Waiting on Wednesday: Enter Title Here by Rahul Kanakia (Blogmas Day #23)

   Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine in which we discuss our most anticipated upcoming releases.

   The book:

Enter Title Here by Rahul Kanakia
Expected Publication: August 2nd 2016 by Disney-Hyperion
Number of Pages: 352 Pages (Hardcover)
Series: No

   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.)
   In this wholly unique, wickedly funny debut novel, Rahul Kanakia consciously uses the rules of storytelling—and then breaks them to pieces. (goodreads.com)

   My thoughts:

   This good sounds amazing!
   What is less amazing is the fact that it comes out August 2016 because I really, really want to read it. (Hey Disney-Hyperion, how about an ARC? Pretty please?) What truly caught my attention is the fact that this is a story about a girl deciding to get herself a literary agent to make herself stand out among the perfect Stanford applicants, which reminds me of me back in high school, wanting nothing more then an agent, though I didn't dream of Stanford. Furthermore, the final line of the blurb makes the entire thing even more interesting because I really want to know in what way the author breaks the rules of story telling and I want to know how exactly this story is told.
   All in all I really want to read this book and cannot wait for it to come out, even though the latter is more then half a year away.

   Let me know in the comments below or via twitter (@Alice_Reeds) which books you're waiting for this Wednesday!

Waiting on Wednesday: Starflight by Melissa Landers (Blogmas Day #16)

   Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine in which we discuss our most anticipated upcoming releases.

   The book:

Starflight by Melissa Landers
Expected Publication: February 2nd 2016 by Disney-Hyperion
Number of Pages: 320 Pages(Hardcover)
Series: Yes, #1 in the Starflight companion duology/trilogy(?)

   Life in the outer realm is a lawless, dirty, hard existence, and Solara Brooks is hungry for it. Just out of the orphanage, she needs a fresh start in a place where nobody cares about the engine grease beneath her fingernails or the felony tattoos across her knuckles. She's so desperate to reach the realm that she's willing to indenture herself to Doran Spaulding, the rich and popular quarterback who made her life miserable all through high school, in exchange for passage aboard the spaceliner Zenith.
   When a twist of fate lands them instead on the Banshee, a vessel of dubious repute, Doran learns he's been framed on Earth for conspiracy. As he pursues a set of mysterious coordinates rumored to hold the key to clearing his name, he and Solara must get past their enmity to work together and evade those out for their arrest. Life on the Banshee may be tumultuous, but as Solara and Doran are forced to question everything they once believed about their world--and each other--the ship becomes home, and the eccentric crew family. But what Solara and Doran discover on the mysterious Planet X has the power to not only alter their lives, but the existence of everyone in the universe...(goodreads.com)

   My thoughts:

   This book has space, far away planets and is sci-fi, what more could I wish for?
   The first time I ever saw this book I knew I have to have it because the cover is awesome and the blurb sounds really intriguing. I'm a sucker for good YA sci-fi novels with just a dash of romance and truly high stakes so I have a lot of hope for this one, even more since a reviewer I trust gave it 5 stars. So, Disney-Hyperion, if you want to hook me up with am ARC I'm all for it!
   But in all seriousness, I cannot wait for this book to come out!

   Let me know in the comments below or via twitter (@Alice_Reeds) which books you're waiting for this Wednesday!

My Year In Music (Blogmas Day #15)

   Welcome to Blogmas day 15!
   Today I'll be talking about music, again. But, this time I've consulted Spotify to find out what music I've listened to the most this hear, how much I've been listening to it time wise and so on. I've seen so many people talking about this so I thought I might share my results with you guys, especially since I've not actually taken a look yet so we'll, kind of, find out together.
   Counting just the music I'm listening to on Spotify I've spent 39.000 hours (27 days) listening to music. I've listened to 811 different artists and 2.146 different songs, which is crazy! I wasn't even aware of the fact that I know that many artists to be completely honest.
   Now, let's see, who were my top five most listened artists, along with how many times I've streamed their music:

1. Years & Years - 581 streams
2. Panic! at the Disco - 473 streams
3. Hozier - 374 streams
4. MS MR -372 streams
5. Hurts - 359 streams

   That does look pretty legit if I think back to everything I've listened to in 2015. It's interesting how big the gaps are between places 1 to 3 yet how tiny between 3, 4 and 5. To be honest, I would have though I listened to Panic! the most this year, but I guess I was loving Years & Years quite a lot. Then again, their album is brilliant so no wonder.

