A Dog's Purpose - W. Bruce Cameron

Goodreads summary:

This is the remarkable story of one endearing dog's search for his purpose over the course of several lives. More than just another charming dog story, this touches on the universal quest for an answer to life's most basic question: Why are we here? Surprised to find himself reborn as a rambunctious golden haired puppy after a tragically short life as a stray mutt, Bailey's search for his new life's meaning leads him into the loving arms of 8 year old Ethan. During their countless adventures Bailey joyously discovers how to be a good dog. But this life as a beloved family pet is not the end of Bailey's journey. Reborn as a puppy yet again, Bailey wonders, will he ever find his purpose? Heartwarming, insightful, and often laugh out loud funny, this book is not only the emotional and hilarious story of a dog's many lives, but also a dog's eye commentary on human relationships and the unbreakable bonds between man and man's best friend. This story teaches us that love never dies, that our true friends are always with us, and that every creature on earth is born with a purpose.


My review:

5/5 (or more)

I absolutely loved it. To no end.

This book made me feel so much love and sadness, because let's be real, when a book's about a dog which lives four lives, you have to expect it to die once in a while. However, no matter how much I cried, I finished this book feeling so happy and like my life was complete, because the ending is the sweetest thing ever. I don't feel like writing an extremely long review, because there isn't much to this story at the same time as there's a lot to it. A dog's life isn't that interesting, although all four of this one's are special, but this book is filled with feelings that made me fall in love with the dogs and the book itself. I particularly loved Bailey's life, because there is so much love in this one, and I enjoyed seeing the characters grow.

This story is funny, touching and incredible, so I would recommend it to all animal lovers out there. I might even consider reading it again soon, because I want to live through the story once more. It's truly amazing.

Catching Jordan (Hundred Oaks) - Miranda Kenneally

Goodreads summary:

ONE OF THE BOYS

What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though-she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university.

But everything she's ever worked for is threatened when Ty Green moves to her school. Not only is he an amazing QB, but he's also amazingly hot. And for the first time, Jordan's feeling vulnerable. Can she keep her head in the game while her heart's on the line?


My review:

4/5

Catching Jordan is about football, boys, first crushes and love. If that doesn't scream "perfect summer read", then I don't know what does.

Even though an entire football team is a lot of characters for a single book, Miranda Kenneally managed to make me remember the most important of them and love them to no end. I swear, if any of those teenage boys came to life right now, I'd want to date him without any doubt. Instead of being the usual stupid football players, each of the characters have a distinct personality, with qualities, passions and quirks. I discovered them as caring, kind and protective of Jordan, not only because she's a girl, but because they love her - not all in a platonic way. JJ is probably my favourite supporting character, because his dinners with Jordan always ended up surprising me. Of all the main characters, Henry was my favourite, because I love how he knows everything about Jordan and he doesn't care about looking stupid.

Although I have to admit I didn't understand much about it, I loved how important football is in this story. Books centered around a passion always make me want to work harder with mine and do everything I can to get better. Jordan's determination inspires me and I wish I had as much of it as she does. She makes great sacrifices because of her dreams and she doesn't care about the risks, except when they are about her football career. I liked reading about a teenage girl with so much courage.

I liked how feminism is important in this book, because girls playing football must not have an easy life. In fact, I was surprised that Jordan would play against boys, because it must be really dangerous, even though Jordan seems to endure it pretty well. Her difficulties when trying to find a college sounded very realistic and I enjoyed watching her realize many things about what she wants and what she doesn't want.

The thing I enjoyed the least was probably Jordan's relationship with Ty, because there isn't much to his character and he annoyed me. Also, I don't like when a girl starts acting in such a girly way because of a guy, no matter if she's already girly or not, because I think it simply looks stupid. 

I enjoyed reading this novel and I think if you're looking for a summer book, this one would be a great choice.

Interview: Meagan Brothers

Hi everyone! Recently, I interviewed Meagan Brothers, who wrote Weird Girl and What's His Name. I loved this book and I would  highly recommend it, so if you're interested in it and you haven't read my review yet, you can find it here. For now, I hope you'll enjoy reading this interview, so please keep on reading!

 

Hello Meagan! I want to begin by thanking you for being here on my blog today. Let's start the interview with an easy question: can you explain what your latest novel, Weird Girl and What's His Name, is about?

Hi Laurence! I’m happy to be here – thanks for having me on your blog! Weird Girl and What’s His Name is about a couple of friends, Rory and Lula, who are kind of the unpopular nerdy kids at their school. They have a falling out, and have to try to put themselves back together again. Along the way, they’re also trying to make sense of their respective broken families and nascent love lives and what not. You know, the usual life drama stuff. 



What inspired you to write this story? 

