Top Ten Tuesday #10: Ten Books for People Who Like Character-Driven Books

-Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish which shares bookish lists with others.-

Top Ten Character-Driven Books!

 Hey. I personally adore reading books that are perfect because of the characters' actions, not because of the fact that they're reacting in a certain way. So why not recommend ten pretties that were awesome because of the way the characters were and what they did?

1. Dangerous Boys, by Abigail Haas

   This was one of the first books that came to mind when I was asking myself this question. This book totally turned out awesome because the characters were psycho with the actions and steps they took. :)

2. The Winner's Curse, by Marie Rutkoski

     Kestrel was kick-ass, and she made the book ten times better than it already was. She made the right decisions and I ended up loving her sassy self in the world that she was in.

3. Afterworlds, by Scott Westerfield

         Scott Westerfeld created a book inside a book. How can this book itself not be character-driven? Darcy led the book by her actions and sassy author-self, and Lizzie led her story by doing what she did in the terrorist attack scene. Character-driven? Totally.

4. The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die, by April Henry

            Where would this story end up if Cady didn't make the decisions that she did make? Nowhere, I tell you. What would you do if you woke up not knowing where you are and you hear men talking about how they're going to do something to you?

5. The Kiss of Deception, by Mary E. Pearson

           Damn, I loved this book. TOTAL FAVOURITE OF 2014. MY OH MY. :) Lia was Mary E. Pearson's best, and all of the crazy kick-ass awesome events were led by Lia's awesomeness.

6. Burning, by Elana K. Arnold

            Lala was a gypsy, and all she ever wanted was to leave her life and be free. Free of rules and specific things needed to do. So, it all happened because of her actions, and look where it got her.

7. Midnight Thief, by Livia Blackburne

            Kyra was homeless at one point. Because of her kick-assness and sass, she ended up becoming an assassin and leading this story off to a better standing. SHE ENDED UP IN THE ASSASSIN GUILD, FOR GOODNESS GRACIOUS.

8. The Tyrant's Daughter, by J.C. Carleson

           Laila fought racism, and poverty. She fought bullying. In the end, everything ended up positive because of her. PRAISE THE BOOK LORDS FOR CREATING AN AMAZING HEROINE WHO INSPIRED US!

9. Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel, by Sara Farizan

               Hey, the book and its events came to be because Leila didn't know about her feelings and she created those hilarious and shocking events. Thanks to her simplicity and confidence, she got me giving this book a whopping 5 stars. :)

10. Crown of Midnight, by Sarah J. Maas

       Who can forget including a Sarah J. Maas book as a tag for a character-driven book. If you love character-driven books, then STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND PICK THIS SERIES UP RIGHT NOW. Celaena made the feels come alive for me and I ended up in a massive book-hangover after this.

What are you favourite character-driven reads? 

The DUFF, by Kody Keplinger

Title: The DUFF

Author: Kody Keplinger

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Release Date: September 7, 2010

Publisher: Poppy

Format: Paperback

Age Group: 12+

    The Duff is one of those books that you just want. You really can't help yourself, reading the summary, and falling in love with it instantly. This is one that you'll truly remember forever, and way beyond that. 

     I really thought that I would dislike this plot, maybe it would've been boring, and would just keep repeating the same incidents over and over again. Well, it really beat my expectations! This plot was fast-paced, in fact, wayyy too fast-paced, no bad things said. I just wanted to be in the story, the world felt so real, it's totally modern based, in a world exactly like ours.

   Why does Kody Keplinger have to create such an amazing plot? I know, even I am astonished. It's too good to be true, as they say. Every single moment was one to keepsake in your heart, like a true love's kiss, or whatever your big wish may be. This novel was like a fairytale, taken place in the modern world where dreams may not always come true.

    Ahh.. the characters. These were almost a breath of fresh air. I really liked Bianca. She was fun, quirky, and definitely knew right from wrong, most of the time. Then we had Wesley. Hahah. What a disaster he was. Ugh, for some reason, I found myself hating him, a lot. I think his personality really outshone other male character's in this novel, he was like those dudes who think way too fondly of themselves. He probably thought that he was perfection, which he for sure wasn't. I did enjoy the love-hate relationship between the two, and am looking much forward to be reading Kody's other novels, Shutout and A Midsummer's Nightmare.

