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Top Ten Tuesday (3) – Top Ten Most Unique Books I’ve Read

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week, a new topic is chosen and people are allowed to make their own lists.

Despite really liking this week’s theme, I really struggled to find books to feature. There are so many ways to interpret the word ‘unique’ so the books I’ve chosen to feature are for many different reasons.

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I don’t think I’ll ever read such a unique and original book as Every Day. Its concept is phenomenal and I can’t think of a better person to write it as David Levithan.

More Than This by Patrick Ness is also a book with a breath-taking concept. I wish I could read it again for the first time because I can remember the feeling when I first read it, and how blown away I was by it.

I can’t write this list without talking about Harry Potter, can I? It screams ‘unique.’ The world, the way it is written, the dedication of the fandom. Will there ever really be a book quite like it again? I doubt it.

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This Star Won’t Go Out (I write this wearing my TSWGO t-shirt) is totally unique, not just because it’s non-fiction, but because of how it affected me. It’s such an emotional book and that’s what makes it so special. It’s real life and honest.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart has to be unique because THAT. ENDING. I’m still reeling, over a week after reading it. I don’t think I can risk saying any more, but, yes, I haven’t read a book quite like it before!

I love Vivian Versus the Apocalypse by Katie Coyle because it seems very straight-forward but so much happens. I can’t wait for the sequel!

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The Library of Unrequited Love is a very small book, less than 100 pages, but so much is discussed within so few pages. It’s also translated from French, and set in France, which I think adds to its originality.

I think The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer trilogy (or the two books is it so far) win the prize for the biggest change from a first book to its sequel. I can’t wait for the final book because I know there’s going to be a lot going on.

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Dreaming of Amelia is written in the form of exam papers, which I thought was such a great idea. All of Jaclyn Moriarty’s books are written in a quirky style – as letters, emails etc. – and I think this is my favourite of hers.

Magus of Stonewylde by Kit Berry is unique because of its setting. There will never be another Stonewylde for me. If I could live in any fictional world, I would live there; it is the place I imagine when I close my eyes, and the place I dream of when I sleep at night.

That’s my list! What would be on yours?

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My Top Ten Books of 2013

2013 must hereby be known as ‘The Year of Amazing Books.’ Seriously, in 2013 I read so many books that blew me away. I only started getting into YA in 2012 so I’ve been catching up on lots of the books I missed and there were so many releases of brilliant books too.

Below is a list of my top 10 books of 2013 and my reasons for them being my favourites. I haven’t included sequels or re-reads in my list.

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My favourite book of the year by far is Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I just can’t get over the total gorgeousness of this book and no matter how much I rave about it, I still can’t convey my thoughts properly. It’s now my all time favourite book and Rainbow Rowell is one of my favourite authors. I have so much love for this book! The Isobel Journal by Isobel Harrop is a book that took me by complete surprise. I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did and I’m extremely jealous of Isobel Harrop’s artistry. This is a book that’s perfect if you’re in a bit of a reading slump or you want to try something a bit different. Then we have Every Day by David Levithan. I love books that make you question the world around you and give you something to think about and Every Day did just that. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi really blew me away. It’s another book I didn’t expect to like as much, but it’s one of my favourite dystopia novels now. I like how it’s written in a different style to typical novels and the sequel, Unravel Me, is even better. The final book is Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas which may be one of my favourite fantasy novels. The world Sarah J. Maas has created is so creative and unique.

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More Than This by Patrick Ness is another book that really makes you question the world around you. I didn’t know much about it beforehand but it ended up knocking me out with its awesomeness. Yes, 2013 was the year I finally read Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling and I ended up loving it. I can definitely see what all the fuss is about. Then we have Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi which is a very different dystopia novel. It’s set a long way into the future so the whole world was different and it’s the type of novel I can’t help but love. Paper Towns by John Green really sealed the deal in me loving John Green’s books so much. After loving The Fault in Our Stars in 2012, I couldn’t not love Paper Towns. Finally we have The Host by Stephenie Meyer. After liking but not loving the Twilight series, this book was a really big surprise. My friend was hassling me to read it for ages and when I finally did, I fell in love with it. SO good!

So those were my favourite books of the year! There were so many to choose from and I’ve still missed so many out.

Let me know your favourite books of the year! Have you read any of the books I mentioned? What did you think of them?

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Writing….More Than This by Patrick Ness

Today I’ve decided to do something a bit different and share a piece of my writing. I’ve recently started going to a writing squad which has been really good and encouraged me to write more, and this is one of the pieces I wrote for it. We had to write like an author that will be at Bath Kids Lit Fest and I chose Patrick Ness, whose event was fab, even if we did turn up late. This piece is a scene written just after More Than This ended and should contain only minimal spoilers, but I can’t promise anything.

Here is the boy, waking up.

He’s drowsy at first, disconcerted. There’s something covering his eyes and body, something that feels entirely wrong. He feels restricted, claustrophobic. Where is he?

