Coming Up For Air is the 8th and possibly final book in Miranda Kenneally's Hundred Oaks Series. This is a series of companion novels, meaning each book centers around a different character / couple, but still includes characters from previous books. 
This novel follows 17-year-old Maggie as she struggles to balance her career (swimming) with relationships. All Maggie ever has time for is swimming. She's been training ever since she was a toddler to be an Olympic athlete, and she's so close to her dream... But all her swimming is holding her back from having a normal life and normal relationships, and Maggie's starting to realize that she might be missing out. 
All in all, this was not one of my favorite Hundred Oaks novels. The way the relationship starts (or at least, the physical part) was just so awkward and uncomfortable for me. I mean, yeah, the boy is cute and sweet, but just... I don't want to spoil you all, but it just was really awkward and weird. And I just felt really weird reading it. 
I really enjoyed the side characters and the relationships with them, as well as the cameos from my favorites from other books (looking at you, Jordan). Though, it's kind of weird seeing them all grown up. 
If you're reading this and haven't read any of the previous Hundred Oaks books, I highly recommend that you start at the beginning, with Catching Jordan. Not only will you be spoiled on the outcomes of previous books if you read later books first, but I thought the first couple books were the best in the series. I never got nearly as attached to the romances or the couples after the first few books, I still really enjoyed most of the novels, I just wasn't all in with them. They're still really good, cute books to read if you're in the mood for contemporaries and I love seeing other couples appear in later books. Basically this is a really fun, cutesy series that is great for anyone wanting a contemporary. 
I'd probably give Coming Up For Air 6/10 stars, it ended well, but something about the writing felt weird to me as well as just... the way the physical relationship started is just so weird and uncomfortable. Not my favorite in the series, but it's still worth the read. 
Synopsis: 

Swim. Eat. Shower. School. Snack. Swim. Swim. Swim. Dinner. Homework. Bed. Repeat.

All of Maggie’s focus and free time is spent swimming. She’s not only striving to earn scholarships—she’s training to qualify for the Olympics. It helps that her best friend, Levi, is also on the team and cheers her on. But Levi’s already earned an Olympic tryout, so Maggie feels even more pressure to succeed. And it’s not until Maggie’s away on a college visit that she realizes how much of the “typical” high school experience she’s missed by being in the pool.

Not one to shy away from a challenge, Maggie decides to squeeze the most out of her senior year. First up? Making out with a guy. And Levi could be the perfect candidate. After all, they already spend a lot of time together. But as Maggie slowly starts to uncover new feelings for Levi, how much is she willing to sacrifice in the water to win at love?

Since I think this is the last book in the series, I'll list the books favorite to least favorite: 

1. Stealing Parker 
1a. This is by far my favorite book in the series. Every time I reread I can't contain the giant grin spread across my face and my squeals of happiness from the sheer adorability of the story and its romance. (This is contradicting previous reviews, but just after so many rereads I have to say this is my favorite).
2.Catching Jordan
3. Jesse's Girl
4. Racing Savannah 
5. Breathe, Annie, Breathe
6. Defending Taylor 
7. Coming Up For Air 
8. Things I Can't Forget

Anyway, thanks for reading, 
​Anj

For anyone who love romance and contemporaries as much as me, I highly recommend this series. Before you get scared about it being a romance series and think that it will have over complicated drama-- do not worry about that! They're technically companion novels, each centering on a different protagonist who lives in the same area, but you should probably read them in order since they're written in chronological order. Though I wasn't the biggest fan of the third book, Things I'll Never Forget, the rest of the series is absolutely brilliant and almost heart stoppingly cute and adorable. The first book, Catching Jordan, and the second book, Stealing Parker, would have to be my favorite two. Not to say the rest aren't great, I love the writing in all of them, I just liked the characters best in those two novels. 
Anyway, Defending Taylor follows protagonist Taylor (shocker) as she is forced to move to a new school where she has no friends all because of a white lie she told to protect someone close to her. Not only is she humiliated, the one thing she could always turn to for comfort, soccer, is even a bit ruined for her. After all, the Hundred Oaks' team used to be her rivals. Now they were supposed to be her teammates. 
There were not many things I could connect with Taylor about, one of the things I could understand is how she pushes herself to have perfect grades and a good transcript. I, too, am constantly worrying about my grades and how everything will look for a future college to see. (Ask my friends, they are definitely getting annoyed with it by now.) Also, Taylor and I share a love for animals. 
The love interest in this book is Ezra, her brother's best friend. I found Ezra to be sweet. He seemed like a really great guy who genuinely cared for those around him. One of my favorite things about Miranda's books are her character's back stories and flaws. Ezra is one of those characters that I enjoyed finding out more about. 
I also appreciated seeing the dynamic between Taylor and her family. It's been a while since I read Racing Savannah, so I completely forgot that it was Taylor's sister that Jack had been dating until it was mentioned later in the book. 
Sorry for another short review, I just don't really have much to say about this book without spoiling anything. The fun about romance books isn't usually the end-- you usually know how that'll end-- it's the journey there. I can tell you, this book is definitely a fun, cute read. I really appreciated the Game of Thrones references thrown in as well. 
Honestly, my biggest problem with the story was something very minor-- I DID NOT GET TO SEE JORDAN AND ______ AND PARKER AND _________. They're my faves and I was very sad not to see them. Sorry, I had to leave blanks at the partners in case y'all hadn't read those books yet. If you haven't, I highly encourage you to. They're so cute, and make my heart jump in happiness every time I reread them, which is often. 
The relationships between the characters was great, too. I especially loved Taylor's relationship with her two best friends, it felt real and I appreciated that. 
I just want to mention one last thing-- the gifts Ezra gets for Taylor are great. Especially the last one he gets her. :) 
Anyway, I'm giving Defending Taylor 7.8/10 stars. It was a cute read, just what I was expecting out of it. I was not disappointed. 
Synopsis: 
​
There are no mistakes in love.

Captain of the soccer team, president of the Debate Club, contender for valedictorian: Taylor's always pushed herself to be perfect. After all, that's what is expected of a senator's daughter. But one impulsive decision-one lie to cover for her boyfriend-and Taylor's kicked out of private school. Everything she's worked so hard for is gone, and now she's starting over at Hundred Oaks High.

Soccer has always been Taylor's escape from the pressures of school and family, but it's hard to fit in and play on a team that used to be her rival. The only person who seems to understand all that she's going through is her older brother's best friend, Ezra. Taylor's had a crush on him for as long as she can remember. But it's hard to trust after having been betrayed. Will Taylor repeat her past mistakes or can she score a fresh start?

