What-to-Read-Next #18

All of these books seem really good. P.S. I STILL LOVE YOU is the one that I'm looking forward to the most. P.S. I STILL LOVE YOU is the sequel TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE which was a great book. Hopefully P.S. I STILL LOVE YOU is as good as the first.  Hope you all look forward to these books as much as I am! Comment below with which of these books you're looking forward to! 

Title: The Cage (The Cage #1)

Author: Megan Shepherd

Publisher: Balzer + Bray/Harper Collins

Date: May 26^th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

When Cora Mason wakes in a desert, she doesn't know where she is or who put her there. As she explores, she finds an impossible mix of environments—tundra next to desert, farm next to jungle, and a strangely empty town cobbled together from different cultures—all watched over by eerie black windows. And she isn't alone.

Four other teenagers have also been taken: a beautiful model, a tattooed smuggler, a secretive genius, and an army brat who seems to know too much about Cora's past. None of them have a clue as to what happened, and all of them have secrets. As the unlikely group struggles for leadership, they slowly start to trust each other. But when their mysterious jailer—a handsome young guard called Cassian—appears, they realize that their captivity is more terrifying than they could ever imagine: Their captors aren't from Earth. And they have taken the five teenagers for an otherworldly zoo—where the exhibits are humans.

As a forbidden attraction develops between Cora and Cassian, she realizes that her best chance of escape might be in the arms of her own jailer—though that would mean leaving the others behind. Can Cora manage to save herself and her companions? And if so . . . what world lies beyond the walls of their cage?

Title: The Awesome

Author: Eva Darrows

Publisher: Ravenstone

Date: May 26^th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

Seventeen-year-old Maggie Cunningham is tough, smart, and sassy. She's also not like other girls her age, but then, who would be when the family business is monster hunting? Combat boots, ratty hooded sweatshirts, and hair worn short so nothing with claws can get a grip, Maggie's concerns in life slant more toward survival than fashion or boys. Which presents a problem when Maggie's mother informs Maggie that she can't get her journeyman's license for hunting until she loses her virginity.

Something about virgin blood turning vampires into pointy rage monsters. Blood and gore and insides being on the outside and all that. 

Maggie's battled ghosts and goblins and her fair share of house brownies, but finding herself a boy - fitting in with her peers - proves a much more daunting task than any monster hunt. Did you know normal girls don't stuff their bras with holy water balloons? Nor do they carry wooden stakes in their waistbands. And they care about things like "matching" and "footwear." Of course, they also can't clean a gun blindfolded, shoot a crossbow, or exorcise ghosts from a house. Which means they're lame and Maggie's not. Because Maggie's awesome. The Awesome, in fact. Just ask her. She'd be more than happy to tell you. 

After she finds herself a date.

Title: P. S. I Still Love You (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before #2)

Author: Jenny Han

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Date: May 26^th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter.

She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever.

When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?

In this charming and heartfelt sequel to the New York Times bestseller To All the Boys I've Loved Before, we see first love through the eyes of the unforgettable Lara Jean. Love is never easy, but maybe that’s part of makes it so amazing.

Title: Tiny Pretty Things

Author: Sona Charaipotra, Dhonielle Clayton

Publisher: Harper Teen

Date: May 26^th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

Gigi, Bette, and June, three top students at an exclusive Manhattan ballet school, have seen their fair share of drama. Free-spirited new girl Gigi just wants to dance—but the very act might kill her. Privileged New Yorker Bette's desire to escape the shadow of her ballet star sister brings out a dangerous edge in her. And perfectionist June needs to land a lead role this year or her controlling mother will put an end to her dancing dreams forever. When every dancer is both friend and foe, the girls will sacrifice, manipulate, and backstab to be the best of the best.

Book Review: To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han (4/5)

Title: To All the Boys I've Loved Before (To All the Boys I've Loved Before #1) 

Author: Jenny Han

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Pages: 288

Genre: Realistic Fiction, Romance, Young Adult

Rating: 4/5

Goodreads Blurb:

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

This was a chick-lit, a total light read for the beach: it was all romance. So if you like dystopian books, this might not be the book for you. Just a fair warning. But even though I like books that are dystopian or have fantasy creatures I absolutely enjoyed this book. Of course there were a few small things here and there that I didn’t like, but on the whole, this was a truly enjoyable book.

