Saturday, January 30, 2016

The Score by Elle Kennedy

"Allie Hayes is in crisis mode. With graduation looming, she still doesn’t have the first clue about what she's going to do after college. To make matters worse, she’s nursing a broken heart thanks to the end of her longtime relationship. Wild rebound sex is definitely not the solution to her problems, but gorgeous hockey star Dean Di-Laurentis is impossible to resist. Just once, though, because even if her future is uncertain, it sure as heck won’t include the king of one-night stands." -Goodreads Synopsis

First off I want to thank Hulya for sending me a copy. I was having such a crap week until I got this. Thank you so much again. Second, this book legit put me in the best mood. Been walking around beaming since I finished this. Third, you're probably judging this book by it's cover... Well don't! Just embrace it! I know I have.

The Score is following two characters that if you have read any of Elle's other books in this series you'll remember. Allie our leading female is a acting major and then Dean our male is currently studying law. Y'all I liked Allie right from the get go. She is hilarious and dramatic just like I am. So the two of us just clicked right away. Everything she said had me rolling! I loved how comfortable she was with herself. She would just walk into a room, make herself at home, and could talk to anyone. Allie is a top notch A plus female lead. I have zero complaints about her. Her reactions to situations and the way she handles things felt real. On to Dean... Dean was different for me. It is very, very rare that I don't like the leading guys right off the bat and with Dean he definitely had to grow on me. I love overly cocky guys in books, but for some reason when we first got into Dean's POV I just didn't like him. He really does straddle the line of cocky and confident. Usually me likey this, but not so much in Dean's case. I would like him one second then would be blah towards him the next... It went back and forth like that for a short while. He would basically call himself a God-I'd want to yak- then he would make a Twilight reference and would have me laughing so hard! His "I love me attitude" was just something in the long run that just had to grow on me... However, once he starts doing the Pee Wee hockey gig, whoosh, I was singing a different tune! That's when I started warming up to him. From then on out my feeling for him increased. The moment I become 100% sold though was when Allie walked into the room and he just doesn't talk and is just staring... Yeah, that might sound a little creepy but promise it's really romantic. I also want to say I 1000% have his back on his view of girls and slut shaming themselves. Because he's right the word slut should be erased from our vocb.

The relationship between these two is gold. They just shouldn't fit together but they do. Opposites attract has never been more right. The moments when these two are alone and just joking around with one another are priceless. Their banter is some of the best. Like when they are making negotiations to hang out, I was dying!

“How about you leave? Counter offer - I stay and we dry hump. Counter offer- you can stay, but you're not allowed to talk. I stay, I'm allowed to talk, but I wont hit on you. You stay, you can't hit on me, and you have to watch my show without a single complaint. I accept your terms..."

The storyline for this book is just as great as the romance. It starts off right away with a bang and doesn't let up. It has the right amount of twist and turns but manages to never overdo it. NA books can easily slip into that lame cheesy pattern that will having you rolling your eyes till they nearly fall out... This isn't a problem with The Score. Everything plays out so smooth and even surprised me. There are so many moments I thought I had predicted and was happy when they went another direction. Elle really manages to keep the story fresh. The beginning and middle are great. The start lets you get to know the characters. The middle has you falling in love with them. The ending is what really got me. I just didn't see it coming. Some of you might consider this a spoiler, I don't, but warning anyways.... Towards the end when the two get into a fight and Allie is yelling at him basically telling him that he wasn't there for her. That on such an important day, when all she needed was for him to be there, he wasn't. I was wounded! Just hit me right in the feels. Relationships really are about people just being there. All I could think about while reading this was the scene in That Awkward Moment when Imogen Poots is yelling at Zac Efron and says... "You weren't there for me. On a day I really really needed you. And being there for someone when they need you? That's all relationships are, that's all they are"...It's so freaking true too. That's how the whole scene plays out, and just like in that movie it's so perfectly heartbreaking.


The plot isn't just jokes, banter, with a few sad moments, it's also laced with great smutty scenes that will have you weak in the knees. Did I mention all this awesomeness is being thrown at us and then Elle still manages to weave in hockey!?!?! Well it is! And it's done flawlessly.

I loved everything about The Score. There is so much more I want to say about this book... but this review is getting wicked long and I've already taken out so much. The Score keeps the traditional NA book mold and follows the formula that all of us love... It will go the way you expected, but what you wont expect is that this book will have you laughing till you're in tears. Elle writes like Christina Lauren mixed with CoHo and it's as good as it sounds. Oh and I'm not sorry about how long this review is.

