Today’s turn on telling us her Top 13 books of 2013 is the lovely Abigail!!
Are any of her choices yours?
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Hi, my name is Abigail and I have loved books ever since I was a little girl. When I’m reading I’m in a zone and often don’t hear people when they talk to me, I’m not ignoring anyone, I’m just so caught up in the story I don’t notice what is going on around me. Haha, this often annoys my family members but oh well. My love of books is why I do book reviews on my own blog (http://abigailrobynbrown.wordpress.com/), however, I have not done as many blog posts as I would like recently as I have so busy.
When Zoe first asked me to do this post and write about my favourite 13 books of 2013, I thought it was going to be a bit of an impossible mission. I have read so many books this year, but what did help it narrow it down was the date of publication being they had to be published this year, I still struggled. Without further due, here is my 13 favourite books of 2013.
- Into the Deep – Samantha Young
“If I don’t believe I’m worth the effort, why the hell would you?” – Charley
It is one of my favourite books that I have read this year and I could not put it down once I started reading it. I was addicted and wanted to know how it ended, it does end on a “to be continued”, so you do have to wait for the second one is released but it I worth it. Charley and Jakes story was a heart breaking one, they first fell in love in High School then a tragic event made Jake leave town and break every promise he made to Charley. Four years later Charley still feels the pain of their break up and has not had a successful relationship since. On her year of studying abroad in Scotland she bumps into none other than Jake at a party. Soon all those old feelings and unresolved feeling come rushing back and so does the drama as Jake has a girlfriend Melissa. It is a love story not to be missed and you will be hooked the whole way through.
- Reckless – S.C Stephens
“You want me to whatbook? And Tweet? Like a bird? Are you serious?” – Kellan
I love Kiera and Kellan’s story and was so happy there was a third book, I love to see how far they have come and their relationship as it evolves. It is interesting to see how the fame has affected their lives as the band hits big and Kiera goes on tour with them. I’m a little bit sad that this is the end of the road for Kiera and Kellan, I have re-read the book so many times and still love it. They are a cute couple and I love reading about of all of the characters, even Griffin. Kellan is my all-time favourite book boyfriend and if he were real that would be great, he loves Kiera so much and it is endearing to see them grow from strength to strength.
- Wide Awake – Shelly Crane
“It doesn’t matter who you were or what you’ve done in the past. The only thing that matters is who you are right now” – Mason
Wide Awake has such a captivating storyline that keeps you hooked. You feel heartbroken for Emma when she wakes up from her coma and does not remember who she is. You feel sad when she struggles to fit back in with her friends and family. You feel happy and kind of excited when she and Mason grow closer. You feel her confusion when she struggles with her identity. It was like riding an emotional rollercoaster and when I was near the end of the book I kept wishing that more pages would appear.
- Ten Tiny Breaths – K.A Tucker
“Just breathe. Ten tiny breaths … Seize them. Feel them. Love them.” – Kacey’s mum
I know I have quite a few emotional and sad books on my list, but what I admire about those stories and authors is how they show their characters overcoming their problems and dealing with them. Kacey lost her parents, boyfriend and best friend in a tragic car accident of which she was the only survivor and she has never dealt with it. Many people grieve in different way and Kacey’s way was ignoring it and shoving the memories and pain into a box and not thinking about it. All this changes when Trent comes along and breaks down her walls, she goes through the different stages of grief and begins to heal. Kacey and Trent’s relationship was not an easy one but they are perfect together, and I was rooting for them from the start.
- Out of Breath – Rebecca Donovan
“Remember there is always a choice. I chose to live. I chose to love. I chose to breathe.”- Emma
This is the third and final instalment of the Breathing series by Rebecca Donovan and I was so excited to read it, especially with the way that the second book ended. I absolutely love the breathing series, I loved Emma and Evan and was hoping that they would find their way back to each other. Emma had been through so much pain and what was heart breaking, is that she walked away from Evan to protect him from herself but ended up hurting the both of them even more. Evan is perfect and has to be on the top of most people’s book boyfriend lists, he’s so sweet, caring, loveable and understanding.
- In this moment – Autumn Houghton
“All we get are moments, Cole. One at a time, like heartbeats. Once all of them is gone, that’s it. No do-overs. No repeats. Every moment possesses its down kind of magic and what we do with it counts. It counts.” – Aimee
It is a very emotional book that pulls your heart strings and makes you thankful that your loved ones are safe. Aimee feels lost without her best friend and her death makes her feel guilty to be alive and wonder why she survived. Then comes in Cole, he slowly brakes down her walls and they are so cute together. Cole is swoon worthy and I love how he didn’t have a clue at dating, he made me laugh so much. I love this book and how they begin to heal from their pasts together.