So, first with the pros of ‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before’.

One thing that I enjoyed would be the characters, more specifically Lara Jean’s character. She was absolutely adorable. The way she acted made her seem younger than her 16 years would lead you to believe – she was innocent. Lara Jean had never truly fallen in love, and now that the letters were out it was as if her soul was bared to the boys who received the letters. Reading about how she dealt with the love letters was funny – this heroine definitely wasn’t above lying to escape with her honor intact. Besides that, she was kind and smart, definitely not like a typical ditzy high school girl.

But though I liked Lara Jean, she wasn’t the best part of the story. No, it was the romance plot that truly stole the cake. It was sweet, fantastic, and extraordinarily romantic. As mentioned in the Goodreads Blurb, this was the first time Lara Jean had ever dealt with someone she liked face to face. And reading how she fell in love with one of the boys she had written a letter to was interesting, but not as interesting as it was to read about how she dealt with her newfound feelings while being in love with another boy – a boy who’s completely off limits. Talk about a serious love triangle! And the guys she’s in love with? I won’t mention any names, but though they were absolute polar opposites of each other, they shared one thing: they were both absolutely gorgeous.

And then, the final thing that was good about the book: the ending. It was fantastic. There’s that moment when the whole romance plot becomes clear to Lara Jean: she knows who she loves, she knows who she wants. This was the moment when she was supposed to do something daring and get the guy. But instead, guess what happens? A CLIFFHANGER! This was the best and worst place to put a cliffhanger. Best because this was the most strategic place to end the book to leave the reader waiting eagerly for the sequel. But it was the worst because I want, no, I need to know what happens with Lara Jean! Dealing with the awe I have with Ms. Jenny Han for planning this book out perfectly and the frustration of having to wait for the second book are two emotions that I‘m struggling to contain. Just give me the second book. I can’t wait.

Now onto the things that I didn’t really enjoy about this book. First was the language. It just seemed extremely basic. I guess, sure, chick-lit books have basic language that is easily understood, but even then, the language used in this book is incredibly simplistic. The second thing I didn’t really like about this book was that it was so short. Honestly, ‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before’ could have been easily expanded to include more of the things that Lara Jean did before she realized which boy she was in love with. I wasn’t ready for this book to end so soon.

‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before’ is the epitome of swoon-worthy books. Lara Jean’s life is about to change in a crazy way – her new life would be one she never would have expected. Read this book, a book that proves that love is where you would last look for it. If you’re searching for a light, romantic read this is definitely the book you should take a look at. And don’t miss the sequel to this book, ‘P.S. I Still Love You’ releasing May 26^th, 2015.

What-to-Read-Next #14

THE APRIL 28TH BOOK MADNESS CONTINUES! I can't wait to read THE SHATTERED COURT! This is a book that I know will be fabulous. This decision of power that Sophia must make is sure to be one that will be amazing to read about. Comment below with the books that you're looking forward to! 

Title: In a World Just Right

Author: Jen Brooks

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Date: April 28^th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

High school senior Jonathan Aubrey creates worlds at will. In Kylie-Simms-is-my-girlfriend, he’s given himself everything he doesn’t have in real life-–the track team, passing grades, and his dream girl–-until one day he confuses his worlds and almost kisses the real Kylie Simms. Now his girlfriend Kylie and the real Kylie are changing, and Jonathan must solve the mystery of his own life to save his love from a gruesome fate.

Title: Magonia

Author: Maria Dahvana Headley

Publisher: HarperCollins

Date: April 28^th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

Aza Ray is drowning in thin air. 

Since she was a baby, Aza has suffered from a mysterious lung disease that makes it ever harder for her to breathe, to speak—to live. 

So when Aza catches a glimpse of a ship in the sky, her family chalks it up to a cruel side effect of her medication. But Aza doesn’t think this is a hallucination. She can hear someone on the ship calling her name.

Only her best friend, Jason, listens. Jason, who’s always been there. Jason, for whom she might have more-than-friendly feelings. But before Aza can consider that thrilling idea, something goes terribly wrong. Aza is lost to our world—and found, by another. Magonia. 

