Book Review: The Winner's Kiss

TITLE: The Winner's Kiss
Book 3 in the Winner's Trilogy
AUTHOR: Marie Rutkoski
PUBLISHED: March 29th, 2016
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Fantasy
PREMISE: The story that began in The Winner's Curse comes to a close.
MY REVIEW: The Winner's trilogy has been fun to read these past few years. But like all good things, it must come to end. This ending...I have mixed feelings about. There's nothing really wrong with it. In fact, I do think the author brought all the story lines to a satisfying conclusion.
It's just the beginning part that gives me pause. Particularly I don't understand what purpose the amnesia subplot served. That felt like a tacked on story line the author started with and then quickly realized wasn't worth her time and dropped half way through. In which case, I wonder why she included it at all. It was just a stalling plot point that didn't really serve any purpose. If it wasn't for that silly subplot...I'd be giving this a much higher rating.
Because other then that, the rest of the book was great. It was a conclusion that made sense for the world built and the characters involved. Other then the needless amnesia plot and slightly stalled middle part, this was a good ending to a good trilogy.
WHO SHOULD READ: Those that read and loved the first two books, dark fantasy fans, political intrigue fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five maps

Book Review: Everybody Behaves Badly

TITLE: Everybody Behaves Badly
AUTHOR: Lesley M. M. Blume
PUBLISHED: June 7th, 2016
CATEGORY: Non-Fiction
GENRE: Biography/History
PREMISE: A in depth look into Hemingway's rise to fame and the story behind the publication of his first book: The Sun Also Rises.
MY REVIEW: I read The Sun Also Rises back in high school at some point or another. I...have a sort of apathetic feeling towards it like I do with most classics if I'm honest. But, I'm a sucker for micro histories about popular things. The Sun Also Rises is definitely a popular thing. So I gave this a look.
As a micro-history book this one is...all right. The tone of the book is a little too gossipy for my taste. A lot of it feels like speculation. Particularly the parts with dialogue. I'm honestly not really sure how factual the info is. So that kind of dragged down how trust worthy the book is as a source.
It is however a good jumping on point for those unfamiliar with Hemingway and the time period he was popular in. If you know nothing about Hemingway, this is a good intro to his history and influence.
WHO SHOULD READ: Micro History fans, Hemingway fans, those who want to know more about Hemingway
MY RATING: Four out of Five could have had better sourcing

Book Review: Bloodline

TITLE: Bloodline
Star Wars Canon books
AUTHOR: Claudia Gray
PUBLISHED: May 3rd, 2016
CATEGORY: Adult
GENRE: Sci-Fi, Media Tie-In
PREMISE: Wonder what Princess Leia got up too after Return of the Jedi but before The Force Awakens? This book is for you.
MY REVIEW: Yes, another Star Wars book. As I mentioned in my Lost Stars review, I'm a fan. I was dying to read this book the minute I heard it was out because Princess Leia is my favorite. I love Han, don't get me wrong. He was one of my first major crushes. But Princess Leia is where it's at character wise for me as far as Star Wars is concerned. Personally, I say it's about damn time, we got a proper Leia book and I'm sad it took this long to get one. Yes, there were some Leia books in the old canon, but most were focused on her relationship with Han. This book showed that that relationship, while fabulously complicated, is not the most interesting thing about her.
This also does a great job of filling in some holes The Force Awakens left. It gave plausible ways for why the First Order was allowed to rise up after RotJ, it gave some insight to Ren's back story, it gave great commentary about how Leia has a different view of Darth Vader then Luke does and so much more. This is everything Star Wars books should be tbh. It's my favorite SW book I've read yet. That includes The Young Jedi series, which I loved dearly back in the day.
I know there are still people poo pooing the new SW canon, but if ever there was a book in the line up that makes a case for why a do over was needed and why you should give the new books a chance, this one is it. Also Disney: where the hell is my young Princess Leia movie?!
WHO SHOULD READ: Princess Leia fans, Star Wars fans, Claudia Gray fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five I want more Princess Leia in film VIII feelings

