December 2015 - Booked J | in the Land of Stories

addicted series

1:11 PM

Addicted to You (Addicted #1) by Krista and Becca Ritchie | Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5) “The deeper we sink, the harder it is to crawl out. I fear the moment where neither of us can breathe again–when someone discovers our secrets. At any moment, everything can crumble beneath us. The dangerous game both excites and terrifies me.” In all honesty, New Adult is not...

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12:30 PM

The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith | Rating: ★★★★★ As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via Edelweiss by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. There is a substantial amount of hype over The Way I Used to Be and the comparisons the reading...

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12:18 PM

Lastland (TWP #4) by A.R. Ivanovich | Rating: ★★★★★ "It's not what comes easiest that makes us valuable, Katelyn. The wealth of our character is determined by what we push ourselves to become." As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in...

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12:08 PM

Monarch (TWP #3) by A.R. Ivanovich | Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5) "If circumstances in life were always changing, shouldn't that mean people could change, too? Every moment should be a platform for positive growth and new possibilities." As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect...

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1:01 PM

Underwater by Marisa Reichardt | Rating: ★★★★★ "I do online school now. Going to my other school got to be too hard. I can't control things out in the real world. Cars turn corners too fast. Doors slam. People appear out of nowhere. It's unpredictable." As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in...

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12:32 PM

Paperglass (TWP #2) by A.R. Ivanovich | Rating: ★★★★☆ “Love can transform the most sensible person into a blindly brave fool.” As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. One year after the events of Haven, A.R. Ivanovich’s...

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11:10 AM

Haven (TWP #1) by A.R. Ivanovich | Rating: ★★★☆☆ “Forget the crumbled ruins of a broken yesterday.” As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. I have a lot of conflicting emotions about Haven. I enjoyed it and read...

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4:22 PM

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare | Rating: ★★★★★ “I know about parabatai,” said Magnus, an angry, dark undercurrent to his voice. “I’ve known parabatai so close they were almost the same person; do you know what happens, when one of them dies, to the one that’s left —?” I can’t believe I’m almost done with my reread of the entire TMI...

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11:27 AM

Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances by Maureen Johnson, John Green and Lauren Myracle | Rating: ★★★★☆ I always had this idea that you should never give up a happy middle in the hopes of a happy ending, because there is no such thing as a happy ending. Do you know what I mean? There is so much to lose. Some of the...

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alloy entertainment

11:19 AM

I Will Always Love You (GG #12) created by Cecily von Ziegesar | Rating: ★★★★★ They chose each other. Just then, the dark sky lit up with fireworks. A cab sailing the street honked in celebration . In the night air, Nate thought he could hear Serena and Blair's laughter, though he knew that was impossible; they were too far away by now....

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Gossip Girl (Book Series) by Cecily von Ziegesar: A Blerena Picspam

4:13 PM

The other day, I was thinking back to the Gossip Girl books. Which is something I often do, seeing as it remains one of my favorites. Oh, I know. Blah, blah, blah, Jessica likes trashy and nostalgic young adult lit from her preteen/teenage years. Blah, blah, blah, she's going to complain about how it didn't get a good adaptation or how much she...

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3:35 PM

City of Fallen Angels (TMI #4) by Cassandra Clare | Rating: ★★★☆☆ “Hearts are breakable," Isabelle said. "And I think even when you heal, you're never what you were before".” My reread of The Mortal Instruments, in preparation for the new television adaptation Shadowhunters, continues with City of Fallen Angels. Serving as the fourth book in the expanded series, we see our favorite...

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The Lying Game (Series) by Sara Shepard: A Picspam

12:43 PM

Earlier this year, I found myself drowning in Sara Shepard's awesome and thrilling (and stylish!) The Lying Game books. Even months after finishing up the series, I still find myself with a bit of a book hangover--oh, how I miss Sutton Mercer and Emma Paxton and all the horrible things that occurred throughout the series. The Lying Game is spooky, luxurious and incredibly...

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11:30 AM

Everybody Rise by Stephanie Clifford | Rating: ★★★★☆ As a note, a printed galley of this novel was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. What a stellar debut! I’m still swooning a bit from its prose and how everything just was. Which leads to me screaming from my...