   Next, let's have a look at my top five most streamed songs. I'm actually really curious about this one because I cannot even begin to guess which one might be on top.

1. Pray to God by Calvin Harris feat HAIM - 69 streams
2. King by Years & Years - 62 streams
3. Collar Full by Panic! at the Disco - 57 streams
4. Real (Original Mix) by Years & Years - 52 streams
5. Desire by Years & Years - 51 streams

   I guess it comes as no surprise that Years & Years clearly dominates this list, though I'm actually really surprised by Pray to God being my most listened to song of the year. Who would have thought. But, I'm not surprised at all that Collar Full found its way into the top five since I've been really loving that one over the past two months or so.

   And lastly we have my top five most listened to albums. I'm going to take a very wild guess and say Years & Years will be high on this one. Let's see if I'm right:

1. Hozier (Delux) by Hozier - 374 streams
2. Secondhand Rapture by MS MR - 371 streams
3. If You Leave by Daughter - 277 streams
4. Chaos and Calm by James Bay - 274 streams
5. Smoke + Mirror (Delux) by Imagine Dragons - 239 streams

   I'm actually surprised because Years & Years have not even made it onto this list, despite being my most listened to artist of 2015. Then again, I'm not surprised that Hozier won this one, closely followed by MS MR, because I really love his album a lot. And again, it's interesting how close place 1 and 2 are and also place 3 and 4.

   And that's it, that's my 2015 in music. I hope you enjoyed this little list, gotten to know my taste in music a little bit better. Share your most listened to artists, songs and albums down in the comments (no account required) or tweet them at me, @Alice_Reeds

My Bookish Christmas Wish List 2015 (Bookmas Day #14)

   Welcome to bookmas day 14!
   It's that time of the year again when we look at our growing list of books that we desire to own and read, and decide which ones are the chosen ones, the ones that end up on our christmas wish lists. Today I will tell you guys about the 10 books I've picked out that I would love to get for christmas this year. Last year I've actually gotten most of the books I wanted, which is always a nice thing, even though my bookshelves think otherwise because I barely have any space left.
   Without further ado, here are my chosen ones:

   #1 - Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
   On my most recent 4 hours bus journey I had the incredible joy of watching the movie based upon this book starring Keira Knightley, an actress I like a lot. I loved the movie and it's melancholic atmosphere so of course, the next logical step to do here, is go and read the book. I'm incredibly curious as to how the two, the book and movie, compare and how much has been changed.

   #2 - Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman
   Fair enough, I've actually already read and reviewed this book a couple of months ago, but how could I possibly not want to own one of those amazing hardcover copies of this book? I want to experience the story again, have a closer look at all the design details that went into this book that were way too small on my eARC, and just have it stand proudly on my shelf. Besides, spoiler alert, this is one of my favorite books this year so.

   #3 - Night Film by Marisha Pessl
   I've heard lots of stuff about this book, lots and lots of praise because of the story and its originality. I've wanted to get it for surely a year or so now, so I guess Christmas is a good moment to possibly finally get my hands on it and see what all the talk is about. Hopefully it'll be a good one, if I do get it.

   #4 - This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers
   This book sounds really interesting, since it combines two things I like a lot: a heavy topic and zombies. I really like zombie stories, the really good ones, so I'm curious to see if this will be a good one. A reviewer whose opinion I trust gave this one a high rating, despite not being the biggest fan of zombies, so I have truly high hopes for this one.

   #5 - The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu
   This is one of the 'heavy' books that can be found on my list. As you guys know I love books dealing with hard/heavy topics so of course there would be books like this one on my list. Also, let's face it, the title of this book definitely caught my attention due to obvious reasons.

   #6 - The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson
   This book is about a boy who wants to be a girl, who feels like he actually is a girl despite being born in a boys body. I've never read a transgender book before so of course when I saw this one I could not resist and had to put it onto this list asap. To be honest, I've already ordered it.

   #7 - This Shattered World and Their Fractured Light by Meagan Spooner and Amie Kaufman
   I've already wished for This Shattered World last year, but didn't get it, obviously. Logically I am wishing for it once more this year, along with the final book of the trilogy. This books are already totally worth getting even if only for those gorgeous covers, though the story in book one, These Broken Stars, was already pretty awesome so I cannot wait how the story continues.

