The Paper Swan by Leylah Attar

"They say it takes 21 days to form a habit. They lie.
For 21 days she held on. But on Day 22, she would have given anything for the sweet slumber of death.
Because on Day 22, she realizes that her only way out means certain death for one of the two men she loves."

"You can either choose love or you can choose hate, because where one lives, the other will die"

The Paper Swan I think so far this year has one of my favorite covers and titles. Then I read the synopsis and I knew I had to have it. It took me forever to find but at least it is mine...

This book messed with my mind yall. We start off with our main character leaning on the ground after getting kidnapped and about to have her head blown off. After reading that I was a little set back and confused. From the full synopsis on goodreads I thought this was going to be a book about a girl who dies and then has to choose between two guys and I assumed that one would be from when she was alive and one would be when she was dead. You know what they say about people who assume... Well that's what happened to me. It is not at all what I thought it was going to be... This is both a good and bad thing. The story bounces back and forth between present and past. It also switches POVs throughout the story. I thought all these things would turn me off, and the first half of the story it kind of did. 

We start with Skye's point of view and with her having been just kidnapped. Skye is this full of herself-snarky-rich brat. The first half I hated her!! No that's an understatement, I loathed her on a whole new level. Every time she spoke I wanted to peel my skin off. However by the end of the book I was completely on her side. Why the dramatic change? Because later on the Pov switches to her childhood and we get to see her and how she grew up as a child. Seeing these beautiful scenes with her, her nanny, and childhood friend Esteban living in Mexico are heartbreaking and so sweet. It slowly over the course of the book made me see her in a new light. Also the entire last half of this book had me loving her. She goes from this vile nasty human to this touching sweet realistic one. Then we have the kidnappers POV, Damian. He was beyond creepy when we first met him. So SO creepy. Then we get his backstory and a light shined on why he is the way he is, and it will floor you. I want to go so deep into his story and what got him to this dark place, but I wont be able to. He was another character that went from one that I wasn't easily relating to, to this amazing character with an extreme amount of character development. 

The best part of this novel was it's setting. I've never (at least I can't recall) have read a book set in Mexico. This automatically set the story apart from others I've read. Loved this. As far as the books pace it was constantly go go go. Again, another plus. It is a constant stream of action and thrilling moments. But the things I found flawed weren't just with characters in the first half. It was a lot of the scenes in the first half. Things would happen and I would seriously just think... 

Then something predictable would happen and I would just get annoyed all over again! Thankfully Attar made a huge comeback with the last half of the story. You start to realize how important those moments that might not have been your favorites at first really are. Things start tying together and all these little moments you didn't realize were bread-crumbed through out the book are revealed and it will just shatter you. The last half of this book is a complete five star read.  It makes up for so many things I thought were lacking in the first. Plus the twist are a 100 times stronger in the second half as well. The Paper Swan made me angry, then happy, then killed me, then had me crying, then had me falling in love with the story all over again. 

The Paper Swan was thrilling and gripping story about love and revenge. This story is bold and not one I will easily forget. 
 
8.5 Stars 
-Angela 

Angela's July Wrap up

Darkfever- Karen Moning
Bloodfever- Karen Moning
Faefever- Karen Moning
Dreamfever- Karen Moning
Shadowfever-Karen Moning
Clipped Wings- Helena Hunting
Inked Amor- Helene Hunting
White Bird in a Blizzard- Laura Kasischke
The Cage- Megan Shepherd
Dirty Rowdy Thing- Christina Lauren
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close- Jonathan Foer
More Happy Than Not- Adam Silvera
The Devil's Intern- Donna Hoise
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist- Rachel Cohn, David Levithan
Untethered- Jax Spenser 
Singularity- Jax Spenser 
Freefall- Jax Spenser  
Coherence- Jax Spenser 
Redshift- Jax Spenser
Maud's Line- Margret Verble   
Fractured Suns- Theresa Kay
World War Z- Max Brooks
IM BACK!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm no longer sick! If you couldn't tell by the ridiculous spike in my reading from June to July. So happy to be back in the game!  If you can't tell from just eyeballing, there might have been a tiny common variable between the books I chose mainly to read this month. I read a lot of Book to Films. I decided to pick up books that I knew were movies and hadn't read yet so I could read them then watch them. I'll probably follow this trend into next month as well since I still have a few I'd like to knock out. The books to films I choose were: White Bird in a Blizzard, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, and World War Z. I had already seen WWZ and Nick and Norah as movies so picking up the books were really fun. With the other two I got to read them then see the movie and it made it even better. Both White Bird and Extremely Loud were amazing books and the movies were the same. Both surprised me by how well they played out.

I also managed to knock out a few TBRs I had planned and a pretty hefty series. So that leads me into my July favorites. I had the best kind of problem when it comes to my favorites this month, I have so many! The entire Fever Series- (especially ShadowFever), Dirty Rowdy Thing, The Devil's Intern, and Fractured Suns top my list this month. When I started the Fever Series I had no idea how much I was going to love it. The first two books were good but the last three were phenomenal! It had everything I ever wanted in one series.  Dirty Rowdy Thing kept true to the Christina Lauren ways and had me swooning all over the place. They are so creative with their books and never let me down. The Devil's Intern was hands down my biggest surprise read in July. I had no true idea what this book was about. Tying time travel with a boy who is living in Hell seems like it would end up a cluster F, but this book was amazing. Lastly Fractured Suns. No clue why I was so nervous to start this book. Think I feared it would suffer from second book syndrome, but NOPE! This book blew me out of the water! The cover reveal is in August and that's when I'll have my review up for it. Each of these books knocked my socks off. I want do too mention the duology I read this month, Clipped Wings, it might not have made my favorites list but this series was still great, and it did end up having one of my new favorite leading males in it.


