2018 Goals: Read a Book By At Least 10 of These Authors

This list will focus on my Authors to Read List (atr) that I have never read a book by, but I really want to! Feel free to recommend which authors from this list I should focus on!

Again, I'm taking it easy. You will find a bazillion authors on this list (which I actually plan to re-visit every year from this point on until I have cleared all of these authors!), but I ain't gonna try to read a book by all of them this year. I'm not cray cray. But 10 authors seem doable, especially as some of them can double up with other goals I've put to myself... 

Come back to this page throughout the year to see how I'm doing!

Kelly Armstrong - This author has been on my list of "should try out" for years. I hope this will be the year I will try some of her works.
Books owned: The Gathering

Elizabeth George Speare - Technically, I'm only (currently) interested in one book this author has written, but it's been on my tbr for so long I really want to get to it, and I finally own a copy of it! 

Books owned: The Witch of Blackbird Pond

Kirsten Miller - I've had one of Miller's books on my physical shelves for over 5 years and have recently acquired another one of hers (albeit one co-written) so I just feel like this should probably be the year to knock her out of my atr :)

Books Owned: The Eternal Ones, Otherworld

Melina Marchetta - This author has been high on my atr for SO long. Her books are widely loved, and they sound unique and interesting. I hope this will be the year I will actually read them. lol

Books owned: On the Jellicoe Road, Finnikin of the Rock

Sarah Rees Brennan - I have wanted to read her The Lynburn Legacy for ages, and I recently got all 3 books on Kindle for, like, $3.5 total. I know, crazy! (bts, if you want to find awesome kindle deals, don't forget to check our list! It updates regularly :P)

Books owned: Unspoken, Untold, Unmake

Kendare Blake - She's just kind of been on my list for years... I'm not one for horror or things like that but I have heard so many amazing things about her books so I really want to see if this could be something I'll enjoy.

Books Owned: Anna Dressed in Blood

Veronica Rossi - Yes, yes, I haven't read a Veronica Rossi novel. I KNOW! Well, I'm gonna change that!..... Maybe.

Books Owned: Under the Never Sky

Patrick Rothfuss - I have wanted to read The Name of the Wind for so long, but at the same time it's so intimidating and the fact it takes him years to write his novels is also frightening to me. Still, I hope I can finally get into this series this year!

Booked Owned: The Name of the Wind, The Wise Man's Fear

Carolyn MacCullough - I have been interested in reading her Once a Witch series for ages and I finally own the first novel and I just want to finally read it!

Books Owned: Once a Witch

Tahereh Mafi - Welp. What can I say? I have not read a Tahereh Mafi book yet. It's true. I honestly didn't really mean to, because I don't like love triangle and the likes but... all the raving really got to me. So, I pick up Shatter Me. And here's to hoping I love it 'cause I really want an excuse to buy those gorgeous covers in physical copies!

Books Owned: Shatter Me

Veronica Roth - Is it strange that I want to read just the first Divergent novel? Like, I know how that series ends and I'm not here for it, but I kind of do want to experience the first novel and I've heard you can kind of read it alone. What do you guys think? Will it work?

Books Owned: Divergent, Carve the Mark

Marie Lu - Yes, another of those super duper popular authors I have never read! I need to get my shit together because this doesn't fly!

Books Owned: Legend, Champion, The Young Elites, The Rose Society, Warcross

Sarah J. Maas - So I'll be honest... I don't really want to read a Maas book. I have tried the prequel to Throne of Glass and didn't really like it. That being said, I want to give one of her proper novels a shot, just so I can see once and for all if it was that specific book, or it's just generally her novels. That way, I can stop being all turned around because of all the hype lol

Books Owned: The Assassin's Blade, Throne of Glass

Ann Brashares - I have wanted to read Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants for so long, and this is the year! 

Books Owned: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, My Name is Memory

Lauren Oliver - This one has been on my list for years. I feel like I should finally give her a chance, you know?

