Top 5 Beach Reads - July 2015

The beach has always been my number-one, favorite place to read. I've never gone on vacation without an armload of books. While I was packing for a quick day trip to the Shore last week, I thought about what made a great beach read. It doesn't have to be a book that takes place at the beach, necessarily.

Here's a Top 5 List for great beach reads for Summer 2015. Let me know what you're reading--especially while you're on vacation!

How to Be a Grown-Up 

by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

These are the authors who wrote one of my favorite contemporaries, The Nanny Diaries, so I was thrilled to see they had a new book out this summer. Rory, a set designer and single mom, takes a job with a start up digital media site led by two twenty-somethings right out of B-school. This book is hilarious in how it points out the absurd job market and how it values experience over technology and functionality. 

If The Nanny Diaries was an eye-opening take on high-power Manhattan moms, How to Be a Grown-Up looks at the women who are still struggling to make the leap into grown-upness well after their thirties. 

Maybe In Another Life 

by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Hannah is also another character struggling to settle and put down roots. Approaching thirty, Hannah moves home to Los Angeles to escape the aftermath of an affair with a married man in New York. On her first night home, she goes out with her best friend Gabby and runs into her old high school boyfriend Ethan. Who does she go home with? The novel splits into two concurrent stories based on Hannah's decision.

This is a great book for anyone who likes to play the What If game. The back-and-forth storyline isn't hard to follow and there are a lot of hints dropped between the two stories to put together a full picture of Hannah's missed opportunities. Plus, Hannah is HILARIOUS. Imagine a less aggressive Amy Shumer.

On the Island 

by Tracey Garvis-Graves

If you're looking for a half-survival story/half-taboo romance, grab On the Island. When their plane goes down in the Indian Ocean, teenager TJ and his summer tutor Anna are stranded on a deserted island. On the Island has plenty of suspense with Anna and TJ falling to illness, injuries, and sharks, but the romantic element is what most people talk about. With TJ maturing and aging into his early 20s, romance blooms between the two characters. It's definitely a guilty pleasure book that will have you turning the pages.

Saint Anything 

by Sarah Dessen

Sarah Dessen will always equal beach read for me, even when the story isn't set in her fictional beach town of Colby. Saint Anything is a darker book for Dessen, but will have the same engrossing cross-over appeal with teens and adults as her other books. When Sydney's brother is sent to jail for drunk driving, her parents put all the focus on him as he serves out his sentence. Sydney continues to feel like the invisible child until she befriends the Chathams, a family who owns a nearby pizza shop. Embraced by a new best friend who is obsessed with french fries and her cute, protective brother, Sydney finally feels seen. 

Second Star 
by Alyssa B. Sheinmel
Interview
In the search for her missing surfer brothers, Wendy Darling is caught up between the somewhat-childish, straight-laced Pete and drug dealer Jas and their turf war for the beach. This is a contemporary Peter Pan retelling with a touch of dark magic set on the California coast. Alyssa B. Sheinmel did a fantastic job capturing the magic and adventure of surf culture, and drew some pretty awesome comparisons between those who don't follow a traditional academic path to college, opting for adventure. In SECOND STAR's case, boys who want to follow the waves so they can catch the biggest ones.

SECOND STAR spins the story of Peter Pan on its ear, with appearances by Belle, Nanna, but leaves the crocodiles at home. Overall, a strong contemporary retelling full of romance, adventure and mystique, and perfect for the beach.

My Most Anticipated Books in 2015

Hooray! A new pub year is upon us! Here are the books I can't wait to get my grubby hands on.

Skyscraping by Cordelia Jensen

The Devil You Know by Trish Doller

Violent Ends by Shaun Hutchinson

And here are the 2015 books that I can completely vouch for, because I've read the ARCs and they are amaaaazing!

