Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry

Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry
Thunder Road #1
Published May 26, 2015 by Harlequin Teens
Hardcover, 496 pages
Borrowed from library

the premise

Emily Jennings live a nice, unencumbered life in Florida with her mom and her dad so when her biological dad in Kentucky sends an obituary for her paternal grandmother and her parents decide to go to Kentucky for the funeral, Emily isn't excited. In the least bit. She doesn't know much about her biological dad except for the fact that he's a biker and while she is a little curious, she isn't willing to give up her perfect life to dredge up the past that she and her mom both agree are better off being ignored. But then Emily gets to Kentucky and slowly, slowly, finds herself settling into life there and opening up to all the people part of the biker club who she's come to love. But tension is in the air and there could be a very real threat that will tear Emily away from everyone she loves.

This is probably one of the most ridiculous books I have ever read but I loved EVERY MOMENT OF IT. Katie McGarry is my SHIT, you guys. I cannot get enough of her. Although I find that her books do tend to get a bit formulaic, it's a formula that lures me without fail every single time so you know, how can I complain? When it comes to YA romance, there is no doubt that Katie McGarry is one of the BEST.

Nowhere But Here centers around our main character named Emily who's a very straight-laced, stick to the rules type of gal and on a trip back to Kentucky, where her biological family is from, she gets caught up into the "family business" of sorts which is the biker club and it's through the club that she also meets Oz, her dad's best friend's son. Who's been raised with the club and cannot envision his life without the brotherhood of a biker club. And then obviously, they meet... sparks fly... but also DANGEROUS BECAUSE BIKERS AND MOTORCYCLES AND GANGS AND STUFF.

I think one of my greatest hesitations going into this book was the whole inclusion of a biker club. I probably shouldn't have been so quick to judge as I know next to nothing about them but when I think biker club, I think Hell's Angels, Sons of Anarchy and usually some illegal activity? And I feel like after reading this book, my opinion has changed slightly? I understand the idea of wanting a brotherhood and having people to back you up who you know you can trust but also there were other parts that I still didn't love. Like the objectification and over-sexualisation of women which made me uncomfortable. But despite that, I still thought McGarry offered a new and enlightening perspective on biker clubs.

And now about that romance... I actually really liked Emily and Oz together. I didn't love Emily as a main character, thought she was a little frustrating but I really liked Oz! In all honesty, I'm still not sold on, like, the tall, leather jacket wearing, sorta brutish dude who rides motorcycles (why Noah wasn't a favourite either) so Oz won't be one of my favourite boys out of all the McGarry novels (that probably goes to Ryan or West) but you know, I really admired him. And OBVIOUSLY Oz wasn't ACTUALLY a bad boy. Obviously he was the bad boy who's a secret softie which you know, by now, I should be tired of but I'm not? Because Katie McGarry is damn good at writing and at writing romance in particular. There are some scenes in this book which, if anyone else had written, I WOULD HAVE PEED MY PANTS OFF AND NOT TAKEN THE REST OF THE BOOK SERIOUSLY AT ALL but because it's Katie McGarry, the casual fall into hot boy and I am holding you close to protect you but then oh my god my breathing's stopped / hitched what!!! still makes me laugh, I admit, but also makes me really antsy for like THE BIG MOMENT when the main characters finally kiss or get together. REALLY GREAT ENTERTAINMENT VALUE HERE THOUGH. The entire time I was reading this book I think I was frantically oscillating between FITS OF LAUGHTER and SCREAMING and SQUEALING. You will get laughs and swoons so what's not to love?

Besides Katie McGarry works in some really lovely side characters as well. Honestly I think I was MORE in love with the side characters. I adored Olivia and Eli. THOSE TWO ARE MY JAMS. They were so well-developed and done so thoughtfully and in all honesty they made the book so worth reading in addition to the romance.

So another successful Katie McGarry! Even though this wasn't one of my favourites, I still really enjoyed it. I think no matter what Katie McGarry's books will ALWAYS be addictive. Even though I feel like I'm borderline exhausted of the good girl meets bad boy from the ghetto storyline, I also love how her books deal with a different sort of reality than I'm used to? I think it makes her stories incredibly interesting and entertaining.

Definitely have started noticing a certain formula Katie McGarry uses for her books but it hasn't stopped my enjoyment whilst reading any of her books yet so I'm okay with it. Nowhere But Here isn't a book I would typically go for but because it's KATIE MCGARRY, I enjoyed wholeheartedly even despite not being sold on our protagonist, Emily. I enjoyed the romance and loved the side characters. The writing was great as always and I enjoyed the dual POVs. I think in Katie's books, they're actually very useful and helpful. Will definitely read the next book in this series!

if you enjoy romances along the lines of Miranda Kenneally or if you enjoyed I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios, you will enjoy this! Perfect for someone who's looking for a well-written YA romance that also touches on themes of family, friendship as well as has excellent side characters.

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Willa @ Willa's Ramblings says: "Nowhere But Here is yet another remarkable book from Katie McGarry, one of my all-time favorite authors. It’s worth not only a read, but also a reread, and another reread."

Mishma @ Chasing Faerytales says: "Overall, Nowhere But Here is a wonderful read with beautiful moments of family, hot romance and great characters!"

Sarah @ What Sarah Read gives it 4.5 stars: "As I mentioned before, Oz and Emily have amazing chemistry, so it’s only natural that we get some feels-filled moments."