   #8 - You by Caroline Kepnes
   This book sounds infinitely fascinating, especially because it's written in second person, as suggested even by the title. I've never read a book in second person and I'm sure it will take a little while to get used to it, but I've heard nothing but good things about this book so I have high hopes. It's supposed to be really creepy and that already tells me that I want to read it. As with heavy topics, creepy/scary books are another type of book that I happen to love.

   #9 - Some Boys by Patty Blount
   And here we are again, another heavy topic book that deals with rape. I think these types of books are incredibly important so of course I want to read them, spread the word about them, especially if they are good ones. I've been eyeing this book for months but never got it so I hope to get it as present.

   #10 - Paint My Body Red by Heidi R. Kling
   Again, I've already read, loved and reviewed this one in form of an eARC but, seeing as I absolutely loved it, I definitely want to get the physical copy of it so I can re-read it sometime. Seriously, if you've still not considered getting this book I strongly encourage you to do it. The story is amazing!

   Those are the 10 books I hope to get. I know, not the happiest list ever made but that's just me, I have a soft spot for the heavy/sad stuff. What are some of the books you hope to get for Christmas? Tell me in the comments below or on twitter, @Alice_Reeds.

5 Songs I'm Currently Addicted To! (Blogmas Day #13)

   Welcome to Blogmas day 13!
   Today I'll be telling you about the five songs I currently can't get enough of. I've posted a list like this once already a while back and I thought, hey, why not do it again. Maybe you'll discover something new and, since Christmas is right around the corner, you'll be able to buy the CD as present. Perfect, right?

   #1 - Afraid by The Neighbourhood
   I found this song while listening to a fan made Mara Dyer playlist that goes along with the books absolutely perfectly. I have mad respect for the person who made that playlist. Anyways, 'Afraid' is a beautiful and haunting song that I could just listen to on repeat while writing the story I'm currently working on. It's a sadder song but I love it. The lyrics are simply on point, the music perfection and the singer's voice just tops if off, making the entire thing definitely one of my favorite songs of 2015, even though I don't even know if it's a song that even came out in 2015.

   #2 - World Princess Part II by Grimes
   Grimes album 'Art Angels' is odd to say the least but something about this certain shade of odd makes it incredibly good. When I first heard some other song by Grimes during the BBC Radio One Internet Takeover hosted by Dan and Phil I didn't really enjoy it that much but after hearing her once more, a different song this time from the new album, I decided that I wanted to hear the whole thing. During my first couple run throughs of this album I didn't really notice 'World Princess Part II', but then it came on when I was in the underground on my way to the city and suddenly something clicked. I found myself listening to this song on repeat until I arrived.

   #3 - Blue by Troye Sivan feat. Alex Hope
   Troye Sivan is amazing, what else can I tell you? He is the only YouTube artist whom I'm actively listening to, whom I really know of (yes, I know Charles from CTFxC is part of We The Kings but that doesn't count). I fell in love with 'WILD' when I first heard it so of course I was waiting for Blue Neighbourhood to drop, wanted to hear the entire thing. Luckily, I was not disappointed. The album is great, but 'BLUE' is definitely my favorite song off of the album, 'TOO GOOD' coming in at a close second. It's filled with so many emotions, hauntingly beautiful, I cannot get enough of it. I've written an entire chapter while listening to it on repeat since it went along with my chapter so well, with the emotions I wanted to bring across. I hope Troye will make it big, he certainly deserves it since his voice and music are brilliant.

   #4 - Dark Times by The Weeknd feat Ed Sheeran
   We all know that The Weeknd is an amazing artist making amazing music so naturally, just like so many others, I absolutely love his album 'Beauty Behind The Madness'. His voice is unlike any other, inviting you to get lost in it. Listening to the album I immediately noticed 'Dark Times', probably because I wasn't expecting Ed Sheeran's voice to suddenly appear but, wow, it fits perfectly into the song and contrasts greatly with The Weeknd's voice. I love this song and I wish I had a friend with whom I could record a cover version of it since it just screams for that. If you've not heard it yet, what are you doing? Go listen to it asap! 'Angel' was a close second behind 'Dark Times'.