Book Owned: Delirium, Pandemonium, Before I Fall, Replica

Joe Hill - So, this one is an author I first noticed because Daniel Radcliff was in a movie adaptation of Horns. I love Dan, I want to watch the movie, and I can't until I read the book. Therefore, I must do so. But this author has crazy numbers on GR and that makes me excited... and fearful.

Books Owned: Horns, NOS4A2

Robin Benway - Heard great things about this author, and I'm interested in finally reading one of her works!

Book Owned: Emmy & Oliver, Far From the Tree

Kiera Cass - Okay, so I'm never going to read The Selection series. I'm just not about that life. And by "that life" I mean love triangles that drag. Anyways, that being said, since so many people rave about her series, I do want to read another novel by hers some time.

Books Owned: The Siren

Dan Wells - It's been six years since I bought Partials. SIX YEARS! And by all accounts, those are six missed years because Wells is supposed to be awesome!

Books Owned: Partials, I Am Not A Serial Killer

Anna Banks - I have wanted to read Of Poseidon for a really long time, but I've actually recently gotten hold of Nemesis by Banks, and I kind of want to try her own!

Books Owned: Nemesis

Neal Shusterman - Another author that has been on my list for ages. And I now own one of his books physically! It's time to kick it off my shelf!

Books Owned: Everlost, Scythe

Darren Shan - This author has been on my atr list since I joined GR, y'all! I have wanted to read his Cirque De Freak series for years and I have finally gotten hold of the first one!!

Book Owned: Cirque Du Freak

Jenny Han - I'll be honest here... I'm kind of scared to read this author's works. I am NEVER going to read the Summer series. Three books of a love triangle? Sign me the heck out. But... people rave about her so much. And the cover for To all The Boys I've Loved Before is really pretty. And so is Burn for Burn. So... I own her books. Imma gonna read them.

Books Owned: To All The Boys I've Loved Before, Burn for Burn, Fire with Fire, Ashes to Ashes

Brian Jacques - I grew up on Redwall the animated series. Finding out this had a book series it was based on blew my mind. I've got to get in on this!

Books Owned: Redwall, Mossflower, Mattimeo

Jessica Day George - I just really like the sound of her novels! 

Book Owned: Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow, Silver in the Blood

Kiersten White - another one that has been on my list for soooo loooong.... *sigh*

Books Owned: And I Darken

Robin Hobb - So I actually started one of her books and really really enjoyed it but I was in a really messed up place at the time and I dropped it half way through for no reason. I'm going to read her books this year, because they're good.

Books Owned: Assassin's Apprentice, Fool's Assassin, Fool's Errand

Alexandra Bracken - Heard just a ton of amazing things about this one.

Books Owned: Passenger

Sherry Thomas - I have owned the Elemental Trilogy for a long while now, and actually my mom loves these books so that tells me I must read them already.

Books Owned: The Burning Sky, The Perilous Sea, The Immortal Heights, A Study in Scarlet Woman

Morgan Rhodes - I just heard this is an amazing fantasy writer, and I need to get a start on it!

Books Owned: Falling Kingdoms, A Book of Spirits and Thieves

Rae Carson - Another author I've just heard wonderful things about and I want to start on it!

Books Owned: The Girl of Fire and Thorns, Walk on Earth a Stranger

Andy Weir - I want to watch the movie, okay?!

Books Owned: The Martian, Artemis

Catherynne M. Valente - I HAVE WANTED TO READ THESE BOOKS FOR SO LONG, OKAY?!

Books Owned: Six-Gun Snow White, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making

Ellen Hopkins - *sigh* how many times can I say "another one that has been on my list for ages and I'm super excited for" before one of you comes out of the screen and strangles me?

Books Owned: Tricks

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews | Relationship Status: It's Complicated!

