My Favourite Books of 2018 (So far)

Guess who's back in the house,
heels click clacking about?

That's right everyone, I'm finally back from a super long time away from the blog. It's been over a year since my last blog post and so, so much has changed in my life. So today's post I thought I'd make it something that is very easy and fun for me. I've read quite a lot of books so far, especially compared to last year and think this is a great time to showcase some of my favourite books of 2018, so far!

CRASH INTO YOU BY KATIE MCGARRY

Crash into You is the third book in the 'Pushing the Limits' series and I honestly thought no book could out do my love for Pushing the Limits, until Crash into You. Isaiah's back story broke my heart and I loved how much he truly cared and loved Rachel, despite knowing that he may not be her best option for a boyfriend. This book was filled with intense dramatic scenes and the grittiness of the illegal car scenes had me giddy with excitement and while I didn't think Rachel had the guts to continue and help Isaiah she truly outdid herself and showed the boys exactly how it's done. Honestly my favourite couple Katie has ever written.


LORD OF SHADOWS BY CASSANDRA CLARE

I finally got round to reading Lord of Shadows and let me tell you right now that Cassandra Clare did not disappoint with this sequel. Lady Midnight started off slow so I was worried that Lord of Shadows may continue on with that slow pace but it certainly wasn't. So much stuff happened in this sequel and I loved the constant action after action. Seeing the characters work through their teenage life while also finding a murderer and battling demons is ever so fun.


LEAH ON THE OFFBEAT BY BECKY ALBERTALLI

I honestly was never a fan of Leah in Simon VS the Homosapiens Agenda, mainly because I hardly got to know her character. We knew very little, however, in her own book she shines. Leah is a self confessed big girl with a lot of sarcastic wit and a love for both men and women. I really enjoyed getting to see everything from her perspective and I loved this so much more than Simon VS. Becky's writing has gotten so much stronger and the relationships between her characters are so special.


LETTERS TO THE LOST BY BRIGID KEMMERER

Can I just say that I think this book will always remain as the biggest surprise of my life. I went into the book without knowing anything about it. I was suffering badly with my depression and my mind was nagging at me to pick up the book and I'm glad I did. Letters to the Lost is a raw, luscious, heart wrenching novel that makes you emotionally invested. Anyone who has ever lost a loved one will understand the pain Juliet was feeling.


MORE THAN WE CAN TELL BY BRIGID KEMMERER

More Than We Can Tell packs a punch. Literally. It tells the story of Emma who's trying to survive in the game world that's predominantly male and Rev who's trying to overcome his horrible past. At first both characters aren't sure how to act around each other, mainly because despite going to the same school they've never actually met before. But it's pretty sure to say that their love grew from strength to strength. I absolutely loved this book!

Anticipated Reads of 2017 | Part One

I can already feel that 2017 is going to be the year of books; both Young Adult and New Adult. 2016 was pretty much a lacklustre year for myself and reading but this year I am opening myself to new journeys. This post will be split up into two different posts. This post will feature books published from January to the end of June. Part Two will then feature books from July to the end of December. The reason I've split the posts up are because I didn't want to have a post that's too long, also most of
the books published after June don't really have covers so waiting to post Part Two in June will mean the books on the list should have had their covers revealed by then.

So here are my most anticipated releases from January- June....


LONG WAY HOME BY KATIE MCGARRY
Harlequin Teen - 31st January

I'm saddened that Long Way Home is due to be the last book in the thunder road series. It was confirmed to me by Katie McGarry herself on twitter. Originally this was going to be a four book series but Ha
rlequin Teen had changed their mind and only wanted three books. Violet and Chevy have been the vocal point of the series with every reader wanting to know whether or not they'll put their differences aside and give a relationship a try? We also get a sneak peek back into the world of the Pushing the Limit series as Violet and Chevy meet Isaiah and Rachel along the way.



HISTORY IS ALL YOU LEFT ME BY ADAM SILVERA
Simon & Schuster Children - 9th February

A story of grief, heartache and love. History is All You Left Me follows Griffin whose ex-boyfriend, Theo has passed away. With all the hurt Griffin is going through he ends up connecting to Jackson, Theo's boyfriend who is the only person who understands his heartache. However, Griffin's OCD is getting worse and the only way he can find himself is by opening up and fronting his past.