How the heck is it 2016 already? I was just getting used to writing 2015 on my papers (though I still, on occasion write 2012, which is weird.) Anyway, since I have time now and probably won't later, I decided I was going to make a list of a few books I want to read in 2016. Now, I know that I may not stick to this list, but putting it online will make me more motivated to do so. Also, I know for sure that I will be reading books that are not on this list because there are always new books I find out about and want to read. Besides, this isn't nearly 100 books and since, for the third year in a row, I want to read 100+ books (I've gotten it done in the past two years and probably before that, too) I definitely am going to have to read other books. These are just a few books I know from the beginning of the year that I'm interested in reading. 
I'll start this list off with one of my most anticipated books of 2016 (I should make a post on that, too). Okay, so I'm not sure if this even counts because I don't even know the title, but I'm really looking forward to reading Throne of Glass Book 5. I'm a little nervous that it won't come out in 2016 because I know basically nothing about it, but I'm really hoping it will because I'm not sure if I can wait two years for the next book in this heartstoppingly amazing series. Ooh, I just found the synopsis on Goodreads! That just made me even more excited for this book. 
Anyway, since other than that, I have no information on it, here's another book I've been waiting for for a rather long time and am very excited to read. Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare. As many of you may know, Cassandra Clare is one of my all time favorite authors and all her books in the Shadowhunter Chronicles are spectacular. Reading The Mortal Instruments is what really got me into reading. Before I loved reading but I didn't obsessively love reading (some people might say me pre TMI was better, haha.) This book was supposed to come out in 2015, but, unfortunately, it didn't. So the suspense is really built up for it, I actually already preordered the book. FYI all the first editions of this book are signed by the wonderful Cassie Clare, so if you want one, you better order it fast. 
For those of you who are unaware, Lady Midnight is book one of the Dark Artifices Series, which is the sequel series to The Mortal Instruments (one of my all time favorite series) as well as taking place in the same world as The Infernal Devices (Which is another one of my favorites). The Shadow World is so excellently built and Cassandra's books in it are only getting better and better. If you haven't jumped onto the Shadowhunter train, I highly suggest you do so. Start with either Clockwork Angel (Infernal Devices Book 1) or City of Bones (Mortal Instruments Book 1). Both are wonderful. Anyway, Lady Midnight takes place five (I think) years after City of Heavenly Fire (Mortal Instruments Book 6) and follows the people of the LA Institute. Mainly, I'm told, Emma Carsairs (who we met in City of Lost Souls (Mortal Instruments Book 5) and City of Heavenly Fire). Recognize the last name Carstairs? Yeah, well, she's James Carstair's very distant relative. Other than Emma Carstairs, this book will also follow characters such as Mark Blackthorn, Julian Blackthorn, Octavia (Tavvy) Blackthorn, Livia Blackthorn, Ty Blackthorn, (Okay, yeah, a lot of the Blackthorn Clan), Christina Rosales and more. 
The book is about the aftermath of the Mortal War (I think that's what that war was called). In this book, the Fae are not in the best situation because basically all the Shadowhunters hate them for siding against them in the war. The Fae need help and come to the Blackthorns, and I suck at synopsis's so here's the actual one. 
Synopsis:
Los Angeles. It’s been five years since the events of the Mortal Instruments when Nephilim stood poised on the brink of oblivion and Shadowhunter Emma Carstairs lost her parents. After the blood and violence she witnessed as a child, Emma has dedicated her life to to discovering exactly what it was that killed her parents and getting her revenge.

Raised in the Los Angeles Institute with the Blackthorn family, Emma is paired as a parabatai with her best friend, Julian Blackthorn. A series of murders in the city catch her attention — they seem to have the same characteristics as the deaths of her parents. Could the murderer be the same person? And her attention isn’t the only one caught: someone has been murdering Downworlders as well. The Fair Folk make a deal with the Institute: if the Blackthorns and Emma will investigate the killings, they’ll return Mark Blackthorn to his home. The catch: they have only two weeks to find the killers. Otherwise it’s open war between faeries and Nephilim.

The Shadowhunters of the Institute must race against time to catch the killers, even as they begin to suspect the involvement of those closest to them. At the same time, Emma is falling in love with the one person in the world she’s absolutely forbidden by Shadowhunter Law to love. Set against the glittering backdrop of present-day Los Angeles, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches from the warlock-run nightclubs of the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica.

This book is 720 pages. That's almost (5 pages away) as much as City of Heavenly Fire. Doesn't that make you wonder how long the rest of the series is going to be? Ha, and it might take me more than a couple hours to read. A day, at most. (Actually, it really depends on the amount of school work I have.) I'm just really excited to read this continuation of Cassandra's Shadow World as well as read more of Clare's excellent writing. 

This book literally comes out tomorrow, so I should probably get to reading (and first ordering) it soon. Passenger by Alexandra Bracken. As some of you may know, The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken is one of my favorite series, so I'm excited to see what brilliance she's come up with now. I love Alexandra's writing style and her story plots and characters are festinating and impossible not to fall in love with. 
From what I know, Passenger is basically a time traveling scavenger hunt with higher stakes. I don't read a lot of time traveler books (the only ones I can think of right now are the Ruby Red Trilogy) so I'm pretty interested to see how well I like this genre. (Is time traveling a genre or just a category? I think it's just a category?) 
Here's the synopsis: 
passage, n.
i. A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes.
ii. A journey by water; a voyage.
iii. The transition from one place to another, across space and time.

In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.

Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them— whether she wants to or not.

Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are play­ing, treacherous forces threaten to sep­arate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home . . . forever

Sound good? I highly recommend it and I haven't even read it yet! I just have a lot of trust in Alexandra Bracken and her spectacular writing. 

Another Sarah J. Maas Book I'm looking forward to reading this year is A Court of Mist and Fury this is the second book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series that debuted last year. Personally, I do enjoy the Throne of Glass books more, but A Court of Thorns and Roses is off to a good start and I'm looking forward to seeing where this book series is going, especially since whatever Sarah J. Maas writes seems to turn into gold. Usually the first book in a fantasy series can be quite slow because of all the introducing of the world. A Court of Thorns and Roses started off slow but kicked up quite quickly. Sarah writes such complex and intriguing characters, it'll be fun to find out more about them in books to come. 
A Court of Thorns and Roses was very very very loosely based off of Beauty and the Beast and then 2/3 of a ways through it completely changed course, so I'm excited to see what happens on book II. 
The protagonist of this series is named Feyre (Faye-rah) (yeah, there are a lot of jokes about how Sarah J. Maas create her characters' names by pounding her fist into the key board.) She was just a regular human before she killed a wolf in the woods and was forced to come and live with the faerie Tamlin. Yes, this is a fae series. No. It's not those childish little faeries with wings. The faeries in these books are tall, strong, regal beings (with no wings) with super speed, hearing, reflexes as well as prolonged lives and special powers. While at Tamlin's spring Court she starts to develop feelings for him as well as meeting Tamlin's friend Lucien and the Lord of the Night Court, Rhysand. (p.s. there's a lot more action and stuff happening than this lame synopsis check out my review of A Court of Thorns and Roses, if you're interested)All these characters are simply fascinating and as I've said before, I'm quite excited to see where Sarah takes this series. 
(no synopsis provided because SPOILERS) (no cover has been released yet) 
This book is due to be released on May 3, 2016.
Another book on my TBR list that I'm looking forward to reading is Red Rising by Pierce Brown. This was not released this year, but the last book in the series is going to be, so I better catch up on the first two before it comes out (actually, I might not have the time.) The plot sounds simply fascinating to me, and I got interested in it after watching Christine from Polandbannas books hilarious skit to promote the book. 

