Stacking the Shelves #20

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and 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!

So remember that I read The Burning Sky? Well I picked up its sequel, The Perilous Sea, so I'm hoping that I like that one more than the first. 

I finally got my hold of Well of Ascension, which I had to pay $1 for BUT IT WAS WORTH IT. I can finally read on!

And then I also borrowed Finnikin of the Rock, which I will get to one day, maybe next week? I don't know. I did borrow it from the library interwebs (Overdrive).

I preordered a copy of Fairest and it is the most beautiful hardback I have ever seen, AND I AM JUST VERY EXCITED TO READ IT. Plus I got it a day before it came out so bam.

  

So I received Seeker from Netgalley, thanks to Delacorte Books, but this was a while ago. I don't remember if I mentioned that I got this but OH WELL.

And then I couldn't resist and got Shadow Scale! I am listening to the audiobook of Seraphina (and not doing a good job of paying attention to it), but I know what's going on, kind of.

And lastly, I requested Sara Gruen's latest novel, At The Water's Edge, because I read Water for Elephants and I liked it. We'll see how this goes. I have no idea what it's about though.

HAHAHA WE DIDN'T GET MUCH SNOW HERE but there was still a couple of inches. I'm happy to say that our plow guy finally came, after not existed for the previous snowstorms.

What else? Um. Nothing much. Life is same old same old. 

OH, there's going to be a Superbowl party tomorrow, not that I care about the Superbowl, but the party is taking place at my house so I kind of have to attend. BUT THINK OF ALL THE FOOD. 

That's it. I hope you guys have been have a good week/month/sad winter so far!

The Bookshelf Tag

Thank you Kelly @ Diva Booknerd for tagging me! I've finally gotten around to doing it (5 months later, seriously)! Since this is actually called the bookshelf tag, I'll try to answer all these questions based on what is physically on my bookshelf now, which isn't a lot sadly. But that's ok! So here we go!

Is there a book that you really want to read but haven't because you know that it'll make you cry?

Well, it used to be Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire, but since I've gotten through both of them, I have nothing to live for! Just kidding. I actually love reading sad books, because even though I'm miserable while reading them, I love the emotions that are portrayed. THE FEELS are just too good. MUST. KEEP. EXPERIENCING THEM.

Pick one book that helped introduce you to a new genre.

The Mediator Series by Meg Cabot introduced me to the paranormal genre, aka not exactly dark vampire series, but more of main characters having these random powers in the modern world, like talking to ghosts or being able to look into the future.

I think this was around middle school? I remember being disappointed in the lack of this genre at the time. Then Twilight came out and BOOM.


Find a book that you want to reread.

Definitely The Book Thief, no doubt about it. I recently finished I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak, and it was brilliant. Are there any other books by him I need to know about? Ok, back on topic. The Book Thief is beautifully written, and I keep rereading the ending because see answer to question number one. ha. haha.


Is there a book series you read but wish that you hadn't?

Yeahhhhh. Earth Girl was one of those that sucked me in, but then spit me back out in the sequel. Now I have to read the last book in the trilogy, just because I'm so close to the end. I mean, I could just end it here and not read Earth Flight, but I love the satisfaction of finishing a series (unless it's one of those, like Harry Potter)

If your house was burning down and all of your family and pets were safe, which book would you go back inside to save?

Wow a burning house. GREAT. My bookshelf is small enough to carry it back outside, so there's no worries about that. 

Oh. Fine. You want me to actually answer this question. Bah

Throne of Glass. I haven't even read it, but I went through so much harassment (yes harassment I tell you! I see the comments. I HAVE PROOF) and peer pressure, so now that I finally have it, I am not going to lose it to a fire. Nope.


Is there one book on your bookshelf that brings back fond memories?

Inkheart! By Cornelia Funke. I used to bring that to elementary school all the time just to read it. I'm pretty sure I would read it while the teacher was talking. I was a bad child back in the day.


Find a book that has inspired you the most.

