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.

But as we know, in this city anything is possible.

Flashback to 2008 or 2009: in a surprising move due to the popularity of the then-hit television series, Gossip Girl came back for one final look into our beloved teenagers lives as they explore adulthood and come home for the holidays during breaks in university. Much like the final books and spin-offs of the original series, it is penned a ghost writer and not Cecily herself.

I Will Always Love You, or as I like to call it: the pitiful (but still fun) attempt at drawing in fans of the television series and unnecessarily destroying the characteristics of the books, takes place over the course of four years and is told in the usual rotating narration and blog entries. We’re split up to focus ONLY on the four years of holidays our kids have as breaks from classes.

(I’m being a bit dramatic: the installment wasn’t horrible it just wasn’t Gossip Girl in the way longtime readers wanted it to be. There were some redeeming qualities to it, though, like the endgames. Which is why I've still given it a high review like the rest of the series.)

Don't You Forget About Me (GG #11) created by Cecily von Ziegesar | Rating: ★★★★★

At last, summer is coming to an end for our kids but their exploits are far from over. Drama boils over as love triangles grow and decisions are made. We’re reunited for one final party in the city before everyone departs for college. Dan’s sexuality is explored and his mother makes a surprise appearance. Don't You Forget About Me is Gossip Girl in all its glory: pure fun and sarcasm and romance and fashion.

Although university is just around the corner; their changes are only just beginning and this summer is sure to end on a high note. Who will actually follow through with their plans for university? Can Blair, Nate and Serena work out their problems?

We start off with the return of Blair and Nate; they have spent the last few weeks of their summer together on a romantic getaway. Passion was high, the sun gave them that perfect tan others will surely envy and they are preparing to start at Yale together.

Or so Blair thinks. There’s that little matter of Nate not actually receiving his diploma…

Would I Lie to You (GG #10) created by Cecily von Ziegesar | Rating: ★★★★★

You can expect the usual realistic and sloppy portrayal of the teenage mind in this hot installment. Gossip Girl continues to cater to its audience–light, juicy, fashionable and fast reads that leave you giggling a little bit to yourself. It’s dizzily trashy and that’s what makes it dazzling. Yes, it is the perfect summer treat for those who want to kick back, lose themselves in luxury and drama.

Summer lives on as the drama reaches an all time high in Would I Lie To You? the second to last installment in the original series. And with filming at an end for Breakfast at Fred’s, Blair and Serena wind up staying in the Hampton’s as fashion muses for a very famous designer.

Of course, this doesn’t mean they will be the face of this designers new line and have to share the spotlight with their own lookalikes. Neither duo seems to be happy about this, and Blair feels that the models are very much so up to something.

They happen to be living next door to Nate, too, and because of this their love triangle is back on. Blair, Nate and Serena reunite as the best friends that they are but there’s always more lingering in their hearts. While things heat up between Nate and Blair once more, Serena begins to question her feelings for Nate and comes to the conclusion that she has loved him all along.

Only in Your Dreams (GG #9) created by Cecily von Ziegesar | Rating: ★★★★★

Summer is here and things are heating up for our recent high school graduates in the ninth book of the pop culture phenomenon that is Gossip Girl. Sadly, Only In Your Dreams is the first of the series to be written by a ghost writer instead of Cecily von Ziegesar and it definitely shows.

But the ghost writer does capture Cecily’s series in a way the mimics her style perfectly. While it isn’t the best of the series, it is still juicy and stylish in the way that only Gossip Girl can be.

Everyone’s favorite Upper East Siders are nearing adulthood and have vowed to make this summer their best yet. Serena’s begun production as the lead in Breakfast at Fred’s, only to find out acting isn’t quite as easy as she thought. Her only saving grace is her looks and her ridiculously adorable and sweet costar, whom she definitely develops a crush on.

But is this something she can pursue? Or is he just not that into her?

And then there’s Vanessa who, after getting booted from her apartment by her older sister Ruby’s return, finds herself temporarily homeless.

