was.
If you ask me for my favorite dark book ever, ANGELFALL would be my recommendation.
JUST ONE DAY was my first Gayle Forman book and it got me addicted to her writing.
I think that SCHOOL SPIRITS was better than HEX HALL and it is one of the most promising spin off's I've ever seen.
I love Dan Krokos and anything he writes, especially his FALSE MEMORY series.
JLA's new adult is somewhat lacking in plot and overexposed to smut, but FRIGID was way better than WAIT FOR YOU.
SCORCHED by Mari Mancusi was ultimately a disappointment, but I'm holding onto the ARC because I love the message she wrote me inside it.
Read ARCLIGHT. You're welcome.
Alex Morel, author of SURVIVE, lives about 25 minutes away from me.
THE SPINDLERS was my first Lauren Oliver book ever. I know, SHAME!
LIFE AFTER THEFT is perfect for readers who liked Mean Girls and John Tucker Must Die.
I think that THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE is a must read because it shows you that you can overcome anything. It's short, but it's damn powerful.
There is only one book that I connected with so much that it made me bawl because I felt like someone finally understood me, and that's THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING by Robyn Schneider. I love the original title, SEVERED HEADS AND BROKEN HEARTS.
My favorite creep-tastic book is THE MADMAN'S DAUGHTER because I initially read THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU in middle school and I've adored it ever since.
LUCID is my favorite mind-fucky book.
But ALL OUR YESTERDAYS is a close second for mind-fuckery mixed with time travel.
Shelf #6
~*~Shelf #6~*~
See the horridness that is my spine of SEA OF MONSTERS? This is why you don't let younger siblings borrow beloved series.
I have a set of HARRY POTTER books in my Dad's special bookcase, but I had to have a copy of book one for myself.
I really enjoy Schwab's writing and THE ARCHIVED is perhaps one of the most unique concepts I've ever read.
THE SWEETEST SPELL is among my favorite re-tellings as well. It's an UGLY DUCKLING re-telling and it has chocolate. What more could you ask for?!
Simmons's ARTICLE FIVE series is my favorite dystopia alongside Marie Lu's amazing works. I'm disappointed that book three is seriously titled THREE though.
If you like romance and cuteness and amazingness than you must read THE STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT.
Shelf #7
~*~Shelf #7~*~
ANATOMY OF A BOYFRIEND is one of the most brutally honest (and equally amazing) counts of first love and first everything else that I've ever read.
Who doesn't love Maria V. Snyder?
I think that Spotswood's CAHILL WITCH CRONICLES is my favorite witch series ever. Book two, STAR CURSED, completely blew me away and I love it when I love a sequel more than its prequel because that's so rare.
THE SCORPIO RACES is just gah! Love!
SOME QUIET PLACE by Kelsey Sutton earns major props for originality.
EASY by Tammara Webber is my favorite new adult ever.
Shelf #8
~*~Shelf #8~*~
After I took a two year break from reading, ELSEWHERE was the book that got me reading again, even if it's not amazing as I once thought it was. However, it did give me a soft spot for books dealing with the unknown world after death.
POISON by Bridget Zinn is my go-to read for fantastical adorableness instead of contemporary adorableness.
Want to know what my favorite book of all time is? It's THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak and I can't be your friend if you don't plan on reading this book at some point in your life.
The Shelf of Embarrassment
This shelf is tucked away in a dark corner that's hard to see for a reason.
~*~*~*~*~
And that concludes my incredibly long bookshelf tour! I have something to say about every book up there. They're there for some reason or another. But, really, I'm happy to finally have room to allow my shelves to breathe.
I'd love to see other peoples tours if they ever do such a thing! Maybe I can do this again in the future to see how my shelves have evolved.
But I can promise one thing: my TBR shelves will never be included. That'd just be embarrassing. ;)