LIKE EVERY AMAZING BOOK I HAVE EVER READ! I was really inspired to do good things in the world after reading I Am the Messenger. 


Do you have any autographed books?

Sadly, no. This will be fixed one day. Hopefully


Find the book that you have owned the longest.

Does this count picture books or those young reader book things? Because too be honest, I've owned the Magic Tree House series for a very long time now, since Kindergarden! But only up to when I stopped keeping up with the series (what are they up to now? #100?)


Is there a book by an author that you never imagined you would read or enjoy?

So you want to know if I read a book I thought I would hate? Because of the author? I don't really hate authors because I still kind of consider myself a newbie when it comes to knowing authors. So in the end I just read what I read. 

Show your bookshelf!

Here it is!

Isn't it adorable? Haha.

I'm not going to tag anyone specific because I'm too lazy, but if you're reading this post now, consider yourself tagged!

Review: The Kiss of Deception

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson
The Remnant Chronicles #1
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co (BYR)
Release Date: July 8th, 2014
Source: Library
Date Read: 1/21/15 to 1/25/15
489 Pages
Rating: ✰✰✰✰

A princess must find her place in a reborn world.

She flees on her wedding day.

She steals ancient documents from the Chancellor's secret collection.

She is pursued by bounty hunters sent by her own father.

She is Princess Lia, seventeen, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan.

The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can't abide. Like having to marry someone she's never met to secure a political alliance.

Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—secrets that may unravel her world—even as she feels herself falling in love.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

This was a really surprising read! Honestly, I have been avoiding The Kiss of Deception just because it was really long and intimidating, and I didn't feel like reading something so long. But nevertheless, I did love it a lot, so that's good.

The Kiss of Deception is about a princess, Lia, that doesn't want to be a princess because she doesn't want to marry some stranger prince (who could be 40 years old so yeah, I wouldn't want to either). So she plans this scheme to escape with her best friend, Pauline, to Pauline's hometown, Terravin. They end up staying with Berdii (Aunt? Friend? Pauline's caretaker in the past?) who owns an inn, which is where they work at.

OF COURSE not everyone is happy with this. First, there's the assassin that's going after Lia because they don't want her making anymore alliances. And then, there's the prince that she was supposed to marry. So these two arrive at the inn, and they know who she is, but she doesn't know them, and neither does the reader! 

So there's a love triangle between Lia, Rafe and Kaden, and you know what? I don't mind it! Though I do have one problem. The problem with deceiving the reader along with Lia as to who is who, is that now it's harder to separate the two guys, personality-wise. It's not until a little more than halfway through the novel do we see the differences between the two. But still, who is the assassin and who is the prince? 

Lia, in my opinion, is a very strong character, although spontaneous and maybe a little clueless on her role as princess. When she wants something, she works really hard to get it. And she's not like other royals (pretty cliche haha), and that's why THE TWO GUYS FALL IN LOVE WITH HER. Surprise. Also, she has the gift? Of a, um...prediction? The future? I don't know how exactly it works, but there were random italicized phrases that I think is what the gift was referring to? I mean, I'll have to see in the next book.

SPEAKING OF THE NEXT BOOK, I need it. I really do. 

So yeah, surprisingly I like love triangles, as long as they aren't just randomly placed there for no reason. I think this was a very well executed storyline that weaved in the romance nicely. Plus, there's no little annoying subconscious that constantly switches between one love interest to another ("I like him, but ohhh I like him too"). So yeah, I am very grateful for that HA.

Top Ten Tuesday #41

Hosted by the Broke and the Bookish!

Top Ten Books I'd Love To Read With My Book Club

Hey I do have a book club! Even though it's affiliated through college, and uh, only a couple people come. We have a usual amount of 5 people. SOMETIMES MORE. But that's okay! At least people come hahaha...aha. Well, so far, this year we've read Aristotle & Dante and I Am The Messenger, which had amazing themes and discussion topics. So with that in mind, I would love to read these titles due to their awesome discussion!

Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas - THIS WOULD BE HILARIOUS just to see the reactions of everyone when they discover the actual culprit. 

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven - I also think this is a good discussion novel as well, especially with the view of mental issues, suicide, etc. 

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness - So I haven't read this, but doesn't it sound so creepy but cool? And suspenseful? I think it would be really cool to talk about afterwards.

The Martian by Andy Weir - THIS. I WANT TO READ IT. It seems like a typical, but good, book club book right? And then all of us can go through the science terminology together. 

A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall - Since my book club enjoyed I Am the Messenger, I'm sure they would like this one as well. Well, I haven't read it yet but it looks like it's one of those novels that has multiple POVs but focuses on one couple? 

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shafer - Surprisingly, I liked this book even though it was a) Historical fiction and b) didn't have much plot. I honestly don't really remember what it was about, but I liked the fact that it was in letter format. And that title is just unusual and unique hahah.

Still Alice by Lisa Genova - THE MOVIE FOR THIS BOOK IS COMING OUT AND I AM SO EXCITED AND I WILL CRY SO MUCH. This book gave me the feels. I love this book. And yeah it would be good for book club because I said so.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon - This book is so witty. I loved it. Honestly, I don't think it had much plot, which is why I don't really remember it (I should buy it, I almost bought it at Goodwill but I didn't). But it's definitely a good book book to discuss.

1984 by George Orwell - I can't believe I haven't read this yet, not even in high school. But I'm sure it's a good classic to discuss.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater - Just because everyone needs to read this book and series.

Not sure what I based my criteria on, but this was fun! Honestly I would want everyone to read everything I liked, but that would be too many books. 

Review: The Burning Sky

The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas
The Elemental Trilogy #1
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: September 17th, 2013
Source: Library
Date Read: 1/18/15 to 1/21/15
464 Pages
Rating: ✰✰✰

It all began with a ruined elixir and a bolt of lightning.

Iolanthe Seabourne is the greatest elemental mage of her generation—or so she's been told. The one prophesied for years to be the savior of The Realm. It is her duty and destiny to face and defeat the Bane, the most powerful tyrant and mage the world has ever known. This would be a suicide task for anyone, let alone a reluctant sixteen-year-old girl with no training.

Guided by his mother's visions and committed to avenging his family, Prince Titus has sworn to protect Iolanthe even as he prepares her for their battle with the Bane. But he makes the terrifying mistake of falling in love with the girl who should have been only a means to an end. Now, with the servants of the tyrant closing in, Titus must choose between his mission—and her life.

The Burning Sky—the first book in the Elemental Trilogy—is an electrifying and unforgettable novel of intrigue and adventure.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

So I read The Burning Sky because of the recent release of The Perilous Sea, and I have to say, well, it was kind of below my expectations. 

The Burning Sky takes place in another world, divided between the mage world and the non-mage world, kind of like in Harry Potter. Iolanthe is THE elemental mage, but she doesn't know it. She's being tracked by the powerful Bane and the Inquisitor. On the other hand, Prince Titus knows all this already, and he's created a huge, thought out plan to hide Iolanthe from everyone, even though he's never met her.

So basically, because of his mother's visions, he locates Iolanthe, hides her away in his all boys school in England, the non-mage world, and everything is fine. Kind of. But not really. Because he's training her to go up against the most powerful man in the mage world, the Bane, and Iolanthe is confused, Titus is confused by his feelings, and more importantly, I AM CONFUSED.

Yeah, for one, I was really confused in the beginning. I even read the blurb this time and even then. First off, Titus kept on called Iolanthe Fairfax, his made up name for the disguise. He kept on saying "You aren't Fairfax" or "This isn't Fairfax", because he assumed that Iolanthe was a boy in his visions. But nope, she's a girl. So that makes everything complicated for an all boys school, in London.

Second, WHAT IS THIS WORLD? I was so confused about the non-mage world and the mage world, and then I realized it was kind of like Harry Potter. But you can actually use magic in the non-mage world, and people can be exiled to that world as well. 