Being kind of an unpopular nerdy kid! Actually, I had started the story sometime in 2007 – I had an idea to write something about a pair of friends, and I got as far as that first paragraph, which is actually opens the book now, fairly unchanged from its original state. I didn’t write any more of it, though, because I felt like my original idea was too similar to my first book. But then the next summer, I went to see the second X-Files movie on opening night. Seeing Mulder and Scully again took me back to being in high school and college, when the show was on, and I was watching it with my friends, or alone in a dark room and then going online to talk about it afterward. I don’t know what connected those things in my mind, but the week after I saw the movie, I dug up that paragraph, which was still sitting there in one of my notebooks, and, instead of working on my Supergirl Mixtapes rewrites, I wrote this short story instead. The story was basically a slightly shorter version of Rory’s half of the book. The next year, I wrote Lula’s half. I guess you could say the main inspiration, as odd as it may sound, was the camaraderie that I felt, between both friends and total strangers, that came from all of us watching a TV show together.

Who is your favorite character in this book and why? 

Ahh, it’s so hard to pick a favorite! They’re all like my kids. Even the old guys. It’s probably easier to tell you my least favorites, which were Andy and Lula’s mom, Christine. It was a huge challenge to stay empathetic while I was writing those two. I can tell you, though, one of my favorites who I thought would have a bigger part in the book was Midnight Pete, the college radio DJ that Lula and Seth both listened to. I kept trying to work him into the story but it was so peripheral it just felt distracting, so a lot of his backstory got cut. But I went back and gave him a bigger role in two different short stories, which made me feel a little bit better about axing the poor guy.



Is there a reason why you mostly write for young adults? 

Because I’m extremely immature. No, just kidding. Okay, only partly kidding. Actually, I like the lack of cynicism in YA books. I like feeling like I have free rein to write characters who are aren’t totally jaded yet. 



Your novels have such creative names: Debbie Harry Sings in French, Supergirl Mixtapes, Weird Girl and What's His Name, etc. How do you come up with these titles? 

I have to admit, with Debbie Harry Sings in French, it started out as a short story for a class I was taking in college, and it’s been so long since then, I have no recollection of how I came up with that title! Must’ve come to me on a flaming pie…. Supergirl Mixtapes was originally Citygirls and then Downtown at Dawn, but I wanted something a little less generic-sounding. Weird Girl… was called Teenage FBI for the longest time, which is the title of a Guided by Voices song, but my publishers at Three Rooms Press, Kat Georges and Peter Carlaftes, weren’t crazy about it. I think they were afraid people would think it was more of a straightforward mystery story, and I agreed. I’d actually been trying to think of a better title for a while, for the same reason. Peter suggested Weird Girl and What’s His Name. Suddenly, I was like: that’s it! Sometimes it takes another person to see something that’s been right in front of you all along.

In Weird Girl and What's His Name, Lula and Rory are part of a huge fandom and they take X-Files very seriously. Do you consider yourself a fangirl, too? If so, what are your fandoms?

Oh yes, definitely a pretty huge X-Files fan, too, going back to 1994! There are other sci-fi shows and movies I loved as a kid, and still love – the original Star Trek, Star Wars, Quantum Leap, Lost. All those cheesy sci-fi-ish movies from the 80s like Flight of the Navigator and The Last Starfighter and Explorers. But X-Files, yeah, that’s my jam. And I don’t know if you consider music fandom a “fandom” in the same sense, but I’m one of those people who goes to the record store on their lunch break at least once a week. On my desk currently is just a laptop surrounded by haphazard piles of used CDs. I should tidy up, actually.

Your characters grow up a lot during the story, especially while questionning their identity and their sexual orientation. What would be your advice for teenagers going through similar scenarios? 

The main thing is to be yourself and to allow yourself to love who you love. But if you’re in an environment where you’re being discouraged, threatened, or bullied by people because you’re gay, bi, or trans, I know that’s not easy advice to follow. If you’re not in a supportive environment right now, try to hang in there. Don’t listen to the negativity. Rise above it. Try to find some way to redirect your frustration and express how you’re feeling, whether it’s art or jogging or writing – don’t resort to self-harm, and don’t isolate yourself. Find people who are supportive – it may just be one friend right now, or an online community, or a teacher, or a pastor from a progressive church – and let that person know what’s going on with you. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Don’t feel like you’re alone, because you’re not. There are so many people who want you to survive and thrive, believe me. It might feel like you’re fighting through each day right now, but trust me, you have a place in this world just the way you are, and it’s worth the fight. 



What was the hardest part of writing your novels and why?

Probably the hardest part is when you’re working on rewrites, and you know a scene isn’t working, but you don’t know how to fix it. That, and the selling part. When I’m supposed to be Tweeting and Facebooking and Tumblring about how great my book is and how you should buy it. My teenage self-loathing comes back in full force and I’m like “ehh, I wrote this book, but it’s not really that great. You can buy it if you want, or whatever. But, seriously, you don’t have to, like, read it or anything. Ugh.” 