When it comes to my least favorites this month I only have two. Maud's Line and The Cage. Maud's Line was just not my cup of tea. If you like a little bit more of realistic-historical-fiction this book might be something you're into. I however ended up not liking it and barely making it through the whole thing. I will eventually put a review up for this I'm just struggling a little with getting all my thoughts together on it. As for The Cage, well it was the definition of let-down. When I started writing the review for it I ended up stopping and deleting it because it just got a little nasty and out of hand. When I heard that it was a book about Aliens taking humans and throwing them into a Zoo like cage it had me so interested. However the idea, though great, wasn't executed well on paper. It was another book I had to struggle to get through, and ended up annoyed  that I even ended up reading it.

Till august
-Angela

The Devil's Intern by Donna Hosie

"How did you die?" It's the most popular question in Hell, and Mitchell Johnson has been answering it ever since he was hit by a bus and ended up in the Underworld.

"I  just love books about guy's who are working in the accounting department of Hell as the Devil's intern and then over hears about a way to get out and get their life back by using time travel..." said no one ever! However, that is only because nothing like this has ever been written. The Devil's Intern was a really great surprise. 

When I first heard about this book I only knew that it was full of dry humor (my fave) and about a boy who was working as, yes you guessed it, the Devil's intern. I had no idea about all the other little nuggets that would be thrown into it.

First the characters were amazing. Each one so different than the next. First we have our main man Mitchell Johnson. The witty, nerdy, funny, hungry, guy who got hit by a greyhound and is now interning in Hell. Then you get the side characters: Medusa, Mitchell's best friend. Alfarin the surprisingly sweet Viking Prince. Then the 17th Century peasant Elinor. The banter between these characters is so much snarky goodness. Their relationship is so bizarre that it makes it work in the most perfect way. This is all before you throw in the element of the Devil himself... who happens to be a total drama queen who doodles black hearts around evil plans and hates Vegans. 

“Can we go back and sit down? Dancing is for girls.”

“I am a girl, Mitchell,” replies Medusa, “and try telling The Devil that.” We both look over at the master of Hell, who has cleared the dance floor with his moshing.”

Reading the four of these characters together would be reason enough to pick up this book, but I haven't even mentioned the plot. 

The plot falls just below "fast paced" and hit a new level that I don't even know if there's a word invented for it... I'll just say perfect for now. The pace is perfect. From the moment we are introduced too not only Mitchell's character, but to the world itself, is just non-stop. There is always something happening. The fact that she has it so Hell is kind of like the real world will have you cracking up. Hell sounds a lot like living in the south. It's insanely hot, traffic jams are never ending, and everyone's just working for the weekend. The big thing I need to mention is the clear elephant in the room.. The time traveling aspect. When I was reading and this started coming into play, I will not lie I became super nervous. Thank the dark lords that I kept reading. It was the biggest and best surprise. It starts happening and I was still so/so about it, then the closer it came to the end of the story the more impressed I became with it. The more time travel we got the more all these hidden treasures come out. It didn't hurt that with a lot of these scenes the author managed to nail her comic timing. There's one scene when they go to like a KFC and send Alfari the Viking to order their food and he pulls a total Thor and it had me in stitches.
 

Even when the plot calls for things too get a little heavier and more serious, Hoise makes the story flow and work. At one point in time I was getting teary eyed and was floored by the emotional turn the book took.  From start to finish The Devil's Intern was one surprise after another. A genius idea for a book, a well played out story line, characters you will fall in love with, and twist you wont see coming. All in all when I picked this book up I wasn't excepting anything more than a quick quirky read, but what I got was a well thought out, warm, hilarious, and fun read. The Devil's Intern had me laughing, crying, and on the edge of my seat. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in this series.... Yeah another surprise right? Sounds like a total standalone, it's not! And lets just say with how it ends I can't wait to see where she takes this story.


10/10 Stars 
-Angela 

Angela's May Wrap-Up

Angelfall- Susan Ee
World After- Susan Ee
End of Days- Susan Ee 
3:AM Kisses- Addison Moore
Sweet Submission- Roxy Sloane
Silence- Natasha Preston
Sweet Filthy Boy- Christina Lauren 
Clockwork Angel- Cassandra Clare
Anomaly-Tonya Kuper
A Court of Thorns and Roses- Sara J. Maas
The Heir- Kiera Cass
An Ember in the Ashes- Sabaa Tahir
Fangirl- Rainbow Rowell
Never Never pt 2- Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher 
After- Anna Todd
Ugly People Beautiful Hearts- Marlen Komar
Black Iris- Leah Reader

I know I'm posting this early, but it's only because Leah and I will be in New York the rest of this month for BookCon... And were only kind of freaking out about it... OK WE ARE REALLY FREAKING OUT ABOUT IT!!!! So excited!! Anyways, I didn't plan on reading very much this month but somehow managed to knock out 17 books. This put me at 102 out of my 185 goal this year... Which is freaking insane!

