Best Books of 2015

Hey! 

It’s that time of year again! 

IT’S ME LOOKING BACK AT 2015 AND DECIDING WHICH 10 BOOKS WERE AMAZING!!

And here they are (in no particular order):

Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke by Anne Blankman ••• My Review ● Goodreads

Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith ••• My Review ● Goodreads

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard ••• My Review ● Goodreads

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani ••• My Review ● Goodreads

The Revenge Playbook by Rachael Allen ••• My Review ● Goodreads

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley ••• My Review ● Goodreads

Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman ••• My Review ● Goodreads

Every Day by David Levithan ••• My Review ● Goodreads

Shutter by Courtney Alameda ••• My Review ● Goodreads

Journey by Aaron Becker ••• My Review ● Goodreads

There’s definitely quite an array of books here–so many genres, and even a picture book! I would definitely have to say though that my favourite book from last year was Grasshopper Jungle. Andrew Smith’s writing is absolutely BOMB and this book was so different from anything I’ve ever read.

Check out all the books I read in 2015 HERE.

Well, that’s all from me. Hope your reading was amazing in 2015, and here’s to another year of amazing books! Feel free to share your top books of 2015 blog posts or picks down below.

Ladies Living Dangerously Recap

Hey guys! So today, I went to BTAF (Boston Teen Author Festival) Preview Event: LADIES LIVING DANGEROUSLY featuring Erin Bowman, Eva Darrows/Hillary Monahan, and Laurie Faria Stolarz.

Image Source

It was all kinds of awesome! Unfortunately for me, the T (subway) was running late so I arrived around 25 minutes late because the T was moving super slowly, there were some delays along the way, I had to cut through Harvard (where there were several tour groups) to get to the Cambridge Public Library, it was hot, and...just all kinds of things. ANYWAY, I arrived when they were talking answering questions that were presented by Sarah, a member of the BTAF staff, and I managed to get a seat right in the middle, in the second row–well, technically the first row, because no one was actually sitting in the first row.

As I said, it was all kinds of awesome. I can’t remember too many specifics since I was having such a good time just listening to all three authors talk about their books and writing books in general. It was definitely very feminist-driven, I’m happy to say! All about writing female characters, why there should be all kinds of female characters (not just the “strong female character”), and where they pull their source material from, just to name a few things that they talked about. Hillary Monahan/Eva Darrows is a HOOT, lemme tell you that people!

And then of course, came the signing:

I’d previously met Hillary Monahan/Eva Darrows at last year’s BTAF, and I got Mary: The Summoning signed then, and she actually remembered my name when Erin Bowman was signing my book! I was super excited about that. Isn’t her hair the COOLEST? She was also wearing this awesome shade of blue lipstick. 

I’ve read Vengeance Road and absolutely loved it (it’s one of my top reads this year!), but unfortunately because of all the money I’ve spent on books recently–both for this event and the upcoming main BTAF event–I couldn’t buy a copy :( I did have my copy of Taken though, to get signed. I told her how I gave my sister this book to read and she ended up loving it. Erin Bowman was super sweet and she had such awesome swag (which is in a picture below).

And finally, Laurie Faria Stolarz. She was actually the first person to sign one of my books, so I don’t know why I did it in this order. Any-hoo. Like Hillary, I’d also met Laurie at last year’s BTAF when she signed my copy of Deadly Little Secrets. Welcome to the Dark House sounds like a super creepy read–and she mentioned she’s not a fan of horror but loves suspense and thrillers like me!–and I’m so looking forward to reading it. Laurie was super sweet as well and I got an awesome postcard with her books on it.

Check out the swag I got!

This was such a fantastic event, I’m so glad I decided to go. Thank you so much to the BTAF staff and Cambridge Public Library for hosting this, and I can’t wait for the Boston Teen Author Festival! This year’s is gonna be epic.

Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman

Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman

Release Date: September 1, 2015
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Rated: YA 14+
Format: eGalley
Source: NetGalley
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website

When Kate Thompson’s father is killed by the notorious Rose Riders for a mysterious journal that reveals the secret location of a gold mine, the eighteen-year-old disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers and justice. What she finds are devious strangers, dust storms, and a pair of brothers who refuse to quit riding in her shadow. But as Kate gets closer to the secrets about her family, she gets closer to the truth about herself and must decide if there's room for love in a heart so full of hate.

In the spirit of True Grit, the cutthroat days of the Wild West come to life for a new generation.

My knowledge of Westerns is limited to bits and pieces of The Quick and the Dead, the animated movie Home on the Range, and middle grade books such as Little House on the Prairie and May B.. I’ve never seen any of the older Westerns, but definitely want to now because this book was AMAZING. Like, one-of-my-favorites-this-year amazing. I couldn’t stop reading it! I really loved Erin Bowman’s Taken trilogy (although I still have yet to read the final book Forged) and so when I knew that she had a new book coming out AND it was available on NetGalley, nothing could stop me from hitting that request button. I will admit: I’m usually absolutely terrible at reading books before they’re published, but with Vengeance Road I just couldn’t hold off any longer. So glad I plunged in because I got a fabulous read out of it.