What would be your best advice for aspiring writers? 
Keep writing, all the time. Don’t be afraid to be that nerd who carries a little notebook around. Find some quiet space away from your phone. Read everything you can get your hands on. Go to readings and book events, if they’re happening in your town. Try to make friends with other writers – they will be your lifeline. And go outside and walk around. Get some fresh air every once in a while. Exercise a little. Eat healthy food. Obviously, writing isn’t a contact sport, but you’re gonna feel too crappy to do it if your back goes out from sitting for 8 hours straight and your brain is in a Dorito haze.



What do you like the most about reading and writing?

I like those moments in writing when you break through. When something’s bugging you and you can’t put your finger on it but you sit down to write this poem or this character comes to you and you’re able to work it out that way. A-ha, that’s what I was afraid of! And reading is great because it’s so still. You get lost in the world of the book, and hopefully there are no distractions, no pop-ups, no message alerts. It’s just you, traveling without moving. Very magic.



Which author inspires you and why?

Ray Bradbury inspires me a lot, because he was a really pure writer. Woke up pretty much every day of his life and wrote. Robert Pollard inspires me for the same reason. Dude just writes songs every single day. Whatever your art is, it should be an everyday pursuit. 



What's your all-time favorite quote?

Probably it’s what the sculptor Constantin Brancusi said about being in a constant state of making art: “If one could create as one breathes, that would be true happiness. One should arrive at that.” 
That, and “there’s no crying in baseball!” from A League of Their Own.

What are your current projects? Is there anything you can tell us about? 

I’ve got four stories that are related to this book – well, three stories and a novella. They’re still a little rough around the edges, but if people like this book, maybe I’ll make them available online or something. I’ve got a new book plotted out, but it’s still pretty embryonic at this point. And the usual stuff on the side – poetry, a couple of short stories here and there. Maybe they’ll get out someday, who knows!

Where can we find you on your social media? 

I’m on Twitter (@meaganbrothers), Tumblr (actuallymeaganbrothers.tumblr.com), and on Facebook (facebook.com/meaganbrothersauthorpage.)



Thank you for answering my questions!

Thanks for having me!

Weird Girl and What's His Name - Meagan Brothers

Goodreads summary:

In the tiny podunk town of Hawthorne, North Carolina, seventeen-year-old geeks Lula and Rory share everything—sci-fi and fantasy fandom, Friday night binge-watching of old X-Files episodes, and that feeling that they don’t quite fit in. Lula knows she and Rory have no secrets from each other; after all, he came out to her years ago, and she’s shared with him her “sacred texts”—the acting books her mother left behind after she walked out of Lula’s life. But then Lula discovers that Rory—her Rory, who maybe she’s secretly had feelings for—has not only tried out for the Hawthorne football team without telling her, but has also been having an affair with his middle-aged divorcee boss. With their friendship disrupted, Lula begins to question her identity and her own sexual orientation, and she runs away in the middle of the night on a journey to find her mother, who she hopes will have all the answers. Meagan Brother’s piercing prose in this fresh LGBT YA novel speaks to anyone who has ever felt unwanted and alone, and who struggles to find their place in an isolating world. Ages 14–up.


My review:

5/5

It was so good! I absolutely loved this book. Also, I really want to check out X-Files now, because it sounds really good and I'm unfortunately too young to have watched it before. 

I really liked both of the characters, but especially Lula. She's funny, passionate, kind and always hopeful, which makes her a bit immature sometimes, like when she decided to leave, but also very realistic and interesting. I enjoyed seeing her interact with her wonderful grandparents, Walter and her friends. She seems to be liked by most people she meets and I wish I could've read even more about her. Her quest to meet her mom is childish, but it's also so easy to understand that I couldn't blame her for it. Her actions, as well as Rory's, made me cringe, especially in the beginning, with all these awkward moments on the night Lula left, but I could relate to both characters very well. I liked Rory, too, but I found it harder to understand him, especially since a lot of the story is about Lula. I loved their friendship and their friday nights, because they both care so much about one TV show and it's amazing. 

Although I found it confusing at first, I really liked the way it's written. I wasn't expecting it to be that way, but I enjoyed understanding what happened before, after and now. It kept me wondering what would happen next, in the past or in the present. I thought the book would be about finding Lula, but seeing her after she's back was even better than what I expected. 

I found the story to be very accurate and easy to relate to. The main characters are young adults confused with their lives and desperate for love, as most teenagers are. Their expectations and hopes are understandable and similar to mine, which made me feel them at the same time. I liked how their lives change during the story, but only for the better. Rory and Lula's friendship is affected by everything that happened between them, but as true friends do, they manage to keep their complicity and work everything out. I didn't expect everything to be that way in the end, but I was truly satisfied with everything. 

I highly recommend this novel! It's realistic, fun and passionate, which is perfect for young adults. 

(Thank you Edelweiss for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

I also did an interview with the author, Meagan Brothers, which you can find here. 