ALSO CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE MAGIC? Why does subtle magic sound so much more powerful and useful compared to elemental magic? Why is Iolanthe so important when she can't even overcome some subtle magic? There's a glossary at the back of the book with little numbers attached to each term or idea or just something that needed to be explained. I thought it took too much effort to go to the end each time, and it just interrupted my reading. I'm also pretty lazy and unmotivated ha.

But even with all of this, I still thought it was a good start to a series. I mean, it did start out very confusing, I really like how everything played out in the end. I liked Titus and Iolanthe as characters. Iolanthe, although not as confident, still takes matters into her own hands, and refuses to depend on the prince because she actually wants to help. Titus, on the other hand, wants to protect Iola at all costs, even if it means his own life. He tries really hard, and, I don't really know what his motives are, other than trusting his mother's visions. It just seems like he doesn't have many motives at all. But I'm assuming that will be in the next book right!

So yep, overall, it was a good start, even though it was very confusing in the beginning. I'm looking forward to the next book, which I borrowed from the library so woo. 

Stacking the Shelves #19

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and 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 picked up a copy of The Kiss of Deception, and I'm reading it right now! (And Holly and Rachel are very happy about it)

And then I got The Burning Sky, which I have already read! (Thanks to my awesome schedule that is working). I have mixed thoughts, but my review will be up next week.

And then, since I randomly needed another book from the new releases sections, so I took After the End. It sounds interesting, wasn't on my TBR initially but we will see!

And then of course BookOulet had that $5 coupon, which of course I had to use. Because I already had stuff in my cart and I needed both of these books! Even though I've already read both.

So yep, I bought Mistborn: The Final Empire, and also Fairyland, which has a super long title and I didn't feel like writing it out.

Also, that fuzz? Yeah that's Ollie's tail (the doggy) because he refused to get out of my photo.

I'VE GOT NOTHING.

Oh, I applied for my first credit card, and I got it! (accepted in two minutes bam!) Though I'm pretty sure it's because the banker overestimated my income. HA

But I have already pre-ordered Fairest with it, so hopefully this doesn't become a problem. DON'T WORRY GUYS I AM RESPONSIBLE. I know everything about credit thanks to very helpful banker. 

Other than that, classes started, work started, I'm off to a pretty good start!

Read Play Blog #5

Read Play Blog is a meme about video games and books, posted every 16th of the month. Bloggers are encouraged to answer a discussion question, and recommend a video game that is similar to a book they liked. Hosted by Happy Indulgence Books & Read Me Away.

What games are you looking forward to in 2015?

To be honest, I don't know. I haven't kept up with games since I haven't been keeping up with the latest consoles. And although I keep saying that this is the year I buy a PS4, I'm not sure if I'll actually go for it. WELL, time to look up games and get hyped over them just for this post.

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

WHAT IS THIS HORRIBLE TRAILER POSTER. WHY DOES NATE LOOK LIKE HE'S 40 AND OLD AND TIRED. This is the finale (I'm guessing) to the Uncharted series that I've been playing on the PS3, and man, I don't know what to think. It's just, wahhhh. I swear, it looks like everything bad could potentially happen and no I don't want that.

Monthly Recommendation

Recommendation: The Oregon Trail

DO YOU REMEMBER THIS GAME? Yes. I do too.

Well good news, it's been archived, and you can play it for free on the interwebs! There's the 1990 version here, and The Oregon Trail Deluxe here.

But yeah, the game's fairly simple to explain, you and your family is traveling to the frontier because, I guess you want to mine for gold or whatever, but the journey ahead of you is long and tough. So based on your choices and occupation, events will happen along the journey that YOU have to deal with, with your choices.

So yep, old game, but still a classic.

(I promise that next time I'll schedule on the 16th, I just keep on forgetting hahah). Thanks to Jeann and Ana for creating this amazing meme! As usual!