Anyway, here's the synopsis: 

"I live for the dream that my children will be born free," she says. "That they will be what they like. That they will own the land their father gave them."

"I live for you," I say sadly.

Eo kisses my cheek. "Then you must live for more."

Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations.

Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.

But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity already reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.

Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity's overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society's ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies... even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.

Sounds interesting, huh? I'm really looking forward to reading this one this year. 

Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutjoksi is the third book in the Winner's Curse series, which I was surprisingly impressed by when I read the first two books in 2015. They're full of romance, intrigue and betrayal. In other words, just my kind of book. Since The Winner's Crime (Book 2) ended at such a pivotal point, I'm really curious to see how the series finishes. The characters are very interesting in these books as well as clever. If you're interested, feel free to check out my review of The Winner's Curse. I really flew through the first two books and I have no doubt that the third book will be just as good. 
​Released March 29, 2016.

The Trials of Apollo by Rick Riordan debuts this year, the first book will be called The Hidden Oracle. I've been a fan of Rick Riordan ever since I was a wee third grader who became fascinated in mythology after reading the Percy Jackson and Olympians Series as well as the Kane Chronicles. I was a little disappointed in his new book- Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, but I intend to read the second book to that when it comes out this year, also. (Second book is called The Hammer of Thor and ANNABETH'S GONNA BE IN IT!!!) 
Anyway The Trials of Apollo follows the god, Apollo, after he's been turned into a sixteen year old boy by Zeus. He now has to navigate the world without guaranteed immortality until Zeus decides to turn him back into a god. The world I've always loved the most from Rick Riordan is his Greek/Roman mythology world so I'm excited to be returning to it. PERCY'S GONNA BE IN IT! I'm so excited for this book. Also, I think we'll be seeing more of Artemis (Apollo's twin, goddess of the hunt) and I really loved her character in these books so this is gonna be fun. 
Release date for:
Hammer of Thor: October 4, 2016
Trials of Apollo: May 3, 2016

P.S. I did post a review of Magnus Chase Book 1, if you're interested in checking it out. 

A torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir comes out this year. I'm not sure how I feel about this book, because in all honesty I didn't enjoy the first book as much as I expected I would (it was really hyped up). Nevertheless, I still intend to give this series a second chance. Maybe not a third if I don't like the sequel. (Book one is An Ember in the Ashes, I have a review on it, if you want to check it out.) The setting of this story is in a Roman like empire, which is interesting. It's the characters I really don't like- the two main protagonists? Elias and Lia? Lia's really too much of a damsel in distress and Elias I just found annoying. Really, it's surprising to me that I'm even willing to try and read book 2, but I am. 
release date: August 30, 2015
No cover released yet. 

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard is one book I'll be picking up for sure sometime this year. It's the sequel to Red Queen, which debuted this year. If you remember my review (feel free to check it out) I enjoyed the first book, but wasn't overly impressed. It was very hyped up and kinda let me down a bit. There was bit of an instalove feel to it, which I didn't really like and I was able to predict every 'shocking' plot twist to occur. But I did love the main theme, don't trust anyone. And that's why I'm interested enough to pick up book 2, which is due to be released on February 9, 2015. 

Lady Renegades by Rachel Hawkins is the final book in the Rebel Belle series. I kind of see these books as a bit of a joke and have never really loved the series, but I did enjoy the humor enough to be willing to put the last book on my TBR list. The last book I felt eh about but whatever. Basically the idea of these books is popular girl, Harper Price is at the wrong place at the wrong time and becomes a Paladin, a powerful warrior who's supposed to protect the oracle, who turns out to be her arch nemesis, David. Chaos ensues, blah, blah blah. It's a light read that's full of humor, so if that sounds interesting to you, I have a review up on both books. 
Release date: April 5, 2015

Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid and First and Then by Emma Mills are two contemporary romance reads I'm looking forward to reading this year. They're both already released, but I never got around to reading them last year. I don't know much about them, but from what I do know, they sound impossibly cute. 

Never Always Sometimes: 

Never date your best friend.

Always be original.

Sometimes rules are meant to be broken.

Best friends Dave and Julia were determined to never be cliché high school kids—the ones who sit at the same lunch table every day, dissecting the drama from homeroom and plotting their campaigns for prom king and queen. They even wrote their own Never List of everything they vowed they’d never, ever do in high school. 

Some of the rules have been easy to follow, like #5, never dye your hair a color of the rainbow, or #7, never hook up with a teacher. But Dave has a secret: he’s broken rule #8, never pine silently after someone for the entirety of high school. It’s either that or break rule #10, never date your best friend. Dave has loved Julia for as long as he can remember. 

Julia is beautiful, wild and impetuous. So when she suggests they do every Never on the list, Dave is happy to play along. He even dyes his hair an unfortunate shade of green. It starts as a joke, but then a funny thing happens: Dave and Julia discover that by skipping the clichés, they’ve actually been missing out on high school. And maybe even on love.

first and Then: 

Devon Tennyson wouldn't change a thing. She's happy watching Friday night games from the bleachers, silently crushing on best friend Cas, and blissfully ignoring the future after high school. But the universe has other plans. It delivers Devon's cousin Foster, an unrepentant social outlier with a surprising talent for football, and the obnoxiously superior and maddeningly attractive star running back, Ezra, right where she doesn't want them first into her P.E. class and then into every other aspect of her life.

Pride and Prejudice meets Friday Night Lights in this contemporary novel about falling in love with the unexpected boy, with a new brother, and with yourself.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer is a book that I physically own and still haven't gotten around to reading. This series is insanely popular at the moment and I really need to start it. Hopefully putting that thought up here will motivate me to actually read it. These are fairytale retold with a sci-fi twist, I believe. Sorry these are starting to get rushed, I didn't realize this post would take so long and I have other stuff I need to get done! 
​
Here's the synopsis: 
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.

Defending Taylor by Miranda Kenneally is a book I'm really looking forward to reading. This is the seventh book in the Hundred Oaks series, a series of companion contemporary novels. Miranda Kenneally really knows how to write a romance and she's one of my favorite contemporary authors. Her books include Catching Jordan, Stealing Parker, Racing Savannah and Jesse's Girl. All beautifully written, hilarious and lovely stories. I reviewed each and every one, if you're interested, which I think you should be, because these books are simply magnificent.

