Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

“Some mistakes... Just have greater consequences than others. But you don't have to let the result of one mistake be the thing that defines you. You, Clark, have the choice not to let that happen.” 

I need a hug. In fact, can someone just hold me for a week? I think I am just gonna curl up in a ball and keep sobbing now.

I know this book is very well-loved and well-known so I won't make my review super long but I just have to add to the hype by saying, in my book, it deserves all the praise it gets.

This novel is about Louisa Clark ( Lou for short ) a 26 year old woman living an ordinary life. She works at The Buttered Bun cafe, she has a boyfriend of 6 years, named Patrick, she lives at home with her parents, sister Treena and Treena's son Thomas and her granddad. She is content. 
Then without warning, her boss closes the cafe, leaving her without a job and without a way to contribute financially to the household. She comes across a job offer for care and companionship for a 35 year old quadriplegic man. She is hired on.

The man is Will Traynor.

I adored their relationship so much. Moyes really knows how to write fun, witty characters who the reader immediately falls in love with. I read this book in less than a day - the quickest I've read a book in who knows how long - and it crushed me when I finished it.The cool thing is that the book is not in the least preachy. Despite the heaviness of the subject matter, the author has created two witty and quirky characters who are very lovable and complex and who I wanted to read more about. It kept me turning those pages—fast.

Good characters, good dialogue, and a good, well-paced plot make this novel such a “goodread.” The author keeps you guessing till the end, and I was so pulled in. It’s an emotional ride. I can’t wait to read her other books, at least one of which has won awards. I’m not surprised. Highly recommend.

And despite what some reviews say, this is not a romance novel. There is romance in it, found in unlikely circumstances, but this is not a light and fluffy chic lit read.

What an important, heart wrenching book. I don't know if I'll ever get over it.

 

Amazon: Me Before You

MOVIE STARRING EMILIA CLARCK AND SAM CLAFLIN!! 

To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

“I want to say yes, but I don't want to be with a boy whose heart belongs to somebody else. Just once, I want to be somebody else's first choice”

Sixteen year olde daydreamer Lara JEan has written love letters to all the boys she has ever had crushes on- These are not typical love letters but are more like good bye letters that help Lara Jean have some closure over the boys that broke her heart. When the letters are mailed without her knowledge, she is beyong upset. As her crushes begin to receive the secret letters, Lara Jean must provide and explanation to the boys, and romantic comedy soon begings to unfold..

This was a light, cute read that left me with a smile. It wasn't a book full of twists and surprises and the plot was fairly simple, but I really enjoyed it. It would be a perfect book for a summer read.

It was the first book by Jenny Han I read and I am definitely going to try her other books. 
Lara Jean was so relatable and the love interest IS ADORABLE! The characters have their flaws, but these flaws made them even better. 

The development between Lara Jean and Peter was really sweet. First pretending to date due to circumstances, it slowly turned into friendship until the feelings Lara Jean thought she'd gotten over returned. It definitely wasn't insta-love. There was a small triangle with neighbor Josh and at first, it was hard to choose but Peter won me over in the end. They match each other so well. They’re like opposites, but they balance each other so well. Kavinsky gets Lara Jean out of her safe bubble and really challenges her to live for herself. And Lara Jean keeps Kavinsky grounded and doesn’t take his bullshit. It’s such a give and take relationship, and it’s so wonderful to see. I just wanted more!

I also loved the contrast between the three sisters. Margot was the overly responsible one who acted like an adult most of the time, though she could have her own childish moments. Lara Jean was more immature for her age while Kitty was a mix of the two, she could be a brat at times and others she was very responsible. I also appreciated that their father, a very busy man, was still present in their lives and made an effort to make sure their mother's Korean heritage wasn't forgotten. I loved the relationship between the three sisters so much and found it really sweet and believable.

This is about a 3.7. I read this in one day. I honestly didn't want to put it down and I barely did. The way it ended was not how I thought it would when I started (the ending left me craving for more!), which is always cool. Sometimes with contemporaries I find the mundanity of daily activities in the stories boring, but that didn't happen here. Which was really, really nice.