Book Review: Their Fractured Light

TITLE: Their Fractured Light
Starbound Book 3
AUTHOR: Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
CATEGORY: YA
PUBLISHED: December 2015
GENRE: Sci-Fi, Romance
PREMISE: Sofia and Gideon meet and set off a end to the story that started in These Broken Stars.
MY REVIEW: I meant to read this a long time ago. It's just that so many books have come out since then, it's hard to keep up on the releases. The Starbound trilogy has been a favorite of mine and I think this was a nice satisfying end to it.
I will say, the romance this time...not as great as the others. But I think that's because they only got to star in half a book while the other couples got a whole book. Half of this book is dedicated to telling their story and the other half to bringing about the conclusion. I think it would have been a better idea to have four books. One for each couple and then the conclusion where they all interact. Because the consequence was I cared very little for these two as I was more worried about the other characters.
Other then that issue, this was a well done ending. Everything is tied up nicely and in a plausible way. This trilogy was a fun ride from beginning to end. Definitely recommend it for those looking for some light sci-fi.
WHO SHOULD READ: Sci-fi fans, romance fans, For Darkness Shows the Stars fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five alien lifeforms
RATING FOR TRILOGY: Four out of Five

Book Review: The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle

TITLE: The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle
AUTHOR: Janet Fox
CATEGORY: Childrens/Middle-Grade
PUBLISHED: March 15th, 2016
GENRE: Historical Fantasy
PREMISE: A girl gets sent to an old castle during the Blitz and realizes that something is not quite right about the place.
MY REVIEW: This was an interesting one that I read on a whim. It had a creepy castle and promised kids getting into adventures and I'm pretty weak to that sort of thing so I had to give it a look. Ultimately, I'm not sorry I did. A lot of it was fun.
The atmosphere is the best thing. The way it's told reminds me of a lot of the old-school kind of kids books like Chronicles of Prydain and whatnot. I love the way the story is told and it was a good story. It just maybe dragged on for too long. I feel like several scenes could have been cut.
But for the most part, this was a fun, spooky, kids getting into shenanigans kind of story. If you're a fan of that kind of thing, I'd absolutely give this one a look.
WHO SHOULD READ: Chronicles of Narnia/Prydain fans, those looking for spooky books
MY RATING: Three and a half out of Five creepy castles

Book Review: Library of Souls

TITLE Library of Souls
Book 3 of Miss Peregrine
AUTHOR: Ransom Riggs
PUBLISHED: September 2015
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Urban Fantasy
PREMISE: Jacob and his friends travel all over London searching for their friends and Miss Peregrine...
MY REVIEW: I have racked my brain trying to figure out why it is that I'm just not as enamored with this series as everyone else seems to be. It wasn't the writing. I actually quite like Riggs' writing style. I love the concept. It's not a terribly original concept (it's basically a redux of the X-Men) but it's still well done. The photographs are great, so why is it that I just can't get into this?
It finally hit me about halfway through: I care about none of these characters. Mostly because they're just all so bland. They are stereotypical characters who never veer out of the strict box they're put in. About the only character I semi care about is Miss Peregrine because she's the most entertaining. But she was barely in this book, which made getting through this book somewhat of a chore. Don't get me started on how few female characters there are here and how poorly developed they are.
Plot wise it's also a bit average and lack luster. Nothing happened here that shocked me. No side character even died! It was honestly a ho hum end to a average at best trilogy. I honestly just don't get the hype surrounding this one, sorry. Should make for a pretty movie though. I might see it because Eva Green as Miss Peregrine will be perfect.
WHO SHOULD READ: those that enjoyed the first two books, X-Men fans
MY RATING: Three and a half out of Five shrugs
RATING FOR TRILOGY: Three and a half out of Five

Thematic Sunday: Books For DWTS Season 23 Fans

So DWTS is back with a vengeance this year. It's a wide and varied cast, as always. If you want to do some reading into the cast or just a theme for this year, here are some books to look into:

by Amber Rose

If you're curious about Amber Rose at all, she has a memoir that came out last year.

The Blind Side by Michael Lewis

There are always a few football players on DWTS. For more on football, this is a good book to go with. It concerns Michael Lewis, instead of Calvin Johnson, but it goes into football itself as well as Michael Lewis's own life.

Grace, Gold, and Glory by Gabrielle Douglas

Laurie Hernandez does not have a bio out (yet). But her teammate, Gabby Douglas does. Well worth a look if you're a gymnastics fan.

