June Reading Wrap-up!

We’re officially half-way through the year now, and I’ve made a (very long) list of all the books I’ve read so far, which I’ll be posting probably next week. I’m still trying to jazz it up! But here are the books I read in June - though not as many as I’d hoped because I went on holiday - which is six paperbacks and one kindle book. 

The Fill-in Boyfriend by Kasie West - when Gia finds a guy in the car park to fill-in for the boyfriend that just dumped her right before going into prom, she doesn’t see him as anything more than someone to help prove to her friends that Bradley existed. but that could all change as she finds herself falling for him. ★★★★★ buy here

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landua-Banks by E. Lockhart - when Frankie finds out that her boyfriend, Matthew, is part of an all-boys secret society at their preparatory school, she hatches a plan to take over the group. ★★★★★ buy here

Remix by Non Pratt - lifelong best friends, Ruby and Kaz, go to the music festival Remix to forget about their ex-boyfriends and enjoy the music. they had no idea that both their exes would be there too. ★★★★★ buy here

Blue by Lisa Glass - pro-surfer Zeke meets Iris when he’s visiting his family in Newquay, Cornwall. Iris loves the surf, and Zeke only increases her passion for the sport. he even thinks Iris could make it as a pro, like him. ★★★★★ buy here

Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone - Sam’s OCD is spiralling out-of-control, until she meets Caroline, who introduces her to Poet’s Corner...and AJ. this secret poetry club at their school gets her away from her toxic best friends and makes her feel better. ★★★★ (*this was sent to me by Disney-Hyperion) buy here

Lobsters by Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison - when Sam and Hannah meet in a bathroom at a party, they know they are each other’s lobster - but they don’t do anything about it. so fate has to step him, and arrange little meet-ups for them. ★★★★★ buy here

Air by Lisa Glass - Iris and Zeke are taking a little holiday in Miami in between surfing commitments, and something is different about Zeke. perhaps one week is all it takes to put out a summer romance. ★★★★★ (*this was sent to me by Quercus) buy here

So, although I didn’t read as many books as I wanted to this month, I loved everything I read and I am still ahead of my goodreads reading challenge!

It was also a wonderful month for meeting authors, as I met E. Lockhart a couple of weeks ago and Lisa Glass last week!

E. Lockhart

Lisa Glass

Thank you for reading ☺︎

Follow me!

Twitter: twitter.com/t4ngled_

Instagram: instagram.com/asdfghjklize/

Tumblr: lizebronwenreviews.tumblr.com

Goodreads: goodreads.com/lizebronwen

Air - Lisa Glass

Thank you to Lisa and Quercus for sending me a copy of this book, and sorry that the review had to wait until I got back off holiday.

Air is the sequel to Blue, a surfing novel set in Newquay, Cornwall. Although Air doesn’t start right from where Blue finished, things that happened in between are mentioned throughout the novel to catch you up. The book starts when Iris and Zeke are having a little break in between contests in Miami.

This book really hit home for me, as I completely related to what Iris was going through in this book. Her summer romance with Zeke was fading away, and she began to feel as though leaving her friends and family behind in Newquay maybe wasn’t the right choice.

The surfing is still there, but the focus is more on Zeke and Iris’ relationship, as it is set over one week that really tests them. There are twists and turns that keep you turning the pages, and there’s never a dull moment in the book.

I would definitely recommend these books to surfers and non-surfers alike. Blue was the perfect summer romance novel, and Air questions what happens when that summer romance becomes a relationship that struggles when summer’s over. Lisa Glass writes such lovely books and I can’t wait to read Ride - I can’t believe I have to wait a whole year for it!

As a final note, while I was on holiday, I was lucky enough to meet Lisa Glass, and I can confirm she is one of the loveliest authors I have ever met. Buy this book!★★★★★

Follow me!

Twitter: twitter.com/t4ngled_

Instagram: instagram.com/asdfghjklize/

Tumblr: lizebronwenreviews.tumblr.com

Goodreads: goodreads.com/lizebronwen

Lobsters - Tom Ellen & Lucy Ivison

Slowly, I'm getting through the books I'm going to be taking to YALC, and it just so happens that both of these authors are going to be there!

This novel is told from two perspectives, something I absolutely love. Sam and Hannah are going to university in September, and only have the holidays to find their lobster. Anyone who has watched Friends knows that a lobster is someone's soulmate, and I'm hoping that it is actually a Friends reference. I must admit, the title is actually why I bought the book.

Sam and Hannah meet in a bathroom at a party, and as they bond over hot Ribena, they know they are each other's lobster. But they don't exchange names or numbers, so Sam is known to Hannah's friends as 'Toilet Boy' and Sam refers to Hannah as 'Ribena Girl'.

Neither of them have had sex, and worry about going to university as virgins. Most of their friends have done it, although Hannah's friend Tilly is - hilariously - in 'hymen limbo' which I absolutely cried laughing at. Finding their lobster and losing their virginity are very important to both of them.

Although they didn't arrange to meet up again, fate steps in the way in the form of Woodland Festival in Devon. I love books where fate steps in, as Serendipity is one of my favourite films. I wouldn't say it's the teenage version of it or anything, but just that I really enjoyed the element of fate in the book.

