Best of the Best From 2018

As most of you know I keep a running list (HERE) of all my favorite reads from the year but I thought it might be fun to narrow it down to my top favorites in each genre.....and then I realized that was just absolutely crazy because picking a favorite book is something akin to picking a favorite child, it's just not possible. 

So instead of picking one from each genre, I'm just going to pick those books that stood out the most to me. You know, the ones I'm still thinking about days, weeks, even months later. Those that I get super excited about whenever I see someone reading and even a little bit jealous of the fact, that they are getting to experience it for the first time because I know exactly all the emotions they are going to be put through. Yeah, those ones.

So without further ado, here are those top reads I still think about:

First up Sadie by Courtney Summers. Holy cow, if you haven't experienced this read yet. Do it. You are doing yourself a disservice by not reading it or listening to it on audio. It is fantastic. Will hit you in all the feels and will stick with you long LONG after. You will find yourself thinking about it, agonizing over it days, weeks, months later. Do not for a moment let this detour you that it is labeled as YA because, it's not your typical YA AT. ALL. Just trust me on this one and read it and then, thank me later for trusting me about it. 

This next series is seriously underrated. I mean, more people need to read it, even if you don't like historicals, give this one a try because it is amazing, addicting and so so worth it. Wonderful characters, a slow burn romance that is worth all the wait and mysteries that will keep you on your toes and this latest, Hollow of Fear, book three, is my absolute favorite so far. 

This next series is another one that I've loved from the beginning and another one that I believe is labeled YA  but is so not YA. It has a bit of everything. Some historic, steam punk, great diverse characters, amazing settings, mystery, magic, and well, everything. This is the fourth book in the series (out of five) and I can't wait for the fifth book to be out. I must, no, NEED to see how Caine makes it all come together. So well written and plotted out. Things from the first book are still being revealed in the new books and it's just amazing how much time it must have taken Caine to work this all out. I truly am so anxious for the next and sadly, last book. 

I'm going to quote myself on this one because what I wrote is just so fitting for what I have to say about it and that is this, This story, man so freaking good. A tiny bit naughty and definitely steamy but so good. You can't help falling in love with all the characters and all their quirks and right away. I don't read a lot of romance novels anymore but this one was truly a favorite and the one that made me want to pick up more books in the genre and see what I have been missing for the past couple of years. Hoang's debut novel could not have been better. 

I love picking up re-tellings and seeing what an author can do with a classic but even with all the ones I've read, this one blew me away. It was raw and real and completely heartbreaking and I'm so glad I took a chance on it and read it. It was beautifully told and beautifully redone. I loved every single page of it. 

I was so very excited when I saw that we were finally getting another book in Briggs Alpha and Omega series. I adore Charles and Anna and couldn't wait to dive in. The wait was so worth it! This was absolutely fantastic and I need more. I'm keeping my fingers crossed we won't have to wait too long for the next one. 

I was nervous about this one, not going to lie. But even though I miss my Meg and Simon, I adored this and am so glad we still get something set in this messed up scary world Bishop has created. So freaking good, horrifying, and I just can't get enough!

So this next one isn't a new author or a new series but it was "new" to me and I can't believe I waited so long to start it. I can't even begin to express my love for it. The family dynamic, the romance, the just...everything. I devoured all four books. I already loved Bennett's writing but this just proved to me that the woman can write, in any freaking genre she chooses and still come out on top. 

This book was so unexpectedly...well unexpected. So good. Rich in detail and lore and legends and just...fabulous! Can't wait for book two!

So there you have it. my best of the best. But seriously, I had a ton of great reads this year and am so thankful for them all. Make sure and check out my full list at the top because there really are ones that I hope so many more people will try and love as well. 

Here is to hoping that 2019 is filled with just as many wonderful, magical reads. 

I hope everyone has a safe and Happy New Year and thank you for all those that have supported me and my blog, not just this year but from the very beginning. I wouldn't be here without you!!

Review: A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Title: A Curse So Dark and Lonely
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Series: Book One
Genre: YA Fantasy
Published By: Bloomsbury (January 29, 2019)
Source: ARC Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
My Rating: 5 Stars!



Book Description:
In a lush, contemporary fantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast, Brigid Kemmerer gives readers another compulsively readable romance perfect for fans of Marissa Meyer.