LIKE A MEMORY BY ABBI GLINES
Self-published - 14th February

It was only recent when Abbi announced that Seabreeze would be meeting Rosemary Beach and I was a little shook. Having only finished both series last year and now being able to read Bliss and Nate's story so soon after is possibly the best thing to happen in 2017. Bliss and Nate met when they were teenagers, fell in love for the first time. But now 10 years have passed and they're reuniting again. The only word I can think of right now for this book is heartbreak because I'm sure I'm either going to be crying or laughing and crying while wanting more.



THE HATE U GIVE BY ANGIE THOMAS
Balzer & Bray - 28th February

Inspired by the #blacklivesmatter movement, Angie Thomas had written a novel so at the heart of America that it's become a must on anyone's 2017 TBR's. The book follows 16 year old Starr who's the only witness to the murder of her friend Khalil by a police officer. When it becomes a media phenomenon, Starr's life is threatened. What she says could ruin a community, what she says could get her killed.


A COURT OF WINGS AND RUIN BY SARAH J MAAS
Bloomsbury Children's - 2nd May

I'm not sure what to say about ACOWAR as I've still yet to read A Court of Mist and Fury, however, I absolutely loved A Court of Thorns and Roses. It was one of my favourite books of 2015 and I'm super excited to continue on with Feyre's journey and also get to know Rhysand more. From what I've heard the ending of A Court of Mist and Fury left everyone's jaw dropping and eyes popped in shock so that does intrigue me to get reading it. As of now there is no cover or synopsis for book three in this retelling series.



FLAME IN THE MIST BY RENEE AHDIEH
Putnam and Juvenile - 16th May

Described and Mulan meets Ronin 47 set in Rural Japan. That was all it took to have me hooked. Mulan is one of my absolute favourite movies and it's about time we saw some more retellings surrounding the baddest Disney Heroine. From the synopsis, our main character Mariko is forced into an arranged marriage for political power, however, while on the way there they get hijacked so she pretends to be a guy and joins the Black Clan who were hired to kill her. While getting closer and closer with the Clan she discovers things that make her question everything she's ever known.


LORD OF SHADOWS BY CASSANDRA CLARE
Simon and Schuster Children's - 23rd May

I will read anything Cassandra Clare writes, including her weekly shopping lists. Who am I kidding, she probably has people who do her shopping for her. Now while I've not read Lady Midnight I am super excited for the release of Lord of Shadows. First of all the cover is absolutely gorgeous but the series also has a character named Kieran (Same as my own) and has a character that happens to be Bisexual. I'm all about diversity and Cassandra Clare just knows how to write diverse characters who happen to go through the biggest battles of their lives.


ONCE AND FOR ALL BY SARAH DESSEN
Penguin Books - June 8th

I never grew up with Sarah Dessen. In fact I never even heard of her until 2015 when people started mentioning her on Booktube. I read 'Along For the Ride' and next thing you know I was hooked on her books. Once and For All follows a girl whose life surrounds weddings since her mother is a wedding planner. She also doesn't believe in true love, not since her first love broke her heart. After meeting Ambrose, a serial dater, she starts to question whether true love does exist.



Now I know there are a lot more fantastic books coming out this year, but like I said, this will be a 2 part series with the second part being posted in June. At the minute I have my list all saved for that post but I'm just waiting on covers and some synopsis' to be revealed. Anyway, not that this post is up why don't you let me know what books you guys are excited for?

Books That Deal With Mental Illness

Back when I originally started to write this I was feeling very down. I was feeling more and more depressed over a sort period of time and I was having suicidal thoughts. I was struggling with life. My parents were noticing a change but I would just ignore it all and hope it'd go away with time. I was speaking to a friend online who made me see sense and  instead I raised the issues and decided to work on them. I'm feeling a lot better now. I'm happy as I could be, working hard to earn money to save for possibly going to University next year in 2017.

