555 Books Read In 2018 YAY!

YAY! My 2018 Book Total 555 YAY! I want to thank @goodreads for the best site online, @shelfawareness for all the book emails, all the Amazing Publishing Companies, the Creative Authors and all the Generous Giveaway Holders for an awesome reading year! Happy New Year!

December Wrap Up

December Wrap Up! Dec. Reads - 53 = 5 reads, 2 = 4reads, 2 = 3reads, 1 = 2reads & 0 = 1reads for a total of 58 Books read in Nov! Total Books on 2018 Favorites List = 461! Total Books Read in 2018 = 555 Books YAY! My Goodreads https://tinyurl.com/ybnjyttf 

Front Desk

Stars 5/5

Front Desk by Kelly Yang

OMG! I just loved this story. This is such a heart touching book. This is one of those stories that makes you happy that you got to read it. The book follows ten year old Mia and her family after they immigrated to the US from China. Mia's family is having a hard time getting settled and soon take a job at a hotel. It is so hard work that Mia takes on the job as desk manager while her parents clean all the rooms. The hotel is owned by a horrible man that starts deducting money from Mia's family for everything. I don't want to go into the story more as to not spoil it but this is a "Must Read"! I highly recommend it to kids of all ages.

Tell Me Three Things

Stars 5/5

Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum

OMG! What a wonderful book! I just loved this story. So very unique and creative! The book follows Jessie, a high school girl, that has recently lost her Mother to cancer and her Father remarried a rich lady which means Jessie had to move from Chicago to sunny California. On her first day at school, she receives a text message from Somebody Nobody that offers to help her navigate her new school and even people to befriend. Jessie and this mysterious texter soon develop a friendship. I do not want to go into the story more as to not spoil it but OMG I highly recommend it.

Boy Meets Boy

Stars 4/5

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

A very cute read! I just love m/m romance books. The story follows Paul, a high school age boy, that fell in love with Noah but things happen that could jeopardize even Noah's friendship. The book focuses on lots of obstacles facing them and their friends. I don't want to go into the story more as to not spoil it but I do recommend it to those who enjoy a fun contemporary read.

Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls

Stars 2/5

Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls by Lynn Weingarten

First I must say that I really loved the idea of this book but I must say that it kinda fell short at the end. I did love all the twists and turns but who knows about that ending. The story follows June, a high school girl that used to be friends with Delia. One day, she finds out Delia committed suicide but doesn't believe it. So she sets out to find out the truth. I don't want to go into the story more as to not spoil it but I will say that things and people are not always as they seem. 

The Last Kids On Earth

Stars 5/5

The Last Kids On Earth by Max Brallier

Illustrated by Douglas Holgate

I really enjoyed this book! The story follows Jack, a young boy, that has been living in his tree house ever since the town became over run by monsters and zombies. His goal is to find his best friend and June, his crush, all while fighting off monsters and hiding from Blarg, the monster searching for Jack. I don't want to go into the book more as to not spoil it but it was a very fun read and amazing illustrations. I highly recommend it to kids of all ages.

Crawlspace: A Horror Short Story

Stars 5/5

Crawlspace: A Horror Short Story by Darcy Coates

I just loved this short story as I do most of this author's books. The story was very creative and always a bit creepy. The story follows a family that moves into an old house and Erica, the daughter, starts to hear scratching noises. I am not going to go into this story more as to not spoil it because it is very short but I will say I am not fond of small spaces that is why this book spooked me out. I highly recommend it.

The Haunting Of Gillespie House

Stars 5/5

The Haunting Of Gillespie House by Darcy Coates

OMG this book was so unique and creative. I just loved this story as I do most of Darcy Coates books. This story follows Elle, a young woman who is hired to house sit a property called the Gillespie House. Elle enjoys exploring the old house finding lots of vintage furniture until she hears the scratching. I don't want to go into this story more as to not spoil it but I highly recommend it to everyone who loves a creepy book to read.

The Haunting Of Rookward House

Stars 5/5

The Haunting Of Rookward House by Darcy Coates

WOW! This book is amazing! Lots of twists and turns that kept me reading more. The story follows Guy, a young man that had recently moved back in with his Mother to help her out and other reasons that I am not going to go into here because it is part of the story that may spoil it. One day he is helping his Mother out by cleaning the attic and finds that she owns a house just three hours away. Guy decides to go to the house and fix it up to sell it so him and his Mother can move and that is when the crazy creepy starts. I highly recommend this books as well as other books by this author. They are always spooky and great reads.

