First up....
Making Faces by Amy Harmon
There are truly no words to express how much I loved this book. It is a beautifully written story full of unexpected emotion and depth. The characters are endearing and lovable, the plot is refreshingly unique, and the message conveyed is powerful and thought provoking. It is seriously one of those stories that just resonates in your soul. It is a complete game changer in the New Adult genre. I'm telling you, Amy Harmon has such an incredible way with words. Honestly, she had me running through an emotional gauntlet... I was laughing, crying, and pondering my perspective on love, strength, beauty, and my existential purpose in life. I can't even begin to explain the complexity of the feelings her writing evoked in me. Needless to say, she is my new favorite author and I cannot wait to read any and all of her other work.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes just to give you a glimpse of the beauty that is her writing:
“True beauty, the kind that doesn't fade or wash off, takes time. It takes incredible endurance. It is the slow drip that creates the stalactite, the shaking of the Earth that creates mountains, the constant pounding of the waves that breaks up the rocks and smooths the rough edges. And from the violence, the furor, the raging of the winds, the roaring of the waters, something better emerges, something that would have otherwise never existed.
And so we endure. We have faith that there is purpose. We hope for things we can't see. We believe there are lessons in loss, power in love, and that we have within us the potential for a beauty so magnificent, our bodies can't contain it.”
“I don't think we get answers to every question. We don't get all the whys. But I think when we look back to the end of our lives, if we do the best we can, and we will see that the things we begged God to take from us, the things we cursed him for, the things that made us turn our backs on him, are the things that were the biggest blessings, the biggest opportunities for growth.”
“There isn't heartache if there hasn't been joy. I wouldn't feel loss if there hadn't been love.”
Do you see what I am talking about!?!
This book is a beyond 5 star recommendation! Read it immediately, people!
Next up, and equally enjoyable...
Bully by Penelope Douglas
This is another refreshingly different story that was recommended to me by some blogger friends. I actually had this book sitting "on deck" in my Kindle for months, but after much insistence from aforementioned friends, I buckled down one night and started reading..... and then I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!!!! I was immediately sucked in right from page one and was OBSESSED. While Bully is not nearly as deep and thought provoking as Making Faces, it focuses on the serious issue of yes, you guessed it, bullying. But honestly, it is SO MUCH MORE than what I expected!!!!!!!! I was addicted to the characters and frantically devoured each page, so I could get to the end to find out what would happen. You also must read all of the Caleb teasers that Penelope has posted because holy hotness..... they are GOOD!!!!!
I am eagerly awaiting Caleb's POV in Until You!!!! If all of the exclamation points didn't give it away, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book!!!!!!!!!! ;-)
Showing a little companion book love....
Four Seconds to Lose by K.A. Tucker
Four Seconds to Lose is a companion novel to Ten Tiny Breaths and One Tiny Lie, but can be read as a stand alone. However, I do strongly recommend reading the first two books before reading Cain's story, as characters from the two books play a part in his story, and quite frankly also because they are both awesome reads that should not be missed! As far as FSTL goes, I am happy to report that it is an incredible addition to the series and was not at all what I was expecting! I absolutely adored Cain's character, which had a surprising amount of depth and complexity to it. Add in new leading lady, Charlie, who is equally complex and mysterious, and I was hooked! K.A. Tucker is an absolute brilliant writer, who somehow manages to create characters with the perfect combination of intrigue, complexity, and steam. I also really loved the way she was able to blur the line between right and wrong in this story. It gave what could have easily been a typical New Adult plot, an added layer of depth and complexity. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and give it a solid 4 star recommendation. I can't wait to see what K.A. Tucker has in store for us next!
Moving on to another of my favorite authors.... the one and only....
Jennifer L. Armentrout
I have read 3 of her books this month, all of which are a part of a few of her awesome series, all of which you can find charming and hunky book boyfriends that will make you swoon like a pubescent teeny bopper.
Up first, the ever dreamy and swoontastic, Aiden St. Delphi, who is the hero in her Covenant series and leading lad in the 5th and final installment of the series, Sentinel, which was the perfect ending to a much loved series. The story picks off right where we are left in Apollyon.
