Book Review: Love, Lies and Lemon Pies by Katy Cannon

Goodreads Description:

Love, Lies and Lemon Pies, the debut YA novel from Katy Cannon, is the perfect summer read for fans of Sarah Dessen and Louise Rennison. With a Bake Club recipe at the start of each chapter, this book perfectly captures the current appetite for all things baking!

Lottie, our narrator, captures the experience of a young teenage girl navigating the world of school cliques, difficult teachers and new romance, creating a world that young readers are sure to recognize. Since her dad died, life hasn't been the same for Lottie - it was easier to push her friends away than cope with their awkwardness. But when the school suggest she joins Bake Club to get her back on track, Lottie reluctantly agrees. But Lottie's uncertainty about Bake Club melts away as she rekindles her love of baking and gets caught up with Mac, the school rebel and another unwilling Bake Club member.

Both Lottie and Mac have secrets to keep, and as Bake Club progresses towards an end-of-year competition, the tension rises between the Bake Club members.

Can Lottie keep up the facade of her perfect life without the others finding out what's really going on at home? Can Mac keep his demanding, heavy-handed father off his back - not to mention the school counsellor who's written him off as a no-hoper? And can their bubbling romance survive the pressure?

Title: Love, Lies and Lemon Pies
Author: Katy Cannon
Genre: Contemporary,
Format: Paperback

Pages: 329 Pages
Publisher: Stripes Publishing
Source: Purchased from Dymocks

I devoured this book in two sitting (well I was on a bus and a plane so what do you expect me to do for 2 + 4 hours)! In a nutshell, 'Love, Lies and Lemon Pie' is like a mash up of devouring blueberry muffins, an addictive BBC drama, the breakfast club and a marathon of Nigella Lawson cooking show.

As the title says love lies and lemon pie, expect great friendship, romances, lots of drama and mouth watering recipes.

I picked this up randomly at Dymocks with no clue about the book a part from the title and cover screaming foodie YA, this major foodie (the prove is on the instagram on the side bar *hint *nudge *wink) had to get it!

Set in the UK, each chapter starts out with a recipe of the food they are making and trough the story we follow Lolita and her friends as they work out baking skills for a baking competition and a chance to win an internship in Paris at a French bakery.

The cast of characters were amazing! Its interesting to see how the different characters mingle with each other and it works so well.

Lottie has a lot of issues with the fact she recently loss her dad in an accident. Cause of that her grades has been dropping and her mum has a problem with hording. Pestered by the school's principal to join an extra curriculum, she joins the bake club where she re discover her passion for baking, make new friends and finds love.

I enjoyed reading about Lottie. Caring and sweet, she is also intelligent and passionate with doing what she loves. Even so she is not a perfect person and have some flaws. Insecure with her mum's hording, she keeps it a secret and try's to hide it from her friends and teachers.

I adore her relationship with Mac through the book! I also love her courage of dating Mac even though all her teachers disapprove of their relationship as they don't want a 'good girl' fail in life cause she was dating a 'bad boy' situation in their hands and enjoy watching proving to them that she can 'change' Max. Also I love how as their relationship progresses,

On the outside, Mac looks like the typical 'Mysterious Bad Boy' who is always into trouble but once you get to know about him and his secrets and issues he's just a misunderstood guy. He is one of those complex characters as the book progresses we see many layers of him unfold.

Apart from Lottie And Mac I really enjoy the character Jasper and Ella and I really want a book bout those two.

Apparently there is a sequel coming out in February called 'Secrets, Schemes and Sewing Machines' based off Much Ado About Nothing following thecharacter Grace. I was not a fan of Grace in this book and I HATE SEWING but I'll still pick it up as the romance here one of those love-hate relationship (aka my favorite kind of romance). 

I like how its cute and fluffy yet it managed to deal with some serious issues in a light hearted way like getting over loosing a love one and mental illness.

This book is sweeter than fiction.

Check this book out this sweet book if you love foodie YA and cute fluffy romance with a hint of drama and lots of baking!

