Ash Reads Stuff

Dress Codes for Small Towns  by Courtney Stevens Publication Date: August 22nd, 2017 Pages:  352 (kindle) Genre: Young Adult My Goodreads Rating: 4 stars Goodreads Synopsis: As the tomboy daughter of the town’s preacher, Billie McCaffrey has always struggled with fitting the mold of what everyone says she should be. She’d rather wear sweats, build furniture, and get into trouble with her solid group of friends: Woods, Mash, Davey, Fifty, and Janie Lee. But when Janie Lee confesses to Billie that she’s in love with Woods, Billie’s filled with a nagging sadness as she realizes that she is also in love with Woods…and maybe with Janie Lee, too. Always considered “one of the guys,” Billie doesn’t want anyone slapping a label on her sexuality before she can understand it herself. So she keeps her conflicting feelings to herself, for fear of ruining the group dynamic. Except it’s not just about keeping the peace, it’s about understanding love on her terms—this thing th...

Click'd by Tamara Ireland Stone Publication Date: September 7th, 2017 Pages: 208 (Hardcover) Genre: Middle Grade My Goodreads Rating: 3.5 Stars Goodreads Synopsis: Allie Navarro can't wait to show her best friends the app she built at CodeGirls summer camp. CLICK'D pairs users based on common interests and sends them on a fun (and occasionally rule-breaking) scavenger hunt to find each other. And it's a hit. By the second day of school, everyone is talking about CLICK'D. Watching her app go viral is amazing. Leaderboards are filling up! Everyone's making new friends. And with all the data Allie is collecting, she has an even better shot at beating her archenemy, Nathan, at the upcoming youth coding competition. But when Allie discovers a glitch that threatens to expose everyone's secrets, she has to figure out how to make things right, even if that means sharing the computer lab with Nathan. Can Allie fix her app, stop it from doing any mo...

Kissing Max Holden  by Katy Upperman Publication Date: August 1, 2017 Pages: 336 (kindle) Genre: Young Adult My Goodreads Rating:  5 Stars Goodreads Synopsis:  “Jilly. . . if you tell me to go home, I will.” After his father has a life-altering stroke, Max Holden isn't himself. His long-time friend Jillian Eldridge only wants to help him, but she doesn't know how. So when he climbs through her window one night, she knows that she shouldn't let him kiss her. But she does. When they're caught in the act by her dad, she swears it'll never happen again. Because kissing Max Holden is a terrible idea. With a new baby sibling on the way, and her parents fighting all the time, Jillian spends more and more time with Max. And not kissing Max is easier said than done, even though she knows he still has a girlfriend. Will Jill follow her heart, and allow their kisses to blossom into something more, or will she listen to her head and stop kissing Max Holden ...

When Dimple Met Rishi  by Sandhya Menon Publication Date: May 30, 2017 Pages:  380 (hardcover) Genre: Young Adult My Goodreads Rating: 3 Stars Goodreads Synopsis: The rom-com that everyone’s talking about! Eleanor & Park meets Bollywood in this hilarious and heartfelt novel about two Indian-American teens whose parents conspire to arrange their marriage. Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right? Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on boa...

Always and Forever, Lara Jean  by Jenny Han Publication Date: May 2, 2017 Pages: 336 (hardcover) Genre:  Young Adult My Goodreads Rating:  5 Stars Goodreads Synopsis: Lara Jean is having the best senior year a girl could ever hope for. She is head over heels in love with her boyfriend, Peter; her dad’s finally getting remarried to their next door neighbor, Ms. Rothschild; and Margot’s coming home for the summer just in time for the wedding. But change is looming on the horizon. And while Lara Jean is having fun and keeping busy helping plan her father’s wedding, she can’t ignore the big life decisions she has to make. Most pressingly, where she wants to go to college and what that means for her relationship with Peter. She watched her sister Margot go through these growing pains. Now Lara Jean’s the one who’ll be graduating high school and leaving for college and leaving her family—and possibly the boy she loves—behind. When your heart and your head are saying...

