Stacking the Shelves: December Haul

A weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews

It's been a few months since I did a Stacking the Shelves and with the holidays I figured I should totally do one of these. Not to mention the fact that I recently got a bunch of books for review from Netgalley including some in November that I never talked about so I wanted to make sure I played a little catch up. Okay, a lot of catch up. Alright, let's look at what I picked up...

Bought

Heartless by Gail Carriger - My Review and Timeless by Gail Carriger - My Review
I have been marathoning the Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger because I was loving it so much. So this month I bought the last two books in the series on e-books. I should include the other two I bought last month but I won't so I feel better about my book buying

Take the Key and Lock Her Up by Ally Carter - Add to Goodreads
I have enjoyed this series so far and am really excited to see how it all ends. My copy of this book just arrived yesterday so I will be spending New Years Eve reading it.  

Gifted 

The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough - Add to Goodreads

I got this book from my Secret Santa (the amazing Alyssa who was hilariously my Secret Sister a few rounds back). It's a book I didn't know I needed until I unwrapped it. It sounds amazing.

A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis - Add to Goodreads
I read my first Mindy McGinnis book recently and cannot believe that it was a contemprary. I should have been this book. I mean this is totally up my alley and I know I will love it based on how I felt about The Female of the Species.

Arcanum Unbound by Brandon Sanderson - Add to Goodreads
How excited was I opened this on Christmas? SO excited. My brother and sister-in-law got it for me because as my brother said "it sounded like the most interesting book on your wishlist." he has good taste. It runs in the family.

For Review

The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon - Add to Goodreads
I love The Bone Season series so much and the way that the final book in the series ended made me desperately need this book so I was over the moon when Bloomsbury approved my request on Netgalley

Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones - Add to Goodreads
This is one of my most anticipated debuts of 2017 and I am so excited to be a part of the blog tour through the publisher. They sent me a copy and I can't wait to read it.

The Fallen Kingdom by Elizabeth May - Add to Goodreads
I cannot wait to read this one as well. It's the last book in The Falconer trilogy and these books know how to leave you on a cliffhanger, man.

Done Dirt Cheap by Sarah Nicole Lemon- Add to Goodreads

This sounds like a super interesting contemporary. I am really intrigued by the characters and the Thelma and Louise meets Sons of Anarchy tagline.

The Whole Thing Together by Ann Brashares - Add to Goodreads

Ann Brashares' books can be a little hit or miss but I am generally a fan of her contemporaries. I am pretty interested in this one so I am excited to give it a try.

Shadow Run by AdriAnne Strickland and Michael Miller - Add to Goodreads

I am always a sucker for science fiction books that are compared to Firefly. It's hard to live up to that awesomeness but it usually means a quirky cast and fun adventures which I am down for.

The Inconceivable Life of Quinn by Marianna Baer - Add to Goodreads
I am very intrigued by this book. It sounds like it has a very interesting mystery that is kind of like Scandal meets Jane the Virgin.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick - Add to Goodreads
This sounds like a really interesting historical fiction novel. I mean it's set in Hollywood in the 1930's which like old Hollywood glamour? Yes, please.

The Shadow Land by Elizabeth Kostova - Add to Goodreads
This is maybe the book I am most excited about. I am a huge, huge fan of Elizabeth Kostova. The Historian is one of my all-time favorite books. I didn't know she had a new book coming out until I saw this for review on Netgalley. And then I lost my chill when I was approved.

Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero - My Review
This book just looks so fun. I'm a huge Scooby Doo fan, I attribute my mystery solving abilities to watching a ton of Scooby Doo as a child. But teen detectives all grown up investigating again, I'm in.

Those are the books that I got in November and December. I obviously went a little overboard when it comes to review books but it's for two months which is probably not too bad. What books did you get? Are you excited for any of these? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

2016 End of Year Survey

Number Of Books You Read: 160

Number of Re-Reads: 20

Genre You Read The Most From: Fantasy. I didn't check this but I can't see why it wouldn't be fantasy.

1. Best Book You Read In 2016? (If you have to cheat — you can break it down by genre if you want or 2013 release vs. backlist)

Young Adult: Wolf by Wolf and Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin
Adult: Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson

2. Book You Were Excited About and Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

Young Adult: Cure for the Common Universe, Revenge and the Wild, Thieving Weasels

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?