Some Books I Did Like + My Thoughts On Them

Last week, I published a collection of four mini reviews on books I DIDN'T like and this week, I thought it'd be appropriate to post a more positive post on books I did, in fact, enjoy. Since I'm still trying to TRIM DOWN the list of books I have to review, I'm going to be writing mini reviews again! It's been maybe two months since I've read these books so my memory is a little fuzzy which means I probably don't have enough to say about these books to qualify for a full-length review which means mini reviews = NEW BEST FRIEND. (on my standards, I guess? Because I know these mini reviews really aren't that "mini" compared to everyone else's mini reviews. I JUST LIKE TO TALK A LOT OK??). SO BYE NEGATIVITY AND BOOKS I DIDN'T LIKE because here is a POSITIVE post about books I DID LIKE (like, a lot).

WARNING: THESE REVIEWS CONTAIN SPOILERS. PLEASE PROCEED AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.

Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham

Published April 30, 2013 by Ballantine Books

Hardcover, 344 pages

Borrowed from library

A charming and laugh-out-loud novel by Lauren Graham, beloved star of Parenthood and Gilmore Girls, about an aspiring actress trying to make it in mid-nineties New York City.

Franny Banks is a struggling actress in New York City, with just six months left of the three year deadline she gave herself to succeed. But so far, all she has to show for her efforts is a single line in an ad for ugly Christmas sweaters and a degrading waitressing job. She lives in Brooklyn with two roommates-Jane, her best friend from college, and Dan, a sci-fi writer, who is very definitely not boyfriend material-and is struggling with her feelings for a suspiciously charming guy in her acting class, all while trying to find a hair-product cocktail that actually works. 

Meanwhile, she dreams of doing "important" work, but only ever seems to get auditions for dishwashing liquid and peanut butter commercials. It's hard to tell if she'll run out of time or money first, but either way, failure would mean facing the fact that she has absolutely no skills to make it in the real world. Her father wants her to come home and teach, her agent won't call her back, and her classmate Penelope, who seems supportive, might just turn out to be her toughest competition yet. 

Someday, Someday, Maybe is a funny and charming debut about finding yourself, finding love, and, most difficult of all, finding an acting job.

I haven't watched Parenthood or Gilmore Girls (although I have been told by many that I should start watching the latter!) so I didn't really know who Lauren Graham was before reading this book but now that I've finished, I am such a fan. Obviously this book isn't a memoir but Lauren's writing was just so charming and witty and so so delightful to read. A lot of what happens in this book isn't tremendously exciting. No one goes on a car chase here. There isn't any salacious relationship either. Most of it was just detailing Franny's day to day life, which admittedly did get a bit repetitive as there are only so many auditions and casting calls you can read about before it all starts to blend together, but that's just a testament to how good Lauren's writing is because even DESPITE the fact that what happened in Franny's life wasn't the most interesting thing ever, I was kept engaged and entertained and I wanted to read on.  

Another thing I loved was the 1995 New York setting. I have never been to New York nor have I lived through the year 1995 but something about Lauren Graham's writing just made it so easy to picture myself right there with Franny. Also the side characters are AMAZING. And I thought the inserts from Franny's Filofax Lauren Graham included were so cute and a great way to show some more of Franny's personality. And speaking of Franny, I WAS SUCH A FAN OF THIS GIRL. She was charming and determined and witty and clever and someone I would totally want to be friends with. But most importantly, her situation resonated so deeply with me and I think that's the best part of this entire book. I was able to relate, even though I'm not an aspiring actor nor am I in my twenties which is so weird because those are two things that are so rooted in Franny's identity. And yet... I still had such a strong connection with Franny. Honestly I don't think I've had as strong a connection with any other character so far this year. Her insecurity and uncertainty about her future is basically exactly how I feel and there were some quotes in the book that just totally struck me like WOW that's a feeling I've always had but never knew how to put into words. 

Okay now that I'm writing this review... I'm thinking I should boost my rating from a 4.5 to a 5. Like there are still things that irked me but they're so minor compared to the massive impact that this book had on me and how deeply it resonated with me. Like it's been two months and I still haven't forgotten what I felt while reading this book and how I felt afterwards and that's saying a lot. But anyway, I really really loved this book SO HARD and I'll actually probably buy a physical copy for my bookshelf later on this month as I only own it on my Kobo.

ALSO LAUREN GRAHAM, PLEASE WRITE MORE BOOKS.

Life By Committee by Corey Ann Haydu

Published May 13, 2014 by Katherine Tegen Books

Hardcover, 304 pages

Borrowed from library

Some secrets are too good to keep. 

Tabitha might be the only girl in the history of the world who actually gets less popular when she gets hot. But her so-called friends say she’s changed, and they’ve dropped her flat. 

Now Tab has no one to tell about the best and worst thing that has ever happened to her: Joe, who spills his most intimate secrets to her in their nightly online chats. Joe, whose touch is so electric, it makes Tab wonder if she could survive an actual kiss. Joe, who has Tabitha brimming with the restless energy of falling in love. Joe, who is someone else’s boyfriend.

Just when Tab is afraid she’ll burst from keeping the secret of Joe inside, she finds Life by Committee. The rules of LBC are simple: tell a secret, receive an assignment. Complete the assignment to keep your secret safe. 

Tab likes it that the assignments push her to her limits, empowering her to live boldly and go further than she’d ever go on her own.

But in the name of truth and bravery, how far is too far to go?

I remember the day I finished this book so clearly because it was one of those more memorable days but not in a good way. I had stayed at a hospital that day for nearly nine hours getting a saline drip because I had thrown up five times the night before and had a horrible fever. IT WAS AWFUL. By the time I got back to my hotel, it was already six and I remember just being tired out of my brain and so drowsy but also desperate for something to do that wasn't napping because that was all I had done for the past nine hours so I flopped onto my bed and picked up this book and started reading. And just read until I had to sleep. And you know what? Life by Commitee was just as memorable as my day. 

This was my first book by Corey Ann Haydu but it definitely won't be my last. I don't usually notice little intricacies about an author's writing unless it's really distinct so usually I judge how good an author's writing is TO ME by how engaged I was by it. And Corey Ann Haydu's writing swept me away and just kept me in this little, creepy world she created and didn't let me go from the first page to the last page. I literally did not and could not tear my eyes away.