   #5 - Love Yourself by Justin Bieber
   I'll give you a moment to take that in. 
   I don't even know what happened, but something did happy to Justin Bieber's music which turned it into not being unlikable anymore. To my surprise, and many other people's too, his new album 'Purpose' actually sounds pretty good and I enjoy listening to it. When I first gave it a run through I was expecting to hate it, I just wanted to do it for research purposes, wanted to know what all the fuss was about, yet I found myself actually enjoying it. 'Love Yourself' is my favorite none-single song of the album.

   And that's it, those are the five songs I'm currently loving the most! I hope you enjoyed this post and will come back tomorrow for the next Blogmas post!

Review: Not Okay, Cupid by Heidi R. Kling (Blogmas Day #12)

Not Okay, Cupid by Heidi R. Kling
Expected Publication: January 11th 2016 by Entangled: Crush
Number of Pages: /
Series: Yes, #1

   Her wicked revenge, or his wicked heart...
   Hazel McCallister loves her life. Perfect grades. Perfect best friend. Perfect boyfriend. Until her perfect boyfriend cheats on her with her perfect best friend. Now Hazel’s in free fall—until her best friend’s brother, Felix, gives her the perfect idea. Reclaim her power by taking revenge on her cheating ex.
   Felix James loves his life. Casual relationships. Loads of surfing. He’s as drama-free as they come. But he can’t stand by when his sister steals her best friend’s boyfriend, and the dude insists it was Hazel’s fault. So Felix vows to help turn Hazel into a girl her ex can’t resist—so then she can break his heart.
   With an alliance in place, Hazel’s revenge is all but assured. But with each piece of payback, she feels a stronger attraction to Felix, even though revenge will turn her into a girl Felix could never be with. And soon Hazel has to make an impossible choice: revenge...or Felix, the boy who’s stolen her heart.
   WARNING! This book contains betrayal, revenge, and that most tempting vice of all, the bad boy you know you can't have. (goodreads.com)

* Thank you to Entangled: Crush for providing me with a eARC in 

exchange for an honest review *

   After reading Paint My Body Red by Heidi R. Kling a couple of weeks ago I knew I simply had to get my hands on her next book, being Not Okay, Cupid. I was beyond happy when I got an eARC of it and the chance to read it a month early.
   Not Okay, Cupid is more or less the exact opposite of Paint My Body Red, it's funny, fluffy, a feel good book set in the week leading up to Valentine's Day. I've never been a big fan of holiday themed books but this one was beyond cute and got me way too emotionally invested. Looking at the books I usually read one would think I wouldn't be interested in a read like this, would think I wouldn't end up liking it even if I were to try. Wrong. I loved this book, there, I said it.

   This story follows Hazel and Felix, two amazing protagonists that have a very interesting 'friendship' going that includes tons of funny banter. Hazel is your typical organized straight A girl with a boyfriend and a plan for life, that is, until her seemingly 'perfect' boyfriend cheats on her and her so well put together plan shatters. 
   On the other hand we have Felix, aka Felix the Cat and The Player of La Playa. He's the type of guy that likes to mess around with girls, but only for one night, and happens to be Hazel's best friend's brother. I love Felix, he was an amazing character! Seeing the two of them come together and conjure up a plan to get back at Jay, Hazel's cheating boyfriend, and Kimmy, Felix' sister with whom Jay cheated on Hazel, was amazing. I loved their chemistry and rooted for them from beginning to finish.

   Just as I mentioned in my review for Paint My Body Red, I love Heidi's writing style and the way she breathes life into her characters, making them feel like well rounded humans and not just one dimensional one trait tropes on two legs. Also, the way Hazel's and Felix' feelings started to slowly change and develop was really well done, slowly and realistically, and not simply in a matter of five pages.

   All in all Not Okay, Cupid is a really cute, funny and fluffy contemporary read, a total pick you up type of book. I think I might make this one a habit, reading it around Valentine's day the way we read other books around Christmas. This might not be the most original or life changing story, but it is all sorts of wonderful and cute with amazing characters and a real life feeling to it.

I give Not Okay, Cupid by Heidi R. Kling 5 out of 5 stars.

