Ash Reads Stuff

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...

T Give the Dark My Love by Beth Revis Publication Date:  September 25, 2018 Pages: 456 (kindle) Genre: Young Adult Fantasy My Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars Goodreads Synopsis: When seventeen-year-old Nedra Brysstain leaves her home in the rural, northern territories of Lunar Island to attend the prestigious Yugen Academy, she has only one goal in mind: learn the trade of medicinal alchemy. A scholarship student matriculating with the children of Lunar Island's wealthiest and most powerful families, Nedra doesn't quite fit in with the other kids at Yugen, who all look down on her. All, except for Greggori "Grey" Astor. Grey is immediately taken by the brilliant and stubborn Nedra, who he notices is especially invested in her studies. And that's for a good reason: a deadly plague has been sweeping through the North, and it's making its way toward the cities. With her family's life--and the lives of all of Lunar Island's citizens--on the line...

Order of Protection  by Lexi Blake Publication Date: June 5, 2018 Pages: 336 (kindle) Genre: Contemporary Romance My Goodreads Rating: 3 stars Synopsis: To high-end defense attorney Henry Garrison, Win Hughes is a woman he met during one of the most trying times of his life. She's soft and warm, and he finds solace in their brief relationship. But Win has a secret. She's actually Taylor Winston-Hughes--born to one of the wealthiest families in the country, orphaned as a child by a tragic accident. Win moves in the wealthiest circles, but her lavish lifestyle hides her pain. When her best friend is murdered in the midst of a glittering New York gala, Win's charged with the crime, and the only person in the world she wants to see is Henry. Henry is shocked at the true identity of his lover, but he can't reject the case. This trial could take his new firm into the stratosphere. Still, he's not getting burned by Win again. And yet every turn brings ...

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 ...

I Have Lost My Way  by Gayle Foreman Publication Date: March 27th, 2018 Pages: 304 (hardcover) Genre: Young Adult My Goodreads Rating: 4 stars Goodreads Synopsis: A powerful story of empathy and friendship from the #1 New York Times Bestselling author of If I Stay. Around the time that Freya loses her voice while recording her debut album, Harun is making plans to run away from everyone he has ever loved, and Nathaniel is arriving in New York City with a backpack, a desperate plan, and nothing left to lose. When a fateful accident draws these three strangers together, their secrets start to unravel as they begin to understand that the way out of their own loss might just lie in help­ing the others out of theirs. An emotionally cathartic story of losing love, finding love, and discovering the person you are meant to be, I Have Lost My Way is best­selling author Gayle Forman at her finest. My Review: Sigh. I love Gayle Foreman. She just has a way of pullin...

A Land of Permanent Goodbyes by Atia Abawi Publication Date: January 23rd, 2018 Pages: 288 (kindle) G enre : Young Adult My Goodreads Rating: 4 stars Goodreads Synopsis: In a country ripped apart by war, Tareq lives with his big and loving family . . . until the bombs strike. His city is in ruins. His life is destroyed. And those who have survived are left to figure out their uncertain future. In the wake of destruction, he's threatened by Daesh fighters and witnesses a public beheading. Tareq's family knows that to continue to stay alive, they must leave. As they travel as refugees from Syria to Turkey to Greece, facing danger at every turn, Tareq must find the resilience and courage to complete his harrowing journey. But while this is one family's story, it is also the timeless tale of all wars, of all tragedy, and of all strife. When you are a refugee, success is outliving your loss. Destiny narrates this heartbreaking story of the consequences of war, sho...

Down and Across by Arvin Ahmadi Publication Date: February 6th, 2018 Pages: 336 (kindle) Genre: Young Adult My Goodreads Rating: 3.5 stars Goodreads Synopsis: Scott Ferdowsi has a track record of quitting. Writing the Great American Novel? Three chapters. His summer internship? One week. His best friends know exactly what they want to do with the rest of their lives, but Scott can hardly commit to a breakfast cereal, let alone a passion. With college applications looming, Scott’s parents pressure him to get serious and settle on a career path like engineering or medicine. Desperate for help, he sneaks off to Washington, DC, to seek guidance from a famous professor who specializes in grit, the psychology of success. He never expects an adventure to unfold out of what was supposed to be a one-day visit. But that’s what Scott gets when he meets Fiora Buchanan, a ballsy college student whose life ambition is to write crossword puzzles. When the bicycle she lends him gets Sc...

Nyxia  by Scott Reintgen Publication Date: September 12th, 2017 Pages:  384 (kindle) Genre: Young Adult My Goodreads Rating:  3 Stars Goodreads Synopsis: Emmett Atwater isn't just leaving Detroit; he's leaving Earth. Why the Babel Corporation recruited him is a mystery, but the number of zeroes on their contract has him boarding their lightship and hoping to return to Earth with enough money to take care of his family. Forever. Before long, Emmett discovers that he is one of ten recruits, all of whom have troubled pasts and are a long way from home. Now each recruit must earn the right to travel down to the planet of Eden--a planet that Babel has kept hidden--where they will mine a substance called Nyxia that has quietly become the most valuable material in the universe. But Babel's ship is full of secrets. And Emmett will face the ultimate choice: win the fortune at any cost, or find a way to fight that won't forever compromise what it means to b...

Spellbook of the Lost and Found  by Moira Fowley-Doyle Publication Date: June 1, 2017 (August 8, 2017) Pages: 368 (hardover) Genre: Young Adult My Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars Goodreads Synopsis: The highly anticipated new book from the acclaimed author of The Accident Season is a gorgeous, twisty story about things gone missing, things returned from the past, and a group of teenagers, connected in ways they could never have imagined. One stormy Irish summer night, Olive and her best friend, Rose, begin to lose things. It starts with simple items like hairclips and jewelry, but soon it's clear that Rose has lost something much bigger, something she won't talk about, and Olive thinks her best friend is slipping away. Then seductive diary pages written by a girl named Laurel begin to appear all over town. And Olive meets three mysterious strangers: Ivy, Hazel, and her twin brother, Rowan, secretly squatting in an abandoned housing estate. The trio are wild and...

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature from The Broke and the Bookish ! This week's topic is Ten Books The Celebrate Diversity/Diverse Characters. Below are some of my favorites that I've read. This is a great story about familial relationships and how we keep things from those we love. The backstory is pretty deep (telling about the family's Chinese American heritage), even though most of the book revolves around Lydia's death. It's interesting to see how the family ends up where they are. I originally picked this one up because I was reading my way through John Green, but it really helped steer me toward David Levithan's work. I loved both of the Will Graysons in this book even though they were complete opposites in so many ways. And, of course, there's Tiny Cooper.  I'm going to have to admit to falling in love with this cover, buying the book, and not even knowing what it was about. I loved the way that Emi grew up in this story...

In the Language of Miracles  by Rajia Hassib Expected Publication Date: August 11, 2015 Pages:  288 (Hardcover)  Genre:  Adult Fiction My Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars My Review: This was an excellent story about a family's pain and how they work to get through it...or don't. What I loved most about this was that Hassib didn't focus too much on the even that tore the family apart, but dealt more with the family's feelings around everything. The family is torn apart by the grief of losing their oldest son, but also because of the way he died. Post 9/11 the Egyptian family has become social outcasts when it comes to their little town in New Jersey. Samir, the family's patriarch is having the hardest time with the social aspect of their situation and desperately wants to make it better by speaking at the memorial of the girl whom his son shot and killed before he killed himself. Of course, the entire family is against this and wants nothing to do with...