When Writing a Review Seems Impossible

  Hey, y'all. Today I want to talk reviews. But this isn't your run of the mill post with helpful tips and comparing styles. This is for those reviews that just do not want to be written. You know the ones I'm talking about. You avoid the review by writing ten other blog posts. You get around to reorganizing your closet. You remember that your bookshelves need dusting and straightening. You will do anything to avoid writing that review. There are tons of different reasons that reviews can be difficult, but I want to talk about two that pop up for me the most.

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Books that defy being reviewed. I recently finished Little Peach by Peggy Kern. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to write a review for it. It affected me so deeply that I had a compelling need to just pour my heart out. But rather quickly I realized that Little Peach just isn't a book I can review. It is above being reviewed. (In my eyes, at least!) There have been several books like this for me. The only book like this that I attempted at reviewing was The Fault in Our Stars. But it was less review, more me opening up a part of my heart and listing for TFiOS affected me. It's cathartic, but scary. And I just don't want to go there again.

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Books that are just meh. This type of book is the one I struggle with most because I encounter far more of them. It's easy to write a review whenever you have strong feelings about a book, whether it's love or hate. But what about whenever you're feeling just meh about a book? What do you write? "I finished this book. It was okay. Not too memorable. Meh." Usually I find something about the book to focus on and drum up a review by going down the list of plot, characters, relationships, pace, and setting. But it's hard. Some books really are just meh.

What about you guys?

Do you struggle with reviews?
Have any tips for those of us struggling with certain reviews?

Coming Soon: My May YA Release Picks

Let's hope that all those April showers are going to bring May flowers!

Here are my most anticipated of the May releases!

May 5th

Material Girls by Elaine Dimopoulos - I'm so excited for this one! Check out my review from yesterday here!

Seriously Wicked by Tina Connolly - Everything about this book screams fun!

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas - Who isn't excited for ACOTAR?!

The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West - Kasie West always delivers when it comes to contemporaries. I cannot say no to her newest release!

May 12th


Making Pretty by Corey Ann Haydu - That cover, though! I'm so excited to share my review on the 11th of this month!
The Cost of All Things by Maggie Lehrman - A remarkable debut! Totally different and intriguing. My review will be up on the 7th!
Velvet by Temple West - YES PLEASE. I haven't read about vampires in awhile. Sign me up!

May 19th


A Sense of the Infinite by Hilary T. Smith - I love books about friendship and this one delivers! Read my fulls thoughts on May 18th!

May 26th


Immaculate by Katelyn Detweiler - This book is one of my most anticipated reads of 2015!
Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider - Does this scream heartbreaking for anyone else? My review will be up on the 25th!
Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton - I absolutely loved this book! Very Mean Girls meets Bunheads. Stop by for my full review on the 21st!
The Cage by Megan Shepherd - The cover wasn't what I expected, but I'm still excited for this one!

Those are my May picks!
Which books are you guys looking forward to this month?

Are We There Yet? 5 August Releases I'm Ready For

It's a good year to be a young adult fan!
There are SO many good YA books coming out in the Summer of 2015, y'all!
Today I'm sharing my most anticipated August releases. See my June post here and July post here!
Get ready to pile more books on those TBR lists!

5. Not After Everything by Michelle Levy

A gritty but hopeful love story about two struggling teens— great for fans of The Spectacular Now, Willow, and Eleanor and Park

Tyler has a football scholarship to Stanford, a hot girlfriend, and a reliable army of friends to party with. Then his mom kills herself. And Tyler lets it all go. Now he needs to dodge what his dad is offering (verbal tirades and abuse) and earn what his dad isn’t (money). Tyler finds a job that crashes him into Jordyn, his former childhood friend turned angry-loner goth-girl. She brings Tyler an unexpected reprieve from the never-ending pity party his life has become. How could he not fall for her? But with his dad more brutally unpredictable than ever, Tyler knows he can’t risk bringing Jordyn too deeply into the chaos. So when violence rocks his world again, will it be Jordyn who shows him the way to a hopeful future? Or after everything, will Tyler have to find it in himself?

