en-US Fri, 11 Apr 2025 21:44:31 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 194802722 A shimmering, joyful new novel about a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry.

Daphne always loved the way her fiancé, Peter, told their story. How they met (on a blustery day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it... right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra.

Which is how Daphne begins her new story: stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a children’s librarian (that barely pays the bills), and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak.

Scruffy and chaotic—with a penchant for taking solace in the sounds of heart break love ballads—Miles is exactly the opposite of practical, buttoned-up Daphne, whose coworkers know so little about her they have a running bet that she’s either FBI or in witness protection. The roommates mainly avoid one another, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them?

But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex... right?]]> 400 Emily Henry Kate 0 currently-reading 4.21 2024
author: Emily Henry
name: Kate
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/11
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 204158678 The first unauthorized look at the inner workings―and ultimate breakdown―of the Disney Channel machine

For many kids growing up in the 2000s, there was no cultural touchstone more powerful than Disney Channel, the most-watched cable channel in prime time at its peak. Today it might best be known for introducing the world to talents like Hilary Duff, Raven-Symoné, Zac Efron, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, the Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, and Zendaya.

It wasn't always destined for greatness: When Disney Channel launched in 1983, it was a forgotten stepchild within the Walt Disney Company, forever in the shadow of Disney’s more profitable movies and theme parks. But after letting the stars of their Mickey Mouse Club revival―among them Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, and Ryan Gosling―slip through their fingers, Disney Channel reinvented itself as a powerhouse tween network. In the new millennium it churned out billions of dollars in original content and triple-threat stars whose careers were almost entirely controlled by the corporation. Suddenly everyone wanted a piece of the pie―and there were constant clashes between the studio, network, labels, and creatives as Disney Channel became a pressure cooker of perfection for its stars.

From private feuds and on-set disasters, to fanfare that swept the nation and the realities of child stardom, culture journalist Ashley Spencer offers the inside story of the heyday of TV’s House of Mouse, featuring hundreds of exclusive new interviews with former Disney executives, creatives, and celebrities to explore the highs, lows, and everything in between.]]> 325 Ashley Spencer 1250283469 Kate 4 fame, nonfiction 4.01 2024
author: Ashley Spencer
name: Kate
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/11
date added: 2025/04/11
shelves: fame, nonfiction
review:

]]> 220195725 In this razor-sharp, diabolical debut thriller, a young woman steps into her deceased twin’s influencer life, only to discover dark secrets hidden behind her social media façade.

Julie Chan has nothing. Her twin sister has everything. Except a pulse.

Julie Chan, a supermarket cashier with nothing to lose, finds herself thrust into the glamorous yet perilous world of her late twin sister, Chloe VanHuusen, a popular influencer. Separated at a young age, the identical twins were polar opposites and rarely spoke, except for one viral video that Chloe initiated (Finding My Long-Lost Twin And Buying Her A House #EMOTIONAL). When Julie discovers Chloe’s lifeless body under mysterious circumstances, she seizes the chance to live the life she’s always envied.

Transforming into Chloe is easier than expected. Julie effortlessly adopts Chloe’s luxurious influencer life, complete with designer clothes, a meticulous skincare routine, and millions of adoring followers. However, Julie soon realizes that Chloe’s seemingly picture-perfect life was anything but.

Haunted by Chloe’s untimely death and struggling to fit into the privileged influencer circle, Julie faces mounting challenges during a weeklong island retreat with Chloe’s exclusive group of influencer friends. As events spiral out of control, Julie uncovers the sinister forces that may have led to her sister’s demise and realizes she might be the next target.]]> 320 Liann Zhang 1668067919 Kate 0 to-read 3.82 2025
author: Liann Zhang
name: Kate
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 216522711 They didn't know they would change each other.

Following the unlikely friendship of four of the first ever women to matriculate at Oxford University in the aftermath of the First World War, a captivating debut novel about sisterhood, self-determination and the many forms courage can take.

Oxford, 1920. For the first time in its 1000-year history, the world's most famous university has admitted female students. Giddy with dreams of equality, education and emancipation, four young women move into neighbouring rooms. Beatrice, Dora, Marianne and Otto (collectively known as The Eights) have come here from all walks of life, and they are thrown into an unlikely, life-affirming friendship.

Dora was never meant to go to university, but, after losing both her brother and her fiancé on the battlefield, has arrived in their place. Politically-minded Beatrice, daughter of a famous suffragette, sees Oxford as a chance to make her own way - and some friends her own age. Otto was a nurse during the war but is excited to return to her socialite lifestyle in Oxford - where she hopes to find distraction from the memories that haunt her. And finally Marianne, the quiet, clever daughter of a village pastor, who has a shocking secret she must hide from everyone, even her new friends, if she is to succeed.

But Oxford's dreaming spires cast a dark shadow: in 1920, misogyny is still rife, influenza is still a threat, and the ghosts of the Great War are still very real indeed. And as the group navigate this tumultuous moment in time, their friendship will become more important than ever.]]> 384 Joanna Miller 0593851412 Kate 0 to-read 3.87 2025
author: Joanna Miller
name: Kate
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 220259184 Heartwood takes you on a journey as a search and rescue team race against time when an experienced hiker mysteriously disappears on the Appalachian Trail in Maine.

In the heart of the Maine woods, an experienced Appalachian Trail hiker goes missing. She is forty-two-year-old Valerie Gillis, who has vanished 200 miles from her final destination. Alone in the wilderness, Valerie pours her thoughts into fractured, poetic letters to her mother as she battles the elements and struggles to keep hoping.

At the heart of the investigation is Beverly, the determined Maine State Game Warden tasked with finding Valerie, who leads the search on the ground. Meanwhile, Lena, a seventy-six-year-old birdwatcher in a Connecticut retirement community, becomes an unexpected armchair detective. Roving between these compelling narratives, a puzzle emerges, intensifying the frantic search, as Valerie’s disappearance may not be accidental.]]> 320 Amity Gaige 1668063603 Kate 0 to-read 3.95 2025
author: Amity Gaige
name: Kate
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 216580991
On the brink of adulthood in the early 2000s, destiny intervened, catapulting the sisters into the spotlight as the pop sensation the Griffin Sisters, hitting all the touchstones of early aughts fame—SNL, MTV, Rolling Stone magazine—along the way.

But after a whirlwind year in the public eye, the band abruptly broke up.

Two decades later, Zoe’s a housewife; Cassie’s off the grid. The sisters aren’t speaking, and the real reason for the Griffin Sisters� breakup is still a mystery. Zoe’s teenage daughter, Cherry, who’s determined to be a star in spite of Zoe’s warnings, is on a quest to learn the truth about what happened to the band all those years ago.

As secrets emerge, all three women must face the consequences of their choices: the ones they made and the ones the music industry made for them. Can they forgive each other—and themselves? And will the Griffin Sisters ever make music again?]]> 384 Jennifer Weiner 0063342464 Kate 0 to-read 4.26 2025
author: Jennifer Weiner
name: Kate
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 214152211 One family. Four generations. A secret son. A devastating addiction. A Texas family is met with losses and surprises of inheritance, but they’re unable to shake the pull back toward each other in this big-hearted family saga perfect for readers of Mary Beth Keane and Claire Lombardo.

Ryan and Lillian Bright are deeply in love, recently married, and now parents to a baby girl, Georgette. But Lillian has a son she hasn’t told Ryan about, and Ryan has an alcohol addiction he hasn’t told Lillian about, so Georgette comes of age watching their marriage rise and fall.

When a shocking blow scatters their fragile trio, Georgette tries to distance herself from reminders of her parents. Years later, Lillian’s son comes searching for his birth family, so Georgette must return to her roots, unearth her family’s history, and decide whether she can open up to love for them—or herself—while there’s still time.

Told from three intimate points of view, The Bright Years is a tender, true-to-life novel that explores the impact of each generation in a family torn apart by tragedy but, over time, restored by the power of grace and love.]]> 288 Sarah Damoff 1668061449 Kate 0 to-read 4.47 2025
author: Sarah Damoff
name: Kate
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 217182552 disastrously close. A gorgeous veterinarian giving Greek god vibes—all while cuddling a tiny kitten? Immediately yes. That is until Xavier opens his mouth and proves that even sculpted gods can say the absolute wrong thing. Like, really wrong. Of course, there’s nothing Samantha loves more than proving an asshole wrong�

. . . unless, of course, he can admit he made a mistake. But after one incredible and seemingly endless date—possibly the best in living history—Samantha is forced to admit the truth, that her family is in crisis and any kind of relationship would be impossible. Samantha begs Xavier to forget her. To remember their night together as a perfect moment, as crushing as that may be.

Only no amount of distance or time is nearly enough to forget that something between them. And the only thing better than one single perfect memory is to make a life—and even a love—worth remembering.]]> 368 Abby Jimenez 1538759195 Kate 0 to-read 4.17 2025
author: Abby Jimenez
name: Kate
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 218559595 Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of a woman with more than a couple of plot twists up her sleeve in this dazzling and sweeping new novel from Emily Henry.

Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: To write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years--or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the 20th Century.

When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story, there are three things keeping Alice’s head in the game.

One: Alice genuinely likes people, which means people usually like Alice—and she has a whole month to win the legendary woman over.

Two: She’s ready for this job and the chance to impress her perennially unimpressed family with a Serious Publication

Three: Hayden Anderson, who should have no reason to be concerned about losing this book, is glowering at her in a shaken-to-the core way that suggests he sees her as competition.

But the problem is, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. Pieces they can’t swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room.

And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story—just like the tale Margaret’s spinning—could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad…depending on who’s telling it.]]> 432 Emily Henry Kate 0 to-read 4.22 2025
author: Emily Henry
name: Kate
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 58018286 *USA Today and Toronto Star bestseller*Full of romance, hijinks, and longing, Good Girl Complex is Elle Kennedy at her very best.She does everything right. So what could go wrong?Mackenzie “Mac� Cabot is a people pleaser. Her demanding parents. Her prep school friends. Her long-time boyfriend. It’s exhausting, really, always following the rules. All she wants to do is focus on growing her internet business, but first she must get a college degree at her parents� insistence. That means moving to the beachside town of Avalon Bay, a community made up of locals and the wealthy students of Garnet College.Twenty-year-old Mac has had plenty of practice suppressing her wilder impulses, but when she meets local bad boy Cooper Hartley, that ability is suddenly tested. Cooper is rough around the edges. Raw. Candid. A threat to her ordered existence. Their friendship soon becomes the realest thing in her life.Despite his disdain for the trust-fund kids he sees coming and going from his town, Cooper soon realizes Mac isn’t just another rich clone and falls for her. Hard. But as Mac finally starts feeling accepted by Cooper and his friends, the secret he’s been keeping from her threatens the only place she’s ever felt at home.]]> 364 Elle Kennedy 1250796741 Kate 3 3.82 2022
author: Elle Kennedy
name: Kate
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/17
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves: new-adult, beach, college, contemporary, fluff, romance, star-crossed-lovers
review:

]]> 213565779 When her football-player boyfriend and now ex lands the podcast job she’s been dreaming of, a girl takes matters into her own hands by enlisting the help of his nemesis to get revenge.

Seventeen-year-oldĚýFinley has only ever had one goal: to become a famous podcaster. This includes coming up with the perfect pitch to land her on her school's podcast team. But when her football-obsessed boyfriend, Jensen, decides to also try out—and uses her idea—she's left confused and betrayed.Ěý

Determined to get back at him,ĚýFinley and her friends try to find the perfect revenge scheme, but quickly discover that Jensen is almost-impossible to best. Keyword, almost.Ěý

By chance,ĚýFinley discovers a knack for kicking and decides to take Jensen's spot on the football team. To help her train, she recruits Jensen's cute but conceited nemeses, Theo. Soon the two discover that their connection runs deeper than football. ButĚýFinley can't let herself get distracted, and Theo has secrets of his own. Is true love really better than the perfect revenge?]]> 314 Kasie West 0593643305 Kate 4 4.18 2024
author: Kasie West
name: Kate
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/17
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves: contemporary, enemies-to-lovers, family, fluff, football, high-school, podcast, romance, revenge, sports, ya
review:

]]> 112974698
When seventeen-year-old Bailey starts a new job at a hotel waterpark, she is less than thrilled to see an old acquaintance is one of her coworkers. Bailey met Charlie a year ago on the long flight to Omaha, where she moved after her parents� divorce. Charlie’s cynicism didn’t mix well with Bailey’s carefully well-behaved temperament, and his endless commentary was the irritating cherry on top of an already emotionally fraught trip.

Now, Bailey and Charlie are still polar opposites, but instead of everything about him rubbing Bailey the wrong way, she starts to look forward to hanging out and gossiping about the waterpark guests and their coworkers—particularly two who keep flirting with each other. Bailey and Charlie make a bet on whether or not the cozy pair will actually get together. Charlie insists that members of the opposite sex can’t just be friends, and Bailey is determined to prove him wrong.

Bailey and Charlie keep close track of the romantic progress of others while Charlie works to deflect the growing feelings he’s developed for Bailey. Terrified to lose her if his crush becomes known, what doesn’t help his agenda is Bailey and Charlie “fake dating� in order to disrupt the annoying pleasantries between Bailey’s mom and her mom’s new boyfriend. Soon, what Charlie was hoping to avoid becomes a reality as Bailey starts to see him as not only a friend she can rely on in the midst of family drama—but someone who makes her hands shake and heart race. But Charlie has a secret—a secret that involves Bailey and another bet Charlie may have made. Can the two make a real go of things…or has Charlie’s secret doomed them before they could start?]]> 429 Lynn Painter Kate 4 4.01 2023
author: Lynn Painter
name: Kate
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/17
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves: contemporary, fake-dating, romance, road-trip, ya, enemies-to-lovers, bets
review:

]]> 195886632 A calculus nerd enlists her surly classmate’s help to win back her ex-boyfriend, but when sparks start to fly, she realizes there’s no algorithm for falling in love.

