Library Love Challenge

Hey reader friends - I was hanging out in a book blogger chat forum, and I happened across a post someone shared about a library love challenge that's hosted each year.  Well, I love me a good library!  So, naturally, I'm all over this challenge, which is hosted by Angel's Guilty Pleasures.

I check out a ton of books from the library each year.  So I think this will be a great challenge to participate in! If you feel like joining in as well (and you should!) stop over to Angela's blog and sign up. 

Listen to Your Heart - Kasie West

Title: Listen to Your Heart
Author: Kasie West
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 3 Stars

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Talking to other people isn't Kate Bailey's favorite activity. She'd much rather be out on the lake, soaking up the solitude and sunshine. So when her best friend, Alana, convinces Kate to join their high school's podcast, Kate is not expecting to be chosen as the host. Now she'll have to answer calls and give advice on the air? Impossible.

But to Kate's surprise, she turns out to be pretty good at the hosting gig. Then the podcast gets in a call from an anonymous guy, asking for advice about his unnamed crush. Kate is pretty sure that the caller is gorgeous Diego Martinez, and even surer that the girl in question is Alana. Kate is excited for her friend ... until Kate herself starts to develop feelings for Diego. Suddenly, Kate finds that while doling out wisdom to others may be easy, asking for help is tougher than it looks, and following your own advice is even harder.

Kasie West's adorable story of secrets, love, and friendship is sure to win over hearts everywhere.

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Listen to Your Heart is the third Kasie West book I've tried to read and the second one I've actually finished. (I couldn't finish By Your Side. I did finish Lucky in Love.)

This was another 3 star book for me.  It was cute and fluffy, and while I enjoyed it and would totally recommend it, it's not a book I would read over and over again.

Let's get down to brass tacks, y'all. 

I love that each character is distinct from each other and that they all seem to have their own personalities and traits that make them their own people. There were a few background characters that just seemed to blend in to the background - but the main players and important characters were right there!

There is also this humor that exists between the friends (and cousins) that worked well.  Kate and Victoria even had this great chemistry when they were recording the podcast.  They did well together considering that Kate was so hesitant to be a host in the first place. 

While I do think that Kate was very dense about Diego's feelings, I did like that there was a sort of weirdness there when Kate thought that Diego liked Alana as much as Alana liked him.  Kate spends so much of the novel thinking that Diego likes Alana that it leads to some weird situations (like him thinking Kate is asking him to a dance, when Alana really was, because Kate helped decorate his car with post it notes.)

BTW - if you're wondering, decorating my car with post it notes would be a great way to get me to do something for or with you!  I love post its

(And yes, in case you're wondering, I will find any excuse I can to put a Supernatural gif or piccy in my blog posts - because Supernatural is amazing!)

Anyway - a few things that were just good and worth mentioning:

* I love that Kate and her cousins have such a good relationship with each other and get to see each other so much.
* I LOVE that Kate and her friend Alana are so drama free.  They have a moment towards the end of the book where they have the "We'll still be friends if he likes you" conversation. And they have a moment where they each think the other is ignoring them, but then it turns out that Kate just forgot to send Alana a text apologizing for something. But it was all handled so maturely.  It just goes to show you that teens are capable of being mature and handling situations with tact when you give them that chance!
* I think the way that Diego told Kate he liked her was so sweet.  (No spoilers, yo.  Go read the book and find out for yourself.)
* I think it was good that Kate's topic got picked as their podcast class topic for the year. Kate was very introverted, and that's not a bad thing - but it's important for introverts to realize that it's okay to broaden your horizons a bit and learn new things.

So, overall, if you are looking for a fluffy, light hearted romances, check out this book and give it to your teens as well!

Top Ten Tuesday - Books I Hope I Find Under My Christmas Tree This Morning

Hey reader friends - welcome to another round of Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl. 

This weeks topic is: Books I Hope I Find Under My Christmas Tree This Morning.  My parents and brothers don't usually buy me books, and I don't have a married family or roommate or anything - so there's a 100% chance I will not get books from other people. I will probably buy myself a few books with the Christmas money I got though!  But if my family were to suddenly decide to drop a dime on some books for me: Here's what I'd hope to find:

 I bought myself To All the Boys I've Loved Before - and it's awesome!  So of course - I have to have the rest of the books in the series!

 

 Again, I find myself with a copy of Legend, and as amazing as it is, I know I need the next two books!

 Seraphina - on my shelves.  So, I need the other two books by Rachel Hartman, right?!

Dating Profile Friday - Inspector Javert

HEY!  It's Friday!  Now, for your entertainment, here is the dating profile for Inspector Javert.  (You read that right.  Bad guys need loving, too!)

Name: Inspector Javert
Profession: Police Inspector
Hobbies: Stalking Jean ValJean, Throwing people in prison





Likes: Skulking around Paris hunting for law breakers. 
Dislikes: Jean ValJean.

About Me: I was born into an affluent family, and grew up learning the difference between right and wrong.  I have little patience for people who break the rules and laws of society, and sometimes I take that to the extreme. 

I detest rebellions, and don't particularly care books either.  I enjoy solitude and quiet. 

