Blog Tour: Excerpt of Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

I am so excited to share an excerpt of Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones with you all today. If you missed my review on Monday (HERE IT IS) then you may not know that I loved the writing of this book. I was super impressed with the lyrical prose and how this read like a classic fairy tale while still feeling creative and interesting. That is why I want to share this excerpt with you all, so you can experience this beautiful writing.

About the Book: 

Already one of the most anticipated young adult debuts of 2017, WINTERSONG (Thomas Dunne Books; February 7, 2017) is an enrapturing journey through a 19th century fairytale. A talented debut by S. Jae-Jones, WINTERSONG was inspired by the film Labyrinth and spun together on the threads of song, in a time when young upstart composers like Beethoven were forever altering the sound of music. A story about sisterly devotion and coming of age, Liesl and the Goblin King come alive within the depths of this masterful composition.

Title: Wintersong
Written by: S. Jae-Jones
Published: February 7, 2017 by St. Martin's (Macmillan)
(Amazon / Goodreads)

Synopsis: Beware the goblin men and the wares they sell.

All her life, nineteen-year-old Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, mysterious Goblin King. He is the Lord of Mischief, the Ruler Underground, and the muse around which her music is composed. Yet, as Liesl helps shoulder the burden of running her family’s inn, her dreams of composition and childish fancies about the Goblin King must be set aside in favor of more practical concerns.

But when her sister Käthe is taken by the goblins, Liesl journeys to their realm to rescue her sister and return her to the world above. The Goblin King agrees to let Käthe go—for a price. The life of a maiden must be given to the land, in accordance with the old laws. A life for a life, he says. Without sacrifice, nothing good can grow. Without death, there can be no rebirth. In exchange for her sister’s freedom, Liesl offers her hand in marriage to the Goblin King. He accepts.

Down in the Underground, Liesl discovers that the Goblin King still inspires her—musically, physically, emotionally. Yet even as her talent blossoms, Liesl’s life is slowly fading away, the price she paid for becoming the Goblin King’s bride. As the two of them grow closer, they must learn just what it is they are each willing to sacrifice: her life, her music, or the end of the world

The Excerpt:

If you have not yet had the chance to read this book and want to know whether or not you will like it, here are the first two chapters for you. Take a gander and check out the beautiful writing...

Gorgeous, right? I hope you enjoyed that. Definitely get your hands on a copy if you haven't done that yet. I enjoyed it despite the fact that there were some elements that I didn't love. I know a ton of people really loved it so I think it appeals to a broad audience.

Thanks so much to St. Martin's for including me on the blog tour and providing the excerpt for me and my readers. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Crossing Over: Historical Fantasies With Atmospheric Settings

Hey all. It's been awhile Crossing Over post. If you're not familiar with Crossing Over it's a feature that stemmed from my desire to recommend an adult book with crossover appeal based on a YA or sometimes Middle Grade book that are similar. I hate that we pigeonhole books into a specific age range and so I try to combat that. Plus it's basically an if you liked, then try but for crossover books. It runs once a month (usually) here and I pick the books based on the theme of what I'm reading. So this month my focus is historical fantasy or historical mystery. This is one of my favorite subgenres because it combines elements of my three favorite genres to make something totally fun.

The Diviners by Libba Bray
Read My Review / Add to Goodreads

I love this series. It seemed like the kind of book I would enjoy but it took me forever to read it and I kind of regret that. It's surprisingly complex and incredibly engaging. For one thing it combines basically everything that I love: magic, mystery, adventure, and a historical setting that pulls you in (more on that later). Plus the way that this book is written, it is full of this atmospheric tone that borders on spooky. I mean at times it is downright scary. Plus it's a book full of surprises and a mystery that will keep you guessing and reading from beginning to end.

This is also a book with great characters. It changes perspectives many many times giving you a well rounded look at the what is happening and it's surprsingly easy to relate to every character. Many of them are kind of dubious and a few are super villainous in the best possible way. It's definitely got some unlikable main characters but I kind of like that.  You still totally root for them especially when they go through terrible things because the antagonists are so sinister.

