Channy's Summer Reads

Hello Lovely Readers, 

Summer is my favorite time to read books. I love experiencing so many places on those hot days. This summer I have read so many different stories, and I wanted to share my thoughts on all of them. My goal for these three months was to read as many stories as I could but to also try and read other stories outside of my regular genre. If you have any books to recommend I would love it. I hope you are having a lovely summer!

- Last Year's Mistake by Gina Ciocca 
This book is so cute. It follows two good friends that were in love but he tells her at the wrong moment because she is moving. A couple of years later she finds him in her new school and life. It makes for a very stressful, romantic story. Super cute! All my friends really enjoyed reading it too. It is a quick read.

- The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

I'm obsessed with the couple in this book. Literally, it will make you so jealous and looking for a summer boyfriend. The story follows Andie, the congressman's daughter, she thinks she has her summer all planned out with her dream internship. Well, her Dad gets swept into a scandal that gets her internship revoked and she finds herself dog walking and happens to meet a super awesome stranger along the way. This book hits all your feels! I promise you won't regret it!!!!

- Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn
This is the first out of a trilogy and it really is so cute. It reminds me of a Gossip Girl/ Mean Girls/ Monte Carlo. Gemma comes back to the Hamptons for the summer but she hasn't been back since the falling out with her friend. Her summer starts off in a whirlwind with a case of mistaken identity and a cute boy. This book was really fun to read but also tragic. It kind of stressed me out about the things she did in her past. Hopefully, I will pick up the second one sometime this summer!

                                                       -  No Love Allowed by Kate Evangelista 

This wasn't my favorite book but it is cute! Caleb needs a girlfriend for a series of parties for his father's law firm or he doesn't get to tour the world with his friends instead he would go to Yale for a future he isn't ready for. When he meets Didi he is introduced to the best parts of life. It was good but it wasn't my favorite I don't know why.

- Before We Were Strangers by Renee Carlino
Okay this book has to be on your MUST READ LIST!! I went to a summer camp for the entire month of June and everyone in my cabin read this including myself. There was not one person who did not love it!! It follows Grace and Matt who were dating and Matt takes off across the world for a job and they lose touch. Years later Matt sees Grace leaving on the subway and she sees him but they don't speak, so he finds her with a blog post. EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THIS!! I promise it will be the best thing that has ever happened to you! It has love, cute boys, adventure, and written so well!! If you read it please comment! I would love to chat<3

- The Girl Who Fell by Shannon M. Parker
This is a book I am so glad to have read. It follows a girl who has a dream of going to Boston College to play field hockey. Her mind is set to go there, and she has the ability to. Suddenly, she meets a boy who changes everything. They are in love and want to be together. The book follows an abusive relationship and how this boy has changed this girl. I think this is a story that everyone should read just because I think as a teenager and even an adult you hear about abusive relationships but you never fully understand until you have experienced one. I think that this story was tragic but something that I appreciate because I now have knowledge over it with this beautifully haunting story.

- When We Collided by Emery Lord

This story follows a girl, Vivi, who is spending the summer in a small town. She has a mental health issue and is living life by the moment. Jonah meets Vivi and it is like a light has lit up his life. She teaches him new things and introduces him to the world. Honestly, I feel like this book was missing something large. It was a nice easy read but it didn't feel right to me. I do not know much about bipolar disorder but I did learn about it through Jennifer Niven's All The Bright Places. I feel like the relationship was not as captivating as I had hoped. It was a good read, though.

- The Last Boy and Girl in The World by Siobhan Vivian 
This novel follows Keeley, a girl who is living in Aberdeen, a small town that is rapidly going under. Everyone in Aberdeen must evacuate before the town completely floods, but Keeley's father is taking a stand to keep their home from washing away. I really enjoyed the concept of this book. It was very different from most stories I like but it was really interesting to think about. I mean these people had to give up a life and a home. Plus, 2 love interests. I was happy with the end but I had hoped for better friendships. The main character was a little hesitant but also you have to think that this was a really rough time for everyone. Beautiful cover!