The Covenant books are definitely more of a YA read, but the writing is witty and fun, and the story line and characters are interesting and unique. I was very saddened (and a little panicked... you'll know what I am talking about when you get to the end) to see the series come to an end, but I absolutely adored the way Jen brought the story to a close.... even if she completely toyed with my emotions. I don't want to give too much away about the plot or resolution, but I will say the entire book (and series for that matter) was fast paced, and full of action and lots of heart. I highly recommend this series. Just writing this review makes me feel a little forlorn because I miss the characters (specifically Aiden) so much. *wipes tear* If you like Greek mythology, dreamy guys, and snarky heroines, this series is a major must read!
Origin is the latest installment of Armentrout's Lux series, which is also an absolute must read set of books! Hot sarcastic aliens fighting deadly arch-nemesis aliens while trying remain unseen by humans and stay off a powerful government agencies' radar... What's not to love!? Daemon Black (hot sarcastic alien) is a total dreamboat, who would "burn the world" to save his leading lady, Katy. The entire series is full of witty writing and frustratingly awesome cliffhanger endings that will make you want to read the entire series in one sitting. Origin itself picks up right where we are left quite literally hanging at the end of Opal, and is an action packed read full of twists and turns that will keep you on your toes the entire time. I cannot freaking wait to see what she has in store for us in Opposition!
And my last JLA book,
Trust in Me is Wait for You from Cam's POV. Let me start out this review by saying that I LOVED Wait for You, and was suuuuuuuuper excited to read Cam's side of the story as soon as I heard Jen was going to be writing and she did not disappoint! Cam's story is a quick and easy read, and I adored reacquainting myself with the characters and getting a glimpse into his mind as his and Avery's relationship developed. He is such an adorable and endearing character, who is easy to love. Jen also uses Cam's story as the perfect opportunity to set the stage for the next book in the series, Be With Me, which I cannot wait for! I definitely recommend this series. It is hands down one of my favorite New Adult reads!
More New Adult fun.....
Finding It by Cora Carmack
Finding It is the companion novel to Losing It and Faking It, and was equally as enjoyable! Cora's writing is fun and witty and seems to get better and better with each book she writes. Finding It is centered-around, Kelsey (who we meet as Bliss' best friend in book 1 of the series). The story follows the rich and wild Kelsey as she backpacks across Europe in search of herself. What she ends up finding is so much more. Enter the mysterious Jackson Hunt. The chemistry between Kelsey and Jackson is intense from the moment they meet; though, their relationship is far from easy going, as they both are keeping secrets and unwilling to truly let the other in. They go through a lot of ups and downs as they journey across Europe together, and every single sweet, steamy, heartbreaking, and tension filled moment helps them to grow as individuals and together. I loved watching the story unfold and their characters develop. Cora is such an amazing writer and her work seems to grow in depth and complexity with every new story. I am really looking forward to reading Jackson's novella and any and every other book that Cora writes in the future. She seriously rocks my socks!
Another paranormal-ish read....
Keep You From Harm by Debra Doxer
I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I wasn't quite sure what to think as I began reading, but I am pleasantly surprise to report that this was a very intriguing and interesting read! The story follows Raielle, who has the secret ability to heal people with her touch, and after the mysterious and unexpected death of her mother, finds herself across the country living with a brother whom she didn't know existed. As the story progresses, Raielle quickly finds out that her unstable mother was hiding a lot more than just an older sibling. Feeling confused and lost, Raielle is forced to start over in a new town surrounded by strangers with secrets of their own. One of those said strangers is high school heart throb Lucas Diesel, who Raielle is immediately attracted and drawn to despite her determination to remain unattached and unnoticed. The story itself is full of mystery and plot twists that made it impossible to put down! I give this story a solid 4 stars and am eagerly awaiting the sequel!
Here are some books that are up next on my TBR.....
A Different Blue by Amy Harmon
The Temptation of Lila and Ethan by Jessica Sorenson
Night Owl by M. Pierce
The Road to You by Marilyn Brant
Greed by Amelie Fisher
Catch Me by Claire Contreras
More Than This by Jay McClean
I have at least 100 unread books on my Kindle though, so this list is subject to change! Hehe! Hope you find a book or two that calls to you and as always.... Happy Reading! :-)
No comments:
Post a Comment