Top Ten Tuesday: Books for People Who Like Sarah Dessen

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted at The Broke and the Bookish. Each Tuesday there is a different Top Ten topic to join in on, and you can see past and future topics on their features page. This week's topic is: Books For People Who Liked X Author. For this topic I chose Sarah Dessen, because in high school she was one of the first author's that I really latched onto and enjoyed basically everything she's ever written. So these books are for fans of Dessen who are looking for something new to read.


Top Ten Books for People Who Like Sarah Dessen:


If you liked these books:

Then you will like these books:

The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti

Just Like That by Marsha Qualey

Moonglass by Jessi Kirby

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott

Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers

For Keeps by Natasha Friend

The Key to the Golden Firebird by Maureen Johnson

Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti

Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler

Rules of the Road - Joan Bauer - 1998

Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer


Published: Speak (Penguin ) - 1998
Age Group: Young Adult
Date Read: June 30, 2012
4 of 5 Stars: Full of humor, fun, and strength

Reason for Reading: I had read one of Bauer's other books, and my mother had actually picked this up from the library, so I read it while visiting my parents.

On GoodReads: Jenna Boller is too tall for a sophomore and she's not much good in school. Her sister Faith got all the looks in the family, but boy, can Jenna sell shoes! She's supremely happy at her after-school job at Gladstone's, where the big white sign over the door says "We're Not Just Selling Shoes, We're Selling Quality." When elderly Mrs. Madeline Gladstone, the crusty president of the company, chooses Jenna as her driver on a business trip to visit other Gladstone's stores, Jenna goes reluctantly--with trepidation at driving the huge Cadillac, and at the prospect of leaving her alcoholic father behind. But on the road, Jenna learns "great road truths" such as "Never eat at a place called Mom's, because it's a safe bet Mom's been dead for years." She also proves to be indispensable (possessing an eagle eye for shoddy quality and sloppy service), and soon learns to admire and love the irascible Mrs. Gladstone as well as her old friend, "World's Best Shoe Salesman" Harry Bender. When Harry dies suddenly, Jenna realizes that she wishes he had been her father. Trouble looms in the form of a company takeover by Mrs. Gladstone's sleazy son, Elden, "Shoe Rodent," but Jenna summons courage from Harry's memory and saves the day for quality shoes. 


My Thoughts: This book was so funny at times, and so touching and heartfelt at others. It was very tame compared to many more recently written YA books, but it worked well. I liked seeing Jenna find her strength and confidence over the Summer she worked for Mrs. Gladstone. Bauer seems to always write good, strong female characters that have some type of work-force talent, which I find really enjoyable. Jenna's struggle with her father's alcoholism is very realistic, though a bit cheesy at times, and her final confrontation with him shows how much she has grown and changed over the course of the book. The side characters were also wonderfully written and unique. Bonus: Road trip.

Recommended To: If you liked Joan Bauer's Hope Was Here, or if you like road trip novels, like Morgan Matson's Amy & Roger's Epic Detour or Maureen Johnson's 13 Little Blue Envelopes.

Quote From The Book: "The car was pointed away from the garage door, which meant that to get the car out, I would have to back it up. I was a C-minus backer-upper.
"A Cadillac, Floyd always said, is entirely trustworthy. It has been tested in any and all conditions and will perform to the utmost to protect its driver."
Was this a car or a Seeing Eye dog?" (p. 27)

Books Read This Year: 53 of 100

Currently Reading: The Night She Disappeared by April Henry

The Name of the Star - Maureen Johnson - 2011

The Name of the Star (Shades of London #1) by Maureen Johnson

Published: 2011 - Putnam Juvenile

Age Group: Young Adult

Date Read: October 27, 2011

5 out of 5 Stars: Loved it

Reason for Reading: I have been a fan of Maureen Johnson since I read The Bermudez Triangle a few years ago, and then proceeded to read every book she's written. I highly recommend Devilish as a fun read.

On GoodReads: "The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.

Soon "Rippermania" takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities."

My Thoughts: I wasn't quite sure I was going to like this book as much as Johnson's other books, mostly because I tend to dislike books with ghosts. However, this book also has Jack the Ripper, and I really like serial killer, creepy books. So this worked out really well for me. This book was super creepy, in the best way possible, and I could not stop reading. I just wanted to find out how it was going to all go down.

