Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Allegiant {book three} by Veronica Roth
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication Date: October 22, 2013
Number of Pages: 526
Genre: Young Adult Dystopia
Source: borrowed from local library

Summary {via GoodReads}:
The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered - fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she's known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris's new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature - and of herself - while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

She thinks: WWWWWWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?!?!?!?!?!

{via gemini-dragon-gifs.tumblr.com}

I'm mad at this book. I'm grieving over this book. I just don't understand why this book had to end the way it did. It's just not fair.

That aside, that book is written well, and it is beautiful. I thought the political turn the book took was weird and unexpected. But, I guess you should always expect the unexpected, right?? Meh.

I don't even know what else to say about the book. I guess I'll add that I'm glad Tobias faced some of his fears head on. That is all.

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Publisher: St. Martina's Press

Publication Date: July 8, 2014

Number of Pages: 310

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Realistic Fiction

Source: borrowed from local library

Summary via GoodReads:

Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. That it's been in trouble for a long time. She still lives her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply - but that almost seems beside the point now.

Maybe that was always beside the point.

Two days before they're suppose to visit Neal's family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can't go. She's a TV writer, and something's come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her - Neal is always a little upset with Georgie - but she doesn't expect him to pack up the kids and go home without her.

When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she's finally done it. If she's ruined everything.

That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It's not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she's been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts...

Is that what she's supposed to do?

Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?

She thinks: I love Rainbow Rowell. When she writes, it is real and honest and true. Her characters have actual problems with no easy solutions. They are conflicted and heartbroken and raw. I feel like Rainbow Rowell's tag line should be, "I only speak the truth." Maybe John Leguizamo could follow her around saying that line from Moulin Rouge.

{via quickmeme.com}

As for Landline, I couldn't have asked for more. Every woman at one point or another in a relationship has felt the way Georgie feels. Is what I'm doing enough? Do I take him for granted? Am I ruining this? And to have a book written that makes you feel okay about your insecurities is phenomenal. Solidarity sister.

{via tookieclothespins.tumblr.com}

This book will give you hope. It will make you believe in love. It will make you want to fight for what you believe in. You will not regret reading this book...ever. I would love to own physical copies of all of Rainbow Rowell's books. Guess I know what I'm putting on my Christmas list this year! {Will someone remind me that I said this in a couple of months??}

See what others are saying about Landline by Rainbow Rowell:

• Stacey @ Pretty Books
• Kelly @ Effortlessly Reading
• Jamie @ The Broke and the Bookish
• Kevin @ TomeBound
• Joanne @ Once Upon a Bookcase

Before You by Amber Hart

Before You (Book One) by Amber Hart
Publisher: K-Teen {Kensington Books}
Publication Date: July 29, 2014
Number of Pages: 320
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance
Source: eARC via NetGalley

Summary via GoodReads:
Some say love is deadly. Some say love is beautiful. I say it both.

Faith Watters spent her junior year traveling the world, studying the exquisite places, before returning to Oviedo High School. From the outside her life is picture-perfect. Captain of the dance team. Popular. Happy. Too bad it's all a lie.

It will haunt me. It will claim me. It will shatter me. And I don't care.

Eighteen-year-old Diego Alvarez hates his new life in the States, but staying in Cuba is not an option. Covered in tattoos and scars, Diego doesn't stand a chance of fitting in. Nor does he want to. His only concern is staying hidden from his past - a past, which if it were to surface, would cost him everything. Including his life.

At Oviedo High School, it seems that Faith Watters and Diego Alvarez do not belong together. But fate is as tricky as it is lovely. Freedom with no restraint is what they long for. What they get is something different entirely.

Love - it will ruin you and save you, both.

She thinks: To be honest, I'm not really sure what I think of this book. It has me perplexed. I thought about this book for three days before I wrote this post. I just couldn't figure out what I wanted to say. So, I'll say this: the plot is definitely addicting, and I found myself not wanting to stop reading at the end of my lunch break. However, I am staunchly against present tense narration. I just don't like the way it feels when I read.

Now, despite my aversion to present tense narration, I liked the A Walk to Remember vibe that was going on. Good girl/pastor's daughter falls for bad boy who is misunderstood. I liked the twist on the tale in which the good girl has some demon's in her closet too. They supported each other, and it was beautiful.