This one sounds like a heartbreakingly powerful book. Even though I know I'll cry my eyes out, I want to read about Tyler. This will be my intense read of August!

4. The Heartbreakers by Ali Novak

Stella never meant to fall for a rock star…much less a Heartbreaker.

When Stella's sister Cara is diagnosed with leukemia, Stella puts her dreams on hold to move home and be with her family. With Cara's birthday approaching, Stella wants to get her the perfect gift—an autographed poster of her sister's favorite (and Stella's least favorite) band, The Heartbreakers. But when she meets Oliver Perry, the band's lead singer, she can't get him out of her head.

If she gives him a chance, will she resent him for taking her attention away from her sister—or will he help her find the courage to live her own life?

Cute romance involving a boy in a band? Yes! I'm wondering how this book will handle Cara having leukemia. There are so many ways that this book could go. I need it now!

3. Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell

Nicolette’s awful stepsisters call her “Mechanica” to demean her, but the nickname fits: she learned to be an inventor at her mother’s knee. Her mom is gone now, though, and the Steps have turned her into a servant in her own home.

But on her sixteenth birthday, Nicolette discovers a secret workshop in the cellar and begins to dare to imagine a new life for herself. Could the mysterious books and tools hidden there—and the mechanical menagerie, led by a tiny metal horse named Jules—be the key to escaping her dreary existence? With a technological exposition and royal ball on the horizon, the timing might just be perfect for Nicolette to earn her freedom at last.

Gorgeous prose and themes of social justice and family shine in this richly imagined Cinderella retelling about an indomitable inventor who finds her prince . . . but realizes she doesn't want a fairy tale happy ending after all.

Cinderella and steampunk? Why, yes I do believe I will. Too many people are comparing it to Cinder by Marissa Meyer. They sound nothing alike, y'all. But I will say I've yet to read either book, and Mechanica sounds much better than Cinder. I should probably hide from the fangirls now.

2. The Uninvited by Cat Winters

Twenty-five year old Ivy Rowan rises from her bed after being struck by the flu, only to discover the world has been torn apart in just a few short days.

But Ivy’s life-long gift—or curse—remains. For she sees the uninvited ones—ghosts of loved ones who appear to her, unasked, unwelcomed, for they always herald impending death. On that October evening in 1918 she sees the spirit of her grandmother, rocking in her mother’s chair. An hour later, she learns her younger brother and father have killed a young German out of retaliation for the death of Ivy’s older brother Billy in the Great War.

Horrified, she leaves home, to discover the flu has caused utter panic and the rules governing society have broken down. Ivy is drawn into this new world of jazz, passion, and freedom, where people live for the day, because they could be stricken by nightfall. But as her ‘uninvited guests’ begin to appear to her more often, she knows her life will be torn apart once more, but Ivy has no inkling of the other-worldly revelations about to unfold.

Cat Winters can do no wrong in my book. She's one of the few (maybe four at most) authors that are always instant buys for me. This book just screams Gothic and ghosts; sign me up! 

1. The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Tim Mason was The Boy Most Likely To find the liquor cabinet blindfolded, need a liver transplant, and drive his car into a house.

Alice Garrett was The Girl Most Likely To . . . well, not date her little brother’s baggage-burdened best friend, for starters.

For Tim, it wouldn’t be smart to fall for Alice. For Alice, nothing could be scarier than falling for Tim. But Tim has never been known for making the smart choice, and Alice is starting to wonder if the “smart” choice is always the right one. When these two crash into each other, they crash hard.

Then the unexpected consequences of Tim’s wild days come back to shock him. He finds himself in a situation that isn’t all it appears to be, that he never could have predicted . . . but maybe should have.

And Alice is caught in the middle.

 The Boy Most Likely To is one of my two most anticipated reads of 2015, y'all! I fell in love with My Life Next Door, and I seriously cannot wait for this book. I'm so excited to get close to Alice and Tim. Alice was one of my favorites from the first book. I am so ready!!!

Are you guys excited for August's YA releases?
Who's ready to spend the summer reading with me?!

