I cannot wait for the prequel to my favorite series! The Hunger Games is what got me back into reading and ignited by love for YA. I am very impatiently waiting!
Release date: May 19, 2020
There you have it! My top 5 Hype from the Past books! What are yours? Let me know in the comments below!
💣 Title: Open Fire 💣 Author: Amber Lough 💣 Publisher: Carolrhoda Lab 💣 Publish Date: March 3, 2020 💣 Book Form: E-ARC 💣 Pages: 264 💣 Genre: Historical Fiction, YA 💣 Dates Read: Apr 9 – Apr 11 💣 Rating: 💣💣💣.5
Thank you to Netgalley and Carolrhoda Lab for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own.
A dramatic page-turner that captures the devastating toll of war and the impact of women’s struggles and solidarity, through the lens of a little-known slice of history.
In 1917, Russia is losing the war with Germany, soldiers are deserting in droves, and food shortages on the home front are pushing people to the brink of revolution. Seventeen-year-old Katya is politically conflicted, but she wants Russia to win the war. Working at a munitions factory seems like the most she can do to serve her country―until the government begins recruiting an all-female army battalion. Inspired, Katya enlists. Training with other brave women, she finds camaraderie and a deep sense of purpose. But when the women’s battalion heads to the front, Katya has to confront the horrifying realities of war. Faced with heartbreak and disillusionment, she must reevaluate her commitment and decide where she stands.
– Goodreads
I’m gonna be honest with you guys. I requested this book for the cover. It is creepy as hell and I kind of love it!
I was excited to see this was a historical fiction. I’ve read a lot of historical fiction based in Paris during WW2. A LOT. I have never read one based in Russia during WW1, so that was a very pleasant surprise.
Katya’s father has been in the Russian military forever. He aligns with the Tsars and supports them. Katya does, too. Then one day she gets pulled to a rally with her friend. Katya ends up joining an all-woman regiment for a war she’s not even sure she agrees with.
What I loved most about this book were the female friendships. The girls in the battalion had to stick together to survive – literally. Not all of them make it out of the war alive, and you can tell how much it pains the ones who do. They have become closer than sisters and always have each other’s backs.
I also loved that it was set in Russia during WW1! Like I said, I have never read a book with that setting. I loved learning about the all-female battalion and it led me to research more!
The only thing that kept me from a 4 star rating was the pacing. Parts of it were packed with action, and parts seemed to move super slowly. It’s not a long book, so I wasn’t expecting parts quite that slow.
Overall, this was an enjoyable book that taught me things! I love books that make me thing and encourage me to learn more!
Have you read Open Fire? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.
🧛 Title: Crave 🧛 Author: Tracy Wolff 🧛 Publisher: Entangled: Teen 🧛Publish Date: April 7, 2020 🧛 Book Form: Physical ARC 🧛 Pages: 592 🧛 Genre: Fantasy, YA, Paranormal 🧛 Dates Read: Apr 5 – Apr 9 🧛 Rating: 🧛🧛🧛🧛🧛
Thank you to Entangled: Teen for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own.
My whole world changed when I stepped inside the academy. Nothing is right about this place or the other students in it. Here I am, a mere mortal among gods…or monsters. I still can’t decide which of these warring factions I belong to, if I belong at all. I only know the one thing that unites them is their hatred of me.
Then there’s Jaxon Vega. A vampire with deadly secrets who hasn’t felt anything for a hundred years. But there’s something about him that calls to me, something broken in him that somehow fits with what’s broken in me.
Which could spell death for us all.
Because Jaxon walled himself off for a reason. And now someone wants to wake a sleeping monster, and I’m wondering if I was brought here intentionally—as the bait.
– Goodreads
Let me tell you guys. I am HERE for the return of sexy vampy romance! YES YES YES!
