Read All The Books

I loved this book! It was just the perfect amount of spooky/creepy/adventurous/halloweeny. It follows Emilia, a witch who finds her twin sister Vittoria has been murdered so she sets about seeking revenge by using dark magic to summon one of the princes of hell getting more than she bargained for. Wrath is nothing and everything like the wicked stories her Nonna told her about as a child and they form an alliance to discover who has been killing witches on her island to track down who is responsible for her sister's death. Set in Palermo, Italy the descriptions in this book made me want to travel so badly and don't even get me started on the food descriptions. Holy Cannoli was I hungry every time I picked up this book. Also the characters in the book were 'chef's kiss.' Emilia was the perfect heroine. She would stop at nothing to get her vengeance and protect those she loves. I also found her actions/decisions hard to predict which had me turning the pages. Nonna wa...

I had no idea what this book was about going in to it, I just knew I wanted to read it because Nina Lacour writes such beautiful stories. This book follows Mila, a young girl who has aged out of the foster system and been given the opportunity to live and work on an isolated farm with other kids and adults who have also been through traumatic experiences like herself.  This book goes back and forth through Mila's memories of the past and her present and you see her find the family she needs. This book is also paranormal which I was not expecting (this is what happens when you don't read the summary) but I absolutely loved that. It really fit with the vibe of the book. Nina has such a way with words and creating atmospheres that this book truly feels like a cold autumn day. Every time I picked up this book, I was transported to a cold gloomy day and I just wanted to curl up with something warm. If you live in the northern hemisphere, now is the perfect time to pick up this book ...

Not Your Idol follows a pop idol who gives up on being a girl after she is assaulted at a fan meet. She changes her name and starts to dress like a boy stating, it would not have happened if I was a boy.  At her high school, a fellow student recognises her and decides to keep her secret and she soon starts to question whether or not all boys are the same. This volume was so good, however it ends on a cliff hanger and I honestly need volume 2 to see where the story goes. I have so many questions and theories and at this point I am suspicious of everyone as this is being promoted as a psychological suspense. It did take a little while to get into the story but then it was over way too quickly and I just needed to know what happens next! The artwork is amazing and I'm excited to see the finished copy. I hope volume 2 comes out not too long after volume was is officially released. Thank you to NetGalley and VIZ Media for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest revie...

This was such a fun and quick read! It follows Yuna and Akari, two girls that are complete opposites who meet in an unexpected way and soon become best friends. Yuna is a shy quiet girl while Akari is outgoing and not afraid to speak her mind. While they seem to have nothing in common they soon start to realise that maybe they aren't so different after all.  The graphics in this are really beautiful and I hope that it is published in colour as in some cases I couldn't tell which girl was which particularly when it was a close up of Akari's face as you couldn't see the dark ends of her hair. I think this is a great manga for teens as it explores the topics of friendship and crushes/first loves and that our impressions of people aren't always what they seem and you should get all your facts before jumping to conclusions. Thanks to NetGalley and VIZ media for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

tw: this book has mentions of sexual abuse, rape Just by reading the synopsis of this book you might think that this book is a fun contemporary about April pretending to be Gretel, the perfect women that all men want in order to try and find someone that will stick around past date 5 but this book is so so much more! This book is quite confronting and is honestly hard to read at times and leaves you feeling exhausted but it is also uplifting. Just reading through the chapters and all the things mentioned that men expect women do/be and all the things that women do in order to try and keep that said someone honestly leaves you drained. However the girl power chapters definitely uplift you and inspire you to just be yourself. Holly Bourne has an amazing ability to write realistically relateable characters and to normalise mental health which I wish more authors would do. If this book is not something you can think you can handle based on the trigger warnings then I would urg...

Infinity Son is Adam Silvera's first fantasy novel and it is truly magical, I mean there are phoenixes and honestly that just one of the many reasons to pick up this novel. It's fast paced and quick and easy to read. While most fantasy novels start of slowly and can leave you confused while the author explains the magic system and world, Infinity Son begins with a bang and things just keep escalating from there. While this is an urban fantasy and not a high fantasy, the magic system is quite involved and you piece together bits and pieces throughout the novel about its history which honestly makes it easier to absorb than reading about it all in one hit. I loved how even though it's a fantasy novel, there are references to Youtube and Instagram, among other things and it honestly just makes the story more fun in my opinion. Adam Silvera is one of the rare YA authors that I have come across where the teenagers talk in slang and it comes across as believable and n...

I grew up reading the Sweet Valley High and Baby Sitter's Club book so when I saw that Sweet Valley was being adapted into a graphic novel I knew I had to read it! Unlike the Baby Sitter's Club graphic novels, this Sweet Valley High novel is not just the graphic version of a book from the original series, it's a whole new story feature the characters we know and love but with a modern twist. In Academic All-Star, Jessica falls in love with her professor and decides to act more like her studious twin Elizabeth so that he will fall in love with her. Hijinx ensue. A very common theme that happened in the original series but I thought that the graphic novel version handled it better than the original would have. The use of texting and instagram accounts gave this book the modern feel as well as the pop culture references. While it was at times cringy it was still a fun read and I felt the characters were very true to the original ones that Francine Pascal created. ...

