Top 5 Books of 2014

2014 has been the year of reading for me. I read about 35 books and although I had hoped to read more, most of the books I read were fantastic, there were only a couple that I could not get through.  Out of the 35 I read about 20 of them were contemporary (I am a sucker for contemporary). I have also managed to read a bit of each genre and found myself opening up to different types of books. My book collection has grown quite a bit as well (to the point were I might need a new shelf). I did not read as many 2014 releases as I would have liked to but I am very happy with the books I read this year :)
I decided to narrow down my favorites of 2014 by just doing my top 5.


5. The distance between us & On the fence by Kasie West

  

Both of these books are short and fast-paced reads, I never felt like putting them down. I read "The distance between us" first and after I finished it I immediately picked up "On the fence". I was in love with the uniqueness of the characters and the character development from  the beginning of the book to the end. Not to mention the adorable covers look really good on my bookshelf.

4. My life next door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

This book is probably hands down one of my favorite contemporaries of all time. The romance in this book is great and all but, the characters are what really makes the book outstanding! There is an abundance of characters in MLND and each of them have totally different personalities and traits. I am looking forward to re-reading MLND in 2015.






3.  Penryn & The end of days by Susan Ee

I truly believe that Susan Ee does not get enough credit for writing these books. Both of these books are packed with action and adventure, they aren't too long so you can read them quite quickly. I love that the romance took a backseat in this story because it really helps with understanding their world. There have been many books that get overlooked for its true quality because of the relationships, but Susan's writing and creative skills really show through. If  I could recommend one book from the ones I read in 2014 it would be Penryn & the end of days. (I ship Raffe and Penryn so hard)


2. The Shatter Me trilogy by Tahereh Mafi

Before I say anything can I just say that these are the most beautiful covers I have ever seen. I read Unravel Me and Ignite Me this year and Shatter Me in 2013 and although Shatter Me was really good it does not even compare to Unravel Me or Ignite Me. The main character Juliette was pretty frustrating in Shatter Me and most of Unravel Me, but once she broke through in the end of Unravel Me, the books seemed to have changed perspective. Mafi's writing is so incredibly beautiful, the way she describes Juliette's feelings and thoughts is truly out of this world.

1. The Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Lux series has a special place in my heart, I read all the books over the summer and it was a big part of my year. These books are so good I don't know where to start, first of all the humor in this series is fantastic. I love the characters so much and by the end of the series I felt more emotionally connected to these characters then I have with any other characters in a long time. I love the world that Jennifer has created. I look forward to reading more of Jennifer L. Armentrout in 2015.

Overall, I am really proud of myself for all that I did in 2014 and am looking forward to having an even better 2015!

Winter TBR 2014

I am so excited for winter break, because I can finally sit down and read without being interrupted by homework or other priorities, I have been reading a lot more since fall especially contemporary books. I am looking forward to snuggling in bed with a cup of hot chocolate and one of these books:

1. Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle

I am really looking forward to reading this book! It consists of three holiday short stories and sounds like the absolute perfect book for this time of year.

2. My True Love Gave to Me by Stephanie Perkins

Similar to Let It Snow this book is perfect for the season, it is written by some of my absolute favorite contemporary authors and has twelve short stories each one written by a different author.

3.  What I thought was true by Huntley Fitzpatrick 

My Life next door is one of my all time favorite contemporary books, so naturally I was quite shocked that I hadn't read her second book, and although it is not technically a "winter read" I decided that I had put it off for to long!

4.  The Darkest Minds trilogy by Alexandra Bracken 

I just finished the "Shatter Me" series and am having a terrible book hangover, plus I wanted to finish this series by the end of the year.

I personally also think that all these books would make excellent gifts!

Where you can buy: 

Let It Snow (click here) 

My true love gave to me (click here) 

What I thought was true (click here)

The Darkest minds trilogy (click here)

Book review: The Distance Between us by Kasie West

Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop.

So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company.

She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about.

Where you can buy it:
 http://www.amazon.com/Distance-Between-Us-Kasie-West/dp/0062235656/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417475948&sr=1-3&keywords=the+distance+between+us

My Review:  *SPOILERS* 

I absolutely adored this book! I went on a road trip during Thanksgiving break, and was going to be in the car for eight hours, so I figured I would pick up something to read. I wanted something light and not too long and I've had my eye on this book for a while. As soon as I started reading the book I couldn't put it down. Caymen meets Xander as soon as the book begins, which I really liked because we got maximum time to get to know the character and how they developed from the beginning of the book to the end.
I was surprised by how much my impression of Xander changed throughout the book. We see how Caymen's impression changes as well, Xander goes from the stuck-up rich boy to the sweet and caring boyfriend who weirdly enough has a lot in common with Caymen. Family and money are some of the main conflicts in the story, which is pretty typical for YA contemporary books but, I enjoyed Kasie's take on it and wasn't expecting Caymen's grandparents to be rich. I will say that the ending was a bit confusing I didn't quite understand how Xander knew about Caymen's grandparents and didn't speak to her about it before announcing it at the benefit  the whole situation just seemed awkward and forced. I loved the fact that we get to see the two main characters as an actual couple for a good portion of the book, most YA contemporary novels end before we even see them as a couple.

I enjoyed Caymen's "dry humor" and found it very relatable.

“So Caymen..."
"So, Xander..."
"Like the islands."
"What?"
"Your name. Caymen. Like the Cayman Islands. Is that your mom's favourite place to visit or something?"
"No, it's her third favourite place. I have an older brother named Paris and an older sister named Sydney."
"Wow." He opens the bag, takes out a muffin, and hands it to me. The top glistens with sprinkled sugar. "Really?"
I gently unwrap it. "No.” 


I love that they both try and help each other figure out what they want to do with their life, because neither of them want to end up taking over their parent's businesses, although I would have liked a better and more put together ending, I did feel as that there were some loose strings that needed to be tied.
I found this book to be similar to "My Life Next Door" By Huntley Fitzpatrick even though I enjoyed MLND better.

Overall I would give this book a 90%, I enjoyed it very much and craved for more when it ended. I loved the dry humor in this book and think that Caymen and Xander are the cutest thing ever!