       This is the novel that you've all been waiting for, that chick-lit novel that you won't be able to put down after reading the first page. Yes! 

   

    

K is for Kiera Cass, author of The Selection

  “I hope you find someone you can't live without. I really do. And I hope you never have to know what it's like to have to try and live without them.”

   This is it. This book, is written by one of the most extraordinary authors of all time, Kiera Cass, and I'm dedicating this post to her. Kiera, girl, this one's for you, even though I know, that you'll never see this. 

    Hellooo? Where am I? Am I still in that dystopian world with a prince looking for his bride? Oh why, of course not! Sorry, I'm just drowsing in my fictional book world, like many of us do sometimes, just because our problems are sometimes too hard to deal with all at once!

    I'm dedicating this post to Kiera for mainly one reason, The Selection. The Selection just made me speechless when I read, and finished it. It was like The Hunger Games, meets The Bachelor, like many of us describe it, and it's true! The characters, details and plot makes you smile inside and out, knowing that there's no other book like this out there.

   I've heard a few complaints that this may be related to Wither, by Lauren DeStefano... But, don't listen to the haters! There's many love triangles out there, and this one just happens to be one of them, but totally unique in its own way!

   Okay, now that you've heard me babble on and on about my fangirling problem, here's the summary. Okay, so America Singer, yes that's her name, is put into a lottery to be Selected. Prince Maxon is looking for his bride, and America happens to have a chance to become one, but it's her worst nightmare. Being Selected means leaving her family, and her boyfriend, Aspen behind, for a palace home, and thirty-four other girls waiting to be chosen for a dream life. When America meets Maxon, her life is torn apart. She starts to question her life that she left behind, and imagine the future that she could have. All it takes is one choice, to change her life forever...

    Sounds terrific, doesn't it? Well, for those of you who have already read it, and enjoyed it as much as I did, guess what? On April 23, 2013, yes this year, the sequel, The Elite is coming out, in paperback and in hardcover! YAY! I'm seriously counting down the days, complaining to my friends, it isn't out yet? Aww... 

   But, don't worry! It's out soon, and Kiera definitely plans for the series to become a trilogy, which is even better, and some rumors that I've heard tells me that there might even be a show! I'm so stoked that all of my favourite books are become television shows and movies! Just look at The Host! 


    To infinity and beyond...

-Michelle

H is for The Host!

      Hello Wanderers and Souls! Today I am present to blog to you about one of my favourite novels of all-time, The Host, by Stephenie Meyer! Now, we have to give some credit to this amazing author, right? She has written the Twilight Saga, which has sold millions of copies worldwide, and even became into movies!

      The Host, over here, is an adult novel, even though I've read it, and was released on May 6, 2008, by Little Brown and Company.

      The Host takes place in an urban, futuristic world, where it has been invaded by a species that takes over the minds of human hosts, leaving their bodies to themselves. When Wanderer, a soul that has taken over Melanie Stryder's body, starts to hear Melanie's thoughts, she knows that something's wrong. Melanie starts to fill Wanderer's thoughts with memories of her past life, with her boyfriend, Jared, and her brother Jamie, Wanda knows that she has to go find them, and help them survive...

      The Host has a special place in my heart, it's unstoppable. You can't put it down, even though there is some confusion in the beginning, between Melanie's thoughts, and Wanderer's thoughts, but you'll figure it out, and you'll be like, "Ohh, now I get it." This isn't a love triangle, IT'S A LOVE BOX! (Inside joke for the hosters here.) Jeb and the rest of the humans lightened my world, bringing the bright light towards me. Ian and Jared are much better than Edward and Jacob! Move over, Jace and Clary, there's two more IT couples in the fictional world!

       The Host has thrilled so many fans, that a movie has been created, and just came out, on March 29, 2013 at your local theater! Saorirse Ronan, actress of The Lovely Bones, plays as Melanie/Wanda, while Max Irons plays Jared, and Jake Abel plays Ian! I went to watch the movie right on the release date, because I'm obsessed, and it was almost, I said almost, as good as the book! But hey, the book's always better than the movie!

I know it's a HUGE book, 619 pages, but hey, why don't you give it a try?

       

Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by John Green and David Levithan

     John Green has truly enlightened my world. I'm sad to say, but I've read all of his, and I want more! 