Are We There Yet? 5 July Releases I'm Ready For

It's a good year to be a young adult fan!
There are SO many good YA books coming out in the Summer of 2015, y'all!
For the next few Saturdays, I'll be sharing my top 5 list for upcoming book releases for each month of summer. Get ready to pile more books on those TBR lists!

See my June list here!

5. Damage Done by Amanda Panitch

22 minutes separate Julia Vann’s before and after.

Before: Julia had a twin brother, a boyfriend, and a best friend.

After: She has a new identity, a new hometown, and memories of those twenty-two minutes that refuse to come into focus. At least, that’s what she tells the police.

Now that she’s Lucy Black, she's able to begin again. She's even getting used to the empty bedroom where her brother should be. And her fresh start has attracted the attention of one of the hottest guys in school, a boy who will do anything to protect her. But when someone much more dangerous also takes notice, Lucy's forced to confront the dark secrets she thought were safely left behind.

One thing is clear: The damage done can never be erased. It’s only just beginning. . . .

I'm so excited about this book. Every single early review coming in is full of praise and promise. Count me in for the creepy, y'all.

4. About a Girl by Sarah McCarry

Eighteen-year-old Tally is absolutely sure of
everything: her genius, the love of her
adoptive family, the loyalty of her best friend, Shane, and her future career as a Nobel prize-winning astronomer. There's no room in her tidy world for heartbreak or uncertainty—or the charismatic, troubled mother who abandoned her soon after she was born. But when a sudden discovery upends her fiercely ordered world, Tally sets out on an unexpected quest to seek out the reclusive musician who may hold the key to her past—and instead finds Maddy, an enigmatic and beautiful girl who will unlock the door to her future. The deeper she falls in love with Maddy, the more Tally begins to realize that the universe is bigger—and more complicated—than she ever imagined. Can Tally face the truth about her family—and find her way home in time to save herself from its consequences?

That cover! That synopsis! Everything about this book is just screaming that it is right up my alley.

3. Jesse's Girl by Miranda Kenneally

Practice Makes Perfect.

Everyone at Hundred Oaks High knows that career mentoring day is a joke. So when Maya Henry said she wanted to be a rock star, she never imagined she’d get to shadow *the* Jesse Scott, Nashville’s teen idol.

But spending the day with Jesse is far from a dream come true. He’s as gorgeous as his music, but seeing all that he’s accomplished is just a reminder of everything Maya’s lost: her trust, her boyfriend, their band, and any chance to play the music she craves. Not to mention that Jesse’s pushy and opinionated. He made it on his own, and he thinks Maya’s playing back up to other people’s dreams. Does she have what it takes to follow her heart—and go solo?

This just screams cute contemporary, and I'm all about that life. I've heard from some people who've already read it that is is amazing and has a strong family dynamic. Yes, please!

2. You and Me and Him by Kris Dinnison

“Do not ignore a call from me when you know I am
feeling neurotic about a boy. That is Best Friend 101.”
—Nash

Maggie and Nash are outsiders. She’s overweight. He’s out of the closet. The best of friends, they have seen each other through thick and thin, but when Tom moves to town at the start of the school year, they have something unexpected in common: feelings for the same guy. This warm, witty novel—with a clear, true voice and a clever soundtrack of musical references—sings a song of love and forgiveness.

  Oh my gosh. Talk about realistic YA. I'm all for it. This book packs all sorts of a diversity punch. I'm pretty sure this will be the only time I'm down for a love triangle in a book! Holy crap, y'all!

1. Rebel Mechanics by Shanna Swendson

A sixteen-year-old governess becomes a spy in this
alternative U.S. history where the British control with
magic and the colonists rebel by inventing.

It’s 1888, and sixteen-year-old Verity Newton lands a job in New York as a governess to a wealthy leading family—but she quickly learns that the family has big secrets. Magisters have always ruled the colonies, but now an underground society of mechanics and engineers are developing non-magical sources of power via steam engines that they hope will help them gain freedom from British rule. The family Verity works for is magister—but it seems like the children's young guardian uncle is sympathetic to the rebel cause. As Verity falls for a charming rebel inventor and agrees to become a spy, she also becomes more and more enmeshed in the magister family’s life. She soon realizes she’s uniquely positioned to advance the cause—but to do so, she’ll have to reveal her own dangerous secret.

