I can keep this quite short as I was in a bit of a reading slump in January.. I only read two books and yes I am ashamed.. My True Love Gave to Me - Edited by Stephanie PerkinsSYNOPSIS: Twelve holiday stories by twelve YA authors. Rating: 5/5 WOW I loved this!! I loved all of these stories, and yes I'm including the super bizarre ones. SYNOPSIS: Evie's father left her a virtual reality game to help her deal with tough times. Rating: 3/5 Eh. This was enjoyable, but the story was rushed, I didn't like the colours, and Joe Sugg didn't actually write it. Full review will be up soon. That's all.. More books in February, I hope!
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Only a month late, here is my December 2017 wrap-up! A little Christmas throwback in February- the weather here is more Christmas-y than it was at Christmas anyway! The Heir (The Selection #4)SYNOPSIS: America and Maxon's daughter holds her own Selection. Rating: 4/5 Quite enjoyable. I preferred the original trilogy as I found Eadlyn to be insufferable. The Crown (The Selection #5)SYNOPSIS: Eadlyn's Selection comes to an end. Rating: 3/5 This was about the same as book #4. The ending managed to surprise me, which I guess is good in some way, but also bad as it felt kind of rushed and deus ex machina-ish. Decked with Holly - Marni BatesSYNOPSIS: Holly ends up having to pretend to be a famous singer's girlfriend. Rating: 3/5 I don't like slut shaming, but I do like celebrity romances and Christmas, so this was a difficult one for me. Full review here. What Light - Jay AsherSYNOPSIS: Sierra falls in love with a boy with a secret while she is in California selling Christmas trees in December. Rating: 4/5 Yes!! I liked this a lot!! Once I got over how bizarre the " secret " is this was very enjoyable and cute. Also very Christmas-y! Kindred Spirits - Rainbow RowellSYNOPSIS: Elena waits in line for the Star Wars movie premiere. Rating: 3/5 Short and sweet. A good number of books for December!
SYNOPSIS: Fifteen-year-old Mick Mullins has a great life: his parents are sweet, his sister is tolerable, and his friendships are solid. But as summer descends on Queens, he prepares to turn his carefree existence upside down by disclosing a secret he has kept long enough. It’s time to work up the courage to reveal that he is not a boy, but a girl—and that her name is Michelle. Having always been the perfect, good boy, Michelle is terrified that the complicated truth will disappoint, hurt, or push away the people closest to her. She can’t continue hiding for much longer, though, because her body is turning into that of a man’s, and she is desperate to stop the development—desperate enough to consider self-medicating with hormones. Most of all, Michelle fears that Grandpa, who is in a nursing home after a near fatal stroke, won’t survive the shock if he finds out that his favorite grandchild, and the only boy, is a girl. If she kills her beloved Grandpa by leaving Mick behind, she isn’t sure embracing her real identity will be worth the loss. Rating: 4/5
[ I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through Netgalley ] First off: I'm not an authority on this topic. Second: THIS WAS GOOD. I was really afraid this would just be a sad story about how coming out as transgender made everyone turn away from Michelle, but fortunately, it was not! It was actually quite heartwarming and I wish all trans kids were received as well as this (preferably even better). Some characters reacted badly, but Nina Rossing found just the right balance, making the book both realistic and lovable. Most of the characters really have their own distinct personalities and I fell in love with not just Michelle, but with Ash, their parents and Diego. The Mullins have a really good family dynamic and I'm so happy Michelle has such a good place to come home too. Michelle is strong, unwavering and authentic. The book is narrated realistically and close to heart, making me feel really sympathetic towards her. She never gives up who she truly is and stays true to herself, which I admire a lot. The story itself truly read like a passage from her life. The work on her grandfather's house, the visits to her grandfather, the runs with her mum; everything was worked out very well and the world building was excellent. It never gets boring as you really get pulled into Michelle's life. [ slight spoiler alert ahead. I will put a note to close the spoiler. ] Michelle's grandfather's reaction is so good. He is exactly what I expect most grandparents would be like when their grandchild comes out as transgender or even as gay. [ spoilers done. ] Michelle's story is realistic, strong and lovable. I would 100% recommend this to anyone, as we could all benefit from reading up on this topic. Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/29496675-mick-michelle Amazon: www.amazon.com/Mick-Michelle-Nina-Rossing-ebook/dp/B071WZJGQ7 MaxMax is one of those older guys dating a High School girl, and if there's anything I find super gross it's this. I like to think that if they're preying on teenage girls, there's a reason girls their own age don't want them, and that's definitely the case with Max. He's a jerk. SamTrying to kick people out of an MMA club because of their gender? Feeling girls up while sparring with them? No thanks. He definitely makes it onto the naughty list for being an annoying lowkey misogynist and seemingly getting away with it in the book. Literally most of the characters in this bookWhere do I even begin... Kidnapping in the first degree, breaking and entering... I could go on but I don't want to spoil anything. The group of girls who are the main characters of this book have gotten themselves into plenty of trouble to get coal for the rest of their lives. EdwardChasing after a seventeen year old girl when you've "been seventeen for quite a while" is creepy, and keeping her around even though you are literally a threat to her life is even creepier. Edward is nothing less than a predator and he's gross. What characters did I miss? Let me know!