The idea of a secret society online that dares each other to do stuff was so interesting but also unsettling for me. And like obviously this isn't supposed to be a thriller or a horror but I was shit scared. Like I was honestly so frightened and unsettled by the time I finished the book with this secret online society shit. Kinda sounded like some Illuminati stuff and was CREEPY AS FUCK. 

And I'm gonna be straight with you here: didn't always like Tabitha's decisions. Especially not when it came to Life by Committee but also not when it came to Joe. The topic of cheating came up here which always makes me very uncomfortable and like I said, I didn't always agree with Tabitha's decisions but I could understand where she was coming from. That doesn't mean I condone her behavior but it's just like... yeah I can see what might have been going through Tabby's mind when she did what she did. Also Joe is so... like he's not even a dick? He's more complicated than that? I didn't like him but I also felt a certain tug towards him. IDK. It was weird. Honestly everyone in this book was so strange and I think maybe the only characters I liked were Tabitha's parents (I WANT MY PARENTS TO OWN A COFFEE SHOP). 

But by the end when all the shit about Life by Committee comes bubbling up, I was just so freaked out honestly that I can't think about any of these characters or any part of this book without like wanting to rub myself with garlics and wear crosses to ward off evil. I don't know, I'm probably overreacting and am probably the only one who was this creeped out but like I DON'T KNOW THIS BOOK MADE ME SO UNSETTLED. I half want to run away from it and half want to pick it up and read it again and I don't know what to do. BUT IT WAS STILL GOOD. I'm just also very unsettled.

I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

Published February 3, 2015 by Henry Holt & Co. 

Hardcover, 388 pages

Borrowed from library

If seventeen-year-old Skylar Evans were a typical Creek View girl, her future would involve a double-wide trailer, a baby on her hip, and the graveyard shift at Taco Bell. But after graduation, the only thing standing between straightedge Skylar and art school are three minimum-wage months of summer. Skylar can taste the freedom—that is, until her mother loses her job and everything starts coming apart. Torn between her dreams and the people she loves, Skylar realizes everything she’s ever worked for is on the line.

Nineteen-year-old Josh Mitchell had a different ticket out of Creek View: the Marines. But after his leg is blown off in Afghanistan, he returns home, a shell of the cocksure boy he used to be. What brings Skylar and Josh together is working at the Paradise—a quirky motel off California’s dusty Highway 99. Despite their differences, their shared isolation turns into an unexpected friendship and soon, something deeper.

This book was so good. Like after a string of not so good books, it was so nice to finally read a book that KNOCKED MY SOCKS OFF. I ripped through this book in a day and I could not stop reading. I just wanted more and more and when the book finally ended, it made me really really sad. 

First of all, I LOVED Skylar and Josh. As individual characters but also together. They're both so real to the point where it's annoying because you care for them so much but they do shitty things, LOOKING AT YOU JOSH YOU LITTLE FUCKER. But you still love them. Although I still cringe over Josh's use of the f word (you know how it goes... rhymes with maggot or bag) and truthfully wasn't quite sold on how he was the douchiest of douchebags but then you fall in love with him and he's so cute. Wasn't sold on it honestly but I ended up totally ignoring that because the rest of the book was written so well and it was so good that I just didn't want to bother harping over that any more. Especially since he was a nice guy. I hate people using the f word and if you use it, you're definitely going to have me seriously question the quality of your character but I also don't believe in absolutes. I think you can definitely be the type of person who says derogatory things and then is also a genuinely sweet and caring person to the people you love. I'm not gonna make excuses for Josh and say he didn't mean what he said because I don't know HE'S A FICTIONAL CHARACTER I DON'T KNOW but I do know that at the end, I was totally sold on him. I FEEL SO TORN UP ABOUT IT. Honestly I wish Heather Demetrios just didn't include that little bit with the word because it didn't really do anything except make me really uncomfortable. But anyway. In the end, I did like him a lot. 

I also loved the secondary characters like Skylar's friends and the owner of the hotel who I forget the name of and while I wasn't the hugest fan of Skylar's mom and everyone else, I could appreciate their realness. 

OK I ALSO LOVED THAT SKYLAR AND JOSH WORKED AT A MOTEL AND EVEN THOUGH IT SOUNDED KINDA ICKY (I'm the type of obnoxious person that refuses to stay in anything that isn't at least a Hilton or some equivalent) IT ALSO SOUNDED SUPER COOL LIKE HAVING THEMED ROOMS? YES!! And like I said, the owner of the motel was super sweet! 

Okay I also appreciated the topics Heather Demetrios touched upon here. Like poverty, for instance. It was definitely very sobering to read about what Skylar had to go through and made me think twice about my current position and how lucky I am. My family may not be insanely rich but we have more than we need to get by and that's something that I should be grateful for every day. Because there are people who are in Skylar's position who have to forego food some days to save money and there is something just so, so, so unjust and harrowing about that. And then of course there are people who don't even have a place to live to start with and yeah, it just got me really thinking about my privilege and how it shouldn't ever be something I take for granted. 

I also really liked how Heather dealt with Josh's character being a soldier and showed the very real consequences of being in the military and witnessing things that no person should ever have to witness and do things that no person should ever have to do and all these different, complex things that come along with being in the military.

Overall I really loved this book. The only nitpicky thing I have is that while I LOVED reading from Josh's point of view and I loved how it was written, it was often unexpected when his sections would pop up so I only wish that there had been a more natural transition between Skylar and Josh. But that's pretty much it! This got a 4.5 from me although it's really more a 4.8 so I'm rounding this to a five star. 

