Bite-Sized Reviews :: Edition Forty-Three

Hello, my lovelies! So I've been reading up a storm since I've been home from Thailand...but you know what I haven't done? Gotten many reviews written about all the books I've been reading. Yikes! So not cool, right? (Okay, so y'all probably don't care either way. But I do! So there. ;)

Anyhoo! Here there be reviews. And lots more probably coming soon! Be on the lookout, friends.

36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You 
by Vicki Grant
I read this when I was in need of some mindless and cute romance to distract me from all the stress of my homework and studies. And I totally got what I wanted! This isn't a perfect story by any means, but it does have a pretty adorable romance once you get past the first not-meet-cute. It made me laugh, roll my eyes a few times, as well as swoon over the sweetness by the time I got to the end. A quick and easy read that's entertaining and perfect for the summertime! :)

Match Me If You Can by Krista Phillips
Ms. Phillips is an author that is guaranteed to make me laugh as well as swoon! She just knows how to write humor that I totally get. :) Plus her characters are always put into situations that are either a) hilarious or b) relatable or both! In this case, I've never been to a matchmaking resort, so chalk this one up to being hilarious. And sweet! Ava and Sean are simply adorable together. Which means you should read this one and see for yourself. Trust me.

After the Tide by Lindsay Harrel
This one is super short, but also super adorable!! If you're in need of a really quick reason to smile, then I highly recommend it. Ms. Harrel clearly knows how to write an engaging romance that'll only make you wish it were a whole lot longer.

Sanditon by Jane Austen 
& Juliette Shapiro
Y'all know I am always a sucker for another Jane Austen story. I've read a couple other Sanditon stories and was curious where Ms. Shapiro would take these characters. The results? Not bad, but not perfect either. Still. I enjoyed it anyway! I just love Charlotte Heywood. I really do. She and Sydney Parker are quite fascinating characters. And I will read just about any story that puts them together in the end! (Also, I truly wish Austen had been able to finish this one herself because I would dearly love to know how she would've ended it. Alas...)

Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore
I knew going into this book that things were going to be a bit different, whatwith the "choose your own adventure" premise. But it was certainly a whole lot more imaginative and interesting than I was expecting! The set up is intriguing and then we get to the pivotal moment which hinges on Jane's decision. Each option that comes next is fascinating, especially when we go into each one with information that Jane doesn't have about other characters thanks to the previous choice. I confess there were a lot of weird moments that I skimmed through pretty quickly, but it was awfully unputdownable at the same time. A fun ride while I was on it, but sort of forgettable once I was finished...

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Fun! But crazy. But fun! That was my exact thoughts when I finished this story late into the night. I could not put it down once I began. Ms. Thorne most certainly knows how to write pretty unforgettable characters! Lucy and Joshua and their hate-to-love romance are just....yeah. Delightful! I laughed at their silly office games of one-upping each other. But I seriously adored their inability to not be aware of the other at all times. Swoony and fun. And crazy. But fun! :)

Lies Jane Austen Told Me by Julie Wright
Of course, Ms. Wright had me at Jane Austen in her title. I loved Emma! I was a bit afraid when I started it that she might become a cliched type of heroine in stories like these, especially when the love triangle begins. But I was pleasantly surprised to realize that Emma knows her own heart pretty well, which made the love triangle not much of a triangle. (Hallelujah!) She knows pretty quickly on which guy she chooses, as do we. And the journey to getting both of them on the same path at the same time is a lot of fun! There were a few moments that made me grimace, but overall a very enjoyable story.

The Lost Letter by Mimi Matthews
While I have a couple blogging friends who have gushed over Ms. Matthews stories for a good while now, I confess to having tried a couple and not really been able to get into them. Except for A Holiday by Gaslight which is just DELIGHTFUL. And I finally found another that I loved! Yay! With a bit of Beauty and the Beast vibes going on, Sylvia and Sebastian's romance is awfully adorable. Even when Sebastian is being an idiot. :) Sweet and fun, this is one you need in your life, reader friends. Especially if you adore reunited lovers tropes.