Here's The Story by Maureen McCormick

Yes, Marcia Brady is on DWTS. If you want to know more about the actress herself, here's her memoir.

I'm Hosting As Fast As I Can! by Tom Bergeron

Yes, the host of DWTS (and America's Funniest Home Videos) has a book out.

Better Late Than Never: My Story by Len Goodman

My favorite grumpy judge from DWTS also has a memoir out.

Taking The Lead: Lessons From a Life in Motion by Derek Hough

Fan favorite Derek Hough's memoir

Dancing Lessons by Cheryl Burke

Another popular dancer's memoir

Book Review: You Know Me Well

TITLE: You Know Me Well
AUTHOR: Nina LaCour and David Levithan
PUBLISHED: June 2016
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Realistic Fiction, slight romance, LGBTQA
PREMISE: A guy and a girl meet at a gay club and spark a friendship that will help them get through difficulties.
MY REVIEW: This sounds like it's going to be an angsty read but honestly, this really wasn't. It was a cute breezy contemporary that was actually just what I needed at the time I found it. It does have some romance angles, but mostly it's about friendship and just being there for each other.
I confess, I've never read Nina LaCour before, so I don't know where her style is in all of this. But I have read Levithan before and like those, this was just a fun read. It's also a very quick read. I read it all in one sitting.
For the most part, this is a typical YA contemporary (but with LGBTQA characters) but there are some twists at the end that make it unique and honestly...it's just a likable book. It's not ground breaking. It won't break your heart or anything. But it will put you in a good mood and there are worse ways to spend an afternoon.
WHO SHOULD READ: David Levithan fans, Nina LaCour fans, contemporary fans, those looking for light hearted LGBTQA books
MY RATING: Four out of Five happy sighs

Book Review: The Fire This Time

TITLE: The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks About Race
AUTHOR: edited by Jesmyn Ward,
CATEGORY: Non-Fiction
PUBLISHED: August 2016
GENRE: essays, social commentary
PREMISE: A collection of essays that talk about race issues in the present day.
MY REVIEW: Confession: I've never read James Baldwin. I know, I know. Again, that midwest white people focus education rears its ugly head. I have no clue how this compares to Baldwin's The Fire Next Time, which I've been told is one of the most important essay collections ever. But I'm sure Baldwin certainly won't be insulted by this collection at all.
As with all essay collections, this one covers a wide range of topics, but all talk about race. If you've been paying attention to the news you'll recognize several of the stories talked about here. Like all essay collections, some were better then others. But they were all interesting and gave me lots to think about.
I'm still trying to figure out what makes great essays and what not, but personally, I really loved this collection. This is a powerful book, and I think very timely considering the things going on.
WHO SHOULD READ: Anyone inclined
MY RATING: Four and a half out of Five things we need to talk about

Book Review: P. S. I Still Love You

TITLE: P. S. I Still Love You
Book 2 in the To All The Boys I Loved Before series
AUTHOR: Jenny Han
PUBLISHED: May 2015
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Romance, Realistic Fiction
PREMISE: Lara Jean tries to navigate having a real relationship with Peter.
MY REVIEW: Jenny Han is my favorite late discovery this year. It's probably between her and Sarah MacLean to be honest. I finally read To All the Boys I Loved Before a few months ago and adored it. This book has cemented this author as a personal favorite. Now I definitely need to get to The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy.
This was a good sequel and actually one of the most realistic handleings of a high school romance I've seen in YA for awhile now. The characters act like teenagers. With all the drama and misunderstandings that implies. Also I adore the relationship between Lara Jean and her two sisters. Also a parent who's actually present in their kid's life! It is a thing.
Honestly, I can probably go on forever about why I adore this series. It's cute, it just puts you in a good mood. It's just well done contemporary romance. As someone who is picky about her contemporary romance, the fact that I like this series, is honestly pretty big.
WHO SHOULD READ: Jenny Han fans, Morgan Matson fans, Realistic Fiction fans, contemporary romance fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five hand written letters

