Top Ten Tuesday: Books I've Read so Far in 2015

This is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where each week bloggers share a list of books for the prompt given. So hopefully I'll have a new list to share with you all each week!

This Week's Topic: Top Ten Books I've Read so Far in 2015

How is it already halfway through 2015?!? Seriously, this year is going by so fast. And a lot has happened! I completed my long awaited semester of student teaching, graduated from college, got a job, am going to move out of my parent's house, and will be starting my job in August! Needless to say, 2015 has been and will continue to be a memorable year. I haven't been able to read as much as I have in the past years because I've been teaching and not just attending classes as a college student. However, I have read some AMAZING books and those books have made my list of best books I've ever read. They're that good! I actually made a youtube video of my favorite books a couple of weeks ago, so I'll go ahead and include that in this post! But if you just want a quick look, here are the covers and links of my favorite reads of 2015 so far! 

1. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

2. Bad Romeo by Leisa Rayven 

3. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

4. Breaking Nova by Jessica Sorensen 

5. Whatever Life Throws at You by Julie Cross

6. One Tiny Lie by KA Tucker

7. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

8. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey 

9. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline 

10. Never Never by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher

Book Review: Denton Little's Deathdate by Lance Rubin

Denton Little's Death Date 

By Lance Rubin

Release Date: April 14, 2015

Source: Publisher

Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Denton Little's Deathdate takes place in a world exactly like our own except that everyone knows the day they will die. For 17-year-old Denton Little, that's tomorrow, the day of his senior prom.

Despite his early deathdate, Denton has always wanted to live a normal life, but his final days are filled with dramatic firsts. First hangover. First sex. First love triangle (as the first sex seems to have happened not with his adoring girlfriend, but with his best friend's hostile sister. Though he's not totally sure. See: first hangover.) His anxiety builds when he discovers a strange purple rash making its way up his body. Is this what will kill him? And then a strange man shows up at his funeral, claiming to have known Denton's long-deceased mother, and warning him to beware of suspicious government characters…. Suddenly Denton's life is filled with mysterious questions and precious little time to find the answers.

Debut author Lance Rubin takes us on a fast, furious, and outrageously funny ride through the last hours of a teenager's life as he searches for love, meaning, answers, and (just maybe) a way to live on. 

When I saw the cover of this one, I had no idea what book had just landed on my doorstep. Once I read the summary, though, I knew I wouldn't be able to resist a story about a world where everyone knew the day they would die. And our main character's was quickly approaching…

Denton Little has always know that his deathdate was earlier than most. He's lived his life trying to live it as normally as possible, but as his deathdate comes nearer, he finds himself having a whole lot of firsts that he hadn't anticipated on. When they day of his death finally arrives, Denton realizes that his life as he's known it isn't all that it has seemed. With more and more questions and less and less time, Denton has to try to find answers before he dies. 

I've got to say, I've never read a book like Denton Little's Deathdate before. Denton and everyone in his life are so quirky and the premise is so interesting. I mean, how would the world be if we all knew the day we were going to die since the day we were born? In Denton's world, they hold funerals for everyone before their deathdate and then have a "sitting" on their deathdate so that they can be with their families when they die. Denton was always the guy with the early deathdate, which meant they all knew he was going to die in high school, yet everyone was freaking out about putting him in danger when his deathdate finally arrived. IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN PEOPLE. Haha, Denton had to deal with so much and HE'S the one whose time to die had come. It was interesting seeing what he wanted to do during his last days alive and how people treated him. And when things in Denton's life started to get crazy with secrets unravelling, Denton went on a furious hunt for answers. You want to know as much as he does and hope he's not going to die before he can figure out what the heck is going on. The plot took a serious 180 near the end and turned fast paced and heart racing as Denton tried to find answers before he died. 

Back to what I was talking about before, the characters are definitely quirky and they were one of my favorite parts of this book. Paolo is the perfect best friend for Denton and I loved it when Millie came in and started to help them out. I really wish we got to know Veronica more. I really liked her character, but I didn't feel the connection between her and Denton that was described and wish she had been around more often in the story. The quirkiness of the plot and characters of this book definitely remind me of something John Green would write. The main characters just are who they are and say some pretty hilarious stuff that goes through their minds. Denton tries to understand his life with different theories that are so far out there and not at all correct that you can't help but laugh while reading this. 

If you're in the mood for a YA that's definitely different and quirky, then I'd say you should pick up Denton Little's Deathdate. While a little slower paced in the beginning, you follow Denton through his deathdate and his determination to discover who he really is and who he wants to be when he dies. But in a light-hearted, humorous, and quirky way.