- Frigid – J. Lynn
“I would’ve given her more if she had wanted that.
I would’ve given her everything if she had asked.” – Kyler
Sydney is in love with her best friend, Kyler and the only trouble is that he is a player. Sydney won’t risk not having Kyler in her life so she has kept her feelings to herself. What she doesn’t know is that Kyler feels the same way, he just hides it by being with other women as he believes he isn’t good enough for her. When they end up snowed in at a ski resort, the truth slowly comes out and I was on the edge of the seat anticipating them admitting their feelings. It’s sweet how Kyler thinks so much of Sydney and the storm makes him think he has a shot with her, as they grow even closer.
- Don’t hate the player… hate the game – Katie Ashley
“Sometimes we just have two sides to us, Noah. One that we’re willing to let the world see, and then the other that we hide deep within ourselves.” – Maddie
I always find it interesting to read book from a male perspective and especially in this case a very emotional storyline. I cried so much that I struggled to read some of the book. Noah is on a mission to find out who was the girl that his best friend was in love with. You see Noah’s best friend, Jake tragically dies shortly before graduation and when sorting out his room finds an engagement ring. Jake was a player, so his mum begs him to find out who her son loved and it leads to Noah meeting Maddie. Maddie is the Valedictorian and very religious who was tutoring Jake. I love that Maddie shows Noah a different side that existed to Jake, the more Noah discovers about Jake on his mission. It is a sad story and a beautiful one.
- Four seconds to loose – K.A Tucker
“I believe some people are inherently evil.
I believe guilt is a powerful motivator.
I believe redemption is something you can strive for but never fully achieve.
I believe second chances exist only in dreams, never in reality.
I believe you don’t have years, or months, or weeks to impact a person’s life.
You have seconds.
Seconds to win them over, And seconds to lose them.”
Oh my god I love Charlie and Cain, they are amazing together!! Cain is great and has been through so much, yet he has still managed to turn out to be a decent guy who cares about those around him. They both have such complicated pasts and especially Charlie, she is petrified that Cain will be disgusted by her if he ever finds out the truth about her. It’s meant to be that they meet and are exactly what one and the other needs. Cain’s protectiveness towards Charlie is so sweet and he truly does care for her.
“The right woman for you wouldn’t want you to change anything about your life. She wouldn’t rock your boat, she’d jump right in and sail it with you.” – Caroline
This is hands down one of the funniest books I have ever read, I was in fits of laughter from the start to end. It is simply hilarious, so funny and entertaining. Caroline and Simon are quite a pair! Caroline moves into her new apartment and on the first night she has to endure listening to her next door neighbour having very loud sex, it’s the same the next night but with a different girl and the same the night after that. Caroline cracks one night and interrupts him, from then on begins a love/hate relationship that is beyond entertaining. They have lots of chemistry which results in a dynamic relationship.
- Rush Me – Alison Parr
“You only get hurt that badly when you’re doing something that matters. Something impossible. Taking a risk. Investing yourself. And ball’s worth it, the rush you get, the exhilaration…”
When Rachael gate-crashes a party, she meets Ryan Carter, the NFL’s most beloved quarterback and she instantly dislikes him. He is everything she doesn’t want, he is arrogant and she believes him to be a stereotypical dumb jock. It’s hilarious that what they both assume about each other is wrong and when they really get to know each other, they see eye to eye. They are both so stubborn though and that is part of what makes the book so great and why it has to be on my list.
- The Love Game – Emma Hart
“When life gets hard, ask Google. Google knows everything”- Braden
I love The Love Game, it is a fantastic book and Maddie and Braden are great characters. This is a must read book of 2013. Maddie and Braden are playing each other at their own games, they have both made bets but along the way they begin to fall for each other. Braden cracks me up, his approach to dating is one of the funniest things I have read, the whole Google solution is comical.
- The Game Changer – J. Sterling
“Love is life. If you miss out on love, you miss out on life” –Gramps
Cassie and Jack are one of my favourite book couples, they are so cute. Jack made a mistake in the first book, that almost ruined Cassie and his relationship for good, but she somehow found it in her heart to forgive him. They both struggle when their pasts keep catching up with them and threaten their future. What I love is it isn’t an easy love story, it shows you have to work to maintain your relationship and true love is worth fighting for.
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Chat with Abigail:
Z. Elizabeth 