Six Reasons Why I Loved Paper Hearts by Ali Novak

  Hello!

Two summers ago I read The Heartbreakers by Ali Novak and I absolutely loved it. It was such a perfect beach read. I found out the other day that she has written the second one to The Heartbreakers called Paper Hearts. I rushed over to Target right then and read it in one sitting!!! Super cute summer read!

Summary:

Paper Hearts is based on the bass player in The Heartbreakers band, Alec, and his new love interest Felicity! Felicity hasn't seen her troublemaker sister in years after she ran away from home. Ever since then, it has only been Felicity and her Mom. Felicity's dream is to go to Stanford and become a lawyer just like her father. Felicity works day and night trying to make the money necessary for her education and studying non-stop. Felicity works a shift at the CCA's masquerade ball and meets Aaron, a quiet yet lively boy. Only Aaron isn't some ordinary boy he is the bass player in the Heartbreakers named Alec. Felicity and Alec spend time listening to the playlists he makes and hanging out. Felicity, getting ready for her date, stumbles across an old guitar case in her Mom's room full of letters from her sister. Alec, Felicity, and her friends travel on the ultimate road trip across California and Washington in search for Felicity's long lost sister in hopes of getting answers. Along the way, the fall in love and have the best playlist!


Six Reasons Why I loved Paper Hearts:

1. An ordinary girl and famous band member fall in love.













2. There is an EPIC road trip.



3. The band member basically makes mixed tapes for her.


4. Alec inspires Felicity to find who she really is.


5. Alec and Felicity play a cute game of tag with the band.












6. Alec dedicates a song to Felicity and they dance together!





I love books that are super easy to read and you don't want to put them down! The Heartbreaker Chronicles is something everyone needs to look out for because they are perfect reads to get you out of a slump and hit the ground running from the first page! I strongly suggest picking this up for your day in the sun!


Much Love,
Channy

Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley

Hi!!

I feel like I haven't posted in a while but I have had so much going on that reading has been difficult. It feels super good to be typing again with good thoughts! So yesterday I went to Barnes & Noble because I have been waiting for Words in Deep Blue to come out because I could just tell from reading the summary and seeing the cover I would really like it and lets just say I was wrong-- I LOVED it!!

From my experience, the best books that I read have the most quotable lines, make you consider life, and make you cry. Honestly, I don't like to give books five stars because I feel like I only have a handful to give. I feel like five stars are reserved for the books that really dig down and make you feel terrified, loved, and important. Words in Deep Blue really hit me with all three of those things. It is books like this one that make reading so much better and pushes you to keep reading to find another story just like it.

In my own words, Words in Deep Blue tells the story of Rachel and Henry and how before Rachel moved three years ago she left a letter inside a book at Henry's family's bookshop confessing her love for him. Now three years later, Rachel is dealing with a tragedy and comes home to escape it while uniting with Henry again. Henry is mad at Rachel for not writing him anymore and he has no idea about the loss in Rachel's life but the two best friends come back together, and Henry reminds Rachel of the life she once had before while also learning more about herself and how to overcome such a big tragedy.

As I said before, Words in Deep Blue really hit me in a good spot. I feel with these words, I have a new and improved perspective on the world. I love stories about stories that have changed others and I love how it is set in this bookshop. It reminds me of a bookshop I visited one summer and it just feels so magical by the way she discusses it but I also love how to each of these characters this bookshop means something to them. Every single one of the characters has an importance and a way they have been transformed by the words in between the pages.

The book starts off with the letter Rachel to Henry which really gets you because you are like so cute. Then, there is not really mention of the letter so obviously Henry didn't receive it and we are introduced to his loser girlfriend, Amy. I also enjoyed how we just jumped right into the story and how we are in this clouded spot with Rachel. We feel almost as empty as she does because all we have is this letter and Cal's death. At first, we are along the coast and then we move home to the city. We meet Lola and Rose who both seem pretty cool. Then finally, we meet Henry when he sees her at the Laundry. I absolutely love that scene. We just get to catch a glimpse of their friendship and all of that.

