Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and it is now hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is Most Anticipated Books for the First Half of 2020. Here’s my list:
1. Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen
2. Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
3. Don’t Read the Comments by Eric Smith
4. Foul is Fair by Hannah Capin
5. Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon
6. The Grace Kelly Dress by Brenda Janowitz
7. Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown by Anne Glenconner
8. Ruthless Gods (Something Dark and Holy #2) by Emily A. Duncan
9. The Queen of Paris: A Novel of Coco Chanel by Pamela Binnings Ewen
Title: A Love Hate Thing Author: Whitney D. Grandison Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Publisher: Inkyard Press Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: January 7, 2020 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
When they’re stuck under one roof, the house may not be big enough for their hate…or their love.
When Tyson Trice finds himself tossed into the wealthy coastal community of Pacific Hills, he’s ready for the questions, the stares and the feeling of not belonging. Not that he cares. After recovering from being shot and surviving the rough streets of Lindenwood, he doesn’t care about anyone or anything, much less how the rest of his life will play out.
Golden girl Nandy Smith has spent most of her life building the pristine image that it takes to fit in when it comes to her hometown Pacific Hills where image is everything. After learning that her parents are taking in a troubled teen boy, Nandy fears her summer plans, as well as her reputation, will go up in flames.
Now with Trice living under the same roof, the wall between their bedrooms feels as thin as the line between love and hate. Beneath the angst, their growing attraction won’t be denied. Through time, Trice brings Nandy out of her shell, and Nandy attempts to melt the ice that’s taken Trice’s heart and being. Only, with the ever-present pull back to the Lindenwood streets, it’ll be a wonder if Trice makes it through this summer at all.
Review:
This is a great modern romance.
I loved that Nandy and Tyson came from two completely different worlds, yet they made such a good couple. Nandy is from Pacific Hills, which is a wealthy community. Tyson came from Lindenhood, where he was involved with dangerous people. They still found common ground, though they had very different upbringings.
The story was fast paced. Though it was long, there were so many ups and downs, so I was always kept guessing as to what would happen next. There was loads of tension between Nandy and Tyson, so I kept wondering if and hoping that they would get together.
I was a little confused about the ending. I had an ARC of the book, so it may have been different in the final edition. My copy had it ending in the middle of a conversation. I’m not sure if that’s what was supposed to happen because it was kind of abrupt.
I really enjoyed this book!
Thank you HarperCollins for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Pride by Ibi Zoboi
About the Author:
Whitney D. Grandison was born and raised in Akron, Ohio, where she currently resides. A lover of stories since she first picked up a book, it’s no surprise she’s taken to writing her own. Some of her works can be found on Wattpad, one of the largest online story sharing platforms, where she has acquired over 30,000 followers and an audience of over fifteen million dedicated readers.
This blog meme is hosted by Book Date. It is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment, and er… add to that ever growing TBR pile!
What I just finished:
This weekend I finished A Love Hate Thing by Whitney D. Grandison.
What I’m currently reading:
I’m currently reading Me and Banksy by Tanya Lloyd Kyi.
What I’m reading next:
Next I will be reading The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell.
What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books?
The meme that dares to ask what book has been in your bed this morning? Come share what book you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today! This meme is hosted by Midnight Book Girl.
This Sunday I’m reading A Love Hate Thing by Whitney D. Grandison.
Goodreads Synopsis:
When they’re stuck under one roof, the house may not be big enough for their hate…or their love.
When Tyson Trice finds himself tossed into the wealthy coastal community of Pacific Hills, he’s ready for the questions, the stares and the feeling of not belonging. Not that he cares. After recovering from being shot and surviving the rough streets of Lindenwood, he doesn’t care about anyone or anything, much less how the rest of his life will play out.
Golden girl Nandy Smith has spent most of her life building the pristine image that it takes to fit in when it comes to her hometown Pacific Hills where image is everything. After learning that her parents are taking in a troubled teen boy, Nandy fears her summer plans, as well as her reputation, will go up in flames.
Now with Trice living under the same roof, the wall between their bedrooms feels as thin as the line between love and hate. Beneath the angst, their growing attraction won’t be denied. Through time, Trice brings Nandy out of her shell, and Nandy attempts to melt the ice that’s taken Trice’s heart and being. Only, with the ever-present pull back to the Lindenwood streets, it’ll be a wonder if Trice makes it through this summer at all.