The story followed Grace. Her parents died in a freak accident, so she is sent to live with her only surviving family, her uncle and cousin. At a boarding school. In rural Alaska. Grace is from California. Major change there. Turns out, this is a boarding school for vampires, shifters, witches, and things that go bump in the night. Will Grace come out on the other side alive?
I hear a lot of people say this is a Twilight ripoff. Like, ok. I guess. Girl meets vampire in school. Inexplicably drawn to him. Falls in love. Finds out hes a vampire. But this is so much more than that. Also, isn’t that the plot of most/all teen vampire romances?
I loved all the characters. Grace was interesting and down to earth. She seems like someone I would definitely hang out with. Jaxon was Mr. Tall, Dark and Sexy Vampire like he should be. Plus he seemed to actually care about Grace. Grace’s cousin was fun and I couldn’t tell if the dragon was good or bad!
Crave was also funny. Grace keeps comparing herself to a ya heroine or a ya love story which made me laugh. There’s a throwback to Twilight. It was also a super fast read. I could not believe I read almost 600 pages in four days! That shows what I can really do if I am loving a story!
The book ended on a great cliffhanger and I cannot wait for book #2! I need it like, yesterday.
Is Crave on your TBR? Have you read it? Let me know in the comments below!
👻 Title: Ghosted in LA 👻 Author: Sina Grace 👻 Illustrator: Siobhan Keenan 👻 Colorist: Cathy Le 👻 Publisher: BOOM! Box 👻 Publish Date: May 14, 2020 👻 Book Form: E-ARC 👻 Pages: 112 👻 Genre: Graphic Novels, LGBT 👻 Dates Read: Apr 5, 2020 👻 Rating: 👻👻👻👻👻
Thank you to Netgalley and BOOM! Box for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own.
Daphne Walters moves to Los Angeles and finds that the only ones who can help her find love and live life to the fullest are the ghosts of her new home!
In Los Angeles, finding an apartment is killer—unless you live with the dead. Daphne Walters moves to Los Angeles for her boyfriend Ronnie, ready to live her happily ever after. But when happily ever after turns into happily for a month, she’s stuck in a strange city with no friends, family, or prospects for fun. Desperate to escape the lingering ghost of Ronnie’s presence everywhere, Daphne sets out to explore the city—and ends up encountering ghosts of a more literal kind! Rycroft Manor is abandoned, beautiful, and haunted. Will the dead be able to help Daphne find the life she’s been missing in the big city? From GLAAD Award-nominated Sina Grace (Iceman) and illustrator Siobhan Keenan (Jem and the Holograms) comes a story about learning how to make friends, find love, and live life to the fullest with a little help from some friends whose lives didn’t end at death. Collects Ghosted In L.A #1-4
– Goodreads
Ahhhhh! THIS GRAPHIC NOVEL WAS SO ADORABLE OMGGGGG! Okay, so I don’t normally read graphic novels. They just aren’t really my thing, I guess? But I am SO GLAD I ended up requesting this one from Netgalley. I loved it!
The story follows Daphne, who moved to LA with her boyfriend. Only to be dumped. She is wandering around LA one night, and comes across this beautiful house. The only downside is it is filled with ghosts. THey agree to let her live there, as long as she brings no other humans to the house. Of course, things go awry!
I loved seeing all the backstories of the ghosts that live in the home. We only saw three in the first collection, but they were so interesting! It was a perfect mix of past and present.
The art in this book is amazing! I love the illustrations and coloring. It really brought the story to life. When I read graphic novels, I usually just focus on the words and skim over the pictures, but this one I found myself gazing at the art and how great it was! Plus, Daphne had THE BEST style. Like, I want her closet for myself. I was drooling over those outfits!
I would recommend Ghosted in LA to anyone who loves a fun contemporary. I would usually pass since it’s a graphic novel, but I am SO GLAD I didn’t! I can’t wait for Volume 2!
Is Ghosted in LA on your radar? Let me know in the comments below!