Mostly, I am in love with this story because it takes a sad thing and turns it into a good thing. We meet George and fall in love with her letters and so learn that the letters were from Cal. I love how Crowley added this because we got to see Cal's personality and watch him fall in love with George while also having Henry and Rachel fall in love in a similar way. The words in this novel were so kind and loving it made me want to cry at the good moments too because it was just so well done. Also, I loved how almost every character at the bookshop had their own love story. I hope we get a Fredrick and Elena spin off!?! PLEASE!!

Overall, I loved the meaning of this story. I loved how Crowley took these characters and made them fall in love between the pages. Each word was perfectly used and each character had their own kind of moments that were beautiful and exciting. The characters found beauty in the tough moments and  helped each other. I love stories that give the world meaning. Words in Deep Blue is a story that is on my faves shelf and I can't wait to hear how everyone likes it!!

Much Love,
Channy

When It's Real by Erin Watt

Hello Lovely People,

Okay if you have read any of my previous posts you know how much I love Erin Watt's The Royals books, so when I got an email saying they were writing a new book I actually started crying because I love Erin Watt's books so much! Anyway, I cried even harder when I received an advance copy of their new book, When It's Real, on Net Galley so I'm about to give you my thoughts! Whoop Whoop!!


Summary:

Meet Oakley Ford-teen celebrity, renowned pop star, child of famous movie stars, hottie with millions of fangirls… and restless troublemaker. On the surface he has it all, but with his home life disintegrating, his music well suddenly running dry, and the tabloids having a field day over his outrageous exploits, Oakley’s team decides it’s time for an intervention. The result: an image overhaul, complete with a fake girlfriend meant to show the world he’s settled down.

Enter seventeen-year-old Vaughn Bennett-devoted sister, part-time waitress, the definition of “normal.” Under ordinary circumstances she’d never have taken this gig, but with her family strapped for cash, she doesn’t have much of a choice. And for the money Oakley’s team is paying her, she figures she can put up with outlandish Hollywood parties and a team of publicists watching her every move. So what if she thinks Oakley’s a shallow, self-centered jerk? It’s not like they’re going to fall for each other in real life…right?

(I got this on Erin Watt's website! http://authorerinwatt.com/project/when-its-real/ )

My Thoughts:

This book made me SHIVER!!! I can't even begin to explain my love for this story. It was like one big, giant, amazing Fanfiction but in book form which killed me! All of Erin Watt's YA books are so amazing and different I love it! They need to come to Texas and do some book signing because I would be there. Anyway so I love this book- I don't know how else to describe it! If you are like me, and haven been watching the TV series The Arrangement on E! and you are loving it, then you need to read When It's Real ASAP!

Oakley is my new fictional boyfriend! He made my heart swell so many times! So he is this washed up celebrity at first but actually he is just a boy who wants to share his passion for singing and songwriting. When you first meet him, he is just this cocky idiot but he is actually so sweet and thoughtful. You can just tell how much he loves Vaughn even when they are faking he got irritated when she said they were faking and when he kissed her for himself not for the papers. He truly loved her which really got me in my feels!! Mostly, I loved how Vaughn inspired him enough to break his writer's block and break out of his comfort zone. Oakley grew up so much after he realized that he was in love with Vaughn and he was good for her because he pushed her out of her comfort zone and helped her find her passion. I do feel bad for Oak because he had all these people in his life and some were amazing and some of them were actually horrible people who didn't care about him. It was really nice to see Oak's true personality with Vaughn and how his true colors show when he trusts someone. AND THE END!!! HOLY GUACAMOLE!!!