Also, have a book friendly snack (or a meal) with you you as you might get hungry when reading the chapter about chocolate chip cookies, apple pie or even ginger bread!

Book Review: Picture Perfect (Geek Girl #3) by Holly Smale

Goodreads Description:

"My name is Harriet Manners, and I'll always be a geek." It's the hilarious third book in the bestselling award-winning GEEK GIRL series! Harriet Manners knows more facts than most. She knows that New York is the most populous city in the United States. She knows that its official motto is 'Ever Upward'. She knows that one in thirty-eight people living in the US lives there. But she knows nothing whatsoever about modelling in the Big Apple and how her family will cope with life stateside. Or 'becoming a brand' as the models in New York say. And even more importantly, what to do when the big romantic gestures aren't coming your way from your boyfriend...Does geek girl go too far this time? The laugh out loud follow-up to award-winning debut GEEK GIRL and MODEL MISFIT will have you in stitches!

 

Title: Picture Perfect (Geek Girl #3
Author: Holly Smale
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, YA
Format: Paperback

Pages: 400 pages
Publisher: Harpercollins Children's Books
Source: Purchased from Big W

Harriet Manners and the gang are back!  

Picture Perfect is the third book in the Geek Girl series and like the previous books Harriet is back with her random facts as she sweep us into the world of modelling.

Picking up about six weeks since the last book ‘Model Misfit’ life for Harriet is changing... FAST! She's left modelling, is starting A-Levels, got a new baby sister, is turning 16 really soon and to top that her family moves across the pond to New York due to her dad, Richard's new job.

I had Welcome to New York playing in my head while reading this!

I adore reading about Harriet and this book is no exception! At first I found myself a bit frustrated with Harriet on how she acted a bratty and naïve but then I look back to my 16-year-old self and realised that’s probably how I’ll react in a situation like that (sorry Mum and Dad for being a pain in a neck if you’re reading this LOL).  It’s fun watching Harriet acting her age and actually rebelling as she was kind of a goody-two-shoes in the first two books and the start of this book.

Harriet is a head strong and intelligent girl though there were times where she was naïve and clueless in this book and the part that made me cringe was her giving into ‘peer pressure’. (Looking back 16-year-old me was freaking naïve and did at one point give into peer pressure… which is why I’m cringing as it’s a BAD mistake! *sigh* 21-year-old me is face palming at the memories). 

She goes trough a lot in this book like understanding her relationship with Nick, moving to a new country, dealing with a tutor that she hates as well as adjusting to her family's new situation. Harriet eventually handles the situations faced in Picture Perfect and matures trough the book with the help of her parents and Nick.

Speaking of her parents, they were absent through most of ‘Model Misfit’ so it was great to see them more involve in this book. Both Richard and Annabel were great to read about and though they were out of place and forgetful in some parts of the book as well as neglecting Harriet at some points, I don’t blame them as they just moved to a new country and had a new baby. Even so they managed to redeem themselves and help Harriet (and themselves) to their problems. 

Though we get to see Nat and Toby, they weren’t as involve in this book since Harriet moved to New York.

We see some familiar faces in this book including the fabulous Wilbur who gives Harriet a modelling assignment where she meets Cal and Kendrell. 

Cal started out as a charming character that I hated the more I read about him. Same goes for Kendrell, the more I read about her the more I wanted to jump into the book and push her away from Harriet (and tell her to stay FAR AWAY). 

This is how I feel about Cal and Kendrell!!! ALL LIMA HEIGHTS ALA SANTANA ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY TRY TO BREAK UP HARRIET AND LION BOY AND CORRUPT HARRIET'S HEAD!! GAHHHHH!!!

Both Cal and Kendrell had this ‘charm’ in them that manages to influence (aka peer pressure) Harriet to the opposite direction. It sounds like a good idea at first but the more you learn about their motive the more you hate the idea. Even so their influence did teach Harriet a heavy lesson on being true to herself and being comfortable with who she is. 

Picture Perfect is more romance heavy compared to the previous two books as we explore Harriet’s relationship with Lion boy aka Nick. I like how the romance was paced out and it was sweet and fluffy reading more about the two of them. We also got to know more about Nick’s life which I got to know a lot of unexpected things.