The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord

Published March 31, 2015 by Bloomsbury

Hardcover, 384 pages

Borrowed from library

Following her pitch-perfect debut Open Road Summer, Emery Lord pens another gorgeous story of best friends, new love, & second chances.

Brimming with heartfelt relationships and authentic high-school dynamicsThe 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?

After reading Open Road Summer and being very impressed by it, I was DYING to read this book, sure it was going to be EVEN better. Turns out that no, it wasn't. I definitely did not enjoy this more than Open Road Summer but it wasn't bad either. The beginning was a little shaky for me. I found myself a little bored by Paige's narration and nothing really happened but I would say that I really enjoyed the last thirty pages or so. 

There are so many great things about this book though. The fact I didn't love it is more a me, not you thing because truly there are so many good things about this book and I have no doubt that most people would love this book. It has the solid friendship group that I love to read about, it has a cute nerdy love interest which I so appreciated and also a former love interest, Ryan, who didn't reciprocate Paige's feelings but also wasn't a dick which I LOVED. I was so afraid we'd go into dick territory with Ryan but thank god that didn't happen.

And yeah.. I don't really have much more to say about this book. I was a book I liked enough but not one that blew me away. There were so many good things about this book but none of them really got to me and made this book a LOVE in the same way that Open Road Summer was for me.

So how's that for a more positive turn of things? Make sure to tell me whether you've read these books and what your thoughts were on them! 

also happy labour day to everyone (or everyone who celebrates it)

Magnolia by Kristi Cook

Magnolia by Kristi Cook

Published August 5, 2014 by Simon & Schuster

Hardcover, 336 pages

Borrowed from library

Jemma Cafferty and Ryder Marsden were quite literally destined to be together. Their respective families have been best friends with each other for over two centuries; they're so close that the Caffertys practically consider the Marsdens family and vice versa. For years, the two families have yearned for a marriage to permanently link their families together but there was never a boy AND  a girl born at the same time... until Jemma and Ryder. Needless to say, the two have been pushed together by their parents ever since their births. But the only thing is, Jemma and Ryder hate each other. Like blood boiling, CANNOT under any circumstances STAND each other so the last thing they want is to be in a relationship with each other. But when the tide appears to start turning and their feelings start to get more and more confused, it's hard not to speculate: will their parents get what they want after all? Or are Jemma and Ryder's pasts just too hard to reconcile?

it cannot be officially summer yet if i haven't stocked up on ya contemporary romances. this is the truth

— annie (@anniemabel7) June 24, 2015

IT REALLY IS THE TRUTH. Summer is just not summer without contemporary romances. Magnolia was one of the books I had on my list to read this summer because so many bloggers I trust really enjoyed it and also, it just sounds DAMN good. And IT WAS. Like truly, if you are looking for THE YA contemporary romance for this summer, look no further than Magnolia. It's a quick but addictive read. I promise, you will not want to put this down. I know because I wasn't able to put it down and ended up reading it in a span of five hours. 

Honestly I wish I had drawn it out a little longer or at least saved it for mid-summer because it was so good that it makes me sorry it was one of the very first books I read - since my daycare days when my teacher would advise us all to eat our least favourite part of the meal first and save the best for last, I have kinda applied that theory to all parts of my life, including summer reading lists. Magnolia was everything I had hoped that it would be and more.

Although yes, I did only give it four stars (4.5 stars if we're being technical) and that just about comes down to two teeny things that gave me some pause. The first thing is the hatred between Jemma and Ryder. I was not entirely convinced how much they really did hate each other, especially at the beginning and I guess, even now having finished the book, although given everything else that happened, it's a bit of a moot point now. But yeah, I think the hatred between was them was something that I needed to see a little more evidence of. The reason that Jemma gave was totally grounds for hating someone and it made sense, as in yes I would be mad at a person if they did what Ryder did to Jemma and yes I would probably hate them too. But apart from that, maybe the only glimpse we get of their actual hatred towards each other is in one short scene at the beginning. And that's it. So it's something that gave me a little pause and it's one thing that's holding me back from giving it a 5 star rating, although by the time I was finished I was so over the moon with how things ended up and how natural and believable Ryder and Jemma's relationship was, it was hardly in my mind. (Because let's not beat around the bush, YES OF COURSE Jemma and Ryder end up together). AND YES I know that sounds contradictory but that's how it was for me.

The other thing I don't know if I can totally disclose because it's so spoilery but for those of you who have read the book: PATRICK. That is all I'm going to say. PATRICK. (But really skip this paragraph if you haven't read the book yet. I'm not going to mention any specifics but better to err on the side of caution if you're VERY picky about spoilers) That entire storyline just had me scratching my head so hard even in the beginning. It felt unnecessary and then THE THING happened and I was left even more confused. It never felt totally resolved, instead just lingering about for the remainder of the book and that is the MAIN reason why I cannot give this book 5 stars, as much as I enjoyed it. That entire sub-plot was just so confusing and frankly, unnecessary and out of place and then everything was just dealt with so roughly. It just never sat right with me. I feel like maybe it was added to draw comparisons to Ryder and show how ONE thing is clearly better than the other which makes sense but with what happened, it just bugged me so much. I don't understand why it happened, I don't think Patrick was dumb enough to do what he did, it was honestly just so so strange like why was this even part of the book in the first place. And I hated it as well. I feel like my instinct is just to always go to the underdog and the guy that's maybe a little rough around the edges so that's why I personally felt so much for Patrick but still. SO MUCH UGH.

