Ashley's Favorite Books of 2015!!!

Here are my favorite reads of the year!!  

Well, 2015 has come and gone, and now 2016 is right around the corner! I've read so many good books this year! I've past my Goodreads goal this year! I've read so many different books; some good, some bad but I'm glad I read them regardless. I hope to read just as many good books next year!

Click on any of the titles below to read their reviews. There might be a few spoilers so watch out!

  1.  The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare. I cannot praise this series enough! I really can't! There are no words to describe these books. They are just breathtaking.
 This series has everything you could possibly want in it! Romance, action, and wonderful characters. Cassandra Clare's books always seem to knock me breathless. I can never put down her books once I pick one up! I am always excited to read her books! I'm so glad I read this series and I always recommend these books to everyone I know!

TEAM JEM CARSTAIRS!! <3

  2.  If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin. This book was heartbreaking, and I loved it! This book actually made me cry, and if you know me, that doesn't happen often. The characters are wonderfully unique and special, but the two main characters are so frustrating! It bothered me whenever Finn and Autumn weren't together or talking. It made me so happy to see them finally get together...Then the ending crushed me.
 You know immediately from reading the Prologue, that Finn is going to die, so you set yourself up for the bad ending. But then there are 336 pages of you falling in love with Finn and Autumn. And then, the ending hits you like a brick wall and it's so sad.

  3.  Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken. Jude...I was sad for days after finishing this book. I was emotionally scarred. One second, Jude was there and everything was fine. They all got out, it's all good. But then! But then Ruby realizes that it isn't Jude. It's a guy that looks like him but it's not him and it was just so crushing to find out that one of my favorite characters was crushed...
 It was really, really good and exciting regardless of this tragedy! I couldn't put this book down! I hope they turn this series into a movie series. I would really like to see it on the big screen.

  4.  Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover. This story was very original! This is the first Colleen Hoover book I really loved. I genuinely enjoyed this book! The characters are unique and the story is very original to me. I took American Sign Language as my foreign language in high school and I've been searching for a YA contemporary with a deafy since I started learning ASL. It was amazing to find one and I was totally excited! I was not disappointed! I loved this book and finished it in no time!

  5.  In The After Light by Alexandra Bracken. I loved the characters in this series and I was sad to see it end. It was so frustrating to watch Liam and Ruby be so mean to each other, and it was hilarious to see Chubs and Vida get together! I saw a few deaths I didn't see coming, and there was a death I wish had happened. Regardless, I was pretty okay with the ending to this series, aside from it ending.
 I did feel like we didn't get a enough time to process Liam's brother's death. It made me sad. I wanted to grieve even though I was happy it wasn't Liam who was murdered! 

 6. Sacrificed by Emily Wibberley. This book was so exciting! I really enjoyed reading Clio's story. This story was very unique and gripping, despite its rather slow beginning. I found myself rooting for Clio throughout the whole book. And I am obsessed with Riece! If the mixture of Clio's innocence and Riece's steamy/hotness doesn't get you fired up then nothing will!

  7. Forsworn by Emily Wibberley. I love this series setting, the characters and almost everything about it! I especially like Riece and Clio and I'm just dying for them to get together in the third installment of The Last Oracle series! I think the first two books were about equally good. I can't decide which is my favorite.

  8.  Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout. The Lux series doesn't have the best writing but the characters are lovable! The story is quirky and different, and the book also reminds me of Twilight a lot. The characters keep me hooked throughout this series! Daemon is so snarky, cute, funny, and tough! Totally drool-worthy!

  9.  Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout. The Lux series doesn't have the best writing but the characters are lovable! The story is quirky and different, and the book also reminds me of Twilight a lot. The characters keep me hooked throughout this series! Daemon is so snarky, cute, funny, and tough! Totally drool-worthy!

  10.  Life and Death by Stephenie Meyer. I had quite a few problems with this book but I enjoyed visiting the world of Twilight again. I wouldn't really recommend this book to anyone. If you're a true Twiheart, you will pick up this book but you will most likely be disappointed. Stephenie Meyer should have done the smart thing and released Midnight Sun.

What was your favorite book of the year? Comment below!

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Nadia's Favorite Books of 2015!!!

     Yet another year has come to a close, and I have read over 150 books this year- my Goodreads goal. (Yes, I'm on Goodreads, go check it out). Anyway, as I already mentioned, I've read over 150 books this year. Some of them were fantastic, others...not so much. But this list is dedicated to my favorite books that I read in 2015. The list is in no real order because I loved a lot of this books in different ways, and this list isn't a Top Ten or Top Five because who knows how many books will end up here.

1: Stolen by Lucy Christopher: This book kind of came out of nowhere. I've been wanting to read it for awhile, but I wasn't expecting a whole lot out of it because the plot really freaked me out. All of that being said, I LOVED this book. I fell in love with the characters, the plot, and the writing. My only complaint is that the story felt unfinished, and left me wanting a bigger sense of closure.

