Monday, June 29, 2015

Summer Wishlist

Needless to say, with the huge reading slump I have been in lately, I have purchased very few books in the last few weeks. There are quite a few newer releases that I would like to get my hands on AND read with the time I have remaining this summer (I will be spending a week at the beach in August, so that sounds like the perfect time to get some reading in!). Here are some 2015 releases I would like to purchase and read before I get back to work in August.

The Fill-In Boyfriend by 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.

 A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

 The Cost of All Things by Maggie Lehrman
What would you pay to cure your heartbreak? Banish your sadness? Transform your looks? The right spell can fix anything…. When Ari's boyfriend Win dies, she gets a spell to erase all memory of him. But spells come at a cost, and this one sets off a chain of events that reveal the hidden—and sometimes dangerous—connections between Ari, her friends, and the boyfriend she can no longer remember.

 The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.

She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.

 Made You Up by Francesca Zappia
Reality, it turns out, is often not what you perceive it to be—sometimes, there really is someone out to get you. Made You Up tells the story of Alex, a high school senior unable to tell the difference between real life and delusion. This is a compelling and provoking literary debut that will appeal to fans of Wes Anderson, Silver Linings Playbook, and Liar.

Alex fights a daily battle to figure out the difference between reality and delusion. Armed with a take-no-prisoners attitude, her camera, a Magic 8-Ball, and her only ally (her little sister), Alex wages a war against her schizophrenia, determined to stay sane long enough to get into college. She’s pretty optimistic about her chances until classes begin, and she runs into Miles. Didn't she imagine him? Before she knows it, Alex is making friends, going to parties, falling in love, and experiencing all the usual rites of passage for teenagers. But Alex is used to being crazy. She’s not prepared for normal. 

 Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra & Dhonielle Clayton
Gigi, Bette, and June, three top students at an exclusive Manhattan ballet school, have seen their fair share of drama. Free-spirited new girl Gigi just wants to dance—but the very act might kill her. Privileged New Yorker Bette's desire to escape the shadow of her ballet star sister brings out a dangerous edge in her. And perfectionist June needs to land a lead role this year or her controlling mother will put an end to her dancing dreams forever. When every dancer is both friend and foe, the girls will sacrifice, manipulate, and backstab to be the best of the best.

 Emancipated by M.G. Reyes
The good girl, the bad boy, the diva, the hustler, the rock star, and the nerd. Six teens legally liberated from parental control for six different reasons, all with one thing in common: something to hide.

Now they’re sharing a house in Venice Beach, acting like a family, and living their lies. No parents. No limits. No alibis. One witnessed a crime, another might be a murderer—and one’s been spying on them all.

As they cling to a fantasy of freedom and slowly let down their guards, the past creeps up on them. And when one of them gets arrested, everyone’s carefully constructed facade comes crumbling down. 

Joyride by Anna Banks
A popular guy and a shy girl with a secret become unlikely accomplices for midnight pranking, and are soon in over their heads—with the law and with each other—in this sparkling standalone from NYT-bestselling author Anna Banks.

It’s been years since Carly Vega’s parents were deported. She lives with her brother, studies hard, and works at a convenience store to contribute to getting her parents back from Mexico.

Arden Moss used to be the star quarterback at school. He dated popular blondes and had fun with his older sister, Amber. But now Amber’s dead, and Arden blames his father, the town sheriff who wouldn’t acknowledge Amber's mental illness. Arden refuses to fulfill whatever his conservative father expects.

All Carly wants is to stay under the radar and do what her family expects. All Arden wants is to NOT do what his family expects. When their paths cross, they each realize they’ve been living according to others. Carly and Arden’s journey toward their true hearts—and one another—is funny, romantic, and sometimes harsh.

 Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan
In the wake of the devastating destruction of the luxury yacht Persephone, just three souls remain to tell its story—and two of them are lying. Only Frances Mace knows the terrifying truth, and she’ll stop at nothing to avenge the murders of everyone she held dear. Even if it means taking down the boy she loves and possibly losing herself in the process.

Sharp and incisive, Daughter of Deep Silence by bestselling author Carrie Ryan is a deliciously smart revenge thriller that examines perceptions of identity, love, and the lengths to which one girl is willing to go when she thinks she has nothing to lose.

  The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler
The youngest of six talented sisters, Elyse d’Abreau was destined for stardom—until a boating accident took everything from her. Now, the most beautiful singer in Tobago can’t sing. She can’t even speak.

Seeking quiet solitude, Elyse accepts a friend’s invitation to Atargatis Cove. Named for the mythical first mermaid, the Oregon seaside town is everything Elyse’s home in the Caribbean isn’t: An ocean too cold for swimming, parties too tame for singing, and people too polite to pry—except for one.