The Haunting Of Blackwood House

Stars 5/5

The Haunting Of Blackwood House by Darcy Coates

I just love Darcy Coates Books! They are always so creative and unique. This book follows Mara, a daughter of spiritualists, but now as an adult she hates her childhood and refuses to believe in anything supernatural. Mara has lived in a one room apt as she saved up enough money to buy a place of her own and finally she is ready to buy and she falls in love and is drawn to Blackwood House. She moves in while her and her fiance, Neil, to renovate and that is when things start to happen. I do not want to go into the story more as to not spoil it but I highly recommend it. The story is awesome and a bit creepy. 

The Shade Of The Moon

Stars 5/5

The Shade Of The Moon by Susan Beth Pfeffer

This is the fourth and last book in the Last Survivors series and I have to say I am sad to see it go and hope to revisit these characters again. The story follows Jon, Miranda's younger brother, and how he is dealing with being separated from his family because he, Lisa and baby Gabriel used the tickets to get into an elite town. I do not want to go into this story more as to not spoil it but I highly recommend the book and the series to all who love an apocalyptic adventure.

This World We Live In

Stars 5/5

This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer

This is the third book in the Last Survivors series and OMG I just loved this book as well. In this book, it goes back to Miranda's family and how her father shows up with his wife and new baby. Also in tow was Charlie, Alex and his sister Julie. They are continuing to stay alive as best as they can until the tornado hits. I do not want to go into the story as to not spoil it but I definitely recommend this book as well as the series. Can't wait to start the last book YAY!

The Little Mermaid

Stars 5/5

The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson

Of course this is not the first time I have ever read, The Little Mermaid but it had been a very long time. I really love this story and how she gave up so much even knowing the consequences she would face if she failed to succeed in having the prince fall in love with her. Even though this is a bit graphic, I would still recommend it to everyone.

The Dead And The Gone

Stars 5/5

The Dead And The Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

This is the second book in the Last Survivors series. I didn't think I was going to love this book like I did the first book but OMG I just loved this book as well. The story follows young Alex and his two sisters Bri and Julie and how they are dealing with the new apocalyptic world. Due to their mother and father missing, Alex had to take care of his sisters and making the hard choices whether to send them away with the church or with family. I highly recommend this book as well as the series. I am going to continue on with the third and final fourth book.

The Nowhere Girls

Stars 5/5

The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed

I am going to be honest when I first started this book, I didn't think I would like it but OMG I loved it! Such an amazing book. This is one of those books that you can't put down once you start. The story follows three girls that are not popular at school but become friends and set out on a mission to stop the popular boys, who are drugging girls and raping them. This is a very empowering book that goes to show that even a very few can make a difference. Stand Up and Be Strong. I highly recommend this book to everyone, girls and boys alike.

Dive Smack

Stars 5/5

Dive Smack by Demetra Brodsky
(note... This book made it to my 2018 Favorites List)

Oh how I really loved this book! The story was such a mystery that I couldn't put the book down until I was finished! The story follows Theo, a high school dive champion that lived with his grandfather because his mother and father both died. Theo grew up knowing that he was the reason his mother died horribly in the house fire that he accidentally started but his memory blocked out so much. Now, as he is getting older, things start coming back to his memory. I do not want to go into the story more as to not spoil it but I will say that you will never guess the ending even if you try. I highly recommend this book to everyone who loves a "who done it"!

Puddin' (Dumplin' #2)

Stars 5/5

Puddin' (Dumplin' #2) by Julie Murphy

First, I have to be honest to say that I loved this book better than Dumplin'. This book was amazing and I just couldn't put it down. The story followed Millie, an overweight girl in high school that had dreams of becoming a news anchor and Callie, the pretty girl in school that was on the high school dance team. I am not going to go into the story much because I do not want to spoil it but I will say that sometimes when bad things happen good things come from it. I highly recommend this book to everyone. I just loved it.

Side Effects May Vary

Stars 4/5

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

I am going to be honest when I say that at first I hated the main character, Alice, but after I thought about it awhile, I really understand why she did what she did. Sometimes pain makes us do things we really shouldn't do or say and sometimes it makes us learn hard lessons. The story follows Alice, a young girl who is dying from leukemia and while she was still able to be active, she decides to get even with all the people who have bullied her and an ex-boyfriend that dumped her. Alice's life is a roller coaster of not only physical issues but trying to cope mentally as well. I do not want to go into the story more as to not spoil it but I do highly recommend it. 