If you are looking for a fun, quick read then this is the book for you. This book is full of cliches and tropes but that's exactly what makes this an enjoyable read. Dallas is your typical, 'not like other girls' cheerleader and Drayton is your typical bad boy quarterback. You're probably rolling your eyes as you read this but trust me, it works. Dallas knows exactly what she wants in life, a dance scholarship to CalArts and nothing and no one will get in her way, until Drayton literally crashes into her life and suddenly she is left wondering whether or not she needs the good looking bad boy in her life.  While this book is set in high school, I think it would have worked so much better had the main characters been in college. They did not act like your typical teens, more like college students. They stuff they got up was not typical high school behaviour, yes teens go to parties and drink in high school but this was stepped up a notch, more like how colle...

This book follows Bea as she moves to Melbourne to get a new start after ruining her best friend's wedding. Friendless and working at a job she hates, the highlights of her day are her books and getting her daily coffee fix until she discovers a second hand book with beautiful annotations and poems littered throughout. She falls in love with the writing and decides to track down the owner of the book. When I heard that this book is about books, I knew I had to read it! I love reading and finding a book with gorgeous annotations and poetry is every bibliophiles dream. However this did not live up to my expectations. It is in no way a bad book by any means but to me it was just average. I initially loved all the book references in this novel but it quickly got to be too much. It kinda felt like this book was trying too hard. If you are not a BIG reader then this book is probably not for you as some of the references can go over your head. Kinda like someone quoting a movi...

So the premise of this book sounded like it would be a fun quick read, a home-schooled girl who has a crush on her neighbour and spies on him through her bedroom window finally gets her chance to go to public school and come face to face with her crush. Fun right! Well it was that and so much more! The first three quarters of the book was Mallory navigating through high school for the first time, making new friends, and finding out that Troy, her neighbour and crush is not what he appears. I loved the scenes between Mallory and Troy, the back and forth, the hate he appears to have for her but then all the times when she ever needs him there he is. They made my heart swoon! The last quarter of the book was a wild slightly dark ride indeed! It had me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next and I definitely couldn't put the book down and it was not what I was expecting but I loved it! The best part of this story is how throughout the book Mallor...

The description of this book was right up my alley, two friends who start fake dating, yes please! I couldn't wait to read it and this book definitely did not disappoint.  Lisa and Matt start fake dating as a way of attracting other people. Everyone knows that people want what they can't have and what better way to have someone notice you then by being in a relationship with someone else. At least that was the plan. Until Matt started to see Lisa as more than a friend. Too bad that Lisa who has always had a crush on Matt refuses to be someones second choice! This was such a refreshing quick read. Filled with Harry Potter references and cute puppies what more could you want out of a book! I loved how this read as a teen book. The characters sounded like every day teens, immature at times and definitely not perfect in every way possible like some ya reads. Matt was definitely not the perfect boyfriend. He messed up on so many occasions and he definitely did not sa...

29 Dates follows Jisu, a young South Korean girl as she navigates a new high school in a different country after her parents find her struggling to cope at her very competitive high school in Seoul and send her off to America.  Living with a host family, Jisu has a hard time juggling school and new friends as well as going on blind dates that her mother's match maker sends her on. I really enjoyed this book. I liked Jisu and how she always had an open mind when going on her blind dates even though she didn't want to be there. I liked that she stood up for herself and always spoke her mind when it was called for. I really felt for her when she felt the constant pressure from her parents to do well and how she felt that she really didn't know what she wanted to do or be after high school. I feel that is relevant to most young people and although this novel is aimed at someone younger than me, I still felt a connection to the character and the story. I found mysel...

What an adorable novel this was! Darcy's twin brother Jamie hires their childhood friend Tom to renovate their grandmother's cottage so they can sell it for a profit. Darcy has had a crush on Tom since they they were 8 but Tom and Jamie have been best friends and Tom's loyalty is 99% Jamie's. Tom shows up one night, newly single and every bit as perfect as Darcy remembers him being. Sparks fly as the renovations begin and Darcy is determined to make Tom 99% hers. Sally Thorne is amazing! She has a way of writing characters that you can't help but like and really feel for.  Darcy is not someone I started off liking. She came across as annoying and bitchy but the more I read the more I loved her and realised she has a heart of gold. Any one who stays up all night sewing underwear for their friend is someone you want to have in your life. Tom reminded me of an overgrown golden retriever puppy. He was just so adorably good! The guy just doesn't have flaw...

