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P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Synopsis: 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 what makes it so amazing.

Review:  Better than the first book, but still just a cute contemporary (so by no means amazing). Starting off right where the last book left off, Jenny Han jumps right into the story! This was much more fast-paced than the first book which made it a little more intriguing. Lara Jean's character development also made this story more intriguing as she ever-so-slightly becomes more outgoing and gutsy. The one story element I didn't like was the ending though! It's made childishly clear that the lesson of the story is that people in your life come and go - but I wish the ending focused more on an exciting plot!! Lara Jean didn't end up with who I wanted her to; I mean, it seemed so obvious that the other one was the right choice! C'mon Lara Jean! With all that said, this story continued to develop Lara Jean's cutesy, instagram-esque life which is what most of us love most about this book anyway. It makes you feel warm inside - like gooey cookies, pink ribbons and fluffy pajamas. Just be prepared for lots more baking! I can't say that I was disappointed, I can't say that I was wowed - it's pretty much just what you would expect the sequel to be. But, it's so short that it's totally worth finishing the series.

^^ Lara Jean’s spirit animal ^^

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To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Synopsis: 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. Review: The first word that comes to mind when thinking about this book is COZY. The second word that comes to mind is CUTE. Just think: cupcakes, cashmere sweaters, and first loves. The best part about this book is the overall feel of it. It just leaves you feeling warm and happy - which in itself is reason enough to read it. The story, however, progressed a bit too slow, with many (seemingly filler) scenes of Lara Jean baking or waiting to be picked up for school. I'm almost at a loss of words as to how to describe this book. Just know that it's freaking adorable, the story is on the slow side but still very fun, and the romance is something very new and different from other YA romance stories. The lines between acting, love and lust are blurred, and Lara Jean's life is just something to fall in love with. This love triangle is actually really well done. I really didn't know which guy to ship, there was just so much history involved to be able to fall in love with one couple. The short chapters make this a really quick read. It really is the most relaxing book I've read to date. It's not the most thrilling, or the most complex story, but it doesn't need to be - it's a YA romance! 

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Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Synopsis: This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded. The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit. But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again. Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more--Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes. Review: The synopsis does not do this book justice... You have a break-up, a massacre, a broken fleeing fleet, a murderous super computer, a zombie/psycho virus, and an epic space battle....in that order. It was so much more than I could have hoped for - and I had high expectations to start with! I was apprehensive about the unique formatting of the narrative, but quickly fell in love with it. Every page holds an new and unexpected development AND crazy visuals (The Scream anyone?) I really can't praise this book enough. Plot twists on top of the romance on top of a child dragging around a human heart...convinced yet. Amazingly, Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff managed to make all of these elements work harmoniously and managed to create this beautiful in-depth world through crazy narrative formatting. Even though this book is 599 pages, you fly through it. It's fast-paced and most pages aren't flooded with words - i.e. the instant messaging or space battle pages. Even if you're not a fan of sci-fi or romance you will love this because you love awesome. The characters - on point. The "world" - perfect. The story - a crazy, wild ride with the best plot twists (the end OMG). EPIC. UNEXPECTED. INTRIGUING. BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED.... p.s. please release the next book asap. Thanks.

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The Merciless by Danielle Vega

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Synopsis: Forgve us, Father, for we have sinned Brooklyn Stevens sits in a pool of her own blood, tied up and gagged. No one outside of these dank basement walls knows she’s here. No one can hear her scream. Sofia Flores knows she shouldn’t have gotten involved. When she befriended Riley, Grace, and Alexis on her first day at school, she admired them, with their perfect hair and their good-girl ways. They said they wanted to save Brooklyn. They wanted to help her. Sofia didn’t realize they believed Brooklyn was possessed. Now, Riley and the girls are performing an exorcism on Brooklyn—but their idea of an exorcism is closer to torture than salvation. All Sofia wants is to get out of this house. But there is no way out. Sofia can’t go against the other girls . . . unless she wants to be next. . . . In this chilling debut, Danielle Vega delivers blood-curdling suspense and terror on every page. By the shockingly twisted end, readers will be faced with the most haunting question of all: Is there evil in all of us? Review: This is a great book to read when you're in between books. Its a fairly quick read, thrilling, and easy to follow. It's mindless (you don't have to think about it much) but really gives the feels. It's messed up, but I kind of liked it. Now, by no means does this have amazing writing or super complex characters. It's just not the type of book you look forward to reading all year long. There are very typed characters - the Jesus freak (reminds me of a more psychotic Marianne, from Easy A), her number one fan/wannabe best friend, the boldly stylish third, and the new girl. Very easy to grasp, right? That's the point. The characters and plot are so simple that it mainly relies on thrilling the reader into continuing on reading. This book may be a little hard to get into because the thrills don't really begin until Chapter 7 (page 86). From then on it's exorcism, torture, psychotic meltdowns and death. It's just so f***ing messed up and twisted that you can't help but read what happens next. this book was great for a fast read and a great thrill. You'll definitely finish the book saying "wtf did I just read" - in a time-killing, entertaining way. The only thing I was let down about was the insa-romance. It was there for a couple pages here and there, but it really didn't contribute much to the story and it never developed. It was there one second then it was...gone?...Put way way in the background? It just seemed out of place. If you can't handle blood, delusional psychopaths, bodily mutilation, and *cough* pealing off fingernails *cough*, or you scare easily, I would not recommend this. But, if you're in between books, have a busy schedule, or just need a gripping book to get you out of a slump, I would recommend this. Just make sure you do get past the first 80 or so pages - it gets 100x more exciting.