- 26 Kisses by Anna Michels

 26 Kisses follows Veda, a girl who has devoted her summer to kissing 26 people in the order of the alphabet. It started with Adam and went from there. It starts to heat up when Veda falls in love. I really liked this story. it was a little strange but it was a fun read. I could never picture myself in Veda's shoes, so it was hilarious. The love interest was nicely written. It isn't a must read but it is something to laugh over. Definitely a summer book.

- This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab
This story was by far the most interesting that I have read in a while. It takes place between August Flynn and Kate Harker both surrounded in a monster filled city. They are both on different sides but they come together to help fight against it. It is really hard to describe this book but it was super good. I am not one for scary stories or monster filled books but I found myself picking this up after hearing great things about it. I found myself unable to put it down. It was really amazing to get lost in this world and read something dark. It was a breath of fresh air. I loved the relationship between Kate and August because it wasn't romantic or anything but it was two totally different people coming together and helping one another. There were a lot of great quotes in this book, so I think that is another reason why I really loved it. I can't wait to see where this series goes.


- Little Black Dresses, Little White Lies by Laura Stampler
This was such a fun read. It takes places in NYC at a magazine internship where Harper is spending her summer as a dating blogger. Sounds amazing except for the fact she hasn't had a summer fling in her life. She decides to use her best friend's dating stories for her success. This was a great, fun, and hilarious read. I found myself laughing at parts and cringing at others. LBDLWL is a great novel to read by the pool. It is also, has a couple love interests (my faves). It was a quick read and really exciting. If you plan on going into journalism, traveling NYC, creating enemies, or falling in love pick it up.

- Sing by Vivi Greene
Sing is so cute! I read it in literally 3 hours it was such an easy read and perfect for summer. It follows, Lily, an actress ready for a break from her harsh world. She decides to take a vacay after her boyfriend breaks up with her. Her friends and her travel away to an island where she meets a super cute boy and has an inspiration overload. Sing really was really fun to read on this summer day. It wasn't even 300 pages and full of perfection. It was a story that dealt with heartbreak, friendship, love, and most importantly family. Lily doesn't have family with her on this vacation but you can tell who has inspired her and cared for her. Truly super cute and light. There was nothing heavy in this book, but there was a love triangle <3

- It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

I already did a blog post for this because it was too good and screwed up that I needed to write all my thoughts down. Check it out if you are interested but I am so in love with this story. I loved the romance in this story but I loved it because it deals with something traumatic and it teaches you how to trust yourself and know that you are strong enough. This story had a great message and I am so amazed at how beautiful it was. It had so many flaws but it made the story so truthful and beautiful. It was definitely heavy, but I learned from it and am so happy I was able to. Also, ATLAS<3 (:


- Did I Mention I Miss You? by Estelle Maskame
If you follow this blog at all you know my love and appreciation for this trilogy. I was having a reading attack because I needed this book after DIMINY ( I posted a review on it earlier) so in the US it doesn't come out until December, but I am sneaky and went on Amazon UK and got it *high five* All I can say is what a beautiful way to end a long journey. Eden comes home to Santa Monica after being in Chicago at her dream school. She hasn't spoke to Tyler in a year and she believes she has finally fallen out of love with him. Tyler decides it is time to come back and visit. When he does he expects Eden to still be in love with him not the complete opposite. She goes with him to Portland and shows her what he has been working on all through the year. Now, this story is kind of strange when you first year about it but let me tell you it is probably the best trilogy I have ever read. I love stories that make you not be able to wait until the next, you can only think about it, and you order it from the UK. I mean I really, really love this story. If I had to chose which one out of the trilogy I liked most it wouldn't be this one BUT this last book was so necessary to tie up everything that was unleashed throughout the time. Honestly, I can't believe it is over but I really appreciate it and I can't wait to see what Estelle has next.

