Losing Leah Holloway (Claire Fletcher #2) by Lisa Regan | Rating: ★★★★☆

As a note, a review copy of this novel was provided on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way. Thank you!

Lisa Regan effortlessly pens a second installment to her delightfully painful and thrilling Claire Fletcher series. As you would suspect, it comes with just as much tension and suspense as the previous chapter. While I enjoyed Losing Leah Holloway--and this new mystery--I did prefer the first book in the series in terms of pacing.

Five years after escaping her personal terror, recovering from years in captivity, Claire Fletcher takes a chance in rescuing a car full of five children after a mother drives them off a bridge. Losing Leah Holloway is undeniably a different story--new mysteries, old struggles--but still has that bizarre/creepy vibe that its predecessor had. Regan is able to showcase once more how rich her writing is and will leave you captivated; the hairs on the back of your neck sticking up from various chills and thrills. Lisa Regan has a way with making you feel on edge throughout the pages and this is her biggest gift. Her own personal calling card.

Dirty Little Secret (Forbidden Desires #1) by Kendall Ryan | Review: ★★★★★

As a note, a review copy of this novel was provided on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way. Thank you!

"You're going to make me scream in the library."

I'll let your imaginations go wild with that one simple line from Dirty Little Secret, the beginning of Kendall Ryan's all-new series Forbidden Desires. In all honesty, I'm clawing my way towards the sequel already because holy crap I need it now. NOW. If you were wondering, yes, Ryan's latest is full of so much desire the following might happen:

-Reader could spontaneously combust.
-Pages are likely to catch fire.
-Cold showers are the new cuddle-fest.
-Proceed to anticipate the next release with your favourite comfort food.
-Pine over the follow-up. 

I mean. Phew. PHEW! Can I use the fire emoji for a sufficient review or is that not how this works?  I'm kidding. Mostly. I really do see only fire when I think of this bloody book and that's, well, as swoon worthy as it is infuriating. I love it. Kendall Ryan, you outdid yourself with this book. I can't stress that enough. You just reignited my interest in the genre and I'm pretty much in love with Emma and Cooper. And Emma and Gavin.

Finding Claire Fletcher by Lisa Regan | Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5)

As a note, a review copy of this novel was provided on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way. Thank you!

Isn't the cover for this novel so deliriously gorgeous and creepy? I love how out of focus and dark it is, that hint of colour just a blur of mystery--much like the novel itself. Penned by Lisa Regan, Finding Claire Fletcher is one of my favourite finds this year due to its content and superb writing. There were times when the hairs stood up on the back of my neck. Regan really captivated me with this one from the get-go and the brief summary leaves no questions to whether or not this is a must-read. It just is.

There's something so utterly compelling about crime novels. Whether they're fiction or non. They get under your skin. They take you on this hugely emotional journey and keep you pinned to the page because you can't help but want to solve it by yourself. Or at the very least, witness the resolution of it on its own. In the case of Regan's novel, it's fiction--with parallels to real life cases, I'm sure. The fact that the big plot-line in this is circled in on a mysterious cold case that is years old is all the more appealing to fans of the genre.

23:27 by H.L. Roberts | Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5--probably will change to a 4.)

As a note, a review copy of this novel was provided in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way. Thank you!

WOW. Just, wow. Now, I know that my 3.5 may throw you off when it comes to my 'wow'--I have to say that I did enjoy this novel quite a lot. That isn't to mean it didn't have flaws. It just so happened the flaws are pretty mundane in comparison to the emotional punch that the rest of 23:27 was and that listing the flaws would be, well, pointless. Because if there's one thing that I loved most about Roberts' novel it was how captivated it was when it came to how it makes readers feel. Hint: it's a lot. You feel a lot, kids.

I guess now that that is out of the way, we can get down to business. What made the novel as compelling as it was, besides the seriously powerful prose that H.L. Roberts possesses, was the characters. Take Lilith, for instance. Lilith is by far my favourite part of this whole book. Characters like Lilith (that is to say utterly stunning in all their complexities) are what make literature a treat to read. Lilith, ultimately, makes 23:27 and takes it to a whole other level.

That being said--I actually genuinely cared and was invested in the other characters, too. Roberts writes a set of characters that are easy to feel drawn to for various reasons--a trait that is very, very necessary to creating anything.