Luckily for her, with Serena’s help, she is able to land a job on the movie set. And she moves in with the Humphrey’s. Rufus is surprisingly cool about it and soon she finds herself staying in Jenny’s old room. It’s a cozy little set up and things look up for our favorite edgy, badass, bald, budding filmmaker.

Nothing Can Keep Us Together (GG #8) by Cecily von Ziegesar | Rating: ★★★★★

After the not-so-shocking dramatic end to Nobody Does It Better, Gossip Girl heats up as high school graduation approaches, their futures now closer than ever, new and old romances ignite, long standing friendships fall apart and Jenny looks into various boarding school options.

And word on the street is that a certain filmmaker is looking to remake Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Any guesses as to who is one of the many, beautiful, hopeful young actresses? Breakfast at Fred’s seems to be generating a ton of buzz and this serves as a central plot point along with graduation.

With Nate and Serena as a couple, Blair decides to take her life into her own hands and start fresh. Yale has accepted her and she finally feels as though she’s gotten back into her groove; although it’s clear that she feels the sting of Nate and Serena’s newfound couple status.

Nobody likes to see their two best friends date, especially when one of those best friends is the love of her life. But luckily for B, Nate is just as devastated by this turn of events as she is. He so clearly misses Blair. Surprisingly, the same could be said for Serena. In fact, their so-called romance is built more on the point that both want to prove to Blair that their surprise hookup in the last book was more than just a hookup between two friends.

Nobody Does It Better (GG #7) by Cecily von Ziegesar | Rating: ★★★★★

Nobody Does It Better is serving up the scandal and luxury Gossip Girl is known for. Things are looking up for our favorite Upper East Siders as graduation nears and their futures become all the more clear. In these teens charmed lives, anything goes and it’s clear that anything can happen in the city that never sleeps.

But even in all their glamorous exploits, decisions have to be made. So what does the future hold for Blair, Serena, Nate, Jenny, Dan, Vanessa, Aaron and Chuck? Where will their lives lead them next? It’s bound to be juicy and Gossip Girl is there to report everything.

Where we left off in You’re the One That I Want: Blair and Nate finally have sex and are stronger than ever–or are they? Blair’s expectations are high and notoriously framed around her favorite films… but is it possible for her to have it all? Or is she destined to become just another society princess in a sea of designer wearing women?

As for her relationship: Gossip Girl’s it-couple has always been up and down. And that is no different in Nobody Does It Better, in spite of the romantic and picture perfect ending to the previous installment.

You're the One That I Want (GG #6) by Cecily von Ziegesar | Rating: ★★★★★

You’re the One That I Want is the sixth installment in the pop culture phenomenon that is Gossip Girl and is my personal favorite of the series of books. For a series that is as messy and poorly written as GG is, it’s still thoroughly entertaining, stylish and engaging.

And in this installments case, the writing has improved immensely.

In true GG fashion, its main plot line is fueled by teenagers misbehaving and narrated by the queen of gossip herself. Most of our favorite UES teens are nearing the end of their high school careers (graduation is just months away!) and seem to be branching out more and more as they discuss what their adult lives will soon hold for them.

YTOTIW promises its usual array of scandal, gossip, fashion, luxury and sex. It’s the perfect combination of teenage angst, hormones and boredom. Which is what makes it fun and appealing to teenagers. Each character is different and yet still obtainable. They can all be extremely horrible to each other, yet you want to root for them in many ways.

I Like It Like That (GG #5) by Cecily von Ziegesar | Rating: ★★★★★

I Like It Like That welcomes you back to the scandalous lives of Manhattan’s elite and promises to be the juiciest installment yet as everyone’s favorite filthy rich teenagers are looking forward to a steamy spring break away from school and even their families. Nothing says fun like a weeks break from the lives they lead.

As Nate tries on the clean and sober route; taking on the role of white knight to his current (and completely wild) girlfriend Georgina, whom he met in rehab, Blair and Serena make sure their friendship is solid as ever as they move in with one another after Blair needs escape from her crazy family which is only growing.

