Ash Reads Stuff

Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley Publication Date: June 6th, 2017 Pages: 273 (hardcover) Genre: Young Adult My Goodreads Rating: 5 stars Goodreads Synopsis: Love lives between the lines. Years ago, Rachel had a crush on Henry Jones. The day before she moved away, she tucked a love letter into his favorite book in his family’s bookshop. She waited. But Henry never came. Now Rachel has returned to the city—and to the bookshop—to work alongside the boy she’d rather not see, if at all possible, for the rest of her life. But Rachel needs the distraction, and the escape. Her brother drowned months ago, and she can’t feel anything anymore. She can’t see her future. Henry’s future isn’t looking too promising, either. His girlfriend dumped him. The bookstore is slipping away. And his family is breaking apart. As Henry and Rachel work side by side—surrounded by books, watching love stories unfold, exchanging letters between the pages—they find hope in each other. Because lif...

The Song of David  by Amy Harmon Publication Date:  June 13, 2015 Pages:  260 (kindle)  Genre:  Fiction/Romance My Goodreads Rating:  4 Stars Goodreads Synopsis: She said I was like a song. Her favorite song. A song isn’t something you can see. It’s something you feel, something you move to, something that disappears after the last note is played. I won my first fight when I was eleven years old, and I’ve been throwing punches ever since. Fighting is the purest, truest, most elemental thing there is. Some people describe heaven as a sea of unending white. Where choirs sing and loved ones await. But for me, heaven was something else. It sounded like the bell at the beginning of a round, it tasted like adrenaline, it burned like sweat in my eyes and fire in my belly. It looked like the blur of screaming crowds and an opponent who wanted my blood. For me, heaven was the octagon. Until I met Millie, and heaven became something different. I became ...

Exit, Pursued by a Bear  by E.K. Johnston Publication Date: March 15, 2016 Pages:  248 (hardcover) Genre: Young Adult  My Goodreads Rating:  4.5 Stars Goodreads Synopsis: “ I love you,” Polly says suddenly when I’m almost to the door. “I know,” I say. Hermione Winters has been a flyer. She’s been captain of her cheerleading team. The envied girlfriend and the undisputed queen of her school. Now it’s her last year and those days and those labels are fading fast. In a few months she’ll be a different person. She thinks she’s ready for whatever comes next. But then someone puts something in her drink at a party, and in an instant she finds herself wearing new labels, ones she never imagined: Victim. Survivor. That raped girl. Even though this was never the future she imagined, one essential thing remains unchanged: Hermione can still call herself Polly Olivier’s best friend, and that may be the truest label of all. Heartbreaking and empowering, Exit,...

Leave Me by Gayle Forman Publication Date: September 6, 2016 Pages:  352(kindle) Genre: Adult Fiction/Contemporary  My Goodreads Rating:  4.5 Stars Goodreads Description: International bestselling author Gayle Forman's trademark humor and insight abound in this masterful adult debut, showing us that sometimes you have to leave home in order to find it again. For every woman who has ever fantasized about driving past her exit on the highway instead of going home to make dinner, for every woman who has ever dreamed of boarding a train to a place where no one needs constant attention--meet Maribeth Klein. A harried working mother who's so busy taking care of her husband and twins, she doesn't even realize she's had a heart attack. Afterward, surprised to discover that her recuperation seems to be an imposition on those who rely on her, Maribeth does the unthinkable: She packs a bag and leaves. But, as is so often the case, once we get to where we're going,...

Where the Stars Still Shine  by Trish Doller Publication Date: September 24, 2013 Pages: 352 (hardcover) Genre: Young Adult My Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars Goodreads Synopsis: Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She's never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from laundromat vending machines. Her dreams are haunted by memories she’d like to forget completely. But when Callie’s mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie’s real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life, in a small town in Florida, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love--even with someone who seems an improbable choice--is more than just a possibility. Trish Doller writes incredibly real teens, and this searing story of love, betrayal...

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...

Unhooked  by Lisa Maxwell Publication Date: February 2, 2016 Pages:  342 (hardcover Genre:  Young Adult My Goodreads Rating:  4 Stars Goodreads Synopsis: For as long as she can remember, Gwendolyn Allister has never had a place to call home—all because her mother believes that monsters are hunting them. Now these delusions have brought them to London, far from the life Gwen had finally started to build for herself. The only saving grace is her best friend, Olivia, who’s coming with them for the summer. But when Gwen and Olivia are kidnapped by shadowy creatures and taken to a world of flesh-eating sea hags and dangerous Fey, Gwen realizes her mom might have been sane all along. The world Gwen finds herself in is called Neverland, yet it’s nothing like the stories. Here, good and evil lose their meaning and memories slip like water through her fingers. As Gwen struggles to remember where she came from and find a way home, she must choose between tru...

Hooray, another Top Ten Tuesday (a weekly feature brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish ). This week's topic is ten books to read if you're in the mood for ________. My list is the Top Ten Books to Read If You're in the Mood to Cry Your Face Off. This is probably a terrible idea, but here we go! (Click the books to go to Goodreads!) Well, there you have it. Get your tissues ready. 

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...