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Maus I & II by Art Spiegelman

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Synopsis: Combined for the first time here are Maus I: A Survivor's Tale and Maus II - the complete story of Vladek Spiegelman and his wife, living and surviving in Hitler's Europe. By addressing the horror of the Holocaust through cartoons, the author captures the everyday reality of fear and is able to explore the guilt, relief and extraordinary sensation of survival - and how the children of survivors are in their own way affected by the trials of their parents. A contemporary classic of immeasurable significance. Review: In terms of overall enjoyment, it's not the most emotionally crippling holocaust narrative out there, but it does a wonderful job of framing the holocaust in an alternative form while making it an incredibly realistic feeling story. As a generalization, this is a holocaust story told through a graphic novel directed towards an adult audience. So, yes, my expectations were pretty low going into the first book. I was happily surprised. The story is narrated by Art Speigleman as a character in the story who has his elderly father tell him his Auschwitz survival story in order for "Artie" to write this graphic novel. Get it? It's super self-reflexive which makes it seem so real! Spiegleman seems to go above and beyond to portray this particular holocaust story in it's true light. He shows how the entire story is a series of recollected events, only ONE side of the story, and shows us examples of how his father can stretch the truth sometimes. It's a big warning saying "this is his story, but take the details with a big grain of salt". This is why it's so REAL. And this is why it's so intriguing. The story jumps from the present to the recollected story to Art's father going off on random tangents. You really feel the tension and frustration between father and son, yet the underlying love. I can see why Art Spiegelman was worried about his readers thinking that he's speaking ill of the dead (his father is dead by the time the book is published), but I can see that he is just telling things like they were and not romanticizing it - which I love and commend. As I said, overall, I liked the graphic novels well enough. I wasn't dying to read on nor was I dying to put it down. I have read lots of more heart-wrenching and dramatic novels which feed off of readers' emotions, and this is not one of those stories. It was more so just an interesting and alternative way of speaking about the holocaust. Not to mentions the drawings were just 'meh'. It took me a while to get used to the drawing style - black and white, rough, sometimes hard to tell characters apart.... but I ended up being alright with it. I just see the rough-style drawings as a reflection of the harshness of the holocaust. In that sense, the visuals are perfect, but in terms of overall enjoyment, they weren't super intriguing to look at. Overall 3/5 stars. I had to take away two stars based on my overall enjoyment and the visuals, but I'm keeping 3 stars again based on my overall enjoyment and the self-reflexive and symbolism found in the narrative. If your interested in holocaust literature, check this out! It's a great alternative way to look at the past, not to mention a huge time commitment - it's just two graphic novels.

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Little Scarlet (Easy Rawlins, Book #9) - Walter Mosley

