Mini Reviews #32

Today I've got a small selection of some of my last summer reads. If you haven't read them already I can definitely recommend you pick up a copy of Catherine Clark and Robin Constantine's latest books!

Eleven Things I Promised by Catherine Clark

Seventeen-year-old Frances sets out on a bike race with friends from her high school to do every item on a special list dedicated to reconnecting with her best friend. Sounds unusual, right? I was surprised by the pitch of such an original YA story and certainly wasn't disappointed in the end. Frances was such a sensitive, strong and determined protagonist whose love and dedication to her best friends shine through even more brightly in the hardest moments of her trip. Considering she isn't even trained to go on that bike race one could consider her a lunatic, but couldn't she also be considered a hero? As the group around the racers grows closer together the further they go, the reader can't resist being drawn into this positive spirit as well. A few very sweet, funny and even unexpected romantic moments and adventures are to be expected along the way to this beautiful summer read.

4/5 stars **** ELEVEN THINGS I PROMISED – A strong message of friendship and the promise for adventure combine into a perfect summer read!

ELEVEN THINGS I PROMISED is a very active and optimistic story about friendship, personal happiness and being brave. Highly recommended!

Publisher: HarperTeen
Publishing Date: April 5th 2016
Length: 304 pages
Keywords: YA, contemporary, love, friendship, bike race

Source: Publisher
Goodreads Summary  

Author's Homepage

 

 

The Season of You and Me by Robin Constantine

Cassidy just knows her summer is going to be miserable. Her boyfriend broke up with her and now she is set to spend the summer with her father and his new family in a small beach town. Couldn't there be a better place to mend a broken heart?

Bryan is living in a place other people visit to only spend their summers. But what once was a dream has become a nightmare. An accident a year ago put him in a wheelchair and now he is dealing with all the consequences one stupid choice has brought upon him. Written from alternating perspectives, Cass and Bryan slowly fall in love with each other effortlessly and with the warm fluttery feelings of summer.

The Bed and Breakfast of Cass`s father and his new wife is this dreamy and idyllic place near the beach and I often caught myself wishing to be spending some time there as well. It`s also the perfect place for Cass to grow closer to her family again and find out who she really wants to be. The relationship between Cassidy and her little brother is adorable and apart from her ex-boyfriend she finally has the space to do the things that make her happy, showing readers what's most important in life. Bryan is this very honest and vibrant boy you just have to fall in love with. His disability is often a topic throughout the story and we get the chance to learn how Bryan experiences his new life. Very honest, very rewarding story!

4/5 stars **** THE SEASON OF YOU AND ME – Beach vibes, a light summery romance with emotional depth!

THE SEASON OF YOU AND ME is a great collection of funny little moments, emotional bonds between family and new friends and the thrill of new experiences and the importance of new chances.

Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publishing Date: May 10th 2016
Length: 352 pages
Keywords: YA, contemporary, love, friendship, beach, disability

Source: Publisher
Goodreads Summary  

Author's Homepage

 

 

We Were Never Here by Jennifer Gilmore

In Jennifer Gilmore's WE WERE NEVER HERE Lizzie meets Connor at the hospital. She is dangerously sick and he is selflessly paying visits to her as a patient. I had high hopes for Connor and Lizzie and appreciated that their budding romance alternated with very real scenes of medical appointments and diary entries about them. Connor is this selfless, sensitive boy and he loves his dog above all things. Doesn`t that just melt your heart? Well, maybe he isn`t the nice boy next door he pretends to be. And as the story unfolded it was with all the pretending and secrets that revolved around his person and their relationship that somehow soured down the at first sweet taste of their connection.

2,5/5 stars **/* WE WERE NEVER HERE – Strong emotions, adventurous moments and bad decisions.

This book is about some very great and moving topics that explore what being human really means in your darkest times. Jennifer Gilmore shows in a very gentle way what connecting with a person and learning to live can really mean but in the end and a handful of story twists later the story was just lacking empathy.

