August 28, 2017

Recently Added to my TBR Pile

I love seeing the books people add on their shelves on Goodreads and I certainly really love adding books to my own TBR pile. (Perhaps a little too much.) Therefore, I thought maybe that when I add some good stuff I would share it with you guys! Here are some of the recent books I have added to my Goodreads shelf. I include a short summary from Goodreads along with a link in case you what to add these bad boys to your own TBR pile. Anything I can do to help out my fellow book nerds. ;)

You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone by Rachel Lynn Solomon (Jan. 2, 2018)

"Eighteen-year-old twins Adina and Tovah have little in common besides their ambitious nature. Viola prodigy Adina yearns to become a soloist—and to convince her music teacher he wants her the way she wants him. Overachiever Tovah awaits her acceptance to Johns Hopkins, the first step on her path toward med school and a career as a surgeon. But one thing could wreck their carefully planned futures: a genetic test for Huntington’s, a rare degenerative disease that slowly steals control of the body and mind. It’s turned their Israeli mother into a near stranger and fractured the sisters’ own bond in ways they’ll never admit. While Tovah finds comfort in their Jewish religion, Adina rebels against its rules. When the results come in, one twin tests negative for Huntington’s. The other tests positive."



Plague Land by Alex Scarrow (Dec. 1, 2017)

"Leon and his younger sister Grace have just moved to London from New York when news of an unidentified plague begins to fill the news. Within a week the virus hits London. People in the streets turn to liquid before their eyes, and what follows is a frantic hunt for a safety which may no longer exist." 





Love and Other Train Wrecks by Leah Konen (Jan. 2, 2018)

"A twenty-four-hour romance about two teens who meet—and perhaps change their minds about love—on a train ride to Upstate New York in the middle of a snowstorm. One train ride. Two strangers. Noah is a hopeless romantic. He’s heading back home for one last chance with his first love, whom he broke up with when he went off to college. Ammy doesn’t believe in true love—her parents being prime examples. She’s escaping from a mom who can’t take care of her to a dad who may not even want her. That is, until one winter night when Noah and Ammy find themselves in the same Amtrak car heading to Upstate New York. After a train-wreck first encounter between the two of them, the Amtrak train suddenly breaks down due to a snowstorm. Desperate to make it to their destinations, Noah and Ammy have no other option but to travel together. What starts off as a minor detour turns into the whirlwind journey of a lifetime, and over the course of the night they fall in love. But come morning their adventure takes an unexpected turn for the worst. Can one night can really change how they feel about love...and the course of their lives forever?"

The Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton (March 27. 2018)

"The erratic decisions of a prophecy-obsessed king have drained Innis Lear of its wild magic, leaving behind a trail of barren crops and despondent subjects. Enemy nations circle the once-bountiful isle, sensing its growing vulnerability, hungry to control the ideal port for all trade routes. The king's three daughters—battle-hungry Gaela, master manipulator Reagan, and restrained, starblessed Elia—know the realm's only chance of resurrection is to crown a new sovereign, proving a strong hand can resurrect magic and defend itself. But their father will not choose an heir until the longest night of the year, when prophecies align and a poison ritual can be enacted. Refusing to leave their future in the hands of blind faith, the daughters of Innis Lear prepare for war—but regardless of who wins the crown, the shores of Innis will weep the blood of a house divided."

All We Can Do Is Wait by Richard Lawson (Feb. 6, 2018)

"In the hours after a bridge collapse rocks their city, a group of Boston teenagers meet in the waiting room of Massachusetts General Hospital: Siblings Jason and Alexa have already experienced enough grief for a lifetime, so in this moment of confusion and despair, Alexa hopes that she can look to her brother for support. But a secret Jason has been keeping from his sister threatens to tear the siblings apart...right when they need each other most. Scott is waiting to hear about his girlfriend, Aimee, who was on a bus with her theater group when the bridge went down. Their relationship has been rocky, but Scott knows that if he can just see Aimee one more time, if she can just make it through this ordeal and he can tell her he loves her, everything will be all right. And then there's Skyler, whose sister Kate—the sister who is more like a mother, the sister who is basically Skyler's everything—was crossing the bridge when it collapsed. As the minutes tick by without a word from the hospital staff, Skyler is left to wonder how she can possibly move through life without the one person who makes her feel strong when she's at her weakest."