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Review

The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand

Review

Under A Painted Sky by Stacey Lee

Review

Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows

My Favorite Books from 2014

Oooo...I love end of year lists! One of my favorite things to do is look back and read about all the great books and music and events from the last year.

This year, I've crushed my GoodReads reading challenge goal of 60 books. I'm currently sitting on 125 books read--the most I've ever read in my entire life. Of all those books, here are my favorites in 2014.

Second Star by Alyssa B. Sheinmel
GoodReads
My Review
Interview with Alyssa

I love Peter Pan retellings, and did not think anything could ever top Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson..until I read Second Star. Set on the coast of California with surfer kids fighting over beach turf, SECOND STAR spins the story of Peter Pan on its ear, with appearances by Belle, Nanna, but leaves the crocodiles at home. Overall, a strong contemporary retelling full of romance, adventure and mystique.

The Walled City by Ryan Graudin
GoodReads
My Review

After all the BEA buzz about this title, I was thrilled to get an eARC from LBKids! Based on the walled city of Kowloon Walled City in China, The Walled City delivered a heart breaking story about three teens entrapped within it. The pacing was fast, the characters so real, and the writing was beautiful.

Like No Other by Una LaMarche
GoodReads
My Review

I read Like No Other in one sitting. I picked it up at ALA Midwinter and couldn't wait to crack it open--and rightfully so. Publishers Weekly, Indie Next, the Junior Library Guild, Los Angeles Times and Entertainment Weekly all had Like No Other on their lists.

Star-crossed romances were kinda my thing this year, and this one was my favorite. I loved how Devorah and Jaxon met and the romance that blossomed between them. Think West Side Story in Brooklyn.

Plus One by Elizabeth Fama
GoodReads
Interview with Elizabeth

I admit that I fell in love with the cover first--and the story did not disappoint. When overpopulation becomes a problem, society's conclusion is to split society into shifts: those who live in the day (Rays) and those who live at night (Smudges). This was a star-crossed love story that trips into a government conspiracy.

Wildflower, by Alecia Whitaker

GoodReads

There's been a lot books out this year about celebrity main characters (or their friends), but this one was my favorite. Bird is young and a little naive, but full of talent and has a good heart. She balances her struggle to follow her dream with the responsibilities she feels for her friends and family. This one has a sequel out next year and I really want to continue reading Bird's journey.

Top 5 - Vacation Reads

It's been a while since I've done a Top 5 list! After much deliberation and angst, I've narrowed down my vacation reads. These fine books win the vacation of a lifetime aboard Carnival Cruise lines. They'll bask by the Lido deck, soaking in the rays from the Caribbean sun and the occasional smear of my SPF 50+.

The winners are:

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
GoodReads

Ever since The Last Time We Say Goodbye left me with an epic book hangover, I knew I would definitely take this one--and it would most likely be the book I crack open first. Cynthia's writing is gorgeous and I can't get enough of it.

Shooting Stars: My life as a paparazza by Jennifer Buhl
GoodReads

I picked this one up at ALA last January and unfortunately didn't get to read as quickly as I wanted. I love that it's an autobiography about the world of paparazzi and should fend off all my TMZ addictions while I am away from the Internet. I hear Adrian Grenier makes an appearance too--so!

All That Glows by Ryan Graudin
GoodReads

I don't care what anyone says--I love faeries. I love that this is a twist on gender in that the girl soldier is sent to protect the prince. And I love that it's a Ryan Graudin book because The Walled City was absolute perfection.

Shadow and Bone by Lauren Bardugo
GoodReads

I am so late to the party. I am beyond late. Like, I got there and crumbled SOLO cups were all over the yard and the only people left were puking in the bushes. I'm finally getting to this one.

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
GoodReads

HAHA! But I am so early to this party! Half of me wants to go, "Nah nah nah! Look what I have!" and the other half is like, "Be an adult, Valerie. It's just a book." But I'm excited to dive into this one....and I'm considering leaving it on the cruise ship for someone else to enjoy (Carnival Glory, just saying).