This book is addictive right from the start, with Lara Jean easily carrying the story through to the end.

To All The Boys I've Loved Before

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

"It's always nice to being wanted.  Even if it's by the wrong person." -Tabitha Suzuma

This is the story of a boy and a girl who fall in love. Lochan and Maya are best friends who have known each other their entire lives and have helped each other and fiercely loved one another through the many brutally painful experiences of growing up.
The thing is, they also happen to be brother and sister, and the unholy mess of the repercussions from their choices looms over this entire story.

The relationship between Maya and Lochan is complicated from the beginning. In my words, here’s how I see it: There’s a line between brothers and sisters. You can tell to each other your most intimate secrets, share a room, even sleep in the same bed for fear of nightmares; each other the half of a whole. But you never become more, because of that line. That label that says Brother/Sister. And that’s okay.

This may all sound so disgusting but I never felt repulsed during the book, and I think this is what made it Amazing. Tabitha Suzuma managed to make their love relationship seem so right and not once did I forget they were brother and sister. It wasn’t like “OMG! I had totally forgotten they were siblings!” No, I was conscious always of what they were and it never felt wrong.

By the ending my heart was beating so hard I thought it would just burst out of my chest, and in the last page it just stopped. I can feel that hollow. My shaking hands. And the amazingness of it all.

Obviously, many will disagree. Some will see this as the tragedy of neglect and abuse. Or a thought-provoking challenge to the parameters we put around “acceptable” love. Or a heartbreaking examination of society failing its young people. Or just a love story. There are plenty of excellent reviews that discuss these interpretations. 

Goodreads

January BOOK HAUL

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes            Alienated by Melissa Landers         Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

                                                                                                         

Happily Ever After by Kiera Cass

The Heir by Kiera Cass

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Anna And the French Kiss by Stephenie Perkins

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

Harry Potter And the Sorcere's Stone by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter And the Chamber Of Secrets by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter And the Prisoner Of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling

6 Book I Want To REread In 2016

                                                     
1. Fallen by Lauren Kate (Fallen #1)


Luce is Daniel's soulmate. A real soulmate. But what if the person you were meant to be with could never be yours?

First, Daniel is an angel. And not just any. The fate of the world lies on his shoulders. If he chooses the dark side, evil wins. But if he chooses the side of God, good wins. But it's never as easy it looks like.

Second, everytime they kiss, Lucy dies. Until now.

2. The 100 by Kass Morgan (The 100 #1)

No one has set foot on Earth in centuries -- until now. 

After a nuclear war, people tried to live in a space. But now their oxygen supply is reduced. And one hundred juvenile deliquents are being sent down. To recolonized the home. But the longer they are home, the more they realize, that someof them, could have never leave.

3. The Unbecoming Of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (Mara Dyer #1)

Imagine how it could to be to kill people with your mind. Have you got a bad grade on your test? Just imagine the teacher being hit by a car. And the theacher would be hit by a car. 

Mary Dyer has that gift. Or a curse. She believes that after everyting that has happened to her, after being almost raped by her boyfriend and the whole building subsequently knocking down, killing her friends, she can never love again. She's wrong. 

4. Halo by Alexandra Adornetto (Halo #1)

3 angels are sent by Heaven to bring good back to a world that is falling under darkness. 

But then Bethany meets Xavier Woods, and neither one of them is able to resist the attraction between them. 

Gabriel and Ivy do everything in their power to intervene, but the bond between Xavier and Bethany seems to be strong. 

An Angel is sent to Earth on a mission. But falling in love is not part of the plan.

5. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (All Souls #1)

World of witches, daemos and vampires.

Diana and Matthew - the forbidden love at heart of it. 

Diana Bishop, a young scholar and a descendant of witches, discovers a long-lost and enchanted alchemical manuscript, Ashmole 782, deep in Oxford's Bodleian Library. But Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library

6. Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire (Beautiful Disaster #1)

Abby Abernathy begins to attend collafe far away from her home, to forget about the past. She runs away from her family, that due to alcohol and gambling, has made her life hell, and she tries to be exemplary student.

