Top Ten Tuesday | Top Ten Books On My Fall TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke And The Bookish, now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Lists galore, I can think of nothing better!

This week's theme is Book's On My Fall TBR. As I have mentioned many times, I rarely stick to any TBR lists that I make but I like to make them anyway. There are a few books I have been wanting to get to for a while, as well as some thrillers that I have been putting off until this time of year, so let's hope I can get to them this season.

1. Giant Days by Non Pratt - I love to read a college/university themed book around 'Back To School' time and as I have just started back at university, this seems like the perfect book to read soon.

2. Easy Prey by Catherine Lo - An October release that I won an ARC of at YALC. This is about a photo leak scandal involving a teacher.

3. Dare To Fall by Estelle Maskame - I have read all of Estelle's other books, and loved them, so I need to get around to this one soon. I don't really know what this is about but I expect to love it.

4. Don't Look Back by Jennifer L Armentrout - This is a YA thriller about two friends that go missing but only one comes back. It is up to her to work out what happened and where her friend is, but she can't remember anything.

5. I Stop Somewhere by TE Carter - I like some dark contemporaries in the Fall and this is definitely dark. It follows a girl who has been sexually assaulted, but I don't know much more than that.

6. City Of Glass by Cassandra Clare - I'm still determined to finish this series by the end of the year but I'm not sure how likely that is. I at least want to get to the third book.

7. Panic by Lauren Oliver - I have owned this book for far too long, I need to finally read it! I know very little about this other than it involves a high stakes game in a small town.

8. Behind Closed Doors by BA Paris - This is an adult thriller that I have been hearing some good things about. It sounds to me like a domestic thriller about a seemingly perfect couple hiding some secrets 'behind closed doors'.

9. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn - This has been on my Fall TBR for a couple of years now but I'm hoping now that it has been adapted I'll have that extra motivation to finally pick it up.

10. Illuminae by Aime Kaufman & Jay Kristoff - I tend to be more in the mood to read Sci-Fi & Fantasy during the colder months and this is one that keeps catching my eye when I'm looking for my next read.

That is my Fall TBR. Will I read these books? Not likely. What are you hoping to read during the next few months?

Sophie :)

Mini Review | Toxic by Nicci Cloke

Toxic by Nicci Cloke
Published On: July 26, 2018
Published By: Hot Key Books
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 304
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★

Amazon | BD | Goodreads

Hope has never been happier. She's on her way to Crete, after a group of her friends have made her an honorary 'lad' and let her tag along on their boys' holiday. There's a slight complication in that one of those boys, Logan, is Hope's ex-boyfriend, but they're still friends and Hope's pretty confident it won't be too awkward. 
The next couple of days are exactly what Hope was hoping for - lazy days in the sun, and long, drunken conversations. She can't help but notice that Logan's flirting with her. Logan and Hope end up alone and Hope is horrified when, after she leans in to kiss him, Logan completely rejects her. Embarrassed and annoyed, Hope is on a mission to get drunk, and with the alcohol flowing, and the sun going down, Hope's starts having a great time. 
The next thing Hope knows, she's being woken up on the beach by two strangers. It's 9 o'clock the next morning and she can't remember anything about the previous night . . . what on earth happened?

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

  This book was not what I expected at all. From the synopsis, this sounds like a mystery trying to uncover what happened to Hope after she wakes up on the beach while on a 'lads holiday' with no recollection of how she got there. However, there is a lot more to this book.

  It's split into three sections, each with a different narrator. The first follows this holiday that Hope goes on with her male friends, including ex-boyfriend Logan. This was a really fun storyline that really got me in the summer mood and made me want to go on holiday. It also featured the mystery aspect of what happened to Hope, as well as another mystery that is revealed throughout the book.
The second section focuses more on the aftermath of the holiday and how friendships have changed due to the events that took place. There are a lot of important topics covered in this section, most prominently mental health and asking for help. This was an incredibly important section and one that I found really struck a chord with me.

  The third section very much relates to the title of the book. This section really draws attention to toxic friendships, but it also deals with topics such as homophobia and sexual abuse. This is not the light and fluffy read the cover might lead you to believe, it deals with some really hard hitting stuff and this final section does go to some quite dark places.