Torn Away  by Jennifer Brown Publication Date: May 6, 2014 Pages: 288 (kindle) Genre: Young Adult  My Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars Goodreads Synopsis: Jersey Cameron has always loved a good storm. Watching the clouds roll in and the wind pick up. Smelling the electricity in the air. Dancing barefoot in the rain. She lives in the Midwest, after all, where the weather is sure to keep you guessing. Jersey knows what to do when the tornado sirens sound. But she never could have prepared for this. When her town is devastated by a tornado, Jersey loses everything. As she struggles to overcome her grief, she's sent to live with relatives she hardly knows-family who might as well be strangers. In an unfamiliar place, can Jersey discover that even on the darkest of days, there are some things no tornado can destroy? In this powerful and poignant novel, acclaimed author Jennifer Brown delivers a story of love, loss, hope, and survival. My Review:  This book ...

The Way Back to You  by Michelle Andreani & Mindi Scott Publication Date: May 3, 2016 Pages: 384 (kindle) Genre: Young Adult  My Goodreads Rating:  4 Stars Goodreads Synopsis: In this witty, heart-tugging novel, two teens take a spontaneous road trip across the Southwest to meet three strangers who received the life-saving organs of their late best friend—charting a journey of loss, hope, and love along the way. Six months ago, Ashlyn Montiel died in a bike accident. Her best friend Cloudy is keeping it together, at least on the outside. Cloudy’s insides are a different story: tangled, confused, heartbroken. Kyle is falling apart, and everyone can tell. Ashlyn was his girlfriend, and when she died, a part of him went with her. Maybe the only part he cares about anymore. As the two people who loved Ashlyn best, Cloudy and Kyle should be able to lean on each other. But after a terrible mistake last year, they're barely speaking. So when Cloudy discovers th...

The Bright Effect by Autumn Doughton & Erica Cope Publication Date: November 16, 2015 Genre: Young Adult My Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars Goodreads Synopsis:  “Maybe promises are supposed to hurt a little.” Amelia Bright has lots of plans for the future, and none of them involve falling for a guy like Sebastian Holbrook. With a questionable reputation and an attitude to match, he’s exactly the kind of guy Amelia promised herself she’d avoid. But after an encounter that leaves her charged and breathless, she can’t stop wondering about him and the secrets he keeps hidden behind that tough exterior. Sebastian knows firsthand that every single choice has a consequence and how a fragile promise can shape a life. Now that his mother is gone and he’s raising his little brother on his own, he’s all but given up on a future for himself. Struggling to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads, Sebastian doesn’t have time for games or girls. So why can’t he shake though...

After You  by Jojo Moyes Publication Date: September 29, 2015 Pages:  352 (hardcover) Genre: Adult Fiction/Contemporary My Goodreads Rating: 3.5 Stars Goodreads Synopsis: A NOTE FROM JOJO MOYES ABOUT HER EXCITING NEW NOVEL, AFTER YOU: Dear Reader, I wasn't going to write a sequel to Me Before You. But for years, readers kept asking and I kept wondering what Lou did with her life. In the end the idea came, as they sometimes do, at 5:30 in the morning, leaving me sitting bolt upright in my bed and scrambling for my pen. It has been such a pleasure revisiting Lou and her family, and the Traynors, and confronting them with a whole new set of issues. As ever, they have made me laugh, and cry. I hope readers feel the same way at meeting them—especially Lou—again. And I'm hoping that those who love Will will find plenty to enjoy. —Jojo Moyes My Review:  If we're friends on Goodreads it's no surprise I'm a huge fan of Jojo Moyes. She writes amazing contemp...

So, I skipped last week's TTT because I haven't really read that many fairy tale retellings, but I got a lot of great recs from reading other blogs! This week's Top Ten Tuesday , a weekly feature provided by The Broke and the Bookish , is: Top Ten Authors I've Read the Most Books From. J.K. Rowling Also: The Cuckoo's Calling.  Rick Riordan   Percy <3 John Green   Julia Spencer-Fleming WHEN DOES THE NEXT ONE COME OUT?  Susanna Kearsley  All the swoons. Rainbow Rowell Sighs. Swoons. Smiles.  Jojo Moyes This was my first book by her and it literally left me face down on the couch. I'm working my way through the rest of her lovely words.  David Levithan Sarah Dessen And, of course, Saint Anything .  Gayle Forman All the feels.  Those are just a few of my favorite authors/books. I've got more, but this is just a Top Ten List.  This is probably my favor...

The Day We Met by Rowan Coleman Publication Date:  March 31, 2015 Pages: 304 (Paperback) Genre: Adult Fiction My Goodreads Rating: 3.5 Stars Goodreads Synopsis: The name of your first-born. The face of your lover. Your age. Your address… What would happen if your memory of these began to fade? Is it possible to rebuild your life? Raise a family? Fall in love again? When Claire starts to write her Memory Book, she already knows that this scrapbook of mementoes will soon be all her daughters and husband have of her. In her mid-40s, Claire is scared and increasingly confused by the world around her, struggling to hold onto her identity as thoughts of her mother, her daughters, and her husband grow fuzzier every day. Fearing what will happen if those memories fade altogether, her family’s gift of a red sketchpad is her most treasured possession. As they fill it with scenes from a joyous life lived together, Claire again experiences the ecstatic highs and terrible lows ...