- The Paper Princess by Erin Watt
Cruel Intentions is one of my favorite movies, so when the cover quote says this is the next Cruel Intentions I bought it instantly. This story is about a girl who comes not a nice background and when her mother days she must find ways to make money. Until the Dad she has never met's best friend finds her to tell her her father has passed and he is her new guardian. She moves in with the Royals only to find that they are all keeping secrets and they don't want her there. This book was actually so AMAZING!! I mean truly it was so scandalous and an interesting read. I love the Royals at first I thought they were just rude but as they started opening up I fell in love with them especially Reed. He is such an intriguing character because he doesn't open up very much, so when Ella becomes someone he opens up to UGGGH I JUST LOVE IT!!! Probably one of the best books I have read. It sort of reminds me of DIMILY because it is sort of a stepbrother/sister thing, but it is SO SO GOOD!! Seriously, pick up this one. Excuse me while I go order the next one.


- The Broken Prince by Erin Watt
A great sequel to The Paper Princess. Reed and Ella are some of my favorite characters to read about. I think their story is really interesting and is a great plot twist to have in life. This is a great story regarding growing up and becoming who you are. I found it enlightening and sweet. Even though Ella and Reed's relationship was rocky due to the end of the previous book, I saw a lot of growth and realization between the two. I love when characters change each other for the better, and I believe Reed has been changed. He is more appreciative and notices the value in his princess, but also relationships. Ella is so used to being on the run that she couldn't help herself when things got bad to run again. I really loved that she ran away because it showed the perspective of how screwed up the Royals are without her. It shows how Ella has changed their lives. It is a mature book but it deals with high school at its worst. The book ended in a big cliffhanger, but I don't really mind because the story was so good that it makes up for it. I can't wait until October to read it!

- Swear on This Life by Renee Carlino
I read Before We Were Strangers at the beginning of the summer, and I finished off my summer but reading Carlino's newest story. This book is overall about saving someone and being saved. It is about learning from mistakes and changing. It is about growing up and finding a life. It is about trust and relationships. It is about overcoming a large obstacle. Swear on This Life is one of the greatest stories that I have read. It follows a girl who is reading a book by her childhood crush/ friend and she finds it is about her life. I loved the entire story but I truly loved the story inside the story. It made me so happy and sad. Most importantly, I loved what I learned from this story. I love how I saw two sides of life in this story. I loved the growth of the characters. Everyone should read this story it is worth it!






I can't believe summer has come to an end, but I have enjoyed reading this summer. I even finished my reading challenge on Goodreads! Overall, I read 22 books this summer!! I only posted the ones I loved, though! Thank you so much for reading, and I hope that I have guided you in some direction to read one of these books. Let me know if you do! I hope everyone has a great year!

Much Love,
Channy









-

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Hi Everyone,

First, Thank you so much for even reading this post it means a lot. It has been a little over a year since I made this blog, and I really enjoy sharing all my book recs and bookish moments! Second, I have been working on a blog post all summer that lists all the books that I liked reading with a mini summary and review. It will come out later this month. Thank you so much again!


Summary: It Ends With Us is about Lily Bloom who meets a successful neurosurgeon, Ryle, he is smart and arrogant. He meets Lily on the rooftop of an apartment building and they begin talking about everything thing in their lives. They soon become closer but Lily's first love soon gets in the way and things get a little rocky.

That was probably the worst summary (go look on goodreads for a good summary), so I apologize but I can't give you a good one without major spoilers. If you are reading this currently you have lived through the pure torture of It Ends With Us, or you want to. Warning: it will hit your emotions! R.I.P MY HEART!!!