Fall in love, break the curse. 

It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper Lacy. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she's instead somehow sucked into Rhen's cursed world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom. 


A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn't know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what's at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

*Amazon*B&N*

I adore Brigid Kemmerer's writing. She always has a unique flare unlike any other in any genre or sub-genre she writes and that makes her one of my most anticipated authors for each new release.

When I saw a twist on a classic fairytale we have all heard and many, me included, love, I was All. In. 

This was so riveting. I was hooked from the very first dark chapter and was eager to know more as the story and the tale slowly unfolded. I loved Emberfall! The mystery, the legends, the lore, the curse. So dark and delicious and yet so alluring. 

I truly couldn't get enough. And let's talk about that ending! I am so very excited that this tale, this story, isn't over. That we will be getting a sequel and from one of my most favorite characters no less. I truly am so pleased with the way Kemmerer twisted and turned this tale into something completely unique and all her own. 

I will be eagerly awaiting the next release. 

*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

Review: Evermore by Sara Holland

Title: Evermore
Author: Sara Holland
Series: Book Two in the Everless Series
Genre: YA Fantasy
Published By: HarperTeen (December 31, 2018)
Source: ARC Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
My Rating: 5 Stars!


Book Description:
The highly anticipated sequel to New York Times bestseller, Everless! 

Jules Ember was raised hearing legends of the ancient magic of the wicked Alchemist and the good Sorceress. But she has just learned the truth: not only are the stories true, but she herself is the Alchemist, and Caro—a woman who single-handedly murdered the Queen and Jules’s first love, Roan, in cold blood—is the Sorceress.


The whole kingdom believes that Jules is responsible for the murders, and a hefty bounty has been placed on her head. And Caro is intent on destroying Jules, who stole her heart twelve lifetimes ago. Jules must delve into the stories that she now recognizes are accounts of her own past. For it is only by piecing together the mysteries of her lives that Jules will be able to save the person who has captured her own heart in this one.

*Amazon*B&N*

Not only was I pleasantly surprised by Everless, the first book in the series but it took my breath away. It was captivating, imaginative and unlike others in the genre. In short, it was hard to put down and even harder to forget about. Which is why when Evermore came out I couldn't wait to sink back into the world that Holland had created.

Evermore picks up right where Everless left off, with Jules in mortal peril and reeling from all that she not only learned about her beloved Everless but about herself and those around her as well. 

Fast paced, action packed and just a hint of romance combined with danger and deceit around every corner and Evermore lived up to Everless and more. This is no sophomore slump and proves that Holland knows what she is doing.

Ever bit as captivating and irresistible as Everless, Evermore once again left me eagerly turning the pages devouring every last sentence and being left wanting more.

*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

Release Day Review: Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield

Title: Once Upon a River
Author: Diane Setterfield
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Fantasy/Folklore
Published By: Atria (December 4, 2018)
Source: ARC Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
My Rating: 4 Stars



Book Description:
A dark midwinter’s night in an ancient inn on the Thames. The regulars are entertaining themselves by telling stories when the door bursts open on an injured stranger. In his arms is the drowned corpse of a little child.

Hours later the dead girl stirs, takes a breath and returns to life.

Is it a miracle?

Is it magic?

Or can it be explained by science?


Replete with folklore, suspense and romance, as well as with the urgent scientific curiosity of the Darwinian age, Once Upon a River is as richly atmospheric as Setterfield’s bestseller The Thirteenth Tale. 

*Amazon*B&N*

Beautifully written and executed, Once Upon a River feels like an old timey classic told through an imaginative narrative that immediately grabs your attention and refuses to let go. 

Filled with magic and wonder, romance and adventure, all beautifully rich in detail and lore, this is very much the Setterfield from The Thirteenth Tale that we all know and fell in love with. 

Filled with intricate twists and turns and mystery that will keep you guessing, this will keep you eagerly turning the pages as you are caught up in the magic and beauty of it all as it slowly unfolds page after page. 

*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

Review: The Kiss Collector by Wendy Higgins

Title: The Kiss Collector
Author: Wendy Higgins
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: YA Contemporary
Published By: HarperTeen (December 18, 2018)
Source: ARC Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
My Rating: 4.5 Stars!