The Disasters

Stars 5/5

The Disasters by M.K. England

This book was Amazing! I just loved it! The story follows Nax Hall, a young guy who liked to take chances. A space pilot that when he was good, he was awesomely good but when he was bad, it was horribly bad. The first day of the Academy, he and a few others were kicked out due to poor performance and as they were heading back to Earth, the Academy came under siege leaving Nax and the others to flee on their own, only to be blamed for the whole incident. Now wanted by the law, Nax and his new friends must find a way to prove their innocence and save the worlds. I highly recommend this book to everyone who loves a little sci-fi adventure.

And Tango Makes Three

Stars 5/5

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson & Peter Parnell

Illustrated by Henry Cole

OMG I just loved this true story! The book follows the lives of two male chinstrap penguins at the Central Park Zoo and how their relationship grew into a life long partnership. I am sure most know the story but for those who don't I will not spoil it. I highly recommend this book to everyone of all ages. Beautiful Illustrations!

The Fir Tree

Stars 5/5

The Fir Tree by Hans Christian Anderson

This is definitely not the first time I read this story but I always loved this book especially around the holiday season. The story follows a little fir tree and how he wished the people would come and take him out of the forest like he sees other trees go. I don't want to go into the story more as to not spoil it but I highly recommend it to kids of all ages.

Cherry

Stars 3/5

Cherry by Nico Walker

I am going to be honest in saying that I went into this book not knowing what it was about and it did surprise me that it was an interesting read. I am not really into addiction fiction but I did like the parts about his deployment to war. The story follows a young guy's life in dealing with love, drug addictions, unhealthy relationships and bank robbery. The one thing that interested me most was the book was written in prison. I would recommend the book to people who love stories about addiction, drug running, armed forces service and cliff hanger endings.

Jack Of Hearts (And Other Parts)

Stars 5/5

Jack Of Hearts (And Other Parts) by Lev A.C. Rosen

WOW! I just loved this book! The story is fun and very interesting. A contemporary mixed with a mystery to solve. I couldn't get enough of this book and I would love to see more like it. The story follows Jack, a young gay teen who loves to have sex and lots of it. He is asked to write a teen sex column for his friend's online blog and that is when everything starts to happen. Jack is getting anonymous love notes in his locker at school and as time goes on they start to get creepy and even violent. I do not want to go into the story more as to not spoil it but I have to say that this book does go into some graphic sexual fantasies but deals with them in a very educated way so I highly recommend it to everyone. 

Stronger, Faster, And More Beautiful

Stars 5/5

Stronger, Faster, And More Beautiful by Arwen Elys Dayton

This story is really six interconnected stories and I have to say WOW! All of the stories are so very creative and unique. Of course, I had my favs but they all follow the same topics of human body manipulation and extending life. Set in a futuristic Earth, humans can undergo surgeries to replace body parts with a mesh like skin and even adding parts to do what no human could ever do before. I don't want to go into the stories as to not spoil them. I highly recommend this book to everyone especially those who love a tale of twisted proportions. 

The Loneliest Girl In The Universe

Stars 5/5

The Loneliest Girl In The Universe by Lauren James

WoW! I just loved this book. What an interesting and creative story line. I loved the characters and I am the first to raise my hand in wanting a book 2! The book follows a young girl named Romy who was born in space on the way to Earth 2 but things go very wrong and she is left alone. I want to say more about the story but I am afraid if I do I may ruin it so I just want to say that things are not always as they seem. This book has a few twists and turns that keep you glued to the seat. I highly recommend the book to everyone especially if you love Space.

This Heart Of Mine

Stars 5/5

This Heart Of Mine by C.C. Hunter

(note... This book made it to my 2018 Favorites List)

WoW! This book is amazing to say the very least. It has a bit of everything - romance, tragedy and mystery all rolled up in one book! I loved it! The story follows Leah, a 17 yr old girl who is on the heart transplant list and Matt, who is Leah's crush from school and a twin dealing with the death of his Father and now his twin Eric. Leah was the recipient of Eric's heart and now she is having dreams about his death which brings Leah and Matt closer.  I do not want to go into the story more as to not spoil it but OMG this is a "Must Read"! I highly recommend it to everyone who loves a great romance with obstacles and a mystery to find the "who done it" or did they? This book made it to my 2018 Favorites List!

The Darkest Dark

Stars 5/5

The Darkest Dark by Astronaut Chris Hadfield

Illustrated by Terry Fan & Eric Fan

This is a wonderful book about overcoming fears of the dark. Beautiful Illustrations. The story follows a young boy who is scared of the dark and how he found a dream that helped him not be so afraid anymore. This book was inspired by Astronaut Chris Hadfield and I highly recommend the book to kids of all ages. Follow your dreams.