10/10 Stars
-Angela

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Transparent by Natalie Whipple

Plenty of teenagers feel invisible. Fiona McClean actually is. 
An invisible girl is the perfect weapon.
Fiona’s own father has been forcing her to do his dirty work for years. After sixteen years, Fiona’s had enough.  

The main reason I wanted to read Transparent was because it is advertised as "The God Father meets X-men", right away I knew I had too have it. I'm a HUGE X-Men fan and thought maybe it would even be a sister book to Shatter Me... I think this advertisement is a little off.

Transparent follows the story of a girl named Fiona who was born invisible. She, is like many others in the world, were born with powers. This is my first problem with this book. It's never explained how people mutated too get this powers... was it evolution, radiation, something else??? We might never know. Fiona's father is the head of a Mob that sells a drug that is made to enhance your powers. And of course like any crime boss he uses both Fiona's powers and the rest of his family to his advantage. He has Fiona doing everything from spying on his competitors to doing simple pick pocketing. So when the story started out with her sneaking in to listen to a conversation and then going all mission impossible on people I was pretty excited to keep reading... But that experience was short lived.

Fiona and her mother run away to escape the life of crime and to start over again. They move too a small town where her fathers competitor actually lives. I figured that as the story went on Whipple would have it so that Fiona's back story was revealed here and there. It sadly never really happens. She mentions she's done a lot of bad things, but I wanted more of what she had done in the past. The story continues as Fiona and her mother hang out in this town. Her mom slightly works she slightlly goes to school. While at school she is picked on of course for being invisible (lets be real kids would think this was so bad-ass). She becomes friends with other outcast: Seth, Brady, and Bea. All who also have powers of their own. As far as Fiona's personality goes, it is terrible. She was SO annoying. And for a girl whose never seen what she looks like she is so full of herself. She's constantly saying she knows she has a good figure and that she knows she has nice cleavage, etc.... She also brings nothing else to the table. She has no personality, very little intelligence, and can't even offer us a sense of humor.

This brings me to my next issues, the sub characters. Brady is suppose to be a super hottie, but to me doesn't sound hot at all. He does seem sweet but that's it, her bff Bea is LAME! Then there's Seth. Seth the convenient character love interest. It is clear from the get go what Seth's purpose will be... And you might think I'm about to drop a spoiler on you but I'm not, it's obvious the second he is introduced that his power will be able to see her. TRUST ME IT WAS FAR TOO CONVENIENT!!! At first I thought maybe it would be like Adam in Shatter Me and that we would think he was just so convenient then he'd turned out to be something completely else. When it's "revealed" I rolled my eyes so hard they almost fell out my head. The worst part however is when she finds out he can see her she ask him what he looks like and he tells her AND SHE COMPLAINS ABOUT IT!!! The boy gives her sweet compliments and just like the average super B would do she turns them all to negatives!! This is both a real life pet peeve of mine and a book one as well.  JUST TAKE THE COMPLIMENT!!! LIKE SERIOUSLY!!!!!??? WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM!!!



(Pretty much how my face actually looked too.) I think that Fiona's over all attitude was just really what turned me off too this story. I would love to go into details about her brothers, because they are a "big part" of the story but I felt they were pointless. Hated them as much as the rest of the family. I would also love to talk about the plot, but I don't feel like there was much of one. The discription of this story had me thinking that this would be a non stop action packed book but nothing happens the entire time. I was never once WOW or shocked by anything that happened.

The concept of Transparent is amazing, original, and a book I was really looking forward too. Sadly it just didn't live up to the hype I built for it in my head. I wish this was a case of "it's not you it's me" but sadly I don't think it was.

3/10 Stars 
-Angela 

Saturday, January 23, 2016

The 5th Wave Movie Review

"After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them."


We aren't even going to beat around the bush with this... We just saw The 5th Wave and WE LOVED IT! This was a movie that if you follow us you know we have been waiting for. Everything about this movie had us excited. We were glad when they decided to turn it into a movie, we were over the moon about the casting choices, and we loved all the publicity leading up to it.

Just gonna jump right into things. First, the cast... Chloe Grace Mortez was who us as fan choose from the get go, so when she was officially on board we knew right away she was going to crush it. She is a badass. She is someone on and off screen that we love. She is the perfect Cassie, and she nailed the roll (like we all knew she would). She is a girl that is tough in real life and is a very family based person. Those real life traits seeped into this film, in the best possible way. I'd like someone to tell me they saw KickAss, read this book, and didn't think this has to be our Cassie Sullivan... YOU CAN'T! We wanted to laugh with her and cry with her and we were sitting there rooting for her to get to Sammy (even though we have read the book a combined six times). She just did a fantastic job.