As far as May went, well I think it went alright. My favorites for May are: Angelfall, Sweet Filthy Boy, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and Never Never pt 2. I know Angelfall is a little older series wise, but I was waiting for all three books to be released so I could marathon the whole series, and marathon I did. I freaking loved this series. The whole concept of Angels coming down to earth and being villains was amazing.  If you know me then you know this next one was no surprise; Christina Lauren's Sweet Filthy Boy. Those two have definitely become two of my favorite writers. SFB is my favorite book of theirs to date and kind of sad I didn't read it sooner. How could this list be complete without a Sara J Maas book?? It couldn't, ACOTR was a new release this month and I loved it. It's a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but don't let that fool you, it is stunning. And last we have Never Never pt 2. Short stories aren't really my thing, but this series of novellas has me hooked! I need answers like yesterday. Those were without a doubt my favorites in May. I was surprised by two books, Ember in the Ashes and After. I thought for sure Ember would have been in my favorites, and yes I liked it a lot but then again it didn't blow we out the water like I hoped. After was a book I thought I was going to hate then ended up getting super hooked to.

When it comes to the books I thought were the biggest let downs, well I only have 3. Black Iris, The Heir, and 3AM Kisses. These three are the epitome of a book letdowns. I waited so long to get my hands on Black Iris, and was floored when it turned out to be a cluster f of badness. Leah Reader's Unteachable was one of my favorite books last year, so I was hoping for the same with Black Iris. 3AM Kisses, well lets just say it's one of the lamest things I've ever come in contact with. Spent most of my time trying to hold back my metaphorical vomit while reading it. The Heir, was another one of those books that I was really looking forward too, then got a hold of it and found myself asking "what was the point in this book?". Was so excited to fall back into the world of the selection and was highly disappointed.

That's all for now. See some of you in BookCon and the rest in June. 

-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  

Angela's March Reads

Ahhhh March, you came and went so fast. March was.... well it was a climb reading wise for me. Saying I was in a slump would be an understatement. I couldn't seem too truly get into anything. As usual I had some high highs and low lows. This month I read a total of 20 books. Not my best numbers, but still ahead in my reading. I wasn't as active as I usually am on here or any bookmedia. I had some vacation time this month and just caught up with friends, family, and my home life. It was also my birthday this month so I was rather busy. (Planning on posting my birthday book-haul soon.) Leah and I have been planning some up-coming events so that ate up a lot of time as well. Hopefully I can catch up on some reviews in April. As far as my March reads go, here you have them:

Transparent- Natalie Whipple
Conviction- Kelly Lou Gilbert
My Heart and Other Black Holes- Jasmine Warga
Confess- Colleen Hoover
Hopeless- Colleen Hoover
Maybe Not- Colleen Hoover (Re-Read/Audio Book)
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)
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 (DNF)
Lovely Vicious- Sara Wolf
Savage Delight- Sara Wolf
Brutal Precious- Sara Wolf   
Sisters of Shiloh-Kathy Hepinstall, Becky Hepinstall Hilliker
We All Looked Up- Tommy Wallach 

My top picks this month are: Confess, Lovely Vicious, and my two re-reads, The Lux Series and Maybe Not. I usually wouldn't pick re-reads in my top picks for wrap-ups but since I was so sluggish with my reading and nothing else really stuck I'm going to go ahead and toss them in. Lovely Vicious was the book to break my reading slump, and I'm sad I read it so late in the month. This book had me laughing hard with it's strong leading lady and catchy one liners. Maybe Not is a book you've recently heard me talking about... I saw recent because I read it last month, and yes again this month. Well listened to it this month. The audio book for Maybe Not is amazing, even the second time around it still had my sides splitting. One of my all time favorites. The Lux Series, yes all five, are making in my top picks because even as a re-read I still loved everything about it. Daemon Black. That's all I need to say. My very top spot goes to Confess. Confess easily made it's way to number one this month, and on to my list of all time favorites. A new March release from Colleen Hoover had me balling in the first ten pages, with an unforgettable ending. Colleen Hoover write life altering books and a favorites list wouldn't be complete without on of her books on it.


My book fails were easy to pick as well. The biggest letdowns were: Transparent, To All the Boys I Loved Before, and Beautiful Disaster. Transparent was a book I was really looking forward to. With it's pitch comparing it to X-men I found myself letdown with its lackluster story and predictability. To
All the Boys I Loved Before was a contemporary read that has a lot of hype following it... I however found the story boring. When I heard a girl writes love letters to her ex loves and then the letters get out I figured the story would be filed with a lot of poetic thoughts and drama. Sadly there was nothing specials about it. And for my biggest disappointment, well I know you all saw this one coming, Beautiful Disaster. Saying it sucked would be going easy on this gross little number. It's not only one of the worst things I've read all month, it's one of the worst things I've read all year. Ugh thinking about it again puts me in a rage.

I'll just stop right there... See y'all in April.

-Angela

Read it and Weep

When it comes to emotions we basically have none... Crying in real life events rarely ever happens for us. However when it comes to books/books to film it happens all the time! And we mean all the time. It's to the point where it should be embarrassing but then again WE HAVE NO SHAME! So we thought it would be a wonderful idea to share a list of the books that brought us to tears, highlight the biggest hitters, and share the ones that had us feelings all the feels (yeah just said that still not ashamed). 

