Aftermath by Tom Lewis

"The end of the world came fast. Between the time the warning had sounded on the TV, till when 16-year-old Paige O’Connor awakened sometime later, civilization had been crushed."-Goodread synopsis


Aftermath is a story that surrounds a high school student named Paige after an alien invasion occurs in her town. After the attack Paige and her friend decide to head to her hosue since they aren't really sure what's going down. Shortly after arriving home, and talking to her brother and friends, they find out via news report that there are attacks happening all over the world... At first when hearing this I thought "Hellz Yeah! I love me a good alien invasion".... But actually this ended up being kind of a problem for me a littler later on. Further into this book we find out that they are actually stuck inside a dome like state. So this kind of had me a little confused. These attacks are suppose to be happening everywhere yet there are people and military outside of the dome where I guess the aliens aren't. This might sound a little confusing as I'm explaining it, but that's all I can really give you because it's never fully explained to us. I'm assuming it's more of a contained situation but I don't know. This leads me into my next point, I didn't feel I got enough information. When it came to the aliens and their invasion I have so many unanswered questions. We are given a blush at the reason to why they have come and what they have in mind. We're told that they have come because they have been watching us and see that we are abusing out earth and they want to right the wrong... From what I have gathered from several alien reads this is pretty normal, so again this had me back to being excited. BUT then that's all were really told about them. We only get a very quick description of what they look like, what they arrive in, and really nothing further. This leaving me with even more questions.The thing I did love about these attacks was how they were played out. I really enjoyed The Crazies-I am Legend- meets The Host feel we got for it. I liked that the invaders put a chip in everyone and that when that switch was flipped, everyone went insane.

This gave this book a lot of edge and was a huge highlight. The only part that had me baffled with the implant of chips was that they also received one in their hand that would track where they are, who they talk to, etc. etc. Yet our leading lass Paige is able to sneak around everywhere. Don't you think these wise aliens would have just pulled up her log and tracker where she was and then catch her?!

I thought as far as the world building went that it was definitely stronger towards the middle-end than it was at the start. After the first wave of events we really got to see more of how/what the world was becoming and where things might be headed. I wanted to wait to go over the main character Paige until I started talking about the plot and the pace of this book because I think they go hand-in-hand for me. The pace of Aftermath is full steam ahead the whole time. I liked the action scenes and how well written they are, but the amount of action that happened at times overwhelmed me and I think it did the same for the characters. We get non-stop action from the first few pages until the very end. Sometimes I just wanted them to stop, regroup, actually make a solid plan then act. What I got was Paige constantly throwing them into things without thinking thing through. It was so slammed with action that I didn't get the amount of dialogue I wanted or the connections I needed to love Paige. This stopped me from not just connecting with Paige but with the sub-characters too (I'll get to them in a minute). I had such a hard time relating to her... One minute she would start acting like a normal teenage girl and just when I thought I was starting to get a grasp on her she would do something so out there that she would slip through my fingers. She has this strong survival instinct rooted into her from an yearly age, but yet I didn't find it believable. Like when we found out she knew how to use a bow and arrow, I could get behind that, but then she would be like Macgyvering weapons out of like nothing and it would have me rolling my eyes. Plus she was always saying "I have an idea" when they got into a pickle and then would come up with some off the wall plan. All that being said I absolutely love action packed books, and this one is definitely full of it, and the scenes are amazingly written, but it got too the point where I asked myself "is this too much action? Is there this much action happening to cover up the lack of dialogue?"... So I guess I just wanted a little more character development and back-story and a little less running around.

As far as sub characters went we have Trish, Drew, and Chad as our main ones. Trish is Paige's new friends and again someone I struggled to connect with. Drew and Chad were both characters I enjoyed, but again wanted more out of. I liked that Drew brought some comic relief to the story. I was secretly hoping for some kind of love triangle with these two and Paige, but sadly this didn't happen. When it came to the "romance" aspect between Drew and Paige I just didn't get it. The few moments we have with them are sweet, but still lacking something. I just didn't fall in love with their love.

Aftermath was a book with nonstop action and an amazing concept. It was a quick read, one I was able to knock out in an afternoon. Lewis writing is both strong and fun. I feel like this book could have been longer, and that the amount of action, if spread out, wouldn't have felt so overpowering. I think if this book was anywhere from 50-100 pages more we could have gotten so much more out of it and it's characters. I believe this is the first book in a series and I'm very interested to see where it heads and hopefully get some answers too all my questions.

6.5/10 Stars 
-Angela

Angela's April Wrap-up

Fallen Too Far- Abbi Glines

Never Too Far- Abbi Glines

Sea of Stars- Amy Bartol

The Law of Moses- Amy Harmon

Making Faces- Amy Harmon 

Kaleidoscope Hearts- Clarie Contreras

Beautiful Stranger- Christina Lauren

Beautiful Player- Christina Lauren 

Beautiful Secret- Christina Lauren

Beautiful Beloved- Christina Lauren 

Chase Me- Tessa Bailey

Unteachable- Leah Reader (Re-Read)

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 

 April kind of went by in a blur. I felt really sluggish when it came towards reading. Think my month started out so strong, with such great reads, that by the end of the month it made me kind of "whatever" towards anything I picked up. Regardless of that this month was really good reading wise. I nailed out a lot of books I wanted too, managed to squeeze in one re-read, all while re-watching seasons 1-3 of Teen Wolf... So I guess overall it turned out to be a pretty productive month. I managed to knock out 17 books, which clearly is a high number, but fell short of my goal of 20 each month.

As far as my April favorites went I have a few. Sea of Stars, The Law of Moses, Making Faces, Beautiful Player, Beautiful Secret, Beautiful Stranger, and Unteachable all make the list. I wont talk too much about Unteachable since I don't really like to include re reads in favorites (because clearly I liked them enough to go back so it's kind of a give.), but I will again say how much I loved this book! It's amazing! Anyways, all the other ones were new too me this month. Sea of Stars and Beautiful Secret were both new releases in April and both nailed it! Sea of Stars was an amazing second book in the Kricket Series and I can barely breathe waiting for the next book. What a cliffhanger! If you also couldn't tell I fell pretty heavy into some Christina Lauren novels this month. They have steadily became two of my favorite authors. They have this fun, witty way of writing that has won me over. As far as my top picks go I would have to say that Beautiful Stranger and Sea of Stars take that spot. Both were fun, action packed, good time reads and both have made it onto my favorites shelf. I would like to mention that even though The Law of Moses wasn't my overall top book(s) this month that it was still by far the most unique thing I've read not just this month, but in a very long time.