Bite-Sized Reviews :: Edition Thirty-Four

Hello, my lovelies! I trust your week is going well. I've had various ups and downs for various reasons here recently. But there's a fun Anne of Green Gables read-along coming up in March to look forward to, as well as ALL the books for the INSPYs! So I have plenty to be happy about. How about you? :)

We are gathered here today to go over a few small reviews for the newest stories that I've read. So let's get to it, shall we?

Meet Cute by a variety of authors
There was definitely a couple really adorable meet cute's in this anthology. But of the however many super quick stories written here, many more of them were not at all what I'd imagined when I started the book. Perhaps it was that so many of them ended far too soon (which, I know, is the point of the book), so I never really got the chance to actually care about most of the characters. I don't know, I just never clicked with a lot of them, so I found myself skimming through really fast.

However, I can say that two or three of the stories left me hanging enough to wish I could read a full length story about those two characters, so it wasn't a complete wash! I grinned over the cute a few times and remember thinking a couple of the stories were fairly quirky fun. So overall, I'd suggest reading this if you LOVE one of the authors therein.

Wires and Nerve: Gone Rogue by Marissa Meyer
Of course I loved this! It's Iko, and Iko is always awesome. :) I especially loved getting an even deeper glimpse of her origins and how she came by her unique personality. It required her to work through some rough emotions, but she wouldn't be our beloved Iko if she couldn't come through stronger on the other side!

It was delightful to catch back up with the Lunar gang and see them always have each other's backs and just simply be the best little surrogate family any Earthen, Lunar, or android could ask for! Grand adventures continue to get thrown in the path of our gang and I just loved seeing them all step up and do the hard thing when needed, yet always with love at the heart it. With all the harshness these characters have faced, I love that they refuse to let it get them down.

I do have to admit that while the art is very well drawn, it isn't my favorite. And there were a few times it bothered me in this particular book. But it didn't take away from my overall feelings of happiness once I'd finished! If you like Iko (and who doesn't?!), then I say dive in! :)

A Song Unheard by Roseanna M. White
I've been hearing nothing but rave reviews for Ms. White's stories for a few years now, so she's been on my radar. And after seeing the same gushing over this particular story, something about it convinced me I needed to try it. I'm so glad I did! Because the chemistry between Willa and Lukas...?? Oh my stars!!! :D

Yet it's not just their chemistry, I think my favorite part is simply how music resonates for both of them. It reaches down deep in their hearts and settles there, inspiring and encouraging them. The way Willa, especially, gets swept up in her violin playing struck me from the very first pages and is why I, ultimately, decided to bring this one home from the store. (Although I can't deny that the romantic tension was also a big factor in that decision! ;)

The combination of connecting with the characters and their delightful romance, as well as the building tension of the mysteries to be uncovered, all come together to create a beautifully written story. I was thoroughly swept up and closed the final pages with a happy sigh. It's a keeper, friends! For sure.

Review: Stars Above by Marissa Meyer

After finishing Winter, I Could Not Wait until this book of short stories came out! The reason? Because of the final story, Something Old, Something New, which is an epilogue for the series. Naturally I read it first when I finally got my hands on the book! :D And I was far, far away from being disappointed. I was perfectly happy with the ending of Winter, mind you! But I LOVED getting a future glimpse of our characters. Ms. Meyer created a truly epic world of characters and stories, and I am so, so glad she finished the whole series with happiness and rainbows. Of sorts. :)

For all my gushing over the last story in the book, that doesn't mean the others weren't still a lot of fun. Because they were! Some of them were bittersweet, some were just a lot of fun, and they all were wonderful insight into some of the questions we had from the series. I am amazed once again at Ms. Meyers skill. These little short stories only emphasize how much of this world she's created is so fully fleshed out in her head.

