Summer Update: Too hot to Blog, A Colour-Coordinated TBR, TV Recommendations & A Summer Playlist Too!

Image via We Heart It

Greetings from a long, hot summer! It's been a while, hasn't it? A while since I've blogged - a while since I've spent very much time online at all, really. And the reason for that? Sunshine. Lots and lots of sunshine. That - and the fact that my problematic laptop finally gave up the ghost (RIP).  While I haven't been blogging a whole lot at all, I have, in between watching many, many World Cup matches, been reading. I just haven't been reviewing. I'll be back soon, though, with a review of Social Creature by Tara Isabella Burton along with a round-up of some the many thrillers I've read this summer. Time was my summer reading was filled with cutesy coming-of-age tales of first love and summer romances (swoon!). This summer, though, while it has been hot, hot, hot outside, my summer reading has been decidedly dark and dreary, ha! I do have a couple of feel-good YA reads on my summer TBR though, so maybe I need to lighten up, reading wise, and get started on something like Save the Date by Morgan Matson very soon! 

In the meantime, take a look at some of the books I plan to read in August:

Yup, my reading list is still pretty thriller-heavy, but I have included some YA in there. I feel as though I barely read YA nowadays - and I must be missing out on some great YA titles because of that. It's just that I'm all about the twisty thrillers these days. I have a never-ending list of thrillers I want to read. YA has kind of taken a back seat. I have a bunch of YA authors that are auto-buy authors for me, but I've been a little lazy in checking out new authors this year. I need to work on that!

I've also been watching some good stuff this summer. I enjoyed (is enjoyed the right word, though?!) the second season of Thirteen Reasons Why (I know some people didn't love it) and I'm excited to get started on the TV adaptation of Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects very soon.  In fact, maybe I'll get started on watching that tonight. I've also been re-watching American Horror Story in anticipation of its upcoming crossover season. I haven't watched AHS since Coven, though I maybe-plan on watching Hotel, but it just so happens that I very much enjoyed Murder House and Coven (Asylum was a BIT too disturbing for my tastes!) so I'm totally here for Apocalypse. Anyone else?

Oh, and if you haven't seen it (though, let's face it, you probably have!) here's the trailer for the much anticipated movie adaptation of Jenny Han's glorious To All The Boys I've Loved Before. Coming to Netflix in August.

Looking for some new music? Here's a sampler of songs I've been listening to this summer. Enjoy!

Check back soon for my latest book reviews and a round-up of some new books on my radar!

My Top Reads of 2017!

I didn't realise until now that almost all my favourite books from this year fall into the adult fiction category - with just one YA title making my list. I guess that's just how it goes sometimes!

Here are five of my favourite reads from 2017, listed in order of preference.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to wish all readers of the blog a very Merry Christmas!

See you back here in the New Year!

*****

A literary thriller with huge commercial appeal, Noah Hawley’s Before the Fall is a master class mystery of secrets and suspense that plays alongside a social commentary that is timely, clever and knowing. 

Read my review of Before the Fall by Noah Hawley

*****

Highly imaginative in a totally-twisted very off-the-wall sort of way, Behind Her Eyes is the must-read thriller of 2017.

Read my review of Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough

Up next from Sarah Pinborough: Cross Her Heart releases May 2018.

*****

If you’re anything like me you’ll be crossing your heart and fingers and toes for Lara Jean, Peter K. and a happy ever in Always and Forever, Lara Jean.  

Read my review of Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

*****

Immersive, engaging and superbly well-written, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid is one of my favourite reads of summer 2017 and a must-read for fans of Old Hollywood.  

Read my review of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

*****

 A darkly evocative tale of sisters and secrets, The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde, a multi-layered, decades-spanning mystery told in the gothic tradition, will keep readers hooked from start to finish.

Read my review of The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde by Eve Chase

*****

Book Review: Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han.

Product details:
Publisher: Simon & Schuster.
Hardcover, 336 pages.
Release date: May 2nd 2017.
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Ages: 12+
Series: To All the Boys I've Loved Before  #3.
Other Books in Series: To All the Boys I've Loved Before, P.S. I Still Love You.
Overall Series Rating: 4½ out of 5.
Source: Purchased.

