Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi | Rating: ★★★☆☆

“And we are quotation marks, inverted and upside down, clinging to one another at the end of this life sentence. Trapped by lives we did not choose.”

My first thought on the action-packed finale of the Shatter Me series isn't all that full of praise. Whereas the two which came before it were magical, steamy and thrilling, something about Ignite Me fell short for me. Lackluster would be the accurate way of processing it, really, and that is painful to say--as I loved the first two books. See, the prose was still full of magic and excellence and there was plenty of action and romance, but something about this installment left me feeling less than what I'd desired or come to expect. 

This isn't to say it wasn't good. It is the weak link in the series and that's a damn shame, because I liked where things were going until I didn't. I felt like a lot was rushed and left a weird feeling with me in terms of development. There were moments when the characters grew and reflected who they were in the first two books and then there were the frustrating moments in which you asked yourself, "Who are they?" at familiar faces. While some character growth was pleasing and made sense, there were other things that felt chopped up and off. You know, the very opposite of character growth and I hated it. 

The Girls by Emma Cline | Rating: ★★★★★

That was our mistake, I think. One of many mistakes. To believe that boys were acting with a logic that we could someday understand. To believe that their actions had any meaning beyond thoughtless impulse. We were like conspiracy theorists, seeing portent and intention in every detail, wishing desperately that we mattered enough to be the object of planning and speculation. But they were just boys. Silly and young and straightforward; they weren't hiding anything.

You know that feeling when you've read a book and you're completely engulfed in it, you don't notice the passage of time? There could be a literal storm pouring outside and you would barely notice it, because you couldn't stop flipping the pages. Someone could walk past you, playing the theme to Star Wars on a tuba, while wearing a tie-dyed gnome costume with reindeer antlers firmly on their head and you wouldn't have the slightest idea because, holy shit, I can't put this book down!? I know you guys know what I'm talking about and The Girls is that book for me.

Impossible to put down. Excellent pace. Phenomenal writing. Complex characters. Thrills. Quotable to the highest degree. A quality I noticed about The Girls right away was that it was otherworldly. It takes your breath away. Something about it causes your heart to speed up and down and go all over the place in the most deliciously maddening of ways. It can chill you to the bone just as much as it could warm you up. The Girls is haunting, it is everything. It is familiar and incredibly put together.

Losing Gabriel by Lurlene McDaniel | Rating: ★★★☆☆

It is no secret that I have been a fan of Lurlene McDaniel's work for over a decade. I am proud to say that I've read nearly all of her printed works from her career, which has spanned for multiple decades,  and to say I was excited for Losing Gabriel would be an injustice to the emotions I feel when McDaniel publishes new work. At all defining moments of my life, there have been a few authors whom I adore as much as I do her. Even in her weakest points, even when the stories feel lackluster or familiar, her words are home. Something deeply tangled into her stories helped shape who I became. 

I should clarify, right here and now, that while her stories opened many doors for me and sparked one of many interests, I am no longer in her targeted audience. Obviously. But the thing is, despite this, I was moved multiple times by Losing Gabriel. From start to finish, the story stirs something inside the readers and does so in the way that only Lurlene McDaniel can. I know what to expect when reading a novel by her: you need tissues and to prepare for the tears which surely will come. 

This one is no exception. 

If you don't have tears in your eyes by its final pages, I don't know what to say to you. 

The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee | 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's something sparkly and new yet oddly undeniably familiar about The Thousandth Floor. Think of it as Gossip Girl set in the not so far future. I need to stress that this novel is one of those stories that the only way to read it wrongly is to expect it to be more than it is. It's a light but entirely vivid and delectable read that keeps you on your toes from start to finish. I liked the theme that 'the more things change, the more they stay the same'--the futuristic New York City that McGee paints us is incredibly different from our own, in terms of appearance, but is still filled with the same social climbing, reckless teens we've come to expect.