Me and Early and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
Date Read: Jan 7 to 12, 2018

First Published: 2012

Kindle

Young Adult, Contemporary
Rating:

Re-Readability:

Greg Gaines is the last master of high school espionage, able to disappear at will into any social environment. He has only one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time making movies, their own incomprehensible versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics.
Until Greg’s mother forces him to rekindle his childhood friendship with Rachel.
Rachel has been diagnosed with leukemia—-cue extreme adolescent awkwardness—-but a parental mandate has been issued and must be obeyed. When Rachel stops treatment, Greg and Earl decide the thing to do is to make a film for her, which turns into the Worst Film Ever Made and becomes a turning point in each of their lives.
And all at once Greg must abandon invisibility and stand in the spotlight.

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: IT'S COMPLICATED 

It really, really is. When I started out Me and Earl and the Dying Girl I genuinely had so much fun with it, and I was absolutely certain I'm going to continue laughing out-loud until the final page and be blown away. Instead, I slowly stopped laughing, until at the very end I was just relieved it was finally over. 

The thing is, this book's biggest strength is also its biggest weakness. At least for me.

The big, loud charm of this book is it's messed up writing style; a mashup of a lot of things, concepts and ideas, in a very authentic manner to what a teenager who is not even very interested in writing a book might do...  which, let's face it, Greg is. It's quirky, unique, and fun. For about the first 50%.

But then, because this is the approach this book takes, it kind of made it a structural mess with no actual plot in sight. For me, who is a plot-driven reader, this made things kind of... difficult. It was hard to invest a lot of time at once in this book's world because I had nothing to anchor myself to. No questions I needed answered or a sense of wondering what are the things to come.

So my first struggle with it was actually reading it instead of just meandering about.

My second struggle was actually enjoying the read once I've decided to get my shit together and properly read it. There is something about actually sitting down and spending two hours straights in Greg's mind that just makes you realize how... this book talks about nothing. And even then, it kind of takes really long to say that it has nothing to say. 

I have read the epilogue, and I still don't know if this book had something to say to me, or if, just as Greg basically tells the reader at the beginning, there is nothing there. So, in big doses, you just kind of start to wonder... why? what's the point of all this?

Not to mention, around the 50% mark, the shine of the concept just... wore off. It totally did. Greg is not a great person. He's not. He's judgmental and weird and interprets life in such a strange way. And while at first, it was delightful, and I laughed at his antics and style, by the end I just didn't enjoy being in his head, no matter the weird side thoughts, script format, bullet points, or whatever new thing he came up with. It just stops being funny.

Now, Me and Earl often resorts to crass jokes and vulgar language. I admit this is not the type of humor I normally enjoy, and after 50% of the novel, I was over it. Completely. Like, I get it. It fits the character that is Greg, and he is the one writing the story. But.. it got annoying. He got annoying. The repetition got annoying; how many times can I read about someone calling themselves stupid, or unable to accept a compliment or filled with the need to fill the silence, before I just kind of want to strangle you so you'd shut up?

Oh, and can we talk about his dumb and stupid jokes and why the hell everyone is laughing at them?? While his narration is often hilarious, the jokes Greg tell out loud baffled me, mostly because they're successful. Like, wtf? I don't know what you Americans find funny, but none of that shit would fly in my high school. I guess I should at least be thankful Greg is self away of this, to a point.

Speaking of which... The character of Greg is really odd. In most cases when people think one thing and do another, it's for the worse. In Greg's case, he thinks terrible things but does really nice things, even if for all the wrong reasons.

But I'm not sure if that's because that's who he is, or because he is a caricature of sorts, same as all the other people in this novel. Every character is defined by maybe one or two traits, and that's basically what that person is for the rest of the novel - Hot, Smart, Sick, Crazy, Goth, etc. And most of it is hecka exaggerated, especially the way teenage boys think and act. I mean, my brother is in that Phase right now. I'm living this shit.

Now, this makes sense. A teenage is writing this story, and sometimes, especially as self-absorbed teens, people aren't really people. They're That or This or Whatever. That being said, I kind of hoped Greg would stop seeing them like that at some point, but that didn't really happen. I guess if it did, then this novel would have something to say and that's a no-no.

Okay. So, basically, even though a lot of my problems make sense in the context of the premise, it wasn't enough for me. Being UNIQUE is not enough to be GOOD. Being INTERESTING is not enough to equate IMPORTANT. And so, even though I wish my reading experience had stayed constantly in the great zone, it didn't.