The Paris Key - Juliet Blackwell

Goodreads summary:

An American in Paris navigates her family’s secret past and unlocks her own future, in this emotionally evocative novel byNew York Times bestselling author Juliet Blackwell.

As a girl, Genevieve Martin spent the happiest summer of her life in Paris, learning the delicate art of locksmithing at her uncle’s side. But since then, living back in the States, she has become more private, more subdued. She has been an observer of life rather than an active participant, holding herself back from those around her, including her soon-to-be-ex-husband.

Paris never really left Genevieve, and, as her marriage crumbles, she finds herself faced with an incredible opportunity: return to the magical city of her youth to take over her late uncle’s shop. But as she absorbs all that Parisian culture has to offer, she realizes the city also holds secrets about her family that could change her forever, and that locked doors can protect you or imprison you, depending on which side of them you stand.


My review:

4/5

While this novel is certainly not my favorite, I really liked it! 

As a French speaking person, books where there's French and English are always ones that I enjoy, because I get to compare two languages and see how hard it is to do the opposite of what I did, which was learn English. Although I'm not actually French and I've unfortunatelt never been to Paris, I love to read about France in general, because my family comes from there and it sounds beautiful and amazing, except from the rude waiters, maybe. I liked to see the city through the eyes of someone who struggles with French and who's considering moving altogether to Paris, since moving to another country has always sounded incredible and romantic to me, even though it's way too scary for me to attempt it in a near future. I was relieved to see how Genevieve struggles with immigration and feels like giving up sometimes, because otherwise it wouldn't have been realistic and it would've bugged me the whole time, preventing me from enjoying this novel.

The writing style is great. I loved the alternated stories told in different chapters, because I had a better idea of the entire scheme that way. It helped me view the story as it is, instead of clouded by a character's opinion, which I really liked. I think that it could've been told only in Angela and Genevieve's perspectives, because they're the most important characters and their sides of the story are the most different. 

I enjoyed the intriguing part of this story. There's one plot twist that I saw coming from the very beginning, so I was deceived to see that I had known it all this time and that it was so obvious. However, I remained curious about other parts of the story, which is why I continued reading, anxious and doubting every sentence, trying to figure out the truth. I wasn't expecting to read a mystery book, but it ended up being a little bit like that, which I welcomed happily. 

The plot is interesting, even though I wish some details were more in depth. Genevieve's divorce seemed very mature to me in the end, because she truly got to know herself better and figure out the reasons behind her actions. I particularly liked seeing her understand her mother, herself and her friends better, because it shows a lot of character development that's well displayed. 

I would recommend this novel, especially to Paris lovers and locksmiths out there.

(Thank you Edelweiss for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

The One Thing - Marci Lyn Curtis

Goodreads summary:

Maggie Sanders might be blind, but she won't invite anyone to her pity party. Ever since losing her sight six months ago, Maggie's rebellious streak has taken on a life of its own, culminating with an elaborate school prank. Maggie called it genius. The judge called it illegal.

Now Maggie has a probation officer. But she isn't interested in rehabilitation, not when she's still mourning the loss of her professional-soccer dreams, and furious at her so-called friends, who lost interest in her as soon as she could no longer lead the team to victory.

Then Maggie's whole world is turned upside down. Somehow, incredibly, she can see again. But only one person: Ben, a precocious ten-year-old unlike anyone she's ever met.Ben's life isn't easy, but he doesn't see limits, only possibilities. After awhile, Maggie starts to realize that losing her sight doesn't have to mean losing everything she dreamed of. Even if what she's currently dreaming of is Mason Milton, the infuriatingly attractive lead singer of Maggie's new favorite band, who just happens to be Ben's brother.

But when she learns the real reason she can see Ben, Maggie must find the courage to face a once-unimaginable future... before she loses everything she has grown to love.


My review:

5/5

I LOVED IT SO MUCH! Seriously, read this book.

I was intrigued by the description of this novel, especially since I wasn't sure what it would be about. I didn't know what to expect, but it made me want to read it even more. I'm so glad I did! 

I absolutely loved Ben and Maggie's friendship. Ben is the most adorable kid ever and I just want him for myself (which sounds weird, but it's okay. You'll understand if you read this book). I loved how he reacted to Maggie's news about her seeing him even though she's blind and I adored the way he kept trying to kiss her and saying that she's his girlfriend, even though he's way too young for her. I thought he was simply incredible. I know Maggie feels bad because she thinks she's using him to see, but in my head, it has always been clear that from the beginning, Maggie loved this kid and wanted to spend time with him because of how happy he makes her. It touched me more than I would've expected and I cried more than once.

I wasn't really expecting a love story in this novel, but I was happy to discover there is one. Although it's really not what I'll remember the most about this book, it's sweet and cute and I loved it. Also, I really enjoyed seeing Maggie angry and passionate, since she's an incredibly funny character. I wish I could be more like her, except without all the trouble she gets into. 