When it came to book let downs I only have 1.5. 1.5??? How can I have a half fail?? Well it's because I enjoyed the book and it was great, it just didn't give me what I was hoping for... And that is Me Earl and the Dying Girl. This book was hilarious, fun, and scattered brained. For all those reasons and a handful of others it had me enjoying it. But when I was done reading it I was just... I don't know. I just wanted more. People kept comparing it to TFIOS and it was nowhere near that book. Me Earl and the Dying Girl is becoming a movie and from the trailers we've seen so far, I think that it will be better film than book. So that is why I'm kind of throwing it into my fail pile. It was a good book, but it had the potential to be an amazing book, and just missed the mark. My number one fail without a doubt is Never Too Far. I HATED this book. This is the second book in the Rosemary Beach Series. If you saw my review for the first, then saw my review of the second you might have gotten whiplash. Book one Fallen Too Far was great so I figured that Abbi Glines would continue that momentum into book two, but it was like a completely different person wrote it. After reading the first few chapters I should have just put it down, but sadly didn't. I think this book is what ruined the rest of the month for me. I still can't grasp how a story went from such a high to such a low so fast. I'm on the fence about wither or not to finish the series so I guess we'll see.

With all that said and done I am SO excited to go into May! Mainly because at the very end of it Leah and I are headed to New York for BookCon!!!! CAN'T FREAKING WAIT!!!! We are on the edge of our seats waiting for the list of signing times to be posted. As far as panels go so far we only plan on attending one, and that is John Green's Papertowns Panel. Hopefully once everything is posted Leah and I will be able to post a little something up on the blog to let yall know who will be seeing and what are plans are for those few days! Can't wait to see everyone in the big apple!

Oh and if there isn't a review posted for one of the books then listed it will be up in May. Since I have so much going on with work, friends, books, and travel my reading might be a little light in May so I have them set to post during that time.

Well till next time.

XOXO
-Angela

Making Faces by Amy Harmon

In a small town five young men go off to war, and only one comes back. The boy who returns is broken. But one girl remembers what he was like before, and still loves him despite what meets the eye. 

I'm gonna start this review off with an embarrassing confession... I read the first 10% of this book at home, then the next 89% of it at work, and then the last 1% of it in the car on the way home from work... I had like three pages left and I just had to know what happened so as soon at I hit the red light near the EarthFare I knew it was my chance to read the last three pages... Bad move on my part. As I read the last few sentences I started balling my eyes out and completely forgetting I was at a stop, until the guy behind me honked his horn at me bringing me back to life.

Making Faces was just that amazing. It makes you want to read between red lights and at any chance you can get. Making Faces surrounds three main characters. Fern is the girl who is forever overlooked. She's the bookwork, small, sweet, with red hair. Bailey, Ferns cousin and best friend, is the sweet caring boy who is suffering from muscle dystrophy. And Ambrose Young, school's star athlete and overall talented guy. Fern has admired Ambrose from afar for as long as she can remember, and he only notices her after an odd event plays out. But even after that things seem to go back to the way they were. That is until 9/11 happens and it hit Ambrose in a way he didn't see coming. Even though he is so gifted he still feels like he needs to do more. He decides to sign up for the military and to serve in Iraq and talks his four friends into coming with him.

That's where the story will takes off, because Ambrose is the only one who returns, but even he doesn't come back in one piece. Ambrose and Fern's relationship is the definition of hope. Their relationship is sweet, playful, and deep. Harmon again writes such strong leading characters and gives them so much depth. Fern, though shy is far from weak. Ambrose who to the eye is strong is so weak. Them being opposites gave this book such balance. I liked that Fern shows him that there is more to life and a person than what meets the eye. That you can either run and hide or face things head on. That it's okay to let people in. That looks might be the thing that originally draws you to a person, but it's not the thing that keeps you there. Their relationship shows you that being together is a give and take situation but you both have to be willing to do both. You have to know when to push and when to ease up. Their relationship is such gold.

 "You are still beautiful," Fern says softly "I think that statement is more a reflection of your beauty than mine."

Even with these two character being as amazing as they are there is no doubt who stole the show... Bailey. His and Fern's friendship is probably, if not, my favorite friendship I've ever read. There aren't even words to describe how amazing it is. Everything that comes out of his mouth is written with such a force. He is unlike any character I've ever had the pleasure of reading. He alone would be a reason I would recommend this book. The characters in Making Faces are flawless.

The plot of this book is so different. At first with how everything was laid out I didn't think I would like it. The timeline bounces around from the past the the present, and I didn't think thing would come together... But when they do, and everything is reveal, it is mind blowing. Everything from the flashbacks, the old stories, the current events, the the title of the chapters are so well thought out. When I started too figure everything out I was taken back by how incredible this truly was. Even when there were a few moments towards the end when I knew what was going to happen next, and things were playing of cliche, the ending itself made up for anything that could have happened. The last few paragraphs made up for anything that would ever be lacking.

I think writing reviews on books you love is so much hard than doing to for ones you hate. You can never seem to perfectly put into words how it made you feel. Making Faces is heartbreaking and heartwarming. Making Faces will probably be one of my top reads this year. This book broke my heart in the best way possible.
It's a book with so many layers, and so many lovely messages. This is a book that is tattooed on me and will forever leave a lasting impression.

"True beauty, the kind that doesn't fade or wash off, takes time. It takes incredible endurance. It is the slow drip that creates the stalactite, the shaking of the Earth that creates mountains, the constant pounding of the waves that breaks up the rocks and smooths the rough edges. And from the violence, the furor, the raging of the winds, the roaring of the waters, something better emerges, something that would have otherwise never existed. And so we endure. We have faith that there is purpose. We hope for things we can't see. We believe there are lessons in loss, power in love, and that we have within us the potential for a beauty so magnificent, our bodies can't contain it."

