Favourite Reads of 2017

It's the end of the year, which can only mean one thing; It's time for the annual Top Reads of the Year post! I read 68 books this year, which I'm a bit disappointed with. It is in no way a small number but comparing it to the number of books I read in previous years (100 in 2015 & 103 in 2016) I can't help but feel a bit gutted. But to be fair, I did have my A-level exams this year & I started University, so a lot of my free time was taken up by copious amounts of revision and work.
Before I get into my favourite reads, here's a little disclaimer: The books on the list may not have been released this year, but I read them in 2017, which is the thing that matters. Also, there is no particular order to this list - apart from one book, my favourite book of the year!
LETS GET TO IT!

WARCROSS - Review

Book Review:
Title: WARCROSS
Author: Marie Lu
Publisher: Penguin UK

“It is hard to describe loss to someone who has never experienced it, impossible to explain all the ways it changes you. But for those who have, not a single word is needed.”

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.
Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

Wonder Woman - Review

Book Review:
Title: Wonder Woman: WARBRINGER
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Publisher: Penguin UK
Release Date: 31st August 2017 (UK)
I received an early copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

‘‘Sister in battle, I am shield and blade to you. As I breathe, your enemies will know no sanctuary. While I live, your cause is mine.’’

She will become a legend but first she is Diana, Princess of the Amazons. And her fight is just beginning...
Diana is desperate to prove herself to her warrior sisters. But when the opportunity comes, she throws away her chance at glory and breaks Amazon law to save a mere mortal, Alia Keralis. With this single heroic act, Diana may have just doomed the world.
Alia is a Warbringer - a descendant of the infamous Helen of Troy, fated to bring about an age of bloodshed and misery. Diana and Alia will face an army of enemies, mortal and divine, determined to destroy or possess the Warbringer.
To save the world, they must stand side by side against the tide of war.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda - Review

Book Review:
Title: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
Author: Becky Albertalli
Publisher: Penguin UK

There’s this pause. We’re still looking at each other. And there’s this feeling in my stomach like a coil pulled taut.
‘‘It’s you,’’ I say.

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.
With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.

Read With Pride - Guest Post by Simon James Green

June, if you didn't know, was the month of pride and the wonderful team at Scholastic decided to create their own #ReadWithPride campaign to celebrate pride in books. 🌈

For this celebration, today on my blog I have a brilliant and insightful guest post by Simon James Green, author of the hilarious Noah Can't Even.



Poor Noah Grimes! His father disappeared years ago, his mother's Beyonce tribute act is an unacceptable embarrassment, and his beloved gran is no longer herself. He only has one friend, Harry, and school is...Well, it's pure HELL. Why can't Noah be normal, like everyone else at school? Maybe if he struck up a romantic relationship with someone - maybe Sophie, who is perfect and lovely - he'd be seen in a different light? But Noah's plans are derailed when Harry kisses him at a party. That's when things go from bad to utter chaos.

If Birds Fly Back - Review

Book Review:
Title: If Birds Fly Back
Author: Carlie Sorosiak
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Book
Release Date: 29th June 2017 (UK)
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

"Just because it’s the end of one thing, doesn’t mean it can’t be the beginning of another."

Linny has been living life in black and white since her sister Grace ran away, and she's scared that Grace might never come back. When Linny witnesses the return to Miami of a cult movie star long presumed dead, she is certain it's a sign. Surely Álvaro Herrera, of all people, can tell her why people come back - and how to bring her sister home?
Sebastian has come to Miami seeking his father, a man whose name he's only just learned. An aspiring astrophysicist, he can tell Linny how many galaxies there are, how much plutonium weighs and how likely she is to be struck by a meteorite. But none of the theories he knows are enough to answer his own questions about why his father abandoned him, and why it left him in pieces.
As Sebastian and Linny converge around the mystery of Álvaro's disappearance - and return - their planets start to collide. Linny's life is about to become technicolour, but finding the answers to her questions might mean losing everything that matters.