Maggie's story made me sad, because it must be incredibly hard to lose your sight so suddenly. I understand why she pushed her friends away, but I can't imagine being her friend and seeing her get through all of that while being excluded from her life. They must have been really sad, too. I was glad to see her embrace her handicap and become happy again, even trying to make other friends. It's a great character development. 

I can't think of anything that I disliked in this novel. It's something that I would recommend to anyone. 


(Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

Major Crush - Jennifer Echols

Goodreads summary:

Tired of the beauty-pageant circuit, Virginia Sauter tosses her tiara, pierces her nose, and auditions for the most unlikely of roles — drum major of the high school marching band.
Virginia wins, but is forced to share the title with Drew, whose family has held the position for generations. Sure, Drew is hot, but because of his superior attitude, he and Virginia are constantly arguing. That is, until they share more than just their half-time salute...

But as the drum major's heated competition turns to sizzling romance, explosive rumors threaten everything — including the band's success. Love seemed to be a sure hit, but Virginia and Drew may be marching straight into disaster.


My review:

3.5/5

That was such a lovely read and it definitely lifted my spirits! Once more, Jennifer Echols proves how good she is at writing short and sweet romance novels.

If you're in a bit of a down, pick up this book, or a book similar to this one. It'll cheer you uo and make you feel all giddy and happy again. I finished this novel grinning like a fool, happy with life in general and full of hopes and expectations (I'll deal with those later).

Love stories between enemies is not the kind of books I read often, because I'm more of a best-friends-fall-in-love-with-each-other girl, but I truly liked this one. I don't think the summary is actually giving a good idea of the story, because I was expecting this to be more about Virginia giving up beauty-pageant and going in a completely different direction, while this novel seems to take place much later in her life. It's okay, but I wasn't expecting that.

I liked how Virginia and Drew's relationship evolved, although I didn't like the fact that he had a girlfriend in the beginning. Sure, she's a bitch and they're not serious, but he shouldn't be flirting like that with other girls. It's just a big no-no. Although there are admittedly some very cheesy parts, they're the ones that made me smile the most, so I'm not complaining.

I like how marching band is important in this book. There has never been any marching band at the schools I went to, but I still like Learning about them and reading about passionate people. I wish there'd been a bigger part about them though, because it's clear that romance is a much bigger part than this.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I don't know what else to say about it, so I guess that'll be it!

View all my reviews

The Martian - Andy Weir

Goodreads summary:

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him & forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded & completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—& even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—& a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?


My review:

100/5 - Just too good.

It's so good! Guys, please read it RIGHT NOW if you haven't yet. It's funny, action-packed, interesting and absolutely crazy. I even stayed up after 2 AM to finish it, because there was no way I could sleep without finishing this novel.

The main reason why I like this book is that it basically has everything I could ever ask for. There's some maths and science, which I really liked (some parts are a bit complicated, but don't worry, it's nothing like a maths textbook). I like learning things from reading, so this book was perfect for me. Also, it makes the whole experience more realistic, because astronauts are absolutely very intelligent and they need everything they know about all things space, or even more, if you're Watney. Then, there are some sensitive parts, because having an astronaut stuck on Earth isn't exactly a nice situation and fearing for his death is quite scary, even though I knew from the book's number of pages that Watney would probably not die right away, at least. Thinking about his family, his friends and his team of astronauts made me sad, but it's part of the experience, too. The funny parts, which are basically the entire book, are the best, in my opinion. I loved how sarcastic Watney is all the time, especially since I wouldn't always expect that from someone who basically needs a miracle to survive and make it back to Earth. If I wasn't cracking up every page, I was at least smiling, even in the darkest times sometimes, because Watney always finds the most surprising and crazy thing to say to make me laugh. I loved how it's much lighter than you'd expect (especially if you watch the movie trailer, which looks really stressful but awesome). Towards the end, I did get really anxious, especially since I didn't have the pages left's reassurement that Watney wouldn't die. I was basically dying to finish this book and know if he survives or not, and how.

Weir did a great job at creating characters. Each astronaut has its very own personality and I feel like we get to know them pretty well, even though they aren't on Mars with Watney. I was surprised to read about what is happening at the NASA and with the rest of Watney's team, but I ended up loving these moments. There's even a bit of romance and some more joking that I really enjoyed, especially since they lighten up the atmosphere.

This book made me think so much, it's crazy. It's been exactly two weeks since I finished it, but I keep recommending it to other people (my entire class today, as an example. I might've looked crazy, but I'm not even embarrassed. It's so good!). I always Watch the movie trailers, because I'm super excited for the movie (which I plan to see on its opening week with my best friend, who listened to my rant about how amazing this book is and blablabla). Whenever I hear something about space, science or botany, I think about the book, comparing it to what I know. Seriously, I keep thinking about it.

I highly, highly, highly recommend this novel. It's perfect. Also, its cover is gorgeous, so it'll look awesome on your shelves. See? Everything is a good reason for all of you to buy it and read it right now.