Lara Jean is having the best senior year a girl could ever hope for. She is head over heels in love with her boyfriend, Peter; her dad’s finally getting remarried to their next door neighbor, Ms. Rothschild; and Margot’s coming home for the summer just in time for the wedding.

But change is looming on the horizon. And while Lara Jean is having fun and keeping busy helping plan her father’s wedding, she can’t ignore the big life decisions she has to make. Most pressingly, where she wants to go to college and what that means for her relationship with Peter. She watched her sister Margot go through these growing pains. Now Lara Jean’s the one who’ll be graduating high school and leaving for college and leaving her family—and possibly the boy she loves—behind.

When your heart and your head are saying two different things, which one should you listen to?

 Please Note: This is a review of a next-in-a-series book. There may be spoilers for  previous books in the series in this review.

 Lara Jean’s relationship with her lacrosse star boyfriend Peter K. has survived the choppy waters of love rivals, scheming exes and viral videos. It looks to be plain sailing from here on out. Phew!  Not only is Lara Jean’s love life in tip-top shape – love is in the air for the rest of the Covey family too.  Lara Jean’s older sister Margot has a new boyfriend – and there’s even a wedding in the works!  That’s right, wedding bells are in store for Dr. Covey and Ms. Rothschild, which means Lara Jean has outfits to plan and a wedding cake to bake.  First though, college applications beckon, and with Peter K. already accepted at University of Virginia on a lacrosse scholarship, Lara Jean makes UVA her first – and only acceptable – choice. If everything goes according to plan then Lara Jean’s life can remain just how it is – and that’s just how she likes it. 

 Unfortunately, it seems that the UVA admissions board didn’t get the memo…

Many, many protagonists in YA fiction bug me somewhat with their quirks and their tantrums and their often dubious decisions – but not Lara Jean. I have always liked this kind, considerate and thoughtful girl so much and as such always want the very best for her. In the past, I admit to thinking that Peter K. was maybe not the very best match for Lara Jean. For one, his continued loyalty to his mean girl ex, Genevieve, irked me at times, but now Genevieve is very much history, and I want Lara Jean and Peter K. to be together forever.  Turns out, that Peter K with the easy charm also happens to have a very good heart, and he truly loves our girl. That Sixteen Candles moment. My heart! Jake Ryan forever! It’s too bad that the admissions board of UVA doesn’t know Lara Jean and Peter K’s love like us readers do. When Lara Jean isn’t accepted at UVA her whole life plan is thrown into peril. Where does Lara Jean go from here?

Lara’s big sister Margot would advise her to spread her wings and to leave Peter K. behind. After all, on the advice given to her by her mother before she died, Margot ditched her long-term boyfriend, Josh, before leaving for college in Scotland.  But Margot and Lara Jean are two very different people. Lara Jean loves Peter with all her heart. She’s not sure she can let him go. But maybe it’s for the best. They may be loved up now – but can Lara Jean and Peter K. withstand the challenges of a long-distance relationship?

If you’re anything like me you’ll be crossing your heart and fingers and toes for Lara Jean, Peter K. and a happy ever in Always and Forever, Lara Jean.  

Extras:

Kitty and Peter K’s continued special friendship is one of my favourite things in this book. Peter K is Kitty’s favourite guy in a way that never fails to make me smile. 

When I first heard this series was being expanded to a trilogy I fully expected that this book would tell the love story of Lara Jean and John Ambrose McClaren. They just seem like such a good fit, you know? This book doesn’t feature a love triangle – but John Ambrose McClaren does make an appearance here! 

This book sees Lara Jean experience alcohol for the very first time. Let’s just say this episode gives whole new meaning to the world lightweight!

Have you heard the news? A movie adaptation of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is in the works. So exciting! We get to see Lara Jean and Peter K. on the big screen. I can’t wait!

YA I Can't Wait to Read in 2017!

So, before I get back to the business of review writing, I thought I'd do a little 2017 book preview of sorts. Today, I'm focusing on Young Adult Fiction. I've narrowed this list down to ten books (which wasn't at all easy, let me tell you!) I hope you enjoy my picks and find some books to add to your 2017 reading list! 

Books listed in order of release date, since I'm chicken and couldn't list them in order of preference, don't you know.