So with the feelings I had at the time, I wanted to visit some of the books that gave me a more positive view on mental health. So that's why I want to recommend some books to you guys. And in case any of you guys are having any negative thoughts, please tell someone. A friend, a family member or you can even speak to online forums: a place where I made so many amazing friends.

Now all of these books are amazing and I highly recommend them but I'm going to put these in order of how they affected me. Both personally and emotionally....



WHERE SHE WENT BY GAYLE FORMAN (IF I STAY #2)

A lot of people who's seen the 'If I Stay' movie don't know that there's actually a sequel in book form. 'If I Stay' is a good book and the movie is just as book, but 'Where She Went' really did something to be. I never connected to Adam in 'If I Stay' but him having grown up by 3 years and sadly dealing with depression in 'Where She Went' made me connect to him so much. I felt his emotions and I understood him completely, it's one of those novels that stay with you for a long time. And to this date I'm still very much in love with it. So much so that I have a necklace with a quote from the novel inside.

"You were trying so hard to be my saviour that you left me all alone."

 

 

I WAS HERE BY GAYLE FORMAN

 

Another Gayle Forman book that absolutely left me a sobbing wreck. This book is a YA Standalone that doesn't just deal with depression but also suicide and while the main character has nothing to do with those mental illness the importance of those factors isn't taken away from the novel. Gayle Forman did her research and wrote a book that everyone could connect to. The last page of 'I Was Here' isn't just a memorial but it's also a celebration of those who have lost their lives to suicide. We don't always get to have out voices but it doesn't mean that it's the end of us. Beautifully written with so much emotion and drama.

 

"I was here."

 

 

 

THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER BY MICHELLE HODKIN

 

It's unusual to have a YA Paranormal Romance series on this list but this is one of my favourite series because of how well Michelle Hodkin splits them both up but makes them the same. The series follows an incredibly insane narrator, she's someone you

can't trust. While the book has supernatural things going on, it also stays realistic in the mental health side. It's beautifully romantic but a complete and utter mind fuck. That's what keeps you going with this series.

 

"Thinking something does not make it true. Wanting something does not make it real."

 

 

 

PUSHING THE LIMITS BY KATIE MCGARRY

 

'Pushing the Limits' deals with a lot of different mental illnesses but the main one it deals with is grief. Our main character, Echo is still trying to get over her older brother's death. The one person who she knew she could trust on. However, it also dealt with other issues that were very well written and researched. Its one of the things I love about Katie McGarry, she does physical research into her stories. She goes that extra mile. 'Pushing the Limits' is emotional and brave. It's beautiful and realistic. It's a book that everyone can relate to.

 

“I've already lost a piece of my mind. I can't trust you with what's left.” 

 

 

 

AM I NORMAL YET? BY HOLLY BOURNE

 

I, myself didn't rate this book highly but it wasn't due to it being badly written or the parts dealing with mental illness were not realistic. I had other reasons. But Am I Normal Yet? is possibly one of the best book to read about Anxiety. The way Holly depicts the feelings is so realistic. You feel exactly what the character is feeling and it was nice being able to find a story that I related to so well. The book follows a college student called Evie who's just trying to live a normal life, making friends and dating boys. But the issue is, Evie has anxiety and also suffers with OCD.

 

“Everyone's on the cliff edge of normal. Everyone finds life an utter nightmare sometimes, and there's no 'normal' way of dealing with it... There is no normal, Evelyn.”  

 

 

 

 

What books would you recommend that deal with mental illness?

Let me know in the comments!

Review: Walk The Edge by Katie McGarry

Title: Walk The Edge (Thunder Road #2)
Author: Katie McGarry
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: Mira Ink
Published: March 10th 2016
Page Number: 442
Rating: 3.5/5

Summary:
One moment of recklessness will change their worlds

Smart. Responsible. That's seventeen-year-old Breanna's role in her large family, and heaven forbid she put a toe out of line. Until one night of shockingly un-Breanna-like behavior puts her into a vicious cyber-bully's line of fire—and brings fellow senior Thomas "Razor" Turner into her life.