In place of the city that we love, stands a tower that goes up and up and up and up. And the tag line THE HIGHER YOU ARE, THE FARTHER YOU FALL, is perhaps one of the best descriptions of what is to come. We start off with a bang right away--a girl has fallen from the very top of the tower. This sets the stage wonderfully for a backdrop of luxury, technology and scandal. Katharine McGee's writing is similar to Cecily von Ziegesar and Sara Shepard except her words feel a bit more polished and eye-catching, which is a huge compliment coming from me considering I've been fans of the other two for the better part of a decade. Indeed, McGee's writing is delicious and fast paced; simple and an incredible ride for fans of the genre.

Hothouse Flower by Krista & Becca Ritchie | Rating: ★★★★★

“You’re a hothouse flower,” I tell her. “You can’t grow under natural conditions. You need adventure. And security and love in order to stay alive.”

Is anyone completely addicted to Addicted and The Calloway Sisters? It's relatively new territory to me because I find it so difficult to get attached to most new adult releases. I guess it's something of a rule for me but if one series were to be the biggest exception, it's Addicted. I can't remember the last time I was so attached to the characters and their mental health and relationships, but I'm very invested in how things end up for all the characters we meet.

There’s something about Krista and Becca Ritchie’s world of characters that draws you in from the get-go. Perhaps this is because, unlike a lot of novels in its genre, the characters are fully fleshed out and flawed to high degree but still remain as something to be admired. In Hothouse Flower, the second of The Calloway Sisters spin-off series, we follow the lives of fan-favorites Daisy Calloway and Ryke Meadows; their feelings for one another is at the forefront of the plotline as these two wild cards remain entangled in the lives of Lily, Lo, Connor and Rose. Elements of love, addiction, mental illness, pregnancy, family and risk fill the pages in a way that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

Homecoming (The 100 #3) by Kass Morgan | Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.5)

Endings and beginnings are inseparable, like the moment before dawn and the moment after.

I waited so long to get my hands on this bad boy and now that I have it, and have read it, I can't decide what I'm feeling. On one hand, I am glad to see how the series has improved in terms of... well, everything. 

Kass Morgan's writing is so smooth and fast paced, and remains delightful and action packed with every chapter. Everything that was flawed about the series' first two novels has vastly improved and I have really, quite a lot more than I'd expected, enjoyed watching it grow. While many may argue that the show is better than this series (I disagree--with the exception of the grounder plots, Clarke's sexuality and Commander Lexa, which FYI, I'm still in denial about her death but that's nether here nor there) I think that both are on even footing in terms of good vs. bad. 

That being said, Homecoming was originally intended to be the finale of the trilogy that was the books and I'm glad to say that it isn't. Morgan will be returning with a fourth installment--hooray! It would have been a mistake to end the book series so quickly because in terms of endings and closure, this book was pretty lackluster. Many fans disagree with me heartily on that note, that it was a solid end to the books, but hear me out: I just don't feel it as an ending and think Morgan can, and will, do better. It's been such a joy reading and seeing her work grow and come to life. As I've already said, the growth and improvement has been far more pleasurable than I'd ever anticipated. 

What the Dead Want by Norah Olson | Rating: ★★★☆☆ (2.5-ish)

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.  

With a premise as unique and chilling as What the Dead Want, it's easy to see why I was so excited to receive a copy to review. But overall, there were a lot of problems with the novel--for me--that felt like every page and promise lacked something. It felt like a world of wasted potential because there were so many things that could have made this spooky tale, well, sparkle.

Firstly, the summary was so eye-catching that it just felt like this was going to be it. Do you know what I mean? I went into What the Dead Want with a world of expectations that just weren't met--and maybe that was my problem, but the pacing was slow and lackluster and felt like it could have been so much more than what it was. I didn't necessarily hate the novel, but I certainly didn't love it and felt that there was so much that could have been improved. There was so much potential for a richly drawn world upon first glance but there was a lot that just didn't fit.