*****

Seven Days of You by Cecilia Vinesse 

Release date: March 7th 2017

Sophia has seven days left in Tokyo before she moves back to the States. Seven days to say good-bye to the electric city, her wild best friend, and the boy she’s harbored a semi-secret crush on for years. Seven perfect days…until Jamie Foster-Collins moves back to Japan and ruins everything.

Jamie and Sophia have a history of heartbreak, and the last thing Sophia wants is for him to steal her leaving thunder with his stupid arriving thunder. Yet as the week counts down, the relationships she thought were stable begin to explode around her. And Jamie is the one who helps her pick up the pieces. Sophia is forced to admit she may have misjudged Jamie, but can their seven short days of Tokyo adventures end in anything but good-bye?

*****

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

Release date: May 2nd 2017

Lara Jean’s letter-writing days aren’t over in this surprise follow-up to the New York Times bestselling To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and P.S. I Still Love You.

Lara Jean is having the best senior year a girl could ever hope for. She is head over heels in love with her boyfriend, Peter; her dad’s finally getting remarried to their next door neighbor, Ms. Rothschild; and Margot’s coming home for the summer just in time for the wedding.

But change is looming on the horizon. And while Lara Jean is having fun and keeping busy helping plan her father’s wedding, she can’t ignore the big life decisions she has to make. Most pressingly, where she wants to go to college and what that means for her relationship with Peter. She watched her sister Margot go through these growing pains. Now Lara Jean’s the one who’ll be graduating high school and leaving for college and leaving her family—and possibly the boy she loves—behind.

When your heart and your head are saying two different things, which one should you listen to?

*****

Girlhood by Cat Clarke

Release date: May 4th 2017

Real, compulsive and intense: Cat Clarke is the queen of emotional suspense. For fans of E Lockhart, Lisa Williamson, Paula Hawkins and Gillian Flynn

Harper has tried to forget the past and fit in at expensive boarding school Brodick Academy. But she can't escape guilt of her twin sister's Izzy's death, and her own part in it.

But new girl Kirsty seems to understand Harper. She has lost a sister too. Harper finally feels secure. She finally feels...loved. As if she can grow beyond the person she was when Izzy died.

Then Kirsty's behaviour becomes more erratic. Why is her life a perfect mirror of Harper's? And why is she so obsessed with Harper's dead sister?

A darkly compulsive story about love, death, and growing up under the shadow of grief.

*****

The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord

Release date: May 16th 2017

Lucy Hansson was ready for a perfect summer with her boyfriend, working at her childhood Bible camp on the lake. But when her mom’s cancer reappears, Lucy falters—in faith, in love, and in her ability to cope. When her boyfriend “pauses” their relationship and her summer job switches to a different camp—one for troubled kids—Lucy isn’t sure how much more she can handle. Attempting to accept a new normal, Lucy slowly regains footing among her vibrant, diverse coworkers, Sundays with her mom, and a crush on a fellow counselor. But when long-hidden family secrets emerge, can Lucy set aside her problems and discover what grace really means?

*****

Once and for All by Sarah Dessen

Release date: June 6th 2017

As bubbly as champagne and delectable as wedding cake, Once and for All, Sarah Dessen's thirteenth novel, is set in the world of wedding planning, where crises are routine.

Louna, daughter of famed wedding planner Natalie Barrett, has seen every sort of wedding: on the beach, at historic mansions, in fancy hotels and clubs. Perhaps that's why she's cynical about happily-ever-after endings, especially since her own first love ended tragically. When Louna meets charming, happy-go-lucky serial dater Ambrose, she holds him at arm's length. But Ambrose isn't about to be discouraged, now that he's met the one girl he really wants.

Sarah Dessen’s many, many fans will adore her latest, a richly satisfying, enormously entertaining story that has everything—humor, romance, and an ending both happy and imperfect, just like life itself. 

*****

The Impossible Vastness of Us by Samantha Young

Release date: June 27th 2017

I know how to watch my back. I’m the only one that ever has.

India Maxwell hasn’t just moved across the country—she’s plummeted to the bottom rung of the social ladder. It’s taken years to cover the mess of her home life with a veneer of popularity. Now she’s living in one of Boston’s wealthiest neighborhoods with her mom’s fiancé and his daughter, Eloise. Thanks to her soon-to-be stepsister’s clique of friends, including Eloise’s gorgeous, arrogant boyfriend Finn, India feels like the one thing she hoped never to be seen as again: trash.