I really enjoyed this book, it had me laughing so hard in places, and worrying in places too. The ending completely took me by surprise, but it ended on a very funny note and I loved that. Sam and Hannah were both incredibly likeable, and I loved reading both of their stories. ★★★★★

Every Last Word - Tamara Ireland Stone

DISCLAIMER: I received this book from Disney-Hyperion in exchange for an honest review.

Samantha McAllister has OCD - she has to do everything in threes, sees her therapist every week...and her friends have no idea. It's like they barely know her. And they are a big part of the problem - the Crazy Eights make up a big proportion of Sam's therapy sessions.

Sam's life is a constant struggle to hide her anxiety from her friends and the people at school - until she meets Caroline Madsen. Sam completely opens up to her, and in return, Caroline introduces her to Poet's Corner...and AJ.

I must admit, I struggled to get into this book at first, as the first couple of chapters didn't grab me as much as I expected them to. But once Sam meets the Poets, and AJ, I really got into it - I'm glad that I stuck with it. 

I would have felt terrible giving up, because this turned out to be a really wonderful book. The story was so lovely, and I especially enjoyed the ending. There was a major plot twist, which I will not spoil for anyone, that completely surprised me - and I enjoyed that too.

Sam was a really likeable character. I understood that she was too afraid to leave the Eights for fear of being alone, even though they were making her ill. No one wants to be alone, especially at school. 

This is a really good book, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to see mental illnesses given a voice in young adult fiction. ★★★★

Blue - Lisa Glass

I was saving this book to take to Cornwall with me next week, but since the lovely people at Quercus have sent me a copy of Air, the sequel, I thought I would read this one now - to get me excited for my holiday. :)

When Iris meets Zeke in her yoga class, she knows there's something special about him. They have something very special in common too - their love of surfing. What was once just a hobby of Iris', soon becomes a passion. 

I didn't understand the surfing stuff at first, because I only ever bodyboarder as a child, but I really got into it as the book progressed. It doesn't matter whether you like to surf or not, the terminology is fairly easy to work out and understand. I've already recommended this book to a friend of mine who surfs.

As Iris is falling for Zeke, she gets to meet his wonderful parents, Sephy and Dave, and his brothers, Wes and Garrett. However, Iris' ex Daniel keeps getting in the way - he was a total pain in the ass and I didn't like him one bit.

This book has something for everyone in it - love, danger, loss - and some lovely LGBT characters! There's a ton of recent, well-chosen references to popular culture, making the book very current and a brilliant YA read. 

Because I go to Cornwall every summer, I know the places mentioned in this book so well, and I am really excited for my holiday now! When I go to Newquay, I might go and watch the surfers.

The only problem I had with the book was that there was a tiny error on one of the pages, if I read it correctly, which didn't fit the plot slightly (and I'm only mentioning it in case it is something that needs to be amended) - but this book is absolutely brilliant and I can't wait to read Air. It's also being made into a film, Bluer Than The Sky, which really excites me because I want to see these surfing moves being performed so I know what they all look like!

It was a truly enjoyable read, I definitely recommend you all buy this book!★★★★★

Remix - Non Pratt

I have been waiting so long for this book to come out, that it was no surprise to me when I started reading it as soon as it got delivered to my house. I found it really easy to get through, and would have finished it sooner if I hadn't had so many shifts at work.

Remix is a music festival, and the events in the book take place over three days - friday, saturday and sunday. This made the book even harder to put down, as I would carry on reading if I was nearing the end of a day, and basically put off whatever I was supposed to be doing instead of reading. 

The book is told from two perspectives, which I always love. Kaz and Ruby have been best friends for years, but Remix will be their biggest test yet. It also doesn't help that their imminent separation, with Ruby either having to re-sit her GCSEs or move schools, is looming over their heads.

There's a lot of boy trouble in this book. Kaz is still upset from her break-up with Tom, who is also at Remix and somehow unavoidable in a sea of thousands of festival-goers. Ruby's ex, Stu, is there too, though she pretends not to care about him ever since he cheated on her.

They are there to forget about their problems and enjoy the music - but all hell breaks loose when Kaz starts spending time with Tom's new girlfriend, Laura, who doesn't like Ruby and goes out of her way to wind her up.

I really enjoyed this book, it's definitely my favourite book of Non's so far. Her writing keeps getting better and better, to the point where I am uncontrollably excited for what she'll write next. If you liked Trouble, you'll love this!

★★★★★

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks - E. Lockhart

I have literally just finished this book, and I don't usually publish the review straight away, but I have nothing to do today so here it is! I'm working on a very long blog post that's going to be published at the end of June, but that's it until work tonight.

Frankie Landau-Banks is fifteen, and attends Alabaster Preparatory Academy, one of the most privileged schools in the country. It basically guarantees her a good future, and she follows in her footsteps of her sister and her father.

But Frankie grew up over the summer, and wants that to be recognised. She doesn't want to be Bunny Rabbit anymore, the adorable nickname her family know her by. She wants to be taken seriously, by both her family and those at her school.