The Lunar Chronicles is a series that is wonderful and awesome and absolutely worth reading! Add this one to your TBR if you haven't yet. I'm positive you won't be disappointed! :)

Goodreads :: Amazon :: Barnes and Noble

His smile was instinctive. A little bit apology, a little bit politeness. And a little bit of charm because, of all the things he’d expected to come from his trip to the market, meeting a cute girl with messy hair and dirty work gloves had definitely not been one of them.

With pleasure," Kinney deadpanned. "In fact, I was hoping that if I came to see you off, I would be asked to do manual labor."
Iko shrugged. "If you don’t want to do any heavy lifting, then stop having such impressive muscles."

Bite-Sized Reviews :: Edition Nineteen

I've realized that it is now almost July and I have SO many books yet to be reviewed! I thought I'd manage to get caught up by now, but alas... So! I decided the easiest way was just to do several mini reviews. Especially as it's been a while since I've read some of these and I'm not certain I have enough words to capture the stories properly. I do remember enjoying them all though! Does that count for anything? :)

Onward to the fun stuff!

Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufmann & Meagan Spooner
I loved it! This was an epic ending to the overarching storyline and definitely went in ways I wasn't expecting. Gideon and Sofia are completely perfect for each other and their journey to figuring that out is quite the adventure! I absolutely LOVE this entire series and highly recommend them!

Only Through Love by Mary Jane Hathaway
After loving The Pepper in the Gumbo, I couldn't wait to read more about Charlie. She is such a wonderful character! Watching as she makes mistakes, yet learns from them and grows stronger made me root for her. And I really, really wanted to give her a great big hug so many times while reading this!

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
I'd never read this classic until now, which seems crazy! But I definitely enjoyed it. The March family is the type that makes you wish you could jump into the story and be swept up in all their adventures and fun. I loved the sisters imaginations! And the way that everybody they came in contact with for any length of time immediately became part of the family. I especially loved how they took Laurie in. As I read part one (which was my favorite half of the story), I kept thinking this book would make the perfect read-aloud. Part two disappointed me several times and I ended the book wishing I'd stopped with part one. But overall I am really glad I read it! Just thinking back on all the fun they had as children makes me smile. I can easily see why it's considered a classic!

The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket
I listened to the audio of this and surprisingly really liked it! Tim Curry is an excellent narrator, by the way. :) This little story is very different. I wasn't really sure what to expect from it, but I ended it somewhat satisfied (because as Lemony Snicket himself points out, it is a Bad Beginning :) and most certainly intrigued! Enough that I hope to read the rest of the series someday. It was very fun to watch as the children use their limited skills (since they are children) to figure out a way to (kind of) defeat the villain!

Heir to Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson
This little book reminded me how very much I love Ms. Donaldson's writing! And I was absolutely thrilled to get Philip's perspective upon meeting Marianne. The only problem I have with it? It's entirely too short! But that's a good problem, yes? :) I ended it positively itching to pick up Edenbrooke again. Excellent!

When Mary Met the Colonel by Victoria Kincaid
Simply a cute little re-imagining of Mary Bennet's story (from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen). Short but sweet! And it made me smile, which is all I can ask.

Bookishly Ever After by Isabel Bandera
This was cute! Phoebe is an avid reader, so much so that it overtakes her real life. To the point that she kind of can be a bad friend? Her friends do tend to forgive a lot sometimes, but she's so sweet that it's understandable. There's nothing earth-shattering about this story, it's a pretty easy setup and delivery. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't read it! Because Phoebe and Dev are pretty adorable together. My favorite bit was their friendship. I love a good friendship-turned-more story! When you're in need of a fluffy bit of entertainment, this one would suit perfectly. :)

Review: Winter by Marissa Meyer

Does this series have to be over?! I know I talked about how I hated waiting a year or more between books, but I'm still sad that this is the last one. (Yes, I'm contrary like that.) At least I can go back and reread them all! You can bet that I will, too, because this series is awesome. And this book in particular is EPIC.