Book Description:
When seventeen-year-old Zae Monroe gets cheated on by the only guy she’s ever loved, then watches her parents' marriage crumble, she decides to forget about relationships and turn the tables on the boys of the world. It’s time to take what she wants, and what she wants are kisses. Athletes, musicians, poets, and bad boys—their lips are all on her agenda, and it's time to collect. 


Zae proposes a contest with her friends to see who can kiss the most boys during spring break. But what starts as a harmless competition leads to a downward spiral she can’t seem to break free of. As family, academic, friend, and guy drama come to a head, Zae is forced to face the reasons behind her boy angst, and starts to wonder if she was wrong about the male race...or at least some of them.

*Amazon*B&N*

The Kiss Collector is so much more than your average YA contemporary. So much more.

It is emotional and honest and a bit raw. It has diversity and real life problems but most importantly, it's empowering. It's all about family and friends and being supportive of one another, in short, girl power in almost every sense of the phrase. 

It truly is an amazing read that I just can't praise enough. I loved every single heartfelt, emotionally charged and sometimes even funny page. It was a breath of fresh air in a sea of overrated contemporaries that pale in comparison. 

*All thoughts and opinions are my own and weren't influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

Blog Tour Review: Five Feet Apart by Rachel Lippincott

There is a reason this book is turning into a movie. It's because it is amazing, so moving and heartfelt. Truly one of my favorite contemporaries I've read this year! If you haven't heard of it yet, I'm so excited to be introducing you to it and if you have and you've read it, then you already know what all the hype is about. 

Title: Five Feet Apart

Author: Rachel Lippincott

Genre: YA Contemporary

Published By: Simon & Schuster (November 20, 2018)

Source: ARC Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)

Book Description:

Soon to be a major motion picture releasing in March 2019, starring Cole Sprouse and Haley Lu Richardson

Can you love someone you can never touch?

Stella Grant likes to be in control—even though her totally out of control lungs have sent her in and out of the hospital most of her life. At this point, what Stella needs to control most is keeping herself away from anyone or anything that might pass along an infection and jeopardize the possibility of a lung transplant. Six feet apart. No exceptions.

The only thing Will Newman wants to be in control of is getting out of this hospital. He couldn’t care less about his treatments, or a fancy new clinical drug trial. Soon, he’ll turn eighteen and then he’ll be able to unplug all these machines and actually go see the world, not just its hospitals.

Will’s exactly what Stella needs to stay away from. If he so much as breathes on Stella she could lose her spot on the transplant list. Either one of them could die. The only way to stay alive is to stay apart. But suddenly six feet doesn’t feel like safety. It feels like punishment.

What if they could steal back just a little bit of the space their broken lungs have stolen from them? Would five feet apart really be so dangerous if it stops their hearts from breaking too?

*Amazon*B&N*

About the Author:

Rachael Lippincott was born in Philadelphia and raised in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. She holds a BA in English writing from the University of Pittsburgh. She currently resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she splits her time between writing and running a food truck with her partner.

Blog Tour Schedule:

November 12 – That Artsy Reader Girl 
November 13 – Vivacious Bibliophile 
November 14 – A Gingerly Review 
November 15 – Life of a Simple Reader 
November 16 – A Glass of Wine 
November 17 – Book is Glee 
November 19 – Bumbles and Fairytales 
November 20 – Adventures of a Book Junkie 
November 21 – Jen Ryland Reviews 
November 22 – Joyous Reads 
November 23 – Chasing Faerytales 
November 24 – Folded Pages Distillery 
November 26 – Oh, Hey! Books 
November 27 – Book Briefs 
November 28 – Novel Knight Book Reviews 
November 29 – A Dream within a Dream
 November 30 – My Guilty Obsession

Taking a chance on an author and a subject that you know little to nothing about, is always a risk and in some cases, its a chance, a risk,  worth taking.

As is the case with Five Feet Apart. Beautifully written, heartfelt, emotional, and a read that will stick with you until the very end, Five Feet Apart is a novel that grabs you around the heart and refuses to let go.

So wonderfully told and executed it's a book that I won't be forgetting for a long time to come. 


Poignant, emotional, informational, and an all around amazingly done story, Five Feet Apart is one you don't want to miss out on. 

