Whether reading is your favourite hobby, or just something you do on holiday, there are so many amazing books that deserve to be read. We thought we’d set out the really stand-out stories that demand attention that might give you some inspiration on what to read next, or what books would make the perfect gift this Christmas! While all these books are YA and in the contemporary genre, we’ve made sure to pick as diverse a selection as possible, so there’s something here for everyone!
Maddie and I have received some very exciting upcoming releases over the past few weeks and ARC August is apparently a thing, so I thought I would take the time to share them with you! #ARCAugust is hosted by Read.Sleep.Repeat and it sounds like a super fun way of trying to tackle your ARC TBR pile!
How To Keep A Boy From Kissing You by Tara Eglington
This is probably the ARC I am least excited for in my collection. I really enjoy the whole ‘sweet 16 and never been kissed’ element – it’s what I adore about Kisses For Lula by Samantha Mackintosh, which is one of my all-time favourite underrated contemporaries – but it’s the exact opposite. Instead of wanting to be kissed, Aurora Skye (such a fictional name!) wants to stay that way. Then there’s a boy…of course there is, right?…and he’s basically perfect for her, but she’s stubborn and doesn’t need him (YES!) but then they get thrown together in their school production of Much Ado About Nothing and we’ve all seen that Suite Life of Zack and Cody episode. We know how this is going to go. I really hope that it’s going to defy my expectations, and work through some of the tropes in interesting ways, but we’ll see…
The Form of Things Unknown by Robin Bridges
I read Dreaming of Antigone, also by this author, earlier on in the year, and there was a blurb for her second book at the end and I remember in intrigued me enough to want to read it too! This book also happens to include the characters taking part in Shakespeare! Except this time, it’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. So I hope it’s going to be a bit surreal, lyrical and emotionally hard hitting. It seems like it’s going to be a bitter sweet story with a bit of discord, so I’m actually looking forward to it. I think the opposing Shakespeare plays also perfectly sum up the tone that these books will have, so the comparison will be interesting too.
The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles
The cover and the title seem like completely different stories. Am I the only one who feels this way? I see the cover and think mystery thriller with dystopian elements. I hear the title and think summer contemporary romance probably written by Jennifer E. Smith. The Edge of Everything was a popular ARC at BEA and I think that was the only reason why I requested it. It’s about a girl and her brother struggling through a snowstorm, and I think that also reminded me of Cassie and Sam from The Fifth Wave and I wanted to have that connection to a sibling relationship again. Unfortunately, and surprisingly, I think the romance is going to be pretty high in this one, considering the tag line is ‘For the perfect love what would you be willing to lose?’
Iron Cast by Destiny Soria
This is a story set in the early 1900s where there’s a club where people can be entertained by illusions. Things go wrong, best friends are sacrificed, lies are told. That kind of thing. I hope this is going to be the kind of story where I’m completely immersed in the world and engrossed by the story. I want to be swept away by these characters and their magic. Maybe with some Night Circus vibes, but it also feels like a hit BBC drama.
The Secret City by C.J. Daugherty
I picked up the first book in this series when I met C.J at the Feminism in YA event in March. I’ve seen the book trailer and it looks like it’s going to be the next City of Bones. I can’t wait to read the first one, and I’m glad to have the second book on hand so I can jump on it immediately!
And I Darken by Kiersten White
This is one of those ARCS that’s been gathering pixellated dust on our to read shelf. I’ve tried to pick it up before and never gotten very far through. August is the month I will read this gender bend Vlad the Impaler! It’s got a really strong concept and I love female lead fantasies, and hopefully this will be no exceptions. I’m exception a lot of Action and Adventure, so we’ll see. I’ve seen some really positive reviews on GR people saying it’s dark and enticing. So I can’t wait!
The Best Possible Answer by E. Katherine Kottaras
This is the book that I am most excited for! It’s a contemporary about an over-achieving girl who’s set to go to an Ivy League university until her boyfriend leaks racy photos of her online. Then she gets a job at a community pool and makes more friends and puts her life back together, and I can’t even contain my excitement for this books, which is why it’s probably going to be one of the last I read this month. I love everything about the concept, and I think it’s going to be a real story packed full of my favourite thing: CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT! It sounds like something I’ll really enjoy, and to find a new author to follow would be incredible.
For a lot of people, books offer an escape. It takes seconds to pick up a book and become immersed between the pages. But it’s not only the book’s world you’re transported to! Whenever I reread a book, I find myself flooded with memories of the first time I read it. Books don’t just stay with you, you stay with books.
