Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Authors I've Read the Most Books From

 Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, where we make bookish lists of bookish topics.

This week's topic is:

Top Ten Authors I've Read the Most Books From

1. Rachel Vincent (11 books) Still have to read her Shifters series, but she is by far my favourite author!

2. Sophie Kinsella (13 books) She's still one of my favourites, though I still haven't read Shopaholic to the Stars

3. Sarah Dessen (10 books) Only two more of hers that I need to read. Love them!

4. Colleen Hoover (12 books) I've read them all and I've loved all of them!

5. Cora Carmack (7 books) Literally my favourite New Adult author. She's so sweet!

6. Miranda Kenneally (6 books) More please.

7. K.A. Tucker (8 books) Breaks my heart every time, but I always come back for more. A fantastic writer.

8. Nicholas Sparks (12 books) Yes, I was really into Nick for a while there, but I've kind of grown out of it so even though there are still about 5 to read and on my shelf, I'll probably never get around to them, unless they make them into movies, that seems to get the ball rolling.

9. Sophie Jordan (8 books) Both her Teen and New Adult books have blown me away.

10. Lauren Oliver (10 books) The queen of YA. Her writing is amazing and I've loved every one of her books. Can't wait for another one!

It's easy to read a lot of books from an author when they write well and continue making great series. Even better when they move between genres, like Ya and NA to keep me interested. Who are some of your go-tos?

Review: Ugly Love

Ugly Love
Author: Colleen Hoover
Published: August 5, 2014
Paperback, 337 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she knows it isn't love at first sight. They wouldn't even go as far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn't want love, she doesn't have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules miles has for her.

Never ask about the past. Don't expect a future. 

They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can't handle it at all.

Hearts get infiltrated. Promises get broken. Rules get shattered. Love gets ugly.

Colleen Hoover is the queen of New Adult. She takes two people, makes them fall quickly head over heels for each other, and then takes it away so quickly we don't have time to understand why. Something unfathomable happens and we hope for a happy ending, but we don't know if we'll get it. If anyone has read any of her books, you'll know she does this well, and Ugly Love is no exception. Tate knows too many pilots, her father and her brother both are, so it's no surprise when Miles is also a pilot. But it is a surprise when he's almost passed out in front of her brother's door, her new door since she's moving in, and she has no idea who he is or why he's calling her Rachel. Their relationship continues just as it started - rough around the edges with a lot of tension. She doesn't have time for him as she's working full time as a nurse as she continues through med school. But she can't help looking at him and she knows he feels it too and the moment they take things further, she knows she's lost.

They agree on sex without strings, but does that ever work out for anyone? They hide it from her brother but Miles soon gets very protective. Tate doesn't mind, except for the fact that he's still hiding his feelings from her and she knows he cares about her but he won't admit it. The further Tate falls, the harder it is to get back up. Tate wants to know everything about Miles, but she knows she can't ask, she knows she can't find out who Rachel is, and maybe it's best if she doesn't. But the truth always comes out and when it does, Tate doesn't know if she can handle it or if it has even made them stronger. She must decide if she'll be sticking by Miles or if it's best to stop their relationship once and for all.

These two tore at my heart. They clearly have feelings for each other but will not admit it at all. The more Tate falls for him, the more we find out about his past. Tate's chapters are in the present, but Miles' are in the past and we slowly become clear as to why he is how he is and what happened between him and Rachel. We find out before Tate does and it's brutal as we watch her struggle to find a way to get him to open up when we know how hard it will be when he does. This book is ugly. It will make you smile on one page and then rip out your heart on the next. I wanted to slap Miles and I wanted to tell Tate to stop sleeping with him, but yet I still wanted them to continue doing it all because I wanted them together.

Hoover is a fantastic writer. She weaves everything together to explode at the climax. Her dual perspectives work in her favour and I fell in love with her characters as I normally do. I seriously can't wait for more from her even though I know I'll be crying by the end of it.

"Love isn't always pretty. Sometimes you spend all your time hoping it'll eventually be something different. Something better. Then, before you know it, you're back to square one, and you lost your heart somewhere along the way."

Review: Maybe Someday

Maybe Someday
Author: Colleen Hoover
Published: March 18, 2014
Paperback, 370 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

At twenty-two years old, Sydney is enjoying a great life: She's in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her best friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers that Hunter is cheating on her;and she's forced to decide what her next move should be.

Soon, Sydney finds herself captivated by her mysterious and attractive neighbor, Ridge. She can't take her eyes off him or stop listening to the passionate way he plays his guitar every evening out on his balcony. And there's something about Sydney that Ridge can't ignore, either. They soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one.

Hoover has officially become my favourite New Adult writer. She takes what all of us want in NA and makes it a really story, unlike other NAs I've read. She has a way with words and characters that make me want to read the story over and over again, and Maybe Someday was no exception. Sydney's 22nd birthday starts off horribly - discovering that her boyfriend is sleeping with her roommate and best friend.  So she leaves and somehow ends up at her neighbour's apartment, the mysterious Ridge who plays his guitar on his balcony just for her. What starts out as an awkward encounter soon turns into an awkward friendship. They begin writing music together and feelings begin to emerge - feelings that shouldn't be since Ridge is in a serious relationship. 