At the same time, it felt a little preachy about how life ruining gangs and drugs can be. At one point towards the end, the author has this small moment where you just know she wants you to understand how she feels about young people having to resort or choosing to live those lifestyles. She wants them to understand that they have other options, and I do too. I just wish that particular moment wasn't so in your face.

Other than that, I enjoyed the book for what it was. At one point, I was crying and silently screaming in my head (because the mister was already in bed), "WWWWWHHHHHHYYYYYY?" But, I'll leave you to read the book and figure out that particular moment for yourself. Sigh. The love story is beautiful...if not a little rushed, as I find with most of the YA books I love so much. It is definitely a book that I would check out from the library.

See what others are saying about Before You by Amber Hart:

• Celeste @ The Book Hookup
• Jenea @ Books Live Forever
• Nick @ Nick's Book Blog

Since You've Been Gone by Anouska Knight

Since You've Been Gone by Anouska Knight

Publisher: Harlequin HQN

Publication Date: July 29, 2014

Number of Pages: 320

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Source: eARC via NetGalley

Summary via GoodReads:

How do you learn to love again?

In one tragic moment, Holly Jefferson's life as she knows changes forever. Now to the external world, at least she's finally getting back on her feet, running her business, Cake. Then she meets Ciaran Argyll.

His rich and charmed life feels a million miles away from her own. However, there's more to Ciaran than the superficial world that surrounds him, and he too is wrestling with his own ghosts. Will Holly find the missing ingredient that allows her to live again and embrace and unknown and unexpected tomorrow?

She thinks: I wasn't ready!!! The tragic moment happens so fast. I was left reeling; I didn't know whether to put the book down and walk away or power through. I am proud and eager to say I powered through though, and it was wonderful. It was light-hearted yet touching at the same time.

Bad boy turned good guy. We've seen it and read it before...a million times probably. And that won't stop me from reading it a million more when their presented in such nice packages. Ciaran sweeps Holly off her feet reluctantly and bittersweet hilarity ensues. Ciaran's father is a hot mess, and the Ice Queen will wish you had stabbed her with a pair of stilettos instead of a cake. I definitely needed some of my own cake after finishing this book! 

If you are in search of a feel good read in which you wish you could be friends with the main character (or live her life), then I highly suggest you pick up this book. {You can thank me later!}

And, if you're anything like me, this song has been on repeat in your read since you read the title of the book. Plus, Pitch Perfect makes everything better!!!! You're welcome!

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: February 26, 2013
Number of Pages: 328
Genre: Young Adult
Source: borrowed from local library

Summary {via GoodReads}:
Two Misfits.
One extraordinary love.

Eleanor...Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor.

Parks...He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park.

Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds - smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.

She thinks: When I first read about Eleanor and Park, I was wholeheartedly against it. Now, before you bring out the pitchforks, hear me out. I imagined these two sitting at the back of a public bus, sharing a walkman, and listening to different mix tapes. I liked that part. It was sweet and romantic. Thinking that it revolved around music, it reminded me of High Fidelity, which I did not care for when I read it. Hence, my resignation in reading this book.

Why did I then decide I wanted to read the book? Well, I was invited to participate in a GoodReads Q&A with Rainbow Rowell. I was perusing the questions she was being asked when I stumbled on one about the ending of Eleanor and Park. Of course, I won't say what the ending is or what the question was, but I will say that it was enough to get me to put the book on hold and read it.

This is me now after having finished reading it...and every time I think about the book at all!

{via knowyourmeme.com}

The thing about this book - it has to be experienced. It needs to be felt and processed and shared with the world. It is a John Hughes movie in a book. More Pretty in Pink and Breakfast Club than Sixteen Candles and Some Kind of Wonderful. It is a book that I will tell everyone to read; it is just that good.

The thing about Rainbow Rowell's books - she knows how to write an ending! I've read all three of her books, and her newest one, Landline, should be arriving at the library for me any day now. Her endings are absolutely perfect whether it's the ending you want or not. You can't begrudge her the ending because it's real and true and you don't feel cheated in the slightest.

If you haven't read any of her books, DO.IT.NOW!! You will not be sorry. I promise. So.many.feelings.