Young Adult: Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnston and A Tyranny of Petticoats by Jessica Spotswood
Adult: Mistborn: Secret History (because I didn't even know it existed until I read it), The Royal We

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

Young Adult: The Diabolic by S.J. Kinkaid, Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

5. Best series you started in 2016? Best Sequel of 2016? Best Series Ender of 2016?

Series Started: This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab, STalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalso
Sequel: The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson, Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Series Ender: The Midnight Star by Marie Lu, The Raven King by Maggie STeifvater
Series Marathoned: Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin, The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2016?

New to Me Authors: Tamora Pierce and Robin Talley (More Here)
Debut Authors: Kerri Maniscalco and Lily Anderson (More Here)

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

Young Adult Contemporary: Exit, Purused by a Bear by E.K. Johnston, The Only Thing Worse Than You is Me by Lily Anderson, The Female of the Speciaes by Mindy McGinnis
Adult Contemporary/Romance: The Royal We by Heather Cox and Jessica Morgan

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

Young Adult: Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin, Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo, The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid, Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Adult: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

9. Book You Read In 2016 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

Young Adult: Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine, Calamity by Brandon Sanderson, Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
Adult: A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2016?

Young Adult: A Million Worlds by Claudia Gray, Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter, Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine

11. Most memorable character of 2016?

New Characters: Luka Lowe from Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin, Joe Goldberg in You by Caroline Kepnes, Alexia Tarabotti in the Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger
Characters I Already Loved: Adelina Amouteru in The Midnight Star by Marie Lu, Lila Bard in A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab, Everyone in Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2016?

Young Adult: When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore, The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh, Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Adult: Roses and Rot by Kat Howard

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2016?

Young Adult: The Smell of Other People's Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock, Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnston, The Steep and Thorny Way by Cat Winters
Adult: You and Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2016 to finally read?

Young Adult: The Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce
Adult: And The There Were None by Agatha Christie

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2016?

I don't really make a note of or really pay much attention to quotes.

16.Shortest and Longest Book You Read In 2016? How I did this: Went to my read books on Goodreads and sorted by page number and just looked for what I knew I read this yeaer that was the shortest and longest.

Shortest: The Curious Case of the Werewolf That Wasn't by Gail Carriger at 32 pages
Longest: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon at 896 pages, Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch at 722 pages

17. Book That Shocked You The Most (Because of a plot twist, character death, left you hanging with your mouth wide open, etc.)

Young Adult: The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis, The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron, Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin
Adult: The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!) (OTP = one true pairing if you aren’t familiar)

Young Adult: All the ships in Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo especially Kaz and Inej, David and Megan in Calamity by Brandon Sanderson, Pynch in The Raven King by Maggie Steifvater, Manorian in Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
Adult: Alexia and Connal Maccon in the Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

Young Adult: Blue and The Raven Boys in The Raven King by Maggie Steifvater, Safi and Isuelt in Truthwitch by Susan Dennard, Adelina and Violetta in The Midnight Star by Marie Lu
Adult: Wax and Wayne in The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson, Kell and Rhy in A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2016 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

Young Adult: The Midnight Star by Marie Lu, This Savage Song by V.E. Schwab, The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid
Adult: The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson

21. Best Book You Read In 2016 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

Young Adult: Kingdom of Ash and Briar by Hannah West (thanks Rachael!)
Adult: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (all the peer pressure)
Comics: Bombshells by Marguerite Bennett and Marguerite Sauvage (thanks Shelly!)

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2016?

Young Adult: Luka Lowe in Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin, Nikolai in The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye
Adult: Jamie Fraser in Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

23. Best 2016 debut you read?

Young Adult: Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
Adult: Roses and Rot by Kat Howard

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

Young Adult: The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid, The Crown's Fat by Evelyn Skye, Truthwitch by Susan Dennard, Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Adult: The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson, A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab, The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

Young Adult: Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter, The Only Thing Worse Than Me is You by Lily Anderson
Adult: The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2016?

Young Adult: The Midnight Star by Marie Lu, Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo, The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis
Adult: Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

Young Adult: The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutskie
Adult: Roses and Rot by Kat Howard

(I'm picking these two because they are both from Indie Publishers. There is a handful of other hidden gems throughout here though).

