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!

Challenge Wrap Up: Debut Author Challenge

In the month of December I've been doing weekly posts and challenge wrap ups. In addition to doing a favorite books of the year thing, I want 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 and I think they each deserve some individual attention. This week I am doing debuts and the Debut Author Challenge.

The actual challenge is to read 15 debuts a year but I always go crazy and read way more. My goal for the year was to read 25 debuts and I beat that. I read a total of 31 debuts for the Debut Author Challenge hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Yes, that's right, I read twice as many debuts as the challenge, because I couldn't help myself. And as I have read 155 books so far for the year which means 20% of the books I read in 2016 were debuts. That's a lot of debuts.

And while I found some really fantastic ones, I wasn't totally in love. Usually at least one debut is in my top ten books of the year and I don't think that is the case this year. And don't get me wrong, there were some really fantastic ones, and there is a book that was one of my favorites but it's not in the top tier I guess. But seriously, a handful of them were big disappointments. Although we're not here to talk about those books. We're here to talk about the good ones. Here is the list of some of my favorites. In no particular order...

1.) The Smell of Other People's Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock - My Review
(Amazon / Goodreads )

This book was on my list of favorite books of the year for most of the first half of 2016 but unfortunately some fall releases kicked it off. Sorry, book. But honestly, it was really good. It's a very close call whether this was my favorite debut of the year or not.

This is one of those books where the lives of seemingly unrelated people all connect in an interesting and compelling way. It feels very much like a contemporary even though it is technically historical fiction. But honestly, I loved that. But I also liked the historical fiction elements. It's set in Alaska during the 1970's making it one of the most unique historical novels I've read in awhile. Plus I really connected with the characters who were looking to get out of their small towns and make something of themselves.

All in all this was a really fantastic and emotional story. I totally loved it and would recommend it to basically everyone. It flew a bit under the radar I think and I wish more people would read it, it's really good.

2.) The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutskie - My Review
(Amazon / Goodreads)

This is one of those books that was not what I expected but it ended up being way better than my wildest dreams. I'm not sure I knew what I was getting myself into with this book but I thought it was going to be more hard sci-fi with space travel and it was more science fantasy/dystopia/I don't know what to call it.

The only thing I really want to call it is amazing. It had a little bit of everything. For one thing it had pirates, which was honestly super hot this year which I am not complaining about. That would have been enough but it also had sea monsters, trained sea monsters, who attack pirates. Then there is the fact that it has diverse characters and a great f/f romance. see how it had a little bit of everything? Not to mention that the plot was amazingly thrilling that I flew through and loved every second of. It was a really fantastic and engaging story.

This is another debut that I think flew under the radar for a lot of people. It's a really fantastic read that has a little something for everyone. And if you are looking for SF/F with diverse characters then you should definitely pick this one up. But even if you aren't looking for that, read it.

3.) The Only Thing Worse Than Me is You by Lily Anderson - My Review
(Amazon / Goodreads)

As soon as I learned about this book I knew I needed to read it. I mean come on, it's a Much Ado About Nothing retelling (shout out to one of the many Shakespeare retellings which I loved this year) with nerdy teen protagonists. That's super up my alley.

And it was honestly so good. Of course when we are talking about Much Ado it's all about the humor and the awkward interations between the characters. This had some really amazing ones. The perfect love to hate romance, great friendships, and just generally great characters. I'm not a huge contemporary reader but I love ones like this. Ones with humor and heart. Plus on top of that there was a fun mystery here and you all know I love a good mystery.

 I would totally recommend this book. If you are a contemporary reader or not, this is a book I think you will enjoy. It's a fast and fun read that you should check out as a palette cleanser or if you are looking for something fluffy. Or if you know, you like nice things.

4.) Kingdom of Ash and Briar by Hannah West - My Review
(Amazon / Goodreads)

I didn't even know about this book until BEA. On the first day I was walking around with one of my friends (shout out to Rachael) and she stopped by the publisher to pick this book up and I was intrigued so I too asked for a copy. I'm so glad I did.

This was probably one of the most creative fantasies I read this year. It reads a little bit like a retelling with elements from some of your favorite fairy tales (yes, Sleeping Beauty like the title alludes) but it also had a very amazing fantasy world. It's one of those books that feels familiar and creative at the same time and those are some of my favorite kinds of fantasies. It's not a perfect read but it was a really great YA fantasy standalone and one of my favorite debuts of this year,

If you haven't read this book and you are at all interested in it, definitely read it. I think it's something that will appeal to a broad audience because it's one of those books that is reminiscent of the classic fairy tales and fantasies that we loved as kids but still feels new and different.

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

This book makes my list of favorite debuts because I was honestly surprised by how much I liked it. It's not the kind of book that I would usually gravitate towards but I think that was one of the reasons why I ended up liking it so much.

I'm not a big contemporary reader and one of the things that I liked about this book is that while it is definitely a coming-of-age story it is a book that plays with the tropes of contemporary YA and it does that in such a creative way. There's sort of this book within a book thing where the main character is trying to live the ideal bookish life so she can write the ideal book. That in and of itself was fascinating. But on top of that, the main character of Reshma was kind of terrible. And I mean this in the best possible way. Like this is a book about an unlikable character and I love that.

This is a book that I think will appeal to fans of contemporaries or those who don't necessarily like them. The way that it plays with the tropes will appeal to a broad audience and makes for an interesting read for sure. If you're like me and like unlikable characters then definitely check this out.

6.) Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco - My Review
(Amazon / Goodreads)

Last but certainly not least, is my favorite debut of 2016 and the one that will be making my favorites of the year list. This is another book that was one of mymost anticipated debuts of 2016 and didn't disappoint. Nope, this book was everything I was hoping it would be and more.

