Boy meets Girl by Meg Cabot

Meet Kate MacKenzie...idealistic office worker, reluctant deliverer of termination notices and queen of instant messaging. As sweet as sugar.

Meet Mitch Hertzog...ever-smiling corporate lawyer, defender of the downtrodden and king of aborted dinner dates. Good enough to eat.

Meet Ida Lopez...cake, cookie and pastry-maker extraordinaire, purveyor of the dessert trolley and goddess of all things mouth-wateringly yummy. As nice as pie.

Together they must battle tyrants and despots to find truth, justice and the perfect double fudge pudding.

• 383 pages
• published in 2004

This book was definitely different. I picked it up from the library (and mind me, we're in Germany. They only have half a shelf for English books in the Teen section and a whole shelf in the Adult section. I prefer to read in English, simply because sometimes the translations just suck and I don't want to end up hating a perfectly good book just because the translator was too stupid to do their job right.) and it was do different from what I was expecting. It was completely made up of e-mails, diary entries, IM conversations and such things but I loved it! It was easy to follow the story even though you only had snippets from here and there. And it was a really cute and fluffy story, about love but also about doing the right thing. It wasn't completely focused on being a romance novel even though the title proposes that.

This book didn't have a definite point of view. There were emails from everybody so you kind of had the POV of everybody once in a while. And it was so easy to see how the person actually is when they email a person they don't have to impress or a person they are not lying to. It was really interesting to read that. I also liked how the characters were portrayed even though it was a little harder to get to know them. I hoped to have a follow up of them but the third book in the series is about different people. And I didn't know this was the second book of a series, since the books don't actually have anything to do with each other. You don't have to read the first to read this one. It doesn't matter.


I really liked the way this novel was made but that may not be fitting for everybody. So if you are interest in reading this book, you should decide if you are okay with reading mails, chats and diary entries instead of an actual story divided in chapters and views.

I rate it 4 out of 5 stars, it was a quick and cute read for inbetween.

Rome: Marked Men #3 by Jay Crownover

Fun and fearless, Cora Lewis knows how to keep her tattooed "bad boy" friends at the Marked in line. But beneath all that flash and sass is a broken heart. Cora won't let herself get burned again. She's waiting to fall in love with the perfect man—a baggage-free, drama-free guy ready for commitment. Then she meets Rome Archer.

Rome Archer is as far from perfect as a man can be. He's stubborn, rigid, and bossy. And he's returned from his final tour of duty more than a little broken. Rome's used to filling many roles: big brother, doting son, supersoldier—but none of those fit anymore. Now he's just a man trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his life while keeping the dark demons of war and loss at bay. He would have been glad to suffer through it alone, until Cora comes sweeping into his life and becomes a blinding flash of color in a sea of gray. Perfect may not be in the cards, but perfectly imperfect could just last forever . . .

• 384 pages
• published in 2014

The Marked Men series by Jay Crownover is amazing and I really loved all three books so far. I cannot decide which Marked Men is my favorite, because they all have something special about them to love.

Jay Crowonver is an amazing writer, as I find. The sex scenes weren't flat and unappealing like they are in most books. I actually enjoyed reading them and I do usually skip them because they make me feel uncomfortable but this time, they didn't. So a big plus on that!
I really liked Rome and Cora together even though I think it went on a bit too fast between them, I would have liked to have a bit more struggle before they became a real couple. But maybe it just felt that way to me because I read it in one night? I am not sure. I did like the book a lot though so it didn't bother me too much.

What I really love about the Marked Men series is that 1. You know which couple will come next because they start to bond a little in the previous novel and 2. You don't lose a couple after their book is finished. You still get bits and parts about them in the next books!
And I really wanted more from Rome and Cora when I finished the book, I was actually quite sad that it was already over. I really can't wait for the next installment to come out, I'm sure I'm gonna love the story of Nash and Saint as much as I love all the other Marked Men stories! Jay Crownover hasn't failed me yet and I'm sure she won't start now.

I recommend the Marked Men series for anyone that loves New Adult novels and romance.

And I give 4.5 of 5 stars because, as I said, it went on a little too fast and that's why it wasn't perfect but it was pretty close!

 

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .
But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.
Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

• 433 pages
• published in 2013

This book... I really loved it. It spoke to me in so many ways, I felt really connected to it. There so many great things about it, it was just amazing. Definitely one of my book highlights in 2014 already!

First off, Cath is a very real person, to me. I can identify with her very well and I know the feeling of being so connected to a fantasy world, being really invested and not being able to let go. I exactly know how that feels and Rainbow Rowell really captured that well.
Cath is a person I would love to meet and I would love to be friends with her. I really wish she was real. And Wren, too. I love stories about Twins but there aren't that many out there, sadly.

It wasn't just a love story. It was more about Cath finding a place for herself in the middle of a new world, the change from high school to college but also being her own person apart from her twin. She was really dependant on Wren and it was a very interesting transformation to watch, how she slowly learned to be herself and meeting people without her twin. Overcoming the insecurities of feeling like the "worse" twin. I really loved that about the book.

The lovestory was not rushed, it was sweet and it was so cute. The way Cath didn't even notice that he liked her or that she really liked him, it was just adorable. I really loved that they were so different but still fitted together so well. And they way they relationship began... You should really read this, you know?