Book Review: The Hidden Oracle

TITLE: The Hidden Oracle
Book 1 in The Trials of Apollo
AUTHOR: Rick Riordan
PUBLISHED: May 2016
CATEGORY: Middle-Grade/YA
GENRE: Fantasy/Adventure, Mythology tie-in
PREMISE: The god Apollo gets turned mortal (again) by his father as punishment. He starts his quest for redemption at Camp Half-Blood...
MY REVIEW: Honestly by now, there's probably not much I can say about the Rick Riordan books I haven't said a million times before. They're just damn enjoyable. Are they the most brilliant thing, ever? No. But Riordan has a good formula going and his sticks with it and knows how to work it right.
Now, he does do twists. The main one here, is that the hero is now a former god. So we get a view on the gods that we don't get with Percy and the demi-gods. Honestly, half of the enjoyment of this is watching Apollo adjust to being mortal and whine about the injustice of it all. Riordan is not afraid to put Apollo here in all his whiny and arrogant glory and the result is a surprisingly charming. By all rights, I shouldn't like Apollo. But damn it, I do.
As with all Riordan books, we get a fast paced adventure, promises of a more complicated plot and some very awesome side characters (Meg is everything). Normally, I am not a fan of spin-offs upon spin-offs of series. But Riordan is one of the few who manages to make it work.
WHO SHOULD READ: Percy Jackson fans, mythology fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five whiny gods trapped as teens

Thematic Sunday: Iron Man for Beginners

So here's a guide to comics to read if you're new to Iron Man. If you've seen the three Iron Man movies, you've honestly got a pretty good handle on his origin so you could skip right ahead to the newer stuff if you wanted too.

Invincible Iron Man Omnibus series

If you are one who wants to start at the very beginning, then this series is the way to go. It collects all of Iron Man's early appearances from Tales of Suspense to Avengers.

Iron Man Vol. 1: Demon in a Bottle

If you're interested in starting the Iron Man solo books, this is where to start. Tony didn't start getting his own adventures until the seventies or or so.

Iron Man: Iron Monger

This might be a story line of interest to fans of the movies. It has Stane (the villain from the first Iron Man film) and Rhodey starting his superhero career.

Iron Man: The Dragon Seed Saga

If you're interested in the Mandarin, the villain from Iron Man 3, then this is a good place to look. Just be warned...it's different from the movie and racist.

Iron Man Omnibus by Kurt Busiek and Sean Chen

Yes, there are two omnibus. The first series is the original by Stan Lee. The second is this one, that brought Iron Man into the early 2000s by Kurt Busiek and Sean Chen. If you're more interested in modern Iron Man, this is a good place to start.

Iron Man: Extremis

Another story arc that might be of interest to movie fans is the Extremis story line.

Civil War: Front Line

Iron Man was a big player in the Civil War story line. This focuses more on Tony and Captain America during this time.

Iron Man: Director of S.H.E.I.L.D

Story arc that takes place after the results of Civil War. This is basically where Tony in the MCU is now. So if you have seen all the movies and want to just jump into the comics without going backwards story line wise, this might be a good place to start.

Iron Man Vol. 1: The Five Nightmares by Matt Fraction

Another possible good place to start while waiting for more Iron Man in the MCU movies.

Iron Man Vol. 1: Believe

If you just want to jump straight into the more recent story lines, this is a good place to start.

Book Review: All the Birds in the Sky

TITLE: All the Birds in the Sky
AUTHOR: Charlie Jane Anders
CATEGORY: Adult
PUBLISHED: January 2016
GENRE: er....I honestly have no idea. Dystopianish, Urban Fantasyish, Magical Realismish? Also maybe sci-fi?
PREMISE: A magical girl and a tech genius become friends in middle-school, only to be separated due to circumstance. Years later, they meet as adults when the world is in trouble.
MY REVIEW: You ever have one of those books where you finish it and go..."what the heck did I just read?" That's kind of me with this book. It's not a bad kind of wondering. This book is good. I actually wound up liking it quite a bit. But damn, if I can't begin to tell you what genre it is. Personally, I feel this book would have been better geared towards the literary crowd then the genre crowd which was who it was largely marketed too. If you love the weird quirky magical realism books, this is definitely for you.
The writing style in this book takes some getting used too, but once you do get used to it, it goes by very quickly. After I got used to it, I wound up enjoying it very much. If you start to read it and are like "what?" I strongly urge you to give it time. It will grow on you. Or it won't. Honestly, I suspect this is one of those books that will either appeal to someone, or it won't. Hence the mixed reviews on Goodreads.
Ultimately I wound up really enjoying this book. I'm glad I gave it more of a chance then I usually do. But as I said, this is a book that might not be for everyone. I definitely recommend checking it out from the library before buying it to see if it's for you, first.
WHO SHOULD READ: Lit fans, those that don't mind alternating POVs, magical realism fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five birds