I have never read a Colleen Hoover book that I did not enjoy, so I set the bar pretty high. Well, this book went above the bar and jumped over. I have never read something so heart-wrenchingly traumatic. I think this book is extremely impactful for those who deal with abuse or are not familiar with it. Lily deals with watching her mother being abused as she grows up, so she is familiar with it, but she always told herself she would never end up like her mother. Unfortunately, she meets an amazing successful guy or is so kind and nice but turns out the way her father was. She soon finds comfort in her first love, Atlas, who was homeless at first but now a chef. The relationships in this story are remarkable and inspiring. Check it Out! <3

I want to start with Ryle, I really loved Ryle at the beginning of the story. I loved how passionate he was, but I was sad that he wasn't a guy who fell in love easily. He seemed arrogant but in a way that made him fun to read about. I loved his progress of wanting to make their relationship work for the first couple of pages. I suddenly started to see the downfall and patterns in his behavior. It was very caught off guard, though because his sister, Alyssa, was so sweet and compassionate toward Lily. I was extremely disappointed in him as the book continued. When he pushed Lily the first time I kind of understood because his hand and they were drunk, but the time after that I was beyond angry. Near the end, I did see the want to be a family, but it was a good decision.

Atlas was my favorite character. First of all, how cute is the name Atlas? I mean so cute! Second, I really wasn't liking him in the journal entries. I found it odd and strange that he was alone. I guess I just haven't experienced a boy my age being homeless. I slowly began to fall for him the way that Lily did at her young age. He was so caring and kind to her. The thing that made me feel so sorry for him was he really didn't have a family, but he had this girl who truly cared for him even though she knew what her father was capable of. He knew that he was not in the best shape but he tried so hard to care for Lily the way she did for him. I love him mostly due to his dreams. Lily and him created such big dreams for themselves. He made things so much better because of the horrible conditions they were under because of the abuse they both lived through. He gave her a purpose for Boston and to "Just keep swimming." When Lily saw him in that restaurant I was so hesitant because she had a good thing with Ryle at the time, but now I know when he lied about Cassie he was only thinking the best for Lily. Soon after though, when they came back to the restaurant and she saw he was the chef and he was so angry because he knew that Ryle was abusing her. Then, he returned the favor of back when they were kids and let her stay at his house. I literally am too in love with Atlas! I really loved that he got her that signed book! I cried a little and he put his phone number in his phone case. I started sobbing at the end when he went to that house to kill himself but Lily saved him. He really was the sweetest, best developed character of the story. I wish there were more Atlas-like boys in the world!

Lily was a character that I truly appreciate. I mean she went through something so traumatic and when she thinks she left it she got right back in. I really admire Lily mostly for her strength. It takes so much to forgive someone that has hurt you and loves you. I know she was becoming stronger because of Atlas's words of encouragement that Boston was a better place. I like how she was honest and open to Ryle. I loved that she had the courage to help a homeless boy and stand up for him. I love that she defied everything she was taught to take care of him. They found ways to heal each other's scars. Her character was a lot stronger than I could ever imagine she fought back even with the consequences looming above her. She had all these fears of people she loved except Atlas, who changed her life. I admired how she drowned all her horrible moments into her gardening. The flower shop was so amazing to read about because it sounds like a dream. Lily did really well for herself but she was just caught in some bad times. I think it is interesting how she confided in Ellen and she had so many little things with Atlas. Lily really made me look up to her at the end when she was thinking about whether Ryle and her should be together, I really thought she would stay with him but she proved me wrong, and I am so thankful for that because she deserved for her daughter to live a nice life. I loved the ending quote the most, "It stops here. With me and you. It ends with us." I mean how perfect and the epilogue her and Atlas end up together which made my heart whole.

This story really touched my heart in ways that I never though it would. These characters were wonderfully developed and the words made it inspiring. It was a traumatic story with hidden beauty. I truly believe it is a story for everyone to read because it sticks to you and makes you realize the truth to being in an abusive relationship. This was a heavy topic/story but I am amazed how Colleen Hoover. This story will make history due to its truth and compassion. I think this will get people help and to realize that they have the strength to put and end to it all. It ends with them.

Can we take a minute to praise Colleen Hoover

Much Love,
Channy