Razor lives for the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, and good girls like Breanna just don't belong. But when he learns she's being blackmailed over a compromising picture of the two of them—a picture that turns one unexpected and beautiful moment into ugliness—he knows it's time to step outside the rules.

And so they make a pact: he'll help her track down her blackmailer, and in return she'll help him seek answers to the mystery that's haunted him—one that not even his club brothers have been willing to discuss. But the more time they spend together, the more their feelings grow. And suddenly they're both walking the edge of discovering who they really are, what they want, and where they're going from here.

REVIEW

After reading and loving the first book in this series, Nowhere But Here I was really excited to read Razor's story. Mainly because he was a very mysterious character that seemed to hide a lot of his personality behind being snarky and I really wanted to know more about him and why he acted that way.

I'll be starting this off by saying that this wasn't my favourite Katie McGarry novel, however, it's still a great, entertaining read that kept me glued to the pages. I felt sad for Breanna because she's intelligent and way mature for her age and being told she couldn't go for her dreams because no one would be there to look out for her younger siblings. Especially when her siblings treated her so horribly and her parents barely took the time to get to know the Breanna she was now. Her relationship with Razor is looked against in a bad way due to the reputation of the Motorcycle club but if anything I think Breanna's parents should have been thankful for Razor. He brought her out of her shell and she was finally being true to herself. And that reminded me of Rachel when she met Isaiah in Crash Into You.

Which leads me onto another thing I massively love about Katie McGarry's stories: her characters are always stripped back, raw and honest with inner turmoil going on. Some of the scenes in this book left me shocked, mouth wide open. Especially, when Razor was seeking out answers to his mother's death, and everything seemed to point to the Reign of Terror. I just didn't know who was telling the truth. Why people were keeping their mouths shut?

I really liked the chapters where Oz and Emily appeared. I loved them so much and they're also one of my favourite book couples. The ending in Nowhere But Here was a little rushed for my liking, however, I really appreciated the ending for Razor in this story. It was beautiful and showed a lot of significance for both Razor and Olivia. It had a lot of meaning.

Overall this is another good book in this series, I'm excited to see what will happen in the third - and possibly final book - of the series, Long Way Home. I love Chevy and Violet so I'm excited to be able to see a little into their past.

Buy the book (Wordery) | Buy the book (Book Depository)

Recommending Summer Reads | Top 5 Wednesday

So I'm back doing a Top 5 Wednesday post. As you all know I used to do these all the time and absolutely LOVED taking part since the topics were always so diverse. Now, I don't know if I'll be posting one every week, but if I see a topic that I really love then I certainly will. Since the last time I posted about T5W there has been a major change and that is that Lainey no longer hosts it. As most would know, Lainey created Top 5 Wednesday but has decided to take a break from hosting T5W and the hosting job has been handed over to Sam over at Thoughts on Tomes

TOPIC: SUMMER READS

 

 

ALONG FOR THE RIDE BY SARAH DESSEN

Sarah Dessen doesn't seem to be as well known in the UK as she is in the US, but I was so happy I got persuaded to read Along for the Ride, it's a fantastic contemporary book that deals with real life issues. Not only that but the romance was so adorable.


MY LIFE NEXT DOOR BY HUNTLEY FITSPATRICK

Recently published in the UK, I decided to reread the book and it's just as good as the first time I read it. Sam and Jace are one of my favourite book couple of all time and I love the family orientation in this novel. My Life Next Door is dramatic as much as it is romantic and funny.


DID I MENTION I LOVE YOU? BY ESTELLE MASKAME

Step-sibling romance is certainly not something I'm comfortable with, however, Estelle just knows how to craft a well done YA book. It may help that she happens to be a teenager herself. What's great is that she captures everything so well and leaves you wanting more. And the best thing about this? It's a 3 book series, so always more Tyler.


NOWHERE BUT HERE BY KATIE MCGARRY

Nowhere but Here is basically a YA version of 'Sons of Anarchy' but in book form and with a hot romance to boot. I love the grittiness of this series and I can't wait for book 3 to be published next year.

