Listen, Slowly by Thanhha Lai

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication Date: February 17, 2015

Number of Pages: 272

Genre: Middle Grade

Source: Borrowed from local library

Summary {via GoodReads}: 

This remarkable novel from Thanhha Lại, New York Times bestselling author of the National Book Award-winning and Newbery Honor Book Inside Out & Back Again, follows a young girl as she learns the true meaning of family.

A California girl born and raised, Mai can't wait to spend her vacation at the beach. Instead, though, she has to travel to Vietnam with her grandmother, who is going back to find out what really happened to her husband during the Vietnam War. Mai's parents think this trip will be a great opportunity for their out-of-touch daughter to learn more about her culture. But to Mai, those are their roots, not her own. Vietnam is hot, smelly, and the last place she wants to be. Besides barely speaking the language, she doesn't know the geography, the local customs, or even her distant relatives. To survive her trip, Mai must find a balance between her two completely different worlds.

Listen, Slowly is an irresistibly charming and emotionally poignant tale about a girl who discovers that home and culture, family and friends, can all mean different things.

She thinks: I wanted to like this book. I really, really did. But, I just couldn’t. Mai was just too whiny. She complained about nearly everything and was somewhat manipulative. More of a “I’ll do that if you do this” manipulation mentality.

I think it was a beautiful story that would have worked better had Mai been an older teen. Her boy crazy attitude and “best friend” seem more reminiscent of a young girl in the beginning years of high school. Everything expected of her and asked of her was a bit much for such a young girl, in my opinion.

Now to be fair, I’m sure as a 12-year-old, I whined a crap ton when I was made to go on trips to places I had never been, but I felt she should have evolved from the whining. That she should have learned something. And, when we got to the part of the story where I felt that could truly happen, it didn’t. She continued to whine. I found it frustrating that her only growth was learning to speak Vietnamese well and getting closure with her grandmother. I hope, as I get more into Middle Grade books, that this is not the norm. I very much enjoyed Wonder, which I did not find whiny at all.

Max the Brave by Ed Vere

Max the Brave by Ed Vere

Publisher: Puffin Books

Publication Date: September 8, 2015

Genre: Children's Picture Book

Source: eARC via NetGalley

Summary:

Are You My Mother meets I Want My Hat Back in the hilarious new picture book, Max the Brave, by author and illustrator Ed Vere. 

Follow fearless Max as he encounters every other creature except the one he's searching for...mouse. Check out the trailer!

Squeeeeeeeeee! I'm so excited to get this book in my hands!! I love Ed Vere's books and can't wait to get a copy for my library.

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.

When It Happens by Susane Colasanti

When It Happens by Susane Colasanti
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Publication Date: May 4, 2006
Number of Pages: 287
Genre: Young Adult
Source: borrowed from local library

Summary {via GoodReads}:
At the start of her senior year in high school, Sara wants two things: to get into a top college and to find true love. Tobey also wants two things for his senior year: to win Battle of the Bands and to make Sara fall in love in him. However, a popular jock names Dave moves in on Sara first. But Tobey's quirky wit and big blue eyes are hard for Sara to ignore. Plus, he gets the little things that matter to her. Can a slacker rock-star wanna win the heart of a pretty class brain like Sara?

Hilariously and moving told through Tobey and Sara's authentic voices, Susane Colasanti's debut novel sizzles in its portrayal of two young people searching for The One.

She thinks: This book is everything I remember about high school. Let me count the ways,

1. The wanting of "something real." 
2. The immature boys. 
3. The panicking about going out on a date. 
4. The lack of cell phones. 
5. Jane magazine. 
6. Battle of the Bands contests. 
7. Applying for college. 
8. Wanting to be in the popular crowd. 
9. Being somewhat...okay, I was probably really...irrational. 
10. The "do you think she/he likes me?" conversations. 
11. Enlisting friends to help in your search for something real. 
12. Making and sharing Mix CDs.
13. Hanging out at the Mall. 
14. Or, you know, this w.h.o.l.e. BuzzFeed post.

{via teen.com}

If you graduated from high school in the 00s, then you need to read this book. It will make you smile the whole time and say, "Oh my God, I remember that!" And, that my friends, is reason enough to read this book.