With all the multiple narrators and storylines it would be entirely understandable if things got slightly confusing, but I'm happy to say that Ms. Meyer so skillfully changes between scenes (and almost always at a cliffhanger moment!) that I had no trouble keeping track of who was where doing what. Cinder gets the chance for things to start going her way and is able to show the universe exactly what she's made of (finally), and Kai's role in the revolution allows for him to do his part and prove that he's more than just a pretty face. Scarlet has one of the most awesome moments of the whole book when she shows how fierce she actually is, while Wolf has some oh-so-heartbreaking moments. Cress is able to use her hacking ability in all the best ways and Thorne? He finally allowed me to see into his heart. In Cress, I had trouble figuring him out, so I was pleased he opened up a little more this go round.

As for Winter herself, after the small glimpses we had in previous stories I was intrigued to have the chance to know her better. She didn't disappoint me in the least! For as crazy as she seems (poor girl has some terrible hallucinations *sadface*), she's much more smart and sneaky than most give her credit for. I loved how she figured out ways to survive her life with Levana and still help the revolution! She and Jacin were so perfectly suited. Speaking of, I was also happy that I liked him. He's been so very stoic in the past that it was a delight to realize how Winter undoes him. Their relationship isn't easy, but it certainly had its swoony moments! And I loved all the callbacks to Snow White.

There's a whole lot going on, which means I was turning pages as quickly as I could to find out how things were going to turn out. As these stories are based on fairytales, of course you can imagine that the happy endings were going to come! But they didn't come without some heartache and pain, let me tell you. Certain characters I wanted so badly to reach into the pages and hug them tight! (Poor, poor Wolf. *whimpers*)

Kudos to Ms. Meyer for creating an amazing world filled with characters who draw you in! Seriously, this series is fantastic and if you haven't read them, make haste and do so now! You won't be disappointed! :)

Goodreads :: Amazon :: Barnes and Noble

Winter stroke beside him, her fingers clenched around the basket handle. At least she wasn't trying to catch his eye anymore, which was a small mercy.
"I do know how you feel about me," she finally said, and it sounded like a confession. "I know that you are my guard, and you are my best friend. I know you would die for me. And I know that should that ever happen, I would die immediately after."
"Yeah," he said. "That's pretty much it." The sound of a nearby coffee grinder rumbled through the stone walkway, and the smell of baking bread assaulted his senses. He braced himself. "Also, I think you're sort of pretty. You know. On a good day."

Review: Spinning Starlight by R.C. Lewis

And Ms. Lewis does it again. I really enjoyed this one! Her ability to spin a story (ha! ;) only grew stronger with this second book. There are some similarities to Stitching Snow, but it didn't take away from the pure fun of this universe. I do love the alien races and the tech that she created. The sheer imagination she uses so skillfully to come up with these characters and their secrets is well done!

Take a heroine who can't speak (dire consequences otherwise), a hero with a willingness to help, a mystery which begs to be solved, and add in aliens of all kinds, as well as a vast universe of interplanetary travel, and you have the makings of a really fun story. I loved watching Liddi and Tiav struggle to understand one another. They both have many expectations on their shoulders and even though it seems they're on opposite sides of the current situation, they have much more in common than they know. And their romance was cute!

But Ms. Lewis doesn't dwell on just a simple romance. There are mysteries to be unraveled, with lives hanging in the balance. I liked that there was so much going on! There were times that I got confused, most especially in the beginning, but it usually wasn't long until I understood what certain things meant and how this world works. There are a few slow moments, but once I hit the middle of the story, things rapidly progressed from there. Which is to say that I was involved in the story enough that the slow moments didn't bother me at all.

I absolutely loved the emphasis on family! The flashbacks were really helpful in understanding the background of Liddi and her brothers. And I loved how she was willing to go beyond all endurance for the sake of saving them! The protectiveness and genuine love and care they have for Liddi in return is so very sweet. They're a family who would do anything for each other and it's such a beautiful part of the story.

Though I know the basic storyline of The Wild Swans, I've never actually read it. So I can't say whether this is a great retelling of that fairytale or not. But as a stand-alone novel for itself, I say it's quite entertaining!