Above the clouds, in a land of trading ships, Aza is not the weak and dying thing she was. In Magonia, she can breathe for the first time. Better, she has immense power—and as she navigates her new life, she discovers that war is coming. Magonia and Earth are on the cusp of a reckoning. And in Aza’s hands lies the fate of the whole of humanity—including the boy who loves her. Where do her loyalties lie?

Title: The Secrets of Attraction

Author: Robin Constantine

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Date: April 28^th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

Madison Parker is on fast-forward. Working toward a scholarship for a summer art program, she already has her future figured out. But when a visit from a family friend turns her life upside down, everything she thought she knew becomes blurred. All she wants is to stand still for a moment.

Jesse McMann is stuck on repeat. Reeling from a breakup that shattered his heart and his band, Jesse divides his time between working as a barista and trying to find the inspiration to write music again. All he wants to do is move forward.

The night Maddie strolls into Jesse’s coffee shop after yoga class, the last thing on his mind is hooking up, but her smile and witty comebacks are hard to ignore. The spark between them is undeniable, but once-a-week flirting is hardly the stuff of epic romance.

Kismet arrives in the unlikely form of Grayson Barrett. When Jesse discovers that Gray’s girlfriend is also Maddie’s best friend, he invites Gray to join his band as their new drummer, hoping this connection will give him more time around Maddie. Slowly but surely, Jesse and Maddie forge a friendship, but do they have what it takes to make their relationship truly sync?

Title: The Secrets We Keep

Author: Trisha Leaver

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Date: April 28^th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

Ella and Maddy Lawton are identical twins. Ella has spent her high school years living in popular Maddy's shadows, but she has never been envious of Maddy. In fact, she's chosen the quiet, safe confines of her sketchbook over the constant battle for attention that has defined Maddy's world.

When—after a heated argument—Maddy and Ella get into a tragic accident that leaves her sister dead, Ella wakes up in the hospital surrounded by loved ones who believe she is Maddy. Feeling responsible for Maddy's death and everyone's grief, Ella makes a split-second decision to pretend to be Maddy. Soon, Ella realizes that Maddy's life was full of secrets. Caught in a web of lies, Ella is faced with two options—confess her deception or live her sister's life.

Title: The Shattered Court (A Novel of the Four Arts #1)

Author: M. J. Scott

Publisher: Penguin USA – Roc

Date: April 28^th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

Entangled in a court ruled by tradition and intrigue, a young witch must come to terms with newfound power and desire—and a choice between loyalty and survival.…

The royal witches of Anglion have bowed to tradition for centuries. If a woman of royal blood manifests powers, she is immediately bound by rites of marriage. She will serve her lord by practicing the tamer magics of the earth—ensuring good harvests and predicting the weather. Any magic more dangerous is forbidden.

Lady Sophia Kendall, thirty-second in line to the throne, is only days away from finding out if she will be blessed—or perhaps cursed—with magic. When a vicious attack by Anglion’s ancient enemies leaves the kingdom in chaos, Sophia is forced to flee the court. Her protector by happenstance is Lieutenant Cameron Mackenzie, a member of the royal guard, raised all his life to be fiercely loyal to the Crown.

Then Sophia’s powers manifest stronger than she ever imagined they would, and Cameron and she are inextricably linked in the process. As a witch unbound by marriage rites, Sophia is not only a threat to the established order of her country, but is also a weapon for those who seek to destroy it. Faced with old secrets and new truths, she must decide if she will fight for her country or succumb to the delicious temptation of power.…

5 Books to Look Forward to (February 2015)

Here are a few of the books I'm looking forward to in February. Enjoy!


Title: Beneath the Forsaken City (Song of Seare #2)

Author: C. E. Laureano
Publisher: NavPress

Date: February 1^st, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

Conor and Aine have barely escaped Seare with their lives. Conor knows he must return to find the harp that could end the Red Druid’s reign of terror, but in the midst of their escape, he and Aine are torn apart once more. Surrounded by despair and thrown into as much danger as they left behind, Conor and Aine must cling to the whispers of Comdiu’s plans for them and the homeland that depends on their survival. But at what cost? Will they learn to depend on Comdiu completely? Or will they give up hope?