Also, the actual book is good too. I liked that it was dual perspectives and that we got to get into Tobey's head too. We all know how mysterious the male brain can be.

{via elle.com}

How I wish I'd known about and read this book "back in the day!" It would have put my mind at ease knowing that other people felt how I felt. I'm glad I got to read in my late twenties though so I could feel nostalgic. If you're looking for a fun, quick read, pick this one up!

Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas

Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: March 11, 2014
Number of Pages: 336
Genre: Young Adult
Source: borrowed from local library

Summary {via GoodReads}:
Despite what her name might suggest, Heart has zero interest in complicated romance. So when we brilliant plan to go to prom with a group of friends is disrupted by two surprise invites, Heart knows there's only one drama-free solution: flip a coin.

Heads: The jock. He might spend all night staring at his ex or throw up in the limo, but how bad can her brother's best friend really be?

Tails: The theater geek...with a secret. What could be better than a guy who shares all Heart's interests - even if he wants to share all his feelings?

Heart's simple coin flip has somehow given her the chance to live out both dates. But where her prom night ends up might be the most surprising thing of all...

She thinks: This is a cute read that I enjoyed. The middle part confused me because it jumped right into prom without much of a segue so I spent the first part of part two trying to figure out what I missed. I mean, was I supposed to read only the heads part or only the tails part? Eventually, I just gave up on trying to figure it out and just went with it.

I found this book relatable too. Everyone's had crappy proms, right? Both of mine were completely disappointing. Alas, this is what happens when you go to an all girls school and don't know any guys and have to be set up for prom...twice. I won't bore you with all the terrible details though.

{via teawithlemon.com}

Also, confession: I was a theater geek too. I know. You're shocked. ;]

{via giphy.com}

The sense of humor of the main character was perfect, and I found myself nodding along because I probably would have said most of those things myself nowadays. However, I just don't know that I wouldn't have have been that comfortable enough with myself in high school to say some of the things she does. Heart is ridiculously confident, in my opinion. I haven't met many high schoolers who are that confident without some inner turmoil...and Heart had none. That would be my only complaint because I would expect her attitude from someone in their twenties not their teens. That's just me though.

I liked the book and am glad I picked it up, finally, to read it. It is light and fluffy and perfect for when you can't concentrate on anything else. Oh...and full disclosure, I didn't understand the title of this book until after I finished reading the.whole.thing. which is a little embarrassing. Oops! =]

See what others are saying about Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas:

• April @ Good Books & Good Wine
• Gillian @ Writer of Wrongs
• Kelly @ Effortlessly Reading
• Aimee @ Deadly Darlings
• Brittany @ The Book Addicts Guide

The List by Siobhan Vivian

The List by Siobhan Vivian
Publisher: Push
Publication Date: April 1, 2012
Number of Pages: 332
Genre: Young Adult
Source: personal purchase

Summary {via GoodReads}:
An intense look at the rules of high school attraction - and the price that's paid for them.

It happens every year. A list is posted, and one girl from each grade is chosen as the prettiest, and another is chosen as the ugliest. Nobody knows who makes the list. It almost doesn't matter. The damage is done the minute it goes up.

This is the story of eight girls, freshman to senior, "pretty" and "ugly." And it's also the story of how we see ourselves, and how other people see us, and the tangled connection of the two.

She thinks: Every woman - teen, preteen, adult - needs to read this book. It perfectly addresses how we judge ourselves and, let's face it, each other based on appearance. The girls in the book are all affected in different ways by appearing on the list, from eating disorders to bullying. It touches on each dynamic and feeling each girl might encounter based on their place on the list. Each girl's struggle with being on the list is perfectly tied to their grade and maturity level. You can feel the pain and confusion and delight on the page. And, just because you're picked the prettiest doesn't mean that you won't have your own set of struggles. This book is real, and I am grateful for that.

Played by Liz Fichera

Played {Book Two} by Liz Fichera
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: May 27, 2014
Number of Pages: 352
Genre: Young Adult
Source: borrowed from local library

Summary {via GoodReads}:
This Game Is Getting All Too Real

He said: I like to keep under the radar and mostly hang out with my friends from the rez. But when I saved Riley Berenger from falling off a mountain, that rich suburban princess decided to try and save me.