When Dimple Met Rishi - Blog Tour (Extract)

Blog Tour:
Title: When Dimple Met Rishi
Author: Sandhya Menon
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Release Date: 1st June 2017 (UK)

“Hello, future wife,” he said, his voice bubbling with glee. “I can't wait to get started on the rest of our lives!”

(That quote though...I died of laughter! 👆)
Welcome to the 3rd day of the When Dimple Met Rishi Blog Tour!

The arranged marriage YA romcom you didn't know you wanted or needed...
Meet Dimple.
Her main aim in life is to escape her traditional parents, get to university and begin her plan for tech world domination.
Meet Rishi.
He's rich, good-looking and a hopeless romantic. His parents think Dimple is the perfect match for him, but she's got other plans...
Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.
Perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell, Jenny Han and Nicola Yoon, WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI is a frothy, funny contemporary romance set at a coding convention in San Francisco over one exciting summer. Told from the dual perspectives of two Indian American protagonists, Dimple is fighting her family traditions while Rishi couldn't be happier to follow in the footsteps of his parents. Could sparks fly between this odd couple, or is this matchmaking attempt doomed to fail?

Flame in the Mist - Review

Book Review:
Title: Flame in the Mist
Author: Renee Ahdieh
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Release Date: 18th May 2017 (UK)
I received an early copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Mariko has always known that being a woman means she's not in control of her own fate. But Mariko is the daughter of a prominent samurai and a cunning alchemist in her own right, and she refuses to be ignored. When she is ambushed by a group of bandits known as the Black Clan enroute to a political marriage to Minamoto Raiden - the emperor's son - Mariko realises she has two choices: she can wait to be rescued... or she can take matters into her own hands, hunt down the clan and find the person who wants her dead.

Disguising herself as a peasant boy, Mariko infiltrates the Black Clan's hideout and befriends their leader, the rebel ronin Ranmaru, and his second-in-command, Okami. Ranmaru and Okami warm to Mariko, impressed by her intellect and ingenuity. But as Mariko gets closer to the Black Clan, she uncovers a dark history of secrets that will force her to question everything she's ever known.

Strange The Dreamer - Review

Book Review:
Title: Strange The Dreamer
Author: Laini Taylor
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
I received an ARC/PROOF of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“You’re a storyteller. Dream up something wild and improbable," she pleaded. "Something beautiful and full of monsters."
“Beautiful and full of monsters?"
“All the best stories are.” 

The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around—and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he’s been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance or lose his dream forever.
What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?
The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries—including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo’s dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? And if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?
Welcome to Weep.

NAONDEL - Blog Tour

Blog Tour
Title: NAONDEL
Author: Maria Turtschaninoff
Publisher: Pushkin Press
Release Date: 6th April 2017 (UK)

WELCOME to the 9th and final day in the NAONDEL Blog Tour!

In the opulent palace of Ohaddin, women have one purpose - to obey. Some were brought here as girls, captured and enslaved; some as servants; some as wives. All of them must do what the Master tells them, for he wields a deadly and secret power. But the women have powers too. One is a healer. One can control dreams. One is a warrior. One can see everything that is coming. In their golden prison, the women wait. They plan. They write down their stories. They dream of a refuge, a safe place where girls can be free. And, finally, when the moon glows red, they will have their revenge.

What better way is there for us to end this wonderful blog tour than hearing about Maria Turtschaninoff's future plans and what she has is store for us next:

🌊⛵🌊

"  9. What next?

For the past year, I have been working on the third instalment in the Red Abbey Chronicles, “Letters from Maresi” (working title). At one point I thought the book might morph into two novels, but I reined it in and I think I will be happy with it as one novel. “Letters from Maresi” follows Maresi as she returns to her home province and attempts to start a school and spread the knowledge she gained at the Abbey. I have just finished a first rough (oh so rough) draft and soon I will start the first rewrite.