Publisher: HarperTeen
Publishing Date: June 14th 2015
Length: 320 pages
Keywords: YA, contemporary, love, health, recovery

Source: Publisher
Goodreads Summary  

Author's Homepage

 

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Book Review: Hold Back The Stars by Katie Khan

Publisher: Doubleday
Publishing Date: January 26th 2017
Length: 304 pages
Keywords: space adventure, sci-fi, romance 
Source: Publisher

Carys and Max have ninety minutes of air left. None of this was supposed to happen. But perhaps this doesn’t need to be the end…

Adrift in space with nothing to hold on to but each other, Carys and Max can’t help but look back at the well-ordered world they have left behind – at the rules they couldn’t reconcile themselves to, and a life to which they might now never return. For in a world where love is banned, what happens when you find it?

SPACE ADVENTURE GALORE

HOLD BACK THE STARS was among the first books I read this year and if this one book set the course for my reading year I should expect some more glorious reading experiences coming my way. I've read a bunch of brilliant space adventures including THESE BROKEN STARS, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE and ILLUMINAE and Katie Khan's new book certainly deserves its spot beside those on my list of favourites. For starters, the time limit of 90 minutes makes for an exciting incentive and brings a certain drive to the story.

The love story Katie Khan gifted to her protagonists Carys and Max is bitter sweet yet every little piece is as rewarding as it is heartbreaking. Once the story fully evoles everything is a whirlwind of emotions and you can't but deeply care about them. Carys and Max fit perfectly together with all their imperfections and flaws and on this track we get to explore what it truly means to care for someone in every future possible.

HOLDING BACK THE STARS works perfectly with a very limited cast of characters because it sets an important focus to the story dedicating it truly to the two epic lovers. Flashbacks offer pieces of both of Carys and Max's past alternating with the moments they spend suspended in space. In those flashbacks the reader learns even more about the new exciting and futuristic world building Katie Khan invented for her stunning YA debut.

5/5 ***** HOLD BACK THE STARS - Best emotionally explosive debut to kick off 2017! 

Katie Khan's debut deserves all the (rating) stars in the universe as HOLD BACK THE STARS is a fantastic space adventure with charismatic protagonists and a thrilling race against time in the battle between life, love and death.

 

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My Most Anticipated Books of 2017

New year, new book releases. This is my Top 10 list of books I'm looking forward to read in 2017. I'll be discovering new authors and returning to some beloved series from the past years. But I could do with some more reading recs and I'd love if you left your most anticipated books in the comments. Happy Reading!

#10

Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray

Noemi Vidal is a teen soldier from the planet Genesis, once a colony of Earth that's now at war for its independence. The humans of Genesis have fought Earth's robotic "mech" armies for decades with no end in sight. After a surprise attack, Noemi finds herself stranded in space on an abandoned ship where she meets Abel, the most sophisticated mech prototype ever made. One who should be her enemy. But Abel's programming forces him to obey Noemi as his commander, which means he has to help her save Genesis--even though her plan to win the war will kill him. Together they embark on a daring voyage through the galaxy. Before long, Noemi begins to realize Abel may be more than a machine, and, for his part, Abel's devotion to Noemi is no longer just a matter of programming. 

#9

King's Cage (Red Queen #3) by Victoria Aveyard

Mare Barrow is a prisoner, powerless without her lightning, tormented by her lethal mistakes. She lives at the mercy of a boy she once loved, a boy made of lies and betrayal. Now a king, Maven Calore continues weaving his dead mother's web in an attempt to maintain control over his country—and his prisoner. As Mare bears the weight of Silent Stone in the palace, her once-ragtag band of newbloods and Reds continue organizing, training, and expanding. They prepare for war, no longer able to linger in the shadows. And Cal, the exiled prince with his own claim on Mare's heart, will stop at nothing to bring her back. When blood turns on blood, and ability on ability, there may be no one left to put out the fire—leaving Norta as Mare knows it to burn all the way down.