See what others are saying about Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell:

• Stacey @ The Pretty Books
• Jane @ Dear Author
• Excellent Reads
• Lisa @ Read Breathe Relax
• Gillian @ Writer of Wrongs

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent {book one} by Veronica Roth
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: February 28, 2012
Number of Pages: 487
Genre: Young Adult Dystopia
Source: borrowed from local library

Summary {via GoodReads}:
In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue - Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is - she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are - and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves...or it might destroy her.

She thinks: OMG! Why did I wait so long to read this book?? Why did I resist it?? I feel like a fool because now I have to wait moooooonnnnnttttthhhhhhsssss to read Insurgent since the library hold list has over 100 people on it. Siiiiigh.

{via blog.chegg.com}

Unless, of course, someone wants to let me borrow their copy!! I'd be okay with that. =]

But, anyway, I loved the book despite the fact that I resisted reading it for nearly two years. It was hard for me to put down. My husband would have to drag me back to reality and inform me that hours had passed since I started and he was bored. That's how good Divergent is. I breezed through; not because it lacked any real plot but because it flowed so easily. That's what I love about a good book. You can visualize it and put yourself in the place of the main character and get sucked in instantly. Be sure you block out your whole weekend if you, like me, haven't read the book yet but plan to. You won't want to go anywhere!

While reading the book, I found myself trying to figure out in which faction I would possibly belong. I definitely don't think I could handle being in Dauntless. It takes a strong person - both mentally and physically - to be in that faction, and I would definitely wimp out from the first moment when they have to jump onto a moving train. I think I would like to be Divergent like Beatrice/Tris. The ability to use all the different attributes of each faction sounds much more appealing than just limiting yourself to one ability for your whole life. Wouldn't you agree?

Now, I need to watch the movie. I want to see how it compares to my imagination and the descriptions in the book. It will be very interesting, I think. Tell me what you thought about the book or the movie or both!

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Margaret K McElderry
Publication Date: May 27, 2014
Number of Pages: 725
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy/Paranormal
Source: borrowed from local library

Summary {via GoodReads}: 
In this dazzling and long-awaited conclusion to the acclaimed Mortal Instruments series, Clary and her friends fight the greatest evil they have ever faced: her brother.

Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. Bearing the Infernal Cup, her transforms Shadowhunters into creatures out of a nightmare, tearing apart families and lovers as the ranks of his Endarkened army swell.

The embattled Shadowhunters withdraw to Idris - but not even the famed demon towers of Alicante can keep Sebastian at bay. And with the Nephilim trapped in Idris, who will guard the world against demons?

When one of the greatest betrayals the Nephilim have ever known is revealed, Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon, and Alec must flee - even if their journey takes them deep into the demon realms, where no Shadowhunter has ever set foot before, and from which no human being has ever returned...

Love will be sacrificed and lives lost in the terrible battle for the fate of the world in the thrilling final installment of the classic urban fantasy series The Mortal Instruments.

She thinks: It took me a whole week to read 725 pages!!! A.WHOLE.WEEK. I don't remember the last time it took me a whole week of reading to finish a book. I was probably young and just beginning to read chapter books. This is how I felt after finally finishing the book and emerging back into the real world.

{via know your meme}

I neglected the blog all last week just to finish the silly thing. And, let me tell you, I am not happy. The book is 725 pages of finishing one series but starting another. I haven't read The Infernal Devices series yet, but of course I want to now. And, yet, she's starting a third one - The Dark Artifaces!!!! help?

Ahem.

I digress.

Let's focus and talk about this book, the last one in The Mortal Instruments series.

It did what it was supposed to. It tied up most of the loose ends and made me feel. Some of it was very redundant. Like the fact that she repeats that anyone under the age of 18 can't vote. Uhm...we got it the first five times you mentioned it in the book. I don't think you have to keep telling us; we're pretty smart. I think we can figure it out by page 600. The writing/editing was less than spectacular too. There was so much that could have been cut, and the book would have still been cohesive and plot driven. I wanted so much more than what I got from this last book.

And, holy George R R Martin! You didn't like all the plot revolving characters did you? Good, because death happens early in the book and keeps going until the end.

{via somofos.com}

Okay. Maybe not everyone dies, but you get the point, right?

Good.