Top 5 - My Most Abused Books

You could say that I have a bad reputation for being a bit less pristine with my books. In my defense, I would like to point out that a broken spine and the occasional dog-eared page does NOT make me what some would call "a book abuser."

Of the bajillions of books on my shelf, there's only a few I would say are in "bad shape." So I thought I'd make a list of my...

Top 5 (but really only 4) - Most Abused Books

Possibly my most favorite abused book is Deb Caletti's THE STORY OF US because I took it to the beach in Key West and gave it a little suntan. Sand between its pages, a cover that crinkles up no matter how much I try to flatten it--this is not the worst damage. Oh no, I took a pen to this one. Deb has such incredible prose, I needed to underline and bracket whole passages. It was like a reading "OH YEAH!"

Next is my copy of Jeffrey Eugenides' MIDDLESEX, which I inherited from my mom. She dropped it in the bathtub, which made the book balloon out. You can see the wrinkles across the pages, and where the glue is giving away. Lots of loose pages! Which didn't help when I read it with the cover folded back.

I found Nicholas Sparks' AT FIRST SIGHT while BFF Kelly and I were walking around Manhattan one fine spring day. It was leaning up against a stoop, Rock the Drop style and I freaked! I have never found a book out and about. Someone loved it and wanted to share it with me! So what if it leans like the Leaning Tower of Pisa (I totally spelled that as Pizza before spellcheck--don't judge me!).

I saved the worst for last: My copy of Joan Lowery Nixon's THE OTHER SIDE OF DARK. I have owned this book since I was twelve. You can see how much it was loved: dumped into book bags, slid between car seats and shoved under beds by the cover wear (and missing corner on the lower right side). It's well-loved pages are not only dog-eared, but water damaged from being stored in a cardboard box in a damp basement. This gives it that mealy feel when you turn those pages. Plus, look at those ripples! 

Books That Hooked

There is nothing better than reading a good hook. It's what grabs you and holds you down and makes you finish reading this last page...this one last chapter...okay, wait. Just let me finish the whole thing...

Here are my TOP FIVE BOOKS THAT HOOKED!

TIGER LILY, Jodi Lynn Anderson

From GoodReads: Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair. . . .Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell. Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.

What Hooked Me: The prologue. Seriously. Specifically, the line "The rest is all stories, and stories have been put in their place." Tiger Lily is a Peter Pan retelling about Tiger Lily, the girl Peter dumped for Wendy Darling, as narrated by Tinker Bell. This is one of those books where if I say too much, it ruins the story. But the story is amazingly good. The kind where you finish it late at night and stare up at your ceiling clutching your pillow until you can breathe again and fall asleep. Pick this one up immediately.



WHERE THE STARS STILL SHINE, Trish Doller

From GoodReads: Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She's never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from laundromat vending machines. Her dreams are haunted by memories she’d like to forget completely. But when Callie’s mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie’s real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life, in a small town in Florida, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love--even with someone who seems an improbable choice--is more than just a possibility.

What Hooked Me: Yeah, you read that right. It's Trish Doller's NEW book. To be fair, I have not read the entire book--YET. I got to sneak a peek at the first chapter, and I'm not even kidding, I will throw down Hunger Games style for this book. I was hooked that quickly. I'm completely fascinated by the premise of this girl who was kidnapped and then returned to her family and must reacclimate everything in her life. This book feels like it's going to be a YA version of The Deep End Of The Ocean (also, Melanie Griffith is awesome in the movie version!). Trish writes amazing premises. Seriously, if you get an ARC, tell me so I can try to convince you to call me and read me the book over Skype.



NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL, Siobhan Vivian

From GoodReads: Natalie Sterling wants to be in control. She wants her friends to be loyal. She wants her classmates to elect her student council president. She wants to find the right guy, not the usual jerk her school has to offer. She wants a good reputation, because she believes that will lead to good things. But life is messy, and it's very hard to be in control of it. Not when there are freshman girls running around in a pack, trying to get senior guys to sleep with them. Not when your friends have secrets they're no longer comfortable sharing. Not when the boy you once dismissed ends up being the boy you want to sleep with yourself - but only in secret, with nobody ever finding out. Slut or saint? Winner or loser? Natalie is getting tired of these forced choices - and is now going to find a way to live life in the sometimes messy, sometimes wonderful in-between.

What Hooked Me: I am obsessed with Election. For all of us over-achieving, uptight, driven-to-succeed Tracey Flicks out there, this is the book where love smacks us in our face and throws our entire world off its axis. Especially if that love is from the hot high school quarterback. I loved this book. LOVED. Siobhan writes really great flirty and romantic scenes. I love how she balances the main character's secret romance around the opposing sides of new and old feminism. And Conner is dreamy.



WANDERLOVE, Kirsten Hubbard

From GoodReads: It all begins with a stupid question: Are you a Global Vagabond? No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path. Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward. But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.

What Hooked Me: Okay, I admit it. Traveling anywhere scares me. I'm one of those people who like to see the world safely from behind a book. In WANDERLOVE, Kirsten Hubbard makes it easy for me to jump on a plane and experience the world with her characters. I was hooked by Kirsten's descriptions of all the cool places Bria traveled in Central America and the small travel tips thrown in about how to backpack it. It doesn't hurt that the main character is tagging along with a mysterious, cute guy either!



AMPLIFIED, Tara Kelly

From GoodReads: When privileged 17-year-old Jasmine gets kicked out of her house, she takes what is left of her savings and flees to Santa Cruz to pursue her dream of becoming a musician. Jasmine finds the ideal room in an oceanfront house, but she needs to convince the three guys living there that she's the perfect roommate and lead guitarist for their band, C-Side. Too bad she has major stage fright and the cute bassist doesn't think a spoiled girl from over the hill can hack it. . .

What Hooked Me: I love band books, and this one hit all the right notes for me. I loved how Tara opened this book with a girl whose car had just broken down moments after striking out to prove her father wrong. I loved how Jasmine was both determined and scared to go after her dreams. I loved how awesome the friends she found were. And I really loved Sean. Oh, Sean. What is it about bass players?

What about you? What books have hooked you lately?

Top Five I Was Not Expecting That

Have you ever picked up a book and looked at the cover or read the jacket and then, once you started reading, realized the book was completely different than what you were expecting?

I do that ALL the time. And, usually, I'm pretty pleasantly surprised by what I find so I put together...

Top Five I-Was-Not-Expecting-That Books

My Life Next Door, Huntley Fitzpatrick
From GoodReads: The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

What I was expecting: Quaint summer romance and a secret that tears the main character and her love interest apart. Reviewers on GoodReads kept comparing it to Sarah Dessen so I thought the romance would be sweet (which it is) and PG.

What I found instead: So...this book is HOT! Like, Jennifer Echols hot. Don't let that pretty yellow cover fool you, there are very sexy scenes in this one. Mind you, they are all still PG-13 and very fade-to-black, but there were a few jaw-dropping moments for me. Well done, Huntley. Well done!


Incarnate, Jodi Meadows 
From GoodReads: Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why. Even Ana's own mother thinks she's a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she'll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame? Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

What I was expecting: I knew it was a fantasy and there would be dragons and reincarnation and probably fighting or running or swords. Possibly magic.

What I found instead: This book gets a lot of attention for the masquerade scene, but I would like to address The Honey. Yes, the honey. You see, Ana is an adorable main character. She's grown up incredibly sheltered and has experienced pretty much nothing in her short 18 years compared to everyone's thousands of incarnated years. It's awesome watching her taking off on her own and experiencing the world around her. Also, there is this wonderful, adorable scene where Sam gives her a jar of honey and it's basically the sweetest thing I've ever read.


