The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin | Rating: ★★★★★

"I’ll walk forever with stories inside me that the people I love the most can never hear." 

There's always this feeling that comes with this trilogy. It is not unlike feeling mildly disturbed. Something about it messes with your senses. I'd released long ago that I love stories that have that creepy edge to them; the kind that makes you question what you're reading and the reliability of the narrator. The Evolution of Mara Dyer dives deeper into the dark end of the plot-line, sprinkling in a great combination of psychological thrills and swoon worthy romance. Further, it conveys just the right amount of coming of age snark that is so very prominent in young adults lives.

To put it bluntly: Michelle Hodkin makes your heart thud in anticipation all the while your skin is crawling at the general creepy atmosphere. I love this trilogy and on my second reading of it, I can honestly say that--despite its flaws--this certainly holds up. It's one of those books that screws with your mind and gets under your skin in a way that makes it impossible to put down. You devour it. Or it devours you.

A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller | Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5)

A strange thing, words. Once they're said, it's hard to imagine they're untrue.

I wasn't sure what to expect when picking up A Mad, Wicked Folly. Like, at all. Speaking from experience it often feels overdone when it comes down to historical fiction in that era. And, I'll admit it, I was more-so intrigued by the cover art than its timeline. Save it, all the judgment, I've been punishing myself for choosing a book by its pretty cover for years and I have it covered. Despite this, the novel itself appealed to me because it seemed to be one of those cozy, indulgent books you'd pick up to escape the world and relax. A comfort read.

A Mad, Wicked Folly in a nutshell is exactly what I expected it to be. It was fast paced, enjoyable and full of life. But there were plenty of things wrong with it. I enjoyed it. I devoured it. I steadily indulged in it and its characters--but when I was done? I'm sorry say it wasn't something I would feel an itching desire to return to. I think there's a lot of fluffy goodness to be had in it and it's equal parts perfect for a day at the beach or a day by the fire--it's versatile.

In terms of historically accuracy, you can tell that Sharon Biggs Waller did her research and put forth a ton of effort in keeping it true to its timeline. There's just a general tone of realistic life in it that balanced with the fluffy, predictable bits quite well (without making up for it) and you have to give her that. She put forth a tone of vividness that really paints an elegant image of what Vicky is like and where the story could go.

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 la Cruz and Aimee Friedman.

While Mistletoe: Four Holiday Stories has the promise of a lot of fluffy goodness, it isn’t the best release out there. I loved all the stories in it once upon a time, but upon my reread of it last week, I’d discovered that only two of these stories still warmed me up. This isn’t to say that the short stories aren’t good, because that’s completely untrue, it’s just that they seemed to have… well, not aged well.

I’ll start with the first story from the collection. If I were you I wouldn’t expect me to go in story order, though.

At the time of its original release, I didn’t know much about Hailey Abbot’s work. My [then] best friend was once obsessed with her Boys series, and I just couldn’t get into it at the time. Which surprised me when I found that I loved her story in this one.

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare | Rating: ★★★★★

“There's no need to clarify my finger snap," said Magnus. "The implication was clear in the snap itself.”

Cassandra Clare’s brilliantly fun and dashing The Mortal Instruments series continues with its first sequel City of Ashes; immediately following the events of its sarcastic and dark predecessor. After being introduced to this world, these characters, and watching a world of mystery unfold, readers were left grappling for the next installment.

So many things left us questioning what could possibly happen next; what each previous revelation means for the overall plot flow. It is just as vivid, thrilling, mysterious and twisty as City of Bones–there’s a whole world of magic out there just beyond our reach and we’ve only dipped our toes into it.

We left off with quite a bit on our plates. Joceyln’s lies, and her reasoning, Clary’s unusual gift, family connections as well as romance, demons, Downworlders, history, the mortal cup and so much more.

With Jocelyn seemingly asleep, Valentine growing stronger and building an army of his own, the world seems just a bit more dangerous than it was before.

So let’s start with connections thus far:

The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell | Rating: ★★★★★

The world is full of people who all want the same thing, and you have to do a little something extra to make them remember you.

In the prequel spin off series of Candace Bushnell’s now-iconic novel Sex and the City and its main character Carrie Bradshaw, readers can expect a fluffy, stylish, intelligent and thoughtful coming of age story as Carrie experiences quite a lot of firsts in her teenage years.

Everything that one has come to expect in Bushnell’s work is more than present in this first installment–The Carrie Diaries delivers and is a delightful read for everyone, including those who have never watched or read Sex and the City.

It’s important to note, as well, that this is a prequel to the novel and not the show. And it’s also nothing like the prequel show that the CW aired a few years back. You know the CW and its “adaptations”–is it even fair to call them such? Phew, that was a lot to say and bordering on bitter–but I needed to remind everyone such details before beginning my review.

Before the City, before the Bradshaw audiences know and love, this leading lady was just like everyone else in a suburb in Connecticut. The Carrie Diaries is full of realistic plots, humourous moments and a whole lot of questionable styles from teenagers in the 1980s.

Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld | Rating: ★★★★★

“There are people we treat wrong and later we're prepared to treat other people right. Perhaps this sounds mercenary, but I feel grateful for these trial relationships, and I would like to think it all evens out - surely, unknowingly, I have served as practice for other people.”

Okay. I’ll admit that I first read Prep at an age that was, perhaps, too young to be reading it. I understood some thing, other things didn’t quite click with my middle school aged mind. I didn’t fully appreciate parts of the narration, the story, until I was older and had experience life a bit more for myself.

I was too young.

(Except not really because, I was certainly the same age as our narrator Lee Fiora.)

What I mean to say, there were many things I didn’t necessarily understand at the time and didn’t realize the book was written for someone far older than me. Prep is the perfect case of how everyone’s life progresses at a different speed than our own and is a generous nod at fiction. All the same, I connected with it instantly and even still it is one of my favorite books ever.

At the time it was mostly a cover buy during the days I’d spend my lunch money on books and a coffee at Barnes and Noble; looking eagerly for the next book to take me away from the dull events of everyday life. There was something cute and simple about the cover art and name; causing me to flip it over and read the summary.