I blame my steampunk addiction on Gail Carriger. As soon as I saw that cover, I knew I just NEEDED this book. I've already peeked at the first few pages of my ARC, and I just know that this will not disappoint!

Are you guys excited for July's YA releases?

Who's ready to spend the summer reading with me?!

Why I'm (Mostly) Giving Up on New Adult

  Hey, y'all! I know some of you are major New Adult fans. I so badly want to be in that group. The covers on a lot of NA books are beautiful. But they're also deceiving. My heart has been broken too many times by NA. My patience has been tested too many times by NA. And my eyes can't stand to roll one more time.

  Here's a few reasons why I'm giving up on New Adult.

Abusive relationships. This is the biggest issue for me whenever it comes to New Adult. I know not every NA novel features an abusive couple, but far too many do. And I hardly see anyone speak out about it. Aside from a few one and two star reviews mentioning it, no one really brings it up. Why?! I've read men and women doing deplorable things to each other in NA and authors and readers alike romanticizing it. As someone who's been there and done that, I am horrified whenever I stumble upon abuse in books. One book in particular really unsettled me. It featured the boyfriend kidnapping the woman, leaving bruises on her, and stalking her. Am I supposed to think it's okay that the author mentions over and over how "hot and sexy" he is? Would it be okay if the guy wasn't attractive? No. It's gross.

Immaturity. The one thing that grinds my gears about people who hate on Young Adult is that the characters are immature. Hello, they're teenagers. They're not supposed to be the pentacle of maturity. (Even though most of them actually ARE.) But I'm so blown away with how immature New Adult characters come off as. I've read far too many NA novels where everything would be solved if the couple would act grown up and actually discuss their issues. Instead they do all these passive aggressive things instead of dealing with their problems. And oh my god. If I have to read one more New Adult heroine criticizing another woman, I will explode. Not only is it immature, it also sends off a huge vibe of insecurity. No thanks.

Repeating plots. The last NA book I tried to read is by a hugely popular author. It was the first book of hers that I attempted to read, and by how much people gush about her, I had pretty high hopes. They were slashed by the second chapter whenever I realized that I had read this same exact plot THREE times already in other NA books. Sure, this author had written her book first. But since I had already read it, why bother? I went hunting for spoilers of the book just to make sure my hunch was right. It was. What's the point of writing a book if you aren't going to flex your creativity and write your own story? 

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What do you guys think?

Am I being a negative Nancy? Or do you have your own issues with New Adult?

Wanna prove me wrong? Suggest some NA novels in the comments!

Are We There Yet? 5 June Releases I'm Ready For

It's a good year to be a young adult fan!

There are SO many good YA books coming out in the Summer of 2015, y'all!

For the next few Saturdays, I'll be sharing my top 5 list for upcoming book releases for each month of summer. Get ready to pile more books on those TBR lists!

5. Between Us and the Moon by Rebecca Maizel

A luminous young adult novel that evokes Judy Blume’s
Forever for a new generation.

Ever since Sarah was born, she’s lived in the shadow of her beautiful older sister, Scarlett. But this summer on Cape Cod, she’s determined to finally grow up. Then she meets gorgeous college boy Andrew. He sees her as the girl she wants to be. A girl who’s older than she is. A girl like Scarlett.

Before she knows what’s happened, one little lie has transformed into something real. And by the end of August, she might have to choose between falling in love, and finding herself.

Fans of Jenny Han and Stephanie Perkins are destined to fall for this story about how life and love are impossible to predict.

This book sounds so good. I usually ignore whenever a synopsis mentions other authors and/or books, but Judy Blume and Stephanie Perkins?! Sign me up. Plus, just look at that cover!

4. Even When You Lie to Me by Jessica Alcott

Charlie, a senior, isn't looking forward to her last year of high school. Another year of living in the shadow of her best friend, Lila. Another year of hiding behind the covers of her favorite novels. Another year of navigating her tense relationship with her perfectionist mom.

But everything changes when she meets her new English teacher. Mr. Drummond is smart. Irreverent. Funny. Hot. Everyone loves him. And Charlie thinks he's the only one who gets her.

