Top Ten Tuesday: Spring is in the Air

As always, this feature is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish! 

I'm notorious for not reading the books when I include them in my posts (although I did manage 6 out of 10 from this post!), so I was very careful about my selection for this week's Top Ten Tuesday. Majority of these books are older titles, but a few are relatively new releases that I already have as part of my to-review pile.

1. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

Of course, my number one spring read is A Game of Thrones. This is technically cheating, since I already started it at the beginning of this month, but I wanted to include it since I'll be reading it all the way up till April for the read-along. I was really worried that I would find it difficult to read since it's a high fantasy novel, but I'm really surprised at its readability and the way the story just pulls you in completely once you start reading.

2. The Ward by Jordana Frankel

You guys need to know this one thing about me: I am a sucker for books that are set in New York City. And what's cooler that a post-apocalyptic sounding NYC? I'm eagerly anticipating the moment I start this book, because the combination of political intrigue and a girl with a mission just completely drew me in when I first heard about it. (Thank you Jamie for lending me this one!)

3. Froi of the Exiles/Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta

I joined in on the read-along for The Lumatere Chronicles, and finally managed to finish Finnikin of the Rock last month (and you can keep an eye out for my review!). Melina's writing is gorgeous, as it was in Jellicoe Road, and I loved immersing myself in her turns of phrase again. I'm eagerly anticipating this second installment, as I found myself very intrigued by Froi's character in the first book, and the third installment, since Charyn is a very unusual place for our heroine to come from.

4. That Time I Joined the Circus by J.J. Howard

I remember going to the circus as a little girl and being absolutely fascinated by everything (except the clowns, since they creep me out just the slightest bit). My favorites were always the acrobats and the animals (even though it was kind of sad that they were in cages). Anyway, I'm pretty excited to read this book because the main character hails from New York (which is awesome!), has a name similar to mine (which is doubly awesome!) and runs away to join the circus and find her mom (which is triply awesome!).

5. Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis

I've been meaning to read this book ever since Ginger posted about it, and I was reminded multiple times by Tara's review and Cass' review of it. But for some reason, I hesitate to read contemporary romance novels. I know it's a bit silly of me to be so nervous, but I generally have preferred historical romances to contemporary romances so this is kind of a stretch for me. It's been lounging on my Kindle (app) for months now, and I really think it's time to pick it up and see for myself how I feel about this story.

6. Towering by Alex Flinn

Of course, there had to be at least one fairytale retelling on this list! This time around, it's a retelling of Rapunzel, just like another book I talked about on the blog this year. I do trust Alex to tell a good story though, as I thoroughly enjoyed Beastly when I read it. Plus, the elements that are mentioned in the summary all add up to make a pretty good story so far - a girl who's trapped in a tower, a boy who gets shipped off to a new place and a girl who's disappeared.

7. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

I read and loved Eleanor & Park last year, considering it one of the most authentic "first love" tales I've ever encountered. I'm eager to get my hands on this book and devour it, because many of my friends have said that it's so well done and such a cute romance. I love that emails are integrated as a part of the story, and I'm almost certain to be wooed by this sweet-sounding romance.

8. Hallowed/Radiant/Boundless by Cynthia Hand

I read and loved Unearthly earlier this year, mostly because of Jamie's stellar recommendation. I devoured the first book in the series just before I attend the Teen Flights of Fancy event at Books of Wonder, where I proceeded to purchase the entire series so I could keep going until the end. For some reason, I still haven't finished out this series, but I'm certainly planning to read these two books (and the novella) this spring - so I can find out what happens to Clara, Tucker (!) and Christian.

9. Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

This book has been reviewed multiple times by so many of my trusted blogger friends, and recommended to me many times. I won this in a giveaway two years ago (yes, it's been that long!), and it's high time I get around to checking it out. Lately, I've been interested in books that feature girls in sports, even though I'm no athlete myself. I can't wait to meet Jordan and the guys on her team soon!

10. It's Not Summer Without You/We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

Last summer, I started this series and really loved the first book in it! I've been meaning to continue it since then, and even have the second one at home, but just never got around to it. Even though it's only spring and not summer quite yet, I'm thinking it may be a good idea to read this one just to get in the mood for summer days and excursions and romance. Plus, I'm dying to know what happens to Belly, Conrad and Jeremiah!