I was super excited when I heard that there was going to be a YA historical mystery centered around Jack the Ripper so obviously I picked up a copy of the book at BEA and met the author who is a delight, by the way. And it was seriously amazing. For one thing it had an amazing historical fiction setting. I love books set in Victorian England because of the built in drama that comes with that setting. But one that had mystery and CSI elements made it even better. And while the mystery was easy to solve, it didn't feel predictable and there was actually a really interesting twist at the end that had me all the more interested and engaged.

Basically this book is total Cassi bait and I loved it. I couldn't stop reading it and I really can't wait for the next book in the series. It was so amazing and without a doubt my favorite debut of 2016.

Honorable Mentions:

7.) The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye - My Review
I was going to include this in my top 6 but I already talked about it in my favorite audiobooks of the year and I honestly think that the main reason I loved this is because it's the perfect book in the audio format and it's narrated by Steve West who is utter perfection.

8.) Ivory and Bone by Julie Eshbaugh - My Review
This was one I really did consider putting in my top six as well. It was really really good. I loved how creative it was with the genderbent Pride and Prejudice, the prehistoric setting, and the semi-first person perspective.

9.) Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton - My Review
This is a case where I loved a book in the moment, or should I say immediately after finishing it, but over time I lost a little bit of my love. Although honestly it was a really great YA fantasy and I am super excited for the sequel/

There you have it, all my favorite debuts of the year. I loved a lot of them and despite being disappointed by many I did read some really great debuts this year. But the biggest victory for this is that I read a total of 31 debuts. I doubled the challenge which is not too shabby. For a full list of all 31 books check out my Debut Author Challenge tab.

What debuts did you read this year? What were your favorites? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: Enter Title Here by Rahul Kanakia

Title: Enter Title Here Written by: Rahul Kanakia Published: August 2, 2016 by Disney-Hyperion (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: I’m your protagonist—Reshma Kapoor—and if you have the free time to read this book, then you’re probably nothing like me.  Reshma is a college counselor’s dream. She’s the top-ranked senior at her ultra-competitive Silicon Valley high school, with a spotless academic record and a long roster of extracurriculars. But there are plenty of perfect students in the country, and if Reshma wants to get into Stanford, and into med school after that, she needs the hook to beat them all.  What's a habitual over-achiever to do? Land herself a literary agent, of course. Which is exactly what Reshma does after agent Linda Montrose spots an article she wrote for Huffington Post. Linda wants to represent Reshma, and, with her new agent's help scoring a book deal, Reshma knows she’ll finally have the key to Stanford.  But she’s convinced no one would want to read a novel about a study machine like her. To make herself a more relatable protagonist, she must start doing all the regular American girl stuff she normally ignores. For starters, she has to make a friend, then get a boyfriend. And she's already planned the perfect ending: after struggling for three hundred pages with her own perfectionism, Reshma will learn that meaningful relationships can be more important than success—a character arc librarians and critics alike will enjoy.  Of course, even with a mastermind like Reshma in charge, things can’t always go as planned. And when the valedictorian spot begins to slip from her grasp, she’ll have to decide just how far she’ll go for that satisfying ending. (Note: It’s pretty far.)

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

WOW! What a unique and compelling contemporary YA coming-of-age story. This is like no other contemporary I have read with the way it played with the tropes and storytelling made for a truly engaging and interesting read.

First things first, I have to talk about the characters in this book. For one thing there is nothing really likable about them. Yes, them. All of them. Practically every character is hard to like in varying degrees. But none more so than our main character Reshma. Resh is a selfish, entitled, arrogant brat who treats people like crap and expects them to fawn all over her. Most of the book I wanted to shake her or lecture her for being so awful to everyone around her. But at the same time I felt for her. What Kanakia is able to do here with Reshma is no easy feat, he has made a truly terrible character empathetic. You want her to succeed and you cringe when she fails for some odd reason. You hate her but you want good things to happen to her. Maybe that's because there aren't a lot of things that go well for her. In fact, the universe loves to kick her when she's down and a lot of bad things happen to her. Most of it she deserves. There's this great sense of karma or justice throughout the book that I think helps make the book compelling and the character empathetic.

But you also may empathize with Reshma because of her development throughout the story. I would probably consider this book a coming-of-age story but it's so far from that traditional novel that it almost feels like satire. It is a very self-aware and meta book. For one thing, Reshma is trying to model her life around a typical YA novel so she can write a typical YA novel. But nothing about this book or her life is typical. In the end she wakes up to that reality and has to realize the cold hard truth about life. She also realizes just how self-destructive she has been and slowly, very slowly, learns from it. As a person who was kind of a terrible teenage I appreciated that. But the development was subtle which I think made it all the more real.

The way this story is told was also very unique and meta as well. It's not necessarily a story within a story but it's not a traditional narrative either. It's told in short bursts with kind of day in the life vignettes as Reshma talks about what she did to advance her novel and/or life. But she is also so honest about this being for the novel that sometimes you wonder what is her book and what is her life. It's only when she breaks the fourth wall and tells you directly what she is doing that it becomes clear. This writing style was definitely strange and surprisingly compelling but it did make for a weirdly paced story. It didn't have a clear flow and there were a lot of different plot points that worked together and independently. Some of them had strong resolutions and others didn't. But isn't that how life works?

Enter Title Here is one of the most unique books I have read and I loved that about it. It played with the tropes in a way that made an interesting and compelling story that I couldn't stop reading with characters I loved to hate.

I give Enter Title Here by Rahul Kanakia 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Byapass: Buy. I will say that I don't think this book is for everyone. I have given it a really good review but it's my kind of read. It's different and difficult to read but that's what I liked about it. Fans of books with "unlikable" characters and anyone looking for a unique contemporary should check this out.

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