 

#8

Seven Days of You by Cecilia Vinesse

Sophia has seven days left in Tokyo before she moves back to the States. Seven days to say good-bye to the electric city, her wild best friend, and the boy she’s harbored a semi-secret crush on for years. Seven perfect days…until Jamie Foster-Collins moves back to Japan and ruins everything. Jamie and Sophia have a history of heartbreak, and the last thing Sophia wants is for him to steal her leaving thunder with his stupid arriving thunder. Yet as the week counts down, the relationships she thought were stable begin to explode around her. And Jamie is the one who helps her pick up the pieces. Sophia is forced to admit she may have misjudged Jamie, but can their seven short days of Tokyo adventures end in anything but good-bye?

#7

By Your Side by Kasie West

When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn’t think things could get any worse. But that’s before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her. Autumn doesn’t know much about Dax except that he’s trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he’s not exactly the ideal person to be stuck with. Still, she just keeps reminding herself that it is only a matter of time before Jeff, her almost-boyfriend, realizes he left her in the library and comes to rescue her. Only he doesn’t come. No one does. Instead it becomes clear that Autumn is going to have to spend the next couple of days living off vending-machine food and making conversation with a boy who clearly wants nothing to do with her. Except there is more to Dax than meets the eye. As he and Autumn first grudgingly, and then not so grudgingly, open up to each other, Autumn is struck by their surprising connection. But can their feelings for each other survive once the weekend is over and Autumn’s old life, and old love interest, threaten to pull her from Dax’s side?

#6 

Untitled (The Shaw Confessions #1) by Michelle Hodkin

I've been waiting for this book to be released for years and could really use some more Noah Shaw scenes! 

#5

 The Crown's Fate (The Crown's Game #2) by Evelyn Skye

Russia is on the brink of great change. Pasha’s coronation approaches, and Vika is now the Imperial Enchanter, but the role she once coveted may be more difficult—and dangerous—than she ever expected. Pasha is grappling with his own problems—his legitimacy is in doubt, the girl he loves loathes him, and he believes his best friend is dead. When a challenger to the throne emerges—and with the magic in Russia growing rapidly—Pasha must do whatever it takes to keep his position and protect his kingdom. For Nikolai, the ending of the Crown’s Game stung deeply. Although he just managed to escape death, Nikolai remains alone, a shadow hidden in a not-quite-real world of his own creation. But when he’s given a second chance at life—tied to a dark price—Nikolai must decide just how far he’s willing to go to return to the world. With revolution on the rise, dangerous new magic rearing up, and a tsardom up for the taking, Vika, Nikolai, and Pasha must fight—or face the destruction of not only their world but also themselves.  

#4

Coming Up for Air by Miranda Kenneally

Swim. Eat. Shower. School. Snack. Swim. Swim. Swim. Dinner. Homework. Bed. Repeat. All of Maggie’s focus and free time is spent swimming. She’s not only striving to earn scholarships—she’s training to qualify for the Olympics. It helps that her best friend, Levi, is also on the team and cheers her on. But Levi’s already earned an Olympic try out, so she feels even more pressure to succeed. And it’s not until Maggie’s away on a college visit that she realizes how much of the “typical” high school experience she’s missed by being in the pool. Not one to shy away from a challenge, Maggie decides to squeeze the most out of her senior year. First up? Making out with a guy. And Levi could be the perfect candidate. After all, they already spend a lot of time together. But as Maggie slowly starts to uncover new feelings for Levi, how much is she willing to lose to win?

#3 

Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett

Classic movie buff Bailey “Mink” Rydell has spent months crushing on a witty film geek she only knows online by “Alex.” Two coasts separate the teens until Bailey moves in with her dad, who lives in the same California surfing town as her online crush. Faced with doubts (what if he’s a creep in real life—or worse?), Bailey doesn’t tell Alex she’s moved to his hometown. Or that she’s landed a job at the local tourist-trap museum. Or that she’s being heckled daily by the irritatingly hot museum security guard, Porter Roth—a.k.a. her new arch-nemesis. But life is whole lot messier than the movies, especially when Bailey discovers that tricky fine line between hate, love, and whatever-it-is she’s starting to feel for Porter. And as the summer months go by, Bailey must choose whether to cling to a dreamy online fantasy in Alex or take a risk on an imperfect reality with Porter. The choice is both simpler and more complicated than she realizes, because Porter Roth is hiding a secret of his own: Porter is Alex…Approximately.  