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11:07 AM

Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave | Rating: ★★★☆☆ Maybe that was just childhood? You hurry up, pick the opposite path, try to make childhood end. Then, as an adult, you have no idea why you were running away. What, exactly, you needed so desperately to get away from. As a note, a printed galley of this novel was sent to me by...

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cover art changes

Cover Art Makeover: The Winner's Trilogy

12:57 PM

You may have already heard: just a few days ago Fierce Reads announced a massive surprise to fans of Marie Rutkoski's underrated The Winner's Trilogy. An unexpected new series of cover art for the entire series. While it is no surprise to see publishers changing a books look--for marketing purposes; packaging is important--it does come as a shock to fans who fell in...

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7:25 PM

The Knockoff by Lucy Sykes and Jo Plazza | Rating: ★★★☆☆ As a note, a printed galley of this novel was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. Oh, I was so looking forward to The Knockoff but felt let off short at the end of the day. Lucy...

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The Best of 2015

6:24 PM

GOODBYE, 2015! Thank you for all the phenomenal releases. Okay, so the year isn’t over yet but I felt pretty confident in posting this now, nearly a month ahead of schedule. Mainly because I don’t have any more books with a 2015 release date to add from my to-read pile (that would actually get finished by New Years) and all that jazz. Also...

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5:08 PM

The Things We Keep by Sally Hepworth | Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.7) As a note, a printed galley of this novel was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. The first thing you should know about The Things We Keep by Sally Hepworth is that it’s heartbreaking and full of...

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3:04 PM

Pretty Little Secrets (PLL #4.5) by Sara Shepard | Rating: ★★★☆☆ Next up on my Christmas friendly list of recommendations and reviews is a collection of holiday stories set in the Pretty Little Liars universe, planted between the first A arch and the second. It’s Christmas time in Rosewood and our girls are up to a lot. Sara Shepard brings us four short...

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1:35 PM

My True Love Gave to Me edited by Stephanie Perkins | Rating: ★★★★☆ Spinning back around to my original focus of the month–damn health got in the way, didn’t it?–Christmas. Or rather, holiday themed stories. It would seem that the most obvious pick of recent releases would be My True Love Gave to Me, a collection of some of the most delightful holiday...

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1:29 PM

Untamed (Splintered Companion) by A.G. Howard | Rating: ★★★★★ As a note, a finished copy of this novel was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. Nearly a year since readers said their farewells to A.G. Howard’s vivid, beautiful and grotesque take on Wonderland and all the delightful (and...

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12:53 PM

Mistletoe: Four Holiday Stories by Various Authors | Rating: ★★★☆☆ Starting off my celebration and talks of stories that fit in with the holidays wonderfully, the first collection of holiday themed stories that comes to my mind is Mistletoe. In fact, it was the very first collection of four holiday stories that I’d ever picked up, due to my love of Melissa de...

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12:23 PM

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates | Rating: ★★★★★ “You must resist the common urge toward the comforting narrative of divine law, toward fairy tales that imply some irrepressible justice. The enslaved were not bricks in your road, and their lives were not chapters in your redemptive history. They were people turned to fuel for the American machine. Enslavement was not...

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11:51 AM

Warren the 13th and the All-Seeing Eye written by Tania del Rio, illustrations by Will Staehle | Rating: ★★★★☆ As a note, a printed galley of this novel was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. Looking for a gift for your favorite young reader? Have no fear, Warren...

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1:56 PM

‘Tis the season to be jolly. And walk down memory lane. Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la [Update: I've been sick so this idea is pretty much in the bin now but I will still try to do a few holiday reviews!] Leading up to the days before the holidays I will be revisiting, reposting and revising reviews from some of my favorite (or non favorite) holiday stories....

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Welcome, Welcome

BOOKED J was created by a group of friends who wanted nothing more than to discuss literature with the world. In the time since, Booked J has gone through a number of changes in name and content.

Presently run by Jessica, a freelance writer, singer, Goodreads Librarian and avid reader, Booked J is--somehow--still going strong. With several years of book blogging under her belt, and a desire to work with the literary community in making it more diverse, she is always open to collaborations.

You can always find Jessica obnoxiously singing show-tunes into her morning coffee. When not reading or researching true crime, she is likely running around outside with her dogs and generally making a fool of herself.

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