Top Ten Tuesday: Books I had to buy BUT still haven't read

We all have those impulse-buy moments and have been guilty of hoarding books like it's the end of the world or something and to be honest, I am one of those.  This weeks' TTT is something close to my heart as I am a notorious impulse-buyer and some of the books end up gathering digital dust in my Nook.

Here are my top 10:

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

The series was on sale the week of the movie release for $2.99 and I went ahead and bought the first book.  But naturally, I haven't read it yet.

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

I finished reading and reviewed Cinder and because I hated the cliffhanger ending so I impulse bought (I really hate it when this happens) the second book Scarlet.  I read like a coule of pages but then stopped.  This is still waiting to be completely read.

The Bride Wore Pearls by Liz Carlyle

This had a really interesting blurb and I love anything by Liz Carlyle.  This is still on my currently reading list and I have read a few pages of this.

Princess in Love by Julianne MacLean

Who doesn't love stories about princesses?  I automatically bought this book since Julianne is one of my auto-buy authors but as usual, this book has been sitting in my Nook gathering digital dust.

Unmasked by Colette Gale

This is an erotic version of The Phantom of the Opera and when I read the blurb I was intrigued and I had to buy it.  I mean, who doesn't want to read about an erotic version of The Phantom especially if the hero we are talking about is the Phantom?  Sadly, it has been gathering dust in my Nook.  Hopefully, I will be able to get to this soon.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Yup, I succumed and bought this book on a whim but haven't even read it yet.  Seen the movie but haven't read it.  I know, I suck.

A Long Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

A YA retelling of Sleeping Beauty with a Sci-Fi/Futuristic twist to it.  I bought this on a whim when I read a review on one of the blogs while on a Top Ten Tuesday hop (I knew this meme was important! LOL).  I am still aching to read this but unfortunately, I still have others on my TBR pile and I have been reading and reviewing a good deal of YA lately so...

Undone by Lila DiPasqua

I pre-ordered this ebook once it was available and I still haven't read it.  This is an erotic retelling of the famour Rapunzel fairy-tale set in France.  I thought this was interesting but had been bumped down my TBR list for a year now.

Seven Nights in a Rogue's Bed by Anna Campbell

I love Miss Campbell and I loved the blurb so much that I just had to click buy!  Unfortunatelt, I just haven't gotten around to reading the book yet.

To Marry an Heiress by Lorraine Heath

I have been reading Miss Heath's back list and this one ended up getting pushed down the TBR pile.  I bought this when I was on a Lorraine Heath reading marathon and finished 4 books in a week last year.  This one was the 5th that I bought.

Do you have a book that you just had to buy but is still sitting in your physical or virtual shelf?  Share your links and comment below!

Top Ten Tuesday: The Spring 2013 TBR List

It's Tuesday again and today's list will be my TBR Spring list.  Hopefully I will be able to knock each of these books down once some of them are available.

       
What's on your list?

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Characters

It's another week again and here's my newest top 10!  Top 10 Tuesday is hosted by The Broke & Bookish.  Here's my top 10 in no particular order.

I decided to divide them between my childhood faves and adult faves. Without these childhood faves, I'm sure I would never have been seduced into the wonderful world of reading.

Ronald Weasley (Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling)

Who doesn't love Harry's sidekick?  This carrot top is way better than Harry ever was.  Well, IMHO anyway.  Harry is okay but Ron is the one that really captured my interest.  I love how true to himself he is; when he was jealous of his more popular friend, when he deserted them but still wanted to come back, by befriending Harry and including him in his family... the list goes on!

Sarah Crewe (A Little Princess by Francis Hodgson Burnett)

We all now her.  The iconic Cinderella like story without the romance.  Sarah in Miss Minchin's Boarding School is one of my favorites.  I cried and empathized with her and watched her grow (watching through reading, is that possible?) from a rich girl to someone who overcame struggles that life brought to her, with her being a child herself.

Elizabeth Wakefield (Sweet Valley Series by Francine Pascal)

My favorite twins!  I immediately identified with Elizabeth Wakefield.  From bookworm, writer, to not being popular in school, I felt that I was like her!  Sweet Valley Kids was also the first series that I was hooked on.  I remember saving my lunch money just so I can buy a Sweet Valley book once a week.

Nancy Drew (Nancy Drew Series by Carolyn Keene)

I remember borrowing my first Nancy Drew at the library.  The old, hardbound book opened my eyes to detective work.  Nancy, an iconic character seems to embody the ultimate Girl Power.

The Grinch (The Grinch that Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss)

Mr. Grinch!  Oh, Mr. Grinch!  Another popular character and villain turned hero.  I love the Grinch while growing up simply for the reason that he hates Christmas.  Possibly like Mr. Scrooge, but definitely more...uh cuddly.

Up next would be my adult picks.  I picked various characters from some of my favorite books.  I've also realized that I gravitate to a specific hero/heroine type.  I prefer independent ladies and strong alpha heroes.

Maria Martingale (Secret Desires of a Gentleman by Laura Lee Guhrke)

Secret Desires is one of the books in the Girl Bachelorette series.  I loved Maria and Phillip's story.  I thought her struggles living along and suporting herself by opening her own cafe was relatable.  Love the sparks between her and Phillip also.  Plus, she can bake.  What's not to like about that?

 

Derek Craven (Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas)

Derek is perhaps one of those anti-hero types.  He is perhaps one of my favorite Lisa Kleypas hero.  What drew me to him is that he is a strong character but gentle and caring at the same time.

 

Lady Minerva Sharpe (How to Woo a Reluctant Lady by Sabrina Jeffries)

She is an authoress and writes gothic romance and she is a strong female character.  I loved how she took charge of her destiny and did not bow down to her grandmother's dictates.  Hers and Giles' story is my fave one in the Hellions of Halstead Hall series.