Vaughn is a strong character because you can tell how important supporting her family is and that is the whole reason why she agreed to dating Oakley. I hated her boyfriend, W, but I understood why she needed him with her. Vaughn is supportive of Oak and inspires him in all the best ways and I loved that! Vaughn and Oakley both brought so many broken pieces and flaws together that it made this great couple. If Oakley and Vaughn were real, I would have a fan account- I am so not kidding! Also, Vaughn's family is so adorable and she was a breath of fresh air to Oakley's life. I am so happy that she was kind of rude towards Oakley at first because I think she needed to set her expectations and it made Oakley appreciate her even more!

When It's Real is so different from The Royals but they both are so GREAT I CAN'T!!! The one thing they both have in common is that they both have the greatest plots and the cutest couples. They also both have strong female leads, which makes me happy, but also the cutest and supportive boyfriends and guys. You all NEED to get this story MAY 30th! You will not regret it!!

Much Love,
Channy

Genuine Fraud by E.Lockhart

Hello Lovely People!

I am shaking in my boots because I got a copy of E. Lockhart's new book, Genuine Fraud, which comes out September 5, 2017. I had the opportunity to go to the North Texas Teen Book festival this past weekend and I literally had the time of my life! I love meeting fellow fans and chatting with authors about their lovely thoughts over literature. Anyway, I went to the First In Line Book Buzz Panel where they discussed new YA books they were excited for this year, and I almost fainted when E. Lockhart's book popped up on screen and nearly had a heart attack when they said we were getting an ARC like what? So major shoutout to the First In Line girls I love you both with all my heart <3

Basically, the story is about Jule and Imogen and it is told backwards, so the story begins with what happened and progressively tells the story of how they got into this situation. This storytelling is very interesting to me and got easier to follow once you were in it, but there were points where I had to think back to what happened near the beginning to truly understand the moment before. Anyway, it is basically about these girls and a mystery of what happened to Imogen. I feel like I am going to give too much away because the beginning and end are two of the same thing. 

I'm not going to spoil but I am giving away my thoughts. This book reminds me of With Malice by Eileen Cook because it has a dark, suspenseful twist. Genuine Fraud is intense. Each chapter is revealing a key element to understanding the beginning of the book. As the YA genre grows, I love seeing the different ways of storytelling and E. Lockhart does a great job of finding another way to tell a interesting story. The end is always my favorite part about a book and the fact that the first couple pages are the end is fascinating because now it is what happens to make the beginning so special. (I hope that made sense lol!) This is a great book club read because the ending of the book is mind twisty. I read it with a friend and we both are still trying to interpret how. We are shook is all I am going to say. There is a great plot to this and it is very mysterious as to what happens, so if you are into thrillers and chaos I would suggest this book, but even if you aren't I still suggest this book because I think there will be a different ending for everyone who reads it! 

I'm going to blog about my trip to NTTBF later and discuss all the authors and friends I met. I hope you buy E. Lockhart's book in September and then come back and talk about it! 

Much Love,

Channy 

The Hush Hush Saga by Becca Fitzpatrik

Hello Lovely People!!

OMG! OMG! OMG!! Everyone, I am years too late but the Hush Hush Saga is actually one of the greatest group of books I have ever read! I'm so excited to talk about this I can't type fast enough!! For those of you who don't know what Hush Hush is about... it is basically the hottest bad boy and a normal girl falling in love except it is a YA book so he is a fallen angel and she is apart of the Nephilim race therefore it is a forbidden love story! :)

I have had Hush Hush on my shelf for a couple of years now but just kind of left it there. Then, I had this strange urge to read a fantasy novel and my eyes drifted over to my shelf and met with Hush Hush's beautiful shiny, red title and I was drawn to it like Patch and Nora! Anyway, I picked it up thinking I'll read just a little before bed-- well a little before bed turned out to be a little before waking up and going to school because I ended up finishing it and having withdraws. My entire school day was awaiting for the time where I could bolt out the door and go to any bookstore closest to me. I ended up finishing all the books that Friday night which is incredibly impressive considering I had school and multiple tests to study for!

