The Top Ten Books That Will Make You Cry

So normally I would have done this on Tuesday with everyone else but I had something else scheduled for that day. However this feature is still hosted by the ladies of The Broke & The Bookish no matter when I post this.

This week’s topic was The Top Ten Books That Will Make You Cry. This post was both easy and hard for me as I cry a lot when I’m reading. So I may or may not be able to keep it to ten books. We shall see. I’ll try to keep them in order but no promises.
1.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K.Rowling.
This book destroyed me. I cried so much and so hard that I was essentially hyperventilating on the floor of my (ex) best friend’s bedroom floor. I seriously considered sending JKR my therapy bill after this one. I mean…really Jo. Why kill them. Yes I’m being vague for the few people who haven’t finished the series yet.Chapters 32 & 33 did serious emotional damage.

2.

The Program (The Program #1) by Suzanne Young
This book had me basically locked in a fetal position for pretty much the entire book. I loved it, I adored it and I repeatedly told people that it was my favorite read of 2013. I pushed this book so many times but also told people to load up on kleenex.

3.

Faking Normal by Courtney C. Stevens
It’s been no secret that I loved this book. I’ve basically told everyone what an amazingly beautiful and heartbreaking book this is. It’s beautifully written and it made me cry so much. To the point of having to catch my breath between the sobs.
4. 
If You Leave (Beautifully Broken #2)
Okay first of all Courtney Cole is a goddess. She knows how to write wonderfully real characters that people can relate to. I loved this story as I could relate so well to Madison and what she experienced as a child. I understood why her childhood experiences made her tentative about love.Watching her realize that she was not going to be her mom and that she deserved love was beautiful and it filled me with a lot of hope.
5. 
Where The Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller
Beautiful book about family and how you can overcome things. That just because you experienced things that no child should ever experience, does not mean you are “tainted” or “dirty” or unlovable. Watching Callie evolve from being fiercely loyal to her mom and suspicious of her dad and stepmom to realizing that her dad wanted only the best for her and her mom wasn’t it, was beautiful and at the same time, heart wrenching.
6.
Mockingjay (The Hunger Games #3) by Suzanne Collins
There were two parts that I cried over but they were major parts that involved major characters. I remember finishing the book and just being heartbroken at some of the things that happened. It involved killing off my favorite male character (which I STILL haven’t forgiven Suzanne for) I am not looking forward to those parts in the book.
7.
Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor
This book was more than just another one of those “cancer books” It was a book about loyalty, family and friendship. I remember vividly, finishing my e-ARC of this and just sobbing so hard I was sure I was going to puke. It was beautiful and heartbreaking and gosh just so wonderful.
8.
The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
So I cried in this book as did many MANY other people. Yet it was funny too which I didn’t expect from a “cancer book” However the last 75 or so pages, I sobbed. It was so heartbreaking and at times I couldn’t believe that this was happening. At this point, I ran out of kleenex so I had to use paper towels.
9.
Pushing The Limits (Pushing The Limits #1) by Katie McGarry
I probably could have put this one further up on the list but I had forgotten about some of the others on the list. Or maybe my brain helped me forget how much I cried over this one. Not sure. Anyway, this book was beautiful and both Noah’s and Echo’s back stories were heartbreaking and pretty much caused a flood of tears through a good chunk of the book.
10.
The Summer I Wasn’t Me by Jessica Verdi
Now this one doesn’t come out until April but I read it and loved it. I cried through a lot of it. The journey that Lexi goes through is inspiring that alone was enough to make me cry. Not to mention the crap that one of her friends’ goes through.

-Honorable Mentions-
Dare You To (Pushing The Limits #3) by Katie McGarry
I love Beth and reading her story was heartbreaking. She is so fiercely loyal to her mom which I understand because I am the same way. Yet she knows that her mom is an adult and she insists on making bad choices. My heart ached for Beth.
The Sea Of Tranquility by Katja Millay
Beautiful writing and beautiful characters. I had managed not to cry until the very end and that’s when the tears started falling. These characters were great characters and I found myself rooting for the couple but also liking Josh’s best friend.
OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu
Yet another amazing debut. Corey Ann Haydu managed to be raw and honest about OCD and the various forms it takes while giving us characters to root for, to smile with and to laugh with. OCD Love Story made me cry mostly because I know what it’s like to deal with OCD on a daily basis and Corey Ann Haydu portrayed it wonderfully. 
So there ya go. What books were on your TTT this week? Put your links in the comments and I’ll do my best to stop by.

Review: The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

Book Title: The Fault In Our Stars
Author: John Green
Release Date: January 10th, 2012
Publisher: Dutton Books
Genre: YA Contemporary
Standalone
Book Link: Goodreads

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

Disclaimer: I bought this book with my birthday money.

Review:
I have read a lot of cancer books before, but I had never read one that was both heartbreaking and hysterically funny at the same time.There were times where I was reading this book where I’d be laughing so hard I was crying and then a mere two minutes later I was crying hysterically at a heartbreaking part.

Hazel is blunt, honest and witty. All of those things I love in characters. She knows that her time is dwindling but she is trying to live whatever life she has left. She knows that her amazing parents have done everything in their power for her. Her mom has made a career out of taking care of her and her father is always there for her. Supporting her & loving her. 