Title: City of Savages

Author: Lee Kelly
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Date: February 3^rd, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

It’s been nearly two decades since the Red Allies first attacked New York, and Manhattan is now a prisoner-of-war camp, ruled by Warden Rolladin and her brutal, impulsive warlords. For 17-year-old Skyler Miller, Manhattan is a cage that keeps her from the world beyond the city’s borders. But for Sky’s 16-year-old sister, Phee, the P.O.W. camp is a dangerous playground of possibility, and the only home she’d ever want.

When Sky and Phee discover their mom’s hidden journal from the outbreak of the war, they both realize there’s more to Manhattan—and their mother—than either of them had ever imagined. And after a group of strangers arrives at the annual P.O.W. census, the girls begin to uncover the island’s long-kept secrets. The strangers hail from England, a country supposedly destroyed by the Red Allies, and Rolladin’s lies about Manhattan’s captivity begin to unravel.

Hungry for the truth, the sisters set a series of events in motion that ends in the death of one of Rolladin’s guards. Now they’re outlaws, forced to join the strange Englishmen on an escape mission through Manhattan. Their flight takes them into subways haunted by cannibals, into the arms of a sadistic cult in the city’s Meatpacking District, and, through the pages of their mom’s old journal, into the island’s dark and shocking past. Sky and Phee are dependent on each other, and their ragged posse, for survival, but as their feelings grow toward the handsome English boy Ryder, love and jealousy threaten to break them apart.

While primarily a thriller, City of Savages is also a story about the many meanings of sisterhood, told across two generations of New York women—those who survived a terrible tragedy, and those who were raised to live in its aftermath.

Title: Invaded

Author: Melissa Landers
Publisher: Disney Book Group

Date: February 3^rd, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

The romantic sequel to Alienated takes long-distance relationships to a new level as Cara and Aelyx long for each other from opposite ends of the universe...until a threat to both their worlds reunites them. 

Cara always knew life on planet L’eihr would be an adjustment. With Aelyx, her L’eihr boyfriend, back on Earth, working to mend the broken alliance between their two planets, Cara is left to fend for herself at a new school, surrounded by hostile alien clones. Even the weird dorm pet hates her.

Things look up when Cara is appointed as human representative to a panel preparing for a human colony on L’eihr. A society melding their two cultures is a place where Cara and Aelyx could one day make a life together. But with L’eihr leaders balking at granting even the most basic freedoms, Cara begins to wonder if she could ever be happy on this planet, even with Aelyx by her side.

Meanwhile, on Earth, Aelyx, finds himself thrown into a full-scale PR campaign to improve human-L’eihr relations. Humans don’t know that their very survival depends on this alliance: only Aelyx’s people have the technology to fix the deadly contamination in the global water supply that human governments are hiding. Yet despite their upper hand, the leaders of his world suddenly seem desperate to get humans on their side, and hardly bat an eye at extremists’ multiple attempts on Aelyx’s life.

The Way clearly needs humans’ help . . . but with what? And what will they ask for in return?

Title: The Glass Arrow

Author: Kristen Simmons
Publisher: Tor Teen

Date: February 10^th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

In a world where females are scarce and are hunted, then bought and sold at market for their breeding rights, 15-year old Aya has learned how to hide. With a ragtag bunch of other women and girls, she has successfully avoided capture and eked out a nomadic but free existence in the mountains. But when Aya’s luck runs out and she’s caught by a group of businessmen on a hunting expedition, fighting to survive takes on a whole new meaning

Title: The Last Time We Say Goodbye

Author: Cynthia Hand
Publisher: HarperTeen

Date: February 10^th, 2015

Goodreads Blurb:

There's death all around us.
We just don't pay attention.
Until we do.

The last time Lex was happy, it was before. When she had a family that was whole. A boyfriend she loved. Friends who didn't look at her like she might break down at any moment.

Now she's just the girl whose brother killed himself. And it feels like that's all she'll ever be.

As Lex starts to put her life back together, she tries to block out what happened the night Tyler died. But there's a secret she hasn't told anyone-a text Tyler sent, that could have changed everything.

Lex's brother is gone. But Lex is about to discover that a ghost doesn't have to be real to keep you from moving on.

From New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand, The Last Time We Say Goodbye is a gorgeous and heart-wrenching story of love, loss, and letting go