10/10 Stars
-Angela 

Never Too Far by Abbi Glines

Just when Blaire allowed herself to fall for Rush, he revealed a life-altering secret so devastating that she couldn't forgive him. Unable to face him again, Blaire leaves Rosemary Beach and returns to the comforts of her small town in Alabama.

I read book one (Fallen Too Far) at the end of last month, and I loved it. I thought the characters were great and that it was just a fun read... So i figured with how amazing my reading has been going so far this month that I would go  ahead and pick up the second one to keep the momentum going. This was a big HUGE mistake. This book was a complete 180 from the last one.

Never Too Far picks up right where the first one left off... Except it kind of doesn't at the same time. We are hit right off the bat with some out of nowhere-at the same time saw it coming- news, this had me annoyed right away. Blaire is still back in Bama living with her Ex boyfriends Grandma (yeah it's as dumb as it sounds). The whole having her Exbf, Cain, being involved in this story too me was pointless. He really served no true purpose and was clearly there just to so we could have some cliche drama added. Glines has it so that it seems like he will be an important player in this novel, but trust me he isn't. He is in the first few scenes then poof gone. However I'm pretty sure Cain drank the same Kool-aid everyone else did in this book because he is just as dumb as the rest of them. Anyways, of course Blaire decided that she will go back to living in Rosemary Beach with her best friend Bethy.... Yah know just till she can get back on her feet... It totes has nothing to do with Rush... Cough Bullshit. (warning every sub character in this book will have a dumb name)

Once Blaire is back in beach town she gets to live in this sweet condo with said best friend. This bring on another convenient thing to add to the story. The condo just so happens to be on the grounds of the golf course she works at. Is that even a real thing??? I know it's pretty clear that I don't go to many golf clubs (aka zero) but last time I checked there weren't many apartments on them?!?! Any who they live in this sweet condo at their job, and job she so convenient got back after giving like no notice of her departure before. This leads me into our next issue, if Blaire was my employee I would NEVER hire her back, if I did it would be just so I could re-fire her right after. Why is that you ask? Easy... First off she is sleeping with a club member. Second the club member aka Rush is constantly there. Which means he is constantly starting drama with her which causes her to get all worked up, run off, and cry. Third she is constantly getting into spats with Rush's sister Nan while on the clock. Forth at one point she is at work and says her and Rush hook up in a closet and she knows her boss Woods hear them!! SERIOUSLY! and you still have her working there??! This is clearly an Ohsaa violation sir! I seriously could keep going on with this list, but I think you get the picture. Blaire also goes from this timid girl who at least kind of had a back bone, to this whiny, needy, jealous girl. Oh and please don't listen to her gypsy lies when she tells you she's an independent women who doesn't need no man, because it's a lie! She relies on everyone for everything. Rush is a whole problem in itself. He does a complete turnaround from the first novel as well. He was this fun, hot, wild caring guy in the first and in this one he is a mega jerk. He is also whiny, childish, and annoying. Plus his constant jealous and over protective thing is just too much. Just stop. I will go on the record and state "I DO NOT HAVE A RUSH CRUSH!" that ship sailed in the first couple of pages.

As far as the sub characters go we still have Bethy, as stated before as the token best friend. Bethy is still with Jace. Both Jace and Bethy were characters I didn't really care for in book one but did grow on me a little more in this one. However if I was Bethy I would be putting out a craigslist ad for a new roommate because I would be kicking Blaire out ASAP. Her and Rush loud love making might be cute the first time but I promise you that game show is gonna get real old after a few goes. It's also pretty sad that these two (Jace & Bethy) are the voices of reason in this book. They were both so gross in the first one I don't know when they stopped. The same goes for her boss Woods. Besides being an idiot boss as a friend he wasn't half bad. He was reasonable and gave good advice... Advice as you can probably guess Blaire doesn't take. Lastly I give you Nan (STUPID NAME!!!!). Nan is Rush's sister, and she is the worst sister in history. I kind of sorta (but not really) get why she is nasty towards Blaire, but I don't get why she is such a B to everyone else. I also can't stand her relationship with Rush. It's so creepy. I feel like her and Rush are closer too dating than brother and sister. It's freaky. The way they are towards one another is just nope. I kept expecting there was going to be this weird plot twist and it turns out these two were snogging the whole time. And the way they talk to each other, BARF! I also have no sympathy or feels for her at all, my give a damn broke and I just don't have any Fs left to give to her.

Lastly my real problem with this book was it's rinse, lather, repeat plot. We could have gotten the same book out of roughly 30 pages. Rush does something to screw things up, they make up. Rush is a jerk, they make up. Rush says hi to another girl they fight, they make up. Rush misses a big event, says he'll never do it again, they make up. Rush continues to miss big events, they make up. It's just that over and over again. Throw in a few "Blaire threatens to leave repeatedly" and wham you have Never Too Far. The plot of this book is as weak as the characters. This isn't a story about two star-crossed lovers that you'll be rooting for. After reading this book I was confused to who our leading lady really was... Is it Blaire or is it actually Rush? The split POVs didn't help trying to figure it out either. There is no difference in personality or thoughts between the two. This plot had nothing going for it, so Glines figure she could take little miscommunications and small infractions and blow them out of proportion to make up for the lack of story... and sadly it doesn't work.

Yall know that I love a good smutty read, and even those scenes couldn't make up for this plot. That being said even the sexy fun times were that sex or fun. I won't even go into full detail about how much I hated this ending. It was so abrupt and thrown together. Does it make me want to read the next books??? Yeah kind of but I still hated it. I'm just floored by how the writing and story in the first on could be so amazing and yet such a fail in the second... I'd really like my afternoon back.

Maybe in some dim lighting this could pass as a 4 star book but for now 
3/10 Stars 
-Angela  

Beautiful Player by Christina Lauren

When Hanna Bergstrom receives a lecture from her overprotective brother about neglecting her social life and burying herself in grad school she decides he's right and needs to start doing more for herself. Only downside is she doesn't really know anyone around her. When her brother mentions she should meet up with their childhood friend (his best friend), Will Sumner, Hanna is thrown back into remembering her giddy school girl crush.... But then again she can't help remember how much of a player he was, and apparently still is.