Johnson's writing is intelligent and funny, and her characters always remind me of real people. Rory was such a fun protagonist, this Southern girl transplanted to a London boarding school. She was was witty and smart and Johnson had me laughing out loud one minute and then gripping the book with anticipation the next. There is nothing like a good boarding school setting for a thriller, and this was done fantastically.

Maureen Johnson just announced the second title in the series will be The Madness Underneath.

Recommended To: Fans of the supernatural genre, Maureen Johnson fans, those in the mood for a good, creepy Halloween read.

Quote From The Book: "I was terrified for a few minutes that they would all be like this, but reassured myself that it probably took a certain type to become head girl. I decided to deflect her attitude by giving a long, Southern answer. I come from people who know how to draw things out. Annoy a Southerner, and we will drain away the moments of your life with our slow, detailed replies until you are nothing but a husk of your former self and that much closer to death." (page 23-24)

Books Read This Year: 87 of 100

Currently Reading: The Iron Knight (Iron Fey #4) by Julie Kagawa

What's On My Bookshelves?

Just a post to talk about what I'm reading for my next reviews, and what I'm excited to read next.

Currently Reading:

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins -- "Budding

designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door." (from GoodReads)

Blood Red Road by Moira Young -- "Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has

long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when a monster sandstorm arrives, along with four cloaked horsemen, Saba's world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on an epic quest to get him back.

Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the world outside of desolate Silverlake, Saba is lost without Lugh to guide her. So perhaps the most surprising thing of all is what Saba learns about herself: she's a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. And she has the power to take down a corrupt society from the inside. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization." (from GoodReads)

Next On My List:

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Every You, Every Me by David Levithan

As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott

The Fox Inheritance by Mary E Pearson

Eager to ReRead:

Mistwood by Leah Cypress

Fire by Kristin Cashore

Girl, Stolen by April Henry

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Catching Up, Part Four: Dessen, Johnson, Matson

In part four of Catching Up we have What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen, The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson, and Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson. I adored all three of these books, they were each filled with fun, humor, adventure and a lot of friendship. Pick any of these up if you are looking for a really good, satisfying read.

What Happened to Goodbye - Sarah Dessen

2o11 - Penguin

Read: May 13, 2011

Review: I really loved McLean as a character. I loved her confusion and identity problems. There wasn't an excess of drama in this story, but there was enough conflict to keep my interest, and I loved all of the fun parts with McLean's new friends. Dessen has been a favorite author of mine for a long time, and I love that she can write such wonderful characters and situations without having to rely on high emotions or melodrama. I think this book could definitely benefit teen readers as they may be trying to figure out who they really are themselves.

The Last Little Blue Envelope - Maureen Johnson

2o11 - Harper Teen

Read: May 21, 2011

Review: Maureen Johnson is just so fun to read. And follow on twitter. I went to an author event that she was doing recently for this book, and she is just as funny and random in person, which really made her written humor feel genuine. Ginny has always been a little iffy for me as a protagonist, and at times in this sequel to 13 Little Blue Envelopes I felt like she was just letting things happen to her without really sticking up for herself. I really liked Oliver and feel like Johnson wrote him so well, and he kept making me laugh, especially when he could recite the letters by heart. I love this type of story, a lot of fun adventure, exploring new places and people, all while on a mission. I look forward to many more books from Maureen Johnson.

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour - Morgan Matson

2010 - Simon & Schuster

Read: May 25, 2011

Review: I love, love, love road trip books. Now that I have been on a few road trips myself, these types of books bring back such good memories and get me wanting to go another road trip asap. Amy was such a great portrayal of a girl feeling guilty after her father dies. She refuses to talk about it, or anything of emotional substance really, for a very long time, but slowly opens up to Roger as they became friends and journey across the country. Even though it was cheesey, I really liked the addition of their playlists as they went through each state. A lot of the story was predictable, but I didn't mind, because I really was rooting for Amy and Roger and was so pleased with the ending of the book.

To learn more or purchase these titles:

What Happened to Goodbye

The Last Little Blue Envelope

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour

Zombies vs. Unicorns - Holly Black & Justine Larbalestier - 2010

Title: Zombies vs. Unicorns

Author: Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (editors)

Year: 2010

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Date Read: 1-27-2011

Overall: Since this is an anthology, I cannot rate it as whole, because there were some stories I loved and some I was not a fan of.