Marlowe Meadows understands a lot of things. She understands that calculus isn’t overwhelmingly beautiful to everyone, and that it typically kills the mood when you try to talk Python coding over beer pong. She understands people were surprised when golden boy Josh asked her out and she went from weird, math-obsessed Marlowe to half of their school’s couple goals. Unfortunately, Marlowe was surprised when Josh dumped her because he’d prefer a girlfriend who was more romantic. One with emotional depth.

But Marlowe has never failed anything in her life, and she isn’t about to start now. When she’s paired with Ashton Hayes for an English project, his black clothing and moody eyeliner cause a bit of a systems overload, and the dissonant sounds of his rock band make her brain itch. But when she discovers Ash's hidden stash of love songs, Marlowe makes a desperate deal to unleash her inner romantic heroine: if Ash will agree to help her write some love letters, she’ll calculate the perfect data analytics formula to make Ash's band go viral.

As the semester heats up with yearning love notes and late nights spent with a boy who escapes any box her brain tries to put him in, Marlowe starts to question if there’s really a set solution to love. Could a girl who has never met a problem she couldn’t solve have gotten the math so massively wrong?]]> 304 Serena Kaylor 125090868X Kate 0 4.09 2024
author: Serena Kaylor
name: Kate
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/10
shelves:
review:

]]> 209455843
Sure, Dom was Josh’s life-long best friend. He’s also the infuriating man who broke Maddie’s heart back when she was naïve enough to give it to him. But since Dom insists on following the rules and Josh didn’t leave much room for Maddie to argue the matter, they embark together on a farewell trip that spans thousands of miles, exploring new places and revisiting their complicated history along the way.

After a snowstorm leads to a shared bed, Maddie starts to wonder if her brother might be matchmaking from the grave. But when grief also reopens old wounds between them, Maddie will need more than Josh’s ghostly guidance to trust Dom again.]]> 432 Lauren Connolly Kate 0 to-read 4.06 2024
author: Lauren Connolly
name: Kate
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 212808709 A competitive diver and an ace swimmer jump into forbidden waters in this steamy college romance from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis.

Scarlett Vandermeer is swimming upstream. A Junior at Stanford and a student-athlete who specializes in platform diving, Scarlett prefers to keep her head down, concentrating on getting into med school and on recovering from the injury that almost ended her career. She has no time for relationships—at least, that’s what she tells herself.

Swim captain, world champion, all-around aquatics golden boy, Lukas Blomqvist thrives on discipline. It’s how he wins gold medals and breaks records: complete focus, with every stroke. On the surface, Lukas and Scarlett have nothing in common. Until a well-guarded secret slips out, and everything changes.

So they start an arrangement. And as the pressure leading to the Olympics heats up, so does their relationship. It was supposed to be just a temporary, mutually satisfying fling. But when staying away from Lukas becomes impossible, Scarlett realizes that her heart might be treading into dangerous water...]]> 464 Ali Hazelwood Kate 0 to-read 3.94 2025
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: Kate
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 211399784 To the world, they were a scandal. To each other, an obsession.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER � An epic love story set in the sparkling, savage sphere of elite figure skating, starring a woman determined to carve her own path on and off the ice

“P˛ą°ůłŮ Wuthering Heights and part Daisy Jones & The Six, this novel is as brilliantly choreographed as a gold medal performance and will keep you guessing until its last page.”—Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of By Any Other Name

She might not have a famous name, funding, or her family’s support, but Katarina Shaw has always known that she was destined to become an Olympic skater. When she meets Heath Rocha, a lonely kid stuck in the foster care system, their instant connection makes them a formidable duo on the ice. Clinging to skating—and each other—to escape their turbulent lives, Kat and Heath go from childhood sweethearts to champion ice dancers, captivating the world with their scorching chemistry, rebellious style, and roller-coaster relationship.

Until a shocking incident at the Olympic Games brings their partnership to a sudden end.

As the ten-year anniversary of their final skate approaches, an unauthorized documentary reignites the public obsession with Shaw and Rocha, claiming to uncover the “real story� through interviews with their closest friends and fiercest rivals. Kat wants nothing to do with the documentary, but she can’t stand the thought of someone else defining her legacy. So, after a decade of silence, she’s telling her story: from the childhood tragedies that created her all-consuming bond with Heath to the clash of desires that tore them apart. Sensational rumors have haunted their every step for years, but the truth may be even more shocking than the headlines.]]> 448 Layne Fargo 0593732049 Kate 0 to-read 4.17 2025
author: Layne Fargo
name: Kate
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 156010158 A charming romantic comedy about a South Indian American teen girl who makes a wish upon a flower for her perfect boyfriend…and then a new boy moves in right next door. With love triangles, prank wars, and a sizzling sweet romance—this is perfect for fans of Sandhya Menon and Jenny Han.

Deepa’s a hopeless romantic. And even though Deepa’s checklist for the perfect boyfriend is a mile long, her mom and dad’s fairy-tale love story makes her feel like romantic success ought to be a family trait. It’s why when her grandmother gives her a jasmine flower with the promise that it will fulfill her heart’s greatest desire, and then a new boy moves in across the street, Deepa knows—he must be her wish come true.

Rohit checks off every box on Deepa’s timelessly handsome, a thoughtful listener, and a romantic who knows his flowers. Deepa’s next-door neighbor (and constant tormentor) Vik also surprisingly approves, though she knows it shouldn’t be a mark against Rohit.

Is it luck or is it magic? Deepa doesn’t want to take chances, so when her grandmother warns her that the wish is only permanent if she seals it with a kiss, she knows she needs to move quickly. Rohit is the right boy in every way, so then why does Deepa not feel like he might not be the right choice?]]> 336 Swati Teerdhala 0063279150 Kate 0 to-read 3.75 2024
author: Swati Teerdhala
name: Kate
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 112975158
Nathaniel is off limits—she knows this. A member of one of the biggest K-pop bands in the world and forbidden from dating, he isn’t any more of an option now than he was two years ago. Still, she can’t forget that their whirlwind romance was the last time she remembers being really happy. Or that his family welcomed her into their home when she needed it most...

So when Nathaniel finds himself rocked by scandal, Sori offers him a hideaway with her. And back in close quarters, it’s hard to deny their old feelings. But when Sori gets an opportunity to break free from her parent’s expectations, she will have to decide: Is her future worth sacrificing for a second chance at love?

New York Times bestselling author Axie Oh's ASAP is the much anticipated companion novel to beloved romance XOXO, following fan favorites Sori, the wealthy daughter of a K-pop company owner, and Nathaniel, her K-pop star ex-boyfriend, in a swoon-worthy second chance love story.]]> 343 Axie Oh 0063299305 Kate 0 to-read 3.90 2024
author: Axie Oh
name: Kate
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 139506177
Wade Westmore is used to being in the spotlight. So when he’s passed over for the lead in the spring musical, it comes as a major blow—especially when the role goes to his ex-boyfriend, Reese, who dumped him for being too self-involved.

Shy sophomore Elijah Brady is used to being overlooked. Forget not knowing his name—most of his classmates don’t even know he exists. So when he joins the stage crew for the musical, he seems destined to blend into the scenery.

When the two have a disastrous backstage run-in, Elijah proposes an arrangement that could solve both boys� problems: If Wade teaches Elijah how to be popular, Wade can prove that he cares about more than just himself. Seeing a chance to win Reese back, Wade dives headfirst into helping Elijah become the new and improved “Brady.�

Soon their plan puts Brady center stage—and he’s a surprising smash hit. So why is Wade suddenly less worried about winning over his ex and more worried about losing Elijah?]]> 352 Brian D. Kennedy 0063085712 Kate 0 to-read 3.92 2024
author: Brian D. Kennedy
name: Kate
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 150444501
Liana Sarkar lives and breathes music, hoping to follow in the footsteps of her A&R coordinator father. Maybe if she succeeds, he’ll finally give her the time of day instead of drowning himself in work to distract from the grief of her mother’s passing.

When Liana accidentally sabotages an up-and-coming local band, Third Eye, she makes it her mission to steer them towards success—without them discovering her role in their setback. But as she gets closer to Third Eye, especially their enigmatic leader Skyler Moon, it becomes harder to hide the truth.

With both her heart and their futures on the line, will Liana be able to undo the damage she’s caused?

Praise for A Show for Two
“You’ll fall head-over-heels in love with these characters while they fall in love with each other.”Ěýâ€� Chloe Gong,Ěý#1 New York TimesĚý bestselling author ofĚý These Violent Delights
“Tender and bittersweet.â€� â€� Tahereh Mafi,Ěý#1 New York TimesĚý bestselling author of Shatter Me

Praise forĚý Counting Down with You
“I. Love. This. Book.â€� â€� Mark Oshiro, award-winning author ofĚý Anger Is a Gift
“Steals your heart from start to finish.â€� â€� Emma Lord,Ěý New York TimesĚý bestselling author ofĚý You Have a Match
“Hand to fans of Netflix hitĚý Never Have I Ever .â€� â€� Booklist]]> 384 Tashie Bhuiyan 1335010033 Kate 0 to-read 4.06 2024
author: Tashie Bhuiyan
name: Kate
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 45419339 To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before meets The Farewell in this incisive romantic comedy about a college student who hires a fake boyfriend to appease her traditional Taiwanese parents, to disastrous results, from the acclaimed author of American Panda.

Chloe Wang is nervous to introduce her parents to her boyfriend, because the truth is, she hasn’t met him yet either. She hired him from Rent for Your ’Rents, a company specializing in providing fake boyfriends trained to impress even the most traditional Asian parents.

Drew Chan’s passion is art, but after his parents cut him off for dropping out of college to pursue his dreams, he became a Rent for Your ’Rents employee to keep a roof over his head. Luckily, learning protocols like “Type C parents prefer quiet, kind, zero-PDA gestures� comes naturally to him.

When Chloe rents Drew, the mission is simple: convince her parents fake Drew is worthy of their approval so they’ll stop pressuring her to accept a proposal from Hongbo, the wealthiest (and slimiest) young bachelor in their tight-knit Asian American community.

But when Chloe starts to fall for the real Drew—who, unlike his fake persona, is definitely not ’rent-worthy—her carefully curated life begins to unravel. Can she figure out what she wants before she loses everything?]]> 400 Gloria Chao 1534462473 Kate 4 3.51 2020
author: Gloria Chao
name: Kate
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/19
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: asia, college, contemporary, coming-of-age, family, fluff, romance, ya, food, fake-dating
review:

]]> 201381778 The newest mystery from the author One of Us Is Lying, the Queen of thrillers, Karen M. McManus! When mother-daughter grifters set out on their final job, the heist gets deadly and dangerously personal.

For all of Kat’s life, it’s just been her and her mother, Jamie—except for the forty-eight hours when Jamie was married and Kat had a stepbrother, Liam. That all ended in an epic divorce, and Kat and Liam haven’t spoken since.

Now Jamie is a jewel thief trying to go straight, but she has one last job—at billionaire Ross Sutherland’s birthday party. And Kat has figured out a way to tag along. What Kat doesn’t know, though, is that there are two surprise guests at the dazzling Sutherland compound that weekend. The last two people she wants to run into. Liam and his father—a serial scammer who has his sights set on Ross Sutherland’s youngest daughter.

Kat and Liam are on a collision course to disaster, and when a Sutherland dies, they realize they might actually be in the killer’s crosshairs themselves. Somehow Kat and Liam are the new targets, and they can’t trust anyone—except each other.

Or can they? Because if there’s one thing both Kat and Liam know, it’s how to lie. They learned from the best.]]> 400 Karen M. McManus 0593485076 Kate 4 3.84 2024
author: Karen M. McManus
name: Kate
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/19
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: contemporary, family, heists, mysteries, high-society, ya
review:

]]> 53603291 #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER â€� From the bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying comes your next obsession. You'll never feel the same about family again.Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each another, and they've never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they're surprised . . . and curious.Their parents are all clear on one point--not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother's good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it's immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious--and dark--their family's past is.The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn't over--and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.ĚýFans of the hit thriller that started it all can watch the secrets of the Bayview Four be revealed in the One of Us is Lying TV series now streaming on NBC's Peacock!]]> 330 Karen M. McManus 0525708022 Kate 4 3.92 2020
author: Karen M. McManus
name: Kate
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves: to-read, beach, contemporary, family, multi-pov, mysteries, summer, ya
review:

]]> 49757149
Their parents are all clear on one point—not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother's good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it's immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious—and dark—their family's past is.

The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn't over—and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.]]> 337 Karen M. McManus 0525708014 Kate 0 3.76 2020
author: Karen M. McManus
name: Kate
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/07
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 207595482 In this highly anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestselling Better than the Movies, Wes and Liz struggle to balance their feelings for each other with the growing pains of being a college student.

For a few beautiful months, Wes had his dream strong-willed girl-next-door Liz. But right as the two were about to set off to UCLA to start their freshman year together, tragedy struck. Wes was left dealing with the fallout, which ultimately meant losing Liz in the process.

Flash forward months and months later and Wes and Liz find themselves in college, together. In a healthier place now, Wes knows he broke Liz’s heart when he ended things, but he is determined to make her fall back in love with him.