But India’s not alone in struggling to control the secrets of her past. Eloise and Finn, the school’s golden couple, aren’t all they seem to be. In fact, everyone’s life is infinitely more complex than it first appears. And as India grows closer to Finn and befriends Eloise, threatening the facades that hold them together, what’s left are truths that are brutal, beautiful, and big enough to change them forever…

*****

Hello, Sunshine by Leila Howland

Release date: July 11th 2017

A Prep School Girl with a Hollywood Dream

Becca Harrington is a reject. After being rebuffed by every college on her list, she needs a fresh start, so she packs up everything and moves to LA, giving herself one year to land an acting gig or kill herself trying. 

Unfortunately, not everything turns out as planned, and after a few grueling months, LA is looking like the worst idea ever. As hard as she tries, Becca can’t land an agent, she's running out of cash, and her mom is hounding her to apply to more schools. In an act of desperation, Becca and her friend Marisol start posting short videos online—with the help of their adorable filmmaker neighbor, Raj—and the videos catch the attention of a TV producer. Could this be it? Her big break? Or will she have to move back home with nothing but some bad head shots and a monstrous credit-card bill? 

Becca may not get the Hollywood ending she was hoping for, but perhaps she’ll learn there’s more than one way to achieve her dream.

Readers will love every page of this funny, romantic, aspirational, and ultimately triumphant novel about a girl who just wants to make it on her own.

*****

I See London, I See France by Sarah Mlynowski

Release date: July 11th 2017

Nineteen-year-old Sydney has the perfect summer mapped out. She’s spending the next four and half weeks travelling through Europe with her childhood best friend Leela. Their plans include Eiffel-Tower-Selfies, eating cocco gelato, and making out with très hot strangers. Her plans do not include Leela’s cheating ex-boyfriend showing up on the flight to London, falling for the cheating ex-boyfriend’s très-hot friend, monitoring her mother’s spiraling mental health via texts, or feeling like the rope in a friendship tug of war. 

In this hilarious and unforgettable adventure, New York Times bestselling author Sarah Mlynowski tells the story of a girl learning to navigate secret romances, thorny relationships, and the London Tube. As Sydney zigzags through Amsterdam, Switzerland, Italy and France, she must learn when to hold on, when to keep moving, and when to jump into the Riviera….wearing only her polka dot underpants.

*****

There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins

Release date: Autumn 2017

A YA horror novel in the vein of the movie Scream in which a cadre of high school students are being stalked and attacked by a mysterious killer with no obvious motive.

*****

Untitled (The Shaw Confessions #1) by Michelle Hodkin

Release date: TBC

What happens after happily ever after? By the end of the Mara Dyer Trilogy, Noah Shaw and Mara Dyer discovered their world-changing abilities along with their love for each other. In the first book of The Shaw Confessions, Noah’s father is murdered, and Noah inherits unimaginable riches, terrible knowledge, and the chance to find other people like himself. But as Noah and Mara begin their global search, they’ll discover that they have very different goals: Noah wants peace. Mara wants power. When the girl of your dreams turns the world into a nightmare, what do you choose? The girl or the world? 

*****

Five of my All Time Favourite Summer Reads!

Another day, another list!

Here are some classic summer hits -- the books that will leave you with fond memories for years to come. These are the books you'll want to read over and over again, the books you'll want to read all summer long.

I'm sticking to YA Fiction here, but if you're looking for something a little more adult-y just click the Summer Spotlight tab in the sidebar.

*****

Jenny Han is an auto-buy author for me. Actually, all of the authors on this list are auto-buys for me. There's something really special about The Summer series, though. I love reading the story of Conrad, Jeremiah and Belly as it unfolds over the years. I should probably re-read this series sometime soon, as it's been a few years!

Read my review of the Summer Series by Jenny Han.

*****

I was late to the Sarah Dessen party, and I still have a lot of catching up to do. To date, I've read three Dessen books and this one is my favourite by far.  So adorable. And, for me, Wes will always be one of my favourite Boys of YA. So much sa-woon! I'm hoping to get to Along for the Ride this summer (although I said the same last summer!) Do you have any Dessen faves? I'd love to know!