I needed more; more SUBSTANCE, more PLOT, more of a REASON to the entirety of it. 

And yes, sure. The point is that there is no point, but that's just not the type of story I can connect to. It's entirely on me, but it's also the way things just are. 

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen | Re-Read Review

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

The Ascendance Trilogy #1
Date Read: Dec 15 to 19, 2017

First Published: 2012

Paperback

Young Adult, Fantasy
Rating:

Re-Readability:

In this first book in a remarkable trilogy, an orphan is forced into a twisted game with deadly stakes.
Choose to lie...or choose to die.
In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point -- he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well.
As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.
An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats.

Confession time: I start a shit ton of series but finish only a fraction of them. And it's only because they're bad about a third of the time. The rest is... well, because I'm stupid, okay?

Take The False Prince for example. I truly and honestly loved this book when I first read it in 2014. I finished it being wowed, and excited, and super interested in reading the rest of the series. SUPER INTERESTED, okay? 

But then came the waiting period until the second book made it into my doorstep, and somehow, by the time I got it, I had forgotten that I loved the first one. Just... forgotten. So I put it on the shelf and barely even looked at it from that day on.

Finally, fate intervened. The third and final book was available on Kindle for, like, 3 dollars, and I succumbed and bought it. Now, I had no reason not to finish the series, and better yet, I was thinking of it again. Now, I couldn't just start with the second book, could I? Naturally, I had to re-read the first book first. And then it would be time for... THE BINGE!

Now, originally, I had given this book a 5 star rating. As I re-read this novel I had to concede that it was no longer a five star for me. It's still a wonderful story that I highly recommend, which is why I gave it a very respectable 4 star, but there were some things that just fell short considering I knew what was coming.

My experience with The False Prince, both times, started out slow. This book doesn't immediately make me unable to put it down. It took a while, say eighty to a hundred pages, for me to suddenly be grabbed by the need to read it. But then, when it came, it didn't let go until I finished reading, so I guess all in all it's a definite win for the book.

The strongest part of this novel is, hands down, Sage himself. As far as main characters go, he is a long way from perfect, and that's actually why I loved him so much. He is a brave, clever, headstrong boy. Who is also reckless, sharp-tongued and stubborn, with far too much ego at times. But he has a good heart, and his actions are always derived from that place. In fact, he almost never does anything for his own sake, but he always makes it appear like that's what he's all about, which just... it just made him extra lovable in my eyes.

Next to Sage is a cast of interesting characters; first, we have Tobias and Roden, the other two orphans fighting for the title of prince. These two fought for my affection and hatred throughout the whole book, and I honestly didn't know who I would end up loving and who I would end up disliking until the final chapters.

Then we have Imogen, a servant girl in Connor's house who catches Sage's attention. She is a fierce lady whom I loved, although her storyline made less sense to me the second time around. I remember feeling a bit baffled by the apparent affection between these two the first time around as well, but I definitely felt it stronger with this re-read. I just don't quite understand Sage's attachment and gratitude to her, seeing as she had very little to do with the actual plot.

It kind of felt the way it does when you listen to someone's conversation, then something distracts you and you return to listening at the end. You feel like you've missed something in the reasoning and progress of the story, even if you get the general gist of things. I am curious to see how their relationship develops--if at all--throughout this series.

Then we've got Mott, Connor's loyal right-hand man, and one of my favorite characters. Mott and Sage start off on the wrong foot but boy does he prove himself to be a good man at the end there. He's kind of, like, the father figure Sage has always needed but never had, you know? And, speaking of the devil, Connor himself was quite interesting as well. I never liked the guy, but I never quite hated him, either, if that makes sense?

Now, going into this novel the second time, I obviously knew what was coming. And even though I pretty much called it on my first read as well, I had much more time to look for the clues... and not all of them add up. Sometimes, Nielsen puts in paragraphs that make no sense in light of what's to come, and that feels like a real flat attempt at misdirection that could've been solved if only things had been phrased a little differently. I still feel things were very well done, but not as tidy as I originally thought they were.