But I think my favorite thing about this book is the setting. Libba Bray was able to perfectly take a familiar historical setting and show it to you in an interesting way. She takes real people and real things and then puts her own spin on them. And that spin is an amazing supernatural elements and an amazing magical system. It was incredibly complex and so engrossing. It all shouldn't work but it totally does,

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
Read My Review / Add to Goodreads

I loved this book. It seemed like the kind of book I would enjoy but it took me forever to read it and I kind of regret that. It's surprisingly complex and incredibly engaging. For one thing it combines basically everything that I love: magic, mystery, adventure, and a historical setting that pulls you in (more on that later). Plus the way that this book is written, it is full of this atmospheric tone that is so emotional and beautiful. I mean at times it is downright sad. Plus it's a book full of surprises and a mystery that will keep you guessing and reading from beginning to end.

This is also a book with great characters. It changes perspectives a few times giving you a well rounded look at the what is happening and it's surprising easy to relate to every character. . It's definitely got some unlikable main characters but I kind of like that.  You still totally root for them especially when they go through terrible things because the antagonists are so sinister.

But I think my favorite thing about this book is the setting. Libba Bray was able to perfectly take a familiar historical setting and show it to you in an interesting way. She takes real people and real things and then puts her own spin on them. And that spin is an amazing supernatural elements and an amazing magical system. It was incredibly complex and so engrossing. It all shouldn't work but it totally does,

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone. It has something for everyone. If you like fantasy, horror, historical fiction, mystery, doesn't matter. They combine all the things that I love to create an amazing novel. These are both good examples of books I think can combine genres really well. It combines fantasy and mystery in a way that is thrilling and interesting on it's own but then you add an atmospheric historical setting and things are taking to the next level. If you have read one of things I think you would really like the other.

Have you read The Diviners and/or The Golem and the Jinni? What did you think? What steampunk novels with crossover appeal do you like? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Wish Had Less Romance

A weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

If you have been a blog follower you know that I am pretty romancephobic. I don't often like the romance in the books I read. I often want less romance and more plot. Or less romance and more character development. Usually I just want less romance. So of course I had to use this topic to mention some of the books I wish had less romance. And please don't hate me for any of these. I am such a black sheep when it comes to shipping so if you love this romance I don't blame you. I just didn't and wanted less of it.

1.) Fear the Drowning Deep by Sarah Glenn Marsh - My Review
You may notice a trend as this list goes on but I'll start right here by saying, I didn't love this book. I liked a lot of different elements but so much of the plot was based on the romance and the romance did not work for me which was problematic.

2.) Salt and Storm by Kendal Kulper - My Review
I went into this book expecting it to be a historical fantasy with a lot of magic and a lot of mystery. I got a historical romance with insta-love. I actually DNF'd this the first time because I was so disappointed. I ended up going back to it but my thoughts didn't change much.

3.) Glitter by Aprilynne Pike - My Review
Oh, this romance. This romance was so infuriating for me. All of my comments about this book while reading was how much I disliked the romance. It was cliche, insta-love, and made me roll my eyes so furiously I'm surprised they didn't stay that way.

4.) The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi - My Review
I did like this book, but like a lot of these I thought there was so much of a focus on the romance. The Beauty and the Beast/Hades and Persephone style romances are not my favorites. It's just so hard to do well in my opinion and I didn't connect with this one.

5.) A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess - My Review
I wasn't blown away by this book but it did have some good elements. It also had some elements that totally didn't work for me. And the reason I am including this is that people have ships for this series and I am like "really? There's a ship? I remember monsters but no ship."

6.) How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather - My Review
This romance. This is another one that makes me roll my eyes so much. I honestly disliked it so much that I blocked it out. Then talking to someone else who had read it I was like "oh yeah, that romance was awful and confusing."

7.) Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman - My Review
This is another book that was not what I was expecting. I went into it thinking that it was historical fiction about real life pirates and it ended up being a historical romance about two people who eventually became pirates. I wanted less romance and more pirates.

8.) The Sin-Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury - My Review
I love this book and this series. But the problem with this romance is that it was a love triangle and I absolutely did not like or trust the character that the MC so obviously prefered. And you know what, I was right and he was and is awful.