#2

Into the Bright Unknown (The Goldseer Trilogy #3) by Rae Carson

I really enjoyed the first two books in the Goldseer trilogy and have grown quite fond of the Gold Rush era and just love Lee and Jeff!

#1

Lord of Shadows (The Dark Artifices #2) by Cassandra Clare

Emma Carstairs has finally avenged her parents. She thought she’d be at peace. But she is anything but calm. Torn between her desire for her parabatai Julian and her desire to protect him from the brutal consequences of parabatai relationships, she has begun dating his brother, Mark. But Mark has spent the past five years trapped in Faerie; can he ever truly be a Shadowhunter again? And the faerie courts are not silent. The Unseelie King is tired of the Cold Peace, and will no longer concede to the Shadowhunters’ demands. Caught between the demands of faerie and the laws of the Clave, Emma, Julian, and Mark must find a way to come together to defend everything they hold dear—before it’s too late.

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Best Reads of 2016

I have to admit I didn't read that many books in 2016 as I'd hoped to but there were some amazing titles that I want to share with you anyway. Here are my favourite books of 2016! I'd love to hear about your favourite reads, too. Feel free to leave a link to your posts in the comments.

#10

Frost Like Night by Sara Raasch

Angra is alive, his Decay is spreading—and no one is safe. Meira will do anything to save her world. With Angra trying to break through her mental defenses, she desperately needs to learn to control her own magic—so when the leader of a mysterious Order from Paisly offers to teach her, she jumps at the chance. But the true solution to stopping the Decay lies in a labyrinth deep beneath the Season Kingdoms. To defeat Angra, Meira will have to enter the labyrinth, destroy the very magic she’s learning to control—and make the biggest sacrifice of all.
Mather will do anything to save his queen. He needs to rally the Children of the Thaw, find Meira—and finally tell her how he really feels. But with a plan of attack that leaves no kingdom unscathed and a major betrayal within their ranks, winning the war—and protecting Meira—slips farther and farther out of reach.
Ceridwen will do anything to save her people. Angra had her brother killed, stole her kingdom, and made her a prisoner. But when she’s freed by an unexpected ally who reveals a shocking truth behind Summer’s slave trade, Ceridwen must take action to save her true love and her kingdom, even if it costs her what little she has left. As Angra unleashes the Decay on the world, Meira, Mather, and Ceridwen must bring the kingdoms of Primoria together…or lose everything.

 


#9  

The Someday Jar by Allison Morgan

WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMON-DROP MARTINIS...
Real-estate broker Lanie Howard figures she has the perfect man, the perfect job, and the perfect life. Then she stumbles across her old Someday Jar, the forgotten glass relic where she stashed all the childhood wishes—no matter how crazy—that her father encouraged her to write down on the backs of Chinese restaurant fortunes. She used to be fun once! What happened to her?
 

DON'T CHOKE ON THE RIND.
Although Lanie is wary of uncorking her past, when an attractive stranger saves her from a life-or-death encounter with a lemon peel at the bottom of a martini glass, she realizes that life is way too short for regrets. Now, jar in hand, Lanie decides to throw caution to the wind, and carry out everything she had once hoped to do, even if it means leaving her perfectly “perfect” life behind…

 

#8

P.S. I Like You by Kasie West

Signed, sealed, delivered…
While spacing out in chemistry class, Lily scribbles some of her favorite song lyrics onto her desk. The next day, she finds that someone has continued the lyrics on the desk and added a message to her. Intrigue!
Soon, Lily and her anonymous pen pal are exchanging full-on letters—sharing secrets, recommending bands, and opening up to each other. Lily realizes she’s kind of falling for this letter writer. Only, who is he? As Lily attempts to unravel the mystery and juggle school, friends, crushes, and her crazy family, she discovers that matters of the heart can’t always be spelled out…