The Sun is Also a Star  by Nicole Yoon Publication Date: Novembe 1, 2016 Pages: 384 (kindle) Genre: Young Adult My Goodreads Rating:  3 stars Goodreads Synopsis: Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story. Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us. The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true? My Review:  This...

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...

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...

Wild Swans by Jessica Spotswood Publication Date: May 6th, 2016 Pages: 304 (kindle) Genre: Young Adult My Goodreads Rating: 4 stars Goodreads Synopsis: The summer before Ivy’s senior year is going to be golden; all bonfires, barbeques, and spending time with her best friends. For once, she will just get to be. No summer classes, none of Granddad’s intense expectations to live up to the family name. For generations, the Milbourn women have lead extraordinary lives—and died young and tragically. Granddad calls it a legacy, but Ivy considers it a curse. Why else would her mother have run off and abandoned her as a child? But when her mother unexpectedly returns home with two young daughters in tow, all of the stories Ivy wove to protect her heart start to unravel. The very people she once trusted now speak in lies. And all of Ivy’s ambition and determination cannot defend her against the secrets of the Milbourn past… My Review:  I picked this up for my kindle on sale...

The Impossible Fortress  by Jason Rekulak Publication Date: February 7, 2017 Pages:  304 (kindle) Genre:  Young Adult  My Goodreads Rating:  3 stars Goodreads Synopsis: Billy Marvin’s first love was a computer. Then he met Mary Zelinsky. Do you remember your first love? The Impossible Fortress begins with a magazine…The year is 1987 and Playboy has just published scandalous photographs of Vanna White, from the popular TV game show Wheel of Fortune. For three teenage boys—Billy, Alf, and Clark—who are desperately uneducated in the ways of women, the magazine is somewhat of a Holy Grail: priceless beyond measure and impossible to attain. So, they hatch a plan to steal it. The heist will be fraught with peril: a locked building, intrepid police officers, rusty fire escapes, leaps across rooftops, electronic alarm systems, and a hyperactive Shih Tzu named Arnold Schwarzenegger. Failed attempt after failed attempt leads them to a genius master plan—the...

Meet Me Halfway  by Kim Carmody Publication Date: December 6, 2016 Genre:  Contemporary Romance My Goodreads Rating:  3.5 stars NetGalley Summary: An ambitious journalist on a fast track to success. A first round draft pick determined to keep his personal life his own. And a story that proves sometimes opposites really do attract. Olivia Callahan is a woman on a mission. Her boss has given her the green light to produce her very own documentary, and she’s not going to let anything get in the way of perfection. After a few setbacks in college, Nate Sullivan is finally on his way to the big leagues as the newest recruit for the New York Warriors. Determined to put his somewhat colorful past behind him, Nate’s all about the straight and narrow as he sets out to prove he’s worthy of his first round draft pick. The last thing Nate wants is to delve into stories from his past. But when his new team directs him to set the record straight, he has no choice but t...

Swear on This Life  by Renee Carlino Publication Date: August 9,2016 Pages:  320 (paperback)  Genre:  Contemporary Romance My Goodreads Rating:  3 Stars Goodreads Synopsis: When a bestselling debut novel from mysterious author J.Colby becomes the literary event of the year, Emiline reads it reluctantly. As an adjunct writing instructor at UC San Diego with her own stalled literary career and a bumpy long-term relationship, Emiline isn’t thrilled to celebrate the accomplishments of a young and gifted writer. Yet from the very first page, Emiline is entranced by the story of Emerson and Jackson, two childhood best friends who fall in love and dream of a better life beyond the long dirt road that winds through their impoverished town in rural Ohio. That’s because the novel is patterned on Emiline’s own dark and desperate childhood, which means that “J. Colby” must be Jase: the best friend and first love she hasn’t seen in over a decade. Far from being...

Dumplin'  by Julie Murphy Publication Date:  September 15, 2015 Pages:  375 (hardcover)  Genre:  Contemporary/Young Adult My Goodreads Rating:  5 Stars  Goodreads Synopsis:  Self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson (dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom) has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked…until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back. Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Clover City beauty pagea...