Wes knows Liz better than anyone, and he has a foolproof plan to win her back with the rom-com worthy big gestures she loves. Only…Liz will have none of it. Wes has to scheme like a rom-com hero to figure out how to see her. Even worse, Liz has a new friend…a guy friend.

Still, Wes won’t give up, adapting his clever plans and going hard to get Liz’s attention and win back her affection. But after his best efforts get him nowhere, Wes is left wondering if their relationship is really over for good.]]> 445 Lynn Painter 1665947152 Kate 4 4.03 2024
author: Lynn Painter
name: Kate
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/07
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves: college, contemporary, la, music, multi-pov, romance, second-chance, sports, ya
review:

]]> 57049585 “James Whiteside is an electrifying performer, an incredible athlete, and an artist, through and through. ĚýTo know James is to love him; with Center Center, you are about to fall in love.â€� —Jennifer Garner â€�A frank examination and celebration of queerness.”—Good Morning AmericaĚýA daring, joyous, and inspiring memoir-in-essays from the American Ballet Theatre principal dancer-slash-drag queen-slash-pop star who's redefining what it means to be a man in balletThere's a mark on every stage around the world that signifies the center of its depth and width, called "center center." James Whiteside has dreamed of standing on that very mark as a principal dancer with the prestigious American Ballet Theatre ever since he was a twelve-year-old blown away by watching the company's spring gala. The GLAMOUR. The VIRTUOSITY. The RIPPED MEN IN TIGHTS! In this absurd and absurdist collection of essays, Whiteside tells us the story of how he got to be a primo ballerino—stopping along the way to muse about the tragically fated childhood pets who taught him how to feel, reminisce on ill-advised partying at summer dance camps, and imagine fantastical run-ins with Jesus on Grindr. Also in these pages are tales of the two alter egos he created to subvert the strict classical rigor of JbDubs, an out-and-proud pop musician, and Ăśhu Betch, an over-the-top drag queen named after Yoohoo chocolate milk.Ěý Ěý Center Center is an exuberant behind-the-scenes tour of Whiteside’s triple life, both on- and offstage—a raunchy, curious, and unapologetic celebration of queerness, self-expression, friendship, sex, creativity, and pushing boundaries that will entertain you, shock you*, inspire you, embolden you . . . and maybe even make you cry.*THIS IS NOT A BOOK FOR CHILDREN.]]> 236 James Whiteside 0593297849 Kate 3 3.56 2021
author: James Whiteside
name: Kate
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/07
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves: adult, biography-memoir, dance
review:

]]> 58574487 "A page-turner." �The New York Times

Award-winning New York City Ballet soloist Georgina Pazcoguin, aka the Rogue Ballerina, gives readers a backstage tour of the real world of elite ballet—the gritty, hilarious, sometimes shocking truth you don’t see from the orchestra circle.

In this love letter to the art of dance and the sport that has been her livelihood, NYCB’s first Asian American female soloist Georgina Pazcoguin lays bare her unfiltered story of leaving small-town Pennsylvania for New York City and training amid the unique demands of being a hybrid professional athlete/artist, all before finishing high school. She pitches us into the fascinating, whirling shoes of dancers in one of the most revered ballet companies in the world with an unapologetic sense of humor about the cutthroat, survival-of-the-fittest mentality at NYCB. Some swan dives are even in the ballet, there are plenty of face-plants, backstage fights, late-night parties, and raucous company bonding sessions.

Rocked by scandal in the wake of the #MeToo movement, NYCB sits at an inflection point, inching toward progress in a strictly traditional culture, and Pazcoguin doesn’t shy away from ballet’s dark side. She continues to be one of the few dancers openly speaking up against the sexual harassment, mental abuse, and racism that in the past went unrecognized or was tacitly accepted as par for the course—all of which she has painfully experienced firsthand.

Tying together Pazcoguin’s fight for equality in the ballet with her infectious and deeply moving passion for her craft, Swan Dive is a page-turning, one-of-a-kind account that guarantees you'll never view a ballerina or a ballet the same way again.]]> 252 Georgina Pazcoguin 1250244293 Kate 3 4.11 2021
author: Georgina Pazcoguin
name: Kate
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/31
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves: adult, biography-memoir, dance, nyc
review:

]]> 55710822 In this rom-com about rom-coms, in the spirit of Kasie West and Jenn Bennett, a hopeless romantic teen attempts to secure a happily-ever-after moment with her forever crush, but finds herself reluctantly drawn to the boy next door.

Perpetual daydreamer Liz Buxbaum gave her heart to Michael a long time ago. But her cool, aloof forever crush never really saw her before he moved away. Now that he’s back in town, Liz will do whatever it takes to get on his radar - and maybe snag him as a prom date - even befriend Wes Bennet.

The annoyingly attractive next-door neighbor might seem like a prime candidate for romantic-comedy fantasies, but Wes has only been a pain in Liz’s butt since they were kids. Pranks involving frogs and decapitated lawn gnomes do not a potential boyfriend make. Yet, somehow, Wes and Michael are hitting it off, which means Wes is Liz’s in.

But as Liz and Wes scheme to get Liz noticed by Michael so she can have her magical prom moment, she’s shocked to discover that she likes being around Wes. And as they continue to grow closer, she must reexamine everything she thought she knew about love - and rethink her own ideas of what happily ever after should look like.]]> 356 Lynn Painter 1534467629 Kate 0 4.28 2021
author: Lynn Painter
name: Kate
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2024/12/31
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves:
review:

]]> 208209832 Romance, luxury, and secrets abound in this thrilling new collection that take readers deeper into the world of the #1 bestselling Inheritance Games series

There is nothing frivolous about the way a Hawthorne man loves.

An amnesiac playboy and the woman with every reason to hate him. A daredevil, his favorite heiress, and three nights in Prague. An unlikely pairing between a cowboy and a goth. Four brothers with an inescapable bond, strengthened by the family they chose, in a house of wonders that promises to always deliver one more secret.

Discover their stories of love and loss, power, puzzles, and life-and-death secrets in this mind-blowingly romantic collection that proves that when you love the way Hawthornes love, there is no going back.

This collection includes:
That Night in Prague (novella)
The Same Backward as Forward (novella)
The Cowboy and the Goth
Five Times Xander Tackled Someone (and One Time He Didn't)
One Hawthorne Night*
What Happens in the Treehouse*
$3CR3T $@NT@
Pain at the Right Gun

*previously published in limited release]]> 448 Jennifer Lynn Barnes 031657371X Kate 4 4.08 2024
author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
name: Kate
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/30
date added: 2025/01/12
shelves: contemporary, europe, family, games, holidays, novellas, puzzles, romance, short-stories, ya
review:

]]> 57697633
Perfect for fans of Kasie West and Jenn Bennett, this “sweet and funny� (Kerry Winfrey, author of Waiting for Tom Hanks ) teen rom-com follows a hopelessly romantic teen girl and her cute yet obnoxious neighbor as they scheme to get her noticed by her untouchable crush.

Perpetual daydreamer Liz Buxbaum gave her heart to Michael a long time ago. But her cool, aloof forever crush never really saw her before he moved away. Now that he’s back in town, Liz will do whatever it takes to get on his radar—and maybe snag him as a prom date—even befriend Wes Bennet.

The annoyingly attractive next-door neighbor might seem like a prime candidate for romantic comedy fantasies, but Wes has only been a pain in Liz’s butt since they were kids. Pranks involving frogs and decapitated lawn gnomes do not a potential boyfriend make. Yet, somehow, Wes and Michael are hitting it off, which means Wes is Liz’s in.

But as Liz and Wes scheme to get Liz noticed by Michael so she can have her magical prom moment, she’s shocked to discover that she likes being around Wes. And as they continue to grow closer, she must reexamine everything she thought she knew about love—and rethink her own ideas of what Happily Ever After should look like.]]> 367 Lynn Painter Kate 4 4.26 2021
author: Lynn Painter
name: Kate
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/01/12
shelves: contemporary, film, high-school, romance, senior-year, ya
review:

]]> 217387723 An electrifying rom com of rivalry and redemption, perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Daisy Jones and the Six, from New York Times bestselling author Emma Lord.

Once the most notorious rivals in the music scene, pop princess Mackenzie Waters and punk rockstar Sam Blaze electrified audiences as their bands clashed on stage. But behind the scenes, their simmering tension grew into something more � until suddenly both bands fell apart, and the idea of Mackenzie and Sam did, too.

Two years later, Sam has traded the rockstar lifestyle for a quiet life raising the son he didn’t know about. Meanwhile, Mackenzie is dealing with a postoperative change in her voice by only singing under a pseudonym. The only way to revive their public careers? A joint comeback album.

With fans over the moon and their futures on the line, Sam and Mackenzie face their biggest challenge yet: giving up the old rivalry and learning to work together. But as old sparks fly and new secrets emerge, they set off a chain reaction neither of them could have anticipated � one that proves that sometimes, the greatest hits are the ones yet to be written.]]> 320 Emma Lord 1250845327 Kate 0 to-read 3.95 2025
author: Emma Lord
name: Kate
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 197351450
But after they both experience public, humiliating breakups with their exes that spread like wildfire across TikTok rabbit holes and daytime talk shows alike, they accidentally make some juicy gossip of their own: A photo of them together has the internet convinced they're a couple. With so many people rooting for them, they decide to put aside their rocky past and make a pact to fuel the fire. Pretending to date will help June’s shop get back on its feet and make Levi’s ex realize that she made a mistake. All they have to do is convince the world they're in love, one swoon-worthy photo op at a time.

Two viral breakups. One fake relationship. Five sparkling, heart-pounding dates. June and Levi can definitely pull this off without their hearts getting involved.

Because everyone knows fake dating doesn’t come with real feelings. Right?]]> 314 Emma Lord Kate 4 3.59 2024
author: Emma Lord
name: Kate
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/18
date added: 2024/12/18
shelves: adult, contemporary, beach, food, romance, summer
review:

]]> 42288387 NOW A MAJOR MOTION ĚýBIRDS OF PARADISE, STARRING KRISTINE FROSETH AND DIANA SILVERS.

Ěý“A compulsively readable story. I was breathless and battling tears up until the very last stunning turns onstage and beyond. A dazzling, heart-wrenching debut.”Ěý—Nova Ren Suma, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Walls Around Us

Would you die for the Prize?

Best friends Marine Duval and Kate Sanders have trained since childhood at the Paris Opera Ballet School, where they’ve forged an inseparable bond through shared stories of family tragedies and a powerful love for dance. When the body of a student is found in the dorms just before the start of their final year, Marine and Kate begin to ask themselves how far they would go for the ultimate to be named the one girl who will join the Opera’s prestigious corps de ballet. Would they cheat? Seduce the most talented boy in the school, dubbed the Demigod, hoping his magic will make them shine, too? Would they risk death for it? Neither girl is sure.
Ěý
But then Kate gets closer to the Demigod, even as Marine has begun to capture his heart. And as selection day draws near, the competition—for the Prize, for the Demigod—becomes fiercer, and Marine and Kate realize they have everything to lose, including each other.

Bright Burning Stars is a stunning, propulsive story about girls at their physical and emotional extremes, the gutting power of first love, and what it means to fight for your dreams.]]> 304 A.K. Small 1616209313 Kate 4 3.48 2019
author: A.K. Small
name: Kate
average rating: 3.48
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/18
date added: 2024/12/18
shelves: big-feelings, dance, drama, friendship, ya
review:

]]> 204982650 Knives Out gets a holiday rom-com twist in this rivals-to-lovers romance-mystery fromĚýNew York TimesĚýbestselling author Ally Carter.

The bridge is out. The phones are down. And the most famous mystery writer in the world just disappeared out of a locked room three days before Christmas.

Meet Maggie Chase and Ethan

She’s the new Queen of the Cozy Mystery.

He’s Mr. Big-time Thriller Guy.

She hates his guts.

He thinks her name is Marcie (no matter how many times she’s told him otherwise.)

But when they both accept a cryptic invitation to attend a Christmas house party at the English estate of a reclusive fan, neither is expecting their host to be the most powerful author in the Eleanor Ashley, the Duchess of Death herself.

That night, the weather turns, and the next morning Eleanor is gone.

She vanished from a locked room, and Maggie has to Is Eleanor in danger? Or is it all some kind of test? Is Ethan the competition? Or is he the only person in that snowbound mansion she can trust?

As the snow gets deeper and the stakes get higher, every clue will bring Maggie and Ethan closer to the truth—and each other. Because, this Christmas, these two rivals are going to have to become allies (and maybe more) if they have any hope of saving Eleanor.

Assuming they don’t kill each other first.]]> 303 Ally Carter 0063276739 Kate 5 4.11 2024
author: Ally Carter
name: Kate
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/18
date added: 2024/12/18
shelves: adult, contemporary, europe, holidays, mysteries, romance, winter, travel, books-about-books
review:

]]> 206009505 In his continuing quest to earn college recommendation letters from the gods, Percy has to pet sit the goddess Hecate's polecat and giant mastiff during Halloween week. What could go wrong?

Rick Riordan’s newest Percy Jackson adventure is full of hilarious set pieces, a diverse cast of gods and monsters, and many other delightful tricks and treats.

Percy Jackson, now a high school senior, needs three recommendation letters from the Greek gods in order to get into New Rome University. He earned his first one by retrieving Ganymede’s chalice. Now the goddess Hecate has offered Percy another “opportunity”—all he has to do is pet sit her polecat, Gale, and mastiff, Hecuba, over Halloween week while she is away. Piece of cake, right?