This is probably the more ‘heavier’ Geek Girl book with its coming of age theme but it was still light hearted, hilarious and fluffy. 

I love the geek girl series and it gets better with each book (SO KEEP IT COMING HOLLY SMALE!!)  

The ending of the book was very unexpected but was still sweet heart-warming and had me a huge smile on my face. 

I highly recommend the Geek Girl series as they are just one of the best feel good books out there!

Not so sure how many more books are in this series but I’m looking forward to reading more of Harriet’s fun facts and adventures in the next book ‘All That Glitters’

Also a song I'll recommend when reading this book (apart from Welcome To New York) is Charity Vance's 'Picture Perfect'! :D

Book Review: The Rule Of Thoughts (The Mortality Doctrine #2) by James Dashner

Goodreads Description:

Michael completed the Path. What he found at the end turned everything he'd ever known about his life completely upside down.

He barely survived. But it was the only way VirtNet Security could track down the cyber-terrorist Kaine - and to make the Sleep safe for gamers once again. And, the truth Michael discovered about Kaine is more terrifying than even the worst of their fears.

Kaine is a tangent, a computer program that has become sentient (come alive?). And Michael's completing the Path was the first stage in turning Kaine's master plan, the Mortality Doctrine, into a reality.

And the takeover has already begun. 

Title: The Rule Of Thoughts (The Mortality Doctrine #2)
Author: James Dashner
Genre: Sci-fi, YA, action, triller, suspense
Format: Paperback

Pages:
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Source: Purchased from Popular Bookshop

I got this the moment I was done with The Eye of Mind as that ending!!! 

'The Rule of Thoughts' starts immediately where we left off in The Eye Of Mind (Full Review Here)

This sequel is thrilling, adrenaline pumping, confusing and provoking to the point you WILL have trust issues when you are done with this book (but then again I have trust issues after reading all of James Dasher's books)

Picking up immediately where we left off in the first book, ‘The Rule of thoughts’ follows Michael as he learns his whole life is a lie and that he is actually a ‘tangent’ aka AI programed by Kaine and is inserted into the brain of another human.  

Now that he’s human living in the real world, Kaine wants him captured for the next phrase of his plan. With that Michael rounds up his friends Sarah and Byron in the wake and together along with the help with VirtNet and Weber they are to take down Kaine before he causes more damage in both the sleep and the wake.

This is the most confusing and reckless book I’ve read by James Dashner so far! As I mention, the man gives me trust issues (in a good way) as I have no ideal which party to trust especially VirtNet as its like reading a supporting party on a mood swing. One moment you can really trust them and the next *game over*.

In this series (and probably all of his books) is a dangerous game of trust.

Though I like the plot, it was inconsistent as I found some parts of the book a bit draggy and boring at times making it feel like a filler. Even so the air of suspense and mystery was well played out as Michael and his friends learn more about Kaine and his motive. There was a bit of a road trip element which I enjoyed and I love the detail of the world building and learning more about this futuristic world of the 'wakes' and the technologies especially when they were talking about the ‘outdated technologies’.

The action scenes, liked Dashner’s other books this was no exception with its thrilling fast pace actions that had good description of the scenarios they are in but leave some room for the reader’s imagination to flow. Long story short, nail biting and nerve wrecking leaving me at the edge of my seats I always look forward to his action sequences.

There were some questions nicely rounded up from the last book but sadly not lot of question were answered. In fact there were a lot of set up for the final book which I’m looking forward to how it’s going to wrap up the story arc.

Dashner's style of writing is one of my favourites as he manages to create his own language like 'wake', 'sleep', 'tangent' etc. which is usually very confusing and takes a while for me to pick up but once you understand the meaning it is a breeze.

He's also really good at pacing out the plot, though I mentioned there were some boring fillers, I still like how in 'The Mortality Doctorine' series each chapter is split up into check points or 'mini chapters' which helps builds the suspense and makes the book feel fast pace.