 

 

Cheesy Novel Recommendations

I'm the kind of person who thinks way too much and ends up really tired at the end of the day. Whether I'm tired from school, from work, from meeting new people, from exercising, from worrying or from life in general, I need ways to energize other than sleep, since I can't possibly just go home and sleep for 20 hours every day.  My favorite way to compensate for a draining day is simply to curl up on my bed with a good light-hearted book, a cup of tea, a scented candle burning in the corner of my room and soft music playing. During these moments, I don't look for complicated dystopian novels or huge classics, but cheesy YA books. Those are basically my addiction, as well as my guilty pleasure. I just love to read swoon-worthy, heart-warming and short books that will lift my spirits and make me all giddy and happy again. I know these might not be everyone else's taste, but believe me:  some of them are true gems. Here's my list of recommendations in no particular order.



Since You've Been Gone
Morgan Matson



It was Sloane who yanked Emily out of her shell and made life 100% interesting. But right before what should have been the most epic summer, Sloane just…disappears. All she leaves behind is a to-do list.
On it, thirteen Sloane-inspired tasks that Emily would normally never try. But what if they could bring her best friend back?
Apple picking at night? Okay, easy enough.
Dance until dawn? Sure. Why not?
Kiss a stranger? Um...
Emily now has this unexpected summer, and the help of Frank Porter (totally unexpected), to check things off Sloane's list. Who knows what she’ll find?
Go skinny-dipping? Wait...what?









These Are the Moments
Jenny Bravo

You can't go back.
You can't go back.
You can't go back. Wendy Lake... Big dreams. Small bank account. Back home from college, she's the girl with the day job, the girl whose mom still packs her lunches, the girl with the memories she can't shake.
Simon Guidry ... The boy who holds her past in his pocket. And maybe her heart, too.
This is the story on-again, off-again Wendy and Simon, told in the now and then of their relationship. As the couple is thrown back into each other's lives through their friends' wedding, These Are the Moments dares to ask the questions:
Do people ever really change?
Do two people, who can never make it work, actually make it right?
And most importantly, do they even want to?








On the Fence
Kasie West
For sixteen-year-old Charlotte Reynolds, aka Charlie, being raised by a single dad and three older brothers has its perks. She can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows—including her longtime neighbor and honorary fourth brother, Braden. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world of makeup, lacy skirts, and BeDazzlers. Even stranger, she's spending time with a boy who has never seen her tear it up in a pickup game.

To cope with the stress of faking her way through this new reality, Charlie seeks late-night refuge in her backyard, talking out her problems with Braden by the fence that separates them. But their Fence Chats can't solve Charlie's biggest problem: she's falling for Braden. Hard. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.








Attachments
Rainbow Rowell


Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.
Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now- reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.
When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories.
By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself.
What would he say . . . ?








The Distance Between Us
Kasie West

Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop.
So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company.
She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about.




The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
Jennifer E. Smith





Four minutes changes everything. Hadley Sullivan 17 misses her flight at JFK airport, is late to her father's second wedding in London with never-met stepmother. Hadley meets the perfect boy. Oliver is British, sits in her row. A long night on the plane passes in a blink, but the two lose track in arrival chaos. Can fate bring them together again?













The Start of Me and You
Emery Lord


Brimming with heartfelt relationships and authentic high-school dynamics The Start of Me and You proves that it’s never too late for second chances.

It’s been a year since it happened—when Paige Hancock’s first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for two years, Paige is finally ready for a second chance at high school . . . and she has a plan. First: Get her old crush, Ryan Chase, to date her—the perfect way to convince everyone she’s back to normal. Next: Join a club—simple, it’s high school after all. But when Ryan’s sweet, nerdy cousin, Max, moves to town and recruits Paige for the Quiz Bowl team (of all things!) her perfect plan is thrown for a serious loop. Will Paige be able to face her fears and finally open herself up to the life she was meant to live?









Second Chance Summer
Morgan Matson

Taylor Edwards’ family might not be the closest-knit—everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled—but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor’s dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains.
Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend…and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.
As the summer progresses and the Edwards become more of a family, they’re more aware than ever that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance—with family, with friends, and with love.








Un jeu vers le soleil
Pascale Gingras

Véronique a besoin d'air?! Cet été, c'est décidé, elle ira travailler en Ontario, question de se dépayser un peu. Garder un enfant de 4 ans, pour elle, ce n'est pas un boulot très exigeant, mais à son arrivée dans la famille de Max, elle aura la surprise de constater que son petit protégé a un grand frère... de 19 ans?!
Secret et distant, Thierry a tôt fait d'intriguer Véronique, qui décide de se mettre sur son cas. Pourquoi refuse-t-il de sortir de la maison?? Et, surtout, pourquoi évite-t-il son regard?? Gagnant peu à peu sa confiance, Véronique découvrira le drame qu'il vit, ses craintes, ses douleurs profondes et essayera de l'aider. Même si c'est malgré lui.
Pour son premier roman, Pascale Gingras nous offre une histoire remplie d'humour et de bonne humeur, mais surtout délicieusement romantique. Un récit intense qui se déploie tout doucement, comme les nuages s'écartent devant le soleil.