Synopsis: 
Taylor’s always felt pressure to be perfect. That’s what happens when you are a senator’s daughter. So when she’s kicked out of private school for covering for her boyfriend’s not-so-legal behavior, she is devastated.

Things go from bad to worse as she joins what used to be her rival soccer team at Hundred Oaks High. The only person who seems to understand all that she’s going through is her older brother’s best friend, Ezra. But Ezra has secrets of his own. Will Taylor repeat past mistakes, or can she score a fresh start?

Expected: July 1, 2016
(no cover released) 

Empire of Dust by Eleanor Herman is a book I'm especially looking forward to. This is the sequel to that book I recently review (and absolutely loved) called Legacy of Kings. This series follows Alexander the Great in his teen years (it's fantasy so it's not exactly historical fact, though, interesting fact, Eleanor Herman is a historian.) I really loved this book, it's plot, idea, and especially its characters. I grew very attached, very quickly as well as getting intriguing from page one. I highly recommend this book to any of you fantasy lovers. 

release date: June 28, 2016, no cover released. 

The Fifth book in the Falling Kingdoms Series by Morgan Rhodes is one I eagerly anticipate. As my last review shows, I absolutely fell in love with this series after reading the Frozen Tides, the fourth book (I've reviewed all four books, if you want to check them out). The characters and plot of this series are fascinating (well, I don't like one character, but whatever.) Anyway, there is no title or cover or even release date for this book aside from 2016, so I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens with that. 

The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson is the last book in the Remnant Chronciles, which I've been reading pretty much since the first book was released. I will be sad to see this series go. The ending of the second book, Heart of Betrayal, left me with some questions, mainly about Kaden, my favorite character. I seriously cannot wait for this book. Since Books 1 and 2 were excellent and intriguing reads, I expect no less from the last book.  Full of deception, romance, betrayal and action, this is one of my favorite series and I cannot stress how excited I am for this last book. (Please, someone read this series so I can talk about it with you!!) 
Release date: August 2, 2016

Since I'm running out of time, I'll just list my last two books now, Power by Jennifer Armentrout, and The Last Star by Rick Yancy.  Power in the second book in the Titan Series, a spin off of Jennifer Armentrout's magnificent Covenant books, following my personal favorite character, Seth. I hear Alex is going to show up in this book. I do believe this is going to be a lot of fun. (I did review The Return (Book 1) I think...) 
Released: February 23, 2015
The Last Star is the last (haha) book in the 5th Wave series. You may recognize the name from the movie that's coming out, yeah, that's based on these books and I'm very excited to see it. It's coming out this month!! And I'm very very excited to read the Last Star. I can't wait to see more of Cassie and Evan... and Ben, I guess.  I'm sure this will be an explosive finale and I can hardly wait to read it. 
Released: May 24, 2016

Thanks for reading, feel free to email me for a personal book recommendation (anjimeibooks@gmail.com) :)
​-Anj

Can you believe 2015 is almost over? Wow, it's been quite the short year filled with many unexpected events. Anyway, I kinda of forgot to count slash keep track of every single book I read this year (That would be a difficult job) but I did manage to keep track of most of them on my Goodreads Reading Challenge, so I've compiled a list of my favorite {new} books I've read this year. I highly recommend each and every one of these books because they're great novels. Some of them aren't exactly in any order because I couldn't pick which one I liked best!

By far, though, my favorite book I read this year would have to have been Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas {Review Here}. The review in a nutshell, I freaking loved this book. The Throne of Glass Series (Queen of Shadows is book four) just keeps getting better and better. I don't see how the next book could possibly get an more fantastical than this, but I'm sure Sarah will be able to pull it off. I gave Queen of Shadows 10/10 stars, a rare rating from me, but THIS BOOK DESERVED IT. Full of nonstop action, mystery, suspense and a little bit of romance, this is the perfect book for me. I seriously cannot wait to see what Sarah has in store for the next (and last) two books of this series. (Which, by the way, is one of my all time favorite books and I highly recommend that you read it because it's sooooo amazing.) 
The first book is not that good, I'll admit, but it just keeps getting better and better so even if you didn't really enjoy book 1, push on to book two, because it only gets more intriguing from there on out. Here's the synopsis for book one: 
After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for four years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

Haha, back when the protagonist's biggest problem was a competition... Let me tell you, it definitely gets more intense and you never know what to expect with Sarah's books. 

Alright, all the books after this aren't in any order because I couldn't decide what I liked better. 

This next book I obtained and finished yesterday. And it met and exceeded my expectations which were pretty darn high. {Review should be up soon} I actually just started reading the Falling Kingdoms series this year. After reading the first book {Review here} I was not totally impressed- rating it 6.5/10 stars. It was okay, but I felt as though i was dragging my feet through most of the book. I only liked two of the main characters and really, I just didn't enjoy that book too much. Luckily, I decided I'd give the series another chance and order the second and third books. The second book I found much more interesting and started to feel a lot more invested in this spectacular series- rating it 7/10 stars but I still only liked two of the main characters. And then I read the third book- Gathering Darkness and it sucked me right into the world. (8/10 stars). While reading Gathering Darkness, I was surprised to find myself beginning to like one of the characters I'd previously despised. Hey, you know it's a well written story if you go from hating to tentatively starting to like a character. And then I read Frozen Tides yesterday. It was amazing. This series is full of action, betrayal, deceit, suspense and romance and this last book really brought out the most interesting sides of all the characters. And that one character I was tentatively starting to like?  I love his character now. This series is amazing and quickly working its way up to one of my favorites. The characters (well, most of them) are ones you'll grow quickly attached to and the plot is intriguing- you won't be able to tear your eyes away from the book. I highly recommend reading this series. Yeah, sure, the first book isn't so good, but it only goes up from there. 

Synopsis for Book 1: 
In the three kingdoms of Mytica, magic has long been forgotten. And while hard-won peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest now simmers below the surface.

As the rulers of each kingdom grapple for power, the lives of their subjects are brutally transformed... and four key players, royals and rebels alike, find their fates forever intertwined. Cleo, Jonas, Lucia, and Magnus are caught in a dizzying world of treacherous betrayals, shocking murders, secret alliances, and even unforeseen love.

The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

It's the eve of war.... Choose your side.

Princess: Raised in pampered luxury, Cleo must now embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of magic long thought extinct.

Rebel: Jonas, enraged at injustice, lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country cruelly impoverished. To his shock, he finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.

Sorceress: Lucia, adopted at birth into the royal family, discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Heir: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, firstborn son Magnus begins to realise that the heart can be more lethal than the sword....

I'm giving Frozen Tides 8/10 stars. I absolutely loved it and hope y'all try this series out because it is fantastic. 