Goodreads :: Amazon :: Barnes and Noble

I don't know what he is. I do know he's angry. He shouts at me with a series of grunts and clicks. I scoot myself back on the grass, getting some distance between us even if it means getting closer to the portal.
His unnaturally long arms snap out and grab me, hauling me off the ground. This time it's even harder not to cry out, because everything hurts and having my legs dangling in midair gives me vertigo and this strange person with too many teeth is still yelling things I can't understand and I want it all to stop. I want to scream and wake myself up from this nightmare.
"Kalkig, I told you to--what are you doing? Put her down!"

Review: Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis

This is SUCH a fun story! I haven't seen much about it around the blogosphere and I cannot figure out why. (Maybe I'm just not looking in the right spots?) Because Ms. Lewis' skill with writing a scifi fairytale retelling is great! I loved that I could see the elements of Snow White, yet she created an entire new world and story of her own. It worked for me. Fabulously!

The characters are awesome. Y'all know how I love to gush about characters, and Essie and Dane are worth gushing over! Essie especially, as she starts out with so many secrets and it takes time for her to even trust the reader with sharing them. The more I got to know her, the more inside her head I got, the more I wanted to jump in the pages and make things better for her. She quickly grew in my heart and I couldn't wait for her happy ending to arrive because she so deserves happiness in her life! She acts all tough (and she is), but she's also got a tender heart. Her scars are many and it takes a bit for her to trust anyone.

Which Dane certainly didn't help! He blundered through his choices (for good reasons, but that doesn't exonerate him completely) and messes with Essie's safe (or is it?) little world. I admit to being a bit frustrated with him at first, just like Essie. (He, too, has a lot of secrets.) But it wasn't long until he endeared himself and watching his interactions with her thereafter was great fun. These two most certainly fit well together and we get to enjoy watching them figure this out. :)

I can't forget to mention Dimwit! And the other six drones as well, but Dimwit takes center stage. He made me laugh! I loved that there was more to his idiocy than first meets the eye. He ends up being pretty significant to the plot, surprising everyone!

The world-building is great, the mysteries and secrets that must be figured out are sufficiently intriguing, the romance is adorable, and I loved that it's a stand-alone. All in all, this a wonderful story! Ms. Lewis has officially been added to my favorite authors list! :)

Goodreads :: Amazon :: Barnes and Noble

"You did this, didn't you?" Dane shouted over the alarm.
"Of course I did! Set it down on Garam or we'll both die."
"With the thrusters misfiring like this? We'll never make it."
I glanced at the readout on his panel. He was right. I'd sabotaged myself right into a corner and had about five minutes to get both of us out of it .
"Where's my gear?"
He shot a glare over his shoulder. "How bent do you think I am?"
"Dane, I did this because I don't want to die! Where is my gear?"

Then we hit turbulence.
I really hoped Dane was as good a pilot as he was a liar. We both had to survive the landing. It was the only way I'd get a chance to kill him.

In Honor of Valentine's Day...

I read several of the Top Ten Tuesday posts last week which featured your favorite couples from literature, favorite quotes, favorite romances, etc. And though I was unable to join in on Tuesday I was hoping I'd have time to do a post before Valentine's Day was over. So here I am! :)

I've listed a few of my favorite couples on here before {part 1} {part 2}, but as I keep reading more books, I keep finding more couples that I love! Hence I'm going to do another list. And perhaps introduce you to some wonderful characters and their love stories. These couples just made my heart *happy dance* and I grin every single time I read their stories again. Don't you just love when books do that for you?