Percy, Annabeth, and Grover settle into Hecate’s seemingly endless mansion and start getting acquainted with the fussy, terrifying animals. The trio has been warned not to touch anything, but while Percy and Annabeth are out at school, Grover can’t resist drinking a strawberry-flavored potion in the laboratory. It turns him into a giant frenzied goat, and after he rampages through the house, damaging everything in sight, and passes out, Gale and Hecuba escape. Now the friends have to find Hecate’s pets and somehow restore the house, all before Hecate gets back on Saturday. It’s going to take luck, demigod wiles, and some old and new friends to hunt down the animals and set things right again.]]> 288 Rick Riordan 1368107648 Kate 4 4.38 2024
author: Rick Riordan
name: Kate
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/18
date added: 2024/12/18
shelves: fantasy, friendship, middle-grade, mythology, nyc, rick-riordan
review:

]]> 18710209
Black Swan meets Pretty Little Liars in this soapy, drama-packed novel featuring diverse characters who will do anything to be the prima at their elite ballet school.

From the New York Times-bestselling author of The Belles, Dhonielle Clayton, and the author of the highly anticipated Symptoms of a Heartbreak, Sona Charaipotra.

Gigi, Bette, and June, three top students at an exclusive Manhattan ballet school, have seen their fair share of drama. Free-spirited new girl Gigi just wants to dance—but the very act might kill her. Privileged New Yorker Bette's desire to escape the shadow of her ballet-star sister brings out a dangerous edge in her. And perfectionist June needs to land a lead role this year or her controlling mother will put an end to her dancing dreams forever.

When every dancer is both friend and foe, the girls will sacrifice, manipulate, and backstab to be the best of the best.

Don’t miss the gossip, lies, and scandal that continues in Tiny Pretty Things� gripping sequel, Shiny Broken Pieces!]]> 448 Sona Charaipotra Kate 4 3.67 2015
author: Sona Charaipotra
name: Kate
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/18
date added: 2024/12/18
shelves: big-feelings, contemporary, dance, drama, multi-pov, revenge, romance, ya
review:

]]> 27617333
June is starting to finally see herself as a prima ballerina. However, getting what she wants might cost her everything—including the only boy she’s ever loved. Legacy dancer Bette is determined to clear her name after she was suspended and accused of hurting her rival, Gigi. Even if she returns, though, will she ever regain the spotlight she craves? And Gigi is not going to let Bette—or the other dancers who bullied her—go unpunished. But as revenge consumes her, Gigi may be the one who pays the price.

After years of grueling auditions, torn ribbons, and broken hearts, it all comes down to this last dance. Who will make the cut? And who will lose her dream forever?]]> 384 Sona Charaipotra 0062342444 Kate 4 3.95 2016
author: Sona Charaipotra
name: Kate
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/18
date added: 2024/12/18
shelves: big-feelings, contemporary, dance, drama, multi-pov, nyc, revenge, romance, ya
review:

]]> 181853964 Two love sceptics agree to work together as professional wedding disruptors. But fate has more romantic plans in mind for them . . .

When Sophie finds out right before getting married that she’s been cheated on (again!) it’s time for drastic action. Instead of calling the wedding off, she hires a gorgeous stranger � Max � to interrupt the ceremony and confront her fiancé. It’s hardly the wedding she’d planned. But Sophie enjoys taking revenge. So, when Max asks if she’ll work with him to help others expose their cheating partners, Sophie agrees. When they’re hired by a man who’s marrying the girl that once broke Max’s heart, Sophie expects Max to revel in the job. But instead, he seems to be wrestling with his feelings for his ex. And worse than that, Sophie is jealous . . .Tropes/ Friends to lovers2. Slow burn romance3. Spicy books4. Love triangle]]> 313 Lynn Painter Kate 4 3.63 2024
author: Lynn Painter
name: Kate
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/18
date added: 2024/12/18
shelves: adult, contemporary, romance, weddings
review:

]]> 209823377
Stella will do anything for her sister—even stand in line for an autographed Heartbreakers CD... for three hours. At least she met a cute boy at the Starbucks beforehand. A blue-eyed boy who looks an awful lot like...

Oliver Perry. Of course Starbucks guy is the lead singer for her least favorite band. Thanks, universe. But there may be more to Oliver than his world-famous charm, because even after she insults his music—to his face—he still gives her his number. Seriously, what is her life?

But how can Stella even think about being with Oliver—dating and laughing and pulling pranks with the band—when her sister could be dying of cancer?]]> 336 Ali Novak 1464229910 Kate 0 to-read 3.75 2015
author: Ali Novak
name: Kate
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 50267716 250 Karina Yan Glaser 0358255244 Kate 5 favorites, normal-life 4.69 2020
author: Karina Yan Glaser
name: Kate
average rating: 4.69
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2020/10/30
date added: 2024/09/29
shelves: favorites, normal-life
review:
Every time I read the Vanderbeekers, I like them better. They kind of remind me of the Penderwicks. Love it!
]]> 51475198 BFFs Ari and Kaylan make a new bucket list as they set out for different summer camps in the fourth and final Friendship List novel. The perfect summer read for fans of Lauren Myracle and Rachel Renee Russo’s Dork Diaries!

Ari and Kaylan aren’t sure how they’re going to survive their first summer apart. No pool. No sleepovers. No emergency late night chats on the porch.

So as Ari returns to Camp Silver and Kaylan heads off to comedy camp, they come up with a new list of 13 and 3/4 ways to keep their friendship strong as they tackle everything from bias to batik and moping to matchmaking.

Told in alternating perspectives, the fourth book in the popular Friendship List series is sure to make readers cry, laugh, and start plotting their own friendship lists.]]> 304 Lisa Greenwald 0062875299 Kate 4 normal-life 4.45 2020
author: Lisa Greenwald
name: Kate
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2020/10/27
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: normal-life
review:

]]> 12239545 274 Wendy Mass 0545414903 Kate 4 favorites, humor, normal-life 4.44 2009
author: Wendy Mass
name: Kate
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at: 2020/11/14
date added: 2024/09/26
shelves: favorites, humor, normal-life
review:

]]> 8819598 . 313 Ally Carter 1423139380 Kate 5 3.95 2010
author: Ally Carter
name: Kate
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at: 2020/12/11
date added: 2024/09/26
shelves: adventure, espionage, favorites, humor, ya
review:
So, I've read Gallagher Girls, and loved it, so I had high hopes for this one. And it did not disappoint! Amazing. I can't wait to read the next one!
]]> 21943246 New York Times bestselling author of the Hush, Hush saga.

Britt Pheiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn’t prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin, accepting the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants—but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage.

Britt is forced to guide the men off the mountain, and knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. The task is made even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that have taken place there� and in uncovering this, she may become the killer’s next target.

But nothing is as it seems, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy? Or an ally?]]> 412 Becca Fitzpatrick 1442474289 Kate 4 3.89 2014
author: Becca Fitzpatrick
name: Kate
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/20
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: survival, adventure, contemporary, romance, senior-year, ya, thriller
review:

]]> 54631738 The highly anticipated sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder! More dark secrets are exposed in this addictive, true-crime fueled mystery.

Pip is not a detective anymore.

With the help of Ravi Singh, she released a true-crime podcast about the murder case they solved together last year. The podcast has gone viral, yet Pip insists her investigating days are behind her.

But she will have to break that promise when someone she knows goes missing. Jamie Reynolds has disappeared, on the very same night the town hosted a memorial for the sixth-year anniversary of the deaths of Andie Bell and Sal Singh.

The police won't do anything about it. And if they won't look for Jamie then Pip will, uncovering more of her town's dark secrets along the way... and this time everyone is listening. But will she find him before it's too late?]]> 405 Holly Jackson 1984896423 Kate 4 4.19 2020
author: Holly Jackson
name: Kate
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/24
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: contemporary, high-school, podcast, mysteries, senior-year, small-town-charm, ya
review:
Not quite as good as the first, but still enjoyable.
]]> 34523683 New victims. New betrayals. New secrets.
When the bodies begin piling up, it soon becomes apparent that this time, the Naturals aren't just hunting serial killers.

They're being hunted.]]> 384 Jennifer Lynn Barnes 1484758412 Kate 5 4.43 2016
author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
name: Kate
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/24
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: big-feelings, contemporary, espionage, family, favorites, friendship, i-m-obsessed, i-m-still-hoping-for-a-sequel, murder, mysteries, romance, thriller, ya
review:

]]> 29468038
After a string of brutal murders in Las Vegas, Cassie Hobbes and the Naturals are called in to investigate. But even with the team's unique profiling talents, these murders seem baffling: unlike many serial killers, this one uses different methods every time. All of the victims were killed in public, yet the killer does not show up on any security feed. And each victim has a string of numbers tattooed on their wrist. Hidden in the numbers is a code-and the closer the Naturals come to unraveling the mystery, the more perilous the case becomes.
Meanwhile, Cassie is dealing with an equally dangerous and much more painful mystery. For the first time in years, there's been a break in her mother's case. As personal issues and tensions between the team mount, Cassie and the Naturals will be faced with impossible odds-and impossible choices.
Praise for Killer Instinct

"A welcome addition to the teen-sleuth genre."
-Kirkus Reviews

"Barnes knows how to keep the reader hooked, and fans will be eagerly reaching for this title and clamoring for the next in the series."
-Booklist

"This is a definite purchase for libraries...."
-School Library Journal

"Intricately plotted, this novel will keep teens guessing and leave readers eagerly waiting the next installment in The Naturals series."
-VOYA
Praise for The Naturals
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, 2014
YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers, 2014
"The Naturals is Criminal Minds for the YA world, and I loved every page." -New York Times best-selling author Ally Carter

* "[A] tightly paced suspense novel that will keep readers up until the wee hours to finish." -VOYA (starred review)

"This savvy thriller grabs readers right away." -Kirkus Reviews

"It's a stay-up-late-to-finish kind of book, and it doesn't disappoint." -Publishers Weekly

"In this high-adrenaline series opener...even a psychic won't anticipate all the twists and turns." -Booklist]]> 400 Jennifer Lynn Barnes 1484723678 Kate 5 4.39 2015
author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
name: Kate
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/24
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: big-feelings, contemporary, espionage, family, favorites, friendship, i-m-obsessed, murder, mysteries, romance, thriller, ya
review:

]]> 25066961 Seventeen-year-old Cassie Hobbes has a gift for profiling people. Her talent has landed her a spot in an elite FBI program for teens with innate crime-solving abilities, and into some harrowing situations. After barely escaping a confrontation with an unbalanced killer obsessed with her mother's murder, Cassie hopes she and the rest of the team can stick to solving cold cases from a distance.

But when victims of a brutal new serial killer start turning up, the Naturals are pulled into an active case that strikes too close to home: the killer is a perfect copycat of Dean's incarcerated father-a man he'd do anything to forget. Forced deeper into a murderer's psyche than ever before, will the Naturals be able to outsmart the enigmatic killer's brutal mind games before this copycat twists them into his web for good?

With her trademark wit, brilliant plotting, and twists that no one will see coming, Jennifer Lynn Barnes will keep readers on the edge of their seats (and looking over their shoulders) as they race through the pages of this thrilling novel.

Praise for Killer Instinct

"A welcome addition to the teen-sleuth genre."
-Kirkus Reviews

"Barnes knows how to keep the reader hooked, and fans will be eagerly reaching for this title and clamoring for the next in the series."
-Booklist

"This is a definite purchase for libraries...."
-School Library Journal

"Intricately plotted, this novel will keep teens guessing and leave readers eagerly waiting the next installment in The Naturals series."
-VOYA

Praise for The Naturals
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, 2014
YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers, 2014
"The Naturals is Criminal Minds for the YA world, and I loved every page." -New York Times best-selling author Ally Carter

* "[A] tightly paced suspense novel that will keep readers up until the wee hours to finish." -VOYA (starred review)

"This savvy thriller grabs readers right away." -Kirkus Reviews

"It's a stay-up-late-to-finish kind of book, and it doesn't disappoint." -Publishers Weekly

"In this high-adrenaline series opener...even a psychic won't anticipate all the twists and turns." -Booklist]]> 400 Jennifer Lynn Barnes 1423171829 Kate 5 4.38 2014
author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
name: Kate
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/24
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: books-that-blew-my-mind, contemporary, espionage, favorites, i-m-obsessed, mysteries, romance, ya, friendship, love-triangle, murder
review:

]]> 58522239 � Finally win the Golden Ivy student film competition
� Get into her dream school across the country
� Leave New York City behind once and for all


Mina’s ticket to winning the competition falls into her lap when indie film star—and known heartbreaker—Emmitt Ramos enrolls in her high school under a secret identity to research his next role. When Mina sets out to persuade Emmitt to join her cause, he offers her a deal instead: he'll be in her short film�if she acts as a tour guide to help him with a photography contest.

As Mina ventures across the five boroughs with Emmitt by her side, the city she grew up in starts to look different and more like home than it ever has before. With the competition deadline looming, Mina's dreams—which once seemed impenetrable—begin to crumble, and she’s forced to ask herself: Is winning worth losing everything?]]> 377 Tashie Bhuiyan 0369717120 Kate 4 4.06 2022
author: Tashie Bhuiyan
name: Kate
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/07/16
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves: contemporary, drama, high-school, hometown-glory, humor, nyc, romance, senior-year, ya, photography, film
review:
So cute! I only wished there was a little more closure on the parents, but overall really great! I also loved the Tom Holland references lol :)
]]> 20873154
What Cassie doesn’t realize is that there’s more at risk than a few unsolved homicides—especially when she’s sent to live with a group of teens whose gifts are as unusual as her own. Sarcastic, privileged Michael has a knack for reading emotions, which he uses to get inside Cassie’s head—and under her skin. Brooding Dean shares Cassie’s gift for profiling, but keeps her at arm’s length.

Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms closer than Cassie could ever have imagined. Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse with a killer, the Naturals are going to have to use all of their gifts just to survive.]]> 308 Jennifer Lynn Barnes 1423168313 Kate 5 4.30 2013
author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
name: Kate
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/04
date added: 2024/09/04
shelves: adventure, books-that-blew-my-mind, contemporary, espionage, humor, i-m-obsessed, mysteries, romance, ya, friendship, love-triangle, murder
review:

]]> 123000767
Mallory Greenleaf is done with chess. Every move counts nowadays; after the sport led to the destruction of her family four years earlier, Mallory’s focus is on her mom, her sisters, and the dead-end job that keeps the lights on. That is, until she begrudgingly agrees to play in one last charity tournament and inadvertently wipes the board with notorious “Kingkiller� Nolan current world champion and reigning Bad Boy of chess.

Nolan’s loss to an unknown rook-ie shocks everyone. What’s even more confusing? His desire to cross pawns again. What kind of gambit is Nolan playing? The smart move would be to walk away. Resign. Game over. But Mallory’s victory opens the door to sorely needed cash-prizes and despite everything, she can’t help feeling drawn to the enigmatic strategist....

As she rockets up the ranks, Mallory struggles to keep her family safely separated from the game that wrecked it in the first place. And as her love for the sport she so desperately wanted to hate begins to rekindle, Mallory quickly realizes that the games aren’t only on the board, the spotlight is brighter than she imagined, and the competition can be fierce (-ly attractive. And intelligent…and infuriating�)]]> 362 Ali Hazelwood Kate 4 4.09 2023
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: Kate
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/04
date added: 2024/09/04
shelves: contemporary, family, games, high-society, fame, romance, ya
review:

]]> 197408276 Get caught up in the puzzles, games, danger, romance, and riches of this lush new chapter in the #1 bestselling Inheritance Games saga—set a year after we last saw Avery and the Hawthornes.

Seven tickets. An island of dreams. The chance of a lifetime.

Welcome to the Grandest Game, an annual competition run by billionaire Avery Grambs and the four infamous Hawthorne brothers, whose family fortune she inherited. Designed to give anyone a shot at fame and fortune, this year’s game requires one of seven golden tickets to enter. With millions on the line, those seven players will do whatever it takes to win.

Some of the players are in it for the money. Some for power. Some for reasons all their own. Every single one of them has secrets. Amidst it all is Grayson Hawthorne, tasked with a vital role in this year’s game. But as tensions rise and the mind-bending challenges push the players to their limits—physically, mentally, and emotionally—it soon becomes clear that not everyone is playing by the rules.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Lynn Barnes delivers a new series in the world of The Inheritance Games, where fan-favorite and new characters collide in a game you’ll never forget.

Do you have what it takes to play?]]> 352 Jennifer Lynn Barnes 0316481211 Kate 4 3.96 2024
author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
name: Kate
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/04
date added: 2024/09/04
shelves: contemporary, family, games, puzzles, romance, ya
review:

]]> 199897136
But right now, her life is anything but perfect. Heading home from a music festival, engine trouble means she’s stranded at a Nevada bus station until morning. Even worse, it’s the day before she leaves for college, her phone is dead, and she has no cash. Darcy’s convinced nothing good can come of this night…but then she meets Russell. Cute, nice, funny, and kind, this is the guy—and the moment—she’s been waiting for. As they walk and talk, the two connect, and Darcy is able to put aside all her fears and doubts about the future to focus on this perfect guy.

Over the course of one fateful night, Darcy and Russell discover things they never imagined about each other and themselves. But can you really know someone after only a handful of hours? Is it possible to fall in love in less than day? Before they part, both their lives will be changed, and Darcy and Russell will have to decide if it’s worth saying hello when you know you’re destined for a goodbye.]]> 397 Morgan Matson Kate 4 4.06 2024
author: Morgan Matson
name: Kate
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/04
date added: 2024/09/04
shelves: college, contemporary, fame, family, music, romance, ya, theater, one-night-only, lets-get-lost
review:

]]> 54479 252 Jules Verne 014044906X Kate 4 classics 3.95 1872
author: Jules Verne
name: Kate
average rating: 3.95
book published: 1872
rating: 4
read at: 2020/05/01
date added: 2024/08/29
shelves: classics
review:

]]> 19628073 A shy teen befriends an attractive beach town tourist in this refreshing summertime romance, in the tradition of Sixteenth Summer and Seventeenth Summer.In the small town of Pearl Beach, Florida, Izzy Lucas needs only her surfboard and the water to be completely happy. She wants nothing to do with parties, popularity contests, or showing her face around the clichéd touristy hangouts. Izzy’s tight group of coworkers at the local surf shop have tried relentlessly to break shy Izzy out of her (sea)shell. But Izzy isn’t interested…until the day Ben Barker walks into the store. Ben’s from the city. He’s cute, charming, and wants her help adjusting to beach town culture. As the weeks of surfing lessons and pizza shack visits fly by, Izzy and Ben realize their attraction goes beyond mere friendship. But Ben is only in town for three months, and Izzy wonders if this amazing guy is worth stepping out of her comfort zone for what might be the perfect summer romance—or her first heartbreak.]]> 254 Michelle Dalton Kate 4 4.04 2014
author: Michelle Dalton
name: Kate
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/20
date added: 2024/08/20
shelves: beach, contemporary, fluff, friendship, hometown-glory, romance, small-town-charm, sports, summer, ya
review:

]]> 173476222 One classic fairy tale.
Absolutely no cell service.

Stella Griffin doesn’t believe in fairy tales. Ever since her boyfriend dumped her three weeks before the promâ€� not ideal timing—she’s convinced every love story is a lie.Ěý

She’s ready to skip the prom entirely. But she and her best friend, Nisha, have been planning for years to celebrate at Disneyland before the prom . . . an OG OC tradition. But even being all dressed up at the Happiest Place on Earth isn’t salvaging Stella’s night. Nisha has brought along her friend Reece to join them, and he and Stella do not get along. They’re like oil and water. Cats and dogs. Aladdin and Jafar. And so what if Reece is, fine, kind of cute? Stella’s over it all. Happily-ever-afters, true love’s kisses, princes on white horses. It’s not real.Ěý

. . . Or is it?Ěý

Because when Stella and Reece push through a hidden door in Sleeping Beauty’s castle, they’re not in Anaheim anymore. They’re in the story. In Sleeping Beauty —with Aurora and Phillip, the fairies, Maleficent, and extremely intelligent woodland creatures.Ěý

Unfortunately, they’ve landed right in the middle of the story—which throws things off. Suddenly, Aurora and Phillip are meeting before they were supposed to. The fairies are suspicious of the interlopers, and even Maleficent gets word of their arrival.Ěý

Stella and Reece will have to put aside their differences, make sure Aurora and Phillip fall in love, and get the story back on track—because if things don’t end the way they’re supposed to . . . they might never get home.Ěý

Will they be able to pull off a fairy-tale ending? And will Stella and Reece get a happily-ever-after of their own?]]> 384 Morgan Matson 1368095577 Kate 0 currently-reading 3.70 2024
author: Morgan Matson
name: Kate
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/19
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 52189092 Alternate cover edition of ASIN: B07T3XJH4Z

Everyone in Fairview knows the story.

Pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. It was all anyone could talk about. And five years later, Pip sees how the tragedy still haunts her town.

But she can’t shake the feeling that there was more to what happened that day. She knew Sal when she was a child, and he was always so kind to her. How could he possibly have been a killer?

Now a senior herself, Pip decides to reexamine the closed case for her final project, at first just to cast doubt on the original investigation. But soon she discovers a trail of dark secrets that might actually prove Sal innocent . . . and the line between past and present begins to blur. Someone in Fairview doesn’t want Pip digging around for answers, and now her own life might be in danger.

This is the story of an investigation turned obsession, full of twists and turns and with an ending you’ll never expect.]]> 400 Holly Jackson Kate 4 4.23 2019
author: Holly Jackson
name: Kate
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/19
date added: 2024/08/19
shelves: contemporary, high-school, mysteries, romance, senior-year, ya
review:

]]> 44064396 Former Olympic figure skater and self-professed America's Sweetheart Adam Rippon shares his underdog journey from beautiful mess to outrageous success in this hilarious, big-hearted memoir that the Washington Post calls "comedic gold."Your mom probably told you it's what on the inside that counts. Well, then she was never a competitive figure skater. Olympic medalist Adam Rippon has been making it pretty for the judges even when, just below the surface, everything was an absolute mess. From traveling to practices on the Greyhound bus next to ex convicts to being so poor he could only afford to eat the free apples at his gym, Rippon got through the toughest times with a smile on his face, a glint in his eye, and quip ready for anyone listening. Beautiful on the Outside looks at his journey from a homeschooled kid in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to a self-professed American sweetheart on the world stage and all the disasters and self-delusions it took to get him there. Yeah, it may be what's on the inside that counts, but life is so much better when it's beautiful on the outside.]]> 257 Adam Rippon 1538732394 Kate 3 4.30 2019
author: Adam Rippon
name: Kate
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/19
date added: 2024/08/19
shelves: adult, biography-memoir, family, fame, figure-skating, humor, olympics
review:

]]> 62804258 Four brothers. Two missions. One explosive read. Jennifer Lynn Barnes returns to the world of her #1 bestselling Inheritance Games trilogy, and the stakes have never been higher. Ěý
Ěý
Grayson Hawthorne was raised as the heir apparent to his billionaire grandfather, taught from the cradle to put family first. Now the great Tobias Hawthorne is dead and his family disinherited, but some lessons linger. When Grayson’s half-sisters find themselves in trouble, he swoops in to do what he does best: take care of the problem—efficiently, effectively, mercilessly. And without getting bogged down in emotional entanglements.
Ěý
Jameson Hawthorne is a risk-taker, a sensation-seeker, a player of games. When his mysterious father appears and asks for a favor, Jameson can’t resist the challenge. Now he must infiltrate London’s most exclusive underground gambling club, which caters to the rich, the powerful, and the aristocratic, and win an impossible game of greatest stakes. Luckily, Jameson Hawthorne lives for impossible.
Ěý
Drawn into twisted games on opposite sides of the globe, Grayson and Jameson—with the help of their brothers and the girl who inherited their grandfather’s fortune—must dig deep to decide who they want to be and what each of them will sacrifice to win.]]> 480 Jennifer Lynn Barnes 0316480770 Kate 5 3.90 2023
author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
name: Kate
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/19
date added: 2024/08/19
shelves: adventure, contemporary, europe, family, fame, multi-pov, romance, ya, games, puzzles
review:

]]> 21246864 513 National Archives 1459712617 Kate 0 currently-reading 3.71 2000
author: National Archives
name: Kate
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2000
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 126919196
Riley isn’t sure what to expect from Tom, who has been distant since his famous mom’s scriptwriting career pulled him away. But when Riley arrives in the city, their reconnection is as effortless as it was when they were young―except with one, unexpected complication that will pull Riley’s feelings in a direction she didn’t know they could take. As she, Tom, and their newfound friends work their way through the delightfully chaotic items on The Getaway List, Riley learns that sometimes the biggest adventure is not one you take, but one you feel in your heart.

Inescapably romantic and brimming with Emma Lord’s signature cheer, The Getaway List is an uplifting and romantic read that will settle into your heart and never leave.]]> 314 Emma Lord 1250904005 Kate 4 3.56 2024
author: Emma Lord
name: Kate
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/24
date added: 2024/07/23
shelves: america, coming-of-age, contemporary, family, fluff, food, friendship, nyc, romance, summer, ya, list, second-chance
review:

]]> 225951
Told in a straightforward, engaging style that has become Susan Wise Bauer's trademark, The Story of the World series covers the sweep of human history from ancient times until the present. Africa, China, Europe, the Americas―find out what happened all around the world in long ago times. This first revised volume begins with the earliest nomads and ends with the last Roman emperor. Newly revised and updated, The Story of the World, Volume 1 includes maps, a new timeline, more illustrations, and additional parental aids. This read aloud series is designed for parents to share with elementary school children. Enjoy it together and introduce your child to the marvelous story of the world's civilizations.

Each Story of the World volume provides a full year of history study when combined with the Activity Book, Audiobook, and Tests―each available separately to accompany each volume of The Story of the World Text Book. Volume 1 Grade Recommendation: Grades 1 5. Illustrated throughout with black and white drawings and maps]]> 349 Susan Wise Bauer 1933339004 Kate 4 nonfiction, historical 4.26
author: Susan Wise Bauer
name: Kate
average rating: 4.26
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/07/17
shelves: nonfiction, historical
review:

]]> 211003860 Rivals-to-lovers gets an academic send-up in this charming and irresistible romantic comedy from Emma Lord, New York Times bestselling author of Tweet Cute and Begin Again!

At long last, Sadie has vanquished her lifelong academic rival � her irritatingly charming, whip smart next door neighbor, Seb � by getting the coveted, only spot to her dream college. Or at least, so she thinks. When Seb is unexpectedly pulled off the waitlist and admitted, Sadie has to compete with him all over again, this time to get a spot on the school’s famous zine. Now not only is she dealing with the mayhem of the lovable, chaotic family she hid her writing talents from, as well as her own self doubt, but she has to come to terms with some less-than-resentful feelings for Seb that are popping up along the way.