 

 
#7

I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

#6

The Way Back To You by Michelle Andreati, Mindi Scott

Six months ago, Ashlyn Montiel died in a bike accident. Her best friend Cloudy is keeping it together, at least on the outside. Cloudy’s insides are a different story: tangled, confused, heartbroken.
Kyle is falling apart, and everyone can tell. Ashlyn was his girlfriend, and when she died, a part of him went with her. Maybe the only part he cares about anymore.
As the two people who loved Ashlyn best, Cloudy and Kyle should be able to lean on each other. But after a terrible mistake last year, they're barely speaking. So when Cloudy discovers that Ashlyn’s organs were donated after her death and the Montiel family has been in touch with three of the recipients, she does something a little bit crazy and a lot of out character: she steals the letters and convinces Kyle to go on a winter break road trip with her, from Oregon to California to Arizona to Nevada. Maybe if they see the recipients—the people whose lives were saved by Ashlyn’s death—the world will open up again. Or maybe it will be a huge mistake. With hundreds of miles in front of them, a stowaway kitten, and a list of people who are alive because of Ashlyn, Cloudy and Kyle just may find their way to back to her...and to each other.

#5

The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye
  

Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.
And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.
Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?
For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip-smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her. And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love…or be killed himself. As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear—the Crown’s Game is not one to lose.

 



#4 

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

In a kingdom by the sea…In a secret world where half-angel warriors are sworn to fight demons, parabatai is a sacred word. A parabatai is your partner in battle. A parabatai is your best friend. Parabatai can be everything to each other—but they can never fall in love.
Emma Carstairs is a warrior, a Shadowhunter, and the best in her generation. She lives for battle. Shoulder to shoulder with her parabatai, Julian Blackthorn, she patrols the streets of Los Angeles, where vampires party on the Sunset Strip, and faeries—the most powerful of supernatural creatures—teeter on the edge of open war with Shadowhunters. When the bodies of humans and faeries turn up murdered in the same way Emma’s parents were when she was a child, an uneasy alliance is formed. This is Emma’s chance for revenge—and Julian’s chance to get back his brother Mark, who is being held prisoner by the faerie Courts. All Emma, Mark, and Julian have to do is solve the murders within two weeks…and before the murderer targets them.
Their search takes Emma from sea caves full of sorcery to a dark lottery where death is dispensed. And each clue she unravels uncovers more secrets. What has Julian been hiding from her all these years? Why does Shadowhunter Law forbid parabatai to fall in love? Who really killed her parents—and can she bear to know the truth?
The darkly magical world of Shadowhunters has captured the imaginations of millions of readers across the globe. Join the adventure in Lady Midnight, the long-awaited first volume of a new trilogy from Cassandra Clare.

#3

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

Gold is in my blood, in my breath, even in the flecks in my eyes.
Lee Westfall has a strong, loving family. She has a home she loves and a loyal steed. She has a best friend—who might want to be something more.
She also has a secret. Lee can sense gold in the world around her. Veins deep in the earth. Small nuggets in a stream. Even gold dust caught underneath a fingernail. She has kept her family safe and able to buy provisions, even through the harshest winters. But what would someone do to control a girl with that kind of power? A person might murder for it. When everything Lee holds dear is ripped away, she flees west to California—where gold has just been discovered. Perhaps this will be the one place a magical girl can be herself. If she survives the journey.

#2

Like a River Glorious by Rae Carson

After a harrowing journey across the country, Leah Westfall and her friends have finally arrived in California and are ready to make their fortunes in the Gold Rush. Lee has a special advantage over the other new arrivals in California—she has the ability to sense gold, a secret known only by her handsome best friend Jefferson and her murdering uncle Hiram.
Lee and her friends have the chance to be the most prosperous settlers in California, but Hiram hasn’t given up trying to control Lee and her power. Sabotage and kidnapping are the least of what he’ll do to make sure Lee is his own. His mine is the deepest and darkest in the territory, and there Lee learns the full extent of her magical gift, the worst of her uncle, and the true strength of her friendships. To save everyone, she vows to destroy her uncle and the empire he is building—even at the cost of her own freedom.

