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!

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