July Top 5

August is tomorrow! Which makes me really happy since it's my favorite month. I have some good things coming up - which includes a Mets game, another Yankees game, one of my really good friends visiting from Spain, a couple potential trips to Florida and/or Montana, and, of course, my birthday! July was insanely busy for me and quite stressful (and the blog definitely suffered this month...my post numbers are depressing) so I'm very much looking forward to leaving July behind. But first - my top five reads (or my top 4 and Jackie's favorite book this month). 

1. All the Truth That's in Me by Julie Berry

I haven't wanted to push a book on everyone I know so much since I read Princesses of Iowa (which I bought at least 6 copies of to make sure there were no excuses not to read it). This book has refreshing narrative style and the emotions it inspired surprised me. I NEED to talk about it, so if you've read it, let's discuss some things! 

2. Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols

I just love everything Echols writes. She's incredible. Bailey is totally relatable and it becomes so easy to live vicariously through her. I really loved the country music aspect in this one - I think a trip to Nashville might be in order soon! You can check out my full review here.  

3. Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller

This book is stunning. It amazes me how much meaning Trish can pack into every single word she writes. I don't know that I can point out another contemporary author who has said so little and so much at the same time. She's a fantastic writer. 

4. Infinityglass by Myra McEntire

Finally, we get to find out what happens to the Hourglass gang. Myra totally switched things up when she wrote Timepiece and I think she keeps that going in Infinityglass. It's tough to say goodbye to these characters, but this was a great end to a fabulous series. My review is here. 

5. Rebel Spring by Morgan Rhodes

Jackie says: I'm really loving where Morgan Rhodes is taking the Falling Kingdom story. The new characters are interesting and complex, as are the lot of them in this series, and some of the original charaters are changing my mind about what I want to happen and with whom ;) There was no holding back in this book from any angle, and the story is getting even more intense. I love it!

What were your top reads this month? 

Infinityglass - Myra McEntire

Synopsis: The Hourglass is a secret organization focused on the study of manipulating time, and its members — many of them teenagers -­have uncanny abilities to make time work for them in mysterious ways. Inherent in these powers is a responsibility to take great care, because altering one small moment can have devastating consequences for the past, present, and future. But some time trav­elers are not exactly honorable, and sometimes unsavory deals must be struck to maintain order.
With the Infinityglass (central to understanding and harnessing the time gene) at large, the hunt is on to find it before someone else does.
But the Hourglass has an advantage. Lily, who has the ability to locate anything lost, has determined that the Infinityglass isn't an object. It's a person. And the Hourglass must find him or her first. But where do you start searching for the very key to time when every second could be the last?

I still remember exactly where Hourglass was sitting on my desk, staring at me for days, begging me to read it. Even when it fell in my lap, I hadn't actually planned to read it, but I swear it wouldn't leave me alone until I picked it up. So I listened to it and I still vividly remember the start of the amazing journey with Hourglass and these characters I've just come to adore so completely. When Timepiece came along, I expected to love it, but Myra completely shocked and awed me when she switched up point-of-view. I gave up any expectation for Infinityglass and just let it happen. And it's an awesome addition and end to this series.

One of the great things about the Hourglass is the way that no one person is more important than another. They're all amazing and they are all family. Emerson was a dynamic beginning and Michael was so easy to fall in love with. Kaleb totally turned from 3rd wheel into a fabulous hero who has Lily, the perfect fiery heroine. And now Dune gets to come forward and he has the chance to step up and prove his place. I just love that this series is so much more than a person or a love story, its the way a group of people works together, loves together and becomes this important and strong force of nature.

Dune is great - who knew that behind the dreads and the quiet exterior he's so freaking sexy. He smolders in this book. He starts out as pretty sweet and very slowly he develops into this guy that's just on fire - which is funny to say considering his way with water. Then there's Hallie, who is a brand new character, and I must admit, a little hard to love at first. But she's definitely an interesting person and I was really curious about her. When she comes together with Dune, I think they prove the amazing power in finding the right person to be with. They compliment each other so well.

This series as a whole is just so fabulous. I'll always freak out about it and recommend it to everyone. I just love all these characters so much and I love that each one of them got their time on the page. I had the opportunity to really get to know them and now that it's over, I actually miss them. I think it's time to revisit Em and Michael in Hourglass. This series is just amazing and I can't wait to see how Myra surprises me next.

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The Giveaway
Thanks to Egmont and Media Masters Publicity, I have a finished copy of Infinityglass and an Infinityglass poster for one lucky winner! Contest ends on August 7, 2013 and is US only. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway