1. Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher
"Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker - his classmate and crush - who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah's voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why. Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah's pain, and learns the truth about himself-a truth he never wanted to face."
This book simply just gave me chills, the whole plot was amazing. Although quite depressing, Hannah's tapes were filled with personalized meaningful messages dedicated to a person each tape, who are the "reasons why." The whole book was literally Hannah's notes. I recommend this book for everyone, really. Another thing I like about the novel is that they give you links so that you can also hear the tapes for yourself, which really adds to the over-all experience.
2.Every Soul A Star - Wendy Mass
And as streams of light fan out behind the darkened sun like the wings of a butterfly, I realize that I never saw real beauty until now.At Moon Shadow, an isolated campground, thousands have gathered to catch a glimpse of a rare and extraordinary total eclipse of the sun. It's also were three lives are about to be changed forever:
Ally likes the simple things in life--labyrinths, star-gazing, and comet-hunting. Her home, the Moon Shadow campground, is a part of who she is, and she refuses to imagine it any other way.
Popular and gorgeous (everybody says so), Bree is a future homecoming queen for sure. Bree wears her beauty like a suit of armor. But what is she trying to hide?
Overweight and awkward, jack is used to spending a lot of time alone. But when opportunity knocks, he finds himself in situations he never would have imagined and making friends in the most unexpected situations.
Told from three distinct voices and perspectives, Wendy Mass weaves an intricate and compelling story about strangers coming together, unlikely friendships, and finding one's place in the universe.
This book is just really, really, under-rated. I remember when I read this book, it felt like I was being transported to Moon Shadow (the campground in the book.) I myself have this weird fetish for astronomy-related things, so I loved it. I also enjoyed reading through all three perspectives, I adored Ally, especially. I think we'd all like to be someone who doesn't care about what other people think, and Ally is a pure perfect example of that. I spent a few nights after I finished the book still in their world and my imagination just went wild, reading it.
3. Anna and the French Kiss -Stephanie Perkins
Anna can't wait for her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a good job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. So she's not too thrilled when her father unexpectedly ships her off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair, the perfect boy. The only problem? He's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her crush back home. Will a year of romantic near-misses end in the French kiss Anna awaits?
Okay, yes, I think we can all admit that the synopsis (provided by Amazon, excuse you.) was just--Cheesy. But I honest-to-goodness promise you, that the book was just friggin AMAZING. It is my favorite book, after all. Or well, at least the romantic-in-me's favorite. It really just gave you the feeling that you actually were in Paris. I think I would've locked myself in the room for 10 days straight just thinking about the book and reading it. If you already love Paris, you'll love it even more, I'm just saying. Besides the fact that the setting was perfect, the characters are even more perfect. Anna Oliphant, I adore her, a lot. But I'm just gonna say, ETIENNE ST. CLAIR. ETIENNE FREAKING ST.CLAIR, I just love that American French English boy masterpiece. Not the typical Gary-Sue you see in most books. Please read the book, make yourself happy and laugh a bit.
4. Ms.Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children - Ransom Riggs
A mysterious island.
An abandoned orphanage.
A strange collection of very curious photographs.
It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.
A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.
First, I love the fact that the photography came together with the story, how many books can you find like it? Not many. And I know, I know, the book might seem or in this case--look a bit creepy, and well, if you get creeped out easily it may seem creepy when you read it. But I really like this book, and it's not as creepy as the cover suggests. It's as dark as you think, either. Peculiar really is the perfect word to describe the characters in the book, not many like it. Just like how there isn't many of these kinds of books. And if you have the time, you should check this video out.
5. Flipped - Wendelin Van Draanen
The first time she saw him, she flipped. The first time he saw her, he ran. That was the second grade, but not much has changed by the seventh. She says: “My Bryce. Still walking around with my first kiss.” He says: “It’s been six years of strategic avoidance and social discomfort.” But in the eighth grade everything gets turned upside down. And just as he’s thinking there’s more to her than meets the eye, she’s thinking that he’s not quite all he seemed.This is a classic romantic comedy of errors told in alternating chapters by two fresh, funny new voices. Wendelin Van Draanen is at her best here with a knockout cast of quirky characters and a hilarious series of misunderstandings and missed opportunities. But underlying the humor are two teens in transition. They are each learning to look beyond the surface of people, both figuring out who they are, who they want to be, and who they want to be with.
This book. This book. This really incredibly adorable book. I promise you, it isn't the typical girl-meets-guy-and-falls-in-love kind of book, this is different. Pure, innocent, childhood love, was what Julie and Bryce had. And I think that our world needs more of pure and innocent. This book also changed how I view the world, I've learnt to enjoy it more, just like how Julie learned to enjoy the view. But I also want to say that, I felt second-hand embarrassment in this book, quite a lot. It was funny that way. You also might be interested in watching the movie, which was really nice.
I really hope that you might be able to enjoy these books the same way I did. I decided to make this post because I love getting people to read, they tell me that the books I give them makes their world more colorful.