Me Before You- Jojo Moyes
Slammed- Colleen Hoover
Point of Retreat- Colleen Hoover
Ugly Love- Colleen Hoover
Maybe Someday- Colleen Hoover
Confess- Colleen Hoover
The Fault in Our Stars- John Green
The Truth About Alice- Jennifer Mathieu
If I Stay- Gayle Forman
MockingJay- Suzanne Collins
Allegiant- Veronica Roth
Unteachable- Lead Raeder
All Our Yesterdays- Cristin Terrill
Forbidden- Tabitha Suzuma
The Choice- Nicholas Sparks
Champion- Marie Lu
Breaking Dawn- Stephanie Meyers 
The Beginning of Everything- Robyn Schneider
City of Heavenly Fire- Cassandra Clare
Opposition- Jennifer L. Armentrout

Angela's Picks- As far as my top three picks for highest tissue count I selected: Ugly Love, Maybe Someday, and Forbidden. In that order (Honorable mention to Me Before You). I thought when we started making this list that TFIOS would be in my top three, but the ones I picked really did me in more so... And if you've seen or read TFIOS that should really tell you something. Ugly Love definitely takes my top spot. Not only could I not pick up another book for over a week, I also couldn't open my eyes for the same amount of time. Every time I thought about this book I became a blubbering hot mess all over again. It shattered me into a million little pieces, and delivered a thousand paper-cuts to my heart. A book has never made me hurt as hard as Ugly Love did, and I can't wait to see it in theaters next year and ugly cry all over the place (again). Maybe Someday, my next pick is also by Colleen Hoover. This book...wow this book... IS JUST PERFECT. It has the perfect start, the perfect middle, and hands down one of the best endings ever. Maybe Someday was like nothing I had ever read before and left me loving love. If you wanna know what love is and what someone to show you just pick up any Hoover book. My last pick is a book I know y'all have heard me mention on several occasions... Yup, Forbidden. I could go on for weeks (which is crystal clear since I still am) about how much I loved this novel. Not only did it bring me to tears, it had me questioning my own morals. With a story line that I didn't see coming, with plot twist I could barely handle, and with an ending that left me speechless, there was no way this book couldn't make my list. If you haven't read any of these books you have too! Just click the reviews and you'll see why. All of them are on my all time favorites list and each one gave me something so lovely to hang on to. Seriously, PICK UP THESE BOOKS! While you're at it pick up copious amounts of chocolates, and stock up on Kleenex.

Leah's Picks- I used to look at people who read sad books or watch sad movies and think "why would you pay money for something to make you cry?!" That was before I was introduced to the novels that are listed above. Now I know that you can read a book, have your heart ripped out, and then still come out feeling something positive at the end. My top three picks are The Fault in Our Stars, Slammed, and Maybe Someday. I remember when I first read TFIOS. I knew basically what it was about, but I didn't know a whole lot of information on it. Let me just say that by the end of the book, I had locked myself in my bathroom and was sitting on the floor next to the toilet sobbing my eyes out. This book brought me to a level of sadness that I didn't know you could experience without losing someone yourself. It really and truly felt like I had lost a part of me. That is why this book will always remain on the top of my favorite lists because of the strong reaction it evoked from me. In a very close second in Slammed. I avoided reading this book for a really long time because I didn't think it would be my thing. This book is everyone's thing. Seriously, it is amazing. Something that happens to one of the characters hits close to home for me in this one and it really made my knees buckle, especially during the epilogue. It was that type of thing where you are reading but you are crying so hard that you can't even see the words because snot and tears and mascara are running down your face. I haven't even read the sequel, Point of Retreat, yet because I'm just not ready. Even thinking about the end of Slammed makes my stomach hurt, so I just need some time to heal all my emotional wounds inflicted by CoHo before reading the sequel and novella. In third is Maybe Someday. Colleen Hoover holds the title for Author Most Likely To Make You Die After Reading Her Books because of all the crazy twists she pulls on her characters. I read Maybe Someday in a few hours because I just couldn't put it down. I laughed, I cried, I swooned... Basically I felt all the feels. The ending is what makes this book for me. Amazing. Who knew reading could make you hurt so good? I would seriously have called you crazy if you told me this a few years ago, but now I recommend everyone to go out and buy all of these books ASAP. 

Maybe Not (Maybe 1.5) by Colleen Hoover

When Warren has the opportunity to live with a female roommate, he instantly agrees and disagrees. Especially when  he finds out the new roommate is the cold and seemingly calculating bitch who happens to be hot. Tensions run high and tempers flare as the two can hardly stand to be in the same room together.

Maybe Not is the novella for Maybe Someday (Maybe 1.5). This book follows Warren, Ridges roommate, and Bridgette who is also their roommate. Warren was actually my favorite character in the first book and I was so happy to get a story from his pov. In the first book I was always wanting to hear more about him,  and felt we never got to truly meet him.

I absolutely loved being able to get inside his head. I love hearing all his cocky, comical, and real emotions. Getting to hear Bridgette's story was a breath of fresh air as well. Since all we really knew about her in book one was that shes was a super b. (Oh and I don't wanna forget that we find out what Warren's obsession with porn is all about and I LOVED LOVED LOVED the reason behind it! So freaking hilarious. Yeah, never thought those words would come out of my mouth.) Getting to see how their relationship got started before Sydney moved in made a few of those unanswered question from book one so crystal. The banter between the two is what makes this book so unstoppable. It's has the brass and balls most novellas can't seem to master. I can't thank Hoover enough for keeping Warren the same silly ass as he was in the first book. Just loved him so much! 

Getting to experience the relationship between Warren and Bridgette might just be the biggest treat I get all year! Their relationship truly is like no other and it had me falling hard. UGH words haven't been invented yet for how I feel about this book!!!

This is a quick, witty, and hilariously entertaining story. If it wouldn't have been for the ending of Maybe Someday, Maybe Not would be in a side by side tie. (Because you can't beat Someday's ending). I will say the ending to this book too was just so perfect! Can't stress how much I loved this book!!! 

I fell in love with you warren and I'm not sorry about it.

I wish this book would have been a full length novel... Who knows maybe well get more later. 

10/10 Right Asshole Stars 
-Angela 

Losing It by Cora Carmack

Bliss Edwards decides the best way to deal with the problem of her virginity is to lose it as quickly and simply as possible and have a one-night stand. This plan fails when she freaks out and leaves the gorgeous guy alone and naked in her bed with an excuse that no one would believe. The plan fails even harder when she finds out that the man she left is now her new theatre professor. 

