Ash Reads Stuff

Who I am With You by Robin Lee Hatcher Publication Date:  December 11th, 2018 Pages:   318 (kindle) Genre: Christian Fiction My Goodreads Rating:  4 stars Goodreads Synopsis: For these two broken hearts, the first step toward love will be a huge leap of faith. Jessica Mason isn’t looking for love when she meets Ridley Chesterfield. Instead she is still reeling from the tragic, unexpected loss of her husband and daughter—and awaiting the arrival of her unborn child. Harboring the secret of her husband’s betrayal, her pain is deeper than anyone knows. Ridley Chesterfield is hiding out in Hope Springs, Idaho, avoiding a political scandal and the barrage of false media headlines that have tarnished his good name. The last thing Ridley wants is a relationship—but when fate leads Ridley to form a friendship with his reclusive and pregnant neighbor, he wonders if this small-town hideout might be more of a long-term destination. When Jessica begins to read her gre...

Start Here by Trish Doller Publication Date: August 13th, 2019 Pages:  352 (hardcover) Genre: Young Adult My Goodreads Rating:  4 stars Goodreads Synopsis: Two teens go on a life-changing sailing trip as they deal with the grief of losing their best friend in this heartwrenching, hopeful novel from the author of Something Like Normal and In a Perfect World . Willa and Taylor were supposed to spend the summer after high school sailing from Ohio to Key West with their best friend, Finley. But Finley died before graduation, leaving them with a twenty-five-foot sailboat, a list of clues leading them to destinations along the way, and a friendship that’s hanging by a thread. Now, Willa and Taylor have two months and two thousand miles to discover how life works without Finley—and to decide if their own friendship is worth saving. From acclaimed author Trish Doller comes a poignant tale of forgiveness, grief, and the brilliant discoveries we make within our...

Okay, look. I have a problem with hyped up books. I have issues with people talking and talking about something and telling me to read it. I've been burned before (Allegiant ring a bell to anyone?) and sometimes I'm just not into the book that everyone else loves. No big deal, it's just me. So I never read The Raven Boys or any of the rest of the series. I didn't really even have an inkling that I might want to read the books. Honestly, I don't even know why I picked it up in the first place two weeks ago. I grabbed an audiobook of   The Raven Boys  on my library app because I like to listen to books on my long ass commute to and from work and when I read. I had to wait about a week for the book, so I read some other stuff during that time, including Maggie's All the Crooked Saints , which I didn't love and therefore was wary of TRB. Okay, I also just remembered that because I read All the Crooked Saints  I wanted to try TRB. Great, now we've come...

So, I'm struggling. I'm struggling to find time to read, to find books I like, and to write this post. This year has been a horrible year of reading for me. I don't know if it was the stress of last year's class that kept me from starting the year strong, as it did the year before. (Is that mean, blaming it on my class from last year?) Maybe I just got too busy, I'm not sure! Either way, this is my lowest reading year in a long time. I didn't make my goal last year, and this year I challenged myself to read 75 (!!!) books. Right now I'm at 67 and 89% of my goal. Chances are that I'm not going to read seven books (I'm almost done with one now) by the end of the year, but I'm going to push through with this post, just for you. It was kind of hard to even get through this list because there wasn't anything that I just truly loved and wanted to shout about. This year I started listening to a lot of books, which makes my drives to and from...

The Matchmaker's List by Sonya Lalli Publication Date: February 5th, 2019 Pages: 352 (hardcover) Genre: Women's Fiction/Romance My Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars First to Read Synopsis:  Raina Anand may have finally given in to family pressure and agreed to let her grandmother play matchmaker, but that doesn't mean she has to like it--or that she has to play by the rules. Nani always took Raina's side when she tried to push past the traditional expectations of their tight-knit Indian-immigrant community, but now she's ambushing Raina with a list of suitable bachelors. Is it too much to ask for a little space? Besides, what Nani doesn't know won't hurt her... As Raina's life spirals into a parade of Nani-approved bachelors and disastrous blind dates, she must find a way out of this modern-day arranged-marriage trap without shattering her beloved grandmother's dreams. My Review:  I went into this one thinking it would be a sort of fl...

The Winter Sister by Megan Collins  Publication Date: February 5th, 2019 Pages: 320 (hardcover) Genre: Mystery/Thriller  My Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars Goodreads Synopsis: In the present day, Sylvie returns home to care for her estranged mother, Annie, as she undergoes treatment for cancer. Prone to unexplained “Dark Days” even before Persephone’s death, Annie’s once-close bond with Sylvie dissolved in the weeks after their loss, making for an uncomfortable reunion all these years later. Worse, Persephone’s former boyfriend, Ben, is now a nurse at the cancer center where Annie is being treated. Sylvie’s always believed Ben was responsible for the murder—but she carries her own guilt about that night, guilt that traps her in the past while the world goes on around her. As she navigates the complicated relationship with her mother, Sylvie begins to uncover the secrets that fill their house—and what really happened the night Persephone died. As it turns out, the tr...