But the longer they compete, the more Sadie and Seb notice flaws in the school’s system that are much bigger than any competition between them. Somehow the two of them have to band together even as they’re trying to crush each other, only to discover they may have met their match in more ways than one.]]> 320 Emma Lord 1250904021 Kate 0 to-read 3.56 2025
author: Emma Lord
name: Kate
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 195886398 A calculus nerd enlists her surly classmate’s help to win back her ex-boyfriend, but when sparks start to fly, she realizes there’s no algorithm for falling in love.

Marlowe Thompson understands a lot of things. She understands that calculus isn’t overwhelmingly beautiful to everyone, and that it typically kills the mood when you try to talk Python coding over beer pong. She understands people were surprised when golden boy Josh asked her out and she went from weird, math-obsessed Marlowe to half of their school’s couple goals. Unfortunately, Marlowe was surprised when Josh dumped her because he’d prefer a girlfriend who was more romantic. One with emotional depth.

But Marlowe has never failed anything in her life, and she isn’t about to start now. When she’s paired with Ashton Hayes for an English project, his black clothing and moody eyeliner cause a bit of a systems overload, and the dissonant sounds of his rock band make her brain itch. But when she discovers Ash's hidden stash of love songs, Marlowe makes a desperate deal to unleash her inner romantic heroine: if Ash will agree to help her write some love letters, she’ll calculate the perfect data analytics formula to make Ash's band go viral.

As the semester heats up with yearning love notes and late nights spent with a boy who escapes any box her brain tries to put him in, Marlowe starts to question if there’s really a set solution to love. Could a girl who has never met a problem she couldn’t solve have gotten the math so massively wrong?]]> 304 Serena Kaylor 1250908701 Kate 0 to-read 3.89 2024
author: Serena Kaylor
name: Kate
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 201102406 An epic survival-thriller about four teens who get lost in the Paris catacombs for days—a gripping and propulsive story of love, danger, betrayal, and hope� even when all seems lost.

Ruby is terrified to cave to her feelings for Sean and risk him crushing her heart.

Sean is pumped to spend a week with Ruby in Paris on their senior class trip, and he’ll wait however long until she’s ready to take things further.

But when Ruby’s best friend sneaks out the first night to meet a mysterious French boy, Ruby goes after her with two classmates, but caves to another temptation: attending mystery boy’s exclusive party in the Paris catacombs, the intricate web of tunnels beneath the city, home to six million long-dead Parisians. Only they never reach the party.

Underground, as something sinister chases them, they get lost in the endless maze of bones, uncovering dark secrets about the catacombs� and each other. And if they can’t find a way out, they’ll die in the dark beneath the City of Light.

Aboveground, Sean races to find the girl he loves as a media frenzy over the four missing teens begins.

From award-winning author and rising YA star Diana Urban comes a twisty tale of four teens lost in the dark beneath the City of Light and the race to find them.
]]> 354 Diana Urban 0593625080 Kate 0 to-read 3.84 2024
author: Diana Urban
name: Kate
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 200359329
Ellie’s Deaf boarding school just shut down, forcing her to leave the place she considered home and return to her hearing family. Back in a mainstream school, Ellie quickly becomes the subject of hateful rumors. That’s when her guidance counselor pairs her with Jackson, a student who’s supposed to help her adjust. Can the boy who tries to say the right things, and gets it all wrong, be the lifeline Ellie needs?

Jackson has been avoiding his teammates ever since some numbness in his legs cost them an important soccer match. With his senior year off to a lonely start, he’s intrigued when he’s asked to help the new girl, initially thinking it will be a commendable move on his part. Little does he know Ellie will soon be the person he wants most by his side when the strange symptoms he’s experiencing amount to a life-changing diagnosis.

Exploring what it means to build community, Anna Sortino pens a story about the fear of the unknown and the beauty of the unexpected, all wrapped up in a poignant romance that will break your heart and put it back together again.]]> 320 Anna Sortino 0593697863 Kate 0 to-read 4.00 2024
author: Anna Sortino
name: Kate
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 201102258 The newest mystery from the author One of Us Is Lying, the Queen of thrillers, Karen M. McManus! When mother-daughter grifters set out on their final job, the heist gets deadly and dangerously personal.

For all of Kat’s life, it’s just been her and her mother, Jamie—except for the forty-eight hours when Jamie was married and Kat had a stepbrother, Liam. That all ended in an epic divorce, and Kat and Liam haven’t spoken since.

Now Jamie is a jewel thief trying to go straight, but she has one last job—at billionaire Ross Sutherland’s birthday party. And Kat has figured out a way to tag along. What Kat doesn’t know, though, is that there are two surprise guests at the dazzling Sutherland compound that weekend. The last two people she wants to run into. Liam and his father—a serial scammer who has his sights set on Ross Sutherland’s youngest daughter.

Kat and Liam are on a collision course to disaster, and when a Sutherland dies, they realize they might actually be in the killer’s crosshairs themselves. Somehow Kat and Liam are the new targets, and they can’t trust anyone—except each other.

Or can they? Because if there’s one thing both Kat and Liam know, it’s how to lie. They learned from the best.]]> 389 Karen M. McManus 059348505X Kate 0 to-read 3.77 2024
author: Karen M. McManus
name: Kate
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 199087657
Disguised as her brother, Ying manages to infiltrate the guild’s male-only apprenticeship trial with the help of an unlikely ally—Aogiya Ye-yang, the taciturn eighth prince of the High Command. With her father’s renown placing a target firmly on her back, Ying must stay one step ahead of her fellow competitors, the jealous guild masters, and the killer still hunting for her father’s journal. Complicating everything is her increasingly tangled relationship with the prince, who may have mysterious plans of his own.

The secrets concealed within the guild can be as deadly as the weapons they build—and with her life and the future of her homeland at stake, Ying doesn’t know who to trust. Can she avenge her father even if it means going against everything he stood for, or will she be next in the mastermind’s line of fire?]]> 470 Amber Chen 0593622758 Kate 0 to-read 3.70 2024
author: Amber Chen
name: Kate
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 161184313 336 Tillie Cole 1728297095 Kate 0 to-read 4.23 2024
author: Tillie Cole
name: Kate
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 196841933 A finalist for the 2025 YALSA William C. Morris Award for Best Debut Novel for Teens, as well as an Indie Next Pick, Amazon Editor’s Pick, and one of Barnes & Noble’s Best Books of 2024.

An unflinching YA debut about a troubled teen who discovers a pack of feral girls in the woods and is swept up in the ensuing mystery: Are the Wild Girls of Happy Valley lost princesses from a faraway land, as they believe, or are they brainwashed victims of a deranged kidnapper?

In her ambitious debut perfect for fans of Sadie and The Hazel Wood, Madeline Claire Franklin crafts a gripping exploration of how the world teaches young girls to cage their wildness―and what happens when they claw themselves free.

After being placed in foster care, Rhi is hungry for a fresh start and begins working at the Happy Valley Wildlife Preserve. While in the woods, she stumbles upon a surreal sight: a pack of wolves guarding four feral and majestic girls. After Rhi gains their trust, they reveal that they’re princesses from another land, raised by a magical prophet they call Mother―and they're convinced Rhi is their lost fifth sister.

Unsure what to believe, Rhi ushers the girls to civilization, where they’re met with societal uproar and scrutiny, dubbed by the ravenous media and true crime junkies as “The Wild Girls of Happy Valley.� Desperate to return to their kingdom, the girls look to Rhi for help. Rhi knows the girls are deluded, but at the same time she’s drawn in by their boldness and authenticity―traits she is afraid she has lost within herself. And when Rhi witnesses strange phenomena she can’t quite explain, the line between fantasy and reality grows blurry.

As the hunt for answers intensifies, Rhi must make a decision that will change the course of her life and the lives of her Wild Girls forever.

Content Warnings � This book portrays, describes, or discusses in detail: Complex-PTSD, suicide and suicidal ideation, disordered eating, body shaming, family and domestic violence, emotional abuse, cannibalism, and sexual assault.]]> 368 Madeline Claire Franklin 1638931003 Kate 0 to-read 4.10 2024
author: Madeline Claire Franklin
name: Kate
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 198563720 From the author of How to Survive Your Murder comes a propulsive thriller about two teens who return to the site of the famous murder case that sealed their fates.

Most people’s births aren’t immortalized in a police report—but Olivia was born during the infamous Camp Lost Lake murders. Seventeen years later, Olivia’s life looks pretty perfect . . . until she discovers the man she calls dad is not her biological father. Now she wants answers about her bloodline, and the only place she knows to look is Camp Lost Lake.

Most people don’t spend their formative years on the run with an alleged murderer—but Reagan did. In the court of public opinion, her mom was found guilty of the deaths at Camp Lost Lake, and both of them have been in hiding ever since. But Reagan believes in her mother’s innocence and is determined to clear her name.

Luckily for Olivia and Reagan, Camp Lost Lake is finally reopening, providing the perfect opportunity to find answers. But someone else is dead set on keeping the past hidden, even if it means committing murder.]]> 282 Danielle Valentine 059335205X Kate 0 to-read 3.67 2024
author: Danielle Valentine
name: Kate
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 198493806
After her dad abruptly abandons her family and her mom moves them a million miles from their Chicago home, Noor Khan is forced to start the last quarter of her senior year at a new school, away from everything and everyone she knows and loves. Reeling from being uprooted and deserted, Noor is certain the key to survival is to keep her head down and make it to graduation.Ěý But things aren’t so simple. At school, Noor discovers hundreds of books have been labeled “obsceneâ€� or “pornographicâ€� and are being removed from the library in accordance with a new school board policy. Even worse, virtually all the banned books are by queer and BIPOC authors.Ěý Noor can’t sit back and do nothing, because that goes against everything she believes in, but challenging the status quo just might put a target on her back. Can she effect change by speaking up? Or will small-town politics—and small-town love—be her downfall?Ěý]]> 384 Samira Ahmed 0316547840 Kate 0 to-read 4.21 2024
author: Samira Ahmed
name: Kate
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 195791309
The only catch is that she needs more party planning experience before she can apply. When she books a quinceañera for a teen Disneyland vlogger, Cas thinks her plan is taking off…until she discovers that the party is just a publicity stunt and she begins catching feelings for the chambelán. As her agenda begins to go off-script, Cas finds that real life may be more complicated than a fairy tale.

But maybe Happily Ever Afters aren’t just for the movies. Can Cas go from planner to participant in her own life? Or will this would-be princess turn into a pumpkin at the end of the ball?]]> 336 Jessica Parra 1250862779 Kate 0 to-read 3.68 2024
author: Jessica Parra
name: Kate
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 198471299 Reese's Book Club Summer YA Pick '24

"YA is a feeling. It's a warm summer day reading in the sun, lots of nostalgia, gushing together over the characters in Twelfth Knight."—Reese Witherspoon

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six (under the penname Olivie Blake) comes Twelfth Knight, a YA romantic comedy and coming of age story about taking up space in the world and learning what it means to let others in.

Viola Reyes is annoyed.

Her painstakingly crafted tabletop game campaign was shot down, her best friend is suggesting she try being more “likable,� and her school's star running back Jack Orsino is the most lackadaisical Student Body President she’s ever seen, which makes her job as VP that much harder. Vi’s favorite escape from the world is the MMORPG Twelfth Knight, but online spaces aren’t exactly kind to girls like her—girls who are extremely competent and have the swagger to prove it. So Vi creates a masculine alter ego, choosing to play as a knight named Cesario to create a safe haven for herself.

But when a football injury leads Jack Orsino to the world of Twelfth Knight, Vi is alarmed to discover their online alter egos—Cesario and Duke Orsino—are surprisingly well-matched.

As the long nights of game-play turn into discussions about life and love, Vi and Jack soon realise they’ve become more than just weapon-wielding characters in an online game. But Vi has been concealing her true identity from Jack, and Jack might just be falling for her offline�

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.]]> 304 Alexene Farol Follmuth Kate 0 to-read 3.91 2024
author: Alexene Farol Follmuth
name: Kate
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 195263575
What makes a girl "beastly?" Is it having too much ambition? Being too proud? Taking up too much space? Or is it just wanting something, anything , too badly?

That's the problem Arabella faces when she makes her debut in society. Her parents want her to be sweet and compliant so she can marry well, but try as she might, Arabella can't extinguish the fire burning inside her -- the source of her deepest wishes, her wildest dreams.

When an attempt to suppress her emotions tragically backfires, a mysterious figure punishes Arabella with a curse, dooming her and everyone she cares about, trapping them in the castle.

As the years pass, Arabella abandons hope. The curse is her fault -- after all, there's nothing more "beastly" than a girl who expresses her anger -- and the only way to break it is to find a boy who loves her for her true a cruel task for a girl who's been told she's impossible to love.

When a handsome thief named Beau makes his way into the castle, the captive servants are thrilled, convinced he is the one to break the curse. But Beau -- spooked by the castle's strange and forbidding ladies-in-waiting, and by the malevolent presence that stalks its corridors at night -- only wants to escape. He learned long ago that love is only an illusion.

If Beau and Arabella have any hope of breaking the curse, they must learn to trust their wounded hearts, and realize that the cruelest prisons of all are the ones we build for ourselves.]]> 324 Jennifer Donnelly 133880944X Kate 0 to-read 3.68 2024
author: Jennifer Donnelly
name: Kate
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 198563757 Dark romance, high stakes, and plot twists abound in this paperback original YA thriller that's perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover.