She said: If I can help Sam Tracy win the heart of the girl he can't get over, I'll pay him back for helping me. I promised him I would, no matter what it takes.

She thinks: I wanted to read this book. Hardcore. I kept passing by it on the shelf at work but wouldn't let myself check it out, telling myself that I had enough books of my own already to read. Finally, I succumbed to curiosity and checked it out. And, honestly, I'm a little disappointed. It could have been so much more than what it is.

The characters lacked motivation. Riley Berenger has a breakdown of sorts...but I don't understand why. I get that she's a goody two-shoes and is supposed to be perfect 24/7, but what sends her over the edge? What was the final tipping point? Maybe it's just me, and I missed that part of the book. And, then there's Sam Tracy. Why does he hate Jay Hawkins? I kept waiting for some profound revelation...but...nothing.

The scenarios they got themselves into seems a little far fetched too. Being rescued in a helicopter from the side of a mountain? Running away? Car accident? I felt like I got whiplash from all the different disasters that followed the two around wherever they went. Maybe they need to live in a bubble instead...?

I will say that the book helped me get out of my reading funk. I hadn't read in over a week when I picked this one up! So, yay for that?

See what others are saying about Played  by Liz Fichera:

• Aimee @ Deadly Darlings
• Nichole @ YA Reads
• Estelle @ Rather Be Reading
• Kimberly @ On the Wings of Books
• Kezia @ Chapteriosity

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!

Ready to Wed by Cindi Madsen

Ready to Wed by Cindi Madsen
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Publication Date: July 22, 2014
Number of Pages: 350
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: eARC via NetGalley

Summary via GoodReads:
Dakota Halifax loves to be in love. In fact, as one of Las Vegas' premier wedding planners, she's built a whole career around romance. Which is why her own wedding has to be nothing short of perfect. And then her fiance' jilts her. While she's waiting in her wedding dress. On a cruise ship already out at sea. Once back on dry land, Dakota tries to pour her heart into her business and weekly wedding advice column, Get Ready to Wed. But how can the heartbroken celebrate others' true love? When she reconnects with her childhood best friend, surprisingly sexy and all-grown-up casino bouncer Brendan West, Dakota wonders if maybe she can fall back in love with being in love.

But then her ex reappears, begging for another chance, and suddenly Dakota questions if she'll ever understand love. Can someone once-burned and twice-shy ever find her way down the aisle again?

She thinks: I had high hopes for this book because I wanted a light read. It sounded like a humorous plot, and it started out that way too. It quickly took a turn into not exactly "weird" but overly predictable. Dakota is trying to figure out her life after being left at the altar when her long lost friend comes back into her life. As soon as he showed up, I knew what was going to happen. Somehow, it wasn't as satisfying as I wanted it to be. It happened too quickly and then there was too much drama after it happened for me to like the book completely. Waaaaahhhhh. Yay for happy endings though!!

See what others are saying Ready to Wed by Cindi Madsen:

• Heather @ Turning Pages
• Angela @ The Reading Cave

Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern

Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: June 3, 2014
Number of Pages: 352
Genre: Young Adult
Source: borrowed from local library

Summary {via GoodReads}:
John Green's The Fault in Our Stars meets Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor & Park in this beautifully written, incredibly honest, and emotionally poignant novel. Cammie McGovern's insightful young adult debut is a heartfelt and heartbreaking story about how we can all feel lost until we find someone who loves us because of our faults, not in spite of them.

Born with cerebral palsy, Amy can't walk without a walker, talk without a voice box, or even fully control her facial expressions. Plagued by obsessive-compulsive disorder, Matthew is consumed with repeated thoughts, neurotic rituals, and crippling fear. Both in desperate need of someone to help them reach out to the world, Amy and Matthew are more alike than they ever realized.

When Amy decides to hire student aides to help her in her senior year at Coral Hills High School, these two teens are thrust into each other's lives. As they begin to spend time with each other, what started as a blossoming friendship eventually grows into something neither expected.