Because it is spring break, most of the gang leave the city for a much needed vacation – and as it happens, Blair, Serena, Nate, Chuck and Georgina all wind up staying in Sun Valley while Jenny, Vanessa and Dan stay in he city.

Fortunately for Blair, and unfortunately for Serena, Serena’s older brother Eric van der Woodsen is joining them on their little trip and boy has he grown up nicely. College just really suits some people, you know?

Eric and Blair quickly take on a flirtation and hook up on the trip, thrilling Blair to have a distraction (and to hopefully lose her virginity to) from Nate and his disastrous girlfriend. Eric is more than pleased to be put in this situation as he assesses just how much his little sister’s best friend has grown up since he left. Their scenes are fun, flirty and lead to a steamy moment towards the end.

Now, I know what you're thinking: how bored was I to attempt to do this with no artistic ability whatsoever? It was mostly inspired by simplistic redesigns I've been seeing on Tumblr for quite some time and with all the storms we've been getting, I've found myself with some massive free time on my hands. And so I figured, eh, what the hell? If I can't go outside as often as I'd like to, why not give this a go?

Naturally, I started with the first three Gossip Girl books from Cecily von Ziegesar's bestselling series. Gossip Girl has gone on to be something of a pop culture phenomenon by hand of the bestselling books, the spin-off books it then spawned ("The It Girl" and "Gossip Girl: The Carlyles), the one-time immensely popular CW adaption (RIP!) and lastly the adaptions in other languages, most recently the fabulous Gossip Girl: Acapulco which was cancelled far too soon.

Gossip Girl will always have a special place in my life due to the fascination I've held with it since my preteen years and it felt only appropriate to use these as my first few tries. I mostly used photos from promo images, stills and behind the scenes looks at the series' original run on the CW.  One of the things that annoyed me about the repackaging designs the book series was handed during the second season of the adaption was that there wasn't barely any covers which actually fit with what would be happening in the novels.

Because I'm Worth It (GG #4) by Cecily Von Ziegesar | Rating: ★★★★★

Because I’m Worth It takes things up a notch for our favorite Upper East Siders. Time has passed rather quickly and the more things change, the more they stay the same. Some are given second chances, some are cleaning up their acts and some are exploring whole new worlds to discover themselves no matter what it costs those they love. As usual, we can expect a luxurious setting with tons of backstabbing, sex and rich teen angst.

(And we see the age old statement: give a girl a new haircut and she can take on the world. Wait, that’s not a thing? Oh…)

With a budding romance in rehab just beginning, other relationships fall apart. There’s plenty of romantic plots as per usual in this installment, and while some of it seems excessive and silly it still serves as an trashy entertainment at its finest. There’s a reason these books, and the “adaption”, are so popular: they are scandalous and reminiscent of a train wreck you can’t help but to watch.

On the topic of romance, something unexpected happens to our favorite teen queen B: Blair meets someone who has such a classic handsome tone to him that he just may be the next leading man to her Audrey Hepburn; the only catch is massive seeing as he is a friend of her fathers and is the man who is giving her a second chance at her Yale interview.

Love The One You're With (GG: The Carlyles #4) created by Cecily von Ziegesar, written by Annabelle Vestry | Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5)

In the smokin’ hot finale (I can’t believe I used that term, God I’m embarrassing myself) of Gossip Girl: The Carlyles the gang is picking up the pieces from the explosive storm of drama that had hit their lives in recent months and are fast on their way to a well earned vacation. Life on the Upper East Side has never been crazier and things have finally, mostly, cooled off for this batch of spoiled teenagers.

Just as the luxurious cast before them, the holidays (see: Thanksgiving!) are looking steamy for our kids. And I, for one, couldn’t wait to dive on in to this trash pile… ahem…

Friendships have been formed and mended, relationships have dissolved into thin air and romance is beginning to bud between a few perfect matches. And families will grow with Avery, Owen and Baby’s mothers newest – most serious – romance. But what happens when these triplets meet their soon-to-be stepsister, and just how well can they adjust to her mothers long term relationship?

