Guest Blog: "Best of" Liz Reinhardt's Favorite Books

Today I welcome Liz Reinhardt, author of Double Clutch who is currently touring with Teen Book Scene.  Today at My Reading Room she is sharing about some of her favorite books, some she would find in her library.  So please welcome Liz and make sure you check out her other tour stops on the schedule.

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There are so many books I really treasure and love, so I know I’m going to make this list, then think, “Oh, man, I should have mentioned that one!” or “I can’t believe I didn’t mention this one!” So I’ll make a few “Best Of” references, and just let everyone know that there are so many that I’m missing.

Best Keep-You-Up-All-Night Don’t-Start-This-Book-If-You-Have-Somewhere-You-Need-To-Be Book:

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie Maguire

I found this book through an Amazon recommend. It had a lot of really passionate reviews. Almost everyone loved it. Some people hated it! I had to find out for myself. I stayed up until 2 AM reading it. I told my sister to get it. She texted me at 3 AM to yell at me…and thank me. We sent it to our sis-in-law, she stayed up all night. It’s a really addictive love story, and the thing I love is how passionate and rebellious it is. It breaks a lot of the unspoken ‘rules’ about how a romance should be, and it’s just fearless. This book, after I read it, made me want to publish Double Clutch, so huge thanks to Ms. Maguire!!

The Fictional Guy I Would Run Away With If He Came To Life Book

Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty is the first of five books that follow the ups and downs of Jessica Darling and her romantic interest, Marcus Flutie. Um, excuse me.

MARCUS, I LOVE YOU!!!!

Thank you. Marcus is a rebel and a brainiac. A tortured musician who loves his parents. A sexy, sexy guy who can write a poem that will knock you over! Jess and Marcus travel a long road (from 10^th grade to post college), and it’s amazing. Read these books and fall in love!

The Book That Made Me Want to Run Away and Live Somewhere Else…Right NOW!

Over in Samoa and New Zealand, Lani Wendt Young is ripping up all the YA charts with her epic book about a young girl who finds out she’s a Samoan volcano goddess. Telesa is one of those books where I felt like I moved in with the characters! It was wild, gorgeous, lush, and very, very romantic. Leila and Daniel have serious sparks, and I felt like I went on this huge, crazy journey with them.

If you love tropical destinations, paranormal craziness, romance, family stories…this one has it all!

The Book that Made Me Weep Until My Eyes Were Red and Puffy, But Was Also So Uplifting and Amazing

If you haven’t picked up Jandy Nelson’s The Sky is Everywhere, please, please do it now. Especially if you have a sister. Disclaimer: you may hate me for that last bit. I have a sister I love very much, and reading TSIE felt a little like jabbing a knife in my heart over and over. But it was also intensely beautiful. And romantic. And amazing. I can’t say enough good stuff about this book! Please check it out!

The Book That Made Me Feel Like I Was An Amazing Dancer, Even Though I Have Two Left Feet

My sister and I love to have Bring It On movie marathons where we sit on the couch and eat cheesy/buttery/chocolaty/delicious snacks and wonder how people actually have the strength and coordination to do all the jumps and twists and leaps that you see onscreen. I read Angie Stanton’s Dream Chaser, and now I know!

They work their tails off.

I admit, a book about a cheerleader/dancer sounded like it might be a little fluffy. Um, no way. Willow is a strong, determined young woman who has a nasty fall as the flyer on her cheer squad. She has this frenetic energy she needs to keep up with, and she trades her cheer career to go back to her roots; dance. I will tell you, I felt exhausted just reading about her grueling practices…but also elated when she got it all down, and the performances? Amazing! If you want to feel like you got a chance to dance/cheer/perform while still eating your delicious snacks on the couch, check this one out!

Thanks Liz - I have some of these books, but now I know I need to get reading them!

About Double Clutch:
What happens when you fall in love with the perfect guy...twice...in one day?

Brenna Blixen spent her freshman year homeschooling in Denmark; now that she's back in the States, she's determined to make her sophomore year unforgettable. And by unforgettable, she imagined awesome classes, fun friendships, and maybe a little romance.

What she got was a whole lot of romance, and all at once.

The same day that dark, brooding Saxon Maclean charmed her with his killer good looks and whip-smart wit, Jake Kelly stole her breath away with his heart-wrenching smile and intelligent, thoughtful focus.

But Saxon is a proud player who makes it clear that he doesn't know why he can't get Brenna off of his mind and out of his system, and Jake's sweet and humble attitude hides a secret past life that might be more darker and more complex than Brenna's willing to handle.

Complicating the matter is the fact that Saxon and Jake were once best friends and are now arch-enemies...and the more Brenna finds out about their connection to each other, the more intrigued and worried she becomes.

Between keeping the peace with her lovingly over-protective parents, designing t-shirts for her high school's rising punk band, keeping up her grades in both academic and technical high school, and running the track like a maniac, Brenna has enough to worry about with out juggling two guys who make her heart thud and drive her crazy all at once.

She has to make a choice. But how can she when giving her heart to one of them might mean breaking the other's?