The entire Hush Hush saga has everything dramatic I love in books
Hush Hush- bad boy falls in love with good girl
Crescendo- boy and girl have a rocky relationship
Silence- memory loss but will remember boy
Finale- A full on war but lots of love

I mean that pretty much sums up my favorite plots in four books!

BOOK HANGOVER ALERT:

Patch is on my fictional boyfriends list because he is so perfect but he really isn't. I mean he is a fallen angel meaning he broke a few rules but hey, whatever. Patch and Nora are forced to be lab partners *screams* and have this "I don't want to have anything to do with you" relationship, which makes Patch's comments towards Nora the funniest and best. Always him always calling her Angel made me so happy, sometimes I couldn't breath I was swooned.
As the story moves forward, their relationship becomes so nice and protective. It isn't too overprotective because there is still a great deal of womanism (!!!!) but also you have a love interest, so it is a win-win. Although Patch is a fallen angel, I love how this story also shares that he is still a good guy and looks out for others. I'm obsessed with Patch's protectiveness for example when Nora went to Dante's and Patch said he didn't like seeing her at another man's house-- I started to laugh like how nice of him and the tracking device he put on her was quality!
Hush Hush was a great beginning novel because it was very no big deal but a great plot and it was very ordinary/introduction to new life. Also, I think you have to warm up to this book because there were some creepy moments with the car and the rollar coaster, but we must not forget about the tacos and the pool games!
Crescendo had me on my toes because everything was going so well and then the ship just tore apart because Patch and Nora are both so stubborn! Anyway, the only way he could talk to her was in her dreams (ahh!) but Marcie Miller ruins everything. Honestly, she is so annoying. When they kissed I was reconsidering Patch (Jk never) but I knew he still cared for Nora because he gave her all his earnings to make sure she was safe (swoon!). Scott was scaring me for a 1/3 of the series.
Silence might have been my favorite of the four because it reintroduced Patch and Nora's love story along with better relationships except I am so angry because Vee and Nora's friendship started to not be as prominent :( The entire Miller family twist shwished me up- I loved it.
Finale was so different and enjoyable that I am so thankful that is the way the saga ended. Scott's death saddened me but I loved to see Nora struggle after she takes this big leadership role because she is described as independent to dependent with her guardian angel to now being in charge of an entire race and I loved to see her confidence but also insecurities arise. This was a big leap for Nora compared to the last three novels and she has changed due to these big moments in her life, but her addiction to devilcraft was a common human moment if you will. I see it as, she wants to be perceived as a good leader and if it helps then great. Then she lies to Patch and her guilt is so strong I feel bad for her because there is this burden of needing to be the best when she hasn't been exposed to this race long enough to meet their needs. It also must be tough for your boyfriend to be apart of the other side, but I thought that was an interesting POV because we had two sides but one goal which was interesting!
I loved all the introduction of characters there were quite a bit but they all served a good purpose. I mean I hated Rixon and Dante but they were great plot twists. Scott's death hurt my heart because he ended up being one of the loveliest people watching out for Nora. Detective Basso ended up being one of my favorite off side characters. Dante was awful but his character served importance, so ehh. Vee's ending shocked me but the epilogue had tears in my eyes especially because she married a mortal <3

TO TREAT HUSH HUSH HANGOVER:

* I strongly suggest watching fan made videos dedicated to the Hush Hush series on Youtube because there are some very talented people out there who have great casting ideas, and it is so fun to watch people's interpretations.
* Fanfiction is like Advil it numbs the pain until you find another story to love (maybe not as much).


Thank you all so much for ranting with me! If you want to discuss please comment I'm always up for a good 'ole book chat!

Much Love,
Channy

Happy New Year!

Hello Lovely People,


I can't believe that it is already 2017 and that I have started a new Goodreads Reading Challenge! My goal for 2016 was 42 books, but I ended up with reading 53 books! I am really proud of myself. I hope you all met or surpassed your 2016 challenge.