Read my review of The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen.

*****

Morgan Matson's debut is still my favourite of hers.  Second Chance Summer was a really good read too, but you know, tears. This one, though, is fun! It's got swoony romance, and as the title indicates, it's got an epic road trip (well, detour). P.S: I happen to know (from following her on Instagram) that Morgan Matson is in Italy right now. I also happened to leave a comment on one of her photos dropping hints that it would be really cool if her trip was a research trip for 'Amy & Roger's Epic Italian Adventure.' I'm really hoping that she sees my comment and runs with it.

Read my review of Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson.

*****

I guess by now you're sensing that there's a theme to my summer reading. That's right, as soon as the sun hits, I am all about beach-set contemporary fiction. And it doesn't get better than this. Nantucket Blue is one of my all time summer faves. I LOVE the setting of this book, and the romance is pretty fun too. The follow up, Nantucket Red is also one to add to your summer reading list. I'm hoping for another YA from Leila Howland very soon (she's been writing MG for the past few years). 

Read my reviews  of Nantucket Blue and Nantucket Red by Leila Howland.

*****

All of Emery Lord's books to date have been pretty great reads for me, but this one, her debut, remains my favourite (totally have a fondness for debut novels!) I loved this story of country music superstar Lilah Montgomery and her best friend (with a bad attitude) Reagan O' Neill. 

Read my review of Open Road Summer by Emery Lord.

*****

This book divided opinion when it released last year. Oh boy, did it divide opinion! It's about cheating, you see: lots of cheating and lots of bad decisions and lots of mean girl antics too. Basically, this book is all about a lot of drama. And I loved it. I remember reading this one Saturday. I read it all in one sitting, because I just could not put it down, an that doesn't happen all that often for me. I'm a really picky reader - and I'm getting pickier as the years go by! I still haven't read Cotugno's debut How to Love. Need to get to that one soon.

Read my review of 99 Days by Katie Cotugno.

*****

Let me know what you think of this list!

And tell me your favourite summer reads!

My Top Reads of 2015!

It's no secret that 2015 has been a bit of a mixed-bag of a reading year for me. I've suffered through some reading slumps, that's for sure, and it's also safe to say that a few of the books I was really looking forward to reading this year didn't quite work out for me. Still, it wasn't all bad. I did read some really great books - just not as many as previous years!

I've decided to split my favourite reads into two categories this year: Adult and Young Adult - and since I don't have a whole lot of favourites from this year (ONE five-star read, guys!) I'll be doing a Top Three in each category. I've also followed Arianne's lead and included a few bonus picks. Enjoy!

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Favourite Adult Fiction

(In order of preference)

This was a very-late-in-the-year read for me, and I'm so glad I managed to fit it in as it turned out to be the only book I rated five-stars this year. I don't award five-stars unless I really, really love a book, and I really loved this one. This was very much a read-it-in-one-sitting book for me as I literally couldn't put it down once the twists started to unfold.  Also, Lily Kintner has to be the best bad girl I've read in a long time. So much fun! (In a very twisted kind of way!)

Read my review of The Kind Worth Killing

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I had heard little about I Let You Go until it was recommended to me by my blogger friend Vicki of Cosy Books who told me I would love it. She was right. I was blown away by this book which contains what I referred to in my review as: ONLY ONE OF THE BEST PLOT TWISTS EVER. I love it when a book really surprises me as this one did. I read so many thrillers these days that it doesn't often happen so it's extra special when it does!  

Read my review of I Let You Go

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The Girl on the Train is the book EVERYONE was talking about this year. I've seen a lot of books described as 'The new Gone Girl' but this is one of the few that lived up to that description. A true page-turner, this one kept me hooked from start to finish, and though I did find the outcome easy to predict, this was nonetheless a thoroughly enjoyable read for me.  Movie rights to this one were sold early on, with Emily Blunt since cast in the lead. Put this on your list of movies to watch next year!