Are you unsure of which books to get your YA loving friends? Here are some book gift ideas! The Scifi fanThe Lorien Legacies doesn't get nearly enough recognition! This is one of my favourite series and I think it's a mustread for every YA Scifi fan. It's got aliens, epic fight scenes and an evil villain. It's a long series with a lot of characters, but if you commit to it it'll be incredible! 172 Hours on the Moon is another one of my favourites and it's not very wellknown. It's Scifi meets Horror, so make sure your lucky receiver is into that. There's aliens and life or death situations, and it's guaranteed to keep anyone on the edge of their seat. The Romance loverGirl Online is fairly wellknown, but definitely a mustread, so if your Romance fan hasn't read it yet, it's a good place to start! Then we've got Lola and the Boy Next Door, which is always in the shadow of Anna and the French Kiss but definitely just as worthy of love. Boy Meets Boy is another one of my personal favourites: a heartwarming love story in a unique setting. For the Romance reader who is up for something new and refreshing. The Horror fanI'm going to include 172 Hours on the Moon here again, because it's a solid Horror book and I want more people to read it. It's so incredible and it deserves much more love than it gets! There's Someone Inside Your House is a very recent book and a great slasher story. It's not much of a psychological horror, it's really Saw or Final Destination in book form. Very gory and descriptive, so not for the faint of heart! The Social Justice WarriorYour SJW friend has probably already read The Hate U Give, but if they haven't, this is definitely the one to go to. It's the biggest Must Read of 2017. Mick & Michelle is another new book, which I recently read and loved a lot. A good close insight into a trans* girl's life. Moxie is a nice empowering feminist story and a good one for the younger SJW (13/14), but also a fun read for the older ones. The DetectiveI'm going to mention There's Someone Inside Your House again, as it's a fun mystery too. Everyone is a suspect! Again, reader discretion advised as it is very graphic. One of Us Is Lying is a true Whodunnit. Four suspects and one victim. We hear from each of the suspects and get to make up our own mind about the mystery! Vanishing Girls keeps feeding you little bits of information, and it's fun to try and figure out how everything fits together! That's my gift guide done! If you can't decide on what kind of book your friend would like, you could always go for a safe bet and get them a Christmas book, like Let It Snow (by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Miracle), Dash & Lily's Book of Dares (by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan) or My True Love Gave to Me (Edited by Stephanie Perkins). Good luck with your Christmas shopping!!