                                                         



2: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers: This book was earning SO much hype earlier this year, that I had to read it to find out what the big deal was, and I totally got it. This book was not over-hyped, and although the rest of the series left something to be desired, this book can exist entirely by itself, and I love this installment.

                                                               



3: Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli: Stargirl is one of my favorite books, and when I saw that there was a sequel, it was a very happy day for me. This book made me cry, but it also made feel happy in some twisted way. This isn't really a feel-good book, but I walked away feeling satisfied with how things turned out.

                                                                 



4: If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin: I was not okay after reading this book. It was one of the saddest books that I have ever read, and I even found it sadder than if I Stay by sad book extraordinaire Gayle Forman. The characters in this book made me feel things I wasn't ready to feel, and I was very upset by the ending of this book. Yes, I know it had to end that way, but that doesn't mean that I'm happy with it.

                                                                  



5: Panic by Lauren Oliver: I have tried to make myself read her Delirium series to no avail, so I decided to give this little standalone a shot. It was everything that I had been expecting and so much more. I got to read the writing style that I so loved without any of the other things that I didn't  love so much. I could relate to some of the characters, and I grew very attached.

                                                                   



6: Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid: Take a super cute contemporary female, and mash her with some superhero and that is what this book's protagonist is like. She's super sweet and kind, but she also has some hidden depths that I wasn't expecting. This book deserves a lot more popularity than it has gotten in the past, in my opinion.

                                                                   



7: My Heart and Other Blackholes by Jasmine Warga: Again, I had been expecting the hype machine to take this one way out of its ballpark, but this book deserved every second of fame that it got and so much more. The way that it handled some of the heavy issues that it did was stellar, and I could relate to the characters in some painful ways.

                                                                  



8: All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven: Another excellent product of the hype machine, and a real, raw look at mental health issues and all their ups and downs. Be prepared to sob grossly because this book stomps on your heart.

                                                                     



9: The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp: A real, painful look at alcoholism and the effects of when things spiral out of control. Include a lot of relatable characters, and some truly sad moments. Yes, I cried.

                                                                     



10: An Ember In The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir: An amazing dystopian, creepy kind of book with gorgeous writing, painful moments, and truly major plot twists.

                                                                     

11: Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas: This book needs no explanation. This is one of my favorite series, and it's getting kind of close to wrapping up. Basically, think kick butt assassin and truly amazing writing. There is no flaw with the entire series, but this is book four.

                                                          




     This year was a great year for books, and 2016 already has a stellar line-up. I can't wait to see what next year has in store for everyone.

     Happy New Year's everyone!!!

Ashley's Favorite Books of 2014

Here are my favorite reads of the year!!


1. City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare. I didn't even have to think about my #1 book of the year. There was no question that this was my favorite book I've read this year! Cassandra Clare's characters and writing always gets my blood boiling. This book kept me on the edge of my seat! There were so many twists and turns. I was so sad when it ended. I really love this series, and it's characters, and I was sad to see it come to an end.

2. City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare. This book was awesome! I was flying through the pages of this book, waiting to see when Jace would slip from Sebastian's clutches. This book was filled with twists and turns too! I can't read any of these books without holding my breath--The Mortal Instruments is just that good. Read it!

3. The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken. This book was excellent! There were a lot of things I didn't see coming (and it's hard to surprise me). The ending made me so depressed and itching for more!! It was a genius cliff-hanger. I couldn't believe what Ruby did. I was legit angry with a fictional character lol. I can't wait to read its sequel to find out what happens!

4. Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I've heard about this book for a while before finally picking it up. I don't regret it--which it why I made it #4! I'm not big on aliens or sci-fi but I really enjoyed this book. It was just so much fun to read! :) Definitely pick it up!

5. The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin. This book was good, but it was probably my least favorite in the series. It kind of disappointed me because Mara wasn't the same (though it was understandable, considering the circumstances). It was good though; very gothic and gripping and intense!

6. Divergent by Veronica Roth. This was a great thriller with tough, fun characters! People have been saying that it's like The Hunger Games, but I don't see how. It's totally different, or it was in this first book at least. I will definitely be reading Insurgent before the movie comes out in March!

7. To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han. This is one of my favorite authors! The writing was great and the story was very original. It was a fun read, filled with love and family. I can't wait to see what happens in the sequel!

8. Hopeless by Colleen Hoover. The story was very good; very realistic, and very intense. I loved the game Sky and Dean played whenever they ate. It was fun and I want to play it! Sky's past is heartbreaking and a reality for a lot of women; my heart went out to her. It was scary how realistic it was. That's what made it so good.

9. First Love by James Patterson. This book was sweet and sad. Their love and friendship was beautiful. I only wish it could've lasted longer. Though this book seemed like a The Fault in Our Stars ripoff, it was still good! The adventures these two characters had before tragedy struck was fun and filled with butterflies.

What was your favorite book of the year? Comment below!