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Synopsis: Watts is smoldering in ruins-and the cops are on Easy Rawlins's doorstep. Easy expects the worst, as usual. But, incredibly, they're asking for his help. A redheaded woman known as Little Scarlet had sheltered a man during the riots. Witnesses later saw him fleeing her building; not long after, Little Scarlet was found viciously murdered. Now, with his old friend Mouse at his side, Easy follows the case's single clue across Los Angeles. The missing man is the key, but he's only the beginning. Hidden in the heart of the city is a killer whose red-hot rage is as fierce as the fires that rocked L.A. Review: Little Scarlet is a beautifully candid piece of work. Walter Mosley has created a story that describes not only the riots and events associated with the Watts Rebellion, but also the emotional and mental effects of the uprising while taking the reader on a thrilling journey with a murder mystery. Easy Rawlins is completely brought to life in all of his imperfect gloriousness. He is a complex protagonist who evolves as he struggles through the stress of the uprising, causing morality issues surrounding love, lust, new-found power, and death. The emotional trauma caused by the death of 'Little Scarlet'only amplifies as the case progresses. It really can't be stressed enough how raw this novel is, making it something you just can't put down. From the main case to the smallest details, everything written by Mr. Mosley only enhances the experience. Whether you are a lover of epic fantasy, contemporary romance or even horror, Walter Mosley will make you fall in love with his novel. *This novel can be read as a standalone (as I read it), or as Book #9 in the "Easy Rawlins" series.*

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Dead Witch Walking (The Hollows, Book #1) - Kim Harrision

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Synopsis: All the creatures of the night gather in "the Hollows" of Cincinnati, to hide, to prowl, to party... and to feed. Vampires rule the darkness in a predator-eat-predator world rife with dangers beyond imagining - and it's Rachel Morgan's job to keep that world civilized. A bounty hunter and witch with serious sex appeal and an attitude, she'll bring 'em back alive, dead... or undead. Review: Though is novel has pretty good balance of relatable humanity and supernatural elements, I didn't feel like I connected very much with the characters or story. I know there's a pretty big fandom surrounding this series, but I just didn't get into it. The overused elements of sexuality seemed unnecessary in light of Rachael being hunted by virtually everyone, and I felt that the characters needed to be further developed - which I suppose they may be in later books...but I won't be reading on. Insignificant scenes seemed to last forever, and it took a while for the plot to become exciting. Overall it was alright, I ended up feeling ok with it. Not upset that I read it, but also not blown away by it. just Meh! (note the exclamation point still). I'm not going to continue on with this series though - there are too many other books out there that I'm dying to read instead!

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Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn, Book #1) - Brandon Sanderson

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Synopsis: Following on the heels of Sanderson’s successful launch into the YA market with the New York Times bestselling Rithmatist comes Mistborn, now repackaged for the teen audience Once, a hero rose to save the world. He failed. For a thousand years since, the world has been a wasteland of ash and mist ruled by the immortal emperor known as the Lord Ruler. Every revolt has failed miserably. Yet somehow, hope survives. Hope that dares to dream of ending the empire and defeating the Lord Ruler. A new kind of uprising is being planned—one that depends on the cunning of a brilliant criminal mastermind and the determination of an unlikely heroine: a teenage street urchin named Vin. Once, a hero rose to save the world and failed. This time, can a young heroine succeed? Review: This is the first Brandon Sanderson novel I've ever read, am I'm a little upset for not picking him up sooner! I've been so engrossed in cliche YA fantasy novels written by female authors (which isn't a bad thing, stories just have a different perspective when a female character is created by a male author), and haven't even thought to branch out until now. I loved it. I feel like I say this a lot about the books I read, but hey, I just have good taste. Sanderson has developed a vivid new world, dominated by the ashy shades of grey. He managed to give me such a clear understanding of this unique world without defaulting to using paragraphs of dull landscape description - which I applaud. His world building was effortless, and his world was a beautiful dystopia of dirty ash-falls, swirling night mist and "mythical" mist creatures. Though the world was developed so vividly, so much is left a mystery - the unknown history of the world, the mysterious, "Godly", "immortal" leader, Allomancy.... The main characters, Kelsier and Vin were just as refreshing and brilliant as their world. Kelsier, a slave turned rebel turned martyr was presented in such a way where I questioned his sanity, and when his plans were brought to light, I questioned how I ever doubted him! He's mad, erratic, spontaneous, reckless, blunt, sarcastic and to top it off, a heroic genius. At no point do you stop questioning his motives and sanity until after the fact. I loved him. Vin too. Untrusting street urchin turned noble-lady-spy-rebel. All the characters in this book are just so diverse, from Elend to Sazed. These's rebellion, magic, mystery, noble balls, battle, political infiltration, forbidden romance...what more could you ask for?! Though this book is over 500 pages, it seems to go by too fast. It's faced paced, and invokes the "I need to go to bed but I need to keep going" mentality. Total winner. I'll for sure keep on with this series!

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Check out the Launch of my New Book Tours Site!

BYOBook Tours!