Book Review: Royal Wedding Disaster

TITLE: Royal Wedding Disaster
Book 2 in the Notebooks of a Middle-School Princess series
AUTHOR: Meg Cabot
CATEGORY: Middle-Grade
GENRE: Realistic Fiction
PUBLISHED: May 2016
PREMISE: Olivia adjusts to her new life as a royal, trying to juggle a new school, her new sister's wedding, and being a princess all at the same time.
MY REVIEW: This review is going to be short because my opinion on this series hasn't really changed all that much.
Olivia is just dang adorable. This has Cabot's trademark blend of sass and heart in it. It's just sweet and fun. I also want to applaud the scene where Olivia spells out why you don't touch a black girl's hair without her permission EVER. Honestly, just don't ask and don't do it to begin with. It's rude and obnoxious, okay?
So this series continues to be cute. I continue to be a Meg Cabot fangirl. Probably nothing is going to stop that at this point.
WHO SHOULD READ: Tweens, Meg Cabot fans, Princess Diaries fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five cool princesses

Book Review: Every Heart A Doorway

TITLE: Every Heart a Doorway
Book 1 in the Wayward Children series
AUTHOR: Seanan McGuire
CATEGORY: Adult (though I think it has good crossover appeal for YA)
PUBLISHED: April 2016
GENRE: Fantasy, Classic Book referencing
PREMISE: A home that takes in children who have gone to magical places and have come back starts having mysterious deaths.
MY REVIEW: I didn't really know what to expect from this book. I've never read Seanan McGuire though I've been meaning to get to her stuff for awhile because I hear good things about it. After this book, I'm definitely giving her other books a try now, I loved this book a lot.
I have very little complaints about this series, beyond that I think it probably should have been longer because while the world was detailed and so much fun, the characters...needed work. But it still managed to have  good story going. I liked the mystery element and where it led. The ending...I'm not sure about that, but I do think this is a good start to a very interesting series. Also, kudos to the author for having an asexual character. There are far too few books with asexual characters in them. This is...my...forth book now that has had asexual character? Which is really sad when you think about how many books are published per year. Now if only we can get some demi-sexual characters out there, But I'm not holding my breath. I'm still shocked we got a trans character.
I will say though...these shouldn't be hardcover since they're less then two hundred pages. I have a hard time putting twenty dollars into a book that I can read in less then two hours. Seriously, publishers, why? If it weren't for that price, I totally would buy this and the rest of the series. Because I did enjoy this a lot. I definitely will be checking out more Seanan McGuire in the future.
WHO SHOULD READ: Seanan McGuire fans, portal fantasy fans,
MY RATING: Four out of Five magic doorways

Reading Through the Classics: Madame Bovary

TITLE: Madame Bovary
AUTHOR: Gustave Flaubert
PUBLISHED: 1856
CATEGORY: Adult, Classic
GENRE: Drama, Realistic Fiction
PREMISE: A wife grows bored with her husband and life in a small town.
MY THOUGHTS: This is yet another classic that was honestly just very boring. I'll give this for the author: this one had a plot. Which is more then I can say for On the Road. It was just a very boring plot with not a terribly satisfying ending.
I've noticed Madame Bovary is one of those books people either really love or really hate. There seems to be no in between. I personally, fall into the hate category sadly. It's just so dull. I thought at least with all the scandal surrounding the publication of this book, there'd at least be sexy sex scenes, but there aren't even that. This is possibly the tamest "scandalous" book I've ever read. If you need proof that people were easily shocked in the 1800s, this book is it.
Honestly, if this wasn't a classic, I would have ditched it early on. But I have a thing with classics: I need to finish them. Other books, I'm willing to ditch in a heart beat. But classics...not so much. It's a thing I have. So this one was another bust. Hopefully my next classic: The Jungle Book is better.
WHO SHOULD READ: those interested in French literature, drama fans

Thematic Sunday: For Those Pining for Project Runway

First of all, I am still going to be doing comic book guides. I'm just...putting it aside for now because I've missed doing book lists. Since Fall TV is almost upon us, I'm going to start doing lists for TV shows. The first one up, is Project Runway. I love Project Runway. I have no shame in admitting this, no matter how ridiculous the challenges get at times. So here are some books for fans who are like me and pining for the new season that's coming out next week.

Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible by Tim Gunn

Tim Gunn has a whole slew of books out there. This is my personal favorite of his. It goes into little micro histories of every possible article of clothing out there, from belts to jeans.

The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

If you've seen the movie, you probably know why I'm recommending this for PR fans. It follows a assistant as she helps a mean fashion mogul at one of the top fashion magazines.

The One Hundred: A Guide To The Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own by Nina Garcia

My favorite judge on PR has quite a few style guides out there. This is probably the best of them.

Fifty Dresses That Changed the World by the Design Museum

If you're like me and love your micro-histories and PR, this is probably the book for you. It is exactly what it sounds like, a look into dresses that helped change society.

The Airhead Trilogy by Meg Cabot
Very underrated trilogy about a teenage girl who gets her brain/soul switched into the body of a famous supermodel.

Paradise Kiss manga series by Ai Yazawa

Manga more your thing? Then absolutely give this complete 5 volume series a look. It's about a girl who finds her life turned upside down when she's dragged into a modelling career by a group of guys who are breaking into the fashion world.

Mademoiselle Chanel by C. W. Gortner

A historical fiction book about the life of Coco Chanel.

Diana: Her Life in Fashion by Georgina Howell

A look into Diana, Princess of Wales and her fashion looks.

Blonde Ops by Charlotte Bernnando and Natalie Zaman

Cute contemporary about a girl getting a job as an intern in a fashion magazine who discovers romance and mystery along the way.

The Poseur series by Rachel Maude

A contemporary YA series about a mismatched group of girls paired together for a assignment to create a fashion label.

Book Review: Map of Fates

TITLE: Map of Fates
Book 2 in the Conspiracy of Us series
AUTHOR: Maggie Hall
PUBLISHED: March 8th, 2016
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Adventure
PREMISE: Avery continues to hunt for clues to find a way to bring down the Circle.
MY REVIEW: The Conspiracy of Us was a very interesting read. I hadn't been expecting much from it, but wound up enjoying the hell out of it. In fact, I read it in one sitting. I won't lie to you: the premise is absurd. But it somehow works. It's like how shows on the SyFy channel shouldn't work but do somehow.
This second book actually managed to keep up that pace. Now some of it did drag. The author sadly fell into love triangle hell, so a large part of the book is taken up with that but it's YA so, what can you do? But the ending makes all that worth it. The author actually managed to surprise me with where she went with things. That doesn't happen often in today's very predictable book market.
So, while the love triangle stuff was...ugh, the rest of this was just as enjoyable as the first one. This series is still pretty bonkers, but as I said before, it's a fun sort of bonkers. And after that twist ending, I'm definitely picking up the next book.
WHO SHOULD READ: those that enjoyed the first book, The Da Vinci Code fans
MY RATING: Three and a half out of Five whirlwind tours of the world

Book Review: My Heart and Other Black Holes

TITLE: My Heart and Other Black Holes
AUTHOR: Jasmine Warga
CATEGORY: YA
PUBLISHED: February 2015
GENRE: Realistic Fiction, Romance
PREMISE: A suicidal girl and boy meet up online and make a pact to end their lives....
MY REVIEW: First off, I feel like I should put a trigger warning for this book in this review. If you are depressed or suicidal....I really would not read this. It will probably trigger something. If I could rate this book on the talking about depression in a frank manner, it would get high ratings. But...I am looking at the book as a whole and...it honestly, kind of falls apart at the end.
If one goes by the ending of this book, all you need to get over being suicidal is to just decide to live your life and boom, you'll be happy. It probably helps if you decide you're in love. I could practically hear the song "all you need is love" playing at the end. Sigh. This started off so well too. Look, I'm sorry, but depression does not work that way. You suddenly don't just decide "okay, I'm not going to be depressed anymore" and then everything magically works out for you. I won't even go into how I personally found the romantic relationship to be rather unhealthy. We'd be here all day.
There are some good things in this book. As I said, the discussion in the beginning about depression is good, the author clearly did her research. Which makes the ending so darn puzzling. I get it's a YA romance and thus a happy ending is to be expected but...not that happy, after all the MC went through. I just...yeah. This book is okay, but I've got issues with it and its ending.
WHO SHOULD READ: All the Bright Places fans, contemporary romance fans
MY RATING: Three out of Five not well thought out endings

Looking Ahead: September, 2016

Hold on to your hats, kids. This list is going to be LONG. Because pretty much everything awesome is coming out this fall. September is a big book month.

