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…

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.

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.

Blonde Ambition (The A-List #3) by Zoey Dean | Rating: ★★★★☆

Blonde Ambition is quite possibly one of my favorites installments in the beloved The A-List series. Zoey Dean’s is known for her sharp, fun and fast paced story telling and doesn’t disappoint in this third book of the series.

It shows immediate growth in a few of the characters, Anna for example, and shows great promise for the others. We see a romance bud in an unlikely place and friendships shrink and grow. And of course a signature dash of family and relationship dramas. Zoey Dean is the master of teen friendly drama that levels the field with style, intrigue, sex and the constant battle of general teenage affairs.

It’s Gossip Girl meets a stylish, more laid back California setting with a dash of good ole 90210 drama and a whole lot of sass.

Blonde Ambition is a mix of everything we’ve come to know and love from the series and then some. We see second chances, we see strong friendships and other moments that make you go OMG. Blonde Ambition is The A-List in its prime and it’s something you will read quickly, unable to put it down.

My recommendations to have on the side?

Sunshine, your favorite drink, a killer pair of shoes and shades. It’s a beach read, it’s perfect for the summer and perhaps always will be with its fashionable description, drama and various pop culture references that have long passed.

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.

Girls on Film (The A-List #2) by Zoey Dean | Rating: ★★★★★

The A-List crew is back for seconds in this installment of the best selling series. It’s hard for me to believe it’s as old as it is, but in spit of its age it is still hilarious and oozes shallow rich-kid-plots goodness. Zoey Dean ups her game for this number and doesn’t disappoint fans with where she takes this glamorous series.

Often hailed as Gossip Girl for California teens, The A-List is one of the most popular young adult chick lit series and proves time and time again that sometimes it’s fun to be bad. Girls on Film is just as funny, luxurious, fashionable and scandalous as the previous book and we watch the delightful batch of characters as they cook up more drama in their final semester of high school.

Anna Percy moved to California to live with her father and start over. Always in the shadow of her dear best friend, Anna thought it was about time for an adventure of her own and a personality overhaul. With her new found confidence and new zip code, Anna has found herself in love with one boy, dating another, new friends and new enemies.

Anna has certainly sealed her place on The A-List without so much of a struggle. She hasn’t come too far out of her shell but she does have a level of intrigue that her new classmates have found. Her arrival has brought a new mix to the lives of these teenagers; a friendship has quickly formed between herself and the always entertaining Sam Sharpe. And this friendship takes the main stage in Girls on Film, as the two girls work together on a film for school – a retelling of The Great Gatsby.

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 Just Can’t Get Enough (G.G: The Carlyles #2) created by Cecily von Ziegesar, written by Annabelle Vestry | Rating: ★★★★☆

In You Just Can’t Get Enough, the second book of the Gossip Girl spin off, Gossip Girl: The Carlyles, readers see things heating up once more in the lives of this batch of wealthy teenage Upper East Siders. And it’s oh-so-obvious that the drama that blew into the city with the arrival of The Carlyle triplets is only just getting started. But how much drama can one set of siblings really bring to Manhattan?

We’re greeted once more by the familiar voice of Gossip Girl as she reports to us the scandalous happenings of this next generation of up-to-no-good kids – and things are certainly far more entertaining in this installment than the last one. Back are the same group of teenagers from this generation – Baby, Avery, Owen, Rhys, Jack and a variety of other side characters and as always, this second book picks up right where we left off.

Jack is losing heat – her home life, ballet, her social life and now her boyfriend have all seemingly fallen from her grasp. And she’s on the ultimate war path when it comes down to the Carlyles. What happens when she falls upon a piece of information that will certainly come in handy about Owen Carlyle and what – or who – he did last summer? And how can she use it to her advantage?

More importantly, what happens when it all backfires? And what sassy entries does Gossip Girl have planned for these kids?

Those Girls by Lauren Saft | 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.

For years, the Poppy imprint over at Little Brown has provided us with many a shallow and fluffy rich-kids-go-wild novels and series. Typically, what makes these stories such a hit with the teens is because it seems equally obtainable and unrealistic. Young readers get their fill of fictional lives that seem different from their own but often parallel their lives or someone they knows. They’re light, they’re fun, they’re OMG worthy and overall something to lose themselves in. You just can’t look away.

Which is exactly why I was thrilled to see one of their latest publish works by Lauren Saft, titled Those Girl, listed on Net Galley. I’m such a sucker for the latest trashy young adult oriented chick lit (even now in my early twenties) so it’s no surprise I requested it with the highest hopes and a tasty Cosmo on the side. Here I was, ready for the latest from one of my go-to publishers.

After all, how could one go wrong? Growing up, I owned a great deal of novels published through the Poppy imprint. Most notable being Gossip Girl, The A-List and The Clique. Poppy is a pro when it comes to drawing readers in, but in the case of Those Girls it was one of their rare misses. I can’t actually recall a time when I didn’t like one of their prints until this moments. I've never been so damn disappointed. What went wrong?

The A-List by Zoey Dean | Rating: ★★★★★

Just a little over ten years ago, when readers where left in wait for the next installment of Gossip Girl they searched high and low for something equally as juicy to read in their spare time. Fortunately for them, Little Brown already had a selection in the Zoey Dean penned series called The A-List. Many readers flocked to this because of the similarities between the series and Gossip Girl – filthy rich teenagers acting like adults and the familiar light and soapy settings that makes reading quick and entertaining.

It is, or perhaps was, the most popular series in similar genres. There was a time when I was incredibly attached to this gem of a series and for many, this is going to serve as an ultimate throwback.

Where Gossip Girl focuses on the lifestyles of uber rich and wild Upper East Side teenagers, The A-List focuses on similar social settings on a different coast. GG is a take on New York’s youth, The A-list is California youths callback: adventures of beautiful, young and rich teenagers who try so hard to be adults tied together with a bit more beach setting promises all the dirty details that became many readers guilty pleasure through Gossip Girl and maybe more.

During this time, you'd almost never hear one series without the other amongst readers – where Gossip Girl went, The A-List went. Fans of Beverly Hills 90210 were drawn to the similarities between these books and the much-beloved teenage drama, given the setting and similar plot. So I don't really need to say: The A-List is a wild ride with soap opera plots, incredibly hilarious moments, glamor and is frankly a blast to read.

It’s no secret that The A-List takes a bit more polished approach and has a cast of far more developed characters. Zoey Dean’s writing is more detailed and thoroughly better than Cecily von Ziegesar’s, although both are still entertaining and serve up a purpose of their own. If Gossip Girl wasn't for you, The A-List is probably the better option for those who are picky when reading fluffy tales.