Review: The Mansion by Ezekiel Boone

Title: The Mansion
Author: Ezekiel Boone
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Thriller
Published By: Atria (December 4, 2018)
Source: ARC Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
My Rating: 3.5 Stars



Book Description:
After two years of living on cheap beer and little else in a bitterly cold tiny cabin outside an abandoned, crumbling mansion, young programmers Shawn Eagle and Billy Stafford have created something that could make them rich: a revolutionary computer they name Eagle Logic.

But the hard work and escalating tension have not been kind to their once solid friendship—Shawn’s girlfriend Emily has left him for Billy, and a third partner has disappeared under mysterious circumstances. While Billy walks away with Emily, Shawn takes Eagle Logic, which he uses to build a multi-billion-dollar company that eventually outshines Apple, Google, and Microsoft combined.


Years later, Billy is a failure, beset by poverty and addiction, and Shawn is the most famous man in the world. Unable to let the past be forgotten, Shawn decides to resurrect his and Billy’s biggest failure: a next-generation computer program named Nellie that can control a house’s every function. He decides to set it up in the abandoned mansion they worked near all those years ago. But something about Nellie isn’t right—and the reconstruction of the mansion is plagued by accidental deaths. Shawn is forced to bring Billy back, despite their longstanding mutual hatred, to discover and destroy the evil that lurks in the source code.

*Amazon*B&N*

Ezekiel Boone has an amazing ability to turn mundane every day objects or beings into something truly terrifying. Something that once read, you can never unread or un-picture again. Once you have that terrifying thought of the what if in your mind, it's so very hard to ever see them the same again. 

From spiders to houses, he can make them all not only seem horrific but truly like something you can imagine happening in our world and that might the most terrifying part of it all. 

The Mansion is dark and atmospheric with rich detail that you almost have to wade through and put together slowly as you realize what is about to happen and yet, you know it's going to happen and you hope, as you feverishly turn the pages, that you are wrong and this won't be anything but a tale about a creepy old house and hidden secrets and ghosts. 

Instead you get something chilly in it's realistic appeal and you can picture it all. A truly haunting story that is so much more than a ghost story and so much more than a story about revenge and lost loves and a past everyone wants kept hidden. 

*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

Review: My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren

Title: My Favorite Half-Night Stand
Author: Christina Lauren
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Contemporary
Published By: Gallery Books (December 4, 2018)
Source: ARC Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
My Rating: 4 Stars



Book Description:
By the New York Times bestselling author who “hilariously depicts modern dating” (Us Weekly), My Favorite Half-Night Stand is a laugh-out-loud romp through online dating and its many, many fails.

Millie Morris has always been one of the guys. A UC Santa Barbara professor, she’s a female-serial-killer expert who’s quick with a deflection joke and terrible at getting personal. And she, just like her four best guy friends and fellow professors, is perma-single.

So when a routine university function turns into a black tie gala, Mille and her circle make a pact that they’ll join an online dating service to find plus-ones for the event. There’s only one hitch: after making the pact, Millie and one of the guys, Reid Campbell, secretly spend the sexiest half-night of their lives together, but mutually decide the friendship would be better off strictly platonic.

But online dating isn’t for the faint of heart. While the guys are inundated with quality matches and potential dates, Millie’s first profile attempt garners nothing but dick pics and creepers. Enter “Catherine”—Millie’s fictional profile persona, in whose make-believe shoes she can be more vulnerable than she’s ever been in person. Soon “Catherine” and Reid strike up a digital pen-pal-ship...but Millie can’t resist temptation in real life, either. Soon, Millie will have to face her worst fear—intimacy—or risk losing her best friend, forever.


Perfect for fans of Roxanne and She’s the Man, Christina Lauren’s latest romantic comedy is full of mistaken identities, hijinks, and a classic love story with a modern twist. Funny and fresh, you’ll want to swipe right on My Favorite Half-Night Stand.

*Amazon*B&N*

There are so many things I love about Christina Lauren's books, the great romance, the swoon worthy leading men, the quirky heroines, but one of the things I love the most are the friendships. Their books have some of the best friendships.....ever. And My Favorite Half-Night Stand has to be, hands down, one of my absolute favorites. 