The Homecoming by Alan Russell | Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5)

As a note, a review copy of this novel was provided on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way. Thank you!

Despite what my 3.5 rating says, I liked The Homecoming far more than I disliked it. While it had its flaws and a sort of slowness to it in spots, I liked the complexities in it that reflected family life and one massive mystery. Alan Russell crafts both topics into a tale of... well, everything. It can be very thrilling to read.

One of the first thoughts that comes to mind was how... odd (delightfully so) this novel could be in its prime. I expected something a bit different than I got and that's what reading is all about. Surprising yourself. The Homecoming was often this: a surprise. A mystery. A story that unfolds in a gritty and--at times--shocking manner. Russell portrays the roughness of its exterior quite well; making his mark on a reader as they flip the pages. A lot of it's "can't-put-down-ness" (is that even a phrase?) is pulled off well only because of the way Russell pens the story.

It also has this dark tone that leaves questions in the air even as the pages fly by, leaving it in perfect taste for readers to wonder and maybe even hope for a second installment of it.

Girl Logic: The Genius and Abusrdity by Iliza Shlesinger | Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ (DNF)

As a note, a review copy of this novel was provided on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way. Thank you!

Ah! I'm disappointed in myself too for not finishing this bad boy. I really wanted to like this one! Sometimes, it's like comedy doesn't translate to page easily, for me, and while I enjoy Iliza Shlesinger's humor (somewhere between casually and a fan) Girl Logic just didn't do it for me.

In fact, it was one of those books where I was at a stand-still for quite a while before just finally closing it and shrugging. Not everything is going to be my cup of tea and that is fine. It happens. Iliza deserves better than that but it does happen.

Here's the thing: her particular brand of humor is not going to be for everyone. Like all comedic timing, there can be off-putting content expressed and that's okay. Sometimes you can look past things, sometimes you can't. While I had several moments of genuine witch-cackling in the pages that I read, it was not enough to compel me to read it further. You know when you like a book just fine but the sparks aren't at your finger tips? That's what Girl Logic was for me, at the end of the day, and that sucked.

   
J. Keller Ford's The Chronicles of Fallhollow continues with Rage of the Dragon King on October 24th, 2017, and will sure to leave fans pining for more! Before its launch date, Month9Books was kind of enough to provide readers with an exclusive first look at the second installment of this trilogy's cover art!

Spoiler alert: it's totally STUNNING. And, yes, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but... well... *picks jaw up off the ground* 

Without further ado, follow the cut for Rage of the Dragon King's cover!

Don't forget to pick up your copy at the end of October.

If you read, there's a definite chance that you've read a banned book. Or, at the very least, one that has been frequently challenged for its content. From modern day favourites like Gossip Girl, Twilight, The Hunger Games and Harry Potter to classics such as To Kill A Mockingbird, A Wrinkle in Time, Go Ask Alice and The Handmaid's Tale--most books are not spared from the uproar of others.

Every year, censorship threatens the world of literature for one thing or another and many books get taken off the shelves. Which is obviously absurd. During Banned Books Week, I'm always floored by titles that have been banned and the reasoning for it. And now I'm here to celebrate the right to read by counting down my favourite pieces of literature that have been banned in the past.

Bone by Yrsa Daley-Ward | Rating: ★★★★★

As a note, a physical copy of this novel was sent to me via the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way. Thank you.

Yrsa Daley-Ward is no stranger to expressive prose and Bone is a firm nod to this. In just a few pages, readers of all ages will be compelled by her poetry and the bluntness she portrays life in small passages. From hard-to-handle, to perfectly-accurate, to some combination of the both; Daley-Ward is one of the most phenomenal talents to come to the world of modern poetry. I'm just stating facts.

I've said it multiple times, but I'll say it again: 2017 has been such a brilliant year in terms of what's been published to the genre. Poetry is not for everyone, but the intimacy that Daley-Ward portrays should be. It should be at the top of your list. It should be at the top of the "best of" lists. I kid you not when I say that she packs a serious punch and if you guys could see how much I highlighted in my galley, you'd know I'm not exaggerating.

Much like Depression & Other Magic Tricks, The Chaos of Longing, peluda and The Princess Saves Herself in this One, Yrsa Daley-Ward provides the community with a voice that was desperately needed. When she feels, she writes, and we feel. It's not simple but it's not complex. It's real.