 

Louis de Pointe du Lac (Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice)

Louis, Louis.  You might recall Brad Pitt as the infamous vampire and I admit that when I read the book, I always imagine Louis looking like Brad Pitt.  Movie version aside, I love Interview with the Vampire.  The simple storyline was perfect for the experience that Luois was telling.  I love how he struggled about being a vampire and hating what he had become.

 

Jamie Sullivan (A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks)

 I refuse to think of Jamie Sullivan as the Jamie Sullivan in the movie version.  This Jamie is a selfless lady and did a lot of selfless acts not shown in the movie.  Love the way the story was written was simple and definitely heart wrenching.  I cried along with Jamie and Landon.

Top Ten Favorite Romances

This is my first entry for Top 10 Tuesday and this is a topic most dear to my heart since I heart romances.  I picked a favorite book from 10 of my favorite authors.  Although this does not exhaust my list (as there are many that are a 5 star for me), these are books that I have read at least 5 times and I still shed a few tears everytime I read them.  The following are my top 10 in no particular order.

Lions & Lace by Meagan McKinney

Lions & Lace is perhaps one of the best American Historical Romance books that I've read.  Set in New York probably in the last 1800s to early 1900s, this is a story of an American socialite and an Irishman who rose from the gutter to become a successful businessman and real estate mogul.  This is a dark story with an even darker hero and a tale of family betrayal and innocence.

Wicked Delights of a Bridal Bed by Tracy Anne Warren

Wicked Delights is a book of second chances.  I loved reading about Mallory in the other Byron's of Braeburn books and really related to her when I read her story.  Still in mourning after the sudden death of her fiance, Mallory was depressed and not herself until Adam, the Earl of Gresham came and saved her from her stupor.  I loved how Adam had his second chance after having loved Mallory for so long.  The way both of them discovered love was believable and Adam's controlling behavior at one point was understandable.  Enter in Michael, the fiance, who was not dead at all, reappear into their lives was a nice twist to their HEA.

Secret Desires of a Gentleman by Laura Lee Guhrke

Secret Desires is another favorite.  Enter in a stickler for propriety Marquess and a daughter of a cook and you have an awesome love story.  Basically, this story is about marrying someone not in your social strata.  Philip, the Marquess of Kayne, has been attracted to his cook's daughter Maria Martingale since she was young.  Of crouse, he tried to hide his attraction for her and when she decided to elope with Philip's younger brother, he paid her off and never saw her again.  That is, until about 10 years (?) later when Maria opened a bakery/cafe right next to his house on Half Moon Street!  You can just imagine how hard he tried not to notice her, most especially since their balconies are pretty much attached to each other!

A Battle for Love by Cynthia Wright

A love story between two unlikely people.  Michelene Tevoulere, a French widow visiting the court of France's Francois I attracts the kings attention.  A conniving mistress sees her as a threat and so devices a scheme to marry Michelene off to some English lord.  Enter Andrew, the Earl of Sandhurst forcefully betrothed to Michelene by order of England's King Henry VIII and the earl's father, the duke.  Naturally, the young earl wants nothing of the sort and travels to France disguised as a painter to check the ugly crone out.  You may guess what happens next, he seduces and falls in love with Michelene while keeping his real identity a secret.

Somewhere I'll Find You by Lisa Kleypas

Married as children, Julia and Damon have not even laid eyes on each other.  Their marriage is kept a secret and both Julia and Damon do not want to be married to each other.  Escaping her controlling father and a marriage she does not want to acknowledge, Julia runs away and performs in the theater as Jessica Wentworth.  Damon Savage has been looking high and low for the missing Julia to legally end their "marriage."  He sets eyes on Jessica on stage and also tries to seduce her not knowing that Julia and Jessica are one.  A story about hidden identities and two stonrg willed people makes this romance another one of my favorites.

Secret Ways by Kat Martin

Have you noticed by now that I have a thing for hidden/concealed identities?  Well, this book is the very first Kat Martin book I read and I absolutely fell in love with it!  The character Vermillion (yes, I love her name) or Lee, is a courtesan's niece and is rumored to follow in her footsteps.  Enter in Captain Caleb Tanner, working undercover at the estate of Lee's aunt and masquarading as a horse trainer successfully seduces Lee.

Waking Up with the Duke by Lorraine Heath

I was pretty surprised that I loved this story.  When I read my romance, infidelities are a no-no to me but I absolutely loved this one!  Lady Jayne Seymour falls in love with her husband's cousin.  This cousin, Ransom Seymour, is the cause of an injury/paralysis that renders Jayne's husband sterile.  I loved how this was written in a way that does not cheapen the sanctity of marriage.  Of course, Jayne's husband dies in the end due to a complication of a disease plus he also had infidelities while married to her which softens the blow for me.  In the end, I was rooting for Jayne and Ransom to find their HEA.

How to Woo a Reluctant Lady by Sabrina Jeffries

This is perhaps my favorite books in the Helions of Hallstead series.  Minerva is an authoress while Giles Masters is a lawyer of some sort (gah! I forgot what that one is called).  I loved the spark between the two protagonists. Their conversations/spats drew me in and made me love their characters more.

Lessons from a Courtesan by Jenna Petersen

Ah, a marriage of convenience.  A man trying to forget his wife and a woman trying to forget the husband she barely knew.  Victoria masquerades as a courtesan to find out what happened to her friend when she meets her husband at a party!  Although I had issues with Justin's treatment of Victoria, I found that he did have a good reason for it.  I loved the plot and the reasons behind Justin's attitude.  The sex was good, too!