Something Like Normal, Trish Doller 
From GoodReads: When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.

What I was expecting: Uh, what were you expecting? Trish Doller not to make one of my Top 5 lists? When I first picked up Something Like Normal, I thought it was going to be a straight military romance. Think Dear John. With Channing. I mean, Travis.

What I found instead: This book has so much depth and character development and heart. The sexy romp I was anticipating became so much more. The situation Travis' comes home to from Afganistan is so relatable, and the supporting characters felt familiar and real. I know I joke about Travis being my book boyfriend (he is) and how I love Harper for punching him in the face (I do), but I think what I really love about this book is how real it feels and how Trish pulls you right into a contemporary story that could easily be happening as close to you as next door.


Jellicoe Road, Melina Marchetta 
From GoodReads: Abandoned by her mother on Jellicoe Road when she was eleven, Taylor Markham 17, finally confronts her past. Hannah, the closest adult she has to family, disappears. Jonah Griggs, moody stares and all, is back in town. If Taylor can put together the pieces of her past, she might just be able to change her future.

What I was expecting: Everyone (*Ahem* DAHLIA) kept saying "just get past the first 100 confusing pages and it starts to get really good." No one defined what "good" was though.

What I found instead: Um, I did not expect to CRY MY ASS OFF! And then email Agent Lauren at 1:30 in the morning confessing that I was sobbing in bed and it was all her fault for making me read this book. It's the good kind of cry though, the kind that rips into your soul and makes you feel all the feels. Read this one.


The Girl Who Chased The Moon, Sarah Addison Allen 
From GoodReads: Emily Benedict has come to Mullaby, North Carolina, hoping to solve at least some of the riddles surrounding her mother’s life. But the moment Emily enters the house where her mother grew up and meets the grandfather she never knew, she realizes that mysteries aren’t solved in Mullaby, they’re a way of life: Here are rooms where the wallpaper changes to suit your mood. Unexplained lights skip across the yard at midnight. And a neighbor, Julia Winterson, bakes hope in the form of cakes, not only wishing to satisfy the town’s sweet tooth but also dreaming of rekindling the love she fears might be lost forever. Can a hummingbird cake really bring back a lost love? Is there really a ghost dancing in Emily’s backyard? The answers are never what you expect. But in this town of lovable misfits, the unexpected fits right in.

What I was expecting: I had read The Sugar Queen and was expecting Sarah's wonderful blend of magical realism. I also knew cakes were involved.

What I found instead: My absolute, favorite book ever. It's not a YA, which is why I've never blogged about it before, but you know the feeling you get when you find your perfect book? This one is mine. The Girl Who Chased The Moon is sweet and quiet, the characters are warm and perfectly broken. But I think the theme of trying to find home is so perfectly done and kept me out at night looking up into the sky at the moon.

It's also home to my favorite quote ever (and, if it weren't so damn long, I'd have it tattooed on my body): "I'm homesick all the time. I just don't know where home is. There's this promise of happiness out there. I know it. I even feel it sometimes. But it's like chasing the moon–just when I think I have it, it disappears into the horizon. I grieve and try to move on, but then the damn thing comes back the next night, giving me hope of catching it all over again."

Those are my Top Five I-Was-Not-Expecting-That books. What are yours?

And the YA Oscar goes to...

I'll admit it, I haven't seen any movies this year. No, wait. I saw Magic Mike (Does that surprise you? It probably shouldn't). Okay, so what I mean is I haven't seen any Oscar-worthy movies. Although, if anyone deserves an award for dancing around to dubstep, it's Channing.

Anyway!

That's why I wanted to pass out some YA Oscars to the books I think deserve them most. So without further adieu...

Best Use of a Kissing Scene Ten Pages Into a Book goes to...
Jodi Meadows, Asunder


Yes, it's true. Kissing. Ten pages in. If that's not enough to make you go pick this book up, I don't know what is. Oh, how about dragons and sylphs and reincarnation?