Also... THAT ENDING!!! Of cause the best curve ball of plot twist is thrown in at the last minute leaving me wanting to get a TARDIS and fast forward to August 2015 for that last book in the series as it was mind blowing and caught me off guard! It also was a great last minute set up to the premise of the last book.

I liked how Michael was played out in this book. He’s feels slightly different and reminds me of the how the character Thomas from The Maze Runner. Even so he was a likeable character though once again we don’t know much about him and there was a lot of questions about Michael not answered.

I enjoyed Michael’s friendship with Sarah and Byron. They are very alike with their quick thinking, intelligent and logical minds along with awesome hacking skills. Especially after reading this book I clearly see them as an alternate reality version of Harry, Hermione and Ron from the Harry Potter series as their personalities mirror them.

It’s great to learn more about Sarah and Byron’s characters! We learn a lot about their lives in the wakes but we also see some character development of them as the book progresses.

Comparing this book to the previous which book, this one had a hint of romance which reminded me of the romance from the maze runner. Michael is clueless with his romantic feelings but he does not let it get in the way of his mission of taking down Kaine or his friendship. His relationship with Sarah came out sweet and I’m hoping for it to be developed more in the next book.

Lastly the character Weber aka the most frustrating and unreliable yet brilliantly and smart mission commander I’ve read! It was frustrating and the main cause to the game of trust issues as one moment I can trust the woman and I think I’m looking at some scientific genius and the next moment she’s a traitor! Reading her character is like going on a rollercoaster blindfolded. Even so I’m looking forward to reading more about this character’s plot twist in the next book as I want to see what in the world is gonna happen to her character.

Overall the rule of thought was a great second book though as I mentioned I did have some issues with it I still did enjoy and had fun with this sequel.

I like how it explores about Michael and his identity (is he real or not), the blur lines between the virtual world and reality as well as the 'cyber laws'.

'The Rule of Thought' is filled with great plot twist and set up to the next book and am looking forward to continue Michael and his friend’s adventure.

 The last book 'The Game of Lives' in the series is coming out in August and is one of my most anticipated sequels!

Name one of your most anticipated sequels in the comments!

For me it will be Winter by Marrisa Meyer and I need to wait till November for the conclusion to this series! But then I also have PS: I still love you by Jenny Han somewhere in May/June so that should last me till November.

Book Review: Pop Rock Love by Raine Koh

Goodreads Description:

Before she had a whirlwind affair with a mysterious Japanese breakdancer named Yuki, Mimi was contented with belting out rock tunes at a pub on the island city of Singapore. When Yuki suddenly disappears, Mimi goes to Tokyo in search of him and discovers that he actually belongs to a sugary-pop, manufactured boy band called the Fire Boys. Mimi and Yuki belong to different worlds. Is their love strong enough to triumph over all?

Title: Pop Rock Love
Author: Raine Koh
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Format: Paperback

Pages: 212 pages
Publisher: Horasis
Source: Received for review from the author

Before I start I want to thank the author for sending this book!

While the plot was well paced out this book took me 3 attempts to read as the beginning was not engaging but once I hit a certain of the book, I breezed trough it. While I did enjoy the story, I was not satisfied with the ending and felt like it could be extended by a couple more pages to wrap it up better.

The book follows Mimi who's boyfriend Yuki returns to Japan suddenly with no explanation. There she finds out he is part of a J-Pop band called Fire Boys.

I like Mimi's character! She's cute yet feisty. I enjoyed reading about her passion for music and indie rock. I also love how she follows her heart and stay true to herself. As for some of the choices she makes trough the book, I was not a fan of especially the ending.

For the romance, sadly this is one love triangle that I was not a fan of.

Yuki and Sato, both characters I have mix feelings about. Sato trough most of the book I was not a fan of him, even when we get to see his 'softer side'. Also I was not satisfied with Sato's ending as there was no conclusion for his story. As for Yuki, I was kind of disappointed with his character as I felt like we didn't get to know much about him or his relationship with Mimi.

Even so I did like the side characters especially Mimi's brother and Yuki's band mates.