Cover Lust Friday: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (Blogmas Day #11)

   Cover Lust Friday is a new weekly meme that's all about covers. Pick a cover that stands out to you, add your reason why you've chosen that particular one or what you like about it. Let's have fun with it and share the love for our favorite covers.

   The Cover:

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Published: October 26th 2010 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Number of Pages: 260 Pages (Hardcover)
Series: Yes, #1 in the Dash & Lily Duology (?)

   “I’ve left some clues for you.
   If you want them, turn the page.
   If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”
   So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions? (goodreads.com)

   The Reason:

   This is my favorite Christmas read. 
   The story is beautiful and the cover matches it perfectly. It's subtle, colorful, and gorgeous. I personally love that it doesn't scream Christmas in your face but pulls you in through the beautiful cover picture. 

* * *

Want to join in? No problem! Just follow the 'rules' below:

1. Write a blog post about a cover you love.
2. Add your link in the comment section of the original post (click here) so we can have something like a list going on.
3. And if you’d be so kind, I’d appreciate a link back from your own post.
4. Check out other posts, and have fun!

Waiting on Wednesday: Love Blind by Christa Desir & Jolene Perry (Blogmas Day #9)

   Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine in which we discuss our most anticipated upcoming releases.

   The book:

Love Blind by Christa Desir & Jolene Perry
Expected Publication: May 10th 2016 by Simon Pulse
Number of Pages:  320 Pages (Hardcover)
Series: No

   It starts with a list of fears. Stupid things really. Things that Hailey shouldn't worry about, wouldn’t worry about if she didn’t wake up every morning with the world a little more blurry. Unable to see her two moms clearly. Unable to read the music for her guitar. One step closer to losing the things she cares about the most.
   For a while, the only thing that keeps Hailey moving forward is the feeling she gets when she crosses something off the list.
   Then she meets Kyle. He mumbles—when he talks at all—and listens to music to drown out his thoughts. He’s loaded down with fears, too. So Hailey talks him into making his own list.
   Together, they stumble into an odd friendship, helping each other tackle one after another of their biggest fears. But fate and timing can change everything. And sometimes facing your worst fear makes you realize you had nothing to lose after all. (goodreads.com)

   My thoughts:

   I want this book and I want it now, come on May, hurry up!
   I don't know about you but I've never read a book about a character slowly going blind before so that already sounds truly intriguing to me. Also, a list of fears that Hailey wants to tackle before everything goes dark? That sounds brave, probably braver then I would be so I really can't wait to see how that plays out in the story. I also really like the simplicity of the cover which makes it stand out for entirely different reasons then those book covers filled with colors and faces, you know which ones I mean.
   All in all I'm really excited for this one and cannot wait to read it!

   Let me know in the comments below or via twitter (@Alice_Reeds) which books you're waiting for this Wednesday!

Bookish Christmas Present Recommendations (Blogmas Day #8)

   Welcome to Blogmas day 8!
   Today I have put together a list of books that I think would make amazing christmas presents. I tried to have two options for each of the seven categories, resulting in 15 different books, and I hope I could help out at least one of you seeking for good recommendations. These are all YA books, since that's what I primarily read.

   #1 - A book for that friend who loves contemporary books and music

   For the Record by Charlotte Huang - This book is amazing. This book not only has a really amazing plot line and character, but it literally takes you on tour with a rock band through the eyes of the protagonist, who happens to be the new lead singer of said band. I've read, loved and reviewed this book a couple of months ago so I think it is a perfect mix of music and a
contemporary read. (review)

   This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales - This one is another amazing read that includes the love for DJing, which is something I've not read about in YA before I had picked up this one. It has sad moments, and the protagonist has a sad past, but it is never written about in that classical sobfest type of way. I really enjoyed this one so, if you have DJ friend who likes books, try this one.

   #2 - A book for that friend of yours that loves unreliable narrators

   The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin - How could I do a recommendations list and not include Mara Dyer? This is my favorite trilogy of all because it is the perfect blend of unreliable narrator, a sizzling romance, and an intriguing story. Mara is an amazing narrator, even though you will doubt everything she tells you, making this read lots of fun. It also holds a dash 
of paranormal in form of teens with powers, but not in some silly cliche way, trust me, this is a good one!