Okay so I'm gonna start off by saying that I know I'm going to be in the minority here with my rating... but whatever. Losing It to me was just so/so. I read the whole book in about two hours because it is a really short and quick read, which was nice. I think my main problem with the book though was that I read it after I read Unteachable... so now every time I read a book with a girl who falls in love with her teacher I will forever be comparing it to that book. Unteachable set the bar so high that it'll be near impossible to pass. If I would have picked up this book first I probably would have given it a higher rating. 

The characters however are lovely. Bliss is realistic and believable. She going through the same hurtles anyone her age would go through. Garrick, the professor, was about the same. He sound sound super yummy and could say Sup to me in a bar anytime... BUT their insta-love was a little to much for me to get behind. I felt like there was enough time for them to be dropping L-bombs, but there was nothing behind it to support why they were actually saying it. It didn't feel like the two had any build up, or really even got to know each other before they started saying it. 

I just didn't feel the chemistry between the two of them like I was hoping. The story however does flow smoothly through out and has a great pace. The really isn't much world building (which isn't uncommon for these types of books). I like the sub characters. I like how Cora didn't do a typical class and more of a play and how that all tied the story together. 

My main problem with this book was it's predictability. Everything that happened I saw coming. I never didn't know what was going to happen. Every thing from how they met to how it ended, I knew the play out few pages before hand. The other thing that irked me was the cover of the book... This might seem silly to some but I think most book lovers can agree... I HATE when book covers have people on the front that DON'T match the description of the people in the story... I just don't get it. Like I said, maybe that's just me. 

I'm probably judging this book a little more harsh than I should, because there is no doubt that Cora Carmack  is a talented writer. I will pick up her books in the future and will more than likely like them more than this. Losing It was just in the wrong reading place at the wrong reading time for me. 

5/10 Stars 
-Angela 

(Losing it BookDepository)

Leah's 2014 Reads

Labor Day by Joyce Maynard

Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Darkest Minds by Alex Bracken

Never Fade by Alex Bracken

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Frostbite by Richelle Mead

Legend by Marie Lu

Prodigy by Marie Lu

Champion by Marie Lu

Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Shopaholic Takes Manhattan by Sophie Kinsella

Shatter Me by Tahreh Mafi

Unravel Me by Tahreh Mafi

Ignite Me by Tahreh Mafi

The Choice by Nicholas Sparks

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Selection by Kiera Cass

The Elite by Kiera Cass

The One by Kiera Cass

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

The Death Code by James Dashner

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Requiem by Lauren Oliver

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout

Onyx by Jennifer Armentrout

Opal by Jennifer Armentrout

Origin by Jennifer Armentrout

Opposition by Jennifer Armentrout

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Tucholke

The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

Hexed by Michelle Krys

Reboot by Amy Tintera

Rebel by Amy Tintera

Branded by Abi Ketner

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

Uninvited by Sophie Jordan

Pawn by Aimee Carter

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Alienated by Melissa Landers

White Hot Kiss by Jennifer Armentrout

Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer Armentrout

Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini

Mortal Danger by Ann Aguirre

Black City by Elizabeth Richards

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

Losing It by Cora Carmack

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman

The Jewel by Amy Ewing

Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter

Awake at Dawn by C.C. Hunter

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

Pivot Point by Kasie West

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Don't You Forget About Me by Kate Karyus Quinn

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Don't Look Back by Jennifer Armentrout

The Merciless by Danielle Vega

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

A Thousands Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

The Many Lives of Ruby Iyer by Laxmi Hariharan

Under Different Stars by Amy Bartol

Unteachable by Leah Raeder

The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel

Altered by Jennifer Rush

The Duff by Kody Keplinger

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

Fire in the Woods by Jennifer Eaton

Fallen by Lauren Kate

The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider

Wicked by Jennifer Armentrout

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

Rush by Maya Banks

Raw by Belle Aurora

Slated by Teri Terry

TOTAL: 98 BOOKS

WOW! What a great year 2014 has been. I have always loved reading, but this year has really helped me kick start my love of reading and fandoms again. Not only have I read an insane amount of books, but we started this blog and have taken are fandom to another level.

My favorite authors this year were Jennifer Armentrout, Michelle Hodkin, Rachel Hawkins, and Cassandra Clare. I also discovered a lot of up and coming authors such as Lindsay Cummings and Leah Raeder that have easily found their way on my favorite author list.

My favorite series this year was The Lux series by Jennifer Armentrout. The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare (though I am still slowly trucking my way through them!!), The Legend series by Marie Lu, The Selection series by Kiera Cass, and the Mara Dyer series by Michelle Hodkin follow closely behind.

I originally set my reading goal at the beginning of the year to 24 books.... I think it is safe to say I blew that goal out of the water. For 2015, I am going to set my goal to 100 books, but I think I will be able to bypass that as well. I really hope to reread some of my favorites this coming year (Divergent series and Hunger Games series to name a few), but I am also looking forward to starting new series and finding new favorites. I am currently in the middle of about three different series, so I am looking forward to seeing how they all end!

Thank you to all of our amazing readers for supporting us and allowing us to take this blog from just an idea to something awesome. Also, huge thank you and shout out to my co-blogger, Angela, for helping me rekindle my love of books and fandoms! Without you I would probably still be trying to finish the Shopaholic series (womp womp). I can't wait to see what 2015 holds for us!