Busted by Gina Ciocca (Jan. 1, 2018)

"Marisa wasn’t planning to be a snoop for hire—until she accidentally caught her best friend’s boyfriend making out with another girl. Now her reputation for sniffing out cheaters has spread all over school, and Marisa finds herself the reluctant queen of busting two-timing boys. But when ex-frenemy Kendall asks her to spy on her boyfriend, TJ, Marisa quickly discovers the girl TJ might be falling for is Marisa herself. And worse yet? The feelings are quickly becoming mutual. Now, she’s stuck spying on a “mystery girl” and the spoken-for guy who just might be the love of her life…"


Everless (Untitled #1) by Sara Holland (Jan. 2, 2018)

"In the land of Sempera, time is extracted from blood and used as payment. Jules Ember and her father were once servants at Everless, the wealthy Gerling family’s estate, but were cast out after of a fateful accident a decade ago. Now, Jules’s father is reaching his last hour, and she will do anything to save him. Desperate to earn time, she arrives at the palace as it prepares for a royal wedding, ready to begin her search into childhood secrets that she once believed to be no more than myths. As she uncovers lost truths, Jules spirals deeper into a past she hardly recognizes, and faces an ancient and dangerous foe who threatens her future and the future of time itself."

The Simplicity of Cider by Amy E. Reichert (May 16, 2017)

"Focused and unassuming fifth generation cider-maker Sanna Lund has one desire: to live a simple, quiet life on her family’s apple orchard in Door County, Wisconsin. Although her business is struggling, Sanna remains fiercely devoted to the orchard, despite her brother’s attempts to convince their aging father to sell the land. Single dad Isaac Banks has spent years trying to shield his son Sebastian from his troubled mother. Fleeing heartbreak at home, Isaac packed up their lives and the two headed out on an adventure, driving across the country. Chance—or fate—led them straight to Sanna’s orchard. Isaac’s helping hands are much appreciated at the apple farm, even more when Sanna’s father is injured in an accident. As Sanna’s formerly simple life becomes increasingly complicated, she finds solace in unexpected places—friendship with young Sebastian and something more deliciously complex with Isaac—until an outside threat infiltrates the farm."

Will you be adding these to your TBR pile?


3 comments
August 23, 2017

Review: Wait for You by Jennifer L Armentrout

Wait for You (#1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout (2013)
Length: 415 pages
Genre: New Adult Romance
Publisher: William Morrow
Source: The library.
Purchase: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository
My Rating:
Goodreads Summary: Some things are worth waiting for… Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself. Some things are worth experiencing… Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed. Some things should never be kept quiet… But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she’s has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her? And some things are worth fighting for…

My Review

Wait for You in Three Words: Cuteness. Courtship. Secrets.

I devoured Wait for You in two days. I was hesitant to read another book by this author after my rather unpleasant experience reading Obsidian, but I think that was just because I couldn't get past the horribly mean, who I thought had no redeeming qualities, love interest in that book. In Wait for You, the guy is a sweetheart. I adored Cam.

The college setting was a realistic backdrop to Avery and Cameron's story. I was reminded of some of my own college experiences while reading. Avery had a horrible thing happen to her at a party when she was only 14. To get away from the rumors and stars she decides to go to a college that is far away from her childhood town. The love interest, Cameron, is a nice guy who wants to get to know Avery and break down all her walls. I love that they start out with a friendship and go from there. I will warn you that Cameron is much more likeable than Avery, but she will grow on you.

Although Wait for You has its fair share of cliches, it had enough uniqueness, a swoon worthy male lead, an interesting MC, and a nicely paced plot to make the book worth reading. I thought the unfolding of past horrible secrets was done at a good pace. I would have liked the characters to get together a little sooner, but I still enjoyed reading about their friendship.

The Verdict: Wait for You was a quick and nice new adult novel.  It made me smile, cringe, and swoon. This book really makes me want to write my own new adult romance... which I am now doing. Wish me luck!

Do you have a favorite new adult book I should read? Comment below!



2 comments
August 15, 2017

TTT #78: YA Books I Recommend to a Non-YA Reader


This week's topic was to make some kind of recommend reading list. One of the examples given was to recommend books to people who don't normally read YA, and I just couldn't resist. I think YA can be for people of all ages, and I am annoyed when people judge adults for reading them. This list is for all those people who haven't yet given YA books a try.


1. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
2. Torn Away by Jennifer Brown
3. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
4. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
5. Mosquitoland by David Arnold


6. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
7. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
8. Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon
9. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
10. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Tell Me Below: Which books would you add to my list?