Will Grayson, Will Grayson was amazingly written. Green and Levithan have truly put their heart and soul into writing this book, you could tell. Their points of view are top-notch, and fans will go gaga for more. 

The Will Grayson I truly actually liked more was David Levithan's Will. I liked his story and the suicidal part gave me something to think about. He couldn't find himself, which was perfectly fine, and when he did, sadly, the story came to a close. He knew what and who he wanted in his life, and spoke about it.

So, may I say, every single one of you, yes you, get up, get into the car, and drive to your local bookstore. Go into the teen section, and find the letter "G" and when you do, look for the book Will Grayson, Will Grayson. Go pick it up, and buy it. This one's a keeper.

If I Stay, by Gayle Forman

       If I Stay blew me away, because how much I enjoyed it, in a four star rating type of way! It captivated me, shockingly, and gave me a sort of loss that Mia felt in the book.

        Many readers have encouraged each other to read this book, because it's different, and lets you feel different emotions, and sometimes doesn't have a happy ending, which is sometimes surprising, because you think that everything ends in a perfect way. Fiction is almost the same as reality, and you just have to live with it, and move on.

         Gayle Forman is a fantastic author, letting readers feel endearment. I couldn't put it down, my heart just stopped when the tragedy happened, even though I knew something would happen, eventually, and the characters each shone in their own way.

         I'm definitely reading the next book, because I obviously want to know what's going to happen, in three years. This book will inspire you, and trust me, it's worth giving a try.

D is for Delirium and Divergent

 

   Hey everyone! Sorry I didn't post today's day challenge earlier, my best friend and I, (go to her blog, http://thequeenoffangirling.blogspot.com/ !) had to work on a model doghouse for school. We have to add insulation to keep it warm for the winter and cool for the summer. It's so much work!

      Anyways, today is D Day, not doomsday, the letter D for the A-Z Challenge? My book choices are Divergent by Veronica Roth, and Delirium by Lauren Oliver, two of my favourites of all time!

  

      First, lets talk Delirium, according to alphabetical order. Delirium was released on February 12, 2012 by HarperCollins. Delirium takes place in Portland, Maine, where a dystopian futuristic society believes that love is a disease, and on everyone's 18th birthday, you go for a surgery that prevents you from getting the disease. Lena can't wait, she's 17, and has to wait just a few more months until she gets the cure. Then, she falls in love, and her whole life changes...

        

        Delirium made my mind spin, in a good way. I was speechless by the end of the book, because how can such an amazing author write an even MORE amazinger (is that a word?) book?! It was phonomenally written, Oliver put passion into her words, and the details were perfection. 

         

      Pandemonium and Requiem are the two final books, written with love, and bringing its readers to their FULL attention. 

      

      ATTENTION: EVERYONE, GO OUT, AND PICK UP THIS BOOK. IT'S WORTH EVERY PENNY. 

       

       Now, DIvergent. Hmm.. D's are amazing, aren't they? 

  

       Divergent, was released on May 3, 2011, by Katherine Tegan Books. It has been a #1 NY Times Bestseller, bringing fandoms to their full extent. Beatrice Prior lives in a Chicago dystopian world, where at 16, you take a test to find what faction you're in, Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). She discovers a secret, about herself, and has to struggle between who's her friend, or if love is really worth it. Every fangirl, like me would adore this book, 100%, with its truthfulness, romance, and likewise to touch everyone's heart, inside and out.

      As Delirium, I adored this book, in the same way. Fighting, romance, fighting, romance. Everything's perfect! 

The Lesson That You Learned: Hmm... I have to go pick up this book, A.S.A.P!