I liked this book despite it's length. By about page 500 I just wanted to be done. It's not that I didn't like the book. It's just that I wanted to move on to another book already. I'm used to finishing a book in two or three days. When I spend every waking moment reading and it still takes me a week to finish a book, I feel overwhelmed...and a little disappointed in myself that it took so long. Books should not be allowed to have so many pages. I'm exhausted from heading one plot line for so long. My brain needs a break!

At any rate, I'm glad that all the characters {who lived} got what they needed in the end. I won't say it was a happy ending for them all, but it was a true ending. Not everyone can have everything they want in their life; that's not how it works, and I'm glad that the books reflected that in the end. If you can manage to read 725 pages, then this book is definitely worth it. Now, I'm off to read something light and fluffy. I've been reading too many heavy books lately!!

See what others are saying about City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare:

• Caitlin @ The Y.A. Bookworm
• Dyan @ Deadly Darlings
• Therin Knite @ Knite Writes
• Sandy @ The Reading Cafe
• Emily @ Emily's Crammed Bookshelf

Me Without You by Kelly Rimmer

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Me Without You by Kelly Rimmer
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: June 6, 2014
Number of Pages: 304
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Source: eARC {via NetGalley}

Summary: 
A story of how love can break our hearts - and heal them.

A year ago, I met the love of my life. For two people who didn't believe in love at first sight, we came pretty close.

Lilah MacDonald - beautiful, opinionated, stubborn and all kinds of wonderful in ways that words could never quite capture. The woman who taught me to love again.

My Lilah, who gave me so much, and yet kept from me a secret that she knew would break my heart.

My name is Callum Roberts, and this is our story.

She thinks: I have been going through a spell of reading very emotional books lately, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I was in the perfect head space to enjoy all of those books; this one included. I first wanted to read this book because it touted that it was similar to The Notebook and One Day, which are both outstanding books with beautiful love stories. Thankfully, this book did not disappoint one bit. I found myself captivated from the first few lines. 

"It was absolutely not love at first sight...maybe it was actually love at second sight."

This book will certainly break your heart or warm your cold heart, depending on your circumstances. That being said, you need to have a box of tissues by your side once you get to the end of the book. Consider yourself warned! The character development was perfect, and the story is plausible. I loved the dual POVs - Callum telling us their love story and Lilah writing privately in her journal. Callum wears his heart on his sleeve whereas Lilah keeps her emotions hidden away.

You will walk away from this novel a better person with more appreciation for the life you have and the lives of others. We all have our own battles and challenges to face every day, and if I learned one thing from the book, it's that it's easier to have company along the way.

See what others are saying about Me Without You by Kelly Rimmer:

• Simona Elena @ Sky's Book Corner
• Library Cat @ Chick Library Cat
• Ella Janine @ The Filapina Booknote
• Steph @ Judging Covers
• Alba @ Lost in Chick Lit

Tease by Amanda Maciel

Tease by Amanda Maciel
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: April 29, 2014
Number of Pages: 336
Genre: Young Adult
Source: borrowed from local library

Summary {via GoodReads}:
Emma Putnam is dead, and it's all Sara Wharton's fault. At least, that's what everyone seems to think. Sara, along with her best friend and three other classmates, has been criminally charged for the bullying and harassment that led to Emma's shocking suicide. Now Sara is the one who's ostracized, already guilty according to her peers, the community, and the media.

In the summer before her senior year, in between meetings with lawyers and a court-recommended therapist, Sara is forced to reflect on the events that brought her to this moment - and ultimately consider her own role in an undeniable tragedy. And she'll have to find a way to move forward, even when it feels like her own life is over.

She thinks: Everyone needs to read this book. I don't care if you think that you're too old to read young adult books, you need to read this one. Why? Because we've all been in this situation. We've either been bullied or have been a bully to someone. I would not be surprised if this book became assigned reading for teens in the future.

This novel is fresh and poignant, tragic yet perfect. It addresses real issues happening in the world today. It is not a piece of fluff. In this book, there is no happening ending - only the right kind of ending in the wake of such a tragedy.

I found my heart breaking for Sara - the main character. Even though she is an unconventional narrator for this type of novel, she's perfectly flawed. She is so lost and so impressionable. I couldn't help but feel if she hadn't been friends with Brielle that she could have easily been Emma, and that's what really breaks my heart. It doesn't matter if you're liked by millions or just one person. People are mean, and, for the most part, they don't think before they speak or do something.

