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My Top Ten Childhood Favorites
1. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine - Prince Char! *swoons* The movie did not do this book any justice whatsoever. This book is absolutely amazing, and still a fun story to curl up with and read.
2. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein - Wasn't this book the best? I mean, seriously. How could you not love that tree? Such a cute story.
3. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White - I've never been a fan of spiders, but I've always made an exception for Charlotte ;)
4. Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell - I loved this book so much as a kid, mostly because I was very fascinated by other cultures and I secretly really, really wanted a wolf as a pet. Despite the fact that they are, you know, dangerous. I kind of still want a wolf. Darn this book!
5. Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene - I think Nancy Drew was the beginning of my love for mysteries.
6. The Giver by Lois Lowery - This book is still a favorite of mine - very great story that's worth a read.
7. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card - It's Ender's Game. No explanation necessary.
8. Holes by Louis Sachar - Still adore this one. Such a different plot, and it has wonderful characters. Love Zero & Stanley!
9. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle - I feel so bad for not remembering what this one is about, because I read this book about a million or so times when I was young. It was my favorite book for years....it has time travel, right? *hangs head in shame* *puts on TBR list*
10. The Littlest Mermaid by Wendy Cheyette Lewison - Cartoon drawings + mermaids + jewel stickers + oceans + fun = awesomeness.
What was your favorite childhood story?
A Beautiful Dark
Jocelyn Davies
Release: September 27th, 2011
Pages: 400 (hardcover)Publisher: HarperTeenSource: Netgalley
On the night of Skye's seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites--like fire and ice--Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye's life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move--only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.
In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret....read more at Goodreads.
Mini-Thoughts: For a story that hints so heavily at something supernatural, A Beautiful Dark spends more time meandering along as a contemporary until the reveal finally takes place later in the story. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing - time is allowed to dive into Skye's character, giving readers a chance to know her and her life. Relationships between her and two mysterious boys, Devin and Asher, have time to form and grow. Despite any issues I had with the overall story, A Beautiful Dark is an undeniably addictive and overall enjoyable book to read.
Highlights: Skye is a very good narrator, and incredibly easy to connect with. She's a realistic character with friends, an actual life, and hobbies. I really enjoyed the mythology of the story as well, it was very fascinating.
Lowlights: The revelations could have came earlier, and I really disliked the cliffhanger1. Asher and Devin were, essentially, stalking Skye - and that's not attractive. Skye herself seemed a little wishy-washy at times, she changed her mind about certain things quite a bit. The plot was fairly predictable and clichéd, with only a few genuinely surprising moments.Rating: 
1 The story cuts off in the middle of the climax of the plot. The ending to this novel needed a resolution - and there was absolutely none. I was honestly shocked that it ended where it did.
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Nobles / The Book Depository