And then he remembers. I’m Seth, he thinks, I’m Seth. And suddenly he has a purpose. I’m Seth, and I am an anomaly.

It’s suddenly a rush to break free from his restrictions. The bandages are tough to remove but he struggles and struggles with them until suddenly he’s granted freedom. Freedom. Will anybody ever be truly limitless in this world where people are living in simulations, not conscious of the fact that there’s more out there, just out of their reach? And speaking of the simulations, where is he now: online or living reality?

He starts to think about his life online, as he now knows it. What will his parents, Owen, Gudmund, be doing at this moment? Just thinking about being reunited with them fills his heart with an inconceivable amount of joy. He’s missed them. He never thought he’d say it before. You take things for granted when they’re always in front of you. His time in the real world had taught him that. How many times had Tomasz or Regine nearly been torn away from him? In those days when he had been truly alone, he had learned that sometimes it’s the silent companionship that matters. Knowing that someone is present, looking out for you, guarding your back, can sometimes mean the most.

He strains his ears to hear something, anything. He yearns for human activity at this time when he can’t rely on his vision; it’s pitch black in this enclosed space, and his eyes hurt from when he ripped the bandages off. Frustration overwhelms him and he wants to scream. Where is he?

And then suddenly there is light. It takes him a moment to adjust to the brightness, a moment of fast blinking and squinting.

His heart sinks.

The face peering at him once reminded him of his brother, Owen. The face peering at him is attached to a body that saved his life countless times. He should feel happy that he is seeing Tomasz again, and somewhere deep down he is pleased to see this boy who was braver than anybody he’d ever known, but he couldn’t help but feel a plummeting in his stomach: it hadn’t worked.

               ‘Mr Seth? Mr Seth?’ Tomasz always had a positive note in his voice.

Quietly, ‘It didn’t work.’ Again, and much louder, ‘It didn’t work.’

               Another voice surfaces. ‘You knew it was a possibility, Seth.’ The to-the-point tone makes it clear that this is Regine.

               ‘It’s my family, Regine! What did you expect?’ Seth grabs hold of the edge of the coffin, perhaps a little too tightly, and heaves himself up with the help of Tomasz.

               ‘We don’t have family either.’ Seth is surprised at the tone of Regine’s voice. It’s not often that she hints at her emotions, only when she’s thinking of her life before. ‘You and Tomasz are the only family I’ve got now. We need to stick together.’

               ‘Family,’ Seth whispers. He’ll never see his parents or Owen or Gudmund or H or Monica again, not unless they find another way to get Seth online or take them offline. And maybe he will learn to come to terms with that. He has Tomasz and Regine now and they need him as much as he needs them.

 He’s ready for the future.

Hope you liked it! 

Book Review UKYA

REVIEW: More Than This by Patrick Ness

More Than This is the first of Ness’ books that I’ve read and, understanding the hype that comes with his books, I was very nervous about starting this.

The novel starts with the main character drowning. That may seem like a spoiler, but it’s not. When Seth drowns, he wakes up in an empty world; he is the only person there. It just so happens that the place he wakes up is the English town in which he moved from after a horrific incident happened to his younger brother, Owen. Where is he?

More Than This is very hard to put into one genre. I would describe it as a futuristic psychological science fiction thriller because it’s a mish mash of lots of different elements. It worked surprisingly well and I was glad that it didn’t get confusing.

Seth, the protagonist, really grows throughout the novel. His arc is particularly notable because he goes on such a journey. We see him open up and really come into himself. His situation is difficult and Ness has written such an emotional and true character.

I’m trying not to spoil anything in this review because so much goes on throughout the novel that could spoil things later on. I was kept guessing and then Ness would throw something at you that sent you reeling. I think I had whiplash whilst reading this!

I really loved the writing style. Written in third person with flashbacks from before Seth’s death, More Than This wouldn’t have worked any way else. The flashbacks were revealing but didn’t give away too much and having it written in third person meant that you weren’t always stuck in Seth’s head.

I really enjoyed More Than This and will be posting something to do with it next week. It’s something different to the norm and I’ll definitely be recommending it now. It’s not often that you read a book that you completely fall in love with, but this is one of them.

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Stacking the Shelves (16)- The Bath Kids Lit Fest Edition

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Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! It is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews.

This week I have decided to film a vlog!

 

Books mentioned:

Me, Suzy P by Karen Saunders

Geekhood: Close Encounters of the Girl Kind by Andy Robb

Downside Up by Hayley Long

Kite Spirit by Sita Brahmachari

The Bone Dragon by Alexia Casale

More Than This by Patrick Ness

Follow Me Down by Tanya Byrne

Noble Conflict by Malorie Blackman

Cruel Summer by James Dawson

Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano

The Oathbreaker’s Shadow by Amy McCulloch

I also got Because It Is My Blood by Gabrielle Zevin but must have edited that part out without realising. Thank you, Macmillan Childrens Books!

What did you get this week? Link me to your own posts below!