As it is a new year, my goal was to not only read many books but to diversify the books I read. I believe that the first book you read sets the tone for the new year. With that said, my first book for 2017 is If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo. This is a story that I picked up because I wanted to broaden my reading styles and be exposed to stories I wouldn't typically pick up. If I Was Your Girl was a recommended book on Ibooks, and I saw it as a perfect opportunity to meet my goal.

If I Was Your Girl explores Amanda's story as she moves to a new town and falls in love. The biggest complication in her life and falling in love with Grant is that in her old town she went by Andrew.

Russo's story introduces the topics that people are commonly afraid to bring up but it is populating. I am fascinated by this novel because it sheds light on feeling like you are not alone and becoming familiar with being yourself. I praise YA novels for being a genre that is free enough to discuss these topics that adults are afraid of. It is stories like this that need to be read to appreciate a new perspective. Our world is growing and who are we to judge if we aren't brave enough to share these topics? Meredith Russo deserves a round of applause for being able to share a story that demands to be read. I am better for reading this story and you will be also!

As a sixteen-year-old girl I am not familiar with transgenders I have not experienced this situation, but when I opened up Amanda's story on page one I was fascinated by her tale. The chapters alternate between Andrew and Amanda. Amanda moves to live with her Father and it broke my heart at how uncomfortable he was with this transition. When he called her Andrew I could hear my heart cry. I mean you have a mentor and he has not accepted who you are yet has to be difficult. Amanda's new school is pretty good, but I felt the same panic that she did when she felt that people knew about her. As we learn more about Grant, I think she transitions smoothly and he is always so kind toward Amanda. I was not a fan of Amanda's friends, they were not helpful or interesting to me. They were too much of a mess for me to handle. Although I did not like Amanda's friends, I enjoyed the perspective on Andrew. I felt more sympathetic to the situation and was there with Amanda. The displays between Andrew, Amanda, and the Mom were insightful. Honestly, I can't explain my favorite parts because they were all so sad, but I learned so much.

This story needs to be read by people who want to appreciate literature and commemorate Russo's work. This is not a story for everyone but it is a situation that people need to become aware of. YA is growing to be a liberating genre that explores topics that others are afraid of. I love that we are the audience authors are writing to. We are the group that cares and wants to make a difference. I am elated to know that I am a person reading a work that is a difficult subject and I loved it! As YA people we need to expand these topics because our world will be better because of it.

Much Love,
Channy

Happy Holidays!!!

Happy Holidays!

Christmas is my favorite time of year and I have been looking for the perfect holiday read that captures the essence of the season. Over the years I have read many stories that haven't done Christmas justice but here are some I enjoyed!

What Light by Jay Asher

If I had to pick my favorite Christmas story this would be it! What Light captures the season perfectly by telling the story of Sierra and Caleb. Sierra spends one month out of the year in California at her family's Christmas tree farm. While she is there, she meets Caleb a boy known for chasing his sister with a knife and for using his work tips to buy Christmas trees for families unable to. What Light is all about forgiveness and hope for the future. Sierra and Caleb are different and fun to read about with their holiday festivities. Definitely pick it up and peruse (LOL)!









Twelve Days of Dash and Lily by David Levithan and Rahel Cohn 

Dash and Lily are back for a sequel!! If you loved the adventures in Dash and Lily's Book of Dares this is even better!! Lily has had a rough year with her grandfather's condition and has grown distant from Dash. Dash is determined to get Lily into the Christmas spirit. I love all the great holiday references found in here. It runs from gingerbread houses to Christmas trees, but I love how this book captures how the holiday season brings everyone together. Pick it up for a really quick read!





My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by Stephanie Perkins, Rainbow Rowell, Kelly Link, Matt de la Pena, Jenny Han, David Levithan, Holly Black, Gayle Forman, Myra McEntire, Kiersten White, Ally Carter, and Laini Taylor 

These twelve stories are so cute and each one is different from the next. There is something for everyone it is perfect!! I'm sure with all these fabulous authors you will find a great story to put you in the holiday mood.

Happy Holidays thank you so much!!
Much Love,
Channy