Beneath Wandering Stars  by Ashlee Cowles Publication Date:  August 1, 2016 Pages:  272 (hardcover)  Genre: Young Adult My Goodreads Rating:  4.5 Stars  Goodreads Synopsis: After her soldier brother is horribly wounded in Afghanistan, Gabriela must honor the vow she made: If anything ever happened to him, she would walk the Camino de Santiago through Spain, making a pilgrimage in his name. The worst part is that the promise stipulates that she must travel with her brother's best friend--a boy she has despised all her life. Her brother is in a coma, and Gabi feels that she has no time to waste, but she is unsure. Will she hesitate too long, or risk her own happiness to keep a promise? An up-close look at the lives of the children of military families, "Beneath Wandering Stars" takes readers on a journey of love, danger, laughter, and friendship, against all odds. My Review:  This is, in my opinion, what a YA book should be like. Sure, i...

This Side of Home  by Renee Watson Publication Date: February 3, 2015 Pages:  336 (paperback)  Genre:  Young Adult  My Goodreads Rating:  4 Stars Goodreads Synopsis: Maya Younger and her identical twin sister, Nikki, have always agreed on the important things. Friends. Boys. School. They even plan to attend the same historically African American college. But nothing can always remain the same. As their Portland neighborhood goes from rough-and-tumble to up-and-coming, Maya feels her connection to Nikki and their community slipping away. Nikki spends more time at trendy coffee shops than backyard barbecues, and their new high school principal is more committed to erasing the neighborhood's "ghetto" reputation than honoring its history. Home doesn't feel like home anymore. As Maya struggles to hold on to her black heritage, she begins to wonder with whom--or where--she belongs. Does growing up have to mean growing apart? In a captivating coming-...

A Court of Mist and Fury   by Sarah J. Maas Publication Date : May 3rd, 2016 Pages:  624 (hardcover)  Genre:  Fantasy My Goodreads Rating:  5 Stars Goodreads Synopsis: Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people. Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two. My Review:  Okay, Sarah. You got me again. Around this time last year I read A Court of Thorns and Roses (read my review here ) and completely fell in love with...

Not If I See You First  by Eric Lindstrom Publication Date:  December 1, 2015 Pages: 310 (hardcover) Genre: Young Adult My Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars Goodreads Synopsis: The Rules: Don’t deceive me. Ever. Especially using my blindness. Especially in public. Don’t help me unless I ask. Otherwise you're just getting in my way or bothering me. Don’t be weird. Seriously, other than having my eyes closed all the time, I’m just like you only smarter. Parker Grant doesn’t need 20/20 vision to see right through you. That’s why she created the Rules: Don’t treat her any differently just because she’s blind, and never take advantage. There will be no second chances. Just ask Scott Kilpatrick, the boy who broke her heart. When Scott suddenly reappears in her life after being gone for years, Parker knows there’s only one way to react—shun him so hard it hurts. She has enough on her mind already, like trying out for the track team (that’s right, her eyes don’t work but her l...

Morning Star   by Pierce Brown Publication Date: February 9, 2016 Pages: 518 (hardcover) Genre: Young Adult/Science Fiction My Goodreads Rating:  5 Stars Red Rising Recap: Darrow, a lowly Red, is Carved by the Sons of Ares to become a Gold. He is sent to train at the Institute and take down Society from the inside. Golden Son Recap: Darrow begins a civil war, Gold against Gold. But in the end, it's him who suffers. Morning Star Synopsis:  Darrow would have lived in peace, but his enemies brought him war. The Gold overlords demanded his obedience, hanged his wife, and enslaved his people. But Darrow is determined to fight back. Risking everything to transform himself and breach Gold society, Darrow has battled to survive the cutthroat rivalries that breed Society's mightiest warriors, climbed the ranks, and waited patiently to unleash the revolution that will tear the hierarchy apart from within. Finally, the time has come. But devotion to honor and hun...