The Rise of the Dawnstar by Farah Oomerbhoy | Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5)

As a note, a review copy of this novel was provided in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way. Thank you!

Wow, wow, wow! Farah Oomerbhoy's The Avalonia Chronicles continues with a new, spellbinding installment--The Rise of the Dawnstar. And I'll be honest: I was pretty skeptical of the series at first with the previous release, despite the luscious writing and world-building that Oomerbhoy portrays during every chapter. All of that skepticism was pretty much destroyed by the final pages of The Rise of the Dawnstar.

Far more expansive than its predecessor, this next chapter of Avalonia is full of so much more life and plot twists. What I loved most about this one was that it kept me on my toes a lot more than the previous had managed. I knew instantly that Oomerbhoy was an author to look out for and now, with all that descriptive writing and complexities, I can finally saw I'm captivated. When an author can combine complexities of kingdoms, the sting of betrayal and everything in between, you know you've picked up a severe talent. In The Rise of the Dawnstar, so many of my initial complaints from the first book were banished--not all of them, but most--and at the core of this story was a whole lot of magic, fun and pain.

What I say is, a town isn’t a town without a bookstore. It may call itself a town, but unless it’s got a bookstore, it knows it’s not foolin’ a soul.

Do you ever just get so incredibly tired of the ordinary? The usual? Blah-blah-blah.* Call me fickle or call me "that broad who is hyped up on cough syrup and has had virtually no sleep in a week", but I looked at my blog today and went, 'yuck'. Because, let's face it, my blog is pretty dang basic (and I sometimes love it for this general basic-ness) and it really needed to be revitalized a bit. It's just no fun when you open a blog and think 'oh God I need a nap' almost immediately afterwards.

Well, okay fair enough, my old blog (sorry, the old Booked J can't come to the phone right now. Why? Oh! Because she's dead!) was more like zzzZZZZzzz, instant sleep time pill. But. But! You get the idea. Right? Right? Just nod your head, please. I'd beg you but I'm thinking that this sickling deserves a little pity, okay?

*If you sang that to the tune of Totally Fucked from Spring Awakening we are now bonded for life and you really have no say in this. 

Peluda by Melissa Lozada-Oliva | Rating: ★★★★★

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 opinion in any way.

Wow, 2017 has been a stellar year for poetry and I can't stress enough how much I loved Melissa Lozada-Oliva's peluda without bordering on incoherent fangirling. Because there's something so deeply moving in her words and one thing is certain: she is a voice that was desperately needed in poetry. And her prose is something of magic, humor and complexity.

peluda is one of the best releases this year (one of those rare 5 stars) and something I feel incredibly honored to have experienced. If you're dubious about the page count, and how short it is, know this: she packs a serious punch. A. Serious. Punch. Seriously, I'm still kind of staggering back a bit from being knocked out like this. Lozada-Oliva, do it again. Thanks.

Following up fantastic releases like Depression & Other Magic Tricks, The Chaos of Longing, Smoke & Mirrors, Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately, I Am More Than a Daydream and The Princess Saves Herself in this One, PELUDA makes its mark as something new when it comes to what makes young poets prolific these days.

The Last of the Firedrakes by Farah Oomerbhoy | Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2.5-3)

I had to stop running. I had to turn and face my life head on. It wasn’t enough being like everybody else; I had to be the best, and I was going to show everyone what I was truly made of. I was done with being a terrified princess, constantly waiting to be saved. I was going to be a queen, and, like Vivienne said, I had better start behaving like one.

As a note, a review copy of this novel was provided in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way. Thank you!

Where to begin where to begin? I felt like a lot of this novel dragged on and relied upon various tropes that I could have done without. I spent a good chunk of this novel feeling like I'd read it before in countless forms. There were some genuinely great moments in the novel itself that left me on the edge of my seat but the problem was it felt like a lot of it went, well, nowhere.

The writing that Oomerbhoy presents us with is so much better than this first installment of the Avalonia Chronicles and that's my first thought. You can feel it in her prose. She's a fantastic talent. She has an ease when it comes to world-building.

Undressed by Kimberly Derting | Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5)

It was what you made of those changes--those life-altering moments--that defined you. Those were the parts that made life interesting. And amazing.