Foolish Hearts by Emma Mills | First 5 Star of the Year!

Foolish Hearts by Emma Mills
Date Read: Jan 6, 2018

First Published: 2017

Signed Owlcrate Hardcover

Young Adult, Contemporary
Rating:

Re-Readability:

A contemporary novel about a girl whose high school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream leads her to new friends—and maybe even new love.
The day of the last party of the summer, Claudia overhears a conversation she wasn't supposed to. Now on the wrong side of one of the meanest girls in school, Claudia doesn't know what to expect when the two are paired up to write a paper—let alone when they're both forced to try out for the school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
But mandatory participation has its upsides—namely, an unexpected friendship, a boy band obsession, and a guy with the best dimpled smile Claudia's ever seen. As Claudia's world starts to expand, she finds that maybe there are some things worth sticking her neck out for.

Some books fall into your lap from nowhere, and you just kind of quietly thank whatever superior being you believe in for being so kind to you. This is one of those books. I didn't hear about it before, I didn't plan to read it, it wasn't anywhere on my radar. And then my Owlcrate box brought it to my doorstep, and I cracked it open. And my foolish heart was moved.

This book was simply adorable.

And I'm not talking in like an "aww, this is cute" kind of way. Oh no. I'm talking the kind of adorable that makes you stay up until freakin' 5 a.m. in the morning to finish the novel because you are so entirely captivated by these lovely people the wonderful relationships they are forming that you can't tell them goodbye. The type of adorable that keeps making you want more.

Yeah, that kind.

And it all starts with Claudia. She is just a normal girl who goes to a not so normal all-girls high school, even though she would have much preferred to go the public school with her best friend Zoe. While Claudia certainly doesn't suffer in her school (and I can't express how much I loved the fact these rich girls are not made into the cliched mean girls), she doesn't exactly make any strong friendships either. Instead, she spends her time playing an MMORPG together with Zoe, her older brother Alex and her older sister Julia and her husband Mark who live in Indianapolis.

Everything begins to shift when Claudia witnesses the breakup between her school's long-lasting couple Paige and Iris. It's that break-up that makes Iris chilly to Claudia when they are forced to work together on a project and causes the two to do horribly in it. As a result, the two are strongly encouraged to participate in the school's joint play with the all-boys' school.

That play changes everything.

It's there where Claudia gets the chance to get to know Gideon Prewitt. Hellooooo, book boyfriend! Gideon is the most popular guy on the boys' side. Everybody knows him, and everybody likes him. Even Claudia. He's goofy, handsome, awkward, loyal, and everybody calls him the prince. And this prince is instantly smitten with Claudia and her wicked sense of sarcasm (which is, really, when everything boils down to it, the best sense to have).

This guy. THIS GUY!

This is how you write a book boyfriend; sweet, genuine, well-meaning, silly, funny, and just head over heels for the girl in the cutest of ways. He lights up when he sees Claudia. He keeps wanting to spend time with her. He flirts and he jokes and he matches her wit and sarcasm. He is interested in the things she is interested in, and he notices the smallest of things about her. Gideon Prewitt, quite frankly, makes my foolish heart flutter.

But wait, Gideon and Claudia aren't the only amazing relationship in this novel. The second one is the friendships that bloom between Claudia and Ice Queen Iris. To say it starts off on the wrong foot is to... underestimate and oversimplify things. Iris is mean, cold and unaffected. Everything Claudia is not. But while Claudia hates fighting and usually chooses to avoid altercations, don't mistake her for a doormat or a coward. Oh, no, Claudia gives as good as she gets. She snaps back, she fights back, and she throws some truths at Iris.

I guess Iris finds that somewhat charming, or at the very least refreshing, because she starts to... thaw. It starts when she coerces Claudia to do another paper with her, this time actually exchanging numbers and even meeting up to do the project. Then it evolves into sharing hobbies. Then it ends up in girl talk and boy talk and all kinds of talk, and suddenly - they're friends, and no one can deny that, least of all the two girls involved.

