Ash Reads Stuff

Chasing Polaris by Erica Cope & Autumn Doughton Publication Date: January 17, 2017 Pages: 318 (kindle) Genre: Young Adult My Goodreads Rating:  4.5 stars Goodreads Synopsis: "Trust me,” he says. "Trust is a lot to ask of someone you’ve just met." "Okay, then a take a chance on me." Imogen Shaw is done with this life, or at least she’s done pretending that everything is the same as it used to be. What was once so perfect and uncomplicated is ruined. Her dad, a person she thought could never disappoint her, turned out to be a liar and a fraud. All she cares about now is getting out of town and starting her new life in Boston. Love, she decides as she packs up her room and vows to put all of the hurt behind her, is just a delusion for suckers. If anybody knows about things falling apart, it’s Seth Cavanaugh. With an alcoholic mother and a sister stuck in prison, Seth’s gotten used to taking care of himself. He figures he can handle anything...

Replica  by Lauren Oliver Publication Date: October 4th 2016 Pages: 544 (kindle) Genre: Young Adult/Science Ficion My Goodreads Rating: 3.5 stars Goodreads Synopsis:  Lyra From a distance, the Haven Institute, tucked away on a private island off the coast of Florida, looks serene and even beautiful. But up close the locked doors, military guards, and biohazard suits tell a different story. In truth, it is a clandestine research facility where thousands of replicas, or human models, are born, raised, and observed. But when a surprise attack is launched on Haven, two of its young experimental subjects—Lyra, or 24, and the boy known only as 72—manage to escape. As they make their way through a new and menacing environment, they meet a stranger named Gemma, who has embarked on a perilous quest of her own. And as Lyra tries to understand Haven’s purpose, she uncovers earth-shattering secrets that will change the lives of both girls. Gemma Gemma has been...

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, & Jack Thorne Publication Date: July 31st, 2016 Pages: 270 (hardcover) Genre: Fiction/Fantasy My Goodreads Rating: 4 stars Goodreads Synopsis:  Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on July 30, 2016. It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children. While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: ...

The Year We Fell Down  by Sarina Bowen Publication Date: March 20th, 2014 Pages:  270 (kindle) Genre:  New Adult My Goodreads Rating:  4 stars Goodreads Synopsis:  The sport she loves is out of reach. The boy she loves has someone else. What now? She expected to start Harkness College as a varsity ice hockey player. But a serious accident means that Corey Callahan will start school in a wheelchair instead. Across the hall, in the other handicapped-accessible dorm room, lives the too-delicious-to-be real Adam Hartley, another would-be hockey star with his leg broken in two places. He’s way out of Corey’s league. Also, he’s taken. Nevertheless, an unlikely alliance blooms between Corey and Hartley in the “gimp ghetto” of McHerrin Hall. Over tequila, perilously balanced dining hall trays, and video games, the two cope with disappointments that nobody else understands. They’re just friends, of course, until...