Next, Evan Walker (Alex Roe). He is someone we haven't really heard of in the past, and was probably the one we were most worried about. Never fear Alex Roe is the epitome of Evan Walker perfection.... Pretty sure the lady and her daughter in front of us said it perfectly when he appeared on screen.... I believe the exact statements were "Good God he is all man!" and "MEOW!". Oh it's not just his six pack and face that are nice-his acting and fighting are too. He has an amazing fight scene that we knew was coming but didn't know it would be so good! I think we both air fist pumped right after. We officially want to roll around in the wilderness fighting aliens with him... Like fighting aliens is a fantasy of ours, but doing it with Alex Roe would be a dream come true. I (Leah) was kind of skeptical about him when he was first cast, but I am 10000000% sold. He absolutely killed the part and made me fall in love with him just like he fell for Cassie. His fight scenes were so bad ass, but he also was able to show the tender part of the character that could have been easily missed. You go from bad ass to sex kitten to sweet guy all in a two hour span. Mortez and Roe's chemistry is on point.

Zombie (Nick Robinson) is an actor we've seen before and loved. So hearing he would be our zombie made us ridiculously happy. Both of us agree he perfectly captured who and what Ben Parish is. He has that boy next door-laid back-charming thing going on. Ringer (Maika Monroe) was a pleasant surprise! We really liked the casting choice for her. Monroe is tough and sassy and brought Ringer from the page to screen. She is a survivor and she really proved herself in the movie. We were hoping for a little more of that famous Ringer Cassie banter of the battle of the alpha females, but it's all good. Lastly Sammy (Zackary Arthur)... Good god, they couldn't have picked a cuter boy! He knocked it out of the park by being able to be this sweet little nugget (lol) and then also trying to be this soldier that is now expected of him. I think his part touched us the most because it really made us remember that these are KIDS that are out there fighting. And when he cries your heart will shatter!!! Such a great new young talent.


The movie plot wise sticks pretty close to the book. It's action packed and laid out very well. It is a little more rush then the book, but it seemed necessary. In the book it's over months and in the movie it seems as if it's more like a few weeks. We still get the ba fighting, plot twist, alien goodness, and romance we were hoping for. The series of events stay in order and are true to the book. There were things of course that were changed. We want to preface this by saying even if there were changes we were still completely happy with the outcome of everything. 


Here are a few things (avoiding spoilers) that were alerted or left out that we noticed/wanted/really liked: 

-Pound cake talks. 
-Where the book covers several characters and POVs the movie more focuses on Cassie and Zombie.
-Time spent of Evans house. 
-They go to a camp but there's no ashpit.
-Cassie doesn't stay under the car long and doesn't say "here I am come get me you son of a bitch!". I (Angela) love this scene in the book so much. I think it sets the tone on who Cassie really is. (This and ashpit are included but different from the book. Both were ones we were hoping would stay 100%  true but again still ok)
-Reason Cassie's not on the bus. 
-There are a lot of quotes from the book in the movie. A lot with Evan and Cassie were the same. 
-We were hoping the movie would include: Evan's shark speech, the flaw in their plan speech, the crucifix solider scene exactly as in the book, the mayfly moment, and the lousy Hunter scene. Some where include and just altered, but some where left out.
-Evan walkers fight scene is better in the movie. 
-How Cassie and Ben interact the first time again, better in the movie. 
-The ending plays out different, but stops the same. 
-There was one HUGE change that you will either love or hate involving Evan. This was my (Angela) biggest "disappointment". I didn't hate the change it was just something I didn't want altered. 


There could be tons more things we could highlight or say we're good or bad but overall we are sooo happy. We had fun watching it. The acting is great. We don't think fans of the series will be letdown. And we pray Infinite Sea will be announced soon! Because if you've read the books you know how it ends. And you know what will happen next but we still need visuals! This will be a movie we will see several times in theaters.

10/10 Stars
-L&A

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Fictional Book Boyfriends Pt 13

HEYYO!!! We are proud to present you the first list of fictional book boyfriends of the new year! New year, new guys! Were so happy to be continuing this post in 2016. So without further ado we give you Fictional Book Boyfriends Part 13... to see our pervious dream-casting just click here!

Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin
Girl hopes to win motorcycle race to get an audience with Hitler and kill him.