  

#1 

Just One Day & Just One Year by Gayle Forman

Just One Day. Just One Year. Just One Read.Before you find out how their story ends, remember how it began....
When he opens his eyes, Willem doesn’t know where in the world he is—Prague or Dubrovnik or back in Amsterdam. All he knows is that he is once again alone, and that he needs to find a girl named Lulu. They shared one magical day in Paris, and something about that day—that girl—makes Willem wonder if they aren’t fated to be together. He travels all over the world, from Mexico to India, hoping to reconnect with her. But as months go by and Lulu remains elusive, Willem starts to question if the hand of fate is as strong as he’d thought. . . .The romantic, emotional companion to Just One Day, this is a story of the choices we make and the accidents that happen—and the happiness we can find when the two intersect.

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Books Read in 2016

Happy New Year 2017!

In 2016 I started another year at university in a new degree and that meant a lot of additional reading and extra work that took away my blogging time. I read 45 books in total and I guess I just have to make the best out of it. Again I'm glad for all the new wonderful literary worlds I got to travel in 2016 and places in the real world as well. I went to London and Edinburgh and spent almost three weeks travelling the South of Ireland which was a dream! So here's to many new amazing reads and experiences in 2017. Happy Reading!

January

Wanderlost by Jen Malone 4/5 stars
After the Last Dance by Sarra Manning 3/5 stars
Eleven Things I Promised by Catherine Clark 3,5/5 stars
Assassin's Heart by Sarah Ahiers 3,5/5 stars
The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye 5/5 stars JANUARY FAVOURITE
Soundless by Richelle Mead 3/5 stars 

February

Just One Day by Gayle Forman 5/5 stars FEBRUARY FAVOURITE
Just One Year by Gayle Forman 5/5 stars FEBRUARY FAVOURITE
Where She Went by Gayle Forman 3,5/5 
The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine 3,5/5 stars
A Season for Fireflies by Rebecca Maizel 3,5/5 stars
Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill 3,5/5 stars 
Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom 3,5/5 stars
Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard 4/5 stars
Starry Night by Isabel Gillies 2,5/5 stars

March

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson 5/5 stars MARCH FAVOURITE
Defending Taylor by Miranda Kenneally 3,5/5 stars 
Jessica Darling's It List 2 by Megan McCafferty 3/5 stars
Jessica Darling's It List 3 by Megan McCafferty 3/5 stars 
Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin 4/5 stars

April

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare 5/5 stars APRIL FAVOURITE

May

My Single Friend by Jane Costello 4/5 stars MAY FAVOURITE
Of Neptune by Anna Banks 2/5 stars

June

Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion
The Someday Jar by Allison Morgan 4,5/5 stars
Shuffle, Repeat by Jen Klein 4,5/5 stars
Tell Us Something True by Dana Reinhardt 4/5 stars
Die vielen Tode unseres Opas Jurek by Matthias Nawrat (German)
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
The Little Bookshop of Lonely Hearts by Annie Darling 2,5/5 stars 
Deadfall by Anna Carey 4/5 stars
We Were Never Here by Jennifer Gilmore 2,5/5 stars
The Way Back To You by Michelle Andreati, Mindi Scott 5/5 stars JUNE FAVOURITE
Boys Of Summer by Jessica Brody 4/5 stars 

July

The Season of You and Me by Robin Constantine 4/5 stars
Dispatches by Michael Herr
I`ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson 4,5/5 stars JULY FAVOURITE

August

P.S. I Like You by Kasie West 5/5 stars AUGUST FAVOURITE
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes 3,5/5 stars

September

October

Like a River Glorious by Rae Carson 5/5 stars OCTOBER FAVOURITE
The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things by Ann Aguirre 2,5/5 stars