9.) An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir - My Review
The problem with this romance is that there were two love triangles. It was like a ridiculous love square. Each MC had two potential romantic partners and they were all kind of terrible options. Plus then one of them went in a super awful direction.

10.) Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios - My Review
The problem here was also in the love triangle but one of them was kind of abusive, okay really abusive, and the other one felt like insta-lovey. And this is a book that had some more mature themes and I just didn't feel the heat.

Honorable Mention...
Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones - My Review
I reviewed this yesterday and the more I think about it, the less I like the romance. It was so sudden and the main character just fell too hard too quickly and her actions were kind of icky.

There you have it. The books I wish had less romance. What books do you want to have less romance? What list did you do today? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

Title: Wintersong Written by: S. Jae-Jones Published: February 7, 2017 by St. Martin's (Macmillan) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Beware the goblin men and the wares they sell.  All her life, nineteen-year-old Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, mysterious Goblin King. He is the Lord of Mischief, the Ruler Underground, and the muse around which her music is composed. Yet, as Liesl helps shoulder the burden of running her family’s inn, her dreams of composition and childish fancies about the Goblin King must be set aside in favor of more practical concerns.  But when her sister Käthe is taken by the goblins, Liesl journeys to their realm to rescue her sister and return her to the world above. The Goblin King agrees to let Käthe go—for a price. The life of a maiden must be given to the land, in accordance with the old laws. A life for a life, he says. Without sacrifice, nothing good can grow. Without death, there can be no rebirth. In exchange for her sister’s freedom, Liesl offers her hand in marriage to the Goblin King. He accepts.  Down in the Underground, Liesl discovers that the Goblin King still inspires her—musically, physically, emotionally. Yet even as her talent blossoms, Liesl’s life is slowly fading away, the price she paid for becoming the Goblin King’s bride. As the two of them grow closer, they must learn just what it is they are each willing to sacrifice: her life, her music, or the end of the world.

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

I was so excited to read this book. The second I heard about it, I knew I needed it in my life. Not only is it a unique YA fantasy but it's similar to the 80's movie Labyrinth. Seriously? I needed it. On top of that I had heard really good things from fellow bloggers who had read it so when I was sent a copy from the publisher I was over the moon. And Wintersong did not disappoint. It was not entirely what I expected but it was a fantastic read.

The thing that I liked most about this book was the writing. This is definitely a beautifully written novel. This is one of those books that relies a lot on it's lyrical prose to establish an atmosphere of wonder and beauty. And that definitely worked. It was captivated and taken away by the magic and fantasy. (Be sure to come back on Thursday, I'll have an excerpt of the book and you can experience it for yourself). Plus this is one of those books that reads like a fairy tale. It has that a lot of elements from the classic stories that you know and love but still creates something new and different. I love when books feel familiar and creative at the same time and that was the case with Wintersong. It was a beautiful and lyrical modern fairy tale.

And because it reads like a fairy tale and there is such an emphasis on the atmospheric writing, it did kind of lose something with the plot development for me. Now it's not that there was no plot, it just had kind of a slow plot for my taste. I'm definitely someone who prefers a lot of action and mystery. I also prefer a really intricate plot that builds to a thrilling conclusion. I didn't get either of those here. There are kind of two separate plots, one in the first half and one in the second half. They were both interesting on their own but there wasn't a ton of connective tissue. And if I'm being entirely honest, I preferred the first half and would have liked if that would have been dragged out a little more.

But I think the thing I liked least about the plot development, especially in the second half was the romance. You guys know me, I'm a romancephobe. I don't usually enjoy books that are heavy in the romance, especially if the romance is the plot point. And that was the case with the second half of this book. I loved the sisterly bond and the idea of family, that relationship was great. But as soon as it turned romantic it lost me. On top of all that it just felt like a strange relationship to me. It felt like it developed suddenly and wasn't even built on any attraction. There was a bit of a connection with the characters but I didn't see it progressing in the direction ans speed in which it did. But keep in mind, I am very hard to please in the romance department. If you like love stories you'll probably like this more than I did.