She thinks: This book had a lot of potential. The story was compelling and had a great plot. I loved that Amy and Matthew helped each other grow and learn despite their own struggles. I can see why it was compared to Fault in Our Stars and Eleanor and Park. I just....wanted more but less at the same time.

That sounds very convoluted, but it's true. I wanted Amy and Matthew to grow more and more quickly. To me, it felt like the book dragged on more than it needed to, and I don't think it needed to end the way it did. There were other and, in my opinion, better places to end the book. I hated that I had to push myself through some of the scenes so I could get to the end because it was a little repetitive. Amy and Matthew kept coming up against the same struggles over and over again, which they had to conquer in different ways. It wasn't my favorite.

Don't get me wrong though. I liked the book! I am so grateful to get to look into the thoughts of these characters. Too often we take for granted all that we have and are able to do. This book lets you see that every person has their own internal demons to control. Oh, sweet Matthew broke my heart at every turn of the page. I know it's not real, but I'm glad he had someone like Amy in his life to give him guidance and help him acknowledge his OCD. Sigh.

See what others are saying about Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern:

• Tara @ The Library Who Doesn't Shhh
• Blythe @ Finding Bliss in Books
• Kristen @ My Friends are Fiction
• Anna @ Anna Reads
• Estelle @ Rather Be Reading

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!

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennett by Bernie Su and Kate Rorick

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Bernie Su and Kate Rorick

Publisher: Touchstone

Publication Date: July 1, 2014

Number of Pages: 400

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Source: eARC via NetGalley

Summary {via GoodReads}:

Based on the Emmy Award winning YouTube series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

Twenty-four year old grad student Lizzie Bennet is saddled with student loan debt and still living at home along with her two sisters, beautiful Jane and reckless Lydia. When she records her reflections on life for her thesis project and posts them on YouTube, she has no idea The Lizzie Bennet Diaries will soon take on a life of their own, turning the Bennet Sisters into Internet celebrities seemingly overnight.

When rich and handsome Bing Lee comes to town, along with his stuck up friend William Darcy, things really start ito get interesting for the Bennets and for Lizzie's viewers. But not everything happens on screen. Lucky for us, Lizzie has a secret diary.

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet takes readers deep inside Lizzie's world and beyond the confines of her camera, from the wedding where she first meets William Darcy to the local hangout of Carter's, and much more. Lizzie's private musings are filled with revealing details about the Bennet household, including her growing suspicions about her parents' unstable financial situation, her sister's budding relationship with Bing Lee, the perils of her unexpected fame, and her uncertainty over her future, and whom she wants to share it with.

Featuring plenty of fresh twists to delight fans and new readers alike, The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet expands on the web series phenomenon that captivated a generation and reimagines the Pride and Prejudice story like never before.

She thinks: Okay, I admit that at first I was a little skeptical about reading this book when I first discovered it. So, I passed on by it and didn't think twice about it until I started seeing all these tweets pop up in my feed about The Lizzie Bennet Diaries on YouTube. Naturally, curiosity {and a weekend without my husband} got the best of me, and I decided to check it out. I'm not proud to admit this {okay, maybe I'm a little proud}, but I watched the whole YouTube series in less than 24 hours. It was just so addicting! It gave the classic Pride and Prejudice tale a face and a voice to relate to. That's what I love the most about the video series - how relatable {did I just make up a word?} it feels. And, the book is no different!

{via thestate.ae}

It comes complete with the trappings of the quintessential novel it's based on with exciting twists and turns along that way to make all the necessary plot elements fit. Now, before you get defensive and nervous that your precious Austen novel has been manhandled, let me allay your fears. It is done tastefully and quite wittily, if I do say so myself.

{via giphy.com}

I will caution you though - if you have already watched the YouTube videos, the book will seem repetitive at times. But once I got past that, I found myself wanting to watch the videos that corresponded with the diary entries. And, who knows, maybe one day I will! For now though, it was wonderful to get to know the inner workings of Lizzie's mind. I like having a vivid picture of how it all played out both on and off screen thanks to The Lizzie Bennet Diaries and her secret diary.