Last we saw, Jack and Avery had hung up their feud and formed an unlikely friendship, but how long can these two ladies really stick together? Is their friendship real and more than just going out, partying and talking fashion? Or is their connection a genuine friendship that is beneficial for both? And what of Jack’s group of friends from Constance?

Take A Chance On Me (GG: The Carlyles #3) created by Cecily von Ziegesar and written by Annabelle Vestry | Rating: ★★★★★

In the third installment of Gossip Girl: The Carlyles, things continue heating up on the Upper East Side and these new scandalous teenagers just won’t quit. Everything has been up in flames since the arrival of The Carlyle triplets and Take A Chance on Me is quite possibly the best in this spin off and dishes us a hefty helping of drama, betrayal, romance and power struggles.

Say hello to your next best beach read, ladies and gentlemen. Although this next generation of kids don’t quite reach the level of awesomeness that our original group did, this installment certainly takes things to a whole new level and is classic Gossip Girl. It’s stylish, witty, light and will have you glued to the pages until the final chapter.

As for the kids…

Owen has officially snagged the girlfriend of his ex best friend, and with this betrayal and the entire UES teenage population knowing this, he no longer has to hide his attraction to Kelsey. No matter who he hurts, he flaunts this relationship and finds himself blissfully at ease. Love is a powerful thing, my friends. Powerful and brutal.

But is it love that two share or is it just lust? Was their romance a classic case of “you want what you can’t have”? Owen soon can’t help but wonder how well he really knows Kelsey. Now that he is friendless and in a relationship, Owen begins to have second thoughts. Kelsey doesn’t seem to ever want to just talk to him and after Rhys quits the team; he becomes captain to a group of guys who seemed to have picked sides.

All I Want Is Everything (GG #3) by Cecily von Ziegesar | Rating: ★★★★★

Following the events of You Know You Love Me, everyone’s favorite group of partying, reckless, intriguing teenagers are still the hot topic on the infamous Gossip Girl blog.

Which is not at all shocking, given their lives are as entertaining and stressful as your favorite handy dandy soap opera. It’s just as dishy, catty and sarcastic as ever and once more an absolute delight to pick up where we left off in the wild happenings of this batch of characters. Yes, Gossip Girl is the ultimate trash favorite.

All I Want Is Everything is YA chick lit at its finest. Even all these years later, this series is still fun and enjoyable and cringe worthy, i.e: a total beach read. So grab your shades, that new bikini and your favorite drink – it’s time to dive back into this dishy world and gossip our cute little butts off. Who doesn’t love a good gossip?

Winter break is nearly here and with the end of the year drawing closer, there's plenty of room for these kids to ring in the new year with dramatic sparks. Some will stay in the city for the holidays while others will be jetting off for a vacation in the sun and the world at their feet.

Thankfully for us, and the entire Upper East Side, the loveable pair of best frenemies, Blair and Serena, have patched up their friendship. Now that both girls are single and BFFs again, they’re looking to spend their winter holidays in the sun and to enjoy themselves thoroughly. They’ve earned it, right? With Nate no longer in either girls romantic lives, they’ve retracted their claws and maybe, just maybe, their eyes will meet another special someone’s.

You Know You Love Me (GG #2) by Cecily von Ziegesar | Rating: ★★★★★

You Know You Love Me serves as the second installment of the original Gossip Girl series and comes with the return of fan favorites Blair, Serena, Nate, Dan, Jenny, Vanessa and Chuck. After the excellent start to the series, one can tell instantly that these scandalous teenagers and their lives are only just getting started. Get ready for more sex, more betrayal and more fun.

The title of this book is, perhaps, the most iconic of the series due to the phrase “you know you love me” that frequents the ever mysterious Gossip Girl’s blog and also makes its appearance in dialogue for both Blair Waldorf and Serena van der Woodsen. You don’t think of Gossip Girl without this phrase.