Here's a romance for all y'all romance lovers out there. It's one of those cliches that I seriously love. The tom boy girl falling in love and not being quite sure how to handle her feelings. My absolute favorite thing about this book is that there's a very unexpected plot twist that happens in the story. The thing with romance books is you think you know who the protagonist is going to end up with (which I love but-) this book makes a complete 360 spin about halfway through. I loved that about it. I rated it 8.8/10 stars. {Review Here} 
Here's the synopsis: 
ONE OF THE BOYS

What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though-she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university.

But everything she's ever worked for is threatened when Ty Green moves to her school. Not only is he an amazing QB, but he's also amazingly hot. And for the first time, Jordan's feeling vulnerable. Can she keep her head in the game while her heart's on the line?

Here, I can tell you this. This series is one of my favorite romance book series ever. Seriously, each book in this series has a heart warming romance. I really think you all should read this excellent book. 

Here's another one of Sarah J. Maas's books that were released this year. This is the start of a new book series she's writing, all of the books in it are going to be loosely based on a fairytale. A Court of Thorns and Roses is loosely based off of Beauty and the Beast. Key word loosely. The idea for 2/3 sounds slightly like Beauty and the Beast but the last bit of this book is very very very different. And also Sarah twists the story so much that it turns a lot darker than you would ever expect. I really loved this book. Sure, the beginning was a little slow, but I got really invested quite quickly. I gave this book 8/10 stars {Review Here} because it was suspenseful, witty, entertaining, full of action and there were quite a few plot twists. Sarah has an excellent style of writing and I fully plan to read the rest of this series as well as the Throne of Glass books. 
Synopsis: 
A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Timesbestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

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.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

Better Off Friends was a book I put off reading for so long. But when I read it, I seriously regretted that. This book is seriously good. It follows a pair of friends, Macallan and Levi, through their lives as seventh graders and ends when they're seniors in high school. It's witty and adorable, answering the question Can girls and boys be just friends? This whole novel was so quirky and very lovable. I've reread it several times since the first time and I still haven't lost any of my adoration for this excellent story. In fact, I think my adulation has grown even more. This is such a cute story, please, please, read it. I guarantee you won't regret it. 
I gave this novel... I'm realizing now that I was enjoying this story so much that when I reviewed it, I forgot to rate it, ahah. Well, here's my review. 
Synopsis: 
For Macallan and Levi, it was friends at first sight. Everyone says guys and girls can’t be just friends, but these two are. They hang out after school, share tons of inside jokes, their families are super close, and Levi even starts dating one of Macallan’s friends. They are platonic and happy that way.

Eventually they realize they’re best friends — which wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t keep getting in each other’s way. Guys won’t ask Macallan out because they think she’s with Levi, and Levi spends too much time joking around with Macallan, and maybe not enough time with his date. They can’t help but wonder . . . are they more than friends or are they better off without making it even more complicated?

From romantic comedy superstar Elizabeth Eulberg comes a fresh, fun examination of a question for the ages: Can guys and girls ever really be just friends? Or are they always one fight away from not speaking again — and one kiss away from true love?

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han. I absolutely loved this book just as much as I loved the first- To All The Boys I've Loved Before. Filled with realistic cute and quirky scenes, there's nothing not to love about this adorable duology. {Reviews for both} This is really one of my favorite romance book series (along with Catching Jordan books and Anna and the French Kiss) and I just strongly reccomend this book to anyone who wants an adorable love story, of course, you gotta start out with book one first, but believe me when I say, book two is no disappointment. 

Synopsis for To All the Boys I've Loved Before 

What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them…all at once?

Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

And there you go, these books were my favorites among all of the fantastic stories I've read this year. I hope y'all had as good a year of reading as I did, and if you didn't, well in 2016 why not try some of these excellent books? *wink* *wink* 
Here's the links to buy them if you're interested. 
Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
Frozen Tides by Morgan Rhodes
Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally 
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Better off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg 
P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

Thanks for reading and I hope you take some of these recommendations to heart. 
-Anj

A month and some days later I finally make another post. I've been apologizing for not posting a lot lately. I'M SORRY! High School has been a lost busier than I thought it would be and I haven't gotten a lot of time to read in. And the books I have read, I don't have too much to say about them. So instead of writing a bunch of short and boring reviews, I decided to recommend some of my favorite contemporary romances to y'all. This is in no specific order, just the first ones I saw on my shelf. If you haven't read any of these, I highly recommend them all. They're amazing and make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. 
The first book / series I'm going to tell you about is the Hundred Oaks books by Miranda Kenneally. I read the first book in this series this... March? and absolutely fell in love with the writing, plot and characters and I just had to get the next books. This series isn't exactly a series, they're more companion novels but I suggest you read them in order because they are in chronological order and you'll be horribly spoiled if you skip a book. So don't! 
The first book in this series is called Catching Jordan and the romance/characters in this book is definitely my favorite out of all of them but they are all spectacular. I've reviewed all of them, so after this post, feel free to check out my reviews. :) Here's the synopsis of Catching Jordan: 
​ONE OF THE BOYS

What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though-she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university.

But everything she's ever worked for is threatened when Ty Green moves to her school. Not only is he an amazing QB, but he's also amazingly hot. And for the first time, Jordan's feeling vulnerable. Can she keep her head in the game while her heart's on the line?

I actually just reread this book tonight and it is still as amazing as it was the first time I read it. The next book is called Stealing Parker and it's just as fun as the first book. Miranda has an excellent writing style and I really love how the books make me laugh and my heart squeeze from the sheer adorability. Also, with contemporaries, the endings don't usually surprise you, but the endings for these books might ;)

The next book I'm going to recommend is called To All the Boys I've Loved Before and it's by the fantastical author, Jenny Han. There is a sequel to this book- P.S. I Still Love You and it is just as quirky and fun as the first. I've reviewed both these books on my blog, too, so check them out if you're interested! 
The thing I love the most about both these books is how realistic everything feels. Lara Jean's feelings are easily relatable and you can really feel for her. These books are as I said before quirky and fun reads and they sure are hilarious and adorable also. If you have the chance, I'd say you should really give these books a chance. You won't regret it. 
Summery:
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

I still really love the Anna and the French Kiss Series by Stephanie Perkins. And I still highly recommend them. And yes, I did review them so check it out if you want to. Actually I think it's just one. Yeah, the ending is no surprise in these books but the ride and journey to the end is what makes the end just so great. I absolutely love the relationships in these books and you really feel an attachment to these well written characters. After reading Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy Next Door and Isla and the Happily Ever After, your heart will ache for a romance like theirs. Now, like the Catching Jordan books/ Hundred Oaks series, these books are technically companion novels, but if you read them out of order, you'll be spoiled SO DON'T DO IT. 
Synopsis: 
Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris--until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend. 

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?