Stacking the Shelves (150)

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where bloggers share what books they got throughout the week!

From Publisher

The books just seemed to be rolling in this week and I couldn't not be more excited! I got a good mix of adult and YA romance, some of which I have been dying to read. Especially that new Rachel Caine!!! We'll see how long that sits unread on my bookshelf before I finally cave and read it...

From Amazon

I am obsessed with the new Vintage Classics edition of Jane Austen's novels. I'm slowly acquiring each of them and the first to arrive was Northanger Abbey! How adorable is that cover?!?! I read Clipped Wings over vacation and really enjoyed it, so I decided to order myself a copy of Inked Armor, the second book of the series. I can't wait to see what happens next! 

From Giveaway

I won a pre-order of my choice from Book Passion for Life and I decided to get a paperback copy of Katie McGarry's newest release Nowhere but Here! This cover is SO different from the hardback one that released, but I still really like it! I cannot wait to read it because I love Katie McGarry! Thanks, Donna! 

That's it for me! What did you all add to your shelves this week?

Book Review: As Long As You Love Me by Ann Aguirre

As Long As You Love Me (2B Trilogy #2)

By Ann Aguirre 

Release Date: September 30, 2013

Source: Publisher

Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Most people dream about getting out of Sharon, Nebraska, but after three years away, Lauren Barrett is coming home. She has her reasons –– missing her family, losing her college scholarship. But then there's the reason Lauren can't admit to anyone: Rob Conrad, her best friend's older brother.

Football prowess and jaw-dropping good looks made Rob a star in high school. Out in the real world, his job and his relationships are going nowhere. He's the guy who women love and leave, not the one who makes them think of forever –– until Lauren comes back to town, bringing old feelings and new dreams with her.

Because the only thing more important than figuring out where you truly belong is finding the person you were meant to be with.

I don't care who you are, where you're from, what you did, as long as you love meeeeeee. Yes, every single time I looked at the cover of this book, I had the urge to belt out the Backstreet Boys. How could I NOT read this?! I read the third one of this series awhile back and wasn't a big fan of the main character, so I decided to try out another one and see if I could get into the story and the romance Ann Aguirre had in store for me. 

After dropping out of college and returning home to Sharon, Nebraska, Lauren Barrett is definitely not where she thought she'd be at her age. But Lauren had faced problems in college and didn't want to confront her anxiety issues, so home was the safest place for her. Not to mention, it had Rob Conrad. Rob is Lauren's best friend's older brother and Lauren just so happens to have the biggest crush on him that has been growing for years. Rob may be gorgeous on the outside, but he struggles with wanting even more out of his life while everyone else seems to doubt him. He's the kind of guy who girls don't stick around with and Lauren is determined to show him that he is worth it. When Rob and Lauren start spending more time together, they teach each other the good about themselves and make them feel worthy in the world. 

Like I said, I had an issue with the main character in the third book in this series. With Lauren, though, I really enjoyed her character and connected with her insecurities. First off, I loved how she had a huge crush on Rob when she was younger and always around with his sister. Now, Lauren gets to see a whole new side to Rob and really get into who he is as a person. Rob is such a sweetie and I could not get enough of him! He didn't want to rush things with Lauren and I just wanted to give him a big hug when he talked about how it was hard for him when everyone thought he was just a pretty face and not really worth anything. Lauren helping him with his furniture/home building was a great way for them to grow closer and also grow more confident in themselves. 

The only issue that I had with this book was the pacing. It seemed like things were a good pace in the beginning, but then about two thirds through the book, things sped up and like 6 months passed in mere pages. I would have liked more consistency. Also, Lauren had anxiety, which was addressed throughout the book, but other moments I completely forgot about it because Lauren seemed fine in those social situations (like confrontations with Avery). I did, though, like how Lauren reached out to Avery and had some friends outside of her relationship with Rob. 

While this wasn't a passionate, addicting new adult read, I still really enjoyed As Long As You Love Me. The characters were great and I loved how adorable Rob was. Also, I liked how there was more complexity to the story where Lauren was dealing with her relationship with Rob as well as her anxiety issues and her mom starting a new relationship as well. If you're looking for a sweet New Adult read with some steamy moments, you should check out As Long As You Love Me.

Bookworm Faves: Society6

YOU GUYS. I have a new obsession. And it's called Society6. I follow Bookworm Boutique on Instagram and always love the pictures of the various bags, pillows, and mugs that she always posts. When I read the caption, I saw that she actually sold those products online! So many bookstagram accounts (bookish Instagrams) feature their own purchased products from that store and I was curious, so I clicked on the link to check out the store. And I fell in love! 