I enjoyed the music elements of the book and learning about the Asian Music scene as that's something I'm clueless about. 

Also this might sound odd but reading this book had a familiar atmosphere of home. Maybe its because the book set in Asia or that the Author is from Singapore and her style of writing reminds me of the locally publish books I used to purchased from the 'Popular Bookstore' back in high school but a wave of nostalgia hit me when reading this.

Lastly couple of things I was not a fan of in the book. Firstly I found the book too descriptive. I wish the author would tone down the description and leave it to the readers imagination. There were some grammar errors in the book and the way some of the dialog was written came out awkward. Lastly was the narration. While I was a fan of the multiple POVs, I found it confusing at times wondering which character I'm following.

Overall its a cute story! Check it out if you are interested in the Japanese music scene and Asian drama.

 

Are you into Asian drama/music?

For an odd reason I'm Asian but NOT into both Asian drama and music though lately I've been watching a Taiwanese drama called 'Office Girl' and its freaking cute, and does not make me cringe at the drama as its hilarious.

Book Review: Aura by Kylie Malchus

Goodreads Description:

Kira's life is gray. A drab cubicle, a less-than-caring boyfriend, and a sick mother occupy her thoughts. Her life is a fairy tale and her prince is Jesse Conley, the sweet and slightly awkward boy of her dreams. At least, that's what her magical paintings tell her. The only problem: Jesse is an unreachable world-famous pop icon. After suffering heartbreak, can Kira learn to see the colors again? 

Have you ever had an experience where you're driving, you look down to change the station on the radio, to check your phone, or to take a sip of that enticing diet Dr. Pepper, and in the second your eyes fall back on the road, a 40-ton, eighteen-wheeler semi truck hits you head-on? Kira Weston hasn't either.

But it's a pretty similar experience when, at sixteen years old, her young life is turned upside-down, around, inside out, and kneaded until chewy. She's whisked away by the voice of a world-famous singer, expected to be disappointed and less than disappointed when it comes unexpectedly, through the brightest reds of true love and, as naivety withers, through the darkest grays of family illness, merciless call-center work, and her boyfriend's emotional abuse. She follows the colors, wide-eyed and faithful, clinging to magic. Disappointment arrives at last; Jesse Conley, the humble, stuttering musician and Kira's sworn future love, makes a public announcement that shatters her life's course.

The unexpected would be understandable--plans changing--if Kira couldn't literally paint the future, a future that clearly disagrees with the present. She's a freakin' wizard, in a freakin' fairy tale, going to freakin' magical places a socially-awkward, aspiring artist never would have dreamt of going. Gray streaks the pages of her story, but following the colors is what her canvas tells her is fate. Kira has two choices: fighting the dragon, believing in magic, and seeking her stuttering prince, or drowning in the pessimism society tells her is grown-up.

Why her? She doesn't even like diet Dr. Pepper.

Title: Aura
Author: Kylie Malchus
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Fantasy, YA
Format: ebook

Pages: 394 pages
Publisher: Createspace
Source: Purchaesd on Smashworld though it was free over the Christmas holidays

From the prologue I knew I was gonna like the book cause the main character is a freaking fangirl who falls for a freaking pop star with a freaking amazing voice and songs... yah story of my life...

Aura is a great modern day Fairy tale with a twist and coming of age story about fangirl, family, following your dreams, painting your future and having faith!

We follow Kira as the story jumps back and forth for the span of 6 years of her life. She loves art and Jesse Conley's music and one day while painting a picture she somehow manages to paint his future. Eventually she manages to meet Jesse and they formed a unique friendship.

Kira is like any fangirl out there hoping to be 'THE ONE' for her Idol. But then life and reality takes a toll making it full of hurdles to be with him. Humble, selfless, putting her family needs before hers, she is also sarcastic, strong and logical. Her character is likable, relatable and realistic. Though her character tends to make some decisions that are "practical, in her case practicality didn't exactly work well for her life making her miserable. She's not loving her job, life and the relationship she's in but eventually she learns to take the risk and follow her heart and passion. Overall she was a great character to follow and is someone I want to be friends and probably fangirl buddies with.

