Go-To Books

There are a few books/authors whose work I tend to find myself drawn back to, time and again. Books that I'll re-read (although rarely from cover to cover again, mind you), flipping open to any page or to a particularly memorable scene. Sometimes just for fun, sometimes when I'm bored, sometimes when I need a bit of comfort. Does anyone else do that, re-read segments of books?

Off the top of my head, some that are among the more frequently revisited: the Harry Potter series, the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, Crimson Hero, Little Women, The Hunger Games series... 

The photo above was taken earlier this summer at a hostel in London, England. There was a book exchange bookshelf in the lobby, and it was kind of cool to see all the well-traveled books there, left behind by unknown travelers. Browsed through Catching Fire as I charged my phone for a bit - it was a bit surreal, to be engrossed in a familiar book with a very different packaging. 

How about you, what're your go-to reads whose worlds you visit again and again?

Waiting on Wednesday (38)

Ten - Gretchen McNeil

*September 18th, 2012 Balzer + Bray

And their doom comes swiftly. 

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury.

But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?

A murder mystery! This seems like an enticing read because the synopsis sounds unique and different from a lot of the other current offerings in the YA genre. And it's slightly reminiscent of Agatha Christie. 

What're you waiting on this Wednesday?!

*WoW is hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine

Wanted: Book Recommendations

Hello there, Blogosphere! It's been a while, hasn't it? The past couple of months have been insane, from finishing up the semester to exploring a foreign continent. It's been a grand adventure for sure.

Looking back at my Top 10 of 2011 and Top 10 of 2010 posts recently, I realized that, as sad as it sounds, as of right now I haven't read enough books for pleasure this year to do such a post. So - since I'm heading home for a bit of a break soon, I'm hoping to get in some quality reading time.

But looking at all the offerings available, I'm at a bit of a loss - where should I start? What books (recent or classics) should I devour this upcoming month? Which novels have been absolutely standout and really resonated with you? What stories have kept you up into the wee hours of night, unable to leave the fictional world the words created?

Cheers!