Travis Maddox's nickname is MadDog, and for his tuition he earns a fistfight. He has a reputation as the greatest seducer of women at university.

Travis and Abby attrackt each other, but they convince everybody, and each other, that of their friendship never made love. But then Abby looses bet and so she has to live with Travis for a month. Passion can no longer be masked by friendship

The Avengers BOOK TAG

IRON MAN

The First Book In the Series

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Choosing the book because of the movie that just came out and (despite little issues with it) freaking adored!!

HULK

A Book That You Can't Talk About Because It Would Make You Angry. And People Wouldn't Like When You're Angry

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Probably the biggest disappointment of 2015 for me. But still looking out for the sequal :)

"Skipping Captain America because I don't read historical fiction as mush as I  wish I could"

THOR

 A Book Based On Mythology Of Any Kind

A Court Of Thorns And Roses by Sarah J Maas

BLACK WIDOW

 A side character you wish would get their own movie or book

Alex Sheathes from Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Okay he's not a "side character" but have a chance to see what happened to him during the second book? I would kill for it! Just imagine it guys.. 

HAWKEY

 A Book You Love But Everyone Else Seems To Dislike

Fallen by Lauren Kate

NICK FURY

 A Character With Ton Of Sass

Adrian Ivashkov from Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

QUICKSILVER AND SCARLET WITCH

 A Book With A Great Sibling Relationship

For this one I have to go with June and Metias from Legend by Marie Lu. Adored their relationship since book one till the end.

PHIL COULSON

 A Book You Wish Would Be Adapted For The Big (Or Small) Screen

The Selection by  Kiera Cass

I feel like the sries would make such a great TV show!! And seeing Maxon on TV? Yes please!

LOKI

 A Villain You Can't Help But Love

Darth Vader 

Sorry, can't remember any of the villain I love but Vader? He. Is. My. Soulmate. I can't even imagine that someone can hate him. He is..THE Villain. The Villain of all villains. The King of villains. 

BONUS: ANT MAN

 The Next Book On your TBR

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

"It takes a lot of guts to do what she did. To just end it, not knowing what's next? Not knowing if there's anything next? It's easier to go on living a life without any life left in it, than it is to just say 'fuck it' and leave. She was one of the few that just said, 'fuck it'. And I'll commend her every day I'm still alive, too scared to do the same thing." -Colleen Hoover, Hopeless 

This was my first Colleen Hoover book. I know.... GASP! Hopeless was amazingly perfect. I loved it! I am sort of at a loss as to how to actually write a review for this book. First, the book is indescribable. Second, there are so many great reviews out there already. Alas, I will give it a go...... I will try to convey what a beautiful and fantastic experience it was reading such a treasure of a book. 

This is such a heartbreaking story. Yet, it does contain some beautiful moments of joy, swoony love and real honesty. That’s what I preferred the most actually; how honest the main character was with us. She isn't that kind of NA main character that lies to herself all the time and makes us roll our eyes because we obviously know that she loves the guy and, even though she says she doesn’t want him, everyone else knows she does as well. 

To be honest, I found the romance a bit too overwhelming by moments, especially right before Sky and Holder became officially a couple and mainly because the secondary characters started to ‘disappear.’ It’s like the author did want to only focus on Sky and Holder’s relationship but it started to, sometimes, feel cheesy and cheesy romance is not of my favorite sorts. 

Linden Sky's life lacks color. Together with her friend, Six, she lives her life. She was branded school slut because she makes out with different boys, but the only reason she's doing that is because she doesn't feel anything with those guys. Just numbness... And she likes not feeling anything at all. Up until she met Holder... 

Dean Holder
He's got a reputation. Not a good one. Sky knows he is nothing but trouble, but her body doesn't give a shit at all. She's so damn intrigued about him. And, as she gets to know him, she realized that not all rumors about him are true. He's got a hot and cold attitude going on. He's passionate, yet intense. But there's something different about him...and soon, Sky feels...and falls...

And so, their story continues...

This book touched in me so many ways! I bawled my eyes out! 

I spent so much time highlighting this book that I realized it was turning into one big highlight. 

Goodreads: Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

Amazon (FREE): Hopeless FREE