C is for... Cassandra Clare

    
    Good evening, my fellow bookworms, and bloggers. Today is C Day, also known as my choice, Cassandra Clare, author of the popular Mortal Instruments series and The Infernal Devices trilogy!
   The Mortal Instruments, the first series Cassie started to write, came out with its first book, City Of Bones, on March 27, 2007, from Margeret K. McElderry Books. The #1 New York Times bestseller starts off with Clary Fray, your average American teenager, going to a club called the Pandemonium. She'd never expect to see what had happened.. happen. She witnessed a murder committed by three teenagers with strange tattoos and weapons. Then, the body disappears. Clary realizes that the murderers are invisible, and that her best friend, Simon, cannot see them also. Clary had just met the Shadowhunters, warriors part-angel that fight and summon demons. One of those murderers was golden-haired, muscular Jace, who is instantly pulled into her world. Soon after, Clary's mother disappears, and Clary has to find out some answers to her questions, before it's too late. 
     City of Bones is one of my favourite series. It's captivating, thrilling, romantic, and everything in between. It throws you into Jace's and Clary's world, fighting and living the life. Every moment is a keepsake. You'll never forget this journey that takes you with it. 
   City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, and City of Lost Souls are all sequels to this novel, and all bring you closer and closer into finding that the Mortal Instruments series might be too good to be true, but they are. I won't give away anything, but all I could say, is please, please, please read this book, you won't regret it.
      Cassandra Clare's other series is The Infernal Devices, also known as the prequel to the Mortal Instruments. Clockwork Angel, the first book, was released on August 31, 2010 from the same publisher as The Mortal Instruments, Margeret K. McElderry Books. This book features Tessa Gray, a young American girl, whose out to England to look for her brother. Kidnapped by the Dark Sisters, members of the Pandemonium Club, Tessa learns that she is a Shadowhunter. She finds herself in love with two men, James, whose hiding a dark secret, and Will, who keeps everyone at arm's will. She soon finds herself helping her friends save the world, and becoming torn between love. All it takes is one choice... to change everything.
       Clockwork Angel is one of my favourites, also, of all time. The romance made my heart hurt, because I want something like that, and the thrill made me bite my nails to the tips. 
       Cassandra Clare is a stunning author. Every storyline she writes, makes her readers want more. The only thing is, girl, you gotta write quicker! I can't wait for City Of Heavenly Fire, and her next series! 

Cassandra Clare's books gave me a different point of view of life, in a different way, read it, and it will for you, too. 

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

     An Abundance Of Katherines was an piece of excellence, from the heart. Okay, enough of my REAL English talk. In other words, An Abundance Of Katherines was absorbingly great. Yes, because I absorbed the book, I read it quickly. Anyways, John Green is perfection. Whatever he writes, fits for me. His books are made for me, because it helps me overcome the labyrinth of things. (Looking For Alaska) Also, his words help us find The Fault In Our Stars. The appendix at the back, helped me figure out what Colin was talking about, half of the time, and I enjoyed this book every bit. Lindsay, Colin, Katrina, Hassan, Hollis, and TOC were all sarcastically funny, fun characters for readers to remember time after time. 

B is for Books That Start With "B" (My favourites)

    I just realized how much I love doing the A-Z Challenge! I only did it for one day, and I'm already having a blast! Today's the letter B, which means that I will be blogging about my favourite Books that start with B! So, here's a picture from my famous basement-library (yes, I know, obsessive much.) of my favourites! 

     Starting the top of the pile, in no particular order, is Bloom, by Elizabeth Scott!

Bloom is a 237 paged paperback book that was released on April 24, 2007. The cover features a brown-haired girl, with a white flower in her hair. Summary time! Bloom is about a teenage girl, named Lauren whose always had the perfect top-notch life. She's popular, has a hot boyfriend, decent grades and a best friend. When a new guy, Evan Kirkland, arrives to school, she can't stop staying away from him. She skips classes, lies to her friends, and denies many things. Lauren needs to make a choice, before one is chosen for her. I loved this book! I gave it a 5/5 star rating, because it deserved it. I had high expectations of this book, but they were even higher than I thought! Evan was perfection. His words to Lauren were like Romeo's to Juliet. Bloom truly made my heart quiver, and left me thinking about young love.

      Next stop, in Easton, Connecticut, we have The Book of Spells, by Kate Brian! The Book of Spells, is a young adult novel, published by Simon and Schuster, on December 21, 2010. The cover features, a young, black-haired girl, which looks like in a snowy-forest with her wearing a white dress. The book takes place in 1915, when sixteen-year old Eliza Williams is sent to the Billings School for Girls. As she gets used to being away from her rich, strict life, she and her housemates find out that they're witches. After finding an old spell book, they create a coven, searching for more secrets to their pasts. The girls find freedom and power, until when one of the spells have gone wrong. This book introduced me to paranormal-romance books! It was the beginning to them all, and I adored it. Kate Brian's words captivated me, and made me want more. 5/5 star rating. 