I really love Kasie West's books. These are my two favorites of her works. (does that sentence make sense? Yeah? No? Okay) These two books contain no spoilers for the others so you can read either one before the other. Both are fantastical so I suggest you read both and then Kasie West's other three books because all of them are just amazing. 
Oh and yes, I did review both these books on this very blog so...
On the Fence:

For sixteen-year-old Charlotte Reynolds, aka Charlie, being raised by a single dad and three older brothers has its perks. She can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows—including her longtime neighbor and honorary fourth brother, Braden. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world of makeup, lacy skirts, and BeDazzlers. Even stranger, she's spending time with a boy who has never seen her tear it up in a pickup game.

To cope with the stress of faking her way through this new reality, Charlie seeks late-night refuge in her backyard, talking out her problems with Braden by the fence that separates them. But their Fence Chats can't solve Charlie's biggest problem: she's falling for Braden. Hard. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.

Fill-in Boyfriend: 
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.

Another great two contemporary books are My Life with the Walter Boys and ​The Heartbreakers by Ali Novak. Both of these books were first published on Wattpad but there's a difference between the online version of the books and the published version, so I recommend you read both. Though, if you can't, it's okay to just read one of them. Both books are super fun to read. You'll find yourself laughing a bunch while reading them and having your heart ache for the gorgeous guys these stories contain. 
​PS: I have reviews on these books too
My Life With the Walter Boys: 
My Life with the Walter Boys centers on the prim, proper, and always perfect Jackie Howard. When her world is turned upside down by tragedy, Jackie must learn to cut loose and be part of a family again.

Jackie does not like surprises. Chaos is the enemy! The best way to get her successful, busy parents to notice her is to be perfect. The perfect look, the perfect grades-the perfect daughter. And then...

Surprise #1: Jackie's family dies in a freak car accident.

Surprise #2: Jackie has to move cross-country to live with the Walters-her new guardians.

Surprise #3: The Walters have twelve sons. (Well, eleven, but Parker acts like a boy anyway)

Now Jackie must trade in her Type A personality and New York City apartment for a Colorado ranch and all the wild Walter boys who come with it. Jackie is surrounded by the enemy-loud, dirty, annoying boys who have no concept of personal space. Okay, several of the oldest guys are flat-out gorgeous. But still annoying. She's not stuck-up or boring-no matter what they say. But proving it is another matter. How can she fit in and move on when she needs to keep her parents' memory alive by living up to the promise of perfect
The Heartbreakers:
"When I met Oliver Perry, I had no clue he was the lead singer for The Heartbreakers. And he had no idea that I was the only girl in the world who hated his music."
Stella will do anything for her sick sister, Cara—even stand in line for an autographed Heartbreakers CD...for four hours. She's totally winning best birthday gift this year. At least she met a cute boy with soft brown hair and gorgeous blue eyes while getting her caffeine fix. Too bad she'll never see him again.
Except, Stella's life has suddenly turned into a cheesy love song. Because Starbucks Boy is Oliver Perry – lead singer for the Heartbreakers. And even after she calls his music crap, Oliver still gives Stella his phone number. And whispers quotes from her favorite Disney movie in her ear. OMG, what is her life?
But how can Stella even think about being with Oliver — dating and laughing and pulling pranks with the band — when her sister could be dying of cancer? 
Ali Novak wrote her debut novel My Life with the Walter Boys when she was just 15 years old, and has since penned her next book, The Heartbreakers. First a hit on the online community Wattpad, her second novel has over 38 million reads and is loved by readers around the world.

And my last contemporary romance to recommend y'all is Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg. It's a great book and I really enjoyed reading it. I do believe it's my most recent favorite romance and I really regret taking so long to read it. The friendship between Levi and Macallan in this books is #goals but would their romantic relationship be similar? Read the book to find out. Oh, by the way, I do have a review on this spectacular book, too. 
Summery: 
For Macallan and Levi, it was friends at first sight. Everyone says guys and girls can’t be just friends, but these two are. They hang out after school, share tons of inside jokes, their families are super close, and Levi even starts dating one of Macallan’s friends. They are platonic and happy that way.

Eventually they realize they’re best friends — which wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t keep getting in each other’s way. Guys won’t ask Macallan out because they think she’s with Levi, and Levi spends too much time joking around with Macallan, and maybe not enough time with his date. They can’t help but wonder . . . are they more than friends or are they better off without making it even more complicated?

From romantic comedy superstar Elizabeth Eulberg comes a fresh, fun examination of a question for the ages: Can guys and girls ever really be just friends? Or are they always one fight away from not speaking again — and one kiss away from true love?

Please! Read these books so I have someone to talk to about them! Actually just read them because they're great books and I think you'd really enjoy them. Have any good contemporaries I didn't talk about? Feel free to leave comments on some of your favorite romances :) 

I enjoyed this book immensely, just like I did with a lot of Miranda's books. But one thing really pissed me off about this book. The physical book is shorter lengthwise and widthwise than the rest in the series. WHY PUBLISHERS WHY?! Do they not understand how that looks on the shelf?? Like all of Miranda's book boys, Jeremiah is ridiculously hot and really, it's hard not to fall for this boy. Annie is realistic and it's pretty easy to connect with her character. Sure, I don't have the same living situation as her and I'm definitely not going on a marathon anytime soon, but her emotions and thoughts, I could connect with those. 
I'm giving this story 8/10 stars because it was great. A sweet romance you won't be able to put down. It wasn't as great as Catching Jordan or Stealing Parker but it was a fantastic story. Sorry if this review is bad, I was enjoying the book so much I Didn't take too many notes and I read this book a long time ago. Can't wait for Jesse's Girl. Um, what else should I say besides READ THIS BOOK! ! ! (If you haven't read any of Miranda Kenneally's books 1. What have you been doing with your life? 2. Read in this order otherwise you will be spoiled Catching Jordan, Stealing Parker, Things I Can't Forget, Racing Savannah, Breathe Annie Breathe.) 
Synopsis: 
Annie hates running. No matter how far she jogs, she can’t escape the guilt that if she hadn’t broken up with Kyle, he might still be alive. So to honor his memory, she starts preparing for the marathon he intended to race.

But the training is even more grueling than Annie could have imagined. Despite her coaching, she’s at war with her body, her mind—and her heart. With every mile that athletic Jeremiah cheers her on, she grows more conflicted. She wants to run into his arms…and sprint in the opposite direction. For Annie, opening up to love again may be even more of a challenge than crossing the finish line.

"Breathe, Annie, Breathe is an emotional, heartfelt, and beautiful story about finding yourself after loss and learning to love. It gave me so many feels. Her best book yet." — Jennifer Armentrout, New York Times bestselling author of Wait for You  


If I haven't convinced you to read this series, Jennifer should. JENNIFER ARMENTROUT said this series is good. If this doesn't convince you, what will???