And then will follow the next.

And the next.

I hope to be able to submit the manuscript in the fall.

Will that then be the end of the Red Abbey Chronicles?

I don’t think so. As I have mentioned earlier in this blog tour, there are many story seeds I would like to plant and see if they grow. Things mentioned in Maresi, in Naondel and in “Letters from Maresi”. Some of these seeds may tie in to the Red Abbey, and some may not – but this does not overly concern me. My previous books Arra and Anaché (not yet translated into English) are set in the same world, and have loose ties to the other novels, but are not “Red Abbey”-books. For me, however, the novels are all equally part of the world building I am doing, book by book.

But I am an intuitive writer and I have learned never to think I can steer my creative process very much. There will eventually be one story that tugs at my sleeve harder than the others. And then all I can do is take my pen and follow, wherever the story leads me. "

🌊⛵🌊 

How exciting!

Don't forget Naondel & Maresi are both out in the UK and are available to purchase!

MARESI: Amazon | Waterstones | Whsmith

NAONDEL: Amazon | Waterstones | Whsmith

(Thank you to Vicki at Pushkin Press for inviting me to take part in the Naondel Blog Tour!)

About the Author:

Maria Turtschaninoff was born in 1977 and has been writing fairy tales since she was five. She is the author of many books about magical worlds, has been awarded the Swedish YLE Literature Prize and has twice won the Society of Swedish Literature Prize. She has also been nominated for the 2017 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award and the 2017 CILIP Carnegie Medal. Naondel is part of the Red Abbey Chronicles which began with Maresi.

CARAVAL - Blog Tour (Dream Cast)

Blog Tour
Title: Caraval
Author: Stephanie Garber
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Release Date: 31st January 2017 (UK & US)

"Whatever you’ve heard about Caraval, it doesn’t compare to the reality. It’s more than just a game or a performance. It’s the closest you’ll ever find to magic in this world."

Welcome to the 5th and final day in the Caraval Blog Tour!
Before we begin, for those of you who might not know much about this wonderful book, here's the synopsis:

Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their ruthless father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the legendary, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.
Then, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation to Caraval finally arrives. So, Tella enlists a mysterious sailor’s help to whisk Scarlett away to this year’s show. But as soon as the trio arrives, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organiser, Legend.
Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nonetheless soon becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with her sister, with Legend, and with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.

I'd be surprised if you don't know this already, but I loved Caraval. It was one of my top 10 reads of 2016, and I even wrote a blog post stating 5 reasons why you should pre-order it (you can read that HERE if you wish.)
 After finishing this book, the one question in mind (apart from, can I have book 2 now, please!?) was what actors/actresses would fill these roles perfectly, because if you don't know already, Caraval has been optioned for film! (insert squeals of delight)

I'm still debating about my dream cast, so instead here is Stephanie Garber telling us about her dream Caraval cast:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

"My Dream Cast for Caraval"
The day Caraval sold was one of the most magical days of my life. It was a dream come true to finally sell a book, after years and years of writing and rejection. Then something even more incredible happened, Twentieth Century Fox bought the film option.
I’m not going to lie, ever since then I’ve been fantasizing about who would make up my dream cast.

Scarlet

I love Maria Avgeropoulos’ portrayal of Octavia on the television show The 100—I think she’s fierce but vulnerable, and when I used to watch the show I rooted for her in every scene, so I think she would make an excellent Scarlett.

Donatella

 Earlier this year I watched the live action Cinderella starring, because my sister told me the party scene made her think of Caraval. She was totally right. But the party wasn’t the only thing that reminded me of Caraval. When I saw the movie’s star, Lily James, I thought she would be the perfect actress to play Scarlett’s younger and more spontaneous sister, Donatella.

Governer Dragna

Christoph Waltz is one of my favorite actors. I think he plays especially great villains, so I would love to see him portray the role of Scarlett and Donatella’s cruel father, Governor Dragna.

