Top Ten Tuesday - Books I would play hooky with

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.

This week's TOP TEN:

Books I would play hooky with...

These are the types of books that you would abandon everything else -- work, chores, dinner plans, church, etc -- so you can read.

1. The Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead 

This series is so incredibly addicting. When I read it the first time, it was absolutely misery making when I had to put it down. 

2. The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

Um, hello, Jace! When Jace's fate hangs on the line, it is not likely that I will be able to do anything but read these books. When a story is based around extensive world building, it has the ability to suck you into it and hold you bound until the last page.

3. Hex Hall Series by Rachel Hawkins

Yup, addicting. The action is so constant and absorbing that finishing one chapter just leaves you needing to read the next one -- immediately -- even if it is your el stop and you really should be getting off the train. 

4. Uglies Series by Scott Westerfeld

This book series was exceptionally hard to put down and was one that I just kept thinking about. 

5. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Just finished reading this one and it is a new favorite! It is beautiful and alluring. I could spend forever reading it. I pretty much did nothing but read all weekend. 

6. Hush, Hush Saga by Becca Fitzpatrick

I've read this series a few times. It never gets easy to put down. 

7. Harry Potter by J.K Rowling

This needs no explanation. Wizards, magic, owl mail, dragons, Neville Longbottom... 

8. Stephanie Perkins Books

I loved both Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door. They are those perfect books that are easy to get lost in on a Saturday afternoon. I can't wait to play hooky with the next book from her. 

9 & 10. Dystopians by Amazing Authors

I am just going to go ahead and simplify this by saying that Dystopians are absolutely addicting. I already know that I will play hooky while reading Insurgent by Veronica Roth, Requiem by Lauren Oliver, Once by Anna Carey, Patriot by Marie Lu and Reached by Ally Condie. 

I love nothing more than getting lost inside the pages of a book and bound by the author's words. It feels like the world has come to a stop while you are gone in another one. And some books are just worth abandoning everything else in lieu of quality time reading.

What books would you play hooky for?

Book Review -- Spell Bound (Hex Hall #3)

Spell Bound (Hex Hall #3)

By Rachel Hawkins

Goodreads Summary -- Hailed as “impossible to put down,” the Hex Hall series has both critics and teens cheering. With a winning combination of romance, action, magic and humor, this third volume will leave readers enchanted. 

 Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.  

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?(less)

Hardcover, 327 pagesPublished March 13th 2012 by Hyperion Book CH

You know a book has impacted your life when while referencing a creepy section of the library you say to your friends, "That must be where they keep the grimoires." Of course this statement is often met with raised eyebrows from each of them. To which I tend to respond with a shrug of my shoulders, "What? I just read this awesome book about witches."

When I first encountered Rachel Hawkins book, Hex Hall, two years ago, I had no idea what to expect. I found the cover juvenile, the plot a bit "not my scene" and the title off putting. Harsh words? Maybe, but none of that matters, because when it comes to the Hex Hall Series, I am forever a devoted and at times, crazed fan. Before opening the book, I had doubts. By page three, I was doubtless.

This series is fantastic. This series reminds me of why I love reading YA fiction. And specifically why I love reading paranormal YA fiction. 

It is not about the cover, the title, or the blurb on the jacket (though after having read the books, all of my previous aversion went swoop). It is about the way that I love every snarky quip that comes out of Sophie Mercer's mouth. It is the way that just seeing Archer's name written on the page makes my insides go all goofy. It is the way that I block out the rest of the world while I read. And at the end of each chapter, I hesitate momentarily and then have to read the next one and the one after that and so forth until it is done.

In the books, Sophie talks about this feeling she calls, "magic drunk."Well, I can't do magic but I would say this series makes me reading drunk--which is kind of a magic in itself. I get all loopy and excited. And for me, that is the magical combination for a great book.

I won't sit here and say, "You all must read it." I can't guarantee that it is everyone's cup of tea. In fact, I know it isn't. But it is mine. And I am sitting here a few days after reading the last page still filled with an intense nostalgia, depression, happiness and contentment. 

The first two books of this series, Hex Hall and Demon Glass, are equally awesome. The characters and plot are addicting. My love for them was astronomical, thus I had to reread them before embarking on the third and final installment of this series. I had to. And they were just as great the second (ehem, I mean third) time around. But the question that lingered in the air was, will Spell Bound deliver as a trilogy ender?

Drum roll please...

Spell Bound delivered. Rounding this series out as a home run book one to book three. Spell Bound, like its predecessors, was great beginning to end. There was not a single moment of dragging. There was the proper amount of tension that kept it exciting without verging on unnecessarily ridiculous. Sophie was perfectly witty. And Archer, oh my stars, had a lot more page time. For that, I am so grateful. The other adorable characters lived up to their roles. I devoured this book in a day, after having redevoured the other two over the weekend. Let's just say, images of Archer and I in dark cellars have infiltrated my dreams.

I could gush and rave about how much I love these books forever, but I will just say that I have that feeling inside after reading a good book. It is that feeling that makes you sit still and stare off into space as all the emotions and excitement roll through you. This feeling in your whole being that is so happy. This feeling that comes from the power of well woven words and a fantastically crafted story. 

I have been in a reading rut for the past few weeks and thanks to Rachel Hawkins, Sophie and Archer, I have found the cure. 

Even though Sophie's story is officially done, I will still eagerly await whatever comes next for Rachel Hawkins. I know it will be great.