He's addicted to booze. She's addicted to sex...staying sober is only half the battle.
No. More. Sex.
Those are the three words Lily Calloway fears the most. But Loren Hale is determined to be with Lily without enabling her dangerous compulsions. With their new living situation—sleeping in the same bed, for real, together—Lily has new battles. Like not jumping Lo’s bones every night. Not being consumed by sex and his body.
Loren plans to stay sober, to right all of his wrongs. So when someone threatens to expose Lily’s secret to her family and the public, he promises that he’ll do anything to protect her. But with old enemies surfacing, Lo has more at stake than his sobriety.
They will torment Lily until Lo breaks.
And his worst fear isn’t relapsing. He hears the end. He sees it. The one thing that could change everything. Just three words.
No. More. Us.
GoodReads | TheBookDepository
Genre: NA, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 488
First Published: March, 2014
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Review in a gif:
(spoiler free review under cut)
I am constantly amazed at how well this series deals with sex addiction as a real and honest problem as opposed to it simply being a case of the slut. This book in particular did so well that I think I might cry of joy.
Set after Ricochet, Lo is back from rehab and now our favourite addicts have to deal with the real world. While Lily has to figure out how sex with Lo is going to work with her sex addiction, Lo has to suck it up and stay as far away from the bottle as possible. Both are made increasingly hard when our favourite couple start received haunting text messages. A stalker threatening to reveal Lily’s deepest, darkest secret to the world - her sex addiction. Well fuck.
I found this book a little harder to get into than the first two (or is it 1.5?). But once I got to their time in Cancun, it was smooth sailing. Insanely gripping, I seriously think this series is one of the best NA in the market right now.
The dual POV threw me for a bit of a loop at first, but I quickly got used to it. Not gonna lie, it was also kind of nice to see what was running through Lo’s head. It really helped to understand his character a little more
All of our faves return in this one, too. Rose is so badass and so take charge, I can’t wait to read the next book centred all on her *yey*. And well Connor, too. Don’t let the after thought fool you though. Connor is deadset my favourite guy in this series. To the point where I really want one of him in my life. Ugh I just love his brain and his heart and just everything.
I’m starting to understand Ryke a little more as well. We get to learn a little more about him and there’s some amazing brotherly love going on in this one. I seriously thought it would never happen, but there we have it. Aaaaand our wild Daisy makes an appearance. I just want to wrap this cutie up in a blanket and feed her hot chocolate and donuts. Basically just hide her away from her shithouse mother. There was some simmering Ryke/Daisy in this one, too. While they do have some awesome chemistry, I’m still on the fence with them. We shall see.
Special mention to douchebags psychiatrist. Those of you who have read it will know exactly what I mean. What the actual fuck man. My poor friend had to suffer through my many cursing as it was the only way I would’ve been able to get through those scenes.
SO MUCH CHARACTER GROWTH. We all know I’m a massive sucker for character’s learning and growing and becoming older and wiser. I just can’t with it. Especially with Lily. Our little girl is growing up. Although Lo has his fair share of it as well.
Must. Read. More.
Water for Elephants meets The Night Circus in The Magician’s Lie, a debut novel in which the country’s most notorious female illusionist stands accused of her husband's murder --and she has only one night to convince a small-town policeman of her innocence.
The Amazing Arden is the most famous female illusionist of her day, renowned for her notorious trick of sawing a man in half on stage. One night in Waterloo, Iowa, with young policeman Virgil Holt watching from the audience, she swaps her trademark saw for a fire ax. Is it a new version of the illusion, or an all-too-real murder? When Arden’s husband is found lifeless beneath the stage later that night, the answer seems clear.
But when Virgil happens upon the fleeing magician and takes her into custody, she has a very different story to tell. Even handcuffed and alone, Arden is far from powerless—and what she reveals is as unbelievable as it is spellbinding. Over the course of one eerie night, Virgil must decide whether to turn Arden in or set her free… and it will take all he has to see through the smoke and mirrors.
GoodReads | TheBookDepository
*I received this book free via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
Genre: Historical, Mystery, Magic
Pages: 320
First Published: Jan, 2015
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Review in a gif:
(spoiler free review under the cut)
Come one, come all and witness the enthralling life of the Amazing Arden, magician extraordinaire.
Her husband is dead. Dead by the very axe she had used earlier that night to chop a man in half. Of course, the wife, the magician, the prime suspect. Caught by a single lawman as she tries to escape, the subsequent story is filled with twists and turns of a life lived and a life survived. Starting from her childhood, Arden weaves a tale of mystery and horror, all the way up to the events that led to her handcuffed to a chair in the middle of the night, being questioned by a lawman.
There are characters to fill all preferences. Psychopaths and magicians. Lovers and fighters. Tigers and snakes, and doves and pigeons. Feminists and douchebags. There’s a little bit of everything. Most are well rounded and leap off the page, while few are left a little two dimensional.