Read my review of The Girl on the Train

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Favourite Young Adult Fiction

(In order of preference)

99 Days is the kind of book you will either love or hate. I've seen a lot of negative reviews for this one pertaining to the subject matter of the book.  99 Days is all about cheating, and the protagonist of the piece, Molly, is a little blasé about the whole thing. She cheats, feels bad about it for a minute, and then cheats again. I should have hated Molly - but I didn't. Instead I found her very real - and I loved reading about her drama-filled life. This is the first book I've read from Katie Cotugno, and it was also my favourite YA read this year.

Read my review of 99 Days

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All of my favourite YA reads from this year are contemps, so of course Sarah Dessen had to be on this list! That said, I didn't have super high hopes for Saint Anything, since I didn't love Dessen's last release, The Moon and More.  This was a nice surprise then for me, because I just adored this book.  I always find that Dessen's books are so heartwarming and wholesome and honest too, and Saint Anything is certainly no exception to that rule.

Read my review of Saint Anything

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If Jenny Han releases a book in any given year, then it's a good chance said book will make my end-of-year favourites list, because in my mind Jenny Han can do no wrong.  P.S. I Still Love You is another great read from Han full of multi-layered characters, quotable quotes and swoony romance. Lara Jean Covey is a wise-beyond-her-years character you can really root for, while little sister Kitty surely deserves her very own spin-off series at some point. 

Read my review of P.S. I Still Love You

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Bonus: Favourite YA Debut of 2015

Another contemp, I know! I really have to start reading outside my comfort zone of thrillers and contemps next year! Anyway, so this was adorable: a tale of friendships, family and football pitched as Pride and Prejudice meets Friday Night Lights. I try to check out a lot of YA debuts every year, and this one definitely stood out for me in 2015. 

Read my review of First & Then

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Bonus: Favourite Read of 2015 Published Before 2015

I just right now realised that I never got around to writing a review for Sinner. Ooops. All you need to know is that I loved this book. Maggie Steifvater wrote a whole book about my favourite bad boy Cole St. Clair. How could my reaction be anything but total love?  Here's what I gushingly said about this book per a mini-Goodreads review: 

"Loved this! LOVED Cole (as always!) He is so wonderfully, wonderfully written. Isabel infuriated me at times (as always!) but she and Cole just work together. Sam and Grace are sweet, sweet, sweet, while Cole and Isabel are off the charts hot, and their make-out scenes are written accordingly! Oh, and the writing. The dialogue. The setting. Just WOW. L.O.V.E."

So, I mean, I guess you could say I liked it, yeah...

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And....That is IT from the blog for 2015.* Thank you for reading. An extra special thank you to those who leave comments and feedback on my reviews and ramblings.

Happy Holidays -- I'll see you in 2016!

In the meantime, let me know what you think of my favourite reads of 2015. Tell me what books you loved this year! 

*Unless I get bored and decide to do some end-of-year reading surveys or giveaways.

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Book Review: P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han.

Product details:
Publisher: Simon & Schuster.
Hardcover, 337 pages.
Release date: May 26th 2015.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Ages: 12+
Other Books in Series: To All the Boys I've Loved Before.
Source: Purchased.

 Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter.
She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever.
When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?

In this charming and heartfelt sequel to the New York Times bestseller To All the Boys I've Loved Before, we see first love through the eyes of the unforgettable Lara Jean. Love is never easy, but maybe that’s part of what makes it so amazing.

With To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Jenny Han truly hit the bookish jackpot. A slice of pure YA perfection with a great premise and cast of loveable, highly-relatable characters, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before was the best book I read last year, and well deserving of the number one spot on my list of 2014 favourites. Now, the heroine of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Lara Jean Covey is back, and this time round things are about to get serious. Because Lara Jean is no longer the girl that plays it safe indulging in never-to-be-spoken-of crushes and faux-relationships with handsome boys. Nope, this time, Lara Jean is getting real. This time Lara Jean is playing the dangerous game of falling in love.

And, as anyone who has been in love knows, the highs are oh-so-great, but then sometimes things turn bad and you have to deal with soul crushing lows of  heartbreak too. Will it be all plain sailing for our cuter than cute couple? I hope so! But if Peter K’s very own first love, his scheming ex Genevieve has any say in the matter a plain-sailing relationship will exist only in Lara Jean’s dreams. That’s right, Genevieve is sticking around. She’s out for revenge, and she’s on a mission to bring Lara Jean down. We’re about to hit rough seas, folks!