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
I bought my first copy of this book when I was in France. We were visiting a fortress in this tiny, cobble-streeted village. After a little bit of exploring, we discovered an English book shop. It was one of those stores that didn’t really organise the books into genres. I was just scanning the shelves when I came across a used edition of Inkheart with the movie cover. That day, I went back to where we were staying and immediately started reading. Once I’d read the book, I realised the town we were in was a lot like Capricorn’s village! Now, every time I pick up Inkheart, I’m back in that converted French barn with a flagstone floor.
The Host by Stephanie Meyer
This book means summer. Despite the subject matter not being all that summery, I read it during the holidays, when a lot of our friends were reading it too. The movie was scheduled to come out the following year. I can practically feel the sun warming my skin whenever I glace at the spine on my shelf. Maybe it’s all those hot desert scenes?
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
This book was at the bottom of my suitcase for a holiday to Germany and, if I remember correctly, I started to read it quite late in the trip. I read it super quickly and was so annoyed with myself that I’d left the sequels at home. How I managed to survive another week without continuing with the story I don’t know! At the same time, I read Destined by Aprilynne Pike, which was the last book in a series that I loved with all my heart. I was deeply affected by the death of a main character and experienced my first ever reading slump – led face down on the hotel bed, sobbing uncontrollably. Not the best holiday experience, but certainly memorable!
The Clearwater Crossing Series by Laura Peyton Roberts
We’re pretty sure we read every one of these books sat on Bee’s bed, flipping through the pages like there was no tomorrow. The year that it took us to complete this 20 book series was pretty great. The characters were there for us just as much as we were there for them. Because the series was so episodic, it was like we were watching a cute teen sitcom. When we look back to the summer that we finished this series, it’s hard to imagine us sat on a bed because we truly were transported to Missouri.
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Although it’s not one of my favourite books by far, I remember reading it with Sarah in her back garden. It was a really hot day, and I’d forgot to wear suncream, so my shoulders got a little burned by the time I’d finished the book, but it was worth it. Sharing a bench with a best friend is a great way to read, no matter what the potential health risks!
We thought it would be cool to compile a list of all the books we’ve been sent to review! There are probably a few missing, but here are the majority of them! We’re so thankful for all of the opportunities we’ve been given as a result of starting our Youtube channel and this blog!
We made a video last year talking about all the things we wanted to start and maintain, and we managed to achieve quite a lot of them. Let’s make it a tradition to make resolutions and stick to them!
There are so many amazing read-a-thons happening at the end of the year to try and help you reach your GoodReads challenge, so we thought we would compile a list of the read-a-thons we plan on partaking in over the next month! There are a bunch of different challenges to make the events more fun, so hopefully we’ll be able to complete the challenges and read as many books as possible!
The first read-a-thon is the #Cramathon! It’s hosted by WhittyNovels over on YT, but is open for booktubers and bloggers alike! You can watch the video announcement to find out more about it, if you haven’t already, but it’s running from the 19th to the 21st.
Challenges:
1. read an audiobook or ebook
M: Where You’ll Find Me by Natasha Friend
B: The Casquette Girls by Alys Arden
2. read a bind-up
The Selection Short Stories by Kiera Cass
3. finish a series/read the last book of a series
M: Resist by Sarah Crossan
B: Into The After Light by Alexandra Bracken
4. read a book under 200 pages
We’re going to double up and us The Selection Short Stories for this too!
5. Finish a book you DNF’ed
M: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
B: Tithe by Holly Black
6. Read a graphic novel
We haven’t got any manga or graphic novels on our shelves we haven’t read yet!
7. Read 5 books total
Next is the #HolidayBookTubeAThon, part of the BookTube-A-Thon, one of the biggest read-a-thons ever! It’s hosted by the lovely Ariel Bisset, and Maddie and I were twitter hosts for the summer BTAT, so of course we’ll be joining in with the Christmas edition!
This read-a-thon happens between the 27th-29th December, and so far no challenges have been announced, so it’s just a chance to read the books you got over the holiday period!
The final read-a-thon, and it’s hosted by LeaningLights on YT, you can find the video announcement here! The TBRtakedown happens from January 4th-11th, so you can get on top of your TBR at the very beginning of the year!
Challenges
1. Read a book from your most recent book haul.
M: The Next Together by Lauren James
B: Waistcoats and Weaponry by Gail Carriger
2. Read a book on your TBR Shelf that’s been there for over a year (or longest).
M: Panic by Lauren Oliver
B: Fearsome Dreamer by Laure Eve
3. Read a book outside your comfort zone! (Genre, content, etc).
M: The Sin Eater’s Daughter by Melissa Salisbury
B: Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls by Lynn Weingarten
4. Read a first book in a series
M & B: Across the Universe by Beth Revis
5. Complete a series/Read a sequel in a series
This one may change, so we’ll leave it blank for now!