Another thing that I found to be awesomly awesome was that you could actually read part of Cath's fanfiction/ the Simon Snow books. Do you know that feeling when a fictional character talks about a fictional book or something they're writing on and you wish you could read it too, like the real thing? Or at least a part of it? That's what Rainbow Rowell did. She put in part of the Simon Snow books here and there and also, when it was mentioned that Cath was writing a scene, you could read the actual scene. I loved that.

And even though it had 433 pages, I was so sad and shocked when it was over. I really wanted more.

All in all, this book is a must-read for everyone that loves books, fanfictions or simply being a fan of something!

Five stars, for sure!

Big Mouth and Ugly Girl by Joyce Carol Oates

 High school junior Matt Donaghy is considered an okay guy. He gets good grades, writes for the school paper, is in the Drama Club, and is known for his witty, if immature, humor. Students and teachers seem to like him. But one day he says something that makes a few classmates think he's out to bomb the school. The school principal is notified, the police are called in, and rumors are abuzz. Even his buddies doubt his innocence, and none of the guys come forward in his defense. There is, however, someone else who overheard Matt's statement and understood his mocking intent. School renegade Ursula Riggs, or "Ugly Girl" as she refers to herself, doesn't know Matt very well but reveals what she heard and the context in which it was said -- even though her parents instruct her to mind her own business. But even if Ursula can help Matt clear up this misunderstanding, will life at Rocky River High School ever be the same again?
 (c) Goodreads

• 288 pages
• published in 2003

I had to read this book for school, all English teachers of the 10th grade decided that. Certainly, I was not happy with that because I had hoped to have the chance to recommend a book myself OR at least have a say in what I have to read and analyse. So my approach to this book was not that optimistic.

In the end, the book wasn't so bad though. The beginning was kind of bad, kind of boring and it really put me off. No chance to delay it though, it was homework to read it over Christmas break. Luckily, after the first fifty pages, it definitely got better and I started to really like the book. So if the first few pages put you off, hold on to it! It gets better, I promise.

The book switched between Matt's and Ursula's view in every chapter. I definitely liked Matt's view better because, and I found this strange, Ursula kept referring to herself in third person, either as Ursula Riggs or Ugly Girl. And I somehow find that not normal. It was really strong in the beginning, it really annoyed me and I didn't like her at first.
It got better though, she got more likeable and she seemed like a realistic person which at first, she didn't. And I have to say, this was a realistic view on actual 16-year olds. In many books, a high school student seems an adult and not like a teenager that is trying to find himself/herself.
I also really liked that they slowly became friends and there wasn't a real romantic relationship described in the book. They were friends and became really close friends which then lead to a romantic relationship, shortly mentioned at the end.

All in all this book wasn't as terrible as I thought it to be. The beginning isn't all that great but the rest makes up for it and if I were to rate it, I would give 3.5 stars!

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

 My very first post on this blog, please go easy on me ;)

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government "rehabilitation camp." She might have survived the mysterious disease that's killed most of America's children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she's on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her-East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can't risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

• 496 pages
• Release: 18. December 2012

I had quite a good beginning of the new year - in sense of books.This book really caught me, sucked me in and spit me out with a broken heart. I wonder how I haven't read it before, I just recently saw a lot about it on my Tumblr dash and just had to get my hands on it - I'm very glad I did!
At first, I was a little bit reminded of The Darkest Powers series by Kelley Armstrong (which is honestly amazing, go check it out!). First, the name of the book and then some parts of the plot are quite similar. A girl, in a facility with other teenagers and they all have a special kind of power. Parents who think that their kids get treated for just some sickness and who think their kids are in good hands. An escape. But basically, that's where the similarity ends because they both go in very different directions, positively spoken.

The book's names of the whole series form a sentence. "The Darkest Minds", first book. Then "Never Fade", second book. "In Time", an e-book novel that isn't necessary to the story. And then the third book, but the title hasn't been released yet. I really like that, just imagine how amazing it'll look on your shelf when you have all books? I love the idea.

Alexandra Bracken's writing style is just amazing, unique even. It is thrilling and somehow poetic, the way she described the world and the characters. It got me hooked really quickly and it still hasn't let me go. There was even a scene that had me crying - and I usually don't cry. I'm a very unemotional person so that means something, right?

Looking back now, the characters are probably the best about the whole book. A book can survive with a bad story if it has amazing characters but it can't if it has a good plot and boring, flat characters. If the book has amazing characters AND a good plot, it can be a good book, a fantastic book. The Darkest Minds belongs to the third category, without a doubt!

There are many positive aspects about this book that are worth mentioning. For example, we know exactly how the situation is in other countries. I've heard a lot of complaining about this, that it was never mentioned how other countries are doing or if they're even affected by the catastrophe claiming the USA. In this book, it was clearly stated that the crisis only affected the USA and that other countries keep their borders up to keep the USA out.
Furthermore there are so many funny and remarkable quotes, most coming from Chubs (whom I have fallen in love with) and just an overall humorous atmosphere when it was just the kids being together. I really liked that.

This book amazed me, I really liked it and I would totally recommend to read it, if you haven't already! I cannot wait to read Never Fade soon!

If I were to rate it, I would give 5 out of 5 stars!