I really have fallen in love with Christina and Lauren. They always find new ways to bring new spins on old favorites. Their books are ones you go into knowing what you're gonna get, but never seem to care. I always know this is how things are going too play out: 

• Mans been man-whoring around town going through the his routine. Shower. Work. Bang chicks. Sleep. Shower rinse repeat. 
• Man meets girl who he thinks is gonna be ordinary. Girl turns out to be special snowflake that changes the way he sees the world. 
• They deny their feelings for one another. Yet continue to lust hard.
• Guy screws up. Gets depressed. Doesn't shower for several days. Friends convince guy he is an idiot for screwing up on said awesome girl.
• Guy sets out too win girl back. Girl might fight feelings for a few pages but eventually caves because hey let's be real ;hes a super successful, deep down sweet guy, who just so happens to look like he has been torn off the pages of GQ who wouldn't say yes. 
• A crazy event happens that makes them both see they need one another.
• Couple finally confess feelings for one another and have mind blowing whoppie. 
• Couple then (or usually) then takes an awesome trip somewhere. 
• Couple lives happily ever after.

Like I said I know this is how it's all gonna go down AND I DON'T CARE. BECAUSE I TRULY LOVE BOOKS LIKE THAT. Sue me! Seriously, I don't care and I don't think most care. These are still amazing well written and fun reads. Each one I read I love more than the previous. That's how I felt about Beautiful Player. I loved the plot and how they continue to bring pervious books into the new one. I liked they way things played out. The timeline was a little shorter than I liked, but that is a VERY, very minor negative. I like how their relationship played out, and how it both falls apart and then comes together. Too be honest I really enjoyed Hanna but, she's still not my favorite girl from this series (Ruby still is). I do however think that Will might be in a tie for first with Mr. Max Stella. I love the sub characters, especially George who I think should be featured more in every book. Just head over heels for this series, and how easy going it is. Christina Lauren continue to give us sassy plots, loveable characters, amazing steamy scenes, and lovely swoon worthy men. This was a book I found myself staying up really late to read, and bringing around with me through out my day just to sneak in a few pages when I can. And I have felt that way about each one of their books.

I leave you with these two statements... First if you're looking for an easy, fun, girly book this along with their others are for you. Two if you haven't had a chance to read one of their books I feel sorry for you because you're clearly not doing life right.

10/10 Stars
-Angela  

Fallen Too Far by Abbi Glines

Blaire Wynn left her small farmhouse in Alabama, after her mother passed away, to move in with her father and his new wife in Florida. With being thrown into a new lifestyle the last thing she expected to start falling for the guy her dad left her to stay with. Rush is as spoiled as he is gorgeous. He is also getting under her skin. He is jaded and has secrets hat will have Blaire wondering what to do next. 

My April reading has started off with a BANG! (Confession I read this the last day of March but after how rough reading wise that month was I refuse to throw it in that month)

I think Fallen Too Far is my new favorite guilty pleasure. Wait, screw that, this is just one of my new favorite cheesy reads, I have no shame in saying it! Loved this book!

In Fallen Too Far we follow the story of Blaire who is trying to pick up the pieces of her life after her mothers passing. This means she has to call the one person she didn't want to, her father. Heading from Alabama to Florida with nothing but beat up truck, gun, and a suitcase, the last thing she thought would happen when arriving to her dad's house was finding out that it wasn't her dad's house. It's her new "step-brother's" house, Rush. 

Rush is the only son of a rock star and his life style shows it. He is a little distant and cold towards her at first, but he lets her stay at the house to figure things out for a bit. Blaire immediately gets a job and starts saving for her own place. Spending so much time together these two start having some rather steamy chemistry (and were not talking school work, wink wink). Even with Rush trying to push Blaire away at the start, and that we know he has some big booming secret, they keep pushing forward. Blaire's character is sweet and nice, but sometimes I wanted her to just grow a pair and stand up for herself. Some moments she would wow me with her behavior and then the next I would be confused from how she went from so strong to so weak. Rush however, whoosh, loved him! I know a lot of reviews are saying he was such a D at first then becomes sweet... I however didn't find him all that douchey. I thought for the most part he was pretty alright. I liked his attitude, his appeal, and the way he always seemed to enter the scene at the right moment. He was a character I didn't think I was going to end up liking when I read the first few chapters, but he changed my mind fast. The scenes between the two of them as well..... HOT. Like need one of those portable neck fans hot. 

The plot surrounds the growth of their relationship, and the "big secret"...  I thought I had figured out what this big reveal would be but I was thrown for a loop when it was finally shown. The story never felt rushed (no pun intended). I also loved the ending. Command Me and Fallen Too Far had very  similar ending, yet this one too me powered over the other. I can't wait to continue this series, and I'm so excited to see where it goes. The only thing I will say about this book is more cosmetic than anything, I hope they re-release this book with a different cover... It does no justice for this read.Just hate it. But personally I'm just really picky when it comes to book covers that have people on them. But seriously this book was just too much fun. 

9/10 Stars 
-Angela  

Perfectly Casted Characters Pt1

We've said it a million times, we love when books become movies. We also go gaga over when a casting director nails their choices. It's not just about finding someone who just happens to look like the character... because lets face it sometimes they end up not looking anything like them. It's about having the right attitude, about being able to capture the emotions we felt towards the book, and about having a certain presence that will capture our hearts. Here are our choices for actors we thought nailed or will nail their page to premiere roles.

Shall we start with the most obvious one??? The entire cast of The Harry Potter Series... DUH Right!? But of course the even more obvious ones are Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint. We don't think the movie franchise would have been nearly as successful with anyone else playing Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The added bonus was for us getting to see them grow not only in age but in their acting. I think we can all agree that The Harry Potter Series is the most successful and well done book to screen.