6. Read a FIRE color book (Fire colours such as shades of red, pink, purple, lilac, burgundy.) Lucky Colors for 2016
This one depends too!
7. Read a non-novel item: poem, verse, novella, short story, etc.
Any of the Alice Osman short stories!
As December is upon us, this is our last chance to read any books that have been dangling on the end of our to-be-read list, hoping to be finished before the end of the year. In order to wipe the slate clean, and begin a new in 2016, above and below are the books we want to read this month! Some acclaimed stand alones, some series endings, beginnings and middles, contemporary, fantasy, dystopian. Fingers crossed we finish them all!
Starcrossed Trilogy by Josephine Angelini
Starcrossed | Dreamless | Goddess
Lux Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Obsidian | Onyx | Opal | Origin | Opposition
Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo
Shadow and Bone | Siege and Storm | Ruin and Rising
The Rain Duology by Virginia Bergin
The Rain | The Storm
Magisterium by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
The Iron Trial | The Copper Gauntlet
The Selection Series by Keira Cass
The Selection | The Elite | The One | The Heir
A School For Good and Evil Trilogy by Soman Chainani
A School For Good and Evil | A World Without Princes | The Last Ever After
Matched Trilogy by Ally Condie
Matched | Crossed | Reached
Vivian Versus Duology by Katie Coyle
Vivian Versus the Apocalypse | Vivian Versus America
The Maze Runner Trilogy by James Dashner
The Maze Runner | The Scorch Trials | The Death Cure
Waterfire Saga by Jennifer Donnelly
Deep Blue | Rogue Wave
Fearsome Dreamer Duology by Laure Eve
Fearsome Dreamer | The Illusionists
Top 8 Trilogy by Katie Finn
Top 8 | What’s Your Status? | Unfriended
If I Stay Duology by Gayle Forman
If I Stay | Where She Went
Precious Gems Trilogy by Kerstin Gier
Ruby Red | Sapphire Blue | Emerald Green
Half Bad Trilogy by Sally Green
Half Bad | Half Lies | Half Wild
Burn for Burn Trilogy by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian
Burn For Burn | Fire With Fire | Ashes To Ashes
Rebel Belle Trilogy by Rachel Hawkins
Rebel Belle | Miss Mayhem | Lady Renegades
Mara Dyer Trilogy by Michelle Hodkin
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer | The Evolution of Mara Dyer | The Retribution of Mara Dyer
Call of the Forgotten Trilogy by Julie Kagawa
The Lost Prince | The Iron Traitor | The Iron Warrior
Talon Series by Julie Kagawa
Talon | Rogue
Teardrop Duology by Lauren Kate
Teardrop | Waterfall
His Fair Assassin Trilogy by Robin LaFevers
Grave Mercy | Dark Triumph | Mortal Heart
Legend Trilogy by Marie Lu
Legend | Prodigy | Champion
Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas
Throne of Glass | Crown of Midnight | Heir of Fire | Queen of Shadows
Bloodlines Series by Richelle Mead
Bloodlines | The Golden Lily | The Indigo Spell | The Fiery Heart | Silver Shadows | The Ruby Circle
Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead
Vampire Academy | Frostbite
The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
Cinder | Scarlet | Cress | Winter
The 100 Trilogy by Kass Morgan
The 100 | Day 21 | Homecoming
Miss Peregrine’s Trilogy by Ransom Riggs
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children | Hollow City
Heroes of Olympus Series by Rick Riordan
The Lost Hero | The Son of Neptune | The Mark of Athena | The House of Hades | The Blood of Olympus
Under The Never Sky Trilogy by Veronica Rossi
Under the Never Sky | Through the Ever Night | Into the Still Blue
Winner’s Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski
The Winner’s Curse | The Winner’s Crime
The Perfectionists Duology by Sara Shepard
The Perfectionists | The Good Girls
Study Series by Maria V Snyder
Poison Study | Magic Study | Fire Study
Glass Series by Maria V Snyder
Storm Glass | Sea Glass | Spy Glass
The Raven Cycle Quartet by Maggie Stiefvater
The Raven Boys | The Dream Theives | Blue Lily, Lily Blue | The Raven King
Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy by Laini Taylor
Daughter of Smoke and Bone | Days of Blood and Starlight | Dreams of Gods and Monsters
Slated Trilogy by Teri Terry
Slated | Fractured | Shattered
Rebel Duology by Amy Tintera
Rebel | Reboot
Pivot Point Duology by Kasie West
Pivot Point | Split Second
Uglies Series by Scott Westerfeld
Uglies | Pretties | Specials | Extras
Mind Games Duology by Kiersten White
Mind Games | Perfect Lies
Dust Lands Trilogy by Moira Young
Blood Red Road | Raging Star | Rebel Heart
Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4) by Marissa Meyer
Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness. Does this even need explanation? The Lunar Chronicles is one of my favourite series, and I love any opportunity to read a fairy tale retelling. I can’t wait to see how everyone’s stories end, and hopefully, I’ll have another OTP to add to my list by the final page of this book! (Also, that cover though. The apple looks magnificent.)