Man, Kate is a total B-A-D-A-S-S. I love her character so much! Although I don’t think revenge is the best option, I loved her quest to avenge her father by hunting down the villainous (and extremely dangerous) Rose Riders. I wish I had guts like her! Will and Jesse were such great characters as well. I was afraid that there was going to be some sort of love triangle where Kate would have to pick between the two brothers, but luckily it didn’t turn out to be that way. I did enjoy the fact that romance takes a step back from the action in this book. Kate, although she does start to have feelings for Jesse on their journey, she totally dismisses it and puts her mission first. Tons of great characters pop up along the way–some even based on real people. It was great learning about some of the legends (and people from those legends) that inspired this book, as explained in Erin Bowman in the author’s note at the end.

I love stories of revenge, and this one is historical fiction, so that combines two of my loves! The book takes place Arizona during the 19th century, which is a time and place that not many YA novels are set, unfortunately. Hopefully Vengeance Road will spark a flurry of Westerns! There was also the vernacular or particular way that these characters speak that’s characteristic to the time and place. It’s pretty easy to understand and get to, thankfully, but as I was reading I was really amazed thinking about how much Bowman would have had to check her language, whether it was the proper terms or not, as well as facts regarding the setting and atmosphere.

The descriptions are absolutely gorgeous! You really get to “feel” the setting–the heat, the endless stretch of desert, the tense build-up during shoot-outs, the sweat running down your back, the never-ending and tiring sway of riding horseback for ages and ages. Same as the Taken trilogy, Erin Bowman puts a lot of heart and effort into making sure details are effective in creating this historical world and sweeping readers into a wonderful journey.

Damn it...I wish that I’d taken my time with this one! Filled with shocking twists and heart-thumping action, Vengeance Road is most definitely a favourite of mine this year. Dangerously addictive and enthralling, heed my advice: READ THIS BOOK. Erin Bowman has struck gold again by creating yet ANOTHER book I couldn’t stop reading from start to finish–I’m looking forward to (and afraid of) what she’ll come up with next.

If you like this, try...

• The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas ● Goodreads
• Shutter by Courtney Alameda ● Goodreads
• Ruthless by Carolyn Lee Adams ● Goodreads

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Waiting on Wednesday – Week 116

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It’s to spotlight upcoming books that I’m DYING to get my hands on!

This week’s WoW is:

Forged by Erin Bowman

**WARNING: Spoilers from Taken and Frozen**

THE TIME HAS COME TO MAKE A STAND.

Gray Weathersby and his group of rebels are determined to bring down the Franconian Order. But they may be too late. The Order is closer than ever to its ultimate goal—building an unstoppable army—and every generation of Forgeries is more sophisticated, harder to detect, and deadlier than the one before.

Now the rebels have joined forces with new allies, the Expats. But when even the most familiar faces can’t be trusted, Gray will have to tread carefully if he wants to succeed—or survive.

April 14, 2015 ● Goodreads

I freaked out a few days ago because Richa (City of Books) told me that the cover was released and I spent some time going completely gaga over it, because it’s GORGEOUS! Can’t wait for this one, it’s sad the trilogy is coming to an end, but I’m sure it’ll be an amazing finale :D

What are you waiting on?

Frozen by Erin Bowman

Frozen by Erin Bowman

Release Date: April 15, 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Series: Taken, Book 2
Rated: YA 14+
Format: ARC
Source: Borrowed – thanks Richa @ City of Books!
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website

Read my review of Taken HERE

The Heists were only the beginning.

Gray Weathersby escaped from the primitive town of Claysoot expecting to find answers, but what he discovered shook him to the core: A ruthless dictator with absolute power. An army of young soldiers blinded by lies. And a growing rebellion determined to fight back.

Now Gray has joined a team of rebels on a harsh, icy journey in search of allies who can help them set things right. But in a world built on lies, Gray must constantly question whether any ally—or enemy—is truly what they seem…

I had a couple of fears going into this book. One of them was that I wouldn’t remember what happened in Taken and this book would be a big pot of confusion. Fear number two was that it would fall into the category of not-as-great-sequels as can be found with several YA books. Turns out, I really didn’t have to worry– Frozen was an amazing ride, and even though I'd read Taken a while back, many of the details and names of characters and places came back to me eventually. It was a great follow-up to an amazing start, and didn’t let me down.
I was pretty bummed when I didn’t manage to get a copy of Frozen, but luckily for me, one of my best friends Richa had an ARC so I was able to read this well in advance before publication date. However, it does mean that now I have to wait a SUPER long time for the next book... which doesn’t even have a name yet! The ending of this one just blew me away and made me ravenous for more.