As a note, a review copy of this novel was provided in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way. Thank you!

Well, well, well. Nothing to get your mind off a wicked case of typical autumn illnesses, and the bed rest they often put us on, like a heartwarming NA romance that doesn't slack on emotional punches. Undressed is sexy, smart and a surefire winner when it comes to recent releases. I'm stuck between giving it a 3.5 or a 4 star rating so expect that to change in the coming days because I simply can't decide. As far as introductions to a series goes, this first installment to The Men of West Beach is eye-catching and will keep your eye on the prize.

This is my first Kimberly Derting novel but certainly not my last! From what I see, it's a serious change of pace when it comes to her genres but a definite HIT. Far meatier, and intelligent, than its counterparts in the genre, this is a can't-miss read for NA fans. Perfect for fans of Krista and Becca Ritchie, Kimberly Derting's prose is everything you could want from the genre.

It's crackling with tension. Intriguing backstories. Delicious leads. Beautiful setting.

Theft can be a thing of love stories, I'm told. I Stole His Car, the first installment of the Love at First Crime series, by Jessica Frances emphasizes this fact. September 19th, 2017, saw the release of this bad boy (ha-ha, should I say bad-girl?) and I'm sure it'll find its audience out there.

(I'm fighting a gnarly cold so apologies if I sound a little incoherent.)

Promising to be unique, a bit steamy and suspenseful, I Stole His Car is a love story at its core--now armed with a few new twists on the most familiar of tropes. Jessica Frances' writing mixes the genre, keeping things an equal balance of light and heavy.

I'm so excited to celebrate the release with you guys! To learn more about I Stole His Car and Jessica Frances, follow the cut. As per usual--with recent book blitz--to sweeten the deal, there's a giveaway just in your grasp!

The Chaos of Longing by K.Y. Robinson | Rating: ★★★★★

don’t shrink
your truth
to make it fit
nice and neatly
in others
as if it’s origami.

unfold and
free yourself.

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.

K.Y. Robinson knows what makes poetry. This much was apparent in The Chaos of Longing and I'm so incredibly moved by what she portrayed. She dives deeper and deeper into parts of her soul and gives us this intimate look inside. Something that is not always possible. Yet, here it is, that reminder that it's not impossible to feel connected to someone else's words. Much like with Depression & Other Magic Tricks, Milk and Honey and The Princess Saves Herself in this One, Robinson crafts something so obtainable and wonderful, I could not put the collection down.

You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott | Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5)

“She hadn't learned, no one had taught her ... that the things you want, you never get them. And if you do, they're not what you thought they'd be. But you'd still do anything to keep them. Because you'd wanted them for so long.”

I'm going to start with one thing first--Megan Abbott is one of my favourite writers. No, not one. She is probably, actually, #1. There's just something about Abbott's prose that takes my breath away and causes me to turn; highlight, think and repeat. From The Fever and The End of Everything all the way back to Dare Me, I find myself stunned at the amount Abbott makes you feel in one short novel.

While I enjoyed You Will Know Me a lot, I didn't like it as much as I had assumed I would. The better half of the book--the final 75%--kept me in place, a feeling of dread and something I couldn't quite understand. That's when you know that Megan Abbott has something up her sleeve. Her prose is one of those rarities in fiction that makes your skin crawl in fear and intimacy.

You know these characters like you know a poet--in glimpses, not completely.

Smoke & Mirrors by Michael Faudet | Rating: ★★★★☆

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.

Oh, I've been so overwhelmed with wonderful poetry lately. All this prose, all this intimacy, makes me feel full of some sort of emotion I can't quite express. Michael Faudet is, as per usual, exquisite in the way his prose comes to life. There's something fulfilling about even his shortest of expressions and I cannot get enough of it. I mean that--it's not as though his work is flaw free (no one's is) but at the end of the day it accomplishes everything it was meat to do.

I loved the way that intimacy--far, wide, casual--was explored. There were many standouts that I can't wait to highlight in a physical copy upon its release because, much like with Rupi Kaur, Sabrina Benaim, Amanda Lovelace, Lang Leav and Alicia Cook it's impossible to not feel something at every turn of pen. Isn't that what we all love about poetry to begin with? To fell--compelled, related, understood. To learn.