You can get any of her adorable patterns in pillows, prints, phone cases, mugs, totes…you name it! I ordered a pillow of "I Read Past My Bed Time" and I am so in love with it! The color is adorable and the saying describes me perfectly! And, to top it off, they have free shipping going on right now! I had ordered my pillow last month when they had free shipping and that's definitely the best deal on that site. I don't know about you, but as a book lover, these designs stole my heart and I want every single one of them!!

Do any of you have anything from Society6? Let me know what your favorite designs or shops are! 

***I was not contacted for promotion and I am not affiliated with this shop. I just wanted to share something that I love with you all! I bought my pillow with my own money because I loved it so much :) 

Waiting on Wednesday (199)

 

This is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where every Wednesday bloggers highlight a book that they are eagerly anticipating the release of! 

Tonight the Streets are Ours
By Leila Sales
Release Date: September 15, 2015

Summary: From the author of This Song Will Save Your Life comes a funny and relatable book about the hazards of falling for a person you haven't met yet.

Seventeen-year-old Arden Huntley is recklessly loyal. Taking care of her loved ones is what gives Arden purpose in her life and makes her feel like she matters. But she's tired of being loyal to people who don't appreciate her—including her needy best friend and her absent mom. 

Arden finds comfort in a blog she stumbles upon called "Tonight the Streets Are Ours," the musings of a young New York City writer named Peter. When Peter is dumped by the girlfriend he blogs about, Arden decides to take a road trip to see him.

During one crazy night out in NYC filled with parties, dancing, and music—the type of night when anything can happen, and nearly everything does—Arden discovers that Peter isn't exactly who she thought he was. And maybe she isn't exactly who she thought she was, either.

----------------------------------

While I haven't had the chance to read This Song Will Save Your Life, I have heard nothing but phenomenal things about Leila Sales. And boy, does her  newest upcoming release sound awesome! I think it's perfect that the main character finds solace in a blog and decides to set out and actually meet the creator of the blog. I want to know what Arden and Peter do together and what they end up learning about each other. I cant' wait! 

Book Review: Safe at Last by Maya Banks

Safe at Last (Slow Burn #3)

By Maya Banks

Release Date: June 23, 2015

Source: Publisher

Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Summary: They say young love doesn’t last, but a girl from the wrong side of the tracks with unique abilities and the hometown golden boy were determined to defy the odds. For Zack Covington, Anna-Grace—his “Gracie”—was the one. Until one night forever alters the course of their future, when a devastated Gracie disappears without a trace, leaving Zack to agonize over what happened to the girl he loved. As the years pass, his desperate efforts to find her uncovered nothing.

Now working for Devereaux Security, he stumbles across a painting featuring a special place only he and Gracie would know. The image is too perfectly rendered for it to be coincidence. His Gracie must be alive. When he finally tracks her down, he is shocked—and heart-broken—to discover the wounded shell of the girl he once knew and still loves. Her psychic gifts are gone, and worse, she believes he betrayed her all those years ago.

Zack has enemies, and once his weakness is discovered, Gracie becomes a target for revenge. He’ll have to save her before he can earn her trust and her love. And he vows they’ll never be torn apart again. 
Review: Seriously, Maya Banks is the queen of writing. She can write historical romance, romantic suspense, and just straight up romance. Any romance she writes is guaranteed to be full of emotion and some intense heat, so I was definitely excited to read the third installment in her Slow Burn series. 

Zack Covington hasn't forgotten about the love of his life who disappeared 12 years ago. He's spent the time since then looking for Gracie, but he hasn't found her. Until now. When Zack goes to a consult with his security agency and sees a painting that could only have been painted by Gracie, Zack is faced with the love of his life. One look at him, though, and Gracie is scared for her life and demands to be left alone. Zack is determined to get her back, but when an enemy of his hurts Gracie, Zack has to show Gracie she can trust him with both her life and her heart. 

I was really excited for this one. I really enjoyed Keep Me Safe and In His Keeping and couldn't wait to see Zack finally find his long lost love. When he finally found her, though, the story seemed to drag on and be an endless inner monologue of Zack beating himself up over every mistake that had happened in the past. I think that maybe two major events actually happened in this book and the rest of the book was Zack talking about his feelings or Gracie talking about how scared and confused she was. As a romantic suspense, I wanted a lot more action and a lot more romance. 