I honestly thought this was extremely endearing. Iris is not the kind of girl you become friends with at once, and Mills does an incredible job showing Claudia slowly, and often unintentionally by just being Claudia, chipping away the armor of steel around Iris and reaching her heart. In a lot of ways, Claudia is a far stronger force in Iris's life than the-love-of-her-life Paige, because, while Paige makes Iris want to be better, it's Claudia who shows her that she can be, and how.

She's the one who defends her even when she doesn't always give her a good reason to, she's the one to point out they're friends, or that Iris is doing exactly what she thinks she is incapable of. She's the one who calls Iris out on her bullshit but also makes her act differently. She is the one to push her in the right direction. She's the one to make Iris not just her friend--but a part of a group of friends. All things Paige couldn't do, probably because Paige is the most important person to Iris, and therefore far more difficult to share, and also far more difficult to "lose" to.

Okay, I've rambled enough. Suffice to say, I adored this relationship. I adored the progression of it. I adored how Mills nailed the process and the feelings.

Speaking of feelings... this book has a. lot. of. them. It's not in the "normal" tear-jerker way, if you know what I mean. This book doesn't set up to get you to tear up. But it does such a phenomenal job putting you in Claudia's head and fusing yourself to her while you're reading that when she feels insecure, and small, and underappreciates herself so colossally and so matter of factly, you get there anyway. You want to smother her in a hug, and you want her to see she's wrong, while you simultaneously feel small and insecure yourself. It's honestly a wonder. I can count on one hand the number of heroines who have made me feel like this, and all of them were as unexpected as Claudia.

Now, aside for these three characters, the book doesn't lack for awesome people. You've got Zoe, Claudia's best friend, who is just... a great friend, even if she does stumble a little bit there. You have Noah, Gideon's best friend who I simply adored (I vote this bromance for president!). You have Alex and Julia, Claudia's siblings, who are just... all around #goals. The relationship between them is so good even when things get rocky and I adored every second of it!

I would honestly read an entire novel made up just of these characters living life, going on dates, hanging out, talking to each other. No angst or overall arc necessary. Just.. spending some more time with these guys. Is that too much to ask for?

2018 Goals: Clear 10 Physical Books

Okay, so this one is really for aesthetic purposes. 

I have an entire bookshelf for books I haven't read yet. I have about... oh, I don't know... 100 books in it. Not including sequels that are not the next in line. Yep. It's bad. And it looks bad, too, lol

Now, again. Last year was a terrible reading year. Bad enough that I don't plan to over-do myself with big, giant goals. So I'm not going to say "I'm going to clear my shelves" or anything meaningful like that. I'm going to aim at 10. Ten physical books that I own as of Jan 1 2018, off my shelves.

That sounds okay, right? 

You can come back to this page throughout the year to see my progress!

Potential Books to Read

1. The Upside of Unrequited - This one is probably a sure thing since it knocks one off my 10 standalone books goal as well, and I have loved Simon Vs. and I also own this on kindle which would make reading it easier for me. Is this cheating? You decide.

2. Illumiane - I really, really want to read this series. I want to know what the whole "am I not merciful" line is about. And just for comparison's sake, I also own this on kindle, but this is not helpful 'cause this one is really difficult to read on kindle due to the format! Which is why I got the hardcover. That, and because it's fucking gorgeous.

3. Heartless - this is another one I am hoping to get to this year because it knocks one of my standalone challenges as well. I love Meyer's Lunar Chronicles so I have high hopes for this regardless!

4. Thick as Thieves - saying the Queen's Theif series is one of my favorites is an understatement. I did a re-read of the first three books last year, and I keep having to stop myself from re-read the third one again 'cause it's too soon goddamnit! So, on the one hand, I am super excited about this fifth installment. On the other... well, it takes the author six to seven years to write a novel. So once I finish this one, the wait is going to be long and torturous.