Gray has developed a lot as a character, because in Taken, he made a lot of stupid, rash decisions that had me slapping my forehead in frustration. You can really see that he’s more mature in this book, although he still feels so much confusion as to which girl he should be with. I like that this book is from a guy’s point of view– it’s nice to shake things up once in a while! There is a definite outcome of who Gray is with at the end of the novel (well... pretty much). Since I was already okay with either Bree or Emma from book one, and I didn’t have a preference since both had their strengths and flaws. I kinda wish that the romance was stronger, but on the other hand I’m still glad that the main focus was placed on the action.
As I’d mentioned before, eventually all characters came back to me when I read through, and there are a couple of new characters as well. I really found Jackson’s character interesting, as the book introduced a new group of “people” known as Forgeries and this definitely seems like something that will be further explored in the next book.

I definitely did NOT see that ending coming. My sister read the book before I did and taunted me endlessly with the shocking twist. Even though my mind thought endlessly about the possibilities, I never ended up imagining the ending that this book has. Needless to say, I’m blown away and dying to find out what happens next!
I also liked the contrast in settings that this series presents, as along with an original concept, different landscapes arise and it was very easy to imagine the journey that these characters take as well as the areas that they land up in. The world building is absolutely gorgeous and Bowman’s writing really allows the reader to understand and build up this dystopian setting whilst reading.

Frozen was an enthralling follow-up to Taken. While I’m sad that there is only one more book to go, I’m anticipating the finale and answers to all the questions I’ve had since I started this series. Captivating and beguiling, Erin Bowman’s sequel is bursting with action, suspense and deception, topped off with a likeable protagonist and wonderful descriptions. Can’t wait for book 3!

If you like this, try...

• Reboot by Amy Tintera ● Goodreads
• Possession by Elana Johnson ● Goodreads

Waiting on Wednesday – Week 95

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It's to spotlight on upcoming books that I'm DYING to get my hands on.
And the countdown continues! Only 5 more W0W posts until I hit the big 1-0-0!

This week's WoW is:

Frozen by Erin Bowman

**Contains spoilers from book 1, Taken**

The Heists were only the beginning.

Gray Weathersby escaped from the primitive town of Claysoot expecting to find answers, but what he discovered shook him to the core: A ruthless dictator with absolute power. An army of young soldiers blinded by lies. And a growing rebellion determined to fight back.

Now Gray has joined a team of rebels on a harsh, icy journey in search of allies who can help them set things right. But in a world built on lies, Gray must constantly question whether any ally—or enemy—is truly what they seem…

April 15, 2014 ● Goodreads

I loved Taken (read my review HERE), and I'm really looking forward to reading this one! I requested for a copy for review, so hopefully sometime early next year, I'll get the chance to read it before it comes out, but nonetheless I still hope to get a copy inevitably to read!

What are you waiting on?

Taken by Erin Bowman

Taken by Erin Bowman

Release Date: April 16, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Series: Taken, Book 1
Rated: YA 14+
Format: eGalley
Source: Edelweiss
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website

There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone.

They call it the Heist.

Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.

Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?

This one took me a while to get through, but not for the reasons that you think. The eGalley was loading SUPER slowly, so it did take me some time to read this one. Nonetheless, I loved Taken. The concept is SO original – and it gets even more so later on in the plot – and I enjoyed every second of this action-packed dystopian story.

The characters were phenomenal! They had their own faults, but I thought that's what in fact made them such great characters. For instance, Gray the main character (who, now I have a major crush on) was pretty impulsive. I probably mentally slapped my forehead so many times because of all the rash decisions he makes. But I mean, where would Gray be if he wasn't impulsive? Taken by the Heist for sure, so pretty much we owe it to his character for making the story so much more interesting. Thank you faults! On another note, I'm pretty glad though that the main character is a male, as unfortunately, we don't see too many in the world of YA fiction, and it's great to see another headstrong lead come to existence.
With Emma and Bree, I have no idea what to think. I seriously have no preference for one of them, because both have their pluses and minuses. Just when I think one's better than the other, the other does something (or the former does something) and it all changes. I have no concluded feelings of either of them, so I'll just have to wait for the second book to find out more.

The twist in this story was MIND. BLOWING. Seriously, did not see that one coming. I was like WOAH, WHAT?!?! This twist happens quite "early" on in the story, as there's a whole chunk of plot following it up. This whole book was full of them, surprising and shocking me with every revelation. Characters aren't what they seem, more history with the Heist than is mentioned, and a cliffhanger-y ending to top it all off.

That being said, Taken is a new series I'm definitely *hehe pun intended* taken with. Erin Bowman has created this gorgeous world with a fiery, determined male protagonist taking charge. I loved it so much I even managed to get my own copy of it (thanks to Lisa at Dizneeee's World of Books). Can't wait to read more of what happens with Gray, Emma and Bree, as well as the rest of the characters in the sequel, Frozen!

If you like this, try...

• Delirium by Lauren Oliver ● Goodreads
• Pure by Julianna Baggott ● Goodreads
• Uglies by Scott Westerfeld ● Goodreads

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