Top Ten Favorite Books I've Read During The Lifespan Of My Blog

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.
Every once in a while I participate in this one when I either
1) Like the theme, and/or 2) Have the time!

This week's topic:

Top Ten Favorite Books I've Read 

During The Lifespan Of My Blog

I decided to split the Top 10 in half because I had too much I wanted to include. I'm featuring the Top 5 Favorites that I thought of off the top of my head) and the Top 5 Favorites that I only discovered through blogging.

Don't want to sit through the following vlog I put together?  Never fear, I summed it up below!




YouTube Link

TOP 5 OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD

1) THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern
This book is beyond gorgeous, both inside and out.  The writing is so gorgeous that I never want to write ever again because I can't write like that.  The descriptions come alive and the story unfurls in a way that's impossible to put down.  When I finished reading, I was awash in disappointment that Le Cirque des Rêves wasn't real.  This was my favorite novel of 2011 and one of my Top 15 all-time favorites!
My Review

2) HEART'S BLOOD by Juliet Marillier
This was the first book I read by Juliet Marillier, and it's still my favorite (Yes, even over DAUGHTER OF THE FOREST...perhaps because it was first?).  This is my favorite retelling of Beauty and the Beast.  I love that the magic was taken out of the book and that the beast is merely a man deformed by palsy.  It felt more realistic to me.
My Review

3) INCARNATE by Jodi Meadows
Like with THE NIGHT CIRCUS, Jodi Meadows has a way of writing that captures my heart and makes me never want to put pen to paper again.  I'm not big on reincarnation books, but Jodi introduced something fresh and new.  I'm excited to see where she goes with this series!
My Review...err....I never reviewed this!?  How is that possible?  Okay, I must review this ASAP for you!!!!  It's too good not to...

4) THE NEAR WITCH by Victoria Schwab
Again, I'm obsessed with the lyrical writing in this novel.  Victoria Schwab breathes life into everything to the point where even the wind feels like a character.  Her visuals are spine-tingly good.  This was the first time I started following an author before her book was published after seeing author Alexandra Bracken (the fabulous BRIGHTLY WOVEN, the upcoming THE DARKEST MINDS) post a cover reveal on her own blog.
My Review

5) THE MOCKINGBIRDS by Daisy Whitney
Probably my favorite YA contemporary!  In part, I love Daisy Whitney.  I think I connected with this book so much because I adore Harper Lee's TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and I loved seeing the book twisted up into a school's underground justice system.  This book made an instant Daisy fan out of me!
My Review

TOP 5 DISCOVERED THROUGH BLOGGING

1) UNEARTHLY by Cynthia Hand
I had an ARC of this, and it was a flat purple, not shimmery. It had white where the silver would be. It didn't visually appeal to me until I saw it on the shelf. I also wasn't in love with any of the angel books I had read up until this book. I picked it up after seeing the finished copy, fell in love, and had to buy a "real" copy of the book, passing the ARC on for others to love. I think the reason I love this book so strongly is because Cynthia Hand has fleshed out her characters to the point where I even want to know the plight of secondary characters such as the mother, brother, best friend, etc., and not just a main character!
My Review

2) SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo
Macmillan sent me an ARC of this in a fancy blue envelope.  At the time, I'd never even heard of it.  I read the summary and saw this line: "Drafted into the army of their war-torn homeland, they’re sent on a dangerous mission into the Fold, a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh."  This...does not sound like anything I would ever want to read.  I put it aside.  When reviews started coming out, everyone raved about this high fantasy novel.  RAVED.  What was I missing?  I picked it up and was blown away.  This summary reminds me of my experience with GRACELING by Kristin Cashore, where it took me almost a year to read the book because of the summary, but then I loved it.  
My Review

3) THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS by Rae Carson
I heard of this one through bloggers talking about how good the book was.  I wouldn't have been reading various book blogs if I wasn't a book blogger myself.  See how that comes full-circle?  Some publishers wonder if bloggers help sell books, and I think we do.  We buy books that we hear about from other bloggers, and there are people reading our blogs, GoodReads, etc. that aren't bloggers themselves.  I think everything counts. :)  In this case, bloggers made me a life-long fan of Rae Carson.  I bought her e-book novella that came out next month and am eagerly counting down until I have her next book in my hands this fall.
My Review

4) GRAVE MERCY by Robin LaFevers
Since becoming a blogger, I've been more aware of books coming out far into the future.  I keep lists of what I want to read on Word and on GoodReads.  I have lists up until 2015, which feels so far away!  I heard about this one when The Enchanted Inkpot (then on LiveJournal) featured the book deal for the series.  I wanted this long before it had a cover or any buzz, and was lucky enough to receive an ARC from the publisher.  I fell for this book through blogging!
My Review

5) KILL ME SOFTLY by Sarah Cross
This is not a book I would have EVER picked up at the store.  It has blood all over the cover and the word "kill" in the title.  I'd pass this off as a "not for me" book.  I would have missed out on something extraordinary.  In June, bloggers were discussing their favorite books of the year thus far and someone mentioned KILL ME SOFTLY (without showing the cover).  It was about fairy tales, and Sleeping Beauty, and had original components from the Grimm tales!  Reading the book, there was something so enchanting about the writing style that I am an instant fan.  I had to read Cross' DULL BOY and want more, more, more from her!  And I would have missed out if it hadn't been on someone's Top Ten list and I hadn't been reading that list as a blogger.
My Review

I can't wait to see what everyone else has chosen!
What a fun Top Ten!