 

 

LORALI BY LAURA DOCKRILL

 

Lorali is one of the most beautiful, enigmatic novels I have ever had the pleasure of reading. It's deep and haunting and a complete summer read. A boy finds a naked girl on the beach who may not seem so human.

 

 

 

 

What books would you recommend for summer reading?

Let me know in the comments!

Review: Nowhere but Here by Katie McGarry

Title: Nowhere but Here
Author: Katie McGarry
Genre: Mature Young Adult
Publisher: Mira Ink
Published: June 4th 2015
Page Number: 496
Rating: 4/5

Summary:

Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she's curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn't mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.

Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They're the good guys. They protect people. They're…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club's most respected member—is in town, he's gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it's his shot at his dream. What he doesn't count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down.

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.  

REVIEW

 

I'm a really big fan of Katie McGarry's so when I heard about her new series that was being described as West Side Story meets Sons of Anarchy, I knew I had to read it. And what I got after I finished was a book filled with sizzling chemistry, comedy and drama.

 

The story started with immediate intrigue and it only got more and more interesting. Emily is a character that I related to in so many ways: she has quite a high standard of opinions but isn't afraid to see the other side either. She's also perfectly happy (or so she thinks) with her life, her home, her friends, everything. Her reactions to her fathers motorcycle club (and the very specific, yet hilarious scene in the beginning) just had me laughing along. In fact I had no idea if I should be laughing or screaming with her.

 

When Emily meets Oz it isn't lust at first sight, neither is it love at first sight. It's more like a hated attraction at first sight, from both parties. Emily thinks Oz is very attractive and thinks the whole biker image suits him, whereas Oz thinks Emily is completely gorgeous but completely out of place. Everything was set out perfectly for them because despite their differences there was a shit ton of sexual tension. And it was magical, perfect!

 

The book, despite being 480 pages didn't feel like it was that size because I absolutely flew through the book. I honestly thought I had read a book that was 300 pages long because there was so much drama that I continued to flip those pages like I was a drug addict and the book was the best drugs on the market.

 

However. No book is perfect because there were times where I wished we'd see a little more interaction with her biological father. The relationship was...different between them since they only saw each other once every year, but I would've liked something more with them, even if it was only hints of their shopping trip together. But overall, I really enjoyed this book. It not only made me like motorcycle gangs, but I now want to ride a motorcycle and feel the wind in my hair and it falls into my face.

 

If any of you guys are having major Sons of Anarchy withdrawals then you need to bloody pick this book up and live it all. And if you've not watched Sons of Anarchy, well, still pick up the book!

 

 

 

Buy the book (Waterstones) | Buy the book (Book Depository)

 

My Favourite Books of 2014

So I am pretty sure that 2014 was a great year for reading, especially for me. I had a 3 month reading slump from March - June and I still have managed to read around 116 books, which is just so insane. So, to celebrate coming to the end of 2014 I have decided to show you my top 10 books that I read in 2014.

 

 

10. The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness - 5/5

 

9. Insurgent by Veronica Roth - 5/5

 

8. The Host by Stephenie Meyer - 5/5

 

7. Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman - 5/5

 

6. The Queen of Zombie Hearts by Gena Showalter - 5/5

 

5. City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare - 5/5

 

4. The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin - 5/5

 

3. Where She Went by Gayle Forman - 5/5

 

2. Slammed by Colleen Hoover - 5/5

 

1. Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry - 5/5

 

 

Honorary Mentions

 

I Was Here by Gayle Forman - 5/5

 

This book comes out next month on the 29th and I'm so excited for you all to read it, because it was an outstanding novel.

 

Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott - 4/5

 

I loved how nostalgic this book was. It was written well and I'm so excited for the sequel, Salt and Stone.

 

Wonder by R J Palacio - 5/5

 

This is a book that every child should read because it details the important message of acceptance.

 

"Don't fit in when you were born to stand out"

 

 

What were some of your favourite books of 2014?