There are some sensitive issues in this book, specifically why Gracie is so scared of Zack, so there is definitely an emotional element to this story. However, that greatly deterred from any heat or romance present in this book until the very end, which seemed a bit too rushed in my opinion. There wasn't a lot of romance at all, just Zack and Gracie talking about how much they loved each other and how they adored each other. Where was the action? Where was the heat and intense physical attraction? 

We still got the characters we fell in love with in the first two books, but this book was lacking the physical attraction and danger aspect we got in the first two books. There was just too much talk of emotion and feelings and not enough actual action or plot movement. While it was still a quick read for me, I was left wanting more. If you want to try out Maya Banks, I would recommend not starting with this series. If you've read the first two books of this series, I'd stay you should still read Zack's story, but go in knowing that it's much slower and not as romantic as the rest of Maya's books.

Book Review: We Are All Made of Molecules by Susin Nielsen

We Are All Made of Molecules 

By Susin Nielsen 

Release Date: May 12, 2015

Source: Publisher

Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Summary: Award-winning author Susin Nielsen has created two narrators who will steal your heart and make you laugh out loud.
 
Thirteen-year-old Stewart is academically brilliant but socially clueless. 
Fourteen-year-old Ashley is the undisputed “It” girl in her class, but her grades stink.
 
Their worlds are about to collide when Stewart and his dad move in with Ashley and her mom. Stewart is trying to be 89.9 percent happy about it, but Ashley is 110 percent horrified. She already has to hide the real reason her dad moved out; “Spewart” could further threaten her position at the top of the social ladder.
 
They are complete opposites. And yet, they have one thing in common: they—like everyone else—are made of molecules. 

Review: When this book arrived in the mail for me for possible review, I had no idea what it was about. I hadn't ever heard of it before, but it looked cute and quick, so I decided to give it a try. 

Stewart and Ashley couldn't be more different. Stewart is brilliant but socially awkward 13-year-old while Ashley is the 14-year-old queen bee at school but not so smart academically. When Stewart's dad decides it's time to move in with his girlfriend, who just so happens to be Ashley's mom, Ashley is anything but thrilled. Ashley is still trying to understand how to feel about why her dad divorced her mom while trying to hold on to her reputation at school. Stewart may not be Mr. Popular, but he does his best to do the right thing and show Ashley how they truly can be a family. 

Wow, this book was definitely not what I was expecting. First off, Stewart is so freaking adorable and he definitely made this book as enjoyable as it was. I loved how his brain worked and how he was so straightforward and just wanted to do the right thing. I wasn't a huge fan of Ashley and how over-the-top popular girl she was. Her thought process seemed a bit too juvenile at times for a high school sophomore and I just hated how she treated her "best friend" Lauren. At times I just rolled my eyes at how unbelievable her character was in her thought process when trying to maintain her popularity. There were parts, though, that were very relatable and relevant in today's society, like her dilemma with dating a "popular" guy when he didn't treat her right and dealing with her dad coming out. 

I definitely think that this book tackled some serious issues in a pretty amazing way. First off, Ashley's dad is gay and the only one who can't accept that about him is Ashely. She won't even tell her friends because she's scared of what they'll say. Then, there's the whole issue with Jared and how he treated Ashley. She deals with pressure to be someone she's not and trying to be who everyone expects her to be in her ideal view of life. Then, there's Stewart. I just wanted to give him a huge hug! He lost his mom almost two years ago and is still trying to deal with life without her, and then he's bullied at school because he's smaller, socially awkward, and thinks differently than everyone else. I HATED it when he was bullied, especially when Ashley was also mean to him and refused to help him. Stewart had such a heart, though, and really did his best to make his new family work and make the world right. 

Overall, this book had some strong messages and adorable characters. Ashley was a bit too exaggerated for my liking, but I think that Stewart's character definitely made up for that. I would say that this read more as a middle grade book, but I really enjoyed how Susin Nielsen was able to write about such heavy topics in a very quirky, lovable way.

Stacking the Shelves (149)

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where bloggers share what books they got throughout the week!

For Review

This beauty showed up in the mail this week and I'm so excited! I really liked Rachel Vincent's Soul Screamers series and can't wait to see what her new series will be like. And the cover is gorgeous! And super soft, which is definitely a nice touch :)

From Goodwill 

While browsing through the books at Goodwill, I came across a hardback of The House of Hades in PERFECT condition. And you know how much it was? One dollar. How could I pass that up? I haven't started this series yet, but I do own the first book and would love to own the rest in hardback. Now I only have three more to go! 

That's it for me! What did you all add to your shelves this week?