Margaret Hale & John Thornton ~ North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

Come now, you knew I'd mention them someday, right? Because y'all know how much I love these two!! :D I love so very many things about them, but I think what I love the most is how they understand one another. Once they both get over their initial dislike and frustration, they are very equal in intelligence. Their minds are constantly whirring with ideas, and when those ideas come together, they create quite a powerhouse! They challenge and learn from one another, they change for one another, and once they start loving each other...well. But their journey to finding that connection and love is so wonderfully well done! Kudos to Ms. Gaskell. :)


Puck & Sean ~ The Scorpio Races by Maggie Steifvater

Oh how I fell for these two! Their story is quieter and their journey to find each other is expressed more in what they don't say than by what they do. Both carefully choose their next steps (well, Puck can be impulsive, but for good reasons! :) and watching them slowly dance their way around one another.....*swoon* Seriously, friends! Ms. Steifvater excels at letting the chemistry between these two fill the pages, almost without any talking between them at all! Oh, they talk, but they say so much more with just their awareness of each other. And how they care for one another. It's a delight to read!

Sasharia & Zathdar ~ Sasharia En Garde by Sherwood Smith

I don't know what to say about these two other than you really must meet them! Their chemistry is fantastic and their story....let's just say that this heroine refuses to take anything lying down. She's feisty, heroic, will fight her own battles thankyouverymuch, and her interactions with Zathdar are fraught with feelings. Which she may or may not appreciate, depending on the situation! ;) Let's just say that they both have a journey to take and we readers get the privilege of riding along and enjoying!


Essie & Dane ~ Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis

Take two characters who don't trust each other, add a dash of scifi/space dramatics where lives hang in the balance, have one character kidnap the other against their will, and then have them fall for each other against the backdrop of a time of possible war. And there you have it! A fabulous, chemistry-filled, romance for your consumption! I loved the banter between these two and watching them very, very slowly come to trust one another.


Ava & Keegan ~ While You're Awake by Amber Stokes

Keegan is the sweetest! He takes such good care of Ava and her fears. He's quite simply a nice guy. And I, for one, adore nice guys in literature! #NiceGuysFTW :D I loved these two enough that I wish this wasn't only a short story, but a full length novel so I could have more time with them.

Lucy & James ~ The Bronte Plot by Katherine Reay

This book is not a romance by any means, but the meet cute between these two had me at hello anyway! James, himself, doesn't get a lot of page time, but I still loved their interactions. For all that he spends a great deal of the story angry and frustrated with Lucy (and rightly so!), as she slowly came to understand herself and started to change her bad habits, so too their conversations began to change. Theirs is a slow journey and we end with them barely beginning, but something about their story just resonates with me.


Flossie & Reeve ~ Tiffany Girl by Deeanne Gist

I loved these two! I know I keep saying that, but it's true every time! The time period, coupled with the chemistry between the characters and the way they slowly came to understand one another, all adds together to make a wonderful journey. You really should get to know them! :)

Alice & Paul ~ The Pepper in the Gumbo by Mary Jane Hathaway

If you take a bookstore-owning heroine who dislikes technology and give her a technology-savvy hero determined to love her, you have this fabulous, chemistry-laden story! Alice and Paul's interactions practically sizzle with their awareness of each other. But it's so much more than just chemistry, they understand one another. And I love how Paul desires to help Alice in whatever ways he can. His heart is so good and who can withstand a nice guy? :)


Willa & Patrick ~ A Season to Love by Nicole Deese

Oh my heart, I love these two!! I love how Patrick understands Willa's fears and seeks to help her conquer them. He's another nice guy with such a good heart. When a good guy consistently showers you with care and concern, how is a girl to resist? Willa can't and as they come together...*happy sigh*. Their story makes me so happy, I'm grinning right now as I type this! :D

Catherine & David ~ The Thorn Keeper by Pepper D. Basham

I just finished reading about these two the other day and oh my goodness how I love them! Their story comes out in a couple weeks and you really need to meet them. I loved how David realized how special and awesome Catherine is, even when she didn't believe it herself. And Catherine! She's an amazing woman whose mind never stops working to solve all the myriad of problems that are constantly making themselves known. These two are SO good for each other! Put this book on your radar!



Happy Valentine's Day, my lovelies! I hope you're showered with love today.

