Book Tag: Top 10 books that have stayed with me

Eugenia from Genie in a book has tagged me for this book tag! Now I'm cheating slightly because I have increased my list to 13 and which contains 9 Aussie authors!

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak 

I have loved this book ever since I read it year 9 and again for my HSC in year 12. The way it is written just sticks with you for a long time after finishing the story.

Wildfire by Fiona Wood

I could just connect with this book on so many levels and I really want to re-read this book!

Head of the River by Pip Harry

I think the main reason this has stuck with me is because of the drugs in sport aspect and studying what I study I just understood the characters and everything that they were going through.

Steal my Sunshine by Emily Gale

I love history and this novel brings light to an aspect of Australian history which I hadn't really learnt much about before.

Losing It by Julia Lawrinson

I read this book in year 12 which is the same year that the main characters were in so I connected a lot to this book and it was also hilarious. 

Everything Left Unsaid by Jessica Davidson

I cried more in this than TFiOS (I think I became immune to the whole teenager with cancer situation) and like before I also read this in year 12, the same year which the characters were.

Gracie Faltrain Gets it right (Finally) by Cath Crowley 

From this book I finally knew what I wanted to study at university and if it wasn't for this book I may of never found the degree that I am in.

Once, Then, Now by Morris Gleitzman

Set in WWII I started this series in year 8 where I also read Hitler's Daughter by Jackie French. These books helped me learn about history and love it.

Starfish Sisters by J.C. Burke

This book dealt which real teenager issues which as fantastic and it had to do with sport as well!

Speechless by Hannah Harrington 

This book was simply amazing and so relevant with everything that was going on in the world at the time.

Gallagher Girls by Ally Carter

This series got me reading again and this is where my love for spies started and how I started comparing all book boyfriends to Zach Goode because it is Zach.

Study Series by Maria V. Synder

This book is what got me into fantasy again after HP and this series also increased my love for spies (Valek <3)

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

I loved the focus on sport in this book and how Jordan dealt with being the only female on the football team and proving that girls can do it as well as the guys.

So that is my top 10 (13) books that have stayed with me! I tag:

• Amy from The Reading Realm
• Pavan from Keep it Fictional 
• Catriona from Little Book Owl

Keely xx

What you might like if you enjoyed... #2

Hey everyone, I am back with another recommendation post and this time I am focusing on Australian YA! Now on twitter many of you might have seen #OzYaChat hosted by Shaheen @Speculatef and Mands @BookManicurist have been holding fortnightly chats about Aussie books & authors. Seeing as I have great timing of missing these chats because of uni going ons, I thought I'd share some of my favourite Australian YA authors & books!

If you liked The Fault in Our Stars by John Green you might like:

Everything Left Unsaid by Jessica Davidson. I read this before I even knew what TFiOS so I choose to read TFiOS after loving this story. Juliet and Tai are in year 12 and taking on their HSC when Tai is diagnosed with cancer and their story just goes on from there. I cried a lot during this story and I read this in 2012 when I was in the midst of doing my HSC, planning the same things that they were planning so it hit me at a time when I was going through the same things (expect my best friend didn't have cancer). It is a brilliant Aussie YA Contemporary that I do recommend for everyone!

If you liked The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak you might like:

Once trilogy by Morris Gleitzmann and Hitler's Daugher by Jackie French. Both of these I read before The Book Thief and me loving history especially WWII loved both of these middle grade/YA books. I actually read both of these for English class in year 8 and I just absolutely adored them. Both are by fantastic Aussie authors whose other books I also have enjoyed.

Now some straight up recs:

Steal my Sunshine by Emily Gale- read about how much I loved in my review here.

Wildfire by Fiona Wood- also read about how much I loved it in my review here.

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley- a lot of people have read and loved this book, I am no different. However, this wasn't my first book by Cath Crowley I loved her Gracie Faltrain series before Graffiti Moon. All her books are just fantastic Aussie YA books.

Losing It by Julia Lawrinson- is another book that I read during my HSC and also has the main characters doing her HSC and going on schoolies (see the trend here?) If you couldn't guess by the title it is about 4 friends trying to lose their virginity before they go on schoolies and it was a light & kind of hilarious read. Lawrinson has loads of other books out that I haven't read yet by this one I just loved!

I'll Tell You Mine by Pip Harry- Once again another book I read HSC year but the main character is in year 10. There is a big secret, girl at boarding school & other mysteries at part here and in general just a great Aussie YA Contemporary story.

So that is all the Aussie rec's that I have found going through my goodreads shelves and I am sure that there is many more but this procrastination from my studying for my anatomy exam and assignment that are taking place next week should stop.

So comment down below if you have read any of these books and what other Aussie book that you have to recommend!

Keely xx

Review Time! #19

Gracie Faltrain Gets it Right (Finally) by Cath Crowley

As Gracie begins Year 12 she has only one thing on her mind, and it's not schoolwork. It's not even Martin, now that he's dumped her for a third time. It's soccer: a new season, a new team, a new league. This is the big time, the state trails, and Gracie can't wait. Expect there's one small problem. She's no longer the biggest fish in the pond, and one of the other players is the cousin of her arch enemy, Annabelle Orion.

Gracie wants to get it right this year, but everything seems to be going wrong - she hardly has time to see her friends, Martin won't talk to her, and she falling even further behind at school.

Gracie needs help both on and off the field, but when it shows up, it is not from the person she expected... (from back of book)

This the final book in the Gracie trilogy and the best. Gracie, Jane and Alyce are back for their final year of school. Jane is back from England, Alyce is going out with Brett Mason and Gracie, well Gracie has a lot going on. Told from each of the girls P.O.V throughout the novel we get to see how each girl is coping with their own problems.

Gracie is failing school. At least she has soccer, Jane and Alyce. But this year Gracie is getting help from those who you'd least expect; Kally and Dan Woodbury (remember him? The one who tried to get Gracie last year and also Annabelle's ex). In this novel, Gracie finally gets it, she needs to stop with the past events and plan for the future, she starts working towards what she wants both on and off the pitch even when things start to go wrong, Gracie is still learning from the mistakes she made before.

Jane is back from England and is finally noticing Corelli, the guy who wrote her Valentines for 11 years. But Jane's GPS starts to misfire and she doesn't know what choice she should make: stay in Melbourne for Uni or go back to London and study journalism where her parents are? But like always Jane is there to keep Gracie in line and makes sure she doesn't do anything too stupid...

Alyce has moved on from Flemming to Brett, but will her old feelings for Flemming ruin her relationship? She also forgot one thing... to help people. Her dreams of doing the Young UN program may be shot after she forgot to help people. But when she finally does, the people she works with and helps may just be the people to help her find the way that she had been looking.

Overall the Gracie Faltrain series is more than just a girls dream to get into the world up, but one of friendship, loss and redemption. This final novel to an amazing series justs puts everything together with old enemies becoming no more and friendships emerging when you thought that it would be impossible.

Rate: 5/5

Keely xx