Lucky B. Smith as Felix Wolfe


Theo James as Luka Lowe
Seriously... Just imagine these two in leather jackets... on motorcycles.
Do we need to say more?!?!

Manwhore by Katy Evans
Powerful CEO falls for reporter with hidden agenda.


Justin Clynes as Malcom Saint
We'd loved to have a Never Been Kissed style romance with this hunk.

Six of Hearts by L.H Cosway
Magician falls for his lawyers' daughter.


Alex Pettyfer as Jay Fields
If he asked  if he could put us in a box and saw us in half...
We'd immediately ask when and where.

Saturday, January 16, 2016

Before We Were Strangers by Renee Carlino

"she was perfect... poetry in motion- the evidence of a life burning well and bright."

I do not say this lightly... This is one of the best contemporary books I've ever read. If you know me, then you know contemporary is my least favorite genre. There are some thing I'd like to clear up right away though. BWWS isn't an action packed book with a massive slap you plot twist, and for some reason it is classified in the YA section of the book store. This novel is simply what it says it is, a sweet feel good read, which is one of it's best qualities. Second in my opinion it should be filed under New Adult. It does straddle the line of Ya and Na, but to me it falls into the latter. This is also a plus for this book.

BWWS is a novel following two main characters. Matt who is a photography student and Grace who is a music major. Matt is really starting to discover who he is as an artist when Grace falls into his life. Matt is perfection when it comes to leading males. He is everything we want in a lead while bring something new to a protagonist. He is confident, charismatic, and so sarcastic. Completely loved everything about his character. I liked his charm and was consumed by his thoughts. I loved how he never second guessed who he is as a person. He has easily became one of my all time favorite leading males. Grace however was his opposite. She is confident, but is so clearly closed off. She is broken and lost. The way Matt knows who he is, is the way Grace struggles to feel herself out. As their relationship grows so does both their personalities.

They're relationship y'all, is perfection. It feels so real. You will really feel like you're going through everything with them. They're ups and downs will feel like yours. You will be experiencing all the emotions and pain right along with them, and it's flipping fantastic. The way these two feed off each other is amazing. They had me laughing, grinning, blushing, and breaking my heart. Sometimes all those feelings were happening at the same time. I probably cried ten times while reading this book. I wasn't even half way through and I had cried at least four. These two are a couple from the moment they meet you'll want to have a happy ending. I'm a sucker for books that the couple are friends first (legit friends) then turn into something more. Carlino makes this process seem effortless... Like she was born with a laptop in hand to deliver us friend first romance.

The plot is as I said above, steady. It's not a book where something is just going to jump out at you. This is 100% okay! The pacing was completely fine for me. I usually hate the mild speed of contemporary books, but not with BWWS. Their journey is sweet and perfectly timed. I was super worried reading because the first half the book was so strong, I feared the last half wouldn't live up. I thought the jump from past to present would do the same. I was taken back when neither of these things turned me off. I thought that the gape in time would leave a lot to be wanted and it wasn't an issue either. I wont however lie to you... YOU WILL KNOW WHAT IS COMING!!! I saw it coming the moment it was winked at, I thought this would in the long run make me lower my rating. NOPE. When it happens and everything comes to light I was still (continued to be) a big blubbering mess. Not exaggerating at all... mess like-sitting in the middle of my bed, wrapped up like a burrito, using the bottom of my shirt as a tissue with no shame-mess.


Before We Were Strangers was a very pleasant surprise. I definitely under estimated how much this book was going to effect me. A book I simply thought would be a fill-in read till I figured out what I wanted to really dive into next. Turned out to be a huge punch to my heart. Anything that might be considered a "flaw" is wiped away by the pure beauty of Carlino's writing and by the way she will pull you into this love story. A book where the romance scenes are soul warming and the love feels authentic. Carlino takes us on an emotional rollercoaster of a read, and doesn't miss a chance at pulling at our heartstrings. Before We Were Strangers is the definition of "all the feels".

10/10 Stars
-Angela

Just a little side-note too, I thought the cover and title of this book were gorgeous but after reading it realize just how amazing they really are.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Never Stop Falling by Ashley Drew

Corinne never expected to fall for her best friends. Nick though has always been waiting for her.

"... the ugly side is unavoidable. Someone will get hurt. Ain't nothing you can do about it. But I'll tell ya, once you're out of the ugly stuff, it's so damn beautiful."

This book is deadly... Okay, maybe not deadly but it did give me a nasty burn and made me lose a piece of my hair... But I'll get to that in a few.