My 2015 Favorite Reads

I tried to limit myself to only ten. I really did! But do you know how hard that was?! 2015 was a great reading year for me. I fell in love with SO many awesome stories and when I took a moment to look them all over to try and narrow down my absolute favorites ever....yeah, that was hard. Plus it wasn't helped by the fact that I read several series this year which makes for almost ten books with just those! So! I decided to cheat a little bit (after all, this is my blog. I can do whatever I want, right? ;) and I'm going to lump a couple favorite series together. In other words, instead of counting all three books separately, I'm going to count them as just one on my list. Because I couldn't just pick one of the three! I loved them all! A reader's gotta do what a reader's gotta do.

Also. These are in no particular order either, so don't just scroll down to number one and assume that was my favorite of the entire year. I couldn't decide! (Sorry not sorry.) They're all amazing and wonderful and made me sigh with happiness once I finished the final page. Basically I went to my Goodreads list and started with the beginning of the year and went down, picking out all my faves along the way. Easy peasy! Only not.

Anyhoo! Here they are. Enjoy! :)

North and South
by Elizabeth Gaskell

 

This should just be obvious. I loved it! The end. ;)

 



These Broken Stars, This Shattered World,
Their Fractured Light

by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

 

Oh my goodness, this series! I loved that they could all be read as stand-alones (although they have one overarching big storyline that connects them, so it makes more sense to read them in order), I loved each couple's romance (seriously swoony guys here!), I loved every bit of this world that Ms. Kaufman and Ms. Spooner created, and I loved how each book's tension and suspense just built on the previous story (it was like the authors just kept getting better and better).

The Scorpio Races
by Maggie Stiefvater

I don't know what else I could say about this story that my review didn't. Other than these characters refused to leave my head for days and days after I finished this book! Which is the highest praise I can give a story.




Tiffany Girl
by Deeanne Gist

 

I have read and reread and reread all my favorite scenes in this book SO many times! Flossie is an intriguing mix of feisty and sweet and I loved every minute we get to spend with her. Definitely one of Ms. Gist's best!



The Gifting, The Awakening, The Gathering
by K.E. Ganshert

I was on the edge of my seat while I devoured this series. Despite a few clichés that I wish weren't there, I still absolutely loved Tess' story! Each book built on the tension so well that I felt as triumphant and exhausted as the characters themselves once the end came. :)

The Bronte Plot
by Katherine Reay

I do believe that Ms. Reay only gets better with time! (Can you imagine what her stories will be like once she has bunches more published?!) Her characters never fail to make a deep impression on me. Lucy is flawed, but unforgettable and I loved how covertly she climbed into my heart until suddenly there she was embedded forever.



Stitching Snow, Spinning Starlight

by R.C. Lewis

Scifi fairytale retellings that are awesome? Yes please! :)



While You're Awake

by Amber Stokes

This short little story seriously packs a lot of cuteness into just a few pages! I've reread it several times and it never fails to make me grin. Ava and Keegan are in my heart to stay! :)



The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers,

The Return of the King

By J.R.R. Tolkien

EPIC. That one word completely describes this amazing series.



The Perfect Arrangement

By Katie Ganshert

So much of this story made me think of You've Got Mail that it was obvious I would add this to my favorites list! I loved it to pieces!



One Among Men

by Connie Almony

These characters gripped my heart and refused to let go! Watching as their layers are peeled back and their true selves revealed is a beautiful (and painful) thing.



Winter

by Marissa Meyer

Now come on, you knew this one would be on my list, right? I only waited YEARS for it! ;) Ms. Meyer gave me everything and more that I'd been waiting for. An epic conclusion to an amazing series! Now I'm ready to reread them all again. :D

Well! That wasn't too many, was it? I listed twelve, with four series included in that (which, I know, makes nineteen books.). Like I said, it was hard to limit myself to just those! :) My reader's heart was so happy with the stories I read in 2015. (I almost said last year, which is technically true, but since 2015 was only three days ago.....it felt weird, okay?)

Here's to even more epic and awesome stories in 2016! Cannot wait to see what all our favorite writers have in store. :)