Review: All The Bright Places

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
Publisher: Penguin
Release Date: January 7th, 2014
Source: Bought
Date Read: 1/14/15 to 1/17/15
388 Pages
Rating: ✰✰✰✰1/2

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister's recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it's unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the 'natural wonders' of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It's only with Violet that Finch can be himself - a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who's not such a freak after all. And it's only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet's world grows, Finch's begins to shrink.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Man. I thought I was SO prepared. I mean, both Holly, Shannon, and Amber were reading it/have read it, and have warned me about the feels I would suffer from, but I went with it anyways. Friends are there to force others to read emotional books. 

I wasn't expecting this though. I mean I WAS expecting something to happen, but I didn't want it to happen.

All The Bright Places is an amazing story of a suicidal boy, Finch, saving the life of a suicidal girl, Violet. And together, they have to work on a geography project, visiting the places that make Kentucky, well, Kentucky. Violet, having recently (but not really recently) recovering from the death of her older sister, doesn't see the point anymore. It takes Finch, or as everyone says, Theodore "Freak" to save her from jumping off the school roof, even though he's there to kind of do the same. 

I loved both Violet and Finch, both having an obsession with looking up Virginia Woolf quotes to use them to communicate with each other. But it's just so amazing to see how a person can influence you in such a way. 

“Because you smiled at me.” “What?” “You asked why I wanted to do this with you. It’s not because you were up on the ledge too, even though, okay, that’s part of it. It’s not because I feel this weird responsibility to keep an eye on you, which is also part of it. It’s because you smiled at me that day in class. A real smile, not the bullshit one I see you give everyone all the time where your eyes are doing one thing and your mouth is doing another.” “It was just a smile.” “Maybe to you.”

I loved all of the places that they visit, this includes the blue hole, a handmade crazy rollercoaster, the trailers FILLED WITH BOOKS. It reminded of the road trip I went on with my best friend (because we were very close to visiting this Blue Holes Falls but we didn't)

Lastly, I love the message that this novel conveys. There's always a comparison between Violet and Eleanor, who died in a car accident. It's mentioned a lot that Eleanor's life was taken away from her, but on the other hand, Violet feels she's being selfish because why would anyone take away their own life? It's important to remember that there are victims of suicide and other mental illnesses, and it's not different from a car accident, or cancer, etc. A person's life CAN be taken away from suicide. And Jennifer Niven expresses this very well in her novel. 

“It's my experience that people are a lot more sympathetic if they can see you hurting, and for the millionth time in my life I wish for measles or smallpox or some other easily understood disease just to make it easier on me and also on them.”

Overall, All The Bright Places isn't simply just about depression or suicide, but about the changing and growing lives of two beautiful people, and although I am very, very sad about how it ended, I'm glad it did end that way. Because, you know *sniff*, it was so so, *sniff* just so beautiful.

Top Ten Tuesday #40

Hosted by the Broke and the Bookish!

Top Ten Books I've Had On My Goodreads TBR The Longest 

Haha this week's was a freebie, but I thought it would be really cool to see what books I added to my TBR when I first started my Goodreads account 3 years ago. You know, before my book blogging days, and therefore before I knew anything about books.

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami - I DON'T KNOW why this is on my list, because I have never read 1984, and this is supposed to be a reference to that? I guess I was just really into reading Haruki Murakami. 

Hourglass by Myra McEntire - I actually still think I would read this. It's about a girl who can see visions from the past I think? The cover is gorgeous, so hmm.

Entwined by Heather Dixon - I don't know why I added this to my TBR, maybe because it has the word "enchanted" in the blurb. I don't even know what the story of the Twelve Dancing Princesses is.

The Bird With The Broken Wing by D. L. Richardson - Okay, angels falling in love with mortals. I'm glad there's a much more diverse genre of YA paranormal and fantasy books nowadays. I mean, I would read this, but ehh. This seems like one of the books that aren't well-known at all. 