No? Dragons and sylphs and reincarnation doesn't do it for you? How about kissing. Ten pages in. Jodi Meadows delivers.

Oh, but make sure you pick up Incarnate first. There's kissing...and honey. (I made that sound so much dirtier than it really is.)

From GoodReads: Ana has always been the only one. Asunder. Apart. But after Templedark, when many residents of Heart were lost forever, some hold Ana responsible for the darksouls–and the newsouls who may be born in their place.
In this second book in the Incarnate trilogy, Ana discovers the truth about reincarnation and will have to find a way to embrace love and make her young life meaningful. Once again, Jodi Meadows explores the extraordinary beauty and shadowed depths of the soul in a story equal parts epic romance and captivating fantasy.


Best Forbidden Romance to Blossom in a Make-Shift Igloo goes to...
Elizabeth LaBan, The Tragedy Paper

I *LOVED* this book. I fell in love with it as soon as Tim and Vanessa met while waiting to board their flight to boarding school. Due to a weather delay, they agree to share a hotel room for the night until they can board the next plane first thing in the morning--but not before Vanessa convinces Tim to go out and play in the snow with her. I loved, loved, loved the igloo scene. It was sweet and heartfelt and thoughtful. And I think you should read it ASAP.

From GoodReads: Tim Macbeth, a seventeen-year-old albino and a recent transfer to the prestigious Irving School, where the motto is “Enter here to be and find a friend.” A friend is the last thing Tim expects or wants—he just hopes to get through his senior year unnoticed. Yet, despite his efforts to blend into the background, he finds himself falling for the quintessential “It” girl, Vanessa Sheller, girlfriend of Irving’s most popular boy. To Tim's surprise, Vanessa is into him, too, but she can kiss her social status goodbye if anyone ever finds out. Tim and Vanessa begin a clandestine romance, but looming over them is the Tragedy Paper, Irving’s version of a senior year thesis, assigned by the school’s least forgiving teacher.


Best Writing of a Literary Character Who is So Hot, I Want Him to Say Completely Inappropriate Things to Me goes to...
Michelle Hodkin, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer


Oh. My. God. Noah Shaw. Why did I not know about Noah Shaw before I did my Top 5 Book Boyfriends post?? He would be in my Top 3 for sure (don't worry John After and Travis, you are both safe!). When I tweeted about my love for Noah, I was shocked to see so many people chime in. Basically, the consensus is that his smart mouth, cocky swagger, and complete inability to iron his clothes makes everyone fall head-over-heels. I don't even care what wildly inappropriate thing he says.

Also, can we just admire how gorgeous this cover is?

From GoodReads: Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there. It can.
She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed. There is.
She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love. She’s wrong.


Best I Hate You, Now Kiss Me goes to...
Katie McGarry, Pushing The Limits

I am such a fan of romances in which the couples are so equally broken and bruised, and they hate each other so much but can't resist each other. Noah and Echo deliver just enough mutual hatred that you're practically salivating for them to just hook up already. Katie McGarry doesn't disappoint. (And this is so not a spoiler because look at the cover. LOOK AT IT. --->)

From GoodReads: 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.


Best Face Punch goes to...
Trish Doller, Something Like Normal

Did you think I'd not give an Oscar to my all-time favorite book ever?! I've raved about this book. I've threatened bodily harm to people who don't read this book. Trish Doller possibly has a fan-girl restraining order out on me (no, not really. Right Trish?) So with keeping with my own violent tendencies when it comes to this book, the scene in which Harper punches Travis in the face is my all-time favorite scene. Who can resist a good face punching scene? Not me. And neither can the YA Academy.

From GoodReads: When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.

Those are my YA Oscars. Who would you give one to? 

My Top Five Book Boyfriends

I was going to wait until February for this one, but sometimes you just have to write a blog post naming your...