You see, there was this unique tone to its description that felt like it would be in a similar vein to Ransom Riggs' work and maybe--to an extent--improve on it. I liked the idea of fantasy and ghost stories in this one and went into it thinking, hey, this is going to be the perfect read for autumn. But all my hopes were brushed aside within the first quarter of the book. I don't think it was that the writing was bad--indeed, Norah Olson has a solid prose that could be built on and it had its moments of greatness.

Like all online writing communities, there are many hits and misses amongst the self-published fiction. People of all ages come together to read, write and review in the little corner of the internet titled Wattpad. From fanfiction to plain old fashioned fiction to the guiltiest of pleasures, Wattpad has something for everyone. If you're looking for something to fill in the gaps between whatever novels given you a book hangover, if you're looking for a new and ongoing story to read on your breaks, this site is one of the best to look to.

Readers can enjoy storytelling for free through their app or directly on their site. Convenient, fast and an easy way to past the time, when this site is good--boy, is it good.

This week, I have twelve stories for any Wattpad lover to check out. I plan on hosting a master post once every month or two with brand new selections to check out. Each of which are currently on my shelf to read or continue reading or that of which I have read in the past. These days, a ton of budding writers have gotten their start on the website, much like many from my generation began on FF.net or AO3. Regardless, there is so much to be found on this website. Romance? Check. Fan Fiction? Check and check.

The only question is: what are you going to give a go? Follow me down the rabbit hole and give one of these a shot--or discover more on your own, plug your writing or give me some recommendations.

Or, in my case, when you rediscover something? All kinds of fuzzy buzzy and fluffy-ness? Okay, so I'm totally making up that phrase but it's all I can do to explain how lovely I feel right now. At this very moment. Warm and fuzzy seems adequate. It's just a wonder what beauty can do to a person, isn't it? Let's get down to business. Hobby Lobby is an arts and crafts store that has been around for ages and ages. I'm not going to lie to you: I've never been much of a fan of the place (for obvious reasons) and the last time I stepped foot in the shop was when I was a child and my mother and I were making a mad dash of the place to try and find a few items for a school project.

Every week (when schedules don't conflict) my mother and I spend the day out together, typically wandering everywhere and nowhere all at once. Sometimes we get drinks. Sometimes we wander newer antique/secondhand shops. Some days we just go to Macy's, Sephora or Ulta. Other days it's Target or something new altogether. You get the idea.

The summer has been filled with mostly her choice of outings: craft supply shops and/or other places involving the arts.

Because one of my childhood friends has been working at Michael's since we were both seniors in high school, I can't believe it's been so long since then, we usually only go there, but my mom surprised me by saying she'd rather head over to Hobby Lobby to see what has changed since she last visited. I should at least clarify, too, that while I'm not exactly familiar with the chain store my mom is a long time customer. So, at least one of us knew what we were getting ourselves into.

My wallet had no idea what hit it by the time we left. There's so much to look at there that I feel like I absolutely didn't even scrape the surface. Ah! Basically, I would look at something and have an internal debate that typically goes like so: "Jessica, NO!" to "Jessica, YES!" and well, you get the picture.

You know that part where I said I was only going to post my book mail and the things I purchase on Sunday? I lied. I lied big time. As a brief "I'm too excited to wait until Sunday for my Stacking the Shelves entry!" post, to hold you guys over until then, and by "you guys" I clearly mean myself, I present to you: What the Dead Want. Courtesy of Katherine Tegen Books, the novel was released on July 26th, 2016 and rounds out to 320 pages. I know, I know, I'm late to the party... I wonder if it got lost in the mail for a while there or if it was delivered, first, to a neighbor?

Who knows.

This little guy looks like just the right level of creepy and I'm more than ready to dig in. I'm so excited to see where the plot takes me--and look at how simple and nice the inside looks! It's not even a finished copy! Swoon.