Top 5 Wednesday: Favourite Re-Reads

Top 5 Wednesday was set up by Lainey over at GingerReadsLainey. Every week you have a new topic and you pick your top 5 choices for each topic. This is done in Vlogs, but I think it will be great for Bloggers to do as well. Today's topic is our Favourite books to re-read. I don't know if it's books you like to re-read over Christmas or just favourite books to re-read, so I'm going with the one that makes sense to me.

 

So, there are actually only two books that I re-read because I use them for writing inspiration. Beautiful Disaster is the book that got me wanting to write New Adult Fiction and going back to it inspires me with my male characters, because I sometimes write them a little too feminine. Pushing the Limits is used for the emotions and relationship. Katie McGarry knows how to punch someone in the gut with feelings!

 

These are 3 books that I am hoping to re-read in the year of 2015. the Divergent trilogy because the Insurgent movie comes out in March, Angelfall and World After so I can prepare for the third and final book, and Prisoner of Night and Fog because I was in a high reading slump when I read it.

 

 

What books have to re-read the most? Which ones do you plan on re-reading?

Book Blitz: Breaking the Rules by Katie McGarry

Breaking the Rules (Pushing the Limits #1.5)

by Katie McGarry 

Release Date: 12/08/14

Harlequin Teen

Summary from Goodreads:

A summer road trip changes everything in this unforgettable new tale from acclaimed author Katie McGarry.

For new high school graduate Echo Emerson, a summer road trip out west with her boyfriend means getting away and forgetting what makes her so... different. It means seeing cool sights while selling her art at galleries along the way. And most of all, it means almost three months alone with Noah Hutchins, the hot, smart, soul-battered guy who’s never judged her. Echo and Noah share everything — except the one thing Echo’s just not ready for.

But when the source of Echo’s constant nightmares comes back into her life, she has to make some tough decisions about what she really wants — even as foster kid Noah’s search for his last remaining relatives forces them both to confront some serious truths about life, love, and themselves.

Now, with one week left before college orientation, jobs and real life, Echo must decide if Noah's more than the bad-boy fling everyone warned her he'd be. And the last leg of an amazing road trip will turn... seriously epic.

Available for Pre-Order:
    
 

Books in the series:
(covers linked to Goodreads)
    

Excerpt From Noah’s Point of View

“Me and you,” I whisper, hoping my words will sink into her subconscious, beyond where she overthinks. “It’s how it’s supposed to be.”

Echo’s hand glides over mine, and she links our fingers together. “You like disturbing my sleep, don’t you?”

I kiss her shoulder, permitting my lips to linger on her soft skin. Guess I did wake her. “Just keeping things straight between us.”

“In my sleep?” Damn, I love that groggy voice.

“You argue less that way.”

About the Author

KATIE MCGARRY was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, and reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

Katie would love to hear from her readers. Contact her via her website, katielmcgarry.com, follow her on Twitter @KatieMcGarry, or become a fan on Facebook and Goodreads.

Author Links:
   

GIVEAWAY:

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Book Blitz Organized by:

Review: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

"Each and every word flies off the page and into your heart, because that is what a Katie McGarry book will do to you, it'll make you fall in love."

Title: Pushing the Limits
Author: Katie McGarry
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Mira Ink
Published: July 31st 2012
Page Number: 392

Summary:

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.

But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

Review:

It's a shock that I've never reviewed a Katie McGarry book on my blog because she is one of my favourite authors. Pushing the Limit is a story that I can relate to on a personal level and I've read it twice already since reading it a near year ago.

In Pushing the Limits, Katie McGarry weaves the tale of two broken souls who find that home is where your heart is despite the obvious differences. Each and every word flies off the page and into your heart, because that is what a Katie McGarry book will do to you, it'll make you fall in love.

Katie McGarry has a way with words and what I love most is that Katie McGarry writes a male character as an actual guy. Noah doesn't say that Echo is cute and has sparkling eyes, instead he does what a normal sixteen/seventeen year old would do. He talks about how big her boobs are. I've never been one to really connect with a straight male character, but with Noah I did. I understood every single thing he did because he did it all for love. He loved his brothers enough to try and get them back. He loved Echo enough to try and win her back and stand my her side. He loved his friends enough that he'd always stay by their side, no matter what they went through. He's a bad boy with a good heart.

