So, Tuesday's fast becoming my favorite day here on ye olde blog.  Top Ten Tuesday—a list-y book meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish—is just too fun.  I'm loving being part of it every week.  It's been fun to read everyone's responses to the weekly question and, of course, to find even more wonderful book blogs to enjoy.  Love it, love it, love it!

Today's topic is another one about which I could go on and on and on, so be glad I'm limited to talking about only the Top Ten Books I HAD to Buy But Are Still Sitting on My Shelf Unread.  Here they are (in no particular order):

1.  A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin -- I was super excited when I found a copy of this one hidden among some random non-fiction titles at Border's final clearance sale.  Since the price was good, I snatched it up with plans to read it right away.  Um, yeah.  It's still gathering dust on my bookshelf so many months (years?) later.

2.  The Selection by Kiera Cass -- The premise of this one sounded intriguing, so I pre-ordered it from Amazon.  I did peek at the first few pages, but other than that, I haven't read a word of it.

3.  The House at Riverton by Kate Morton -- Tons of people have recommended this author and this book, specifically, to me and yet, it sits.

4.  Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick -- I really am going to read this one.  Eventually ...

5.  Everneath by Brodi Ashton -- I've been reading Brodi's blog for ages and even had dinner with her a few years ago.  I love her, I just haven't read her books yet.

6.  Possession by Elana Johnson -- Ditto with Elana.  I've met her several times and have taken some excellent writing classes from her.  I just have yet to actually read anything she's written (besides handouts and blog posts, of course).

7.  The Shining by Stephen King -- In my defense, I have read this lengthy horror novel once.  But, it was a very, very long time ago (like back when I was way too young to be reading King at all).  Last Halloween, I got a hankering for a re-read, debated between borrowing the book from the library and buying it, decided to purchase the Kindle version, then ... let it sit.  Yeah.  It's a trend with me.

8.  Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins -- I've heard nothing but good things about this one, so why does it still linger on my shelf unread?  Couldn't tell ya, but it does.

9.  The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith -- Ditto #8

10.  Paper Towns by John Green -- After reading The Fault in Our Stars, I knew I needed to read everything Green  had ever written.  Someone suggested starting with Paper Towns, so I clicked right on over to Amazon and bought myself a copy.  Have I read it yet?  I plead the Fifth.

Clearly, the problem here has nothing to do with my impulsive book-buying tendencies.  Really, it doesn't.  It truly is more of a too-many-books-too-little-time-to-read-them kind of thing.  That being said, where do you think I should start with this list?  Have you read any of them?  Which are your favorites?  And, most importantly, what's on your list?  I'd love to know!  

To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of After Hello at Deseret Book with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.

(Image from Nazarea Andrews' official website)

It's been more than 100 years since the Cataclysm, a nuclear apocalypse that leveled the world's greatest cities and annihilated all but 5% of Earth's population.  Two centuries later, most of the survivors' descendants live in protected Cities.  In Mlena, their lives are ruled by the Commission.  Under the direction of the Prince, the regime determines which couples will be bonded together, how many children—and of which sex—each union may produce, and the fates of anyone who dares to speak out against them.  Despite the restrictions, few Citizens complain.  The alternative is living Outside, where acid storms rage, dragons roar, and other genetically-altered monsters roam wild, threatening any human who steps through the Shield that keeps the City safe.  

As an Exile, Sabah is forbidden to live in Mlena.  She's an orphan, a child who was born after her mother reached Quota and thus turned out of the City—the Commission's version of population control.  Saved by the Mistress, Sabah now lives in the Manor with other Gutterlings.  The large home sits within sight of Mlena, but is shrouded in the mists that pour off the nearby waterfalls.  Once the mighty falls lured millions of visitors to its edges; now, it hides the starrbriar, a powerful flower which the Mistress collects with desperate fervor.  Braving the treacherous falls to gather the plants can only be done by the smallest children, a task the Mistress is not afraid to assign them.  If they perish in the pursuit, there are always more being left outside Mlena's Shield.  

Sabah, the oldest of the Manor children and the caretaker of the others, can't stand the savage ritual, especially when the Mistress refuses to explain why the starrbriars must be gathered.  She's tired of the secrets.  Tired of her futile existence.  When a ban-wolf begins stalking her, Sabah doesn't feel fear, but curiosity.  The beasts are supposed to be ferocious and yet, this one seems almost human.  The more she gets to know Arjun, the more she wonders:  What is the Mistress hiding?  What does Sabah really know about the dangerous world in which she lives?  Who are the true monsters?  And where does she belong—with a woman who sacrifices kids to get what she wants, to the man who helps her, or to the beast that could kill them all?  

I don't accept many self-published novels for review because, in general, I find them to be poorly written, full of editing issues and just really not worth my time.  Occasionally, though, an intriguing premise catches my attention.  Even more rarely, the quality of the writing convinces me to give the book a try.  Such is the case with Edge of the Falls, a dark, dystopian re-telling of Beauty and the Beast by Nazarea Andrews.  Although I didn't love, love, love the book, I can say one thing for sure and certain—this girl can write.  She knows how to create a vivid, atmospheric world that comes alive in the reader's imagination.  Did everything about the place make sense? No.  Still, I found it interesting enough to keep reading.  My enthusiasm started to wane a little with the insta-love between Arjun and Sabah, the bizarre love triangle (square?), not to mention all the dystopian clichés that started cropping up toward the middle of the book.  The story starts out with some original ideas, but it quickly becomes more of the same ole, same ole.  Usually, I care more about characters than plot anyway—this cast, though, really didn't do much for me.  They were all pretty flat and I didn't get why all the males fell so head-over-heels for Sabah, who's moody, fickle and doesn't actually do much to solve her own problems.  

So, in the end, Andrews' way with words impressed me as well as her ability to keep me engaged in Edge of the Falls, even though I wanted a lot more from the story.  Overall, I have to say I'm glad I took a chance on this self-published diamond-in-the-rough—I just would have liked more diamond, less rough.  

(Readalikes:  Reminded me a lot of Under the Never Sky and Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi)

Grade:  C+

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  PG-13 for language (no F-bombs), violence and mild sexual content

To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-ARC of Edge of the Falls from Nazarea Andrews.  Thank you!