So this was my first time reading a novel by either Becky Albertalli or Adam Silvera, I know, I know what have I been doing with my life!! I am pleased to say that now I absolutely love them and this novel!! This novel is about Ben and Arthur and let me tell you, they are the epitome of cute! I loved their relationship. I loved their meet-cute and their many first dates. I loved them as a couple. I loved them as individuals. Honestly I just loved everything about them! I was rooting for them in the first few pages and was very anxious to see where the story would go. Although it wasn't the ending I was expecting, I was happy with the way things turned out. Arthur is the smolest (smol is a word ok) little bean that needs to be protected at all costs and half the time I just wanted to reach into the story and just give him a hug. Ben's struggle with his identity and financial status were extremely relateable and honestly just made his character that much more rea...

This is the stunning conclusion in Eleanor Herman's epic tale of the balance of fate and free will. I loved this series and in particular I loved this book the most! Eleanor Herman does a fantastic job of blending fiction and facts with a sprinkling of fantasy. Not only does she make you feel for all he characters but you can actually see her version as being the true reality of how things might have been.  This last novel focuses on our gang of heroes' final battle against the spirit eaters. All questions are answered and you will honestly be turning the pages to see how things will end and more importantly where she will end the story of Alexander. I will truly miss this world and wish there was more to read. I will definitely be revisiting this world in the future and can see myself loving the books just a little more with each re-read. This is series was everything I could have wanted in an Alexander the Great retelling and more. I highly recommend it and w...

Save the Date has been one of my most anticipated releases of 2018 so I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. It follows Charlie, the youngest member of the Grant family looking forward to one perfect weekend with her siblings before her family house is sold and things change forever. Her older sister is getting married and everyone is back at home to help with the preparations but things don't go as planned. Anything that could possibly go wrong does and then some. I'm sad to say that this is my least favourite of Morgan Matson's books. It's not bad, however I just feel that this would have been better as a movie. I didn't find it funny how so many things kept going wrong with the wedding, it felt kinda chaotic and honestly I was just annoyed by the end of it. However I feel that this would have worked on the big screen. This would have been really funny to watch, however it just didn't work in book form for me. What I did really love about this b...

So when I saw that an Emery Lord book was on NetGalley I immediately requested it not thinking twice. I love her books! Plus the premise sounded like something similar I had read before and loved. A few chapters in and I realised, I had read this book before! No wonder it had sounded so familiar however, I had read this book 4 years ago when it was published. Not sure why it is getting published in Australia 4 years later and in the winter no less but who am I to judge on what publishers are doing. I am here just to share my opinions on the book and that is exactly what I will be doing. This is the story of Taylor Swift going on tour with her best friend. Just kidding! Honestly though it is how I imagine Taylor Swift's tours would be like.  Country singer Lilah Montgomery is about to go on tour for the summer. Her best friend Reagan has just broken up with her good for nothing boyfriend and decides the best way to get over a broken heart is to head off on tour with her b...

Happy Glass is a lover of all things French! She dreams of the day when she can go to Paris and experience the magic it has to offer.  Happy has no plans for her school break. She has no friends since moving to Brisbane. Her best friend Rosie lives in Sydney and isn't around for her like she used to be. Having just won a french essay writing competition she decides to use her earnings to get a french tattoo. That would hopefully get Rosie's attention but at the tattoo parlour she meets Alex, a sexy french tourism intern. Soon after she meets girl Alex, a gardener for Professor Tanaka and they both recruit her to help them find the cure for Paris Syndrome, a syndrome they both fear that she has.  Happy does not believe she has Paris Syndrome but offers to help as she uses looking for a cure to spend time with boy Alex. To save from confusing the Alex's she names them Alex One (boy) and Alex Two (girl).  After kissing boy and girl Alex she is soon confused abou...

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Teen for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I didn't know much about this book going in, in fact I didn't even read the synopsis, I had just heard vaguely through booktube that it was about a proper young lady who goes to the city of sin to track down her missing mother with the help of a con man and it sounded like a lot of fun! I didn't even realise that this book was sci-fi and fantasy until I had picked it up! Honestly this book was hard to get into. I had to force myself to pick it up at times to read it and forcing yourself to read a book is never any fun. At first I thought I was having such a hard time to get into it mainly because like I said I had not expected this book to be sci-fi or fantasy and was finding it hard to wrap my mind around it but honestly the story wasn't really going anywhere until almost half-way through the novel. I understand the first book in a series is usu...

I love Gayle Forman's 'Just One Day' series (you can read my review of the first novel in the series here ) and when I saw that this novel takes place in one day I immediately needed to read it! I Have Lost My Way follows 3 main characters who literally fall into each others lives just when each is feeling lost and confused. This starts an unlikely friendship between the trio and they ultimately help one another overcome their situations.  While this book takes place in one day, there are flashbacks to the past so you get to see how each character got to the point of feeling lost at the beginning of the book and then you get to see how their lives intertwine and how they help each other overcome it. This was a very quick read as it has you turning the pages and wanting to know what happens next. My only fault with this book is that I didn't quite like how it ended. I felt like it needed another page or two. However, this is a powerful novel of friendshi...