The Biggest Snowman Ever

Stars 5/5

The Biggest Snowman Every by Steven Kroll

Illustrated by Jeni Bassett

Such a cute little mousy book! I just loved this story and the wonderful illustrations. The story follows two little mice named Desmond and Clayton who find out the Mayor of Mouseville announced a snowman contest. So they set out each to build the biggest snowman. I don't want to go more into the story not to spoil it but I highly recommend this book to kids of all ages especially during the winter/holiday season.

Snow

Stars 5/5

Snow by Uri Shulevitz

This was a wonderful children's book about the falling snow. No one believes that it is going to snow except the little boy and his dog. While reading this, it brought back memories of when I was young and would watch the snow fall and start to accumulate. I highly recommend this book to kids of all ages especially during the winter season.  

Meet Cute

Stars 5/5

Meet Cute by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Dhonielle Clayton

Katie Cotugno

Jocelyn Davies

Nina LaCour

Emery Lord

Katherine McGee

Kass Morgan

Julie Murphy

Meredith Russo

Sara Shephard

Nicola Yoon

Ibi Zoboi

OMG! I just loved this short story anthology. In fact, some of the stories I was sad to see them end. I liked it that much. All the stories are about differing ways people meet that could change their lives. I really hope there will be another book released like this one. This was such a fun read and I highly recommend it to everyone!

The Final Six

Stars 5/5

The Final Six by Alexandra Monir

OMG I Need The Second Book! This book was amazing to say the least! I just loved the story and all the characters. This follows Leo, a champion swimmer from Italy and Naomi, a Science genius from the USA. They are both chosen along with 22 other teenagers to compete for a chance to be the final six to fly to Jupiter's moon, Europa and set up a human colony because Earth is getting inhabitable due to Mother Nature. I am not going into the story more as to not spoil it but I will say that there is a love interest and the ending will having you needing the next book asap! I highly recommend this book to everyone. 

The Girl Who Was Supposed To Die

Stars 5/5

The Girl That Was Supposed To Die by April Henry

WOW! This is the second book I have read by this author and I am loving it. This book was so creative and mysterious it definitely kept me on the edge of my seat and I did not put this book down until it was done. A very fast read for me because it was full of adventure and suspense. I just loved it. The story follows a young girl named April who wakes up in a cabin just as she is going to be killed. She has no clue why or even who she really is. All she is knows is that she must act now or she will be dead. I don't want to go into the story more as to not spoil it but I highly recommend it for everyone who loves an awesome thriller and suspense.

Twelve Steps To Normal

Stars 5/5

Twelve Steps To Normal by Farrah Penn

First, I must say that I rarely read books regarding addiction but I really loved this book because it focused more on the positive of change than the negativity. The story follows Kira, a young girl who is dealing with her Father's alcoholism and how it has affected her life. She goes to live with her aunt leaving behind her friends and school. After her Father goes through rehab, she comes home to find her Father has moved in a few of his friends from rehab. Kira hates this and is embarrassed of it. Hiding more from her friends and the social worker. I do not want to go into the story more as to not spoil it but this book is about friendships, family and coming together to support one another. I highly recommend it. 

Four Three Two One

Stars 5/5

Four Three Two One by Courtney Stevens

OMG what an amazing story! I just loved it. The story follows a girl named Golden, who survives a bus bombing. She wasn't even supposed to be on that bus but because of fate and chance her and her boyfriend, Chandler, end up on the bus and in the middle of this horrible event. The book brings her and the other survivors together to deal with the emotional and physical trauma they all suffered. I do not want to go into the book more as to not spoil it but I highly recommend it to everyone. This book deals with some hard issues but through it all friendships are made.

Snowmen All Year

Stars 5/5

Snowmen All Year by Caralyn Buehner

Illustrated by Mark Buehner

Another wonderful book! The story is about a young boy who wishes that his snowman would be magical and could stay with him the whole year though. Beautiful Illustrations. A fun read for kids of all ages. I highly recommend it.

Snowmen At Night

Stars 5/5

Snowmen At Night by Caralyn Buehner

Illustrated by Mark Buehner

This is a wonderful story about what Snowmen do at night while you are asleep. I just loved this fun book with beautiful illustrations. Perfect read for everyone of all ages especially during the winter/holiday season.

Rosetown

Stars 5/5

Rosetown by Cynthia Rylant

This book was a wonderful story. I really enjoyed it. The book follows a little girl named Flora who lives in a town called Rosetown. She is going through some hard times starting with her doggie dying and then her parents separated but she found solace in reading vintage books at the Wing and Chair Used Book Shop where her mother works and her friends. I don't want to go into the story more as to not spoil it but I highly recommend it kids of all ages especially during the winter/holiday season.