Confess
Colleen Hoover

Auburn Reed has her entire life mapped out. Her goals are in sight and there’s no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to find a deep attraction to the enigmatic artist who works there, Owen Gentry.
For once, Auburn takes a risk and puts her heart in control, only to discover Owen is keeping major secrets from coming out. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything important to Auburn, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it.
The last thing Owen wants is to lose Auburn, but he can’t seem to convince her that truth is sometimes as subjective as art. All he would have to do to save their relationship is confess. But in this case, the confession could be much more destructive than the actual sin…









Confessions of a Virgin Sex Columnist
Kay Marie

My name is Skylar Quinn. I just moved to New York with my best friend Bridget, and I have a confession. Well, more than one. Okay, quite a few really. Fine, here goes!
Confession #1: I'm a sex columnist. Hold on, that's not really the confession. You see, I'm sort of a virgin...sex columnist.
Confession #2: I'm kind of in love with Bridget's older brother, Oliver. No, I was. No, I am. Wait, was? Am? Crap.
Confession #3: I've been avoiding Oliver for four years. Or I was until today, because he just moved in. Yes, you read that correctly. He's my new roommate. So that night we've both been pretending never happened, well, we might not be able to keep it a secret any longer.
And trust me, this is only the beginning.










The Fill-In Boyfriend
Kasie West

When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she has to think fast. After all, she'd been telling her friends about him for months now. This was supposed to be the night she proved he existed. So when she sees a cute guy waiting to pick up his sister, she enlists his help. The task is simple: be her fill-in boyfriend—two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. After that, she can win back the real Bradley.
The problem is that days after prom, it's not the real Bradley she's thinking about, but the stand-in. The one whose name she doesn't even know. But tracking him down doesn't mean they're done faking a relationship. Gia owes him a favor and his sister intends to see that he collects: his ex-girlfriend's graduation party—three hours, zero commitment, a few white lies.
Just when Gia begins to wonder if she could turn her fake boyfriend into a real one, Bradley comes waltzing back into her life, exposing her lie, and threatening to destroy her friendships and her new-found relationship.








Just One Day
Gayle Forman

Allyson Healey's life is exactly like her suitcase—packed, planned, ordered. Then on the last day of her three-week post-graduation European tour, she meets Willem. A free-spirited, roving actor, Willem is everything she’s not, and when he invites her to abandon her plans and come to Paris with him, Allyson says yes. This uncharacteristic decision leads to a day of risk and romance, liberation and intimacy: 24 hours that will transform Allyson’s life.
A book about love, heartbreak, travel, identity, and the “accidents” of fate, Just One Day shows us how sometimes in order to get found, you first have to get lost. . . and how often the people we are seeking are much closer than we know.
The first in a sweepingly romantic duet of novels. Willem’s story—Just One Year—is coming soon!












Something Borrowed
Emily Giffin

Something Borrowed tells the story of Rachel, a young attorney living and working in Manhattan. Rachel has always been the consummate good girl---until her thirtieth birthday, when her best friend, Darcy, throws her a party. That night, after too many drinks, Rachel ends up in bed with Darcy's fiancé. Although she wakes up determined to put the one-night fling behind her, Rachel is horrified to discover that she has genuine feelings for the one guy she should run from. As the September wedding date nears, Rachel knows she has to make a choice. In doing so, she discovers that the lines between right and wrong can be blurry, endings aren't always neat, and sometimes you have to risk all to win true happiness. Something Borrowed is a phenomenal debut novel that will have you laughing, crying, and calling your best friend.









Those are my recommendations! You can just click on the book covers to get to the books' Goodreads pages. Two of these books were sent to me in exchange for an honest review, but the others weren't. I hope you have a good time reading (and swooning)!

Every Last Word - Tamara Ireland Stone

Goodreads summary:

If you could read my mind, you wouldn't be smiling.

Samantha McAllister looks just like the rest of the popular girls in her junior class. But hidden beneath the straightened hair and expertly applied makeup is a secret that her friends would never understand: Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD and is consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can't turn off. 

Second-guessing every move, thought, and word makes daily life a struggle, and it doesn't help that her lifelong friends will turn toxic at the first sign of a wrong outfit, wrong lunch, or wrong crush. Yet Sam knows she'd be truly crazy to leave the protection of the most popular girls in school. So when Sam meets Caroline, she has to keep her new friend with a refreshing sense of humor and no style a secret, right up there with Sam's weekly visits to her psychiatrist.

Caroline introduces Sam to Poet's Corner, a hidden room and a tight-knit group of misfits who have been ignored by the school at large. Sam is drawn to them immediately, especially a guitar-playing guy with a talent for verse, and starts to discover a whole new side of herself. Slowly, she begins to feel more "normal" than she ever has as part of the popular crowd . . . until she finds a new reason to question her sanity and all she holds dear.