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

Young Adult: The Midnight Star by Marie Lu, Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas, Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
Adult: You and Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes, Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2016?

Young Adult: Rocks Fall Everyone Dies by Lindsay Ribar, The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron. Gemina by Jay Kristoff
Adult: Roses and Rot by Kat Howard, the Parasol protectorate by Gail Carriger
Comics: Paper Girls by Kurtis

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

Young Adult: Cure for the Common Universe by Christian McKay Heidecker, Glitter by Aprilynne Pike

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2016?

Chasing Faerytales. I met Mishma at BEA and she is so sweet and I can't believe I wasn't following her or her blog before that.

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2016?

The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron because I really wanted to gush about without giving too much away.
The Raven King by Maggie Steifvater because same but also I feel like I had some unexpected insight into the series after finishing this book.

3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?

Discussion: I Used to be Book Prejudiced, I Don't Take My Time Reading Anymore
Feature: Crossing Over - SF/F with Brutal Worlds

4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?\

BEA! Every year that I am able to go the answer to this question will always be BEA. Although Ann M. Martin came to Pittsburgh this year and that was pretty cool.

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2016?

Reading 150 books by the end of November. This was a very end of the year reach goal for me last year and to do it early felt good.
I also got to take part in a handful of blog tours and made some publishing contacts which is a big step for me too.

6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?

Probably just a general fizzling of my reading as the year finishes.

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

Blogoversary Reflection and Giveaway
First Podcast Post
Throwback Thursday Ink & Bone Review

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

Any of my Crossing Over posts. And like every review. Especially some of the Backlist Books. My Parasol Protectorate reviews these past few months got no love.

9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

Comixology. It's now the only way I read comics. I love the fact that it shows you single panels and it's so fast and east to download them. Plus with Unlimited you can get the first issue of a lot of indie comics free.

10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

Five counting my Goodreads challenge of 150 books.
Netgalley/Edelweiss Challenge - 40 books
Debut Author Challenge - 30 books
Rock My TBR Challenge - 27 books
Audiobooks Challenge - 37 books

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2016 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2017?

Replica by Lauren Oliver, Metaltown by Kristen Simmons, Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2017 (non-debut)?

Young Adult: The final yet unnamed book in the Throne of Glass series, The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee, The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli
Adult: The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon, A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab

3. 2017 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

Caraval by Stephanie Garber, Wintersong by S, Jae-Jones

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2017?

Young Adult: Obviously the last Throne of Glass Book, Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine, Our Dark Duet by Victoria Schwab
Adult: The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon, A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2017?

To read 160 books.

6. A 2017 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:

I haven't read any 2017 releases because I procrastinate, I mean read close to release date.

There yo have it, my Year End Survey, wrapping up all the amazing books I read this year. I feel like it was kind of repetitive and there were some books I totally loved that I didn't really mention much but it is what it is. Check out more of my wrap ups for info about the books and better lists. There's my Challenge Wrap Ups and my Favorite Books of 2016.

Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Challenge Wrap Up: Netgalley and Edelweiss Challenge

It's time for the last weekly post and challenge wrap up of 2016. In addition to doing a favorite books of the year thing, once a week in December I did a challenge wrap up to talk about some of my favorite books in the categories that I did challenges for. I did a total of four challenges this year. The next and last of these is my Netgalley and Edelweiss Challenge. So basically, the review book category. I may finish one more Netgalley book this year but it's a 2017 release, plus I probably won't finish it so oh well.

My initial goal for the year was to read 25 books from Netgalley and Edelweiss. I nded up doing really well on this during the first half of the year and thinking I could read 50 by the end of the year but that did not happen. Although I did read 40 books from Netgalley/Edelweiss which is not to shabby for the Netgaklley/Edelweiss Challenge hosted by Falling for YA. That's a total of about 1/4 of my books for the year.

And I really did like many of these books but to be entirely honest, most of my least favorite books of the year also came from this challenge. You can't win them all, I guess. And because of this reason, I think this was the hardest one for me to make a list about. There were a few that I loved loved, but for the most part there were a lot of really good books that I wasn't sure about including on a best of list. But I did my best so here is the list of some of my favorites.