  While I did generally enjoy this book, some aspects didn't quite meet my expectations. The characters were all pretty average and I didn't have a strong connection with any of them. I also found the mystery aspect to be anti-climactic and not really necessary to the story, other than to emphasise how awful certain characters were. I also found that the three sections, though not set out as three separate sections, were very distinct in their separation and so the story didn't flow as well as it could have. On top of that, things did start to drag a little towards the end and I found myself getting a bit bored.

  Overall, this is a good book with many layers to it. It deals with some difficult, hard-hitting topics, but important topics that need to be discussed. These topics were, I feel, handled sensitively and written well. Though there were aspects I found disappointing and I was bored at points, the main themes of each section were interesting and engaging for the most part. It was not at all what I was expecting, and definitely not the story the cover would suggest, but I did enjoy it and would recommend it to those who like darker contemporaries with a bit of summer fun thrown in.

Top Ten Tuesday | Top Five Hidden Gems

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke And The Bookish, now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Lists galore, I can think of nothing better!

This week's theme is Hidden Gems. These can be books that you feel didn't get enough buzz when they were first published, or books that seem to have been forgotten about over the years. I have compiled a list of the top ten five books that I loved but haven't heard anyone talk about.

1. Lucky Girl by Amanda Maciel

When I read this at the beginning of this year, I had no idea what to expect as I had not heard a single person talk about it. I had heard some hype surrounding Amanda Maciel's previous book, Tease, but not her most recent release. I ended up really loving this complex and intense story about sexual assault and victim blaming.

2. Did I Mention I Love You? trilogy by Estelle Maskame

This series has been talked about a little bit, and quite a lot recently on this blog, but nowhere near enough in my opinion. This is one of my favourite YA contemporary series following a girl who finds herself developing feelings for the bad boy stepbrother she has just met. I definitely think more people need to read and talk about this series.

3. Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider

I seem to remember a little bit of buzz around this book when it was first published in 2015, which I think is why I picked it up in the first place. However, since then I haven't heard a single person talk about it. I finally got around to reading this a few months ago and really enjoyed it. It is about a boarding school for teens with an illness they are trying to find a cure for. It is both a fun boarding school/camp style story and a heartbreaking love story.

4. If I Lie by Corrine Jackson

This is an older book, which is likely why I have never seen it mentioned. It was published in 2012 but it is one I would strongly recommend picking up. A girl in a small town is caught kissing someone who isn't her boyfriend, a town hero who is serving in Afghanistan, but to clear her name she would need to reveal a secret she promised never to share. It is a heartbreaking story but definitely worth the read.

5. In Between (Katie Parker Productions series) by Jenny B Jones

It's been a while since I have mentioned this series on my blog. This is a Christian Fiction series, which is pretty light on the Christian and more focused on some crazy characters. I absolutely love this series but never hear it talked about, most likely due to it being classed as Christian Fiction. That is definitely an important part of the books but this series has so much more to it and I would love more people to give it a chance.

If you have read any of my picks, please let me know as I would love to chat about them! 

Sophie :)

Down The TBR Hole | Round 8

Down The TBR Hole is a meme created by Lost In A Story in which you attempt to reduce your Goodreads TBR. It basically involves organising your Goodreads 'Want To Read' shelf by date from oldest to newest, looking at the first 5-10 books and decided whether you're still interested or not.

The Summer of Letting Go by Gae Polisner

This book follows a girl who feels responsible for the death of her younger brother and one summer meets a boy who looks just like him. This sounds like a story of dealing with grief and trying to move on. While this seems like it could be a great book, I don't think I'll ever get around to picking it up.




Judgement: Go



On Dublin Street by Samantha Young

I know very little about this book but it sounds like a woman with a complicated past moves to Scotland and meets someone who might discover her secrets. I have recently decided, after some not so great experiences, that I am only reading books set in Scotland if they are by Scottish authors. This was something that proved difficult to find. Samantha Young is Scottish!! And that is pretty much the only reason I want to read this book.