🪒 Title: Girls With Sharp Sticks 🪒 Author: Suzanne Young 🪒 Publisher: Simon & Schuster 🪒 Publish Date: March 17, 2020 🪒 Book Form: E-ARC 🪒 Pages: 400 🪒 Genre: YA, Sci-Fi, Dystopian 🪒 Dates Read: Apr 4 – Apr 5 🪒 Rating: 🪒🪒🪒🪒🪒
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
It’s time to fight back in this second novel in a thrilling, subversive near future series from New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Young about a girls-only private high school that is far more than it appears to be.
Make me a girl with a razor heart…
It’s been weeks since Mena and the other girls of Innovations Academy escaped their elite boarding school. Although traumatized by the violence and experimentations that occurred there, Mena quickly discovers that the outside world can be just as unwelcoming and cruel. With no one else to turn to, the girls only have each other—and the revenge-fueled desire to shut down the corporation that imprisoned them.
The girls enroll in Stoneridge Prep, a private school with suspect connections to Innovations, to identify the son of an investor and take down the corporation from the inside. But with pressure from Leandra, who revealed herself to be a double-agent, and Winston Weeks, an academy investor gone rogue, Mena wonders if she and her friends are simply trading one form of control for another. Not to mention the woman who is quite literally invading Mena’s thoughts—a woman with extreme ideas that both frighten and intrigue Mena.
And as the girls fight for freedom from their past—and freedom for the girls still at Innovations—they must also face new questions about their existence…and what it means to be girls with razor hearts.
– Goodreads
I adored jumping back into the world where Innovations Academy is real. Guess what? It’s still just as scary as before.
Mena and the rest of the girls are trying to figure out how to stop the corporation – without knowing who is actually on their side. The book is over and honestly, I still don’t know who is good and evil.
The girl friendship and love was still very forefront in this book. I don’t think this series would work any other way. The girls disagree, yes, but they have a friendship and bond that cannot and will not be broken. While reading this novel, I kept envisioning me and my friends. I think it is so important, especially in times like these, for girls to see other girls loving, lifting each other up, and fighting back.
Another huge theme in this book was misogyny. Mena and Sydney enroll in a prep school where they think one of the investors has a child. The boys at this school are disgusting. Always touching without permission. Getting in personal space. They should be GLAD they are doing this. They never face any repercussions. It’s horrible and unfortunately true. It was great to see how the girls fought back against this type of behavior. The book also shows that there ARE good guys out there – and encourages them not to stand idly by.
Again in Girls With Razor Hearts, there were secrets, twists and turns. The story moved at a great pace and kept me guessing. I was so enthralled by the journey of these girls. I couldn’t put it down. I stayed up late reading and finished it in under 24 hours! That is a feat for me!
I definitely recommend the sequel to Girls With Sharp Sticks. If you haven’t picked that one up, I urge you to do so! You won’t be disappointed!
Have you read Girls with Razor Hearts? How did it stack up to Girls With Sharp Sticks? Let me know in the comments below!
HUGE THANKS to Harlequin for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour!
🗝️ Title: We Didn’t Ask for This 🗝️ Author: Adi Alsaid 🗝️ Publisher: Inkyard Press 🗝️ Publish Date: April 7, 2020 🗝️ Book Form: E-ARC 🗝️ Pages: 352 🗝️ Genre: YA, Contemporary, LGBT 🗝️ Dates Read: Mar 30 – Apr 4 🗝️ Rating: 🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️
Thank you to Inkyard Press for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
From Adi Alsaid, the acclaimed author of Let’s Get Lost, Never Sometimes Always, and North of Happy
Every year, lock-in night changes lives. This year, it might just change the world.
Central International School’s annual lock-in is legendary — and for six students, this year’s lock-in is the answer to their dreams. The chance to finally win the contest. Kiss the guy. Make a friend. Become the star of a story that will be passed down from student to student for years to come.