But apart from that, I really did like this book. It's a solid romance with many great components. Namely, the romance. Hate to love is one of my favourite tropes and Kristi Cook did it spectacularly and YES I KNOW I'M CONTRADICTING MYSELF AGAIN BUT I AM JUST A BUNDLE OF CONTRADICTIONS but yes I really thought the progression of Ryder and Jemma's relationship was very smooth and realistic. Honestly I kinda had to stop reading a few times to let out a few giggles just because there were some scenes where it wasn't really graphic (so yes if you want me to say it, there is no sex) but honestly there was so much CHEMISTRY and romantic tension between the two, I just had to shake out the swoons and tingles I had. And you know, Ryder did win me over in this book. He was just so sweet, I don't know, I just really liked him. And it certainly did not hurt that I was picturing him as James Marsden the entire time even though he's like 40 and basically 30 years older than what Ryder is in the book but honestly James Marsden is so swoon no matter how old he is. 

There were other parts I really liked as well. For starters, I really liked the Mississippi setting and even though I've never been to the South it felt like I was there so all the components of a Southern lifestyle, I thought, were very well written and it made me want to live there even though I am not a rural girl. It just all sounded very glamorous to me and romantic how everyone knew who everyone was and how you grow up with these people and have known them your entire life.

I also liked the realisticness of the storm. Which honestly I still think is kinda a spoiler. Like it's in the Goodreads blurb but it doesn't happen until 1/2 of the book in and the entire time I was just waiting for it to happen and it was not fun. So I'd tell you to not read that blurb and just go in blind but since we're here on the subject anyway... let me just say that it was written very realistically. Not that I've been in a storm but I could picture myself in the scenario and everything just felt very right.

And then besides all that, you also have the great side characters, the family aspect which I always love, the real struggles of being a teen like WORRYING ABOUT UNI that I always appreciate seeing and the writing.

ALSO I just realized the parallels between this book and Romeo & Juliet. I mean I KNOW it's supposed to be like a reverse Romeo & Juliet retelling but I literally just noticed that

The Caffertys - The Capulets

The Marsdens - The Montagues

Jemma - Juliet

Ryder - Romeo

Ben - Benvolio

Mason - Mercutio

Tanner - Tybalt

Rosie - Rosaline

Honestly you would think I'd have caught on a bit earlier after studying Romeo & Juliet for a whole excruciating year but I'M JUST SO DIM, I DIDN'T EVEN SEE IT. Although honestly even now as I see the parallels between the two works, I'm still not entirely sold on the Romeo & Juliet retelling aspect of this book. There are a lot of moments that jump out at me that are CLEARLY drawing reference to the play so work under the confines of "Romeo & Juliet retelling" but not under the confines of "oh hey this is what Magnolia is actually about". If that makes sense? Like a lot of scenes just felt like they were thrown in there to make it MORE of a Romeo & Juliet retelling without actually adding anything to the actual story of Magnolia and Ryder and Jemma.

But overall yes, if you're looking for a good contemporary romance, look no further than Magnolia!

Magnolia was THE summer contemporary romance I was looking for. The relationship between Ryder and Jemma progressed so naturally and there were definitely some moments that had me all SWOON. There are sooo many things to like about this book although there were two TINY bits that gave me pause and are why I didn't rate this book a 5 star read. But it was truthfully very very close to it. I read it in 5 hours because it was just so addictive and I couldn't get enough of Jemma and Ryder. The fact that it's a Romeo & Juliet retelling totally slipped my mind while I was reading so make of that what you will? It's only now in hindsight that I'm slowly picking up the parallels between the two books even though I am really familiar with the story of Romeo & Juliet, I just was out of it I suppose? But overall, a great book.

people looking for a cute but well written contemporary romance perfect for the summer.

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Kelly @ Effortlessly Reading gives it 3 stars: "Overall, Magnolia was a cute fun read despite it’s awkward beginning, but it’s not one of my favorite retelling or my favorite Romeo and Juliet retelling by any means."

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass #1

Published May 7, 2013 by Bloomsbury USA Children's

Paperback, 404 pages

Borrowed from library

In a magical land far far away named Erilea, there lives a young assassin named Celaena Sardothien. Locked up in a prison where she's forced to mine salt, Celaena hasn't seen the outside world in a year and she's sorta accepted that this will be her life. Until the dashing Crown Prince of Adarlan swoops in and claims her as his representative for a competition being held at the King's palace. Twenty three people from all background, trained to beat, hit and kill, representing twenty three different palace officials gather together and Celaena is one of them. If she can beat all twenty two of her opponents in a battle of strength, speed and wit, she'll gain her freedom from her miserable prison and be named the King's official Champion. But will she win?

My first thought: I can't believe it took me this long to read Throne of Glass. I first learned about this book TWO YEARS AGO. I remember because I hadn't been blogging then and remember seeing ARCs of this book being distributed and bloggers RAVING ABOUT IT. Now, here we are, three years later and I've only just finished the first book. Tell me who else is better at being slow to the game than I am. (The answer is no one.)

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Throne of Glass had an illustrated map!

This is pretty irrelevant to a book review, I know but guys! Maps are so exciting! I love it when books have maps, especially fantasy novels. Like I mean, you can not have one but it's just so much more fun when you do and so much more convenient for the reader because then they have a sense of what the world is SUPPOSED to look like instead of creating their own version from scratch. For me, this helps IMMENSELY. I can't tell you how many times I flipped to the map while reading to help me gain a better understanding of the world.

I loved Sarah J. Maas' writing.

I don't know what it was but damn did that third person work for me. And usually third person really really does not work for me unless it's Harry Potter but I so enjoyed it in this book! I honestly think it would have been weird if I were directly in Celaena's head so this way worked much better for me. I was still able to get a really good idea of who Celaena was as a character and I was still able to get really invested with the story. At first, seeing how long it was and seeing how tiny the font was, I was a little intimidated but there was something about Sarah J. Maas' writing that just worked so well for me. I ripped through the pages. Like I could not stop reading. I read everywhere I could just because I was so obsessed with the story. So Sarah J. Maas, if you're reading this (which would be totally cool if she was), YOU ARE A DAMN GOOD STORYTELLER. 