Title: Scavenge the Stars (Scavenge the Stars #1) Author: Tara Sim Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy Publisher: Disney-Hyperion Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: January 7, 2020 Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
When Amaya rescues a mysterious stranger from drowning, she fears her rash actions have earned her a longer sentence on the debtor ship where she’s been held captive for years. Instead, the man she saved offers her unimaginable riches and a new identity, setting Amaya on a perilous course through the coastal city-state of Moray, where old-world opulence and desperate gamblers collide.
Amaya wants one thing: revenge against the man who ruined her family and stole the life she once had. But the more entangled she becomes in this game of deception—and as her path intertwines with the son of the man she’s plotting to bring down—the more she uncovers about the truth of her past. And the more she realizes she must trust no one…
Packed with high-stakes adventure, romance, and dueling identities, this gender-swapped retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo is the first novel in an epic YA fantasy duology, perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Sabaa Tahir, and Leigh Bardugo.
Review:
This story is a gender swapped retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo. I’ve never read that book, but I really enjoyed this story.
The narrative switches between Amaya, a prisoner on a ship, and Cayo, the son of a businessman in the main city. Amaya escapes her captivity, and she tries to take down the men who were keeping her prisoner. Cayo also does his own investigation to figure out who is making counterfeit money in their city.
I liked the pacing of this book. There were some small reveals every couple of chapters. I was surprised at the twists that happened. I also liked the main characters. They had good chemistry with each other. I’m curious to see where the story goes next.
Thank you Disney Book Group for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
Ace of Shades (The Shadow Game #1) by Amanda Foody
Serpent and Dove (Serpent and Dove #1) by Shelby Mahurin
Have you read Scavenge the Stars? What did you think of it?
This is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews and Reading Reality. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!
I was approved for four books on NetGalley from Quarto Publishing Group:
Queer Heroes: Meet 53 LGBTQ Heroes From Past and Present by Arabelle Sicardi, Sarah Tanat-Jones
Martin Luther King Jr. (Little People, Big Dreams) by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara, Mai Ly Degnan
Stephen Hawking (Little People, Big Dreams) by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara, Matt Hunt
David Attenborough (Little People, Big Dreams) by Maria Isabela Sánchez Vegara, Mikyo Noh
I received a book on NetGalley from Penguin Random House Canada:
The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley
Thank you Quarto Publishing Group and Penguin Random House Canada for these books!
Title: Best Friends (Real Friends #2) Author: Shannon Hale, LeUyen Pham Genre: Middle Grade, Graphic Novel Publisher: First Second Source: Borrowed from a friend Format: Paperback Release Date: August 27, 2019 Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Sequel to Shannon Hale’s award-winning graphic novel memoir, “Real Friends”, this new graphic memoir picks up where “Real Friends” left off. As Shannon grows a little older, the rules of friendship always seem to be changing, leaving her guessing and trying her best to just keep up. “Best Friends” shares its predecessor’s frankness, compassion, and enthralling, heartfelt visual storytelling. Junior high, as it turns out, is quite the roller coaster.
Review:
This story is about Shannon’s year in sixth grade. She had many confusing experiences. Her friends didn’t want to play the same games as her anymore. She was supposed to get boys to like her, but at the same time ignore them so they would like her. She was confused by the mixed signals.
I loved that Shannon’s creative writing was a big part of the story. When she felt stressed, she would return to writing the fantasy story she was working on. At the end, she even included the actual copy of the story she wrote, including the notes from her teacher. I liked seeing how this important aspect of her life was included in the story.
This is a weekly meme hosted by Wandering Words, where you give the first few lines of a book to hook your readers before introducing the book.
Here are my first lines:
“A sex tape. A pregnancy scare. Two cheating scandals. And that’s just this week’s update. If all you knew of Bayview High was Simon Kelleher’s gossip app, you’d wonder how anyone found time to go to class.”
Do you recognize these first lines?
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And the book is… One of Us Is Lying (One of Us Is Lying #1) by Karen M. McManus.
Goodreads synopsis:
The Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars, One of Us Is Lying is the story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has something to hide.
Pay close attention and you might solve this.
On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention. Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule. Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess. Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing. Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher. AndSimon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app.
Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention, Simon’s dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose? Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.
Have you read One of Us Is Lying? What did you think of it?
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