       Before I Fall, by the Delirium writer, Lauren Oliver was released on October 25, 2010 by HarperCollins with 470 pages. This book changed my life forever, but lemme tell you what it's about. Samantha Kingston has everything, just like Lauren in Bloom, popularity, money and the perfect boy. Friday February 12, was her last day to this life. Maybe for it all... The thing is, she wakes up the next morning, and finds out that each day is the same day all over again. February 12, each time she opens her life. Sam needs to figure out what had went wrong and solve the mystery of her life. Another favourite to the list! Before I Fall introduced me to Oliver's amazing books, and made me feel what Sam was feeling. 5/5 star rating.

        I always have loved Jen Calonita's books. This one was just another to add to the list! Belles was released on April 10, 2012 by Poppy, and is the perfect summer-road trip type of story. Isabelle Scott lives beside a boardwalk, where she's having a good life. When tragedy strikes, Isabelle has to move in to a long-lost uncle's home and start a whole new life there. Turns out, her uncle has a daughter, the same age as Issy, named Mirabelle. Mira doesn't want to share her life with an outsider, but soon after, they find a secret that will change their lives forever. The characters, plot, and meaning to this book had me thrilled, laughing, and crying at the same time! We can all tell that Jen added her passion into writing this, with meanings that will have you thinking. 5/5 stars.

        Big girls don't cry...... They make revenge. Burn For Burn, by another of my favourite authors, Jenny Han and her best friend, Siobhan Vivian, was girly, fun, and sassy. Probably a 5/5 star rating, right? Lilia, Mary, and Kat all have someone to get revenge from, someone who ruined their lives. When they all create a master plan, something to get down these people, they realize that consequences may overcome, but they'll have to achieve what's right. As I scrolled through the book, I found myself liking Kat's attitude, but Mary's sweetness, and Lillia's lifestyle. All three gals had something in them that WOW-ED me. I was very happy to hear that Fire To Fire would be released soon, another book to add to my to-read list. 

      Perfection is coming up! Between The Lines, by Jodi Picoult, and her daughter, Samantha Van Leer, stunned me, in a phenomenal way. Delilah always described herself as an outsider, a booknerd. She's always had an obsession with a particular fairy tale story, Between The Lines. It's always felt real to her. One day, it does. One day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. Delilah and Oliver need to figure out how to get Oliver out of the book, and maybe, an attraction between them, will overcome. Romantic, adventrous, thrilling, and perfect, Between The Lines went right to my favourites list. I WANT MORE!

       Last but not least, we have Beautiful Creatures, by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. Beautiful Creatures is taken place in Gaitlin, where Ethan Wate never expects something BIG to happen in his small southern town, but it does. Lena Duchannes, new to town, has been in Ethan's dreams. Falling off a cliff, together. But, Ethan never saw her until that day. She's struggling to conceal a power, to break a curse between them, but no one would realize that they'd fall in love... Beautiful Creatures is one of my all-time favourites. A friend of mine recommended it, and I loved it, more than she did. It was haunting, romantic, and thrilling all through the story. I never wanted it to end, but it did. 5/5 stars.

All of these wonderful books put a meaning to my life, I hope, after this post, they will for you, too.

Looking For Alaska by John Green

     First of all, may I say that John Green is my favourite author? Every book he writes has a meaning to it. I love his books, they always make my day better with his truthful, influential words for readers to remember and share.
     Looking For Alaska was.. I'm speechless here. It was stunningly, fantastically, PERFECT! I can go on and on about how much I love it, but I won't. The plot, characters and meaning were astonishing. From Miles' point of view, everything seemed to have its ups and downs, but he was smart enough to fight them and look beyond the clouds. 
     Alaska. Alaska Young was a perfect female heroine. She's funny, clever, and different. You can see her bright side of things, and with her bad girl style, makes readers feel even more connected to her. I couldn't believe it when what happened to her happened, and her story is a mystery for readers to overcome.
     Miles/Pudge. Miles was different, in a great way. I loved him, with his awkwardness, that shone to impress readers with his love for Alaska, and for his passion for finding the labyrinth of life. He got his girl, in a way, and didn't need help to find what he wants in reality.
Overall, Looking For Alaska changed my life, just as The Fault In Our Stars did. I learnt that you need to find out what life has in store for you, and we have to enjoy things while they last.
     Thank you, John Green, for writing this book. You are my inspiration.