First crushes don’t always translate into first loves, but that’s exactly where Lara Jean is at. She should really thank her interfering little sister Kitty for that!  We were all privy to Peter K and Lara Jean’s hot tub make-out session in To All the Boys I’ve Loved…and so it seems was a certain sneaky somebody else, when a  video of their hot tub session winds up on the internet and goes viral.  Who is behind this mean-spirited act? Lara Jean is quickly convinced that it’s Genevieve (of course it is!) but Peter isn’t so quick to condemn his ex, with whom he maintains a close relationship – much too close of a too-close relationship if you ask me, but then I’m not Lara Jean. I swear, I wanted to give Peter K a good talking to a times due to his behaviour in this book! But our girl is kind-hearted, level-headed and mature – and she doesn’t do jealousy – or at least she tries not to.

All the same, Genevieve’s continued presence in Peter’s life, his forever hanging out with her, his constant defending of her behaviour, drives a wedge between the lovebirds.  And when another very cute boy from Lara Jean’s past enters the picture, well, maybe Peter K can’t have it all his own way, and there just might be major trouble in store. Could it be that Lara Jean is all kinds of smitten with two boys at the same time?! Studious, wise beyond his years and oh-so-dreamy, John Ambrose McLaren, another recipient of one of Lara Jean’s infamous ‘crush’ letters seems to be the perfect fit for Lara Jean – and he’s a big fan of her baking to boot! Well, who isn’t?  Peter K might have captured your heart in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, but John Ambrose McLaren might test your love for him here.

 In the way of first loves, Peter K is very special to Lara Jean, and he really has a hold on her heart, but, I don’t know…I think if we met Lara Jean again in a decade or so, John Ambrose McLaren might be very much part of the picture. As he says himself, “I don’t think it was our time then. I guess it isn’t now, either…But one day maybe it will be.”  Maybe, John Ambrose McLaren, just maybe!

Just like its predecessor P.S. I Still Love You is not just all about boys and crushes and kissing. Lara Jean’s family is back; Kitty, who is now proud mom to a puppy called Jamie Fox-Pickle, is on a mission to get their dad back in the dating game, and she is still Peter K’s biggest fan. All-knowing, all-seeing, always-interfering Kitty is a real favourite of mine, and I think she deserves her very own spin-off series of books. I’m pretty sure Kitty would be in total agreement with me on this. One person missing from this book is Josh, older sister Margot’s ex-boyfriend and Lara Jean’s one time crush, who is no longer a constant presence in Lara Jean’s life. At first I was surprised at Josh’s absence since he played such a big part in To All the Boys…but I guess it makes sense in a very true-to-life way that he’s not around as much in this book. As Lara Jean says, in one of my favourite quotes from this book, “People come in and out of your life. For a time they are your world; they are everything. And then one day they’re not. There’s no telling how long you will have them near.”

Jenny Han is the Queen of heart-warming, feel-good reads, and P.S. I Still Love You is certainly no exception to the rule. The storyline here may be a little less captivating than that of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, but with pitch-perfect prose and characters that will remain in your heart long after you’ve finished reading, this book is yet another winner from Han, who, in my mind, can pretty much do no wrong.

Cover Candy: Some Recent Cover Favourites!

It's true, I stalk cover reveals like it's nobody's business! 

What's your pick of this bunch of recent reveals?

Release Date: May 2015.

Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter.

She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever.

When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?

In this charming and heartfelt sequel to the New York Times bestseller To All the Boys I've Loved Before, we see first love through the eyes of the unforgettable Lara Jean. Love is never easy, but maybe that’s part of makes it so amazing.

*****

Release Date: October 2015.

Grieving the death of her godfather and haunted by her cousin Cassie’s betrayal, Barrie returns from a trip to San Francisco to find the Watson plantation besieged by reporters and ghost-hunters. Some are hoping to see the ancient spirit who sets the river on fire each night, while others are chasing rumors of a stolen shipment of Civil War gold that may be hidden at Colesworth Place. Chaos descends as Cassie hires a team of archeologists to excavate beneath the mansion ruins. But more is buried there than treasure.