The Two Princes of Summer by Nissa Leder | Rating: ★★★★☆

Scarlett had always wished for more from life. More excitement. More surprises. More something. She craved new adventure. So much so, she never appreciated what she had. Now her mom was gone, and, despite her mom's fits and outbursts, all Scarlett wanted was to have her back.


OH MY GOD! I am completely enamored by the beginning of what is sure to be an epic series. The Two Princes of Summer is an absolutely perfect read for fans of Cassandra Clare, A.G. Howard and Sarah J. Maas. In many ways, this introduction to The Whims of Fae exceed even my strongest expectations and I am honestly so, so, so captivated.

The thing about this novel is that it's a very quick read and kept me pinned to my seat for a good few hours. And while there are flaws in it, it still remains as compelling as a good fantasy novel should. Not to mention, it tackles some darkness of an ordinary life beyond the veil of Fae. I loved the world-building we grew to witness and the entire concept of this realm of Fae. It felt very, very reminiscent to other explorations in the genre however the characters and writing definitely made it a world of its own.

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas | Rating: ★★★★☆

Aelin had promised herself, months and months ago, that she would not pretend to be anything but what she was. She had crawled through darkness and blood and despair-she had survived.

It's official: Empire of Storms is the best (the bloody best) of the Throne of Glass series thus far. It will have you gasping for air by the final pages and well, I'm more than a little emotionally scarred by this beautiful novel. Finally! Throne of Glass is living up to its potential for me. That's the good news--the bad news is, I'm still not into Rowan but he is mostly growing on me and I'm trying to get used to him but eh, he left a bad taste in my mouth from the start.

Once more, Sarah J. Maas proves that her writing--her characters, the world-building--gets better at every release. It's easy to get lost in her fantasy-world. It's easy to root and hate certain characters. It is easy to love and become invested in this game of war. There's something undeniably intriguing and violent about Empire of Storms that sets it a part from its previous installments. And, I think, this cliffhanger is possibly one of the most thralling--and heartbreaking--releases as of yet.

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas | Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5)

She looked at them, at the three males who meant everything—more than everything. Then she smiled with every last shred of courage, of desperation, of hope for the glimmer of that glorious future. “Let’s go rattle the stars.”

Well, there goes that book. I'm burning through this series like mad. Okay. So. I have a lot of feelings about Queen of Shadows and more than my fair share of disappointments. While I feel, 100%, that this was an improvement on Heir of Fire I will never not think that the series needs to live up to its full potential. Further, I felt that a lot of the characters were acting more out of their own traits than usual (Chaol, Aelin) and--frankly--was more than a bit confused by a lot of things.

First: Aelin is still one bad b*tch and I love her. It felt like a lot of her previous development from the first three books was wasted/ignored this go around but not everything. She was still partly the woman we love; the queen, the assassin, the lover, etc. Aelin is hands-down one of the best in this series and there's no going around that. What I didn't like, however, was the relationship with Rowan. I missed the focus on her relationship (i.e: friendships) with Dorian and Chaol (I missed both of them in general--Dorian was possessed the entire time basically and Chaol just... wasn't Chaol) and felt like it really deteriorated the quality of the novel.

Are you a massive fan of YA Fantasy? Yes? Then I've got some seriously killer news for you by pure fate. Marked by Fate, that is. October 24th, 2017, marks one of the biggest releases in the genre as a new collection of fantasy takes the stage and captivates readers everywhere.

Now is your chance to dive into the magic of it all and preorder this collection featuring many, many authors. The best part? 26 full length novels for only $0.99 when you preorder. And to make matters sweeter--there's an awesome giveaway under the cut.

Needless to say, you should definitely follow the cut to learn more about the collection, its authors and the giveaway.

Are you Marked by Fate?

September 12th, 2017, brought the release of A Pain Less Ordinary by L.V. Pires; a story of one girl's life and the struggles of a teenager's world that is less than ordinary. A Pain Less Ordinary promises to be deeply moving, thought provoking and honest. It is life at its most volatile and complicated.

Raw. Honest. Surely, this will be an incredibly important novel for many young adults out there who are going through similar motions as the main character, Becca. I jumped at the chance to sign up for the blitz because I'm utterly excited for this release and couldn't wait to share it with my readers.

For more information on L.V. Pires, A Life Less Ordinary and your chance at a giveaway--follow the cut!