I also think that my feelings on the relationships may have also impacted my feelings on the characters. As far as the main characters go it was kind of hit or miss for me. The character I did really like was The Goblin King. I found him super interesting. He had this mysterious backstory, and this not quite bad but not quite good way about him. And I really liked his development. Throughout the book and the more we got to know about him the more likable he became. I know there is a companion novel coming out and I hope it is about The Goblin King because he was fascinating. I wish I could say the same about Liesl. I did like her in the beginning. She was plucky and a little reckless. She selflessly did things to protect others and I appreciated her determination. But her development I didn't enjoy. Throughout the book she did a 180 and I just suddenly stopped connecting with her. I really wish that didn't happen because before that I was really enjoying her.

On the whole, Wintersong was a good read. It was beautifully written and felt like a classic fairy tale that I really enjoyed. But the p[lot and characterizations were king of hit or miss for me with the split  plot points and some good and some not so good character developments.

I give Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones 8.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow. I think this is definitely worth a read. if you are a fan of fantasies, especially ones that have heavy romance I think you will really enjoy this book. It's beautifully written with a lyrical and atmospheric style that I think a lot of readers will enjoy. But if you are looking for something more plot focused, this may not be the book for you.

Have you read WIntersong? What did you think? Leave me comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

January Wrap Up and February TBR

Read in January: Fantasy

Well this month's wrap up is embarassing for me. I have not been reading much lately and January is the worst month I have had in a really long time. Life kind of got in the way. I was super busy with work and then I got sick. Like really sick. Nothing serious but I just couldn't read. I couldn't focus on the books, all I could do was watch Netflix, YouTube videos, and nap. I'm slowly climbing out of the reading slump and reading more regularly now that I'm feeling better but for me, this month was bad. Really bad. I read 5 new books and no rereads.

For challenges, I am not doing well on those either. It's hard to meet those goals if I'm not meeting my other goals. My Goodreads goal is to read 150 books for the year and I am totally behind with that. But it is still early so I think I can still make up for it. I'm also behind for the Debut Author Challenge of 25 debuts,  having read 1 this month which brings my total to 31 for the year. For the Netgalley/Edelweiss Challenge, it was a slow month for that too, but I'm still hoping to reach my goal of 50 for the year. For the Rock My TBR Challenge I read no book for that this month towards my goal of 25 for the year. And finally, the one that I doing well with is the Discussion Challenge, I have done one post for that, on track for twelve in the year.

The Books

1.) The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden 
Rating: 8.5 out of 10 [My Review]

2.) Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken Rating: 9 out of 10 [My Review]
3.) Windwitch by Susan Dennard Rating: 9.5 out of 10 [My Review]

4.) Caraval by Stephanie Carber Rating: 8 out of 10 [My Review]

DNF Review: 
5.) The Alchemists of Loom by Elise Kova [My Review]

Other Posts

Crossing Over: Fantasy Heist Stories
Challenges I'm Doing in 2017
Tsar's Guard Spotlight: Vika and Nikolai's Cinnamon Rolls
Discussion Post: Fantasy Tropes I Actually Like
Throwback Thursday Review: The Wicked Years by Gregory Maguire
Waiting on Wednesday: The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon, A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi
Stacking the Shelves: November and December Haul

To Be Read in February: Historical Fantasy

Well now that January is behind me, I am staying positive and moving on. Already I think I am back on track because I am reading more and I am reading multiple books. And I am really excited about some of the books I am planning to read in February. Plus I am really excited about this theme. Historical Fantasy is my favorite subgenre and there are some really great books which fit this theme.

Books for Review

Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones - Add to Goodreads

I have heard nothing but great things about this book and I am super excited to read it. I've already started it and plan to finish it this weekend.

Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham - Add to Goodreads
This one sounds like a totally fantastic me book. It's one of those books that has a mystery in the present being something that happened in the past. And it's about the Tulsa Race Riots which is pretty cool.

All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Matsi - Add to Goodreads
I got a copy of this from Netgalley and it sounds super interesting. It's alternative history that shows us living in the technologically advanced world that they imagined for us in the 50's but of course there are problems.
 