The dynamic between these rag tag group of nerds was truly to die for. I adored them all. Their relationship, the way they interacted (both in person and through chats/texts), the witty one liners and pranks and truly the love they have for one another was just so wonderful and one of the things I loved most about this read. 

In fact I would go as far as to say it was what I loved most about this read. While I didn't always feel the sparks between the love interests, I did feel them between the friends and that made the whole story worthwhile for me and one that stuck with me and made me think about all the wonderful people in my life that just "get" me. 

Truly a fun story that you will quickly devour in a sitting. 

*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

Blog Tour Review: The Reckoning of Noah Shaw by Michelle Hodkin

If you've read this series (original or spin-off) you know two things, these are super good and super addicting.

They wrench at your heart strings. They are emotional on so many levels and they play with your mind..constantly. 

In short, they are unlike any other series out there and I adore them because of it.

I've been a fan since I first picked them up and am always left wanting more. The latest, The Reckoning of Noah Shaw is no different.

Title: The Reckoning of Noah Shaw

Author: Michelle Hodkin

Series: Book Two in the Shaw Confessions Trilogy

Published By: Simon & Schuster (November 13, 2018)

Genre: YA Fantasy

Source: ARC Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)

Book Description:

Noah Shaw confesses all in this second novel of a chilling new companion series to Michelle Hodkin’s New York Times bestselling Mara Dyer trilogy!

Noah Shaw doesn’t think he needs his father’s inheritance.

He does.

Noah believes there’s something off about the suicides in his visions.

There is.

Noah is convinced that he still knows the real Mara Dyer.

He does not. 

Everyone thought the nightmare had ended with Mara Dyer’s memoirs, but it was only the beginning. As old skeletons are laid bare, alliances will be tested, hearts will be broken, and no one will be left unscarred.

*Amazon*B&N*

About the Author:

Michelle Hodkin is the author of the Mara Dyer Trilogy, which was a New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling series. The trilogy, which includes The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, The Evolution of Mara Dyer, and The Retribution of Mara Dyer, was described as “haunting and dreamlike” by Cassandra Clare and “darkly funny, deliciously creepy, and genuinely thoughtful” by Veronica Roth. Lev Grossman has called Hodkin “One of the greatest talents in Young Adult fiction.” The novels were praised by Romantic Times, MTV’s Hollywood Crush, and the Los Angeles Times, and books from the series appeared on several state reading lists. Additionally, The Retribution of Mara Dyer was selected as one of TIME.com’s Top 10 YA Books of 2014. Hodkin grew up in Florida, went to college in New York, and studied law in Michigan, before finally settling in Brooklyn last year. 

Twitter

Pintrest

Tumblr

This series knows how to mess with your emotions. Get your heart racing and always, always leave you wanting more.


After both the killer cliffhanger and heartbreaking ending of book one, I was left anxious to get my hands on book two. I just had to know that that wasn't how it all ended. That that wasn't the end period between so many beloved characters.

Noah and Mara are explosive together, sometimes in the very worst ways possible but no, it couldn't end with them at odds with each other, it just couldn't. 

This book. So many feels. So many emotions. So many revelations, betrayals and even more mysteries. 

Literally, it was hard to wrap my mind around them sometimes. There was just so much going on in the best way possible. 

I don't even know what else to say without giving anything away but I will say this, it's a must read. It's beautifully done. It's mysterious, it's mind blowing and so very much happens and is reveled and exposed that fans of the series will not want to miss out on it. In fact, their only regret will be that book three isn't here already. 



Hodkins once again blows us away with the intricately laid out mystery that is Mara, Noah, and gang. The conspiracies, the danger, the gifts, the plans, the destruction. All so cleverly done and executed. I can't wait for more.

Blog Tour Schedule:

Blog Tour Schedule November 5 – The Lovely Books 
November 6 – Too Fond of Books 
November 7 – Downright Dystopian 
November 8 – Pure Imagination 
November 9 – The Book Loving Nut
 November 10 – a GREAT Read 
November 11 – The Eater of Books! 
November 12 – My Guilty Obsession 
November 13 – Arctic Books 
November 14 – A Gingerly Review 
November 15 – Ex Libris Kate
 November 16 – Girl in the Pages