She’s not a huge fan of Cancer Kid Support Group, but she goes. She goes for her parents mostly. Support group has a revolving door of attendants. Sometimes someone comes repeatedly and then they suddenly stop coming. There is only one real reason that people stop coming and that’s because they have died.

Hazel has one “normal” friend by the name of Kaitlyn, but it’s very hard to relate to Kaitlyn anymore. Kaitlyn doesn’t carry around an oxygen tank. Kaitlyn doesn’t have to be hooked up to oxygen around the clock. She has no idea of the hell that Hazel has been through. Nor would Hazel want her to know what it’s like. Hazel wouldn’t wish having shitty lungs on her worst enemy.

Never in her life, did Hazel expect to meet one-legged Augustus “Gus” Waters. Yet she does and there’s like an instant connection. I wouldn’t call this insta love. Mostly because it takes Hazel a bit longer to warm up to him than vice versa. Relating to Gus is easy for Hazel. While they don’t have the same type of cancer, Hazel still feels like she can relate to him. 

Watching them bond over a book was awesome.It was like a book within a book which I thought was really unique.Watching their relationship develop slowly was a treat. They knew that they were living on borrowed time but that didn’t mean that they had to rush the relationship.

I had cried in the first 75% of the book but that was nothing compared to the last quarter of the book. I full on ugly cried during that last 25% Did I expect something like that to happen? Yes I sort of did, but expecting it and seeing it in print was a totally different ball of wax. By the time the book was over,I had used a quarter of my brand new kleenex box.

“You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I’m grateful.” Hazel

Issac was an awesome secondary character. He was from Support Group and he went through a lot in this book. He always seemed to have something hysterically funny to say, even if the situation didn’t necessarily call for it.Despite everything he went through during this book, he was a great friend to Hazel & to Gus. 

For all the love I could give this book, I could also admit that it wasn’t perfect. There were lulls in the story that bored me for a little while. The lulls didn’t last long but they were there. The lulls are the reason that this book is getting 4 stars. I loved everything else about this book but the lulls were a bit too frequent for me to give this book a full five stars.

Stacking the Shelves #27

This feature is hosted by Tynga @ Tynga’s Reviews.
Hi everyone! 
How was your week? I hope something interesting happened this week so it wasn’t just a plain old boring week.My week had books in it like always. The books I ordered with the Amazon gift card I got for my birthday, finally came in. They had been delayed due to that nasty East Coast weather. I picked up a 4th book from Costco last Sunday
Review book wise, it was a slow week. I got the newest Jill Shalvis book from Netgalley. I’m super excited to read it. It’s not ordinarily my cup of tea but one of my bookish goals this year was to expand my horizons and read books that I wouldn’t ordinarily read. After watching the lovely Margot & Aubry of EpicReads fame on Wednesday and hearing Margot GUSH about Salvage, I just had to run and grab it off of Edelweiss.
On to the fun stuff, the books.
Bought
12th Of Never (Women’s Murder Club #12) by James Patterson

Where The Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller

Received for Review

-Netgalley-

Once In A Lifetime by Jill Shalvis

-Edelweiss-

Salvage by Alexandra Duncan


Gifted
Won

Let me know if you have read any of these books and of course what you thought of them. Of course leave me the links to your Stacking the Shelves posts and vlogs.
Weekly Blog Wrap-Up
Wednesday-Review of Me Since You by Laura Weiss
Saturday-Review of Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor

Top Ten Books I Want Santa To Bring Me

This feature is hosted by The Broke and Bookish
So my mom & grandmother had been bugging me to make a list (yes at almost 28 I am still asked for lists) So I made them and emailed them. I got the same response from both of them “Um Lexi, isn’t there something other than books, that you want?” I seriously didn’t know how to answer that. To me, the answer would have been an emphatic “NO” but I know exactly how they get and how much they like to surprise me. So I put a few non book related things on there.
There have been a lot of books that have caught my eye over the past 8 months or whatever. Even more so than normal and I can thank my fellow bibliophiles for that.So these ten books are a compilation of books that either look amazing, or bloggers have raved about it or if it’s just something that I must have in my hands RIGHT NOW!
All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill
-The premise drew me in big time and this one has been taunting me from my Amazon wishlist for weeks-
-Amazing cover. Plus the synopsis. Plus an amazing author who regularly interacts with her readers on social media-
Not A Drop To Drink by Mindy McGinnis
-I haven’t heard a whole lot about this one, but what I have heard, is all positive stuff-
-Kasie West is a goddess and I’ll read whatever she writes-
-I absolutely love the cover and that’s what’s drawn me in the most, although I have to say, the premise looks great-
-I’ve heard so much about this book. Like how it was life changing. I need this book in my life-

-If I had to pick only one of these to be sitting under my tree, it would be this one. Hands down-
Charm & Strange by Stephanie Kuehn
-I’ve heard nothing but amazing things from this one. The premise sounds amazing-
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
-My grandmother read this one and LOVED it. It’s normally not a book she’d love so I’m excited-
The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
-This book just sounds like something I’d be all over. I am really excited about this one-

I am sure a lot of you have already read most of these. Or maybe you haven’t gotten around to it yet. Anyhow, let me know if you’ve read any of these and what you think about them. Leave me the links to your TTT posts so I can come by and see what’s on your list.