Our next pick is Ansel Elgort as Augustus Waters in The Fault in our Stars. Wow, just wow. I think we really got everything we wanted when they cast him to play the tear jerking Augustus. His boyish charm, sweet persona, and down to earth attitude pulled from his real life ways made him the perfect match. Ansel has such a way about him and we think this was the perfect movie character for him to play. Being no stranger too the Ya book to film world we've also been able to see him play Caleb Prior in the Divergent Trilogy. As much as we love him in that role we just can't get enough of him in TFIOS. This gripping and emotional role might have been hard for most to reach, but dang it if he didn't make us feel all the feels that the book left us with. Well done movie world! Well done!

Next up we have a newbie to the book to film thing, and that is Mae Whitman in The Duff. We loved her version of Bianca. So comical and confident. Bianca's no care attitude was nailed by Mae. Bianca in the book might not have been our favorite, but movie Bianca was someone we loved. I mean when she wears that outfit made up of crocs and pajama pants I about died! She really brought all the sarcastic mojo needed to nail this roll. Everyone's calling this the new version of Mean Girls, and I think they would definitely fall into the same genre.

Don't have too ask me twice

Theo James as Four in Divergent! What? You've never heard of him? Ha, yeah we were just kidding... We know you have. Theo is an amazing example of when not just the actors attitude fits the person but so does their looks. Besides the eyes Four sounds like he was written based off of Theo James himself. "Spare upper lip, full lower lip, deep-set dark blue eyes (so dark they are almost black) long lashes, deep voice, more than six feet tall, muscular, ears that stick out, short hair, and large nose"... So mmm yeah pretty sure that sums up both Four and Theo description well. Theo did an amazing job portraying the tough as nails Four as well. We loved that Theo makes us feel like were still reading the book while we're watching the movie. Think we can all agree this casting director deserves a raise! Thank you!

On to the next one... Robert Sheehan as Simon in The Mortal Instruments City of Bones. We know a lot of people don't think Lily Collins was the perfect Clary, or that Sexy Campbell Bower was the best pick for Jace, but we think we can all agree that Robert Sheehan is an amazing choice for Simon. He has the I've been friend zoned so many times- best friends forever- I'm the one you should be introducing to your mother because hey I'm not your brother thing down. We love seeing Robert do interviews, his overall attitude both on and off the screen are so captivating. He brought all the heart eye for Clary and nerdy friend charm we were hoping to get.

There are a few people we would like to "Pre-mention"... We say it like that because they haven't actually starred in the film yet. BUT, we still think that they are going to portray their soon to be Page to Premieres perfectly.

Thomas Mann as Greg Gaines and RJ Cyler as Earl in the film version of Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl. Even though psychically both Thomas and RJ don't fit the part, the scenes we have already seen lead us to think that maybe changing their appearance up a bit was a good idea. RJ seems to have the sarcastic and surprisingly good friend attitude down and Thomas seems to have the I'm to awkward for this world idea nailed. We are both so excited to see this movie hit theaters.

Chloe Grace Moretz as Cassie Sullivan in The 5th Wave. This is the movie I (Angela) am most looking forward to seeing in 2016. I remember reading the book even before the movie was opted and thinking how amazing she would be as Cassie. Just seeing her in KickAss 1&2 sealed that deal for me. She's sassy, strong willed, and always says what shes thinking both on and off scree. She's also no stranger to P2P, staring in both Carrie and If I Stay. We know that she can do emotional while still giving us all the "Cassie is a complete bad ass" feels we need. It doesn't hurt that she is so close in age and physical appearance. The main reason we think she's going to nail this?.. Is because the book is all about the unbreakable bonds of family, and we all know Chloe and her family are tighter than glue in real life. January 2016 can't come soon enough!

And to wrap this all up we leave you with this.... The steamy fine and the man designed to blow girls minds... Nick Bateman as Miles Archer in Ugly Love. This film might actually defy science and get us pregnant. But why do we really think that he will crush this role with high standards? That's easy to answer, because the fans chose him. We as readers asked for him to play Miles Archer. And having an author and film makers listen makes all us coho fans very happy campers! We haven't gotten to witness a lot of his acting skills (only seen him in Hobo with a Shotgun) but I'll be honest... this film could just be him standing drinking a Capri sun for two hours and I wouldn't complain. He has the look and were hoping he has the attitude to to knock this role out the park. Seriously, why is 2016 so far away???

Update: Conventions and Festivals 2015

Earlier this year we did a post on what we were looking forward to in 2015, and about events we were aiming to attend. Now that it's a little into the year we have all of our plans set in stone, so we decided that we would post an update on what we have planned.

April will be giving us readers something amazing, YallWest! The spin off our Yallfest! We have decided with this being it's first year that we will be dipping out of this event. Were going to wait and see how it plays out. Once we get the skinny from our Cali friends we will decide from there... Ya
know before we take on a cross country adventure there. So look out California there's a good chance were coming for you next year! 

In May we sadly wont be able to attend BEA due to our work schedules, but we are for sure headed to BookCon. SO YUP YOU HEARD RIGHT SBSR IS HEADED TO NEW YORK!!! May 30th and 31st we will be at the Javits Center. We're so excited to attend and meet everyone there. Well be going to panels, signings, and hopefully a few meet ups! Oh and we will finally, FINALLY, get to meet Colleen Hoover! Anytime we go to see her or she is near something pops up and the event gets cancelled! So fingers and toes crossed that nothing happens in this case. The list of authors, celebrities, and publishers that will be attending this event are insane! We are also hoping that there will be an Ansolo event one of the nights there so we can squeeze that in. If he has a show while were there we might actually die!

The biggest months this year for us are definitely October-November. October 30th through November 1st for the first time ever we will be attending the Walker Stalker Con in Atlanta.We've never been to this event before, but had so many people message us once they saw we were going. The feedback we've heard has been amazing, and has up so jacked to make the trip to our sister state. Well have a chance to go to cast panels, signings, contest, and other walker like events! WE ARE SERIOUSLY FANGIRLING OVER GETTING TO MEET STEVEN YEUN AND NORMAN REEDUS! We can't wait to cover this event and let y'all know how it is! Hopefully well be able to add this to the growing list of yearly adventures. November 13th and 14th we will once again be hitting up Yallfest! If you don't know it's currently the nations largest Ya book festival and it's held in our town!!! This event is probably our favorite all year. Again well be doing panels and signings. Last year we were able to meet some huge authors like Jennifer Armentrout, James Dashner, and Veronica Roth. The list for 2015 attendees hasn't been posted yet, but I promise once it has well be posting if for y'all. We're really hoping to authors like Ransom Riggs, Tahereh Mafi, and Victoria Aveyard will snag some spots this year (we could probably name 100 more hopefuls). November 19th we will be hitting up the early screening and marathon of The Hunger Games. We will be seeing all the movies leading up to the premiere of MockingJay Pt. 2. Saying were excited about seeing how this movie series wraps up would be an understatement. 