I was sent a copy of Never Stop Falling from Ashley Drew... Every time I get a book for review, no matter if it's a physical copy or an Epub I always do the same thing, I pick it up and read the first few pages. Doesn't matter if I plan on reading it tomorrow or in two months I always read a little bit so I can at least start to feel it out. When I picked up NSF I had the same plan. I would read the first few pages set it down and return to the book I was actually actively reading... Well next thing you know I was on page 20... then 50... then 100... then I was done. I just couldn't seem to stay away from this book. It has been a very long time since I've read a book in one sitting. 

NSF follows Cori and Nicholas two people who have been best friends since they were kids. These two were inseparable, spending years getting to know each others ins and outs, but never crossing the romantic line... This is until one night changed everything. Things happen so fast and without saying too much the two end up apart from one another. Cori and Nick are both very similar while remaining so different. Cori was always the spontaneous one looking for a good time while Nick always remained cautious. It is amazing to see these two grow up and become something so different. When Cori was first introduced I thought her whole "I'm wild and crazy-lets jump off stuff-flips hair" attitude was going to get old quick. Trust me when I say that this persona she has up doesn't last long and you'll end up liking her. Nick however was a character I liked from the get go. I didn't care that he was a little more reserved at first, it just made grown up-balls to the wall-confident Nick so much more enjoyable. Getting to see these twos relationship mature as they did made the story so gripping. These two characters have so much going for them when they are together, but it's very rare that couples in NA books also stand on their own well... Cori and Nick didn't have this issue. Drew manages to weave sweet moments with comical relief. Loved everything from the moments where Nick is lightly talking about Cori to Cori getting a little too tipsy on a night out.

The plot of this book is just as great! I love when stories just dive right into things and that's what this novel does. It gets right down to the love dovey goodness and keeps that momentum up throughout. There were two times in this book where things could have gone down a very predictable very mundane path (and that's where I thought they were headed) when pleasantly they didn't. Both times I was surprised by the direction Drew decided to take it. When I got mid book I was so pulled into this story that I couldn't put it down for a second. I ended up downloading it on my phone and decided to take it with me while getting ready... This is where the intro comes into play... I was so deep into reading this that I figured I would just do my hair while reading it... next thing you know I had one of those "is something burning" moments and my hair was all crispy and I was flapping the curling wand around... So worth it though.

Never Stop Falling is an emotional rollercoaster of a ride. It's emotional highs and lows will pull you in and you wont want to stop till you know how it ends. This might be weird to say, but this book feels like an amazing on the go read... a book that you would cherish while chilling in an airport or something you could soak up while sitting in a Starbucks. Just so light, fluffy, and fun. It was like the The Notebook and Remember Me mixed with Before We Were Strangers and Kaleidoscope Hearts. All the heart stop moments you loved from those you'll get presented to you in a new and fresh read.  


To be plain and simple this novel stole my heart. A beautiful read that feels so true to life. Between the compelling writing style Drew has to the well-developed characters I never really stood a chance. Thankful to be given a chance to read this.

10/10 Stars
-Angela

Sunday, January 10, 2016

Coming soon to a 2016 near you

Move over 2015, 2016 is our year! No seriously it really is! There are so many things happening that we're barely breathing. Seems like every month there is going to be something massive dropping that we've been waiting for. Here's a small list of what we have planned and what all is coming in 2016. Books, film, Tv, and events.

Books:
Firsts- January 5th
Wicked Sexy Liar (Wild Seasons)- February 2nd
Glass Sword (Red Queen)- February 9th
Morning Star (Red Rising)- February 9th
Calamity (Reckoners)- February 16th
Never Stop Falling- March 1st
Lady Midnight- March 8th
The Rose and the Dagger (The Wrath and the Dawn)- May 3rd
The Problem with Forever- May 17th
The Last Star (The 5th Wave)- May 24th
A Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes)- August 20th
The Beauty of Darkness (The Remnant Chronicles)- August 26th
Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows)- September 22nd
Genesis Girl- September 27th

TBD:
Torn (Wicked Saga)
Untitled Throne of Glass 5 (Throne of Glass)
From the Storm (Torn Hearts)
A Faraway Land 

Films: 

The 5th Wave-  January 15th
Pride Prejudice and Zombies- February 5th
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children- March 4th
Me Before You- March 4th
Allegiant- March 18th
Suicide Squad- August 5th
A Monster Call- October 14th 
Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them- Nov. 18th