If you follow the law, and enjoy long walks near bridges and dams, we may get along well.  You can contact me at my country home or at my apartment near the Paris prison where I regularly work bringing in new prisoners.

Books I Want to Read In 2019

Hey y'all!  2018 is basically over. So, here I am - sharing some books I am want to read. I feel like this is a little misleading - I should really change that to the books I am MOST EXCITED TO READ in 2019.

So, yeah, let's go with that!  Here are the books I am am most excited to read in 2019!

(Some are 2019 releases.  Some are old and I just haven't gotten to them yet.)

There's Something About Sweetie - Sandhya Menon - May, 2019

*I LOVED When Dimple Met Rishi, and From Twinkle, With Love, so you can understand why I am so excited about this book! 

 

 Somewhere Only We Know - Maurene Goo - May, 2019

*Maurene Goo writes what is possibly the cutest YA fiction ever.  The only other author whose YA books are as adorable are Sandhya Menon's.  I loved, loved, loved The Way You Make Me Feel, and I Believe in a Thing Called Love.  

China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems - Kevin Kwan
I am reading Crazy Rich Asians right now - and I know right now I will have to finish the series.  So, yeah!

In An Absent Dream - Seanan McGuire - January 9, 2019
If you've read my blog at all, you know that I am fairly obsessed with the Wayward Children series.  Seanan McGuire writes books about kids who visit other worlds for various reasons (no spoilers, you just have to read the books) and she writes these stories so incredibly well.  There is nothing about these books I don't love - so I am unbelievably excited for the fourth book in this series to come out.

The Song of Ice and Fire Series - George R.R. Martin
I've read Game of Thrones, and am making my way (slowly, these books are thick) through Clash of Kings. I am determined to finish, at the very least, Clash of Kings and Storm of Swords.  But if I am ambitious enough, I might go for gold and try to finish the whole series in 2019.

 To All The Boys I've Loved Before
P.S. I Still Love You
Always and Forever, Lara Jean
-Jenny Han-
I started reading To All the Boys I've Loved Before this year, but for some reason, I didn't finish it.  I enjoyed what I read - and I am very excited to read the whole series! 

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So, tell me reader friends, what books are you most excited to read in 2019?

January {2019} YA New Book Releases

The Me I meant to be – Sophie Jordan 

January 1, 2019

The Similars – Rebecca Hanover 

January 1, 2019

A Sky for Us Alone – Kristin Russell

January 8, 2019

Analeise Rising – Brenda Drake

January 8, 2019

Black Enough: Stories of Being Young and Black in America – Ibi Zoboi & Various Authors 

January 8, 2019

Even if I Fall – Abigail Johnson 

January 8, 2019

 

The Wicked King – Holly Black 

January 8 2019

Two Can Keep A Secret – Karen M. McManus 

 January 8, 2019

What Mama Left Me – Renee Watson

 January 8, 2019 

When the Truth Unravels – RuthAnne Snow 

January 8, 2019 

White Stag – Kara Barbieri
 January 8, 2019 

You Won’t see Me Coming – Kristen Orlando 

January 8, 2019 

96 Words for Love – Ava Dash, Rachel Roy 

January 15, 2019

Echo North – Joanna Meyer 

January 15, 2019 

Famous in a Small Town – Emma Mills 

January 15, 2019 

Firestarter – Tara Sim 

January 15, 2019

Let’s go Swimming on Doomsday – Natalie C. Anderson 

January 15 2019

Our Year of Maybe – Rachel Lynn Solomon 

January 15, 2019 

Stain – A.G. Howard 

January 15, 2019

The Gilded Wolves – Roshani Choksi 

January 15, 2019 

Someday we will Fly – Rachel DeWoskin 

January 22, 2019

Song of the Dead – Sarah Glenn Marsh 

January 22, 2019 

All is fair – Dee Garretson 

January 22, 2019 

Circle of Shadows – Evelyn Skye 

January 22

Imprison the Sky – A.C. Gaughen 

January 22

No one Here is Lonely – Sarah Everett 

January 22 

Only a Breath Apart - Katie McGarry 

January 22 

Ship of Smoke and Steel - Django Wexler 

January 22, 2019

The Birds, The Bees, and You and Me - Olivia Hinebough 

January 22, 2019

The Cold is In her Bones – Peternelle Van Arsdale 

January 22, 2019 

The Vanishing Stair – Maureen Johnson 

January 22

Undying – Meagan Spooner, Amie Kaufman 

January 22 

Unnatural Disasters – Jeff Hirsch

January 22 

A Curse So Dark and Lonely – Brigid Kemmerer 

January 29 

Come Find Me – Megan Miranda 

January 29

Death prefers Blondes – Caleb Roehrig 

January 29 

Goodbye, Perfect – Sara Barnard

January 29 

Ransacker – Emmy Laybourne 

January 29

Spin – Lamar Giles 

January 29 

The Cerulean – Amy Ewing 

January 29 

The Dead Queens Club – Hanna Capin 

January 29 

The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali - Sabina Khan
January 29

The Wild Lands – Paul Greci 

January 29 

King of Scars – Leigh Bardugo 

January 29, 2019