I love how family oriented this book was and was entertained with her interaction with her family, Its obvious they are very close. Her mum Ellie, is great and supportive and younger sister Aurie is freaking awesome! Wiser beyond her years and a great voice of reason to Kira, I always look forward to reading the scenes with Aurie.

Then there is Milo, Kira's best friend. Both on the same path of of not sure what they want to do after High School they got a job at a local call center. I liked Milo and was kinda shipping him and Kira at times. Even so their 'bromance' was great to read about and I love how he's on a similar page to Kira.

Best for last we have Jesse aka the Popstar. Adorable, awkward, sweet and down to earth with a hint of mysteriousness, I love the guy to bits! The more I read about Jesse the more I think the fact he's like a hybrid of two of my favorite singers, David Archuleta and Harrison Craig!

'Musical' themed books are usually a hit or a miss for me as I sometimes tend to find authors not so great song writers. However I did like the musical element of the book was played out and was not cheesy or overly done.

The relationship between Kira and Jesse is a crazy rollercoaster! One moment I'm giggling and loving the cuteness of their interaction but the next... I think I heard my heart shattering for a second there... *cries*! Their friendship and romance was well paced out and adorable to read!

Plot wise was fast pace and engaging. I didn't want to put the book down! I love how it bounce back and forth trough time without confusing the plot. The final act of the book was my most favorite as I was on the edge of my seat and though this book sounds like a 'rom-com drama' story, there was some great action sequence in that last act! Also the plot twist was freaking good! Like I never picture the book to go to that direction good!

As for the ending, I kinda have mix feeling about one thing... but other than it was super sweet and I had a huge smile on my face reading the final pages.

Definitely check out Aura by Kylie Malchus



Also I found out about the author a while ago when she made the artwork for a music video called 'Don't run away by David Archuleta' which is my favorite David Archuleta music video to date! Check out the video and the song!

Since I'm in a David Archuleta fangirl mode (I love him and his song like the Directioners love their One Direction since I was 15 when I first watch him on American Idol) here are some Archu song recommendations for those of you who have never heard of him:

1) Crush aka the David Archuleta Classic

2) The entire The Other Side Of Down Album

I love the entire album and to me its his best album to date with its happy-go-lucky positive theme.
Though if I were to choose my top picks will have to be the title track The Other Side of Down, Elevator, Falling stars and my all time favorite Parachutes and Airplanes.


 3) Rainbow from the OPM album

A while ago he did a TV show called Nandito Ako in the Philippines and released a 'soundtrack' called Forevermore where he covers Original Pinoy music. Of all the songs in the album this is my favorite especially the remix edition. Also the music video = me swooning at his cuteness!

Alright hopefully I didn't overly ramble my Archu fangirl heart but anyways Check him out and also check out this book!

Top 14 books of 2014

2014 was a great reading year for me! I discovered and read a lot awesome books and narrowing down to my top 14 as a challenge!

14)  Maybe Someday (Maybe #1) by Colleen Hoover 

Most favorite New Adult of 2014, Maybe Someday is a emotional rollercoaster ride of a book where you will laugh and smile but also have your heart rip into peaces and filled with feels.

I enjoy the music element of the book along with the relationship between Ridge and Sydney. Its refreshing to read an honest relationship as one thing I noticed in MOST romances is that the characters are terrible at letting each other know their feelings.

This is the first Colleen Hoover book I've ever read and I am definitely going to get more of her books in the near future.

13) Reboot  & Rebel by Amy Tintera

So this dualogy is a great twist to the 'Zombie' genre which I love anything to do with the Zombie Apocalypse thanks to video games like L4D and The Last Of Us.

Instead of the 'Zombies' coming back as flash eating monsters, they comeback as  Reboots where the longer you are dead the stronger and tougher you become but also less emotional.

Wern who has been dead for 178 minutes is the strongest reboot in the Republic of Texas and has to train Callum who has been dead for 22 minutes and is one of the weakest reboot or else she has to eliminate him aka kill him.