She also thinks she might not be the only one with a crush.

In this stunning debut, Jessica Alcott explores relationships-and their boundaries-in a way that is both searingly honest and sympathetic.

It's no secret that I'm a Pretty Little Liars fanatic (hello, look at my blog name?!), and this totally makes me think of Aria and Ezra's relationship. YES. I need this in my life, y'all.

3. Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone

If you could read my mind, you wouldn't be smiling.

Samantha McAllister looks just like the rest of the popular girls in her junior class. But hidden beneath the straightened hair and expertly applied makeup is a secret that her friends would never understand: Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD and is consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can't turn off.

Second-guessing every move, thought, and word makes daily life a struggle, and it doesn't help that her lifelong friends will turn toxic at the first sign of a wrong outfit, wrong lunch, or wrong crush. Yet Sam knows she'd be truly crazy to leave the protection of the most popular girls in school. So when Sam meets Caroline, she has to keep her new friend with a refreshing sense of humor and no style a secret, right up there with Sam's weekly visits to her psychiatrist.

Caroline introduces Sam to Poet's Corner, a hidden room and a tight-knit group of misfits who have been ignored by the school at large. Sam is drawn to them immediately, especially a guitar-playing guy with a talent for verse, and starts to discover a whole new side of herself. Slowly, she begins to feel more "normal" than she ever has as part of the popular crowd . . . until she finds a new reason to question her sanity and all she holds dear.

As someone who has OCD, I'm really curious about this book. Too often OCD is used as a joke or simplified because someone went overboard organizing something. I've yet to read a book about someone who suffers from OCD, so I'm really interested in seeing where the author takes this story.

2. Devoted by Jennifer Mathieu

Rachel Walker is devoted to God. She prays every day, attends Calvary Christian Church with her family, helps care for her five younger siblings, dresses modestly, and prepares herself to be a wife and mother who serves the Lord with joy. But Rachel is curious about the world her family has turned away from, and increasingly finds that neither the church nor her homeschool education has the answers she craves. Rachel has always found solace in her beliefs, but now she can’t shake the feeling that her devotion might destroy her soul.

YOU GUYS. This book is already one of my favorites of 2015. I cannot gush and rave and shout about it enough. Jennifer Mathieu is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine, and I have NO REGRETS! Need more convincing? Check out my Review Preview of Devoted from last week, or check back towards the end of May for my full review!

1. 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.

I have several friends who are going through immigration issues of their own, so I was instantly intrigued by Joyride. I have such high hopes for this book, and I have faith in Anna Banks delivering with this one! 

Are you guys excited for June's YA releases?
Who's ready to spend the summer reading with me?!

Page to Screen I'd Like to See

Hey, y'all! I love seeing my favorite books become movies. I know I'm not the only one!

But so many of my favorites haven't been made into a movie. Tragic, I know!

So today I'm sharing my top five choices for the big screen!

1. Impervious by Heather Letto

Step aside, Katniss! Fran's here! This book would make such an amazing dystopian movie. The world it's set in is so imaginative. I think it would transfer beautifully to the screen. And Fran is exactly the type of heroine that would shine and captivate audiences!

2. The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters

This book, y'all. This book could be an award winning movie. It would be powerful, amazing, and uniting. It's such a strong book that evoked so many emotions from me. I can only imagine how it would make me feel as a movie and seeing it on screen.

3. Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour
This book absolutely made my year. It's the book that started my love of Nina's work. It's a beautiful story, and I'd love to see it play out on screen. Emi and Ava already seem so real to me. I need this movie in my life!

4. Writing on the Wall by Tracey Ward

Forget The Walking Dead. The Survival Series would be the ultimate zombie series for television or the big screen. The characters are so amazing. I'd love to see them fighting zombies and falling in love again!

5. The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour

I know this is my second mention of Nina LaCour, but my love for her books goes deep. The way she writes is so beautiful and descriptive that I feel like I've already seen The Disenchantments as a movie. If this book was made into a movie, there's no way it wouldn't be a huge hit!

Alright, y'all. That's my list. Hate it? Love it?

Tell me your picks in the comments!