As far as the year goes these are all the major events we have going on. Can't wait to write post for all these events and to see all of you there.

Kaleidoscope Hearts by Claire Contreras

He was her older brothers best friend and she was never suppose to be his. They thought they could get it out of their systems... One did and one left.

This second chance romance really did it for me... I'll say that right off the bat. 

Elle and Oliver have known each other forever. Oliver is Elle's brother Vic's best friend (that's a mouth full). This means by bro code they can't date. This issue never kept them from secret met ups. Oliver however decided that relationship aren't for him. So Elle goes her way Oliver goes his.

Elle of course is our leading lady. She ends up engaged to an older successful artist, who teaches her how to master her art. Together they open a studio. Once her fiance dies her world is thrown upside down (not a spoiler Fyi says it in like the first few pages). Elle sells their house and moves in with her brother Vic. Oliver our main man left Elle shattered after keeping their relationship a secret for years. He decided that he would focus on med school and just keep up with his womanizing ways. Both characters were realistically written. They were both characters that stood well on their own and together. As much as I liked Oliver, I liked Elle more. Even though sometimes she made me mad with her choices I really liked her character overall. She was silly, fun, and selfless. Oliver, who earlier on I didn't think I would like I ended up loving. His back story was sweet and his reasons were the same. His character development really did it for me. It's odd that every book I've read lately has been involving art/artist. Again though, it was another book that prefect wove in this aspect.

The story's plot circles around how hard it is to get over your first and only true love. And I for one am a sucker second chance love. The plot isn't rushed and though Contreras has it written that it could have been broken up into several books, I like that she choose not too. I loved how the novel goes from Elle's point of view in the present to Oliver's point of view being in the past. This had it so the story came perfectly together, and solved any unanswered questions. The reason I didn't give this book a higher rating was only because at a few points I did feel like it got a little repetitive. There was one or two times were I was like "ok come on I know where this is headed we've heard this song and dance already". Other than that I really enjoyed this Chick-lit of a read. 

Kaleidoscope Hearts was a sweet fun you know what you're getting into read and I really enjoyed it. 

8/10 Stars 
-Angela 
 

(Kaleidoscope Heart Audio Clip)
(Kaleidoscope BookDepo)

Snare by Clarissa Wild

Lilith has escaped a mental institute to search for the man she is obsessed with. But Sebastian is not what she expected.

Let me tell you about the worst thing I've ever read... It goes by the name of Snare. 

First off apparently you're suppose to read some prenovel thing before dipping into this one, but I wasn't aware of that before I read this book. Therefore I was super confused from the get go. It starts off with our main problem lady Lilith. She has found herself in a mental institution and keeps going on and on about a man called Sebastian Brand who apparently saved her but we and she don't know if he is real or not. After obsessing over this mystery man Lilith decides to escape the ward and find said dude. So of course she finds him and lo and behold Sebastian isn't the man she had imagined him to be. Despite his attempts warning her to stay away from him, Lilith went all stalker mode on him and eventually ends up being held prisoner in his house. That in itself is a huge problem for me. She was obsessed with him then all of a sudden wants nothing to do with him because he is a creep.... Mmmm that should have been obvious from the creepy hospital visits. Then her being in his house again huge issue. Nothing that happens adds up or makes sense. Everyone who comes over apparently knows she "kidnapped" but doesn't really see it as an issue. Also the fact that this girl is like a lost puppy dog following this Dbag around had my brain hurting. I thought that Sebastian would end up being charming and protective, not rapey and a pig.

Sebastian is the least sexy man I've never met. I have never ever been so turned off by a fictional book guy in my life. I would take me days to list off all the reason I hate him. YES HATE HIM!!!!! He was rude in every sense of the word, gross, and freaky (not in a good way). As a character he doesn't make sense either. At one point Lilith describes him and says he has sharp teeth... When is saying teeth are sharp sexy??? Also what the F does this guy do for a living???

"I am not a man to hug in bed; I am a man to kill in his sleep."

Someone please do us a favor and grant this man his request. His character matches the plot... It just
flat out made no sense. I wish I could tell you what happened in a nice list of events, but I can't. I have no clue what happened. I'll just sum up what I know though. This girl is kidnapped and clearly suffering from Stockholm. And rape is not sexy. Guys being this creepy is not sexy. The dirty talk in this book make me want to drink bleach and eat thumb tacks. This book was beyond gross and beyond bizarre. Seriously what the heck did I just read. How this book has the ratings it does is beyond me. 

negative 6/10 Stars 
-Angela

Fictional Book Boyfriends pt 5

It's that time of month again! We get to do our favorite post of all, Fictional Book Boyfriends! Once a month we like to gather a small list of  what we and others like to call Dream-cast or Fictional Book Boyfriends. We LOVE putting faces to the leading men in our books. We also LOVE seeing page to premieres. So we combined the two to do our spin on dream casting. We picked a few titles and show you who we imagined the leading men to be. We'll put the link to the previous ones at the bottom of this page, and just click the titles to go to the reviews.

Bad Romeo by Leisa Rayven 

Guy breaks girl's heart multiple times, and now tries to right his wrongs.

Douglas Booth as Ethan Holt

Because who wouldn't want all that reading them sonnets.

Lovely Vicious by Sara Wolf

Male escort tries to hide feelings for sarcastic outcast.

Jeremy Irvine as Jack Hunter

Clearly money can buy happiness.