Christian Kane is a notorious playboy—insolent, arrogant, and completely charming. He’s also the only person in Atargatis Cove who doesn’t treat Elyse like a glass statue. He challenges her to express herself, and he admires the way she treats his younger brother Sebastian, who believes Elyse is the legendary mermaid come to life.

When Christian needs a first mate for the Cove’s high-stakes Pirate Regatta, Elyse reluctantly stows her fear of the sea and climbs aboard. The ocean isn’t the only thing making waves, though—swept up in Christian’s seductive tide and entranced by the Cove’s charms, Elyse begins to wonder if a life of solitude isn’t what she needs. But changing course again means facing her past. It means finding her inner voice. And scariest of all, it means opening her heart to a boy who’s best known for breaking them . . .
 

There we have it! I would love to get my hands on these books soon. Have you read any of them? What did you think of them? What books do you plan to read this summer? 

Saturday, June 20, 2015

I Have Returned!

It's safe to say that I took a little, unofficial hiatus from blogging. I did not do it intentionally, but I did feel that it was something I was in the need of, so I simply let it happen. I had a couple of vacations, which you probably know if you follow my Instagram (tyork0923), and I just decided not to stress myself out as the school year was ending and summer was beginning. I felt like I HAD to write up blog posts instead of WANTING to, and that was something that made me very uneasy. Instead of forcing posts that I was not interested in, I allowed myself to take the break. I was not reading, and had nothing to walk about, so it just made sense. I am happy to say that I am back now, though. Sure, my reading is still down and I will probably still have moments that I don't feel like writing, but I think for the most part it is over. So, this is me saying I should be back to the blogging, commenting, and reading. Thanks for hanging in there with me!

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Top Ten Books I'd Love To See As Movies/TV Shows


Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday! As always, I am linking up over at The Broke and the Bookish, and this week I am talking about the top ten books I'd like to see as movies or television shows. Wow, I'm sorry I have been so MIA. With the school year wrapping up (5 days left!), things have been busy and hectic over here. I have every intention of getting back to my daily blogging next Tuesday once school is officially out for summer! For now, I thought that this TTT prompt would be a fun one to complete!


1. The Selection Series by Kiera Cass - I feel like this one would make a really fun television show. Sure, it's a lot like the Bachelor, but it's SO much better than that. I am only in the beginning of book two, but I love the characters, and I think that it would be fun to see them on the television screen.
2. My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga - I think that this would make a really great romantic drama movie for teens. I thought that the book was beautifully written, and while about a dark topic, it was not depressing. I think that they could do some wonderful things with it on the big screen.
3. Popular by Maya Van Wagenen - This would make for a really fun documentary style show/movie. If you have read the book, then you know it's a memoir about a girl who used this old how-to book in order to attempt to become popular. Seeing the steps fulfilled on the screen could prove to be pretty amusing!


4. The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau - This series would make a fantastic set of movies. It's another dystopian trilogy, and those have been doing pretty well in the box office, I would say. I enjoyed this far more than I enjoyed THG books, so I would love to see it turned into a movie.
5. SNOW LIKE ASHES by Sara Raasch - So far only the first book in this series has been released, and I already know that the whole series would make an incredible series of movies. This has been my favorite book so far this year, and I cannot wait for the next one. There is just the right amount of action and romance in this one to make it a perfect best selling film.
6. Some Boys by Parry Blount - I feel like this one could easily be made into one of those ABC Family television shows - you know the ones, like Pretty Little Liars and Bunheads. It's got a good plot and foundation, and they could certainly feed off the drama to make it into a full length show. 


7. Dear Killer by Katherine Ewell - This would definitely make for a very interesting movie, I think. It's not too often you have movies with teenage serial killers who take suggestions on who they should kill. I think it could be done well as long as cheesiness is avoided, no Lifetime movies!
8. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer - I am sure that this one will probably show up on a lot of lists today, and for good reason. Would it not be incredible to see this world and the characters on the big screen? I think it would be completely amazing, and I do hope that it actually happens in the future.
9. The Screaming Divas by Suzanne Kamata - This one I COULD see becoming a good Lifetime movie, as it has all the necessary components (I do love me some Lifetime movies). It's a group of teenage girls, all dealing with different family/personal issues in life, coming together to form a band and deal with life. Screams Lifetime Original Movie, don't you think?


10. We Should Hang Out Sometime by Josh Sundquist - I don't think that a movie/show should be based on this book, but I do think that it could definitely spark an idea for a new reality show. Have people confront their exes about why they broke up, or didn't give them a chance to go out on a date. Could be super dramatic, right?



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