The writing is engaging and interesting. At times I felt as if it were a little too descriptive and found myself scanning some paragraphs (like the description of the Library for example), but all in all I found The Magician’s Lie to be well written.
An intriguing adventure with a generous splash of mystery and a dash of romance. Sprinkled with history and garnished with some girl power. A pretty darn good recipe. (I have no idea where this food metaphor came from).
In this gripping sequel to THIS IS NOT A TEST, Rhys and Sloane are headed for a safe haven when they get separated along the way. Rhys is determined to reunite with Sloane until he discovers people who might need him more--people who offer him the closest he'll get to everything he's lost, if they can just hold on long enough.
Rhys thinks he has what it takes to survive and find the girl he lost, but in a world overrun by the dead, there are no guarantees and the next leg of his journey will test him in unimaginable ways ...
GoodReads
Genre: YA, Dystopia, Zombies
Pages: 96
First Published: Jan, 2015
My Rating: ★★★★★
Review in a gif:
(spoiler free review under cut - as long as you've read tinat)
Please Remain Calm is a painful novella set directly after the events of This Is Not A Test, so make sure to read TINAT first yeah?
Sloane and Rhys are left to their own devices as they make their way to Rayford, a supposed safe haven. Never fear, our beloved characters are just as fucked up as they were in the original story. Even more so actually as they try to come to terms with all that has happened.
Told in Rhys’ perspective, we get to see a whole new take on this zombie apocalypse and the relationship between Sloane and Rhys. They’re all each other has left and that results in some pretty intense feelings - what kind of feelings? I guess you’ll have to read to find out *evil laughter*
Needless to say, our two heroes run into some problems of the zombie kind. Expect lots of blood and gore, and lots of fighting for their lives. Expect to fall in love with new characters and fall back in love with old. Expect Courtney Summer's unique talent at making you fall in love only to rip your heart out. It's a short book but it's still a wild and emotional ride.
"Will Grayson, Will Grayson" by John Green & David Levithan
Will Grayson meets Will Grayson. One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two strangers are about to cross paths. From that moment on, their world will collide and Iives intertwine.
It's not that far from Evanston to Naperville, but Chiacago suburbanites Will Grayson and Will Grayson might as well live on different planets. When fate delivers them both to the same surprising crossroads, the Will Graysons find their lives overlapping and hurtling in new and unexpected directions. With a push from friends new and old - including the massive, and massively fabulous, Tiny Cooper, offensive lineman and musical theater auteur extraordinaire - Will and Will begin building toward respective romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history's most awesome high school musical.
GoodReads | TheBookDepository
Genre: YA, Contemporary, LGBT
Pages: 332
First Published: Jan, 2010
Persepolis is the story of Satrapi's unforgettable childhood and coming of age within a large and loving family in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution; of the contradictions between private life and public life in a country plagued by political upheaval; of her high school years in Vienna facing the trials of adolescence far from her family; of her homecoming--both sweet and terrible; and, finally, of her self-imposed exile from her beloved homeland. It is the chronicle of a girlhood and adolescence at once outrageous and familiar, a young life entwined with the history of her country yet filled with the universal trials and joys of growing up.
Edgy, searingly observant, and candid, often heartbreaking but threaded throughout with raw humor and hard-earned wisdom--Persepolis is a stunning work from one of the most highly regarded, singularly talented graphic artists at work today.
GOODREADS | THEBOOKDEPOSITORY
Genre: Graphic Novel, Non Fiction, Memoir
Pages: 341
First Published: 2000
My Rating: ★★★★★
Review in a gif:
(spoiler free review under cut)
I finished this amazing book with two thoughts lingering in my brain.
1. Holy shit that was a wild ride.
2. Marjane and Malala should have coffee some time.
Persepolis is the captivating story of Marjane Satrapi's childhood and young adulthood. It is her transformation from a precocious young girl to a struggling teen, and lastly into a well adjusted, headstrong woman. It is beautiful and completely inspiring.
Not only was the novel entertaining, but it was vastly educational. Not only on Iran's political history; but of a life lived during war, of a child that is separated from her parents and sent off to another continent so she could spread her wings without fear of them being cut, of a girl who learns of the harshness of life and then grows into a self-assured woman.
I loved the graphics as well. All done with harsh black lines, it was stunning and conveyed the tone and feel of the story perfectly.
All in all, I thought this book was definitely a 5 out of 5 star read, no question about it. I enjoyed it from beginning to end, and now find myself itching to get my hands on the movie.
Before America Singer's story began, another girl came to the palace to compete for the hand of a different prince….
Don't miss this digital original novella set in the captivating world of Kiera Cass's #1 New York Times bestselling Selection series. This prequel story takes place before the events of The Selection and is told from the point of view of Prince Maxon's mother, Amberly. Discover a whole new Selection with this inside look at how Maxon's parents met—and how an ordinary girl named Amberly became a beloved queen.