-Leah

Raw by by Belle Aurora

 Raw by Belle Aurora

As soon as Lexi turned sixteen, she left home and took her chances on the street. Now, at the age of twenty-six she's educated, employed and amazing at her job. There's only one thing not amazing about her life now... She's being stalked. Someone that should scare her doesn't. So you're probably  wondering how a person falls in love with their stalker?This is how.

 

"Not everyone can be a fairy-tale hero... The world needs villains too." 

Angela here... To answer the age old question... Are stalkers hot? The answer is YES, yes they are hot.

Pretty sure Raw just moved to my all time favorites list. Everything from the plot to the characters were perfecto! Seriously, girl falls in love with her stalker; PERFECT CONCEPT!

The story focuses around two characters Lexi and Twitch. Lexi, oh Lexi; I loved how strong, independent and hilarious she was. She was an awesome leading lady that gave readers a ton of surprises. Is she insane, probably. She knows shes being stalked but since he has never done anything as far as she knows but watch she's never felt the need to tell anyone. Between the two characters it was very clear that Lexi had by far the most character development. Her emotions were all over the place, strong, then weak, then strong again, and sometimes you wanted to scream "get to the point"... But with the twist and turns that would follow the situation your jaw would be on the floor. Then there's Twitch... Holy sweet tattooed gods above, there's twitch. Everything about him was different from any other leading male I've ever read. He would go from hot too cold so fast it would give you whiplash. I absolutely loved his character. I love that Belle wrote to give him so much development, but did it in such small ways you didn't pick up on it right away, then it would smack you in the face. My favorite thing though was the way he looked. Tall and super tattooed. Like almost every inch tattooed. So when he's being described it made him new and interesting to hear about... and hot so freaking hot. Did I mention he has a candy obsession... Yep if you didn't think you'd fall in love with him when you start reading you will after that. Both Twitch and Lexi are amazing written and dynamic characters.

Their relationship is a flippin mess!!! The whole time I kept going back and forth between if I loved it or if I wanted it too end. Who am I kidding, I loved it so much. I loved that even though he's her stalker he would flip the script.

"Did I seriously just get rejected by my stalker? What the fuck?" 

The banter between the two is amazing, and manipulative. The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde thing he has going on was oddly super hot. He owns his evil and doesn't really care whos sees it or when it happens. 

"You wanna know why I lock my doors at night?"..."To protect the people outside of it from me."

The sub character in it are Nikki, Dave, and Happy. None of them are real constant characters, and none of them I was head over heels for, but in this story it didn't really matter. They all brought something too the table and I have no real complaints with them. The times they do present themselves they are funny, and I never questioned their appearance.

As far as the plot goes, going into this story I had no real idea what it was about except for a girl falls for her stalker. I didn't know anything else. I'm really glad I didn't. Going into it blind made it amazing. There was about 100 things that happened that I didn't see coming. The two big twist in the story were AMAZING!!!
One of them is set up from page one so you're waiting almost the whole story to hear it unfold and when it finally does, whoosh, it gets insane. The second twist is thrown in there so fast you had NO idea it was coming... You're just reading along then WHAM!!! I had to stop and re-read the sentence and ask myself if that really just happened... I swear my jaw unhinged and fell to the floor.

The plot, the flow, the characters, the world build all won me over. The story does have a few holes in it that I wont touch base on because of potential spoils, but even the minor things that popped up I was never truly bothered. I can really see people either loving or hating this book... I'm on the loving side I think it was inventive and brought something new to this genre. Raw was like a snowball rolling down a hill... It started small but strong and kept building till it was so  big and out of control that it had the best explosive ending. Because that ending.... THAT ENDING!!!! The last paragraph in a book is suppose to wrap everything up in a pretty bow for you, not completely come out of left field and blow your brains out. That's Raw's ending to say the least... Mind Blowing!!!! 

 10/10 Stars 
-Angela

The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu

The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu

Everyone knows Alice slept with two guys at one party. But did you know Alice was sexting Brandon when he crashed his car? It's true. Ask ANYBODY... Rumor has it that Alice Franklin is a huge slut. It's written all over the bathroom stalls at her highschool. And after star quarterback Brandon Fitzsimmons dies in a car accident, the rumors start to spiral out of control. Four student in Healy High tell in how they "know" it... the girl who has the infamous party, the car accident survivor, the former best friend, and the boy next door. But exactly what is the truth about Alice? 

I don't know what did me in with this novel... I don't know if it just came at the right time, or if it was the fact that in the last chapter of this book the song Wait by M83 started playing from my playlist, or if it was the fact that this book was what high school felt like for me almost to a point where it was scary... or if it was the fact that this book was a book that you didn't even realized touched you so much until you realized you were crying and didn't even know it.

The Truth About Alice is a simple novel. It's nothing over the top, it's nothing action packed with chase scenes or alien invasions; it's simplicity was what made it. I think this book was spot on about how high school really is. I know there are a lot of mixed reviews about this book, and maybe my rating is higher than others because this book touched a little closer to home for me than it might for others. Highschool for me wasn't "the time of my life" or the "best years of my life", high was hell for me. If it wasn't for my best friend I wouldn't have made it out. Because like it says so plainly in this book a lot of times highschool is about putting on this fake bitch persona and following a crowd even when you don't want to because it's just easier than being alone...