November




December 

26 Kisses by Anna Michels 3/5 stars
Frost Like Night by Sara Raasch 4/5 stars DECEMBER FAVOURITE
What Light by Jay Asher 4/5 stars 
The Nerdy and the Dirty by B.T. Gottfred 4/5 stars

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Book Review: Tell Us Something True by Dana Reinhardt

Title: Tell Us Something True
Author: Dana Reinhardt
Publisher: Rock the Boat
Publishing Date: July 20th 2016
Length: 208 pages
Keywords: YA, romance, friendship, heartbreak, LA, support group
Source: Publisher

Seventeen-year-old River doesn’t know what to do with himself when Penny, the girl he adores, breaks up with him. He lives in LA, where nobody walks anywhere, and Penny was his ride; he never bothered getting a license. He’s stuck. He’s desperate. Okay . . . he’s got to learn to drive.

But first, he does the unthinkable—he starts walking. He stumbles upon a support group for teens with various addictions. He fakes his way into the meetings, and begins to connect with the other kids, especially an amazing girl. River wants to tell the truth, but he can’t stop lying, and his tangle of deception may unravel before he learns how to handle the most potent drug of all: true love.

Summary by Goodreads 

This is the story of a boy named River. Yes, his real name. And he`s just the right guy to tell this story. He doesn`t drive and instead walks everywhere. To deal with his heartbreak he walks right into a support group for teens with addications and develops a bad habit of his own: lying. The better he gets to know the kids in the group, the harder it gets to keep up the facade. And it becomes even trickier when River gets to know Daphne. She`s tough and smart and just the girl who could help River mend his broken heart. Wanting to know how their relationship unfolds was the incentive that made me turn the pages of this book in no time at all. And they have many moments together that just bring a smile to your face. It`s also River`s unique humour that made this read worthwhile.

Set in L.A. TELL US SOMETHING TRUE could be all about city life and being one of many people with the same problem. But River`s story has a very genuine and individual feeling from the very first page. Readers go through all the stages of a bad breakup with him. Then we follow him to support group and learn to appreciate the differences that make people their own kind of beautiful. It`s the combination of very private moments of heartbreak and the feeling of being connected to a group of people who might not have the exact same problem, but understand you in a way no other person can, that make TELL US SOMETHING TRUE such a special read.

4/5 stars **** TELL US SOMETHING TRUE - A poignant funny and delightfully different story about heartbreak, trust and new love.

This is the perfect book for a nice, sunny afternoon out at the lake. With about 200 pages TELL US SOMETHING TRUE is rather short, but that`s all the story needs. Dana Reinhardt wrote a well-rounded novel with winsome characters and a heartfelt love story. The story of River is also a story about being different, learing to accept help and most important, regaining trust in yourself. 

* Click here to read an excerpt of TELL US SOMETHING TRUE.
* For more information about Dana and her books visit www.danareinhardt.net
* Rock the Boat: www.rocktheboat.london | Twitter: @Rocktheboatnews

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Summer Reading Recommendations Part II

So here's part II of my Summer Reading Recommendations. You can find part I here. There are so many more summer reads being released this year. Feel free to share your suggestions in the comments and tell me what you are currently reading. Happy Reading!

Superheroes and Fandoms
...to the rescue

The Geek's Guide To Unrequited Love by Sarvenaz Tash

Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy...
Archie and Veronica...
Althena and Noth...
...Graham and Roxy?

Graham met his best friend, Roxana, when he moved into her neighborhood eight years ago, and she asked him which Hogwarts house he’d be sorted into. Graham has been in love with her ever since.
But now they’re sixteen, still neighbors, still best friends. And Graham and Roxy share more than ever—moving on from their Harry Potter obsession to a serious love of comic books.
When Graham learns that the creator of their favorite comic, The Chronicles of Althena, is making a rare appearance at this year’s New York Comic Con, he knows he must score tickets. And the event inspires Graham to come up with the perfect plan to tell Roxy how he really feels about her. He’s got three days to woo his best friend at the coolest, kookiest con full of superheroes and supervillains. But no one at a comic book convention is who they appear to be...even Roxy. And Graham is starting to realize fictional love stories are way less complicated than real-life ones.
 