   Made You Up by Francesca Zappia - This is one of my favorite books of 2015 and features the ultimate unreliable narrator, Alex. She is a great protagonist, despite how unreliable she is, and her mental illness in portrayed perfectly and believably. The characters in this one are quirky and intriguing, so despite dealing with a hard topic this book still offered a lot of fun and humorous moments. (review)

   #3 - That friend who loves books that tackle important topics

   None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio - This book is about a girl who discovers that she is intersex, the first book I've ever read that talked about this topic, eve though it is so incredibly important. The book perfectly mixes informations regarding what intersex is and how you can live with it, how to accept it and so on, and a contemporary read offering a wonderful story with amazing characters. This book is extremely important so I think, if you have a friend who likes books with hard topics, definitely choose this one asap. If you're interested here is my review and interview with the author, it might help you figure out if this is the book for you.

   Lovely, Dark and Deep by Amy McNamara - This book takes on the complicated topic of grief and takes us along a journey during which the protagonist tries to deal with her grief, find her way back into life, even though it's definitely not the easiest of things to do. This book is incredibly realistic, emotional and important, in my opinion. In addition it looks lovely on a bookshelf thanks to that gorgeous cover. (review)

   Paint My Body Red by Heidi R. Klinger - Teenage suicide, it's all around us but people seem to speak about it was too rarely, especially in connection to school and pressure coming from your family. I think books dealing with these topics are incredibly important since they show how damaging growing up with constant pressure coming from your family, pushing you to your limits when it comes to school and extracurricular activities, taking away your childhood and free time, can be. Besides that, Paint My Body Red offers an amazing story and brilliant characters, a wonderful blend between hard topics and a summer that changes lives. (review)

   #4 - That friend that wants to get into fantasy

   Throne of Glass by Sara J. Maas - This was the first fantasy book I read after years of thinking that fantasy isn't for me. I enjoyed it a lot and was drawn into the world and characters, their stories and all the different things that were happening in this book. Sure, it didn't necessarily make me want to read more fantasy novels, 
but that's simply because fantasy truly isn't my thing, but there are thousands of people that swear that this series is amazing so I'm sure it's definitely worth giving a try.

   Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch - This one is another truly intriguing one that features a fantasy world split up in kingdom separated by seasons. Our protagonist and her friends belong to the fallen kingdom of Winter and try to win back their kingdom and its magic. It sounds awesome and the cover is gorgeous so why not try this one?

   #5 - That friend that's into sci-fi reads

   Forget Tomorrow by Pintip Dunn - Imagine a future in which your future self sends you back a single memory that shows you the life you are facing, be it a career in acting, sport or cooking. Now imagine the memory you receive doesn't show you a career but you committing a crime, a murder. If this doesn't sound intriguing, I don't know what does. The world in which the story plays is great and the characters are intriguing and three dimensional, and the romance is incredibly well executed. This is a great sci-fi read on a somewhat milder end of the sci-fi spectrum, perfect for those who want to get into sci-fi and those who already love the genre. (review)

   Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman - This book is amazing and incredibly unique in so many ways. Not only does the story feature an interesting plot, the most unique formatting and story telling way I've ever seen, but also a crazy AI and amazing characters. I could not put this book down while I read the ARC on my iPad and I cannot wait to hold the hardcover version in my hands. I could go on and on about how brilliant this book is and why you should definitely get it, but I will leave it at saying that this is definitely the perfect pick for sci-fi fans. (review)

   #6 - That friend that likes mysterious reads

   Bone Deep by Kim O'Brien - This book takes you along a journey onto archeological digging grounds where the protagonist, Paige, tries to figure out what happened to her friend Emily and why she disappeared. This book also contained a beautiful touch of Native American stories woven into it which only makes it more intriguing. The twist at the end is amazing and I definitely didn't see it coming, the romance is nice but doesn't take up too much space in the story. 
So, if your friend likes murder-mystery books with a spin to them, this might be the right one for them. (review)

   Never, Never by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher - This book, or rather the two current available novels that will form a complete book once the third one will be out, was written by two amazing authors who managed to create one hell of a mysterious and intriguing story that will leave you craving for more, along with powerful cliffhangers. Each time I picked one of the two up I couldn't out them away until I was done reading. So, if you're looking for a book that blends mystery with a dash of romance this one is exactly what you are looking for. (review)

   #7 - That friend that likes summer contemporaries

   Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson - I really, really enjoyed this book when I read it back in 2014. It has an amazing story and takes the reader along a road trip across the US where we get to see many interesting places through the eyes
 of the protagonist, Amy. This is a perfect summer read that I hope to re-read next summer, simply because it was just that good. Besides, Morgan Matson is a great author with an addictive quality to her writing style.