What you don't know can hurt you....

It’s been months since the accident that killed Ella’s best friend, Hayley, and Ella can’t stop blaming herself. Now Ella is back at school, and everywhere she looks are reminders of her best friend—including Sawyer, Hayley’s boyfriend. Little by little, they grow closer, until Ella realizes something horrifying . . .

She’s in love with her dead best friend’s boyfriend.

Racked with guilt, Ella turns to Hayley’s journal, hoping she’ll find something in the pages that will make her feel better about what’s happening. Instead, she discovers that Sawyer has secrets of his own and that his relationship with Hayley wasn’t as picture-perfect as it seemed.

Ella knows she should stay away but finds herself inextricably drawn to him—and scared of everything she never knew about him. Perhaps it’s his grief. Or maybe his desires, cut short by tragedy. Or could it be something twisted only Hayley knew about?

A dark, romantic thriller perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover and Laura Nowlin, Everything We Never Said explores the secrets in even the best of friendships and asks how well you ever know the ones you love.]]> 336 Sloan Harlow 0593855728 Kate 0 to-read 3.84 2024
author: Sloan Harlow
name: Kate
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 193544854 A Children's Book Council 2025 Young Adult, Teacher, and Librarian Favorites Awards Winner

Someone has murdered the queen bee of Sierton High School. All the dead girl’s friends are suspects. And each one has a reason for wanting her dead.

Ella Moore was the most popular girl in school…and also the most hated. When she’s murdered at her own party, there are too many suspects to count--and too many people who think she deserved it. The police’s prime suspect is the new girl, Dawn Foster. She was the last to hand Ella a drink on the night Ella died. Plus, all of Ella’s friends with a motive for wanting her dead are more than willing to implicate Dawn.

But Dawn refuses to go down without a fight. She’s determined to clear her name. As she delves deeper into the past, she discovers that Ella and her friends had enemies, and someone is out for revenge. She must uncover the truth before the police arrest the wrong suspect and before the next person dies.]]> 336 Cindy R.X. He 1728293391 Kate 0 to-read 3.65 2024
author: Cindy R.X. He
name: Kate
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 180633984 June Hur, bestselling author of The Red Palace, crafts a devastating and pulse-pounding tale that will feel all-too-relevant in today’s world, based on a true story from Korean history.

Hope is dangerous. Love is deadly.

1506, Joseon. The people suffer under the cruel reign of the tyrant King Yeonsan, powerless to stop him from commandeering their land for his recreational use, banning and burning books, and kidnapping and horrifically abusing women and girls as his personal playthings.

Seventeen-year-old Iseul has lived a sheltered, privileged life despite the kingdom’s turmoil. When her older sister, Suyeon, becomes the king’s latest prey, Iseul leaves the relative safety of her village, traveling through forbidden territory to reach the capital in hopes of stealing her sister back. But she soon discovers the king’s power is absolute, and to challenge his rule is to court certain death.

Prince Daehyun has lived his whole life in the terrifying shadow of his despicable half-brother, the king. Forced to watch King Yeonsan flaunt his predation through executions and rampant abuse of the common folk, Daehyun aches to find a way to dethrone his half-brother once and for all. When staging a coup, failure is fatal, and he’ll need help to pull it off—but there’s no way to know who he can trust.

When Iseul's and Daehyun's fates collide, their contempt for each other is transcended only by their mutual hate for the king. Armed with Iseul’s family connections and Daehyun’s royal access, they reluctantly join forces to launch the riskiest gamble the kingdom has ever

Save her sister. Free the people. Destroy a tyrant.

Also by June
The Silence of Bones
The Forest of Stolen Girls
The Red Palace]]> 364 June Hur 1250858100 Kate 0 to-read 3.97 2024
author: June Hur
name: Kate
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 195790639 Survivor meets The Bachelor in Attached at the Hip, an irresistible, romantic adventure by New York Times bestselling author Christine Riccio.

Orie Lennox has spent her entire life prepping for her happily ever after -- and now that she’s graduated, she’s low-key wondering, when the heck is it gonna hit. Her love life, her new job, her relationship with her sister: none of it is quite what she envisioned it to be.

One evening, on a whim, she applies for a reality show where she’ll be stranded on an island, with a bunch of strangers, to play a game of human chess for a shot at a million dollars. What better way to force herself to break up with the things that aren’t bringing her joy, than to abandon them all on short notice to live off the grid on a beach in the South Pacific!

Orie's shocked when she ends up cast in an experimental romantic edition of the show: and even more surprised to find that her old high school crush, Remy, has been cast as well. Orie's one of ten contestants, set to compete in formidable challenges, while speed dating, in the wilderness: without deodorant, toilets, shaving cream, or showers. (How!?)

She finds herself tied up � literally � in a game of risky alliances as she navigates ever-growing feelings for her one that got away, alongside an exciting array of budding new relationships.]]> 400 Christine Riccio 1250760097 Kate 0 to-read 3.75 2024
author: Christine Riccio
name: Kate
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 199927828
After being jilted by her ex-boyfriend and best friend, Jade couldn't be more ready to embark on the adventure of a lifetime�11 countries in 4 months, all from the luxurious Campus on Board ship—and to wedge an entire globe between her and the people who broke her heart.

But when Jade discovers the backstabbing couple are also setting sail, her obsession with them grows and festers, leading to a shocking murder. And as their friends begin to drop like flies, Jade and her new crush must race to clear her name and find the killer they’re trapped at sea with�.before anyone else winds up in body bags.

Perfect for readers of Natalie D. Richards, E. Lockhart, and Karen McManus!]]> 400 Diana Urban 0593527623 Kate 0 to-read 3.70 2023
author: Diana Urban
name: Kate
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 203578802
For the New Orleans elite, the Les Masques Ball is sure to be the social event of the season—if they can avoid another dead Queen. When debutante Margot Landry was found dead the morning after her reign at last year’s ball, it was a tragedy, but not a shocking one. Margot was a wild child with a self-destructive streak, nothing like this year’s Queen, Lily LeBlanc. With a perfectly poised debutante on the throne, everything is going according to plan…until the ball is hijacked by a mysterious figure in a Jester costume. That night, Lily sends a text to three of the Maids on her royal court—her best friend, Vivian; her boyfriend's sister, Piper; and April, her former frenemy—asking them all to meet the next morning. But Lily never shows up.

On the surface, these three debutantes don’t have anything in common except their exclusive private school and their ties to Les Masques. But soon, they realize why Lily brought them together: something dark is lurking beneath the glamorous surface of the debutante world, and it might be the reason she disappeared. And the further the girls dig, the more they begin to suspect that Margot's death may not have been an accident—and that Lily may be next. When the Jester starts threatening to expose their own secrets, this unlikely trio must team up to uncover the monsters behind the Mardi Gras masks—before they’re left with another dead debutante.]]> 352 Olivia Worley 1250881463 Kate 0 to-read 3.64 2024
author: Olivia Worley
name: Kate
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 150249578
When Gracie Gold stepped onto center stage (or ice, rather) as America’s sweetheart at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, she instantly became the face of America’s most beloved winter sport. Beautiful, blonde, Midwestern, and media-trained, she was suddenly beingĚýwritten up everywhere from The New Yorker to Teen Vogue to People and baking cookies with Taylor Swift.Ěý

But little did the public know what Gracie was facing when the cameras were off. In 2017, she entered treatment for what was publicly announced as eating disorder and anxiety treatment, but what was, in reality, suicidal ideation. While Gracie’s public star was rising, her private life was falling Cracks within her family were widening, her bulimia was getting worse, and she became a survivor of sexual assault. The pressure of training for years with demanding coaches and growing up in a household that accepted nothing less than gold had finally taken its toll. As Gracie entered treatment, she was asked to cite only her eating disorder and anxiety in the suicidal ideation wasn’t “palatable.�

In Outofshapeworthlessloser , Gracie shares the less “palatable� parts of her life, revealing exclusive, and harrowing, details about her the battles with her family, her coaches, the powers-that-be at her federation, and the voice in her head that she calls "outofshapeworthlessloser." Gracie’s memoir is not only a forceful reckoning from a world-class athlete, but also an intimate account of surviving as a young woman in a society that rewards appearances more than anything and demands perfection at all costs.]]> 333 Gracie Gold 0593444051 Kate 4 4.10 2024
author: Gracie Gold
name: Kate
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/16
date added: 2024/05/16
shelves: adult, family, fame, figure-skating, mental-health, olympics, sports, biography-memoir, nonfiction
review:

]]> 58312034 365 Traci Chee 0358668107 Kate 5 4.32 2020
author: Traci Chee
name: Kate
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2024/05/16
date added: 2024/05/16
shelves: america, asia, family, favorites, friendship, historical, ww2, ya, multi-pov, school
review:

]]> 112975147 400 Abigail Hing Wen 006329799X Kate 4 3.77 2023
author: Abigail Hing Wen
name: Kate
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/20
date added: 2024/04/20
shelves: asia, coming-of-age, contemporary, drama, fame, family, friendship, i-m-still-hoping-for-a-sequel, music, romance, summer, travel, ya
review:

]]> 66098776 New from Eric Smith comes a delightful YA rom-com about two teens caught in the middle of their families� orchestrated rivalry between their Philly cheesesteak food trucks.

All’s fair in love and (food truck) war.

Everyone knows Jordan Plazas and Cindy Ortiz hate each other.

According to many viral videos of their public shouting matches, the Plazas and Ortiz families have a well-known food truck rivalry. Jordan and Cindy have spent all of high school making cheesesteaks and slinging insults at each other across their shared Philadelphia street.

But the truth? They’re in love, and it’s all just an act for the tourists.

When the fake feud lands them a reality tv show pilot, Jordan and Cindy find themselves having to lie on a much bigger scale. TrappedĚýbetween pursuing their dreams or their love, can they find a way to have their cheesesteak and eat it too?]]> 368 Eric Smith 1335458077 Kate 0 currently-reading 3.45 2023
author: Eric Smith
name: Kate
average rating: 3.45
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/20
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 57977545 288 Meg Hunter-Kilmer 1646800826 Kate 4 4.76
author: Meg Hunter-Kilmer
name: Kate
average rating: 4.76
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/20
date added: 2024/04/20
shelves: biography-memoir, catholic, nonfiction
review:

]]> 118944
Born to rule over all the monkeys in the world, the story of the Monkey King is one of the oldest and greatest Chinese fables. Adored by his subjects, master of the arts of kung-fu, he is the most powerful monkey on earth. But the Monkey King doesn't want to be a monkey. He wants to be hailed as a god...

Chin-Kee is the ultimate negative Chinese stereotype, and he's ruining his cousin Danny's life. Danny's a popular kid at school, but every year Chin-Kee comes to visit, and every year Danny has to transfer to a new school to escape the shame. This year, though, things quickly go from bad to worse...

These three apparently unrelated tales come together with an unexpected twist, in a modern fable that is hilarious, poignant and action-packed. American Born Chinese is an amazing rise, all the way up to the astonishing climax--and confirms what a growing number of readers already know: Gene Yang is a major talent.]]> 233 Gene Luen Yang 1596431520 Kate 4 3.89 2006
author: Gene Luen Yang
name: Kate
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/20
date added: 2024/04/20
shelves: america, asia, coming-of-age, friendship, mythology, school, graphic-novel
review:

]]> 16098650
As Truman Capote reconstructs the murder and the investigation that led to the capture, trial, and execution of the killers, he generates both mesmerizing suspense and astonishing empathy. In Cold Blood is a work that transcends its moment, yielding poignant insights into the nature of American violence.]]> 343 Truman Capote Kate 3 4.08 1966
author: Truman Capote
name: Kate
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1966
rating: 3
read at: 2024/04/20
date added: 2024/04/20
shelves: adult, america, classics, historical, mysteries, nonfiction, school
review:
If I'm being honest, it could have been so much shorter and so much more enjoyable. The writing was lovely, but it just dragged in a lot of parts with no apparent point to a lot of description and background.
]]> 197230823 Reluctant debutante Sawyer Taft joined Southern high society for one reason and one reason to identify and locate her biological father. But the answers Sawyer found during her debutante year only left her with more questions and one potentially life-ruining secret.

When her cousin Lily ropes her into joining a mysterious and elite secret society called the White Gloves, Sawyer soon discovers that someone in the group's ranks may have the answers she's looking for. Things are looking up . . . until Sawyer and the White Gloves make a disturbing discovery near the family's summer home - and uncover a twisted secret, decades in the making.]]> 349 Jennifer Lynn Barnes 0241684390 Kate 4 4.18 2019
author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
name: Kate
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/05
date added: 2024/03/05
shelves: books-that-blew-my-mind, contemporary, drama, family, favorites, friendship, humor, i-m-obsessed, i-m-still-hoping-for-a-sequel, lake, lying, romance, small-town-charm, south, summer, ya
review:

]]> 58811470
Ambition. Drive. Determination. Talent. Courage. Teamwork.

