Top Ten Tuesday: Favorites I've Blogged About

Top Ten Tuesday is the brain child of The Broke and Bookish where topics are given each week and participants write up their own top ten list in regards to said-topic. This week's topic is: Top Ten Favorite Books You've Read During The Lifespan Of Your Blog.

This list was incredibly hard for me to write. I've found so many favorites since I've started blogging and been introduced to so many new genres, authors and series. Blogging has been amazing for my reading habits.

(1) Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor - I'm sure you guys are tired of hearing about me and this book. I just LOVE LOVE LOVE it. DoSaB was my hands down favorite read of 2011. And another book I would never have come across if I hadn't started blogging. SO THANKFUL.

(2) Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - I think this was my first taste of the blogging community being united in fangirling. Anna was everywhere and everyone was raving about it. Being that I'm not much of a contemporary girl [aside from a love affair with all of Sarah Dessen's works] I hesitantly grabbed this one at the library and fell in love with a brand new contemporary author. Anna is quite possibly the sweetest young adult romance out there.

(3) Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken - I'm a fantasy girl through and through. Its hands down my favorite genre. I'm ashamed to admit I hadn't heard of this book until I started blogging. I won this from a giveaway [I know, I know, luckiest girl EVER] and was eager to start it. Gorgeous cover and fantasy to boot. And loved it. Hands down one of my favorites and most often recommended fantasy novel. Just an amazing read and sitting on my favorites shelf [fantasy edition] now. Great cast, great world and just plain AMAZING.

(4) Boy 21 by Matthew Quick - If I hadn't won a giveaway for this particular book, being a "sport" and "boy" novel I probably never would have picked it up and I would have really missed out because it is so much more than that.

(5) Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin - Have you noticed a trend with the whole winning giveaways and not having known a thing about a book aside from the glorious bloggers? This one belongs in those categories too. All I knew about it was Edgar Allan Poe and that was more than enough to land it on my wishlist. And now I've rec'd it to all sorts of people including a couple of my favorite professors. AND it has inspired me to read more Edgar Allan Poe. Win, win, win.

(6) Wildefire by Karsten Knight - I think this particular novel really proved to me the importance of bloggers. I knew nothing of it until I stumbled on to the ramblings of Rachel @ Fiktshun. Her enthusiasm for this novel just shone through all of her posts and I had to read it and I have her to thank for my particular copy of the novel.

(7) Defiance by C.J. Redwine - Another book I would have known nothing about if it weren't for blogging. I was able to read this amazing novel early because of a blog tour arranged by a particular awesome blogging buddy of mine whose enthusiasm for books simply can't be beat. Alli @ Magnet 4 Books Reviews has a knack for getting me pumped out books I've never heard of or have but would never in a million years have dreamed of trying. And I'm so glad she won me over on this one. AMAZING read. :]

(8) The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting - [The entire series really.] That Alli girl? My blogging twin? Blame her for this one too. I am easily frightened. A scaredy cat. I would never in a million years have gone near this book. But she pushed, and pushed, and pushed some more until I finally picked it up at the library. And loved it. And devoured the next two books.

(9) The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson - Yet another read I never would have found if it weren't for fantabulous bloggers and their favorite books. I had seen this on a blog or two and picked it up on bargain for only a couple dollars courtesy of Amazon. SO GLAD. One of my best purchases ever. My copy of this particular novel has definitely made the rounds. And I don't even like loaning my books out very often. But I just can't resist. Everyone needs to read this. Just everyone.

(10) Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles - A few books back I mentioned I wasn't much of a contemporary reader. I had gotten this particular book as a bargain read awhile back and just let it sit on my shelf ignored until finally pushed to read it by a certain blogger. And fell in love with contemporaries. Fantasy is still where my heart lies completely but Perfect Chemistry, and its companions/sequels, were a turning point for me and since reading them more readily will pick up a contemporary novel.

So, as you guys can see blogging has done wonders for my reading habits. If it weren't for my own blogging and the blogging of others I would never have gotten so many amazing favorites on my list. I may have rambled a bit and gone slightly off topic but I just couldn't help myself. Blogging is just plain amazing and that cannot be said enough.