{via thegrownupya.com}

If you have not had a chance to watch the YouTube series, I highly encourage you to do so, and maybe you can match up the diary entries with the webisodes! Let me know how it goes if you do choose to do that. It'd be a double dose of Austen - in film and print! =]

See what others are saying about The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet:

• Gillian @ Writer of Wrongs
• Quinn @ Quinn's Book Nook
• Melanie @ Finding Bliss in Books
• Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit
• Jesse @ Pretty in Fiction

Also - BuzzFeed gives you 15 reasons you should love The Lizzie Bennet Diaries!

{via rebloggy.com}

Love by Numbers by Sara Donovan

Love by Numbers by Sara Donovan
Publisher: AUS Impulse
Publication Date: July 1, 2014
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: eARC via NetGalley

Summary {via GoodReads}:
What if there was a scientific 7-step formula that triggered your heart into feeling passion?

Would you follow it to fall in love with your "nice guy" bestie - the sensible choice who was actually available?

Set in the glittering north shore of Sydney, Love by Numbers follows the story of April, a successful HR executive who is in the middle of a serious man drought. To deal with her boredom, she fantasies more than she should about her hot, but uninterested-to-say-the-least office crush, Ryan. When April finally gets Ryan to drinks one night and she watches him fall for her flirtatious house-mate, April decides never again to trust her instinctual "man-picker." Her only solution is to rewire her brain and create passion with the one guy she knows she can trust.

This is a story about how far you can go to control your heart's choices, and what happens when you try.

She thinks: This book was very disappointing. It wasn't at all what I thought it was going to be when I first requested it. I'm not sure if I was distracted by the cover or what happened, but I didn't enjoy the book.

It started out good. I liked how the characters were introduced. I liked how it ended...sort of. Not everything that happened in the book was resolved. And the middle of the book was a jumble of thoughts that seemed thrown together. Like, let's put a cliche scene here then some introspective-ness then a scene with parents that has nothing to do with the plot and - oh! - let's put another cliche in here. Make sense? Yeah, me neither, but that's how the book felt.

I wish I could recommend this to others, but I don't think it would be worth the time and effort put into reading it. Someone needs to take a red pen to this book and help it make sense. There are too many unimportant characters thrown into the plot that just need to go. It would make the book so much better.

Love, Lies, and Lemon Cake by Sue Watson

Love, Lies, and Lemon Cake by Sue Watson
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: June 27, 2014
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: eARC via NetGalley

Summary {via NetGalley}: 
Faye Dobson has lost her sparkle.

Living on film star fantasies and vague memories of a marriage that once was, she can't help feeling that life is passing her by. She dreams of being whisked to Paris for dinner, making three wishes at Trevi fountain and having sex under the stars. But the wrinkles are multiplying, her husband's passion is for plumbing, and the nearest she'll get to Rome is take-away pizza.

So when Faye meets Dan the gorgeous Australian surfer guy working in the local deli she can't help but wonder what it would be like to see the world. He is blonde, tanned, ten years younger, and bakes the most amazing lemon cake. Unlike her husband, Dan actually listens to Faye, his smile makes her feel fizzy inside, and when he smiles...Oh. My. God.

But is Faye being silly? What would Dan see in someone like her? Even if he did have feelings for her, could she give up everything to be with him?

She thinks: I don't even remember why I picked this book up. Maybe because it talked about cake and I quite possibly was craving some at the time? That's got to be it because I only got five chapters in before I abandoned this book. Faye, the main character, was too whiney for my taste. The entire part of the book that I read felt like a giant complaint. I mean, I get that some people aren't happy with their lives, but I don't want to read about that if all you're going to do is complain the whole time. I have enough of my own problems; I don't need yours too. I might pick this book up again one day, but it's just not for me right now.

Just Like the Movies by Kelly Fiore

Just Like the Movies by Kelly Fiore
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Publication Date: July 22, 2014
Number of Pages: 300
Genre: Young Adult
Source: eARC {via NetGalley}

Summary {via GoodReads}:
Pretty and popular track star Marijke Monti is confident about almost everything - she's got great friends, a great family, and she's on her way to the State Track Championship. In fact, the only thing Marijke isn't confident about is her relationship with Tommy Lawson.