Judgement: Stay



Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

I have heard a lot of people say this is their favourite Colleen Hoover book. I really want to give her a fair chance so having not yet read any of her books, I don't want to take any of them off my TBR just yet.




Judgement: Stay



Biggest Flirts by Jennifer Echols

This is a YA contemporary romance about a girl who, after a fling with the new guy, decides she isn't interested in a serious relationship. However, their undeniable chemistry begins to cause problems for Will's new relationship. This sounds like a pretty standard contemporary romance and nothing particularly different from the others I already have sitting on my bookshelves.

Judgement: Go



All Lined Up by Cora Carmack

This is a NA romance about the daughter of the college football coach, desperate to get out of her father's shadow, and a football player, desperate to become the star quarterback. I haven't read a lot of NA but I do love books set in college. I also quite enjoy a bit of sport in the story so I think this will be something I would enjoy.


Judgement: Stay


I'm slowly getting there with my Goodreads clear out but it is definitely taking a lot longer than I expected, especially as I seem to be adding books faster than I am taking them off. I am really enjoying rediscovering some of the books I forgot about, there are so many advantages to doing this.

Have you read any of these books? What were your thoughts?

Sophie :)

Wrap Up | August 2018

I know I say this every month but can someone please tell me how it is already September? August was such a busy month for me as I was making the most of my last summer as a university student. Reading took a bit of a back seat, and let's not even talk about blogging, but I still managed to read 4 books. My life is getting back to normal now and definitely nowhere near as busy, so hopefully I can read more in September.

Super Awkward by Beth Garrod -

I was reading this in preparation for YALC but didn't quite finish it in time. This is the first book in a series following awkward teen, Bella Fisher, as she navigates high school and boys. I really enjoyed this book, it was pretty much exactly as the title suggest. It was laugh-out-loud hilarious and had me constantly cringing. It did feel a little young, at times I thought Bella seemed a lot younger than she was meant to be. However, this didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book. I can definitely see myself continuing with this series in the future.

Rating: 4/5 

My (Secret) YouTube Life by Charlotte Seager -

I picked this book up at YALC as early copies were available. I thought it sounded like something I would enjoy as it is about the reality of life online. It follows both Lily, a very popular YouTuber, and Melissa, Lily's biggest fan who wants her life to look just as amazing. I really don't know how I feel about this book as a whole. I really enjoyed reading Lily's chapters, I found her story very interesting and really felt for her as she dealt with her struggles. Melissa, on the other hand, I couldn't stand. I didn't enjoy her story at all as it just seemed so incredibly stupid. I ended up skimming her chapters because I was getting too annoyed at her. If this book was solely Lily's story, I would be giving it at least 4 stars. However, that was not the case.

Rating: 2/5

That's Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger -

After loving The DUFF by Kody Keplinger, her 2018 release was one of my most anticipated of the year. I find books about school shootings very interesting to read, but had yet to find one I didn't dislike. This book follows the survivors of a school shooting, including the best friend of one of the victims who everyone believes died proclaiming her faith, a story that is not actually true. I didn't really know what to expect from this but it was a very interesting read. It was less about what happened and more about how it had impacted the lives of those affected, which I feel was written well. This is such an important and prevalent topic, making this an important book at the moment. It was a difficult topic handled well and I would definitely recommend picking it up.

Rating: 4/5 | Review To Come

To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han -

I have had this book on my shelves for years but never got around to reading it. With all the hype surrounding the movie, I knew it was time to pick it up. I'm pretty sure everyone knows what this is about. Lara Jean has written letters to every boy she has ever had a crush on and stores them under her bed with no intention of every sending them, until one day they are somehow sent. This completely lived up to the hype for me. It was a fun, cute story with a really great family dynamic. I loved the relationship between the three sisters, that was by far my favourite aspect of the book. In fact, I loved pretty much everything about this book. I can't wait to continue this series.
Rating: 4/5

While I didn't read as much in August as I would have liked, I'm happy to have read three books I loved. I guess it wasn't too bad a reading month. Hopefully September will be another good reading month.

Did you read anything great in August? How was your reading month?

Sophie :)