Celaena was an interesting main character.

I liked her a lot. But I also thought she wasn't really as kickass as everyone was making her out to be. Throughout Throne of Glass, it was very easy for me to forget her background as an assassin. The only scenes that really made that clear were the scenes in which she spent kicking ass (literally) out of all her opponents. Apart from that, there was very little I felt really indicated she was an assassin. Her manner didn't seem at all like a girl who killed people for a living. I felt more like I was being told she was an assassin rather than me actually believing that through what she said and what she did and what she thought. But nonetheless I still found Celaena an incredibly interesting character. Like hey I'd rather you not be an assassin anyway if we're going to be best friends and talk about dresses and eat candy and swoon over Chaol. Because fancy imagining your best friend beheading random dudes in her past? No thanks. But I digress. The point of this is not to talk about my blossoming friendship with Celaena, the point of this is to say she's a really interesting character with qualities I can so admire (although she doesn't always come off as an assassin to me) so READ THIS BOOK if you want interesting female character!!

I got The Diviners and Shadow and Bone and The Winner's Curse flashbacks.

And also The Hunger Games. It was weird reading Throne of Glass for me because I was just constantly reminded by so many other books. The Diviners for all the strange, supernatural killings. Shadow and Bone because of the palace setting and the interaction with ROYALS. The Winner's Curse because Chaol and Celaena very much equals Arin and Kestrel in my mind. And The Hunger Games because of the whole competition thingy. Now I don't think this is a bad thing nor do I think this is a good thing. I think it's just a thing, you know? Like it just was for me and it didn't impact my enjoyment in any way but it's interesting to note, for me anyway because it sorta brought together all my favourite parts of these books in a really interesting way.

There was very little dialogue in some parts.

Okay so this sorta bugged me. I don't know if it was just in this particular book that I noticed how little dialogue there was or if it really was that Throne of Glass had an extremely little amount of dialogue and I guess if it's not necessary, then it'd be better not to include it but I felt like I was just being told a lot of stuff and I didn't actually get to see that in play. Like I was told about how Dorian and Celaena adopted an alligator (which is just an example, totally did not happen) but I didn't actually get to see that myself through their dialogue. If that makes any sense? I don't know... I just like it a lot when there's interesting and witty dialogue in a book and I felt that there was a real lack of it in this book whether there really was or I was just hallucinating and making stuff up.

Throne of Glass made me fall in love with fantasy again.

This is going to be the one thing Throne of Glass will be remembered for for me: bringing back my love of fantasy. I'm a mostly contemporary reader nowadays but way back when I was in love with fantasy. It was the only thing I liked to read (the Septimus Heap series anybody?) and when I still wanted to be a writer, the only genre I'd write. I was obsessed with the idea of magic and wizards and dragons. But somewhere through the years, that just stopped? It wasn't like I started hating fantasy, I just stopped reading it so much and slowly turned to contemporary instead. But with Throne of Glass, I've been reminded all over again of why I used to love fantasy so much and how I need to read more of it! I've always enjoyed the fantasy novels I've read in the past (like The Winner's Curse and Tiger Lily) but I never felt the rush I did when reading Throne of Glass. The rush of "oh yeah I remember why I loved fantasy now".

TEAM CHAOL ALL THE WAY but Dorian is okay too.

You didn't think I could end this review without talking about this, did you? Okay so obviously the boys are a big part of this book and it was all I heard about before I started reading. I've seen a lot of Team Chaol people but I've also seen some Team Dorians and going into this book, I wasn't sure which side I'd fall in. Well, having read that book I can officially profess that I am Team Chaol (this has only been cemented after reading Crown of Midnight). Like I love Dorian with all my heart but I just feel like he and Celaena are so much better off as friends. Whereas Chaol and Celaena... oh my god MY HEART. 

So basically, WHY DID I TAKE SO LONG TO GET TO THIS BOOK? It wasn't a five star read for me but it was still pretty dang good. I was hooked from the very beginning and it was bad because I could not put the book down no matter where I was. I NEARLY MISSED MY STOP ON THE SUBWAY ONCE BECAUSE I WAS SO ENRAPTURED BY THE BOOK. I loved Celaena so much even though I was sorta unconvinced that she really was an assassin. I mean, obviously I KNEW that because I was told but I didn't actually get to see any evidence of it, you know? That's probably the only thing I'd say about this book besides the little dialogue and the ending which sorta lost me for a bit. But action scenes usually do lose me so no surprise there. Overall, solid read and I highly recommend this book to fantasy likers and haters alike!

people who enjoy high fantasy and books such as The Diviners, Shadow and Bone, The Winner's Curse and The Hunger Games (as Throne of Glass was like each of those books in a certain way). If you want an addictive book, pick this up! And if you want a lovable female main character, Throne of Glass might also be for you!

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Asti @ Oh, The Books! gives it 4 stars: "There was enough action, romance, and mystery to keep me entertained. And I feel like as a first book it wrapped up well by ending one segment of Calaena’s adventure and preparing us for a whole new one."

Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity gives it 2.5 stars: "All in all, I went in expecting this novel to be as amazing as everyone said it was. Of course, I try to go in with no expectation but when everyone around you is practically screaming about how fantastic a book is, it’s hard not to enter with some kind of expectation. Sadly, Throne of Glass didn’t live up to the hype that it has received."

What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick

What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Published April 15, 2014 by Dial Books for Young Readers

Hardcover, 422 pages

Borrowed from library

It's summer again which means it's back to busing tables at her family's local diner on Seashell Island, a paradise to escape to on weekends for the rich mainlanders of Stony Bay, for Gwen Castle. But this summer, Gwen finally gets a chance to get away from busing tables with a special job of looking after the elderly Ms. Ellington which gives her more freedom to hang out with friends because she's not working random hours. Oh, but then Gwen's previous fling, Cassidy Somers who USUALLY resides in the rich kid side of Stony Bay gets a job as the local yard boy for Seashell Island meaning that Gwen cannot avoid him under any circumstances. Is there tension? You bet, as conflicts rise over the present and the past.

