Angela's November Reads

Angela's November Reads: 
Hey ya'll! Can you believe it's already December?! Where did the year go? It's insane how fast this year has come and gone. Sorry Leah and I haven't been on for a few days. We've both been so busy with work, family in town, and we both had a few days off for Thanksgiving...That didn't however stop us from doing a ton of reading. 

We will be playing catch up this up coming week and will be posting a lot of reviews for the books we read in November. I read 20 books this month... THAT IS INSANE! Leah and I did a book swap while we waited to do our giant December book hauls. This gave me so many new and amazing things to read. Below is the list of everything I got my hands on and read in November. If there is already a review up for it you'll be able to click the titles and go straight to the reviews. If there isn't a review for them there will be soon!

A Thousand Pieces of You: Claudia Gray

Pure (Covenant 2): Jennifer L. Armentrout
The Chaos of Stars: Kiersten White
Beautiful Bastard: Christina Lauren
Under Different Stars: Amy Bartol
Fire in the Woods: Jennifer M. Eaton
The 100: Morgan Kass
Wallbanger: Alice Clayton
The Retribution of Mara Dyer: Michelle Hodkins
Unteachable: Leah Raeder
The Ring and the Crown: Melissa de la Cruz (broke up with)
Mystic City: Theo Lawrence
The Program: Suzanne Young
Blue Lily, Lily Blue (Raven cycle 3): Maggie Stiefvater
The Dream Thieves (Raven Cycle 2):  Maggie Stiefvater
In the Afterlight (Darkest Minds 3): Alex Bracken
These Broken Stars: Amie Kaufman &  Megan Spooner 
Beg: C.D Reiss
The Black Mage: Rachel E. Carter
The Jewel: Amy Ewing

As far as the best books I read this month hands down they have to be Under Different Stars by Amy Bartol, Unteachable by Leah Raeder, The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkins, and The Program by Suzanne Young. All four of those books have reviews on our blog and links are above. These four books have stolen my heart. Each was so different from the last and really made my November reading amazing. Of all four though Under Different Stars would be my top pick. It is the start of a new series (The Kricket Series) and I believe book two comes out in March so if you haven't had a chance to pick it up there's still time. And if you haven't read my review on it there's still time for that too! It's spoil free and amazing (not to toot my own horn lol).

When it came to books that disappointed me this month some of them were Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater, The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White, Beg by C.D Reiss and The Ring and the Crown by Melissa de la Cruz. I know that I'm in the minority when it comes to Blue Lily, Lily Blue and I'm okay with that, and TR&TC is the only book I had to break up with this month. It had to many POVs and randomness to it I found it hard to connect too. BUT the biggest let down was Mystic City by Theo Lawrence I was so excited to read it. Everything from it's cover too it's description looked amazing. Sadly it wasn't. I already have a review up for it on the blog and the link is above like the others.

So yeah I guess you could say that November was a little heavier on the blah reads side, but the books that I loved this month really made it become one of my favorite months this year.
This week or next I will be posting my reviews for The Jewel, The Black Mage, Pure, and Beg. I can't wait to start my end of the year reading and wrap up!

The Program: Suzanne Young

The Program: Suzanne Young

"In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program.

Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them." (summary taken from GoodReads.) 

I put off reading The Program for so long. I had really no idea what it was about and I haven't truly known anyone whose read it. It's been in my TBR pile for about four months if not more. So I finally picked it up. I wish someone would have recommended this to me so I would have done it sooner. The Program was a a huge surprise. 

With suicide rates at and all time high, and it being considered a disease you have to be careful of what you say or do at all times. There are handlers that keep their eyes out for at-risk teenagers between the ages of 13 to 17, and at the first signs of depression, they enroll them in The Program that erases their memories and emotions. After the six weeks of treatment, they are carefully immersed back into society with a fresh start and a clean slate. The Program reminds me so much of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, one of my all time favorite movies, except you don't have a say in if/what you have erased. 

After her brother and best friend Miller commit suicide things go way down hill emotionally for our two protagonist Sloane and James. They are both trying to hold it together till they turn 18, but that seems easier said than done. Both Sloane and James are taken at separate but almost same times after they both have melt downs. This story was so intensely sad and the characters were even more so.  But it's not just a story about suicide, it's also about how true love really is a juice worth the squeeze. With a romance that doesn't start with insta love, but instead with a friendship that builds to this realistic and sweet thing. From becoming friends through her brother, to secretly dating, to being inseparable. Their relationship has to be one of my favorites. They both perfectly play off each other...

     "I think I broke my femur," James says, as he lies underneath me. "On the console when you were attacking me? I think I broke it."
     I laugh. "Shut up."
     "I didn't mind though," he says conversationally. "Like when you bit my shoulder. It was—"
     I reach up and put my hand over his mouth, not moving it even after he licks my fingers. "Shut up." As if agreeing, he pulls me closer, resting his cheek on top of my head. When it's quiet, I move my palm and rest it on his chest.
     "It was nice," he whispers, but not jokingly. "It wasn't weird, either. And that's... kind of weird."  

Like come on, tell me that doesn't sound too cute! 

After being taken into the program Sloane is left alone and finding out how to beat the system alone. When they start to explain how the program works they also uncover Sloane and James' past. They play heavy on her and James' memories and it both broke and mended my heart. The memories are amazing and I loved reading them. There is a small introduction of a "love triangle". It really isn't a triangle, but I know that's what most will call it. The sub characters like Realm, Lacey, and Kevin are also lovely aspects to the story. I loved loved loved Realm even though I hated him at the same time.

Even with a minimal amount of scenery being described this book still didn't let me down. My only complaint is that to me the cover didn't do it for me. It's probably the main reason I put off reading it for so long. The Treatment: book two in The Program series has me looking forward to my 2015 TBRs.

Please don't make the same mistake I did and put this book off.

9/10 Stars 

-Angela