But then a group of students, led by Marisa Cuevas, stage an eco-protest and chain themselves to the doors, vowing to keep everyone trapped inside until their list of demands is met. While some students rally to the cause, others are devastated as they watch their plans fall apart. And Marisa, once so certain of her goals, must now decide just how far she’ll go to attain them.
– Inkyard Press
FIRST OFF! I want to share this awesome preorder incentive that goes along with the book’s theme of being environmentally friendly!
🚨Pre-order giveaway alert!🚨
Pre-order WE DIDN'T ASK FOR THIS by @AdiAlsaid by 4/6 & receive a stainless steel reusable straw, branded bag, and straw cleaner! To enter or for more info visit https://t.co/Cw0bHHVwLN. Open to US & CA residents only, 13+. pic.twitter.com/ve3SxSBKZZ
I wasn’t sure what to expect going into We Didn’t Ask for This. I was very pleasantly surprised. I read my first Adi book last month. After reading this, I know I need to read all of his works!
This story is told from one all-knowing POV, but has a huge cast of characters. Thankfully, they are all introduced slowly and with a great background, so I had no trouble keeping up with who was who. I loved the one POV. It gave you little hints or glimpses of what was to come after all of this was over. That really elevated the story for me.
These students go to a private school who has a lock in for high schoolers once a year. This year, Marisa decides to stage a protest during the lock in. She is an avid snorkler and diver, and hates seeing the coral reefs slowly dying off. The kids are stuck in the school for a whole week. Four of them are chained to doors.
Marisa has a list of 30 demands she wants met before she lets everyone out. All the kids have connections – parents are celebrities or ambassadors or huge sports stars. She is banking on one of them being linked to the Lokoloko resort – the main place she wants shut down.
We Didn’t Ask for This isn’t just about Marisa though. Like I said, there is a huge cast of characters – 10 or more. You see them form bonds, friendships, and relationships during tough times. That gives you hope these relationships will last well beyond when this is over. All of the characters had very distinctive voices and actions. This helped to tell them apart. I want to applaud Adi because I think it’s very hard to one, have that many characters in a novel, and two, have them all have distinct voices! He did it so well!
This was a quick read. I know my dates read doesn’t reflect that, but yall, my kid refused to let me read this week. The 30 mintues to an hour a day I got to read I read about 10%-20%. The pace was great and it kept me hooked! I had to see how they were going to get out and what demands ended up being met!
I highly recommend if you are a fan of YA contemporary or Adi. I’m definitely going back to read the rest of his works!
Adi Alsaid was born and raised in Mexico City. He attended college at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He’s now back in Mexico City, where he writes, coaches basketball, and makes every dish he eats as spicy as possible. In addition to Mexico, he’s lived in Tel Aviv, Las Vegas and Monterey, California. His books include Let’s Get Lost, Never Always Sometimes, and North of Happy. Visit Adi online at http://www.SomewhereOverTheSun.com, or on Twitter: @AdiAlsaid.
Is We Didn’t Ask for This on your tbr? Let me know in the comments below!
Another week! I haven’t gotten near as much reading done as I wanted to, but as I settle into a new routine I’m hoping that I can! Mostly it’s if I can stay off Animal Crossing and my kid lets me…
Let’s get to clearing this tbr! We are starting at 1825. I may do a few extra books today to try to get under 1800! Let’s do this!
Emergency Doctor by Edward Ziegler and Lewis R Goldfrank I think I’ve read this one before. But I love true medical stories. Helps to remember why I chose this profession because some days, especially lately, I really wonder.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Isiguro The synopsis of this kind of reminds me of Girls With Sharp Sticks. I loved that story so I definitely want to give this one a try!
Wow. April is kind of slim for me! I usually have to narrow down the list, but this month there’s not a ton I just can’t wait to read. I have three this month!
First off is Crave by Tracy Wolff! I got the arc box for this which I was super excited about. I am also excited about the return of vampy romances!