Head Over Heels (Geek Girl #5) by Holly Smale
Both Bee and I have always been huge Holly Smale fans from the very beginning. ‘Geek Girl’ spoke to me in a way no other book had. I can’t believe that a few years later, Harriet’s had five different adventures, and is possibly about to have her last? I hope this series goes on forever, literally. ‘Head Over Heels’ is going to be such a treat.
Queen Of Shadows (Throne Of Glass #4) by Sarah J. Maas
After not being that impressed by ‘Heir of Fire’, I can’t say this book is at the top of the list. BUT, I’m still interested enough in the series to read on. Well, that was before Bee read it and I think it’s fair to say that hate isn’t a strong word when it comes to her review. Maybe I’ll delay reading this one for a bit in that case…
The Raven King (The Raven Cycle Quartet #4) by Maggie Steifvater
The series finale! Ahhh! I’ve had mixed feelings about this series. I thought it was progressing too slowly and not enough was happening, but really, all the other books were building up to this moment. Gainsey’s fate was sealed from the very first book…I just hope Maggie Steifvater has some tricks up her sleeve so she doesn’t break too many hearts!
The Winner’s Kiss (The Winner’s Trilogy #3) by Marie Rutkowski
This has been one of the most intriguing and successful trilogies I’ve read. I’m not really a huge fan of high fantasy, and this gave me a beautiful taster into the genre. Hopefully, Kestrel will discover her heart in the final book and all will be OK. I think ‘The Winner’s Kiss’ is a very promising title indeed!
Revenge, Ice Cream and Other Things Best Served Cold (Broken Hearts & Revenge #2) by Katie Finn
Bee loves Morgan Matson, not matter what name she’s writing under. Although this series isn’t her favourite of Katie Finn’s books, she’s still going to read the heck out of it. (and let’s be honest, nothing can beat her beloved ‘Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour’!)
My first experience of twins in any sort of children’s/teen lit, was Fred and George Weasley, from ‘Harry Potter’. These brothers were confident, outgoing, and loved practical jokes – everything my twin sister and I…weren’t at the age of eleven. It was interesting to read about twins that were so different from us, but as Fred and George were only minor characters throughout the seven book series, their relationship wasn’t explored in the greatest depth.
I adored Olivia and Ivy from ‘My Sister the Vampire’, but their twin relationship was bypassed by the fact that Ivy had supernatural abilities.
Next, there was Skye and Summer, protagonists in Cathy Cassidy’s ‘Chocolate Box Girls’ series. This offered a very cliched relationship between twin sisters; where one is 
overshadowed by the other and wants to break free to become a different person. Although the emotions were well executed, and the strong bond between the pair brought a tear to my eye when something bad happened to Skye, I couldn’t relate well to the dynamic.
The best representation of twins can be found, in my opinion, in ‘Fangirl’ by Rainbow Rowell. Cath and Wren care about each other, and wouldn’t let anything bad happen to their sister. (Again, a lot of scenes made me cry with the sheer accuracy of feeling.) Although Wren is definitely the more confident of the pair, Cath is not overshadowed by her. They have different strengths, and they’re both aware of that. Sure, Wren might have grown out of things that Cath still enjoys, but she didn’t make Cath feel bad or juvenile for loving Simon Snow. It also helped that Cath was one of the most relatable characters ever written, and I really found myself bonding with her over the majority of things.
The most cliched twin plot line is that one of the twins dies. Obviously, the death is devastating for the other twin, but I just find books like this depressing, because to me, the pain of losing my sister would be unfathomable.
There’s a lot of focus on what’s ‘bad’ about being twins, and the side effects of having such a close relationship. This is why I think ‘Fangirl’ was so brilliant. Rainbow Rowell also focuses on the good, which is really important in order for people to truly understand twins.
Heart Full of Books 