Gallagher Girls from a Fangirl Perspective

Sarah O., hereafter to be referred to as the Operative, has agreed to declassify a few of her personal journal entries and lists pertaining to the six book young adult series that was released to the public by known author Ally Carter. But be warned. The Operative has been known to refer to herself as a “fangirl" therefor what you are about to read should not be considered serious or pertinent to the world at large. 

Journal Entry #1 (excerpt)

…if I can’t turn back time to become a Gallagher Girl I wouldn’t mind becoming Mrs. Joe Solomon…

Journal Entry #3 (excerpt)

OMGOMGOMG! It’s so ON!!! I did not see that coming!…

Journal Entry #5 (excerpt)

…still crying. Feels! Why is it that the scenes that make me cry the most are the ones I just have to reread! So powerful. Why don’t I have the next book yet?...

Journal Entry #12 (excerpt)

…I’ve reread the 4^th and 5^th book. Then the first one, then the sixth… maybe I should just start at the beginning again…

Things The Operative has Leaned from Reading the Gallagher Girls Series

1. If James Bond ever disappears I’ll know to look for Bex.

2. Always keep your hidden passageways clean.

3. Never volunteer for Liz’s experiments.

4. There is no “Easy Translation” button for boys so just ask Macy.

Pro’s and Con’s to Reading/Owning the Gallagher Girls Books

Pro: There is a kick-ass Sisterhood

Con: The Operative didn’t get to go to school there

Pro: Getting to swoon over Zach and Mr. Solomon

Con: They have yet to receive human counterparts for extra swoonage.

Pro: You can finish a book in a day

Con: The Operative is a slow reader and it takes her the whole day

Pro: The series looks beautiful, and very nonthreatening, on the bookshelf

Con: All of the extra’s must be hidden away for lack of space on the bookshelf

Pro: The whole series is out

Con: The whole series is out 

Pro: It proves to be an excellent read/reread

Read Count

I’d Tell You I Love You But Then I’d Have to Kill You (2)

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy (2)

Don’t Judge a Girl By Her Cover (2)

Only the Good Spy Young (3)

Classified Material (1)

Out of Sight, Out of Time (5)

Double Crossed: A Spies and Thieves Story (2)

United We Spy (3)

A Gallagher Wedding (2)

Gallagher Girls is a Must Read which means... YOU MUST READ IT! It's awesome, hilarious, and has the sexiest book boyfriends EVER!!! Fangirl out!

Ally Carter's Other YA Series

Heist Society

Embassy Row

Top Ten All Time Favorite Books From the Past 3 Years

  Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

So in the last three years we've read a ton of amazing books and it's going to be hard to narrow it down to five each but we'll try our best. Here are our Top Ten All Time Favorite Books From the Past 3 Years.

Sarah's Top 5

 Gallagher Girls Series by Ally Carter

I can't begin to describe how much I love this series. It's just so fun and yet has a darkness to it (mostly in the later books) that makes it such a fascinating read. And it has the best book guys (Zach and Joe Solomon) ever!

 Still Star-Crossed by Melinda Taub

This is set right after Romeo and Juliet but you don't need to have read the play to enjoy it (I've never read it.)The language is GORGEOUS and the characters are fun to read. I read this twice last year and can't wait to read it again or, better yet, get it on my shelf!

The Kiss of Deception (The Remnant Chronicles #1) by Mary E. Pearson

I love this book! The characters, the format, the story, it all comes together to make one great novel not the mention the first book in a series! So much happened that it felt like more than one book! It's a must read.

The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy #1) by Marie Rutkoski

This book was such a surprise for me, I didn't think I'd care for it but boy was I wrong. The relationship between the two main characters was fascinating and moving and heartbreaking all at once and I completely respected them. I don't know why I don't have this on my shelf yet.

Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Yet another book I didn't think I'd like but was blown away by. I actually just read this last week but it make such a great impression on me that I had to add it to this list. It had everything I love: awesome bickering MC and her cowboy, a good sister relationship, great cast of side characters, and an amazing story and plot. I can't get over this book, I love it so much!

Christina's Top 5

 Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer
I love fairytales, fairytale retellings, and sci-fi. This book combines all of the awesomeness in one book.

 Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead
I have never fell in love with a series so quickly and passionately as I did with VA. I actually bought books 2, 3, & 5 from a used bookstore because I NEEDED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED NEXT! I read the entire series in less than a month. It has a badass heroine, evil vampires, plenty of violence and romance. I really need to reread it again.

 Out of Sight, Out of Time (Gallagher Girls #5) by Ally Carter
This is my favorite book in the series. It is so intense and emotional. I love it and I cry at all the same places when I reread it.

 The Evolution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #2) by Michelle Hodkin
This is one of the most psychologically creepy books that I have ever read. It constantly made me question what is true and what is hallucination, that is was makes it so terrifying.

 Something Strange and Deadly (Something Strange and Deadly #1) by Susan Dennard
A creepy and yet fun book with an awesome heroine and a great team of spirit-hunters.


What are some of your all-time favorite books from the last 3 years? Did any of ours make your list?

All Fall Down by Ally Carter

Title: All Fall Down (Embassy Row #1)
Author: Ally Carter (the Magnificent!)
Page #: 320
Rating: 5 Stars

A new series of global proportions -- from master of intrigue, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Ally Carter.

This exciting new series from NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Ally Carter focuses on Grace, who can best be described as a daredevil, an Army brat, and a rebel. She is also the only granddaughter of perhaps the most powerful ambassador in the world, and Grace has spent every summer of her childhood running across the roofs of Embassy Row.

Now, at age sixteen, she's come back to stay--in order to solve the mystery of her mother's death. In the process, she uncovers an international conspiracy of unsettling proportions, and must choose her friends and watch her foes carefully if she and the world are to be saved. -Summary from Goodreads

            Ally Carter strikes again (and rips my heart out)! This book was so fantastic and had so many emotions I was laughing and tearing up by page 24, and multiple times after that.

            Grace is an awesome heroine who is snarky, tough, vulnerable and determined to show people that she’s not as crazy as they think (or as she thinks). The gang at Embassy Row is also pretty awesome. They may not have chosen this life but they make the most of it and the team that formed around Grace is a force to be reckoned with. Noah is adorable and such a dork. He's Grace's source for the need-to-know of Embassy Row. Rosie is an awesome 12-year-old ninja and, I couldn’t help but think, would make a great Gallagher Girl. Megan was a surprise because she seems like your typical teenager who was Grace's playmate as a child but not a close friend. Alexei was hot, of course, and plays the big brother role in the absence of his best friend (Grace's real big brother Jamie). He does the job well but there are times later when you realize his feelings might be less brotherly after all. 

           One refreshing aspect of this book was that there was little to no romance and zero hints of any love triangles. This was Grace’s book, her mystery. Of course I’m hoping to get more romance later in the series (Ally Carter boys are the best) but for now this was how it should have been.

            The mystery surrounding the death of Grace’s mother kept the suspense high. I had no idea what was going on or who was involved. I have to admit, the scarred man intrigued me and I didn’t dislike him as much as I probably should have for Grace’s sake. Of course, we don’t get much of a close up on him but I really wanted to know more. I had no idea what to do with Ms. Chancellor (her grandfather’s second-in-command) however. I was at different time’s annoyed, suspicious, understanding, and fist bumping the air because of something she did. In the game of politics you don’t know who to trust and that is especially true with regards to her.

            I loved the world of Embassy Row. It was gorgeous and mysterious. Full of beaches, abandoned Embassies and underground tunnels. I can’t wait for the gang to have more adventures here! And after that huge twist (TEARS) and the ending (Oooo) the wait for the next book is going to be very difficult. 

              -Sarah