I love reading about Wern and Callum. The build up to their relationship was well paced out

The world building is crazy good, the action are fast pace and stealthy so when reading it I keep thinking of the action sequence in Last Of Us and like a good apocalypse book, you will have trust issues on who to trust.

.

Full Review on Reboot (click here)

12) The Break-Up Artist by Philip Siegel

This is one smart wicked book!!! It reminds me of a less geeky version of An abundance of Katherine.

It has a great cast of characters that sounds unlikable at first but warmed up to and actually like at the end of the book, a refreshing and original plot along with a raw and realistic view on relationship, family and friendship.

The main character Becca is a 'break-up artist' where for $100 into her paypal she'll break up the couple for you with schemes like blackmailing, manipulating, sabotaging and hacking. 

While its something that is not 'morally right', Becca eventually learns her mistakes and fixes the problems.

I really enjoy this book and apparently the author is coming out with a sequel sometime this year so I'm definitely keeping my eyes out for that.

Full Review (Click Here)

11) The One (The Selection, #3) by Kiera Cass

This was such a satisfying end to the selection trilogy (not really an end since the author is coming out with more books but whatever)

I love how this wrap up The Selection Arc!

Some characters managed to redeemed them selves in this book and some plot twist threw me off but most importantly it ended on a good satisfying note.

American was such a trooper in this book and even though she has her flaws and tends to make some stupid decision she has her good intention.

I also love her relationship with Maxon. Maxon was really sweet trough most of the book and I just enjoy watching their relationship grow! 

Looking forward to 'The Heir' which is a sequel to the series.

10) Anna and the French Kiss series by Stephanie Perkins

This is one of my favorite contemporary romance!

I can't choose my favorite of the three as each books follow a different cast of character, romance and setting and are all good in their own ways! 

Check them out if you want a cute happy go lucky book! Great book hangover remedies!

Full Review of Lola (Click Here)\

9) Spark by Rachael Craw

Spark is a unique sci-fi twist to the contemporary genre. I enjoyed the concept and plot of the story along with the amazing cast of characters.

Follow Evie who finds out she is a 'Shield', bounded by DNA due to a Genetic experiment gone wrong decades ago to protect her 'Spark' that is her best friend Kitty from the 'Stray' who is out to kill her. 

A great series starter with epic and nail biting actions, great air of mystery, great friendship and family dynamic, mind blowing plot twist and swoon worthy romance.

Full Review (Click Here)

8) The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl
by Melissa Keil

Melissa Keil is another new author I discovered in 2014 and I love both Life in Outer Space and Incredible Adventures. But if I were to choose one I will choose The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl .

Alba, an aspiring comic book artist who just finished year 12 and is not sure what to do next in life. She is contemplating going to University but has never left her hometown of Eden Vally. She is also suffering 'writers block' with her comic book Adventures of Cinnamon Girl. To top that the end of the world is coming.

I love how realistic and sweet the story and the characters are. Melissa Keil is great at writing about getting out of your comfort zone.

Fans of Rainbow Rowell need to pick this up!

7) The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend by Kody Keplinger

One of the best contemporaries of all time! This is not your average YA! 

Bianca is a great snarky narrater. Trough the book she is going trough tough times with family and ex-boyfriend drama on top of being called "The Duff" by Wesley Rush.

The romance between Bianca and Wesley was very different from what I expected. It went from love-hate romance to 'enemies with benefit'. Even so it their relationship was what made the book for me!

Check this book out for a breath of fresh air in the writing, plot and characters!

Also the book is being made into a movie in 2015 and though its gonna be very different from the book I'm still gonna watch it!

Full Review (Click Here) 

6)  To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

Follows Lura Jean who writes love letters to the boys she love before and stores them in a hatbox as they are not meant to be seen. However one day all the letters goes missing and get sent out to the boys she love before and now have to deal with the consequences!

The book is ridiculously sweet and heart-warming! I love reading about Lura Jean and want to be best friends with her from page one. I also enjoy the family dynamic of the book and her friendship with Peter.

I need the sequel PS: I Still Love You the moment its out as I want to read more of this amazing characters!