SYNOPSIS: Taking a Christmas cruise with her two cousins from hell isn't Holly's idea of a good time. And when seasickness forces her into an open suite, she's pepper-sprayed by a gorgeous guy called Nick. But when Holly makes her exit, she's greeted by a horde of screaming teenage fans. Because Nick happens to be Dominic Wyatt, drummer for one of the hottest bands in America. Suddenly rumours are swirling and Holly's face is plastered all over the Internet. The band can't risk a scandal destroying their family-friendly image, so Dominic convinces Holly to be his fake girlfriend - just for two weeks. How bad could it be to be "fauxmantically" involved with a cute rock star? She's about to find out... Rating: 3/5
This was cute. Both main characters, Holly and Dominic, are likable, though a bit irritating at times. They both had very bad attitudes but they seemed to get better over time. Holly's story is just the right amount of sad to still be believable but to also get her sympathy. Dominic was intriguing to me and I was disappointed in the lack of background story we got on him. I suppose he was only really a love interest, but it would've still been nice. The plot is simple but hits the spot. I really enjoyed reading this and although it's pretty predictable it was fun to swoon over a cute love story, especially as it's with a rockstar, which is pretty much the ultimate fantasy. The supporting characters had a decent amount of personality to each of them, but the focus was clearly really on Holly. This lack of information does continue until the ending, where one storyline is tied up but loads are left kind of unanswered. However, this didn't bother me too much as the main storyline got a satisfactory ending. Of course I have to make a quick social justice warrior point: I was disappointed in the slut shaming in this. The first line is "I looked like a skank.", which is never a good way to start a book. Holly's cousins, two girls who appear to sleep around, are also demonised. I'm not a fan of this aspect at all, and I think we could've done with much less slut shaming. Maybe 0% of the original amount. We do get some representation and Holly makes some comments that tell us that she's not actually a conservative snob, but she has some things to learn. If this were a series, that would be a good point for character development. Lastly, this isn't a super festive read. It takes place during Christmas, but it's not mentioned much and most of the story might as well have been taking place mid March. Overall, a fun, cute love story with the ultimate guilty pleasure: celebrity dating. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a fun, mildly Christmas-y love story. Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/13188003-decked-with-holly Amazon: www.amazon.com/Decked-Holly-Marni-Bates-ebook/dp/B007XIC3N4 Do you ever pick up a book at the bookstore that looks promising, read the back, and then intend on buying it until you see that one thing. That one thing that ruins it all. That's the thing I'm going to talk about today. The Bookish things that I'm a Grinch about AKA things that make me put down a book right away. A Helpless Female MCMy biggest and #1 Pet Peeve when it comes to books is when the main character is a girl who can't do anything by herself, and needs a guy to help her with everything. Twilight is a good example of this, as every time I thought Bella might come around and pull herself together she fell back down and needed Edward to come to the rescue. GROSS. Slut ShamingDon't even come NEAR me with female main characters who think they are better than other girls because they don't sleep around or are a virgin. In Zenn Diagram the MC even slut shames her three year old sister. Stuff like that really makes me resent a character and makes it hard for me to sympathise with them overall. Drama because of MiscommunicationClearly I'm not as much of a Grinch about this one as about the previous ones, seeing as The Selection series is definitely guilty of this on multiple occasions and it's still one of my favourite series. It did have me screaming "JUST TALK ABOUT YOUR DARN FEELINGS FOR ONCE", which is never a good sign. Those are my biggest book pet peeves! What are yours? Let me know!
I just finished the last book that I needed to get done before I could start my Christmas reading, so to celebrate I will share my December Christmas TBR with you!! Dash & Lily's Book of Dares - Rachel Cohn & David LevithanSYNOPSIS: “I’ve left some clues for you. If you want them, turn the page. If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.” So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions? I absolutely adore David Levithan, and I love Christmas romances maybe even more, so combining the two is bound to be an earth shattering experience. The Twelve Days of Dash and Lily - Rachel Cohn & David LevithanSYNOPSIS: Dash and Lily have had a tough year since they first fell in love among the shelves of their favorite bookstore. Lily’s beloved grandfather suffered a heart attack, and his difficult road to recovery has taken a major toll on her typically sunny disposition. With only twelve days left until Christmas—Lily’s favorite time of the year—Dash, Lily’s brother Langston, and their closest friends must take Manhattan by storm to help Lily recapture the unique holiday magic of a glittering, snow-covered New York City in December. I went ahead and bought the sequel to Dash & Lily's Book of Dares too. That's how much I trust that David Levithan will not let me down. What Light - Jay AsherSYNOPSIS: Sierra's family