Top Five Book Boyfriends.

1. John After from Jennifer Echols' Going Too Far

From GoodReads: One crazy evening involving a dare and forbidden railroad tracks, Meg goes way too far...and almost doesn't make it back. John made a choice to enforce the rules. To serve and protect. He has nothing but contempt for what he sees as childish rebellion, and he wants to teach Meg a lesson she won't soon forget. But Meg pushes him to the limit by questioning everything he learned at the police academy. And when he pushes back, demanding to know why she won't be tied down, they will drive each other to the edge.

Why he's my book boyfriend: I hereby declare that John After will never not be my #1 book boyfriend. Hear that all other future book love interests? Do you know why? Because the description above only portrays him as a hard ass. And don't get me wrong, he was for the first 30 or 40 pages. But then, during the ride alongs Meg was sentenced to go on with him, he softened up. He's an artist and can tell the difference between indigo and cyan. And he's funny, and says things like, "I love Cops. It’s like my life, but with the boring parts taken out.”

Am I not doing a good enough job convincing you? WELL GOOD. Because I want him all to myself. Go pick another book boyfriend or there'll be a smackdown in the girl's bathroom.

“And the rest is happily ever After.”

2. Travis from Trish Doller's Something Like Normal

From GoodReads: When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.

Why he's my book boyfriend: I know, I know. I won't shut up about this book! Seriously though, if you haven't read it, please don't speak to me until you do. Who can resist a nice guy like Travis? He just needs a girl like Harper me in his life! I would totally tell his dad off and then trip his brother. Funny and irresistible, if John After were to ever leave me for some incredibly attractive girl, I'd completely run into Travis's very strong Marine arms.

3. Owen from Sarah Dessen's Just Listen

From GoodReads: Last year, Annabel was "the girl who has everything" — at least that's the part she played in the television commercial for Kopf's Department Store. This year, she's the girl who has nothing: no best friend because mean-but-exciting Sophie dropped her, no peace at home since her older sister became anorexic, and no one to sit with at lunch. Until she meets Owen Armstrong. Tall, dark, and music-obsessed, Owen is a reformed bad boy with a commitment to truth-telling. With Owen's help, maybe Annabel can face what happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends.

Why he's my book boyfriend: Um, hello? He was the only boy who would sit with her on the wall at lunch time and made her SEVERAL mixed CDs to help widen her taste in music. For those reasons alone, I love Owen. Throw in an adorably precocious sister who tells it like it is and a beat-up van to listen to all your tunes in, and I am sold on Owen as a book boyfriend.

4. Adam from Gayle Forman's Where She Went (also, If I Stay)

From GoodReads: It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever. Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future-and each other.

Why he's my book boyfriend: So...I have this thing for guys in bands. I don't think that's a secret. But a bona-fide rock star boyfriend? Who writes entire hit albums about me? Mia is crazypants to leave that! But that's okay, Adam. I'm right here.

5. Ed / Shadow from Cath Crowley's Graffiti Moon

From GoodReads: Senior year is over, and Lucy has the perfect way to celebrate: tonight, she's going to find Shadow, the mysterious graffiti artist whose work appears all over the city. He's out there somewhere—spraying color, spraying birds and blue sky on the night—and Lucy knows a guy who paints like Shadow is someone she could fall for. Really fall for. Instead, Lucy's stuck at a party with Ed, the guy she's managed to avoid since the most awkward date of her life. But when Ed tells her he knows where to find Shadow, they're suddenly on an all-night search around the city. And what Lucy can't see is the one thing that's right before her eyes.

Why he's my book boyfriend: Dark, mysterious and full of depth and artistic vision, that's how I'd describe Shadow, Ed's graffiti artist alter ego. I'd totally sneak out late at night to watch him paint the side of a building, but I'd probably be horrible at watching out for the cops.

So, now's your turn. Who's your book boyfriend(s)???