I'm going to start this post off by profoundly apologizing for not posting in over a month. The month of April has (had?) been a seriously busy month for me (I'm now a year older, just saying). I've had to stay up late doing homework so by the time I was done, all I wanted to do was sleep. I haven't had much time to read, so a book review has not been posted. Also, as you may know I have a rule about only reading one book at a time, so if I started one I have to finish it before starting another. Well, a month ago I started Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers and was not impressed by the first 150 pages or so. So... I may have been avoiding reading it for a while, also. Hopefully I'll motivate myself to pick it up again soon. 
Surprisingly enough, this post was not made to vehemently apologize for not posting in ages. I decided that since I haven't read anything in and while and haven't ordered any new books (I'm working on it) I'm going to make a book tag post! I've been wanting to make one for a while now bt haven't been able to get around to it because a. I had a book to read b. I had a book review to write c. I had homework or d. I had other things to do. But at the moment, I don't have any of those so I was like, I haven't posted in forever so why not make a book tag post? So normally book tags are created on BookTube and made in videos. But 1. videos take forever to edit and post and 2. I'm not too good at talking to a camera. I'm much better blogging, so why not just make a tag in blog form? It gets the same point across. 
Anyway, the Social Media Book Tag is a tag comparing books to some popular social media sites such as Instagram and Twitter. I'll link all my social media sites along with the book that goes with them. Feel free to follow/friend me on any one of them :). 
Alright, enough of the chit chat (chit type?) Let's get started on this book tag. 

A favorite book that is short... hmm... I like a lot of short books. Also I what I consider short is what others consider long... The first thing that pops into my head after the words 'favorite short book' at the moment is *drum roll* Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally 

This is so hard! I have so many books with GORGEOUS covers! But out of my favorite books... I'd have to say my favorite book covers are the SHADOWHUNTER CHRONICLES (by Cassandra Clare, you know, the books I make references to in like every one of my reviews) (AND LIKE ONE OF MY FAVORITE FAVORITE FAVORITE SERIES)

Wait- what? You're saying I have to chose one? Ugh. Okay I choose. Clockwork Princess. And City of Heavenly Fire. And Clockwork Angel. And- OKAY those three are my top three favorite covers of this series, I'll stop there, okay? But I can't limit it any more. CASSIE WHY ART THOU COVERS SO GORGEOUSLY BEAUTIFUL?! 
Synopsis for City of Bones: 
When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder― much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know...  

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end



Synopsis for Clockwork Angel: 
Magic is dangerous; but love is more dangerous still. 

In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series.

The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London's dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters; including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. 

Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them.... 

That depends, would it be turned into a craptastic movie like City of Bones or a marvelous movie like... Harry Potter? If we're going the Harry Potter Route, I have lots and lots of books I'd like to see turned into movies. Contemporaries are especially easy to turn into movies because they're cheap and can be just as good as an action movie if you write the script right. So for this question I'm going to give two (shhh I'm not cheating) a contemporary and an action) 
UGH THERE ARE SO MANY

Sadly I wasn't able to fit all my favorite books into this tag and I'm going to restrain myself from recommending my whole bookshelf to y'all. This is a hard choice but... A book I recomend to everyone is... Drum Roll? 
.
.
.
OBSIDIAN BY JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT 
This book was simply fantastic. The plot of the series is great, it doesn't make aliens cheesy or embarrassing rot read about and it invigoratingly new and refreshing. It's an easy read that you'll get through in one sitting if you can. The action is spot on, as is the romance and the dialogue is down right hilarious. If you haven't read this book yet, I don't know what you've been up to but this book is seriously good stuff guys. I'll love y'all forever if you read it (and like it)
Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring… until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something… unexpected happens. 

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. 

If I don’t kill him first, that is.

These books are so good. Miranda? You're officially one of my favorite contemporary romance authors. Yeah, in just two weeks Miranda Kenneally is up there on my list with Stephanie Perkins. I'm definitely ordering Breathe, Annie, Breathe in my next book shipment. There's just something so realistic about Miranda's writing style. I highly recommend these books to any of you who are craving a cute young adult romance (which I find myself doing a lot). These books are more companion novels than a series, but I don't recommend reading them out of order. Why? Because you'll be majorly spoiled for all the previous books. Okay, maybe not majorly, you might not take note of the people's names. But I say read them in order, because there's a slight chance you may rememeber and be spoiled for the shocking twists and turns in Miranda's books. 
Okay, I know if any of you are friends with me on Goodreads you might be disappointed with because I read the last two books in the White Rabbit Chronicles (Gena Showalter) before these and have yet to review them. But I just finished Things I Can't Forget and Racing Savannah Today! I have the memories of them fresh in my head! (Yes, I started and finished both Things I Can't Forget and Racing Savannah TODAY while going to school and hanging out with friends after school (and not reading) I'm pretty proud) (p.s. sorry that I'm bragging a tiny bit but I started and finished Stealing Parker yesterday and finished Through the Zombie Glass and Queen of Zombie Hearts in less than a day)
Out of all of the Hundred Oaks books that I've read, Catching Jordan would definitely be my favorite. But Stealing Parker is very close in second. I honestly didn't think I'd like Stealing Parker even remotely as much as I did Catching Jordan but, nope! It was just as amazing, in fact, it'd be right up next to Catching Jordan except for the religious aspect of the book, but more on that later. Next on my list of favorites so far comes Racing Savannah, the story and characters were great, I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as the first two books-even though it still has a close rating I preferred the first two books' characters much more- and it definitely pulled ahead of Things I Can't Forget. To be honest I never even wanted to get that one anyway, the synopsis didn't sound interesting but I did get it because I knew it was a series and didn't want to get spoiled on anything. 
My main problem with Things I Can't Forget was the protagonist. As hard as I tried, I just couldn't connect with Kate in the way I could with all of Miranda's other protagonists. Especially because of her strong religious beliefs. You see, Kate's Christian and she's SUPER into all the beliefs and follows the rules and is uber judgmental on anyone who steps their pinky toe out of line. Sure, I judge people, everyone does, but Kate like judged people overly so. If I knew Kate Kelly I probably would've punched her in the face by now. She kinda reminded me of Mary Anne Bryant from Easy A. Also Matt. He was my least favorite of the Miranda's boys. Just not my cup of tea, I guess. 
BEFORE I FORGET These books are romantic ,humorous and will have you squealing in delight, laughing out loud and feeling second hand embarrassment throughout the whole thing. It's great. 
SPOILER FREE FOR STEALING PARKER (MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS TO CATCHING JORDAN)
My rating for Stealing Parker is an 8.7/10 yeah, a whole tenth away from Catching Jordan. That's how amazing it was. Sure, I wasn't crazy that she was Christian but it fit well into the story line. She also wasn't crazily Christian.
Okay I'M SORRY to Christians reading this. I respect your religion and don't have a problem with it, I'm just not Christian, so please don't hate me. We can all be friends :) 
I didn't exactly get why, from the synopsis, Parker was 'hooking up' (not HOOKING UP but hooking up) with so many boys, but as soon as I started, I got it. Parker's mom is lesbian and the people at her church (most of them) like judged her very meanly and harshly about, her ex best friend even said she might be lesbian. So Parker was determined to prove them wrong. The character growth in all of Miranda's books is downright impressive, I love it. 
I was expecting a curveball (haha see what I did there) when reading this book because of the complete 360 turn Catching Jordan had. But I won't tell you whether or not it has one because not all of Miranda's books do have 360's so you'll just have to read them to figure out which do and don't. 
Parker is a great character. Even though I haven't been an outcast in my church or am good at softball or even kissed a boy I got her. I was able to easily connect to her feelings and understand where this girl was coming from. (Also I'm feeling the need to say my mom didn't run off with another woman and is still living with me, my sister and my dad) She thinks realistically, and her feelings of confusion, passion and everything else just felt (I'm going to say this word way too much) so scarily realistic. Same with Jordan. I loved the ride Parker went on in this story and was glad that I read it. Seriously, you won't regret reading this book. Okay, you might, but hopefully you won't because I love it. 
Brian Hoffman was a cute character. I'm not too into the way older guy in a story, but Brian was sweet. He did have his slightly (okay not so slightly) annoying moments but so do all characters. Like I was annoyed with almost all the characters in this book for a bit. I get annoyed easily. 
Drew Bates, I think I remember him from Catching Jordan. He was on the football team, I think, but not one of the mains those were JJ, Sam, Carter and Ty (besides Jordan, of course.) He's a sweet character and I loved that he was Parker's best friend. I always love a boy/girl best friendship. One of the many reasons I love Sam and Jordan. (calling him Sam took some time get used to) 
I was a little disappointed in the lack of Sam and Jordan in this book. Like sure, they're both mentioned a few times but I wish there was more of them. I get it, it's Parker's Story, we already got a nice full book on them but I NEED MORE. I know they're big characters in Jesse's Girl but I just want more of Sam and Jordan... okay? I always love when you hear other peoples' stories that we're already connected to from another person's perspective and what they think about it. Unfortunately the events of Catching Jordan weren't really mentioned. At all. 
Will Whitfield aka Corndog is adorable. Blue eyes? I can deal with this boy. He's smart, sporty and sweet WHERE CAN I GET ME ONE OF THESE? And with a southern accent? Yes, please. Also GUYS HIS NAME IS WILL. I LOVE MY WILLS (TID?) He's (I keep typing Jordan lol) Parker's biggest competition for valedictorian, well, he was. 
I have two more books to go, lol this is going to be a long review. (I've decided against spoilers because THEN how long would it be? Why did I decide to put these three in one again?) 
Synopsis: 
Red-hot author Miranda Kenneally hits one out of the park in this return to Catching Jordan's Hundred Oaks High.