11/22/63 by Stephen King - I HAVE THIS, the only problem is that it's over 600 pages and it's just really intimidating. But man I remember asking for it for Christmas. I still want to read it. Gah.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman - So yes. I apparently added this before I knew how popular it was. Well I mean back in the day it wasn't going to be a movie yet, so maybe I knew about it before everyone else? Haha! No but I should read this one day huh.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman - Wooo Neil Gaiman. I've read a couple of his books, and liked them decently. I don't remember what this one is about, Gods? American? Gods that are American? Yep, sounds good.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller - I do still want to read this. This is from the time were I was moving away from YA because that's what I thought was required of me (bad move, high schooler Val), so I wasn't really looking through YA. But Greeks! Historical fiction! Yay.

Feed by M. T. Anderson - This ISN'T the one by Mira Grant, but the one where all our heads are connected to internet feeds. Sounds interesting doesn't it??? Yes. I thought so too.

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness - I remember picking this up from the library but not having the motivation to read it. Well, maybe that will change one day.

So yes? What are some of the earliest books on your Goodreads TBR? How about physical? Can you even remember that far back? 

Review: Anna and the French Kiss

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Anna and the French Kiss #1
Publisher: Speak
Release Date: July 16th, 2013
Source: Bought
Date Read: 1/1/15 to 1/4/15
372 Pages
Rating: ✰✰✰1/2

Can Anna find love in the City of Light?

Anna is happy in Atlanta. She has a loyal best friend and a crush on her coworker at the movie theater, who is just starting to return her affection. So she's less than thrilled when her father decides to send her to a boarding school in Paris for her senior year.

But despite not speaking a word of French, Anna meets some cool new people, including the handsome Étienne St. Clair, who quickly becomes her best friend. Unfortunately, he's taken —and Anna might be, too. Will a year of romantic near misses end with the French kiss she's waiting for?

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Before I go on, I want to say a couple of things. First off, I actually really liked this book and the way the conversations flowed and also how easy it was to read this. AND IT WAS PARIS! Like, really accurately portrayed Paris! 

So, why not the 5 stars? Well, I guess it's more of a me than the book thing. I think my review portrays my thoughts better than a rating anyways.

Anna and the French Kiss is about Anna, a senior in high school, transferring to an International school in Paris, also known as School of America Paris (aka SOAP). But yeah, she's pissed about it, but wait, she meets this amazing group of friends, including Etienne St. Clair. Too bad both of them are already taken. OR ARE THEY?????

As much as I loved the amazing conversations between Anna and St. Clair, the both of them did get on my nerves a little. For one, I didn't like how both of them blew off their friends (mainly Mer). I know Mer was interested in St. Clair, but she was still friends with everyone. Yet when Anna came, she was brushed off to the side even though she's nice to everyone. I just pitied her the entire novel, like man that sucks. I would've ditched that friend group if I was her. 

St. Clair is adorable, hates stereotypes, and is American born British AND speaks French. Really, he's perfect, he sticks up to his friends, but then again kind of ignores Mer once he meets Anna (he used to hang out with Mer all the time). Oh right, and he has a girlfriend who's graduated already, but yet he still leads Anna on (and I guess Mer before too). Like, man all that drama at the end killed me. 

BUT I STILL LOVED THE BOOK. Like even though Anna is pretty selfish, I LOVED her thoughts. Seriously, this whole book is a giant ball of fluff. Plus, Perkins definitely did her research. It actually felt like I was in France, in Paris, while I was reading this book. 

And yes, Anna and St. Clair are VERY CUTE together. Plus they each have their own individual personalities, like Anna loves film and classics (she's a little movie nerd haha), and her dream is to become a movie critic! She even has her own movie review blog!  

So yes yes, overall, I loved the book, and I loved all the characters (especially since Josh is gonna be featured in Isla and the Happily Ever After, right?) but the drama and the whole "I'm leading you on but I already have a girlfriend thing" didn't work for me. It was still an amazing read and the conversations felt very real. AND I WANT TO READ LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR NOW!