Gilded Cage by Vic James - Add to Goodreads

I have a copy of this from Netgalley and it definitely sounds interesting. I've heard some mixed reviews but it seems like the kind of fantasy I would enjoy.

Rebel Genius by Michael Dante Dimartino- Add to Goodreads

I keep putting this one off  but I am hoping to get to it now. I am doing a rewatch of Avatar the Last Airbender right now and it's rekindling my desire to read this.

 The Song Rising  by Samantha Shannon - Add to Goodreads
This comes out at the beginning of March and I could not be more excited. I am a huge fan of this series and it has been such a long wait for this book.

New Releases

The Dark Days Pact by Allison Goodman - Add to Goodreads

I read The Dark Days Club last winter and loved it. It's such a fun and interesting story. I'm currently rereading it and listening to the audio which is narrated by Fiona Hardingham so I can listen to the sequel.

The Valiant by Lesley Livingston - Add to Goodreads
I am so excited about this book. It sounds totally up my alley. I mean it's about a kickass female gladiator. I love unique historical fiction and this totally fits that bill. 

A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab - Add to Goodreads
I am absolutely nervicited about this book. It's the third and final book in the Shades of Magic series and I know it's going to be amazing and also totally wreck me. I should maybe reread AGoS first though.

Backlist Books

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows - Add to Goodreads

This is my book club book for the month and I am super super excited about that because I cannot wait to read this book. Why have I waited this long? I don't know!

A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis - Add to Goodreads
I probably won't read this but just in case I need something else, this one fits the theme and is one that I have been wanting to read lately.

There you have it. Some of the books I hope to read in February. We'll see. As always, these are subject to change. I may read all of these or I may only read a few and then read a bunch of different ones. But honestly I think this list I can stick to. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Title: Caraval Series: Caraval #1 Written by: Stephanie Garber Published: January 31, 2017 by Flatiron Books (Macmillan) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Welcome to Caraval, where nothing is quite what it seems.  Scarlett has never left the tiny isle of Trisda, pining from afar for the wonder of Caraval, a once-a-year week-long performance where the audience participates in the show.  Caraval is Magic. Mystery. Adventure. And for Scarlett and her beloved sister Tella it represents freedom and an escape from their ruthless, abusive father.  When the sisters' long-awaited invitations to Caraval finally arrive, it seems their dreams have come true. But no sooner have they arrived than Tella vanishes, kidnapped by the show's mastermind organiser, Legend.  Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But nonetheless she quickly becomes enmeshed in a dangerous game of love, magic and heartbreak. And real or not, she must find Tella before the game is over, and her sister disappears forever.  A mesmerising, magical and stunningly imaginative debut novel for anyone who loved The Night Circus and Daughter of Smoke and Bone

*** 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 was immediately attracted to this book when I first learned about it. It seemed totally up my alley. A fantasy full of mystery, magic, and adventure? Yes, please. Not to mention I heard nothing but great things about it from fellow bloggers who read it. So I was really looking forward to reading this. And while I did really enjoy it, I'm not sure it lived up to the hype for me.

One thing I did love here was the plot development. It was definitely a thrilling book. I'm a plot-driven reader and I like when my fantasies in particular take me for a ride, and this book did that. There was a really fantastic storyline full of mystery and surprises. It wasn't the kind of mystery that you can solve but I didn't really mind that. Instead it continued to surprise me in ways I didn't expect. It's kind of hard for a book to do that so I have to give this one some credit for that. Even things I thought I had figured out, I didn't. Plus it really built to an exciting conclusion that had me on the edge of my seat and reeling. From a plot standpoint, I really did love this book.

And while I did find the world interesting and engaging, it's just not my favorite kind of thing. If you are one of those readers who love a circus or carnival setting I think you will totally love this one. It is one of those worlds. One of those settings where things are whimsical and mysterious. I did really like being able to explore the location of Caraval but it just didn't blow me away. I found the magic to be kind of lacking. I've read some books with this kind of setting where things were more over-the-top while here they felt more subtle to me. I like m magic to "go big or go home" and here it was just there in the periphery. Or maybe I just didn't understand it or pick up on it because I was focusing more on the mystery. But either way, there wasn't much of a balance between world and plot for me.