Dante

I know I’ve already mentioned one actor from The 100, but that show has such a great cast I couldn’t help but pick another actor for my dream cast of Caraval. Bob Morley plays Bellamy Blake on the 100, and he has such a strong, commanding presence that I think would make a fantastic Dante. All he needs is some tattoos.

Julian

Julian is one of my favorite characters in Caraval, which is probably why I’ve had the hardest time casting him. So if anyone thinks they’ve found the perfect actor to play Julian please let me know. If Rodrigo Santoro from Westworld were younger I think he would do a great job, but sadly he’s a little too old now.

  

(Click each of the actors/actresses names to find out more information about them)

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I don't know about you, but I am loving this dream cast! (I think Stephanie's dream cast has just become my dream cast.) They all fit the bill perfectly!

So we've heard who Stephanie likes, but now it's your turn: Stephanie & I would love to hear who would be part of your dream cast for Caraval! Share your ideas in the comments below!

About the author:

Stephanie Garber loves Disneyland because it’s the one place on earth where she feels as if the fantastical stories she loves to write about could actually come to life. When she's not writing young adult fantasy, she teaches creative writing at a private college in northern California, where she’s known for turning assignments into games and taking students on field trips that involve book signings. Caraval is her first novel for young adults.
Find her on: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads


That is now a wrap on the Caraval Blog Tour, which means that we are only ONE DAY away from the long awaited release of Caraval!
Don't forget to pick up your copy tomorrow (Jan 31st!) - Amazon | Waterstones | Whsmith

(Thank you to Jenni and the whole Chapter5/Hodder team for inviting me to take part in the blog tour & thank you to Stephanie for taking the time to share her dream cast!)

A Quiet Kind Of Thunder - Review

Book Review:
Title: A Quiet Kind Of Thunder
Author: Sara Barnard
Publisher: Macmillan Books
I received an early copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Steffi doesn't talk, but she has so much to say.
Rhys can't hear, but he can listen.
Their love isn't a lightning strike, it's the rumbling roll of thunder.
Steffi has been a selective mute for most of her life - she's been silent for so long that she feels completely invisible. But Rhys, the new boy at school, sees her. He's deaf, and her knowledge of basic sign language means that she's assigned to look after him. To Rhys, it doesn't matter that Steffi doesn't talk, and as they find ways to communicate, Steffi finds that she does have a voice, and that she's falling in love with the one person who makes her feel brave enough to use it. 

What an adorable book!
Having never read a book that dealt with selective mutism before and not knowing much about it, I was excited to read A Quiet Kind of Thunder and broaden my knowledge on the disorder.
But, as well as teaching me about selective mutism, this book managed to teach me more about the deaf community and BSL, which I loved. It also got me thinking about how much we take our voices and hearing for granted. Imagine how difficult life would be if you couldn't speak or hear.
Any book that can teach me something new and important and get me thinking is, in my mind, already a fantastic book.

Steffi is a selective mute. Rhys is deaf. In theory, it should be hard for these two communicate, but thanks to BSL and their perseverance they managed to fight through the barriers. Their relationship is what really made this book for me. It was cute, funny, awkward and no way near perfect.
No relationship is ever truly perfect. There's always going to be some miscommunication. There's always going to be some struggles. But the main thing that matters is if both parties are able to overcome these hurdles to keep their love alive, which both Steffi & Rhys managed to do.

Alongside the romance, I really enjoyed the friendship between Steffi and Tem. There is something so empowering about female friendships. In a lot of YA books, girls are always pitted against each other which I loathe, so when I read a book with a strong friendship, I can't help but fall in love even more. 