5. A Darker Shade of Magic - I WANT TO READ THIS SERIES, OKAY? AND I OWN ALL. THE. BOOKS. SO WHY DIDN'T I DO IT YETTTT

6. Winter - Confession time... I got close to page 200 before closing the book. I just got SO ANXIOUS, OKAY?? It's not rational because this is the final book! Everything will get resolved! But bad things were happening and my babies were being hurt and ahhhhh I had to stop. But I will finish it this year, because I want to and because it takes a book off my finishing 10 series goal... 

7. Turtles All the Way Down - John Green. Need I say more?

8. There's Someone Inside Your House - Stephanie Perkins & it fits the standalone goal. What else do I need in life?

9. Daughter of the Pirate King - they hype is real and I want to jump into it!

10. Stalking Jack the Ripper - heard a ton of amazing things about this so I want to join the fun! haha

11. To All the Boys I've Loved Before - Heard a lot of amazing things about this series.

12. Kiss of Deception - I think I'm really going to love this series *fingers crossed*

13. Wild Beauty - sounds really cool & knocks off my standalone goal!

14. Throne of Glass - I'll be honest... I DON'T HAVE HIGH HOPES FOR THIS ONE. I couldn't get into the prequel at all. Hopefully, this will knock my socks off and surprise me in the best way.

15. The Eternal Ones - 5 years on my shelves will come to an end in 2018!.... Maybe.

If you have books you think I HAVE to read from the photos above, don't hesitate to tell me!

Paper Hearts by Ali Novak | Book Review

Paper Hearts by Ali Novak

The Heartbreakers Chronicles #2
Date Read: Jan 4 to 5, 2018

First Published: 2014

Kindle

Young Adult, Contemporary
Rating:

Re-Readability:

"I'm sorry," he said, slowly untying the ribbon that held his mask in place. "It's just-I didn't want you to think of me any differently."
Somehow I kept my mouth from falling open. I knew his face, but my mind couldn't accept that he was the person looking down at me.
"My real name is Alec."
Felicity has her entire future planned. Ever since her older sister ran away, she's had the full weight of her mother's expectations on her shoulders. So she works hard to get straight As and save for college.
Except sometimes the best things in life are unplanned-like when Felicity meets a handsome, masked stranger while she is volunteering at a charity masquerade ball. She never thought he'd flirt with her. And she certainly never thought he'd turn out to be a member of the world-famous Heartbreakers band, Alec.
Then Felicity uncovers a shocking family secret. Suddenly, she, Alec, and her two best friends are off on a road trip to find Felicity's missing sister. And she's about to discover that unexpected turns have a peculiar way of landing her right where she needs to be...

The second installment in the Heartbreakers Chronicles follows a similar pattern to the first - it's a cute, fun, sweet, short read following a member of the popular boy band "The Heartbreakers", who falls in love with a girl who is "normal".

Which is, again, one of my favorite tropes.

It helps that our hero is my favorite member of said boy band; Alec. Let's just say, his reign as my favorite boy shall continue onward. I simply love his intuitive silence, imploring gazes and sweet, quiet nature. This boy doesn't have a mean, disloyal bone in his body, and you can always trust him to be the voice of reason and everyone's confidant. That's just... who he is.

Novak does a good job convincing you that he has met his match in Felicity. What I loved the most about her is that she felt like a real girl, and she even occasionally freaked out about the fact she was with Alec Williams. THE Alec Williams. It was adorable. She was adorable, and sweet, and well-meaning... even as her entire world (as she knew it) was falling apart. Actually, one of the things I wanted more of this book was the repercussions of that, especially with her mother, since it didn't really feel properly resolved.

But really, even though these books give you some darker themes, those are not what the novels are about. The novel is, quite frankly, about the romance that blooms between Alec and Felicity. And yes, that love blooms quite quickly. It was more noticeable in Paper Hearts since the setting is a week-long road trip, but at the same time the novel kind of makes you forget this small detail.

I think part of the reason this works better in Novak's books than in some others I've read is that the characters don't rush to define their relationship in big absolutes like "love". Instead, she lets the reader draw their own conclusion on the status of their feelings through their actions and words. Which works far better for me than being told.