Lily Spencer has spent her entire high school career preparing for the future - she's participated in every extracurricular activity and volunteer committee she could. But, at home, she watches her mother go on date after date with dud-dudes, still searching for "the one." Lily realizes that she's about to graduate and still hasn't even had a boyfriend.

While they live on each other's periphery at school, Lily and Marijke never seemed to have much in common; but, after a coincidental meeting at the movie theater, Lily gets an idea - why can't life be like a movie? Why can't they set up their perfect romantic situations, just in time for their senior prom, using movie techniques?

Once the girls come up with the perfect plans, they commit themselves to being secret cohorts and, just like in the movies, drama ensues.

She thinks: This book was just what I needed after spending a whole week reading City of Heavenly Fire. I've been reading so many heavy books lately that I needed something light, and this was perfect!

Now, a prerequisite to loving this book as much as I did is certainly a love of chick flicks. If you think they are silly movies, then this book probably isn't for you, and that's okay because I loved it to pieces! We're talking references to Easy A and Friends with Benefits and Say Anything and Never Been Kissed and The Holiday and When Harry Met Sally. I mean, let's be real, it's a chick flick bonanza in a book!

{via liveluvcreate.com}

Marijke and Lily are perfectly crafted high schoolers looking for their true loves. We've all been there and know the pains of unrequited or unequaled love. Our gal pals definitely got us through the tough times with ice cream and coffee {more like wine now} and movies. Remember when you wanted a Hollywood romance? Wanting to be swept off your feet by Mr. Right? God, I miss those days. Don't you? If so, read this book!

Just Like the Movies was a great way to revisit my high school days without all the awkwardness. I enjoyed delving into a world of prom proposals {of which I was never a recipient} and all missteps along the way. I remember dreaming of how I could craft the perfect meet cute in high school with little luck. I'm the Lily in this book. I would love to know which character you identified with more - Lily or Marijke!

Pride, Prejudice, & Cheese Grits by Mary Jane Hathaway

Pride, Prejudice, and Cheese Grits {book one} by Mary Jane Hathaway
Publisher: Howard Books
Publication Date: June 10, 2014
Number of Pages: 352
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: eARC {via NetGalley}

Summary {via GoodReads}:
This hilarious Southern retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice tells the story of two hard-headed Civil War historians who find that first impressions can be deceiving.

Shelby Roswell, a Civil War historian and professor, is on the fast track to tenure - that is, until her new book is roasted by the famous historian Ransom Fielding in a national review. With her career stalled by a man she's never met, Shelby struggles to maintain her composure when she discovers that Fielding has taken a visiting professorship at her small Southern college.

Ransom Fielding is still struggling with his role in wife's accidental death six years ago and is hoping that a year at Shelby's small college near his hometown of Oxford, Mississippi, will be respite from the pressures of Ivy League academia. He never bargained for falling in love with the one woman whose career - and pride - he injured, and who would do anything to make him leave.

When these two hot-headed Southerners find themselves fighting over the centuries-old history of local battles and antebellum mansions, their small college is about to become a battlefield of Civil War proportions.

She thinks: So, I wouldn't really call this a retelling but more of an adaptation. It follows the general plot line of the classic Jane Austen novel, but I don't consider it an actual retelling. There were too many differences. I liked trying to figure out which characters were which, since they all have different names, and I liked the extra depth Ransom has. It makes his actions much more understandable.

{via youtube}

However, there were some moments that I thought were just too far fetched in order to make the story echo the original Pride and Prejudice. And, while I get why it needed to be done, I wish it could have been done another way. There either needed to be more lead up to those particular parts of the plot, or it should have been left out all together. I felt as if towards the end of the book random bits and pieces were just thrown in to the story.

All that being said, I enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend it to Elizabeth & Darcy fans! In fact, I already have.

See what others are saying about Pride, Prejudice, and Cheese Grits by Mary Jane Hathaway:

• Chelsea @ Magical Musings
• Rissi @ Dreaming Under the Same Moon
• Vi @ She Read Until the Lights Had Long Sing Gone Out