Release Date: April 7, 2020
Next is Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson. I fell in love with A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and I have forced many of my friends to read it. They all enjoyed it too! I cannot wait for the sequel!
🎠 Title: All the Pretty Things 🎠 Author: Emily Arsenault 🎠 Publisher: Delacorte Press 🎠 Publish Date: March 17, 2020 🎠 Book Form: E-ARC 🎠 Pages: 352 🎠 Genre: YA, Mystery, Thriller 🎠 Dates Read: Mar 29 – Mar 30 🎠 Rating: 🎠🎠🎠.5
For fans of Sadie and The Cheerleaders comes an all new thriller about a boy who turns up dead under suspicious circumstances and the one girl who may be the key to solving the mystery of his untimely death.
For Ivy, summer means roller-coaster season, spinning cotton candy at the Fabuland amusement park, and hanging out with her best friend, Morgan. But this summer is different.
One morning, Morgan finds a dead body. It’s their former classmate and coworker Ethan. To make matters worse, Morgan is taken to a hospital psych ward only days later, and she’s not saying much–not even to Ivy.
The police claim that Ethan simply took a bad fall, but Ivy isn’t convinced and realizes it’s up to her to get answers. What she finds is unsettling–it’s clear that some people aren’t being honest about Ethan’s last night at Fabuland. Including Morgan. And the more secrets Ivy uncovers, the closer she gets to unraveling dark truths that will change her life forever.
– Goodreads
So, I’m one of those people who reads reviews before I start a book. I don’t know why, it’s just a craving I have. I have to know what others think and if I think the same. I don’t really think it messes with my interpretation of the book. Especially not in this case. The reviews I read said it was predictable and they knew the bad guy from chapter 3. I did not.
Ivy was a likable main character. She seemed genuinely concerned about her best friend, Morgan and solving Ethan’s cause of death. They said he fell, but not everything adds up. She had feelings that I think I would have at 17. She was my favorite character.
The side characters were all interesting and likable too. She had a unique relationship with each of them that seemed well thought out. She seemed like a real girl, which I really liked. Ivy was someone you’d meet in highschool any day.
Ivy’s dad was the worst. He was misogynist, creepy, and said the worst things. I hated seeing him on the page. I cringed every time and just could not fathom having any family member like that. Like, he was the literal worst. He was gross. I just can’t say enough about how much I hated him.
There ended up being two mysteries, neither of which I really figured out. I kind of had an idea about Morgan’s mystery, but not Ethan’s. It was a fast, easy read. It just didn’t quite stand up to other YA mysteries I have read recently.
Have you read All The Pretty Things? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!
I am so excited for April! As I mentioned in my last post, Words & Whimsy has started their own reading game! The theme is dinos! 🦖 I’m team T-Rex! 🦖 Here’s a peek at our very open, interpretative criteria, our mini game, and instagram challenge!
Okay, I know, I know. 14 books is A LOT. Like, I’m only reading about 10 a month. HOWEVER. As of right now, I’m only working about 20 hours a week. That’s like, almost 30 hours less than normal. I am going to use that time to read! And play with the toddler. But also read! One of his favorite things to do is cuddle in the chair and read or watch Blippi. I plan to take full advantage of that in the mornings before work.
So a little breakdown on why I chose what I did. 10 of my books are arcs, so I just fit them where I could. I love Marie Lu, so I had to include her newest book. I’ve been wanting to read Belle Revolte since I heard about it and begged asked for an arc. I have heard nothing but wonderful things about Serpent and Dove. It was my most anticipated release the month it came out. I bought it on release day. So why haven’t I read it?! And finally, Hot Pterodactyl Boyfriend. I have heard nothing but bad things about this one. But it’s like a train wreck I think? Or Tiger King? So bad you just can’t.look.away. So obviously, for dino month, I had to give it a try.
What do you think about my TBR? What’s on your list for April? Let me know in the comments below!
Mithah Reads 