Hero at the Fall  by Alwyn Hamilton Publication Date:  March 6th, 2018 Pages: 463 (hardcover) Genre: Young Adult Fantasy My Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars Goodreads Synopsis: When gunslinging Amani Al'Hiza escaped her dead-end town, she never imagined she'd join a revolution, let alone lead one. But after the bloodthirsty Sultan of Miraji imprisoned the Rebel Prince Ahmed in the mythical city of Eremot, she doesn't have a choice. Armed with only her revolver, her wits, and her untameable Demdji powers, Amani must rally her skeleton crew of rebels for a rescue mission through the unforgiving desert to a place that, according to maps, doesn't exist. As she watches those she loves most lay their lives on the line against ghouls and enemy soldiers, Amani questions whether she can be the leader they need or if she is leading them all to their deaths. My Review:  It's been a hot minute since I've actually had time to sit down and read a book, let alone write...

The Art of French Kissing  by Brianna R. Shrum Publication Date: June 5, 2018 Pages: 256 (paperback) Genre: Young Adult/Romance My Goodreads Rating: 4 stars Goodreads Synopsis:  Seventeen-year-old Carter Lane has wanted to be a chef since she was old enough to ignore her mom's warnings to stay away from the hot stove. And now she has the chance of a lifetime: a prestigious scholarship competition in Savannah, where students compete all summer in Chopped style challenges for a full-ride to one of the best culinary schools in the country. The only impossible challenge ingredient in her basket: Reid Yamada. After Reid, her cute but unbearably cocky opponent, goes out of his way to screw her over on day one, Carter vows revenge, and soon they're involved in a full-fledged culinary war. Just as the tension between them reaches its boiling point, Carter and Reid are forced to work together if they want to win, and Carter begins to wonder if Reid's constant presen...

Intercepted by Alexa Martin Publication Date: September 4, 2018 Pages: 320 (kindle) Genre: Contemporary Romance My Goodreads Rating: 4 stars Goodreads Synopsis: Marlee thought she scored with the man of her dreams only to be scorched by a bad breakup. Now there's a new player on the horizon and he's in a whole league of his own... Marlee Harper is the perfect girlfriend. She's sure had enough practice, dating her NFL-star boyfriend for the last ten years. But when she discovers her wide-receiver boyfriend has been tackling other women on the sly, she vows to never date an athlete again. Only one problem: Gavin Pope, the new hotshot quarterback and a fling from the past, has Marlee in his sights. Gavin fights to show Marlee he's nothing like her ex and what a future can be like for them. Unfortunately, not everyone is ready to let her escape her past. Gavin's teammates' wives, who never led the welcome wagon, are not happy with her return, a...

Ghosted by Rosie Walsh  Publication Date: July 24, 2018 Pages:  352 (hardcover) Genre: Contemporary My Goodreads Rating:  4 stars Synopsis:  Seven perfect days. Then he disappeared. A love story with a secret at its heart. When Sarah meets Eddie, they connect instantly and fall in love. To Sarah, it seems as though her life has finally begun. And it's mutual: It's as though Eddie has been waiting for her, too. Sarah has never been so certain of anything. So when Eddie leaves for a long-booked vacation and promises to call from the airport, she has no cause to doubt him. But he doesn't call. Sarah's friends tell her to forget about him, but she can't. She knows something's happened--there must be an explanation. Minutes, days, weeks go by as Sarah becomes increasingly worried. But then she discovers she's right. There is a reason for Eddie's disappearance, and it's the one thing they didn't share with each other: ...

Nothing Left to Burn  by Heather Ezell Publication Date: March 13th, 2018 Pages: 320 (hardcover) Genre: Young Adult My Goodreads Rating: 4 stars Goodreads Synopsis: The autumn morning after sixteen-year-old Audrey Harper loses her virginity, she wakes to a loud, persistent knocking at her front door. Waiting for her are two firemen, there to let her know that the moment she's been dreading has arrived: the enormous wildfire sweeping through Orange County, California, is now dangerously close to her idyllic gated community of Coto de Caza, and it's time to evacuate. Over the course of the next twenty-four hours, as Audrey wrestles with the possibility of losing her family home, she also recalls her early, easy summer days with Brooks, the charming, passionate, but troubled volunteer firefighter who enchants Audrey--and who is just as enthralled by her. But as secrets from Brooks's dark past come to light, Audrey can't help but wonder if there's danger ...

Well, here we are again. Another year, another list of books. I'd love to start this post off by bragging about all the books I've read this year...but I can't. By current count I'm at 101 books. My Goodreads Reading Challenge is set for 120. It was set for 175. But first it was set at 200. This year was rough, y'all. Still! Out of those 101 books I had some pretty great ones. You might know the drill here. I'll post each book with a mini review and a link to my review of it, if you're into that sort of thing. This book is pure magic. Hatfields and McCoys family rivalry, a love story, wit, sarcasm, and magic.  Far From the Tree  is perfection, in my opinion. If you have siblings, even if you aren't a "young adult", you can relate. It's beautiful.  I just realized I never wrote a review for this lovely story so, fail on my part. I know I recommended Graffiti Moon  a while back and this one is just as good. It's about f...