Weirdly-Dressed Girl Loves Insect Guy | Lola and the Boy Next Door

Lola and The Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Publisher: Speak

Release date: July 9th, 2013

Genres: YA, Contemporary, Romance

Pages:  338

Source: Bought it

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Lola Nolan is a budding costume designer, and for her, the more outrageous, sparkly, and fun the outfit, the better. And everything is pretty perfect in her life (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood. When Cricket, a gifted inventor, steps out from his twin sister's shadow and back into Lola's life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

I didn't even know it was possible to love a book when you seriously hated the first one in the series.

Review:
 
But then I remember the School for Good and Evil trilogy. And oh, of course, this book and the fact that it's a sequel to Anna and The French Kiss. It's not a secret that I despised the first book so much. You can even see the evidence here. I guess I would just forever pretend that this book was a standalone.

I really enjoyed this book. Where do I even start? Since I loathed the first one in the series, comparing this one to the first one is gonna be inevitable.

Two Musical Prodigies Fall in Love | The Sky is Everywhere

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Publisher: Speak

Release date: March 22nd, 2011

Genres: YA, Contemporary, Romance

Pages:  277

Source: Bought it

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Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life - and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. Toby was Bailey's boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie's own. Joe is the new boy in town, a transplant from Paris whose nearly magical grin is matched only by his musical talent. For Lennie, they're the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But just like their celestial counterparts, they can't collide without the whole wide world exploding.

This remarkable debut is perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Francesca Lia Block. Just as much a celebration of love as it is a portrait of loss, Lennie's struggle to sort her own melody out of the noise around her is always honest, often hilarious, and ultimately unforgettable.

Review:
 
I didn't know what to expect when I picked this book up from my to-be-read shelf. But I most certainly didn't expect 277 pages of pure awesomeness and cuteness. Seriously. I don't even know what to say right now. All I can say is that this book is next to I'll Give You The Sun as one of my favorite contemporary novels.

Boring but Cute | Amy & Roger's Epic Detour

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Release date: May 3rd, 2011

Genres: Contemporary, Romance, YA

Pages:  344

Source: Bought it

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Amy Curry is not looking forward to her summer. Her mother decided to move across the country and now it's Amy's responsibility to get their car from California to Connecticut. The only problem is, since her father died in a car accident, she isn't ready to get behind the wheel. Enter Roger. An old family friend, he also has to make the cross-country trip - and has plenty of baggage of his own. The road home may be unfamiliar - especially with their friendship venturing into uncharted territory - but together, Amy and Roger will figure out how to map their way.

Review:
 
Looking for a summer read? Want to go on a road trip but too lazy to raise from your couch? This book is perfect for you! Maybe.

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour is a story about two people, Amy and Roger, who somehow have to go on a trip across the country just by themselves. Amy's mother is the one who makes their road trip map, as in, where to go, which hotels to stay, and the like. Unfortunately, the places she tells them to go are lame and they'd rather stay at home than drive four days through the most uninteresting route on America. So, they decide to create their own route to make the journey more bearable.

This Will Make You Cry | Second Chance Summer

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Release date: May 8th, 2012

Genres: YA, Contemporary, Romance

Pages:  468

Source: Bought it

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From the Flying Start author of Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour, a powerful novel about hope in the face of heartbreak. 

Taylor Edwards’ family might not be the closest-knit—everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled—but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor’s dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains.

Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend…and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.

As the summer progresses and the Edwards become more of a family, they’re more aware than ever that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance—with family, with friends, and with love. 

Review: 
 
After reading Morgan Matson's other work, Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, which was good but a little just so-so. I decided to give her other book a go and I came up with Second Chance Summer. Why? Well, mainly because the cover is perfect and hell, my favorite color is orange, and also because I'm a sucker for childhood romances (yeah. there is. just check the summary).

The Life of a Fujoshi | Fangirl

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Release date: September 10th, 2013

Genres: YA, Contemporary, Romance

Pages:  445

Source: Bought it

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From the author of the New York Times bestseller Eleanor & Park.

A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love. 

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...

But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

"Touching and utterly real." —  Publisher's Weekly

Fangirl has been all the rage for the past year now, so I read it to see what all the fuss was about.

What I found really appealing about it was that the protagonist was very relatable to myself, because she, like me, is a fangirl.

An Epic Finale | The Last Ever After

The Last Ever After (The School for Good and Evil, #3) by Soman Chainani

Publisher: HarperCollins

Release date: July 21st, 2015

Genres: Fantasy, MG, YA

Pages:  672

Source: Bought it

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In the epic conclusion to Soman Chainani’s New York Times bestselling series, The School for Good and Evil, everything old is new again as Sophie and Agatha fight the past as well as the present to find the perfect end to their story.

As A World Without Princes closed, the end was written and former best friends Sophie and Agatha went their separate ways. Agatha was whisked back to Gavaldon with Tedros and Sophie stayed behind with the beautiful young School Master.

But as they settle into their new lives, their story begs to be re-written, and this time, theirs isn’t the only one. With the girls apart, Evil has taken over and the villains of the past have come back to change their tales and turn the world of Good and Evil upside down.