   Petty Little Lives by Alice Reeds - Yap, that's my book. It's a summer read so I took myself the freedom to include it on this list, in case your friends have not checked it out yet, or you didn't know about it. This one is all about summer, the value of family, overcoming differences and finding love in unexpected places. So for most of the reviewers quite liked it so maybe your friend will like it too.

   And this is it, those are all the books I prepared for you. As you can see I've read most of them, so be reassured that they are good ones, in my opinion. I hope I could help some of you out and if you think you have any other valuable recommendation you'd like to add, leave them in the comments below or tweet them at me, @Alice_Reeds.

Review: Angelfall by Susan Ee (Blogmas Day #7)

Angelfall by Susan Ee
Published: May 23rd 2013 by Hodder and Stoughton (first published May 21st 2011)
Number of Pages: 326 Pages (Paperback)
Series: Yes, #1 in the Penryn & the end of Days Trilogy

   It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.
   Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.
   Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.
   Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again. (goodreads.com)

   "I cannot stand angel books" is what I usually say when anyone even as much as mentions them to me, yet for some reason I bought Angelfall a while back, probably at some point last year. Ever since I joined the book community I kept on hearing about this book, about how good it is despite having angels, yet it took me years to finally give it a try. I did not regret it.
   Angelfall is action packed and extremely addictive! I had no idea what to expect when I picked this one up, all I knew was that it contained evil angels and that's it, and I think that was definitely a good thing, going in more or less blind.
   In Angelfall the angels have come down to earth to eradicate humanity in what can only be described as the apocalypse. But, what they didn't expect was that humanity isn't quite willing to give up their planet and lives just that easily.

“I never kid about my warrior demigod status."

"Oh. My. God." I lower my voice, having forgotten to whisper. "You are nothing but a 

bird with an attitude. Okay, so you have a few muscles, I’ll grant you that. But you 

know, a bird is nothing but a barely evolved lizard. That’s what you are.”

   Throughout this trilogy we follow Penryn, a kick ass protagonist who is trying to save her sister while surviving the apocalypse. I really like Penryn because she has a personality, really feels like a three dimensional character with realistic thoughts and feelings, not a Mary Sue at all. I love how much she is willing to do, how far she is willing to go to save her sister, the fact that this was her highest priority through the entire book and not just flashing through from time to time. Furthermore I really liked her feelings toward Raffe, the fact that she didn't miraculously change her mind two pages after meeting him and didn't suddenly forget the fact that she hates angels.
   Raffe is an amazing character. He's an angel but his wings have been cut off so his highest priority was to get them sewn back on, even if that means making a deal with Penryn and traveling with her. Their relationship was incredibly funny and their arguments brilliant to follow. On one side I really wanted them to be together, yet at the same time I really liked the fact that there was barely any romance in this book, which was truly refreshing.

“A sense of humor is one more thing I don't think angels should have. 

The fact that his sense of humor is corny makes it even more wrong.”

   This book has lots and lots of action, something I appreciated a lot. Ms. Ee's writing is extremely addictive and her characters and descriptions are fantastic. I liked how different all of them were, how interesting all of them seemed, not just extras thrown in to help the protagonist solve some problem.
  What I usually didn't like about angel books, besides the sole fact that they have angels, was their story and their reasons for coming down to earth. This wasn't the case with Angelfall. I loved learning more about the angels, about their ways and reasons to come down and cause an apocalypse. It really seemed well thoughtout and didn't feel like something made up in five minutes. I enjoyed the fact that we slowly learned all of it, and not all at once, making it more interesting and suspenseful.
   The ending was on point and made me order the sequel in a matter or seconds because I simply had to know what would happen next!

   All in all I was very pleasantly surprised by Angelfall. It showed me that there are authors out there who are able to write really amazing angel books filled with action and fun. If you're like me, not a fan of angels, this is definitely the book to go if you want to give them another chance.

I give Angelfall by Susan Ee 5 out of 5 stars.