A mysterious, magical man appears at Watson’s Landing, claiming the key to the Watson and Beaufort gifts and the Colesworth curse also lies beneath the mansion. With a mix of threats and promises, he engages Barrie and Cassie in a midnight visit, but the spell he conjurs has potentially deadly consequences.

While Barrie and dreamy Eight Beaufort struggle to make sense of the escalating danger and their growing feelings for each other, Barrie has to figure out not only whom to trust, but which gift is more reliable—Eight’s or her own. With millions of dollars and the fate of the founding families at stake, she must choose between what she feels deep in her heart and what will keep her loved ones safe.

*****

Release Date: October 2015

Grace Mae knows madness. She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum.

When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past.

In this beautifully twisted historical thriller, Mindy McGinnis, acclaimed author of Not a Drop to Drink and In a Handful of Dust, explores the fine line between sanity and insanity, good and evil—and the madness that exists in all of us.

*****

Release Date: September 2015

Olivia has spent her whole life struggling to escape her dead mother's shadow. But when her father can't even look at her because Olivia reminds him of her mother, and her grandmother mistakenly calls her "Lillian," shaking a reputation she didn't ask for is next to impossible. Olivia is used to leaning on her best friend, Jamie; her handsome but hot-tempered boyfriend, Max; and their wild-child friend, Maggie, for the reality check that her small Louisiana town can't provide. But when a terrible fight between Jamie and his father turns deadly, all Olivia can think to do is grab her friends and run. 

In a flash, Olivia, Jamie, Max, and Maggie become fugitives on the back roads of Louisiana. They're headed to New Orleans, where they hope to find a solution to an unfixable problem. But with their faces displayed on all the news stations, their journey becomes a harrowing game of hide-and-seek from the police--and so-called allies, who just might be the real enemy. 

Shalanda Stanley's breathtaking debut novel explores the deep ties between legacy, loyalty, and love, even as it asks the question: How far would you go to save a friend?

*****

Release Date: May 2015

In the tradition of Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic, one girl chooses to change her fortune and her fate by falling in love.

Love is real in the town of Grimbaud and Fallon Dupree has dreamed of attending high school there for years. After all, generations of Duprees have successfully followed the (100% accurate!) love fortunes from Zita’s famous Love Charms Shop to happily marry their high school sweethearts. It’s a tradition. So she is both stunned and devastated when her fortune states that she will NEVER find love.

Fortunately, Fallon isn’t the only student with a terrible love fortune, and a rebellion is brewing. Fallon is determined to take control of her own fate—even if it means working with a notorious heartbreaker like Sebastian.

Will Fallon and Sebastian be able to overthrow Zita’s tyranny and fall in love?

*****

Release Date: May 2015.

This charming story about the summer three California sisters spend on Cape Cod is perfect for fans of The Penderwicks and The Mother-Daughter Book Club. Full of moments both humorous and reflective, The Forget-Me-Not Summer is a story about three girls facing their fears, adjusting to change, and learning how to band together as the strongest version of themselves: sisters.

Though Marigold, Zinnia, and Lily Silver couldn't be more different, they're all excited about their various plans for summer vacation. Twelve-year-old Marigold is hoping to get her first kiss from her big crush, while Zinnia, eleven, will most likely spend her time in Marigold's shadow. And little five-year-old Lily, though angelic, has a knack for stirring up mischief wherever she goes.

But any expectation of summer fun comes crashing down when the sisters' parents send them to Cape Cod to visit their aunt Sunny. Small-town life is not what these L.A. girls had in mind. They must adjust, however, to things like sharing a room and living without a TV. With the help of Aunt Sunny's zany disposition and yummy brownies, though, the girls are quickly won over, and before Marigold, Zinnie, and Lily know it, they're cracking lobster shells at clambakes, making new friends, and even organizing a local talent show.

*****

So, I think all of these covers are gorgeous, but let's just talk about the cover of A Madness so Discreet for a second, because that one is pretty much spectacular! True cover art, don't you think? I think I love that one the most. I also think that the cover of Forget-Me-Not Summer by Nantucket Blue author Leila Howland, is just about the cutest thing ever. This one sounds like a super cute MG. 

The book I'm most looking forward to reading out of all of these is P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han. To All The Boys I've Loved Before was my favourite book of 2014, and I can't wait to catch up with Lara Jean & Co. when this releases in May.