Although it hasn't been very cold or snowy this winter (despite what the weather specialists said back in November), I still feel obliged to indulge in my typical winter tradition of reading a nice, hot (in the weather sense), summer contemporary. We haven't had it bad at all this winter with temperatures flitting around the -10 degrees mark (that is, in Celsius) and above (lately it's been more like zero degrees to five degrees) which is basically SWEATER WEATHER for me but usually by this time, it's well below -10 and freezing and there's so much SNOW and sometimes, to get me through our long winters I just need a good dose of SUMMER to pretend that I live in the southern hemisphere. OKAY ANYWAY, long spiel over, I just had to pick up a cute book set in the summer and had my sights set on What I Thought Was True for a while after having read My Life Next Door and hearing tons of praise for this book. AND GUESS WHAT? It was cute. And very summery.

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I liked this a lot more than My Life Next Door.

Ok, let me just get the comparisons out of the way. I enjoyed this more than My Life Next Door! I know lots of others who thought otherwise but honestly, My Life Next Door didn't make a huge impression on me. I enjoyed it but then the last quarter of it made me roll my eyes big time and that kinda suckered the overall experience for me. And while What I Thought Was True wasn't perfect and it wasn't OH MY GOD TEN TIMES BETTER, I did think the story here was constructed much better and was just stronger overall. I didn't feel like there was too much going on at a time and I didn't feel like the last quarter was so jam-packed although I still have problems with the pacing so...

The ending was rushed for me. Too much in the span of too little time.

Like My Life Next Door and that giant bombshell dropped on us within 100 pages of the ending, the last few pages for this book was a giant bombing party too. So much new information. So many changes. So much drama. Too little time. I felt like screaming "Slowww down". A big part of the book leading up to the ending was very much Sarah Dessen-like where nothing really important happens. It's just the characters' day to day lives being spread out in front of us. Don't get me wrong though! While it wasn't all necessarily key to the underlying storyline, it wasn't NOT interesting. I actually really like Sarah Dessen type books where it's not action all the time, where it focuses on the tiny mundane details in life instead but in a really interesting way. That's a pace that I can get used to and that's a pace I got used to here. I liked just seeing Gwen's summer unravel so the ending with all of its BOMBSHELLS just threw everything off-kilter for me. And when the last page came, it almost came too soon. Like excuse me, can I please have some more time to process all this new information I have just been provided with? Give me time to adjust!

What I Thought Was True NAILED its setting.

So I had to mention this because I picked it up for its summery feel and guess what? I got it. BOY, DID I EVER GET IT. I honestly felt transported to Seashell Island and felt as if I were spending my summer with Gwen and Cass and Spencer and Viv and EVERYONE. The setting was written spot on so THANK YOU Huntley Fitzpatrick for giving me exactly what I wanted.

Great writing and great characters. If that's what you look for, GET AT THIS BOOK.

I'm smooshing these two together because I think they're related. What I Thought Was True is quite a character-driven novel - as I mentioned, it isn't an action filled book so a lot of what happens is key to developing the characters - so therefore if you have good writing, you must have good characters right? And vice-versa? Ok well maybe it doesn't work exactly that way but trust me, What I Thought Was True definitely had both. The writing flowed smoothly and the CHARACTERS. Don't even get me started on the characters. They were amazing and so realistic. I loved Gwen our fantastic protagonist who's such an admirable person but also someone who's incredibly relateable. I loved Cass who was really sweet. I loved Viv, best friend of Gwen, even though she wasn't in it a ton. I loved her and her friendship with Gwen. I loved Spencer despite the type of person we had come to know him as. I KNEW THERE WAS MORE TO HIM. And I loved Nic, Gwen's cousin and Viv's boyfriend, even though his pride really grated on my nerves sometimes. I can admire his determination and perseverance. I loved Emory, Gwen's younger brother, for just being the cutest little snowball alive. I loved Gwen's entire family. And I loved Mrs. Ellington, the old lady Gwen comes to care for. She was FANTASTIC.

There were also so many cute moments between Cass and Gwen in their relationship.

There were so many great moments. Everything was so cute and sweet and spot-on with these two. I adore them so much. Thinking back about this book just conjures up all these great moments between these two. Like when Cass goes to teach Emory how to swim. Or when Gwen gives Cass tutoring lessons. Or the lobsters? Or really every single fricking scene. The only thing that was weird though was how Cass seemed to be everywhere Gwen was. Did that strike anyone else as weird? It was like Cass was a psychic and could predict where Gwen would be. That was the only weird thing but apart from that, OK REALLY CUTE. Also, I imagined Cass as a sort of Abercrombie & Fitch model. Like really preppy and a swimmer which is such a preppy sport in my mind but then of course he had abs and was really polite. I don't know. I might just be rambling now.

I really enjoyed this book a whole lot. I thought it was a much stronger story than My Life Next Door although I had the same problems with this book as I had with the previous book: a rushed ending. The pacing at the beginning was nice and slow but not boring but within a few pages of the ending, all this stuff happened that really threw me for a loop and put the pacing of the book totally off balance. I sorta wanted more time to process it all, you know? But apart from that I thought this was a really good book. The setting was written so beautifully and the characters were amazing. While not all of them were really lovable, they were all incredibly realistic. I think one thing that Fitzpatrick does spectacularly is really capture all the different types of people in her characters and really show the complexities of humans. A lot of themes were also touched upon in this book that I know a lot of other readers have already mentioned: messages of sex positivity in men and women, the idea that relationships can crash and burn even if you've loved each other for ages and seems like you're going to be in love for the rest of your life, differences in social class and more. A really great novel overall!

people who are looking for a summery read (like I was!) but one that's not all fluff. If you like Sarah Dessen and Morgan Matson, this is a good book to check out! And if you're okay with more character-driven novels without so much action, again this might be right up your alley!