Every athlete knows what it takes to win. But for teen female players, the stakes are so much higher. In this anthology, the voices of these athletes come alive, highlighting the ferocity of those who are often shunted to the side. From navigating rampant misogyny to forging a sisterhood through sweat or just reveling in the love of the game, the stories in Out of Our League address the phenomenal physical and emotional power of teenage athletes as they compete, persevere, and thrive, on and off the field.]]> Dahlia Adler Kate 3 Better in the Long Run (Sarah Henning): also amazing, also exactly what I wanted to see.
Woman Land (Miranda Kenneally): I've actually never read one of her books, so I didn't really know what to expect. Honestly, it was fine. I enjoyed the story, but not really so much that I'd want to read a full novel by her.
#GOALS (Amparo Ortiz): Another new author to me. Again, it was fine, the story was nice, just not something I would personally read a full novel of.
Sidelined (Maggie Hall): I've also never read anything by her, but I actually really enjoyed this one! I could feel the passion through the pages, which I loved. Now I'm gonna go read some of her other books I think!
All for One(Yamile Saied Mendez): I read Furia and absolutely loved it, however this story fell a little flat to me. While the message was great, I think Mendez's kind of poetic and figurative writing style didn't mesh well with the short story format. Or maybe it was just me, either way it was still a great story and she's still an amazing author in my mind.
Two Girls Walk into a Wrestling Match (Naomi Kanakia): It was fine, not my favorite, though. The writing felt a little choppy and certain things could have made more sense, but the overall message was great.
Power Ten in Two (Leah Henderson): Again, just fine, not my favorite but I can appreciate the message.
Bunker Buddies (Sara Farizan): Also, fine. A pretty easy read, nice message, wouldn't want to necessarily read a whole novel like this.
Three Minutes (Aminah Mae Safi): This one was great. Probably not my favorite in the whole anthology (others were more my style) but I really enjoyed it!
No Love Lost (Kayla Whaley): Kind of choppy, not my favorite, but it was alright.
Kylie With an / (Carrie S. Allen): This one was great! I'm a sucker for these kinds of stories and this one did not disappoint!
One on One (Juliana Goodman): Fine, again, not really my thing but it was nice.
Save the Lead (Cam Montgomery): Love, love, love! Always great to hear about less mainstream sports, and the romance was super sweet.
Volley Girl (Dahlia Adler): It seemed like a great setup, but the conflict fell a little flat for me. Great writing, though!
Anchor Points (Marieke Nijkamp): It was good, not my favorite. The friendship was really nice, just would have liked more/clearer conflict!
Also, please keep in mind in this whole thing, especially for authors who I haven't read before, it could just be that short stories don't suit their voice and style as much which is totally fine. I'm sure all of these authors are incredibly talented. Also, that these are all personal opinions and everyone is entitled to their own."]]> 3.82 2024
author: Dahlia Adler
name: Kate
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/03/02
date added: 2024/03/02
shelves: cheer, camp, contemporary, football, friendship, high-school, short-stories, soccer, sports, ya
review:
Safe at Home (Jennifer Iacopelli): loved it, exactly what I'd expect from this author.
Better in the Long Run (Sarah Henning): also amazing, also exactly what I wanted to see.
Woman Land (Miranda Kenneally): I've actually never read one of her books, so I didn't really know what to expect. Honestly, it was fine. I enjoyed the story, but not really so much that I'd want to read a full novel by her.
#GOALS (Amparo Ortiz): Another new author to me. Again, it was fine, the story was nice, just not something I would personally read a full novel of.
Sidelined (Maggie Hall): I've also never read anything by her, but I actually really enjoyed this one! I could feel the passion through the pages, which I loved. Now I'm gonna go read some of her other books I think!
All for One(Yamile Saied Mendez): I read Furia and absolutely loved it, however this story fell a little flat to me. While the message was great, I think Mendez's kind of poetic and figurative writing style didn't mesh well with the short story format. Or maybe it was just me, either way it was still a great story and she's still an amazing author in my mind.
Two Girls Walk into a Wrestling Match (Naomi Kanakia): It was fine, not my favorite, though. The writing felt a little choppy and certain things could have made more sense, but the overall message was great.
Power Ten in Two (Leah Henderson): Again, just fine, not my favorite but I can appreciate the message.
Bunker Buddies (Sara Farizan): Also, fine. A pretty easy read, nice message, wouldn't want to necessarily read a whole novel like this.
Three Minutes (Aminah Mae Safi): This one was great. Probably not my favorite in the whole anthology (others were more my style) but I really enjoyed it!
No Love Lost (Kayla Whaley): Kind of choppy, not my favorite, but it was alright.
Kylie With an / (Carrie S. Allen): This one was great! I'm a sucker for these kinds of stories and this one did not disappoint!
One on One (Juliana Goodman): Fine, again, not really my thing but it was nice.
Save the Lead (Cam Montgomery): Love, love, love! Always great to hear about less mainstream sports, and the romance was super sweet.
Volley Girl (Dahlia Adler): It seemed like a great setup, but the conflict fell a little flat for me. Great writing, though!
Anchor Points (Marieke Nijkamp): It was good, not my favorite. The friendship was really nice, just would have liked more/clearer conflict!
Also, please keep in mind in this whole thing, especially for authors who I haven't read before, it could just be that short stories don't suit their voice and style as much which is totally fine. I'm sure all of these authors are incredibly talented. Also, that these are all personal opinions and everyone is entitled to their own."
]]> 1039874
"Speak up for yourself—we want to know what you have to say."

From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, she becomes increasingly isolated and practically stops talking altogether. Only her art class offers any solace, and it is through her work on an art project that she is finally able to face what really happened at that terrible party: she was raped by an upperclassman, a guy who still attends Merryweather and is still a threat to her. Her healing process has just begun when she has another violent encounter with him. But this time Melinda fights back, refuses to be silent, and thereby achieves a measure of vindication.

In Laurie Halse Anderson's powerful novel, an utterly believable heroine with a bitterly ironic voice delivers a blow to the hypocritical world of high school. She speaks for many a disenfranchised teenager while demonstrating the importance of speaking up for oneself.

Speak was a 1999 National Book Award Finalist for Young People's Literature.]]> 198 Laurie Halse Anderson 0374371520 Kate 4 4.09 1999
author: Laurie Halse Anderson
name: Kate
average rating: 4.09
book published: 1999
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/02
date added: 2024/03/02
shelves: art, coming-of-age, contemporary, big-feelings, family, friendship, high-school, mental-health, school, ya
review:

]]> 18143768
As the only African American soloist dancing with the prestigious American Ballet Theatre, Misty Copeland has made history. But when she first placed her hands on the barre at an after-school community center, no one expected the undersized, anxious thirteen-year-old to become a ground-breaking ballerina.

When she discovered ballet, Misty was living in a shabby motel room, struggling with her five siblings for a place to sleep on the floor. A true prodigy, she was dancing en pointe within three months of taking her first dance class and performing professionally in just over a year: a feat unheard of for any classical dancer. But when Misty became caught between the control and comfort she found in the world of ballet and the harsh realities of her own life (culminating in a highly publicized custody battle), she had to choose to embrace both her identity and her dreams, and find the courage to be one of a kind.

With an insider's unique point of view, Misty opens a window into the life of a professional ballerina who lives life center stage: from behind the scenes at her first auditions to her triumphant roles in some of the most iconic ballets. But in this beautifully written memoir, she also delves deeper to reveal the desire and drive that made her dreams reality.

Life in Motion is a story of passion and grace for anyone who has dared to dream of a different life.]]> 288 Misty Copeland 1476737983 Kate 0 to-read 3.87 2014
author: Misty Copeland
name: Kate
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/02/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 36013042 24 Rick Riordan Kate 4 4.01 2017
author: Rick Riordan
name: Kate
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/02/11
shelves: fantasy, favorites, mythology, rick-riordan
review:

]]> 25904196 Hercule Poirot recalled an earlier outburst by a fellow passenger: 'I'd like to put my dear little pistol against her head and just press the trigger." Yet in this exotic setting, nothing was ever quite what it seemed.]]> Agatha Christie Kate 0 to-read 3.96 1937
author: Agatha Christie
name: Kate
average rating: 3.96
book published: 1937
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/02/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 55710754 Today, she hates him.

It’s the last day of senior year. Rowan Roth and Neil McNair have been bitter rivals for all of high school, clashing on test scores, student council elections, and even gym class pull-up contests. While Rowan, who secretly wants to write romance novels, is anxious about the future, she’d love to beat her infuriating nemesis one last time.

Tonight, she puts up with him.

When Neil is named valedictorian, Rowan has only one chance at victory: Howl, a senior class game that takes them all over Seattle, a farewell tour of the city she loves. But after learning a group of seniors is out to get them, she and Neil reluctantly decide to team up until they’re the last players left—and then they’ll destroy each other.

As Rowan spends more time with Neil, she realizes he’s much more than the awkward linguistics nerd she’s sparred with for the past four years. And, perhaps, this boy she claims to despise might actually be the boy of her dreams.

Tomorrow� maybe she’s already fallen for him.

The Hating Game meets Booksmart by way of Morgan Matson in this unforgettable romantic comedy about two rival overachievers whose relationship completely transforms over the course of twenty-four hours.]]> 416 Rachel Lynn Solomon 1534440259 Kate 0 to-read 4.05 2020
author: Rachel Lynn Solomon
name: Kate
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 65211848 In the morning, who’s alive?

In the course of a single winter’s night, four people vanish without a trace across a small town.

Nora’s estranged best friend, Becca, is one of the lost. As Nora tries to untangle the truth of Becca’s disappearance, she discovers a darkness in her town’s past, as well as a string of coded messages Becca left for her to unravel. These clues lead Nora to a piece of local folklore: a legendary goddess of forgotten origins who played a role in Nora and Becca’s own childhood games...

An arresting, crossover horror fantasy threaded with dark magic, THE BAD ONES is a poison-pen love letter to semi-toxic best friendship, the occult power of childhood play and artistic creation, and the razor-thin line between make-believe and belief.]]> 382 Melissa Albert 1250894891 Kate 0 to-read 3.60 2024
author: Melissa Albert
name: Kate
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 124932739 I Hope This Doesn't Find You is Never Have I Ever meets To All the Boys if Lara Jean wrote hate emails instead of love letters.

Sadie Wen is perfect on paper: school captain, valedictorian, and a "pleasure to have in class." It’s not easy, but she has a trick to keep her model-student smile plastered on her face at all times: she channels all her frustrations into her email drafts. She'd never send them of course -- she'd rather die than hurt anyone's feelings -- but it's a relief to let loose on her power-hungry English teacher or a freeloading classmate taking credit for Sadie's work.

All her most vehemently worded emails are directed at her infuriating cocaptain, Julius Gong, whose arrogance and competitive streak have irked Sadie since they were kids. "You're attention starved and self-obsessed and unbearably vain . . . I really hope your comb breaks and you run out of whatever expensive hair products you've been using to make your hair appear deceptively soft..."

Sadie doesn't have to hold back in her emails, because nobody will ever read them... that is, until they're accidentally sent out.

Overnight, Sadie’s carefully crafted, conflict-free life is turned upside down. It's her worst nightmare -- now everyone at school knows what she really thinks of them, and they're not afraid to tell her what they really think of her either. But amidst the chaos, there's one person growing to appreciate the "real" Sadie -- Julius, the only boy she's sworn to hate...]]> 320 Ann Liang 1338827154 Kate 0 to-read 4.17 2024
author: Ann Liang
name: Kate
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 22522202
Two years ago, Maggie Carleton’s life fell apart when her father murdered her mother. And after she told the police what happened, she stopped speaking and hasn’t spoken since. Even the move to Lawton, Alabama, couldn’t draw Maggie back out. So she stayed quiet, keeping her sorrow and her fractured heart hidden away.

As West’s pain becomes too much to handle, he knows he needs to talk to someone about his father—so in the dark shadows of a post-game party, he opens up to the one girl who he knows won’t tell anyone else.

West expected that talking about his dad would bring some relief, or at least a flood of emotions he couldn’t control. But he never expected the quiet new girl to reply, to reveal a pain even deeper than his own—or for them to form a connection so strong that he couldn’t ever let her go…]]> 336 Abbi Glines 1481438867 Kate 0 currently-reading 3.85 2015
author: Abbi Glines
name: Kate
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/28
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 28421168 Secret Identities. Extraordinary Powers. She wants vengeance. He wants justice.

The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies � humans with extraordinary abilities � who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone... except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice � and in Nova. But Nova's allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.]]> 552 Marissa Meyer 1250044669 Kate 0 currently-reading 4.12 2017
author: Marissa Meyer
name: Kate
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/28
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 195820778
Natalie and Imogen are inseparable, and wildly different—Imogen is infuriatingly humble and incredibly intelligent, while Natalie is brave, jumping into danger and new adventures. Still, one thing ties them their love of the supernatural. Every summer, they vacation with their parents at the famously haunted Harlow Hotel. Imogen is a true believer, while Natalie sees ghost stories as nothing but pure fun.Ěý

Then, Imogen suddenly passes away from an undiagnosed heart condition that no one saw coming, and Natalie is left to take on the summer before senior year alone.
Ěý
Without Imogen, Natalie throws herself into her senior project. Her passion is still horror, so she plans to spend her summer back at The Harlow Hotel recording fun fake footage that will get her on the teen ghost hunting show of her dreams. And her plans would be a lot less complicated if Leander, her irritatingly attractive arch rival from school, wasn’t working on his senior project at the very same hotel.
Ěý
The longer Natalie stays at the Harlow Hotel, the more she realizes that Leander might be helpful for her project. After all, she could use an extra hand to help record her fake footage.
Ěý
But, when strange things start happening at the Harlow, Natalie wonders, could there really be something to these ghosts after all? Ěý

Readers of Emily X.R. Pan, Nina LaCour, and Dustin Thao will fall for this story that explores what it means to believe—in ghosts, in the people you love, and in yourself.]]> 320 Mariko Turk 0316703443 Kate 0 to-read 3.94 2024
author: Mariko Turk
name: Kate
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/19
shelves: to-read
review:

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