If you take anything away from reading this book, I hope it's that you understand everyone has their own personal demons, whether you know about them or not. Emma does, even though we don't know what they are, but that doesn't justify inflicting any kind of harm. {If possible, I would love to read the story from Emma's POV.}

I feel like I should step down off my soapbox now. I don't mean to be preachy, but as a former teacher, I know the pitfalls of bullying. It's an issue that needs to be addressed and quickly. Okay, that's it now. I promise.

{I rated this book a diamond. I may not lend you my non-existent copy of this book, but I will certainly shout it from the rooftops that you must read this book!}

See what others are saying about Tease by Amanda Maciel:

• Magan @ Rather Be Reading
• Melanie @ YA Midnight Reads
• Jess @ Gone with the Words
• Siobhan @ Conversations of a Reading Addict
• Ttnene @ Never Ending Stories

The One by Kiera Cass

The One {book three} by Kiera Cass
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: May 6, 2014
Number of Pages: 323
Genre: Young Adult Romantic Dystopia
Source: borrowed from local library

Summary {via GoodReads}:
The Selection changed the lives of thirty-five girls forever. And now, the time has come for one winner to be chosen.

America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown - or to Prince Maxon's heart. But as the competition approaches its end and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose - and how much she'll have to fight for the future she wants.

She thinks: After I closed the book {a little reluctantly, I might add, because I don't want the story to be over}, I probably looked like this...

{via crzforum.com}

But, in a good way! There are just so many things to process while reading this book that my mind is still reeling. So many things happen, and my heart has so many feelings flowing through it right now that I just don't know what to say about this final "chapter."

It will leave you feeling satisfied that you've stuck with the series to the end. It will make you want to go out and fight for what you believe in. It will probably make you cry too. You will want to read this book cover to cover. And, if you have to put it down for a few hours, please, dear heavens, do it at the end of a chapter. You won't want that kind of uncertainty in your life!!

See what others are saying about The One by Kiera Cass:

• Caitlin @ The YA Bookworm
• Ann @ The Indigo Quill
• Gillian @ Writer of Wrongs
• Jess @ The Cozy Reader
• Sunny @ A Sunny Spot Blog

Paradigm by Ceri A. Lowe

Paradigm {Book One} by Ceri A. Lowe
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: June 13, 2014
Number of Pages: 382
Genre: YA Dystopian Fiction
Source: eARC {via NetGalley}

Summary {via Press Release}:
What if the end was just the beginning?

Alice Davenport awakens from a fever to find her mother gone and the city she lived in ravaged by storms - with few survivors. When Alice is finally rescued, she is taken to a huge underground bunker owned by the mysterious Paradigm Industries. As the storm worsens, the hatches close.

87 years later, amidst the ruins of London, the survivors of the Storms have reinvented society. The Model maintains a perfect balance - with inhabitants routinely frozen until they are needed by the Industry.

Fifteen-year-old Carter Warren knows his time has come. Awoken from the catacombs as a contender for the role of Controller General, if it is his destiny to succeed - where his parents failed. But Carter soon discovers that the world has changed, in ways that make him begin to question everything that he believes in. As Carter is forced to fight for those he loves and even for his life, it seems that the key to the future lies in the secrets of the past...

She thinks: This book could be more coherent and cohesive, but the last 3 chapters were absolutely enthralling. I spent the first part of the book trying to figure out the dynamics of the characters and trying to decipher how the chapters were comprised. It was a push to get past all the backgrounds of the characters and the flashbacks they kept having. I kept having to stop reading to go back and reread something to make sure I hadn't missed a key plot element. Lowe speaks to her readers through flashbacks and reminiscing, which, I have to admit, took some getting used to at first. Also, there is a lot of information to swallow in order to understand the actions of the characters. But, once I got about halfway through the book, I couldn't bear to put it down. The humanness {is that even a word?} of the characters will make your heart ache, and you will want to make the world a better place because of this book. You might even need some tissues; I know I almost had to grab some towards the end. The truth will set you free!

This book is part of series, and I am very much interested to know how it concludes. For book one, I have rated it as a cupcake. It is not one that I would go out and buy, but I would definitely borrow it from the library  or a friend in a heartbeat. And, never fear, I'm suffering from a book hangover because of Paradigm. Um...when do books two and three get released??