Parker Shelton pretty much has the perfect life. She’s on her way to becoming valedictorian at Hundred Oaks High, she’s made the all-star softball team, and she has plenty of friends. Then her mother’s scandal rocks their small town and suddenly no one will talk to her.

Now Parker wants a new life.

So she quits softball. Drops twenty pounds. And she figures why kiss one guy when she can kiss three? Or four. Why limit herself to high school boys when the majorly cute new baseball coach seems especially flirty?

But how far is too far before she loses herself completely?


SPOILER FREE REVIEW OF THINGS I CAN'T FORGET BELOW (MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS TO PREVIOUS BOOKS) 
Ugh. I did enjoy the story line and I get that Kate was supposed to be really judgy and annoying but I'm sorry, she was just over the top judgy and annoying. This shows that Parker's a better person than me because she forgave Kate. Tiny bit resentful towards this book because there was a lot of Parker and Will. A lot more than Jordan and Sam were in Stealing Parker and those two were nonexistent in this book. There are separate groups, I know, I know, I just think.... I NEED MORE OF MY BABIES.  Like I mentioned before, I wasn't too into Matt. And I felt bad for how realistically suckish some people's lives were (Emily) and how realistically sucky some people were (Meagan, I really wanted to hit that woman as many times as I wanted to hit Kate) I thought I'd have like, a whirlwind of comments towards this book, but now I realize I don't really, they're all pretty much about the same thing. I don't agree with many of the designs Kate made, especially with Matt, but with everyone else, too, and I just didn't like Kate very much. Sorry if you did, but she drove me up the wall. Oh, yeah, and the story wasn't quite as compelling and interesting as the others.  
Synopsis: 
Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different...

This summer she’s a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He’s the first guy she ever kissed, and he’s gone from a geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt - with her.

Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn’t that easy...





SPOILER FREE PART OF MY REVIEW FOR RACING SAVANNAH (MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR BOOKS MENTIONED ABOVE) 
I didn't like Savannah and Jack quite as much as Jordan, Sam, Parker and Will. But I can connect with Savannah, especially  her fiery determined passion.  I do like the richer-poorer relationships in romance, I think it adds a great angle to work off of and I think Miranda could've used that more but the way she wrote it was great. This book broke my heart in the way that my favorites (J, S, P and W) are freaking grown up now. I mean, WILL AND PARKER GOT MARRIED! AHHH! I just read Stealing Parker a day ago. I'm not ready for them to be getting married! Oh wait, was that a spoiler for the book? Not really it didn't have anything much to do with the plot line, I was simply explaining that this is much later in the future than I expected when diving into the story. Sorry if you thought that was a spoiler.
I loved Savannah's love of horses, it was passionate and she's good with them, which is amazing. Oh, Vanessa was in this book. AKA Ty's baby sis. Dang, she's a senior. 
I liked that our previous characters showed up a little in this book, even Carter, but I wished they had more time.... The Taco Bell thing with Sam and Carter was hilarious, you'll get it when you read it. You see I kept a whole page of notes on this book, but I just don't have the time or energy to write it right now and seriously? This review is long enough already. 
I liked Mr. Goodwin and his love of hotdogs and I liked how he treated his servants. He'd be a good employer to have. This book, in a way, reminded me a little of the Last Song by Nicholas Sparks. Probably the whole rich boy thing along with the dad and stuff, they did have a little of the same feeling about each other. 

Synopsis: 
They’re from two different worlds.

He lives in the estate house, and she spends most of her time in the stables helping her father train horses. In fact, Savannah has always been much more comfortable around horses than boys. Especially boys like Jack Goodwin—cocky, popular and completely out of her league. She knows the rules: no mixing between the staff and the Goodwin family. But Jack has no such boundaries.

With her dream of becoming a horse jockey, Savannah isn’t exactly one to follow the rules either. She’s not going to let someone tell her a girl isn’t tough enough to race. Sure, it’s dangerous. Then again, so is dating Jack…



Thanks for reading this absurdly long review! Love you guys and thanks so much for actually reading my reviews :) 
-Anj