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Skulduggery Pleasant - Derek Landy

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Synopsis: Meet Skulduggery Pleasant Ace Detective Snappy Dresser Razor–tongued Wit Crackerjack Sorcerer and Walking, Talking, Fire-throwing Skeleton —as well as ally, protector, and mentor of Stephanie Edgley, a very unusual and darkly talented twelve-year-old. These two alone must defeat an all-consuming ancient evil. The end of the world? Over his dead body. Review: I really can't decide if this is a good book or not, since I am really too old to be reading it. But, in terms of my liking of it, I thought it was OK. This is a middle grade-ish, paranormal novel. I found the overall story to be a great idea which will no doubt be a gateway for children read more fantasy as they grow up. I mean you have it all: magical skeleton, a newly discovered world of magic, an ultimate scepter, and a murder mystery. For a child, I imagine that this would be a really exciting read. Though to me it was a little cliche, and I found the main character to be whiny and annoying at times. I did however like Skulduggery Pleasant - he reminded me of that driver from Halloweentown.

None the less, I still enjoyed this easy read - it really feels like your flying through the book when the font and line spacing is large! I won't be continuing on with this series, though I do recommend it for older children!

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favourite series ☺️❤️

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I haven’t seen this edition yet - gorgeous!

So I bought Dreams of Gods and Monsters today (finally!) and it’s ridicoulusly pretty *heart eyes*

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In the Afterlight (the Darkest Minds, Book #3) - Alexandra Bracken

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Synopsis: Ruby can't look back. Fractured by an unbearable loss, she and the kids who survived the government's attack on Los Angeles travel north to regroup. With them is a prisoner: Clancy Gray, son of the president, and one of the few people Ruby has encountered with abilities like hers. Only Ruby has any power over him, and just one slip could lead to Clancy wreaking havoc on their minds. They are armed only with a volatile secret: proof of a government conspiracy to cover up the real cause of IAAN, the disease that has killed most of America's children and left Ruby and others like her with powers the government will kill to keep contained. But internal strife may destroy their only chance to free the "rehabilitation camps" housing thousands of other Psi kids. Meanwhile, reunited with Liam, the boy she would-and did-sacrifice everything for to keep alive, Ruby must face the painful repercussions of having tampered with his memories of her. She turns to Cole, his older brother, to provide the intense training she knows she will need to take down Gray and the government. But Cole has demons of his own, and one fatal mistake may be the spark that sets the world on fire. Review: By no means as good as the first two books, but still had a satisfying ending… When I immediately finished this book, I loved it. But I held off on writing this review because I find that I ALWAYS love books right when I finish them. So this time, I took the time to let my emotions settle in order to get a stronger hold on my opinion. With all that said, I like this series. Not love, but that perfect crush that you had in high school who you look back on now and think “meh”. I found that Alexandra Bracken tried too hard to stretch out this book and make it as long as the others in the series. I mean, there were just too many chapters that seemed to repeat each other, where Ruby would feel insecure, Ruby would struggle with her emotions, and Ruby would keep secrets from a special someone. It definitely could have been condensed. And speaking of a special someone, considering the fact that Liam was present for nearly this entire book, he really didn’t seem to be around much. He was such a fan favourite yet the author focused too little on him and way too much on Ruby’s emotions. So if you haven’t figured it out yet, Ruby did start to get on my nerves with the repetitive and constant complaining and struggling with her abilities and relationships with Cole and Liam. Ruby’s complaints and Liams lack of air-time caused me to disconnect from them on an emotional level. BUT the momentum from the action in the past books and the emotional connections I had made in the past two books allowed me to still enjoy reading this one. For a good majority of the book, Ruby's all like:

On the other hand, I loved the direction the story took and (without giving too much of a spoiler) I loved how the story come full circle and concluded where book one started. I did find the very ending (the resolution to the damaged American world) very over simplistic and unlikely, but I can’t be surprised by it, this is young adult after all. So, the ending was satisfying - but it would be FANTASTIC if there were an epilogue or a novella to tell us what happens after this book, because we are left to wonder how these characters relationships develop after the big events of the finale.

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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J. K. Rowling

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Review: I really don`t believe this needs to be a long post. I mean, it`s Harry Potter, I loved it.

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Book Photo Challenge • July 30 • New Favorite

Ernest Cline, easy.

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Cats That Need Your Attention The Exact Moment You Start Reading  

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Bless every single person that writes ff, you are a miracle.