No dates listed or subject to change:
Before I Fall- September 16th
The Forest of Hands and Teeth- September 22nd
Let it Snow- December 9th
Ugly Love
Looking for Alaska 
Fallen
The Darkest Minds
Obsidian
Beautiful Bastard
Narnia
Red Queen
The Darkest Minds
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
Legend
Everything Everything

TV:
The Shranna Chronicles- Jan 5th
The Shadwohunters- Jan 12
The 100- Jan 21
Shatter Me
13 Reasons Why
Game of Thrones
The Walking Dead Season 7
Orange is the New Black

Events 
Apolly Con Atlanta- Feb 26-28th 
Bea Chicago- May 11-13
Bookcon Chicago- May 14th
Yallfest Charleston- November

Hopefully well have even more events to fill yall in on later... Also if there's anything you think we should add to our list that we've please let us know.

Also keep an eye out for our mid year update.

-A&L

Friday, January 8, 2016

Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum

"Everything about Jessie is wrong. At least, that’s what it feels like during her first week at her new ultra-intimidating prep school in Los Angeles. Just when she’s thinking about hightailing it back to Chicago—the closest place she has to something like home—she gets an email from a person calling themselves Somebody/Nobody (SN for short), offering to help her navigate the wilds of Wood Valley High School. Is it an elaborate hoax? Or can she rely on SN for some much-needed help?" -Goodreads synopsis 

"Perfect days are for people with small, realizable dreams. or maybe for all of us, they just happen in retrospect; they're only now perfect because they contain something irrevocably and irretrievably lost."

I'm finding this review hard to write... That typically happens when I'm so angry at a book that I can't even see straight. This isn't the problem I'm facing with TMTT. I liked it so much that there is so many things I want to say. I've truly never faced this issue before with a contemporary book before. It's my least favorite genre to read. Not including John Green books, I don't think I've ever been excited to finish a contemp book before this... I really thought about it too and nothing comes to mind.

I'm going to do this review a little different and stick with the common theme that TMTT and I'm going to tell you the three things that made me love this book.

1) The "Dear Reader" note. It really isn't often I read these. This time I figured why the heck not. So glad I did. Julie explains why this book means so much to her, and why it was this book was so easy and so hard for her to write. She talks about the loss of her mother and how it really changed her whole life. This personally meant so much to me because I too lost my mother way before her time. What really hit home for me is when she quotes her main character Jessie. "She will never see who I grow up to be-that great mystery of who I am and who I am meant to be-finally asked and answered". This hit way to close to home. It's such a selfish/non-selfish reason to think this, but it is so very true. It took me years to realize that my mother wouldn't be there for events and that's when everything really hits you.

2) Jessie. She is an outstanding lead. She is the perfect combination of raw real human emotion and comical teenage girl. She gives the right emotions at the right time and talks to her age. She is beyond relatable and will completely pull you into her story. When Jess struggles, loves, gets lost you feel like you're right there with her. The funny dialog she manages to keep up through out this story is just great. Julie also hit the nail right on the head with how teenage girls think. Jessie's life has so many typical YA tropes in it that it could have easily taken this down a mundane path that would have ultimately lead to me having the same issues that I do with others. However Julie makes the typical something new and fresh. Jessie is a breath of fresh air along with all the other side characters.

3) The mystery. When you read the synopsis of the book you figure out right away that there is basically a "who done it" style plot. Jessie starts receiving emails from an anonymous sender going by the username Somebody/Nobody (SN). This style would normally annoy the crap out of me. I've read plenty of books that have done this and almost 100% of the time I find myself skipping ahead, not caring about the story, getting bored, just not caring, and sneaking to find out the answer. With TMTT this wasn't at all the case. I was so interested in the story and going through things with Jessie that I didn't want to find out until the last possible second. The mystery as you can tell is all about who is SN. You, like Jessie, will go back and forth about who you think it will be. I will say that I had a pretty good idea about who it might have been, but I often found myself second guessing. Second guessing made reading this book so much fun. Warning: Julie will leave you guessing until the last second. The only thing I will suggest is that you keep maybe a little scrap piece of paper to write down the names of the guys in this book. Once all the key players were introduced once or twice I had to stop and remind myself who was who and who had what traits. When I jotted it down I was right back on track. Also kind of made me feel like I was playing a game of clue or something.

Tell Me Three Things will without a doubt be my favorite contemporary all year. So thankful to have gotten an early copy of this, and am excited for others to get to read it too. This book has so much heart, so much fun to read, and left me with a huge giddy grin on my face.