Echo is a whole different subject. I didn't just understand her, I lived through her. Everything that Echo felt since that accident I have felt. Worthless, useless, stupid. Echo is none of that. She just needed Noah to make her realise what she has in life. Noah became to part of her heart that healed her. He became her pain relief. Her addiction. They shared a love like no other and if you read any review of a Katie McGarry book you'll always read: How does Katie McGarry write such beautiful, yet truthful stories? I cannot answer that, only Katie can, but once you find out it wouldn't surprise you at all. 

I just cannot say enough about both Pushing the Limits and Katie McGarry. She is one of the nicest authors ever. I've tweeted her a lot about her series and every tweet made, she has replied too. She's grateful to all her readers and it's nice to see an author who's vocal about it.

I love this book so much and it's no shock that I gave it a full five stars. In fact, I'd give it a million heart breaking stars.

This series is sadly ending on December 8th when Echo and Noah's story is continued on in Breaking the Rules. The rest of the companion series are out as well: Dare You To, Crash into You and Take Me On.

 

Buy the book here:

 

Amazon | Book Depository

Top 5 Wednesday: Red Covers!

Top 5 Wednesday was set up by Lainey over at GingerReadsLainey. Every week you have a new topic and you pick your top 5 choices for each topic. This is done in Vlogs, but I think it will be great for Bloggers to do as well. This week's topic is Red Covers, which if I'm honest I don't own many red covers, so most of these will be books with red on the cover. I hope you like the new format. Anyway, lets get this going.....

The Suitcase Kid by Jacqueline Wilson - This was a childhood favourite of mine, but I just love the cover. It's eye-catching and shows what the book is all about without giving away any important details.

Half Bad by Sally Green - I've yet to read this book, but the cover is absolutely beautiful. And it's double sided, which means it has one design on the front (black with red face) and on the back it has the same design, but it's white with a red face.

Red at Midnight by Katie McGarry - I love Katie McGarry, but this short story is beautiful and so is that cover. It's very autumnal, which is perfect because we are currently in Autumn. The mix of red and brown leaves and the grave yard just sets the perfect tone for the book.

Talon by Julie Kagawa - I'm not a big fantasy fan, but look at that cover! It's beautiful, simple and unique. I love the colour of the red and the scales. Just......gawd! I cannot say anything bad about this cover. It's gorgeous.

A Grimm Warning by Chris Colfer - I've yet to read this series as well, but I want to start it soon. The thing with middle grade is that all the covers are gorgeous, but none are better than The Land of Stories. Every single cover is beautiful and detailed. Once again, this cover is very autumnal with the mixture of red, brown, green and yellow. I also happen to be a huge Gleek.

What are your favourite books with red covers?

Cover Reveal: Breaking the Rules by Katie McGarry

Title: Breaking the Rules

Author: Katie McGarry

Publishers: MiraInk (HarlequinTeen)

Format: E-book

Date: 30th December

Summary:

A summer road trip changes everything in this unforgettable new tale from acclaimed author Katie McGarry

For new high school graduate Echo Emerson, a summer road trip out west with her boyfriend means getting away and forgetting what makes her so... different. It means seeing cool sights while selling her art at galleries along the way. And most of all, it means almost three months alone with Noah Hutchins, the hot, smart, soul-battered guy who’s never judged her. Echo and Noah share everything — except the one thing Echo’s just not ready for.

But when the source of Echo’s constant nightmares comes back into her life, she has to make some tough decisions about what she really wants — even as foster kid Noah’s search for his last remaining relatives forces them both to confront some serious truths about life, love, and themselves.

Now, with one week left before college orientation, jobs and real life, Echo must decide if Noah's more than the bad-boy fling everyone warned her he'd be. And the last leg of an amazing road trip will turn... seriously epic.

My views:

I love this cover and I am so excited for the release later this year. Pushing the Limits is one of my all time favourite Contemporary books, so now that their story is continuing I am very happy. My only hatred is that it doesn't come out as a physical book.