Yes, I know, a love triangle! But for once (well there have been a few times) this love triangle wasn't cringe-worthy. Told from both Sydney and Ridge's perspectives, we get to see how each of them are trying to cope with the feelings inside them. And although I don't condemn cheating, I do understand how couples can drift apart, especially if you are in two very different places in life. and Hoover delivers us a story that will break your heart not only for Ridge and his girlfriend, but for Sydney as the other woman trying desperately not to fall in love with him. This story is truly heartbreaking and Hoover loves to add in twists and plot points that make you re-think everything you've felt until that point, making this an unforgettable journey.

Ridge is not the kind of love interest you see in books these days. It's wonderful that Hoover explores this whole other world, and the way she treats it with respect is fantastic. I don't mean to be vague, but I don't want to spoil anything. It took a character who could very well be like every other love interest and turned him into something completely different. Sydney has never met anyone like him, but the way she reacts to it is beautiful and heart-warming, the way you hope everyone would. It was amazing and I hope more authors take a risk like this to show people that there are more diverse people in the world - not everyone is just a bad boy with issues.

What I loved most about this book was the music aspect. Hoover joined up with Griffin Peterson to create the soundtrack to this book. The songs Sydney and Ridge write in the book can be listened to while reading and it turned this book into an experience. The songs are touching and tender, just enough to send you into a tailspin of tears and mixed emotions - just like Sydney and Ridge. They sum up the relationship perfectly and follow along as Sydney and Ridge try to figure out how to live this life they know they should both walk away from. This book will take you through every emotion on the spectrum, but it will leave you smiling and singing along. Hoover gives me faith in the NA genre.

“We try so hard to hide everything we're really feeling from those who probably need to know our true feelings the most.”

“Sometimes in life, we need a few bad days in order to keep the good ones in perspective.” 

Review: Hopeless (Losing Hope and Finding Cinderella)

Hopeless
Author: Colleen Hoover
Published: December 19, 2012
Paperback, 406 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

My adventure in New Adult continues with a very good lead. Hoover's novel excelled every exception I had for it and now I know what NA is supposed to be like. Real characters going through a stage in their life where they're not sure what comes next. Real, raw emotion and love that isn't always perfect. Though her characters are still in high school, this is more mature than YA and will certainly pull at the heartstrings of anyone who reads it.

Sky has a reputation even though she's still a virgin. She lets boys come into her window at night and she feels numb when they kiss her. She lets them because she likes feeling nothing. Home schooled all her life, Sky has decided to go to a public school, alone and already with a reputation. But when Sky meets Holder at the grocery store, she's not so sure about public school. Holder's intense, but there's something about him that makes her want to know more. They keep running into each other and their relationship gets really tricky. Sky likes the way she actually feels something around Holder, but it seems like he's hiding something from her. The moment Sky realizes what he's been hiding, her world shatters and she's not sure if she can ever glue it back together.

Sky is a beautiful heroine. She keeps to herself and doesn't let what others say about her affect her. She is iffy about getting close to Holder, but in her head, I saw how much she wanted to be near him because he actually made her feel important. The way their relationship formed was beautiful to read and I didn't want anything bad to happen, though I knew it would. Holder is intense because he's holding back a lot. His sister killed herself almost a year before hand and something happen when he was a child that he just can't get over. There is a companion novel, Losing Hope, told through Holder's point of view that gives you a really in depth look at the pain and suffering that Holder puts on himself. It made me understand his character so much more and I just wanted him to get a happy ending as much as Sky. I fell in love with these two as quickly as they fell for each other. Their relationship is far from perfect, but I love how real it all felt. Holder is sweet and caring and would do anything for Sky, wanting to protect her with his life. 

Hoover knows how to fill your heart with love and then break it to pieces. This story took a turn that I was not expecting at all. Everything Sky knows is wrong and Holder holds the answers. It played out beautiful and terrifying and there was no telling how it would all end. It felt so real and I haven't felt that kind of emotion in a story in a long time.

Losing Hope was a wonderful read as well. Told at the same time as Hopeless, we really get into Holder's head and find out some back story about him and his sister. Both of these novels together made for a fantastic read that made me laugh, smile, and cry buckets. This is a story about love, forgiveness, and accepting the things in life we have no choice but to accept. Sky is so strong and I hope that anyone who has gone through what she has can be strong and live a life without regret and with the love that they deserve. The novella that goes along with this story as well, Finding Cinderella, follows Sky's best friend, Six, and Holder's best friend, Daniel, as they go through their own heartbreaking story. It's a nice little addition to the family and it will tear out your heart just like the others. I know that sounds awful, but these books are fantastic reads and I can't wait to read more from Hoover. Sometimes it feels good to get your heart ripped out and watch as it's dragged across the floor, don't you think?

“Not everyone gets a happily every after. Life is real and sometimes it's ugly and you just have to learn how to cope.”