runs a Christmas tree farm in Oregon—it's a bucolic setting for a girl to grow up in, except that every year, they pack up and move to California to set up their Christmas tree lot for the season. So Sierra lives two lives: her life in Oregon and her life at Christmas. And leaving one always means missing the other. Until this particular Christmas, when Sierra meets Caleb, and one life eclipses the other. By reputation, Caleb is not your perfect guy: years ago, he made an enormous mistake and has been paying for it ever since. But Sierra sees beyond Caleb's past and becomes determined to help him find forgiveness and, maybe, redemption. As disapproval, misconceptions, and suspicions swirl around them, Caleb and Sierra discover the one thing that transcends all else: true love. I saw this book in the bookstore and the cover captivated me (I have a weakness for fairy lights) so I got it! My True Love Gave to Me - Edited by Stephanie PerkinsSYNOPSIS: If you love holiday stories, holiday movies, made-for-TV-holiday specials, holiday episodes of your favorite sitcoms and, especially, if you love holiday anthologies, you’re going to fall in love with My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by twelve bestselling young adult writers, edited by international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins. Whether you enjoy celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah, Winter Solstice or New Year's there's something here for everyone. So curl up by the fireplace and get cozy. You have twelve reasons this season to stay indoors and fall in love. I love Stephanie Perkins, Rainbow Rowell, David Levithan and Gayle Forman already, but I am ready to love these other authors too and to fall in love with their Christmas stories. Decked with Holly - Marni BatesSYNOPSIS: Taking a Christmas cruise with her two cousins from hell isn't Holly's idea of a good time. And when seasickness forces her into an open suite, she's pepper-sprayed by a gorgeous guy called Nick. But when Holly makes her exit, she's greeted by a horde of screaming teenage fans. Because Nick happens to be Dominic Wyatt, drummer for one of the hottest bands in America. Suddenly rumours are swirling and Holly's face is plastered all over the Internet. The band can't risk a scandal destroying their family-friendly image, so Dominic convinces Holly to be his fake girlfriend - just for two weeks. How bad could it be to be "fauxmantically" involved with a cute rock star? She's about to find out... I saw this book on a list of "YA Christmas reads" and as it combines two of my favourite things (Christmas and celebrity dating - I seriously love Girl Online...) I HAD to have it! It was pretty hard to get my hands on it, but I got it!! That's my Christmas TBR! What are your favourite Christmas books? Let me know!
Finally, my November wrap-up is here!! Sorry it's so late, but my phone was in repairs for a while and it completely threw me off track. I'll try to pull myself together asap! There's Someone Inside Your House - Stephanie PerkinsSYNOPSIS: Makani's schoolmates in her new town suddenly start being killed in horrific ways. Rating: 5/5 This was WILD. Full review here! Me Mam, Me Dad, Me - Malcolm DuffySYNOPSIS: Danny's mam's new boyfriend is violent, and he tries his best to help her. Rating: 4/5 I really liked this! I will be posting a review of this nearer to when the book actually comes out, so look forward to that! Mick & Michelle - Nina RossingSYNOPSIS: Mick's got everything in order, except for one little thing. He's not actually Mick. He's Michelle. Rating: 4/5 Really, really good. Very raw and real, but also made me feel happy. Full review will be up soon! Only three books in November! Quite disappointed with this count, but I'm hoping to get some good Christmas books in this December!
Do you ever just sit and marvel at an author's writing style and way with words? I do! Here are some authors I wish I could write like! Stephanie PerkinsStephanie Perkins has some sort of magic ability to make me fall in love with whomever she wants. In the Anna and the French Kiss series she gets me to crush on each of the love interests, despite their differences. I love how she can romanticise all these different kinds of people and write a convincing, different main character for each of her books. Sarah J. MaasWORLD BUILDING. It's very hard to build up a fantasy world from the ground, but Sarah J. Maas is a pro at it and comes across so realistically and well thought out every time. She has an answer to everything and seems to have known every detail about her world before she started writing anything, as every little piece falls into place. Jandy NelsonJandy Nelson somehow gets me attached to a story from the first chapter. I love and care for the characters like they are my closest friends and I want all the best for them. The stories flow so naturally like they really occurred like this and Nelson is simply writing them down. One of my favourite authors. David LevithanDavid Levithan writes the books LGBT kids deserve: honest love stories without focusing too much on the fact that they are LGBT. Levithan doesn't ignore the LGBT aspect though, it's definitely an important point in all his books, but it is never the focus. The focus is on the main character's story. These are some of the authors I greatly admire and look up to! Who are your favourites? Let me know!
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AuthorHi! I'm Marcella. As you might have guessed, I quite like YA books.. Archives
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