1.) The Skylighter by Becky Wallace - My Review
(Amazon / Goodreads )

This was one of my most anticipated books of 2016 so I was over the moon when I was approved for the book on Edelweiss and sent a physical ARC from the publisher. I read both so I could read it everywhere and anywhere and finish it as fast as possible.

And it did not disappoint. It made it's way onto my best of the year list because it was such an amazing and action-packed sequel. What I loved so much about this series is that it's one that from the outset seems like a typical YA fantasy but is super creative and unique. I loved the world inspired by Portugal, the really unique magical system, and the characters, Oh man, these characters, and these ships. So good. So so good. It was one of many books I read this year that wrecked me emotionally in the best possible way. I really wish it wasn't a duology and that there was a third book coming next year.

I would absolutely recommend this series. If you are like me and love YA fantasies and are looking for something a little different but still familiar, check this one out. Check it out and fall for Joanna, Rafi, and Dom with me. DOM!!!!

2.) Roses and Rot by Kat Howard - My Review
(Amazon / Goodreads)

When looking at my favorite books of the year, many of them are books that surprised me. Books I was interested in reading but didn't expect to love as much as I did. Books I did not expect to blow me away. Roses and Rot is one of those books. I was intrigued by it, yes, but I really loved it and that kind of surprised me.

I don't want to say too much about this book because part of it's charm is going in without knowing too much. I went in knowing very little about what this book was about and it caught me off guard. It was fascinating and captivating. I really loved the setting and the way that this book was written. it is beautiful and lyrical with a really fantastic Gothic vibe. It a;so has great characters and a completely realistic interaction between family and particularly sisters. I could totally really and was so enthralled by this book.

This is a book that I think flew under the radar a little bit this year and I wish it got more attention because it is really good. If you are a fan of Gothic fiction and/or modern classics I think you will enjoy this. I also this it has a great modern fairy tale kind of vibe. Honestly, it's great. Read it.

3.) Nevernight by Jay Kristoff - My Review
(Amazon / Goodreads)

This is a book that got some mixed reviews. I know a lot of people didn't really enjoy it or ended up DNFing it because they couldn't get into it. And I get that, I do. I am one of the people who pushed through the slow start and weirdness in the beginning and was rewarded with an amazing book.

Yes, this is a dense and slowly paced book but the payoff was intense and fantastic. It was super thrilling with tons of action and plot twists that I did not see coming. Not to mention it also has an totally interesting magical system that I think we have only just started to understand and I am really interested in seeing develop. This book is also not for someone looking for something fluffy and lighthearted. It's dark. Very dark. There is more sex and violence in this book than some of the books and TV shows that are known for being violent and sexual. But despite the fact that it was pretty erotic, I enjoyed it. A lot.

 This is not the kind of book for everyone, but if you are looking for a fantasy that is dark and violent and don't mind putting in the time to read this one you will be rewarded just like I was.

4.) Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter - My Review
(Amazon / Goodreads)

This is another book that I had a copy from Edelweiss but also got a physical ARC (this time from BEA) but like The Skylighter it was a very anticipated read and I was so incredibly excited to read it when I was approved on Edelweiss.

If you have been around for awhile you know that I am a huge fan of the Jackaby series. These books always make it on to my favorites of the year list. They are such amazing mysteries and perfectly balance humor and action. Seriously, they are so funny. Plus they combine historical fiction, fantasy, and mysteries in a way that I am hopeless to resist. Ghostly Echoes is not my favorite in the series but it was amazing and resolved some questions from the first book while bringing up even more questions for the series. Plus it was about Jenny who I adore so much.

If you haven't read this series and you are a fan of historical fantasy or historical mysteries, or Sherlock, or nice things, you must read these books. They are seriously one of my all-time favorites. They're the perfect palette cleanser too because they are engaging but so fun and silly. But if I haven't convinced you to read these books yet I have failed you.

5.) The Long Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes - My Review
(Amazon / Goodreads )

I really liked The Fixer, which I read last year. This was another sequel that I was really excited about and was so pumped when I got approved on Netgalley. I couldn't wait to find out what happened next and to solve a new mystery with Tess.

