April reading round-up!

This month has been a good month for reading - I've read ten books! This photo doesn't do it justice, because one of my books is with a friend, and two others had to go back to the library. But here they are in all their stacked glory!

My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga - Aysel and Roman meet on the suicide chatroom, Smooth Passages, and agree to be each other's suicide partner. But as the deadline draws closer, Aysel wonders if there's hope for her after all. 3 out of 5 stars

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard - adapted into the popular television series, the first book finds Aria, Spencer, Hanna and Emily three years after their friend Ali went missing. In this instalment, Ali's body is found, opening up a murder investigation, and their secrets aren't safe - mystery texter 'A' is ready to spill all. 5 out of 5 stars

Othergirl by Nicole Burstein - Erica and Louise are best friends, partners in crime, super hero and assistant. As Erica begins superhero training, Louise investigates the validity of Erica's new friend, Jay. 5 out of 5 stars

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli - Simon and Blue email each other every day. They go to the same school, they're both gay, but they don't know each other - they've hidden their real names because neither one is 'out'. So when someone threatens to expose Simon, he panics. What will this mean for his friendship with Blue? 5 out of 5 stars

Multilingualism by John Edwards - to throw an odd read into the mix, this was a set text that I had to read for one of my university modules. Although I didn't do this myself, it could be read in a single sitting and provides an easy-to-read overview of the topic. A simple starting point. 4 out of 5 stars

Under My Skin by James Dawson - when shy and sweet Sally Feather feels drawn to a tattoo parlour one day, she doesn't think anything of it. Not until her tattoo, sassy pin-up Molly-Sue, starts talking to and even possessing Sally. And Sally's attempts at tattoo removal are no match for the power of Molly Sue. 5 out of 5 stars

Creative Writing: How to Unlock Your Imagination and Develop Your Writing Skills by Adele Ramet - I read this for tips on improving my writing and it has definitely helped me. I only wish now that it was my own copy and not the library's - it would be good to own for future reference. 4 out of 5 stars

First, Last and Always by Kim Lehman - Charlotte and Miles have been best friends forever, but Miles has a secret. He's been in love with her since the third grade, but will he tell her? (Thank you to Netgalley for this copy) 5 out of 5 stars

Crow Moon by Anna McKerrow - the Greenworld is a simpler way of life compared to the greedy, fuel-hungry Redworld. Danny's mom is one of the head witches, and as he begins to discover his own power, he also falls in love with Saba, a powerful witch he meets. 4 out of 5 stars

Starring Kitty by Keris Stainton - Kitty enters the local film competition with her best friends, Hannah and Sunny, to take her mind of her mom's illness and the girl she likes but is too afraid to admit to her friends and family, for fear of the bullies finding out. 5 out of 5 stars

Things We Know By Heart by Jessi Kirby - when Quinn's boyfriend Trent died, his organs were donated. She has met them all, except the guy who got his heart. She finds Colton as a way of keeping Trent close, but instead finds a reason to let him go. 5 out of 5 stars

I had a really good month of reading, and this was because I needed an escape that only books could offer me. Now that I've finished my university degree, I'm expecting to have a lot more months like this, where the books I've read keep stacking up. I'm already ahead of schedule for my goodreads challenge, which is the most important thing.

There are reviews for all of these books on this blog or my goodreads account, and if you'd like to follow my progress, follow me on any of these! :)

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First, Last and Always - Kim Lehman

Firstly, thank you to Netgalley and Lucky Stars Publishing for this book. In return, I have written an honest review of the book.

Charlotte Hubbard is overweight and shy, living in the shadow of her pretty and popular sister, Alexa. Charlotte dreams of falling in love, and wonders out loud to her best friends, Lani and Miles, who could ever love her?

Miles Fiester has loved Charlotte since the third grade, but has never found a good time to tell her. When she thinks the new boy, Grayson, may like her, he panics. He might have lost his chance.

As they start their first year of high school, is now finally the right time for Miles to tell Charlotte how he feels?

There is so much heartache in this book, I could barely cope. I really felt sorry for Miles. Nothing ever goes right for him - he can't tell Charlotte how he feels in case it ruins their friendship, his deadbeat is always making promises he can't keep, and his dream of finally making the basketball team after so many failed attempts looks further away than ever. I really liked Miles, and I found it admirable that he never gave up. 

Also, Charlotte gets bullied quite a bit. But it's not only from the kids at school, but her own sister does it too. Alexa may not see that she's doing it, but it's still hurtful to be called fat by a member of your own family.

I really enjoyed this book, I loved that it was dual perspective, because that way you could follow both Miles and Charlotte around. It was really well-written, and I especially loved hoe sarcastic Miles was. 

Verdict: 5/5

P.S. thank you all so much for reading my reviews! I haven't been doing this very long, and I've just hit 1,000 views and I'm overjoyed that people are interested in my blog. I really appreciate each and every one of you. <3