10/10 Stars 
-Angela  

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Angelas 2015 Wrap-Up

220! Yes you read that right, 220 books this year!!!! I'm typing this up on the 28th and I don't think I'll be reading anymore while I'm on vacation. I think this is my final number and it has to be some kind of record. I'm even blowing my own mind right now! Guess you could say it was an amazing year reading wise. I have no clue how I'll ever be able to top these numbers. Next year I have more traveling planned so my reading wont nearly be as hardcore. This year my goal was 185 books, in 2016 it'll be 100. Hopefully it'll be more of a quality over quantity kind of thing.

Below is the list of everything I read this year  (I believe I got them all)! Enjoy the massive insane list that was my year. I bet you can guess who was my most read author was this year.... Yep, Colleen Hoover. It's also so fitting that the first book I read this year was Apollyon since Apollyon Con is the first event Leah and I will be going to this year. The last book I read was Manwhore. interesting title, I know, but it was super fun and a perfect read to end the year. 2015 you were alright.

Also don't forget to check out the list of our 2015 favorites!

The 5th Wave- Rick Yancey (Re-Read)
The Infinite Sea- Rick Yancey (Re-Read)
Elixir- Jennifer L. Armentrout 
Apollyon- Jennifer L. Armentrout
Sentinel- Jennifer L. Armentrout
Stay With Me- Jennifer L. Armentrout
Broken Skies- Theresa Kay
Fractured Suns- Theresa Kay
Red Rising- Pierce Brown Golden Son- Pierce Brown Never Never- Collen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher Slammed- Colleen Hoover Maybe Not- Colleen HooverPoint of Retreat- Colleen Hoover  Never Never pt 2- Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher  Maybe Not- Colleen Hoover (Re-Read/Audio Book)
Ugly Love-Colleen Hoover (Re-Read)
Confess- Colleen HooverHopeless- Colleen HooverThis Girl- Colleen Hoover
November 9- Colleen Hoover
Finding Cinderella (Hopeless 2.5)- Colleen Hoover
Friend-Zoned- Belle AuroraLev- Belle Aurora
Shatter Me- Tahereh Mafi (Re-Read)
Unravel Me- Tahereh Mafi (Re-Read)
Ignite Me- Tahereh Mafi (Re-Read)
Bad Romeo- Leisa RayvenBroken Juliet- Leisa Rayven
The Red Queen- Victoria Aveyard
Glass Sword- Victoria Aveyard Obsidian- Jennifer L. Armentrout (Re-Read)Onyx- Jennifer L. Armentrout (Re-Read)Opal- Jennifer L. Armentrout (Re-Read)Origin- Jennifer L. Armentrout (Re-Read)Opposition- Jennifer L. Armentrout (Re-Read)
Every Last Breath- Jennifer L. Armentrout
Hardline- Michelle Wilds
Hardpressed- Michelle Wilds
Hardwired- Meredith Wild
Lovely Vicious- Sara Wolf
Savage Delight- Sara Wolf
Brutal Precious- Sara Wolf

Sea of Stars- Amy Bartol
Darken the Stars- Amy A. Bartol
The Law of Moses- Amy Harmon
Making Faces- Amy Harmon 
Kaleidoscope Hearts- Clarie Contreras
Paper Hearts- Claire Contreras
Torn Hearts- Claire Contreras
Beautiful Stranger- Christina Lauren
Beautiful Player- Christina Lauren 
Beautiful Secret- Christina Lauren
Beautiful Beloved- Christina Lauren 
Sweet Filthy Boy- Christina Lauren
Dark Wild Night- Christina Lauren
Dirty Rowdy Thing- Christina Lauren
Unteachable- Leah Reader (Re-Read)
Black Iris- Leah Reader
Angelfall- Susan Ee
World After- Susan Ee
End of Days-Susan Ee
Clockwork Prince- Cassandra Clare
Clockwork Princess- Cassandra Clare
Clockwork Angel- Cassandra Clare
Because of Low- Abbi Glines
While it Last- Abbi Glines 
Until Friday Night- Abbi Glines
The Vincent Boys- Abbi Glines
Fallen Too Far- Abbi Glines
Never Too Far- Abbi Glines
After- Anna Todd
After We Collided- Anna Todd
After We Fell- Anna Todd
After Ever Happy- Anna Todd

Darkfever- Karen Moning
Bloodfever- Karen Moning
Faefever- Karen Moning
Dreamfever- Karen Moning
Shadowfever-Karen Moning
Clipped Wings- Helena Hunting
Inked Amor- Helene Hunting