Also, I just want to say that even though this book focuses on Steffi and her arc mainly, I loved that Rhys had his own arc as well. In AQKOT, Rhys is the love interest, but he is actually so much more than that. He had his own battles to face, the main one being, feeling helpless when it came to 'looking after' Steffi. He constantly felt inadequate and it broke my heart.
I think Sara Barnard dealt with both characters and their disorders extremely well - you can easily tell that a lot of research went into writing this book, which I appreciate so much!

Overall, I completely adored A Quiet Kind of Thunder & I highly recommend picking this book up - it's heart-warming, thought-provoking and has a realistic depiction of social anxiety.
This was my first book by Sara Barnard, but it certainly won't be my last!

4 Stars
Goodreads

Mafiosa - Review

Book Review:
Title: Mafiosa
Author: Catherine Doyle
Publisher: ChickenHouse Books
I received an early copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

"We pealed into a fit of laughter, his amusement ringing in my ears, my smile so big it could have broken my face, because we were both cheating just for one night - we were both wearing masks belonging to other people, and it was exhilarating"

A blood war rages on the streets of Chicago. Protected by an infamous Mafia family, Sophie is living a dangerous lie, pretending to lead a normal life. But the deceit can't last for ever. Her heart belongs to a killer and Sophie's the prime target of a rival clan. She's determined to seek revenge on her mother's murderers, but can she pay the price - can she be a Mafiosa?

I’m not going to lie, writing this review is going to be very hard for me. Finishing a series you absolutely love is so bittersweet – on one hand, the moment you’ve been waiting for has arrived, you get to know how the story ends and the fate of every character, but on the other hand, you may never see the characters you’ve become so attached to *cough* Luca *cough* ever again. It’s quite the weird feeling...

But, enough of that babble - let’s get into my thoughts of this finale!

Normally, going into a finale/sequel, there’s always a part of you that is worried that it is never going to live up to its predecessor, but I completely trusted Cat to write the most epic, and explosive finale – and boy did she! THIS. BOOK. WAS. PHENOMENAL! The whole trilogy is phenomenal!
The Blood For Blood Trilogy is the kind of series where the writing, plot and characters get better and better with each book. I enjoyed Vendetta, I loved Inferno, but Mafiosa is without a doubt my favourite of the three – it was pretty much close to perfection!

I think what makes this book so special is the unique plot line. How many YA books can you name that follow the mafia? Personally, this is the only YA mafia book I know of, and because of that I find myself so immersed in this world. It’s new, refreshing and dark. Most definitely dark.

Mafiosa is probably the darkest of the three. There's more guns, blood and murder, you know, pretty much all the good stuff! But on top of that, we get to see a different, more stronger side to Sophie.
Sophie has never been the type to just sit back and stay out of the drama, but she has undoubtedly struggled to cope with the world she has discovered. Well, in Mafiosa, that has all changed. Sophie has accepted who she is and she is ready to fight back.

I really admired Sophie in this book. After everything she has been through, you would expect her to completely fall apart, and although she sometimes did, she bravely held it together most of the time. And I think that is partially due to the two special people she had left in her life: Millie & Luca. Without these two, I honestly believe Sophie would have cracked. They helped bring some normalcy into her crazy life. They kept her grounded. And it's for that reason that they are both my favourite characters of the trilogy. Like honestly guys, try to find a best friend like Millie and a boyfriend/partner like Luca - they will bring so much light into your life!

And I know I've said it before, but after finishing this trilogy you can't help the bittersweet feeling, because you realise there's no more Sophie & Luca. There's no more "I don't respect your authority." There's no more random disney references. (I could go on, but I think you get my point.)
But saying that, I'm not completely upset, because I thought that the ending of this trilogy was brilliant. Everything tied up nicely, there were no loose ends, yet it was still left quite open ended, which worked perfectly considering we are dealing with the mafia and you know, 'The mafia never dies.' 
I genuinely couldn't have asked for a better, more realistic ending.

Overall, this was a fantastic conclusion to what has become one of my favourite trilogies of all time!
I cannot wait to see what Cat has in store for us next!

5 Stars
Goodreads