I often hate comparisons like this but it really is Veronica Mars meets Scandal. It's just such a good mystery and political thriller with a tough and snarky teenage protagonist. But the best part of this book is the twists and reveals. Even when I predicted them they were still amazing and hit me so hard. It's such a good and fantastic read.

I would definitely recommend this book. If you are a fan of mysteries or political thrillers and are looking for a good YA one then definitely read this. But I seriously need you to read this and buy this book because I need a sequel. There are so many things that I need to see followed through on, even though there is a resolution. At this point it's a duology but I want more. I need more and the author has plans for more but it needs to sell well. Help a sister out!

6.) Enter Title Here by Rahul Kanakia - My Review
(Amazon / Goodreads)

This is a book that I honestly should have included on my list of favorite debuts of the year but in an attempt to not repeat myself too much I swapped this one with one that is on my honorable mention here because I liked that one more.

But this is another one of those books that I loved more than I was expecting. I'm not a huge contemporary reader but I have been reading a lot more lately and honestly really enjoying many of them. This is one that I enjoyed. One of the things I really appreciated about it was that this is a book that plays with the tropes. It's kind of got this book within a book vibe because of the main character trying to live the ideal life so she can write a book about it to get into college. But the best thing about this book is how unbelievably unlikable the main character is. She's kind of a terrible person and yet at the same time, you root for her. It's amazing.

 This is another book that is not for everyone, but if you are looking for a contemporary that is really different and plays with the tropes then check this one out. But again, this is a book that is not really for everyone. This is a book that is more towards people who are not big contemporary fans or are looking for something a little bit more of an issue book.

Honorable Mentions:

7.) The Smell of Other People's Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock - My Review
One of my favorite debuts of the year was a book I got as a Read Now on Netgalley. It's another book that surprised me, another book that flew under the radar, and another book that was amazing. It's a great book about how people's lives interweave. I loved it.

8.) The Steep and Thorny Way by Cat Winters - My Review
This was my first Cat Winters book. Can you believe it? It was. I should have been reading her books for years but I didn't. I'm glad I read this one though. It is one of the many amazing Shakespeare retellings I read this year,

9.) Heroine Complex by Gail Sarah Kuhn - My Review
I'm a sucker for books about superheroes. I was really intrigued by this one because it's from the perspective of the hero's assistant. Super interesting, man. And it was definitely interesting but also really fun and action-packed.

10.) Gena/Finn by Hannah Moskowitz and Kat Helgeson - My Review
I was not going to include this book because it's kind of similar to Enter Title Here. A lot of what I liked about it is similar. But it was also a really good under the radar book for the year.

There you have it, all my favorite books that I got for review from Netgalley or Edelweiss. If you want to see the full list on all the review books I read to this year and to find my thoughts, check out the Netgalley/Edelweiss Challenge page HERE. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

Title: The Sun is Also a Star Written by: Nicola Yoon Published: November, 3 2016 by (Random House) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.  Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.  The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

*** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher at BEA in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ***

I really enjoyed Yoon's debut, Everything Everything, so I was really excited to read her second book. The Sun is Also a Star did not disappoint. This was definitely a cute contemporary with fun characters and an interesting and engaging plot.

This is one of those books that takes place over the course of a day. An important day in the lives of the characters, it's almost like a turning point for both of them and they share the day together in a way that was interesting and engaging. I sometimes feel like these kinds of storylines feel a little far-fetched that this much could happen in a day but I thought that this did a really good job at making things dramatic and impactful without going overboard. It was engaging and complex.

It's also one of those books where different lives interact and weave together to create a more full-bodied and complex story. I love those kinds of contemporaries. Stories that show how we can make an impact on a person without even realizing, stories how people who are seemingly unconnected can actually connect in a big way. And that aspect of the story too was told in an interesting way. The narrative was told through very short chapters that alternated perspectives between many people giving us a peak into the lives of the people who were interacting. It was very unique and I really appreciated that.

The main perspectives however were the main characters, Natasha and Daniel. I really liked both characters individually. Daniel who was trying to make his parents happy despite the fact that what they wanted was different from who he wanted was incredibly relatable, not to mention the idea of immigrant parents wanting more for their child. Natasha too was really easy to empathize with as she was trying to keep her family from being deported. They were both really likable characters and I wanted them to succeed.