Readers around the world are eagerly awaiting the third book in The School for Good and Evil series, The Last Ever After. This extraordinary conclusion delivers more action, adventure, laughter, romance and fairy tale twists and turns than you could ever dream of! 

Review:

I just bought this book last Sunday and I couldn't keep my hands off it ever since. I kept reading it in between classes and teachers' lectures (I know, my bad) and I'm proud to say that I probably just finished one of the most anticipated books of 2015.

I expected something better, way better than the second book (not that it was bad, it was awesome!) and oh boy did I get what I wanted! Seriously. This book is everything I thought it would be and it even surpassed my expectations. And believe me, I had lots of it regarding this book.

Girl Kicked Ass! | Pandemonium

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Publisher: HarperCollins

Release date: February 28th, 2012

Genres: Sci-fi, Dystopian, YA

Pages:  329

Source: Bought it

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I’m pushing aside 

the memory of my nightmare, 

pushing aside thoughts of Alex, 

pushing aside thoughts of Hana 

and my old school, 

push, 

push, 

push, 

like Raven taught me to do.

The old life is dead.

But the old Lena is dead too.

I buried her.

I left her beyond a fence,

behind a wall of smoke and flame.

Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.

I read Delirium a couple years ago and really loved it. I picked up Pandemonium a while ago, started it, got bored of it, and dropped it. This summer, I decided to pick it up again and give it another shot.

Trapped in a Lion's Den | Every Breath

Every Breath by Ellie Marney

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Release date: September 1st, 2013

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, YA

Pages:  335

Source: Bought it

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Rachel Watts has just moved to Melbourne from the country, but the city is the last place she wants to be.

James Mycroft is her neighbour, an intriguingly troubled seventeen-year-old who's also a genius with a passion for forensics.

Despite her misgivings, Rachel finds herself unable to resist Mycroft when he wants her help investigating a murder. He's even harder to resist when he's up close and personal - and on the hunt for a cold-blooded killer.

When Rachel and Mycroft follows the murderer's trail, they find themselves in the lion's den - literally. A trip to the zoo will never have quite the same meaning again...

Sizzling chemisty and urban intrigue combine in this thriller from a fresh, exciting new talent.

'I loved this book. It's quirky and real, fast-paced and full of great characters. Mycroft and Watts are smart, sexy, flawed detectives. The tension between them is electric. I was hooked from the first page.' - Cath Crowley, author of Graffiti Moon

Review:
 
How do I even start? I love this book so damn much I'm literally in lost for words. I'm just gonna make a list of what I LOVE about this book and what I dislike after that.

A Heartfelt Tearjerker | Landline

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Release date: July 8th, 2014

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Fantasy

Pages:  308

Source: Bought it

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Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble; it has been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply — but that almost seems beside the point now.

Maybe that was always beside the point.

Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her — Neal is always a little upset with Georgie — but she doesn't expect him to pack up the kids and go home without her.

When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything.

That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts...

Is that what she’s supposed to do?

Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?

Review:

Another Young Adult contemporary novel by Rainbow Rowell, it seems. But, wait. This one isn't a Young Adult, it's an Adult novel. I didn't even realize it when I was reading this book. No wonder the main character is a grown woman with two kids and a husband. But, that's beside the point. I found myself slightly intrigued by the synopsis. I was like, what? Rainbow Rowell? The one who wrote Eleanor & Park writes a contemporary fantasy novel? It surely deserves some attention! I decided to give this book a chance since I've read Eleanor & Park and loved it so damn much.

If Cinderella Were a Cyborg | Cinder

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Release date: January 3rd, 2012

Genres: Fantasy, Dystopian, Sci-fi, YA

Pages:  390

Source: Bought it

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Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Review:
 
I picked this book up because when I was talking to a stranger with the same interest (books) on Omegle, he told me he was reading Cinder and told me the outline of the story and that was it. I was hooked. He told me it's a retelling of Cinderella story. Except Cinderella is a cyborg and instead of dropping a glass shoe at the ball, she dropped a metal foot. How interesting is that? That was all it took for me to choose this book over other books I wanted to buy at that time.

Beware of Cringe! | Anna and the French Kiss

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Publisher: Speak

Release date: July 16th, 2013

Genres: YA, Contemporary, Romance

Pages:  372

Source: Bought it
Other Keywords: Boarding School

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Can Anna find love in the City of Light?

Anna is happy in Atlanta. She has a loyal best friend and a crush on her coworker at the movie theater, who is just starting to return her affection. So she's less than thrilled when her father decides to send her to a boarding school in Paris for her senior year.

But despite not speaking a word of French, Anna meets some cool new people, including the handsome Étienne St. Clair, who quickly becomes her best friend. Unfortunately, he's taken —and Anna might be, too. Will a year of romantic near misses end with the French kiss she's waiting for?

Review:
 
Little did you know, I am a student of a boarding school myself. So, I know exactly what it feels like being left alone by my family in a total deserted and isolated place filled with strangers. Heck, I've been in two different boarding schools for 4 years so far to know what it feels like. But, Anna is way luckier than me because she gets to go to a boarding school in fucking Paree and they also have mixed-sex dormitories (as in, boys and girls in one building) and there's basically no rules or curfews there. Heaven.

But, Anna and The French Kiss turns out to be one of those hyped books that's just not exactly my jar of cookies.