What NaNoWriMo Has Taught Me So Far (Blogmas Day #6)

   Welcome to Blogmas day six!
   Today I want to share some of the things with you that I've so far learned in the three years that I've been participating in NaNoWriMo (and Camp NaNo). For those of you who don't know, NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is an annual event happening throughout November where writers attempt to write 50.000 words in 30 days, the equivalent of a book toward the shorter end. It sounds hard and challenging, well, it truly is both but it is also very much doable.
   As I mentioned before I've been doing NaNoWriMo for three years now and each time I've learned many new things, ways to help you make it and alike. I've read many posts from other people with their NaNo stories so I thought I might try, write down a couple of things that helped me, and maybe it'll be able to help some of you guys in the future.

   This year, I admit, I had quite the hard time getting into the flow of things, which resulted in my word count being quite behind. I was more then sure I wouldn't be able to catch up all those words, but miraculously I did. Don't believe me? Here's a picture of my statistics for this years NaNo:

   It took me many nights filled with way too little sleep but lots of writing to catch up, surely between 2.000 and 4.000 words a day. Here are some things that helped me:

   #1 - Music
   This one is kind of obvious, I know, but the right kind of music can help immensely to get into the writing mood and mindset. About to write an action type scene? Choose up beat music. A sad scene? Sad or classical music is your friend. A romantic one? Don't be afraid to pull out that rock type music perfect for cuddling. I find myself setting up different playlists for each story I write, every character or particular scene.

   #2 - Outline
   Before this years NaNo I've rarely outlines, or if I did I only went about two chapters ahead. This time I decided to actually sit down and plan ahead, write down a couple of lines for each chapter. Now, each time I was about to start writing again I didn't have to think about what to write first but could just look into my outline and unleash all the words. It helped me a lot to know exactly where my story is heading, what details I can include when and where exactly all my characters are. If you've never tried outlining before, give it a shot, it might help you like it helped me.

   #3 - Like the story you are writing
   This one seems like a no-brainer I know, but it's true. If you like the story you are writing, like your characters and the things happening in it you'll be a lot more motivated to sit down and write. That long break you can see in the picture above, that was because I was trying to write something I wasn't quite feeling. I wasn't happy with it, didn't feel like writing at all, but then on day 9 (I think) I switched to a different story, a fully outlined one, and suddenly the words kept on coming. Fair enough, there was another break but was because my hand was hurting and I couldn't write. No fun.

   #4 - Switch it up
   What I mean by that is switch up your writing routine. If you usually write in the morning but the words are not coming, try writing in the evening. If you usually write at your desk, try to find yourself another place. Maybe another, another point of view, can help you find new inspiration. I usually write at my desk but this time I tried to write in the night before going to sleep. It worked amazingly. If neither of those things help, how about going for a walk before writing, watch a movie or read a book with a similar theme as your story, inspiration is waiting everywhere.

   #5 - Writing sprints
   This one is golden. Every year I heard everybody talking about them but I never participated, never thought it would be something I would enjoy since the idea of writing against time seemed way too stressful. This year in my desperate attempt of catching up I tried it, mostly using the sprints hosted on twitter by @NaNoWordSprints or together with fellow authors. Turns out it was immensely helpful. My daily word count shot up in the air and thanks to those sprints I actually managed to catch up and win, on the last day but I made it, my third year in a row. Don't be afraid to try new things, you can't imagine how many words you can get onto the page in 30 minutes, or even as much as 10 or 15.

   Ultimately the most important thing you'll need to make it, write those 50.000 words in 30 days, is the ambition to not give up, even if you find yourself thousands of words behind. If you are determined enough to win you'll find a way to do it. 
   I know work, school, and life can sometimes make finding the time hard, making you think you won't be able to do it, make you not even try, but I think that's just an excuse. Even if you won't make it, won't write 50.000 words, you can at least try, every word is more then none, right? I won my first two NaNo's while I was still in school, drowning between studying and preparing presentations, figuring out how to survive exams, but I still found those two hours every evening to sit down and write down the minimum of 1.667 words a day.

   Anyway, I hope any of these tips will be able to help you, on a daily basis or next year during NaNoWriMo. If you have any tips you think could help others, take a moment and leave them in the comments below or tweet them at me, @Alice_Reeds.
   I hope you enjoyed this post, a slightly different one then my usual ones, and have a great day or evening!