GoodReads
Genre: YA, Dystopia, Novella
Pages:
First Published: 2014
My Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5)
Review in a gif:
(spoiler free review under the cut)
I'm not entirely sure what to say. Ever since I heard that she was writing this novella I was over the moon. Queen Amberly was one of my favourite characters in The Selection and I was dying for a chance to get to know her story better. But what I got wasn't quite what I was hoping for.
I don't know whether the problem is that it's been a few months since I finished the trilogy, but I just felt it seriously lacking for her character. She felt like a bit of a wallflower for me. And her relationship with Prince Clarkson (soon to be King) was just weird and kind of ... not quite abusive but it definitely toes the morally grey line, which is usually my kryptonite but this time round it was just lacking.
That being said, there were definitely a few things that I enjoyed immensely. First of all was the foreshadowing. MY POOR HEART OMG. Don't even look at me.
And then I have to say I loved Clarkson's character and how it was extremely true to what we saw in the main novels. It explains how he turned out the way he did, and you can see from that early on how cunning and manipulative he can be. I still hate his character (in that way that we love to hate some characters), but it was great to get more background on him. Basically, what we got with Clarkson is what I desperately wanted from Amberly.
Overall, I much rather prefer my own headcanon about Amberly's selection and I'm feeling let down with this story. But I do recognise that it is, in fact, a novella and there is only so much that can be done in 80 odd pages.
The survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what's left of the modern world.
When a groups of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. As Penryn searches the streets of San Francisco looking for her, she's drawn into the heart of the angels' secret plans, where she learns the horrifying extent to which they are willing to go.
Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, but when faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?
GoodReads | TheBookDepository
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Angels
Pages: 438
First Published: 2013
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Review in a gif:
(spoiler free review under the cut)
Set directly after the events in ANGELFALL, the second novel of the series continues Penryn’s story of survival in a world overrun by deadly angels.
Despite not having picked up this series since I first read ANGELFALL last year, it was surprisingly easy to fall right back into the narrative. It did take a little while to be able to place some of the characters, but it didn’t take that long for it all to click in my brain. Susan Ee has a fabulous writing style that draws you in to the story and doesn’t let you go. You can’t help but want to know MORE.
I loved Penryn’s character development. She continues to be that strong character that can fend for herself in any situation, but there are these touches here and there where you can really see how she has grown since the beginning of the series. In particular with the way she treats her sister and how her feelings change throughout this installment.
I also really enjoyed learning more about Paige, and how the events of the first book changed her. While in ANGELFALL we get to see much of Penryn’s struggles in finding her sister, it was great to witness Paige’s struggles after being rescued. The descriptions of who she has become and her actions are terrifying, but in that oh-so-good kind of way. I just wanted to wrap her up in a fluffy blanket and hide her away from the cruel world.
Penryn’s mother is just as mentally unstable as she was in the first book. However, throughout WORLD AFTER I couldn’t help but have a suspicion about her ‘craziness’ turning out to be really integral to the plot and the end. I hope I'm right.
Also, let’s discuss the freaking sword. At first I wasn’t that big a fan of those ‘dream’ scenes - if you’ve read the book you’ll know what I’m talking about. I thought they were unnecessarily … well kind of useless. But then towards the end I really started understanding it. And now I have a deep appreciation for Pooky Bear *snort*.
All in all I was really happy with this book, and thought it was a great and befitting sequel to ANGELFALL.
At seven minutes past midnight, thirteen-year-old Conor wakes to find a monster outside his bedroom window. But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting - he's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments. The monster in his backyard is different. It's ancient. And wild. And it wants something from Conor. Something terrible and dangerous. It wants the truth.
GoodReads | TheBookDepository
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Horror
Pages: 215
First Published: 2011
My Rating: ★★★★★
Review in a gif:
(spoiler free review under the cut)
This book was not entirely what I expected, but boy did I love it. I fell in headfirst and read the quick 215 page book in one remarkable sitting.
The illustrations were absolutely stunning. They were haunting and dark; just a complete work of art. The attention to detail was breathtaking and it was seriously one of my favourite aspects of the book. The drawings enhanced and complemented the story beautifully.
The storyline itself was also incredibly engaging. The uncertainty of whether the monster was real or just a figment of Conor's imagination was enthralling. The writing style was quite simplistic (it is a middle-grade book after all) and the plot is fairly straightforward, but I feel like it just added to the story rather than taking anything away from it. It's a touching story that didn't need misdirections and plot twists. It was incredibly poignant in its simplicity.
Conor was a sassy little shit and I loved him to bits. He's a completely human character with his own set of fears and shortcomings. I enjoyed the fairytale-esque feel of the Monster, like the three stories and his riddle-filled speech.
This story is all about the little details. The leaves and sapling, Conor's grandmother's clock, his teachers and schoolmates, the cemetery, and that damn tree. It's a gorgeous story and definitely one of my top reads this year.