Saga Volume 1- Brain K. Vaughan
Saga Volume 2- Brain K. Vaughan
Saga Volume 3- Brain K. Vaughan
Saga Volume 4- Brian K. Vaughan 
Saga Volume 5- Brian K. Vaughn
Y: The Last Man Volume 1- Brain K. Vaughan
Y the Last Man book 2- Brian K Vaughn
Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone- J K Rowling (re-read)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets- J K Rowling (re-read)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban- Jk Rowling  (re-read)
Twilight- Stephanie Meyer (re-read)
New Moon- Stephanie Meyer (re-read)
Heir of Fire- Sarah J. Maas (re-read)
Queen of Shadows- Sarah J. Maas
The Devil's Dreamcatcher- Donna Hoise
 
East of West Volume 1- Jonathan Hickman
East of West Volume 2- Jonathan Hickman
Suicide Squad Vol. 2- Adam Glass
Suicide Squad Volume 3- Adam Glass
Harley's Little Black Book Issue 1- Amanda Conner
Harley Quinn Hot in the City- Amanda Conner
Inexcuseable- Chris Lynch
Hooked on the Game- C.M Owens
The Conspiracy of Us- Maggie Hall
Bound by Duty- Stormy Smith The Invitation- Roxy Sloane
Losing It- Cora Carmack Blackbird- Anna Carey
Reborn- Jennifer Rush
Flawed- Kate Avelynn
Ignite- Lily Paradis
Dark Places- Gillian Flynn
The Duff- Kody Keplinger
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children- Ransom Riggs
Collide- Ella Adams
Ten Tiny Breaths- K. A. Tucker
Let the Sky Fall- Shannon Messenger
Hexed- Michelle Krys
This Song Will Save Your Life- Lelia Sales
I'll Give You the Sun- Jandy Nelson
Snare- Clarissa Wild 
Invaded- Melissa Landers
Me Before You- Jojo Moyes
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe- Benjamin Saenz

Insurgent- Veronica Roth (Re-Read)Royal Saga- Geneva Lee
Transparent- Natalie Whipple
Conviction- Kelly Lou Gilbert
My Heart and Other Black Holes- Jasmine Warga
Beautiful Disaster- Jamie McGuire
To All the Boys I Loved Before- Jenny Han
The Last Time We Say Goodbye- Cynthia Hand
Keep Me Safe- Maya Banks
Sisters of Shiloh- Kathy Hepinstall
We All Looked Up- Tommy Wallach
Chase Me- Tessa Bailey
Me Early and the Dying Girl- Jesse Andrews
Easy- Tammara Webber
Ready Player One- Cline Ernest
The Brilliant Light of Amber Sunrise- Matthew Crow
Aftermath- Tom Lewis 
3:AM Kisses- Addison Moore
Sweet Submission- Roxy Sloane
Silence- Natasha Preston
The Heir- Kiera Cass
Anomaly-Tonya Kuper
An Ember in the Ashes- Sabaa Tahir
Fangirl- Rainbow Rowell
Ugly People Beautiful Hearts- Marlen KomarVelvet- Temple West
Stargazing at Noon- Amanda Torroni
Hunted- Abi Ketner and
Renee Ahdieh
A Song of Ice and Fire- George R.R. Martin
White Bird in a Blizzard- Laura Kasischke
The Cage- Megan Shepherd
More Happy Than Not- Adam Silvera
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist- 
The Fall Up- Ally Martinez
Going Bovine- Libba Bray
Unravel- Calia Read
How I Live Now- Meg Rosoff

Revival Vol. 1- Tim Seeley
Day 21 (The Hundred 2)- Kass Morgan
Bared to You (Crossfire 1)-- Sylvia Day
The Deal- Elle Kennedy
Tell Me Three Things- Julia Buxbaum
Preacher Book 1- Garth Ennis
Green Arrow #46- Benjamin Perry
Six of Hearts- L.H. Cosway
Complicit- Stephanie Kuehn
The Scorpion Rules- Erin Bow
Deathstroke #12-Tony Daniel
Wolf by Wolf- Ryan Graudin
Low Volume 1- Rick Remender
Manwhore- Katy Evans
An Abundance of Katherine's- John GreenThe Elfstones of Shannara- Terry BrooksBefore, During, After- Richard BauschThe V Girl- Mya Robarts
Soundless- Richelle Mead
Diamonds- K.A. LindeThe Heart of Betrayal- Mary E. Pearson

Till 2016
-Angela