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Magan @ Rather Be Reading says: " I didn’t walk away with a light and happy feeling, nor really feel like Gwen had gone through the major transformation I was expecting. When it comes right down to it, maybe I just really missed all of the rambunctious Garrett family members from My Life Next Door. They’re pretty darn hard to beat."

Meg @ Cuddlebuggery gives it 5 stars: "What I Thought Was True is lovely, just lovely. It’s like a warm, fluffy blanket I want to wrap myself up in and snuggle with all day."

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

My Life Next Door #1

Published July 14, 2012 by Dial Books for Young Readers

Hardcover, 394 pages

Borrowed from library

All the time Samantha has been living next door to the Garretts,  her mother has openly voiced her disdain about them. Because the Garretts are messy and rowdy while Samantha and her mother are neat and reserved. But secretly, Samantha longs to know what it's like to be a part of the Garrett family which is why she's been sitting on her window (or roof?) for the past years watching the Garretts as they go about their day. And then one of the Garretts, Jase, pops into Samantha's life and everything changes. Things happen. Good things and bad things but you'll want to read this book to find out!

Okay, sorry for that craptastic synopsis. I mean, all of my synopses are kinda crap but this one was particularly crap, I know. I didn't want to give out anything though and no offense to the blurb writers for My Life Next Door but your synopsis basically spoiled 3/4 of the book for me so thanks for that. I mean, yeah sure we could all guess where it was going but at the very least, give us the choice to pretend to be surprised when THINGS happen. Anyway, you should read this book to find out what happens but also for enjoyment because it was pretty enjoyable. I didn't love it but I did rather like it.

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I went into this book with high expectations.

Not super high. This was my first Huntley Fitzpatrick after all and I wasn't sure if I would like the writing style and what not so my expectations weren't as great for this book as they were for, say, Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson, an author that I've loved and read previously. They were still pretty damn high though, mostly due to the positive reviews this book has garnered and the fact that I considered this book very "me". As in "wowee, I just know I'm going to LURVE this book". Well, I didn't love it but I didn't hate it either. And it wasn't just an okay read. I actually quite enjoyed it but I was a tad disappointed that I didn't love it though because I had went in expecting to.

My Life Next Door has a story line a bit similar to Romeo and Juliet's.

I have no clue if it was in fact based around it or if the author took inspiration from the novel but while reading it, I just couldn't help pick up on the similarities. It really isn't a bad thing at all, even if Romeo and Juliet isn't my favourite Shakespeare. I'm more mentioning this to see if anyone else who's read this book sees this? I thought Jase coming up to the roof to see Samantha was pretty likening to the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet and the BIG INCIDENT at the end was a bit like the Tybalt-Mercutio-Benvolio drama. But maybe I'm just spewing nonsense? Anyway, if there's one thing that I'm sure about, it's that I liked the prohibited romance (even if it was only on Samantha's side, considering that her mother disproves of the Garretts and all that) and THAT'S IN ROMEO AND JULIET. And I love it. 

Well, Annie, what did you think about the characters? You always have something to say about the characters so what did you think of the ones in My Life Next Door?

Well, I shall tell you what I thought about the characters. Honestly, I didn't care much for most of them. Frankly, our main character, Samantha was pretty forgettable. She really did not stand out at all in my mind. Her best friend, Nan, was absolutely ridiculous and delusional and if she weren't so horrible, I would almost have been sad to see her go. Samantha's mom was horrible. Clay was horrible. Jase was sweet but nothing more. Sorry Jase, you're a good guy but I honestly just did not feel anything towards him. He was a bit too cardboard cut-out for me. Like a little TOO perfect. The characters that I did like though? Tim (Nan's brother) and the rest of the Garretts. The kid Garretts had me laughing so hard. I can't remember their names any more (the suspect? My usual book amnesia.) but I DO remember my reaction. I loved them so much. And Tim was probably my favourite character out of all of them. I really thought he was the most well-developed character which is kinda crazy considering he's a side character. He STOLE the show though and I loved him so I'm happy he's getting his own novel!

The story wasn't slow but the pacing felt a bit weird for me.

I didn't find the story to be slow exactly because it certainly wasn't hard for me to keep flipping the pages but it definitely took a while for things to build up and then another while for things to happen. It took a good chunk of the book before we reached the big UNTHINKABLE mentioned in the book synopsis which was actually quite big and I felt because it was introduced so late into the story, it was almost a bit pointless because everything was resolved so quickly. A little bit too neat for something so big. I just wish that some of the Sam and Jase scenes were chopped even though they were fun because I really would have loved to see what happened after the unthinkable had it had some more space to fully be developed. So yeah, the pacing was definitely a bit off for me and that was why the book lost me about three-quarters of the way through. I just hated WAITING and WAITING for the big thing to happen. 

And one last thing: the ending was so unsatisfying.

SO unsatisfying. I don't really know what else to say except for that. I still wasn't totally over the whole blow of the plot twist and how things resolved themselves very quickly so I was hoping that there would be some more closure in the ending, some more SOMETHING but there wasn't.

I was expecting to love this book but sadly, I didn't. I was left wanting more and I didn't get it which put a damper on my overall enjoyment of this book. I still did really like it though and it was a really fun experience which is why, all things considered, I'm giving this book four stars instead of three.

fans of Sarah Dessen and Morgan Matson. Also if you're looking for a summery read, this is a perfect book to sneak into your beach bag!