Full Review (Click Here)

 5) The maze runner series by James Dashner

2014 was the year where I gave into the books by James Dashner and my only regrets is not reading his books sooner. While I also discovered his other series 'The Mortality Doctorine' I like 'The Maze Runner' more mainly cause the premise is more wicked.

The series follows a boy name Thomas who wakes up in the middle of a maze with no memory surrounded by 50 other boys.

While 'The Maze Runner' took me a while to get into it, I breezed trough 'The Scorch Trials' and 'The Death Cure'! When the story finally picks up it is fast paced, nail biting, nerve wrecking, plot twisting epic! I came out of the books with no sleep, scared of grievers and trust issues!

The series have a great cast of character and some of the best dialogs I've seen in books! The thing I love most about the series is the friendship especially between Thomas, Newt and Minho!

I also love the movie adaptation of this book and was my most favourite book to movie adaptation of 2014! Can't wait for The Scorch Trials Movie!

Full review on Maze Runner (Click Here), The Scorch Trials (Click Here) and The Death Cure (Click Here)

The Maze Runner Movie Review (Click Here)



4) The Lunar Chronicles by Marrisa Meyer

I jumped on the Lunar Chronicles bang wagon and have no regrets! A great sci-fi twist to the classic fairy tales! Marrisa Meyer took this stories and created her own world.

This is a series that has something for everyone!

I enjoy the world building and cast of characters! I also love how she manages to have multiple POV narration without confusing me when I read!

Of the three books out so far, Cress has to be my favourite as I seeing the bigger picture of the Lunar Chronicles world along with the epic action moments and romance!

I am looking forward to the rest of the series that are being released in 2015 and gosh I wish there was a bind up of all the novellas that Marrisa Mayer has written for the series.

 3) Anatomy of a Misfit by Andrea Portes

This freaking book made me laugh, cry and feel feels like never before! If mean girls were to meet Eleanore and park we have Anatomy of a Misfit.

Follows a girl name Anika who is the third most popular girl in her school who is torn between two guys, one who could increase her social status and another who can sent it to social suicidal.

Anika's narration is one of the more unique voices I've read. Its sarcastic, snarky and very 'in your face' honesty but not over the top that it sounds obnoxious. In fact her narration is laugh out loud hilarious and quirky.

I love the family dynamic of the book and the romance was cute.

But the plot twist had me in one of the biggest book cries I've encountered!

Long story short... READ THIS BEAUTIFUL BOOK with knowing as little as possible!

Full Review (Click Here)

2) The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider

Gosh this book is just as crazy as the roller coaster on the cover! A great coming-of-age story about what's next after a downfall and how to move on with life.

Its a journey of Ezra discovering who he is and what he wants to do in life after the a tragic accident cause him the down fall of his athlete career as a tennis player hence loosing the status of being one of the "in crowd".

I really like watching as Ezra diverge from his old clan of friends and start developing as his own person and not letting peer pressure interfere with his life.

The book is filled with intelligent and witty dialog, laugh out loud references and awesome Harry Potter and Doctor Who references.

Also this book is one that hit me emotionally I related so much to the character Ezra and what he went trough.

I mentioned and talk more in depth of  this book in my top 10 influential books (click here) post a while ago and this is one book that I connect to the most.

Read this if you like John Green's Paper Towns and Looking for Alaska

Full Review (Click Here)

1) Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor & Park is hands down my most favorite book of 2014. Sweet, heartwarming and Heartbreaking.

I love how simple yet beautifully written this book was and is my go to book gift for friends birthdays.

Set in the 1980's it follows two teenagers who meet on the bus and at first it looks like they have nothing in common but as they get to know each other they find out they are both more that meets the eye and forms a friendship bonding over music and comic books.

The book is also dark as it deals with domestic abuse and bullying. Eleanor and Park were both great characters and I love how sweet their romance was.

A great book about first love that will make you squeal at the cuteness but will also give you a really good book cry.

 I highly recommend this to anyone, both old and young need to read this book!

So that's my top 14 books of 2014! Let me know some of your favorite books of 2014 in the comments.