  Looking for Alaska by John Green
Dorky guy meets amazing girl and his life is changed forever

Alex Shaffer as Miles Halter
I would have no problem seeking his Great Perhaps

Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead
Sassy chick finds herself being lusted after by royal hottie

Zac Efrom as Adrian Ivashkov
With those looks, you can use compulsion on me any day

Pt 1 / Pt 2 / Pt 3 / Pt 4

Sisters of Shiloh by Kathy Hepinstall, Becky Hepinstall Hilliker

"Joseph and Thomas are fresh recruits for the Confederate Army, daring to join the wild fray that has become the seemingly endless Civil War, sharing everything with their fellow soldiers—except the secret that would mean their undoing: they are sisters." -Goodread Synopsis 
 
Libby is a young wife who constantly worries about the fate of her husband, Arden, while he is at war. She moves back home with her parents and siblings while Arden is away to keep her mind from wandering. Even though Libby's love for Arden is strong her sister doesn't feel the same way. She seems to see him as a distraction. When Libby's worst fears happen she has to leave to pick herself up and find strength in her lose. She thinks she can find peace in killing a one Yankee a year for every year he was alive.

Once Josephine figures out about her sisters crazy plan she fears she will never see Libby again if she doesn't go along to keep a watchful eye on her The two devise a plan and decide to dress as men, and soon find themselves in the army. The majority of the novel takes place with the two hiding out in a camp. Libby and Josephine have very different struggles while being there. One doesn't want to take someones life while the other seems to be thriving off of the idea.   

If that isn't complicated enough Josephine starts falling in love with a fellow soldier. While Josephine struggles with wither to stay loyal to her sister or to reveal her true gender Libby is battle her own ghost... Literately; she keeps seeing vision of her dead husband. The two sisters are night and day from each other which was a big positive to this story. I will say I did prefer Josephine to Libby. This being said I felt neither character had a ton of development going on. The ending of this book did surprise me as it went in a different direction than I thought. 

It was nice having this book to break up my reading between Ya books... Since I do mainly (almost only) read YA/NA books I did find this one a littler harder for me to get into. If you're into war books and want something that has a deeper meaning this book would be a good pick for you.

7/10 Stars 
-Angela 

The Law of Moses by Amy Harmon

Someone found him in a laundry basket at the Quick Wash, wrapped in a towel, a few hours old and close to death. They called him Baby Moses when they shared his story on the ten o’clock news. Moses is strange, exotic, beautiful, and broken.

I'm gonna start off this review by saying straight up this will be one of the hardest reviews I've ever had to write before. The Law of Moses left me feeling every emotion humanly possible. I guess I'll just start at the beginning...

First off the prologue is probably one of the best ones I've ever read. It's only a couple of pages long, but after reading it I already had to set the book down because I knew it would be an emotional read. Even with the warning crystal clear at the start I wasn't prepared for how deep this book would hit. I didn't stay away long before crashing right back into it. Amy's writing is the thing that kept drawing me back. Her writing is like no others. She writes so that the reader isn't just reading they are actually able to see everything. It makes you have to stop and close your eyes just to take it all in before you can move on to the next page. It's remarkable. Her words had me drowning and I was in no rush to get air.

"If I tell you right up front, right in the beginning that I lost him, it will be easier for you to bear. You will know it's coming, and it will hurt. It will still make your chest ache and you stomach flip with dread. But you'll know and you´ll be able to prepare . And that's my gift to you . I wasn't given that same courtesy. I wasn't prepared."

If that doesn't both pull you in and give you goosebumps I don't know what will.

As far as the characters went, they were just as stunning. Georgia is a strong willed and strong written character. I loved her love for live. I loved that she was 100%  Moses' opposite. She's the soft to his rough. I loved her boldness and the way she always kept pushing forward. Moses was my favorite character. He might actually be one of my favorite written males. Why is that? Because he is what made me so emotional. One moment I loved him, the next I wanted to punch him, and then the next he would have me in tears. This book had me crying and sometimes there was no reason other than the writing style. Moses is the definition of character development. I loved that Georgia is just a small town girl and that Moses is a mess with so much artistic talent is unreal. Georgia comes from a loving family with so much heart, and Moses was the crack baby left in a basket at a local laundry mat. Everything about how the characters clashed was flawlessly written.

The other highlight of this book was the love story. It wasn't the typical tale, and it wasn't the untypical, it was something all its own. I loved watching it grow. I loved it's highs and it's low. My favorite part of not just the story but the romance was the way Moses' art came into play. I love how it was the pretty little bow that tied everything together.

“My mom always said negative attention is better than no attention at all. She was usually talking about foster kids who acted out. But apparently it also applied to seventeen-year-old girls who were in love with boys who didn’t love them back.”

As far as the plot goes I sadly can't go too deep into it. I will say that the book is split into two halves. The first half is a lot of background and build, while the second is all the heart hitting emotional reveals. I preferred the second half to the first but with saying that I loved the first so much. The plot line surrounds the fact that Moses is able to see the dead and then paint their messages. I thought this would come off as cheesy, but it never once felt that way. Something that really brought this story to such a high level was the switch of Povs and how it was never constant. It didn't alternate between Georgia and Moses every other chapter, it only changed when needed. This might make it sound like a cluster but it was so important to how the story played out. 

That's all I can say about this book. I can't go into an events or even sub-characters. This is a book you need to go into blind. The Law of Moses wasn't at all what I thought it would be. I agree with most when they say they don't know what genre this book would fall into. Paranormal? Contemporary? Romance? I don't know and I don't really care. It's unique theme and it's thought provoking writing won me over. The writing is captivating, the story is heart breaking, and has a love story of all its own. This was the first Amy Harmon book I've ever read, but it wont be the last. This book struck a emotional cord that I can't even explain.

10/10 Stars 
-Angela 

(The Law of Moses BookDepo) 

Auto Buys

If you're big on books and book buying then you already know what auto buys are... For those of you who don't let me explain. It's this freaky weird thing book people do when they can't help buy a book because (insert bizarre reason here). As a book collectors ourselves we know all reasons for auto buying are usually odd and pretty off the way. You also know if you collect books that everyone has their own auto buying reasons. Sometimes its genre related sometimes it's just because of who wrote it. We decided to share a few of ours. 