My Absolute Favorite Books of 2012

Due to the two manuscripts I wrote this year, I had to adjust my GoodReads Reading Challenge Goal down to 45 books from the 75 I was originally aiming for. At first, I was totally bummed I wasn't able to read that much, but, if you think about it, 45 books is A LOT of books–and from that comes favorites!

So without further adieu, here are my TOP FIVE books of 2012:

1.) Something Like Normal, Trish Doller 
From GoodReads: When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.

What I loved: Has there ever been a book where you threaten bodily harm if someone you know hasn't read it yet? This was that book for me. No lie, everyone (EVERYONE) got this book from me for Christmas this year. The minute Travis stepped off that plane, I wanted to know everything about his life. I loved every. single. thing. about this book. The complex relationships Travis had with his family, his marine buddies, his best friend, Charlie, and the girl he betrayed, Harper. I was intrigued by his struggles with PTSD and adjusting back to a post-war life. And it was so interesting to read a contemporary with a strong romance at the center of the story from a guy's POV.

Read this one. If you don't, I'll threaten more than bodily harm.

2.) The Fault In Our Stars, John Green 
From GoodReads: Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now. Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

What I loved: I mean, what can I say that everyone hasn't? Oh, maybe this: Okay? Okay.

3.) In Honor, Jessi Kirby
From GoodReads: Honor receives her brother’s last letter from Iraq three days after learning that he died, and opens it the day his fellow Marines lay the flag over his casket. Its contents are a complete shock: concert tickets to see Kyra Kelly, her favorite pop star and Finn’s celebrity crush.

Grief-stricken and determined to grant Finn’s last request, she only gets as far as the driveway before running into Rusty, Finn’s best friend since third grade and his polar opposite. Rusty is much the same as Honor remembers him: arrogant, stubborn . . . and ruggedly good-looking. Neither one is what the other would ever look for in a road trip partner, but the two of them set off together, on a voyage that makes sense only because it doesn’t.

What I loved: I was really surprised when another military book quickly rose to the top of my favorite list. Rusty almost knocked John After down off his book boyfriend pedestal. He was such a great, complex love interest. Jessi Kirby writes beautifully and is possibly the master of show-not-tell. I loved how she could write grief and humor and scenery so well. I'm anxiously awaiting her next book, Golden.

4.) Fracture, Megan Miranda 
From GoodReads: A lot can happen in eleven minutes. Decker can run two miles easily in eleven minutes. I once wrote an English essay in ten. No lie. And God knows Carson Levine can talk a girl out of her clothes in half that time.
Eleven minutes might as well be eternity underwater. According to the lessons from health class, it only takes three minutes without air for loss of consciousness. Permanent brain damage begins at four minutes. And then, when the oxygen runs out, full cardiac arrest occurs. Death is possible at five minutes. Probable at seven. Definite at ten.

Decker pulled me out at eleven.

What I loved: I loved this entire premise. The voice in that pitch alone pulled me right in and wouldn't let go. I loved Delaney's very strained friendship with Decker after her accident. I was scared when strange and deadly occurrences followed her. I didn't want the book to end–but oh, how it ended! I can't tell you, but it's so good.

5.) Of Poseidon, Anna Banks 
From GoodReads: Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen — literally, ouch! — both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma's gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom . . .

What I loved: I love a good mermaid story, and for those who try to pass this one off as “another mermaid book,” DON’T. Of Poseidon combines suspense and romance. And Anna Banks is FUNNY. The dialogue was witty and really fun to read.

I loved the way the book flips from Emma's first person POV to Galen's third person POV. The chemistry between these two characters was fantastic! There were soft, romantic moments and playful, flirtatious dialogue. It was everything I crave in a solid YA read.

And here are a few books I'm excited to read in 2013:

Asunder, Jodi Meadows 

The Tragedy Paper, Elizabeth Laban

Ink, Amanda Sun