I also felt the same about the characters. On the whole I enjoyed them but the characterization did feel a little lacking for me. The one character who I did really like was the main character, Scarlett. I thought Scarlett was a great protagonist. I can relate to her healthy amount of skepticism that she balanced with a sense of wonder. I also really liked how she put others before herself. The development she had throughout the book on that side of things was really fantastic. As far as the secondary characters go, there was a lot of interesting ones. I did like Julian, the male lead, because he felt really mysterious and slightly dubious which I enjoyed. I'm not sure I bought into their romance but that's nothing new. But there were also some really fantastic antagonists. A lot of the drama of the book came from the fact that the main characters were always fighting against these really odious villains. Whether it was her father or the Master of Caraval they were dark and devious and I wanted Scarlett to succeed over them.

But the character that disappointed me the most was probably Tella. There was so much emphasis put on the sisterly bond here, something that is very popular within books and movies nowadays and I really enjoy. But I'm not sure that this aspect of the story worked for me. I did feel like Scarlett and Tella cared about one another but I never felt like that bond went super deep. I think this may have just been a case of being told instead of being shown that. There was supposed to be a feeling of self-sacrifice which made sense from one aspect of conflict but not really from another. Much of the plot was triggered from Scarlett's supposed desire to protect Tella and while it made Scarlett more likable it kind of made Tella less likable. I think if she had been a bigger player in the story that may have been different but she was kind of minor character and I wanted more from or about her.

On the whole this was a good read I just think that it fell victim to the hype monster for me as I struggle through this reading slump. As much as I love YA fantasy this isn't the kind of book that usually blows me away. But it did have a really thrilling plot and interesting characters.

I give Caraval by Stephanie Garber 8.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow. If you like fantasies set in carnivals or circuses you should definitely check this out. This might be a book more for people who are not huge fantasy fans because it is a little bit more on the subtle side. And despite some things I didn't like, it was interesting and I would recommend it.

Have you read Caraval? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: The Upside of Unrequited Author: Becky Albertalli Published: April 11, 2017 by Balzar + Bray (HarperCollins) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love. No matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can’t stomach the idea of rejection. So she’s careful. Fat girls always have to be careful. Then a cute new girl enters Cassie’s orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly’s cynical twin is a lovesick mess. Meanwhile, Molly's totally not dying of loneliness—except for the part where she is. Luckily, Cassie's new girlfriend comes with a cute hipster-boy sidekick. If Molly can win him over, she'll get her first kiss and she'll get her twin back. There's only one problem: Molly's coworker, Reid. He's a chubby Tolkien superfan with a season pass to the Ren Faire, and there's absolutely no way Molly could fall for him. Right?

Why I'm Waiting:

I loved Simon Vs. the Homosapians Agenda, Becky's debut. It was one of my favorite books of 2015 and my favorite debut. It was the perfect kind of contemporary for me. It was funny, romantic, sweet, serious. It was amazing. I would read anything that Becky would write because I loved that book so much.  And it takes place in the same sphere so here's hoping there is a reference/cameo from Simon, Blue, or any other character from that book.

But seriously, I would be very excited about this book even if it wasn't from an author that I loved. The synopsis of it sounds super fantastic. First of all, I love that this is a book about a protagonist who is a self-proclaimed "fat girl." I can relate and I always love when the MC isn't your typical kind of heroine. I also love that there is an LGBT secondary character who has the same name as me. It's not a common thing to come across another Cassie/Cassi. Usually when I do they end up dead or in a ton of peril.

But I think the thing I am most excited about is that there will probably be a lot of exploration of relationships and romance which I am cool with. I'm kind of romancephobic but I like the idea of a person who has a ton of crushes and has never been in a relationship explores that. It totally feels like new ground to tread. And I mean the sounds of this love triange is actually kind of intriguing.

I have seen a few fellow bloggers who have read advance copies of the book and totally loved it. I just preorded it with some Christmas gift cards and I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy to totally devour.

What about you? What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Are you waiting on The Upside of Unrequited along with me? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!