6 comments
August 11, 2017

Mini Romance Reviews: Suddenly Engaged, Breathless, Scoring Wilder


Suddenly Engaged by Julia London
Goodreads


Suddenly Engaged has an adorable child at its core, the one reason that really makes the book worth reading. Ruby is the adorable six-year-old child of Kyra, Dax's new neighbor. Ruby is always climbing over or under or around Dax's fence in order to pet his dog Otto. Dax isn't a fan of this behavior at first and has a few choice words to say to Kyra, but over time his neighbors grow on him. He becomes less of a grump as they charm their way into his heart. Although I enjoyed the romance between Dax and Kyra and the appropriate amount of drama, the story wasn't all that unique. I loved Ruby, Kyra, and Dax, but found the minor characters to be completely lacking. I still enjoyed the romance, but I was hoping it would be as interesting as its synopsis promised.



Breathless by Leigh LaValle
Goodreads


Romances have been my go to when I need a break from grad school, and this book was just what I needed! It not only made me want to get back into yoga, but it made me smile. Hannah and Jake are a fun couple to cheer on. After an incredible meet cute where they part ways without a way to contact one another, they get one more chance at love when they meet once again. Hannah lost everything after a horrible break up and invests her last bit of money into a yoga studio, and Jake just so happens to be the guy working on the unfortunate untimely renovations of the building where her yoga studio resides. The chemistry between these two while Hannah gives Jake private yoga lessons is sizzling. Hannah is down to earth and relatable while Jake is sexy and sweet. I will be reading more books by this author. Breathless is a fun book that will have you laughing, smiling, sighing, and fanning yourself. Enjoy!


Scoring Wilder by R.S. Grey
Goodreads


Scoring Wilder is a well written forbidden love story. I was in the mood for a New Adult Romance and found exactly what I was looking for in Scoring Wilder. Kinsley is a really good soccer player and hopes to make the Olympic team, and then her life gets a little more complicated. When she meets famous soccer star Laim Wilder at a party, what starts as a harmless crush becomes a problem when she finds out he is going to be her coach for part of the season. Kinsley and Wilder are great together and I enjoyed their forbidden romance. I also thought that the supporting cast of Kinsley's teammates helped add some depth and laughs to the story. This is another case where I will be trying more books by this author.


5 comments
August 7, 2017

Make Me Read It Readathon: Results & Updates

Hosted by Ely @ Tea and Titles & Val @ The Innocent Smiley

RESULTS


Updates

Sunday: I read and finished my first book, Wires and Nerve by Marissa Meyer. I LOVED it! I can never get enough of the Lunar Chronicles crew. I also got about 20 pages through There's Someone Inside Your House.

Monday: I finished book two, There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins! It would make a perfect fall read. A great choice for fans of the movie Scream!

Tuesday: Instead of reading, my husband and I went to see Spider-Man Homecoming. It was a lot of fun! The new guy that plays Spider-Man is adorkable.

Wednesday: This is the second day that I didn't have time to read. :( Stupid being an adult with work and such.

Thursday: Nothing. I chose to blog instead. I don't regret this because school will start up again soon and I want some posts ready to go.

Friday: Nothing.

Saturday: I had a bachelorette party. Nothing.

Sunday: My parents came to visit. I only got 40 pages into my third book. :(

Total: I only read two books! This did not go as planned, but I had a busy weekend. I am hoping to read the next two on the list over this coming week.



4 comments
August 5, 2017

Mini Review: Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
Length: 393 pages
Genre: Young Adult Historical Fiction
Publisher: Philomel Books
Source: I met the author and received a free copy last year at BEA.
My Rating:

Goodreads Summary: Winter, 1945. Four teenagers. Four secrets. Each one born of a different homeland; each one hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies…and war. As thousands of desperate refugees flock to the coast in the midst of a Soviet advance, four paths converge, vying for passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety and freedom. Yet not all promises can be kept. Inspired by the single greatest tragedy in maritime history, bestselling and award-winning author Ruta Sepetys (Between Shades of Gray) lifts the veil on a shockingly little-known casualty of World War II. An illuminating and life-affirming tale of heart and hope.

My Review

Salt to the Sea in Three Words: Heartbreaking. Memorable. Brave.

Salt to the Sea is a novel I won't soon forget. Compassion, survival, the horrors of war, and memorable characters, makes for one captivating read.

I read Salt to the Sea in one day. It has short chapters making it a page turner. This book is based off a devastating true story in history that many may not know.

The Verdict: This book is sure to stand the test of time, and would be a great read for teens and adults alike looking for their next historical fiction.

8 comments
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