Cure for the Common Universe by Christian McKay Heidicker
The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You by Lily Anderson
Scarlett Epstein Hates It Here by Anna Breslaw
All the Feels by Danica Stone



Beach Vibes 
Enjoy the waves and the sun! 

The Season of You & Me by Robin Constantine

Cassidy Emmerich is determined to make this summer—the last before her boyfriend heads off to college—unforgettable. What she doesn’t count on is her boyfriend breaking up with her. Now, instead of being poolside with him, Cass is over a hundred miles away, spending the summer with her estranged father and his family at their bed-and-breakfast at the Jersey Shore and working as the newest counselor at Camp Manatee. 
Bryan Lakewood is sick of nevers. You’ll never walk. You’ll never surf. You’ll never slow dance with your date at prom. One miscalculated step and Bryan’s life changed forever—now he’s paralyzed and needs to use a wheelchair. This is the first summer he’s back at his former position at Camp Manatee and ready to reclaim some of his independence, in spite of those who question if he’s up for the job. Cass is expecting two months dealing with heartbreak.Bryan is expecting a summer of tough adjustments. Neither of them is expecting to fall in love.

What Happens Now by Jennifer Castle 
Summer of Sloane by Erin L. Schneider
Boys of Summer by Jessica Brody
The Summer of Everything by Catherine Clark

History & Time Travel    
Let's go back in time!  

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows

The comical, fantastical, romantical, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey. In My Lady Jane, coauthors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have created a one-of-a-kind fantasy in the tradition of The Princess Bride, featuring a reluctant king, an even more reluctant queen, a noble steed, and only a passing resemblance to actual history—because sometimes history needs a little help.
 
At sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But those trifling problems aren’t for Jane to worry about. Jane gets to be Queen of England.

 

The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye
The Gilded Cage by Lucinda Gray
Ivory and Bone by Julie Eshbaugh
Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor



Anthologies & E-Books  
New reading experiences

Coasting by Ben Karwan

Jen's just finished year twelve and she's dreading what's coming next. She needs to escape her mum's too-high expectations for a while – and decide whether her boyfriend, Dylan, is someone she needs in her life. 
There's only one solution. Road trip! Jen, her best friend Elliot, the ladies' man (in his dreams) Theodore C. Block and the lovely Sophie pile into Elliot's beat-up old car, Vincent, and head up the coast to reunite Elliot with his girlfriend. If Jen can't be happy, at least Elliot should have a chance. But things don't quite go to plan. 
Snarky and irreverent, Coasting will make you laugh and bring tears to your eyes as Jen tries to work out who she really is – and what's important to her.

 









 A Tyranny of Petticoats by Jessica Spotswood
Summer Days and Summer Nights by Stephanie Perkins 
At First Blush by Beth Ellyn Summer
The Distance from A to Z by Natalie Blitt



Some Personal Favorites 
On my wishlist & on my TBR pile 

P.S. I Like You by Kasie West

What if the person you were falling for was a total mystery?
While Lily is spacing out in Chemistry one day, she picks up her pencil and scribbles a line from one of her favorite songs on the desk. The next day, someone else has written back to her on the desk! Soon enough Lily and the mystery student are exchanging notes, and lyrics, and even sharing secrets. When Lily finds out that her anonymous pen pal is a guy, she's flustered -- and kind of feels like she's falling for him. She and her best friend set out to unravel the identity of the letter writer -- but when the truth is revealed, the guy is the LAST person Lily could have ever imagined it to be. Now that Lily knows the truth, can she untangle her feelings and gather the courage to listen to her heart?

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson
Shuffle, Repeat by Jen Klein  
26 Kisses by Anna Michels  
A Season for Fireflies by Rebecca Maizel

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