I will say however, my romancephobic heart wasn't totally swayed by the romance. It wasn't terrible, I didn't hate it, but I did find myself rolling my eyes and a little annoyed at it sometimes. I find of agreed with Natasha's very scientific view of love vs lust and attraction and appreciate the inclusion of that in a book of this nature. It just felt too fast at times. But in the end I think they wore me down a little bit and I enjoyed the way the romance concluded.

In the end, this was a really good contemporary read. It dealt with some really interesting issues and had an engaging plot along with likable characters. It was the perfect read for this time of year with lighthearted fun and romance but still complex and engaging. I really enjoyed it.

I give The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. Fans of Everything Everything should check this out or anyone looking for a cute contemporary read. It reminded me a lot of some of my favorite contemporaries in the way it balanced fun and serious moments. Fans of Rainbow Rowell and Morgan Matson will enjoy this one too, I think.

Have you read The Sun is Also a Star? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Books of 2016

A weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

1.) Bands of Morning by Brandon Sanderson - My Review

This should not come as a surprise, I am a huge Brandon Sanderson fan. And despite the fact that I read this way back in January it has stayed by favorite book of the year because Mistborn!

2.) Wolf by Wolf and Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin - My Review

I was not expecting to enjoy this series as much as I did. But it was really amazing. Great characters, tons of action, and a fascinating world. Definitely a new favorite.

3.) The Midnight Star by Marie Lu - My Review

This was one of my most anticipated books for 2016 and it did not disappoint. Just as I was suspecting this was a dark fantasy full of crazy reveals and a heartbreaking ending.

4.) This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab - My Review

I'm a big fan of Victoria Schwab and I knew her next series would be amazing. Nobody writes odious and complex characters like Victoria so a book about literal monsters was bound to be fantastic.

5.) The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid - My Review

I really enjoyed Kincaid's first series but oh wow was this book even better. It was so complex and the plot and themes were amazingly complex. This book totally blew me away.

6.) Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnston - My Review

This was a year full of amazing night Shakespeare retellings for me and this book was the one who started it all. It was a really great contemporary issue kind of book and a great retelling.

7.) Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter - My Review

Jackaby books always make my favorites of the year. They are so complex and engaging. It's the perfect combination of history, mystery, and fantasy. This one was not my favorite but it was amazing.

8.) Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff - My Review

Obviously this was another super weird book. This series is just so creatively written with the images/epistolary format but add to that the fact that I listened to the audio and you have the perfect storm of amazingness.

9.) Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas - My Review

Throne of Glass books are amazing and this series is totally among my favorites. The series is nearing it's end so obviously it is incredibly intense by now. This was definitely an intense and action-packed read.

10.) The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron - My Review

I was totally surprised by this book. I went in thinking it was going to be more of a standard dystopia but it was much more complicated than that. I don't want to give too much away but it was amazing.

11.) Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies by Lindsay Ribar - My Review 

One of the weirdest books I read this year and I loved that about it. It also had a really good mystery, a unique fantasy world, and unlikable characters which I typically enjoy.

12.) The Raven King by Maggie Steifvater - My Review

The last book in the Raven Cycle was bound to be in this list. I absolutely love this series. There were all kinds of crazy twists and reveals, naturally, and it really was the perfect ending.

13.) The Skylighter by Becky Wallace - My Review

The first book in this duology was one of my favorite books last year and it's sequel was just as good. I really loved this series. It's such a unique YA fantasy and I loved how complex and thrilling it was.

14.) You and Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes - My Review

I had heard great things about this mystery series and I picked up the audiobooks from the library because I wanted to check them out. They were so dark and vicious.

15.) Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco - My Review

The only debut that made my list. It was such an great historical mystery. I loved how dark and mysterious it was and I actually enjoyed the Sherlockian elements as well and I usually do not enjoy Sherlock.

16.) Truthwitch by Susan Dennard - My Review

This was my first book of 2016 and still is one of my favorites. It's such an interesting fantasy and even though it's the first book in a series which usually I don't love, this one was really good.

There you have it,my favorite books of 2016. What books made your list? Leave me a comment withyour thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!