Want to read a preview of Chapter 1? Read it here

Preorder Links:

 

Amazon | Book Depo

Top 5 Wednesday: Author Blurbs

Top 5 Wednesday was set up by Lainey over at GingerReadsLainey. Every week you have a new topic and you pick your top 5 choices for each topic. This is done in Vlogs, but I think it will be great for Bloggers to do as well. Today's topic is Top Author Blurbs. I have a great selection ranging from Dystopia and Contemporary.

So here are my top 5 picks for Author Blurbs.



FIFTH PLACE: Irish Independent for If I Stay by Gayle Forman

"Sometimes painful, other times funny but always touching, If I Stay is a remarkably fresh and compelling piece of work. It's a book with a real heart, a book that makes you feel truly grateful to be alive."  I chose this one because I agreed with everything that was said. If I Stay is a book that makes you feel grateful to be alive, but not only that, it makes you cherish everything you have.



FOURTH PLACE: James Dashner for Divergent by Veronica Roth

"Divergent is a captivating, fascinating book that kept me in constant suspense and was never short on surprises. It will be long time before I quit thinking about this haunting vision of the future." James Dashner wraps everything I would've said in two sentences. It's been six months since I first read it and it's always on my mind. The world building. The characters. The fact that being separated after a war. It's very realistic. Ps, if it does happen let me be in Dauntless.



THIRD PLACE: Jennifer Echols for Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

"McGarry details the sexy highs, the devastating lows and the real work it takes to build true love." Love is something that needs to be worked on every day. There is always something that challenges you and in this book Echo and Noah defied the odds and showed everyone what a real relationship is. It's not about popularity or sex. It's about overcoming each and every challenge together.




SECOND PLACE: John Green for Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

"Reminded me not just what it's like to be young and in love with a girl, but what it's like to be young and in love with a book." Everything is perfect with this blurb apart from the girl part - it'd be boy for me - Eleanor and Park is a book you can fall in love over and over again with. It's beautifully written with flawed, diverse characters. It's exactly what the YA community needed. Two people are aren't afraid to stand out.




FIRST PLACE: Lindsay Cummings for Slated by Teri Terry

"Everything I have been looking for in a book: suspense, mind-bending mystery, romance and just the right amount of Science-Fiction." We all know that Lindsay Cummings likes the darker side of books. But I have to completely agree with her on this one. This book had me on the edge of my seat. I was turning the pages faster than I would eating a bar of chocolate. I was addicted.





I'm always asked what my favourite quote is from Divergent and I always reply with that I have too many because the book is so addictive. But I do have a favourite from it and I'm going to show you it in the form of a GIF. A Theo James shirtless GIF. Enjoy!

 

 

Now let me know down below in the comment section what your favourite author blurbs are. They can be blurbs your blog friends have done, one a newspaper have done or ones that an author has done. Any blurb is more or less a good blurb.

Book Covers: UK vs US

So this is going to be a monthly series from me. Every month I will show you three different books with the UK and US Covers. All you have to do is decide which one you like more, of course, I will have my own opinion. But there is no right or wrong answer. And as I am from the UK myself, the UK covers will be shown on the left and the US covers on the right.

 
 






















In my opinion the UK covers are better. The US ones are very cliché; the perfect people. But what I also dislike about the US covers are that it shows you what the characters look like which you may disagree with and think the models do not suit the characters. Whereas the UK cover is simple but eye-catching at the same time. The yellow/green really stands out.




The UK cover is okay I guess, but the only thing I really hate about it is that the male model is the guy who is on the cover of the Lux Series by Jennifer Armentrout. Also the bright light blue font is really hideous. It could be a bit darker. The US cover is okay as well. I'm not in love with it, but out of the both the US cover wins hands down. It has a bit more to it then the UK cover.

The clear winner is the UK cover. It's so much nicer than the US edition and it also stands out and shows the storyline a bit more. What really stands out to me is the eye colour and the typography. It really adds a great amount of depth to the story. As for the US cover, I like it but I feel like it's too busy with the typography.



So these are the three books I picked. What did you think? Do you agree or disagree with me? Then tell me why.