It reminds me of middle and high school; the way you feel when you're just discovering the world for yourself and how odd and intriguing life can really be. It reminds me of the autumn and the very first pair of heels I'd purchased as a teenager; it reminds me of the thrill of doing things you shouldn't be and the exploration of it all. Plot wise, it picks up right where the first of the series left off and throws us right into the mix of these teenagers scandal filled lives.

Blair and Nate are back together, Nate is as fickle as ever, Serena is kind-of-sort-of with Dan (but for how long?), Vanessa has an older boyfriend and Jenny is looking for a way in as usual. And Chuck Bass is still a dirt bag dressed up with a pinky ring and scarf.

Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar | Rating: ★★★★★

Gossip Girl was, and always will be, one of my favorite trashy young adult book series. I love that the novels are short and easy to devour and that they sound like actual conversations with teenagers. You get a glimpse into the lives of a group of shallow rich teenagers and the so-called-glamor of it all. I love that it doesn’t take itself seriously and at times is sincerely cringe worthy. How absurd are these characters, right? I’m delirious with love for this light and fluffy read.

I’d say that it is my guilty pleasure except I don’t believe in such a thing.

Needless to say Gossip Girl is my biggest weak point in young adult literature and frankly, I can’t explain why, it’s just so fun and the easiest way to blow off some steam after a long day. I feel like I grew up with everyone’s favorite Upper East Siders and really, there’s no going back from that.

From the moment I picked it up as a preteen exploring Barnes and Noble, I knew I was hooked. Over ten years later, there’s still no going back.

As I said before, the only way to enjoy this series is to understand it isn’t supposed to be serious. It’s soapy, it’s satirical, it’s dramatic and it’s steamy. And another thing you should do, is separate it from the television series of the same name.

There’s no real outstanding plot to the series, just sprinkles of teen angst, romance and fashion set all in a world that is virtually unobtainable to many of its target audiences. It’s easy to let your imagination take over and even without the television adaption, you can see it come to life as you’re reading.

Cum Laude (Class) by Cecily von Ziegesar | Rating: ★★☆☆☆

“To her surprise, college was even lonelier than high school.”

I’m a bit torn on what rating I’d like to give this novel because I feel as though I am judging it a bit too harshly. Cum Laude is meant to be the first adult novel that Cecily has done but it reads far too similar to her young adult style of writing we come to find in the Gossip Girl book series. It’s shaky, at best. But the story itself is by no means the worst thing I’ve ever read, so perhaps my rating of two stars will raise to three.

I’m unsure.

Off that note, I’ve been a fan of Cecily for years and years. Aside from Harry Potter, and more recently the Hunger Games and the Darkest Minds, I’ve never really had a big obsession with a series of books like I did with Gossip Girl and its spin-off series The It Girl. I can proudly say that she is one of the authors that not only got me reading, but she also got me writing.

And she’s so sassy and stylish, her narratives are often hilariously sarcastic.

Gossip Girl: Psycho Killer by Cecily Von Ziegesar | Rating: ★★★★☆

"Best keep a safe distance. Unless you’re skilled with a knife. And — like me — you just can’t stay away. You know you love me, Gossip Girl."

As many know, before there was the CW’s loose adaption Gossip Girl was a set of bestselling novels that ran from the 2002-2007 and eventually went on to release both a prequel and a follow up/sequel novel (the follow up novel was released during the shows run, and featured plotlines that were out of character for some book characters to attract fans of the television series, and spanned through the entire college characters of all the main characters).

These novels were never meant to sound serious and are targeted at young girls who typically won’t read beyond the pages of Vogue. They are fashionable, juicy and full of humor in the sarcastic narration. And for the genre, these books certainly provide an entertaining amount of gossip, romance, friends and fashion. Did we mention backstabbing?

Cecily Von Ziegesar came back with a surprise rewrite of the first novel and really played on the backstabbing themes we’d come to known in the series. You know except this time with actual backstabbing.