I'm really curious to see which band member will get the next novel - Xander or JJ. I am far more interested in JJ's story (he's my second fave), but I also feel like, for the sake of the flow of these novels, he should be the last to find love, both considering his personality and his role in the group.

2018 Goals: Finish 10 Series!

Okay, now we're talking big goals here. 

This one is going to be extremely tough for me, based on last year's performance. You see, last year, I read mostly series that are considered a series of standalones. Which means that every time I opened a book, I was committed to that single story itself and not really the series because they don't usually connect in a bigger arc.

This year, I plan to do some serious series reading (see what I did there? lol). Still, I'm going to keep it at ten because I think I can do ten (hopefully). 

And I am going to consider finished series of standalones in this one, just to help things along.

You can come back to this page throughout the year to see my progress!

Potential Series to Finish 

1. The Lunar Chronicles - Definitely a top priority for me as I only need to read Winter. I even read the first 100 pages before, I just got so anxious I stopped lol (I need my babies to be alright...)

2. The Ascendence Trilogy - I need to read the second & third book, but I own them all and these are a top priority as well, since I really want to knock it off my shelves.

3. Daughter of Smoke and Bone - I plan to re-read the first book and then binge two, three & three and a half now that I own the whole series.

4. The Grish Trilogy - same with DoSaB I'm going to re-read the first and then being the whole series AND start Six of Crows.

5. The Mistborn Trilogy - I'm counting only the first trilogy in the series since the second follows completely different characters. I was so in love with the first book, and then I accidentally read a spoiler for the third one and entered "protection mode". Anyways... I'm going to do this!

6. Starbound Trilogy - I thought the first book was just really beautiful, and I am set to have book two in the coming month and I bought the third one on my trip to London, so my plan is to re-read the first one and then dive into the remaining two to knock this beautiful series of standalones (with a connecting arc) into the read pile!

8. Morganville Vampires - so... I'm stuck on book 13 out of 15. Like, I've got to finish it now. But I have to admit that the series has really gone downhill once the original plotline was resolved. It just doesn't compare to what it was. I hope Caine doesn't make this mistake with her other series and just finishes them where they should be finished instead of dragging them on like this.

9. The Heroes of Olympus - I nearly forgot about this one! My God... I really enjoy these books, but nothing about them makes me need to read the next one immediately after finishing one, so I end up just... letting them hang. I only need to read the two final books, so I'm going to work on that this year!

10. Bridgertons - I need to read just the final novel to finish this one, and I own it! I just.. I read some things about it that made me not read it, but it all ends this year!

11. Lux- the first one of this pile that I'm putting more on "maybe" than anything else. I really enjoyed the first one, but then I never really felt the need to read the second and even stopped reading aforementioned second close to the end. But I'm going to give this one final shot before deciding anything. Maybe I'll re-read the first one again... we'll see.

12. Mythos Academy - this one goes into the maybe pile. I liked the first book (wasn't in love with it though), and I own almost all the other books in the series, so I think I'll try re-reading the first and see where it goes from there.

13. Song of the Lioness - another one for the "maybe" pile. If I'll find the final novel for cheap, then I'll read it. If not, then not. I've never been a big fun of this series, 's all...

Potential Series to Start & Finish (Own all)

1. White Rabbit Chronicles - I own the entire series and I love Showalter's adult series, so this one seems like a no-brainer (I think this one is considered over, but I'm not actually sure).

2. Six of Crows - I really want to read this series, but since I have started Shadow and Bone before I kind of can't do that until I finish that one (call it OCD!)

3. Blue is For Nightmares - I somehow found myself owning all the books as they came discounted on Kindle, so I figure what the heck, let's 

4. A Darker Shade of Magic - I have wanted to read this one for a long time, and I now own all the books in the series and thefore... I shall! 

5. Kiss of Deception - I am waiting for the second book to arrive on my doorstep, but once it does I will have the entire series in my hands and that means... time to read the eff out of them! lol