Angela: I love to collect books. Love it! (Clearly right?!) I also prefer owning actual dead tree copies to downloading E-books. I'm so very, very guilty of buying books for the reasons listed below... Not kidding I'll buy just about any books that fall under these things. 

I will buy any book that has half a girls face on it. Why? I don't know. I wont even read what the book is about before purchasing it. If I'm strolling down my local B&N aisles and see a book with a girl with half a face on it I will just pick it up! Sometimes it's like a knee jerk reaction. I'll even try to talk myself out of it, but then my inner book girl wins out and I purchase it. 

The other cover related auto buy I'm guilty of is buying any and every book with a girl underwater. Under water covers are my favorite!!! I'm obsessed. Not kidding, I have always been in love with pictures taken underwater, so it figures my love for it would flow into the book world. Again these are books that I automatically add to my cart and wont even care what the synopsis are. I have never met a cover with an underwater picture on it that I didn't like. The pictures to the right are only some of the ones I own.

Of the half face and underwater covers I think The Kricket Series (Under Different Stars/ Sea of Stars) and Unteachable are my favorites. 

Books Featured: The Ring and Crown, Mystic City, Branded The Lux Series, Unteachable. Wicked, The Kricket Series, Ten Tiny Breaths, The Mara Dyer Trilogy. 

The next two things I'm guilty as charged of doing are buying books that are written by two authors. I will not only automatically buy anything by these two authors, I will drop anything I'm currently reading to pick up one of their new books... Jennifer L. Armentrout and Colleen Hoover. These are my two favorite authors! I'm obsessed with them. They are two authors that never let me down. Between the two I'm sure you all know that my all time favorite however is Colleen Hoover. She is the ONLY author who has never let me down. Her books are both amazing and life Ugly Love, Maybe Someday, and Maybe Not are my favorites. As far as Jla her Lux Series and The Dark Elements Trilogy are my favorites.
changing. Of all books

I saved my favorite auto buy for last... My all time favorite purchases to make are *drum roll please* Alien related reads. I AM FREAKING ALIEN OBSESSED!!! I can't stop! I will read, purchase, see, watch anything alien related. Of any "genre" (because I don't really think Alien is a genre, even though it should be) Aliens are my favorite. All this alien news about a Lux movie actually happening now has me all jazzed up. Daemon Black on the big screen, whoosh, don't even get my started! I also am barely breathing waiting for The 5th Wave movie coming out next year and the last book in the trilogy, The Last Star, coming out later this year. Alien books are almost, probably, my most own books. Of all my Alien books/series I think The 5th Wave Trilogy, The Lux Series, and The Broken Skies Series are my favorite.

Featured books: Wait for You, Wicked, The Lux Series, The Dark Elements Trilogy, The Half-Blood Series, The Return. Hopeless, Slammed, Point of Retreat, Ugly Love, Maybe Someday, Confess. The 5th Wave Trilogy, Alienated Series, In the After Duology, The Taking Series, Fire in the Woods Series, Broken Skies Series, Gravity, Rush Series.  

Leah: Like Angela said, auto buying is a knee jerk reaction where you've ended up buying something without even realizing it sometimes. Being a fangirl is tough sometimes! I'm SUPER notorious for auto buying because along with reading and collecting books, shopping is my other favorite hobby. It really makes for an expensive hobby.

First, my usual auto buy is a series. Doesn't sound weird, right? Well, I will buy an entire series of something before even reading the first book on the assumption that I will love the first book and feel the need to devour the rest of the series. Well.... if y'all have read any of my recaps, you know that I am also notorious about getting bored in the middle of a series. I'm not one of those people who like to binge read through a super long series. I like to read a book or two then go to something else then come back later. For example, I have the full series for Vampire Academy, The Mortal Instruments, The Hunt, The Covenant, and The Pledge all on my bookshelves right now. I'm about 3-4 books deep into each one of those series. I'll finish them eventually, but I probably could just bought one book at a time instead of the entire series at once. #autobuy 

I'm also very loyal to my favorite authors. If Colleen Hoover, JLA, John Green, or Gillian Flynn releases something new, I'm buying it no questions asked. Like Angela, I will put down anything that I'm reading and dive straight into my new book. These authors have never given me a bad book or disappointed me, so I know no matter what kind of slump or mood I'm in, they will give me a good pick me up. The Fault in Our Stars is my favorite reread, but I also absolutely adore Looking for Alaska and Paper Towns by John Green. My favorite CoHo books are Slammed, Maybe Someday, and Ugly Love and I will pick those up if I need a good cry/romance in my life (I plan on reading Point of Retreat this week when I'm alone so I can ugly cry all by myself). JLA knows how to bring the steaminess and also bring the action. My FAVORITE JLA is Wicked, hands down. I love that it is just the start of the series so there is so many places for it to go! And when I'm feeling a little darker and need to indulge my inner serial killer, I turn to Gillian Flynn who never disappoints with her mind-effs. 

My last two big auto buy categories I'm going to partially blame on Angela because before she and I became raving fangirls, these two were never things I cared about. UK cover editions and signed copies of books. I don't care if I already own an entire series, if a sweet UK cover releases, I'm 

buying it. For example, I have two full (well, full so far since the series isn't complete) sets of the Throne of Glass series in both the US editions as well as the beautiful white UK editions. My favorite UK edition that I've bought so far is the florescent graffiti style Hunger Games set. So beautiful! 

Lastly is the signed copy problem that I've developed. Ok, it's no secret that we love going to book signings. Cool, that's not weird. The auto buying weirdness comes in when I go into a bookstore and see a book that is an autographed copy. MUSTBUYNOW. It's kind of weird having a signed copy of a book for an author you haven't met,  I can't resist. I need to see that signature on that title page. Must collect them all. For example, I have signed copies of The Fifth Wave and To All The Boys I've Loved Before that I have picked up in bookstores. 

Featured books: The Mortal Instruments series, Vampire Academy series, The Covenant series, The Hunger Games series, Throne of Glass series, To All The Boys I've Loved Before, The Pledge, Looking for Alaska, Paper Towns, The Fault in Our Stars, Wicked, Maybe Someday, Ugly Love, Slammed, Point of Retreat, Dark Places, and The Fifth Wave.