“It’s like when we read The Diary of Anne Frank in seventh grade, and I had the sneaking suspicion that I would have been a Nazi back then because I wouldn’t have had the guts to be anything else. Because I would have been too scared to not go along with the majority. Like, I would have been a passive sort of Nazi, but I still would have been a Nazi. I never said anything out loud, of course, but I remember reading that book in Ms. Peterson’s class and everyone was all, “Oh, I would’ve helped Anne. I would have rebelled. I don’t understand how people could have allowed this to happen, blah blah blah.” I mean, I know that everyone wants to believe they would have been the brave one, and they would have been the one to hide Anne in their attic, and they would have killed Hilter with their own bare hands. But clearly if everybody thinks that way and in reality only a few people actually did it way back then doesn't that make me the honest one?" 

And yes I like everyone else in the world was guilty of going along with a crowd instead of doing what was right. Who hasn't? But my high school experience was more like Alice's than any other point of view in this book. My quirky-ness was something that I had to learn the hard way would only be lame in high school and would one day be something that people actually liked. This book touched every emotion I remember having, all the ache, heartache, and pain I felt. Remembering people who were my friends, then gradually having them not like me because I wasn't what was considered cool... and Jennifer Mathieu says it perfectly, it hurts way worse to have someone slowly eliminate you from their life than it ever does to just have them drop you. I know she's right because I'm speaking from personal experience. Because it is like a million paper-cuts to your heart.

 This book was about hiding truths, hiding who you are, and about realizing that at the time you think highschool was everything and that it will define the rest of your life... and then it hitting you that it doesn't. That it's just high school. That the people or person who stood beside you through it all; the rumors, the torture, the lies, and saw who and what you really are, are the ones who will mean more to you than you do to yourself. 

The transition from character to character, the pov change, the time change all leading up to Alice's point was done in such a unique and interesting way. It gave this story layers that having one narrator could have never done.  Even though I hated one of the characters, Kelsie, in this story I think her sections were somehow my favorite. Probably because I had a friend (or two) just like her when I was in school and now it has me wondering what might have really been going on in their heads. Then Kurt and Alice's POVs would fall very close behind hers in how much I liked them. Most importantly though I think the true underlying thing that really hit was that rumors are just rumors and that you can overcome them and that if you have kids that you tell them this much. Not to feed into them, to stand up against them. 

"But if I do end up having a girl, there are so many things I'll do for her. So many things I swear I'll do for her. I'll never walk into her room without knocking. I won't fake emotions in front of her. I'll tell her she's special just because she's who she is. I won't act like I'm perfect. I won't scare her. I won't let her be scared of me. I won't tell her I know all the answers. I won't lie to her." 

And yes, my review for this book might be cheesy, but I don't care. The characters in this book felt real. The setting felt real. This book felt real. It might be a short and quick read and something you can chew in one sitting, but even that doesn't have me complaining. I guess there's really nothing else to say other than don't judge a book by it's cover or the "he said she said" about it. This coming of age story about over coming obstacles really stole my heart.
I'm really happy I read this book.

10/10 stars 

-Angela 

 

   

Leah's November Reads

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake

The Merciless by Danielle Vega

The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Don't Look Back by Jennifer Armentrout

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

The Many Lives of Ruby Iyer by Laxmi Hariharan

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

Under Different Stars by Amy Bartol

Unteachable by Leah Raeder

November was kind of a tough month for me book wise. I was in a big rut after finishing City of Glass and had a killer book hangover. I started and stopped at least four different books and just could not get into anything. It felt like every book I did read was pretty mediocre, so it was just adding to my hangover. Angela was feeling the same way, so we did a book swap. We both filled a tote bag full of books that we thought the other would enjoy and swapped. We have similar tastes, so it was the perfect way to find good books without having to search!

My favorite book this month doesn't have a clear cut winner. There was a tie between The Retribution of Mara Dyer, City of Glass, and A Thousand Pieces of You. Retribution was the final book in the Mara Dyer series, so it was like the end of an era. I got all the conclusion I needed for Mara and Noah, so while I am sad it is over, I am happy that I got what I needed. CoG is the best book of The Mortal Instrument series that I have read so far. It took me forever to get through it, but once I finally finished it... OMG. This is what put me into such a bad hangover. It was SO awesome that my brain was just completely dead after finishing. I just couldn't bring myself to read anything else because I just wanted more Jace, Clary, Sebastian, Simon, Alec, and Magnus. This series will be the death of me though because it is such an emotional roller coaster. It is definitely one of my all time favorites. ATPoY was sooooo good. I am loving the trend of time/dimension travel books lately, and this one just was so well done. The world building was breathtaking, and I just loved the characters. I can't wait to see where the series goes.

That was all until I read Unteachable by Leah Raeder. This book was in the bag I borrowed from Angela. When describing the book to me, she said two words: HOT TEACHER. So I went into it knowing there was a hot teacher and lots of steamy scenes. Within the first few chapters, I found myself blushing uncontrollably and feeling like this was the type of book I needed to read in private because it was so, SO detailed during the steamy scenes. I kind of kept up the impression that this book was just going to be lots of steam, but only surface deep as far as story.

Man, was I wrong. This book reached inside of my chest and grabbed my heart and twisted it before yanking it out and throwing it on the floor and stomping on it. Maise is such a kick ass character. In fact, I really want to take her and transport her into all other YA books that I've read just to see what she would do. She is raw and rough around the edges and slutty in all the wrong daddy issues kind of ways, but she knows it and she owns it. She knows her life is one big screw up, but she tries her hardest to just keep her head above water so she can not end up like her dealer mom. The relationship she has with Evan is so taboo and inappropriate on every tradition scale. But the funny thing about it all is that he is just as screwed up as her. They are both very broken and together they come together and force the pieces of themselves together to make something real. This isn't a happy love story. Yeah, there are happy parts, but like any real love story, their are parts that make you feel high as a kite and then kick your legs out from under you.