When Frankie starts dating Matthew Livingston, it's perfect. She's in a happy relationship with a guy she really likes, and they're happy. Until she follows him one night after he cancels their plans, and finds he has been keeping secrets from her.

Matthew and his best friend, Alpha, are the 'co-kings' of one of the most famous, yet secret, groups at Alabaster - the Loyal Order of the Bassett Hounds. Frankie's father was in this group, and was always so secretive about its history. Even though it was a male-only club, Frankie is determined to join.

Setting up an email account to pose as Alpha, Frankie becomes the mastermind behind a series of pranks run by the Loyal Order of the Bassett Hounds. But just when Frankie thinks Alpha will own up to this not being his work, he takes all the credit. Which only makes Frankie push harder.

I really enjoyed this book, I actually think I preferred it to We Were Liars too. It was really well written, and I couldn't put it down in places. I can't wait to read How To Be Bad now. 5 stars

P.S. I've started a bookish tumblr, www.lizebronwenreviews.tumblr.com if any of you would like to follow it :) I will follow back with my primary tumblr name, which is getme0utmymind

The Fill-in Boyfriend - Kasie West

Kasie West is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors. I still need to read On The Fence, but I loved this and The Distance Between Us.

Gia Montgomery had been in a long distance relationship with Bradley for a few months. A newcomer in her friendship group, Jules, was trying to steal her friends, Claire and Laney, and stir up trouble by accusing Gia of making Bradley up.

So when Bradley dumps her outside prom, without meeting her friends and proving he's real, she must think fast. She finds a guy to fill-in for him, for one night only. So what does she do when she starts falling for fill-in Bradley?

When Gia starts spending time with fill-in Bradley, by pretending to be his new girlfriend at his ex-girlfriend's party, she realises that she is no longer playing pretend, and she could actually see a future with him. But does he feel the same way, or does he want his ex back?

I really enjoyed reading this story, and I struggled to put it down. I loved all the characters, apart from Jules obviously, and I thought it was a brilliant idea for a story.

Verdict: 5/5

May Reading Round-Up!

This month, I finally finished university! So apart from my shifts at work, I am completely free to read and that makes me so happy! Unfortunately, I didn't read as many as I'd hoped because I've only been away from university work for two weeks, but I'm still four books ahead of my goodreads challenge so I'm feeling good! These are the seven books I read this month, and they have all been reviewed separately if you want to read more about them.

Disney After Dark by Ridley Pearson - When Finn becomes an interactive hologram to be a tourguide at Walt Disney World, he has no idea it will make him cross over to the park at night and encounter the ride’s figures coming to life. 4 out of 5 stars

Della Says: OMG! by Keris Stainton - Della’s diary is stolen, and pieces of the diary are sent to her, as well as others, just when things are starting to turn around. Who is trying to stop her from being happy? 5 out of 5 stars

Fire with Fire by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian - Following on exactly where Burn for Burn left off, Mary, Lillia and Kat must now live with the consequences of their actions. But for Mary, their revenge isn’t over yet. 5 out of 5 stars

Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman - Gretchen is living in Munich in 1931, where her Uncle Dolf is running for president. Although he is always kind and loving to her and her family, a Jew she meets and fall in love with won’t get the same warm welcome from his political party. 4 out of 5 stars

Love Hurts by Malorie Blackman - This is an anthology of original stories and extracts from popular young adult books, which is an excellent introduction for newcomers to young adult fiction. I highly recommend James Dawson’s story, The Unicorn!! For reviews of each story individually, you can go here. 5 out of 5 stars

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness - The first book in the Chaos Walking trilogy sees Todd Hewitt running away from Prentisstown before he becomes a man. As the last boy in Prentisstown, he has no idea what really happened to all the women, and is confused when he suddenly finds a girl just outside his hometown. Adorable talking dog included! 4 out of 5 stars

All I Know Now by Carrie Hope Fletcher - Youtube sensation and ‘honorary big sister’ gives a helpful, reassuring guide to the teenage years, with funny anecdotes and sisterly advice. This will definitely help the next generation! 5 out of 5 stars

Arsenic for Tea - Robin Stevens

I deliberately waited a couple of months to read the second instalment in the Wells and Wong series, so that I didn't have long to wait for the third. I'm trying not to think about how long I'll have to wait for the fourth once I've read the third, though!

Daisy and Hazel are back, and I've missed them so much! It doesn't continue straight from where Murder Most Unladylike left off, but it brings you up to speed, which I liked. It is the Easter holidays, so instead of being at Deepdean school, they are at Fallingford house, where Daisy's family lives.

Daisy's birthday falls in the holidays, so Kitty and Beanie have also come to stay. So when someone is murdered at Daisy's birthday tea, Daisy and Hazel once again have a case to solve! But this time, Kitty and Beanie want to join the Detective society. Daisy struggles to solve the case, knowing that the murderer is most likely a member of her family. 

I thought I knew who did it this time! But I was wrong, yet again. I think I loved this book even more than Murder Most Unladylike, if that's even possible. It was nice to have a different setting for the book, with new characters. And the big reveal once again shocked me. A brilliant read!

Verdict: 5/5