September 3rd:

Miss Peregrine: Tales of the Peculiar by Ransom Riggs

I know what you're thinking, isn't this series over?! It is. This is apparently a companion book that has a bunch of short stories about some of the side characters in Miss Peregrine. I'm pretty apathetic about this series (I also still need to read the last book) but I enjoyed the side characters so I'm actually kind of interested in this one.




September 6th:

Everfair by Nisi Shawl

Adult alternate history. I'm a sucker for these things.








Also out this date: printed versions of the scripts of Welcome to Night Vale episodes. Night Vale fans, rejoice!

September 13th:

The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron

Sharon Cameron book, I'm here for anything she writes.

Sea of Ink and Gold Book 1: The Reader by Traci Chee

This is a pretty big buzzy book and one of my personal anticipated releases. I can't wait to get my hands on it.

The Peculiar Night of the Blue Heart by Lauren DeStefano

For some reason I can't seem to quit giving DeStefano more chances, despite not being overly impressed with her books in the past. Maybe her middle-grade reads will appeal to me more?

Laetitia Rodd Mystery Book 1: The Secrets of Wishtide by Kate Saunders

Yes, another historical mystery series. What can I say, I'm addicted to the genre.

Nova Project Book 1: Gamescape: Overworld by Emma Trevayne

Adult sci-fi/dystopian book that looks relatively interesting. I'll give it a look sometime.

Where Am I Now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame by Mara Wilson

The first of many awesome lady celeb books coming out this fall.







September 20th (aka, the day everything is coming out):

Kate Daniels 9: Magic Binds by Ilona Andrews

Having now finally caught up on this series, I can now read the new releases. Woohoo!

Worldwalker Trilogy Book 3: Witch's Pyre by Josephine Angelini

I seem to be unable to give up reading Angelini's books despite the fact that most of them are somewhat silly and cliche.

Three Dark Crowns Book 1 by Kendare Blake

I am here for anything Kendare Blake writes. I'm thrilled she's moved onto fantasy.

Flavia de Luce Book 8: Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd by Alan Bradley

For the life of me, I don't understand why this series is sold as adult fiction. It's clearly middle-grade. I'm trying not to think it has something to do with it being a male author, but...it's getting hard. Still, it's a highly enjoyable series, and I will be reading this whenever I finally catch up. I'm on book 4, so not long now.

Kingdom on Fire Book 1: A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess

Another big buzzy book that looks very awesome. So many cool looking fantasy books out in September. It makes me very happy.

The Queens of Renthia Book 1: The Queen of Blood by Sarah Beth Durst

I'm here for anything Sarah Beth Durst does. I'm thrilled she's getting back into high fantasy and is finally doing a series.

Stalking Jack the Ripper Book 1 by Kerri Maniscalco

Mostly interested because of the title. That is a good title.

The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis

Thriller sort of book that has been getting lots of buzz. I've heard good things about Mindy McGinnis so I'll give it a look.

Stealing Snow Book 1 by Danielle Paige

Due to the low ratings on Goodreads I don't have high hopes for this one. But I'm giving it a shot since Dorothy Must Die surprised me so much. Plus, we all know I'm a sucker for the fairy-tale retellings.

Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter

Another fairy-tale retelling that I'm reading mostly because I'm a sucker for them.

Metaltown by Kristen Simmons

I liked the Artlicle 5 trilogy a lot and like fairy-tale retellings, I'm a sucker for steampunk books.







September 27th:

Six of Crows Book 2: Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

I think everyone and their mother knows this one is coming out. But in case you didn't...

Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life by Ruth Franklin

Biography about the author of The Lottery, The Haunting of Hill House and so on? Yes please.

The Secret Keepers by Trenton Lee Stewart

I admit, I wasn't terribly into the Mysterious Benedict Society. But this sounds more my thing and I always give authors second chances if I've found their writing was good.