My review:

5/5

I really, really, really liked this novel. It completely sucked me in. Wow.

I didn't know much about OCD before reading this book. Sure, my dad and me have a coupel of OCD-like habits, but it's not like we're ever going to need medication about it, because it's not OCD, it's just quirks. When I started reading about Sam, I found it really hard to imagine living like her and having such a mind. I think it's the first thing that really drew me to the story, because I wanted to know more about how she deals with everything. With her talks with her mom and her psychiatrist, I felt like I could see her evolve and understand her better. I think the author did a really good job with that. 

I really liked how Sam distanced herself from her friends, because she realized she would be better without them, but then she realized she didn't have to stop being their friend altogether. Even thought their friendship is evidently not the way it used to be, they can still be good together and I feel like it would've been too much if their friendship had been completely ruined by it. I think realizing that about her friends made Sam grow a lot as a person and with her OCD. 

I absolutely loved Poet's Corner. I thought it was so intimate, relaxing and interesting that I immediately wished there had been such a place at my school. I liked how no one judges in there, how you can read something if you feel like it, but you're never pressured and how everyone seemed to be comfortable with each other. I read the poems and songs out loud, just like they do, and it brought them to life, making me feel like I was in Poet's Corner, too. 

Andrew is such a sweet character. I enjoyed seeing the differences he made in Sam's character, even though he's clearly not the only reason why she evolved. Their relationship is adorable and I loved seeing them interact with each other. I'm glad it was done realistically, especially since he didn't magically "cure" her, like relationships do in unrealistic novels. It was clear to me that everything, from going to the pool to making new friends, helped Sam with her OCD.

I really wasn't expecting what happened at the end. I was confused, hurt and I even felt betrayed, because it was such a big plot twist. I really liked it, though. I think it turned this novel into a much different one, deeper than what it looked like at first, but I like being surprised. I found it hard to read about such a thing, though, especially since I had found no warning sign. 

I absolutely loved this novel and I would recommend it to every living person. In fact, I've already talked about it to so many people that it's hard to believe it's only been a couple of days since I read it. Seriously, go read it.

A Game of Thrones - George R. R. Martin

Goodreads summary:

Summers span decades. Winter can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne has begun.

As Warden of the north, Lord Eddard Stark counts it a curse when King Robert bestows on him the office of the Hand. His honour weighs him down at court where a true man does what he will, not what he must … and a dead enemy is a thing of beauty.

The old gods have no power in the south, Stark’s family is split and there is treachery at court. Worse, the vengeance-mad heir of the deposed Dragon King has grown to maturity in exile in the Free Cities. He claims the Iron Throne.  


My review:

5/5

This book is huge, but I absolutely loved it. It's totally worth the hours I spent reading it.

From the beginning, I fell in love with the world of this series. It's so complicated, with different houses and particular weather for all parts of the country. I was intrigued by the customs, the religions and the way they rule the country, even though it took me a while to understand everything. Some things about this world made me really want to live in it, while others made me happy I wasn't actually living in it. The author is crazy to have thought of all about this world, and I'm so glad he did.

I really liked the different chapters about someone in particular. The complexity of each family made me want to know more about them, even when it's not positive. I found it hard to believe that Daenerys lived in the same world as the other characters, since her part of the world is so incredibly different from the others, but I really liked seeing other people's opinion of her, no matter how bad it is. It made everything more natural and realistic, which I really liked.

I have to admit it, there are characters I don't remember the names of. Most of them aren't important characters, so it didn't make my reading experience too hard, but you need an impressive memory to remember all the characters in this book, because there are a lot of them. However, I loved the main characters (except for the horrible ones). The Stark are amazing, especially Arya and Jon (yes, I consider him a Stark), some of my favorite characters. I loved their wildness, which was refreshing compared to everyone else's politeness. I might be a nerd, but I also loved seeing how everything was ruled, mostly by the Starks, because I feel like they're the ones who we get to see rule the most. I found the discussions really interesting and the battles stressful, which made me want to read even more of this book. Weird enough, the character I identify to the most is Daenerys, because there are many things in this book that I would've done exactly like her. I do wish I could be Stark, though. I love them (although Sansa was annoying for the biggest part of this book). Tyrion cracked me up many times, which I loved when I was stressed about the events.

I really liked seeing a different kind of drama, because I really a lot of YA books where drama is all about boys and bad friendships. The drama in this book is about war, murder and bastards (the latter isn't much different to YA though, but I liked it much better), which is refreshing and very complicated, too. I found myself dreading some events, but impatient for others to come, which made me keep on reading for as long as I could whenever I picked this book up.

Seriously, I loved everything about this book, except maybe how long it took me to finish it. I'm incredibly excited to watch the TV show now, which I'll start as soon as possible. I really recommend this book!