GoodReads Blurb: It's a question as old as time itself: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn? In this anthology, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (unicorn and zombie, respectively), strong arguments are made for both sides in the form of short stories. Half of the stories portray the strengths—for good and evil—of unicorns and half show the good (and really, really bad-ass) side of zombies. Contributors include many bestselling teen authors, including Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Maureen Johnson, Meg Cabot, Scott Westerfeld, and Margo Lanagan. This anthology will have everyone asking: Team Zombie or Team Unicorn?

My Review (aka, Stories I Really Liked): Since this was a compilation of stories, there were some that I really enjoyed, and some that I found hard to get into. Since this is a really fun compilation, I am just going to list a few highlights.

Zombie Stories I Really Enjoyed:

Love Will Tear Us Apart by Alaya Dawn Johnson - What if a zombie fell in love?

Bougainvillea by Carrie Ryan - I liked the seriousness of this one, it was really convincing

The Children of the Revolution by Maureen Johnson - The creepy zombie babies were just awesome, and everyone should follow Maureen on twitter

Unicorn Stories I Really Enjoyed:

Purity Test by Naomi Novik - I'm not really sure why, but this story cracked me up

The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn by Diana Peterfreund - I loved this story, it amused me to no end

Princess Prettypants by Meg Cabot - I loved the kick-butt rainbow-farting unicorn!

My Team: Unicorn!

I definitely recommend this anthology. It's just so fun, and there are so many different views on zombies and unicorns. There were quite a few authors I had never heard of, and it was great to get read new writing styles. I know a lot of people are team zombie, but I just love that unicorns can be so bad@$$ and so kind and awesome all at the same time.

To Buy: Amazon

Currently Reading: XVI by Julia Karr

Books Read in 2011: 10

I lied.

Yes, I lied. I said I would write multiple times a week, and then I didn't write for months. My bad.
I've decided to take a new approach, and just write when I want to. Though I will still be writing about books.
Right now I am reading The Lord of the Rings books, and I am only about 50 pages into The Fellowship of the Ring. So far I like it a lot, and I like that I can hear the characters' voices in my head thanks to the movies. Before I started it, I reread The Hobbit. It was a little harder for me to get into this time, but after I made myself accept that Bilbo is just an extraordinarily lucky little man, it got easier. My boyfriend is excited that I am reading the LOTR books so that I can tell him all the differences between the books and the movies. I don't know why he doesn't just read them himself, but it may be because he'd rather being playing LOTROnline. Who knows?
I am also rereading The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger, mostly for the Vlogbrothers/nerd fighters blurbing book club. I liked the book the first time I read it, but I think I was 15 and that most of the meaning of the book escaped my grasp.
And since I can't just read two books at a time, I also just started The Chronicles of Narnia. I like it so far, though my mom said she couldn't get past the first book (The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe) because of the religious undertones. And I know they're there, but since I lack quite a lot of religious knowledge I think I will be able to try and ignore it, or else learn from it. We'll see.
I am probably reading other books too.
I just read a whole slew of YA fiction, including the Uglies series by Scott Westerfield and some books a friend recommended. I didn't much care for the books she suggested, which is unusual since I love YA fiction more than any other genre. The Uglies series was alright, I didn't like the writing style but I liked the story. I also read The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson and I definitely liked that. A Little Friendly Advice by Siobhan Vivian was good too, although I kept wanting the main character to just stick up for herself already!
After (or during) the LOTR and Narnia series I will be moving on to Maureen Johnson's Girl at Sea, E. Lockhart's The Boyfriend List, and Rachel Cohn and David Levithan's Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.
It will be a busy summer of reading for me. Besides those books (which I just bought yesterday) I already have a list of 50 or so books that I own and haven't read yet. My plan is to read them all before 2009, but I don't know how that will work out.
I'll keep you posted. (Or will I?).
In other news, I've easily become roped in by the first episode of The Secret Life of American Teenagers on ABC Family. It's sort of like Degrassi, only less Canadian (not that Canadian is necessarily bad).
Also, can I just say that it would be amazing if the vlogbrothers could go on tour and come to the Boston/Massachusetts area? Hopefully their "Tour de nerd fighting" will make it here!
Also, I graduated! Hooray Me!!!