The last quarter of the book I cried my freaking eyes out. My heart hurt for Maise because of Evan, Wesley, Siobhan, the mom, Hyman (I know that's not her name but that's what I called that effing C U Next Tuesday in my head), and just whole screwed up her life really was. The ending of the book was perfect. It has you on the edge of your seat and biting down every last bit of nail you have...... and then the ending. Bravo, Leah Raeder. You successfully made me feel all the feels and made me identify with every single one of your characters in some way. This book is one of the best books I've read all year, and it definitely falls into the "holy cow I didn't realize how good this was going to be" category.

Just as a heads up, there is sex. Lots and lots of sex. Steamy sex that you probably want to read when you're by yourself with not even your dog in the room with you. Actually, you'll probably want to read most of the book in the shower to keep yourself from overheating. Also there is a lot of explicit language. Maise's favorite word is the F bomb, so if you're not a fan of that, then this isn't your book. If I could give this more than 5 stars I would. It was absolutely amazing.

5/5 stars

I have a HUGE.... HUGE TBR list for December. I have the books from Angela to finish as well as some recent purchases PLUS a huge book haul that is my Christmas present from my puppies (they helped me pick them out, of course). I feel super optimistic that next month will be better than next, so get ready for lots of reviews!

Unteachable: Leah Raeder

Maise O’Malley is an eighteen-year-old high school senior. All Maise wants is for her mother to be her mother. To get into film school. And to not screw everything up. When Maise meets Evan at a carnival one night, their connection is like no other. However Maise only does hookups, no relationships. After their wild random hookup she can't seem to get Evan out of her head...
 It makes it even harder to get someone out of your head when they turn out to be your new film teacher.
 Maise and Evan try to stay away from each other, but that is easier said than done. People start to notice, rumors fly, and the truth will slowly be revealed.

“Part of falling in love with someone is actually falling in love with yourself. Realizing that you're gorgeous, you're fearless and unpredictable, you're a firecracker spitting light, entrancing a hundred faces that stare up at you with starry eyes.” 

What did you just do to me Leah Raeder?!?! Was my heart just beautifully broken?? I think so. 

Unteachable is about a student and a teacher falling hopelessly in love. Emphasis on the hopeless part. Saying that Maise is an average teen would be a lie. Forced to grow up at an early age and take care of herself, she sees things different than most people her age. She also seeks out older male lovers to fill the void of a male figure in her life since her father left her. A void that she says "can only be filled with dick.". Maise is a ball of cocky attitude and insecurities. She is a character that you wouldn't think you would find funny, but with her F this attitude you'll find yourself loving her. As far as NA protagonist go she feels more real than any other leading ladies I've never met recently. 

 

After a steamy evening at the carnival with a man who instantly takes her breath away she discovers him to be her new film teacher. Instead of calling things off they take to seeing how far they can push their relationship.

Mr. Evan Wilke is the 32-year-old heartthrob teacher that was all passion and mystery. Despite finding out that he is her teacher he can't stay away from her. They end up sneaking school make-out sessions and hot mini sexy getaways together. Evan is all sorts of adorable. I'm use to the leading males in NA novels being cocky, rude, and a lot of times controlling. It was refreshing to have him be the super vulnerable one. He had me hardcore swooning with his way with words so much during this book.

“...You should love something while you have it, love it fully and without reservation, even if you know you'll lose it someday. We lose everything. If you're trying to avoid loss, there's no point in taking another breath, or letting your heart beat one more time. It all ends." His fingers curl around mine. "That's all life is. Breathing in, breathing out. The space between two breaths.”   

Seriously, stop being so perfect and breaking my heart Evan! 

As the relationship builds and as the characters spend more time together you start to slowly question the motives of the relationship. You are left wondering what's keeping their relationship going. Is it the love or the forbidden-ness that is holding it together? Along with the amazingly built characters came the wonderfully lyrical written romance scenes. And there are A LOT of steamy scenes in this book. 

My face basically looked like this the whole time

We're talking next level hot. 

As much as I loved the two main characters this story did however have a few flaws. Towards the middle of this book the story kind of drifts too this odd side story. It involves her mom and some random side characters, Hiyam and Park. I really didn't enjoy any of them. I wanted to feel a little more connection to her mother, but was left wanting more. Even knowing the connection would be one of negativeness I still wanted it. I did love when she finally starts to take control of her life and tells off her B of a mom.

 She stared at some central point on my face, not quite my eyes. "This how I raised you? To make fuckin' threats about disowning me?" "No," I said quietly. "This is how I raised me." 

Hey mom, need some help with that BURN! 

The side character I did like was Wesley. He was so cute and I was hoping him and Maise would end up together. The witty and real dialogue they zap back and forth between each other is amazing. The plot of this story was so strong that it more than made up for the few tiny flaws. Even though I figured out the "big twist" before it happened the way it was presented still had me flipping and failing everywhere screaming "NOOO!! I DIDN'T WANT IT TO BE REAL! WHY DID I HAVE TO BE RIGHT!!! WHY???!!"

Laeder's writing style was amazing, breathtaking, and unforgettable. The way she perfectly twisted in a movie theme, that now has me loving Casablanca even more, and the way Maise uses past tense in her mind was something I found so interesting. The ending of this story left me with so many feelings. It gave me the perfect combination of wanting more and being completely satisfied. This might have (even from my description) sounded like just another F'd up love story, but it was so much more than that. It was of loneliness, desperation, and about how hard it is to grow up. If you're a fan of Colleen Hoover's Slammed or Tabitha Suzma's Forbidden then you'll love Unteachable.

9/10 Stars 

-Angela